GENKI SILENT PROTAG. She'll probably strong-arm you into doing something ridiculous, and do so with the cutest smile on earth. She might also poke you with a naginata if you're a punk.
THE SASSY PROTAG. a phantom thief with a heart of gold. lives rebelliously and without regrets, though spends most of his time feigning a very unassuming persona. #nailedit
A true sunshine protagonist. Country bumpkin, slow on the uptake. Wants to be everyone's friend. Swordian Master of fire, incredibly hot-blooded. A GOOD BEAN. Please love him. He's my favorite and I am biased.
The original fabulous Tales science lady. Probably wants to dissect you pretty shamelessly. Loves and adores cute things. Inventor of the Swordians. Definitely the definition of Mad Scientist.
[abruptly, the thumps and creaks halt as Akira freezes in the vents, one hand hovering over the grating, an eerie shiver coursing down his spine. there's just something about that voice that gives him the chills, and he isn't quite sure why. . .]
[. . . he needs to move]
[unfortunately, Murphy's Law has a funny tendency to rear its head at the worst possible moments. and as he shifts forward, bearing all of his weight on the air vent, it suddenly gives out from under him. and. . . well]
[with a surprised yell, he totally falls through. but his foot somehow manages to catch on the edge of that opening, sooooo now there's one misplaced thief dangling upside down from your ceiling, Harold. hi there!]
[he sorta. sways for a moment, blinking at her, before he. lifts both fingers to his temple and gives her a salute]
she doesn't seem all that fussed by the fact that akira is just hanging from her ceiling, or that it comes with a casual greeting.]
Or maybe a mouse that the cat dragged in.
[it's swift, how there are suddenly a set of small throwing knives in her hand, and how swiftly she uses a mirror shadow spear arte to... throw them at akira, imbued with dark energy.
she's probably just trying to lure him out of the vent rather than actually kill him, but he'll need to be quick on his feet.]
[he might've had some kind of dry, witty quip about how he isn't a cat burglar, he's a phantom thief, prepared beforehand. but he doesn't have the time to say it, because she moves fast. and if he wants to get out of here alive, he totally has to move faster]
[good thing he's pretty nimble]
[he swings himself up and through the air, hands latching on the edge of the ventilation entrance to give him some purchase so he can remove his stuck foot. the knives zip by harmlessly, although just barely-- one might have grazed the top of his head and shaved off an inch or so of hair. oops?]
[but with his foot free? he drops fully to the ground, landing in a crouch. he's quick to pop up onto his feet, and with a flick of his wrist? he's holding what looks like a standard combat dagger, blade extended, totally ready to defend himself]
[. . .]
[so anyway, the dagger is 100% fake because this ain't the Metaverse.]
Not bad, not bad! You even landed on your feet, just like a cat!
[and despite the fact that he's holding a dagger out to her... she's clasping her hands together, wide-eyed and positively sparkling.
it seems like harold is a little impressed by the display.
...and she's not even acknowledging the dagger. it's not worth her time, because it's clearly a toy, and that means he's not much of an immediate threat to her. if she saw his personas, she might have a change in her stance, but for now? he's just nimble cat burglar doing his best to be cunning.
it's almost cute, in that condescending manner where she's not actually threatened at all, but he seems to be trying so hard.]
Though... you do know what comes next, right, kitty?
[she finally brings herself to her feet which reveals what should be a non-threatening size. she's only futaba's height, after all—though her boots probably give her a little bit of lift, she's. very small. small and thin, the very definition of petite, even if her presence (and style, those colors) are very loud.]
[there's no point in dragging out the Personas yet!1 this. . . Shadow? cognitive being?? seems pretty dangerous, to the point of where Joker doesn't think taking her on while he's alone is a great idea. but if he can get out of here without using any SP or HP sucking skills, then all the more power to him. better to preserve his resources, just in case]
[there's a pause between her question and his answer, a moment where he just. squints at her suspiciously, because he has no idea where she's going with this]
The part where I run?
[there's a door. if he's flippy and fast, maybe he can make a run for it and hope that it isn't locked--]
[his brows quirk up, but only for a moment. okay. negotiating with Shadows isn't anything new. it's just. . . usually he has to knock them down, or beat them up a little bit, first. it's almost strange that this one-- assuming she is a Shadow-- wants to start right out the gate with talking]
[but he goes with it, because negotiating is always preferable to fighting]
Okay.
[but he's not lowering his (totally fake) weapon]
Provided there aren't any knives involved in the conversation.
[maybe one of these days, akira will realize that harold is not actually a shadow. just a terrifying woman.]
Then... hm. Maybe you should put the toys away, kiddo.
[motioning towards his very fake weapon, that she can see is fake.]
You'd be slaughtered in a hurry by any of the soldiers if you think you can play cat burglar with a replica weapon, you know! Though even Dymlos might go easy on a kid who's in over his head, who knows? ★
[HOPEFULLY THAT DAY IS SOON?? he might be a little grateful when he finds out, because then he doesn't have to fight her!1]
[his brows shoot up when he calls his weapon a "toy," and he immediately pulls it back to inspect her claim for veracity. and when he runs his finger across the blade to find that it isn't sharp at all. . . welp. yep. it's definitely still fake]
Wh. . . [well, now he just looks bewildered, as his gaze flickers up from the weapon, to her. but he shakes it off quickly, re-summoning his confidence as the (faux) weapon twists in his hand and slides easily back into its sheath]
Sharp eye you've got there, miss.
[it's kind of weird, since a Shadow has never seen past the fakeness of his weapons before, but. . . ah. well]
[he also has like a billion questions in response to everything else she said, but. one step at a time.]
[her gaze catches easily; she's watching his expressions and shifts in his body language. he's an interesting little cat burglar, isn't he? there's something about that surprise that makes her interested.
after all, he didn't seem to realize he was wielding a toy, but all the same, he doesn't seem entirely shocked that's the case, either. so what's his deal?
she's just going to have to find out, that's what harold thinks.]
I'm a genius, after all. But I don't think it takes a genius to spot a toy weapon in the middle of a warzone. I think even our foot soldiers could spot that without a second glance.
[...]
You're pretty interesting though, little cat burglar.
[. . . . . . . . . he doesn't know if that's a compliment or not]
I suppose I did graduate form Fascinating University with a degree in Really Interesting Studies.
[he says lightly as his hands dip into the pockets of his jacket. his stance seems to shift towards the more casual, now that he's not holding a weapon, but the tension in his bones is hidden underneath that jacket. he's totally ready to move at a moment's notice, as always]
So which one of us is going to give their name first? Should we flip a coin?
[now is probably not the time for casual, almost flippant humor, but THERE YA GO]
[it's probably not a compliment, harold doesn't hand those out like candy. she's interested, but it's probably not for the best reasons.
he just seems like he'd squeal a lot less than chaltier under pressure.
either way? harold is arching a brow at him, like he just asked the dumbest question in the world.]
You break into my room, on a ship I built, in a warzone... and you think who should be doing the introductions is up for debate? You're a little touched in the head, huh?
"I suddenly showed up outside with very little idea of how I got here, accidentally pissed off a few guards, and escaped into a tiny vent shaft to avoid capture."
How's that?
[and that isn't a lie. but he figures if she's a Shadow, or at the very least a cognitive being, then it's fine for him to be a little honest. about that, at least]
[she is still neither a shadow or a cognitive being, friend.]
Well, I don't know what you expected when you're invading a military base in a time of war. You're probably lucky you didn't land yourself somewhere in Dycroft, or you'd be a dead kitty burglar already!
[just saying.
she's way more benevolent than those pesky, asshole aeth'erians, even though she's... a defected aeth'erian herself.]
[there's. a pause, and then he slooooowly takes a step to the side. not quite towards her, but not away, either. his gaze flickers away, affixed on his surroundings now. it looks like he's taking this opportunity to look around the room. . . although he does respond, casually and without a drop of the confusion he's immediately feeling at her answer]
[said so matter-of-fact, like she's finally getting serious here.]
I can't really tell what it is, since I was inside and couldn't read the shift in the wind. Time traveler? Timeline jumper? Maybe from a whole different world entirely?
[she's looking him over even more closely than before.]
You're no simple cat burglar, though, wherever it is you might be from.
[. . . squints at her. time traveler? timeline jumper? those aren't terms with which he's familiar. but the part about being from another world entirely, at least, is. somewhat. the Metaverse counted as a completely different world than the real one, right?]
I think I'll keep the answer to that question to myself. For the mysteriousness factor.
[and he's back to meandering around and investigating the room]
And I'm not a cat burglar. [that's more Panther's shtick, but he doesn't say that aloud]
[come on, akira. you've seen movies and anime in your life, these aren't totally foreign concepts.
either way, investigating the room isn't going to net him much that's special. mostly, the room has cute clothes strewn about, each... labeled with a different name? camille berselius, est berselius, catherine berselius, karen berselius...
hm.
there are stuffed animals and plushies around the room, as well as what looks like a massive sword in a case with chains, a model ship, and other assorted things.
it's not that remarking, half very obviously a girl's living quarters, and the other half seems to be a small technological workspace. it's hardly a lab, she's gotta leave the base for that—but a place for her to tweak things and work on smaller ideas to brainstorm.]
Well, whether or not you answer, the more mysterious you are, the more likely you don't leave a warzone alive.
[...]
Though I don't think letting anyone kill you would be fun. I'm kind of interested in seeing what goes on in that stupid brain of yours.
[yes, but there's no such thing as REAL LIFE time travel!! . . . he thinks]
[actually, maybe he shouldn't think that. based on his past experiences, he'd totally be proven wrong]
[he lingers on the clothing, gaze immediately drawn towards the names. there's one constant-- Berselius-- so that's what he decides to use]
I'm grateful you at least think that much, Berselius-san.
[swivels to face her again, heels clicking behind him]
[. . .]
Sort of.
[SORT OF. . . because the way she says she wants to study his brain very closely reminds him a bit too much of a certain doctor, only. significantly less good for his health??? and also, because he thinks he managed to yoink her name off of some labeled clothing, he offers]
Well, at least you're smart enough to pick up on some context clues, Joker.
[yeah, obviously she's not actually buying that being his real name.]
But Berselius sounds so stuffy! Aniki might like that, but it makes me sound old and boring! Not cute at all!
So. Harold.
[harold sounds like an old man name normally, but somehow, it's cute when attached to her? it's fine. whatever. it's definitely not any of those other names, nor is it her real name, but she's not really trying to pretend it is.]
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what a great first impression
[. . . he needs to move]
[unfortunately, Murphy's Law has a funny tendency to rear its head at the worst possible moments. and as he shifts forward, bearing all of his weight on the air vent, it suddenly gives out from under him. and. . . well]
[with a surprised yell, he totally falls through. but his foot somehow manages to catch on the edge of that opening, sooooo now there's one misplaced thief dangling upside down from your ceiling, Harold. hi there!]
[he sorta. sways for a moment, blinking at her, before he. lifts both fingers to his temple and gives her a salute]
Yo.
What's up?
[TOTALLY CASUAL]
this is already a disaster
[rip in pieces, akira.
she doesn't seem all that fussed by the fact that akira is just hanging from her ceiling, or that it comes with a casual greeting.]
Or maybe a mouse that the cat dragged in.
[it's swift, how there are suddenly a set of small throwing knives in her hand, and how swiftly she uses a mirror shadow spear arte to... throw them at akira, imbued with dark energy.
she's probably just trying to lure him out of the vent rather than actually kill him, but he'll need to be quick on his feet.]
THIS IS WHAT HE GETS FOR BEING SHADY
Hey--!
[he might've had some kind of dry, witty quip about how he isn't a cat burglar, he's a phantom thief, prepared beforehand. but he doesn't have the time to say it, because she moves fast. and if he wants to get out of here alive, he totally has to move faster]
[good thing he's pretty nimble]
[he swings himself up and through the air, hands latching on the edge of the ventilation entrance to give him some purchase so he can remove his stuck foot. the knives zip by harmlessly, although just barely-- one might have grazed the top of his head and shaved off an inch or so of hair. oops?]
[but with his foot free? he drops fully to the ground, landing in a crouch. he's quick to pop up onto his feet, and with a flick of his wrist? he's holding what looks like a standard combat dagger, blade extended, totally ready to defend himself]
[. . .]
[so anyway, the dagger is 100% fake because this ain't the Metaverse.]
yeah, he kind of deserves it tbh
[and despite the fact that he's holding a dagger out to her... she's clasping her hands together, wide-eyed and positively sparkling.
it seems like harold is a little impressed by the display.
...and she's not even acknowledging the dagger. it's not worth her time, because it's clearly a toy, and that means he's not much of an immediate threat to her. if she saw his personas, she might have a change in her stance, but for now? he's just nimble cat burglar doing his best to be cunning.
it's almost cute, in that condescending manner where she's not actually threatened at all, but he seems to be trying so hard.]
Though... you do know what comes next, right, kitty?
[she finally brings herself to her feet which reveals what should be a non-threatening size. she's only futaba's height, after all—though her boots probably give her a little bit of lift, she's. very small. small and thin, the very definition of petite, even if her presence (and style, those colors) are very loud.]
he just wants to be a good boy :(
[there's a pause between her question and his answer, a moment where he just. squints at her suspiciously, because he has no idea where she's going with this]
The part where I run?
[there's a door. if he's flippy and fast, maybe he can make a run for it and hope that it isn't locked--]
he needs to try harder
[just saying.
she isn't going to tell him why that may be the case, but she wouldn't recommend just bolting right now.]
I'm too cute to start off with something that violent. ★ [she's probably sincere about that. she is cute, dammit.] Talking's a good start, you know.
8((((((
[but he goes with it, because negotiating is always preferable to fighting]
Okay.
[but he's not lowering his (totally fake) weapon]
Provided there aren't any knives involved in the conversation.
[SAYS THE THIEF HOLDING ONE RIGHT NOW]
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Then... hm. Maybe you should put the toys away, kiddo.
[motioning towards his very fake weapon, that she can see is fake.]
You'd be slaughtered in a hurry by any of the soldiers if you think you can play cat burglar with a replica weapon, you know! Though even Dymlos might go easy on a kid who's in over his head, who knows? ★
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[his brows shoot up when he calls his weapon a "toy," and he immediately pulls it back to inspect her claim for veracity. and when he runs his finger across the blade to find that it isn't sharp at all. . . welp. yep. it's definitely still fake]
Wh. . . [well, now he just looks bewildered, as his gaze flickers up from the weapon, to her. but he shakes it off quickly, re-summoning his confidence as the (faux) weapon twists in his hand and slides easily back into its sheath]
Sharp eye you've got there, miss.
[it's kind of weird, since a Shadow has never seen past the fakeness of his weapons before, but. . . ah. well]
[he also has like a billion questions in response to everything else
she said, but. one step at a time.]
no subject
after all, he didn't seem to realize he was wielding a toy, but all the same, he doesn't seem entirely shocked that's the case, either. so what's his deal?
she's just going to have to find out, that's what harold thinks.]
I'm a genius, after all. But I don't think it takes a genius to spot a toy weapon in the middle of a warzone. I think even our foot soldiers could spot that without a second glance.
[...]
You're pretty interesting though, little cat burglar.
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I suppose I did graduate form Fascinating University with a degree in Really Interesting Studies.
[he says lightly as his hands dip into the pockets of his jacket. his stance seems to shift towards the more casual, now that he's not holding a weapon, but the tension in his bones is hidden underneath that jacket. he's totally ready to move at a moment's notice, as always]
So which one of us is going to give their name first? Should we flip a coin?
[now is probably not the time for casual, almost flippant humor, but THERE YA GO]
no subject
he just seems like he'd squeal a lot less than chaltier under pressure.
either way? harold is arching a brow at him, like he just asked the dumbest question in the world.]
You break into my room, on a ship I built, in a warzone... and you think who should be doing the introductions is up for debate? You're a little touched in the head, huh?
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[he says that with a straight face]
[. . . it's like. a half truth? kind of]
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[...
she has suspicions, after all. she's just not calling them out, not yet.]
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[rocks back on his heels with a hum]
"I suddenly showed up outside with very little idea of how I got here, accidentally pissed off a few guards, and escaped into a tiny vent shaft to avoid capture."
How's that?
[and that isn't a lie. but he figures if she's a Shadow, or at the very least a cognitive being, then it's fine for him to be a little honest. about that, at least]
no subject
Well, I don't know what you expected when you're invading a military base in a time of war. You're probably lucky you didn't land yourself somewhere in Dycroft, or you'd be a dead kitty burglar already!
[just saying.
she's way more benevolent than those pesky, asshole aeth'erians, even though she's... a defected aeth'erian herself.]
no subject
[there's. a pause, and then he slooooowly takes a step to the side. not quite towards her, but not away, either. his gaze flickers away, affixed on his surroundings now. it looks like he's taking this opportunity to look around the room. . . although he does respond, casually and without a drop of the confusion he's immediately feeling at her answer]
. . . Dycroft?
I can't say I've ever heard of it.
no subject
So that's what it was.
[???? harold, that's not a response.]
I thought it could be something like that, but I must have missed when it happened. Too busy with important work.
[that still explains exactly nothing, harold.]
no subject
Ah. I see. I, too, understand everything now. What a helpful and informational explanation.
[. . . he's being sarcastic]
no subject
[said so matter-of-fact, like she's finally getting serious here.]
I can't really tell what it is, since I was inside and couldn't read the shift in the wind. Time traveler? Timeline jumper? Maybe from a whole different world entirely?
[she's looking him over even more closely than before.]
You're no simple cat burglar, though, wherever it is you might be from.
no subject
I think I'll keep the answer to that question to myself. For the mysteriousness factor.
[and he's back to meandering around and investigating the room]
And I'm not a cat burglar. [that's more Panther's shtick, but he doesn't say that aloud]
no subject
either way, investigating the room isn't going to net him much that's special. mostly, the room has cute clothes strewn about, each... labeled with a different name? camille berselius, est berselius, catherine berselius, karen berselius...
hm.
there are stuffed animals and plushies around the room, as well as what looks like a massive sword in a case with chains, a model ship, and other assorted things.
it's not that remarking, half very obviously a girl's living quarters, and the other half seems to be a small technological workspace. it's hardly a lab, she's gotta leave the base for that—but a place for her to tweak things and work on smaller ideas to brainstorm.]
Well, whether or not you answer, the more mysterious you are, the more likely you don't leave a warzone alive.
[...]
Though I don't think letting anyone kill you would be fun. I'm kind of interested in seeing what goes on in that stupid brain of yours.
Very. Closely. ★
no subject
[actually, maybe he shouldn't think that. based on his past experiences, he'd totally be proven wrong]
[he lingers on the clothing, gaze immediately drawn towards the names. there's one constant-- Berselius-- so that's what he decides to use]
I'm grateful you at least think that much, Berselius-san.
[swivels to face her again, heels clicking behind him]
[. . .]
Sort of.
[SORT OF. . . because the way she says she wants to study his brain very closely reminds him a bit too much of a certain doctor, only. significantly less good for his health??? and also, because he thinks he managed to yoink her name off of some labeled clothing, he offers]
Joker, by the way.
[code name only, though]
no subject
[yeah, obviously she's not actually buying that being his real name.]
But Berselius sounds so stuffy! Aniki might like that, but it makes me sound old and boring! Not cute at all!
So. Harold.
[harold sounds like an old man name normally, but somehow, it's cute when attached to her? it's fine. whatever. it's definitely not any of those other names, nor is it her real name, but she's not really trying to pretend it is.]
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Oh, right. Of course. And it'd be a shame to use a name that doesn't live up to your cuteness.
[he says that lightly, slightly teasingly!! probably still trying to keep the atmosphere from getting too heavy.]
If you're Harold-san, then who are. . . [glances at the clothing] Camille? Est? Catherine? Karen?
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