My first steps! Careful, don't fall! A battle!

[Voice of Fate]

Kenji turned away. This could be her chance. She backed of slowly, watching Kenji all the time, making sure he wasn't going to turn around and bust her. She was careful not to move too far, however. If he wasn't focused enough yet, he might still notice her, so instead of turning to run, Cindy leaned onto a tree, watching her 'benefactor' going about his business.

Does he know I'm here? Is he going to notice if I sneak away? Soon, girl, just watch and wait.

[Kenji Ausamatu]

Kenji contiuned to use relax muscle to keep himself calm and oriented. He noticed his perception of the world around him increase, along with every other fascet of his abilities. The world around him seemed to be at peace, as he was, and seemed to move slower.

Kenji sad down, he noticed as he let himself fall backwards towards the earth that even his fall was greatly slowed. He used Relax Musscle again while he was sitting and began to draw the montian in his sketch pad.

[Voice of Fate]

This is it. Now or never. Go for it, Cindy.

Cindy grabbed the hem of the coat and picked it up gently. She then turned away from the artist, fascinated as he was by the mountain, and started moving slowly, deliberately, careful to not make any noise.

Then she heard a noise. It sounded like a twig snapping, a footstep of some sort. It might have been an animal, the wind or her imagination, but it might be Kenji coming after her. So she ran, rushing between the trees, focused on getting away. She didn't look back, only forward. That was the story of her life.

[Kenji Ausamatu]

Kenji hadn't noticed Cindy was walking away until she began to run. Actually he did notice that she was walking away, but she was free to walk as she pleased as long as she didn't go too far, he didn't pay attention to her walking until she began to ran.

He sprang up from his seat and gave chase after her. His 'relax' skill made it easy for him to spring up and sprint after the girl. He ran leaning forward, so far forward his face was only a few inches off the ground, but even at those speeds he did not slip. His powerful legs propelled him forward. It seemed he was faster than her on his own, and with relax improving his abilities he caught up to her easily, though it seemed she would not turn around, and he did not feel alright attacking her. So he prepared himself once more and surpassed her in two quick strides. His first stride put him near besides her, then with another powerful kick of his leg he passed her. He dug his foot into the ground and pivoted around it. So he would turn to face her, right in front of her.

It was clear now she was trying to steal the coat. She had coveted it and then asked for it and now was running away.

[Voice of Fate]

Another part of the story of Cindy's life was the times she tried to nick something from anyone who was faster than her. It usually didn't end well. This didn't either.

She crashed head-on into the boy, the impact causing her to bounce back and fall flat on the ground.

Well, this turned out to be a lousy day.

As she sat there, wondering what to do next, more than a little frightened, Cindy realized that she had only one option left. She didn't much care for it, but it had been her steady and effective backup plan for as long as she could remember. It was time to turn on the waterworks.

She sat up slowly, looking up at Kenji with her best sad puppy dog eyes. Then her face wrinkled together and she gave a loud sob, before throwing her knees up towards her face and entered fetal position, bawling like a year-old child.

[Kenji Ausamatu]

Kenji looked away giving her a few moments to cry. He didn't fully believe her tears, but it was hard for him to ignore her. He crouched down to be on her level, and smiled at her weakly. "Believe it or not your, not the first theif to try and take advantage of a dim witted traveler," He paused for dramatic effect. (>,<) "Don't feel bad about it. I'm gonna go ahead and ask for my coat back... It's really important to me since it ties my outfit together," Kenji said with a laugh. "I'll let you go, after you return it. You don't even have to make up an excuse or keep up your act," Kenji added, hoping she really was only acting.

[Voice of Fate]

Cindy was a brilliant actress, schooled at the university of life. Even though the whole break-apart-and-cry-like-a-school-girl act was a last ditch resort, and a fairly bad one this time, she felt a little insulted that he didn't buy it. It turned out she was lucky, though. Kenji was a kind man, and kindness had saved Cindy out of heaps of trouble in the past. That's why she liked to steal from knights; they where always so good-natured and forgiving.

Wiping the crocodile tears of her cheeks, she slowly got back on her feet and took the coat of. Holding it in front of her, she scrutinized the previously pristine, now kind dirty, garment. Brushing the biggest pieces of crud of of it, she looked at Kenji.

"This is usually where I'd cry rivers and beg your forgiveness while whining about how hungry I am, but the least I can do is cut the crap. That, and give you a piece of advice; never lend your things to strangers."

Then she threw the coat in the budding mercenary's face, kicking up dirt and running like the wind in the next moment. She laughed, and yelled back at her intented victim.

"Bye, Kenji!"

No Fate - Kenji's too good to be done in by Little Miss Sneaky, but too goody-goody to actually gain anything from the situation. No harm done either way, eh?

[Kenji Ausamatu]

"Hey, you know theres a limit to repentance!" Kenji called out to the theif girl as she ran away, not sure she would get what he meant. He slipped his coat back on and then returned to the rock where he could rest and get that perfect angle of the montain.