You Just Might As Well Go

“Who we are and who we need to be to survive are two very different things.” @Nyx Xiaoyu Malcolm stood in the shades of a dark alley. In the upper ring. Again. He was here more often than he would like. However, this was the only place in this shithole were people had enough coins in their pockets to pay for the things Mal had stolen. Which had been a golden necklace he had gotten from a young woman at Port Silverstone a couple of days ago. It was quick hand to hand deal with an old buddy from him. Now he just needed to get the hell out of here before he would get caught. Not like it was actually 'illegal' being here as a lower class. But his whole appearance just screamed suspicious. And being stopped by a guard or god knows wasn't exactly the day he had in mind. Especially not with this freshly earned money in his pockets. He inhaled the polluted air deeply and stepped away from the protection of the darkness. The safety of the middle ring wasn't too far away luckily. He quickly eyed the sky which, to his surprise, looked quite cloudy. "Oh for fucks sake," he muttered under his breathe. If it was going to rain, he might as well dig his own grave already.

MONTY

as long as we don't die
this is gonna be one hell of a story

Strolls through the Upper Ring became like therapy for the young guard. Whenever she needed a breather from the castle, she'd use her short breaks to stroll through the ring she never had the right to freely explore. With the recently upgraded Upper Class stamp within her passport, the authorities had nothing they could use against her. She couldn't be kicked out anymore. While feeling empowering, it also felt a little strange. Like she was abandoning her ''own'' people to live among the snobs of the Upper Ring, only to be able to finance her lifelong dream. Perhaps she was more selfish than she liked to admit.

Her stroll back towards the castle led her across a dark alley. She chuckled at the sight of it. Alley's like that were populair meeting places among Lower Class thugs, often striking deals with those having work for them. It brought back some memories. Her eyes narrowed as a familiar looking figure stepped out of the alley, however. His long, brown hair and familiar facial features gave away his identity almost right away. "Malcolm?" The former thief let out softly, the tone of her voice filled with both confusion and disbelief. Suddenly, she realised her new position. Her job could be in danger when being seen with a Lower Class citizen, especially so close to the Winter Castle. Without thinking, she grabbed the man by his sleeve and pulled him back into the shadows of the alley. Hopefully they hadn't been spotted by any authorities. "What are you doing here?" She continued, the same tone in her voice as before. The question seemed a little dumb afterwards. She could easily guess what he was doing here, and her new job expected her to sell him out immediately. But how could she betray an old friend?

@ Malcolm Morris

“Who we are and who we need to be to survive are two very different things.” @Nyx Xiaoyu Polluted air filled the young thiefs lungs as he took a deep breathe in to garner his thoughts. He had be quick. It didn't seem like it would rain within the next ten minutes. Yet, the weather stayed as unpredictable as anything. Malcolm pulled up the hood of his coat. Almost his whole outfit had been made waterproof, however that didn't make the rain any less alarming. The 'lower class snob' stepped out from his alley. Leaving himself exposed. Not even a heartbeat later he heard an all too familiar voice call out his name. His blood froze. Rarely any higher class people knew him. Besides some contacts for stealed goods and, terrifying enough, his father. The voice matched neither. He looked up. His blue eyes piercing through the streets full with concern. Then he saw someone approach him. And not just someone. A guard. A guard that he knew a little too well.
The guard grabbed him by his sleeve and pulled him back towards the dark hole he came from before Malcolm could even protest. "Nyx? Wha-" He didn't even manage to finish his sentence as he was startled with her whole appearance. She was honestly the last person he had guessed to find her. Especially like this... He knew Nyx as a thief from when they were both young and reckless. They didn't stick together long. Malcolm was not exactly the type for constant company. Yet, they knew each others secrets. And that meant something to him. "Long time, no see." he whispered, still not believing his old friend stood her in front of him. "What in the world have you been up to?" he asked scornfully and confused making a gesture towards Nyx's appearance. Last time he checked she was a untrustworthy thief. Not a guard of the fucking winter palace.

MONTY