[empatheias ic contact]

[purrtagonist]

TELEPATHY text / voice / image / action Akira doesn't have a bird with which to exchange written messages! But you can send him one anyway and he'll just. . . use your bird to reply. . . probably. code credit

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[mincingminuet]

[She drops a tray of wafers on the table and takes her cup, grinning and taking a long sniff.]

None at all.

[rolling her shoulders in a happy shrug, she sips the coffee and smiles.]

Everything okay, shingles aside?

[purrtagonist]

[and he goes straight for the wafers, immediately grabbing one and popping it into his mouth. delicious!!]

I met up with some friends from home, actually.

And fought a couple of dinosaurs. I feel pretty cool all of a sudden.

[mincingminuet]

[They're pretty standard, strawberry flavor!]

Yeah? More teammates?

[She'll refrain from calling them Phantom Thieves out loud at least.]

[purrtagonist]

[thanks, Pen]

A couple of them.

. . . it's good to see them.

[there's a fond warmth in the air now]

[mincingminuet]

[Nod, nod.]

That's good, then. You're very lucky.

[Sipping more of her drink and nibbling a wafer, she considers what to say next, and how to go about it. Better not to talk more about that, or she'll risk loneliness setting in again.]

So. Helisium...

[purrtagonist]

[Helisi-- oh. right. that]

[and here he thought they were just going to have a nice chat about his friends from home]





There's no bush to beat around, is there?

[mincingminuet]

[Better than her curdling the milk in the fridge with her envy.]

No, there isn't. I...wanted to apologize for that. I had no idea what was going on, and I just ended up there.

It wasn't right of me to intrude and press, and I'm sorry.

[purrtagonist]

[there's a pause, before he gives her a smile]

You weren't the only one. [not everyone had approached him about those dreams, but some had] I bet you have a lot of questions too, huh?

[mincingminuet]

Only if you're willing to answer. But mostly, I've got concerns. Like, me being there didn't...hurt anything did it?

[purrtagonist]

No.

[at least, he's pretty sure it didn't. he doesn't feel any different than he felt before that weird dream]

I do kind of wish you could've seen what the Velvet Room looks like now, though.

[mincingminuet]

Oh? what's different?

[That's a hell of a statement. don't just drop it and leave off!]

[purrtagonist]

I broke out of my prison.

[that's it. that's the answer. THAT EXPLAINS NOTHING, BUT THERE YOU GO!!]

[mincingminuet]

You broke out...

[...]

So what changed? What's new?!

[purrtagonist]

No more prison outfit, for one.

[his SOUL OF REBELLION stays manifested in the Velvet Room at all times, now]

There aren't any cell doors. There's a walkway that leads outside. Instead of two wardens, I have one attendant. Stuff like that.

[mincingminuet]

Oh.  That's all...much nicer.

[Attendant sounds better than warden...]

Much less frightful, that's for sure.  I...feel bad for kind of getting a little unsteady on you, but I don't handle prisons well.

[purrtagonist]

[attendant is MUCH better than warden, Lavenza is so much nicer than Caroline]

You think I do? Especially after that?

[the answer issss no]

If I had been in your shoes, I bet I would've reacted the same way.

[mincingminuet]

Well I guess you seem more used to it.

[She reflexively just starts rubbing at her wrists, old aches coming back to haunt her.]

Every time I've been near manacles or irons...or anything like that, I nearly die. That was a first.

[purrtagonist]

["used to it" is one way to put it. but the conversation shifts, and he presses out of curiosity]

. . . bad experiences with prions?

[she did say she was a thief and a revolutionary, after all]

[mincingminuet]

More than a few. People...where I'm from tend to get locked up and never let out.

[Street folks she means.]

No trials or anything, just thrown in the dungeons to die. I've gotten out of a few, mostly by luck.

[purrtagonist]

[aha. he frowns, because that sounds pretty shitty]

Did that change after the revolution?

[mincingminuet]

Mostly. Murderers don't exactly get out, but people aren't picked up for no reason like under Archadian rule.

[It is still a medieval justice system.]

Queen Ashe is a fair ruler, but she can't just let bad people run free.

[purrtagonist]

[still, better than random people being picked up for random crimes they may or may not have committed]

No, that's true. But you aren't a bad person.

[mincingminuet]

Haha! I try not to be!

[It's not like she wants to be a feared pirate or anything.]

Thank you though.