May 5th, 20XX

Ren wasn't quite sure what led up to that morning, but his memories of last night were hazy and forgotten in his sleepy daze. After leaving the hot springs, he went straight to Leblanc, threw off his shirt, and collapsed into bed.

Now, clearly, Lavenza was involved, as she was sitting on the bench, sleeping upright, when he woke up.

"...!" He shot up in bed, surprised. It was early morning, and he realized he was woken up by Sojiro entering the shop.

She didn't stir.

He quietly got out of bed and pulled on some clothes before going to wake her up. "Lavenza…"

"Hm?" Her eyes opened, and she moved to wipe the sleep out before turning to him. "What is it?"

"Why… are you in my house?"

"You said this was where you wanted to go after last night."

Ren's eyes widened as he remembered that was, in fact, what he told her. He acknowledged mentally that it really could have gone worse. "Can you keep your voice down? I don't think Boss would like that…" I brought a girl home, oh god! I brought a girl home! Under extremely inopportune circumstances!

"Whatever you need of me, Trickster," she whispered.

He nodded, and turned to find his school uniform, before hesitating. "Uh, can you turn around for a minute?"

"Of course."

Ren's face was blazing red, he was certain of it. But he did manage to find the folded-up clothes in his bag. The quicker he changed his pants, the better.

After he was done changing, he glanced back at Lavenza, who snapped her head away from him. He tugged at his collar, coincidentally at the same time as she chose to fan herself.

"...We'll just… Not talk about this." He was about to walk down the steps but remembered he needed to deal with the girl in his room.

Ren chose to use his most reliable method of escape; He checked the empty street outside, picked up Lavenza in a princess carry, and jumped out the window.

Back down under, Sojiro chose to just keep stirring the curry, ignoring the whispers traveling down from the apartment.

Women were the kid's problem, and as long as it didn't bother customers, he chose not to care.

"Reminds me of the old days... hoo boy," he muttered to himself, before checking his bean supply.

Sojiro could swear he heard a thump, and saw a flash of blue outside his cafe. He chose to ignore it. The kid wasn't too bad, really.

Then Ren ran into a slightly different problem he hadn't anticipated.

"No, you can't come with me to school."

"Why not, Trickster?"

Why did she have to be so pouty about it? Now he was all conflicted and stuff. "Everyone's got this weirdo hive mind and honestly, I don't know if they'd be able to handle you."

She doesn't look offended per se, more confused. "What do you mean by 'handle me'?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to come up with a better reason than that it would embarrass him. "School's big on everybody trying to conform. The tallest nail gets hammered down. You stand out; you wear bright blue and you've got that color of hair and those yellow eyes," and you're bizarrely pretty but let's not get into that, "And the girls have a habit of cracking down on people who know me."

"I appreciate your concern, but I think I can take care of myself, Trickster," she smiles. "I'd like to see what you're risking your life for, after all. Must be a very interesting place, if you're willing to go so far to save it."

"Well, it's more that I'd prefer it if zombies didn't populate the school I'm mandated by law to go to."

"Good a reason as any. But I'd like to know what your school is like, since you work so hard for its sake... I want to see what you do when I cannot assist you, Trickster."

They stared at each other for a few moments, but eventually, he hung his head in defeat against Lavenza's pure determination.

"...You're sure you'd rather do that than head back into the Velvet Room?"

"My work as an attendant is extremely important, and I take it very seriously... But I don't go out very often at all. I'd like to extend my stay here just a little while longer... If that's alright with you."

...You know what, maybe I could deal with the pretty lady in blue hanging around me for just a few more hours. Besides, if anybody tried to harass her, she'd probably kick their ass seven ways to Sunday anyway.

They had plenty of time to walk around, an hour or two before school started.

"What do you know about school? Not mine, in general."

"I know the basic information, of course. It's a place of learning and socializing."

More like a dystopian hellscape, nowadays.

"Yeah, I guess."

She smiled, clasping her hands behind her back, "Very well, then. Let us be off."

Ren let himself smile back. "We've got an hour. Plenty of time to walk around."

Minatos, decidedly bored in the Velvet Room, decided to take a look at what Ren was doing. Hey, he wasn't omniscient, but if he could focus on something, he could usually find it.

The kid was just doing loser things and buying manga, what did he expect? Oh, Lavenza was there? Explains why she wasn't around.

"Hey, old man, when did the Fool leave?"

"I believe in their time, he left with his attendant last night."

Minatos blinked, before falling off his barstool, laughing.

Lavenza stopped him at a bookshop. "What is this, Trickster?"

"It's... A place you can buy books."

"Interesting." Without waiting for him, she turned and walked in. He sighed and followed her.

While in the store, Ren looked for his usual manga subscriptions, he'd been behind since moving to Tokyo and dealing with all of the bullshit. Lavenza seemed more interested in the shonen/shojo books. Kicking ass and romance go hand in hand for some people, I guess.

She opened one of the books, a romance one by the look of it, took one look at a page, and her eyes widened.

That can't be good. He leaned back and tried to look over her shoulder. Failing that, because she wasn't that much shorter than him, resigned himself to buy the usual, allowing her to flick through the book with impunity, and probably get all sorts of weird ideas.

Eventually, she did end up following him to Shujin, while flicking through the book she bought with his money. Still refused to let him see it, strangely enough.

They stopped in front of the school. It was still early, only teachers and club members would be arriving for a while.

"I see… Such a plain location. Can you really stand the view?" She looked up from her book.

"It's not really about the view, it's about learning and making friends."

"Fulfilling your role as the Trickster well, I see. Your bonds are what give you strength, and education is man's greatest defense."

"...Sure? I think I should talk to the prez about metaverse exploration this afternoon."

"May I enter alongside you?"

A question I can't answer without causing some issues, fantastic.

"Yeah, why not. School hasn't started yet, it'll probably be fine."

"Amamiya, who is this?" Ushimaru stopped him near immediately in the hall, seeing Lavenza.

"Uh…" Ren's mind blanked. "She's uh… Interested in transferring, sir."

The large teacher was surprised. "Really?"

"Yes, sir. I was going to let her talk to the student council president."

"Hm. Carry on, then."

"Amamiya-kun?" Her pen stopped on a pile of paperwork. Makoto saw Lavenza walk in behind him. "Lavenza-chan?"

"She's interested in checking out the school. How's Ryuji doing?"

"I left him at his front door last night. He said he'll join us this afternoon."

"Cool." The door opened again behind them.

"Niijima-san…" Ren's homeroom teacher walked in, too tired to even glance up from her papers. "There's an issue with the field-trip plans…"

"Ah, yes, just put those papers right here."

The teacher actually looked up, noticing the school's problem child and a foreign-looking girl. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Do I even want to know…"

"I am interested in attending this 'school', miss." Lavenza turned and bowed.

Ren quickly whispered, "That was a cover story, Lavenza!"

Kawakami didn't hear his whisper, and Lavenza didn't take it back.

"Transferring in? So early in the year?" She eyed him out of the corner of her eye, lightly glaring. "...You didn't get put on probation too, did you?"

Ignoring Ren's feigned offense, Lavenza shook her head.

"Ugh… So much paperwork… I'll find the documents."

"Get these signed by your guardians." Kawakami came back and handed over a sheaf of papers. "You can take the midterms, and if you pass, you may transfer in for the rest of term."

"Yes, miss."

As soon as Kawakami left the room, and left the three of them in silence, Ren slammed his head into the wall.

In silence, he walked her back to the school gates, after showing her around the school. Class was about to start, and if she was going to transfer in anyway… He really couldn't be bothered to hide her. "You can get back on your own, right?"

"Yes… Wait a moment…" She pulled the same book from earlier out of a dress pocket. She flicked through it again, like she was studying a textbook. "Ah, so…" She turned around, leaned up to him, and pressed her lips against his.

His mind basically shut off at that point.

She moved back and moved to put her book away, blushing lightly. "That's what this guide told me to do, when leaving someone."

"Lavenza…" Ren caught a glimpse of the book, and tried to speak, but found no words would come out.

THAT'S A GOD DAMN ROMANCE NOVEL!

"We will speak later. Goodbye for now, Trickster." She turned and disappeared down the street.

Thou shalt have our blessing when creating Personae of the Strength Arcana.

…

What.

"There are worse things to happen after taking a girl home with you."

Minatos. Bud. My guy. I am going. To beat you to death.

"I'll get better."

"Again, I didn't do it." Mishima snuck up behind him during lunch.

Ren barely looked up from his milk. "I know, Yuuki."

He actually seemed a bit repulsed. "Ew. Don't say my name like that."

"Like… Your name?"

"Just… Say my family name, it lets me keep up the pretense of business."

"Whatever, sure. What did I do this time?"

"That blonde girl, apparently."

Ren snorted into his carton.

I really should try to get used to these things.

"Not true, I take it. Or yet, if you'd prefer."

"Nope."

"Well, that just makes you a bad baseball player then, doesn't it?"

"...?"

"You know, first base is making out, second base is-"

"Stop talking. For my sake. And yours, so she doesn't kick your ass."

"I don't doubt she could, you certainly have a taste for women like that. I bet she wears the strap."

Now, while Mishima quit volleyball as soon as Kamoshida was out of the picture, it would be reasonable to assume he was decently athletic. Not that it mattered, with Ren dangling him out the window by the blazer.

Come on, a little friendly threat of falling-to-your-death never hurt anyone.

Ren decided that talking to Minatos about near-death situations could wait, despite Lavenza's advice.

Much later in the day, the thieves made their way back into the cognitive school. Settled in a safe room, the cleared-out faculty office of the deceased Suguru Kamoshida. Everyone's all gathered together, Ryuji (now known as Captain, Kidd, or whatever was easier to say at the time) included, and Makoto's the first to try and get everyone organized.

"Ahem. Ignoring any rumors that may be flying around the school, we need to get back to work."

"Would they happen to involve the girl in blue?"

"You don't even go to our school, Yusuke." I'm not even going to ask how he knows that.

"Ah, that is true."

"This place is like a labyrinth. Even though every hall is familiar, we've definitely traveled too far to be in the same school," observed Makoto.

"It's definitely weird. Mementos does the same thing, but only after you leave the level."

"How strange."

"We're not getting anywhere, we haven't found the roof entrance, even though we're on the third floor."

"Perhaps because it's closed to the students?"

"It is?"

"...Oh, forgot to mention that." Ryuji rubbed his neck, "Sorry about that, prez."

She sighed, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter right now. Maybe we should explore the classrooms again."

They'd checked in all of the classrooms on the third floor, and found nothing. Well, a few of the usual zombie-cognitions, but those were melted as easily as the desks.

While checking the second floor, he noticed something strange in his classroom. "Hey, guys, there's a busted open window." They entered behind him, finding an empty classroom, with some of the wooden paneling broken.

Ren walked up to it and poked his head out. It was near perfect compared to the view he'd usually get from his desk. Y'know, if you discounted the apocalyptic condition of the school grounds and the sky.

Doing exactly what was natural for him, he planted a foot on the window sill and grabbed the ledge above.

"...Why didn't we think of that earlier?"

Ren was the first to reach the roof, but rather than looking around, he summoned Arsene to pull up Yusuke and Morgana. Makoto hitched a ride on Captain Kidd, Ryuji at the wheel. Once they were all situated, they tried to see what was inside the courtyard.

The usual rooftop was relatively untouched, looking almost exactly like it did in the real world, almost like a safe room.

A giant blue tarp covered the internal courtyard. Ren tried to lift it, but felt it was heavy like steel. It still wavered in the wind, despite its supposed weight.

"It's… It's Treasure!" Morgana launched himself past the others, jumping onto the tarp. An audible clang rang out, as he slid back down towards them.

"You think the treasure is under there?" He asked the cat.

Morgana shook his bobbing head, clearing the dizziness away. "I've felt something like this the entire time we were here, but… It's just past this barrier, I'm certain of it."

"Do you think we can get this tarp off?" He switched into Arsene's body with his drill, trying to lift the impossibly heavy obstruction again.

"It might be linked to the psyche of the distortion owners. If something were to shake it up, it might become easier to remove."

"Shake it up, huh… Calling card! That's what it was called, right?"

"Yes, and once we send one, the treasure will take its true form, making it all the easier to steal."

"Good to know. Well, are we done for today then?"

"Seems like it."

"Huh. And we didn't even have to fight any traumatizing mid-bosses."

"..."

"I said, at least we didn't even have to fight any big monsters."

"..."

"I SAID-"

"Let's just go, man."

AN:

The Demi-fiend transferred into Gekkoukan, that's my handwave. I stole the basic idea from another Persona 3 fic. Can't remember the name right now, but Fuuka and Elizabeth became friends, it might have been Remix, but I'm not sure. I'm incredibly busy right now, and sorry for being late. The next chapter will be short as well, but expect a longer one for the epic gamer conclusion. Thanks to NoRoleModelz as always.

Review, please, even if you think this is shit, any suggestions or encouraging words would be great.