#like who's gonna be in akechi's outfit you know

[princekirijo]

I guarantee you there's gonna be Phantom Thieves costume DLC in P3R so imagine... Yukamitsu dressed as Makoann...

Oh god you're probably right 😭 that would honestly be kinda funny but like 😩

They'd probably put Akihiko in Yusuke's outfit which WOULD be kinda funny 💀

[akechi-stole-my-heart]

Akechi for the character ask thing. If already done Sumire pls

this ask is from *checks date* july 6 2022 and I never did this for either character but honestly i love goro so much that the format barely even works for him and everyone already knows how i feel abt him so i'm just gonna do sumire 1 year late

What I like about them

Her conflict with her sister is sooo compelling and just fucks as a character concept it's so good. The way she erases herself from existence because she wants to be her sister so bad...the way she doesn't want her sister back, she just wants to become her...it's so tasty and angsty and hrghh. And as a foil to Akechi she works soooo well it makes me a 100k+ word fic kind of mentally ill.

What I dislike about them

Her idolization of Akira is never called out by the narrative and it really bothers me because it is literally the exact same problem she had with overly identifying herself with Kasumi but we're supposed to find it cute because it's romantic. There is a version of their relationship that is healthy, and the game wants you to think that's what they have, but that's a little hard to believe when her Metaverse outfit is literally identical to his. I like shusumi and I do think it's cute...but only in theory. Sumire needs to be his equal, and as it stands she just isn't.

Favorite moment

When she goes absolutely apeshit berserk on Akira and Akechi and nearly succeeds in killing them because she wants so desperately to become her sister.

Least favorite moment

Her true awakening to Cendrillion has never and will never sit with me quite right. I don't like that Kasumi is still her Persona. Symbolically, Kasumi is still her mask, and that just doesn't work when her arc is all about finding her own identity? And eventually Sumire realizes that she can be herself while also honoring her sister, but she's just not there in her arc yet. Sumire needs a Persona that is herself before she can have a Persona that is symbolic of the memory of Kasumi living on inside her. I really wish Sumire had gotten her own Persona that wasn't symbolically her sister. She deserves to represent herself and have an identity all her own.

A situation with this character that I want to see explored more

Just...everything with Sumire and Akechi, honestly. God. There is so much potential in the way the two of them contrast each other that goes completely unexplored and it's such a shame. They could be besties (or more) in another life. And...I do get why we don't get sumigoro friendship in canon, because Akechi is barely in a place to talk to Akira during third sem, let alone this girl who reminds him of all his own worst problems, but god. Imagine it. They could be so good.

An interesting AU for this character

I have an AU concept that involves Kasumi more than it does Sumire, but it lives rent free in my mind and I've been looking for a chance to post about it, so. here.

Kasumi fails to save Sumire. She blames herself for her sister's death--it's her job as the eldest to protect her little sister; she ran into that road because of how Kasumi made her feel. She has a mental breakdown over it, becoming suicidal. Kasumi is sent to therapy under Maruki and admits that she's always envied her younger sister. Kasumi loves gymnastics, but lately it's become nothing but pressure and stress, and she can't even enjoy it anymore. Kasumi may be the champion, but that also put so much pressure on her that she never knew quite how to handle. If she doesn't win every meet she doesn't think she'd be able to live with the shame. All she is are the trophies--no one truly values her for herself, and they shouldn't, since she's a failure and a fraud. But unlike Kasumi, as the younger sister, Sumire never had that same pressure to be the very best. Sumire doesn't have the pressure of being the perfect older sister who has it all together.

Kasumi put up a strong front as a defense mechanism, but inwardly struggled to connect and understand Sumire like she should have. And now her sister is dead, because of her. Because she was too stupid to realize how she was hurting her.

She wishes she could be Sumire. Maybe then she could relax and be happy. Maybe then people wouldn't put so much pressure on her to always succeed. Maybe then her sister's death wouldn't be her fault.

And so Maruki actualizes Kasumi to become Sumire.

A crossover

I don't really have a crossover involving Sumire, honestly. I don't do crossovers very often anyhow, I'm more of an AU type person.

OTP (or OT3+ etc…. just… favorite ship)

I adore akeshusumi so much you guys. One year ago I wouldn't have shipped them but writing a Royal Trio fic changed me in unalterable ways. They are so good. They are so beautiful. I am obsessed with them. I cannot wait for Repaint Your Heart.

Other ships?

Sumitaba is a very close second to Royal Trio, they're such lesbians. And gamer x athlete is extremely cute.

BROTP

Sumire and Ryuji! Actually, Sumire and literally any of the Phantom Thieves, honestly! There's so much untapped friendship potential between her and all of the Thieves I'm so sad she didn't get to spend more time with them during third semester.

NOTP

I don't really have one. At one point this would have been shusumi but I've changed my mind on that ship. Its execution in game is meh but the concept itself could be so great.

An assortment of headcanons!

I'm bad at thinking of headcanons off the top of my head so Imma be an asshole and link you to my Royal Trio fic code violet instead. It has a ton of Sumire headcanons in it. It's an AU where Sumire saves Akechi's life in the engine room that continues through the whole third semester. I'm getting pretty close to finishing it!

[arcplaysgames]

I have a feeling I am gonna enjoy this third semester more than any other part of the game, I'm not even joking.

Reverie Vantas spends the next week as the perfect psychopomp's apprentice, visiting every wayward soul he knows and whispering the same fucking thing to each one.

I'll be waiting for you.

This is beautiful and horrific, it really is. A trusted friend who has the key to your heart coming to you when you are happy and at peace and telling you that it's a lie wrapped around you and handing you a knife before walking away.

This sequence fucks severely, it's agonizing and brutal. Shiho never tried to kill herself so she's transferring back to Shujin, Ryuji has a college scholarship because his work on the track team, Makoto and Sae are celebrating their father's promotion.

The ones that fucked me up the most were:

Instead of being a chauvinist who intends to sell off his daughter to a probable rapist, Haru's father is now a doting man who respects her opinions and wants to know when she falls in love.

Yusuke's mother's painting is being displayed in museums, appropriately credited to her, and Madarame is taking care of Yusuke and fostering his talent as an artist, and he's not living hand to mouth anymore.

and Sojiro has a new, even sluttier outfit, good for him!

No but Futaba is absolutely the closest to knowing what is up. She flashbacks to her proclamation from her awakening,

And unlike others, her awakening was explicitly about cutting through the falsehoods. When Reverie comes to see her like a grey-toned grim reaper, she runs off, away from him.

Because yeah Reverie is a reaper, a psychopomp, he is here to take people away from this soft gaussian blurred world. He will kill Wakaba again in the name of truth, and he is a frightening presence.

This shit is horrific, it's fabulous.

Akechi calls at the end of the week with some details on what he's found.

One: Maruki has been working on this cognitive psience thing since college and it was far enough along he almost got to break ground on a research lab to explore treatment. Then Something Happened and the support dried up.

My assumption: It has to do with Rumi. Maybe he tried his psience treatment on her and it went badly enough that it scared off investors. Maruki himself said that she was alive and well though. Was he lying?

Two: What The Fuck somehow Wakaba and Okumura are alive. They aren't just visages created in the shape of these people, they are real living beings.

And that.

Immediately tilts the ethics of this whole thing on its head. Fuck.

Three: Everyone has been rewritten to fit the situation. Madarame really is a kind sensei, Okumura is a good father. Only Shido was arrested, taking the fall for the entire conspiracy.

So the original ethical quandry of the game has returned with fucking knives. If you interfere with a bad person to make them into a good person, if you commit an ego death on them, is that not the same as murder?

And lemme tell you we are gonna get INTO THAT very soon 'caaaaause I did a bad thing. 8)

Akechi you are such a bitch when you are mask off, thank you. I am honored. Do you want to kiss under the light of a full moon?

He's right, though. Everyone always seems a little surprised to see Reverie. He doesn't fit in this reality and is like an actor constantly missing his cue. It's jarring and terrible.

While Reverie and Akechi are out, the crew comes together to talk about the feeling of Wrongness that he has visited onto all of them. They're all discussing it, when.

The world cracks and Morgana is a cat again. Oh shit.

If the illusion is that fragile.... that's a problem for Maruki.

A beautiful Lotus Tree with flowers for all.

I do have a lot of respect for how Maruki is going about this. I'm someone who loves a Lawful Evil motherfucker, trust me. Maruki has already considered how this will sound to the people around him and basically is like "okay, fine."

Like, does he get pleasure from being the person to save the world? Yep, he admits that. And he says that shouldn't stand in the way of the happiness of the entire population.

Fair fucking dues, Maruki. However, I think it's telling that his Palace is centered around his ego. I do deeply genuinely believe what he's saying so far. I do actually think he is doing this for the right reasons, to help people, to save them from pain.

But his Palace is filled with sycophants who speak of him like a savior, and the auditorium is filled with blank faces to support him. So.

you know what, Maruki, your softboy meets fuckman vibes had won my heart

DOOOOOOOOOO THE BAAAAAD THIIIIIIIIIING

[arcsin27]

until atlus and/or perfect games corrects me im holding onto the theory that p5x is about akechi wishing he could go back in time to undo everything hes done and have another chance at a normal life (with ren maybe? "if only wed met a few years earlier").

maybe as a disguise, a desire for a completely fresh start, or thats just what he looked like back then, akechi appears as a second year with shorter red hair.

akechi is wonder. they have a few minor visual similarities (black outfit with a high collar and red lenses over the eyes of the mask, and both their actual eyes are reddish). also, we know that wonder was responsible for some big "choice" that caught luffys attention. in this theory that choice was to either create or enter this new reality. this would also explain that rumor a while back that we're getting an akechi spinoff game

but the time travel (er i suppose dimension hopping, whichd explain the altered signs and landmarks around tokyo shown in the trailers) was unstable or it fucked up or something, and now time is all outta whack. a la spiderverse, the various times and universes are converging, and people from across existence are appearing in p5x's tokyo.

this is your gacha system. whos gonna pop outta the wormhole? buy currency and maybe the next arrival will be yosuke hanamura! or maki sonomura! or akihiko sanada as a sees member! or akihiko sanada as a shadow ops member! i mean, the universe is falling apart anyways, might as well take advantage of the cracks in reality and enlist some help from fellow experienced persona users if you can pull them from the lootbox.

im not sure about every detail of this headcanon though. would akechi remember the past year? was it a conscious choice or an accident? who sent him here? maruki? philemon? and why is his outfit so different from both forms we saw in p5?

also DISCLAIMER: i know this wont happen. wonder really doesnt look that much like akechi the longer i look at him. thisd be really dumb and out of left field (hell, as much as i love persona 2 innocent sin, that games universe hopping time travel shit was lowkey infuriating), and it relies heavily on the ending of another game that it clearly has very little to do with. im also not great with characterization and symbolism so its very possible and even highly likely that this plot would undermine a lot of akechi's personality and development in royal. like yknow not wanting to leave his true reality even if the other one can give him everything he wanted. so if this is the actual plot thatd kinda be terrible, this is more of a crack theory or really just a fun fanfic au idea :)

[crescentmoonteas]

hii i was gonna ask about the mc haru au but i kinda stalked the tag and read some of your asks so i have some other questions if you have time! my first question was if sojiro and akiren(akira i guess in this au?) will meet and have their past dadxson relationship but i saw he starts working part time in le blanc /yeay/which; do his parents know about it? what do they think?

Second question; does goro and akira know the other knows about their previous timeline? or will they have a ‘oh he knows’ moment later?

Thirdd: i learned akira won’t have his past memories of the ng+ akira which kinda saddens me that the ng+ akira won’t be the one gaining persona or will he? like.. the palace will be about ng+kira’s parents but akira doesn’t know about them.. or is it the richer version of his own parents?? but still they sound like two different people with different lives idk how does that work? won’t ann realize akira isn’t like his usual self (since they are childhood friends they must be close?) /also villain ann is sooo good ahhhhh/

Fourth: WHO DOES HARU KICK IN THE BALLS??

(thank you)

hello!! I am Ready to Answer some Questions!!!

so 1. Akira's parents don't know about him working at Leblanc (Akira sneaks away and works when his parents think he's studying or doing....... model.... stuff) and Sojiro's not going to snitch on him anytime soon.

hang on I do know the answer to question 2......... okay after searching through my Discord DMs it seems Jazzy and I have yet to choose an actual moment where they both realise they know BUT the two of them awaken in the new timeline about ~3 months prior to Haru moving to Leblanc and kicking off the story etc etc so in those 3 months I imagine they find each other? I swear we've discussed this hang on

okay so yeah the two of them manage to find each other in the few weeks before the 'game' kicks off and in that short timespan Goro manages to wreak havoc on half of Tokyo. Akira's obviously a bit more organised and trying to work out what's going on and why it's going on while Goro is alternating wildly between beating up shadows in Mementos and beating up people irl. he's full of rage.

third: this is actually a plot hole I have yet to deal with!! I've even noted it in the ol' Google Doc(TM)

obviously this is less of a problem for magician!Goro because he's kind of a magical construct rather than getting isekai'd into the Goro Akechi of this timeline (I know "isekai" isn't a verb and yet I will continue to use it like that) BUT I would assume that the Personas, awakenings, outfit theme, etc etc in IYR/RTG DO reflect the Akira of that timeline, or else we'd just get Joker with Arsene and Raoul and some other third guy again. like even though NG+Akira is in his body, canon!Akira is still somehow in there? merging of minds? oh god I'm making the plot hole into a plot canyon. help

also for the parents thing: Jazzy and I actually worked this out yesterday! Akira's parents in this timeline are essentially the same as his own in the original timeline but in the IYR/RTG timeline they managed to get lucky and started the modelling business thing. that way Akira still has an attachment to them without him being like [person just standing there emoji]

as for the fourth question: if I told you that, I'd have to recruit you into the Super Secret Writer's Room (although I'm sure you can piece together who Haru fights based on parallels to the original timeline and palace lineups!) (also pls note the attack was NOT unprovoked. Haru stepped into save a girl being harassed. she's not just going around kneeing people in the crotch.) (or is she?) (edit: I realised I've literally already answered this and I'm a fool lol it's Kamoshida!!)

[narrators-journal]

Hi ٩(｡•́‿•̀｡)۶ Can your write a Persona 5 x F!reader with this idea?

So reader workers together with Akechi in both the metaverse and detective work and since she works with Akechi and goes on tv with him a bunch of his fans ship them together and Akechi actually has a big crush on her but she doesn't have a crush on him because she's also part of the thieves and has a crush on Joker so Akechi is super jealous of Joker because Akechi can see how much reader likes Joker, she works at crossroads and is friends with Ohya and also works through Shido too and Shido also sees her like a daughter and doesn't know that she's joined the thieves in Kaneshiro's palace.

She joined in Kaneshiro's palace because Kaneshiro is actually her dad and figure out he had a daughter after he hired a hitman to kill reader's mom because she used to be one of the girls he used to have around him but reader didn't know how bad he was until she heard from Ohya that Joker was looking into Kaneshiro so she went and talked to Joker and convinced him to let her join them in the metaverse and is surprised that she already has a metaverse outfit but she just is trust worthy so the thieves welcome her abord because she gets them into the palace, she also has 2 personas Aphrodite and Peresphone and because she has Aphrodite everyone thinks she is super beautiful and she;s also super powerful because she has two personas she can use at the same time. She also inheirates also all of Kaneshiro's wealth after Kaneshiro changes his heart so she can also pay for all the things that the thieves want which makes them trust her even more. Also Haru has a crush on her because reader saved her dad by pleading with Akechi to not kill him so Okumara has a change of heart actually.

When Akechi joins he gets even more jealous of Joker because reader and Joker are really close and she's basically Joker's right hand woman and helps with all the plans and Joker notices how jealous is Akechi but he doesn't say anything because reader already told them all about Akechi's plan to kill Joker because she doesn't want to betray the thieves and she ends up pleading with Akechi to not kill Joker so when Akechi comes in in the interrogation room he doesn't shoot Joker but actually helps him out because he just wants to help reader that much and reader vouches for him so that the theives don't hate him then they start working on Shido's palace and reader helps them get in and gets them all the letters that they need because Shido sees her like a daughter so she just has to ask. Then when Yaldobath takes over she helps Joker get everyone out of the velvet room because Yaldobath didn't break her spirit and then in the final battle reader gets a third persona who is Nyx and she and Satanael take down Yaldobath together and every one is saved.

How do you think the thieves would think of her?? Would any of them have crushes on her other than Akechi and Joker? 🥺 I would like a oneshot but headcanons are also ok I love your writing!! I'M SO SORRY THIS IS SO LONG THANK YOU 😊

I know you wanted a one shot, but your ask seems to be requesting a big ol' rewrite of the entire p5 plot, which, even without Royal's additions, is a massive game. So, I instead encourage you to write out your own fic! I'm sure it'll be quite the fun read if you do!

As for the ask, I feel like you're lowkey asking for an OC ask, but I can't be sure if you just want a really specific reader, or if you have an OC with this story. So, I just took your ending question and am gonna just do some headcanons or thoughts off of it.

Now, this isn't meant to be 'mean' or anything personal, I'm just taking from what I know of the canon personalities. Which, I admit is probably not completely accurate, but I tried my best. I also can't go through all of the confidants bc I know NOTHING of them, but ye! I hope this makes you happy, and if this was meant to be a big one shot request with an oc, I don't take OC asks. Tho, I do encourage you to have fun and try your hand at writing it for yourself in that case!

Akira: Akira's the hardest to guestimate a personality from. I know for a fact that Akira would be confused and lost at a reader with two different persona, but In canon, he's left kinda blank so that the player can choose the options they like and basically paint him however they want, so beyond that shock, I don't know. But in my head, Akira's a very friendly person when you give him a chance, but isn't trusting. He's been backstabbed by the law system, he's not a very trusting person. So, I do think Akira'd hang onto a shred of suspicion for the reader if they had a metaverse outfit already without a story like Akechi had. And even then, I don't think the thieves exactly trusted Akechi despite needing to work with him. So the reader would fall into a same issue for a good while. It'd be slow going. Especially for being a target's kid while being so eager to help.

Akechi: I. Know very little of Akechi's in-game personality, but from what I know from my boyfriend who's played the game a lot, he's even less social and approachable than Akira. So, outside of using them and maintaining power, Akechi doesn't like anybody. He doesn't like Akira, he doesn't like the thieves, he arguably likes Sae? But he doesn't seem to gt close to anyone since his goal is to take down shido no matter the cost. As for the multiple persona, Akechi would hate the reader like he hates Akira for that. Akira's already a threat to his self esteem as a person, but at least Akechi would feel he has the upper hand with loki. Another person with multiple personas would anger him further.

Yusuke: Yusuke is the first one that would have a reaction beyond shock or rage at a reader with two personas. He'd likely be confused, but his initial reaction would probably be in admiring their beauty and form, likely wanting to draw them. Beyond that, he'd probably go off of Morgana and Akira's judgement for that reveal. He'd likely play devil's advocate for the reader, but they've got a lot of explaining to do. As a person though, so long as the reader is pretty, Yusuke's not going to be an asshole. He's a rather nice guy, if a bit awkward, so he'd be easy to befriend, especially if you let him draw you. Of all the people in the thieves, Yusuke would be one that is likely to crush on the reader if they're artistically appealing at all.

Ryuji: Unlike Yusuke, Ryuji'd be a bit hostile and distrusting from the start. A stray persona user with an outfit already and two different persona? That's a little suspect. However, unlike Akira, Ryuji'd be easier to convince. He's easy going, so with a good enough explanation, he'd be okay with the reader. As for if he'd crush on a reader, maybe. He might crush a bit at the start like he did with Ann, but as time goes on and the reader works more with them, They'd probably go the route of Ann too. Be seen too much as a baby sister or brother, not a romantic option. Plus, he wants to know how you get multiple persona, so he's gonna want to know.

Ann: The reader being a girl would help a lot with befriending Ann. She'd be a little suspiscious, and shocked to find out the reader has multiple persona and is their target's kid, but otherwise she's pretty nice, she'd give the benefit of the doubt. I don't know a lot of Ann's in-game personality, so I can't really go in-depth, but she'd in general try to give the reader the benefit of the doubt and be the first to extend some trust to them.

Morgana: Morgana is admittedly far worse than Akira on the not trusting angle of things with the reader. Not exactly because of them having a costume and awakening so randomly, but moreso because of the dual persona. That's a wildcard-specific thing, normal users do not have more than one persona in his knowledge, so them having more than one would put him firmly on edge. He'd be not very nice to the reader with the whole context of their person. The odd awakening, the multiple persona, and her being their target's kid? I++t would just rub him the wrong way.

Makoto: Makoto would be SO suspicious of a user just wandering around like you. She'd downright interrogate the reader on their awakening and motives, why they have two persona, all of it. She wouldn't quite be astounded or upset at you having more than one persona, Akira has one, so it's not unreasonable. her biggest concern is the reader's connection to Kaneshiro and her help being a trap, not the personas.

Futaba: Taba would be super interested in reader-chan when they meet! Two persona? Yet you're not like Akira at all? She'd definitely hack into the metaverse to investigate. Since she comes after Kaneshiro, she wouldn't really have the instant distrust the others would get. So, she'd be easier to befriend then the others. Though, the reader being Kaneshiro's daughter would be a little sketchy to her, just because Kaneshiro is sketchy.

Haru: Kaneshiro being the reader's dad would actually win some points with Haru. Not that it isn't sketchy and a bit odd, but she's got her own daddy issues. Granted, hers isn't a sleazy, womanizing pimp, but still, there's something to bond over. This would slightly win the reader a benefit of the doubt on their lack of an awakening, especially since Haru's own awakening was odd. She has no stance on the persona though, unable to choose if that's a bad sign or not, but she'd likely go off of Morgana's vibes about it, so she'd keep an eye on the reader. But! She'd also gladly be friends with her as well, maybe just date a little, y'know?

All around, the group would be fairly suspicious and unnerved by the reader and her connections and oddities, but most would give her a chance, and her standing with them is very open to change as time goes on, so I can't say anyone, except maybe Akech's insecure ass, would outright hate reader-chan.

[ac-liveblogs]

Persona 5 Royal Made The Traitor Twist an Actual Twist And That’s Great

SO as discussed (briefly) earlier, I recently had the interesting and enjoyable experience of playing through Persona 5 Royal with a friend, who knew nothing about Persona. It was really interesting that despite immediately noticing the pancakes slip-up, my friend didn’t actually know who the traitor was until the absolute last moments in the Interrogation Room because... in the original, it’s really hard to miss.

Having played the original Persona 5 first, where Akechi’s status as the traitor is so obvious you’d be blind to miss it, I hadn’t really appreciated how much harder it must be to work that out in a blind Royal run when I actually got around to playing it. 

The original had a lot of hints; the most obvious was that the ‘pancakes slip’ led into a confidant that ranked up both awkwardly and automatically, and Akechi himself was so dippy and impossible to read it was hard to get invested in his character - he was suspicious at best, off-putting at worst.

There were some other little things - Akechi being on the steelbook’s box art, but not in the thief group shot inside the cover; his exclusion from the OP; the UI for his confidant listing only 4 unknown abilities (especially suspicious once he joins the party, because it removes the possibility of “protect” and “second awakening”). To be honest, I figured he was the traitor very soon after I met him. The only reason I didn’t think he was Black Mask is because of his costume…which isn’t even getting into the DLC outfits, but I digress.

Anyway, my friend never suspected Akechi. Not seriously, anyway. After the interrogation room, his attitude was a pretty consistent “he’ll come crawling back – we haven’t finished his Confidant yet. He’s gonna turn on Shido and join us again.” Uh, yeah. About that…

Anyway, I got to thinking about why Akechi flies under the radar so well in Royal as opposed to the original. Surprisingly, it’s not just his confidant (though it certainly helps).

Akechi’s first major red flag in the original Persona 5 (…besides the steelbook) is his absence from the opening sequence. P5R fixes that immediately – in the Royal OP, he’s grouped in with the Thieves and seems to be having a real good time smashing buildings alongside them (and Joker seems to be having a real good time crashing in the diamonds next to him). Where he’s excluded from the team in P5, he’s pretty clearly one of them in P5R. Also, he’s. You know. Not left out of the team art inside the steelbook this time, that helps.

His confidant being optional, not automatic, also really changes things. Akechi’s confidant was weird in the original – you ranked up at strange times, you didn’t get abilities and you didn’t actually feel like you were ever understanding this guy any better. The confidant feels artificial. Badly timed. Poorly implemented. 

The switch to an organic confidant changes things in a big way, even before getting into the contents of the link itself. You can choose to spend time with him instead of him just... inserting himself into your day uninvited, you get abilities like every other standard confidant, and you already know that the story-relevant social links (Sae, Morgana and Igor) are automatic, so you sort of… subconsciously lump him in with the less important characters (or your less plot-relevant teammates, if you already figured out he’ll join the party.) It’s a pretty effective smokescreen - he stands out less by default.

Getting into the confidant, Akechi’s character is of course also handled pretty differently. In the original, even if you do like Akechi you definitely don’t trust him; dude’s hiding something, and his overly cheerful persona reads as fake and off-putting (plus, buying him and Joker as being at all close is a bad joke).

In Royal, your first rank-up has him hustling you in pool and being a smug bastard about it. You learn that he’s arrogant, lonely, and has a major mean streak - in other words, it immediately starts dismantling that off-putting detective prince persona that made him seem so fake in the original. If you hadn’t already figured it out, the bathhouse makes it clear that he puts on a persona because he’s worried people won’t like him if he doesn’t - he doesn’t have faith he can be liked if he’s himself.

So, basically, where in the original you didn’t understand him at all, in Royal you get to be able to trust him, because you’re working things out about him, and he’s coming to trust you enough to let his guard down around you. He’s nowhere near as enigmatic and hard to comprehend; you’re slowly getting to know him. He acts more and more like a person - and moreover, the princely mask is cracking the further you go. That’s an act for other people, not for you. You’re special.

The more you learn about him, the more you start to get a false sense of what his character arc is going to be. He thinks adults just abuse the youth. He’s bitter about his mother’s suicide and his father abandoning him. He’s misunderstood, and acts the way society expects him to. He’s a lonely, alienated teen with a burning sense of justice, just like the rest of the Thieves. You start to get why he might get or have a Persona, or why he’d end up joining you. If you’ve gotten to the later stages of other confidants maybe you’ve even lined up a few mementos missions that target people hurting your friends, and maybe you think you know where the thread about his dad is going.  

Between the obvious parallels being drawn between Akechi and the thieves, and Sae’s cutaway when you unlock the Justice confidant being her suspicions that someone in the police was helping the thieves fly under the radar, him joining you starts to seem inevitable. My friend thought Akechi would be the next to join after Makoto, and when that didn’t work out he was pretty sure it’d be Okumura’s Palace after Akechi saw us enter (Haru was and continues to be a major disappointment.)

Him needing to blackmail you into helping him help Sae without him automatically being the most obvious traitor candidate in the room reads as a couple things – one, that he’s either coming around on your tactics or is able to be convinced if this goes well, and two, that this is the time for you and Akechi to start being honest with each other about the suspicions you’ve had about each other all year. Hey, someone’s gotta help you escape the police station, and Sae already hinted Akechi covers for you in some respect. Isn’t now the time to finally team up?

If that weren’t enough to get you off Akechi’s tail, some of his more suspicious moves are easy to miss because there’s juuuuust enough plausible deniability to cover his tracks.

Pancakes? He’s come clean with you about other things already – it’s just a matter of time ‘til he spills his relationship with the metaverse. Wait until he trusts you more – it’ll happen soon.

He’s being real cryptic about the mental shutdowns in his rank 7, but you don’t know why. A threat? Speculation? A warning? Follow-up on his suspicions that the shutdowns, breakdowns and phantom thieves are connected – is he telling you outright he suspects you? Is that what this has all been about?

He tells you he’s jealous of you in rank 8 – not just that, but he hates you. But he throws down the gauntlet and gives you his glove. He takes your rivalry really seriously, and there’s no way he’s getting that rematch if he betrays you, right?

He invites you to drinks the day before sending the calling card, but you are gonna disband soon, and Haru seems pretty desperate to spend time with the Thieves as well since she sends out two invitations for group hangs. Plus, we’ve got that whole… thing about her dad dying to think about…

He’s the one that forced us into doing this Palace, but he legitimately wants to help Sae and Makoto is the one handwringing about all this… 

When it came to guessing the traitor, my friend suspected Makoto, Haru, or even that Morgana was a sleeper agent and that’s what the nightmares were about... and never once Akechi.

Akechi up til now very legitimately reads as someone that wants to trust you and consider you a friend, but isn’t sure he can. He’s even given you the opportunity to prove your justice to him! This is the time to earn his trust. Even then, this wouldn’t be enough to completely absolve him of suspicion if not for one other major factor…

Sumire.

Yeah, seriously. Akechi gets to read like a normal confidant and eventual member of the thieves, while Kasumi becomes super suspicious. She appears in the opening not alongside a single thief, but dancing all by herself. Akechi might stand out for getting an extra shot with Joker, but Kasumi isn’t associated with the thieves at all. Her first appearance in the game (in Sae’s Palace) establishes that not only is she not a member of Joker’s team, but she’s extremely plot relevant in a way the rest of the thieves aren’t. You already know she’s important, but between this and the OP you know she’s not necessarily on your side, or hasn’t been until now.

And once you meet Madarame’s Shadow and he starts blubbering about the other intruder in his Palace you start to think…

Hey, didn’t Kasumi have a black mask?

Where in the first game, Akechi’s rank-ups and awkward inclusion is what made him suspicious, Kasumi is now the one sticking out like a sore thumb. She only has 5 ranks. She gets an awful lot of attention for someone so distanced from the plot, and there’s some minor stuff that could link her to the metaverse.... 

You know something is up with Kasumi, but you will never guess what it actually is because the mystery the game sets up – Black Mask – is the one you’re being primed to associate with her! Even when it comes time for her to actually awaken, the circumstances under which that awakening occurs, and the awakening itself, are bizarre. Her Persona is Cinderella, who pretends to be someone she’s not. You might even wonder how critical an eye to turn on her for helping you in Sae’s Palace because, uh, gee, she sure didn’t help much…

Meanwhile, Akechi already having a Persona isn’t even that weird; Haru partially awakened hers off-screen, and he’s probably going to reveal what’s up with him soon. His Persona is Robin Hood and his mask is red, anyway, and you gotta get out of that interrogation room somehow…

Yeah, Akechi selling you out, then walking into that room and shooting you in the head is much more shocking this time around.

The confrontation with Akechi on Shido’s ship was pretty loaded, too. The automatic rank 9, when my friend realised Akechi won’t be re-joining the team. Akechi’s transformation, when he realised Kasumi isn’t related to the conspiracy – she’s Akechi’s replacement...

Congrats, Royal! You did it! A perfect bamboozling!

You know what’s cool? If you’re spending all that time with a villain, surely it’s going to change something, right? There’s a lil extra misdirection regarding Akechi’s confidant – not only do you only get the “I’ll hold onto your glove” option if you do his confidant correctly, you might even be tricked into thinking the point of his confidant was to ensure that if Akechi was going to die, he was going to die damn well knowing that Joker understands and cares about him, and that their rivalry was just as important to Joker as it was to him.

You get to think Akechi’s confidant was leading up to allowing him to die contented.

Sorry for letting you think that, pal

Anyway, for various reasons, Royal handled the Akechi twist much better than vanilla. It’s one of the reasons I come to appreciate it more and more. This was 2000 words long and its 2am I’m rly sorry bye-

[smolstarthief]

An AU idea crossposted from Twitter!

So... It all started with me thinking about the "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" sequence from Frozen but with Zenkichi and Akane and I guess it evolved into an AU somehow with Akane as Anna and Zenkichi as Elsa? Oops! 😅

Also, just imagining Zenkichi with white hair and an Elsa like outfit (but more based off his Metaverse attire a bit) is oddly surreal too. XD

But anyways:

The basic premise since it would be different: Zenkichi is a king born with ice powers and was happily married to Aoi with a daughter. One night while playing, Zen accidentally hurts Akane and is horrified despite Aoi not blaming him for it. They find help and was told that it was lucky that she didn't get struck in the heart or it could have been fatal. Her memories are rewritten to forget about Zen's powers for her safety while he figures out a way to control them properly. Naturally, it all goes south from there as his anxieties grow worse and worse as Akane gets older. Then Aoi dies along with her family so they're both completely alone which leads to further distance and estrangement. Especially since Akane doesn't understand why her father suddenly wants nothing to do with her despite being such a loving parent before that. She then comes of age and he decides to pass the crown to her while secretly planning to leave for her sake. I think we all know what happens at that party though along with the rest of the plot.

Zenkichi's royal attire would be as follows: Before the incident with Akane and Aoi's death, he would be wearing shades of blue. Afterwards and in the present, it would change to blacks and greys. His hair would also be tied in a ponytail along with wearing black gloves. Basically shows how much he had shut himself out along with mourning for Aoi since she helped keep him grounded and putting up a false mask for himself. After getting exposed and running away, he changes to an attire reminiscent of Elsa's but more based on his Metaverse attire and his hair is down and loose. He keeps that look the rest of the time.

I was thinking maybe Futaba as Kristoff because... FutaKane and maybe Akiren acting as an adopted brother for her. Mona would definitely be Olaf for sure!

Maybe the rest of the PTs would be either remaining Palace staff and/or nobles that are close to the Hasegawas.

But ohh boy... Akechi would fit as Hans but with a twist, the plan wasn't entirely his idea but rather Shido's. Hey, half-brothers HC for him and Zenkichi! He wanted the throne but Zen was named the heir instead despite the fact that A: He was a "freak" in his eyes and B: He was the oldest and therefore more worthy of it. You could say Zen was a bastard child too but not sure yet.

But yeah, he has Akechi and the moment he learned of Akane's coronation, he decided to take an opportunity to pair them up and use Akechi as a puppet king for himself before potentially ending all their lives. Zen's powers being outed was unplanned though but he also seized that opportunity to demonize him before finally killing him himself to look like a hero who stopped the endless winter. He even planted seeds of doubt in Akane's mind during the party before it all blew up.

I really want to include Maruki somehow but I haven't figured that one out yet so this is gonna take some thought.

Naturally, it's platonic familial love that undos everything since Akane would still save Zen's life after Shido's manipulation leaves him vulnerable.

[boypussydilf]

Let’s see, trying to round up as many of the thoughts i had on pn/p5 while trying to sleep as i can lol

- There’s a LOT of interesting stuff that comes up about the phantom thieves if you try to take what they’re doing and psychonauts-ify it… Like, for this au i wanna bring in Some of p5’s metaverse/cognitive world concepts but i havent really done that yet and im mostly gonna lean more on the standard rules of the psychonauts universe anyway. And, like, turning the Changes Of Heart into a Psychonauts thing totally changes them! I’m imagining something along the lines of The Mental Connections Oopsy Raz pulls towards the start of pn2, and thats… It’s a very drastically different thing and i Love That.

In p5, most of the kids end up in the metaverse by accident, but in psychonauts going into someone’s mind By Accident issssss not exactly a thing. In p5 the method for changing peoples hearts is really really straightforward. Just take the treasure and now in that one move the problem is solved. With psychonauts mental connections though, there’s a lot more steps, it’s gotta be a lot more deliberate… Basically, what I’m getting at here is, in P5 the Phantom Thieves have this ability unexpectedly dropped into their lap and explained to them, but the Psychonauts Phantom Thieves would most likely have had to Deliberately, Intentionally, Seek This All Out. And I want to run with that, because I think it’s very, very, interesting. Instead of being suddenly given an opportunity to hashtag be the change they want to see in the world, they get up and decide all on their own… “fuck this I am going to go into people’s minds about it now.” Or something like that…

- On the note of alternative character interpretation, AKECHI. Psychic Intern Akechi. For a second i thought, shit, that doesn’t really fit him, but then i was like, it’s cool though so who cares. But like… instead of building a Sterilized Palatable Public Image, he goes and joins a spy organization made up of Psychics, People Who Are Generally Looked Down On Or Feared Or Something Like That I Dont Remember Psychonauts SUPER Clearly But That’s The Idea. Anyway I think this takes us to some very cool paths im just not sure what they are. I don’t know what his whole deal is in this au. But I want to. Also he has to wear one of those stupid turtleneck jumpsuits that seem to be standard psychonauts uniform. Not all the time, like any other Important Character he has his Own Outfit, but like, he has to wear a dumb outfit one time.

- oh yeah, at the very start of psychonauts its casually mentioned that raz has Super Super Strong Mental Defenses and oleander tries to read his mind but just Cant. I think basically the same goes for akira here. This is some of why raz would be like…… is this guy hiding something. Cant know cause he cant figure it out.

- SPEAKING OF, in a world with psychics the thieves would be, like, at way greater risk of getting found out LMAO. Like, in PN2 Milla is doing that thing where she’s like. Oh im looking for Psychic Ripples for mentions of this stuff :) and like, just, you know. There r literal mind readers and stuff in this universe. They don’t necessarily have to do anything except think to be caught. I’m sure they can find a way around that. Not an infallible way, of course.

- OH MY GOD RIGHT returning to the matter of changes of heart via mental connections- FUTABA. Either they use their traditional method up till this point in Futaba’s mind and risk Fucking Something Up, or, they end up doing in Futaba’s mind what Raz does in Everyone’s minds in the psychonauts games, that is, going and helping them sort out their issues so they can start healing. And if they do That, thennnnn it could potentially raise some questions among the thieves along the lines of “shit there was a different way to do this? Could we have been doing this the whole time? Would it even have worked on anyone else?” And that’s FUN cause, again, im kind of a fan of the Somewhat More Morally Dubious angle to the thieves in this au.

- and speaking of futaba! Psychonauts AU is cool cause Everyone Has A Mental World so we can see inside the thieves minds :) i dont have any ideas on what anyones mental worlds would be like at this time though. At least Futaba’s is obvious lol but obviously after they help her it would Change quite a bit…

- Also, none of the phantom thieves r, you know, Trained Psychics. They did not have camp whispering rock or anything like that. They have most likely all been completely hiding the fact that they were psychic up until joining the thieves. Just like in regular p5, the only person they have to help them figure this all out is This Weird Cat They Found.

……..aaaaand i guessthats all ive got for now lmao

[shadow-scenarios]

Hi! So.. can you please write a phantom thieves + goro reacting that their S/o summoning their persona by evoker? ^~^

Hello slowkib !!

So, I didn’t actually know what an Evoker was until now... Is Persona 3 okay???? It’s very cool how they just shoot themselves but I really wasn’t expecting it.

I’m gonna do what I’ve seen other blogs do and make the reader one of the younger members of the P3 team { I think someone told me there was a character called Ken who is similar? }.

{ Now I kinda wanna play P3... I haven’t even finished P4G yet. }

- Nexus.

Joker { Akira Kurusu }

✧ Akira is concerned when they do not change into a Metaverse outfit. They had told him that they were a Persona user & that they wanted to help serve justice to those that deserved it. So that was why they were in Mementos, ready to complete requests & train. Although he would love the idea of fighting with his significant other, he is not quite sure how they would summon their Persona without a mask?

✧ When the Phantom Thieves are ambushed by a group of Shadows, they pulled out a gun. Internally, he was glad that they were prepared. At least someone went around preparing appropriately. Then he watches them place it to their head & shoot themself... Which summons their Persona?

✧ At the end of the battle, he is confused & worried. He asks a lot of questions about the Evoker but he thinks that it is a pretty cool thing to do, even if it looks to be rather dangerous.

Skull { Ryuji Sakamoto }

✧ When he was told that they would have a new member joining them, Ryuji never expected it to be his significant other. Though he was somewhat concerned for their safety, he was happy to have another person on the team to fight with. Beforehand they had told him that they summoned their Persona in a different way but he never expected... This.

✧ They had gained the advantage over the Shadows, a suprise attack so to speak. Watching them put a gun to their head, he called out asking what they were doing just as they pulled the trigger. Bright light caused Skull to look away just for a moment & when he came back to, their Persona was just there.

✧ He is actually rather creeped out about the fact that they have to shoot themselves. What if they accidentally kill themselves? Though they tell him that they are not afraid of death & that it is inevitable, Ryuji is still incredibly worried whenever they have to summon it.

Panther { Ann Takamaki }

✧ Ann’s significant other found out about the Metaverse entirely by accident when the Phantom Theives dragged them in. Though they were used to seeing the giant tower of Tartarus, the walls of Mementos were much different. Before they could ask what was going on, the others had already descended. So they followed. Was this the Dark Hour? They were unsure but investigating was definitely important. As they progressed, Shadows attacked but they were an experienced Persona user so they dealt with those with ease.

✧ When Oracle pointed out that there was another presence on this floor, everyone tensed up. Perhaps this was the person causing the mental shutdowns. Slowly, they approched onto a group of Shadows that were being wiped out with elemental attacks. From the carnage Ann watched as they used their Evoker with expertise.

✧ Afterwards she rushes over, surprised. Explaining everything, the Phantom Thieves eventually come to the conclusion that they should join the team because they are a rather powerful Persona user.

Fox { Yusuke Kitagawa }

✧ A chance encounter in the Metaverse was how Fox discovered that they used their Evoker in such a way. When they were ambushed by strong looking Shadows, things were not looking good. Panther was bleeding out & even he felt that at any moment he would topple over from exhaustion.

✧ So when there was the sound of someone yelling faintly in the distance & a gunshot, he had never expected for a Shadow about to strike him down to be instantly crushed into pieces. Within the same moment, all of the other enemies were defeated & the only thing left was his significant other holding a gun to their head.

✧ Weeks later, Yusuke does not stop talking about how the Evoker is such a beautiful metaphor for accepting death. The next few pieces have his teachers concerned, as they theme around the ideas of death & acceptance of death.

Queen { Makoto Niijima }

✧ Out of everyone, Makoto is absolutely the most confused when they put a gun to their head during the first infiltration into Kaneshiro’s Palace. Though she had not yet awakened to her Persona, she did not understand why their way of summoning was much different when the guns in this world were obviously supposed to embody real guns.

✧ Even after gaining Johanna, Queen worries a lot about her significant other shooting themselves accidentally. Though she hypothesises that because they believe that is what they see the Evoker functioning as, there is still a doubt in the back of her mind that something could happen if they were to change their own cognition by accident.

Oracle { Futaba Sakura }

✧ It takes a while for her to confess it but Futaba cannot hide the fact that she is a Phantom Thief from her significant other any long. Keeping secrets has always been difficult. So when she sits them down to explain about the Metaverse, there is an expectation that they will believe her to be crazy or insane.

✧ Shock sets in for them first, as they realise that there is another world filled with Shadows. Despite the fact that they do not seem to be dangerous, it still fills them with a sense of dread. In return for her trust, they tell her their own story about how they joined SEES.

✧ Looking at the Evoker makes her feel rather uncomfortable but she investigates it anyway because it could be useful in the field of Cognitive Pscience, though it is soon cleared up that it has nothing to do with it.

Noir { Haru Okumura }

✧ Out of everything, Haru is actually one of the more relaxed people about the way they summon their Persona. Though the metaphor of accepting death somewhat goes over her head, watching her significant other eradicate Shadows in style was super cool!!

✧ Please keep a hold onto the Evoker, otherwise Haru may try to summon Milady through the gun. Explaining that these two ways of summoning are very different because they have to put themselves through immense amounts of stress in order to do so will cause her to immediately apologise for being so insensitive.

✧ Overall, she is strangely okay with it which is rather strange but Haru never seems to hold any worried about them. After all, they are rather capable in battle.

Crow { Goro Akechi }

✧ Nothing gets past this detective. Though his significant other was definitely not a Phantom Thief, there was definitely something off about them. Perhaps it was the glimmer in their eyes... So when he found a strange gun in their shared apartment, he was more than ready to question them when they got home.

✧ As soon as they got home, Akechi was questioning them & holding the weapon in his hand. Initially they were shocked that he had found it but they soon offered their explanation about Shadows, Personas, Tartarus & SEES. Though it sounded like complete fiction, there were correlations to that of the Metaverse. He is completely shocked to hear that they summon their Persona by shooting themselves & accepting death.

✧ Secretly, he thinks that it is really cool but he simply keeps up that fake smile, telling them that they both have a similar power...

Word Count: 1.2k

Publish Date: 19.10.20

[thepancakeboi]

112. “Quit looking at me with that stupid expression. You’re pissing me off.”

“I’m going to kill you for this, Ren.”

“Will you really?” Ren, my overly smug boyfriend, asks as cheekily as possible.

I scowl up at him, knowing that I won’t. Even if the situation I find myself in is not one of my choosing.

I had woken up this morning to the sound of my phone’s notification sound at around nine. To my surprise, it was Ren texting me. He’s not the type to wake up early when it’s not a school day. It read: “Come to Leblanc quick it’s urgent”.

A little concerned, I replied: “I am on my way”. I wondered why it was so imperative that I go to Leblanc. Hopefully, nothing serious happened. I quickly prepared for the day and changed into my typical uniform before leaving my apartment in Kichijoji.

When I arrived about forty minutes later, I was shocked to see the sign was still flipped to “closed”. That was odd. Leblanc was usually open by now. Tentatively, I opened the door and peeked in. Sojiro Sakura was nowhere to be seen, and Ren wasn’t there either. “Ren?” I called out, looking around the empty cafe.

“Up here,” Ren’s voice replied from up in the attic. I climbed the stairs, wondering what he wanted that required me to come here.

Nothing had me prepared for this.

Ren was sitting on his bed dressed in what could best be described as a policewoman’s outfit. He went so far as to wear a black wig and pantyhose...and he even had handcuffs hanging from his waist. Where he got any of this, I had no idea, nor was I going to ask. I raised an eyebrow at Ren’s getup. “What the hell is this?”

“What’s what?” he asked, dark red lips twisted in a teasing smirk at my startled expression. Yes, he was wearing lipstick. Of course. “Your...outfit.”

“Oh, this?” He stood up and walked over to me, slinking an arm around my waist. I instantly noticed he was taller than me. Of course, that was only because of the heels on his knee-high boots. He just had to be taller. “I’m arresting you because you’re criminally gorgeous.”

My face flushed, only made worse as his free hand fiddled absentmindedly with the handcuffs. “Aren’t you worried Sakura-san will be back soon? Does he even know about...this?”

“No. He took Futaba out to Akihabara for the day. They won’t be back until tonight.” He grinned. “It’s just the two of us...anything could happen.”

“What did you want?” I asked while backing away, wanting to change the discussion before I became too flustered by Ren’s incessant flirting. “You said it was, and I quote, ‘urgent’. I hope it wasn’t just to show me this.”

“I need you to do something for me.”

“What is it?”

“It’s important.”

I crossed my arms. “I’m not doing anything unless you tell me what it is.”

“Okay. I need you to crossdress for me.” “Wh-What!?” I sputtered, flabbergasted. Surely I misheard him, right?

“Akeppi, darling, love of my life, I need you to crossdress for me,” he repeated as he pulled me close to him once again.

“Why would I agree to such an inane suggestion?”

“Cuz you love me.”

“No. I’m not crossdressing. Anything but that.”

He gasped as if seeing a perfect opportunity. “Does that mean you’ll finally admit to being a bottom?”

“Absolutely not,” I growled. “Especially when it’s completely untrue.”

“Mmm...keep telling yourself that. I totally believe you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what you think.”

That was it. I had enough of this nonsense, especially when it wasn’t as urgent as Ren made me believe. “I’ll be leaving now.”

“Wait, at least let me explain-”

“No,” I interrupted, trying to push away from him. However, he refused to let go. “Get off!” Of course, he didn’t listen. I squirmed, trying to get free. The struggle itself was a blur, but it ended with us on the floor, Ren straddling me and my arms pinned down by his hands holding my wrists.

Given the current situation, I think my false threat to kill Ren is justified.

I’m not going to kill him, though. I know it. He knows it. Hell, I’m sure just about everyone knows by now. “Ren, please get off of me. If you do, then we can discuss this.”

“You’re lying.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ll run as soon as I do.”

“You bastard,” I snap. He’s correct, of course. I would have bolted as soon as my arms were free. He sees right through me and my lies so easily. I hate it. My scowl deepens as he gives that self-satisfied little menace smile of his. “Quit looking at me with that stupid expression. You’re pissing me off.”

“But I’m enjoying seeing you like this. And I think you’re enjoying it, too,” he adds in a low whisper.

“Bullshit. I’m not.”

“You’re wrong,” Ren says in the smuggest tone imaginable. “If you weren’t, wouldn’t you have kept fighting?”

I simply glare up at him, refusing to answer that question. Instead, I say, “Go ahead. Explain. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

“Ryuji lost a bet to Ann, and he asked Yusuke and me to join in. I thought it would be fun.”

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: you have a twisted concept of fun.”

I pay for that comment when he playfully ruffles my hair. He remembers that day as vividly as I do. For a split second, I have the opportunity to try and escape again. It’s at that moment when Ryuji walks in, looking absolutely ridiculous in what is clearly an attempt to imitate Ann. “Speak of the devil,” I hiss, shoving Ren off of me while he’s distracted by Ryuji. “I refuse to have any part in your shenanigans.”

“Wait, you told him!?” Ryuji asks.

Ren nods happily. “Yup!”

“What the hell, man!? Why’d you do that?”

“I wanted Akeppi to join us. I was trying to convince him.”

“For real!?” The grin that crosses Ryuji’s face is nothing short of terrifying. “Sounds good to me.”

“Absolutely not,” I interject, finally pushing myself to my feet. “I will not be joining you three in this escapade.”

“No way, man. If I have to do this, then so do you!”

“I’m not the one who lost a bet. You can forget me being a part of this.”

“Renren, help me out here,” Ryuji says, turning to Ren.

A look passes between them, one full of silent schemes and unspoken commands. I need to move...now. I make a mad dash for the stairs just as the duo lunge at me. Ryuji manages to grab me just as I pass by him, pulling my arms behind my back. I thrash and squirm as erratically as possible, trying to throw Ryuji off. He’s stronger than I give him credit for. All I’m managing to do is tire myself out.

I fight fiercely against Ryuji’s hold for a solid minute, cursing all the while. Ren, meanwhile, just watches in mild amusement. Fucking traitor. “Want me to use these?” Ren asks as my struggles start to grow weaker, gesturing to the handcuffs. I don’t miss the mischievous smirk hiding behind that mask of neutrality.

“Dude, no. I got this!” Ryuji replies. His grip tightens as he pulls me back. My endeavors cease. This is getting me nowhere. “Just do your thing.”

Ren immediately grins, knowing it’s his time to shine. All I can do is give him a glare full of malice. He remains unfazed. “Come on, Akeppi. Please?” Ren whispers softly and seductively in my ear.

I avert my gaze as I respond, “No.”

“Please?” He’s still using that damn sexy tone of voice, only now he’s running a hand through my hair. It’s distracting. A deadly combination that is...completely...utterly...distracting-

“Fine, fine,” I say before it becomes any worse. Ren nods, signaling Ryuji to release me. I stalk off to a different corner of the room, looking pointedly at Ren as I add, “But no pictures. Got it?”

“Aww.” Ren pouts, but he’s not going to persuade me that easily.

“I’m gonna wait for Kitakita,” Ryuji says, heading downstairs. “He’s prolly still doin’ his makeup.”

Satisfied that it’s just the two of us, I unbutton and shrug off my jacket, placing it gently on Ren’s bed. I freeze as Ren comes up behind me and loosens my tie. He tosses it unceremoniously next to the jacket, coming around to be in front of me. He starts to undo the top few buttons of my dress shirt only to stop partway through. What is he even planning? With a smirk, he starts to run a hand along the now-exposed skin, sending my nerves haywire. “Wh-What are you doing?”

“Just admiring my prisoner,” he hums, continuing to feel up my body. With a roll of my eyes, I undo the rest of the buttons since clearly he’s no longer helping.

After nearly an hour of Ren getting me dressed, doing my hair, and doing my makeup, the deed is done. I glare at the proffered mirror, snatching it with a lace-gloved hand. There are so many layers in this pastel blue dress that fits surprisingly well, and that’s not even including the gray petticoat peeking out from underneath. Ren had added in hair extensions to make my hair look like twin drills. The hair color matches perfectly. It’s almost unnerving. I give Ren a cold look as I hand the mirror back. “Was the black lipstick truly necessary?”

“Yes. You look absolutely adorable!”

“Shut up,” I snap, looking away from him.

“Aww, look at my little tsundere pancake~”

“Your what!?”

“You heard me. You’re my little tsundere pancake.”

I’m about to argue against that, but I hear footsteps coming up the stairs. This time, Ryuji is accompanied by Yusuke. Besides the taller boy’s ninja-inspired outfit, I notice the two of them are holding hands. I’ll have to ask Ren about this later. “I’m sorry I’m late,” Yusuke apologizes. “I got off a stop early to try and save money.”

“Yusuke, just let me give you money,” Ren whines. “You know I have plenty from our time in the Metaverse.”

“You know I could not accept such a generous offer.”

“You complete, utter fool,” I mutter.

Ryuji gives me the evil eye as he yells, “Shuddup, Akechi! You’ve no right to say anything!”

“Excuse me!?”

“Hey. Be nice,” Ren says before we can escalate this argument further.

“Sorry, man,” Ryuji says. I just stew in silence. I’m not wrong. Yusuke should just accept Ren’s offer rather than continue to reject the aid. “Hey, shouldn’t we call Ann?”

“I’ll do it,” Ren replies. He pulls out his phone and walks downstairs, leaving me with his two crossdressing accomplices.

“So, what did Renren get you into?” Ryuji asks with a sick smirk.

“I have no idea, nor do I care,” I snap.

He shrugs before turning to Yusuke. “Kitakita, you know what it is?”

“Ah, yes, the Hime Lolita style! Its elegance suits him quite remarkably.”

“The what style?”

“Hime...it means ‘princess’,” I hiss through gritted teeth.

“Ooh!” Ryuji laughs as he adds, “Detective Prince? More like Detective Princess!”

“Shut it, Sakamoto,” I reply, still irritable from earlier.

“Nah, this is fun!”

“Your concept of fun is almost as bad as Ren’s.”

“Hey, at least my boyfriend’s okay with it.”

“Indeed, I am,” Yusuke responds. I guess I don’t have to ask Ren later about the two of them holding hands.

Ren comes back upstairs a few seconds later. “Ann will be here in a few minutes. She doesn’t know about Goro, though.”

“You didn’t tell her?” Yusuke questions.

“No. I wanted it to be a surprise. We should probably go downstairs,” Ren adds, holding out a hand to help me out. I smack his hand away. There is no way I am accepting his help. I push myself to my feet, a little unsteady due to the heels on these stupid shoes. They still don’t make me taller than Ren in his boots, though. Of fucking course.

“Are you both really wearin’ heels?” Ryuji asks skeptically.

I shake my head, looking at Ryuji as I reply, “Remember that this wasn’t my choice.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

We all head downstairs. This time, I do reluctantly accept his help with wobbling over to the stairs. I’m not Ren. I didn’t run around fighting Shadows in the Metaverse in heels. As soon as we reach them, Ren grins and picks me up bridal style, walking downstairs in heels with unnatural ease. For once, I’m not complaining. The less I have to walk in these heels, the better. I do give him an unamused look when he refuses to put me down, but I don’t say a word.

Ann arrives a couple of minutes later. “Hi!” she says in greeting. “Oh my god, that’s great, Ryuji!”

“What about those guys? Kitakita and Renren were more eager about it than me,” Ryuji grumbles.

“I couldn’t believe it when you told me they were doing it, too! You two are looking good as ever, and-” At that point, two and two seem to click in Ann’s brain. The genuine shock on her face is priceless. She stammers, “W-Wait, Akechi? Is that you?”

“Hey,” I sigh.

“Wow, you look amazing! Did Ren help?”

“Help?” I scoff. “He’s the only reason I did this.”

“I can be quite persuasive,” Ren adds, nuzzling me. “Doesn’t he look cute?”

“He does!” Ann agrees.

“I do not,” I shoot back. I scowl, but I’m sure I probably look like a pouting child.

“Adorable,” Ren repeats, beaming.

I sigh in annoyance, crossing my arms as I look pointedly away from them. Despite my outward irritation, I can’t help but feel...happy. Yes, I’m happy that he finds me cute and adorable. His loving remarks hold some power over me, a power that I know Ren won’t abuse. He’s not Shido. Ren actually means each and every compliment he gives. “Ren, give Ann your phone. I’ll let you have one picture.”

The grin on Ren’s face could make even the most despondent of individuals smile. Maybe I could live with this.

Prompt list

[shoichee]

GoMs + Kagami as Persona Users

Headcanons on the Generation of Miracles (and Kagami) if they were to become a persona user in the world of the Persona series (Kuroko and Momoi included)

@akichan-th​ THIS IS FOR YOU

Warning: KNB series spoilers !!

Kuroko Tetsuya

since his presence is nonexistent in the real world, as a phantom thief, he’d probably desire to be a noticeable hero, you know? even in the 22.5 OVA, he told Kise that passing around wasn’t fun but he was going to do it for the sake of the team

his phantom thief outfit would be flashy in a sense of maybe eye-catching color schemes, or bold patterns

his attire could be baggy/oversized navy blue/black street clothing with TASTEFUL neon-colored accents and his mask would be a neon-colored huge sports shades/goggles situation (i was about to say some trendy sunglasses but sunglasses don’t stay on at all); he’s a skater boy ???? basically??

like, his PT attire could very well be a Persona 5 Dancing in Starlight DLC outfit 👀 it has those vibes

persona element is curse and let me explain why: he doesn’t have the gifted physique like the other GoMs and he’s cursed to rely on others for him to make a difference, and his motif has always been “shadow” ALSO he’s the PHANTOM sixth player YOU CAN’T CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE

he’s a front-line battler, but his skills are very support heavy: support skills that increase attack and defense for his teammates; i also wanna say he has spells that inflict dizziness ailments because in the anime, players are always losing their shit and whipping their heads around to find this tiny boy LMAO

he would definitely have a signature move that would direct all enemy attacks and status moves to himself for a set amount of turns to aid his teammates

his persona would have an extremely high Endurance and higher than average Luck stat but everything else is an all-time low

i’m going to say it, his shooting weapon is gonna be a paintball gun filled with neon paint just to fuck with the shadows and still make it HURT

code name would be “Umbra” (which means innermost part of a shadow) or “Ghost;” imagine some PT member shouting, “Oh no! Umbra’s knocked down!” and all the shadow sees is this brightass, neon kid on the floor

i would love his codename to be “Shadow” but there’s already the term shadow to describe the monsters in the metaverse

Kise Ryota

he views a “rebel” as your basic punk

since he’s a model, he knows japanese punk fashion very well

guess who’s gonna come into the metaverse being this hot ass punk boy? Kise motherfucking Ryota

black spike collar

lots of those tiny chains and harness/buckle action somewhere

ripped black leather pants that give Joker’s own leather pants a run for its money PLUS WITH SHINY BLACK BELT

lots of patchwork and stuff

THIS IS WHAT MORE OR LESS  I’M TALKING ABOUT IF YOU WANT VISUAL REFERENCES

his mask would totally be a visor goggle to add further to the punk theme

part of me is biased that Kise is a blondie and “kise” is based off of “yellow” and Ryuji is blonde and so now i headcanon him as the electric element

okay, but since he’s an “all-rounder” he’ll probably be able to access mid-tier level attacks of all elements, including almighty to an extent

but if i was basing his element off of personality, he’d be ice for sure; he’s actually cold-hearted to people whom he doesn’t consider “worthy” and the anime only showed his friendly side because most of the time, he’s shown talking to his friends and people he respects

speaking of all-rounder, his stats would be all high all around, with his Magic stat peaking the highest

Midorima Shintarou

this boy is a bit tricky to figure out what his PT attire would be

he doesn’t have any time to think about “what he would be as a rebel” type of thing

however, if he were to desire to become something, i’d say he would want to be a supernatural being who can distribute good luck for himself every day

think of those JRPG wizard/mage/warlock outfit motifs (and they match up nicely with the idea of astrology and horoscopes); probably lots of brown/beige/hues of green scheme? or a black/various colors of purple for a FULL on witch vibe

it makes sense too because as someone who always shoots from afar and never dunks, mage classes always cast from afar and never attack up close to their opponent

and his frog puppets remind me of a witch’s animal familiars LMAO

there you have it

his mask would be a dark dark purple or a pure black domino mask that has little stars littered sparingly everywhere on said mask

his shooting weapon? my guy is stacked on staves ready to cast long-range spells

wind element for sure (because his basketball shots all catch air with lots of hang time | (• ◡•)|) with tons of gun skills

signature move would be a magic skill that never misses no matter what (his range is the entire metaverse)

his persona stats are also pretty well rounded but his highest stats would be Magic and Luck, with Endurance being a close runner up

Aomine Daiki

also hard to figure out a PT attire for this guy

according to KUROFES, his alternative career would be a police officer so i would think he despises criminals and the Phantom Thieves altogether ?

if anything, he’s more suited for the S.E.E.S. investigation team in Persona 3

Aomine doesn’t give a fuck, but he has a soft spot to protect others so like having a gun evoker definitely suits him more than a mask summon BRJWBDJW

i see him as a fire element, but his persona would have a lot more physical skills than anything else

bonus: since he used to be Kuroko’s “light,” he can have some mid-tier level bless skills

to make a reference his “formless” shots and forms, as well as his rapid changes of pace, his signature move would be a 5-hit physical skill that changes targets with every hit

statwise, his Agility stat is the highest out of everyone in the GoM, and his Strength and Endurance would be runner up stats; his Magic stat would be extremely dismal

Murasakibara Atsushi 

this guy thinks about nothing but food and how he hates Teppei-species people basketball, so honestly he’s not interested in the Phantom Thieves business

like what? Murasakibara dressed in a getup? it’s a big “press X to doubt”

so i envision him to be more suitable for Persona 4, where he has to confront the other self that loves basketball and truly does care about people, and he had to be honest and accept that side for him to attain a persona

would he ever go back to the said “persona world” to go fight some shadows? unless there’s a good reason why he should or you bribed him with snacks, he won’t budge an inch

just give this man a Persona 4 school uniform and he’s ready to fight

his persona would primarily have physical skills, with lots of “wall” support skills, element “break” skills, and lots of passive skills (lots of nulls/resists) available for it to learn

highest stat for him would be Strength, then Endurance, and surprisingly have Agility as the runner up

he’s a huge tank of a persona user

Akashi Seijuro

i’ve talked about his PT outfit in this headcanon here, including his mask and why

hear me out, since this man is good at everything in school, and since there are archery clubs in Japanese schools, i wouldn’t be surprised if he was a Robin Hood with the scopes; what am i tryna say? his shooting weapon would be bow & arrows

i feel like people would automatically think he’s a bless/curse element like Akechi since “he has two sides,” but i feel like it’s not exactly right? if anything, i headcanon him to be more of a psychokinesis element

why? i want to attribute that to his emperor’s eye and his perfect passings, both each specialties from their respective “sides” of Akashi, and that requires extreme precision, almost to the level of “telepathy”

there’s also everyone thinking he can see the future too i mean

in the end, Akashi’s dual sides merged into one again, so having a whole bless/curse element wouldn’t even make sense anymore

but i will say, this man deserves to have a persona with almighty skills back to back

this guy isn’t the captain for no reason

so his persona would utilize psychokinesis and almighty skills, with special buff skills that increase critical rates for his allies (to refer to the fact that his passings enhance other players); his persona would also enjoy a large selection of passive skills to choose from to either be ultimate support or ultimate offensive sweeper

to also reiterate from the mentioned headcanon i linked, his code name would either be “Crimson” or “Scarlet”

his persona is a literal glass cannon, referring to the fact that Akashi is actually a mentally fragile basketball player; extremely high Strength, Magic, and Agility (but not as high as Aomine though) stats, average Luck stat, but extremely low Endurance stat

Momoi Satsuki

Momoi, i think, would envision herself in the metaverse as someone who’s never underestimated because of her usual demeanor or physical looks

even me, i got fooled thinking she was just only a fanservice girl and not this incredibly intelligent girl who was critical to her teams’ successes

so i would think she would imagine herself to be in a huge respectable position of power, like a lieutenant or general, who can command others and strategize to victory

her outfit would be similar to the attire from the Assassin’s Faith set from Love Nikki with the black Army Floppy Hat from the Army Major set on top (also from Love Nikki) 

color scheming i can imagine a lot of black/white with gold trimmings/accents here and there

her mask is a Venetian eye mask i can literally see it; it’s so pretty with the gold plating !!

her role would definitely be a navigator + analyzer/tactician from the backlines, so while she isn’t in the battle most of the times, if worse comes to shove, she’ll be in the frontlines as a last resort

in other words, she’s a Futaba, but she isn’t a sitting duck and can fight if needed

she has an incredible Luck stat, higher than average Agility stat, but average stats for the rest (Magic, Strength, and Endurance)

ailment, healing, support, and buff skills are all at her disposal, along with some gun skills (which can definitely be broken when paired with her high Luck stat)

“Duchess” (a woman having a noble rank) would be a really cute codename for her

Kagami Taiga

why do i literally see him as a shinobi (ninja)

i have no idea why i do, but i think it’s just his name:

“While Kagami's name is associated with the ‘tiger’, Himuro's name means ‘dragon’. In Chinese mythology, the Azure Dragon of the East and the White Tiger of the West are eternal rivals. This rivalry is further expressed in their surnames: ‘Hi (氷)’ means ‘ice’ while ‘Ka (火)’ translates as ‘fire’.” - KNB wiki

so i literally see both Himuro and Kagami as rival clans duking it out

jokes aside, Kagami is a very honorable player, but he did at one point exhibited a “darker side” to himself, playing selfishly and being arrogant in the beginning

shinobis were considered to be “dishonorable” and “beneath the honor” of the samurai in their eras, so i feel that this could be a great image for what Kagami thinks is a “rebel” 

being a ninja would make use of his jumping skills too

i imagine him in a fitted black halter neck top (so his abs are for us to see), with an iconic long red scarf wrapping his neck and hanging down to his waist at the back side

black forearm guards/wraps?

and then he has mahogany/dark red??/black???? loose cloth wrapped around his waist, like how you would tie a jacket over your waist ?? and then black nu-bakama pants and finally some dark boots for those pants to be tucked in

no one can convince me otherwise, but he’s gotta have a red full-face oni mask with black horns and some golden tiger stripes on the sides of the mask and around the eyes

HIS PERSONA ELEMENT IS BLESS BECAUSE HE IS KUROKO’S “LIGHT”

he would totally have some almighty skills and “Heat Riser,” a move that raises all of the user’s attack, defense, and accuracy/evasiveness (because the colors of the move’s animation remind me of Direct Drive Zone, something that was pretty much unlocked by Kagami for the team)

his persona is one of the OP/late game personas where all their stats are amazing across the board; even if his stats were high all around, his “lowest” would be his Luck stat

codename for him is “Tiger” no one cannot argue with me for this one NRNEIJFEO

[nemirutami]

Was rewatching the P3 movies and there's this one part where a guy tells Minato he can get him in the show biz and- Model Minato came to mind 🙏 (Ann could maybe encourage him to do it!)

leT ME TELL YOU ABOUT MODEL MINANN AU

Let me tell you about how Ann’s crepe date with Minato gets cancelled because her agent insists she come to this one shooting and Minato gets bothered Ann isn’t allowed any free time anymore and “let me see what the big deal is” and Ann is like “Haha are you gonna chew him out?” Minato deadass about to throw down because no one ON GOD makes him miss food dates of all things.Fast forward to the shooting and none of their back-up models are available and Ann’s agent has this brilliant idea to make her do X3 times the normal work, to which Minato says “Hey asshole, you’ve got an able body put some clothes on yourself,” and the agent takes this as “Uh, excuse me mr tiny, unless we put on a show for the entire clothing line, we won’t get pay,” and Minato takes this as “Alright sign me the fuck up the faster we can get out of here the better” and bitch thought he was JOKE but it turns out he didn’t hesitate. They got out of there much faster and Ann is like “Are you sure about this... what will people at your school say?” and Minato like lol who? You mistake me for someone with friends or someone who gives a shit? They had to model more effeminate outfits and Minato just did not care, all he wanted was food date and he will HAVE food date.

Turns out their joined co-op was a big hit and a lot of popular clothing lines want to work specifically with both Ann and Minato because the dynamic of Tall+Curvy+Energetic vs Short+Slender+Calm is GREAT, along with the fact they’re opposite sex so they can take advantage of a lot of stupid couple gimmicks for marketing that the press normally wouldn’t risk with same sex models.

The funniest shit tho is that the second Minato got gigs for shoots, he refused every single one UNLESS Ann was also present, and as second in command, he fired Ann’s shitty agent and hired someone much more suitable for the job (Akechi, because despite his horrible fashion sense, he keeps up with trends, so who better to manage them and their time than the guy with control issues and infinite time straight out of high school).

They get this brilliant idea to put Minato into more effeminate clothing because “you’re pretty androgynous you can pass off as anything you know” and he’s very “eh” all he cares about is having extra date food money so he goes along with anything.

Remember that very expensive place they visited after they beat Kamoshida’s palace and made him confess his crimes? Every time they have a successful shoot all 3 of them go to that fancy place and eat to hell and back. Minato’s metabolism prevents him from being anything but a twig, Ann manages workouts to keep fit and thicc, and Akechi gets to be round like he was meant to be because managing Ann and Minato is a sit-down job not a i-have-time-to-bike-and-excersize-while-doing-this job.

TLDR; Model AU. Minato in effeminate clothing. Ann thicc and strong. Akechi round and bullied by Ann and Minato. Listen, it’s perfect, I’ll have you kn

[krisseycrystal]

rated: t

fandom: Persona 5

prompt: “Soulmates” + Shuake

requested by: @ardentknight

hello yes i’m back w/ more shuake for you plz enjoy

- o - o - o -

Too Many Video Games [Read on AO3]

- o - o - o -

Because Ryuji and Akira were the kind of “thick as thieves” that meant no secrets, not ever, Ryuji could be understandably miffed that when it came to the ever-controversial topic of soulmates, Akira only said, “I’ve already met mine.”

Ryuji, who still had no idea who the long, crooked line on his wrist was supposed to represent, scowled.

“What the hell?” and “How?” and “Who is it?” fell together in a messy jumble over his tongue and out of his mouth. He could hear his mother’s voice now, scolding, “Slow down, Ryuji. Breathe. You’re the only person I know who could drown simply by speaking.”

Akira smiled enigmatically and did that thing he always did when he was thinking: pinched a strand of curly dark hair between his fingers and twisted.

Ryuji wasn’t impressed. “Really, dude? You’re not gonna tell me?”

So finally Akira chuckled and pulled down his sleeve to reveal a boxy and cool-as-fuck looking Hercules gleaming on the underside of his wrist. The constellation was boxy, with legs that hurricaned outward. It was sick.

“And that is…?”

“The who is private.”

“What, really?!”

“Really.”

But no matter how hard Ryuji pushed and begged and pleaded, it was the one and only secret Akira kept from him. 

It was infuriating.

- o - o - o -

Most people wore bands around their wrists; others didn’t. That wasn’t anything new. It was one of those unspoken understandings that the stars your soulmate was born under was a piece of private information you decided who and when to share with and how. Some people were like Ann who always changed out her wristband to match her outfit and had who-knew-how-many bangles and scrunchies and other accessories she’d gathered just to look cute and keep the stars on her wrist secret. Others were like Mr. Sakura who had no interest in the business of soulmates and kept his wrist bare for anyone to see the Ursa Major there.

Some people, on the other hand, were like Akechi, who always wore long sleeves no matter the weather and usually gloves and never were caught swimming. Ever.

It was those people who typically had more than one constellation, but that wasn’t a very common occurrence.

It was rare when a person had a whole piece of the sky chunked out and wrapped around their hand, winding up their arm, gorgeous and multi-faceted. In ancient times, theories had been that those unique individuals were able to call nearly anyone they met a soulmate who was born under at least one of those stars; in modern times, more theories were coming out that the more constellations on your body, the more specific your soulmate had to be. That soulmate had to have been born under that exact window of the sky.

At least, that’s what Ryuji heard on TV. 

He figured that’s what Akechi had and why he wrapped himself up so much and so often and so tightly.

And then the day came when they were meeting to plan an infiltration into Sae Niijima’s palace. Ryuji, who arguably knew Akira better than anyone else, thought he was acting strange. Usually, Akira had the window seat in the LeBlanc booth the Thieves unofficially claimed as their own. It wasn’t as though Akira wasn’t allowed to sit anywhere else, but the instant he swung a hand at Ryuji in a very gentlemanly, You first, Ryuji felt something was off.

But it wasn’t a big deal and he wasn’t a sissy so after Ann climbed in, he scooched beside her and Akira sat on the outside. Haru, Yusuke, and Makoto clambered over into the opposite bench and Akechi and Futaba pulled up a few tall chairs from the counter.

They talked.

And they had talked about this plan so much lately that Ryuji felt like he already had it memorized, so he slouched over his crossed arms and let his chin dig into the purple of his jacket sleeve and closed his eyes and thought man, no wonder Morgana likes taking naps in sunlight; this is great--

--when Akechi, jokingly in response to a jibe from Makoto, hummed, “By the strength of my stars, are you doubting me?”

And it wasn’t like Ryuji had never heard people make those kind of expressions before. By the strength of my stars. The sprawl of my stars. Let no one but my stars be the judge of me.

It was just that people usually said something like that because that phrase held a connotation with the stars they were born under. Ryuji heard the word “strength” out of Akechi’s mouth and he remembered there was that old, animated Disney movie he used to love as a kid about the super-strong son of a god and his back snapped ramrod straight.

He would have probably talked his own self out of it all, too, if Akira hadn’t reacted the way he did, pressing his glasses up his nose and sharing a humored Look with Akechi, his arm close enough to brush against Akechi’s knee.

Akechi met his look in turn, a distinctive curl to his mouth that looks almost handsome and--

--oh my god.

Akira fucking took the outside seat for a reason.

Ryuji’s mouth dropped open, brown eyes enormous. He thought he might get whiplash from how fast his head spun back and forth and back and forth between Akira and Akechi and the dopey-eyed, disgusting Look they were still sharing while Makoto was still talking and oh my god. Oh my god. 

Akira’s soulmate is Goro Akechi.

“Ryuji?” Haru chimed from the other side of the table. Her head tilted, pretty mouth pinched in concern. “Are you all right?”

“You--”

Akechi and Akira took one look at him and without needing to look at each other, they moved.

Akira’s hand slammed over his mouth before he could say another word; the other hand fisted into the back of his purple jacket and yanked him out of the booth so quickly and messily, Ryuji’s knee banged up against the bottom and nearly upended all of the team’s coffee and notes spread over the table.

Makoto squawked. Futaba yelped, feet jumping up onto the edge of her tall chair. Akechi hurried the both of them around the counter. They nearly ran into Mr. Sakura on their way into LeBlanc’s kitchens while he was on his way out, toweled hands laden with a fresh, steaming pot of curry. The man swore wildly as he lifted the giant pot, stumbling back out of their way. Then the door swung shut and Akira finally released Ryuji once his back was pressed to one of the two steel ranges lining the back. 

“Wha--” But Ryuji didn’t get a chance to ask a damn thing because nearly immediately afterward, Akira and Akechi spared another glance, and then Akira turned around and fucking left him there in the kitchen with his soulmate, who, last Ryuji was sure about, they weren’t even really sure about. “What the hell was all that for?!”

“You don’t know how to be subtle,” Akechi muttered as if it was supposed to be enough of an explanation.

It wasn’t.

“You!” Ryuji sputtered. “You and Akira!”

“We--” Akechi looked like he was about to say something else but then thought better of it, biting the words back before they had a chance to slip free. “--yes.”

“You and Akira.”

“You said that.”

“I can’t fucking believe--”

“--you don’t have to say it that loudly, do you?”

That set Ryuji off again; he nearly screeched. “And you guys are keeping it secret!”

“Of course,” Akechi said as the kitchen door finally swung open again and Akira wandered back in. His slender fingers were wrapped around the handle of a small, ceramic cup of coffee. “I should think even someone as monkey-brained as you knows that it’s our business when and where and how people know the nature of our relationship.” 

“Y-yeah, but--” 

And then Ryuji’s entire front turned cold because Akira fucking dumped the coffee over his front.

“What the hell, man?!” Ryuji shrilled. He would have backed up further, trying to get away from this horrid abuse of their friendship, but the edge of the range still dug into the small of his back and his shoes squeaked uselessly against the floor tiles. “What’d you go and do that for? That’s fucking cold!”

“No. It’s hot,” Akira coolly said and Ryuji’s first thought was that he’s been playing too many video games.

“The FUCK?”

Akechi somehow picked up whatever it was Akira put down because he sighed like this entire conversation was taxing. His arms crossed over his chest. Akira handed a paper towel roll to Ryuji. “Consider it our cover story. The three of us looked rather conspicuous running into LeBlanc’s kitchens as fast as we did.”

Ryuji tore the paper towel roll out of Akira’s hand. “Excuse you. I was dragged.”

“Regardless, you will tell them you spilled coffee on yourself and it was so hot you could have suffered severe burns, so you are grateful Akira and I were as quick-thinking as we were to cart you off to the kitchen sink to resolve the situation and help you as fast as possible. Understand?”

Ryuji looked up, squeezing his yellow shirt dry and dimly realizing his mother was probably going to make him do the laundry (again). “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Akechi confirmed. Akira nodded.

“You’re not gonna say anything else?” Ryuji swung a hand at his ruined shirt. “Not like, ‘Sorry you had to find out this way, Ryuji,’ or ‘Hey, bud, I know this is like, breaking news, but if you keep this a secret, I’ll make it up to you.’” Ryuji stopped and gasped loudly. “Blackmail.”

“You wouldn’t.” 

“I could!” Ryuji tried to meet Akechi’s hard stare with his own but hated how transparent his own damn heart was. He sighed. “Fuck.” Then, he thought better of it. “Actually, speaking of--”

“--we’re not talking about our sex life, Ryuji.”

Of course Akira knew what he was thinking. Of course that whole “knowing each other better than anyone else” and “thick as thieves” thing was being turned around to bite him in the ass. Of course.

Damn.

[risingmoonyue]

Batman/P5 Crossover

-Sometime before Akechi but after Futaba or Haru

-Damian is sent to Tokyo to check it out for whatever reason (maybe they had a fight, or he’s going stir crazy, or he’s just the only one they can send at the time and didn't bother with all that "you're not old enough" business)

-Dami is younger than Futaba by a year or three or four

-He is baby

-He is transferred to Shujin as a child prodigy where he also immediately joins the "outcast" community because of his attitude and intelligence

-Talia goes too, manages to cut off all his communications with the Batfam, and is planning to take him home in a month whether he likes it or not

-For whatever reason, Batfam doesn't realize this??? (Like, either she's faking reports or they're too busy (think fight or chaos in Gotham scenario maybe???))

-Anyways, obviously Dami doesn't want this

-Somehow the Phantom Thieves hear about the situation

-Maybe he was assigned to shadow Makoto for a while, and they managed to overhear a phone conversation either to Talia or Dami trying to get in touch with the Batfam and nothing really working

-And eventually they outright see him fighting with his mother with him at some point (either in person or over a phone call) mentioning that she already disowned him, he's happy with his Father's family, and that he will head her family business over his dead body—and oh would you look at that, you already managed that, care to try again Mother?

-The PT's are understandably alarmed

-And learn her name from Damian (from Makoto maybe or someone else he bonded a little with) (MORGANA) (THEY GAVE HIM MONA FOR A DAY AND NOW THEY KNOW EVERYTHING FROM HIS MANY PETS TO HIS LEAST TO MOST FAVORITE SIBLINGS STARTING FROM TIM TO DICK TO HIS FAVORITE FOODS TO EVERYONE IN HIS FAMILY’S NAMES TO HOW STUPID HE FINDS EVERYONE AND WHY THEY'RE STUPID TO HIS FAVORITE MUSIC TO WHY ANIMALS ARE SUPERIOR TO HUMANS AND MONA’S LIKE OMG TMI BUT LOVED IT THERE BECAUSE HE WAS PAMPERED LIKE NO TOMORROW GOT ONLY THE BEST FOOD AND THE BEST BEDS AND TOYS THAT HE GOT TO TAKE WITH HIM BACK TO LEBLANC AND NOW AKIRA AND SOJIRO ARE LIKE DUDE WHY AND MONA’S LIKE IM KEEPING HIM THIS HUMAN IS GOOD SORRY AKIRA YOU’RE DEMOTED)

-The palace is basically a fortress full of assasin ninjas and clones

-Dunno what her keywords are tho

-Or her what her palace actually is

-Help?????????

-Cognitive Bruce, Ra's, Damian, Dami clones, and Jason (maybe rest of batfam??? Idk)

-Long story short, the traps are so assassin-y that they need someone who knows the actual Talia because egads, this is the closest they have all come to actually dying

-And they didn't really want to do it and were just gonna power through

-But Dami manages to find out and get in and of course uses his background to help out whether they like it or not

(-he's slightly off put by Joker's name, but then decides to just solely call Gotham!Joker "The Clown")

-At some point they are captured by the Shadow Talia who is decked out in super fancy traditional Arab clothing and probably every conceivable hidden weapon known to man

-Talia says Damian won't and can't ever change from who he "is meant to be", referring to him as her Alexander and basically brutally addresses all of his insecurities concerning the batfam and people and society in general

-And all this is kinda killing him cause he still loves Talia despite the fact that she killed him and had a violent citywide custody battle with Batman but he also loves the batfam too even if he would absolutely never admit it (except to maybe Grayson)

-Joker does his emotional kick-start thing and/or Dami is like Makoto and just gets so mad he triggers it himself, but either way, lo and behold, Damian is now a persona user, usurping Futaba's place as the baby of the team

-The outfit is kinda inspired by his future adult league outfit with the top and bottom and gold jewelry, but has a raggedy cloak with dull gold edges, a Robin mask and gauntlets, and his main weapons are batarang-sword hybrids

---acknowledging his past and moving on with his present

-Persona: Aladdin, Tsun Zu, Ali Baba, somone else???? Need ideas plz help

-Probably the fastest member of the group

-His small body makes his hits not as strong, but hoo boy can that kid move around

-Hits a lot and dodges most

-Most of his Persona abilities are physical and have high crit and/or are status affects

-Downside is he has not a lot of SP (compared to the rest of the group)

-And he has pretty good HP

-Those good ol' “superior genetics” have to be good for something after all

-Anyways they escape to find the treasure another day

-And Dami is all smug because HA you definitely can't stop me now

-And the PTs are just resigned to keeping an eye on the extremely competent snotty assassin/vigilante child

-They do like him though so it's not too bad (comes with learning all his darkest secrets via his mother and thought processes that tends to accompany watching someone at their lowest get a persona)

(-They do manage to temper him a bit and help him adjust better to actual society too that's nice)

-As such, they also know about Batman and Robin and his whoooole family. Both sides.

-Damian decided not to tell batfam because he does agree with the whole "most adults suck" mentality that the Phantom Thieves have; despite his deep, deep respect for his father and mother and Grayson, they all do kinda suck

-And he’s rather not get pulled out as he surely would if he told them

(-On a side note, he likes Sojiro

-The man gives him coffee, curry, and leaves him mostly to his own devices

-Instant win)

-He is dubbed "Mockingbird" apon return to the metaverse because of his freaky talented vocal skills in mimicking anyone and everyone's voice

-Eventually, they beat Talia

-She doesn't publicly confess to all her sins unlike everyone else

-PTs don't realize it worked until Damian came into school with a genuine smile on his face, and more relaxed than he'd been since he got there

-PTs are confused until Damian's like, this works out because hey, don't want to have several people assassinated and draw the entire freaking league to Tokyo

(-Which was probably why Talia didn't)

-They agree

-But she does break down to tears in Dami's arms and promise to ACTUALLY TALK CIVILLY with Bruce to try and make up for everything and try to fix up the league

-He stays for the rest of p5

-But steers all his reports very much away from the Phantom Thieves

-If anything, he downplays absolutely everything, and makes it seem like it's nothing super big but he's gonna stay a while to keep and eye out because y'alls are busy and I like it here and I haven't gotten expelled so there

-The PTs like to add funny stuff on there just to see if they’ll notice

-Like, Akira likes to have Dami describe his day in excruciating detail. Like, recounting the entirety of his nine or so months to Sae during police interrogation, excruciating

-Mona is pushing for the shiny stuff

-Yusuke just likes to put in bursts of randomness (Dami once mentioned that an acquaintance made another acquaintance T-pose in a church for art lol)

-Ann loves to rant about food

-Haru is always insisting on about feelings

-Ryuji likes to complain about everything and puts in ridiculous requests

-Futaba is just putting in every gen-z thing ever

-Makoto is actually responsible and tries to get him to talk about his progress in school and his social life

-And Akechi is absolutely nowhere near any of this and doesn’t know it exists

-When they have the Tokyo/Japan-wide calling card, Batfam sees it too because let's face it, that's totally the sorta thing that they would keep an eye out for even if he didn't look at the news in the entirety of the time Dami was in Tokyo

-And they send a message to Damian (the first actual communication they've had since before Talia) saying "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON OVER THERE????"

-And with the entirety of the Phantom Thieves looking over his shoulder, Damian's just like "Chill dudes, everything's fiiiiiiiiiine"

-And they're like "UH WHAT PART OF THIS IS FINE????" because they've dug around a bit and found every news report, and oh hey, this isn't anywhere near as calm as Damian described and he’s being super OOC and what’s going on?!?!?!?!?!

-And Damian, being egged on by the most of the PTs, just sends a winky face

-Just

-😉

-And he's smug, because it's still chaos over there so they can't actually come get him and try to pull him out because he's being super ooc

-Which means he's free to do what he wants/needs in the meantime

-Cue the end of the game

-And Dami is going with them on their summer road trip and cackling because the batfam is scrambling to find him in Tokyo but lol nope he's in a van the Japanese government tried and fail to follow

-And he found all the trackers like, a year ago

-Every

-Single

-One

-They eventually track him down to Akira's house where they're calmly eating dinner (and they've been expecting this for the past week so Mona was keeping watch just so they could pull this off) and talking about how uneventful the school year was

-Cue mass confusion in the batfam

-As the PTs enjoy just confusing them so much

-By talking to Mona

-Talking normal then crazy then normal again

-And just generally being their normal selves lol

-They explain absolutely nothing beyond gushing about how much progress socially and academically he’s made (gotta embarrass the baby of the group somehow) and making sure that if Dami absolutely has to go home that he's able to stay in touch

(-Later, Damian forms his own hero persona outside of Batman and Robin)

(-He names it Mockingbird)

(-Batfam proceeds to have a brain aneurysm while the PTs dab their happy proud tears out of their eyes on their regularly scheduled tea time at the Wayne Manor)

(-Damian sends a private plane every week or two lol)

(Bonus: ARTTTTTTT)

(Psst if you guys have ideas for art, outfits, interactions or scenarios, let me know)

[nightshadedawn]

Persona 5: Royal playthrough pt2

I love the fact that you can talk to individuals in safe rooms and they'll have something to say about the thing you just did.

Is it just me or are Yusuke's safe room animations different?

I can't help but imagine that one guy who does "What You Favorite Ship from [Show] Says about You"

Ryuji/Joker - You're always a slut for dumb blondes that can dominate you in the bedroom.

Ann/Joker - You're always a slut for dumb blondes who can dominate you in the bedroom... AND you're hetrosexual.

Ann/Joker/Ryuji - One day you decided what's better then one dumb blond that can dominate you? TWO dumb blondes that can dominate you.

But also- "What's better than one dumbass bisexual? THREE dumbass bisexual."

And I couldn't help thinking it: Makoto/Joker- "You think that a strong female character is a one who punches and shoots things instead of a well written one."

There is only one braincell between Ann, Joker, and Ryuji, and Joker usually has it.

I saw Akechi in a clip and shouted THAT BASTARD

I usually play when no one else is up but my brother is up and gives me weird looks whenever I growl at the TV

I am growling at Makoto, for context

Walked to school with Ryuji. It was awesome.

Rethinking my "I'm okay with Kasumi" POV

I need more Ann in my life. I wanna walk under an umbrella with Ann and be super stupid romantic.

Ann and Ryuji were at the Captain Kidd thing in my Thieves den, and she called Captain Kidd cute, inadvertantly calling Ryuji cute, and I was so sure he was about to blush.

Ryuji be defending me against Makoto. "My friend here's an upstanding guy." Nice.

...Makoto's a fucking bitch.

Morgana keeps calling her sharp, but most of the stuff is just like... bitch, you keep walking into this stuff. It's like the shittiest mystery ever. And no one's gonna let down their guard with your upfrotn questions.

...Morgana has watched anime, I do not take critisism.

"Morgana... TRAAAAANSFORM!" seems like an in universe Featherman thing.

Also, I think that Morgana turning into a bus is a reference to 'Totoro' and the orange cat bus?

Ryuji climbing up from to sit with his boyfriend is literally adorable.

...I'm going to ram Morgana into all the walls, just because he doesn't want me to.

...Butler Joker has a monocule and I CAN'T.

Joker's Christmas outfit amuses me. Ryuji's is the best. The part of me that is attracted to Ann for her personality says her outfit is too sexualized, but the part that likes he body...

Morgana freaking out about Jose complimenting Ann and Ann loving it is just... great, with me having the knowledge that I am going to date her.

If you haven't play as cat Morgana in the Thieves Den what the fuck are you doing with yourself. This is the cutest shit I have ever, ever seen. I have never squealed so much in... at least the last month.

"You two seem pretty close," Makoto says. Bitch, I'd marry her if that were an option.

...Ryuji be calling be a pacifist, but I'm just like... hun... no.

OH COME ON. Ann and Ryuji get to fall for snacks but the first time I try Ann gives me dirty looks?

Honestly, going through the story, I think it's characters like Yusuke and Haru who have it the worst. Their fathers/father-figures betrayed them and used them for their own personal gains. And even Haru had it easier, because she was legitimately her father's daughter and an adult. She inherited everything after he died. What did Yusuke get? A schoolarship to Kosei he had earned by his own merits and severe trauma.

HOSTAGE SITUATIONS HAPPEN AS EARLY AS MADARAME'S PALACE!? I've only have to deal with it once, with Ann in the Holy Grail thing. I think some Black Ooze took her hostage, but that was my first playthrough! Now Ryuji's been taken hostage by Ame-no-uzume. :,(

SHE CALLED HIM MY PARTNER. P4 FLASHBACKS.

...I- I- My life for Ryuji's? I- Yeah. Battlewise, bad plan. But- But my boy-

THE BITCH DOES NOT GET TO PLEAD FOR HER LIFE AFTER THREANING RYUJI

Aw, Ryuji leveled up. :)

...Will Seeds look like demonic potatoes. Yummy.

I like that Palace Ruler Alertness doesn't go up as much as in vanilla.

Ryuji really is the kind of person to pick at anything, isn't he? Walls, scabs, loose thred, peeling paint.

The way Joker runs looks so weird from a distance.

The little whispering shit near the Will Seeds is so fucking creepy, not gonna lie.

5/22 and I'm slamming Madarame into the ground!

I can't STOP SEEING MATHEW MERCER EVERY TIME YUSUKE TALKS. I heard it and now I can't unhear it. I only knew him as the DM in Critical Role and now I'm fuuuuuucked.

...Yusuke really does have the most tragic backstory. Never knew his dad, mom died when he was a kid, and was raised by a bastard who used him for his own selfish gains. The others at least knew their parents for a time. Yusuke's been an orphan basically his entire life...

AAAAAAnd then Ryuji ruined it by complaining baout black coffee (not that I blame him, yuck)

"We have too many dude..." I say, and Yusuke looks so innocent when he offers to dress as a woman. I would support this notion! I have seen his outfit in the dancing game! Allow me this, Atlus!

...Morgana is so full of himself.

You can't have Ann, cat! She's already taken!

So... Morgana makes comentary about me saving even when I'm... not taking forever on the save screen? Weird.

Igor paused when asked about the man in the black mask. Proof early on that he knew something! (We all know that he did, but there's proof now, hindsight and all)

Joker has dry humor. That, or no one else has a sense or humor in this game. Either way, I love picking on Morgana.

Why does telling Ann 'I love you' during her confiant route only give you a +2? Because, like, I really do...

Anyways, did you know that out of all the datable options, Ann is the one you can say that to the most?

Opperation Maidwatch is so awkward.

...I really need a comic where Ann dresses the boys off based off that one event with her, Mishima, Ryuji, and Joker.

Where's the logic in there being an event in the middle of a palace run that, you know, eats into palace run time? Not that I need it, but still.

Every time I go on a date with Ryuji, I get super happy.

...Can this game PLEASE let me have at least nuetral responses to the redheaed first year? I'm- I don't LIKE HER. It's the them trying to make Makoto the prefered love interest all over again. Not having it, mates.

Ryuji, you try to be a punk, but you're so judgemental of everyone's outfits. Can't fool me, pretty boy.

...This entire clean up thing really bothers me. Like, it's literally useless. I don't think you can do anything after it, and COME ON. What else are people using this time for unless it's preping for palaces?

Ryuji is a Good Boy and it's literally just the preceeding reputation that kills it.

Maruki is still a meme. Literally that one meme where the guy throws sparkles everywhere.

Fuck off, Yoshizawa, I wanna go find my datemates and go home. I don't wanna eat soup with you.

"I drive without a liscene too." "Even *I* can tell you're joking." Bitch, if you've SEEN what I do in the Metaverse...

...This makes me worried for how they've shoehorned her Awakening into this... I hope it's during Kaneshiro's Palace. That'll make it more bearable.

...Can I not do her social link, or is it story built? 'Cause if I don't have to, I don't want to. But then again... I should probably do it to be a completionest.

Well, I'm sorry Sae, but I wouldn't call a TEENAGER an expert in anything. You also sound too soft. Aren't you still trying to hound him?

The who 'I am Thou' thing sounds so broken and sad for Faith. I don't like this.

I almost wanna bet real money on Tycoon so Yusuke can have some money for food.

Ryuji's just looking at me all wide eyed after I win another game of Tycoon and is like "Shoulda figured." so I'm just sitting here like... Yeah, I'm pretty good at this. I take it seriously even when it's not a serious game.

Anyway, onto Kaneshiro! And fucking Makoto...