2026-04-05: From One Freelancer to Another
- Log: From One Freelancer to Another
- Cast: Umie Akabane, Julian Marlowe
- Where: Triple 7, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
- OOC Date: April 05, 2026
- IC Date: October 20, 2012
- Summary: Following the death of the Joker Killer, Sudou Tatsuzou, more questions arise. For a supernatural investigator like Vesper, it'd be foolish to not strike while the iron's hot, and thankfully, Umie is easy enough to find. Even better, Vesper's actions in general have given Umie reason to take a few risks of her own, in order to see what Vesper may find on his own.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
It is strange, to think of a world without the Joker Killer in it. Nighttime shifts will still be dangerous, thanks to the NWO and its occasional agent, but at the very least, she wouldn't have to worry about a serial killer coming to resume what he started.
.... even if he started calling her 'sister' near the end.
It makes the daytime lighting of the Triple 7 no less obscenely bright for this time of day (or night), or makes her no more or less sleepy without one less possible nighttime visitor.
And, as always, the Dark Hour happens, like clockwork. Any sparse late night customers transmogrify into coffins, as does the fellow staffer mopping the floors, the mop propped up against the solid surface of the coffin's lid.
It's dead quiet, and dark, save for the familiar light of the green moon, always luminous, always there for her as long as Umie's had a Persona.
Umie wastes no time.
A can of soda sits on the counter, along with a half eaten nikuman, placed atop some old flyers to keep any grease or liquid from leaking onto the clean surface below.
An apple-shaped egg timer ticks away, as Umie yawns, eyeing a shadow blithely wandering between the coffins outside. "Better not come in here," she mumbles quietly into a yawn, idly itching her covered right wrist. The pink and light green sleeve of her uniform didn't extend as far as she'd like, so half thumbsleeves have had to work instead.
'Thin blood' was her excuse, as it's always worked as long as she didn't make a fuss of it beyond a doctor's note.
A part of her misses the demons that'd pop into her shifts at Sumaru City, somewhat, even if their natures made any dealings a coin flip.
Dealing with a shadow in a small space, meanwhile... not so fun.
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Julian Marlowe has been by this particular Triple 7 several times in the past. Not his usual go-to for groceries, but it is only about a 15-minute walk away from where he lives, so at times it can be a place of, well, convenience. Thus, it wasn't needed to do any sort of investigation into a known place of work of one Umie Akabane. Only to surreptitiously confirm her schedule.
Not by actually coming by today, of course. Even if it appears to take no effort at all to hide his identity, he's not about to put it to the test by needlessly leaving possible clues of a possible relation between him and a certain Supernatural Investigator.
Even if recent events have had him painfully aware of the limits of working alone. But that's something to consider later. For now... Umie will be receiving an unexpected answer to her mumblings.
"...Is this a bad time?"
Suddenly, Vesper is just standing there, just inside the store. Did he even come through the door that he's standing in front of? He didn't make a single sound, if so. Whatever the case may be, he obviously heard that 'better not come in here', and lifts his bowler hat, the masked gentleman bowing in apology. "I would not care to be rude, Akabane-san. Although, I would appreciate if we could have a word. Perhaps a spirited conversation would somewhat alleviate your boredom?"
At least it's not someone who wants to fight her this time. Presumably. If Vesper's air of preferring to keep combat to a last resort wasn't just one he's been putting on all this time.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
There have likely been times Umie and Julian have met face to face, outside his guise of the concerned teacher. However, unlike the store, she's not here 24/7, and it's just as likely they've been like ships in the night, passing without comment.
Umie wouldn't have thought anything of it, aside from a comment or two about how his students were doing.
However, even if she couldn't pierce the mask of Vesper's Will of Rebellion, someone else looking for clues very well might.
'Is this a bad time?'
Umie can sometimes be hard to sneak up on; a honed, concentrating, fully-rested Umie Akabane can be a force to be reckoned with.
This is not one of those times. All it takes is a look down to her meat bun, a casual pursuing of a magazine (as best as she can in the low light) and suddenly, Vesper is there.
Umie's instincts kick in before her recognition; her hat is in her hand and about to be thrown like the world's worst projectile before she realizes who it is, a nanosecond before she is about to throw her baseball cap as a distraction.
"Vesper-san," Umie murmurs, frozen in mid-throw, before her body relaxes. "No, please, I don't mind at all." She threads her blonde ponytail through the back of her hat, and adjusts it onto her head. "Welcome to the Triple 7. How may I help you?" she then says in her best customer service voice, with the addition of a knowing, impish smirk.
"Oh, I should mention." She motions to the egg timer. "When this goes off, you have fifteen minutes, give or take, to slip away."
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
It's a busy life in the city. Everyone has their own business to attend to, and Julian hasn't exactly sought to stick out any more than he does naturally, not one to engage in too much smalltalk or indeed a social life. As much as he loves to talk to and about his students, it's hard to say what other interests he might even have. Unless one happened to spot him taking a jog around the neighborhood, perhaps, that's one other thing.
Vesper, though. Everyone at all familiar with Vesper knows what he's all about. Just Showing Up Suddenly is absolutely part of his idiom. As is being a paragon of calm and collectiveness, his bearing not showing the slightest bit of alarm in the threat of being cap-pelted. Had that happened, he wouldn't have argued that that's fair.
The only visible part of his reaction is the slight smile, and the only audible part his pleasant chuckle at being welcomed in that way. "Service with a smile, indeed. No food or drink for me tonight however, my business is with you, not your establishment."
He glances over to the timer, adding a nod. "I appreciate your foresight, and your consideration. Then, I'll not mince words and get straight to the point, if you don't mind. I'd feel rather disingenious by claiming to be here in anything but a professional capacity."
That established, he slowly steps further into the store, eventually stopping at a respectable distance from the counter, umbrella planted on the floor in front of him. "...I won't claim to have been surprised, seeing you there on the zeppelin." He was more surprised that a working zeppelin was there to begin with, but he'll not digress. "The matter of what you were doing there is your own business, I'll not ask for clarification. However..."
He looks down for a moment, pulling down the brim of his hat before continuing. "You said something of concern back there. I believe your words were along the lines of... having 'dealt with this' for as long as the Joker Killer - Tatsuya Sudou - had, without having given in?" ...He'd use the exact words, but she used the word 'shit' in there, obviously Vesper is too classy to repeat that part. Not that it matters, what matters is, "Would you mind elaborating on that?"
He did hear that 'sister' bit too, of course. But he doesn't make a habit of putting too much stock into the words of serial killers. This matter is precisely interesting to him only because of Umie's own admissions.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
'My business is with you, not your establishment.'
Umie is quick to hide any suspicion or trepidation behind a wry smile. "My, my," Umie tsks. "Here to exchange information? I'm more than willing to do so, for a fellow 'freelancer'." Working alone has its disadvantages, for sure. Even Umie's 'freelance' status can be tentative nowadays compared Vesper, given her tendency to be found working alongside many groups. The Badb always finds her way to where fields lay stamped low by conflict.
As for the Umie Akabane, her brain is going through *several* possible reasons why Vesper is here, many of which would be uncomfortable subjects.
"Of course." Her expression stays neutral, giving nothing away. "I appreciate the compliment, but I admit it's more for me. It'd look bad for me to be eating on the job, eh?" .... Or making little origami creations, which have led to a passive-aggressive note about 'loitering during breaks' after several were discovered hidden in odd areas around the back rooms.
'I won't claim to have been surprised, seeing you there on the zeppelin.' "Me and a good percentage of people we both know in passing," Umie quips, with a half-smile. She leans against a stool she's brought over, folding her arms.
There it is.
"...." Umie's expression dims. She heaves a sigh. "Right. That."
She should have realized this would be a possibility. To lose control, in front of so many people... she had hoped everyone would be too focused on the Joker Killer himself to pay attention to her antics.
Giving Vesper a critical eye, she considers quietly in the space of a few quiet ticks of the eggtimer.
"I suppose it's not something I can afford to keep secret anymore, especially in light of what happened after Sudou died." Umie takes a drink of her soda. "So. What do you know about 'Marks'? Other than a name, of course." A swell guy like Masao need not be sullied by this mess.
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
To exchange information... one might say that, Vesper supposes. He had more of an interrogation in mind, or whatever he could come up with to make that sound a bit more polite. But it's not as he wouldn't mind answering a question or two in return, in so far as he's able without giving too much of the game away. 'Freelancers' do what they must, indeed.
Even so, this is still a matter of choice. Refusal to answer would be its own form of information, which he'd be willing to accept and simply take his leave. He wouldn't be much of a gentleman if he got pushy about these things. Calm and polite to a fault, at all times.
"Far be it from me to dictate or criticize the way you do your job," he responds in his own neutral tone. "But I suppose one does not have the luxury of avoiding such from all others." That's the polite way of saying that he's glad he's not working in a place like this.
But yes, it certainly is true that a great many found themselves gathered together in that zeppelin for their own respective reasons. He could guess at those reasons for some, and while Umie is not among those, that's not something he cares to pry into. He just always keeps his eyes and ears open for matters of particular interest. And he certainly caught that one matter in regards to Umie.
Not something she much cares to speak of, he can easily tell, and had already guessed. With a hand gesture, he offers, "I do apologize if I'm prying into a painful matter with my line of questioning. But I could hardly call myself a Supernatural Investigator if I let slide something which seemed to imply that... the matter of the Joker Killer might not be settled just yet."
Translation: you're not at risk of becoming a crazy serial killer too, are you, Umie? That would be a bad thing. Vesper couldn't blame anyone for keeping secrets... unless they could very directly prove dangerous to themselves and others.
Resting both hands on the handle of his umbrella, he lowers his gaze down slightly. "'Marks', is it? I would to have to say... dreadfully little of reliable substance. I have reviewed a number of claims that included the term, but I make a habit of taking stories that I haven't personally verified with a trusted source with a considerable helping of salt." Who would just believe everything they read on the internet?
"...Which brings me to you." With a casual flick of the wrist, his umbrella flies up, spins around once, and lands to neatly dangle off his right arm. With a smile he means to be reassuring, he continues, "I couldn't begin to guess at your motivation for getting involved with these matters, but unless I am sorely mistaken in my character-judging ability... I don't believe you to be a liar, Akabane-san. Not 'when the chips are down', as it were. There's plenty of reasons to despise a man like Tatsuya Sudou, but when you spoke those words... that sounded to me like taking personal offense."
With a slight shrug, he concludes, "Do correct me if I am at all off base here. Either way, you can rest assured, anything you choose to tell me in regards to these 'Marks' or anything else, I will both believe your words and keep them in strict confidence."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
'But I suppose one does not have the luxury of avoiding such from all others.' Umie chuckles. "Flexible hours have their downsides."
"Mmn, no, I get it. There's been situations where I was on your side of similar conversations. It can't be helped, when all of us have secrets." However, given she's had time to see and understand a little of what Vesper is about... that is key to what happens here.
"... Especially when you and I are both suspecting, and looking into, the same thing. I doubt this is the end of it all; I have unconfirmed reasons to believe this may in fact be the beginning." She adds a lopsided smile to that, now that the initial dread as been broached and walked past. Like anticipating a shot, and then realizing the rest of the day is yours.
She leans forward on her stool, placing her elbows on the flyer-covered space of the counter. "The matter was personal from the get-go. I may have told you this, but I was nearly one of the Old Maid's victims, if it weren't for some well-meaning Persona-Users in the area. My abilities weren't enough to get away from a man impowered by rumors."
She could have stopped there, and Umie even considers it, for a second, before she glances down at the woven red charm bracelet on her wrist, lucky bell included. "But it didn't stop there. What empowers him, beyond rumors, is the Mark. For some reason, he is especially able to use it, seemingly without consequence, if there are actually any at all. The power behind that Mark seems to go by the name..."
"Nyarlathotep. Like from H.P. Lovecraft's work." For all the drama the pause gives the name Umie says, nothing of note seems to happen.
(From the corner of Umie's eye alone, a decorative temari ball bounces down the aisle to the right of Vesper, bouncing higher and higher, until it springs past the sauvely dressed 'Mask-san' and onto the counter. It pings around from there, scattering paper and cigarette containers. Things leak. Electronics ring. Lights spark. It's a cacaphony of noise and maliciously playful destruction, growing louder until-)
Umie's head seems to unlock from whatever stiff position she had just taken in the past few moments, jerking to look over at a noise that was not there to begin with. There is, of course, nothing there. No mess, no lights. Everything is just so; her senses confirm the same reality as Vesper would see.
As if to make up for that lapse, she looks back at Vesper, and clears her throat, focusing on the casual, graceful movements of Vesper's hold on his umbrella.
Not a single word of his was interrupted; Umie nods. "That's for the best. You can't believe everything you read online, nowadays..." Her calm mein is forced, masking over the fast pace of her heart and the minute shake of a hand, which she stills against her drink.
'.... Which brings me to you.' Umie takes another drink of soda, forcing air through her nose as she sets the can down, focusing on the flick of his umbrella. "... Right. One of Sudou's attacks hit me the wrong way. I've already apologized to one person for attacking them. It was... not a great moment." Everyone looked like Sudou's face, to her. Was that due to the attack itself, or her own Mark reacting?
Vesper's assurance that everything would remain confidential is taken in, and considered over.
"I also have one of those Marks. As do several others, mostly connected to the Order. His 'Voices' also plague me, in some form, and have done so, for many years." She casts her gaze downwards. "Take that to mean what you will."
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
She's got him there. Julian may have steady hours - and the voluntary overtime he keeps putting in - but he couldn't argue it's less than ideal for those times when he really wishes he had more time to devote to the supernatural side of things. Still, he cares too much about both the job he applied for and the one he ended up falling into to give up either of them, at this point.
Now, there's a whole masquerade going on, and for good reason. He does rather suspect he'd be on the far less comfortable opposite end of conversations like this if people knew of his identity. He'd really rather avoid that, but... one day, he may have to decide to place his trust in someone. And hope that he doesn't make a mistake.
"...Indeed," is all he says, on the confirmation of his suspicions that this isn't over yet. He can't quite manage a smile, right away. It's sobering to think about. How much difference can they really make? The smile only comes when he thinks about the individual lives he managed to make a positive difference in. That's exactly why he can't stop.
He places a hand on his chin, when Umie details having been targetted at one point. "I was aware of your looking into the man, but that particular personal element..." A simple matter of self-preservation, then? He can't believe that would be all there is to it. Which Umie soon confirms. The Mark, and...
There's that name again. The Joker Killer had spoken it too. And just like then, it makes the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He doesn't know why exactly, but from the first time he heard it, he got the sense of it being a name that should not be spoken. He won't be repeating it.
Especially not he looks as if Umie is suddenly far away for a second, for no apparent reason. "Akabane-san?" he ventures, right before she snaps back to full attention. Any psychologist would find such signs of concern. But... that's not who is he right now, so he doesn't pry further.
"Determining which are promising leads and which are figments of a particularly inventive yet overactive mind... one could make a day job out of merely that," he notes on The Internet, conversationally enough. Hopefully, keeping his level of annoyance from showing too much. So much time lost on wild goose chases... not ideal by any means.
He, too, saw what Sudou did at that time. He was able to stay calm, until he could discern the real Sudou from the fakes. And he, too, wonders if Umie's different experience was in part due to some kind of similarity.
And there it is. So that's the true of the Mark. It appears as though these Voices had an actual source, all along. He might have been a bit too hasty in dismissing them as the ravings of a madman. He is silent in thought, for a short time, before he slowly shakes his head.
"I make a habit of keeping my conclusions to a minimum, without having all the facts in front of me. For now, I can only conclude that a great misfortune has befallen you, and for that you have my sympathy. Putting your earlier words in context, this also means that you have resisted this influence for many years, and for that you have my respect." He removes his hat and places it at his chest, as a show of this, before returning it to its proper position.
"...Naturally, I also have concerns. Being aware will aid in being more prepared, but I should hope a solution can be found. One that... needs not be unfortunate." He gaze travels down, considering 'the Order'.
"It seems that an eventual confrontation with this New World Order will be unavoidable. I rather suspect that the one in the Black Mask has an association as well. He gave me the distinct impression of..." He seems to struggle for a moment. The way he scratches his chin seems to indicate embarrassment, as he can't find the word for it.
"...In English, one would speak of a <Cleaner>. One who cleans up evidence of misdeeds, to prevent them from being traced back to their true source."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
There's an advantage to Julian's job; few can ever say they've have the trajectory of their life changed by a cashier.
The masquerade of night can be a mask in itself, regardless of whether they wear one on their face. For that, and many other reasons, Umie could never completely stop.
It's freedom.
"When I knew he had the Mark, I felt I was personally obligated to intervene, for many reasons." Helpfully, she asides, "That feeling you get, when he was messing around? That's what happens when the Mark's power is used." She'll make sure Vesper is prepared, now that there's no going back. "If I were to use mine, you'd feel the same thing. I'm sure someone's figured out some way to obscure it, but it's not like summoning a Persona."
It's a sort of practiced look, reluctant, almost like she was doing the 'wrong' thing is looking to the side, towards absolutely nothing.
The faint grimace in the lines of her young face are the only marker of Umie's disappointment in herself for giving into some unknown temptation.
The summary Vesper presents, short and sweet, cause Umie to pause. Slowly, she brings up her hands, and lightly claps. "All that, from just what you know?" She gives the gentleman a sly grin. "Maybe it's a bit of bias there, to have my efforts acknowledged, but you definitely have the chops of a proper investigator. So, yes. <Correct>, on all counts."
"... And while I appreciate the words of sympathy..." Umie waves a hand. "It is what it is. In a way, you're looking at the best case scenario. Sudou... as far as I can estimate, he was the first to be Marked, if I took what he told me at face value." She pauses. "Well, one that was alive, at the time. There's been one case of a woman who was Marked, but she had a nasty habit of being dead. Who knows how long she's had it." She pops a piece of the nikuman into her mouth, a bit of casual theater to offset just how much this factoid disturbs her, at her core. A drink of her soda, and she continues, ever polite.
"I'd imagine," she says, with a Badb's open smile, "there's many who develop the same nasty habit--"
... Perhaps, it's why the Black Mask knew what to do.
The disturbing thought stops her. ".... Perhaps, that's what happened to that woman..." Maybe the odd marks Akechi had found were due to whatever tactic Black Mask used to conceal the assassination, to make sure the death raised no suspicion. "My first meeting with him was from far away-- you may've been there. He was trying to assassinate a shadow in a Palace. There, I imagine he did it to make a point."
"... As for the Mark, the Order may have had one solution: a bullet. Sudou simply took more to make him stay down; that, or this 'force' got what it wanted." She glances up at Vesper. "Fear. There's no better fuel for rumors to spread. All it'll take is one spark."
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
It kind of feels to Julian as if circumstances are trying to force a choice upon him, in regard to which way he truly wants to save lives. Perhaps refusing to make that choice is stubborn and impractical, even selfish, in chasing his own satisfaction - his own freedom.
He pushes that thought aside, once again, focusing on the matter at hand. It's good to know what the use of the Mark feels like, much as he'd prefer not to feel that way again. "...The matter of cost, that you mentioned earlier, and the need to resist. I presume those would be related to why you choose not to use its power freely. You need not go into detail there, on my account. I was merely verifying the facts, it is not my wish to dig deep into what is, ultimately, a personal matter. Though if a way to be of direct assistance should be required... well, you do have my card."
He's not just an investigator, in the end. The times and places he tends to show up do give away that much - he doesn't want to just know about problems, he wants to solve them if he can. As much as Umie wrestles with her own problems, he does believe they're not dissimilar in that regard.
Crossing his arms, he lightly taps his foot, as Umie goes into greater detail. "Yes, well... I'm not too much of a believer in things simply being as they are, can't be helped and whatnot. That's in large part why I choose to investigate matters like this. No one should need feel as if certain matters are hopeless."
So the Mark even makes little distinction between alive or dead. This is rapidly becoming more alarming. The Black Mask feels comparatively more grounded, which may be a strange thought to have but here we are. "Junya Kaneshiro," he readily recalls. "To make a point... perhaps, meaning to miss his shot at that time? Hmmm." The movements of this New World Order are intricate indeed, assuming there is indeed an affiliation there.
He frowns, at the mention of fear, visible through the narrowing of the blue eyes behind the mask. "Ultimately, much of the world's evil is done through preying on fear. It was my hope that the Joker Killer's removal would remove a great source of it, but..." Perhaps that too was more intricate than he thought.
He brings up a hand to straighten his already perfectly straightened tie, then bows at the waist. "You have given me much food for thought today, Akabane-san. For that, you have my thanks. If there is aught I can do of assistance in turn..." He leaves the offer hanging, free to be picked up, or not.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"To be honest?" Umie shrugs. "I don't know what'll happen. Sudou and those in the Order that have theirs seem to use theirs freely, with no consequence. I don't want to give you the wrong impression."
There's reasons to believe that they are different than her, or Tatsuya Suou. Sudou's powers and Persona were remarkably different, and the agents had the Order in common. Most likely, they take whatever consequences there are into account, if any.
Something that feels so *wrong* can't be good to use heedlessly.
'No one should need feel as if certain matters are hopeless.' A snap of surprise flits across Umie's face. "... We *do* seem to have some things in common..." She smirks, casually tapping an index finger against the counter three times. "You just may have found yourself an ally, Vesper-san." If he had some out and said that the first or second time they chatted, she would have filed it for later, but not believe him until his actions spoke for themselves.
Now, she's willing to believe what he says.
Junya Kaneshiro. "That's the guy." She nods; that makes this easier. "It's possible, don't you think?" She leans forward, splaying her hands outward. "A regular sniper would have fled at the first missed shot, or else, calculate the risks they were willing to take. He just stood there, and let everyone see him, as if to say 'that's right, I could have killed any of you'."
That hate that radiated off of the Black Mask... just what sort of person is he?
So much of the world's currency is dealt in fear, it seems, Umie thinks.
"Perhaps, if I had been more open, that hope would have been put to rest," the blonde concedes, nodding. "But the Order has already thrown agents at me. It may be a matter of time before they send someone to try to take my life, rather than simply 'convince' me to play nice." A month ago, she may have brazenly displayed her lack of fear, but now, a very un-Badb-like worry creases the girl's face. "You should be careful, as well. Your mask is your shield against them; they can't threaten those around you if they don't know who you are. Just your life."
Vesper bows. Umie looks to the timer.
"I'll volunteer something more. It'll only take a minute." She shifts back in her seat. "Consider this a gift from one freelancer to another."
It's merely justification, and Umie feels she can't dress it anymore than she has without feeling like she's insulting Vesper's intelligence.
She holds up her right hand, covered the same as her left, the cloth kept in place by a loop of fabric around the thumb.
"You're going to need to see what it looks like."
With the cloth slipped off, a black tattoo of a strange hand peeks out from beneath the uniform, standing out against pale skin that has rarely seen the sun, and the cheery motifs of the uniform. Rolling back her right sleeve, she exposes it in full: a coiled, possessive black hand, grabbing around that wrist. In the inside is the outline of a shadow, and the three inverted dots, as if there was supposed to be a face there, but something went tipsy-turvy, leaving it upsidedown. The lines are a little too perfect, the black too unnatural. But, through someone's mundane eyes, that's all they'd see; a tattoo, on a blonde-haired girl.
That would be enough, in polite Japanese society, to condemn her by itself.
"Me having a Mark does not leave this room." Umie frowns. "There are many, many well-meaning people who'd see me as the next Joker Killer, if they knew. And the Order? It knows that already."
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
No one becomes a vigilante without reason. It does seem as if what Vesper thought to see in Umie was fully accurate, the way she responded to the notion of bringing hope to the hopeless. Everything she's been telling him only strengthened his suspicion that she knows what it's like to hit rock bottom. He may not have mentioned ever having had a rough time of it himself, but it's an easy inference to make that it takes one to know one.
With a calm smile, he briefly lifts his hat. "If those words spoke to you at all, then I do believe I would welcome an alliance. Although..." With a quick flick of the wrist, he briefly points his umbrella in Umie's direction. "...I believed that much already. I'm rather selective in my contacts, I do not hand out my card to just anyone."
After all, if it was a matter of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend', he wouldn't be so worried about the Black Mask's actions. Not that he's given the impression of someone interested in being anyone's friend, as Umie rightly points out. "He made an even greater show of believing himself untouchable this time. Rather than a warning, it seemed more like a challenge." Which is interesting. Making a game out of one's assigned tasks is often a sign of dissatisfaction. He can't help but start psychoanalysing already.
But, it certainly seems as if Umie already has enough to worry about. When that worry is extended to him, Vesper slowly shakes his head. "I appreciate your concern, however... I know enough of the criminal underworld to realize how little value one man's life has, in the eyes of those who live in the shadows. Were I concerned about that, I would never have stuck out my neck in the first place."
He gestures at Umie. "But you seem far more deeply embroiled in these matters than I, and through no fault of your own." That's only partially based on what he knows to be true, but it's what he's chosen to believe. "The fact that you continue to resist and live on speaks to your strength. If you would consider me an ally, I could not in good conscience seek to avoid all risk to myself, in the investigations to follow."
Umie proves her lack of aversion to risk once more, in her volunteering of one more pertinent bit of information... in the form of the Mark itself. Though he remains perfectly still and silent throughout, he takes in every detail from afar, his mask hiding whatever changes in expression happen as a result. This feels like a pretty big display of trust, and he'll treat it as such, with another deep bow, hat in hand.
"I'll not forget the favor, Akabane-san. Whatever I might learn in regard to this matter, I promise you - you will be the first to know." He inclines his head once more, at the stated demand. "Of course. Even without the promise I made earlier, I would never betray a trusted source of information. That would make my job quite a bit more difficult, would it not?"
Of course, the only reason he even learned of it is because of what Umie said herself, but he won't be so rude as to directly point that out. ...Again. Instead, he glances at the timer. Fifteen minutes would be plenty of time, but maybe he shouldn't push it. "Perhaps it's time to take my leave," he states his intentions. "Whichever actions you choose to take from here, I wish you the best of luck, Akabane-san. And should your actions continue in the current direction... I'm certain we'll meet again, sooner rather than later."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Umie laughs. "Good point." She's kept his earlier words to heart, even, placing his contact information up there with telling people she has a contact with the Phantom Thieves, as roundabout as it is.
Showing that you know someone can be as dangerous as being that person, as Umie's found out very recently with Shiryuu.
"Yes," Umie agrees, on the subject of Black Mask. "Rather efficient, killing your target and making everyone know you're not someone to be messed with. Rather good memory too, to be able to hit so many people with facts tailored to them, save for Mask-sans like you and Phoenix-san." She considers, tapping a finger to her chin. "His Persona, too... Did you notice the distortions in the air, before and during his escape? If that was his Persona, his ability to mask his tracks likely go way beyond mine-- not to toot my own horn here."
There are many people whose abilities go far beyond what Umie can do, Umie knows that much, but this is something entirely different.
Thinking a moment longer on Vesper's words, however... "... A challenge, huh... I suppose, if the source of his powers is experience, I wonder if part of that is loneliness. I've yet to find an agent that seems to genuinely enjoy their position, so it makes me wonder what drives him to go that extra mile." She frowns, thoughtfully, tapping a finger on the counter. "It'd be a cruel fate for anyone he thinks will serve what he's looking for..."
It's definitely not a role she'd want to fill, nor would she wish it on her worst enemy.
Vesper really seems to be genuine in what drives him-- not that there's been really any doubt before. She grins. "Then I will do my best on my end to keep things that way for you, if I'm ever tempted to throw a someone who seems to be in distress your way. We can only afford to be so trusting these days--" She stops, as Vesper reaffirms his duty.
For a second, she's stunned. A second more, and she clears her throat. "What a proper gentleman you are, Vesper-san. Then, it's settled. Don't be surprised if I feed a bit of intel from time to time on your line, if there's possibly some trouble about to start." She taps her head. "I'm particularly attuned towards looking for it, after all. Just... not in a classic navigator's sense." The Badb is specific in its duties and drives, after all.
As for the Mark, showing it was a definite a show of trust, but one that plays another role, as well.
"If you see that Mark anywhere, in any way, let me know."
Covering her own up, she slides the sleeve back on, and looks back at the egg timer. "... Yeah, it's better not to be caught unaware." She grins. "If you need to pick up a snack or something another time, you know where to go, eh? .... that is, if I'm on night shift. You'll be out of luck, otherwise."
She shrugs. "But that's the Dark Hour in general, so what else would be new, eh?"
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Hm. Umie noticed something he didn't there, Vesper has to admit, bringing a hand to his chin. "I confess I wasn't paying the closest of attention to the man's means of egress." The moment of crisis shifted his immediate attentions elsewhere. Though he should've known it was in some way fancy. Not like his own way of escaping the zeppelin was exactly typical. Dramatics seem to come with the territory of those in masks, which only seems fitting.
Still... even though the Black Mask had nothing personal on him, he was correctly judged to find a personal threat to another's family upsetting. He can't afford to underestimate this opponent. As such, where it comes to the challenge...
"You have the right of it, I believe. I would highly advise against overtly accepting any direct challenges, in general. It would be folly to give away the advantage through consenting to play by rules set forth by another." ...Vesper recommends cheating, in other words, though he probably would phrase it differently. More gentlemanly.
On that subject, Vesper lets out a pleasant, modest bit of laughter. "But of course. I could hardly expect better from others, if I myself were incapable of that much." He raises a single gloved finger. "But only towards those deserving of such. I prefer to stay civilized, either way, but I am also a firm believer in equal repayment." Totally not meant to be threat of any sort, just an affirmation of his principles. He won't make any deals with obvious villains, as he hopes his past actions have made clear.
With what he intends to be his final bow, he asserts, "Most appreciated, Akabane-san. I freely admit that it is not always easy to stay abreast of 'trouble'. I'd not been nearly as prepared for the situation at the museum as I would have liked. Assistance in that area would be greatly beneficial to me." With a gesture at the still-visible Mark, he adds, "Naturally, understanding your personal interest, I will inform you of matters I come across that involve that aspect." Even though he wouldn't be surprised to find Umie already involved. She does have the talent and inclination.
Turning away, he calmly heads for the exit, not concerned with making a particularly dramatic one this time. Sometimes it's fine to just use the door like a normal person. As he makes to leave, he chuckles at the mention of snacks. "I try to be better prepared than that."
When his hand comes back into view, he displays a small, coin-shaped piece of chocolate, before using his thumb to flip it upwards, then deftly catching it in his mouth. He doesn't look back again, simply raising his hand in parting greeting as he heads out the door.
He may be a bit of a showoff, but Vesper likes chocolate as much as anyone. Nothing could be more identifiable, right?
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"What, you *weren't* paying attention to an assassin just as the zeppelin we were all in began to make its inevitable trek towards crashing into the ocean?" Umie quips, with a sharp, but well-meaning little smile. "Especially as even he was confused what the source of the commotion was? Tsk, tsk." She waves a finger.
In other words, Vesper was looking at the more important issue, ie the one where all of them don't go crashing in a fiery ball of disaster.
.. Umie was just glad she learned how to swim before she turned eleven.
".... I only accept the challenges of people I like, thankfully," Umie continues. "Especially if they're ones I give them." She's a lonely person too, after all, but she doesn't foresee any other similarities that may arise.
Thankfully, neither Vesper or Umie see themselves as villains. But neither do many villains, either...
WIth Vesper's agreement, Umie nods. "Alright then. Please, feel free to drop by whenever you see me on duty." Her tone turns wry. "... It'll keep me on my toes." Oh, how she wishes an hour's nap was enough, but the Dark Hour does not abide by such rules.
At the final show of dramatic chocolate showmanship, Umie laughs, and claps her hands in a gentle show of appreciation. "Well, then. Best be on your way, then, before I tempt you into doing another trick for my amusement."
If Vesper and Joker haven't properly met yet, Umie imagines the two of them would get along, given each other's own brand of theatrics and showmanship. It would be foolish to say they were the same; both have their distinct charms.
But that can always be for another time.