[ Getting the sense that she's being sized up under that casually observational exterior, Nami tilts her head up, the tips of her fingers drumming lightly on the side of her glass, apparently electing to mull over his words before responding. ]
You got me. I've poured drinks and played cards before. [ The hand not on her glass lifts, as if in a show of innocence, while her lips curve in a smirk that's about as dry as her tone of voice. ] If you're claiming I know how to pick a partner, I'm going to assume you're implying you've done this kind of work before, too.
[ The appraising look on her face disappears as Nami helps herself to another waffle fry, one shoulder rising and fall in a brief shrug. ]
It's a tough town, it's easier to avoid trouble by not working alone when you're still feeling somewhere out.
[ Where to go, who to avoid, a general lay of the land. All things he's had time to feel out more than she has. Not to mention, she doesn't like to get her hands dirty if things go bad. He might not know how to pick a lock, but he carries himself with the kind of readiness she sees in most of her crewmates. A certain kind of readiness in his gait she can't explain, but appreciates enough to invite him to the next seedy outing she can charm an invitation to. ]
[ Apparently neither of them had left the card table. Not that he would have expected any less. The impression he'd built of Nami was that she very rarely let her guard down. For what purpose, he didn't know. Nor was it his place to pry. ]
I'm implying as much as you are.
[ A former thief knew when he was talking to someone who had been involved in similar lines of work. And not just everyone knew how to pick a lock as skillfully as she had the day he'd needed to get into Janice's apartment. As for his own ability to pick a lock - well. He just happened to be caught out without the right tools. A lesson he'd since learned from. Arriving here had meant falling into some semblance of rhythm, an attempt to build a routine that felt like a life. Maybe a part of him had gotten too comfortable. ]
You don't work alone though. [ It's an observation as much a question. ] Someone like you probably has others you can call.
[ Her eyebrows raise slightly while she decides what to make of that observation before finally dismissing it with a shake of her head. If they didn't share the same motel, she would be tempted to skew the truth more heavily, and keep the guys out of this until Cassian's proven himself to be trustworthy for things beyond running a hustle. ]
I try to keep my crew out of stuff like this. [ There isn't a shift in the way she carries herself, but there's a hint of caution in her tone, as though she can't quite fully mask the broad protective streak that color her relationships with each of the guys both individually and together. ]
I worked alone for a long time, kind of habit now, though– [ Smirking coyly as she lifts her glass for another drink, her eyes touch over his face before she lowers her cocktail again to finish her thought. ] I'm not working alone right now, am I? [ Charm is an easy thing to reach for, and one of the best ways to distract anyone from almost any topic. ]
[ Calling the men he had seen her a crew only confirms that they probably weren't strangers to any sort of criminal behaviour. Considering how smoothly she'd had everything planned out, considering the caution that he hears slip into her tone - there's more loyalty there than might meet the eye.
It's a good thing. At least in Cassian's eyes. There are plenty of criminals whose only priority is themselves. Whether she intends it or not, it gives him confidence to extend a little more her way than he might have done otherwise.
Even with the coy smirk that fits back onto her face like a well-used mask. With just as much ease and without so much of a pause he offers his own smirk back.]
No. Not alone. At least until we leave this dive bar that is.
[ His hand tilts. ]
You're still planning on running jobs while you're here then?
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no subject
You got me. I've poured drinks and played cards before. [ The hand not on her glass lifts, as if in a show of innocence, while her lips curve in a smirk that's about as dry as her tone of voice. ] If you're claiming I know how to pick a partner, I'm going to assume you're implying you've done this kind of work before, too.
[ The appraising look on her face disappears as Nami helps herself to another waffle fry, one shoulder rising and fall in a brief shrug. ]
It's a tough town, it's easier to avoid trouble by not working alone when you're still feeling somewhere out.
[ Where to go, who to avoid, a general lay of the land. All things he's had time to feel out more than she has. Not to mention, she doesn't like to get her hands dirty if things go bad. He might not know how to pick a lock, but he carries himself with the kind of readiness she sees in most of her crewmates. A certain kind of readiness in his gait she can't explain, but appreciates enough to invite him to the next seedy outing she can charm an invitation to. ]
no subject
I'm implying as much as you are.
[ A former thief knew when he was talking to someone who had been involved in similar lines of work. And not just everyone knew how to pick a lock as skillfully as she had the day he'd needed to get into Janice's apartment. As for his own ability to pick a lock - well. He just happened to be caught out without the right tools. A lesson he'd since learned from. Arriving here had meant falling into some semblance of rhythm, an attempt to build a routine that felt like a life. Maybe a part of him had gotten too comfortable. ]
You don't work alone though. [ It's an observation as much a question. ] Someone like you probably has others you can call.
no subject
I try to keep my crew out of stuff like this. [ There isn't a shift in the way she carries herself, but there's a hint of caution in her tone, as though she can't quite fully mask the broad protective streak that color her relationships with each of the guys both individually and together. ]
I worked alone for a long time, kind of habit now, though– [ Smirking coyly as she lifts her glass for another drink, her eyes touch over his face before she lowers her cocktail again to finish her thought. ] I'm not working alone right now, am I? [ Charm is an easy thing to reach for, and one of the best ways to distract anyone from almost any topic. ]
no subject
It's a good thing. At least in Cassian's eyes. There are plenty of criminals whose only priority is themselves. Whether she intends it or not, it gives him confidence to extend a little more her way than he might have done otherwise.
Even with the coy smirk that fits back onto her face like a well-used mask. With just as much ease and without so much of a pause he offers his own smirk back.]
No. Not alone. At least until we leave this dive bar that is.
[ His hand tilts. ]
You're still planning on running jobs while you're here then?