#a detective and his rival phantom thief

[starlight-eclipsed]

Rockets Pointed Up at the Stars (Pt 1/2)

Inspired by this braindead rejected soulmates au post by @im-totally-not-an-alien-2. More art at the end!

Part II

Tim slumped down on the edge of an apartment building, leaning his weight against the rooftop’s fence. The alleyways below were deserted, criminals retreating to get a couple hours of sleep before sunrise. A perfect setting to catch a breather before ending his patrol for the night.

The Red Robin suit still felt wrong on him. He thought waiting a week to get accustomed to it would help, but he might have made a mistake when he tried to adjust it to be as close to his Robin uniform as possible without it being obvious. He’d have to remember to alter it further the next time he got the chance, to see if wearing something entirely different would finally make him stop checking the shadows for Bruce. Patrolling Gotham alone felt too much like admitting he was really gone.

Just as he was about to move on, the rooftop access door slammed open.

Tim nearly jumped out of his skin as he whirled around, ready to either apologize, attack, or flee, when he met familiar glowing green eyes.

Subconsciously, he let himself breathe easy as he took in the other’s appearance.

Phantom was an anomaly at the best of times. A phantom thief by definition, the criminal had simply appeared one day to cause chaos—lingering only to taunt his pursuers as he made a daring escape with whatever priceless treasure of the month. His motives were unknown, as was virtually anything about him besides his calling card (a green sticky note with nothing but ‘BOO’ written in permanent black marker), appearance, and a meta ability to phase through objects.

Of course, one couldn’t be a phantom thief without a detective rival (or so the thief in question claimed). For some reason, Phantom had outright declared not Batman, but Robin for the role. Tim couldn’t count how many sleepless nights were spent chasing after him, face red from a mixture of exertion and embarrassment. Because it wasn’t enough for the admittedly good-looking criminal roughly his age to run circles around him. No, the jerk had to go out of his way to flirt with him the whole time.

He hadn’t even thought about how Phantom would react to there being a new Robin. But looking at him now, a small part of Tim couldn’t help but feel selfishly glad. From what he could see of the furious expression on his shadowed face and glowing eyes, it wasn’t hard to see that Phantom was taking the change about as well as Tim was.

“I leave for two weeks, and suddenly there’s a new Batman and Robin?! What the fuck, Detective—you’d think to at least have the decency to tell a guy, but nooo, I had to find out through goddamn Victor Fries!”

Tim blinked, “Didn’t Mr. Freeze retire after someone brought his wife back?”

Phantom paused his fury, shrugging a bit. “Nora keeps track of everything happening in Gotham in case something her husband did to save her comes back to bite them.”

“Huh.”

“Anyway! It took me going after Victor to ask why there was a new Robin for me to hear that the actual Batman was dead, Gotham went berserk for a while as every other guy tried to take up the position, and somewhere along the lines you got the grand idea to add ‘red’ to your name! Which makes no sense, since you practically lived for that mantle and I would’ve bet that you’d take it past the grave if given the chance.”

Tim winced. As per usual, Phantom’s words hit home in more ways than intended.

The thief stopped short, the glowing of his eyes intensifying as he looked over Tim’s new identity. Tim didn’t move as soundless footsteps strode forward, not even pausing as Phantom phased through the chain link fence to sit a couple feet away from him.

He could count on one hand the number of times Phantom had done this. One second they’d be exchanging insults, and then suddenly the criminal would stop and stare, feeling like he was gazing into the depths of Tim’s very soul. Each time, he called off their chase, insisting that Tim take a break and talk to someone about whatever was troubling him. It was uncanny how he could somehow tell when Tim’s negative feelings were overwhelming his rational thought—Batman himself would use Phantom encounters to measure Tim’s wellbeing at times.

Looking back, it was odd how Phantom would insert himself into every aspect of Robin’s life, but back off the second he sensed something was wrong. He’d call attention to whenever Tim was particularly anxious, once even physically dragging Bruce over to ‘talk to your son when he’s sad’, but never offer any comfort himself. But here they were, Phantom obviously seeing something Tim could never hope to conceal, with no Bruce nearby to summon and make things better.

Tim’s throat clogged at the reminder of yet another little thing Bruce might never get to do again. He couldn’t be dead, not with how many times Tim checked the body and struggled to recognize the man who’d become like a father to him. 

“...I…I know we’re not exactly friends, Detective. But if you need to get something off your chest, I swear to never use it against you.” Phantom fidgeted with his cloak. From this close a distance, Tim could see the faint glimmer of sparkling purple constellations embroidered on the inside. For some reason, the sight of the soft fabric never failed to calm his nerves.

(It reminded him of a time long ago, when he held a gel ink pen and asked a mystery person to quit whatever they were doing that left his arms covered in star charts that didn’t match anything in the Earth’s night sky.)

He didn’t dare force himself to speak, for fear he might break this tentative peace. Thankfully, Phantom seemed to be taking initiative that night.

“...did you know that I used to be a teen hero?”

Tim’s head jerked upright, meeting Phantom’s eyes. It was impossible to tell exactly what expression he was making behind the mask, but he got a sense of bitter nostalgia. “You never talk about your past.”

A scoff, “Yeah, ‘cause it’s depressing as fuck. Not exactly the sort of thing you can talk about causally.”

He chewed his lip, thinking. “Your suit…minus the cloak, it looks reminiscent of a uniform.”

Phantom fiddled with a cylinder hooked on his belt. It was the only piece of tech visible on his person, a modified soup thermos that somehow served as a near infinite item storage. Impressive, if not odd.

“Yeah, the cloak is more of a blanket than anything else. I added it on when I got tired of looking at the same clothes I used to save my hometown in. It…I didn’t become a hero for fame. It was more trouble than it was worth, honestly. You guys nowadays have so much better support systems than when I was in the business. Makes me wonder if…” he trailed off.

“...why’d you stop?” Tim asked gently, more than willing to throw himself into this new mystery now that he knew it was there.

“It was too much. Everyone wanted me gone, even the people I was protecting. I was hated for my powers, for not always being on the scene when I was needed, for not ending fights faster and for the property damage my villains caused. I didn’t live in a place with metahuman protection laws. The few people that knew my secret identity got tired of superhero life and ditched the first chance they got.” He sighed, “I was hurting, and was desperate for a way out.”

Tim frowned, “So you moved to Gotham and started stealing?”

Phantom snorted. “Nah, I was fucked up for a while after I ran away. It’s funny, one of my rogues was the first to track me down and drag me to a hospital to get my injuries checked. Like a dozen of them got together for an intervention, I thought I was finally losing my grip on reality. I spent a couple months recovering, then took one of them up on a suggestion to try causing trouble for a change. Not anything super bad, but…”

“...enough to feel more in control?” Tim suggested. It wasn’t uncommon for people in bad situations to commit minor crimes, both for the adrenaline and the power rush. Tim himself had once poured his whole soul into tracking and photographing Gotham’s nighttime birds. A hobby that was more than a bit cringe-worthy in hindsight, and definitely creepy considering how much effort he put into stalking his idols. Honestly his young age was the only reason he didn’t get put on a watchlist when he revealed himself to Bruce. That, and the whole I-know-your-secret-identity thing.

“Oof. Yeah, that’s a way to put it. Being hated hurt less when that’s what I was aiming for, y’know?”

Tim tilted his head. “I never hated you.”

A derisive laugh, “Uh-huh. And you loved being led on goose chases when there were more important ways to spend your time.”

“I’m serious.” Tim shifted so that he was better facing Phantom. He didn’t know why, but couldn’t stand the thought of Phantom leaving tonight convinced he was universally hated. “You only make a scene on quiet nights, and you always slowed down for me whenever I had to stop and intervene on some other crime. And you only target the private collections of rich people. Not anyone whose life would be ruined by something getting stolen. You even go out of your way to make sure the guards on duty don’t get in trouble, even when it puts you in a strategically worse position. And…”

He hesitated. Bruce wouldn’t approve…but then again, there was that weird relationship he had with Selina.

“And it was fun. To chase you. It was challenging and frustrating, but your appearance meant that there was nothing else to worry about that night. We could just run regular patrols.”

Oracle was the one to make the connection. Tim didn’t know where along the lines it became an accepted fact, only that Bruce was more comfortable about Robin patrolling alone when Phantom was making a move. A miracle considering what happened to the last one.

Phantom blinked, frowning a bit before his eyes went wide, a shaky smile forming on his lips. “Thanks…it was fun for me too. Kinda the whole reason I kept setting up scenes for Robin to find.”

Tim laughed. The sound startled both of them—he didn’t remember the last time he genuinely smiled like this. It had to be sometime before Bruce was gone, at least.

“So…” Phantom hopped down on the railing of a balcony below, balancing precariously in the way that only he could. He looked up at Tim with an easygoing smile that did little to hide the concern underneath. “As your self-proclaimed favorite rogue, wanna tell me what’s up with the sudden change?”

He shifted a bit, grin fading. “Well…Batman died. He was facing Darkseid and got hit. After the chaos died down, Nightwing took up the mantle and made Batman’s son the new Robin, to help him grieve or something.”

“I don’t know where to start with that.” Phantom adjusted his hood, briefly revealing tan skin underneath. “You sound like you didn’t have a say in it. Wasn’t Robin yours?”

Something bitter worked its way up through Tim’s chest. “It was a borrowed title anyway. I only took it up to help Batman, so it makes sense that I was dismissed—”

“No.”

“—after huh?”

Phantom strode up to him, poking a finger at his knee. “You love being Robin. You don’t have to justify losing your identity. It could’ve been taken in the name of world peace for all I care, that doesn’t make it any less shitty. You just lost someone super important to you, and your connection to them was taken because someone thought your grief was less important. I don’t care who the current one is, you are just as much Batman’s son.”

Tim couldn’t help the small sob that escaped. Or when it doubled, and tears started burning at his eyes. He rubbed at them in an attempt to stop them before they could make his mask go hot and sticky, but was startled out of it by a soft weight being thrown over him. He looked up to see Phantom leaning over him, securing the hood of his cloak over Tim’s own head.

“You looked like you needed some comfort. It’s weighted.” Phantom shrugged.

“...thanks.” Tim pulled it closer, more than happy to latch onto yet another new focus. “How do you move so easily in this? It feels like I’m being hugged by gravity.”

Phantom chuckled, and it was at that moment Tim suddenly realized the other was floating in the air over him. Since when has he been able to fly?

“I use intangibility a lot, but it’s not my only power. It felt like overkill to use more than that in my heists. So I didn’t.”

Tim groaned, “You were going easy on me this whole time?”

“Oh, definitely not. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but intangibility is arguably the most pain in the ass thing to counter. I’m being annoying on purpose.”

Phantom grinned, and Tim couldn’t help but analyze the full sight of him. Everything from his teeth to his ears was pointed, a sharp contrast to the wispy white hair that flowed smoothly in a nonexistent breeze. The most attention grabbing was a glowing green mark resembling a gash across his chest, roughly in the place where a hero would wear their logo. The sight of it made Tim’s own chest ache.

“I don’t think Batman is dead.” He said suddenly.

“What makes you say that?” Phantom asked, reclining on empty air. 

It wasn’t denial, not calling him insane or lost in grief. For the first time since his fight with Dick, Tim felt as though he could breathe again. “I know it sounds crazy, there’s no proof—”

“Woah woah woah,” Phantom reached forward, gently pulling Tim’s hands away from where he had started pulling at his hair. “Slow down. Walk me through your thought process.”

“It just…it doesn’t feel right. Not that I can’t believe it if he died, but this specifically doesn’t feel right. I’d feel it if Br-Batman was dead…there was a whole cloning facility where Batman’s body was found.”

That seemed to spark interest in Phantom’s eyes. “You think the body was a clone?”

“Why would someone as powerful and precise as Darkseid drop everything and kill someone he was in the process of cloning? Why was he even trying to clone Batman specifically? We’re missing something, and I think Darkseid is using everyone’s grief to cover his plan.”

Phantom propped his chin on his hand, deep in thought. “Darkseid…I’ve heard that name before. Does he have something to do with time or space?”

Tim practically sagged in relief. “He can travel freely through both, and has a host of other abilities that give Superman a run for his money.”

He snapped his fingers, “Ah, that Darkseid! Yeah, if he wanted Bats dead there wouldn’t be a body left. I’d bet my collection he’s lost in time somewhere.”

“Thank you!” Tim gestured wildly, “You’re officially the first person to hear me out. Like, is it really so hard to believe?”

“No probs, Detect-o. It’s not the weirdest thing I’ve heard, by far.”

“Exactly,” Tim huffed, leaning back and sighing. “Now I just have to convince the Justice League so they can go back in time and grab him.”

“Why not just get him yourself?”

Tim glanced over to where Phantom hung in the sky. “Unless you’re also hiding time powers in there, we kinda need the League to get to him. Plus I don’t even know when in time he is.”

“Lucky for you, I know a guy,” Phantom grinned. “The Master of Time messaged me this mornin’, something about stopping Batman from breaking the time space continuum. It’s why I’m back in Gotham so soon.”

“You…know the Master of Time.”

“Yep!” He popped the p.

“And they messaged you.”

Phantom hummed, “You can imagine how it went when I tried to confront Batman a couple hours ago. The new Robin’s a menace, if I was any slower you’d have to deal with a Phantom shish kebab.”

Tim winced. It was never fun to be on the wrong end of Damian’s katana. Still, he focused back on the insanity at hand. “So you’re saying you can just go back and rescue Batman right now?”

“Now that I know what’s happening, yeah. Clocky probably already has a portal ready for me. Batman will be back before you can say ‘Gotham’!”

It was inconceivable. To think, the living nightmare of the past weeks would be over, just like that. His brain was screaming at him that this was some sort of cruel setup, that there was no way Phantom was telling the truth. There had to be a catch somewhere, some kind of punchline in the sick comedy that was the life of Tim Drake.

But his heart, the part of him that just wanted his dad back won out.

“What’s stopping you? You’re not usually one to wait for a window of opportunity.”

Phantom rubbed the back of his neck. “No, but I distinctly remember waiting for a certain vigilante. I was wondering if…you’d like to come with?”

Tim’s jaw dropped. “You’re inviting me, a vigilante who has attempted to arrest you dozens of times…to travel back in time to save Batman, another vigilante who has tried to put you under arrest.”

“Emphasis on tried,” Phantom joked, before turning serious. “I mean it—it’s your family. Besides, it could be fun. You come with me on a time heist, instead of sitting back here worrying your pretty head off with all the ways things could go wrong. And you get to tell everyone else ‘I told ya so’ when you save Batman on your own.”

He tried to work his mind through what Phantom was offering. To be able to fix things, maybe not go back to the way they used to be (Damian might actually kill him if he ever wore Robin again) but to have Bruce back. It wasn’t even a question.

No matter how smart Tim was, how he tried to plan things in advance the way Bruce did, he never stopped being the lonely kid who would sneak out at night to shadow his heroes. When Phantom reached out to offer a hand, Tim didn’t hesitate.

“You’re wrong, though.”

Phantom blinked, firmly gripping Tim’s hand without hurting him. “About what?”

“I wouldn’t be saving Batman on my own. We’d be doing it together.”

A fanged grin matched his own, blinding him to the swirling green portal that formed around them. Before Tim could so much as wonder if he maybe should’ve messaged someone about what he was setting off to do, they were already gone.

— - —

This was supposed to be a oneshot, but it got a bit long so I decided to split it up.

I really love this au, but I noticed that everyone has a tendency to hone in on the angst so much that the characters behind it get a bit lost in the process. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I wanted to try my hand at writing the misunderstandings without making either of them at fault.

(Insert rant about how the whole point of soulmates is that this person is a match for you, so even if you fundamentally are not good for each other you still get where the other person is coming from. There's so much more angst potential in not being able to hate someone no matter what they do to hurt you, but I digress.)

But yeah, let the boys heal and be happy! Also this is the closest I've gotten to actually writing romance and that's not saying much XD

Here's the design I drew for Phantom Thief!Danny. Feel free to drop an ask, I'd love to ramble more about this :D

[lyerra]

if I had a nickel for every phantom thief who lives a double life as a high school student, is a performer who enjoys the thrill of being chased by and making fun of the police, wears a hat and a costume, became a thief because of a dad who disappeared years ago because of his involvement with some shady organisation and is trying to find him, has unselfish motives and always gives back what he steals, and has a rival detective that likes shooting football balls at him,

I'd have two nickels,

which isn't a lot of nickels but that's an awful lot of similarities and I refuse to believe these are simply coincidental.

[icespur]

DadGoro Navigator Quotes Help

5/2: update: replaced some paragraphs with the originals in my Google Doc, Including some example quotes I came up with

originally I had a concept I was going to post about "Teen Akeshu Daughter from the future gets sent to the past during P5R", but I got preoccupied.

She tries to play matchmaker to get Akiren and Akechi on the right path. But she also can't risk revealing who she is, Akechi and Akiren don't know what to think of her. To them, she comes across as an unhinged Akechi fan that ships him with the Phantom Thief Leader for some reason, and is from the future, and looks like a mix of both of them if they squint real hard.

Akechi especially finds her irritating, and finds her very selective sharing of who she is very suspicious, and isn't buying her surname being “Akagi”. His detective senses are ringing like sirens that “🚨 THIS FUTURISTIC BITCH IS SUSPICIOUS AS FUCK! SHE’S CLEARLY NOT BEING TRUTHFUL IN THE SLIGHTEST, DO NOT TRUST, ALSO HIGHLY ANNOYING AND EVASIVE, MUST KEEP WATCH OF SUSPICIOUS TEENAGER! 🚨

So when Komari joins the Phantom Thieves in battle, and the rare instance where Akechi briefly takes over as Navigator, he especially makes his irritation of her known and just how much he doesn't give a shit what happens to her in battle.

("Akagi" is her "undercover" surname)

“Akagi-san’s health is down. Heal her I guess~” 

“What a tragedy, Akagi-san has perished.” 

“Oh, Akagi-san is fully healed and ready to continue to grace us with her presence~”

“Akagi-san has been incapacitated. Can't say I'm surprised.” 

But once he finds out she's his future daughter—-

Granted,the fact that he’s destined to eventually have intercourse that leads to knocking up his rival is—-alot to take in—-. but this is his daughter. His future flesh and blood, he—oh he feels like such a piece of shit 🤦. Curse his trust issues and natural skepticism, he was a fucking dick, how is he going to fix this? 

The “Daughter Reveal” makes him take a 180 in his behavior towards her. Something just clicks and “Fuck this annoying suspicious little shit.” Turns into “I've only known Komari for a couple of months, but if anything were to happen to her, I would kill everyone in this room and then myself.” With zero warning. 

I am thou,

thou art I, 

Protective Dad Akechi has awakened! 

Komari becomes number 1 priority in battle, and he’ll freak out if she gets injured or inflicted with an ailment. He demands Joker to immediately help her like the whole world will implode in on itself if he doesn't. Other teammates or enemy strengths and weaknesses be damned, Komari is important. 

and this shows especially in battle.

The first time Komari gets severely injured in battle, Akechi practically teleports to her side and catches her in his arms. “JOKER, YOU BETTER HAVE A FULL HEAL ITEM ON HAND, USE ONE OF THOSE WEIRD DRUGS FROM TAKEMI-SENSEI YOU BOUGHT, HURRY! YOU'RE NOT LOOKING FAST ENOUGH YOU ONLY HAVE TWO POCKETS IN THAT COAT, HOW COULD YOU MISPLACE IT?! THE LONGER YOU TAKE FAILING TO FIND IT THE CLOSER MARI-CHAN GETS TO THE AFTERLIFE, ARE YOU THIS UNPREPARED AND USELESS WHEN THE REST OF YOUR TEAM IS IN DANGER?!” 

“You stay with me, don't you dare close those eyes, you are not dying on us. You're strong, you can get through this—-JOKER, HURRY THE FUCK UP!” 

Tears streaming down face while still yelling “PAPA’S HERE, I’M NOT LEAVING YOU, once your IDIOTIC FATHER finally heals you you’ll be all better.” 

In the scenario where Komari and another party member is low on health, Akechi ignores them. 

Ryuji speaks up faintly “Uh, hey. Hate to interrupt your guys' very understandable panic–but any chance you could throw me a full heal too?” 

Akechi growls back “Walk it off, Sakamoto-kun, this isn’t about you!” 

Just----the complete 180 from:

"Oh, what an absolute tragedy, Akagi-San has died, tip your masks in respect everyone. She will be sorely missed, if only we had a revival on hand~"

To:

!

"MY BABY!

JOKER, GET THE REVIVAL ITEM, HEAL HER, HURRY HURRY, GET IT OUT FASTER, OUR PRINCESS IS FADING, ARE YOU THIS USELESS WHEN YOUR OTHER TEAMMATES ARE IN NEED OF HEALING?!

when infected with ailment, Akechi and Joker immediately tag team her with the feather fans to bitch slap the ailment away.

Akechi or Joker always perform a followup attack when she's having her turn in battle.

After a successful battle and if Komari's Persona levels up and gains a new ability, the in-game dialogue would be Proud Dad Akechi complimenting and drawing attention to it. Pretty much a more aggressive version of Prince attire Akechi leveling up. “Everyone, look! I gained a new ability. :) “ 

A couple example dialogues I came up with:

“Hey, everyone pay attention, what, were you all raised in a barn? Mari-chan gained a new ability.” 

“JOKER LOOK!---” Physically forces Joker's head to face Komari and her Persona (Even though he was already looking). “MARI GAINED A NEW ABILITY! HER STATS WENT UP AND EVERYTHING, SHE’S GETTING SO STRONG, MAYBE EVEN STRONGER THAN US, WE CREATED SUCH  AN UNSTOPPABLE BADASS YOUNG LADY AIIISTRHGHGJFGHSSGNSKJS.”

“I’m already looking.”

“THEN FUCKING SAY SOMETHING, NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BE SELECTIVELY MUTE!”

.............

“My future princess is turning more and more into a powerful badass with every new ability 🥲🥹. Ahem I mean—-oh, Komari-chan earned a new skill, ooo, that’s a good one.” 

..............

“AHAHA! NOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR ENEMIES QUIVER BEFORE YOU EVEN MORE! MAKE US PROUD.” 

................

Then, a friend mentioned dialogue for other battle actions like Baton Pass and Ailments that I didn't even think of!

So I'm going to have you fellow Akeshu fans participate because I'm having trouble coming up with more Proud Dad Akechi dialogue.

Write some dialogue reactions for Akechi if his and Akiren's daughter was a playable party member.

(you don't have to fill out all these sections. Just, if you come up with a line for one of the below actions, reply or reblog with it and once I get enough participants I'll make another post.

Akechi/Crow: passes Baton to Komari: 

Crow/Black Mask response to Komari Attack Quotes:

Komari Dodges Attack: 

Komari Downs an enemy: 

Double Enemy Down: 

Down all enemies: 

Defeats an enemy: 

Defeats two enemies:

Defeats last Enemy:

Attack miss or Skill miss:

HP at 25% at start of turn:

Affected by Tarunda/Attack Decrease:

Affected by Rakunda/Defense Decrease:

Affected by Sukunda/Speed Decrease: 

Suffering from Shock:

Suffering from Freeze:

Suffering from Brainwash:

Suffering from Despair:

Suffering from Forget:

Suffering from Confuse:

Suffering from Rage:

Downed:

Recovers from being downed:

Incapacitated:

[3rr0r-202]

A collection of kaishin (kaito x shinichi ) poetry I've made so far

Tag for a friend @snail-lover56

Before I begin I would like to add that: 1. im not experienced at all when it comes to poetry at all these are the only poems I've ever written on my own

2. These poems are all written from the perspective of shinichi

Poem 1:

The magician once again strikes

Another one of his heists

Under the moonlight he shines so bright

fascinating what a sight!

I Mr detective and he Mr phantom thief

We are destined

We are connected

I enjoy our moments even if they're brief

So close yet so distant

even so you've stolen my heart in an instant

Everytime I sense ur presence

I get thrilled to once again see you my precious

Kaito I'll catch you with my own hands

Looking through your tricks and plans

don't worry I'll keep your true identity safe

After all we are rivals destined by fate

Poem 2:

(This one has slight themes of obsession)

Another deep lonely night

Thinking about the gentleman thief in white

Yes him KID,

And everything we did

Where is he when I need him most?

Sometimes it feels like he dissapears like a ghost

So close yet so distant

I wish I could just catch him in an instant

Am I love sick?

The thought of that hit me like a brick

I never knew I could've been so obsessive

Considering I'm usually not that expressive

Collecting info on him

Studying him limb by limb

Fascinated by what he does

I hope one day we can be one

However if we're so distant

It makes our relationship inconsistent

Does kaito feel the same?

Do you view me as greatly as you claim?

To lose him would be a pain

I want us to remain

One day one day

I will have my way

Poem 3:

"We are destined"

That's what you say

so I have a request for you today

I wish for you to stay

To not disappear once more

And have each other to adore.

I trust you I definitely trust you.

and for you that's also true.

But still internally I fear to be vunerable

And to get too comfortable

I know you would never hurt me

But it seems too good to be true to some degree

So I cannot help but to worry

So please don't leave me in a hurry

But either way I'll take the risk and give you my entire trust

[winterfieldfrontiers]

Conan the Movie 27: The Million Dollar Signpost (First synopsis)

Hakodate, Hokkaido, known in Japan as "The million dollar night view city"

Phantom Thief Kid traveling here. to steal a mysterious treasure. But the obstacles that stand in his way are Conan and Hattori. Hattori who came for the purpose of confession to his childhood crush, Kazuha. Hattori is still angry that Kid thwarted his plan to give Kazuha a kiss. still waiting for time to payback (Based on Kid vs. Komei: The Targeted Lips)

Mouri Ran also expects Heiji to confess his love to Kazuha. But the obstacle that stands in their way is Ooka Momiji, a high school student who still hopes to win Heiji's heart after failing in the Osaka competition last time. (Based on the movie 21 The Crimson Love Letter)

Momiji took Muga Iori, a personal butler who used to work for the PSB. Same organization as Amuro and Scotch and saved her life when she was a kid. Including Shinichi's unfailing heart rival, Okita Soshi, who seems to be interested in Ran (Based on The Scarlet School Trip)

Okita Soshi's still hopes to get new match challenge with Heiji after helping solve the mystery and not being able to compete in kendo tournament, last time (Based on The Kendo Tournament of Love and Mystery, which is the first episode where Momiji first appeared before Movie 21)

Snow and blowing snow, dangerous cold settles in, but the worst is coming!!! Mysterious things have happened in the five-point fort "Goryokaku", the tomb of the legendary Shinsengumi.

Kid doesn't just have to deal with Heiji. But he still challenges Conan to solve the mystery.

With lives at stake!!

Heiji vs. Kid Thief

Conan vs. Okita

Ran and Kazuha vs Momiji and Iori

A hidden mystery that comes with a precious hidden love. Than the treasure was begin In this famous port city worth 1 millions dollars, Hakodate.

A work celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Detective Conan manga!!!!

Written by Takahiro Okura, who has made famous odd-numbered films (21, 23, 25) together with Tomoka Nakaoka, making history for female directors once again since movies 23: The Fist Of Blue Sapphire, featuring Yugo Kanno, composer of the best soundtrack from the previous two Detective Conan Movies.

Conan the Movie 27: 1 Million Dollar Signpost

Release in Japan on April 12, 2024.

[rincaruries]

Home For The Holidays

For @rux363 <3 <3 These are my pieces for Kaishin Secret Santa 2023, hosted by @dcmkkaishinevents ☃️❄️

(Update: Thank you to the lovely @jodaneko for beta-ing this!)

Having finally taken down the Black Organization once and for all, Kaito and Shinichi embraced a new chapter in their lives. They untangled the knots of their complex feelings, and Shinichi now finds himself in a relationship with Kaito, one that has weathered through thick and thin. However, it is ultimately a long-distance one.

The detective and magician aren't able to see each other in person often. Kid had long since retired the mantle of being the infamous phantom thief and now tours around the world as a renowned performer, set upon achieving his own dreams of becoming a showman that rivaled Toichi's greatness.

Shinichi on the other hand is constantly busy himself with case after case coming into the Beika City police department, in a seemingly endless stream of crimes and ruckus brought on by the winter festivities. It makes Shinichi feel as though he may never catch a break. But it's the holidays, which doesn't make things look any better for the detective's exponentially increasing workload.

Miraculously though, on the night of Christmas Eve, Shinichi is sent home early. Something about the weather, Inspector Megure tells him, but the whispers around the department tell Shinichi that something suspicious is afoot. For once in his life, Shinichi decides not to question it, and heads out for the day. After all, even detectives could get tired of solving mysteries.

When he finally arrived home, nothing seemed to be off. But as Shinichi unlocks the door to the Kudo mansion, he feels a palpable anticipatory hush fill the air. Suddenly, the lights burst to life, revealing a cascade of confetti and the explosive crackle of firecrackers! The unexpected spectacle is all thanks to Kaito, who had secretly returned home to surprise Shinichi for the holidays. Together with the Beika City Police Department, he had schemed to finally give Shinichi the break he deserves.

Additionally, Kaito had somehow managed to gather all of their friends and family to join him in surprising him as well. The group had then, in a rather chaotic fashion, ended up cooking Christmas dinner together. As they participated in the pandemonious affair, Shinichi realizes that its the first meal he and Kaito have gotten to cook with each other since his days as Conan. It makes Shinichi feel grateful that they could now share these ordinary moments without the weight of secret identities.

For the rest of Shinichi’s break, they enjoy many festive activities: going out snowboarding, leisurely drinking hot chocolate by the fireplace, and even kissing under the mistletoe on Christmas morning. Ran and Yukiko tease them for how lovey dovey they're acting, but Shinichi knows that it is likely the last time they'll see each other for a very long time, so that he might as well make the most of it. Since their days as Conan and KID, from forced comradery to unexpected feelings, Shinichi couldn't help but feel they'd come an incredibly long way. He always wishes he could see Kaito more, to revel in his gaze, to hold his warm hands every waking moment of the day, but… 'It won't ever happen', he thinks, 'not with our busy lives.' Despite this, he'll never forget the memories.

The next day, the time comes for Kaito to take his leave again. Shinichi goes to see Kaito off at the train station. He's emotional, but decides to hold it in. He doesn't want to make Kaito any sadder than he already is after all, so Shinichi puts on a strong face for him. He couldn’t waver… but before he could leave, Kaito goes in for a massive bear hug, nearly knocking Shinichi off of his feet with how strongly he embraces him.

“Call me every night,” Kaito pleads into the crook of Shinichi's neck. The 'I'll miss you' goes unspoken, but Shinichi knows it doesn't need to be said. He doesn't want to let go. There is so much he wants to do, so much more he wants to say, … 'but for now,' Shinichi thinks, 'just this is enough.'

Rux 🥺💖💖!!! Once again, you are my secret santa for this year's KSSS23, hosted as always by the lovely Mac <333 When I first saw your prompts, I honestly had no idea what to do, but a picture slowly formed in my head of post-canon lovey dovey established Kaishin, but with a twinge of angst and pining LOL. It's been super cool to compare my last gift to you with this year's gift, as I think I've made a lot of progress artistically since then :0 I hope you enjoy what I've come up with this year :) I had a lot of fun drawing it! Happy holidays!! ☃️

[prettywarriors]

Mini Mahou March Year 4 Week 1

Hey everyone and welcome to the third week of Mini Mahou March! You can find the main post for the event here X.

The Prompt for the week of March 2nd-8th is…

Hime Lolita Phantom Thief/Kaitou!

The sub-genre of magical girls that needs more love, the phantom thief has a long history of non-magical girl entries such as Lupin and Magic Kaitou. MGs include Shadow Lady, Saint Tail, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, and the recent Phantomirage.

Magical girl Kaitou often steal with good purpose- returning stolen goods like Saint Tail, or exorcising demons like Jeanne. With a much smaller pool of inspiration to draw from, there is very little consistency in designs for these characters, although they always have a way to make a quick escape. They often leave behind a calling card, sometimes as a form of cheeky flirting with their officer rival.

Hime Lolita, or Princess Lolita. If you know magical girls you probably know Lolita fashion- Rococo inspired, distinct silhouette, frilly and feminine. Hime lolita is extra frilly and a bit more mature with a lighter color pallet.

I’m only looking for a visual character design, something as simple as a single fullish-body picture, but you are more than welcome to go as wild as you want with trinkets, backstory, information, alt outfits, all that good stuff. Also I say girl but girl boy nb other as long as it’s a magical humanoid gender be damned, thumbs up. (Also nothing 18+ please. Your characters can be, just not your art for this)

Make your post and tag me before end of day March 8th (11.59EST) and I will be re-blogging participants here next Sunday/early Monday, with everything tagged Mini Mahou March.

Saint Tail uses stage magic to distract while stealing stolen goods and returning them to their proper owner while leaving calling cards for her crush who is the detective trying to catch her. Shadow Lady uses a magic eye shadow pallet to transform into different forms depending on the color, and steals, well, for fun until the plot happens, while the local cop is in love with her thief form. Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne transforms with assistance from her mascot to remove demons from pieces of art which makes the art disappears, and her rival is transformed boy who wants to stop her (and her best friend is the obligatory cop) D.N.Angel is the long accept magical boy, and he transforms into his older alter ego to steal magical artifacts made by the ancestor of the obligatory cop who has his own magical alter ego and there’s a love square. 

So uh. Complicated romances & police enemies with possible overlap in those categories, transformations range from ‘new dress’ to ‘new body’, stealing is good sometimes. It’s not my fault there aren’t more Kaitou MGs we deserve this sub-genre c��mon Toei. Pierrot? Anyway there’s always non magical girl kaitou like Skye from Harvest Moon or whatever is happening in Persona 5. Masks are generally not a magical girl thing beyond proto-senshi and a couple of weirder male-target series, but it is a thief thing so your call.

Robin Hood Lolita? Scarlet Pimpernel but Frilly? How many weird thief tools is she hiding under her big skirt? Are the ribbons removable to use as getaway ropes? How fancy is that kaitou mask? Maybe some wings- with bows?

[pinktie]

Would you consider Okita Soushi x Kuroba Kaito [SouKai]? Modern-day samurai from fancy school in Kyoto with a magician prankster (actually born and raised Phantom Thief) from a strangely normal school considering it's students in the Ekoda area of Tokyo - rather than the Beika one, hence why AoKai and ShinRan could pass each other on a street. What gets me is not only the resemblance with Heiji and Shinichi, I love HeiKai and ShinKai, but also how confidently straightforward he is when flirting and having fun. He's super competitive and skilled/knowledgable when it comes to kendou, his innocent expressions remind me of Aoko and I have a big weakness for long haired boys too. Kaito can hold his own in a fight and must have learned some things about swords by now after stealing a few plus his encounters with Heiji, I feel like Soushi would like magic and understand complicated family legacies a lot as well.

I welcome most ships that involve Kaito. Your ideas are great.

SouKai is something I would like to explore as well.

Will he be a fan, or does he find confronting Kaito KID to be an interesting challenge?

I imagine they'd shared a moment where they're like, "Detectives, am I right?" Because of how each of them has a detective rival.

[crystallinekai]

ShuAke Childhood Friends(?) to Rival Lovers AU

(I'm posting this headcanon here so I can reblog onto my P5 roleplay blog~ 💃🏽 Also, I have not written anything headcanon related in ages so please bear with me.)

Goro and Akira met at a Japanese equivalent of a daycare at the age of 5 years old while Akira was 3 years old. Akira was already there, playing with some blocks, when he saw a shy Goro enter while clinging to his mother. Goro's mother was explaining her situation, a lot of words that Akira couldn't understand. Something about money and how she needed Goro to stay here during the daytime while she's at work. The employee quickly assured the woman, making her relax before she signed some registration papers.

Akira had no idea what was going on as he couldnt take his eyes off of Goro. The other boy piqued Akira's interest even before he glanced his way. It was more of a glare he received while he clung to his mother tighter. It seemed like the woman noticed and she saw Akira looking in their direction. She smiled at him, finished signing the forms and placing a payment. She walked over to Akira while Goro trailed closely behind her, still glaring at the boy. The lovely woman introduced her son to Akira and hoped they will be good friends to which Akira cheerfully promised, "We will!"

And while Goro and Akira had became friends, there was a tiny bit of a rivalry going on. Akira thought it was a game, but Goro was serious. Their competition would stem from who can put the toys up faster or who can count the highest. That one was a little unfair for Akira who was three. One of their odd competitions led to Akira crying and it made Goro feel bad. So he promised to bring some candy tomorrow as a way to call a truce and make it up to Akira. It was silly, but they ended up bonding more after that particular incident. They spent a lot of time together before one of them had to go home each day. Their friendship was pure happiness for over a year.

Until one day, Goro hadn't come back to daycare one day. And one day turned to two. Then three. Before Akira was even aware, a week went by with no sign of Goro. He was sad. And then, it was Akira's turn to move away. He was due to start primary school soon and with his parent's line of work, they had to move to a different city.

He hadn't seen Goro Akechi again since. Akira was heartbroken and he didn't understand why.

About 13 years went by and a series of events happened then turned his life upside down. Getting arrested and slapped with a false assault charge landed him in a different prefecture and school.

Imagine Akira's surprise when he met Akechi on a social studies trip with his school. He felt a sense of familiarity from Akechi which made him feel a bit nostalgic and also like something that was previously missing had fell into place. He had met his old friend again, but unfortunately, they were on opposite sides. Akechi was a famous ace detective while Akira was a Phantom Thief. Akira knew needed to be careful around him yet, he was eager to spend time with Akechi and make up for lost time. Akira found himself wanting to talk to Akechi once they exchanged contact information often and they did. Then they hung out in a few spots including frequenting Cafe Leblanc, the bathhouse in Yongen-Jaya and spending time at the Cafe or Club in Kichijoji. They gravitated to each other when their schedules happened to line up, talking about their past and sometimes exchanging opinions on the Phantom Thieves. Akira found himself looking forward to every hangout between them and deepening their bond. And he fell hard for Akechi.

Which was why the betrayal from Akechi had been expected, it still hurt his heart. He thought of their talks while he was in hiding for the next month, still yearning to hear Akechi's voice on the other line if he called or see his name come up in his messages. All was quiet until the moment they had crossed paths again in Shido's palace. Akechi revealed to Akira he hated him ever since they were kids, mostly out of anger and frustration about him being surrounded by everyone while Akechi had been alone and cast aside. The words were said, but that wasn't how Akechi had felt. Akechi actually loved Akira too. Even Akira's friends could see that. They fought each other and brought Akechi to his knees. Akira offered for Akechi to join yhem again to take down Shido together when the Cognitive Goro Akechi appeared, gun in hand and pointed it at the real Akechi. Akechi gave Akira one last look and said, "If only we had met sooner..." Which Akira was about to reply before the steel gate separated them and a single gunshot was heard. His heart shattered when Akira heard Futaba confirm she couldn't see Akechi's signal anymore.

The fight with Shido was difficult and he avenged the boy he loved while making Shido atone for everything. The change of heart was a success. Akira lamented to Morgana on how he was unable to save Goro. He was mourning the loss of someone dear to him and had been dear to him since they had first met.

Eventually, Akira had to turn himself in as he had promised to Sae Niijima. His initial charges from Shido had been cleared. He served his time in juvenile detention because no one can overlook the fact he is the leader of the Phantom Thieves. Akira accepted that easily than when he had to accept that Goro wasn't alive. He still had the glove Akechi gave to him. Thankfully, that hadn't been confiscated when he was first arrested.

Akira returned to his life outside of juvenile detention after his time served. His friends rejoiced in having him back. He was glad to be with them. However, Akira knew one more person should be here. He still waited for his phone call or even a text.

It was when Akira was watching the shop shortly after White Day was when he heard the door open. Akira greeted the customer as normal before getting a good look at him and froze. Those familiar brown eyes with a unique reddish hue to them, the chestnut brown hair and his beautiful face. He was here. Goro was here, alive in Leblanc. The one word, a name was all Akira managed to say when he locked eyes with the other man:

"Akechi."

end

[narrators-journal]

Akeshu, trans!joker yandere!akechi 26 and 31? Awa

Okay, so...since this is already a massive practice piece for me, I’m just gonna go ahead and go full steam ahead into offering a bunch of variety in my smut for this month. That being said, if this is in any way offensive, I’m sorry. I have little to no experience writing trans character smut, and I don’t know where the line is on simple smut, or the bad sort of sexualization. So! If this is at all offensive or tasteless, don’t be surprised if it gets deleted. But! For now, I hope this fits your criteria. I hope it’s good and yandere-ish, and I hope that, while light, your request for Akira to be trans is in there. I tried to keep the level of trans that he is (fully transitioned or top surgery only) a bit up to reader discresion.

EDIT: This one was another one that I felt I sort of half-assed the first time. So, I returned to it to hopefully pump more detail into it! I hope the improvement is clear for return readers, and I hope new readers will find it more enjoyable. I also hope I continued to be respectful to the trans community with the rewrite!

Kinktober prompt list: Here

Kinktober masterlist: Here

CW: Kidnapping, obsession, yandere behavior in general, dubcon/noncon is at least implied, breeding is in there too, at least in passing, though it is admittedly a bit light on the body worship, even with the edit. Also, some gagging is tossed in too, and bondage.

Akira Kurusu. Joker, leader of the phantom thieves. An infuriatingly beautiful man with shaggy, coal-colored that was in a perpetual state of bedhead, fair skin decorated with the scars of his battles, and dark grey eyes kept behind thick fashion glasses. A man who’s body was sculpted for gymnastics but had the strength of a boxer, was a beautiful sight for Goro Akechi’s red eyes.

Though, that fact didn’t make him any less of a porcupine, as his looks were only one of the barbs that the phantom thief had left embedded in Akechi’s chest. The other quill was his personality. His sharp tongue, compassion, along with the impressive ingenuity and determination beneath the ravenette’s quiet awkwardness. He had infected the brunette’s brain like a disease ever since he’d learned of the flashy, arrogant man. It drove Akechi mad. Even now, when the ravenette was safely kept a few floors away from Akechi at any moment. Even as the second coming of the detective prince pounded into his captive, Akira’s hold on him seemed unwavering.

Especially when his thoughts were simmered down to little more than the ravenette’s most carnal desires. Tied down to the cheap, creaky bedframe that bounced off of the insulated walls of his cell, the ID tags on his thick leather collar softly jostled by each of Akechi’s rough thrusts into his warm, lubricated hole. It all served to simply amplify the bliss that coursed through the brunette’s veins with each movement.

And why shouldn’t the detective enjoy the spoils of his trials? Of his gorgeous rival helplessly gagged beneath him? His wrists tied by shibari rope above his head, lean muscles exposed to the basement’s cool air for the brunette to drink in. His many scars from the detective prince’s persona, or the gender confirming surgery that he’d gotten at some point in his past, the way that the tip of his navel collected sweat as he twitched and writhed in reluctant pleasure. He had a right to relish the gentle curves of his physique, of the squeeze of Akira’s asshole, or thighs around his waist. Especially when he was balls deep and high on the mixture of ecstasy and sadistic joy that came from every squeak of fear that slipped through the ballgag.

Though, spite and sadism weren’t the only things that fuelled Akechi’s pleasure, there was also the simple pleasure that came from the friction of Akira’s ass around his cock. And, the knowledge of how nobody but him would ever get to see Joker’s face red with lust was another factor to consider. A particularly drug-like one, too. So, the feral brunette was willing to go to any length to keep that fact true.

I’ll cut you open. I’ll decorate you with marks. He thought as his crimson eyes admired the way Akira’s belly muscles flexed and twitched beneath his fair skin. I’ll knock you up. I’ll breed you like the bitch you are. Akechi continued to think, a wicked grin on his lips as his movements lost rhythm to the unhinged pleasure. It doesn’t matter if you can realistically get pregnant, I’ll breed you. He thought at the ravenette, though he couldn’t seem to verbalize the words. I’ll find a way to trap you with me. Make sure you can never escape me, even if you get out of this god damned basement, Kurusu.

Akechi let loose a deep, growling moan into the cooled air of the basement at that thought. The bubble in his belly turned to a tsunami of warmth with only a handful more thrusts. Thick, warm ribbons of cum poured into the phantom thief’s belly. I don’t care...I’ll make you mine, forever.

[meloriri]

AKECHI GORO — PERSONA 5 NAME ANALYSIS

Major p5r spoilers, minor “The Boy Detectives Club” spoilers.

First and foremost, I’m starting with Akechi because I thought his name was the most obvious, so I know the references in his name better. I will be making a post about Joker too, and hopefully more if I find enough material.

Akechi, meaning wisdom and intellect, Goro meaning “Fifth son.”

You might think that it was smart of the persona devs to name him Akechi for this reason, but it actually goes far deeper than that. (There’s reason for the name Goro too!)

(i promise this is relevant) Edogawa Rampo is a Japanese author who is highly important to mystery and thriller genre. He lived through the 19th-20th century and wrote many books considered classics.

Being a mystery writer, of course Edogawa had a main detective character. Known in the stories as “Japan’s greatest detective” is Akechi Kogoro, a private investigator inspired by Sherlock Holmes. That being said, naming your detective character “ Akechi” is pretty much equivalent to naming your detective character “Holmes.” Funny, right?

Akechi Kogoro is undeniable a genius, but quite eccentric. (For any BSD fans, the character Rampo is somewhat based off of Kogoro!) He appears in MANY of Edogawa’s books, as well as Edogawa’s juvenile fiction series, The Boy Detectives Club. Kogoro is a master of disguise, particularly good at disguising as young women. (Perhaps explaining Goro’s more typically effeminate appearance?)

Of course, Akechi Goro in Persona 5 is inspired by Akechi Kogoro, but it goes farther than that! I believe Goro is specifically based off of Kogoro in “The Fiend Of Twenty Faces,” the first book in Edogawa’s juvenile fiction series. The fiend of twenty faces is a gentleman thief based off of Arsène Lupin. I don’t want to spoil his name, So I’ll be calling the gentleman thief Kichi. Kichi and Kogoro have a relationship of mutual respect despite being rivals. Kichi is particularly well known for a character inspired by him, that character being Joker from Persona 5. I’d say Kichi is a notably worse person considering he threatened a group of ten year olds, but thats another story.

I won’t get too into whatever Kichi has going on since that’s more related to Joker than Goro, but you get the idea. Initially however, Kichi was going to be called “The phantom thief of twenty faces” but it was ruled out because… It wasn’t appropriate enough for kids..? Regardless, Joker and Goro are clear parallels to Kichi and Kogoro, from Mutual respect to their rather dramatic rivalry.

SECTION TWO - Akechi Goro & Akechi Mitsuhide

Goro’s name holds a genius double meaning — The other being historical figure Akechi Mitsuhide. Considering this is based on reality rather than fiction, this part may be a bit disturbing. I’ll be using Goro for Akechi Goro and Akechi for Akechi Mitsuhide, because it feels wrong to use his given name.

PS: Im a random canadian teenager, Please tell me if i got any history wrong!!!

Akechi was a samurai in the Sengoku period, but also a grand traitor. Best known as Oda Nobunaga(One of the three great unifiers of Japan)’s killer. Akechi was Oda’s bodyguard, but rebelled against him and forced him to commit seppaku, which is essentially suicide. Goro’s use of mental shutdowns is likely a reference to this, as is his rebellion against the Phantom Thieves.

SECTION THREE - Crow, Kuro, and Karasu.

Goro’s codename “Crow” is pronounced in Japanese as “Kuro”, which is “coincidentally” also the word for black. Because of this, as soon as the Black Mask was mentioned (i had already been spoiled on Goro’s codename) I immediately knew it was going to be him.

Crows represent misfortune and death, but also self-reflection and intelligence.

And finally, something that was most likely unintentional but I found funny nonetheless. When Akechi first teams up with the Phantom Thieves, he suggests his codename be “Karasu”, meaning crow. The other members suggest Crow instead since they all have english codenames. The first time (I think?) Joker is given an official name is in a spin-off manga, in which they call him Akira Kurusu. It probably means nothing, but I found the idea of codename Karasu working with Kurusu pretty funny, so I decided to mention it anyway.

That’s all I caught on to!! Let me know if I got anything wrong :)

[kaitou-archive]

Otomedia June 2015

(Below is a cleaned up machine translation. Please note that due to the nature of machine translation, the text may not be wholly accurate or may read oddly. Japanese is included after English for reference. The text was lifted from the images using this site, and though there's been care taken to make sure everything is correct, there is a chance of unintentional typos.)

I want to walk hand in hand with you ~wedding road~

Tonight, Joker and his friends have come to a June wedding party. Donning their formal attire, are they aiming for sparkling jewels? Or the bride's heart?!?!

"They will probably steal the bride's heart as well as the treasures (laughs). According to the original author Hideyasu Takahashi, Joker's age is 'about 3 to 5 years older than the readers.' Depending on the age of the bride-to-be, I don't think marriage is just a dream!"

The person who gave this hopeful comment was Dai Sato, in charge of series composition. In Season 2, which is currently airing, Joker and company are on an adventure across the world, including infiltrating prisons and visiting deserts!

"I think the essence of 'Kaitou Joker' is the competition between detectives and inspectors for a single treasure, like in episodes 14 and 16 of Season 2. Not only are the phantom thieves who steal treasure cool, but the rivals who stand in their way are all interesting characters. I think you got to see their personalities in Season 1, so Season 2 will include a time travel story that has a big impact."

For those of you who want to follow Joker and his friends wherever they go, a special message from the Phantom Thieves has arrived in this issue as well! Also be sure to check out the “Dream Pledge”★

あなたと手をとり歩きたいWedding Road

「お宝を盗みに来たついでに、花嫁のハ ートも華麗に奪っていくのでしょうね (笑)。原作者のたかはしひでやす先生 曰く、ジョーカーの年齢は“読者の皆さ んの3~5歳くらい年上〟とのことです。 ので、花嫁志望の方のご年齢によっては、 結婚も夢じゃないと思いますよ!」

そんな希望がふくらむコメントを下さ ったのは、シリーズ構成の佐藤大さん。 放送中のシーズン2では刑務所に潜入し たり、砂漠を訪れたりと、ジョーカーた ちは世界をまたにかけて冒険中ですね!

「シーズン2の第14話や第16話のよう に、探偵や警部と一つのお宝を賭けて勝 負するというのが、『怪盗ジョーカー』 という作品の真髄だと思います。カッコ よくお宝を盗む怪盗たちはもちろん、立 ち塞がるライバルも面白い人物ばかりで すよ。シーズン1で彼らの人となり��ご 覧いただけたと思いますので、シーズン 2ではインパクトが大きいタイムスリッ プするお話なども盛り込んでいます」 ジョーカーたちと一緒なら、どんな場 所にもついて行きたい そう思ったア ナタへ、今号も怪盗たちからのスペシャ ルメッセージが到着しております!! 佐 藤さんが解説して下さった、付録の「ドリーム誓約書」も要チェックです★

---Character Introduction

Joker

"As a phantom thief, he's cool, but when he gets home he's so sloppy that he can't even clean the house (laugh). I think his versatility is very attractive." (Sato)

「怪盗としてはカッコいいん ですが、お家に帰るとだらし なくて掃除もできないという (笑)。 その多面性が、非常に 魅力的だなと思います」(佐藤)

Hachi

Joker's assistant. "No matter what he says, it's cute! There are many characters who say harsh things, but when the simple-minded Hachi appears, it makes me feel warm." (Sato)

ジョーカーの助手。「なんと言 っても可愛いですね! キザ なことを言ったりする人物が 多い中、純朴なハチが登場す るとほっこりします」(佐藤)

Spade

Joker's rival. "He's smart and good at strategizing. However, I think he shines the most when he's with Joker." (Sato)

ジョーカーのライバル。 「頭が よく、作戦を立てるのも得意 です。ただ、彼はジョーカー と一緒にいる時が、一番輝い ていると思います」(佐藤)

---Character Question

Where would you like to go for your honeymoon? 新婚旅行はどこに行ってみたい?

Joker "More than where to go on a honeymoon, I'm trying to decide which of two treasures I'm going for! I'm not sure which one, the Three Star Jewel, which is the prize for winning the Idol Stage, or the Sigma Drive, which I don't know what kind of machine it is! I'm excited to see what kind of treasure it is. Hey, do you want to go with me?"

「新婚旅行をどこに行くかよりもさ、 今は2 つのお宝どっちを狙いに行くか迷ってるんだ よな! アイドルステージ優勝賞品の『スリ ースタージュエル』 って宝石と、なんの機械 かわかんねぇけど 『シグマ・ドライブ』 って お宝、 どっちを狙いに行くか迷ってるんだ! どんなお宝なのかワクワクするよな。 なぁ、あんたも一緒に行ってみるか?」

Hachi "M….M-m-m-marriage!? I'm getting married!? Ahem… Well, I…I wouldn't mind wherever my wife wants to go! I'd want to go all sorts of places! ……I'm embarrassed~!!" 「けっ…………… けけけ結婚!!? オイラが結婚っスか!! ゴホン。 そうっスね、 お……お嫁さんの行きたい所ならどこでもいいっスよ! 一緒にいろんな所行きたいっス!・・照れるっス~!!」

Spade

"A Honeymoon…. I'd never thought about it. I've never thought about getting married, either. Well, if I had to say, I'd say I'd like to go somewhere with a history. I'd also like to go and inspect the treasures of the place I'm going to and plan how I'm going to get them. But of course, don't tell the woman I'm seeing."

「新婚旅行か…・・・・・。 考えたこともなかったよ。 結婚も考えたことがなかったからね。 そうだ ね、強いて言うなら歴史ある場所に行きたい かな。ついでに行った先のお宝の下見もして、 どうやって手に入れるか作戦もたてたいな。 もちろん相手の女性には内緒だけどね」

---Interview

Interview with Dai Sato, Series Composer A Guide to the Shining Night

シリーズ構成・佐藤 大氏○インタビュー 輝く夜への案内状

What did you keep in mind when composing the series?

When I first met director Yukiyo Teramoto, she told me that she wanted to depict Joker and his friends' lives and relationships, not to mention their charm as phantom thieves. With this in mind, we started work on the series structure, but as the TV animation had to be summarised in 26 episodes for seasons 1 and 2, it was not possible to visualise all the episodes from the original story. So, after consulting with Director Teramoto, we introduced Queen and Silver Heart, who appear in the middle of the original story, from the beginning of Season 1. I wanted to depict a story centered on Joker and Hachi, but also a story involving Joker, Spade and Queen all together. So I moved the episodes of the original story forward and made them up as I went along. However, both Teramoto and I love the original story, so we adapted the way and order of the characters' appearances to the original story. We also had an order for Joker and his team to confront a major enemy throughout the 26 episodes of the anime, so we placed Professor C and Shadow Joker as the most suitable characters for the enemy. With Shadow by Professor C's side, I think you get a better sense of the relationship between Joker and Silver Heart as a master-disciple duo.

The original story is a treasure trove of fascinating scenarios, how did you decide which to make into an anime? I had a list of all the stories up to volume 16, and me, director Teramoto and the producers chose the episodes we absolutely wanted to do. The episodes we decided on first were episode 1, "The Miracle Maker Appears", and episode 5, "Journey into the Shining Night". The episodes to be broadcast in the future include episode 19 "Crash! The Idol Stage" and episode 22, "The Burning Inspector and the Wicked Foxes". I wanted to tell these stories in Season 1 after all the main characters had come together and the relationships between the phantom thieves had been established, so I decided to do them in Season 2.

Finally, a message to all the fans! The brilliant tricks of the phantom thieves. The days when the phantom thief, his assistant and his master spend together like a family, and the stories and settings of the original work are important to the production of all the staff. The last few episodes are more epic than ever, so I hope you enjoy them.

シリーズ構成をされる際に、 意識されたことは? 初めて寺本幸代監督にお会いした時に、 怪盗として の魅力はもちろん、 ジョーカーたちの生活の様子や関 係性を描きたいという話を伺いました。 その思いを念 頭にシリーズ構成の作業に入ったのですが、 TVアニ メとしてシーズン1・2の26話にまとめなくてはい けないので、原作のエピソードをすべて映像化するこ とはできないんですよね。 そこで寺本監督とも相談して、原作では中盤から登場するクイーンやシルバーハ ートを、シーズン1の初期から登場させました。 ジョ ーカーとハチが中心のお話はもちろん、 ジョーカー、 スペード、クイーンの3人がそろって巻き起こるお話 も描きたかったんです。 なので、原作のエピソードを 前倒しして、 構成していきました。 ただ、 僕も寺本監 督も原作が大好きなので、 各キャラクターの登場の仕 方と順番は、原作にあわせました。 かつ、 アニメ26 話を通して、 ジョーカーたちが大きな敵に立ち向かっていく形にしたいとのオーダーもあったので、敵として一番ふさわしいキャラクターとして、プロフェッサ ・Cとシャドウ・ジョーカーを配置しました。 プロ フェッサー・Cの傍にシャドウもいることで、 ジョー カー&シルバーハートの師弟コンビとの対の関係性 を、より感じとっていただけているかなと思います。

原作は魅力的なお話の宝庫ですが、どのようにア アニメ化するエピソードを決めていったのでしょうか? 16巻までのお話をすべてリストにしてもらって、 僕と寺本監督とプロデューサー陣で、 絶対にやりたい エピソードを選んでいきました。 真っ先に決まったの は、第1話の「奇跡の怪盗あらわる」 や、 第5話の 「輝く夜への旅立ち」 です。 今後放送されるエピソードですと、 第19話 「激突!! アイドルステージ」や第 22話の 「炎の警部と邪悪な狐」 ですね。 これらのお話 はシーズン1でメインキャラクターが全員そろって、 怪盗同士の関係性が構築されてから描きたかったの で、シーズン2でやる運びとなりました。

最後に、ファンの皆様へメッセージを! 怪盗たちの華麗なトリック。 そして、 怪盗と助手、 師匠が家族のように過ごす日々と、原作の物語や設定 を大切にスタッフ一同、 制作しています。 最後の何話 かは、今まで以上に壮大なストーリーになっているの で、ぜひ楽しんでいただけたら嬉しいです。

---Dream Pledge (Purple sheet)

The Dream Pledge You pledge your love to the phantom thieves ♪

Series Composition Director Dai Sato is here with "The Code of the Bride of the Phantom Thief" ♡ Once you know the secret to living a happy married life with the phantom thieves, write your name and date on the pledge. It's up to you whether your boyfriend will sign it or not!!

ドリーム誓約書 貴女が怪盗たちに愛を誓う♪ シリーズ構成 佐藤大氏直伝!!「怪盗の花嫁の掟」付き♡ 怪盗たちと幸せな結婚生活を送るための極意を胸に刻んだら、名前と日付けを誓約書に書き込もうカレがサインをしてくれるかはアナタ次第!!

Pledge ~Oath of commitment~ I commit myself to this man In health and in sickness, in riches and in poverty. I pledge to love, honour, comfort and help, I pledge to love him without change. ~誓約書~ 私はこの男性を健康な時も病の時も富める時も貧しい時も 愛し敬いなぐさめ助けて変わることなく愛することを誓います

---

Phantom Thief No. 1 Joker Joker's Bride's Code ♡ Scold him from time to time! "Joker may look like this, but inside he's a child, so it's important to accept his wild side. And while booking videos and cleaning his room, scold him properly from time to time" (Sato)

Excitement 365 days of the year with many different expressions ♡

▼Show off your skills in making curry, Joker's favorite food

Together with Joker in the sky and on the ground ♥ Go on your honeymoon on the Sky Joker or Road Joker♪

怪盗その1 ジョーカー ジョーカーの花嫁の掟 ♡ 時には叱ってあげよう!

「ジョーカーはこう見えて中身は子どもなので、 彼の奔放さを受け止めてあげることが大切です。そして、ビデオの予約や部屋の掃除をしてあげつつ、時にはきちんと叱ってあげてください」 (佐藤) いろんな表情に 365日ドッキドキ♡

▼ジョーカーの大好物である、 カレー作りの腕前をあげておこう

空でも地上でもジョーカーと一緒♥ スカイジョーカ ーやロードジョー カーに乗って、新 婚旅行へGO♪

---

Phantom Thief No. 2 Hachi Hachi's Bride's Code ♡ All OK in a natural way! "Hachi, who is perfect at housework and good at cooking, is a woman's ideal marriage partner. In order to live a more harmonious life, please eat delicious food. However, I think Hachi will act according to the bride's personality, so please be natural and don't overdo it." (Sato)

Perfect for housework and cooking Any dish is yours ♪ Don't compete with cooking skills, let's finish the meal with a smile

"I think Hachi is the best marriage partner. I'm sure you'll be happy!", Mr. Sato comments.

怪盗その2 ハチ ハチの花嫁の掟♡ 自然体でオールOK! 「家事は完璧 & 料理上手な ハチは、女性理想の結婚相 手ですね。 より円満に暮ら すために、 料理は美味しく 食べてあげてください。 ただ、 ハチは花嫁の性格に合 わせて行動してくれると思 いますので、無理せず自然 体でいてください」(佐藤)

家事も料理もパーフェクト どんな料理もお手の物♪ 料理の腕で張り合わず、 笑顔で完食しよう

まさに理想の結婚相手 ♪ 佐藤氏曰く、「ハチが結婚相手としては一番 いいと思います。幸せ間違いなし!」とのこと

---

Phantom Thief No. 3 Spade Spade's Bride's Code ♡ Keep an open mind!

"Spade is a man who doesn't reveal much about his inner self and doesn't want people to know about his painful past. So, you need to have an open mind and accept him without denying it when he's trying to be cool." (Sato)

Newlywed life on an airship ♡

An unexpected side that only brides can see!?

Twin Thundershark ▼Owned by Spade An airship. As its name suggests, its appearance resembles two sharks.

▲Take the helm with Spade in a stylish cockpit and embark on a voyage of love ♥

▲“In fact, you might be able to live a happier married life if you didn’t know that Spade was a phantom thief.” (Sato)

怪盗その3 スペード スペードの花嫁の掟 ♡ 広い心で接するべし! 「スペードは内面をあまり出さず、 自身の辛い過 去も知られたくない “背伸びをしていたい男” で す。 なので、 彼がカッコつけているときに否定せ ず受け止めてあげる、広い心が必要ですね」(佐藤)

新婚生活は飛行船で♡

花嫁だけに見せる 意外な一面も!?

ツイン・サンダーシャーク ▼スペードが所有する 飛行船。 その名の通り、 2匹のサメを模した外 見になっているのだ

▲オシャレな雰囲気のコックピットでスペードと共に舵を取り、 愛の航海へ♥

▲「むしろ、スペードが 怪盗だと知らずにいた方 が幸せな結婚生活を送れ るかもしれません」(佐藤)

---

Phantom Thief No. 4 Shadow Joker Shadow Joker's Bride's Code ♡ Become a rival phantom thief!

"Shadow Joker is the type of person who gets worked up, so if you reign as a cooler phantom thief than him, he'll pay attention to you. Meet him as a rival, get married, and while you're both a thief, make Shadow's dream of travelling the world come true." (Sato)

Riding his beloved motorbike wherever he goes ▲Shadow Joker's favourite motorbike

The bride should be cooler than Shadow

"It's important to maintain a dignified attitude and not flirt in front of Shadow." (Sato)

怪盗その4 シャドウ ジョーカー シャドウ ジョーカーの花嫁の掟♡ ライバル怪盗になれ! 「シャドウ・ジョーカーはムキになるタイプなの で、アナタが彼よりもカッコいい怪盗として君臨 すると、注目してくれそうです。 ライバルとして 出会って結婚し、二人で怪盗をしながら、 シャド ウの夢である世界旅行をしてください」 (佐藤)

愛車に乗ってどこまでも ▲シャドウ ジョーカーが 愛用しているバイク

花嫁はシャドウより カッコよくあるべし

「シャドウの前ではなび かず、凛とした態度でいる ことが大事です」 (佐藤)

[hangyodonheaven]

Who is Hangyodon? 🐟

Hangyodon is a blue fish creature who likes shrimp crackers, hot pot, and hot springs, and aspires to be a comedian! One of his defining features is that he is a lonely/hopeless romantic. His best friends are Sayuri, a cheerful octopus, and Itaro, a geeky squid. 🐙🦑

Hangyodon also had a series of OVAs in which he is “The Great Detective Hangyodon”, and has a rival named Lucius The Phantom Thief. In this series, he even time travels! You can watch it all with english subtitles on youtube, too.

[ID: Official artwork of Hangyodon, Itaro, and Sayuri. Sayuri and Hangyodon are trying on red bow ties, and Itaro looks dizzy. The background is light green with polka dots. End ID]

[a-mel-tomelts]

1, 5, 8, 28 for Joker and Crow

Ask game~

(wow this one took a while. Mostly cus of the last question and LiFe <- cringe I know)

1. Who is the most affectionate?

Okay, the obvious answer is Joker buuut.

Akechi has his own signs of affection that are tidbit different from normal people. So, Akechi CAN BE affectionate but only Joker figured out how he shows it.

5. Who is most likely to carry the other?

Joker would want - c'mon, it's the shounen hero dream to carry someone in their arms. It's especially perfect for his image!

But he has noodle arms (game model) and even when he can carry Akechi (Mementos Mission) Akechi won't let him. Lololo

So, Akechi. Just to prove he is better. (Joker is happy to be dramatic even if he is awkward at first)

8. Nicknames? & if so, how did they originate?

Akechi to Joker - (sentimental) fool, idiot, love, clown, Watson-kun <- i think self-explanatory

Joker to Akechi - (fondly) Rival, honey, Holmes

28. What do they do when they're away from each other?

I have a post-canon (AU) where Akechi becomes a thriller/mystery/detective writer. Considering his name, he easily comes up with a new pen name - he still tries to hide Goro somewhere. So I think he thinks of writing his novel basing on his real life experience

Before all that tho he gets scouted out by Shadow Operatives - Mitsuru and Aigis specifically. After some therapy and shadow work he gets funded by Kirijo Group because he does have a bright mind. But Akechi let's her know - he has no need for the money because he has everything he needs to fend for himself.

He quickly passes exams to finish school, goes into uni (i think social work? Orphanage and stuff, you know) and since starting therapy he decides to start writing as healing. After some editing he starts publishing them and gains money to be independent of Mitsuru as quickly as possible, get scholarship because he's smart (ofc ofc) gets a contract yada-yada. He also gets a chance to write a TV special for Featherman. Yukari helped with that but... Akechi is too much of a fanboy to decline. ( Futaba loses her mind over it)

AkiRen in this P-C AU studies Catering Major along with Minor in Psychology. I think it's greatly encapsulaaes Joker's interest.

PTs were all celebrating mostly with food (DestinyLand being an exception but even then they were STILL at the food table) and in Strikers it's literally a feature that he cooks recipes he learns during the trip

So I think he also learns different cuisines!! (And travels for some time before returning to Tokyo - and then ShuAke move to some other continent to live where gays are legal xd)

Why catering and not just something cooking related - catering usually implies cooking for events and not just at the restaurants. And events and parties usually mean intel. I don't think they will so easily give up on changing the world lol

He also still maintains his habit of working different jobs during uni but he has less leeway to ignore the jobs whenever he wants so he doesn't go too crazy with that

In addition, phantom thief created a social media account where they share useful info, places and charities for the people :)

Each of them usually have their own tag and preferences towards the types of posts they have (Ann fashion, Ryuji sport, Makoto libraries, Futaba websites etc.)

AkiRen and Akechi usually overlap with others so they rarely post and usually it's about the places others haven't visited of any category (for people who want to find rare gems) - they also don't have a lot of time to post so it's honestly better for them!

@himi-wiz - if you happen to be online! Hi!

Himi was one of the first people that heard about this AU :D (if she still remembers it pffft<3)

[theredcuyo]

Been digging even more into the persona ships so here are the tropes they make me think of

Tatsujun

They make me think of the old shojo anime for some reason, you know, those where the main character is dumbly crushing over this "bad" guy (without all the questionable actions) who is hard to approach because he has a bad past trusting people

Can you picture what I'm saying? Jun waiting in the school entrance just to see Tatsuja arrive in his motorcycle and while he takes the helmet off Jun is seeing the roses and sparkles around him

Ryomina

To me they feel like an old married couple with the twist that they're not a couple nor have they known each other for more than a month

And they don't even have a confession, at some point they just decide to yk, live together, and then they adopt a cat, and one day their friends just find their marriage certificate in a drawer

Sometimes they work together in dumb shit, and sometimes Minato is taking Ryoji by the scarf to get them to class in time

Souyo

They are the slowest of the slow burns, maybe a childhood friends to lovers too?

No one tries to date them because they already are and everyone seems to know except for them, or more exactly, except for Yosuke, Yu is thinking about their anniversary gift

Maybe a girl asks Yosuke if he knows if Yu's in a relationship and he says no, and next thing he knows, is that for some reason everyone is giving his partner his condolences

Shuake

They are the enemies to lovers, the rivals to/and lovers THEY ARE THE STAR CROSSED LOVERS

THEY EVEN ARE THE COFFEE SHOP CLICHE, THE PHANTOM THIEF X DETECTIVE LITERALLY

They are the "till death do us apart" cliche become true but even death can't with their love, even if now separate their hearts are together or something

They are separated but holding a promise that keeps their hearts beating at the same rhythm

They are the sweet reunion under the light of dawn

They are the hurt/comfotr tag on a03

[fleetwood-cheese]

Phantom Thief outfit breakdown: pt 7

This is a continuation of my previous post and series regarding my opinions on the phantom thieves' metaverse costumes, prompted by a poll by @waywardsalt. I will link all of these together as they're finished.

Akechi - Ann - Makoto - Sumire - Futaba - Yusuke

Next Up: Detective Prince Akechi! It's time for the marching band prince outfit. This one is much more break down than changes tbh.

For some reason he doesn't have a piece from the set of official art I've been including, so he gets this (does let us see the back though). I'm starting to see more and more people say they think this one is hideous, but I actually don't agree! From a design and character perspective, this outfit is striking, very coherent, and richly detailed without feeling overly cluttered. I think part of the reason it's so jarring is because its so on the nose for the prince personal and thus comes across as sort of childish and impulsive, like it was chosen on a whim, but I do think that's intentional. The purpose of this outfit is to contrast directly with Joker's, the white counterpoint to his black ensemble, lure the thieves into a false sense of security, and to make the black mask outfit more of a shock, and it accomplishes this in my opinion.

I also like that's its a subtle form of rebellion that's very specific to Akechi's situation; he's a bastard child being used by his powerful father with little recognition, so the idea of being a prince, someone powerful and important because of his birth and his familial connections, IS a form of rebellion for him. The rest of the thieves (besides Futaba and Joker, who're there for the 8/28 trauma dump) don't know this though, so it flies over their heads. It's the pristine, white prince to the black mask's dark knight.

The most obvious inspiration here is the fairy tale prince aesthetic, playing off his media moniker, but it also incorporates a significant amount of formal military regalia. I'm not super familiar with this particular branch of history and fashion, but it seems very European 1700s and 1800s to me, very Napoleonic. The white color seems very Napoleon's Grande Armee to me, but the cut, double row of buttons, and shoulder epulettes scream 1912 American Navy full dress uniform. Ironically, this mix of military gravitas and fairy tale stylization means that the outfit ends up looking startlingly similar to the duelist uniforms of Revolutionary Girl Utena in my eyes, which is probably not the exact vibe they were going for.

The red and gold accents help break up the monotony of the white very well, and the piping on the arms and legs provide a nice lengthening effect. The mask is very interesting, because while it follows the European vibe, its distinctly not military; instead, it pulls on two different types of masks: the zanni and the plague doctor mask. The zanni mask is Italian, named for the character it denoted in commedia dell'arte plays; this character was a servant from the countryside and often a trickster character, which nicely alludes to how Akechi is the rival trickster to Joker in Yaldaoboath's game, as well as the way he's intentionally tricking both Shido and the thieves. The plague doctor mask is, obviously, the mask worn to prevent the spread of the black plague during medical examinations and treatment during its outbreak in the Renaissance, and I presume it relates to Akechi in the way he's been treated as a pest his whole life and is trying to maintain distance with the thieves during Sae's Palace.

There's no real changes I'd make here; I think this outfit does its job wonderfully, with a wealth of attention to detail and well used motifs. Most distaste with the costume is probably personal preference and the shock it gives you the first time you see it. It's definitely not something I'd ever wear but it gets the job done well. I place it 4th out of 10, with a solid score of 7/10.