#its like akira is so attentive to the world around him and the thieves | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

letsplayballet · 1 year

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making this its own post bc a) i've done the next scene finally, and b) maybe if it gets notes this time i'll be able to convince myself to write more of this thing that's been living in my head for 5 years now

anyway. persona 5 tv studio/justice rank 1 be upon ye.

~*~

The instant Akechi enters the studio, the unsettled feeling Akira had had in the hallway the day before returns full force.

“Ain’t that the guy from yesterday?” Ryuji mutters- for once quiet enough to not garner attention, though that could easily be because everyone around them is too busy cheering. Akira gives a shallow nod. He’s not even sure if Ryuji notices, or if he was actually asking him in the first place, but he can’t take his eyes off of Akechi for long enough to check. There’s something in the back of his mind screaming danger!, like they’re in a palace and the teen smiling pleasantly on stage is a shadow, about to round a corner and sound the alarm on them.

It doesn’t make sense, he can’t help but think as the show goes live. He doesn’t know Akechi, had only heard his name a few times in passing before yesterday, and nothing Akira has heard or seen has given him any reason to be this suspicious of him. For all that he works with the police, he seems nice enough, if a little awkward; kind of in a similar way to Yusuke, actually, with those weird comments on pancakes in their last conversation-

(that uncomfortable tension rises, sharpens, why does it feel like he’s missing something)

-but on the whole he seems… genuine. Startlingly so, actually. Akira has lived and breathed masks for a while now: he’s had several of them himself, and has learned how to recognize them in others, a talent which has only gotten stronger since this whole business with personas and the metaverse. He can nearly see the seams on the hosts as they chat with Akechi, the bubbly entertainer personalities of their jobs overlaying who they actually are, and they’re professionals. Their livelihoods depend on these masks, on their ability to make them seem genuine, and they’re good enough that Akira is sure that, even if other people know the masks are there, no one else can see them the way he can.

Akechi says something, giving a wry little grin, that sets the audience laughing, and Akira can’t see any hint of a mask.

It’s possible he doesn’t have one, of course. But- he’s a celebrity, and in high school, and people in either of those situations don’t tend to last long without some sort of protection between them and the outside world, at least not with decent mental health, and Akira can’t see his mask-

“However, if these Phantom Thieves are real, I believe they should be tried in a court of law.”

Akira’s circling thoughts come screeching to a halt. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Ryuji and Ann both tense.

“That’s quite the statement,” the male host says seriously, his raised eyebrows the only sign of his surprise. “Are they committing crimes? Some people even say that the Thieves are actually helping their victims abandon their evil ways.”

Akira feels Ryuji bristle at Madarame and Kamoshida being called victims, and he presses his own knee against his friend’s thigh. I know, he tries to tell him with the contact, but now’s not the time. Some of it must come through, because Ryuji huffs out a breath and sits back in his chair, tense and glaring but less ready to jump into a fight.

On stage, Akechi frowns. “What the artist Madarame did was truly an unforgivable crime,” he says, just the barest hint of something severe in his voice. “However, the Phantom Thieves are taking the law into their own hands by judging him. It is far from justice.”

There’s a murmur through the crowd, and Akira looks over to find Ann already looking back at him, seeming as conflicted as he feels. It’s one thing to talk these sorts of concerns over with your teammates; to hear them repeated in this sort of a setting…

“More importantly,” Akechi continues, drawing the team’s attention back to him, “we have no idea how they are causing these supposed ‘changes of heart’, but I would highly doubt it’s the result of a friendly conversation. Blackmail would be the least concerning option, and that is a crime, regardless of intention.”

“You have a point,” the male host says. “These people are calling themselves the Phantom Thieves, after all.”

Which isn’t really wrong either, especially for people who can’t conceive of the metaverse. There probably isn’t an explanation even close to the truth that they could give that would be believed, much less not construed as some sort of crime.

“Now then,” the female host says brightly, “lets try asking some students the same age as Akechi-kun about the Phantom Thieves! First, please press your buttons now if you believe the Phantom Thieves exist!”

Ryuji presses his button immediately, and with quite a bit more force than necessary. Akira hesitates, but also presses his own button. A few seconds pass, and the flashing numbers reveal that about a third of the audience has also pressed their buttons, which is a much higher percentage than Mishima’s site shows.

(Akira can’t help but wonder if it’s just the age range of the audience, or the fact that many of the students here have now witnessed two of these incidents, where the rest of the world has really only seen the one.)

“That’s a bit higher than I was expecting,” Akechi says, unknowingly mimicking Akira’s own thoughts. “I’d love to hear some more detailed opinions on the Phantom Thieves’ actions.”

The female host stands, scanning the audience as she walks towards them- and then comes to a stop in front of Akira.

Ryuji, who hasn’t relaxed since the start of the interview, somehow manages to tense even further. Ann takes in a quick, startled breath through her nose. Akira can feel everyone’s eyes on him through his panic, and he tries to school his face into pleased excitement, like being on TV was the best he could have hoped for today and he’s just trying to make the most of his spotlight.

“Why don’t we ask this student here?” the host asks, cheerful. She’s just a little too loud this close to him, and he hopes that his discomfort isn’t as obvious as it feels. “Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts on these Phantom Thieves, if they are real?”

There’s an anticipatory note to the silence now, and Akira is reminded again of the feeling of infiltrating a palace, though this time he can’t tell where the danger lurks. He clears his throat.

“If they are real, I think what they’ve done is quite noble.”

“Oh really?” Akechi says, cutting off the host before she can even begin to reply. The attention on him feels like a physical weight now. “How so?”

Akira shrugs, trying to seem unaffected. “Well, you said yourself that what Madarame did was unforgivable. It seems as though he hurt a great many people, but no one has been able to come forward until he confessed to his crimes himself. His reputation protected him for a long time, but he can’t hurt anyone else anymore. I can’t see how that’s anything other than a good thing.”

He’s being reckless, he knows, even without Morgana’s claws digging into his ankle through his bag. But between Akechi’s unsettling demeanor he still can’t figure out, the tension he can feel thrumming through his friends, the considering murmurs he can hear in the crowd, and his own persona in the back of his mind, he can’t quite convince himself that it’s a bad decision. Even if it puts undue attention on him, if he can redirect the focus onto the good the Phantom Thieves have done, maybe this show won’t be the utter disaster it’s starting to feel like.

“I must say I agree with you in that much,” Akechi says, sounding faintly surprised- though whether it’s at Akira’s words or his own agreement with them, it’s hard to tell. “But what of their methods? Do they not concern you?”

“What methods?” Akira challenges. “For all we know, these ‘Thieves’ are nothing more than fictional boogeymen, created to try to scare a terrible man. Can you say with certainty that Madarame hasn’t carried a guilty conscience all these years, and this is just what pushed him over the edge?”

Akechi leans forward, elbow on his knees, and the look he’s leveling at Akira is both considering and… something else. Excited, maybe?

“Not with complete certainty, no,” Akechi allows. “But it seems highly irrational that one would commit crimes of such magnitude for such an extended length of time if one carried any guilt over the matter.”

“I would argue that it seems highly irrational to commit such crimes in the first place, regardless of the perpetrators personal feelings.”

“I suppose it depends on your working definition of ‘rational’, but that could be a whole other argument, and I believe we’ve gotten far enough off topic. I’ll ask again, more clearly: if we are supposing the Phantom Thieves are real, that there is a person or group of people who have somehow convinced a previously unrepentant criminal to willingly turn himself in, does the method of this convincing not worry you at all? During the whole of his interrogation, Madarame has claimed no knowledge of or interaction with these Thieves outside of the calling card posted at his exhibit. If someone close to you- for example, your friend next to you- suddenly had a complete change in personality, what would you think? How much could the Phantom Thieves change him, without anyone knowing for sure how or why?”

Akira pauses for a moment, mind racing, not at all liking where this questioning is going. He tilts his head at Ryuji, considering, until-

He blinks at Akechi up on the stage, twists his face into a confused frown, and (promising he’ll apologize to Ryuji as soon as he gets the chance) asks, “Would the Phantom Thieves make him study for his exams?”

“Dude!” Ryuji says, loud and betrayed. Ann bursts into giggles. The laughter spreads through the audience, and Akira is painfully grateful that no one else seems to notice Ryuji’s white-knuckled grip on his chair, or how incredibly forced and fake Ann’s laughter is.

Akechi, after a second, also starts to laugh. “Alright, maybe that was a bad example,” he says, and he has the same even and easy-going tone he’s had the whole show, but for a split second Akira sees- something. A crack, just the barest hint of something other than a calm and collected teen detective.

Interesting.

“My point, however, remains,” Akechi continues as the host returns to the stage, slip already smoothed over. “Whether the Thieves’ actions are good or not, the fact that they could hold this much sway over a formerly unrepentant criminal could have alarming implications, even if we trust them to only be pursuing people like Madarame. Should they decide this isn’t enough… the existence of the Phantom Thieves would be nothing but a threat to our everyday lives.”

~*~

Ryuji, thankfully, accepts his apology with an easy grin and a “Pay for the ramen next time and we’ll call it even.” They spend the rest of the recording a bit more relaxed, bickering quietly during breaks about what sorts of food qualify as “sorry for throwing you under the bus” material. (Ann argues that ramen is insufficient, but eventually concedes to Akira’s point that it kind of depends on the bus.)

After another hour or so, they’re free to go. Ann rushes out pretty quick, having a shoot on the other side of the city she doesn’t want to be late for, and Ryuji has to run to the batroom, so Akira has tucked himself into a corner to wait and is checking his phone when he hears, “Oh! There you are!”

Akechi approaches him confidently, seeming not to notice the stares and whispers that follow him all the way to Akira’s corner. Or, no; he seems very aware of them, but not like he especially cares, in a casual sort of way that does nothing to ease the alarm going down Akira’s spine.

“Detective,” Akira greets. There’s a bit of a tease in his tone, too familiar for someone he’s spoken to twice, but Akechi barely reacts.

“Oh, please, Akechi is perfectly sufficient. Anyway, I’m glad I caught you; I wanted to thank you in person.”

Akira can feel his eyebrows rise, and this time the confusion isn’t affected at all. “Thank me?”

(He wishes he had the comforting weight of his dagger in his hand. He wonders when that weight became comforting, as opposed to strange and vaguely alarming.)

Akechi smiles, distant and professional. “To paraphrase Hegel, advancement cannot occur without both thesis and antithesis.”

One of Akira’s eyebrows drops. The other remains arched slightly above the rim of his glasses, unimpressed. Akechi’s vague smile shifts into a more rueful grin.

“Sorry. What I mean is that our discussion today was quite meaningful. Few people around me are so willing to speak their minds as freely as you did earlier. It frequently makes for dull conversation; it’s been some time since I felt as though I had to work to keep up with someone, especially in the context of a debate.”

“I appreciate the compliment, though I’m not sure it’s entirely deserved,” Akira says slowly. “I’m glad you got something out of it though, and not just the station.”

“Nervous about your television debut?”

“Weren’t you?”

“Not quite,” Akechi says with a laugh. “It’s hard to be nervous about reporters and entertainers when you’ve had to interrogate violent criminals. Regardless, you have nothing to worry about. You handled both yourself and the conversation quite well. If you hadn’t confirmed it just now, I wouldn’t have suspected this was new territory for you. You must be quite a fan of these Phantom Thieves, to defend them so eloquently.”

Morgana shifts suddenly in Akira’s bag, a warning he doesn’t really need. Akechi’s expression remains open and vaguely pleasant, giving no sign that he especially cares about what Akira has to say, but there’s a tension that wasn’t there before, that makes it clear that one wrong step will send him plummeting.

Well. Akechi did say he likes a challenge.

It just so happens, Akira is discovering, that he’s not the only one.

(He’s so gonna get an earful from Morgana for this.)

Akira gives a bit of a grimace. “I don’t know that I’d say ‘fan’, necessarily.”

There’s a beat of silence, and while Akechi’s expression changes very little, there’s definitely a note of surprise. “Oh really? What would you say then?”

“You have a point,” Akira begins slowly, “worrying about their methods. Assuming they’re real, it’s clear whatever they’re doing is effective. Having that much potential power, but no oversight into what they’re doing… well, it’s the same reason a lot of people don’t trust politicians, or police. I imagine the only reason the Phantom Thieves are being viewed positively by anyone is because of the results they’re achieving.”

“In contrast to politicians and police,” Akechi says dryly, with a bitter note that Akira wasn’t expecting. “So you think the ends justify the means?”

“Not at all,” Akira shoots back. “But aren’t these ends worth pursuing? Madarame’s arrest has improved so many lives, and from what I’ve seen online has encouraged people in similar situations to stand up for themselves, no Thieves required. Isn’t exposing injustices worthwhile, Detective?”

Akechi’s face grows serious at the slight. “No one should be above the law, regardless of results.”

“No one should be. But plenty of people already are, aren’t they? Madarame clearly was, until the law couldn’t look the other way anymore.”

“… You’re right,” Akechi says, stony expression softening. “Apologies, for losing my temper a bit there. This is just… something I have very strong feelings about.”

“No worries,” Akira says. “I did needle you. My point is, as glad I am for what these Phantom Thieves may have done, I don’t think we know enough about them to call myself a fan.”

Akechi gives a huff of a laugh. “We do have a bit of a habit of getting off topic, don’t we? Not that I’m complaining; it’s remarkably good stimulation. In fact… would you be willing to exchange contact information? You’ve been such a wonderful debate partner, I think it would do us both good to continue having these sorts of discussions.”

Claws dig into Akira’s back through his bag. And really, Morgana is right. Akira definitely should not give his information to the guy who’s trying to catch him and his friends.

“Absolutely,” Akira says with a grin.

As they exchange numbers and Akira feels the certainty of a confidante click into place within him, he can’t even regret it.

He walks away when Akechi does, though, moving just outside of the studio in the hopes of getting a little privacy so that Morgana can start chewing him out now instead of trying to do it on the train. He finds an empty spot in the hallway where Ryuji (hopefully) won’t miss him, then slides his bag under his arm and opens it.

“Listen,” he starts, “I know it’s risky to get too close to someone like him, but I really think we can-”

“Akira!”

He stops, shocked. Morgana, for all that he likes to hear his own voice, rarely interrupts. Looking down properly at him, Akira realizes that Morgana doesn’t look mad like he’d expected. Instead, he looks… scared.

“What? What’s wrong?”

He can hear Morgana’s tail lashing inside his bag. “I, I know we talked last night about how something seemed off, and I realized, while you were talking to him… I’m the only one of us that said the word ‘pancakes’ yesterday.”

Akira stares blankly at him for a few seconds, before the realization of what, exactly, that implies hits him like a well placed zionga.

“… Fuck.”

#getting to the okumura arc in my royal replay made me want to come back and finish this lol #it was fun trying to make an argument that *actually* would have constituted a debate instead of the 2 sentences you get in game #whether i succeeded in actually making it *interesting* is probably up to personal preference #but! here it is #p5r #p5 #also for my own tags:#quinn (re)plays p5r #it's only tangential but it's related and i do want it there #persona 5 #my fic #????? i guess I'll tag that too. sure why not.

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stargazer-balladeer · 4 years

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What kind of boyfriend are they? [Persona]

Characters Included: Akira Kurusu, Akechi Goro, Yosuke Hanamura, Yu Narukami, Minato Arisato & Shinjiro Aragaki

Note: I'm mixing Persona 3, 4 & 5! :3 Except all of them are my fav characters (HUSBANDOS—) ahem. Anyway. I hope ya'll enjoy this :3 (This is over 500+ words... whOOPS--)

Reader’s Gender: Neutral

Warning: Spoilers

Akira Kurusu

-Akira is the kind of boyfriend that teases the heck out of you. Like he loves to fluster you so much from embarrassment, whether from kissing you in public or simply holding your hands. He'll have that smirk on his face, its always present. (You're wondering if it's permanent though—)

-But I can also see Akira as the guy who loves someone, really loves that one (aside from the fact that he dates multiple girls in the game—). The reason why he teases you is because he loves you, and for that reason, when he finds that you are close to fainting or uncomfortable, he'll stop teasing you. He doesn't want you fainting or uncomfortable around him!

-He's also a natural romantic guy. Like he'll give you flowers and gifts (or trinkets he found). He wants to spoil you so much but he has limited money, so he resorted to small gifts and trinkets that reminded him of you. Your dates consist of staying at the LeBlanc, enjoying the cafe itself or inside the attic (i.e: his room).

-He loves affection so much, but not because he's touch-starved, he simply just loves you so much (yes, I'll say it over and over again :3). If you want cuddles, then cuddles you get. No matter where, but I think he prefers it private since, you know, his reputation? He just doesn't want to affect your reputation because of his ;-; But kisses, on the other hand, he can do it even in public, he has no shame -3- He'll even leave a kiss on you for teasing purposes (and to see your flustered self). He'll just laugh at your reaction, finding every reaction you have is cute on you. (He also has a picture of you as his wallpaper in his phone :) and his friends knows it since he shows it to them.. he's so proud and in-love with you :3)

-But if you don't like or uncomfortable of affection or him touching you, he understands. He'll always ask permission before holding you or kissing you. He respects your privacy and comfort more than his own. If you find uncomfortable, then he'll find a way for it to make it comfortable with you.

-I can see Akira giving his s/o a piggyback-ride, no matter whether you weigh heavily or just right (but if you weigh very lightly, he'll be concerned). He really doesn't mind your weight at all (he likes to say you don't weigh a lot). I can also see him as a domestic guy, he learned how to cook (thanks to Sojiro) and learned to take care of animals (Morgana, lol).

-He's protective of you. If you're in the Phantom Thieves, double-protectiveness over you activated. He just doesn't want you to get hurt ;-; He's scared of losing you in the Metaverse. So if an attack is directed at you, he'll get the hit. If you get hit while he isn't paying attention (probably coming up a strategy), after the battle, he'll immediately patch you up or go to a nearby resting place. And I can also see the rest of the Team also being protective of you :3

-Akira is also observant about you, even if he doesn't look like it. So he knows immediately when you're upset or uncomfortable. In which case, he'll drag you away from the source immediately. Leaving that person dumbfounded.

-If you feel sad about something, the actions of Akira would depend on how severe your sadness or situation is (though they are still similar to one another). Did someone talk bad about you? Don't worry, Akira would hug you and voice out all of the good things about you (and probably imagine how he'll defeat that person's shadow). Did someone close to you recently die? Akira will bring some comfort food to you (or to his place if you went there) and comfort you while eating. Are you upset because of your grades? "Treasure.. have you seen Ryuji's?" but in all seriousness, he'll offer to help you study for the next test. Are you having a existential crisis? He'll also comfort you as he voice out how important you are to him, and that's the reason why he calls you his "treasure". Are you sad because everyone is unique and you're just you? Akira would say how special you are to him and that you don't need to stand out.

-Long story short, he'll comfort you no matter what. :) Can I have a Akira pls? -3- I'm getting jealous over here...

-But if he needs comforting, please comfort him ;-; Sometimes, all of the duties of handling his rehabilitation, school and being the Phantom Thief leader and people in general gets to him. He's still a kid— teenager. And it gets to him sometimes. He's the kind of guy that bottles his emotions up until it cannot anymore hold itself together. So please comfort this boi ;-;

-Overall, he's like a perfect boyfriend :)

Goro Akechi

-Akechi is somewhat-like Akira, yet different at the same time. He's hesitant to pursue or enter a relationship because of his Detective (and other) duties, he fear that he cannot handle a relationship because of that. So the word "surprise" might be an understatement at how Akechi feels as you, his now newly-announced s/o, told him that you just want to love him and lets him do whatever he does. Akechi was actually glad to have someone like you his s/o, someone who understands and love him at the same time. Akechi would be lying if he didn't find you attractive when you first meet.

-Akechi will tease you time from time, enjoying every reaction your making each time, it never fails to put a smile on his face. But he might not be into PDA, since he likes to keep your relationship a secret to the world (media). He tells you so that you won't have to fear about his fanbase. But in reality, he just fears that if Shido knows about you, he would use you against Akechi (which he doesn't like -3-).

-Let's face it, he has you as his wallpaper in his phone. Whenever he feels lonely or just have a moment to himself, he'll just open his phone and stares at his wallpaper. He unconsciously smiles at you in the picture as he continues his day with a smile present on his face. Many people who's near to him noted how happy he was when he looks at his phone for some reason. But Akira manages to find out while he's raising his confidant level for Akechi :)

-Akechi would notice every quirks and twitches you have, since undoubtedly, he has a keen and observant eyes. He would immediately know which ones you like, which ones you don't like, how comfortable you are, how uncomfortable you currently are, and more. But that doesn't make him a stalker >:( He just wants to know which ones you prefer and how comfortable you are. He prioritizes your comfort over his :)

-Akechi always put his mask on around everyone else, but to you? His mask is slowly slipping away. If you play your cards right, he might reveal his true self to you and only you. But he won't tell you about Shido, since he still fears your safety. He tells you partly everything about his childhood, how his life is in the orphanage and all that. Akechi'll mentally prepare himself for you reaction, are you disgusted? Would you leave him now that you know? Those thoughts ran through his head. When (not if because you chose him, how dare you not accepting him >:(.) you accept him though, he'll start to cry.

-Akechi might not be a natural at being romantic, but he tries. I can see him as a gentlemen type though :3, like he'll open doors for you and pulls the chair for you. He'll also give you gifts and trinkets he saw while in his detective duties. I imagine him giving you your favorite flower every meeting (or dates) you two have, like if you're just walking and suddenly come across Akechi, he (for some reason) has your favorite flower at hand and ready to give it to you. Expect your house to be filled with flowers with how often you two meet.

-But its not everyday you two meet, note this. Akechi already warned you about his job since it takes up most of his time, so he's usually not able to meet you as often as he likes to. But he'll call or text you if he has free time, probably asking how you are and lets you rant about what happened during the day. Akechi loves hearing your voice, so he lets you rant as long as you want. If he's given a day-off (so rare ;-;), he'll want to spend it with you. Though he prefers to stay at home, but if you want to go somewhere, he'll concede.

-Your dates consist of going to restaurants, cafe and LeBlanc. This boi loves pancakes, so you better bring him to a restaurant where they serve pancakes X3. But if you can cook pancakes, Akechi would probably want to marry you on the spot :). Whenever you are in LeBlanc though, you would stare at the duo trying out-wit each other, its amusing to you how frustrated Akechi is and smug Akira is.

-But I can see Akechi being touch-starved since he doesn't have anyone while growing up, so he practically clings to you like a koala. But if you're uncomfortable with affectionate touches, he doesn't mind either. Just please hold his hand so that he feels safe (it also settles his mind and heart knowing you're still here by his side ;-;).

-If you're in the Phantom Thieves (oh boy, here we go), Akechi would be scared at the idea of having to kill you and the rest of the team. He knows how much the group of misfits means to you, but he knows he has to do the task he's given. So until that time come, just stay in his arms and let him love you while he still can ;-; (I'm making this depressing..). While still into the subject of comforting, if he starts to cry because of all the stress, please comfort him ;-; Though I can also see him pushing you away, in fear you'll get hurt. Just persist and continue to comfort him :) He'll slowly warm up to you.

-If you need comforting though, he'll get awkward and not know how to comfort you. Don't blame him though (because he never had anyone, remember?). He'll try his best to comfort you, and by that I mean letting you cry as he holds you. He'll make you rant about what you're sad about, and just listens to you. After the crying mess, he'll drag you to the TV to watch a movie. He did this so that whatever the reason behind your crying would be temporarily be gone. But if it involve some school issues, he'll help you there since he knows about that area. But the others? Yeah, haha... no.

-Akechi isn't a perfect boyfriend but he tries :) (Just prepare yourself in breaking up with him when you reach Shido's Palace :(.)

Yosuke Hanamura

-Yosuke is a bit of a tease but not too much, only eliciting a reaction from you. Yosuke is also a bit shy when it comes to the subject of romance, so he might be awkward and shy at times (this is the moments where you have to take the lead). Like that time where he first asked you out on a date, he's so nervous that he stumbles with his words (the rest of his friends were cheering for him from behind). You have to connect the dots if you ever want to understand what he's trying to say, and you better say yes :)

-He's not really into PDA like most people expect (probably because of his somewhat-shyness). But he always likes to hold hands with you. Not many people know you two are together though, only his friends (and parents) since you two act like best friends still. His friends also relentlessly tease the both of you (mainly Yosuke though), much to his dismay.

-Yosuke also wants to spoil you so he spend all of his money getting what you want, so please don't abuse this and pLEASE MAKE HIM STOP! Because Yosuke might end up being more broke than ever ;-; He's too kind...

-Yosuke might take a while to get used to the fact that you two are a couple (since he's still hang-up with Saki's death), but when he does get used to it, prepare yourself. Yosuke loves giving you back-hugs, even more if its a back-hug you didn't expect. He just hugs you from behind and stuff his face into your neck or hair, either way they smell good. Yes, he loves your smell, got a problem? He also loves peppering you with kisses on your neck (not in a sensual way though!), he doesn't know why but he does it. If you're ticklish in that area, it just gives him a reason to do just that (he loves the sound of your laughter).

-He shares his headphones with you and lets you borrow it for the rest of the day if you want. He's also the kind of guy that if you're short, places his head on top of your head and arms around your figure and sway the both of you (I like this idea, it's too adorable >w<). Also the kind of guy that uses his height as an advantage to grab an item you need and hold it above his head while laughing as you try to get it back. This is his kind of teasing :)

-Your date consists of Junes or your place (not his because Teddie is there). Junes is his favorite place so if you want to date there, he'll be ecstatic. You two will sit there while eating the food you bought as you two talk about random things you two can think of. I think this is Yosuke's ideal date though, just relaxing and talking. But if his boredom comes to play, be prepared because he's gonna drag you away from Junes or your house and explore Inaba together. Boredom is what Yosuke fears afterall. If you two are hanging out in your house, be prepared for pillow fights and tickle fights because Yosuke is for sure gonna start it :)

-Yosuke would also might use some pick-up lines on you, some cheesy ones and some random ones. If you use a pick-up line on him as well, you two will have a pick-up contest on which one would have the best pick-up line ever. You two will also have inside jokes that only you two understand. Yosuke also loves you pouncing on him from behind and giving you piggy-back rides, but if its in public, he might get embarrassed.

-Being Yosuke's girlfriend also means being great friends with his, mainly Yu. Yu is Yosuke's partner (I SHIP IT!!) so he wants you to meet his partner. The team would instantly welcome you into their group, and they love you very much :3 Yu also hangs out with you and Yosuke, if you or Yosuke suggest it (he ain't telling being a third-wheeler :/). Teddie would also join in on your date if its at Junes, Yosuke easily getting angry at Teddie for interrupting your date.

-If you're in the Investigation Team, he'll get protective of you, acting like you're knight. He'll be damned if you get hit, so he mostly get the hits directed for you. But if you get hit, he'll sulk and beg forgiveness to you (even though its not either your faults that the Shadow is fast enough). He'll also help you train if you have a hard time with your Persona.

-Yosuke is observant and perspective so he notices your mood, quirks and twitches. He'll immediately notice if you're mood dampen, even if its a little he'll notice. He wants to immediately know what's wrong. If you want to cry, he'll let you cry as he holds you close. If you say "I'm fine", Yosuke would argue that you're clearly aren't. Either way, Yosuke would make sure to make you let it all out.

-If you're sad, he'll comfort you. Whatever the reason is, he'll know it later. The first thing to do is comfort you. He'll not immediately ask you to tell him, he'll let you take your time to explain to him why he found you crying (or sad). Is it about grades? Don't worry, it happens. Yosuke would teach you (he's intelligent, he just doesn't know it yet :3). Is it because of bullying (or someone talking bad about you)? Yosuke would get angry at them as he started to rant why they shouldn't do that and that you shouldn't listen to them. Is it because someone close to you died? Yosuke would remain silent as he just hugs you. Long story short, he'll comfort you in every way..

-Remember me stating Yosuke is observant? Yeah, I'm gonna bring it up again. Yosuke prioritizes your comfort over his, as he finds ways for you to be comfortable if you're uncomfortable. Yosuke always reassure you that he doesn't love Saki anymore, but in truth, he's just reassuring himself. But after Yosuke talked to Yu, he'll confront you about this. Please forgive him and comfort him ;-; he needs it. Afterall, first love is much harder to let go of..

-Overall, Yosuke loves and cherishes you. Please be patient with this man as he tries to move on from the death of his first love :)

Yu Narukami

-Yu is the kind of guy that also teases his s/o by kissing their nose, leaving unexpected kiss on the lips and surprising them by hugging them from behind. He loves every flustered reaction you have (and thinks its cute every time). He'll stop if you want, but if not, he'll continue to tease you with his teasing antics. He's also kind of childish (this is my perspective of Yu, don't judge :3) so while holding hands with you, he'll swing it back-and-forth, while also being careful not to hit anyone.

-People can tell that you two are immediately a couple though (from Yu's antics alone), since Yu is an affectionate partner to have. You know the thing where the person's significant other is sitting on a chair while the other is sitting on the floor and in-between their significant other's legs? Yu is on the floor while you are on the chair. This usually results in Yu putting your legs on his shoulders and carrying you around like that, not putting you down until class start or he has to (much to your dismay and embarrassment), which usually Yu reluctantly let you go.

-His friends would gag at the sight of you (Yosuke), but they're super supportive towards their Captain's relationship with you. But they would ask their Leader to tone down his affection towards you.

-Yu loves to cuddle you and peppering you with kisses all over your face, he has no shame (;-; or :)). He's also the kind of guy that stays faithful with one only, and stays with that person because when he loves, he really loves :3 (again, aside from the games :3). He wants you to know about his love for you, and the only way he knows how is engulfing you with it :) He is mature but he lets loose around you because he's so comfortable with you. He's also a domestic-kind of guy (similar to Akira). If you don't how to cook, don't worry! Yu is here to teach you how, starting how to make Curry.

-Yu lets you borrow his jacket (or hoodie) whenever its cold, and usually blush at the sight of you in his clothing. Its usually big since he's so freakin' tall -_- He'll also help you in your projects and homework, usually having it at either your home or his. Though in his, Nanako would pester you two (not in a bad way though). Oh, and also both Dojima and Nanako immediately accepts you as Yu's s/o. So no worries about there :)

-Your dates consist of either houses or exploring Inaba together. Yu's still new in Inaba so he wants to explore it while he still can. Whether you live there or recently moved there (like him) doesn't matter to him. Since you lived there, do you mind showing him around then? If not, don't worry, let's explore together! In houses though, you two just mostly chill. Talking about random stuff while listening to music or watching TV.

-I can see him as a guy that gives you your favorite flower and tuck it in your head :3 (Don't worry, he already got rid of the thorns in it). This guy lives for cheesiness :3 Oh, I forgot to mention. Teddie would tease you and Yu (though very ineffective) and worship you as well since your dating his sensei.

-If you're in the Investigation Team, he'll be very protective of you but he lets you fight (he trusts you that you won't intentionally get hurt :/). But if a Shadow hurt you, Yu would immediately kill it and tend to you. But when it comes to the lady boss (Adachi), Yu would ask you to not join the fight, in fear you would get hurt. If you persist enough, Yu would reluctantly let you join the battle in one condition, stay by his side.

-Yu is also an observant fellow, seemingly enough to figure out a person's true self, even if that person doesn't. Yu can tell if you're not being yourself or not in the mood, he will ask you instantly what's wrong. If you don't tell, Yu would get worried but doesn't press on. He's worried because (if you're not yet in the Team) you might appear in the Midnight Realm or your Shadow self will appear again. So please tell him what's wrong so that his worry will cease. If you do tell him, he'll listen to you.

-If you're sad, he'll comfort you. He'll do it everytime you feel sad or want to cry. He'll hold you close and either bask in silence or listening to you rant. Your choice :)

-Also, Yu spoils you so much to the point that you have to tell him to stop because he might get broke like Yosuke. But he always reassure you that he has spare money. But please stop this boi from spoiling you too much... OR you spoil him in return (he'll gratefully accept whatever you've given him).

-Overall, Yu is an ideal boyfriend to have (I want a Yu :(.)

Minato Arisato

-Minato likes to tease you a bit to see your (cute) flustered reaction, he enjoys seeing you like that afterall. But he won't do it every time. Which is worse because you have to expect the unexpected. Like when you were writing something in your notebook, the next thing you knew that Minato kiss your cheek. Yes, he's a cheeky bastard :)

-Minato also shares his headphones with you and bask in it. If you have a playlist of your own, he'll listen to it with you. Minato is a private boi, so he does little to no PDA. Prefers all of the affection behind doors, his or your dorm. Though he doesn't mind holding hands with you or giving you a hug, only rarely does he give you a kiss in public.

-Minato isn't as affectionate as the other leaders are (almost all of them are except him ;-;), but he tries his best. Like Yu, he shows his love for you through actions instead of words since talking is a pain for him. He'll cuddle you inside either your dorms and pepper you kisses all over your face. He also has no shame ;).

-He prefers to relax and chill since he doesn't want to waste energy (I'm having Oreki vibes here owo'). So his ideal date is to just chillax in the bed, curled up with one another, and cuddling each other. He likes the feeling of your legs entangle with his though. And this is basically your date! Though he will also take you out to Paulownia Mall or anywhere since he doesn't want you to cope up in the room for too long.

-Minato also likes giving you gifts and small trinkets while he's going around town, stating that they remind him of you. He will also remember everything you said to him, which is handy since he also remembers which ones you want. You probably didn't know this so when its either your birthday or Christmas, you'll be surprised to see the thing you wanted to have.

-Minato loves everything about you, your hair, your eyes, your voice, your laughter, your hands, just basically everything. This is the only time he'll be vocal about it, much to your embarrassment. He'll also give you a piggy-back ride if you want, even in public. He might not look like much, but he's pretty strong for a short guy. (Probably from all the training he has done with Akihiko :).)

-The SEES basically accepts you by this point, since you make their Leader happy, their fine with you. Junpei might flirt with you every now and then. Yukari would talk with you about girl things. Akihiko might also drag you to his training session, in which Minato drags you away from your senpai -w- Basically, they just accept you to their wholesome family. Also, Aigis might thanked you for making their Leader happy.

-If you're in the SEES, Minato would still treat you like any other member. Except for the fact that he's stuck by your side through the journey to reach Tartarus' top. He'll help you train your Persona if you need training.

-Minato is also observant about you (all of these bois are observant -_-), so he will instantly know when something is wrong. But he might not let you know about it, and lets it go along. It isn't until you two are alone in the room when he asks you what's wrong. You don't need to answer him, just let him scoop you up in his arms. He respects your privacy though if you want to left alone, but be aware that you'll find him sleeping outside of your door.

-If you're upset about something, he'll know what's bothering you even if you don't tell him, he just knows. For now, he'll comfort you. After that, he'll deal with the problem. If its about someone talking bad about you, he'll get Mitsuru involve. If its about projects and homework or not understanding the lesson, he'll help and teach you about it. He's a smart boi.

-I can see Minato finding it adorable at what you look like with his clothes, he just finds it so cute. He lets you steal his clothes though. As long as you wear them, it's fine. Though you need to return those or else he has nothing left to wear.

-Overall, Minato is a private affectionate bby :)

Shinjiro Aragaki

-Shinjiro doesn't tease often as the previous bois does, but he does tease. If you have a short stature, he'll get what you were getting and hold it above his head while watching you with a smirk on his face as you tried to get it from him. If he's feeling bold, he might place a kiss on your mouth and chuckle at your surprised, flustered face. Though he doesn't do this often.

-Shinjiro likes ruffling your hair for some reason. He won't admit it but he feels relaxed whenever he feels your hair or ran his fingers through your hair, it just feels so relaxing and calm for him. He also likes pinching you whenever he gets annoyed at you, if you pinch back, you two will have a pinching contest.

-Shinjiro has a hard time opening up to other people, so its a huge achievement if you manage to make him your boyfriend. He'll be flustered by it of course as he looks away while blushing ever-so-slightly. He's a bit of a tsun-tsun. But everyone who knows him (Akihiko and Mitsuru) would take note how Shinjiro's face soften around you, you can almost see a faint smile on his face whenever he looks at you. "He looks like a lovesick puppy." - Mitsuru, 2009

-Shinjiro isn't into PDA, so whenever you want to hold hands with him, he'll get flustered. But he won't refuse as he removes his hand from his pocket and holds your hand with his. He's just embarrassed. He'll drag you places to places, probably explore the town while you two can.

-He's not afraid to speak his mind though, beware. He'll speak without hesitation if you did something bad or do something stupid. If you did do something stupid, he'll snicker while teasingly taunting you. You'll get embarrassed by this of course. But when you two started to eat, you'll laugh at his comments about the food. His snide remarks never fails to make you laugh.

-Shinjiro allows you to take off his beanie and place it on your head, he might need to look away to hide his embarrassment and flustered self. His mind is racing on how cute you look with his beanie, WHY DOES THAT BEANIE LOOK BETTER ON YOU RATHER ON HIM?! He'll never understand that logic ever.

-Be prepared as well for competitions and playful fights, because this guy is competitive like Akihiko. He'll playfully banter with you about the difference between some things. Also, he'll be embarrassed when you find out that he cooks way better than you. If you ask if you can have some, he'll immediately say no. But if you continue to pester him, he'll soon give in. Be prepared to taste Heaven :)

-Shinjiro is insecure to himself because there is so much better guys out there for you, yet you chose him. Someone who'll not live long, someone who'll eventually leave you alone with a shattered heart. His mind will always plague this scenarios over and over again, he'll even be wide-awake at night just thinking about it. When he asks you one day why you chose him, you better reply honestly :) Reassure him that you love him and only him.

-Shinjiro is observant as hell so he knows immediately if you're hiding something or upset. Like MInato, he'll not ask you at once. Though if this behavior carries on for days, be prepared for Shinjiro's interrogation :) He just wants to help you, so please come to him if you have a problem with anything

-(I just realized I made SEES bois with sad s/o. Please read how Shinjiro comforts you whenever you're sad there. x.)

-I can see him telling you to find another one to love when he dies. Move on, but don't forget about Shinjiro. Continue living even if he's not there, he'll remain in your heart forever.. (Okay.. I teared up in this one ;-;).

-Overall, please be with this boi until the very end..

[x] Main Page || [x] Persona 5 Page || [x] Persona 4 Page || [x] Persona 3 Page

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ancient-day · 3 years

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On the Third Semester and PT Awareness

Over the year, I’ve seen various interpretations concerning the third semester and how “guilty” the Phantom Thieves are in falling prey to Maruki’s reality, and I wanted to throw out my own take and observation on the group. And this observation is based under the assumption that Akira has reached Confidant Rank 10 with every single party member, including Akechi and Sumire.

This isn’t to argue with anyone, and I’m not looking to make any sort of “I’m right; therefore, you’re wrong if you don’t agree” arguments here because at the end of the day, responses to media will always vary, and these characters are all human enough to have a multitude of interpretations. That does not make them badly written, it simply means that we as the audience may have different understandings based on our own personal experiences that impact how we view the characters.

With all that being said, I’ll get right into it. Do I think the PT were “bad friends” to Akira in the third semester? Short answer: It’s complicated, and different friends fulfill different needs. Long answer, below.

Starting with Akechi.

I’m gonna get this out of the way, but worry not, this isn’t an elaborate excuse to gush about their bond even if they’re my favorite characters. Bias aside, Akira and Akechi have a solid bond where they’ve finally come to rely on each other, and we finally get to see that come into play in this final arc of the game.

In Rank 8, Akechi expresses admiration for Akira’s strength and admits that he’d be relying on him in a pinch.

And this is exactly what he does when he seeks out Akira as soon as he’s let out of police custody. He notices things are odd and immediately goes to the person he knows he can rely on so that they can figure it out together. It’s painted as a deal, and obviously that appears strictly transactional, but that’s exactly how Akira has operated in his own relationships. He makes deals with his confidants; this is nothing new.

He even admits that he’d have snapped Akira out of the delusion, just like Akira does for all his other friends (albeit in a much less gentle way, but in his defense, he’s not exactly equipped for gently talking someone out of their happiness).

So for better or for worse, Akechi’s here with all the straightforwardness and sharp edges you could expect from someone dragged back from death’s door to deal with yet another manipulative adult trying to control his and his friend’s lives. He isn’t without his sympathetic moments, but for the most part, he’s clearly trying to be the consistent voice of reason when anyone may falter.

One of the most incredible displays of this is 2/2. By this point, all of the PT have been broken out of their trance, and they’re well aware that Maruki is going to confront Akira, especially because Akechi basically goes out of his way to point out that it’s the most likely scenario in their group chat.

Even though they all know this, they trust Akira to be able to handle this as their leader and to reach out if he needs anything. The problem here is that... Akira isn’t exactly known to do this. By now, they’ve all known him for a year, and they know that he handles most of his shit alone (mostly due to the Protagonist ProblemTM where the protag has to be mostly self-reliant to give the player something to do, but there are also instances of Akira deliberately hiding his pain and trauma from others to ease their minds [his headaches and responses to Shido]).

So why are they making him do it alone? Why isn’t anyone on stand-by? It’s possible they consider Morgana as enough support, so perhaps the thought never crosses their mind. Even Morgana is apprehensive about the whole thing, but doesn’t advise him to contact anyone else.

So who does give him back-up? Akechi. He doesn’t invite himself in, he doesn’t text Akira to let him know he’s just outside in case he needs him, and he doesn’t draw attention to it until Maruki calls him out.

He could be here for any number of reasons, and it doesn’t even have to be just one reason. But let’s assume he’s here because he wants to make sure Akira won’t be swayed by Maruki’s words or the temptation of his life without him being present to speak for himself. In both cases, he’s emotionally backing Akira up and going out of his way to help in his own way.

This speaks volumes for his strength of resolve and how far he’s come.

I don’t need to discuss the rest of this interaction because the primary focus is that Akechi demonstrates his friendship by being there for Akira even when his year-long friends weren’t (physically).

But are they bad friends for not doing this?

Not necessarily. Not everyone has this kind of strength and awareness to understand their friends on this level. Akira and Akechi understand each other well because they’re very similar at their core. This isn’t necessarily bias because the game goes out of its way to show and tell us this (hell, Arsene’s and Loki’s silhouettes are strikingly similar!). It makes them inconsiderate perhaps, but it doesn’t mean that they’re overall bad friends.

It’s not completely their fault that they buy Akira’s stoic leader personality. He doesn’t really give them much to work with, and as much as we all want to believe that we’d do better as friends, sometimes you really do think people can handle the problems they say they can and just hope that they’ll come to you when they need you. It’s human.

So rewinding now that I’m done focusing on what Akechi offered as a friend this semester and going back to the PT being under Maruki’s influence.

Each of the thieves offers Akira an apology during their third awakening, and I’m sure many people found this highly unnecessary because as far as we know, they were completely brainwashed by Maruki’s control on the world around them. However, if this were the case, then why would they feel so deeply apologetic? I have a couple theories about this.

One. This would be the second time Akira has to push them out of their own wallowing (the first time in the Velvet Room just before fighting Yaldabaoth), and their resolves back then would appear flimsy to them now having fallen under yet another form of manipulation. Where before they were ready to submit to the hopelessness and sloth, here they’re falling under Maruki’s spell because a strong enough part of them desired things to be different regardless of how far they’d come and how much they’d grown.

Two. Because they were at least partially aware things were odd and willingly chose to ignore it because they didn’t want to confront the truth.

This is said before the third awakenings, right after the group comes to rescue Akira and Akechi and help defeat berserk!Cendrillon. While the group had a conversation about vaguely remembering events that contradict their happy reality prior to this, this confirms that at least Futaba was aware things were odd even before Akira tried to snap her out of it. Whether this is due to her navigation abilities or her awakening having been linked to her desire to never again turn her eyes away from the truth, it’s hard to say. But this is important to note that while they were tempted by Maruki, at least one person in the group was aware that things were odd and willingly chose not to question it.

Can we blame her? Of course not. But it’s still worth pointing out that this situation isn’t so clear as “the PT had absolutely zero idea that they were in an odd situation until Akira tried to wake them from it.”

So what about everyone else? What do they really have to be sorry for?

Morgana apologizes for not holding true to his resolve, and he feels as though he’s let both himself and Akira down in doing so. He also acknowledges that he’s responsible for shoving all his own problems onto Akira and vows to change this.

While he doesn’t seem to admit to any awareness that things were odd before Akira put the idea in his head, it seems like he still holds himself responsible for having had doubts in his resolve that he’d reached with Akira in their rank 10. And these doubts caused him to rely on that false happiness and turn his back on Akira, even if he didn’t mean to.

I think it’s great that he brings attention to this and wants to be more independent. Of course Akira will still be there for him, but it’s not healthy for either of them for Morgana to have put him in this position, and now they can continue growing in their friendship. And so when he promises to protect Akira from here on out, it’s a vow that rings true because he had the strength to confront his own weaknesses, admit to them, and apologize for how they hurt someone he cares deeply about. Sometimes we hurt people we love without meaning to or when we’re caught up in ourselves.

And these characters are teenagers. They’re inherently pretty selfish, which isn’t an evil or bad thing so much as it’s a stage of life that makes it difficult to look outside yourself. Makoto even admits to this in her own apology.

When we’re fans of these characters, our instinct is to say you didn’t do anything wrong; you have nothing to apologize for, but these apologies aren’t coming out of no where, and they’re allowed to reflect and regret what they’ve done even if they didn’t mean to.

And I know I already touched on Futaba’s situation here, but there’s something else in her third awakening that shows her bond with Akira and adds to her guilt. She specifically fears that she’s betrayed him and hurt him greatly, even though he reassures her she hasn’t. Why does this stand out to me? Because all throughout Royal, one of Akira’s consistent fears is the fear of betrayal.

And this shows that Futaba knows him well enough to know this is something that hurts him personally, and she’s worried she did that to him. While the hurt isn’t as severe as she fears, it’s a fair assumption for her to come to after having admitted that she willingly turned away from the truth.

I’m going to cut the awakenings here because I don’t have much else to add about the entirety of the PT because it could end up redundant, but these were specific examples that show that they do have things to apologize to Akira for, and it’s not a matter of them blaming themselves for being “brainwashed” so much as them apologizing for once again putting Akira in a position where he has to snap them out of their weaknesses after they’ve promised to be there for him.

The overall impression I get from their responsibility in the matter is that to an extent, all of them probably experienced something similar to what Futaba described about having felt something was off initially but ignored/denied it until Akira came to them and really made them confront it out loud. Her sense of it may have been the strongest, but I still think there has to be some degree in each of them, even if faint.

This makes them human, flawed yet sympathetic. They’re allowed to mess up in their friendships, especially since a majority of them have close to no experience with friendship as is. Akechi isn’t the better support here due to his own skills in friendship; he and Akira have a special understanding of one another because they’re extremely similar and aren’t convinced by masks and appearances. And Akechi has been severely manipulated, so he knows damn well that Akira’s gonna need back-up against another manipulative person even if he thinks he can handle it alone. Akechi’s been there and he knows how that goes.

So it’s not necessarily a matter of him being the better friend overall so much as they’re all Akira’s close friends and support him in various ways. And ideally, Akira should have that in his friend group. There are things that the PT can offer that Akechi can’t, and vice versa. But I think it’s more than fair to acknowledge when the PT slip up and have a messy handling of their relationships.

They’re all growing and learning.

#jest ramblings #whoops i rambled but there are at least screenshots here?#I was gonna go through each of the 3rd tier awakenings but tbh this is already so long #kingdom queue

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kareofbears · 3 years

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persona 5 strikers thoughts and feelings

This is going to be a long post. Like, the type of post you’d only really have time to read when you’re trying to sleep but you’re not ready to be unconscious yet so you’re just looking for something to do to spend your time with minimal effort.

So in 2018, a masterpiece was born into the world: Into the Spider-verse was released and it was amazing—it’s honestly the best spiderman movie we have without a doubt, and it’ll be very far into the future before Spider-verse is beaten as the best spiderman movie. Them’s the facts. Then in 2019, Spider-man: Far From Home was dropped. It’s a great movie! Great characters, great continuation of who these characters are and works fantastic as a continuation of a story. It’s really hard trying to take the torch of a previous movie (or in Marvel’s case, juggling twenty something movies) and come up with a new movie that both works on its own, as well as being the next step in this series of films. Thus, with that idea in mind, I think it’s kind of unfair to judge into the spiderverse and far from home, because these are two movies with two completely different objectives in mind.

Okay, so this is still a persona 5 strikers post, I promise, but the idea is the same: Persona 5 could basically do whatever it wanted—new story, new characters, new everything, and it’s just plain old awesome. However, Persona 5 strikers did not have that sort of freedom. It was bound to the original game, and it had its own rules and stuff it had to keep intact, characters they had to work with, and on top of that, it had to justify its existence as a sequel (lets pretend money doesnt exist lmfao).

SO, the big question is: did it do that? Did it justify its existence?

And my answer: holy fuck did it ever do that

I came into this game knowing the extreme bare minimum. I knew there was someone named Sophia, and i knew there was roadtrip, and i knew there were Personas. That’s my knowledge of it before i played it on the Switch. I should also clarify like, early on, that i was not expecting anything from this game. At all. I was the world’s biggest cynic of this game—if you scroll down my p5s tag far enough, youll just see me complaining about a game that hasn’t even come out yet. I was fully expecting to have this be a Waifu show, and any male character that isn’t Akira to just be shoved aside like some kind of nerd in a high school hallway, and i have never been more pleased to be wrong. In fact, i actually owe it an apology, because of how fucking rude i was for no reason!!! Because this game deserves everything to be honest.

Persona 5 strikers is, frankly, insane. Insane in the sense that it got to pull shit off that just would never have existed in the original game, because the original game is scared. It had to be as impressive as possible and garner as much attention as possible. Strikers does not have that problem—every single person who bought that game does not need to be convinced that persona 5 is a good game. They already played it. That means Atlus can just fuck around and have a good time, and man did they have a good time. There’s still scenes that still shock me if i think about it too hard, because i’m used to atlus having to follow this sort of rule set when it comes to persona 5 (or any of the main games im assuming, but i havent played them.) And on top of that, there’s still shit that’s Atlus Trademarked Branded in a good way. The style of story of story telling, and revealing the mystery that is so integral to what p5 is, is still there.

So, to make this even a little bit comprehensible, i will make a list!

First of all, What is this game?

In short, this game is an OVA of an anime. It’s bonus side content that has one thing in mind: to showcase these lovable characters more by putting them in fun situations. That’s it, and it is just phenomenal. That was the main point of, i’d say, like forty hours of the game. It’s just fun times with fun characters.

But to get deeper of what i think is happening, or what they were thinking during the development, is that this is a second opportunity. Persona 5 (as we all know) had a lot of problems, and we were not quiet about those problems. We yelled it all out, made posts, made complaints on every social media platform ever. And Atlus heard all of them, and Strikers is a way to mitigate those mistakes. Aside from being a fun OVA, Strikers also works to be a deeper exploration of these characters—more specifically, the characters that did not receive much in the original game. Creating this sequel is having the ability to redo what they felt (or to be more specific, we felt) in the original game while adding new ones. I will get to that in a second.

The format of the game

Absolutely brilliant to throw them on a road trip. P5V already forced us to experience Shibuya for 200+ hours, and im so glad that they didn’t do that again. Going from town to town, making us experience these new places alongside our favorite characters is so good, and it just makes sense. It’s fun, it’s lighthearted, and it’s actually shockingly good. But one thing i do want to talk about early on is the way the story unfolds and the villains that they use, and what they do with it because it’s very interesting.

So as we explore japan and stuff, we encounter jails, and with those jails comes an antagonist. This antagonist works to be a parallel to one of our characters. That character will find it in their hearts to feel bad for the antagonist, because the antagonist could have been them had the original game not happen. At first I thought all of the thieves were gonna get an antagonist, and i was really hyped for the ryuji one. And then came to hour forty of the game where i realized “yeah that’s not gonna happen. There’s just not enough time.” And i was right, and the game ended. But i am not salty at all, honestly, because the people who got a direct antagonist were: Ann, Yusuke, and Haru. (we wont count zen and sophie).

Is there a trend??? Yes. these are all characters in the original game that have received the worst treatment by atlus. The three of them are basically cast aside the minute they finished their original arc, and its horrible! BUT that’s why this is the path that atlus chose for them—to give them more depth, and screentime, and a way to show their inner self. That isn’t to say that the ones who aren’t those three (makoto, futaba, mona, akira, ryuji) didn’t get anything. Futaba still has her thing at the end with ichinose, and she was very prevalent and animated during the rest of the game. Mona and Akira have to be a focal points, that’s just the nature of the game. The other two though, I will talk about in depth in a second.

Makoto

Y’all i poke fun at shumako fans sometimes cause its kind of easy and fun, but i honestly love makoto. In my very first playthrough of p5 (my first ever jrpg game, first persona game, i had no idea what i was doing), i had only maxed out two characters: ryuji and makoto. And i know she had a lot of screentime and love in the original game which is great, but i truly felt like she was dissed in this game. Her only roles were

A driver

Someone to tell them “we don’t have a choice. Let’s keep going and see where this takes us.” (seriously, if you replay this game, you will see how much she does this)

Idk, i just wish she had more to do, especially compared to how much love they gave the other characters.

But let’s talk about some of the new characters!

Zenkichi

Damn you atlus. Damn you and your insistence at bringing in cop characters. I was fully on board with hating zenkichi, i was fucking ready for it. I was convinced that there was nothing they could do convince to like zenkichi. I was immune to their copaganda.

And then i ended up loving him, which makes me sad a little bit. I didn’t realize how desperate i was to have an adult who has a persona. Someone who wants the world to change just as much as they do, while still having that aspect of them that makes them adult. Like??? As someone who is technically an adult, its a breath of fresh air. An adult. Who fights. For justice. Using a persona. And god i love akane so much, and her obsession with the thieves (that scene is probably in my top ten fave scenes of the game). Also what i loved about zenkichi is that he fucking hates the cops!! He hates the system of the cops!! And thats why i actually really started to love him!! Because i thought it was atlus saying that the systematic problem of the police cannot be solved by one person, and zenkichi threw away his badge. I actually cried at that part!!

But then he became a cop again, and i was just :/ but as a character, i really love him to bits and would love to do a study on him, or at least use him as an outside pov. But! i absolutely love his persona, since im a les miserables fan hehe

Sophia

she’s probably my favorite new aspect of the game. I was ready to not like her—again, i just suck like that, lmfao—and when i saw her, i was scared that she was just another waifu. I mean, she was very cute after all. But then as the game went on, i thought she was a little too cute. And even further into the game, i finally slapped myself in the face and realized oh my god shes not a waifu. Shes a sister.

That blew my mind, im ngl to you. A female character that isn’t supposed to be romanced? By jove, what a miracle!

And she…is an amazing character. Im sorry, i just love her so much. I love her so much that she probably ranks as my fifth or sixth favorite character which is surprising even to me. Everything about her is delightful and invigorating. She’s funny??? Her comedic timing is amazing, and she has such chemistry with the rest of the team. She’s actually useful to the plot, and while her character design is a little too on the nose for me in terms of cuteness (i mean, good god she’s wearing oversized sweater to show how cute and tiny she is, and her hair has literal hearts in it), she is absolutely lovable.

But what i actually really wanna gush about for a second is sophia at the last stage of the game. You get the idea, i dont really like to get excited over things, so at this point i figured that there was nothing this game could do to shock me.

And then sophia had a persona awakening.

Like. holy fuck did i yell. I didnt realize what was happening until the music had already kicked in. and its just so fucking smart!!! Sophia??? The ai?? With no heart?? gOT A PERSONA???? AWAKENING??? BECAUSE SHE LEARNED WHAT THE HEART IS AND THE PASSION THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO GET A PERSONA??? I started crying honestly, because it was just so smart. And looking back on it now, its obvious!! Of course it would lead to this, it only made sense that the culmination of her character arc leads to her getting a persona, nothing else would have been as good. Also, her voice actor is just amazing?? When she was talking to ichinose at the end, i actually got incredibly emotional because of the line reads. Its just so spot on and it really captures the essence of sophia.

Muah. five stars Atlus. You got me.

Ryuji <3!!!!

Oh man. Oh boy. Okay. so where do i start.

Yall know i love him. Hes probably my favorite fictional male character of all time, and he is the one i was the absolute most cynical about in this game. I was expecting literally nothing. Nothing. Like. nothing. I thought he was just gonna keep being used as a joke, or a gag, and he’s gonna be super horny all the time for the other girls and it was gonna make me mad and there was gonna be some insane homophobic/queerphobic jokes in every other scene and i know i was being unfair, but i cant help it.

And then i played the first two hours of the game, and i cried the entire time. Because ryuji has never been better than he is in this game. Its crazy.

The ryuji in persona 5 strikers is who ryuji should have been/how he should have been treated this entire time. From the actual funny jokes (for example, the gold bar joke + his reaction to it in the beginning of the game), defending his female friends instead of being the one people need to defend from (natsume arc), and the fact that he was the one to be there with morgana and akira in the very beginning of the game. Its such a small thing that they didnt even need to do, but it was such an integral part of the original game for me, that i just was convinced that nothing like this was going to happen. But then it happened. Its just small stuff like that that could have been overlooked but it wasn’t because this game? Persona 5 strikers? Fucking loves ryuji.

The actual respect they gave this boy is insane and i wasn't ready for it. Like, they gave the shujin trio lunch, they gave the little charm of the katana when they were in natsume’s jail, and, in my opinion this is the second-best thing that they could have given ryuji is sophia. Ryuji and sophia are the pinnacle of a brother & sister bonding relationship in the game that isn’t akira & futaba. And its really prevalent too?? Small stuff from the beginning of the game (pulling her out of a jail, calling her shorty), but then you have the iconic “shut the fuck up” scene, and that scene was so well characterized and written and voice acted, that somehow him saying “fuck” was the least exciting part of that scene to me. Ryuji is an older brother to her, like its undoubtable, and its only further cemented at the end of the game where Ryuji helps out ichinose because he knows how much sophia cares about her. This game. Love ryuji. And i love. This game.

You know what else i love? Akiryu.

Guys. i was fully prepared to starve in terms of akiryu. But theres just. So much of it. I wont get too deep into it, because i think this aspect of the game for me still needs marinate a little bit. Like, what was that last shot when EMMA died and Ryuji walked to approach Akira so they could relish in their victory together?? And the smile from both of them??? What the fuck. That was amazing. Also Joker being saved by Ryuji when he was about to fall from the cliff to save sophia??? WHAT. The LEADER AND HIS RIGHT HAND MAN? WHAT. anyway. If theres anything i want to keep for myself in my own brain, its the akiryu aspect of this game, so i wont talk too much about that part of things (instead, itll probably manifest in fic lmfaooo).

Sure, there’s tidbits of stuff i dont like that they gave ryuji: sexualizing ann in that one cut scene and making him touch the jails even though it hurts, and i recognize those and frown at them, but for the most part, i am blown away with how they treated him.

Basically, Ryuji has never been better. From the opening of the game with him being the first text message and the one to sling his arm around akira, to the very last cut scene where it was ryuji wordlessly leaving because he’s so confident that they would never be separated for long, this game adores Ryuji and i am so so happy to say that.

The Royal aspect of things

Yeah, i had to talk about this, but itll be a short thing i just wanted to point out. Because the last part of this game...is persona 5 royal. Which is curious. Like taking reality and giving that power to someone else so you dont have to experience suffering anymore? And even like, the final section just looked a lot like the top half of maruki’s palace?? And whats even crazier is that we had a boss fight with sophia, just like how we had a boss fight with sumire? Royal and Strikers have like, the same thesis statement. It’s kind of uncanny.It’s interesting, it’s like atlus came up with these two ideas, and then just decided they liked both of them so much that they just did it twice. I don’t mind though—actually, in terms of how the last Palace/Jails go, i probably like them both about equally.

Though i did love the final battle in this one more than i did in royal. Splitting into teams?? Thats cool as fuck, and really innovative and i didnt see it coming. It also kicked my ass. A lot.

Now for the last stretch: the small stuff!

The music — bomb as fuck. In my heart, Daredevil is ranked the same as Rivers. Axe to grind is also amazing, but Daredevil owns me

Akechi — i really debated whether or not to talk about him, but i figured a bullet point should be enough. Im really shocked that he wasnt in this at all. Like not even a name drop. If this is an OVA, and the point of the game is to please the fans, and akechi is arguably the fan favorite character, i was really ready for something. But there was nothing, except for the pancake hallway if that even counts as a reference. Thats it. Thats all i wanted to say about him.

The humour — FUCKING HILARIOUS im convinced that in my fifty hour playtime, five of that is dedicated to me laughing and unable to continue the game

Akira — so much personality! His lines of dialogue are crazy sometimes (like. Whats up with him saying Ryuji has ‘nice abs’ when they were in bath? Im crazy and even i dont know what the fuck that could mean)

Battle system — oh my god i almost forgot to talk about this. I love it! I kind of miss the turn based aspect just because i found it very comforting for some reason, but this hack and slash style of gameplay is so invigorating because i do feel like it justifies shit like the baton pass and huge attacks. This battle system fully encompases how the Phantom Thieves are supposed to fight, you know what i mean?

Anyway, thats my thoughts on strikers. Loved it. Amazing. 9.3/10, wouldve been higher but Konoe’s Jail almost bored me to death. Also im a monster and i didnt do any requests that isn’t a fun one, teehee. As if i play persona 5 for the persona aspect of things.

#cant believe im done #but you know what?#i was actually at peace when i finished it #so i consider that a good healty thing #p5s #alex plays p5s #mine #p5 #my moon and stars #the leader and his right hand man

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toastermin-it · 3 years

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I saw an old ask where someone mentioned a head canon where Akira was raised by other Persona users and I’m like: Yes, all of the yess!!!! Cuz like… I’m obsessed with this one au I have that will never leave the confines of my mind where Joker had already awakened Arsene before he moved to Tokyo and was raised either by or alongside the other Wild Cards and trained with Igor and the Attendants of the Velvet Room (Primarily Lavenza, Justine, and Caroline) when he first awakened Arsene and stuff to control his powers because I’m also a glutton for aid where the thieves can use their elemental powers outside of the Metaverse and stuff and like… the the stuff with Yaldabaoth taking over the Velvet Room happens but Joker kinda knows going in that it’s all some sick game Yaldy is playing and he’s trying to get to the bottom of the Metaverse with Morgana to try and stop Yaldy and all the other WCs are kinda trapped too. So we end up having a much more experience Joker and Morgana that know a lot more about the inner working of the Metaverse, is fully aware of the threat Yaldy poses, and effectively have a reason to try and gather more persona users of differing arcanas and an even bigger need to keep his head down so as to not gain the attention of a imposter god who is actively hunting Persona users to manipulate or destroy

so, like, sorta like a ng+ au?

you'd think that if aki already knew about yaldy and had a persona beforehand, someone would be there to have taught him all of that. and for some reason that mentor came in the form of a talking not-cat, but akira doesn't have time to question his life choices.

and the part where he trains with the velvet attendants before the Room is taken over? perfection. imagine how over powered he can make his personas before 'igor' goes all "complete your rehabilitation, inmate."

with the other wildcards being with him, before he moves to tokyo they could always have a bit of familial sparring for whatever reason they wanted. the velvet room is a perfect spot.

if you look at it, with the wildcards being trapped too gives akira an even GREATER incentive to kick yaldy in its nonexistent teeth.

and im assuming yaldy knows about how much of a threat persona users are to it, which is why it targets them.

i am also a HUGE sucker for aus and fics in which the thieves and other persona-users are able to manipulate their elements a bit in the real world and are affected by them. i like to think that joker, though more curse-inclined due to arsene, can use the element of the persona he has equipped, though not as much as someone native to that element can.

like imagine when mona gets really mad, the air around him whirls and whips violently, like a tornado. yusuke complains when the water in the bath is hot NOT JUST because of goemon's backstory, but also because he's sensitive to temperature increases around him. on a windy day, a single gust of wind can knock ryuji clean over, or, when he gets excited, he accidentally shocks people when he touches them due to static.

i love persona aus, so if you want anyone to talk to about aus you find, my eyes are peeled 👀

#anon #ask #answered #persona #you au anons are giving me fuel for the fire #what fire you ask?#/turns on flashlight and points it at self/#my own indulgent 'akira was raised by/is related to the other wcs' au #au anon #min theorizes stuff

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crzangel · 4 years

Text

A small thing for @tellingandyelling‘s birthday! A good day to thee my wonderful friend, have a shukita thought on this joyous day of your birth uwu

One thing that Yusuke had come to learn after meeting the Phantom Thieves was that, more often than not, things are not quite as they seem. There are things hidden from most everyone’s perceptions, things that not everyone might understand even if told, but that exist all the same. The metaverse was one such thing, and as much as he may have wanted to at some point, Yusuke cannot deny its existence nor its influence in the world most others live in unaware.

That being said...

This...

This he cannot quite explain nor wrap his head around. Even with everything he knows, it seems a little strange, which is really saying something. Though, when Futaba of all people called him in a panic, he should have expected it to be serious.

And indeed it is, he thinks as he leans down to inspect the dishevelled furball sitting on the bed in Morgana’s place while the aforementioned cat apparently stands off to the side looking very much like not one. Yusuke blinks slowly and the scruffy black cat blinks in return, purring as it stands on its hind legs and reaches for his face with a paw, sniffing at his lips.

The little mrrow that follows isn’t like the faked noises Yusuke is used to hearing from Morgana, a very cat like expression that he really doesn’t understand at all. At least the gestures seem affectionate enough, so that is a relief.

“So... What exactly happened?”

“I keep telling you that I just woke up like this and Akira was like that.” Supposed Morgana shrugs and both Yusuke and Futaba turn to the stranger with furrowed brows.

“He does sound the same...” Yusuke reasons, uncertain.

“But I’m not convinced...” Futaba continues, pursing her lips as she crosses her arms over her chest.

Another rumbling noise comes from the black cat, drawing Yusuke’s attention back to it while it jumps down to the floor and rubs against his legs, purring loudly once more.

“Look, right there? Isn’t that proof enough it’s him?”

Humming, Yusuke crouches down to pet between its fluffy ears. The hair isn’t quite the same, it’s slightly softer, more like fur, but it elicits a similar feeling as he runs his fingers through it, especially with how it closes its dark eyes, letting out his satisfied mewls when he scratches behind its ear. Akira usually likes it when he nibbles at his ears...

Carefully, he takes the cat in his arms, holding it up to his chest, and he rubs his face onto the top of its head. It smells as Akira usually does too...

“Well, even if that is true, it still doesn’t explain how or why Joker’s like that and Mona well... isn’t.”

“Well, Akira and I were watching the sky last night, and there was a shooting star. He told me to make a wish.”

“That could not possibly be why.” Yusuke huffs, sitting on the bed and letting the cat get comfortable on his lap, watching it knead at his stomach before curling up with more purrs.

“I did wish to know what it’s like to be a human for a day.” Morgana scratches at the back of his head. “Maybe this was Akira’s wish? Or maybe it’s just the way of the universe balancing things out.”

The cat lifts its head up, staring up at Yusuke intensely. It blinks once, then again, and tilts its head to the side. Yusuke can almost imagine the smirk on Akira’s pretty lips.

“If it’s just for a day...” Yusuke murmurs, a corner of his mouth twitching slightly when he reaches down to pet the cat some more and it unabashedly licks at his fingers, tongue rough yet ticklish. “Then better make the most of it.”

“Futaba-chan,” Morgana grins mischievously, stepping closer to her as she side-eyes him suspiciously, “you’re still learning to be human too, aren’t ya?”

“Eh? ‘s that s’posed to mean? I’ve always been human.”

“Yeah, but like, a functioning one.”

“Tch, rude!” She chops at his head, turning her back to him with puffed up cheeks. “But I guess you’re not wrong.”

“So maybe we could both go out and do fun stuff.”

The cat turns to the two with wide eyes, looking a little panicked for the first time since Yusuke arrived, and it seems to be what finally convinces Futaba that, perhaps, this really is happening, the brotherly concern in that near expressionless expression solidifying it once and for all. As Yusuke soothingly rubs at the cat’s back, Futaba smiles reassuringly.

“Don’t worry, Joker, you’ve taught me well. It’s my turn to take care of someone else now. You can let yourself be taken care of too!” Futaba stares into Yusuke’s eyes, pointing a finger at his face. “Inari, I will leave him in your hands. If anything happens, I will have your tail.”

Chuckling, Yusuke nods calmly, reaching for the sketchbook Akira had insisted on buying for the times he comes over, in case inspiration strikes unexpectedly. “I will protect him with my life.”

“Good. All right, Mona. We’re going on an adventure!”

“Kya! Awesome!” The other pumps his fists in the air a little too excitedly, startling Akira out of Yusuke’s lap for a few beats.

Yusuke takes the opportunity to settle into a more appropriate position at the head of the bed, back against the wall and sketchbook propped on one of his legs. Once Futaba and Morgana leave, taking the racket with them, Akira saunters closer once again, draping himself over Yusuke’s other leg, as if trapping him there so he can move nowhere.

With an amused breath, Yusuke picks up a pencil, giving him a few pets before diving into his art, wondering if he can capture Akira’s smile while he cannot quite look at it the way he is used to. But then again, he has committed it to memory at this point.

#persona 5 #shukita #sakura futaba #morgana #shenanigans #gift #just a silly little thing #tell you're a wonderful human being #hope you like it as short and dumb as it is

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salexectrian-heir · 3 years

Text

the 2/2 time travel fic

happy 2/2! here is the first chapter of this fic idea i posted about a little while ago

First chapter below | ao3 link in notes

Akira had been dreading the conversation with Maruki.

Not because he was having second thoughts--no, Akira was steadfast in his resolve that this reality was a mistake. His resolution hadn’t come without a price, of course. His friends were being robbed of their dreams, their happiness no matter how false it was in nature...and Akira would have to bear the burden of knowing he was the one who ultimately was going to destroy it all. And even though the thieves and his rival were on board with its destruction, Akira knew that the decision had taken a piece of them with it. It had required a sacrifice from them all. And that ate Akira alive, knowing that they all had a taste of what could have--

No, Akira couldn't think like that. It would only make everything he had to do that much harder.

Somehow, out of all the betrayals he had experienced this year, Maruki’s was by far the most painful.

Maruki had held space for Akira when Akira had needed it most. Akira rarely entrusted others with his needs, having been burned too many times before this point to forge that kind of fragile, vulnerable, two-way connection with someone else. But Maruki had felt safe enough to confide in, and in turn made Akira feel seen, feel validated. Had respected Akira’s opinions and sought them out instead of admonishing him for sharing his perspective. Against his better judgement, Akira had opened his heart.

No adult in Akira’s life had ever done that for him before. So of course learning that Maruki had taken those secrets spoken in confidence, manipulated them, and thought he knew what would be best not only for him but the world…something snapped in Akira.

And now, sitting across from the former “counselor” turned Self-Appointed Savior, Akira battled his warring emotions into submission. Into the familiar blank mask he wore outside the Metaverse to hide his true disposition. The mask he thought he would never have had to wield against the one adult he thought he would have never needed to hide from.

From the only adult he thought he could finally trust.

The calling card tucked in the inner pocket of his jacket was burning a hole through its thin fabric. Each controlled breath Akira took as he listened to Maruki explain himself pressed the blistering deadweight a little closer to the skin of his chest. The frail, last line of defense he had that separated the world from that bleeding and bruised muscle.

And right now, if he didn’t get rid of the card within the next few seconds he was sure the scent of his burning flesh would suffocate them all.

Maruki broke the lull that had settled between them first. His voice was gentle when he asked, “Are you sure you don't have any doubts, Kurusu-kun?”

Akira narrowed his eyes at the formality. They were past that. Way past that. “What do you mean, Maruki-sensei?” Akira responded sardonically.

The hand Maruki had wrapped around the mug of coffee Akira had made for him started a complicated beat against its porcelain surface as he studied Akira.

“ Akira,” he amended and started again, his eyes softening into something almost sorrowful. “More accurately, I should really be be asking 'do you two gentlemen have any doubts',” Maurki paused and glanced over his shoulder towards the cafe entrance.

“You're there, aren't you Ake”--the door to Leblanc nearly shattered on its hinges with the force of which it was thrown open--“chi-kun!?” Maruki stuttered out, his face swiftly morphing from melancholic to bewildered in the span of a second as he openly gawked at the entryway.

Akira blinked once. Did a double take. Then blinked once more.

Because it wasn’t Akechi who had just stormed into Leblanc.

Or, it was but...

“You,” a man who looked like the splitting image of a twenty-something, utterly irate Goro Akechi spat, his face contorting into a feral grimace as he pointed directly at Maruki.

Akira had seen the younger version of Akechi make that exact expression only one time before in the bowels of Shido’s palace. It was not something anyone wanted to be on the receiving end of.

There was a beat of absolute silence.

And then chaos erupted.

This older version of Akechi with murderous intent seething in his eyes launched himself at Maruki, barreling full force into their booth like a bull after the counselor’s throat. Maruki made a very undignified squeak at the sudden assault and tried to put as much space between him and the rampaging Older Akechi by scrambling further into the seat. Kicking wildly at him to try and stop the halestorm of blows reigning down from the furious Akechi-lookalike. It did little to deter the older detective prince. If anything it made him even angrier.

Meanwhile Morgana, who had relocated from sitting next to Akira to perching behind him on top of the booth, was yowling at ear piercing decibels. His fur also was comically puffed up, making him appear two times his normal size as he whipped his head back and forth between the attempted murder happening before them and Akira.

Who was sitting there with his coffee mug halfway to his mouth, watching everything unfold in a sort of detached awe.

A moment later the door was ripped open a second time and everything got a whole lot weirder.

Because it still wasn’t Akechi.

Instead, a very frazzled looking twenty-something version of himself tumbled through the door. He was out of breath, as if he had sprinted all the way here from...where ever the fuck he had come from. This older version of himself took one panicked survey of the room and promptly leapt into the chaos, snagging the Older Akechi around the waist in an attempt to slow his assault.

This older version of Akechi was taller, and had a bit more mass than his older self, but his older doppelganger didn’t let that stop him. He braced one boot against the seat of the booth and dug his other heel in the floor, leveraging the angle and gravity, to yank the Older Akechi off of the therapist’s lower half.

At this point, Akira noted, Maruki had effectively shoved himself so far back that he was half on the table with his back pressed against the window, fingers clumsily looking for the latch that would open it. In his haste to avoid the older Akechi’s swiping gloved fists, he knocked over the potted plant on the window sill. Soil cascaded across the table along with the poor upended plant and broken fragments of its pot.

Sojiro was going to kill him.

I should really be more concerned about all of this, Akira idly thought, flicking away a tiny ceramic shard. But he found it was hard to feel anything right now, as what he was watching seemed so surreal. I wonder if this is what disassociating feels like.

For the third time that evening the door to Leblanc was forced open with an unforgiving smack that sounded off over the cries and screams from the fight. The wall was surely dented at this point from the abuse. Akira vaguely wondered if the door hinges were going to survive the night.

This time it was the Akechi he had been expecting. Eighteen year old Goro Akechi stood in the doorway, gaping in utter shock at the pandemonium unfolding before them. Akira could practically see the formulaic equations running through and swirling around Akechi’s head, as he processed what was happening.

The younger Akechi simply mouthed, “What the fuck.” And continued not to move.

Akira’s attention was drawn back to the weird three sided battle happening literally two feet in front of him when he heard a pained gasp.

“Goro--plea--,” the older version of Akira wheezed, collapsing onto the floor after a sharp elbow connected with his sternum, “p-please--stop.”

The older version of Goro Akechi did not, in fact, stop. He in fact, got worse.

“Get back here you PIECE OF SHIT,” he bellowed, successfully grabbing hold of Maruki’s leg just as the counselor had managed to get his head and shoulders out the window.

Another undignified squeak escaped Maruki as his body was forcefully pulled back into the booth with a very painful looking jerk.

“A-Akechi-ku--” Maruki started to plead, but his voice cut off in a gurgle when the older Akechi managed to get both of his gloved hands around his throat.

It was at that moment his older self resurfaced in the fight. Hooking his arms under the older Akechi’s armpits, he twisted Akechi’s arms back, breaking his hold around the counselor’s throat and heaved the detective off Maruki.

“No!” the pinned Akechi cried, scrambling for purchase on Maruki’s sweater as he was tipped backwards.

The sound of stitches ripping followed the men as they tumbled backwards out of the booth and into a couple of the barstools behind them, which crashed to the ground in their wake. Maruki braced himself with one hand on the table and his other on the back of the booth to prevent himself from tipping into the writhing body pile on the floor. His sweater was stretched out and torn, hanging loosely off his neck.

Akira’s phone, which had also been on the table, lit up and started to incessantly vibrate. A stream of messages from Futaba were flooding in when Akira checked it. He elected to ignore those for now. Before flipping the screen down, Akira took note of the time.

23:58 PM.

Two more minutes until this shitshow of a day was over and the dawn of February Third would rise. Akira released a weary sigh and set his phone aside in favor of his now lukewarm coffee. God damn he wished he had something a little stronger than the Jamaican Blue Mountain brew he was sipping on to put up with all this bullshit.

Happy fucking Birthday to me, he thought as he raised his mug in mock cheers at the camera Futaba had installed in the corner of Leblanc’s seating area. Where he was one hundred percent certain she was watching in pure horror, given the messages he was still receiving making his phone vibrate and shimmy at his elbow.

Honestly after all this, Akira suspected nothing in this world could ever surprise him anymore.

“Aren’t you going to help?” Morgana’s voice cut through the static he hadn’t realized had been present in his ears.

From the floor, his older self was doing a much better job at dodging the older Akechi’s flying elbows with graceful dexterity, but Maruki somehow had strayed too close. He was now kneeling on the floor with his sweater once again in the older Akechi’s vice grip.

“He kind of deserves it,” Akira said flatly, setting down his mug.

Though Akira quickly changed his mind when Maruki started making gurgling noises again, which could only signify one thing.

The younger Akechi recovered from his stupefaction when he saw Akira move, and stepped in to assist. It required both Akira’s older self and the younger Akechi to hold back the raging older Akechi long enough for Akira to pull Maruki safely away. The older Akechi was then shoved against a wall, getting yelled at quite vehemently by his older self.

“Sorry about your sweater,” Akira said, after he turned away from the arguing dopplegangers.

Maurki plucked at the frayed neckline and chuckled a bit breathlessly. “It’s seen better days.”

Upon closer inspection, Maurki’s glasses were broken and sitting askew on his face. His lip also had been split at some point and was leaking a tiny trail of blood down his chin. Akira grabbed a bunch of napkins off the counter and held them out to Maruki, who accepted and thanked him with a slight bow of his head, pressing them to his mouth.

“Would someone kindly explain just what the fuck is going on,” the younger Akechi demanded in near hysterics (his Akechi, Akira’s mind unhelpfully supplied before Akira buried that thought deep down).

The older versions of themselves fell silent.

There was a deep sigh that sounded almost identical to the one Akira had made a few minutes ago.

“Let’s try this again,” Akira heard his voice say from across the room, “how about we all take a seat. Calmly.” There was a pregnant pause as his older self shot a pointed look at the Akechi who had been the source of the problems, and released him from the wall. “Like civil adults.”

“Fine,” the older Akechi said, adjusting the scarf around his neck and smoothing out the lapels of his rumpled grey peacoat before sliding into the booth, with his older self right behind.

Akira tugged on Maruki’s sleeve, gesturing to follow him into the seat across from their visitors. Akira went in first, sitting directly across from the older Akechi which left Maruki to sit opposite the other Akira.

It was probably safer for everyone this way.

The younger Akechi (his Akechi) elected to remain standing, leaning against the far counter with his arms crossed over his tan coat in an attempt to look imposing, but really he just looked uncomfortable in Akira’s opinion.

Once everyone had settled in, the older Akira turned to Maruki. A sad smile broke across his face as he said, softly, “Hello Takuto.”

Why hearing his voice say Maruki’s first name was the thing that finally made Akira realize just how absurd this whole situation was, that shocked Akira back into his body from the weird detached space he had been floating around in the past few minutes, Akira couldn’t tell you.

Panic clawed its way out of his chest and into his throat, making his breathing erratic and ragged. The calling card in his pocket now felt like molten metal encasing his chest. His mind was reeling, racing, splitting apart as it finally registered that the man sitting adjacent from him across the table looked Just. Like. Himself.

What the fuck? What the FUCK?? WHAT THE FUCK!?

Maruki looked between him and his older self. “Akira…can you please explain yourself?”

“Uhm, I have no idea what’s happening,” Akira managed to get out weakly, before realizing Maruki wasn’t speaking to him, but the older man sharing his face.

“I think it would make it easier if everyone referred to us by our surnames, and our younger selves by their given names, for clarity’s sake,” his older self said, glancing at Akira and then Goro standing by the counter. “Will that be a problem?”

“Yes,” Goro said testily.

“Get over it,” Akechi snapped at his younger self.

Goro’s eyes flared. “Why should I--”

“Because it's a trivial distinction and it doesn’t really matter,” Akechi spoke over him, flicking his eyes over to Maruki briefly, “not when we have more pressing issues to deal with. Stop being difficult.”

That’s kind of rich coming from you, Akira thought but did not say.

Goro huffed but didn’t push it any further, opting to glare balefully at himself. The tension rolling off of Goro was enough to make Akira squirm, even from the otherside of the room. Luckily Akechi remained unphased by the daggers being thrown in his direction.

“To keep it simple and state the obvious, we are you. We travelled from the future of the reality this idiot,” Akechi gestured at Maruki, “ wants to impose upon the world. We’re here to make sure it never actualizes, as something evidently went very wrong when we attempted to do the same ten years ago.”

Morgana’s exclamation of “Ten years?!” overlapped with Akira’s yelp (Morgana had reflexively dug his claws into Akira) and Goro’s “What do you mean, ‘something went wrong’?”

“Yes ten years Mona, and I mean it exactly how it sounds,” Akechi said in a clipped tone, clearly not willing to explain himself further.

Akira sucked in a breath through his teeth as Morgana retracted the claws he embedded from his shoulder and mumbled an apology in his ear.

“Our memories of what happened on February Third are...not intact,” Kurusu offered, earning a scowl from Akechi. “The last thing I remember is entering the palace...then… waking up in the new reality. Same for him,” Kurusu nodded in the direction of his boothmate, whose scowl deepened.

Maruki cleared his throat. “How did you time tra--”

“We aren’t telling you shit, what we’ve said is all you needed to know,” Akechi snarled, “so shut up, read the damn calling card, and then get out.”

“If you lived in my reality for that long, surely you found it enjoyable Akechi-kun, you--”

“Don’t assume you know anything about me,” he growled, “and don’t make me repeat myself.”

“You are both aware of what will happen if this reality--your reality, is destroyed...,” Maruki said slowly, gaze switching between the older boys emphatically.

“It was never ours,” Akechi was quick to shoot back.

Kurusu nodded. “We are fully aware and...deemed travelling here to end it worth the consequence.”

“Kurusu…” Maruki said, a mortified expression dawning on his face. “I suspected Akechi-kun might have felt this way given the conditions of his existence...but you too?”

“Wait, I don’t follow,” Akira spoke up, unease settling heavily into his gut like lead stone as he watched the varying expressions on the faces before him. They all know something I don’t. “Conditions of his existence…?”

“He hasn’t told me yet,” Kurusu said, suddenly avoiding Akira’s eyes, instead turning to face Akechi. “That...complicates things.”

Both Akechi and Kurusu exchanged a look, then glanced at Goro.

“I take it you haven’t shared anything with Akira either,” Akechi asked Goro--who eyes darted over to Akira before shaking his ‘no’ . “I guess that answers our question if we landed in the right timeline,” Akechi muttered, then sat up straight, leveling a look directly at Akira.

Akira’s heart rate spiked under the weight of the familiar yet so foreign maroon tinted gaze, and he was struck once again by how breathtakingly beautiful Akechi Goro was. Taking the time to look at this older version of his rival, Akira noticed the years had been kind to him. His cheekbones had become more prominent, defining his face with sharper angles that his shorter hair style complimented. Even if it was still a little mussed from the earlier fight.

Akira swallowed thickly. Whatever Akechi was about to say, he had a feeling it wasn’t going to be good.

“What your esteemed counselor was most likely about to tell you before I”--he exhaled sharply--“lost my temper, was that in the true reality, we most likely died,” Akechi explained coolly, gesturing between himself and Goro on his right. “The only reason we’re here presumably is because it was your wish. And Maruki granted it.”

Something in Akira’s chest cracked painfully.

He desperately wanted Goro to meet his eyes, to look at him, to tell him it wasn’t true. That he escaped the night they fought in Shido’s palace . But he was still staring at his older self with an intensity that barred no distractions.

It couldn’t be true.

Akira had felt the warmth of Akechi’s body when they brushed shoulders on the subway, had watched as the clouds of his breath faded away into nothing in the cold January air when they loitered outside the Jazz Jin. Witnessed the blood rush to flush his face when Akira teased him over ridiculously sugary, overpriced drinks and soft music. Sensed the raw power in his presence when they would pull off a seamlessly synchronized attack in the metaverse together…

It couldn’t be… he couldn’t be...

Akira’s vision tunneled as he focused on his rival.

Goro brought his hand to his chin, falling into his typical thinking pose which Akira had always found endearing, but now was sending sharp pains through his chest. “I couldn’t find any conclusive evidence to support it, but given the gaps in my memory after my final fight with Akira, and Wakaba Isshiki and President Okumura’s suspicious reappearances…,” he trailed off with a shrug. “Occam’s razor.”

“The simplest explanation is often the correct one,” both Goro and Akechi said in tandem.

“Two of you.” Kurusu pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing his glasses up into his fringe as he did, and muttered under his breath, “I have to deal with two of you for the next twenty-four hours.”

Akechi pinched Kurusu (who flinched) without breaking eye contact with Akira and continued on, “And then Maruki was going to bait you, Akira, into accepting his false paradise by dangling our life before you. Holding us hostage, essentially.”

“I wouldn’t have explained like that!” Maruki said defensively. “I was devastated when I learned what happened to you--err the two of you? That night in December. I don’t mean to make it seem like I am holding you both hostage--”

“But you are, and you did. ”

“Will, this Maruki hasn’t done it yet,” Kurusu quietly corrected Akechi.

Akechi plowed on, ignoring Kurusu’s comment, voice raising with each word he spoke, “You stripped us of our agency, forced us to play pretend in a world where you erased and repurposed parts of ourselves to fit your mold of perfection!”

Maruki winced.

Akechi trembled, barely able to contain anger, “I’ve spent enough of my life being manipulated by the will of men who think they own me, own the world. I refuse to live a moment longer in a reality concocted by someone else. I refuse.” His gloved fist slammed down on the table, causing the half-full mugs of forgotten coffee to rattle and send little splatters of dark liquid onto its surface.

Kurusu was quick to place his left hand over Akechi’s fist, who recoiled under the touch.

Akira stiffened at the sight of a thin band of silver on Kurusu’s finger, glinting under the soft lights overhead.

He’s married... I’m married?

Akechi started to pull away but then stopped, exhaling sharply. Kurusu ran his thumb over Akechi’s knuckles and his gloved fingers finally relaxed under Kurusu’s palm, splaying onto the table. He let Kurusu pull their hands off and out of sight.

“And.. you agree with this Kurusu?” Maruki asked after a few seconds of silence.

Kurusu took a steadying breath, and answered. “I do. And I understand that it means that I will also cease to exist.” A small smirk played on his lips. “At least this version of me.”

Maruki slumped back in defeat, staring unblinkingly at the droplets of coffee on the table. He swallowed, his jaw working for a moment before he nodded to himself. “Well then, I must accept that those are your decisions.” He looked up. “However, you don’t speak fo--”

“I also refuse to accept this farce of a life,” Goro interrupted, as if he had been waiting for Maruki to call on him. He turned his glare fully onto the former counselor and lifted his chin defiantly, “I’ve made my decision, and nothing you or anyone else says will change my mind.”

“Akira?” Maruki’s voice sounded so small and so far away, despite being right next to him. Akira turned in his seat, meeting Maruki’s pleading eyes. “Do you feel the same?”

Akira’s heart twisted in on itself.

Did he feel the same?

Before he couldn’t feel anything but now… it was as if his body was making up for the lost time. He was feeling too many things all at once.

If he rejected the reality Maruki was offering...it would mean…condemning them all to death.

From the corner of his eye, Akira took in the strange trio’s expressions. They all were mirrors of each other, all displaying their own versions of unwavering resolve and grim determination that Akira had walked into this conversation with--before everything had fallen apart.

A gentle nudge against the back of his head coupled with soothing purrs grounded Akira enough to stop his mind from spiraling any further. It also reminded him that it wasn’t just these lives who had a say in the fate of reality.

“I do,” he echoed his older self, and reached into his jacket pocket. Fire licked at his fingers as he peeled off the calling card that had melded into his skin and tossed it onto the table in front of Maruki.

Finally free of its oppressive, burning weight Akira took his first full breath since he came down the stairs from his room. Its phantom pain lingered, the skin too hot and tender where the card had laid over his heart. Akira flexed his fingers over the spot, hoping the friction would ease the discomfort. It didn’t. So he shoved his hand into his pants pocket and focused on regulating his breathing.

“I thought out of all people, you would understand,” Maruki said in the same small voice. Gently, he picked up the card and turned it over. “I’ve heard your calling. I’ll be waiting in the palace, as promised.”

When he stood up no one moved to stop him.

He met each of their eyes one last time and said, “If you don’t show, I’ll take that to mean you’ve accepted my reality.”

“We’ll be there,” Kurusu said with a conviction Akira had never heard himself use before. “See you tomorrow.”

“Ah, today, actually,” Maruki said, checking his watch. A heartbreaking smile formed on his face. “It’s probably not my place to say it, but Happ--.”

“Don’t you dare. Get. Out,” Akechi hissed venomously.

When the door clicked shut and the chimes ceased their ringing from Maruki’s exit, a collective sigh of relief seemed to ripple through the group. Akira let himself fall back against the booth, and was low key amused when he watched his older self do almost the exact same thing. Akechi gingerly leaned back as well, tension bleeding out from his tense shoulders as he eased himself down aside Kurusu. Kurusu reached out a hand and hesitated before tucking a short lock of hair behind Akechi's ear.

Akechi turned to him and whispered, “I can’t believe...that it worked."

“Believe it,” Kurusu matched his volume, and suddenly Akira felt like he was intruding on a private moment as their gazes lingered a little too long on each other.

“Are you, we...” Akira began uncertainly, “...friends then? In the future?”

Akira watched himself blush in real time.

“Ah. About that,” Kurusu said, fiddling with a piece of fringe as his cheeks continued to darken.

Akechi lifted his left hand and started tugging off his glove, one finger at a time. “In a manner of speaking.”

Akira’s heart kicked into high gear. Oh my god.

On Akechi’s ring finger was a thin silver band. Identical to the one on Kurusu’s hand--that he was now holding up beside Akechi’s.

Goro was the first to react. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

“Oh get over yourself,” Akechi chided, “you can quit pretending like you never--ouch !”

A sudden violent exchange under the table had Akira heavily suspecting his older self had stomped on Akechi’s foot.

Akechi glared at Kurusu. Kurusu glared right back.

“Would it kill you to be nice to yourself?”

Akechi crossed his arms. “Yes.”

“Uh,” Akira croaked, drawing everyone’s attention, “can we talk about how this happened?”

“You both probably have lots of questions,” Kurusu said, “So let’s start at the beginning. Goro, you might want to sit down for this.”

#akeshu #shuake #goro akechi #persona 5 royal #akira kurusu #goro akechi x akira kurusu #time travel

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shapeshifting-wildcard · 3 years

Text

By this point, the Phantom Thieves were well practiced in how to handle Jails. It didn't take them long to reach the birdcage at the top of Konoe's tower. Even if they were a little surprised to see it there.

"Why would Konoe's Jail possess one?" Fox wondered aloud, gaze focused on the telltale lock above them. "Is he not the mastermind behind all of this?"

"I don't know," Mona admitted. "Konoe's supposedly the one who created the Jails, so he'd have to know how they work. It wouldn't make sense otherwise. Which means the only explanation is that he's trapped himself here with trauma of his own."

"Which brings us back to the original question," Mitsuru, codename Amazon, noted. "If he knows how these Jails work, and is the one responsible for creating them, why would he even need to keep himself trapped?"

"It might be a necessary component to creating a Jail," Mona said.

"So, if someone didn't have something traumatic to create a cage from, they wouldn't be eligible to become a Monarch?" Fuuka, codename Peacock, mused.

"It's possible," Mona said. "The only time we haven't encountered a birdcage was when the original Monarch was already dead."

"Wasn't that also experimental, anyway?" Violet pointed out. "We did encounter the Warden in the same part of the Jail, so it might have had a different layout to begin with."

"That's true," Mona said. "All we can really do is speculate at this point."

"You mentioned that we need a key to unlock this cage," Naoto, codename Emperor, said. "How do we go about finding it?"

"We can get a hint to its whereabouts by touching the birdcage," Fox explained.

"I'll do it," Joker volunteered, taking a step towards the cage.

"No, let me do it," Wolf piped up. "I could use the experience."

"Good luck," Panther said. "Make sure you don't let go right away."

"Don't go crying on us, Gramps," Skull added.

Wolf shot them confused looks as he approached the cage and held up his hand. The moment his hand connected, he let out a howl of pain, nearly jerking back reflexively. Emperor and Amazon both looked alarmed.

"Uh, should we...?" Emperor glanced towards Tailor, who shrugged.

"He'll be fine," he reassured him.

Voices filtered out of the cage, echoing around them like they had countless times before.

"Abuse?" said one older male voice. "Please, that's ridiculous. We do have a dog. Maybe that's what they heard? Right, Akira?"

"Whose voice is that?" Skull wondered.

"It isn't Konoe's," Amazon remarked.

"But he said 'Akira,'" Noir pointed out. "Isn't that Konoe's given name?"

A second voice responded to the first. "Whether it was your dog or not, Konoe-san, we got a tip that you've been physically abusing your son."

Skull's eyes widened. "What...?"

Oracle moved a little closer to Joker, lightly pressing against him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Apparently, Akira-kun has a scar on his arm to prove it—"

"Look," the first voice cut in, sounding impatient. "He fell over. How many times do I have to say it?"

Noir shuddered while Skull, Crow, Wolf, and Emperor all grimaced. All of them had some sort of familiarity with that unfortunate phrase. Though Skull's was perhaps more personal than the rest.

"Are we done here?" the first voice continued. "I'd like to be left alone."

There was the sound of a door closing before the first voice started up again.

"You little shit!"

That got a noticeable wince out of Skull.

"You see all this trouble you're causing me?! Keep your goddamn mouth shut and do as I say!"

Judging by the sounds that followed, it seemed reasonable to assume that the rumors of abuse were not, in fact, exaggerated.

Wolf backed away from the cage, distractedly rubbing his hand as he eyed the space he had just been touching. "What the hell was that?"

"Konoe's past," Fox explained. "We were viewing the trauma he keeps locked away in his heart."

"Utterly deplorable," Amazon muttered, glaring at the cage as if she wanted to stab the owner of the voice.

"Dude, that guy sounded even worse than my dad," Skull remarked.

Several people stopped and turned to Skull with a certain amount of alarm.

"Your father is like that too, Skull?" Wolf asked, the concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah," Skull said, shrugging. "Or he was, before ma and I left. That was a pretty big reason why."

Wolf relaxed only slightly. Tailor walked up and pat Skull's shoulder.

"That sucks," Tailor remarked. "I'm sorry, Skull."

"It's in the past, anyway," Skull shrugged it off. "Haven't seen or talked to the guy in years, and I much prefer it that way."

"One of those voices mentioned abuse," Noir said, bringing them back on topic.

"It sounded like a social worker," Crow said. "Presumably someone following up on a report someone made on Akira's behalf."

"You think he tried to tell someone what was goin' on at home?" Skull said. "Possible," Crow replied. "Though it's also just as possible it was simply a particularly attentive teacher."

"That man seemed convinced that Akira said something," Amazon pointed out.

"That doesn't mean he actually did," Crow said. "He could have been jumping to conclusions... or else using that as a tactic of control. Possibly both."

Joker, Skull, and a couple other Thieves shot Crow some concerned looks, but no one decided to say anything.

"Either way, I think it's reasonable to conclude that was his father, and that Akira suffered physical abuse at his hands," Crow casually continued.

"That's awful," Violet remarked.

"It's pretty messed up, but it doesn't justify all the skeevy shit he's been doin'," Skull pointed out.

"Indeed," Fox said. "What's past is past. Nothing changes the fact that Akira Konoe is an incredibly dangerous man who changes others' hearts and robs them of their free will."

"I'm glad you're being sensible about this," Crow said with a hint of sarcasm.

"So if being abused is the source of his trauma," Mona wondered, "then what exactly is his plan here?"

Several Thieves turned to Crow, who glared back at them with a certain amount of irritation.

"What are you looking at me for?" he snapped.

"Well, you and Konoe have a lot in common—" Skull started.

"Don't compare me to him," Crow huffed. "Besides, don't you have more in common with him anyway?"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Skull snapped back.

For once, Crow paused instead of immediately snarking back. He shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, that was... unnecessarily harsh on my part."

Skull and many of the other Thieves stared at Crow in shock. Him? Apologizing? And not just apologizing, apologizing for being a jerk?

"Uh, well," Skull rubbed the back of his head distractedly. "It's... whatever. A-Anyway, we still gotta figure out where the key is."

"Right," Mona said. "Let's head back to the real world and look for the source of that voice."

#!drabbles #!long post #!abuse #!event: Summer Scramble #((catch me actually bringing up the parallels the game refuses to touch))

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muzzleroars · 4 years

Text

Cake’s Bad End AU Part II: The Thieves

Here it is, the posts that will finally outline the events of my Bad End AU! I’m not a writer in any sense, but with so many people enjoying the content I create for this AU and several people asking about it, I wanted to write up a synopsis of the events that take place and, more simply, what this AU even is. This is my idea of what happens when Akira takes Yaldabaoth’s deal on Christmas Eve and all of its implications, so I hope everyone enjoys it and that it puts the pieces for my AU in context. There will be three parts: Akira, The Thieves, and The Holy Grail. This is Part II: The Thieves, which details how the Thieves come to find out about Akira and how they and Goro band together to confront him. (2,797 words)

(TRIGGER WARNINGS: Some descriptions of illness/pain)

The Thieves, meanwhile, have been able to better mobilize themselves now that they are out from under the oppressive atmosphere Akira had induced in their group for weeks. They all agree something is deeply wrong with their leader, who has since disappeared on one of his solo treks into the Metaverse, but they know he still lives as the changes of heart occur at a breakneck pace. They are more insidious however, people in the city now whispering about a curse, a ghost that appears in the dreams of those who will soon fall victim to the Phantom Thieves. They don’t know what’s become of Akira...but their only option is to brave Mementos and find where he’s gone, find who he’s become after spending so much time alone in the Metaverse.

They make several trips into Mementos to find him, but the environment they find there is overly hostile, more cruel and unforgiving than it has ever been. With each trip they learn better strategies, they prepare for more contingencies, and they progress deeper than the day before, but they continue to lose days as they are beaten back by more and more roadblocks. In order to save their leader, however, they fight through their exhaustion and their frustration because he’s there, he’s alive, and they would never abandon him...but what they find when they reach the Depths turns their hope into an utter spiraling sense of despair. The blinding cathedral that juts from the pitch black surroundings draws them in instantly, the bizarre behavior of the shadows flocking to it and begging for favor, and finally the cavern-like nave that becomes their destination. They find Goro there, bloodied and desperate opposite of a pale figure that’s almost difficult to make out against the white expanse that stretches and bends all around him. They rush in to help him, not even aware he was alive, when they see...the other figure is Akira, or what’s become of him. He’s unnatural, revolting in a way with a distinct wave of sickness rolling off of him, and while he speaks with Akira’s voice, there is no recognition in his words or his face, the flatness of tone and odd inflections making the sound almost nauseating. They cry out to him, they plead with him to remember them, yet he spouts nothing but scripted nonsense as Goro tells them they’re wasting their energy...while he was definitely once Akira, he is no more. He doesn’t recognize that he was human, he pays no mind to what any of them shared, what he did all of this for...it’s gone.

The shadows are closing around them, screaming to leave The Son alone and to stop calling him by false names as he himself never changes, smiling serenely through blank eyes. When the Thieves try to look for an out to retreat, however, The Son calls for his shadows to leave their guests be and allow them to return, as their time to accept him will come. They take his mercy without hesitation, wanting to run as far from him as they can even if his face and dead voice are burned into their minds. Goro flees with them and they escape Mementos like a bad dream, but what words can be exchanged even in the relative safety of the real world? Akira has turned into something indescribable, a parody of an angel in the wasting body of a sickly boy they once cherished, looking as though he could collapse and yet overflowing with a hideous, dangerous power they shudder to think of. Goro is the first to speak, telling them what he knows from the day he found Akira in Mementos before his disappearance and now what he has found out from this being calling himself The Son. He understands he apparently serves some god, the creature that revived Goro to be with them now and has turned Akira into what they saw in that cathedral, how Akira retains nothing of his human thoughts or emotions...and how he has no heartbeat. Goro has touched him and even that felt wrong, fleeting, as though he isn’t totally there, flickering in and out of solid form but distinctly without body heat or a single breath. He’s dead, changed beyond all recognition, and the only thing they can do for him now, for who he was, is to put him out of the misery he must be in. The Thieves immediately reject Goro’s idea and, with tensions and grief beginning to flood all of them, they agree to meet the next day instead. None of them sleep that night.

When they gather, they can all see the exhaustion on each others’ faces but there’s a resolve too – they refuse to accept his death until every other option has been used, until every single avenue explored. Goro...isn’t pleased with the decision, telling them that sentimentality will only get all of them killed and leave Akira to suffer, trapped forever in that hellish state if they don’t succeed in finishing him off now. And he can’t bear that, he can’t bear knowing even a sliver of Akira might remain in that shell and the torment inflicted on him every minute of every day, he can’t stand the idea of that thing continuing in Akira’s place if they fail. Trying to reach him, trying to drag him back to reality, all of it is so much more of a risk than just trying to end him so all of this can just stop – Emotions run too high as Goro insists on this, Futaba in particular on the verge of a full breakdown, before Makoto calms the situation to remind Goro they still really have very little idea how bad off Akira is, not to mention how strong he is. And as much as their emotions are dictating their decision to save him, Makoto is sure Goro’s emotions are controlling his decision to kill him just as much and frankly, they can only decide on emotion right now. She suggests they prepare, physically, mentally, and with the necessary equipment, before they return to the cathedral to investigate Akira so maybe they have a shot at giving any final decision some logic. So she moves to suspend both ideas – the rescue mission and assassination – before they get a better understanding of their position and what’s best for all parties. The Thieves agree with some decompression and Goro consents too, knowing Makoto was right about her assessment of his own decision-making process.

So they prepare, receiving aid from all of Akira’s confidants as they do their best to describe the danger he’s in but they see the people Akira’s gathered close to him need little convincing. It’s their turn to use the bonds he formed to reach out to him, to learn all the tricks Akira had from them in a crash course effort they split among the group as well as pooling their money to buy the best Iwai and Tae can offer them before they head back to the Depths. It nearly breaks their hearts all over again to see how much he learned, to see what he put together for all of them behind the scenes without saying a word unless any confidant needed their help in Mementos, and it’s the best trump card they could have asked for now...and it makes them feel as though Akira is there with them, still helping them along and leading. The hardest preparation, however, is the emotional one, readying themselves to see Akira again as they had that day but getting in much closer, knowing they will likely be fighting him. They all agreed they would do anything to save him though, that one day they would return the favor if he ever found himself falter, and now they’re prepared to make good on that, with the endless optimism they face down every challenge with – they will find their leader and they will save him.

Now fully armed and fully ready for the hostility they’re met with, along with Goro’s added firepower, the Thieves brave through a malignant Mementos where they can now always hear the distant ringing of church bells. It’s a balancing act to properly conserve their energy, but with Makoto’s meticulous planning, Goro’s expertise, and the Thieves’ cohesive teamwork combining all the added skills of Akira’s confidants, they manage to find themselves in much better shape upon their approach to the cathedral. This time they move slowly through the halls, paying attention to the stained glass windows, the reliquaries and treasures that adorn its limitless expanse, and, most importantly, they listen closely to the prayers and whispers of the shadows – they all speak of a Holy Grail, how they wish to join it at its shrine and have all their wishes granted, if only The Son recognizes them. The Thieves are puzzled slightly by this, as Goro told them of a god named Yaldabaoth according to Akira, but none of the shadows seem to speak of him no matter what conversations they eavesdrop on. Still, they continue on to the nave once more, filled with wandering shadows that they, at first, have no idea how to traverse...but they quickly find that, despite shadows seeing them, none of them move to attack. They may give a warning at most to go, in hushed voices, before they return to their prayer and the Thieves easily make their way through the endless row of pews to reach the sanctuary.

Akira is there but he sleeps on a throne, the shadows nearby now only making frantic motions to shoo the Thieves away without so much as a whisper. They pay them no mind, instead steeling themselves before they call out to Akira, their shouts ringing through a disturbingly silent cathedral despite all the shadows that pace around them. He rouses slowly, eyes cracking open almost painfully in an obvious show of exhaustion as the shadows all around them scream and wail, all of them bowing to pray for his forgiveness. It takes him a moment to focus, the Thieves easily able to see how drained his face looks before he smiles again just like he had when they first met him like this, standing to come down from his throne in movements that should be graceful but instead look too smooth, too perfect to be made by any human. He silences the shadows surrounding them with a wave, welcoming the Thieves to his cathedral and their salvation, to Yaldabaoth’s open arms as he has waited to receive them for so long now. They override him, however, pleading with him to remember them, to remember what they shared and who he was, but the exchange they share with him proves fruitless – he continues to repeat the same script over and over. The Thieves grow increasingly desperate with their appeals when nothing seems to reach him or even produce a different result, until Futaba figures to respond to his prompt and explicitly refuse his offer of salvation (she’s good with computers, after all). This proves a turning point in the conversation, with Akira then declaring they must be errant variables in his father’s system if they choose to reject him – escaped convicts, no different than the degenerates in their Palaces that he must cull for his god.

They take battle positions as the rosary wrapped around Akira’s hand morphs into the monstrous scythe they saw him wielding against Goro the day they rescued him and he readies to steal their hearts, telling them it will do them no good whether they have personas or treasures – they’re all functionally the same to him, a heart is a heart. The battle that ensues gives them a good idea of the amount of power Akira now possesses, how oppressive it is as he continues to wield personas of angels that he can call to his side along with his own brutal strength that he claims to draw from his god. It’s more overwhelming than the Thieves had anticipated but still they persevere, all the while shouting at him to remember them, their names, his name, the memories they made with him...and as they fight, as they band together as a unit huddled against an inhuman power they have no right to stand up against, the facade he holds up starts to crack, his name and theirs shouted at him over and over beginning to pierce through the fog of his thought, the blind faith his father has instilled in him. Those impossible memories peak through as he fights on exhausted, already drained from stealing so many hearts and being bled again by channeling Yaldabaoth to destroy the thieves before him until something cracks.

The Thieves. This is all for them isn’t it?

The battle stills in an impossible moment, Akira shudders, the memories are still fractured, still confused and make little, if any, sense to an already feverish mind but...his faith, it’s all for the people in front of him. His voice pitches when he speaks making all of them freeze instantly, the crack in it nothing like that dead monotone he’d spoken with before, his face twisted without a smile as his scythe falls heavy at his side and he screams it’s for them, all of this is for them, everything he’s done, everything he’s taken, everything he’s broken, it’s all been for them – God has resurrected them all from the grave and he saved them! The Thieves are stunned, confused, but have little time to speak any more to ask questions before blood pours from the scar on Akira’s chest, torn open from the inside out and his god comes to him, summoned as he screams in a rasped, raw voice. The cathedral rends around them and is swallowed, and the being that comes to Akira’s call is unlike anything they’ve ever seen, so enormous, a brilliant metallic deity that looms over all of them but encases its child...and they know they can speak with him no longer. Akira is silent now as the god berates them for their cruelty, for their ignorance, for their thanklessness...his child has given so much for them and yet they ask that he bleed again for their selfishness. It would be the least they could do to repay his kindness to accept his offer of salvation now and bow down to him by giving up their tainted hearts, or he will make them forever suffer for their rejection. Despite the threat, despite the overwhelming power that radiates off of a being nearly incomprehensible to them, the Thieves plainly restate their stance and vow to never give into him, to never give up until Akira is whole once more. Yaldabaoth moves to smite them, to give them the punishment as promised, but instead they blink and...they have returned to reality, totally fine outside of the obvious levels of exhaustion. Either the god delivered an empty threat or, far more likely, Akira had some kind of control over his actions in that moment and saved them all, booting them from the Metaverse as quickly as possible to avoid their deaths. It’s a somber but hopeful realization – Akira does exist inside the monster he’s become and while it tears at their insides to think he’s even semi-aware of his state, it gives them hope to reach him.

The only issue they face is...can they save him, or is Goro right? And if he is, what can be done about the entity that has taken over Akira and controls nearly all of his thoughts, his behaviors – even if there is some amount of feedback and Akira is able to affect the deity in small ways at a turn, it’s impossible he has nearly as much control and he likely can’t pull off much more than he did that day in saving the Thieves. They need to break to think on things, all of them too mentally and physically taxed to plan any sort of rescue mission...but being at home alone, trying to sort through what can be done, they are left with despair, with fear, with grief for Akira who continues to live on as they lie in bed, thinking of him trapped in the dark depths of Mementos and wondering if he’s okay, if he feels anything now from that small part of the boy they knew. It’s an agonizing night for all of them and again there is little sleep with all of them knowing the time is drawing near to make a decision on how they would save Akira. For his part, Goro wishes for the first time that he could have succeeded back in November, feeling nauseous over the idea that Akira really is still in part there, that he isn’t totally gone.

#I'M GETTING UHH...NERVOUS....#i'm not really good at setting up stories and doing pay off and stuff so like...#i hope all of this sounds even DECENT to people and the conclusion is ok kdfhdfg #again i'll restate i'm definitely not a writer SO YE....#conclusion is next and it's LONG LONG #p5 #bad end #bad end synopsis

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hauntedbythefanficsofmypast · 4 years

Text

Raise Your Voice Against Liars

By BeeTeeDubya14 & Naruwitch On Archive of Our Own

@thebigpapilio asked me if I accepted submissions and I do! This is a Miraculous + Persona 5 crossover, that they have been working on with their friend! While I don't actually know Persona 5, I read over the first chapter and found it very interesting! I thought for sure you'd all enjoy it as much as I did! So here is the first chapter! If you like it please go on to Archive of Our Own and give them some love!!

"We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin."

-Andre Berthiaume

Chapter 1: L'Interrogatoire

Sae leaned back, puzzled by what the prisoner just said, “So the Phantom Thieves only stole the heart of Futaba Sakura…? And Medjed was in turn defeated by her real-world hacking abilities…? Well, this does correlate to the facts as we know them…”

Sae grew quiet, and her next sentence was mostly to herself, though she said it aloud. “If he’s telling the truth, then Wakaba Isshiki didn’t commit suicide… did a third party target her life with the goal of destroying her research? Wakaba’s death was two years ago… that also coincides with when the incidents started occurring… does this other Metaverse user that Madarame and Kaneshiro mentioned… really exist…?”

With a frown, she shook her head before turning her attention back to the captive, “Earlier I mentioned those psychotic breakdown incidents that have alarmed the public. All of a sudden, people will lose consciousness, or become violent… A situation as incomprehensible as that can’t be explained away as ‘troubled social conditions.’ I suspect that these cases are all connected to a larger, man-made plot. The method involved always muddled the explanation, but your story has virtually confirmed its viability. Although, I wouldn’t have expected a new criminal to come to light from your testimony…” Sae leaned closer to the prisoner, “What did your group think of this other Metaverse user?”

“You mean the true criminal?” he questioned.

Sae scoffed, “How self-centered of you. The Phantom Thieves tamper with people’s hearts without asking consent. How is that different?”

Sighing, Sae then continued to focus on the prisoner. “Well… no matter how you thought of them, there can be no doubting your resolve. Are those incidents because of you or someone else…? Either way, I will get to the bottom of this.”

Sae shook her head, and pulled out her briefcase again, “Now let’s move on to your next crime.” She pulled out a folder, just as she had the last four times and laid it in front of the teenager, “Lila Nikenna Rossi. An Italian student who was studying at Collège Françoise Dupont in Paris, France. This is the first known report of the Phantom Thieves targeting someone outside of Japan. Your testimony regarding this incident will be serious. I’m sure you understand why. Not only is she your first foreign target, but also the youngest target out of all that the Phantom Thieves have changed the heart of. Answer me carefully. Why did you go after her?”

Despite all the grogginess afflicting him, Akira Kurusu managed to faintly grin.

“We owed some good people a favor.”

Chapter 2: Wake up, Get up, Get Out (Of) There

"Are you sure you're going to be okay in Hawaii, Marinette?"

"Yes, Luka, I'll be fine," Marinette smiled as she pulled her luggage off the security belt.

"Remember, if you need to talk, at any time, please do it, okay? I don't care if it's 2 AM over here. If you need-"

"Luka, you're treating me like a child," Marinette said bluntly, but no heat was behind it.

The guitarist gasped on the other line, "No, no! That's not what I was implying, I just-"

Marinette giggled. That's one of the things she really liked about Luka. "That overprotective attitude isn't going to change anytime soon, is it?" That said, although there were times where he went a little overboard, he usually knew Marinette's limits. It seemed that he needed a small reminder before she departed for her flight, though.

Ever since Chloe's stunt as Miracle Queen, she and Luka had been dating steadily for several months. After Adrien had made it official with Kagami, Marinette struggled to move on and accept that it was better to simply be friends with the model. She, of course, didn't want to use the older Couffaine as a fallback guy, and she had made that clear to him shortly before they made it official too, but… Luka had been there for her when no one else was. She had been in a dark place, and there seemed to be no way out. But Luka provided the light she needed to find the exit.

As for Chloe herself? Well… once word got out about Hawkmoth's near victory, and Chloe's involvement with it, many citizens and even government officials spoke out against the mayor and other members of his staff for action to be taken. The incident with the metro tunnel was also brought up, as Chloe was never adequately punished for intentionally endangering so many people. Mayor Bourgeois, to appease the masses, was forced to send Chloe away to a boarding school in Sweden, at least until Hawkmoth was finally dealt with. That's where she'd been for the past five months, and Marinette hadn't heard from the blonde since.

She shook her head, ridding herself of such thoughts before they could fester. She was going to Hawaii for crying out loud! And she was going to have a blast! Nothing was going to change that. Not Hawkmoth, not Lila, and her lies, nothing would get in her way of having a fun time.

The thought of Hawkmoth had her hand subconsciously wander to her purse, where Tikki and Kaalki were situated. She was so lucky (heh, that would garner a laugh from Chat) that Kwamis didn't show up on cameras, much less on airport security x-rays machines. She would have had a field day trying to explain that to a security guard.

Luka gave a breathy laugh over the phone, "Sorry, a force of habit. Sorry I couldn't be there to see you or Jules off personally."

Marinette smiled. That had been the original plan, but as luck would have it, Luka got called in for an emergency shift by his boss at the very last minute, and there were no other people who could fill in.

"No problem, sometimes life happens like that. Although, even on vacation, Hawkmoth's Akumas always have the worst timing."

She could see Luka wincing on the other line, "Yeah, considering that Hawaii is practically on the opposite side of the world, it looks like you're in for some long nights. So sorry, babe."

She had the news app on high alert at all times, so the second an Akuma alert went up, she'd teleport back to Paris to deal with the Akuma as quickly as possible. She was grateful that Luka would be on standby with Sass as well, especially when Chat Noir alerted her that he would be out of town for the weekend as well.

"Yeah…"

"Marinette! We're about to board! Please come and join the class!" Mme. Bustier called from the boarding gate.

"Gotta go, Luka, I'll text you when we land in Tokyo!"

"Okay, be safe! Love you!"

"Love you too!"

There were, fortunately, no accidents or disruptions as Marinette boarded the plane and found her seat. After buckling up, Tikki and Kaalki poked their heads out of her little purse. The bag was small enough that Marinette wasn't required to put it under the seat, so long as it stayed flung over her shoulder. The little red Kwami winked at her holder, and Kaalki nodded. Marinette smiled at her little companions and pretended to listen to the flight attendant give the safety instructions.

It wasn't long before she watched from her window seat the plane take off from the tarmac. Once the pilot said they were at cruising altitude, Marinette pulled out her MP3 player and headphones and leaned back with a smile, the soft melody of Luka's guitar strings lulling her to sleep.

o~o

Marinette was awakened by the thump of the plane landing.

As she traversed the airport "with" her classmates (they were all hanging around Lila and leaving her alone), she noticed a pattern in the dress of many passersby, most of which were likely Japanese locals given that they were in Japan at the moment. Black & red seemed to be a common staple at this airport, more than occasionally accompanied by the words "Take Your Heart" and a weird logo of a domino mask and top hat. The words "Phantom Thieves" were sprawled across many of the logos too.

Marinette wanted to ask around as to what it all meant, but she didn't know a lick of Japanese and had places to be, so she moved on. She'd just look it up at the hotel.

She sent a quick text to Luka to let him know she'd arrived safely and was on her way to the hotel they'd be staying at for the night. Then she switched to the web, typing "Phantom Thieves" into the search engine. She found quite a few interesting things in a place called the "Phan-Site." There was apparently a group of vigilantes out there in Japan - Tokyo, specifically - calling themselves "The Phantom Thieves" with the power to "change people's hearts" (which seemed to mean making said people confess their crimes. How that worked, Marinette had no idea). So far, the Phantom Thieves had only taken down four major targets, their names, and information listed on the site. Marinette didn't recognize any of them, but when she typed up the names, she was immediately glad that these people had had "a change of heart."

The first, theorized to be the Thieves' very first target, was a man Suguru Kamoshida. He was apparently an Olympic volleyball medalist that taught at a high school called Shujin Academy. The Thieves targeted him because it was revealed that he was physically abusing and even sexually assaulting several students at the school. One of them even tried to commit suicide right in front of the student body because of it. Thankfully, this student survived their attempt. According to separate reports, the school was well aware of the abuse but didn't do a thing to stop it. Then, about a week after the suicide attempt, Kamoshida confessed to everything! The abuse, the assaults, everything.According to reports, it was like he was a completely different person, almost like his personality had changed entirely. He was now being held on bail and awaiting trial. Marinette hoped he went away forever!

The second person was a former artist named Ichiryusai Madarame. (Now that she thought about it, she could have sworn she saw his name on some art pieces at the Louvre for a limited time Japanese exhibit). He cultivated his own fame and fortune by sacrificing the livelihood of children. He took young artists into his home, a tiny shack, and then stole and plagiarized their work, passing it off as his own. Apparently, one of his victims was his own foster son. Just like with Kamoshida, Madarame, shortly after one of his exhibits closed, confessed to these crimes, his personality having shifted completely. Even though he seemed to show remorse, Marinette hoped he got what he deserved. This man reminded her too much of Bob Roth, especially when he stole Kitty Section's music and her costume designs.

Next was Junya Kaneshiro. This target was apparently what really allowed the Phantom Thieves' popularity to take off. He was a mafia boss that even the local authorities were struggling to arrest, even though his crimes were common knowledge in the Shibuya area. Then suddenly, he one day turned himself into the police. This one didn't have as much information. The police apparently tried to keep the arrest on the down-low due to the circumstances. The only reason the public found out the Phantom Thieves were involved was because of an abundance of calling cards that were scattered all over Shibuya. Kamoshida and Madarame had received similar cards before they confessed as well.

Finally, and this happened about a week ago, a group of international hackers, under the name Medjed, attempted a cyberwar against the Phantom Thieves and Japan itself. They threatened to ruin Japan's economy through a cyber attack unless the Phantom Thieves surrendered and revealed their identities to the public. They had set a deadline and everything. Then, the day before the deadline would have expired, the Phantom Thieves apparently stopped them, as Medjed's website was hacked with the Phantom Thief logo all over the webpage. Whether that was done by the Phantom Thieves themselves, or an avid supporter, no one knew, but Medjed was stopped, and Japan's economy remained stable.

Despite being vigilantes, Marinette genuinely believed the Phantom Thieves were helping the public overall by exposing corruption like this. Who knew what would still be happening if these people were still allowed to roam free? She didn't know how the Thieves convinced these people to confess their crimes and had no clue what "steal your heart" meant, though she had a feeling it wasn't something natural. Their actions seemed to be non-violent, though. None of their victims showed signs of physical injury or torture when they confessed. That was likely another reason the Phantom Thieves were receiving so much public support.

Marinette had learned a lot about destiny from Fu (it still hurt a little bit not referring to him as Master, even in her head), and the fact she was temporarily in the place where something this momentous, something this clearly magical was going on… she needed to look into this. But how? Nobody knew who the Phantom Thieves were, much less what they looked like! You could supposedly communicate with them via a proxy on the Phan-site, but no one has officially met any of them face-to-face. They seemed to be masters of blending into the crowd, not to mention the police weren't getting solid leads either.

What was even more confusing was that Tikki and Kaalki didn't know anything about this whole thing either.

"I've never heard of "changing people's hearts" in the way it's described here," Tikki admitted, referring to the Phan-Site.

"Hmm… maybe Ziggy knows something? She's the kwami of Imagination, so she's the one most connected to the mind," Kaalki suggested.

"Alright, I'll talk to Ziggy when we get back to Paris," Marinette nodded. She hoped the Goat Kwami had a possible answer.

"Hmmm… I wonder if Kagami knows anything about them," Marinette wondered aloud, glancing over at Alix, who was snoring in the bed next to hers. Surprisingly, Alix had volunteered to room with Marinette, which shocked her. She and Alix were friends, but not like how she and Alya used to be. Now that she thought about it, though, Alix may still listen to Lila's stories, but it seemed to be more out of politeness than actual interest now. If anything, for the last month or so, when Alix and Lila interacted, the skater just looked bored with the Italian. Could it be that the skater was catching onto Lie-la's lies?

Deciding to check if her theory had merit, Marinette sent a text to the fencer, asking if she had heard of the Phantom Thieves or not. She got a reply a few minutes later. Kagami had heard of them, but she didn't know much about them either. She and her mother had been living in Paris for about a year and a half, and the Phantom Thieves had only surfaced only a few months ago, so she didn't have much information apart from a few Japanese news articles and some online searches.

Marinette sighed and began to put her phone away when an Akuma alert blew up her screen.

"Perfect timing, Hawkmoth," she muttered sarcastically as she got up and tiptoed to the bathroom. She turned on the light to make it look like she was simply using the toilet before letting the two kwamis slip out of her purse, "Let's deal with this quickly! Tikki, spots on!"

One magical transformation later, Ladybug stood in all her glory in the tiny Tokyo bathroom. She quickly pulled out Kaalki's glasses and slipped them on. "Tikki, Kaalki, unify!"

o~o

It was about thirty minutes later that Ladybug (Lady Horseshoe with both Miraculous active) stepped back into the hotel bathroom. By the time that she had gotten to the actual fight, Luka, clothed as his new hero alias Kobra, had managed to corner the Akuma and figure out where the item was. One Lucky Charm later, and two shots of Second Chance, according to the snake hero, the Akuma was purified, and everything returned to normal in Paris.

She was also equally grateful that Kobra seemed calm after the fight ended. There had been fights in the past that had left the hero shaking, eyes wide with barely masked horror. One fight had him clinging to Ladybug afterward for about two minutes before she convinced him to let go of her. Even after that, it had taken the night being alone, lots of tears, and cuddling for Luka to finally calm down and accept that everything was okay.

During these moments was when Marinette was reminded that the Snake Miraculous was sometimes considered the most dangerous of the Miraculous. Not only did it make the holder a problematic opponent in combat, but the mental load it carried for the holder itself could take its toll over time. Luka had seen some things as both Viperion and Kobra, some that took more time to process and work through than others.

It had taken Luka a while to understand that he could talk to someone about what was going on. Due to his own family dynamics, and his selfless nature, Luka wasn't used to talking about his own problems, and usually preferred to work through them on his own. Over time though, this wore the guitarist down, to the point that he couldn't hide it anymore. This was one of the factors that convinced Marinette, as the Guardian, to make Luka a permanent holder. Sass had been an excellent help for Luka to process the many 'bad endings' he was forced to witness as part of his power. However, there were sometimes days where talking to the little kwami wasn't enough, which was why the couple had the rule of calling the other whenever they needed to speak. Even if it was in the middle of the night.

Other factors contributed to this decision too, but Marinette was too exhausted to dwell on them for now as she snuck out of the bathroom. To her relief, Alix was still asleep and seemed oblivious to what had happened.

After grabbing a macaroon for Tikki and a sugar cube for Kaalki (both of which she picked up in Paris), Marinette quickly climbed into her own bed and was asleep within seconds.

#miraculous au #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #miraculous fandom #miraculous marinette #miraculous ladybug #persona 5 #marinette dupen chang

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hadrian-pendragons · 4 years

Text

From the Outside

A polythieves piece that was supposed to be a drabble but got out of hand. Only goes up to before the end of Okumura’s palace because that’s where I was when I wrote it. Enjoy~

Everyone knows there’s something up with that new-but-getting-old kid.

He shows up and, at the start, is shrouded in mystery and darkened by rumors. That... doesn’t really change—but as time goes by, the student body of Shujin Academy starts to notice things. Important things.

The new delinquent student hanging with the old delinquent student wasn’t a big shock. The new and old delinquent student somehow pulling the blond modeling icon of the second year’s class into their fold was.

A friend of a friend of a cousin sees the three wandering the underground mall together, stopping by the flower shop, laughing and enjoying themselves. How does anyone enjoy the company of a murderer and the guy that tore apart the track team with his selfishness?

Takamaki-san must think she can change them—or maybe, just like the new rumors that flew over her head, the news of what kind of people Sakamoto and Kurusu were never reached her ears.

It didn’t occur to them that perhaps she was the one that knew the truth.

But, despite their involvement together and rumor after rumor after bet on which of the two “bad boys” she was after—certainly it was the new, mysterious guy. Sakamoto was a bit too loud and a bit too stupid for someone of her caliber. Kurusu, at least, seemed to have a decent head on his shoulders—it becomes less of a hot topic. In the wake of Kamoshida’s confession, it isn’t even considered worthy news, unless it was in the context of how much they had been pushing the man in the weeks leading up to the assembly.

No, there were more important things to care about now, like the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, exams, the new art exhibit and its famous showcaser.

And then it’s the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, exams, and Madarame’s live and embarassing confession.

And then someone notices a dark haired guy wearing a different school uniform waiting by the gates.

No one pays himany mind, except for some odd looks and whispers because what was the guy concentrating so hard on, staring at the school building and the students and holding his hands up in a box shape as if he could capture the scene with his mind? Then again, maybe someone should get the student council president or a teacher, because this was starting to get a little weird—

“There they are!” Several students jump at the sudden exclamation, the guy whirling around to face the school entrance, the light of mischeif and awe in his eyes, “The most worthy subjects to ever grace a canvas, rays of hope in the dark abyss, beauty and wonder personified—“

“Oh my god, Yusuke, please cut the crap.”

“Oh hush, Ryuji, some of us enjoy the attention.”

“Oh? You mean you did wanna model nude—?”

Sakamoto is cut off by Takamaki’s headlock, and Kurusu sighs, shakes his head, and smiles at the odd man in front of the school.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Yusuke.”

“It’s no trouble at all, Akira.”

It’s shocked silence that follows them all away from the school, confusion silencing the whispers more effectively than any rule. By the next day, the students of Shujin all know about the odd boy that waits in front of the school building, but no one truly talks about him.

He’s with that trio, and really, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are more interesting at the moment.

And then Kaneshiro sinks his slimy hands into the pockets of even the students, and the student council president starts to act a bit strange.

People notice her places she normally would never go, standing around, peeking up over a magazine or a newspaper and trying and failing to hide her presence. Whispers follow her, of course—but the more observant take a look around and realize exactly who is nearby.

Always those four, always together, and really if it weren’t for the fact one was the protege of a former hack, one was the school outcast, one was far out of any of their leagues and the last was a possible murderer, maybe their classmates would have been somewhat jealous at the way they seemed to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and stick together like glue.

They’ve got the attention of the student council president, though. And not the good kind. There wasn’t really much to be jealous of.

Then, Kaneshiro’s grip suddenly recedes faster than it dig itself in, and that group of four begins to hang out a bit longer at the school gates for Nijima to join them.

She joins them with an annoyed expression.

And it becomes increasingly difficult to find them all together.

The closeness is still there—in they way they greet each other in the halls, in the way Takamaki and Kurusu seem to check their phones at the same time, in the way Nijima berates Sakamoto for his exam grades and Kitagawa is seen with any one of them at any given time in public, and even Mishima is found hunting down Kurusu during the day, suddenly a lot closer with the rest of them than anyone had even realized—but the obvious association is gone. They aren’t together often, enough so that after the initial curiosity, people forget why they found it interesting in the first place.

Summer break and the Medjed scare come and go, and the much anticipated second-year class trip to Hawaii takes over the school’s gossip mill.

And then someone spots Sakamoto and Takamaki leave Kurusu and Mishima’s room, and in lieu of a poorly planned schedule and many teens gathered in a single hotel, people remember.

They’re all even seen on the beach, Takamaki putting flowers in the other’s hair, and—Kitagawa even appears, shockingly enough.

But it’s Hawaii, and with the fast-approaching deadline of their flight back, all rumor and prying gets shoved away for one last chance to make the most of their time.

The day of their return flight, a few last-minute shoppers spot the red-haired honor student chatting happily with Kurusu and his group, and honestly, no one can truly feel surprised anymore.

The odd group is really forgotten when the Phantom Thieves ranking appears on the “phan”site and Principal Kobayakawa passes away.

Maybe, in the days leading up to the downfall of the shrewd corporate criminal Okumura, they’re all seen bent on their knees and tending to the plants in the school gardens alongside the quiet, happy gardener student that seemed unworried about the looming of the popularity polls.

The world casts itself into an uproar over individuals, but together is how they face it all.

#persona 5 #persona 5 royals #p5 #p5r #akira kurusu #polythieves

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akirakurusuimagines · 4 years

Text

The Reaper’s Game

@p5auweek day five: Crossover with another fandom AU (The World Ends With You)

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

Akira looked up at the figure he once partially considered an ally, his vision hazy, head spinning, and body numb, the combination of drugs, exhaustion, and failure weighing heavily on the boy who stood up against fate. He had barely processed the muffled gunshot that Akechi fired at the guard who let him in and the subsequent thud on the floor of the corpse, much less the way that the same gun was aimed at him, ready to take his own.

Akechi spoke, but Akira could barely hear him. His blood was pounding in his ears, arms trembling ever-so-slightly. He didn’t want to die… but he had failed, and this was the consequence of his hubris. Memories of a blue butterfly’s words rang in his head: this is truly an unjust game; your chances of winning are almost none. Where did things go wrong?

“Case closed,” Akira finally processed the words, his eyes widening as the barrel hovered right over his forehead, the smoking gun ready to fire once more. “This is how your ‘justice’ ends.”

Akira felt an electrifying shock of pain followed by the sound of the muffled gunfire, and then...nothing.

Only darkness.

Emptiness.

The leader of the Phantom Thieves that took the nation by storm was dead.

“Nngh…” the bustling sounds of Shibuya crossing made Akira’s ears ache. It took him several moments to come to complete consciousness, feeling the rough texture of concrete against his face. He slowly sat up, dizzy, surprised to see where he was⁠— why was he here? Was this some sort of sick joke? He died, he knew he did! And yet, there he was, a familiar spot in Tokyo, full of people of all ages who ignored him, simply walking on the striped lines, aiming for a destination he couldn’t possibly guess.

Akira felt queasy thinking about his own death, not wanting to remember the strange sensation of having his brains blown out. Akira’s shaky hand came up and pressed against his forehead, trying to feel for where the bullet went through, but searched as he might, he found nothing. It was just his fluffy black hair and his smooth skin. He sighed in relief, honestly unsure of what he would’ve done if it turned out that he did have the wound on his face. This was all too confusing. Was it a dream? Akira wasn’t sure, but he figured nothing would change if he just sat there all day.

He stood up, but the unmistakable gentle clink of something dropping caught his attention. A pin? He didn’t recognize it, but figured it must’ve been on his person. Akira looked around for a moment to see if anyone was searching for it before he knelt down and took it in his hand, tossing it up in the air and catching it, only to feel a strangely familiar sensation. My third eye? He was astonished with how it activated without his prompting, and clutched the strangely designed pin in his hand once more, noting the way it dissipated.

“What the hell is going on…?” Akira mumbled, shoving the pin in the blazer’s pocket of his school uniform and fishing around for his phone or any other interesting things he had for some odd reason or another. He wondered if he’d even have it, considering the police confiscated it when he was arrested. The sudden weight in his front pocket accompanied by his ringtone made Akira nearly jump out of his skin, and he scrambled to retrieve it.

Reach 109.

You have 60 minutes.

Fail, and face erasure.

The Reapers

Akira stared at the message for several seconds, wondering if he should take it seriously. He made note of the time, just in case, but began to scroll through his phone in hopes that he would be able to contact someone⁠. His phone did say that he had full signal, so he didn’t think it would be a problem, until he realized that he couldn’t back out of the message.

“What?” Akira tried and tried again, each time resulting in failure, no matter what he did or what he tried. Not even the small hacks Futaba had taught him were useless. “Ouch⁠—!” a sudden sting of pain erupted in his left hand, as if he had been burned with a branding iron. He turned it over, eyes widening as he watched as a timer ticked away on his hand, something he believed should be impossible, yet it made the threat on his phone much more terrifying. Erasure… what did that even mean?

He didn’t have time to ponder anything as strange symbols began to float in his peripheral vision, every nerve in his body screaming for him to run. But he couldn’t. Akira’s feet were frozen in place as he watched the symbols manifest into creatures that oddly resembled shadows, clearly intent on swarming him. “This isn’t the Metaverse, what the hell is going on?!” he was frustrated, and rightfully so, barely dodging a swipe from something that seemed like a bear, if not for the colors and painted-on appearance of its arms.

“Damn it⁠—” Akira seethed, looking for a way out. Luckily, even if it wasn’t the Metaverse, his experience from being Joker was a great advantage he had under his belt. Spotting an opening, Akira ducked under the monster’s swing, feeling rather light, and made a bolt for the crowd, breathing heavily as he continued to run, only stopping when he was sure he lost sight of them.

“Somebody! Anybody!” Akira yelled out, the strange pit of despair welling up in his stomach as he slowly came to the realization that no one was intentionally ignoring him⁠— they couldn’t see him. Nor those creatures, apparently. Was he in some sort of hell? He never thought it would be like this when he died. Maybe if he was a little more religious, he could’ve avoided this.

Akira noticed he had run all the way towards Hachiko, right next to the train station. He should be able to get to Yongen from there, but remembering the message on his phone made his skin crawl. 109 was his destination— it was better to figure out what was going on first, especially with that ominous threat.

“Aaaahhh!!” A series of shrill shrieks snatched Akira’s attention, and he watched in horror as those very same monsters he believed he had outrun were attacking those he thought to be civilians. In a matter of seconds, several people disappeared from the crowd as if they were never there to begin with.

He stumbled back, watching the shadow-esque creatures approach him. They… they were erased. It made sense to him now, but that didn’t solve the problem of how he was going to escape these things. He could only run for so long, and they seemed relentless. Still⁠— he didn’t have much of a choice. Akira took one last look at the impending doom before sprinting away, only to collide with you, causing you both to tumble, with him landing on top of you.

“I’m so sorry, I have to go⁠—!” Akira exclaimed, just barely figuring out the fact that he could touch you, and his shock only increased when you cupped his cheeks out of the blue, not moving to push him off of you or anything.

“There’s no time, make a pact with me! Now!”

He thought you were a little crazy, being so bold and then suddenly asking for a pact? “What?”

“Just agree! We’ll both be erased if you don’t! Hurry!”

Akira took one look over his shoulders and shuddered, seeing them approach. “A-Alright,” he nodded, adrenaline pulsing through his veins. “I accept⁠—”

No sooner than he uttered those words did a wave of light wash over you two, and a strange feeling not unlike the one he felt as he created new bonds secured your fate with his.

“Look out!” somehow, you seemed to know what you were doing, hastily apologizing before kicking him off of you, barely dodging yourself as one of those large beasts slammed its fist down on the ground where you two were just laying, standing up and getting into an offensive position. “Can you fight?”

“I⁠ don’t—”

“Just try!”

Akira looked skeptical as he rose, though he figured that considering the Metaverse and personas existed, there must be a way to fight. It couldn’t hurt to try and call on Arsène somehow. He wondered if he would be able to, stuck in his school uniform, no mask to rip off, but the rebellious fire in his soul never diminished. Akira was Arsène, and Arsène was Akira just the same. “Come, Arsène!” Akira extended a hand outward, momentarily stunned seeing the familiar red arm and black claws mimicking his movement.

“Holy shit⁠,” he heard your voice from behind him, clearly surprised seeing him summon Arsène. Not a second later watched as you lit the assailant on fire, inexplicably hovering over the ground for a split second. “But I’ve got a couple tricks up my sleeve too.”

Akira was silently grateful for the hours of torture he put himself through in the gym as he spun around and kicked, watching as Arsène’s heel sliced through one of them, erasing them in the same manner they had erased the others.

He heard static and watched as you dusted your hands and shirt off, before rushing over to him. Akira had to admit he thought you might’ve been aiming to punch him, but when you threw your arms around his neck, cheering, he couldn’t help but smile. You two had survived for now— but it wasn’t going to be enough. You had to keep moving, especially because more of those damn things were going to come after you.

“We did it! I can’t believe we did it⁠! I can’t believe I found a partner, and a powerful one at that, I⁠—”

“There’s no time to relax,” Akira gently pulled you off of him, confusion written all over his face. “You know what’s going on, right?” he looked at his left palm, wincing as the timer read 30:28, “Can you explain… all of this? But we should probably keep moving, those monsters are going to come after us again.”

“No, we’re safe now,” you explained, still grinning out of relief. “They won’t attack us out of the blue now that we have a pact. Anyways, sorry for before. I should introduce myself,” you stuck out your hand for him to shake, telling him your name. “I hope we get along! We have a long week ahead of us.”

Choosing to ignore the words that only made him more confused, Akira took your hand and gave it a firm shake. “I’m Akira Kurusu, nice to make your acquaintance,” he cleared his throat and shoved his hand in his pocket quickly after, looking away, up towards the skyline where he saw the brim of 109. “What the hell is all of this?”

“I think it’s the reaper’s game.”

“The what now?”

You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly, “you might not believe me, but it’s true. I’m… something of a casual occultist? I just enjoy reading those types of stories. Anyways, I’ll explain while we head to ten-nine.”

“You got the message too?”

“Every player did. You have a timer on your hand, right? We don’t have time to waste, let’s go,” you declared, marching forward with confidence now that you had a partner to help you battle against the creatures.

Akira had to jog to catch up to your quick speed. “Slow down! I still don’t understand what’s going on!” He was starting to wish that you were Morgana with how you were unintentionally dodging his questions. A sudden, nauseating swarm of emptiness overtook Akira at the thought of his roommate who was most certainly not a cat, and subsequently, the other Phantom Thieves. How were they all? Were they stuck in this hellscape too? He was worried, and rather stunned to have seen no news about him or the Phantom Thieves at all, not even as he passed by hundreds of people.

Even so, he didn’t have much of a choice of what to do. Akira simply had to trust you, and trust you he would. If it meant the both of you surviving until the end of this week, he’ll do anything.

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sharkbaitsekki · 4 years

Note

For the prompt, if it still open, how about: DimiClaude cross-dressing or drag queens? Or maybe the more risky request of Akira and Yusuke hanging out together (perhaps Akira teaching Yusuke how to make curry?) Have fun with your prompts!

Yusuke looked very focused on the cards he had in his hand, and for a second, Akira wondered what was going on in his head. Then again, he didn’t want to know all that much. The depths of Yusuke’s complex and frankly chaotic mind were not something he felt the need to pry into.

“So...” he trailed off, watching his friend frown at his hand of cards. “Are you... gonna play?”

“Oh, yes,” Yusuke said, snapping out of his reverie and flipping one of his cards towards Akira. It was a Queen of Hearts. “I was merely admiring the detailing on the artwork on this card. Only the red Queens have the powerful contrast in their coat designs, so I am fortunate to have drawn it in the last turn.”

“Don’t show me your hand, Yusuke,” Akira sighed, unsurprised. “Just... it’s your turn.”

“Oh, right then.” Returning his card to his hand, Yusuke considered his options for a little while before folding his cards on the low coffee table before him. “Go fish.”

“Yusuke,” Akira said with a deadpan, “this isn’t Go Fish, it’s Bullshit.”

“What language. To go to such lengths to express your disappointment in me...” Yusuke gasped in shock. “Please forgive my inexperience with this game!”

“No, no, the name of the game is...” Akira interrupted himself with a groan and folded his cards as well. “Okay, forget it. Let’s just... I dunno. Go downstairs and have lunch.”

“Swell idea!” Always happy to eat, Yusuke was up and heading downstairs even before Akira could react. Sighing, but not unkindly, Akira cleaned up the deck of cards and then took the stairs down the attic as well.

Yusuke was already seated in the booth when he arrived, chatting up Sojiro with something or another that Akira couldn’t guess from context. He didn’t bother sliding into his seat, knowing to expect Sojiro at this point.

“If you want food, you’ll have to help yourself to it,” he grumbled, just as Akira was halfway to the pot of curry already.

“Oh, I know,” Akira answered pleasantly, grabbing two plates from the clean stack that he had worked so hard on last night.

“Extra potatoes in mine, if I may!” Yusuke cheerfully requested, and Akira couldn’t find it in him to deny him.

After having fished around for potatoes, to Sojiro’s visible displeasure, Akira slid into the booth across from Yusuke and picked up his spoon.

“Thank you for the meal,” he said, echoed by his eccentric friend, and watched fondly as Yusuke dug into his meal. Probably the only one he’d had since yesterday, knowing him. It made Akira strangely happy to see his undying enthusiasm for the curry he prepared for him, and his meal somehow tasted much better with Yusuke across from him, making little pleased noises at the flavours on his tongue.

“Scrumptious,” he hummed in between two bites, his face brightly lit with innocent joy. The sight of his happiness was welcome to Akira, who had seen the boy at both his highest and lowest moments, and he couldn’t help but stare while Yusuke devoured his meal.

Halfway through the plate, Yusuke seemed to become aware of that fact.

“Is there something on my face?” he asked, cocking his head. There was a spot of curry sauce on the corner of his lips that Akira couldn’t help but laugh at. “Come now, please tell me. Have I done something amusing?”

“No, no,” Akira assured him, taking a bite of food to hide his grin. “I just had a thought.”

“I see...” Nodding wisely, Yusuke returned to his meal as well. “Well, I am glad to see you in such good spirits. It’s been difficult, recently, what with the Phantom Thieves and our looming deadline, but... I’m glad to see you place down the burden of leadership for a moment and indulge in the life of the teenager that you are at heart.”

“Oh.” That was surprisingly astute of someone like Yusuke, who constantly lived in his own head, and Akira suddenly felt exposed. “Yeah, I guess I need my downtime, too.”

“I’m honoured that you’ve chosen to spend it with me,” Yusuke continued. “I know I can be difficult to deal with sometimes, so I am grateful for your continued time.”

“Don’t thank me,” Akira insisted, feeling awkward all of a sudden. “I’m not just dealing with you either. We’re friends, Yusuke. I enjoy spending time with you, so I do.”

“So it truly is that easy,” Yusuke chuckled, his low voice rumbling in the empty air between them. “Well, I can only be grateful, then, that you found me when I was lost and erring and welcomed me despite everything said and done.”

“I’d do it again any time,” Akira rushed to promise, “and as many times as it takes.”

“You would say that, wouldn’t you?” Yusuke smiled, pleased and gentle. His eyes twinkled when he looked at Akira with fondness, a warm feeling that fronted for the fierce determination and loyalty that Akira knew to expect from him. There really wasn’t anyone in the world like Yusuke, not simply because of his mannerisms, but mostly because of his strength of heart.

“Eat your food,” he simply said, too embarrassed to continue that train of thought.

“With pleasure.” Always ready to be distracted, Yusuke began to turn his eyes back to his plate before he suddenly whipped his head towards the window behind Akira. “Hold for a moment... Those colours... that shape...”

Turning around in the booth to look at whatever Yusuke had spotted, Akira felt fondness bloom in his heart when he saw the bird perched on the flower pots outside Leblanc. Yusuke seemed enamored with it, eyes wide and mouth open slightly in a gasp.

“Oh, winged friend,” he murmured, rushing out of his seat. “What gorgeous eyes! And the way it so delicately balances on the stem of that plant... I must see its fleeting grace up close with my own eyes!”

He rushed out of the café with a jingle of the chime on the door, and Akira laughed softly as he got up to join him, watching him approach the bird carefully through the window.

“I’m not going to clean up for you,” Sojiro warned without bite to his tone as Akira left everything behind to follow Yusuke outside.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” he assured his guardian as he went for the door. Just as he reached it, his eyes caught the painting on his left, and he stopped for a moment to glance up at the Sayuri.

The way she looked down at the child in her arms reminded Akira of the way he looked at the boy now outside, imitating bird calls to appeal to the object of his attention. Akira wondered if Yusuke’s mother was somewhere out there now, watching over her son with the same loving gaze that she had immortalized in the ultimate parting gift for him. He wondered if she was proud of Yusuke, and then immediately corrected himself, knowing that she would be proud of him no matter anything else.

“Don’t worry,” he assured the Sayuri in a murmur, turning around to walk out of the door and join his friend. “He’s doing just fine.”

#shukita #writing yusuke is always a good time although this drabble is very slice of life #so there's really not much going on haha sorry... just two dudes hangin out like bros...#persona 5 #p5r #p5 #persona #cin's writing

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kingjinxii · 5 years

Text

Now that I can breathe again, let’s talk about P5R’s trailer!

Now that my hype is out of the way, I want to put my thoughts on the trailer down coherently.

So, let’s jump right in!

The trailer starts with Akira in the interrogation room, being confronted by Goro, aka the traitor. This is very reminiscent of the E3 2016 trailer for vanilla P5, but Sae is not present, and the questions being asked are more personal than a simple interrogation.

Goro: You think you know it all. You think that sparing you here is going to make me happy? I have no need for such pity. I have no need for such hesitation!

Now, this is the iconic scene where Goro “kills” the protagonist. And honestly, a lot of people had problems with it, Goro fans and Anti-Goros alike. The angry and vindictive way he killed Akira seemed...bizarrely out of character if he’s meant to seem sympathetic, and seemed out of touch with the “true self” we see later on Shido’s ship.

Here, he seems conflicted, he says he has “no need for hesitation” but he never hesitated in vanilla P5, so why call attention to it here?

I’ll get more into it later.

Following that scene, we find ourselves back in a frozen Shibuya crossing, just like when Akira first received the Metaverse app, and saw Arsene. While in that first scene, he seemed...apathetic if a bit confused, in this one, he’s outright scared, and worried.

That doesn’t go away when the screen lights up behind him.

Mysterious Voice: I...stole a dream.

It sounds like everyone’s new boo Kasumi has some secrets she’s hiding. This appears to be a late game Palace, possibly replacing the Bottom of Mementos as the December Palace.

Dreams and ideal versions of people keep popping up in all the promo imagery. But let’s continue on.

We get a previous of our stylish new OP featuring (nearly) everyone. It’s very reminiscent of comic books, very flashy and colorful.

Also it’s a bop.

Kichijoji opens up! It’s famous for its shops. Inokashira Park, a place already in the game, is also in Kichijoji.

Palace exploration has been expanded. We have a grappling hook now, allowing us to move at a Z axis! No more just sneaking around.

What I really hope this means is a lack of “Safe Room skips”, aka just skipping to your last Safe Room before the final boss. Maybe this time, you’ll really have to secure a route without the use of safe rooms.

The dialogue is much more interesting though.

Futaba: With this you can...rewrite cognition?

Makoto: Can we really do that?

Cognitive Pscience was brought up in Futaba’s Palace. It’s what her mother, Wakaba, was researching. However, it never actually affected anything, other that Shido learning about the Metaverse. It looks like it will play a bigger role in the story of Royal.

Kamoshida: Didn’t I tell you already? This school is full of students you’d be better off turning a blind eye to.

Morgana: Don’t you think something’s off here?

In practice, these are probably two unrelated pieces of dialogue referring to 1. Kamoshida being a dick and telling you to stay out of trouble, and 2. a Palace puzzle. But the fact they are used against this shot of Kasumi has me thinking that she isn’t all she appears to be.

The current theory is that she is like Marie from P4 Golden, some sort of supernatural entity spying on us in the real world.

But that’s a post for another time.

FINALLY these kids are getting THERAPY.

Also he’s cute.

Not much to say here, but let me touch on Ann’s line.

Ann: Lately, I’ve been feeling like someone’s watching me.

Ann: Like someone’s tailing you?

I’m fairly certain these two lined are unrelated. I think the first is referring to Yusuke’s stalking, and the second referring to Makoto’s stalking the protagonist or possible Kasumi or Goro stalking. Nothing new to note.

Futaba finally going to get her AOA!

Combo attacks from P4 are back! Haru/Morgana and Ryuji/Makoto are in the trailer. My money is on Ann/Yusuke having one, and possible Kasumi/Goro too

Yu never got one, so I’m assuming it’ll be the same with Joker.

Kasumi gets some dialogue!

Kasumi: Senpai, are you continuing on as Phantom Thieves? Wouldn’t it be best to stay out of trouble?

I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that Kasumi knows the protagonist is a Phantom Thief early. Like, possibly even Mishima early (as in Rank 1 Confidant). She showed opposition to the Thieves before, so I wouldn’t put it past Atlus to have her Confidant be debates between you and her on your methods.

This staticky figure is shown. I’m guessing it’s Kasumi, as this appears to be the same screen as was in Shibuya. The shape is indistinct though.

More school events, and Makoto and Haru are introduced early. Makoto even has a new portrait! To be honest, I prefer her old one, but maybe it will grow on me.

I’m worried the game will be too text-heavy though. I had a major problem with how much reading was in vanilla P5, especially conversations about nothing, that ended up leading to you being unable to go out at night. I hope let you go out after story events now.

Kasumi is possibly being abused/hurt by this man, but I’m unsure. We’ll need more information.

This cutscene scares me. She looks like she’s been betrayed. Possibly by the protagonist being a Phantom Thief? I don’t know.

“Self-suggestion” is also mentioned here. Maybe more Cog-Psci stuff?

New hangout: Penguin Sniper! Home of darts and billiards. Inviting your friends here might raise your relationship with them, and maybe raise your stats? We’ll see.

Phantom Thief Kasumi confirmed! Her HP and SP pool has me thinking she’ll be a primarily physical attacker, which is an interesting thought.

I love her Thief outfit. She’s wearing a leotard, which emphasizes her skill as a dancer and gymnast.

Place your bets for her Thief name. Maybe Princess or Rose?

Yusuke has a brief line.

Yusuke: I ran away. Forgive me.

I’m thinking this may be added dialogue about Madarame, but I’m uncertain. It ties into another point I’ll discuss later though.

Here’s the more spoilery part of the trailer!

Take a look at the lower right corner. Do those stripes look familiar?

It seems that Goro is alive and well, helping out the Phantom Thieves with Loki as Black Mask!

SO why did he hesitate in the interrogation room?

It’s because he genuinely cares for the Thieves and Akira. My prediction is he spares Akira, and joins there, instead of being a boss fight.

We’re getting a new Palace. That’s obvious. In vanilla P5′s opening, all the sins are overlaid over Morgana.

They are

Acedia - Sloth (The People’s Mementos)

Avaritia - Greed (Okumura Spaceport)

Gula - Gluttony (Kaneshiro’s Bank)

Luxuria - Lust (Kamoshida’s Castle)

Invidia - Envy (Sae’s Casino)

Ira - Wrath (Futaba’s Pyramid)

Superbia - Pride (Shido’s Ship)

Irritum - Vanity (Madarame’s Museum)

However the last one, Cavum or Emptiness, goes unused.

This Palace must be Cavum.

The question is whose Palace is it.

Old theories had it be Goro’s, but considering he’s in the Monamobile, I’m guessing it’s Kasumi’s.

Kasumi a cute!!

Also, Ryuji.

Ryuji: What’s right and what’s wrong...You have to decide that for yourself. Don’t just run away to keep yourself safe.

See, I told you that quote would fit in later!

I’m going to take a guess at P5R’s theme: Escapism.

Vanilla P5 is all about standing up for what you believe. Royal is going to tell you why you need to do it, instead of indulging in your own fantasies to escape your reality.

Finally, Joker drops from a great height towards the ground. Or those weird stairs.

I’m getting serious Ryuji sacrifice vibes here. If Joker survives this, whatever he’s dropping down to face, he’ll have to face alone.

No more running.

So there you have it! My coherent thoughts on the P5R trailer? What do you think? Do you have your own opinions and observations? Let me know!

#persona 5 #p5 #akira kurusu #ren amamiya #ryuji sakamoto #ann takamaki #yusuke kitagawa #makoto niijima #futaba sakura #haru okumura #goro akechi #morgana #kasumi yoshizawa #jinxii.txt #p5r #persona 5 the royal #meta

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