Occult Tome Bullshit

[15:36] Robin inspects the tome brokers wears. He had flipped through these pages countless times before, and not once had he found a single spell he could cast. Saving up his measly income for weeks only to be met with bitter disappointment.

By now; him and the shopkeep had become good friends. "Oi, oi..." The old shopkeep calls out to him, taking a puff from the large pipe in his hands and shaking his head dismissively. "Skip it, Robin." He speaks the streetrats name with a glob of spit following short behind - thankfully aimed for the floor and not his face.

"Nothing new here. Just sold out."
Robin blinks once... twice, feeling the ground slip beneath him. Sold out? Nothing new? By now, old man knew just about every book Robin had and hadn't gotten his paws on.

"I had reserved you a copy of a certain tome... it was an import you see. But you haven't visited in a while... figured you weren't coming back at all; so I put it back for sale." The man grumbles, shrugging his shoulders. "Can't help it."

Maybe if this was any other day, Robin would've shared that sentiment. Maybe he would've been content to take this one on the chin and keep moving. Today though? Something... snaps. The old man keeps jabbering some smalltalk… but it all comes out as static to his ears.

A plan erupts in his mind.


(Robin)
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[16:10] "Old man!" Robin interrupts. "...That guy is a deliveryboy. He was getting the book for me. I just missed him! Which way did he head? Did he have a hat on?!" Robin had to get two things. Direction and appearance. Everything else was just bullshit to make the shopkeep clueless as to his intention.
(Robin)

[17:06] Innocently, the old man points southwest. "Ah... he had long dark hair... and a beret." The shopkeep recalls, and by the time he's done talking Robin is out of there.

He screams down the street, hauling ass and checking every pedestrian he could find. He completely misses Lion and slams his fucking forehead right into hers.
(Robin)
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[17:26] Black hair. Beret. Just the tip of a mans dome picks out over the crowd, and Robin picks him apart in an instant. Without even thinking of the surrounding populace, he roars.

"THERE YOU ARE!"

Consider his target spotted. He feels his heart catch in his throat. Was this a mirage? Maybe it was just the wrong guy. Maybe the old man had lied to him... or mis-remembered. Maybe, just maybe, there was an alternative here. But when he considered those alternatives?

They all sound like bullshit to him, by now.

This is how you get what you wanted.

"Hey! Hey! You!" He haggles the man, running up and waving him down. "Did you just buy a book from that old guy up the street? A magical tome, right?!" There are stars in the kids eyes. He's so fucking ready to mug this poor bastard.
(Robin)
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[17:34] // "...Eh?"

The gentleman turns about to face Robin now, seemingly confused and distressed at the young dirt-child before him. Were these things, these little rapscallions - he wonders - even human? Would he be in trouble with the law if he beat it over the head with a broomstick? What if no one was watching?

Robin continues to verbally steamroll his opposition, "A book! A magical book from the magical book guy, dumbass! Did you buy a new one or not? Because if you did, it's mine!" He states his demands front and center.
(Robin)
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[17:38] Lemuria couldn't help but giggle at the kid's attempts at petty thievery. She almost wanted to help the poor kid out.
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[17:40] Lemuria Augustus says, "Hmhmhm~"
[17:40] Lemuria Augustus says, "The birds are hungry today."
[17:42] "...And what would make you the rightful owner of this book?" The man adjusts his beret accordingly for the oncoming smackdown. "You haven't the coin to afford it to begin with. Even if you did, I doubt anyone would consider some worthless kid like you worthy of ownership."

In a smooth motion, he pulls a thick leather book from the inner fold of his jacket... and he holds it out in front of him. "Come take it, boy." There's venom in his words, and the older man carefully measures the distance between them while he drinks his fill of the anger in Robin's eyes.

He knew it wouldn't be that easy. He had to snatch it and run, if there was any chance of getting it at all. But surely there had to be some kind of trick, or trap to this. His body tenses, and he prepares to pounce...!

-- And before he even jumps forward, the world is already spinning on it's side for Robin.

He doesn't even realize what's happened until the side of his face hits the floor, his feet swept out from under him and dangling in the air. The wind is knocked out of him - appropriate, considering the nature of the magical spell that just sent him on his ass.

For whatever reason... not once did he consider that perhaps the target he was after was a magi more capable than himself. After all... who else would be buying rare and powerful tomes? Robin contemplates this while on the floor for a moment.
(Robin)