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Nagisa wasn’t sure what to expect when they arrived at Leblanc after school. Normally, they wouldn’t even be there on a Thursday, but apparently fate had other plans. It was all thanks to a cryptic text from Ren sent at exactly five past noon: Stop by later. We need to talk.
Naturally, Lufel had asked questions. By now he’d been living with them for almost a year, so he noticed the change in their routine. They had assured him it wasn’t anything suspicious, just a quick outing to take care of some business. In reality, Ren hadn’t specified an end time, so they were just hoping for the best in that regard.
The bell clinked overhead as Nagisa pushed in the door, letting it fall shut behind them. The cafe was empty save for a familiar young man with raven hair. Ren Amamiya looked up from the glass he was cleaning with a warm smile. “Wonder! Right on time.”
Nagisa relaxed, setting their bag down at the nearest booth. “Hi, Boss.”
Ren chuckled lightly. “You can drop the formalities for now.”
The younger thief blushed, embarrassed. “Right.” Scanning the length of the cafe, they shoved their hands into their pockets. “You said we had something to talk about?”
Behind the counter, Ren’s hands stilled as he set down the glass. “That we do.” He patted the edge of the bar, inviting Nagisa to come sit. “Coffee?”
Nagisa pulled up a chair and nodded. “Yeah! Yeah, that sounds good.”
“Flat white like always?”
“Mhm!”
In a flash, Ren got to work pulling ingredients off the shelves behind him. Nagisa watched, transfixed, as his hands mixed and poured with the dexterity of a seasoned professional. A few minutes later, a cup with steam curling above its surface was placed in front of them. “There you go, champ.”
Nagisa accepted the drink and took a grateful sip. The smooth warmth of it going down their throat helped soothe their nerves a bit. “Thanks.”
Ren watched them with an almost imperceptible softness behind his glasses. “Happy to help.”
Finishing their drink, Nagisa set down their cup. “I’m guessing this thing you brought me in for is Metaverse-related?”
Ren sighed, collecting the cup and setting it behind the counter. “Bingo. As you already know, you and your group aren’t the only ones who can change hearts in the Metaverse.”
Nagisa nodded. They’d met almost all of the “first generation” Phantom Thieves, though Ren was the only one who kept consistent contact with them.
Turning back to face them, Ren continued. “On that same train of thought, you know that the two of us are a little different than the others. We have powers that they don’t—the power of the Wild Card.” Glancing furtively at the front door, he leaned in and lowered his voice. “And we’re not the only ones.”
Nagisa’s eyes widened. “There’s more people like us? More thieves?”
“Not more thieves,” Ren amended, “but yes, there are other Wild Cards. And now that you’ve gained some experience, I think you’re finally ready to meet them.”
The revelation hit them like a ton of bricks. Nagisa looked down at their hands, unsure how to even begin processing that. “Me? Really?”
“Well, sure! You’ve been on the job for what, a year now?”
“Still, it’s…a lot to process.” They fiddled with the edge of their sleeve absentmindedly. “I thought we were the only ones.”
Ren softened. “So did I when I first found out. You’ll understand everything better when we go meet everyone in the Velvet Room.”
Nagisa’s head snapped back up. “The Velvet Room? We’re meeting in the Metaverse?”
“Yep.” A mischievous light twinkled in his eyes. “You brought your phone, didn’t you?”
“I—yeah, of course.” Nagisa stood up from the bar and crossed back to their bag, extracting their phone from the front pocket.
“Wonderful,” Ren hummed, chuckling to himself at his own word choice. “Using your MetaNav will be quicker than going through the physical entrance.”
The what. “There’s a physical—” Nagisa started, but Ren was already reaching over to tap the MetaNav icon. Whatever remained of that sentence died as they felt the familiar vertigo of the cognitive realm.
“Sorry, no time to explain! Let’s go!”
When Nagisa opened their eyes again, they were seated at the roundtable in the Velvet Room. The distant song of a passing whale could be heard from overhead. They let out a shaky exhale, leaning back into their chair. “That never gets any easier, does it?”
“Not really, no,” chirped an unfamiliar female voice. “You kinda just learn to tune it out after a while~”
It was then that Nagisa realized that they weren’t alone at the table. Ren was seated immediately to their right, looking incredibly pleased with himself. Next to him was an older man with silver hair and steely gray eyes. On the other side of the table sat another, more androgynous man with messy blue hair. He was flanked on either side by a woman: one had auburn hair and red eyes, while the other was blonde and regarded them with an almost eerie stillness. Directly across from Nagisa, a grinning Igor held his usual spot at the head of the table.
Curiously, that wasn't even half of the new faces in the room. Each person at the table—save for the blonde woman—was accompanied by what seemed to be an attendant. Though they each differed in height and age, every single one had platinum hair and wore a blue uniform. In fact, they all looked quite a lot like—
“Are you alright, young master? You seem overwhelmed.” As if summoned by their thoughts, Merope appeared at Nagisa’s side, concern written on her face.
“Ah—Merope! You’re here too!” was all they could manage in response.
Merope softened. “Of course I am. As your concierge, it’s my job to attend to you.” She gestured towards the other attendants. “As is the case for my nieces and nephew with their guests.”
Igor cackled, startling them. “It seems our fledgling still has much to learn!”
Nagisa felt their face redden, shifting uncomfortably in their seat. Shit. So much for making a good impression.
Ren clapped his hands, thankfully drawing the table’s attention away from them. “Well! I think some introductions are in order.”
The woman on Nagisa’s other side perked up. “I’ll start then!” She leaned over and smiled warmly at them. “I’m Kotone Shiomi. It’s nice to finally meet you, Kamishiro-kun.”
Nagisa felt some of their earlier anxiety subside, allowing their body to finally relax. “Thanks, Shiomi-san. Same here.”
Kotone nudged the blue-haired man next to her, startling him out of his daze. “This one here’s my cousin, Makoto. He’s a little shy~”
He sighed, glaring at her out of the corner of his eye. “I can speak for myself, you know.”
“Oh, hush! You know I’m just messing with you,” she teased, ruffling his hair affectionately.
Behind her, Kotone’s attendant gently tapped her shoulder. “Perhaps we should let someone else take their turn, Miss Kotone?”
“I thought I told you to stop with the ‘Miss’ thing, Theo,” she chided, but you could tell there was no real malice in it. “But you’re right, as always.”
The faintest of blushes appeared on his cheeks. Clearing his throat, he turned to address Nagisa. “Apologies. I am Theodore, M—Kotone’s attendant. You may call me Theo if you wish.”
Nagisa smiled politely. “Noted.”
Seeing no one else come forward, Kotone’s cousin sat up. “Guess I’m next, then. Makoto Yuki. Not much to say there.” He nodded at Nagisa. “Welcome to the circus, kid.”
True to Kotone’s words, Makoto spoke very little and went straight to the point. More than that, there was something world-weary about the way he carried himself. It gave them the sense that he was among the most experienced at the table.
“And I’m Elizabeth!” his attendant interjected cheerfully. “Theo’s much cooler and prettier sister.” She grinned smugly as Theo gave a wounded little hey! in response.
Makoto shook his head. “C’mon, Liz, you can be civil for one night.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Killjoy.”
The group dynamic felt familiar to Nagisa, not unlike that of their own friend group at Kokatsu. It made them feel oddly comforted in this room full of mostly strangers.
Rounding out the people on their left was the eerie blonde woman, who had remained silent until then. “I am Aigis,” she said, politely inclining her head. “It’s good to meet you, Kamishiro-san.”
Out of the corner of their eye, they caught Makoto looking at her with the softest smile they’d ever seen. His eyes met theirs, and he cleared his throat sheepishly. “My fiancée,” he offered by way of explanation.
“Oh!” Nagisa couldn’t conceal their surprise. “Congratulations.”
Aigis smiled. “Thank you. We haven’t set a date yet, but rest assured, you will all be invited.”
“Will the rest of S.E.E.S. be there too?” Ren interjected. “I heard Ken’s finally old enough to drink!”
“Bold of you to assume he’ll be drinking at all,” Makoto muttered.
Beside Ren, the man with silver hair cleared his throat. “We’re getting off-topic. Introductions, remember?” His voice surprised Nagisa—it was lighter and more easygoing than the stoic vibe his physical appearance gave off. “I’m Yu Narukami, but please, call me Yu. This is Margaret.”
His attendant looked the closest in age to Merope, if a little younger. She gave Nagisa the slightest of nods. “My pleasure. Lovely to have you with us, Mr. Kamishiro.”
“Oh—it’s Mx. Kamishiro, actually,” they corrected automatically.
“Is it? My mistake, then.” Margaret finally cracked a smile. “I’ll make a note of that for future reference.”
Nagisa smiled sheepishly. “Thank you.”
With all but one introduced, Ren sighed dramatically. “Well, you already know me.” He nudged the person next to him forward. “You wanna introduce yourself?”
Ren’s attendant was the youngest by far. She was a small girl with long, pin-straight hair and butterfly accessories. By Nagisa’s estimate, she couldn’t have been older than fourteen.
“Hello, Wonder,” she said softly. “My name is Lavenza.”
She seemed a bit nervous, so they smiled reassuringly. “It’s nice to meet you, Lavenza. You don’t have to use my codename here—just call me Nagisa. I don’t mind!”
Instantly, Lavenza brightened. “Alright. Ren has told me a lot about you. I hope we can be friends!”
Something inside Nagisa went soft. There was something endearing about her compared to the other attendants, almost like a little sister. “I hope so too.”
Ren leaned over to poke her shoulder teasingly, not unlike an older brother would. “Now was that so hard?”
Before she could reply, Igor clapped twice, drawing everyone’s attention back to the head of the table. “Well! Now that that’s over with, shall we begin?”
Nagisa made an effort to sit up straighter. Right. We’re here for a reason. I’m here for a reason.
Igor folded his hands atop the table, sporting his signature grin. “I trust you all remember your contract?”
The other Wild Cards all nodded and spoke in unison. Without even realizing it, Nagisa heard their own voice join the chorus as well.
“I am thou, thou art I.”
A shadow fell over the table as a whale passed by overhead. Its song pierced Nagisa to their very core. Igor smiled. “Excellent. I hereby call this meeting of the Fools to order.”
The Fools. The title settled over Nagisa’s shoulders like a sacred mantle. Igor looked right at them, smile growing impossibly wider. “Congratulations, little one.”
Beside them, Ren grinned proudly. “You’re one of us now.”
Around the table, the others all smiled in turn. Merope placed a hand on their shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze. Nagisa’s chest swelled with pride. For the first time since their arrival, they felt completely and utterly at home.
This is where I belong.