32 The Right Tools For the Job.

The following day, under a sky veiled by gentle clouds, Ann approached Ren with a determination to continue strengthening her heart. Together, they ventured back to the park, where the air was crisp and invigorating, setting a perfect stage for their walk.

As they prepared to start their stroll, Ann extended her hand so that Ren would hold it like last time. Ren's response was a soft chuckle, a light-hearted acknowledgment of the ritual they were creating.

"What are you laughing for? This is part of it." Ann asked, a shade of pink tinting her cheeks, her embarrassment fleeting as Ren clasped her hand and drew her slightly closer.

"You're right. That means I should do my part." He agreed, removing his glasses to meet her gaze directly, a gesture that deepened her blush but also lightened her step as they began their walk through the park.

"Last time, you said it was my turn, so go ahead and choose." Ren prompted, letting the calm of the park guide their pace.

Ann's gaze wandered, landing on a young boy engrossed in a manga on a nearby bench. Ren observed the scene, a playful glint in his eye as he conjured up a narrative.

"I bet he is lost in what he is reading right now… Judging by the manga he's into, maybe he dreams of ruling the underworld as a mafia boss. He'll eventually stumble upon one of the darker sides of the city, and he'll do something to impress the boss of a Mafia family, becoming his underling." Ren mused, his tone light but imaginative, drawing a playful eye roll from Ann.

"And then what?" she probed, amusement lacing her voice as they continued their leisurely walk.

"Who knows?" Ren shrugged, his smile unwavering. "Your turn. How does his story unfold?"

Ann played along, her voice carrying a whimsical edge. 

"Well, I think he breaks away from the family eventually and starts his own faction. Trying to become the new top dog." She speculated, her creativity matching Ren's as they passed the boy, lost in his fictional adventures.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Ren said as he shook his head with a smile as the two of them walked past the kid.

"You know, I used to idolize a character from an anime when I was younger, a female thief. She was always at odds with the hero, yet she never truly lost. Always slipping away to return another day," Ann shared, her gaze drifting to the clouds above. "She was everything I admired: beautiful, strong, unapologetically herself, and she stood by her own sense of justice, no matter what."

Ren's laughter was light, a spark of mischief in his eyes as he made the playful comparison. 

"Reminds me of someone I know," he said, his glance shifting to Ann, the tease clear in his voice.

Caught slightly off guard, Ann's reaction was a blend of surprise and delight.

 "You really think I'm like her?" she inquired, the idea seeming to both flatter and amuse her.

"Absolutely," Ren confirmed with a nod, his affirmation bringing a fresh wave of color to her cheeks. After coughing awkwardly to hide her embarrassment, she said.

"So what about you?" She asked, trying to change the topic.

"Me? Well, I got the phantom thieves now, don't I?" Ren said with a joking tone, causing realization to dawn on Ann before she asked.

"Wait, really? So did you… you know, do bad stuff?" She asked with surprise, earning a chuckle from him.

"I was pretty young back then, so I mostly was a fly on the wall. Ironically, I think the boss just kept me around so that I would stay out of trouble." Ren shared, partially telling the truth.

Just as he was about to ask another question, Ann's phone began ringing, pulling them out of the moment.

As she answered the phone, Ann's expression shifted into a serious one before hanging up a few moments later.

"I'm sorry, I gotta run. One of the models didn't show up, so they needed an emergency backup." She said as she looked at the clock. "If I head out now, I should get there in time." 

"It was great walking with you, and I look forward to the next time we get to spend time together."She said before giving Ren a quick hug and saying goodbye. Quickly scuttering away towards Shibuya.

Looking at his clock, Ren decided he should probably also start heading back in order to meet up with Morgana, who apparently had something he wanted to teach Ren.

— — —

Entering Leblanc, he made his way up to his room, where the black cat was leisurely sitting on his bed.

"Huh, I was beginning to wonder when you would show up." Morgana said as he stood up and stretched before jumping over to the desk next to the bed.

"I thought that since I was progressing pretty slowly over the Shibuya case, I should at least teach you some things along the way. Otherwise, I'm not really holding up my end of the bargain, am I?" He nudged a few items on the desk as he spoke, drawing Ren's attention.

Sitting down on the table, Ren looked down at all of the seemingly random items before asking.

"Where did all this come from?" he inquired, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Mona's response was a chuckle, filled with a hint of pride. 

"You'd be surprised how much you can 'acquire' when you're as inconspicuous as a cat. However, I do have to say that carrying them back was a hassle. I'm looking forward to regaining my human form... and some useful arms." he mused, his tone wistful.

As Ren idly handled the items, his thoughts drifted to a deeper question. 

"I've been meaning to ask, why do you believe Mementos holds the key to recovering your memories?"

"Well…. My current feline situation must be a distortion of some kind. I think that as long as we continue diving into palaces and clearing distortions, I should be able to understand what is going on with me more. And since Mementos is the palace of everyone, what better way to understand distortions than to go there? The deeper we dive, the more distortions we should encounter." Morgana said.

"So the reason it was so hard to move around in the lower floors of Mementos is because of the distortions?" Ren, following Morgana's line of thought, asked.

"I think so… I think the deeper you are in Mementos, the closer you are to forming a Palace." Morgana replied, though his voice carried a note of uncertainty. "I suspect the answer to my condition lies at the heart of Mementos. But reaching that deep means we need to get stronger." He concluded, a hint of frustration coloring his words.

A question that had lingered in Ren's mind suddenly surfaced as he sat next to Morgana.

"Have you ever heard of a place called the Velvet Room?"

At the mention of the Velvet Room, Morgana's demeanor shifted noticeably. His ears perked up, and his tail stiffened, a clear sign of his peaked interest. After a moment of silent contemplation, his expression fell. 

"I can't remember," He admitted, disappointment evident in his drooping ears and tail before shaking his head in frustration. "Let's not get sidetracked. There's a lot I need to show you before it's time to sleep," he stated, keen on moving forward with their impromptu lesson.

"Here's the deal," he began, his tone shifting to one of instruction. "These items," he gestured to the collection spread across the desk, "are the raw materials for crafting infiltration tools. The cognitive world will do most of the heavy lifting, but our craftsmanship needs to sell the illusion for them to have any effect."

With a practiced paw, Morgana highlighted various piles of components, outlining their potential uses. "We've got the makings for smoke bombs, lockpicks, distractions, you name it. But we're going to start with the fundamentals." He said before starting with an in-depth explanation.

After a few initial hiccups, Ren found his groove, crafting a series of tools that would be quite useful in their future missions. With each successful creation, he could almost feel his proficiency sharpening, a tangible improvement as the night wore on.

However, their productive session was eventually brought to a halt by Morgana, who eyed the clock before issuing a firm directive. 

"Alright, time to call it a night. You need your rest," he declared, prompting a puzzled look from Ren.

"It's not that late, you know?" Ren countered a hint of surprise in his voice at Morgana's sudden concern for bedtime.

"A Phantom Thief needs his rest. Plus, sleep helps cement all the new skills and knowledge you've picked up tonight," Morgana reasoned, already making himself comfortable on the bed, his paws pressing into the blanket in a rhythmic pattern.

Looking at him with some amusement, Ren shook his head before putting the items away and getting ready for bed.

"If you're the one who's tired, just say it," which only elicited a soft grunt of mock annoyance from Morgana.

As the lights went out and Ren settled into bed, Morgana's voice cut through the darkness, vulnerable and uncertain. 

"Hey... You do believe me about being human, right?"

Looking at him, Ren nodded his head.

"I don't see why not. If there's one thing I know about that world is that pretty much anything is possible. So I can't see why a person can't be turned into a cat." Ren reassured him.

Morgana let out a sigh of relief at Ren's acceptance, a weight seemingly lifted off his shoulders. 

"I see... That means a lot, thanks." he murmured, returning to his spot to settle down for the night.

~Confidants~

Ann Takamaki (The Lovers) Rank 3

Morgana (The Magician ) Rank 2