2026-09-14: Dealbreaker
- Log: 2026-09-14 Dealbreaker
- Cast: Morgana, (as NPCed by) Ren Amamiya, Hibari Aoki, Ichika Kawase, Ryuji Sakamoto
- Where: Meiji Shrine, Tokyo
- OOC Date: September 14, 2026
- IC Date: January 09, 2013
- Summary: Morgana decides to take initiative on telling Ann how he feels. Unfortunately, more bad luck means she never even gets to show up--and someone who does instead makes it worse. Tempers flare, a lot of hurtful words are hurled, and in the end Morgana runs away.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Dusk is falling at the Meiji Shrine. The timing means that there's hardly anyone here, since it's about to close for visitors. Morgana had Ren ask Ann to meet him here at this time--the time because it's romantic, and the place because it means he can have another chance at his originally planned confession. It was going to be here the other day, but Ann ended up not being able to show thanks to that stupid photoshoot of hers. But he'll make it happen today! He promised himself he would! Who cares what that stupid fortune said?! Hibari helped him tie it up, so it doesn't count anymore! He's not gonna lose to stupid Ryuji! He's got to be able to mentor Ren on how a gentleman thief does romance! He's not... he's got to...
Morgana's white-tipped tail twitches as he waits impatiently by the shrine's torii. The few visitors that are here are leaving; he watches the last of them go, heading down the stairs to the bus stop that will return them to the bustle of the city. Even the priests and priestesses aren't around anymore, probably taking care of matters inside.
Isn't Lady Ann here yet...?
----
Well after the sun has set, Ren Amamiya is leaving the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Shibuya, where Kasumi Yoshizawa has just come in third place. Under other circumstances, that would be fantastic; under her current circumstances, where she desperately needed to come in first not just to appease the Shujin administration that were making noises about revoking her honors student status if she couldn't bring home a gold, but also to live up to the dream that she shared with her late sister. They offered to treat her to dinner, and while Kasumi smiled and accepted for another time, tonight, she said she wanted to spend time with family.
Ren could do nothing but nod. They understand how important family is to her. They weren't going to object.
As they're leaving the gymnasium, they look in the direction of the intercity forest that shrouds the Meiji Shrine from the urban jungle. By now, Ann must have showed up and talked to Morgana. Morgana seemed pretty serious about actually telling her how he feels this time. Ren doesn't believe that Ann would have accepted his feelings, all considered, but hopefully the two of them were able to come to an understanding that keeps his pride intact. Morgana is such a proud person.
They pull out their phone to check if she texted them about how it went, having turned their phone to silent during the competition. As a matter of fact, they have gotten a text from Ann.
With a panicked apology begging anyone in the group chat to tell Morgana she can't meet him as promised because her ride's car broke down after she forgot her wallet at school--her wallet, which included her public transit card and her money--and now she's stranded.
Ren's eyes widen. It's at least an hour past sunset by now, closer to two.
They break into a run.
----
Ren isn't the only one there arriving at the foot of the stairs leading up to the Meiji Shrine. Others who got the message coincidentally arrive at about the same time. They don't stop to say hi, just share a sharp nod with them before they all hurry up the stairs. For their part, Ren isn't sure what would be worse: if Morgana is or isn't still there.
As it turns out, he is. Seated under the torii, lit by the wan light of a waning crescent, head hanging. He doesn't look up when he hears the footsteps thundering towards him; even his ears remain flat on his head. Ren brakes to a stop a few feet in front of him, but as they catch their breath, he still doesn't react.
He just mumbles, "She's not coming, is she."
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
Back to school!
Well, that was yesterday, but close enough; Hibari is back in class, along with everyone else (except Morgana and Futaba - so most of them, anyway). Ordinarily that means she might not come into Tokyo quite as often, but it's just the second day, and at least some of her teachers are inclined to be (relatively) kind on the first couple days after college entrance exams. And there are a few places she'd meant to go.
She was out on her own business when she got the group text, and so she too gets it a little later than she probably would like. She immediately send an acknowledgement to Ann and changed her plans for the evening. She can catch a later train, she's pretty sure - it won't put her too far out of the way, and if Ichika's coming too she can probably just sneak a ride -
Either way, she is marching right toward the shrine right at closing time. She has a bag slung over one shoulder the way you're not really supposed to - her usual school backpack after her sub-bag was damaged a couple months ago, though it's been repurposed to carry her purchases today - and hustles up with Ren, a few steps behind.
Hibari does take a moment to catch her breath before she speaks, because she never liked hiking stairs: "She told us to tell you, but we didn't get the message until not that long ago," Hibari says, assuming it's the same with Ren - Ren absolutely would have said something had they seen it earlier. "Her ride broke down and she didn't have her transit pass -"
Hibari reaches for her phone in her pocket and manages to tangle her coat sleeve with her backpack strap doing it, causing it to swing around to the side and then hit her in the back when she re-balances herself. It hits with a soft 'phumph'; her textbooks must not be in it. She attempts to disentangle so she can show Morgana the phone, but she's going to be a moment doing it.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika is also back in school! And indeed, when she got the message, she was not only concerned--but she indeed can give Hibari a ride. There's parking close enough, so Ichika's made her way from the van towards the shrine. Like the others, she nods to Ren, and walks on up to Morgana...
School's its own issue; Ichika wasn't looking forward to dealing with the Foundry Boss again, but most of school is fine these days. Here nad now, there's a sad not-cat on their hands.
"She's not," Ichika confirms, shaking her head. She can't help but show her feelings on her face, in this case; she's not just concerned,she feels bad for him.
"...She said she was really sorry," Ichika adds for Hibari's explanation.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji is with Ichika as they pull up to the Shrine. "Oh whats going on here?"
He had met up earlier as was his destiny as Ichika's boyfriend. As the pair wander up, he spots the familiar cat hanging out amongst the trees.
It suddenly clicks and Ryuji just starts snickering. He can't stop himself as every snide comment about him sticks out in his mind. All from stupid Morgana. Well even the "monkey" sees the truth.
Ryuji doubles over before looking up at Morgana. "Dude. Come on. You know she's not into some ca--....Actually, I don't know what kind of guy she prefers... but -that's- the key, Morgana. GUY! She's not into you like that!"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Morgana..." Ren murmurs, gazing down at their mentor. (Friend? They consider Morgana a friend, but does he? They're together all the time, but isn't that because Morgana made a deal with them and wants to see them fulfill their end?)
Hibari and Ichika are both quick to explain the situation. While Hibari fumbles with her phone to show the text in question, Ichika adds that Ann's really sorry. Morgana doesn't yet look up, though his ears do at least unflatten some.
"Right... so it's just more bad luck..." he mumbles. No question of what he's thinking: tying his fortune of 'daikyo' didn't do a thing. Maybe you really do have to tie it yourself, and how's he supposed to do that with paws instead of hands? The human hands he's supposed to have, but lost because of--he doesn't even know, because of his robbed memories.
Maybe that could've been that. Maybe he could've felt bad for a while as Ren and the others comforted him, then licked his wounds and gone home. Maybe he could've gone back to letting his feelings of frustration and uselessness keep simmering.
But then a certain voice starts snickering, before Ryuji tells him straight-out that Ann just isn't going to be attracted to a cat--that he would need to be a 'guy.' A human.
(That's not quite what Ryuji was saying, but in the moment, that's what Morgana hears.)
"Oh, so I'm just some dumb cat now?! That's why I'm not important enough to even show up for?!" he snarls, jumping up on all four feet to glare at Ryuji with heat enough to boil his despair. "Yeah, yeah, I get it!! You've got TWO partners, so you get to yuk it up, Ryuji! Even though you're just a loudmouth with no class or brains!! Great for you to have your human body--that's enough for everyone else, isn't it?!"
"Morgana--" Ren starts, only to get interrupted.
"Don't even try, Ren!! I've seen how you all look at me! That's what you've all been thinking all this time, hasn't it?! 'Stupid Morgana, he's just a CAT, who's ever gonna fall in love with him!' 'What do we need a useless CAT for, we've got real Navigators for support now!'" Even as he continues to scream out his anguish and insecurities, his voice cracks: "Well, guess what! I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY!!"
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
Hibari is glad to see Ichika here, and not only because it saves her from taking the late train home. She didn't think she'd be in Tokyo today. (Ryuji, of course, lives in Tokyo, so he's a lot more likely to be here - and come to think of it that would explain why Ichika's here too, wouldn't it?)
Hibari generally tries to keep things moving smoothly. Morgana wasn't happy, but it wasn't Ann intentionally ignoring him - just one of those moments of bad luck that can happen to anybody.
Maybe black cats really *are* unlucky, she thinks to herself, but does not express.
But then Ryuji laughs.
Hibari jerks up straight with enough force to bounce the backpack again, though thankfully she *has* disentangled her sleeve by this point and it's just being held normally. She opens her mouth to say something back to him, but then he *keeps going* -
It's cruel, she thinks. Even if it is maybe a little more accurate than Morgana wants it to be.
Morgana shoots back with heat, and Hibari's first instinct is to, if she can't stop it, to slink out of the way. "Come on," she says, "let's - "
Not that Morgana is going to let her finish her sentence either. Hibari closes her mouth with a snap, cheeks reddening despite herself. She hates seeing friends fight like this; she hates having to take sides, or even feel like she's taking sides. And there's the shame that she *isn't* managing to stop it, either; she takes a half step back as if she's absorbing the impact of the shouting.
"That's not true," Hibari says, though it's a little quieter than it ought to be, because she feels *wrong* raising her voice to Morgana, even if he's so loud that he might not even make out exactly what she's saying. "And please don't bring Ichika-chan into it. Look, we have to - we can't - "
Hibari is, for a moment, too uncertain to even try to patch things up. Ryuji clearly started it, but it's more than just *this* fight, isn't it? She's not even sure where to start without taking a side, if only to try to get someone to calm down to start, and she can't do that. She *can't*.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika was indeed already in Tokyo with Ryuji; she'll be going back without him, one presumes, to Sumaru. but right now...
Bad luck. Bad luck, but maybe not just bad luck; it's maybe cruel to lead Morgana on with the idea that...
Ryuji laughs. "Hey--" Ichika starts to say something to Ryuji, but Morgana lashes back out.
"Hey," she says again, this time to both of them. But Morgana suddenly starts. Ichika sees Hibari redden, knows how much she doesn't like this.
"..."
'that's enough for everyone else.'
"Morgana," Ichika starts, frowning. "...That was a dick move on his part, but it's not like I get with anybody that 'has a human body' either."
"Look--"
She shouldn't make it about her. But that did sting. "Don't tell me what I've been thinking," she says instead, sharply, at another, different sore point. "Can't you see you're--"
...No, that would be calling out Hibari; Ichika doesn't finish that sentence.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"Yeah. Well. Better you hear it now before you learn it the hard way. ALSO you can't call yourself classy and then just tear me down like you do, eh?!" Ryuji grumbles as he looks to Ichika, putting his hands behind his head. In truth, he was beginning to really get sick of all the remarks that stupid cat put on him.
He sighs when Ichika clearly is kinda upset with him. He backs down some until he realizes he just said Ichika was with him for his body. To her....Of all people. He growls and shakes his head as his hands call to his sides.
"Ok, Morgana...You fuck with me, whatever, you say that about her----oh man--Even a dumb monkey isn't a little twerp who white knights someone who isn't into him. That's just creepy, dude. AND LAST I CHECKED, THAT AIN'T A GENTLEMAN THIEF, THAT'S A CREEP. You want pity! Look somewhere else, -CAT-."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren, too, flinches as Morgana yells, but unlike Hibari, it's not out of anxiety over a conflict, but guilt over the fact that, well... they did think Ann wasn't going to fall for someone who looks like a cat--even if Morgana were a girl. Was keeping that to themself really pity?
Would it really have been better to give it to him straight, instead of letting him hear it from Ryuji in the worst way possible?
Hibari's deep discomfort is palpable for Ren and Morgana both, and neither of them feel good about it--especially so for Morgana when Ichika speaks up for herself, and almost brings up Hibari's discomfort like how Hibari told him not to bring Ichika into it. Morgana, for as arrogant as he can be, can read between the lines, though.
"I-I wasn't saying that!" Morgana stammers defensively. He regains his hostility and shoots back, "But you wouldn't 'get with' someone that 'has a cat body' either, would you?!" And, when she cuts herself off: "WHAT, Ichika? So I should SHUT UP instead of being MAD, because it might UPSET somebody? Where do you get off saying that to me?! ANY of you! The only reason any of you HAVE Personas is because YOU got mad and you decided to DO something about it!! So why's this a problem now?!"
"Morgana, none of that is the point," Ren says, raising both hands palm-out. They're about to suggest everyone take a step back and take a few deep breaths to calm down--but then Ryuji steps in to defend Ichika too. He makes an excellent point about the white-knighting.
Morgana is absolutely not in a frame of mind to hear it.
"SHUT THE HELL UP, RYUJI!! You think YOU'RE gentleman thieves like that, telling someone to shut their mouth to keep the peace?! Or is it just because it's ME?! Yeah, you've always hated me! And guess what, I've always hated you too!"
Ren takes a step forward between Morgana and the others, as if to block line of sight. "That's enough--"
"You're right! That IS enough! What've ANY of you ever done for me, huh?! We made a deal, Ren! I'd help you guys learn the tricks of phantom thievery, and you'd help me get my memories and body back! I've taught you plenty, too! But have you gotten ANYWHERE on your end? Have you even TRIED?"
Ren flinches again. They haven't gotten anywhere, and they know it--but what can they really do? Morgana thought the secret might hide in the depths of Mementos, but the next door just hasn't opened for The Phantoms. They've explored as far as they can.
"That's what I thought!" Morgana snaps at their silence all the same. "Fine, then! Maybe YOU'RE the useless ones! Deal's off. I'm out of here!!"
And with that, they turn and race into the shadows between the forest, the white tip of his tail flashing before he's gone. There's an instant of his racing footsteps, and then he's gone.
Good luck trying to find a black cat in the woods after dark.
"Morgana!! Wait! Come back!" Ren shouts, beginning to chase after him all the same. They won't get far.
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
Hibari came to the Phantom Thieves late; by the time she got there, Morgana's position was well-established. It would never have occured to her to mention something like this, even if she knew about it - which, compared to some of the others, she didn't.
Knowing that doesn't really help her anxiety any, though.
"Look," she says, "could we least get out of the shrine...?" If she can convince them to take it to Leblanc, at least they probably won't yell too much for fear of getting someone's attention. (Probably.) It's the same idea Ren has, if a little more extreme: step back, take a deep breath, get out of the way so that nobody's looking. Ryuji and Morgana both need to calm down; they'll never get anywhere if they keep shouting.
The idea that someone *is* looking at the yelling Phantoms, mostly teens (plus Morgana, who they wouldn't understand, but who is also making a lot of noise) is starting to worry her, too. What if someone thinks they're tormenting a cat and tells the police or something? Hibari knows this really isn't the issue she should be worrying about, but that doesn't stop her, whether she wants to or not.
But Morgana is still yelling. At Ichika, who Hibari can tell cut herself off for her sake, and at Ryuji, who even Hibari will admit is asking for it. "I don't - " She means to tell Morgana that she doesn't hate him, that she trusts him, but once again she gets talked over and once again she doesn't stop him. He's got a head of steam, and she lets herself get steamrolled.
And she doesn't have any answer for the rest of it, anyway. She's sure Ren *is* keeping up their side of the deal, as best they can, because that's the sort of person Ren is; she's equally sure Morgana won't hear that if she says it.
Hibari knew Morgana was upset, but she didn't expect him to run. "Hey! Morgana!" Hibari is not quite as fast off the start as Ren, but she gets at least a few steps before she turns and looks toward Ryuji and Ichika, over her shoulder, before turning back and picking up the pace. Her expression is hard to read, aside from the redness and the fact that she doesn't quite hold anyone's gaze for very long. She's not happy.
If it was the Dark Hour, she'd look for him that way. But it's not, and by the time it *is* - even if she was able to stay here to midnight, and she can't, they close the shrine - Morgana could be anywhere. But she can't see for crap in the dark, and comes close to tripping once or twice; her night vision isn't very good.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Morgana's hostility returns. "I--" Ichika would not get with a cat. And--Well, she has no argument for just staying quiet. It is what she's asking, isn't it? Ryuji moves to defend Ichika... And Ichika apprecaites it on one level, but on another, feels that it's going to make things worse.
"Hey!" Hated each other? That's enough, and Ichika agrees, until...
Until the deal hasn't gone through. Until Ren has no answer for that; until Morgana snaps again, and says he's out.
"Morgana, wait!"
He does not wait. Ichika doesn't go after him. She stands there, instead, looking at Ren go.
"..."
"Ryuji..."
She hesitates. "Did we mess up? I feel like..."
"I don't feel good about this," she says.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji crosses his arms and just turns his head. Yeah, he isn't thinking clearly but damnit that guy needs to back off. Especially on attacking Ichika. He feels his teeth clench as he holds his sides, pressing himself out of frustration.
What Morgana says next doesn't exactly shock him but Ryuji does feel himself growing angry being told how he feels. Maybe he DID hate the cat. Creeping on his friend. Constantly putting him down. He just finds himself scoffing instead of coming up with another insult besides a low "fucking asshole".
When he sees Morgana run off, he is almost glad. He does feel bad for Ren but--ugh damnit. Morgana will figure it out. Not like he didn't survive before they got to him. Yeah, dumb cat would be fine or come whining when he was hungry or if 'Lady Ann' shows. Ryuji rolls his eyes at his though.
He jolts at Ichika's words. "Hmm? He'll be fine. I'm not some punk he can pick on and you aren't neither. Plus we found him in a dungeon, not like he can't survive out here on his own."
"He doesn't get to talk to you like that. If he wasn't the size of a house cat, I'd have laid him out."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Morgana does not come back.
No matter who calls for him.
Ren hears Hibari call too, though they don't put the thought into it that they should until they hear her trying to follow too. They didn't get far in for the same reason she isn't, and when they hear her nearly trip, they turn around.
"Hibari?" they call softly. "Stop there--you're gonna fall." They're both originally from the countryside; they know how dangerous it is to run into the woods at night. Hearing someone else do the reckless thing too reminds Ren of that. They turn back to join her, then tilts their head towards the stone pathway.
Rather than head back to rejoin Ichika and Ryuji, though, they murmur, "...You gonna be okay?"
They don't mean her poor night vision.
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
Hibari had her own reasons to do the reckless thing. She knew she'd stood back when she shouldn't have; her anxiety had stopped her from being the peacemaker she thinks she should be, and she'd let Ryuji and Morgana go at it without really breaking in to stop things. (And, if she's being honest with herself, she didn't want to stay with Ryuji for a bit.)
It's hardest when it's your friends who are mad at each other.
"I'm all right," Hibari says, watching where she puts her feet, though she's a lot less likely to do so when she's not running. "I'm more worried about Morgana... I know he can take care of himself," presumably, since he did before Ren and the others met him, "but..."
She lets out a sigh. "Well, never mind. It's not me that's the hurt one." Whether she means Ryuji going after Morgana or those Morgana snapped at, not entirely fairly (but not entirely not) and with obvious intent to sting - well, it could be either. Both. "Just don't fall yourself."
A few steps on that path, then: "I can't stay here until the Dark Hour to look for him," Hibari says, apologetically. The reasons are obvious, to her, and presumably to Ren with a bit of thought. "...I'm not sure what to do, if I'm being honest."
She doesn't mean just about Morgana, either.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"...Guess that stuff's true," Ichika answers Ryuji. "He'll be fine." She still feels bad; it shows in her expression.
Still...
"...Thanks," Ichika says. "I appreciate the idea, anyway. I think he's just lashing out. I don't..."
"I hope he does come back, eventually. But I'm sorry he was like that to you."
Ichika sighs. "...I should..."
"I think I'm going to go home."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Hibari doesn't finish her thought, but she doesn't need to. Ren bows their head. They know what she means.
"...Yeah."
They're quiet as they and Hibari return to the path where Ichika and Ryuji are, in time to hear Ichika say she's going home. Ren looks at her and Ryuji, then over at Hibari as she says she can't stay to look for him.
They aren't sure what to do either--except they're the leader. They're the one who has to know what to do.
"...I'll take care of Morgana. He might listen to me once he cools down," they tell the others quietly. "You guys head back for now. Someone's got to investigate Fukami-san's Kingdom tomorrow, so I'll leave it to you. All right?"
It'll have to be all right. They'll make it be.