UltimateCCC: Lol, if only.
Shooting Star Dragon 3000: Oh, big time
Legendary Legend Layer: Perfect place to leave it, hehe
Neo Infinity: It was easy for me. Beat it on my first try without much issue. And I am not even trying to brag. Also, thats an awesome touch.
Here are some reviews answered by Ghost:
Neo Infinity: Yeah, we tried our best with this chapter.
Diran The Ultimate Autist: That's good, but don't get too excited.
StevieBond: Oh yeah, and the dang 30-minute timer is going to be a pain for them.
Legendary Legend Layer: Thanks very much. And yeah, cliffhangers are a monster. *evil laugh*
Shooting Star Dragon 3000: Giggity. And yeah, but it adds to the drama of the chapter.
UltimateCCC: Oh, if only. They're still going to have to fight as quickly as possible.
Temporal King: Yes, we will. Let's see if things play out differently.
Disclaimer: We do not own Persona 5. That belongs to Atlus.
Co-written by GhostKaiser23
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hope everyone is enjoying the story, new chapter is up
...
Can not belive we are at 61 chapters
Wow
Persona 5 New Game Plus, Joker's Second Chance
Chapter 61
Can The Future Change?
Joker glared as he stepped forward, ready to take Shadow Okumura down. As the Shadow backed off as he was surrounded, the Phantom Thieves having broken through his defences and crawled their way to the top. Bringing him closer and closer to the edge of defeate as they walked towards him, surrounded him
"Father." Noir frowned.
"So much for negotiation." He glared. "Hmph! You rebels! There is time before launch. I will crush you all!" He proclaimed.
"What's he talking about?" Panther asked as Shadow Okumura sat in a large black floating chair
"You won't get out alive!" He roared out, his fist slamming onto some buttons.
"It's time you surrender, father!" Noir called out before the air turned cold... as a beeping filled the air
30:00
29:59
29:58
"'Give up'? Try saying that after you take down my company's elite soldiers!" Shadow Okumura proclaimed.
'Wait, that was it!' Joker's eyes widened under his mask and remembered the struggle the first time around.
29:30
29:29
29:28
Robotic tubes came down and brought a small troop of robotic slaves.
"No! There are more of them?" Noir asked.
"Go, my employees! Be the foundation upon which my victory is built!" Shadow Okumura proclaimed.
Joker's fists tightened as he saw this, having flashbacks and anger towards them. "ORACLE!"
"Eep! J-Joker?" She panicked, this was a side of Joker she hadn't seen before. In fact, none of them had seen him this frustrated.
"You know how you break down enemies for their weaknesses?" Joker asked.
"Yeah. And you tell me to keep it brief." She answered.
"Info dump. Tell us everything about this fucking bots and we can crush this bastard's twisted heart!" Joker spoke as he grabbed his knife.
"Y-You want me to-?" Oracle asked with a growing smile.
"Go. Full. Saikyo! Hacker!" Joker answered with a proud smile.
28:51
28:50
28:49
"Hee-hee! Hyyyyyppper! Dai Hacker! Henshin!" Oracle proclaimed as she leapt into Necronomicon and began to go into overdrive with analyzing these robots.
"Really, Joker?!" Skull blinked in shock
"On a timer!" He pointed out with deep irritation in his vocie, spinning his knife as he flipped away from an attack sent his way
28:34
28:33
"Okay! Point made!" Skull answeredm using his pipe to block a strike
In Necronomicon, Oracle's fingers were dancing over the holographic keyboard as she was scanning the robots. "The return of Medjed! The Greatest Hacker! Come on you scrubs, come home to mama!"
"You! Will! Not! Attack! President! Okumura!" The robots proclaimed, ready to attack the Phantom Thieves.
"Oracle, any updates?" Dove asked whiile performing a series of rapid slashes
"These guys resist almost everything!" Oracle answered, working hard.
PEW!
PEW!
"Oracle!" Fox called out as they dodged out of the way of the robots' attacks.
"Fire and Wind!" She answered. "Panther, Mona, take'em out!"
"On it!" The two proclaimed as they summoned their Persona.
"MERCURIUS, MAGARULA!" Mona called out.
"HECATE, MARAGION!" Panther followed up, their two attacks turning into a green and red cyclone for flame and wind as they knocked down their enemies.
"No!" Shadow Okumura panicked.
"Gun it!" Mona called out as they were ready to continue the assault
"Looks like your robots can't handle a little heat." Panther smirked
Shadow Okumura looked on in shock, his first line of defence was gone. "Worthless peons!" He slammed his fist on his chair. "You think I don't have more?" And soon, more of the same robots came.
"Oh, come on!" Skull glared.
"We've got this." Joker spoke. "Come! SCATHACH! MAGARULA!" He ripped off his mask and summoned his Persona, summoning a great wind to hit the robots. The robots were being torn apart in just mear moments, the strong winds ripping through their iron chassis. "Panther, Mona!" Joker called out while twisting in the air "Follow up, now!"
25:00
24:59
24:58
"We're on it!" Mona answered, jumping high into the air. Giving a powerful hihg five to their leader before using their Persona to tear through the robots.
"Damn it all! Nothing that can't be solved with more man power!" Shadow Okumura proclaimed as he summoned more Robots. Two blue-suited ones and two yellow-suited ones.
"Oracle, update!" Joker called out.
"I'm on it, Joker!" Oracle answered, scanning and hacking the robots for weaknesses.
"Slow them down!" Shadow Okumura proclaimed. The yellow robots' eyes glowed and shot out debuffing lights on the Phantom Thieves, making them slower. The blue-suited ones aimed their arms and began to fire, shooting at them with guns.
"Ow, ow! Hey!" Skull grunted as he tried to dodge them. "Little bastards!"
"Is everyone okay?" Oracle asked as she was safe in the air.
"An update would be sufficient, Oracle." Fox answered, trying to deflect bullets with his katana. "This was so much easier on TV."
23:47
23:46
"Okay, yellow guys hate Ice and Psy abilities!" Oracle answered.
"Ah! A means of our talents! GOEMON! BUFULA!" Fox proclaimed, slashing his Katana with a trail of ice.
"Time for a freezing canvas!" Goemon proclaimed as he attacked and brought a freezing bolt.
"MILADY!" Noir proclaimed. "PSIO!"
"Of course." Milady responded with style and grace, summoning balls of psychic energy to attack the other bot. The two yellow robots had their circuits short-circuited and froze, their bodies fritzing out as they dropped to the ground.
"Grr! Let's see you handle this!" Shadow Okumura glared and growled, summoning three more yellow bots and now a lanky red-suited robot.
"I'm already on it, Joker!" Oracle called through, tapping as fast as her fingers could go, but the rapid shifting of one enemy to another was making her fingers numb.
20:38
20:37
20:36
'Ten minutes have almost passed, I can't let this come down to the wire!' Joker stressed thought.
"Crush them!" Shadow Okumura proclaimed.
"Okay, the red guy hates Elec and Nuke abilities!" Oracle answered.
"You're singin' my song! SEITEN TAISEN! ZIONGA!" Skull proclaimed, spinning his weapon like a pipe and directing the lightning on one yellow bot.
"YEAH! Been a while!" Seiten Taisen proclaimed as he mimicked Skull and brought the thunder.
VRRM!
VRRM!
Queen mounted Johanna and revved her motor. "Let's do this, Johanna! FREILA!" The tall red-suited robot flailed its arms in the air as it was struck, wobbling about its area as its feet were stuck there.
'It's an inflatable tube guy.' The Phantom Thieves thought in unison.
"Father, that robot is so childish and embarrassing." Noir almost facepalmed, embaressment filling her body as his words echoed out
"Gck! No, it isn't!" He snapped, acting like he just took damage for the first time in the fight.
SLASH!
Dove brought her broadsword down and cut the red robot, despite meeting resistance in its mechanical chassis.
"We'll handle the yellow robots." Fox spoke.
"Take this!" Noir proclaimed as she and Fox froze and psychically attacked the smaller bots.
BOOM!
"Gah! Fine, I'll have to increase the workload then!" He proclaimed summoning four more robots. Three red-suited ones and one silver variant!
"It's like a car sale's front area." Skull remarked while giving a quick blast of his shotgun
"Right?" Oracle agreed and worked hard once again, fingers dancing against the keys. "I was thinking the same thing!"
"Can we agree on choice of robots later? These guys aren't going down!" Dove called out.
"DESTROY THEM ALL!" Shadow Okumura proclaimed as he ordered his robots to attack.
ZZZAP!
BOOM!
"GYAH!" The group leapt out of the way before they got electrocuted, except for Skull! He leapt in front of the electricity and used himself as a shield.
"HA, HA, HA! DIE! DIE! Die...?" Shadow Okumura proclaimed before he saw Skull standing tall, electricity sparking around him and not moving an inch.
Skull smiled almost psychotically as he brushed himself off. "Heh. Didn't feel a thing."
"Nice one." Joker smiled, elbow bumping his friend
"No worries." He responded.
"Oracle?" Joker called out.
"Heh-heh! Already done!" She responded. "Mona, Dove, you're up! Silver bot's weak to Wind and Bless!"
"About time, I was getting itchy from waiting." Dove answered. "EVE! KOUGA!"
"Let's go, Mercurius!" Mona proclaimed.
"Red suits' are ours!" Skull called out.
"Too reckless, Skull." Queen berated him but smiled.
"MAGARULA! ZIONGA! FREILA!" The group called out, smashing the robots, smashing all but one
"Grr! Damn it! Take this! My Model General Manager!" Shadow Okumura called out, summoning two more Silver robots and a large bulky green-suited robot, with golden joints and a flat head.
"Ooh, my poor fingers." Oracle whined a little, giving a super small joke, but she worked just as fast as she could to get any info from this new guy.
15:34
15:33
15:32
"Your Insolence Will Be Punished!" The large green-suited robot proclaimed as it rushed forward and slammed Joker in the stomach "MEGATON RAID!"
"GYAAARGH!" Joker coughed out in pain, flinging him towards Noir and hurt severely.
"Joker!" Panther called out as she slashed her whip out powerfully
"You bastard!" Dove roared out, slashing at it, but doing little to no damage.
"I've got you." Noir reassured.
"That. Hurt." Joker wheezed, having a vicious flashback to his previous timeline.
"You robotic pile of scrap!" Oracle called out. "Joker, Noir! Doubleteam that tinker toy!"
"Psy and Curse? Alright." Joker struggled to get to his feet.
"Unlikely. Show me your devotion, my workers!" Shadow Okumura proclaimed.
The remaining robot's eyes glowed as it hobbled towards the Phantom Thieves and began to glow through its circuits. "For Okumura! SELFLESS DEVOTION!"
KABOOM!
The Phantom Thieves were blasted back. "It-it exploded?" Noir asked in shock and fear.
"Ha, ha, ha! My workers will obey any order I give them! Don't you think their loyalty's incredible?" Shadow Okumura proclaimed.
"I can't believe this." Noir frowned.
Chink!
Joker got back to his feet, using his knife to help himself up. "No. More." Joker whispered, his breathing was a little ragged and his arms almost swayed by his sides. "I'm not done!"
Shine!
Joker's eyes shone as he glared at the giant robot. "Pale Rider." And summoned another Persona, one from Joker's shadow. A pale grey horse with blind blue eyes, a dark grey mane and wearing a black bridal. Sat upon its back was a black-cloaked skeleton, holding a wooden scythe with a long metal blade.
"Joker." Mona whispered.
"W-what is that?" Shadow Okumura panicked as he saw it.
"Eigaon." Joker whispered as he ordered the attack.
Pale Rider's horse reared up as it galloped towards the robot, slashing it with its scythe.
KABOOM!
"GAAARGH!" Shadow Okumura looked on in shock and horror. He was running out of robots and this 'Joker' had destroyed one of his strongest minions.
"Father, stop this now." Noir called out as she summoned Milady.
10:15
10:14
10:13
"I will not! And since you're still hellbent on disobeying me. Come forth, My Executive Director!" Shadow Okumura proclaimed.
SLAM!
A large tube came down, summoning a large black-suited robot, bigger than any other bot that came before, silver joints, purple cuffs, silver hands, golden front clasps and a large silver 'moustache'. "YES, SIR!" The robot proclaimed.
"Now then, fulfil your duty as my right-hand man! For the eternal prosperity of Okumura Foods!" the Shadow ordered in a desperate madness, slapping his chair in anger
"YES, SIR!" The robot repeated once more, no thought behind its mechanical form as it prepared to attack.
"Oracle?" Queen called out in fear.
In Necronomicon, Oracle was nursing her hands, she didn't know what more to do. "I'll do my best guys! But, kinda need some healing up here!"
"We've got that!" Mona nodded to Panther.
"DIARAMA!" They proclaimed, healing two of their party members. Their combined healing magic swirling around like a beautiful green snow
Joker and Noir felt a great relief off their bodies, healed from the attacks and feeling better.
Crick, crack!
"Ah, much better, thanks!" Joker responded, cracking his neck and knuckles.
"Guys, this guy has no strengths or weaknesses!" Oracle informed.
"So, hit him as hard and fast as we can!" Dove responded while readying her blade, Panther beside her readying her whip while Queen got into a fighting stance that had her knuckle dusters shimmering in the light
"Good! Been itching for bashing something's head in!" Skull answered with utter joy, smashing his pipe to the ground
"So crude." Fox responded, gripping his katanna's handle
"Ready, Noir?" Joker and Mona asked as one, leader spinning his dagger while Mona readied his cutlass
"Yes. I will not let this go further!" Nori responded with determination while gripping her axe tightly, eyes gleaming in determination.
'I got an idea.' Mona thought as he pulled out an item, using it to buff the party. Throwing it into the air and making light shine down on them
"What was that?" Noir asked with a slight blink, seeing a Rasetsu Ofuda being shred apart. The talismen turning into light and falling around them
"Just a little buff for the team!" Mona answered as they got ready to fight this mega-bot.
"Smash them!" Shadow Okumura proclaimed. "Now! Now! NOWWW!"
9:28
9:27
9:26
The 'Executive Director' rushed forward and attacked. But instead of attacking the group, he attacked Noir!
"GAH!" Noir screamed as she was punched, sending her straight into Joker's arms.
"Gotcha!" He grunted as he took most of the fall. Noir was gasping for air, that punch was more than she expected.
"Bad girls get punished, Haru. It's your fault for not doing as you were told." Shadow Okumura proclaimed.
The group looked in shock, hearing those words coming from his mouth.
'That's it.' was a singular thought shared between them all
CLICK!
CLACK!
"He's dead." They glared, getting their guns out.
"That guy has a crap-ton of health. Zerg rush this bastard!" Oracle informed them.
"Good to know." Dove agreed.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Bullet after bullet, shot after shot hit the giant robot.
Joker helped Noir get to her feet, seeing the team backing them up. "You ready to take him down?"
She nodded, using her bardiche as a crutch and aimed right at the robot. "Let's make this a beautiful victory."
The robot felt the bullets rip through the chassis and even bounce off while dealing damage.
"OW! OW! OW!
"Don't just stand there! Kill them!" Shadow Okumura demanded.
"YES! SIR!" The massive robot proclaimed, as its arm rushed and attacked the Phantom Thieves.
SLAM!
The robot missed them but shattered the ground underneath.
"Whoa! Still strong!" Panther panicked.
"Let's nuke him!" Queen proclaimed as she drove Johanna and struck the robot.
"All-out strikes! Don't let up!" Joker called out.
7:29
7:28
7:27
"HRAAAAGH! HA!" Skull leapt in and slammed his hammer into the robot.
"FALL!" Fox proclaimed, slashing with icy blue light.
"DOWN!" Panther and Dove called out, using her whip to grab the neck while Dove stabbed in the back.
"And stay there!" Mona called out, slashing at the joints.
Queen rushed forward and multi-punched the robot in its fallen head. "Noir, now!"
"Need a hand leaping up?" Joker offered.
"Yes." She nodded, to which Joker rushed first and Noir followed; he skidded to a stop, made a lift with his hands and tossed her into the air. Joker flowed like water and stabbed the robot's eyes and Noir spun into a top and jammed her axe-weapon into the hole in its back.
"MASTER-!"
KABOOM!
"What?! Even HIM?" Shadow Okumura panicked as he saw his robot destroyed. "Grr! Someone! Is there anyone here?"
SLAM!
The summoning tube came down... and nothing came out.
He tried again
...
Nothing.
Nothing.
Abolutely nothing
They where all used up
...
He was on his own.
"Why?! Why isn't anyone coming?" He yelled out in shock and fear. No-one else was there to be his shield.
"Father. You've been forsaken, even by your own employees." Noir frowned, ripping her axe from the ground. "Let's end this, Joker."
Shink!
"Right behind you." He answered.
5:02
5:01
5:00
"ARSENE!" He proclaimed.
"MILADY!" Noir added.
"Ready for the Dance Macabre, Milady?" Arsene smiled darkly as they glared at Shadow Kunikazu Okumura.
"Of course, Arsene." Milady responded, though catching the flirty tone of the other Persona.
"N-No! Stay away from-!" Shadow Okumura panicked as the two aimed their magic and fired. Well, one was using the power of Curse and the other used the arsenal of guns in their dress.
BANG!
FLASH!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Shadow Okumura silently screamed as he was knocked off his mechanical hovering throne. And the countdown was halted, but the flashing lights were still going.
"In the end, I am... I am just one more in a lineage of failures." Shadow Okumura frowned, defeated as he kneeled on the ground. He looked at Noir with sad eyes. "I will contact your fiance and rescind the marriage offer."
Noir felt a wave of relief as she heard that, free from that control.
"This may be the end of Okumura foods." He leaned forward and performed the dogeza, the forgiveness bow. "Forgive me, Haru."
"Father." She whispered as she heard how sincere he was.
"You were behind the breakdowns and mental shutdowns, weren't you?" Skull asked.
"I admit, I spent large sums of money to help my company grow and crush business competitors." He confessed.
"Answer me, dammit!" Skull stomped his foot. "Did you do it or not?!"
"Easy, Skull." Joker spoke up.
"N-Not personally! I had a contract. All I did was make the requests to have them eliminated!" Shadow Okumura clarified.
"'Requests'?" Dove asked as the other Phantom Thieves were too stunned to speak... Well., except for Joker and Mona.
"Then there really is a mysterious criminal in people's Palaces, after all!" Mona answered up, trying to keep it cool.
"So it's true." Queen muttered.
"What kind of contract did you form? And with whom?" Noir asked, only for her father to breakdown crying.
"C'mon, stop cryin' and tell us!" Skull demanded but, immediately, the Palace began to destabilise.
"Dammit, why now?" Mona snapped. "Mr CEO, can't you stop this thing?" But it fell on deaf ears, but saw the Treasure falling down to them. "We've taken your Treasure." Panther and Dove looked confused at that, before Mona continued. "There's one more thing you need to tell us." Mona asked. "Have you seen this criminal's face before?"
WARNING! SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED!
"Come on, this way." Joker helped up Shadow Okumura.
"Wh-what're you doing?" Skull asked in shock.
"Joker!" Fox added.
"We've got what we came for. But were bringing him. Let's go!" Joker called out.
"Why? Won't he be alright?" Dove asked as she looked at Shadow Okumara in confusion
"Have you seen this place?" Joker responded quickly. "He might die himself here!"
"Thank you, Joker." Noir whispered.
"I. I don't understand." Shadow Okumura whispered.
"'Only you can follow through on your own responsibilities'. That's what you taught me, father." his daughter suddenly answered as she helped carry him, getting besides Joker and helping to support her fathers shadow.
"Haru." He whispered.
Back in the shadows of the Palace, a figure stood. Hidden away as they looked at the Phantom Thieves' escape. Their fist clenched as they saw Shadow Okumura escape with them.
"We're not gonna make it!" Dove panicked.
"Yeah, it's practically impossible!" Oracle answered.
"We're countin' on you, Mona!" Skull hoped.
"Right! HENSHIN!" Mona proclaimed, leaping into the air and turned into the van. "Get in!"
"Wh-what is this?" Shadow Okumura asked.
"Talk later, go!" Joker proclaimed as they drove off, shoving everyone in, but the giant helmet was a pain to get through the door.
The group had to rush as fast as possible, having to burn rubber through the exploding corridors. "Were too heavy! We need to drop him off!" Mona called out.
"B-But did you say I need to be kept alive?" Shadow Okumura panicked as they leapt through the air.
"You will. I promise." Joker answered.
THUMP!
SCREECH!
"There's a safe platform there! Drop him off there!" Oracle pointed.
"Father. It'll be okay." Noir reassured as she softly placed a hand upon his shoulder
He nodded. "Haru. I'm sorry. For everything." He apologised, as he leapt out of the cat-van and gave them the speed necessary to escape the Palace. His body glowing and begining to fade away as he accepted his change "Goodbye."
"Father!" Noir called out as they vanished out of the Palace.
3!
2!
1!
Goodbye!
FLASH!
The group were ejected from the Palace, landing on their feet as they were exhausted.
"Okay. That. Kinda sucked!" Ryuji panted.
"For once, I agree with you wholeheartedly." Yusuke agreed.
"My heart feels like it's pounding through my chest." Haru admitted.
"We did a great job back there." Morgana smiled as he lay flat on the floor, to which Ren picked him up. "Though the truth of the mental shutdowns remains unsolved though. Okumura wasn't the culprit."
"But he did mention about 'eliminating his competition'. He knows who's responsible." Ren added.
Haru and Futaba frowned, thinking about their parents. One an instigator of the mental shutdowns and one a victim of it.
"What's that?" Shiho asked as she looked at the floor.
It was a box, a toy's box.
Specifically, a model toy kit of a spaceship.
"His treasure was a plastic model kit?" Ann asked as Haru picked it up.
"What's the matter?" Makoto asked.
"I remember something father told me before he changed." Haru explained. "He said there was a model kit he really wanted back when he was a child. No matter how much he begged my grandfather, he never got it."
Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck as he saw the old model kit. "But your family could get like a thousand of these things."
"Okumura Foods has been around for generations, but it was a small company until my father took over." Haru explained sadly. "My grandfather was a good man, but he was no businessman. He would lend money with no collateral. It seems debt collectors were a frequent presence when my father was young."
The group's eyes widened at that, realising how close Haru could've been to being destitute or worse.
"That must be why. Why your father was so willing to pursue his own happiness at the expense of others." Yusuke pondered.
"Whoa!" Futaba gasped as she searched the web for the model toy and saw the massive amount of yen it cost. "This thing's insane!"
"It is a staggering price. I've heard this can happen to collector's items, but still..." Yusuke whispered.
"People are gonna pay that much for a plastic toy?!" Ryuji commented.
"Ryuji, people buy idol's used bathwater for that much." Ren deadpanned.
"Gross!" Shiho and Ann groaned in utter disgust
"By the way, when exactly is the change of heart supposed to happen?" Haru asked.
"Soon. That's all we know." Morgana answered. "We'll have to wait and see what happens; but once he has his change of heart, I'm sure he'll tell us about it."
"Let's go home. I think we all deserve it." Ren offered. "Anyone for curry?"
"Yes!" They sighed in relief and excitement.
*Time Skip*
The group were relaxing, having completed another well-earned mission. Haru wouldn't let go of the model kit. She didn't want to sell it like the other Thieves had done for other treasures. "Need a hand keeping that safe?" Joker offered.
"No, no thank you. I appreciate it." Haru answered. "But I should check if my father is alright."
"Alright. Need me to call a taxi?" Ren offered.
"I'll take the train." She smiled.
"Alright, we'll celebrate properly afterwards." Ren reassured.
"Thank you, I'll see you all later." Haru bowed to her friends and left. But she quickly ran back, kissing Ren's lips before returning on her rush to the train
Ren blinked a little as he felt Haru's soft lips on his. He slowly turned around and looked at the others, stunned but none of them said anything.
Ryuji looked at him in shock, having a spoon in his hand from almost eating his curry. Yusuke seemed non-plussed but almost expected this. The girls, however? Hard to read.
"For some reason I think you should run, Joker." Morgana joked as if he was also expecting this, an evil flint in his eyes
"Right. Goodnight!" Ren responded quickly.
"Oh no, you don't!" They answered, ready to dog-pile him to stop him from leaving.
"Should... We run?" Ryuji asked the artist if the team
"I believe that would be beneficial to our health." Yusuke nodded, then whispered. "Because this is Ren's situation."
The two nodded... And then did just that, rushing away once again
"Guys, where are you going? Guys!" Ren panicked.
"So sorry!" Yusuke apologised.
"You're on your own, dude!" Ryuji followed up.
Ren gulped as he looked at the girls 'Why?' he thought bitterly
"So, you and Haru?" Ann asked.
"Shall we expect her to be part of the group?" Shiho followed up.
...
"You're not mad?" Ren asked.
"Ren, we've gone through this a half-dozen times." Makoto answered. "If you think we'd be mad, we're not."
"Yeah, especially Haru's cute and kicks ass. That's a bonus." Futaba added.
"Well, that's good." Ren muttered.
"And nothing to do with how rich she is?" Shiho smirked, looking at Futaba.
"She's rich? No-one told me!" Futaba played up being a dummy, but didn't think of Haru as 'the rich girl'.
"Shut up." Shiho smirked and pushed her gently.
"Besides, it's been a long two days. I think we deserve a break." Ann commented.
"True." Ren nodded in admittance.
"Care to give us foot rubs?" Ann asked, wiggling her feet.
'Hmm, that's a thought.' He thought to himself, looking at them. "Sure, let me get the scented candles and we'll make a day of it." Ren half-joked. He didn't have scented candles in the cafe.
'He actually has scented candles?' Shiho thought to herself with some eager hope
"He's joking, we don't have those candles." Futaba pouted.
"Oh." Shiho, Ann, Haru and Makoto pouted as they heard that.
"We'll rain-check it, okay?" Ren answered
"You better keep that promise, Ren." Shiho pointed to him.
"Hey, I promise." Ren held his hands up.
Vrr, Vrr.
'Oh no, not again.' Makoto thought as she felt her phone vibrate.
"Everything okay, Makoto?" Ren asked in worry
"It's Eiko." She answered as she answered her text. "She wants to meet up."
"Want me to escort you?" He asked.
"That might be a good thing, thank you." She nodded as she put her shoes on.
"Yeah, we've got to go home too." Ann admitted.
"We'll meet up later, okay?" Shiho followed up.
"You gonna be okay on your own, Haru?" Futaba asked.
"I'll be fine." Haru answered. "I'll book a hotel nearby."
"We'll see you later then." Futaba waved.
"Yeah. And don't go into my room, please." Ren asked her.
"Nyeh-heh-heh. No promises." Futaba teased.
Fool: Rank 10
Magician: Rank 10
Lovers: Rank 10
Chariot: Rank 10
Sun: Rank 10
Lust: Rank 10
Strength: Rank 9
Hierophant: Rank 8
Devil: Rank 8
Death: Rank 8
High Priestess: Rank 7
Emperor: Rank 7
Hanged-Man: Rank 7
Fortune: Rank 7
Temperance: Rank 6
World: Rank 6
Tower: Rank 6
Star: Rank 6
Hermit: Rank 6
Moon: Rank 6
Empress: Rank 6