TRIGGER WARNING:
- Memories of assault
- Small panic attack

Chapter Seventeen
Let's Start Fires for Heavens Sake

Thursday, May 5th

Chiyo could only imagine what Ryou would say or do if she could see Chiyo now. Scarfing down meat so juicy it dribbled down her chin, meat that still had the fatty bits attached to it for added flavor. Salted vegetables, fried vegetables that broke apart with a crisp snap. Ravioli with fattening ricotta cheese, dumplings fried in oil, and cake with icing so fine it may as well have just been straight sugar.

When she took a bite of pavlova, Chiyo nearly gagged so much she thought she was going to throw up. Custard touched her tongue, and suddenly she was fourteen again, with Ryou's fingers down her throat, inducing vomit. Mercifully, Ann didn't mind taking it off her hands.

And then there was the bean concoction Ryuji and Ann put together. Thankfully, there were enough fried bananas to help balance out flavor and consistency.

Between everything, the meat, the fish, the… whatever it was Ann and Ryuji originally brought back for her, Chiyo felt ready to burst. Her stomach was replaced by lead, and every moment she was conscious, was a moment of misery. Leaning forward in her seat, Chiyo wrapped an arm around her gurgling stomach. She wasn't sure if it was her body still adjusting to foods she rarely had, or if she was simply pushing her limit.

But, all in all, the food really was to die for. Even if it felt literal right now. Between the four of them, they were able to clean their plates. Each one of them looked miserable in one way or another as a result. "Y-Yeah," burped Ryuji. "This is a victory… for all of us…"

"Go team…" murmured Chiyo.

She squeezed her eyes shut, her stomach bubbling and hurting. She heard Ryuji groaning at her right. "This isn't good… I gotta go to the bathroom…"

"M-Me too please," Morgana said, lazing about in Chiyo's bag. "Please, carry me gently…"

"I'm going too," Chiyo said, opting to carry Morgana, or rather her bag, in her arms. "You okay using the women's room, or do you want to go in with Ryuji?"

"My, look at that table," she heard from behind her. Chiyo half-turned to find an older man and woman. Both of whom looked like they could be regulars to the hotel.

"They must not normally have the opportunity to each such exquisite food," said the man.

"I can only imagine what their parents must be like."

"What was that?!" Ryuji demanded as the couple walked off. His expression fell, his stomach acting up again. "Don't got time for that… C'mon, let's go…"

Morgana ultimately opted to go with Ryuji, citing that he was a gentleman. And for his part, Ryuji bared no mind at the thought of bringing a woman's handbag into the men's restroom with him. They had to go up a couple of floors to find a restroom, so they met up before they headed back to the elevator.

"I'm still stuffed," Morgana said, muffled through the bag.

"We all are Morgs," Chiyo said, petting the side of her bag.

"'Morgs?'"

"Morgana can be a bit of a mouth full."

"I prefer Mona if not Morgana."

"I totally panicked when I saw the 'Closed For Cleaning' sign at the downstairs bathrooms," Ryuji said with a sigh.

"You were talking big about eating until you puked, but you really did puke," Morgana noted. "Are you some kind of moron?"

"Hey, same goes for you! Even Chiyo was having problems."

"I'm still not fully used to eating whatever I want, though," said Chiyo.

"I told you not to get too excited." Ryuji eyed the elevator button. "What floor was the restaurant on?"

Shit. Even Chiyo couldn't remember when she was focused on making it to a restroom in time. "It's on a lower floor," Chiyo said in a moment of brilliance.

"Yeah, that narrows it down," quipped Morgana.

Ryuji called for the elevator, unaware of the group headed towards them. Four men dressed in matching grey suits, followed by a fifth man in a black suit. He ended up standing out amongst his comrades due to how casually he wore his blazer, open with the top two buttons of his undershirt undone.

One of the men in grey bumped into Ryuji, shoving him away from the elevator door. "What the-"

The man in the black blazer stood directly in front of the elevator door. His head was shaven clean, matching with the casual way he dressed. The sight of the man caused Chiyo's heart to pick up speed; both hands grasped the front straps of her bag as though to keep herself anchored. She kept her eyes down, silently hoping the man wouldn't look at her. "There's no update on the case?" he asked one of his subordinates.

Cold dread washed over Chiyo's senses. Her heart started to pound so hard in her chest, she could hear it in her ears. His voice…

"Nothing yet," said one of his subordinates. "Excuse me for asking, but why are you so involved? It's not something you should be concerned with…"

The man turned towards his subordinate with an irritated look in his eye. "I don't care about your opinion, you incompetent buffoon! When I say pick up the pace, you do it!"

"Damn brat… I'll sue!"

No.

No, no, no, no. No way. No fucking way!

This wasn't him.

This wasn't him!

What were the odds?

Astronomical. Fucking slim.

This was not that man.

"Hey, you're cuttin' in line!" Ryuji snapped, glaring at the man.

No… No, no, no. Ryuji… Ryuji not now. Please, not now!

"What do you want?" an uninterested subordinate asked.

"We were here first," Ryuji growled back.

"And we're in a hurry."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ryuji said with heavy sarcasm. "So you can butt in front of other people if you're in a hurry?"

"It seems the customer base has changed since I was here last," said the man. "Have they started a daycare?"

"What?!"

Shut up, shut up, shut up! Goddamnit, Ryuji, shut the fuck up!

"Sir," one of the men in the grey suits said, "we don't have time for this."

"I know," said the man.

The elevator doors slid open. When Ryuji took a step forward, like to further argue their case, one of the men in grey suits shoved him back. "Don't bother with them!" ordered the man.

"Quit squirming. I need you to look the part of the little whore."

'Help me…' Chiyo called out silently, her arms wrapped around herself, trembling. She could feel his hands, pulling at her shirt, ruffling her skirt. He was just mussing her up a little, making Chiyo look the part of the whore, as he said.

She felt his hand on the skin of her thigh. Cupping her breast. He was feeling her up.

And that woman just watched it happen.

'Help…'

The two of them ending up in Tokyo? Sure.

But crossing paths again?

No. No. No. Fucking no!

The odds were too stacked against them. This had to be a different man. Yeah… Yeah… Chiyo heard an awful lot of awful from everyone over twenty together. It was just someone else… Just someone else…

Just someone else.

"The hell was with that bossy guy?" Ryuji growled as the door slid closed.

"Shouldn't we head back down?" asked Morgana.

"I know but…" Ryuji called another elevator. "That dick really pissed me off. He wasn't even hidin' the fact that he looks down on everyone!"

"Don't lose your temper over this."

"I just can't forgive shitty adults like that!"

She was trembling, still trying to calm herself down. Convince herself that it wasn't him, just some other guy with a similar attitude. He was gone now, she didn't have to worry. He was gone now.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Chiyo looked up to find Ryuji staring at her. His anger was gone, though likely not forgotten, now his brow was arched in concern. Hopefully, it was just Chiyo's face that gave off her distress. If she was hyperventilating, she would have known, right? "I-It's nothing…" she said instinctively moving her bangs out of her eyes. "Don't worry about it…"

"That's just gonna make me worry more, y'know."

"I bet it's because she rarely eats well," quipped Morgana. "If it's not convenience store sushi, it's cup ramen. I'm always stuck with canned cat food on ramen days too…"

Lips pursing to the side, Ryuji decided to let the matter drop. "Ugh, that 'sir' bullshit makes me sick," he muttered, eyeing the elevator door. "Damn it!"

Ann sat at her seat, back straight, and her fingers anxiously drumming against the edge of the chair. Her eyes wandered to find Chiyo and Ryuji, and by extension Morgana, finally walking back to the table. "What took you so long?!"

Taken aback, Ryuji asked, "Why are you all pissy?"

"Sorry…" sighed Ann. "I had a run-in with some woman a second ago. She bumped into me, but then said it was my fault when she dropped her plate."

"Sounds like a real bitch."

"Yeah," agreed Ann. "Thanks though. But the restaurant workers all looked at me with this disapproving expression…" She slumped back in her seat as her friends returned to theirs. "I wonder if we're out of place here…"

"It's their own fault for allowing anyone with money to walk through their doors," Chiyo said, crossing her arms over her chest. She just felt small now, stupid and insignificant. A burden, unwanted. "If they wanted to dictate who comes in, then they should have left a 'members only' sign outside."

"Hey, Morgana," Ryuji began, eyeing Chiyo's bag.

"What is it?" the feline asked, poking his head out.

"Anyone could have a Palace, yeah?" the bleached blond asked tentatively.

"Anyone with a strong, distorted desire."

"Same for them havin' a change of heart if their Treasure gets stolen?"

"That would be the case."

"Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?" asked Ann.

"We had trouble earlier too." Ryuji gestured his head towards Chiyo and Morgana. "These selfish shitheads who just looked down on everyone else… I was just wonderin' if we'd be able to change those kindsa people too."

Instantly, the girls and one cat gazed at Ryuji with wide eyes. Was he suggesting what they thought he was? "You mean… you want to continue as the Phantom Thieves?" questioned Ann.

"I've been thinkin'," began Ryuji. "We put a lot of work into changin' Kamoshida's heart, but nobody believes in the Phantom Thieves. Plus… those guys who had no other choice but to just deal with it are thankin' us. Us, of all people."

Chiyo looked down at her hands in her lap. There were a lot of victims, and Kamoshida likely wouldn't be facing the law now if he hadn't confessed himself. Either someone didn't care enough to put a stop to it, or it would be Kamoshida's word against theirs. Making him confess really was the best way to get results.

"I…" Ann gripped the fabric of her seat, "I agree. If we ignore people who are in trouble, I'd go back to being the same as I was before!"

"Well…" Morgana said thoughtfully. "That is true. You're under my tutelage. There's nothing we can't accomplish as phantom thieves!

"Shouldn't we be able to help 'em out?" Ryuji asked Chiyo.

"But," Ann pointed out hesitantly, "that means we'll have to fight Shadow's again, doesn't it?"

Morgana bobbed his head once. "Indeed. That can't be avoided."

Ryuji shrugged. "Eh, I'm sure we'll manage. Right?"

Chiyo could feel all eyes on her as they waited for her response.

There was a yearning stirring within her, a compulsion that just shouted, 'Yes, yes, hell yes!' She was trembling against the pull, not wanting to be taken in too fast. But Chiyo wanted nothing more at that moment than to pull off another heist of the heart. The yearning, the sheer want, was overwhelming, so much Chiyo could have fallen to her knees if she wasn't already sitting down.

Society was little more than a rat race, rewarding everyone in the club while stomping on those outside. Putting certain well-off individuals up, so long as they were making themselves or their cause look good, who cared about the little guy.

And Chiyo was tired of being the little guy.

Her parents only saw their own problems, Ryou only cared about what Chiyo could do for her. Shujin's staff were the ones who allowed Kamoshida to get away with it for so long and blatantly took Chiyo for the sake of their image. More than half the people in this buffet were awful. Plain and simple. But because she didn't have the power, then those people thought they were free to walk all over her without consequences.

But what a surprise. Chiyo had power. Everyone at this table had the power to make individuals like that face and own up to what they've done. To just go on with life as though nothing happened… How would that make her any better than that woman who just stood back and watched?

"I want to do this," Chiyo said at length. "If we go back to life before all this, how is that any different than being compliant? If we have the means to make a difference, why not go for it?"

"Heh…" Morgana started to puff out his chest. "Even if you guys are still just fledglings, this means we're an actual organization now."

"Fledglings?" Ann echoed, leaning back in her seat. "That's actually pretty fitting for us."

"All right, it's settled!" Ryuji was just barely able to keep himself from bouncing in his seat. "We're gonna catch all these shitty adults by surprise, and make ourselves known to the world!"

"Are you okay being our leader, Chiyo?"

"Hey, no objections here" Ryuji sat back holding a hand up in defeat. "I can't handle all that responsibility stuff."

Chiyo felt her pupil's contract. "Huh?! Why me?"

"Well you were the first one of the three of us to get their Persona," said Ryuji.

"And you were the first to get the app," added Ann.

"You bought the guns."

"And the meds."

"And you're housing Morgana."

"Okay, okay!" Chiyo held her hands up. The appendages went on to plant the palms against her flushed face. Too much at once... "I'm okay with it if everyone else is."

"Lady Ann made the recommendation," said Morgana, "so I'll allow it."

"Well, should we decide on a name for our group?" asked Ryuji. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "I just went with Phantom Thieves of Heart last time, but don't you think a real name would be cooler?"

"Ooh, I've got it!" Ann declared giddily. "It has to be something both cute and luxurious sounding. So, how about 'The Diamonds?'"

"I'm gettin' a real 'little league baseball' feel from it…"

"Well then," Morgana spoke up, "here's my suggestion. How about 'Tilefish Poele?'"

Slowly, the three humans turned their gaze to Morgana. Chiyo didn't doubt they had invisible question marks over each of their heads. "Tile… what?" inquired Ryuji.

"That's what I ate earlier," purred Morgana. "It's commemorative, no?"

"Hell no, you idiot!" Sighing, Ryuji glanced at Chiyo wearily. "You decide for us…"

"What's wrong with 'Phantom Thieves of Heart?'" Chiyo shrugged. "Or even just 'Phantom Thieves?'"

Pursing her lips, Ann list her head to her right while running a finger through the corresponding ponytail. "Huh… I guess that's not bad."

"Agreed," said Morgana, "it gets straight to the point."

"So we're goin' with Phantom Thieves of Heart?" asked Ryuji.

"If that's okay with everyone," said Chiyo.

Ann leaned forward, resting her chin in her palm. "Well, now that the name's set, who's our next target?" she asked.

"There are tons of rotten adults and all…" muttered Ryuji. "Why not just stick to targeting big names?"

"Like a celebrity or CEO?" Chiyo questioned.

"Yeah, something along those lines. If we go after some bigwig, it's gotta get on the news, right? Don't you think more people would believe in us if we did that?"

"That's not a bad idea," Morgana said before he snidely added, "for you, Ryuji."

"True," Ann agreed. "If we become better known… we might be able to give courage to a lot more people. I don't really like the idea of just picking someone out of the blue though."

"Let's narrow it down to someone we can all agree on then," offered Ryuji.

"So we need a bigwig we decide on unanimously," Morgana echoed.

"I'm down with that," said Chiyo.

"Yeah, I like that," Ann said with a smile wide enough to split her face. "It's like we're making some kind of pact! I don't want to use our airsoft's on a person's Shadow-self either. That feels a little too real."

"No complaint's here," said Ryuji.

"Yeah, that's a good rule of thumb," added Chiyo. "Feels like we could risk a shut down with something like that."

"Now then," Morgana declared, "this is the official formation of the Phantom Thieves organization!"

Chiyo held her head in her hands, her head was swimming trying to work through the haze and trying to work around revealing too much. She had been trying to keep the names of her accomplices to herself, but she had the inkling that Niijima would figure it out, if not now, then by asking around. Damn it!

"Another world in which people's distorted cognitions take shape?" Nijiima surmised. "Stealing treasure to change hearts? And on top of that, a talking cat told you all this?"

"I told you it was outrageous."

"That's putting it mildly. It's hard to believe that this is even worth listening to." She gripped her chin in thought. "Still, it can't be considered nonsense when parts of it align with Kamoshida's confession. The same goes for the testimonies of the officers who arrested you…"

Niijima paused, scrutinizing Chiyo, her lips pressed together momentarily. "At any rate," she said, "you mentioned something more important. These two other accomplices, besides this talking cat thing that appeared in your story… From what you've been telling me, they're students at the same school, aren't they?"

Her brow lowered into a near scowl. If Niijima thought she would sell out the others…

"Very well," Niijima said after a lengthy silence. "I'll leave it at that. Let's continue. There are many more events that I must inquire about. Lies and false accounts are eventually exposed. The next to receive a calling card was this individual…"

She got her folder out, opening it to the next target. Once again Chiyo needed to hold it close to her face in order to see. She recognized his robe first, then his powder grey hair. "A master of Japanese arts," continued Niijima, "Ichiryusai Madarame. It's even more incomprehensible than Kamoshida as to why this man was targeted."

Chiyo placed the file down, images coming to her she could barely keep track of. A kindly older man. A boy with blood dripping down his hand and face. A painting, beautiful and serene.

"Where did you come to know him?" Niijima pressed. "And how did you learn of his crimes when you weren't a victim of them? Start by telling me what you all schemed…"

Panting, Chiyo pressed the palm of her hand to her forehead. "That, uh…" she said. Damn that drug! "That actually starts shortly before I met the man…"

As they left the Wilton Hotel, none of them were oblivious to the side eyes they got from the workers as they left. Once outside, Ryuji streaked his arms high over his head. "Over all, I'd say the food was great, but I could've done without those pompous asses."

"Yeah," agreed Ann. "I kinda feel like I've been a little spoiled by their cake now."

"My mom would murder me after that," Chiyo muttered under her breath.

Ryuji checked the time on his phone. "Still a bit of daylight left. You two wanna hang out a bit longer?"

"Sure," Chiyo said instantly, maybe a little too quickly. "What'd you have in mind?"

"Nothin' special. It just feels a little strange to leave like this."

Ann shifted her weight onto one leg. "I was thinking about visiting Shiho," she explained. "I get it if you don't want to, but I think she could use a little extra company."

"Sure," Ryuji said immediately. He lifted his arms, folding them behind his head. "If the hospital's not going to chase us out."

"I'm okay with it," said Chiyo. "But someone's really going to have to keep his head down."

She felt Morgana turn his head from inside her bag. "This is important to Lady Ann, so I shall do the gentlemanly thing." Morgana paused a moment. "Thought it's probably going to get hot in here. So I request water when we're done."

"Yeah, okay."

"Y'know, worst-case scenario, we could probably try and pass him off as a therapy cat," Ryuji pointed out.

Ann lead the way to the Tokyo Medical University Hospital. They checked in at the front desk, then Ann lead them a few floors up until they came across a room where a teenaged girl sat in her bed. There was a pillow laid across her lap, prompting up the manga the girl was reading as she flipped through the pages. Sure enough, there was a small stack of manga from the same series at the girl's bedside table.

Suzui must have heard their footsteps as they walked in. Her head turned to the doorway, her eyes lighting up when she spotted Ann. Instantly, Suzui closed her book, placed the volume on the bedside table with its fellows, then moved the pillow over her head and behind her back. It was only when Suzui looked back up

Suzui must have heard their footsteps as they walked in, her head turned, and almost instantly, she closed her book. She placed her volume on the bedside with its fellows, the pillow went over her head, and behind her back. When she looked back up, it was only then that Suzui realized Ann had company with her. "Oh, Sakamoto-kun," Suzui said, mildly surprised. "It's been a while."

"Eh… yeah…" Ryuji started to rub the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Sorry, we're here on such short notice," Ann said, gripping one arm with the other. "We were out and thought we'd stop by. Oh! Shit, I shouldn't have opened with that." She gestured to her side at Chiyo. "This is Chiyo Kusakabe. She's, uh…"

"The transfer student," Suzui finished for her. Her head listed to the side as she tried to muster up a smile. "We met briefly."

"I never thanked you for that," Chiyo said, her hands at her shoulder, clasping her bag straps. "So, thank you."

"That's not necessary."

Suzui had her hair down, which was strange to see, having grown accustomed to the high ponytail she wore in school. The tendrils looked a little stiff and lacked luster. It shouldn't have surprised Chiyo to assume that bathing was a little difficult now that she was bedridden. She hoped they hadn't inconvenienced Suzui.

"So, Sakamoto-kun," Suzui spoke up, "when did you and Ann start hanging out again?"

"After… it happened," Ann answered for him. "Ryuji and Chiyo have been concerned for you."

At her side, Ryuji visibly flinched. "Don't tell her that! This is, like, the first conversation we've had since middle school. Y'know how awkward that is?"

Unphased, Ann tilted her head back in thought. "I mean, it's only somewhat awkward. It's not like Shiho's a complete stranger to you."

As if on cue, Ryuji's face started to flush. Snickering, Suzui's shoulders began to shake, a hand balled up in front of her mouth, shielding her grin only somewhat. "You haven't changed much, Sakamoto-kun."

Chiyo grinned slightly, still holding onto her bag. It occurred to Chiyo that she was the third wheel in this room. The one with the least amount of history with the people around her. Was that a risk when you made friends with people, people who had a history? Missing the inside joke, not being privy to past experiences, feeling like an outsider. Someone on the outside looking in.

They eventually got into a comfortable conversation. Suzui wanted to know how Ryuji and Chiyo met, and how Ann ended up in their little group. It was a little difficult to come up with a reasonable story in Ryuji and Chiyo's case. Suzui must have known they arrived to school late that day. Most assumed they had gotten up to something before the police caught them. But Suzui seemed to believe in giving someone the benefit of the doubt, at least in a situation like Chiyo's.

"We were both running a little late for our train," Chiyo weaved together. "And then we found out another accident happened. We ended up following each other in our attempt to find another route."

"O-Oh yeah," Ryuji added quickly. "Had to travel all over Tokyo to get around the accident until the police saw us."

"Oh, this is a surprise," a new voice was heard. In unison, Chiyo and Ryuji turned to see a middle-aged woman in blue scrubs in the doorway. Her red-brown hair was done in a flip ponytail, save for her blunt bangs. "Some of you classmates, Shiho-chan?"

The girl in question nodded emphatically. "I went to middle school with Sakamoto, and met Kusakabe-san briefly."

"Are we interrupting?" asked Chiyo.

"Don't worry, I was just checking up on Shiho-chan," the woman said with a wave of her hand. "You're okay, right now. But I do need to stretch Shiho-chan's legs in about an hour."

"All right, thank you, Araki-san," called Shiho.

"I'll see if I can find a couple of chairs."

When Araki returned with a few folding chairs, Ryuji was immediately at her side, setting them out for the trio to sit around Suzui. Sitting down, Chiyo placed her bag at her feet and caught sight of a white paw trying to open it a bit more for a bit of air.

After a bit of conversing between Suzui, Ann, and Ryuji, Chiyo got the sense that Suzui was fighting boredom at the best of times. Her younger brother kept suggesting Suzui try talking to a psychiatrist in regards to what happened with Kamoshida. But her family wanted to create a plan for her medical bills and to find a school Suzui could go to after she was walking again. It sounded like they were looking outside of Tokyo.

"That might not happen for a while," Suzui muttered, tilting her head back as she spoke. "Even if we ignore physical therapy, we need to find a house, work for mom and dad, a school for myself and Toya. He's starting high school next spring, so it might be easier to wait."

Ann looked a little uncomfortable as Suzui spoke. It could have been anything eating at her, the thought of Suzui's physical therapy. Or the thought of Suzui moving. Maybe both.

The conversation soon turned to Chiyo. Where she was from and what Higashiizu was like. When she thought about it, Chiyo started to wonder if she really had the Higashiizu experience. She'd only been to the alligator garden for a school trip. The onsen was mostly for a job well done. She hadn't even that the chance to experience the beach, not really.

"I didn't actually do much after school in Higashiizu," Chiyo confessed. "Training got in the way of that."

"Training?" questioned Suzui.

"I was a gymnast before the arrest."

"Isn't there a gymnast at the school this year? One of the first-years?"

"I dunno," Ryuji said with a shrug.

"Sounds familiar," added Ann. She reached into her jacket for her phone. "Were you competing?"

Chiyo eyed Ann suspiciously. "Why?"

"I wanna see," the blonde girl said innocently.

"Ooh! So do I!" Suzui called, hailing Ann close to her bed.

The blush on Chiyo's face could have kept her warm during winter if it lasted as long. She heard Ryuji snickering as though he had just stumbled upon one of Chiyo's most embarrassing stories. "I wanna see too," she heard Morgana whisper from the floor.

Ann and Ryuji sat on the bed on either side of Suzui, who held Ann's phone for them. Before the video Ann found could even start, Ryuji's head fell to the side, and Ann's brow rose to her hairline. In perfect unison, the three looked from Ann's phone to Chiyo, then immediately back to Ann's phone and repeated the process once more. "It's kind of surreal to see your original hair color," said Suzui.

"Guess I never realized you dyed it," murmured Ryuji.

Suzui started the video and from her spot, Chiyo could hear an upbeat Latin tune. She recognized the piece, Chiyo used it for her club routine during a tournament when she was in seventh grade. She'd been in love with the leotard during this tourney, pink and purple with light pink and white flowers with sequins in the center across the collar. Her left side was made from the fleshy material, save for the black 'belt' that circled her waist. Above the 'belt' were more flowers and sequins matching the collar. And the skirt was a pink, purple, and blue gradient.

When Chiyo hit a growth spurt not too long after the tourney, Ryou ended up selling the leotard to help pay for its replacement. Chiyo was completely heartbroken over this.

Seventh grade was roughly when she started competing in tournaments across Japan. And she quickly made herself known for her bold routines and the range in her performances. So for clubs, the music she chose was fun and upbeat, opening the routine as though she just started dancing outside the street. Her split leaps were in time with the backing vocals during a brief interlude. During a needle turn, she drummed the clubs against the mat in time with the beat.

Chiyo remembered having the most fun whenever she twirled her clubs. During the first set of twirls she had one hand at her front, the other at her back, then she would effortlessly reverse the positions. Towards the end of the routine, as she performed a few chaine's, Chiyo held them above her head and timed her twirls so it looked like she was twirling a single staff in her hands. The move was finished with a series of leaps that could have touched the back of her head.

But she had dropped one of the clubs in a catch and managed to grab a hold of it during the cartwheel that followed suit. It was a quick save, but it caused a point redaction.

"What the hell was that?!" Coach Matsubara shouted at her the first chance she got. "You had it during practice!"

"I don't know," Chiyo said panting. She still scored pretty well despite the redaction.

"I want a real answer, don't waste my time with excuses. Get your head out of your ass already."

It was a part of the sport, even if Chiyo ended up bringing home the trophy. Her flub could have changed everything.

When the video ended, Ryuji reached across and gently patted Ann on the arm. "See if you can find a more recent one."

Chiyo's stomach fell as the music from one of her last tournaments started to play. When Chiyo was arrested, she had been sixteen for a few months. Come January 1st she was finally old enough to compete in international competitions. She was supposed to show them that they hadn't even seen her A-game yet.

It felt like the year had just started when she came across that man and woman.

There were days when Chiyo could sense Ryou's barely contained rage at her. Ryou was a gymnast herself years back, but she had gotten pregnant with Chiyo before she would have thought of retiring. But the instant Ryou found out, her career was over. Nine months of pregnancy and the expectation to care for the child. Ryou was twenty when she found out. It was over.

Both Ann and Suzui looked enthralled by Chiyo's old ribbon routines, the way she twirled it in sync with the music, the catches she'd make whenever she'd toss it. Ryuji seemed more impressed with those catches than the circles and wave patterns.

Nurse Araki knocked on the door frame before she walked into the room. "Time to stretch out, Shiho-chan," she announced. "Supper will be coming up shortly too."

Instinctively, Chiyo looked outside the window, she could see orange light peeking through the window. "We should probably be going, then," Ann said through a rueful.

"Thank you for coming," Suzui said, handing Ann her phone back. "It was fun."

"We should try doin' this again some time," Ryuji suggested.

"Just give me enough time to wash my hair then."

Chiyo parted from Ann and Ryuji at the station. As she waited for her train she got Morgana a bottle of water from one of the vending machines. He used his claws to poke a hole in the cover and used it to drink out of. When she returned to Leblanc, Chiyo brought Morgana upstairs, gathered her towel and toiletries, and headed to the bathhouse. When she returned, Sojiro had already left, making Chiyo use the key. She made sure to test the door twice to make sure she really locked it.

Upstairs, she changed into her pajamas and turned on the TV, listening to a news report on the investigation on Kamoshida's case as she wrote in the journal Sojiro gave her. She had to modify it a bit, still going to lunch with Ryuji and Ann, but someplace they could more reasonably afford. Her hand paused in place when the report mentioned that the police were going to Shujin tomorrow.

When her phone started to vibrate, Chiyo nearly jumped out of her seat and onto the floor. "Shit," she muttered to herself, one hand over her racing heart, the other reaching for her phone.

Ryuji: Oh yeah, lemme send the celebratory pic I took today!
Ryuji: Celebrating the founding of the Phantom Thieves! And celebrating us crashing that classy buffet!

Ryuji attached a picture of the group at the buffet. Ryuji was clearly the one taking the picture. The table was lined with various meat, cake, and a couple of plates of a bit of everything. Ann seated opposite Ryuji, seemingly oblivious to the photo op as she held a plate with a strawberry decorated cake. Chiyo held a cup of coffee in both hands up to her mouth as she half turned towards Ryuji. Her wide eyes could be seen over the rim of the cup, while Morgana could be seen poking his head out of Chiyo's bag.

Ann: You can cool it with all the 'celebrating' any time now…
Ann: Wait, you took that while I was eating?! Why didn't you tell me?!
Ryuji: Uh, I did. You just never stopped eating.
Chiyo: At least you don't look like a deer caught in the headlights…
Chiyo: Wait, you didn't even hear and you still come off looking like that?
Chiyo: How do you get that photogenic?
Ryuji: Uh…
Ann: What are you complaining about? You totally got a meganekko look going on!
Ryuji: Um…
Chiyo: God I never understood that.
Chiyo: 'Wow, totally sexy how you're visually impaired!'
Chiyo: What?
Ryuji: Uh, guys…
Ann: Wait, your glasses are prescription?
Chiyo: Yeah, I just haven't been wearing my contacts. Why?
Ann: I dunno. I thought they were cosmetics for some reason.
Ryuji: Well this got off the rails…
Chiyo: Oh, sorry!
Chiyo: It's a good pic.
Ann: Yeah.

"After that buffet," she said, getting up to turn off the TV. "I'm ready for bed."

Morgana had already beaten her to it. Lying back down, she flipped off the lights and put her glasses away.

The change from a comfortable, warm bed, to a cold, hard bed caused Chiyo to snap her eyes open. She swung her legs over the edge, stood up, and walked over to the bars. Sure enough, Henry stood beside the cell door as always, while Igor sat directly in front of her at his desk. "First off," Igor began casually, "I'd like to begin by congratulating you."

"To think the master would give a maggot of all things a compliment," murmured Henry. He turned to face Chiyo and slammed the toe of his boot against the bars. "You better realize what an honor this is, Maggot!"

"You have encountered allies who share your aesthetics, and you have found your place in reality," explained Igor. "The time has come… Your rehabilitation will begin soon."

"I still don't understand what you mean," said Chiyo. "You keep talking about 'rehabilitation,' yet you also want me to become a thief. It's just so… contradictive."

Igor's shoulders shook in a chuckle. "In the traditional sense," he explained. "I suppose it's time I explain it to you… You have a special potential. However, that must be refined into a useful power. It is weak now, but refining it shall grant you the strength to stand against the coming ruin. That is the rehabilitation cast upon you."

"Ruin…?" Chiyo asked tentatively.

"There are various means by which you may gain the power to resist the ruin." Why could he never just answer Chiyo's questions when she asked them? "Fighting Shadows and gaining experience is one way. The fusion process I taught you prior is another."

"I have a few words of wisdom for you as well, Maggot," explained Henry. "Do keep in mind that I don't have to give you advice, but I am. When you're out in reality, you better hone your relationships with those you have contracts with. Spending time with them will lead you to the cultivation of your relationships and help you grow as a thief. So, if you want to avoid the ruin the Master has mentioned, you'd better visit your contractors, Maggot!"

"Thanks to the contracts you've formed," said Igor, "your heart is steadily gaining the power of opposition. It seems the rehabilitation is going well. This is truly a joyous occasion… May the devotion to your rehabilitation grow even deeper. I have high hopes for you."

The siren's wail suddenly echoed around the Velvet Room. "Guess your time here has reached its conclusion," said Henry. "Rest while you can, Maggot, and don't forget what we told you."

The Fool Rank 3

Authors Note: Same as last chapter, the title comes from 'Sinners' by Lauren Aquilina.

Age is a very important factor in rhythmic gymnastics. The younger the better, especially when starting out. So retirement usually happens at 21-22. Four-time world champion, Aleksandra Soldatova, retired from competition as early as December 2020, at the age of 22. And twins Arina and Dina Averina consider themselves retired by 25. As of this writing, they're 22. (As an aside, I'm legitimately curious if they had any influence on the Yoshizawa's.) There have been some who manage to last longer, Alina Kabaeva retired at 24, but it's rare.

Finally got a hold of Strikers this past week and… wow, after spending all of Royal with 'Sumi in a bubble is it refreshing to see Sophia actually be part of the group. I don't want to go committing to anything just yet, but as of right now, I really wouldn't mind writing a Fem!Joker version of Strikers. I just really want to explore Chiyo's dynamics with Sophia and Zenkichi and her life post P5/R/WtMCO. No promises right now, just goals.