2026-01-19: Cooking Companions
- Log: 2026-01-19 Cooking Companions
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Haru Okumura
- Where: Cafe Leblanc, Yongen-Jaya, Tokyo
- OOC Date: January 19, 2026
- IC Date: September 13, 2012
- Summary: After a successful harvest, Haru and Ren bring their rooftop vegetables to clean and cut up for cooking. While they do, they first talk about Akechi, who recently approached Haru, and Kazusa, who appears to have been possessed by a Homunculus. (Just don't trust those onions...)
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It's a nice, brisk Thursday in September--a great day for a rooftop veggie harvest. Ren has been back to helping Haru out with her planters now that school is back in session, and after apparently narrowly missing a visit from one Goro Akechi the other day, the two of them have reaped a fine harvest of carrots, potatoes, and onions...
All the main, classic vegetables for curry, as it happens. Which means the logical place to take them and make good use of them is Leblanc. (Did someone plan this, or did it just turn out that way? Hmm...)
It's later on in the evening by the time Ren and Haru have brought their combined harvest to Leblanc. The shop is closed early today--a little bit of privacy from Sojiro in exchange for fresh, free, pre-prepped vegetables. Ren doesn't have the recipe for Leblanc's curry just yet, but there's plenty of prep work they can do, especially since Sojiro recently taught them how to improve their knife work.
(This may or may not help them in combat too. Joker's weapon is a knife.)
Before that, though--they need to wash and peel these vegetables. Ren sets their bags on the counter next to the sink, then moves to one side to make space for Haru. They plug the drain, turn on the hot water and squeeze liquid soap inside, then move to grab one of Leblanc's aprons and don it.
"There's clean towels right over there," they tell Haru as they tie the apron strings behind their back, tilting their chin towards the appropriate spot. "I'll wash and you dry--sound good?"
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
Another season means another harvest of fresh vegetables - it seems Haru and Ren's hard work on the rooftop has paid off once again. While there's plenty of ways to use this many vegetables, a nice, savoury meal is the best of them all. It just happens that with the selection of vegetables they have today, curry's the best option. And it also just so happens that the best kitchen to make curry in is Leblanc! Spending time time after school with Ren is a nice bonus, but if they're going to be accomplices, there's nothing wrong with getting to know each other better.
"Thank you for having me, Amamiya-kun," Haru bows, lightly, as they make their way to Leblanc with their harvest in hand. It may be a coffee shop, but Haru is also well aware that this qualifies as Ren's living space. "Shall we get started, then?" She watches Ren get started and ties back her own apron. In looking the part, it almost makes her feel like she's a step closer to her dream. "Yes!" Haru agrees, reaching over for a towel.
Haru has some experience with washing vegetables, having handled the harvests on her own in the past, so the preparation work goes smoothly enough. Smoothly enough that Haru's willing to start conversing as they work, at least. "...Akechi-san came to the rooftop earlier this week," She states, with some hesitation. Considering their previous encounters with him as Phantom Thieves, and his investigation, that feels more than worth bringing up. "He seemed pleasant enough. But... he also knows a lot."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Nothing wrong at all. Of all members of The Phantoms, Haru's probably the one that Ren knows the least best at present, and they'd like to change that.
"Just Ren is fine," they reassure her, though they know she probably has to be careful with her dad and fiancé to not be overly familiar with someone who looks like a guy. "Feel free to put your stuff anywhere." She can always grab it on her way out.
Washing and drying the vegetables does indeed go well--it's not exactly an intensive task. As they go, Haru brings up the matter of Akechi, and Ren glances over their shoulder at her.
"That sounds like him," they remark. "What exactly did he know about you?" At least, they assume she means not just about The Phantoms but about her in particular.
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
Haru would like to get to know Ren better, too. They're the leader of the group, and a reliable person at that... but they tend to be quiet and don't talk about themselves much. Haru can almost relate to that in a way, but she hadn't realized how little she actually knows about them until now.
"Okay. Ren it is!" Haru tends to be looser with honorifics herself, in spite of social standing, so she accepts it from Ren too. As far as she's concerned, her fiance isn't here right now, and if he comes barging in looking for her, they can deal with it then. "Thank you," She nods, placing her school bag down by the end of the counter.
There isn't too much else to say about the washing and drying process. It's simple enough. Akechi on the other hand... he's anything but simple.
"Well... we'd first encountered each other at a wedding. Perhaps he could tell some things from my body language already. But it was almost as if he knew everything about my family situation, before I even said it." She explains. "It didn't seem like he was trying to upset me. He was quite understanding... but it made me wonder if he already has his suspicions." About her being a Phantom Thief, of course. He was definitely aware there were Phantom Thieves in Shujin, after all. She takes note of the way Ren said 'that sounds like him'. "Do the two of you have history?" She asks.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren crooks a smile at Haru at her easy acceptance. Looking back, that's how they started talking, too, even before she joined The Phantoms--she's willing to treat people as people without judgment. If only all rich people were like that.
"A wedding? Oh, right... Ooshiro-sensei's, right?" Ren had also gotten an invitation, but had decided they weren't up for attending a wedding for a teacher they barely know. They know Haru likes her, though, so it makes sense that she went.
Beyond that, they listen in silence, frowning slightly at her description. He is a detective, and her family is rich, but it's not like Haru advertises that at school, and they haven't changed her father's heart yet either... which means...
"Yeah. We hang out a lot, actually. Mostly because he approaches me. I guess you could call it a game of cat and mouse," Ren replies. "If he seems like he suspects about you, it might be because we hang out. Or else... he has been watching Kobayakawa's Palace, so when we went in there before..."
...he might have seen them enter from the real world. Which is an alarming thought, to say the least.
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
"Yes. She had invited us students, but..." Haru hesitates, as she considers how to put her thoughts to words. "We weren't sure what to make of it." She decides on. "A lot of us... we were worried that the wedding wasn't really her decision." She doesn't go too into it, considering Ren doesn't seem to be too familiar with Ooshiro-sensei, and she doesn't want to make strong accusations. "That's how I began talking with Akechi-san." She concludes.
The only way Akechi could have known what he knew about Haru is by interrogating her fiance's shadow in Mementos. But then again, that's what a detective does, right? It gives him a certain layer of plausible deniability. The young man is good at hanging over what he could know over the heads of others. "It's concerning, but I don't think he has ill intent for me... at least not yet." It was actually nice being able to confide with someone outside of the Phantom Thieves about Sugimura. It's just a shame that trust may very well backfire if she's not careful about her allegiances.
"Hehe. You mean to say he's taken a liking to you?" Haru giggles, as Ren states that Akechi approaches him a lot, likening it to a game of cat and mouse. "Then again, there's something truly dangerous about having a detective take a liking to you." She adds, with more of a frown. "...What do the two of you talk about?" It's a little difficult to imagine. The two of them are just so... different.
"I was worried about that, too. He told me that his Phantom Thieves investigation led him to the rooftop." Haru nods. It really doesn't get any more direct than that. Not to mention Kobayakawa's Palace... "If he does know... what do you think he has to gain from playing these mental games?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
That's... heavy, if it's true that Ooshiro-sensei didn't choose to get married of her own volition. Ren frowns over their shoulder at her in concern, but she doesn't seem to want to linger on that point, so they don't press.
It's good to hear that Haru didn't get bad vibes from him, at least. In a similar way, she sees to the heart of their statement immediately, and they can't help but chuckle. "Yeah, actually. I didn't trust it at first, but... now I think he's sincere," they reply. There's a hint of fondness to their own smile. The danger just makes it more exciting. Even so: "That's true."
They just don't hate it so much anymore.
What do they talk about? Ren hands Haru the last of the vegetables to dry before turning and leaning their elbows on the edge of the sink. Rubbing their hands dry on their apron, they reply, "A lot of things. The Phantom Thieves, at first, but we quickly got to a point where neither of us could say any more without revealing more than we wanted to. Mostly, he'll present a topic to get my take on it." They shrug slightly. "He seems to like the debate."
...It's gotten more intimate since then--arguably, it's been intimate since early on, when he opted to come out to them as bi to apologize for intruding on their personal space--but now their personal feelings and situations are something they each share of their own volition. Ren keeps that to themself, though.
They make a face at that last bit. However, the question is a good one. They grab a couple of vegetable peelers from a drawer and hand one to Haru before starting in on peeling the potatoes. "Part of it is probably the fun of it. He enjoys the cat-and-mouse, and he doesn't want it to end just yet," they reply. "Part of it is probably that he's not so sure we really are the bad guys, and wants to find out how we change hearts before making any kind of decisive move. Part of it might be something I don't have any inkling of because he hasn't hinted at it to me."
And part of it is something Ren can't share, even as a theory, because it's founded in something Akechi told him in confidence and had him promise not to tell anyone else. That's not even counting the part about Akechi's mom and family issues growing up, and how Haru and Yua potentially have unhappy marriages in common.
"I do wish I knew for sure what his end goal in all of this is," they continue--and crook Haru another smile. "But I'll admit, trying to figure it out is part of the fun." That smile fades. "Hopefully he's not pressuring you too much, even if he doesn't have any ill will."
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
Haru nods, when Ren gives her a look of concern about Ooshiro-sensei's situation, but she doesn't say anything else beyond that when Ren elects not to press her on it.
Haru smiles when Ren agrees that he thinks Akechi is sincere. She'd say so too. She listens, as she turns over the last of the vegetables with her towel. "We discussed the Phantom Thieves, as well. I think I gained... a better understanding of where he stands with what we're doing. It seems like he has a strong moral compass, wouldn't you say?" Despite that, it didn't make Haru question her own views about their actions. She wonders if Akechi preferred it that way. "He seemed to show... quite a strong sense of disgust about my fiance's behaviour as well." She adds. Not being a blatant misogynist was another point in his favour.
Haru accepts the peeler from Ren as they move on to the potatoes. "...And you find that thrilling as well? The cat-and-mouse?" Haru prompts with a bit of a sly smile. Somehow, she's kind of not surprised, when she thinks about the personality 'Joker' displays in the Metaverse. "That would make sense. He felt quite strongly about the autonomy of the people whose hearts we change." Haru nods, about wanting to know how the changes of heart are done. "But we also know he's a Persona-user, too... if anyone outside of our group could figure it out, it's him." She frowns. No matter what his reasons are... it's left their little game in an unstable stalemate.
Haru is also aware - to an extent - of Akechi's family issues growing up, at least as much as he was willing to allude to them. But he talked scarcely about himself during that conversation, as a detective should. "I knew it!" Haru grins, as Ren admits to finding their game with Akechi fun. "Honestly... I understand where you're coming from. But no... I don't think so." She shakes her head, about pressure. She's sure she'll run into him again, especially if his investigation takes him to Shujin Academy. "Same to you, though, Ren. It wouldn't do for the mouse to finally become the cat's dinner.~" She peels the next potato with a little more force.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
A strong moral compass? Ren nods once, a low 'mm' of agreement in their throat. That's why the two of them stopped debating about the Phantom Thieves after a while. There's only so many ways you can assert your belief while still holding back your deeper knowledge about the matter, and Akechi isn't going to be convinced without hearing that either. They're content with Akechi believing in them more on a personal level.
"That doesn't shock me. Your fiancé sucks," Ren adds, as much serious as it is a touch of levity. They chuckle a little, but don't outright reply at first, at Haru's sly teasing. The humor fades as the topic turns to the autonomy of those whose hearts they change. "...Yeah. Well, that's something we can't clear up without explaining how we do it, so it's just going to have to stay a point of contention."
They're not thrilled about letting themself and their friends get misunderstood, but after The Phantoms' meeting with Cardboard Dragon, it's something they've realized they have to accept if they want to keep their secrets. Haru opines that Akechi could figure it out, though, and Ren raises a thoughtful look up to the ceiling. "...I wonder. It's not exactly intuitive... but he is a sharp one."
Haru's delight at being right gets a fond smile out of Ren. She's such a sweet girl--and it feels like she understands that thrill herself, too. Maybe they should go grinding in Mementos together sometime--with a couple other folks, too, to make sure they don't get overwhelmed. At least she's not feeling overly pressured... Akechi can be a giant asshole, so it's nice to hear that he was decent to her. To Ichika too, based on how she described it... Maybe Akechi has a type.
However, then Haru chides them playfully, and Ren's lips peeling back in a devilish grin more often found on Joker's lips. "Who says I'm the mouse?" they reply, fingers turning their own potato in a deft little one-peel twirl. (That kind of dexterous trick is one way they keep themself interested through the cooking process.)
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
The fact that the two of them can understand each other so well even without divulging such key information is impressive in its own way. Haru finds the wordless mutual understanding of cat-and-mouse just so fascinating...
"That he does," Haru can't argue, about her fiance. "As for Akechi-san... he seemed to have a strong belief towards people's right to choose for themselves - to live our lives the way we want to live them.I truly can respect that." Haru smiles. It's likely for that same reason that Akechi opposes the Phantom Thieves' actions so harshly. But as Ren says, there's no way to explain what they really do without giving away far too much. But as long as the Phantom Thieves gain a reputation of infamy among the public and the community of Persona users alike, there's not much they can do about that. "...Yes. As long as he follows us into Palaces, we'll have to be careful." She nods.
Haru is just glad she could understand Ren better, even if it's by knowing they're a thrill-seeker by nature, just like her - even if they both carry themselves in an equally unassuming way in the real world. She certainly wouldn't complain about a chance to relieve some stress in Mementos, but if you think about it, potato peeling has a similar effect.
Haru can't hold back another giggle as Ren grins devilishly, all while stylishly peeling their own potato. "Hehe... I like the confidence." Haru admits, with some more laughter. "Though it's not very often the mouse seeks out the cat for his company.~" Perhaps that speaks to the unique nature of Ren and Akechi's relationship. Which reminds her of another encounter...
"Actually, I reached out to Motojima-san the other day." Haru mentions, with another forceful peel of a potato. "Though, it's hard to say if she was really there at all. She wasn't wearing any of the faces I've seen her wear before." In fact, it was as if she was something else, entirely. "...I think it is possible there's something supernatural going on there."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Yeah. That was one of the things we argued about before--sort of." Ren's expression turns stern. "I agree that people should choose for themselves, but if the choices they make mean oppressing the people around them, that's not something we can let slide. Especially if no one else can or will do anything about it." In other words, 'people should choose for themselves' shouldn't be made into an excuse to let distorted people do evil things unchecked.
Either way, it's as Haru says: they'll have to be careful. The Phantoms' calling cards have started drawing crowds into the Palaces of those whose hearts they're changing, so it's not even just Akechi or the Black Mask they need to be careful of, either.
When Haru compliments Ren's confidence, they dip into a dramatic, courtly sort of bow. "Maybe it's less cat-and-mouse and more cat-and-cat," they joke once they rise. "Catfights can get pretty nasty."
Their joking around fully fades into a dark concern at the mention of Kazusa, though. Their peeling continues, ending in a single uninterrupted peel; they reach out to grab a carrot this time. "Hmm... Akabane-san sure thought so. I wish we knew how to get into these Atelier things--she didn't explain that much. Hopefully someone will be able to get that info from Nakao-san or Roger." Their expression softens. "Thanks for talking to Motojima-san. It doesn't sound like any of the rest of us were in a hurry to try to talk to her."
They hope Ann's doing okay, on that mark; she seemed friendly with her, and if there's something creepy going on with Kazusa, that might have her worried...
"We'll figure it out, though. We always do," they say with a decisive little nod, setting down their carrot. They look over at the onions. One of the tips Sojiro gave them is that, with a sharp knife and decisive knife skills, one won't need to worry about the onions making them cry, but...
"I'll start chopping these up next," they say grimly, moving them to a chopping board and reaching for the sharpest knife the kitchen's got. "Wish me luck, Haru."
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
"In an ideal world," Haru no don't say that, "I think we wouldn't have to change people's hearts. I want to believe we all have the capacity for good." She says. "But because of the way the world is, because people have the decision to treat others horribly, it was inevitable that something like the Phantom Thieves would come to be." She frowns. "If it wasn't us, it would be someone else." She glances over to Ren. "That's why our goal isn't just to change hearts, right? It's also sending a message to make the world a better place."
Haru continues to vibe a lot with Ren's sense of humour. "Hehe... a catfight." She laughs, once again. "I'd love to see that!" The courtly bow has her impressed, too. Ren really does have a flair for the dramatic, doesn't he?
"An Atelier..." Haru nods. "There's so much about the supernatural that we don't understand yet." She shakes her head. "I suppose that means we have a lot to learn... even if it means speaking with other Persona-users." It's a difficult balance, gaining information about how their powers interact with the supernatural world, and keeping their identities a secret. As for Motojima... "It's not a problem. I wouldn't say we're friends... but I am familiar with her, thanks to our families. It was enough to know... that wasn't really her. Not to mention, enough to worry about her." She nods, peeling off the last potato in her stack.
"Right!" Haru chimes, as Ren is confident they'll figure it out as they always do. "If there's anything we can do to help her, I'd like to." Haru declares. "I've kept my distance for long enough." Her expression remains just as grave as Ren announces it's time to chop the onions. "Good luck, Ren." She nods. "Onions can't scream, so there isn't any need to cry over them." Despite those words, she smiles sweetly.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Exactly," Ren says--about everything Haru has to say about the Phantom Thieves. It would be great if they didn't have to exist; it would mean that Kamoshida's abuses never would or could have gotten as far as they did. That Ryuji never would have gotten his leg broken, that Ann never would have felt so cornered and miserable, that Shiho never would have attempted to take her own life... That Ren's record never would've gotten leaked, ostracizing them from their new classmates before they even met any of them. Since this isn't an ideal world, they'll at least make it a better one. They give her a decisive nod of agreement.
"If Akechi keeps getting in our way, maybe I'll get a chance to show you one," they joke. The rumor fades again as she muses on how much they don't know about the supernatural. "Yeah... This thing with Motojima-san is only proving how much we need to change that." They tilt their head, eyes widening slightly, when Haru mentions she already was familiar with her because of their families--right. They're both rich girls, so that makes sense. Haru and Kazusa are just so different from each other, Ren forgot for a moment that they'd probably run in the same social circles. For now, they settle and nod again. It sounds like Haru has her own things she needs to settle with her, so it's good Ryuji brought this to everyone's attention.
For now, they chuckle at her joke. (At least, they assume it's a joke.) "Intense," they comment. "But I like it." (In a platonic way.)
That sharp, sharp blade descends, time and time again...!
...and as it turns out, a professional chef's cooking tips are on the mark. No tears at all! Soon, they'll have this prep work all done and be able to store up all the vegetables for tomorrow's curry. It was a good opportunity to practice, for both of them.