purrtagonist | [empatheias ic contact]

[Well it's been a week or so, and it's not like things have been particularly eventful. So, she decides to check on on someone in the early evening. It's after dinner, and it's not like Pen has anything better to do, so checking on a certain Phantom Thief seems in order. Just to make sure he's settling in well and found all his friends.

Up on the rooftop, click click click, peering down in your window is old Saint Pen.

Hanging down, she raps on the windowpane when she spots him, feet deliberately kicking the roof behind her.

Answer maybe?]

[she likely catches him in the kitchen of the brand new Phantom Thieves and friends pad, located in the free apartment district for new comers. he's in the process of pouring himself a cup of coffee when he hears the rap tap tap of someone at the window. he blinks a few times, looks up, and--]

[stares]

[and stares]

[and stares some more]

[until the coffee runs over the side of his cup, and he has to jerk back in surprise to prevent a larger spill from gathering on the counter]

Ah--!

[he places the coffee pot aside and rushes to the window to pop it open. he can worry about the mess later]

. . .

Am I in trouble with the shingle inspectors?

[Well. That's amusing as heck and she grins broadly at him when the window slides open. Dropping from the roof with all the grace of a spider monkey, she catches the sill and pulls herself up to sit on it.]

Not today.

[That grin turns into a chuckle.]

They pass inspection, though you might seriously want to check out the northwest corner. There's some clog in your gutter, and I didn't put it there.

[Honest. Scouts honor.]

[he steps to the side a bit, indicating that she can slip into the kitchen if she wants to. and his mouth curves into an amused smile as he cants his head and gives her a suspicious look out of the corners of his eyes]

Is that so? Are you sure you're not trying to sabotage me with the Shingle and Gutter Association?

[She slides past him into the room, meeting his suspicious look with a mischievous sparkle of her own.]

Now now, why would I want to do that? The association only wants to check in on you from time to time. Make sure there's no leaky roof.

[What is this even. Penelo...]

Hmmm. . . I don't know. I've been hearing whispers around the office lately. I think someone is out to get me.

[WHAT IS THIS EVEN, AKIRA???]

[but at that, he gives her a polite bow in greeting before he goes clean up his poor coffee mess. what a waste of coffee, too. . . Boss would be so disappointed]

But I suppose I deserve this after dropping in on you unexpectedly the other day, Penelo-san.

[huh. that's far more polite than he was while in Joker costume, isn't it?]

[Pen laughs at that, enjoying that someone is playing along with her sense of humor. She nods apologetically towards the coffee spill, but doesn't...actually say she's sorry. You know, pirate and all.]

It's true. This is just payback I guess.

[Crossing the room, she leans against the counter, looking him up and down.]

You look different without the mask. Am I still supposed to call you Joker when you're like this?

[it doesn't take him long to mop up the mess and deposit the used paper towels into a trash can. does this place have paper towels? WELL IT DOES NOW]

You can call me Akira instead.

[he says easily. she's probably one of the few people outside of the Phantom Theives he's comfortable with showing both sides of himself to]

Akira Kurusu. Joker is just a name that goes with the mask.

[Good because Penelo has totally used them herself in other threads. Don't judge her.]

Akira.

[She bobs her head in assent, smiling genially at the obvious trust that's being placed in her.]

I'll remember that, then. Your...secret is safe with me.

[Putting her fingers up in a little salute, she adds:]

My word as a Dalmascan.

[he laughs, and pushes the mug of coffee he had poured earlier towards her. he'll serve himself a second one]

Honestly, it isn't really much of a secret at this point. [which was. . . a little frustrating, actually. he hadn't exactly wanted to broadcast I AM A PHANTOM THIEF AND A PERSONA USER to the world]

But even so, I still appreciate the discretion. I'll return it in kin. Thief's honor.

[and a wink]

[Well hey, she's not turning down the coffee. Taking it, she blows on the steaming liquid to cool it off some while listening to him.]

Good. I don't exactly broadcast that I'm a pirate or anything. Not that I...y'know...do what people think we do.

[Plunder and pillage and rifle and loot, drink up me hearties yo ho?]

I actually came to check up on you, see how things were going.

[Also to totally get back at him for that stunt.]

I have another friend who's a pirate, actually.

[well. sort of!]

He's got one of the biggest hearts I've ever seen.

[honestly Penelo will hear nothing but good things about his friends from Akira! not that now is the time for him to gush about how amazing they are, though.]

[he finishes pouring himself a cup and lifts it with both hands, gently blowing on the top to chase away the steam. he leans his hip against the counter, eyes slipping shut as he savors the smell]

They're going well, I think. As well as they could be. [for, you know, being suddenly displaced from their homes]

I got a job.

Edited (GRAMMAR????) 2017-06-20 16:52 (UTC)

[Which is fair. She won't ever say a bad word about any of her friends except for Ashe being a little stuffy at times. But then, a queen as compared to an orphan street rat? It's not hard to see why they're so different.]

All that can be expected, I suppose.

[She takes a hesitant sip of her drink, and then immediately lowers the cup, tongue sticking out a little. Still too hot.]

What's the job?

Robbing a bank.

[there are very few people he would be this blase about robbing a bank with, and lucky Penelo is one of them!]

[he casually tilts his head back to take a sip of his coffee]

[One golden eyebrow arches, amused by the matter of fact statement. But then...]

From the task board, yes?

[That was something she'd seen, thought about, then discarded. But it felt smart to ask, just in case.]

Mmm. [he grins] So you saw it, too?

It doesn't pay much, but with part of my team here, I thought it'd be good practice.

[it won't be practice for anything but their Sudoku skills, because real banks are nothing like Palaces, but. ah well]

Edited (GRAMMAR) 2017-06-21 01:33 (UTC)

I did. Thought about taking it myself but...banks? I'm not really that kind of thief, but I understand. That's why I've been going out and hunting monsters, to be honest.

[Little thing that she is, that may sound out of sorts.]

[Sipping her coffee again, she makes an approving sound and smiles around the lip of the cup. Finally cool enough]

I think it'll be fun for you though. Certainly a good way to make some money.

To be frank, we're not exactly those kinds of thieves, either.

[she knows that from their first conversation, huh. but hey! for a new arrival, money is money]

And I feel like most people would be surprised that you're capable of fighting monsters, but honestly?

I bet you kick a lot of butt.

[She laughs, a merry, cheerful little tinkling sound. It's one of the most genuine laughs she's had on Verens so far, and she needed it.]

You're literally the first person here who's taken me seriously when I said that.

[It feels nice, and she can tell he's not lying.]

You should come out hunting with me some time. It's pretty easy money, and the bounties are always large.

[another smile, this one a bit coy]

How do you know I can even fight?

I might be a weakling who can't even throw a punch. You never know.

Call it a hunch.

[She leans in a little, a teasing smirk flickering across her lips.]

And if I'm wrong, well, then you'll be good enough to watch my back.

[he doesn't lean away from her, instead opting to arch his eyebrows and fight against the urge to laugh. something about her posture and her words makes that sound like a challenge]

[a low whistle escapes his lips as he takes another sip of his drink]

Being relegated to lookout makes me feel like I just got a demotion.

[She hops back with a laugh, glad to have gotten even that much of a reaction from him. He didn't really seem like the sort who would back down from a challenge, though it wasn't really that. She just...had a feeling.]

Well, it's up to you. But that's as important on an actual hunt as the fighting.

[A beat.]

Is that a yes, then?

[her feeling may be right on the money]

Absolutely.

[and he answers with a surprising amount of enthusiasm. his team needed to practice breaking into banks just as much has they needed to keep their combat skills sharp. these monsters might not be Shadows, but that was okay. they'd be good substitutes]

But you'll have to show me the ropes so I don't mess up.

[. . . and he's joking, of course, because he knows he's far more skilled in a fight than he's letting on]

[At least she's not chanting ooga-chaka-ooga-chaka when it comes to feelings right?]

Don't worry, you'll find it's not all that tough.

[She may be surprised, and in more ways than one by him. She wouldn't be shocked if he was a pretty skilled fighter but she's generally assuming he's more about knives and swords and other thief-y things than anything resembling magick.]

It helps that most of the creatures here are more or less animals, or little more intelligent than animals. Different from fighting people and machines, I think.

[Sipping more of her coffee, she abruptly changes the subject.]

This is...actually really good. A lot richer than those bottled drinks. What's in it?

[empatheias ic contact]

SURPRISE SHINGLE INSPECTION

HE HOPES HIS SHINGLES ARE UP TO STANDARDS, PENELO

THEY SEEM TO BE IN FINE ORDER. Also I assume he's not in his crazy outfit?

oh right, he isn't! normal clothes today

Okay!

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