Chapter 20: The Calm After the Storm
Ω • Ω • Ω
•Akira•
5/8, Sunday
After exiting Mementos, the pain had increased by what felt like a hundredfold, but he managed to endure it as they all discussed the day at the subway station's exit. And, after a few jokes at Morgana's expense, they'd all gone home for the night.
The next day Mishima had texted him about meeting up, which led to him sitting in a booth across from the violet-haired boy at the diner that everyone seemed to meet at. He gingerly set his bag down, as even with Morgana staying at Leblanc out of courtesy for his injury, his wound still hurt like hell when any weight was put on it. Once he was done here, he'd probably head into Mementos and use up all of his energy to try and heal the wound.
For now, though, he frowned at the exhausted look on Mishima's face. "Uh, Mishima-san, you look a bit tired."
"Oh, you noticed? Haha, yeah, I've… ah…" The boy yawned, stretching slightly. "I haven't been getting much sleep lately. I've been staying up every day managing the Phan-site all night, every night. I think that's called PR?"
"Why have you been doing that? From what I can see on the site, it's been running pretty well on its own."
"Well, there's no point to taking down bad guys if no one knows about it. So I started a blog on the site for posts from everyone you've saved, all while filtering out haters. The Phantom Thieves have got to be seen in the proper light if we want to make the name popular, right?"
"Well… I guess I'm fine with the blog, but why filter out the haters? And what do you qualify as a 'hater'? If you qualify them as people disagreeing with us and doubting us, that's not hate, that's being skeptical of a bunch of mysterious people calling themselves thieves. I'm not sure it's really necessary…"
Mishima looked slightly abashed, "yeah, I guess I get that, but the principles that the Phantom Thieves represent really resonate with me! You guys are bringing rotten adults to justice, like Kamoshida! How could people not be on board with that?! Although, I do kind of want to know how you guys change hearts…"
"It's better that you don't," he answered, waving over a waitress and quickly ordering some food. "The less you know, the less danger you'll be in if we ever become so popular that the police or the government are after us."
"You really think that could happen?!"
"I don't know. We're going after despicable people that hurt others and can't be touched by the law. Corrupt politicians that could hurt lots of people would certainly be on our radar, and in such a case, they'd likely try and push the police to investigate us."
"Huh… yeah, I guess so. Well, in any case, it's more fun to try and figure it out myself, instead of you telling me! I mean, the Phantom Thieves are supposed to be mysterious and secretive! You know, I wish I could be more like you guys… B-But, in any case, I'll still be here to draw attention to the stuff you do! Leave it to me to make you guys ultra-popular!"
"Thanks…"
"I'll use the Phan-Site to promote the Phantom Thieves and weed out any negativity! Your popularity will be at my mercy… or, uh, my fingertips? It's like I'll be your strategic image management representative, so to speak."
He chuckled awkwardly, trying to ignore what Mishima had said about being at his mercy. Hopefully, that was just a joke. "You're certainly into this."
"Yep! Either way, I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure that title's more than just for show." He yawned again and sighed. "But man, managing the Phantom Thieves reputation is tiring work… The forum gets all kinds of weird posts, including ones not related to reforming society. It'd defeat the purpose of the site if the truth of the PT's was buried under all that garbage… But I'll sort through it all, don't worry!"
"I'm sure you will."
"In fact, I've already gotten some info about our very own school! The quest to boost your popularity can start close to home! I'll give it my all!"
"You really are… motivated, huh?"
RANK UP!
Moon Arcana, Yuuki Mishima: Rank Two
"Yeah, but I'm definitely overworking myself…"
"Maybe take some time off from working on the website tonight. For now, let's eat some food and loosen up. I could definitely use some relaxation and recovery."
Ω • Ω • Ω
5/9, Monday
"Ungh…"
He looked up from his phone, grinning at Ann. Half from seeing his beautiful friend, half from the fact that he'd managed to almost completely heal his arm the previous night. "Allergies? It's that time of year, after all."
"Allergies? Oh, maybe. I do feel kind of dazed, and everything feels weird!"
He raised an eyebrow, looking at her in concern. "Ann?"
She winced at his look, rubbing her arm. "Actually, that's not it. For the past few days, I've had the feeling like someone was watching me… I really hope that's not it…"
"If you'd like, me and Ryuji could meet you on the way to and from school. I don't like the idea of someone stalking one of my friends."
"Really? I wouldn't want to trouble you! Though, I'm not sure that Ryuji could wake up early enough every day."
"Hm. He can be unreliable sometimes, but when it's important he puts in the effort. If he were here, he'd be hollering that anyone who tries to creep on his friends would get a fist to the face."
Ann giggled, nodding. "You're right about that. Still, I hope I'm wrong about this… Oh! Maybe I just can't shake off the feeling of infiltrating a Palace! We're always being cautious of not being noticed in a Palace, so it's got to be my imagination! Yeah…" He bit his tongue to not point out how it had been several days since they'd last been in the Castle, instead nodding along.
"Alright, if you're sure. Just remember to let us know if you need a couple of guards, alright?"
"Thanks, Akira."
At that moment, Morgana woke up from where's he'd been sleeping in his bag. "Ahh… morning, Akira, An— Ah! Lady Ann! Good morning!"
"Are you sure you're not being watched by this guy?" He drily asked, nudging his bag. Morgana squawked in offense, while Ann just giggled.
"It's a good bet."
The day passed quickly after that, until just before lunch when his phone alerted to a new message in the group chat.
Chat Room: Akira, Ryuji, Ann
Ryuji— hey do u guys think teh atmoshere school is diff now?
Ryuji— o btw!
Ryuji has changed the Chat Room name to: The Phantom Thieves
Ryuji— eh? eh?
You— God damn it, Ryuji.
Ann— You mean, like, the general feel now that Kamoshida's not here?
Ryuji— kinda. nobodies talkd bout him in the open like this right
You— It's true. There were barely even whispers before.
Ryuji— I just wish some1 would thank us 4 it or somethin
Ann— Well, everything's turned out for the best. Kamoshida's being punished for his crimes, and that's victory enough for me.
You— I agree. Let him rot in a cell.
Ryuji— i wonder whatll happen to him. He's a famous criminal rigght?
Ryuji— I get he's going to jail but what about after? He's gonna be dealing with hatred 4ever
Ann— Which is what he deserves. He'll never receive any sympathy from me.
Ryuji— 4 sure.
He placed his phone in his pocket, Morgana swishing his tail as rolled over in his desk. "Have a fun conversation?"
"You could say that." He refocused on his class, time passing quickly until the day was over. Ann packed her bags and left, while he got another set of text messages, this time from Mishima.
Mishima— Hey, I've got some good info for you to look into!
You— Pray tell.
Mishima— I saw it on the Phan-Site, but I've also heard some things about it at school.
Mishima— Anyway, there's a guy at school whose bullying has gone too far. I want to help the victim, but that's impossible for me…
Mishima— But I bet the Phantom Thieves could do something about it!
You— I'll start looking into it, great work, Mishima-san. Was there any information on his name? Appearance?
Mishima— Awesome! Yeah, he has brown hair and is usually seen standing in front of the school entrance. His name is Daisuke Takanashi.
The conversation ended with that, and he gathered everyone at the hideout to go over the info they'd gotten, small amount though it was.
"Takanashi, huh?"
"Do you know him?"
Ryuji shrugged. "Nah. Just seen him around the school. Wouldn't give a bully the time of day, ya know?"
"Well, let's test this out…" he entered Takanashi's name into the Metanav and got a confirmed hit. The boy's Shadow was in Mementos. "Alright, next time we go in it looks like we can change his heart."
"Can we head in now?"
"Shouldn't we be studying for exams?"
"Aw come on, you don't got to worry 'bout that stuff! Just ignore the details and charge on in!"
"Thank you for your wondrous insight, Ryuji." The boy just grinned at him, while Ann sighed.
"Well, what about the calling card?"
"Don't worry about that, Lady Ann. While calling cards are important in getting a target to materialize their treasure, it seems that in Mementos such a large stimulus isn't necessary. Something as simple as Mishima posting a comment that the 'Phantom Thieves are coming for you!' on the forum is enough to trigger a Treasure's appearance, which is what happened with Nakanohara!"
"What if they don't check the forum?"
"Then we can get Morgana to deliver it stealthily, I suppose. Though that could be a bit harder. Either way, We can't go in today. My shoulder is still bothering me, and I don't want to waste everyone's energy completely healing it before then going on a hunt for Takanashi."
Ryuji deflated. "Aw, man." Ryuji reinflated. "Oh, how about we hang today, Aki? I found a spot we can train at! Don't need your shoulder to train your legs!"
"Unless I'm moving my arms while I run," he snarked back. "Well, not like I'm ever going to be able to get you to study. What the hell. What about you, Ann?"
"I actually got an email earlier about my agency needing last-minute replacement for a shoot. I wasn't sure if we were going to Mementos so I hadn't answered yet, I'll probably go now."
"Oh, can I go with you, Lady Ann?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Have fun," he smirked as Morgana jumped from his bag to Ann's, amused at Ryuji's relief that the not-cat wouldn't be coming with them to train.
Ω • Ω • Ω
"Here we are!" Ryuji waved his arms towards the front of a building, a small glowing sigh outside its front doors showing artwork of a flexing man and the name 'Protein Lovers' spelled out in both English and Japanese on it.
The entrance was actually in a side alley off of Central Street, but it didn't look too dirty. Ryuji probably wanted to find someplace they could afford with their budget, while also being good for working out. "Guess what? It's pay per visit, so we don't gotta deal with any bullshit contracts or nothin'!"
"Huh. Great job, Ryu."
His friend beamed at the praise, rubbing his head. "Well, the equipment's kinda shitty, but they've got tons of variety. Plus, it's damn cheap! Totally worth it, even without a pool or hot tub. So, bring your stuff?"
"Protein powder's ready."
"Hell yeah, if you wanna beef up you gotta— wait, no, I meant spare undies! Gettin' back into your sweaty clothes after a nice hot shower is like, the grossest goddamn thing."
He laughed, waving his hand and walking to the entrance. "Yeah, I've got my extra clothes."
"Good, 'cause I ain't lendin' you mine."
"Like I'd want your bright yellow underpants covered in lightning bolts. Or maybe they're pirate-themed?"
"Oh please, like you're any better! I bet your undies got, like… thief stuff on 'em!"
"Thief stuff? You truly are eloquent." They snickered and continued to banter, even as they entered the gym proper and paid for a session. After changing into workout clothes in the locker room they found a pair of treadmills and quickly began their workout.
His shoulder still gave him some trouble as he jogged along, but it was more irritating than painful. Like always, Ryuji grew more serious as he ran, almost becoming a different person. Not a bad thing in any way of course, it simply showed him how focused Ryuji became when it came to running… and how much it troubled Ryuji when he realized that he just didn't have the stamina he used to wield.
He huffed as he stepped off the treadmill, wiping his forehead with his towel as Ryuji wheezed next to him. "Ah, crap… need to get used to this again…"
"Sakamoto? Is that you?" A young man wearing a red shirt walked up to them, and Ryuji immediately stood up, eyes wide.
"Ikeda-senpai! What's bonkin'?" He raised an eyebrow at Ryuji, firstly because he didn't hear Ryuji use honorifics with anyone, and two, because that was the dumbest greeting he'd ever heard in his life.
Ryuji's senpai seemed to think the exact same thing, considering he snorted and shook his head. "'Bonkin'? You say the strangest things. Is that how you greet a friend?"
"I've been tryin' to come up with some cool new slang! Maybe it'll catch on."
"It absolutely will not," he interrupted.
Ikeda agreed, laughing. "You can't just do that. And you don't need to call me senpai anymore! I graduated, remember?" Ikeda then looked at him, crossing his arms. "Huh, haven't seen you before. Were you on the track team?"
"Nah, he's my friend. By the time he showed up, the track team had already… y'know."
"Yeah. Speaking of which, how's your leg?"
"Eh, I'm managin'. What about you, Senpai? You still runnin'?"
"I've actually joined my university's track team. You'd think I would've quit entirely after what happened…"
"About that… I'm real sorry."
"No, I should be the one apologizing. I was supposed to be the leader of the team, but I resigned myself to Kamoshida's will." He looked awkwardly between Ryuji and Ikeda, feeling slightly out of place in their conversation.
"That's 'cause you needed him to write your letter of rec, right? You were just lookin' out for your future, but I managed to eff that up anyway…"
"No, Kamoshida clearly never intended on writing my letter of recommendation. You were just his excuse not to. And honestly, I enjoy where I am now. The track team isn't anything special, but it's perfect for me. So in truth, I should be thanking you for what you did, Sakamoto."
"Senpai…"
"I've always regretted not doing more to protect you guys… But I heard some good news recently… The Shujin track team's being reinstated!"
Ryuji's eyes widened, "For real?!"
"I mean, Kamoshida confessed all the horrible stuff he did, right? I guess the school got the old team together and told them they wanted to start it up again."
Ryuji looked down, brows furrowed. "Nobody told me that…"
"Huh, odd… The rumors got as far as me, and I'm not even a student anymore. Anyway, I heard they're going to get Mr. Yamauchi as the new advisor."
"Yamauchi…? Wait, THAT Yamauchi?!"
Ikeda sighed, nodding. "Yeah, the one that was basically Kamoshida's lapdog. Apparently, he volunteered. He's really enthusiastic about pulling the track team up from the ashes."
"He is?"
"You know, now that the team is being reinstated, there's no need for bad blood, right? Why don't you go talk to them? I'm sure they could use someone with your passion."
"...Yeah." Ryuji and Ikeda traded several more words, before the older boy walked away, leaving Ryuji contemplative. "So the track team's coming back… Good for them."
"So… you seem a bit conflicted about that. What's this about Kamoshida's little bitch?"
Ryuji snorted, crossing his legs. "That's putting it mildly. I'm glad the team's comin' back, it's totally sweet that the team an' everyone can train again, but that Yamauchi asshole's like a mini-Kamoshida."
"How bad was he?"
"He definitely wasn't as bad as Kamoshida, but he was still an ass. He'd yell at us durin' practice, then turn into a kiss-ass when parents were around. I can't believe a moron like him is gonna advise the track team! He doesn't even teach PE!" Ryuji's eyes narrowed. "He's gotta be up to something."
He grinned, a small tint of the feral-ness that he felt in the Metaverse leaking out. "What say we put this training on hold and check him out?"
Grinning back, Ryuji nodded. "Yeah, I'll look into it and let you know when we should head out! Thanks for offerin', Aki!" They clasped hands, with the feeling of his bond with the faux-blond deepening.
RANK UP!
Chariot Arcana, Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank Five
"Awright, let's shower then get outta here!"
"I've got my thiefy boxers ready." Ryuji punched him in the shoulder, and after a wash, they went their separate ways. As he boarded the train back to Leblanc he felt his phone vibrate and saw a message from Ann.
Ann— Hey, it's gotten kind of late, do you want to meet up to get Morgana or should he stay over at my place?
You— What are we, a divorced couple discussing who their child should stay with for the day?
Ann— LOL
You— I'm fine with whatever you and Morgana are fine with. Though I'm quite sure that Morgana would rather stay the night at your place.
Ann— Obviously -_-
Ann— But yeah, I'm fine with having him stay over. We have school tomorrow anyway, so you can take him back there haha
You— Morgana truly is lucky, living out the fantasy of every boy at Shujin.
Ann— Oh har de har. You know that would include you too tho. Are you admitting you're also fantasizing about that?
He tried to think up a sarcastic answer, but the sudden flush of embarrassment caused him to make several typos in his responses.
You— ThYuo cannot prove that.
You— You can't prove anytng of that.
You— Ignore the previous messages! I dropped my phone.
Ann— I'm sure you did. XD
Huffing in amusement, he put away his phone and leaned against the train doors, waiting for it to reach Yongen Jaya. Finally arriving and walking up to the door of Leblanc, he felt his phone vibrate and saw that Ryuji was calling. Why did most of his Confidants call him whenever he finished hanging out with them…?
"Yo! What's bonkin'?"
"Stop, for the love of god."
"It'll eventually stick!" He heard Ryuji snicker on the other end of the line before he grew solemn. "About that stuff today… I can't really be happy about the track team starting up again."
"Why's that?" He asked, walking past Sakura and up to his attic room.
"Like I said earlier, there's just somethin' fishy about Yamauchi being the advisor. But hey, if anythin' happens, at least I got you at my back! So I ain't worried 'bout nothin'!"
His chest swelled with pride at the trust his friend had in him. "Of course I've got you, Ryu. You get to investigating and let me know what you find."
"Ha! Knew I could count on you! Well, either way we don't even know if there's somethin' sketchy goin' on… But when I get these gut feelings… they're usually right."
"Just don't forget to study for exams!"
"Uh, I gotta go! Ma's calling! Bye!" He rolled his eyes as Ryuji hung up, expecting a disparaging remark from Morgana, before remembering he was with Ann.
"Well… guess I'll make some tools."
…
Huh, it gets kind of lonely when you get used to someone spending all their time by your side chiming in on things before they vanish.
Master still has us!
'Yes, thank you, Slime, I feel much less lonely now.'
What about me?
'Eat my ass, Arsène.'
Ta gueule, tromper!
Ω • Ω • Ω
•Makoto•
5/10, Tuesday
She narrowed her eyes as she spotted her target standing quietly on the platform, tapping at his phone. Ugh. He acted like the perfect student, but she knew that a delinquent hid underneath the thin veneer! Sure, he may have had perfect grades in his classes so far… but he must have been cheating somehow. When the exams came around he wouldn't be able to with how closely teachers would be watching everyone.
And during school hours, he seemed reserved, and didn't bother the others around him… but he probably was planning on various ways he could break the rules, or… something during that time! He was always spending time with the other delinquent, Sakamoto-san!
Then again, if Kamoshida-sensei really had done what he did, perhaps he had lied about the 'self-defense' involving Sakamoto-san? But…
She shook her head. No. Just focus on what Kobayakawa-sensei had told her to do. All she had to do was go along and listen to the adults. They knew best, after all. Looks like she was right that she'd also have to do investigations outside of school, like yesterday…
Opening her eyes, she jumped in shock when she saw that Starr-san was staring right at her, a cocky smirk (which was infuriating her!) spread across his face as he stood much closer than before. "Well, if it isn't Miss Student Council President. I assume there's a reason you're gracing me with your presence this morning."
Shaking off the surprise, at both the fact that he'd spotted her and that he'd guessed she was trying to find him, she simply plastered her own fake smile onto her face. "No reason in particular. Hm, well it seems like you're taking school seriously if you're making sure to come in early."
A myriad of emotions flashed across Starr-san's face before he settled on amusement. "You don't speak much with others our age, do you?"
"Wha-! What do you mean by that?! Of course I do! It's my responsibility to-"
He interrupted her, crossing his arms. "No, no, not exactly… Ah, you don't spend much time with others our age outside of school, not in school activities." She must have shown some form of surprise at his accurate guess since his face once more shifted. "Hm. It's why you're so awkward at attempting to make small talk. Or fake small talk, anyway. If you're going to fish for information, at least make sure you have some natural segways between topics."
She struggled to find something to say, a white-hot rage building up at the… was that pity in his eyes?! "Very well, if you don't want to answer, why don't we speak about your friends?!"
Grinning with mock patience, he uncrossed his arms and gestures for her to continue. "Sure."
"Ah-hum… You seem very close with Takamaki-san, however, you only recently transferred. I suppose you two must really click."
"My, what an obvious statement. There's not much to say. We sit near each other in class, talk during lunch or after school… She's a good acquaintance."
"You certainly seemed closer than that yesterday morning. If you're both going to school together, I'd say you're closer than just acquaintances."
"Is a chance meeting on the way to school proof of anything? It seems we also have the same train route to school, does that mean we're more than just strangers going to the same school? Ah, are you coming on to me, Niijima-senpai? I must decline, I'd rather not distract myself from my studies with a girlfriend right now, I'm sorry to disappoint."
Ooh, how she wished to punch that cocky little… "I'm sorry to hear that," she hissed through gritted teeth, before forcing herself to calm down. "Well, closer inspection should clear everything up eventually. Goodbye."
She forced herself to walk away, feeling his eyes following her. She'd crack him, she was certain she could do it! "Oh please, I'd be happy to let you inspect me all you like!"
But first, she'd need to be able to talk to him without letting him anger and control the flow of the conversation. Because it was taking all of her self-control to not send him flying…
•Akira•
Well, someone was sassy.
'Hm. For one, she really pisses me off. Second, throwing her off her game by being smarmy is the best way to deal with her. Don't let her get the upper hand in the conversation.' He ended up boarding the same train car as Niijima, but they stayed on opposite ends. 'We definitely need to be careful around her.'
Agreed. Thy enemy's intellect rivals thy own, only held back by her social awkwardness. Should she stay composed throughout a full confrontation, even thou would be unable to lie thy way out of it.
'Thanks for the vote of confidence.' A few chuckles from his other Personas filled his head, followed by all of them trading ideas back and forth on how to deal with the president. Upon reaching the school no one had come up with a definitive answer besides simply trying to stay off her radar, and Succubus' idea of seducing her, which everyone promptly ignored.
School itself seemed normal, passing by normally, besides yet another incident where a teacher attempted to trip him up with a question they assumed he wouldn't know. And, once school let out, he met with Ann by the front of the school. "Had fun yesterday?"
"Yes, Morgana was the perfect gentleman as he accompanied me."
"Mwehe, of course I was, Lady Ann! I'm me, after all!"
"Uh-huh." Ann and his eyes met, simultaneously rolling them, before he opened his bag to let Morgana jump back in. "Well, I'm happy you two had an enjoyable date."
"D-date?!" Morgana began freaking out at the thought, and he smirked as Ann glared, punching him lightly in the shoulder.
"Alright, I'm going to head to the doctor's office, get us some more medicine. Don't want another Reaper situation next time we head to Mementos…"
"Oh, can you meet me at Inokashira Park? I want to try that strengthening my heart thing!"
"I'm quite sure you can't get free refills at the park."
"I'm going to smack you." He grinned and saluted as he walked away, heading towards Takemi's clinic. The visit was quick, as she wasn't finished making the next batch of medicine to test on him, and he quickly bought what he needed before heading to the park. After texting back and forth trying to figure out where each of them were, they eventually managed to meet up by the lake, where he sat down on the fence and Ann swung her arms giddily.
Morgana had, surprisingly, deigned to explore the park on his own rather than spend time with Ann. Perhaps his lack of memories meant that he was fascinated by so much nature… In any case, that meant it was just him and the blonde-haired girl.
"So, how're we going to go about this? Have you figured out a way to strengthen your heart?"
"Yeah!" Ann grinned excitedly, crossing her arms. "Strength of heart means being able to take what others dish out, and not letting anything get under your skin, right? So I want you to say a bunch of stuff and I'll have to not get fazed by it!"
He smiled slightly, scratching his cheek. "Uh… I'm not sure how effective that'll be, but… alright."
"Come on, come on! Let's get on with it!"
"Hm…" Something rude, then. "You're a ditzy airhead."
"Yeah, yeah?"
"You're dumb?"
"What else?!"
He raised an eyebrow, seeing that she was simply getting more excited, thinking her idea was working. In reality, she likely wasn't taking his insults seriously because of their friendship. "Your idea sucks."
She grinned, clasping her hands over her ears childishly. "Go on!"
Yeah. This wasn't working. Well, if insults weren't working, time to go the complete opposite route. He got up and tilted her head up with one hand, lightly grasping her chin, and the other tenderly grasping her hip. "I'm in love with you. From the moment I saw you…"
Ann was silent for several seconds before a massive blush colored her face red, and her eyes widened. "W-W-Waitaminute!" She jumped back out of his reach and began waving her hands. "Slow down!"
"Looks like I win," he smirked as he sat back down, trying to force down the blush that threatened to cover his own face.
"Wha—! No way, that's not fair! That's cheating!"
"Is it? I managed to make you panic after all."
"I— You— Gah!" She pulled at her hair, before crouching down, burying her face in her arms. "Cheater!"
"It isn't cheating if it works."
"You're disqualified," she pouted, sticking her tongue out. "Wait… is this how the game is supposed to go? Oh well, on to round two! I'm ready for anything this time!"
"Come on, Ann. This isn't going to strengthen your heart."
She was silent a moment, before nodding and sitting next to him. "Yeah, I kinda don't feel like Carmen's getting any stronger. Ngh… something's just not right…"
He chuckled and nudged her. "We'll figure it out." Ann's phone suddenly buzzed, and she pulled it out.
"Oh, an email from my agency… The next shoot is really far. Huh, what's…" Ann's face became confused, reading off the rest of it. "Apparently some models just haven't been showing up lately, so they want us to pay extra attention to the time and place they tell us to go. Then when they're asked why they didn't come, the models said that they heard there was a change in schedule."
"That's odd."
"Yeah. It sounds like shoots have been real hectic with all the scrambling they've had to do to find substitutes."
"Has it happened to you?"
She grinned, shaking her head. "Nope! Haven't missed a single one! But it probably confuses the staff to see a sub showing up too. Hopefully, it doesn't happen to me…"
"You seem to enjoy it. I'm sure that you'll be fine." He smiled reassuringly, aiming to cheer her up. "By the way, how did you get started with modeling?"
"Actually, the first time I ever modeled I was a sub. It was back when I was living in Finland, my parents didn't have enough models for their event."
"Your parents ran events like that?"
"Oh, I haven't told you! Yeah, my parents are both fashion designers who put on some seriously extravagant shows. They jump from country to country, so I only see them for half of the year." She paused, looking down. "...Maybe less, these days."
He watched her, feeling his heart squeeze. He opened his mouth, hesitated several moments. "I… deal with something similar. My dad plays… sports. He's usually across the country for most of the year, so I don't get to see him much. Er, at least, I didn't when I still lived in Onett."
"Really?" He noticed her interest and forced down a wave of discomfort. "What about your mom?"
Clenching his fists, he subtly breathed out to calm himself. 'She doesn't know who dad is. Or Uncle Anthony, or anyone in the family. She isn't trying to use you or befriend you because of them. Stay calm, Akira. She's friends with you, because of who YOU are.'
Exactly, young Starr. None of the Phantom Thieves have come to your side for the merits of your family, but for you.
Be confident, Trickster. How would any of thy companions know of thy heritage?
'The internet?' He shot back sarcastically. Out loud, however, he nodded. "Well, she's a teacher at the town's school, so she can be busy even afterward school. But my Aunt Tracey usually takes care of us when mom can't. Anyway, it can definitely be lonely without our parents around, but we at least have a bit more freedom than most kids, right?"
She laughed at his joke, nodding. "Yeah, I guess I can afford to be pretty relaxed these days on my own. Plus, it'd be a bit hard to be a Phantom Thief with our parents breathing down our necks, huh?"
"You've got that right. But even if they're overseas or across a continent working, at least we know they do it because they love us, and want to take care of us… even if by doing so it makes it so that they can't be around that much and are subsequently far away," he chuckled.
"Yeah, exactly! Just because they can't be around doesn't mean they hate us or anything! Y'know, it was rough when I was little. It was just me and my live-in caretaker. I didn't really have any friends, and… uh, wow, that got dark fast! Ahaha…"
"Hey, I get what you mean. My dad's been playing ba… sports since before I was born, I grew up with him not being around much. And even when my mom could be around… she's not exactly the best caretaker. She definitely tries her best, but she's… not exactly good at cooking. Or taking care of children. Aunt Tracey really picked up the slack there," he laughed.
"Really?"
"Mmhm. My mom can cook some simple stuff, but anything with more than two or three steps ends up becoming a blob of inedible feces. She also apparently tried knitting me a sweater when I was a baby once, but it came out with three sleeves and two head holes. She reluctantly let Aunt Tracey do most of the caretaking after that, and just focused on doting on me."
"Ha! I mean, I've never really tried cooking, but I don't think I could mess up something as badly as your mom apparently did. Ah, no offense!"
"None taken, on account of how true it is. I think it's very rare to be that naturally untalented at cooking. Well, at least when dad's around he picks up the slack, he's much better in the kitchen, you know? Honestly, while I may not want to become a sports star, at the very least maybe I can try becoming somewhat good at cooking and have him try some of the things I could make…"
"Well, Morgana told me that you apparently live in a cafe's attic? Maybe you can learn some recipes and knock the socks off your dad!"
"Hm… yeah, that's a great idea!"
Arsène smiled from within him, feeling as the tension ebbed away from the Trickster, the boy not even noticing how open he was being, how informal his speech was becoming, nor how happy he seemed to be sharing his true self with a friend. Hopefully, he would be able to express that same self with the rest of his friends, consciously, one day.
"Well, it's just something I thought of in the moment," Ann blushed. "Because for me, I feel a connection to my parents whenever I do modeling. And it's a nice hobby to have, but… I don't think I want to make a living out of it."
"Why not?"
"Well, it's where Kamoshida first spotted me. And how our class started all those rumors…"
"Bullshit," he furrowed his brow at the thought of Kamoshida and shook his head. "You shouldn't let that bastard taint something that makes you feel closer to your parents. Or those damn rumors. I haven't seen your work, but I'm sure you're great at it, and if it's fun and helps you with your mom and dad, then you should definitely continue!"
"Akira…" Ann smiled, giggling. "Thanks. Right now the Phantom Thieves are more important to me of course, but I'll try my best when it comes to modeling as well! After all, no one can be my substitute in our group!"
"And no one will be," he grinned back. "You're a core part of the team, Ann. Nobody could replace you!" My, how forward. He coughed into a fist, sudden;y realizing how flirty that may have sounded. "Ah…"
Ann just nodded and pumped her fists, not noticing his small blush. "Even then, I'm gonna work even harder! No need to worry about me anytime soon, leader!" Her heightened motivation marked the crashing of chains, drowning out his surroundings for a brief moment.
RANK UP!
Lovers Arcana, Ann Takamaki: Rank Three
Ann suddenly looked contemplative, thinking about something. "You know, when I was little, I used to watch this anime where the main villain was this female thief. She'd lose to the hero every time, but I always thought she was so cool."
He nodded, "I get that. A lot of my favorite characters are villains or anti-heroes."
"Yeah. She wasn't really a 'good' person per se, but she was beautiful, strong, sincere, and even sexy. She always said whatever she wanted, did whatever she wanted… She knew what justice was for her. I… wanted to grow up to be just like her someday. I hope I'm getting closer now, even just a little bit!" Ann looked at him with determination, and he grinned back.
"Well, I think you're closer than you believe. You stood up for what you thought was right, and you're still fighting alongside us now."
"Thanks, Akira."
"Of course." He checked his watch and frowned. "Looks like it's starting to get a bit late. We should probably get home and rest for the tests tomorrow."
"Ugh, don't remind me… why do we even need them?!"
He just sniggered and shrugged, getting up. "Because the school system enjoys the suffering of students. Well, you'll do fine as long as you studied." She looked away, and he raised an eyebrow. "You did study, right?"
"I studied… some things."
"Oh my god…" he sighed, facepalming. "You and Ryuji are gonna flop this."
"Oh come on, I'm at least good in English!"
"Just being able to pass English won't save you with any other subject."
"Well… could you tutor me? Pleeeaaasse?"
"Ugh… fine, fine. Let's head to the diner or someplace. At least you still have your school supplies on you."
"Yes!"
"Don't celebrate yet, I'm gonna be grilling you hard because of how little you've studied."
"No…"
Hey. Sorry for the late chapter, got super goddamn busy lately, and barely had any time to even edit, hell there was supposed to be more to this chapter, but screw taking up even more time, I'll just staple it to the beginning of the next chapter and edit it then.
Little bit of Makoto in here, can't wait for more of her. And Fox should be coming up soon! Palace Two is soon in sight. The chapter title is what it is because not much really happened after the craziness of last chapter, so its a bit of a de-escalation in craziness. A little bit of Akira opening up to someone finally, telling Ann a bit about his family. But other than that, not much else to say! Hopefully I didn't miss too many mistakes, and I hope ye enjoyed it. Please leave a review on everything you liked in the chapter or just a 'nice,' both are always great to read. See y'all next time!