Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction in dedication to a much grander work. As such, the author does not own the rights to any characters within this story, and any correlation between any original characters that may appear and people in the real world are merely coincidental.

Persona: The Trickster's Trials

Chapter 12: Of Meetings and Bonding: Heist Prep Part I

"Ok, Sumi, looks like you're all set. Guess it's time for me to head out. Take care of yourself and listen to Coach and Sensei while you're here."

"I know…"

"And don't forget your pen or glasses. I know how forgetful you can be and I don't want a repeat of what happened last time, so be sure to have them at all times."

"Understood…"

"I'll text you and Dad goodnight every day and I'll call every so often to let you know how I'm doing. This year will pass before you know it, so don't worry. Ok, Sumi?"

"Whatever you say, Ren…"

"…You're still upset at me, aren't you?"

"Oh no. Of course not. What in the world made you think that?"

"Outside of the obvious sarcasm just now, you called me Ren. It's usually Renni from you unless you're pissed at me for something."

"Oh really…? And what, pray tell, am I still upset at you for?"

"…Look, I'm sorry that this is happening, but what was I supposed to do? Let the lady get raped by some drunk? I wasn't going to stand by and watch, Sumi. He had to be stopped."

"Yeah and look where it got you! You got arrested, kicked out of our old school, are banned from our current school and are about to be shipped to the one place in the country that Dad and Grampa hate with a passion! All for trying to be a stupid hero! And the fact that you're so calm about all this is just infuriating even more! I know you're used to things going to hell but this is too much, dammit!"

"Easy, Sumi. Your 'dragon blood' is coming out again."

"Ren, don't use one of Dad's stupid jokes on me! I'm serious!"

"So am I. And I'm just as upset about this as you are, but what's done is done. The only thing we can do is stay calm and move forward. We'll be together again soon enough. I promise."

"…Do you really think you can keep that promise? You know what happened the last time someone that said that to me."

"…Shit. Look, Sumi, I—"

"It's ok, Renni. I know it was an accident. Besides…out of everyone, I think you're the only one I know who can actually keep a promise like that. Especially considering what we've been through growing up."

"Got that right. Tokyo's got nothing compared to those damn mountains Gramps took me to, no matter what he and Dad say. If I can handle that, I can handle the city, so don't worry about a thing, ok? You just focus on doing well in class and kicking ass in those gymnastic tournaments."

"Oh, I'll always worry, you big trouble magnet… But I'll believe you for now. And you better come back to me and Dad when this is all over. I don't think we can handle losing another loved one there…"

"You won't lose me, Sumi. I'll make sure of it. Now, let's go over if you have everything again."

"Ren…"

"What? I told you I have to make sure you have everything before letting you go."

"Ren…!"

"I know it's annoying for you, but it has to be done. You know your memory's not the best, so I have—"

"Ren!"

"Huh?"

"We're here at the stop you and Makoto were talking about. Hurry up and go before the door closes!"

"Ah. Right. Sorry, Morgana."

Morgana grunted in response before diving back into Ren's bag, prompting the teen to rush out of the train just as the door close and locked eyes with a concerned looking Makoto. He put on a bashful smile and waved off her worry, insisting that he was just tired from their little excursion earlier, before walking out of the station towards the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya. It has been some time since they, along with Ryuji and a new friend and ally in Ann Takamaki, had escaped Kamoshida's Palace and was now on his way back to his temporary home with his guest and potential new roommate in tow. The two teens have been explaining his situation to Morgana during the train ride when Ren's mind had drifted off to a very recent memory. He honestly wasn't sure what stirred that memory in particular…

I might just be getting homesick. The two of us have been together for so long, it's still pretty weird to not be side by side. I kinda wish Dad and Gramps relented and let her come with me to Shujin like she insisted. He thought before shaking his head. No. I think it was best that she didn't come. With how wild it's been here the past week, I'd rather not get her involved in all of this. Especially if it came to Kamoshida… If that bastard got even near her…

"Ren-kun? Are you ok? You're clenching your fist really hard right now," Makoto spoke up, snapping Ren out of his thoughts to see the concerned face of his friend before looking down at his palm and wincing at the indents he made with his fingers.

"Oh… Sorry, Senpai. Kinda made myself mad with a certain thought that passed. I'm ok," Ren said, shaking his once clenched hand and giving his friend a small smile to assure her, who responded with a frown.

"…Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing serious. Just made the mistake of imagining Kamoshida going after my sister. You know the feeling," Ren said, watching Makoto's face morph into one of empathy and nod gently with a gentle smile of her own. Satisfied, he turned to Morgana, who was looking at him curiously on his shoulder. "Ok, Morgana. We're almost at the place I'm staying at, but remember that things are going to be very strict while you're there. It's a restaurant, after all, and those places don't exactly allow pets. Or in this case, magical talking fur buckets. Best for you to hide in the bag until Senpai and I figure out a way to break the ice with Sakura-san."

"I get you. I get you. But you better not take too long. And for the last time, I'm not a fur bucket!" Morgana grumbled before digging into the bag, allowing Ren to zip it partially to ensure that no one can see the furry thief.

"Do you think Sakura-san will kick you out of Leblanc for bringing Morgana in?" Makoto spoke up in a concerned tone.

"I'm not entirely sure. We're not exactly in the best of terms, yet. Me coming back late yesterday didn't help matters, either. He doesn't like being kept waiting," Ren shrugged, watching as Makoto let off a soft sigh in response to his negative answer.

"Well… Here's hoping he's willing to let you keep him. I think we could convince him by saying it's for your rehabilitation. Raising a pet does take a lot of responsibility, after all, and it might be good for your record. We could even use that idea for when it comes to convincing Sis when it comes time for you to stay with us," Makoto suggested as the two rounded the corner past a nearby shop and towards the café before them.

"That could work. I was thinking more of the lines of him being a therapy animal for stress relief. Sae-san knows a bit of my past, including the rougher parts of it, so that idea might work, too." Ren chimed in with a shrug as soon as they made it to the door, pausing to make sure that Morgana was still unseen in his bag, before entering the restaurant.

…Only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw who, exactly, was inside.

"Hey kid. Good to see you back on time for once. And with Niijima-chan with you. That makes things convenient."

"Indeed, it does. Apologies for not checking in on you lately. Work has been keeping me very busy as of late."

"Sis?" He heard Makoto spoke up in surprise behind him while he felt his eye twitch in disbelief at the sight of his probation officer hanging out in the café like a typical customer. It didn't help that his new mental companions were laughing up a storm at his misfortune.

Well, Summoner, it seems life has granted you the opportunity to speak with both your watchers at once. How 'fortunate'. Arsène stated with a deep chuckle, causing the other Personas to laugh even harder while Ren was trying very hard to control his rapidly twitching brow.

Go to hell, you feathery bastard…

"Oh? Is this the one you're looking after, Niijima? I have to admit, he doesn't exactly look like a criminal, but looks can be deceiving. At least he has a cute companion to watch over him during school hours."

Both Ren and Makoto jumped at the sound of the smooth, somewhat sultry voice, and turned to the booth where Sae was currently sitting. Right before her was a woman with short, dark hair sporting a low-cut blue dress with a spider web design under a black jacket, a black choker accompanied with several necklaces, and a pair of high-heeled platform shoes with matching torn leggings. The woman was staring at them intently, and while Ren wasn't sure how Makoto was taking it, to him it felt as if he was being examined. Like was some sort of science experiment or something similar. It was actually quite unnerving…and the amused smile on her face wasn't making things any easier.

"Oh my, it seems that I'm scaring them. How cute… Usually that doesn't happen until I pull out the syringes," The woman said with a chuckle, making both teens stiffen in response before she proceeded to leave the booth. "Well, I suppose I better take my leave. It was nice catching up with you, Niijima. Hopefully we can chat again in the near future. If your busy schedule allows it."

"We'll see, Doctor. Take care," Sae said with a nod and a light smile, her words bringing another round of surprise to Ren as he looked at the dark-haired woman with wide eyes.

This woman is a doctor? She looks more like a punk rocker in that get up. Geeze, when people say looks can be deceiving, they weren't kidding. He thought as he watched the woman bid farewell to his caretaker, stiffening once more when she passed by him and Makoto with a knowing smirk.

"Heh, didn't peg you to be someone who got nervous around girls, kid. Then again, that was a special kind of woman, so I suppose I can't exactly blame you," Sojiro spoke up, snapping Ren out of stupor to see the man also smirking at him, and he couldn't help but blush lightly in response.

"Um, pardon me from asking, but was that woman really a doctor, Sis?" Makoto spoke up in a curious and slightly nervous tone, prompting Ren to turn to see her also looking a little unnerved by the apparent doctor's actions.

"She is, Makoto. That was Tae Takemi, a doctor who runs the local clinic around the corner and a regular here like myself. The two of us have been acquainted for some time thanks to our frequent visits here. She is quite the skilled medical practitioner for someone her age, so if you not feeling well, Amamiya-kun, I would suggest going to her for aid," Sae explained.

"Just hope you don't get even sicker after a checkup with her. Rumor has it she gives crappy examinations and offers her patients homemade remedies instead of the actual stuff. I think there was talk about some kind of drug experiment, but I can't say for sure. The people here say a lot of things about her that I can't really keep up…" The café owner said gruffly, which only serve to further surprise Ren while Sae turned to him with a dead stare.

"…You know, you are quite the skeptic at times, Boss. Do you know that?" She questioned, getting a scoff out of the man in response.

"I don't want to hear that from you, miss prosecutor. Don't think I forgot about the more frustrating cases you lay on me during one of your rougher weeks." He countered, and both Ren and Makoto could only watch as the two continued to trade barbs at each other without hesitation.

"Um… Does this happen a lot?" Ren whispered.

"I…don't know. I never really came here before you arrived, so I didn't know how Sis and Sakura-san interact with each other until now. This is…not what I was expecting, to be honest," She said while shaking her head, her eyes never leaving the bickering duo before them.

"Hey, are we there yet? It's getting kinda stuffy in here!"

"Shut it, Fur Bucket!" Ren hissed as soon as he heard Morgana's voice and shook his bag a little, pausing when he noticed both Sae and Sojiro were now looking at him with curious expressions. "Um…"

"W-We're sorry to bother you two! We'll just make our way over to Ren-kun's room now. He's promised to show me it earlier today and I wanted to see if it was as much of a hovel as you said, Sis," Makoto chimed in, much to Ren's relief as he saw the two adults were now glaring at each other once more.

"Hey, my attic isn't a hovel. The kid actually did a good job in making it look somewhat livable," Sojiro grumbled.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Sae shook her head before turning to the teens. "That is a good idea, Makoto. Boss and I need to discuss a few things anyways, so it is best for you two to head upstairs for now until we're done. Just remember to leave the door open while you're in there. I know both of you are mature for your age, but you're still teenagers, and I know how they get when they are left unsupervised, so—"

"A-A-Alright, Sis, we get it, we won't close the door! S-Soseeyouupthereinabittakecare!" Makoto said hurriedly as Ren felt himself being pushed by her towards the stairs, his own face burning red at his probation officer's statement. He thought he heard the two adults commenting on their actions, but he was honestly too mortified to care.

Why the hell is everyone thinking we're together or have a thing with each other!? We barely know each other for a week! A week full of danger and near-death experiences, but still just a week! Even Ryuji thinks we flirt with each other! He thought in dismay as he was unceremoniously shoved into his room, covering his face with his hands as he heard his bed creak, which was probably Makoto sitting down to calm herself of her own embarrassment.

Teehee, is it really that bad to be with her, Master? She may be a bit scary, but that's not necessarily a horrible thing. A girl's gotta be tough to keep her man in line, and she's plenty tough! Pixie said cheerfully.

Tough is right, ho… I think she dented my head in back in the Palace when she drop-kicked me-hee to the ground. She's scary, even if she is hot… Jack-O-Lantern grumbled.

It was quite a sight to see though, wouldn't ya say, sonny? And yeh have to admit, she looks quite fine in that biker outfit of hers. Shows off all the good stuff, if ya know what I mean, hehehe… Bicorn chimed in with an odd chuckle that sent shivers down Ren's spine.

Fuuuuck… Don't you guys start too! I don't want my head to be filled with dirty thoughts about Senpai! And don't you even think about saying anything, Arsène! Ren ordered to his chuckling initial Persona, his face having grown redder and redder with every word his new Personas said and wanting nothing more than for the day to be over.

"Ugh, finally, I'm out. I wasn't kidding when I said it was getting stuffy in there," A boyish voice spoke up, snapping Ren out of his embarrassment enough to see his bag down in the ground and Morgana now trotting out of it. The cat was surveying the room with obvious shock in his eyes, something that Ren was expecting. He did warn him, after all. Looking forward, he saw that Makoto, face lightly red from embarrassment as well he figured, had got off of his bed and was also looking around his room with a mix of surprise and light disgust. A sight that actually made him feel a little self-conscious.

…I should've cleaned this place up a bit more before deciding to let a girl here. It isn't as bad as it was initially, but I could've made it better. Gonna have to get more supplies at some point. He thought as he twisted a bit of hair in front of his face, watching as Makoto ended up turning to him with a nervous smile, looking like she wanted to say something. Before she could, though, the third occupant decided to make his presence known by voicing his own opinion of his new home.

"What the…? What is this place? Is this some kind of abandoned house!?"

"Morgana, keep it down! The door is open, remember?! Sis and Sakura-san will hear you! We still need time to figure out what to say before we introduce them to you!" Makoto hissed at the annoyed cat; an act that proved useless when Ren heard the sounds of footsteps approaching from the stairs.

"…Yeah, this figures," He muttered as both Sae and Sojiro entered the room, the former looking around the room curiously.

"Huh… The room does look a fair bit better than before. Amamiya-kun did a decent job cleaning, all things considered…" He heard her say, and he couldn't help but smile slightly at the praise before Sojiro's stern glare made it vanish.

"Hey, what are you…?" He began, trailing off as he looked past Ren, most likely where Morgana was standing, and all the teen could do was look back sheepishly as the man's face formed a scowl. "I was wondering why I heard meowing…"

"Wait, the meowing was real? Don't tell me they actually brought a cat to a restaurant of all places," Sae spoke up, frowning when she also saw Morgana, who was now perched on the bed and looking at the two adults curiously. "Unbelievable… Amamiya-kun, what possessed you to think bringing a stray here was a good idea? And Makoto, why did you allow him to do it? Don't pretend you weren't aware of this the whole time, either. You're a terrible liar."

Ren winced as he watched Makoto flail around with her words, trying desperately to come up an excuse that would satisfy both of his guardians. He didn't want her to go though it for his sake, so he cleared his throat and did the one thing he could think of at the moment: Take the blame.

"It's my fault, you two. I was the one who found him and convinced Makoto-senpai to help me bring him here. He didn't look like he had a home when we found him and I couldn't just leave him all alone. My…love for cats also came into play here," Ren explained, growing a bit sheepish when he add in the last part. It was a bit embarrassing to admit it, but if it helped build credibility and keep them off Makoto's back, then so be it.

Must you be so dramatic, Summoner?

You're me, Arsène. You can't talk.

"So the thing's abandoned, huh? No wonder you felt sympathetic," Sojiro said in exasperation, staring at Morgana for a bit before turning back to Ren. "Look, kid, I don't know what you were thinking when you brought the cat. This is a restaurant, remember? Animals are a no go."

"He's right, Amamiya-kun. The idea of bringing a cat here shouldn't have crossed your mind in the first place. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that it's going to have to go," Sae said firmly with her arms crossed, making Ren nearly break out in a nervous sweat with how intimidating she was. It was probably a Niijima thing…

"But Sis, this could be a good opportunity to help with his rehabilitation!" Makoto spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "You know how much time and responsibility raising a pet can be. Ren-kun will need to focus much of his attention on him when he's not doing his classwork or other duties. With him being so busy, it'll be difficult for him to get into any trouble! Think about it!"

"…You do you know that, if I do allow Amamiya-kun to keep the cat, that it will also being staying with us whenever it is time to take him in. That will mean that you will also have a hand in raising it. Do you think you can handle that kind of responsibility along with your own workload?" Sae countered, a curious eyebrow raised.

"I'm sure, Sis. I will do my best to help Ren-kun care for the cat whenever he is with us…granted if you allow him to keep it, of course," Makoto said while Ren gauged the adults' reactions. Both of them looked reluctant as they turned to each other, as if having a silent conversation. After a few stressful moments, they turned back to the teens, with Sojiro letting off a tired sigh as he spoke first.

"Fine. It can stay. But keep it quiet when it's business ours, alright? And don't let it roam around too much, either. If I find it messing around downstairs, I'm tossing it out."

"Remember that the cat is solely your responsibility, you two. Neither Boss nor I will step in to assist when it comes to looking after it. You do that and keep up with your other duties, then it stays," Sae added in, their approval prompting both Ren and Makoto to let out sighs of relief.

"We got it. Thanks for letting us keep him, Boss, Sae-san. We really appreciate it," Ren said after a moment, bowing at his caretakers.

"Don't worry about it. Just be sure to keep your end of the bargain and there shouldn't be any problems," Sae said evenly with a nod before departing downstairs with Sojiro, leaving the teens alone to breathe now that the tense atmosphere was finally gone.

"Were they the rulers of this place?" Morgana asked, appearing the least effected by the tenseness out of everyone.

"The man, Sojiro-san, is the owner of the café, so calling him the ruler isn't that much of a stretch. The woman, Sae-san, is one of his regulars and my probation officer, so while she doesn't rule this place in particular, she's essentially my retainer while I'm here. Though she is the ruler of the other place we're staying at, considering she's Senpai's sister," Ren explained in terms that he hoped Morgana would understand.

"I see. I gotta admit, despite how gruff and stern those two are, they're pretty understanding. Surprising, considering they're keeping Ren here in this dump… Then again, to them I just sound like a meowing cat," Morgana said while looking around the shabby room in distain.

"Please refrain from calling this place a dump, Morgana. It's rude. And it's not as bad as you're insinuating," Makoto said with her arms crossed in annoyance.

"Nah, he's right. This place is a bit of a dump. But hey, it's better than nothing. Though I am going to have to get more of those scented wipes my sister packed for me to give it another thorough cleaning," Ren admitted as he walked towards the desk next to his bed and gave it a pat, causing a small cloud of dust and a few papers to fly off of it. His actions caused Morgana to look up at Makoto smugly and her to look away with a pout in return, which caused him to laugh slightly.

"Seriously… It had to keep calling out in such a cute voice," An exasperated, yet somewhat fond, voice spoke up, and Ren turned to see Sojiro walk up the stairs with what looked like a plate full of sliced meat with Sae following close by with a water-filled saucer.

"I know. I can see how Makoto got convinced into trying to keep it. She always has a penchant for cute things. She still uses that Bunchimaru-kun pencil case that our father got her as a kid," Sae chimed in as the adults placed their respective items near Morgana; the plate on the bed and the saucer on the floor near it, while Makoto began blushing up a storm in response to her sister's words.

Bunchimaru-kun? Isn't that the panda-dog thing that Sumi had a thing for when she was a little kid? Huh… Didn't think Senpai would still be into that sort of stuff. It's kinda adorable, actually. Ren thought while giving his upperclassman a curious glance.

"Here's hoping the cat likes the food. Remember to wash the plates when it's done," Sojiro said to Ren, who nodded in response, before speaking up again in a more subdued tone. "So… Did you two come up with a name for him yet?"

"Yes we did. Makoto-senpai suggested the name Morgana and he seemed to like it. I would've gone with Fur Bucket myself, but I was…overruled for lack of a better term," Ren said with a chuckle as Morgana turned to him with an annoyed glare.

"Stop calling a Fur Bucket already! It's getting really, really old at this point!" He yowled, which caused the dark-haired teen to laugh a little hard while the adults quirked an eyebrow and Makoto shook her head in the background.

"Hmm… I can see how you were overruled," Sae said dryly while Sojiro turned his head and started muttering to himself for some reason. "Boss, is there something you wish to say?"

"It's nothing, really. I was…just hoping I get to name it," The man admitted bashfully, much to the surprise of everyone in the room.

"Oh really? What name would you have given it, then?" Sae asked.

"I dunno… Probably Prince, since it sounds like the thing's a boy," The man said with a shrug, ignorant of Makoto and Ren deadpanning at the man while Morgana looked quite pleased at the suggestion.

"Prince? Really? Sorry, Boss, but if I had the option of naming him, I would use something other than Prince. It doesn't really suit him, if you ask me," Sae stated while shaking her head, unaware of the hurt look she was getting from the cat.

"Oh? And what would you have named him…?" Sojiro questioned with his arms crossed as well.

"Mittens, obviously," Sae said immediately, looking quite pleased with herself as the teens turned away to hide their laughter while Morgana stared at her in horror.

"Mittens? Seriously? You just came up with that because the thing has white feet, didn't you?" Sojiro grumbled as he headed towards the stairs.

"I have you know that Mittens is a very appropriate name for a cat like that. Especially with how cute it is…" Sae argued as she followed the man, their voices getting soft as they went to the lower floor and leaving the teens and cat to be alone once more.

"Well… That was a thing…" Ren said with a shrug.

"Indeed. This has been a very surreal day for us so far…" Makoto sighed in exasperation.

"I think the Chief likes me more than Ren at the moment. Though the Empress leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion, but I'm sure I'll warm up to her soon enough," Morgana said simply as he looked around the room and missing the annoyed looks sent his way. "And to be honest, this place is heaven compared to Kamoshida's cells."

"Anything can be considered heaven compared to those cells…" Ren said gruffly as he recalled his first visits to the Velvet Room and Kamoshida's castle. Waking up in a cell suddenly was something he was never going to get used to…

"…Remember when you guys asked me before about what I am?" Morgana suddenly spoke up, catching both Ren and Makoto's attention and looking a little concerned about the cat's melancholic tone. "To be honest…I don't remember anything about my birth. I think the Metaverse's distortions made me lose both my memories and my true form."

"Oh…Morgana…" Makoto muttered, looking at the cat sympathetically as she approached the cat and petted him while Ren hummed quietly.

"Is you true form really human…?" He asked cautiously, quite curious about the odd cat before him but not wanting to sound rude at the moment.

"It has to be. I mean, why else would a cat be able to talk like this? There's no other possible explanation," Morgana insisted, sounding almost desperate as he explained his reasoning. "There's no doubt that the distortions were what caused me to lose my real self. I'm sure that once they're purged, I'll finally be able to get that self back. And I have a pretty good idea on how to do it too. That's why I was in the castle in the first place."

"You believe that stealing Kamoshida's Treasure might lead you to some clue as to who you truly are? Maybe even show you some of your lost memories?" Makoto questioned as she stepped back from him to give him space.

"It's should. We'll know as soon as we steal it." Morgana said before turning towards the plate that Sojiro left behind and the small water bowl that Sae placed on the floor. "Come to think of it, I didn't get hungry or thirsty over in that world."

"Well then, go ahead and enjoy your first meal. Can't go wrong with chicken," Ren said while gesturing to the white strips of meat on the plate, prompting the cat to begin chowing down on his meal before the teen turned to the other occupant in the room. "Do you want anything yourself, Senpai? I think I can make something downstairs for you if Boss will let me."

"You know how to cook?" The girl questioned, wondering just how many practical skills the teen before her had.

"Nothing fancy, but I do know a few things. Sumi's the better cook between us, although she's a lot clumsier in the kitchen than me," He said with a shrug as he went towards the stairs when he heard footsteps once more, pausing when he saw Sae approach him once more. "Huh, speaking of sisters… Is there something wrong, Sae-san?"

"Not at all. I'm actually here to take Makoto home before it gets too late. Boss and I finished our talk and I decided it would be a good idea for my sister and I to grab a bit of dinner on our way home," Sae explained as she climbed up the stairs to see the surprised form of Makoto staring back at the two. "Would conveyor belt sushi be alright? I'm in the mood for some and the restaurant that I went with one of my coworkers earlier this week had a decent selection."

"Sure, Sis! Sushi sounds great!" Makoto spoke up in a surprisingly eager tone, causing the others to look at her oddly before she blushed and looked away in possible embarrassment.

"Hmm… Seems you still get excited when sushi is involved. Some things never change, I suppose," The older woman said with a small smirk before to Ren stoically. "By the way, I have some free time this coming Sunday. I would like for us to get together for lunch that day so you can tell me how things are going for you so far. There is a café in Shibuya that would be the perfect place for us. Does that sound fine to you?"

"Uh… Y-Yeah, Sae-san. A meetup on Sunday sounds good. I'll wait for you in Shibuya," Ren said, a little stunned by his retainer's sudden demand.

"Sounds good. Don't be late. Let's go, Makoto," Sae said with a curt nod before heading back downstairs, Ren looking down to where she was with a bewildered gaze when Makoto appeared beside him with an apologetic smile.

"Seems like we're going to have to reschedule that dinner offer, Ren-kun. And I'm sorry about Sis. She's…very assertive, to put it mildly," She said sheepishly.

"No kidding. I thought I was having a talk with Gramps or Cuz's girlfriend in one of her serious moods for a second. Does everyone working with the law and government talk like that?" Ren muttered to himself, blinking when he heard his friend hum in confusion before turning to her with a weak smile of his own. "Oh, it's nothing. And yeah, rescheduling sounds good. Just let me know when you want to try my cooking and I'll do my best to whip up something at least halfway decent for you."

"I'm sure whatever you make will be delicious, Ren-kun. You just need a bit of faith in yourself," Makoto said with a giggle, prompting a light chuckle out of Ren before he moved back from the stairs to allow her to pass. "Well, I suppose this is goodnight for now. I'll see you tomorrow for our little…meetup with the others. Take care."

"You too, Senpai. Have a safe trip home," Ren said, waving a hand as he watched Makoto trot down the stairs before letting out a mildly disappointed sigh and made his way to the bed, where he sat down ungracefully. "Fucking hell, today's been rough. I'm about ready to crash right about now."

"I don't blame you. This whole week's been a fairly eventful one, if you think about it. For all of us," Morgana spoke up as he appeared by Ren's lap, an empty plate and half full bowl of water behind him.

"Finished already? Wow. And I thought my family and I eat fast. Must've been good, huh?" Ren said with a lax smile.

"It was, but I'm pretty interested in that sushi stuff that the Mistress talked about. I dunno why, but for some reason my mouth began to water when that stuff was mentioned," The cat said eagerly before looking down pensively, an act that caused Ren too look down at him with a quirked eyebrow.

"…You alright there? You look like you want to say some—"

"Let me make this clear: You taking care of me won't be for nothing. Due to my knowledgeable and dexterous nature, I know a lot about infiltration tools," Morgana interrupted with a hard stare, his sudden statement causing Ren to look at him in confusion for a moment as he processed what was just said.

"Infiltration tools? You mean stuff like lock picks, grappling hooks and those smoke bombs you used back in Kamoshida's Palace a while back?" Ren questioned in an intrigued tone.

"That's right. But I won't elaborate until we make a deal: You keep me here and take care of me, and I'll teach you how to make some top-notch tools for our heist. That sounds good to you?" Morgana questioned seriously with a paw raised to Ren, who looked down at him with an amused expression before letting out a long, drawn out chuckle.

"Oh man, what is my life? Out of all the crazy things that has happened to me, nothing will top what's gone down this week. Makes sense to essentially cap it off by making a deal with magical talking furball. Dad and Gramps told me that Tokyo was a mess of a city, but I doubt they had this in mind when they said it," Ren muttered to himself, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair before looking down at the confused form of Morgana, paw still outstretched, and soon clasped his own hand with it and gave it a firm shake. "Heh, we got a deal, Mona. I've already got a fair bit of experience making trinkets and stuff back home, so this will be an interesting challenge. Hell, I might even teach you a few things."

"Oh ho, talking big, huh? We'll put that to the test soon enough. Thanks for accepting my proposal, by the way. I expect great things from you, Joker, so you better not slack off," Morgana said in his usual cocky tone, and Ren couldn't help but smirk in response as he ended the shake and began patting his new roommate's furry head.

This is going to be the start of one of the oddest partnerships I've ever had. But honestly, I can't complain. Despite how arrogant and annoying he could be, the little fur bucket isn't all that bad. He mused, snickering at Morgana's indignant cry at the show of affection before getting up to grab the empty dinnerware. He never would've imagined something like this would happen when he first arrived to Tokyo, let alone all the other events that happened the past week. Despite it, though, he was honestly having a well enough time so far, mostly in part of his newfound friendships. Tokyo was going to be much more difficult than he or his family would ever think of, but as long as he had Makoto, Ryuji, Morgana and now Ann by his side, then he was sure his time here will be much more manageable.

I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Magician Persona
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power.

4/16/Sunny/Afternoon

Shujin Academy, Class 2-D

Another day, another boring lesson with Ushimaru. I guess I shouldn't complain, though. It's better than the alternative. I'd rather be bored in a classroom than raped and probably dead in a freaky castle. I really do owe Ren-kun and the others a lot for rescuing me…

Ann held back a shiver as the memories of yesterday's…everything popped back into her head. From watching her best friend try to kill herself and stumbling into a freaky alternate dimension after following the school delinquent, the new guy with a record, and the student council president to getting captured by a creepier version of her tormentor and fighting against a demon in a toilet with her newly awakened powers. It was all a surreal experience, and one that she doubted that anyone would believe if she'd said anything. She was still confused about the specifics of her new powers or the other world, but she was sure that everything will come to her after a few treks in Kamoshida's Palace or whatever the others called it.

I just wish I had a better costume to wear than that skintight bodysuit. I mean, the tail and mask are cool and all, but it's way too revealing for my tastes. She thought with a grimace as she recalled her crimson catsuit before slumping on her desk. Ugh, why couldn't I have a jacket like Ren-kun and Sakamoto? Hell, I'd settle for having something like Makoto-senpai's outfit. At least it covers her completely.

But then you would not be able to use your feminine wiles to their full capabilities, my little temptress. If we wish to vanquish that cur for all that he's done, then we will need to use every advantage we have, and that includes your natural allure…

Ann jumped in her seat at the sound of her Persona's voice echoing in her mind, getting strange looks from nearby classmates in the process. Uncomfortable at the stares, she smiled awkwardly and waved off their obvious concern. She then heard a familiar grunt behind her, and turned to see Ren looking at her sympathetically and nodding. She couldn't help but smile back at him and nod back before turning back to her teacher and attempt to listen to what the boring man was saying.

Do you really need to listen to this…dull specimen go on? I fear I may fall into slumber if I am forced to hear any more of his dribble. And I know you're feeling the same. Why pay attention when you will remember little of it in the end?

Not now, Carmen. I have to listen to the lesson if I want to pass. I may not be a genius like Makoto-senpai, but I'd rather not be a total slacker like Ryuji. Ann countered mentally, a smirk creeping in her face when her other self let out an amused chuckle. It was a little jarring to hearing Carmen comment in her head every so often, but she was sure she'll get used to it soon enough. Though she considered herself lucky that she only had one voice in her head and not multiple like Ren. She could only imagine how much of a headache he'd get if all of them started shouting in his mind…

*bzzt bzzt*

"Huh? Who could be messaging me in this time?" Ann muttered once she felt her phone vibrate in her coat, and held back an annoyed sigh when she saw who it was. "Sakamoto…? What the hell are you doing in the group chat? We're in class, you idiot."

[Ryuji: Hey, we're meeting up at the hideout after school, right?]

[Ann: Don't text now. We're in class.]

[Makoto: Thank you, Ann-san. At least someone outside of Ren-kun and myself is responsible enough to realize this…]

[Ren: True, true.]

[Ryuji: Hey! Don't gang up on me!]
[Seriously, are you guys actually listening to all this crap?]

[Ann: Yeah, but none of it is really sticking.]

[Makoto: That's understandable, considering all that happened yesterday.]

[Ren: I dunno. I'm having a hard time, myself. Then again, history's never been my strong suit.]

[Ann: Ren-kun, we're learning sociology right now. Not history.]

[Ren: Wait what? Shit… Now I feel stupid.]

[Ryuji: Welcome to my world, dude.]

[Makoto: You three really need to learn how to focus properly…]
[But to answer your question, Ryuji-kun; yes, we are meeting up at the hideout today.]
[If I recall, you said you were going to be late because of a task you had to do before then.]

[Ryuji: Yup. Just gotta do a quick favor for someone and then I'll be there.]

[Ann: Where exactly is this 'hideout'?]

[Ren: School roof. Fur Bucket's idea.]

[Ann: Fur Bucket? Are you talking about Morgana?]

[Ryuji: Yeah, dude's been calling him that since we met the weird cat. It's kinda funny.]

[Ann: Wait a second. We're meeting up at the school roof? We can still go up there?]

[Makoto: We can, but I doubt it will be for long. There's a chance that it might be locked up due to yesterday's incident.]
[I'll see if I can work something out so we can have access to the rooftop whenever we need.]

[Ryuji: Don't worry about it, Prez. I got it covered.]
[You guys just show up on the roof after school and I'll see you there as soon as I'm done.]

[Makoto: If you say so…]

[Ann: Alright then. Don't be late.]

[Ren: If you take too long, we're starting the meeting without you.]

[Ryuji: Rude…]

"Hey, Amamiya!"

Ann jumped in her seat again and pocketed her phone quickly, looking up to see Ushimaru looking at her direction sternly. She knew that he wasn't looking at her, but she couldn't help but feel nervous, and a little guilty, at the sight of the irate instructor glaring at Ren, the only one that was caught not paying attention in class.

Guess we weren't as sneaky as we thought with our chat. Sorry, Ren-kun. She thought with a wince as she turned her head to see her newfound friend silently freaking out if his profuse sweating and nervous shaking was anything to go by.

"Pay attention, will you!? Is that how you listen when someone's talking to you!"

"S-Sorry, sir! Just got a bit distracted! It won't happen aga—Ow!"

Ann hissed quietly when she saw a piece of chalk fly straight onto Ren's forehead, spin into the air for a bit before landing deep into his curly hair. Her guilt grew a bit more after that, and once he was done being chewed out by their teacher, including being told to leave the chalk piece in his head as punishment, she mouthed an apology to him. He waved off his concern with a weak smile before looking out the window with an annoyed expression followed by a groan and a quiet murmur that seemed to have come from his desk.

Morgana's probably chastising him for getting caught or something. Not his fault, though. We were the ones that got him caught in the first place…Ann thought before turning her attention back to the teacher and board in an attempt to act normal.

Oh my. Our friend here isn't as composed as we thought. Are you sure that he and that woman from the hospital are similar to one another, my little Temptress?

He just got smacked in the head with a piece of chalk and probably has it rolling around in his hair right now, Carmen. I doubt anyone would be composed if they were in his shoes. Ann countered before looking down at her desk in thought. The well-dressed woman that her Persona mentioned was someone that was on her mind for a good while. The way they talked and acted reminded her a little bit of Ren, and the mention of her knowing someone from Shujin just added to her confusion. Were they related in some way? And if they were; how?

Maybe it was that sister he mentioned a couple days back. But he said little sister then. Is it possible that he has other relatives? She mused before shaking her head in frustration. This is gonna bug me all day. I guess I'll just ask him about it after our meeting.

With that, she decided to focus her attention back to the lesson, the material barely sticking to her as she expected, before the bell rang. Sighing in relief, she got up from her seat and grabbed her bag before turning to Ren, whose head was now sporting multiple white patches thanks to the chalk. Despite feeling a little guilty, she couldn't help but giggle slightly at the sight of it, which only gotten worse when he turned to her with a dead stare. Smiling apologetically to him, the pair, or trio if she counted Morgana, quickly made their way out of the class and towards the roof, though she was curious as to why Ren wasn't trying to get the chalk out of his hair now.

Don't tell me he actually forgot about it. Or can he even feel it now? His hair is pretty fluffy… She thought as she followed him past the doors to the roof and stood by the chain fence, shivering slightly as yesterday's incident popped into her head again. Shiho…I'm sorry for not being able to save you. I didn't have the power to go up against Kamoshida before he got to you. But now I have that power, and I'm going to do my damn best to send that bastard to hell, where he belongs. I just hope you forgive me for not noticing your pain sooner.

"Excuse me! Is anyone here?" A familiar voice called out from behind the door, snapping the blonde out of her thoughts to see Ren walking towards it with Morgana by his feet.

"It's us, Senpai. Come in," Ren called out, causing the door to open to reveal Makoto, who seemed to be looking a little out of breath if her slightly flushed face was anything to go by.

"I apologize for being late. I got tied up with an incident at the library and lost track of time. You three weren't waiting for too long, I hope," Makoto apologized with a bow.

"No worries, Makoto. We've only been here for a few minutes. You beat Ryuji here, and that's the important thing," Morgana said, his words causing Ann to blink a couple times as she processed them.

A few minutes? How long have I've been out of it? Is it because of where we are?

"Ann-san? Is everything ok? If the roof's an uncomfortable place for you, we can relocate elsewhere," Makoto spoke up, her concern catching the second year's attention and prompting a weak smile out of her in response.

"Oh, I'm fine, Makoto-senpai. I'm a little nervous, but this is the only safe place where we can talk about our plans. Honestly, you should be more worried about Ren-kun than me," Ann said, a light teasing tone in her voice towards the end as she pointed towards her disgruntled classmate.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Makoto asked, confusion obvious, before turning to Ren with eyebrows raised in surprise. "…Ren-kun? Is there a reason why you have patches of chalk in your hair?"

"Mr. Ushimaru caught me looking down at my phone during our little chat, thinking I was daydreaming. I tried to apologize but got struck by some chalk instead. Didn't expect him to be a damn sharpshooter with that stuff," Ren explained, grumbling a little as he finished.

"You still have the chalk in your hair, you know. You never took it out when we left," Ann chimed in, giggling when Ren cursed to himself before digging into his hair.

"You really do have a lot to learn…" Morgana said with a bemused stare before turning to the girls. "So, Ryuji's the only one left. Do you two know what's keeping him?"

"Sorry, but I don't. We haven't really hung out much since we came to Shujin, so I don't have any idea what he does in his spare time nowadays," Ann admitted with a shrug.

"It's possible that he's meeting up with this Senpai of his that he constantly talks about…" Makoto said, more so to herself than anything, but Ann couldn't help but turn to her in confusion when she heard.

"A senpai. Do you know which?"

"We don't. He never mentioned a name. Just said that they helped him out after Kamoshida got to him or something like that. Never mentioned a gender either," Ren spoke up, prompting Ann to turn to him in surprise just in time to see him finally pull the chalk piece out of his hair with a satisfied smirk. "Ha! Gotcha, you little bastard."

Ann couldn't help but snort in laughter at Ren's actions. The more she was seeing him, the more he broke that 'dangerous criminal' image that everyone imagined him as. He was also breaking that cool image he had in the weird other world as well, but she didn't really mind. It helped solidify the fact that her newfound friend was truly a good person that has his own hang ups and a strong sense of right and wrong, even if he could be a bit of a goof at times. That train of thought, however, made her remember his similarities to the mysterious woman from the night before. Her curiosity about it had return once more, and was about to ask him about it when the roof door suddenly flew open, followed by a familiar shouting.

"Heads up! Commin' through! Big bag of flower food headin' your way!"

"What the—Sakamoto? Why the hell did you show up with a big bag of fertilizer!" She questioned as Ren and Makoto rushed over to him to help with the bag.

"It's why I was late on the way here! I told Senpai that I need the roof for a bit and she agreed to do it if I helped with the gardening!" Ryuji explained with a grin as he and the others set the bag down near one of the planter sets. "It was actually good timin' on our part. She's got this big thing that's comin' up with her family and can't spend as much time here as she'd like. When I told her I'd help her out with the gardenin' in exchange for usin' the roof how we want, she was so happy she nearly dropped this bag on both our feet! Managed to catch it before it fell, but yeah, now we got free reign here for the next few weeks! Ain't we lucky or what!?"

"Your Senpai is the one who maintains the plants that are around here?" Makoto questioned as Ann looked around the roof to see the multitude of pretty flowers all around the area. She was surprised by how well kept they were…and the fact that Ryuji seemed to know enough about flowers that senpai of his is letting him take care of them.

"Yup. She's pretty awesome. Helped me out a lot after the track team incident, and I've been doin' stuff like this to repay her ever since," Ryuji confirmed with a massive grin on his face before turning to Ren and noticed the white spots on his head. "Dude, what's up with your hair? You stressed or something?"

"Chalk to the head by Mr. Ushimaru. Got stuck in my hair and it resulted in this since I forgot to take it out after class." Ren explained as he began rubbing his hair to get rid of the offending white dust.

"Ushimaru, eh? That makes sense…" Ryuji nodded in understanding before turning to the group with a massive grin on his face. "Alright, now that we're all here, let's get goin'!"

"Hold on. It's still too early for us to head to the palace," Morgana spoke up, getting everyone's attention.

"But why? Don't we just gotta steal that Treasure thing?" Ryuji questioned as he and the others surrounded the cat to listen what he had to say; with him sitting on a fold up chair, Ann on top of a nearby desk, and Ren and Makoto standing beside each other near the plants.

"Don't underestimate the dangers of that place. We need to prepare," The not cat warned, causing Ryuji and Ann to look at him oddly while Ren and Makoto nodded in agreement.

"I agree. We need to get ourselves some proper supplies before setting foot into the Palace in case we run into trouble." Makoto added on.

"Ain't that Persona shit we got enough to deal with it, though?" Ryuji questioned, getting an annoyed look from Morgana in response.

"That's exactly what I mean when I say don't underestimate it. You'll die if you mess up in there," The not cat stated seriously, causing both Ryuji and Ann to flinch at the statement.

"He's right, Ryuji. We barely made it to the Safe Room you found yesterday because we rushed in without thinking. If we're going to steal Kamoshida's Treasure, we need to make sure we're absolutely ready to do so," Ren explained while pushing up his glasses, giving him a slightly imposing look that would've been more effective had he not had small patches of white still on his head.

"But… How exactly are we supposed to do that?" Ann questioned, wondering how they were even able to prepare for such a thing.

"Glad you asked, Lady Ann!" Morgana chirped towards the natural blonde before turning back to the others. "First, we'll need to find better equipment for all of you. The things that you got from your Personas are good and all, but I doubt they'll be enough to deal with any super strong foes we might face in the future."

"If you're talking about weapons, I know a kick-ass place!" Ryuji exclaimed happily, causing Ann to turn to him curiously before Ren spoke up.

"Is that place where you got that model gun you gave me a while back?"

"Yup! And it's awesome! I'll show it to you when we have the chance!" Ryuji grinned, getting a smaller, but equally enthusiastic one from Ren, much to Ann's surprise.

Ren-kun's got a thing for model guns? Huh, didn't expect that. I guess all boys really do have the same interests.

"In that case, you can handle that side of things." Morgana spoke up, happy with the idea before adopting a serious look again. "The only other thing would be stocking up on medicine. Fatigue is unavoidable in a Palace…"

"He's right. I recall Ryuji-kun bringing over some medicine on our second visit to the Palace, and it worked wonders after we needed to recover after getting ambushed by Kamoshida the first time," Makoto nodded.

"And where can we get medicine?" Ann questioned.

"Don't worry, I know just the place. I hope you look forward to it, Lady Ann!" Morgana assured confidently, though Ann wasn't quite sure about his statement, especially after noticing the wary looks Ren and Makoto shared with each other. "Now then, Joker and I have some business in Yongen, so let's head off for today."

"Wait, we do?" Ren asked, surprised by the statement.

"Just come with me! I won't be able to get close enough by myself!" Morgana ordered before jumping into Ren's bag, causing the teen to sigh in exasperation.

"Being ordered around by a talking furball. What the hell has my life become?" Ren grumbled as he grabbed his bag in a slightly rough manner. "Well, unless there's anything else we need to address, I guess that's that for the meeting. You guys know I have plans now, so what are you all gonna do now?"

"Eh, I'm gonna get a head start on these plants and prolly head home right after. No real point in stickin' 'round if we ain't stealin' Kamoshida's heart and I got nothin' else to do," Ryuji answered with a shrug.

"Hmm… I suppose I could use our new free time to catch up on my studies. With everything that has been happening this past week, I haven't been able to do my schoolwork as often as I normally could," Makoto said before sighing, "Unfortunately, my usual study spot in the library has been taken this past week. And the disciplinary team is using the student council room for a meeting. I don't think I'll be able to find a quiet place in Shujin for today."

"You can study here if you want, Prez. There's a bunch of desks and crap for you to use, and I doubt anyone's gonna come up here, anyways," Ryuji offered, causing Ann to look at him in surprise while Makoto turned to him curiously.

"Are you sure, Ryuji-kun? I don't want to bother you with your own tasks."

"Nah. It's no big deal. 'Sides, this could be a chance to know each other a bit more. We're more or less friends at this point but I don't know much about you other than being an honor student with an overbearing older sis and a punch that can cave a man's face in and literally put a whole in someone."

"Wait, what?" Ann spoke up in surprise and fear as she nervously turned to the bashful brunette beside her.

"…It's a long story, Ann-san. A story that I doubt the boys will ever let me forget," Makoto said as the boys in question shared cheeky smiles at one another. "But you're right, Ryuji-kun. This would be a good opportunity to learn about each other some more. And I can also help you with some of your studies while we're here. I'm aware your grades aren't exactly the best, so I'd be more than happy to assist you with them. It's the least I can do for allowing me to stay here."

"…I think I'm starting to regret my offer."

Ann snickered at the response; an image of Makoto sternly giving Ryuji a tutoring session while he was planting a rose in a pot suddenly popping in her head. Even Carmen was amused if the soft giggle was anything to go by. She could also hear Ren chuckling beside her and Morgana snickering in the bag. She wouldn't be surprised if he had the same image in his head as she did. He was considerably closer to them than she was, after all, even if he was only around for about a week.

"Well, looks like those two are set for today," Ren said softly with a smirk before turning to Ann curiously. "What about you, Ann-san? Planning on visiting Suzui-san again?"

"I think I will. Honestly…I was thinking we were going to jump right into that Palace place and take Kamoshida's Treasure or whatever you call it, but that plan's a bust now," Ann admitted as she continued to stare at Makoto and Ryuji's interaction before an idea popped in her head. "Say, I know you're gonna be busy after this, but do you mind if we walk over to the station together? Not to sound weird, but I still don't know a lot about you, at least compared to Makoto-senpai and Sakamoto. If we're gonna be a team and take out Kamoshida together, we should at least learn about each other a bit more. Don't you think?"

"I was actually thinking the same thing. I was going to ask if we could chat a bit before I do whatever task the fur bucket here wants me to do, but I didn't want to be a bother. Thanks for saving me the trouble," Ren said with a bashful expression, causing Ann to laugh at the sight while shaking her head.

"Ren-kun, I've only known you for a bit, but I can honestly say you're not a bother. A bit on the nosey side, maybe, but definitely not a bother to me," Ann assured with a smile, getting a small one and a nod in return before she turned her attention back to the others. "We're heading out. You two take it easy, ok? See ya later!"

"Later, guys."

"Be safe, you two!"

Ren nodded and waved at the pair before departing, Ann following close behind. As they made their way towards the station, the two shared a bit of their history to one another, and the blonde was quite surprised by how…nonchalant her new friend was being when talking about the difficult parts of his life. Even the event that led him to Tokyo, which she personally found to be horrible, seemed to annoy the frizzy ravenette more than anything. It actually concerned her a bit to hear him sound so indifferent towards his arrest and other harsh incidents, but she didn't think it was time to bring it up. Her concern did relent when she saw his face brighten whenever his family was brought up. It was quite cute seeing him talk about his relatives with such passion, and it let her know that despite having a rough early life, he did have the help and support needed to pull through it all.

She had a feeling her new friend might have a bit of a sister complex with how much he brought her up, but she'd rather wait until she learned a bit more about him to confirm.

Still, with all the talk about his little sister, he never mentioned anything about an older one… Was I really just imagining it when I made the comparison between him and the woman in the hospital? Ann thought as the two were nearing the station entrance. Might as well get straight to the point and ask him. If I don't, it'll bother me all weekend and I'll probably kick myself for not asking him when I had the chance.

"Ann-san, is everything ok? You're looking a bit pensive, there. Is it about Kamoshida again?" Ren spoke up, his concerned voice snapping Ann out of her thoughts and prompting her to turn to him nervously.

"Oh n-no! It's nothing about him! I just…had something in my mind that wouldn't go away. It's nothing serious," She assured with a weak smile just as the two made it inside the station and stood to wait for their respective trains.

"You sure? If there's something wrong, maybe I can help," He offered, and Ann couldn't help but smile at how sweet he was being. He truly was different than how the rumors made him out to be.

"Well… There is something that I wanted to talk to you about, but it's kind of a weird question to ask," Ann admitted, Ren humming curiously in response before she continued. "I know you talked a lot about your little sister, but do you have any other female relatives? Like an older sister or cousin? I saw someone at the hospital yesterday after I was visiting Shiho and they said they have a relative going to Shujin after I implied what happened. The woman reminded me a bit like you with that cool attitude of hers. She had long, dark hair, grey eyes and wore something like a suit. Do you know anyone like that?"

"A woman with long hair and a suit? Huh…" Ren said quietly, much to Ann's confusion, which only grew when he started muttering to himself before turning back to her in surprise. "Oh! Um, sorry about that. That description sounded a bit familiar so I was trying to remember who it was."

"Oh really? You know that woman? Is she really a relative of yours?" Ann pressed.

"The description sounds familiar, but I can safely say that I don't have a relative that fits that description. The only sister I have is my younger one and my only cousin is a guy. None of Sumi's relatives fit that description either from what I remember of them…" He admitted, Ann's eyes growing wide at the latter part of his statement, before he let out a tired sigh. "Besides, no one in my family would ever step foot in Tokyo willingly unless they absolutely have to. Hell, I'm still not too fond of this place, and not just because of all the shit we've been dealing the past week."

"Huh? You and your family don't like it here?" Ann repeated, filing her possible discovery away in her mind as her curiosity towards her new friend grew.

"For the most part, yeah. Dad and Gramps especially. Considering this is where my mom died and Gramps lost a number of his friends, I don't really blame them. Sumi isn't really the biggest fan of Tokyo herself, really. You can imagine how stressed they all are with the fact that I'm stuck here for a year…" Ren muttered while scratching the back of his neck, causing Ann to wince in guilt, before he shook his head. "No use worrying about it now, though. I just have to deal with this like everything else that's happened in the past and things will go back to normal. Kamoshida's not exactly making things easier, but I've handled worse than a self-entitled prick of a gym coach. He's no snowy mountain peak, that's for damn sure."

…I can't tell whether to be impressed or concerned by his lack of care towards his situation. She thought, with Carmen humming in agreement. She wanted to talk to him more regarding his apparent apathy to his trauma, but before she could, a train stopped before them and Ren started to move towards it.

"Well, this is my train. Thanks for accompanying me, Ann-san. It was nice chatting with you and getting to know you a bit more. Hope you have a good weekend," He said with a kind smile.

"Huh? Uh…thanks. You too, Ren-kun. Also… If you get caught up in anything, don't hesitate to tell me, ok? You did the same with me already, after all, so it's only fair," Ann said, a little hesitant while making her offer.

"Huh? Uh…sure. Thanks… See you Monday," Ren responded unsurely, waving at her as he entered the train as Morgana popped up to say an enthusiastic goodbye and caused him to trip up.

Ann couldn't help but giggle at the sight of Ren desperately stuffing the ornery magic cat in his bag, giving the pair a little wave as the door closed. She then sighed as she leaned on the wall behind her, trying to make sense of everything that happened the past week. It truly was the most stressful, and bazaar, week she had ever had. It would be a while before she could make sense of everything, but the most important thing to her was that she finally had the power to take Kamoshida down for good. Her newfound friends are, admittedly, not ones she thought she'd ever hang out with, but she couldn't really complain in the end. She knew Ryuji was more than what others say about him, considering they knew each other since middle school, Ren was quickly growing on her the more she learned about him, even if he still had an air of mystery to him, and despite how odd it was to be interacting with a talking magic cat, she was actually getting quite fond of Morgana. She was still fairly unsure of Makoto, the two rarely interacting with each other in the past, but she couldn't help but feel grateful to her. After all, the student council president was the only one who even tried to help Shiho when she jumped, and the only one to step in after the attempt. She never had the highest opinion of her, but after all that's happened, she was more than willing to give her a chance.

"Hmm… Maybe I should invite her to come see Shiho with me tomorrow. With how high-strung she is, she's probably still beating herself up for not being able to save her… I'm sure Ren and Sakamoto already assured her, but she needs to know that I'm grateful to her, too," Ann said to herself, smiling when she heard Carmen hum in agreement when her own train arrived. Nodding to herself, she walked through the throngs of people and pulled out her phone to make an important call. If she was going to be helping out her new allies in taking out Kamoshida, then it would be best to get to know them more. They could even come up with some cool tricks and such to make beating the monster all the sweeter. The more she thought about how everything, the more excited about it. She couldn't wait for Monday.

Shiho, you are gonna love the stories I'll tell you once everything is done, even if you don't believe them. I'll avenge you…and when it's over, you'll have a lot of new friends to hang out with. I know you'll like them. I'm already starting to…

"Hey, Senpai. It's Ann. Sorry to bother you pumping Sakamoto's dirt-filled brain with knowledge, but I got a question for you. Mind coming with me to see Shiho tomorrow?"

Author's Note:

Hello, fellow Tricksters. It's been quite some time, hasn't it? Apologies for the long break between chapters. I've been…busy for lack of a better term. New videogames and such popped up while I have been working on this chapter and have been successfully distracting me. This chapter has also been fighting me here and there, especially towards the end, so it's a bit rough around the edges. Hopefully it's still a good enough read for you all. I actually hoped to go all the way to Kamoshida's Palace again with this chapter, but I didn't want to make another repeat of the old 30k chapter, so I had to stop it just before Ren goes to the clinic. As a result, this is more of a segway/filler chapter than anything, but it did provide a bit more information about Ren, so it's not a completely pointless chapter. Still not my best, though.

Got a few things to say now. First, I want to go back to the previous chapters again and work on them some more. It's what I did to this chapter and I kinda want to do it again with the rest. After that, I will be also posting this piece over in Archive of Our Own so more people can read it. I know some only read works there, so this will be good to branch out. Another thing of note is that the next works are going to be from another fandom. There's an event going on soon so I will be breaking out the fluff for it. If you're a fan of that, then look forward to that. Lastly, if you have read one of my older works, Domestic Heroes, I will say that I have plans to make another version of that, this time in the Persona world. The pairing in question I will not say for now, but I will say this, the two are quite fluffy together…

With that said, thank you all so much for reading my works. I hope you all have an amazing time and I will see you all in the next update. Until then, my fellow Tricksters, farewell.