emperorofthieves | TITUS RAM TEST DRIVE

PROMPTS

1) A thief in the night. You're sleeping peacefully, when suddenly you're awoken by the faint sound of rustling. It's quiet, so it could just be the wind, or perhaps you've a pet that's making the rounds? Surely that's it. Yes, you had better go back to sleep and ignore the shadow that moves across your bedroom, searching for wherever you keep your valuables.

2) Backed into a corner. One wrong turn, and you found yourself down a dark alleyway with three--no, four men pointing daggers at you, one of them gesturing for you to open your coin purse. You're contemplating what to do when a hooded figure comes swinging down into the alley and lands hard on one of the muggers, followed by two daggers thrown at the shoulder and thigh of the other two nearby. Just as you're wondering what happened, more dark figures with knives come rushing into the alleyway. Looks like it's just you and the hooded man against these assailants now.

3) Wildcard. Make up your own scenario!

Note which scenario you're starting with in your comment header! You can message me on plurk at

dolphinsdontmoo or on discord @ haeralis#8694.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Thanks. Hey, you wanna ditch this place with me? I've a feeling we've both got better things to do than waste time with these weasels.

[dodges a lunging slash at his side, getting a tear on his sleeve in the process]

Yes! Running sounds good! Um, which— that way??

[skitters in place, about to break deeper down the alley]

Ladies first!

[he says, but he's starting to run in that direction, assuming she's doing the same]

[she takes off like an arrow, dead-sprinting down the alleyway]

Thank you, good manners!

[as they run, another dude with a knife suddenly appears at the end of the alley, and they're running too fast to avoid him, so suddenly he yells--]

Duck!

[because he's going to flip over her and land both of his feet on the assailant's chest]

[she ducks without hesitation, he obviously has a better handle on this situation than she does, scrambling to her feet and taking off running again as soon as the mugger is down]

Why are there so many!? I'm an academic, I'm not rich!

Aren't academics usually rich? --this way! Quick!

[he points to another side alley, and then abruptly inside what looks like an abandoned warehouse]

Everything I get goes back into research materials!

[ducks in after him]

[he closes the door quickly and locks it, messing with the latch to make sure it holds. panting from the exertion, he holds his ear to the door to listen for a few moments--and then nods at her]

Think they passed us. We should be safe if we lay low here for a while.

[drops to her knees, legs gone to jelly in relief]

Oh thank geez.

Heh. You're lucky I came along, huh?

More than lucky. You probably saved my life!

All part of the job.

[finds some old wooden crates or barrels to sit down on and rest]

What's your name? I'm Titus.

[just stays at her spot on the floor]

I'm Eliza.

...what's your job if you're not a cop?

Oh, I'm the head of Emperor Ignis's imperial army. But my day-to-day stuff is what I did before, mostly--gather info, occasional thievery, some spying if it's called for. He's got a lot of enemies.