thephantomthief | IC INBOX

I'll be there soon.

[It doesn't take long for Yusuke to arrive at Ren's address, knocking on the door to announce his arrival. It's almost worth coming along just to see Ren's new place-- an apartment is a far cry from an attic, after all.]

[It only took a few seconds for Ren to get to the door and he greets his friend with a large smile before mentioning him in.]

Come in and make yourself at home!

[The apartment is a mixture of what he could find around that felt Japanese inspired, such as a Kotatsu facsimile, but also more modern twists that were uniquely from this world. The globe he had gotten cast a starry scene around the entire place, making it seem like it was floating in space.

It was still possible to see the surprisingly amount of knickknacks he had gotten from others, along with multiple cat posters. The smells of curry being reheated fills up the entire apartment with the smells that might remind him of Cafe Leblanc.]

Ah... Thank you.

[Yusuke enters and removes his shoes, gazing around at everything as he closes the door behind him and steps inside. It's very homely but also beautiful -- the globe is a nice touch -- and of course...]

I can smell curry... I hope my nose does not deceive me. [His stomach is already growling in anticipation.] Did you make some, perhaps?

[The trap had been sprung. Or more like Ren's mission to feed Yusuke something every time he saw him had begun.]

No you're right. I was finishing preparing a batch of rice to go along with it. I'll be right back...

[He disappears in the kitchen to return with two bowls and cups of coffee to go along with it.]

...I hope you're hungry.

[Despite Yusuke's rather grim reason for coming, that's all but forgotten, when he sees the coffee and curry. His expression lights up, and he takes a seat at the table.]

Famished. [This is never a figure of speech with Yusuke.] Thank you very much, Ren.

Then there's plenty left in the kitchen too if you want more.

[Famished is a word that has Ren worried, but he nods at him for now, going into the typical Japanese way of beginning a meal.]

You're welcome. Please enjoy the food!

I shall. [He's been blessed by the food gods! Or actually just Ren, Ren is the food god. After bowing his head and clasping his hands together briefly to give thanks, he's tucking in. It doesn't even matter if the food is still too hot to eat, he's too hungry to wait.]

Wonderful...! [He voices his appreciation between bites.] Even with ingredients from another world, your curry remains peerless.

[YUSUKE DON'T BURN YOUR TONGUE, Ren has barely two bites in when his friend speaks again but if sparkles could come out of him, they would have at that moment. Yusuke has such a wonderful way with words. It's like silk for your brain and ego.]

Thank you. I'm sure Boss would be pleased to hear that too.

Boss would be surely happy you're continuing with his teachings, even here, as well.

[He pauses to take a sip of coffee and lets out a happy sigh of relief.]

Ah, I feel as though my very soul is being nourished...

[It customers are half as nice as Yusuke is, then Ren really needs to consider opening up a restaurant.]

It would have been a disservice to all if the curry recipe wasn't shared with this world.

[He takes a sip of his own coffee as well. It's not the blends that Boss had at home, but he taught Ren well that he is able to work with what he's given, including in this world. A small dash of cacao powder gave the coffee a slightly chocolate taste to the taste buds, which he felt complimented some of the ingredients he had put in the curry.]

I'm glad. [But now it' time to be a protag and do the protagonist things.] So why did you want to see me?

[Yusuke looks ready to float out of his seat and enter Curry Nirvana, but sadly Ren's question brings him crashing back down to the mortal plane. Right, he did come here for a reason besides food, didn't he?]

Well... It's about Ryuji and Ann, and me. I recently learned something very difficult. But I have no wish for a rift to form between us, so I thought I would seek your advice.

[He never thought to ask Ryuji how much Ren knows, so he'll skirt around it to test the waters first.]

[Fortunately, Ren already knew some of it from Ann and Ryuji so while he does frown, he has an idea of what this might be about.]

I know a little of what they told me from that other world. That I was there as well...and what they were forcing them to do.

[Admittedly, this place also had its fair share of curses and being forced to do things, but it never felt, at least so far, that they were being strong-armed into it. Unless the moons were also being controlled somehow, Ren had doubt that they were responsible for the changes they underwent each month.]

What did they tell you?

Ryuji told me about that as well. But he also told me about something terrible-- something that happened to myself and him.

[If Ren doesn't know about it, Yusuke won't recount it here. He doesn't even remember it and it makes him feel physically ill.]

Beyond that, he said that I had... relations with Ann. Aragaki-san also said that I-- we-- did the same thing, but I don't remember that at all, with either of them. [His voice trembles, and he has to set down his coffee.] What am I supposed to say? What if there are others like them who have those intimate memories with me, but I have none at all?

[Ahh whatever it was, he wasn't told about it yet, if Ren's concerned look is any indication. But he doesn't pry - it's up to Yusuke to give him out that information. The rest is...

...well. Ren won't even ask who Aragaki-san is. It's not important right now. He stops eating and briefly puts a hand on Yusuke's' shoulder.]

That you're you . You're not the Yusuke that they know. Just like I'm not the same Ren that they ran into.

[It's weird to be calm about the situation like this, but Ren has come to weirdly understand and accept it.]

Circumstances shape who we are, right? Maybe the Yusuke there had his hand forced or something happened. But you shouldn't feel any pressure to be like that one. You're you.

I think Ryuji would like it if I were the same person. We endured so much together that he felt he had to tell me everything... I suppose he must have depended on that other me a great deal.

[And of course he wants to help Ryuji and be a good friend, but... It's difficult to even come to terms with.]

It unsettles me that I don't truly know where I stand with some dear friends, nor even with some complete strangers.

He would...but you're not. He's going to learn to live with that.

[He says those words with a degree of gentleness. As much as Ryuji is his friend, he does have his Ryuji-isms and he could understand having to deal with two different Yusukes would be difficult for him, but Ren has hope that he'll be able to come to terms with it eventually. Yusuke's distress is more important right now, at least.]

Take it a day at a time. Don't put yourself in the other Yusuke's shoes just like I'm not trying to be the Ren that they know. And if they can't see you for who you are...then they are missing out.

You're right... I understand. I'll continue to simply be myself. It's all I can do.

[He takes another sip of coffee. The taste of something familiar is comforting, in its own way, and just being around someone who understands his predicament is enough to calm his rattled nerves.]

Thank you once again for your advice, Ren. You're always there for me when I need it.

Sometimes the solution is the simplest, right?

[Besides it's not like they can magically turn themselves into the people they knew. He takes a sip of his own coffee.]

Yeah. My place is always open, as I mentioned before. It's nice to be able to talk to everyone like this. We never had as much chances back in Tokyo.

[The entire year almost went by like a flash, really.]

That's true. [He smiles a little, then.]

We were always planning our next move as the Phantom Thieves, or else preoccupied with our own responsibilities... Now, we have far more time together than before. The circumstances aren't ideal, but we shouldn't squander this opportunity.

Exactly...although I'm sure there's still plenty of time and need for the Phantom Thieves to be around...

[With more of the team being around, Ren might start getting a little more bold in the future...]

Do you think we can make a difference here? We have our Personas, but what about the Metaverse?

[It would be difficult to do much more than brute force their way through things with Personas, if they didn't have a way to change hearts, he figures.]

This place must have its share of injustice. And that's what we're here for, right? Metaverse or no Metaverse. We'll figure out what happened here, I'm sure of it.

[True its a lot more brute forcing, but Ren is positive about those sort of things.]

Maybe we can change hearts without the metaverse too by swaying people's opinions...

You think we can still hold that much influence over people? [Yusuke smiles, impressed. That's his leader, all right. They reformed society back home, and there's no reason not to stop their efforts here.]

I still have much to learn about this place. But if we uncover any wrongdoing, of course I'll stand with you in whatever course of action we choose to take.

It's worth a try! The biggest problem is our lack of the Metaverse app but I'm positive we'll figure something out.

[Ren's positivy in dire circomstances is what keeps him going.]

As long as we all agree on a plan, yeah. I'm not about to go off and just do my own thing.

Naturally, we'll discuss it as a group, just like always. What I mean to say is that I stand by your judgement as our leader, and I am here to support you.

[He finishes off the last of the curry, and washes it down with coffee. The nostalgic taste reminds him...]

We should come up with a new hideout spot, if you all haven't decided one already. What do you think?

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