2025-09-17: Clearing the Mist
- Log: 2025-09-17 Clearing the Mist
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Ryuji Sakamoto, Haru Okumura, Ann Takamaki, Kasumi Yoshizawa
- Where: Shibuya Station Walkway, Shibuya, Tokyo
- OOC Date: September 17, 2025
- IC Date: Thursday, July 12, 2012
- Summary: Kasumi's had enough time to recover from her awakening in Kobayakawa's Palace, and Ren gathers the team--or as much of the team that's available--to answer her questions and explain what she experienced there. In return, Kasumi expresses interest in possibly joining up... but she'll need to learn more about The Phantoms' ethics, and decide on her own convictions, before she can become a full member.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren promised Kasumi that they'd bring her together with the team and answer her questions about everything that happened in Kobayakawa's Palace. After several days of healing up (and healing magic, courtesy of Morgana) from a surprise boss fight last Sunday, Ren's in a position to do that. Once he confirms that Kasumi is ready too, he invites everyone to the hideout--that is to say, the walkway in Shibuya Station where people are so absorbed in their own business and getting where they need to be that they aren't paying attention to a bunch of teenagers hanging out--where they can talk together in audacious privacy. Not everyone can make it, but that's okay; their group's started to reach the size where sometimes that's just the case.
It's after school, so Ren is leaning on the railing in his summer Shujin uniform: white polo shirt, red plaid pants, black shoes, and of course his iconic thick-rimmed non-prescription glasses. He looks over his shoulder out at the city as he waits for (or with, for those already here) his friends. Their shoulder bag rests not on their shoulder but on a corner of the railing, where it can balance well enough for Morgana to poke his head and paws out to keep an eye out for the others--both friendly and not. One never knows when some nosy cops might be lurking around to hassle teenagers for hanging out in a public place...
It's a Thursday, at least. They all have school the next day, so they can claim they're discussing a study session or cram school or whatever. (Actually, first term exams are coming up, so they probably should do a study session at some point... Ren will not be the one to propose that, though.)
"Ah, here they come," Morgana quietly announces.
Ren turns their head forward and smiles at their approaching friends before straightening up... and then slouching forward to tuck his hands in his pockets. They nod in greeting.
"Hey," they say simply. They look around at their fellow thieves and gestures to Kasumi with one hand. "So, just to make it official... Everyone, this is Kasumi Yoshizawa, a friend of mine." They tuck their hand back in their pocket and meet Kasumi's eyes. "Kasumi-san... these are my other friends."
Not all of them--but they are all his friends. Ren lets them introduce themselves by name as they please--there hadn't really been time for proper introductions when they all escaped Kobayakawa's Palace after Kasumi awakened, only that promise of explanations later once she was less exhausted--and when they're all done, they meet Kasumi's eyes again, this time with a serious look.
"I'm sure you've got a lot of questions. But before that... I want to apologize." They bow their head to her. "You ended up in that rotten place because I wasn't careful enough. I'm sorry."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
It's Thursday. So close to Sunday but not quite there yet. Ryuji yawns as he makes his way to the meeting spot, slouched over after giving himself a good stretch. Still dressed in his Shujin uniform, Ryuji would almost look like a good kid if it wasn't for his colorful t-shirt and yeah, his bleached hair. He finally takes a drink from a bottle, drinking in one of his sports drinks. He finally holds up a hand in greeting before letting out an exaggerated gasp of air and a grin. "Sup?"
Ryuji finds a place on the rail to lean on, sipping his drink periodically. He gives everyone a moment to talk before looking around at the group. "Wow, we're getting popular."
Ryuji waits for a place to pop in, waving his hand. "Hey, there" He winks at the new girl, grinning widely. "I'm Ryuji Sakamoto. I've seen you around, Yoshizawa. Nice to meet you." He gets his intro done and then goes back to his drink, letting Kasumi get her questions out.
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
A lot had happened in Kobayakawa's Palace last week. From having to see the rather embarrassing cognitive versions of themselves, to the stressful military environment, it was important to take a breather after the initiation infiltration. But they weren't the only ones in Kobayakawa's Palace that day.
Kasumi seemed like a strong person, and she even awakened to a Persona, but Haru was worried for her and wanted to be there when they finally gave her the whole story. Now, that time has come! "Hello, Yoshizawa-san," Haru waves, as they approach Ren and Kasumi. "I'm Haru Okumura. It's a pleasure to be acquainted!" That formal, polite speech of hers will be a stark contrast from her self in the Palace, but that goes for everyone, right?"
"Does this mean you will be joining us?" She shakes her head. "My, how impolite of me... perhaps you should be the one to ask the questions first."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Popular, huh... Ren doesn't know if they'd call this popularity, but they're definitely getting more known in the sense that there are more and more people who know who they really are. As much as Ren knows Kasumi is a good person... she doesn't approve of the Phantom Thieves. What do they do if she not only refuses to join the team (which would be her right) but also insists they disband or, worse yet, turn themselves in? Given her strong sense of right and wrong, and the unsmiling way she greets them, it wouldn't shock them if she did that...
Well, better not to assume the worst. Kasumi was still worried about them the other day. Ryuji and Haru and both being friendly and welcoming, with Haru even getting straight to the point about Kasumi vis-a-vis joining, and Ann's apologizing with Ren, and Ren has been training with Kasumi. She knows what kind of a person they are.
Hopefully, that'll be enough.
(Is a Shibuya Station walkway really a good place for secret Phantom Thief meetings? No, of course not, for the reasons already mentioned. But that's what they've got to work with until they finally decide to just have their meetings in Ren's attic room.)
Fortunately, it looks like it is. Kasumi accepts his and Ann's apology, and they stand up with a smile of relief. "Definitely not," they confirm of pulling her in intentionally. And it's true that they did come out all right in the end--Kasumi in particular. Their smile fades as Kasumi stares at the ground and thinks, then finally asks her questions.
Ren shares a glance with Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana. The four of them are the founding members of The Phantoms, and they discussed this very thing that day in the Wilton Hotel. They look back at her.
"Because we weren't the only ones who were suffering--but we are the only ones who could do something about it," they reply quietly. "Yes, it's dangerous. But we decided we wanted to use our powers to help people who can't help themselves."
"It's like that wise man once said: 'With great power comes great responsibility,'" Morgana says loftily from Ren's bag, ears twitching with importance. (The wise man in question? The great American philosopher Stan Lee, of course.) "Ah, but where are my manners? I'm Morgana. I'm the one who's been training these kids to become great phantom thieves!"
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji blinks as two of the party apologize to Kasumi. He looks between the three and shuts his eyes in thought. Should he apologize too? He feels a little awkward as he leans on the railing. "Yeah...Sorry. It can be rough the first time." Only one who didn't is Haru....That girl was hardcore.
"Why do we do it?" Ryuji pauses as the question sort of just sits there. He isn't sure how to respond sincerely since each Change of Heart was unique. He settles on goofing so he can avoid being the one to have to puzzle out an answer. "I mean that gets kinda complicated so, uh not it..." He looks over to Joker who probably has a better way with words to explain the mission statement of Phantom Thieves.
And he does!
The blonde looks toward Morgana, blinking for a moment. "Since when did you get all Philosophical?"
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
Haru looks to the others as they apologize - it is the polite thing to do, and Haru bows respectfully to her kouhai. "It's a difficult thing to go through, but you conducted yourself admirably. We may very well have found ourselves in an unfortunate situation if you weren't there. We owe you our thanks in addition to the apologies." She adds, with a smile.
"Because of that, I can understand why you'd think what we do is dangerous. You're right... it really is." Haru agrees. While part of her welcomes the challenge in the heat of the moment, she does find herself wondering if what they do is always worth it. But Ren's explanation is one she can get behind. "I've only joined with the Phantom Thieves recently, myself. The only infiltration I participated in were the two most recent ones." In fact, she's the only one here who isn't a founding member.
"But... when I see the distortions in people's hearts, knowing that there are people in my own life who have such distorted ways of thinking..." She closes her eyes. "I feel like I must do something." She says.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Kasumi at least accepts their apology, which is enough of a relief for Ann. She straightens back up, her sorry expression rapidly transforming into an eye-squinting grin of sunshiney relief. "Good! I'm just so glad we got you out of there before anything really bad happened. And, like. Sticking it to the principal like that?"
Ann mimes some fencing moves. They're like. -Completely- wrong and bad even to anyone who knows -nothing- of fencing.
"Totally badass maneuver!"
But Kasumi has one, especially pressing question -- and it causes Ann to blink. Hesitating visibly, she listens to Rem's answer, and something about it helps her to firm up her own resolve. She squares herself, jaw set, and nods once, firmly, after the others speak.
"After what happened with me and Shiho -- after everything Kamoshida did... I never felt so powerless. But now? Now I - we - have the power to fix things. There's a lot of people like us. Like Shiho. People who need our help, people who are powerless. I can't just... not do anything, now that I have the ability to. ... I couldn't live with myself if I didn't."
It's like that wise man once said...
Ann Takamaki, famous American (not really but it doesn't stop people from assuming), blinks, blue eyes fluttering wide.
"Where'd you hear that?" she asks, astounded. "That's......... so deep!!"
And so Ann Takamaki, who has never picked up an issue of Spider-Man in her life, is completely blown away by the wisdom of a Cat (not really but it doesn't stop people from assuming).
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
Kasumi waves off the other apologies as equally as she did the first two. She then listens as they all provide their own answers, "I see..." Kasumi absorbs the responses. It's clear that the group appears to be on the same page, which is itself a positive in their favour. Given the magnitude of the changes they make in people, it wouldn't be good if they weren't acting with similar goals.
Kasumi seems like she can understand their desire to help others who aren't able to help themselves. There remain a lot of questions about the morality of all of it, but Kasumi's thoughts instead drift somewhere else, "Our powers..." They are technically her powers now too. She muses, "Based on what I experienced and what I've heard so far... I'm guessing those places are cognitive manifestations of what a person is really like on the inside?" She's seen enough of Principal Kobayakawa to get at least a glimpse of what kind of person he is. And Haru's words seem to confirm as much.
Kasumi holds her chin in thought, "So that's what it means by a 'change of heart'. You go into those places to confront the cognitive representation of the person... Which leads to them changing on the outside as well. I never would have guessed!"
But then Ann mimes some fencing moves and Kasumi giggles a little in embarrassment, "I'm not even sure what came over me... I've never held a sword in my life!" Though clearly she's held the handles for the ribbons used during her routines. Perhaps there was some transfer?
Another member of the group speaks of a famous quote and Ann is not the only one who's never heard it before, "Oh? I'm not familiar with that one... I suppose there's truth to it." She smiles at Morgana as he introduces himself, "Ah! So you taught them? If you're the most experienced one of this group, then perhaps I should call you Morgana-senpai too?"
Back to the main issue at hand though, "So what's expected of me if I were to join your group? I'm still not sure about doing so, but I am curious and would like to see more."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ryuji passes on giving an answer; Haru gives one that's heartfelt for herself and her motivations; Ann... does some very bad fencing pantomimes. But they look cool, and that's what counts. Ren crooks her a smile and nods in agreement. ...When she moves past her hesitation and gives her own reason, it's even more personal, and Ren sobers.
Kasumi summarizes what she saw and what that means in terms of a change of heart. Ren's eyebrows fly towards their hairline. "That's... it exactly, actually," they reply, impressed. "We call those places Palaces. In fairness, it's not just what someone's like on the inside--it's a reflection of their distorted view of reality." They frown. "Most people don't have huge ones like that... but we can get into that a little later. The people who do have them because the way they see the world is just that messed up. When we change a heart, we take away their distorted desires and make them see themselves and how they've treated others clearly."
Ryuji asks Morgana when he got all philosophical. "It's the natural result of my innate charm and intelligence!" Morgana boasts, tail curling like the paw he sets at his collared throat. Before he can follow up by insulting Ryuji for no reason, thankfully, Ann calls him (and definitely not the quote) deep, and Morgana's true-blue eyes sparkle from her praise. "Lady Ann...! <3 AHEM. I picked it up during my many various studies! Just because I have amnesia doesn't mean I lack a depth of knowledge! ...I just... don't remember where precisely it came from!"
...So in other words, Morgana is admitting he doesn't know where he heard that quote from... Fortunately, Kasumi chimes in too. "Morgana-senpai... I like the sound of that! Yes, you may!" he says cheerfully. (He especially likes that Kasumi didn't call him a monster cat!!)
But then Kasumi asks about the expectations, and Ren's frown turns concerned. "Are you sure? When we talked about it before, you said you didn't agree with what we're doing. Just because you have the same powers as us now doesn't mean you have to join the team." They rub the back of their neck, then add, "...But either way, I am going to ask that you keep what you know a secret." Their eyes narrow. "Especially from Akechi."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji listens to everyone explain their reasons, nodding his head. "Better than anything I can come up with, heh." He scratches the back of his head from his place on the railing.
He listens to Kasumi give her best approximation of everything, widening his eyes as she is exactly right. "For Real? She's a sharp one. Yeah pretty much." Ryuji lets the boss handle the heavy lifting for the moment, looking off for a moment.
He snaps back to reality when Morgana says something about charm and intelligence. The blonde's expression remains neutral as he just looks at the feline Phanton Thief. "I'm not sure thats it..."
"Whats expected of you? I mean didn't you hit the nail on the head earlier?" Ryuji blinks as looks over at Yoshizawa. Ryuji looks to Ren and blinks. "Are there some expectations I don't know about, leader? Like I don't want to just say we punish the wicked and leave it at that."
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
"I think you caught onto it faster than I did..." Haru admits, when Kasumi gives it her best guess. "But you're right... when we enter those Palaces, as Ren said, we're able to do things we never could in real life." Of course, Haru has some experience with carrying an axe, despite appearances, but she'd never held a gun in her life. "It's like our psyche helps us along in fighting the cognitive threats we encounter... and that's what our Personas are for." She explains. "That's what we call the other self we call upon in that world... but apparently, there's many more Persona users than just us."
As for their expectations... "I think it's important to be careful about what you do with those powers if you join us? We're Thieves, so it's not as if we work by a strict moral code, but there's lines even we would never cross." Not that Haru thinks Kasumi would kill someone using a Palace, but... "And aside from that, we're accomplices. If one of us gets caught, we all do~" She smiles. "But please take the time to think about it. It wouldn't really fit our image as honourable thieves if we forced you to make a decision one way or the other, now would it?"
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Based on what I experienced and what I've heard so far...
Once more, Ann Takamaki blinks.
"Wow," she says, nonplussed. "... You picked that up super fast. ... Why's everyone figuring this stuff out faster than me??"
Is it her, who is the issue??
-- No. It's the smart children who are wrong.
Ann takes a prerequisite amount of time to grump about how everyone else seems to speed through tutorial sections while she's stuck still not really getting the whole deal or what Morgana is exactly (sorry Morgana (she also definitely doesn't notice you swooning over her assumed compliment morgana also sorry about that)). But when Kasumi asks about requirements for joining, Ann perks.
"So you're going to join us, Yoshizawa-san??" she wonders, having not noticed the 'ifs' and other conditionals. "Well, -first of all-, there's a -ton- of other stuff, -Ryuji-," says Ann, eager to show off -something- she's knowledgeable about. "For one, anyone we choose as a target, we have to unanimously agree on! That's the big thing. It doesn't work if we don't all agree that it's someone we need to deal with. And--"
She'd continue, but Ren points out something: When we talked about it before, you said you didn't agree with what we're doing. Ann blinks, once.
"Oh! Um," she probably shouldn't be giving away -too many secrets- to someone who isn't even sure she wants to join, should she?? Oh, no-- wait, she already knows who they all are--!!
"R-right, what Ren said! There's no, like. Responsibility to. We all just joined for our own reasons. ... You kinda have to find your own reason to fight, y'know? Your heart's gotta be in it."
She scratches her cheek and laughs awkwardly. "Honestly I'd just be super happy if you could not tell, like, anyone about us. Aheh."
A second passes, before she echoes,
"Especially Akechi."
... Regardless of anything else, she just doesn't like the cut of that guy's jib!
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
Kasumi gets some praise about her summary and how on the mark she was. She smiles a little sheepishly as she says, "I've been having regular sessions with Maruki-sensei for a few months now. He's mentioned some terms and concepts that made it easier to understand, I guess?" It's only natural that a counsellor with a background in psychology would have some awareness of the subject matter.
But of course, being aware of a few things like that still means there's much nuance that Kasumi is missing and will have to learn, "Palaces... Taking away distorted desires... It's hard to imagine that this has been going on with no one being aware of it!"
But there's the catch, as Ren asks that she not mention this to anyone, Akechi specifically, and also brings up their previous conversation. Kasumi actually gets a little red in embarrassment as she raises her hands to cover her face, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe I said all those things about the Phantom Thieves in front of their leader!"
As the embarrassment starts to pass, Kasumi peeks through her fingers as she goes on to admit, "I'm still not entirely sure about whether what you are all doing is the right way to go about it... But there's clearly a lot more about this that I didn't know at the time. And I do think that if I have the power to help someone, I should..." She is definitely the type who goes out of her way to help others!
Kasumi lowers her hands back down to rest at her waist as she continues, "So like I said, I'd like to learn and see more before making a definite commitment. Of course, I promise to keep all this a secret regardless. Though it's quite incredible that Akechi-san is so close to you, Amamiya-senpai!"
Ryuji seems to draw blanks on more specific expectations so Kasumi explains a little further, "Well, I'm often busy with my gymnastics practice so I might not always be able to show up if there's something like a Phantom Signal... And I don't really know what it means to act like a Phantom Thief."
Haru does go into a little more detail and Kasumi nods along. It's still a foreign concept to her, acting as a 'thief'. She's always tried to do what she was told. Act within the rules and laws and all that. Though after what she experienced in the Palace, and the realizations that came from it, she's no longer sure she wants to do just that.
Ann also provides some answers, which seem to relieve Kasumi to some degree. She already mentioned she's not going to tell on them. Despite the investigations, it's still really up in the air about whether what they're doing is a crime or not. So there's no obligation to report them to the authorities. Though something Ann says does get Kasumi to think, "Find my own reason to fight...?" She was definitely annoyed at all the unfair pressure that the school administration has been trying to put her under. And in the moment, she just kind of snapped.
But is that a good enough reason? Is that the thing that she, Kasumi Yoshizawa, is willing to fight for?
She doesn't know, saying as much, "I guess that's something I will need to find..."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Huh... It's been doing you a lot of good," Ren comments approvingly of Kasumi's sessions with Maruki. "Maybe I should pay him some more visits..." He does seem like a kind and earnest person who genuinely cares about the student body, and Ren's had a good experience with him the few times so far that they've spoken. It's just hard when you tend not to talk about yourself to really engage with a counselor...
"Hey, don't sell yourself short," Ren comments to Ryuji with a slight but encouraging smile, hearing him lift up everyone else's reasons. "You might not say it as prettily, but you've got fine convictions of your own. You wouldn't be here otherwise--and neither would I."
Morgana bristles at Ryuji's comment--but fortunately, he opts for an opportunity to show off his smarts rather than pick a fight with him. "It's more than just apparent!" he chimes in after Haru. "We've witnessed many of them ourselves--including a real wicked one in a black mask, who absolutely radiated menace. He almost killed Kaneshiro--and he's that 'door' that Ren walked into. One he almost didn't survive..."
Ren can only shrug. "I got away somehow. But Morgana's right. They really run the gamut out there."
Of course, Ann complains about how everyone else gets this stuff faster than she does, and Morgana goes into overtime trying to reassure her about how her charms super make up for anything else she might lack, not that she's lacking in brains or anything etc etc and honestly it's just as well that Ann is not tuned in.
While that's going on in the background, Ren offers Kasumi a smile and two hands held out as she gets embarrassed. "It's all good. You were saying what you really thought. No shame in that." It is good--a relief, really--that she continues to be honest at the same time she has an open mind about what they're doing, too. Though it's quite incredible that Akechi-san is so close to you...! Ren glances away, smile thinning. "Hah... Incredible is a word for it."
Ryuji asks if there's any expectations he doesn't know about. Ren shakes their head. "Not really. Up 'til now, we've just been doing what we feel is right." Makoto might have blackmailed them into going after Kaneshiro, but that was because she wanted them to prove they were just. If they hadn't thought Kaneshiro really needed a change of heart... they would have figured something else out. Probably.
Haru offers Kasumi her own cautions, including that they're all in this together; Ann explains one of their cardinal rules, i.e. unanimous agreement. They nod in agreement as they look back at Kasumi. "True--we do have rules of conduct amongst ourselves. That's why we're not forcing you into anything. We're causing a huge stir in society, and if we're caught, the outcome could be dire. This isn't something anyone should do halfheartedly or on a whim."
As Ann says: her heart's got to be into it. ...Even so, Ren offers Kasumi a smile. She might still need to figure that out, but... "We got you wrapped up in Kobayakawa's Palace. If you want to get a better feel for us and what we do..." He nods to the others, then continues, "We went in there in the first place because... actually, we suspect Akechi might have a Persona of his own, and he might have gone into that Palace to question the Principal about us. We don't know yet if we're going to change his heart or not--that's not why we went in there--but if we start leaning that way... You've been crushed by his distorted desires, too. It's only fair you get a say in that, even if you don't otherwise stick with the team."
They look around at the others. "Are we agreed on that?"
Morgana snaps out of his Ann-worship long enough to say confidently, "It's where Kasumi got her start. She ought to see it through to the end!"
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji cringes as Ann shows him up, giving her a look before shrugging with a smirk on his face. "See. This is why I let them handle the nitty gritty stuff. I might be no good at the talking about doing. But I'm pretty good at the doing." He puffs up his chest and pats it with his fist. Guy stuff. He grins at Ren's words, his teeth catching the light to give a glint.
Ryuji does however blink when the 'Phantom Signal' is conceptilized and pitched in the middle of Kasumi's very real concerns. He considers if such a thing would be of use to a band of magic psychological mind thieves. He looks to Ren with a grin on his face, wondering if dear leader catches that idea too.
Focus. Right. He turns back to Kasumi, scratching the back of his head, "uh we don't really go in and do the thing without a plan and a thorough discussion."
"Oh good." Ryuji grins at Ren's answer.
Ryuji listens to Ren explain the situation and nods. "Yeah, agreed."
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
"He's the second Detective Prince after all," Haru chimes in after Ann, about Akechi. "If he connected us together, we'd all be in big trouble." Haru frowns. Is he onto them, or does he just have a really tight relationship with Ren? It's hard to tell.
"I initially felt similarly, actually," Haru nods to Kasumi, about the Phantom Thieves. "I was worried they were doing things for the fun of it, and didn't know what to do with the power they've given." She says. "Now that I know what it's like on the inside, I know all of the thought into the targets chose. But if we never thought about what we might be doing wrong... it could lead us down a dangerous path." So in a way, she's glad Kasumi voiced those concerns in the first place.
Kasumi still doesn't know, though, what her reasons are yet. And Haru nods again, slowly. "It's a dangerous world, when you have criminals like that one in the black mask doing as they please. If you wanted nothing to do with it, I could hardly blame you. But if you want to find your reason to fight... we'll happy to keep you in the know." She offers. As Ryuji says, it takes a lot for them to commit to stealing a heart. "Agreed!" She adds, when Ren makes his proposition that Kasumi deserves a say in Kobayakawa's Palace. "Everything you've had to deal with at school... it just isn't right."
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
"Oh!" says Ann with realization as Kasumi explains just -why- she's able to digest what's going on so quickly. This, at least, seems to mollify her EXISTENTIAL DREAD in a way the most enthusiastic glazing from Morgana seems not to. Or maybe it helped. It happens at roughly the same time. Who can say?
(the narration can: it was kasumi)
"That makes sense. ... Y'know, I was kinda wary when they said they were bringing in a counselor, but Maruki-sensei's a pretty cool guy, huh?"
Still -- as Ren and Morgana talk about their encounter with a man in a black mask - the one who almost killed Kaneshiro - Ann can't help the concern that filters across her features. She shivers a little, wrapping her arms around herself in the little squeeze of a hug.
"Ugh. Even just a glimpse of that guy was more than enough for a lifetime," she grimaces. "There was just something about him that was so... disturbing. I can't believe he came after you, Ren! Ugh. We've gotta be really careful from now on. Next time he tries anything, I'll show him the business!!"
Well. ... Somehow Ann went from 'terrified' to 'full of bloodthirsty and righteous anger' but, you know. That's Ann Takamaki in a nutshell.
But it's Haru and Kasumi's conversation that causes her to pause, brows furrowed. She doesn't hold their initial perspectives against them -- after all, they've all gotten to know each other better now, and know exactly what moves them all. But...
"... Hey," Ann murmurs, a frown on pink lips as she taps an antsy index finger against her bicep. "D'you... d'you think the rest of the world sees us like that? Like... thrillseekers, or something?"
She tries not to let the way people see her bother her, anymore. But something about that...
... it rubs her the wrong way, in a way she just can't quite put a finger on.
But Ren pitches an idea regarding Kasumi. As Haru agrees, and then Ryuji?
Ann grins, and flings herself between the two, slinging her arms around both their shoulders as she declares, "And Ann makes three~!"
A second passes. Her brows screw together, and her eyes go cross in brief though. "... Wait. I guess technically four, since Ren pitched the idea. ... or fifth, since Morgana agreed to... ugh, whatever! You get the idea!!"
She's not going to be deterred, here!
"If you're looking for your reason to fight -- I think this'll help you out, Yoshizawa-san. And either way -- we've got your back!"
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
It's true that what happened inside Kobayakawa's Palace had quite the impact on Kasumi. The full extent of which she's probably not even aware of yet. And she WOULD like to see that whole situation resolved, lest she feel like she didn't get to see it through to the end.
And thankfully the others seem to agree, so Kasumi nods along, "I would like to see the conclusion of that. But it's also unfair of me to expect to be involved in and receive your help in that without offering my own assistance on other matters..."
Kasumi closes her eyes for a moment, before nodding "So then, for now, why don't we call this a mutual alliance? This way I can observe and interact with you in order to make a decision, but don't get the full insider knowledge or a vote on targets? We can think of it like preliminary qualifiers!"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
To Ren, a given Phantom Signal is just their group chat--and someone has to be part of the team, even if just temporarily, to get invited into that. It's not like a band of secretive thieves who lurk in the darkness could just light up some clouds to call other Persona Users to their aid! ...In short, while Ren returns Ryuji's smile, the idea does not cross their mind too... Alas.
Ren says nothing about Akechi connecting the lot of them together, as Haru suggests. But they do bow their head slightly, and the light gleams off his glasses, hiding their gray eyes from view for a moment. "..."
But then Ann says she'll show the one in the black mask The Business, and Ren can't help but smile at her for that. Granted, her thrillseeker question does make it fade into a frown, but... it's at least a thoughtful one.
"I think they don't know enough about us to make that kind of conclusion. And even if they did, they're wrong," they say firmly. As Haru says: she only worried that at first because she didn't know them. Most people won't get a chance to know them, so it's inevitable they'll be misunderstood like that by some.
...Maybe there's some thrill-seeking involved, in fairness. But they really do have principles they all stick to, so what's the harm in enjoying it along the way?
For now, though, they're discussing Kobayakawa's Palace and Kasumi's future involvement in investigating it. Everyone present is okay with it, which is the first step. Kasumi even suggests treating it like preliminary qualifiers, and Ren smiles at that too, nodding agreement.
"That works. We've got a couple more members who couldn't make it today, and they need to agree too, but I doubt they'll refuse." Especially considering how Yusuke and Makoto ended up joining the team... "Assuming they're okay with you helping out, I'll invite you into our group chat for scheduling when we head back into Kobayakawa's Palace and investigate the rest. By the end, we'll discuss if he needs a change of heart or not--and if you're with us that far, you'll get a say too, but just on him."
In other words, no veto rights on any minor targets they get off the Phan-Site... but they'll discuss that over the group chat, too.
"Then after that, we'll figure out if you're joining up or moving on. Either way, we should be able to help you get enough of a handle on your Persona powers that you can handle yourself either solo or as part of the team."
And that insider knowledge will get shared or withheld depending on how Kasumi chooses--which is for the best. Ren appreciates her sense of fairness in all this, but then, that's just like her, isn't it?
"Oh--and we all go by codenames when we're in Palaces and other supernatural places," they add. "It's been real useful so far. We'll tell you the details later, but you should think of one for yourself, too."
With all that established, they ought to all be able to trade phone numbers with Kasumi if they so choose, then break up for now. Once Makoto and Yusuke are officially on board, Kasumi will get that invite into the group chat. And then they can decide on when to head back into Kobayakawa's Palace for a proper investigation--and more.