FalloutJack

Whispers in the night (FalloutJack/OffShoreAutumn)

She gave the cat-form a nod, saying "Everything about the Metaverse itself. I had to learn the ins and outs of Morpheus on my own.", knowing that Morgana would be pleased to know how much of a help he'd been. They all were, of course, but to explain the details of that world first was Morgana, and she was a quick enough study due to her background. It started getting complicated when Futaba mentioned the power of Cognative Psience, which Ryoko hadn't heard of 'till then, but immediately got the feeling that she herself was immersed in without realizing it. The Metaverse probably ran on it, or it was the science OF the Metaverse explained for everyday human understanding. Hard to say. Still, it WAS a problem, the two of them not knowing the details of everything. Honestly, she hated it too, but time was running out, and Ren wasn't coming around on his own. She had to do this, or things might get ugly soon.

The suggestion of Morgana going with her was to engage a measure of trust, in that he would go along with things more readily if a friend were accompanying her, making sure that everything was on the level. Besides the fact, she would welcome his company on what was probably going to be a harsh sort of journey through whatever was bothering him, and be invaluable because of their living together over the course of seven years. Now, the question of how they enter the Dreamscape was brought up, and before Ryoko could even explain, they came upon the answer, already. In fact, the words that Ren volunteered were hitting upon the right sort of area. Ren knew his own head, after all. Any man who could wield like a dozen Personas at once had to have some idea of what goes on inside of him.

"You're very close. Like the fissures left by the Dreamer as it forced its way into minds, the passage to the subconscious lies in the parts that have caused emotional unrest. Anything close will pull at the veil, cause it to part and open up to you, like prodding a patient to speak their mind. It just needs a few more, including the subject's name..."

She held the phone close to her own mouth and said "Ren Amamiya, Joker of the Phantom Thieves, and hmmm...coffee shop?", knowing that these words would certainly provoke the right feelings and mindset. The image of a brain on the phone had been unfocused, but then - like The Outer Limits - it shifted into crystal clarity, and she nodded with a "Got it.". From here, she now stepped back and gestured for Morgana to join her across the room. Had to make sure Ren was out of this thing's range, after all. Once Morgana was nearby, Ryoko pressed the button, looking toward Ren with just a hint of sadness. She didn't know what had happened between him and Ann, but as Panther had been one of his closest friends - like all the Phantom Thieves - it bothered her to know that something had gone wrong with not only the Thieves themselves and their mission, but also their normal lives. As the area began to come into focus on a scene central to all the most pertenent words spoken, she and Morgana would naturally change. Ryoko was now in a black-and-orange racing jumpsuit with a backlit helmet of similar color that had kind of a dragon motif to it.

"Morgana, you and I should both be able to sense the source of the disturbance if it's anything serious, and we both know him very well. Let's do this, no mistakes."

Whispers in the night (FalloutJack/OffShoreAutumn)

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 more 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 definitely stood out in Japan. It was a black-and-red Ford Mustang resemblant somewhat of the one used in Starman. 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 real 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 body 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 every 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 him. 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."

Ambition 2.0. (Massive Crossover Superhero Sandbox)

Gotham, One Mile Up

Take this from the Timekiller's perspective: You're working hard to try and do a good thing, and this guy shows up with eyes glowing read, immediately accusing you of being somehow involved in the device under your feet, just because you're standing there. Now, Raimi didn't personally know Jon specifically, but again...avid Batman fan. She knew the Supes when she saw 'im, and the S don't lie. She didn't know as much about Kryptos as much the extended Batman family, but this had to be one of 'em, which said one thing very clearly: Red eyes mean sailors take warning. He had the heat beams primed faster than Cyclops during an eye exam. It was fortunate that her antics and her sudden shift of the time field to include him in it delayed his action long enough for the guy to reconsider. That being said, it was irritating that the walking WMD assumed there'd just be a random villain walking around here.

When he'd put away the potential for searing beams of death, the S-Man agreed to work together. Raimi was making sure to regulate the field they were in carefully. The way this place rotated to spread its weather disaster, having some of the strut they were on in too much of said time field would cause its physics to swing out of control from the rest of it. She was already starting to hear a slight creak under her feet, hence why she was focusing a little on it. The Supes' intentions were fairly straightforward, destroy or get rid of the device quickly, hopefully minimizing the damage caused by either action. Raimi, who'd seen a few nasty devices like this (and a TV shows to boot), had a feeling it wasn't as easy as that. Honestly, she was surprised this Weather Wizard hadn't installed some kind of security system on his machines. Then again, it was pumping out frozen hell at a rate most humans would find unapproachable. Still...

"The way I see it, this thing's manipulating all weather and air currents in the area to design. I don't know how it works, but I'll bet moving it without disabling the thing or trying to blow it up causes everything to go berserk. I was going to find and short-circuit the power supply, then slow it down when it falls out of the sky so wherever it lands, it's as harmless as a leaf."

She raised a taloned finger, then, with a smile.

"If we do it like that, the computer will still work and we can take it to someone to track down your Weather Wizard. The rest, you can compact to the size of a pea, for all I care."

Whispers in the night (FalloutJack/OffShoreAutumn)

This wasn't good. The Ren she knew was never one for biting cynicism. He was a caring individual who stepped between the serious and the ability to crack a joke to break the tension. It was a more innocent time, it seems, even with the threat of people's minds on the line, because as the boy became a man, something had changed. Perhaps he felt it was all entirely futile to try and change the world through people's hearts. Ryoko never believed so. She had met him when the Phantom Thieves only numbered in five. She had called Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, and Yusuke Kitegawa the first night, learning more about them along with Morgana later on. Indeed, as the hunt began, she eventually learned about them all, though...it didn't take a psychoanalysis to tell that something was up with Goro Akechi.

Right now, the boy's enthusiasm was gone and the man before her was not interested in the call to action. The flinch of pain he'd had there wasn't helping, either. He believed her, but he wasn't interested in helping her. It...was disheartening to hear him talking like this. Clearly, there'd been a falling out of some kind, owing to a disagreement perhaps on their actions as the Phantom Thieves. Ryoko could see that, clear as day, even without Morgana's obvious disapproval. She wanted to ask the not-a-cat directly on this, but didn't want to double-team Ren on this without knowing how it would turn out. When he asked her what she expected out of him, it almost sounded like an attack, like he wanted her to give up, as well. She couldn't do that, no matter what. That man created the Dreamer, and he had much more than simply that. He had to be stopped.

"My worst fears had been of me finding you, but learning that your powers had faded completely. That, at least, was mercifully untrue. Even still, I'd hoped that you would be on board for the same reason none of you quit halfway. I wasn't there for your worst foes, but I saw reality change, just as everybody else did, and I retained cognizance, after the fact, though everybody else had seemingly forgot. I knew, just as we had overcome the Dream, that you defeated something greater and more threatening."

She gave the cafe a look now.

"Changing hearts one person at a time may feel like an uphill battle, but you have to admit that if you didn't, someone or something would've killed us all. I believe you fought to keep the world turning instead of spiraling out of control. A hard task, but necessary."

Ryoko's eyes gave off the sign that she was reviewing it in her mind: The good, the bad, saddeness, and the joy. It was easier for Morgana to see at this angle that she was kind of hurt by this, not because of what Ren had said, but because of the state he was in. She returned her gaze to the man across her and followed up her statement.

"For me, it was always about keeping people alive, and you know that I didn't have enough power alone to take down the Dreamer. That's why I asked for your help then. My Persona can't do everything, no matter how versatile it might be. Your abilities were stronger, and the bond you had with your friends allowed us to recruit their subconscious selves at will. If we didn't do the task in front of us, the creature would've glutted itself on countless many and left braindead husks in its path. I would rather not have had to put my life, my soul, and my mind on the line, but sometimes there's no alternative."

She sighed now, worried that this was exactly the reception she would get from the others, or worse. She didn't know them consciously like she did Ren. They would've thought they were dreaming, the whole time. Except maybe Futaba. Her skills might've given her more retention of mind, in this case. This situation wasn't as bad as it could get, but it wasn't in a good place, clearly.

"Listen, I guess I understand if you aren't up for it, but will you at least let me have a look at whatever's causing that pain? That...didn't seem right, to me."

Innocence Lost - A Science Fantasy RP [v.03]

NERO KAYAKOS

So, the good news was...he'd finished shopping. The bad news? Ohhh...EVERYTHING ELSE!!

Let's be clear, though: This wasn't his fault, nor did it directly affect him, so technically it wasn't that bad. The problem was that he'd just gotten done sending things to the Xuanzang - He found a cake that was just Holy Shit tasty, and he had to have it! - when everything seemed to happen at once. First, there was a GREAT release of flames - white flames, in fact - and then there was a message from Flame on his Omnitool proclaiming that the fire raging out of control was one of their own doing it.

Huh... I guess she was right, and I forgot. We DO have a white flame user. Wait a minute...

Putting aside the fact that the fancy-pants chick was probably looking for ALL of them, she had mentioned the white flames specifically, and she was probably still HERE in the Galactic Bazaar! In short, that idiotic beacon was going to draw them in on top of the local authorities. Nero would've been fine to just let that wait until they were all on the ship and headed out of there, but apparently that shit just couldn't wait! So, as soon as a flying Bazaar Security vehicle flew overhead, he was on it. Well...under it. It was a matter of seeing it coming, finding the appropriate way to parkour up a goddamn building to reach it, and finding something to cling on at the underside, or making places to hold on with what weapons he had on him. He'd quickly gone to Shadow-Step to avoid detection while pulling off this feat, which is why Nero had a free ride to the site, and this was the time in which he'd take out his Omnitool to warn them.

-Hey guys, I don't want to put the pressure on or anything, but I found a couple of bounty hunters or something looking to pinch escapees from the Circle of Hell. And while they didn't seem interested in me, they DID mention they were looking for a guy wielding white flames, and lookit that! White flames, all over the place! When we're done with this, there is going to be such a frigging chew-out session that you'll be hungry, just watching. Which reminds me, I bought a cake. Just saying.-

He then described the two 'hunters' or whatever they were as a girl in fancy dress and a guy in a cloak that immediately makes you think 'cultist'. He didn't know who they were, exactly, but they were clearly opposition to be watched for and not lacking in skill. With this part concluded, Nero was actually THERE when the Bazaar Security began to shout in the area of the flame. Because the machine cast a shadow at its underside, nobody saw him under there from street level or anything. Now much closer to the fire, you could see this wraith-like form. That is...until it went all shapeless to gain some entry to the craft.

You guys want terrorism? I'LL give you terrorism!

Specifically, because he could effectively meld with shadows by becoming an amorphous physical one, Nero was able to slip in through the small gaps of the machine, and after a sudden cursing from the occupants, things went a little silent in there, as we find the operators unconscious in the passenger spot and Nero in the driver's seat of the gunship! Oh god, this is terrible! Nero can't drive, let alone fly!

"Ah, how hard could it be? Hey computer, gimme some appropriate reckless endangerment music."

"Now playing a relevent track."

Remember, he was still in stealth. All sound that he was generating was confined to the wraith-like field around him, concealing identity even if they got a decent look. So, if any other Bazaar Security happened to see ANY of this before the show started, good luck finding out who and how and why! As for those who were handling the situation with the fire, there wasn't exactly much that Nero could do to help the situation down there. This was WAY more his speed, as this gunship began flying around like a kid without a driver's licence was at the helm! He was just gunning it all over the place! Not with the actual guns, just the gas. Even still...

"Man, they're gonna hate us after today."

Whispers in the night (FalloutJack/OffShoreAutumn)

It would only retreat for a time, because it had sensed power, and once it had gathered new strength from elsewhere, it would definitely return for a rematch. The strange thing of it was that he had found himself among friends to easily, instantly brought to his awareness, like a Persona. Were they simply that good, or had his power actually summoned them. He found himself in the Metaverse, it seemed, once the Dreamer had retreated, in a simple park area. And after the creature cleared out, so too had his friends, and in their place was a new figure...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That was where she had appeared, wearing that black-and-orange racer outfit, and a helmet with red backlighting. She'd been standing there with a Persona active, but it faded shortly after the Dreamer's departure, indicating that she wasn't a part of the problem, but rather the solution. Here in the present, Ren started to piece this together, but it was not completely formed yet. A small island of recollection had formed from the depths of the ocean in his mind, but that was all. He needed more, but he also needed the reason for why she came to him, here and now. Ryoko had briefly turned her attention to Morgana before Ren pressed on, the seriousness on her face breaking for a moment as she was met with another familiar face, but she kept on with the conversation at hand.

"You may not have donned your coat and mask for seven years, but that doesn't mean things stop happening in the world. Believe me, I wish it were that simple, and that this were just a social call, but it's not. More than my own wish for you to remember, Ren, I need you."

Amidst the seriousness of their discussion, there was a definite look on her face, the confirmation that she didn't just know him, but knew him well. That familiarity he sensed between them kept surfacing, and in those last words he could see not only a cry for help, but that there was so much more. He wasn't simply Joker to her, an ally to be called upon, but the one she would turn to - first and always - in a crisis, the one her trust and faith went to, and maybe even...

"I don't know what happened to you or the others in the past seven years. When we finally tracked down the Dreamer to its lair, we were all hit with a fog that made the memories fade. You, your friends, and even I was affected. The only thing keeping us rooted was Morpheus' power."

Morpheus, the god of dreams, and also...the name of her Persona.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Persona had been this pale figure with a wild shock of black hair, and eyes filled with blackness and starlight, like a universe. It was a gaunt and eternal sort of man, an unending existence, clad in a dark cloak or tunic with one shoulder bare. It faded as she revealed herself to him, a girl maybe a couple of years his senior, maybe an inch over his height.

"Sorry if I startled you there. I felt your battle with that thing and had to intrude here in order to help. Morpheus was the one that called your friends, brought them here to help thanks to your call. He manifests one's thoughts and dreams into the Unconscious World."

She stepped forwards, but not too close, because she understood that he had no reason to trust her, as of yet.

"Let me be clear on something. Right now, you're dreaming all of this, but more importantly, it's lucid dreaming, the state of being aware of the dream and being in control of it. You're not dreaming me, and that thing wasn't any part of your subconscious either. We're both real. I need you to remember that, so it can't take you unawares."

She was being completely serious here, keeping him informed for his own good so he doesn't let his guard down in the future. She didn't believe that he would. He seemed rather strong, and the bond he shared with his friends was equally strong.

"I call that creature the Dreamer, or the devourer OF dreams. It's feeding on people's minds, using their imagination to gain strength. Morpheus gives me the chance to fight fire with fire, but that alone isn't cutting it. I need to destroy it, or this will never end."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She looked into his eyes, searching for the signs of recognition from the one she put all her hopes and trust and yes even affection in before. She wanted him to remember, but at the same time knew that recalling without context or understanding was as unsettling as telling an amnesiac to their face what kind of person they were in the past.

"I've been in recovery. It took me time, even with my Persona, to get it all back. The first thing I wanted to do was find you, but that wasn't easy, and when I DID find you...your mind was still healing. I can help you remember, but the truth is that I come to you now because I found the man who created the Dreamer."

Ambition 2.0. (Massive Crossover Superhero Sandbox)

Gotham, One Mile Up

With her progress no longer being hampered by the wind and the snow, the force and velocity reduced by the effect on time around her, Raimi had managed to move from a point closer to the end and almost reach the center...when it happened. The sound had, at first, seemed like an effect of the storm, like a slowed-down thundercrack or some other similar action. Such was not the case. As she neared the center, a new form landed a short distance from her, close enough to be heard as he spoke. Raimi's first impression, upon seeing this guy, was a decided 'Uh oh'. Then, she reminded herself that this guy looked very much like You-Know-Who that everyone always wants Bats to be in a tussle with. And directly after he spoke, there was a decided 'Oh Crap' feeling as what ultimately had to be a super man addressed her as a potential enemy.

This was bad, but then she could clear this up. The only thing about that was that the same time field that had allowed her to carefully walk up here without falling was still accelerating her in every way possible. So, when Raimi spoke...

"What?Nonono,that'snotwhatI'mdoinghere!Thatdoesn'tevenmakesense!Whywouldthisguyhaveapartneraroundasinglemachinewhenhe'sdoingthisaroundthe- Holdon."

...which is when she stopped, because she realized that as much as he was speaking in slow motion to her, she must've sounded like a tape recording with the fast forward button jammed on to him. There was every possibility that he could follow all that because he had super senses or something, but Raimi wasn't sure, so she fixed it with a quick gesture, expanding the field. The blur of a human being that John had seen standing there, talking a mile a minute with rapid gestures suddenly resolved into a form that moved and acted normally...before his surroundings began to slow down by a marked degree. The figure shugged, speaking alot more coherently now.

"Sorry, time physics. Gets weird. I'm not here to help the wizard. I came up here to disable this thing, find the guidance system, and send it crashing down somewhere empty-ish. Pretty sure you want the same thing, so how 'bout a hand? The only thing you can do here is trust or not trust, 'cause you don't know me and we really don't have time to back-and-forth, so what do you say?"

She waited for an answer, knowing that very little time was technically passing in reality, but that what she was doing now was only a case of allowing the act of talking to effectively be a free action. Raimi felt that she could do this without him, but it would be much easier WITH the S-Man, and alot harder to counteract the sheer speed that he could bring to bear.

Whispers in the night (FalloutJack/OffShoreAutumn)

She knew that he'd treat this with suspicion, but...not like this. This wasn't merely Ren Amamiya she was talking to, right now, but rather Joker, and Joker was treating this a little like a Hold Up sort of moment. That bothered her, and he could see that she hadn't expected a reaction quite like that. She had to accept it, though. As soon as she'd exposed particular knowledge of his past, including the presence of Morgana, it was undoubtedly going to be more of an interrogation than a conversation. So bet it. She was prepared to face that. Firming her gaze into something more serious, she replied "Alright, then.", and began.

"My name is Ryoko Yumekishi. I was born not too far from here, actually. I'm heavy into psychology, and I like foreign culture. Most importantly, though, I have a Persona and access to the Unconscious World, or what you termed as the Metaverse."

There it was, then. Not only a name to the face, but a clear-cut reason for why he should know her, and vice versa. She confirmed that this was not a mere social call, but something bridged upon that aspect of his life that was simultaneously the most interesting and most dangerous. More to the point, there was no beating around the bush that she specifically knew him, that they had met and talked and potentially worked together. One thing was for certain, though. This all had the hint of familiarity, but again it was under a pile of dirt, waiting to be excavated. So far, she was only confirming suspicions, but it seemed clear that she had details, that she could and would clear this up for him. Or else, why even invite him? Ryoko continued.

"I'd always worried you wouldn't remember back then, partly because you had alot on your plate, but mostly because we didn't meet under any normal circumstance. Seven years ago, you were living far from here and not by choice, and that was when you were attacked in your sleep."

Another flicker, all too brief, when she said he was attacked. Just a mass, a gray liquid mass - shifting and massive - filled with huge drowned corpses. It was a nightmare creature, a midnight horror that defies understanding or reason...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You were attacked by the Dreamer."

It came from the grayed-out edges of his memory in the midst of his slumber. Whatever he was dreaming about abruptly ceased. In the real world, he might've turned in his sleep, disturbing Morgana, but nothing more than that. However, inside was a different story. Inside, his Phantom Thieves outfit appeared on him, and he knew without question that he needed to defend himself. A gelatinous wall of horror lay before him, spreading its mass around to try and surround him. The mass was filled with drowned corpses with sunken faces in terror, too large to be even remotely normal. And somewhere in the midst of all that, the presence of thought and desire to crush him - to eat him - was in there, as well. The surface of it all gave way to glowing eyes, terrible ragged teeth made of bones, and even a...smell?

"You were attacked in your dreams by a creature which feeds off of them, feeds off of YOU,
but unlike the other victims in its path, you could defend yourself."

Star Wars: Legacies (Always Open)

No problem, man. Take care.

Whispers in the night (FalloutJack/OffShoreAutumn)

It was one of those...butterfly kind of feelings, if that makes sense.

You drift off into sleep, your body is floating away, and then suddenly things seem a bit...weird. You're not sure if you're dreaming, or if awake. Your immediate thoughts and surroundings are mired in confusion, as you don't know what to make of them, at first. It wakes an old man with a big nose to set you straight. That's the kind of sensation that card imparted. It wasn't just a message. It was an invitation, an initiation back into those strange times, back then, changing hearts and putting to rights what's wrong. It was a familiar feeling, an uncertainty of the situation, that indication...that things are about to get interesting. Most importantly, though, it was the way to seal the deal and show that this was not a prank or a phan or anything like that. It was real, and that meant it needed to be addressed.

So, he had come here, to the club at Dotonbori Canal, where the nearby running water, the open terraces, and the ceiling fans make an effort to keep its guests cool in this stifling hot evening. He didn't have to wait too long. Anyone pulling Ren out of his apartment with a card like that wouldn't keep him waiting. The footsteps were light, not really giving much away before he looked. As he did though...

You never know what to expect in a situation like this, but in this case... A woman came to the terrace area. Dark hair and eyes of similar color to his own, though her hair went straight down hear her waist instead of his on head's jungle disaster. From this perspective, it was hard to tell, but either she had an inch on him in height, or perhaps the other way around. Slim and built, wearing a loose shirt and pants that would breathe in this heat, she looked like she trained, as she was very fit, and very easy on the eyes.

As Ren laid eyes on her, though, there was something else: A flicker in his vision, a faint image of a younger - but siimilar - figure, in like a racing jumpsuit and helmet? It began to fade as the helmet was pulled off and a mane of black hair cascaded down. It was her. He knew her, but he didn't know her. It was one of those tip-of-your-tongue things. It was there in his head, somewhere. More than deja vu evoking the idea of something happening before, he was sure of it...but knew not why. The most important factor was that the memory felt exactly like the card. This was his caller, no question.

All of this processed in the few seconds it took to look him over, for her to be satisfied that she herself had the right person. Her wait had been longer, in more ways than one. Stepping into the terrace proper and taking a seat across from him, the woman addressed Ren in a familiar fashion, not like a stranger, at all.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting. The coffee in this place is alright, but you have to ask for anything special to be done to it, and it takes a little while to fill the order."

She said this, looking down at the cup she had brought with her, paralleling his own. It was a little more up to the Sojiro standard, by the smell of it. At least, it was an attempt by the Cafe Paris employees to make it so. She regarded the pair of cups for a moment, processing something only known to her, along with the look she'd receive upon walking in here. Then, she lifted her gaze over to Ren, as though searching for some hint across the table, looking for indicators of reaction as she spoke on.

"It's been a long time, though...you don't remember me, do you?"

It wasn't that she was so much as disappointed as...possibly expecting it, maybe prepared for it? Her eyes wandered now to the nearby bag, then, and she added...

"Either of you."