tunasub | OPEN POST 2017

[ It's important for a gentleman thief to always be one step ahead of his opponent. In this case, he'd thought his opponent was the owner of the ill-gotten diamonds he's currently carrying in a case under his arm, but he quickly learned there was another faction to tangle with that, frankly, he didn't know anything about. Fortunately, he was still one step ahead - they were just scouting, but him? He'd sent a calling card to the owner of this place days ago, and he'd had the whole building mapped out the week before that.

All that had changed was his escape route. He was expecting this car to be empty, but it's clearly not... which actually might work out in his favor. Lupin lands, and, without missing a beat, tips his hat towards the lady driver. ]

Pardon me, madamoiselle, but I have need of your services. Take the next right, if you please.

[ Outwardly, Dorothy remains slightly wide-eyed, more than a little uncertain. Inwardly, her mind is racing.

The Commonwealth hadn't exactly seen fit to inform her or the others of another group or organization, so either they hadn't known (unlikely) or they hadn't thought it important (slightly more likely) or they figured Control would have been able to handle it (the likeliest). It doesn't make her want to curse them out any less, but she bites her tongue and smoothly maneuvers the car to the right.

Just as smoothly, one hand releases the wheel in order to pull out a gun and point it at him. Her expression has settled into cool, if slightly irritated, nonchalance. ]

Does a gentleman such as yourself routinely try to make innocent young women his getaway drivers?

[ Woah, feisty. He'd had to assume that she could be armed, though - if she's a getaway driver, she's definitely involved in some kind of shady business, lady or not. Lupin doesn't flinch as he stares down the barrel, keeping his cool smile firmly in place. ]

Should an "innocent young woman" be in possession of something so uncouth? [ he responds lightly, nodding at the gun. ] You should keep your eyes on the road. Car accidents are far more deadly than the gentleman thief Arsene Lupin.

[ he doesn't take a seat in the car, remaining halfway standing with his cloak billowing behind him. Already, the sounds of sirens are starting to rise up from the building they just left. Just as he expected... ]

[ Dorothy just barely holds back a scoff-- no, she supposes, she can't really blame him for underestimating her as a driver when he has absolutely no idea who she is.

While still handing her his whole identity, which means he's either extremely confident or an idiot. Or lying, but when she thinks about it, she's fairly certain she's heard murmurs of some man calling himself a gentleman thief, hailing from France. She hadn't really thought they'd encounter him, giving their respective roles, but.

Here he is. And here, too, come the sirens which means Ange is just going to have to fend for herself tonight because Dorothy's evening just got a little more annoying. ]

For someone so worried about car accidents, you're the one more at risk right now, aren't you? I'd buckle up if I were you, Monsieur.

[ That's really all the warning he gets, unless he's observant enough to catch the twinkle in her eye. She'll at least lower the gun-- which is really that she'll tuck it into her cleavage for easy access, and then she's stepping on the gas pedal and taking a very sharp left.

It's fine, although given the speed, probably not the most pleasant. ]

[ she puts the gun away, which is good! Then she jerks the car before he has a chance to comment on her holster of choice - less good. Again, he'd had to be prepared for something like this to happen; he's not the one driving the car, which leaves him at her mercy to a degree. But being ready for it doesn't mean it doesn't work. Lupin yelps slightly as the car veers hard to the side, flying out of the front seat as quickly as he'd landed in it.

... And catching on to the back of the driver's seat, of course. A gentleman thief ending up as roadkill? Unheard of. Regaining his composure (and pulling his hat down on his head more securely), he reels himself in, jockeying the head of her chair. ]

I was hoping we could get along a little better! It's not in my nature to pick fights with a lady.

[ Dorothy can't entirely hide a grin of utter amusement. It's been awhile since she's had a passenger who wasn't used to her driving habits (who had survived the week, at that). It's kind of refreshing. ]

I can't really say if that's chivalrous or stupid of you, Sir Thief. There are two seat belts in the backseat.

[ Maybe it's a peace offering, or maybe she's still trying not to burst out laughing. It's very possible it's both, but even as she speaks lightly, her gaze is sharp when she glances over her shoulder to see that they're still being followed.

Which means, possibly unfortunately, she's not slowing down. ]

Are you offering to be my chauffeur?

[ he sounds amused, even if his voice is a little strained from how tightly he's clutching the back of her seat right now. This woman sure isn't afraid to drop a brick on the accelerator.

In this case, though, it might be a good thing. It'll make getting away from the cops easier, at least. They're not shying away from the speed, either, despite Lupin's instructions to have them turn down a narrower road - and considering he doesn't actually know how good his getaway driver is, he'd better make sure they don't get caught. Biting his lip, he manages to get one hand off of the headrest to root around in his pockets for something - something which he immediately hucks behind the car as they zoom away.

What is it? A phantom thief's bread and butter, of course - a smoke bomb. There's a sharp crack as heavy gray smoke billows into the road behind them, obscuring them from the following police for the moment. ]

My services don't come cheap!

[ Yes, she can imagine just how well the Commonwealth would take to one of their spies toting around a phantom thief that they still know nothing about. She's already sure she'll be getting quite the earful about this, regardless of what she actually learns about him.

But she glances over her shoulder just in time to see him lob a-- ah.

Well, that sure looks familiar, and this time Dorothy laughs as she returns her gaze to the road and keeps the car where it's supposed to be. ]

...Sure you're not actually a magician instead? The top hat reeeally lends credibility.

[ he grins at the success of his trick, then turns and offers a tip of his hat in profile to his getaway driver. Not a magician, but any phantom thief worth his salt has a little bit of magic up his sleeve. ]

Luckily, I just came into quite a bit of money, [ he returns, free hand pulling back his cape a little bit to reveal a small box tucked away at his side. Small, but certainly not insignificant - it was full of some diamonds. Diamonds that happened to have been mined by a mafia-controlled company that had very little regard for its workers. These weren't even planned to go up for sale, as the fact that they'd been in the home of one very wealthy capo suggested.

In reality, this theft wouldn't have much effect. But it sent a message. And sometimes, the guys up top just needed a little taste of reality. He's guessing that's part of the reason she's at this place, too... even if he has no idea who she's with. ]

[ It's a bit much to explain why she's here, that much like him, it was to send a message that the lower class wasn't going to stand for any unfairness, and nothing would really accomplish that like stealing the diamonds and letting the workers gain a bit more stability in their lives.

It looks like he'd beaten them to it first, but Dorothy can only sigh for now. Well. Stealing it back from a phantom thief might make for a fun challenge, too. ]

I'm not much of a gem girl-- [ with an airy wave of her hand, no less. ] So don't bother. You can save it for someone else.

[ he was really expecting her to make a move for it then - and that would have given him a chance to take control of the car, too. But she doesn't, and thus, Lupin's only left more confused about what she was even doing here. Maybe she's a cooler customer than he'd taken her for.

Of course, he doesn't vocalize any of this, simply tucking his prize back away under his billowing cloak. ]

I never thought I'd see the day a girl would turn down diamonds.

[ in a sense, it makes things easier for him, though. At last, he seems content that he's not going to get shot, ejected, or otherwise inconvenienced by sitting down, so he hops over into the passenger seat again, although he still seems ready to bolt at any moment. ]

Have a destination in mind, madamoiselle? I know a nice place that's open this time of night. I've even made some reservations ahead of time.

[ Well, she thinks. They'd been ordered to scout tonight. In a way, this is still a form of reconnaissance, so she can't completely complain, except that Ange is going to be grumpy for a good few days.

Which is also fine, because she can leave that particular job to Princess and turn her attention to figuring out more about this overly dramatic phantom thief who probably still needs to wear a seat belt. ]

I always have a couple of destinations in mind, but just this once, I'll take a request.

[ With the tone of "Don't get used to it." It seems he knows this place more than she'd first expected, though. Interesting, for someone apparently of French origin. ]

That's the spirit. You know how to get to the docks from here, I assume?

[ he gets the feeling it's a dumb question - she's clearly a getaway driver, so she probably knows plenty of routes all over the city - but it's all part of the act. Lupin offers her a benign smile, easing back against the seat and getting a better look at his current companion. She is fairly cute, isn't she? Not the type of woman he'd expect to be involved in dirty underworld business.

Though, fortunately, she didn't seem to be on the dirtier side of this particular business; with any luck, he'd never see her again. ]

[ He should see the rest of her team if he thinks she's cute. Poor, poor Beatrice, the only one (besides Princess) who hadn't been raised into this business. And Chise, foreigner and all, had taken to it remarkably quickly. ]

Not all of us are French here, Monsieur. You just happened to pick the right person's car to try and hijack.

[ ... yeah, she knows exactly where to go, though she's still keeping an ear out for any lucky pursuing vehicles. TO THE DOCKS. ]

[ he looks a little affronted at that. ]

Hijack? You're still in control, aren't you?

[ please!! he'd never threaten a lady. unless she really deserved it, but. ]

I just wanted some company.

I see. So you scouted beforehand and found the prettiest girl?

[ Lupin, please. ]

That's exactly right, [ he says without missing a beat, leveling a smile at her. ] It was you, without a doubt.

[ is that actually what he did? no, probably not. Impey was supposed to be here, but his car broke down (surprise) and so, Lupin had to improvise. Does he say it anyway with complete and utter sincerity? Yes, absolutely. ]

A moonlight drive is hardly worth the time without a beautiful woman to spend it with, you know.

[ as if to punctuate his point, he glances up out of the car briefly towards the skyline. ]

[ This man is completely full of it, and it's really only because of her particular specialty within their organization that Dorothy doesn't just burst out laughing.

He's good, she'll give him that. He likely drives a lot of young maidens into a swooning frenzy. But to Dorothy, this is honestly just hilarious. Maybe he can't really help it. ]

You do know you don't have to seduce me, correct? I believe you and I are a little too busy for those kinds of breathless encounters.

[ on the other hand, that does make him laugh out loud. He should have known she wasn't the type of girl to be won over by some sweet words, but he finds himself liking her - they just came out on their own, really. The opportunity arose, and Lupin is nothing if not opportunistic. ]

I'm no seducer, miss. I'm merely a sincere thief, speaking his mind.

[ there's something paradoxical about "thief" and "sincere" being right next to each other in that sentence, but he makes nothing of it. A few more seconds pass in the car; there's a glint in his eye, and suddenly, he's pulled something new out from his cape. It resembles a harpoon gun, but much smaller, and the "arrow" sticking out of it has a hooked end of some kind. It doesn't stay visible for too long, though. He gets up from the seat, setting a foot against the headrest and nodding to her in the briefest of moments. ]

After all, our time together is short! So sorry for lying about dinner - but this Arsene Lupin truly wishes you a good night!

[ the device fires the moment they pass by a series of brick apartment buildings, and its use becomes immediately apparent: it's a grappling hook. And, in an instant, he's gone from the car, launching himself through the air and disappearing into the shadows of an alleyway. He appears briefly on the rooftop, but vanishes within seconds like an apparition.

(it wouldn't do to have her arrive at his destination with him - a phantom thief must maintain his secrecy - but thank you for the ride.) ]

[ A sincere thief, huh. Sincere thieves didn't tend to last very long in their line of work, unless Ange took pity on an aspiring pickpocket and tried to impart a few tricks to keep them alive a little longer. Dorothy didn't tend to make a habit of honesty when on the job, although when she pauses to think about it...

Well, she hadn't admitted to a single thing, but she hadn't really played the part of the helpless, ample-bosomed damsel either-- not this time around, anyway. Probably because there really was no point in keeping up the act around a man who'd likely already seen beneath a lot of shallow exteriors while presenting his own. Ultimately pointless, she thinks.

She doesn't even blink when he moves, because again-- spy, this is nothing new, someone using her to get away isn't going to stick around for the whole ride when it would just give away another of his secrets. She does regret not bringing along any manner of tracking device this time around, but ah, well. She can commit voice, name, and appearance to memory easily enough. ]

... And without paying a single coin for my services. Men.

[ But she merely shakes her head and turns the car to make her way back. An odd night, for sure. ]

OPEN POST 2017

WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT!!!

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