#P5 Protagonist/Yuuki Mishima

[nejishadow]

Clearly the 5th one doesn't match formatting wise, but ya know that makes it funnier

More edits, I'll try to keep them in small groups so there's not tons of mile-long posts. Can you tell I have a lotta fun with these? Combining / picking sprites takes awhile sometimes, but it's worth it

[shadowfreak98]

This was a commission I did for @nejishadow, aka the BIGGEST shuyuu shipper I know. [The only one I know QwQ]. I am so happy you loved it tho NEJIIII uwu

[mrhotdog95]

i know mishima doesnt have any room to talk about someone being pathetic but i think the idea of gayball (joker) crytyping at people is reaaly funny

[cake-apostate]

Flynn was Yuuki Mishima headcanon

A while back, I was thinking that if Akira Kurusu of Persona 5 was his timeline's version of Akira from Shin Megami Tensei IV, then Flynn's past life could have been a parallel version of one of Joker's friends.

There are four Confidants who are male, around Akira's age, and have natural black hair: Yusuke, Yuuki Mishima, Shinya Oda, and Ryuji (who dyes). I then narrowed it down to Mishima and Shinya, since Ryuji and Yusuke have such established personalities that it would be weird to see them vary as much as Flynn.

I wound up writing a fic that forced* me to settle on Mishima, and only then did I realize how much sense it made.

*(I added some details that would have made Akira eighteen to twenty when shit went down. Since the minimum age gap between Akira and Shinya is four years, he'd be too young to join the CDF.)

[Quick clarification: the events of Persona 5 do not lead into SMT4. The Yuuki Mishima we meet is a parallel version of Flynn's past life].

Kingmaker and Follower

SMT4 is infamous for its alignment endings; it's easy to screw yourself out of Neutral if you don't get everything perfectly balanced. Neutral is also the only ending where Flynn doesn't wind up serving someone else (although I suppose you could see it also as him serving Fujiwara and the Goddess of Tokyo).

I'm interpreting that as Flynn being someone who is inclined to follow rather than forge his own path. It's easy for him to cling to someone with greater resolve than his own, and it takes serious guts for him to stand up for what he thinks needs to be done. I'm not saying that Flynn isn't strong; it's just that it's harder for him to be independent. When he finds the courage to take charge, it's the best outcome.

The thing is, Flynn isn't merely a follower, he's the Kingmaker. Nobody succeeds unless he casts his lot in with them. And the Kingmaker does not rule at the end (except on Chaos, but even then Lucifer's around).

You keep seeing this, again and again. Things went to hell in the other two timelines because Flynn's past life sided with Kiyoharu or Kenji instead of stopping the missiles himself. When you take a jaunt in the alternate timelines, it's Flynn who clears the way for Akira to become king. Heck, this even extends to Apocalypse; besides being brainwashed into servitude on Anarchy, the Bonds route has him slip gracefully into Nanashi's shadow.

Mishima in P5 is definitely a follower. He basks in the Phantom Thieves' reflected glory, and is happy to just be on the sidelines. He happily admits that he's Joker's groupie rather than his friend. If Mishima had the guts to start standing on his own, I think he'd be a capable Persona user. But since Akira's got everything handled already, he's happy to remain his support.

And Mishima is a good supporter. It's easy to rank up his Confidant, exp bonus is nice, and the Phan-Site enables sidequests. Not to mention that he's the PR guy, and he garners popularity from the masses. It's different from what Flynn does, but courting popularity is the work of a kingmaker.

Personality

Flynn's a silent protagonist, but what I find interesting about him is that you see his personality vary depending on alignment. The guy in all the bars will tell you about the impression Flynn gives, and the fight with Isabeau gives rather expressive dialogue options. Flynn will grow in a certain direction depending on how you play him.

(What's different about other games is that there's room for their protagonists to not embrace their alignments wholeheartedly. You can read, say, Kazuya as someone who made mostly Chaos choices out of pragmatism but doesn't believe that the right to live is derived from power).

Mishima starts out meek, but he has room to grow. One reason why I vetoed Ryuji and Yusuke is that we're so used to seeing them a certain way that it would be weird to see Ryuji grow towards Law. Mishima might have grown over the course of his Confidant, but he still isn't yet his own person.

I'm also thinking about how Futaba calls Mishima an NPC for being generic and unmemorable. It might be a stretch, but it also seems to vibe with how the man in the bar says that Neutral Flynn is quiet and hard to understand.

Mishima also not only develops a Shadow, he deals with it on his own. Joker refuses to take his heart, and he lets Mishima determine his own fate without interference. (I forgot why this was relevant but it feels like it is.)

Besides, I can see Mishima shaking down demons for money like Flynn. Hell, isn't that what happens? Mishima asked for donations and pocked the proceeds, and Flynn robs demons by 'asking' for donations!

(On the other hand, Mishima attempted revenge on the people who bullied him, while Flynn rescues Navarre. Then again, room to grow, and with parallel selves it doesn't have to be one-to-one.)

Semirelated Ramblings

My general fanfic headcanon for Flynn (unrelated to Mishima) is that he's a stressed perfectionist. He might not know about other timelines, but part of him knows that if he doesn't say and do everything just right, it will end in disaster. On Neutral, he's brave enough to oppose the excesses of Law and Chaos, but deep down he's terrified that his middle path might not work out. On Law and Chaos, he winds up siding with someone who's much more confident than he is, because they have to be correct if they're so sure of themselves, right?

I also see that this weakness in his heart is why he behaves the way he does when brainwashed. The way I interpret how Dagda brainwashes people, he implants the overpowering desire to serve Nanashi, leaving the person's mind to rationalize why. For example, Asahi figures that she'll do anything for Nanashi because she loves her little brother. Toki thinks it's out of romantic love, and if you ship them like I do, so does Hallelujah. For the others, they see him as a combination of friend and leader; I can see Gaston (and maybe Isabeau and Navarre) regarding him as a superior officer and/or king.

Flynn, on the other hand? Gets on his knees and worships his master as a god. Flynn wants assurance that he's doing the right thing, and the brainwashing provides that. He believes that Nanashi is always right, and that the perfect route is to submit entirely to his will. It's comforting for him, not having to worry, or even think.

It helps that he knew both Blasted and Infernal Akira, both of whom were good kings to broken worlds. He figured out that Nanashi is the second coming of King Aquila, which cemented his godhood even further in his eyes.

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

Persona series for the askbox meme, covering the series in general

Favorite Male: Persona 3 Protagonist

Favorite Female: Chie, probably

Favorite Pairing: It's hard to say. I do like some of the straight, in-game pairings, but I've read mostly P4 Protag/Yosuke fics so it's probably that. My favorite Persona fanfic has P3 Protag/Akihiko, though, so I dunno, lol

Least Favorite Character: Can I say Persona 3 the game itself? Because I fucking despise Persona 3, lol.

who’s most like me: P3 Protag. Seriously just make him bigger and with different hair and he was basically me the last 3 years of high school lol

most attractive: Tie between P3 Protag and Joker from P5.

three more characters that I like: Nanako, Yuuki Mishima, Kanji

[ryuji-ism]

SOMEONE PLEASE FIND HIM HE'S BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH

[cardsthings]

P5 Pirate AU That I May Or May Not Want To Write (Or Want Someone To Write For Me)

Captain Akira - Banished Prince, is from some small kingdom but got banished when he unknowingly crossed the king of a bigger kingdom, initially was going to be executed to prevent an incident but was quietly banished instead. Became a pirate because "fuck it am I right?" Steals from the rich, gives to his pirate crew. Is Ren Amamiya when in towns.

First mate/co-captain Goro Shido Akechi - Kidnapped Prince, was taken for ransom by the pirates but the Kingdom never asked for him back. (Must mess with your self esteem, sorry buddy.) Dating Akira in the background. Joined between Yusuke and Makoto probably. Only competent one on this ship.

Best Boy Ryuji - Probably mans the cannons, I dunno, Captain Kidd has cannon arms so why not? Was some guy Akira met after being banished, he worked under Kamoshida (who was in some form of power) and helped Akira to steal all his shit and get a pirate ship.

Best Girl Ann - Has been there since the beginning. IDK what she does yet (look up pirate jobs later). She was a minor noble (lower than Kamoshida but higher than random peasant) whose family was being hosted by Kamoshida. She fell in love with Shiho and found out about how terrible Kamoshida was, also found out about these two guys planning on robbing him blind and maybe killing him(?) and decided she wanted in. Eloped with Shiho when she joined the crew.

Other Best Girl Shiho - Is the one who goes into town usually when they go to port. The only one who doesn't need an alias or disguise because she looks like the normal people around/isn't banished royalty/isn't a known criminal. (Keyword, known.) Assisted in the Kamoshida heist (because she deserves better) and eloped with Ann.

Yusuke - Was a painter, the adopted son of a very rich but not very powerful noble, Maderame. Really liked the sea and often went on merchant ships to personally buy new paints. (not to escape Madarame at all) Joined the crew when a ship he was on was targeted. Assumed dead but is living his best life as a pirate.

Actual Cat Morgana - Do not call him a cat, he somehow knows what it means and will throw paws. Doesn't get along with Ryuji. Also sometimes antagonizes Goro. Lives with Futaba and Sojiro on dry land but sometimes sneaks into the ship.

Stowaway Makoto - Initially wanted to be a naval officer like her sister and late father. Got a little too carried away trying to be useful and accidentally ended up trapped on a pirate ship with nowhere to go but the ocean. Turns out, they are pretty chill pirates and also they are a mess. Eventually joins and becomes an advisor to Akira.

Basically a Child Futaba - Is a child. Not exactly but still, pirate life does not suit her, she can't swim. Lives on land with Sojiro but manages to get information out to the crew about targets when she can (being the daughter of a tavern/inn(?) keeper works out really well for information gathering). Not sure when she and Sojiro met Akira yet but they are family.

Kidnapped Royalty Haru - Was actually really excited when she was kidnapped because her life low-key sucked. She was rich and had a few titles and was like 5th in line for the throne of a small country but she wasn't allowed to do anything and was essentially being sold off to her husband. Gilded cage situation. Her dad actually wanted her back (sorry Goro) but didn't want to pay the ransom. Sent people after her, yay he cares! When she got back, he tried to rush the marriage, boo it was only for political gain! Haru runs off and properly joins the crew. Maybe she sparks something with Makoto later, I don't know.

Strategist Hifumi - Wants to escape her controlling mother so she runs away. Hides away in a church for a while and strikes up a friendship with the priest until Akira finds her. They play shogi where he is impressed by her strategy and controlling authority figures in her life. Offers her a place in the crew which she accepts. Very enthusiastic about strategy and shogi, regularly kicks both Akira and Goro's asses at the game.

Informant Mishima - Was saved by the crew from Kamoshida way back when but was not cut out for pirate life. Got a job at Crossroads and tries his best to give information to the crew.

Performer Sumire - Used to be in a traveling performing troupe of some sort with her sister but was tired of constantly being compared. Notices Goro in the crowd at one of her shows (definitely a date with Akira) and recognizes him. Approaches him after the show and asks to join the crew. Akira is there and accepts immediately because why not. (Goro is not irrationally jealous of her. Nope. Not at all.)

[kplays]

Mod Jumin: Goodbye Mishima part 2!

Do they ever go into detail about what the documentary is like or not?

[nejishadow]

"Whoops, all Akira being bisexual! (not whoops)" edition meme post

I will spread Shuyuu propoganda every chance I get, but! Shukita and Shuryu are both very good. Pegoryu is actually my P5 OTP but you wouldn't be able to tell from my profile lol

School uniform Akiras by goro_orb on twitter!

[sir-incorrect]

this was... originally just gonna be ryuji... but he should always be surrounded by friends, actually

since I actually fully drew them all I’m putting the individual full bodies under the cut!

please don’t tag as any ships, thanks!

[bellicosen]

@baliwogs assigned them all and i made the picture theres no criticism to be had

[ryuji-of-florida]

P5 Arcanaswap

Since everyone else is doing this I thought I’d share my take on it. Thanks to @wokenhardies for listening to my ramblings.

The Fool: Ryuji Sakamoto (Second Year at Shujin; On probation) Codename: Captain Persona: Hendrick van der Decken Random Fact: Can run 50 meters in 3 seconds.

The Magician: Yusuke (Metaverse guide; not a fox) Codename: Inari Persona: Ashiya Doman RF: His codename is actually a nickname given to him by Futaba.

The Chariot: Hifumi Togo (Second Year at Shujin; Queen of the Togo Kingdom) Codename:Venus Persona: Lady Trieu RF: Knowedgeable in immunology due to her father’s illness.

The Lovers: Yuuki Mishima (Second Year at Shujin; Only sane man) Codename: Pariah Persona: Hyde RF: Wants to punch a kangaroo one day.

The Emperor: Morgana Murasaki (First Year at Kosei; 1/4 Japanese) Codename: Ronin Persona: Okada Izo RF: Has read the tale of Genji 14 times.

The High Priestess: Futaba Ishikki (First Year at Shujin; Gamer tag: Medjed) Codename: Savant Persona: Anne Boleyn RF: Has yet to defeat Lady Noir’s score in Gun About.

The Hermit: Makoto Niijima (Hacker handle: Johanna) Codename: Druid Persona: Nimue RF: Takes online classes to ensure she can (eventually) get into a good college.

The Empress: Goro Akechi (Third Year at Kosei; Student Council President) Codename: Crusader Persona: Robin Hood RF: Has been working at the Jazz Jin for nearly 2 years.

The Justice: Akira Kurusu (Second Detective Prince; Fourth smuggest prick in Tokyo)  Codename: Hidalgo Persona: Donquixote (GilGamESh) RF: Is allergic to cats.

[hymnism]

p5r was on sale so now i have brainrot

[wordsintheatmosphere]

Research

Series: Persona 5 Pairing: Akira/Mishima Rating: G Summary:

Akira invites Mishima out for their first date, but it completely sails over Mishima’s head.

Tags: no spoilers, canon setting, fluff

He gets a text from Akira on a clear Sunday afternoon, asking if they could spend the day together.

Mishima’s first thought is that maybe this is a date—they are dating, aren’t they?  Akira did ask a week ago but he can’t remember what sort of answer he gave back then, it was all so overwhelming—before remembering that Akira probably has something more important in mind. It’s the first time Akira has ever texted him first, so whatever it could be must be serious. He checks the message again, sends a question asking about what he’s needed for, but there is no reply. Important, he thinks, something he can’t tell me. So it is about the Phantom Thieves.

He laughs at himself for feeling a little disappointed, for wanting more instead of offering his unconditional help. This is part of his duty to the Phantom Thieves as their PR manager, after all, and so he shouldn’t complain. He pulls on the closest clothes he can find lying about his room and leaves. It's a nice day outside and the trains aren't too crowded today, so he reaches his destination without trouble.

When he sees Akira, he stops for a moment. It’s not that Akira doesn’t always look nice, but today he is dressed in clothes that Mishima has never seen him wear before. They seem almost new, and Akira looks like a different person. He feels compelled to double check, but Akira notices his stare and straightens. Yes, this is definitely Akira, and he is definitely waiting for him.

“You look nice,” is the first thing out of Mishima’s mouth, and Akira smiles and absently runs his hand on the back of his neck. All of a sudden Mishima feels self-conscious of the clothes he’d just thrown on without thought—his shirt has a small stain from last night’s dinner, and he didn’t exactly pick a matching jacket. He looks himself over and wonders where exactly Akira is taking him that needs such nice clothes, and if he has somehow already screwed it up.

“Sorry, I didn’t see your message. I was having trouble picking something to wear,” Akira says, and before Mishima has the time to fully regret his clothing choices, he continues. “There’s just somewhere I want to take you.”

He braces himself for whatever comes next, stained shirt and all, but the place Akira takes him is to a parfait store.

The shop smells sweet and there are girls and couples everywhere, lost in their own conversations. It’s definitely not a usual place for guys to go to, and Mishima is keenly aware of how much the two of them stand out. He freezes at the door at first, wondering if Akira has made a mistake, but Akira urges him in. There are a million questions buzzing in his mind as they are seated, and the only thing that will make any degree of sense is that they must be staking out for someone, or something.

“What are we looking for again?” he whispers to Akira as a menu is handed to him, and Akira blinks before answering.

“A parfait?”

Ah, so research on parfaits. Mishima has no idea how this is supposed to help the Phantom Thieves, but he is in no position to question him. In that case, he thinks, feeling a little better now, this is something even he could help with. He has a fondness for sweets, after all.

He eagerly scans the brightly coloured pictures of the store’s specialty parfaits, and soon his stomach is sinking at the prices beside each photo. He can barely afford the cheapest parfait, never mind the fancier ones. “Akira, I—I don’t think I brought enough money.”

“Don’t worry,” Akira answers without missing a beat, “I’ll be paying.”

“You can afford this?” Mishima raises his eyebrows in disbelief, pointing to the menu to make his point. Akira only crosses his arms and smiles, and Mishima decides not to ask where a Phantom Thief gets money. As he examines the menu, the self-conscious tension in his stomach melts away. This may not be a date, he decides, but there are benefits for helping out the Phantom Thieves at a place like this.

“Have you made up your mind?” Akira asks after a while, but all the parfaits look equally good and he is having a hard time deciding. As if anticipating this, Akira smiles and points at the back of the menu. “If not, how about this one?”

Akira shows Mishima a photo of a fancy parfait, crowned with a row of chocolate biscuit sticks, layered with about five flavours of ice cream and topped generously with jeweled fruit. It’s clearly not a regular parfait that Mishima can ever afford, but he stares at it with such transfixed amazement that Akira chuckles.

“Then it’s decided,” he says, and waves to a waitress, but Mishima snaps his head up to stop him.

“W-wait, I can’t—this is too much—are you sure?” The words tumble out of him in a confused mess because it’s the first time he’s ever been treated so nicely, and the unfamiliar kindness disorients him. This isn’t normal, he shouldn’t be accepting this much, but Akira smiles at him and somehow just the sight of it soothes the panic in his stomach.

“I want to. I’m the one who invited you here, after all.”

There isn’t anything to say to that, so the waitress takes their order. At first Mishima is surprised when Akira only orders the fancy parfait for him and nothing else for himself, but then the waitress carries their parfait over. It’s huge, comes the first thought, and then right after, it’s a couples parfait.

He gapes at the monstrous and yet beautiful sculpture of pure, sugary art in front of him, and the presence of the parfait draws the eyes of everyone around them. His cheeks immediately burn at the attention, but Akira doesn’t look the least bit concerned. With an encouraging smile, Akira picks up his spoon.

“You first,” he says, and Mishima now gapes at him.

“This is—Akira, this is a parfait for couples,” he hisses, and Akira’s smile only widens.

“I know.”

So that’s why Akira didn’t order for himself. Feeling a little foolish and a bit like he has just fallen for a prank, Mishima numbly picks up his spoon too. He is keenly aware of the curious stares and amused whispers around them, and Akira’s composure makes him envious. He could never feel comfortable with this amount of attention on him. For the sake of the Phantom Thieves, he bravely tells himself, because otherwise he’d rather disappear through the floor.

It’s a little awkward to share such a giant parfait, but with each heavenly bite Mishima loses his reservations. It helps that Akira is by his side, completely ignorant of the attention around them and only focusing on their conversation. Ah well, Mishima thinks as he enjoys the taste of the ice cream melting in his mouth, there’s no way he could ever buy something like this on his own. He might as well enjoy the moment.

Finishing the parfait takes a long time, and it is dark when they finally head to the station. Full and in utter bliss from the parfait, Mishima laughs under his breath.

“That was wonderful. Thanks for inviting me.” He rubs his arm, feeling strangely bashful, and Akira falters a little. Just as Akira steps closer to him, Mishima continues. “And uh, I know this was for research, but this felt almost like a date.”

Akira freezes at that, and the strange expression on his face tells Mishima that he has messed up. “Oh,” he says quickly, heat crawling up his neck, “oh, I mean, of course not. Haha…I just—you know—hope you got what you needed.”

His words trail off into pathetic silence, but strangely enough Akira doesn’t seem angry. If anything, he seems a little confused as he fusses with his fringe. When he finally speaks, his words are slow and careful. “Research? Mishima, that’s…well, I meant this to be a date.”

“W-what?!” Mishima raises his voice in surprise, and the passersby turn to look but he is too shocked to care. “But—I thought—”

Before he can finish his sentence, everything clicks into place—the nice clothes, the couples parfait, how close Akira is standing to him right now. All of these signs should’ve been obvious to anyone else, but it’s the first time anyone has shown interest in him and he has learned to brush off his hopes as wishful thinking. It’s frustrating how little he really knows, but at the same time there is a small glow of warmth mixed in with the embarrassment he feels. This is a date. This is a date, because Akira likes him.

Akira laughs beside him, warm and unaffected. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault that you misunderstood. I’ll be clearer next time.”

His fingers brush against Mishima’s lightly, and they feel cool to the touch. The two of them are close enough to hide their hands from wandering eyes, but it’s the affection that heats Mishima’s skin. “Hey,” Akira says, his voice low and quiet and meant only for the two of them, “do you mind if I call you Yuuki?”

The suddenness of the question throws Mishima off-guard, and it takes him a few seconds to fully process that this is the first time he has ever heard Akira use his first name. “Oh,” he breathes, and his heart feels stuck in his throat from all the words he wants to say, “Uh, sure. Yeah, of course.”

“Great. Okay.” Akira releases his breath, and it suddenly occurs to Mishima that the taller boy might be nervous too. He dismisses the thought immediately, but the light of the station reveals a faint tint on Akira’s cheeks. The realization strikes him as strange; someone as brave as Akira, who bore the weight of all the curious stares in the café without looking the slightest bit perturbed, is feeling shy too—around him, the most unassuming guy of all.

Akira’s fingers slip away as they reach the train gates. “I’ll see you later, Yuuki?” He says, and the sound of his name makes their date today feel a little more real. This time Mishima doesn’t bother hiding his smile.

“Of course. See you later.”

When Akira disappears into the crowd, Mishima takes out his phone. His smile is so wide and giddy that he’s sure it’s creepy to everyone else, but his heart is singing too loudly for him to care. With the feel of Akira’s fingers still on his own, he types out a message.

And next time, Akira, tell me it’s a date.

[ryuji-ism]

I decided to take some quizzes as different characters and post their results. Just some fresh new content for you guys.

UQuiz: What Kind of Mermaid Are You?

Here's the first installment of this new series. Please enjoy!

Akechi??!!?!?