2026-06-27: Something About Us

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<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Saturday is a convenient day for The Phantoms, disparate as they are, to meet up. Since it's a half-day of school, not only are they out anyway, but there's more time for them all to get together--time that's extra-necessary in the case of the Kasugayama students, since they're coming in from Sumaru.
    
    Leblanc is open for business at present, but that's not what everyone's gathering for. Rather, once they arrive, they'll head upstairs to Ren's attic room as agreed. They've all been here before for the Halloween movie night; they know where it is. Once again, Ren has rearranged the furniture so everyone's got a spot to sit as need be. They're seated at their desk, still in their school uniform (albeit with the jacket off to reveal the white turtleneck and black suspenders), with Morgana perched atop said desk to better survey the room as people arrive.
    
    Someone else is seated on the bed--one Futaba Sakura, heart changed and emerged from the confines of her room. That's what this is about, after all. Futaba wanted to meet and thank everyone... and everyone has questions for her in turn about what happened and what they saw therein.
    
    There's snacks and drinks around too. Folks are invited to bring their own if they choose, but there's plenty of coffee, soda, water, and curry-filled onigiri for everyone to munch on. (Hey, Ren had to make it all themself. You use what you've got available, especially when you're sharing the tiny kitchen with the restaurant's owner who has a business to run.)
    
    "Hey everybody," Ren says, on top of individual greetings, once everyone's arrived. They look over to Futaba, still gremlinning on the bed in her own special way. "This is everyone, Futaba. Do you want the floor to start, or d'you want us to ask you stuff first?" 

<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.

 
Having blazed a path earlier, Futaba was able to make it back to Leblanc for the second time -- well, not the second time, more like the twenty-ninth time, but only the second time since The Incident -- and was promptly guided upstairs.

She has her earphones on and she is sitting, leaned over like an orange-capped shrimp, to look at what rests in her hands.

In this case it is a dual-screened fold-open handheld console. It is not making noise; perhaps it's feeding it into the headphones or Futaba just doesn't need the sound. She is gazing at it intensely. Next to her, leaning against her leg, is a tall coffee cup on a saucer (half drunk) and a plate which started life containing four onigiris. Now it contains three (from one perspective) or two and four-seventh (if you discount the one that got partly eaten).

But people are starting to come up. She doesn't hear them at first - secure in an electronic bubble (which Ren would know has been the case for about 12 minutes, with the previous 18 or so being at least somewhat more... present). But when Ren calls things to order, Futaba finally pauses her game. Or saves it. Or some goddamn thing. Because...

She flips the front screen shut. Her head raises slowly. (I'm out here. My room is 37 meters away, 51 meters inclusive of elevation and navigation. It's OK, Futaba tells herself. Just don't do anything weird.)

"... Thank you very much."

She bobbles forwards, an attempt at a bow that does not require getting up. She stays that way for about three seconds, the game console squashed against her stomach. Then she rises back up.

"... Ask stuff."

GOOD NEWS: She is *immeasurably* calmer and more even-toned than she was in her room.

COMPLEX NEWS: She does sound a little blank. Her attention is moving around the room but it's mostly from her eyes. Periodically they flick back to Ren or Morgana. After a couple of moments she also picks up the half-eaten onigiri and starts... well... eating it; three even bites, the onigiri kept in front of her mouth before it's all gone. 

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

Ichika took her van this time, and it's parked in the spaces by the station--there's nowhere to park here in the back alleys, so it was a short walk to get here. She brought Tsubasa, obviously. She's changed out of her uniform to avoid trouble from the police, and is thus dressed (with her jacket off and over something) in a black tanktop and green shirt, wearing a number of spiked leather accessories. She has a coffee! And a snack! Mmmm curry-filled-onigiri.

"Hey," Ichika greets back, and turns her head to look at Futaba. Ask stuff, she says...

"OK," Ichika says. "Well, I'll start us off. What were you playing?"

"...I like games better when I can play them on the go, myself. I don't stay in my dorm that much, unless I'm with somebody."

It's not the most personal question, but maybe that's good?

Ichika also bites an onigiri. 

<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.

It's time -- to celebrate!

-- Sort of!

The Phantom Thieves achieved a great victory; even if it wasn't quite big public news like the others, this one, for whatever reason, still felt particularly good for Ann Takamaki. What more proof does she need that they're definitively helping people, than seeing how they helped a girl so desperately in need of it?

But ALSO -- the girl they saved still needed time to recover, and they still needed to figure some things out (she thinks!), and so it's sort of... tentative, celebratory Q&A that Ann arrives to today, which explains why she doesn't arrive with a cry of 'let's gooooooooooooo~!' and instead with a cry of,

"Let's taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalk~!"

See? Very different.

And so this is Ann, blonde hair done up in those thick twintails as ever and wearing some of her favorite winter clothes in the form of a black leather jacket and a thick scarlet scarf with a long-sleeved red and blue plaid button-up worn beneath, the intersecting stripes turning the conflicting colors purple. Two hearts, one bigger than the other, are decorated on the front of her tight-and-artfully-shredded jeans, a pair of PANTHER RED leather high-heel boots finishing off the outfit with a flourish.

"You're all recovered, Futaba-chan?"

Hands in her jacket (the other returning after a spirited fist pump) -- Ann's attention immediately peels towards Futaba, sitting on that bed, awkwardly offering thanks and opportunity to speak. Ann, of course, immediately clues in to the handheld -- but Ichika has that important question covered. So instead, expression softening, the Second Year takes a step forward and asks what's the most important thing on her mind:

"... How're you... holding up?" 

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

Ryuji just took the train from school to be here. The blonde is still in his winter uniform, slouching as he wanders into the cafe and then upstairs. He pauses at the top of the stairs, taking a look around before he grins at Ren. "Sup dude?" He clears the path, finding somewhere to sit and slouch more. As he sits, he sighs deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. "Exams are gonna kick my ass. This suuuuuuucks."

 Then his eyes sort of drift over to Futaba. He blinks, kind of shocked to see the girl outside of her room. Maybe she was a lot better off than he assumed. He looks at the girl blankly. "Oh, sup?" He is a master wordsmith.

 His eyes move over to Ichika as her and Tsubasa enter, grinning as he takes in Ichika's look. "Hey guys. Party is just startin'."

 Ask her questions, huh?

 Ryuji scratches the back of his head, looking up at the ceiling as he fishes for a question. "How about...Whats your favorite manga?" He isn't sure if that's a good one but he was sure sports weren't something this girl was into. "I know you mentioned liking Akiba so you probably are into all sorts, yeh?" 

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

    "No prob." Here's Tsubasa, in a grey hoodie with a cockatiel over the breast, hiding cyan and yellow hair; their cargo pants, meanwhile, are obnoxiously magenta. It's like they're trying to piss people off with their look, even before you see the fake dark tan they're rocking. (It almost -- but doesn't entirely -- cover the scars over half their body.)

    They're snacking on an onigiri, too. Surely Ryuji invited them to them! Nomph.

    "... you sleep that long a lot?"

    She wasn't literally sleeping the whole time, Tsubasa...

<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.

Haru is here, too! She's dressed in her usual Shujin uniform, with pink zipped-up sweater thrown over it. After Futaba spent a while recovering, Haru was eager to pay her a visit to check on her, along with the rest of the Phantom Thieves. Mindful of giving Futaba some space, Haru stands near the back of the group as they make their way to the attic.

"Hello, Futaba-chan," Haru waves, as Futaba briefly sits up to greet them. "Or would you prefer -san?" Futaba says they should ask her questions first, and it seems like all of the Phantoms have some way of easing into it before the heavy topics come up.

As for Haru...

"What kind of tea do you like?" She asks. "Sometimes, a good cup can ease your nerves, right?" 

<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.

    Like some others, Makoto is coming straight from school to be here. Unlike some people... she's still wearing her school uniform in full because it's getting colder and, well...

    The less said about 'suddenly having a united three school festival dropped in her lap' because Principal Kobayakawa doesn't believe in little things like advance warning, the better.

    But she still somehow makes it on time because, well, now that Futaba's recovered, the need to talk with her is urgent and the urge to confirm she's okay now that she's woken up as much so.

    However, there seems to be a little bit to wait while Futaba... focuses on her video game? ...that's something Ichika and Ann can talk to her about.

    ...Really, Makoto's not sure she has much to relate to Futaba on that isn't... dredging up things Futaba's only just fought against and beaten for the first time.

    Still, she does quietly compliment Ren that their onigiri is getting better, especially the fillings. ('If you can get some plums for filling, that's really good for an energy boost on a long day.')

    Still, Futaba opens up the gate for questions and, predictably, she gets a whole bunch at once. "Hey, lets not throw too much at her at once, okay?" Makoto says- going straight into her usual moderation mode. "Take your time, Futaba-chan, you don't have to answer everything at once."

    Then a pause, and a sudden realization. "Or would you like us to call you Alibaba still?" 

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Ren has a curry onigiri for themself too! (Their school shoulder bag is also on their desk; it displays a green clover pin.) They take bites out of theirs every so often, and look over at Futaba also every so often. When their eyes meet, they give her an encouraging nod. She might be a little blank, but this is something she agreed to, and she's already taken the first big step of choosing to see people outside her room of her own volition. It's okay if they take it slow, as long as she's improving. (Take that, Laurent Fontaine.)
    
    "Don't remind me," Ren tells Ryuji dryly of exams, and never mind that they've been doing much better with school and grades over the past few months. "It's gonna be tough with that joint school festival thing, too. I'm tempted to skip out." After all, the Geminids are the same day, and they'll need time to travel out to somewhere where they can be properly appreciated...
    
    Makoto advises pickled plums for energy. ("I've seen them at the grocery store down the street. I'll pick some up later," they reply.)
    
    Futaba bids everyone to ask stuff. Ren nods, then glances out at the others. Social questions, like Ichika's about Futaba's video game, Haru's about her preferred tea, or Ryuji's about her favorite manga, are good to start--they'll help her ease into conversation with everyone. Tsubasa's... well, they have to admit they're curious too, even if Futaba wasn't literally sleeping the whole time. They grin at Ann's more subdued but nonetheless still heartfelt rally cry, but her more direct question about how she's doing is important too--as is Makoto encouraging everyone to slow down, and also double-checking with Futaba what name she prefers at this point.
    
    Ren and Morgana, meanwhile, already had a chance to chat with Futaba the other day. They're both willing to let the others take point here, especially if it means overwhelming Futaba a little less to start. The heavy questions can come a little later. 

<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.

 
QUESTIONS ARE INBOUND. Futaba seeks solace in food. (really, she was already eating, and given that she is the second-smallest person in the room and the smallest biped it's probably good she's putting food in her mouth)

Futaba is chewing when Ichika speaks, so she gets a "mpgh" for a moment, followed by a swallow and an answer. "Otrogia Argosy III the Pillars of Cosmos," she answers Ichika. She takes a deep breath and lets it out when Ichika... speaks more... playing on the go... on the go, which she goes, all the time... Futaba picks up her coffee cup (which is now warm-to-lukewarm) and takes a slurp.

Futaba looks towards Makoto as she asks people not to go *too* fast. There is something grateful in her eyes, even if her answer is the good old fashioned "..." and a nod.

Then it is time for Ann. Ann, in LEATHER HEELED BOOTS and TIGHT JEANS and general ANNTASTIC ENERGY. And she's sitting right there. The plate of onigiri tilts a little to the side of Ann, now, because there is a new gravitational well. "... Aa..."

"MP's been fully refreshed," Futaba settles on, with a single firm nod while *mostly* looking up towards Ann. Then Ryuji speaks.

It's a good question, and Ryuji has some advantages that have built his esteem in the eyes of Futaba Sakura. Like working in a model shop. Her lower lip pushes out as she looks downwards, as if considering. "It's a tie," she tells him. "Slaughter Angel and Pink Dark Boy."

Another onigiri is collected. Tsubasa is contemplated. "Yeh," she says, before eating a chunk of the onigiri, which means the next shooter has to wait for a moment. Futaba does look at Tsubasa for another second or so. Maybe committing their look to memory; or appreciation for a simple question.

Haru. Her chewing slows for several moments at the question. "... um... Either's OK... I like coffee better, but sencha's good." A beat. "... Calms your nerves..." That's quieter, to herself.

"... It's just the name I used online," she answers Makoto's other question, at last. "... I've had a couple of aliases, so... It made it easier when my heart was distorted, so thank you all for calling me that. Now, it's whatever, though. You have cooler code names." 

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

Talking! Ann has the recovery questions covered, at least. But Ichika grins back at Ryuji and sits with him and with Tsubasa. She leans a little Ryuji's way at the moment.

The questions seem easy enough to start with for Ichika, anyway, and she hopes that starting with little things will make her more comfortable... but the simple truth is that Ichika doesn't have a lot of experience with Futaba, so it might go totally differently!

Ichika is... not familiar with that game. "I mostly just borrowed my brother's games," she admits.

"Oh, I saw a lot of Pink Dark Boy at that con," Ichika says. "Especially the--" Pause. She should not talk about the adult doujins to Futaba. "...Custom stuff."

Instead, she considers coffee. And the matter of aliases...

"Thanks," Ichika says of code names. "Mine's pretty simple," she admits. "Then I'm gonna call you Futaba-chan, and you can call me Ichika," Ichika says to Futaba, with all the standard sukeban delivery one might expect of her back at school. "...How are you liking it being over here?" she decides to go for a little harder one. 

<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.

"Ohhh, picked plums are seriously good," Ann Takamaki chimes in to the suggestion of onigiri fillings.

"Oh! Oh! Or candied plums! Sooooo goooooooood."

... She might not know the assignment, though.

"They'll give you a crazy jolt of energy, too!"

--Maybe?? Like many things regarding Ann Takamaki, this is a confusing and complex issue.

Still, right now? Right now Ann's focus is on Futaba; as the orange-haired girl answers Ichika's question, interest alights Ann's fair features. ("Oohhhh, I've wanted to try that one!") But it's as Futaba stalls in answering her that Ann pauses. Pale brows bounce up in brief alarm, before cresting inward in a nose-crinkle of concern as she drops down into a crouch in front of the bespectacled girl.

"Oh no -- are you okay? We didn't go too fast, did we?? Do you need some candied plums???" worries Ann, not noticing that she's rapid firing more questions at poor Futaba. Fortunately--

MP's been fully refreshed.

She gets an answer. And a firm nod. A soft 'phew!' of a sigh escapes pink lips.

"Oh! That's good," Ann says. A second passes. Her nose twitches and her lips purse. "--I think."

Look. Ann is a gamer. The type of gamer with a healthy divide that does not include using gaming terms in every day life!!

Still, as the others ask their questions, Ann straightens back up, arms folding over her midsection as she listens in. She looks s l o w l y sidelong towards Ichika at the mention of 'custom con stuff' before her attention shifts back to Tsubasa.

"I remember when I got out of Kamoshida's Palace for the first time, I was out like a light for, like. The whole rest of the day. It's seriously exhausting, y'know?" Of course they all know that. But, considering Futaba's a shut-in whose nutritional make-up seems to consist of around 90% Gremlin Energy Juice by volume, it's no wonder she was out of it longer.

Talk of the Palaces, however, broach the deeper subjects of concern and wonder -- and for now, Ann feels pretty comfortable easing into it, offering a bright, pleased grin at Futaba's observation.

"Hee hee. Pretty kickass, right? We came up with all of them ourselves!" Her expression flattens just a bit as she throws a thumb over her shoulder Ren's way. "They wanted to call me Sexy Cat."

She looks. Dead serious about this.

--

"Oh! You can just call me Ann though!" 

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

"Ooo. Yeah those are interesting picks." Ryuji nods as he starts to sort of understand what kind of person Futaba was. Maybe. He isn't an expert despite working in the holy land of otaku culture.

 He leans into Ichika and his grin grows as he scratches the bridge of his nose. "Yeah. That con was a lot of---Wait---oh, yeah that's probably fine to say and not yaoi." Ryuji is good at keeping things a secret. God help us if he is ever questioned by the police. Ha..ha..

<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.

"Oh! I'm more accustomed to tea, but I've been taking a liking to coffee lately, too." Haru agrees, continuing to make some light small talk with Futaba. "It has a rather rich taste to it, doesn't it?"

She nods at Makoto when she suggests not overwhelming Futaba with questions. "Sorry, Futaba-chan. As a group, we can get quite carried away."

Haru's eyes widen when Ann says that Ren wanted to call her 'Sexy Cat', and giggles. "Oh my! Is that true?" She glances over to Ren. "I can't say I'm any better, though. I almost thought Beauty Thief sounded cool at first, hehe."

Introductions! "You can just call me Haru, though! It's so nice to properly meet you, Futaba-chan." 

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

    "Cool," Tsubasa nods, when Futaba gives them that one-word answer. They look to Ann, too, as they nod again: "Been there. Before any Palace, even."

    It sounded like a question that was way too direct, but it was really Tsubasa sympathising with Futaba--?!

    They do not volunteer their own online handles. (RightBirds, FlockLoaded, featherfreak69, BirdLogic, notthoseboobies...) They don't, perhaps, realise that Futaba's in a position to know them anyway.

    "Ain't bothered," they shrug, to Ren, when they talk about the school festival. Kasugayama's not invited, anyway!

    "... like I said, name's Tsubasa Seki. Take whatever part of that you like. Uh. You?" They're asking whether they should use her first or last name, that is.

    Their own name... "... kinda funny," they reflect, looking up. "I was th' one what figured that kit looked like a phoenix costume... when Akechi-san told me 'bout how our identities got compromised th' more we shared 'em, that's when I figured 'Phoenix' really kinda fit." Beat. "Uh. Came into shit a bit different to these guys," they add, for Futaba, jerking a thumb towards their fellow Thieves. "Th' Joker Killer came for me ass, an' I Awakened out in th' park... was kinda, uh, independent a while, 'fore I took a bite outta everyone an' Joker told me how I'd got confused 'bout who th' real fucko was."

<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.

    C-candied plums? In Onigiri?? "Ann, that might be a bit too much sugar, especially with how many carbs Onigiri are already..." It might be pointless to try to convince Ann that not everyone has the most powerful metabolism on Earth, despite Makoto trying her best.

    Ren, unfortunately, invokes the spectre hovering over Makoto of the 'joint festival', and Makoto sags a bit- before hearing two cursed words. "...No one had better be thinking of skipping out on studying. We're supposed to be not drawing attention to ourselves, remember? " She may have misinterpreted which part Ren is talking about skipping out on. "Especially you two," she says, eyes locking on Ann and Ryuji. Tsubasa's grades picked up this term, so they are free of the Prez's wrath!

    Tsubasa's own comment about the festival makes Makoto sigh again. "...Kasugayama students can still attend, but I imagine it was the Principal and Sevens student council who made that decision. I only found out we were involved today..."

    Silence and a nod is an improvement and Makoto just nods back to Futaba, noting she's been seen.

    "...I was exhausted after the first time in Kaneshiro's palace, and I could barely stand. Then when I got home I was still exhausted but too restless to sleep." ...And that's all of that story she's sharing tonight.

    Makoto does not know what custom con stuff is, but also she doesn't know what Pink Dark Boy is, so she gets to remain oblivious a little longer ...right up until Ryuji mentions Yaoi. "Ryuji!"

    'Sexy Cat'? ...look it's. Makoto can see it but you can go calling a girl Sexy Cat!! And Beauty Thief does kind of suit Haru, if she's honesty...

    "...I seem to recall someone wanting to call me 'Destroyer'," Makoto says a little flatly to Ann.

    Makoto nods, then, at Futaba's answer. "Alright, we'll go with Futaba-chan for now."

    The talk about code names, in fact, raises an important point. "We use those codenames in order to protect our identities inside the metaverse. When it was just the Metaverse, we were doing it to protect ourselves from our targets, but now that we know there's so many other Persona users out there, we have to be careful." Especially since the Wild Hunt found Futaba's palace. "In there, I'm Queen, but I'm Makoto out here." ...how many times is this girl gonna introduce herself to Futaba... 

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    It's not altogether easy for Futaba to answer all those questions--but she does answer them, one by one. (With gamer lingo, even!) Ren gives her a muted but encouraging smile and nod the next time she looks their way. They smile too at what she says about the code names.
    
    "Thanks," they reply. Ann shoots them a judging thumb about their original suggestion for hers, and they can only shrug. "It helped, didn't it?"
    
    After all, what is a Panther if not a Sexy Cat? ...They are fully serious about this, just as much as Ann if not more so. That's your answer right there, Haru.
    
    They wouldn't have figured that Ann would like something as sour as a pickled plum, though, but it's her suggestion about candied plums that surprises them. "Candied plums? In a rice ball?" they utter, dumbfounded for once. ...until they touch a hand to their chin in grave thought, eyebrows furrowed. "Candied plums in a rice ball, huh... How would you make that work..."
    
    They'll have to mull on that later. Ann raises a good point that Awakening really saps your energy after that initial burst of power and euphoria, which Makoto chimes in on, and Ren nods in acknowledgement.
    
    ...So Ichika was looking at yaoi with Ryuji at a con, huh... Somehow, to Ren, that seems like her. At least Ryuji doesn't seem to feel threatened by it. (Futaba can perhaps already see what Haru means about this group tending to get carried away. At least Yusuke's being quiet? If, indeed, he's actually here. *spooky sting*)
    
    "Yeah, you wouldn't be. You don't have to participate; you can just show up for the good part at the end if you want," Ren remarks to Tsubasa. Kasugayama might not be invited to do something for the festival, but they can still attend it, after all. Makoto wilts about it, though, and she did indeed misinterpret which part Ren meant, but it is a reminder that skipping the Christmas Village would bring attention to them. They huff a sigh and look towards the ceiling in silence as Makoto weighs in on that matter, too.
    
    They've got an important alternate perspective, though, not just on the codenames but on their Awakening and how they joined The Phantoms in the first place. They all might have helped Futaba change her heart, but she isn't a member of the team; she could always decide she'd rather not, and they don't plan on pressuring her otherwise if so.
    
    With that first round of questions done, the toughness starts to ratchet up--like how's she liking being over here, as opposed to her room. Ren's smile fades. Between that and the codenames (they and Morgana already introduced theirs earlier), this is the time to start segueing into Palace matter. The most lightweight question they can think of to start with is--
    
    "Incidentally, do you know a Prof. Laurent Fontaine? From Tokyo University?" 

<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.

 
"That makes sense," Futaba answers Ichika. "It's got realistic characters and the art style's pretty distinct. He didn't put any girls in it until an editor told him to." Which may seem like a non-sequitur but Ichika may 'Get It'.

But she has another question. Futaba's eyes turn to the side. "... it's OK. I guess it's a lot like home."

And speaking of sides: "Uuah..." She doesn't seem to have a strong opinion about plums. Futaba puts the rest of the onigiri in her mouth though she doesn't start chewing until Ann begins to speak more about a palace. Which also gives her a chance to chew. "... That makes it sound like you're a cat themed team," Futaba judges about the hypothetical 'Sexy Cat' name. She's already taken another bite of the onigiri but from the lift of her eyebows, she has recorded the update.

"I know about BL," Futaba informs Ryuji, even if he does not seem to share her love of somewhat inexplicable complex martial-arts sci-fi manga or the profound quality of Pink Dark Boy. She reaches up to adjust her glasses. They gleam.

"... Nice to meet you," she says to Haru, before her mouth actually forms a sort of weird smile for a moment which may look like mutual laughter. Tsubasa speaks up which brings in other elements. Looking back at them, she asks, "Are you... allies with him? Uh... Akechi. Or is it a different Akechi. Not, not the detective. ?"

Yes, "?" was a distinct phoneme.

Her eyes return to Makoto, who is speaking of a dark and portentious scheme involving those secret centers of power - the student councils - but before she can really dig in, Futaba is updated about the code name. "Would the targets overhear you? I guess you'd have to speak with them, like with me, to get the info." She assumes.

"Queen," Futaba says, nodding at Makoto. Then she looks around. Ryuji gets got first: "Skull." Then Ann: "Panther, like you said." Then Tsubasa: "Phoenix." Ichika: "Ogre." She sounds slightly less certain. After this, she picks up the coffee cup and indicates a sort of arc towards Ren and Morgana, but there's a "Mona... Joker," afterwards, scratching her nose with her thumbnail.

School festivals are in the air..........

-- oh, "Huh?" She's looking at Ren now, with surprise. "How did you know that?"

"... I was emailing him about that TV special," Futaba continues, scratching her cheek with her thumbnail. She sounds guilty, somehow, instead of that ':| but perhaps warming up gradually' tone she's been holding. "... He actually wrote back. Several times... It was kind of nice. His Japanese was really good, too." ... "I guess it was good on TV," Futaba muses further, "even if he could've had a graduate student ghost-write his emails. That's the simplest explanation."

"I was using a burner account, though," she concludes to Ren and everyone present, before putting more onigiri in her mouth, preventing immediate explanations on what that means. 

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

Ryuji slinks back in his chair under Makoto's look. He knows the President is serious and he had better perform. The blonde gulps as he tries to find a way to avoid her ire.

 This is not helped when she reacts to him saying 'yaoi'. He retreats further into Ichika's shoulder, like she can protect him. "Fine, fine! I'll try!" He says, trying to remain the pinnacle of cool machismo.

 "Oh right.." Ryuji turns back to Futaba, grinning despite still feeling the effects of Queen's death glare. "I'm Sakamoto, Ryuji but you can call me Ryuji. Also on missions, I go by Skull...it's pretty obvious why....But little do the Phantom Thieves know I have many other codenames! Heh, heh. I'm like a regular Rupan IV...Nah but like for real, I'm a big fan of Titanomachy and Yureka Six.."

 "For real? You know BL...how old are you again?" 

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

"Man," Ichika says, "Sexy Cat's not threatening at all." The tall girl shakes her head. She does look at Haru though. "Beauty Thief, huh?" Ichika says nothing more of the 'custom con stuff', keeping a totally straight face... well, almost totally. She glances back to Ann with a sort of embarrassed expression.

The festival, though, "...I think it's nice," she says, "But sucks that they didn't invite us. You think it was them? Tch."

A shake of her head. She's quietly pleased not to be targeted for her grades now though. She's up to average! She's doing great for Kasugayama! And all it took was a ton of hard work and tutoring!

"Yeah," Ichika agrees. "First night I was at my ex's palace... Well, it was really bad."

She leaves it at that. Yaoi, though! Ichika sighs at Ryuji--but Futaba talks like she Gets It, and Ichika brightens. "Yeah!" she says. The glasses gleam, "Cool, I was worried I was saying stuff you'd find weird..."

But Ren asks a question, and Ichika frowns. "That guy..."

"Yeah! I like Ogre," she says. "It's cool, right?" But then... she was emailing him...

"We met him in the Palace," Ichika says, because it doesn't occur to her to lie. "And some friends of his." She scowls. "Asshole daughter." She nudges Ryuji. "What, she's not supposed to know stuff?" 

<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.

"Oo, if you want to talk shop, Ren, I so have some ideas for onigiri with candied erk?"

Ann Takamaki feels a great disturbance in the Force.

...No one had better be thinking of skipping out on studying.

"Erk."

Especially you two.

"Erk!!"

As if exactly two voices cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced...!

This is Ann, suddenly standing straight-backed with a slight wobble like a plank of wood abruptly snapped into position. Brows lifted, eyes wide, face paling, she lets out a disarming ("Aheheh??") laugh, looks out of the corner of her eye, determines the exfiltration is impossible with the Destroyer directly in her path -- and then slumps forward, shoulders sagging.

"I knowwwwwwwww," she whines, in a way that suggests she actively resists knowing. "I've totally got a study plan all lined up!"

... Does she?

"... It's just... well, the remaster of O-Inari just came out so I figured I'd wait to study until after I played it, y'know, so I don't get any important study information jumbled up with the prettiest video game ever!"

Ann thinks this is a sound strategy for persuading Makoto. However, she's not very confident about it,

"I-Ichika is right! 'Sexy Cat' isn't intimidating at all! A good code name needs to be sexy and dangerous!"

so she hedges her bets by immediately changing the topic of conversation.

She just knows this is gonna work. For her, and for Ryuji--!

"And we're definitely not a cat team! There's only two of us!" Yes, Morgana, you count as part of a cat team. But it also means you share theming with Ann. This is a contradiction you must reckon with.

Ann, for her part, just shakes her head, hands planted on her hips and grumbling just a bit before Haru speaks up about her original name. Beauty Thief. Wow, that feels so long ago...

"Yeah, that was kinda awkward..." Ann admits, because she's got to be honest. She scratches her cheek for a second, thoughtful. "... But, you were so committed to it! It was honestly kinda impressive. I wish I was that confident about things... ... still, uh. Noir is way better."

Futaba goes through, updating, and right on cue -- Makoto invokes the ORIGINAL name that should rightly have been hers. "H-hey!" Ann protests, eyes flying wide. "'Destroyer' is such a great name! It's powerful! It's direct! It's got sexy dangerous energy! And - and - and!" She looks to the others who weren't there before - Haru, Ichika, Futaba, and especially Tsubasa who knows Makoto best--

"I bet everyone would agree with me that it totally fits!!"

Come on -- have her back here!!

For now, though? For now, Ann's expression softens a bit immediately after as she regards Makoto, head tilting. "You've really got a lot of work, huh..." she muses, thoughtful. "Um. Well, if you need any help, I'm sure we'd be happy to lend a hand!" Did she just -- volunteer everyone?? "Or, well -- I will!"

anything to escape studying frankly

(she does not address the yaoi elephant in the room. not right now. she is only so powerful and look at how those glasses are gleaming she'd be overwhelmed in seconds--) 

<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.

"That Professor Laurent guy is such a jerk," Ann asides, bitterly. A second passes. Her brows furrow.

"-- And so is Akechi-san! He's like -- a double jerk!" 

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

    "Ugh," Tsubasa says, of grades, in stoic support of Ryuji and Ann's suffering. Hearing Ann's despair, they offer: "Eh. Makoto-chan'll help ya out."

    ... look, just because they can score high doesn't mean it isn't a total pain in the ass. And it doesn't mean they can't volunteer someone else to do work, either!

    "What?" They ask, looking over to Makoto, hearing her SCANDALISED over the yaoi.

    But Ren suggests they just let everyone else do the work and rock up to enjoy it, and Tsubasa shrugs, reaching over to steal another onigiri. "Suits me." Wait, did Ann volunteer them?! They were gonna slack off!

    "Uh." That's the first eloquent grunt Futaba gets, when she asks whether they're allies with Akechi. They finish chowing down on that onigiri before they answer Futaba. "Shit's complicated," they settle on, at length, compromising their laconic nature just a little to answer her properly. Ann helpfully interjects about Akechi being a big jerk, and Tsubasa nods to her. "He's workin' against us. We ain't allies or nothin'. But before I realised Ren-chan was in this shit, Akechi-san was helpin' me out... well, he said he was, anyway. Thought we were on th' same team, so I shared me secret with him... well, he did tell me how to not eat shit out there, I guess. Since then, uh..." They trail off for a moment, scratching at the side of their neck, looking a touch awkward. "Last time I talked to him, ended up a bit fucked, but I dunno if that's his fault or me bein' a bit... uh. Uh, like... I survived a Psychotic Breakdown, but... I been weird since then anyway, y'know? So... maybe he weren't doin' that on purpose." Shrug. "Dunno."

    Great sales pitch, Tsubasa, they think, as their shoulders hunch and they sink down in their seat. Just tell the girl how you're fuckin' crazy.

    They do, at least, say from within that hunched stance: "Smart." And, a beat later: "Burner's somethin' ain't associated with ya identity," for the Phantom Thieves. "Like gettin' a pre-paid phone... or for email, it's jus' 'bout registerin' for somethin' don't ask for your phone number or nothin'. Fake name, fake birthday... shit like that. Keeps ya gettin' fingered." As in your fingerprints being taken, head out of the gutter, kids.

    They're silent, for a long moment, before they belatedly look to Ann and add: "Yeah. Destroyer's right." It so fits.

<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.

"If slacking on study is a concern, maybe we can have one of those group study sessions again?" Haru suggests to Makoto, blissfully unaware that a group study session is the perfect time to slack off on studying, despite the name. Yeah... maybe they should keep it a third year thing.

"Akechi-san? Well..." Haru trails off, considering how she should put it. "He's a tough one to read, that's for sure.~" She chimes. "He doesn't like the Phantom Thieves, but maybe he likes us?" Or maybe he just likes Ren.

"Ehehe, really? That was so embarrassing." Haru rubs the back of her head, as Ann innocently compliments her commitment to the Beauty Thief bit. "There were so many other Persona users, I fear I've made a permanent impression." At the same time, Haru was completely unaware that Destroyer was in the cards for Makoto.

Haru glances over at Ann, and then over to Makoto, with a dreamy expression. "That's so you!" 

<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.

    Ren takes point on the Wild Hunt question, so that's one thing for Makoto not to focus on. Which is good.

    Because Ryuji at least says he'll try (which Makoto doesn't entirely believe) while Ann... "...In that case, Ann, I can hold on to your game for you until after exams. Then you can get it back after exams." Sorry, Ann, Makoto is entirely serious.
    "You'd have to ask Morgana," Makoto says, as she nods her head to the cat about Futaba's question. "So far they haven't, but it's better to be safe then sorry. Generally we've had to get our information other ways. You're the first person to request us to change your own heart."

    Makoto does not dignify Ann's defense of Destroyer any further- until Tsubasa chimes in in agreement, and Makoto looks more scandalized than she did about the Yaoi. And then Haru supports her??? Makoto kind of... crosses her arms in a huff. "...It makes me sound like I'm a musclehead out of Fist of the Phantom Star..." She grumps. She is grumping. Makoto Niijima has not grumped in front of anyone in years.

    "Oh, y-yes, that would... definitely be a lot of help, Ann." Makoto says, regarding volunteers, as she remembers something else she did earlier in the year. "And a group study session is probably a good idea. Haru, Tsubasa, Ichika and I can work on the shared parts of third year curriculum, and keep an eye on the rest of you." ...did. Did Makoto go along with that just because Haru suggested it? No one will ever know.

    "The detective Akechi," Makoto confirms, with a sigh. "...And no, we're not allies. If anything, he's a hazard- but he hasn't turned us in yet." ...She does shoot Ren a small, apologetic look. "His sense of justice is real, but it's opposed to us." A pause. "...and he's working directly with the lead prosecutor on the Phantom Thieves case, Sae Niijima." Makoto winces a bit- as once again she has to spell out 'yes, actually, my sister is hunting all of us down, so that's another thing to worry about'. Especially given Sae threatened Sojiro and Futaba both...

    She'll leave the explanation of Laurent's involvement to Ren. 

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Ren grimaces at Ann and Ryuji, shrinking away from Makoto's Death Glare of Studying and making excuses--so, so many excuses on Ann's part. It's painful to watch. So much for the candied plum rice balls, or any other candied plum treats...
    
    "It's like Makoto says--a precaution," Morgana chimes in when Makoto says he's the one to ask. Futaba, meanwhile, observes that 'Sexy Cat' would make them sound like a cat-themed team. "And what's wrong with that?" Morgana utters, a hint of outrage in his voice--before he catches himself and adds, "Not that I'm a cat or anything!" Right before Ann says there's only two cats, and clearly means him and herself. He does indeed need a moment to existentially grapple with being themed with Lady Ann, but as a cat.
    
    "We're... not exactly allies," Ren says of Akechi. Tsubasa, Makoto, and to a lesser extent Haru say more on the matter, rather more eloquently, so there's not much more for them to add besides: "It is the Akechi you're thinking of, though." Pause. Then they clarify, "Goro Akechi, the so-called 'second Detective Prince.'" Just in case the Detective Akechi that Futaba's thinking of is, in fact, Kogoro Akechi, of literary fame. (It's as if their sworn nemesis were named Herlock Sholmes.)
    
    The way Tsubasa talks about him, though... Ren's expression clouds with concern. They're not clear on when this talk they're referencing happened, so they wonder, "Did the two of you ever talk after he helped us out in Kamiya's Palace?" Ren and Akechi talked (duked) it out, but Akechi had basically said he was going to reserve his apologies to Tsubasa for Tsubasa. "He and I worked things out afterwards, but if you two haven't..." They rub the side of their neck. "I know I got really mad at the time, but don't let that stop you." Especially if they're going to imply they're at fault somehow--as per their (unfortunate) usual. Makoto's apologetic look meanwhile gets a slight headshake. It's fine; they get it.
    
    Are Futaba and Ryuji really bonding over BL...? Will wonders never cease... Ren quirks a half-smile as they lean their cheek on one hand and is privately glad that both of them definitely have no idea whatsoever about the situationship Ren and Akechi have going on. Surely they won't ever know with how they chuckle--chortle, even--at Ann calling Akechi a double jerk. "I don't know. He's bad, but not worse than Professor Laurent," they say mildly. They'll never, ever know.
    
    Especially with Ann so desperately trying to onboard the others with the idea of Destroyer as Makoto's codename instead of Queen. Ren will not be stepping onto that hotplate, thank you. They will, however, shoot a knowing smile at Ichika when Haru gets dreamy over the idea of that name. Especially when Makoto grumps about it afterwards. That said...
    
    "'Noir' is better, but 'Beauty Thief' had its charms too," Ren offers Haru. "Ann's right. I respect that kind of confidence." Makoto goes along with her suggestion of a group study session too, and Ren nods. "I'm not against it. It helped when you, Yusuke and I did one."
    
    Makoto does have a lot on her plate, huh... Ren is not even a little interested in helping out with Student Council things, even to help a friend, so they certainly don't volunteer. Fortunately, Ann corrects herself out of volunteering everyone else for them. (If only they knew what Makoto has done...)
    
    Futaba expresses her surprise, then an explanation. "Hmm." Ren's frown deepens as they furrow their brows. They know what a burner account is, though Tsubasa's explanation is welcome, and they have no reason to doubt Futaba. That's very bad. This might well give Futaba a panic attack, but especially with Ichika having already spilled the beans anyway (as well as some hot, fresh truth about Isabeau), they decide it's better not to sugar-coat it. They sit upright, then lean forward, hands folded, elbows on their knees.
    
    "It turns out he's also a Persona User--a leader of his own team called the Wild Hunt. After you got in touch with him, he got concerned about you, figured out who you are, tracked you down, and made his way into your Palace. He and his friends were planning to 'save' you by subduing your Shadow, possibly killing it--they weren't completely clear on that. I don't think they understood what they were trying to do either way. Too hopped up on however the rules of their thing work to consider it might be different somewhere else. They sure didn't listen to us when we tried to tell them."
    
    Their frown deepens. As deeply as they loathe the Wild Hunt, they do have to acknowledge one thing: "But it did seem like he wanted to help, even if it also seemed like an ego stroke. You might want to reach out to him, let him know you're doing okay." They shake their head. "That's up to you, though. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to stay far, far away."
    
    They share another glance with the others. Then they look back at Futaba. "That wasn't the only intruder we ran into in there, either."
    
    "That's right," Morgana chimes in, having finally emotionally recovered. "Normally people don't remember what happens in their Palace, but you ended up entering and Awakening in yours--do you recall anything about a man in a black mask?" 

<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.

 
"Pleased to meet you," Futaba tells Ryuji. She's said that a lot. It's probably some kind of stegosaurus-brain reflex.

"Classified," she answers the question of her exact age. She doesn't break her cool about it. If she's kidding at all... After this, though, her eyes turn back towards Ichika. She speaks... of her ex! And his Palace! An ex with a Palace is profound enough bad news that Futaba feels a silent inner 'woaaahhh' at being mature enough to have an ex, despite the obvious down sides.

She finishes off the coffee.

Before making a face best rendered as 'o' at Ichika's update. Her mouth hanging open slightly for a good second.

"... Beauty Thief makes it sound like you steal beauty, too." That's what Futaba thinks, even as Ann cruelly and innocently classifies Morgana once more as a cat, despite his status as an obvious completely normal human suffering from a yokai Persona curse, or something.

But there's other news. He was in the palace?? With friends??? What?? Futaba seems mildly thunderstruck by this, forgetting entirely this stuff about 'grades,' which are, after all, just another way for society to keep her down. Her head turns a little as Tsubasa expresses matters quite concisely: it's complicated. She squirms a little then, bringing her legs up and throwing an arm around them, knees up and chin resting on them.

"... I didn't tell him where I lived," Futaba says, after a few seconds. She's talking about Laurent. But there's bigger, or at least more magnetic issues. Makoto explains more about Akechi. Futaba gives her a small, serious nod. She seems to look like she understands the entire thing now. Futaba's eyes turn to Ren, after.

They're explaining a lot more.

EVEN GOODER NEWS: Futaba doesn't panic. Her eyes do narrow. Is it really something she can handle so easily? (The panic IS going to hit but it's going to come at 11:41 pm tonight, because right now the problem is something completely different in Futaba's mind. A TV show is going to remind her that, implicitly, *Laurent the killer* knows *where she lives*.)

"... I'm going to patch the security on all of your phones and redo everything in the house," Futaba says. Her tone is determined. "I'll do it when you're asleep, so you shouldn't notice. Give me your numbers, including any burners you've still got."

"... After the perimeter's secured, I'll think about the rest."

            (he was trying to help, even then, thinks Futaba)

But then speaks -- MORGANA, THE TUNALESS-- and at such words Futaba's voice is stilled.

"..." Her hand comes up to cup her chin as her eyes turn down.

"... Leaving aside all of you... it's strange, but... huh. Nope," she concludes, "but it made me think of Joker, but Joker's mask was white. Is this like a mental test...?" 

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

Study sessions... "Yeah, uh," Ichika says, "I can help. ...Maybe. I mean, I'm not like, super smart or anything, I just work at it..."

She isn't sure how to feel about Akechi. But Destroyer? Well, "Sorry, Makoto-chan, but 'Destroyer' is really cool. I like Queen, though. It's more feminine, but it's also more ruthless. Like, if you made a Shadow kneel in front of you I wouldn't even be surprised with a name like that."

But Futaba explains... Ichika doesn't recognize the 'whoaaa' because it's just normal for her--she's really Adult. ...Except for the part where she's still not.

"That's what I was thinking too," Ichika says about Beauty Thief. But...

"on our phones?" Ichika asks. "OK, cool. Tsubasa taught me a little about 'encryption'--is that the word?--but I'm down for more. I keep... private stuff on there, and if we can keep our stuff safer..."

Futaba seems smart about this stuff, anyway. And it is strange. No, but...

"Anyway you're really cool, Futaba-chan. You hear all this stuff, learn of all this weirdness, and you just... start doing stuff about it right off."

"...Took me months of running away before I was ready to do anything. So I'm impressed." 

<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.

"Wh--!"

She realizes now. She shouldn't have mentioned the game. She should have kept it secret. Kept it safe.

"... But then I won't be able to play it until after...!"

And now it's going to be absconded with by the Fellowship of the Makoto...

Ann is in the middle of pouting the most precious of all pouts and starry-eyeing the most starry of eyes at Makoto - utterly in VAIN, mind you!! - when everyone agrees with her assessment on Makoto's code name. "Aha!" declares, victorious, grinning from ear to ear and planting hands on her hips. "See? I totally told you. It's so cool! And with the motorcycle, and the way your scarf flows in the wind all dramatic-like..."

Haru is going starry-eyed at the thought; Ann may not be helping, especially with how she holds her hands to her heart and sighs evocatively, as if compelling everyone to just recall in their minds' eyes the way Makoto looks leaning against her bike.

Or, she's helping a ton.

It's all a matter of perspective.

She does notice the look Haru has, though, and a small smile crosses her lips - a smile that becomes a pensive purse the second that Ren says Akechi's 'not as bad' as Laurent. Ann s l o w l y looks sidelong at Ren in much the same way she s l o w l y looked sidelong at Ichika earlier. Sky blue eyes narrow into a squint.

"... Uh huh..."

For now, at least, she seems content to leave it at that. Especially as Ichika promptly distracts her. "--Queen is a perfect code name too, yeah. Like, I can totally see Makoto like that. Aloof and cool, but getting totally flustered when you call it out... ... hmmm..."

Helping, not helping, perspective, etc

More objective is her offer to help with festival things -- which stands, even if it'll, admittedly, be tough to juggle with studying and model work ~~and gaming in secret when Makoto isn't paying attention~~. She just offers a little thumbs up Makoto's way before her attention tilts Futaba's way, brows furrowing as Ren talks about the Wild Hunt.

"... Ugh. Seriously egotistic," she grumbles, wrapping arms aroudn herself, eyes hooding and brows knitting. "And dangerous. What if they did whatever they were gonna do to Futaba-chan's Shadow? ... What if they do it to someone else...?"

A part of Ann realizes that this probably isn't making Futaba feel safe, when this Laurent guy was able to find out who she is. As the orange-haired NEET goes into all the very complicated-sounding ways she can beef up their cyber security and also physical security, Ann blinks.

... I'm going to patch the security on all of your phones... I'll do it when you're asleep, so you shouldn't notice.

Ann clears her throat, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Err. Thanks? That's... totally cool?" And a little creepy!! but she doesn't want to discourage Futaba when she just got freed from the horrors haunting her!! what a dilemma!!

"A-anyway, it'll be okay! Your Palace is gone now, so those Wild Hunt jerks won't be able to target it anymore!"

Cold comfort, maybe. But as the topic of the Black Mask comes up, Ann looks Futaba's way with interest. When she realizes she can't seem to remember anything, though... those fair features soften in sympathy. Ann shifts.

-=flmph=-

And Futaba will find the bed bouncing once under her as Ann flops beside her, offering an arm around the smaller girl's shoulder in a supportive hug. Sudden -- contact!!

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to push yourself. You only just recovered, after all. Besides!"

And here, Ann smiles. Brightly. Supportively.

"We should focus on more fun things for now! You've been stuck inside that house for so long! We should totally get out and celebrate!"

D a m n i n g l y . 

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

    "Smart," Tsubasa comments, when Futaba classifies her age.

    "You'd love starrin' there, don't front," Tsubasa rumbles, helpfully, when Makoto protests that she's not some Fist of the Phantom Star musclehead.

    Don't tell other people not to front, Tsubasa, you live in the most TRANSPARENT glass house --

    But Haru makes a suggestion, and Makoto rolls with it, and Tsubasa sighs. "Sure, sure," they wave a hand, going along with her, in turn. Maybe that means the vibe between Haru and Makoto is totally normal...!

    (Though, the word for the vibe between Makoto and Tsubasa is more 'comfortable', or perhaps 'familiar'... and there's more than one reason to feel that way.)

    "'Beauty Thief's pre' catchin' too, tho'," they add, thoughtfully, looking to Haru. Futaba points out the obvious, but according to them: "Stealin' aesthetics... it's good shit." Their nails are painted, and they are wearing makeup, even if their cyan and blue is more like warpaint than anything.

    "Be cool, man," they offer, in turn, to Morgana. "You were jus' defendin' Ann-chan, right? We know you ain't no cat." Well, they know that. Does Ann know that...? They shoot a look to her, to suggest she had better.

    They rub at their neck, looking to Ren. "Uh, thas' th' thing," they shrug, their gaze darting away a moment later. "That was how he was makin' up for it... it's why I don't reckon he meant to fuck me up or nothin'. Y'know. 'Cuz he was apologisin'."

    Apparently, all their pessimism can't stop them from trying to interpret Akechi's actions charitably...

    They listen, in turn, as Ren explains the Wild Hunt. "Huh... so that's who that foul-mouthed crone was workin' with? Dunno who she was, but she hit like a truck. Uh, guess it woulda been handy if I'd remembered more 'bout what she said, but..." They shrug, a hand still grasping their neck. "Got too mad, shit all fell outta me head."

    Berserking that hard is probably fine. Don't even worry about it.

    (Maybe worry about it.)

    "... freaky shit," they agree, looking to Ann as she worries about what they could do to the next person with an exposed Shadow. "Fucks can't be good. Let's fuck 'em up."

    Futaba talks about patching their security, though, and Tsubasa scowls. "Like... all of 'em?" THEY HAVE MORE THAN ONE?! "Uh..." They're reluctant, clearly -- but hearing Ichika agree seems to warm them over. "... aight. Get 'em to ya."

    A moment's more awkwardness, a shifting glance, and they look -- not at Futaba, people like Ann might especially notice. They look to the left of her; in her direction, but not demanding eye contact.

    "... hey. Reckon you can bug me mom's phone while ya at it? I got her number an' everythin'. Uh, I ain't jus' stalkin' her for no reason, she's due to turn into one a them Joker freaks an' kill everyone if I reckon right. Ichika said I better not move back home to keep an eye on that, so... if I can listen in on her shit, might be we can figure out she's turnin' before... y'know."

    Embarrassed, they trail off. "... uh, worry 'bout that later," they add, with another glance to Ann. "Yeah. You still fucked. It's cool. Might be ya remember, maybe not... I don't remember th' Black Mask attackin' me Shadow neither, so... that's normal."

    They shrug, again, and with more emphasis.

<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.

    "You too, Ichika?" Makoto says, defeat creeping into her voice. She thought Ichika, at least, would understand Makoto feeling uncomfortable with something so... 'manly' sounding. She's not sure Ichika's description of who she is as Queen is helping either. Ann is not helping. "...if you want, I can hold on to the game until you end up in the top half of your year, Ann." The Queen is without mercy, even for gamers. And she has nothing on Ichika, so Ann must suffer all her wrath.

    And then Tsubasa just walks up to the land mine, picks it up, and smirks as they detonate. "...Are you volunteering to help me practice for my next black belt exam, Tsubasa-kun? I've had a shortage of training partners lately." ...oh. Yes. Innocent Makoto-chan has a mean streak now.

    Futaba says she didn't give Laurent her address, and Makoto shakes her head. "Apparently, there are other ways to get into Palaces besides the Metanav app. It's unlikely he knows where you live. And Ren's right, he claimed he wanted to get you the help you needed. It's just... I don't think his methods would help."

    "...That's a good idea. We haven't had anyone with computer expertise so far, so extra security on our communications makes sense. And Futaba's a good guy using a backdoor into the system, nothing could go wrong with that, right? Futaba's a good hacker for their cause!

    She says nothing about Tsubasa wanting their mom's phone bugged. After all, it's not like they're the only one considering similar ideas. Tonight, though, she says nothing. 

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Futaba confirms she didn't tell Laurent where she lives. "Mmm," Ren non-answers. They figured as much, but that continues to be very bad. Ichika's right, though; Futaba's taking this in stride, and they're impressed too. Ren nods agreement.
    
    Ann gives them the s l o w e s t of side-eyes. "... what," they utter, even as a bead of sweat twinkles on the side of their (now much more moisturized) face. They know how sharp Ann is when it comes to matter of the heart... Makoto, however, might prove a good distraction as she also proves Ren's good sense in not stepping on that hotplate. Poor Ann... Poor everyone else... including Makoto herself.......
    
    "R-right! That's exactly right," Morgana says to Tsubasa, perking up. He truly appreciates how they always have his back on that matter. Still, he shoots Ann a worried look and adds, "If it's just about the aesthetics, I understand why Lady Ann would say that! It's not a problem!"
    
    Ren's frown deepens when Tsubasa explains that was when Akechi was apologizing to them. "I see," they murmur. However, they've reached the point where they want to interpret Akechi's actions charitably too, so they nod. "You're probably right; he probably didn't mean to. He can be surprisingly awkward when it comes to being real with people." Even if it should make them worry, like memories falling out of Tsubasa's head due to BERSERKER RAGE makes them worry.
    
    "All right," Ren says of security patches. They assume 'everything in the house' means her house and not Leblanc. The 'while you're sleeping' bit is off-putting, but if she gets their phones first, it's not like she's remotely hacking into them without their prior knowledge or consent, right? Right. Similarly, bugging Tsubasa's mom's phone, for a matter closer to home, is... maybe not the most ethical thing but sure beats the pants off of Tsubasa going anywhere near her.
    
    "The more security, the better." Especially when there are members of The Phantoms who are not good at keeping their mouths shut, as Ryuji demonstrated earlier. At least right now they're among friends. "Whatever you decide to do, let us know. At least one of us will be able to help you out." Even if it's just them and/or Morgana.
    
    Ann brings up another good point: just because the Wild Hunt won't be able to hurt Futaba anymore doesn't mean they won't try again with someone else. Ren bows their head, a chill running down their spine. Makoto reassures Futaba on the matter, and Tsubasa asserts the team will fight them as needed, but it's impossible to ignore that the Wild Hunt is a dangerous combination of confident and wrong. "...Let's keep a closer eye on the Phan-Site," they murmur. "Just in case."
    
    However, Morgana asks of the One in the Black Mask... and sure enough, Futaba doesn't know what he means. Ren breathes a faint sigh. They're not thrilled to have to inform her of another scary thing, but she took Laurent in stride. This should be fine. "He's an enemy of ours--he doesn't have a codename, so people just refer to him by the color of his mask," they explain. "He goes around in Palaces causing havoc, and we ran afoul of him in yours. While we were fighting a crazed Shadow--" maybe that'll kick off something in Tsubasa's mind, and maybe not, "--he went off to question your Shadow, then pulled a gun on her. We barely managed to chase him off long enough for her to get away."
    
    "Now that your heart's been changed and your Palace is gone, he won't be able to get at you that way again either," Morgana adds. "I just wonder how he knew about you... At least we've got an explanation for the Wild Hunt, but he's still one big mystery."
    
    If any of them had heard the Black Mask's conversation with Shadow Futaba, it would have illuminated much--but alas, Mot had other plans for The Phantoms.
    
    Since that is a dead end, though, Ann makes a wonderful, damning suggestion. Morgana perks, sensing an opportunity to earn brownie points and support a damsel in need at the same time. Gentleman! "Excellent idea, Lady Ann! If we all spend some time with Futaba, one or two at a time, it should help her get used to people!" he chirps. "Even if she doesn't join us, it's still part of our duty and our agreement to help her change into the person she wants to be!"
    
    Ren nods agreement. "Morgana and I already did, so the rest of you, make sure you reach out and do the same, if you can." They shoot Futaba a look--not quite a sideways, indirect look like Tsubasa's, but they did notice that and they do avoid direct eye contact, at least. "And if Futaba's open to it."
    
    Certainly this might be a good opportunity for Ichika to tag them for going to Futaba's room and cleaning it up sometime in the near future. For now, there's phone security things--and fun social things--still to do. 

<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.

 
"Encryption's important. You might have already gotten a good setup. Let me know if you have anything set up that you need to keep," that last part from Futaba is aimed at Tsubasa, who may have grown in stature in the logical steles that form the record of Futaba's memory. Someone who knows what encryption is.

But, Futaba fears, they might have rolled their own cryptography.

"If it's one you use, it needs an audit," Futaba tells Tsubasa, with complete seriousness. Then they have another question. Her head tilts up a little.

'can you bug my mom's phone?'

"'kay," Futaba agrees with a nod. Though after that she looks back to Ann. "What was she like? My... Shadow, I mean. I thought she was cruel. But..." And then she leans forwards, chin back on her knees. "... she was right about everything."

(The good news for people is that this is more or less imperceptible at the current phase of things. Mostly, Futaba is going to go in and turn off some of the obvious casual methods of intrusion on a first place. More detailed things may require time and resources... build your network security to get the drop on Shadows!)

"... So he tried to kill her, and now she's just part of me?" Futaba asks Morgana, with a more startled sort of look. "... I remember I was thinking 'this is really the inside of my heart?'..."

She does not sound like she was astounded. BUT THEN

    BOUNCE

        FLUMPH

HUG?!

Futaba's eyes go like o_o as she is suddenly Annhugged from the side, squeezed forwards. She goes limp; Ann might as well be rolling a girl-sized pill-- bad example, a large mannequin! But once the hug loosens, she says, stuttering a little, "A-aa... nnh..."

Was it too far?

Too much?

Too hard, too soon?

Futaba's hand trembles - then clenches.

"You're completely right! I have to get..." ... get... get what? Futaba trails off as if she had her wires cut partway through the full declaration. Her hand uncurls.

But it's a journey that's begun. And she's proved it, just by moving less than 60 meters to get here.

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