2025-12-07: ... Flock Together (Conclusion)
- Log: ... Flock Together (Resolution)
- Cast: Tsubasa Seki, Ichika Kawase, Ren Amamiya, Yusuke Kitagawa, Makoto Niijima
- Where: Eiji's Palace - Entrance
- OOC Date: 2025-12-07
- IC Date: Tues, Aug 21 2012
- Summary: Tsubasa explains themself to the Phantom Thieves, and more of Akechi's manipulations come to light -- something which is particularly hard on Ren. Realising that they had the Phantom Thieves all wrong, Tsubasa pleads to join with them to stop the Psychotic Breakdowns -- while Ichika's reason to join is to search for the justice that 'should be' rather than the justice there currently is.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ1Kyh_nwxA - Persona 5: Confessions - Secret
The Palace is in an uproar, in there. The front doors are locked shut while the Convention Centre is swept for intruders; luckily, the Phantom Thieves are able to dodge those efforts through the use of their Safe Rooms, but it's too dangerous to go back inside right now.
Luckily, there's a corner behind this wall off to the side that's treated them all so well where they're not in view of any of that commotion -- and it's where Queen has laid Tsubasa down. (Some of the members of the Phantom Thieves have offered to guard the corner, helpfully, to make sure no stray guards wander all the way out here.) With Ichika on their side, they're able to rouse them, though Tsubasa's confused when they wake. "What-- where am I--?!" ... luckily, Ogre is able to calm them down.
"... Ogre," Tsubasa orients on her, then, grasping her hand. "You really did... save me jus' like ya promised, huh...? Knowin' that... wonder if that's what got me through it..." Tsubasa can't quite sense the protection their own Persona offered them, but they're right, in a sense -- the power of Ichika's bonds strengthened their will, too. "You were... real cool out there, yeah? Really great. But shit, babe, I'm sorry... guess this means I broke mine... ain't gon' make no excuses for it." And the grief written on their face is quite honest, though they soon school their expression into something more stoic, as they realise they're not alone.
"Nnh, they... they saved me too, huh...?" They settle on, finally, looking past Ogre to the Phantom Thieves assembled, a hand at her arm -- settled between the thorns, there.
When Tsubasa was force-fed that flower, they lost their own manifestation of the Will of Rebellion, no longer seen by the Palace as a threat; it became clear, then, that there's a newer burn on their right palm. Their military-green tank top might be familiar to Ichika's new friends -- they bought those clothes on the same shopping trip -- and there's a black-and-blue binder visible, underneath it, though it may just scan as a second tighter tank top for those not in the know. They're wearing dark cargo pants, and high-top canvas sneakers with several patches stitched to the sides. Their hair is neon blue, now, and it's very clear after Hajime revealed what was under the birdlike hood of their Will of Rebellion how that's a wig -- and considered part of the clothes which disappear when they ready for battle.
With a bit of a wince, they shift to seiza. There's no word of complaint from them as they bow, deeply, clearly ready for their contrition to not be enough... though Ichika knows just how fraught taking it further would be for them, too. "Please forgive me," they say, their voice tight. "Don't matter what happened, two years ago... I really misjudged you. Shit, if you hadn't yanked that thing outta me... it was... it was torture, man. Like... I get how she felt." And Ogre, at least, will know they're referring to their own Cognitive body double, down in the backrooms. "For a second, when it ended, I almost couldn't fuckin', cope... but even tho' it was fightin' it that made it that bad, when I remembered what that fuckin' Eiji was doin' in real life, I got so fuckin' mad again, but -- guess I ran outta strength... I passed out, huh." ... so they were fighting, in there, even if their body was docile. How many youth are in the same situation Tsubasa found themself in, every day, angry inside and easily posed on the outside...?
Their hands tighten, against their knees.
"... lemme explain. I owe ya that much."
Tsubasa straightens up, though they're still not meeting anyone's gaze, still fixed in that uncomfortable sitting position. "That fuckin' Eiji... he sent me a letter... right to your house, man," they add, glancing in Ichika's direction. "Your mom gave it to me... uh, not like she knew or nothin', she jus' found it. Weren't sent through the postal service or none, but didn't feel like it was anythin' like anthrax, so I opened it up... fuck, man, anthrax woulda been better."
what kind of teenager worries about receiving anthrax attacks in the mail -- no, no, this is not about that. Tsubasa's upset, even though their expression is still restrained. The signs are a bit subtle, but that just means it's real bad.
"He used my real name... called it the one I preferred... mocked me for tryin' to get away from my past with it. He said that weren't possible for me, like, my father weren't never gon' let me go... said I was only ever gon' drag everyone down with me. He was upset... I ruined your hair," they add, in Ichika's direction, again. "Talkin' 'bout how... you used to know how to be a woman better. Sayin'... not to worry, how he -- fuckin' -- had a place for me where I weren't gon' ruin no one no more -- how he'd lined up someone to take care a me."
Tsubasa takes a breath, and their knuckles are a little white from their grip, now, shoulders curled forward and locked around themself. "Gave me -- some incentive to remember, yeah, that's what that fuckin' piece a shit called it... some... somethin'... fuck, man, that prick, he was like, this shit is unsullied and untouched by ya dirt, pushin' me to show her... to remind Ichika..."
Tears splatter, on their clenched fists; their teeth grit, too, behind a pained grimace. "That fuckin' prick..." They start, their voice trembling, for a moment, before they bite their lip and get a grip, looking to Ichika with an expression drawn in tension. "... he sent pictures, Ichika. Of -- of you. Shit he kept, after... shouldna ever... fuck, man, it's not right, you din' wan' me to see those --"
Their curled fist slams, into the ground beside their knee, impotently. So... they're probably not the kind of photos you post on social media, delicately speaking.
Tsubasa looks back down, as they continue, "... sorry. I don't... reckon I can stay with you no more, uh... I... I don't know, I weren't thinkin', I jus', I had to get rid a that shit, found th' lighter ya put in the bathroom, lit it all up... ya mom caught me, so... s-so, yeah, she knows I'm no good now. Sorry." They're all wound up in tension, all trying to keep it under wraps, but it's clear that Eiji's surgical precision struck a point of particular fragility for Tsubasa.
... even beyond reflecting on some of the things they said in that fight -- about how innocent they aren't -- and how they'd drag them down to Hell with them.
How they were dirty.
"She wanted an explanation, but I jus' screamed at her an' ran out... all th' way out here... all I could think of was rippin' out his guts an' shovin' 'em right down his throat. I was so fuckin' angry, man... I..." Tsubasa quiets, shaking their head. "... that guy... Hajime... he was Eiji's fuckin' protege or whatever, but I was one a th' girls he practiced on before he got, uh, standards. Uh, I ain't a girl, but... ain't wrong to say it like that... didn't realise I wanted out a me gender 'til I broke up with that prick. That's... why he used... that name. A girl's name. Guess, from what that fuckin' Hajime told Eiji... that's why I look like that... here in th' Palace, too. Like -- a woman," they spell it out, with a touch of distaste from multiple angles. "Seein' him... it keyed me up even more, man... then you guys showed up, an'... an' a friend a mine, he said you..."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Another type of guilt crosses over their face, now.
"... he... said it was jus' a theory, y'know? He didn't have proof or nothin', wanted me to help, jus'... more I thought 'bout it... more it made sense... like, who else makes people do shit they'd never do a they own volition? But -- but I'm th' one what lost me fuckin' head about it, man -- jumped to conclusions -- it ain't his fault." And why they're trying to protect this mystery him might become blindingly obvious as they add: "He's always helped me out... fuck, if it weren't for him, prolly be rottin' in jail by now..."
... and there's at least one boy here who might be able to guess who could be so magnanimous, given that association with the law.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ogre makes her way out, quick as can be; her sneakers make little noise on the tiles and carpets of the Palace's floors. Her thorned armor catches little light in the alarm. And soon...
"Shh, Tsubasa. You're safe now. We're outside the Palace. I'm here." She tries to soothe them, enough that they can talk, to handle that confusion with a gentle approach that doesn't suit her horned mask.
But Tsubasa grasps her hand, and they speak.
When they do...
"I promised," Ogre reiterates to Tsubasa. "And I will, every time." But she was real cool, was she? Ogre smiles faintly, through her worry, and says, "We'll worry about that later." Broken promises... "I want to know why, is all."
"...And that's right. It's not just me."
This means Tsubasa is known to the Palace now, doesn't it? That they lost their outfit. ...She remembers the outfit; she bought something similar on that trip...
"Hey--" Ogre stops herself trying to prevent Tsubasa's seiza and bow. This... isn't for her. It's for them. But 'she' was, "They found... a Cognitive double of themself," Ogre explains. "Here, in the Palace. ...With one of those flowers."
She'll listen to the explanation, too. Eiji sent a letter.. Ogre's expression tightens, but she doesn't lose it. This is not about Tsubasa's paranoia just now.
"...Made my hair look badass, more like," Ogre frowns, at the idea of 'ruining'. But 'how to be a woman better'...
And the incentive? Ogre gets it, all right. Pictures. The tall delinquent lets out a slow breath at that. "...Shouldn't be surprised that he kept those," she says of herself. "Not your fault. It's his."
She sighs, then. "Tsubasa, my mom's not gonna do you like that. You think I didn't scream and cry at her, back then?"
She'll check on her mother. But she's sure she's right about this one. She's probably worried...
She knows the part about Hajime, but...
She doesn't know this next part. But he?
Ogre can put it together, too. "...He offered to help me too," she admits. "But the way he knew everything that happened to me... I just didn't want to talk to him again. Maybe I should've. But maybe it's better I didn't. You told me you were going to look into the Phantom Thieves, you know? When I was thinking what to do about Eiji..." She shakes her head. "Then you didn't talk about them at all."
She explains to the others, "Back then, I was looking for anything to fix it. ...Akechi-san offered to solve it for me--to do his detective thing. But... I mean, it's not like he was unsympathetic or anything, I just..."
"It hurt too much."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
There's nothing to go back inside for anyway. The infiltration route is secured; they snagged the last Will Seed just in time; Tsubasa is safe and all the Phantom Thieves have made it outside. Some of them are standing guard, close enough to overhear but far enough (and too focused on potential chaos) to join in on the conversation. The rest--Joker, Mona, Queen, and Yusuke--are gathered around Ogre and Tsubasa, whose costume was dispersed after Cognitive Hajime stabbed them with that flower.
Joker watches over them with hands tucked in their coat pockets; Mona, with white-tipped paws folded over his chest. Neither of them speak at first as Tsubasa awakens; they both know they're X-gender, and there's no need to comment on things like their binder. That doesn't come until they sit up and then bow--no doubt an uncomfortable act, with their legs folded in front of them. With that new burn on their hand, and with how they set even themself on fire back during their fight, maybe pain is the way Tsubasa communicates...
That doesn't stop Joker from holding out a red-gloved hand. "You're already forgiven," they reassure them quietly. "You didn't know."
"Yeah. No need to bow or scrape to us," Mona adds. His bandit-masked kitty face splits into a smile. "We're a magnanimous lot!" (When it's not Mona dealing with Skull, anyway...)
No surprise that Tsubasa was still fighting on the inside, even after the stab. But... there is a lot that needs explaining. To that, Joker and Mona both nod and listen.
The explanation of why Phoenix was rampaging in that Palace is... extremely understandable. Not only the threats at Tsubasa themself, or even Eiji's cognition of Tsubasa (Joker's skin crawls at the thought), but the indiscreet pictures of Ichika... Both of them can read between the lines well enough to understand what they're getting at. Joker bares their teeth in a look of disgust, while Mona scowls as only a cartoonish cat can.
"He's full of it if he sincerely thinks you're to blame for any of that. Scoundrels like him are always looking for someone else to point a finger at, though," Mona says firmly. "Don't worry, Tsubasa-kun. He's not going to get a chance to do anything like that to you. We're going to change his heart, and he won't hurt anyone else like you or Ogre ever again."
There's a lot more there than that too--Joker glances at Tsubasa's hand as they recount how they burned what Eiji sent them. They can't comment on whatever happened with Ichika's mom, not knowing what she's like, but privately, they think it might still be salvageable if they can explain what happened to her. It might've been a strong reaction, with the screaming and all, but it's hard to call it an overreaction.
"We've met his Shadow. Hajime Yasuda's, that is," Joker says quietly--just so Tsubasa knows they don't have to explain everything. They do glance at Ogre and add, "Seemed like Kamiya's cognition of him doesn't quite match his own self-concept." It's not a total mismatch--Shadow Hajime was still a first-class prick--but he at least didn't know. Cold comfort, perhaps.
Their and Mona's eyes soften with sympathy at the explanation of Tsubasa's former relationship with Hajime. They already knew, but it's different to hear about it from them directly. Let alone the cognition Eiji has of Tsubasa in the dungeons... Anyone who saw that would get upset. This Palace has already been excruciating for Ichika, though thankfully she's found her true resolve by now.
Then there's a mention of a friend. At first, Joker assumes they mean Tatsuya Suou. But then there's a mention of a 'theory' for which he 'didn't have proof,' 'rotting in jail,' and...
That's the thing, isn't it? He's always so plausibly deniable. Even with this description, they can't be sure. And weren't they thinking just earlier that they and he talked about this already, that they should give him a chance to explain?
Joker's shoulders have hitched with tension, though. And their hands have left their pockets to ball at their sides.
"By 'he,'" they murmur, low and dark, "who exactly do you mean?"
Mona shoots them a concerned look, but says nothing for now. He doesn't need to, anyway. Ogre immediately confirms it--that he offered to help her, save that it hurt. (That, perhaps, he made it hurt.)
"A k e c h i," Joker grates, fingertips digging in their palms as their dark eyes light with fury... and something else.
<Pose Tracker> Yusuke Kitagawa has posed.
Fox has been on reserve for much of the team's operations in Eiji Kamiya's Palace, which means he's comparatively fresh compared to Joker and Queen - but with the Palace on such high alert, there is currently no means to take advantage of that strength - the sheer weight of Shadow opposition would overwhelm him and the others and waste that strength.
Instead, he listens to Tsubasa's apology, eyes widening under his kitsune mask as they go into full dogeza. Such a severe gesture... He briefly wonders what might have instilled such a reflex in the Kasugayama youth, but in truth he has a suspicion.
After all, it was in Madarame's habit to demand his 'larcenous' students grovel for his forgiveness before casting them aside, too.
Joker and Mona say there's no need for such an apology, and Fox nods in silent agreement as their leader extends a hand to the vibrantly-clad Tsubasa - who continues to explain just why they went on such a fierce rampage through the Palace.
Something else they say makes his brow furrow - they way they say 'wanted outta my gender' - but now is very much NOT the time for Yusuke Kitagawa's increasing awareness of his dearth of knowledge, so Fox continues to remain silent, except to say: "To accuse you of dirtying another merely by association only reveals the filth he wallows in."
Skull would have said something less poetic, like 'he's full of shit', but Fox is ever Fox.
Then, however, the conversation turns towards why Tsubasa was so sure of the Phantom Thieves' guilt in driving them to their breakdown and arson, and though they themselves are vague about just who pointed them in that direction... Ogre is less so.
Of them all, Joker's mask slips before Fox's, and a kind of rage he hasn't heard before comes from their leader's voice. Fox steps closer to Joker in concern, blue-gloved hand on their shoulder.
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
Queen has been watching Tsubasa ever since she managed to lay them down, anxiety visible even under the mask. Her arms are crossed tightly, her body tensed up like a spring. Sure, Ogre had managed to apply healing to them all, but Queen wouldn't be at ease until Tsubasa had woken up and they were all out of here safe.
It does mean that Queen is focused intently on Tsubasa as they speak, first to Ichika and then to them-
And she looks shocked when Tsubasa goes into seiza. Joker and Mona tell them they don't need to grovel, and Queen nods. "Please don't kneel, Tsubasa-kun. It's not necessary, and you're injured." It seems a fight to keep that control over her voice, to keep the calm and collected nature she has as the Phantoms advisor.
And she listens, arms crossed, as Tsubasa explains everything, her right hand gripping into her left bicep, knuckles white under her gloves. Listening as Tsubasa explains that they were still fighting under that horrible thing, and as to why they got here. And Ichika fills in the blanks that the other phantoms missed.
Mona is there to reassure Tsubasa that none of it is their fault, and is it any more authoritative coming from a bakeneko than another human? Who can say.
"Mona's right. That sort of anger and desperation... I can't blame you for acting that way. But you're not responsible for any of the things he accused you of, okay?"
But Joker's sudden anger- especially after their last conversation about Akechi- catches Queen by surprise. "Joker?" She'd ask 'if he was okay' but even she can't be oblivious to that sudden change in their attitude.
Still, if it's Akechi that led Ogre and Phoenix to this point... there's a pattern. "...Goro Akechi approached you, and suggested we were the ones responsible for your psychotic breakdown two years ago, right? The City Hall fire, the accusations that you were involved in embezzlement along with Kenta Nakajima?" Ogre mentioned it, sure, but Queen seems familiar with the case already. A little too familiar for a casual look into it.
But Queen remembers what she an the other Student Council members were told not to talk about, shortly before she was made Student Council president.
"...And Akechi approached both of you, with intimate knowledge of your situations?" There's a pattern here now, isn't there. Is that what Joker was seeing...?
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"... okay," Tsubasa breathes out, their panic calming when Ichika reassures them. It's nice, like... they can rely on her?
(Though... can she rely on them, they wonder, a pit settling in their stomach. The promise they broke, after all -- it was to not come here on their own.)
"I-I gotta make it right," Tsubasa insists, when Queen tells them not to kneel -- and to Ogre, whose 'hey--' they understood, even if she chose not to finish the thought. Tsubasa comes from -- let us charitably say -- a strict household; it's not easy for them to feel like their contrition wouldn't be dismissed out of hand if they approached it casually. They tried to chop Joker and his friends in half, and how would the things they're saying be believable if they did an apology by halves?
Pain is certainly one way of communicating.
There's a touch of confusion to their frown as they look up to Joker -- then their blue eyes widen, when Mona speaks up. Anything they might have said about how that's a cat who is talking?! or hey doesn't that look like your cat in real life or WHAAAAAAAT is stolen, cat-got-your-tongue, by the things he's saying. "But, I..." Tsubasa starts, clearly gripped by confusion, before they breathe out and bow their head again. "... thank you," they say, quietly, trying to ignore the way their eyes are a little damp. It's fine; if they close them for a moment, no one will notice.
(They can probably notice the little shift in their tone, anyway.)
Still... Ogre says they made her hair look badass, and Tsubasa has to blink a bit rapidly at that, too. (It's not difficult to guess that the idea of ruining someone's hair might hit them hard, after seeing what theirs really looks like.)
Ogre says it's not their fault, either -- and Mona and Queen back her up. "I could've just wrecked it without seein' what he put in there..." Because of course they had to know, even though they knew it was nothing good. "But... but yeah, he's responsible, he's... a rat fuckin' bastard." And saying an invective like that speaks to something else Tsubasa doesn't know, as they look to Ogre. "Filthy piece a shit broke ya trust. Fuck 'im." They pause, though, glancing to Mona. "Jus'... don't worry 'bout me, man," they add, a touch awkwardly, evidently uncomfortable with concern coming their way. "I ain't really down there... an' it's Ichika he wants."
Well, maybe they should worry about them a little. They've clearly gone through something so harrowing they forgot all about keeping her identity a secret. It's just lucky that the Phantom Thieves know!
"Sorry," they say, again, when Ichika sighs and offers an alternate perspective on parents. "I ain't... uh... I jus' thought... y'know." Well, Ogre probably does know why Tsubasa would think a parent would be done with them the minute they were difficult.
... and Fox might be able to make a few guesses, even though he hasn't really heard the story, just by virtue of how they seem like they've tripped up on the idea of Ichika's mother understanding at all.
Still... Ichika says he offered to help her, too, and brings up the efforts they said they'd do. "... I was lookin' inta it," they answer, quietly. "That's why I started talkin' to him... since he showed me a pic a one a them Callin' Cards. Figured he knew somethin', jus'..."
Tsubasa frowns, finally shifting out of seiza as they place their unburned palm to the ground to fan their legs out beside them, instead. "Uh..." They start, that hand crossing their chest to grasp at their opposite arm, rubbing it as they glance aside. "Y-yeah... Akechi-san..." -san; everyone here has at least spoken to Tsubasa enough to get the feeling that they regard boys their age with -kun, so the extra respect is notable. They look to Makoto, as she summarises the situation. "Yeah. It's, uh... it was, like... he told me th' truth 'bout Psychotic Breakdowns, how-- how I weren't really crazy, someone fucked with my head... he said it weren't random, he been thinkin' that since those Change of Hearts, like, changin' people against their will an' shit... like, he said Psychotic Breakdowns coulda been somethin' people did intentionally, too. An' --"
Tsubasa's mouth closes shut, sharply, against a thought intruding into their head. "An'," they keep explaining, instead, "he said it was... like, it was pre' likely you guys found anonymous crime borin', so you rebranded as vigilantes fightin' for justice... or somethin' like that. An' -- an' before that -- I was prolly jus' a convenient target, like -- collateral damage. He said that kinda lead made him look at my case again, even tho' everyone already figured I did it..."
Tsubasa shakes their head, looking over to Ogre. "But -- but he said it was dangerous, man," they add, to her, their hand tight against their arm now. "He was like... like, they might mess with my head, or... worse. That's... that's why I never told ya what I found out, man. I knew you'd rip into it, too, an'... I didn't want nothin' to happen to ya... but I shouldna kept a lid on somethin' like that," they admit, their head bowing again. "You prolly coulda told me I was jumpin' th' gun..."
... which means Akechi not only had intimate knowledge of Tsubasa's situation, he knew about their paranoia, too.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"You really are a gentleman," Ogre says amiably to Mona. But Joker explains. "That's why I was so messed up the other day," Ichika says of Hajime's Shadow. "The stuff he said was rough." But Fox...
"Yeah. What he said." About filth.
Ichika worries about Tsubasa naturally, but Queen seems to, too. She remembers the way she reacted...
"Yes," Ogre confirms for Queen. "He knew all about it. Said he hated Eiji too."
But Ogre relies on Tsubasa a lot, and still will. They can talk about that promise. Mistakes happen.
"He wants to disappear you," Ogre says to Tsubasa about worrying. "I'm gonna worry about you, and I bet they will too. You can worry about me too if you want--but we're in this together now."
But they thought... "Nah," Ogre answers. "My parents aren't like that."
But... Hm. "So when you looked into it..."
They weren't crazy. Ogre frowns, thoughtful. And Joker's anger surprises Ogre. She blinks, looking towards him. "...?"
Then back to Tsubasa, as they explain. "...Yeah, I know you get..." She can't say crazy, "That your fears get to you, about shit like that. Jumping the gun, yeah. And maybe you were right to worry about me at the time, but..."
She moves to squeeze Tsubasa's hand. "We're in this together. That means we don't have to hide shit."
A look to the others. "...You guys have some history with him or something?" Akechi, that is.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Joker did see that pattern, and that's part of their anger--but only part. This is not to minimize that pattern of Akechi seemingly using and manipulating people his age, only to highlight the complexities of his and Joker's relationship.
Joker has a lot to be angry at Akechi about. The fact that Akechi's been kind to them lately, had seemed to actually care about and take an interest in their feelings, only haunts them when compared with Shadow Hajime boasting about tricking women with false shows of kindness.
The touch of Fox's hand on their shoulder brings them back to Earth, though, and Joker shoots him a little look before taking a deep breath. Their shoulders are still tense, but they manage to unclench their hands and tuck them back into their pockets.
"Sorry. I'm fine," they say to Queen and Ogre, then give Fox a nod of gratitude.
These are their real friends. The ones who actually care about them, who share their ideals. They can't--mustn't--fall apart on them. Especially not after Tsubasa's traumatic experience, and Ogre just finding the resolve to overcome hers. They reassert their usual stoic poker face as Queen asks pertinent questions--though the subtle grind of their teeth whispers betrayal in the darkness, more and more as Tsubasa explains what Akechi told them.
It's... incredibly fucked up, and makes them feel sick to their stomach. He theorized they'd been doing crimes for years, and just decided to rebrand for fun? That's something he actually told someone in earnest--someone who was victimized by a psychotic breakdown? It doesn't even matter when he said this to Tsubasa. Akechi's had opportunities to revise his theories, and apparently never updated them.
So there's two options here: Akechi either thought Ren was that kind of monster all along, or he lied to Tsubasa to manipulate them into fighting The Phantoms. Both of them only stoke the flames, for all that Joker is trying their level best to keep them as embers. The line in their jaw only grows sharper. "....."
Mona's look of concern lingers on them for a moment. Then he turns and regards the others with serious eyes. He doesn't comment on any wetness there may or may not be in Tsubasa's eyes, and doesn't need to comment on their lack of pointing out his feline shape, but when Tsubasa tries to deflect any concern, he shakes his head. "You think we could do that after witnessing what just happened? We're not so heartless we could just shrug off a friend in distress! Right, Joker?"
Joker nods once, eyes on Tsubasa. The question helps them focus. "You're worth worrying about."
Especially with what Ogre points out. They're going to change Eiji's heart, but the job isn't done yet. (Though Tsubasa might question why these two would make such a bold assertion... Apparently it's slipped their minds that they're still masked.)
The matter of parents, well... Mona doesn't remember theirs and Joker would rather not think about it. If Ogre's mom will understand, they're relieved for Tsubasa's sake. (It's good to have something to be relieved about.) Joker's gaze turns cold when Ogre asks about their collective history with Akechi, though.
"He's our enemy," they say curtly.
<Pose Tracker> Yusuke Kitagawa has posed.
Joker says they're fine, and nods to Fox, but there's a tightness in their jaw, and he thinks he can hear their teeth grinding. Fox thinks for a moment.
"... We should talk later," he offers, only then removing his hand.
Fox nods when Mona calls Tsubasa a friend, and Joker says they're worth worrying out - and again, more fiercely, when Joker calls Akechi their enemy. "For all he can choose to play nice sometimes, at any rate."
After all, he was there in the red mask at Aoba Park, deciding the Old Maid was more important than the Phantom Thieves happening to be there too.
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
'I've gotta make it right', Tsubasa says, and Queen shakes her head. "That's... not how we work." She says, having been in this position herself. "You're still alive. You're still here. That's more important right now." There's a lot of emotion seeping into Queen's voice. Relief, fear, worry, concern, joy. Lots of it, and she still hasn't explained why, but Fox and Joker will have a vague idea for now. She does, however, smile as Mona mentions they couldn't shrug off a friend in distress.
Still, Joker seems to be off. It's not normally on her to take the lead. But that's fine, it's part of her role too. She and Mona can tag team it.
"Hajime's shadow told us that Eiji Kamiya was working with a man named Furudate to get rid you. I think he's the 'buyer' the cognition referred to. From what I uncovered, that's Daichi Furudate, of Furudate Development Industries. Does the name mean anything to you?"
Queen what do you do in your offtime...? Apparently, research.
"...Goro Akechi is a Persona User, as well as a detective." Queen says, to clarify Joker's position. "And he's working with the prosecutor investigating us." A brief look of pain flashes across Queen's eyes, but she continues. "We've encountered him in a Palace before, and he didn't hide his identity. ...And we have reason to believe he already knows our identities." Queen pauses for a few seconds, to let this sink in. "Ogre reached out to us to change Eiji Kamiya's heart, and we're still going to do that. For you and her. But you should know that Goro Akechi is in opposition to us, no matter what his sense of Justice is. It may influence how involved you want to get."
Indeed, Makoto felt that of all things, justice in some form was important to Akechi. For once she maybe started to think that there's more to it. But... if he's also spreading the theory that the Phantom Thieves are responsible for the psychotic breakdowns...
"...Akechi approached me in that manner as well." She says, after a moment. "When I was in a vulnerable position, he came to me knowing my situation, and tried to get information on the Phantom Thieves out of me. This was before Johanna- my Persona. Later, he told me he was trying to motivate me to act, since 'I didn't want his help', but... It's pretty clear Akechi knows about Palaces, and uses them for investigations. That might be how he knew your situations. I am pretty sure that's how he knew mine."
Being cold, and logical about it, it flows easily, but Queen clearly isn't thinking about the impact of what he's saying.
"If you continue to work with us, you'll be coming into opposition with him. If you want to part ways after this, and leave the palace to us, I promise we'll finish the job for you, no matter what. As to his theory that we're responsible for the Psychotic Breakdowns... that's not possible. I know it's not."
She trusts them all, Ren, Ann, Ryuji, Yusuke, Mona, Haru... none of them were responsible for it, and it happened before the Phantom Thieves were active.
Queen doesn't get into the talk of parents, herself. It's a tricky topic, for an orphan.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"I... guess I dunno how you guys work at all," Tsubasa admits, when Queen insists they don't need such a grievous apology.
"Yeah... you told me 'bout it," Tsubasa nods, when Ogre explains a little more about Hajime's Shadow. (It seems harder for them to focus on the kinds of things hurting them, here.) "Jus'... din' realise you were with these guys... guess that's why you didn't bring me, huh?" They fall quiet for a moment, looking down, when Queen asks about him too. "... first time I heard th' name was when Ichika told me... but yeah, I looked into him too. Got a lotta property interests in Yongen-Jaya... does a lotta cleanin' up neighbourhoods. Guess... he cleans up rotten kids, too, or somethin' like that..." Tsubasa's hands drop to their lap, where one grasps the wrist of the other. "... I think... my father's with this big conspiracy, th'... the New World Order. Reckon that fuck Eiji an' this Furudate-san are in with it, too... tho' I guess fuckin' Hajime don't know shit. My father... really hates me not fittin' in, like..." They trail off, though of course most of the people here were here to hear the Joker Killer (no not this Joker) tell Tsubasa their mother had called for their death. "... I don't reckon he'd object to me gettin' yanked by that guy," is what they settle on, rather than the gory details.
Ogre insists she's worrying about them, too, though, and Tsubasa reaches out to squeeze her hand, briefly. "Y--yeah," they nod, though they struggle to say a lot about those worries. (Which might inform just how it would be easy to make them disappear. Particularly given how Fox met them -- it's not hard to piece together how Tsubasa's the kind of person who buries everything in their closet until it explodes when the nearest person brushes up against it. ... and if someone's the kind of malicious to make them explode, well, that kind of disclosure would just make it easier to hurt them.) When Mona insists they're not so heartless as to shrug off a friend in distress, though, Tsubasa looks a touch alarmed. "I -- I jus' tried to chop your friends in half, uh --" don't call him a kitty that's as stupid as calling those other guys humans, "Mr. Cat?" FUCK, "-- i-is somethin' like that really cool?"
They don't know that they know them. They just know that something about someone who saved them is pissing off someone else who saved them so bad that their Fox-faced buddy had to divert them to a private conversation about it.
When Ogre reaches out to take their hand, again, they release their death-grip on their arm so they can take her hand without her worrying about their palm. (It's fine. They've gone through way worse.) "We're in this together," they affirm, though... for some reason, they still look so guilty.
Maybe it's because, "He... he helped me," Tsubasa says, their own tone wavering. "He weren't jus'... playin' nice... was he? Like, when th' cops were tryin' to pin the shit at Aoba Park on me... it was him an' Sergeant Suou who were pushin' back on it an' doin' right by me."
He told them his secrets; he asked them to be his informant. And saying one of those things would make them the bastard here (still false and still hurtful, Tsubasa, please examine the biases your father left you), but saying the other would make Tsubasa their enemy, too.
Which -- somehow -- it's just not something they want, now they're not trying to chop them in half any more.
But... but Akechi said his own mask was barely usable at all. Doesn't that mean they'd already know? And -- if they already know -- doesn't that mean they don't have to be betray his trust to tell them?
Luckily, Makoto steps in to explain -- and the breath of relief Tsubasa breathes when she says she knows he's a Persona-User is something they think is subtle. "I... told 'im I was Phoenix," they explain, finding Ogre's hand again. "When he got me outta lockup... he told me how all worked, since he knew it all already. How Persona-Users could cause Mental Shutdowns if they killed a guy's Shadow, how they'd die if they left their coffins, too... he told me 'bout Palaces an' how everyone's got a Shadow in, uh, that-word-I-can't-say-without-goin'-there, but he said I'd better not try an' look for me parents out there... 'cuz Shadows are like, th' most extreme versions a whatever you are." And that might ring familiar to Ichika, when Tsubasa criticised her for seeking Shadow Hajime out. "An'... how I'd get stronger if I were there more often, too." Which certainly will, because Ichika knows Tsubasa's gotten into trouble going into Mementos alone.
"I... I don't know what to think, man," they admit, as their head bows again. "Your story... like... checks out with ours? I jus'... does that mean he's been playin' me this whole time, or... jus'... look, man, I... he... he didn't sound like he was lyin'."
But Tsubasa's the kind of person who's been fooled before.
They swallow, at a lump in their throat, as they look back up. "What he was doin'... it's what matters most to me," Tsubasa insists, though what the Phantom Thieves may note behind their determination is a thread of apprehension. No: fear. "More than anythin' else -- I gotta find out what happened to me." Their fingers squeeze Ogre's hand, as they look to Joker. "So... tell me one thing, okay? When you're sayin' he's your enemy, does that mean you ain't for findin' out the deal with these Psychotic Breakdowns? I believe you when you say you ain't doin' them -- like, I'm sorry I attacked you outta nowhere like that, but -- but listen -- I'll keep fightin' if I gotta. This shit ruined my life... I need answers. No matter what. Jus'... if you got a good reason... I'll hear you out first. Y--yeah?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Right. I couldn't tell you about a Phantom Thief mission because... it's not my place to share what they're doing. But that was my secret plan--I was getting help from them. I figured, getting evidence and shit from the Palace was good... but if we could change his heart, that'd do it for sure."
She pauses. "...My other options were pretty much go back or..." Well. Ogre isn't eager to talk about 'that time she wondered if she could kill a guy.'
Joker's 'fine'. Ogre doesn't know their struggles, but she worries at the glimpse behind that particular mask. It reminds her that they're all young, so far as she knows.
...Well, maybe not Mona. She has no idea how old Mona is.
Ogre squeezes Tsubasa's hand back. "They're cool like that," Ogre agrees when Mona says they won't shrug it off. A friend. But Akechi is their enemy... Ogre frowns thoughtfully. She doesn't know why, at first.
"...Oh," Ogre answers when Queen explains. "I see... If he knows your identities, why hasn't he tried to have you arrested or whatever?"
But Akechi also approached Queen in a vulnerable position. Ogre frowns more sharply. "...So he takes advantage of people like that, huh?" Her own anger starts to stoke.
Why does Tsubasa still look guilty? She doesn't know.
But...
"I dunno Akechi-san too well," Ogre admits. "Was he playing you? Was he serious? I dunno. I've been fooled before." She pauses. "...But that explains how you reacted about Shadow Hajime..."
She considers--and then she looks to each of the Phantom Thieves near her.
"...I don't..."
"Well, they can speak for themselves."
"But I can speak for myself, too. And what I want to do is join you guys. For more than just this. ...You're looking for 'justice'. It's not just that I'm going to owe you... Though that's true too."
"But I want to think about how it 'should be' rather than 'how it is'," she says, looking to Fox.
"But I gotta admit," Ogre says, "I'd be surprised if you guys could sit back and do nothing about that stuff. So Tsubasa, I think you should hear them out, yeah."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Joker shoots Fox a wide-eyed little look when he says they should talk later. Soon, though, they nod once. They're touched by the gesture, figuratively along with literally. Emotional intelligence is not Fox's strong suit, and it makes them happy to be noticed.
...even if it does also mean they failed to keep their anger sufficiently in check.
New World Order... "The N.W.O.," Joker murmurs, sharing a glance with Mona, Fox, and Queen. That's the organization that Umie had told them all about--the one they'd tried to ask Kobayakawa's Shadow about, though he hadn't known their name and so couldn't confirm or deny it. If Tsubasa's at the heart of a conspiracy related to them... or even if that's all a coincidence--they all know about how Tsubasa's mother had called the Joker Killer on them--then it sounds like they all have a mutual interest in this.
Still, that aside, they're glad Queen is taking the lead on the investigation. Setting aside how Ichika hadn't shared the details of their alliance with Tsubasa, Joker knows enough about Queen's history with Tsubasa to not be surprised by her interest and concern, even if they don't know all the details. Queen clarifies about how and why Akechi is their enemy, and Fox brings up an important point about him too, i.e. that he can play nice when it suits him; he'd played along in Kobayakawa's Palace as well.
It'd been a gamble on Joker's part--outright lying about a thing they knew Akechi knew was a lie to deceive Shadow Kobayakawa. It had seemed to pan out, and Joker's trust in Akechi had grown as a result, but if Akechi had considered it more important to get that result than to quibble over a crooked principal...
Well, now his lies are coming home to roost. Joker had chosen to believe Akechi when he claimed he'd been trying to help Makoto, but there's no way trying to pin the psychotic breakdowns on The Phantoms to Tsubasa helped anyone. Maybe they'd believe it if Akechi had given them an update later... but not the way things are. Especially not if he'd fed them that line as recently as the Aoba Park arsons.
Their chest feels suffocatingly tight.
"She's right," Mona says, chiming in after Queen. "The Phantoms didn't exist until this past spring. Skull, Joker," he nods to them, "and I kicked it off, and we just happened to meet in Kamoshida's Palace back then. They all awoke to their Personas for the first time as part of that, along with Panther, and for me..." His feline features soften into a look of concern. "...well, admittedly, I have amnesia, so I don't know exactly what I was doing before then..." Then they harden with determination. "But I know myself! I'm a gentleman. I'd never do something that atrocious!"
Ogre chimes in that Mona really is a gentleman. His tail undulates as flowers all but bloom from his giant head. "Myaha~! You said it, Ogre!" ...followed by a 'grrk!!' and a frizzing tail when Tsubasa calls him 'Mr. Cat.' It's testament to his nature as a gentleman that he lets that pass without comment for now, instead replying, "...Right. You wouldn't realize with these masks still on, would you." He looks up at Joker and the others. "Well? Think it's about time, folks? Ogre's been working with us all this time, and Tsubasa-kun's neck-deep in this too, from the sounds of it."
Joker shares another glance with the others; then they nod. "I'm not going to hold that fight against you," they tell Tsubasa, reaching up to their black-and-white mask. "After all--" They pull it down, revealing... "You've helped us out a lot too," Ren Amamiya, clad in the cognitive costume of Joker, says.
If Akechi already knows who they all are, why hasn't he already captured them? Ren glances at Ogre; then they glance away. "...I'm not totally sure of that myself. I do know one thing, though. He and I have spent a lot of time together in the real world since we met last May or so, and if he's saying that about us... Either he was using you after all, Seki-kun..." They both their head, a shadow falling over their eyes. "...or he's thought I'm the kind of person who'd do that all this time."
A long pause. They shake their head slowly. "...either way," they murmur, "we're not friends. And we never were."
Another pause. They set their mask back in place. This is... turning into an emotionally fraught moment for them, and it helps them collect themself again. They slip their hands back in their pockets and look back at Tsubasa. "He was wrong about that too. We don't know for absolute certain if psychotic breakdowns are something someone can make happen on purpose, but we started discussing that ever since what happened at Aoba Park. Hearing what you said just now--" They look back at Queen and Fox. The three of them had talked about it just before finals. "--it feels to me like it probably is. So if someone is doing that on purpose... and we have an idea of who it might be... they're our enemy too--and we're going to stop them."
<Pose Tracker> Yusuke Kitagawa has posed.
In a matter of moments, Tsubasa confirms something, through Akechi's words, that the Phantom Thieves had only speculated: That killing a human's Shadow does induce a Mental Shutdown, and similarly that Psychotic Breakdowns can be induced. Fox shares in the glance Joker passes the others, nodding.
Mona brings something up, and Fox looks to Joker for leadership. When those red gloves go up to that white-and-black mask, so too does Fox lift his hand to his kitsune mask and lift it up to rest on his hair, revealing the visage of Yusuke Kitagawa.
"... I told them what you told me," he explains, as Ren says they were talking about it after Aoba. "I would have kept it in confidence, but it seemed... important. Whatever is going on with these phenomena, we're agreed we can't ignore any of it."
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
"It's okay. I didn't either, when the others helped me. I'm just paying it forward."
Queen blinks, then, at mention of Yongen-jaya, looking back at Joker briefly. Could it possibly be linked to whatever is going on with Boss...? "...I don't think there's anything 'rotten' about these kids, Tsubasa-kun. Or you. If anything, he's the rotten one. What kind of reasonable person disappears and buys other people?"
...The word you can't say without going in there...? "...Do you mean Mementos? You got in without the Meta-Nav?" Makoto blinks a few more times- and then thinks about what Tsubasa says about their parents shadows. ...They probably have them, don't they. Tsubasa's mother called the Joker Killer on them. Is that really the same housewife Makoto briefly interacted with, back then? ...Maybe it's true. Maybe there's more hearts that need changing.
She's not sure what to say to Tsubasa about Akechi- especially when Joker, the person who convinced Makoto there was more than an insult to the gift of an umbrella. "...I don't know. Akechi seems to believe in something, but what his actual goals were... Maybe he thought telling you could give him a lead, maybe he actually believed it... I don't know. I'm sorry." She wishes she had an answer, but Makoto is even more confused about Akechi than before now. He has some sense of justice, sure, but...
"We want answers too. If someone else is out there, using people like that... I'd want to stop it. And we might be some of the only people who can. If it is using the same power as changing a heart... I'd want to know who is doing it."
Makoto pauses. "...I can explain why he hasn't, I think. I just..." Does she really want to spill everything about Sis's case? About the attempted prosecution...?
She hears Ogre's anger, and Makoto grimaces. "...Maybe. I don't know. Maybe he genuinely wanted to help, it's just. There's other factors there, too." But if Akechi knows who Tsubasa is, if Tsubasa works with them, it gives the game fully away, doesn't it? But she can't leave Tsubasa to struggle alone, either. She failed them, when they were kids. She won't do it again.
Mona practically hands Queen permission she's been aching for. When that shared glance happens, Makoto nods, reaching for her own mask. Her hands go to her mask, and carefully, slowly, she removes the sharp, heavy looking thing that lets the Will of Rebellion disguise her identity, not that she fully understands how it works.
And once it's gone, it's Makoto Niijima making eye contact with Tsubasa, those red brown eyes looking plaintively at her friend.
"...I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier, Tsubasa-kun." She says, quietly. "I couldn't tell you why I wasn't like Morishima-kun, when we finally met up again, but this is why. After I became aware of all this, I had to think that's what happened to you."
Makoto looks more than a little ashamed, breaking eye contact from Tsubasa after a moment. "...As for why Akechi-kun hasn't arrested us... There's no way courts would accept the existence of the Metaverse, or Personas, or any of that. If there were, they'd be using people like Detective Suou in an official capacity. And the reason I know that is that my Sister is the prosecutor in charge of the Phantom Thieves case." It's an unburdening, a quick one, but it might be context better for Tsubasa rather than anyone else here. But that explains why Makoto wasn't keen to say it.
"...But now we all know who each other is- and it seems we're on the same page, at least in regards to Eiji Kamiya and the Psychotic Breakdowns."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"... yeah." Tsubasa's not going to make Ichika say she was thinking of murder, so they just finish her sentence, instead.
"N-no, man, I got it, but -- but don't you enter Mementos if you say Mementos? Huh? Seriously! Did he lie about that, too?!" Tsubasa... doesn't know about how that only works in the real world, apparently.
"So it really... started with that fuckin' Kamoshida?" Tsubasa frowns, gnawing at their lip. "Akechi-san... he did say someone mighta been hidin' what they did before from the rest a you, but... does that mean he knew 'bout ya amnesia?" They ask Mona, still wound quite tight. "Did he... really set all that up? Fuck, I'm so stupid..." Makoto suggests he might really believe in something, but that's just not something Tsubasa's ever been able to hold in their head; they're a starkly black-and-white thinker.
Ogre sees the way Akechi is taking advantage of people, but Tsubasa... Tsubasa can't stop thinking of those days in detention, first in hospital and then, for the worst day, in lockup itself. When they had no way out, Akechi was there for them, then.
When Mr. Cat rejects the name nonverbally, Tsubasa blanches, a little -- not that it's really visible on their skin, but the way their eyes widen and their hands come up to flash their palms is pretty obvious. "S--sorry, man, uh..." fuck what do they call him then
But Mona has a solution for that problem, and --
"Wha-- Ama-- Amamiya-kun?" Tsubasa hitches a step, there, so they don't chan them in front of all their friends, but it really just looks like they're shocked. Which, being fair, they are. "Kitagawa-kun? Makoto-chan?! Y--you're the Phantom Thieves?!" They listen, stunned, as Makoto offers her apology. "I--it's cool, y'know? Uh, don't this shit get less protective the more people know who you are? Or... or, fuck, I dunno... did Akechi-san lie 'bout that, too?"
Their throat feels dry, as Ren says that Akechi might have thought they could do that all this time. "H--hey, m-- c'mon," there's no big secret to that hitch of a rephrase, Tsubasa just doesn't want to shove Ren too far in the boy box now they know it's Ren, which is apparently different to when they're using 'man' as a interjection around people like Ichika, "there's no way anyone would think that 'bout ya! I -- I didn't know, I seriously didn't know!"
Tsubasa shakes their head, pulling their hand back to clasp them at their elbows, in a gesture they probably mean to come off as folding their arms but really looks a lot more like hugging themself. "There's no way anyone would think that about you," they say, again, though their tone is quieter. "So... so that means... fuck, man, I got set up again? He seriously saved me... jus' so I'd be his useful idiot...?" Their heart falls a little deeper into their gut, as they follow the thought to its conclusion. "... an' you had to spell that out even tho' he been workin' on you too... jus' so I'd get it through my thick skull... s-sorry, man."
Ren and Akechi were never friends. That must mean... Tsubasa and Akechi never were, either.
The fear they have over Ichika ending up opposite them doesn't last long, though, when Ren insists that Akechi was wrong about that, too -- and Makoto says they might be the best-positioned to solve it.
They shake their head, looking to Yusuke. "It's cool, man," they assure him. "Like, it's weird to spill ya guts to a stranger anyway... ain't no one gonna blame ya for tellin' ya friends. 'Specially since it was relevant..."
Tsubasa looks to Makoto, as well. "... tough spot to be in," they reflect, on her sister's occupation. "But like, it's cool, I got a case manager, so I know a bit 'bout awkward convos an' shit... but I guess he's tryin' to pin shit to ya in the real world, then, huh?"
They breathe out, shaking their head. "But... fuck, man... if it's like that... Akechi-san prolly lied 'bout carin' so much 'bout figurin' me case out too, jus' to get me on side," Tsubasa scowls, their fingers digging into their arms. "But it ain't no joke to me!" They insist, as they gesture outwards, before their hands clasp tightly together. "If the guy behind those Psychotic Breakdowns is in ya crosshairs, if you really can't ignore it, ya gotta let me come, too! I ain't slept right for two years, I won't have no peace 'til that shit ain't never happenin' to no one again! People like us, they either die from it or they wish they was dead, it's fuckin' hell! Nothins' more important to me than figurin' this shit out -- I gotta stop it! Please--!!"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ogre appreciates Tsubasa for that, too. "Amnesia, huh?" Ogre asks of Mona. "That's rough. ...But you don't seem like the type to me, either." She actually smiles, even if it's a little strained given the situation. Especially with that reaction to what she'd said. It's nice to have a compliment land!
But, "Kamoshida, huh... So that's where it started. I awakened to my Persona around then," she says. "...When I stumbled here, in this Palace. I still don't know how..."
A shake of her head. "I guess it must be that he wanted me there so much."
But now, the masks. Ichika blinks in surprise at the appearance of Ren. "Oh!"
But Akechi... "Hm. That... sucks," Ichika says, as she removes her own Mask because it seems like the thing to do. "I think he was at least straight with me, but..." She thinks back to what she learned about his background. "I think he really did want to see Eiji punished. But back then, I didn't know about the trafficking. I was still getting used to the idea I could do anything at all..."
She puts her mask back when Joker replaces his.
She looks at Tsubasa and her expression falls. Set up...
She doesn't know. But seeing Tsubasa let down like that...
But Makoto's sister, and why they haven't been arrested? "Wow," she says. "That's rough. ...But it does make sense."
She nods, then, and squeezes Tsubasa's hand. "I guess that's it, then. Will you guys have us?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Mona brightens at Ogre's sympathy and compliment. "As expected, you're a refined lady with a refined eye!" he chirps. "Don't worry--I'll get my memories back for sure!"
Ren catches Makoto's look, but doesn't realize her concern. They hadn't even considered that this move into Yongen-Jaya might be related to the Boss's 'emergency.' They'd been getting notes from him since then, and even the occasional text--he'd never text back to any of Ren's, but it's clear he's still in the area. Ren doesn't understand that, and it doesn't actually make them worry any less, either about him or their own future, but Sojiro at the very least hasn't skipped town.
Queen, or rather Makoto, translates what Tsubasa said about 'the word they can't say' into Mementos and comments on getting in without the Meta-Nav. "Ah--that's possible to do. I've seen someone do it before, come to think," Joker comments to her. They fall silent when she says she can explain why Akechi hasn't arrested them--and brings up something they've discussed before, about the lack of concrete evidence for a mundane court, and how her sister is the prosecutor heading up the case against the Phantom Thieves. They bow their head, then nod. Fox, or rather Yusuke, agrees that the matter of the psychotic breakdowns isn't something they can ignore.
"It's not exactly like that," Mona tells Tsubasa of Mementos. "Technically that's true, but it only happens if you're starting from the real world and if you've got the Meta-Nav app on your phone. Which you should, so... that much he wasn't lying about. He just didn't include some important details." He pauses when he sees Tsubasa silently fret over what to call him, then utters, "Oh! Pardon my manners--I still need to introduce myself too. In the Metaverse--that is, supernatural spaces like Mementos and this Palace--I go by Mona, but in the real world, I'm called Morgana. Yes, that Morgana. And just so you know, I might look like a cat, but I'm not actually a cat! I'm a human, and I had my original form and memories stolen from me in a Palace like this one!"
But... Akechi suggested that one of the members of The Phantoms was active before the rest of the group. Morgana's eyebrows furrow. "No... How could he possibly know about that? I'm very careful about not even talking outside of this group, and these guys wouldn't have mentioned it to him..."
"We shouldn't put anything behind him," Ren murmurs. "At the end of the day, we don't really know what he really knows or what he really thinks, feels, or believes. He's always hiding behind a mask of plausible deniability."
Their eyes soften when Tsubasa tries to reassure them. They also note their hitch in what they call them. Should they explain themself to everyone now...? No, this feels like a bad time to come out. They've all got a lot of information to process without them adding the burden of coming out to everyone too. For the protection of the mask, well... "I don't know about that much. We don't usually take off our masks anyway. In your cases, though..." They shake their head slightly. "Don't worry. I know you didn't know."
They see Tsubasa self-hug and work through what this must mean for both of them and Akechi. They look away and rub the back of their neck. "...No need to apologize. I was starting to like him too," they admit quietly. Tsubasa insists there's no way anyone would think that about them... they huff an ironic little laugh and smile. They sound like Ryuji. But there's a lot of people who did think that about them... or thought there was little difference.
Which one is Akechi? Does it even matter?
They catch Ogre's eye and give her a little shrug, a touch of a smile, when she utters that 'oh!' But she speaks in Akechi's defense, and their smile fades. "...Maybe," they say quietly. Their voice and expression harden. "But I don't give a damn anymore."
Tsubasa and Ichika both ask if they can join the team--Tsubasa outright begs. Joker holds out a hand to the two of them. "It's no joke to us either," they say. "I'm for it." They quirk a small half-smile. "You've both proven you're damn strong."
"Heh! Agreed," Mona chimes in. "I've got no issue with it."
The Phantoms on guard will no doubt be on board, too, once they're asked. As for Fox and Queen... they can speak for themselves.
<Pose Tracker> Yusuke Kitagawa has posed.
"Isn't there a rumour of some kind about bathrooms and Mementos?" Yusuke asks Ren, brows similarly furrowed. "He certainly did leave details out, if he didn't mention it." He shakes his head to Morgana. "Clearly he knows a lot more than he's letting on - or is willing to let others think he does." It's impossible for him to even guess, based on his limited interactions with Akechi.
"It's much more stylish to keep the masks on," Yusuke agrees as Ren says they usually don't remove them. (More question-marks are practically appearing over his head as Tsubasa hitches on addressing Ren, but he'll just keep them to himself for now.) "We should make sure we go over the team codenames, too," since Morgana has pointed out the difference.
Then the question of Ichika and Tsubasa joining the Phantoms is officially raised, and Yusuke nods firmly. "I have no objections."
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
Makoto can see Tsubasa struggling with the concept with 'it might be more complicated' but... hell. It's a lot to take in right now. And it's not like Makoto hasn't had similar struggles. What she doesn't have is an answer for the protectiveness of the will of rebellion. "I... don't know." She admits, looking to Mona for explanation. Joker, on the other hand, mentions the fact that other people have been able to get in without the Meta-Nav... "...So anyone can do it now?" That's worrying. Could people accidentally stumble into Mementos? That's... concerning too.
"...Not so far," Makoto says, of Akechi 'pinning' things to them. "If he wanted to he could... But it hasn't happened. I just don't know. Maybe he's not a foe, but... we can't count on that. Either way, he's working for the people who want us arrested. That much we can act on as true."
Makoto glances back to Ren again. She's seen him shut down but never... like this. Did something happen that she missed? "Joker..." ...can she even help here?
"...The Phantoms work by unanimous decision, to be clear. That's one of our rules. That said, I agree. You'd both be a huge help. I'm in favour too."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa feels bad for Mona's amnesia, really. Is it all that different to getting all scarred up? Just... getting scarred up in your mind...
"There's folks what can get inta Mementos without a mask," Tsubasa confirms, for Makoto, as Ren mentions that they've seen people do it too. "So I reckon that's true." ... but the other force wanting to kidnap them really isn't something they feel up to raising today, so they don't mention Shiryuu.
"Oh," Tsubasa frowns, when Mona clarifies how Mementos works. (Does this mean that all this time, Tsubasa's Mona was Akechi...? ... Mona is cuter...) "So it was jus' omission, huh..." That sure is a convenient way to lie, they think, bitterly. They're at least distracted from those dour thoughts by Mona's introduction, as he clarifies that he both is and is not Ren's cat. "Huh." Tsubasa blinks, rapidly, in confusion. "So this is, like, set a thief to catch a thief? I mean, that's cool. I'm a thief, too." Tsubasa thumps a fist to their chest, in salute. "Good knowin' ya, Mona. Sucks 'bout th' fur." A human who looks like a cat? Sure, why not, there's a house which is also a chicken living in Tsubasa's head.
"Uh... you all know when I did," Tsubasa rubs the back of their neck, a touch awkwardly, when Ogre shares when she Awakened. "With th'... fire, an'... yeah, that kinda shit jus' happens around me a lot, I guess." Why was Tsubasa's first instinct to set those photographs on fire as soon as they saw that lighter, anyway?
Anyway, deep-seated questions about their innermost feelings and subsequent phobias aside --
"... I thought I could trust him," they mutter, dismally, about Akechi's mask.
Tsubasa's been let down a lot; they say they're used to it, and in some ways they are, but in so many others it's simply not something a young person can adapt to.
"Cool," they nod, though, when Ren absolves them for their violence again, and maybe this time it sticks a little more. (For some reason, Tsubasa's very good at blaming themself...) Despite realising Akechi was playing them, it's still hard for Tsubasa to think everything he's said is a lie, though -- especially when it makes everyone's actions here far more meaningful. So... maybe they ought to keep their masks on, anyway.
(oh shit wait if they DIDN'T know ogre was ichika --)
(no it's fine they'll have that freakout later.)
"That's why I gotta," Tsubasa insists, when Ren says they were starting to like him. "It sucks." The entire realisation that someone they thought was cool really wasn't. Plus...
Well, there's an extra little detail in there that they're not going to pull out, here, but Tsubasa does notice that Ren specified they were starting to like him. And maybe that's nothing... but they had a whole conversation about this.
"I'm all mixed up 'bout it," Tsubasa admits, when Ichika says she thought he was being honest with her, and Makoto tries to suggest a little more temperance too. "Dunno if I'm mad, or wrong, or whatever, but... this kinda shit, it... don't remind me of nothin' good," because of course there's more than one person in Tsubasa's life who's mixed them up on purpose. "So -- so I know I ain't on his side. Ain't... no real friend what'd do that to a guy... not on purpose."
And surely, Akechi will never use that qualifier to great effect.
Ichika is wise, though, to reach over and steal Tsubasa's hand again; either they don't care enough about or (and?) keep forgetting those burns on their palm, which means that keeping their good hand occupied makes them far less likely to end up aggravating the wound. ... besides, she knows how hard it is for Tsubasa to ask for help; and what they've done has all the component parts of asking for help, even if technically they're insisting on being allowed to help.
... and it means Tsubasa can offer her a little support, too, as they both look up to the Phantom Thieves.
When Joker offers them their hand, Tsubasa lifts Ichika's up, and then releases it, as they clasp their hand with their good one -- and they'll even hoist themself up, if they're willing to give them a lift. "I'm a fuckin' freight train, yeah," they confirm their strength, with a stern nod, before they look back to Makoto. "So long's everyone'll have me... I'm at your service."
There is something vaguely birdlike to the way they flick a pocket mirror out of their pocket and fix up the wig on their head, come to think of it. "When I'm all feathered up, I go by Phoenix," they confirm, to Yusuke. The symbolism really goes without saying.
"... but I guess that whole rebirth schtick don't work so great in the real world," they add, grasping their burned hand with a light grimace. "Lemme get ya numbers, but for now, we better get back... yeah, Ichika?"
That means an awkward conversation with Mrs. Ichika's Mom, but listen, they're still workshopping that.
They will FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Yeah," Ichika says. "Well, I'm on your side. I see the same thing."
What he knows, what he thinks, what he believes... When Joker's smile fades and they issue their statement on Akechi, Ogre nods. "Got it." Akechi seems to be a thorny enemy... and he is the Phantoms' enemy, they say, which means Ogre doesn't plan on going to confide in him anytime soon. Especially not if he's trying to get these guys arrested.
But they've proven themselves... Ogre grins at that. "Cool."
She doesn't know much about rumors, but she can appreciate Fox's style, and as none of them have objections--it sounds like...
Ah, Queen explains it. "That's a cool rule. I expected it to just be up to Joker, considering. But maybe that's why you all work together so well--you know you're all into what you're doing."
"...What 'we're' doing now. Thanks."
She knows damn well how hard it is for Tsubasa to ask for help--and in the moments wehre she was waiting, Tsubasa's hand did her a lot of good, too. "Yeah," Ogre says. "And you all know I'm Ogre."
Ogre takes joker's hand, too. As to a freight train... "Heh. Just slow down next time so I can heal you, OK?"
"...I'm looking at that hand," she tells Tsubasa, and it's not a request this time.
"...But yeah. Let's get the hell out of here."
"We only gotta come back the once, right?"
One more time. ...To change Eiji's heart.