I azure you that I’m not up to anything, sir.

[bufubulous]

Who; Closed to 'Fox' and Drizzt
What; Sneaky post-heist getaways
Where; Somewhere between the Noble district and the Harbor district
When; Forward dated to early August
Warnings; None but will update if something comes up



The evening had grown quite late at this point, the streets largely empty aside from a few stragglers from the tavern, the sewer dwellers who sometimes ventured to the streets under the cover of darkness, and (of course) the evening guard running its patrols sparsely through certain parts of the city. Namely, the nicer ones.

It was the latter that Yusuke found himself keeping out of the line of sight of, having just had to split off from his group after a particularly successful mission in the noble district. It was soon agreed upon that it would be less conspicuous for them to go their separate ways with their findings and regroup later in the harbor district where there would be no prying eyes.

So off he’d gone to the shadows between the fancier houses, keeping low and silent save for a light whisper of fabric now and again. His eyes darting to pick out the details of the streets before him when it came time to cross from one district to the next. Eager to return to his friends and empty his puffy sleeves of their shiny baubles hidden within that would fund the plan Ren had so cleverly devised for them as they settled into this world and actually help the more neglected parts of the city. The majority would be pawned for coin to pay for supplies and necessities, while others would undoubtedly end up as decor in the hideout that was slowly starting to feel less like an abandoned warehouse and more like a proper base of operations.

But first he had to make it there.

As he rounded one corner, he came to an abrupt halt as a uniformed guard was walking on the other side of the road. The masked teen flattened himself against a wall and waiting for footsteps to pass and fade into the distance, breath slow and practiced from spending so much time exploring palaces with the others. In this, there was little difference between a person and a shadow you didn’t want to face, was there?

And… If he was being entirely honest? There was some excitement in it. A particular thrill that had been missing since he arrived here, that he hadn’t even really realized he’d missed. Sneaking around, the comforting weight of a sword at his side should they run into a creature, the building expectation as they checked behind a door or searched a room for treasure. By the end of the night, he was either full of creative inspiration or ready to actually have a proper night’s sleep.

The former was the more likely to occur, of course, but stranger things did happen.

The footsteps were gone, and peering around the corner through the eye-holes of his mask, off he went again. Darting quietly forward and in between another couple of buildings, weaving his way down side streets as he moved ever closer to his goal.

Comments

[usestwohands]

"Your reaction was understandable, given my entrance. No apology is necessary." But Drizzt was certainly intrigued by this most curious of 'phantom thieves'. A fox burglar wasn't unheard of, at least it could exist, but one to be so polite in light of being revealed? What a curious individual this thief was.

"And what am I to call you, Phantom Thief?"

[bufubulous]

That was kind of the man to say, and so it seemed as though the tension had melted away completely now that they were on the same page. Even if there were undoubtedly other questions between the two of them.

The first question, and probably the most important at the moment, was a matter of introductions. He doesn’t take much time to think about it, though. It slips out as easily as his own name would, considering the code names were second nature when decked out as he was. “You can call me Fox, sir. Might I inquire as to what I can call you in return?”

[usestwohands]

Fox, a sly and clever creature, mischievous and wily. He smiled in response. It was a fitting moniker, and he wondered again at the complete motif. Just who were these Phantom Thieves, for surely there was more than only the one. He had, after all, said he was a Phantom Thief, not the Phantom Thief. How curious. At least his nights would be more entertaining has he hunted ghosts.

He inclined his head in response, amusement dancing in his eyes. He hadn't expected the thief to use his true name, but he was finding the lad more entertaining than dangerous. "I am called many things, few of them kind. The Drow is common enough, but you may call me Drizzt."

[bufubulous]

Truthfully, Yusuke would admit he hadn’t chosen the codename himself. No one had liked his own ideas, though, and Fox had been fitting the more he looked at the mask and his disguise. How his disguise had come to be so fox-like was still somewhat odd for the teen to think about, but it had grown on him over time. Become fitting in its own way, even if he still found it in him to question it now and again.

What an odd response to the question, Yusuke mused, with a tilt of his head. What kind of place was this man from that he was called ‘many things, few of them kind?’ Perhaps he was prone to sudden appearances like the one he’d made that night that had put Yusuke so on guard. Being awkward in social situations was at least something he could understand… But the longer he spoke with the man, the less on edge he felt. “Then it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Drizzt.” He responded with a bow of his head.

“Do you spend your nights looking for trouble to intervene in across this city?” Their meetings may be a regular occurrence if that were the case, but he hoped that now the man wasn’t going to try to put a stop to the thieving now that he knew about it. The man did seem to have relaxed since he explained himself, at least.

[usestwohands]

He laughed at the question, crossing his arms and moving to a nearby stack of crates, taking a seat atop them and reaching into a small pouch at his waist, producing an apple from its depths.

"I spend my evenings as most spend their days. My eyes are more attuned to night vision and the sun causes headaches after a time. I investigate curiosities, and you certainly qualify." He held up the ripe red fruit, a sheen of lamplight from the end of the alleyway glinting on its skin. "Apple?"

[bufubulous]

He could not deny, he would probably count as a curiosity to most people who happened to notice him and the other thieves in the middle of the night as Drizzt had. It was only that most didn’t see them as the other man had. “I see, so this is more like your daytime compared to most of us who have arrived. I suppose I do count as a curiosity in that sense!” That made two evening denizens that he’d become acquainted with now. At least this one didn’t need a donation of sorts. He would still have to mention it to the other two phantoms, just in case they happened to be noticed by the man as well. To avoid the potential complications in the future, at least.

He did hesitate as he looked at the offered apple, if only because he knew everyone was waiting for him and this was something of a delay on his part… But his stomach grumbled its usual protest at the very idea of turning down a snack the minute he saw the apple.

How embarrassing.

So he leaned against the wall next to the crates and folded his arms lightly. “If it would not be putting you out, then I would not mind an apple, thank you.” He responded with a smile from beneath his mask.

[usestwohands]

"It is." Day and night were opposites for Drizzt Do'Urden.

And so his experiment proved useful. This 'Fox', for all his mystery, was a young man with an appetite to match. He gave the apple a deft toss in the boy's direction, pulling another apple from the pouch afterward, taking a bite of his own and smirking slightly.

"Whatever business you had has left you hungry, has it? Then I shan't keep you. Good evening, Phantom Thief, and good luck." He didn't take to the rooftops again, but simply stood from the crates, taking another bite of his apple, curiosity momentarily satisfied. While Drizzt didn't have other places to be precisely, it seemed 'Fox' did.

[bufubulous]

Yusuke’s hand snatched out to catch the apple tossed his way with a fluid movement. He had pretty decent reflexes, considering Goemon’s assistance. His tone was both polite and grateful as he turned the fruit in his hand. “Embarrassingly, I believe it has, but thank you, Drizzt. This shall sustain me well enough until I get to where I need to be.” He explained with a nod in thanks, before taking a bite of the apple with a delighted little hum.

Yes, food was a good way to make friends with this fox. Especially when he so often forgets to eat until he was reminded he was hungry as he was now, he should probably learn to keep snacks on hand as Drizzt seemed to. But as the man seemed to have noted his hesitation (very observant, clearly) at lingering in the alleyway much longer. He offered a polite bow after he pushed away from the wall. “Good evening. It was nice to make your acquaintance. I shall keep an eye out for you in the future.” He added with a grin, knowing full well the other might be more likely to spot him first if it was in the evening. He was going to have to mention the kind man to his group. Should they ever run into him as well?