[ Deceitful perhaps, but sacrilegious? Tsk. Howl loves money! He might actually worship this guy if he were from this world.

In any case, Howl seems confident that he can navigate his current situation of being caught with his hand in the cookie jar. As delicately as Liem takes the coin, he can't escape the way Howl intentionally turns his wrist to allow their fingers to brush against each other lightly.

That's right, it's time to crank up the charm.

He smiles pleasantly at Liem. ] Inquisitor, you say. I would have pegged you more as an accountant, not a cop... but the uniform looks quite good on you, you know.

[ When Liem gives him back the coin, it's another opportunity for skin-on-skin contact. His fingers curl, grasping their palms together, and he lays his other hand on top of Liem's knuckles. ]

I don't think it's a good idea for me to put it back. There's something else there. Something that isn't a coin. I'm having some difficulty getting hold of it, since I can't tell what it actually is, so I figured that removing all the clutter around its shape would help.