#I got a whole ass rework in my head I just gotta figure out how to get it out

[sy-tech]

Finally I have time to myself to draw!!! The first thing I make- A yautja. Of course. Her name is Akuiatn but I often call her Akula.

Akula is made out of my frustration with the Predator 2018 movie. One day I'll write out all my opinions about that movie and more about her and her story but for today y'all get art.

[monkey-network]

The Odyssey of Spongebob Squarepants

A lot can happen as you grow up. Your tastes will change, you will have more responsibilities, and unless you can literally live under a rock, you can’t turn things back for yourself. So... after over 20 years, when the time keeps going in spite of yourself, does your past evolve and how should you feel about it? Spongebob Squarepants is a show so many have noted as the greatest of all time, but has grown to not be wholly beloved as its later years have not been as well received as it’s golden era. But I’m one to think: how has Spongebob evolved over time? What of this show makes it the greatest in my eyes despite thinking more about those vaunted first three seasons with its movie? Well, let’s roll back...

Back to the Past, To Remember Episodes that Sucked Ass

Despite what some may say, I don’t believe season 4 and 5 was where Spongebob started losing its mojo. There were definitely stinkers like Good Neighbors and Driven to Tears but the good ones definitely outweighed the bad. Not like the quality Golden Era didn’t have its duds, I really don’t like I’m With Stupid, Party Pooper Pants, and Spongeguard on Duty. Season 6 is where I say things surely falter, where for a good amount of time more episodes became unpleasant in retrospect. I noticed it’s more season 6 through 8 that people really take issue with. The Splinter, Boating Buddies, Pet Sitter Pat, the many we call the worst are some good time after the first movie. The first movie came out in 2004, season 6 was spring 2008 so it’s fair to say we had a grace period.

But it begs the bucking question: why did Spongebob stop being good? Numerous people have tried wrapping their heads around the decline citing reasons from flanderization, creative fallout and changes. Emplemon believed in his Spongebob video that the spirit of what connected the show to adults was severed due to merely become a cartoon for children, especially when Spongebob and Squidward’s dichotomy as adults was broken in later seasons. But you know what? I think I truly have the answer. It’s not so much production wise, but it certainly explains the many differing bad episodes that many have covered. It explains why I don’t like Sponge on the Run but we’ll get to that later. But a truth I’ve noticed, remembering and looking at Spongebob in its seperated eras is one I haven’t seen anybody talk about when it comes to why it could be considered bad:

The Plot Drives the Characters Too Much

The greatest episodes of Spongebob, I’m talking Band Geeks, Pizza Delivery, Ripped Pants, Chocolate w/ Nuts, Karate Choppers, etc., don’t have the premise take over the characters. Meanwhile the worst episodes always have the plot push the characters in noticeably different directions because it demands it. Spongebob is strictly a character based cartoon, and when you have episodes that, while can appear fitting on paper, force the cast to be somebody they’re not, people aren’t gonna be on board. Take the episode A Pal for Gary where Spongebob gets Gary a new pet that dangerously hates other pets only for him to be completely ignorant of Gary’s pleas and blames him in the end for banishing the monstrous Puffy Fluffy away. Reasonably, Spongebob is very much the asshole but unfortunately has to or else the plot would need to be seriously reworked. We can chock it up to poor direction but this is indeed a common occurrence for when Spongebob gets bad, not just in post first movie era. I’m With Stupid is a great classic era example where yeah, Patrick becomes an ignorant jerk but on paper, it works with the plot of him trying to please his parents. It does the job at the visible cost of the characters. We generally say the characters are bad but I’ve hardly seen people say the plots are bad like Family Guy where, despite also being character focused, the plots they have can go off the rails in favor of trying to get laughs and the sake of a status quo. The highlight of this problem lies with the coined ‘Squidward Torture Porn’

Squidward Tentacles can be a jerk. A real cynic, a character that’ll gladly try to bring down Spongebob’s childlike wonder in favor of giving him a dose of reality. The most memorable episodes of him are where him and Spongebob are in the same situation but have their clash of outlooks, with Squidward ultimately understanding Spongebob’s POV enough to have a moment of genuine happiness or a modest bit of karma. He’s indeed the most important character because adults grow to see where he’s coming from but at the same time wants to be on Spongebob’s side. The best provide Squidward the chance to understand differently and potentially enjoy a new perspective. The worst punishes him for simply wanting to live.

The plots of the worst Squidward episodes have Spongebob and/or Patrick actively antagonize Squidward because on paper, it makes sense to make someone like Squidward the punching bag like Elmer Fudd to Bugs Bunny or an egotistical asshole to the Warner Siblings from Animaniacs. But in the effort to do so, they never give Squidward the chance to fight back. It’s like they took the whole “No One Wants to be a Squidward” line and utilized that to make him the go to for misery based comedy without giving him any upside. Cephalopod Lodge, Good Neighbors, Choir Boys are stories designed around Spongebob ruining Squid’s life because... what? He doesn’t want Spongebob to be around every time of day? As a child, it can be some fun just seeing Squid get punished but for an adult, it can definitely be a turn-off. Some people see themselves in Squidward, for better or worse, so what’s it to them when Squidward is basically forced to suffer for no reason other than the plot demands it? Later stories give Squidward far more of a break, even some successes, but the idea of making him the butt of life’s joke is still leftover from the episodes that called for him to casually suffer.

The worst plots of the show can be the safest, the simplest, and pretty predictable because unlike the best where the characters are just allowed to make things happen, the story has to contain the characters in a way that’s fitting to who they can be but notably sacrifices who they were before. Why they got made is very up in the air, I’d have to listen to a ton of commentary to potentially pick that apart and I don’t have that much time. 

But it doesn’t the change the fact that the plots were never what made Spongebob good. And it doesn’t mean all those bad episodes make for bad seasons either. We could say there was a decline but that would mean giving up on the show merely because it lost it’s footing with more bad episodes than good for a few seasons. Because I believe 4 to 5 years after season 6, things got back on track even if things weren’t exactly the same.

Return to Form, Change in Energy

I don’t believe that Stephen Hillenburg’s departure was what proposed the decline, I’d say the show never really declined, just had some real potholes within three particular seasons. But I say it’s clear that the direction of the show shifted because you gotta understand, with or without Stephen the show has to be unique, has to have fresh ideas in the midst of potential competition despite being the most popular of the network. Even the trusted of Hillenburg’s team might’ve figured Spongebob couldn’t make lightning strike so rough patches might be expected. This is where Spongebob’s 2nd film, Sponge Out Of Water comes in.

I wasn’t as into this film with my first watch. I know it wouldn’t compare to the first film, but things felt segmented to where it hardly felt like a structured movie. Going back to it again, it kinda showed how Spongebob was going to evolve as a series. A lot of Sponge Out of Water lies in the characters getting into a more chaotic adventure than before. Spongey’s dream sequence, the whole Mad Max apocalypse, inter-dimensional dolphins, really told that the show post 2nd film would follow in its footsteps both in the stories and in animation.

It’s to say the golden era of Spongebob was more... grounded with itself. The charm of the characters was what made the plots unpredictable in nature but mostly not to a visible extent. Idiot Box, one of the greatest episodes, literally have moments where we see nothing but a box but the episode’s carried by the performances. Modern Spongebob, post 2nd movie, started to run all over the place. That’s not a bad thing but clearly a change of pace. I think it’s befitting to say the modern era got more cartoon-y where it’s way more expressive and the plots themselves go in unpredictable places in a way that all feels refreshing. It’s not the same as before, but well enough in it’s own time. It’s like Teen Titans ‘03 vs Teen Titans GO! The two have their clearly different tones but they’re appealing in their own way, only Spongebob isn’t trying to poke fun at its older audience like a snarky ass motherfu-

That is the thing as well that I haven’t seen many people consider when it comes to the modern era: it always tries to be fun. I can say an episode’s bad, but there are times where a bad Spongebob episode was enjoyable at least. It isn’t like modern Simpsons where you could tell they’ve been running out of steam and you’d just wish it died. It feels like the staff were given some time and space to make Spongebob back into as intended, even when most moments aren’t as strong or memorable as before. It can appear as just another cartoon for children but it never felt like it wasn’t Spongebob anymore, especially after the 2nd film and with Stephen Hillenburg’s consulting return. Unfortunately, only after a few more years is where say Spongebob’s going in a direction that I’m admittedly not fond off. It isn’t on par with The Simpsons, but it’s not as comfortable a fate.

A Spongebob Cinematic Universe

I enjoyed Sponge on the Run, but I don’t like it what it stands for. Many say it’s a poor backdoor for the spin-off Kamp Koral and I can’t help but agree. I’m not speaking for Stephen’s behalf nor will I shame everyone who comes to love this mini-series when it comes out, but I can definitely see where he was coming from with his abstain of spin-offs. Spongebob is a show that works, always worked, on its own. It has many characters that, to this day, they’re bouncing with to create new adventures and jokes. Now, I’m actually okay with giving some spin-offs revolving around the other characters; a show for Squidward would be hype as all hell. 

But Kamp Koral, by extension Sponge on the Run, feels less like a creator’s passion and more like a marketed decision. The fact that they scrapped a potential alien cat invasion movie all for a visually pleasing yet heavily derivative story tells quite a bit. It’s a movie that, compared to the previous, is just hitting certain beats; the plot again driving the characters instead of the other way around which leads to really off-putting moments. There’s fun to be had, but it feels superficial. And while I don’t think this’ll affect the next generation of Spongebob, the most recent episodes are good, but I have a bad feeling that it’ll be morphed into something Stephen genuinely didn’t want for the series and they do it because regardless of what the fans don’t want, they truly own the show now.

I was okay with Spongebob having its merchandise and a Broadway musical because the show helped make them work. After seeing SCOOB! and countless talks of making cinematic universes thanks not only to the MCU but stuff like Spider-Verse and Lego Movie though, it’s starting to feel more like an corporate sanctioned omen that I fear too much becoming a reality. But really, it begs one more question...

What Do I See in Spongebob?

I’ve said this when talking about the 1st Spongebob movie: “[It] works so well was because, speaking for adults, it is about embracing the you that you love as opposed to trying to be someone you aren't. You can grow up for taking that journey, but you don't have to be grown up all the time.” Even with its not so great history, Spongebob personally never comes off as a show that’s lost its identity. If there’s anything learned from the likes of Steven Universe and Family Guy, yeah, it’s that bad episodes or changes in tone doesn’t make for a buried series. Vast majority will definitely notice the difference between classic and modern Spongebob, but I don’t believe they’ll say it isn’t Spongebob anymore. I keep bringing it up, but it doesn’t feel like the Simpsons where you notice the burnout, the age of its existence in the late late seasons. Not that Viacom/Nickelodeon won’t hesitate the same fate because they can be fucking scum, but otherwise the show has run out of steam yet. 

What mostly concerns me though is that the charm of the show falls by the wayside with trying to expand it outside the show. Bog down the love by making unnecessary spin-offs that try to do what fanworks like the Spongebob Anime do for the hell of it in order to retain that all age appeal. They’ll feel like memes that age horrifically the moment it’s trending on Twitter. Again I don’t wanna speak over Stephen Hillenburg’s behalf but it feels like Nickelodeon gets potentially too ambitious with something that should be simple enough at the same time. We got some good hype back thanks to the Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, but that only could boost our spirits so far this year.

To me, Spongebob was certainly a game changer and now, while still popular, it is very much among the crowd. It’s not a show we’re worrying about compared to stuff like Infinity Train, Glitch Techs, the Animaniacs reboot, Primal, shows that are continually changing the metagame in what people want for a cartoon. We might notice stand out moments and we’ll continue making memes, but it’s fair to say we aren’t as invested in Spongebob socially as back then when, as I remember, new episodes or specials felt like an event and it was considered the best out here in our friend circles. Now when we say it’s the best, it’s asterisked. Many love Spongebob Squarepants, but notably aren’t too keen with all of it nowadays.

But to truly conclude, I say for everyone who reads all of this, 1st thank you, and secondly to give modern Spongebob a chance. I can’t recommend Sponge On the Run but these later seasons (nine to recently) actually feel like the show cleaned up itself after many touted that bad episode era was what made Spongebob fall. I don’t believe the show’s fallen because I shouldn’t have expected this show to be flawless. Not every episode’s a hit, but there is not only still good variety but episodes that feel right at home. Mimic Madness, Boo-kini Bottom, Squid Noir, Moving Bubble Bass, One Trick Sponge, and any episode with Plankton are actual joys to see and rewatch if I’m in the mood. The episode premieres are all over the place nowadays but it feels like the crew are given their time at least. And I think this is the path is where I’m content with about Spongebob: it just gets to be a cartoon.

I see so many people try to prop up shows as more than meets the eye. I mention Infinity Train and Steven Universe as the new game changers but I hardly see people just recommend shows that are simple, clean, knows what they are without trying to be anything more premise wise. We just get some quality entertainment with characters we’ve come to know, just for the sake of it. We get a cartoon in its bare essence. Spongebob gets to do its thing like it always has these past 20 years and I’m grateful for that. I’ve seen a variety of shows, but Spongebob always felt like a show worth sticking with even when I feel I’ve “outgrown” it. Not because I want to regress in growth, but as an adult I see now why Spongebob worked so well as it did and why it’s worth sticking with. Even after everything, the show’s made it it’s sole passage to provide us the core reason why we love Spongebob: the show always wanted to love itself for what it was as Spongebob Squarepants always loved to be himself.

And there will never ever be another show like it.

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 53: Blackmail

The next day, Makoto was called into Principal Kobayakawa’s office. “You wanted to see me sir?”

“Ah, Niijima-san,” Kobayakawa said. “I just wanted to apologize for yesterday.”

“Apologize?” Makoto wondered.

“Yes,” Kobayakawa insisted. “I got a little too heated, and I feel the need to clear the air.”

“I see,” Makoto responded, wondering what this conversation was going to turn into.

“Of course you know I want nothing but the best for these students,” Kobayakawa siad. “I didn’t mean to insinuate that I dislike the Phantom Thieves because they exposed Mr. Kamoshida. I’m just worried. They might think that honest, hard-working people, such as myself, might be a target for their changes of heart. All because I didn’t know about the heinous actions being taken by Mr. Kamoshida. And if they think I might be an acceptable target, who knows who else might fall under that?”

“I see,” Makoto said. “So, your worry is similar to that of Akechi-san’s, right?’

“Why yes,” Kobayakawa said. “That boy sure is smart.”

“Smart enough not to go to school here, apparently” Makoto whispered under her breath.

“Did you say something?” Kobayakawa said.

“Oh” Makoto said, a little embarrassed. She decided to play it off. “It’s nothing. Akechi-san just works with my sister a lot. I feel like I’m a bit jealous because he gets to see her more than I do these days.”

“Why, that’s nothing to feel ashamed about,” Kobayakawa informed her. “I’m sure you’ll be just as successful as your sister once I write you that letter.”

“Oh, right…” Makoto said.

“So, I’m sorry I put all that pressure on you,” Kobayakawa apologized.

“But you still want me to find the Phantom Thieves?” Makoto asked.

Kobayakawa nodded. “I understand, go at your own pace, but I would appreciate it. And so will you.”

“Hm. Thank you” Makoto said. She walked out.

“I knew she’d see it my way,” Kobayakawa said, once he was alone.

Makoto, outside of the office, sighed. “I used to think you were that honest, hard-working person you claim to be. I kind of wish you still were…” She walked off to class.

At lunch, the Phantom Thieves group chat went off again.

Ryuji: Yo. I was just thinking.

Ryuji: While we might be able to look for a new big target, we could do some Mementos missions if we have any.

Yusuke: Isn’t that the opposite of laying low?

Ren: We might as well.

Ren: I wanted to meet up today anyway.

Sumire: Why’s that?

Ren: Something happened last night, and I wanted to talk about that.

Yusuke: Very well then.

Yusuke: The usual place?

Ann: Yeah.

Jose: OK.

Jose: See you after school.

They put their phones away and turned their attention back to class.

After school, Ren and Ann were heading out when Ann’s phone rang. “Oh, sorry. That’s my agent, I gotta take this quick. You go on ahead, I’ll meet you all there.” Ren nodded as Ann walked off to take the call.

Before Ren could continue walking, she came face to face with Makoto. “Ah. Nice to see you, Amamiya-chan.”

Ren was caught a bit off guard. “Likewise” she responded.

“If you don’t mind, I would like to talk with you, is that OK?” Makoto asked.

“Uh, sure” Ren said, feeling unsure about what was happening. “I was going to meet up with some friends. Mind if I tell them I’m going to be a bit late?”

“That’s OK,” Makoto said.

Ren got out her phone and sent the message. “OK.”

“Great. Now, if you don’t mind, could you follow me to the student council room?” Makoto asked.

“OK” Ren said again, still a tad nervous. The two started heading to the student council room.

Morgana opened the bag just a crack. “You don’t think she’s onto us, do you?” he whispered.

“Well, she might be if she hears you” Ren whispered back.

“All she’d hear would be meowing,” Morgana said.

“That’s also a problem!” Ren fired back.

“Are you alright?” Makoto asked.

Ren seemed a little flustered. “Fine.” Makoto seemed curious, but decided to not push it right now. She nodded and continued on. Ren sighed and continued following her. Once the two of them entered the student council office, they sat down across from each other. “Is it just you today?”

“Yes,” Makoto answered.

“You...know I already talked to someone about Mr. Kamoshida, right?” Ren continued.

“Of course,” Makoto said. “I was the one that orchestrated all of that.”

“So, why am I here?” Ren asked.

Makoto kept calm. “I called you here because I want something, and I believe you can give it to me. You, and your friends.”

“Oh?” Ren said, matching her calm demeanor.”And what would that be?”

“Hm. I’d like you and your friends to change someone’s heart” Makoto requested.

“I see,” Ren replied.

“She DOES know,” Whispered Morgana.

Ren decided to not let that remark bother her. “Well, I know I did well on the show with Akechi, but I can’t be expected to be able to convince everyone of whatever you need. After all, I couldn’t even convince Akechi in the end.”

Makoto smiled. “Resilient to the end. I like that in a leader. I guess I have to say it to get you to move. I’m making a request to the Phantom Thieves to change someone’s heart.”

“Crap!” Morgana muttered.

“Well, there’s the Phan-site,” Ren pointed out. “You can use that.”

“Why would I?” Makoto asked. “I’m speaking to their leader right now.”

“That’s a big accusation” Ren stated. “What makes you think that?”

“Well, I could list off all the circumstantial evidence I have,” Makoto began, “but I’m willing to bet that one way or another, you’ll deny it or obfuscate. I’d do the same in your shoes.” She brought out her phone. “So, let’s go to the hard evidence.”

Makoto pressed play. On the phone Ryuji can be heard saying “we busted our asses as the Phantom Thieves to get him to confess!”

“Ryuji…” Morgana whined.

Ren’s face was beat red, and looking down. “So, I assume this is enough then?” Makoto asked.

Ren looked up, smiling. “How do I know that isn’t doctored?”

Just then, Ren’s phone rang. “It’s OK, you can answer it.”

Ren did, worried. Of course, Ryuji was on the other end, and of course he was loud. “Yo, Ann just got here. All we’re waiting on is for you, leader! C’mon! Let’s get to some Phantom Thieving!”

Ren looked defeated. “Are you going to tell me that was doctored too?” Makoto asked, shrewdly.

Ren sighed. “I’ll be over in a few. But there’s a bit of a change in plans. Also, next time we get ramen, you’re paying.”

“Huh? Why?” Ryuji asked.

“You’ll understand as soon as I get there,” Ren replied.

“Um, OK?” Ryuji said back, sensing something was a bit amiss. “...Well, seeya then.”

Ren hung up. “Ugh.”

Makoto chuckled. “Don’t worry, I know how hard it can be to lead something.”

“Thanks” Ren snarked back. She sighed. “Though I doubt you actually have any ill intent towards us.”

“How do you figure?” Makoto asked.

“Because you came to us,” Ren answered. “You could have turned us into the police or something with something like that.”

Makoto was blindsided by Ren's deductive reasoning. “Yes, well, I am my own person, with my own opinions at the end of the day.”

Ren nodded. “Well, we should get going. We don’t want them to wait for the surprise.”

Makoto laughed. “You’re more relaxed about all this than I thought you’d be.”

“Eh, it’s something I’ve gotten used to,” Ren admitted. The two of them headed out.

The rest of the thieves were waiting. “Where is she?” Ryuji wondered.

“Hey everyone” Ren said, slightly nervously.

“Oh Hey Reeeeeeeee…” Ryuji said, as the thieves looked up to see that Makoto was also with her. “What’s she doing here?”

“I don’t know Ryuji, what IS she doing here?” Ren snapped back.

Makoto took out her phone and pressed play again. “we busted our asses as the Phantom Thieves to get him to confess!”

The thieves were surprised. “Ryuji…” Ann said, exacerbated.

“Oh…” Ryuji said, feeling guilty.

“That’s why you’re paying for our next ramen outing,” Ren said. “And don’t think I’m going to go light.”

Ryuji’s face went pale. “I’m...sorry…”

“So what are you going to do?” Ann sniped. “Take this to the principal.”

“Um, why would she be talking to us if she was going to do that?” Sumire asked.

“Sumire brings up a good point,” Yusuke said.

“She wants us to change someone’s heart,” Ren explained.

“Oh…” Ann said, now a bit embarrassed.

“Well, we’re willing to help,” Jose said. “Do you know who?”

“A mob boss,” Makoto said succinctly. The thieves were shocked. “You can do it, can’t you?”

“Of course we can,” Ryuji fired back.

“How are you acting so high and mighty now?” Morgan wondered.

Before Ryuji could angrily retort to the cat that Makoto doesn’t know can talk, Ann said “We’re going to need some more information. Like a name for instance.”

“Oh” Makoto said, taken slightly aback. “Well, we’re not sure yet. Maybe you can help with the investigation?”

“What?!” Ryuji said.

“Need I remind you what I have recorded?” Makoto angrily replied.

“No!” Ryuji whimpered.

“We’ll gladly help,” Sumire said with a smile.

“Excellent,” Makoto said.

Ren turned to Makoto. “So, what information do you have so far?”

“Well, not a whole lot,” Makoto admitted. “But they’ve been scamming school kids left and right. Not just at our school either. But we’ve received multiple complaints, and as student council president, I would like to put a stop to this.”

“I see,” Ren said, impressed with her spirit. “Well, we’ll join this fight.”

“And if you’re successful, I won’t release this audio,” Makoto said.

“Hm. Sounds like we have a deal” Ren said.

“Quite” Makoto agreed.

“Now, uh, if you’d excuse us, we’d like to discuss this as a team” Ren said.

“Oh!” Makoto said, surprised. “Of course.” She bowed. “Have a good day.” She walked off. Once she was far enough away, she sighed. “I guess they don’t fully trust me yet…” She continued walking.

Once Makoto was fully gone, Ann smacked Ryuji across the head. “Ryuji!”

“Ow! Sorry!” Ryuji said.

“No, I should apologize,” Ren said. “I should have known something was up.”

“Come now, it’s no one's fault,” Yusuke said.

“Besides, if we change this guy’s heart, then everything will be OK” Jose chimed in.

Ann groaned. “I guess…”

Ryuji similarly groaned. “I’m sorry…” he muttered again.

“So then, what’s the game plan?” Sumire asked.

“Well, we’d have to figure out who this mob boss is,” Ren pointed out.

“Do you think anyone knows in Mementos?” Ryuji asked.

“Even if they did, I might advise against it,” Morgana said. “That Makoto person seems keen to keep an eye on us. If we were to go through Mementos, we might have to explain more than she already knows.”

“I guess you gotta point there” Ryuji sighed.

“Still, you shouldn’t underestimate what you can get from this world,” Jose said.

“Jose and I will ask around Kosei to see if anything has come up there,” Yusuke explained. Jose nodded.

“We can ask around Shujin,” Sumire added. “And I can see what I can get at practice.”

Ren looked at her bag. “You wanna see if you can get anything tonight Morgana?” Ren asked.

Morgana popped out fully. “Well, I guess there’s no harm in trying.

“Great, so it seems like we have a plan then,” Ryuji said. “I guess all that’s left is to execute it.”

“Wait!” Ann said. She turned to face Ren. “What happened last night?”

Ren was surprised. “Oh, right. I did say I wanted to discuss it.” She proceeded to explain her meeting.

“Woah!” Ann said.

“Grah!” Ryuji said. “Usin’ people like that. Pisses me off!”

“Why didn’t you tell me last night?” Morgana wondered.

“Well, I figured it was best for the group,” Ren answered.

“Why should we believe her when she says that she hasn’t corrupted anyone?” Ryuji asked.

Ren sighed. “I believe it because lying about this isn’t Eris’s style.”

“But she’s all about chaos, isn’t she?” Jose wondered.

“Yeah, but her brand of chaos is obvious,” Ren explained. “She wants people to see what she’s wrought. She’d tell me to watch me squirm as I couldn’t do anything rather than lie, because if the truth is chaotic enough, it might make me think about joining her team.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Ann said.

“Still, it sounds as if Eris herself has the same resentment toward the people with palaces and such,” Yusuke noted.

“Yeah, I get that feeling too,” Ren said. “But she’s not doing all too good a job at endearing me to her side either. Her end goal might be similar to ours, we both want to expose the evils of society, but I cannot condone the way she’s doing it.”

“Well said,” Jose replied.

Sumire looked at her feet. Ren noticed this. “Sumire?”

“Huh?” she said, looking up. “Oh, sorry. It’s just… I’m wondering if I would have been someone Eris targeted… Or if I’d have a palace myself…”

“Sumire…” Ren said, gently.

“I was in a really bad place until recently,” Sumie said, tears starting to form. “Just the thought of one false move, and I’d be your enemy. I’d hate that.”

The thieves were stunned silent for a minute. “Hey” Ren said, walking over and lifting Sumire’s head up. “We’ve all had our share of bad days.”

“Yeah” Ann said. “And besides, who says we only fight people we dislike? I mean, I fought my best friend.”

“And I fought a fellow student, as well as someone I respected,” Yusuke added. “And once the battle was over, we respected each other again.”

“Yeah” Ryuji said. “Friends don’t have to agree on everything all the time. But if you’re still friends at the end of it, everything’ll be fine.”

“Even though I’m not all too well-versed with humanity yet, I can still see the power friends like these have” Jose said. “And as long as you have us, you don’t have to worry.”

“Yeah!” Morgana laughed. “If you need to talk to any of us, just let us know.”

Sumire smiled. “Thanks guys.” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “I guess I’m a little more nervous than I thought. I have a big gymnastics meet coming up, and I think it’s starting to get to me.”

“Really?” Ren said. “Are you up for it?”

Sumire giggled. “Coach thought the same thing. She said she could get me out of this one if I needed it.” Sumire grew determined. “But I feel like I'll be ready for it.”

“Well then, looks like we’re going to need to clear our schedules” Ren said.

“Huh?” Sumire said.

“If we’re going to cheer you on, we’ve gotta show up,” Ren said.

“Oh, um,” Sumire started getting flustered. “You don’t have to.”

“Nope. We’re not taking ‘no’ for an answer” Ann said.

“Yeah! If it’s important to you, it’s important to us” Ryuji said.

Sumire started crying again, this time with tears of joy. “Thank you everyone.” She checked her phone. “Goodness, it’s getting a bit late. We should get going soon.”

Ren chuckled. “Yeah, alright.” The thieves left their hideout and headed home for the evening. Just as Eris said, trouble came knocking, but they knew that together, they could overcome it.

[silviasutton1989]

The Guest Ch. 8 “Choices”

A/N: Hey Guys (did you miss me lol) just wanted to post this one really quick before I get back to my hectic life. You guys will get a few quick glimpses of Liam and MC’ s life in the past. Just a reminder Liam wasn’t “Liam” when they met (don’t want to confuse anyone)

Rating: Mature (Course language)

Word Count: 2000

Summary: Candace makes a hasty choice leaving Constantine enough room to make a few for his son 

"He's looking at you, again." Samantha quirks up a smile handing Candace another empty salt shaker to fill.

Keeping her eyes focused on the task in front of her, "Maybe he's looking at you Samantha. You're the one gawking at him."

"Nope he's definitely looking at the back of your head like a puppy waiting to be noticed."

Without a thought Candace turns around. And it happened. Just like it had every single time before when their eyes meet, he smiles at her and she foolishly smiles right back.

"Damn it!" She quickly turns away. 

"You know what Candace? I'm going to do you a favor. I'm going to set you two up." 

"No. I don't even like him." rolling her eyes as she forces herself not to turn around again.

Samantha cocks her head knowingly. "Girl please you and Drake have been eye flirting with each other everyone here thinks so. There's actually a running bet on how long till you two to actually hook up.

"Let me guess. You went for 4 months.

"Ha Ha...actually 5, I'm giving you a little time. But that is not the point. The point is he  likes you and from the few months I have known him he's pretty much a saint.  I mean the dude can speak different languages. He's got that sexy ass accent not to mention that sexy ass ass--"

"Samantha!"

"I digress. He's also the nicest guy I have ever met. Holds out doors and feeds the homeless, he's kinda like some disguised prince." Samantha's eyes widen as she babbles on "Oh my Gawd! He's like Hakeem from Coming to America!" What if he's some undercover prince searching for his queen...in queens."

"Ha. I'm 1000 percent sure that the bust boy is no Prince of Zamunda, ok."

"Well even if he isn't, he has one thing going for him."

"What's that?"

"He makes you smile."

Candace reluctantly looks back at Drake again. This time she let the bashful smile last a little more than a minute before slowly turning back around.

"Hey Hakeem---I mean Drake!" Samantha calls him over.

Samantha!"

"Girl hush. You know what your problem is you can't make a choice to save your life! You did that with college doing it with this shitty job so just shut up and keep that cute smile on your face while I change your world."

Candace smiled as her mind traveled back to that day. She sat at the breakfast table next to Liam while he looked over paperwork for a meeting later on.

"Hey Liam do you remember Samantha?"

"Hmm... umm the girl from the diner?" Liam doesn't look up from his papers as he speaks, lately this was their only way to communicate. 

"Yeah. I totally forgot about this but you know she had you figured out long time ago. She use to joke with me that you were some undercover prince searching for your queen. Just think if she hadn't set us up..."

"Jeeze what in the world were they thinking? A 25 percent bonus for the king's guards and not one dollar added to the scholarship programs!" He draws a large circle on his paper with an aggravated sigh. 

"Did you hear a word I said?"

"Hmm... yeah Samantha had a crush on me. Honestly the girl had a crush on everyone." 

"No that's not at all---"

"These budgets are totally screwed I have to go rework them before the meeting." He stands from the table "What do you have planned today?" half asking as he began to gather all the papers scattered about.

"Drake is going to teach me horseback riding remember?" A slight smug grew seeing his busy hands slow. It not that she wanted him to be jealous or that she liked this reaction from him, especially since he really hasn't spoken about the kiss, but at least it in that moment she knew she had his full attention. 

Liam turned to her with a pained smile. "So out of all the people in this court Drake is the only person that can teach you how to ride?"

"I have to learn before the royal hunt tomorrow. And also you were the one who picked him."

"Yeah that was before you two--"

The room grew silent.

"I thought you were over that. Liam it was just a kiss."

"Yeah...Yeah I know." He takes the rest of the papers before kissing her lightly on the check. "Have a great lesson."

"Ha... please stop! I can't breath!" 

"No seriously So here I am trying to help this old lady across the street and she takes my wallet and bolts!"

Candace rolls over with laughter tears forming in her eyes as her date goes on with his story. Her hand grips his thigh as she guffaws. Never on a first date would she ever be this open but as the hours rolled passed and their nerves died away she soon learned that a date with this man would be nothing like she'd had before.

"Oh...I'm so sorry that happened to you" she chuckles "but this is New York, Drake. Home of the pocket picking grannies. We welcome you, our most chevalier and gullible guest with open arms!"  She opens her arms dramatically her laughter only growing and suddenly he took her into his own pulling her in tight.

Her laughs stop abruptly.

"Sorry, was that too much? I mean...how could I resist New York's warm embrace. Did I overstep?"

"N-no. It was nice. Really nice." Their eyes catch and like magnets they begin to draw to each other.

"Are you sure?" His words sincere but those eyes told a different story so did his body as he doesn't pull away. "Because I want to ask you a pretty bold question right now."

"Oh...what's that?" she's breathless as his eyes pull her closer. He takes a moment before speaking.

"Can I kiss you Candace?"

With a deep breath her answer became an action as she closes the space between them he kissed her so softly so gentle he touched her as if she was something so precious, it was then and there she knew that this was no longer a date. No, today would be day one of a thousand more days with this man.

Steadying herself as she mounted the large beast, Candace took deep breaths to calm her nerves. But that did little to help her at the sound of the horses flared nostrils.

'"uhh.. nope. I want off.."

"Chill Sutton, Marybelle is the most docile animal you'd ever meet."  Drake gives the horse a reassuring rub.

"Maybe..." she squirms as they trot towards an open field " or maybe that's just her cover. And the minute my guard is down this thousand pound creature will buck me straight into the ground." 

"Ok drama queen." Drake chuckles, "But you gotta admit this " he spreads his arms wide breathing in the fresh air "this is paradise. No court no press not a single trace of red or blonde headed demons lurking the corner."

"Hmm...none of those are in New York either." it was mumbled to herself but Drake heard it just the same. 

"You know, I never cared for all the fancy crap with the royals. I pretty much hung around for Liam and my dad. But it took me growing up here to know that life wasn't for me. How are you so sure it isn't for you? I mean look at what you did for those people--"

"See that's just I didn't do anything! I snitched on a criminal. That doesn't make me a queen. And you know what else? You know what makes that whole thing so damn bad? Is that sometimes I wish I'd never done it. Me and Liam used to be partners and now since that day it's like...like he's dragging me. Maybe I wouldn't feel so negative towards it if I actually had a choice. "

"You know I think you have far more choices than you think you do." their eyes meet for a second "And you know what else?"

"What?"

"You've rode this killer horse all the way through the clearing. Look."

Candace turns around seeing the open field, the palace walls only a blur from the distance. 

"See,  Candace you're a natural. And I'm not just talking about the horse riding."

"Yeah I guess all those years of avoiding Texas was for nothing."

"Texas? Your from Texas?"

"No, but I have family there. My mom would try to convince me to spend summers down there with my cousins.  I always thought nothing at dude ranch could be worth spending my summers over," 

"Wow what a coincidence my...!" Drake chuckles as he feels his phone buzzing from his pocket and pulls it out.  "...Hello. Yes this is her son. She what? Does it sound like I've seen her?! It's your job to ---Yes sir I know this is her 3rd time ___ but you all are supposed to----"

The call continues but only for a moment until Drake shoves the phone back in his pocket his jaws clenched between his teeth.  

"Lesson's over Sutton I gotta go home."

"What was that all about."

"Nothing."

"Drake."

"It's my mother she's...she's sick. Has been since my father died. Got worse when my sister left. And now she's ran off again. Meaning I will have to go find her clean her up then convince her to go back." 

"I can come with you." She didn't even think about her response. The words just flew out. 

Drake gazes curiously. "What?"

"You will need help. I mean I don't know your mother's situation but I do know you don't have to deal with it alone. Let me come with you." 

"What about Liam? The Royal Hunt?"

"Liam will understand.... He'll have to." she mumbles the last words under her breath as they ride the horses back into the stables.

Holding his new found girlfriend closer to his chest as she sleeps, the cool dark night gave him a sense of confidence he never seemed to have before. He watched her stir in his arms looking so beautiful and safe there the words he had been holding back in saying for months just flew right out.

"I love you Candace." he exhales as if those words were a weight on his back he never really knew was there. One day he would actually tell her when her knew for sure she felt the---

"I love you too."

"What?"

Candace turns over facing him "I said I love you too."

He watched this girl in amazement "You said it so easily..." his voice breaking.

"Loving you is a pretty easy choice to make." She chuckles rolling back onto her side. 

That was the memory Liam held onto as he watched Drake's pick up truck drive off with Candace inside.

2 weeks tops.

Yeah two weeks to fuck Drake like she's been dying to do since we got here. The sting on his check was a constant reminder to never speak of such things again much less think them in his head. His mind went back to that night over and over again throughout the day.  That night when she said said loving him was the easiest choice, how easily she chose to leave now. She wasn't coming back.

 He never noticed the beaming smile on his father's face as he entered the stables alone. Or the overly pleased looks of Olivia and Madeleine as Liam dodged the constant questions the press asked about Candace. 

No, in his mind he was still in that warm bed with her listening to the New York sounds. Nothing brought him out of it until his father spoke her name.

"Press, we all love Candace she was an amazing companion for my son and treated our country with the upmost respect. But like all guest they must leave at some point. She knows Cordonia will always welcome her back whenever she feels the need to visit again. But as of today I am very sure that our lady's of Cordonia are very capable of cheering up our future king. " Constantine chuckles lightly giving the giddy noble ladies a quick wink. "Forgive me for being so bold but I believe today we have found a new meaning for the Royal Hunt."

@agent-bossypants @andy-loves-corgis@missevabean@blackcatkita@darley1101@jadedpixiescribbles@indiacater@umccall71@speedyoperarascalparty@findingdrake@stopforamoment@mrsdrakewalkerblog@bobasheebaby@itsmychoicebih@gardeningourmet

@hopefulmoonobject @smalltalk88@boneandfur@cordoniansqueen@choicesbyjade@ladynonsense@jovialyouthmusic ​@carabeth@iloveliamrys@sarwin85 @innerpostmentality@kingliamchoices @smalltalk88 @

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 52: Countdown to Chaos

Monday morning, and the bulletin boards across school are dotted with flyers that read “If you have any information on anything illicit, do not hesitate to contact the student council.” Makoto walked up to see this and was surprised. “Wh-What?!” The surrounding students looked at her. “Uh…Yes. The student council will hear your concerns. But right now, I have another thing I need to attend to. Please feel free to talk to anyone else though.” Makoto rushed off.

She burst into Kobayakawa’s office. “Ah, Niijima-san.”

“What is the meaning of those flyers?!” Makoto demanded.

“Ah, you’ve noticed?” Kobayakawa said.

“It’s hard not to,” Makoto retorted.

“Well, I just figured if you’re having trouble finding these Phantom Thieves, I might help grease the wheels on the investigation” Kobayakawa answered.

Makoto gave him a confused look. “You know this will not do anything for the investigation, right?”

“What are you talking about?” Kobayakawa asked, starting to sweat a little.

“Well, if I haven’t figured out who the Phantom Thieves are yet, assuming they even ARE students of this school, what makes you think someone else might have?” Makoto inquired.

Kobayakawa shrugged. “Luck, I guess.”

“I see,” Makoto continued. “Well, even if someone else did, I would like to inform you that there are a lot of students here who are pro-Phantom Thieves. If they figured it out somehow, there’s no reason why they would tell us.”

“That’s absurd!” Kobayakawa shouted, slamming his fist. “The Phantom Thieves are criminals, and need to be locked up!”

Makoto was stunned by this intense response. “Why are you so worked up about this? What did the Phantom Thieves do to you?”

“They sullied the prestige of the school,” Kobayakawa answered.

“...By exposing one of the teachers as an abusive piece of shit?” Makoto pressed. Kobayakawa said nothing. “Your silence speaks volumes, Mr. Kobayakawa.” She sighed. “Well as much as I would like to continue this conversation, because of you I have a mess to deal with. Not to mention, you know, actually going to classes, which would slow down me investigating the Phantom Thieves no matter what. But thank you for all this new work, and thank you for showing me your true colors.” Makoto sternly walked out. Kobayakawa glared at her, and once she left, the empty space where she stood.

Meanwhile, before class started, Ryuji was sitting at his desk. Hiroki walked up to him. “Hey” he said, announcing his presence.

“Oh, hey” Ryuji said, a bit confused. “Did we switch seats or somethin’?”

Hiroki laughed. “No, this is something else. So, I don’t know how much you know, but the student council has been conducting interviews.”

“Right, I heard about that,” Ryuji said.

Hiroki nodded. “Well, due to those flyers that had been posted, and the feedback we’ve been getting already, I’m just here to inform you that we’re going to postpone your interview for now, OK?”

“OK” Ryuji said. He thought on it for a moment. “Wait, you’re in the student council?”

Hiroki nodded again. “Don’t worry, I’m not an extreme stickler, so you’re fine texting in class still. But I would worry about your grades a bit too. And if you do something too rambunctious and get caught, I can’t save you either.”

“...Thanks?” replied Ryuji. Hiroki smiled and took his seat. “Huh.”

In the middle of one of the morning classes, Ryuji took out his phone to text people during class. 

Ryuji: Hey, Shujin Thieves. Should we meet up at lunch?

Ann: About what?

Ryuji: Those flyers that got put up.

Ren: You mean the ones where they encourage people to report “illicit activity” to the student council?

Yusuke: I don’t know what this all is, but it sounds fishy.

Ryuji: Why are you here?

Yusuke: You message the group.

Jose: Hey.

Ryuji: …

Sumire: You did message the group, Ryuji.

Jose: I think it would be worth discussing.

Ryuji: Right. So, lunch then?

Ann: Sure.

Sumire: Sounds good to me.

Ren: OK. Lunch it is.

Ryuji: Cool. So, where?

Ann: The roof is off limits.

Sumire: How about that table outside by the vending machines.

Sumire: That way we can still eat lunch.

Ren: I like the sound of that.

RyujI: OK. Seeya then!

They put their phones away.

When lunch came, Ryuji was heading out when Hiroki approached him. “Hey. You meeting with who you were texting earlier?” Ryuji looked at him dumbfounded. “I told you I knew.”

Ryuji looked at him. “Why do you care?”

“Eh, I just wanted to know,” Hiroki said. “You could have texted now, by the way.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t like wasting time,” Ryuji said.

“Hm. Well, suit yourself” Hiroki said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some student council business to attend to.” He walked off.

“...Weird…” Ryuji muttered. He walked off to his destination as well. Once he arrived to see everyone else eating. “‘Sup?”

Sumire seemed confused. “Don’t you wanna grab something to eat too?”

“Eh, I don’t think this’ll take all of lunch,” Ryuji responded.

Sumire shrugged. “Well, suit yourself.”

“Why is everyone saying that to me?” Ryuji wondered.

“What?” Ann asked.

“Nevermind,” Ryuji said. “So, those flyers.”

Ren swallowed the food she was chewing on. “Right. Do we think that this is about the Kamoshida interviews?” Ren asked.

“I don’t know,” Ann replied. “The student council has been fairly active recently though.”

Ren nodded. “I’m wondering if they’re looking into something else.”

“Like what?” Ryuji asked. Ren gave him an icy stare. “Oh. Yeah.”

Ren rolled her eyes. “So why would the student council be doing this?”

“Well, I’m not sure,” Sumire said. “Hagiwara seemed set on figuring out the Kamoshida thing.”

“Yeah, this might not be the entire student council,” Ryuji added. “This guy in my class who’s a member of the student council said they had to postpone my interview about Kamoshida because they were getting so busy.”

The three girls and Morgana looked at him, taking in this revelation. “Um, this guy” Ren began to inquire. “Did he have shaggy orange hair, purple glasses, and a weirdly chill demeanor?”

“Um, yeah” Ryuji answered. “You know him?”

“He’s the one who interviewed us,” Ann informed him. “So, if this isn’t the whole student council, then is it just Niijima?”

“She is in charge after all,” Ryuji stated.

“But why?” Ren asked.

“Who knows?” Ann said. “Maybe the principal put her up to it and she can’t say no.”

“I dunno,” Sumire said. “I don’t want to believe it, but…”

“Yeah, it’s starting to sound like that,” Ren said.

“Then maybe that whole frickin’ Kamoshida interview thing is fake too,” Ryuji flippantly said. “I mean, what did she do about it? Nothin’! Meanwhile, we busted our asses as the Phantom Thieves to get him to confess!”

“RYUJI!” Ann yelled. “Not so loud.”

“Right. Sorry. I just got heated” Ryuji said.

“Almost got us caught,” Morgana snarked.

Ann sighed. “But yeah, you have a point. If she’s just eating out of the principal’s hand, then she’d be looking for us.”

“I think we just gotta lay low for a while,” Morgana said.

“Ugh” Ryuji groaned. “And I wanted to find someone right away to prove that Akechi guy wrong.”

Ren sighed. “Yeah, but at least this means someone’s not waging a personal crusade on someone to kill them.”

“True. There’s a silver lining in everything” Ann said.

“Hmmm. I guess there’s not much we can do” Sumire said. “Maybe once the apparent intel dump on the student council eases up, we might have a better chance.”

Morgana smiled. “Sumire’s right. Once we have a better understanding of things, then we can make our move.”

“In the meantime, just play it cool,” Ren reminded them. She glanced at Ryuji.

Ryuji seemed incensed. “What’s that fo- Yeah, I can’t even pretend I’m not the most likely one to lose their cool. But I’ll try. For the Phantom Thieves.”

“You just did it again,” Morgana moaned.

“Oh, right, sorry” Ryuji said. “But it’s just us, so we’re fine here.”

“Um, if that’s it, don’t you want to grab something to eat?” Sumire wondered.

“Huh?” Ryuji said. “Oh yeah. Be right back!”

Ryuji ran off to get some food. He was so preoccupied with getting food, he didn’t notice Makoto was hiding around the corner recording the conversation. She sighed. She looked at her phone. “Well, I can’t blame them for thinking like that” she whispered to herself, reflecting on some of the remarks that got to her personally. She sighed again and walked off. “Let’s see who else wants to talk.” She headed back to the student council room.

Once she got there, the members were all gathered. “We keep getting complaints about these gangsters harassing our students,” Hiroki said.

“Yeah” Hagiwara joined in. “It’s the thing everyone has asked us about. What do we do?”

Makoto held steady. She knew this, as she was getting concerns about these gangsters left and right herself. She sighed and said “Make a set of flyers of our own that tell people we hear them and we are looking into it.”

“Wait, we didn’t make the flyers?” Hiroki asked.

Makoto shook her head. “That was Principal Kobayakawa’s doing.”

“So, how are we looking into this?” Hagiwara asked.

“I have a few ideas, but they’re going to require some outside help,” Makoto answered. “In the meantime, start looking into anything you can. We’ve gotten a lot of people talking about this, we should have something to work off of.”

“Yes ma’am!” the members chanted in unison. They all left to begin looking into whatever they could.

“Ugh. Today’s not going well” Makoto said.

After school, Ann went to hang out with Shiho, Sumire went to gymnastics practice, Ryuji went to do some errands for his mom, and Ren messaged Yusuke and Jose about what they talked about and headed to one of her jobs. Meanwhile, Makoto headed to a different school.

She entered the building. She was getting some stares, but she ignored this, as she was looking for someone in particular. Fortunately for her, he found her. “Ah, Makoto-san,” Akechi said.

Makoto turned to him. “Akechi-san. Just the person I wanted to see.”

Akechi seemed confused. “Did you need to get an urgent message to your sister?”

Makoto shook her head. “I’m here to see you.”

“Huh. OK” Akechi said. “What’s this about?”

Makoto pondered what she should ask about first. “Do you mind talking about your interview?” she asked.

“Not at all,” Akechi said. “I’m assuming you have similar curiosities as your sister.”

“Also, the girl you talked to goes to my school,” Makoto said. “As student council president, I want to make sure there’s no bad blood.”

“Ah, right,” Akechi said. “Well, I’m delighted to inform you that after the shoot, we had a chat and became good acquaintances.”

“I see,” Makoto said. “So, you don’t trust the Phantom Thieves?”

“Ah, there it is,” Akechi said. “Well, to be honest, it’s a little more complicated than that.”

“Right” Makoto nodded. “So, what would make you change your mind?”

“Hmmmm” Akechi wondered. “Well, the face-to-face meeting Amamiya-chan suggested would do it for me.” Makoto seemed a little frustrated. “But, if you’re looking for an answer for most other people, I’d think taking down a known criminal would probably put them in some people’s good graces. But I assume doing so is easier said than done.”

“Which brings me to the meat of the matter,” Makoto said. Akechi seemed surprised. “Recently, we’ve been receiving complaints about some gangsters harassing our students. Would you happen to know anything about that?”

“Ah, you’re quite clever,” Akechi shot back. “Though I wouldn’t expect anything less from Sae’s younger sister.” Makoto glared at him and groaned. “To be honest, we’ve been having problems like that too. Although these gangsters have been doing a good job of avoiding detection in the usual ways. But maybe an attack on multiple fronts would help out.”

Makoto thought about this. “Still, something feels off.”

“How come?” Akechi asked.

Makoto looked at him. “Well…” she sighed. “The truth is that the Phantom Thieves contacted me saying that they’d be willing to help us out with this”

“They have?” Akechi said. “May I see their message?”

“They managed to get rid of it before I could save it,” Makoto said. “Besides, you wouldn’t learn much anyways.”

“I see,” Akechi said.

“But asking them to change the heart of gangster after gangster is a lot,” Makoto said. Akechi chuckled. “What’s that for?”

“My apologies,” Akechi said. “I thought you would have figured this out by now. But I guess you are only Sae’s sister.” Makoto groaned again. “Let’s think about this. If this is a recurring problem, with the criminals in question hiding their tracks well, then it’s safe to say there’s an operation going.”

“Uh huh” Makoto said, still bitter about Akechi’s blunt remarks.

“Well, if there's an operation going, then it’s not just some random gangsters,” Akechi said. “There has to be someone at the top. I feel like if you find the head of the operation, then you could sick the Phantom Thieves on them and prove their justice to the world.”

“I see,” Makoto said.

“But I’ll still be worried about them,” Akechi noted. “But that’s just me.”

“Uh huh” Makoto said. “Well, thank you for your time.”

“Of course. It’s always a pleasure to talk to someone such as yourself” Akechi said. He checked the time. “Oh dear, I have to get going.” He started walking. “Ah. They are airing my interview again, if you want to think about it some more.” Makoto nodded and Akechi walked off. Makoto left soon after.

That evening, Makoto was at home eating dinner. Sae was there as well, a rarity these days. Despite that, Sae was still focused on her work. Just as Makoto was told, Akechi’s interview aired again. She began watching it. When Ren started talking, she heard something new. She slowly looked over at her sister. “Hey sis?”

“Hm,” Sae said, looking up. “What’s up?”

“I was just thinking…” Makoto said. “Do you think dad would support the Phantom Thieves? You know, if he were still here.”

Sae slammed the table. “Why are you asking such a childish question? Do you really believe the justice they proclaim? Pah. I’d thought you were smarter than that. You can’t trust a criminal’s intentions when they tell you. They might be behind these mental shutdowns, and just because they caught some high profile criminals, you want to believe they’re good?

‘What would dad think?’ Why should I care. He died upholding some sense of justice that this world isn’t looking to invest in. And the only reason you can think about these things is because I’m working my butt off day in and day out to provide you shelter, food, and education. You’re nothing but a burden!”

Makoto’s face went pale. “Oh… Sorry…”

Sae’s went just as pale when she realized what she’d done. She sighed. “No, I’m sorry. I’m just stressed. They’re practically eating me alive for information. I think I’m going to go to bed early tonight.” Sae got up and went to her room. Makoto turned and started watching the interview again, still feeling emotionally bruised from all of the harsh words from everyone around her today.

Meanwhile, Ren was eating alone in Leblanc. Morgana had gone out to walk around, and Sojiro closed up for the night. The last customer left the TV on, and it started playing the interview. Ren moved to turn it off, but before she could, she was interrupted. “Wait!” Ren looked to see Eris sitting across from her. “Don’t turn it off. I like this interview.”

Ren sighed. “I bet you would.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Eris asked. “I love stirring chaos, and you do just that here.”

“What do you want?” Ren asked.

“I just wanted to check in with you,” Eris said. “I mean, you did just shut down your second palace. How are you feeling? Are you ready to come to my side yet?” Ren shook her head. “I could have figured, but there’s no harm in asking.”

“Why are you so dead set on me joining you anyways?” Ren asked. “Isn’t there someone else you could continually harass?”

Eris chuckled. “There are. But when I’ve done so, you stop them. If I get you and your friends, there’ll be no stopping us.”

“I can’t deny that” Ren relented.

Eris looked at the interview again. “You’ve heard what that boy said. He’s afraid of your power. Yet you only use it for good. Why not teach him a lesson?”

Ren shrugged. “He’s free to feel what he feels. You should be for that. After all, if I forced everyone to think the same way, that’s order, not chaos.” Eris grunted. “Mind if I ask you some questions.”

“Go ahead,” Eris said. “I’m an open book.”

“Hm” Ren chuckled. “First, why do the people you give powers to throw up once we defeat them, while the people who lose their palaces just go into shock.”

“Oh, THAT’S easy” Eris said. “The palaces are formed from warped desires. That shock comes from the realization of that. Meanwhile, my projects throwing up once they’ve failed is them rejecting my influence. I give them powers in order to fight the warped desires, but they give it up once you defeat them.”

“What’s the point in warping them if you can just do it?” Ren asked.

“Heh heh. The point is I’m a supernatural being” Eris answered. “If I do it, humanity would unite against me. If another human does it, they’ll divide themselves. It’s people that I want falling into chaos. I’m already there.”

Ren continued, unphased. “So, what’s the specific purpose of your power. Why do you need to give them something? Why not just unleash them on their own?”

Eris laughed very loudly. “Silly girl. I need to give them the power to warp their desires. That way, they take over the palace. Think about it. The desires of the people I give powers to aren’t warped. Being respected. Protecting the people they care about. Not getting hurt. None of that is unreasonable.

They can’t attack a warped desire with things that are common decency. So I have to lure them in and warp their desires for them. That way, they’ll find their strength, and unleash their chaos onto the person giving it to them.”

Ren was in a cold sweat hearing that description. She knew that Eris’s victims were also victims of the palace rulers, but this put things into a whole new perspective. Still, she carried on. “It appears we, as the Phantom Thieves, might have to lay low for a while. However, we will ignore that if you’re threatening someone’s life. So, have you corrupted anyone yet?”

“Hm. No” Eris put bluntly. “But there is stuff happening even as we speak. Events are conspiring to bring your attention to another palace. And when the time is right, I will seek the help of another. You’re safe for now, but soon things will come knocking at your door, and you can’t help but look away.”

“Well, at least they’ll knock,” Ren said. “Unlike you who just appears.”

Eris giggled. “You’re so witty. It’s a shame we aren’t on the same team. Yet.”

“And we never will be,” Ren chided.

“HA!” laughed Eris. “Rest assured, I’m not giving up.”

“Neither am I” Ren retorted.

Hunger-Eris: 3

Once the interview ended, Eris faced away. Ren changed the channel to something more relaxing and finished eating. Once she finished, she let Morgana back in, went upstairs, and went to bed.