#have I mentioned I love futaba?

[oraclememehacker]

This is just going to be a ramble and talk about Futaba’s childhood growing up since I find that fascinating. A lot of this will be my headcanons/interpretations of things sprinkled in with the canon stuff that is said. I probably will forget stuff so please forgive me. Anyways, Futaba as a child growing up I imagine was as fun as it was stressful. When she was a very small child, Wakaba would read her some bedtime stories, also reading her some stuff that probably shouldn’t be read to such a small child. As in, more advanced stuff than she was ready for because Futaba would insist.

Wakaba saw that she had a love for reading and learning from such a young age. Instead of trying to push down her a preordained path; you know, following a certain “this is when your child needs to learn stuff” sort of deal, Wakaba taught her that stuff. Futaba would understand it quicker than she expected, and that’s when Wakaba learned a little bit about Futaba’s eclectic memory that was passed down from her. Eventually this would culminate in her going to a doctor and confirming this. She did also see signs of what could be autism but declined to test for that specifically. 

Some of the first books that Futaba came to love growing up were about UFO’s and aliens. She would read them thoroughly and whenever she would see something with a UFO on it, she would want to look at it. Something about the designs of them drew her in.  Same with Egyptian mythology.  Something about seeing hieroglyphics and the way that those images were painting an entire language must've been fascinating. After all, all she was taught at that point was Japanese which are just words. This is pictures creating words!

Of course, her fascination for both crossed over at times, but for the most part she learned about them seperately. As she grew older, she started to get fascinated in other things and was really learning how smart she was and her eclectic memory. But, as talked about in canon, her intelligence  and the way that she wanted to share what she enjoyed resulted in her getting constantly bullied. She couldn’t understand why and it gave her anxiety. Plus, she always felt like she was closer to a book and her mom than anyone else.

That resulted in her being an incredibly lonely child. She would always be off by herself whenever not in class, eating meals in some other part of the school and taking any opportunity that she could to hide herself in a book. Eventually, however, she found herself gathering an interest in computers as well. There was a computer lab in her school, and they had classes in there, learning the basics of computers. How to use a keyboard and mouse, how to use a word processor, etc etc. In typical Futaba fashion she learned all of that incredibly quickly and also played games on it as well (3D pinball anyone?) Her love of video games started from here and grew to console gaming as well, eventually.

Computers made sense to her. People did not. Computers were (mostly) predictable and there was so much information contained within them combined with the power of the internet. She used it to learn more about her favorite subjects and probably get into a bit of trouble as she tried to bypass the school firewalls and restrictions put on them in order to get closer to the lower levels of the computers and operating system. Once she learned about coding that’s where she really wanted to learn more.

Coding was structured and once again, it made sense. Input some code and for the most part assuming there wasn’t some weird things going on, it would display some things on screen just like how she wanted them. The stuff that she created would be incredibly basic programs, including a pong game that at the time, she was really proud of. She rushed home and showed her mom her programs and other assorted things that she had made through a usb drive on the computer that Wakaba had for work related and personal stuff. She felt like she was truly accomplishing stuff. And that’s when her love of computers would blossom more towards how it is in her current day life.

Of course, she didn’t always get the chance to show off her love for things because of Wakaba’s increasing busyness. Often Futaba was left to her own devices though sometimes Sojiro when he wasn’t busy would look after her for a bit. At least until Wakaba came home. Or sometimes the other family members would look after her. Futaba didn’t realize that she would come to despise them as they would end up seeing her as nothing but a waste of time and space.

At some point Wakaba realized that Futaba’s love of computers needed to be nurtured more. And that’s when she would end up giving the young girl her own computer. Was it particularly powerful? Not really. It was a mid-range machine at best. However, just the fact that she had her own machine that she could do whatever she wanted with, assuming she took any and all responsibility for potentially breaking it? Was great.

So, you had a child who at this point was lonely and a little bit jaded because other kids would pick on her and make fun of her for being so smart and having an eclectic memory. She tried to demonstrate this by saying stuff from memory about a book and it just caused her to get even more bullied. There was only one person in her life besides her mom who didn’t immediately bully her. However, that whole thing is in itself a whole can of worms.

Plus, she was seeing less and less of her mom, and was assuming incorrectly that her mom didn’t see her as a high priority. The reality was that Wakaba was an overworked single mother trying to do everything that she could to support her daughter and ensure that she had nothing but love and support at every turn. She would help upgrade her computer a bit and still gave her all the books and stuff that she could ever read. It was just when it came to physical affection and being there for her that she would sometimes fall flat.

Most of her time was now focusing on reading, coding and just trying to get through school. That feeling of loneliness and isolation never left her, just was left to fester and grow inside. It was on the day of her mothers death that everything changed for her. She desperately wanted to spend more time with her mom, someone who she trusted completely. She suggested a family trip and was being insistent on it. Wakaba then told her that she couldn’t do it now, probably a bit harshly and that when her research was done then they would do what she wanted.

Of course, that would never happen as her mother was about to be killed in the cognitive world. But from Futaba’s perspective, it was like her mother suddenly was giving her the cold shoulder. That she had done something really wrong by insisting on going on that family trip. It didn’t matter where they went in particular, the point was she wanted to go with Wakaba and maybe Sojiro if he was available. She liked Sojiro since he was nice and friendly, and was like a father she didn’t have to some extent? Though mostly just a nice and friendly guy.

Speaking of that, there’s no mention of Futaba’s real dad at all. My interpretation of this was because he was a deadbeat that Wakaba had a short relationship and then realized he was a real scumbag. Especially once he refused to do anything with taking care of Futaba with her. She told him to go to hell and they mutually parted ways. Whenever Futaba would ask she would say that he was just a bad person and not worth talking about. Futaba eventually stopped caring about her father.

Everything else we basically know in canon. Futaba getting taken from family member to family member, getting neglected by her Uncle and then being brought in by Sojiro. I imagine that Futaba really doesn’t remember much from this time. It’s all a massive blur to her since it was happening so quickly. She wouldn’t have much time to even process the fact that her mother was dead, and that she got blamed for it and was harmed so thoroughly by this that it left her feeling absolutely devastated and dead inside.

Those feelings of isolation, guilt and not being loved that she had left simmering inside her was growing incredibly fast and it resulted in her getting a palace. It was so overwhelming that of course it ended up with her hallucinating. Her memories of her mom that she loved was replaced with those of her hating her and it left her just feeling like there was no point in anything. This resulted in her in being a neet and not wanting to interact with anyone. At first, her sleeping a lot was because it was the only way that she could escape her intrusive thoughts.

Eventually it just became something that she did a lot because of a lack of energy due to her lack of doing much of anything. She didn’t have particularly great stamina growing up and would find herself getting tired more than some children, but for the most part she was a normal child in that regard. However, her isolation really amplified that, plus there was a thyroid problem that goes undiagnosed, because getting a doctor to see her was hard and when Sojiro would get doctors to see her, they wouldn’t exactly do a great job addressing her problems and not suggest any sort of help. Plus, Futaba was incredibly socially adverse at this point.

Sometimes she had the energy to actually go out but she was incredibly shy and would try to do everything that she could to not stand out. That’s how the café was bugged, and she looked in on Sojiro. He was upstairs grabbing stuff and cleaning the attic a little bit and she installed them. It was her way of keeping tabs on him and to know when to call him when she needed something. During this time her only social interactions were online and that molded how she talked to people in real life for a long time after. It’s something that she takes with her even after the events of persona 5 strikers.

I do think however, she does at some point get an appreciation for how people act. Not so much about what they go through but there was something about watching people and seeing them go through life that was fascinating to her. Once her change of heart happens, she gets into the habit of doing people watching now that she doesn’t hate people and just finds the whole thing fascinating. Social interaction of course takes her a while still.

There is absolutely so much more that I could mention but this post is incredibly long as is. I just kind of wrote and wrote and was putting my thoughts down on paper. As you can see, I’m fascinated by a lot of Futaba’s stuff and especially her childhood since we never really get to see tiny Taba and her relationship with her mother and Sojiro all that much. I really wish I did because it would absolutely be adorable for sure. But yeah, this was just a ramble I decided to make on a whim.

[books-and-dragons]

I'm so sorry, I'm kinda drunk and dropping another idea, do with it whatever ye will.

Yknow how in the beginning of the game, Sojiro tells Ren he won't take care of him when he gets sick?

Consider: he's not used to city germs/being that closely shoved against other people on the train. He DOES start to get sick around Kamoshida's Palace, powers through it, and then is SUPER sick just after it's over.

He plans on sucking it up and hiding it, but Futaba hears his hacking coughs over her bug even when he's upstairs, followed by wheezing, maybe even a little weeping. He's constantly in and out of the bathroom, and he's starting to run out of tissues.

Futaba nervously texts Sojiro that the kid they took in sounds awful. Sojiro is gruff at first and says he's not a baby, he can take care of himself. She responds by sending him the audio and suddenly Dad Instincts kick in

y/n

obviously it's a YES, our brainrots continue because early-game ren and sojiro dynamics break my heart every time how dare you get me so invested in this idea, this post got too long so it's going under a read more

listen listen look i love sojiro and the coffee family okay, but early-game?? sojiro could catch these hands

ren has already been though so much by the time he arrives in tokyo, to then be put into a dusty old attic like a spare part would absolutely fit in with ren's own perception of himself at that stage. it would be almost too easy for him to put his own health on the backburner kinda like he's already used to it

very used to not taking up space, 'not being a bother', and then sojiro really reinforces this message when ren first gets to leblanc- so when ren inevitably gets ill a month into his probation, it's already doomed for maladaption

tokyo would be such a breeding ground for sickness compared to the countryside, and ren just doesn't have the consitution to deal with it. the dusty attic and poor eating habits don't help matters, and then we have the stress of kamoshida and the metaverse?? ren is not having a Good Time™

at first it's something he thinks he can shrug off, and is adamant that ignoring it is the way to go. a cold, it's nothing, he can handle this alone, no need to bother anyone else with it.

inevitably, he gets worse, because that's what happens when you don't rest and let yourself recover. a tickly cough becomes a tightness in his chest, mild congestion shifts into an attack on his senses and blurriness- but maybe that's the dizziness. he's not really sleeping, either.

it's something that's becoming increasingly difficult to brush off and hide, he even relented to finally getting some medicine (nothing as strong as he needs by this point, that would eat too much into his limited funds, but some painkillers to take the edge off). once or twice he's tempted to stay off school, at morgana's insistence, or a too close call where he definitely blacked out for a minute, but then sojiro's voice will ring in his head 'i won't be the one looking after you if you get sick', 'your parents got rid of you for being a pain in the ass', and all his worst insecurities come rushing back and he's resolved to deal with it on his own

meanwhile, futaba's been making use of her hidden audio bugs- normally they're a comfort for her in the daytime, but since the new kid- ren- has been staying at the cafe (part-timer her ass, how gullible does sojiro think she is?!), she's been listening more frequently. when ren gets sick, she figures it out quickly.

time goes on, he's not getting better- he's actually getting worse- and futaba starts to wonder if she's the only one who knows

(there's something in his sharp contrasts- the quiet kid who shuffles through the cafe and takes sojiro's scolding, to the coughing kid who cries into the silence of night when he thinks there's nobody there to see it- that stabs through her numbness. it feels like a companion to her own ghost)

one night she swears the kid gets up to be sick, and there's hardly any sound heard from the attic all night. if nobody's gonna help ren, then she will (futaba used to like helping, once upon a time).

she texts sojiro the next day, when ren doesn't say anything again, and goes off to school with what she bets is a fake assurance on his face

and you're so right, sojiro dismisses her concern really easily, claims the kid can 'take care of himself' and he won't 'baby' the part-timer. insists ren needs to learn some disipline, then maybe he'll stay out of trouble

frustration wells in futaba- if she was less fixated on what was going on with ren, she'd register it's one of the first changes of mood she's had for months- and she responds with nothing but an audio clip, an attached explanation that this is just from the past few days- it's been going on for weeks, then she waits, and hears the distant sound of her compilation through one of the bugs, a hitched breath from sojiro, curse words under his breath-

for all his earlier postulating about not helping ren if he gets sick, sojiro is immeditely struck with a pang of concern- it sounded bad, and if futaba's words were anything to go by, this had been going on for a while. the kid's at school now (at school, being as ill as that and he was still going to class-), so sojiro will talk to him when he gets back. there's a chance he goes a bit too over the top, between the variation of medicines he purchases, supplies he grabbed from home- if you accused him for over-compensating after maybe being too harsh on the kid in the beginning, you'd be right

and you just know ren would be so resistent at first to help, or even just the offer of staying off school. in his sickness-induced fugue, ren's filter-less in rattling off how he can't stay off, what will the students and teachers think, and he has work that afternoon, and a test soon, and he doesn't want to get in the way-

sojiro's heart just shatters

this kid, whose been silently carring the weight of the world and has apparently been falling to pieces for weeks now and sojiro didn't even notice?

(a part of it reminds him too much of the other kid he's got at home, the countless ways he's already failed futaba, and now ren too? he feels useless)

sojiro focuses on what he can do, and that's making the kid rest. work will understand, school can wait, ren isn't an inconvenience, he guides the kid to bed, calls takemi immediately (who rushes over, despite the fact she's technically closed at this hour, and refuses to take any payment),

even still, there's this stilted awkwardness between them when the quiet pushes on too long- they hardly know each other, afterall. sojiro is still figuring out the 'caring for kids' thing, and ren isn't familiar with any kind of parental affection, so some of sojiro's care veers a bit too close to clinical or mechanic, and ren still struggles to communicate what kind of help he needs, but it's enough for now.

for now, sojiro is there. he's trying, and at least ren's getting some colour back on his skin. for now, ren's willing to take a few days off and have some medicine, but he's over-apologetic and definitely tries to make up for his sickness once he's healed. it's gonna take them both a while yet, but luckily there's always their guardian hacker, ready and able to call them out when needed (and maybe some day she'll be able to keep an eye on ren and sojiro in person)

[235uranium]

okay... I've only got sojiro rank 10 left and futaba's at rank 7... let's just hope I don't get fucked up by turning down the romance route

[vashtijoy]

have you seen the commentary from the p5r artbook going around? the shuake part of my dash is losing it a bit at the implication that their wishes were mutual!!! that seems to be what some people are getting from the commentary at least… amy insights?

Hi! I have been through the artbook. It's great, isn't it? :D

The image above is called "One Ending", and the creator caption (by illustrator Akane Kabayashi) reads:

When I think about how Akechi's wish was to play chess after school with the protagonist, I almost want to call him out with "You liked him after all, didn't you!"

Look at that. We're told about Akechi's wish, and what it included. We're as good as told outright that he likes Joker—and this isn't the only time, there's also this:

—There are a whole lot of things we can imagine, based on how the protagonist was depicted as someone special to Akechi. Those are more or less the exact emotions represented during Akechi's confidant. (Mumon Usuda, chief designer)

"someone special" here is 特別な存在 tokubetsuna sonzai—literally "a special presence". It means a special person, and more than that; it describes someone you find compelling, someone you can't look away from, someone who becomes one of your most important people, the centre of your world. It's another term that is often romantic, but isn't necessarily romantic.

(In the same way, I think Kabayashi's suki jan! is more tongue-in-cheek than it is a cast-iron confirmation that Akechi was canonly in love with Joker. The language there is teasing, it's ambiguous, it's baity; Kabayashi is joking. This is a rank 6—as they say, if you know, you know. But it is of course ultimately up to all of you.)

There's another mention of this image, down in the creator interview:

Out of all the Maruki ending illustrations, it was Akechi's that stuck with me the most. It made such an impression to see them opening up as friends, having a fun, peaceful time together like high school students should. (Mumon Usuda, chief designer)

What really strikes me in all of this is the emphasis the creators put on the fact that this is Akechi's illustration, Akechi's wish. Because I've thought for a while that we know Akechi has a wish. You can see him struggling with his refusals to Maruki in the first week of January. And you can hear his wish spoken—when Maruki repeats it back to him, during the boss fight, on 2/3:

Maruki {F1 81}君たちとなら、君も過ちのない道を歩めるかも知れないじゃないか！ {F1 81}-kun-tachi to nara, kimi mo ayamachi no nai michi o ayumeru kamoshirenai ja nai ka! If you're with {F1 81}―kun and his friends, you could begin to atone for what you've done! Think about it! With [Amamiya]-kun and his friends beside you, you could choose a path with no mistakes as well!

So this wish has several parts. First, there's that kimi mo, "you also"; it's tempting to read this as Maruki also wanting his new world to erase his past mistakes. Second, there's the first part, "if you're with [Amamiya]-kun and his friends". Where to even start here?

Being with Joker and the others is a prerequisite for the second half of Akechi's wish. It doesn't just coexist, it enables the rest of it. Just like his words in the engine room, "I wonder why we couldn't have met a few years earlier, [Ren]..."

Remember, Akechi's whole arc is about his rejection of trust and friendship, and his insistence on doing everything himself. This is precisely what Futaba calls him out on—"you trusted no one", or "you played life in single-player mode". This is what he unlearns at the climax of the engine room, when he realises he isn't prepared to let the others die—and follows through to save them.

Akechi is nothing without others, and he knows it. Without their support, which he believes he has no right to, he has no hope of living a better life, even were he to be given the chance—and he knows that, too. He has learned, and he has grown—and yet he knows the things he needs and wants so badly are forever inaccessible.

And his wish is about all the Phantom Thieves, not just Joker. There are many tiny references to this end—not least the original Japanese rank 10 line for his confidant, where he sacrifices himself for all of you. Joker is his compelling presence, his someone special, but he's formed small bonds with the others too, God help him.

and then there's the crime thing

The localisation frames Akechi's wish in terms of atonement, but that's not what's on offer. You cannot, after all, atone for things you never did. We see Akechi's wish put into practice, in the Maruki ending, where he appears with his friends beside him, wholly innocent and with unstained hands. And we see it in the first week of January, after he has finally met Maruki and spoken to him:

Akechi: Ah, that reminds me—there was one more thing I wanted to tell you. Akechi: About the reality Maruki's put us in... Akechi: It seems that Okumura and Wakaba are both considered alive by all accounts. [Ren: They're not dead anymore? / What do you mean?] Akechi: They aren't mere illusions, or cognitive beings—they truly are alive and existing in this world. Akechi: In fact, their deaths seem to have never taken place at all in this reality. [Ren: What happened to Shido?] Akechi: Shido was the only one arrested on the crime of attempting to overthrow the government... Akechi: It seems the Phantom Thieves were causing a stir in this society as well, but there's no record of your arrest now. Akechi: Basically, in this reality, you and I haven't committed any crimes.

While Akechi still remembers his crimes, they never took place. They have been undone, and only his lingering memory—and Joker's, at this point—speaks to them. He objects to this on countless levels, he summons all the strength he has to refuse it, but don't make the mistake of thinking that means he doesn't want it. This is Akechi's wish in action.

People are often very certain that Akechi's resolve in the third semester is like iron—that he rejects Maruki's offers right away, is never tempted, never wavers. But that can't be true. We know he's afraid to die. We know about the bad end where you don't complete the Palace, where Akechi says nothing and stares at the floor, seemingly blaming himself internally while all the others blame themselves aloud, for being unable to say no to Maruki's temptations. We know how he responds to this assertion of Maruki's—Maruki, who has perfectly summed up what we know all the other PTs wanted, and who (even if Word of God hadn't just confirmed Akechi's wish) we have, honestly, no reason to doubt.

Because Akechi never refutes this wish that Maruki describes. He never says he doesn't want it. He just rejects it—like all the others, who so desperately want what Maruki could give them. Futaba's mother, Haru's father. Akechi's life, and his innocence. And the people who might have been his friends, if he could dare, one day, to ask.

Akechi is tested just like the others, and the price he pays for his defiance is perhaps the highest of all.

and finally

[The Maruki ending illustrations are] of Maruki's world, where everyone's wishes are granted and they seem happy. The scene shows their actualised wishes, which were never granted in the real world. (Mumon Usuda, chief designer)

We shouldn't forget the price Akechi pays for his impossible wish. Sure, the vision of himself being altered like Sumire clearly haunts him, and I'm sure it made the choice easier—but I don't think it made it that easy. Instead of taking the dream Maruki offered him, Akechi chose to face up to what he'd done, and who he'd become; at the very end, in the third semester and in the engine room, he always makes the right choice.

And that choice was taken away from him. Agency over his life and death, his own acts, and who he would even be—Joker and Maruki take it all away from him and make him a puppet, just like Shido.

Maruki's ending isn't pretty.

revision history

Click here for the latest version.

v1.0 (2024/03/29)—first published.

[awriternamedart]

One of the many things Akira noticed about Sakamato Ryuji was just how quietly he loved.

He didn’t mean specifically in a romantic sense. Friends, family, strangers- the way Ryuji showed his care and affection was almost silent.

It had first made itself apparent when Akira learned that Ryuji’s bright, yellow blonde wasn’t his natural tone- it was in fact, a bleach job he kept up on. He had noticed that Ryuji’s roots were growing in- a dark brown color that stood out starkly- and made an idle comment on it, drawing a fidgeting Ryuji’s hand to his thick, unruly hair.

“Oh, yeah. Been savin’ up to get some more bleach ‘n toner ‘n shit soon- ain’t let it grow out this long in a while.”

“You bleach it?”

“Yeah, started doin it round secondary and just- never stopped, I guess.”

He had later found out that he had done it so that Ann wouldn’t be alone as the only blonde, and even though they had fallen out over the years, he had still kept up with it. And considering the price of that kind of bleach job, the fact that he was always reminded to dye it back- it wasn’t an easy endeavor to keep up with.

And yet, he did so without even a thought of stopping.

It really had caught Akira’s eye when Yusuke had joined their little group.

For the first time, Akira got to witness Ryuji get along with someone from the beginning- and it wasn’t exactly easy. Ryuji, for all his sunny grins, had more than a few walls up when it came to new people. He got to see a gruffer, more agitated Ryuji- and also got to witness him slowly lower that outward mask to let their teammate in.

When Akira caught Ryuji suddenly always having a pencil on hand, he had known Yusuke had his seal of approval.

This type of pattern just kept repeating itself, mostly. With Makoto it was… a little more difficult- but that was because they had a history by ear. Ryuji’s reputation was the stark opposite of Makoto’s so there was bound to be friction- but Ryuji wasted no time in trying to help her anyway.

Even if Akira would forever shiver at the memory of Ryuji throwing himself in front of a moving car.

From there- Futaba, Haru, even Morgana, Sae, Sojiro and Kasumi on the off chance of meeting her- Ryuji would always have a special way that he loved. That he cared.

Something even Ryuji himself hadn’t seemed aware of when Akira first brang it up.

��Eh? Whaddya mean?”

“The pencil in your pocket. It's for Yusuke, isn't it?” Akira prodded, a nonchalant question more than anything. The quiet tenor of his voice carried a much lighter lilt to it now that they had taken down Shido.

“How'd you know I got a pencil- well, dudes always mumblin ‘bout drawin this or that.” Ryuji offhandedly waved, leaning back onto the comforter atop Akira’s mishmash assembly of a bed. “ ‘s easier to shut him up with it."

“Haru never running out of soil or fertilizer?”

“The bags aren’t that heavy- sides, it ain't like I got anythin’ else to do after school, ‘less ‘m hangin’ out with you.”

“Morgana’s treat pocket in your bag?”

“Keeps him from yowlin’ at me.”

“Futaba’s ever growing manga collection?”

“They were just gonna rot in my room.”

“Makoto mentioned that her notes are always nice and neat whenever she gets them back from you.”

“Well, duh, they aint mine. Gotta keep them in nice condition.”

“Your hair?”

“What about it?”

Akira just rolled his eyes. This guy was impossible- so silence fell over the pair in the quiet room overlooking the backstreets. Wood creaked nearby, a quiet snapping noise that neither paid much attention to.

There was more Akira could have gone into to- the dishes when Sojiro was out and Ryuji was hangin around, Akira catching him looking up gymnastics specifics one evening- hell, Ryuji had even begun to look through how to properly play billiards before.. yeah.

For all the shit Ryuji was dragged through, the butt of the joke, the beaten up punch line- he never stopped caring. Akira couldnt help but be proud of his choice in a loyal right hand.

“Uh oh.”

“Hm?"

“Ya got that look on yer face.” Ryuji leaned forward, a smirk rising on his face. “That stupid calculatin look like your takin a shadow apart with your mind.”

“I have no idea what you mean.”

The repressed smirk said it all to Ryuji, the way grey glinted behind faux glasses- Akira had all but two seconds before an arm was slung over his shoulder, gasping as he was tugged down and a hand was playfully ruffling with his hair. Laughter erupted, Ryuji’s demands that he tell him whats going on in his head almost lost to the tussle.

“Cmon, ‘Kira- you cant hide nothin from me!”

“Unfortunately.” Glasses knocked askew, Akira straighted up, going to fix them before they were snatched off his face. “Hey-!”

Ryuji just grinned back, shark teeth and all.

“So, gonna tell me or do I gotta hold these hostage?”

And Akira just rolled his eyes, easily snatching back his glasses and slipping them on his face. He looked back to Ryuji to see brown shining back, amber flecks dancing in the setting sun. Straw gold hair caught the few orange rays that managed to worm their way into the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya, freshly touched up blonde roots barely visible through the thicket of mismatched cut hair.

He felt himself just shake his head, melting easily to his partner in crime who just blinked- looking at Akira in slight confusion.

“Dude, you sure you're good?"

Neither of them were PDA people- maybe thats why it was easy for them to just exist around each other like they did. But for the rare moments- the quiet touch of their lips, the stolen moments they had, hands hesitantly bumping against the others- Akira knew.

For all the ways Ryuji loved, this was the way Akira liked the most.

-

The Quiet Way He Cares - awriternamedart

[maespri]

oh my i never really saw myself making a post like this, but i really wanna talk about morgana! more specifically… why i don’t really understand the hate he receives.

for starters, i know a lot of people dislike mona because he gets on ryuji’s case often. his squabbling with ryuji can get hurtful at times too, i know, but i feel like so many people conveniently leave out the fact that… ryuji returns fire? it’s not as though mona is constantly attacking poor ryuji who can’t defend himself; it’s a two-sided fight throughout most of the game. both of them are constantly fueling the fire. not to mention, it’s a fight that eventually ends. both individuals have great character development (i could talk about it for /ages/, but i digress) that ends with their fighting essentially ceasing entirely. they’re both dumb teenage boys, they both said dumb stuff to each other, and they both hurt each other, and all of that is recognized and left in the past.

the hatred toward mona in general is something i struggle to understand entirely. you hate this cat because he tells you to go to bed? the game would have told you to do that one way or another, because it’s a game. there have to be constraints, or you’d get terribly overpowered incredibly fast. i wholeheartedly agree that mona’s lacking in comparison to the other characters in many ways- but i’ve never hated him, and was surprised to see a lot of people did.

maybe i’m just weirdly empathetic toward fictional characters, but i really liked his storyline. mona’s been with the protagonist since day one, helping him out, staying with him, encouraging and supporting him in everything he does, navigating them through mementos and palaces and battles… and he’s never really appreciated for any of it. obviously, the other phantom thieves do the same and don’t require any extra praise, but morgana already has a complex stemming from the fact that he’s not human. inherently, he believes he’s not nearly as good as any of the others, and subsequently, that he isn’t good enough in general- and he’s so ashamed of that that he can’t even voice the concern to the protagonist pre-okumura’s palace. it made sense to me when he snapped and ran away; if you were constantly the black sheep of a group, unable to engage with anyone unless the guy you live with is always there as well, wouldn’t you yearn for autonomy too? (don’t even get me started on the haru parallels there; there’s a reason morgana snapped during the okumura arc.) if you felt expendable and there wasn’t ever an effort made to prove otherwise, purposeful or not, wouldn’t you also want to leave? to spare both yourself, and the people you’re leaving? i really liked his arc because it led to two realizations- that he was pivotal to the group, and it was fine if he ended up not being a human. (and honestly, he was pivotal to my group… who else would i use to heal everyone outside of battle…!)

anyway, his objectification of women was weird. didn’t like that. but this is a JRPG, and he’s not the only one who does strange things like that at times (why was ryuji looking at ann’s chest in the mona bus outside futaba’s palace man…). honestly, his flirting was also weird at times, but as long as it never got strangely sexual, i didn’t really mind? it’s not like it ever genuinely bothers ann either as far as i remember. it’s more just a stupid thing he does.

anyway… i dunno. i like the kitty. he’s silly, he kept me company, and he made my playthrough fun. life is so much more beautiful when you carry love in your heart rather than resentment

[samarecharm]

tw disordered eating (not in explicit detail)

Whenever i write Yusuke and his relationship w the thieves, i try to emphasize that Yusuke was in a really really Really bad space not only mentally (like the others) but physically; hes bone-stick thin and you can feel his ribs jutting out if you go for a hug. Hes a bit gaunt in the face and hes got next to no muscle mass. He tires easily and hes kind of a shit fighter bc of it. The metaverse fills in the gaps a little bit, but his body is still very frail and unprepared to transition to an active lifestyle after years of surviving off of such a bare bones calorie diet. For my Akira, it is the driving force behind wanting to takedown Madarame; hes a sucker for a pretty face but hes also unable to look away from someone actively wasting away because of the actions of their guardian.

If any of them try to mention Yusukes physical state or diet, he often deflects, angrily, reminding them that he is abnormally tall, and that that obviously contributes to his thin (frail) stature. Its very hard to get him to eat while theyre in saferooms, and he often lags behind while exploring the museum. He cant stay in combat for too long, and at some point, Akira debates if he should even allow Yusuke to stay on the team; if he passed out or Worse under Akiras watch, hed never forgive himself.

BUT. As the thieves gain his trust, Yusukes a bit more willing to indulge them. He learns quickly that they arent pitying him like he initially assumed (he is far too aware of how much he feels like hes neglected his own body; and how others can easily see that neglect). They routinely eat and hang together bc thats just how they bond, and theyre just trying to invite him into their circle properly. Akira has zero experience w this kind of thing, but Ryuji and Ann are athletes and models respectively; theyre both in fields that encourage that kind of self destructive behavior, and they have some kind of insight into how to avoid falling for those same traps, and helping people who Do end up in those scenarios.

(Anns parents, despite their absence, do their best to prepare her for how cutthroat the modeling world is; to keep her from developing the kind of habits and mindsets that let young men and women destroy themselves. ESPECIALLY bc my Ann is a plus sized model. And Ryuji, as a promising track star, would know how bad it can get for professional athletes, the lengths at which theyd go to maintain their positions and ability to compete. Hes a gym rat who loves food and nutrition and knows what he needs to keep himself fit, and thats all he really needs)

They cant feed Yusuke the way they WANT to bc hes already so thin, so they just let him take from their plates to sample things and let him feel included. He starts taking up Ryujis offers to go get meals together, even is Ryuji ends up taking almost an entire extra serving home as takeout. He lets Ann drag him away to the crepe shop and her other little snack havens, even if he only leaves w a small chocolate of sorts to take home. He lets Akira make coffee and curry for them to split when he comes to Leblanc. And maybe he lets Sojiro cook a full plate for him to take back home to eat at his leisure and away from prying eyes. Yusuke goes from bitter to extraordinarily fond rather quick, and he finds himself angry that this is yet another thing Madarame has stolen from him.

By Futabas palace, hes filled out enough that Akira doesnt immediately panic when Yusuke gets tossed onto the floor by some brute of a shadow, worried that hed shattered every goddamn bone in his body on impact. He doesnt have any real muscle by any means but his face has the faintest bit of cheek fat that Ann is able to pinch w her evil little hands, and when he looks in the mirror, the ribs peek out but they dont jut out. His breathing is better, his skin is just Pale and not Ghostly white, hes got a healthy flush when he laughs at Akiras stupid puns, and he finds himself allocating a bit more of his budget towards stocking his fridge. Sometimes, Akira can even convince him to people-watch out in the sun instead of in the subway tunnels.

At some point, Yusuke becomes very vocal about things he wants, but importantly, about Food he wants. He will eagerly allow his friends to treat him if they ask, and he picks whatever sounds nice to his ears or whatever Ann and Ryuji recommend him. Part of it is due to him feeling safe enough to ask for such things; the thieves kinda laugh about his eccentricity and forwardness, but Akira, Ann and Ryuji know how different and comfortable this Yusuke is compared to the one they met. Its silly but its good; he gets to act like this bc the thieves let him be forward- they let him voice his wants and needs without a fight.

By post game, hes got the barest hint of a tummy pouch, and Ann will attack it relentless with a firm poke whenever hes foolish enough to stretch and lift his shirt to expose it. She thinks its cute 😭 Shes really happy to see it, bc she thinks of Yusuke all skin and bones and angry and scared like a feral dog barking mad, lashing out at any help they offered and working himself sick (figuratively and literally) trying to help make things right. It makes her so sad recalling it, so she likes to remind herself that hes okay now, even if hes a little embarrassed by it. She knows Akira and Ryuji do the same, inviting Yusuke to hang and just see him w their Own eyes that hes better, and that they did the right thing by insisting he join their little ragtag group.

[akirasarchives]

[ʜᴄ] 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐫𝐚 𝐤𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐮

sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs: what having akira as your boyfriend is like!

⤷ ᴀ/ɴ: gn reader // this is old like pre-royal old..

— RELATIONSHIP OVERVIEW

listen..max charm akira? you’re gone. poof. so smooth

akira is so thoughtful and i mean it! he spends a lot of his money on you instead of buying things from the clinic to go the palaces and such

pls he was gonna give you the luck stone from the fortune teller then he got scammed

hopeless romantic! morgana can’t help but poke fun at him for it

BONUS! sojiro adores you! he’s constantly giving you things on the house

he will literally heal you / throw himself in front of you if you’re about to get hit with a critical attack he does NOT care

(morgana then proceeds to throw himself in front of akira)

— BEFORE THE RELATIONSHIP

LISTENNN!!! he buys so much gifts for you but when he gets the guts to actually give them to you..you’re getting gifts all of the time

like..akira?? we’re still friends here!!

tbh when the guys (yusuke, ryuji and akira) were in the bathhouse he mentioned how he liked you and they’ve forever been teasing him since

mostly ryuji

with the odd comment from yusuke

especially if you’re in the monabus and he sits next to you!!

you didn’t even know he liked you! since akira is so quiet himself it just seemed normal for him to be quiet around you,, and when he did speak you just figured it was how he naturally spoke to you

when you text him to hangout..he’s dropping everything. like finding the treasure? it can wait a day! (if it can)

— ASKING YOU OUT

definitely read a lot of things to increase his charm before he asked you out! you only deserve the most romantic “courting” (as morgana and yusuke would describe it as)

he definitely splashes out on gifts from the underground mall! chocolates, bracelets, lipsticks, perfumes, cd’s etc.!

he read some books too! although it was a literal embarrassing to purchase a book called “asking out the person of your dreams 101!”...it helped him a little even if he had to cover the name on the train

but even so he was sweating buckets when he invited you to a popular date spot for couples he’s read about in a magazine

he set up such an adorable picnic (with what he could afford) and although morgana was shoved into the basket he made the best of what he could

of course you said yes! not only was the weird mixture of his nervousness and charm prompting you to say yes but you’ve already pined after the messy haired boy for a few months now

— IN THE RELATIONSHIP

he can fluctuate between super-attentive, nerdy bf to charming, go with the flow kinda bf

esp with morgana whispering ideas into his ear .5 seconds of the day

akira deffo is such a sucker for video games/manga’s so i’d imagine a lot of arcade and cafe dates where you two are chilling reading manga’s or doing hw

the rest of the group adore your relationship esp the girls

they love asking the two of you about your dates!! ann esp loves capturing candids of the two of you to send to the gc and fawn over

ann: look at these cuties!!

futaba: shame ryuji’s face ruins the photo

haru: wah… true love ❤️

ryuji… he’s asking akira some unhinged shit ngl

yusuke deffo asks to follow you and akira on a date so he can capture the feeling of love irl… turns out it’s kinda weird to have someone follow you and ur bf around

like… he doesn’t even speak to yous… just a shadow

n e way!!!

sojiro… he gives akira some pocket money sometimes 😭😭 (like £10 but shhh)

“go buy [y/n] something nice, kid” BROO

free coffee is normal for you, esp when you’re waiting for akira to get his bag together at the cafe

wins arcade plushies for you when he’s busy with shinya! if it weren’t for shinya helping his phantom thievery then he’d solely be there to win plushies

when he learns how to make curry and coffee, that’s all your eating when you’re over

and honestly…

now you’re a curry and coffee connoisseur

[persona-brainrot-real]

Actually I think that what we see of Akechi in the third semester isn’t an entirely honest reflection of who he is. He’s not a ruthless bloodthirsty finds-power-arousing (pre-showtime dialogue) nor in most other aspects of the game does he mention how openly and explicitly fascinated by Joker he is, the way he does in the third semester. Yes he is fascinated by Joker yes he finds him attractive yes whether you ship them or not there is undeniable homoerotic subtext in their relationship and akechi is queercoded.

This might not be too coherent bcs it’s like 2;30am rn BUT I think one of the most important things to consider is that the Akechi that gets brought back isn’t the same level of Brought Back that Wakaba Isshiki was, or Haru’s father. You can bring back Wakaba because she had all of these connections, all of these people who knew her and loved her. She had a job, a reputation, a social life, and even if Futaba hadn’t wanted her back, Sojiro would have. Her other coworkers, her friends. The point I’m making is that Wakaba, much like Okumura, and on a smaller scale Madarame with the way his personality changed, were social people. To be brought back, Maruki could have used these different understandings of them to bring them back as they were perceived and understood. Wakaba is crafted out of Sojiro’s memories of her as a person, out of Futaba’s memories of her as a mother. Okumura by how he was to Haru as a father, turned into a polished version based on what she wanted him to be.

Those who were alive were changed by the people around them, too. Sae by Makoto, Madarame by Yusuke, Shiho by Ann, even the rude teacher whose name I can’t remember is likely changed because of the wishes of the students, who Maruki heard complain about how cruel or mean or rude he was.

And that brings me back to Akechi. The only person who got close to him for who he actually was, is Joker. The only person who got to peek past the walls he put up, even in a controlled way, is Joker. The only person he was honest with, chose to surround himself with, and opened up about his life with, is Joker. As such, it’s Joker who wants him back when he’s gone (shown by Joker staring wistfully at his ceiling after their fight in Shido’s palace and finding it hard to believe he’s gone) and it’s Jokers wish that brings him back.

And with Joker’s last experience with Akechi being this sudden reveal for what his capacity for violence is, with little time to process, probably spends the next while of his quiet grief trying to wrap his head around this sudden change and it warps his perception of Akechi. It’s not that he’s ruthless, unwaveringly bloodythirsty and takes sexual pleasure from killing people/shadows necessarily, but that as Maruki was pulling from people’s memories and experiences for this, he pulled a warped and slightly inaccurate version of Akechi from Joker’s mind.

And that’s how we end up with a version of Akechi who is attached to Joker at the hip, who is unwaveringly allied with him, who constantly says things like “jokers mad. I kind of like it, but it’s not you” or only gets the ability to throw himself in front of a fatal attack to protect joker/to endure a fatal hit because of his closeness to Joker AFTER he’s brought back in 3rd semester. He isn’t incapable of putting himself at risk for someone if he wanted to, but he has too much to do. He has his plans, his goals to become more powerful than Shido, and for that reason he can’t afford to risk dying.

But when Joker needs him to come back, to be his friend rather than his enemy, to use this tenacity and determination he has to aid the Phantom Thieves, he gets what he wanted and what he needed, and in doing so pulls out and exaggerates a worse side of Akechi because of how his own infallible memory has warped his memory of him.

So he gets the Akechi he wanted (passionate, dangerously loyal, allied to Joker and Joker alone, therefore connecting him with the Phantom Thieves too) while also getting the Akechi he never saw and never wanted to see (ruthless, bloodthirsty, capable of immense violence and capable of enjoying said violence) but being just submerged enough in Maruki’s reality not to properly question how or why he’s back, but indulging in his own feelings and choosing ignorance so he doesn’t have to doubt the one person who listens to, believes, and trusts him, when everyone else (even without knowing better)turns their back on him. That’s what I find so captivating about the third semester and their dynamic within it. I don’t think it’s accurate to Akechi, not even his own deepest and darkest desires, but those aspects of a personality are forced onto him as a result of Joker’s grief.

And that’s something I wish Atlus had been able to delve into in a little more detail.

[chronicbeans]

I really love how you write Wally :)

Can you do one with the reader try’s to play video games with him? You can write about video game you want btw

Wally playing video games is something that increases my serotonin. It is time to make the ultimate semi crossover of funny, silly puppet man and the serious and (at points) sad Persona 5 Royal because I want to see Wally's reaction to those topics. Especially since he probably doesn't even know like... Half of what is going on.

So I guess spoilers for Persona 5 Royal. The game is explained so poorly in this that people will probably not understand anything (much like Wally), but there are still some spoilers.

Reader Playing Videogames with Wally Darling (mainly Persona 5 Royal, but others are mentioned):

🎮 So, it turns out Wally has a bit of trouble holding controllers. He only has three fingers and a thumb on both hands, as well as felt for skin. Most controllers just fall out of his hands, so he mostly just watches you play.

🎮 Wally CAN play games on a DS, Wii U, or other consoles that can be laid flat and controlled using a screen and stylist. Some of his favorite are any Pokemon games that let you play with the Pokemon (he hates making them fight, so he makes you go out and catch them for him. Also, he'll have you play through the story because of the fighting), Nintendogs (he always names his dogs Barnaby. He has Barnaby, Barnaby 2 and Barnaby 3...), and Super Mario 3D Land.

🎮 Mist of the times, he just watches you play the games. Ever since you got Persona 5 Royal, though, he has been on an emotional rollercoaster. He doesn't understand even HALF of what is happening. Like... WHY ARE PEOPLE BEING SO MEAN? He doesn't know what they are doing, but they know they are being mean because people in the game are reacting with like... Horror once they find out. At least you fix them in the end? And the art is good!

🎮 Your character is also cool! He doesn't understand why people don't like you? What is a "probation"? Wait, you committed a crime?! No, people just think you did? HUH? A politician accused you of it? What's a politician?

🎮 You make a lot of friends, though, and fight the bad guys! Even one of the people you fight becomes a friend! Her name is... Futaba Sakura? Her name sounds cool! Along with all the characters' names! She didn't seem so mean, though, so he doesn't understand why you fought her or why she wanted you to. She kinda reminds Wally of himself in a few ways, to be honest.

🎮 Then the ending and the second ending after that is really cool! When he saw that like... one bad guy you fought that was like... keeping the weird second versions of people in prison? He was kinda like "Woah! He looks so big and scary! Wow! I don't even know what is happening, still! Yippee! 😁" Then there was the guy who was your... uhh... counselor! Yeah, counselor! He seemed more like Futaba in that he didn't seem so bad. He still doesn't understand why making a world where everybody is happy forever is bad. Even if it is fake, everybody is happy! That's how all stories should end! Right? At least that counselor guy had a slightly happy ending, though!

[prrtnrr]

YAY TOOK EM LONG ENOUgh

Also oooh we getting any p5 ships? PEGORYU MAYBE

((im too excited to keep this to myself lol, i love the smt persona series if anyone was curious, but i wanna explore yosuke meeting all these persona users who came before his group and after his group. i think thats neat :) i been trying to think of a way to have them all meet without it seeming like im just throwing characters together, least i hope it comes off that way, im not super confident in my writing but goddamn if im not having a great time doing this. idk if anyone was as invested in the p5 flower child au as i was, but i was suuuper into it, tatsujun parenting means the world to me. cant wait to draw dilf tatsuya for p5 ships, i might! theres a couple p5 ones i think are cute like makoto/haru or pegoryu bc i have taste- now more insane ramblings under the cut bc i cant shut up

i do wanna say some ships i wont be doing so yall can see inside my twisted mind- * i dont ship futaba with anyone, shes so baby sister coded to me, i cant it feels illegal * im not a big fan of akechi lol and with the way im loosely following the plots of the persona games, akechis not gonna show up unless he was mentioned/flashback, bc... yk... he kinda... well thats spoilers but ykyk. also theres only room for one detective prince in my heart (naoto)

to round it off some fun plot points i wanna explore (feel free to add any thru asks too i think its fun to have this be collaborative) * Souji and Akira get velvet room time together, souji gets to chill in a nice limo, akiras always in jail, its goofy * ryuji, futaba, and ann bumping into rise and naoto walking around the central shopping district, ryuji goes nuts bc thats rissette, ann goes nuts bc thats rissette and the original detective prince, futaba makes a joke that theyre dating bc naoto and rise are walking closely and have matching necklaces, kanji shows up, kanji also has a matching necklace. ryuji falls to his knees and yells YOU CAN DO THAT????????? * i have a cute idea for Rise and Ann talking about their inspirations for how they both got into their lines of work, i think they have a lot of overlap * Haru and Yukiko talking about having to take over their family businesses, the stress of it, being grateful for having the opportunity but also resenting said opportunity * Kanji, Ryuji, and Chie training together, talking about why they train, how they become stronger to be able to protect ppl they care about (kanji with biker gangs for his mom) (chie fighting off bullys who pick on kids, and her exp with Takeshi from her slink) (Ryuji training to continue to protect the track team hes no longer part of) * Futaba and Yosuke talking about video games, yosuke becoming overwhelmed by just how much futaba knows about video games, new baby sister unlocked * ryuji and teddie almost get arrested, they hype each other up too much, dangerous combo * Makoto and Naoto have a law and order moment * Nanako and Futaba talking about dads :) an opportunity for Futaba to feel like someones elder while Nanako makes Futaba feel like shes the younger one. why is nanako so responsible. * hey yall ever remember that ken amada p3 is the same age as the p5 cast, they were all born in 1998, isnt that-))

[stormdash2]

Some Archie Character Reboot Ideas.

I've been thinking more about the return of Sally and The Freedom Fighters. Be it another reboot, a revival, a new show, IDW or even the games.

These are some ideas that have come to mind for me on any possibility.

First there's Nicole.

If Nicole got rebooted in any shape or form, I can see her as a hacker who assists Sally against Eggman in many ways. I also see her as a bit of a shut-in, due to her past prior to being adopted by Sally's family.

She strikes me as someone who could be socially awkward, and I imagine that in his timeline, she'd be an adopted sister for Sally, and fully Mobian rather than a computer.

I can imagine Sally being the only person she's comfortable talking to, but anyone else would be met with hesitation. As an homage to her shut in nature, I could see her using holograms or radios to speak with others, akin to how she first appeared.

If anyone could get Nicole to open up, it would be Sonic himself. He's very good at talking to others, when he wants to be. He's not the best for conversation himself, but his kind nature would be alluring for someone like Nicole who could just use some comforting words.

Nicole's backstory of being a shut-in hacker is partially inspired by a Persona 5 character by the name of Futaba Sakura.

A good friend could go a long way. I wouldn't mind if Sonic played the role that Ren Amamiya/Joker played in getting the shy girl to open up. Soon Nicole could have friends like Tails and Amy, just like Futaba eventually had friends in The Phantom Thieves.

I do feel like Bunnie's cybernetics would be Wispons this time around rather than actual cybernetics. It would fit the current direction that Sega is going. Just keep her southern charm, and you have potential for something good.

I can't see Antoine ever using a laser sword, even in a reboot he will stick with a classic sword. He believed his sword to be superior to the Z-Saber that Zero uses, and Zero is an iconic Mega Man character who's strong enough in his own right. That speaks volumes of Antoine's confidence in a sword.

I also believe that Monkey Khan should return somehow. Given that Chun-Nan exists, he could easily come back as a resident of that country, or even the Ruler of Land here. He has a lot of potential as a character.

Give him his own Freedom Fighters too, like the ones from the Archie Reboot.

If anything, they could borrow much more from Sun Wukong, the very character he's based off of. Imagine him going against Gaia the way Sun Wukong would against any deity that defied him.

Of course the Freedom Fighter story would just be an origin of them wanting to keep their town safe during the Phantom Ruby Incident. I imagine Sally has seen Infinite on multiple occasions.

Sonic Forces was just made for the Freedom Fighters' potential return. The fact that Sally and Bunnie cameoed in one of the comics is proof of that. Pictures only, but still worth mentioning.

And of course The Freedom Fighters would be allies with The Diamond Cutters should they appear in IDW. I can even imagine Sally as a mentor figure to Lanolin. Though I imagine it would be predated by a lot of bickering. Lanolin is stubborn and doesn't always listen to others, but may come to respect Sally while Tangle just admires her and Whisper respects her.

Then there's Mina Mongoose and Fiona Fox. I imagine their stories would cross paths with one another. Mina's good nature could balance out Fiona's cynicism, while Fiona is tough enough to watch out for Mina should she be too naive.

Mina's personality would be her cheerful and loving nature, while Fiona would be a nihilist due to old traumas, but not too anti-social. She just keeps a distance from everyone, except her best friend Mina.

I can't see any romance between either of them or Sonic, and that's fine. Last time there was, both girls ended up getting screwed over somehow and mistreated.

Mina would not be a pop idol per say, but it's a dream she's working toward while Fiona is still a medic.

I can see Mina at least admiring Sonic for his free will, while Fiona may find him a bit irritating.

Out of the Diamond Cutters, I can see Mina being best friends with Tangle and the two would interact a lot. All the while, Fiona may mess with Whisper a bit, but the two may find time to bond later.

They would also befriend The Freedom Fighters and be official members. Fiona's medical skills would come in handy more but Mina has plenty to offer.

Surge and Kit would be a fun interaction. Fiona might find the duo unsettling, and a look into what life she could have had if she had not befriended Mina.

Surge's personality around Fiona could mirror Scourge. Difference is that it's less likely to be romantic, and more that Surge wants to befriend Fiona, but their friendship is very toxic.

Surge could end up jealous of the bond that Fiona and Mina have with the other Freedom Fighters, The Restoration, and Sonic's friends.

When it comes to Tails, I can see Mina really admiring his intelligence, and wanting to be his friend. She may also find him really small and cute and dote over him.

Fiona may like Tails too, but that may take time. I can see her being annoyed by him at first, likely to call him childish insults (i.e. Twerp), and just mildly bullying him. She still has a soft spot for Tails though.

Lastly when it comes to Sally herself, she is the leader of her Freedom Fighter friends in their village of Knothole. They protected their town from Infinite and Eggman to the best of their abilities.

As mentioned prior, Sally could form a bond with Lanolin and in time be one of her dearest friends.

As also mentioned before, she'd have her big sister/little sister bond with Nicole. and always be ready to protect her.

She'd be a brave girl that goes after badniks, be it with Whispons or just on her own. She might even have an intensity that rivals Princess Peach in the old comics.

Like seriously, it's easy to forget how intense Princess Peach was in the old Mario comics (Or Toadstool as she was called at the time). Imagine Sally having this type of drive. Or maybe it might be too much.

I can also imagine Sally being in the movies as a girl who met Sonic once upon a time. Maybe they were childhood friends, maybe they knew each other in passing, but should Sally ever appear in the movies, there's plenty of story to be told.

I can imagine a situation similar to the anime Zatch Bell, where Sally is the one telling Tom and the others what Sonic was like back home, as she would be the only one from Mobius to know anything about him, even if it's something minuscule, like Tia having to explain Zatch's home life to Kiyo. She didn't know everything, but she knew enough.

I don't know what will happen regarding romance. In a perfect world, Sally is with Sonic. They are, for me at least, the definitive Sonic pairing in Sonic media. Like Superman and Lois Lane. Like Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson. Granted I prefer someone like Kitty Pride for Peter Parker, but you get my point.

Sonic and Sally are just it for me. But I know that Sega may believe differently. Be it the games, the comics, or the movies, Sonally just may never happen. That doesn't mean fans can't have some sliver of hope. Optimism is good, but be ready to accept reality.

I can see three potential replacements for Sonic if romance doesn't work out between them. Note, this is not mandatory for Sally, she doesn't need to be romantically paired off. But if they feel the need to, there are options.

First option, Monkey Khan. Back in Archie, I did not like the pairing between Sally and Ken. It was typical love triangle drama that did not need to be there.

This time around, there is no worry of that. Ken is there with his own story, and the romance thing could just be on the side or merely hinted at. If they want to go all in, they can do so without Sonic being pulled into that drama.

Option two is Mighty the Armadillo. The relationship between Sally and Mighty could mirror SatAM Sonally, without it being a complete copy. Maybe Sally's more chill, or Mighty is just a less hyper version of SatAM Sonic. Point is, there's potential.

Option three, one of my favorites, is Sally with Ray the Flying Squirrel. I feel like he'd know how to be that perfect mix of Adventurer and Freedom Fighter. He loves thrills, but shows some caution in doing so. I think Sally and Ray have potential for a good bond.

We could just skip the romance, or have Sally with a one-sided crush on Sonic. Sonic may never end up with her, but I can see something similar to Final Fantasy 7 with Cloud, Aerith and Tifa.

There was no major love triangle drama with them. Tifa and Aerith were good friends, and Cloud just have to make a choice eventually. It can be a nice running gag in the games and the comics.

None of this is fool proof, but it's better than nothing. Sometimes you just gotta take a chance, just be wise about it.

This is just more of my head canons on how to use the Freedom Fighters in the games, comics or movies. Or any other media. Perhaps one day, they truly can return.

[neothedragon1]

Persona 5 Shift!AU

So! Because me and my cohort have been discussing this AU and they gave me permission to actually post about it:

The Shift!AU is basically a what-if we put our lovely Persona 5 cast in different roles? Now for the most part, we are thinking that the overall personality should be mostly be the same but there are definitely differences. Also some backstories for characters are different to explain why they are in the role they are now. Now on to the fun part of explaining who's taking what role!

Now in order from when they join the team:

The trickster: Ryuji Sakamoto

Morgana but less cat: Takuto Maruki (as my cohort says: TRUST ME IT WILL MAKE SENSE)

Yuuki Mishima

Haru Okumura

Futaba Sakura

Ann Takamaki

Makoto Niijima

Goro Akechi

The black mask: Yusuke Kitagawa (Ah yes. Trauma time.)

Ren Amamiya (but he's our third semester boy)

Characters that aren't part of the thieves but are existant:

Sumire Yoshizawa (probably taking regular Mishima's place)

Morgana (legit is a lock picking cat that still loves fatty tuna)

I would mention other Confidants but that's an ENTIRE post on its own. SO as for palaces some are not the same ruler but for example Kamoshida is still there but the sin he represents is different! (We are thinking Wrath instead of Lust) However, we haven't planned all palaces just yet.

But I will make an update post later discussing more, I just wanted to get this post out. Also any questions are welcome because there is SO MUCH more to explain!

[235uranium]

LEBLANC FAMILY LEBLANC FAMILY LEBLANC FAMILY

[fishyishy]

A3! Translation - Ikaruga Misumi SSR 【Heart Deliverer】 「Triangle Letter Set」 (2/3)

Kazunari: Sorry for the wait~!

Misumi: Waa, there's so many different colors of pretty paper here~!

Kumon: There's also a bunch of masking tape and stickers!

Kazunari: I brought everything we could possibly need to make envelopes! With these materials, we can totes make a super special envelope, right?

Misumi: Yuup! Thanks, Kazu!

Director: Oh, what are you guys all doing here?

Misumi: Director! You know, we're all going to make our own original envelopes now~.

Kazunari: Director-chan! If you have time, let's make some together, kay? We've got tons of materials!

Director: Oooh, that sounds like fun! Well then, can I take you up on your offer and join in too?

Kazunari: OFC! In that case, you can use all of these materials however you like, so let's start making things freely~!

Kumon: Okay!

Director: You know, I actually bought curry masking tape the other day. I think I'll use that to make my envelope.

Misumi: I think that's a very Director-like and good idea! I hope it'll make a wonderful envelope~.

---------------

Misumi: Finally, fold the bottom like this and glue it down.....

Misumi: The triangle envelope is complete! Triangle triangle~

Director: I was also able to make an envelope with curry patterned accents!

Kumon: I stuck lots and lots of stickers and masking tape on mine to make it look really cool!

Kazunari: I made envelopes with a summery image and feel. Everyone's envelope has a unique personality, it's super dope!

Director: Fufu, that's true. By the way, would you guys ever use those envelopes to send letters?

Kazunari, Kumon, Misumi: Eeeeeh?

Kumon: Now that you mention it, I was only thinking about making an original envelope.

Kazunari: But since we've already made them, maybe we should send it to someone!

Misumi: Director-san, who would you send yours to~?

Director: I've been thinking about sending it to my dad along with a letter to let him know how I'm doing and stuff.

Kazunari: In that case, I'll send one to Futaba~!

Kumon: I wanna send my letter to Nii-chan too! But if it's addressed to him, wouldn't it just be quicker to hand it over to him instead of putting it in the mailbox?

Kazunari: Then, why don't you just send it normally and have it as a surprise for Hyodle?

Kumon: That's true!

Misumi: (Everyone seems to be sending letters to their loved ones. Then in my case it would be....)

Misumi: Then I want to send mine to Madoka!

Kazunari: Yeah, that's an amaze idea!

Kumon: If he receives a letter from Sumi-san, he'll definitely be overjoyed!

Misumi: Ehehehe, that'd make me happy~

Misumi: Theeen, not only the envelope has to be a triangle... but also the letter paper has be triangular! The stamp should also be in a triangle pattern, and in various places too~.

Kumon: I also want the letter paper to look super cool whenever I send it to Nii-chan, so I'll use this epic cross sticker!

Kazunari: Then, I think I'll stick lots of cute masking tape onto my letter paper to help lift Futaba's spirits~.

Director: Fufu, now everyone's making their own original letter paper. Then, I guess I'll.....

Misumi: Director-san, is that curry patterned letter paper~?

Director: Ehh!? How could you tell, Misumi-kun!?

Kumon: I knew too, by the way!

Kazunari: OFC, I could tell too! It's easy to tell what Director-chan likes!

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[batshikns]

My kins ~ 50 followers celebration!!

tw: sui mention and other unstable statements

Who and why:

-Osamu Dazai (Bungou Stray Dogs) - suicidal idealation, dehumanization, intelligence

-Mika Kagehira (Ensemble Stars) - not good controlling emotions, codependency, afraid of failure, bad health, hard working

-Basil (Omori) - Abandonment issues, anxiety, sensitivity

-Edgar Allen Poe (Bungou Stray Dogs) - Social anxiety, creative, sporadic mood changes, easily jealous, stubborn

-Snow Sugar Cookie (Cookie Run(Kingdom)) - Lonely, kind, timid, friendly, prone to blame themself

-Mika (Genshin Impact) - Shy, distant, likes to observe people from afar, mature

-Ichika Hoshino (Project Sekai: Colorful Stage) - quiet, sometimes stoic, friendly(2x), loves music(and aspires to play)

Honorable mentions:

-Chuuya Nakahara(BSD)

-Ranpo Edogawa(BSD)

-Futaba(P5)

-Idia Shroud (Twisted Wonderland)

-Charlie Brown (Peanuts)

-Ena Shinonome (PJSK: CS)

-Kanade Yoisaki (PJSK: CS)

Thank you all for 50 followers!! You all are awesome, and I hope you have an awesome day!!