2026-06-03: Face to Face

From Velvet Room MUSH Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search 


<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Yesterday, on Sunday, Futaba finally contacted Ren: she's ready to open her door for them and their friends.
    
    ...granted, she said it in a very shaky way with all lower caps, but Ren has chosen to accept it on its face.
    
    They've notified the rest of their friends, in particular Yusuke so he can prepare the calling card. Now, on Monday after school, they've gathered at the Sakura household once more. They don't need to sneak in this time, or rely on the luck of Sojiro forgetting to lock up; Futaba has kindly agreed to unlock the front door for them. Of course, she's gone back into hiding in her room, but one step at a time.
    
    They're not exactly on a time crunch, but the appearance of the Black Mask in Futaba's Palace is very worrying. Ren is pretty sure he was lying about being able to get into the inner sanctum of the Palace, and nearly certain after confirming with Futaba that she hasn't let anyone else into her room, but... The Phantoms can't underestimate him. The sooner they get this done now that Futaba's ready, the better.
    
    Morgana meets them at the gate outside. "She unlocked the door, like she promised," he confirms to everyone. "Now all we need to do is get up there and have her open her door."
    
    "Good." Ren squares their shoulders so Morgana can hop on board. They half-turn to meet everyone's gazes and share a nod with them. Not everyone could make it today, but that's fine. This is enough.
    
    Once inside, Ren takes their shoes off in the foyer and heads up the stairs. Once everyone reaches that door with the caution tape, identical to the one in her Palace and the barrier to her inner heart, Ren stops, letting the floorboards creak softly under their feet.
    
    Then they raise a closed hand and gently knock twice. 

<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.

 
Earlier (to Futaba) she had woken up.

It was about 9:15pm. Too late for anything to happen today. But she felt good, energized. She isn't sure why. It comes and it goes, and in the absolute sense the feeling might be quite paltry, but once she'd eaten her breakfast (at 9:28pm - cold curry, the breakfast of Futabas) she got on the chat.

Her hands started shaking.

Even so, with careful and deliberate typing, and despite the sweat beading at her brow, she had written out a message to Ren:

> i think i'll be ready soon.
> i'm sorry its taken so long
> tomorrow after you guys leave skool ok?
> that should give me time to be sure

And so her fate was sealed.

Panic immediately seized Futaba once the affirmation came in but it was mixed with something she liked better. Relief? Triumph? Anger? She doesn't know. It is hard for her to name her emotions.

She spent most of the night watching a Pretty Cure series from three years ago. It took her mind off things.

Then she went back to sleep!! ... and woke up about an hour before what she thinks the time would be, which in this case is about midway through everyone's last classes of the day. Sojiro was confirmed Not Present, and so she went downstairs and unlocked the door, made herself instant noodles, went upstairs

and

Waited.

And she checked the clock.

They forgot about me (goes Futaba's thinking for nearly half an hour) before it strikes her like a bolt from heaven: *They have to travel.* Duh. And some of them might have clubs.

And that eased her... or at least, brought her where she had been before... and when the subtle creaking comes, Futaba hugs her knees to her thin chest and turns to face the door.

Okay, Futaba coaches herself. It's simple. It's scary but it's not like it can hurt me. It's a door. It's the same door that's always been there. It's like the door I had in my old room at home (she keeps thinking) except this is home so it's really the same door and in the end it's basically the same so I'm just going to open the door and it's all going to be okay and everyone will be there and even if I close it right away I'll have OPENED it first, because it's like a magic charm, and it isn't going to be mom out there or anything or...

...

Her fingernails are digging into her knees. She stops doing that. A breath leaves her lips.

            How long are you going to keep doing this?

Futaba turns her head to look at herself.

The sheer shock of it blows fear and anxiety out of Futaba's mind.

            How long will you continue blaming yourself?
            How long will you shut yourself away from the world?

"What...?"

            For her death. For what happened.
            Isn't it time to grasp the truth?

"... the truth...?"

            Why did you reach out to them?

"... ah..."

            If you keep doing this...
            I will kill them the next time they arrive.

"wait-- I --"

It's gone. Everything's normal.

... So from the perspective of everyone on the other side of the door, there's inaudible disjointed mumbling from inside of the room.

Shortly thereafter, Ren's phone buzzes.

> Hold on
> I'm not decent
> it really has to open, right?

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

Monday after school...

Ichika is there with Ren and the others. She was worried about what Black Mask said too, but the best thing for it is to go on like they planned. Right? ...She thinks so, anyway.

"Cool."

Ichika doesn't have clubs. Well, she has the school paper now, but it's different; it runs Kasugayama style. Which is to say, when they feel like it, and not every day. Creaaaak.

Ichika waits as Ren's phone buzzes, tilts her head.

"She OK?" Ichika wonders.

...She would cut an intimidating figure to most in her uniform, sukeban-style. At least she isn't carrying a bat. 

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

Ryuji stands mostly back since this situation seemed delicate. Usually a Palace involved a very bad person and their shitty distortions. This time however? Not so much.

 Which is why the blonde mostly stands off to the side, eyeing the door with a blank expression. He can tell this one is important to Ren so he makes extra sure not to screw it up for them... and Futaba for that matter.

 Ryuji isn't even fighting with Morgana either.

 Right now, he just places his hands behind his head, leaning back on the hallway wall.

 After a moment, he cocks his head as he hear the text notification from Ren's phone. "Whats she sayin?" 

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    At Ryuji's prompting, Ren reads off Futaba's texts, and shows everyone how they text back:
    > It does.
Ann Takamaki has arrived from Historia: The White Chronicle. 

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

    It's kind of a hike from Kasugayama to Tokyo, but luckily, Tsubasa was able to call Shuyo in for a favour to walk Lance after school so they could come straight here. They did insist Ren assure them that this wasn't one of those situations where they were opening up the sanctum for the Black Mask after he feigned access, though. ... they worry about that kind of thing a lot.

    (No clubs on their part; what they have instead of a school club is part-time work, but luckily, they can swing by and get their latest audits to Tamaki after visiting Futaba.)

    Their winter uniform -- the boy's uniform, notably -- has its jacket open, the ends rolled up and tied together at the waist. Today's wig is crimson, with streaks of aqua. It kind of matches their jacket... just like their cyan and white makeup kind of does. Weird, huh?

    "She, uh... she really gon' do it, ya reckon?" They ask their fellow themby, with a note of scepticism.

    In they go...

    They are also not carrying a weapon, as it happens. They gave up concealing knives habitually when they decided to go a little more straight; no use tempting fate and giving the cops an excuse to put more shit on their record. Besides, who needs knives now? All they gotta do is go into one of 'those' alleyways and they can pull out a god damn greatsword, man. (Now, does that mean they occasionally need to bring a cool new knife into Mementos to upgrade their greatsword, which is, after all, the conceptual ideal of cutting a dude? Sure, but that's a one-and-done.)

    "She ain't gon' do it," is what Tsubasa mutters, scowling, as they see the flashed text message.

    Wait, what's the plan if she's not going to do it?!

    Judging by the way Tsubasa's eying that door, their plan might be to kick it down... that's less cruel than making her do it, right?

<Pose Tracker> Yusuke Kitagawa has posed.

This is perhaps the most delicate component of any of their heists. Deceiving others into a change in cognition that opens new paths in the Palace is one thing; this is essentially collaboration with their target.

But then, this has been a very strange operation from the first moment, Yusuke thinks, as he watches the police-taped door quietly.

Tsubasa mutters concern that Futaba won't be able to do it, and he shakes his head. "This is an upheaval of her world," he points out. "Let her summon her courage, first." 

<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.

"I feel kinda bad we keep breaking and entering into Boss' place..."

This is not the primary thought of Ann Takamaki, infamous Phantom Thief, at this moment; it is, however, the one she feels compelled to air out loud right now. Sneaking in to someone's bastion of privacy? Without their knowledge? To STEAL something?

It just puts a bad taste in her mouth!

(shut up there's a lot of nuance involved here)

It might explain the persistent frown on pink lips, or the way the freshly-seventeen Second Year's been rubbing at her forearm in that contemplative tell of hers for most of their time since they got here. It might... but it's not the whole story. No -- Ann's had a lot on her mind ever since they infiltrated Futaba's Palace. It's been consuming a lot of her free time; consuming a lot of her work time, too, if she's being honest. School time goes without saying; that one's an all-you-can-eat buffet of competing, non-scholastic thoughts and interests.

But now that they're here, on the cusp of sending out a Calling Card to a very troubled girl... those thoughts haven't really gone away. In fact, they've really just intensified -- especially as she stands just outside the precipice of Futaba's demesne, staring at all that caution tape haphazardly strapped to the hacker's door. Brows furrowed, sky blue eyes hooded, she's half-paying attention as Ren recites their chat history with Futaba.

Gaze drifting askance, her hand grips a bit more tightly to her forearm as Tsubasa voices their uncertainties -- and then their outright doubts.

"No," she says suddenly, surprisingly firmly, eyes narrowed and fixing on that door.

"She's definitely going to do it. We just need to help her get there."

No matter what. She's not leaving this place until they do.

Sorry, Boss...! 

<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.

    Even if they're technically invited in, Makoto still feels a bit like they're intruding- the house is still dark and, presumably, the owner doesn't know they're there. Ann, thankfully, puts voice to that concern. "...We'll just have to hope he forgives us for it," Makoto answers Ann.

    Still, as usual, Makoto is dressed in her winter uniform, her usual array of prim and proper and everything just so. Tsubasa seems to give a vote of no confidence, while Yusuke says she needs time and Ann is certain that they just need to give her a chance.

    Makoto is silent for a moment, before she steps up to the door, the closest except for maybe Ren- and she doesn't use text.

    "In order to steal your heart, we need you to open this door. We can't change your heart otherwise." Makoto's voice is firm, but she's trying to be kind, and her tone softens even more. "The other you within your heart told us to have you open it. Deep down, you want to open this door, don't you?"

    Perhaps, there's a silence. A hesitance. A lack of response from the texts.

    Either way, after that pause, Makoto's whole demeanour shifts, a fierce expression coming to her face and a solid, disciplinarian tone to her voice.

    "Ten seconds."

    Wait, what.

    "We only have so much time before Boss comes home, and we'll kick this door down and enter if we must."

    ...maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    "Someone who lives here invited us over and unlocked the door. It's not breaking and entering this time," Ren points out to Ann and Makoto. Which definitely makes all of this better, surely. Either way, it's clear that this bothers them far less than it does either of them. What it says about any of the three is something else.
    
    Ren unfortunately can't reassure Tsubasa of anything. Morgana did, however-- "Futaba would be opening her door for us, The Phantoms, and no one else. We're the ones she made her request to, after all. Even if we can get in, it should still stay shut for the Black Mask. ......probably," he had concluded. (Possibly Ren passed that on via text.)
    
    Which will just have to be good enough, because they can't not open that door. That's why they're all delivering the calling card at the same time and stealing the Treasure tomorrow, though. If they do it immediately, they should be able to save Futaba before that damned maniac even knows what's happened--and Mona will make sure to continue to keep guard after they've gone to make sure of it.
    
    Though it's Tsubasa who asks them if Futaba will really open her door, it's Yusuke and Ann who eventually answer. Ren nods their agreement. She doesn't seem okay, as Ichika asks, but she is responsive, at least.
    
    "Anyway, she's got to be the one who opens it," Morgana adds, seeing that look in Tsubasa's eye. "No doing anything rash, all right?" (Meanwhile Ryuji's just standing off to the side and behaving himself?? Morgana can only internally goggle at this! But yes, at least they're not fighting.)
    
    Of course, Makoto immediately undermines him with her talk of ten seconds. Ren snaps her an alarmed look, and Morgana hastily adds, "O-obviously that's just a bluff!" (He still sounds like meows to Futaba. They're not busted, it's fine.) 

<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.

 
FLASH FACT: Futaba's wearing noise-cancelling headphones. Unfortunately for her, certain sounds are not really noise. But it does mean that whatever they're saying out there isn't entirely clear. She can tell someone's speaking - several someones. Her eyes saccade as she stares at the door.

Sweat breaks out on her skin.

She can feel her pulse speeding up. Sensing it. Her teeth tighten and relax. One of the slightly lower registers speaks. Then someone else says clearly 'she's definitely going to do it.'

I'm going to do it, Futaba resolves. She leans her head forwards. She takes a deep breath --

I'm going to die in this room, she thinks, unbidden. Her shoulders sag, tension escaping them.

Stop it, Futaba tells herself, shaking her head. This is super easy. Even if I have to CRAWL over... I...

The sweat is accumulating! (Futaba closed the window when it was chilly last night, which probably kept Morgana from more than a quick recon that confirmed the lights, as it were, was on.)

Her face flushes as she hears more voices. This time it's definitely the committed girls out there. Futaba squeezes her eyes shut. They're putting their faith in me... Even after... after...

Please, Japanese geology, prays Futaba in her heart. Give all of Tokyo a huge enormous earthquake that makes everyone dead or crushed or both right now so I don't have to open the door--

-- Except, of course, that that doesn't happen. Someone else is speaking. Futaba opens her eyes. And then she's given the most terrifying thing of all: a time limit.

For two seconds, Futaba panics in total existential terror. And then --

https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/1bcd79d6c7f9.webp

A way out!!!

===

Ten seconds passes. And then the door... creaks open. Not much, just a crack. But it's an opening. And the door, under its own inertial mass, swings just a few centimeters further before reaching resistance of some kind. It's an open door, now. And through it, the Phantom Thieves can see stars.

The stars are a blackout curtain, concealing the entire side window. The good news is that it doesn't smell *that* bad. It's humid inside, perhaps unusually warm and fervid, but at most, someone needs to take out the trash.

Because there is a lot of trash. A half dozen bags stacked on a dresser. (There are four monitors in a 2x2 grid above them.) An entire deposit of heaped and tied-shut garbage bags raising like a mighty hill of, apparently, used tissues and drink bottles and noodle containers resting above a mini fridge. The computer desk, tucked into a bookshelf in the corner, has four different screens of different size on it, of which most are black with a phosphor-green text. There is one windowed desktop. And if the group looks close...

... it shows the last couple of messages that Ren received!

There's a generous office chair. Action figures. Manga. Some cardboard boxes, as if a room was half-unpacked. The walls are covered with pasted-up photos and clips, some of them apparently news articles of... some kind. Brain scans? Black and white photos of Egypt? Hacker stuff? Caution tape? There are stacked books - they look like scientific texts. Some are college textbooks, some of them are *monographs*.

The room's big enough for everyone to file in. Which also reveals that there's a hardwood floor *absolutely covered* in paper and hastily set-aside or placed-down books and magazines. It all lays flat, mostly, but this is a slipping hazard, you'd think.

But there is one thing missing... Futaba Sakura herself.

===

In her dark and close hidden place, Futaba breathes out, letting go of the broom she had brought into this room four months ago and then just. kind of. left there. Sojiro has already replaced it, possibly after wondering if he's going senile. Her head hangs forwards. She listens to the sonorous silence of her noise cancelling headphones.

The broom tilts forwards and nudges a book on the top closet shelf.

The book slides forwards.

Earth's gravity seizes the book and pulls it down at a steady and predictable acceleration.

===

oh wait there was just a dull thud from the (closed) closet door.

===
aaaaghhhh I wasn't scared for a minute but now it's even worse!!!!! thinks Futaba, staring at the door less than 3 centimeters from her nose!! 

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

"To be B&E you've got to actually B," Ichika offers with the gravity of someone who has done this particular crime many times. It's fine! Don't worry about it! "We're just E. Besides, it's for a good cause."

Ichika... is a delinquent.

But her alarming lack of ethics around theft aside, Ichika hears Tsubasa's question--and before she can answer, Ann is so sure about it. "...Yes," Ichika agrees, and looks to Yusuke too. "We need to give her a--"

Ten seconds. "Damn, Makoto-chan," Ichika says, and sounds impressed. "You're really going for it."

Mona may not approve, but Ichika always approves of decisive action.

But unaware of Futaba's conflict, Ichika just sort of. Waits a minute. Instead, there is--

"Oh, hey, it opened!"

Pause. Ichika looks inside and--

"..."

Her domesticity activates. Someone has to clean this room. But Ichika holds that back for now. She will subjcet Futaba to CLEANLINESS another time. Instead, for now--

"Uh," Ichika says, looking around.

"...Um..."

Awkward. 

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

"So she has to open the door?" Ryuji repeats, tapping on the wall in thought. "Huh. I guess that makes sense considerin'..."

 In truth, Sakamoto is running a little on fumes as well with his jobs and school...not to mention early morning training. He yawns as he notices Morgana give Tsubasa a look, prompting a frown from the delinquent. "Hey, chill Morgana. Tsubasa isn't gonna ruin this." He is sure that his partner is aware of the stakes of all of this.

 This is one that's very close to home...closer than even the last nightmarish one...well maybe that one was personal for Ryuji but this one was definitely gonna effect Ren. So it had to be done by the book and not fucked up. Just the way it is.

 As the door opens, Ryuji grins and shrugs, moving to step into the room. He stops in front of some of the anime figures, recognizing some of the characters from work. "Huh...I guess that makes sense." He notes the mess and just keeps his hands in his pockets, scanning the room for any sign of life. "So...now what?" 

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

    Morgana is super reassuring, even if his little pawsies struggle with texting. And so, here they are...!!

    "Be cool," Tsubasa assures Ann, gruffly, when she says she feels bad. "Ain't like a smash an' grab. Ain't never got locked out a ya joint an' needed Morgana pickin' ya lock?" Why would they implicate Morgana like that?! Well, Morgana is canny with a lockpick in real life, just like they are. They nod to Ren, who's made the same point less rough around the edges. "Yeah. We're invited. It's cool."

    Of course, they talk a big game about being cool and then lose their cool as soon as Futaba doesn't immediately open the door... they scowl, rubbing at the back of their neck as Yusuke suggests she summon her courage, and Ann insists.

    "Sounds great, but..."

    But there's Makoto, stepping up, and Tsubasa jerks a thumb in her rough direction. "That," they conclude, on the heels of her underlining their time limit.

    Still, Morgana's the one who can talk some sense into Tsubasa, as they shift antsily. "... magic shit, huh," they figure, folding their arms, as they look to Makoto in turn. They nod to Ryuji, as they help frame it for the other hothead: "Yeah. Guess we jus' gotta cool our heels. Sakura-san comes back, we bail through th' bathroom."

    (There's a window in there. Tsubasa notices that kind of thing. Hi, E, meet B.)

    Luckily, that's not a problem, because the door creeeeaks open...

    ... and it's a goddamn mess in here.

    "Uh," Tsubasa grunts, looking to Ichika, and definitely not thinking about the times she's come into their apartment and decided that the mess of a boy and a not otherwise specified is too much to bear. SOMETIMES THEY JUST THROW THEIR BINDER ON THE FLOOR IT'S CALLED A FLOORDROBE ICHIKA IT'S NORMAL

    "What, like... her bein' a super-nerd?" They wonder, to Ryuji, looking around themself. "Whole lotta... whoa what th' HELL is that an original print a Udonto Volume 1?!" OF COURSE TSUBASA WOULD RECOGNISE THE FUCKING NINJA MANGA

    And, as it happens, that's what raises the low gruff rumble of their voice up to something that might be more audible across a pair of muffling headphones.

<Pose Tracker> Yusuke Kitagawa has posed.

... Or Makoto can demand a time limit. That works well enough, Yusuke supposes.

It's just a crack, but the fated door... does indeed open. Following the others in, Yusuke finds himself drawn to the shelves of paraphernalia, eyes wandering across the items there.

"... Ah, Featherman," he murmurs, unsurprised. "I was wondering where we'd see you." His eyes have fallen on a set of figures - the original series Feathermen, in fact.

He folds his arms, studying the display thoughtfully. 

<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.

"Uhhh. I don't really feel super comfortable thinking about Morgana picking the locks of my house..."

Oh no. The (innocent) (emotional) body blow--!

"He did do a good job with Madarame's door, though."

With the sudden, praising swerve?!

"--W-wait, this has nothing to do with legality! --I-I think!"

What an emotional roller coaster.

Ann is still internally debating the technicalities that Ichika and Tsubasa sort of bring up, of course, when Makoto, with perfect timing, harnesses the power of Cop to get results in a way that is also of shaky legal ground. Blue eyes fly wide!

"W-wait, Makoto, don't you think that's a little bit too--"

The door cracks open.

"--intense?!"

Ann Takamaki falls silent for a whole three seconds, staring at that sliver of an opening with a blinkingly nonplussed look. She scratches her cheek awkwardly.

"... Aheh, I guess intensity is what's needed sometimes..."

She's not going to complain.

She wishes she could project her voice like that. It'd be such a help for her future career as a big time action star--!

It's a desire that goes unvoiced right now for various reasons, not the least of which being there's something more important to deal with: stepping in past the opened door after the others, Ann thinks she's prepared for what she's going to see. She knows about hikkikomori -- she wasn't too far removed from it for her own reasons not so long ago, after all. But what she sees is...

"... Wh..."

It's so dark, the LED illumination of the computer screens igniting the room in a hazy dull white that seems to just make all the dust particles floating throughout all the more pronounced. Despite herself, it makes Ann think of the shards of sunlight illuminating the dusty depths of Futaba's Palatial tomb.

Pale brows furrow, a brief glance passed towards the garbage bags.

"..."

For now, Ann remains silent, lost in her own little world of internal thoughts. Even though, much like Tsubasa, she would absolutely have thoughts about Futaba's manga collection. Instead, after a while, she just wonders, pertinently:

"... Where is Futaba-chan--?"

-=thmp!=-

When fate provides the answer for them.

Ann blinks. She looks to the closet. And she ventures, tentatively:

"Futaba-ch-- err, Alibaba...?" 

<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.

    Look, Ichika, some of us are trying really hard not to think about the B or the E at this point!! "...It still might be considered trespassing."

    Ren's startled look gets a more calm look in return. 'Trust me,' Makoto mouths to them. It's fine, Morgana, Makoto definitely knows what she's doing.

    Probably.

    Fortunately, they don't need to test that Makoto knows proper door kicking protocol as the door creaks open. "Sometimes people just need a little push," Makoto says a little too calmly- and maybe a little smugly- to Ann's concerns about intensity. Because threatening forced entry after 10 seconds is a 'little' push.

    Makoto would also be worrying about the mess but instead her attention is also drawn to the pile of books- and while her eyes scan the manga too, Makoto is focused on a different section. "Medical science, information technology, biology, psychology... These aren't just textbooks either, some of these are in-depth academic texts and technical books..."

    look if yusuke can focus on featherman and tsubasa can focus on udonto, makoto can focus on the books, okay??

    It's Ann and Ryuji who gently remind the group that they're here to see Futaba, and then the thump from one side, Makoto turning rapidly to the source of the noise. "The closet!?"

    look don't think about how this one bit will be used as a reaction image, possibly toward makoto herself 

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Morgana scowls at Ryuji as he stands up for Tsubasa. "I didn't say that!" he starts to snap, but then Tsubasa chimes in for themself, and he gives them a kitty smile. It seems like the calming-down goes both ways. "Right. You know how to identify your exit strategies, huh?"
    
    Ann protests the idea of Morgana picking her home's locks. His ears flatten as he yowls, "I-I would never!! U-unless you really needed me to and asked me first..." Praise! "Hehe, I did, didn't I, Lady Ann? Yeah! I was amaz--" Legality!! "--mrow?!"
    
    It really was an emotional roller coaster.
    
    Speaking of which, for all that Ren and Morgana worried for a moment, Makoto's threat is effective. Within ten seconds, the door creaks open. Ren nods in silent concession to the Queen. Everyone files in. And... ... ... ............
    
    Ren is no clean freak. They do prefer a tidy space, and they're pretty good at cleaning, but they're willing to live with a little mess; they have to, with how perpetually dusty Leblanc's attic is and how their would-be maid Becky's idea of cleaning is to tickle the windowsill with a duster for a couple seconds and then pass out on their bed.
    
    However, the amount of trash in Futaba's room and on the floor instills a certain subtle itch in them as they walk in with the others, not unlike what Ichika needs to suppress for a moment. This room NEEDS cleaning, stat. Unfortunately, they've all got more important things to do first.
    
    At least Futaba's curtains are really cool. Ren looks at the glow-in-the-dark stars that decorate them and wishes they had a set like that. ...Look, Tsubasa gushed over the Udonto manga, Yusuke zeroed in on the Featherman figurines, and Makoto listed several complex books in the room. Ren has something that stands out to them too!
    
    Morgana, who's used to the room's smell by now, also looks around, but at the room in general. He hops down from Ren's shoulder to the computer desk, where he notes the abandoned chat. He looks around again. "Huh. Where's Futaba?" he says at the same time as Ann. He perks and might rejoice over how they're on the same wavelength, except--
    
    THUD, goes something from inside the closet. Ren and Morgana both shoot it a sharp look as Makoto yelps about the closet.
    
    ...very awkward. For more reasons than just the immediately obvious.
    
    What now? Ryuji asks. Once again at his prompting, Ren takes a step closer to the closet. "Alibaba," they say in their deep, quiet voice. "This won't change your cognition. You can't open one door so you can hide behind another." Firmly: "Open up." And, gently again: "Please." 

<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.

 
INSIDE THE CLOSET:

Futaba can hear voices through the headphones. Someone's coming in first. Who spoke first? Deeper voice. Work? What?? And then there's an exclamation about the Udonto selection!? Futaba finds herself nervous-grinning for a moment even as she reaches up to shift one headset to the side.

Okay. It's okay. They're in here. She's not dead. (she's going to die in this room) The world didn't end. It's going to be fine. She did it! They're going to steal her heart soon. It's going to change her cognition.

... any minute now, Futaba assures herself. They probably have to charge up or something.

One of them mentions Featherman. That one -- it has to be the guy with the ancient phone -- Yusuke Kitagawa, Futaba recalls. Someone else is speaking...

Others are coming closer. That voice that's slightly deeper is probably Makoto, thinks Futaba. Who has already found her, which suits her given her habits, huh, I should have expected that, but why did you have to fall over you stupid dumb book??? That lighter voice is *probably* Ann since she types like that and -

And then Ren speaks. The final decision. (Someone else did too - maybe that was Ichika? Futaba is not quite sure. She thought that was the noncommital sound she'd heard when they came in.)

"... ugh..."

She speaks?!

"... so it's a hindering cognition that's keeping you from the epicenter of my cognitive world, huh," comes more mumbling from... well, it's a girl, that much is clear. There's a long moment. And then something shifting behind the closet door.

===

Futaba stares at the door, breathing in shallow pants. Okay, she tells herself. Okay, like that space movie. Alright. They're just going to have to do this, to get in and out and steal my heart. It's almost done. It's like the dentist or something. I'm going to die in this room. I don't even have to do anything. They don't sound mad, but they're professionals. I should be glad they're here.

Her hands make fists. She stares at the door.

"nnnghhh--"

And then...

===

There's a second thump, quieter, inside of the closet.

But it was higher up.

"... I'm... I'm really gonna do it I just..."

She speaks again! The voice is higher up than the sentence earlier was, although anyone who might nudge the door is going to find the simultaneous good and bad news that Futaba's got a hand on the closet door but is also, firmly, holding it shut.

"... wh-which of you is which? Um... I'm... Futaba Sakura..."

Which they all know, and it has a shaky, wheedly tone to it, as if she was introducing herself to a class.

"... Um..." 

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

Ryuji brings it up--she has to open the door. She appreciates Ryuji sticking up for Tsubasa, but--she's not that worried about Mona at the moment. "It's cool," she tells him. She doesn't think he's really saying anything bad. Just, "Yeah. Tsubasa's really reliable like that."

It could be trespassing, though. "Oh... Yeah, that's true. That's why the exit strategies, though."

Ann... doesn't want to think about that. "Guess nobody likes to dwell on their stuff being breakable..."

Yes, that's why.

When Tsubasa looks at her, Ichika looks right back at Tsubasa. It's not just once that she's had to clean house, so to speak...

Well, she doesn't mind that much. She stays over sometimes anyway. But a floordrobe is NOT normal. Super not normal. Ichika is too busy noticing the mess to notice the details of the nerdy shit, though. "Mm? Featherman?" she asks Yusuke, and then--

"Intense is good," Ichika agrees. And when Makoto mentions a push, Ichika smiles. "Yeah," she says. "It's cool."

But--the cloest. She was kind of thinking it, but Ren says it outright. That if she's still hiding...

"Uh, right," Ichika says. A 'hindering cognition'. "It doesn't count if you just close another door," she says, mostly for her own benefit. Because--well, those are some big words.

Thump. Thump.

She looks around when Futaba asks with that wheedly tone.

"...Cool, Sakura-san. I'm Ichika Kawase. It'll be nice to meet you."

Will be. Since... they haven't just yet. But Ichika's not going to force the matter. 

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

"Bingo." Ryuji responds to Tsubasa, nodding. "I've seen these types are work...never this bad though." He pauses at the Featherman figures, nodding approvingly. "Nice!"

 But despite the messy room and the fact the door was opened, no Futaba. Huh.

 After Makoto's comment, Ryuji's eyes dart to the closet, blinking as he moves to stand across from the new door. "So uh...I guess if we leave it like this she'll have a new obstacle in her Palace, right?" He is almost thinking out loud as he slouches in his stance. He is about to ask what to do when Ren takes care of it. Again, Ryuji just lets them handle this, backing them up when he can.

 Then she speaks! Ryuji is almost surprised despite dealing with her Shadow several times. He blinks when she wants to know who is who, looking around for someone who wants to go first. After a moment, he just holds up a hand as says "Hey ummm I'm Sakamoto, Ryuji. Ummm it would be kinda cool if you came up. We don't bite." 

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

    "Yeah," Tsubasa nods, to Morgana. "Just like you, dude." Morgana is also an excellent break and enterer! There's a reason why he's been their eye on the inside with regards to Futaba...

    (They also make sure to pick the filler word which most starkly genders Morgana, because, like, he's made it very clear that he is a BOY human. Validation ain't just for the blurry margins...)

    Tsubasa's head tilts up slightly and down slightly as they follow Ann's emotional rollercoaster. Eloquently, they grunt, and shrug.

    They're technicalities, after all, and while Tsubasa might make a decent lawyer if being a private eye doesn't work out, they're not gonna drag her ass on them right now, especially as Ichika points out that she might be worried about the breakability of things.

    "Makoto-chan runs hot," they say, instead. "It's cool."

    Their grumpy expression shifts to a smile when Ichika calls them reliable, though. This magical shift sticks around for a few seconds before they realise they're expressing an emotion and go back to scowling and being cool and stoic.

    She's also seemingly alarmed by the concept of a closet, and -- blink and you'll miss it -- Tsubasa's head turns from their silent struggle with Ichika (c'mon who doesn't just throw their shirt wherever when they're done for the day?!), shifting fifteen degrees to toss a glance Makoto's way.

    There are no coincidences when you're Tsubasa Seki.

    Ren encourages Futaba to open another door, though, and Tsubasa turns to face the closet more fully. They wait, brow raising a little as they hear her hit the nail on the head.

    "Does this type really go out to ya shop?" They wonder, to Ryuji, looking around. "Like, I heard 'bout this... folks what stop goin' out at all..."

    Don't ask Tsubasa where they've heard about mental disorders. They were never in a mental hospital. Shut up.

    "Yo, Sakura-san," they raise their voice to call out, when Ryuji assures Futaba they don't bite. "Name's Seki. Tsubasa."

    ...

    They scratch at the side of their neck, and, shrugging, turn around.

    "Oi," they call out, voice still raised to catch Futaba's attention. "I ain't even lookin' at no closet now. Won't turn 'round 'til ya good. Work for ya?"

<Pose Tracker> Yusuke Kitagawa has posed.

Yusuke nods when Ichika inquires about Featherman, indicating the figures. "The original team." He peers closer. "Ah, no, actually, the Neo Featherman team. I suppose the originals would be highly valuable collector's items..."

He glances over to the closet at the sound of the thud, and frowns deeply.

... She's introducing herself like she's in front of a class... "It's Kitagawa-san," he speaks up. "I remember our conversation on the phone." 

<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.

    'Intense is good,' Ichika says, and Makoto shrugs. "...we can't afford to be in a standoff. I figured and ultimatum of some form might drive her to some action." There's a pause. "...though, if we had to..." ...she's pretty sure she knows how to kick down a door. It's not the same as kicking a person, but Aikido is more about throws and grappling than strikes anyway. This is a normal skill for someone to know.

    Having examined her feelings a lot more lately, with help, Tsubasa's comment about Makoto running hot just gets a bit of a groan. "I'm really not some hothead," she complains. "It just seemed like the best approach..." Fortunately, she doesn't notice the way Tsubasa glances at her after her comment.

    

     Makoto blinks a few times at how quickly Futaba understands it- even she took a few moments to comprehend Ann's explanation of the cognitive world. "...You already know about that?" It makes sense, though... Maybe Futaba-chan was more connected to her mother's research than Makoto initially thought.

    Still, there is a request for introductions. "I'm Makoto Niijima," Makoto says, once again providing all the information and not apologizing again for scaring Futaba despite long held tendencies. It's fine, they hashed it out over text. "It's nice to meet you in person, Futaba-chan." 

<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.

... so it's a hindering cognition that's keeping you from the epicenter of my cognitive world, huh.

"W-wait, you understood all that--?!"

Ann Takamaki doesn't really truck in technicalities. She'd be a terrible lawyer.

(though she probably toyed with the idea at one point, possibly because of a stray comment ren made, because the fool's job is to accidentally enable bad decisions, and that's just a fact)

No -- she's always done a lot better at feelings, emotional intelligence. That kind of thing. It's not perfect - she's only human, and a teenager just as prone to thoughtless and unintentionally insensitive comments as any of them - but even so...

Makoto startles over the closet; Tsubasa offers a meaningful look, and Ann offers Makoto a briefly concerned one before her gaze refocuses on that closet door that Futaba has desperately wedged herself behind. Even she knows -- if that door doesn't open up, there's just going to be a new barrier when they get back, something that will keep them just at the cusp of securing the Treasure. She understands what Futaba is feeling, even if not to the extent. It's the reason why she texted the young shut-in, the day after her birthday.

That feeling of isolation. That no one will - could - should - take your hand, even when you're desperately drowning...

... Ann knows it well. And she knows what happens when she fails to reach out.

So as she listens to the others - as Ryuji tries to reassure her, and Tsubasa even turns to give her the comfort of some semblance of privacy, as Yusuke invokes that phone conversation - telling her she needs to open that door. Each offering kindness, and understanding, each in their own way. Even in the firmness that Ren employs to make clear that door must open.

But Ann...

"..."

A frown remains settled on her lips as Makoto offers her greetings. She shifts, from her position close to that closet door. Shuts her eyes. And draws in a deep, steadying breath.

"Futaba-chan." Her voice rings out clear, calm. No Alibaba. Not anymore. This is no time for more barriers between them. "It's Ann Takamaki. Remember? We talked about games, and playing together after all this, and... mm-mm." Ann shakes her head, twintails bouncing with the motion. "That's not important right now."

Another slow, steadying breath. She knows the others might not want her to broach this at such a delicate moment, but...

"Futaba-chan. Did you really kill your mother?"

... she asks, anyway.

It's something that's been on her mind, ever since they infiltrated the Palace. Gnawing away at her. Everything they experienced there -- everything that Palace said about Futaba, and her views of herself, the scrambled and desperate chaos of those fragmenting memories...

"Her death was an accident, wasn't it?" She knows. It doesn't add up. Beyond the simple cruelty of those men. Was that really the way Futaba's mother was?

"'Maternity neurosis'? None of that makes any sense to me -- we saw what your heart is like, but we still can't figure it out!"

Feeling so unloved. So guilty. Over a confession letter that those men just conveniently attacked her with, fracturing a poor girl's heart?

No.

"The version of your mom in your Palace, and the version we've heard about... they're totally different!"

She can't accept that.

"We just -- I just -- want to know the truth. From your own lips."

Ann steps forward. Her palm presses against that closet door, forehead gently bumping.

"I'm... sorry. It's just... everything you've went through, and I... I went through a lot myself, felt so powerless and guilty and... and isolated, from everyone... And I just wanted you to know that... we..." She exhales, all that pent up stress, everything she had been holding in since that infiltration.

"I'm so sorry." 

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Ryuji reasons out loud about why the shut closet door is bad. "Yeah, probably," Ren agrees. It's just as Ichika says: it doesn't count if she's still making herself inaccessible.
    
    Futaba speaks--and what she says makes Ren blink, startled. "That's... it exactly," they reply. She's obviously smart, they all knew that already, but how did she know that? Makoto makes the logical connection between Futaba and her mother's research, but Ren starts to worry all over again about the Black Mask--
    
    thump. Ren tenses, readying themself for Futaba to leave the closet.
    
    But, as any queer kid knows, that's its own trial. One step at a time. Futaba introduces herself by her real name, and she sounds anxious. Ren tucks their hands in their pockets. Best to be normal about this.
    
    Tsubasa's got the right idea; they move away from the closet to hang out next to the computer table near Morgana, half-towards and half-turned away from the closet. They glance briefly at Yusuke, who mentions having talked to Futaba on the phone, and give him a nod of approval.
    
    "I'm Ren Amamiya," they say. "Not all of us are here, but I did bring Morgana. If that makes you more comfortable."
    
    (Morgana doesn't introduce himself, because why would he to someone who would surely only hear a bunch of meowing?)
    
    Once again, though, it's someone else who forces the emotional hand. Ann asks a question that's been on their mind too--something they simply have not had the mental cycles to truly grapple with, but has been lingering in the back of their thoughts. It's just like the heart of The Phantoms to ask it so bluntly, and while Ren looks at her with widened eyes, they don't interrupt or try to shush her.
    
    She's right. It doesn't add up. There's something wrong about all this--something extremely wrong, as highlighted by the Black Mask's presence--and if there's anyone who might have even an inkling what... it would be Futaba herself.
    
    Ann's words of empathy ring out in a now-silent room. Ren glances sidelong back at the closet and waits.

<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.

 
"Nice to meet you," says Futaba, from within the closet.

"... you have a job?" she answers Ryuji a moment later, although there's literally no edge in it. More wonder. Ryuji has gone through school *and* gotten a job? He must truly be a hero. "Um..." says Futaba, from within the closet.

Tsubasa's turn. "... you're really looking away...? Would it even still count...?" All of this, too, from within the closet. It's a cryptic statement but maybe hopeful. There is effort being made.

Yusuke speaks!! With his ancient phone!! "... did you watch it...?" Because they didn't speak, as such, but on some obscure level Futaba feels eased to hear that Yusuke *considered* it a conversation, not a chat or DMs or something.

... Makoto speaks... I guessed right, thinks Futaba. Her cheeks flush. It's nice to meet in person. I'm going to die in this room. Futaba shakes her head at the somehow-more-alien thought, and answers, "Yeah... thank you..."

"... yeah?" Futaba answers Ann, almost abstractly. Perhaps she's slightly annoyed. Perhaps confused. Is that not something everyone knows about? Oh, right, thinks Futaba, before her head tilts down and

                    -- ANN ATTACK!!

    Did you really kill your mother?
    Her death was an accident, wasn't it?
    We still can't figure it out!
    The version of your mom in your Palace,
    and the verson we heard about...
        THEY'RE TOTALLY DIFFERENT!

For a screaming and miserable moment, Futaba wishes she could die, and leave the situation. It is not glib in her heart. There is the aftermath - Ann explaining, speaking up, apologizing. Pouring herself out. Futaba's hands have already shoved up to cradle her face and it might have just been shock alone that kept her from blubbering. Ann interjected just at the right time to prevent that free fall.

Futaba looks at her own memories, memories she has turned her back on for quite some time.

It hurts immensely, but not for long. What did she see? What did she *really* see?

"nngghhhkhghhhh..."

"My... mom was... The one who killed her... was..."

What had she been doing just then? Do a real inventory. Work in the last week. But -- it's like somehow everything's wobbling like jelly or burning film.

Futaba takes a huge breath...

and with a book-rattling SLAM of the closet door and a single step out of the closet, Futaba raises her hands up, palms held outwards!

... It's definitely her. Size and build the same as the Shadow. She is wearing two shirts, long-sleeved-stripy over a black T-shirt with some nonsense on it. She is wearing shorts, but they're shorts. No shoes, obviously. (Were there even shoes downstairs for her?) (There were, but a little out of the way.) There are faintly visible black roots at the crown of her head, probably from not having done a touch-up lately.

Futaba's head is turned down, earphones over her ears. She's staring directly at the floor.

Two seconds pass. Her arms waver a little.

"Th-- there!! Now steal it!! Go!!"
^- words of local person who has not received a calling card 

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

"Makes sense," Ichika answers Makoto with a nod. But Makoto insists that she's not a hothead. Ichika doesn't press her on it; instead she glances at Ren for some reason, and then back to--

Thump. Ichika is trying to be normal about it, anyway; she can get that much. But there's a lot she... doesn't. She doesn't know Featherman that well, and that fact fora moment seems important. ...Just for a moment, though. Yusuke mentions the phone. Tsubasa, offering to give Futaba some more space. And Ann...

Ann gets to the heart of it, and Ichika finds her breath catch in her throat. She couldn't believe it, when she heard. A mother feeling like that about her own daughter. And yet...

And yet it ws so different from what they'd heard. The Palace; the memories. They all don't add up.

So when Ann names it, names the difference, it clicks for Ichika somehow. She realizes that something is strange there, not just something she can't put her finger on but something real. And her eyes widen.

Ichika, too, is silent in that moment. She recovers her composure... but not her words, at first.

SLAM. The door opens! Futaba is there!!!

Ichika hesitantly smiles. "..Now it's nice to meet you," she says, because introductions are important, but they only count when you actually get to meet the person in some way.

She looks to Yusuke next. After all, she doesn't have it. 

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

"Not exactly this type obviously but like lesser versions of..." Ryuji gestures at the closet and then the room. He doesn't exactly want to shame Futaba but like...this is a seriously broken person. He looks over to Ichika finally and smiles weakly. "We can talk about it later. Now we gotta be there for Sakura."

 After a moment, he scratches the side of his nose, looking around the room quickly for some kind of clue of how to convince her to come out. Nothing comes to mind so it's just gonna be the nice coaxing they've been doing.

 When Futaba addresses him, Ryuji grins and nods. "Yeah...two actually but we don't talk about the other one. I work at a store in Akiba selling models and stuff. Kinda a sweet gig."

 Then with a slam, the girl appears from the closet and the delinquent is just...unsure of what to do. "Uhhhh...Hey?" 

<Pose Tracker> Yusuke Kitagawa has posed.

"... I did," Yusuke replies as Futaba asks about the show. "I'd like to talk about it some more... later."

His gaze turns to Ann as she asks The Question that... has probably been on everyone's mind, ever since they first delved into Futaba's palace. His gaze hardens; his own suspicions crystallise.

The context of his suspicion, however, is not something the Futaba here can comprehend, so when eventually the girl throws herself out of her closet, arms wide and eyes squeezed shut, he simply remains silent, cocking his head as he looks towards their leader. 

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

    "I thought so, too," Tsubasa says on the door-kicking approach, and if Makoto's reading between the lines she'll realise that they totally just called her a hothead.

    You know, by association.

    "Figure I can turn 'round after you got a look at me," Tsubasa calls, to Futaba, over their shoulder. "Ain't like you gotta do it all at once. Stage it out."

    They add: "Ryuji's hella hard workin'," without an honourific or anything!!

    Their attention's caught by Ann first, though -- Ann, who barges through all their attempts to just ask. They shoot a look to Ren, which, thankfully, they can do without breaking their word and looking back towards the closet, thanks to Ren's similar turn-away sensibilities. Their wide eyes suggest that they can't entirely believe she's just being straight up about all this --

    -- but they don't actually speak up to undercut her.

    Futaba gurgles, Tsubasa thinks, as if her throat was the thing cut.

    "I'm turnin' 'round," they warn her, before they do so.

    And they reach out --

    -- and actually place a hand on Ann's arm.

    (This is notable because Tsubasa, barring their obvious exceptions, isn't really a touchy person at all, except to be the kind of person who snaps 'don't touch me'.)

    "Hey... might be harder than it looks," they say, low voice insistent. "Some shit, you can't just... say. Hearin' it from her... if that's what we're after, let's hold up our end a th' bargain first."

    Their hand drops; they look to Futaba, nodding to her, firmly.

    "We'll steal your heart for sure, Sakura-san. When we're done... let's talk it out. Ann-chan's right -- we wanna know. But I reckon you want that, too." For them to know -- to know, herself. With an economy of words, Tsubasa says them both at once.

<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.

    Fortunately, Makoto still can't read between the lines for shit when it comes to people. No revenge... turn today...
"Ann-" It's Makoto's turn to be alarmed by her friend's impulsive actions. You can't just ask something like that, given the seriousness of the topic- no matter how curious Makoto herself has been.

    But, for better or worse, Ann's word seem to hit home and have an impact. And it occurs to Makoto that maybe they all should have turned around but it's a little late for that-

    Though Makoto does note the way that Tsubasa extends a hand out to Ann- that's... noteworthy in it's own way, isn't it?

    And Futaba demands they steal her heart, and Makoto stops for a moment and pauses.

    "Ah, that is what we came here to do, but it's not really done right here, right now... We just needed you to open the closet door. I'm sorry if we made you jump to conclusions..." Given how much Futaba already felt embarrassed asking for help, this might make things worse. But...

    "...There is one more thing that has to happen though, right?" Makoto's eyes glance expectantly toward Ren and Ann. It's now or never... 

<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.

If nothing else...

Ann Takamaki has a gift for cutting to the emotional core of the issue.

Barriers be damned.

It's potentially a reckless move, being so blunt on such an obviously delicate topic regarding a person who is, mentally and emotionally, a metaphorical open wound. But she still presses on and asks it outright, even knowing the looks she's getting, and hearing the alarm in Makoto's voice as she speaks her name.

She has no logical rationale for it. She just feels like -- it's something they all saw. On some level, something they all know.

And she thinks it's important that Futaba knows it, too.

For a moment, there's silence after she says her peace. And when Futaba audibly struggles through the pain of trying to remember, Ann can't help but flinch. Is it true? Did she mess this up, for all of them, for Futaba?

Yet... something about what Futaba says, the way she tries to force her way through it, only to be unable to truly finish the thought... is something getting in the way? Is it Futaba's distortion--?

Ann lingers in a liminal space for a moment, weighing apologizing yet again -- to Futaba, to all of them.

When she feels a hand on her arm.

She blinks. Her eyes widen fractionally, and she starts just a bit; it's not intentional, and it's not that she means to give an impression of alarm as Tsubasa touches her. There's a lot of reasons why Ann reacts like that to unexpected physical contact -- but it is also true that the rough feeling of those sandpaper fingers on her painfully soft skin is a contrast she's never really felt before. She's not expecting it. So she startles, just a little, blue eyes tilting Tsubasa's way--

But it's their words that inspire the way they can feel her relaxing under their touch, even as that widened gaze hoods, and a sadder look filters past fair features.

"... I know," she says, after a moment. Her tone is.. appreciative, if melancholy. Bittersweet. "But I just... thought she needed to--"

Which is when the closet door bursts open. The logistics of the thing is important, for specific reasons:

1) Ann is extremely close to the door right now

and

2) NOT EXPECTING FUTABA TO ESCAPE THE CLOSET

such that these two key factors can explain the way she startles out a yelp of,

"KNWAH?!"

and then just kind of flails backwards until she topples right on her ass.

-=thmp!=-

"owwww... my coccyx..."

This is the point she looks up at Futaba, her hands out, her head decidedly tilted -down- (which might mean Ann is directly in her line of sight), and waiting for them to -- what, plunge their hands in and take her heart out--??

Ann stares for five solid seconds thinking about how awkward this moment is and how amazingly long Futaba's hair is (these details are important) before she slowly clears her throat from her prone position.

"U-um. Y-yeah. Makoto is right. It doesn't really work like that. S-sorry..."

oh her poor coccyx and now they're probably making Futaba feel so embarrassed aren't they-- 

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Ren catches that look Ichika sends him, and they give her a knowing look back. Yeah. It's like that. However, now isn't the time.
    
    It is time for the look that Tsubasa shoots them. That look of disbelief gets a very, very slight side-smile from them. When it comes to cutting to the heart of things, and being kind and caring despite that, Ann and Tsubasa are similar--something both of them seem to realize too.
    
    Sounds like Ryuji's enjoying that one part-time job he picked up. (The other will remain a mystery. Ren respects boundaries.) Good for him--and Futaba. A contact with a store in Akihabara that sells models might be just the thing to help engage her in the long run.
    
    In the short term... Ann's heartfelt outreach clinches it. (For all that it bruises her coccyx as she yelps and falls on her butt. Ren bites their cheeks to keep from laughing. No one will ever know from their stoic mien.) Futaba bursts from the closet! She reaches her hands out to them all! Her head may be bowed deep, but she--bids them!! To steal!! Her heart!!!
    
    ...Yeah. Futaba definitely does not understand how Palaces work, much less a change of heart. If Ren hadn't realized that already, this would confirm it.
    
    Yusuke looks to them. They nod back--he made the calling card as usual, but they've been holding onto it--as Makoto awkwardly explains that this isn't when they do the stealing and there's still one thing left. With that perfect set-up, they pull said card from their pocket and approach Futaba.
    
    "Here," they say, holding it out under her bowed face. "Make sure you read it."
    
    Once she accepts it, they turn towards the door. Tsubasa says all the necessary things, so they leave it at that. As they begin to leave, though, they pause. "...Thank you, Futaba. For letting us help you."
    
    No matter what enemy rises up to block their way.
    
    With that, they'll lead everyone out of Futaba's room... except for Morgana, who'll linger long enough to confirm Futaba has read the calling card.
    
    "Futaba Sakura, you have committed a great sin of drowning in sloth.
     You neither leave your room nor make contact with anyone,
     simply leading an unproductive life rotting in lazy slumber.
     Thus, we will rob every last bit of those distorted desires.
     We are the phantom thieves who steal hearts.
     You will soon bathe in the light of the sun... Look forward to it.

         -The Phantoms, Thieves of Hearts" 

<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.

 
EVERYONE IS PERCIEVING HER

IT IS THE WORST

And yet. She hears Ichika but doesn't move. She's just warming up, right. Ryuji can see her turning her head slightly towards him as if to foreshadow a sentiment he knows well - 'for real?'

Futaba's peripheral vision shows her a lot of legs and feet. There's two fewer sets of legs then there were people speaking, and so without comment or detailed introspection, Futaba realizes that Tsubasa meant what they said. Probably near the window, she judges.

Makoto speaks more.

Futaba's head turns towards her. She actually lifts her head, which means that she gets her first glimpse of everyone and it is not what she was imagining. Mismatches abound. Ann is *blonde!* Tsubasa looks even tougher than they *sound!* Ichika is a *sukeban* like those *old movies with the yoyo*. Ann is also COMPLAINING about her BROKEN COCCYX. "S-sorry," Futaba apologizes, eyes wide and staring.

"... none of you're disappearing," Futaba says, raising to something like a question mark. Makoto's words pingpong through her ears. All she had to do was open the closet door.

Futaba hunches over again and lowers her arms, bringing them around with splayed fingers, which doesn't help her look of growing mortification. She takes a step back, crouching down, and reaches over to...

... close the closet door again... except she gets about a third of the way there before Ren approaches. Futaba raises her head to look up all the way, still hunched over and almost cringing, but they're holding out the card.

Futaba reaches out with both hands to take the oversized thing, and steps back into the closet, pulling it shut. Slowly. Deliberately. And not even all the way closed. Other than some sounds of breathing she becomes difficult to immediately discern, but... the door is opened.

It slammed really loud, didn't it?

Ren has a parting remark. "Uh? O-oh... ah... you're... welcome..."

And then there's silence in the room, for a while.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK3_ZhGpKsQ

                    afterwards

Futaba emerges from the closet, probably once everyone's left the actual building or it's been a few minutes, long enough to assume they went off to fairyland or something to go steal her heart.

The calling card is held up afterwards. She reads the text. Involuntarily her lips pull down a little, and Futaba doesn't see how now she's frowning at what she would've probably taken as an accurate statement half an hour ago.

In a dark and hidden place, the Shadow looks up. To herself, unheard by any other heart, the Shadow says: "No. I'm going to win."

Nevertheless, something drastic changes in the Palace...

And Futaba hears a sound that sounds like two things at once but the thing that made sense was obviously the sound ('mmow,' approximately) and not what might have been a word, and she had *thought* she was alone and so her legs jerk out from underneath her with a "YEEK" followed by a THUMP followed by an incredulously, "Kitty--?"

Morgana looks back at Futaba.

Futaba looks back at Morgana.

"... they really brought you too...?"

Mission complete, Morgana just walks out the door. (He probably knows about the downstairs living room window that's semi-permanently open so it doesn't turn into a gray cloud from what Futaba assumes is Sojiro's great love, after coffee and women - smoking).

Retrieved from "https://www.velvetroom.wiki/index.php?title=2026-06-03:_Face_to_Face&oldid=5065"