purrtagonist | [empatheias ic contact]

[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?

[wait until she sees his Persona]

[his smile turns a bit coy again when she asks about the coffee ingredients]

Family secret. [he says casually] You'd have to sign a non-disclosure form before I could tell you.

Edited 2017-06-23 19:35 (UTC)

[Please say he has the dick chariot. This is important to me.]

[She actually...looks a little baffled by that. Genuinely confused, because...]

Wait. I...don't even know what that form is?

[Like, she's never been near bureaucracy before. Except that time she was almost arrested.]

[UNFORTUNATELY (??) HE DOES NOT. but he does have Lucifer, so. . .]

Ah. . . the response of someone who has never had to deal with bureaucratic red tape.

Stay that way.

[he looks VERY serious when he says that]

[Son I am disappoint.]

Not much bureaucracy can do for pirates and orphans. So...yeah.

[Grinning, she takes another sip and chuckles.]

Not fond of governments, either are you?

[ha! it must be a thief thing, because her question is right on the money]

Mmm. I'm not. There isn't much a bureaucracy can do for the weak and exploited in society, either.

[. . . at least, that's how he had come to see society, after his arrest and prosecution. but]

But if the right people are in it, then I do at least believe that can change.

I agree.

[She hums thoughtfully, fishing around in her pocket for something.]

On Ivalice, corrupt leadership nearly tore the world part. My friends and I fought to put someone worthy on the throne.

[Her eyes shine a little as she manages to pluck out a small, round disc. About the size of a CD.]

Want to see a picture or two? My Memstone still works here.

[he blinks in surprise at the CD, immediately making the connection in his mind to--]

I don't think they have DVD players here.

[-- something familiar! and. something she has probably never heard of, oops]

[empatheias ic contact]

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