[Locked to cognicat] Froggy Mystery

[wicked_plan]

 Ren finds that he's slowly getting settled in his new situation.

He's developed somewhat of a routine; some days, Frog or Trickster (there's a girl version of him!) mans the counter at Leblanc, other days, he does. When he doesn't, he'll go find something to do or someone to hang out with; Akechi has been his main choice, of course, but he's found many of the residents here, versions of himself included, fun enough to talk to. If all else fails, there's always the Metaverse, and he can blow off some steam fighting Shadows.

(With their fight against Joker and Crow coming up, Ren has to keep himself sharp, after all.)

His barely established routine seems to be falling apart already, though. Usually, today'd be a day that Frog mans the counter, but, as he has been since yesterday, he's nowhere to be found. 

Who he does find when he comes downstairs, however, is the Morgana that resides here, sitting on the counter (God, Boss would hate that, but he isn't here, so). Ren likes Morgana; even if he's not his own Morgana, the differences are minute enough that it almost feels like talking to his own. It doesn't quite soothe the ache of absence, but it's nice to have him around, and he can tell Morgana feels similarly.

Today, however, something's off. Even in his cat form, Ren can instantly tell the worried edge in his body language and face. Ren had a feeling, but it really looks like there's trouble brewing of sorts.

"Morgana?" Ren says, sitting down on one of the stools near the not-cat. "Frog's not here today either, huh..."

Comments

[cognicat]

A low, almost paternal growl in Ren's ear. "You mean he just let you think he was dead? After everything you went through?"

Wait, he remembers belatedly, again, this isn't his Joker. But still.

[wicked_plan]

"Yup," Ren huffs, popping the p. "Trust me, I'm not happy about it either. He had his reasons, but just..."

Ren sighs.

"Not even a text. Nothing. I had to find out from being transported here, and receiving an accidental text."

[cognicat]

"I would have thought better of him." Despite all the murder and betrayal, yes. "Maybe that doesn't make sense, but... he really seemed to care about Joker, somehow. Even if he couldn't show it."

He glares up at the Velvet Room door. "Joker thinks he's still alive."

[wicked_plan]

Ren sighs.

"Mine certainly thought he was doing it because he cared, but..." he trails off. "I don't know. I thought we were past this."

It still rankles, and even if they talked about it... it still makes Ren's stomach turn.

"... and he might be. Your Joker's, I mean." Ren also looks at the Velvet Room door, face a careful neutral. "If he's anything like mine."

[cognicat]

Mona deflates on his shoulder again. "I thought he just couldn't face it, you know. That he'd do anything to keep believing. And then I thought, maybe it's the bond. Maybe, if Akechi was dead, he'd know."

He makes another hollow little sound. "I wanted to lend him my tail so he could drag it along the floor. That's how bad he was sometimes."

[wicked_plan]

Ren lets out a chuckle at that.

"I can imagine." He's pretty sure Mona- his Mona, wanted to do the same thing, sometimes.

Can you blame him for grieving someone he thought dead, though? Sure, he'd hoped, but... when there was no sign of Akechi by the time he went home...

"Well... nevermind." He pushes the door to the Velvet Room open. "We should figure out where Frog went, and what happened."

First order of business... asking Igor for any morsel of information he's willing to share. Ren doesn't think it'll be much, but it might be a starting point.

[cognicat]

They should! Mona shakes himself out of his despair, standing up on Joker's shoulder. They will confront Igor, they will get answers, they will fight and they will win.

Igor stares right at them as they step inside, as if he already knows why they're there. That's not usual; Mona scowls. "Welcome to my Velvet Room," he says. That's not usual, either.

"Uh, hi, Igor," Mona attempts. He's always a little uncertain around Igor, despite his instinctive affection, because what even are they to each other? Creator, father? Mona sure doesn't know, especially after the whole imprisoning-people-in-the-Velvet Room of it. But Igor smiles.

"Greetings, Morgana," he says, looking between Mona and Joker as if something pleases him greatly, which, come to think of it, is how he looks at everything. "I believe you have a question for me."

[wicked_plan]

No matter how many times he sees it, something about Igor's smile remains deeply disturbing. You'd think Ren'd be used to his unnatural proportions by now, but... still creepy. Than again, the Igor he'd been working with for the most part was an imposter. The higher pitched voice is still jarring.

He exhales, and gets to the point.

"Igor," he says in greeting, "we're looking into what happened to Frog. Do you know anything?"

[cognicat]

"He is here," replies Igor, with that startlingly high-pitched voice. "Altered, but still here."

"Altered?" asks Morgana, ears going back. "What do you mean, altered? But, wait, that's not what we really want to know. Is he safe?"

Because if Frog was made a child, suddenly, he could be anywhere. He could be lost in the city. And that's without going into all the other things changed could mean.

[wicked_plan]

Ren, for his part, is rather worried about that answer. His expression is grim; he doesn't like this at all.

"Tell us," Ren demands, "please."

"He is not in any direct danger," Igor answers, still grinning. "The rest... is up to you."

And just like that, Igor goes silent again. Ren sighs. He doesn't know what else he expected.

"... Thanks Igor," he says. "Can you at least tell us what door we should take?"

Igor, predictably, does not answer.

"... Right." He turns around, and eyes the doors. Which one to take?