[Jedi]

"Where did you say you found these, Catnip?" She stared in amazement at the small assortment of gems held in the cat-like hands of her companion. "I told you already. I didn't find them, they just appeared my pocket." She obviously didn't trust that. "Bullshit! She stared around, making sure that no one was watching the two of them. "If you ask me, it sounds like a pickpocket, but in reverse.

"Does this mean we're going back to Myrym and Sorin?" Lylyn turned away and pondered for a second. They hadn't exactly ended things on a good note. "I guess. But just for advice. If her brother starts anything, I swear I'll slit his throat!"

[Kitsumi]

It wasn't very hard to find the two siblings... or at least, it wasn't hard to find one of them. Irensorin could always be found wherever the crowds were thickest. More often than not, the crowds had gathered for him as he made a show of playing his lute and singing in a honeyed voice. He thrived off of the attention, and the keystones that many people would toss at his feet weren't so bad either.

Myrymsaaria, on the other hand, was difficult to find. Skulking through the crowd like a shadow, nimble fingers reaching into pockets in order to steal anything of value. Once she had made her rounds, she would disappear. She didn't want to stick around long enough to be accused for the thefts.

[Jedi]

The marketplace was busier than Lylyn remembered. She and her companion, Catnip, stepped out from an empty side street to find nearly every square foot occupied by people. "Do you really think we'll be able to find them, Lylyn?" She held up a finger, giving a brief "Shhh!" Listening to the crowd, she focused in on the more subtle sounds. "He's here. Don't you hear it?" "Hear what? All I can hear is the crowd." Catnip scratched his head in confusion. "Exactly," she stated, only leaving him more confused.

No more than a minute later, she dropped a few coins into the bard's collection plate. "Hello there, music-boy," she said. "Hi Sorin!" her companion chimed in. Lylyn held her hand out with a few gems in it. "Think you can tell us what these are? Or how someone might've slipped them into Catnip's pocket?"

[Kitsumi]

Finishing his performance, the bard bowed with a grand flourish. The crowd cheered once more, and he smiled as several people approached to fawn over him. Eventually, the people began to disperse... but then a familiar voice caught his attention. He looked up with a smirk.

"Oh my, has the mighty Lylyn decided to grace my performance with her presence?" He pressed a hand to his chest dramatically. "What an honor! Shall I kneel before you, my lady?"

When he caught sight of the shifter, his expression changed to a genuine smile. "Hello again, Catnip baby. I hope blondie over here hasn't been getting you into any trouble?"

[Jedi]

The words grated on Lylyn's eardrums. Hearing his mocking gestures was enough to furrow her brows to the point of a headache. She gripped the dagger at her side, nearly frustrated enough to do something rash. But before she could do anything she'd regret, Catnip jumped up ahead of her to give his piece.

No, she's been good. I made sure of it. But we found someth-" Lylyn cut him off, gripping her dagger "Look, can you help us or not? And where's your sister?" She stepped forward, only to stop when she felt something sharp pressing ever-so-lightly against her throat. It was familiar to her; Myrym's dagger.

[Kitsumi]

Having trained himself to find his sister in even the thickest crowd and the darkest shadows, Irensorin knew exactly when the rogue began approaching. He said nothing, not wanting to ruin the element of surprise for her. Instead, he communicated with a single glance, letting her know that he was in no danger, but also wouldn't mind her stepping in if she wished to do so.

Of course Myrymsaaria immediately drew her dagger, pressing the sharp edge lightly against the other woman's throat. She didn't like the way that the blonde spoke to her brother. Or the way she looked at him. Or the way she always seemed to want to murder him.

"I'm right here," she said. Then, returning the dagger to its sheath on her thigh, she leaned back against the wall of a nearby building. "So, you need our help with something?"

[Jedi]

She didn't like either of the Drow, but at least she could respect Myrym. The woman had style... and didn't sing. When the blade finally retracted, she felt her throat. It was a feign of making sure she wasn't cut to hide her gulp of surprise. The assassin got the best of her.

She retrieved the gems her cat-like companion had shown her. "These were slid into Catnip's pocket." There was about a dozen small fragments of sapphires, amethysts, garnets and ivory, but what worried her was the faint magical presence she could feel in them. "Yeah, they just appeared there a day ago. We wanted to know what they were for-" Lylyn cut him off with a finger.

"No, that's the end. We want to know who slipped them into his pocket. That's our beginning. That's where you come in. Know any other pickpockets?" She held her hand out, offering them to the rogue.

[Kitsumi]

At the sight of the gems, Myrymsaaria's eyes lit up. "Damn, that's quite the haul," she let out a low whistle. Then, she glanced around the open street where they stood. "But uh, you probably shouldn't be flashing those out in the open like this. There are people who would kill to get their hands on those." Taking the gems, she quickly shoved them in a pouch hanging from her belt. Before the other woman could get upset, she said, "Relax, I'm not stealing from you. I just don't want anyone else noticing these."

She began walking towards a nearby alleyway, her brother falling into step beside her. "Come on," she said. "Sorin's been performing at one of those ritzy inns and they put us up in a nice room. We can talk there."

[Jedi]

At first, Lylyn was a bit irritated at the thought of Myrym snatching the jewels, especially since neither of them knew exactly what they were. But with the drow's explanation, she calmed down a bit. Lylyn followed the woman to their current residence.

As for the shifter, after he'd given his piece, he walked up to the other man. "Hey Sorin. Have you found any new songs?" The cat-man was genuinely interested in the dark-elf's exploits. That was the odd difference between the pair of them.

Lylyn kept silent on the way to the inn, but once they got to privacy, she demanded to get straight to business. "About those gems," she started. "I'm pretty sure they're dangerous."

[Kitsumi]

As always, the elder drow sibling took a complicated path to the place where they were currently staying. Call her paranoid, but she always took extra precautions to ensure that no one would follow them. And in this situation, it seemed necessary.

The smile that Irensorin gave the other male was bright and open. "Why yes, actually! I'm always collecting new songs. I could sing one of them for you, if you like?" Suddenly glancing at Lylyn, who was walking ahead with his sister, he hesitated. "Or perhaps we could do that sometime when we are alone? I don't think her royal highness enjoys my singing very much."

Once they had reached the inn, the drow lead them in through the back entrance and up to the third floor of the building. The suite was large, with it's own washroom and and two separate bedrooms adjoining the main area. Myrymsaaria sat and pulled the gems out of her pocket. "Dangerous how?" she asked. "Tell me exactly what happened."

[Jedi]

"Oh Gods no!" "Certainly!" The two of them gave opposite reactions to Sorin's offered singing. But Lylyn gave a sigh of relief when he'd decided to get back to it later. "Alright, Sorin. But I'll ask you to sing it later. And maybe I can play my instrument also."

When Myrym asked about the gems, Lylyn seemed a bit embarrassed. "Let's just call it a hunch. When I look in them, I swear I can see something magical." She looked over to Catnip, who was walking with Sorin a dozen feet away. "And I don't think someone would just slip gems into some random person's pocket for no reason at all." She leaned in close to Myrym. "I think someone's trying to set us up in some way. And I want to know who. Now, like I asked earlier, do you know any other pickpockets that could've slipped them in?"

[Kitsumi]

"That sounds perfect," Sorin grinned at the shifter. He walked across the room to sit on a loveseat, still close enough to take part in the conversation between the women. Patting the seat next to him, he gestures for Catnip to join him.

Meanwhile, Myrym wrinkles her nose as she looks at the gems. "Look, you know I'm not the one to come to about magic shit, that's more of your thing. As far as I can tell, this is a small treasure trove you've stumbled upon." Her brows knit together in concern. "But you're right, I don't think that anyone would reverse pickpocket you unless they had a reason to do so."

Leaning back in her seat, the woman sighed. "There's a sense of honor amongst thieves. I can't just sell out any of my contacts. But," she holds up one finger before Lylyn can argue with her. "I know of a place. I can't promise that you'll be safe there, but I can almost guarantee that someone will have the information you seek."

[Jedi]

Catnip didn't dawdle. He didn't hesitate. But he didn't run over. Catnip wasn't the type to get over-excited, but he was always a little giddy to spend time with what little friends he had. Before he sat down, pulling his guitar to set against the couch. He didn't know if Sorin would want him to join in if he were to start playing.

Lylyn had a look of disappointment when Myrym spoke of her honor. She even gave an audible scoff at the phrase. But she turned back to look with interest when she continued to speak. "I don't care if it's dangerous. I've been through Hell before, I'm sure I'll be through Hell again. As long as I've got you guys watching my back, I'm sure I'll be fine."

[Kitsumi]

At the sight of Catnip's guitar, the blonde drow began imaging how fun it would be to actually perform with another person. His sister had never been interested in music, and while she had once tried to learn how to play an instrument to make him happy, she simply didn't have the patience to learn. So Sorin was used to simply playing alone... but hopefully, at some point, he and the shifter could play together.

On the other side of the room, Myrym was scoffing. "That's funny, you want us to watch your back after constantly threatening to stab my brother in his?" For a moment she was silent, thoughtful. "We'll come, simply because I'm curious. But if things go badly, just know that my first priority is my brother and myself."

[Jedi]

The aasimar showed a look of frustration at Myrym's judgements, despite them being wholly justified. "That's fair," she answered with a huff. "But just know that if things come to that, my priority is myself. Catnip and your two be damned." She extended her hand, offering a small sign of trust.

As for Catnip, he saw the look in Sorin's eyes as it fell on the instrument. Without hesitation, he snatched it up and prepared to play. "Care to join me in a song, Sorin?" He started playing in a brisk Jota style, leaving room for Sorin to jump in any time he saw fit. Catnip stared at him with a beaming smile.