The Flowers on Mementos.

(I am back from my vacation, so now it is time for that writing grind. Here is the picture of Futaba that I commissioned. I am not spoiling anything, but there is another surprise coming in about two days. 

Enjoy the chap, and see ya later.)

— — —

A few days passed after their date. However, it was clear that it had meant a lot to Shiho, as she had become more affectionate ever since. She showed her affection with small gestures, like always making sure to sit next to Ren during the Thieves' gatherings. Her playful nudges and smiles were sprinkled between their interactions.

Surprisingly, Ann also followed her example. Her slight reservations were almost gone as she made sure to snatch the seat to Ren's other side. 

On Friday, the Thieves were planning on going to train in Mementos. However, the only two available at the time were Ryuji and Ren. 

Ren made sure to grab all of the leftover seeds from his shopping session with Haru before heading out to meet Ryuji near the underground mall. He had asked Ryuji to meet with him at the flower store so that they could pick up some flowers for Jose, the strange young boy.

He had mentioned that drinking flowers would help him better understand humanity. So Ren decided to grab as many different types of flowers as both of them could carry, as well as some packets of seeds from each kind.

Ren wasn't quite sure if the different flowers would have differing effects, but in the worst-case scenario, they would simply be wasting some money. He was also quite curious as to what Jose would think of the flowers he had grown in his room, but he would have to wait for at least a month before any of them sprouted.

As he held the bag of different seeds, Ren's mind couldn't help but wander slightly. He wasn't really sure how 'fertile' the collective unconscious would be, but it was at least worth a try. He was even somewhat optimistic that the plants that grew from it would be something special.

"This seems like an excessive amount of flowers, doesn't it?" Ryuji remarked, his arms wrapped around a group of different floral arrangements.

Ren, balancing his own share, simply smiled.

"You'd be surprised. The last time I brought him some flowers, he turned them into a smoothie and drank them." 

Ryuji, pushing a wayward flower from his view, frowned slightly.

"You know, the more I think about it, the more I question. What in the eff' is the deal with the kid?"

Ren raised an eyebrow at the question, causing Ryuji to continue.

"I mean, I kinda shrugged it off because we have a talking cat that turns into a bus and a whole world inside someone's head. But what the eff' is that kid? He has some connection to Mementos, but he also looks pretty innocent. Is he related to that place you go to sometimes?"

Shrugging slightly through the bundle of flowers, Ren answered.

"He has the same golden eyes and silver hair, but he is also different. I wouldn't personally say he belongs to the Velvet Room, but he's probably related to them. Maybe he is Mementos' assistant or something. He says he is on a 'secret mission,' but he is pretty careful not to reveal too much."

With their conversation trailing off, Ryuji and Ren stepped into Mementos after finding a hiding spot. The boundary between their world and the next seamlessly blended.

Within moments of their arrival, Ren felt an unusual stir within his pocket, the drained wishing star pulsating briefly as if awakened by their descent.

Moments later, the familiar glow of the headlights cut through the darkness, heralding Jose's arrival. The child's eyes sparkled with unbridled joy as he noticed the bundles of flowers clutched in their arms.

"Wow! Are those all for me?" Jose couldn't contain his excitement, his voice laced with wonder.

Ren nodded, and with a simple gesture from Jose, the flowers levitated toward him as if drawn by an unseen force. Among the enormous assortment, Jose waved his hand again and made all of the roses glow slightly before they turned into a smoothie that landed on his hand.

Jose sipped the floral concoction, his face lighting up with satisfaction. After a moment of bliss, he carefully stored the remaining flowers in his vehicle, saving them to enjoy later.

"Those ones taste weird… They taste like affection." Jose remarked, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

Ren couldn't help but chuckle at the observation. 

"Roses are usually given as a gift between people who are in love with each other, so maybe that's what you are tasting."

Jose nodded, his expression one of deep contemplation as if piecing together a puzzle. 

"Humans are quite complex..." he mused aloud.

Ryuji cast a series of intrigued looks at Jose before retrieving a seed packet from the bag.

"Hey, uh, Jose, was it? We've got something else here for you," he said, extending the seeds towards the child.

With his curiosity visibly piqued, Jose eagerly accepted the packet from Ryuji's hands. 

"What's this?" he inquired, his voice tinged with anticipation.

"They're seeds; they're where flowers come from." Ren explained.

A spark of wonder ignited in Jose's eyes, the sort usually seen when one stumbles upon something truly enchanting. 

"So, from these tiny specks, whole flowers can emerge? That's incredible!  I bet by planting them here, I can understand humans better." His excitement was palpable as he delicately extracted a single seed from the packet, gently pressing it into the ground.

"That's not-" Ryuji was going to explain how to plant the seed but halted mid-sentence, his jaw dropping in awe as the earth immediately accepted the seed. Rapidly spreading roots soon gave rise to a slender, crimson flower stem.

Observing his handiwork with a nod of approval, Jose turned back towards Ren, a smile on his lips. 

"Could I take another look at the star?"

Upon receiving the dimmed wishing star from Ren, Jose closed his eyes and concentrated. Moments later, the star was revitalized, shimmering with a renewed golden light. 

"There you go! The poor thing was all out of energy. I gave it a little bit more this time, but try not to use that much at once; otherwise, it could break." Jose advised, handing the star back to Ren with a friendly grin.

Announcing his plan to distribute the seeds throughout Mementos, Jose expressed his gratitude for the thoughtful gift. He then climbed into his vehicle, beginning a slow drive across the strange landscape. As he went, he scattered seeds with a casual toss.

The moment the seeds landed on the walls and the floor, they instantly began sprouting in all sorts of different colors. 

Ren couldn't help but chuckle slightly as he saw Ryuji's expression before asking.

"Are you ready to train?"

— — —

As Ryuji and Ren ventured further into the depths of Mementos, they encountered an intriguing change in their surroundings. The initial sensation of pressure that had greeted them upon entering the second layer had dissipated entirely. It was as if Mementos itself had shifted, now ushering them deeper into its enigmatic corridors with an unseen, welcoming gesture. Even the doors that once required the wishing star opened the moment the two of them approached.

Their path down into the depths was covered in flower sprouts, planted just moments ago by Jose. They brought a stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere, bringing a sense of life and vibrancy into the collective unconscious. Maybe it was the weather, or perhaps it was the newly planted flowers, but even the slight fog that covered Mementos was more manageable to see through.

Navigating through the labyrinth, the two Thieves engaged in relentless combat, each encounter more challenging than the last. This continuous battle tested their limits, driving them deeper into Mementos until the shadows posed a genuine challenge.

Ren, who had also spent some time in the Velvet Room improving his personas, found himself increasingly attuned to their abilities. A strange thing he noticed was that depending on the persona he had equipped, he would feel his body adapt slightly. Something that had never happened prior to his second use of the scalpel.

Right now, as he used the blade-wielding humanoid cheetah, Ose, he felt more agile than usual. His movements were slightly more fluid as he used the gymnastic skills Kasumi had taught him to dodge the attacks from a floating star with a human's head in front of it.

Ryuji, too, exhibited surprising agility and speed, running through attacks with ease. In a display of perfect coordination, he summoned Captain Kidd at the precise moment Ren called upon Ose. Their combined assault was a spectacle of synergy, with Kidd launching the adversary directly into the path of Ose's lethal blades, ensuring a swift victory.

Having found the perfect floor for them to train, the duo spent what felt like an hour mastering their combat skills against formidable foes. However, while they were resting in preparation for their next fight, the two of them heard an unsettling sound pierce through the silence. A chilling wave of danger swept over them, prompting an immediate and instinctive readiness for what would come.

The duo stood in preparation to either flee or fight back as they heard the ever-approaching sound of chains.

~Confidants~

Jose (The Aeon) Rank 2