Chapter One ~ Mary Anne was sitting under a tree, scanning the surroundings, and deciding who she would steal from next. In the kingdom of Nox, that was the way. Unlike the title “kingdom” suggested, Nox was without a ruler, and the only laws were “Every person for themself” and “Don’t steal other’s crops.” Literally, the only laws. It was chaos, and she loved it. Their rival kingdom, Solis, though… Typical. Goody-goody queen with goody-goody laws and goody-goody people. Ugh, the thought of it made her sick. Solis, of course, means light or peace in the native language. Nox means darkness or evil. The kingdoms were made revolving around the enchanted jewel that was found in each. Long ago, in Solis, the Sunstone was found, right underneath where the Fountain of Light now stood(or so she had heard; she’d never been). In Nox, the Moondrop was found. Right underneath what was now a tattoo shop. Goes to show how much Noxians paid attention in their kingdom history class(or how much they cared about it). The Sunstone gives powers to the Queen’s heirs, usually consisting of light magic, protection magic, or healing magic. Boring. The Moondrop(or so it’s said) is the opposite, and gives powers of darkness, telekinesis, or withering to anyone who can obtain it. No one knew where the Moondrop was, and the Sunstone was VIP only, so that dubbed Mary Anne powerless. She didn’t care, though. She was getting on well enough with her knife, general store, and epic boots. Really, all you need in life is a good pair of boots, in her opinion. And glasses, if you needed them. Man, was she blind without glasses. Suddenly, she noticed some guy, around her age, that she had never seen in her life. Now, Nox wasn’t exactly high-populated. Everyone knew everyone(particularly their weaknesses). This one was new. Fancy clothes. Not looking around for potential targets. Wary. Of course! A royal had decided on a whim to come and visit her kingdom. She couldn’t think of anything worse. Anyway, she was curious, and wanted to... send the right message, so she decided to approach, holding her concealed dagger tightly. “Hey, you! You're not from here, are you? Are you a /royal/?” The brown haired guy decided to be rude and turned away. /Walks away from a conversation. Nothing but a glance. Thinks he’s too high and mighty for small talk. Definitely a royal/. Mary Anne thought a moment. He was probably too smart to bring anything valuable, but what was his business in Nox, of all places? Nobody had business in Nox unless they were born and raised. That was how the world worked. Nox was Devil Town. Nox was the place goody-goodies gossip about in bookshops with their girlfriends. Nox was where law, happiness, loyalty, and order went to die. Seemed as if this guy didn't care in the slightest. He had curly light brown hair that was an absolute mess and longer than the typical male haircut, which brought out his light blue eyes. He was wearing inconspicuous clothing, along with a golden pendant on a silver chain. Rich people. Ugh. “Oi, you. Answer me.” He, of course, didn't answer. Maybe he was deaf. If so, he /definitely/ had no business being in Nox. If not, he either had no social skills or was smart. Don't speak, not ever. Nice little rule. Mary Anne didn't like to follow it. Boring. She was something people called... eccentric. Sometimes cool. Sometimes crazy. Sometimes curious. Sometimes nosy. It all depends. Either way, she didn't want to leave this guy alone. It was just a convenient coincidence that he walked into her shop(that she was late for her shift at, ugh. Hey, even Noxians are expected to obey shift time). Luckily for her, her boss was usually selling... other goods; either in alleyways or delivered personally to people's homes. Very risky. Very fun. Anyway, the guy she would now call Richie(for obvious reasons) was deciding on what sort of trinket to get from her store. He hadn't noticed her yet. Good. Richie walked up to the check out desk, examining his new trinket closely, not looking up to see that his stalker was also his cashier. “Ten pieces, Royal.” Mary Anne refrained from rolling her eyes. Bad for business. He looked up. “What's with the attitude?” he asked, paying for his little ornament (like a goody-goody would). “This is my nice face. Get used to it,” Mary Anne stated, wearing an intimidating scowl. Or, most found it intimidating. Richie just chuckled, as if he was a popular kid that knew a gossip-worthy secret in elementary school(like when Mitchell pooped his pants in third year). He didn't say anything, but he picked up his ornament and made to leave. ⬇️
Hey!” Mary Anne called. “You couldn't have just come here to buy a trinket. Why are you in Nox anyway?” She asked, the question itching at her. “Why would I tell you?” Richie asked, face stiff as a stone. This guy was too good for Mary Anne's liking. Not fair that he knew how to keep his mouth shut. She decided it was a great time to bluff. “Because I have information about the Moondrop,” she stated. Richie raised his eyebrows in confusion. “And why do you think I care?” “You're a royal; why else would you be in Nox?” Mary Anne questioned. She gestured around the shop. “Besides little places like this, there’s not really anything appealing to Solis-people... except for the thing that appeals to everyone. Kinda obvious.” She shrugged. “First of all,” Richie replied, “I'm not a royal. Secondly, why would you help me anyway? What's in it for you? You're not going to take me to the moonstone without wanting something back.” Mary Anne cursed in her head. This guy really was good. She took to her last resort. “Of course not, sir! I only want the pleasure of your companionship!” She smiled brightly and batted her eyelashes, lowering her glasses just a tad. She swept her white-blonde braids behind her back and hoped she had succeeded at her attempt at bribery through good looks(which never worked--that's why she used it last). “Don't give me any of that [censored]. I'm not that stupid, you know.” He rolled his eyes. “A royal with a dirty mouth. Can't say I've seen one of those before. Anyway, I want to keep it away from everyone else. Mostly, I'm just curious. I mean, what would a Moondrop even look like?” Mary Anne was being a dirty little liar. No surprise there. Richie laughed. “Yeah, sure. I bet.” Mary Anne sighed. “Okay fine, /maybe/ I want to use /some/ of its powers--but how are you going to find it if you don't know its location?” She continued her effortless bluff. Richie sighed in annoyance. “Why are you telling me all this anyway?” “I... have absolutely no idea.” Another lie. Mary Anne was very big on lying. “Are you acting dumb, or are you actually dumb? Because right now I can't really tell,” Richie said angrily. “If you're going to take up my time, it has to be good.” “Okay Mr. Snot, thinking everything belongs to you. What do you /want/ me to say?” Mary Anne asked, exasperated. “I dunno, maybe the truth,” Richie grumbled. Honestly, who wants to hear the truth these days? “Look, I want to hold, or at least see the power of the Moondrop as much as anybody, and I don’t stand a chance against all the thugs after it unless I have either a giant or a royal on my side. If you didn’t notice, we’re fresh out of giants. Happy?” He had the nerve to laugh. “Sorry to disappoint, but me being a royal won’t get you anywhere. I don’t have much money, I’m barely even a royal anyway.” “Great. And why are you continuing the conversation with me and not just walking away?” Mary Anne inquired, putting the pieces she had just earned(fair and square for once) in a small box. “Every time I walk away, you follow.” Now, now, lying isn’t becoming, Richie. “And? I’d probably stop talking if you’d kept walking.” Mary Anne shrugged. “You can go. Clearly you’re smart enough not to bring anything worth stealing to Nox, but that’s to be expected. I was just keeping up the conversation because your annoyance was amusing.” She leaned against the wall, chuckling a bit. “Well then,” Richie started, “I guess you don’t want to hear about the quest.” Okay, that was not fair. “Quest? What quest?” “I’m sorry,” he responded. “I thought I wasn’t smart enough for you. Really, there’s no point in any quest if-” “Don’t be stupid. Quests aren’t for smart people! Quests are for clever, witty, slightly reckless people. Like, say…” Mary Anne pretended to think about it for a bit. “Me.” He laughed. “Very well. Meet me down in Wilhelm Alley. It’s too sensitive to discuss here.” “Really? This is my store.” She thinks for a second. “Well technically it’s not mine, but the owner is always selling... other stuff.” She tosses her hand. “Anyway, great. Where are you even staying? Are you going back to Solis for the night? We don’t exactly have five- star hotels here.” “I can manage.” Vague. Smart. Dang it. “Okay then.” Mary Anne sat in her chair behind the checkout desk. “I’m supposed to be here. You’re not, and you already bought your things. You should go before somebody gets suspicious.” Richie nodded. “See you tomorrow.” «•» This is based off an rp with the amazing @a-bowling-pin ( go follow her! ) She did all the hard work of modifying the rp and writing it down as a book, I just remixed it so people who aren’t following her would see this and enjoy the read =D
