Hey, what's up? This chapter will feature singing and song lyrics so that's a head's up. Feel free to sing along, no matter how bad your shower voice may be.

Also, this is a shorter chapter than normal, so I decided to compensate for it with an omake. It was an idea that came on the behalf of Asd0789. So, you have him to thank for this one. Go read his stories.

The glass clinked on the counter as Ren polished off his third glass of sarsaparilla. He always wondered what that was and looking at Ryuji's showtime attacks didn't help. It tasted like a more herbal Root Beer.

A man with dirty blonde shoulder-length hair underneath a brown fedora walked over behind the counter and took Ren's now empty glass. "Would you like another round, Ren?" he asked.

"I really shouldn't Gil, I don't have the money right now. Why do you think I haven't been buying alcohol?"

Gil let out a dry laugh "Barely anyone does around this part of the city," he said, gesturing to the tavern.

Ren was currently sitting in Montraine's Tavern. Most stuck to calling it Gil's tavern after the barkeep.

The tavern was–to be frank–run down. Various cobwebs littered the upper-level deck where the inn rooms were, signaling its disuse. The main floor was a wreck in its own right; various floorboards were missing around the area allowing the cellar to be clearly visible. One man in a drunken stupor had fallen into a gap in the wooden flooring and no one had even lifted a finger to help him yet. The man next to him was busy muttering about constellations.

Paintings on the walls were half falling off and the wallpaper was torn. In the entire tavern, the only thing that remained pristine was the bar counter and a mighty piano that sat on the dilapidated stage.

In defiance to everything else in the building, the piano was spotless. The lid was open, showing that every string was still finely tuned, and the iron was gleaming. The keys and pedals were freshly polished. Not even a speck of dust could be found on the instrument.

Gil laughed as he watched Ren appraise the establishment. "This is the slums for a reason, kid. Never stopped anyone from running up a tab."

Ren found himself in the tavern for lodging for the last odd days, mainly because he simply couldn't afford the nicer area of town after giving most of his remaining money to the thief that tried to rob him. When he was fighting her, he noticed the various angry red marks that defined themselves on her back. Some were faded, some were caused by him–Others were fresh.

She needed the money more than he did.

It was of no importance to him. He knew where she stayed and if he played his cards right, he could win it all back and not get her in trouble in one swoop.

Raoul sighed in his mind "Ah, reminds me of Josephine Balsamo, the countess of Cagliostro. What a fine woman she was. Also, you happen to be the same age I was when I first met her."

"Didn't she die because of you in 813?" Silky asked.

"No, that was Dolores Kesselbach, another fine woman."

"Hee-ho they both died because of you," Jack Frost pointed out.

Pixie then added her own high-pitched voice in the conversation "Then Josephine turned your son against you too, as revenge from beyond the grave."

"Love is a fickle thing, it doesn't always come to pass the way you want it." Ren couldn't miss the timber of sorrow in his persona's voice.

"I won't let her die" Ren then fumbled over what he just thought. "…...I mean I don't love her or anything, I don't even know her name."

"Yet, my other self. The answer to both those thoughts is 'yet'. Not one of the women back in Japan fights in the exact same way you do–Like she does. And at such a high level to boot. Combined with the fact she's certainly easy on the eyes; you're definitely interested. You can't hide it from me."

Ren didn't grace the laughing persona with an answer as he tapped his finger on the counter, he was sure his cheeks were slightly pink.

He distracted himself by asking Gil a question.

"If you don't mind me asking, how do you even keep this place open, Gil?"

Gil picked up the glass and put it in a sink underneath the counter. "I have my connections. Despite its look, the booze pays for itself, and I have a good supplier from the Wildlands just begging me to get rid of the stuff. Contracting companies want an arm and a leg to come out to the slums. That's why this place looks the way it does. Even if I did, another fight would just break out and bust up the tavern again. In a way, this 'aesthetic' acts as a deterrent."

Ren gazed around at the tavern. The patrons looked so….Defeated. Dirty and grime covered, they only sought to drink their sorrows away. Yet almost in defiance, the piano stood out. Colorful and hopeful, it just didn't match with the rest of the establishment. An idea began to form in Ren's head, an idea that could perhaps bring a little life to the area if just for the night.

Fond memories of the Jazz Club in Kichijoji filtered through his head. Rare moments of respite around Akechi. Quiet thoughtful conversations with Makoto. Post-workout cooldowns with Ryuji. Pretending to be more mature than silly teenagers with Haru. Enjoying a new form of beauty with Yusuke. Stolen kisses with Ann. Close comfort with Futaba. New ventures with Sophie and Kuon. Destressing with Zenkichi. And mournful reflections with Sumire.

Slowly, but surely the jazz club had become a near and dear place to every member of the Phantom Thieves as a place where for once they could just let go for an hour or two. Of course, there was Leblanc, but that was home. The Jazz Club was their little pocket of refuge in a world of chaos defined by social norms.

"Hey, Gil? Can you play that piano over there? It's well taken care of, I see."

Ren already knew the answer to that question, the man had been peeking at it like a schoolgirl with a crush.

Gil scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, it is. It's the last thing I have from a bygone dream. I used to be quite good in my heyday, not good enough to make it far, but I like to consider myself pretty good."

"Do you think you can play it for me tonight?"

Gil's eyebrow raised. "What are you planning?"

Ren cracked his knuckles and stood up. "A way to pay you back for the delicious food, drink, and board, maybe earn a little cash too. Most of all, a way to live your dream for a night."

"I never said I was going to play for you, kid," Gil stated. "Besides, dreams are best left in the past."

"I disagree, dreams are desires. To deny them is to deny yourself. Everyone deserves the chance to chase their dream."

Ren gestured to the piano.

"The way you've taken care of that piano you're probably itching to play, that's a symbol you haven't given up yet, but if you really don't want to play, that's fine too. I'd rather have at least one instrument in the background for what I'm about to do."

"Dah, are you planning to–Of course you are. Do you at least have the sheet music ready? You can't have a song with an instrument," he said begrudgingly. "Acapella isn't most people's cup of tea."

Ren gave a smug smirk and opted not to reply but instead pulled out his journal and flipped to the back page, showing it to the bartender. Gil gingerly took the journal out of Ren's hands and read it with a critical eye trained for music.

Gil closed the journal and focused on Ren. "I can definitely do this with the piano, but in the future, you may want to scrounge up a drum set, Ren."

"Ah, so you're saying you're not man enough to be the backbone?"

"I never said that," Gil replied confidently, cracking his knuckles. "If you're not careful I can outshine you."

"Let's see what you're made of then, for tonight only you can be my dance partner in starlight."

–X–

"Why are we wandering this far into the slums again, Giselle?" The tallest of the group, Rico asked, trudging along behind the three other women in case someone got any funny ideas regarding the women. Or the luggage being dragged in a cart by the horse behind her.

"Yeah, we have the money, I'm sure we can stay somewhere a little bit better than here." The brunette, Tanzy agreed. The last member of the group Coda gave a grunt of support.

"Now, now, guys. That thinking is how we got stuck in this city in the first place. Safe passage to Toto'haha isn't anything to scoff at if we don't want to have to fight for our lives." Giselle scolded the others. Weiss the dove cooed in agreement.

Coda scoffed. "I mean that's what we got Tanzy for, she's freakishly strong and good with light magic. As a matter of fact I'm not sure why she isn't on guard duty instead of Rico. Tallest doesn't necessarily mean strong."

"Thanks…." Rico droned, tilting her head in exasperation.

"You know I didn't mean it like that. You know I love you." Coda turned her head to look at Rico while they walked and cringed seeing his forlorn expression. "Geez…Normally Tanzy or Giselle are the depressed ones. You know I didn't mean anything with that. Tanzy's just abnormal compared to the rest of us."

"I'll take those remarks as a compliment. My goddess has simply blessed me to have the ability to do the task demanded of me. For that, I will complete any service she demands of me. Because I am nothing without her love." Tanzy spread her arms in an inviting gesture, but it did nothing but make the other three people shiver. Even Weiss hid his head under his wing.

"Are all you Crestlands folk that nutso about your devotion, or is it just you?" Coda jabbed at her. Tanzy was about to respond but Rico cut her off.

"Um…Do you know how close we are to where we're going? Rico asked, trying to change the subject. Religion was always a touchy subject around Tanzy, but when she was happy it usually led to rants that the others secretly thought were attempts to convert them. The three frequently shared jokes that she seemed a bit cultic and saying yes to her would get you sacrificed to some sort of eldritch abomination that fed on goats and virgins.

"Thank you for asking Rico," Giselle said, grateful for the distraction. "We actually should be coming up on the place right about now. It's a tavern and inn combo."

At that moment they came upon the lackluster two-story building that had a sign of a mug dangling from the roof. What really caught their attention was the blackboard foldable sign that sat outside on the sidewalk.

Singer inside, tonight only! Relax with drinks and music.

It was written in colorful chalk in fancy, eye-catching lettering.

"You don't see that often for taverns," Giselle said.

"...Most taverns don't have performance areas. If anyone is singing, it's usually drunk sailors." Rico commented softly, tying the horse next to the water trough.

"Then the goddess has blessed us with this opportunity to unwind."

Giselle opened the door and ushered them inside. "Let's just go inside."

People come and they go…

Some people may stay with you though,

As soon as they stepped through the threshold their ears were met with a smooth masculine voice with an ethereal timber accompanied by a soft piano.

I am all alone tonight, and I kept on

Asking myself questions

"Wow…." Giselle said, summing up the group's thoughts.

"I wonder who's the one singing?" Coda asked quietly, looking for a seat in the half-filled establishment.

I was so conceited

I never really doubted myself….

But tonight got me thinking 'bout it all…..

If I am the fool or whatnot

The four managed to secure a table in the far corner. The reason it hadn't been taken was due to the gap in the floor next to it but that didn't bother them in the slightest as they continued to listen to the person on the stage. The lights in every other area had been dimmed to some degree in favor of two singular spotlights on the stage for the singer and the piano player. Rico had to catch Coda from falling into the gap due to the low light as they sat down.

I do not

Regret my choices, In fact, I'm rather proud

A couple of members smiled wryly at that line. All four of them had sacrificed in order to go on their globe-trotting adventure and chase their dreams. They looked up at the stage to see the singer was a frizzy-haired man with silver eyes wearing a well-worn jacket.

"O'Goddess forgive me, but doesn't he feel familiar?" Tanzy said gripping her chin.

Giselle blushed as a memory came back to her.

"You seem to know who he is, leader," Coda said teasingly. The purple-haired woman poked at Giselle's cheek, making her leader wrinkle her nose in annoyance.

Giselle's eyes slipped back to the man's figure as he sang his next verse.

Yeah, I know I won't change anything,

Because I can only be me so….

Maybe it was her imagination, but she could have sworn he looked directly at her and winked.

Rico raised her voice hesitantly as the piano entered into a solo. "L-leader spill it. Your face is pink now."

"That's the man who helped us perform the other day." she finally admitted. The image of them atop the stack of crates holding hands would be forever burned into her memory.

Coda leaned forward on the table and squinted. "Yes…It is him–of all places to see him again."

"We didn't even get his name last time," Rico said, a note of hope entering her voice.

How can I be so sure?

At a crossroads, I'm afraid to…...

But I can't let fear get the best of me

Someone once said, "Burn my dread, babe"

"His appearance; these lyrics. It is no coincidence, it seems fate had ordained us to meet once more."

Coda leaned back, crossed her arms, and sent Tanzy an annoyed glare. "Normally I'd argue with you on that, but now? This feels like an opportunity we–I mean you Giselle–can't pass up." The bubbly purple-haired woman said.

"'At a crossroads, I'm afraid to' huh?" Giselle placed her elbow on the table and leaned into her palm and sighed.

After that man had left, they immediately jumped right into practicing their newfound ideas and innovations. However, at least to Giselle, it didn't feel exactly right without that man. He controlled the stage and his body unlike any other she had seen. It was a set of skills she realized she sorely lacked. Out of ten tries hopping around on the crates, she fell at least six of them. Even Coda looked less clumsy than she did. At least Rico would catch her whenever she fell. Giselle started to think that maybe she was feeding off his energy that first time, rather than her own natural ability.

Even now her eyes traced him while he was on stage. While not dancing he subtly moved around deftly avoiding every snag and hole on the stage–without even looking down. As if he'd memorized the layout of the stage down to the little details. It also occurred to her that no matter where he was on the stage his voice still carried at the same volume.

"'But I can't let fear get the best of me'" Coda said, speaking the next verse. "You have to go up to him after he's finished."

"Burn your dread, babe," Rico added, eliciting giggles from the other two. Even the normally taciturn Tanzy was having a laugh at her expense.

Who knows what tomorrow holds?

I just wanna live my life the way I want

What fills up my soul is passionate

Music that makes me want to sing

Again, after the first verse, Giselle felt three pairs of eyes settle on her. She snorted and pouted in response, their message vividly clear.

My story will be starring me just like yours

Ooh ooh

Who knows when it will end?

What matters most is

How you bring joy to life

So…

Finally, the song started winding down as the man vocalized various noises and sounds to go with the last notes of the Piano. Eventually, both singer and the player stopped completely and were met with a raucous round of applause and whistling. Once that died down too, the man spoke.

"Thank you all for enjoying the performance. We'll now go into an intermission. I know plenty of you are hungry and thirsty."

At that moment the lights came back on illuminating the whole tavern as the two men went over to the counter.

Underneath the stares of her comrades, Giselle steeled her nerves and stood up from the table. Injecting confidence in her walk she went up to the man right as he was finishing up chatting with who she now assumed was the bartender as he went around the counter.

Right when she was about to tug on his sleeve to get his attention, he turned around and smiled at her. Giselle's confidence died on the spot right then.

"I thought I recognized you. You're the leader of Giselle's Troupes, correct?"

"Yes, that's Giselle. N-no! I mean she's me! No, I mean I'm Giselle. I'm Giselle and I'm the leader of Giselle's Troupes," she finally managed to squeak out, hoping her face wasn't as visibly warm as she felt it was.

The man chuckled which served to make her face burn hotter. "That's right, we never got each other's names. I guess I should introduce myself too. I'm Ren–Ren Amamiya. I have to ask, what are you guys doing out here?" He offered a bowl of bar nuts in an effort to try and ease her nerves a bit.

She waved off the bowl and Giselle brushed some of her blonde bangs off of her forehead. "Well, we were looking for a cheaper place to stretch out our money."

Ren scooped some of the nuts in his hand and popped them in his mouth. "Figures. Travel is expensive; I'm pretty much in the same boat," he chewed and swallowed, lightly thumping his chest. "I thought you would've had enough after that performance."

Giselle blushed and turned away. "W-We wanted to practice a new routine based on what you showed us and what we came up with. We were–having some trouble. It's why I approached you, to begin with. When I saw you were the one singing, I had to ask," She fidgeted a little in place. "By the way, you have a very beautiful voice. How do you do it by the way? That thing with your voice where everyone hears you."

The man returned the bowl to the counter and dusted his hands off. "It was a bit of wind magic. Allows you to project your voice anywhere you want to. It was a trick a senior of mine taught me," Ren put a finger to his temple in thought. "More like I picked it up from her rather than she taught it to me. She puts on shows for kids, so it comes in handy."

"It is impressive, nonetheless. I've only heard of the most skilled dancers being able to use vocal magic."

Ren gave her a smile that made her heart titter. A feeling her arraigned fiancé had never managed to elicit in her. "Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the compliment. Could've used a drum and a cello but I do what I can, and Gil is pretty decent with the piano." Outside her field of view, she heard the bartender scoff. "Now what's this about having trouble?"

"I'm not as acrobatic as you, Ren, so I was hoping….You'd like to join the troupe and teach us?"

He frowned in response. "You know, some apothecaries asked me the same thing about a week and some change ago. Being part of a group doesn't align with my goals right now," Her spirits dampened; asking someone to join a troupe was a big ask. "But I'm going to be in the city for a bit, so how about I teach you as long as I'm in town? In return, you guys help around the tavern?"

"Ren, you don't have to–"

Ren ignored Gil's protest to continue his offer. "While me and him are onstage, nobody is manning the bar. It would help out to make an extra income."

Giselle spared a glance back at her comrades. Coda and Rico were giving her a thumbs up and big smiles. Tanzy looked at her expressionlessly with her hands steepled around her stomach.

She swallowed and clenched her fist. "I'll accept."

"It's a deal then."

An indescribable feeling flowed through her at his words.

She looked at the hand he extended. Without hesitation, she gripped it in acceptance.

It felt as if she had signed a contract, a contract that would be hard if not impossible to break. More importantly, she was the one to sign the contract, not her parents promising her body as compensation to an unknown noble.

As she walked back to her table, she felt reassured, her head was just a tiny bit clearer and her heart was a bit freer. The world seemed just a tad brighter.

"Hey, Ren?" Giselle grunted as she leapt down from a stack of crates. Weiss came down from the air and gently landed on her head.

Ren had them going since breakfast. Well at least her. Rico and Coda were cleaning the upstairs level from cobwebs. Tanzy was practicing her whipping accuracy. Even Weiss was flying through an obstacle course Ren had set up for the poor bird.

The man in question peeked up from behind his book and his hand stopped writing in the notebook on his lap. He had been sitting at the bar counter reading and writing the whole morning. Gil had left to restock on booze.

"What exactly are you doing? I thought you were supposed to be coaching us."

"And I am," He replied back. "I know you stumbled on your last three jumps. You're throwing too much of your weight forward, not backward." Giselle flinched back.

"I also know that Rico and Coda have been shirking off cleaning duty to go flirt." Coda let out an embarrassed squeak that was followed by the sound of bristles furiously scrubbing on wood.

"And that Weiss knocked over three of the rings I set up." The dove on her head cooed sadly.

"Do you have eyes in the back of your head?" Coda shouted.

Ren gave a non-committal shrug and then went back to writing. "Something like that. I'm just very observant."

Giselle snorted. "I've known you for two days now. Even a person like me can see you have a trick up your sleeve." Leaning forward she tried to read the text of his book and notebook. "Again, what are you doing? I can't understand half of it."

"It's the language of my homeland." He replied, not looking up as he finished another paragraph.

"It's very similar to Ku Script from my limited understanding."

That got Ren's attention as he stopped writing and looked up at her from where he was sitting.

Feeling proud of herself she continued. "Yes. I can pick out some of the words like 'brain' and 'environment'"

Ren clucked his tongue in amusement. "Close but not quite. That's the word for thought. It's notes on Psychology and how an environment can affect a person's thought process. When I left my homeland, I left my schooling behind; I was about two years away from completing my studies. So, while I'm traveling I thought it wouldn't hurt to keep abreast of what I'm missing for when I come back."

"How diligent of you," she said, impressed. When Giselle left home, she left all her thoughts of education and schooling behind too. She had truly bet it all on becoming a performer.

"It's more diligent of you to know another language," He countered, waving his hand. "Even in passing."

Giselle blushed and fidgeted in place. "It's nothing. My parents were nobles in Timberlain. Naturally, in addition to the perfection of my own tongue Timberlanni, I had to learn as much of Kalenese, Ku Script, and Ku's spoken language Uton, as I could; The languages of our neighboring countries."

Ren rubbed the feather of his quill pen underneath his nose. "This might seem like a weird question–But what language are we speaking right now?"

Her eyebrow raised at the strange question. "Delstana," she said slowly. "Why?"

A light blush graced his cheeks as he played with his hair. "When I left for my journey, I was sure I'd have to learn the Lingua Franca of the region at the bare minimum. Imagine my surprise when I could understand everyone and everything perfectly."

"Delstana isn't the Lingua Franca; it's close, definitely, but ultimately that'd be Flametongue: the language of the church," she informed incredulously. He really was a foreigner! Overhead she spied Rico and Coda peeking in on their conversation. Even Tanzy had slowed down with her whip.

Ren nodded his head "Makes sense. I was informed that the Church has free reign in all eight countries in the region, right?"

"Yes that's, correct." She confirmed, nodding her head. "Anyways I'm more curious about this ability of yours."

Ren's brows furrowed in thought. "I have a theory on why I have this ability. I met a certain person who was interested in my journey. There's a good chance he gave it to me–If it's an ability at all."

"Mind if I'm allowed to help you evaluate this theory?" Tanzy said, walking over, her whip at her side. Giselle's eyebrow raised once again at the brunette's words.

"Sure, I don't mind," Ren replied. "What do I need to do?"

"Just tell me about what language you speak."

"It's called Nihongo, though outside of my native language, it's called Japanese. I don't see how that would help."

Tanzy's lips turned up in a soft smile. "You already have, little lamb." Giselle didn't miss the brief scowl on Ren's face at being called 'little lamb'. "I've word I've spoken has been in a different language. I have covered the main eight, including Ancient Beastling. Quite the gift you have been bestowed."

Putting her hands on her hip, Giselle narrowed her eyes at Tanzy. "I'm more curious about where you learned eight languages, including Ancient Beastling. That's a lost tongue, Tanzy."

The woman remained unfazed as she closed her eyes and pressed her hands together in prayer. "A gift from my goddess as a way to travel the lands and see what I can see. Perhaps she has touched you as well, Ren?"

Ren gave a look of pure skepticism as he said. "The person I met was no god–far from it in fact."

Tanzy opened her eyes, and her face went stony. "Was that an affront to the goddess?"

"What if it was?" Ren said testily, as he set his book and notebook on the counter and stood up. Tanzy in return inched closer, unafraid of his harsh silver eyes. Her hand drifted to her whip, while Ren's was inside his jacket.

Sensing that two different conversations were going on, and was about to turn into a fight, Giselle intervened. "Okay~ It's time for a break, isn't it?" she said, spreading her arms between the two warring powers, separating them.

Thankfully, Ren decided to be the bigger person. "I think food and fresh air could do us some good. We'll meet back in an hour." Ren announced loud enough for the cowering Rico and Coda to hear.

Tanzy shot him a dirty look as she made for the exit.

Once she was gone, Giselle let out a breath of relief. "What's her problem?" Ren said, capitalizing on her absence.

"We….honestly don't know," Giselle admitted, putting a hand to her temple at the mere thought. "We picked her up in the Crestlands–Flamechurch matter of fact. But she's been a real mystery despite being with us for close to a year now. We make jokes about her being a part of a cult…"

"But now we aren't so sure." Coda finished from the upper level.

Rico appeared over the railing next and Giselle face palmed at the sight of the kiss mark clearly visible on her neck. "I-It's clear she joined us for her own reasons; we all did. We're people after all. But I can't help but wonder about her sometimes…."

"Please try not to antagonize her?" Giselle pleaded. "We know folks outside of the Crestlands aren't exactly super religious, not to mention from another region entirely, but I'd rather not alienate her." Atop her head, Weiss cooed in agreement.

Stretching his arms behind his head, Ren let out a sigh of exasperation. "I understand, Giselle. I'll try, but I make no promises. I'm not part of your group, so the best thing I'd say is to keep an eye on her. It's what I'd do." He then walked behind the counter. "I don't think Gil would mind if I borrowed his kitchen. Would anyone like curry?"

—X—

"Where'd Ren go?" Gil asked as he walked into the tavern and saw only the members of Giselle's troupe around.

At the mention of the frizzy-haired man, Tanzy who was currently learning the piano, suddenly played a couple of notes off-key which made Gil cringe. Rico and Coda who were sitting at a table writing notes were similarly affected.

The two hadn't been on the best of terms for the last day and some change. And Gil was not getting in the middle of that. Lest he wants his bar destroyed again. He knew power when he sensed it, and those two had the strength to spare.

Giselle herself gave the answer after shaking her head. "He said he had to go check on something, but he'd be nearby," she said from atop the railing she was walking along.

"Now what on earth could have caught his attention in the slums? Hanging out carelessly around here is a good way to get robbed by that gang." Gil said as he stepped behind the counter and grabbed his ledger.

Three of the four troupe members gave him a curious look. "Gang?" Coda asked.

Rico grabbed her hand. "Coda, it's the slums. Gangs are common."

Gil let out a grunt of disapproval. "This gang is anything but common, lady. The Blacksnakes aren't a gang you want to come across."

"Oh, dear…" Giselle said quietly.

"There is no gang other than the Blacksnakes around here. If they target you, you might as well give up what they want. You take one out and two more come after you. That's even if you notice them stealing your possessions in the first place."

In a rarity from the tallest troupe member, Rico met his eyes. "I-I'm from the Winterlands. The Snow Hares rule the underground world there. I know how they work!"

"I bet you do, they're also a nasty set of customers," Gil said, nodding his head in understanding. "But they don't control nearly as much territory as the Blacksnakes. With New Delsta as the HQ."

"How do you know this?!" Coda asked, thoroughly shocked.

"You pick up a couple of things when you run a bar right down the way from where they operate," Gil revealed.

"What?!" Rico and Coda yelled at the same time with undisguised fear.

"They run the gambling den right down the street from here. Word of advice: Don't go there."

A harsh chord came from the piano.

"Noted," Tanzy said.

"I hope you're okay, Ren…" Giselle said, leaping down to the first floor and coming over to sit at the bar counter, not noticing the amazed eyes of her comrades.

Gil chucked which caught the attention of the sullen leader. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Ren strikes me as a person who can manage himself." A bit of relief flushed into Giselle's face from his reassurance. "But you've got it pretty bad for him already, don't you?"

The woman's head went cherry red. "I-I-I d-d-don't know what you're talking about! Why would you even t-think that?!"

"The fact you just fell ten feet and didn't even stumble like you did before. The rest of your troupe noticed it too."

Giselle swung her bar stool around in realization and saw the smirking, giddy faces of Rico and Coda along with the raised skeptical eyebrow of Tanzy.

"S'okay, leader." Coda chirped trying to muffle her giggles. "We all deserve a bit of love at times."

"Some might say you two have a bit too much 'loving'" Tanzy directed a disapproving glance at the couple. "However, I agree. Just as I have the love of my goddess; others deserve their own outlets of release as well."

Gil nodded his head in understanding. "I can definitely see the appeal. A rugged, mysterious traveler with an unknown goal that suddenly swept you off your feet." he laughed at her flustered face as he set a drink in front of her, which she downed near instantaneously. "I think most women wouldn't have stood a chance. Some guys just have all the luck."

"I don't love Ren!" She blurted out as loud as she could.

Right at that moment, the door swung open, and Ren stepped inside, a box in his hands.

"Did someone call my name?"

"BWWAH! REN!"

Screaming Giselle fell off her stool with her legs in the air, causing the others to burst into laughter. Weiss cooed eagerly from his perch on the chandelier above them.

"Um? Are you okay?" Ren asked hesitantly.

Giselle straightened herself out and stood up. "Yes, I'm fine," she told him while smoothing out her hair. "We were just talking about the Blacksnakes and how they hang around in the area."

"Oh, so that's who those guys with the snake tattoos were," he said, setting his box on the counter.

"Don't tell me they went after you…." Giselle said soberly, giving Ren a once-over.

"Me? Never. I know a gang when I see one, and I never go looking for trouble."

Gil waved him off "Uh-huh, yeah. Anyways, what's with the box?"

"The next big innovation in tavern-going!" Ren said excitedly as he pulled a circular piece of wood from the box. Different sections of the wood were alternatively colored black, red, and green, with white numbers ranging from one to twenty on the outside ring.

"Back in my homeland, we played a game called darts. I haven't seen it around, so I thought I'd make my own board."

Everyone looked at the wooden circle with varying levels of interest and fascination.

"What's the objective?" Rico asked.

"Yeah, what she said! How do you play?" Coda followed up.

That same smile he had when he roped Giselle's troupe into working for the tavern appeared on his face.

"Let me explain…."

—X—

Ren stood behind Giselle as he gripped her wrist guiding her in how to play darts. They were playing 301: the beginner's game. Over in another part of the tavern Rico and Coda were effortlessly racking up the points in 701.

Nearby, Gil and Tanzy acted like a murder mystery in progress around each other, but they had managed to move on to 501 from the standard 301.

"Don't look at them," Ren instructed her, bringing the woman's attention back to the dart board. "Everyone has to start somewhere. This game will help with focusing which in turn will help with balance."

He fixed her wrist into a proper throwing position. "It's just a flick of the wrist. Take it slow and aim for the bullseye."

Giselle took a deep breath and threw as Ren showed her.

Bullseye!

Above her Weiss cawed in jubilation.

"See you can do it," Ren said with pride. "Now all you have to do is transfer that feeling to acrobatics and you're all set."

"Did you play this game often back in your homeland?"

Ren swiped his bangs out of his face. "Very. At least once a week me and my friends would try to get together and play. Helped us unwind. Also promoted teamwork for when we had shared jobs."

"Are there any other games you'd play?" Giselle curiously asked, wanting to know more about the man's life pre-journey.

"There is," He replied. "But that'd require me to build something elaborate. This is downright child's play compared to that."

"That tone tells me you're contemplating it,"

"And you'd be right. I just have to find the right materials, but once I do, I'm sure it'll be a hit in taverns everywhere." Ren finished by extending his arms like a showman attracting the attention of the others. Giselle couldn't help but admire how naturally he thrived in the spotlight.

"That's a mighty big ask," Gil called from across the room.

"In taverns everywhere? That's quite ambitious…." Rico said next.

Ren cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. "You know what they say, 'shoot for the moon, and even if you miss, you'll land among the stars,'"

Gil adjusted his hat as he threw another dart. "To be honest with you, I think this game by itself is enough if you license it. And to tell me you got more planned? Gee, kid, you should probably talk with the merchants."

"Hmm? Right, I guess that's a good idea." Ren said in agreement. "I'll have to scout out who I can trust."

"You might find a partner in the Wildlands. The merchants flocked there like fleas on hounds when the silver rush hit." Giselle informed him. "I would know, Leaflands had to deal with the fallout when they left our territory."

Ren scratched his head. "That's on the Western Continent, right?" Receiving nods from everyone else, he continued. "If that's the case I'll have to put it on the back burner for now. I still have business on this continent."

"What business would that be?" Giselle said, trying to pry.

The man offered her a sly smirk in return that did nothing to assuage the uneasiness she felt earlier.

Ren looked on with interest as he watched the female thief he fought some odd days ago, practice her newly stolen moves on a children's playground.

Smirking devilishly, he adjusted his position on top of the water tower as he sipped his tea and munched his Cornish. Not-London-Paris-New York was amazing. It was almost like visiting the real thing.

He highly doubted he'd be detected-people rarely if ever looked up. That was part of the reason Arsene Lupin was so successful; he always came at an angle.

He watched as she jumped and grabbed onto the high bars and tried to spin around. This time she lasted for three full-body rotations when her hands slipped off and sent her crashing on her posterior.

Ren had to give her credit, she was certainly persistent in trying to add his moves to her repertoire.

She stood up and brushed the wood chips and dirt out of her hair. After, she muttered out a couple of choice swears that sent nearby children running. In turn, earned scornful glares from their parents. That was….Until they glimpsed the night black tattoo of a serpent on her arm, after which they'd pick up their respective child by the scruff of their neck and give the woman a wide berth much to the child's confusion. And the increasing woman's scowl.

Sooner or later, she'd have the whole playground to herself. Just her and the dog that endlessly followed around. The thought of how fast she could clear the establishment gave Ren some dark amusement.

He had been following the gang for close to a week now. They all had the same reputation. It was almost an open secret among the denizens of the city.

True to the gang name of "Blacksnake" each member moved like snakes. They slithered in crowds and out of them with full pockets of ill-gotten goods. They each had an uncanny knack for the shadows. Once they walked into the darkness it was hard to separate the shadow from the person for the untrained eye. They were even hard to tell apart from each other. Their similar Ish almost androgynous faces kept people and even policemen from readily picking them out. The moment you memorized the thief that stole your wallet, five more doppelgängers popped up and threw everything into question. It was a guessing game from hell.

Good luck trying to pick the culprit from a line-up.

Curiously, as much as they helped each other, they'd sabotage one another just as frequently. More often than not, Ren witnessed a Blacksnake pickpocket a Blacksnake. Cannibalization events like that happened way too frequently for it to be a coincidence. Ren pieced together that it was some sort of sick competition between members. Why? He could guess it was a way to move up. It always was. Kaneshiro and Shido were a testament to that.

There were three exceptions to the rule, however. The first two were clearly head honchos.

They both showed up as a mixture of red and golden when viewed under the third eye.

The first person was the lady with the clown makeup, and the big bosom to match her heavy-set body. Make no mistake. Her body was like a sumo wrestler's—all muscles underneath a façade of fat. The coiled whip on her side was constantly coated in blood. Who's blood? Ren didn't want to find out.

The mooks and minions that comprised the lower ranks of the gang scrambled to stay out of her way or cater to whatever whim came to her mind. Those who weren't smart enough or fast enough found themselves candidates for public acts of corporal punishment. Never the whip, however. Always a punch or a swift kick in the ass. Either way, the offender was sent flying more times than not due to her gorilla-like strength.

Ren also observed that she frequented the brothel in the area more than the average person. He had stood on the roof in morbid curiosity and heard screaming–And not of the pleasurable kind. Her own notwithstanding.

He suppressed the urge to gag as he brought out his notebook and skimmed the notes he made on the other person of interest.

The second person that stood out was the skinny man with white hair and a trench coat. He immediately stood out to Ren. Everywhere he went the stench of death hung in the air around him. While the others could be categorized as both thieves and assassins; this man was a pure assassin.

What put Ren on edge about this guy is that he actually noticed him. He was following him way above any perceivable sight line, yet a tiny jerk of the head was more than enough to tip Ren off in acknowledgment.

He was no stranger to staring death in the face ranging from a psychotic Crow, a tyrannical Shido, to even Sae when she demanded to spar with him.

This guy was on that level. He wasn't nearly as strong as he liked to deal with that guy. He felt like the Reaper. He was more red than gold when he appraised him with the third eye. Joker wasn't ashamed to admit he jumped a couple of rooftops back to create distance between them.

Best to avoid him for now unless he had a plan or assurance he wouldn't attack.

Then there was the oddity.

This woman struggling to perfect her form on children's equipment was the third. She was different from the other two. She didn't ooze 'fuck off' energy like the woman. And death didn't favor her like the man.

She didn't possess the cutthroat mentality of her contemporaries, but the shadows curled and wrapped around her like no other. They adored her, yet it seemed she abhorred them. It was a means to an end for her. The woman wanted to be loved by the daytime, and she did her best to fit in, but her attempts were awkward at best from what Ren observed.

She did command the respect of the group for her pure skill and strength which was only second to the fat lady and the trench coat man.

Ren idly watched the card float above her head as she vaulted herself upwards. A card unseen to anyone else except him. A man upside down suspended from his foot by rope was talking on a phone.

The hanged man.

A person caught between two extremes.

Memories of Iwai and his struggle between family and duty sprung to Ren's mind.

He found it amazing that all it took was a single encounter to forge a connection. A stolen item and a quest to get it back. It's what allowed him to track her so easily.

She fell on her ass again after an incomplete flip. Biting back a curse, she got up instantly and tried it again, this time succeeding. Ren's eyes followed her svelte form twisting and turning, unsatisfied executing it only once. She aimed for complete mastery.

He chuckled at the sight. She really needed a teacher or in her case true experience. Behind him, a bat in the chimney squeaked and flew off into the sunset as Ren leaned back in contemplation.

A hazy idea formed in his mind a way to talk to her and isolate her from the two others–with their approval.

"All thieves would at the bare minimum parley at that line of thought," Raoul gleefully informed him.

A malicious grin formed on Ren's face as he disappeared from his perch with a backflip. He had work to do.

Omake: In friends footsteps-Hanged Man

It was a pretty calm day for the Airsoft shop. Iwai could freely kick back and relax. Ren was gone on his adventure, but his girlfriend and Karou were more than happy to pick up the slack. Between the two of them, they actually stayed ahead of schedule.

He was honestly running out of things to do.

The girly was scary and efficient in back-line stuff while his son proved competent in sales. Not to mention Karou had latched onto the girl like a big sister. Maybe he could retire in a few years and leave the shop to them.

Sure, the girl wanted to be a police commissioner—but a little side business never hurt. Under her, she could probably turn it into a chain. Karou gets a commission then he gets to live out the rest of his days on a beach watching bikinis go by. Yep, that's the plan.

He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the desk. He slid his cap over his face hoping to grab a quick bit of shut-eye….

*AAACHOOO*

He sneezed hard. Hard enough to send his cap and headphones into the air and him tumbling backward out of his chair, landing on the floor with a loud thud. His cap fell backward on his face.

"Dad, are you okay?!" Karou called, running into the back room.

Iwai waved off his son as he adjusted his cap and sat up.

"I must be getting old if you think a simple sneeze and fall is enough to do me in." he said with a smirk.

"You know I don't think that, Dad. You're too tough to go out like that."

"That was quite a sneeze," Makoto said as strolled into the room casually. "Do you think someone's talking about you?"

Tilting his head, Iwai gave a gruff hum in thought. "Probably your boyfriend if I had to guess," he stood up and put a toothpick in his mouth. "Dunno why, but I feel like he's sticking his nose in a place it doesn't belong right now."

Karou raised his eyebrow. "Like Yakuza stuff?" Karou asked with pointed curiosity. Ren was rubbing off on him a bit too much.

Iwai tapped his foot on the ground and concentrated for a second. "Definitely. Or an organization pretty damn close to it." He finally answered.

Karou shrugged with a wide smile on his face. "It wouldn't be Ren if he wasn't trying to help someone out. That's what a Phantom Thief does."

Makoto snorted in amusement at Karou before turning to Iwai. "So, you get those feelings too huh."

"Too?"

"The other day Mona: his cat, said he had a premonition about what Ren was doing. He mentioned a bag but not much else. Oddly enough later that day, I got the feeling he had met with someone quite similar to me." Makoto put a finger to her chin. " Also, I got the feeling medicine was involved. Can't be a coincidence since it happened to three of us now."

"Geez," Iwai pinched the bridge of his nose. A headache forming at the mention of a talking cat. "I thought I was done with supernatural shit after the winter of 2016."

He flipped his chair back upright and sat down. "Bah, whatever. The kid can wipe his own ass now. And if worse comes to worse you can back him up girly," he said, jabbing a thumb in Makoto's direction.

The brunette sighed and shook her head as she left for the front.

"You're not the least bit worried, Dad?" Karou asked.

"Nope." He said brusquely. "Kid has superpowers and he's proven he's more than capable of getting the job done even without 'em. I'm more worried about who he's up against."

"C'mon, Dad, you have to root for Ren."

Iwai gave a chuckle "Who says I wasn't? Now get back running the store."

Karou gave him a lazy mock salute and walked out of his office.

Iwai then leaned back in his chair once again and put his hat over his eyes. He was going to get that nap one way or another.

AN:

"No More What Ifs" is not the standard Lyn version. This is Sapphire and The Consouls' cover version on Youtube Ren is singing. That's why the lyrics may be a bit different. They did a really good job and I hope you check them out. Ren singing may be a bit ooc but it all serves a greater purpose I promise.

Building up and fleshing out the troupe's personalities was really interesting. Rico specifically I was going for an Amajiki from MHA kinda vibe.

In case you haven't figured it out yet. Giselle's Troupe is part of Ren's arcana. Just like Buku, I think I'll keep it a secret for now precisely which ones they are. However, I have included hints.

Building on that last point, Gil's Tavern and Giselle's Troupe will not serve the same purpose as Kaito or the Shinsos. It's a stop in his journey. Ren will eventually have to say goodbye. He's got places to see and things to do; he can't tie himself down to New Delsta.

I had a lot of fun making up the names of the languages. Uton is derived from Pǔtōnghuà which is the Mandarin word for a common language. Don't have one for the Winterlands though so if you have suggestions, I'm open. As always comment and review, it all helps make my day.