...that's all correct, yes, and she's a bit annoyed that he knows so much about her but she guesses it might have been obvious? Fist Joo didn't think it was so obvious a few weeks ago when she told him about it but maybe it's obvious when you pay attention to the right things. "You could've said all of that earlier."

"I could've."

"So why this?"

"Because if we're going to be in a party we should be friends."

"I mean it. You have trouble trusting people, trusting that anyone else wants this as much as you do. You have a hard time connecting to people, when everyone else looks at the same problems you do and doesn't see what a screaming emergency it is and why we should all be pouring everything we've got into it. And so even if you believe my words with your head right now, I'll still need to win your heart. I want you to be comfortable with me."

...okay, she sees the logic. "I don't think dinner is the best way to do that."

"If we're going to party, there are going to be many dinners in the future! We should get used to it. But no, I think it's only nearly dying together that'll do it."

"...I don't understand you."

"Really? I thought I was being pretty clear."

She shakes her head.

"Don't worry about it, you'll have plenty of time to get used to me."

"I didn't say I was going to join your party."

"No, I know, my job here will be to convince you to. And I think at the very least you're sufficiently interested that you'll agree to more dinners."

"...you'll pay for the teleport."

"Really? You'll benefit from the training, too."

"I can get training elsewhere."

"You drive a hard bargain."

"Why are you even interested in a bounty in Payon?"

"Because I found out about it though the grapevine, not the bounty boards."

"So?"

"That means it pays better and it's more likely to be interesting."

"Why?"