2026-02-05: Colors of Rain
- Log: Colors of Rain
- Cast: Umie Akabane, Ren Amamiya, Kurou Ryouhara
- Where: Triple 7, Central Street, Shibuya
- OOC Date: February 05, 2026
- IC Date: September 21, 2012
- Summary: After a rough interaction last night, Umie welcomes a nice, quiet rainy retail shift alongside hardworking completely normal teenager Ren Amamiya. Then, Kurou shows up, and... it goes a lot better than expected, as Kurou and Ren hit it off extremely well.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
====LAST NIGHT====
>> won't be home tonight. staying at kuzunoha office.
Last night, Kurou recieved a text. A minute later, as if Umie had thought better of it, she had added:
>> Weird agent guy used TV maze. don't worry, nothing a DH won't fix ::shrugging cat emoji:: ov( ='3'=)vo
>> keep an eye on things, k?
Best to let Kurou know, in case that agent came by the apartment. Then again, isn't it technically his boss (if by proxy) that sent that order last night? It definitely *was* about her, after all, down to her full name being said, the reveal of the killer's Mark, and the marked up desk at the end, her photo likeness's eyes gouged out. It was enough for Umie to have a scared little pity party for herself, before she snapped out of it.
Better to pity the contact that was killed, Umie thought, rather than a fool who ran right into the trap laid by the man's killer. Someone like Joker'd actually think of calling for back up first, instead of seeking after a deadly agent.
DO BETTER, UMIE AKABANE.
===NOW===
After an earlier rush of customers, the brightly lit Triple 7 has become blessedly quiet, the only sounds of life being the wet sound of a mop hitting the tile flooring and the pleasant drone of fall rain outside.
Finishing the task of mopping up the recently muddied flooring, Umie leans her hands on her mop handle, then her chin, content to listen to the rush of rain outside...
.... and then stifle a yawn, which ends in a wince. Sore back, sore shin, and now, sore neck, from sleeping on the Kuzunoha Agency's couch.
Still, it's nice. Just her, the store, the rain, and the murmur of employees in the back. A peaceful, mundane existence.
... And a perfect time for someone to strike. _But Umie has you in her sights, you sneaky bastard_.
*TONKTONKTONK*
The plastic grip of the metal handle knocks against the side of the plastic bucket, dislodged by the petite blonde's shift to a two handed grip on the mop, the top half of which is angled protectively in front of her.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
A rainy afternoon is a good day to pick up a shift at one of one's many, many part-time jobs. Ren has fully seven of them, appropriate for different times of the day and days of the week. A rainy day is nice for Triple Seven, because it's right off Shibuya Central Street and people are prone to running in out of the rain, and on days when there's customer rushes, Ren's liable to get a bonus for the day.
It's all about being strategic. Joker would have called for back-up--or better yet, had back-up already there, riding on their shoulder. Morgana will chill in the window today, on a ledge that's out of the rain.
They bow and issue a polite "Please come again!" to the last of the rush from their position at the register. It is blessedly quiet once they're gone, and they breathe a little sigh and get to work on cleaning the register counter. Once they're done and there's still no new customers, they go into the back and get some goods to restock the shelves with. As they do, they move through the aisles, and into--
*TONKTONKTONK*
Ren stares wide-eyed behind their glasses, both hands raised, when Umie nearly shoves that mop in their face. Their dark eyes flick from it to Umie, and their expression shifts to concerned.
"...Something the matter?" they ask quietly. She has seemed like she's been moving stiffly today... Did she get into a fight? Not that "Ren Amamiya" could ask about that...
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
====LAST NIGHT====
Kurou looked over a second cup of tea, then into his own, already finished. He touched his finger to the side of it. The heat was gone by now. Resolved, he stands up for the door --
A notification goes off on his phone. He reads the messages on his cracked screen and shuts the door without exiting. But one hand stays uneasily on the knob.
>> ok
He gazes at the screen a while longer, and pokes uselessly at the shrugging cat emoji. 'Keep an eye on things.' She's worried about coming back... Kurou finally shuts the door without stepping through, and locks it behind him.
>> i'll keep watch
===NOW==
Rain has its advantages and disadvantages, if you ask Kurou. The sound of it helps mask one's own movements, and it dims the lighting of the world around him. But being wet makes it more difficult to move, adds enough weight for a critical mistake to be made, and can leads to other detriments in body temperature.
... With a working umbrella, it's a bit of moot point, isn't it...?
Kurou slips in as the last person leaves so that the door does not shut and open a second time to alert anyone of his presence. Now, Triple Seven is quiet. Too quiet. And what Kurou sees is Umie holding someone at mop-point.
"Akabane-san."
He deftly turns the umbrella in his grip to ready it for use as a make-shift weapon as he turns his gaze onto Ren.
"... I'm here."
Even if this isn't supernatural space and cannot use their Persona, they still have her assailant outnumbered.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Haha, Umie had back-up this entire time!
.... she just didn't realize it existed.
A familiar, ready glint in Umie's eyes is briefly there before her brain catches up her reaction speed.
It's just Ren. Poor, poor Ren, having to suffer under the weight of her paranoia, and likely not for the first or last time.
"Whew, you, ah, scared me there." Carefully lowering the mop to avoid hooking it on Ren's glasses, Umie has it lowered about halfway to the ground....
'Akabane-san.'
.... Just as Kurou shows up, throwing the high-strung young woman back into paranoia mode again. The mop whipping the mop towards him instead.
"Ryouhara-kun."
Is he... gripping his umbrella at Ren? SHIT--
"Ha ha... H-hey there, this is my co-worker, Ren Amamiya-kun! He was at the festival at Naganaki Shrine a few weeks ago, remember?"
It's a nice way of dodging a question, but that part was largely unintentional.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
A customer enters the store--and joins Umie in pointing a non-weapon like a weapon at Ren. Ren sweatdrops, or would if this were a game or an anime. At least the goods they were restocking on the shelves are on a cart; holding their hands up like they're being put under arrest doesn't mean dropping everything on the freshly-mopped floor.
They do wonder what Umie's charge Kurou thinks is going on here, given that they and Umie are wearing the same uniform...
...though then again, wearing the same uniform and thus working at the same job doesn't guarantee one's coworker isn't a creep. Either way, that's clearly not what's going on with Umie, because she relaxes--more or less--when she realizes it's Ren, only to whirl on Kurou next when he attempts to come to her aid. At least Umie didn't knock Ren's glasses off with her mop...
Umie introduces them. Ren casually slips their hands in their pockets and sinks into a non-threatening slouch. "Hey," they say in greeting to Kurou, expression impassive.
On the inside, though, they definitely remember Kurou and his Persona...
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Umie turns her weapon (not a weapon) to Kurou, and he flicks his gaze halfway over his shoulder, not wanting to take his eyes off of Ren, but understanding he needs to check and listen for others who may be behind him. He thought he verified that already. Are they the ones outnumbered...?! Sloppy...
Having the same uniform means nothing. A part time co-worker would be the perfect means for an assassin to get close to their target.
(If only Kurou's first thought was creep.)
But thankfully, Kurou as Umie tries to laugh it off and explain, Kurou's own readied posture begins to ease. He lowers his umbrella, turning it in his grip as and letting it slide down as he takes to holding the handle instead of readying that end for self-defense.
He stares at Umie. He stares at Ren. He stares at Umie and then Ren again.
Hm.
Kurou lowers into a deep bow. "It is nice to meet you, Amamiya-san." As Kurou rises, he considers his memories of them at the festival. There was a companion, then. Kurou's briefly scans the store again, as if expecting her to have been here all along as Ren's back up.
... No, they seem to be past that point. But if not Ren, and obviously if not Kurou, then why is Umie...
Kurou regards Ren. "I understand that loitering is discouraged in such establishments, but I would like to request permission to watch over Akabane-san for the rest of her shift so she may be at ease. I will purchase something before we depart."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Who could forget it? Umie certainly hasn't. A quiet young man, bearing such a sizable Persona?
She's of half a mind to ask Kurou to summon it some time, even, just like she's been tempted to do the same for many, many others.
What gives a Persona its shape? What makes a Badb a Badb, a Gashadokuro a Gashadokuro, and a.... normal person like Ren, be Ren, who is naturally being included here as a comparison point to show how large Gashadokuro's top half is.
Obviously.
It is rather sweet how Ren's posture seems to change, like it was intentional, in order to seem more non-threatening to Kurou. He really didn't need to go that far--
.... But that's just his usual mode anyway, Umie thinks, not bothering to think more on it.
Besides, Kurou is now requesting Ren for permission to. Wait.
_He's asking Ren_.
"H.... he's not my boss," Umie manages to squeak out, a half-covered hand raised to cover the lower part of her face. "... And I don't need to be watched," she adds in a quieter, but more dour tone.
Ahem.
"But if it'd make you feel better, I suppose no one will mind." She casts a look towards Ren now, checking to see if he'd be at all comfortable with it. "Just as long as it doesn't cut into homework time, Ryouhara-kun."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
In fairness, Ren often slouches with their hands in their pockets. But there is a certain air of deliberateness to it this time.
Kurou eases out of his own aggressive stance. That's good. He stares between them and Umie several times. That's neutral. He seems to assume that Ren is Umie's boss. That's...
"Uh," Ren utters. Umie speaks up for herself, and they glance at her. "...Yeah, I couldn't give you permission even if I wanted to. We're on the same level, she and I." They rub the back of their neck. "But yeah. If Akabane-san doesn't mind and you buy something later, it'll probably be okay?"
But they're not the boss here, so they can't say that for sure, thus the uptick in their tone at the end. They give Umie another concerned look when she mutters to herself, but...
"...Anyway, nice meeting you too, Ryouhara-kun. I like your nails," Ren says to Kurou. They display their own hands to helpfully show off their own black-painted nails. It might not be as pretty as his blue polish, but the lines are clean and straight, as are their cuticles.
To Umie and Kurou both, they add, "So, is it okay if I ask what you two are to each other?" Umie had claimed Kurou was her cousin at the summer festival at the Naganaki Shrine, but Ren does not actually believe that. Will Umie double down on the lie or tell them the truth?
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Ren, for human-sized comparison, could fit in Gashadokuro's mouth. But of course Ren would never be in the position to fit in skeleton mouth. It is surely irrelevant to Ren's life.
But even if Ren is not a Persona-user themself (ha. ha.) Kurou still senses a strength there. The way Ren's posture changes, and the calm in the face of a physical threat. There are many dangers in this world, far before the supernatural enter into it... Perhaps Ren has had to contend with such.
Perhaps that's why Kurou treats Ren as the boss...? Though Ren is not.
"Regardless, you are the one I must convince in this scenario." What about Umie? Well, what about Umie? Umie protests needing to be watched, and Kurou looks at her again, then her mop. He does not verbally argue with her, but the long look that returns to her eyes is doing the silent arguing for him.
Back to Ren: "... I will refrain from behaviors that would get either of you in trouble with your employer over this."
The subject turns to nails, and Kurou reflexively looks to his own.
"Oh. Thank you." He looks to Ren's own black nails. Though Kurou's face does not change often, there is a light of interest in his gaze. Outside of Kasu High, he doesn't see many boys (or boy presenting people) wearing it. Or even in Kasu. "...There is something... refreshing, in the practice, I think."
But now Ren is asking about their relationship. Ah, yes, it makes sense to wonder why Kurou has barged in on Umie's workplace like this, and is asking permission to stay. He is making their workday more complicated, and someone as duty-focused as him understands this is no small ask.
"Hm... I am unsure of the label. But we live together and look out for one another."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
'Regardless, you are the one I must convince in this scenario.' Umie's eye twitches, slightly. "While Amamiya-kun is someone I do see as responsible and hard-working and very harmless," odd, how she emphasizes that part to Kurou, "I am the one that decides whether or not I need watching over."
A pause. ".... So I will allow you to do so, as long as our boss doesn't say anything."
Well, that settles that...? "If the boss says something, I'll handle it," Umie says to Ren, seeming satisfied now that Ren is personally okay with it as well. "Honestly, it should be fine."
Their boss saw her practically adopt Kurou when he tried to mildly threaten her without a proper umbrella, after all. Anyone who adopts a stray cat knows what happens next!!
It *is* odd, though: in one breath, Umie is tense, like she's trying to keep a barrier between Kurou and Ren (or is it the other way around?), and in another, she's asking Kurou about his homework in the same sort of tone she'd ask Ren.
Something in Umie's gaze softens as Ren shows his nails to Kurou, her shoulders relaxing. "... Mm," she says, softly. "You're getting to be better than me, Amamiya-kun." She displays her own, now wine red, to the trio, with a soft chuckle. "Ryouhara-kun pulls off a good blue, I'm jealous."
And then, Ren asks the question Umie had been dreading. Listening to the rain and the distant thunder in the background, Umie calms herself, finding her center.
She's trusted Ren a little before. Lying makes it more suspicious than simply admitting what is going on, and... it's not like it's anything neferious, at least on the surface.
Umie lets out a sigh. "He needed a place to stay for a while," she admits, carefully, "even if it's out of his way... it seemed like the best solution." She can't say that his place was an absolute wreck; that much, Shiryuu made clear. "I realize how it looks, but it also means someone's making sure he's doing okay. I don't mind it at all, either; he's been making me tea." She smirks towards Kurou. "He's pretty good at it, too. Way better than me, really."
This much, Umie feels she can trust Ren with, at the very least. Ren knows she is with him, she figures, so it'd be natural to see her extend that same concern for others, without involving the supernatural slant of it.
Or the giant blinking letters of the name 'RYOUHARA', outlined by a flash of hypothetical lightning, which is matched by the very real rumble of distant thunder outside.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Perhaps. Ren is definitely much calmer than a teenager like them would normally be in a weird scenario like this--but part of that is their natural personality. (That's why they're the leader of the Phantom Thieves, too.)
Ren glances at Umie when Kurou says they're the one he needs to convince. They nod all the same. "Thanks," they say of his promise to behave.
They smile a little, eyes crinkling, when Kurou lights up (however inexpressively) at their nail polish. "Agreed. I want to get more colors, but nail polish is so expensive..." Maybe someone would have an easier time paying the rent if they cut back on buying it, Umie. (Nah, it's fine. Everyone needs a little something nice to stay sane in this world.) "A friend told me about this sparkly-clear overcoat you can get, so I've been looking for it on sale to paint over the black."
They nod in approval at Umie's current wine-red polish. She really loves red and shades thereof, huh? It is in her name. "I've had a good teacher." And Kurou's blue does suit them; the highlights in their hair help. They slip their hands back into their pockets; that draws their eye down to Kurou's uniform pants. Now that everyone is chill, that cyan is unmistakable. "You go to Kasu High?" they wonder without judgment.
Kurou says they live together and look out for one another. That explains precisely nothing. Ren fixes a look on Umie, as if silently asking, 'Well?'
She doesn't try to claim he's her cousin. Just that he needed a place to stay and so she's putting him up. Obviously there's a lot she's leaving unsaid, but all considered, it's for everyone's best interest that Normal Boy Ren Amamiya doesn't push too hard. They nod once. "A good tea-maker's nice to have around. Maybe one day I'll end up paying my share of the rent somewhere with coffee," they joke, tone mild.
The name 'Ryouhara' means nothing to Ren, at least. They have no idea Shiryuu or any kind of ninja clans exist.
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Very harmless. Kurou looks from Umie to Ren again. His face is too blank to read, and eventually he looks back at Umie. He bows his head. "... My apologies, Akabane-san." But she will allow it. "Thank you. It would put me at ease after yesterday."
Perhaps he should have led with that.
"I will ensure my homework is still completed on time, and within the necessary standards."
Umie compliments Kurou's blue, and Ren mentions wanting more colors. "I read that a contrast of colors can be visually appealing..." His own eyes, warm gold, stand in complimentary contrast. "But monochrome is, too." Which both of them seem to have gravitated closer toward with their own traits. "... Perhaps I should try it, eventually, when I need to redye my hair..." Evidently, it's important to him it matches?
It is expensive though, and Ren mentions a more economical solution in terms of being able to mix and match. "That would further reinforce them, too." Kurou would be hard pressed to claim painting his nails is pragmatic, but he does like how a coat of polish feels like it fortifies them. If that's a weird thing to say, he does not seem to realize it.
He nods as Ren notes his uniform. "Yes. They were kind enough to enroll me despite missing the beginning of the year. Though... the studies are more independent than I expected."
This boy genuinely does not realize his school's situation. He doesn't have a lot of basis for comparison. Though this may only add reasons why Umie is helping look after him.
Kurou's eyes sparkle a little when Umie praises his tea, even on an otherwise stoic face. This seems to distract him enough to keep from adding verbal fuel to the fire.
Ren makes a joke that flies past Kurou. "I've not much experience with coffee, but I understand it can be an expensive luxury that comes in several varieties, and requires a great deal of finesse to brew effectively. Such a service should be highly valued."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
It's definitely a good thing, that the Ryouharas, such as what Umie came to know of them, does not exist. Otherwise, using Kurou's last name, while polite, would have have potentially invited disaster.
Ninjas do not exist.
'It would put me at ease after yesterday.' Umie's eye twitches again, as she presents a pleasant, if small smile. "... You always seem to worry when I stay out late." She can't do her usual tactics with Kurou, because, he's _Kurou_. Even Ren gets them on a limited basis, because he's _Ren_. (.... and also, because he's proven himself oddly perceptive at times. But the same goes for Kurou too!!)
Ren's comment gets a laugh from Umie. "Yes, but a bottle of nail polish can last you forever if you take care of it-- ahhh." Umie chuckles. "That *would* look nice. Like a starry space field."
(If only she didn't put her own coats of polish through the wringer, almost every night.)
Ren pinpoints where Kurou is from; even here, the teal of the Kasu uniform must be that well-known.
'Despite missing the beginning of the year...'? Brown eyes glance towards Kurou, in hesitation. Just what happened then? (Maybe Shiryuu would tell her, if she asked just the right way.)
Furthermore, while there was nothing odd about Ren's words themselves, it did make Umie wonder. After all, she had assumed he lived with his parents, but what sort of parent lets their kid work so long?
....
Then again, Shuji Academy *is* a decent school, after all, so he may be staying someplace to avoid a long commute.
"I'd offer a place to stay if I get coffee out of the deal, but honestly? Better to stick where you are," Umie laughs, waving a hand. "Ryouhara-kun doesn't seem to mind how tiny it is, but I'm not sure how."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It would put me at ease after yesterday.
Despite having already resolved not too push too hard, Ren wonders of Umie, "What happened yesterday?"
...She isn't likely to tell them the truth, but they want to ask anyway. That eye twitch was pretty unmistakable.
"Same," Ren says of contrasts and monochromes. "I've tried pink before. It doesn't really suit me, but I didn't hate it, either. Once I can afford it, I'd like a bright shade of red, too." They regard Kurou's hair thoughtfully. It's always good to experiment and push one's own boundaries, so they encourage him, "Go for it."
The idea that Kurou would want to reinforce his nails isn't so strange. That's a normal concern for someone with weak or brittle nails, or even just someone who wants to keep their nail polish from chipping too easily. Ren doesn't read into the statement. ...at this time.
What's stranger to Ren is what Kurou says of his enrollment to Kasugayama High. "Huh," they say. A beat. Then they let it go by saying, "That's cool." They do note Umie's worried look, but decide not to say anything. That sounds like the sort of thing that's personal, and while they can be a nosy snoop, they also know how to leave well enough alone.
They do smile slightly at Umie's comment, eyes crinkling again. That's precisely why they want that kind of polish cover--to make it looks like they've got the stars at their fingertips. How romantic would that be?
Kurou seems happy to have his tea-making skills praised. He might be stoic, but there's a lot going on beneath the surface. Ren gets it; they're much the same way. "True," they say of the coffee-making. He doesn't seem to get the joke, but that's fair, considering it hinges on knowing Ren is learning how to make coffee as a part-time barista. "There's a pretty broad range when it comes to coffee. A lot more nuance to it than you'd realize just drinking instant."
Umie laughs off their implied offer, and Ren shakes their head. "It'd be for after I'm done with school here, anyway. I'm fine with where I'm staying now."
The three of them have been chatting for a while. Ren pulls over the goods cart and resumes restocking shelves. This is, fortunately, a task they can do while still chatting, though they and Umie will need to slip past each other at some point.
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Ninjas do not exist. But Kurou didn't get the memo.
Umie accuses Kurou of worry, and without a hint of his own embarrassment or shyness, he simply and sincerely responds: "I do."
Even he isn't so lacking in self-awareness to understand he would be distressed if something happened to her. But maybe most teenage boys aren't quite so forthright with their feelings.
"Pink..." Kurou echoes, his eyes briefly unfocused as he retreats to his mind's eye, picturing Ren with shades of pink. He finally refocuses on Ren. "... A soft color. But... something closer to magenta... I wonder if that might work." It does seem like someone like Ren is better suited to bright shades. Perhaps it's that shared sense of kinship knowing still waters can run deep? He shakes his head as if to dismiss his own wandering thoughts. "Red... that does seem fitting."
Go for it, Ren encourages, and Kurou mumbles to himself with his thoughts. "I wonder if... something metallic. Like... kintsugi..."
Kurou remains oblivious that he is worrying anyone with his late enrollment.
Ren starts talking coffee, and Kurou's attention sparks back up, like he were ready to listen to Ren start off about it for an hour instead of making a conversational comment. (This is because he is ready for that.)
"But Akabane-san's home is a warm place," Kurou protests as it seems the subject of Umie's home has less value than it does. He does not mean temperature. "And it is not that small. There is plenty of room to move around."
There are reasons Shiryuu does not want to talk about Kurou's apartment.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
'I do.'
'What happened yesterday?'
There's two people looking at her, one wondering, the other opening declaring his concern in his inevitable, usual way. It *is* mostly Umie's fault here; her hindsight has offered her many ways she could have dealt with the situation. Why does she always do this?
She needs to answer this carefully, for Ren's safety, as well as to answer Kurou's concern. "I had a scary situation the other night in Sumaru City," she says, her eyelids lowering, her expression painted neutral. "I had to stay over at a friend's. I called Ryouhara-kun so he knew why I wasn't showing up at home."
Like it was a stranger following a target home, or something where she was a victim, instead of someone who ran after someone else. It'd be a believable half-truth of a world where, sadly, such things do happen, without any sign of the supernatural.
"Sorry, Amamiya-kun," she says to Ren, tilting her head towards him. "Didn't mean to leave you in the dark there. As for you, Ryouhara-kun..." Umie considers, pressing a hand to her chin. "Is there someplace you'd like to do take-out from? My apology, for making you worry last night, as well as due to your studies." The words are truthful, even if they're veiled in the shadow of a lie.
But maybe, it all worked out for the better, if this was the way Ren and Kurou got to meet. Something shines in Umie gaze as the two socialize, warming up over the two establishing a connection that she would have never thought of. Anna's right; Ren has a way with people.
"I think you'd definitely rock a good red, Amamiya-kun," Umie says, chuckling. "Pink... maybe not so much, but..." Magenta, Kurou suggests. "Ah..." She considers, looking at Ren's nails. "Maybe a dark shade..." She gestures with an index finger. "Something slightly mysterious. Like you don't know what color it is until you get close." And Kurou? She looks to him now, studying him. "That's a really neat idea..." Her own eyes begin to twinkle. "Yes, just like kintsugi. Gold streaks, maybe..."
Her own eyes begin to crinkle as well, echoing Ren's own
----! A warm place??
And double hit! What a well executed dodge! Umie is none-the-wiser, as Ren's words neither confirm nor deny her theories. Umie chuckles. "Well, if you're ever looking for a place, you can always let me know--" It comes out, automatic, before Umie realizes what trouble that could cause. She'd have to sneak out every night when the Dark Hour was happening, and what if someone attacked the apartment while he was in coffin mode? What if she came home and had to explain some minor injury?
Yet, if someone like Ren *was* in a bad way...
... She'd work around it, wouldn't she? That's the kind of person she's resolved she needed to be. It likely wouldn't happen, anyway.
Though her landlord *did* seem to forget about certain clauses in her contract about roommates really quickly when Kurou moved in...
"Oh, yes." Umie scoots her mop and the bucket aside, to allow Ren free access to the aisle. "Got carried away."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Kurou seems like a very sincere, straightforward person. Ren finds themself impressed by how he responds to Umie. In turn, they can hear the care that Umie's taking in her own response. If they didn't know she was a Persona User, they might be annoyed about having her explain it to them like they're a child; as it stands, they can fill in some of the blanks on their own. They nod once and leave it at that.
"It's fine," they say, poker-faced in return. "It's a dangerous world out there. I'm glad you made it out safely."
It was a softer shade of pink Ann painted on their nails that day. Ren's own stoic expression turns thoughtful when Kurou suggests magenta. "Maybe... If I could try it out first, see how it looks..." It helps that their favorite colors are black and red, and pink is red-adjacent. Pure red does suit them, though. They can know that thanks to the accents of their cognitive costume. They consider Umie's own suggestion. A dark shade that draws in the eye, its true color mysterious until you get close enough to truly see... "I like the sound of that."
Likewise, with Kurou's own golden eyes, gold seems like an appropriate color for him--both his nails and the highlights in his hair. "Black and gold is a striking combination. I think you could pull it off," they opine. "Orange would probably work well too, depending on the shade."
It startles them to see Kurou so immediately interested in their talk of coffee. They'd only talked about it a little to explain the joke, but he seems... genuinely interested? It's not like Ren never gets that reaction--they have friends who actually give a damn about them and what they care about now--but they hadn't expected it from a relative stranger. "...I've been learning how to brew high-end coffee at a place called Leblanc. Akabane-san knows where it is. If you come by sometime, I'll make you a cup. And if you're good at high-end tea, we could trade shop talk sometime," they offer, smiling again a little. "When I'm not on the clock."
This is about when Ren returns to restocking shelves. They still pay attention to Kurou and Umie both, though. They make a low, thoughtful noise when Kurou praises her place as warm and relatively spacious. "Sounds like you're pretty happy living with Akabane-san," they comment. Is it the devil in them? They can't help but ask, "What do you think of her?"
For all that Ren delivers the question as conversationally as if they'd asked about the weather, Umie's not the only one getting carried away here.
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Ren understands, supernatural or not, that the world is dangerous, and Kurou nods to reinforce their words to Umie.
Kurou blinks as Umie offers take-out, by way of apology. His head tilts to one side, unsure why he would require it. But if it means he can stay and walk Umie home, and be at ease that she will be safe if the situation is chasing after her somehow, then...
"... Okonomiyaki please," he says, quietly. This is where he gets shy? And that's street food more than take-out...!
There's a lot about color Kurou isn't sure he understands, but Umie and Ren have a stronger handle. The suggestion Umie makes, and how Ren takes to it... Maybe colors are more telling, and more important, than Kurou thinks. Do his own mean anything...? (The gold just might.)
"I almost picked orange the first time..." Kurou admits.
But while now may not be the time for talking coffee in depth, Kurou's eye still glimmers with attention for a promise of eventually. "Then I would like to have a cup some day."
Learning to brew at Leblanc, though... Another job than this one? Ren does not look much older than himself. The implications of that are hardly Kurou's business, but it's difficult not to consider it.
"Yes," Kurou affirms of happiness. He does not smile, but he never does. But what does he think of her? "Hm... The most concise description... Akabane-san has refined compassion into conviction."
But there is work to be done, and Kurou is interrupting. He should be more aware of it, however fascinating the conversation has become. So he is happy to leave things on that note, if necessary, to let the two return to their work as he looks for something to buy to keep from being too troublesome.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
It's a detail Umie doesn't seem to notice; such crossings of the two 'worlds' were usually navigated such as to avoid any awkward interactions. (It was easier to keep a secret when she the only one who knew she existed.)
As long as Ren accepted the explanation, that'd be enough.
Pinks, reds, magentas, golds, blacks, and oranges. "Man... makes me wish I could budget in an orange now...." (She needs to run out of the ones she has, first!!)
On the topic of Leblanc... "Definitely," Umie says, her lower eyelids crinkling. If Kurou could make a few friends his age, especially someone like Ren? That could help open him up more.
But still, the Ryouhara part of the equation... when will that show its complicated devilish head?
'What do you think of her?'
_Forget Ryouhara, there's Ren_!! That curly hair definitely looks like little devil horns right now!!
'Akabane-san has refined compassion into conviction.' EVEN WORSE.
Umie is stuck in a still, stunned silence, her hand covering the bottom part of her face.
This is revenge for how she picks on Shiryuu, isn't it. _It has to be_.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren nods when Kurou admits he considered orange before. "Give it a try. Orange and gold will complement each other."
However, they ask a question, and...
'Akabane-san has refined compassion into conviction.'
Ren hums thoughtfully. That's not quite what they asked, but it's Kurou's genuine answer. In other words, they see Umie as a compassionate person with strong convictions.
Umie apparently is allergic to compliments. Considering how the question /what do you think of this person?/ is usually taken, Ren fully understands why she's embarrassed. "Got it," they tell Kurou, and move on as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Umie can impersonate a statue for a while longer. This isn't revenge at all, but if it makes her feel better, so be it.