"We normally start with some background stuff, but I think we'll need to explain a lot more about how Palaces work," Futaba said once the file was loaded.
"Actually, Makoto already explained it all to me the night you all saved Amamiya-kun."
"You mean 'we'," Ann corrected. "We saved him. You're included in that too."
Sae seemed genuinely taken aback. "I... didn't want to overstep-"
"What are ya talkin' about?" Ryuji interrupted casually before she could even finish verbalising such an asinine notion. "You're pretty much one of us already, just like Boss."
"I... Thank you. It means a lot to me that you all have so much trust in me."
"Of course," Haru replied. "Not only did you help us save Ren-kun and gather information for our campaign against Shido, but you're also Mako-chan's cherished sister. You're part of our family."
Sae had no words for just how sweet this group of what she had initially pegged as jaded, rebellious teens actually were.
"How much of the build-up to this do you already know, Sae-san?" Ren asked, getting the group back on track.
"From what I understand, Akechi wanted you to help take my heart, under the guise of removing my distortion to keep me from perverting justice. The irony... And Makoto wanted to protect me from the person using Palaces to perform assassinations, since I seemed a likely target. So you worked your way through my Palace, which I now know was some sort of rigged Casino. Actually, if you never actually took my Treasure, does that mean my Palace still exists?"
"No," Morgana replied. "Palaces only exist as long as there's a distortion there. Whether that distortion is removed from stealing the Treasure or from changing by your own strength, the distortion is removed, so the Palace ceases to exist."
"Kitty says you're cool now, so your Shadow closed up shop," Futaba explained in far less detail.
"I-I... see..."
"As you can see from the MetaNav," Yusuke said, holding out his phone for the prosecutor to see, "your name no longer provides results, meaning there is no Palace anymore."
"So it's over then. That's a relief. But wait. If Futaba-chan received a Persona after her heart changed and her Palace disappeared, does that mean I have a Persona too?"
"I don't think that's how it works?" Futaba said, turning to Morgana for clarification.
"I'm not 100% on it myself, but I think you have to actually enter the Metaverse to awaken to a Persona."
"He says you probably have to go to the Metaverse to awaken one," Ann translated. "You probably have the potential, though."
"I see. That's a shame."
"What do ya s'ppose Sae-san's Persona would look like?" Ryuji pondered.
"Or upon whom it would be based?" Yusuke asked, clearly more enthusiastic for that part than its design.
"Or its powers," Futaba put forward."
"I wonder if it would compliment Mako-chan's, or contrast with it," said Haru.
"So, another motorcycle with Nuclear skills or a flying craft with Psy?" Ren theorised.
"I don't..."
"I can imagine how alien most of this must sound. Personally, though, I imagine it would be a different kind of motorcycle, like a police bike. Or a hog! And I bet she'd be named after Joan of Arc!"
"You've definitely fantasised about this before, huh?" Ren teased, eliciting a laugh from the others and a blush from Makoto.
"The Niijima sisters riding through Mementos on dual motorcycle Personas, one in Domino Rider style and one in Featherman style, their scarves billowing behind them as they leap off of them and deliver a double dive kick to an enemy Shadow..."
"Sounds like Haru's fantasised about this more'n she has," Ryuji joked, making Haru blush this time.
"It's a shame we'll never know for sure," Sae sighed. "But I supposed the fact that I no longer have a Palace should be good enough."
"That's not to say that means you're a saint though," Haru added reluctantly. "My former fiancé is as twisted as they come, but his name has never had results on the Nav. And I've check many times."
"You still check it?" Ren asked, concerned. "I thought all that business with him was squared away now."
"He kicked Mona-chan!" Haru exclaimed, taking everyone by surprise. "Scum like him needs to be locked away, but this country doesn't consider assaulting a defenceless animal a crime."
"Note to self," Ren said thoughtfully as he wrote in a small journal, "reform society so that animal abuse is punishable by..."
"A kick in the nuts!" Ryuji proposed.
"A kick in the nuts, thank you."
"You guys would kick a man in the nuts for my sake?" Morgana gasped in awe.
"And grind it," Ann added. "With a stiletto heel."
"You guys are... actually pretty scary," Sae muttered in disbelief.
"Think of it as a taste of things to come," Ren replied. "Makoto is probably being a little overprotective, but her fears aren't exactly unfounded. A Shadow is like a heart laid bare without a brain's self-preservation instinct to hold it back. Facing the ugliest part of yourself is never easy. I think you can do it, but brace yourself."
Sae nodded with determination, and Ren nodded to Futaba to begin.
The video opened with the Phantom Thieves, now with the full team and including Akechi, arriving via elevator to what they would soon discover to be a giant roulette board.
"This is the day after I handed you the calling card," Makoto clarified.
"And the day Amamiya-kun was arrested."
"Again," Ren added.
"Oh!" Futaba lunged forward and paused the video suddenly, alerting everyone. "Important note: we also use codenames in the Metaverse. So before you get confused about us calling Makoto 'Queen', that's why."
"'Queen'?"
"R-Ren-kun is the one who chose it for me!"
"Oh, is he now?" Sae's sly grin even managed to make the usually unflappable Ren blush.
Futaba hit play again and scurried back to her seat. On the screen within the screen, Sae's Shadow made herself known. Sae's cheeks turned a deep crimson at the sight of the black dress whose belly-button-exposing neckline plunged so embarrassingly far down that it could easily be described as a lethal plunge. Despite technically covering the exposed flesh with a darkening effect, the fishnet pattern connecting the two sides of the dress actually seemed to make that are seem even more exposed and provocative.
And then there was the makeup. The black lipstick was one thing, but the heavy matching makeup around her eyes, accentuating their inhuman golden hue, gave Sae the impression of a sadistic dominatrix - not helped by the spiked choker around her neck, which Sae could almost feel around her real neck right now.
What concerned her the most, though, were that the teens might think the tattoo of thorny yellow roses on her right shoulder was based on anything real, and that she found herself quite liking the wide-brimmed black had with similar roses and a set of cards on the front.
"Um... the dress is nice," Ann offered. "The purple shoes, though, ew."
"Yes, the... shoes are the problem..."
Sae's Shadow declared that this place was one she had lured the team to so she could 'fight to her hearts' content', which made her sister sadly concerned for her.
"When my father died in the line of duty, I hated his killer from the bottom of my heart. Dying to uphold justice sounds virtuous, but the ones left behind have the clean up the mess! Can you imagine the hardships I had to endure!?"
While Akechi appeared disheartened by Shadow Sae's words, Sae herself was... there were no words for what she was feeling at the moment. Makoto picked up on this, of course.
"That was the start of the distortion of your heart: Dad dying, leaving you to drop your own aspirations to look after me and take on a job you dislike. It's easy to see why you came to see me as a burden..."
Sae could say nothing in response. She had seen her sister as a burden, and she'd made that fact known more than once. That was no longer the case, of course, but that didn't make the cruel things she had thought and said about Makoto go away. especially now that she had seen first-hand the effect her despicable words had had on her sister.
Sae's heart continued to shrivel up as her Shadow continued to express the 'justice at all costs' mindset that had warped her thinking for months. Even Akechi sounded sincere in his sadness over her self-righteousness. How had she ever allowed herself to sink so low?
It was then that her Shadow declared that battle was the way to determine who was right, revealing the ground beneath the Phantom Thieves to be a gigantic roulette board. The Shadow herself was now on the board to personally challenge the teens.
Surprisingly, it was Akechi who placed a hand on Makoto's shoulder as the younger Niijima shook with uncertainty. To Sae now, it brought to mind Makoto's sudden outburst the night before, declaring that she was "on Sae's side", and that she "wouldn't let anyone do anything to her." At the time, Sae had thought nothing of it, but it was now apparent just how much of a crisis Makoto had been going through at the time, especially with the still recent death of President Okumura which, for all they knew at the time, they had been partly responsible for.
No doubt, Makoto had, regardless of the reassurances of her friends, been worried that things might go awry during the operation and the Sae might wind up dead, like Okumura. And while Sae had been too blind to notice any of this, even Akechi was able to offer some words of encouragement to the struggling Niijima, strengthening her resolve in time for her to play a key role in the battle.
Said battle actually featured the fully-functional roulette wheel for hazardous bets that were, of course, rigged in her Shadow's favour. Fortunately, the team were quick to pick up on the specific cheat - a retractable glass covering over the number selected by the team. Ren ('Joker' in the Metaverse) ordered Yusuke to move around the edge of the board in secret and snipe the glass when it emerged to allow the ball to enter the slot.
Sae was impressed by his fast on-the-fly decision-making. The leader's, Makoto's or Akechi's absence from the front lines would surely be noticed by her Shadow, who seemed to know who the latter two were already. Ryuji's shotgun lacked sufficient range and, like Haru's grenade launcher, risked knocking the ball off-course with its spread. The only other options, then, were Morgana, Ann and Yusuke. Between a slingshot, a submachinegun and an assault rifle, Sae would have picked the latter as well, for both its firepower and range advantages.
Or, perhaps that was simply the generous view of Sae's mindset at the time, and Makoto could have easily slipped her notice, given how obsessed Sae was with the case and how neglectful she was on Makoto at the time.
Either way, the outcome of the bet, secured by the sniper's crack shooting, shocked Shadow Sae enough to send her to her knees, allowing the team to surround her and hold her at gunpoint.
Flame-like shadows engulfed the Shadow, subsiding to reveal a new monstrous form, only recognisable as Sae by the tattered grey hair cascading out the back of the demon-esque iron helm that allowed only her inhuman golden eyes to be seen beneath. The spiked choker and vague dominant style of her previous attire gave way for a black bodysuit, covered in spikes and jagged armour, some brown but most black, with particularly noticeable layers of spikes wrapped over her shoulders, and a pair of breast cups that each resembled a bee's thorax with the sharp spikes protruding from dead centre. It was almost a hyperbolic parody of Makoto's thief attire.
In her left hand, Shadow Sae now wielded a gigantic blade that was easily taller than she was, and rusted a dirty brown by either time or blood. In her right, she held a massive gun that looked to be a combination of four or five different guns, some of which were as large as the teens, and yet her form remained perfectly stable, suggesting enormous physical strength.
The Shadow's screeching retorts to Futaba-chan's accusations of cheating were hard enough for Sae to hear, but the horror in her sister's voice upon seeing this terrifying new form broke her heart.
"Finally, my outer appearance matches the ugliness of my heart..." Sae had intended to only think these words, but had accidentally said them aloud before she could realise.
Makoto was quick to try and say something, but Sae placed a finger over her sister's lips and shook her head to stop her from trying to contradict her. Makoto may well have meant every word she was about to say, but that didn't change how Sae felt about all of this. She deserved to wallow in this feeling of disgust.
Then she noticed Ren indicating for Futaba to stop the video. "No, don't. I need to see this."
"Sis, no!"
"Please." Sae hated feeling like she was emotionally blackmailing her sister and her friends, but she couldn't possibly stop now. She had to see everything.
In this new phase of the battle, the roulette panels switched to a series of symbols that evidently represented various elemental magics the teens could employ with their Personas, yet the remainder of the battle was still much more straight forward. And much more deadly.
Early on, the Shadow swung her hefty blade down on her own sister, whose only option for defence was to block the massive blade with her spiked tekko. That she managed to pull it off was impressive, but it left her wide open to the gatling gun aimed at her gut, point-blank. Luckily for her, Ryuji shoulder-barged the weapon just in time for its shots to go wild, preventing Sae's twisted heart from killing her sister.
When Makoto summoned her own Persona, now in the form of some transforming robot that only vaguely resembled the previous form, the Makoto in the room spoke up to explain: "Our Personas take on new forms with the development of our hearts. Johanna became Anat long before we infiltrated your Palace. My heart was already strong enough to bear everything surrounding this case."
Although Makoto sounded convincing, what happened next in the battle suggested differently: the roulette landed on the image of a pink circle surrounded by a trio of the same-coloured rings. To Sae, it first resembled the planet Saturn, or perhaps a target symbol. But the more she stared at it and the more the lines bled together, it began to resemble a spiral. That interpretation seemed to be the most accurate, as her Shadow spoke of "decimating the evil minds that defied her." And then, she summoned some form of colourful energy around Makoto, striking her full-on, which her teammates seemed particularly concerned by.
Rather than harming her, however, the assault slowed Makoto's movements to a drunken-stagger-like crawl. Her head was lowered for a moment, before rising up to reveal that her fiery red irises were now a Valentine pink.
"You promised you'd never let anyone do anything to me, Makoto," the Shadow said in an unusually calm, almost soothing tone. "Your friends are trying to change my heart, to make me into someone else. And they might kill me like they did Okumura. Are you going to let them do that to me?"
"NNNnnno. Never," the younger Niijima growled. Before they could react, Makoto was attacking her friends with tekko, feet and Persona. Despite her clear effort to resist the influence of Sae's Shadow, Makoto succumbed to her sister's corrupt, forceful authority. Just as she had so many times before in the real world.
Makoto had already explained to her how their weapons were effectively toys in the real world, but their realistic designs allowed them to function like the real things in the Metaverse. Sae had even been impressed upon seeing Makoto wield her revolver a little earlier in the video, but she now began to wonder if her Shadow's power over Makoto was a Metaverse enhancement of Sae's very real domineering influence over her sister, compelling her into compliance, even when she could see that Sae was in the wrong. There really was no limit to how low Sae could sink...
Makoto then grabbed Sae by the shoulder and forced her to face her sister head-on. "I can tell what you're thinking right now, and I need you to know that you're wrong. I swear, that's not what this is. All of our powers come with an elemental weakness. My Personas wield Nuclear magic, so my weakness is Psychokinesis. Even without our bond or your Shadow's manipulative words, getting hit with a Psy attack would always be this effective on me. I've been charmed like this more times than anyone else on the team. It's not your fault, and it's not a reflection of the kind of person you are. It's just the luck of the draw."
"You say that, but-"
"It also means she's highly susceptible to hypnosis!" Haru butted in cheerfully.
"Haru! Please, stop bringing that up!"
"You've been hypnotised?" Sae asked in surprise.
"N-No, she just jumped to the conclusion that my weakness to Psy attacks means I'd be easy to."
"Weakness to Sae, huh?" Ren chimed in.
"Psy Niijima!" Futaba guffawed.
"SaechokineSis!" Ryuji cheers.
"Ooh," Ann exclaimed, "Yusuke's totally gotta draw Sae-san with one hand out and the other one touching her temple, like in comics!"
"I will certainly endeavour to do my best."
"You guys aren't taking this seriously are you," Makoto asked, somewhat put out.
"Or maybe you two are taking this too seriously," Morgana suggested.
"Huh?"
"What did he say?"
"He said, maybe we're taking this too seriously."
"I... see?" As Sae's gaze returned to the screen, to the brainwashed Makoto fighting her own friends, it was difficult to feel like that was the case. Then, after knocking down both Haru and Ryuji with a single roundhouse kick, Makoto's body stiffened up, almost resembling a life-like mannequin if not for her body's shaking convulsions. Her eyes flickered rapidly between the invasive charmed pink and their natural burning red. Sweat poured down her cheeks from beneath her mask, or perhaps they were tears, but her eyes remained determined as the Shadow's influence visible broke down.
Through her own strength, not the usual urging from her friends one expects to see in such scenes, Makoto managed to break free of the charm affecting her. And just as in real life, her friends didn't hold her accountable for the things she'd done while under the influence of a villainous authority figure. Instead, she was instantly welcomed back into their ranks, providing her analytical assistance to help them overcome her sister's Shadow, reverting it back to its human form.
Sae felt nothing but pride in her sister for showing such strength of will. She allowed her hands to slacken from the clenched fists she'd been unwittingly sporting since Makoto's struggle to resist began. Then, her left hand wrapped itself around Makoto's right. The younger Niijima looked up at her sister, somewhat taken aback by the sudden contact, but more than happy to return the pride-filled smile she found waiting for her.
Down on one knee, the Shadow's entire demeanour was instantly changed. Rather than confident in the inevitability of her victory, or screeching indignantly about her schemes being bested, she seemed... genuinely remorseful. Was this what a change of heart looked like?
While Makoto went to speak with her sister's Shadow, Ann chewed out Akechi for questioning her doing so, and Ryuji and Yusuke went to retrieve the treasure, which Sae knew to be a key part of their scheme - the fake Treasure used to trick Akechi. Actually seeing them get one over on the genius detective for herself was awe-inspiring, especially knowing Makoto had played a key role in that scheme. And then, Makoto spoke.
"I don't think it's wrong to to bring light to evils which can't be judged by law. That's all the Phantom Thieves have been trying to do. But these aggressive investigations? Twisting the truth for your own personal gain?" The words were impactful enough, but the silent shake of her head as she paused felt like a full-on slap to the face from a disappointed parent, as if their late father was channelling himself through Makoto to make his feelings known. "Please... You have to think back to the feelings you had when you first wanted to be a prosecutor. Think about your justice, Sis."
"My justice..." both Sae and her Shadow repeated in perfect sync.
"Try to remember how you used to be," the past Makoto continued while her present self watched Sae intently. Whatever the other Phantom Thieves said after, Sae didn't register a word of it, and the video ended as the group split up to enact the next phase of their plan, whereupon Sae would formally meet Ren Amamiya and become an accomplice of the Phantom Thieves.
"Are... Are you okay, Sis?" Makoto asked, naturally concerned for her sister's wellbeing.
"I... I need some air. I need some time to think." Sae stood quickly and headed for the stairs.
"I'll come with-"
"Please, don't!" Sae flinched at how forceful she sounded, now far more aware of when she did that than ever before. "I'm sorry. Please, just... give me some time. By all means, continue watching the videos without me." And with that, she headed downstairs.
"I guess that was a lot to take in for a first timer," Ren said solemnly.
"Yeah," Ann concurred. "The first time is way beyond anything you're ever prepared for."
"And I'm the only one who had a Palace," Futaba added, "but even I can't relate to what Sae-san's going through."
"I just wish I could do more for her," Makoto said quietly.
"You've done plenty," Ryuji assured her. "She saw what you said to her Shadow, so she knows how much she means to you. And she knows you're ready to jump in an' help if she needs it."
"Woah, Ryuji's really stepping up," Futaba said in awe. "I, too, can see why Makoto... Uh, Earth to Makoto? You're supposed to interrupt me like you did last time."
"Huh? What?"
"Don't ignore me!"
"The usual, please, Boss."
"Coming right up. You were up there quite a while. Everything okay?"
"Mostly."
"I see. You saw it too then, this 'Metaverse' thing."
"Futaba-chan mentioned that you saw her 'awakening'."
"And you saw your sister's, huh?"
"Yes. But I also saw my Palace - the one Amamiya-kun was captured in. I saw my... Shadow self."
"I see. In Futaba's... Palace, there was a giant sphynx creature with her mother's face that they had to take down. I take it your Shadow was something like that."
"...In a sense, yes. Ah, thank you. It was... harrowing to see the form my heart took back then. And to see the danger Makoto was in while dealing with my warped mindset..."
"It's scary to think what kinds of things those kids are dealing with in all this Phantom Thieves business."
"You're telling me."
"But they sure have come a long way."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Futaba's been filling me in on everything since I found out about them in October. They've been doing this since the Kamoshida case back in April. Ren was pretty quiet when he first moved out here, seemed like a smart kid keeping has head down after all the chaos back home. Now, though, he's as mouthy as they come. And Futaba... well, I know you know how she used to be."
"Yes, about all that-"
"Water under the bridge. Point is, she's been going to Akihabara on her own lately. Just a few months ago, she'd scarcely leave her room, let alone the neighbourhood. And I'd be willing to bet your sister's changed a lot since she joined up with them too."
"There's no doubt about that. She used to be so docile, so obedient. She became a lot more free-thinking after she met the Phantom Thieves. I've seen both her awakening and her confrontation with my Shadow - I suppose the start and destination of her journey. She's endured so much, even before then, and I never noticed any of it. I even contributed to it..."
"Yeah, I've been there..."
"But she came out of it all a woman she can be proud of being. She's so strong, intelligent, caring..."
"But you feel like you were nothing but a hindrance to her development."
"Yes. Amamiya-kun tried to spin it that my neglect of Makoto actually contributed to her becoming stronger..."
"Yeah, that sounds like something he'd say. That kid has a comeback for everything."
"Haha, that's true. Still, I can't bring myself to believe that."
"What does your sister say about all this?"
"Makoto? Well, she kept trying to assure me that I've changed through my own power since then-"
"And did you see anything in those videos to suggest she's wrong?"
"Well... no. I feel like we just interpreted things differently, and-"
"And you don't think you should defer to the experts on all this Metaverse stuff instead of dwelling on your own uninformed conclusions?"
"...Heh. You're cruel, Boss."
"Sometimes, tough love is the kind of love you need. Ren made that quite apparent when he told me what a long way I had to go to be the kind of dad Futaba needed."
"I never got that kind of vibe from him."
"Took me a while to see that side of him too. But Futaba seems to think it means he cares. So I take her word for it."
"Hmph. That must have been quite a while. Because from where I'm sitting, you seem like a very good father. To Futaba-chan and Amamiya-kun both."
"..."
"What's the matter, Boss? I thought a smooth operator like yourself could handle something like this."
"W-Well, being a ladies' man and being a dad are two different things."
"But not mutually exclusive."
"H-Hey, I thought I was supposed to be cheering you up here."
"You've already accomplished that. I just thought I'd tease you a little while I finished up my coffee. Which is excellent, as always. You certainly haven't lost your touch. Now, if you'll excuse me."
"...Hoo boy..."
At the sound of Sae's distinctive footfalls returning up the stairs, the attic fell back into silence. It was awkward for Sae to be the centre of attention again after the way she'd left the scene, but-
"Sis!"
Makoto had her arms around her sister the instant she came into view. It was a good thing the stairs turned to the side near the top, or she might have taken a tumble down from the force of Makoto leaping into her arms. She hadn't done this since she was ten.
"M-Makoto? What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry, Sis. We shouldn't have let you see all that stuff, anyone would be freaked out by it-"
"I'm fine, Makoto, really. What I saw was... harrowing, but it's given me a fresh perspective on just what an incredible young woman you are, and what wonderful friends you've made to help you through those trials. And if you and Amamiya-kun insist that I've changed and been helpful to you, then I suppose I should listen to your expertise."
"You have!" Makoto insisted as she pulled herself away from Sae's chest to look her in the eyes. "We couldn't have saved Ren-kun without you."
"Can confirm!"
"And while you've had your low points, so have I, and so has everyone else. But what matters is how we learn from those low points to raise ourselves higher."
Sae smiled once again at how mature her younger sister had become. "You really are more like the older sister, Makoto." She wrapped her arms around her sister and held her tight. "You truly did save me from myself. And I swear, I'll do everything in my power to keep you and your friends safe, come what may."
"Sis..." Sae felt the front of her blouse growing wet with Makoto's tears.
"I need to get back. I genuinely do have a lot of work to do. But I'd be happy to talk more when I get home tonight."
Again, Makoto pulled away from her sister, smiling as best she could. "S-Sure."
Sae patted her sister on the head and chuckled. "What an odd girl."
Recalling those words from the night before the heist, Makoto couldn't help but laugh.
Sae left soon after. Makoto returned from seeing her off and thanking Sojiro for helping her sister figure things out. As soon as she came back into view, Haru and Futaba did as she had done to her sister earlier and jumped her.
"We tried to stop them," Ann sighed.
"But those two're as stubborn as you are," Ryuji grinned.
"You're one to talk, Ryuji," Morgana teased.
"Oh, yeah, Mr. I-Think-I-Have-A-Shot-With-Ann-Even-Though-I'm-A-Cat?"
"Wha-!? How dare you!"
"Will you two knock it off for once!?" Ann chided.
"Y-Yes, Lady Ann!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
"How are you feeling?" Yusuke asked as Haru led Makoto back to the sofa and Futaba returned to Ren's bed.
"I'm alright now. Sis and I are gonna have a long talk about everything later. Thanks for helping me reassure her earlier. I couldn't have done it without you- And don't say I could have, Ren-kun. I know that's what you want to say, but I really was only able to do this with everyone's help."
"Fair enough," Ren chuckled.
"Unusual number of L's you're taking today, Ren," Futaba teased. Ren leaned over a flicked her on the forehead. "Hweh!"
"All that aside," Makoto sighed at the childishness of her friends, "I think we're ready to move on to the next one."
"Yep-yep." Futaba was already setting up the last video. "Your turn, Ryuji."
"I'd... rather not."
"What, you're too scared to let everyone see your intimate moment after watching everyone else's?" Morgana teased.
"You little-"
"Ryuji." Ren interrupted Ryuji's planned comeback, likely saving him from more derision for what, admittedly, was a pretty piss-poor response.
But Ren's tone was one the entire team recognised: the one he employed when his friends were being overemotional or irrational. There was a sternness to it, but not in a matter that came across as confrontational. It was a firm tone that commanded quiet attentiveness, with a quality more akin to a warm embrace than an attention-grabbing slap to the face, which not one of his friends could quite resist when he made use of it.
"You don't have to share anything you don't want to. No one here will think any less of you." A quick glance towards Futaba and Morgana with an expression Ryuji couldn't quite make out had his two most common critics nodding their sudden agreement. "If you don't want to, that's perfectly fine. But I want you to know that I don't think you looked lame or cowardly or whatever else you might think back then. I think you were pretty damn cool."
"Huh!?" Ryuji blushed at the compliment from his best friend. "C-Cool, huh?"
"Damn cool. That first word is important too."
"Well... I guess I could share..."
"You're so eas-" Morgana's snide remark was muffled by Ann picking him up and placing a hand over his mouth. Once he was settled in her lap, he didn't seem to have anything to complain about.
"I'm very proud of you, Ryuji-kun," Haru told him with a smile. "I'm looking forward to seeing Captain Kidd-kun for the first time!"
"Oh, yeah," Ann gasped. "You weren't part of the team until he'd already evolved, huh?"
"Indeed. So seeing where Ryuji-kun started off should help us all appreciate the effort he put in to transform him into Seiten Taisei."
"You're too nice, Haru," Ryuji replied bashfully, cheeks reddening further.
"You think so? Ooh! We should invite your mother over!"
"N-No, I'm good."
"Really? That's a shame. I'm sure she'd love to see how strong you've become though."
"To be fair," Ann interjected on Ryuji's behalf, "Boss and Sae-san already had a basic understanding of the Metaverse and Palaces and stuff. Ryuji's mom doesn't even know they exist, right? It'd probably take more time to give her the run-down than it would to actually watch the video."
"Hmm, I suppose you're right," Haru conceded, sounding strangely disappointed.
"Oh? Were you just hoping for an excuse to meet Ryuji's mom?"
"W-WHAT!?"
"I mean, the two of you would make a pretty cute couple..."
"Don't tease them, Ann."
"Why? You jealous, Makoto?"
"W-What are you saying!?"
"You'd be pretty cute with Ryuji too. Haru's got that pure cinnamon roll vibe with him and you've got that boss bitch and her earnest and loyal underling vibe."
"I'm not sure I follow..."
"Nor do I..."
"Girls are scary," Futaba mumbled as she sat as close to Ren as the bed allowed her.
"You most of all, Ali Baba."
"Hm-hm, I've taught you well."
"I hate to sound impatient," Yusuke said, quieting the banter, "but it is starting to get late, and I would hate to impose on Ren due to missing the last train.
"We've got plenty of time for- mmph!" This time, it was Futaba who found herself being silenced by Ann.
"Just play the clip."
Futaba nodded and obeyed.
"You know you cause problems and solve them in equal measure, right?" Ren joked.
"Yeah, and so does Ryuji. And that's our segue!"
"You think I solve problems? For real?"