Realistic or Modern The Conman and the Sneak Thief

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

Persia reached out and pushed the power button on the radio. A slow, romantic country song played through the speakers. It was a country station Persia had set up earlier. She had no qualms being known for enjoying country, but felt a little strange it was a romantic song. Her cheeks flushed, but she didn't change the station.

Instead, she squinted her eyes at Hera, "You push the power button to turn on the radio." Her features returned to her default as she turned her eyes back to the road, "Well? You said you wanted to sing to the radio."

Persia wanted to hear Hera sing. She was, despite her demeanor, really into music. If she wasn't a thief, she would likely have become a singer/musician herself, and could play several instruments. She also had the talent to have been successful if she went down that path.

 

[Araellion]

Hera lit up when the radio came to life. She didn't recognise the song or the radio station, but that certainly wouldn't stop her from singing along. It would stop her from singing well, but who cared? Certainly not Hera.

"I'll leave the button-pushing to you, thank you very much." She didn't much trust normal cars, and who knew what having its wires messed with would do with this one? No, she would leave the technical stuff to those who knew what they were doing.

With a shrug, Hera listened to the melody a few seconds, trying to get a feel for it before throwing herself into the song. She lagged half a second behind to actually hear the lyrics where she couldn't guess them, and the result was less than good. Hera had never been the best at singing together with the radio since she relied so much on her ears to figure out the notes. So alright she was kinda off key, but was having fun.

 

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

For the first time in a long time Persia burst out laughing. It was a haughty laugh that came in short spurts followed by sharp inhales, then repeating the cycle. She said, "You're a terrible singer." The laugh was short lived, as she wasn't prone to laughter, even when watching things she finds hilarious.

Persia thought back to her days with her old crew. She used to play guitar and sings songs in celebration after their heists. She felt her cheeks get warm as she wondered if singing to Hera would be a good way to woo her. It works in the movies.

Persia was generally very bold, but she's never been in a situation like this. Hera's shocked face when Persia kissed her still haunts Persia. She couldn't help but enjoy her time with Hera though. Hera was full of life and spontaneous. Qualities Persia lacked and admired.

 

[Araellion]

Hera burst out laughing when Persia did, completely giving up on the song. "Shut up, I don't know this song," She managed to get out inbetween her laughter. Hera wasn't upset though. Hell, she was well aware that that was absolutely terrible. She had gotten over being embarrassed about this sort of stuff ages ago. For now Hera was just glad she had gotten a laugh out of Persia.

She leaned back against the headrest when her laughter died down, content to just listen to the music. "I have a theatre degree you know. Most experience with musical theatre." Her voice had gone soft, barely audible over the sound of music.

Hera wasn't sure why she was telling Persia this. It wasn't to defend her singing, that's for sure. Probably nostalgia, she figured. It may not have been a particularly useful degree, but she had had fun and met a lot of friends she still had.

 

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

A theater degree? Makes sense once Persia thought about it. Hera seemed very confident around people. Persia took a moment to think of how to respond. Her voice had gone quiet, perhaps that meant she didn't want to talk about it?

Persia decided rather than questioning Hera, she would share a bit about herself. "I went to a performance arts school for music, but I never finished." She wasn't sure if she should mention she dropped out because she couldn't afford it, or that that was the reason she got into thievery, so she left it at that. A few more minutesand they would be at their destination.

 

[Araellion]

"You took performance arts?" She didn't mean to sound so surprised, but she was. "I figured you would have done something with computers or things like that." Though maybe it wasn't fair to judge. Hera didn't know Persia all that well. Drawing conclusions based on what she had seen wasn't the best way to go about things.

It begged the question though, how? Persia was nothing like most of the musicians Hera had met. Well, maybe except for some of the more reclusive artsy types that made music nobody could understand. But no, Persia didn't really strike her as that type either. What had happened between then and now? Because surely something must have happened for the girl to change that much.

Curious as she was, Hera didn't get a chance to ask about it since they had arrived at their destination. Crammed inbetween buildings was a shop that looked a lot smaller than it really was, with a pink sign hanging from the wall that said 'Rosy's emporium' and had mostly fully clothed mannequins in the windows.

Turning to Persia, Hera winced. "Fair warning, madame Red is a bit..." she trailed off, trying to find a good word to describe her. "Posh," she settled on, but not being entirely happy with it. The word was accurate, but it hadn't been exactly what she had been trying to get across.

 

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

Hera's question seemed odd to Persia. She had just said she went to a performance arts school, so why the need for the question? She wasn't able to pick up on the hints of curiosity in Hera's question, and she didn't press, so Persia left it alone. She also didn't say anything when Hera described madame Red. She didn't really care, she had only come to be with Hera.

[/pindent] Persia never really understood the term 'awkward silence,' as she was generally perfectly comfortable with silence. Though she felt like this would be a good time for the descriptive phrase. She felt like there was more to add to the conversation, but Persia couldn't figure out what to say, so she would remain silent until someone else said something as she found a parking spot in the small, dimly lit lot.[/pindent]

 

[Araellion]

Hera fidgeted in her seat, still trying to find something suitably descriptive to be able to give Persia a warning. She didn't know why she was so worried about the girl. Honestly, Hera was most worried about Persia making a scene because of something Mme Red will say, and didn't that make her feel guilty?

After Persia parked, Hera turned and put one hand on her shoulder to get her attention. "Just, don't take anything she says to heart, alright? I promise she's like that with most people."

 

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

Hera's touch on Persia's shoulder startled her, causing her to flinch hard. She hated having no control over it. Every time she's brought back to Brutus. She was determined to not let him continue affecting her after his death. Easier said than done though.

Persia tried to play off the flinch. She ignored it and replied, "I will be fine." She was certain she could handle the woman. And unless she was a martial artist, she could probably just punch Red in the face if she needed to. Everything would be just fine.

 

[Araellion]

Hera narrowed her eyes as Persia flinched, more out of concern than suspicion. She let the hand stay though. For now. "If you say so," Hera said, not entirely trusting the girl. Rubbing her face, Hera continued, her voice exhausted. "Just, don't do anything that's going to get us thrown out please. She's a family friend and I do actually want her to like you."

Rosy didn't like most people, so that was a stupid wish, but she could always dream. Best case scenario; she ignores Persia completely unless they are forced to interact.

Getting out of the car, Hera stretched. Taking a deep breath, she adjusted her posture, standing up straighter than usual. Madame expected an aristocrat and Hera would deliver.

 

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

"Fine, I won't strangle her," Persia replied, taking back her mental option of facd punching as she tried to ignore the look Hera gave her. She wouldn't force herself to smile, but she made a mental note that she would try to be liked.

Persia noticed a slight shift in Hera after they got out of the car. She wasn't sure what, or what it meant, so she didn't bring it up. Though she thought it was odd. She enjoyed the brisk air, bundled in her overcoat, as she followed Hera into the building.

 

[Araellion]

After taking another deep breath, Hera gave Persia an appraising look, first now noticing the way she was dressed. Good, she looked good. Hera allowed herself a small genuine smile before it shifted into something more polite. It wasn't entirely genuine, but not forced either. No, Hera knew better than to force herself to smile.

She went inside, enjoying the cheerful ringing of the bell above the door. The shop had gotten renovated since last she had been here. Instead of the whole place drowning in pink, the walls were a soothing blue with white stripes, the furniture a modern black and white style. There were curtains in front of the windows to hide the outside world from view and a couch for those waiting, which Hera found entirely unnecessary. Rosy never had more than one person booked at a time, and if someone came in unexpectedly she would go back and forth, dealing with everyone at the same time.

Speaking of the devil, Hera could hear Rosy approaching, muttering something in French that she didn't quite catch. Probably nothing good, judging by her annoyed tone. That alone was enough to turn Hera's smile more genuine.

Rosy glared at them for a few seconds, before she registered who had come to visit. Her frown turned into something resembling a smile and she quickly made her way over to give Hera hug. "Ah, here you are! You haven't visited in so long I thought you had forgotten about me!" Rosy drew back to give Hera a disapproving look, making Hera laugh. It wasn't her usual carefree laugh, but something more withdrawn and careful. More proper, but no less genuine.

"You are impossible to forget madame." The clothes she wore would make a lasting impression on their own. Similarly to the shop, her clothes were more toned down than usual. Instead of her usual frills and lace, she was wearing a blazer and a skirt. Still pink though. "I have simply been busy."

Rosy stepped back, giving Hera a tut. "Busy doing philanthropy under your ridiculous nom de guerre?" Hera winced at her disapproving tone, but nodded her head. "And I suppose this is one of your strays?" Her sharp gaze focused on Persia, looking her up and down but not commenting any more than that.

Hera sent Persia a look, in case she was planning on saying something rash, before turning back to Rosy. "No, she is a friend of mine, and is to be treated as such." Her tone was pleasant, but there was an undeniable steely undertone to her words.

Rosy rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. She was one of the few brave enough to show such disrespect. With a wave of the hand, Rosy brushed the subject aside. "Yes yes, are you both here for clothes? I can get something done in a month or so since we are friends."

Hera's smile widened and dark amusement crept into her eyes. "I need something in two days, preferably in the morning." Rosy's shocked expression was absolutely delightful, especially after her earlier words. She opened her mouth to argue, and promptly shut it when Hera held up a hand.

"If you insist, you'll have to get something pre-made fitted. That's all there is time for." Without waiting for Hera's input, Rosy disappeared into a backroom, motioning for them to follow. The new room had a platform surrounded by mirrors in the middle of the room and a few more couches littered around. Hera sat down as Rosy went deeper into the store on the hunt for some clothes, presumably.

Looking up at Persia, Hera let some of her facade fade away. "Are you alright?"

 

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

Persia appreciated Hera scanning her up and down with her eyes. She imagined Hera up to more nefarious thoughts than making sure her outfit was to standards. It made Persia return the up and down look, with more nefarious intentions.

The moment Persia saw Red, she knew she disliked her. Strays? If Hera didn't ask her to play nice, Red would be receiving a piece of her mind. Instead, she kept her unchanging default expression. An expression devoid of expression. Cold and calculating. She returned Red's disapproving once over with a look of her own, scanning her foe.

Withiut changing her expression, Persia replied to Hera's worried question, "You're lucky you asked me to play nice." That's all she offered. Until they left, Persia planned on keeping her expression, her mask, as it is. Though Hera's concern gave her some internal delight. Though Hera's changing personalities, combined with her theater degree just adds more support for Persia's manipulation theory. One she didn't care about. Even if she were positive Hera was manipulating her, she'd still go for it. Despite her caution and planning in her work, Persia is not a cautious person.

 

[Araellion]

Hera drew her hand through her hair, letting some of her stress show on her face. While she adored madame Red, she could be exhausting. Especially if Hera brought along someone she didn't approve of, apparently. "And I appreciate your effort, truly." She gave Persia a warm smile. A part of her wanted to apologise, but what good would that do?

"Oh, and what kind of outfit do you want?" She asked while Rosy was still looking for something. Hera figured it had to be easy to move around in, but besides that there were few limits. "I don't suppose you'll want a dress?" Hera was obviously teasing now, but the thought was kind of appealing. Probably since Hera had never seen Persia in anything like that. It wouldn't be practical for their job though, sadly.

 

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

"I like wearing dresses." A fact most people are surprised to learn. And to confirm Hera's suspicions, "I can't jump a balcony in a dress though." Despite her likes, Persia doesn't own a single dress. Her life hasn't afforded her the luxury of feeling safe enough to wear a dress. She felt like she always needed the option of running.

[/pindent] Persia didn't join Hera on the couch. She stayed standing as she didn't feel comfortable around Rosy. She liked the setup of the store though, and might even have shopped here were it not for the personality. [/pindent]

 

[Araellion]

"Mmh, I see." Hera perked up at Persia's words, a mischievous smile spreading on her face. An idea was starting to take form in her mind, but she pushed that train of thought away for now. She was about to make a joke about how a dress would be the perfect outfit to jump out a window with, when Rosy came back in.

She was pushing a clothing rack in front of her, full of various tuxedos and dresses close to Hera's size, which wasn't a surprise. This wasn't exactly the first time she had commissioned something from Rosy, and she kept measurements on all her clients.

Rosy turned to Persia, motioning for her to step up on the platform. "Well, go on then. I need your measurements," she said while taking a pink measuring band out of her pocket.

Hera stayed on the couch, giving Persia an encouraging smile. She would have plenty of time to pick out something to wear for herself later.

 

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

Persia obeyed Rosy. She stepped up and let Rosy manipulate her body as measurements were taken. If Persia were a being capable of expression, her disdain would be shown impressively. The first time Rosy touched her caused her to flinch. A usual at this point. Persia wondered what the woman thought of it as she berated herself silently.

 

[Araellion]

Hera looked at Persia getting measured for a while, her face shifting between amusement and concern. She was grateful that Rosy is a professional and is used to fidgety clients. The look on her face was one of concentration as she wrote down the numbers in her notebook.

Secure in her knowledge that Persia was mostly doing alright, and that Hera would be right next to her within sight if that changed, she stood up and went over to the clothing rack to pick something out.

She settled on a traditional black tux, with a crimson tie for a splash of colour. Hera did have similar clothes at home, but for this job she felt like she needed something tailored that fit her perfectly. Besides, most of her tuxes were colorful, and Hera wanted—no, needed—to be taken seriously for this job.

Separating the tux from the rest of the clothes, she looked through the dresses as well. Just to get some ideas about the styles and colours. She peaked at Persia every now and then, both to make sure she was alright and to imagine what colors would look good on her.

Rosy put the band around her neck, motioning for Persia to stay there. She looked at Hera, ignoring Persia as much as possible. "Anything in particular you were looking for?"

"Yes, something easy to move around in." Rosy took another look at Persia, before disappearing into her room of clothes once more.

With a shake of the head, Hera went to stand in front of Persia. "You're doing well, that's the first part done," she said with a soft smile. Hera knew this wasn't Persia's usual scene, and she was proud of how well the girl was handling the situation.

 

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

Persia didn't care much for praise at doing such a simple thing as putting up with disdainful people. Though she made no move to put sound to her thoughts. She obeyed Rosy, waiting patiently for further instructions. She let her mind wander in the meantime.

Persia used to create fantastical fantasies in her mind to pass the time. Lately though, Hera's been filling that spot. Of course she had her lewd thoughts, but also nice things others wouldn't expect of her. She imagined them on a picnic. A traditional red and white checkered blanket and wicker woven basket carrying sandwhiches and drinks. It was an easy way to pass the time in scenarios she didn't care for.

 

[Araellion]

Hera sat back down as Rosy came back out, pushing two racks of clothing in front of her this time. She looked at Persia and gestured to the clothing. "Go on, pick something so we can get it fitted."

Rosy walked over to the other rack, picking out the outfit Hera chose. She made an appreciative hum, thrusting the clothing in Hera's direction. "I'm glad you chose something sensible for once. Now shoo, go get changed," She said with a smile, herding Hera towards the changing rooms.

That done, Rosy turned back to Persia. "That goes for you too. Choose something and get into the other changing room." Her smile didn't fade, apparently getting used to Persia.

 

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

Persia put absolutely no thought into the actual fashion part of her choice. She looked at each piece, weighing how it would allow her to move. She ended up picking a flashy shirt, a light blue color with frills, and a subtle pair of brown pants. She thought they would fit well and she could move around well enough in them, and she headed for the dressing rooms.

 

[Araellion]

Hera gets changed quickly, happy with the fit of the clothes. If she weren't so used to wearing tailor-made clothing she would say they fit perfectly. But, they didn't. Not exactly. And Hera wasn't much of a perfectionist usually, more than happy to settle for good enough, but she had already put her mind to this one little thing being perfect, so she would make sure it would be.

She walks back out and looks around for Persia, not seeing her anywhere. Rosy catches the movement and rolls her eyes again before leading Hera to the platform. Hera takes position with her back straight and arms spread out, closing her eyes and relaxing and letting Rosy do as she pleased.

 

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

Persia finishes changing. She doesn't care much for fashion, especially when it comes to her various jobs. She has a dedicated black outfit she uses with various pockets, and it fits right to allow her to move around however she needs, and that was good enough for her. She simply came here to spend more time with Hera.

she made her way out to the others and watched Hera get measured while she waited patiently. She thought it was strange how Hera straightened her stature around Red. Persia wasn't one to bring up stuff like that though. She had no idea what the story was, and didn't want to make others uncomfortable by prying. She picked at her fingers while she waited.

 

[Araellion]

Hera let herself be measured and silently congratulated herself when her only reaction to a pin getting a tad too close to her skin for comfort being a hitch in her breath. Other than that, she was completely relaxed. And the borderline sleepiness showed in her eyes when she opened them. Rosy was giving her one final appraising look before waving her away. "Alright, you know the drill. Take it off and try not to tear out any of the pins," here she gave Hera a half-amused half-exasperated look. It wasn't Hera's fault that those pins kept falling out, but she wasn't going to comment on that.

Before she went to change back, Hera allowed herself a quick look at Persia's clothing. She didn't even notice the smile spreading on her face, silently making a mental note about how good the girl looked in light blue.

Rosy waved Persia back up on the platform, getting another set of pins from her pockets. Her mood had steadily improved and she was now close to something a normal person would call cheerful.

"So, Lady Bellemonte tells me you're not one of her strays. How did you meet then?" Her sharp words were somewhat muted by her pleasant tone, not at all faked like Hera's had been earlier.

 

[PauciloquentPumpkin]

Persia managed to keep her cold, expressionless features, despite remembering fondly the time she stole the goblet when they first locked eyes. "I beat her in a contest." Persia left it at that. She didn't care to talk much with the woman, but she couldn't help making fun of that first moment. Of course only Hera would understand the jest.