April 22nd, 20XX
Ren called Yusuke first thing Friday morning.
"Hey, Yusuke. Are you holding up alright?"
"Yes. My sensei said he would be pausing my training temporarily."
"Good. Call me if it resumes. We're going to get some food tomorrow after school, so meet me outside Shibuya station. After that, we'll try to go to his distortion."
"I still don't understand what happened…"
"I'll explain then. I'll talk to you later."
"Goodbye."
He pulled himself up to the second-story ledge of Shujin. Who uses front entrances anyway? Doors are for normal people.
He peeked in the window. Ann looked shocked, but laughed and waved. Shiho nearly fell over. Ren knocked on the window.
"Ren, what are you doing up there?"
"Ren, what are you doing out there?"
Ann poked her head out the window and looked down at Kasumi, who was looking up out of a first-floor window.
"Hey, Kasumi. Your class is right below ours?" He switched to just one hand so he could get a better look.
She made an 'eep' sound. Probably not his best idea. Normal people don't scale buildings to get to class. Well, more like advanced jumping. Or ladder climbing.
"It seems so! What are you doing?"
Now, Ren thought of an answer that would have been a lot funnier and cornier if he had sword legs and was upside down, but said it anyway.
"Oh, you know… Just hanging around."
He could feel Ann rolling her eyes.
"I don't think you're that big of a deal around here."
And I didn't think this would be a big deal, but apparently climbing walls isn't the most acceptable pathway.
It's honestly Dishonore- dishonorable, ahem. Something stuck in my throat.
"Oh my god! The transfer student is climbing the school!" Yelled a bystander, who was looking out of a classroom a few doors down.
"Son of a-" Wait, women present. Can't say that. Damn.
"Yo, Ren!"
"Hey, Ryuji." He had to stop himself from sighing. He was going to go eat lunch with Kasumi, but no, the student council president doesn't like misapplication of rules.
"Amamiya-kun, you can not climb the school!" She slammed her hands on the desk in front of him. He lazily looked back at her.
"Well, how else am I supposed to get to class?"
"How else- Use the doors!"
"That's what normal people do. I don't think there are any specific rules against it anyhow."
"Just because it isn't explicitly written in the rules doesn't mean you can do anything that isn't forbidden! Common sense dictates that you do. Not. Climb. Walls!"
"I get that, but the rumors are bad enough. Don't tell me you hadn't noticed?"
"Of course I've noticed the student body's… Infatuation with you, but that does not give you license to do whatever you please."
"I don't think the staff mind."
"Because they rely on me to do their jobs for- Regardless of what you may believe the staff think, and Ushimaru-sensei's strange respect for you, you need to follow rules."
"I'm not hurting anyone. I'm saving everyone some time, actually."
"Elaborate."
"Well, if I walked at a normal pace through the school, that would gather a large crowd. No one would get to class on time, least of all me."
"You really think that?"
"No. I just think climbing through windows is fun."
Ryuji was alarmed by the president's exasperated cry, but then remembered Ren was in there, and so was more alarmed for his safety than hers.
Eh, he could get some ramen out of it, if he played it right.
No ramen for Ryuji. Ren was dangerously close to getting smacked, though.
"Hey, Ren; Me and Shiho are going shopping after school. Do you wanna come with?"
He looked back while he was walking out of the classroom. Ann caught up with him and they kept walking.
"Like, for clothes?"
"Yeah! Are you free?"
"Well…" He really needed some more clothes. The school uniform was the closest to his fit size.
"Yeah, I didn't get the opportunity to buy new clothes before-" He stopped himself. Dumbass.
"Before what?" She leaned towards him.
"Uh…" The two passed by Shiho in the hallway. Thank god for that girl, can always be relied on to get out of awkward situations.
"Hey, you two."
"Hey, Shiho! Ready to go?"
"I told you I have practice today…"
"Oh! Yeah, I forgot." She laughed. Your friends are more than accessories. "Ren, do you still need clothes?"
"Huh? Yeah, I guess."
"Well, let's go, then!" Shiho shook her head and turned to him.
"Good luck. Hope your back can keep up with it."
"What?"
She turned and walked off.
"What?"
Thank god for Arsene.
No, really. Ren's spine would probably crack from the weight.
Bags really aren't that heavy. Get a grip.
Hey, it's a funny trope!
That's what Ren thought to himself, as he was piled on with more and more clothes.
"Why do you need so many clothes?"
...Is a question you should never ask a woman, boss.
Not right now, Pixie.
"My part-time job."
"Which is?"
"Modeling. Haven't I told you?"
"Maybe, I dunno. That makes sense, actually."
"And why's that?" She nudged him with a playful smile. He froze up.
"Uh… You seem pretty good at fashion...and stuff."
"Thanks. It's a lot of fun. You should try it out!"
Are you serious right now?
"Me? Really?"
"You seem like a stylish kind of guy. Plus, you got that whole 'country boy" thing going on."
I do?
"Huh."
"Why else do you think there are so many rumors about you? Your personality?" Ren clutched his heart and kneeled mockingly.
"You cut deep, Takamaki. Real deep."
She just laughed.
"Well, why don't you come and watch a shoot sometime? Then you can see if you're into it."
"...Sure, why not. Don't remember people acting like that-" Ren cut himself off again, mentally berating himself.
"What's up with you? You always mention something about 'before'. Like, before you transferred, did something happen?"
Ren froze, locked in thought. He bowed slightly and shook his head.
"Listen, I can't talk about that in public."
"Well, let's go somewhere private."
Click.
Ren's hand shot out and grabbed the passing student's phone. The look on his face… That wasn't just a glare.
A nearly-invisible demonic silhouette floated behind him. Now, because humans, even when they can't see something, can feel when something is off, the student instinctually flinched back. An average looking girl. Not someone you'd call ugly, but wouldn't pass the threshold to be called anything more than average.
"I'll be taking this." He swiped through the camera roll, deleting the most recent video of him and Ann, and a few photos. The girl squirmed but stuck around. He tossed the phone back to her.
"Th-thank you."
"You've heard nothing. Get the hell out of here." She turned on her heel and frantically ran off. He leaned back and exhaled slowly.
"What was that about?"
"Nothing."
"That wasn't nothing, what's the deal with you?"
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Well, you saw what she did-"
"Of course I did. I've seen how you act when you get pissed, it's like you're a completely different person!"
Ann's outburst attracted the looks of many passersby.
"Can we talk about this somewhere else, please?"
"That's what I've been saying!"
They walked past the Velvet Room, and Ren nearly stopped, before realizing that Ann's eyes had glossed right over the entrance.
"There probably isn't anywhere in Shibuya."
"Is it that important?"
"Well… A lot of students come here after school."
"Fine, fine. You live in a backstreet cafe, can we go there?"
"I guess."
Boss turned from his coffee for a moment to give him a smug look as the pair walked through the door.
"You work fast, kid. Reminds me of my younger-"
"Not right now, Boss!" He pleaded, sitting opposite of Ann, his back to the staircase.
"Okay, so, what's the deal?"
He slowly exhaled.
"I have a criminal record." Ann flinched, but stayed seated. He turned his head to the side. "You can go now."
Crack.
Thou hast reversed thy bond of the Lovers Arcana. Only with care may it be set right.
Sounds about right. He felt Pixie become agitated in his mind.
"Are you serious?"
"Would I lie?"
"What did you do?"
"Didn't mind my own damn business. Guy fell by himself and sued. Didn't I say you could go?"
She ignored the question and stayed seated.
"So that's why you came to Tokyo…"
"Yep."
"Did you find out how to fight like that in prison?"
"What?"
"Like, how you beat down those thugs."
"You what?"
Ren turned to Sojiro, who had an angered look."
"I thought they called you?"
"They said you fell!"
"Oh, that was the day before. I talked to the police, it's cool."
"Take this more seriously, punk."
"Yes- Boss." The man shook his head and returned to the curry pot. "And I never went to prison. Probation."
"Ah."
"I said you could leave."
"Why would I do that?"
"Are you some kind of idiot? I'm a criminal."
"So?"
"That means you shouldn't associate with me, dumbass."
"That's no way to talk to a woman," called the owner.
"Not now, Boss."
"Why wouldn't I? One good reason."
"..."
"You don't have one."
"Well…"
"Shut up, Ren. We're friends, aren't we?"
Thou hast righted the wrongs done to thy bond of the Lovers Arcana. Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Lovers Arcana.
"..."
"..."
"...You got me."
"Yep. Now, can I have some coffee? Black, no cream."
Boss sighed and went to start some coffee.
AN:
Been on a Dishonored kick recently. Good game. Shame Bethesda never learned how to program roofs the same way in their later games. I mean, at least put in a getting-up animation, come on.
I think Mishima is actually my favorite character in the 5FES now, he's very fun to have around. Ren does cool shit while also being kind of a dumbass, so his fun comes from writing cool scenes. Mishima's thing is that he's weird in normal settings.
I've got midterms coming up, so sorry about chapter length. Like, really sorry. This is the shortest chapter so far, or at least, day segment. God, I wish I had more free time. I'll probably start skipping days, or only including confidant scenes. Shit takes too long.
It's probably obvious, but I don't have a beta reader, so we die like Shinjiro in canon.