Fantasy Secrets are Protection

[Otakuforreal]

"Any tub will do. I just need the water." She told him. "Though, I do rather like swimming." She told him as she continued to pick at her fruit. At his question, she frowned, though this time it was more sad. "Some of us did, others prefered being alone. But that doesn't matter anymore. We have no choice but to live alone, if there are any of my kind left." She told him. "You never answered my question." She noted. But, said nothing more of the subject. She decided if he wished to tell her, then she would. She continued to eat her food, the juices of the berries running down her chin and throat; a clear indicater that the girl had not eaten in days, perhaps even weeks.

Then he asked a question. A few moments of silence followed suit, Avalon's eyes moving side to side as she tried to think. Only one question came to mind. Looking up at Accra with her big, curious eyes, she asked, "Why did you decide to buy me out of all of the other slaves?"

 

[Vatusia]

"Why did you decide to buy me out of all of the other slaves?" Out of all the questions that she could ask, that had to be the one question that Accra was most prepare for. It was common to want to know why. Why were they chosen or picked? It was a question that Accra heard a lot from the people he was paid to get information on. "The other four non-humans were either damaged or not something I wanted in my house. The humans were in even worse shape than the non-humans. Besides that, I don't trust a non-human to watch over my house. They tend to be greedy or easy to bribe," Accra stated. He pulled apart the fish with his fingers. There were probably a lot of people who just melted for those big, honest eyes that Avalon was making. That could be an advantage to having her around.

Accra looked down at his fish. The edges of his mask framed the plate perfectly. Accra tilted his mask to the side just enough that he could eat his food. "You know, if you keep eating that way you're going to need to go take a wash before you go to bed," Accra laughed. Perhaps there was a reason that nymphs spent most of their time in the water. So they couldn't get this messy eating. The thief chuckled as he continued to eat his food, his tan skin barely peaking out around the mask. That would be another thing he would have to go over with Avalon. Why he was always wearing a mask. And that no one could ever know any of his physical features, even the harmless ones such as his skin tone. "Are you sure you don't want anything else to eat? You look like you could eat a house full of food and still be hungry." If the girl remained underfed, then the thief would need to worry about her being able to protect the house. Possibly even get a different servant to deal with any physical altercations.

 

[Otakuforreal]

"Us nonhumans are not defined by our appearance alone. You could have nursed them back to health, and their disabilities could be used to fool others." She commented as she ate. "I suspect that would be beneficial to you. It would be beneficial to many humans." She said. "And if you don't trust a non human to watch over your house, why buy me? Unless you misspoke. I hate most humans but there is one thing I can admit. Humans and nonhumans are not so different. Many are greedy and untrustworthy." She said.

At his light teasing, her ears folded back a bit. "That old witch hardly fed me. Sorry I cannot be a proper lady." She apologized sarcastically. As his mask lifted ever so slightly, she found herself leaning in to get a better look. All she saw was tanned skin. "I am fine. I doubt you'd have anything I'd want either way." She told him, sitting back in her seat.

 

[Vatusia]

"I misspoke. I don't trust humans," Accra clarified. All of Accra's clients were humans. They always wanted more information, whether to get someone brought down or to bring themselves gains. The few non-humans that Accra had been sent after had all been much different. Most of them had wanted nothing to do with the humans. The few that did, hunted them. So having one as a servant made sense. The people that would do anything to get into Accra's home and study would be human, so having someone that didn't want anything to do with humans was the logical choice. Besides the fact that they would be less likely to run away. Humans were used to human society. Non-human slaves were generally brought in from their native habitats. "I have more fruit if you want that," Accra offered. While she may not think looking over his house was much, it could be a difficult task. She would need her energy. The last human guard he'd hired had found out too quickly that there were people willing to do extreme things to get his secrets. The guard had quit within a week, screaming at Accra that he was a plague upon society. Later was when the thief had discovered that someone had strewn body parts around the second floor for the guard to find. That had been a mess to clean up.

Accra continued to eat his fish in small bites, looking towards the stairs. Perhaps someone would try something similar on Avalon. Scare her away. But that wouldn't work with a slave. She couldn't just quit. And while she could run away, Accra had enough connections now in this city to track down the nymph. With half the fish done, Accra stood to grab more grapes from the ice chest. They would be partially frozen, but Accra found them to be a nice treat. Especially in the heat of summer nights. He deposited the frozen treats into the bowl Avalon was holding. "Come, let me show you your quarters. It's late and you begin your duties tomorrow."

 

[Otakuforreal]

Avalon listened to him carefully, her curious eyes seeming more curious. She didn't know what to make of this man, but she was intrigued. She thought humans were always trust worthy of their own kind, but this made it clear to her that not everything she had thought about humans were true; Especially not when it came to Accra. Not in the least bit. At the mention of more fruit, she shook her head. "No more." She said. She didn't eat a lot to begin with, for the more food she consumed the more she had to sleep it off to make it into energy. And because she didn't know her purpose just yet, she decided to not eat much.

As he looked towards the stairs, Avalon's gaze followed. She wondered just what was going through his mind. In her mind, she was still trying to decide to flee while she could. She didn't know if she trusted him yet. He seemed a man of many secrets. Perhaps too many. Watching him get up, she got up as well, and at the suggestion of him showing her where she'd stay, she silently nodded, wondering what her duties would be.

 

[Vatusia]

Again she was being mostly silent. But at least now the thief knew that he wouldn't have to teach her how to speak enough to get by in the city. That was a relief. "Well then if you'd follow me," Accra hummed as he gestured down the hall. His house wasn't big. Nothing was in this city. When you were built on the water, then there were certainly some issues with the amount of room. "You are free to decorate your room as you see fit, Avalon. But you are not to have any visitors up here. I will allow workers up to a certain point, but you must let me know first." The door to the spare room swung open, revealing a simple cot, a washbasin, and a dresser. An unlit candle was sitting on the top of the dresser. Accra grabbed a nearby candle and brought it into the room. He lit the other candle before turning to Avalon. "It's not much, but should you require other things to live here, then I will supply them. Anything beyond necessities, however, is yours to purchase."

The room really was sparse, but at least it wasn't as dusty as the rest of the house was. Up until recently, Accra had been using this room as storage for his journals. He'd finally relented and gotten a bookcase large enough to hold his vast collection of books and journals. Accra strode back towards the door, the candle flickering with the movement. "It has been quite an eventful night for the both of us. I would suggest getting some rest tonight. Tomorrow will surely be just as eventful," Accra whispered. He put the candle back down where it had been sitting on a small table in the hallway before heading towards his own room across the hall. "If you need anything, just knock. But remember, do not come in." With a quick nod, Accra opened his door and entered. The door shut behind him as the thief headed towards the cot occupying the corner of the room. He stepped carefully around the notes and books occupying most of his floor. His robes slid free as he made his way towards his pile of blankets and pillows. The mask only came off once he was at his cot, sitting in its usual place on the floor. The young thief gave a sigh, his silver eyes catching the moonlight filtering in through the window. Tomorrow morning would certainly be interesting.

 

[Otakuforreal]

When she was brought to her room, a slight displeased frown spread across her face. She knew she wouldn't get riches and luxuries, at least not right off the bat-- she was a slave after all. But..this was just depressing. Just like the rest of the house. She walked around her room, getting familiar with the looks of it, imagining what could be done to improve the sad state it was in. But, that would have to wait, if she had to buy her wants herself. But, she may need a bigger washbin, but she would wait to see how the one given had fared. Turning towards Accra, she nodded. "Thank you." She said to him as he left. While she didn't know if she should be thanking him just yet, she was civilized and kind, and it seemed the right thing to do. The night was spent well rested, though her dreams saddened her with thoughts of her home.

By the next morning, Avalon was up and about, her curiousity taking over as she ran through out the house, exploring. It was rather boring, and the places she wished to explore were off limits, which only furthered her curiosity. She wanted to make breakfast, but she dared not do anything. She didn't know how to use human machines or inventions, and she detested cleaning. Perhaps in time she could clean around, but today was not that day by any means.

 

[Vatusia]

Waking up the next morning was tough. After a few hours of looking through the notes he had been making over the last few days, Accra had finally gotten to sleep. Now, he was woken by the sound of someone, hopefully Avalon, wandering around his home. Too many close calls had trained Accra to be a light sleep, much to his chagrin. So the thief blearily picked up his mask, slipped on a cotton robe, and headed out of his room. Seeing nothing immediately out of place, Accra wandered towards the stairs. Avalon wasn't in the kitchen. She was probably downstairs then, exploring. Or looking for the easiest route out of here. Accra shambled down the steps. The light was filtering in through the dusty windows, catching dust motes on fire. As Accra looked around, he realized just how dusty and empty the second floor was. Perhaps he should get the things to clean today and he and Avalon could work on that today. That would give him time to explain his business and field any questions the nymph might have. Though there wasn't too much of a point in cleaning up the lower floors until he figured out a use for them. Maybe that was something he should discuss with Avalon too. After he found the wayward girl.

After a little more wandering in and out of rooms, Accra finally found the girl in what he guess was supposed to be the sitting room on the first floor. "So, now that you've had some sleep, how do you feel?" Even the sitting room was dusty. A lone chair sat in the corner of the room. Accra had never stopped and looked at the house he had bought a year ago. Maybe that had been a mistake. But it wasn't like he had to keep up appearances in his line of work. They fewer people that knew where he lived and worked the better. "Is there anything you wanted to do after we get your stuff today?"

 

[Otakuforreal]

As Avalon explored her home, she heard Accra get up, though that didn't stop her from taking this off shelves and inspecting them closely, turning them over every which way. At his question, she looked at him and shrugged. "Good." She answered. She ate just enough to not wake up groggy that morning, and enough to have given her enough energy to make it through the day. "I don't know what else there is to do." She said, answering his questions. "I don't know what humans do for fun, nor does it seem that there is a place of water nearby. Therefore, there is nothing I wish to do." She told him, grabbing a plate and inspecting that as well.

 

[Vatusia]

If Avalon had nothing that she wished to do, then that would mean leaving her plans up to Accra. Which wasn't the wisest of choices. "If you have nothing else you'd like to do today, then there is a bookstore that I need to visit. It shouldn't take too long, but I need some new journals. Perhaps I should also drop by and get more shelves," Accra thought out loud. If he continued to collect journals, books, and scrolls, he would need a proper study and not his room. It might be a wise idea to convert some of the space on the second floor into a study. But that would make more are for Avalon to guard against prying eyes. Besides the fact that the girl would probably not be very pleased with having to help him clean the second floor enough to make it bearable. Before they did any of their combined shopping they would need to get ready. "If you want to continue to explore, feel free. I'm going to get dressed, maybe nibble on something."

Accra headed back up the stairs, running a finger along the banister on his way up. Even the stairs, which he frequently used, were covered in dust. Maybe he would just hire some poor sobs to come help clean up the house. The reasons why he couldn't logically do that were many. It would just have to take a while or stay a breeding zone for sneeze material. Accra was getting ambitious now that there was someone else living in the house with him. Once at the top of the stairs, the thief headed for the kitchen. He grabbed a quick mouthful of water from his bucket and then picked up a few grapes. He didn't want to eat much, it would make him feel too heavy. The handful of grapes would do for the morning. Hopefully, they would be back in time for a midday meal. For now, though, he needed to get dressed in something other than a dressing robe and his mask. He didn't want to embarrass Avalon by showing up to a silk trader in nothing but small clothes and a too big robe.

 

[Otakuforreal]

Avalon simply nodded. She didn't know how to read, nor write that well, so she didn't care much for books or scrolls or journals. They were simply boring junk to her. What she really wanted was her new dress, made of beautiful silk that complimented her eyes and hair wonderfully. What she really wanted was to make her room not so dark and depressing, and make it into a place that looked luxurious and comfy. "On that note then, can we get me some things?" She asked, tilting her head curiously. "I will look around later, but for now, I want to be spoiled." She admitted, crossing her arms.

 

[Vatusia]

Of course, she wanted more things. Maybe getting a nymph should come with a warning label. Expensive tastes and stubborn. Or maybe that was just his luck. Accra just shook his head as he continued to get dressed. He really shouldn't be surprised. After yesterday, it was all too apparent that Avalon enjoyed the finer things life. Finally, he had on his boots, trousers, tunic, and jacket. Securing his frowning mask into place, Accra headed back downstairs to where he had left the nymph. "Now remember our deal, dear Avalon. I will pay for essentials and anything for the public spaces of the house. That does not include your room unless you absolutely need it," Accra reminded. She needed to get it through her head that he was not her bankroll, but her employer. The sooner she learned that, the better it would be for both of them. Accra adjusted his mask slightly, before looking down at the small girl. "Now I have no idea how long we are going to be out, so if there is anything you need to grab or do, now is the time. We are not coming back because you forgot something, understand?"

 

[Otakuforreal]

"What would count for essentials? Technically speaking, we don't need anything but food water and clothes." She said, crossing her arms. What would classify as a need? Avalon had heard humans by her lake saying how much they 'needed' something, but really a person only needed the things needed to survive. Food and water being the main things. She 'hmpphed' and turned quickly, her blond-tinted-blue hair smacking Accra in the face as she grabbed what they needed, before returning to his side. "I am ready to leave." She told him.

 

[Vatusia]

Well, at least Avalon knew what essentials meant. Now he just needed to work on her sticking to the essentials. Accra ignored the hair slap in his face, chuckling quietly. Seems she wasn't happy about sticking to the essentials. "Those are the basics for survival, yes. However, in society, there is a little bit more that is needed. Hygiene items being the first to come to mind. Clothes are another. Now I'm not sure on the intricacies of being a female in society, so this list may expand later," Accra explained. Perhaps he could ask some of his previous clients for help figuring out what she would need. There were a few that came to mind immediately. With the right leverage, he might even be able to get some non-essential things for Avalon. But that would have to come later. Preferably without Avalon present. The last thing he needed was her seeing exactly what his business was.

All of that would wait, though. For now, they were going shopping. Accra opened the front door and held it open for Avalon. He gestured with his free hand to their right. They would be heading back towards Carnevale. There would still be people out from last night, no doubt still up from the festival last night. The weeks of festivities always lasted throughout the night and well into the morning. "We're heading to the silk trader first so that you have time to pick out your dress. You are only getting one though Avalon, so I suggest picking wisely."

 

[Otakuforreal]

"Only one? How dreadful." She frowned, making her way out of the home. "But if one is all I can get this time around, I will make due. Perhaps I can take up making clothes-- what's the word? 'Sewing'?" She asked. "If you'd be so kind to get the material for it, then I would happily make you new clothes too. Yours are far too hideous and depressing." She stated. It seemed she was already getting more comfortable with him, seeing as though she was talking more. Granted, it was in verbal jabs and sarcasm, but it was still more.

 

[Vatusia]

Accra frowned behind his mask as the nymph suggested that his clothes were hideous and depressing. Maybe they weren't up to her standards, but he rather liked his clothing. "I'll get you basic materials. I will not be buying you silk and other expensive fabrics," Accra said. He sounded as bored as he felt with this conversation. Clothes had never been of a particular interest to the thief. However, since coming to the city, he had had to learn enough to pass in different classes. None of that was relevant to what Avalon was going on about though. Accra just shook his head and placed a light hand on Avalon's shoulder to steer the nymph through the streets. The thief guided them in silence, taking back alleys as much as possible. After having someone attempt to follow and approach Avalon last night, Accra didn't want to risk something similar happening today before he could inform her of why she was a target just for being in his presence.

After minutes of stalking the back alleys, Accra directed them out on to a street. As he had predicted, revelers were still out and enjoying the morning. They did look more tired now and there were fewer of them out. There was no chance of losing Avalon in these crowds. Accra let his hand drop from her shoulder, instead moving directly to her side to guide her down the street past all of the colorful shop fronts. This was what he fondly called fashion avenue. Most of the ladies and nobles shopped for their clothing here. It was a great place to watch a target from the roofs if you needed to know spending habits or if there was someone they needed to impress. He'd even stolen some designs from one of the hat shops for a boutique down the way. Maybe he should take Avalon there for clothing. They might just throw some at her in order to keep Accra's thievery a secret. That would wait until she had her silk. Accra opened the door to the shop Maggie had told him to take the nymph to. If there wasn't something she wanted here, Maggie had assured him that the other shops wouldn't have anything worth buying. "Here you go, my dear. Find one thing to your pleasure," he hummed as he entered the shop behind the blonde. Hopefully they wouldn't be here too long. He really did need more shelving.

 

[Otakuforreal]

As they roamed the back alleys, Avalon couldn't help but wonder why they had to do such a thing, instead of walking the streets like normal people. But then she remembered, they were not normal people. Or at least, she was not. Nymphs were incredibly human looking, however they'd stick out like a sore thumb to those with a trained eye on magical beings. The tints of blue or purple or green, or any other color not normal to a human's appearance would very well give her away if someone of such a background were in the crowds.

When they finally reached the shop of the silk clothes that Avalon had been dying to go to, she wore a happy smile as she roamed the rows of fine silk dresses, her hand gliding over each one, until she found the one dress that truly caught her eye. Smiling, she grabbed Accra by the arm and dragged him over to an expensive dress, a light blue with silver accents. "This is the one I want." She told him, looking at him with her always demanding eyes.

 

[Vatusia]

Turns out that Accra needn't have worried about the nymph taking that long. Avalon knew what she wanted and had found it within the first ten minutes of entering the store. He hadn't even spied her lingering on any dresses. The pale blue and silver dress did fit Avalon's skin tone and blonde hair. Though Accra had no idea where she would a dress this nice. The house would just fill it with dust and ruin the silk. Maybe that was how he could convince her to clean the house. Accra stashed that thought for later and nodded to the girl before taking the dress from her hands and up to where the shopkeep was standing. The Shopkeeper raised his eyebrows at the dress they had chosen. Given Avalon's more practical dress today and Accra's dark cotton, it was no surprise that the man was giving them a disbelieving look. Accra just handed the man the dress and then held up his coin purse. "Are you sure sir?" The man questioned. Accra just chuckled before pulling emptying his purse into his hand. The transaction went smoothly after that. When the man went to go wrap up the dress, the thief turned to the girl. "Are you satisfied with the gown you picked out?" Accra questioned. It didn't matter if she was since he had already paid, but it was only civil to ask.

But before she could answer, the dress was thrust into his arms. It would seem that even though he could pay, the shopkeep didn't want him in his store. The wisest decision the man had ever made really. If someone recognized the secrets thief, they would have a second thought about entering the store. "Well, it seems we are no longer wanted here, my dear. Shall we go furniture shopping~?" Accra sang. He handed the package to Avalon and place a hand on the small of her back. Accra turned to stare at the man briefly from behind his mask before laughing and guiding the nymph out of the store. Once they were out he let out a sigh. "Really, that was rude of him. I have a feeling that he figured out who I am. You'll find out I'm not the most trusted in this city soon enough Avalon," Accra explained. He gently guided her back to the alleys before stopping. Perhaps he should explain to her more about why they were likely to get less than friendly reactions from people. "Do you want me to explain now or later, dear?"

 

[Otakuforreal]

Avalon grinned happily as she got her desired dress. She'd wear it all the time if she could, wanting to feel fancy even if she very obviously was not living in the lap of luxury. But, when she saw the owner so rudely shove the dress at Accra, and got angry, but before she could do any damage to the store, Acrra guided her out. At his question, she nodded. "Very. I think it will make look very pretty." She told him, a wide grin. But the grin turned into a scowl. "That human could've ruined it with how roughly he shoved it onto you. If his shop didn't have so many pretty dresses, I would destroy it." She said angrily.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I feel I have no choice BUT to go with you. Being alone is far too dreadful for me, and with humans crawling about like insects, I don't think I'd want to be home by myself." She pouted. But his words confused her. "Figure out who you were?" She frowned. "You do wear a very discernible mask. Maybe humans just don't like it." She joked. However, she nodded. "I want to hear your reasoning now. I don't see why we should drag such a topic out."

 

[Vatusia]

When Avalon said that she would have destroyed the shop if it weren't for all the pretty dresses, Accra laughed and looked back towards where they had come from. While Accra doubted her ability to destroy anything, he didn't doubt that she would try. This girl was insane and headstrong enough to do anything. But then she said that she wanted to hear his reasoning. Though the comment about humans not liking his mask wasn't completely inaccurate. "Yes, they recognize me because of the mask. The reason I wear the mask is because of my job. I'm what this city like to call a secrets thief. Honestly, I stick with a thief. Less flowery. People hire me to steal anything, from secrets to actual things. Though I'm not in the habit of stealing actual objects. Ideas, prototypes, plans. Those are my specialty. Which is why I needed to have someone to watch the house. My secrets are worth quite a bit to a lot of different people," Accra explained. Though he hadn't really explained that people hated him because he wasn't about to follow the rules one group of people had set for this town. No one could pay him to be protected. He was a wild card compared to the other secret thieves and very few liked that.

With the little bit of an explanation that he had given Avalon, Accra ushered them through the maze of back alleys towards the artisan's corner. "There are people in this city, well this whole section of the country, that have heard of me by reputation alone. And it depends on if they hear from clients or from victims what they think of me. Judging by that bloke's reaction, he knew someone I stole from," Accra further explained. It didn't take long for them to pop out of the alleys again. Once Accra looked around to make sure they weren't being followed, the thief steered the nymph into his favorite wood crafter. "Jes! Where are you and that prodigy you call a child?!" Accra shouted into the shop. Jes wasn't out front, probably working with his children in the back on the latest piece of furniture. Soon the masked man could hear multiple sets of tiny feet slapping on the hardwood floors. Three kids, the eldest twelve, charged Accra before jumping on to the thief, hoping to topple him. And they were successful. With a loud thump and a whoosh of breath, Accra hit the floor. All he could see was black hair when he looked down. "Hi to you too." Avalon why don't you look around a bit and see if there's anything you think the house needs. I have to teach these children a lesson~!"

 

[Otakuforreal]

"A theif?" Avalon repeated. She mulled it over in her head. "I was expecting something more exciting, however if you've a reputation through out the country, then perhaps there is more to you than meets the eye." She muttered. "I wish to hear some stories from your occupation. Surely if you've done this long enough to make a grand reputation, then it stands that you have at least a few interesting tales to tell me. It may be the only thing you can offer me to stave off the boredom when we're at home." She explained with a sigh.

As they reached the place of where she suspected they'd get their furniture, Avalon was surprised when three boys ran out and tackled Accra to the ground. Bending down, she picked up one of the children by his shirt, dangling him and inspecting him curiously. "You are fond of human children then? Perhaps you aren't as steel hearted as I thought, though I didn't expect you to actually enjoy something." She told him, placing the child back down. "I shall be back then, but do not be surprised if I buy something I like instead of something that catches your eye." She told him, entering the home and looking around at whatever there was to be seen.

 

[Vatusia]

Something more exciting than a thief? What on earth could Avalon have expected him to have been? And what would she have done if he had been like some of Accra's clients that had slaves? Most of them were boring enough to just visit, let alone live with. Though at least she had admitted that there might be more to him than meets the eye. Even if she did think him dull for some odd reason. But for now, Accra needed to deal with the three little devils currently trying to sit on his torso. With a fake roar, the thief threw off the two smaller boys, the eldest barely clinging on to his shoulder. Then with a final lurch, Accra was free of his small captor. "Aren't you three supposed to be learning things instead of terrorizing customers? What is your mum going to think?" The terrors squealed out multiple answers. Somehow amidst the unified babbling, Accra managed to piece together that their mum was helping out with the furniture in the back of the store and they were in charge of the front. The woman apparently needed to be tested to see if she was still sane. "Okay terrors, go find the customer that is lurking somewhere in the store and bring her to the back. We're going to see if we can convince your dear old Da to help me out~!" The children ran off in search of Avalon, practically shaking with energy. Jes really had his hands full with those ones. At least his eldest was calm.

Which was who Accra was currently looking for. The thief made his way to the back of the store, ducking under the curtain that separated the back room from the front of the store. "Jes, I don't appreciate you sicking your terrors on me when I come to visit!" Accra shouted. He headed towards where he heard the sounds of woodworking. Further behind various stacks of wood and tools, Accra found Jes and his eldest child. "Hello dearest Madeline, I am in need of your talents~!" Jes, the large bear of a man, turned to look at the thief. He let out a grin as he saw the masked thief. Madeline barely looked up from the trim she was working on for what appeared to be a dresser. It took her father coughing rather loudly for the girl to look up. "A girl is staying at my house now and I need to know what furniture she would need. I also need more shelves for books and things. Can you help with that?" She nodded and started wandering around the back. She would pick out what he needed while picking out the furniture that would match the rest of the house. Accra nodded to Jes before perching on a wood block that was probably going to be a stool as he waited for Avalon and the terrors.

 

[Otakuforreal]

Avalon didn't quite return, however. Instead, with curious eyes and an even more curious mind, she explored the house, looking closely at everything there was. If there was something shiny she enjoyed, she stuffed it into the pockets of the linen dress she had gotten when she was bought. She was supposed to be looking for something, as that was what Accra had told her to do, but all those thoughts were thrown out the window when the first shiny object glinted off the light, and caught her attention. Accra was playing with the human boys last time she checked, and with her dislike of humans, she decided if he needed her, he could come and find her.

 

[Vatusia]

As Madeline wandered around picking things out, Accra found himself staring towards where the terrors would be bringing Avalon through. When he saw the boys without the stubborn nymph, Accra frowned behind his mask. "Did she refuse?" The terrors just nodded before swamping their father. The tall man just took it in stride, lifting the littlest one into his arms. "Accra, she's a woman. They don't just come when called. Seems even a secret thief doesn't know everything," Jes chuckled. Accra just shook his head and headed out to find the wayward girl. The thief didn't need to listen to the furniture maker talk about women. It wasn't long ago that Accra had been guiding Jes towards the correct gift for his own wife. It would seem that the larger man had already forgotten that particular episode of not knowing everything. But Madeline was helping Accra out, so best not to poke too much fun at her father.

So for now, Accra would find the nymph himself. Not that the terrors didn't try, but this was a particular challenge they probably weren't up for yet. Accra was learning very quickly that Avalon was a very willful creature. So the thief stalked through the shop, picking up Avalon's trail quickly. Jes and the kids kept the shop in a very particular way. Accra still hadn't fully figured out the method behind their combined madness, but he could pick up the lack of that madness in the shop. Seeing as they were currently the only people in the furniture store, the masked man assumed it was Avalon's trail he was following. It didn't take long before Accra had snuck up on the nymph. He observed her for a little bit, watching her pocket something shiny. "You know, that's considered stealing. Those objects aren't yours, so I would suggest putting them back," Accra hummed. He wasn't going to force her to put anything back, but he wouldn't stop Jes from dealing with her as he deemed appropriate. While Accra may be a thief, he never stole for himself. Always for a client. It kept him on the better side of the laws of the land. He was just the delivery boy after all. "Come, Madeline is picking out things for the house. Maybe she even has something for you."

 

[Otakuforreal]

"Humans have taken everything from me." Avalon said as she looked at the jewels and trinkets in her hand, her eyes glued to the way they shined light onto the walls from the sun shining through the windows. "What harm would it do them if I take a few of their things? Your friends seemed to be doing well enough." She said, stuffing her pockets again. But the look on Accra's face-- or rather the blank stare his mask always made to her and everyone else-- made her webbed ears fold back, before she pouted and reluctantly put every last trinket back in a little pile on a dresser. "A few things wouldn't hurt them..I don't understand what's so bad about it." She said, frowning.

But still, she went to Accra's side, her eyes lighting up a bit as he said a gift from this 'Madeline' may be in her future. She put her hair around her ears so no one would stare. "Oh? Is this gift shiny? I hope it is, I do rather like shiny things." She said, a bit more eager now as she grabbed Accra's hand and went off towards the other. She went to the first person she saw, assuming it was Madeline when in reality it was Jes, and stuck her hand out in front of his face. "Gift." She said, demanding the item that Accra said she would get. And she was not one to leave until she got what she wanted.