2026-08-16: Like Us
- Log: Like Us
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Hana Fukami
- Where: Red Light District - Crossroads Bar
- OOC Date: August 16, 2026
- IC Date: December 26, 2012
- Summary: Hana Fukami happens to come to Bar Crossroads when one 'Ran Umemura' is working. Ran keeps her company for a while, and they talk about things they couldn't with the average person elsewhere.
(|=================== Red Light District - Crossroads Bar ====================|) -===================================================== Tokyo/Shinjuku Ward ====- The door to this bar is hidden away beside a staircase and some discarded traffic signs, nestled in a hole in the wall, CROSSROADS emblazoned on a white sign lit up in pink. (There's a cute little snail, dragging along the end; the proprietor's personal logo.) A warm heart of a WELCOME sign draws visitors into this pink-lit bar, rows of nothing-too-fancy alcohol held behind a bar with purple backrest barstools. A classy plaque between the shelves informs visitors how much each drink costs, with a toaster oven and a small fridge tucked away behind the bar. Various hand-held musical instruments are scattered around to let patrons participate in the music softly playing, with posters for various music properties like 'The End of the Last' plastered across the walls. There are more private nooks in the bar, too, with curtains which can drawn across to allow one to have an intimate conversation. The proprietor, Lala Escargot, is a big woman with a big heart who walks as slowly as her namesake; a trans woman in Shinjuku, she is wise to the nightlife of the city, and she always makes sure to look out for any youngsters who come into her establishment.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
The Christmas Eve and Day that just passed are easily the best that Ren's had in a long, long time--maybe ever. Alas, they had to say goodbye to Goro eventually, but their good mood remains, and shows in how they smile more easily and more often, in how their movements are lighter and a little bouncier.
This applies too to when they're dressed in their forest green kimono and made up as 'Ran Umemura,' working a shift at Bar Crossroads cleaning the bar, washing dishes, chatting up patrons and passing on orders to Lala Escargot, the proprietress. Several of the regulars who've been here for her shifts in the past comment on how there's just something different about her. Lala hits the nail on the head before her shift, even: she's clearly in love.
Ren--Ran--doesn't deny it. She's happy not to deny it.
When a new costumer (or at least, new to her) arrives while Lala's busy entertaining someone else, Ran bows to her. "Welcome," she says warmly as she rises. "Please have a seat wherever you like. One of us will come take your order shortly."
<Pose Tracker> Hana Fukami has posed.
For all that Hana Fukami has a lot more to worry about than she did a week ago... Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were both wonderful. She wasn't anywhere close to the bad luck of Sumaru; she was seeing some people very close to her.
Today, she is back in the red light district and in good spirits. She's a little contemplative, but it's hard to stay in a bad mood where she's going. She hasn't been in a while, but...
Hana arrives to Ran's greeting here! She's in pink, with dark hair and long nails. She lights up when Ran rises again. "Thank you," she says, also warmly. "I will!"
She might sit at the bar--but later, she's going to meet someone. Not immediately, though; she knows she's early... which means she's going to want some company for the waiting!
Hana picks a table across from the bar area, seating herself and sighing once.
It's nice, in the midst of everything, to be in a friendly place.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Fortunate, wasn't it, that Ren had their date and overnight stay in their home turf rather than Goro's? But surely that's just a coincidence. It's usually Goro coming to see Ren anyway. Tokyo is practically his second home.
"Oh, it's Hana-chan. I haven't seen her in an age," Lala comments when she returns, her wide lips curving up into a smile when she sees her seated. "I just know we'll spend ages gabbing once I get to her table, so could you take her order and say hello for me for now, Ran-chan? Let her know I'll be right with her."
Once Ran bows her acknowledgement, Lala's off to the next table. It's fairly busy tonight, though at least not slammed.
So Hana does have to wait, but not for more than five minutes before Ran gets to her table with a pad of paper and a pencil. "So sorry for the wait," she says, bowing to her. "Lala-san said hello and she'll be with you as soon as she can--but for now, what can we get you for tonight?"
<Pose Tracker> Hana Fukami has posed.
Hana waves to Lala-chan in passing on her way over, but doessn't try to get her attention much more than that yet. Instead, she lets Ran seat her, and indeed, she does sit down. The first minute or two are just spent relaxing and being glad she's off her feet; those stairs in these heels are a bit of work! She gets out her phone, checks her texts, and...
Ran arrives! "I thought she seemed a little busy," Hana answers with another smile. "It's not a problem." For now... "Hmmm. My usual bottle and some edamame?" she asks. She has some drinking to do tonight.
"But tell her I'd be happy to sit and talk with you for a while too, if you don't mind. Sa-chan will be along later."
Presumably, Lala will know who that is.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ran bows again after taking the order and passes it on. As it turns out, when Lala hears that Hana's open to letting Ran entertain her...
"That would be good practice for you. She's sweet, so she won't put you through your paces like some--and she's like you and me," Lala adds with a significance to her words. "I'll bring her her order, since it's still got alcohol, but I'll let you chat her up afterwards. All right?"
And so it comes to pass that Lala comes by at least to say hello and serve a portion of the sake from Hana's usual bottle in a smaller bottle and matching shot cup along with that edamame, chat for a minute, and then let her know about 'Ran.' Not too long after that, Ran is back and seats herself across from her.
"Lala-san told me a bit about you, Fukami-san," she says with another, more shallow bow. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm Ran Umemura, and Lala-san is kindly allowing me to work part-time here."
<Pose Tracker> Hana Fukami has posed.
When Lala shows, Hana practically has flowers appear over her head. She's very happy to see her, and to get to talk if only for a minute. "Thanks, Lala-chan," she says after that, and when Ran arrives, Hana has already taken one of the shot cups and, lifting it to greet Ran, takes a drink.
"And a little about you for me!" she confirms, setting down the glass and smiling back. "Lala-chan has an eye for people," Hana says. "If she likes you, I'm sure I will, too. And you're so pretty, Umemura-san!"
"Meanwhile, I'm sure she only told you good things," Hana assumes cheerully. "It's very nice to meet you, too," she finally adds. "So, before I launch into my story..."
Her eyes sparkle a little. "How do you like it here? I haven't gotten to visit in ages, so I'm clearly not up on the latest."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Metaphorical flowers bloom over Ran's head at Hana's compliment, and she raises a hand to her chest. "Thank you very much," she replies, glowing. She'd invited Goro to come visit her here sometime when she's on a shift, and that isn't going to be tonight, but she's excited for him to see her as pretty as Hana's said she is.
"Of course," she adds of only good things. (It was barely anything, but it was still only good things.)
Hana prompts her to talk first, and that makes sense, since she just got her order and presumably wants to drink and eat a bit first. "I enjoy it very much. I have a few part-time jobs, but this one is my favorite," she replies, sparkling a bit. "Everyone I talk to is so fascinating, and I get to wear these beautiful clothes and look gorgeous in public."
She thinks again of Goro coming by and what his reaction would be to seeing her, and she brings that hand to her face to demurely hide how her smile grows for a moment.
<Pose Tracker> Hana Fukami has posed.
Hana can see a certain glow. But she doesn't know Ran well enough to identify just what it is.
She takes a few of her edamame to soak up the sake she intends to drink first, and listens to Ren. A few part-time jobs... "Industrious," Hana comments, and smiles even more warmly when Ran mentions the beautiful clothes and looking this way in public. "Hmm~! I understand," she says. "When I was younger, getting to come places like this and dress how I wanted... It was freeing in a real way. But the people who come to these places are so interesting! ...Ahaha, that sounds terrible when I include myself, but you know what I mean, I hope. The community is so diverse, so sparkling."
"Of course, I have some experience with it; I've been living in Shinjuku since my university days."
"Let's see... I don't get to come as often, now that I'm busy with my talk show, but I've been coming to this place for a few years now, since I first met Lala-chan. I come alone or with friends; the company here is very good either way."
"When I first came here, I was a very different kind of cute," she laughs faintly. "I still appreciate a good suit, though I don't wear them so often anymore myself. Getting to dress up now and then helped me get a glimpse into the life I wanted. ...Though it didn't have to; a young man taking on the woman's role is a time-honored tradition in Japanese theatre, after all."
She starts to pour herself another drink, pausing a moment to give Ran a chance to talk, too.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Thank you," Ran repeats at the compliment. (She doesn't mention she currently has eight part-time jobs. It's just whenever they have a shift available and she has the time, anyway, she isn't working all of them all the time. ...Maybe it'll turn out that way depending on how the rest of high school goes, though.)
She nods when Hana shares her own experiences, then nods again with a more slight smile as she continues. It really is freeing, all the more so knowing that this is part of a larger community that nonetheless is welcoming to all and thus all welcome everyone else. As long as the cops don't show up, that is. But Ran doesn't want to welcome any cops anyway.
"I've never tried kabuki. Maybe I should have," Ran muses. She never tried playing an instrument before this year either, and now, after much practice in soundproof karaoke bars when they have money to spare and Inokashira Park when they don't, she's gotten pretty good at the saxophone. Earmark it for the future, maybe. "What's the name of your talk show, Fukami-san? Lala-san didn't mention."
<Pose Tracker> Hana Fukami has posed.
Eight!!! That would make Hana worry, though it helps that Ran just takes it whenever she has time, rather than trying to balance them all for consistent weekly hours... Maybe.
Hana isn't super fond of the police herself, though she isn't an active secret criminal, either. ...For now. "Oh, kabuki's beautiful," Hana encourages. "And there are opportunities for amateur participation, too. I actually primarily studied theatre in university--my field was actually Comparative Literature and Arts, but I made an emphasis there. It's where I learned my passion for film, too. But the stage is still an old friend. I always recommend the arts to young people--you never know what you'll learn about yourself."
"Oh, it's Flower Talk!" she says. "It airs when you'd be at school," she assumes, "So you won't probably have seen it. My co-hostess and I primarily talk to housewives as our audience, but we get all sorts of interesting guests." Like one of these days that Goro Akechi! ...Well, she's not going to drop his name just to impress a nice girl; she has more discretion than that.
"Though I suppose the schools are on break," she realizes. "Well. Tonight at least I'm celebrating the fact that we've finalized a deal on the place we want to stay. It's..."
She considers how to put it, "Well. A lot of places are reluctant to rent to two 'men'," she sighs. "That is, myself and my boyfriend. You can see the difference, of course, but some people... Well. With Sa-chan and Ya-chan, too, it's four of us--and a lot easier to go for something bigger."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren makes a 'hehhh' sound to indicate interest and understanding when Hana explains she studied theatre in college. Kabuki is beautiful, even if they've never participated in it themselves; certainly they understand and adore performing in front of others. ...even if they can't do that anymore. They nod as she recommends the arts and mention, "I'm learning to play the saxophone right now, if that counts."
Flower Talk. They've never heard of it. If it's aimed towards housewives, Sojiro would definitely never have it on the TV at Leblanc, either. "When does it air, and on what channel? I ought to see if I can catch it one day while I'm on break," she says, right before Hana acknowledges that herself. Ran smiles again.
It fades into a more worried look at her description of her troubles finding a place to rent to her and her boyfriend. Still, at least she did find something, along with a couple of other friends from the sound of it. "It seems like it would be less lonely, too, having your friends there," she remarks. "I'm glad you all were able to find something nice."
At least, she hopes it's nice and not just what they settled for. It's far too far in the future to think about seriously, but she wonders what she'd do if she and Goro decided they wanted to move in together... His apartment is also his agency, so he'd be unlikely to want to move out, but she doesn't really want to move away from Tokyo right now, either. Then again, he's about to graduate, and depending on where he goes to college (and Ran has no doubt he will go to college), maybe he'll end up local after all. That's something to hope for.
If she even gets to stay in Tokyo for her third year. That's something else she doesn't know. She ignores the lump that rises in her throat every time she considers this topic and wonders, "So then that's the Sa-chan you mentioned earlier? Are Ya-chan-san and your boyfriend coming too?"
<Pose Tracker> Hana Fukami has posed.
"It definitely counts!" Hana says brightly. "I like the saxophone. I hope learning it is fun!"
"Mornings at 10," Hana says. "On Tokyo TV. If you can tune in, that would be great! I think you'll like my co-host--she's very... bright." That's the best way she can think to put it in a single word.
The worried look makes Hana a little apologetic, but it's better not to hide the good or the bad from someone young looking ahead. "It is!" she agrees. "We've all become very close, over the last while. I don't want to imagine my life without any one of them."
It's very nice!! The question, though--well, maybe Ran will have to think about it for herself, sometime.
"That's right!" she says. "In fact... Sa-chan is kind of... well, we were friends, but now I think she's more of a girlfriend? In addition to her being with Ya-chan. It's something I wasn't really looking for at first--the last time I was with a woman it went..." She considers how to put it. "Well, it didn't end well. But this is different. So if anything it's more wonderful that we all get to live together."
"So tonight it's just her; I had my romantic evening with Teruo--that's his name--on Christmas Eve. Sa-chan's name is actually Emisa--she's..." She considers how to describe her. "Incredibly brave, and very warm. She's always so confident. I really admire that about her. I need a few drinks before I can be half as brave as she is," Hana laughs. "But no, it'll be nice. She just has work late, so I thought I'd come early and hang out for a while."
"And I'm glad I did!"
"...Not least because I couldn't share most of this with the average person; people like you and me, though, we can understand these things. Right?"
"But how about you? Do you have someone special?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"It is. I've always liked the way it sounds, but I didn't decide to start learning until someone encouraged me to go for it," Ran replies. So-young might not have been able to do the teaching herself, but her connections were invaluable for setting Ren up with the right teacher and lesson plan.
For all that she looks worried, Ran does appreciate Hana being direct and honest with her. So often adults just... lie to kids, even kids on the cusp of becoming adults too, about what adult life is going to be like. Ran would rather hear the harsh truth than get coddled by gentle lies.
Her eyebrows go up a bit when Hana explains the nature of her relationship with her new roommates, but only a bit. That's because: "Oh, so you're a polycule?" ...She'd heard of it before Ryuji, Ichika, and Tsubasa started dating, but it was only after them that polycule became part of her regular lexicon.
She softens back into a warm smile as Hana describes Emisa. She really sounds like she loves her and is excited to be with her, both tonight and in general. Ran's truly happy for her. "I hope you both have a wonderful night, then, Fukami-san."
They can understand these things--both plural 'they' and singular 'they.' She nods in agreement.
That last question, though... Ran sparkles again. "Yes," she murmurs. "We only just started going out--our first date was on Christmas Eve."
She doesn't offer more details than that to start. Lala vouched for her, but Ran is always cautious when it comes to sharing personal details with someone she doesn't know for sure will be interested. So many people ask but don't actually want a real answer, and that's okay--Ran likes listening to other people talk--but she'd rather not waste the effort.
<Pose Tracker> Hana Fukami has posed.
"That's how it so often is," Hana reflects. "We only find things we really like with a little bit of encouragement."
Hana indeed doesn't want to be that kind of adult; besides, Ran is almost one herself. It's better that she's prepared.
Eyebrows go up! ...But it turns out fine. "Yes, that's the word," Hana agrees. "Originally we were just two couples who were good friends, but... it sort of bloomed beyond that, after some things happened and brought us closer together. And then eventually I had to admit it wasn't just 'casual' the way I was seeing her, too."
She smiles back. "Thank you," Hana answers Ran of Emisa. "I'm sure we will."
But that sparkle--"Oh, what lovely timing!" Hana says of Christmas Eve. "A really romantic start..."
"Well, I'd love to hear whatever you're comfortable sharing," she says. "It's more fun when a conversation goes both ways, isn't it?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It's true about encouragement. That's why Ren wants to be the kind of person who encourages others towards what brings them to what they truly like, too.
Hana confirms that's what's going on. Ran nods as she listens. "It's not for me, I don't think, but I have some close friends who are in one," she explains; Hana makes her feel comfortable enough that she can explain. "They're all very happy with each other." The worst she's ever heard were Ichika's concerns that Ryuji was putting her on a pedestal, and that was a while ago and they're all still together, so she's pretty sure they've worked it out.
It is a romantic start. Ran sparkles some more, and when Hana encourages her to share what she's comfortable with, she holds back that smile a little less. "Agreed," she replies. "We met this past May, and we've spent a lot of time together since, but I only confessed to him two weeks ago." (A week and a half ago, technically.) She grins a bit, eyes squinting shut with fondness. "I caught him completely off-guard. He's very intelligent, but so dense when it comes to this sort of thing."
Granted, there are some dire reasons for that, but she won't go into those. Ran takes what's told to her in confidence seriously.
<Pose Tracker> Hana Fukami has posed.
It's a good way to be!
"That's fair," Hana says. "I didn't think it would be for me, either, honestly; casual time with someone is one thing, but romance with more than one person? I had my heart broken by infidelity already. ...But somehow it just... all fell perfectly into place." She smiles back. "I see. Good luck to them! It has its difficulties... but I wouldn't change mine now. If anything, I want to get to know Ya-chan better, too!"
Sparkling Rans make Hana smile further. She's happy to encourage her. Then, "Oh ho, so you've had time to build up a relationship," she says, even if not a romantic one yet. "Ah! Two weeks! That's so recent!"
That fondness says everything to Hana; she can tell Ran has strong feelings for this guy. "Haha, I see. Some people can be so dense about these things--but especially boys, I find. Especially the smart ones."
She picks up another cup, and drinks this one, too; she probably won't have much more until Emisa arrives, but it's enough to help her relax in the face of...
Well, what Yua told her. She doesn't dwell on that for now. Instead:
"Well, I hope you can spend even more time with him," she says. "When someone's special like that... I don't think there's a feeling like it in all the world."
There's naturally some secrecy to be had in lives like theirs, in a society they're in--but still, what Ran can share is lovely.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Hana admits she didn't think polyamory would be for her either, but... Ran looks thoughtful at this. It's true that she hasn't given it a fair shake, so she doesn't know for sure if it actually is for her or not. Still, she has no interest in finding out anytime soon. She's very happy with Goro, and she has no desire to give him cause to get jealous.
"Yes. We've had our disagreements and fights, but we've grown very close since then," she replies. Indeed, by the Japanese way of thinking, the closer you are, the more you'll fight. After all, it means you're saying what you really think and not holding back to keep the peace. Ran has no illusion that she and Goro won't have another fight at some point, and she welcomes the inevitability of it. That's part of their dynamic, after all. She trusts that they both care about each other enough to work through it in the end--and/or have an invigorating match about it to determine the outcome.
"Yes," she agrees again, both of smart boys being dense and of how wonderful it feels for someone to be this special. Ran's been in love before, but... it's so much more intense this time. Even she's surprised by how deeply she feels for him now, considering how intensely she disliked him and how much he distrusted her at first. "We go to different schools in different cities, but he's always made time for me." She dips her head a bit as she smiles. "He's the one who makes me feel special."
<Pose Tracker> Hana Fukami has posed.
Hana's not trying to convince Ran of anything, of course, just sharing her own experience. It did surprise her.
"Oh! Wonderful. If you can argue and still stay close, that's a great sign." She tends to share that perspective, since being honest with one's partner(s) is very important to her, to. And, well--if she had any idea the kinds of fights Ran and Goro had, she might be startled... But that's just part of life as Persona-users, right?
Hana snacks a little while she listens to Ran talk of the love she feels now. "Oh, I see. That's difficult... But it shows all the more that you care, if you've both been able to make time for so long already."
"Thta's really wonderful. I'm very happy for you. ...That's how my Teruo makes me feel, too. I would've settled for so much less... but instead, he gives me more all the time."
"...Hang onto that," Hana advises Ran. "There's so much in the world that would see you without it, but I think love is one of the most important things there is--however it looks to each person."
...That might be three drinks talking, but Hana doesn't seem messy at all; she seems quite composed.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"I've heard that," Ran replies. It is true that Hana would be startled by the kinds of fights Re and Goro have had, but at least there's always been a mundane aspect to them--a disagreement, a misunderstanding, one unwittingly hurting the other. It isn't all death-defying combat and high-stakes mind games.
That's just the most fun part.
"He's very busy too. But except for one time for when we were fighting, he always responds to my calls and texts right away, and he's constantly coming by to see me," Ran says/reiterates, brushing a bit of her hair back with one hand. You'd almost think he was a stalker, haha! ...ha.
So her Teruo makes her feel that way too... "I'm happy for you too. People like us deserve to be happy," she says firmly. She softens at her advice. Unfortunately, she's already well familiar with how the world would tear away happiness from those on the fringes of society, but she appreciates it all the same.
"Ran-chan! Over here, please!" Lala calls then, waving a hand from the bar.
"Ah, I should get back," she says, rising from her seat--and looking past her at an opening door. "And this might be Sa-chan now," Ran adds with a smile. She bows one last time to Hana. "Once again, it was very nice to meet you, Fukami-san. I hope to see you again some other night."
<Pose Tracker> Hana Fukami has posed.
A lot of the world is still a mystery to Hana--but less so than was true even a week ago... and soon, less than that.
But for now, "Oh! Wow," Hana says, genuinely impressed. "He clearly feels something special for you, too!" She smiles. Her mind doesn't go there yet. ...yet.
"Thank you," Hana answers, and her expression remains warm. ...Not just becausse she's a little flushed from the alcohol. "We do," she agrees. But--
"Thank you for keeping me company!" Hana greetss back. "I'm sure you will. I'll definitely make a point of coming back sooner than I did last time."
But indeed; a slight woman with red hair steps up into the bar, her heels clacking against the floor. The shoes are the only thing that make her break 150 cm, but she has a big presence all the same, and a lovely red dress. "Lala-chan!" she greets effusively, and smiles at Ran in passing as she's directed back to where Hana is.
They'll be here for a while yet before they go.