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Chapter Text

Ren arrives in Tokyo with the quiet hope that the malware infecting his phone will be the biggest stress of the year.  The malware is annoying, but he can handle that easily.  Even if it kills his phone battery, it's not like he's expecting many calls.  His parents have his new guardian's number.  He doesn't have friends anymore.  It's fine.

A fresh start in a huge city where no one but his guardian and teachers know about his assault charge will let him relax.  The waking nightmares will stop.  He--wouldn't call them delusions, because he's not crazy, he's just stressed, but his brain really is fried if it's going to fixate on the idea of him being a werewolf.  Twice now, he's dreamed of turning into a beast and fleeing his house to run through the forest on the edge of his hometown.  Twice now, he's woken up cold and sore on the dirt, pine needles plastered to his skin, and snuck back into his home as the sun was rising.  Both times on the full moon.  He's never even paid attention to the moon's phases before.  But stress can do weird things to the brain, he knows that.  He should get better now that he's away from the stares and gossip of his old neighborhood and can attend school again like any other teenager.  (He never thought he would be so glad to be able to go to school.)  Werewolves aren't real.  A good thing: he can't imagine they'd do well in the city.

As he steps out of the train station, the malware app appears on his phone again and opens itself.  The world around him slows and then stops.  He sees himself from a distance in the crosswalk.  His double smirks, becomes a demon in blue flames, and then disappears.  The world starts to move again.  It's just stress, Ren knows, so he only sighs and deletes the app again.  It's fine.

It's not fine.

His guardian hates him.  The teachers hate him.  Those things add more stress, but they might have been manageable.

The school doubling as a castle ruled by the gym teacher?  Not manageable.  Especially when Ryuji confirms that Ren didn't hallucinate the armored guards nearly killing them, their gym teacher parading around in a cape and speedo, the demon Ren summoned by ripping a mask off his face (along with what felt like several layers of skin), or the talking cat that helped them escape.

The smart thing to do after the first time would have been to never go in again.  But Ren was only known for being smart until he got charged with assault.  So he lets Ryuji talk him into a return trip.  Because they did see people in trouble in there.  (And less nobly, but no less true, because his fellow delinquent treats him like a person and he needs that, considering the entire school knows about his assault charge and has already decided he's a career criminal and piece of trash.)

Soon after the talking cat follows them to the real world, and keeps talking in the real world, and also keeps claiming he's not a cat but a human.

Morgana himself is bossy but all right.  His very existence, on the other hand, is a problem.  If a human can turn into a cat, why can't he turn into a wolf?  The next day Suzui jumps, Ryuji explodes, Mishima confesses to leaking his record, Kamoshida threatens expulsion, and Ann sneaks into the castle and awakens to her own persona.  It's an avalanche of events that leaves Ren unable to eat much from the stress, let alone deal with the possibility that he may, in fact, be a werewolf.  Over the weekend, he focuses solely on their need to infiltrate Kamoshida's Palace and steal the man's distorted desire.  On Monday, Ren can finally bring himself to look up the date of the next full moon.  It's just a date.  He should know it so he can have time to prepare.

Lucky that his stomach is relatively empty, because it immediately flops over.  The next full moon is the 22nd.  The coming Friday.  He has no idea where a werewolf could hide in Tokyo.  No idea how he would sneak out and back in.  Sojiro locks the place up at night and doesn't trust him with a key.  Not only that, but the old man lives so close by that he could easily decide to come earlier than expected in the morning.  Ren's certain he'll be on the streets in a heartbeat if Sojiro finds he's snuck out, especially in any way that leaves Leblanc vulnerable to a break-in.  He can't leave.  He'll have to stay in.  And maybe that's fine.  Maybe he really was hallucinating those two nights, and he'll go to sleep human and wake up human and there was never a problem.  Just because one supernatural thing is real doesn't mean every supernatural thing is real.

Denial is so tempting.  He has to remind himself that his luck has been absolute shit in the past few months.  If something can turn awful, it will.  And if his nightmares during the past two full moons were real...if he truly is a werewolf... Morgana is a problem again.

Part of the reason Ren fled to the woods the past two full moons was to escape the sheer rage he felt for the town where no one had believed him.  For his parents, who slept only a few meters away.  The feelings in those nightmares were terrifying in their strength.  Morgana may wield a cutlass and summon gusts of wind in the Metaverse, but in the real world?  He's a house cat.  He's not even a big house cat.  Ren could throw him across the attic if he wanted to be an asshole.  As a werewolf in a blind fury, he could do far worse.

He has to get Morgana out of Leblanc on the 22nd.  Luckily, it's easy to tempt the cat burglar with the prospect of stealing some time alone with "Lady Ann", Ryuji having already mentioned having plans that night.  (Not that it seemed likely Morgana would have wanted to stay with the bleached blond anyway, given their continued exchange of barbs.)

Ann is the one who needs convincing.  "I'm not even supposed to have pets," she says, and she and Ryuji and Ren collectively ignore Morgana yowling that he's not a pet.  Well, Ren tries to ignore it; he can't help a grimace when Morgana hits a higher note.  "Why do I have to take him tonight?"

It's not night yet, but he can already feel that he's going to have a repeat of the last two moons.  There's a build-up before the transformation or hallucination, whichever it is.  Everything sounds louder and sharper in his ears, and his stomach is roiling with an unease he wishes wasn't familiar.  His notes from the day's classes are an unfocused mess.  Something is going to happen tonight, and he doesn't want Morgana around to see it.

"It'd help me out," Ren says, which is vague.  He knows, and he knows Ann knows it, because she raises one eyebrow in skepticism, but he can't actually explain 'I'm either crazy or a monster and I'm afraid I'll hurt him', because these are the three people who think of him as maybe half-decent and a human being and he'd like to keep them thinking that--and that's how he ends up blurting out "Can I just have one night alone.  By myself.  Please."

It's not his words but the desperation that manages to convince them.  Of the entirely wrong thing.  "Whoa, man," Ryuji says, eyes wide.  "You feeling, uh...pent up?"

"Pent up?" Morgana echoes with all the innocence of a kitten.

Ann finally takes the cat out of Ren's bag and places him into her own, but the look she's giving Ren makes him feel like he's lost something precious.  Her respect, maybe.  "Come on, Mona.  Let's ditch these pervs."

"Hey, why are you including me?  I ain't the one talking about needing his alone time!"

"You're the one who actually said it, Ryuji!"

Ryuji grumbles as Ann leaves with Morgana.  "No winning with her sometimes...well, whatever.  Uh."  The look he gives Ren is a funny one, disbelieving, but at least it's not fearful.  "Have fun?  Y'know, I, uh, got some magazines you can borrow, if--"  He can't even finish that, breaking off and looking away as he sucks a breath through his teeth.  "Ah, never mind.  I'm gonna just...go.  See ya."

...Ren thinks the saddest thing about this situation may be that he's got zero inclination to protest what they obviously think he's doing tonight.  It's a good enough excuse for not wanting Morgana around, and maybe he can use it again next month if he doesn't come up with something better.  He'd probably have to push Morgana on Ryuji the next time, and they'll both be annoyed with him if they haven't stopped sniping at each other by then, but--

Actually, the saddest thing about this situation is that he's already expecting a 'next time'.  Even if it's a stress-induced hallucination, he can't fool himself that the stress will stop anytime soon.  Things with Kamoshida will be over one way or the other soon, but even if it resolves as nicely as Morgana claims, some new disaster will surely crop up.  He must have pissed off some god with the luck he has.

He goes up to the attic as soon as he gets to Leblanc.  Assures Sojiro that he plans on doing his homework and turning in early, so he might be asleep soon, which he hopes will keep the man from trying to come up the stairs any time in the evening.  Two full moons haven't been enough to establish a pattern of when exactly it would start.

He lies down on his lackluster bed, hoping sleep will come quickly and perhaps spare him from having anything happen.  Yet again, his best hope is that he's delusional.  But he can't sleep, still not used to the bed and the awkward way it's propped up, making for poor support.  Sojiro may have taken him in, but he'd never bothered to consider getting proper accommodations.

He's deeply afraid the stairs won't be enough distance to keep the man safe, and he has to wrap himself in his blanket as if it could hold a wolf and remind himself over and over that Sojiro took him in, no matter what complaints he may have, Sojiro took him in when the man didn't have to.  Ren would be worse off if it weren't for that small mercy; he'd be in juvenile hall.  Turning into a werewolf in a cafe's attic is bad enough.  In juvie?  He'd probably end up being killed.  What other action could guards take with a monster like that?  They'd feel justified even if they realized he'd been human, because either way, he was violent, a threat--

He's already crying, and when his sobbing gets louder and he's afraid Sojiro will hear--and come up the stairs, no, stay away--he bites down on the inside of his hand.  It muffles the sound coming from his mouth, and the pain as he clenches his teeth is grounding.

But when he can taste hair in his mouth and feel it growing from his hand, his panic spikes and he cries out loud.

The small sounds of movement downstairs stop.  "Kid?  You hurt yourself or something?"

The man actually sounds concerned.  Ren feels even sicker, but he forces himself to take deep breaths.  All he has to do is convince the man he doesn't need to look upstairs.  Doesn't need to see what Ren is turning into.  Doesn't need to kick him out in a heartbeat, or hesitate and get hurt--  "Woke up and hit my head," he croaks, grateful he'd already told the man he might sleep early.  Hopefully Sojiro would believe he'd just surprised himself.

The fib seems to do the trick.  "Oh brother," Sojiro says, and then he says something about being quieter, Ren thinks, that seems about right--but he's hoping Sojiro doesn't need an answer, because now he can feel the nails coming in, and he's biting down on his hand again.  This time it's hard enough to break skin when his teeth start to grow, but he doesn't let up at all, he can't or Sojiro will hear worse, so he keeps his fangs clamped down and tries to ignore the blood trickling into his mouth, pooling around his aching gums.

As soon as he hears Sojiro leave, the instant the door to Leblanc closes and locks, Ren clumsily rolls out of the bed and struggles to free himself from the blanket and move toward one corner of the attic.  It's harder when he has paws instead of hands and feet.  He's only halfway through both goals when he retches like he was afraid he would, bile speckled with blood spewing from his mouth.

Disgusting.  He's...disgusting.  If this isn't just a horrible nightmare, then he really is a monster after all?

The self-revulsion and hatred grip him hard for a moment, his whole body shaking.  He must be cursed.  People decided he would assault someone unprovoked, decided he was unreasonable and violent, and they were made right.  He's a monster.  At least Morgana isn't here.  If he were here, then Ren would...

He'd...hurt Mona?

Wouldn't he?  Because...he's a monster.

...Why does that mean he'd hurt Mona?  He doesn't hate him.

The confusion is a strange feeling, his but not his, reminiscent of how it felt when Arsene spoke to him.  It's a distraction from agitation and worry, and Ren tries to focus on it instead and work it out.

It's not anger.  He thinks of Morgana being in the attic, and his first thought isn't rage but wanting to know what Mona would have to say about this.  Some offhand remark about not being the only one on the team with fur and paws?  Though he probably wouldn't be too nonchalant with the mess Ren just made on the floor.  Maybe...maybe Morgana would actually be concerned for him and try to make him calm down.  Tell him to sleep it off.

No.  Wishful thinking.  This isn't normal, and even Mona would know that.  He'd stare at him, blue eyes wide and black fur standing on end, demanding answers, and the vividness of that mental image has a whine tearing out of Ren's throat before he catches himself.

Morgana, Ann, and Ryuji... if any one of them found out he was a monster, he'd immediately lose the tentative trust he has with all of them.  It had still been necessary to get Morgana out of Leblanc.  But...at least...he feels somewhat certain he wouldn't have hurt his cat-shaped companion.  The rage doesn't seem to be as bad as it was the previous times.  Because Morgana was a friend?  What if Sojiro came to Leblanc before he changed back?

He flinches at the reaction the old man might have, fear, possibly outrage, and his mind races through options: hiding, running, or snapping at Sojiro to scare him off if the man was in his path of escape.

Snapping...he wouldn't be proud of himself if he did that.  But it's much better than the mauling he was afraid he'd commit earlier in the evening.  The wolf doesn't like Sojiro.  But dislike isn't hate.  He's still shaking with nerves and fear, but he isn't bristling with rage.

...Maybe...maybe this is okay, then?  As long as he hides himself during the full moon, as long as no one finds out, he won't hurt anyone.  The anger has died down.  He might be a monster, but he's not--he's not looking for victims.  There are humans that are worse.  Like Kamoshida.  Yeah.  He's not like Kamoshida at all.  He might be a monster in form, but Kamoshida is a monster in his actions--abusing students, causing Suzui to jump, making Ann break down in tears, ruining Ryuji's future, threatening Ren's own--

His claws scrape loudly against Leblanc's front door, and Ren startles back into awareness, shocked to find himself on the lower floor of the cafe.

The rage hasn't disappeared.  It's just become specific.  He's nearly blind with the memory of Kamoshida's smug smile when the teacher wished him luck starting at Shujin, knowing his record was already leaked.  Destroying his second chance simply because why not.  He'd like to see how smug the man would be faced with a monster, and no, he wouldn't be inclined to give a second chance.  The wolf snarls even as Ren tears himself away from the door, away from those violent thoughts, and the two end up going in circles, pacing the cafe floor as Ren tries to talk the wolf down.  Talk, because now that he has Arsene, he has a new view of the wolf's fury.  It's like the moment before the awakening, his deepest feelings welling up until he could no longer deny them but had to both give himself over to them and take them in hand, becoming both outlet and focus.

Except this is worse, because there is no awakening.  The rage doesn't find a resolve.  The very obvious outlet for his loathing is Kamoshida, and the wolf wants to hunt him down, which is a bad idea for so many reasons, starting with the fact that he'd never find the man in one night.  He could hunt his shadow if he went to the castle, but still, he shouldn't.  They resolved to change Kamoshida's heart, not kill him.  The wolf might hurt anyone who passes him by in this agitated state.  And Sojiro would kick him out come morning for whatever he ended up doing to get the door open without fingers.

So there is no awakening, no thrilling moment where he gains clarity and mastery and a cool coat all at once, just rage churning and churning away in his gut as the wolf is denied hunting no matter how many times it growls and snarls and Ren has to turn himself away from the door.  At last something seems to change and the wolf thinks of running instead, getting away from the city, away from Shujin, to be free from human problems, and Ren wishes he could, except he would have a lot of very human problems to deal with as soon as the full moon passes, so that's out too.

The rage that had already curdled into frustration starts to sour into something that makes his limbs weak.  The wolf whines now, anxious, because it can't be helpless, teeth and claws made useless.  It needs an outlet.  It needs a focus.

The only thing in the cafe Ren can use his teeth and claws on is himself, and he--lowers jaw to foreleg, and bites, just like he'd bit his hand earlier.

The pain is still grounding, and he gnaws and chews like he's his own favorite bone until his jaw is weary and both forelegs ache, marked with multiple teeth marks and flecks of saliva. He's tired, emotionally exhausted, and he trudges back up the stairs with pain throbbing in his legs to climb up on his bed and fall asleep.  Hopefully, he'll be human in the morning.

He snaps awake in the morning to his phone's alarm blaring and hisses in pain when his right hand brushes over left foreleg--no, arm. He did turn back, and the bites he inflicted on himself look so much worse now that there isn't fur to cover them.  Dozens of teeth marks that just barely kept from breaking the skin instead left angry indents.  He didn't hold back every time, either.  He'll be wearing long sleeves for a while to avoid questions.

He's--he's really a werewolf, and for a long moment, all he can do is lay in bed, staring at his arms as his alarm drones over him, numb with bleak horror.  But he's gotten through the night.  With that realization, the pragmatism he's been relying on ever since being branded a criminal takes over.  He's a werewolf.  But he's been one for three months now, so he can deal with it, as long as no one finds out.  It's okay.  It's okay.  He has about four weeks before this becomes an issue again.

Twisting in bed, he grabs his phone and stops the alarm.  Then frowns.  The time on the phone is 5 am, long before he'd planned to wake up.  Why is his alarm going off now?

Even stranger is that he has a new message.  He can't think why Ryuji or Ann would be eager to text him at odd hours.

When he checks it, the message isn't from either of them.  The id is unknown.

???:  Wakey wakey, wolfboy.

Someone already knows.

Someone already knows.

They know what he is.  They know where he is--the texts that followed their blunt greeting had been orders to get up and make sure the cafe sparkled before Sojiro arrived at 6 am if he didn't want to be thrown out on his ass for whatever mess he'd made as a wolf.  When Ren asked who the hell they were, a reasonable question in his mind, they simply asked if he wanted to go to juvie and then blocked him from sending any more responses.

He can't stop himself from reading and rereading the brief exchange as he waits for the train to school.  He's burning the words into his brain, could probably recite it forwards and backwards already, but he keeps reading them, hoping for some small clue as to who knows.

The only lead he can gather is that they seem to want him to keep living in the cafe for now.  The wake-up call was terrifying, but so is the thought of what Sojiro might have done if he'd seen the hairs scattered on the floor where Ren had huddled and bit himself and thought they came from a dog being smuggled into his restaurant.  The mess of throw-up probably wouldn't have gotten as bad a reaction--Ren hopes--but it would have led to a lecture, questions, suspicion.  Sweeping and washing both areas clean let Ren leave the cafe with only a handful of words exchanged between him and his guardian.  (He thinks Sojiro's were "Kid, your curry", because the old man had been standing behind the counter.  His were "Sorry, running late, sorry", babbled in a rush, because if he'd stopped for a second Sojiro might have seen something in his face.)  If the anonymous text had been from Ryuji or Ann instead, he'd be thanking them for saving his life.

But he has no idea who this person is or what they want.  He still has no clue how they even know.  Is he being watched?  Even now?

"...en!"

A hand grabs his wrist, putting pressure on a hastily bandaged bite mark, and Ren hisses and pulls away, arm rising to block--and Ann's already backing up herself, her eyes wide.  "Whoa, sorry!  I've been calling you.  I thought we should exchange Morgana before school, but...are you okay?"

"Lady Ann, please don't phrase it like I'm a thing," Morgana pouts, poking his head out of her schoolbag, but then his blue eyes focus on Ren.  "Ren...are you sick?  You're so pale."

"I'm fine."  The lie is automatic.  Unconvincing, though, to judge by Ann's face.  Probably fair when he reacted to her the same way he'd react to an attacking Shadow.  "I hurt my arm last night.  It's still sore."

"Oh, jeez, did I hurt you?  I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay.  You didn't know."  He gives her a small smile as he pockets his phone and moves to let Morgana jump from her bag into his.  At least Ann seems to have forgotten to be irritated with him in her concern.  She's a kind person.

Maybe too kind, when she keeps watching him as they board the train.  "...How did you hurt your arm?"

Animal bite would get far too many questions and worry.  There's no way he can let anyone see it while the teeth marks still show.  "Accident.  Banged it.  Don't worry, I'll be good for the Palace in a day or two."  He has to be.  He has less than two weeks before he and Ryuji will be expelled.  His life is about deadlines now--board meetings, full moons, juvenile hall, being exposed as a monster.

Someone already knows.

"I'm not asking for that.  You seem really freaked out, Ren.  You were being kind of weird yesterday, too."  Ann pauses for a breath, but then her eyes fix on his, so intense he has to look away.  "Did someone hurt you?" she asks quietly.  "Your guardian, or--"

"Myself, Ann.  It was an accident."  He hopes his voice isn't as harsh as it sounds to him.  She's only worried.

Shiho probably had a number of 'accidents' too.  But she was actually being hurt by someone else.  He's only hurt because he couldn't control himself as a wolf.

He has four weeks before the next full moon.  Four weeks to be human, and prepare for the next time he turns into a monster.

The train ride with Ann and Morgana is spent in silence.

Chapter Text

For the rest of April, Ren checks his phone for any further contact from Anonymous, so often that he finds himself palming his phone in the middle of a safe room in Kamoshida's Palace before remembering that it can't receive messages in the Metaverse.  Morgana notices and takes a very pointed interest in the device.  There's a password change and a talk about privacy on the last Thursday of the month when small but distinctly suspicious scratch marks appear on the screen overnight, rather like someone was trying to get past the lock screen and accidentally unsheathed his claws.

Morgana doesn't try to deny it, or even act ashamed; he just volleys back an accusation of his own.  "You're hiding something.  It's worrying Lady Ann, and it's not good for the infiltration.  We're already having issues without more medicine from that doctor."

Ren swallows a lump in his throat. "I'm checking back with Takemi today.  I'm sure she'll have supplies."  He'd lied to the others and told them she was waiting on more to buy himself a few days before visiting her.  He also texted Takemi and told her he was feeling under the weather to excuse himself from demands for another drug trial.  The last thing he needed was to get knocked out by another concoction and have her find the bite marks on his arms--even if he convinced her it was from a dog and not a wolf, he's pretty sure most doctors would immediately raise a fuss about rabies.  The lies seem to have worked for the time being; the doctor doesn't want to work with a sick guinea pig.  No medicine means the last two infiltrations were frustratingly short, though.  It's far too risky if they let themselves run out of stamina.  Ren doesn't think he could ever forgive himself if someone got seriously hurt because of him.

"She better," Morgana grumbles.  "You and Ryuji are running out of time. I suppose I could continue with Lady Ann as long as she's willing, but our chances for stealing the Treasure are best with the four of us."

As much as he's tried to assure everyone, both verbally and by at least keeping up some progress with their brief infiltrations, they're cutting it close.  The board meeting is Monday.  And the patrol Kamoshida has both around and in his castle tower is a gauntlet from hell.  "I'll check with her today," Ren repeats himself.  The bite marks have mostly faded; they'll be easier to play off now if Takemi does see them.  "We'll infiltrate tomorrow.  But if it seems like I'm hiding something, maybe it's because I still need some space to myself."  Because he's a werewolf.  "I don't have to share everything with you."

...Like the fact that he's a werewolf.

Morgana stares at him for a few seconds, then looks away.  "Fine," the feline huffs.  "I'm sorry I tried to look at your phone.  Make sure you eat properly today, okay?  If we're going to infiltrate tomorrow, you need your strength."

The cynical side of Ren says his temporary roommate is only fussing about his eating habits to deflect from the invasion of privacy, but he indulges Morgana, buying the usual bread at lunch but also a small pork cutlet for some protein.  He knows he could use it, even if his appetite is still missing in action.  Then he goes up to the rooftop to eat lunch with Ryuji and Ann.

The blondes have shared looks of anger and gloom on their faces.  Ren immediately knows he's delayed too long, and he braces himself for Ryuji or Ann to reveal they figured out the lie somehow.  Even if they haven't figured it out, they might still blame him for the infiltration going so slowly, because he was the one trusted with supplies--

He's not ready for Ryuji to apologize to him.  "The only reason your probation's in danger is 'cause you went after my dumb ass to stop me."  The blond still looks frustrated as he goes on, but he also looks meek with eyes glued to the ground, and that's a kick in the conscience.  Because it really sounds like Ryuji is starting to lose hope, and it's his fault.

"Don't apologize."

"I wanna do it now, while I got the chance--"

"Apology not accepted.  We're not getting expelled, so I don't want to hear it."  He turns to Ann.  "Take Morgana after school.  I'll need you both to wait in the area for me, but I'm getting medicine from the doctor today, we're infiltrating today, we're taking that treasure today."  It means hopping back and forth between Yongen-Jaya and Aoyama-Itchome, but he'd rather waste half an hour with train rides than keep Ryuji or Ann stewing in miserable uncertainty any longer.

...As it turns out, they can't steal the treasure that day; at the end of the evening and four hours spent sneaking and fighting their way up the castle, aided by a fresh and ample supply of Takemi's medicine (Ren would have spent every last yen on her medicine if he hadn't noticed her perfectly arched eyebrows going up), they reach the top of the castle's tower and sneak behind the throne room to find a nebulous glowing...thing.  Morgana says they need to make Kamoshida aware that his desire will be stolen before it takes a clear form, and he's only confident in the effect lasting for a day.

"That would have been good to know sooner," Ren says through a dry mouth.  He knew he was cutting it close, with this weekend being their last opportunity.  But this new information shaves a day off how many he thought they had left.  He could have seriously screwed everything up by delaying because he was worried about Takemi noticing the bite marks.

"I didn't want to put more pressure on when things were already going poorly," Mona mutters.  Then he shakes his head.  "Well, it looks like our fortune's turned around, and just in time!"

"So we're sending a calling card?  Like real phantom thieves," Ryuji gushes.  Rather than getting worn out from the day's infiltration, he seems to have been reenergized by how close they are to their endgoal.  It's a welcome change from the despair Ren saw at lunch.  "Leave it to me!"

"You sure you can handle it?" Ann asks him.

"Of course!  I got a lot of shit to say to that scumbag," the blond says, windmilling an arm as though pumping himself up.  "You'll be good for tomorrow, right Joker?  You pushed yourself pretty hard today."

Only to make up for the trouble he caused, but since Ren can't say that without having so much to explain, he just gives a short nod.

Friday morning, Ryuji papers Shujin's bulletin boards with calling cards that call Kamoshida out, both in the message on them and the way they're arranged on the board to spell out Kamoshida's name in katakana.  It might be a slightly childish method, but after Kamoshida is pissed off enough for his shadow to manifest for a split second, no one can deny that it had done the job.  After school, they fight Kamoshida's Shadow, take his treasure and escape the Palace as it collapses.  Over the weekend, they wait, tentatively hopeful given the gym teacher's absence on Saturday.

On Monday, Kamoshida confesses to his sins in front of the entire school.  Ann is vindicated as classmates apologize to her for putting any stock in the rumors, and Ryuji and Ren count their blessings that they are both still Shujin students, even if Shujin is a hellhole.  Mishima, having been on the chopping block too, looks absolutely stunned by the turn of events.  At one point he's so stock-still that Ren is tempted to wave his hand in front of the guy's face.

Later, the most fortunate thing of all happens: Shiho wakes up from her coma.

For a brief time, everything is good.  The full moon is over two weeks away, and no one's getting expelled, and Ann seems to have forgotten about Ren's odd behavior after the last full moon in her joy and relief for her best friend's recovery.  She and Ryuji, Morgana and Ren all make plans to celebrate at an expensive buffet.

It goes... less than well.  In that Ren ends up throwing up his expensive dinner into a toilet.  He feels a little better that Ryuji and Morgana did as well, but they puked because they ate too much.  He ate only a little, his mind distracted between the conversations between adults that he and Morgana listened in on, the all-too-real-looking gun Iwai had him smuggle out of the airsoft shop the day before, and the task of feeding Morgana until the cat complained of being too full and started nagging him to eat more himself.  He took a few more bites then, but he felt at most sated, not stuffed or bloated the way the other guys had been whining.  He was fine until after they'd used the bathrooms the first time, when they were going back to the elevators to rejoin Ann at the buffet.  And then...there were those arrogant men who cut in front of him and Ryuji at the elevator.  One of them seemed to be the boss of the other two, or above them somehow, and he reeked of a superiority complex, but his voice...it almost sounded like that man, the man who got him arrested, leaving Ren feeling lightheaded and nauseous until he shrugged the Monabag off his shoulder, handed it to a confused Ryuji, and sprinted back to the bathroom to take his own turn worshipping the porcelain gods.

It's just stress, he tries to tell himself, but the threat of expulsion has been lifted.  He's still on probation, still a werewolf, but things are better, aren't they?  A man's voice shouldn't have this effect on him.  Hunched over the toilet seat, he just feels...broken.  That feeling only intensifies once he's back at the buffet table with Ryuji and Ann and Morgana all talking about continuing their work as a group of phantom thieves.  It makes sense: the way society is now is wrong. Things do need to change.

He doesn't know if he can take more Palaces like Kamoshida's.  Doesn't know if he can be someone for the others to rely on when he's still not sure what he'll do for the next full moon.  It feels like he's already climbed into the lifeboat from a sinking ship, and his last chance is springing leaks.

As excited as the other three are, they soon realize he's not saying anything.  "...Ren?" Ann says gently.

"Maybe this ain't the right time, Ann.  He got sick," Ryuji says in an undertone, though Ren doesn't know who he's trying to keep it from considering he's sitting dead middle between the two blonds.

"Ryuji and Mona got sick too," Ren says to deflect when Ann looks at him, obviously worried.  Really, Ann is the only one who's kept all her food down, and she might have eaten more than Ryuji.  She must have a stomach of pure steel.

"Well, yeah, 'cause we were being dumbasses trying to cram too much in.  You just picked at your food, so it ain't that."

Morgana scoffs at Ryuji including him in the 'dumbasses' category at first, but as the blond finishes making his point, the black cat squints up at Ren.  "You've been like this for a while," he murmurs.

"Yeah, okay."  Ann leans toward Ren, propping her face on her hands and her elbows on her crossed legs.  "Before we talk any more about helping others, Ren.  Can't we help you?  I know you're under a lot of pressure with your circumstances, but isn't there something we can do to make it easier?"

Ryuji straightens up in his seat.  "Hey, yeah! What if we found that jackass who set you up--"

"I don't know his name.  I don't even really remember what he looked like."  And Ren's not sure it would do anything to fix his record or reputation at this point.

Both Ryuji and Ann slump at that.  Even Morgana looks discontent.

He should say something.  "I'm fine, though.  You guys don't have to worry about me."

"Kinda shitty to ignore a friend in trouble," Ryuji mutters.

"I'm not in trouble.  Not as long as I keep my head down for the year."  And keeps his secret under wraps.

"So you'll work with us as a Phantom Thief, then?" Morgana asks, and as cool as he tries to sound about the question, the speed with which he pops his tiny head over the table to look at Ren betrays his curiosity.

"Mona," Ann warns.  The cat's ears instantly pin back in contrition and he ducks down again.  "Ren, you...were amazing in the Palace.  But there were also times when..."  She pauses.  Scrapes her fork against her plate.  "You are going through a lot.  If, if we really can't help you--" and now she throws a look at Ren herself, and he's very aware that even if she's let the subject go to the backburner for now, she hasn't forgotten how strangely he acted two weeks ago.  He meets her eyes, willing her to continue.  She does, though her gaze falls to the table when she says it. "I...don't want you to push yourself too hard by taking on too much.  Sometimes you need to help yourself first, you know?"

She has a point, as much as it pricks against Ren's instincts.  It's wrong to ignore someone in trouble.  But he's old enough to know, too, there's always someone in trouble.  Maybe they can change society enough to make that change, but there's no way it'll be easy.  The adults here at the buffet are barely paying attention to Kamoshida's change of heart.  It'll take more changes of heart before people even realize to take them seriously.  And even more past that to really shake things up, he'd bet.  If he nearly ruined things for the group on the first Palace...

Is he turning a blind eye?  Or is he just not looking for trouble?  It's wrong to ignore someone calling for help, but does that mean he has to run around until he hears a cry?

Arsene is silent on the matter. Ren keeps biting the inside of his cheek, trying to come to an answer he can deliver with confidence.  When Ryuji sighs, he flinches, knowing he's taken too long.

"Hey, no one's mad," Ryuji says.  His voice is unusually soft for him, and Ren knows, in an instant, that he's failed to keep the guilt out of his expression.  "You helped us out a lot.  An' Ann's got a point.  Sometimes you gotta take a break."

Take a break...when Ryuji puts it like that, it sounds like only a temporary decision.  He can join any time, as soon as he's ready.

Ren's skeptical that's how it'll work out in reality.  There's going to be resentment if it gets harder for them without him.  And when he does want to join again--he knows he does want to help--even in the few days they spent in Kamoshida's Palace, they developed skills they didn't have at the beginning, gained more confidence and proficiency.  If he stays out for weeks, months--however long it takes for him to feel like he has the werewolf situation under control--isn't he going to be hopelessly behind?  He'll just be dead weight holding them back.

Yet now that the possibility is there, he can't bring himself to say he doesn't need a break.  He does.  Just long enough to get his shit together, hopefully without burning his few bridges in the process.  "I can still get medicine for you guys," he offers.  "The deal I worked out with that doctor--it wouldn't be so easy for one of you guys to take my place."  And it seemed like Takemi was doing important research.  Even if her methods are a bit unconventional, he wants to help her.

Ryuji grins.  There's still some disappointment in his eyes.  "Hey, that'd be great," he says.  "An' I'll take over dealing with that airsoft guy."

Ren nods.  After the day before, with those investigators lurking around the airsoft shop...he isn't keen on getting himself caught up in something sketchy.  He'll have to warn Ryuji about it, because he's not thrilled about the idea of the blond going either, but later.

"Then... Lady Ann, there's something I want to show you and Ryuji soon," Morgana says, hesitantly raising his head above the table.  "But, uh... would you mind if I stayed with you?"

"Huh?" Ann asks.

"Ren's been hosting me as part of our deal for me to teach him about the metaverse.  If he's not part of the team, then it's only natural I'd stay with you, isn't it?"  There's a pause--Ann still seems a bit too surprised to give a proper answer at the moment--and then Morgana reluctantly mutters: "Or Ryuji, I guess."

"Uh."  Ryuji looks like he'd rather eat his sneakers, and it's with that face that he turns to Ann.  "Take him."

"I'm not supposed to have--!"  Ann stops herself.  They all know exactly how much Morgana hates being called a 'pet'.  She sighs and rubs her forehead.  "Well, but as long as my caretaker doesn't notice you..."

"I'm a thief, Lady Ann!  Stealth is my specialty."

Ren says nothing.  After all, he wanted more privacy, didn't he?  And Morgana's reasoning makes sense.  Morgana staying with him would just cause extra hassle for the others in coordinating plans.  As long as Ann's willing to take their--her mentor in, there's no need for his input on this.

And it's nice, having the bed to himself that night.  It wasn't that big for just one person, let alone with a...cat-sized second person.  It's not bad, not having to carry Morgana around everywhere.  And when Sojiro asks the next day where cute little Mona's gone to, Ren gives the easy answer he'd already prepared--he'd shown Morgana to one of his friends, both cat and friend seemed taken with each other, she'd asked and he'd figured it was better than risking a mishap keeping him here, right above the cafe.

"Huh," Sojiro grunts.  "Guess that's true.  You don't look too happy about it, though."

That observation prompts Ren to break eye contact, glancing down at the counter as he tries to smooth his expression out.  It's hard when he doesn't know what Sojiro's seeing in the first place.  Why wouldn't he be fine with Morgana staying with Ann?  "I'll get over it.  She's taking good care of him."

Sojiro seems concerned still.  It's interesting to see his guardian's softer side, but seriously...he's worrying too much.

Mishima approaches him at school, starts talking about the Phansite and how he's the creator behind it, and asks Ren if he's a Phantom Thief.  He denies it and, thankfully, Mishima at least acknowledges that it should be kept secret for now, but he doesn't seem to believe that Ren really isn't a Phantom Thief.  While the volleyball player goes on about how the Phantom Thieves can't just stop after Kamoshida, how people have high expectations for them, how there's a poll, all Ren can think is that if Mishima wanted to apologize for leaking his record, trying to shove more on his plate was not the way to do it.

"Heeeeey!  Mishima!"  Ryuji cuts Mishima off mid-sentence by swinging into the one-side conversation with a loud, friendly call, and an arm around the shoulders.  "Oh, you're talking about the Phansite?  I was looking at that the other day!  You seen anything good in the forums?"

"Uh--yes!" Mishima answers.  "I can show you and Amamiya--"

"Nah, Ren's busy with his studies," Ryuji says.

"Right!" Ann interjects in a bright, too-cheery voice. She hooks her arm around Mishima's arm on the side opposite Ryuji.  "Busy-busy bookworm!  But we're not!  So show us!"

And then, locked onto their target, the two blonds proceed to haul Mishima out of the classroom.  Ren stares at the commotion they make on their way out--Mishima doesn't seem to know whether to be flattered by the attention or alarmed that, with how cheerfully aggressive Ryuji and Ann are in tugging him along, he's being all but kidnapped--and nearly misses the wry look Morgana gives him from Ann's backpack.

Huh.

On the one hand, Ren's very grateful for the intervention, and he's hopeful that Mishima will realize not to go to him about any of the...Phansite stuff.

On the other hand, he's wondering what was on his face that Ryuji and Ann thought they needed to rescue Mishima from him.

Chapter Text

The Velvet Room seems darker than before when he next enters. Both wardens look listless: Caroline scoffs at him, and Justine is silent, eyeing him with undisguised disappointment. "Have you decided to abandon society?" Igor wonders aloud from his desk. "If so, I suppose you have no more need of my gift."

...That's right. Igor granted use of the app to him first, and then to Ann and Ryuji as his allies. Is he going to take it from all of them if Ren isn't using it? "I just need some time," Ren tells him. He's not intending to sit this out forever. And he doesn't want this chance taken from Ryuji or Ann, either. They deserve the power to change society just as much as he does. No...they probably deserve it more. They could do more for others without being held back by this curse.

Bony gloved fingers drum on wood as Igor stares at him. "The moon starts to wax full again, and you fear its brightest night. How troublesome, Trickster, that you harbor such a defect."

Ren winces at 'defect' but sets his mouth in a scowl. He already knows it's an issue. "If you know a way to make it stop, I'm all ears."

"Given the state of your heart, there is little to be done," Igor intones.

Ren wakes up still feeling the judgment of the prison master and wardens, but forces himself to roll out of bed. He needs to eat Sojiro's breakfast--it's probably the most nutritious thing he eats most days, and Takemi made a comment the day before that she asked for a guinea pig, not a vampire. She hadn't been too amused by him quipping "what about a werewolf?" either (his delivery might have needed work, his voice hitching when he wondered at the last second if she might take him seriously), so he figures he needs to start eating better before he puts their deal in jeopardy. He still wants to help Ann and Ryuji as much as possible, even if the responsibility of being their leader was too much.

Ren works at the curry slowly, trying not to upset his stomach again. The dream of the Velvet Room makes him even slower, taking up all his thoughts. He only finishes half before needing to clear his place and leave for school, which gets him a critical look from the cafe owner. Is he coming off as ungrateful? "It's delicious," he says.

"That'd be more convincing if you finished it," Sojiro retorts.

Ren doesn't want to make Sojiro upset right before school. Then he'll have all day to dread coming back. He tries again: "Sorry. My stomach's a little..."

"Come here," Sojiro says, but not angrily, and moves himself to meet Ren halfway, raising a hand to briefly feel the teenager's forehead. "No fever... I guess it wouldn't be that kind of sickness anyway. Your stomach always been sensitive, or is this a recent development?"

Maybe the concern shouldn't come as a surprise, but it does. Along with the realization that Sojiro seems to have been paying attention to his eating habits. "Recent."

"Any problems at your school? Besides that lousy gym teacher, but at least it sounds like you didn't have much contact with him."

Ren made it sound that way when Sojiro saw the news segment about Kamoshida's arrest because he didn't know how his guardian would take the bit about Ren's record being leaked. He still doesn't know, so he sticks with the lie. "No, school's... alright. And, I mean...recent, but it was already sensitive sometimes before I got to Tokyo."

"Did it start after your arrest?" Ren nods. "Sounds like it could be...well, but I'm no doctor." Sojiro regards him for a few seconds. "Do you want to see one?"

Ren shakes his head quickly. Takemi would stop using him for clinical trials if she was told he might not be in good health, and he doesn't like the idea of going to another doctor, making Sojiro go through that trouble. He's well enough.

Sojiro frowns at him, then sighs. "Kid, I won't force you, but this kind of thing can definitely get worse if you don't take care... I'll see if I can scrounge up something else for you tomorrow--curry might be a little strong on a weak stomach. If you're feeling well enough for school, better head out before you're late."

It's only halfway to the station that Ren realizes that might have been a question; that if he said he was feeling ill, Sojiro would let him stay in the attic and rest. Maybe Sojiro only agreed to take him in as a favor for a friend, and he's quick to make it clear that Ren's caused him a lot of hassle already, but he does care, in his own surly way.

The next morning, Leblanc smells strongly of curry like always, but when Ren comes down there's also a small bowl of okayu sitting out. Rice porridge with a light vegetable garnish, the sort of thing Ren's grandmother would have made him when he was sick as a child. Ren wouldn't be surprised if Sojiro chose to make that because of how it could be left alone to cook on the stove as the more complex curry was prepared, and it's rather bland, but the blandness is gentler on his stomach than mildly spicy curry first thing in the morning, and Sojiro didn't have to make him anything special at all. So Ren makes sure to eat every last spoonful, the warmth settling in his stomach. His caretaker is strict, but he can be kind too. Staying at Leblanc feels a little more secure for now.

But any change in circumstances could spell trouble. There's someone spying on him who knows he's a werewolf, and there's the fact that he even is a werewolf. Theoretically, now that Morgana's with Ann, he could just spend every full moon in Leblanc, clean up in the morning, and no one would be any wiser--but he knows, now, the wolf has all his anger and is not good at holding it back. 'Theoretically' isn't good enough. He wasn't a werewolf four months ago. There has to be some way to go back to being normal.

...Though, when Ren realizes a not-cat is trying to get his attention from inside Ann's desk, it really isn't likely his life will be normal again any time soon. Morgana paws at the mouth of Ann's desk, staring at Ren. Ren stares back once he finally notices--and Morgana, rather than trying to talk during class, looks up at Ann, then back to Ren. Long look at Ann. Pointed glare at Ren.

"Did you want to talk?" Ren asks Ann after classes, and Ann bounces so high in her chair before giving him a manically wide smile that he has to wonder how much sugar she's eaten today.

"T-talk? Sure! What do you want to talk about? Oh, Shiho's doing a little better now!"

"That's good to hear." Ren doesn't think that's why Morgana was trying to get his attention, but it is a relief.

"Yeah! The doctors said she still needs a little more time before starting physical therapy, though..."

Ren nods, wanting to let Ann talk more about Shiho before prying into why she seems so...off, but Morgana clears his throat quietly. "Lady Ann, what about that weird guy--"

"What weird guy?" Ann says, her voice turning bubbly, just a notch below 'frothing'. "I don't know what you're talking about! Hey, I have a shoot soon, we gotta go! Let's talk more later, Ren."

"Wait, but--ack!" And Morgana is swept into Ann's bag, and the blonde takes off.

...Weird guy? Morgana should know Mishima's name by now, so Ren doesn't think he was talking about him... None of the other guys in class stand out as weird in any obvious way, though Ren hasn't exactly gotten to know them. They barely acknowledge him.

Ryuji is loitering around the stairwell as usual, so Ren decides to saunter over to him and ask. "You know anything about Ann and a 'weird guy'?"

"Oh, Mona tell you about his rival?" Ryuji says, rolling his eyes. "The whole time in Mementos, that cat wouldn't stop yapping about some guy eyeing Ann and how he's gonna fight him if he tries getting close to her. Like, he tried to make it sound all noble and 'I'll protect you'? But it's obvious he's just jealous that any guy with eyes has a better shot with her than him. Since he's got none. He's a cat!"

Ren hums, considering Ryuji's words. Ren's seen Morgana worked up and talking a big game, and he didn't get the same impression from him in class just now. Morgana's worried about something. But, also... "'Mementos'?"

"Oh, that's--" Ryuji suddenly looks awkward. Like he assumed Ren would already know. "It's not a Palace, don't worry. Or it kind of is, but it doesn't belong to anyone specific? I, uh, don't know how to explain it too well."

Something Metaverse-related then, and Ren tries to ignore the sudden pit in his stomach and looks around the hallway. No one too close at the moment, at least. "Well, you shouldn't try explaining it to me right now, anyway," he points out. "We have tests to focus on." Even though now, he really wants to know. The others are already moving forward without him, huh? Morgana had mentioned he had something to show Ryuji and Ann at the buffet. Must have been this Mementos place.

"Don't remind me about exams," Ryuji groans. "Ugh. At least they're over tomorrow."

...Safe to say Ryuji's tests aren't going well, then. Ren exhales, trying to get himself focused again. He wants to get to the bottom of what Morgana was trying to tell him, since Ann wouldn't let it be said. "Ann acted strange when Morgana tried talking about the guy."

"Strange?" Ryuji echoes. "Strange how?"

"Jumpy when I started talking. And when I tried asking what 'weird guy' Morgana was talking about, she pretended she didn't know what he was talking about and acted all fake happy. Like she was doing a commercial at gunpoint."

That gets Ryuji frowning, his shoe heel idly kicking against the wall he's leaning on as he thinks. "She still sucks at acting, huh? She was a bad liar in middle school, too. If she was saying to ignore it and acting like THAT..." He scowls, giving the wall one last, strong kick. "Man, that cat's got her all worried with this stupid 'stalker' crap."

That one word makes everything clear. Why Morgana is worried, and why Ann's acting so strange. A stalker is the last thing she needs to be dealing with, especially so soon after Kamoshida. "What did Morgana say about the stalker?"

Ryuji gives him a skeptical look. "You think it's real? Mona could be making something out of nothing."

"If both of them are worried, we should take it seriously."

"Yeah, I guess... I don't wanna freak Ann out even more, though." Ryuji tilts his head back as he thinks. "He said the guy was hangin' around Shibuya station and staring at Ann, then started coming over, lookin' real intense--then crashed into someone else like a moron 'cause he wasn't looking where he was going. Tall and skinny, I guess? Mona said he looked like a skeleton but that might just be Mona wanting to make him sound ugly."

Ren nodded. He didn't think Morgana would make a stalker up, but he would definitely describe someone he didn't like as unflatteringly as possible. "Let's get to the station early tomorrow. We can keep Ann company without making a big deal of it."

"Right...if she's really got a stalker, soon as he sees she's got company, he'll have second thoughts about trying anything," Ryuji said. "An' if Mona spots his mug again, we'll know what he looks like." Then he slumps. "Ugh, that means waking up early, though."

"It'll be worth it," Ren says. It's an effort to convince both Ryuji and himself. But it does seem worth it the next morning when Ryuji shouts to get Ann's attention and her expression lights up as she walks over to join them. She still glances around though, often enough that she seems to be looking for someone. They're not supposed to be making a big deal of the stalker, but Ren wants to tell her--she should have just said something if this is weighing on her so much. At least Morgana's looking out for her.

And then the cat in her bag stiffens shortly after they get on the train, his ears pricking up and focusing forward, the softest growl in his throat. "Morgana?" Ann says in question, and looks over her shoulder. She immediately whips her head forward again, leaning closer to Ren and Ryuji in the crowded press of people. Her shoulders are tense as they hunch together, and Ren feels an immediate rush of anger because she should not have to be dealing with this.

Ryuji yawns, glancing in the direction Morgana's glaring in. "Is it the guy? I don't see him."

"He's right there!" Morgana hisses back.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence," Ann says, but with the way her hands are twisting on her uniform jacket, there's no way she believes it. And it isn't.

"He got off," Morgana reports right after they exit the train at Aoyama-Itchome station. Ren glances over his shoulder, but it's hard to pick out anyone particularly unusual in the busy morning crowds. "What should we do?"

Ann looks too nervous to say anything, and Ren isn't sure what to say himself. His instinct is to just walk and put as much distance between them and the stalker as possible, get to school without any trouble, but that won't help Ann in the future if the stalker persists.

"How about we let this guy know he got caught?" Ryuji suggests.

Two minutes later, Ren and Ryuji break off from Ann as though going their own way, though they stop walking after a few feet. Ann stands on her own as other pedestrians stream around. One guy, tall, lanky, starts approaching her. He's got a different school's uniform on, and while Ren's still getting to know Tokyo, he knows Shujin is the only high school by Aoyama-Itchome's station--this guy shouldn't be here. When the guy raises his hand toward Ann like he's going to grab her, Ryuji and Ren close the distance and step between him and their friend with matching glares.

The stranger halts in his step, dropping his hand. Rather than getting hostile or blustering right away, he merely stops in confusion, a strand of short silky hair falling across a delicate face.

...He is pretty bony. That must be how Morgana decided on "skeleton". Otherwise, though...

Ryuji gives the guy a scan, then whirls on Morgana with wide eyes. "You were talking about this guy, Mona? Your descriptions are shit! You said he was ugly!"

"He is," Morgana insists, throwing in a scowl at the stranger for good measure. "Ugly and despicable."

"He looks like he could be a freaking model!"

"Thank you," the handsome guy who's still a stalker says in a mellow voice. "Are you arguing with the cat?"

Ryuji's mouth snaps shut, and Ren can see his friend's brain working behind a few quick blinks as he belatedly remembers what normal people would see when he argues with Morgana in public. Then Ryuji whirls on the stranger. "This ain't about me," he says, stepping up to him. "This is about you stalking my friend."

The slender boy cocks his head, tucking the errant strand of hair back into place. "Stalking? That's preposterous."

Ann lets out an indignant cry, joining Ryuji at his side and pointing up at the strange boy's face. "Don't lie! We all know you've been following me since the train!"

"That's because..." The boy seems to hesitate at Ann's ire, but then a car nearby honks its horn and rolls to a stop at the curb. Its rear window rolls down to reveal a grandfatherly-looking gentleman in a simple traditional kimono, who calls out to Ann's stalker with amusement for...following his 'passion'? It's such a baffling take on the situation that Ren has no idea what to make of the laughing old man. At least the stalker finally makes some explanation for his behavior.

If not a very believable one. "This man's highly suspicious!" Morgana declares, because that he just had to ask Ann to model for him? It only becomes slightly believable after Ann recognizes the old man in the car as an artist named Madarame. Kitagawa, as the student introduces himself, gives Ann three tickets to an exhibit Madarame's opening tomorrow, telling her he hopes to have her answer then.

"You're not plannin' on goin', are you?" Ryuji asks Ann the minute the black car rolls away, taking the strange artists away.

"...I think I will," Ann says. Ryuji's mouth drops opens in shock, a mirror of what Ren's feeling. Before he can even think of how to voice his concerns--because he has a few right now--Ann fishes out her phone and starts. "Crap! Look at the time! I'll see you later."

"Lady Ann," Morgana stammers as she starts running, jostling him on her shoulder, "Lady Ann, are you really interested in that scoundrel--?!"

But that's about all Ren hears out of him before Ann's long legs have carried them both into the crowd. So he looks to Ryuji for answers. "She wants to help that creep?"

"I don't know any better than you," Ryuji says. "Sure, maybe he really wasn't stalking her to do anything awful, but--"

"But he was still stalking her," Ren says. "And he wouldn't even acknowledge it."

"Yeah. What the heck's she thinking... Wait, if she's running late, we're all running late! What'd she leave us behind for?"

Rushing to school after the frustrating encounter with Kitagawa isn't the best way to start the last day of finals; Ren spends nearly a half-hour stewing in irritation at both Kitagawa's behavior and Madarame's nonchalance about it. Maybe the old man is oblivious to Kitagawa's actions. Or maybe, being famous, he doesn't see any need to care about any trouble his student might cause, because he could just brush off any consequence to himself, the same way that drunk man did. The first idea is troubling, the second one upsetting, and it takes Ren considerable effort to focus on the paper in front of him instead. After what seems like forever, exams are done, and they can all leave.

"It's over," Ann sighs happily at the station.

"It's over..." Ryuji echoes, heavy with misery. "How 'bout you?" he asks Ren.

"It's over," Ren says flatly, because that's not what he cares about right now. He turns his attention to Ann. "Are you really going to model for that guy?"

"I don't know about that," she answers. "But I at least want to go to that exhibit. When I was watching that special on tv, the artwork was pretty nice. Plus, we've got free tickets. Besides, this could be related to... uh, actually." She tugs on a pigtail, grimacing apologetically. "It's kind of something I want to check out for PT reasons, so I won't ask you to come. Unless you want to go, of course! He gave me a ticket for you too, after all, I just don't know how much you like art."

"Ohhh, so that's your reasoning," Morgana chips in, popping his head out of Ann's schoolbag. "Brilliant, Lady Ann! Your dedication as a Phantom Thief is admirable."

Morgana always jumps to praise Ann, but Ren would bet he's also relieved her reasons have nothing to do with Kitagawa.

"Wait, what's an art exhibit got to do with phantom thief stuff?" Ryuji asks, drawing a frown from Ann.

"Don't you remember what that shadow said? He mentioned a Madarame, and it's not exactly a common name. What if it's that guy?"

"Besides, the fine arts have plenty to do with phantom thieves," Morgana lectures Ryuji. "You should go. And pay attention! A phantom thief who can't identify a priceless work of art would be super lame." The cat burglar then turns his attention to Ren. "Of course, since this is potential Phantom Thief business, we won't exactly be going for fun. So there's no reason for you to come, Ren. Unless you really like art, I guess."

He says it dismissively for Ann's ears, but over her shoulder, he's shooting Ren the same kitten eyes he'd make when pleading for pricey cat food or even human food. It's obvious what he wants Ren to say.

"Art's my passion," Ren tells Ann.

"Oh! ...Why'd you say it all flat like that? But sure, come with us. Let's go tomorrow."

"Well, if everyone else is going..." Ryuji sighs.

Going to the exhibit on opening day is a mistake for anyone who actually wants to leisurely enjoy the artwork. The halls are packed with people. Apparently this Madarame really is a big deal. The crowds make Ren feel better about Kitagawa leading Ann away to look at artwork. This isn't a dark street late at night. The venue is well-lit and full of witnesses if Kitagawa tries anything funny. Ann can handle herself; plus, she has an escort in the form of a not-cat hiding in her bag who would probably love to scratch Kitagawa's face if need be. So Ren lets himself relax and idly look around at some of the pieces, painted with such different techniques that he never would have guessed the same guy did them all, until Ryuji spots the painter in question being interviewed. They listen in from a distance for a few minutes. It's a little rich that the guy who was being chauffeured yesterday is talking about modest living today...but then again, the man is pretty old. Maybe public transit is risky for him somehow? Or maybe it's just too distracting when he's trying to get his 'naturally bubbling' inspiration. Ryuji seems to get stuck on one particular word the man uses, but that's when everyone else notices Madarame's presence, leaving Ryuji and Ren to flee or be swarmed by the gathering throng.

They decide to head back to the station. Ryuji throws himself down on the floor to sit, texting Ann to let her know where to meet back up. "That old lady totally elbowed me, but thanks to that, I remember now," he starts saying...rather confusingly, starting to do something else on his phone.

What, Ren doesn't know, because Ryuji goes quiet then, strange for him. "What'd you remember?"

"Oh... uh, something from the Phansite. That old fart might be fishy."

Ann comes back then, angry to have been left behind, but Ryuji thrusts his phone at her and then looks up at Ren. "Sooo, you like the art?" Ryuji asks nonchalantly.

Ren doesn't answer right away, distracted by Ann's eyebrows floating up at whatever's on the phone. When she looks up, she looks first to Ryuji, like she wants to ask him questions, but then smiles at Ren. "Oh, yeah! Did you get to look around?"

"It was great. Thanks for inviting me," Ren says, the words rote. He wasn't there for the art, and they're only asking out of politeness. It's obvious they want to talk about Phantom Thief matters but won't in front of him--because he's not one. "I should head back now, though. See you guys Monday."

"Hey now, wait--"

Sticking around now is only going to make things more awkward, so Ren ignores Ryuji's call and zips down the stairs of the Teikyu building, beelining to the Yongen-Jaya line. He rushes, so eager to get on the train and leave the unwelcome feeling of being the odd man out behind that he doesn't realize until the doors are closing and the announcer speaks up one final time that... he's on the wrong one.

Of course. He still has some trouble navigating Tokyo's train system from day-to-day, of course he would screw it up when he's upset. So now, between riding the wrong train and trudging through an unfamiliar station until a station attendant takes pity on him and helps him find the train to return to Shibuya so he can finally get on the right train to Yongen-Jaya, he has plenty of time to think about how he became friends with Ryuji and Ann because they had a common enemy in Kamoshida. Without that, without him being a Phantom Thief, he's just an awkward hanger-on.

...Maybe he should tell them he's changed his mind. That he was stressed at the Wilton Buffet, but he's fine now, and he wants to be on the team.

Except he's not going to be "fine" when the next full moon approaches, or when a man being an asshole is enough to make his stomach turn over. Something's wrong with him, and it'd be selfish to tell them they can rely on him just so they'll keep being his friends.