don't have time to code I'm sorryyyyyy
username: 76heart
name: Zaida
gender: female
to see if you were paying attention, guess what two book series did i mention in the intro? (this will just give you brownie points if you get one or both right): cinder for the first one I think? the book with a foot in a bright red shoe on the cover that goes from black, to a spot of indigo, to gray/white for the background on the cover if that's not the right title ahh. I see it everywhere and have almost picked it up multiple times, but I'm not a fan of sci-fi stuff. the second I believe is warriors, specifically the second series with squirrelpaw and leafpaw
this was just too perfect to the idea I had not to do
thank you generator for blessing me with this on the first rolls
xxxEverywhere she stepped there was sand, even within the markets where there had once been carefully chiseled sandstone placed down in an attempt to rid the town of the ever present sand. The sand quickly covered it of course, as it was natural to do with the ever present wind taking the specks along on it's journey before dropping them into temporary places of rest. She felt it squish between the toes of her paws as she took another step, and she let out a soft sigh. She didn't hate it, not at all, though at the moment it was a little tiresome, and a grain of sand that had gotten under one of her claws was currently very uncomfortable, though in her current spot in the bazaar, she couldn't just plop down and get it out; she was in public, and her mother had raised her better than that, and she also currently had a coin purse held between her teeth. She'd just have to wait until she returned home to take care of it. Letting out a soft sigh that was muffled by the heavy bad clasped between her jowls, she continued, heading toward the stand that her mother had asked her to buy something from, a stand that sold an array of fabrics that could be used to repair her father's very tattered cloak. From where she was she could see the fabrics had been dyed with many beautiful and bright colors, colors that seemed to bring light to a desert town so filled sand and things of it's color. There were pretty reds, vibrant hues of orange and yellow, mixed like a dancing flame, and then there were bright purples, violets, magentas, verdant silks, and lastly, many a shade of blue; her favorite. Mumma always said blue brought out her eyes, that it made them pop against her earthen fur and golden locks, and that it also made her look pretty. She didn't care about the last piece as much, but it did fill her with a little pride, and it made her chest puff out just a little whenever her mother mentioned it.
xxxZaida continued on her way toward the stand, glancing briefly at the other stalls she passed. There was one filled with all sorts of breads that looked so delicious, and she tried her hardest not to focus on the savory sent of them that was wafted toward her nose by the light breeze. It smelled so good, and she longed to have a bite. She paused, taking a longer look at the selection. If only her family had enough coin to spare for another meal, if only what she carried in the pouch wasn't all the extra coin they had. Her stomach grumbled. Maybe she could by the bread instead? She was sure her parents wouldn't mind, they hadn't had bread in months after all-No. She wouldn't disobey Mumma, she would not buy the delicious bread. She tore her gaze away with the shake of her head, and pressed onward, the stand with the beautiful cloths only a few steps away, and luckily she made it without another distraction. Her blue eyes flickered up to the kalon running the stand as she gently set the coin purse down on the wood, looking over what she had to offer more closely. They were even more stunning up close, and all of them looked so soft. Had the kalon weaved and dyed them herself? She looked like she would be a seamstress, and with a deeper glance, she noticed that the gray hairs that sprouted from her muzzle seemed to be faintly pink, and more orange than they should be.
xxx"Can I help you?" She asked, her voice a gentle croak, warmth within her dark eyes.
xxx"Oh, sorry, I was distracted by your pretty wares." Zaida felt her cheeks warm up, and she looked down at the pouch, gently nudging it so the coins could spill out with distinct clinks. "What would I be able to buy with this?" The older kalon studied the few coins for a moment, clearly in thought with her eyes betraying the gears that turned in her head, before dipping her head down and pulling out a small bundle of scarlet red and burnt orange fabric, done in carefully woven patterns, from behind the stand, and set it down atop the other fabrics present.
xxx"Will this do?"
xxx"Y-yes, thank you." Zaida watched as she took the coins between her teeth, placing them somewhere she could not see. The shopkeep then nudged the fabric toward her, and Zaida carefully took it between her teeth and shook it out to unfold it before placing it on her back. She gave a grateful nod to the other kalon who responded with a tight-lipped smile, one that was old and tired, one that wasn't strong enough to meet her warm eyes.
xxxAs she headed back home, her task complete, she found herself stopped in front of the bread stand once again. She felt her stomach growl, and hoped that those near by couldn't hear it. There was a loaf missing that had been there before; someone had bought it. The bazaar had gotten busier since she had bought the cloth, and now it was hard to stand in place without another kalon shoving her to a new spot or pushing her in a direction she did not want to go. Zaida let out a soft breath, giving one last longing glance toward a particularly delectable looking loaf, and then turned around, though before she could take another step she noticed that there was some sort of commotion coming toward her. How long had she been standing there, just staring at the bread? She heard shouts of the city guards, their voices coming closer and echoing off the sandstone buildings of the street. "Stop that thief!" She blinked. A thief?
xxxSuddenly, a figure darted past her, moving too fast for her to see who they were, and she felt them drop something onto her back. "H-hey, you dropped something!" Zaida called, starting to go after the figure. She couldn't quite get a look at their pelt, but it wasn't hard to see the path they left behind as they hurriedly weaved through the crowd and pushed people out of the way. She took the item they dropped between her jaws before she could get a good look at what it was, and began to run after them. It took her a moment too long to realize that what she held in her teeth was the bread she had seen missing from the stand, and that only made her more determined to give it back, with of course the piece she had bitten into cut off. In hindsight, she probably should have looked before she grabbed it, though that hand't crossed her mind in her rush. She ran faster, carefully weaving through the kalons that surrounded her, following the annoyed and irritated sounds of those the stranger had pushed aside and bumped into. The fur on her scruff raised as she heard the guards' voices grow louder, and it suddenly occurred to her that she could be chasing the thief. What if it wasn't the thief though, what if they were in a hurry and had simply forgotten their bread? What if they needed it desperately? She continued, quickly gaining on the figure, and only stopped when she found herself skidding to a halt at the end of the bazaar, where the figure had been cornered by guards, and she managed to get herself trapped in. Her eyes widened, and she felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest. What had she just done? What had she gotten herself into?
xxxShe felt someone pick her up harshly by her scruff, and then carelessly drop her next to the stranger, the bread falling from her mouth as she let out a squad of protest, and the cloth falling to the ground. Something told her she wasn't getting it back. She swallowed, and looked at the kalon next to her. They were shaking, and when she caught their gaze, she noticed how terrified they looked, how afraid they were of this. Their gray fur was dull, and she could see their ribs through their pelt, and hear their racing heart as their scared eyes were locked onto the guards that towered over them. She could feel the fear radiating from them in prominent waves, and she felt her heart sink. They were like her, struggling to find food to put on the table, except they didn't have parents to work and provide that for them, they only had them-self and they were too starving to do anything but steal. Did they have family to provide for too? She felt a pointed edge of some weapon jab her side, and with a start she realized one of the guards had been talking.
xxx"Which one of you stole this bread?" He demanded, the stranger wincing and slinking back, trying to hide and get away, but their back hit the pointed edge of a spear, and they gave a whimper as they jolted forward, clearly more than scared of what was to come. Zaida had a feeling that if they took the blame, their fate would be rather short. She swallowed. She couldn't let them take the blame, even if she hadn't done it at all.
xxx"I-" The gaze of the guards' snapped toward her, their eyes burning. She gulped, and tried to muster up what little courage she did have. "I did. I stole the bread from them, they bought it, and t-they were running because they didn't want me to take anything else, o-or hurt them." Zaida explained, casting her gaze downward in what she hoped looked to be convincing shame. Mumma had told her she wasn't a good liar, but she hoped that now she could be a convincing one.
xxxWhen she looked back up, she could see them thinking, studying her. The stranger at her side still looked scared, but when her blue eyes momentarily flittered their way, she saw that they looked grateful as well, and relieved. She was sure they would have visibly deflated if there wasn't still the possibility that the guards would catch her lie and punish the other. For their sake she hoped they would believe her; she was still a kit, and her punishment wouldn't be nearly as severe.
xxxThe sound of a throat clearing brought her attention back to the guards, and she saw the stranger beside her wince again. She hoped the guards would let them keep the bread if they believed her. The guard that appeared to be in charge gave her a hard glare, before making a movement to the guard next to him. They picked up the bread and passed it to the stranger, while the leader still glared venomously at her. "This time you are free to go you filthy thief, though if we catch you again you won't be so lucky." He snarled, spitting out the words and looking down on her as if she were worse than a fly. She felt her ears flatten, and she took a step back. He made another gesture for the guards to part, and she watched as the stranger darted away with the bread. She had a feeling that the guards knew it had been the other who had stolen it, but because they couldn't prove it, and she had confessed, they had let her get away with her lie, and she was grateful. She bent down to pick up the cloth, now covered in sand, but a paw firmly held it down.
xxx"That's mine!" Zaida protested, but his paw didn't budge. "Not anymore, you probably stole this too, thief." The words were spat out again in a growl, like they were filth in his mouse, and she shrunk back. She had failed Mumma.
xxxWhen she returned home, she saw her mother stand, searching her daughter's form for the cloth she had asked her to bring, her eyes filling with confusion when she saw none was on her form. Her father watched from the other side of the room, brows furrowed.
xxx"Where is the material I asked you to bring my sweet summer child?" Her voice was soft as she spoke, concern seeping through. Her child had always been a good one, had always done her errands well, and it wasn't like her to come back empty handed.
xxx"I lost it." Zaida's head drooped.
xxx"Lost it? How?" Her tone was still gentle as she came toward Zaida, sitting in front of her, her paw gently lifting to tilt her face up.
xxx"T-there was a thief, and I took the blame. The guards wouldn't let me have it." Her parent's exchanged a glance she couldn't decipher, before her father quickly stood and left the room. "Where's Da going?"
xxx"He'll be back tonight, I promise. Now, go get some rest, I'm sure that must have made for an eventful day." Her mother carefully began to push her toward her room, and after a glance toward the door, she complied.
xxxThe next morning, she awoke to the sounds of voices, and her mother's hiss above her head.
xxx"Do not leave this room Zaida, no matter what you hear. Do not leave this room until the voices are gone."
xxx"But why Mumma, what's going on?" She blinked away the sleep, panic beginning to rise in her chest. A familiar voice belonging to a guard sounding outside. Her heart sped up.
xxx"Shh my child, stay here, I have no time to explain. Promise me you'll stay here, promise me you won't be seen." Her mother searched her gaze frantically, and Zaida gave a hesitant nod, still unsure of what was going on.
xxx"I-I promise."
xxx"Good." With that, her mother swiftly left the room, leaving the door closed apart from a slim gap. Zaida heard some yells, and someone barking commands, and she felt the fear begin to settle in. What was going on? She crept toward the door, peaking through the gap. Her eyes widened as she watched the guards drag her father away, her mother not far behind, insisting there was no one else in the home, insisting they were the only ones who had stolen. Her parents were thieves too? Was that why Da always came back late? Was that what the look they had shared meant, or was this all the result of her taking the blame? Whatever it was, she was scared, and she didn't know what to do.
xxxIt didn't take long for the little coin her parents had left behind to run out, and she found herself in front of the bread stand again, scared and alone. She didn't know what to do, but the hunger had become too much to bare. Her thoughts danced with the idea of taking it, just taking a slice and slipping into the night, but she told herself no, she told herself she wouldn't steal. She ran home, stomach growling louder than it ever had. She returned the next day, battling the temptation, winning, and going home, the cycle repeating, until one day, she couldn't take it, and she lost.
xxxStealing quickly became a second nature to her, an instinct, a reflex, something she did without a second thought or shred of regret. She became the stranger she had taken the blame for, except she wasn't afraid, and she never got caught, until one day, she did. She was brought in to the palace of the desert for judgement, but she left with fake innocence, and a shiny new coin.
[/list]
by sobble » Wed Apr 04, 2018 11:50 pm 
