CONTENT WARNING: The section "8/8 – Sunday, Afternoon, Shujin Academy" contains references to suicide ideation, while the section "8/9 – Monday, Afternoon, Sojiro's House" contains references to parental abuse. While not graphic, this content still may be difficult or upsetting to read, so please take breaks or skip sections as needed. Stay safe.
8/7 – Saturday
Evening
Odaiba
Ann
Hey Ren sorry to ask so late but are you busy at all tomorrow?
Ren
I'm on the train right now
Tomorrow though, nope
Ann
Oh okay good lol.
So, weird question.
Shiho gets out of the hospital tomorrow and she told me that she wants to go back to Shujin's roof to "prove to herself" that she's actually like okay and stuff and this might be my last chance to tell her how I feel before her parents shuffle her off to another school and I'm terrified of EACH of those things let alone BOTH so would you maybe consider going with us?
Ren stared at his phone.
"Who's texting you?" Ryuji asked, leaning over to peek at Ren's phone, shoulder bumping against his.
"Ann," Ren said, turning the screen a little so Ryuji could read.
After a moment of silence, Ryuji let out a low whistle. "Holy shit that's a doozy."
"Yep."
Ren
Are you sure I won't be intruding?
Ann
I already checked with Shiho before I asked you, she said she didn't mind.
But uh, I mean obviously I didn't ask about the whole feelings thing she doesn't know I hope.
Plus like
Okay and I realize this sounds absolutely demented
I think you being there might make it easier to tell her?
Even if you're just standing outside the door idk I'm just
Ren I am fucking terrified of being alone with her now I'm so scared I'm gonna fuck this up somehow and I trust you 100%.
You're my best friend and you make me feel brave.
Ren
Gotcha
That means a lot Ann
I'll be there
Ann
Aaaaa thank you thank you thank you!
I'll make it up to you somehow Ren you're the best!
Ren
You don't need to, I promise it isn't a problem
Gotta go though, date night with Ryuji
Ann
Say no more say no more lol.
Have fun!
And thank you again, I really mean it.
See ya tomorrow.
This felt colossally stupid. Absurd, that he might care so fucking much about something so arbitrary. But it wasn't for him, it was for Ryuji. So Ren took a breath, squeezed his boyfriend's hand, and kept walking.
"Looks a lot different without any of the fair stuff here," Ryuji noted, as they passed by the former fairground. Dark, and quiet.
Ren just nodded. They were between the bay and the open square, a walkway that traced the top of the hill and would even out through an overpass to a notorious date spot – Ren had done his research – but that spot wasn't his aim. His eyes wandered elsewhere, not much farther down the path, a little bump in the grassy hill, one of many that evened out the slope into what could almost be described as level ground.
"Soooo," the jock said, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, "not to be a whiner or nothin, but how much–" Ryuji cut himself off with a brief yelp as Ren abruptly dragged him off the path, pulling the blond by his hand toward the hill.
"Right here." Ren let go of Ryuji's hand to reach into his bag, grabbing a spare blanket he'd borrowed from Sojiro and spreading it out on the bump. He sat down, making sure to leave enough space for the other boy.
Ryuji, sure enough, sat next to Ren, staring out over the bay. "This is where we watched fireworks that one time, yeah?" It was dark, no moonshine through the overcast sky, but the lights from the city across the water painted the smile on his face clear enough. "That was a blast. Yo, we should totally do something rad like again that when Futaba's up for it."
He took Ryuji's hand and squeezed it tight. He felt almost like he should direct the conversation towards something else, try to focus on something more personal to the both of them, but he hadn't a clue what to say. "That sounds nice," he said.
"You know," Ryuji continued, "this stuff, like the hot pot and the buffet and the fair, that's all felt like crazy special to me. Cause I used to go with the track team to celebrate stuff too, but that always felt kinda...fake, I dunno. Like I was pretending to be someone, going along with whatever the group said." He glanced towards Ren, grinning up a storm. "I'm not pretending. Not when I'm with you. Rest of the Thieves too, but you're the guy who taught me how to be me. If that makes any sense."
Despite the fear still aching its way through his chest, Ren smiled back. "I know how you feel." He turned his gaze back over the water. "I wouldn't have awakened to Arsene if it hadn't been for you. I mean, I wish it had been under better circumstances, but still."
"For sure, for sure." Ryuji laughed. "Man, can you imagine if our first job as Phantom Thieves was like Nakanohara or some shit? Fucking around in Mementos, not having to risk anything, just kickass superheroes without any of the baggage."
"Yeah," Ren chuckled, "imagine if the adults had actually done their jobs. And we could just sweep up the assholes who fall through the cracks."
"I guess you wouldn't have gotten arrested," Ryuji said.
"You wouldn't have gotten your leg broken," Ren added.
Ryuji was quiet a moment, and Ren was momentarily petrified that he'd crossed a line. "Shit, I guess...I mean, if none of that happened, you wouldn't have ever moved here. We might have never might."
Ren considered that. "I think my parents would have wanted to get rid of me," he said. "They might have still dropped me on Sojiro."
"Yeah. Fuck, man." He squeezed his hand. "You think we would have been friends? I mean, or boyfriends or something? If we never had to deal with any of this shit."
"I hope so." Ren leaned over, resting his head on Ryuji's shoulder. "It's kind tough to imagine what my life would be like if I'd never met you." He squeezed his hand back. "I don't think I'd want to live that life, if you're not in it."
Ryuji took a short breath in, like he was going to say something, but he cut himself off. Reached his free hand out, palm up.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "What's up, Sunshine?"
"Rain," the jock said simply.
And then, he felt it too. A soft impact against his cheek, then another on his shoulder. "Fuck," he said. "Fuck, god fucking–"
"Go go go!" Ryuji let go of his hand, grabbing the edge of the blanket.
Ren quickly sprung to his feet too, still swearing under his breath, helping Ryuji quick-fold up the blanket as the rain started to drizzle in earnest, working its way towards a torrent. "Overpass," he said.
"Way ahead of you Renren." Ryuji handed Ren the blanket, and then darted back towards the walkway, slipping and stumbling on the now slick grass.
Ren followed, holding the blanket above his head as an impromptu shield. It didn't do much. By the time the pair reached the overpass, he was still soaked and shivering.
Ryuji put one hand against the concrete wall, breathing hard.
"You okay?" Ren asked, short of breath himself, tucking the soaked blanket under one arm.
And the jock burst out laughing, shaking his head off like a wet dog. He didn't stop giggling, leaning back against the wall, grinning at Ren. "Fuck dude, just, fuck." Ryuji shook his fist at the ceiling, or the sky beyond the ceiling. "This is homophobia you motherfucker!" The exuberant shout echoed through the overpass, which made Ryuji laugh harder, practically doubled over.
Something about the young man's joy soured Ren's mood further. He couldn't help it, it just clicked something into place, something bitter and quiet. He didn't say a word, just adjusted the sopping weight under one arm.
Ryuji cut himself off with a hiccup, taking a long deep breath. "Shit, that's like, what, the most dumbass thing that could ever happen on a date right? I mean besides for running into your ex or your dad or some shit, like that's just..." He threw his arms up, grinning. "Like, what the fuck!? That's so dumb!"
"Sure." He couldn't keep the resentment out of his voice, couldn't look towards Ryuji. He just kept staring at the ground between them.
Silence between them. Ren would have thought it peaceful, but it stung, filled up his lungs with a petrichor ache. "Dude." That quiet voice, the same constant overwhelming empathy that never failed to send Ren's heart into a furious tension. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I wasn't making fun of you or nothin, I promise. Didn't mean to–"
"It's not–" Ren cut himself off with a frustrated breath. "Not you. Whatever. It's fine, don't worry. I'm fine."
"Ren." He sounded far more like Ann than himself, his tone firm and unwavering. "Tell me what's up. Come on, we're...like, we're partners. Right?"
"It's stupid." He swapped the blanket from one arm to another, as if that would help at all. "I'm just being stubborn, it's fine." Ren winced, his own impulses at war between unreserved and withdrawn. "Fuck." He glared at the ground. "I just wanted tonight to be fucking special, or something. You told me you wanted a special place for just us, and I couldn't think of anything that would work cause I guess I'm just a moron, and this isn't even like an us spot it's more of a Thieves spot but I though oh, maybe it would work, but then some dipshit decided to start pouring rain and now I'm just...ugh!" He grabbed the blanket with one hand and threw it, the wet cloth barely traveling a foot before landing in a damp heap on the hard ground. Ren's heart barely drowning out his own furious breath. "I'm just tired of fucking this up."
He'd expected a silence, something satisfyingly quiet and painful. But he didn't get one. "Ren, fuck's sake." Ryuji grabbed his shoulders, holding them tight, staring right at the young man who refused to meet his gaze. "Dude. You're not fucking up nothing."
"I'm fucking up something," Ren shot back.
"No, you're not." He let out a short breath, frustrated – maybe at Ren, maybe at himself. "Look, Ren, you're not...you don't have to force yourself to find something special for me. I don't need that, I don't."
"Don't say stuff just to make me feel better."
"I'm not lying," Ryuji said, firm, with an intensity that dragged Ren's gaze towards him. "I'm not lying and I'm not bullshitting you and I'm saying what I mean." He paused, as if composing himself. "Look, I guess, being honest? Ramen shop was like...yeah, okay, I did want that. But it was mostly just an excuse to spend more time with you." Ryuji's breath unraveled. "Dude, I just fucking love you, you know? With everything I got. I don't need a special place, just you. Wherever the fuck we're together, that's special. That's all I need."
He didn't have the tears to cry, or the pain to retort, or the joy to return. Ren felt empty, and yet full up of...love, maybe. Just overwhelmed by it all. "Okay," he said, quietly. "Okay."
"Okay." Ryuji smiled, just a little, and let go of Ren's shoulder to wipe what might have been tears from his eyes. "Are we...like, good?"
"We're good." He took a long breath. "I'm sorry."
Ryuji looked like he was going to say something further, but the furious growl of his stomach cut him off. "Uh," he said, looking distinctly embarrassed.
And that tipped the scales. Ren burst out laughing.
"Sorry man," Ryuji said. "I kinda assumed we were gonna go get some food somewhere, so I didn't eat first–"
"It's alright," Ren chuckled. He reached out for Ryuji's hand, squeezing it tight. "Come on. I think I've got a backup idea."
Thankfully, it had stopped raining by the time the pair made it back to Yongen-Jaya.
"Rained on your date, huh?" Sojiro said, offering a sympathetic smile from atop his newspaper. Morgana, atop a nearby table, perked up as the two entered.
Ren nodded. "Hey, Sojiro, you wouldn't happen to have any leftover ingredients?"
It took the cafe owner a moment to catch up, but he broke into a knowing smirk. "Yep," he replied, raising the newspaper. "Kitchen's all yours."
"Make some for me too!" Morgana mewled.
"What's going on now?" Ryuji asked from halfway through the front door.
"Come on," Ren said, pulling his boyfriend farther into the cafe. "Let's make some curry together. You and me. It's not the most special, but it's what I've got."
Ryuji was silent, but a glance back at the jock's grinning face beneath that mess of blond hair made his reaction clear.
8/8 – Sunday
Afternoon
Shujin Academy
Ren pocketed the key Makoto had given him, and pushed the roof door closed behind the trio, taking a moment to catch his breath. Ann looked even more exhausted than he was, no doubt her anxiety making the climb a challenge. Ironically, of the three, Shiho seemed the least winded.
"You doing okay Ann?" she asked. "You look like you're going to pass out."
Ann nodded, throwing a thumbs up even as her flushed face and shallow breath told otherwise.
"Oh, Shiho," Ren said, eager to shift attention off of Ann, "I've got some painkillers in my bag. They're a little slow-acting, so I could give you one now if you like. In case your legs start hurting on the way back down."
She glanced his way, looking a little surprised. "Sure, yeah. Thank you."
Ren shifted his bag off his shoulder, unzipping it to grab the bottle, only for Morgana to pop his fuzzy head out with the painkillers between his teeth.
"Thh dhh!" the feline said, his mouth full of plastic.
Shiho burst out laughing, reaching over to scratch under Morgana's chin, and take the bottle from him. "That's one hell of a trick. You teach him that, Ren?"
"Nope, that one's all Mona," he replied, unable to help a little smirk. As Shiho popped the cap off, Ren found his gaze wandering towards the near distance. He could spy the Thieves' old hideout across the way on the other rooftop, past the metal fencing on this one. He wondered for a moment if the fencing was new, but it would be beyond inappropriate to ask, considering the particular reason they may have had for installing it.
Shiho handed the bottle back, but her eyes seemed distant as well, drawn towards the same fencing. Towards the roof's edge. Ren bit back a breath as she stepped closer, reaching out a hand, grasping the metal wiring. Her focus out, and down.
"Shiho," Ann whispered.
Ren chose his words carefully. "Ann said you wanted to prove something to yourself."
She nodded. "Yeah. To face myself, I guess." Shiho paused. "To tell the truth, I wanted to reenact that moment. Up here, looking down. I wanted to know if it would feel the same."
"Does it?" Ann asked, her voice momentarily unsteady.
Shiho shook her head. "I was running away, last time. It wasn't like I wanted to die, but I wanted...an out. Something, anything. It was like there was another girl dragging me up here, trying to throw me off. Some part of me that didn't feel like me. Like, my cowardice, or something." Her fingers tightened around the fencing. "I wanted to see if she was still here. If she was still a part of me."
Ren's right hand found his left, fingers traced against that thin line of raised skin. "She's gone. Right?"
"She's gone," she echoed. "And I'm done running away from my problems. I promised myself that."
"You're so strong," Ann whispered, wiping at her eyes.
Shiho turned back, still holding onto the fence, but smiling softly at her friend. "It's because of you. Every time I wanted to give up, I thought of you, how hard you were fighting, how you kept on smiling despite it all. I guess, I didn't want to be a burden, or get left behind."
"I'd never leave you behind," Ann protested. "I would have never fought so hard if it wasn't for you. You saved my life, back then."
"And you saved mine," Shiho said.
"Shiho, I–" The words caught in her throat. Ren knew them, and he knew exactly why she couldn't say them. Ann wiped at her eyes again, shuddering, like both breath and truth were trapped in one.
Shiho hesitated. Fingers wrapped around the metal wire. Watching her best friend start to cry. And she let go. Crossing the distance and taking Ann's free hand in both of hers.
"I'm sorry," Ann said, laughing and sobbing in the same breath. "I'm so fucking scared, Shiho. I just don't want to fuck this up. Fuck us up."
"You don't need to worry about hurting me." Shiho sounded upset, just a little. "I'm not that fragile, Ann."
She shook her head. "I know, I'm not...I'm scared of losing you. More than anything, I just don't want to lose you." Ann forced a breath, then laughed again. "This isn't how I wanted this to go."
"You can always start over," Ren offered. He felt sort of helpless, but it wasn't his job to meddle. Just be there.
Ann nodded. "Right. Okay." Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, she held Shiho's hands tight. "Uh...may I? Start again, I mean."
Shiho nodded, seeming a little confused.
Deep breath in, and out. "I know I can't hold onto you forever," she began. "We're still gonna be close, when you change schools, but things are going to change between us. I know that. I hate it, but I know it." Ann stared down at her hands and Shiho's, fingers interlocked. "I don't want things to change. I'm scared of that, scared that we might drift apart. But if they're going to change anyway, they might as well change for the better, right?" Another unsteady exhalation. "No matter what, even if we can't be friends after, I just...I need you to know how I feel."
Shiho looked dumbstruck. Was she putting together the pieces? Ren hoped she was, he hoped she'd see what Ann was struggling to say.
"Go on," Morgana whispered. Ren could feel him kneading the inside of the bag, nervous or excited or both at the same time. "Go on Ann, you can do it."
"I love you." All at once, in one quick breath, like she couldn't say it any other way. Then, stumbling over her words, she continued. "Not just as a friend, I mean yes as a friend but I'm, like, I'm in love with you." Ann laughed, like it was spilling out of her. "You're brave, and amazing, and you make me feel like I want to be better, like I want to be the person you see in me. I love being around you, I love seeing you happy and I want to be with you forever, and I–I want to be your girlfriend. More than anything, I want that."
"You're..." Shiho said, quietly. "You love me too?"
Ann nodded, before the giddy smile dropped off her face. Ren could see the gears turning in her head. "Too," she said, finally.
Shiho burst out laughing, throwing her arms around Ann, maybe she was giggling or maybe she was crying or maybe she was both. "I love you," she whispered. "Fuck, I love you. I wanna be your girlfriend too, Ann. I wanna be with you."
Ann still seemed stunned, for a long moment. Then, she hugged Shiho back, as tight as she could.
Ren's cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling. Beyond that, he was fairly confident Ann could handle the rest from here. "I'll give you two some privacy," he said, turning back towards the door.
"Ren, wait a sec." Not Ann, but Shiho, breaking away from the embrace. She seemed trapped by phrasing for a moment, before blurting out: "you're Phantom Thieves, right? You and Ann?"
Ann blanched, and Ren felt his own heart skip a beat. "Uh," he said, "how do you figure?"
She smirked, as if that was all she needed to hear. "Sorta put two and two together, a while back. Just made sense." She took Ann's hands in hers again. "I'm not going to tell anyone, obviously. I just wanted to know, for sure. And..." Shiho paused. "Thank you. For helping Ann change his heart, and fighting by her side, all that. I'm really, really grateful she had someone like you."
"Shiho," Ann whispered, looking like she might start crying again.
Ren nodded. "I'd do it all again," he said, before the implication of the words sunk in. With that, he slipped through the rooftop door, into the stairwell, leaving Ann and Shiho alone together.
8/9 – Monday
Morning
Cafe Leblanc, Attic
"Do we have any plans today?" Morgana asked, lazily stretched out across Ren's strewn covers.
He shook his head, tying his shoe on the nearby couch. "I was thinking about checking up on Futaba in a little bit. Otherwise, nope."
"We should open tonight's parcel now then," the feline announced.
"Afraid you'll forget?" he teased, already scooting off the couch to reach under the bed.
Morgana's fur ruffled, clearly insulted by the question. "Of course not. But we've got the time now."
"Sure. Sounds good to me." As if he wasn't in the process of fishing it out already. It didn't take long to nab the correct parcel – after this one, there were only a solitary three left, and he couldn't decide if that realization caused him more satisfaction or dread. He plopped down next to Mona on the bed and peeled open the adhesive.
Hopping up on Ren's shoulders, Morgana peeked into the parcel. "It looks like...are those more photographs?"
He pulled out the small loose pile of printed photos, noting a folded piece of paper alongside the collection. And right at the front, he couldn't help but smile. "It's us, at the buffet, after we changed Kamoshida's heart." It hadn't been that long ago, less than half a year, but the sight still filled him with a distinct nostalgia. Ryuji grinning into the camera, Morgana poking his head up to stare longingly at a towering plate of pancakes, and Ren himself side-eyeing the camera with a slight smile. The only one missing was Ann, but he suspected Ryuji's head was blocking her from view. He placed the photo to the side, glancing at the next one.
"That's the hot pot!" Morgana mewled. Ren could swear he heard the not-a-cat's stomach growl – they hadn't eaten breakfast yet, so that made sense. The picture was probably another of Ryuji's, considering the tilted angle and thumb poking into the frame. Primarily, it was a shot of Ren, his glasses fogged up from the pot's steam, with Yusuke serving himself in the background.
Next was Ren deep in concentration, focusing on an arcade game with a plastic pistol. Then, a picture of Makoto and Yusuke, the latter in his yukari, deep in conversation in the light of a fairground booth. Then, the fireworks over Odaiba. Then, Morgana sprawled in a sunbeam in Leblanc – the feline let out a little irritated growl at seeing that. But...
"What's wrong?" Morgana asked, as Ren hesitated on an image of Ryuji throwing up a peace sign in front of what looked like a ferris wheel.
"Ann's not here," he replied. He flipped through the other images more quickly now, that realized dread settling in the pit of his stomach. Futaba was in a few of the images, looking far healthier, spending time with Ren and the other Thieves. But there wasn't a single photo of Ann, neither one of her on her own nor within the Thieves' ensemble.
"Why..." Morgana trailed off. He must have known what her absence implied, as Ren did. To be in a photograph with the rest of the Thieves, but gone from their earlier celebrations.
Ren placed down the photographs and grabbed the paper note. Without a word, he unfolded it.
Joker,
I'm not sure how things are between us, where you are now. In my world, we're not on the best terms. It's a lot better than it used to be, I think I can still call you a friend, but there's way too much pain between us to ever let go of all the way. Not in the time we have, at least. If everything goes well, apparently you're going to remember some stuff, but I don't know how much. Maybe all you remember is our fight, or maybe not even that. So I'd like to set the record straight. If you find this out from anyone, I'd like it to be from me.
Anachronism fucked up. You should know who he is by now, so I won't play dumb.
I figured out pretty early he was hiding something. Didn't know what, but he wasn't the best at hiding. I told him as much, and he told me in no uncertain terms that he valued that secret more than our friendship. So I left. The friendship, the Thieves, everything. But I didn't say a word. My reasons were my own, and if no one else could see that lie, no one else should have to face it.
It took Anachronism till October before he spilled the beans about this time travel shit. I didn't even find out through him, one of the other Thieves told me. He didn't say a word to me for another couple months after that, not until it was time for everyone to put their lives on the line, not until I had to suck it up and help save the world.
So yeah. He fucked up.
But I fucked up too. Not that he'd ever let me say that. Trust me when I say that he – that you – slip way too easy into self loathing. It's easier for him to believe he's guilty than hear that we both might be.
I wasn't wrong to be pissed at him for lying to me, for breaking his promise. But the situation wasn't that simple. It took a while for me to see that, but I do see it. What he went through, and what you're probably going through now, there's no part of it that can be boiled down. I took it personally, but it wasn't personal. He knew, from the start, what was at stake if something fucked up. If he let even a bit of this out of his control. He didn't keep it a secret cause he was an asshole, he kept it cause he was terrified what would happen if he didn't.
I don't know if this matters. I don't even know if this means anything to you, any of it. But what I guess I'm trying to say is...Ren? I forgive you. Whatever you've done, if you kept your promise or broke it, if we hurt each other or not; I forgive you, for all of it. If you fucked up, if someone got hurt, work on healing. Do what you can to make it right. But I swear to you, and this is coming from someone who still struggles to be your friend, you are not a bad person. You're not the pariah you wish you were.
You're a good person, and I know that because you try. Because you're doing the best with what you have. I hope you can see that too, someday.
See ya on the other side,
Ann Takamaki
8/9 – Monday
Afternoon
Sojiro's House
"Ren," Futaba mumbled. She was half-sitting up, her back against the wall, blanket up to her neck.
Ren scooted the chair closer to her bed. "What's up?" His mind was a mess. Little fuzzy fragments of memories drifting across it, incomplete ideas and emotions unmoored inside his brain. Ann's letter had shaken something in him, some stability he hadn't been aware of. He couldn't articulate it even to himself. But half braindead, he could still be there for Futaba. He could still try to help her.
She shifted beneath her heavy-looking comforter. "Do you have any scars?"
"Yeah." Ren felt a little cold, being asked that. He knew why she was asking, after all. Right hand finds left wrist. "A few."
"You mentioned..." Futaba trailed off. "Mine kinda itch sometimes. Sojiro said I shouldn't scratch 'em, cause otherwise they'll keep bleeding. And sometimes, I'll just think I have to–" Another hesitation. "Reoccurring, I think. It's something that gets stuck in my head, or I can't stop doing it." Futaba closed her eyes, sinking down a few inches. "I don't know how to stop. I want to get better, but I don't know how."
Ren didn't have an answer. He wished he did. In lieu of that, he could offer something, maybe. "Someone told me something about scars, a little while ago," he said. "Would you like to hear it?"
Futaba tilted her head, glancing towards him with a curious expression.
Taking that as a confirmation, he continued. "He said that a scar is a death avoided. A sign that you've faced your own end, and still seen tomorrow's sun." He reached out, gently resting a hand on the bed. Not in her space, but on the very edge of it. "He said that...showing a scar is a sign of pride, but hiding it is a sign of humility."
"Humility," she mumbled. "Not shame."
"Yeah." He leaned back, but she reached out, hand like a dart from under the covers, grabbing onto his arm. Ren flinched.
"Um," she mumbled, immediately letting go, wilting into her blanket. "I'm sorry. I just...I don't want you to leave yet. I'm sorry."
Ren took a long breath, letting his heart steady. "It's alright, Futaba. I'll stay until you're ready. I'm right here." He smiled. "I'm not going anywhere."
The Lovers Confidant Rank 9 was one of the scenes that made me fall in love with Persona 5. It took a while for it to really sink in, how important it was to me and my interpretation of the game, but it definitely lives rent free in my head. Considering that, I really wanted to do the scene justice here, and I hope I managed to.
Big thanks to Jane for helping brainstorm and beta read particular sections. As always, she's an absolute inspiration and I value her assistance so much.
