(no subject)

[surskit]

PHANTOM THIEF AU

"A phantom thief usually has inherited wealth and is characterised by impeccable manners, charm, courteousness, and the avoidance of physical force or intimidation to steal. As such, they do not steal to gain material wealth but for the thrill of the act itself, often combined in fiction with correcting a moral wrong, selecting wealthy targets, or stealing only particular rare or challenging objects. In fictional works, the phantom thief is typically superb at stealing while maintaining a gentleman's manners and code of honour"

1. Put the character of mine that you'd like in the subject line.
2. Throw up your own starter, or leave the comment blank and I'll get back to you!

NOTE: This does NOT have to be in line with the Persona 5 heart-stealing phantom thief, but the general character archetype! Both thieves AND detectives are welcome!

Comments

Steven!

[newrecipe]

[I have to go finish a school project but let's do this.]

[geophile]

[ these two normally take turns in choosing targets to steal from, and there has yet to be a time where steven's choice hasn't been some sort of precious stone or jewel. he can't help it - he has a collector's soul in him, and the people who buy specimens at such a high price never appreciate them for what they are. it's tragic.

they've already secured their infiltration route, so now it's just a matter of taking their target - a blue star sapphire on display in its own showroom. while he's normally quite collected during heists, the smile that's playing on steven's lips now can't be contained as they prepare themselves in the safety and obscurity of the mansions high rafters. ]

I've been waiting for this for far too long.

at last I have come home from the academic war, I'm sorry!

[newrecipe]

[A gentleman thief must always be allowed to follow his passion. Ignis had always found it particularly endearing that Steven's chosen targets always seemed to be two-fold: targets who deserved to suffer a material loss for whatever reason, but whose wealth always featured at least one item that was particularly close to Steven's heart.

Ignis smirks in turn, the upper half of his face obscured by his mask.]

Exhilarating as always?

pats your face gently

[geophile]

[ choosing targets in such a way brings a personal touch to what would normally be an average target for any gentleman thief to take up. on top of it all, it makes him all the more motivated to be successful. ]

Positively intoxicating. [ he double checks everything once more - he'll be easing himself down to grab the stone, encased in a glass covering that he'll be happy to shatter. ] Are we ready?

[newrecipe]

[He nods once, putting an arm around Steven's waist to secure the both of them as he reaches for the grappling hook that will rappel them upwards to make their escape. This part was old hat, but no less enjoyable for it.

Some things never got old.]

Exit stage right, shall we?

[geophile]

[ he's comfortable with feeling ignis' hands on him - it isn't the first time that they've done this, and it certainly won't be the last. all the same, there's an excitement fluttering in his chest. the process will be quick, but the adrenaline running through his veins makes him want to savor it all. ]

Just as we planned.

[ he gives ignis a clap on the shoulder, punctuating with a quick squeeze to it before he slowly leans back to ease himself down to the display case below. the tools he has on his belt make quick work of the glass, and soon enough the sapphire is cradled under his arm. he'll be relying on his partner to do the rest. ]

[newrecipe]

[The moment he feels Steven's clout on his shoulder, they begin to move, Ignis giving him a sidelong glance along with a satisfactory smirk before he fires upwards, attaching their hook to one of the beams high overhead before they shoot upwards, the line bearing their weight effortlessly, as dependable as they had found each other to be.

Once they're within range to get something solid beneath their feet, he allows Steven to alight first before following, retracting the hook once they're on top of the same beam he'd used as an anchor only moments before.]

No alarms just yet.

[They're getting better and better at this all the time.]

[geophile]

[ after a quick brush of dust off his lapels with his free hand, he lets out a quick exhale to steady his heart rate. they aren't out of the woods yet, but they're quickly approaching it. ]

Let's keep it that way, shall we?

[ they have their escape route from this point just as meticulously planned as their entry - it's just a matter of following it. the open sun roof that they had used to enter still remains so, and a few properly timed jumps bring them back outside and into the fresh night air.

just outside of their target mansion lays a sleek black getaway car, arranged by steven for both its function and undeniable style. just as they rotate targets, they rotate who takes the wheel - this time it's on ignis. as they leap down from the mansion roof, steven tosses him the keys. ]

Take us away.

[newrecipe]

Let's.

[Ignis catches the keys effortlessly, smiling broadly before he circles the car to slide into the driver's seat, smooth and easy. He doesn't hesitate in starting the engine, the steady purr beneath the hood equal parts familiar and invigorating, but he doesn't take off just yet. Time is at a premium, but the adrenaline is still running high, and he leans over as Steven settles into the seat beside him, sealing his lips over his partner's.

The rush of a successful heist was as inspiring as it was addictive.]

Strap in.

[sukona]

[Noble. Precious. Beautiful. Three simple words but they held immense importance to the heiress of a criminal empire. They represented a standard: How she held herself, how she did business, how her staff would act, and how anything in her collection should look.

That collection was something she took particular pride in. She had a soft spot for precious gems and jewelry. She liked to wear it, she liked to flaunt it. If she wasn't wearing it, it was kept on display in her mansion for anyone to see. Well not exactly anyone. Only a select few had access to the building outside of her family and security. Anyone else would have to be very brave or very dimwitted to make an attempt to get in.]

STEVEN :V

[megaevolve]

[There are gentleman-thieves who are grandiose, and then there are gentleman-thieves like Alain, who are less about the glamour and more about the justice side of things.

More times than he can count does he have run-ins with a certain over-the-top thief who tends to hinder every plan and every item he plans to steal. He has these run-ins so often that he is going to assume that tonight won't be any different. The target? A rare and refined piece of musgravite. A piece that had recently been up for auction, lost by a museum to one of the greediest people in the city.

...if Alain had anything to do with it. He would be delivering that rare stone to the museum by the break of dawn.]

hey fucko

[geophile]

[ oh, hell yes. steven is more on the side of style and grandiose behaviour - considering his inherited wealth, there's no need to steal for necessity. of course upholding justice is an important factor in a gentleman thief's life, but the primary reason steven does what he does is for the thrill.

it pains him to see that particular specimen of musgravite in the hands of someone so greedy and unable to appreciate its beauty, which means that this is the perfect opportunity to do what he does best.

the unfortunate part of it all is that he's been running into another thief lately with some particularly strict morals. that's all well and good, but when someone else is after your target, that just can't stand.

from around a darkened corner, he leans on a wall and watches alain. ]

We really must stop meeting like this.

SUP LOSER

[megaevolve]

[It really is the crooks like Steven who piss him off. They have been meeting far more than Alain would really like to recall. It's like a game of cat and mouse—except because they are gentleman thieves they never resort to violence with one another. It really goes against a lot of what they stand for.

That doesn't mean that Alain doesn't give off a bit of an intimidating look about him though. Or he definitely tries to do so.

Alain hasn't gotten to know his flashy friend just yet. Just enough to know that on top of being...well, over the top, he had an annoying habit of being cheeky and sharp-tongued. During their last run-in,
his fellow thief made a snide comment over the way that he had dressed himself. He didn't think that he had dressed all that badly? It was enough to cause a change though. This time? He's wearing a nicely tailored black suit, paired with a simple black mask and leather gloves.]

I'd really rather not do this today. You and I have very different goals.

[geophile]

[ the thieves that think they have an black-and-white moral high ground are the ones that steven holds some disdain for, but he isn't outward about it. instead, he deals with them by both toying with and being generally better than them. there's no use in avoiding calling a spade a spade.

it's a little disappointing to be rebuffed so quickly, but steven isn't one to be deterred. ]

You wound me. It's not as if I can turn a blind eye to your new wardrobe... I'm glad you took my advice to heart. [ he smiles. ] It suits you.

[megaevolve]

It's only because I disliked your comment from last time.

[He's still a little ruffled about that. He gets ruffled about a lot of things. The advice was only taken so that the next time they came face to face Steven would have nothing to point out.

Simple!

But...not so simple at the same time.]

I wouldn't suggest stepping too far out of here if I were you.

[Alain was here to survey the area earlier. There were numerous things to get around. While he wasn't working WITH Steven, it isn't that he was necessarily working against him either. He doesn't hold any hard feelings towards him.]

hello nata i forgot to mention this is for steven

[auraspheres]

[ Riley received a calling card from the Mysterious Phantom Thief yesterday--actually, this isn't his first time being a target. Countless of ores and precious jewels he donated to be on display has been purloined despite the security of police and exhibit guards. It's bewildering to see how little anyone can do about this gentleman thief--actually, it frustrated him for some time. For now, he has taken this into his own hands and relocated the black opal to his abode, within line of sight. His faithful doberman is also on parole in the ghost town of a mansion.

This precious gem holds both monetary and sentimental value yet curiosity instead of urgency envelopes him. Sitting on a regal sofa couch, he keeps his eyes glued to the case as if put in a trance. What kind of person is this infamous thief? He has taken extra precautions with security, especially for all passages to this room; even a back-up generator is in his plans.

If there's one thing he's determined to do today, it's to meet this thief in the flesh. ]

YAAAAAAAAS

[geophile]

[ there isn't any particular reason that steven has chosen riley to antagonize - the young man isn't an unjust person, nor is anything in his possession particularly worth making a point out of stealing. it just so happens that he has an eye for rare stones, and the thrill of the heist itself is what he seeks above all.

navigating the mansion proved to be a challenge, but not impossible - as someone who has a similar dwelling, he can expect and prepare for the kind of security that riley has chosen. but there doesn't seem to be any getting around the final room where the black opal is located - riley is there, watching the target without falter.

he could always wait for him to fall asleep or tamper with the backup generator, but that seemed a little too distant for a target he's become so intimate with. in his trance, riley just might not notice the lock to the window on the far side of the room being quietly picked, and a shadowy figure slipping into the corner of the room. ]

You've really pulled all of the stops this time... I must say, it took you long enough.

[ the voice is smooth; confident, and almost sultry. ]

[auraspheres]

[ stop trying to court his rocks you heathen

It's true. Riley is so immersed in his thoughts with the black case placed before him. The tiniest sound doesn't break him out of his stupor, but canine ears are keener. With the assault of barks in the distance, he's alert, but assumes it's in a different area with how distant it is. He plans to check it out—

Except there's a voice? Is the black opal talking to him? Is he losing his mind, waiting for this gentleman thief to finally show? Riley's eyes widen as he lifts his head off the anchor of his palm, finally sitting straight and leaning so comfortably back into his seat with woven hands settled on his lap. ]

You can say you've finally caught my attention, though I was expecting a... Flashier entrance. It's still an honor to meet the great gentleman thief himself; I can sense from your aura that you're no ordinary person.

[ He actually had no expectations prior, no deep-rooted impressions, but meeting someone with such a strong and exuberant essence puts a soft smile on his face. Even if he were to lost this treasured black opal, it's worth it. He gestures with an open palm to an empty chair across from him, right beside the case. ]

Have a seat.

[geophile]

[ they will fall victim to his suave charms

thankfully, no! he isn't going crazy, and his reply makes steven smile. he's not about to let his guard down, but has to wonder what riley's plan is if he hasn't called any authorities yet. he has an emergency escape plan if required, but does hope that he doesn't have to use it. ]

Theatrics tend to lose their luster if used carelessly. It's just the two of us here, so I decided to make things a little more personal.

[ he steps into the light, revealing himself - impeccably dressed, with a matte silver mask over his eyes, not unlike the shade of his hair. he steps closer, tracing his gloved fingertips over the case as he moves towards the offered seat. however, he doesn't take it right away. ]

Only under the understanding that we'll be conversing like two civilized human beings. I'd rather not cause a fuss tonight.

[auraspheres]

Three, really.

[ Riley counts his dobberman friend as company as well. As if on cue, it appears with this menacing glower, mad dogging Steven as an obvious intruder. Already on the edge of pouncing on the thief, Riley hushes it with a soft whisper. It placates out of discipline and takes a seat right beside its master.

So this is what the thief wears... Bringing a hand up, he strokes his chin as he muses at the outfit. It's rather formal, though on the opulent scheme. All-in-all, mature and refined tastes. He can definitely admire that. Even with the stranger's fingertips trailing over the case, Riley lacks the wariness and tension any normal person would have in this situation. If anything, he seems merry. ]

While I'm all for a conversation, especially with someone like yourself, it doesn't mean I'll be handing over this case. I'm sorry if this comes as a disappointment.

[ Though... he doesn't feel like calling security or anything, but he will if needs be. With a thoughtful hum, he makes a decision. ]

However, I may overlook this under one simple condition.

[geophile]

[ he doesn't have too much of a concern for the dog (and would rather not hurt it :[ ), but does smile a bit when he sees it sit. he'll even wave to the doggo. ]

Not at all - I hardly expected otherwise.

[ he raises an eyebrow in curiosity. ]

And that would be...?

[auraspheres]

[ Doggo doesn't like you. You in the wrong neighborhood, boy. How mysterious. Everyone paints him as either a criminal, a hero, or a "trendsetter". Riley wonders what a man with such a strong aura dreams and hopes.

With the tilt of his head, he sighs while letting his shoulders drop. ]

Pay me another personal visit in the future. Simple enough, right?

[geophile]

[ aww. he almost pouts at not being welcomed, but that's okay! guard dogs tend to not like him, for obvious reasons.

he holds his hand in his chin, considering the offer. ]

Interesting. It isn't often that I'm invited by my targets to return.

[auraspheres]

[ It's all right. Maybe if Steven pets him, it'll be better. Just not now. Riley blinks a couple of times because he's... kind of confused? He keeps his smile going though. ]

Really? That's strange. I thought you would be flooded with invitations of all kinds, considering your popularity. I was worried you would outright reject my offer.

[ He has even seen marriage proposals for the dreamy Ore. That fanclub is crazy, he thinks. ]

[geophile]

[ the rest of the drive is spent in quiet, idle conversation - it's how they always unwind from a job, relaxed in each other's company. besides the adrenaline rush of the heist itself, this is the part he enjoys the most.

it's a little bit longer before they pull up to the villa, its lights dimmed in the same way they left it. he walks up first to open the door for both of them, briefcase in hand. once inside the dark foyer, it gives him ample opportunity to set the briefcase down and turn to grab at his partner's lapels, pulling him in for a proper kiss. ]