Chapter 40: Hot Pot Bonding

Ω • Ω • Ω

•Akira•

"Whaddya think of this room? I dunno where to begin…"

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

Yusuke interrupted them, looking around the room. "It seems quite ordinary to me."

"For real?"

"Oh…" Ann looked around as she came upstairs, and Ryuji pointed at her with a grin.

"See? Ain't this crazy?"

"It's literally just an attic room! I lived in one for a month back home for the novelty of it before getting bored!"

Ann smiled. "It's cleaner than I thought it would be."

"What?!"

"That's what you focus on?" He sighed.

Take it as a compliment, Trickster.

Morgana finally piped up. "Well, sit wherever you'd like."

"Who's room is this? Is it mine, or yours, Mona?" He flicked the not-cat on the nose before nodding around the room. "But, yeah. Not many seats, but, whatever. Couch there by the television, seat by my workbench, and, uh… nowhere else. My bed, I guess."

Ann plopped down on the couch, looking through his game collection. "You have too many shooter games."

"They're more exciting than Candy Crunch, Ann."

"Hey, don't joke about that, even I wouldn't touch that game. Don't worry, I'll introduce you to something other than these… sheesh, how many CoD's do you have?!"

"Oh please, I haven't bought every single one every year! Besides, Dark Ops one and two are like… two of the best in the series."

Ryuji looked through his desk, examining the multitude of tools and items. "This where you make lockpicks and shit? Can I try?"

"If you think you can, go for it. Maybe you'll appreciate how much effort I've put in."

"I know you put in effort! Just, y'know, this shit's probably easy."

He flipped Ryuji off with a grin as the faux-blond began fiddling with his tools. Yusuke opted to stay standing, scrolling through his phone. "We're all over the news," he commented. "Even those who previously believed in us have been influenced by the comments made on TV."

Ryuji scoffed as he jammed two tools together, clearly not knowing how they worked but too proud to ask for help just yet. "This is all that effin' Akechi's fault!"

"Keep it down," Yusuke chastised, "we don't want anyone hearing us."

Ann's face became downcast. "At this rate we're just going to worry everyone instead of give them courage…"

"We need to find a way to make our rightfulness known to society. I think it's time we began thinking about our next move. You were planning on discussing that today, right?" Morgana asked.

"Yes, first, we shall need to search for a candidate."

Ryuji shook his head at Yusuke. "It ain't like we're gonna just stumble onto some important target though. You guys don't know anyone?"

"Nope," Ann sighed.

"Me neither."

"Whaddya think, Leader?"

He frowned. "Well, I suppose there was that thing Niijima mentioned… Something about blackmail in Shibuya, right? But… who knows how long something that vague would take in terms of investigating…"

"But what else can we do?" Ann asked.

"Damnit… we're never gonna prove Akechi wrong at this rate!"

"At the core of this issue, it's not about proving him wrong, it's about helping people. Don't forget that," he sighed. A rumble ran through the room, and they all looked at Yusuke in shock.

"What the…?"

"Sorry… I haven't eaten anything since yesterday."

"And you spent all your money on that box of sweets?!"

"Dude, how much did you have?"

"You don't understand, clearly, Yusuke wants to truly embody the 'starving artist' trope."

Ann rolled her eyes and crossed her legs. "Anyway, we'll just have to sit tight until we can find another target. So…" Her face broke into a grin. "How about that welcome party?"

"Someone's excited," Ryuji commented.

"Well, we've gotta feed our artist, don't we?" He grinned.

Ann giggled and pointed at the shelves next to his television. "I think I found something. Isn't that a portable stove? Can't we make hot pot on it?"

Morgana gasped. "That sounds great! I've heard that eating hot pot together brings people closer!"

The cat's goal is clear to see, Leanan Sidhe muttered.

"Anything with meat's fine by me!"

"I only ask that we finish it off with porridge. Extra parsley, of course."

"Sooo, what do you think?"

"Of course, let's go for it."

"Great!" Ann cheered.

"Then let's go buy some ingredients!"

Yusuke smiled deeply at the word 'ingredients.' "Well, I'll need ginko nuts, wonton wrappers, and—"

"We'll focus on the shopping," Ann cut in, "Akira, could you borrow a pot from downstairs while we're out? We can split the cost later!"

"Looks like this welcome party is getting pretty lively! We should grab that pot and set up the portable stove, too."

"I'll get on that. You go help them shop for ingredients, you can't exactly help me put everything together."

"Heh, leave it to me!" Morgana bound off and jumped into Ann's bag, who hefted him onto her shoulder as she, Ryuji, and Yusuke left the café. As they went he began setting up the attic, before he walked downstairs to Sakura.

"So, you're all having hot pot?"

"Yeah. The others are grabbing ingredients while I set up." He raised an eyebrow at the man. "Why, want to join us?"

Sakura scoffed good-naturedly. "Don't you know how busy I am? You guys go have fun." As he nodded at the older man and stepped around the counter to find a pot, he noticed him stroking his beard. "Her name was Ann, right? She's a nice girl."

"That she is," he spoke suspiciously.

"She said your friend doesn't have anywhere to go. Asked if I could take him in for a bit. I guess she thought it'd be too pitiful for you to ask since you're already freeloading."

"Guess so." He knelt down and finally found a pot he could use. Well, more like an earthen vessel, but he'd take it.

"Anyway, you seemed very happy that she enjoyed your coffee."

Akira couldn't point a finger at him while holding the pot, so he settled for a glare. "Don't."

Sakura just chuckled. "Well, if you need any tips for the ladies, I'm down here waiting."

"Ugh." He turned and walked back upstairs, a flush of embarrassment lightly dusting his face.

"And be careful with the fire!"

Ω • Ω • Ω

•Makoto•

After she finished making dinner she sat across from Sis, using her chopsticks to bring some to her face. They talked about some topics but mostly ate in a comfortable silence, while the television showed Goro Akechi's interview.

"And now, onto the 'Hottest Meet-and-Greet' segment of our show… After his last appearance was so well-received, we decided to bring back this fine gentleman today. It's the high-school detective, Goro Akechi!"

"This tastes a bit bland," Sis commented as she ate, but a smile was still on her face. "But… I'm relieved. A lot's happened, but it seems your grades haven't dropped."

Well, it had been slightly difficult, but she wouldn't slack in her studies even with her assignment by Principal Kobayakawa. "School's been going fine. I'm more worried about you, Sis. Are you tired? You're probably lacking sodium."

"Do I seem so?"

"But, hypothetically speaking, if these Phantom Thieves are real… I believe they should be tried in a court of law."

"That's quite the statement. Are they committing crimes? Some people even say that the Thieves are actually helping their victims abandon their evil ways."

"What the artist Madarame did was truly was an unforgivable crime. However, they are taking the law into their own hands by judging him. It is far from justice. More importantly, you should never forcefully change a person's heart."

That did catch her attention, so she looked to Sis. "...Is it a crime to manipulate someone's heart?"

"...Depending on the means, yes. He's absolutely right."

Her eyebrows rose at that. "Even if it makes someone admit their evil deeds and helps make them pay for their crimes?"

Sis looked at her with a hint of suspicion. "Why the sudden interest?"

"It's nothing…"

"Do you believe that these 'allies of justice' exist?"

"Of course not," she lied through her teeth. Well, perhaps not fully. She was wavering, but Sis wouldn't want to hear that.

"You don't need to think about such unnecessary things. You understand what I'm trying to say, right?"

She nodded. She'd heard it from Sis many times. "Study hard, and go to a prestigious college."

"Moving up in the world is difficult as a woman. Yet, you can't do much if you don't have the authority. I'll use every method necessary to make it happen. All you need to do is remain focused on what must be done now for your future's sake."

"...Sorry."

Sis' phone rang, and she sighed as she got up. "Now?" She picked up and walked away from the table. "Yes? …Mm-hm, it's fine. …Oh, that case."

As Sis left her dinner half-finished, she looked down at her own plate, thinking on her words. "What must be done… Justice…" And as she thought, she remembered Sakamoto-kun's words.

"If those Phantom Thieves are out there helpin' people… I'd root for 'em, no questions asked."

"What do I want to do?"

Ω • Ω • Ω

•Akira•

A huge burp came from his friend, who then leaned back in his chair with a huge groan. "I can't eat another bite…"

He isss nasssty.

He snorted at Ryuji and Tangoo, not having the luxury to lean back considering he sat on a bench in front of the table they'd set up, having given the only other chair to Yusuke. Mona mewled happily, and sat next to him on the bench. "That was delicious, Lady Ann. I'm sure you'll make a wonderful bride some-!"

Ann either cut him off on purpose, or accidentally, but either way, she lay down on the couch with a large yawn. "Sorry, I'm gonna have to borrow the sofa." As she closed her eyes and placed her head on her bag, Ryuji slowly began leaning over in his chair as Mona hopped up onto the table, trying to get a glimpse up her skirt. Likely knowing what one or both boys were going to try, she peeked one eye open and shooed them away, causing him to laugh as Ryuji pouted and Mona walked back around the table.

Speaking up as if they hadn't just tried to get a glimpse of Ann's panties, Mona looked at Yusuke. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"We haven't finished our meal… What about the porridge, or even udon…?"

Hee, his stomach is endless, ho!

"Just leave it for next time, man."

A soft murmur came from Ann, and Mona looked at her in surprise. "Is she already asleep?!"

"It'd be weird if she wasn't tired," Ryuji shrugged. "We should let her sleep."

Yusuke looked between the two blonds. "By the way, Ryuji… How do you know Ann?"

"Huh? Oh, we went to middle school together."

"What was Lady Ann like back then?"

"Not so different from now. Once we got to high school, we ended up in different classes and stopped talkin'. I don't think she had many friends… I mean she grew up overseas, plus there's her looks. The popular kids hate her; the quiet ones stay away."

"I see…"

"Makes sense. The ones that thought they had no shot with her, and the ones who got intimidated by a new girl who was more beautiful than them both probably helped spread the rumors about her." Akira sighed and shook his head.

"So, what about you two?"

"Us?"

"This is a great opportunity to get to know each other better," Yusuke spoke with a smile. "You know every detail of my past at this point. It's only fair you tell me every detail of yours."

"So you got nothin' to lose, huh?" Ryuji scoffed good-naturedly, but his eyes were downcast. "All right, I'll tell ya. It's just a normal story about a rotten kid though." He uncrossed his legs and sat forward, clasping his hands together and didn't meet their eyes. "My dad left when I was young… Ever since then, it's just been me and my mom. I was actually tryin' ta get a track scholarship so I could make things easier for her. In the end, I just screwed it up. Turns out I'm a pretty bad son, huh?"

"Ryu…" He reached out and clasped Ryuji's shoulder, but the blond didn't look up.

"Back when I was a first-year, my mom got called out to school for me rainin' my hand at Kamoshida. All the teachers kept houndin' her for what I did, but she just stayed quiet through it all. I'll never forget the look she had on her face though…" his face screwed up, and he leaned all the way forward, his foot tapping against the floor rapidly. "On the way home, she… she apologized to me. For bein' a single mom and all…"

"So that's what happened," Yusuke murmured. "They say at school that everyone is equal, but in reality, that's a gross oversimplification… I understand how you feel."

"That's the way of the world, it seems," he sighed.

"We'll, when it comes to gettin' labeled, nobody's got it worse than Akira."

Ryuji gave a sad smirk as he slapped his hand off his shoulder, while Yusuke looked at him. "Is this about your past?"

"Now that I think about it, we never have heard the details," Mona spoke up.

"I only ever really spoke about it with Ryuji, back when we escaped Kamoshida's castle," he thought back. "But… I guess if we're bearing it all, I might as well."

Ω • Ω • Ω

"Damn brat! I'll sue!"

"You're lucky that a busted forehead is all you got, trying to attack her!" He shouted back.

"I-If you keep this up," the woman spoke, "then I'll report about the money! Is that fine with you?!"

The man scoffed, and though the dark of the night made it hard to see, he could tell the man was glaring at her. "All I have to say is that you did it on your own, and it's over."

"But… I just did as I was told…" she sobbed.

"Who do you think I am?"

"I don't give a shit who you are," he cut in, stepping between the man and the woman. "You need to leave, now."

He was ignored. "Hey. Make this statement to the cops. 'This kid suddenly attacked me.' Got it?"

"The fuck?!"

"If you even try to say anything else, you know what'll happen to you, right?"

"Huh? But—"

"This is all bullshit anyway! That busted face of yours is from you tripping over your own drunk ass!"

"Shut up. You're done for. You're gonna learn what happens when you cross me…"

"Excuse me, folks. We received a complaint about an argument here. Is something the matter?" Before he could say anything, the cop stammered. "O-Oh! It's you, sir."

"So, what happened? Explain it to the good officer."

He cut in. "That guy was trying to assault her! Right?!"

The struggling woman bit her lip, then looked away. "That young man suddenly attacked him… he shoved this gentleman to the ground. And he… got injured."

"What?!"

The drunk scoffed. "It's as she says. Also, make sure you deal with this so my name isn't mentioned at all. You understand what that means, correct?"

"Y-Yes, sir! Hey, cuff him!"

"U-Understood!"

He couldn't run, too stunned that the woman betrayed him like that, and before he knew it his hands were cuffed behind his back. He barely recovered his senses by the time he was dragged near the police vehicle, and before he could even try to struggle he had been thrown in the car.

It was quick after that. Whoever that man was, he forced the entire system to be streamlined, too streamlined. No matter what his family told him about how they'd handle this, how he'd be free before he knew it, all of a sudden he was declared guilty, and that was the end of that.

Ω • Ω • Ω

"Just listen in' to it pisses me off! Goddamnit!" Ryuji slammed his fist against the table, glaring at him, "You got an assault on your record just for that?"

"The woman sounds quite horrible as well. She's stayed quiet this whole time…"

"No, she was threatened by him, and going by those cops reacted to him, then it wasn't like she had much of a choice." He sighed. "I do… I admit that I do blame her, but she was threatened."

"That man is just the type of person whose heart we should steal! Who is he, and where can we find him?!"

He scoffed at Morgana's tone. "As if I hadn't already thought about that… The bastard somehow managed to keep his name out of the documents and the case, and it was dark enough that night that I didn't get a good look at his face. Maybe there's some detail I'm not recalling, but…"

Mona slumped sadly. "Well, if it was at night, and combined with the shock of being arrested, I don't blame you for forgetting any details… I understand all too well the pain of not being able to remember important details of your life."

"The victim's personal information is always kept secret. Identifying that man will prove difficult. Besides, the courts already made their ruling, didn't they? Even if we manage to get revenge, Akira's past record won't simply go away."

"Yeah, I guess there is that stigma here, huh?" He murmured in response to Yusuke's words.

"I can't stand it…" Ryuji leaned back and glared at the ceiling. "This world is so… messed up! The weak're left to fight for themselves, while rotten adults get away with whatever they want!"

"And those in power don't do anything to help the situation," Mona nodded.

"Can we blame them? They like it just how it is, all the power in their grubby, filthy claws," he snarled. "Using it to crush anyone who even dares to think of going against them. Makes me want to puke."

They deserve to be crushed underneath our heels, Arsène growled.

"Can't we fix this though? Nobody would even know. We just need to show the world what true justice is. We'll make them come to their senses."

Ryuji shot up, leaning over the table with an energized look on his face. "You're right, Yusuke! That's gotta be what our powers're for!"

Mona mewled happily. "Sounds good to me. The flashier our missions are, the cooler we end up looking!"

"You've all taught me so much," Yusuke smiled.

Ann finally sat up, looking at all of them with a disheveled look on her face. "...What're you guys all getting excited about?"

"Oh, sorry. We wake you up?"

"Nah, not really. I've been up for a while now. Still, this weird feeling came over me while I was listening to you guys… It feels like I've known you all forever… Do you think it's because our backgrounds are so similar?"

"Well… it sure ain't 'cause of anything good," Ryuji grinned.

"Similar, huh…" I'm the only one who doesn't fit in…"

"Huh?"

Morganaa's head drooped at Ryuji's confusion. "I don't have any past to look back on… No memories…"

Before Morgana knew it, Ryuji had scooped him up by the back of the neck and began messing with his ears. "Whaddya mean, Monamona? We could search the whole world and we wouldn't find a bigger misfit than you! And the reason we're goin' to Mementos is to get your memories back, right?"

"I'm sure your past will be as troubled as ours," Yusuke smiled.

"Yup! Ain't no doubts about it!"

"Hmph, we'll see about that! Now let me go, you Numbskull!"

He and Ann chuckled at Ryuji and Morgana's byplay before Ann crossed her legs and smiled at the not-cat. "I actually feel like I've known Morgana for a really long time too. It's so strange… I can't really put it into words."

"Look, I'm helping you guys out for my own sake! Don't get me wrong! If you don't get stronger, investigating Mementos won't be anything but a pipe dream!"

Ryuji scoffed and dropped Morgana onto the table, causing him to yelp from the half-second fall. "That sure was a quick turnaround. One second you're depressed, the next you're actin' all tough."

"All joking aside… let's take this seriously. We should go as far with it as we can. I want to punish those corrupt adults and give courage to those in trouble. Only we can do that!"

Ryuji cheered at Ann's declaration. "You can say that again!"

"Being a member of the Phantom Thieves will surely help me grow, both as an artist and as a person."

"Of course. You're under my tutelage after all. There's nothing we can't accomplish!"

"Well… I hope we can keep this up. We should be all right with you as our leader."

"Just leave it to me." He raised his bottle of soda and his fellow thieves cheered as they raised their own drinks, clacking them against his bottle. After he finished, Ann looked out the window and her eyes widened.

"Whoa, it's this late?"

"I guess now's a good time to call it for the night."

"Oh, that reminds me! The owner said you're free to crash here, Yusuke."

He smiled at Ann. "That's… very kind of him."

"You convinced him, didn't you? You go, Miss Older-Dude-Charmer!"

"What kind of nickname is that?!"

"What, doesn't it fit?" He asked innocently as Ryuji snickered.

Ann whacked him on the head with her empty soda bottle. Yusuke, in his usual fashion, didn't notice any of it. "Hm… I won't be able to sleep unless I take a bath."

"There's a bathhouse nearby, so you can go there. I won't be able to join you, though."

"Ooh, that sounds great! I wanna come too! How 'bout you, Ann?"

"You guys go on ahead. I should get going. Well, good night, Morgana!" Ann grabbed her bag and left while Morgana seemed to have a crisis next to him.

Thou shouldst try and convince her to join thee, Arsène suggested cheekily.

'No way am I going near that one,' he chuckled.

"Dammit… I need to turn back into a human soon. I can't let her get taken by someone else!"

"Night, Kitty Woman!" He grinned as Ann turned and stuck her tongue out at him as she walked down the stairs, before turning to Ryuji with a smirk. "Real subtle, dude."

"I had to try!"

Ω • Ω • Ω

A few minutes later he was awkwardly sitting in the bath with his friends. And an old man in the back, slowly turning the water knob. And they were all naked.

He'd… done this before, but now with two friends chilling in the bath naked with him, it was considerably more awkward. For him, anyway. Both Yusuke and Ryuji seemed much more comfortable with the situation, which was slightly ironic considering Ryuji was the one who would constantly try to stop him whenever he said or did anything even remotely gay.

"Ahh, huge bathtubs really are the best. Ann's missin' out."

"I do wish I had something better to look at in here," he muttered to himself. Looking at other men's bodies wasn't exactly a fun pastime to him.

"It's a bit hot though," Yusuke muttered.

"Eh, old guys like it hot, for some reason," Ryuji shrugged as they all glanced at the old man. Who was still turning the knob and pouring more hot water in. "I'm sure he'll stop eventually." There was a moment of silence where they just basked in the what of the bath, only filled by the noise of the squeaking knob, before Ryuji looked to both him and Yusuke. "You know, I've been wonderin' for a while now… But what do you think about Ann? As a girl, I mean?"

Do I need to be here to listen to your boy talk? Sidhe sighed.

He coughed into his fist. "Er… She's a great teammate."

"No, that's not what I meant! C'mon, act more like a guy our age right now! Doesn't she at least look better than a celebrity? You're always flirtin' with her in the Metaverse, y'know?"

"I've already said that my True Self is simply someone who enjoys making light of and teasing others, there's nothing more to it."

"Oh come on, even Yusuke could see it, and he's blind to crap like that!"

"Pardon?"

"Come on, Aki, just tell us!"

"What is this, an interrogation?" He waved Ryuji off and leaned against the side of the bath. "She's certainly a beautiful girl, but she's just a teammate to me, nothing more."

Thou art off your game, even thy companions can tell that is a lie, Arsène grinned.

"It certainly does not seem that way in the Metaverse," Yusuke commented.

"Ugh, I'm not going to repeat myself if you won't even listen. It's simple teasing, nothing more!"

"Dude, you've literally asked her to step on you!"

"She was freaking out at the time! I figured it was a good way to get her mind off of it!"

"By asking her to step on you?!"

"Fuck off!" He flipped Ryuji off while Yusuke calmly watched.

"Well, I have noticed that you tease her more than you do us. To my eyes, it does seem like she happily reciprocates as well."

Akira paused. "Really?"

"Indeed. I don't know if she's noticed you looking at her cleavage, though," Yusuke hummed.

"I do not!"

Thou does.

You do, his other Personas agreed.

Ryuji burst out laughing at his outrage. "Hey, I don't blame ya!"

"As breathtaking as she is, I do not just stare at her chest!" Yes, her chest was certainly nice, and from what he'd seen when he'd accidentally got a glimpse down 'Becky's cleavage window, surprisingly larger than the teacher's, but— Oh, great, now he was thinking about that! Arsène burst out laughing in his head.

As the thoughts about Ann's chest swirled through his head, thanks to the two idiots talking about it, he thanked god that the water wasn't see-through. He still placed his hands over his crotch just in case.

No need to be ashamed, my master. Quite the opposite, really, Ame-No-Uzume giggled. Leanan Sidhe just shook her head.

'Shut up,' he internally grumbled.

"Oooh, you totally said it! 'Breathtaking', huh?"

He flushed bright red, a mix of heat from the water and embarrassment. "I— I'm simply lightheaded from the heat."

"Hey, I get it, don't worry! I mean, she looks great, but her personality totally turns me off. Like… being honest I'd love to hit that, but I don't think I could handle dating her." Ryuji grimaced. "Definitely more 'friend' material than 'girlfriend' material."

"I'll be sure to share what you've said with Ann," Yusuke smiled.

"Please don't! Seriously…"

"Yes, do not do that."

"That aside, we need to hurry and find our next target."

"About that though… Is targetin' famous people enough? Seein' people's reactions these days has been makin' me think twice about what we do…"

Yusuke sighed. "True. Pursuing only what's best in the short term may end up becoming fruitless for us. We need a strategy to appeal to the public."

"Oh? Whaddya got in mind?"

"Do I look like someone who could come up with such a thing?"

"I was an idiot for askin'... Aki, what 'bout you?"

"Well… I agree that only targeting famous people might not work out long term. Going after lesser-known targets, but certainly evil targets, may work out better. However, we must keep in mind we aren't trying to appeal to the public. We want to give hope to those who don't have any and defeat those that the police can't touch. Being liked by the masses may be nice, but it's not necessary. In the end, though… Why don't we follow up with what Niijima revealed?"

My how thisss conversssation turned.

"About that blackmail stuff? If it's a really big deal, that could work…"

"Right. I know I said it would take time to investigate something that vague, but there's always a chance we stumble onto something. And I don't think you're much of an expert on investigation," he smirked.

"Well, yeah, I do my best with the Phan-site, but I'm more on offense duty, y'know? And Morgana specializes in stuff about that world, so… Hmmm… Hrmmmm… Still…" Ryuji's face grew more and more irritated, before he spun around, sending water splashing everywhere. "UGH! It's frickin' hot! How much water do ya hafta add until you're satisfied, old man?!" Ryuji stormed out of the water and he diverted his gaze so he didn't see anything he didn't want to.

"Ryuji—"

"I can't stand it anymore!" The faux-blond rubbed at his head, trying to calm himself down. "Anyways, uh, let's meet up… again early next week. I-I'll contact everyone!" Ryuji left, and he shook his head at the scene.

"I suppose that works for me. What about you, Yusuke?"

"..."

"Yusuke?" He looked over to see the ice user was completely zoned out from the heat. "...I suppose that makes sense. Come on, let's get out." He helped his friend from the bath, and once the boy was in cooler air, he let him dry and clothe himself.

When they returned to the attic of Leblanc Yusuke sat on his couch while he got into bed, his phone vibrating as he prepared for sleep.

Chat Room: The Phantom Thieves

Ann— Check out the picture I took today!

He snorted as she sent it through, the picture showing Yusuke, Ryuji, and himself at the table right when they had started eating. Yusuke was ignoring them and filling his bowl with food, he was sitting there grimacing as his glasses fogged up, and Ryuji was laughing his ass off.

Ann— Not bad, right? ( ✌︎'ω')✌︎

You— Oh ha ha. Make fun of the four-eyes.

Yusuke— The steam fogged up his glasses… Another one of the many charms of eating hot pot, I suppose.

Ryuji— O man I keep lking bck this pic Akis face is hilarious

Ann— Oh yeah, Yusuke is still at your place right?

You— He's on the couch as we text.

Ryuji— Dnt go makin trouble 4 him k?

Yusuke— Of course. I'd like to think I'm not THAT socially graceless.

Yusuke— All I can ask for is a warm futon and a traditional Japanese breakfast.

Ryuji— Thts askin 4 a lot!

He chuckled and placed his phone aside, pulling his blanket up and closing his eyes to drift off to sleep.

His eyes snapped open as the music of the Velvet Room filled his mind, and he sat up in his cell. "The prisoner, Akira Starr, has returned."

"You're in the presence of our master! Stand up straight!"

He approached his cell door as Igor chuckled, eyeing him. "The bonds that you have reeled in are quite intriguing…"

"I swear to god if you start yanking my chain about Ann too…" His eyes drifted to Igor's desk, where he saw the new card, Akechi's. The Roman numeral for eight, VIII, was atop it and the words 'La Justice' were below. The picture of the card had either a man or a woman sitting on a chair and holding a scale, which had a heart on one side and money on the other, while the other hand held a sword.

"In other words," Igor continued as if he hadn't said anything at all, "They have all been unfairly labeled by society and are standing up against such fates. Have you noticed? They seem to have influenced you."

"Pretty sure that's what happens when you spend enough time with other people, but yeah."

"These picaresque dissidents of society… Deepen your bonds with them. Those will become the strength behind your rehabilitation… I look forward to it. Now, I shall grant you an ability befitting of your newfound growth. Consider it a gift. May you continue devoting yourself to further rehabilitation." After Igor finished speaking, he heard the chains crashing in his head.

RANK UP!

Fool Arcana, Prison Master: Rank 5

"It's almost time…"

"Well that's not ominous, dude."

Igor's chuckles followed him out as the Velvet room dissipated into nothing, and he drifted off into true sleep.

Hot pot with the boys! And Ann. Not all that much happens in this chapter besides a Fool Rank 5 but I still wanted to stick with a slower, calmer chapter where everyone just hangs out.

I loved writing the boys' talk in the baths and going more in-depth with the talk. P5 doesn't have much acknowledgment of if you're dating somebody outside of your actual dates with them, no one will really say anything about it or notice it. Having Ryuji press Akira is something I enjoyed writing and Akira's defensiveness too. Writing his personas playing along was great too.

So yeah, let me know what you think of the chapter, or just leave a 'nice,' both are always great to read. See y'all next time!