Author's Note: This chapter actually showcases a segment which wasn't in the cross-posted standalone story: namely, the interlude at the very beginning.

Funny that the scenes with OldMan!Ryuji and Misato are essentially taking the place of "Sae in the Interrogation Room".

xxxx

"...that all sounds pretty weird."

The voice of Misato Katsuragi brought Ren out of his introspection. "Hm?"

Misato, idly watching Tokoyo sharpen her blades out of the corner of her eye, had a complicated expression on her face. "A world where Old Tokyo was still livable; no Second Impact, but the Metaverse was still real?" There was a heavy dose of skepticism. "Palaces sound just like Realms...and all this business with 'Yaldabaoth'..." However, she still seemed conflicted. "But the names you mentioned...Suguru Kamoshida was an A.T. Agent who worked under Makoto Niijima...but Sojiro Sakura is still in the cafe business. It's like there's no rhyme or reason as to who says the same and who doesn't...not to mention the oddity as to why you would even mention them at all without prompting."

"Same goes with Shiho Suzui, for that matter," remarked Ryuji Sakamoto, an odd look in his eyes. "It'd be kind of odd for you to bring up my second wife out of nowhere..."

"Your point?" asked Ren.

"It's a weird mix of people to mention with such conviction," explained Misato. "What I'm trying to get at is that you at least sound...convincing. And I'm not sure what to make of that."

Ren shrugged. "I haven't been lying to you."

"Mind telling us the name of whoever your Track Team buddy was? Or the unfortunate girl who got assaulted by Kamoshida?" asked Ryuji. "Kind of odd for you to not say their names."

Ren chuckled. Sorry, pal. I ain't a snitch. "I think I'll keep those to myself." Ryuji hummed, saying nothing more. "In any case...do you have any questions currently?"

"Sure. What is this all leading up to?" Misato quietly paced, looking for all who watched akin to a stalwart and uncompromising detective. "I mean, so far you've been describing a series of events in a world that has nothing to do with our current circumstances. So why spend so much time focusing on it?"

Ren blinked with deliberate emphasis. "That's kind of rude, isn't it?"

Misato balked. "Eh?"

"Think about it: it was my life. For all it's ups and downs...for however much I struggled to make my way through that ordeal...it was still mine. And it gave me the context for how to navigate this greater ordeal. How can anyone deal with a great trial if they don't experience lesser ones first?" Leaning back, Ren gave a cocky little grin. "Besides, I haven't had the occasion to ruminate on my old life to this extent in some time; it's actually good for me."

"Why is that?"

"Because even if you have no control over the events that happen to you...you can still influence the genre." Ren thought back to both lives: his first experience as Joker...and the second time around, armed with greater knowledge that nonetheless could not be applied in the same way. "Whether you're the character in a tragedy, a comedy, a drama, an epic, a thriller, a mystery, or even a fantasy...it all depends on how you approach it...and that's no less true now than it was back then..."

And so his recollection continued.

xxxx

Why are we here?

To understand the trials that forged a Wild Card...

xxxx

/Sunday: April 24, 2016/

Akira Kurusu absentmindedly cleaned dishes as the television displayed news about Suguru Kamoshida's confession, the scandal afflicting Shujin Academy, and censored interviews with some of his victims.

"What a mess...that's your school, isn't it?" mused Sojiro Sakura, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Yep."

"...make sure to keep your head down," murmured Sojiro. "You need to ensure that you stay out of trouble."

"Will do," he said, drying off the cleaned dishes. "Mind if I make a practice cup of coffee before I head out?"

"Only if I can judge your performance," said Sojiro, leaning onto the bartop with a shrewd look.

(He accidentally—intentionally—got the grind wrong.)

(Intentionally messing up—and being convincing about it—is more difficult than you'd think...)

xxxx

The quartet of Phantom Thieves — three people and one cat — met at the diner off of Shibuya Central Street; of them all, Ann Takamaki was the most bummed out. "...ugh..."

"Are you okay, Lady Ann?" asked Morgana from within Akira's bookbag.

"...Shiho's ghosting me," she whined. "I didn't mean to hurt her..."

Ryuji frowned, looking genuinely conflicted. "I mean, ain't it as simple as the both of you saying sorry, for, whatever?" Sipping from his soda, he added, "It's all Kamoshida's fault, anyhow."

"You don't get it..." she grumbled.

"I bet I do!"

Akira quietly ate his salisbury steak, letting his mind drift off; only when Ryuji tried to get his attention did he realize the phone stuck into his face. "Hm?"

"Yeah, I was browsing the school forums late last night, and somebody posted a link to a website called Phantom Watch."

Akira arched an eyebrow. "Phantom Watch?"

"Yeah; whoever the admin is, they're soliciting requests from people who need help. Asking for targets to change hearts, and all..."

"I bet your name's on it," snarked Morgana.

"...nuh uh," retorted Ryuji. "I mean...yeah, some. But there's been a few for Takamaki, the volleyball team, the other teachers, our principal...and a heck of a lot for you, dude."

Akira shrugged. "Not surprised." Phantom Watch, huh? Not Phantom Aficionado? Had Mishima's lack of involvement with the resolution against Kamoshida been all it had taken to make him more distant? It's less like a cheerleading site and more like a bounty board...or a hitlist. (Which the Phan-site the Last Time Around™ had more or less become by the end, but still!)

Ryuji, looking somewhat bummed, leaned back in his booth. "But seeing all the comments from people thanking us for taking down Kamoshida...it makes a guy wanna celebrate!" He faltered briefly, looking down at Ann's slumped over form. "I mean, you know, once Takamaki gets out of this mood she's in."

The blonde slowly rose, slapping her face to try and shock herself into action. "No...Shiho and I will get our act together. I need a distraction! Like sweets! Or crêpes!"

"Really? That stuff'll make you fat, you know," thoughtlessly said Ryuji, only to get hit with a vicious headlock. "Hey hey, I was tryin' to help!"

Akira huffed, not bothering to hide his fondness. "You guys are making a scene, you know," he joked.

"Well, if you're looking for a distraction...I have perfect one," remarked Morgana with a cattish grin.

"A purr-fect one?" cracked Akira.

Morgana swiped at his hand.

Totally worth it.

xxxx

Morgana's introduction to Mementos went about as Akira remembered: at the entrance to the subway, the world changed from empty normalcy to a bloody mess, and their normal outfits gave way to their Metaverse garb. I never really thought about just how dank and unsanitary the public's consciousness is, mused Joker.

("-Mementos is everyone's Palace?" repeated Skull.)

("A Palace like Kamoshida's requires extreme distortions; those who don't have such twisted wishes instead share a common Palace," explained Mona.)

("...wait, back up, what?")

(Mona groaned. "Why am I trying to explain this to you...?")

Joker looked over at Ann, who was looking down at herself with...a sense of confusion, and even consternation. "You okay?"

Ann impulsively covered her chest, looking back at him with trepidation. "Why...why is my outfit like this...?"

Glancing back over at Mona and Skull, Joker remarked, "The way it's been explained to me...is that these outfits represent our inner selves, to an extent. By awakening our will of rebellion, we formed a contract with our Persona...our Other Self."

"...so this outfit is me?" she wondered.

Joker shrugged. "Like I said: to an extent. It's like this mask I wear." He removed it, revealing his naked face. "With or without the mask, I'm still me; however, in my heart of hearts, my conception of a rebel has been made manifest."

Ann blinked. "...so, what, you're some kind of cosplaying butler, Sakamoto's a thug, and Morgana's a monster cat?"

Joker couldn't help but falter at that one. "Man, when you put it like that, you make us sound lame. You've gotta have a different perspective: sure, I could serve tea to a rich family with the best of them, but I could also be a gallant Trickster seeking to steal the ill-gotten gains of the wicked." Gesturing at Skull, he added, "Skull could be just a thug...or he could be the brash outlaw wreaking havoc against an unjust system. And Mona..." Joker frowned. "...jury's still out on that one."

Ann giggled. "So...when you see me, what do you think I am?"

"...maybe you should pick a codename first. That provides a good foundation...but what do I know? I'm just your average delinquent transfer student."

The blonde smiled, pulling off her mask to stare at its vaguely feline shape. "It's strange...how easy it is to talk to you..." With a genuine smile, she said, "If I'm trying to tell myself something...I'll try to be a better listener."

Joker grinned. "That's the spirit."

(And so the Lovers Confidant is yours once more...)

xx

Of course, the question of actually navigating Mementos required the return of something that Joker had nearly forgotten about: the Mona-bus. Ah, how I've missed our Cat Car™...

"Why the eff didn't you use this when Kamoshida's Palace was collapsin'?!" demanded Skull.

"Hey, don't complain!" exclaimed the transformed Mona, his new form evoking an angular yet stylishly old-fashioned van. "We made it out, didn't we?"

"...what kind of model are you?" asked Ann.

Mona paused. "...I'm...afraid I don't know..."

"Eh, we'll figure it out." said Joker as he got into the driver's seat. "Let's put this Cat-illac through its paces."

Ann giggle-snorted. "That pun's awful."

"Do you even know how to drive, dude?" asked Skull.

As Joker familiarized himself with the controls, he moved around like the Mona-bus was an old friend. "Out in the countryside, you'd be surprised what you can learn when no one's looking." (A technical answer that didn't explain anything: just how he liked it!)

"...so, why a bus?" wondered Skull.

"My Neighbor Kokoro," chorused Joker and Ann.

"...oh..." For some reason, this brought a childlike grin to Skull's face.

xx

Exploration went as expected: they fought Shadows, tested their battle skills, drove around a bit, and went down a single floor. (During this time, Ann had decided on her codename: Panther.)

(At least it's one other thing that hasn't changed...)

As subway trains with crimson light roared by on each of the railway platform, they approached a wall covered with numerous fractal curves. When it opened up to reveal another escalator leading down, Mona's glee was palpable. "It worked!"

"...what worked?" asked Skull.

Mona, still bearing a cattish grin, turned around. "I'll tell you once we get back; I think we've gone deep enough for our first foray."

"...have we?" asked Panther.

Joker shrugged. "I'm good with whatever...but if we get too deep into this, we might end up using the rest of our Sunday doing nothing but fighting...driving around...fighting some more...me getting bored and and inevitably practicing drifting in the Mona-bus..."

Skull and Panther promptly shivered. "That sounds good! Let's go home," they chorused.

Man, it's always the drifting that makes people skittish. Still, it had been a productive day, and in line with what he previously remembered...

xx

...which is why the sight of a young boy with silver hair and yellow eyes completely threw Joker for a loop.

"A person? In Mementos!?" exclaimed Mona.

That's what I was about to say! thought Joker with genuine alarm.

Jose was the little boy's name; despite the superficial similarities with Caroline, Justine, or Lavenza — yellow eyes and silver hair were kind of uncommon — there were other aspects that stood out: the floppy raincoat with star and moon motifs, the plastic and shiny nature of his 'hair', the toy-like ears and nose, and the oddly stilted tone of voice.

("It's custom for a human to introduce itself before asking another human for its name," robotically remarked the boy. "Thanks for reminding me, Misterrr...um, Tanuki? No, um...hmmm...Cat?")

(Mona was not amused.)

That was also notwithstanding the large toy car that was absolutely packed with luggage, to an almost cartoonish degree: an image not helped in the least by the star-shaped balloons dangling from the back. And his reason for being in Mementos? 'To look for flowers.' Why? 'So that he could study humans.' How? By...drinking juice made from said flowers.

This is one weird little dude, Joker mused, feeling somewhat ill at ease from this turn of events; this was something which absolutely did not happen last time. Which is why, when the boy requested help with his research, Joker said, "We'll see what we can find whenever we're here in Mementos," he cautiously said.

Jose seemed pleased, despite Mona's reasonable suspicions. Even in spite of the promise of rewards, there was no telling what would come of this. As the boy prepared to drive away, he said, "Ah, I also remembered something humans like to say to each other: good job!" Honk honk, went his car horn.

As it puttered away, Skull bluntly asked, "Who in the hell was that?"

Panther, still unused to the Metaverse relative to the others, wondered aloud. "If he's 'studying humans'...does that mean he isn't one? He just...seemed like a nice kid."

Mona, arms crossed, muttered, "Well, he didn't feel like a Shadow..."

I wonder if Mr. Fake Nose has an inkling as to who that is. As odd as it sounded, he couldn't discount the possibility that the mutual Ruin facing both the God of Control and the Velvet Room was in the guise of a tiny little boy. I'll just have to make sure not to let my fatherly instincts lead me astray if he turns out to be a bad boy...

And of course, the little boy had to ruin his inner monologue, rushing back up the escalator. "I totally forgot!" Clambering out of his car, he said, "There's something I've been meaning to give to all of you." With an absent-minded explanation of how he randomly found it while exploring, he pulled out a shiny five-pointed star, made of what looked to be a cross between a shimmering gem and luminescent clay. 'Randomly found', huh? We never found something like that in my Last Life™...

"Humans make wishes on stars, right? That's so interesting! Stars granting wishes..." Jose perked up. "So this star is going to grant your wishes!"

Say what now?

Although Jose immediately walked back that apparent claim, he nonetheless offered it as a sign of friendship...and then he was off again.

While Panther and Skull immediately tried wishing for food, Joker stared at the star with an uncertain frown. This star has...a lot of power to it. But how? And why?

Something to look into later, perhaps.

Alas, it was time to depart; and with a resolution made regarding the depths of Mementos ("The more the general public thinks of the Phantom Thieves, the more Mementos will respond to us," said Morgana with sincere conviction. "The source of my missing memories is in the depths, I'm sure of it."), they parted ways for the day.

xxxx

(Little did Joker or the other Phantom Thieves know, but Jose quickly pulled up in a little dead end of Mementos. Shadows instinctively avoided him, as the hall itself seemed to bleed away into darkness...and a night sky full of stars.)

(Sitting on the hood of his car, the boy kicked his feet back and forth. "Hey...I made contact with them, just like you told me to!")

(Silence. But there was an answer that only he could hear.)

("Yep! I gave them the star that Papa made as well!")

(An inquisitive silence.)

("...uh huh! They seem kind of funny. But I think they'll be good helpers with my studies!")

(A pointed silence.)

("...well, there was a weird feeling coming from that crystal they had, but I wanted to wait for them to bring flowers first. That's part of the game, right? I'll make sure not to forget, next time.")

(A pleased silence.)

("Got it! I'll make sure to continue my studies like I promised. Talk to you later, Mama!")

(And so Jose puttered on his toy car, searching for flowers of thought within the depths of the public's shared consciousness.)

xxxx

Akira belatedly realized it was Sunday when he heard a familiar voice echoing from the station square. "-we adults must redefine our mission!" exclaimed a middle-aged and slightly portly man in a worn suit with a distinctive polka dot tie. "Our country is dealing with numerous crises, all to the detriment of the young generations who will one day lead this country..."

Huh. Almost forgot this was before Old Man Tora's big political turnaround. Although he had never gotten so far as becoming Prime Minister, Toranosuke Yoshida had gone on to be the mentor for numerous young newcomers in the National Diet, which would pay many dividends in the future. I forgot how captivating his speeches were.

"...Joker, shouldn't we be going home?" asked Morgana within his bookbag.

"Quiet Morgana, I'm listening," murmured Akira.

To his surprise, Yoshida actually singled him out after the speech came to an end. "You were paying attention with great intensity, young man." Yoshida frowned, looking intrigued. "You look like a student, but you have the air of someone much older."

"I've been told I have a bit of an old soul," Akira quipped.

Yoshida chuckled. "A youthful man with elderly wisdom: I only hope you haven't closed yourself off to the vital energy that youthful generations need to make their mark."

"Oh, you'd be surprised..."

One thing led to another, and a familiar deal regarding the art of speech-making had been struck. And I didn't even have to work part-time at the beef bowl shop to get his attention. Neat!

(And so the brightness of your Sun Confidant has been witnessed again...)

xxxx

Day: April 24th, 2016

Hung out with my friends. Found a strange kid who wants to learn a lot.

Not sure what to make of the youth of the day.

Anyhow, I volunteered to help a washed-up politician who had been found guilty of embezzlement way back when. No way this will go wrong!

Wink.

xxxx

/Monday: April 25, 2016/

Akira stepped into the library after the end of classes for two reasons. One was to refresh his memory on certain topics; the other was to catch a glimpse at a certain Student Council President. And there's good ol' Makoto Niijima, mused Akira, watching the dutiful third-year tutor another student amidst a pile of textbooks.

What he hadn't expected was to see Shiho Suzui, quietly studying as well. Well well well...might as well make the most of it. After checking out a reference manual for social studies, he quietly—yet openly—approached the table where Shiho was sitting, so that she could see him coming. "Mind if I sit here, Suzui-san?"

"Oh. Go ahead, Kurusu-san."

(It felt rather weird to hear her say his name.) As he sat down, he casually asked, "Do you remember when midterms are? With everything that's happened, it's slipped my mind."

"Ah...it's on the 11th of May."

"Got it, thanks." Akira spent a few minutes going through his reference manual—ooh, I forgot that bit, I should write these down—before asking, "How've you been?"

Shiho blinked. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, Ryuji and Takamaki-san have had a lot on their minds since...you know, Kamoshida's confession." (Technically true.) "We hung out, yesterday. Takamaki-san seemed rather...bummed out, to put it mildly."

Shiho frowned. "Is that so?"

Akira was not blind to the other students 'sneakily' (hah, they wished they were sneaky!) looking in his direction; even if Kamoshida had confessed to blaming him for assaulting Ann, his reputation as a delinquent criminal still reigned supreme. It is what it is. "I'm not exactly an expert on friendship or anything of that sort, but I can't help but wonder about what happened after it..."

"When I ran, you mean?"

Akira nodded. "I mean, I'm not going to lie and say I'm not prying, because I totally am." Her unabashed disbelief at his open audacity was enough of an opening. "But I don't like seeing two friends at odds...and you two clearly care about each other," he quietly said.

Shiho frowned, looking down at her books with a depressed listlessness. "I...may have underestimated how much Ann cared about me. To go that far...it only proved that everything I thought I had earned..." Her voice caught on itself, unwilling to continue.

"...you think everything you accomplished on the volleyball team was because of Ann's favors? Starting position and all?" When Shiho nodded, Akira swiftly crushed the impulse to call 'bullcrap' on that, because that wouldn't actually help her at all. Hmm. I've raised two teenage girls before. So I need a light touch. "...I can't speak for your past performance; can't exactly claim that I watched Shujin volleyball before coming here, after all...but given that Kamoshida's gone, it's a chance to start clean, isn't it?"

"Hm?"

"To show that you've earned your position, regardless of what he did. I mean, I'm just a 'delinquent criminal', so I'm all about proving people wrong," he joked, pointedly looking at the various students trying to (poorly) eavesdrop on them. "But I'm not you, so I don't know if that's what you actually want."

Shiho seemed downright unsure of herself (a far cry from the adult athlete he remembered: a woman who had earned her confidence by triumphing over unbelievable adversity). However, she eventually relented. "I don't even know if I'm good enough anymore...but...I can try..."

"Sounds like we have a deal, then."

"...I guess..."

(And that's when the familiar words evoking the Moon Arcana echoed through his head.)

(Well, you certainly didn't expect this...)

xxxx

Day: April 25th, 2016

The moon looked much more different today than I was expecting.

Not sure what to make of it.

Guess I'll just have to wing it.

xxxx

The days continued on into Golden Week, and Akira slowly fell into a varied rhythm:

- Hang out with Ryuji (while resisting the urge to trounce his old Track Team buddies, because they were such jerks).
- Hang out with Ann (while trying to be as gentle as possible with the red button known as 'Shiho Suzui').
- Hang out with Shiho (while trying to be as discreet as possible with the red button known as 'Ann Takamaki').
- Hang out with Sojiro. (Well, practice making coffee and doing chores in Leblanc, but he counted it as hanging out! And hey, he was now deemed 'responsible' enough to have a key to the cafe and venture out at night!)
- Perform tests for Takemi.
- Bask in the nostalgia of Yongen-Jaya and Shibuya (usually whilst trying to recover from the aforementioned tests, because man they made his insides feel squirrely).
- Calmly browse the wares at Untouchable, becoming more well-known as a client.
- Listen to Yoshida's speeches when he had a free moment.

And through it all, he was trying to finagle how the 'Phantom Watch' website would work compared to the old Phan-Site.

xx

/Monday: May 2, 2016/

"You say that a calling card isn't necessary for Shadows in Mementos, right?" Akira said in the midst of doing push-ups in the attic. It was after closing hours, so it was just him and his talking cat. (And man, talking out loud about this stuff felt so freeing by comparison. Having lived through all of this before made him far more willing and able to talk in places he considered to be safe and away from public eyes and ears...)

(After all, why hold yourself back from being open with your confidant?)

Morgana paused. "...it shouldn't. I think...maybe...?"

Akira glanced over at his bed. "You sound unsure."

"I mean, Mementos is technically the general public's Palace, right? Anything that can cause an effect felt by the general public should passively cause an effect to the Shadow...if they don't already have a Palace, that is."

"But wouldn't one still be necessary to make their Treasure manifest? Even if they're not as developed or distorted as a Palace Ruler, they should still have something that serves as the core of their desires. Would rumors by themselves be enough to make it appear?"

Morgana rolled over, calmly stretching in contemplation. "Who knows...we won't know until we try again. Wouldn't leaving a message on Phan-Watch be enough of a calling card by itself?"

Akira huffed, getting up to work on some lunges and split squats. "We would have to make an account that doesn't post anything else; we'd have to use an e-mail account not associated with either one of us...and any action would have to be done shortly thereafter, so people know it's for real. Otherwise, what's to differentiate us from the trolls trying to get a rise out of people by posting fake calling cards?"

"I still don't get why you call people like that 'trolls'," griped Morgana.

"Honestly, it's before my time; I've just rolled with it." We have to get rolling on exploring Mementos...and on changing hearts.

(Alas, little did he know — or rather, little did he remember — that Leblanc was bugged.)

xxxx

(Little did Akira know, that a certain little gremlin with orange hair was quietly listening to his words. "Why is he talking to his cat like it can respond...?" Oh well, not her concern if he was a little bit crazy.)

(The things he was saying, though...they rang a chord. And in light of the news about what had happened at Shujin Academy...)

(Tonight, things were a bit clearer mentally: she could do this.)

(The custodial paperwork that Sojiro had accidentally left on the kitchen counter over a month ago was already burned into her brain, so she knew where this 'Akira Kurusu' had once lived.)

(It was then trivial to cross-reference various public databases to find the phone number registered to this specific Akira.)

(Now she just needed to spoof up something...)

xxxx

Later that night, Akira felt his phone buzz; with vague annoyance, he groggily pulled it out and looked at the message on the screen. The shapes and text were familiar enough: it was a notification regarding a system update. Ugh, why can't software updates happen when I'm awake...?

He absentmindedly hit 'Update Now' — all the better to have it over and done with by morning — and thought nothing more of it before going back to sleep.

(After all, the format had been exactly the same as what a real update would have shown; why would he or any average Joe have suspected foul play...?)

xxxx

(The little gremlin grinned as her system gained full access to Akira's phone. "Spoofed update package delivered and accepted: mwe-he-heh!")

(Ah, what a poor country bumpkin, to be so ignorant of proper IT security...)

(Akira Kurusu's phone — data and all — was now an open book to her.)

(And oh, his chat logs...! "...so he's actually one of the Phantom Thieves, huh...?")

(The moment they decided on their next target, she would need to test something.)

(And if it panned out...maybe they could actually help her...)

(But, for the time being, she used one of her numerous burner e-mails to set up a user account on the Phantom Watch website. "Now...what username to go for...")

(Her bugs usually picked up some of the things Akira had been murmuring in his sleep: a few words had been more common than most.)

("Maybe he just likes card games," the girl mused to herself as she input Wild_Card_Joker as a username.)

xxxx

Tuesday, May 3rd — Constitution Memorial Day — came and went.

Wednesday, May 4th — Greenery Day — also came and went. Nothing of any real note happened...other than Sae Niijima showing up in the morning, making small talk about the most recent subway incident.

(Sae had looked at him with a strange aura of suspicion and concern. "Where do you go to school?")

("Shujin Academy," Akira had calmly answered.)

(Sae, doubtless thinking of her little sister, had made some remarks about Kamoshida and school life being stressful before moving on.)

(Man, it would be nice to avoid getting interrogated by you...would the Ruin mind if that changed...?)

Oh, and being used as a proverbial (model) gun trafficker by Iwai to avoid heat from a pair of nosy cops.

(Break~ing the law~, for~fun and pro~fit, he had musically mused to himself, carrying the bag nonchalantly.)

("Man, you are one unflappable guy, Joker," Morgana had mewled from his book bag.)

And apparently, Ryuji had gotten fed up with Ann's moping over the Shiho situation, so he unilaterally demanded that they actually celebrate their victory over Kamoshida while they still had school-free days.

("Our leader's been holding onto the cash from selling the medal for days; who knows how much longer he can resist the temptation to spend it?!")

("Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Ryuji," Akira had snarked.)

Ann had relented...but only because she got to pick where they ate.

(And of course she would go for the Wilton Hotel's legendary buffet...)

Thus came Thursday, May 5th: Children's Day, and the last holiday of Golden Week.

xxxx

/Thursday: May 5, 2016/

Akira, without really meaning to, arrived first. As such, he avoided a repeat of the 'plate full of beans'. (Which was kind of sad, because that had made for a really great running joke as they had gotten older the Last Time Around™...)

Ann was visibly happy with all of the desserts, and Ryuji was on the verge of a carnivore's coma. "Dude," said the latter between bites, "You need to get more!"

"I like to savor my food, thank you very much," retorted Akira, calmly taking a bite of grilled chicken.

"Gosh, you're such an old man, sometimes," grumbled Ryuji. (Oh, if only he knew!)

"Then if he's an old man, that makes you a toddler," joked Morgana, sneakily swiping stuff from the table when no one was looking.

"Hey!" retorted Ryuji, much to Ann's laughter.

"No fighting at the dinner table, kids," lectured Akira with an air of faux sagacity, playing up the 'crotchety old man' angle to sell the humor.

Alas, fate still had its way...and when Ryuji suffered 'The Revenge of the Stomach Attack™', Akira accompanied him to the restroom out of solidarity.

That's when the encounter happened.

And then there's THIS asshole, idly thought Akira as a suited thug pushed Ryuji away from the elevator. Amidst the men in suits was a bald man with a goatee and shaded glasses. If it isn't 'Worldwide-san' himself, thought Akira, remembering Futaba's old nickname for Masayoshi Shido. (A nickname he honestly couldn't remember the origin of, at this point; it had had something to do with a gaijin rapper, right? Eh, whatever...)

Needless to say, Ryuji was utterly infuriated by Shido's dismissiveness. "The hell was with that bossy guy?!" he demanded after Worldwide-san and his goons departed on the elevator. "That dick really pissed me off."

"...his voice sounded familiar," intentionally muttered Akira, cupping a hand around his chin. "...hmm."

"What, you've met him somewhere before?"

"...maybe." It's only natural to consider such things, after all...but maybe I'll put a little more effort into finding out about him...at least around the others. (After all, a plausible excuse to take down Shido earlier than usual would be just fine...right?)

It was upon rejoining Ann in the buffet lounge that their conversation turned towards the Phantom Watch website, and whether or not they wanted to continue being Phantom Thieves. "I mean, like that asshole we just ran into...and all the shitty adults lookin' down on us," grumbled Ryuji, looking over his shoulder at the affluent people moving about. (After all, their snide looks had been all too apparent; Akira just honestly didn't care about their disapproval, so it washed off of him like water.) "There has to be loads of people who are dealing with crap like we did." Pulling out his phone, he added, "And there are all sorts of users on Phan-Watch who left comments thanking us...and wondering if we're even real..."

"...and if I had had someone in my corner...even if it was just something small...maybe I wouldn't have given in to Kamoshida," admitted Ann with a downcast expression. "And maybe Shiho would have had more faith in herself...it was all so messed up..." She briefly wiped at her eyes before putting on a fierce expression. "If we ignore the people that we're able to help...I'd go back to being that same weak person..."

Akira's heart trembled with compassion for them both. Leaning his elbows on his knees, he rested his chin on his hands. "I was going to help Morgana with exploring Mementos anyway...but if you two want to continue on...then I'm all in. No matter what Shadows we face or what Palaces we have to infiltrate." With a smirk, he said, "My codename is Joker. But outside, you can just call me Akira."

Ryuji grinned with excitement. "Skull. And I know we're on first name basis, but the same goes for you, Takamaki. After all we went through, hearing you just say 'Sakamoto' feels kind of weird."

Ann looked between them both, smiling genuinely. "Panther. And...you guys can just call me Ann."

Thus were they sworn to working together: helping the weak and downtrodden by stealing the hearts of criminals. Just like old times...

(It's strange how young this makes you feel...)

(Later that night, Ryuji would text a selfie that captured everyone at the Wilton Buffet.)

(It was so striking an image, that Akira genuinely couldn't remember if he had gotten it in his Last Life™...)

xxxx

Day: May 5th, 2016

Me, Blond 1, and Blonde 2 managed to pool some spare money together to go to a swanky buffet.

We stuffed our faces in a very childish manner.

In other words, it was a fitting way to celebrate Children's Day.

xxxx

When Joker opened his eyes within the Velvet Room, Yaldabaoth's voice had a tinge of amusement. "I congratulate you, for managing to cleave to such a familiar road...even as our Ruin prepares to act more openly."

"Is that so?" He glanced over at Caroline and Justine; although still filled with trepidation about his presence, they were at least less openly fearful. "I wonder...it wouldn't have anything to do with a kid called Jose, would it?"

Fake Igor did not answer.

Joker quietly pulled Jose's gift out of his pocket; although the star did not glow, it seemed to resonate within the Velvet Room, in time with the unseen woman's wail. "Or how about this?"

The false deity outright glared at the star, his shoulders visibly vibrating with irritation. "An interesting artifact that you possess..."

"Who is he? And what is this?"

The False Igor's fingers tapped with palpable frustration. "The rules of the game prevent me from saying more...but know that whoever gifted you that trinket, is not our Ruin...but be wary of the gift-giver, nonetheless."

"Why?"

"Because it reeks of a meddler," audibly sneered the God of Control. "And meddlers rarely act with subtlety..."

"...hmm." How interesting. "Fine. Since I'm here, I might as well fuse some Personas..."

This, at least, was a sufficient enough distraction. (Genbu and Saki Mitama gave way to Shiisaa; Archangel and Eligor to Shiki-Ouji...and, most importantly, Berith and Silky to Jack Frost.)

(Hee ho!)

xxxx

/Friday: May 6, 2016/

Rumors were rampant that day of a new faculty member that had been hired during the Shujin board meeting on May the 2nd.

Not a new P.E. teacher, alas; at nearly two weeks since Kamoshida had turned himself into the police, a more PR-friendly avenue had been taken. "-we believe the mental health of our student body is absolutely vital, so we've acquired the services of a therapist," said Principal Kobayakawa at the school-wide assembly that afternoon. "The floor is yours, Doctor."

Akira watched with suspicion as a bespectacled man — in his 30s at least; bearing unkempt brown hair and some stubble on his goatee; wearing a white lab coat over a business casual outfit; wearing open-toed sandals (how informal!) — approached the mic stand. This is definitely new.

"It's nice to meet you all." He sounded genial and kind. "My name is-" The mic shorted out. "Huh?" After briefly fiddling with it, he continued his introduction. "My name is Takuto Maruki."

Takuto Maruki. He could not help but think of Yaldabaoth's words from the prior night. Is he part of the Ruin...?

"Thank you for welcoming me to your school." Maruki bowed-

THUMP.

-and winced as his head bounced off of the microphone, causing a high-pitched squeal of electronic feedback.

Akira blinked. Yeah, I'm not getting many 'Ruin' vibes from this guy...

xx

(Ah, if only Akira had known what awaited him...)

xx

Even so, despite the Doc's self-deprecation—good to know we shouldn't go to you for financial advice—Akira couldn't help but wonder if it was an act. After all, people are capable of putting up plenty of masks that are hard to see through...

These thoughts circulated through his mind after the assembly dispersed. "You ever expect this place to actually give a shit about mental health?" asked Ryuji once the trio of Thieves were alone.

"...maybe they figured they'd look even worse if they didn't do anything for us," murmured Ann as she hugged herself. "Especially after it made national news..."

...hold that thought. "Did you ever tell your parents about what happened?" The Last Time Around™, Shiho had ended up transferring schools. Sure, he had stopped Ann before she had actually completed her suicide attempt, but what right-minded parent would countenance letting their kid stay in a school that had failed them so badly? (He sure as hell hadn't that one time his boy's middle school had tried to cover up a bullying epidemic...that was a story in and of itself...)

Ann shook her head fiercely. "No way. They're travelling, I don't want to interrupt them-!"

"For real?" wondered Ryuji.

"...is it something you don't want to admit to them? Do you think they would...hold it against you?" Akira kindly asked.

"No way," said Ann, defending her parents' honor. "But...it's not...something I want to bring up with them, you know...can we just drop it, please?"

Both boys wisely backed off. It was a lucky coincidence that Takuto Maruki approached them. "Hello there. Sakamoto-kun and Takamaki-san, right? And that must make you Kurusu-kun."

Red alert, he knows us!

"How d'you know our names?" asked Ryuji.

Dr. Maruki was, to his credit, upfront: the school had informed him of certain students who had had the closest proximity to Suguru Kamoshida, for one reason or another...the three of them included. And, based on the presentation, the school had essentially said 'you will counsel them or else.' As such, in spite of their denial to take counseling (Ryuji's "Nope" had been so flatly said that Akira had nearly laughed), Maruki still tried to sweeten the deal. "Ah! But, if you come to my office, you can have free snacks! All you can eat...would be nice, but there's still plenty to be had. So, how about it?"

Does he think we're still in primary school? Even so, Akira decided to play along. "Tell me more of these snacks..."

"Don't fall for that!" chorused Ann and Ryuji.

Maruki at least had the sense to be contrite. "I know that asking you to be open with a complete stranger like myself is a lot. Making this mandatory wouldn't do you any good, either. Might as well turn it into a worthwhile experience...ooh, I know! If you attend my counseling sessions, I'll teach you different ways to improve your mental acuity. Like, ways to hone your concentration before exams, or not getting nervous on dates." He paused. "There's also snacks..."

Hmm. I could imagine the offer being enticing for a teenager. But what exactly could I get out of it? To be frank, trying to keep things straight between his 'old man-erisms' (no apologies for the wordplay) and the memories of his Last Life™...it was a hassle. There was also the risk of forgetting things...precious things...important things. I already nearly let Ann down by forgetting about the date of the suicide attempt...I should take it seriously. (And, given this new variable, he'd be able to keep an eye out for the potential Ruin.)

Despite Ryuji and Ann's wariness, Akira ultimately agreed, and that was enough for them to relent as well. Dr. Maruki's happiness at their acceptance, for what it was worth, seemed genuine. "Thanks for taking my counseling into consideration. Now that we have a deal, I promise I'll do my best to help you."

"...I appreciate it," admitted Akira.

(Then, to his everlasting surprise, there was a familiar feeling resounding with his mind and soul.)

(The Councillor Confidant...is new to you...)

(Not just Moon being different; now he had a brand new Arcana altogether...!)

Later that day, Kawakami-sensei let it be known that Dr. Maruki's posting was only thru November. And a time limit as well...I can manage.

xxxx

After school, the trio elected to meet on the rooftop to discuss Ann's impromptu meeting with the new therapist. To Akira's surprise, none other than Haru Okumura was up there, tending to the planters. "Oh! Hello again." The third-year glanced over Ann and Ryuji. "...the rooftop seems to be quite the popular place, nowadays."

"We just wanted to talk about that new Doc without anyone getting nosey," said Ryuji, sounding suspicious.

Akira placed a hand on his shoulders. "If we're going to be a hassle, we can go elsewhere."

"...it's fine. I was nearly done anyway." The floofy-haired girl brushed the soil off of the knees of her tracksuit. "I...would recommend finding a new place to meet. After all, this place technically is off-limits to unauthorized students."

Once the third-year left, Ryuji huffed. "Bet she'll snitch."

"She didn't snitch on me when I had lunch up here back in April," said Akira, leaping to Haru's defense. Though, to be fair, we should get a move on with getting a different 'hideout'...I wonder if it's too early to try and push for Leblanc...?

As they grabbed their seats, Morgana wormed his way out of Ann's bookbag and asked, "So, what's the verdict?"

"Was the guy as corny as he was with us?" asked Ryuji.

"...it wasn't as rough as I was expecting, to be honest." Ann crossed her legs, looking genuinely thoughtful. "He sounded like he gave a damn about what I went through...in a way that didn't feel like an act."

"...interesting." Perhaps I'll arrange a visit sooner than I thought.

Ryuji irritably scratched at his head. "Tch, who cares about thinking about the school's latest PR move? We should focus on picking a new target!" Pulling out his phone, Ryuji said, "I put in a bunch'a names of famous people, and some of 'em definitely got Palaces. Think we should try and figure out their keywords?"

"Let's not get too hasty," cautioned Akira, adapting his 'Joker' voice on impulse. "We shouldn't target anyone unless it's a unanimous vote. It'd be too easy to abuse our power otherwise." Plus, just because they have distorted desires doesn't necessarily mean they're evil. (A certain hikikomori came to mind...and man, the itch to try and find an excuse to meet her early was fierce.)

"...a sound suggestion, Leader," remarked Morgana. "Plus, I'd be wary of trying to tackle too many Palaces; those are long and involved heists, and might take even more time and effort than Kamoshida's. What we should be focusing on are Shadows in Mementos: those would be easy for us to hit multiple ones at a time, if need be! The more we practice in Mementos, the better prepared we'll be for the big shots."

Ann frowned. "And how do we figure out which ones?"

"I guess we can browse Phan-Watch and make a decision," said Ryuji, pulling up the website.

After a few minutes of browsing through the various requests, a familiar name struck out. "How about this one? Natsuhiko Nakanohara." The former apprentice of Madarame...and our ticket to reuniting with Yusuke...

"A City Hall teller who's stalking his ex, huh?" Ann huffed. "Sounds good to me."

"Yeah, let's do it!" exclaimed Ryuji.

"...then we'll do it tomorrow," said Akira, much to their surprise. "I need to ensure we have a way to publicly accept the request without having it get traced back to us in real life."

"...oh, yeah, good point," admitted Ryuji with a gulp.

"But I'll definitely think of something by tomorrow." In fact, I might as well take the chance to visit Akihabara to get the tool kit I need to fix that broken laptop...it'll be better to browse Phan-Watch with that old thing than with my phone.

Thus did the Thieves part ways for the day.

xxxx

(Meanwhile, in Yongen-Jaya, the little gremlin with orange hair grinned at the audio coming through her headphones. "Natsuhiko Nakanohara, huh?" As she browsed public records, she quickly began compiling enough info to leave a wicked calling card of a post on Phan-Watch! "Time to see if you guys are all you're cracked up to be...")

(Meanwhile, back at Shujin Academy, a certain student council president was meeting the Principal. "Now that Dr. Maruki is present to focus on the...collateral damage from Kamoshida-kun, I can turn my attention to the ones who caused such a drastic change in his personality. That's why I've called you here, Niijima-kun...")

xxxx

Akira couldn't remember visiting Akihabara the Last Time Around™ until...well, not until after Futaba had joined. Even in the future, it was still the 'famed mecca of electronics'. Still strange to see so many maid cafes, he mused; the future had given way to pursuits of a more virtual bent...but that sort of stuff was for future Akira to not care about. Right now, he had an electronics store to visit!

(What fortune, that he still remembered which particular tool kit it was...there had been quite a few times he had worked on repairing old electronics alongside his son, who had pursued it as a hobby and turned it into something more...)

(Don't think too much about your past. Focus on the now.)

He managed to hit the Akiba Electronics store before it closed, thankfully...and, just for good measure, he stopped by the Shibuya Gigolo arcade to play a few games.

One of them had been a round of 'Gun About' with one Shinya Oda.

("...you've got an interesting look in your eye," the bratty school boy said, tightening his distinctive 'GET SMOKED' baseball cap. "I wanna see how tough you are.")

Akira had lost, of course—no way was memory going to make up for his current lack of practice against a kid who lived and breathed video games—but he had managed to at least put in a good showing...or, at least, good enough to catch Shinya's interest.

("Next time, I wanna see what other weird trick shots you have," said the foulmouthed boy.)

("...only if you work on that potty mouth of yours," playfully chided Akira.)

(Shinya pouted. "It's a bad habit of mine...")

("Well, think of this way: does a veteran player who knows they're skilled have a need to swear? Or..." To emphasise his point, he jabbed the English lettering on the boy's blue jacket, which read 'NOOBS' in dark font. "...is that the flaw of a newbie?")

(The boy gasped. "You calling me a noob?!" he protested.)

("Well, you are wearing that jacket...")

("That does it, I demand another match right now! I'll stomp your ass into the ground!")

("Sorry kid, maybe next time...")

("Then gimme your number so I know I won't miss you whenever you're around!")

("My my, so pushy...")

(And thus had the Tower Confidant been renewed...)

It was only after returning to Yongen-Jaya and buying a broken laptop from the local recycle shop—I can't believe this only costs five hundred yen, what an absolute steal!—that Akira realized he had missed some texts in the Thieves' group chat.

Ryuji: yo dude, you're quick!
Ann: no kidding!
Ann: it's a cool message!
Ryuji: ain't your username kinda blatant though?
Ann: Well, who would know? :)
Ryuji: eh
Ryuji: guess u have a point
Ann: of course I do! ~.^

...say what now?

Once Akira got back into his attic bedroom, he went to Phan-Watch and pulled up the thread relating to Nakanohara's request. The first post underneath was a response from someone called Wild_Card_Joker. "Uh..."

Morgana looked at the screen with confusion. "But...you only just got back."

Akira quietly whispered the message, enunciating it to himself. "This is our announcement: Sir Natsuhiko Nakanohara, gripped by bitterness and jealousy! Love is not something you can stalk once it has been lost, for it will only become a symbol of hate for you. To prevent such a tragic fate from coming to pass, we shall take your twisted desires from you! Beware our arrival, for we strike tomorrow! Sincerely, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts." Akira didn't know what to make of it. "The hell...?"

"I mean, I can understand why Ryuji and Lady Ann thought you did it...but who would send such a calling card? And how would they know who our intended target was?"

At that precise moment, Akira received a text message from an entirely different individual.

ALIBABA: I trust you find this calling card to be satisfactory?
ALIBABA: For Natsuhiko Nakanohara?

Akira blinked. Wait...why is Futaba reaching out to me now? Did she do this?

"Who's Alibaba?" wondered Morgana.

Akira's fingers moved with a frenzied determination.

Akira: That was you?
Akira: Why?
ALIBABA: Consider this a test of the Phantom Thieves. I wish to see your skills in action.
ALIBABA: You have already agreed to strike at him already, so you shouldn't require any further push.
Akira: But who are you?
Akira: What do you get out of this?
ALIBABA: My reasons are my own.
ALIBABA: But this could be a very fruitful relationship for us.
ALIBABA: I have ensured that the contents of the calling card were delivered to Nakanohara's phone and to his e-mail account.
ALIBABA: If he is not already aware of the message, he will be soon.
Akira: Did Nakanohara do something to you?

(Akira knew that no such thing could have happened; however, he needed to see what Futaba was getting at...)

ALIBABA: Whether or not I have a prior relationship with Nakanohara is none of your concern.
ALIBABA: I wish to see the results of a change of heart for myself.

Already, Akira knew where this was going. You want to see if we can duplicate what we did to Kamoshida. Because if we can...that means the Phantom Thieves can help you, 'Alibaba'. But why reach out to me so early? And how would she possibly know about the name 'Joker', or the term 'Wild Card'?

Akira: Who are you?
ALIBABA: I'll keep in touch. Don't let me down.

Any attempts at following up led to an invalid error message. "...this seems bad. What should we do, Joker?" asked Morgana.

"...we're still going after Nakanohara anyway. This 'Alibaba' may just be a fan who wants to help the Phantom Thieves with their justice..."

"But they know your name from the Metaverse."

"Yeah...we'll just have to be careful." I mean, for all I know Alibaba could be someone else entirely this time around...because Futaba shouldn't know my Metaverse name at all!

(Getting into contact with her suddenly became a bigger priority.)

(Now you just have to convince Sojiro...)

xxxx

(Meanwhile, the little orange-haired gremlin chuckled, feeling pleased with herself. "Now...time to wait and see..." she muttered, leaning back to stare at her many computer monitors.)

(Hopefully, this recent burst of activity would keep the nightmares away for a little bit longer...)

xxxx

/Saturday: May 7, 2016/

Haru Okumura had tended to the rooftop plants during lunch, which is why the Thieves had free reign once school let out. Needless to say, when Akira unveiled the truth about 'Alibaba' being behind Nakanohara's calling card, they were immediately on the alert. "Is someone trailin' us? I mean, we just chose him yesterday," grumbled Ryuji.

"...should we change who we go for?" wondered Ann.

"The calling card was already sent," said Morgana. "People will be on the lookout to see if this one is legit."

"You sure? There are a bunch'a copycats that have been posting their own fake calling cards on Phan-Watch," Ryuji pointed out. "The only reason I paid any attention to Nakanohara's was the username."

"...I'm not sure about this," murmured Ann.

"We'll know about Nakanohara's character once we encounter his Shadow in Mementos. That should make our decision easier, right?" Akira stuffed his hands into his pockets, projecting an image of stoic nonchalance. "We'll look into this 'Alibaba' after the fact..."

Suddenly, Morgana's eyes shot to the rooftop door. "Someone's coming." The cat darted away, hiding himself behind the rooftop water tank.

And here she comes, thought Akira as none other than Makoto Niijima — prim and proper with black tights, a dressy halter vest over a long-sleeved white-colored turtleneck shirt, and a headband that was so indistinguishable from her actual hair that he had thought it was a braid for the longest time (and boy, the amusement that revelation had caused...) — approached them. "Howdy," he calmly remarked.

"This place is off-limits, you know," she calmly said.

Akira deftly pointed at the vegetable planters. "We're guarding these. Who knows what kind of nefarious birds would like to partake of such bounty?"

Makoto blinked, thrown off-kilter by his rejoinder. So much so, that Ryuji took the chance to defend themselves. "We're just chattin', and we're not hurtin' nobody. We'll be gone soon enough."

"...what do you want with us?" wondered Ann, sounding instantly suspicious.

Makoto used that to reorient herself, identifying their proverbial 'roles' within the Shujin caste of telltales and rumormongers. Alas, when she brought up Kamoshida...oh, what a poor mistake that was.

Ann leapt to her feet, glaring furiously at her. "So the student council decides to get involved only when the school's 'golden boy' confesses all of his wrongdoing, huh...?" With a huff, Ann stormed away.

Makoto blinked, genuinely shocked by the blonde's vitriol. Ryuji stood up, walking on ahead. "We'll get out of your hair, Miss President."

"...I'm just delivering a simple message," she whispered to herself.

"You can't exactly blame them," Akira decided to say, making sure Morgana had snuck back into his bookbag before picking it up. "I mean, when it comes to stuff that matters...like abusive teachers...is it any surprise people would think of the student council as useless?" (Why did that particular word ring a bell...?)

Niijima frowned, her thin brows furrowing with indignation. "Useless...?"

(You'll probably remember later.) "Then again, I am the 'infamous transfer student', as you so correctly put it...but I think that gives me an outsider's perspective on the way things go here. And to be completely honest...I think you're well aware of just how rotten it all is. And I bet you hate it." Akira made to move on; as he passed her, he added, "But that's just my opinion."

"...the rooftop has been declared off-limits following the incident with Takamaki-san. If you and your friends are caught up here without permission...there will be consequences."

Akira couldn't help but chuckle. "Everything has consequences, Miss President. The question is whether or not they're worth living with." And then he moved on, to let her stew on that.

xxxx

Even by the time the Phantom Thieves made it Mementos, Ann was still fuming. "The nerve of her!" Panther exclaimed, on the verge of breathing fire...metaphorically and literally. "That girl pretends to be a goody-two-shoes, but she doesn't actually care about the students at all!"

"Maybe we can change her heart," grumbled Skull. "I wonder if her name shows up on the Nav..."

"Let's focus guys," said Joker, intentionally moving them away from this line of thought. (Come to think of it, would Makoto's Shadow have been discoverable before she awoke to her Persona...?) "Mona, do you have a bead on where Nakanohara's Shadow is?""

"...I sense him on this floor!" Mona promptly transformed into a bus. "Hop onboard!"

xx

The strange void — a whirlpool? A wound? — that manifested in Mementos whenever a Shadow had been 'called out' was strangely mesmerizing, Joker couldn't help but muse. The nature of shared cognition...of how a particular mind can be affected by the minds of others, and pass it along. Truly, the Metaverse was a strange place: one that he could only appreciate in all its immensity thanks to his experience as an adult.

Alas, it was so very hard not to sleep-walk through the entire encounter with Nakanohara's Shadow, because it just didn't rate in his memories relative to the Palace Rulers. (How fortunate that the Shadow's distorted passions — "My girlfriend is my property! I can do whatever I want with her!" he had snarled — made it so very easy for Panther and Skull to do most of the talking...or rather, yelling with a side of ranting.)

The most important thing in Joker's mind was that Nakanohara's Shadow had mentioned Madarame's name; how he had a legitimate excuse to look into the vainglorious artist. If I had been more of an artsy fellow, I might have already known who Madarame was by reputation alone...darn it, Past Me™! Why couldn't you have had more hobbies?!

(Well, you were trying to avoid getting sent to juvie, for one...)

Joker was feeling antsy enough after Nakanohara's confession — Mementos, despite how stunningly haunting it could be, was also very very dreary — that he was glad that Mona wanted to drag them along to the second area of Mementos, the Path of Aiyatsbus. "Hey, it's all nice and blue."

"...the Shadows in this area are definitely stronger than the ones above," cautioned Mona. "But I think this will be a good chance for us to practice our skills..."

"I agree," said Ann. "Stopping Nakanohara helped, but I still feel salty from what Niijima said earlier..."

"Which says a lot, given how many sweets you like to eat," cracked Skull.

"HEY!"

Right at that moment, a toy car zoomed out of a nearby tunnel, soaring down the tracks. "Hi!" exclaimed Jose, driving right along.

...well well, it's Mister Mystery himself. "Let's follow him," said Joker.

Picking up 'flowers' in Mementos was much the same as picking up random items and cognitive 'debris' (for lack of a better word): the Mona-bus swooped them up like a vacuum, depositing them inside.

("Is this actual onyx?" marvelled Panther with wide eyes, her hands gripping onto a small lump of black.)

("Forget that, why the eff are all these flowers piling up in here?!" demanded Skull, trying to shove the bundles of yellow kerrias and white Japanese camellias.)

However, before long, they found a pathway in Mementos that led to what should have been a dead end; however, the wall faded into absolute black, lit up only by cartoony stars. "Oh wow..." mouthed Panther.

Joker calmly parked the Mona-bus, reaching for a whole swathe of the flowers from the back seats. Once he had them in hand, he deposited them into his pocket.

"How does it not freak you out to do stuff like that?" wondered Skull.

"I just think of it as having a pocket dimension in coat. It's real nifty. Think of it like Raedomon's Five-Dimensional Wallet™."

"Ooh, I really liked that show, growing up!" exclaimed Panther.

So did me and my kids, though Joker with a hidden grin as he advanced towards the mysterious Jose. "Hey, good job!" Before the little boy could say anything else, his eyes were immediately drawn towards Joker's pockets. "You've got a lot of flowers...but also something neat! Can I see it?"

Joker — focusing on whatever it was that Jose considered 'neat' — let cognition work for him. However, he couldn't help but be surprised at the fact it was the tripled skulled monstrosity called the 'Crystal of Lust'. "This?"

"I recognize it from my studies!" WHAT studies?! "It has a lot of strong human desires inside...but it's not yet at it's full potential. Can I see it?" Joker acquiesced, if only due to curiosity. After the boy tinkered with the skull (with toy tools, because of course), it had somehow become a tiny accessory: a shimmering red star, linked to a keychain loop. "Here you go! Please be sure to bring me any others like it that you find, okay? Learning about desires also teaches me more about humans!"

As Jose pulled out a stamp book, and proceeding to explain the 'fun game' he had come up with—"If find these stamps, that means I'll know that you're looking for flowers all over! And...!"—Joker couldn't help but ponder. Yaldabaoth said your 'star' was related to a meddler...what sort of meddler would a guy like you be involved with...?

xx

When Joker returned to the Mona-bus, Skull looked at him with genuine interest. "So...got anything good?"

"Got a stamina kit," idly said Joker, handing the boxed item to Skull.

"...for flowers," the faux blond repeated.

Panther beamed. "Hey, I wish we could trade flowers for cool stuff in real life."

"...so, what was that he was saying about stamps?" asked Mona, his engine rumbling accordingly.

"I guess we'll find out," remarked Joker as he pulled into reverse.

(They would, of course, find out about the stamp podiums the moment they tried to go down another floor.)

("How does a little kid have time to set this up?!" wondered Skull with blatant bewilderment.)

(Good question, wondered Joker as he nonetheless grabbed the lone stamp from the podium. More to the point, how did he do it at all?)

xxxx

Fortunately, Akira had better things to occupy his time once they left Mementos. First of all: sell his stuff at Iwai's!

(Oh, and hand over the model gun that he had smuggled out of Untouchable. That was important.)

Once he made sure no one else was in the store, Akira 'Max Guts' Kurusu stepped up to the proverbial plate. "You must be hard up on help if you're relying on a customer to smuggle your stuff."

Iwai, eyeing the paper bag critically, scoffed. "Would have been caught by those detectives otherwise. Not my fault you decided to help me out."

"Which makes me an accomplice. Probably on security camera too, huh?" remarked Akira, making a show of glancing around. "If I snitch, I go down with you."

"At least you're not an idiot." Then came the invitation to the backroom, where Iwai spoke more seriously. "Who the hell are you?" He pointed at the pile of trinkets Akira had just sold him. "For you to be getting a haul like this on a regular basis means you've got some kind of operation going on. So...spill."

A family man. Your former confidant. A guy stuck in an unjust game not of my own making. "A transfer student. A delinquent, according to some. A guy with an interest in firearms. A guy interested in fighting evil, even if it means getting dirty. All that and more."

"...at your age, that kind of talk would come off as you being a tryhard. But your eyes...you've clearly seen some shit." The older man leaned forward. "Heh. You're a strange one, kid..."

"...so, is this the part where you sell me your illegal stuff under the table?" Akira arched an eyebrow. "Or are you interested in...barter?"

Iwai chuckled. "Ballsy as hell. Look, I may look shady, but I'm reasonable. Let me put it this way...help me with my 'business' — smuggling goods, destroying evidence — and I'll open up my special menu to you. With good prices, for a punk like you."

"...and why get me involved? What's your goal?"

"You don't need to know. Not now, at least. After all, if I'm gonna fight evil with evil, I'll need a pawn of my own...it's like you said: sometimes, you have to get dirty. Get what I mean? So...do we have a deal?"

Ah, I forgot how unapologetically gruff you were. "...and I assume that whenever I'm not doing your dirty work, I'll be helping you by keeping things in order? Cleaning merchandise, running errands...after all, my presence here would be more easily explained if I were a part-timer. Get my drift?"

Iwai snorted. "You're a dangerous son of a bitch. You catch on quickly."

(And so they shook hands, and the Hanged Man Confidant was once more unsealed...)

xxxx

/Sunday: May 8, 2016/

Akira woke up to multiple texts from Ryuji and Ann detailing how someone had posted on the Phan-Watch Nakanohara thread last night: ostensibly from Nakanohara's former girlfriend, she had described how he had called and apologized to her. A successful change of heart. At least that hadn't changed.

What had, though...

ALIBABA: It seems you completed your task successfully.
ALIBABA: How intriguing.
Akira: Did we pass your 'test'?
ALIBABA: Not yet.
ALIBABA: A sample size of 'two' isn't worth much.
ALIBABA: You don't get a game out of Alpha or even Beta without extensive testing.

At least she's still enough of herself to use Gamer™ metaphors, mused Akira.

Akira: Mind telling me who you are?
Akira: My team is concerned about an unknown individual sending a calling card on our behalf.
Akira: Especially without prompting.
ALIBABA: Fair enough.
ALIBABA: Consider me a potential fan.
Akira: I don't think a 'fan' would resort to blackmail.
ALIBABA: Blackmail?
Akira: Isn't it obvious?
Akira: You somehow managed to get my number.
Akira: You somehow knew we had targeted Nakanohara.
Akira: You enough about things you *should not know*.
Akira: So how do I know that you're not trying to entrap us?
Akira: Trust is a two-way street, after all.

How will you respond, Futaba?

xxxx

(Within her room, the orange-haired gremlin known to the world as Futaba Sakura grumbled under her breath. "Darn it, he has a point..." Idly spooning lukewarm curry into her mouth — left outside of her room by a concerned Sojiro that morning — she pondered her response.)

xxxx

ALIBABA: What would suffice for you?
Akira: How about your actual name?
ALIBABA: That is not possible.
Akira: Why?
ALIBABA: I have my reasons.
Akira: Then I assume you have a target in mind?
Akira: I can't imagine why you would want to reach out to the Phantom Thieves without one.
ALIBABA: That
ALIBABA: is close to the truth.
ALIBABA: The person whose heart I want changed is truly villainous: the lowest of the low.

Akira knew 'Alibaba' was referring to herself, and only felt a twinge of agony at her self-deprecation. Futaba...

Akira: We'll need a name.
ALIBABA: Pardon?
Akira: Among other things, we need a name in order to change someone's heart.
Akira: Why else do you think we send out a calling card?

xxxx

("...balls," cursed Futaba. Now what was she going to do?!)

xxxx

ALIBABA: I see.
ALIBABA: That complicates matters.
Akira: Well, it doesn't have to be right this moment.
Akira: But we'll need to know a name at some point.
Akira: Can you at least give me an idea of who it is?
ALIBABA: I will need to think about it. There are legitimate privacy concerns to consider.
Akira: Why care so much about the privacy of "the lowest of the low"?
Akira: Or is that you're concerned on behalf of someone connected to this "villain" of yours?
ALIBABA: I will leave that to your imagination.

When Futaba didn't respond, Akira decided to let her be.

Morgana, watching the whole exchange with a stoic expression, said, "I have a bad feeling about this..."

"We'll just have to keep on our toes."

xx

When Akira walked downstairs, he idly asked, "Say, Boss."

"What's up?" replied Sojiro.

"Am I ever gonna get a chance to have dinner at your place?"

Sojiro looked at him with a frown. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, it feels kind of weird to never set foot into my custodian's house...and to be honest, a change of scenery from the cafe would be nice..."

Sojiro rolled his eyes. "Don't ask dumb questions. Go hang out with your friends and stay out of trouble."

"If you insist, Boss," he remarked. A little seed...that's all it is...

xxxx

(Within her room, Futaba paced back and forth. "Think think think...urgh, you stupid idiot, you know you want to do it, so what's stopping you...?")

(She would eventually exhaust herself, collapsing onto her bed to nap for over twelve hours.)

xxxx

Akira had decided to pull rank on everyone that day, 'requesting' that they gather at the diner off of Shibuya's Central Street for a study session. (After all, Phantom Thieves needed to blend in, and poor test performances on the upcoming midterms would only draw unwanted eyes...)

Ryuji and Ann had eventually acquiesced. (The promise of him covering their bills with yesterday's Metaverse haul only made their decision easier.)

He also went out of the way to invite a fourth person...albeit without telling them.

xxxx

Ann glared daggers at Akira.

"What?" he nonchalantly responded, sitting beside Shiho Suzui. The volleyball player sat across from Ann, whilst Ryuji sat next to Ann and across from Akira on the aisle side of the booths. "She's taking the midterms too, you know."

"Dude, I don't think that's why she's glarin'..." muttered Ryuji.

(Morgana, sensing the tension, had opted to explore outside instead of deal with whatever this whole situation was.)

"...if I'm going to be a bother, I can go elsewhere," murmured Shiho.

Ann, eyes impulsively widening at her sorrowful tone, replied, "N-No! You're not a bother! You've never been a bother!"

"See? We're all friends here. So let's study...to the max." Ah, I forgot how stubborn kids could be. Sometimes, they just needed a proverbial kick in the pants to get over themselves and confront whatever issues they had with their friends. And good thing I don't mind serving as the villain...

Ann huffed, realizing she wasn't going to get anything further out of him. Shiho looked over at Ryuji, who simply shrugged helplessly.

All told, once they were into the groove of studying — complete with Ryuji's ever growing list of complaints, which were an easy way to break the ice — the general air of awkwardness slowly faded.

(Plus, Akira wasn't too proud to admit to himself that this stuff was a good refresher for him, because there were a lot of things he had forgotten...or, rather, there were certain things that he had come to consider to be outdated.)

Oh wow, so this is back when the textbooks still taught that about the period, mused Akira, highlighting a historical time of relative importance. Gotta remember what subjects have 'approved' answers versus 'true' answers...

("...do you still need help on your math class?" asked Shiho besides him, her eyes looking across the table )

("...I do, honestly," admitted a sheepish Ann.)

"...psst, hey, do you have an idea about this answer?" asked Ryuji, gesturing to a section of his biology textbook.

"Just imagine Hiruta-sensei's voice in your head giving a lecture about," remarked Akira.

"Gah, do I hafta...?"

"It might help better than just beating your head against it."

Ryuji pouted, yet nonetheless tried following his advice.

(Turning Ryuji into a genius was probably beyond his capabilities...but making him someone who could at least take his work more seriously?)

(You might be able to hack that.)

xxxx

After a number of hours at the diner (during which they managed to have both lunch and plenty of tiny snack foods, if only to appease the staff), Shiho had to leave, at which point the others figured they would call it a day.

Akira and Ryuji gave Ann and Shiho some space to say their goodbyes; there was definitely some lingering tension there, but forced proximity had helped ease everything up.

Shiho had then said goodbye to Ryuji (much to the latter's surprise; had he forgotten that he had gone to middle school with her as well as Ann?)...and then she had turned her attention to Akira. "...I know you were trying to help."

Is that a twitch I see in her eyebrow? "I try."

"...but I would have appreciated knowing that Ann was going to be here."

"Would you have come here if you had known?" he asked with an arched eyebrow. "But yeah, a jerk move from me. So if you want to give me some comeuppance...well, what comes to mind?"

Shiho frowned. "What do you mean...?"

"If you were going to give me my just deserts, what would you do? Whatever it is...go ahead and do it. I probably deserved it anyhow."

On impulse, Shiho stepped on his foot with a surprising amount of force.

Right, volleyball player, tough legs. "...that's fair."

Shiho immediately backed away, eyes wide with shock and hands flying to her mouth. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry-!"

"No no, I quite literally asked for it." He made a show of shaking his foot. "I'll just have to...walk it off."

"...you're an odd one, Kurusu-san." Shiho bowed, giving more polite farewells before scurrying away.

Once she was gone, Akira exhaled an explosive sigh. "Ow."

"I mean, you kinda deserved it," joked Ryuji.

Thwack, went Ann's palm lightly against the back of his head. "You absolutely did! I was absolutely mortified when Shiho walked into the diner! I wasn't emotionally ready!"

"Hey, it worked out, didn't it?" retorted Akira with a grimace. Man, it's way too easy to forget how dramatic teenagers could be about the small stuff...

Morgana, sauntering up from a nearby alleyway, huffed haughtily at him. "Looks like you need remedial lessons in being a gentleman!"

Akira rolled his eyes; he didn't need that from a cat!

(At least Yoshida would have a speech that night...)

xxxx

Day: May 8th, 2016

Felt like I had a close encounter with a curious stranger from the Arabian Nights. Who knows what will come with it.

Studied at a diner with some friends. My good deeds were rewarded by a stubbed toe and a smack on the head.

I consoled myself by listening to a politician's rousing speech. Anyone reading this will probably think I'm not right in the head.

And they'd be right!

xxxx

/Monday: May 9, 2016/

That afternoon, Akira decided to bite the bullet and visit Takuto Maruki at the nurse's office in the athletic building.

To his surprise, the redheaded first year from before (Yoshizawa, if he recalled right...) was exiting the new counselor's office. After politely noting that she had been seeing him since before entering Shujin (a perky and polite girl needing the services of a therapist? How curious...), she excused herself to go practice in the school's gymnasium. As he entered — noting some of the comfy furniture that had been moved in to facilitate Maruki's discussions — Akira remarked, "So...how exactly shall we start?"

"Well, I've been given the 'official' version of your situation from the school...but I'd like to hear it from your own mouth, Kurusu-kun. If that's okay with you. If you'd rather not, I understand."

That's easy enough. He recalled the basics: helping a woman from being assaulted by some unknown figure of great import, his unjust sentencing, ("I mean, whoever that baldy was, he was able to keep his name from being listed in the media or in the court records. The guy accused me, and I don't think he ever showed his face at the judicial proceedings." It still stoked some irritation, even now, if only because of how petty Shido's handling of it had been), his eviction from his old high school, and his one-year probationary sentence here in Tokyo.

"I see...that does provide more context. The way you were described in the faculty's profile didn't mesh with how I perceived you, to be sure..." Leaning back with a thoughtful expression, he asked, "You seem to have come to terms with it, at least? That's not the only thing you're struggling with?"

Well, he's certainly observant. "I'm managing."

"From what I can see, you've largely been able to reconcile your internal world with your external one. Impressive, really: even most adults can't pull that off."

"...pardon?"

Maruki began explaining, an excited gleam entering his eye. "You know how everyone has an internal reality? Some conception of themselves they're striving for? That idealized reality and the one in actuality are often far apart: that gap is responsible for a lot of people's pain. Not everyone can ace their exams, and not everyone can be the heroes they wish they could be..."

(His internal conception of himself was of an old man who was satisfied with his lot, forced to partake of a trial not of his own making; his external reality was of a young man looked upon as a no-good delinquent by society, and as an able leader or friend by his confidants. Both were Akira Kurusu.) "I see what you mean."

Maruki nodded. "I'm glad you understanding: standing up to it, and confronting a tough, painful reality like you have? I think that's incredibly admirable...although, that probably sounds odd coming from a guy you just met, huh?"

Akira couldn't help but smirk. "Well, you're currently in the role of a teacher, right? A teacher is meant to offer support for us students: to provide praise if it's truly warranted, to criticize if it's necessary, and to be a guide...like adults are supposed to be for the next generation."

"...very perceptive. And very true!" agreed Maruki. "Not even any deflecting self-deprecation on your part; you really are strong, Kurusu-kun."

Akira shrugged. "It's one thing to acknowledge praise as nothing more than what it is; but trying to flatter everyone with false humility is just another way of watering one's ego. But that's just me."

"You sound very wise for your age, if I do say so myself."

"...I guess so." Dang it, I need to be careful.

"You're used to hiding yourself from the school at large, I take it? Given your circumstances, I can probably see why..."

Akira huffed, making a show of tapping his foot with faux irritation. "It's easier to keep my head down when it comes to the small stuff. It's only if it's something really important that I'll stick my neck out."

"...I do understand. Truly." Maruki glanced at the clock, jolting with apparent surprise at the time. After apologizing for taking longer than expected, he trailed off. "...I've actually got one last request. Do you mind?" Akira shook his head. "I'm actually doing certain research along with my duties as a counselor. It's not like counseling: more akin to a type of psychological treatment..."

Am I about to become a Guinea Pig™ twice over? "No drugs, please."

"Oh, no no no! It's nothing like that," assured Maruki. "It's a project to learn more about people's metaphorical hearts: what they think, how they feel. I think it'll be able to help out a lot of people if I can see it to fruition."

"And I would be helping you with this...how?"

"All you'd have to do is listen to my theories, and then tell me if they spark any ideas or realizations on your end. I would give you full credit as a research assistant in my paper...if I ever get it published...ah, and besides the snacks, I'll give you tips on mental training."

"The 'mental acuity' improvement you mentioned before." He seems awfully intent on speaking to me. "Have you extended this offer to any other students?" Maruki shook his head. How odd. "So why just me?"

Maruki smiled. "Well, a lot of the students I've spoken with? Although their problems vary in size and scope...they are the problems of young people. But you? You've endured a situation that very few people ever face...and yet you comport yourself with a poise that's well beyond your years. Is...that enough of an answer for you?"

...I'll have to stay on my toes with this guy. "I guess it does. Fine then: I'll help you to the best of my ability." If nothing else, Maruki's happiness at his acceptance seemed genuine.

After exchanging contact information, Maruki proceeded to keep his end of the bargain. (And in all honesty, his advice regarding mental compartmentalization was really useful...and practical!)

(Plus, he gave you a free pack of gum. Snacks!)

xxxx

(Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Akira, a certain volleyball player—unsure of the road ahead, for the volleyball team's existence was still in flux after Kamoshida's departure—entered the gymnasium.)

(Shiho Suzui had wanted to find a quiet place to think about what she wanted.)

(To her surprise, a redheaded first-year was practicing a gymnastics routine in her Shujin tracksuit.)

(However, before Shiho could make to leave, the girl noticed her presence. "Ah! Hello, senpai! Is there something I can help you with?")

("No, not really, but thank you.")

("If you wanted to practice volleyball, I can move to the other side of the gym?")

("That's okay. I'm...not sure why I came here, to be honest.")

("What do you mean?")

(And so the second-year and the first-year struck up a quite unlikely conversation.)

xxxx

/Tuesday: May 10, 2016/

Akira opted to drag Ryuji and Ann to Shibuya following school: not for studying or anything of that sort.

But just...to shop at the underground mall; to visit the arcade; to pig out at Big Bang Burger.

"We've crammed and studied as much as we've had time to," remarked Akira, waiting for his order to come out. "Cramming more will just make us do worse: so this day has been all about relaxing and having fun. If we go into the tests with a calm attitude, we'll do better."

Ryuji, snarfing down some fries, said, "I am all about that."

"Ugh, chew with your mouth closed!" complained Morgana from under the table.

Ann, sipping from a chocolate shake, asked, "So...after midterms, are we gonna look into a new thing?"

"What new thing?" asked Ryuji, gulping down soda to clear his mouth. "...oh, right!" he blurted out of realization. "I've been looking at the website; the number of requests since Nakanohara have been crazy."

"Let's not look too far ahead of ourselves: midterms first, then we'll keep doing the thing." Akira looked up as a waitress approached their table. "And here we go..."

Ann's eyes went wide, while Ryuji mouthed, "What the eff?!"

"The Cosmo Burger: as voluminous as a soaring comet burning in the sky," said the laid in yellow and orange, gesturing at the single-patty burger which was nonetheless wider than Akira's head. "It will not be overcome easily, but a prize will await if you conquer this challenge within the time limit."

"You actually taking the Big Bang Challenge?!" exclaimed Ryuji.

"You'll be too stuffed to think about tests tomorrow!" cried Ann.

Akira — feeling peckish in a way that he hadn't felt in years, because gods he had missed having a teenager's bottomless stomach as he had gotten older! — simply rolled his neck.

"Are you ready, sir?" asked the waitress.

Akira dramatically adjusted his glasses, putting on a show for his friends (and the suddenly interested patrons at the other tables). "I was born ready." The timer stated, and Akira went to town.

xx

(Little did Akira know, but a certain girl with floofy hair came out of the back office, making her way to the door.)

(How strange, that simply stopping by to check on employee attitude surveys — something she had taken to doing in order to try and help her father understand what his actions were causing — would bring her to see such a bizarre sight.)

(At a distant table, the infamous transfer student was chewing his way through a Cosmo Burger; his blonde friend was cheering him on, whilst the blond boy was trying to take pictures of the grisly action.)

(Such was his focus, that the transfer student didn't even glance in her direction. It was quite impressive!)

("So carefree," she mused to herself, smiling sadly before leaving the restaurant.)

xx

It went without saying that Akira triumphed. "...with seven minutes to spare." Then he fell over onto the table. "Urgh." I may have overestimated myself...

"Hey, at least you got the Second Mate's Badge!" exclaimed Ryuji, dangling the burger-and-star-shaped keychain in his face.

"...do you need help getting to the subway?" asked Ann.

"...please," he moaned.

Morgana sighed from within Akira's bookbag. "I guess overcoming limits is just another part of being human..."

xxxx

Thus came the midterms: lasting from Wednesday, May 11 through Saturday, May 14.

xxxx

Day: May 11th, 2016

First day of midterms is done with. Went to have a session with Tae Takemi after school.

She seemed curious as to why I was undergoing a clinical trial while I had midterms to worry about. I told her not to worry about it.

Come to think of it, I seem to remember being really zoned out of it when taking exams the Last Time Around™...oh well.

They're just tests. I'll do fine. No sense in panicking to the point I stop living life.

I finally started working on the broken laptop, but then my cat told me to go to bed.

xxxx

Day: May 12th, 2016

Second day of midterms is done.

Helped out with Sojiro in the cafe. Solved some crosswords to pass the time.

I asked if he enjoys life as a bachelor, since he always seems to be talking to a lady friend on the phone.

He told me to bug off and stop trying to pry into his personal life.

(Alas, I am a mere teenager, and I can tell that Boss has got game! I want life advice about the ladies!)

(I'm sure that line of thought would seem reasonable if he asked me why I'm so nosey...maybe?)

Broken laptop repair ongoing. Alas, I seem incapable of ignoring my cat when he tells me to go to bed...curse my easily swayed, cat-loving heart!

xxxx

Day: May 13th, 2016

Third day of midterms is done.

Helped out with Iwai at Untouchable. Went to a diner with him where he met an old friend; shame Iwai had to "bail" in the middle of it.

I am intentionally adding quote marks for my own amusement! Let anyone reading this try to figure out what I mean!

(As a certain gremlin would say: mwe-he-he-heh~)

Also, broken laptop: repaired! I would have gotten it updated, but then I had to go to bed. And I did it because I wanted to, not because my cat made me!

P.S. My cat totally made me.

xxxx

/Saturday: May 14, 2016/

The fourth and final day of midterms came, and the trio of Phantom Thieves arrived at the same time to their morning connection in the subway.

"You still making an effort?" asked Akira, looking intently at Ryuji. When the blond's face sagged, Akira sighed. "Ryuji..."

"Look man, I'm trying, but it's hard to focus when we've got bigger things to worry about, you know?!" he protested.

"I see those bags under your eyes. Did you play games all night?"

"...no?" A pause. "...yeah..."

Akira huffed, watching Ann sleepily yawn out of the corner of his eyes. "Maybe instead of gaming, you should just go on a run and exhaust yourself before going to bed."

"How would that help? I'd be tired either way!"

"At least then you'd be forced to get some sleep," chided Akira. "Maybe I should let you borrow Morgana; he'd make sure you go to bed on time..."

"Hell no!" chorused both blond and cat.

At that point, Ann suddenly looked around with alarm, as one being watched. When Ryuji immediately asked if she sensed someone nefarious, Ann tried to downplay his concerns.

...oh. Oh yeah! This is when we meet Yusuke! Akira kept his face into a stoic frown, moving along with Ryuji and Ann as they took the ascending escalator. Sure enough, Akira caught a glimpse of blue hair and the pristine white shirt of a student from Kosei High School. There he is. However, now the he was starting to remember certain other details, their eventual plan to try and infiltrate the shack of Yusuke's master...might require some revisions. After what Kamoshida did, I'm not comfortable having Ann pretend to be a nude model for Yusuke, even if we know she's not going to go through with it.

Some things, alas, hit very differently after having children of his own.

Still, he and Ryuji moved into position, watching from afar as Ann waited in an open space outside of the station; sure enough, Yusuke Kitagawa — lanky and underfed; laser-focused on what interested him despite having his head in the clouds; eyes brimming with Artistic Passion™ — approached her, hand outstretched to get her attention.

Ryuji and Akira both stepped in front of Ann in a protective manner, briefly shocking him into confused silence. "...you sure this is the guy?" asked Ryuji.

"Of course I'm sure!" exclaimed Ann.

"Is...there something you want?" asked Yusuke, as though unprepared for Ann wanting anything to do with him.

"That's my line!" yelled Ann, pointing at his face. "You were the one stalking me!"

Yusuke blinked. "Stalking you? That's outrageous. I was trying to get your attention because you stood out amongst the crowd..."

And, here comes the spiel about wanting her to be his model, thought Akira, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Off in the corner of his vision, he saw the black car of Ichiryusai Madarame — here to pick up his wayward student — pull close to the curb. And there's our next target...

"...solely because I needed to speak with your compatriot," said Yusuke, turning directly towards Akira.

"...him?" echoed Ryuji and Ann.

Akira blinked, brought out of his internal musing about the future. Wait, what? "Me?" he dumbly said, pointing at himself.

"Indeed! Not to disregard the beauty of your female companion, but you...are simply striking." Yusuke looked away, as if praying in gratitude for his good fortune. "I was so consumed by the sheer complexity of your presence, that I just had to catch up with you..." Caring not one whit about propriety or personal space, he placed his hands upon Akira's shoulders, as if to keep himself from collapsing. "I beg of you, my fair gentleman: please be the model for my next art piece!"

...okay...why in the world, of all things, did THIS change?!

(Somewhere, Yaldabaoth was probably laughing at him...)

xxxx

TO BE CONTINUED

xxxx

Author's Note: More Lawyer-Friendly Expies!

My Neighbor Kokoro = My Neighbor Totoro

Raedomon and his Five-Dimensional Wallet = Doraemon and his Fourth-Dimensional Pocket

As we can see, the changes of Royal to the plot of Vanilla aren't the only things causing ripples: the variances in Joker's attitude and behavior cause ripples of their own, notwithstanding the chaotic behavior of everyone else in the world.

/this is so much fun
/but this will easily surpass the word count of "Reach Out for the Truth"
/and I don't care!