#(Technology Breaks Before Her) : Futaba

[epitomees]

~ Kasumi/Sumi’s Tags ~ 

More will be added as needed. 

[webbedphantom]

Strikers Adaptation

So, I don't too many in depth ideas for Strikers, but I've got two that I think are pretty good, one new and one older one.

Obviously, spoilers ahead. If you haven't played Strikers, GO PLAY STRIKERS DANG IT seriously it's my favorite game ever made

The new one is the simplest, but it's one I can't believe I never thought of until now.

Konoe

Aaron idolized Akira Konoe before the events of Strikers. He's got a few personal idols in the mechanical engineering world, one of the biggest being Akio Fujiwara (aka the AU's version of Doc Ock), but Konoe on the surface is everything Aaron wanted to be before the bite. He's genius, who runs a massive company that tries to improve as many lives as it can, doing everything for the greater good. But of course, that isn't the full story.

So when the signs begin pointing to Konoe's true nature, he rejects it outright. It just couldn't be true. Maybe someone at Madicce is messing with Emma to cause this, but there's no way Konoe could be in on it, right? It just couldn't be.

Then they explore the Okinawa Jail... and over and over again, he finds evidence proving Konoe's hand in everything... and it really gets to him. He tries not to let it show, but it's pretty apparent. After that revelation, he gets a bit more aggressive with their enemies (excluding Akane for obvious reasons), and he'd likely stay that way until Makoto (or whoever he is dating/closest to on the team at that time) decides to check in on him, where he'd just... break down.

He'd be mostly back to normal after that... but that rage would come back tenfold when dealing with Konoe himself.

A big theme in the adaptation would be technology. Konoe is of course, an Iron Man parallel, with Futaba even basing her armor off schematics she stumbles across while hacking into his servers much earlier on. Not only that, but a lot of the tech Konoe uses for his plan, including the Jails which as established in an earlier post, make Aaron's powers much weaker in the real world as long as he's within range of them. And no matter the verse, this version of Strikers requires a bit more real world action.

But over the course of the game, Aaron overcomes these obstacles, either pushing through with his willpower, or inventing new tech to combat these new problems. So when it finally comes time to face Konoe, it's pitting their tech, as well as their resolve against each other.

Aaron tears into Konoe, both physically and verbally, pointing out how wrong what he's doing is while also trying to beat the crap out of him. Though despite his immense power and the aid of his friends, Konoe has the upper hand throughout. It's only when Aaron realizes that because of Konoe's engineering knowledge, his Shadow's armor and weapons are built realistically, allowing him to use that to his advantage and finally bring him down.

Adaptation

This is probably the coolest one. Given the wide variety of powers his team has, or in closer-to-canon's case, how strong Phantom Spider is, E.M.M.A begins to prepare a failsafe, something to take care of the problem, or at least delay them long enough to enact her (their?) plan.

This failsafe is a series of androids designed to mimic and replicate the powers of Phantom Thieves, called Adaptoids. In the AU, every member of the team gets one, aside from Zenkichi (since he hadn't joined the team at that point) and Sophia (since EMMA doesn't see her as worth copying). In closer-to-canon however, while the full line of Androids is made, only the one of Phantom Spider exists in reality, while the rest are limited to only acting in the Metaverse, much like the team themselves.

These are built using scans and analysis of their powers taken during the 4th jail in Okinawa (since you do technically find EMMA there), as well as the remaining cognitive psi-ence research Konoe acquired from Shido after his arrest, the most significant of which being AF-15, the same serum that gave Aaron (and the rest of the team in the AU, minus Makoto) their powers.

The Adaptoids kinda replace Akane's Thieves in her jail, which is where the first big fight with them would take place. However, the prototype for Aaron's Adaptoid actually tracks them down much earlier, at least in closer-to-canon. It works alongside the police to bring the Spider in, and thanks to Akane's jail limiting his powers, it nearly succeeds.

The Adaptoids though, even in the AU, aren't perfect copies. While they can mimic a lot of the Thieves powers, they can't copy their Personas outside of the Metaverse, meaning they're a bit weaker in the real world. In the Metaverse however, the Adaptoids use a sort of distorted hologram of the Persona, making their spells much more potent, and allowing the Spider Adaptoid to mimic Aaron's synergy techniques.

The team is able to beat them however, using the classic technique of switching partners, taking advantage of their weaknesses which the Adaptoids had also copied. But this wouldn't be the last they'd see of them.

The Adaptoids would return as the boss guarding the way to Konoe's cage, only this time the bots have all fused together, using the Noir Adaptoid as a base. In universe, this is because it deemed Haru to be the strongest of the team, and that all her weaknesses are made up for by fusing with the others. The actual reason I chose to do this is as a nod to the Mecha Haru fight in her dad's Palace.

This Super Adaptoid (or Phantom Adaptoid as it's called in universe) is able to do everything the team can, to an extent. In base form, it has all their resistances and none of their weaknesses. It also wields a staff that can turn into a perfect replica of any of their weapons, allowing it to perfectly mimic their fighting styles (It doesn't do the same for their guns, preferring to just stick with Haru's Rocket Launcher). However, in order to use any of their Persona skills, it needs to switch to it, just like a Wild Card does, which is indicated by the arrangement of its face plates (mimicking the mask of whoever's Persona it's using) and the lights along its body (lighting up in the color associated with that team member). When using that Persona, it becomes weak to whatever that Persona is weak to, but keeps all other resistances. Most importantly, even if you hit it with its weakness, it will not be knocked down. It will still do more damage, but this thing is a tank that will not stop until the entire team is neutralized.

Eventually, the team takes it down... but the plans for it still exist on Medicce's computers, including the data they acquired from analyzing the team. So if someone wanted to, they could easily recreate it, even upgrading it a bit for closer-to-canon so that the other Thieves bots could exist IRL.

Sophia Time!

Finally, some quick things for how Sophia would work in the AU (as I don't have anything for Zenkichi yet. Though someone did suggest making him Toxin, which I am considering).

First up, Sophia is actually discovered significantly earlier in the AU. After Futaba gets her powers, she discovers a bunch of thugs trying to break into someone's apartment, which she takes down easily. However, after looking around a bit, it appears no one's home, and that no one's been here in months. But seeing a computer, her curiosity gets the better of her, and she ends up interfacing with it. This is when she stumbles across Sophia, who ends up downloading herself into Futaba's suit, and is unfortunately unable to leave it, as integrating with the advanced operating system stored within has made her incompatible with anything else. And since her operating system is kinda her Persona, Sophia ends up sorta living in Futaba's head for the rest of the year.

However, when Strikers comes around, Sophia is able to manifest in the jails, much like she does in the game, and works with the team to help stop Konoe and EMMA. Though, her abilities are clearly influenced by Futaba's at first, able to fly around, shoot laser beams, and all the typical Iron Man stuff. After her awakening though, she gains Vision's ability to density shift, able to phase through walls or become an immovable object.

After they take EMMA down, Aaron, Ichinose, and Futaba work together to give her a body of her own, repurposing the Adaptoid tech, as well as left over parts from Konoe's Zephyr Man Armor. She then leaves with Ichinose, much like in the game, pretending to be her daughter and trying to lead a somewhat normal life. But if the world is ever in danger, she will rush over to aid the team.

As an adult, which is something she kinda chose to be after a while so she wouldn't stand out too much, she reveals her identity as a Self Aware AI to the world, and works with her mother to improve Human and AI relations going forward.

There's a bit more, but I think that's enough for now.

Thanks for reading this nonsense!

[i-demand-a-hug]

AU where instead of phantom thieves the P5 kids form a ghost hunter's club! Whether it's because they had a legit experience with ghosts or if they just watched too much Buzzfeed Unsolved, no one knows.

Akiren:

-The leader, of course, and the bravest.

-It's unknown whether he actually believes in ghosts.

-People have joked that because he doesn't talk much or show much emotion, and he can silently sneak up on just about anyone, he might be the real supernatural entity they should be hunting.

Morgana:

-The team's 'official' ghost detecting cat.

-It's not been proven that he can detect ghosts.

Ryuji:

-Does not believe in ghosts, unless he's in a supposedly haunted location. Then he definitely believes in ghosts.

-The brawn of the group. Has claimed he will protect everyone if any ghosts really show up: no one's asked him how physical strength would help against actual ghosts or demons.

-Totally cool with breaking into restricted areas for the sake of ghost hunting.

Ann:

-In charge of the video recorder. Captures everyone's sillier moments to lighten the mood.

-Like Ryuji, she argues that she doesn't believe in ghosts, but panics during supposedly supernatural events.

-Has threatened to set any ghost who attacks her on fire. She said it with such intensity that no one doubts she'll find a way.

Yusuke:

-He doesn't know if he believes in ghosts or demons, but if they do then he would like to paint one.

-In charge of photography. Gets way too focused on taking pictures of building structures and good compositions rather than any supernatural stuff.

-Accidentally caused rumours of a ghost at his school thanks to his eccentric behaviour and occasional sleepwalking.

Makoto:

-Believes in ghosts and hates every second of it.

-Argues she's joined the group to make sure no one breaks the law, and that they keep up their studies. In actuality it's because she likes being friends with everyone.

-Tries to present reasonable explanations for any ghost-like activity.

Futaba:

-Technology expert. Has made many gadgets for the club ranging from ear pieces, walking talkies, and self proclaimed 'ghost detectors.'

-Will not actually set foot in a haunted location. Prefers to give directions from behind the scenes.

-Always on the lookout for new rumours and stories the club can investigate.

Haru:

-Believes in ghosts and would very much like to meet one.

-Brings healthy snacks for everyone.

-Honestly just having a good time all around.

Goro:

-Thinks the idea of ghosts is silly, but is always goaded into exploring with everyone.

-Wants to see how many scary stories he can tell during investigations and sleepovers before the group kicks him out.

-Will not admit he loves being part of the group.

[voicesagainstliars]

Ann

First of all. I love your pigtails and the way you care for Shiho. Second of all. How’s being Bombshell make you feel?

(WARNING: I sorta broke off again... I took a dig at the reasons the fic is no longer updated on FFN...)

Ann blushes Agidyne-red.

Shiho: Damn... I thought I was the only one who could break her like that...

Ann: T-thank you very much for your compliments, first of all! 

Ann: Second, it’s awesome! I’m so honored that Mari chose me to be a superheroine! And I was the first one chosen out of those of us from Tokyo!

Akira: If memory serves, you were the second hero Ladybug chose that is still a member of the team today. 

Ann: Wait, who was first?

Luka waves to her, an unimpressed smirk on his face.

Ann: O-oops... right... sorry, Luka. 

Ann then rereads the whole thing. Her eyes narrow at a part of it.

Ann: Of course I’m gonna care for Shiho! I love her! She’s was there for me even before Kamoshitbag, and now I get to be there for her!

Shiho blushes fondly.

Shiho: I’m sure they didn’t mean it like that...

Ann: At least those guys aren’t angry I’m dating her and not someone else... 

Futaba: Whaaat? What’s that supposed to mean?

Akira: Some people sent some pretty hateful mail because I’m dating Ryuji and not one of you girls. Don’t get me wrong, I’m bisexual, but I don’t think I want to date any of you girls... no offense.

Marinette, Ann, Makoto, Futaba, Shiho, Kagami, Juleka and Alix, in unison: None taken!

Akira: Especially not after that dream...

Morgana: What dream? You never mentioned this!

Akira: I don’t tell you everything, Morgana. It happened around the time in between Bustier and Roth’s Palaces. I dreamed I was dating Ann, Makoto, Futaba, Hifumi, and a few other women I’d rather not detail, and you all kicked my ass.

Shiho: I don’t follow... do you mean polyamory?

Akira: No... I mean that Dream-Me cheated on you guys...

Yusuke: Rest assured, Akira - if I meet Dream-You, I will halve him. This doesn’t reflect on you, does it?

Akira: Oh, hell no. I’m not cheating on Ryuji, and as much as I respect polyamory, I wouldn’t want anyone else.

Ryuji, hearts and stars in his eyes: Akira...

Akira and Ryuji meet up in a passionate kiss that looks moments away from turning into a makeout session. They do end up breaking apart, though.

Makoto: Well... that turned out interestingly. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but... Futaba, would you mind digging into the hateful fan mail and finding the people who sent him this?

Futaba: Already handled! I wanted to waste their time by sending them grocery deliveries they were never going to eat, but I don’t have that type of money... 

Shiho: Don’t tell me you spent our treasure funds...!

Futaba: Oh, no. I just did the equivalent of breaking all their technology’s spirits in half. Phones, computers, game systems... I almost deleted all the memory on one guy’s ZBox system, but that’s not something I would wish on my worst enemy...

[lastoneout]

Comfort Food

Fandom: Persona 5

Rating: PG

Summary: 

Akechi has a food blog, Futaba thinks that's hilarious, Akira is a good friend, and Sojiro needs a drink.

Notes:

This was supposed to just be me projecting my issues on to Akechi because he's my emotional support bastard boi but somehow it turned into nearly 2500 words of tooth-rotting slice of life fluff. Whoops.

A03

Goro learned the hard way that hiding things from Futaba was impossible.

To be fair it wasn’t like he was trying to hide his food blog, he mentioned it in passing a few times and he knew that most of his followers were his fans, but he never really expected any of the Thieves to actually read it, let alone read it out loud, in front of him...while laughing at it.

“What are you, a high school girl?” Futaba said with a snicker after she finished reading his latest post aloud, “I’ve seen little girl’s diaries with more class.”

“Oh my god.” Akira choked out from beside Futaba behind Leblanc’s bar, desperately trying to muffle his laughs as Goro floundered.

He knew he shouldn’t care. The Thieves always poked fun at each other. ‘It’s what friends do,’ Akira had said. If anything he figured he should be grateful that Futaba considered him enough of a friend to playfully mock his hobby. But Goro was never good at regulating his inner emotions, and so as much as he tried to not let it get to him, it did.

Truthfully, he never meant to get into food. For the longest time, he considered it a pointless expense. In the various foster homes that he was tossed between food was almost a luxury. And to someone who often wondered where his next meal would come from it was hard to justify the cost of a fancy dinner when the same money could get him a month's worth of instant ramen and convenience store bento lunches.

But when he got into high school and wormed his way into the police force he suddenly was financially stable enough to justify luxury spending. Nijima-san was kind enough to pull some strings to get the agency to act as a guarantor so he could move out of the foster home and into a small apartment, and after he paid his bills and rent he was left staring at the remaining sum in his bank app, trying to wrap his head around how that money was his, and he could do whatever he wanted with it.

He tried to keep a level head and decided to go to a nearby department store to pick up things to furnish his new home, but on the way there he passed a diner and was stopped dead by the incredible smells drifting out the door. His stomach growled, and he found himself trying to remember the last time he had eaten something that hadn’t come wrapped in plastic and styrofoam.

His stomach growled again, and before he had time to think about it, knowing that if he did he would decide against it, he hurried into the restaurant. He was seated quickly, and despite feeling weirdly giddy and anxious he smiled at the kind waitress who took his order. The simple latte and plate of pancakes were probably the most delicious things he had ever tasted, and he couldn’t help how his eyes watered after the first bite, the food filling some empty part of himself he hadn’t even known existed.

Looking back on that day he’s grateful that he wasn’t famous yet, as no one cared to pay attention to the skinny teenager in the booth by the wall trying not to get tears in his dinner.

After that, he ate out at least once a week. He spent little on necessities, picking up most of the things he needed at the ¥100 store and buying used clothes, saving every extra bit that didn’t go into bills for food. Eventually, he started looking up new places to eat, and after finding a few food blogs he decided on a whim to start his own. It didn’t take off until after his big break, but he didn’t mind. The simple pictures and reviews he posted weren’t really for anyone else, and on days when he felt empty and angry, he would scroll back through them and feel a little bit better. Almost happy at the little niche he had carved out for himself.

Shortly after that Akechi’s entire life quickly became a delicate web of lies. He was a double, even triple agent, under so many layers of falsehoods even he struggled to keep it straight sometimes. If anyone ever bothered to break him down to his bare parts there really wasn’t much he actually did for himself. Every single facet of his life and personality had been carefully crafted to ensure he would be able to get the revenge he so desperately craved. He hardly ever did anything just for himself. Every interest he shared in interviews or mentioned around his ‘friends’ was for show, not something he honestly cared all that much about. It was annoying sometimes, having to pretend to care for things he felt apathetic towards, but it was necessary.

But food? Food stayed safe. It helped his Detective Prince facade once he got popular, after all the only thing teenage girls seemed to like more than cute boys was trendy food. And cute boys who love trendy food? That’s a check that writes itself. It made him look soft, approachable, and normal. So he indulged. Actually enjoying sharing the one part of himself that wasn’t fake.

Maybe that’s why Futaba’s mockery stung so much. He wouldn’t care if people made fun of his fake interests, but when it was the real him? It hurt.

He tried to laugh it off, blushing and begging her to stop. He insisted it’s just for his fans, he’s not really that immature or girly, it’s just for show! But each plea seemed to only make the situation worse, so he gave up and silently begged for her to get bored soon, his face an unnatural shade of red.

Akira, ever perceptive, seemed to notice something change in his demeanor, and without a second thought, the teen reached forward and plucked Futaba's phone right out of her hands.

"Hey!" She shouted, grabbing for it.

"Alright, alright, that's enough." He chided, holding the phone just out of Futaba's reach, "We all have our hobbies. But since we're in a sharing mood how about I tell Akechi-kun all about your Featherman shipping blog?"

A chill came over the room. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, I would." He turned to Goro with a devilish smirk, "See she loves the red and blue rangers together-"

"Akira I'll end you!" Futaba yelled, diving forward and attempting to tackle him. Akira, however, was taller, and easily deflected her blows.

"She was telling me about this doujinshi she read the other day-"

"I'll spread rumors about you on websites you've never even heard of!"

"It was so romantic-"

"I'll leak your bank info on the dark web!”

"It's by her favorite author too, she buys everything they release-"

"I'll destroy you with malware, you won't be able to BREATHE near a circuit board without getting a virus!"

"Tell me, Akechi-kun, do you know what smut is?"

"AKIRA!!!" Futaba shrieked, and it was quickly followed by the sound of clanging pots and Sojiro swearing loudly from the kitchen.

“Would you two cut it out?” He shouted, poking his head around the corner.

“Sorry Boss, just giving Futaba a lesson on being a good friend,” Akira replied with an apologetic smile.

“Well next time can you do it outside? You’re lucky I don’t have any customers in here right now.”

“You never have any customers...” Futaba mumbled.

“I heard that. And Futaba, I thought I asked you to tie up your hair when you’re behind the counter.”

“On it...” She grumbled, pulling her hair back into a lazy bun with the scrunchie on her wrist.

“We’ll keep the noise and health code violations to a minimum, Boss,” Akira said, shooting a lazy salute Sojiro’s way. The older man eyed them for another second before sighing and mumbling something about herding cats as he turned back to the curry.

With the situation defused, Akira and Futaba stared at each other, having a silent yet very animated conversation, but eventually, Akira seemed to win and Futaba sighed heavily, "Okay, okay,” She turned to Goro and gave him a bow, “I'm sorry for making fun of your blog Akechi-kun."

Goro hardly knew what to make of the display, let alone her apology, but it made him feel a bit better, so he relaxed and gave her a genuine smile, “It’s alright, Futaba-chan, I forgive you.”

“Can I have my phone back now, please?”

“You may,” Akira replied amicably, handing the hostage technology back to Futaba.

She smiled triumphantly before another dark look crossed her face. She eyed Goro, suspiciously, before blushing and tapping her fingers together “A-and Akechi-kun...you won’t tell anyone else about the...shipping thing, right?”

“To be honest...I’m not sure I fully understand what you were talking about,” He replied, “But your secret is safe with me.”

“I’m so proud of both of you,” Akira said with a fake teary-eyed sniff, “My two little introverts, making friends.”

Goro and Futaba broke out in protests, but a quick glare from Sojiro shut them both up.

“Wow, you’ve really got that ‘disappointed dad’ look down, Sojiro.” Akira quipped.

“Don’t you have anything better to do than raise hell in my cafe?”

“As much as it breaks my heart, yes.” Akira said, untying his apron and heading around the counter, “I’ve got a date with a pile of dirty dishes in Shinjuku.”

“You’re not taking Morgana?” Futaba asked as he grabbed his bag and jacket.

“Nah, he hates The Crossroads, says the alcohol smell makes his nose itch. When he wakes up from his nap just let him know where I went.”

“Roger that.”

“Thanks,” He said, “See you guys later! Oh, and try not to get into too much trouble while I’m away.”

Futaba rolled her eyes dramatically, and Goro, still feeling a bit lost, simply shrugged.

“Akira, text me when you get there! You know I don’t like you going to that part of town so late.” Sojiro called, and Goro had to suppress a smirk. Akira had faced down far worse threats than the red light district at night. But it must be nice, he figured, to have someone worry about you.

“Got it!” Akira replied, the bell jingling as the door closed behind him.

Futaba seemed to deflate in his absence, looking anxious. She had explained once that Akira was something called a ‘key item’ that gave her ‘a plus ten confidence boost’, and he assumed that just meant she was shy when he wasn’t around. Goro turned back to his discarded coffee, grimacing a bit when a sip revealed it to be lukewarm.

“Uh, I can make you another cup...it’s my fault that one went cold anyway.” She said, clearly trying to make things up to him, “Sojiro’s been teaching me. It probably won’t be as good as his though. I’m still totally stuck on tutorial mode.”

“Oh, um, that would be lovely.” He replied, “Thank you.”

She started the process, carefully measuring grounds as the kettle heated, “You know, you should write about Leblanc on your blog. You like the food here, right?”

“I-”

“Absolutely not.” Sojiro interrupted, joining Futaba behind the bar to supervise the brewing.

“But Sojirooo! Akechi-kun is popular, you might actually get some business for once!”

“I don’t want that kind of business. Sorry Akechi-kun, but hundreds of fangirls in here every day ordering fancy drinks and asking when their beloved Detective Prince is coming back? I can feel my blood pressure skyrocketing just thinking about it.” He replied with a chuckle, “A man my age can only handle so many loud teenagers at once, and Akira’s band of hooligans already pushes the limit.”

“Don’t worry, Saku...uh, sorry, Boss. I understand.” Goro clarified, “There have actually been several cases of popular food writers unwittingly causing small restaurants to close due to their articles increasing interest to an unmanageable level. I wouldn’t dream of doing that to Leblanc.”

“Glad we’re on the same page then.”

Futaba finished making the coffee, grinning when Sojiro complimented her technique. She eagerly pushed a fresh cup to him, practically vibrating while she watched him take a sip. It was true that it wasn’t as amazing as her father’s, but it was still good and had its own charm.

“You did well.” He said, and he couldn’t help chuckle when she broke out in a wide smile, a warm feeling blossoming in his chest at the sight.

“Yes! I leveled up! Plus five coffee making exp!”

“We’ll make a barista of you yet.” Sojiro said fondly, “Now, it’s getting late. Akechi-kun, do you have dinner plans? I’ve got enough curry back here to feed an army, you’re welcome to stay.”

“I wouldn’t want to impose...”

“Just say yes.” Futaba whispered to him with a smirk, “Sojiro put all of his stat points into feeding wayward teens.”

“Then...yes, I’d be honored.” Akechi said, too confused to be offended by being called ‘wayward’.

“The honor is ours,” Futaba replied solemnly, giving an overly formal bow before breaking out laughing.

Sojiro wasted no time serving up three plates of curry, chatting idly with Futaba as she went to flip the open sign to closed. The two of them managed to herd Goro into a booth just as Morgana trotted downstairs, asking about Akira and demanding food. Futaba poked the poor not-cat a few times while Sojiro retrieved Morgana’s food bowl and popped open a fresh can of cat food.

“Sorry,” Sojiro said, pulling up a chair and making room on the table for Morgana’s dish, “He throws a tantrum if he doesn’t get to eat with us.”

“I do not!” Morgana shouted indignantly, “I’m just too civilized to eat on the floor.”

“Chatty cat,” Sojiro replied, giving Morgana a few chin scritches.

“Morgana is family,” Futaba said sagely, “And a family that eats together, stays together.”

‘...Family, huh...’ Goro thought to himself.

“What’s up Akechi-kun?” Futaba asked, and he blushed lightly as he realized he was staring off into space.

“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s nothing,” He deflected, “The food looks delicious, Boss. Thank you.”

“Thank you for the food!” Futaba yelled before digging into her plate, and the rest of them quickly followed suit.

As the four of them shared the meal, Goro felt the warm feeling from before grow and spread through his chest. Futaba was using her fork to flick small bits of meat at Morgana despite Sojiro’s half-hearted complaints, cheering as Morgana somehow managed to catch every single one. The smell of curry and coffee and cat food mingled in the air with laughter and shouts, giving the whole room a feeling not unlike a comforting hug.

Goro allowed himself a small smile, sure that the only reason he felt so happy was the food.

[hancfubuki]

character analysis;

SAKURA FUTABA

alright, lads. those who know me or followed me on my previous blog know that i LOVE to do this. i need to clarify that i study psychology, so these analysis is coming from a professional point of view ( which i do mostly to reinforce my essays because like, teachers love to make us analyse movies and characters lol ) and solidify my characters as my passion is giving a feeling to them of ACTUAL human beings. 

now, i have seen many headcanons of futaba being autistic but, yet again, from a psychological perspective i don’t see it, and i’m gonna explain why. ( however if you headcanon her as autistic is completely valid. this is a personal analysis and perspective ).

if you have a character analysis request let me know and i’ll be more than glad to do it!!

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS GONNA BE A LONG POST. I’LL TRY TO MAKE IT AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE BUT I KNOW BEFOREHAND IT IS FOR SURE GONNA BE LONG. 

breaking down the character i can see clear signals of depression, anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, hikikomori syndrome and selective mutism; this last one is commonly mistaken with the autistic spectrum because the common knowledge is associating the non-verbal behavior with the autistic spectrum or cases of schizophrenia, but in fact, this condition is not only applicable to those disorders. in real life, some people have been diagnosed with autism when in fact they suffer selective mutism, so it’s better to actually understand the root of the disorder before jumping to conclusions and giving an actual diagnosis. 

let’s start with a short definition of each condition:

MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: this condition affects negatively on the way a patient feels, thinks or acts. it causes severe feelings of sadness and in the majority of the cases loss of interest in activities that were formerly enjoyed. this also has an effect on the patient’s behavior and can also lead to physical problems. 

( SOCIAL ) ANXIETY DISORDER: a pretty common condition ( there are studies that say that nearly 30% of the adult population suffer from this disorder ). this is actually a normal reaction of the brain when it senses excessive fear or stress, it alerts our brain of possible danger and sometimes it can escalate and turn into panic attacks. 

AGORAPHOBIA: derives from the anxiety disorder. it is the fear of open, big spaces that can handle large crowds. usually the patient’s affected with this phobia feel fear mostly because they anticipate situations like using public transportation, standing in line, etc. it causes an immense fear that leads to panic attacks because they feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed. in some cases, this phobia starts because of previous panic attacks, so the patient will try to avoid those places and if something triggers that feeling, the phobia is going to act up.

HIKIKOMORI SYNDROME: this is a japanese culture-bound syndrome. it affects mostly young people in japan. they live isolated from the world, most of them locked down on their parent’s house ( some of the cases might communicate ONLY with their relatives. in the most severe cases they won’t speak to anyone at all ). this lock down can last days, months or years and it is heavily influenced by the internet and technology, as the it is their only escape. 

SELECTIVE MUTISM: also derives from anxiety disorder. the patient is unable to speak in CERTAIN social situations. it usually starts on childhood but it also affects adults. contrary to its name the person does not refuse to speak, they don’t have a choice as they are truly UNABLE to speak. certain people triggers panic on them and this causes the talking to be impossible, as it is an anxiety disorder, the person will anticipate situation as well that cause distress. however, despite of this trigger the people that suffer from this condition is able to speak freely to close family circles and friends as they don’t really trigger a freeze response on them. mostly this fear comes from the expectation the other person might have on them, and this provokes the anxiety causing a great difficulty responding or initiating verbal communication.

moving to her personality and background, from the very first moment we notice the anxiety coming from her, she is only able to communicate behind a screen and with an alias as she does not really completely trusts the phantom thieves. why do i think she has selective mutism instead of being under the autistic spectrum? easy, when you start the game you can notice sojiro constantly getting calls ( and we realize later on they were from futaba ). meaning that she is able to bond properly with him, sojiro even explains later on the game that she didn’t eat nor talk for a long time and little by little he was regaining her trust to let her know that she wasn’t alone. still, you can notice sojiro’s guilt as he is not able to take her out of the house and he is happy that at least she is eating but still you can see the traces of the depression and anxiety on her personality.

futaba explains her desire to die, a common thought that derives from depression as the people that suffer this condition usually see life as meaningless. she doesn’t want to be seen either, so she covers her face and any trace that could easily identify her because yet again, she needs trust to speak normally to another person, besides she has this constant fear of being judged which shows her anxiety. 

also a very important point is that people with this affections ( anxiety and selective mutism ) is that they might come off as RUDE or BLUNT ( something we notice on futaba ), because they are well, socially inept. however, as soon as she starts spending more time with the thieves she starts acting more relaxed and it’s when she starts showing her cheerful, childish side. i truly believe that these conditions started from her childhood, because as it is stated on her story line, she grew up being a lonely child. kids would just ignore her because she was considered a genius, her mother was never home and she started believing that her mother cared more about her research than being with her, this plus the lack of friendships and her mother’s dead only developed a severe anxiety disorder that later on was going to evolve in the conditions i explained previously. 

the thieves indeed help her to slowly start her process of overcoming her fears, and it shows that initially she didn’t really got along well with all of them, especially makoto because makoto has a more mature vibe than the others and this would only intimidate her and made it hard to actually catch her attention because most of the subjects makoto would bring were considered boring for futaba. remember that social anxiety causes that, you are not going to bond with everyone and only trust can lead to a relationship of reciprocate interest. 

overall, we can see how throughout the game she starts doing better. she creates a list with joker that allows her to conquer her own fears and well, after all everything is a process that takes years. she still relies a lot on the internet, but now she has real interaction and friends, but still when joker is about to leave she thinks about the possibility of them no talking to her anymore because akira is actually the glue in the group. of course thankfully it didn’t go that way, and they remained closed even after their leader left ( it’s canon on P5D don’t touch me ). akira is such an important figure for her as well, he has a lot to do with her improvement and i sense ADMIRATION coming from her, because akira is everything she would never dare to be. however the best chemistry she has among her friends are ryuji and yusuke, as they are easygoing, eccentric people and it’s easier to pick up trust on their personalities, as well as morgana as she shows a deep love for cats. ann, makoto and haru are the completely opposite of what futaba is yet the friendship still work because they take up on the big sis role for her. makoto is extremely mature so she actually helps her to find her boundaries, ann might have caused an issue on her self-esteem at some point but she also is someone she admires because futaba realized that she is not only looks, instead, she is an actual warrior who deals with a lot of things, and haru is the fluff ball that actually spoils her. all the different personalities among the group helps futaba towards her rehabilitation ( i’m sorry, i had to LMAO ). 

an important aspect is sojiro, HE DOESN’T PRESSURE HER INTO ANYTHING, he knows and understand what she is going through and he let her be because he is aware that HE CANNOT CHANGE HER. change and getting better is a personal decision, and of course a person needs support but you can’t actually do it for them. honestly, sojiro is a GREAT paternal figure and he deserves all the love he gets because he is so caring and understanding that he contributes to her growing. also the balance in the group of friends is really important for a person who suffers from severe anxiety disorders because it allows them to interact and explore things that are out of their comfort zone, and this is the case with the thieves. they are so different yet so similar that it is easy for her to understand how despite having a similar background it affects everyone differently, leading her to open up her mind a little and allowing her to understand that the change lies within her.

in summary, we can notice a big change on futaba, she is more comfortable outside and with people and she eventually will be over her traumas. remember that she is still growing up and she has a lot to go through, there will be good and bad times, probably future traumas that might affect her anxiety but that’s what i love about her character, it’s not about “getting cured of the conditions” is learning to live with them because they are apart of you. and this is what the character development on my futaba portrayal will go, it will be her accepting her anxiety and realizing that anxiety doesn’t control her but instead finding balance. 

[fivzen]

Starforce Build AU

Okay so @kuipernebula made a Build Starforce AU, so I’m making the opposite scenario.

Having been found in a crater outside of NAXA, Subaru Hoshikawa is an amnesiac child with a genius level intellect about space and the various technologies used to study it. Adopted by the Hoshikawa family before they mysteriously disappeared, and now currently living with an adult Futaba Tsukasa. Using the Build Driver buckle he created, using the Beast and Radio fullbottles he turns into Kamen Rider Build BeastDio form. It’s later revealed that he is the same species as this AU’s Evolt, but he denied his species want to destroy, instead wanting to create and protect life.

Alongside Futaba he lives with his adoptive sister Misora Hibiki, who goes online as an idol with moniker of Harp Note and a strange ability to create fullbottles. Later it’s revealed that she is the host to the queen of Mars, Lyra.

Later they meet an escaped victim of this world’s Faust, POKA, and supposed juvenile killer of the previous head of NAXA, Solo. He lays in the same situation as Ryuuga, as he was given Evolt’s genes as a child. He wishes to be cleared of his name, and after seeing his mother was killed as a smash, he uses the Purple Dragon fullbottle to hand to hand fight with the smash. Later he becomes a Purple version of Cross-Z, before the rest of the upgrades happen. He becomes more open with the others because his mother’s last wish was for him to make friends.

Jack is this world’s Rouge, who was the underling of this world’s Evolt originally, but when getting his Rider form he betrays this Evolt, claiming all he wanted was the power to be his own person. He joins the heroes, because he supposes if all life is destroyed his hard effort would have been for nothing. Later learning the greatness of Love and Peace, he begins fighting for that as well.

Luna was a reporter in training who found out Subaru’s rider identity and offered to print good publicity as long as she was able to stick around. Later she is kidnapped by Blood Stalk and forced into becoming the Robot smash against her will. While in this state she remember the reason she wanted to be a reporter was to expose the awful things done to people all over, breaking free of the form and stealing a sclash driver she becomes Grease. She maintains being a fan of Harp Note, but she’s not creepy about it.

Mad Rogue does not exist currently. Moving On.

Evolt/Blood Stalk is Futaba Tsukasa. Basically when in the cafe Futaba is mostly in control, but outside it’s always Evolt/Hikaru. He took in Subaru because he knew of his past, and wanted to keep it hidden from him. Unfortunately, when Subaru unlocked BeastBeast/RadioRadio he learned of his unusual human DNA, but it was already after the betrayal so it didn’t matter as much.

[hiraethidity-m]

THOU  HAST  TURNED  A  VOW  INTO  A  BLOOD  OATH.  THY  BOND  SHALL  BECOME  THE  WINGS  OF  REBELLION  AND  BREAK  THE  YOLK  OF  THY  HEART.  THOU  HAST  AWAKENED  TO  THE  ULTIMATE  SECRET  OF  THE  TOWER,  GRANTING  THEE  INFINITE  POWER ...

name: Kyoko Sakura age: 16 - 17 code name: Raven ( which has many different meanings compared to Akechi’s CROW ) persona: Wudan Witch named Opheila meele weapon: Lance ranged weaopn: Automatic Ak47′s joined: After the Phantom Thieves defeat the Medjed and before taking on the case of Okumura’s Foods. color scheme: Red,Black, with hints of White arcana: The Tower ( & death )

BACKGROUND / STORY :

As a resident of kazamino city, Kyoko grew up being the daughter of a Clergyman, whom as well lives with her little sister and mother. Most of her life was spent being home-schooled with her little sister by their mother, as this was a decision declared by their father. Since he didn’t trust the public school systems and their ways of teaching. Afraid that they would unravel everything that he had ever taught his children and the ways of the Lord himself.

As time has passed, though, her father had begun to preach more and more away from the stories that had been printed within the bible. Thus, talking about things that had nothing to do with the Lord’s word. In result to his preachings, the town disregarded his stories. Declaring him as incompetent, as well as insane. And slowly, over time, the people that came to sermons had begin to dwindle in the numbers. Until, there was absolutely no one who came to hear him talk anymore. The town’s folks opting to go to the church’s in neighboring towns, instead of their own. With no one attending the services, or money coming from the church, this causes the family to become poor – even near the point of becoming homeless.

Swallowed in regret, her father turns to alcoholism. Turning his personality completely. He becomes aggressive. He becomes abusive ( physically / emotionally / mentally ). Kyoko tending to get more of his backlash as a way to protect her family from him. This had proceeded on for weeks-months. But, how much of this could they really take, though? When would it become to late for them?

As the Phantom Thieves popularity skyrocketed, even their name had become news within the Sakura household. Their father completely against them. Finding them as sinners in the Lord’s name and nothing but mere criminals. But Kyoko saw them differently. They had become a huge topic within the household though, once the Medjed had become involved. Challenging the thieves to reveal themselves. Whereas her father supported the Medjed, it was clear that Kyoko supported the Thieves. She saw the good in their work and the justice that sought out to achieve. Their workings, is what gave Kyoko hope.

Near the end of the Medjed’s time limit, Kyoko finds herself sitting inside the public library ; the phantom’s form site displayed on the computer screen. She contemplates for a while – could she really ask for their help? Would they really come to her rescue? She reads all the mixed reviews about the group. The hatred that followed the support. She ponders over if she could really go through with this, while her fingers rest upon the keyboard. Before she realizes it, she’s pouring her story out on the screen, begging for the help of the thieves before it had become too late for her household.

When the Medjed case becomes closed, Mishima finds Kyoko’s post for the form. Once he reads it over, he finds this as something that is extremely important. How could a father do this his family? He pursues Akira to take the case. Finding this as something that would be easy for them and finding as way to keep their popularity up. But easy it wasn’t – After searching around the Memento’s for the shadow of her father, they were left with nothing; Empty handed. That’s when the group decides to take a trip the town that they resided in. Upon arrival, it is quickly learned that the father had in fact grown a palace. Showing the group to true dangers that had lied here for the Sakura household.

Due to the lack of technology in her homestead, Kyoko is never informed that her case had, in fact, become of interest to the group. Or that, they had indeed arrived to the family’s church. So when the infiltration route becomes started, and they enter the metaverse, she too, is taken to the metaverse. Simply by mistake though. It was one of those, she had been walking within the perimeter when they entered, and she herself had gotten swooped in as well.

Upon arrival, the thieves are greeted with a glamours and humongous church, spot lights adoring the front as a line of people are currently waiting outside the front doors. From there, they start their route. Kyoko though, is nowhere near them once they enter the metaverse. In fact, she finds herself somewhere located within the church already. Confused and scared about her current surroundings, she finds herself making the rounds through the church as well.

The Phantom Thieves managed to find Mr. Sakura first. They find him in the main hall, with church pews littered in people. As the thieves have their confrontations with the man himself, Kyoko happens to over hear everything from one of the top balconies. Staying silent, she simply watches as her head spins. Glee filled within her as her hope skyrocketed. She couldn’t believe her eyes – The Phantom Thieves did in fact come to her rescue. They were really here to save her family before it had become too late. A new feeling soars through her. A feeling of change to come. Something within her rattles her bones, edging her to take a stand in this fight; so she does.

As Mr. Sakura’s shadows calls them out for them being nothing but sinners, and making sure they rot in hell where they belong, Kyoko makes her appearance at last. Calling out her own father for his deeds. During this time, the birth to a new persona is made. A new contract formed.

                   I AM THOU ;  THOU ART I

ophelia is born ; a Wudan Witch persona. Her mask is raven styled and her meele weapon is a lance. It is then, that Kyoko promises to make him change his ways, thus in return, he tells her that she is no better than the thieves that stand behind her. And if she is to go against him, he would kill her too.

With the infiltration route placed, the gang returns to the real world. Giving Kyoko the chance to actually properly meet everyone and telling them the story of what had happened to her father.

In a few days time, the gang decides to send a calling card to her father, leaving Kyoko in charge of making sure he sees it. When he does, heimmediately blames Kyoko for it through his drunken state, since she is a supporter of them. Feeling threatened, he becomes even more violent towards the family. Seeing nothing wrong in his ways – blaming everyone for their current position instead of himself.

Its later that evening that Kyoko regroups with the thieves, helping them take out her father’s palace. Once successful, their treasure ended up being a bible.

Mr. Sakura becomes bed ridden for the next week, as the alcohol slowly makes its way out of his body. When he comes through, he apologizes to his family for everything he’s done to them. Especially to kyoko since she got the worse of it all. And many scars that would never heal on her body from him. But, he finally had his change in heart.

As a few weeks / a month passed from the incident, Mr. Sakura finds himself in the hospital, on death row. Kyoko doesn’t blame the thieves for this. This was not their fault. This was the alcohols fault. Even the doctors had said so themselves. At the capacity that he consumed it, they were honestly surprised he wasn’t on his deathbed much sooner.

What she was thankful though, was the apologies and heartfelt “i love yous” she had gained from him before his passing. She knows she would have never gotten them if it wasn’t for the Phantom Thieves. She thanks them entirely for everything they had done for her.

With no need to keep the church any longer, her mother sells their home and  church. Deciding to move herself &. the girls out of the town, and starts over with a new life for them. The girls finally get themselves enrolled into a real school – Kyoko begging to go to shujin academy so she could be with her friends that she had finally made. Their mother gets herself a real job that’s stable enough to support them. And her sister gains friends for the first time in her life.

Due to Kyoko’s test scores, she is able to enter as a 3rd year student, but Kyoko opts to be a second year so she could have a chance at being an actual student. And have time to be a teenager and make friends and spend time with them. She becomes placed in Ryuji’s class.

** It can be speculated that Kyoko & Futaba may be cousins