Dzan and Sigvor have been scouring the protest, mainly Maz square, for any easy marks. They have a mission to steal as much as possible from as many of the racists joining this fray as possible. These are their golden hours of work.

Right now, there are lots of people fighting among themselves. There are quite a few human supremacists walking around looking for trouble, and hoping to start fights where they can one-sidedly assault some of the weaker opponents on the protesting side.

These are the more bizarre humans who like to get drunk in a loud area with lots of people as if the square is some kind of sports arena and they’re just watching the score. Inevitably, that drunkenness leads them to become more openly racist and fight with demihuman strangers.

A few groups of demihumans get into clashes with them in response to their drunken provocations of violence. Inevitably, these two groups clash with each other multiple times during the evening. The drunkenness is actually one of the important parts since it allows Dzan and Sigvor to close in and steal some coins without being noticed.

Furthermore, if any of them try to accuse Dzan in particular of stealing, he can just fight back and beat up his inebriated, racist opponents. He enjoys that part. After finishing off another fight against four drunk human commoners, he sees Sigvor waiting for him at the edge of the spectating crowd. Dzan is panting a bit, but that wasn’t a fight worth mentioning.

The crowd parts for him, while eyeing him cautiously. Dzan and Sigvor walk away from the noise of the drunks and move to an area where they can sit down and rest. Their spot is a circle of concrete benches near one of the four roads leading out of the square.

“You've really got a good streak here, Dzan.” Sigvor says, exasperated. "Feel like calling it a day yet?"

Sigvor has already finished off her thievery for the day, having gotten enough for about a month of good food and rent money. Her ability to pickpocket was amplified by the environment of today's Max square. However, Dzan is still collecting, and having Sigvor hold his grand loot so it doesn't jingle around when Dzan stalks his victims through the crowds.

It is one of the problems with coin money. It is much heavier and noisier compared to the fiat bills common on Earth. Dzan mulls over his plans for the rest of the night. Should he stop? Of course, he can’t.

“No, I think this is too good an opportunity to pass up. I'm… in the mood to save for a rainy day."

Sigvor looks at him, his eyebrows twitching as his patience starts to wane.

“Haven’t you gotten enough by now? You’ve been zooming around, getting into fights here and there… At this point, you're more like a mugger than a pickpocket."

Stolen story; please report.

Dzan laughs dryly while discreetly handing over five coin pouches he's lifted in the past twenty minutes. Sigvor blinks his eyes slowly at Dzan’s haul. Still, it isn’t convincing to him.

"Sheesh… I’ve been watching you, you know? You were almost fucked up a dozen times! L-Let’s pause for now. I kinda wanted to join the rest of them with what they’re doing…” Sigvor stares in the direction where the diamond statue stands, unable to see from this distance. She wishes to rejoin Ajax, Shaula, Angelidis and the three strangers.

Dzan sighs. He would like for Sigvor to do what she wants, but he can’t stop right now. He’s going to have to work even harder.

"You can go ahead. I've probably gone as far as I can go in the square. I'm thinking of trying the area near that set of apartment buildings. Can you hear the commotion over there?"

Sigvor raises his ears past the road, past the crowds around the entrance to the square to where there is the sound of… more protesting.

"What the fuck is going on there now?"

"I have no idea but I'm going to go find out if it's a good place to lift some more shit."

"Alone?"

"How I do most of my work, isn't it?" Dzan smiles, though the smile doesn’t reach his eyes. Sigvor is worried for him.

"Yeah, in the middle of crowds that aren't about to explode! You really don't want to just hold off for today and come back with me?"

"Nah, I'm just in the mood for it. You can go back. I'll be back here before they start dismantling the statue, don't worry…"

Dzan shakes his shoulders loose and rotates his arm a few times. He might see a couple more fights at least before the night is out, though he hopes that he’s as good a pickpocket as he thinks he is. Sigvor looks at him, perplexed.

"This isn't…" Sigvor trails off.

"Hm?"

"Nothing. Nothing."

This isn't like you, Sigvor wants to say. Dzan isn't one to go too far, he's pretty smart to not kill the goose that laid the golden egg, as some might say on Earth. It's what kept him alive and safe even while living as a pickpocket. But, today he's been acting differently.

He was pretty weird the past couple days too. This morning as well, it felt like he was angry. I thought it was just because of the Gwasila festival being interrupted by the fucking racists but…

She looks over at Dzan right now. She hasn't seen Malia in the past week either. Have they broken up? Sigvor quickly dismisses the errant thought; their relationship is too deep to ever end in such an outcome without Sigvor figuring it out for himself. There were no signs at all that they’ve been facing any kind of trouble between themselves.

But, whatever is up with Dzan, he's not speaking about it openly. Sigvor can respect his wish to keep things hidden, but he's behaving too recklessly right now. She wants to keep watching him for any signs of a nervous breakdown or something.

If I can at least stop him from getting into a fight he can't win, then that'll be enough for me. Why isn’t he sharing it with me…

“Hmph. You know, I'm curious what's happening over there too. There aren't any stores or anything in that district, just apartment buildings. I have a bad feeling."

"Oh? You’ll come along? Well… eh, fine. I can always hand you more coins, this’ll work great for me."

“When did I become your fucking Miella?” Sigvor laughs.