The Better Thief

Pure relaxation. That was the aim of Perry's discreet little trip to Hosenka, the Spa Town. To wash off the stress and restlessness. The young man was lying in the hot spring, very much enjoying the time off he made for himself. It took quite a bit of persuasion, but Perry managed to get staff to allow Nova to join him. The Khigmax was in the hot spring himself, seemingly taking a bit of a nap.

The visit to the hot spring was peaceful and uninterrupted. The duo dried themselves off and headed into the town. The sun was nearly completely set, only a few orange rays remained on the mostly dark sky. The thief decided not to wear his white Company uniform, rather choosing his normal clothes. Not that the clothes themselves were that much different, but Perry was kind of tired of wearing just white all the time. Not even having his hat to spice things up was cutting it anymore. It almost made him question his decision to join the Company. The young man just sighed as the two friends strolled about.

There were some traditional-looking restaurants and pubs littered about the streets, a lot of them packed to the brim. Not in the mood to squeeze too tightly with strangers, Perry opted for buying some noodles from a food stall and ate them on the curb. "The great thief eats his dinner out on the street." Nova snorted as he sat down next to the young man. "Sometimes you have to lower your standards a bit. It's one of the ways of obtaining info." Perry would reply as he shoveled the meal into his mouth. "Don't talk with a full mouth." The creature reprimanded him and Perry only gave him a look that said Really?.

After the dinner detour, Perry wasn't sure what to do. He already soaked in a hot spring earlier, his skin probably wanted a bit of a break from the scalding water. The thief was just people watching with Nova, until he overheard something rather interesting. Something about a robber being on a successful spree and that there was put up a request to stop him. "No honor among thieves for you, huh?" Nova commented as he followed Perry to the Hosenka's request board. "Usually there is, but right now I am still fasting, in terms of my profession." The mage would reply. "And besides. The next time the Black Cat strikes it will be a glorious return. Especially given how the Black Cat just suddenly vanished without a trace." He would add with a hint of mischievousness in his voice.

It didn't take much time for the duo to reach the board Perry was looking for. There weren't that many requests posted up, barely what he would call a handful. Though the one that he was after was quite obvious, as it was the only one in the urgent column. The young man took the piece of paper in his hand and started to read, so that Nova would have an idea about the job aswell.

Very urgent! A spike in robberies has been noticed in Hosenka, with various items reported to have gone missing, such as jewellery, small trinkets or personal objects. Witnesses say that around the time of robbery they have seen a shadowy cat-like figure nearby. We are calling out to everyone and anyone who can help to put a stop to this thief and if possible return the stolen items. Jewel reward is guaranteed to the one who brings this menace to justice.

The more he read the more in disbelief Perry was. A cat-like figure has been seen stealing things? But he was on a thieving hiatus. "A cat robbing people? That sounds awfully familiar." Nova chuckled, fully aware of what was going on in Perry's head. The young man frowned and shook his head. "Well, first of all, I don't even know if anybody has reported to have seen the Black Cat." He would brag a little bit about his stealth capabilities. "This is just somebody who is a person really into cats, an actual cat-person or is truly trying to impersonate the Black Cat. Which, if they are trying to do, they are doing completely wrong." The thief murmured under his breath. Just because he was about to help out with a robber did not clean him of his previous crimes. And the crimes he was planning on committing in the future. The Khigmax grinned at his friend. "Let's get this show on the road, then." Perry turned to the creature with a grin of his own. "Exactly what I was thinking."

To catch a thief, one had to think like a thief. Thankfully, that part was incredibly easy for an actual thief, such as Perry. The first order of business was to make himself look like a juicy target to be robbed. To avoid anything bad that could happen regarding Perry's true identity, he decided that it would be for the best if he used his favourite disguise - a young man, dressed in a red and black uniform of sorts and wild blonde hair tied in a high ponytail. The outfit he wore in the disguise also sported gloves, lowering the possibility of tracking him even more, if things happened to go awry.

"What a nice disguise you have there." Nova commented on Perry's new appearance. The young man looked over his form and nodded. "Yeah, I found this weird scroll that taught me some neat tricks. Being able to disguise myself like this on a whim was among them." He would say, even his voice being slightly altered. If one didn't know it was truly Perry, they would be none the wiser. "That sounds really helpful. Especially for you." The creature would admit. "Sure is. I don't have to prepare clothes and different accessories ahead of time and then dispose of them." Perry would explain a bit of how he used to do things in his profession. "You'll have to tell me more about that. But later. Not in this random side alley." Nova would turn around, keeping an eye out for any movement. Having somebody witness the process of disguising would break the point of doing so in the first place.

The sun had set and the side alleyway the duo chose was blessedly devoid of life, save for them. The next step was to make Perry seem like the perfect target. He still had a pearl necklace that he had stolen a while back, saving it for a rainy day, if anything happened. Seeing as the mysterious robber liked to include jewellery, such a necklace seemed like a fine choice for a bait. Next, the persona that would be the bait. "Alright. So here's what I'm thinking." The young man would begin and Nova nodded for him to go on. "I'm a dude who decided to buy something really nice and expensive for the love of my life, my beloved, non-existent fiancé." Perry would lay out his thoughts. "I will go sit on a bench or something, wondering if she will like it and some sweet things like that. If we are lucky, our mysterious cat person quarry will appear and try to steal the necklace." That was the gist of the plan. Fairly simple, but Perry was hoping that it would be effective.

"So where do I fit into all of this?" Nova would pose a very relevant question. "Good question." The thief would smile. "I would like you to stay hidden in the darkness and keep an eye out for the perp. I don't think that they will expect somebody extra, even less somebody who is proficient in telepathy." Perry would reply and the Khigmax nodded. "Sure thing. Make sure to yell real loud if anything happens to you." The creature teased his friend, who grimaced in return. "I'll make sure to squeal like a little girl."

While it was not a fool-proof plan, it would have to do. Perry made the plan on the spot and it about as basic as a plan could be. There were no complex personas involved, no additional script for failures or possible outcome options, nothing. Just Perry posing as a somebody and a lookout in a form of his friendly otherworldly creature. Sometimes it felt good to go back to the amateur roots.

There were no jewellery shops that the mage had seen while they were walking around Hosenka, but there was a little magic shop that he noticed along the way. The necklace that was to be bait was not actually a magically infused item, just a regular piece of pearl jewellery. But the quarry did not need to know about that little detail. Nova was already in his place on standby, near a bench that they staked out a bit earlier. Everything was in place. Well, in place as much as it could have been. The sky was dark when the thief blended into the crowd, making his way towards the store. One thing that he did not check ahead of time was whether the magic shop was even open at such an hour to begin with. It wasn't that late, right? Stores with magical equipment could be open a little longer... right?

It was a grave mistake to assume that the shop would be open, but when the mage reached the fateful doors, he was incredibly relieved to see that the shop was indeed still open. The young man broke out of the crowd and gently pushed the door open and slip inside. His arrival was announced by a gentle bell that rang as soon as he opened the front door. He closed it behind him and looked around. A number of shelves and shelving units filled the tiny space, making the room feel that much smaller than it already was. There were various trinkets, crystals and other items of magical nature occupying the shelves. The sound of the entrance bell seemed to have roused the shop's owner. A middle aged man rose from behind the counter. "Hello, hello! How can I help you? Are you looking for something specific?" The owner spurted out questions, one after another.

Perry was prepared to say 'no', he didn't want anything and that he was just simply browsing for the time being, but he got a little idea instead. "Hey. When you sell something, do you pack it in any way?" He would ask, taking a few steps towards the counter. The man behind it went from looking happy about having a customer to looking almost horrifyingly confused. "I... um... That's a really weird question." The man would comment and the mage would nod in response. "I know, but I really need it. Don't worry, I will pay you." Perry assured the owner, who gave him a look of suspiciousness. "Are you trying to smuggle something young man?" He asked accusingly, rightfully so. "No no no no." The young mage would quickly reply, not sure whether it was safe to share the plan that he was currently trying to execute. He would sigh, and shrug.

"I'm trying to get back at the robber that has been running around lately. And I need your help to do it." Perry would finally reply, starting to regret his decision to even ask this man for anything. "Oh really? Did they steal from you? Because they sure stole items that have been bought here, before." The man said, revealing an interesting bit of information. It was then confirmed that there was indeed a good chance for the robber to target Perry. "Yeah. They stole a bracelet I bought my mom as a gift and I would very much like it back. I used up a lot of my money to buy it." The lie made the young man gag a little bit, but it seemed to have worked on the shop owner, who nodded as he listened. "I can understand your frustrations, boy." He would say, as he reached below the counter. "So you said you needed a bag from my store?" He rhetorically asked as he pulled out a small, plain, brown paper bag and placed it in front of him.

While it took a bit of time to persuade the owner, the reward seemed worthy enough. Perry was a proud owner of a paper bag from a Hosenka little magic shop with their hand-drawn emblem as well as good wishes. Truly one of a kind. Still, the time spent inside the shop could be attributed to him picking out the not-so-magical necklace, making the trip seem that much more believable. With the bag in hand and the pearl necklace on the inside, Perry made his way to the promised bench. His grip on the bag tightened as he moved forward. What was this strange feeling? This strange desire to catch the culprit... Was this how the people who investigated the cases he left behind felt like?

There were still people milling about the streets, despite the hour of the night. They were probably going from pub to pub, bar to bar, having a good time. All the while Perry was sitting down on the bench that was his destination. He was so focused on the task at hand, he didn't bother checking the people of the crowd for any valuables. His target was clear, yet shrouded in mystery. A mystery that he would unravel to line his pockets. Nova was nowhere to be seen, but Perry knew he was around, keeping an eye on him as per his instructions. The show was on.

As the young mage sat down, he stretched his back as he yawned. It was a tiring day, but in a good way. Perry exhaled as he placed the paper bag in his lap. He gently opened it and gingerly took out the pearl necklace. The light of a nearby street lamp reflected in the shiny beads, as Perry turned it around, examining it. "I'm sure she will like it." The disguised thief would say, softly. A smile formed on his lips as he thought about his non-existent fiancé and the robber. "So bloody gorgeous." He said as he brought the necklace up to his face. "Heads up!" A voice sharply rang in Perry's head. His ears perked up, trying to pick up any sound of an approaching robber, but he heard nothing. Until a swift silhouette blitzed in front of him. And the necklace was gone. Perry was slightly caught off guard for a moment. He did not anticipate that kind of speed. "Hey! Give that back!" The young man would yell and shot up, running after the criminal.

The paper bag was left behind as Perry chased the culprit. He was quick, but so was the robber. In the darkness the young man could discern the cat ears and tail that adorned the robber's body. Perry was just a little bit too far to see if they were real or not, even though his senses were sharper during the night. The fact that the night was his domain made Perry confident that he would catch the criminal. The cat burglar seemed to have noticed that his victim was not only chasing them, but also catching up to them, because they made a sudden, sharp turn into the small outskirts of the Spa Town.

Perry grit his teeth, as he watched the thief sharply change direction. He followed the turn, but it did slow him down a little bit, but it was enough to give the robber some extra breathing room. The silhouette ahead of the young man seemed to briefly look backwards and a moment after a ball of fire was flying towards Perry, aimed at his head. The mage let out a surprised yelp, as he jumped to the side, narrowly dodging the spell. He should've known that the person who was trying to escape would hurl something dangerous his way. Perry's need to dodge the fireball gave an another boost to the criminal.

The robber then turned to their left, into a dark alleyway. Perry didn't like the look of it, but if he wanted to complete the job he had took upon himself, it had to be done. However, he had an idea. Before he made the turn, he gathered the shadows around him and jumped forward. The moment his feet made contact with the ground, he vanished from sight. If the robber took notice of magical signatures they would know that they still weren't alone, but Perry was hoping that they were under enough pressure to miss that itty bitty tiny detail. He made his turn, only to see the criminal checking behind their shoulder. After noticing that their pursuer had disappeared, they slowed down a little bit. Perry had to slow down himself, to ensure that the criminal wouldn't hear him. While the shadows provided him invisibility, they did not provide soundproofing to his feet.

The robber made an another turn and disappeared from Perry's sight. He picked up his pace to keep up and made the turn himself. The young man was met with a dirty side alley, though calling that space an alley was quite grandiose. Perry winced, hoping not to dirty himself, only to realise that he was in his disguise. That made him feel more at ease with his cleanliness. He had no idea where Nova was located, but he was sure that the extraterrestrial creature would find him. He always did.

At the end of the dirt-filled tight alley was equally dirty wooden door. One could only assume that there was where the robber had went, as there was nowhere else to go. No windows, no ladders, nothing. The young man would only shrug and gently tugged on the doorknob. Surprisingly enough, the door was not locked. Perry hummed to himself and invited his person inside. There was little to no furniture in the entry room, but the next room was somewhat furnished. It had a bed and a counter, as well as the person that Perry was after. "Hey. I'm standing outside of the door." A voice echoed in his head. Nova. He found him. That was good. The only problem being that Perry couldn't reply without giving himself away. "I will be on standby, ready to grab if they come my way." The young man nodded to himself, glad that Nova already had a plan in mind.

The invisibility was about to run out, Perry had to think fast. He could either hide around the counter, or be a lot more forward. The young man chose the latter. He was done sneaking, for the time being. With swift, but quiet steps, Perry positioned himself behind the robber. That was when he noticed that it was indeed a cat burglar, as one would say, but it was truly a cat person, a man. Sporting a real pair of ears and tail. Perry felt intrigued, but he himself was robbed.

The shadows faded, revealing the young man's form. Perry would grab the criminal's arms and pin them behind his back. "Don't leave your doors open the next time." The mage would say, as the cat man attempted to get out of his grip. He almost managed to accomplish it, but Perry held his arms as best as he could. "Now now. The game's up." The cat person would try to turn back, to see Perry's face. Unfortunately for him, Perry was still in his disguise, so he wouldn't see the real him in any case. "You think you got me?" The robber taunted and kicked Perry in his right shin. The sudden surge of pain made him loosen up his grip on the robber's arms and he managed to slip out.

The mage groaned in pain as he quickly turned around, but the robber was already gone. "Dangit." He headed outside, but he was met with the most peculiar sight of the night. The cat burglar tried to get away. Sadly, he didn't anticipate the weirdest creature to be waiting for him outside. Nova had his hand hair wrapped around the robber, making sure he could not get away. "Perry, Perry. Where would you be without me?" The Khigmax would tease him, earning only an exasperated sigh from the man in question. "I honestly don't know at this point."

Thanks to the tag team of Perry and Nova, they managed to apprehend the plague that was the cat robber of Hosenka. The authorities were quite pleased to see the criminal and assured Perry that they would make sure the cat robber would cause no more trouble. The young man decided not to ask what that would entail, leaving it to the staff in charge. Perry also delivered the various items that had been stolen. Though he had no idea if the items he had found were all of the ones that were reported as missing, but they would have to do.

"So. What was it like to apprehend one of your own?" A slightly distorted voice asked Perry as he was packing the few things he had with him on the trip. "One of my own?" He would ask, voice laced with a tinge of confusion. "A thief. Like you." His friend would respond. "Ah. That's what you meant." The mage would say and sit on the bed. "They often say that there is honour among thieves. I can't say that I have met a thief that was considerate towards me." Perry would shrug, recalling some of his previous experiences. "Honour among thieves, huh? Can thieves really work together like that?" Nova would ask his friend for his opinion. "I don't know. I think I would be the one who is incredibly paranoid about others backstabbing me, because I am just so used to being on my own. I feel like that type of profession is best done on your lonesome. Then you have nobody else to blame, but yourself." Perry would share a bit of his mind to Nova, who nodded in understatement. "Then are you fine with me tagging along with you?" The Khigmax would pose an important question. Perry was surprised for a moment, forgetting that he did indeed have an accomplice of sorts with him. "If you are fine with that, then we can be a duo." Perry agreed with Nova, who grinned, excited about what the future would bring.