[IC] ~ Winds Of Fate - A Thief's Adventure ~ (1.0)

[Atrophy]

Prudence Stolz

Great Hall/Throne Room — Late Morning

"Get your feet off... Now!"

Prudence flicked her eyes over to the giant of a man that had taken the chair near her. She could’ve anticipated the king’s right hand or one of his guards make a demand regarding her lack of proper dining etiquette, but never would she have believed that a brute who looked like he broke bones for a living would criticize her. What next? Was he going to complain about how she didn’t use the proper fork to enjoy her meal, or how she didn’t dab at her face after every bite like that foppish man at the other table? No, no, it wasn’t that. It was a challenge. A power grab. Classic intimidation. He thought he was the biggest, baddest bastard at that table. The frail boy who skittishly sipped at his drink while his eyes darted around the room would’ve backed down, but not Prudence. She had to prove to him now that he was messing with the one lady in the room with stones that were bigger than him.

She turned to glare at Vodilic, toying with a piece of cutlery in her hands. What if she just jumped him? He was big, but was he fast? She could jam that little table knife into his thick neck and slice it like it was a piece of steak in the blink of an eye. Prudence flexed the end of the knife between her thumb and forefinger as she continued to stare the behemoth down. The guards would surely get her afterwards, but what did it matter? She had already been in the dungeon, and she began to feel like she preferred the cold, dark pit over this lavish and expensive decor. Of course, if she wasn’t going to the gallows now, she would definitely be sent to the gallows then. Hard to plead your innocence after stabbing someone right in front of the High King himself. She let out a little sigh, smiled at the giant, and lifted a foot as if to move it.

Then, in one swift motion, she lifted her boot higher before slamming it down on the table. Plates jumped and a bit of wine splashed out of a flagon, but the true disaster struck next as Prudence quickly swung her legs off of the table. The large man got his wish, but not before she had sent a scattershot of silverware, food, and booze barreling towards his lap. The other meals at the table that were caught in Prudence’s pissing match likely suffered collateral damage as she jumped up to her feet. In the commotion, Prudence had swapped her steak knife for her dagger and now held the bare blade behind her back while her other hand covered her mouth. Perhaps it would look like she was hiding her embarrassment for causing such a mess, but the big guy would see the corner of shit-eating grin peeping out from behind her fingers.

“My deepest apologies,” said Prudence, failing to suppress her laughter. “I fear I’m not used to being out of shackles, yet. I must’ve been,” she gave Vodilic a full look over from head to toe, “Overcompensating. I’m sure you understand.”

She tightened the grip on the dagger behind her back. Outright stabbing the guy? Utterly idiotic. But self-defense? She could argue self-defense.

[Fetzen]

Vodilic

Vodilic was not amused. It was written in abundant clarity in his face, it was indicated by his teeth gnashing, it was a rather reasonably reaction in the first place probably -- and still it was an understatement at this point. Vodilic was boiling internally, staring at Prudence with a mixture of disbelief and hatred while it was difficult to determine which component was dominating. The man did not spent a single glance on the misery that had just been dumped onto his lap, he could tell by the warmth -- and the fluids -- slowly penetrating his clothes that it was a lot. A lot he had wanted to eat.

Now he had fantasies about eating her. Hairs torn out first, then torn apart limb by limb, then a knife rammed into her throat in order to make her lose her remaining blood like an animal on the slaughtering block, then thrown into boiling water and cooked. Unfortunately she didn't seem to have much flesh on her bones, but that amount still had to be a huge lot compared to the void in her pretty skull...

Vodilic shook his head and blinked his eyes several times, trying to shake off these nonsense. He was enough of a realist to know that he wouldn't get anywhere with even trying to execute this kind of violence right here, right now. There were guards, there was the king, there might even be more persons he has not yet even noticed and as much as a reflex from any of those could be enough to change the entire game again. So what should he do now in order to vent steam ? This stupid girl even had the audacity to hide something behind her back! Maybe it was nothing, maybe it was a fork, maybe it was another bowl of precious food she wanted to dispose of onto his head.

Then the giant couldn't hold back anymore. He literally screamed at her at a volume this palace probably had not encountered for a very long time:
You ignorant, brain-dead slut! How dare you! We've just been saved from the gallows and you do nothing but grin at me after this nonsense!
Vodilic jumped onto the table, his knees hitting it hard as he crawled along the now mostly empty upper side of it towards her. Needless to say that there still was a considerable amount of edible debris left on his lap that now fell back onto the table before being crushed by his legs as he moved forwards. The table sagged, it clearly wasn't designed for this kind of move from someone of Vodilic's enormity. He didn't care, he was enraged. He launched a ball of spittle right into the direction of Prudence's face before continuing his rant in a more cold tone:
If there's anything in that bony thing in front of me, let me say that I rarely forget about things like this. Have I made myself clear ?

Vodilic repeated his last question more angryly again.