#Ryuji is such a good bro to my boy~!

[ahogedetective]

"Happy early birthday, dude! I hope you like it!"

{ Shuichi Birthday!! 🎉}

"!" Shuichi's eyes immediately light up when he's handed the Phanpy plushie! "O-Oh my goodness, it's so cute!! A Phanpy plushie...!" He kindly takes the plushie out of Ryuji's hands, and hugs it close. This boy was secretly-''secretly''- a lover of plushies: especially cute ones like this! So naturally, he loves it very much.

Beaming at Ryuji, he excitedly nods his head. "Of course I like it! No: love it! I'm going to find a nice spot in my room to put him, hehe... thank you so much, Ryuji-kun! You've already made my day a very nice one!"

[melonsodypop]

Hi! How about some silly fluff? Yakuza men and playing pocky game with them? uwu Thank you!

yakuza men and playing the pocky game with them !

✾ pairing - kazuma kiryu, goro majima, taiga saejima, shun akiyama, y0!akira nishikiyama, daigo dojima, ryuji goda/reader (all seperate)

✾ tags - gender neutral reader, fluff, suggestiveness in some sections

✾ a/n - ur brain is so huge because this is SUCH a cute idea and i would've never come up with it on my own :,3 <33 fluff is a bit harder for me to write so it's a little shorter than my other posts but i hope you all still enjoy !!

✾ kazuma kiryu 🐉

when you suggest playing it, bro just hits you with a blank stare

"what... is that?"

you decide just to give him a visual of what you mean by taking the stick out and putting it between your teeth

his eyes widen a little when you point at the other end of it and tell him to bite it

you can almost see the gears turning in his head. he's starting to get the point

you're fully expecting him to turn you down when he nods, that determined gleam he always has still in his eyes. "fine. i just need to bite down here, right?"

he feels ridiculous when he bends down and catches the pocky stick between his teeth, but when your hand comes up to cup his jaw and you bite a little closer his focus zeroes in entirely on you

you can practically see the way his pupils dilate when he takes his turn to bite, the increasing closeness of your lips driving him up the damn wall

it only takes another flutter of your eyelashes and an infuriatingly small nibble on your end before kiryu's biting down hard, snapping the stick between your mouths and just pressing his lips to yours

his hand comes up to cradle the back of your neck, his frustration pouring into the kiss before he finally softens, pulling away to look you in the eyes

the tips of his ears are a bright red, and his brow is furrowed in the way it does when he's thoroughly embarrassed

"that... wasn't half bad," he mutters, "but if you wanted to kiss me... you could've just asked"

despite his fluster, he can't get the image of you so close to him with the little treat between your lips and the taste of chocolate on his tongue when you kissed out of his head for the next week

✾ goro majima 🐍

his lips curl in interest when you ask him to play the game with you

you don't know HOW but he somehow already knows what it is, preemptively taking a stick from the box in your hands and putting the end between his teeth

waggles his eyebrows at you and guffaws when you get embarrassed

"aren't you the one who suggested it, babydoll? don't get all shy on me now"

bends down and slings an arm lazily around your shoulders when you take the other end into your mouth

keeps eye contact with you almost the entire time, his good eye gleaming with satisfaction at being this close to you

every turn he takes is a short little bite, determined to draw this out as looong as possible

it's just a good excuse to stay close to you, anyways

the smirk on his lips only grows when your lips are mere centimeters apart, his hand sliding up to gently hold your chin in place

he can tell his proximity is starting to get to you, the air thick with the scent of tobacco and his expensive cologne

but neither of you are the type to back down, returning his barely-there bites with your own

majima's the one to kiss you at the end, his grip on your chin tightening ever so slightly

when he parts, he licks his bottom lip to get the bit of chocolate left there, never resisting a chance to rile you up a bit

"well, wasn't that a treat? hey - how many are left in there, doll? i'm thinkin' i might wanna play a few more rounds"

✾ taiga saejima 🐅

oh boy good LUCK trying to convince this man to play

he has no idea what it is when you suggest it, and after you explain it he's still not really sold

he's not a huge fan of sweets in the first place, plus if he wanted to kiss you he just would do it

he'll grumble and brush you off when you whine and try to convince him

that is, until he catches the puppy eyes you're giving him

well, fuck. how is he supposed to say no to that

he can't even look you in the eyes when he bends his head down to bite the end of the pocky, the corner of his lips twitching when the chocolate starts to melt on his tongue

caresses the back of your head gently as you crane your neck up to look at him

you take your turn first, saejima's eyes trained on the way your lips wrap around the stick

you can feel his hand's grip tighten slightly on the nape of your neck, his jaw tensing

lets out a hiss through his teeth when you look up at him, expecting him to take his turn

everything about you - your eyes trained upwards at him, the pout of your lips, the way your eyebrows furrow in confusion at his reluctance to take his bite

a grumble comes from his chest before he's reaching up with his other hand to snap the stick in two, crashing his mouth onto yours

his kiss is hungry, his hands on your body possessive and firm

when he pulls away, he's shaking his head, an uncharacteristic blush on his usually stoic face

"fuckin' hell, can't focus when ya look at me like that," he grumbles, pulling you to his chest and pressing an apologetic kiss to the top of your head for ruining your little game

✾ shun akiyama 💵

cocks an eyebrow at you when you suggest it, an interested smile pulling at the corner of his lips

"y'know, babe, if you wanted to kiss me, you could just ask"

relents as soon as you pout and say it's more fun this way

leans back in his chair and pats his thigh, his ever-present smug look as he invites you into his lap

is the one to pull the stick from the box in your hands, placing it lazily between his lips like a cigarette

raises his eyebrows expectantly at you as you stammer and splutter, one hand lazily resting on your hip and his other arm across the back of the couch

"c'mon, sweetheart - it's just you n' me, nothing to be embarrassed about"

his smirk grows as you bite down on the other end, an amused laugh rumbling in his chest

uses his hand not on your hip to cup your face, guiding you a little closer to him as he takes his turn to bite

probably winks at you at some point while you're taking a turn just to fluster you even more

teases you by moving his head back when you try to finally lean in and kiss him

he can't help but tease you - he's always thought the way you pout is so, so cute

he finally closes the gap between you two once you've pouted enough, tilting your face up so he can kiss you deeply

his chest swells with affection when you grasp at the lapels of his suit jacket, chuckling as he pulls away just to leave another affectionate peck on the tip of your nose

"have i ever told you how cute you are?"

he has, many times - but he'll tell you again and again, peppering your face with kisses until you're laughing and telling him to stop

✾ akira nishikiyama 🎏

smirks when you walk up to him with the stick in your mouth, already knowing where you were going with this

"alright, you're on"

probably complains that you took the frosted side for yourself

holds you by the hips as he bites down on his end, cocking an eyebrow at you suggestively

he's trying to look you in the eyes, he really is - but he can't take the way off your lips, the way they're so prettily wrapped around the stick making his mind wander

you can tell when nishiki's distracted, and a little idea forms in your head

he's dragged back down to reality when he hears the snap of the pocky breaking between the two of you

he lets out a choked noise of surprise as you pull him down to press your lips to his

his eyes flutter shut as he finally lets himself relax into the kiss

he can taste the remnants of melted chocolate on your lips and your tongue, his brow furrowing slightly as tilts your chin up so he can kiss you deeper

there's a slight smirk on his lips when you pull away, letting out an amused scoff

"you cheated, you little-"

he doesn't even let himself finish the sentence before he's tugging you close by the hips to kiss you again

playfully wraps his arms around your shoulders and keeps you pinned against him, peppering your face with kisses as punishment for your betrayal

doesn't stop until you're both laughing so hard that you're tearing up, nishiki picking you up by the waist and spinning you around

"you're lucky i love you so much, you little minx"

✾ daigo dojima ⚔️

you can practically see the steam come out of daigo's ears when you ask him to play the game with you

he's never really been one for such... cheeky gestures of affection

but if you really want it, he supposes he'll have to oblige despite his embarrassment

it's not like he's unfamiliar with the game, anyways - he's frequented enough cabaret clubs in his white puffer jacket era to see every lovey-dovey little game there is

surprisingly, he takes the initiative to put the pocky in his mouth first, gently pulling you closer by the waist

"well? this is what you wanted, isn't it?" he asks through his teeth

a bit of his reluctance is shaved away when he actually sees you bite down on the other end, your proximity intoxicating

it's subtle, but you know him well enough to recognize the gleam of interest in his eyes

plays by the rules, politely waiting for his turn and biting down a respectable amount

that is, until you guys get about three inches apart and he suddenly takes a way larger bite than before, forcing his lips to be a breath's away from yours

he keeps his facial expression neutral as he watches you flounder, caught off-guard by his sudden playfulness

he raises his eyebrows at you expectantly - he's not saying it verbally, but you know he's challenging you

he watches every little twitch of your eyebrows and dart of your eyes with amused intrigue, interested in what you were gonna do next

he's pleasantly surprised when you take the initiative to bite down the rest of the pocky, your soft lips melding against his

he cradles your face in his hands gently, moving his lips slowly against yours

presses your foreheads together when you part, wrapping you up tightly in his arms and swaying you back and forth

"you always manage to surprise me, darling"

✾ ryuji goda 🐲

his brows furrow when you suggest the pocky game to him

"eh? what the hell is that?"

watches you intensely as you explain it - you almost change your mind about asking because he seems so disinterested

once you're done, he laughs out loud, amused greatly by the thought of such a silly little game

like saejima, he doesn't really see the point in doing a little song and dance before kissing, but hell if he'll back away from a challenge

"heh, sounds fuckin' dumb. let's do it"

has one hand tightly on your hip and the other slung around your shoulders as he bites down on the other end of the pocky

he can't help but snicker at the situation, his sharp canines gleaming in the light

you nod, indicating for him to take his turn first

but you're taken by surprise when he just bites off the rest of the pocky, his lips firmly pressed against yours

he laughs at the surprised expression on your face when he pulls away, always endlessly entertained by all the ways he can surprise you

"what's wrong, doll? ya never told me how far i could or couldn't bite"

can't help but ruffle your hair when you pout up at him, laughing gruffly

presses a kiss to each of your cheeks to placate you, satisfaction swelling in his chest when he makes you smile again

[frillyheathen]

Phantom Thieves Ranked By How Good They Are At Giving Hugs (Spoilers)

A Portrait of the Artist as a Touch-Starved Young Man

10. Akechi

I feel like I don't even need to explain this. Ideally the person hugging you should want to hug you, and I don't think Akechi ever would. If somehow he did want to give someone a hug I think he would be, like, fine at it. But yeah murder boy goes at the bottom.

9. Yusuke

Yusuke doesn't strike me as a very physically affectionate guy, but I can see him giving the occasional hug. He's very bony and isn't always great at reading social cues so he may go for the too-long or too-tight hug. He's just doing his best.

8. Makoto

I think Makoto could give a bomb ass hug if in the right mindset, but I fear otherwise she would overthink things and be very stiff.

7. Futaba

Similar to Makoto, I think hugs would freak her out most of the time. But she beats out Makoto because Futaba gives big cat energy--standoffish at first but just melting into your arms when she's comfortable. Also she's probably wearing comfy clothes.

6. Morgana

This may be a controversial take given what I just said about cats, but Morgana is in sixth place because he is a cat. He is soft and warm and very cute, but he cannot hug you back. Even in his Metaverse form, his bulbous head and stubby arms would prevent him from giving you a proper hug. RIP Mona 2024.

5. Sumire

NOW we're getting into the good stuff. I don't have much to say about Sumi. I think she would just give a solid hug.

4. Akira/Ren

Joker's personality is largely up to player interpretation, but one thing that is clear is that this guy adaptive. He could probably suss out if this a bro hug situation or a long-hug-with-pats-on-the-back situation.

3. Ann

Have you ever been hugged by someone who has long nails and felt their nails tracing up and down your back? Yeah, I think hugging Ann would be something like that. Also boobs-- *I am struck down by an oversized mallet*

2. Ryuji

MY BOY. MY PRECIOUS BABY BOY. He gives bro hugs, bear hugs, squeeze the soul out of you hugs, and everything in between. His energy is just so sincere and pure that I think being hugged by him would be genuinely healing.

Haru

There was only one natural winner here. Haru's personality is the perfect mixture of soft kindness and firm resolution to give the Perfect Pressure Hug. She's got such a comforting aura that I think you could just sink into a hug and it wouldn't be awkward at all. Plus she's got the oversized sweater look for maximum comfort.

[events-in-the-velvet-room]

Author Guessing Post!

So for our first annual New Years Community Prompts, we had 6 lovely contributors!

NextTrickAnvils ( @nexttrickanvils )

Ravenoftheskyes ( @ravenoftheskyes )

Oceantoast ( @ocean--toast )

marshie_marshmallow ( @purplespacefairy )

shadow_reader (I don't know your tumblr, please send an ask or DM me so I can add you if you want)

a_salty_alto ( @yusuke-of-valla ) (aka me)

They contributed 11 wonderful works!

All I Want For Christmas is Yu

Nanako wants nothing more than to see her big bro come home for Christmas. But unfortunately, that’s not happening.

But maybe the magic of Christmas can help…?

Countdown

Happy New Years from Toshiro and Takuto!

Cracks in the Stained Glass

Yusuke finds himself in Ueno, staring at that genuinely bright portrait being subjected to the harsh artificial brightness of the spotlight. It feels so hollow here, surrounded by other works of art and gawked at from afar rather than being the quiet fireplace it had been in LeBlanc. Yusuke wonders how long it had been there without him thinking anything more of it than the pedestrians stopping and passingly mentioning its beauty before moving on.

How easily he had fallen into the same blind contentment as Eve. Allowing Maruki to guide his thoughts as far back as October, easing him into the idea that he could be happy being so divorced from the art that inspired his career path like this

glory and gore

The Metaverse is amazing. She can move just as well as- no, even better than Kasumi. Feats that no human could ever actually pull off are possible in this world. She has power running through her veins and she can do anything.

And it’s the one thing that Kasumi doesn’t have.

A Leg Up

The Metaverse starts taking a toll on Ryuji’s leg.

make me feel something

Toshiro meets a strange man at a bar

Oh Captain, My Captain

Toshiro gets bullied into confessing his love for Eri by a 19 year old boy he met two minutes ago.

Operation: First Date

Yosuke wants to ask Labrys out on a date, there were just a couple hurdles for him to get through.

Really bad day in Mementos

A day where things go very, very poorly for the Phantom Thieves.

Prompt:

Characters getting afflicted with some of the weirder SMT status conditions such as Vamp, High, Drunk, Guilt, puppet, etc.

Red Alert!

Rise finally hits the button.

Self (in Approximation to Others)

All she’s ever wanted is to be loved the way that Kasumi has been. The way that’s been afforded to her for just existing in a way that Sumire was never good enough for. Not even good enough, just never enough to deserve.

“I know I don’t say it enough but that’s one of the reasons that I love you, Sumire.”

Her red bangs fall in front of her face and her glasses clang on the tile when she lowers her chin. Her jaw tightens and her hands ball into fists. She thinks she hears Akechi but she can’t understand a thing that he says. “Shut up.”

If you still want to have some fun, you can guess in the comments and tags of this post who contributed what!

Ground rules:

No guessing on the fics themselves, because it'll be awkward if you're wrong.

Be polite! If you don't have anything nice to say, you don't have to say anything at all!

If you can, comment on the fics themselves! They turned out great!

If you don't want to comment, share this post so others can see everyone's hard work

Authors will be revealed next week, so let's start off the year with some fun! Good luck!

[andtheyreonfire]

wake up where the clouds far behind

Ao3

Word Count: 7,025

An: less than hour left for g/t july in my timezone :) i had a lotta fun with this, hope you enjoy!

~

Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high

There’s a land I’ve heard of once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow

Skies are blue

And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true

Someday I wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far behind me

~

  Ryuji shouldn’t be the one to do this.

 Really. It should be Mona, or maybe Ann, or even Akechi—as long as that asshole’s working with them, he might was well contribute. Him and Ren’ve always had a weird way of understanding each other. Ryuji’s head is too far up his ass for this to work. Ask anyone who knows him!

 —But Ryuji’s here, because life is a bitch. And—they told him to just hand it to Ren directly but, fuck—

 “Hey,” Ryuji says, jogging up the stairs. Every creak rings like a gunshot. “I got that magazine you wanted.”

 Ren glances up from his homework to shoot him a confused look. If Mona was here, at least Ryuji’d have backup. Some insurance would be nice. But the cat’s with Ann and Futaba, no doubt poured over their supplies. Probably a bag of snacks, too. As it is, Ryuji’s entire plan consists of sticking his foot in his mouth and hoping he doesn’t choke on it.

 “Magazine?” Ren rasps.

 “Yeah.” Ryuji coughs, shuffles closer to Ren’s desk. It’s neat, organized; not a single scrap of paper is out of place. Completely free of any bits, pieces, or spare parts. Ryuji slides the issue of Sprint onto the desk, prays Ren won’t notice it’s from last week. “Remember?  You wanted to see how that one arc of Death Beat ended. It’s pretty good, lemme tell you. Real kicker.”

 He sounds like an NPC. This is the stupidest thing he’s ever done in his life. Ryuji coughs again. They ain’t even in flu season but—when’d it get so dusty in here? Ren gives him a sort of confused squint, before nodding and uttering a single, “Thanks.”

 Ryuji waits for more, for Ren to the continue the conversation, for the perfect icebreaker to fall on his head, but nothing comes. For lack of a better plan, Ryuji claps his hand on Ren’s shoulder. His heart sinks at the flinch it earns him.

 “Look, just—” Ryuji’s hands are cold, clammy, ready to grasp a weapon before anything else. “Just give it a look tonight, okay? If you have any thoughts, you can text me ‘em. I’m here for you.”

 Ren shifts to look at him fully. His brow is furrowed. Something’s wrong, he’s realized, but—

 He slumps down, nods, and turns back to his homework, muttering a quiet “okay” and a goodnight.

 And—alright, Ryuji’s delivered his cargo. He can leave now. He should leave, now.

 He hovers, examining Ren’s tired, languid posture, the uncaring haze over his eyes. He looks washed out, striking monochrome faded to dull grey. If Ryuji’d met him like this earlier, he never would’ve guessed that this boy was the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

 “...G’night, bro,” Ryuji says, before turning on his heel and all but throwing himself down LeBlanc’s stairs.

 He prays, prays, prays, to whatever god is up there, that Ren has the strength to at least read the ticket to his jailbreak.

  ~

Where troubles melt like lemon drops

And way above the chimney tops

Is where you’ll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow

Bluebirds fly

Birds fly over the rainbow

Why, then oh why, can’t I?

~

  Red stains Ryuji’s shoes, his gloves, the bodies of 9 thieves, sprinting down what he could only wish was Mementos’ labyrinths.

 It sure as fuck could be mistaken for that. The dungeon is as blood-red as the bowels of Mementos. Only—where maroon veins pulsed juts signs and warnings. Where concrete and rot crunched beneath their feet lies soft velvet. Where doorways and treasure and shadows arose are now jail cells, spanning to the ceiling and impossible to count. They all know which cell they’re looking for, anyways.

 Queen leads the charge. None of them are as well-rounded as Ren, but they’d agreed she’d take the lead if something happened. They also agreed to try their damndest to prevent that situation from arising—but, well, life’s a bitch.

 They’re forgoing stealth. It wouldn’t matter, anyways, with the klaxon alarms blaring in their ears. Path of least resistance is the fastest, after all. The ache of Ryuji’s leg is doing nothing to distract from the stress budding in his stomach.

 The shadows in here were a hell of a ride, the Thieves found. They could range anywhere from a level 2 Pixie to a Fafnir the most busted moves known to man. Apparently, they originated from someplace called the Compendium, but no one’s been as successful as Joker was in weaseling info from them. Now, Queen calls to take wide angles to avoid them.

 Finally, they reach the end, too stressed to take stock at the nearest Saferoom like they usually do. A massive, blood-red door spans before them. Oracle fishes out the key they acquired.

 “I can sense R…the Treasure beyond that door,” Mona says. “No going back. Are we ready?”

 A hum of affirmation. Queen steps forward. “As we’ll ever be, I suppose. Let’s do this.”

 They enter the gate.

 The inside is smaller, barely large enough for all nine of them to fit. Ryuji’s too busy trying to squeeze into the cell to notice the 10th member before them. It’s only when Violet lets out a sharp gasp that he looks up.

 Before them, curled tight on an iron prison bed, is Ren. Ryuji freezes when sharp, yellow eyes snap up to meet them.

 “You came.” Even in the tiny room, Ren’s voice echos. Palace rulers’—and it hurts, it hurts, to think about him that way, but that’s exactly what he is—voices are usually overlaid, but Ren’s is singular. Powerful, with the way it reverberates in their ears, but singular.

 “Of course we did, dummy,” Oracle says, as if her body isn’t tensed to run.

 Ryuji looks back on the group. A variety of expressions stare back at him. Fox and Noir wear matching faces of determination. Violet looks conflicted. Disgust paints Crow’s face. Queen looks unsure, eager to fight than for the inevitable conversation they’re about to have. Mona just looks sad.

 Panther’s expression matches Ryuji’s own: he feels like he’s gonna throw up.

 “I didn’t think you would…” Ren continues, shifting his head to rest on his knee. The striped, worn material flashing like a warning in the red light. “It’s quiet in here, y’know. There’s never been anything of note beneath the mask.”

 They wait for more, but Shadow-Ren only stares into the wall. Queen clears her throat. “Ren…how did this happen? Why do you view yourself as a prisoner?”

 Shadow Ren shrugs. “Because I am. Of fate, of my masks, of Japan’s silly little justice system. I’ve always been trapped. I always will be.” He folds into himself. “Nothing’s ever going to change.”

 After a beat, he stands up. He doesn’t attack, doesn’t do anything but stare into them. “Our influence as Phantom Thieves is limited to the present moment. We’re a passing memory, a hapless trend.” His movements are sluggish, strained, but surprisingly lifelike for a shadow. “We can fight and struggle for that ‘perfect society’ all we want, and we’ll never obtain it. We’re just a bunch of kids playing dress-up. Our ‘justice’ has always been meaningless.”

 “Our lives are testament to the opposite, Ren.” Noir says. “You’re a testament to the opposite. We have made change.”

 He pins Noir with a yellow-eyed glower. It’s the most passion Ryuji’s seen on him since he started his monologue. Just as quickly, he deflates. “You know more than anyone, Haru, that it’s the system itself that allowed our targets to come into power. It’s the system that will allow others to take their place. Whatever we do will just as quickly be overwritten. Call it society, call it human nature. It’s a shitty cycle that’s made us its prisoners. Maruki had a point—”

 Ryuji takes one look at Crow’s expression and blanches. Violet puts a hand up, stepping between them. “I don’t think it’s wise to finish that sentence, senpai.”

 Shadow Ren shakes his head. “I wasn’t saying he was right. He opened my eyes, that’s all. He overhauled reality completely, and it worked. He abolished Japan’s free will, sure, but he came farther than we could ever dream to.”

 “So what is the meaning of this palace’s distortion?” Fox tilts his head. “The Ren I knew would’ve done everything in his power to prove your words wrong. Surely you haven’t lost your rebel spirit completely?”

 “I—” Shadow Ren hesitates, a million emotions flickering across his face. Finally, he settles on a blank mask, eyes just as dead as Futaba’s shadow. “I’m so tired. It’s exhausting, to fight day in and day out for a future we’ll never be able to achieve. It’s easier to close your eyes and drown it all out.  You—can’t burn yourself out if you never try, right? It’s better to just stand down, and accept our fate.”

 For a moment, no one speaks. Ryuji’s blood boils, pops. He swings an arm wide, ignoring Panther’s shout as she ducks under it. “Bullshit! You tellin’ me we shoulda just kept our heads down and let Kamoshida ruin our lives? You tellin’ me we shoulda just let Shido run over us with his big fuckin’ ship? You’re spewin’ the same piss the shadows in Mementos were!”

 And Ryuji should—stop, probably. Let someone who knows how to diffuse a situation talk Ren’s shadow down, but—it’s something about seeing the person who made him who he is, who reached out his hand and asked are you going to sit there and take this? do just that. Ryuji can’t tell if it’s the palace or his own anger that’s staining his vision red. “I never would’ve expected this from you, man!”

 He should stop, but Ren’s shadow is silent, peering at him with an oddly interested gaze. So, he doesn’t. “We defeated Maruki ‘cause he was a delusional asshole who, if you took away the savior complex, was just as bad as the other assholes we defeated. That’s it! Just—don’t you remember how we started?”

 Ryuji has Shadow Ren’s full attention. “We formed because we wanted to take back power from king asshole. Society was the last thing on our minds. Then Madarame happened and Kaneshiro and Medjed and—you’re right. We were just kids playing dress-up. But then we—then you shot a god in the face. Twice. We’re not that way anymore. We’ve changed!”

 “What’s your point?” Ren’s shadow snaps, and Ryuji kind of wants to hug him but also really wants to strangle him until he gets a clue.

 “We have power, dude. We did change society! Even if no one realizes it, that just means we have a fuckton more time to prove it. Fuck ‘em, fuck ‘em all for not realizing the truth. But the Metaverse still exists, which means our time ain’t over yet. We can change this shit. You should know that, you’re the strongest out of any of us.”

 “I…” Ren’s shadow looks confused. “I have power?”

 “You do. Don’t think I didn’t see you summon some crazy-ass shit. You probably coulda defeated some of the later palace rulers on your own, or used the metaverse to your advantage at any time—”

 “Ryuji,” Mona warns. Ryuji ignores him. He’s close, he can feel it, if the faint crackle of the air is anything to go by.

 “C’mon, man.” Ryuji reaches out a hand. The shadow—fuck, he can’t think of him that way. This is Ren, even if he’s balls-deep in a subconscious prison—only stares at it, considering. “You’re bigger than this.”

 Ren raises his hand.

 Ryuji beams, body aching to move and give him the bro-hug he deserves, but Ren’s hand lingers. It ghosts across his thumb, before pushing it down, slow but firm. He can feel the chill through his gloves.

 Ren shakes his head, giving a smile. William flares in the back of Ryuji’s mind. “You’re right. I am more than this. There’s so much more to—this. I guess I didn’t see it before.”

 He blinks, languid, and when he opens his eyes they’re a pure, blazing gold. “Thank you for showing me the truth, Skull.”

 Ryuji’s smile drops. “Wait, why’d you c—”

 The air crackles, forcing itself into the tight, strained space. The pressure builds, swells. Ryuji can  ozone and bitter syrup on his tongue. Whatever—this is, it’s building near Ren, inside of him.

 All at once, it stops.

 Oracle’s voice crackles in his ear, “Guys! Back the FUCK up--!”

 The pressure explodes, a boom echoing across the tiny, enclosed room. Ryuji splays an arm across his face as he stumbles back. He tries to open his eyes, but all he sees is a sea of red dust.

 An arm wraps around his waist and jerks him back, the familiar lurch of a grappling hook scrambling his insides.  He coughs. It isn’t until he’s a good distance away that he catches sight of the red leotard holding him—Panther, of course—and Ren’s cell fading  into the background.

 Ryuji sways as Panther stops to set them on a ledge. He groans, clutching his head. “What—”

 “We’ve triggered his boss fight!” Futaba’s tinny voice sounds in his ear. “He’s still transforming!”

 Blearily, Ryuji registers a few other forms joining them on the ledge. He barely manages to get his feet under him when the world shakes, shifts, and—

 The wall in front of Ryuji explodes, parting like a curtain, to reveal a giant, blood-red glove.

 It’s taller than him. Just barely, but it seems to be growing. It’s reaching towards them, bits of rubble sliding off as it inches closer, closer, closer—

 “Gorokichi!” Fox screams, and a physical attack crashes into the massive palm. The hand stops, long enough for Ryuji’s instincts to kick in and launch a grappling hook. He looks back just in time to see some thieves trailing behind him, and to see the hand wrapping around the ledge they escaped. It crumples like Styrofoam in its grasp.

 “Mona!” Panther’s voice is high-pitched, winded, crackling beside Ryuji and in his ear. Ryuji shoots out another hook, a symphony of tumbling stone behind him. “What the hell is doing on!?”

 “I don’t know!” Mona’s voice responds over the earpiece. He’s just as panicked as Ryuji feels, meaning he probably saw whatever—that was, too. “Wild cards aren’t even supposed to have shadows! I can’t predict what it’ll do next!”

 A piece of ceiling nearly caves Ryuji’s head in. He swerves around it, gritting his teeth. Queen’s voice crackles in his ear. “We need to regroup! Get to the roof of the other building!”

 Ren’s palace was split into two halves. One comprised of wide, open spaces, decorated with sprawling, stained-glass windows. A massive panopticon, the outside reflecting whatever they projected. The other—the one that housed the treasure room—was a penitentiary: closed, winding, and damn-near impossible to navigate. They needed keys from both halves to open another door, which provided them with the key to Ren’s cell.

 Right now, the open, multi-colored windows of the panopticon make the perfect beacon. Ryuji hits the floor with a roll. He eyes the still-drawn drawbridge they had to use to cross—the river between the halves was more sludge than water, and Futaba couldn’t find any alternate routes, which meant a buttload of fighting and a severe security increase—and readies his hook. He can already see some of the others on the roof.

 —And can hear the palace crumbling behind him. Ryuji kicks his legs faster, aims, and as soon as his feet touch the drawbridge, he launches clean over the water and onto the roof. Panther, Fox, and Noir land beside him.

 “God, Ryuji, what did you do?” Panther groans, sprawled out like a starfish.

 “What the fuck! I was just talkin’ to him!” Ryuji flails his arms in the direction of the other building. “I didn’t mean for him to go apeshit!”

 “Fighting will get us nowhere—” Queen grounds out, healing them both while helping Panther to her feet, “—Considering we are actively in the middle of combat. Oracle, what’s Ren—what’s the shadow doing?”

 “It’s bad!” Oracle’s voice cracks with panic. “He’s gaining power by the second! He’s almost maxed out, but that doesn’t matter when the palace is about to—!”

 A sudden, deafening boom shakes the earth.

 Ryuji throws his arms in front of his face. Wind whips at him, rubble and smoke pooling into his lungs. He coughs, eyes watering, looks up to find—

 A massive, blood-red glove, followed by a sleeve as dark as night, protrudes from the roof of the second building. A second glove reaches upwards, knocking over towers, clawing past prisons, reaching up, up, up, towards a sky as red as itself. Ryuji can only watch as the hands grasp around the biggest spire, brace themselves, and pull—

 A titanic, familiar head of hair joins them. Ryuji’s stares into the giant, unmasked face of Joker, of their leader, of Ryuji’s confidant and closest, deepest friend.

 Joker’s blazing, golden eyes lock onto their little group, each probably as big—no, bigger than Ryuji’s skull. Even after facing Adam Kadmon, after Yaldabaoth, Ryuji has never quite felt so small.

 Joker grins, unnaturally wide and knife-sharp, and begins to walk through rubble, through stones and tower and brick, towards them.

 Oh, right, they’re in the middle of a fight. Trying to steal the heart of their leader. Against a hostile shadow that’s taller than Wakaba Isshiki’s.

 “Shit,” is all Ryuji has time to mutter, before a wall of the second building falls. Its shadow falls over them, and they’re forced to make a leap.

 Ryuji flails, barely managing to activate his grappling hook in time as the wall crashes down behind him. Queen’s voice crackles in his ear, “Fight! We CANNOT lose here! Keep your guard up! Skull, Violet, Mona, follow my lead! The rest of you, scatter!”

 Ryuji follows her behind one of the tower’s spires. They’re close, too close to Joker’s shadow, but, shit, any stealth would help in this situation. Ryuji tries to imagine hitting the shadow, or it hitting them, and blanches. Violet lands next to him in a heap. “Is there any weaknesses? Anything we can hit him with?”

 “No weaknesses! Shit-ton of HP, SP, and resistances! Attack and defense off the charts! Do NOT get hit by him! I’ll see if I can find a way to debuff him—!”

 The tower sheltering them lurches. Ryuji cranes his neck back, only able to watch as a giant, gloved hand steadily crushes the tower in its grip. Joker’s massive head peeks around, assessing them like one would a pile of ants. Ryuji’s probably, barely the size of his finger.

 When Joker’s gaze lands on him, he pauses. Ryuji’s blood prickles under that massive, golden stare. His voice reverberates across the ruined palace, “I see it now, thank you.”

 Ryuji’s mouth, as it often does, runs faster than his brain. “See what?”

 “My true power.” Joker’s voice echos bigger, louder. He sweeps a hand across the air. “I’m capable of so much more! This world couldn’t contain me if it tried. I’ll be unstoppable, powerful, big.”

 His gaze narrows, and Ryuji’s blood freezes. “Without anyone standing in my way.”

 Joker reaches forward. The shadow of his hand envelops Ryuji, his blood-red fingers blotting out the sky. They curl, slightly, reaching towards him, ready to grab—

 A swirl of black and red pushes Ryuji to the side, and he has the perfect view to see Sumire’s form disappear. Joker’s fingers close around her, stop, and squeeze.

 Her unconscious body emerges a few seconds later, and Ryuji can’t catch the extent of her injuries before he’s yanked away, again, as Diego pulls him off the ledge. Mona screams, “Violet’s down!”

 Ryuji’s fingers find his earpiece. He shudders, letting his body sink into the freefall. “Is—is there anything we can do to damage him?”

 “I don’t know!” Oracle screams back. “I’m looking! Keep him distracted!”

 “Crow!” Panther says. “Have you ever—”

 “Do you think I’d still be alive if I’d ever encountered a shadow like this?” Crow’s voice crackles in his ear. Ryuji can hear his sneer—and a round of fire. “Fuck—!”

 Ryuji finally shoots out a grapple. He flings himself up, catching the tail end of Crow emptying a volley into Joker’s face. Noir’s situated on a ledge, her rocket launcher smoking. Joker stares down at them like someone would a dirt on a duvet.

 Ryuji lands on a ledge, next to Queen. Even behind her mask, the hopelessness on her face is clear as day. She doesn’t know what to do. None of them do. They need a leader.

 They need Ren.

 But, well, Ren is currently wading through a building like it’s ocean water. Ryuji watches as Fox attempts an ice attack, only for him to be slammed into a tower, Gorokichi disappearing as he crumples like a puppet with its strings cut.

 Panther’s voice crackles in his ear. “Oracle—!”

 “I got it! The first building!” Ryuji follows Queen’s line of sight, into the massive, open panopticon. The stained glass warps its insides into a kaleidoscope of light. “It’s large enough to hold him! If we destroy the internal structure—or he does—the rubble might stop him in his tracks!”

 “Won’t we get crushed, too?” Panther asks.

 “It’s the only way! Lead him in there and target the pillars! He’ll fit inside no problem!”

 Queen gathers herself, voice hard in a way that’s so, so close to Joker’s. “Rodger that. Panther! Oracle! You’re with me on luring him inside that building! Noir, Skull, and Crow, head over to the building and use your strongest skills on the interior when I give the signal. Mona, I need you to wait outside until we’re done. You’re agile, but there’s no point in healing if he can one-shot us. Revive us only after he’s immobilized. Everyone clear?”

 “Clear!” Ryuji stutters out, to a chorus of the same in his ear.

 “Let’s go!” Queen screams, and drops down to fire a nuclear attack in Joker’s face, before darting away. The skill doesn’t make a scratch.

 Skull does what he’s told, keeping one eye on the group behind them. For their credit, Joker seems to be taking the bait. He pounces like a cat, making precise, lightning-fast grabs at whatever thief darts in front of him. For their credit, they’re able to dodge him, just as effectively as he’s able to destroy a tower in a single swipe.

 Even so, none of them are aerial fighters. Ryuji is painfully reminded of that fact when an attack hits too fast for Queen to dodge, burying her under a heap of rubble.

 “Shit—” Skull hisses, lurching back for her—

 Only to be dragged forward by Noir. The girl’s eyes are hard, stalwartly not looking back. “Remember the plan. Panther and Oracle are almost here.”

 Ryuji grits his teeth, falling into swing with her and Crow. The light splintering off the stained glass of the panopticon nearly blinds him.

 They duck into the entrance—the glass is bullet-proof, a fact they found out after they first failed to cross the moat—and perch themselves on the highest level. It’s the most stressful 50 seconds of Ryuji’s life. Finally, Joker approaches. He steps clean over the moat, lurches forward, and smashes through the stained glass. Oracle’s ship barely manages to escape his fingers.

 Okay. Mission success. They made it. Ryuji wraps his fingers around his mask, prepares to pull—

 Only to throw himself off the ledge as Joker’s hand nearly crushes him and Noir, having crossed over to their side of the room in less than 3 seconds. Because they’re in an enclosed space with an enemy who is 150 feet tall.

 To their credit, Joker doesn’t have that much space to move. He doesn’t really need room, when he just smashed through bullet-proof glass like tissue paper. He crushes the balcony in his fist, Panther narrowly dodging both it and the ensuing explosion. A rictus grin stretches across his face. Ryuji shudders.

 “Herewald!” Crow screams, which is as good of a signal to start firing. Their first attack goes off without a hitch: his, Crow’s, and Noir’s strongest physical attacks shaking the building to its core. It doesn’t fall, not yet.

 Joker wheels on them, eyes alight, and lunges, forcing them to scatter. They find their masks, and attack again.

 The cycle repeats, dodging Joker’s attacks while aiming for the building containing him, since if it hits him it doesn’t do anything. Oracle buffs them when she can, while Panther keeps up a rapid-fire stream of healing. They go in circles, having to stop and switch to more running when Joker starts to catch onto their plan.

 But for every hit they give, they take two more. Rubble rains as the panopticon falls. Shadows run out to see what the commotion is and begin to fire at them, Joker’s stamina remains high as their own deteriorates. One by one, they begin to fall. A pillar lands on top of Noir, smashing through both her and through the massive windows. Oracle takes a critical hit from Joker—which, fuck, can she even be revived? Ryuji finds he doesn’t have time to worry when he’s tagged in the back by a stray Garudyne, and lands in a heap on the floor.

 Joker didn’t notice, which is great, because he would probably be crushed under his boot if he did. His teammates probably think he’s dead, which sucks, because the edge of Ryuji’s vision is starting to blur. He groans, trying and failing to drag himself to his feet. They always need a minute to recover after getting knocked down, but—they’re so close, they just need—

 Crow howls, destroying one of the pillars just as a shower of rubble buries him. Panther aims for one of the few remaining pillars—there’s two, only two, since Joker’s destroyed the walls already. They’re so close--and promptly disappears behind a closed fist.

 And suddenly, it’s just them. Just Joker panting, letting Panther’s unconscious body fall from his hand. Just two targets, and Ryuji barely, barely has enough health to tag both of them. Just the ice-cold fear that permeates his entire body, just the pounding of his own heart.

 Ryuji hauls himself to his feet, channels every bit of phantom thief in him, and moves to duck behind a pile of debris—Only to trip on a few scattered bricks. He lets out a strangled curse. The sound echos through the ruins of the panopticon. Ryuji curls into himself behind the pile, squeezing his eyes shut.

 He opens his eyes. He’s not—eviscerated, which means Joker didn’t hear him. Which means he still has a chance. Ryuji breathes a sigh of relief—

 Booming reverberates from Joker’s direction, rhythmic in a way that could only be footfalls. Ryuji clamps a hand over his mouth. The footsteps—if they can even be called that—draw closer, and Ryuji jumps to hide behind a fallen pillar, about 10 feet away.

 He peeks around the corner, watching Joker grind his heel into Ryuji’s former cover. He starts to look around—and Ryuji follows the side of the pillar, crouches behind it, just as those steady earthquakes draw near. He waits another few seconds, before darting behind a pile of rubble, this one situated farther on.

 The clatter of marble echos through the panopticon, and Ryuji watches only enough to see the tip of the fallen pillar be lifted up, up, up. He exhales, shaky, and takes the opportunity to dart closer to one of the remaining pillars, the one that is so, so close.

 The other is across the room. He’ll definitely alert Joker when he destroys the one nearest to him. That’s fine. He’s fine. Everything is fine.

 “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” Joker’s voice booms, accompanied by a spray of stone, no doubt him crushing the solid, marble pillar in his grip.

 Everything is not fine. God, Ryuji shouldn’t be the one to do this.

 He isn’t equipped for stealth. He’s loud, obnoxious. He’s fucked them over with his big mouth more times than he could count—be it through Makoto, Akechi, or the countless enemies he’s alerted over their career.

 He imagines Ren as he moves forward. Silent as a cat, even in heels. Able to duck around corners in the blink of an eye. He keeps his body low, like Ren does. Moves only when he knows the coast is clear. He steals glances when he can, channeling Ren’s calculated stealth.

 “I know you’re here,” Joker sings, voice reverberating through Ryuji’s body, each syllable a pounding drum.

 Ryuji shouldn’t be the one to do this.

 He wields electricity, sure, but he doesn’t compare to the literal storm behind him. How could he? When Joker’s voice rumbles like thunder? When every footfall rings like a clap of lightning? When he leaves complete, utter destruction in his wake? Ryuji’s strong, sure, but Yusuke and Haru and even Akechi have always hit harder. They should be the ones to deal the finishing blow.

 He doesn’t back down, because he imagines them, too. They wouldn’t let their fear get the best of them. They would keep pushing forward, no matter the danger, no matter their heartbeat pounding in their ears, no matter the hard, iron knowledge that they’re going to die—

 “Where are you hiding, little mouse?” A crash. A rumble. A spray of stone. Ryuji barely manages to suppress a flinch.

 Ryuji shouldn’t be the one to do this.

 He failed Joker during the shadow talk. Fucked it up, because he handles situations with the grace of a bull in a china shop. He failed his teammates because he’s the last one standing, left watching his hiding spots explode with every step forward. He failed Ren, because he’s his bro and he didn’t notice something was wrong until it was far, far too late.

 He’s so close.

 “You’re testing my patience,” Joker growls, the sound going straight to Ryuji’s spine.

 The pillar is 6 feet away, if that.

 His footsteps boom closer, stopping just behind Ryuji’s hiding spot. “Do you actually think you can hide, little one?”

 He grips his mask.

 “The show’s only just begun,” Joker murmurs, close, far, far too close.

 Ryuji shouldn’t be the one to do this, but he is.

 He will not fail Ren again.

 “William!” Ryuji bellows, and watches the first pillar explode in a cloud of dust. He doesn’t even have time to feel the recoil when a massive shadow envelops him. He throws his grappling hook out. The tip of Joker’s glove brushes his leg as it connects, latching onto one of the last remaining ledges.

 He throws himself forward, Joker’s footsteps booming behind him. Sweat pools on his brow. The panopticon groans around him. A rumble, a sound like Joker snarling, fills the air.

 Ryuji rips his mask off, screaming. He can feel the weight of Joker’s outstretched hand, not 3 feet behind him. He screams, “GOD’S HAND!”

 The pillar explodes. The panopticon groans. The recoil from the attack flings Ryuji through the air, past Joker’s hand and body and towards the glorious, glorious hole Joker made on his way in. His vision wavers. Every movement is agony. Ryuji makes one last grapple to sail through the air and out the gap.

 He turns around just in time to see Joker, lunging forward, golden eyes ablaze—

 Before the place crashes on top of him, in an explosion of sound, dust, and pained, howling screams.

 The fight leaves Ryuji like a gust of wind. He drops down onto one knee, body a tight, hot rod of pain. He hacks, dust twisting in his lungs. In front of him, Joker’s massive face peeks out of the rubble, twisted in agony. Pinned next to him is his hand, frozen in a grasp.

 Ryuji grimaces. Yeah, he’s not moving anytime soon, but—fuck.

 A shower of tiny, green lights wash over him. Ryuji’s pain fades to a dull ache. He whips around, almost colliding with Morgana. His bug-like face is set into something grim. “…Mission success. I’ll go look for the others.”

 Ryuji hacks up another lung. He gestures, both to the destruction and the titanic, prone form before them. “Can ‘y even heal everyone?”

 “It’s the Metaverse. I think I can, so I can.” Morgana shakes his head, grappling into the ruined building. Joker’s eyes follow him. He pauses, still close enough that Ryuji can hear him call back, “Just...keep an eye on him until then.”

 “Ugn,” is all Ryuji can muster in response. Fuck, this place is a mess. There’s not like—long-term consequences for destroying the structure of someone’s psyche, right? Or, rather—he makes eye contact with Joker, unable to stifle a full body shudder. Are there long-term consequences for destroying your own psyche?

 Joker doesn’t answer his thought-question, only continuing to stare. He’s heaving, each breath ruffling Ryuji’s hair like a gust of wind. His eyes are half-closed, his face is set in a grimace.

 With nothing better to do, Ryuji sits cross-legged in front of the massive, trapped cognition of his friend, and waits.

 Soon enough, Yusuke joins them—and the relief that crashes through Ryuji when he sees him is palpable enough to taste. “Shit, man, good to see you.”

 “Likewise.” Yusuke frames his fingers around Joker, frowning. “I take it you’re the one who dealt the final blow?”

 “Yeah. Fuck. Fuck, never again. Are the others…y’know.” He gestures. “Alive?”

 “It won’t be long before they join us.” Yusuke adjusts his fingers, frowns deeper as he takes in Joker’s form. “Not to worry.“

 After a beat, Yusuke hums. “…It’s pathetic, isn’t it? Trapped under the ruins of your own ambition, having only wanted to break the chains that bound you. For such a thing to be made manifest is humiliating.”

 Joker doesn’t make a sound. He only looks away, the glare of his eyes dimming. Ryuji huffs. “Man, you don’t pull your punches, do you?”

 Yusuke blinks at him. “Considering we are often locked in fatal combat with shadows, that would be ill-advised.”

 “Not what I meant, dude.”

 They sit in silence. It isn’t long before the rest of the thieves join them, trickling in every few seconds. First Akechi, then Sumire, then Makoto and Haru, then Ann, before Morgana and Futaba join their group. The center of attention is obvious, even if he seems to be avoiding eye contact like his life depends on it.

 They’re checking over each others’ injuries, sparing glances at Joker every few seconds, when a quiet, monotone rumble fills the air. “I am pathetic, aren’t I?”

 Joker’s gaze is fixed on the distance. Without the weight of his stare, Ryuji can almost, almost breathe. Joker continues, “All I wanted was to fly free, as you all did. You soared so high, you were able to break the chains that tied you down, yet I…can’t.”

 The last bit of rubble sets around them. Haru clears her throat. She steps forward. “I almost didn’t. I was completely trapped under my father’s influence. I believed I would’ve served him for the rest of my life. It was you who showed me that there was more to life than what my father wanted, that I could grasp my freedom myself.”

 “It was the same for me,” Sumire says. “I just wanted to escape, to be someone else. After what happened with my sister, there wasn’t any point in…being me. Than I met you, and the Thieves, and I felt like a person again. I became someone who my sister would’ve been proud of. Although…” She hesitates. “Throughout my journey, I only wanted to be someone like you. You’re so…”

 When words fail her, Makoto steps in. Joker’s gaze swings over to her, and she hesitates for only a second. “Leading is so, so hard. I’m amazed at how you’re able to keep your cool. You’re one of the strongest people I know. During this infiltration, I was only copying what you would’ve done. You’re the glue that keeps us together, and you inspire us, in such a unique way. But…it’s for that reason that I apologize, for all of us, for not noticing anything was wrong before it was too late.”

 Joker’s attention is lazer-focused on them. Futaba creeps forward, having ditched Al Azif after claiming it was too claustrophobic. “I know what it’s like to be trapped inside your own stupid brain. I—I thought I’d be stuck in the mental backrooms my entire life—”

 “Bro—” Ryuji starts.

 “Can it, Skull! This is how I cope.” Futaba fidgets with a strand of hair. “Just…I know what it’s like to be hopeless. And even after my heart change, I was still kinda…” She hurries when the group stares at her. “But—but the Thieves gave me something to live for! There was nothing more badass than changing lives, the way we did. Unlike with Medjed, I wasn’t alone. I had everyone, and I had you.”

 After a beat, Ann steps closer, close enough that Joker could reach out and grab her if he wasn’t pinned. To his credit, he doesn’t move. There’s a ripple of panic nonetheless. Her voice is steel. “What do you think my life would’ve been without you? School would still be hell. I wouldn’t have found a purpose. Shiho would’ve never gotten justice. We’ve made change before, dummy, and we’ll do it again. Metaverse or no, I think we’re still capable of great things.”

 “Indeed.” Yusuke adds. “The world is our oyster. There will always be a new adventure in the future, even if things seem hopeless. If you’re burnt out, there’s nothing wrong with taking a rest. We’ve made quite the change for one lifetime, correct? Though, I’d imagine you’d be amiss if things ended the way that they are.”

 Everyone looks over to Akechi, who scoffs. He picks at the edge of his gauntlets, avoiding eye contact with the group. “You succeeded where I failed. You brought down my father. For that I am…eternally grateful. I’d rather not repeat what I’ve already told you in private, but I take it you remember our promise. And…” He hesitates, before speaking, every word stilted as if they were pulled out with pliers. “You have…something special here, with them. You’d—do best not to lose it.”

 Morgana waddles up next to Ann. “There’s a reason the Gods chose humans as their champions, and why they chose you as the wild card. Humans may be tempted into despair, but you have such a strong will of power. I should know, I’m the embodiment of human hope, after all. You created me, because you decided to fight for me, for the world. Just know that…I’ll always be here to fight for you, too.”

 Finally, Ryuji walks forward, stepping past Ann. Fuck, Joker’s massive. But—painted on those titanic features is pure, unadulterated vulnerability. Ryuji steels himself. “You, uh, didn’t let me finish earlier, man. You coulda gone apeshit at any time—but you never did! You were always there for us. You put your own shit aside for us, like, all the time. Like Makoto said, you’re the strongest person I know. You let us lean on you for—everything.”

 Should he—punch him, or something? No, dumbass, you don’t hit a guy when he’s down. Ryuji rests his hand against his cheek, giving a grin when wide eyes—bigger than his head—lock onto him. “I want you to know you can lean on us, too. We’re here for ya, through—well, anything. Always will be.”

 “Oh,” comes a familiar, quiet voice behind them.

 The Thieves whip around. There, is Ren, clad in sweatpants and a plain, grey shirt. He’s normal-sized, eyes their natural, human color.

 Makoto recovers first, face splitting into a soft smile. “You’ve been standing there this whole time, haven’t you?”

 Ren nods, eyes wet. He walks forward, hands in his pockets, marveling at the scene before him. Ryuji backs up as he approaches Joker. The cognition only stares back at Ren, something like warmth in his gaze.

 Ren ghosts a hand over Joker’s cheek, as if mapping the expanse of it. Joker’s eyes close, a faint light beginning to surround him. “I guess I lost sight of things.”

 “We meant every word,” Futaba says. “We’re here for you, dummy.”

 “...I know that now.” Ren’s voice is so, so quiet. None of them dare to overpower him. In the first noticeable change they’ve witnessed, Ren scrubs at his face, and admits, “I’m sorry, I’m not good with words.”

 Ryuji walks forward and claps him on the shoulder. “Hey, I’m not either, and you still keep my sorry ass around.”

 Yusuke clears his throat. “I believe what Ryuji meant to say is that we understand. No need to worry.”

 “Just—” Ren’s voice breaks. He reaches out a hand, laying it flat on Joker’s forehead. The cognition’s eyes close, at peace. “Thank you. For everything.”

 A million tiny lights swarm around them, and Joker’s form begins to fade. He breathes out, one giant, measured release of breath, before fusing into Ren’s body. The rubble sets in his wake.

 Ren’s Thief outfit re-appears in a burst of flame, adorned with glittering, silver highlights. He turns back to the group, a teary, hesitant smile on his face.

 The Thieves crowd around him, touching him whenever they can. Ryuji slings an arm around his shoulder, while Yusuke marvels over the new additions to his outfit. Makoto begins to corral them into the Monabus, and Ryuji leads them into the middle row, in the center of their friends. It’s almost like nothing’s changed.

 And yet—Ren’s leaning his full body weight on Ryuji, answering questions honestly, without hesitance. His walls are down, and he lets the Thieves pass through them, taking their comfort and ears and love.

 Phantom Thieves or no, they’ll stand by him, and Ren accepting that fact is all the peace Ryuji needs.

[arcplaysgames]

outside the restaurant, there is

like

what if yosuke hanamura never realized he was an asshole and just grew up into a fucking Super Asshole and full blown sexist and thought wearing rose-tinted glasses was cool

i wonder if the rose-tinted glasses are purposeful, that seems like a very specific design choice, but I have no idea if that cultural touchpoint would exist in Japan as well. I'm going to continue eyeing is suspiciously.

Bro, I think Haru exclusively reads horticultural books and horror novels. I don't think she is your target audience.

That said, this fucking move of getting down on a knee to proffer up a book is incredibly over the top and dramatique, what is with this guy.

B R U H no. Haru will kill you. Don't do this. Trust me, I am doing you a solid, you don't wanna go through with this.

This is very kind of the boys though. Don't stand by while a dude pulls this shit.

That said, Haru could def kill this guy. I mean, it might be a tiny scandal for Okumura Foods but what else is new.

aaaaand we found our new Monarch clearly.

THE INSIDE OF THE CAMPER.... is kinda cute, I see what they meant about the 50s diner vibes, that's..... kind of really cute and frankly WAY better than what I imagine when I think of campers, which tends to be shitty faux-wood and bad linoleum or carpeting.

Futaba squeezing herself up onto the storage rack is really just a vibe too.

He's a light novelist, huh. I dunno how accurate it is, but I consider that a mix of manga and YA? Like, not necessarily written for younger audiences but written to be very digestible? And sometimes have interspersed illustrations? Good foundation for weird experimental shit but is very Genre.

what the fuck don't touch fucking cosplayers /horror

So there is tons of discussion and praise for Natsume online but it's all coming from Sendai.

Is he a local sensation? Like, there's already been ambient dialogue about people buying multiple copies of the book. How many of his million copies are the same people.... or is he going from city to city to spread the influence of his Jail?

HUH! Sidebar: If you have a Jail but you go to another location, does the Jail go with you or do you make another Jail? We've already established that once a Monarch is removed, the Jail remains in the Metaverse.

HMMMMM. That sounds like an interesting thread to pull but IDK if the game will play with it.

are they really going to keep calling him Gramps, he doesn't even give old vibes like Sojiro

also he's a grown-ass man, it's rude to keep referring to him by a nickname like that! the audacity!

are they serious

hey yusuke have you considered therapy? not maruki but like actual therapy?

earlier before we left, i missed the cap, but Futaba was reminding Yusuke his snack budget was 500 yen and he was like "but my rock salt" and I continue to be, like, SO concerned about Yusuke Kitagawa.

REVERIE LITERALLY PUMPS HIS FIST AS HE REPLIES TO RYUJI, L M A O.

Sleep is great, I say as someone who is going to bed the moment I hit post on this blog entry.

ANN FUCKING PUNCHES THE SIDE OF THE CAMPER AND TELLS THEM ALL okay ryuji bc ryuji was speaking in his normal volume which is outdoor voice for everyone else TO SHUT THE FUCK UP SO THEY CAN SLEEP.

FINALLY i can look around Sendai without Morgana shooing me back to the camper to continue the plot. AT LAST.

but i got work tomorrow so i gotta sleep, alas.

[sunset-bridge]

Hey😎

What is Sergio’s opinion on all the phantom thieves and.. idk what is his favourite food!

hi snowball-maltese ur nooooot gonna believe me but i literally never fucking saw your asks??? LIKE.. theres other asks in my inbox and i remember those but i never saw yours??? WTFF. they spontaneously generated today in between the other old asks im keeping...

tumblr.................. why did you eat these then vomit them back out today : ( sad

HEHEH ANYWAYS hi.. oh my godddd. um. well now im ashamed of answering HJDFJND BUT OK under the cute cut

Sergio favourite food: potato tacos

Sergio opinions on the Phantom thieves:

Mona : He thinks hes cute because he looks like a cute cat and sergio likes cute things and cats. Thinks he is charming. Tries to treat him like any other person despite how adorabubble he is. He starts thinking of him as his big brother naturally later on, he really trusts him and tells him things he doesnt tell anyone else, asks him for advice on his problems and thoughts and yeah really values his opinions.

Ann: He figured she was a Loud girl at first without even talking to her, he doesnt have a neutral opinion on women in general tbh so bad start, but as soon as they became friends and he heard her talk about what happened and how angry and frustrated she was he was like.. woaghhhh. no way.

Sergio has historically never been good at talking/making friends with girls or has had much of an interest in doing so, he mostly avoided them, so idk it seems stupid but he was like... woag. At first Sergio in his mind is like. WELL ANN is cool because SHES NOT LIKE THE OTHER GIRLS nope shes COOL AND REAL unlike the Other GIRLS (sergio turn around) BSDDVJBJFVJ. dont worry he figures it out later.

Anywho he thinks shes awesome and so nice to him and he admires how dedicated she is and how she tries to be upbeat but does worry about her and encourages her to break things if angry. Goes on her shopping trips even if he actually hates shopping because he loves Ann. Is encouraging about the things Ann wants to do but still tells her when theyre a bit silly (like in her social link where she sets impossible things to do hahah). Likes talking about more emotional things with her because he feels embarassed to talk about those things with the Boys (sergio turn around again)

Ryuji: Thought he was a bit strange, annoying at first. Just barging in and making him get involved in weird shit. But like with Ann he starts talking to him and they become buddies because they encourage their silly activities. He feels angry for ryuji and what happened to him; he thinks he should kill everyone in the track team actually/j .

Likes spending time with him, he appreciates that ryuji seems to understand him and likes to have fun with him running and excercising and playing videogames etcc. Bro bonding. They do mischievious activities together.

hes so fun to be around and sergio loves how hes such a kind person despite everything : ). They make stupid jokes together. Ryuji stops sergio from killing people sometimes. See, Sergio is like a Bro Character but hes the leader and also he has poor impulse control and is very angry.

Yusuke: He adores Yusuke he thinks hes so talented and everything he does is literally a masterpiece (hes right)

At first yusuke came off as a bit strange and aloof, but sergio was an instant fan as soon as he saw his work LOL. Yusuke appreciates the support. Sergio really admires and respects yusuke, even when he does “weird” things its like. Well its yusuke so. Yusuke = cool, then thing = cool as well right ??!!! normal

Lets Yusuke hug him even if he doesnt like hugs .

Makoto: Sergio thinks at first shes uptight, too serious, no fun, a snitch. I guess hes not wrong per se but ..

He was sooo mean to her at first when makoto hadnt joined the thieves and was spying them LOL. He did feel very sorry later and begrudgingly apologized along with ann and ryuj.

Nowadays he thinks mako is pretty cool, super smart and super strong. he still thinks she should let loose more, have more fun. He recognizes how hard she had it before joining. She appreciates how cunning she is. He had a playfight with her but sergio fights like a rabid animal and mako actually knows aikido . Im not sure if it continued but their fighting styles and what they look for in a fight are so different it didnt work out too well : ( sad. its ok.

Fuba: Fuba is like Sergios little sis : ). He wasnt sure if they should do something at first when the situation came up but he realized fuba was acting kinda like him before, isolating and being angry and sad etc... felt fucked up to not do something or try to help but he didnt want to be super pushy about it because he knew how he felt and how he didnt appreciate anyone who tried to drag him around even if they had good intentions. But yeah his friends made him realize how they ahd kinda pulled him out of a hole too at the beginning and he figured everyone could use a chance like that..

He really cares for her and tries to spend a lot of time with her, play anything she wants and watch her funny animes etc. He absolutely plays along with every game; he has a lot of fun too hes so silly as well. They bully eachother lovingly hehe. Hes willing to accompany her everywhere but i guess he realizes he wont be there for her forever so tries to gently push her a bit to be more independent.

Sees something about himself in her, although different. He tries to be someone that Younger Sergio would have appreciated in his life.

Haru: Sergio respects her a lot and thinks shes super kind perhaps too much.

He tries acting more serious or polite etc at first with her but haru ofc notices and is like. sergio its ok you can be yourself : ).

He still doesnt really act with her like he does with the others because idk theres this enormous barrier of respect that it seems unprope to act like that with her.. She IS sergios friend he just finds it super hard to be casual with her completely.

They like gardening together and showing eachother their plant children so thats something where they can be ever so slightly more relaxed in. I wonder if haru feels sad that sergio doesnt dare act casual or be himself in front of her like the others : ( He super appreciates whenever haru gifts him something unprompted etc.

Sumi: Sergio doesnt know sumi that well. He just thinks shes a cool , super kind girl whos very talented , polite. He always treated her really nicely. I think he enjoys the tyoe of respect he gets from Sumi even if its embarassing sometimes hahah since he feels she gets a different perspective of him ahah. He starts acting more casual in 3rd sem etc but theres also a barrier of respect here like with haru. Its more like.. welll sumi .. she thinks im cool and responsible i.. must fulfill that...

Goro: Well .. we already know LOL right sunset-bridgers?

He is someone so fucking cool in sergios eyes. He considers him his worthy rival and admires him a lot ; hes just so damn cool, talented, smart , strong.. it kinda feels like he always knows whats he doing and even if he makes a mistake sergio finds it charming.

He used to feel envious and jealous of him for having thigs he didnt and apparently being much more succesful in general. But ofc things happen.. he realizes things werent as simple as they seemed and how goro felt quite similar to him.

He really appreciates how they seem to see things similarly. have a similar world view so they can understand eachother easily and talk soo sososo much. Like.. wow hell yeah this guy gets what im saying yeah finally. guy who can keep up with me in snarky convos. Guy who likes to play the same silly challenges as me. Guy who fights with me and is strong as hell so we are matched. In goro he finds someone who likes him to his core; sees right thru his disguise and is interested in spending time with real Sergio. He takes him seriously. No one takes sergio so seriously or seems to give such weight to his words....

He feels very free with him.

[dragon-business]

Ryuji and his Kiryu-fantasies

So, my friend and I found a lot of very sweet looking RyuKiryu art/comics in a row, where Ryuji was depicted in a very bishounen way and even looked somewhat like Daigo in some of them. Again, it all poured on us in a row, and did something irreversible to our brain chemistry.

For starters, it was hysterical. Unprecedentedly funny – not the art itself, but the distinct, clear feeling that all this stuff is Ryuji’s innermost private fantasies.

The vibe was so immaculate and distinct, full on lyrical, gentle. And, yes, the daigofication was the killing shot. Something something, there’s always an accent on Kiryu’s waist. Something something, daigofication again.

Makes you want to study Ryuji’s brain in a lab. Put it into a museum.

Oh, to be Kiryu’s little bro/cousin/adopted son figure (Ryuji is not sure) who is younger, but has some sort of authority over him. Oh, the gentle bishounen fantasy. Oh, the layers of it all, it brings tears to my eyes. The fantasy dream daddy romance, the projection, the jealousy, the craving, the search for some ideal.

– Do you think Ryuji ever whispered “I’ll treat you right” in Kiryu’s neck in one of his immersive daydreams of Kiryu sitting in his lap? Sorry, Ryuji, babygirl, but we're diagnosing you.

He’s the golden dragon emperor of all dragons, he will treat the powerful white dragon right, mmmhm. He’s the dragon, and the prince, and he gets the prince. Amazing.

Ryuji’s making movies about this all in his head, for sure. Mythological AUs, Yakuza Sunset AUs… that’s where all his planing power goes, instead of, well. Actual plans.

Our minds are gone, blasted away by the power of his fantasies, it’s too late for salvation, we can see the light inside Ryuji-kun’s empty head.

Bless 🙏 Hope he doesn’t get well. 

– Omi alliance and Togo clan: this boy is wild, can never know what’s going on in his head.

Inside of Ryuji’s head:

– After he came to the funeral at Tojo HC and did that feat with throwing money on the floor, we bet he was stressing out about his mean girl behavior later on at home. “Was this too much? Did his blood boil?” – all while hugging a pillow or a dragon plushy even. The plan is hard to follow, but he Must (true Helga behaviour).

– If Ryuji had a diary, he’d write in it with a glitter pen. His inner gyaru taking hold.

– After going through RyuKiryu art tag on purpose, we came to the conclusion, that, perhaps, the ultimate endgame fantasies Ryuji has are the most vanilla things in history.

Of course all the AUs are good, but consider this (glitter pen on the ready): “he’s shorter than me, so I can kiss his forehead… but if he wants to kiss me, he’ll have to stand on his tiptoes…” And his big blond head is full of glitter pen fantasies like that,  it’s amazing. Like Ryuji caring the umbrella and Kiryu holding on to his arm. Nothing more to it, they’re just having a walk.

– before / navigation / next

[petorahs]

☀️ au in which everything is fine, in which the boys just go through a hexagon maze of who is into who. With akechi and ryuji on the sidelines watching akira do something, akechi just out of nowhere saying "you like him." to ryuji as a matter of fact only for ryu to say "whaat? Me? Dude no, Aki is my best friend! What are you talking about!" even tho he knows akechi is right, but ryu saw aki cling to akechi and he doesnt want to be in the way of his bros happieness even if that happieness doesn't involve him. (Bro if i was good at the fanfic writing i would write a whole thing about the boys having conflicting feelings while the girls slurp slushees on the side saying "wow and people say GIRLS are messy when it comes to love.")

NAWH... the boys not confronting their true feelings is reasonably ic actually i could see it happen (altho akechi making the deduction from observing ryuji alone and stating it matter of factly with no fluff is also plausible)

dont let your dreams be fics in your head i believe in u .. 🤲 everyone starts somewhere!

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1007: Breakfast Meal For the Birthday Bro (Persona 5)

9:33 a.m. at Niijima's Apartment's Dining Room.......

Ryuji: (Happily Chewing Down on Fix Stacks of Pancakes Makoto Made For Him) ('Munch') ('Munch') Ah man. ('Mmm') ('Munch') (Points at his Food in Front of Him) These. ('Munch') ('Munch') These has to be the best damn stacks of pancakes I've ever tasted right here. ('Mmmm') ('Munch') And your coffee's as good as ever, Coffee Bro!

Ren: (Places his Hand on his Chin) "Coffee Bro", huh?........(Starts Smirking a Bit) Has a nice ring to it.

Makoto: (Smiles Softly) We're glad you're enjoying your birthday breakfast, Ryiji, but could you try not to talk woth your mouth full? You're starting to make a mess on the table.

Ryuji: (Stops Eating For a Second) Oh...right. (Swallows his Food Before Smiling a Bit Sheepishly) Sorry 'bout that. But anyways, I'm thinking we should bring everyone from the Smash here, show 'em around the place, shop, eat out somewhere that less expensive, after that, we head on down to the theater and watch the movie of my choosing of course.

Ren: Hey, as long as we're not watching that new Minions movie, I'm more than welcome to watch whatever. Getting tired of these little twerps already.

Ryuji: (Rolls his Eyes) Don't we all.... But rest assured, my fellow party goers,the movie I'll be choosing will wayyy more awesome than that one!.....Hopefully. And the meantime, once all of that's over with, we head over to the mansion and some good old fashioned Mario Party all night long. (Starts Smirking Evilly While Rubbing his Habds Together) Which will give me all the time in the world to come up with a perfect, devise plan to fially beat DP in his own, cheap game.

Makoto: You're really dead set on getting him back this time, aren't you?

Ryuji: Hell yeah I am! The guy's been constantly screwing me over since the day we first started play. Ain't no way in hell I'm letting it slide any longer, especially on the celebration of my birth for crying out loud! I just hope whatever plan and strategy I do come up with, works out in my favor....(Turns to His Bro) You think you could help me out this, Ren?

Ren: And let you potentially bully my angel brother throughout the remainder of the night? (Smirks as Well) Count me in.

Ryuji: (Grins Happily While Hi-Fiving Ren) Hell yeah! Operation Screwing Dark Angel Boi Over is indefinite go! (Turns to Makoto) Wanna tag along, Queen?~

Makoto: (Sighs While Shrugging a Bit) I might as well....(Smiles a Little) It wouldn't hurt him to go down a peg for once.

Ryuji: Exactly! Add a few more pegs down and we'll be golden! (Starts Taking a Few More Bites Off his Pancakes and Finish Drinking his Coffee Before Sighing and Slowly Looking Away) Soooooo....anyways, I've been thinking......

Ren/Makoto: (Raises an Eyebrow at the Birthday Boy) Abooouut?.......

Ryuji: You know.....the plans for my future and junk.

Ren: (Eyes Widened a Bit in Genuine Surprise) Oh wow, really?

Ryuji: Yeah, man. (Takes Another Bite of his Pancakes) I mean, at first, I thought about taking up being an up 'n coming track athlete, but now.....I think I might wanna give this whole......P.E. Teacher gig a shot someday.

Makoto: (Eyes Begins to Widened in Genuine Surprise as Well) For real?

Ryuji: (Chuckles Lightly) Yeah. I mean, I know it'll be a hassle and all, but....(Shrugs a Bit) I dunno. I...guess I wanna make more of an impact in my life than just trying win all the fame and glory that'll probably won't last a lifetime. Plus....(Smiles Softly) I think having some of your students look up to you could be a pretty cool feeling, you know? If I have what it takes obviously....

Makoto: (Gives Ryuji a Supportive Smile) I think you have what it takes.

Ren: (Smiles at Ryuji as Well) Me too. (Smirks Again) Just try not to let those kids make you pull your hair out too much and you'll Ave yourself smooth sailing from here.

Ryuji: ('Scoffs') You're kidding? (Points at Himself) You're speaking to the most easy-going person in the planet here. There's no way I'm gonna crack that easily.

Ren: (Immediately Gives Ryuji a Deadpinned Look on his Face Along With his Girlfriend) Really? You. Ryuji Sakamoto. An Easy-Going person.

Makoto: (Crosses her Arms) The same easy-going person who gets easily provoked whenever someone hurts and insult himself, his friends, and family?

Ren: The same easy-going person who Blurts Out every cuss words in existence except for the F-word....somehow?

Makoto: The same easy-going person who constantly butt-heads with an alley cat for a mascot.

Ren: Ooh! And how about the very same easy-going fellow who cries every time he gets played in Mario-

Ryuji: Alright, alright, alright, I get it. ('Sighs in Defeat') So maybe I'm not always the most easy-going person here.

Ren/Makoto: (Teasingly Raises Their Eyebrows) Maybe?

Ryuji: (Glares at his Friends in Front of Him) YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, DAMNIT! (Takes a Deep Breath Before Putting on a Serious Look on his Face) But I'm really serious about wanting to do this kind of thing down the road. So if I have to settle my happy ass down and get into more shape to do it, then I'll step up to the plate and do it. That's a promise and a half.

Ren: (Happily Nodded) Spoken like a true P.E. Teacher. You'll do great out there, man.

Makoto: (Smiles Softly Again) And we'll always love and believe in you no matter what happens.

Ryuji: (Heart Begins to Melt as He Begins Smile Brightly) Many thanks, guys. I'll always love and believe in you crazy people too. That being saiiid....Would you say that you two love enough to give some birthday cash?~ (Blinks his Eyes in a Soty of Cute Fashion)

Ren: Take it down a notch, Skull Boy. We're not that generous.

Ryuji: Damnit.

Makoto: Buuuuut we could give you something that could suffice~

Ryuji: Liiiike?

Ren/Makoto: Your Birthday Kisses!~

As the Joker and Queen went by and give their respective kisses on both of his cheeks, Ryuji's eyes widens for a few seconds before he starts snickering and letting out a snort as he finally begins to burst out laughing, much to his friends' sight amusement.

Ryuji: Ohhoho my God, you guys! Birthday Kisses? Are you for real right now!? (Continues Laughing Nefore Wiping a Tear From his Eyea) I swear, you two are gonna end up being the dorkiest parents towards your own future kids if you keep this up.

Ren: ('Scoffs') You kidding? I'll be the coolest parent my future kids will ever have!....Can't say the same for Makoto unfortunately.

Makoto: (Gasps Before Pouting at her Boyfriend Right Next to Her) Excuuuse you!? I could be just as much as a cool parent as you could be! I can ride motorcycles, I am a black belt in the Arts if Aikido Karate, as well as a proud leader of the Bunchimaru-Kun's Fan Club.

Ren: You're also a goody two-shoes, was almost every teachers' pet throughout high school, not to mention that you're also known as The Mom of each of our groups of friends. (Puts on a Teasing Smirk on his Face) Need I say more? Cause I can go on all day.

Makoto: (Crosses her Arms) I don't know, Ren-Ren. (Gives Ren the Cold Niijima Glare) Do you want your cuddle sessions to be revoked for the rest of month?

Ren: (Cowers a Bit in Fear) No, ma'am.

Ryuji: Ha! Whipped!

Ren: Don't start.

Happy Late Birthday, Skull Boy!!

@keyenuta

@princekirijo

@26shann

@cyber-wildcat

@caleb13frede

@theweebmaster31

@albion-93

[tsuki-sennin]

31! Prepare yourselves for agony, Donbura Nation! We will not survive! The Dog Man and the Bird Man finally meet. The stage is set. No items, 1-on-1, Final Destination.

Spoilers, I guess...

-Ohhhhh, that's gonna change, Tsubasa.

-Oooooh, noodle...

-"Y'know Jirou... you're not half bad, son :)"

-:)

-Ah yes. We're not all together, huh?

-What the dog doin'?

-Jirou jlkjhkbbjh

-Dog smell.

-"HOLY FUCK I FED A CRIMINAL AAAAAAAAAAAAAH"

-The dancing in the OP will finally be canon soon!

-Oh, a dieter?

-Very angelic. This guy must be the Tensou-Ki.

-Tsubasa's at a crossroads.

-Straight up warped.

-DOG

-I wonder if Inoue is self-conscious about the "Poor Communication Kills" trope we associate with him? I mean, it's been played it almost exclusively for comedy each time we saw it pop up, so...

-DOGS

-TARO

-DOGTARO

-Guitar man!

-Inui Ryuji...

-Ah... Inui... that's a name I've not heard in a long time...

-I liked it, mister!

-Shoko?

-Oh

-OH NOOOOOO

-Did we do it?

-What're we talking about?

-Dog?

-Dog Bonk.

-TSUBASA'S GONE

-"We're bros!"

-Oni?

-jlhklh

-Inui Ryuji. Hello.

-Music man!

-Inu Brother!

-"YOU'RE A SCRAWNY LITTLE SON OF A BITCH, AREN'TCHA DOG BOY!?"

-HOLY SHIT MONEY

-"Yeah, that's it, a total misunderstanding."

-"WHAT THE FUDGE, DOG???"

-Noooooo, you were doing so well, man!

-Oh...

-Oh damn

-Did he exorcise his own desires!?

-Wow.

-Inui... :(

-Hero in black.

-Dinner!

-jlhklhgh Ryujiiii

-Easy Haruka, down girl.

-The two worst kind of people. Natto and other men.

-Oh goddammit, Tendo Syndrome is spreading.

-First with Yui Nagomi, now my beloved scrinkly dinkly rangers.

-My man got a sick cut, fell in love at first sight, and then exploded.

-Natsumiho!

-Er... perhaps "Crane Lady" would be a bit more appropriate a nickname.

-INOUE WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY BRAIN

-Ohhhh

-All three men converge.

-Oh shit, gotta run

-This is

-Not exactly what I expected for this episode, but

-Ohhhhhhhh, brutal.

-Okay, calm down Tsuyoshi, stains on a blanket like that aren't easy to clean.

-Hey, Crane Lady, what's your game here?

-Inui...

-Looks like Heaven didn't forsake you after all.

-"Back in the game, dog guy."

-Let's go, Tsubasa!

-Inui ain't the Inu.

-INSERT LET'S GOOOO

-"Maaaaaan, I thought I was gonna steal the show! Oh well..."

-It's okay Jirou, you're my friend <3

-Starting small, huh?

-Absolutely bodied.

-I suppose that was enough for that

-Keep going, Mister :)

-Shoko...

-She looks nothing like Crane Lady!

-:)

-Hope those two

-Tsubasa... :(

-Our good boy...

Tsuyoshi: "You're a super fugitive now! That's so cool! :D" Haruka: We'll be cheering you on when we see you steal a car during a chase :) Tsubasa: ...what a doggone pain.

-SONO SQUAD RISE UP

-SONOI BACK

-Looking... awfully Momotaro-y.

-I swear, this show is gonna take several years off my life.

[deepseawave]

Thanks so much for the tag!! :D <3 <3

Eijirou Kirishima (Boku no hero academia/My hero academia (obviously he’s my fave, he’s the best hehe))

Katsuki Bakugou (Bnha/mha (I became quite attached to him too, what a lovable feral gremlin))

Roy Mustang (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (he’s a great character and a bit of an asshole and I love him and his dynamic with Riza))

Riza Hawkeye (Fmab (she’s fucking great and I love her and Roy))

Kyo Sohma (Fruits Basket (haha I like him))

Ryuji Sakamoto (Persona 5 the Animation (I’m mostly talking about the game with him, but there’s an anime too, which means I can put my boy on this list! Ha!))

Ryuunosuke Tanaka (Haikyuu!! (look at him, he’s kinda under appreciated but I love him))

Yuu Nishinoya (Haikyuu!! (he is awesome and they’re bro’s, so ya know, I’m weak for that (also they’re hardworking dorks)))

Miyuki Shirogane (Kaguya-Sama: Love is War (haha this is hilarious and I really like him))

Ritsuka Uenoyama (Given (I love this gay disaster and I really enjoyed this anime))

This is pretty interesting, so I’ll tag @pink-aquaqualle and @albino-pony

If you guys don’t feel like doing this, pls enjoy this: 🍓🍓🍓 :)

Top 10 Fav Anime Characters

 Sharing time!!  (In no particular order) 

Hajime Ichinose from Gatchaman Crowds!

Greed from Full Metal Alchemist!

Mirio Toogata from My Hero Academia!

Jiraiya from Naruto!

Mayuri Shiina from Steins;Gate!

Takeo Gouda from My Love Story!

Taroumaru from School-Live!

Isaac and Miria from Baccano! (They’re a joint deal okay! Imma count them as one lololol)

Panda from Polar Bear Cafe!

Toshinori Yagi from My Hero Academia!

Gosh, it’s hard to narrow down to ten!

Feel free to join in if you like, even if I didn’t tag you! I love using these to get to know others better! ^.^ Tagging - @jlsbarber​, @kiricookie​, @elisemb123​, @mistheartist​, @cosmic-bluue​, @meisharmony​, @ijwtkms​, @invisibleninjataco​

[smartzelda]

Ryuji for the ask blog,,, pwease???

Oh oh oh, and Near!!

Oooh I haven’t thought about him in forever but himmm

Ryuji to me is just like

See in most cases I have my top fav, and then my second fav is the sunshine character

And from what I'd seen fandom wise and the brief time I started watching the anime I just

Easily 2nd favorite. Renren REN REN (I THINK ABOUT THIS NICKNAME SO OFTEN) MY BRO MY BOY MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT CLOSETED BOY IN LOVE WITH HIS BEST FRIEND BUT ALSO DENSE

He deserves better.

Okay so Near ngl kinda interested to explain my thoughts

Okay okay I'm gonna explain

So like first anime watch through

Didn't care much for him

Totally get why people get the feeling he was meant to be like L in a different font because it really do feel like that ngl

But BUT BUT

Only to an extent. I will explain.

So I read the 2020 death note oneshot, okay. Up to this point, I didn't really care much for him. I shipped him with people but I didn't have a particular attachment.

And then I learned that older Near with long ass hair is canon. CANON.

PLEASE I AM MCFREAKING OBSESSED

NOT MUCH CARE FOR HIM AT ALL UNTIL I CONTRACTED GENDER ENVY

And then and then it got better

Because this oneshot also made me realize that he was deeper than I thought. Like in this oneshot my man does decide to sit back while also working things out and technically loses even though he wasn't planning on catching Minoru in the first place but to see how he's trying to act like L and do what he would do but to ALSO see him genuinely interested in a person (referring to a-kira/tanaka) and this case and to have positive feelings and smile when you KNOW it's been 10 years since the end of the og story and many of the people he cared about most have been dead. And I also put emphasis on the case interest because it's not as if he wasn't interested in the og kira case, it was just clearly more about being L's successor and his relationship with Mello and succeeding in general for him. Like Light felt like a bystander on the side of his and Mello's story and history to me. Light was invested as far as not being caught and as far as he likened this to dealing with L again. Near was invested as far as solving the case and either competing with or trying to work together with Mello. But in the oneshot Near is interested in the A-Kira case for the sake of it! He cannot arrest Tanaka, he knows. Tanaka hasn't done anything illegal. So Near tells everyone he will not be investigating and taking down A-Kira, but he is invested on trying to see if he can figure out who A-Kira is or try to intercept the death note and he ends up failing and YET along the way he is just fascinated like this has more substance than what he had going with trying to catch Light and thus he just FELT more interesting because of this

And now that I've been rewatching post L's death more than once, I've gotten a better appreciation of his character

He twirls strands of his hair around a finger and fidgets with it and is always doing something with his hands like building something or putting something together or playing with something and my brain says "he just like me FR"

He's said to be able to solve cases better because he doesn't bring emotions into things, in opposition to Mello, who's got more of a temper on him and even agrees with this and yet

It's true to an extent, but what's also true is that Mello is part of the Mafia and can steal and murder and take ransom and do anything it takes to find his information and win, but Near lies about having Mello's picture and knowing stuff about him (before he even thinks Light is Kira I think??) and basically makes it clear he had his team trying to find him on the side and let him go even AFTER Mello killed most of his team and held he and his remaining team members ar gunpoint and wanted from the beginning to work together with Mello like sure, he's good at solving puzzles and removing his feelings out of the matter (at least seemingly) but clearly when faced with personal interest he is at least a little biased

Like GOD he actually is deeper than I thought and than he seemed at first glance

It brings it even more to Light that the Whammy kids care about the goal and don't actually have what we would say is a usual idea of ethics. Their "morals" are based upon what L would and would not do in conjuction with what it takes to solve a case and win

He cares about his childhood rival so much and never really wanted to be rivals in the first place but also when his rival actually stands on the same level as him and they agree to compete he loves it and he's just trying to live up to L’s legacy and title and be like him but also as he gets older he gets to be more of himself and he's nerodivergent and then he gets older and makes me wanna brush his hair and run my fingers through it and make me wanna kiss him and give him a bath and make him go to bed and tuck him in and buy him model kits while simultaneously having BAD gender envy (god what a personal character design win that caters to me) but now honestly in his first appearance with his button up and his sense of outer childishness but just the him he's also just so cute like

God he's not my fav but maybe

Maybe Near is a blorbo to me.

[oupydogcity]

ann if you’re still doing those character asks

ah fuck i left this in my drafts. ive been on an ann tirade today though so this is convenient.

sexuality: butch lesbian and i honestly kind of hate every other interpretation for no good reason besides umm. Well they make no sense and suck and are incredibly stupid. like im not gonna seriously argue with people over something as irrelevant as lgbt headcanons but i still think they’re incredibly wrong.

gender: transmasc butch as gender. the thing about ann and i was talking abt this on my priv twitter earlier but like she literally isnt fem. like atlus makes it a point to show that ann sucks at being girly what with the flirting/acting stuff. also any outfit (that isnt an overtly sexualized costume) ann wears has a jacket with it to cover up with even the summer ones. she also tends to wear oversized shirts, and those opaque tights, and converse. i find it kind of insane how atlus does a better job at making her androgynous than a lot of fans do? i keep seeing really nice art of ann but she’s in a puffy pink dress and it just makes no sense to me. i think for her in particular the way she dresses is fundamental to the character and people kind of just close their eyes and ignore that bc umm shes pink and likes hearts ❤️ or something. like pink and hearts cant be masc. its stupid. boys can giggle and go mmm yummy and yaaay. anyways she/he pronouns.

a ship i like: annshiho canon. butch4butch. theyre very different types of butch but still veryvery butch. and while Yes i would have liked more shiho content in the game i think people could also just pay a little bit more attention to things for extra shiho context. i know her very well actually.

brotp: fuckin. all the phantom thieves really but im particularly fond of ann/akira/ryuji, ann/ryuji, and ann/goro.

notp: ive covered this but i think ann with any man at all is like, so stupid its comical. i particularly hate ann and yusuke because like. no dude. bro. ann would hate that. theyre wonderful friends but think about how yusuke would be in a relationship for two seconds and then think about anns complicated relationship with modeling and performance.

a random headcanon: less of a headcanon more of a thought but i really REALLY wish her relationship with her parents was explored more. like her confidant is mostly sweet, her desire to make her heart stronger to protect girls (which, SO butch of her, hello?) was really nice. but. holy fuck ann needs to quit modeling and start working on her relationship with her parents in a more healthy setting. i really wish her confidant was about opening up to them and saying hey, this teacher sexually abused me, and you werent even here for it at all, and that sucks! you know making her heart stronger by working on herself and making connections because TURNS OUT SUPPORT IS CRUCIAL TO YOUR ABILITY TO DEAL W THINGS ACTUALLY.

overall opinion: i can get so worked up about her but in my defense someone has to. i love her more than anything back when i kinned she was always at the top of my kinlist. she isnt fem i hate when people portray her as fem.

[arcplaysgames]

WARNING LEVEL : BEIGE

love the camouflage, he could blend right into the walls here

Bro, I was not born yesterday, I know an obfuscating stupidity tactic when I see one. You got Jake English vibes. Except you're not as handsome.

Can't believe I agree with Ryuji about something. Other than dunking on Mishima. Thus far, my relationship with Ryuji is predicated on mutual dunking on other people. Which, i think a friendship supported by negativity is doomed to failure but hey we'll take what we can get here.

Akechi is apparently a frequent daytime talk show guest because he's a Detective Prince. Another Detective Prince. Not nearly as cute as the other one, obviously.

He's fond of the concept of the Phantom Thieves (or so he claims, i don't believe a word out of his mouth) but also thinks subverting the law to enact vigilante justice is Fucked TBH.

Which, lmao, he ain't wrong, given Ryuji's attitude.

.... why are you winking at me, holmes

oh my god ryuji can you take two steps back and realize you have been sniffing like a bloodhound lookin for someone to punish and just how sketch that is, like i'm on our side bc its literally the conceit of the game but even i know your boundless enthusiasm for finding targets feels Weird. like, he fully has a point and you could do with an injection of chill.

oh, bruh, the last video game character who quoted Hegel at me got thoroughly shot all the way to death, you may wanna slow that roll.

oh thank god finally a good justice pick after Child Who Wants To Do A Murder and Child Who Just Wants Her Dad To Come Home Twice A Week

what kind of Justice are you going to bring, Akechi? are you a laws-of-the-land guy or are you a justice-must-be-done guy? one of the VERY FEW things I know about this game is that ppl are mega horny for you so I'm hoping you've got some edge to you, beige boy

MEANWHILE, I AM GOING TO FIND MISHIMA'S HOUSE AND I'M GOING TO THROW HIS LAPTOP OUT A WINDOW. Mishima, sit your ass down and study for your college exams and don't do shit.

back at school, Ryuji is doing everything but showing up in his full fucking Skull outfit with a bullhorn going "HELLO I AM A PHANTOM THIEF" so Ann walks up and smacks him upside the head

Ann, thank you. for real, you're the best.

THEN LIL MISS STUDENT PRESIDENT STALKER COMES OVER AND TAKES A PICTURE. girl put your phone away or I will smash it, I am getting REAL tired of your shit too.

he was a good teacher until that day?

he was a good teacher until that day?!

oooooooooh guuuuurl

wow

I don't say this lightly because I tend to be a "bitch (positive)" sort of person

but Makoto, you are a bitch. and frankly there are other words I could say about your character but you aren't worth the effort. go back to hiding behind a magazine and being useless.

cry me a fucking river, goddamn

'gee why didn't you stop your bestie from trying to kill herself after the teacher who WAS A GOOD TEACHER UNTIL THAT DAY drove her to throw herself off the roof' you're reprehensible, makoto, and if you join the party at some point, you're on the fucking bench

fuckin mishima and makoto having a fistfight to determine who gets to be the most unlikable character in this fucking game, who will win???????

[nuuneyraegon]

Headcanons for Ryuji?

hi!! first off, so sorry for not answering this sooner, schoolwork and housework are kind of kicking my ass right now 😅 thank you for submitting best boy, though, because i'm a kinnie with no shortage of headcanons

1. ryuji has undiagnosed adhd and dyslexia. it’s a super common headcanon and is basically canon anyway so it def goes into the realistic category. i’m neurodivergent myself and i see...a lot of his behavior in my own lmao

2. he took up watching cheesy soaps when his mom was at work and he had nothing to do...and somehow he’s become heavily invested in them. they’re a huge guilty pleasure now. he’s cried over them before. no one will ever know.

3. he’s going to have chronic pain because of that broken leg for the rest of his life. it’s something he’s already kind of made his peace with, but that doesn’t stop his back and hips and leg and EVERYTHING from being, just, agonizingly painful sometimes. there’s a lot of soaking in hot water, and compresses, and just trying to deal with the pain as best he can. akira also gives him massages sometimes and it’s like the sweetest thing ever

4. he plays minecraft with akira and futaba. futaba set up a private server for all of them and dragged yusuke in for a double date. ryuji is surprisingly good at building nice-looking stuff and made, like, an entire beach house for him and akira to fuck around in, with no shortage of “hey bro can i put my minecraft bed next to yours 😳😳😳” memes included