thephantomthief | IC INBOX

I know.

[He already knows all of that. He wants to tell him more but...he's not sure how it would go. Maybe he should ask Ryuji first.]

What can I do to help?

Not much you really can do, man.

I just wanted to apologize...

[ like it's his fault, somehow, for getting stuck in a beast-cube at all. ]

Well I can give you tips and maybe introduce you to Kanji I'm sure he'd help you out.

Well, I still don't think you need to since I know you didn't mean it, but for the record, apology accepted.

Now get out before I make you ;)

*I'm kidding if you want to stay inside your room I won't force you.

[ this guy...

in hindsight it's easy for ryuji to take a look at himself and realize what got him so riled up. ren's well-meaning, always is, but every once in a while... ]

... [ ... ] ...

[ he almost wants to tell him to shove off right here. tips, however, sound a little interesting. ]

Tips?
Wuzzst?

Kanji Tatsumi is a friend that is also a Sanguis and has been here as long as myself.

Also he is dating....

...wait for it....

Naoto Shirogane*.

*If you don't know who she is, that's the original detective prince, aka an actual detective who didn't kill people. Which means, yes both of them are Persona users.

Right, but
we're talking 'bout tips, so...

[ or are there none...ryuji's starting to think he's been had, here... ]

Oh you mean from me.

Well the biggest tip is preparation a few days before the moons hit. For me it's loading up on a lot of food because Cordis can eat a buffet out of food. For you, it might be setting up a room that you can lock yourself in or a place you can go that's away from everyone. Especially if you go into a frenzy uh...yeah.

Fortunately it's not something that you'll never see coming, it's predictable.

You're the one who had 'em, dude.

[ knowing a little more about who kanji is has its own uses, of course. he has no idea what this detective prince stuff is about, though...in a world before goro akechi came along, he never paid attention to it. ]

Well, yeah, why'd you think I'm stuck in here?

Figured I'd get a head start and all that...

[ it's the end of the month. ryuji's remembered this much, at least, thanks to the notes he's held onto. ]

It won't work in here. Especially if you get your strength too.

[You're gonna break down the café.]

I think it's also partly because you're guilty of what happened.

Sanguis are all about being free and fighting and uh...other things...

[ oh, no. he wasn't scared before, but now... ]

Crap!

Uh
do I gotta go?

I'm gonna go!!

[ where's his stuff, where's his bag, he can do this! ]

Now you're panicking hold on, I'm coming in.

[The fun part about owning the place is you have the keys to everything.

And now after a single warning of a knock on the door, Ren is inside, the glasses slightly fogging and giving him an almost sinister air. Not on purpose, mind you.]

[ and to think, this entire time ryuji was never safe from the start...harsh... ]

Renren! [ in fairness, he's not. upset at the intrusion, but he is upset he's not already out of here and gone. he needs to hurry— ] I gotta go, dammit—

[ and he does.

for about a meter or less.

before getting tangled up in the strap of his bag, and falling down onto the floor.

perfect escape! ]

[For a single second, Ren stares at the scene before him, before disappearing in a flash and reappearing less than a few seconds later with two cans of soda. He kneels down to his friend and gently taps his head a few times trying to calm him down before attempting to pull him up and offer a soda.]

Can we talk?

[ for a split second, it almost looks like ryuji can get away with it—wait, no, ren's already back. his window of opportunity's open and shut right before his eyes. ]

... [ ... ] ... [ even if he wanted to say no to ren, doing so is immensely difficult. he can at least sit up on his own, though he goes no further than this.

ryuji lives here now. on the floor. this is his life. ]

... [ can we talk, like it isn't what they've been doing. ] Thought we were talkin'... [ except now the intimidation level's cranked up from a five to a solid eight. ]

[He plops to the ground.]

Yeah, but we weren't having a drink while doing so. It's nicer to see each other too.

[The last thing he wants is to be intimidating...]

[ maybe for you, he wants to say, but being mean and being petty is what put him in these metaphorical shoes from the beginning.

so in the absence of saying anything nice, ryuji says nothing at all, picking at the tab on a can he hasn't popped yet.

at length, he begins to open his mouth: ] Look, I... [ and stops. he can't do it, this is why he went into hiding once the fur had melted and he shrunk back down. he can't face ren after a string of stupid mistakes, can't tell him to leave, either. ]

[Part of him knows. But Ren also knows that hiding and being bitter will just continue to make things worse. He's ready to rip off that band-aid and help him in any way he can.]

...I know you feel guilty...and....look I'm just happy you're around, you know that, right? The last time I saw you was months ago. And even if that you then isn't the you of now, it still hurt a lot when you disappeared.

So I'm asking. Please don't run...but if you do, I promise I won't chase after you.

... [ ouch. if this is supposed to make ryuji better, it's kind of having the opposite effect. perhaps the wires between them are simply getting crossed. ] Wow, man...

[ what do you say to it? all he can do is shoot from the hip, as it were, like always: ]

I just didn't wanna trash the place, not like I wouldn't come back...

[ he isn't. pouting, because ryuji doesn't do this (it's uncool), but he might be on the verge, sprawled out all over the floorboards helplessly. ]

[Ren just falls on a pile close to him.]

I know...I'm just afraid...

[Ren rarely talks about his feelings. It's hard for him as well.]

[ ryuji opens and closes his mouth again. he didn't expect the tables to turn here; it flips a switch inside of him, straightening up. ]

...? Kinda sounds like you're the one who needs to talk, buddy.

[ which at least is...preferable, to what he thought he'd be facing. this he can talk about, easily. ]

[He briefly groans because it's both true, but also he is not supposed to be like this but at this point he's sort of Had It and it needed to come to a breaking point.]

Noooooooo....

[It's the wimpiest nooo.]

[ okay, not only have the tables turned, they're more or less gotten flipped upside down. ]

Renren. C'mon.

[ as if this isn't emphatic enough, ryuji tugs at his hand. closer, closer. it won't be worth until they're sitting at least shoulder-to-shoulder.

plus, free chroma! everyone wins, besides ryuji's knees, which smart a little. ]

[Oh how the turntables.]

I'm supposed to be the leader, right? It's hard to talk about my feelings. If I start to falter I won't make a good example.

[But he relents. He sort of needs this and he knows Ryuji's not the type to go around telling others --

...

--WELL NOT THIS TYPE OF STUFF HOPEFULLY.

Also the Chroma is nice.]

I just worry if any of you end up leaving...or what if I leave and someone called Akira or I don't know, Takio Sumida or Izumi Urata or Itsuki Onda show up? Is it possible to be jealous of yourself?

Wow, it's almost like you're human or something. When you don't got wings or tails on you anyway...

[ which ryuji still can't fully process. give him a few more moons and he'll learn to deal with it. ]

But you said some of us took off before, right? I still don't know how to feel about being the third, it's kinda freaky... [ and a little annoying, to keep being compared to them both... ] I remember what you said when ya took me in, though...

[ it feels like a lot longer ago than it actually was. two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. ]

Even if the memories're different, we're still friends, aren't we? Y'think it really matters that much?

[ a genuine question. it felt like a hard pill to swallow at the time, but ryuji knows ren is always ren no matter what point in time he came from, so it's trustworthy enough information for him. shouldn't it go both ways? ]

We can always go with humanoid?

[Still trying to make jokes regardless.]

You're the second Ryuji thankfully. [Oh god three that would be...urgh. He sighs softly and it climbs up as condensed water before turning into small bits of snow.] I can't say I understand but I think I know how you feel...and I never wanted you to feel that way either.

[In a way, he was just trying to fix his own issues by giving Ryuji way too much information.]

No I don't think it matters at all...you could be called Ryu Sakatoni and I'd welcome you with open arms. I think...it's more when someone leaves that it hurts. You don't have time to say goodbye. You're just gone, the next day. In my case you and Ann just never came back for a long while.

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