2025-09-01: A Little Goofin' Off
- Log: 2025-09-01 A Little Goofin' Off
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Ryuji Sakamoto
- Where: Shujin Academy
- OOC Date: September 01, 2025
- IC Date: July 04, 2012
- Summary: Ren and Ryuji reminisce a bit as they celebrate the successful change of Kaneshiro's heart over a pair of sodas. What else is going on, and what else is in store?
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Classes are over for Shujin Academy students, and for Go Home Club kids like Ren and Ryuji, that means there's nothing to do but hang out. Or... go home, but there's plenty of time for that. Right now, they've meandered to the courtyard in between the school buildings; it's barren right now since kids are either leaving for cram school or doing club activities, and thus are either gone or in the practice building. It's a good time for some privacy--especially now that Makoto is no longer trying to monitor them.
Ren puts in some coins at one of the vending machines for a grape Manta; he puts in a few more for a drink of Ryuji's choice, which he then hands over to him. Rainy season has left along with June, but that just means it's just plain hot, and a refreshing fizzy drink is a great way to cool down.
"Congratulations to us on a job well done," Ren remarks, cracking their soda open, as they look out around the empty courtyard--just to make sure it really is empty. Once they've confirmed it, they offer their can to *clink* on Ryuji's with a smile. This isn't really an official celebration meeting, but there's no harm in being happy about Kaneshiro's change of heart, even if it's just the two of them. "Now we can relax for a little while." They take a sip, then add, "Or at least, take our time."
The Phantoms' work is never done, after all--but that doesn't mean they have to crunch-time 24/7, either. Best to leave that for when it actually is crunch time.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
It has been a long day so it was good to chill with the bros...Well Bro. Ryuji grins as he picks a Creature energy drink. To keep his energy up for some training later. He raises the can to Ren's and grins. "Here to a lot more to come too, dude"
Ryuji opens the can and gulps down a healthy enough, letting the burn in the back of his throat hype him up. "Ah! That hits the spot. Nothing like R&R after a job well done." He finds a place to sit down near the vending machine and leans back on the bench he find himself on.
"So what's next, leader? Already looking toward the future or are you jus' gonna goof off a little. Little goofin off hurt nobody, ya know." He shoots Ren a grin, knowing it's probably the former.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Cheers." Clink! Ren takes a few slow, continuous swallows of their grape soda, then sits on the bench next to Ryuji. A lot more to come--that's a great thing to drink to.
"Just a little," Ren replies, smiling. Truthfully, he's already gotten a little R&R in... though it's also been a bit complicated. They even dogsat yesterday afternoon--well into the night, maybe, depending on when Tsubasa came back to pick Lance up--and heard some excited but abbreviated news about Peacock Silk before they left. That's something to check out...
"But we still have the Palace here to look into. Haru-san decided to wait until she's more experienced for us to look into her dad's, at least." He takes another thoughtful swallow, then adds, "It's a little weird, thinking of how many more people we've got on our side since the first time we stumbled into a Palace on school grounds. Back then, it was just you and me. Now..."
Now there's Morgana of course, but also Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, and even Haru. Yusuke and Makoto were even hostile to them before they joined the group--though Haru wasn't, so hopefully she'll be more of the norm going forward. If they do get more members, anyway--but it sure doesn't seem impossible at this point. Who knows how much further the Phantom Thieves of Hearts will expand?
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji grins at 'Just a little'. "Rubbing more off on ya than I thought." Ryuji takes another swig of his drink, swishing it around in his mouth in thought. Finally he swallows and nods to Ren. "Yeah, we do. But we don't have someone like Kaneshiro breathing down our neck...yet. I mean that always seems to happen."
Ryuji grins as the thought of his first time in the Palace. How green they were. How far they came and have yet to go. "Yeah. It's pretty weird isn't it. I was used to running solo until you stumbled into my life. Now it's...geez I lost count. Still we're the originals. Can't beat that!"
"So we get any Requests on the website? I kinda forgot to check with everything thats been going on." Ryuji admits with a sigh. "This gig really takes a lot out of ya."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Yet," Ren echoes dryly. "I'm not in a rush to find someone like that, though." Makoto was bad enough before things escalated into an actual mafia crime boss. ...Though they have to admit, having stakes like that did make the infiltration and later heist more of a thrill--but it was also pretty anxiety-inducing. Ren did have a couple of nightmares close to the deadline...
But now that's over, both the good part and the bad. "Seven," Ren replies. Ren, Ryuji, Morgana, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru. Their lips quirk up into a smile. "Sure can't."
But Ryuji's right: as satisfying as it is to be a phantom thief, it is a lot of hard work. "A bunch--especially after Saturday. We'll have to go over them with everyone at the next meeting to see which ones are good," Ren replies. They take another sip and another glance out into the courtyard. Still clear. "We should be cautious, though," he continues, lowering his voice just in case. "Akechi's been keeping a close eye on--" us? me? Ren wonders. "--us," they decide. "I kind of hope it turns out he doesn't have a Persona, but I'm almost certain he does."
Even the 'almost' is undercutting it. Back at the TV station, Akechi could hear Morgana's voice. He definitely has a Persona.
"I don't hate it, though," Ren admits. "He's an asshole, but it's kind of exciting having an actual detective to clash with. It makes us feel like the real deal."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"It always seems to find us, whether we like it or not." Ryuji sighs, taking another swig. "But hey we got this far, right?" He finds that smile again even as Ren reveals to him the number of Phantom Thieves. "7? For Real? Man if we get any bigger it's gonna make sneaking around a problem."
Upon hearing that they have requests, he nods his head along. Both excited and tired by the prospect of more work. "Yeah can't wait to see what our adoring public needs from us. Should be pretty fun."
Ryuji blinks when he notices Ren looking around, almost dropping his drink. "Right. Damn. Always forget we are being watch around here especially."
"That creep still around? Aw, man. I wish I could smack that smug smile off his face, you know? I don't see what girls see in guys like that. It's just not fair!"
Ryuji takes a moment, noticing Ren's thoughts on Akechi. "Hmm...True. Just don't they come in a variety that isn't a smug asshole? Like Sherlock Holmes wasn't like this guy, was he?" He thinks about it more and scowls. "He was, wasn't he?" He takes a beat to consider Akechi having a Persona. "Let's say he does for now. Always easier to assume the worst than to get caught off guard. Like if you don't know if a teacher is watching, you act like they are and go that way. If this jerk does have one, he probably knows how to deal with the kind of stuff we do."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Too true--both being found, and how far they've come. Ren mirrors Ryuji's smile back as he nods, which turns into a slight laugh at his concerns about sneaking.
"Think of it like this. If one of us has plans or has something come up, then we can tap out for someone else," he suggests. "As long as we all agree on the change, we don't have to all go in every time."
...This does logically mean that the team should probably pick a back-up leader in case Ren ever can't make it, but that'll also have to wait for the next meeting. For now, they grin. It does feel good to fulfill people's requests and come to their aid, doesn't it?
No matter how much Akechi might hate the idea of that for some reason.
"Oh yeah. He's still around," Ren says dryly. "I've seen him twice this week already." And it's only Wednesday!! Ren doesn't chastise Ryuji for forgetting caution, at least; it's just the two of them, and if they were really worried about it (honestly they should be), they could find somewhere more private than this.
Ryuji suggests maybe there are detectives out there that aren't smug assholes. They just raise their eyebrows until Ryuji comes to the inevitable conclusion. "I'm pretty sure it's a prerequisite for being a detective," they reply.
Their smile fades. "You're right, of course," he says. He's been treating Akechi like that anyway; it's nice to have Ryuji on the same page. "Hopefully the Principal can confirm it one way or another. We'll be doing that the day after tomorrow."
On Friday, in other words. Ren has a gymnastics competition to attend tomorrow, and it'd be wise to have the weekend open depending on what they do or don't find.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"I guess that is true. Not that I want to miss any one of these cool missions. Hell I'd skip school over missing a raid on a Palace." Ryuji sounds a little too proud of that. Still for now, he laughs, setting down his drink.
"Great...Glad we have our guy I guess. Just ugh. He really pisses me off, you know?"
"Wait, twice?! Oh, man.." Ryuji crosses his arms and lifts his head to process this revelation. He looks like he's wracking his brain with all of this information. He finally sighs and shakes his head, letting his arms drop. "It's highly likely he has some reason to bother us...or you in particular. Think he knows about your past?" He gives Ren a concerned look. "They like pinning trouble on troublemakers first...even without Personas and everything. It could be that or maybe he just wants you for something? I got no idea, dude, but that guy is going to be trouble. If he has a Persona, its even worse. Aw, man."
"We don't really have any way but forward now. If he is a Persona user who is gunning for the Phantom Thieves, we need to eventually deal with him somehow. What we have is too important." Ryuji reaches for his drink again. "Yeah hopefully. Kinda weird every adult in this school has a Palace though. We go to a messed up school I guess."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Same," Ren admits, grinning again. Maybe they won't need to pick a substitute leader after all. "But you know Makoto-san would never let us skip," they add, which is a good reminder for themself as well as Ryuji.
They do know, though. Ren nods twice in sympathy. While Ryuji wracks his brain, Ren takes another sip of his drink and another look around the courtyard. Ren knows very well that those in authority like to blame troublemakers for trouble, whether they had anything to do with it or not, but he shakes his head. "Well... he is low-key obsessed with me, ever since I argued with him on the TV studio visit."
Whether he knows his past or not... "I didn't tell him. But it's not like he couldn't dig it up anyway." Ren frowns slowly. "He is a detective. It's his job." Ren even thinks it's likely, which is not a comfortable thought. "He's never brought it up, though."
Ryuji continues to spit nothing but facts, though--well, mostly. "Hopefully not every adult. Two's bad enough." Ren can only imagine what a headache it would be if Ms. Kawakami turned out to have a Palace... They've already got something very weird (sexy, but weird) going on. "But yeah. I've been keeping an eye on him, same as he's been keeping on me. That's why I proposed we look into this in the first place."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"Yeah, she'd crack the whip on his to keep us studying." Ryuji blushes as he thinks about it for a moment but decides that would be weird and lets it go to the ether. "Senpai is serious about school. That's for sure."
"Right. And guys like him always are looking for a way to one up you. You see it with internet trolls especially. Guy might be looking into you because you struck a nerve."
Ryuji jumps up on the bench and mimics Akechi in an impression that probably would make the boy detective scowl. "I mean who else would be the dashing rogue leading the Phantom Thieves but the hoodlum who made me look like an asshole on TV?!" He gestures like he is holding a rose, snuffing it. "It is up me and -my- justice to stop him from making a fool of me again!" He points at Ren before laughing dramatically.
Ryuji just laughs, dropping the act. "Bet you it's like that...Only other thing it could be is he's into you. No judgement there but it would be a little too doujinshi for my taste..." He blinks before adding, "I mean not like I know about that or anything"
"Ms.Kawakami would be an interesting one. She either has lots of demons or nothing at all I'd think. Really just seems tired most times. Couldn't tell you why though." Ryuji shrugs, completely obvious of Ren's "sexy" life.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
To be TOTALLY CLEAR, it's not like Ren is getting sexy WITH Ms. Kawakami. But the maid outfit is sexy, AND THAT'S THE POINT. Ren drinks Respecting Women Juice like they drink their coffee--at least one cup a day--but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a sex drive.
Case in point: Ren also gets a little red in the face when he imagines getting cracked with a whip...
He is silent for a moment when Ryuji suggests Akechi's trying to get one up on them. They struck a nerve, huh... "I don't think you're wrong," Ren says slowly, then silently adds, But I'm not sure that's exactly it, either.
Akechi's hard to read like that. Just when Ren thinks he's gotten to understand him a little better, there comes something else about him that doesn't make sense.
Ryuji jumps up and starts doing a hilariously terrible imitation of Akechi, though, and Ren can't help but break into laughter. "Yeah, that's definitely it," he jokes, grinning as Ryuji laughs back.
Only other thing it could be is he's into you.
Heat rises again in Ren's face. "Uhh... it can't be that. He tries way too hard to appeal to girls to be anything but straight," he lies. It is reassuring to know that Ryuji doesn't mind queer guys, at least... Though Ren has to raise an eyebrow at Ryuji at his attempts to backpedal on how 'doujinshi' it would be. "He just really wants to be the Great Detective who solved the case of the Phantom Thieves, I think."
He leans his head onto the back of the bench and stares up at the ceiling of the roof over their heads. He knows for a fact Akechi is not straight, but... well, he also knows for a fact that Akechi is not going to try to get with him. Not seriously. At most, it'd be a game of cat-and-mouse, or maybe more accurately gay chicken. On top of being a possible rival to defeat, Ren's the one male-shaped person who knows he's bi... But that's separate from the Phantom Thieves anyway.
When Ryuji speculates on Ms. Kawakami, though, Ren only takes another long sip of his soda. He sure has a lot of people to keep secrets for...
"Anyway, enough about that for now," they say aloud, despite being the one who brought the topic up in the first place. "You doing anything after this? I'm getting kinda hungry. Ramen's too hot for this weather, but if you know a place that serves zaru soba..."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji is glad to see Ren laugh at his impression. Things like that bring people together...even if Akechi might get real mad if he heard it in person. Too bad, Ryuji might just have the Guts to do it in front of that guy after all.
Ryuji blinks and looks off to the side. "Huh. I guess so..."
Ryuji does notice Ren squirm a little, filing that away with 'none of his business'. "Probably what we should focus on...Can't exactly let him have that win either."
Ryuji just watches Ren, sipping his drink. Sometimes it was kinda hard not knowing what went on in that head of his. After a moment, Ryuji gets curious and looks at the ceiling too, seeing some dried gum up here. "Huh."
"Heh. You know I do." Ryuji perks up as his encyclopedic mind for places to eat is engaged. "Depends on how far you want to go. Best place is a couple of train stops away."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren stares at the ceiling.
Ryuji stares up at it with them. 'Huh.'
Ren, noticing this, rolls their head to grin at him. "Made you look," he jokes, and then adds, "Just kidding."
This probably does nothing to make it easier for Ryuji to tell what's going on in their head. With as inscrutable as they can be, you'd think he was a woman! (Well, actually... Some of the time, at least.)
For now, though, dinner is agreed upon. Ren gets up to their feet and drains the last of their soda. "A few train stops is worth eating the best," they reply. The can will go into a recycling bin the first time they pass one by. "Let's get going."