Love and Stealing Stuff

Yelrona is perched on a ledge outside an open window of a warehouse building, scribbling notes in a notebook.

Razen has been looking for Yelrona for hours, and after asking for directions several times, manages to locate her. "Yelrona! Hello again!"

Yelrona looks up at the sound of her voice being called, and spots the oruch quickly enough. She smiles at the sight of him and drops down from the ledge. "Razen! It's been a while. How have you been?" She looks him over carefully and adds "I see you've kept all your limbs. Very good!"

Razen has the grace to look embarrassed but lets the comment on his limbs pass without comment. "And I have not heard of any more false corpses of you popping up."

Yelrona nods. "Just the one, as far as I know. And I _still_ don't know what the meathead thought he was doing... but I'm pretty sure it _wasn't_ any kind of sympathetic magic. So, I don't know... maybe this is how the Arvek count coup on each other back in Bludgun, or something." She shakes her head dismissively.

"Count coup?" It's clear he isn't familiar with the phrase, but he watches her dismissiveness with the same sort of concern that she showed when talking of his plans. "Does what he did really bother you so little?"

Yelrona seems about to laugh, but Razen's earnestness makes her rethink it. "Should it bother me more? He tried to intimidate me. He failed. What else is there to say, really?" She thinks about it and adds "I'll admit, intimidation is not really my area of expertise. When I was trained as a Ruffian they kept trying to make me understand the value of it, and I did learn a lot, but... I don't know," she shrugs. "It really isn't my thing."

"I do not know. Things worked differently in my homeland. If he was showing off his strength or skill I would say that he was flirting with you. But threats and intimidation... Those are how others make you feel weak. If you feel weak then you are easier to bring down. It makes me think that he means you harm and I do not like that." Razen meets her gaze seriously. "Am I wrong?"

Yelrona 's eyes widen. "Oh, Tarien's Grace, I _hope_ he's not flirting with me! That would be... ridiculous. No, I think you're right... he's trying to make me feel weak... or frightened, or powerless. To make me startle at harmless noises, and waste my strength striking out at shadows." She shrugs again. "And he's failing. So... what do you think I should do about it?"

Razen seems to relax a little at her seriousness. "Even if he is failing you must make him stop before he finds a way to success. Doing nothing will only embolden him." He shakes his head. "I would challenge him to combat and show him that he has not made me weak. But you said that you could not?"

Morgan comes back to the area this time she has a basket full of something "Hey Rona I bet you are hungry since you don’t leave here." she looks to Razen "hey there."

Yelrona thinks about what the oruch is saying. Ridiculous as the entire situation seems to her, she has to admit that his upbringing has probably left him better suited to understand the kind of situation she's found herself in than her own. "I mean, I _could_, I suppose. But I think it would do more harm than good." She waves to Morgan as she approaches and chuckles. "It's all right. People bring me supplies from time to time. What have you got?"

To Razen she adds "But you're probably right that if I don't do _something_ he'll just keep trying. It's just that when he was actually trying to kill me, that made a LOT of noise, and it didn't make the Sunset any money. The Sunset is all about MAKING money while NOT making noise. So... they made him stop. If _I_ start making noise... you see how that goes?"

"Hello Morgan, we are just talking about Yelrona's problem with this man. Perhaps you can help us come up with ideas." Razen returns his attention to Yelrona. "I do not know what the Sunset has to do with this, but surely they will understand self-preservation? And it does not mean you have to kill him you just have to beat him." Razen grins viciously.

Morgan opens the basket as she has a loaf of bread, a hunk of cheese and what you assume is a wrapped brisket. "you two help your self. I even have some elven ice berrie wine." She then answers to Razen "I don’t know if I can help with men as I am having trouble with the one I am dating my self."

Yelrona says, "Oh! Well, thank you, Morgan. That's very kind of you." She helps herself to a hunk of bread and some cheese. "Well, R'ulq is a big deal in the Sunset," she explains. "Or, well, in this neighborhood, anyway. Not as big a deal as _he_ thinks he is," she adds, laughing, "but still, a big deal. And I'm, well, I'm a known face around here, I'm connected to the Guild. Of the Sly, you understand? So... our private battle isn't just our private battle. It's, well, I guess it's kind of like we're rival clan chiefs, or something. And OK, when I say it _that_ way, you're right that I can't just let him keep the initiative... but I don't want to start a war, either! That doesn't do either of us any good."

"So... you think beating him up would help?"

She does a double-take to Morgan at this point. "Wait, you want to beat up the man you're dating?""

"I do! It is what chieftains do instead of going to war!" Razen clearly didn't understand the extras of the situation. Some of her words going over his head, but he offered both her and Morgan a bright smile. "Tell us Morgan, does he need reminding that you are as strong and skilled as he?"

Morgan shakes her head to rona when she asks a question "No I meant I am not good with dating advice, and I am dating a woman this time." she gets two piece of bread and a chunk of meat. "Aithil is a wonderful woman and I am in love with her, its just her family does not approve at all."

Yelrona feels like she may have just lost control of this conversation. To be fair, there was no good reason to believe she ever _had_ control. Fortunately, one of the most important teachings of the Luckbringers is that control is usually an illusion anyway.

"So... among your clans, chieftains of rival clans just... beat each other up? And whoever wins the fight is... what? in charge?" That sounds way too simplistic, but honestly this isn't a kind of thinking that Rona is used to.

"As for Aithil... well, you know my opinion about this, Morgan. If you and she want to be together, then be together, and her family can either be OK with that, or not... that's not under your control. But either way, you'll be together."

"Better that they settle their differences between them than that they go to war." Razen declared seriously. He glanced between the two women and decided that it was a little difficult to carry on two conversations at the same time. "If you do not mind Morgan... Why does her family not approve?"

Morgan nods as she eats the food she made "I know and hopefully she gets a back bone and tells them what is what." then to Razen "Her mother is in a position of power and the council think I just want to date her for power and would use her mother for that. Oh and because I am a half elf."

Yelrona seems unimpressed. "If she's unwilling to stand up to her family, well... perhaps she's making her choice?"

Razen holds up a hand, forestalling the conversation a little. "They /what/?" His whole expression is shifting to one of intense anger. His eyes darkening, his face hardening to stone. Even his fingers are touching the edge of his weapon as if he might at any moment use it. "How /dare/ they suggest that you are lesser or unworthy because you are half-elf." His muscles are bulging, his body slightly hunched with ever-growing ire; and yet if anything he seems larger in his anger.

Morgan sighs "you might be right Rony." she gives Razen a soft look "please lets say if I was 5th in line for the throne all I would do is look to the 6th and say, guess what your now 5th." she then follows up with "I should talk to them but I have a feeling that will make things worse." Yelrona looks back and forth between the two, wondering if Razen finds her position with respect to R'ulq as frustrating as Morgan's position with respect to her girl. The possibility of that makes her decidedly uncomfortable.

Carefully, very carefully given his clear anger Razen grasps Morgan by the shoulders. "Do what you must. You can not run away with someone you love to give you strength. Show them the power that she gives you." He seems suddenly embarrassed and lets her go, his anger trickling away. "Let no one bring you down Morgan. You are not less because of what you were born."

Morgan smiles greatly as she kisses her own hand and places that hand on Razen cheek "Thank you, and I will talk to her and then have her travel with me to the ones I have to talk to."

Yelrona smiles fondly at the pair. Then, gently, she adds "You sound like you speak from personal experience, Razen."

Razen glances away from Yelrona, hiding his expression for a moment. "You see what I mean now though do you not Yelrona? If you let people intimidate you, if you let them think little of you... one day you will find that you believe it and what then?" He's clearly avoiding her statement about his own experiences.

Morgan does not like to push things like that with people "But Rona who is trying to date you?"

Yelrona nods reluctantly. "OK, fine. You're right. I have to do something. So... what, then?" Morgan's question gets a bark of laughter. "Well, _that_ depends on the day. And what we mean by 'date'. But what Razen is talking about isn't dating, it's... well, a sort of business rivalry, I guess you could say."

Razen grins a little wryly. "I told her that he might be flirting, but I agree that he is... likely not. I still say that facing him and beating him is the best option and this Sunset will simply have to understand that this is necessary."

Morgan shakes her head "doing that will just make him approach you different. What you need to do is destroy his business and take his connections to be your own."

Yelrona considers Morgan's suggestion judiciously, then turns back to Razen. "How does that sort of thing work in the Clans, then? Do you, what, issue a formal challenge and invite people to watch you pound each other into the sand?"

Razen considers for a moment, a slight discomfort clear in his body language. Specifically the way he rubs a hand over the curls on top of his head. "Yes. You invite the clans so that they can witness it and then the combat decides everything. Whatever was between the two is decided then." He scrubs his hand over his head again.

Morgan nods "And do the losing side move on always?"

"And then... what?" She nods agreement to Morgan's question. "Right, exactly. I mean, he wants me gone, and I want him to leave me alone. If I pound him into the dirt... he's not going to leave me alone. If he pounds me into the dirt... I'm not going to leave. So... how does this work? How do the clans enforce compliance?"

"No clan would go to war over something that has already been fought and lost over. I have seen a clan refuse to go to war and demand the chief meet in combat. But in this case..." Razen considers for a long moment. "How would he find those to help him to do these things against you if they know that aiding him will earn him the disdain of his people? You said that this... Sunset made him cease to try to kill you, perhaps if you show them how serious you take this threatening of his by taking him in fair combat that will be enough to make it so that they cease to aid him?"

Yelrona blinks. Her instinct is to dismiss the idea, to explain that the Sunset doesn't _work_ like that. But... he's not entirely wrong.

Morgan nods "now what if they challenged some one like me to a fight could I use magic or would have to fight with my weapon?"

Razen laughs, all traces of his embarrassment and earlier anger disappearing in a sudden burst of pure amusement that lasts several moments. "No one ever challenges shamans! Save another shaman perhaps." He shakes his head with another laugh.

Yelrona seems intrigued by the question, herself. "I'm not even sure what I would count as... I mean, Tarien's magic flows through me, but mostly what I do in battle is shoot arrows into things. And... well, if there's any use to this approach in the Underworld, I think it would have to be fist-to-fist? If I start shooting arrows then we're just back to trying to kill each other and the Sunset and the Guild shut us down. Or..." she says, then stops.

"Or...." she repeats.

Morgan nods as she takes this in "Well mage duels are impressive and destructive. I only been in one and we destroyed about 40 feet of ground."

Razen pales a bit but prompts Yelrona. "Or?"

Yelrona has kind of zoned out, staring off into the middle distance. Razen's question brings her back. "Well... maybe I've been thinking about this all wrong. You, Razen... and your clans... you are basically warriors, right? I mean, I don't know _too_ much about your people, but..." she slips into Yrch-Speak, which she speaks with an undeniable Sildanyari accent, <the strength of the clan is in the warrior, and the strength of the warrior is in the clan>, yes?"

She frowns, the expression of someone figuring this out as she goes along and not sure what she's even about to say. "It's not like that here. The Guild, the Sunset -- hell, even the Syndicate -- we aren't warriors. We're... well, for want of a better word, Rogues. So... if we're going to fight, we fight like Rogues."

She thinks about it some more. "I'm just not sure what that means. Maybe I steal something he really values, or something. Show everyone that he can't stop me from taking what I want when I want it."

Morgan smiles as she closes her basket "I will be off I am going to go home and to bed." She walks off after any good byes and waves.

For a moment Razen stares at Yelrona like she grew a second head, and then as she speaks his expression seems to suggest that perhaps she grew a third one as well. "I... Yes if you defeat him in his area of strength that would show him and everyone you are superior... but why would you steal something?"

"Because the Sunset _aren't_ warriors. They're thieves."

Razen stares at Yelrona some more. "You... you are a thief? He is a thief? Sunset is... thieves?"

Yelrona blinks. "Well, yes. I mean, not me _personally_, but sure, that's most of what Sunset and the Sly do. I... thought you knew that?" She seems somewhat lost, all of a sudden.

"Why would I know that?" Razen seems a little relieved to know that she at least isn't a thief. "I had never heard of Sunset as anything but the sun going down until today. I thought they were a what do you call it here? A guild?"

Yelrona nods. "Well, they _are_ a guild. But no, not a legal one."

Razen shakes his head. "I had no idea there were illegal ones. Much one for something like stealing."

Yelrona is somewhat amused, but mostly just bewildered. "Well, we do a lot of illegal things, stealing is just... the easiest thing to get started in, I guess. It takes a lot of planning and capital to set up an illicit drug ring, or smuggling, or the like. Theft is relatively easy."

Razen shrugs. "I can not say that I understand the laws of this land much at all. Nor does it really matter. If you can beat him in his own area of strength, then that will win you the war yes?" "Well, I don't know," Rona admits. "This whole 'beat him' thing is your idea in the first place... for my part, frankly, I don't really get it. But I think you understand R'ulq's mindset better than I do, frankly. So maybe you're right. I'm just saying... he's not an oruch chieftain, he's an Alexandrian crimelord. His 'area of strength' isn't his fists. And..." she pauses as a new idea occurs to her, "...I'm not sure he knows that."

"It is the best idea I have. Perhaps you could do a bit of both. Try beating him, and if that doesn't work... Try beating him at his own strength until he backs down." Razen shrugs finally. "I am sometimes... not very good at understanding the customs here, but I have found that people are much the same wherever they are." The half-orc places a hand on her shoulder. "Which is why I know that you would not want to do nothing."

Yelrona chuckles. "Well. What I WANT to do is toss him into a breeding pit of gelatinous cubes. But that... ends badly. But, you think I should try beating him physically first?"

Razen nods. "Perhaps merely knowing you are serious will be enough to make him back down. If not... there are other methods to try." He offers her a smile. "And we have thought of some."

Yelrona hrms. "Well... I'll think about it."

-End-