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It was a bright Summer's day. She recognised her younger self, slipping between the crowd as they watched her associates performing. Floating above, she surveyed the scene: Quilly, the acrobat and balance artiste had a chair propped on his chin, upon which sat the halfling, Drin, juggling as he sat aloft and grinned. Directly below where she hovered invisibly was the younger Juniper, and watching herself from above, she could nearly feel the thrill as her younger self touched an awestruck gentleman on the leg with her right hand, uttered a frail "excuse me" and casually unhooked his coin purse with her left.
That's how it started, she thought as she slept. The exhilaration of deception. We got paid anyway.
She watched young Juniper slip the coinpurse into the pocket of the woman her 'victim' was standing arm-in-arm with. No Malice, just mischief. Young Juniper rubbed her hands together with glee, and they both imagined the conversation between the man and his wife when the vanish and subsequent production of the coin purse naturally presents itself later. Part of the show, in a way. The image faded in Juniper's mind. As she slept, she twitched uncomfortably.
The memory faded into her mind's eye: floating again, this time a rural area... this was in the Dalelands, she recalled. And below she saw herself, being carried in two hands at arm's length by a burly, bearded man, kicking and screaming as the man strode out of the inn and toward the horse-trough with great purpose.
"Where did he go?" bellowed the man as he pushed Juniper down to her knees, the soggy mud seeping into her tights as he pressed her to the floor and wrapped his thick, calloused fingers around her long red curls. "I saw you pass it to the halfling, now where did he go?"
Floating above, Juney looked at her younger self. Aye, I remember this all too well, and I remember why it happened. Drinking. Every day. You get sloppy, and overconfident. And when that happens... She watched as the man dunked young Juniper's head into the horse trough. You get caught.
Her head was below the surface for much longer than she remembered. The man jerked his hand and Juniper's head broke the surface of the water. She gasped for air, could barely catch her breath. In her weakened state she could do little as the man tossed her onto the floor and gave her a sharp kick in the gut as she struggled to breathe. "Ah, it's not worth it for a few silver," he turned about and headed back into the tavern, "You're not worth it. Run, Gnome, before I summon the Watch."
Juney tried her best to stand, but she was so badly winded she could barely even crawl. Floating above, Juniper watched as her younger self dragged herself away, a trail of ill-gotten items slipping from her split pocket.
That's how it ended.The disappointment of being caught. The price you pay.
She floated down and extended a hand to young Juniper, pulling her to her feet. Both stood and stared at one another. Her younger self looked terrible, her eyes bloodshot, her skin dry and flecked with pimples.
"I don't remember it being so bad," Juniper said aloud.
Her younger self nodded. "Aye, I'm here to remind you," Young Juney said slowly, now finding it easier to breathe. "Be good. Please."
She looked her older self over. She was plump, looked healthy, with a good complexion and a smattering of freckles across her nose. Young Juniper smiled at her weakly. "I want to be like you, so try to forget we were ever like this. Don't get into trouble, no matter how hard it gets. I'm reminding you to forget, Sassy."
Juniper nodded to her younger self. "Oh, it's not Sassy anymore, by the way. It's Juniper. You'll get used to it."
She awoke moments later with a smile on her face, yet a tear in her eye.
That's how it started, she thought as she slept. The exhilaration of deception. We got paid anyway.
She watched young Juniper slip the coinpurse into the pocket of the woman her 'victim' was standing arm-in-arm with. No Malice, just mischief. Young Juniper rubbed her hands together with glee, and they both imagined the conversation between the man and his wife when the vanish and subsequent production of the coin purse naturally presents itself later. Part of the show, in a way. The image faded in Juniper's mind. As she slept, she twitched uncomfortably.
The memory faded into her mind's eye: floating again, this time a rural area... this was in the Dalelands, she recalled. And below she saw herself, being carried in two hands at arm's length by a burly, bearded man, kicking and screaming as the man strode out of the inn and toward the horse-trough with great purpose.
"Where did he go?" bellowed the man as he pushed Juniper down to her knees, the soggy mud seeping into her tights as he pressed her to the floor and wrapped his thick, calloused fingers around her long red curls. "I saw you pass it to the halfling, now where did he go?"
Floating above, Juney looked at her younger self. Aye, I remember this all too well, and I remember why it happened. Drinking. Every day. You get sloppy, and overconfident. And when that happens... She watched as the man dunked young Juniper's head into the horse trough. You get caught.
Her head was below the surface for much longer than she remembered. The man jerked his hand and Juniper's head broke the surface of the water. She gasped for air, could barely catch her breath. In her weakened state she could do little as the man tossed her onto the floor and gave her a sharp kick in the gut as she struggled to breathe. "Ah, it's not worth it for a few silver," he turned about and headed back into the tavern, "You're not worth it. Run, Gnome, before I summon the Watch."
Juney tried her best to stand, but she was so badly winded she could barely even crawl. Floating above, Juniper watched as her younger self dragged herself away, a trail of ill-gotten items slipping from her split pocket.
That's how it ended.The disappointment of being caught. The price you pay.
She floated down and extended a hand to young Juniper, pulling her to her feet. Both stood and stared at one another. Her younger self looked terrible, her eyes bloodshot, her skin dry and flecked with pimples.
"I don't remember it being so bad," Juniper said aloud.
Her younger self nodded. "Aye, I'm here to remind you," Young Juney said slowly, now finding it easier to breathe. "Be good. Please."
She looked her older self over. She was plump, looked healthy, with a good complexion and a smattering of freckles across her nose. Young Juniper smiled at her weakly. "I want to be like you, so try to forget we were ever like this. Don't get into trouble, no matter how hard it gets. I'm reminding you to forget, Sassy."
Juniper nodded to her younger self. "Oh, it's not Sassy anymore, by the way. It's Juniper. You'll get used to it."
She awoke moments later with a smile on her face, yet a tear in her eye.