aterat | There’s a difference between common thieves and phantoms

Entry tags:

There’s a difference between common thieves and phantoms

Who; Yusuke & whoever is around
What; One closed log and one open.
Where; Noble District & Thieves Den & Harbor District
When; During the March event
Warnings; None but will update if something comes up, there will be wererat fights so violence is to be expected.
Note; If you would like something specific or have an idea, you are welcome to talk to me about it. I am also open to writing personalized starters or doing other stuff, just drop me a line over on the plotting post or send me a message on discord @ WhimsicalSpook#8219

Do you need a hand? - Harbor District - Open to All

The thievery going on around the city was only one development this month; it seemed. The other thing was certainly the influx of attacks in the form of wererats in the harbor district. Yusuke had come across them a time or two since arriving, especially since the harbor district had gained the phantoms protection as they got a little more organized. What was worrying was the frequency and the seeming… methodical nature of their attack. They seemed more planned and careful of their strikes, and thus more dangerous than usual.

Not that wererats weren’t dangerous by nature already, but the point stood that this was not a great development. It was hard to not wonder if there was something more to it, though he recognized that it could simply be the natural course over time. It wasn’t like the phantoms hadn’t also gotten a bit better at things the longer they were at something.

Still, the good people of the harbor district couldn’t really handle these things on their own. At least not all of them. And there weren’t enough guards to go around to cover the entire city on a good day without counting the way they were stretched due to the influx of thefts (that weren’t all them!). Ren had already mentioned having to step in and help out the strange fellow who they collected materials for when he’d ended up surrounded by a group. It wouldn’t be the last attack they heard of, but hopefully they could ensure that it ended as well as that one had, without casualty.

So, on top of looking into the situation in the noble district, there was a need to watch out for their own ‘neighbourhood,’ so to speak. Mask in place and sword at his side, ‘Fox’ did his own patrol of the side-streets and alleyways. The teen did drop the disguise sometimes to stop in to some businesses to see if anyone had heard of a commotion in their area or a lead on where the next sighting might be with nothing more than innocent curiosity.

Eventually, his search bears fruit, and he has a group tracked to an area not far from one of the sewer entrances. A shout alerts him to the problem, and he takes off at a dash. Goemon had developed the habit of auto-casting Sukukaja at the start of a confrontation, which meant a nice boost in speed that gets him sprinting around a corner with ease. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I can’t help but think that you may need a hand.” He alerts both the would-be victim and the wererats to his presence, drawing eyes to himself with a grand flourish and an attempt to draw the enemy's attention to him and away from the other person they were chasing.

Ruminating Over Rumors - Thieves Den to start - Closed to Ren

Yusuke entered the ‘Thieves Den’ through the obscured entrance, slipping easily around a large pile of crates stacked by the door and over a few strategically placed pallets to enter. Then it was up the ladder to the second floor and through the door with a light hum, shutting the door behind him and looking around the room. His eyes catching on a painting he’d been working on and frowning a little as he realized there was some detail that needed to be added. He almost approached, then shook his head. He was here for a reason.

So, folding his arms to keep his itching fingers from straying towards a brush, he turned his attention to seeking out Ren. He presumed their leader would either be at his work-desk, or possibly somewhere else entirely if not present. Which would, of course, mean further searching. But this had been the first place the teen thought to look beyond the House of Solace. It seemed a moment later that he had presumed correctly, as his friend was spotted at the worktable where he worked on infiltration tools.

Yusuke himself knew he had some skill cards to finish, but his brief stroll through the market on his way to the harbor district had alerted him to some new goings on around the city. There was always something going on, of course, but this something seemed a little… More pertinent to their interests and particular ‘habits’ they were engaging in since arriving in this world. It was enough to make him curious, and just a touch concerned about the complications it might present them with given the city guard was apparently being put on much higher alert and increasing patrols in the noble district.

Setting his bag next to a stack of canvases, he crossed the room and leaned on the side of the worktable. “I have news, or perhaps not news if you already know, so much as a shared curiosity.” He started, tilting his head to get a look Ren might be doing.

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Leon had been sitting in the tavern having a drink. The day was winding down and he was reading a new book, one that had been borrowed from the Wizard's Tower. Lately he needed more time to distract his mind because if he didn't, he was going to go over and over those interactions with that one guy here.

But as soon as he put the coins down to pay his bill, someone came bursting in, exclaiming about a wererat infestation. Leon had heard of them but hadn't seen one since coming here.

So he got up and headed for the harbor district, where the guy had reported seeing them travelling in packs. Knowing some people might get hurt, Leon headed that way and made it there as fast as he could.

Next thing he knew, he was surrounded by the damn things but he'd faced worse odds and was charging a Fire spell when he heard an unfamiliar voice. The things had looked at the newcomer as well and he shook his head.

What the hell?

With the wererat pack’s attention on him, he peered through the fox mask at the group to reassess the situation. The guy wasn’t familiar to him, per se, but he supposed he might have seen him around the city in passing at some point. Not that it mattered, he stepped in to help anyone in trouble…

Although Leon seemed more like he was here for a reason and less caught up by chance based on his stance, ready for the confrontation. He didn’t really look like he was worried about the whole being surrounded thing, sure, but it wasn’t an ideal situation either. It happened once in a while in mementos or in palaces, and even with a group to work with, it was a challenging situation.

Best to break their formation, he decided, to give this stranger a little more room and to give him an easier in to assist. Mabufu was out, cobblestones were slippery in the rain to begin with without adding ice to the mix. It would harm the wererats, but it also put Leon at risk of losing his footing… So something less elemental and more physical. Dormin Rush it was.

“Did no one ever teach you all that crowding someone is rude?” He commented, tone a bit disdainful, and a hand raised to his mask and prying it loose from his face with a wide gesture. Yusuke’s own face angled away out of habit once the mask was gone. A larger-than-life figure appeared amidst the group with a cool gust of wind. His clothing is colourful and his makeup was something one would be used to seeing on an actor in a kabuki play, and he was wielding something that looked like a giant smoking pipe, like a sword. “Goemon, scatter them.” He uttered, and the giant lashed out, seeming to strike all of them simultaneously. Some of them were knocked back and at least one of them seemed to tip over on its side, passed out given the effects of Dormin Rush could put some enemies to sleep.

Then, Goemon was gone, and the mask was back on the phantom’s face as he rushed forward to stop next to the man while the wererats regrouped. “Apologies for the lack of introduction, but perhaps that can wait till after we dispatch these miscreants from the streets of our fair harbor district?”

Okay, so maybe Aerith shouldn't have immediately chased after the thieves. After all she'd just promised she'd be a bit more careful (or try to...it wasn't so much a direct promise!) in the future. But...what else was she supposed to do? It'd taken her flowers! Who even does that? Not just the flowers either, they'd taken a few of her new pots that she'd JUST managed to pick up. They were special order and based on a creature she knew from her own world. It was cute! She'd been looking forward to it for a while now, even coming up with little sketches about how she could place flowers into it and what colors might go best. Come to think of it she hadn't seen the sketches in a--

wait.

She looked down as she made her way after the wererats while simultaneously stumbling over a page from her notebook. It had a mock sketch of vase with some flowers put in them in a very childish and sketchy way. Look, she did her absolute best with them. As she got to the Harbor District she noticed there were more scattered about it and she rushed to try to pick them up while gripping her light staff.

"Oh no, oh no, nobody else better have found these!!" Or she was going to get a little hot headed. Unfortunately, she got a bit too in to trying to round up her sketches, so much so she didn't even notice that she'd stumbled upon the culprits themselves. Or maybe they stumbled upon her. Yeah, that might be more accurate given how they were surrounding her.

"You! Thieves! Give me back my stuff! Where did take them?" Probably not her best bet to annoy this many. Oh dear.

Well, at least luckily for her it seemed someone else was around. "Juuuust a tiny hand with these scoundrels if you don't mind."

Yusuke maybe should have been surprised to see Aerith in her current predicament. Dealing with rodent thieves and antagonizing them once they had her surrounded. But… Well, he also had realized that she seemed prone to getting in these rather odd situations over time. Between the things she spoke of and that time on the other side of the mirror.

She had a proclivity for attracting trouble, and while she seemed fairly capable compared to some people, she was still just one person.

Admittedly, it took him a moment to focus, having gotten a little distracted by the papers she had been collecting. The artist’s eyes catching on the style and colours and finding himself wanting a closer look himself at what she had. ‘Childish’ or not, there was a whimsical quality to them, especially with the combination of colours. But further snooping meant asking, and now wasn’t the time to ask.

So he doesn’t take long to assess the situation and offer a lighter smile at her agreement to accepting his assistance. “Very well, I shall offer the most minute of assistance with your miscreant mouse problem.” He responded a touch theatrically, despite planning to do more than help a tiny bit. Would the wererats be insulted by being called miscreant mice? Who knew, who cared, they were the ones that started it!

No, he was going to make sure she got her… potted plants (what were those curious planters? He must know!) and sketches back. No one touched an artist’s sketchbook without permission, and they certainly weren’t to be stolen!

Now, Yusuke had at least the sense to realize that slippery cobblestones were bad enough in the rain, and adding ice to the mixture would be even worse… So he starts with a flourish of his hand and sending Goemon to knock the nearest rat aside with a well-placed tempest slash, giving him an in to stand between her and some of the wererats. “You’re not injured or anything, are you? Just surrounded and vexed by their rudeness?” He asked, focusing on clearing a path to avoid them continuing to be surrounded. Attacks from behind would not be ideal.

He half expected this person to talk to him but apparently the wererats got his full attention first. Fortunately they all seemed to be busy trying to figure out this newcomer and whatever his deal was. They were snapping and snarling, and Leon turned his attention to the loudest ones, while still being wary of the number of them.

This time he didn't have Aerith behind him to heal, or Sora coming to help him, or Cloud at his back. However, he did seem to have a newer companion as strange as that seemed to him at this point.

It was..unreal and Leon had to slash his way to get out of the path of this..whoever or whatever had appeared on the field. He tried to stay out of the way or got whatever were rat out of his way in order to do so and the giant seemed to be gone as soon as it appeared.

He had to half laugh at what he heard and nodded, pulling his gunblade off of his shoulders. "You got my back, I got yours."

The thing about Persona is they tend towards being quite used to manoeuvring groups, given Yusuke and Goemon were a part of a large team that generally dealt with multiple enemies. So Goemon was large, yes, but Leon didn’t have too much to worry about when it came to an attack from an ally, unless there was a spell effect that was controlling them directly or some other outside factor. The persona’s aim would be on the enemies alone. Yusuke would not have attacked thoughtlessly. If he were prone to being thoughtless, he would have used an ice attack and risked making the terrain more slippery.

Having each other’s back was definitely something that ‘Fox’ could agree on. You watched out for your teammate and they watched out for you. So, with a delighted, deep chuckle himself, he nodded his agreement. “But of course, you take the ones on the left and I’ll go right?” He asked. Coordination was key, after all. Even without Joker present to lead, the phantom valued calculated teamwork.

Ren sensed his friend enter, but didn't look up for his work. Yusuke would notice as he approached he had a book of schematics open atop the workbench, and he was tinkering with something that looked quite like what was pictured; a multitool with several features that could make their jobs easier. It might have been a little incriminating, considering the rumors he was hearing around town, but it was one of the reasons he was here, perfecting an idea he'd had bouncing around his mind for a while, rather than out there scouting out potential targets.

He stopped working when Yusuke came over, though, looking over to his friend with a nod. "If you're talking about the theft ring in the Noble district, I heard. Sounds like they're not on to us, though. They've mentioned a few places we haven't hit."

Aerith would probably argue that trouble found her and not the other way around. Though both were equally correct. Shinra came after her because of who and what she was and they would do that regardless of what they did. Then again she didn't exactly help matters by always wondering off on her own and completely refusing to do what they wanted. Maybe, just maybe, he egged them on just a little here and there.

Who could really blame her though given the situation?

"Only minute?" She was pretty sure she needed more than minute help with this situation. That was not her fault and not one she got into. They had been the one to steal her stuff and it was only fair she chase after them.

At least he realized that, Aerith definitely might not have thought that far. Luckily he managed to get a space cleared thanks to Goemon. Aerith truthfully still wasn't entirely sure what to make of him. At first he'd likened them to a summon from her own world but it seemed like this was just some sort of manifested part of his psyche? Or something like that? It was confusing to really try to understand, all he could really figure out was that it was fairly impressive. Not just because of the power it seemed to hold, but also because of how it looked. Everything about it was dramatic, interesting, and very much like him.

She shook her head, regardless of if he'd notice or not and then noticed a few of the wererats attempting to lunge directly at Yusuke. "Look out!" She started to move back to the area he'd cleared so she could start casting a thundaga spell. The magic from her materia swirled up as she summoned it out in a bolt of lightning straight from the sky. Which might not have been the best choice considering the water around. But she never really thought about the environment when casting. "Too bright?" Look, she had to say some sort of witty pun or phrase when casting. It was necessary.

He watched as Ren continued to work on the new multitool that he’d been trying to put together from the book next to it. It looked like it was coming along well. Ren had a particular knack for putting things like this together, and it was as impressive as it was useful. Another tool to ensure that things went smoothly and cut down on time with fussing when complications came up would undoubtedly come in handy, and they would only be in trouble if someone actually tracked them back here…! Hopefully, they continued to be lucky there, but he thinks they’ve been covering their tracks pretty well. Especially if, as Ren suggested, no one was on to them yet, thank goodness. “Then we’ve heard the same news… I thought it curious to hear at first. There hasn’t been much commotion since we started and, like you, I realized that some of the locations haven’t been our targets.”

He shook his head, though. “I noticed when taking a walk by Haru’s cafe that the amount of guard patrolling the noble district is quite the increase, though.” Which, he can’t help but note with a wrinkle of his nose, that meant other areas were probably stretched more thin than before. The more well-off making a louder fuss, but it also was something for them to be concerned with considering… “Do you suppose it would be worth trying to learn a little more about these other thieves?” Who they might be, their motivations. It all seemed rather interesting given how long they’d been here now without seeing something on this scale.

“But of course, should the numbers of these rather uncouth thieving rodents have been a little more reasonable, I expect you would have danced circles around them.” He responded with a light grin, taking up a more solid stand as he sized their opponents up a bit and considered the next move. When suddenly she was shouting a warning and he turned his head quickly to see the lunging wererats with a gasp of surprise. “How unsporting!” He commented and leaped back a few steps to stay beyond their reach, hands moving to the sword at his side to defend when the thundaga spell connected with the rats and well… Yes, the lightning definitely makes short-work of their enemies considering how soaked everything was. Yusuke watched as the electricity shocked them soundly with quite the display.

“I believe they’re stunned by your dazzling performance.” He responded to her quip with a delighted chuckle, quite glad that he’d backed away when she warned him. Having fought with Aerith before, he felt confident in her ability to coordinate with him. Raising a hand to his mask to send Goemon forth. “Come, Goemon, let us provide a follow up act!” He summoned the persona again, directing a Dormin rush at the enemies in question, smiling with satisfaction as a couple were knocked out cold thanks to the attack’s secondary chance effect.

Leon smirked. "I can handle that."

He wasn't used to fighting alongside someone since he arrived here, but it was nice to have a companion again even if it was only going to be for a very brief while. Leon fought alone in the arena, it was something that he was used to, and keeping his skills sharp just in case was definitely a thing that he wanted to remain working on.

He had a feeling that they would need to be brought into play once in a while or even more often than that.

"That'll give them time to see who they're messing with." It was something of a banter that he used with Cloud, but it wouldn't be with the one here, that one had no idea who he was and as disturbing as it might be, the kid still seemed to be himself.

With a sharp grin beneath the mask, he liked the sound of that. “Then let us put on a magnificent display, indeed!” He agreed, sounding a touch theatrical, but… Well, that was Yusuke.

Fixing his eyes on the oversized rodents, he loosened the katana at his hip from its scabbard. The weapon he’d purchased from the forge in this very district had served him quite well since he’d gotten it. Yusuke adjusted his stance slightly and met the first head on with a quick and fluid movement. The blade glinting in the light and then disappearing back to its scabbard as quickly. “It would seem that while more coordinated to work in a group, they’re still not particularly good at dancing.” He mused, as the others moved to take up the space of the first while it recovered.

Though focused on his own targets, he does keep an eye on Leon as well should the man need an assist or a followup of some kind, he doesn’t know him and it was curious to not only meet someone new in a situation like this.

"Mmmhm, I definitely would have! They'd have gotten what's coming to them." She kept a firm grip on her staff and even swung it a few times (pretty weakly) when one got a bit too close. It was nothing as deft and impressive as his swordsmanship though. She watched that with wide eyes clearly impressed by just how agile he seemed to be. "Someone should have taught them sportsmanlike behavior." That statement was accompanied by a stomp of her foot, almost like a child. Smug satisfaction spread on her face as the lightning did it's work and then she laughed at him continuing her little joke. She appreciated someone that could actually go along with it!

"Nice one! On both accounts!" With that final rush attack it seemed they'd taken out most of the problem rats with a few of them scrambling off while the rest probably dealt with. "That's right run for it!" She pumped her hand up and then grinned at him. "You're so fast! And the summon is so impressive! I bet you'd have been a hit in the coliseum."

Yusuke always appreciated a little creative (or dramatic) flare to any fight, after all. Why not have fun and throw a few clever quips around here and there? “Why thank you, Aerith.” He responded with a little half bow and a sweep of an arm, smiling with some satisfaction that the wererats seemed to have given up their game. “I dare say we make an excellent team once again.” He added, securing the sword back in its scabbard and turning his attention to the remaining papers and belongings that had been abandoned on the ground once the creatures gave up.

“I have much to thank my other self for. Goemon is an incredible ally in these situations.” He certainly hadn’t known the first thing about wielding a sword before forming a contract with his persona. The teen can’t help but think to himself. “Even the increased speed is something of a gift from him, an ability he acquired through the course of our partnership.” He commented absentmindedly as he began to gather the scattered pages to return to her. He was pretty sure he’d seen some kind of odd planter, as well… Hopefully, that hadn’t sustained damages.

Glancing up from the task, he hummed thoughtfully. “Do you think so? I’m a little more accustomed to fights in spaces or situations such as these, I admit.” When you ran into shadows while infiltrating a palace or delving into the depths of mementos.

"You're quite welcome." She grinned widely and nodded. "You do a really good job of distracting them so I can at least get something off. But I think it was mostly you who handled them." But she did appreciate that he included her! She tried to glance away as she noticed that he was looking towards the sketches and other things the wererats had left behind. Maybe he just won't notice. Maybe....

"Not every day you hear someone saying something like that, " she said with a laugh as she shook her head. "Huh, so he even boosts that for you? Sounds like a beneficial partnership!" Oh no, now he was looking at them. So it was her turn to start picking things up and pretend that nothing odd was going on. Then she noticed the pot. The completely smashed pot. "Oh no, my pot! You dirty little rotten pests. I should have set them all on fire." Well, this was just a disaster! Horrible. She heaved a horrible sigh.

She gave a dejected nod at his question as she moved on from thinking too much about her pot. "Yeah, I think so. It's not much different than this really. Maybe we could go together sometime!"

Leon wasn't quite sure what to make of this person, but he sure made fighting sound like fun. In a way it could be, where he would compete with Cloud in regards to how skilled they were or how many they could kill in a certain amount of time.

He moved when his companion moved and smiled a sort of dark one when he let the trigger go on his gunblade and shot right through two of the damn things standing behind each other. Next he took a swing at one that got pretty uncomfortably close and before he could blink, he had to laugh a little at what he heard.

"You really know how to make a job seem entertaining."

Raising his open palm at the next one, it ate a Fire spell, and Leon was pleased to hear it squeaking or whatever it was doing.

How could Yusuke not notice? It was art scattered about, and he was an artist. To see all her work left strewn about across the ground simply wouldn’t do. “Indeed, I am quite grateful for his support. I feel rather lucky, though, that I can call upon him in this world. It’s not something I can do normally outside the metaverse in my own world.” It certainly made dealing with things of this world a little easier to have access to his abilities without the metaverse. Sometimes he wondered about that…

But he continued to gather things from the ground, looking them over curiously here and there as he carefully stacked them for her to hand back. “I presume these are all your designs?” He asked absentmindedly, turning one slightly to get a better look at it. It seemed such a shame that the creatures had gotten their hands on them in the first place. Her dismay gets Yusuke’s attention rather quickly, though. Turning on his heel, he looked down at the remains of the pot and frowned. “I dare say they certainly got off rather easy for such a murder.” He commented as he walked over to get a better look at the smashed pot. Drat, he had hoped it wasn’t damaged too badly, he had wanted a better look at it! “I don’t suppose we could glue it back together…” That was… a lot of pieces…

The offer gets a thoughtful hum as he carefully neatens the pile of papers in his hands and considers the idea. “Well, we could sometime? I should have a better look to see what it’s like.” Might prove inspiring, even! Though he would have to save thoughts of that for another time, considering the state of things at the moment.

The gunblade was, admittedly, a very interesting weapon to see in action. Yusuke had certainly never seen the like, nor would he have thought to combine a sword and a gun, despite being skilled at using both. He could think of a few people who would describe it as ‘So cool.’ Which, to be fair, it was even if he wouldn’t phrase it that way.

Yusuke was glad for the ease at which his current companion could coordinate without the need to speak. Moving when the other did and watching each other’s blind spots would make short work of the current predicament, certainly. Sword flashing out again, he knocked back a wererat that was trying to get by him. These things were terribly rude. He called up Goemon, the mask disappearing momentarily then reappearing after the giant appeared and dealt a Rising Slash to the rat-man he’d just knocked back and that was it for that one. Then he was gone again and Yusuke had space to move and take on the next.

A small chuckle escaped the teen at the comment. “Thank you! I don’t see the point of being dour in the heat of battle, as long as one remains alert and conducts themselves with grace.” And there was always a certain thrill to these things, it couldn’t be denied. Even if there were certain situations, Yusuke would be more… serious. This was a little more like a battle in the metaverse rather than a villainous ruler of a palace.

It’s not long before the last wererat drops and Yusuke lowered his sword after scanning the area for any laying in wait to ambush. “You fight well, I must say. That went a lot more smoothly than I expected when I heard they had gathered earlier.”

"Which means we stay away from the Noble district for the time being." At least in the capacity of thieves. The guards didn't seem to be making any progress in finding those responsible, either, which meant it might be time to take things into their own hands. He nodded along. He and Yusuke seemed to be on the same page.

"Or...we could investigate." He smiled slightly. "It sounds like they're organized." Which meant they had a leader and the Phantom Thieves had competition. That could be a good thing, or it could be terrible.

"Really? Why's that?" There was an earnest curiosity to her tone that just signified someone genuinely curious about something. "With our summons we can almost always use them as long as there's enough space around." Admittedly there often wasn't quite enough space for the bigger more powerful ones. But it was better to be cautious there than summon Leviathan in a small room and end up drowning right along with your enemies. The metaverse stuff sounded a bit more complicated than all that though.

"I wouldn't really call them designs..." she laughed both awkwardly and sheepishly as she looked over a few of her little drawings. "I don't think I've improved at all since I was a kid." Not that she actually seemed too down on herself about it. Embarrassed maybe, but definitely not dejected. They were childlike that's for sure, but they were still hers and she'd at least tried! Sorta! "But they were kinda plans for some things for the shop." Stepping stones. Her shoulders were still a bit slumped at the remains of the pot. "Right? They should be tried and executed for it." Okay, maybe too far Aerith. But she was frustrated. "Probably not. But I guess I can always get another done." She sighed deeply and exasperatedly.

"Maybe we could try and we could split the earnings from winning," since they'd clearly win together! "Then I could replace my pot."

Leon worked his way through the rats even if they didn't put up as much of a fight. This was especially true now that he had an unforeseen companion here with him to help take this whole group on. It was still good to get out in the real world so to speak instead of fighting in the Arena even if it was a good way for him to keep on top of his game so to speak.

To that end, that was the reason he went to the Olympus Coliseum and the Underdrome back home so that his skills didn't get rusty and he was more than prepared to fight for those he loved.

The giant had him sidestep and he watched in fascination as that sword had come down. It was definitely nothing like he'd ever seen and he felt fortunate that none of the people he fought in the arena had anything like that.

"Grace." Leon echoed almost thoughtfully. Well that was an interesting take on battles and missions such as this one. So when the last of the infestation had dropped or ran (as had one or two), he lowered his gunblade to the ground, trying to see if they'd have more company.

Still, he didn't know what to do with a random stranger complimenting him. So he just tossed it back with a shrug while mentally trying to figure out the why. "You're not so bad yourself."

That gets a returned nod of agreement. To continue on as normal in current conditions as though they could guarantee that no one would catch on to them? It would be rather foolish. That said, he felt a small grin cross his face at the suggestion. They could investigate. Who could blame a couple of teenagers for being curious? And this world seemed to encourage the help from those who arrived in this place. There was no reason to suspect their reasons for getting involved in the search for these new thieves had anything to do with competing criminal activities… Right?

“Indeed, we could. Learning more about the new developments in this world only seems sensible, after all.” Because Ren was right. The new group could be both good or bad, they could mean anything at this point. “Very organized, a group not entirely unlike our own, perhaps.” Aside from persona, of course. “Especially to cover so many operations in the short time that they’ve been active.” He straightens, folding his arms lightly. “How do you propose we begin this investigation?”

Yusuke tapped his chin under the mask. The question was reasonable, but also a little more complicated to explain. “I admit, there is still much we don’t know… At least I don’t. There may have been developments I’m not yet aware of.” He moved to pick up a few more papers. “In my world, things like magic and summoning aren’t a common occurrence, like it appears to be in other worlds such as your own. The metaverse is a cognitive world that only a few of us can access. I actually sort of… Fell in the first time when someone else activated the app we used to get there.” It had been a whole thing… “But, as a persona is a reflection of one’s inner self, a contract can only be formed with them in that cognitive world under certain conditions. So, since they’re a part of yourself made manifest, they can only be called upon there as well. At least usually, I know of one other situation now where that world has apparently bled into our own… And then there’s this world.” Which seemed to have its own set of rules and they weren’t cut off from their abilities.

Yusuke hummed a little, looking more closely at one of the drawings. “Perhaps they have a certain youthful charm about them.” So yes, they did look like kids’ drawings, but he also said they were charming…! That was… good? “But having seen what you can do around your shop, I would say that they are the beginnings of beautiful pieces of artistic displays. So they are an important part of the process.” Even his artwork started with rough outlines, and outlines were only that… Rough collections of lines to indicate an idea taking form. “Perhaps not quite that far, though I would argue that some recompense is owed for such behavior. I had rather wanted to see it closer. It looked rather interesting!”

At the mention of earnings for their winnings and replacing the pot… He tilted his head slightly. “Was it a very expensive pot to have commissioned, then?”

As the calm settled on the back street once their enemies were either downed or fleeing, the teen let go of the hilt of his katana and dropped the stance to something more relaxed, kneading at his shoulder with a hand lightly and glancing at Leon again over his shoulder through the eyes of the mask with a grin. “Why thank you for saying so.” He responded to the returned compliment with a bright tone.

Turning to face the man properly with a quick turn of his heel, the tail attached to his costume swung lightly. “It was good to have someone accustomed to battle to join me against so many. I was rather afraid they’d gone after someone who couldn’t defend themselves. It seems as though they are taking advantage of the guard being spread so thinly at the moment.” He added, tilting his masked head slightly, ever the picture of curiosity. He scrutinizes the man’s appearance properly now that he wasn’t distracted by the battle. “I do not believe I’ve seen you before. What might I call you beyond an ally?” He added politely, inquiring about the man’s name.

"Kind of a discover it along the way thing, huh?" She gave him a smile all while carefully watching the paper gathering. Look, she couldn't help just being a tiny bit nervous about what he was seeing. He may insist they're not bad, but she's still just the slightest bit awkward about others seeing them. With his explanation she nodded as she tried to keep up. "That's super different to how things are in my world. Though," she tapped on her chin with one finger. "I guess we wouldn't know for sure. If you just stumbled into yours without knowing it was there, then maybe there's a place like it everywhere." She smiled almost as if she were just joking, though it was a bit hard to tell. "Hmm, that sounds pretty confusing. Like the rules in your world don't even really stay consistent." Sounded like that would also make it kind of difficult to even figure out what things worked and where they came from.

She winced as he looked and shifted as he looked through. Then she just laughed, a bit awkwardly but still genuine. "Youthful charm, huh? So you mean they look like a kid drew them?" She moved her hand to her hip and looked at him with a mock glare. "Kind of you to add that part!" Hmph. Well, at least he added that part about how they'd tun out good eventually. "It was! It's a real shame they did this."

They sucked for it. Completely sucked.

"Expensive enough to want some money back for it!" Maybe she was just frugal.

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There’s a difference between common thieves and phantoms

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