5/24

Akira expects certain things when he walks into Untouchable.

He expects seedy customers, hidden in aisles and behind the covers of violently themed magazines.

He expects the faint aroma of cigarette smoke, mixing with the smell of plastic and glue.

He expects the subdued music curling through the store.

He expects Iwai to be seated at the counter, cap pulled low, lollypop in mouth, eyes pretending to be lazy.

He does not expect - when he steps into the store this time, Yusuke in tow - the man to storm from the backroom, scowling, march around the counter, grab his arm, and haul him towards said backroom.

"I suppose I'll wait here," Yusuke calls after them.

They enter the small chamber, and he finds it stacked to the brim with clutter. Boxes of model guns, plastic wrapped appliances, tubes filled with airsoft bb's. He cannot see the walls.

Iwai slams the door shut behind them, and releases Akira's arm, only to jab him in the chest with a tobacco stained finger. "I don't know what you're doing, runnin' your mouth about this place, but here's another life lesson for you kid. Don't."

Akira resists the sudden urge to swat Iwai's finger away, and tries to keep his voice calm. "Whoa. What're you talking about?" He feels Morgana squirm inside his bag. "I haven't said anything to anyone about this place, or you." He doesn't add, I'm not an idiot, though he thinks it.

Iwai's alight eyes bore into his own, and for far too long to be comfortable, he says nothing. Then, "Makoto and Haru. You know 'em?"

The names dunk his head in a bucket of ice water. His brain shuts off. "Wha?"

Iwai's grimace is something to behold. "Yes or no, Kurusu!" It is not a question.

Akira nods. "Yes, yes." He nods some more. "I work with Haru at my part-time job. And, uh, well... Makoto's more complicated."

"Enlighten me," Iwai says, slowly.

He wonders where to start. "Okay. She's, um, the student council president. And, she was my tutor for a while, but now that's not happening because of a whole bunch of other stuff, and-"

"Is she your girlfriend?"

Akira feels his eyes nearly pop from his head. "Huh? No! She's not my girlfriend. I don't have a girlfriend."

Iwai's eyes move towards the door, and he crosses his arms over his chest. "Well, she's sayin' she's your girlfriend. She came in here the other day and was asking after your shopping habits."

Akira knows the big, dumb smile he feels grow over his face is the last thing Iwai wants to see, but he can't help it. "Makoto said she was my girlfriend?" He mumbles.

"Knock that dumbass grin off your face before I smack it off, kid! What're you tellin' people?"

He fights the smile away and thinks. "Nothing. I swear. I haven't told anyone anything. But Makoto's stalking me. Or, she was stalking me..." He stops talking, looks up at Iwai, and seizes him by the shoulders. "Wait! This means she's still stalking me! This is great!"

Iwai does not share his enthusiasm. "Kurusu, either take your hands off me, or prepare yourself for a life with no hands."

"Right," Akira says, snatching them away. "Sorry." His mind races. If she's still investigating me, does that mean she didn't buy Ann's story? "What, exactly," he enunciates, "did you tell her?"

Iwai walks him through the interaction. "Then, the fluffy-haired girl, Haru, she bought the model and they both split," he says, by way of wrapping up. "So, what exactly is going on?"

"She's stalking me," Akira tells him. "She's got a book where she keeps a record of my comings and goings."

"That's... alarming," Iwai replies.

Akira shrugs. "She's seen me come in and out of this store. So, maybe she thought she could get information on me, out of you. But-"

"But luckily for you," Iwai cuts in. "I'm not an idiot."

Akira nods. Iwai had played things well. Makoto knew Akira visited Untouchable, but she didn't know anything about why he really came here. "Thanks. I'm sorry I caused you trouble."

Iwai's grimace softens. "Yeah, well, covering for your ass isn't part of our deal. Try to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"I will," Akira says, nodding.

Iwai sighs. "So, what're you doing here?"

Akira remembers Yusuke, and the young man's request. "My friend, the one I came in with, needs a gun. And a burner."

Iwai doesn't say anything for a time. "You ever heard the saying, 'three people can keep a secret if two are dead?'"

"Are you going to kill me?" Akira asks, eyeing the confined space they presently inhabit.

"Not yet," Iwai growls. "You'll have to wait on the burner." He narrows his eyes. "Just what do you kids use those guns for, anyway?"

"I told you," Akira replies, straight-faced. "We're enthusiasts."

Iwai smiles. "Good boy."

Both men step from the office, and find Yusuke at the counter, an assault rifle flat in the crook of his elbow. A satisfied smile sits on his face. "Behold, I have that with which I shall slay shadows."

"What's he talking about?" Iwai asks, an edge to his voice.

Akira forces out a laugh. "It's nothing. He's an art student, so, you know, he's eccentric."

"Eccentric," Iwai says, and looks Yusuke up and down. "Right."

They don't spend much time in the store. Once finished, the Thieves step back out into the overcast day and head for the rendezvous point.

Morgana pops his head out of Akira's bag. "This is bad."

"Relax, Morgana," Akira replies.

"'Relax?' Makoto's still investigating us. How am I supposed to relax?"

Yusuke taps his chin with a forefinger. "Makoto. I feel as if I've heard the name before."

Before Akira can reply, Morgana blurts, "She's the one who harassed Shiho in the hospital!"

"Ah," Yusuke replies, eyes widening. "Then she is our enemy? This is dire, indeed."

Akira knows he should keep his mouth shut and what he's thinking to himself. But instead, he babbles out, "She's not our enemy."

Yusuke looks confused.

Morgana's eyes narrow.

"Then," Yusuke says, his voice working slow, as if trying to puzzle it out for himself. "What is she?"

The words sound clichéd, but he doesn't know how else to phrase it. "It's complicated."

Might as well tell him everything. He pulls his phone out and checks the time. "Guess I'll have to tell this fast," he sighs. "It started when I first transferred here, last month."

#

Joker inches the door open with his fingertips, and steals a glance inside. In the center of the room sits a large table, with black swivel chairs lining it in a neat procession. Near the end of the room, a large projector screen hangs from the ceiling, its beige blandness clashing with the brutal gold of the rest of the room.

A few items around the room catch his eye. Paperweights. Calculators. A few scattered piles of paper with gibberish scrawled across them.

A single shadow, this one in the typical attire of a salaryman, faded gray suit, sandy shirt, threadbare, plain blue tie, paces the length of the room.

"Looks like a board room," Joker whispers. Skull leans on his shoulder, trying to get a look. "And just one shadow."

Panther frowns, and glances down at Mona. "Any chance we can go around?"

"Screw that," Skull says. "There's only one of 'em. Let's just bust through!"

"Quiet, Bonehead," Mona hisses. Then, he shuts his eyes and says nothing for a moment. "The Treasure is further up. But I'm pretty sure through this room is the fastest way to it."

Fox, smiling, hefts his rifle. "Shall we commence?"

The others nod, some more reserved than others, and Joker throws the door open and darts towards the shadow's back.

It gasps when he leaps onto its shoulders, and Joker wraps his fingers around the mask and pulls.

When it rips free, Joker jumps clear, and watches as the thing convulses, bursts, and materializes into an elongated, paper-thin dog, eyes wide and hollow, teeth bared in a snarl.

"Prepare thyself!" Fox shouts, and takes a knee. He aims down his weapon, and opens fire with a burst, smooth and true.

The clackclackclack echoes through the room as the bullets punch into the shadow's frame. It ripples, twists, and hisses, but doesn't go down.

Joker smiles, and when Fox lowers his weapon, he steps forward, out from the safety of the group.

The thing levels its gaze onto him, flutters through the air, and charges.

"White Rider!" Joker shouts, and his mask bursts away in a brief bit of flame, and over his head leaps a maggot white horse, its flank ornamented in withered, blinking eyes, and its rider, a cloaked grim reaper holding a golden bow.

The horse rears up, neighs, and the skeletal thing draws its string, and launches a single arrow straight into the monster's face. It pierces, and with a faint, wet cry, the shadow collapses to the ground, and vanishes into ash.

Skull pumps a fist into the air. "Hell yeah, dude!"

White Rider dissipates into the air, and Joker adjusts his gloves.

Panther stares at the spot his Persona had just stood. "Where'd you get all these new Personas, anyway?"

"I fused them," Joker replies, and sets about snatching up the paperweights and dropping them into his pocket.

"Yeah, but like, how?"

Joker shrugs. "It's complicated." Silence. When he looks up from his pilfering, he sees them all staring at him. He sighs and says, "I do it in my sleep."

Mona blinks. "In your sleep, as in it was easy, or in your sleep, as in you actually did it in your sleep?"

Joker blinks. "Both, actually."

Skull snaps his fingers. "Oh! You told me about this before. It's the guy with the nose, right?"

"Guy with the nose?" Fox asks.

"Igor," Joker says. "He's sort of this guy that shows up in my dreams sometimes. He's creepy as shit."

"Fascinating," Fox whispers.

"We should move on, guys," Joker says, and snatches another item off the table. "If you want a whole breakdown of it, we'll be here for hours. Honestly, I don't know if I understand it myself."

"Right," Mona says, and moves towards the door on the opposite side of the room. "Let's keep going. We should reach the Treasure today, if we can."

Fox taps Skull on the shoulder. "I would just like to point out, that eating before entering the Metaverse was quite the insightful advice."

"No shit, dude," Skull replies.

The Phantom Thieves dart out into the hall.

It isn't long until they're forced to halt once more.

Joker stares at, then tries the handles of the double-set doors blocking their way. The rumble a bit, but don't budge. "No good," he says, and turns to Mona. "You're sure this is the way?"

"Of course I'm sure," the cat says, stamping his paw. "The Treasure isn't much further. But it's definitely through that door."

"What's this?" Panther asks, peering down at a boxy device alongside the door.

Joker walks over to her. "Looks like a number pad. What's that slot on the side?"

"I know what that is!" Mona shouts, and jumps up and down. "I've seen it before."

"F'real?" Skull asks. "Where?"

Mona smirks. "Inside the storage facility. There was one for each unit."

Joker looks back down at it. "So, it's a card reader?" He runs his finger along the slot on the side. It seems capable of fitting a card. "That's not good." He turns to the group. "I don't suppose any of us have the card? Or the code?"

Skull visibly deflates, his arms dropping limb, and his head drooping forward. "You've gotta be freakin' kidding me! We need a card now? And a password?"

Panther plants her hands on her hips. "Can't we just blow up the door or something? I mean, we have Personas."

Mona shakes his head. "That won't work. We're inside Madarame's cognition, remember? We can't brute force something like this."

Panther frowns. "Then what're we supposed to do?"

Mona sighs. "We'd need the keycard. And the code."

Joker groans and leans forward until his mask rests against the wooden door. "It'd be nice if things were just the tiniest bit easy, for once."

Fox raises his hand, like a student in class. "Mona, you said you saw this same device at the storage facility. That would be the one in which Madarame keeps a unit in my mother's name, yes?"

Mona nods. "Yeah, that's right."

Fox crosses his arms, and rests his chin on his fist. "In all my years by Madarame's side, he never once mentioned this storage facility. I would not even know about it's existence if you hadn't told me of it."

Joker straightens. "Which means," he mutters, "if he found out you did know about it, he might panic."

Skull smirks. "Oh, it looks my boy's formin' a plan!"

Panther sighs. "Nothing too complicated, please."

Joker ignores them, and thinks.

It's dependent on certain things. Certain material. Certain individuals. But if he can get it all together, they could pull it off. He nods. "Alright. I think-"

"Hold it right there!" Comes a voice.

As one, the Thieves spin about, and find a shadow dressed in a slick, pressed dark blue suit, with shoes black against the linoleum floor, quivering with a red aura that bleeds from its back like heat.

"Knew I'd find you bastards here!" It growls. "Never send a peon to do a man's job!"

"Whoa," Mona says, backing up. "Everyone, get ready! This thing is tough!" As the words leave his mouth, the shadow vibrates, bursts, and forms into a hulking, one-legged creature. A great iron mask hides its face, and its dark blue body is shrouded in a thick, black apron. A hammer in one hand, and a pair of tongs in the other, it glares down at the group with a single, red eye peeking from beneath the mask's shell.

Faster than its bulk would imply, it launches itself across the space towards them, hammer raised high.

The Thieves scatter as the weapon swings down and smashes into the floor, with a great crunching sound.

"Damn," Skull shouts. A great blue flame rises above him, and the Captain flies free cannon leveled at the shadow. The air crackles and a great boom sounds as a ball of electricity hurtles towards it. It crashes into the thing's back, and though it arches and howls, it turns on them, all the more enraged.

"I got this," Mona shouts, darting forward. "Let's do this, Zorro!"

The masked swordsman appears above him, swishes its rapier through the air, and a great tornado rises around the blacksmith caricature.

A sharp ring sounds, and the gust reverses course and slams into Mona's face, before he can shout, "Wha-?" The cat is lifted off his feet and flies through the air, a faint mewling on his lips.

"Mona!" Panther cries, and sprints after him, leaping into the air and grabbing him before he can slam into the wall. She lands in a crouch, cradling him close.

"Okay," Joker mutters. "So, Wind's out."

Clackclackclack

Fox's rifle fires round after round, but even as the bullets rip into the blacksmith's body, it begins to hop forward, weapons raises.

"Ara Mitama!" Joker calls, and his mask resolves into a furious red tear drop that tears down the hall and slams into the shadow's side.

It hunches over, growling.

Then, Fox is alongside him, and calls out, "Goemon," and then everything goes cold. A wave of frost lashes out and covers the shadow, it groans and collapses to the ground, but only stays still for a moment, before it tries to lift itself up.

And then Joker summons Arsene, and his Persona spins into the air above the crippled creature. With a pump of its wings, the black tendrils rip down and into the back of the monster. It groans, but continues to shove its way upwards.

Joker feels sweat bead on his forehead. He grits his teeth and pushes, and slowly, the tendrils stab deeper and deeper into the thing's flesh, until, with a weak gasp, the thing erupts into a ghost of ash, that settles on the ground.

Joker takes a deep breath, and puts a hand on his knee for balance. Fox walks up to him, and rests a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright, Joker?"

"Fine," Joker says, straightening. Fox's hand falls away. "I'm fine."

Skull rolls his shoulders. "You didn't fuse Arsene, huh?"

"No," Joker snaps, and immediately regrets it. He stares at his Persona as it vanishes, replacing the mask on his face.

He had considered it last night, in the Velvet Room.

It had been Igor's suggestion. There is great power to be found in your first, Trickster. Fuse it, and unlock something truly special.

But as the blade of the guillotine fell again and again, and the roiling feeling in his chest grew and grew, he couldn't help but think that committing Arsene to the execution block felt wrong.

And yet.

And yet the tendrils had barely killed an already weakened shadow. Could he expect Arsene to keep pace with the others? And if he did fuse Arsene, what did that mean for him? For Joker? For Akira?

#

Upon exiting the Palace, everyone splits.

Ann is needed at home, and Akira packs up Morgana and darts off to his flower shop gig.

Ryuji is about to bounce too, then he notices Yusuke staring at Madarame's atelier, a faraway look in his eye.

Ryuji sucks in a breath of air and lets it out in a long groan before stomping over to him and saying, "Yo, dude. Let's get something to eat." Yusuke stares at him, surprise evident on his face, but Ryuji just jams his hands in his pockets and says, "Don't gimme that deer in headlights look. C'mon."

He takes him to his favorite ramen place, but unlike with Akira, the conversation is stilted and one-sided. Yusuke cannot stop commenting on the 'ascetics' of everything he sees, even making a remark about how 'the arrangement of the food coalesces in such a way as to draw the eye of the eater.'

Ryuji has no idea what any of it means, but he just pats the kid on his back, and slurps up his food.

So, he nearly chokes when - out of nowhere - Yusuke says, "Ryuji, might I beg a question? Regarding Akira and Ann?"

Once he's done coughing, and taken a healthy gulp of water, Ryuji sets his chopsticks down and asks, "What brought that on?"

"Earlier this afternoon, when Akira and Morgana took me to the airsoft shop, the manager had a few words with our leader. It seems Makoto had been to the store, asking after him."

Ryuji's groan is so loud it draws the eyes of the other patrons. "Seriously?" He asks, softer, before letting his head hang over the still steaming bowl of ramen. "Man, this is just what we need."

"After we left, Akira walked me through the situation regarding himself, Makoto, and Ann. However, I was left with the impression I did not get the full story." He clears his throat then, and mutters. "Ann, in particular, did not come off well from the retelling."

Ryuji shuts his eyes, and rubs them with his thumb and forefinger. "Alright, dude. Tell me what he said."

Yusuke does, and when he's finished, Ryuji shakes his head.

"Okay, so that's kinda how it went down, but you were right. It's not the full story."

"Then, perhaps you could shed some light on the situation for me?"

"Okay, so, since like, 'day one,' Akira and the Prez have had this 'will they, won't they' thing goin' on. We actually spent a lot of time trying to trick Makoto into thinking we weren't the Phantom Thieves."

"Does she believe us to be the Phantom Thieves?"

Ryuji shrugs. "Well, I don't think she knows about you, since you're new and all. But the rest of us? Probably."

"Yet, you do not seem concerned."

"I dunno, man. Like Akira told you, Makoto apologized to me for shit I didn't even know she did. I know that the Principal told her to look into us, but I just can't get it out of my head that we don't have the full story. But everyone just kept freaking out. Ann freaked out about the Shiho thing, and gave Akira that ulti-thing-"

"Are you referring to an 'ultimatum?'"

Ryuji nods. "Yeah, that one. Anyway, she gave him that, and that just pissed him off even more. Well, actually, they were pretty mad about things to start off with. Because, see, Ohya - that reporter chick Akira's friends with - she gave him your name, but Ann already knew who you were, but she didn't tell us she knew who you were, so she knew who you were, and Akira didn't, but Akira wanted to know, and so when he found out that she knew who you were, he got mad, and then she got mad because he got mad, so then, when Makoto freaked out Shiho, Ann got even madder, and made Akira choose, which only made him even more mad, and now everyone's mad but no one wants to talk about it."

"I see," Yusuke says.

"Really?"

"No. Not at all."

Ryuji can't help smiling. "Tell me about it. Shit's confusing."

Yusuke sits back, and folds his arms across his chest. "Forgive me, for I am little more than a neophyte to the Phantom Thieves, but it seems a lot of our internal issues could be solved if Akira and Ann were to 'talk it out,' so to speak."

Ryuji spins in his chair until his whole body faces Yusuke. "You know, it's funny you mention that. See, Morgana and me? We got a plan."

"You've joined forces with the cat?"

Ryuji rolls his eyes. "C'mon dude, he's a human, remember? But yeah, we have." His smile grows. "Actually, it's sorta thanks to you."

"How so?" Yusuke asks.

Ryuji explains the plan. "So," he asks, once done, "you in?"

"It's a bit simplistic."

"No shit. That's why it'll work."

Yusuke smiles. "Very well. I am in."

#

Akira flies back through Shibuya before his shift starts.

"S-s-s-s-s-s-low d-d-d-d-d-own!" Morgana hisses from his bag, but Akira ignores him.

The plan in his head still makes sense, but it'll only work if a few specific things can be done, and if a few specific things can be obtained. Time is the biggest factor.

It always fucking is.

He turns off Central Street, darts down the familiar alley, and flies through the door of Untouchable.

His expectations are fulfilled this time, as Iwai sits behind the counter, feet up on the glass, eyes buried in a magazine.

"Twice in one day," he grumbles. "Great."

"I need to know," Akira says, and takes a deep breath. "If you can get me something by tomorrow."

Iwai's eyes narrow. "Tomorrow?"

Akira nods, heaving. "Tomorrow."

The manager's eyes swing over the top of the aisles. Akira follows his gaze. They're alone in the store. "It'll depend on what you need, and what you can pay."

Akira tells him what he needs.

#

Akira wipes the sweat from his brow. His forearm comes away damp. Great.

Morgana stares up at him, eyes wide and concerned. "Are you ready for this?"

The two stand in the Shibuya Underground, around the corner from Rafflesia. He'd managed to get here from Iwai's with a few minutes to spare until his shift, but now he leans against the wall, summoning what little strength remains to him.

"I think," he replies.

"Because Haru is probably still really mad at you. And Haru's scary when she's mad."

"Yeah, thanks. I remember."

"I'm just saying. Because if she's working with Makoto, you have to be even more guarded."

"I got it."

Morgana nods, and retreats back into Akira's bag. "Okay, well, I won't hold my breath. Good luck."

"Your pep talks never cease to inspire," Akira replies.

Silence from the bag.

Akira takes a few more deep breaths, then shoulders the bag, turns the corner, and marches towards the flower shop.

"Good evening, Akira-kun," Hanasaki calls, as he approaches.

"Hello," he replies, and spies a figure behind a fichus plant stiffen. Then, a moment later, a pair of violet eyes glare out from behind the leaves.

Akira enters the shop, moves past the register and the display shelves, and enters the backroom.

She enters a few seconds later, a bag of fertilizer in her arms, gaze pointedly at the ceiling, nose upturned.

"Hey, Haru," he says. Morgana's head pops out of the bag.

Haru sets down her charge, crosses her arms, and turns to regard him. Just before her glare can rip the flesh from his bones, she turns to Morgana and says, "Hello, Mona-chan."

Morgana meows. "Oh yeah, she's still mad."

Akira tries on a smile, but it does nothing to faze her.

"How's your girlfriend?" Haru asks, saying the final word like a curse.

"Haru, come on," he groans.

"Hanasaki-chan wants us to feed the jasmines. I assume you can handle that without me, yes?" She turns her back and begins to head back out towards the storefront.

"I need your help," Akira blurts. Haru hesitates for only a moment. "Can I just talk to you for a second?"

She makes a small humph noise, but stops walking. "You may speak at me, Kurusu-kun. I will not promise to listen or respond."

Akira rolls his eyes. "Okay, fine. Look, things got out of hand with Makoto. I need to talk to her."

Morgana shoots him a glare. "What're you doing?" He demands.

Akira pats the air in his direction. Not now, Mona. "But I know she's really upset with me. I need you to convince her to talk to me. Please."

No response.

"Is this part of your plan?" Morgana asks. "How is this helping?"

"Mona-chan seems upset with you too," Haru replies.

"Haru, please. I'm begging you."

She turns one eye back on him. "Mako-chan will speak with you when she's good and ready. And that's if she deigns to do so."

He tries to squeeze as much pathetic into his voice as he can. "I don't want her to hate me."

She flinches at that. He sees it, but before he can act on it, she blurts out, "You should've thought of that before you began dating Takamaki!"

"Please," he says. "I have to explain. I have to."

Haru frowns, tilts her head forward and stares at the ground for a time. "I will speak with Mako-chan, regarding you. It may or may not be on your behalf."

Akira feels the air rush from his lungs. "Thank you."

"I will need something in return."

"Anything," Akira replies.

Haru turns, a touch of crimson in her cheeks. "I will need an afternoon with Mona-chan."

Akira and Morgana stare at her. "Wait, what?" Akira asks.

"Me?" Morgana asks. "What's she want with me?"

Haru brings the index fingers of both her hands together, and says, shyly, "I don't have any pets, but I like looking at cat pictures. I'd like to, um, take some pictures with Mona-chan."

Akira is about to say, "Deal," when Morgana hisses, "Conference!"

Akira looks down at the cat, then back at Haru, who finally meets his eyes. "I, uh, need to confer with him, for a second."

He scoops Morgana up, and retreats further into the flower shop's backroom.

He sets the cat down alongside some rhododendrons.

"No. Freakin'. Way," Morgana says, glaring up at him.

"Mona, please. You'd really be helping me out."

"I am not a feline fashion model! I don't take pictures with cute girls! I'm a human, trapped in a cat's body! I'm a Phantom Thief, for crying out loud! Your whole plan for getting deeper into the Palace hinges on me!"

Akira kneels down, and clasps his hands together. "Morgana, please. I need your help. Just do this one thing for me."

"You're getting distracted, idiot! How does you talking to Makoto help anything?"

"Because... I... just, please, Morgana. Please."

"You know she's still investigating us! So how can you justify this?"

He can't say the words. He can't. He knows what they are. They bounce around his skull like pinballs in a machine. But he just can't bring his mouth to open and spit them out.

So, he lies.

"We need to find out what Makoto knows, right? Haru won't give it to us. But you know that Makoto likes me. Liked me. If I can get close to her, I can probably coax something out of her."

Morgana stares up at him. "Yeah, or she could punch all your teeth out and get us arrested. You're forgetting something really important, Akira."

"What's that?"

"Makoto is smarter than you."

Akira nods. "I know! And she knows that too! She'll be overconfident. She'll let something slip, I just know it. Besides, who knows, maybe Haru will tell you something."

"I'm a cat," Morgana deadpans.

"So? It might just be something small, but it's not like they believe you can actually convey information to us. Like you said, you're a cat."

Morgana frowns. "I guess that's a good point."

"Please, Morgana," Akira says. "Let's do this. We can do this. For the good of the Phantom Thieves."

Morgana rolls his eyes and stays silent for a time. "Fine," he eventually says. "But I'm not wearing any stupid hats."

##

A/N: Happy Monday! If you've gotten off work, congrats! If you're at work or school, my sympathies.

I'd like to reiterate my thanks to everyone who gave me a VN rec. My list is a lot longer now, but I plan on thinning it a bit when I get the chance.

I hope you enjoyed today's chapter! Thanks for reading, and I'll see you on Wednesday!