She was just about running out of money, which meant it was time for A-Qing to find another person to snatch a wallet from. It could sometimes be hard for her to figure out who would make a good target in a crowd: she didn't have the leisure of hiding off to the side and scoping people out without them seeing her doing so, so she had to do her best with what she could pick out like this.
A piece of jewelry caught her eye: something shiny and red in color on someone's neck. She didn't get the chance to see the details, but it seemed like it might be the sort of thing worn by someone who was well-off. She might as well try this person.
A-Qing pretended like something caught her attention and suddenly broke into a slight run. It wasn't as fast as she'd go if there were fewer people, but it should be enough to manage a solid bump into this person for long enough for her to get his wallet. At least, that was the plan.
Xue Yang was finally properly on the mend. His leg still ached a little when it was cold, but he could finally walk without a limp. And so he had insisted on buying the groceries today. He was tired of Xiao Xingchen bringing home subpar produce just because Xingchen was too nice to realize that the vendors were scamming him because he's blind.
He was almost finished when someone bumped into him. "Watch it," he snapped and looked down to see a young, scrawny girl with a bamboo stick in her hand. He immediately noticed her odd eyes - white and milky. Blind?
Had he not been a cultivator, he may not have notice the quick fingers and the hand trying to snatch his money pouch, but unfortunately for the girl, he was and he did notice. He grabbed her by the wrist and held it tight. "Hands off, kid."
Shit, this guy was fast! It took A-Qing by surprise enough that her eyes widened slightly, but luckily she was well-practiced at this and kept her gaze unfocused despite the reaction.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I can't see; I'm sorry!"
Though it was her usual line, she said it in a slightly raised voice from normal. Even if this man had caught her going for his money, he'd stopped her before she'd actually grabbed it. He could try to accuse her, but she hadn't done anything wrong yet. All that bystanders would see was a rude man harassing a clumsy blind girl. Surely they'd be on her side in this if he tried to start trouble.
Xue Yang snorted, but he let go of her wrist. "How the hell do you pick your targets when you can't see? Just randomly?" He couldn't help being curious. "If you keep doing that, you're gonna end up stealing from the wrong person and get your ass beat."
Xue Yang had done his fair share of pick-pocketing when he was a kid, but before he learned a decent technique and how to spot good targets, he'd gotten beaten a lot. Maybe this girl had had that same experience.
She took a step back to put some distance between them, holding up her pole in front of her body to make it look like she felt threatened by him. Still, she lowered her voice a bit, no longer trying to draw attention but wanting to make a convincing show in case anyone was already looking. Obviously she couldn't glance around to see if there was indeed anyone like that.
"You were suddenly in front of me and I wasn't expecting it. Are you saying it's wrong to use my hand to figure out what I bumped into?"
Xue Yang snorted again and crossed his arms over his chest. "That act might work on other people, but I know a little delinquent when I see one." He grinned and lowered his voice. "Takes one to know one, after all." Honestly, her innocent act was pretty good. She'd just bumped into the wrong person to try and trick.
Unfortunately, perhaps, for A-Qing, no one around seemed to have noticed the odd pair and the conversation they were having. Maybe because Xue Yang tended to exude an aura of "don't get involved or you'll regret it".
She was definitely getting the idea that she was in over her head with this guy. Who would straight-up admit to being a delinquent like that? Not her! She might be a pickpocket, but she didn't go asking for trouble.
"Stop calling me things! I said I'm sorry!" She gave her pole a few angry taps against the ground, not all that unlike stomping her foot. "If you're just going to keep being mean to me, then move out of the way so I can get going."
She resisted the urge to jab the end of her pole into his foot, remembering how quickly he'd grabbed her hand before, but she did move it forward and knocked it a bit roughly against the side of his ankle in a show of feeling her way around him. Without waiting she started to move past him. It was only once she'd gotten him out of her line of sight that she realized that not only was no one around them watching her performance, everyone seemed to be intentionally looking away. Like they were scared of making eye contact.
... Had she just made a huge mistake by turning her back on this guy?!
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2023-01-09 08:14 am (UTC)A piece of jewelry caught her eye: something shiny and red in color on someone's neck. She didn't get the chance to see the details, but it seemed like it might be the sort of thing worn by someone who was well-off. She might as well try this person.
A-Qing pretended like something caught her attention and suddenly broke into a slight run. It wasn't as fast as she'd go if there were fewer people, but it should be enough to manage a solid bump into this person for long enough for her to get his wallet. At least, that was the plan.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-09 01:51 pm (UTC)He was almost finished when someone bumped into him. "Watch it," he snapped and looked down to see a young, scrawny girl with a bamboo stick in her hand. He immediately noticed her odd eyes - white and milky. Blind?
Had he not been a cultivator, he may not have notice the quick fingers and the hand trying to snatch his money pouch, but unfortunately for the girl, he was and he did notice. He grabbed her by the wrist and held it tight. "Hands off, kid."
no subject
Date: 2023-01-09 03:44 pm (UTC)"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I can't see; I'm sorry!"
Though it was her usual line, she said it in a slightly raised voice from normal. Even if this man had caught her going for his money, he'd stopped her before she'd actually grabbed it. He could try to accuse her, but she hadn't done anything wrong yet. All that bystanders would see was a rude man harassing a clumsy blind girl. Surely they'd be on her side in this if he tried to start trouble.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-09 03:59 pm (UTC)Xue Yang had done his fair share of pick-pocketing when he was a kid, but before he learned a decent technique and how to spot good targets, he'd gotten beaten a lot. Maybe this girl had had that same experience.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-10 04:10 pm (UTC)She took a step back to put some distance between them, holding up her pole in front of her body to make it look like she felt threatened by him. Still, she lowered her voice a bit, no longer trying to draw attention but wanting to make a convincing show in case anyone was already looking. Obviously she couldn't glance around to see if there was indeed anyone like that.
"You were suddenly in front of me and I wasn't expecting it. Are you saying it's wrong to use my hand to figure out what I bumped into?"
no subject
Date: 2023-01-10 04:20 pm (UTC)Unfortunately, perhaps, for A-Qing, no one around seemed to have noticed the odd pair and the conversation they were having. Maybe because Xue Yang tended to exude an aura of "don't get involved or you'll regret it".
no subject
Date: 2023-01-11 01:54 pm (UTC)"Stop calling me things! I said I'm sorry!" She gave her pole a few angry taps against the ground, not all that unlike stomping her foot. "If you're just going to keep being mean to me, then move out of the way so I can get going."
She resisted the urge to jab the end of her pole into his foot, remembering how quickly he'd grabbed her hand before, but she did move it forward and knocked it a bit roughly against the side of his ankle in a show of feeling her way around him. Without waiting she started to move past him. It was only once she'd gotten him out of her line of sight that she realized that not only was no one around them watching her performance, everyone seemed to be intentionally looking away. Like they were scared of making eye contact.
... Had she just made a huge mistake by turning her back on this guy?!