2026-05-05: Fizz
- Log: 2026-05-05 Fizz
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Ichika Kawase
- Where: Red Light District - Crossroads Bar
- OOC Date: May 05, 2026
- IC Date: Sunday, November 04, 2012
- Summary: Ren and Ichika talk about their respective romantic woes over sodas and a drive.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Saturday was intense in a lot of ways for Ren. Talking things through with their ex's best friend, plumbing Futaba's Palace and having the time of their life doing it, discovering the full shape of her damage and being damaged in turn by it... To say nothing of their lingering thoughts on both Akechi and the Black Mask, or the things they noticed about their girlfriend during the mission. It's a lot. It's been a lot.
So, today, Ren's asked Ichika to come by to talk things through and get her advice. Specifically, they invite her to come by Crossroads Bar on Sunday night, when they're working a shift there in their new kimono as 'Ran Umemura.' Part of that is a desire to show off; part of that is to give her some necessary context; part of that is because she's got a car and can give them a ride at the end of their shift, so they have time to talk afterwards without Lala fussing about them getting home at an appropriate hour.
Once Ichika arrives at the bar, she'll see not just the portly proprietress, Lala Escargot, serving drinks and chatting up customers, she'll also see Ren dressed in a beautiful flower-patterned dark green kimono with the white headband and green feather pin that Makoto gifted her for her birthday only a few days ago. Her hair is still short and curly, but with the headband, it's styled and swept back differently to give a different impact. She's wearing make-up too, with foundation, a touch of blush, mascara, eyeshadow, eyeliner, lipstick, nail polish... the works, albeit applied with a light touch, all done up to match her kimono. Ren is not serving drinks, but she is cleaning tables, washing dishes, and chatting with customers in between tasks.
When Ren spots her enter, she smiles and raises a hand in a gentile, modest wave. "Glad you could make it," she murmurs in a still-deep but now soft voice to give it a more feminine air compared to their usual. "I'm almost done with my shift. There's non-alcoholic drinks here, as well as snacks, so if you want, I can take your order."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
There was a whole lot, even just in the Palace. Ichika felt similarly; she noticed a few things that made her think, and then proceeded to forget them until later as Futaba's issues struck a chord with her.
But now, she gets to do two of her favorite things: drive around and talk to a friend! So she does indeed come by, parking some distance away where there's actually parking, and walking on over. It is Shinjuku at night, so she's careful, but she can't go to her friend's workplace dressed down, either.
A skull-print tanktop (low-cut) and a jacket mark her upper body, with spiked wristlets. A short skirt and leggings with tall boots (also spiked) complete the outfit. She has the look of a 'tough' girl about her, and she gives the barkers a wide berth.
But she steps in, dropping her keys back into her purse as she looks around the bar. She looks all around; a warm heart of welcome... the alcohol looks nice, but Ichika can't. Especially not at her friend's workplace, where they know full well she's under 20.
Ichika has her usual dark makeup, though her nails are brighter--the colors of the wig Tsubasa wore yesterday. And she waves back. "You look great," Ichika says freely. "Just, gorgeous." A smile. "Sure. I'll take..." She orders a light snack and a drink that'll give her some energy for the drive home.
"Til then I'll just hang out," she offers. "Lemme know."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ichika may be a high school student, but with those clothes and especially with how tall she is, she definitely gives an air of belonging in Shinjuku's Red Light District. At the very least, she doesn't look out of place. The barkers might be annoying, but once she's inside the bar, the other patrons barely give her a first glance, let alone a second.
Ren chuckles lightly at Ichika's compliments, feeling just as light inside. Again: this is how she wanted Akechi to react. "Thank you," she replies. She writes down Ichika's order on a pad of paper--her nails are painted black with a sparkly overcoat reminiscent of the stars, something she's been wearing a lot lately--and then nods.
"Lala-san, one more order," she says to her boss, looking over her way as she returns from a table to behind the bar.
"Oh my--you must be Ichika-chan," Lala says, looking from her to her friend. "Ran-chan told me about you. Take a seat wherever you like. Your order will be up in just a few moments."
And so, a few moments later...
Ren comes by Ichika's booth with her order. They've got a snack and drink for themself too; Lala took the time to tell her it's her last take for the night, to get a little something for herself, and to pay her wages for the night's work. Obviously, she's still dressed up. A kimono and this type of make-up takes time to remove, and she does that all here.
"...So," Ren says, expression shifting into concern, "first things first: how are you holding up? Last night was... upsetting, for all of us."
It's just like her to focus on someone else before herself.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
It's just like Kasugayama, in Ichika's mind; show you're too tough to mess with--or that you belong--and you don't get trouble. It's just how it is.
Ichika smiles at her when she does. "Cool."
Lala indicates Ichika, and Ichika smiles back. "Thanks much," she says. "It's nice to be talked about, Lala-san." She goes for a booth--after all, she knows the Rules, thanks to the izakaya she frequents back in Hirasaka. Even if you look like you belong, it's better not to harsh the vibe for the older folks. That way you aren't a Problem.
Ichika knows the perils of snacking while dressed up all nice. But that's why you get the right stuff!
But when Ren is concerned about her, Ichika looks back at them for a moment. "Hm..."
Upsetting for all of them. "Yeah," she says after a moment. "I'm OK. I'm... frustrated. I just can't think straight about that stuff. But I got to clear my head today, and driving out here was nice. So I'm cool."
"...How about you? You wanted to talk?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
There are certainly perils to snacking while dressed up. That's why Ren has chosen something fairly clean: a sparkling soda and a small plate of pickled vegetables that she can eat with chopsticks and a napkin. It's not dinner, but that's not what it was meant to be anyway.
She nods when Ichika shares her emotional state. "Glad to hear it," she says. The drive in particular; it's after dark, and it's not an insignificant drive, so if it was relaxing rather than stressful...
But then of course, they get to the part where Ren asked her to come by and talk for a reason. Her eyes flick away briefly; then she nods again. "It's... about Makoto and me," she says hesitantly. "I've... been having some doubts, and... well, you're the most experienced of all of us when it comes to romance. I was hoping you could help talk me through it--give some advice."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika has to contend with her lipstick, too, so she likewise picked something in bites instead of something that'll smear. It's just how it is!
But Ichika gives a faint smile back, to reassure. "Yeah," she says. "It's cool. We'll all handle it together."
But Ichika notices the way she hesitates. Her doubts...
"I can do that," Ichika says seriously. "Not all of my experience was bad, after all." She was with Eiji, yes--but also with Yuusei, Mahiro, and now Tsubasa and Ryuji. ...Not to mention all the boys between them.
"So, first things first. What are these doubts? ...Before I say anything, I want to know how you feel. That's really important."
She did notice some things, but... Charging in is fine for battles--not so for these things.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Yeah," Ren agrees with a slight smile back. She picks up her glass--then pauses and adds, "Oh, so you know--when I'm dressed femme, in mixed company, I decided to go by Ran Umemura, but I'm still me. 'Ren' is still fine too." Lala called her 'Ran-chan' after all, and Ichika didn't comment on it, so she might have assumed Lala had misspoken or she'd misheard.
As for Ichika's bad experiences... those still might be worth talking about at some point. Maybe even tonight, if it goes that way. For now, she nods again. She's right to ask what Ren's feeling before weighing in.
"Obviously, I care about Makoto a lot. I wouldn't have asked her out in the first place if I didn't feel anything," Ren replies. "But... I asked her out literally the day after Minako-chan broke up with me, after we had a heart-to-heart about... various things we were feeling vulnerable about." She takes a sip of her drink. It's a lemon-lime soda instead of their usual grape; it looks more refined. "A... different friend pointed out later that I might be rebounding. Makoto and I talked about that already, but... I don't think he was wrong."
She sets her drink down. "We've been on a couple of dates since then--and don't get me wrong, we had a good time. She actually came by here to help me put this on the first time." Ren raises an arm to indicate her kimono. "Once I'd changed, she was way more into me. I didn't think too much about it at the time, but when we had the movie night, she seemed less into... being affectionate, than she did when we were here.
"And maybe that's because everyone else was there too, but after yesterday--I noticed a couple times where Makoto was... how to put this... more..." They hesitate. "...into the girls...? Does that sound ridiculous?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Ran-chan, then," Ichika answers. "That's cool. I just thought I heard her wrong. I'll try and keep it in mind." It shouldn't be too hard to remember, after all.
They might be worth bringing up... but definitely this first.
"Hm..."
"Ah..."
Ichika listens, and there's a bit of understanding that dawns in her eyes as Ren explains. She nods. "...No, it's not ridiculous," she says. "If I didn't know better, the way Makoto-chan was looking at her, I'd be pretty sure she was into Haru-chan. I don't trust all my instincts about girls like that--I've never been with a girl myself--but..."
She shakes her head. "It's good that you care, and a rebound relationship isn't necessarily a problem--but when you feel vulnerable with somebody, it can be easy to make the jump to other things that also feel vulnerable. I've done it a lot of times. ...Sometimes it's a good idea, and sometimes it isn't. I've experienced both."
Ichika's drink is orange; she likes the bright flavor, it keeps her awake.
"...Mm. I can see what you mean, though. Like..."
"OK," she says. "I'm definitely more into Tsubasa the more they do the masc thing--but I don't want them to just be a boy, either. They're neither, and that's cool."
"...Sounds like Makoto-chan..." She considers. "Well, this is gonna be a little personal, but--you said being affectionate. Does she ever initiate that kind of thing when you're not dressed up like this?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Ren Amamiya" and "Ran Umemura" are very similar names, so the second should be easy to remember. That's not why Ren picked it; she did that because she was put on the spot and panicked. Ren isn't all that good with coming up with names off the top of her head... She came up with Queen's codename, but that was after a bunch of suggestions from the rest of the team that Makoto requested.
Now that she has thought about it, though, she even has kanji picked up for it: 'Ume' as in 'plum,' 'mura' as in 'village,' and 'Ran' as in 'storm.' Meaning-wise, it's even an inversion of their birth name: 'Ama' as in 'rain,' 'miya' as in 'shrine,' and 'Ren' as in 'lotus.'
Ren falls quiet when Ichika comments on the way Makoto had looked at Haru. They'd noticed that too--she'd been blushing as she healed her wounds... Maybe that wouldn't mean anything on its own, but she'd also stared at Ann when she'd used her Girl Talk on that one Shadow... Again, nothing on its own, but with everything else...
It's weirdly reassuring to hear that a rebound romance isn't inherently a bad thing. Ren lifts her chin to look Ichika in the eye at that. Even if they end up not working out, this means that they didn't do Makoto dirty just by asking her out. That's something that's been making her uneasy--to say nothing of a certain someone else.
It's also reassuring to hear that while Ichika's more into Tsubasa when they present masc, that doesn't mean she wants them to be just a boy, or that she loves them less at other times. Ren nods once, and Ichika might see her relax some at that.
"Well... we only had our first official date two weeks ago, just after midterms," Ren says reluctantly. "That's another reason why I'm... doubtful of my doubts, I suppose. It really hasn't been that long. It could just be that there haven't been enough chances for it." She pauses. "...But no. Not so far. She's done a little flirting, but not anything... more than that."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika's better at remembering things like this than she'd give herself credit for--it's not academic facts or anything, but it's the little things that make people more comfortable. Those, she's good at.
Unaware of the reversal, Ichika can just think it's pretty.
But... She spots that quiet on Ren's part. She noticed it, and the way she looked at Ann. But also--
Ichika looks right at Ren's eyes when she looks to her, and it's clear; she's not bullshitting it. Indeed she follows up, "...I pretty unquestionably rebounded onto Yuusei," she says. "But we were still together--if casually--for like, nine months. And we're still good friends. ...Granted, my situation's a little different; I kind of... rebounded onto the concept of romance."
"But still."
But, Ichika does see her relax a little--she's glad. The rest though...
"Hmm."
"Honestly?" Ichika says. "...To me, two weeks in isn't when you usually wonder about somebody not being romantic. It's the time when you're really most into each other, still on the high of being together at all. So if this is where you are... It suggests to me that something's there."
"...That might not be reassuring," she admits. "But like..."
She considers something, and looks down to her drink. "You should trust your instincts," Ichika decides. "There's definitely something up. It might be soemthing you can weather, and get stronger about together. ...It might not. But a relationship shouldn't be something you're 'maybe' about."
"...And it looks to me, at least--that the way things are, you're not feeling good. So tell me to back off if I'm too pushy, but I think it's something you'll have to talk about. She might not realize what's up if you don't tell her."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
'Rebounded onto the concept of romance.' Ren absorbs this in silence. They're pretty sure they can guess who Ichika rebounded off of.
It's also reassuring that the person Ichika rebounded onto is still friends with her. The thing they're easily most afraid of with all this is ruining their friendship with Makoto and destroying the team's dynamic. That's something they frankly should have thought of before asking her out, but they paused only long enough to think of how Akechi might feel about it--
....................oh.
It hits them at the same moment that Ichika says that two weeks is not when they should be questioning their romance, that it's when they should be on the high of being together at all still. They stare at her for a long moment. Then they bow their head.
"No... you're not being too pushy. Actually, I appreciate you being so direct." A pause. "What you're saying makes sense. Like I said--Makoto and I already talked about... if I might be rebounding onto her," she murmurs. "I don't think it'll come as a shock to her. I just--I don't know. Maybe this shouldn't be something I'm 'maybe' about, but I also don't feel good just breaking up with her because maybe she's more into girls than guys. It doesn't feel right." They take a deep breath. "But either way, we should talk about it. You're right. I'll do that."
Another pause. Longer this time.
"...I... should admit something else. But--please, please keep it a secret." And, once Ichika promises...
"There's someone else I..." Ren looks away. "...I'm pretty sure I've fallen in love with." She curls her nails into her palms. "...And it's Akechi."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika doens't have to say it; the timing adds up, after all.
Ichika is glad to reassure, of course--but she worries that a delicate issue like this might hurt regardless of anyone's best efforts.
So as they bow their head, she waits. Then--
"Cool." She tries to be; she wasn't always so direct, after all. She was a normal, 'good' girl. But having been at Kasugayama so long, and before that, the xperiences she had...
She's come to value 'honesty'.
"That makes sense too," Ichika says. "I think it'd be unfair if you did it without talking it out first; it might just be something else, too." She nods then. "Good. I hope it works out OK, whatever you two decide. I'm here for you, OK?"
But at that longer pause...
"You've got my word," Ichika says. "Nobody hears from me."
Someone else, she says. "Yes?" she says, more softly, falling back into her old speech patterns where she tries to be delicate.
"...Ah." Her expression goes through some phases; a smile, because love! A thoughtful look, because Akechi. Then a slight frown, because Akechi's situation is really something. "Him... Well, I can't say you have bad taste." She tries to inject a small amount of levity--but only a little. Ichika nods after a moment. "He's a complicated guy, isn't he? That's a doozy," Ichika admits. "It could put you in a really rough position, huh...?"
"But, you love who you love. Do you know if he feels the same way?" she wonders gently. That, to her, is maybe more important than even what she intends to do about it.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"...Yeah. Me too." Ren smiles a little, relief in her eyes. "Thanks, Ichika. And--make sure you're there for Makoto too, yeah?" I don't want her to be unsupported, they think but don't say. Of course Makoto won't be unsupported; there's Ann and Haru, and Tsubasa too, not to lump them in with the girls. None of them are read in on the situation like Ichika is, however.
Plus, saying it like that makes it sound like they've already decided to break up with her. They're not doing that.
"I'm going to give it some time," she says aloud. "Maybe I'm just overthinking things and everything'll smooth out on its own. More than that... we're in the middle of helping Futaba. If it does end up in a break-up, this is not the time for it. She's got to come first."
Ichika give her promise. Ren shares the feelings she's been struggling with since that trip at the end of midterms.
The joke about her taste does get a little laugh out of her. "He is an objectively handsome guy," she agrees with a tiny smile. That smile soon fades. "...Yeah. Yeah." Another, more humorless smile. "Guilty on all charges."
Do they know if he feels the same way?
There, Ren hesitates, lips slightly parted. They do know--but telling Ichika that would mean betraying the secret of Akechi's sexuality. "We've... talked about romance before. Not about us, just in general." A beat. "...He's not interested in dating a guy." He raises an arm and looks down at his sleeve. "...and I don't think this would pass muster for him."
He doesn't want his fans or the general public to find out he's bisexual, after all. Dating an X-gender person who's assigned male at birth is, in the eyes of society, no different from dating a male, full stop. Even if they know Akechi loves them back, he's not... going to want to be openly with them.
They know this. They've known this for almost as long as they've known him. Now, all of a sudden, though, there's a fresh dimension of pain to it.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika smiles back. And then, "Totally. She's my friend too, after all. ...An important one." Like all the Phantoms have been for her, really. But she is read in on the situation, so...
"Good plan," Ichika says. "That's... a really good point. The last thing we need is to be out of sorts during a mission." She pauses. "So long as you can handle waiting on it. Your feelings are important."
"Totally," Ichika agrees as to his handsomeness. The rest, on the other hand--
"I see," Ichika answers, her expression turning from thoughtufl to sympathetic. "...No, I guess not." She understands the very same thing Ren is getitng at; society is society, regardless. It's gotten Ichika thinking, too; there are many angles by which her relationships are going to be scrutinized.
But right now, "I'm sorry," Ichika says instead. "That's... really hard."
She wishes she could say love will conquer all--but... If Akechi's not interested that way... There's not even a fight about it.
"I wish I had some advice about it."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren actually laughs again a little when Ichika expresses her concern and value for their feelings. "Thanks. I think I can. Like I said, I don't want to just give up on her immediately either, anyway. It'll give me some time to sit on it and see if I'm overreacting, or... you know."
And she does know, once Ren explains about her feelings for Akechi. It's another big relief that she doesn't question why she's in love with him, or how, or when, or anything. It's worth it to question those feelings--they know that; that's what she's been helping them do about Makoto, and they're very grateful for it--but at the same time, that acceptance is so important to them.
It's hard. Ren huffs a small breath, but it could not be called a laugh. "It is." Ichika might not have any advice about it, but... "...Do you think I'm stupid for falling for him? Even if he did feel the same way back..." and they know he does... "he's still... against us. Ideologically. Maybe we could get him to come around to our ideals, but..." If he's the Black Mask--and even if he's not... "he feels really strongly about his own."
They look away again. "Maybe it's better we couldn't be together anyway. Saves everyone a lot of unnecessary pain and heartache."
SCENE: You have toggled your RSVP status for Psychotherapy is a Mot to Deal With. You are now Attending.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Yeah. All right."
She does know. And no, Ichika doesn't question that part; acceptance, she's sure, is the most important thing right now. All the reasons she can think of that it'd be a bad idea to act on those feelings are surely things they've thought of already, in more detail and with more heartache.
Ichika shakes her head. "You love who you love. ...And honestly? I don't wnat you to feel bad. Everybody's a little stupid in love. It's sort of... just what it does to you. Your heart is your heart, not your brain. Love isn't about smart or stupid."
She pauses. "...Maybe, maybe not," she says of ideals. "And maybe that's true... if all we're talking about is 'what's easier for everybody.'"
"But it still sucks, that you have love and you don't seem to get to act on it. It definitely isn't saving you pain and heartache, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Everyone's a little stupid in love. That one Ren has to laugh at, even if it's very quiet. It's too funny, though. It really is true, not just for them but for Akechi too. Seriously, what kind of fool falls in love with their rival and ideological antithesis?
What kind of fool falls in love back?
For a moment, they wonder if Akechi has anyone to talk to about this. He probably doesn't, does he.
"...Yeah," they murmur, eyes still averted. It definitely isn't--that's true. But they think about how Akechi must have felt all this time too, and all the times they've trampled over those feelings. They've done so as recently as this week, even, when he called them on their birthday and sent them a present that was supposed to be for the two of them to share, and they implied they wanted to use it with someone else. On their end, it was half-teasing, half wanting to see how he'd react, but...
Maybe I deserve it.
They shake their head slowly. "Anyway. I brought that up since... it's definitely complicating everything with Makoto. For the record, I realized I felt this way about him after I asked her out--I haven't been toying with her or trying to use her as a beard." They don't think Ichika would think that of them, but it's worth saying explicitly. "It's kind of been messing me up, really," they add gloomily. "I was kind of hoping I was having a rebound-type reaction to him, since it wasn't that long after Minako broke up with me either, but I don't think that's the case anymore."
They just... care too much about him and how he feels. How he feels about them. And they have for a long while now.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika knows about how foolish love can be, better than most. She loved Eiji, after all.
Ichika can't know what Ren is thinking in those moments, but she can tell they're thinking something. That they're really up in this. And so...
"Ohhh," she says. "Yeah, that makes sense." Pause. "I wouldn't think that of you. ...I can see where it'd mess you up. On the one hand, like... If you can't act on it with him, maybe it's good to try to move on. But... That doesn't make it easy, either."
A rebound reaction...
"Mm. If you don't think it's that, then it probably isn't that."
"Well, whatever you actually do... I'll be behind you. Like you were for me."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Yeah. That's another reason why Ren reached out to her for advice. She knows, better than most, what it's like to be in love with someone who might hurt you gravely. ...Too bad they can't yet tell her the half of it. After how crushed Tsubasa was when they blew up and accused Akechi of being a rat, they want to be absolutely certain he really is the Black Mask before they share that with the team.
"Yeah. I thought of that a little too," they say quietly, of moving on from their feelings for him. It's exactly as Ichika says, though: that's also not easy, and certainly not any easier than how they feel about Makoto.
At least Ichika validates their feelings all the way through. No matter what happens with everything else, they have the love and support of their friends. That does make it easier.
Her eyes soften as she smiles a bit back at her. "Thank you," she says quietly. She looks down at her drink and snack, then picks up her chopsticks. "Well, we both have school tomorrow, so let's make work of this. We don't want it to be too late once we head out." Especially since she still needs to take off her kimono (she's been keeping it in the break room here--no room at Leblanc, and she'd rather not risk Sojiro reacting badly) and her make-up.
It'll still be nice to spend some time with a friend, either eating or driving around in the night. That, too, is part of supporting each other.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Thought about it.. but hasn't 'done' it. That tracks; it's much easier said than done.
"Oh, yeah. Good plan. Especially if the cops get squirrely." Ichika hurries up and eats her snack. And it will be nice; she'd be happy to help Ren take off her kimono if she's up for it; Ichika has a lot of experience with that.
But soon...
Ichika's van is black, with gray interior. There's a lot of seats, but some are turned down, to accommodate her camping gear and such. Ichika is obviously driving, her heavy boots not at all stopping her with the pedals, and she keeps her eyes on the road, mostly.
"OK, should be this way..." Her car is nice enough to have a GPS, so she's following it to get to Yongen-Jaya, since neither of them usually drives this way.
But there's about to be a good stretch of quiet.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
If Ichika's okay with helping her, Ren will gladly accept the help. It'll go faster, which means they can leave faster. The cops will be less likely to get on their asses if they're on the road instead of in a bar late at night.
Soon, snacks are eaten and drinks are drunk. Ren, now in their more typical winter casual clothes, says goodnight to Lala and heads out with Ichika. Her van's a comfortable ride, especially since they get to ride shotgun and not compete with her camping gear for space. Ren's buckled up and leaning back in their seat; the lights at night flash by as Ichika follows the GPS back to Yongen-Jaya.
There is a good stretch of quiet. Partway back, though, they look over at her. "Is it hard to drive?" they wonder, genuinely curious. "It'll be another year before I can even think about getting my license, but still, I wanna know." Sure, they drive Mona in the Metaverse, but that's not the same thing.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika's in the same outfit, naturally. Lights go by...
"Nah," Ichika says to Ren, and continues, "The hard part is learning how--there's a ton to keep track of. But once you have it down, it's pretty easy in normal conditions. Gets trickier if the weather's bad or something, but if you practice, you can handle it then too."
"...Can't hit stuff as often as we do with Mona, though," she points out with a laugh.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
They chuckle back. "I bet not. That'd be hell on your insurance premiums." They assume. Their dad has a car, and as little as they like listening to him, based on things he's said, car insurance premiums are a thing, they're pretty sure. "That's cool, then. I'll look forward to when I can start learning."
There's another moment of comfortable silence. Then they look back at her curiously. "So how are things going with you, Ryuji, and Tsubasa?" they wonder, again out of curiosity. "You guys seem pretty happy together--whenever we're on missions, you usually stick together by default."
Which only makes sense, of course. Ren's happy for them, too, but they're a little curious... would a throuple like theirs be the solution to their problems? They kind of feel it wouldn't, but... it'd be worth it to get to know more about polyamory anyway. It's important to their friends, so it's important to them, too.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Totally. Daddy'd get real mad." Since he's paying them at the moment. She mostly has to pay for gas, since she wants to go lots of places that aren't 'specifically back home to see her parents' like they especially wanted.
With them, though? Ichika smiles. "Really good," she says. "We are! And it's nice. I worry sometimes that it's like... unfair to them? Because I'm the one who gets to be with both. But they seem to think of themsleves as a team, instead."
"We don't like... I mean, it's not that we're all together the same way, so much as I'm with both of them, and they're both friends. At least, as far as I know; if they got together too I'd be cool with that."
"...There is one thing, though," she admits, "I could use your advice on, too. If you think you can help."
"See..."
"Ryuji-kun's great," she says. "But I'm a little worried I pushed him, since..."
"I mean, he thinks I'm perfect? Or he says so. And that's hard. I don't want to be... put on a pedestal. And I told him that, and I think he gets it, but..."
"With Tsubasa it's a little different; we've known each other longer. But with Ryuji-kun it all happend really fast."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"It doesn't seem unfair from where I'm standing. Ryuji and Tsubasa both get along great, and they're both wild about you," Ren replies, smiling back. "Though I get why you'd worry. But if they see each other as a team--" and that's always the vibe they've gotten from the two of them, "--then it seems to me like everything's fine."
It is good that Ichika clarifies the form their polycule takes. That's the same sort of formation Ren was thinking of too--Ren being with Makoto and Akechi, and the two of them being friends, though it'd be fine if they got together too--so that means they're on the same wavelength.
But...
"Yeah?" Ren prompts, shifting in their seat to better look at her. They listen, and frown slightly, thoughtfully, at the issue. They do remember when Ryuji first announced that he'd started dating her; Yusuke had followed up with saying she was a Persona User and she had a request for the Phantom Thieves, which put him in crisis mode. Was it right for him to date her knowing her secrets while she didn't know his? That eventually worked out, but... he calls her perfect, huh.
"What kind of things does he say, more specifically? Like, he literally calls you perfect?" Ren wonders. "If you two already talked about it, he could just be trying to compliment you and make you feel good, and not getting that it's doing the opposite."
They gaze back out at the road. "It was pretty soon after he told us all that he was dating you that we found out you were a Persona User and you wanted us to help you change Kamiya's heart. The kind of shit he saw in here, and the way Kamiya was always tearing you down... I could see that being him trying to convey to you that he loves you the way you are, and not that he literally thinks you have no flaws."
They pause a second. "But at the same time, you are his first girlfriend. Maybe he is putting you on a pedestal a little, as the first girl who's given him the time of day. He used to do stuff like talk about how great it would be if he could tell girls he was a Phantom Thief to get their attention, but now that he has you, he doesn't care. Doesn't even look at other girls."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Wild about her. Ichika smiles at that, still looking out at the road. She listens with her ears! "Yeah. Me, too. I worry now and then... but I think we're all pretty happy."
It's important to be precise! But...
Ichika is more troubled by this than her tone lets on, when Ren actually looks a t her face. But Ren has some things to say.
"Yeah, like, 'you're perfect', those words." She considers. If they talked about it...
"Oh," she says. "So he's trying to make me feel good, maybe. ...Hmm."
"Ohhh... Yeah, I remember now, I didn't know he was a Persona-user either but found out pretty soon after he actually asked me out."
"That would make sense," Ichika says. "He did kinda emphasize how un-epxerienced he was, and was like... sure that'd be a turnoff for me."
"But I don't mind that part." She smiles. "It feels good, knowing things are different like that, I admit. It's not like I'm super jealous, but... It still feels good, right?"
"Hm. I think... Yeah. That helps, thinking of it that way. I mean, I know a lot of my flaws are stuff he likes anyway. It's just... hard."
"I'll talk to him again. ...And I guess if he's that happy, I probably didn't mess up on... timing."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"It's not a bad thing to worry now and again. It means you're not taking your happiness for granted," Ren muses. "You don't want to get so comfortable that you stop noticing how your partner feels and miss when they do get uncomfortable or upset. Still, you don't want to worry so much that you make problems that weren't there before, either." They roll their head to one side and smile at her. "It's a tough balance to strike."
They have romantic experience, too. It's just... not been going that well for them lately.
They nod when she confirms he does call her perfect in those exact words--and that he felt insecure about his lack of experience. "Yeah. It's good to have a partner you've got a lot in common with, but variety's the spice of life. It's exciting to have someone who's different enough from you that they can teach you new things--things you never thought of before." They laugh a little, self-deprecatingly, as they look back out at the road. "...Maybe that's part of why I fell for Akechi."
It's... really freeing to have someone they can admit that to, they suddenly realize. Just being able to say the words aloud to someone who'll listen, understand and sympathize makes them feel less bad about it, now that they're past that moment of pain. They're glad, then, that they're able to listen to Ichika's worries and reassure her in turn with another perspective.
"It does sound like it's a difference in perspective, yeah. If the things about you that you think are flaws are pluses to him, then maybe it's only natural he calls you perfect," Ren muses. "But yeah. Go and talk to him again. Sometimes it's just like... Language is imprecise. We can confuse and hurt each other because of that. But the more you talk things through, the closer you can get to understanding what the other person really means.
"Besides, even if you did mess up the initial timing, you can still fix that. You guys haven't been going out that long; it's not like either of you are set in your ways. As long as you love each other, you can work things out." They give her another smile. "Right?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Hmm. Pretty smart," Ichika concludes of Ren's experience. She glances his way with the same kind of smile. "Yeah. I guess I'll focus on 'not causing extra problems' for the moment."
"Yeah. I really like teaching him stuff--and he's been teaching me about hobbies and stuff, too." She pauses, and then, "You know, that would make a lot of sense. You're almost opposites, you know?"
"Hmmm... yeah. That's true, too. It's easy to hurt each other..."
"Yeah... language is hard. When it's like--when it's physical, you know? It's a lot easier. But having to actually express how you feel in words... it's harder."
"Mm. Right! And I do love him..."
"OK, cool," Ichika says, and takes another turn as the GPS says she must.
"...I appreciate it. You've known him longer, so... You might know a little more of how he thinks. And sometimes when I have trouble, I sort of... default to not thinking."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Good. I'll try to do the same," Ren replies with some humor. "It's a good reminder for me, too."
They don't comment on how Ichika enjoys teaching Ryuji things. They can read between the lines, and good for both of them. They're a virgin still themself, but they are experienced in many things up to that.
Opposites. Ren nods slowly. "When two people with opposing views come together to debate them, thesis and antithesis come together to make synthesis. Paraphrased from a guy named Hegel. He said that to me the second or third time we met." They shut their eyes, smiling faintly. "Our whole relationship is pretty much founded on that idea."
They listen for a while longer. When she's done talking, they clarify, "For what it's worth, I've only known him a little longer--just since April, when I moved here to Tokyo. But he was my first friend--welcomed me immediately and walked with me to school my first day. Even though the school was already buzzing with rumors about me, he accepted me right away." Ren of course knows why--he'd been rejected and outcast by the track team and understood how he felt--but even so... it meant a lot, even if it took a bit for them to fully warm up to him. Not his fault; they were just feeling wary at first. "He can be awkward and coarse with how he talks, but he's always incredibly sincere. So it's okay if you don't always think. As long as you're honest with him, he'll be honest with you," they conclude. "But I'm sure you knew that already."
They're getting closer to the Yongen neighborhood. Leblanc's in the back streets, so they'll have to get out on a street nearby and slip in through the alleys, but that's fine. It's not that far.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Heh."
Ichika is trying to be delicate, but at the same time, for her it's an important thing to understand--especially since that's part of what she was worried about. But as to opposites...
"Huh," Ichika says. More smart people stuff. "I see... That's cool. ...Sounds like there's really something there."
Something special; a kind of passion. Even if it's not to work out.
""Oh... Hm." She nods. "Yeah," Ichika says. "I do know that... but it's nice, to be reminded. The way you described him--it's part of what made me like him in the first place."
Closer, though. Ichika turns in to the last area. "...Well," Ichika says, "I guess we'll be there in a minute.
"...Thanks. For inviting me out, and then for listening. I know you've got a lot on your mind yourself..." Since they told her! "I guess we'll both just have to use words for the people we care about, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Yeah," Ren replies. "Thank you too. And--you're welcome."