Chapter Text
Ren woke up to the screams of cicadas. The noonday sun stung his eyes, the shrieking insects stung his ears, Morgana’s tail swiped over his nose, eliciting a full-bodied sneeze that sat him up ad threw Morgana to the ground. He landed on his back, abruptly awoken as well.
“Ack-!”
“Guh!”
Man and cat looked at each other. Broke eye contact. Ren looked at the clock. Just after noon. Morgana looked outside. A couple salarymen walked by; on their lunch break, judging by their half-eaten convenience store sandwiches.
Ren rubbed his eyes. “Morning.”
“You woke me up!”
“Your tail made me sneeze.”
“Whoops. Well, I’m going back to sleep. Very comfortable sun patch here.” Morgana curled into a circle, tucking his head down. “Humans should do this. I can’t understand why you don’t.”
“You know?” Ren said, “I should start doing that. Just take naps wherever.”
“You humans act so civilized,” Morgana scoffed, “but you don’t even curl up in the sun and nap. What’s with you?”
“Keep on rubbing it in,” Ren flicked his hand dismissively, halfway out the door. “I got work.”
Morgana yawned with exaggerated satisfaction. Ren closed the door softly, stealing down to the closet to get his Junes-branded overshirt. He reheated some leftovers for breakfast – or lunch? – got his shoes on and started over to the Junes, buttoning his shirt on the way.
Inaba summers were always peaceful. The gentle warmth, the slight riverbank breeze, the way the light glittered on the rippling Samegawa. Ren walked with his chin raised, basking, as he entered the shopping district. He spent a minute luxuriating in the air conditioning, and went over to the keypad to punch in. His manager was there, talking on the phone with someone. The bear-suit guy was hanging around as usual, probably pestering. He never seemed to do anything else.
“Hey, Mr. Hanamura.”
“Ren?”
“Uh, yeah? What do you have me doing today?”
“One second,” Mr. Hanamura said to the phone. He pressed it to his shoulder. “Didn’t you request off today?”
“Huh? I always work today. 2 to 8.”
“You said last week you wanted the week off. Didn’t you say you had some friends coming to town?”
“Let him work if he wants to, Yosuke. He can take my job! I’ll man the Topsicle stand.”
“This is why you’re still hourly,” Yosuke cuffed the back of the mascot suit’s head, “‘cause otherwise you’d never work. Ren, go have fun. We got a new first-year to cover your shifts.”
Ren’s face had gone white as soon as Yosuke said “last week”. His eyes were bigger than Teddie’s. “Fuck.”
“Yeah, see you, kid,” Yosuke said to Ren’s fleeing back.
“Can I still get a Topsicle?”
“On your break, Ted.”
“Train, train, train, train,” Ren muttered as he booked it through the shopping district. He spun around a large man in black, not even breaking stride as the man dropped whatever he was holding and shouted something Ren didn’t hear.
Ren took the stairs up to the train platform three at a time. He swung around a post and caught his breath, hands on his knees, just as a train started pulling in.
“Haah. Haah. Not late.” Ren was panting, bent over, hands on his knees, tongue hanging half out of his mouth. “Not late.”
“Ren-Ren!” That voice came from behind him. That voice was Ryuji’s.
Ren barely had time to turn around before he was gang-tackled by seven teenagers. They all started talking at the same time, save Ren, who just had what little wind was left in him knocked out.
“Ren!”
“There you are!”
“It has been a long time.”
“It’s so good to see you!”
“It’s… haah… good to see you… too… let me breathe…”
“Oh shit! Sorry, man.” People began to extricate themselves from the pile. It was everyone. Makoto, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Futaba, Haru, even Sumire had managed to clear her schedule. Ren took a deep breath, for more reasons than one. Yes, his lungs were empty. But he really wanted to take in the moment, the faces of his friends, the summer day, to take it into his body and let it calcify, let it become part of him permanently. He wanted to absorb it into his skin, tattoo it on his brain. He closed his eyes, and just breathed.
“So how are you doing?” Makoto asked.
Ann took his overshirt between her thumb and forefinger. “You work at a Junes?”
“Is Mona not here?” Haru looked around.
“Let’s just go back to my place.”
They walked in comfortable conversation, catching up on the last year. College life, writing applications, working part-time. Sumire’s gymnastics. Yusuke’s art. Haru’s café dreams. Ren gave them the sardonic Inaba tour.
“So here’s the gas station, creepy dude used to work there, here’s the Junes, I work there, here’s the bus stop…”
“Kinda… small.”
“Oh, you think?”
The Amamiya household was nestled in a row of townhomes. It looked exactly like the houses on its right and left. They had flowers in hangers outside that made Haru wince when she walked past them. There was no car parked in front. All the windows they could see had the shades drawn and lights off. The stucco finish was pristine.
“Well?” Ren gestured. “Welcome to my humble abode. Morgana might still be sleeping, so try to be a little quiet.”
The door squeaked open, revealing a darkened kitchen. Makoto quickly located the light switch and turned it on before Ren could protest. There were at least two days’ worth of dishes in the sink.
“Make yourselves at home, guys. Sorry there’s not much.”
Morgana trotted into the kitchen. “Oh, everyone’s here already!” He ran over for his own group hug, welcoming the inevitable mussing of his fur.
“So where are you guys staying? The Amagi Inn is actually pretty good if you can get a room.”
“Makoto?”
“I think that’s where we booked. Do you- Ren, are your parents home?”
“Nah, they’re out for another week or so. That’s why I wanted you guys to come down now.”
Makoto’s face tightened.
“Do you want to stay with us?” Haru asked. “At the inn.”
“Huh?”
“If your parents are gone, it won’t make a difference if you stay with us. And I’m sure if this inn is as good as it’s said to be, they will be able to accommodate.” She took the excuse out of Ren’s mouth.
“I mean, I don’t want to be a burden-”
“Bro, if you don’t stay with us, I’m sleepin’ in your parents’ bed. We came here for you, dude. You’re not burdening nothing.”
“Stay at the inn, please, Senpai? We all want to see you.” Sumire said.
“It’d be more of a burden if you stayed out here while we’re all the way over there,” Futaba waved her arm in an arbitrary direction. “Gotta walk all this way every day? Not into it.”
“Fine, fine, we’ll see what they say.”
A sigh of relief went through the group. Makoto went up to Ren.
“I’d also like to see you,” she whispered, “a little more privately.” He swallowed.
The walk to the Amagi Inn was long, meandering, and featured multiple consultations of maps and addresses.
“No, I’ve never been up there. I live here, I don’t stay at an inn.”
“It’s like the only thing in this town, how do you not know where it is?”
“Name two places you can navigate to that aren’t Leblanc or the supermarket, Futaba.”
“I can totally do that!”
“Then do it,” Ann needled.
“Uh, well, first is, uh, Shujin!” Futaba crowed. “Fuck yeah,” she said under her breath.
“That’s one.”
“Second is, oh fuck. Second, uh, would be, that is,”
Yusuke coughed.
“Kosei! I can get to the Kosei dorms too!”
Ren gave Yusuke a meaningful look. “Nice save.”
“She was our navigator, Ren. I’m sure she has some talent for direction.”
“Fine! Futaba, can you figure out this damn map?”
Futaba puzzled over it for a few minutes. “Can’t. Brain CPU usage is getting too high.”
“We’re here.” Sumire pointed to an intersection.
“How do you know?”
“I was looking at the street names. I like doing that. I like knowing where I am.”
“At least someone’s paying attention.” Morgana grumbled.
Some time passed, and the same conversation was had more than once, until Sumire was unanimously voted group leader.
“Ha, look at that, Joker. I’m the leader now.”
“If it’s all reading maps, you can have the job. I wouldn’t want it. Violet.”
“Hey, is that it?”
“What?”
“That big building over there.”
Sumire looked down at the map and traced a path with her finger. “Looks like it.”
“Sun’s setting, guys. We should get over there fast.”
A chorus of groans rose as Ryuji sped up.
“You just save a spot in line for us, babe,” said Ann.
Ryuji turned around from his now five-meter lead on the rest of the group. “Sure, babe.”
Futaba made a retching noise.
Ann put her hands on her hips, “Come on, Futaba. It’s been months. We’re together.”
“No way, it’s like seeing my big brother and big sister flirt.”
“Hey,” Ren said, “I don’t give you and Yusuke crap, except for that one time.”
“Except for that one time. And you and Makoto are even worse big-brother-big-sister.”
The conversation devolved into meaningless squabbling. Ryuji reached the door to the Inn lobby.
The Amagi Inn was, obviously, open. But in a different sense, Ryuji noticed, the building was open. The lobby had no walls, practically nothing at all. There was a desk against the back wall, some furnishings for waiting guests, but nothing else. No stairs or dividers that he could see, a pure open floor plan except for the hallways on either side. The outer walls themselves were almost entirely windows, letting the light in in such a way that felt like he was still outside. He let out a low whistle, looking all around as he changed shoes. The receptionist was deep in conversation with some other customer, some skinny brown-haired guy. No one else was there, so Ryuji figured he’d take his time to get in line. There was an impressive collection of stuffed animals and other textile works on display. The placard said they were made locally. That was pretty cool.
It took a few minutes, actually closer to ten, for the rest of the Thieves to show up. And they were still going back and forth as they entered. The bickering died, though, as they took in the building. Clearly, its reputation was earned. Ryuji was waving them over from the reception desk, and only one guy was in front of him.
They got closer to the desk, and Ren started.
“Mr. Hanamura?”
“Huh? Ren? Oh, are these your friends? Givin’ ‘em the tour, I see.”
“Yeah, we booked a couple rooms.”
“Cool. Cool, cool. I’ll get out of your hair then. Just catching up with Yukiko,” he gestured to the receptionist, currently doubled over, “she and I- uh, Yukiko, there’s guests here.”
“I’m sor- sorry, I’m sorry, just-,” she could hardly get a word out through her snrks of laughter, “just, Mr- Mr. Hanamura? You? Mr.?” She devolved into another giggle fit.
“Sorry, guys. She does this sometimes. Don’t take it personally.”
Yukiko let out a severe cough and stood up as if the last minute had never happened. “I’m terribly sorry about that. Please allow me to show you to your rooms. You are the Niijima party?”
“Yes,” Makoto said, “but we’d like to reserve one additional room, if that’s possible.”
“Hmm,” Yukiko consulted the computer, “that shouldn’t be a problem. It will add to the bill, of course.”
“That’s no problem,” Haru said.
“Very well. This way, please.”
The group went off down one of the hallways, stopping at a suite of rooms. “Here you are. Dinner is in an hour and a half, and the bath is open. The schedule for bathing times is in each room. Enjoy your stay!”
A few “thank you”s answered her. Yukiko drifted back down the hall and back into conversation with Yosuke, who made some crack about the bath that the Phantom Thieves couldn’t quite make out.
“So who’s rooming with who?”
“Well, we have eight people-”
“Nine!” came a voice from Ren’s bag.
“-and four rooms for two. So how do we want to split up?”
“There are three couples here, so that decides itself. Haru and Sumire, do you mind?” Yusuke offered.
“Well,” Ryuji said under his breath, “I didn’t want to be the guy to say it.”
“I don’t mind. Sumire?”
“Oh! Sure, of course.”
Room keys were split up, places were checked out, and as soon as the door closed Ren had Makoto pinned against the wall.
“I missed you,” he gasped out between breathless kisses, “a lot. The phone really doesn’t do it for me.”
I wanted to talk to him, Makoto thought, it’s just very hard to remember what I wanted to talk about right now.
“Me neither. Ren.”
“Makoto.”
They didn’t say a lot more.
Eventually, things settled down. The bath was extremely pleasant, but frankly, they could have done without three different reminders that the bath was changing in thirty, then twenty, then ten minutes. Dinner was excellent as well, and afterwards the gang gathered in Futaba and Yusuke’s room to watch a movie on her travel laptop.
“Hey, I could probably hook up to the TV. Wanna try?”
“Sure.”
“Inari, get me the HDMI cable.”
“Which one is that?”
“Ren, get me the HDMI cable. Outside pocket.”
It was. Ren took it over to Futaba, who was craning her head beneath the wall-mounted TV, looking for a port. She adjusted her grip on the screen – maybe it could swing out.
“Yo, Futaba?” Ryuji said.
“Yeah?” her voice was muffled.
“What’s wrong with your hand?”
“Huh?” she stepped away from the TV and looked at her hands, showed them to the group. “I’m fine.”
“No,” Yusuke said. “Put your hand back on the TV. I saw it too.”
“Hey, come on,” Futaba looked away, “you guys are freaking me out.”
Yusuke stared at her until she looked back at him. “Just touch the TV screen again.”
Futaba took a shaky breath. “Okay.”
She stretched her hand out, jerking it back as soon as it contacted the cool glass. “Whoa!”
“Yeah, I saw it there! It was like, like some kind of ripple.”
“Me too!”
Ren said nothing.
Futaba, fear replaced by wild curiosity, plunged her hand into the TV screen – and it went in. Like it was water. And it kept going. Palm, wrist, elbow, she went to the shoulder before pulling back out.
“What the hell?”
“What did that feel like?”
“I wanna try!”
“Everybody wait one second!” Futaba yelled. The room froze. “Okay. I think I got it. I stuck my hand in there and it felt like something was covering me. Like really sticking to my body”
“Ugh,” Makoto winced.
“But no, I remember what it was now. It felt like my Oracle costume.”
Silence.
Dead silence.
Ren got up. Zombie-like, he walked to the TV. Put his hand in it. Pulled it out. “Yeah.”
Eight beings held their breath.
“That was my Joker glove.”
Eight voices erupted, one loudest of all.
“Fuck, not this shit again!”
“Whoa, Ryuji said-”
“No, I’m fuckin’ tired of this. I’m goin’ in there and beating the shit out of whoever’s bringing the Metaverse back again, again.”
“No.” Joker’s voice cut the air like a knife. “Not tonight. Tonight we’re sleeping. Tomorrow we’re going in.”
“Come on, man, we-”
“We don’t know. We don’t know how dangerous it is. We’re not going in on no rest.”
“Alright. But it’s first thing tomorrow.”
“Yeah. All in favor?”
Eight hands (one paw) went up.
“Let’s go.”
They split to their rooms. Ren and Makoto pushed their futons together and laid together, shoulders touching. Makoto looked into Ren’s eyes and they were severe. Distant, like he was looking past her. Through her.
“Why does it have to be that every time we all get together, the world starts ending?”
“I wish I knew. I think god hates us.”
“We did kill him.”
Ren snorted. “We did, huh. I gotta sleep, though. You have to sleep too: we’re gonna need your brain.”
“I hope not.”
“Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Someone really smart told me that one time.”
Makoto rolled over.
“She was really pretty too. I think she was into me.”
“Are you sleeping, or not?” She couldn’t quite keep the laughter out of her voice.
“Yeah, yeah,” Ren chuckled. For a moment, his fears were somewhere else. They came back, naturally, they rushed in with the dark when he closed his eyes. But being so close to his team, to her, he had a distinct feeling deep in his soul that, one way or another, things would work out.