2026-08-26: Truth ~A Great Detective of Love~
- Log: 2026-08-26 Truth ~A Great Detective of Love~
- Cast: Ren Amamiya (featuring Morgana), Ann Takamaki
- Where: Shibuya Station - Buchiko Exit
- OOC Date: August 26, 2026
- IC Date: December 31, 2012
- Summary: Ren, Ann, and Morgana celebrate New Year's Eve together. As they get crepes, Ren gets a text from their ~new boyfriend~, and spotting how happy they are, Ann eagerly spies on their phone--to get the shock of a lifetime when she sees who they're talking to. The three have a serious talk afterwards about what it means that the leader of the Phantom Thieves is dating the Detective Prince publicly speaking out against them.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
In Japan, New Year's is a holiday of reflection and anticipation. A big part of it, at least in the days leading up, is cleaning up your home or other personal space to make sure it's tidy in preparation for the new year. Ren's already done that for their attic room and for Leblanc proper, and now they're ready to relax and enjoy the holiday.
Right now, though, it's still Eve. It is not yet Day. Therefore, there's still some time to adopt some Western traditions and party, and who better to party with than their quarter-American friend?
(As much as they'd love to see Goro right now, they spent Christmas Eve with him. They don't want to start neglecting their friends because they're dating someone they're crazy in love with. They've already suggested to everyone in the group chat that they do their first shrine visit of the year together soon.)
They meet up with Ann in the heart of Shibuya, a thick black winter coat on with a blue scarf around their neck and Morgana riding along in their shoulder bag. (Of course Morgana wanted to celebrate New Year's with Lady Ann. He's been really excited about this, and after he's seemed down lately, of course Ren wouldn't leave him behind.) Ren's in a good mood too, smiling more broadly than usual, as they approach from across the train station and approach.
"Hey," they start.
"Happy New Year's, Lady Ann!!" Morgana rowls, tail curled in a joyful question mark, paws on Ren's shoulder. "I must say, you're looking even more radiant than usual today! Did you just come here from a photoshoot? It's like you're glowing!"
"Ready for your last crepe of the year?" Ren adds.
This derails Morgana just a bit. "Huh! I thought you weren't a crepe guy?"
Ren does a little half-shrug. "I'm open to trying new things." They shoot Ann a half-smile. "And you love them, don't you?"
"True! Anything Lady Ann loves can't be bad!!"
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Ah, New Years. The perfect time for reflection. To look inward towards your accomplishments and failings. To look backward at the events of the past year. And to look forward with all that in mind, and anticipate--
"Ugghhhhhh, Makoto's gonna murderrrrrr meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
--all you have to look forward to!
These are the festively appropriate words that greet Ren and Morgana with whining fatalism aplenty as their good friend Ann Takamaki approaches them from the throngs of street-choked traffic. She bears such grievance, such certain doom, (and such a loud voice) that people in fact part away from her just to get space and distance between themselves and the social awkwardness of having to deal with what is obviously a very loud and disruptive foreigner.
Ann doesn't notice. It's fair to say she wouldn't care. She's too busy mourning her life, you see. Dressed to impress with a Carmen Sandiego-red double-breasted overcoat with a black turtleneck underneath, black, heeled ankleboots and sheer black tights, with, of course, the fluffiest pair of scarlet red winter earmuffs possible, she does in fact look great! ... or would, if she didn't look like she had glimpsed the visage of the dead future and knew there was know way to circumvent it.
"You're looking at a dead woman. I'm dead! I'm sooooo seriously deeeeeeaaaad, Reeeeeeeennnnnn," complains a girl whose life is over.
Hey.
"Oh hey." Which doesn't stop her from pausing in her lament to wiggle her fingers in a little wave. "Happy New Year. And you too, Morgana!"
She is further derailed by that question, taking it in good faith rather than the rhetorical compliment it is, scratching her cheek and looking upward towards the sky. "Err. Nope. No shoots today or tomorrow. I've got the holiday free! Maybe it's just the position of the sun.........?"
yeah
it went like that
But ANYWAY all is moot, even Morgana's further compliments, at the mention of--
"Hee hee! Crepes, crepes, crepes!"
The most wonderful thing in this universe.
"I'm so ready. You're going to love them. The last crepe of the year is the best!"
A distant stare follows as the inevitable haunts her thoughts once more.
"Especially if it's the last crepe of your life.............."
For you see.
Every waking moment of her winter break has been filled with hauntings over her
T E S T S C O R E S.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Oh yeah. Ann did really badly on exams, didn't she? Ren's eyes had to travel a long way down the test scores results board before they found her name. For their part, they've gotten so much better at studying, thanks to some good tutors and study partners to teach them superior study techniques (and good rivals to motivate them to want to get their grades up). Alas, because of that, they've left behind their one-time bad grades buddy...
They scratch their cheek with a half-awkward, half-amused smile at Ann's wholehearted laments. Even Ryuji's cruelly left her behind to land somewhere in the middle of the grade-pack. That has to be mortifying.
"I'm sure she won't murder you," they say bracingly, which may or may not help. "Just lecture you for a few hours." Yup, definitely not helping. "I got caught up in my own stuff this time around, but how about we study together next time? I'll pass on the tricks I've picked up this year. Hopefully they'll do you some good." Okay, that might help. Might. "And then we can watch a Western movie together so I can practice my English. Your pick." Yup, definitely helping.
Her dress does impress, but in fairness, Morgana is extremely easy to impress when it comes to her. Ren admires her look too, though. She always looks fantastic in red, and the overcoat is a particularly good look with the black underneath.
At least Morgana seems to break her from her funk? He sparkles at her little wave and is, at least for the moment, wholly undeterred by her not understanding the compliment for what it was meant to be. "The sun does always seem to shine on you, Lady Ann! That must be it!"
Either way, offers of co-studying and blatant simping fall to the wayside at the merest mention of CREPES. Ren knew that one would be a hit. They grin a bit and stick their hands in their coat pockets. "Lead the way, then."
Sweatdrops roll down their and Morgana's heads at the return of that haunted look, though. "Maybe if you do enough penance, she'll show mercy." The offer for co-studying still stands!
Soon it's off to the crepe store of Ann's choosing, though. Along the way, Ren's phone beeps with a custom text notification, and they immediately check it with an urgency that doesn't usually suffuse their languid body language. Upon reading it, their eyes and lips crinkle with a smile of unabashed happiness.
It's like the look of someone in love.
Perhaps tellingly, Morgana doesn't comment on it, though he does look away, looking a little morose, before his vividly blue eyes track over towards Ann. (He's more or less happy for Ren, but between them and Ryuji, it's hard to not feel bad about how he's the only one who hasn't fulfilled his love yet... Or so it feels like to Morgana.) "S-so what kind of crepe is your favorite, Lady Ann?" he asks with a bit more of a forced cheer. "I've never had one either, so I'm curious in trying a bite!"
Ren doesn't remark on this either. They're a little caught up with responding to that text from a certain special someone.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
I'm sure she won't murder you.
Ann Takamaki squints at Ren Amamiya, dubious.
Just lecture you for a few hours.
The squint remains. The deathly pallor? That's new(...ish).
"You're so not helping," says Ann, helpfully confirming that assumption.
"That's just a death of a different kind...!"
Is she exaggerating? Maybe.
Have you ever been lectured by Makoto, though--?
Still, the offer to help study does marginally improve Ann's mood, and her stormcloud gloom clears just slightly when she hears it with but the single flutter-shut of a thick-lashed blink. "Oh! Yeah! That'd be awesome!" she enthuses, mildly. It's encouraging! "Having an action plan kinda thingy like that locked and loaded when Makoto springs on me will probably help keep her from doing anything too scary, r-right?"
... even if for the wrong reasons!
Look: you have to take what you can get.
She does look a bit cheered though, especially at the prospect of movie night which is absolutely educational. But it's all absolutely nothing compared to her enthusiasm when it comes to the joy of a good dessert to bring in the New Year. Ren's barely gotten their hands in their pockets and finished saying 'lead the way' by the time Ann is taking them by the elbow with one gloved hand and enthusiastically yanking them along, Million Sweets (all for yours)-wards. "Let's goooooooooooooooooooooooo~!"
Like a runaway train, no force can stop Ann Takamaki from getting her crepes.
Thankfully she does eventually release Ren's arm, freeing them to go obsessively haunt their phone. So monomaniacal is Ann that she doesn't immediately notice this -- not until her pace starts eclipsing Ren and her enthusiastically expositioning on the quality of crepes to Morgana seems to be received by an increasingly distant audience:
"Oh, my favorite is the chocolate creme! But they're all sooooo good. You really have to try them all to find the one that's right for you! And, y'know, it really depends on what mood you're in! When I need a pick-me-up, chocolate creme is the way to go, buuuuut if I'm in the mood for something with some punch, I gotta go with orange or something tangy, y'know? Or, or, mm! The matcha ice cream filling is soooooo goooooood for a mellow..."
She looks back. She blinks.
"... feeling..."
She squints. Lips purse faintly as she watches Ren, eyes glued to their phone, smiling with that complete idiot smile she knows so well: someone who's got a crush. No -- someone who's straight up smitten.
Pink lips curl with coquettish cattiness.
"... aaaaand the vanilla and strawberry creme is pretty good..."
This is Ann, casually (casually) playing it cool as she creeeeeeeps back over to Ren. Stealthy. Like a thief.
"y'knoooooow... if you're, liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIiiiiiIiike..."
And she'll know her theory is correct if the hyper-observant Ren Amamiya is not capable of seeing through her EXCELLENT ACTING CHOPS before --
"Totally CRUSHING ON SOMEONE! WA-HA~!"
She's SUDDENLY BEHIND THEM THROWING HER ARMS AROUND THEM AND BLINDING THEM WITH HER PALMS AND PEEKING AT THEIR PHONE
"Who's the hot date~~~~~?"
somewhere, in the back of her mind, deep in her subconscious where her fear of makoto niijima, academic taskmistress dwells, a concern rumbles:
'oh I hope it's not----------'
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren can only helplessly shrug with one shoulder. They really can't argue the point about death of another kind. Makoto can be awfully scary sometimes. Still-- "I think so," they say of plans. "It'll help cut her off at the pass if you can tell her you're already working on it."
Not completely avoid a lecture. But maybe cut it down from several hours to only one. Or even just a warning! Stranger things have happened.
At least both the offer of study buddying and especially getting crepes is excellently received. Ren's happy to get dragged along, though Morgana utters a loud "Woooahh!!" that is parsed as feline howling to the crowd around the three. Fortunately, once Ren is in motion, she lets go, content to let them walk under their own power and even more content to talk all about her favorite crepes as requested by Morgana.
"Uh huh? Wow, so complex! Hmmm, I see, I see..." But for all that Morgana offers his verbal support to Ann, inevitably she looks Ren's way and sees that they are absolutely not paying attention and also lagging behind. It's not that they intended to keep their new romance a secret, but they do still have to decide which of their friends are discreet enough to share in the news. (Okay, so it is somewhat a secret. Still.) Morgana sees that look on her face as she creeeeeps closer and has a moment of internal panic where he wars between enabling Ann in hopes of her favor and warning his partner and protege of her sneaky approach. In the end, when she pounces, he can only utter an even louder "MWAR!!" and leap up off Ren's shoulder and out of her way, leaving the leader of the Phantom Thieves to get BLINDED and BLINDSIDED.
Ann's theory is absolutely correct. Ren was only kind of paying attention to what she was saying, and they absolutely did not notice her either get further away or closer again. Very unusual for them, and verrrrry suspicious!
So they too shout in surprise, caught off-guard and jerking their arm up to keep from dropping their phone, and thus unable to keep her from stealing a look at it just after sending their text response. She'd at least know that they were dating Minako for a while, before they broke up, and then they were dating Makoto for a short bit, before they... also broke up. So who could this third mystery person be??
...
...
...
It's Akechi.
And judging by the contents of the text exchange, it's no mere crush.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
"Who's the hot date~~~~~?"
'oh'
"Could it beeeeeeeeeeee--"
'I hope it's not----------'
"--oh!"
It is.
GORO AKECHI
DETECTIVE PRINCE - VER. SILVER RANK
This is Ann Takamaki, half-hanging off Ren's back, palms still firmly affixed to their face (at least they're extremely well cared for, thank you!!) as she stares at that phone and its damning series of TEXTUAL EVIDENCE of the crimes of HEATED RIVALRY. Sky blue eyes are wide as dinner saucers as she just sort of -- stays there, stock still, just. Staring. Absorbing. Knowing.
This is about where Ann would normally make a big stink; being a woman of FIERY PASSION means occasionally being OUTLANDISHLY LOUD, and a shocking revelation like this certainly qualifies! For a moment, maybe the tension is there, lingering like the tik-tok-tik of a tittering time bomb, waiting for the comical overreaction. And yet--
"... So it was him."
Her response is--
--damningly knowing?!
Ann's hands fall from Ren's eyes a second or two after that muted response -- at least, muted relative to what might be expected. Her hands drop all the way away as she takes a step back, and then around, so that the bounce of platinum twintails signals her return to Ren's field of vision just in time to give them a glimpse of that scrutinizing expression Ann affixes on them. She looks them up and down. Looks at their phone. She does not look at poor Morgana who is uninvolved in this beyond being a co-conspirator but that's okay right now because--
"...hmmmmmmm..."
Her head cants rightward with a platinum bob.
"I knew it."
She says. With certainty that will not be broached. She looks aside for a second, thoughtful, and then back at Ren.
"--For how long?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
The instant Ren recovers, which does not take long but--alas--Long Enough, they slap their phone to their chest. "Those are my private texts," they say heatedly (as heatedly as their rivalry!), and under Ann's palms, she can feel their face heat too.
It would be normal for Ann to make a big stink about it. Ren is emotionally prepared for that. They dread it, but they're prepared for it.
So when she talks like she knew it all along... that also takes them off-guard.
"Wha--"
They turn to her as she steps away to face them. Morgana curls around Ren's legs, looking worriedly up between the two of them, but says nothing; at this point, he senses keeping his mouth shut right now would be for the best. Ren gives Ann an indignant glare that is undercut by how their blush deepens as she scrutinizes them.
And says she knew it?!
"How long for you?" they retort. At least their tongue is still quick?
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Those are my private texts--
"There's no such thing as privacy between crepe compatriots! ... Wait, um, no, that's so messed up, sorry, I shouldn't have -- wait, that's not the point!"
Oh no.
She's not getting distracted from the target this time.
She is LOCKED ON.
Because, of course, she knew. Of course she knew. Even as Ren is startled by this revelation, Ann is -- well, she's looking maybe a little smug, okay, she has every right to, thank you. It's just mixed up with... other, more complex cocktails of sentiments that she is doing her very best not to just shout in broad daylight (broad nightlight--?).
So, oh yes. She's calm. She's centered. She's focused. And she sees the way Ren's cheeks flush a distinctive pink hue that can't simply be explained away by the season.
Sky blue eyes narrow in a total 'a-ha!' moment. She's got you--!
Her question is answered with a question, though, and that makes her frown just a little, nose crinkling in mild annoyance. "You're seriously not going to turn this around on me this time!" she declares, firmly. "Still..." Her sentence trails for a second as she looks skywards once more, lifting a hand to scratch one pale cheek in thought. How long has she known? Or at least had an idea...?
"... I guess it was back in October, when I came to Leblanc to help with you with makeup? And you started getting all defensive about learning make up because of Akechi-san..." She looks back down, squinting, frowning. "You were sending out serious vibes, you know."
Her squint further winnows down. Her frown deepens.
"It wasn't that far back, was it??"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Oh no indeed.
When Ann can't be distracted, you know you're in trouble.
When Ren can't deflect something, they KNOW they're in trouble.
Ren grimaces and continues to clutch their phone to their chest.
At least she does give an answer. Back in October... their gaze sinks to the ground. Yeah, she did seem like she'd gotten a vibe back then... They can only look away as they rub the side of their neck. "We weren't dating back then. Makoto and I were still together at the time," they murmur. "...but at that point I'd realized I... was in love with him. Yeah."
Morgana once again looks between the two. Then he sits and loudly clears his throat with a paw held to his mouth. "This isn't the time or place for this conversation, is it?" he points out. "Why don't we find somewhere more private to talk? After we get crepes, of course!"
Maybe that will distract her!
(No. Even that will not.)
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
So, not that far back. Despite herself, Ann exhales a little sigh, puffed out in congealing white vapors of chilly relief. She didn't think Ren would do that, not when they were dating Makoto, but it's still -- good to have that confirmation.
...but at that point I'd realized I... was in love with him. Yeah.
Even if it comes with complicated caveats.
"Mm..."
Eyes hooding and turning askance, Ann falls into a pensive kind of silence. There is something that is strangely fitting for them - for all of their ragtag misfit gang, really - that Makoto and Ren's relationship was defined by them coming to terms with who they were really attracted to. She wishes she could enthuse over it like she did for Makoto, even if that was... bittersweet.
But this is like ten times -- no! FIFTY TIMES TEN TIMES MORE COMPLICATED!!
So much so she's trying to figure out the best way to broach the conversation proper without starting it all out with Him? by the time Morgana suggests that maybe they DON'T talk about sensitive topics like romancing your Javert in public. Ann blinks out a startled little blink at these surprise words of wisdom -- for a moment, she had forgotten poor Morgana was there, but really, can anyone blame her when she just had a TOTAL BOMBSHELL confirmed??
"Oh! Um -- r-right!" she blurts out, eyes widening. "We should absolutely find somewhere private for this very normal conversation!"
...
look. she's trying.
Fortunately, people have their own things going on, and there's only a few glances spared as Ann whispers out a hushed and urgent 'c'mon!!' and urges them into the line at Million Sweets.
~ <3 ~
There's an alley off the corner of Million Sweets, a largely abandoned corner nook of the vast and sprawling ebb and flow of Shibuya traffic. It's where Ann took Makoto when she apologized to her over conciliation crepes.
And now, today, it's where she leans her back against the wall and contemplates her confession crepe.
Chocolate creme. Of course.
Cool vapors of steady breath drift in thin whisps from her lips as they part. She takes a bite of her crepe, chews slowly, thoughtfully. Swallows. And then.
"... You didn't answer me, y'know," she says after a long delay. She's remained relatively quiet -- as if, maybe, to let Ren get their thoughts in order. So, too, is there no judgment behind those words... or the question that comes after:
"How long?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It is complicated in a lot of different ways. Ren knows Ann in particular doesn't really like Goro, so she can't be thrilled about this either, even if she isn't coming out and outright saying this is a terrible idea. The difference in enthusiasm is apparent in how much differently she's taking the news compared to when Makoto admitted to her that she likes Haru--not that Ren was privy to that, but Ann knows.
Fortunately, Morgana's wisdom prevails and Ann remembers he exists. (It's totally because of the bombshell that she forgot all about him! She'd never do that otherwise! Right? Right??)
Even more fortunately, the people around them don't care much about their conversation, and the three are able to get in line and get their crepes (well, Ann and Ren do, Morgana mostly just returns to Ren's shoulder bag and backseat drives the decision on flavors).
And soon enough...
The alley is nice and vacant. The alleys around here usually are, even the ones with businesses on them; it's amazing how many people simply don't divert far off the main road. Maybe there's a metaphor in there somewhere about mainstream culture. It's a good place for the three friends to settle in, Ren leaning on a wall, Morgana perched on their shoulder. The two of them agreed to get a dark chocolate crepe with coffee cream. Ren doesn't mind sweet things--look at all the soda they drink--but if the two of them are having a crepe for the first time, they decided together they ought to go with some familiar and complementary flavors.
For a moment, they all hang out in silence, munching on and chewing the crepes. (Morgana gets first bite. His mouth is smaller.) Ren looks over at Ann when presses the matter. They thought they already had answered, but... well. They know they were technically answering a different question. Figures that Ann would've noticed that too. She's three for three for not getting snowed today.
"Just a few weeks. Depending on how you're defining it, anyway. We went stargazing together on the day of the Christmas Village--that's what I ditched for--and I told him how I felt then. We talked it over later, and..." A fond, slightly misty smile creeps up onto their lips. "We went on our first official date on Christmas Eve."
There was a bit of snow that day, too.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Let it be known for the record: Ann Takamaki is perfectly cool about Goro Akechi!
He's the one with the problem!
Lots of them!!
Their great rival and person trying to expose them and send them all to MEGA JAIL (Ann isn't completely sure how prison works and she doesn't even know how you'd work it for a Persona User but that sounds about right to her--) being the subject of the conversation and the subject of their precious and important leader's romantic interest does have a way of sharpening Ann's sometimes-compromised focus, though. Oh no, she sees Ren trying to cleverly circumvent her, and she's not having it!!
... Yet even so, she gives them their due grace period. Even lets them enjoy the first bite of their crepe (and Morgana, too!) because crepe time is sacred -- especially end-of-year crepe time. So she gives them time... and then she asks her question again, to make it clear what her intent was.
A few weeks. A few weeks! Christmas Eve! A few weeks! Santa Claus' day!! A few weeks!!!
"A few weeks, huh," says Ann, in a much more normal tone of voice vs her increasingly frantic internal mantra. What if Akechi uses his LOVE DETECTIVE powers to out them all! She's the one carrying their dangerous secret, she'll be the first to fall!! And what if they break up, oh god--
... And yet...
Ren smiles that little, fond smile, and Ann blinks when she catches sight of it. And with the rapid fire of mirror neurons -- Ann Takamaki finds herself smiling a little smile, herself.
It is sweet, in a weird way.
Which is why there's far less antsy edge and far more effacing fondness (for Ren (not Akechi (never Akechi))) as she inevitably points out, "This is. Such a bad idea."
She doesn't ask Ren if they know. Of course they know. She's not going to belittle them by suggesting otherwise. But...
"What's the... I mean, you know, I'm happy you're happy, really, but like... does this... change things...?"
With the fact that he is RELENTLESSLY HUNTING THEM she means.
Of course it changes things with Ren and Akechi that's how being in a relationship works!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Well... It is objectively true that Goro Akechi has lots of problems, so, fair.
And it isn't like Ren isn't aware that this makes things awkward for everyone. At some point, they really should tell everyone, because they have a right to know their leader is sleeping with the enemy. (Figuratively speaking, naturally. Ren and Goro's relationship isn't that far along yet.) At the same time, though, well... Goro isn't out to the public, and Ren knows how much he values his public image. They honestly hadn't expected him to make a relationship with them official, and they're so happy about it after all the times he's made them happy. Which is a complication all its own...
"It's not the best idea, no," Ren is willing to admit, because they hear that fondness in Ann's voice and they return it. That's why they grin and add, "But it is the best worst idea."
The question is a fair and reasonable one. Morgana's already read in on this part--Ren told him all about it, as their mentor and adviser in all things Phantom Thief-related--so they already have a response prepared. "Yes and no," they say. "Akechi's going to continue to speak out against us on TV shows and so on, but in private, he's willing to... mmm, not just go along with what we say, but trust that maybe the truth of the matter isn't as dire as he's feared. I haven't told him how we do things--" They smirk. "--he's the detective, he ought to figure it out for himself--" They resume a sober look. "--so without knowing that, he's not willing to commit to siding with our Justice... but he is willing to give us a chance."
They pause. "We talked about this already," they add, as if that wasn't already clear. "When we were discussing... you know, us. If we could be together. He gave me permission to tell my friends, so even if you hadn't figured me out," if tackling them while distracted and stealing a look at their phone can be considered 'figuring them out' (she already suspected, it totally does), "I would've shared eventually. I was just... trying to figure out who to tell."
A beat.
"...No offense, but some of you guys kind of struggle with keeping the secret, and you in particular suck at acting," they add apologetically.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
It's the best worst idea.
Despite herself, Ann Takamaki snorts an amused little snort, looking upwards towards the winter sky.
"I meeeeaaaaannnn..."
Amusement or not, she does have concerns. Concerns she has every right to have! Which is why, even if she tries to navigate them diplomatically and gently, she still has to bring them up. Most crucial of which being the simple fact that this puts all of them - her, Ren, everyone! - at risk. Or at least, in a very tricky situation!! Ren seems to have given the matter some thought, at least -- and apparently even talked to Akechi about it. Which -- yes, that makes sense, Ann figures. It'd have to be one of the first things, wouldn't it?
The Arsene and Herlock of it all.
Ann can't help but look - with the outside exception of another small snort vis a vis making Akechi do his job ("good. he's a detective prince, after all!!") - a little dubious, though. Especially when Ren says he's willing to give them a chance.
"Ugh. I seriously don't have a good feeling about that," she mumbles, before burying her worries in a mouthful of chocolaty creamy crepey goodness. "Mmf."
Monch monch goes Ann on her crepe as Ren continues. "Pff, I know. Ryuji seriously needs stop blurting things out!" She's got another mouthful of it locked and loaded for savoring by the time they get to this point,
... and you in particular suck at acting.
--whereupon she turns to look at them, puffy-cheek and wide-eyed, like the world's most bewildered chipmunk.
"Nuh" g u l p "--n-no way! I -- hkk!"
And this is Ann, caught so flabbergasted she swallows some crepe down the wrong pipe, and spends a solid five to seven seconds with this coughing regret.
"hhhhughhhh... hate it when that happens -- m-my acting doesn't suck! It's just -- figuring itself out, okay??" Ann looks positively indignant for a moment and it's patently clear that she is NOT going to take ANY of this to heart --
"But... you should have a little more faith in the rest of us, y'know?"
... except for the important parts.
Clearing her throat one last time, Ann slumps back against the wall once more, twintails bouncing lightly with the gentle impact. One long leg crossing the other, she looks sidelong at Ren, crepe cradled in her hands as she speaks. "I won't tell the others. Promise. I do know how to be discreet." shut up "... but... I know you know, but they do deserve to know, even if it's not... the whole story. Like it or not, it's their business too. Like... kinda. Ugh, you know what I mean! Just stick to the relevant parts, is what I'm saying!"
Ann, frowning, just returns to her crepe. "... 'suck at acting'... hmph. As if!..." Another bite. Another chew. Silence settles. And then:
"... I am happy for you," she suddenly says. "That you were able to... figure it out. And just go for it. You know? A lot of people just ignore it, or come up with excuses not to, or..."
... maybe she's talking a bit from personal experience.
"... the point is... I might not care Akechi-san because he is a huge, egotistical jerk, and his smile is dumb, and he looks like he'd be the mass-murdering mastermind who uses some kind of crazy relic to dish out his warped idea of justice in some manga or something..."
she's getting away from herself here
"... but I really am glad you found someone and he makes you happy."
She doesn't have to ask, there. That much has been plainly obvious to her, for a little while now.
"... Have you, um... have you told anyone?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren certainly doesn't blame Ann for having concerns. They had lots of concerns of their own, even well before they realized they'd fallen for Goro. Having Ann ask about them gives them a chance to actually address them out loud to someone other than Morgana, who'd been along for the ride for maybe a little too long.
So when Ann talks about having a bad feeling, Ren nods. "As in, you're worried he's just saying so to make me put my guard down? Yeah, that thought crossed my mind too. I'd been suspicious of him for ages, ever since he showed up in Leblanc reading Arsene Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmes and went on about how having a case only they can solve is what proves a detective's worth. He opened up to me and told me a lot of personal things, but how did I know he wasn't just making them up to get me to sympathize with him? But some of those things I was able to corroborate with two different people who'd have no reason to lie for him, and that stuff in particular really made him look bad. If he was telling the truth about that, I think he's been truthful to me as much as he can be."
Ren is more right on that mark than they realize--but they don't realize, and that means everything.
"Besides... it's not like he just sweet-talked me. He's taken a genuine interest in things I like, even going out of his way to engage with me on it even if he isn't personally interested. Even ditching his other work for it." That fond smile returns as Ren nibbles on their crepe. "That's part of why I fell for him, you know. He makes me feel like he really cares about and wants to see the real me. We've had our arguments and fights, but he doesn't ditch me afterwards because I didn't agree with him." (Except for that one time, and that's okay because it turned out to be a ruse to catch them off-guard.) "If I confront him about something, he gives me a serious answer." They grin, face flushing. "Unless he's being annoying on purpose. But that's part of the bit. I love annoying him on purpose, too."
Ryuji does need to stop blurting things out. Tsubasa manages by way of being prickly and stoic, but Ryuji really will just say what he's thinking out loud. It's at once his best and worst trait.
Ann's obliviousness, meanwhile, is hers.
"L-Lady Ann!! Hang in there, I've got you!" Morgana cries, jumping from Ren's shoulder to hers as she chokes and goes into a coughing fit. He does his level best to thump her on the back, but in the end, he has paws, not hands.
...He might not even be able to keep his balance on her shoulder, depending on just how violent that coughing fit is.
She does recover eventually, though. Ren's at her side, too, opposite from Morgana, but she manages to get herself under control, so nothing further needs to be done. Except give her a dubious look when she tries to claim her acting is 'figuring itself out.' It is a look that says, 'Do you ACTUALLY believe that, or do you just not want to admit it sucks out loud?'
It softens when she calls them out, though. "You're right. If it were just my secret, I would. Goro's not out, though, so I want to be discreet, even if he gave me his blessing to tell you guys."
So they smile when Ann promises not to spill the beans (if punctuated by a dry, "So you choose to be indiscreet, then?")--a smile that fades when she raises a good point. "Mmm." They settle their back on the wall next to Ann, toying with their fringe as they take another bite of their crepe. Together, they chew in silence; Morgana may or may not return to Ren's shoulders at this point, though he'll certainly stay with Ann if she lets him.
She is right that it's the team's business either way. Akechi has opposed the team before--even if he's also helped them--and he is going to continue to speak out against The Phantoms in interviews and such. The others do deserve to know he's putting on an act... at least, somewhat of one.
Before they can concede as much out loud, though, Ann speaks up. They look over at her and think of Shiho, then say nothing. They do break into a smile when Ann dunks on Goro, even if a sweatdrop accompanies it when she gets away from herself, and they dip their head.
"...Yeah. He does," they murmur. "I never would've imagined, but here we are."
Fortunately, they can nod at her question. "Ichika," they reply. "And Makoto already knows I caught feelings for him--we talked about it when we broke up." They tilt their head towards their not-a-feline friend. "And Morgana's gotten all the updates from the start."
"It's been so hard," Morgana faux-grumbles. Mostly. "I keep getting ditched!"
Ren flashes a brief smile, though they worry how much he's really kidding about that. "Anyway, I don't blame you for not liking him. I couldn't stand him at first either. He absolutely is an asshole. I won't go into the details, because it's things he told me in confidence, but Goro's been through a lot. Behind that shiny Detective Prince exterior, he's been mistreated since childhood, and it's made him cynical and untrusting and even downright mean. But he still wants others' approval, so he feels like he has to put on an act to gain acceptance. The conflict can be rough for everyone involved."
They smile a little down at their crepe. "But... once you get to know him, and he starts letting his walls down... he's really sweet, and thoughtful. He's listened to me and supported me, same as you and everyone else would. He sent me my birthday present by expedited delivery to make sure I got it right away, and for Christmas, he gave me a piece of Esquel. That's a meteorite--one of the most beautiful in the world. I never thought I'd see it in person, and now I own a part of it."
They pause. "I really love the stars, and that's something we've bonded over," they add by way of explanation. "When I was talking about him engaging with what I like even though he's not into it himself, that's what I meant. He went with me all the way into the sticks, twice, for overnight trips just so we could watch a couple of meteor showers together away from Tokyo's light pollution."
In other words, despite not having any interest in the stars, he rode trains and buses for hours upon hours just to be with Ren for something they love. To watch their face as they love it. He said as much to their face, and that was what cinched it once and for all.
"Also, I just really enjoy competing with him," they add with a sudden grin, because it simply cannot go unsaid. "He can aggravate me, but he also motivates me and sparks a fire in me." Their gaze softens, and they lift it to the strip of sky overhead. "I feel like... I can be more than I am, when I'm with him."
Ann already knew Ren has it bad. Here, though, she no doubt sees they have it BAD.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
... ever since he showed up in Leblanc reading Arsene Lupin vs Herlock Sholmes ...
"Err. Ren...? You mixed up the consonants there, it should be Sherlock Holmes. Even I know that."
Ann Takamaki doesn't pick up on certain things.
"Okay. Just... I dunno. Even total scumbags like the Palace Rulers had reasons they are the way they are. Y'know?"
... but she's also very good at picking up on other things people might otherwise miss.
A second passes. And sky blue eyes dart down to that chocolate creme squished between thin pastry.
"N-nevermind. I don't really know what I'm trying to say, haha."
She'd follow that line of thought further, but, well... Ren just looks so happy right now, don't they? So she bites down on her crepe instead, and doesn't push further on her concerns for right now, reasonable or not. After everything they've been through -- everything they're still going through?
Ren deserves a little bit of happiness, Ann thinks. Even if it's with a person she has mentally catalogued as < HUGE MISTAKE >
She can keep it to herself.
For now.
Of course, focusing on her crepe instead of her concerns sets her up for a tragic fall (kind of (in the sense that wasting any amount of crepe is a bad thing)). Trying to manage that reflexive coughing fit, Ann doesn't even see Morgana until -thmp-! there's a weight on her back, batting at her with cute black pawsies.
"hkk -- Morgana -- you can't -- hgk! -- your claws are getting my neck! my neeeeeeee~~~eeeeeeeeck---!"
fortunately, despite Morgana being a cat-man (man-cat?) unsuitable towards CPR, Ann Takamaki does not die by crepe this day.
What a way to go, though.....................
...
no -- no, instead, she's on the fast track to recovery and completely filtering out any critique of her IMMENSE! ACTING! TALENT!!! Despite the earlier faux pas with the failed attempt at CPR, she also doesn't object to Morgana lingering on her shoulders. To her, it's perfectly fine -- she's had cats lay out on her shoulders before, after all. It's fine! ... Even if he's not technically a cat...
ANYWAY: rather than focus on that, Ann is currently focusing on the concerns she does feel like she has to raise right now (chased by a "I choose to say my mind, thank you! That's part of strengthening your heart, y'know! --T-that and regular cardio!"). ...
Indignation aside, though, she sticks to her point. If this were literally anyone else, she'd be alright with keeping their relationship with Akechi secret. But it is Akechi. And even if she can be happy for Ren... well.
They all have history and reasonable concerns over him, at this point.
"Hmmm. Well, okay," Ann muses, somewhat to herself. "Ichika and Makoto are pretty good at keeping secrets, too..." Too. Like her! She's good at keeping secrets! ... p-personal secrets! She ruminates on how best to advise Ren on proceeding further, when they bring up Morgana, as well.
It's been so hard, Morgana faux-grumbles, and Ann tilts her gaze his way on her shoulder, beaming a little smile.
"Awwww," she croons, elbow bending to bring her index and middle fingers under Morgana's chin -- for reassuring scritches.
"Poor Morgana!"
That hand drops soon after delivering what feels, to her, like normal encouragement for a cat-friend. For right now, she leaves behind her suggestions regarding the others to cast a dubious sideglance-squint Ren's way as they expound on the virtues (and not-so-virtues) of Goro Akechi. Her lips purse. Brows knit into incredulous knots.
... though they do soften, just so, as Ren talks about the fact that Akechi's been mistreated.
"... Oh. Mm," she exhales, looking back down at her crepe.
... she still thinks he's annoying. But, it is context, isn't it?
She listens to the rest, a smile on her lips now -- if not for Akechi, then for how Ren's found a seemingly decent and nice side of him. Blue eyes flutter in a blink as they talk about that gift; Ann doesn't know a lot about meteors (or anything, really, except they come from space and kill dinosaurs), but she does know jewels and other precious gems like that, and a description like that...
"Wow," she exhales, brows lifting. "That must've been expensive, huh?"
Do detective princes make a lot of money? ... should she become a detective prince?
... no. action hero is a fine career too. or maybe an action prince--
Concerns for another time!! Right now, Ann looks upward toward the pollution-choked skies of Tokyo from their alley hang, as if she could look past all the light and sound and see the celestial sea waiting beyond if she just looked hard enough. "Mm. The stars are really pretty, huh? When I was living in Finland, my parents took me to see the Northern Lights once -- err, the um... aurora? I think?" Her smile widens a little, at the memory. Of the sky, and the moment, with her parents.
"It was really... really amazing."
Still. Talk of competing with Akechi earns a raised-eyebrow stare Ren's way. "Uhhh. Is that healthy?" she wonders, scratching her cheek. "Some of those manga Shiho would collect were kinda like that, though..."
...
...
well
ANYWAY
Ann is oblivious to some things. Observant to others. And she can tell: Ren is down bad for Goro Akechi.
In some ways, it does make her happy. In others...
"..."
It is still, definitely, a concern.
She watches them for a moment. And then returns to her crepe, taking a bite.
"W-well, they do say competition is the heart of romance!" who says that "And the spirit of innovation!" in what way does that apply here "So it's probably okay!"
Chewing on her crepe, she looks sidelong Ren's way. She considers for a moment, before suggesting:
"You could always just tell the others that Akechi-san is working with us now, kinda, right? It's sssort of true, and it's the part they should know about, and it keeps Akechi-san's personal life out of things, too. That way you don't have to worry about, like, compromising him or whatever, and the others don't have to walk into any situation with Akechi-san completely blind! It's win-win-win!"
Why the extra win? For Ann, obviously. For suggesting such an awesome idea.
Which is, of course, why she fist-pumps.
"... Still..." she lingers a moment, her enthusiasm dwindling to a thoughtful frown. "... it must be kinda hard, having to hide like that with the public eye on you and everything, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren quirks a half-smile at Ann when she corrects their consonants. "Yeah, but the author didn't have the rights to Sherlock Holmes, so when Holmes' author complained about him using him in his story, he did the thinnest possible reskin to get around it."
See: Kogoro Akechi vs. Goro Akechi.
That smile fades and their eyebrows furrow when Ann points out that even Palace Rulers had reasons to turn out that way. "Yeah?" they prompt, suspecting they get the point she's trying to make but wanting to know for sure.
However, she ends up dismissing herself. Ren peers at her for a moment more, but chooses to let it go.
If she's not convinced, well... they don't blame her. They doubt they would've been either if someone had just told them that Goro's a decent guy deep down, no honest. Some things you have to experience for yourself. Hopefully, one day, she'll get that chance--and at least she reacts promisingly to learning about how Goro had a rough upbringing.
"Ahhh!! I'm sorry, Lady Ann!! I'm sorryyyyyyy!!" Morgana is yowling, meanwhile, when Ann wails about her neck. He's so stressed out about this, his tail is frizzing...
At least she's okay in the end. Morgana lingers on her shoulders indeed, peeking at her face, whispers trembling nervously at the proximity of it. Ann might just think he's staring at her crepe, though.
Of course, then she gives him reassuring scritches, and Morgana is caught between not wanting to be treated like a cat and oooh mmmm that feels goooood... In the end, he submits, raising his chin up for more.
He doesn't feel great about it afterwards, though. Is that really how a girl would treat someone she'd see as a potential love interest...?
Ren watches this exchange with some concern. They bite back a comment, though. It's something to talk to him about privately later.
They smile and shake their head when Ann comments on the meteorite's price. "He says he got it for a reasonable price at an estate sale." Pause. "Of course, 'reasonable' to him might still be expensive... But if it was, he didn't hold it over me or anything."
They brighten when Ann mentions the northern lights. "Aurora borealis," they offer. "That sounds like it was an incredible experience. I envy you."
It's not precisely the stars, but still.
And still--is it healthy to want to compete with your boyfriend? "I don't see a problem. We don't have any hostility about it." (Anymore, anyway.) "If it gets aggravating in an un-fun way, I don't feel like I couldn't say something to him, either."
They cough into one hand about the mention of those manga though, and cover it up with a large bite of their crepe. They kind of like the thin, mildly sweet crepe, so maybe they should try more, find out what flavors they like best... Maybe they'd prefer a savory crepe? Or maybe they'd like it better with some tart fruits. The chocolate coffee cream isn't bad, but it's a little too rich.
It isn't a bad thing that Ann's worried about them, though. Ren's happy that she is. As head over heels as they are for Goro by now, they do realize that if he were an evil person, he'd have them right where he wants them. He isn't--they decided to trust that--but it's only natural for phantom thieves to be wary of a detective.
So when she jumps into supporting their romance despite her obvious continued misgivings, they smile again. "Thanks," they reply, despite how nothing she said made sense. The spirit of it came across.
They hum thoughtfully at her suggestion, taking another bite and chewing as they consider the sky.
Morgana, seeing this, and hearing that extra win Ann assigns herself, chirps, "Great idea, Lady Ann! Or maybe they could say they've made a truce with him? That's a little closer to what's going on!"
Ren nods and swallows. "I'll think on it and let everyone know when we all get together next." Which, once New Year's hits, should hopefully be soon.
Ann's enthusiasm dwindles, though, and they both look back at her. Ren nods once. "Back in June, early on, I commented to him once that I didn't see the point in living a fake life," they reminisce quietly. "He hated that."
It was a denial of his entire existence, after all, however unwitting at the time.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
"T-they had copyrights way back then?!"
It's probably wise not to ask Ann when she thinks the Sherlock Holmes stories were made.
"No way..."
Some puzzle boxes ought remain closed, lest you discover only disappointment within.
Or like. Lament configurations.
Thankfully, there's no disappointments or cenobites to be found in the here and now! Dubious as Ann is, she is anything but disappointed in Ren (okay maybe a smidge disappointed they didn't tell her about all this but that's the past this is like, five or ten minutes into the future, or whatever!) -- mostly, beyond the concern, she's just happy to talk to the Phantom Thieves' fearless leader about these sorts of things.
Even little, off the beaten path things, like talk of the night sky, and the wonders within: Ann beams as Ren offers up the technical term, chirping a triumphant, "Aurora borealis! Right!" before swinging her crepe-bearing arms to and fro in swaying happiness. "Heee. I know, right? There were a lot of cool things about living abroad like that..."
Lonely things, too.
But right now, on this turning of the new year, she just wants to think of the good ones.
As the conversation eventually tilts back towards Ren and Akechi's blooming relationship, though, Ann returns those hands back to cradling that crepe close, in optimal 'biting distance but not so close everyone thinks it's the only thing on your mind' range. "Huhhh," she murmurs as Ren assures that it's -healthy- competition. Now, anyway. "Well, okay. As long as it's not going like, overboard, or anything."
Despite the rumors maliciously swirling around her, Ann Takamaki's actual relationship experience is -- well, non-existent. But! She watches romcoms! And reads manga! And there was this bird dating sim thing she tried! She's got the fundamentals down pat, she's sure of it. In matters of the heart, she's on top of things.
In a logistic sense!!
As for other matters -- "Ohhh yeah, a truce! That's like -- coded language!" ... well she's not wrong. She does smile a little though, offering a supportive nod as Ren decides, after a mouthful of crepe, to address the group -- after the holidays. And as they talk about Akechi, and his life, well...
"... Mm." Pink lips pressed into a pensive line. "I guess I can see why, with the celebrity and everything, but..."
She shakes her head, twintails bouncing with the motion.
"I guess he's got to do what's best for him, but I know I never want to be forced to be someone I'm not. Not by the school, not by other students, not by society, not by anything. ... I don't care what it costs me."
Determination grips Ann's features -- and eventually melts away, a small, self-effacing smile touching her lips as she lifts a hand to brush back strands of platinum blonde hair, bringing them sweeping briefly past Morgana's field of vision. "Ugh. No, today's not about that! Today's about celebrating! So --" And here she turns, offering up a beaming smile -- and offering up that half-finished crepe, like a champagne glass waiting for a cheers from its opposite number.
"-- congratulations, Ren! I really, really really hope this new year is awesome for you and Akechi-san."
... as it relates to their relationship not him detective princing them
"We can worry about all the other junk later. Tonight? We should just totally enjoy the good vibes. That's important for a strong heart, too!"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren loves that bird dating sim game. Heartful Birdfriend was an incredible and wild experience.
As for certain types of puzzle boxes, Ren did choose to get emotionally entangled with Goro Akechi. That's like summoning a cenobite.
Ann's shock about copyright law in ancient times, meanwhile, can only get silence and a sweatdrop out of Ren and Morgana. Some things you just don't engage with.
"I hope I get to travel abroad someday," Ren remarks instead. "I've been to a few different places in Japan, but never out of the country. I've still got a passport, though." Their parents had them get one as a kid, just in case, and it hasn't expired yet.
Maybe they'll get to go to Hawaii sometime. Maybe they'll take a trip to Paris, France! Who can say?
"Depends on what you mean by overboard," Ren replies. "Goro has a bad habit of being good at everything already." They smile fondly. "Ass."
Truce it is. Though, even if Ren decides with some other 'coded language,' the important thing is telling their friends about what's going on. It does make it easier to think of a way to tell them that doesn't let on about their relationship; they were thinking in too much of a binary before, but that way it'll be much easier to be relatively open. Funny how now they're glad Ann found them out.
They sober as Ann weighs in on fake lives. "Yeah. I feel the same way." Not that they need to tell Ann that. However, that too has been a source of contention between them and Goro in the past; the fact that Goro is much more sincere with them now has helped a lot in changing their dynamic.
Ann refusing to get bogged down in serious things and raising her crepe to cheer the new year gets a grin out of them, and they mirror her, raising their crepe high. "Thanks," they reply. "Here's hoping for your action star dreams too."
"That is important!" Morgana chimes in of both celebrating and hoping, raising his head cheerfully. "So let's let the good times roll!"
Though there may be some strain still, the three of them are still friends.