It was always going to be difficult, trying to convince a man who doesn't remember what he did that he did it. Imagine a victim of abuse, traumatized to the core, who has committed murder in self-defense. Even if they were acquitted of the offense, who wants to admit that that ever happened? Who wants to expose themselves to the pain? Admittedly, the hunt for the Dreamer was definitely no vacation, but as much as it was a danger...there was also a joy, not to mention a certain satisfaction in having defeated the thing. Right now, though, it was [i]more[/i] than just personal letdowns. Something was wrong. Both her and Morgana must've seen it. He knew Ren better than she did, and she...well...she knew him well enough. The pains were getting worse. Something was legit throttling his concentration. It looked like a concerted effort to agree to at least let her help him. They couldn't do it here, like he said, though. "Your choice, then. Lead the way." That was when Morgana shouted the idea of taking this to their place. Ryoko smiled slightly at his input, quietly thanking him for his help. They would leave without drinking their coffee. It just wasn't up to their standard. Now, whatever means of transport Ren had, Ryoko's definitely stood out more. Outside the cafe was a car that [i]definitely[/i] stood out in Japan. It was a black-and-red Ford Mustang resemblant somewhat of the one used in [i]Starman[/i]. Japanese license plate in back, vanity plate up front: 'HAMRHED'. Even approaching it, both Ren and Morgana would've felt some kind of connection to the Metaverse, like the calling card or...something else. It was no matter. They would head off and soon reach their destination: Ren's apartment. The inside was not entirely unexpected. As Ryoko entered, she found herself nodding to herself about how it all seemed familiar to her. She knew about the room above LeBlanc, how it was about as sparse in decor, except for what could be added in the year of his parole. Like all the [i]real[/i] Phantom Thieves - Yup, there they are. Futaba making a goofy face, Ryuji cheesy grin, Yusuke doing that portrait thing he does with his fingers... - Ryoko had heard about the man who tried to destroy his life with false witness testamony. The last time they'd spoken, it was almost a month from when they'd destroyed the Dreamer. Haru's Psychokinesis had been like a resounding cannon to the thing. Everything after that time...was a reminder of why it was good to be alive. But around the time they were investigating a Shadow to clear their name of the Okumura incident, Ren told her that he needed to focus on this, because he was exposing the traitor in their midst, and he told her never to invade his subconscious, because he would try to kill her, or worse. She agreed, and left him... Without her presence, the effect of the Dreamer's last strike took hold...and Ren forgot... Back here, in the present, the nostalgia was starting to get to her emotionally, and she stifled it, for now. Just because he might remember didn't mean he... Well, anyway, she had walked in with them, Morgana now able to walk freely. He had changed too. Regardless of his status as a being, he still had the [i]body[/i] of a cat. The body was aging... That was a sad thing in of itself. Morgana deserved better. No time for that now, though. They wanted to know how she planned to handle this. Very well. "I've been through countless minds via their subconscious. The medium has always been the Metaverse, because that place was always a subconscious landscape formed of human thought." She regarded the blue-eyed animal that denied being a cat with some respect. "Morgana, you taught me all the things I couldn't learn in a psychology book, but there were some things where that knowledge applied. You accessed the Palace of Shadows, I stepped into a mental landscape, the mind of a human being, through the back door which connects to [i]every[/i] mind." Pulling out her phone, a symbol not unlike the Metaverse Navigator was present. It was blue, though... "I can access the normal aspects of the Metaverse via the Nav, but the Dreamscape function is almost akin to your Palace searches. If you know enough about a guy or if there's been some sort of damage, access granted. It was originally one of the powers I gained from Morpheus, but I made it a little more user-friendly after I met Futaba." She gave Ren a more serious look, now. "The point is that I can enter anyone's mind, even forcefully if I was of a mind to do so. I won't do that to you, or anybody else. The only thing I ever wanted to do with my studies and my talents was help people. If I enter your mind, I don't know what I'm gonna find this time around, but I'll never do anything like [i]him[/i]. I can take Morgana with me, if you're not sure, but for obvious reasons, I'd prefer it if you didn't try coming in yourself. Your power has always been incredible, but I don't know what state your mind is in to handle a Futaba Paradox. Let your subconscious be our guide, like the first time we met. We'll seek out the source of the pain and see if it's something I can clear up."