[Job] Moving with the Times (Itori/Solo)

Job Details:

Itori liked Rose Garden. It was one of the liveliest of the cities in Fiore, and abundant with both people and magic. She'd spent a lot of her life wandering and didn't mind being alone, but lately she'd been enjoying the presence of other people instead. Back in Ace of Spades she often wandered about town talking to people and helping them out with small tasks, to the point that she was considered quite the familiar figure for most of the citizens. Even the fact that she was a kitsune, a creature often considered to belong in myth and folklore, had stopped mattering to them as instead she was treated as just another friendly mage who liked helping out.

Right now she was in Rose Garden because she had been informed that mages were expected to have a passport if they desired to travel beyond the borders of Fiore. Well, everyone, but mages included. The foxlike woman chuckled softly, amused at the fact that she needed a little book for something she'd done for thousands of years with nothing but her feet to carry her onwards. It was a somewhat silly idea for someone who hadn't been a part of society for the better part of several millenium, but she'd become used to adjusting herself to match the world of humans ever since she decided to take a more active role.

So here she was, patiently waiting in the line with quite a lot of others. While she occasionally got herself a glance due to her large tails and her appearance which screamed that she was both a mage and a foreigner, for the most part people were busy with their own stuff. Checking up on their agendas to make sure they would be on time for their next appointment, children playing with other children, parents keeping an eye on their children, guards keeping an eye on everyone... Here at the docks there certainly was a lot of activity, one of the many nodes which acted as hearts for the network of human civilization. Itori herself looked around with interest, vermilion eyes watching the humans (and some fellow non-humans) move around. Some of them looked in a hurry, some of them looked like they were enjoying themselves. As for Itori, she was softly humming as her tails gently swayed from side to side behind her-

From further ahead in the queue there was a yell. Apparently a thief had decided to pickpocket someone's wallet and was now making a run for it. The guards moved to apprehend the thug, but before they could grab him he grabbed something from his pocket and threw it on the ground, the small object exploding in a burst of light and sound once it smashed against the pavement. With the guards disabled due to their proximity the thief kept running, already close to the end of the street.

Itori's entire being began to glow a faint white as she dashed after the man, her own ears still ringing from the sharp noise of the flashbang but her feet steady as she swiftly closed in. The pickpocket apparently had heard her footsteps, because he looked around and then began to sprint, his movements and the sound of his breathing making it clear that he was desperate to escape at this point. Unfortunately for him, Itori didn't need to be in range for physical contact to get him to stop. She only needed to be in range to get an accurate gauge of his mental state by listening closely to his body, after which she could adjust her voice so she wouldn't affect everyone within the area...

"Stop!" For once she didn't bother holding back her voice, letting her enchanting, melodic tone spread through the air. When the sound reached the thug the man stumbled, then slowed down from a sprint into a run, and from a run into a walk, until eventually he was standing still. He had turned around to face Itori, his expression torn and confused even though he showed no sign of hostility. The kitsune also slowed down, turning her run into a walk as she approached the man until she was standing right in front of him. She gave him a quick study before smiling gently.

"Could you return what you stole please?" The thug frowned, struggling with himself for a bit, before quietly holding out the wallet. Itori accepted it, putting it in her pouch before giving the man a small bow. "Many thanks. Given that no harm was done I would not mind telling the guards to leave you be as long as you promise not to try this again. If you are having financial issues there are better ways to fix them than to resort to theft."

The thug looked guilty now, not meeting Itori's friendly gaze as he instead opted to look at his shoes... after finding out that just lowering his eyes meant he was staring at the vulpine woman's chest instead. With faintly red cheeks he scraped his throat before answering. "I... I won't do it again. I promise."

"Very good. I apologize for pressing the issue, but it should be for the better in the long run. Now, if you would be so kind as to excuse me, I have to deliver this to the owner." Giving him a last smile Itori turned around and headed back towards where she'd heard the original yell from, where indeed the victim in question was still yelling at a guard with obvious panic. Itori raised her voice to come out above the man's loud tone."Excuse me? I have retrieved your wallet, and the thief apologizes for his actions. I can ensure you that everything is still in there, and that he will not attempt such a thing again."

The victim and the guard both looked somewhat nonplussed as Itori handed back the wallet, although the victim quickly recovered and profusely thanked Itori for the help. The other people in the area watched with idle curiosity, although once it became clear that the situation had been resolved and that no other excitement would arise they returned to their own business.

Turning towards the guard Itori bowed rather deeply, her five tails spread out behind her. "I am aware that this is a strange request, but could I ask of you that you do not prosecute the thief? I have already persuaded him to not try such a thing again in the future, so punishing him would be fruitless." She wasn't entirely comfortable using her enchanting voice to get the guards to forgive the thief, since it meant she was directly interfering with the workings of the law, but she couldn't see any benefit to locking the man up. He had looked like he could have a promising future if he refrained from letting himself be tempted by easy money from criminal activity.

The guard looked uncertain, but found that he couldn't deny the kitsune's request. Instead he gruffly agreed, warning Itori that if the thief was found doing such a thing once more she would be held responsible. The foxlike mage nodded, smiling brightly. "I understand, but I am confident that such a thing will not happen. In fact, if I may offer a suggestion, I think he might be a good addition to the guard once he has received some training. He has a good disposition for physical activity."

The guard scratched the back of his head, then informed Itori that they generally didn't accept known criminals. He could make an exception this time given that he felt like he could trust Itori's judgement, but if the former thief caused trouble it would once again be Itori's responsibility, and she would be in a lot more trouble than if he simply repeated his attempts at pickpocketing.

Itori repeated that she had confidence in the man's ability to change his ways, then thanked the guard for accepting her input before returning to the queue. Of course she'd lost her spot in the queue, meaning she had to return to the end of the line and wait while hoping nothing else would force her to leave her spot. While she didn't mind soaking in the atmosphere she would also rather not be stuck here for the entirety of the day.

---

Fortunately for Itori the rest of the wait ended without any further incident, the kitsune stepping up to the desk at which the government officials handed out the passports. The woman at the desk gave Itori a curious glance before sliding a form over to her along with a pen. "Just fill out this form and we'll give you your passport."

Itori nodded, quickly writing down all the relevant information. Sliding the form back towards the woman she waited silently as it was quickly processed, although it appeared that the woman was somewhat puzzled by some of the things Itori had written down. However the kitsune just gave her a pleasant smile in response to her confusion, the official shaking her head before finishing the procedure.

Handing Itori her passport she leaned forward a bit, leaning on one arm. "I have to admit that I'm curious... Why would a thousand year old folkloric figure need a passport?"

The white-tailed kitsune chuckled softly as she accepted the passport, scanning it with her eyes to make sure the information was all correct before putting it away. "Even remnants of ages past need to move with the times. Thank you for your aid and have a good day." With a small bow she stepped away, walking away as another man shuffled forward towards the desk.

WC: 1614
TWC: Completed