Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow’s eyes wandered over his surroundings as they walked down the road. Large houses and tall buildings lined the sidewalks, and stiff-backed people milled about in lavish attire. Though everyone in Younis seemed to have money, this particular crowd looked a bit more well off. The castle wouldn’t be much farther if this kingdom was laid out like Brerra. He swallowed nervously. Even though he continued to tell himself that he and Penelope would succeed in their mission and both make it out alive, part of him still worried they were too unprepared. The fact that his only other experience going on a raid with a partner had ended in the other man getting run through with a spear didn’t help either.

He felt Penelope squeeze his hand and looked down at her as she echoed his thoughts about the castle being close by. “Yeah,” he nodded solemnly, lowering his gaze to the ground. He held her hand a bit tighter, wishing they had more time. Almost as soon as they admitted their feelings for each other, they were going on a mission where they would be risking their lives. It all felt like a morbid joke; like the gods were mocking them for trying to be together by putting even more obstacles between them.

“I nearly think we should just start up a life here and forget about Brerra.” Penelope’s soft voice drew his attention. “But we’ve got a war to prevent.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Crow shook his head. “That thought’s already gone through my mind more times than I care to admit.” The lure to abandon everything and make a new home in Younis was hard to resist. He had to remind himself that it wasn’t possible. Even if he hadn’t pledged his help to Penelope, he couldn’t settle down here or anywhere else. He had chosen his path, and it was a dangerous one. He couldn’t stop running until he or all of the enemies he had made were dead.

Crow glanced at Penelope one more time, noticing the somber expression that had taken over her face. She looked just as concerned as he felt. He wanted to do something to make her feel better.

“I talked to Hartley about our assignment,” he admitted, slowing his pace slightly. “He told me a bit about the inner workings of the palace—not much, but enough to give me a few ideas about how to get inside.” He smirked at her. “You’re the key, darling. He said the palace servants won’t harbor a criminal like me, but they might take in a woman seeking refuge. They’ll trust you if you can convince them you’re in trouble and need their help.” He tugged on her hand, pulling her closer to plant a kiss on her forehead. “I know you can do it. You’ve become quite the little fox.”

He offered her a smile, “We’re going to be fine, so don’t worry. We’ve made it this far, haven’t we?”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

I'll post as much as I can today, but I'm not quite home yet ^^;
We're currently staying with my mom in Phoenix before we drive back up to our city today or tomorrow.
I should be able to be semi-active though, because we have no plans besides just relaxing

I had another idea for the castle part of the story.
What if, during the raid, they overhear some guards saying that William and Abraxas are being held in the dungeon beneath the palace, and are scheduled to be hung for trespassing and plotting against the king the next day?
I could see that information causing them to split up (Crow going after the staff, and Penelope going to rescue the knights)
What do you think?

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Nice! Glad to hear it ^^

That sounds good to me. Maybe it's a mercenary from the north? We could have him/her attack them later in the day.
Side note: I like to imagine the people from the Northern kingdom have a guttural language (think German/Russian mix). Also mostly light toned skin, hair, and eyes because of the colder, darker climate.

I think I'm gonna do my post in the morning, because I'm super jet lagged and need to sleep.
I feel like an old person, going to bed before 10 xD
G'night~

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

It was awesome! They have a new ride in their Avatar world that’s a virtual reality flight on a banshee. It was definitely my favorite thing on the trip

What did you think of flying? :P
I’m currently at the airport in Jacksonville waiting to board lol
yay flight anxiety TuT

I should be able to get a reply done sometime tonight if I’m not too tired

It’s been a while since we threw in some action, so I think now is a good time to do that. What do you think? Any ideas about what kind of trouble we could throw at the characters before they get to the castle?

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow and Hartley lapsed into silence as they continued towards the edge of the town. The older thief stared down at the ground, kicking a small rock ahead of him and thinking about the remainder of the journey. He chewed on a number of ideas about how he could infiltrate the Younisian king’s castle without getting caught. Though he had never been there before, he had enough experience from his raids in Brerra to know a few things about the life of royalty. There would be palace guards to patrol the corridors—they were the dangerous ones—but there would also be numerous servants. Maybe he could take advantage of that somehow.

He looked up again, “Hey, kid. Do you know anything about the king’s attendants?”

“Not much,” Hartley shrugged, eyeing him curiously. “Why do you ask?”

“Just an idea,” Crow said. “Tell me what you know.”

“If you’re thinking of disguising yourself as one of them, you might as well abandon that plan now,” Hartley sighed. “I’ve heard that all of the staff in the castle share living quarters. They’re like family, and they support the king. They would recognize an outsider instantly and they definitely wouldn’t harbor you.”

“Maybe not me,” Crow’s eyes wandered to Penelope. “But what about a woman fleeing from an abusive husband?”

“That… might work, actually,” Hartley blinked. “It isn’t unheard of for communities here to bring a stranger in trouble into their homes. But that only gets her inside. What about you?”

“I have a few ideas,” Crow answered vaguely. “With so little time to prepare, I’d rather keep my options open than pin myself down to just one plan though.” He smiled down at the boy. “Don’t worry. I’ll get in one way or another.”

“I hope you can back that cocky grin up with action,” Hartley frowned, seeming unconvinced.

“Just head to any tavern in ten days’ time,” Crow said confidently. “I guarantee they’ll be telling stories about how we stole the king’s staff and got away.” He was glad to have the beginnings of a plan put together now. When they got closer to the castle, he could refine the details, but at least he had something to work with. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to go with the riskiest option—his last resort—to get himself into the castle with Penelope.

At last, they reached the town line. Kip, Hartley, and Penelope all said their goodbyes. However, the quiet young girl had a few words for Crow that caught him off guard.

“She really loves you, so you better treat her right,” Kip said with a wink.

Crow quirked a brow in surprise at her mischievous words. He hadn’t been expecting the soft spoken girl to say such a thing. After taking a second to recover, he cast her a smirk of his own, “Don’t worry. I will.” He glanced at Penelope, his wry expression softening. At least, I’m going to try, he added silently. Part of him still felt unworthy of her affection, since he couldn’t give her the life that a nobleman could have offered, but he reminded himself that she had chosen him too. She loved him in spite of what he was; it didn’t matter if it made sense of not.

He stepped up next to her as they got ready to leave the others behind, nodding when she asked if he was ready to leave. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” he exhaled, looking back at Hartley and Kip. “See you around.”

“You better,” Hartley waved. “Good luck.”

Crow raised a hand in a lazy wave back at him and then turned to walk on down the road with Penelope. After putting a bit of distance between them and the town, he nudged her with his shoulder. “Looks like it’s just you and me now, love,” he smirked. “No more chaperones or annoying brats to deal with.” He slid his hand into hers. “I think I’m going to enjoy this.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Awesome! Glad to hear it ^^
If you ever want to go to Hawaii for cheap, go to Florida lol it’s so similar here that it feels like we’re in Hawaii with alligators

Okay! Yeah, getting back into a routine after a vacation is the worst part
I’m gonna be waking up at like 5am everyday when I get home xD

I’ll try to get a reply up either tonight or tomorrow night, depending on what our plans end up being. We’re going to kayak on a bioluminescent lake on one night and I’m so stoked cx

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

How was Hawaii?
I’m still on my honeymoon, so I probably can’t post much until next week, but my nights should be pretty free ^^
I won’t be on late either because I gained 3 hours in Florida (it’s a little after 8 right now)

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow stood up with Penelope as Kip walked over to talk to her. He noticed that the girl was more open and relaxed around the knight. Her expression was calm and she held herself in a casual manner that was different than how she had appeared when he had first seen her the day before. It seemed like the two women had gotten fairly close during the short period of time they had spent together. He shifted his weight, wondering if they mentioned him at all. They had talked about Hartley yesterday, but did his name ever come up too? He wondered what they would have said if it did.

After a short while, Hartley announced that he and Kip would accompany Crow and Penelope to the town line. Crow nodded in response, “Only if you promise you won’t get too attached and try to keep us here.” He moved over to his bed to collect his things, putting on his boots and shouldering his bag.

“Don’t worry about that,” Hartley smirked. “I’ll be glad to see the last of your smug face.”

“Aw, come now,” Crow pouted in mock disappointment. “After everything we’ve been through, you’re not going to miss me?”

“Not even a little bit,” Hartley laughed as the older thief punched him in the arm.

“Liar,” Crow scoffed. He adjusted the straps of his pack so they fell more comfortably across his shoulders. “Anyway, we should get going.” He stepped over to the door and held it open for the others to step through first.

On the way out of the inn, Hartley fell into step beside him, “So, you’re still going through with stealing… whatever it is you’re stealing from the king?”

“We don’t have a choice,” Crow shrugged. “Trust me, I’d like to just forget about this and go home, but unfortunately, there’s too much at stake.” His eyes wandered to Penelope, who was walking just ahead of him with Kip.

Hartley followed his gaze, “Is it really worth risking your life though?”

“For her, it is,” Crow sighed.

“I see,” Hartley chewed on his lip thoughtfully. “I can’t say I don’t understand, but… what is it you’re going to steal, exactly? Why is it so important?”

Crow hesitated, debating whether or not to tell the boy the truth. He didn’t like the idea of more people knowing what they were planning to do, but Hartley had earned some of his trust during their time together. Besides, he seemed more concerned about Crow’s wellbeing than about the item to be stolen. Surely there was no harm in answering the question.

“I was commissioned by the king of Brerra to steal the Younisian king’s staff,” Crow said at last.

“His staff?” Hartley gawked at him. “You can’t be serious. Tell me that’s a joke. It’s a joke, right?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Crow shook his head. “Why? What’s so concerning about it?”

“You know the legend, right?”

“Yeah, something about divine right and godly smiting. I’m familiar.”

“Alright, well answer me this: Do you know what happened to the last man who tried to take the king’s staff?”

“I wasn’t aware anyone had tried before,” Crow knit his brow. “I thought the rumors were just to keep thieves away.”

“No,” Hartley shook his head vigorously. “Five years ago, one of the palace servants tried to take the staff. He had been drinking with some friends who dared him to steal it and bring it back to them. He managed to get into the king’s chambers, but as soon as he laid one finger on the staff, his heart stopped and he fell, dead, to the ground.”

“Are you sure he didn’t just pass out from drunkenness?” Crow asked.

“The court physician declared him dead. The incident reaffirmed our belief that only the rightful king can touch the staff and live.”

“Lovely,” Crow muttered.

“Whatever the reason your king had for sending you to steal the staff, it isn’t worth it,” Hartley went on. “It’s impossible to steal something you can’t touch.”

“I’ll figure it out.”

“You’ll die!” Hartley flinched at the intensity of his own voice. He glanced at the others and went on in a softer tone. “I’m begging you to reconsider, Crow. The palace is already extremely secure and, even if you somehow manage to get in, the king is protected by the gods. On top of all that, the staff is cursed to strike down any man who lays a hand upon it. You can’t succeed.”

“I guess that just means I’ll have to be extra careful,” Crow said stubbornly. He slowed to a stop and rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Look, kid. I appreciate the concern, but I can’t back out now. I made a promise to her.” His eyes wandered to Penelope once again before returning to Hartley’s worried face. “Besides, you’re looking at the most talented thief in all of Brerra,” he smirked confidently. “If anyone can find a way to trick the gods and take that holy walking stick, it’s me.”

“How can you be so sure?” Hartley shook his head despondently. “No one else has ever been able to come close to stealing the staff. What makes you think you’ll be the one to do it?”

“Because I have to,” Crow answered simply. “I can’t just sit around worrying about all of the odds stacked against me. One way or another, I’m going to keep my promise to Penelope. I gave her my word.”

“Great,” Hartley sighed. “You almost have me believing you.” He began to keep walking again. “Well, for your sake, I hope you’re right.”

“Me too,” Crow said under his breath, following after the boy. In truth, he wasn’t nearly as confident as he sounded. The fact that another man had actually died after touching the staff left a stone in the pit of his stomach. It was beginning to sound like this was a suicidal mission after all. I have to find a way, he thought firmly. It didn’t matter how many others had failed before him. He was going to do it for Penelope, and he wasn’t going to let one goddess stand in his way.

He looked up and saw a sign on a house with an eye painted on it. Standing up slightly straighter, he stared back at it with new resolve. I hope you’re watching, Aeklora, he challenged. Because I’m the thief that’s going to steal that damn staff of yours.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

That’s good at least
I’m still with my family right now, but I’ll reply when I get home later this evening

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Dang, that’s pretty wild. Is he okay?
Sounds good to me! I should be a little more active tomorrow, I hope