With a sigh, Ren finally takes a seat. "He knew about the Palace. Which I knew would happen," he can't help but add, sullenly. "He kept saying shit to try to make me fight him, and then he pretended to call you. I think he liked that I didn't want him to but couldn't do anything about it? I didn't know he was lying till he started talking about ice cream to whoever was on the other end."

There was other stuff after that, too, some of it pretty offensive, but that's what stands out the most in Ren's memory. The bleak, awful powerlessness, like standing in front of Shido, only for Magpie to be fucking lying all along. Not even calling Akechi, just making him feel like that because it was funny or something.