#mishima is tired of being nice

[rosehippiefield]

I saw somebody has done Yttd cast in Undertale before but I want to share some ideas about which Yttd character could act as which Undertale character. Of course, there's too many monsters so this is mainly about bosses and minibosses. Also this is long and yttd characters are sometimes repeated as they can serve several roles.

Sara is great for the role of Frisk simply because she has capacity both for sparing and killing. Goddess of Victory or Angel of Death, who will she choose to be? And without a doubt Sara is DETERMINED (Or there's another variant, Kanna, a kind child that will find approach to everybody. However, I don't see anybody trying to kill her there, as well as her even having a thought about killing.)

Kai can be Toriel for several reasons: he is housemaker, he is tied to Sara, so in this AU he can become her guardian for some time. Moreover, Kai has notable bond with Q-Taro and Gashu, both of which could fit Asgore. Imagine him betraying Asunaro and making sure humans survive. Or arguing with Q-Taro about morals.

Depending on the story Shin could match Napstablook when he's being his meek shy self. Just listening to music, not feeling up to anything, creating akward situations and lying on the floor. I can picture him doing it. Additionally, Ranmaru has similar vibe. Not the type to communicate with many, true introvert with deep insecurities... Why not?

Keiji is definitely Sans and I can't see it otherwise (well there could be other options but still I love Keiji as Sans). He is constantly tired, a bit lazy, has a fair share of mysteries, same ambience I would say. Keiji loves pushing responsibility onto Sara due to his trauma and consequent self-hate, Sans does nothing in genocide until the very end wheт majority is dead. Plus who is better to judge our protagonist than a policeman?

Joe is Papyrus, I don't make the rules... Well, Gin could act as Papurus as well, but let's at first talk about Joe. He is nice and funny, he befriends Sara easily, he literally can't kill her. He can have a brotherly relationship with Keiji considering "Mr. Policeman is Joe's dad" theory. The only downside is Papyrus can be killed and I don't see Sara killing her bestie in any way, even for survival. Maybe he is a doll and no longer a human?..

As to Gin, he is better as Monster kid in my mind. Curious, energetic teenager that admires strong, reliable and absolutely cool Reko (who's Undyne). Gin really trusts Sara, he is naїve to the point of believing her even in genocide route. Or maybe an annoing dog is also appliable, as Gin's stims include barking (and his desing, his Meow chan that is allegedly a dog) and the dogsong is perfect theme for Gin.

So, Reko as Undyne. Strong in every sense, fighting for her people's sake, brave, plays piano... Not to mention her relationship with Nao-the-Alphys. The thing is, would Reko kill a human for her people? Maybe not, she is quite kind. Especially if said human is Sara. Unless there is some misunderstanding... (I actually would argue Sara is a better fit for Undyne as she is samurai woman fighter type and she can be colder).

I haven't mention dummies before, but I totally picture Anzu as Temmie. Cute, sweet, funny, just good old Temmie.

I nerly forgot about Mad Dummy! In my book Ranger fits the bill here: an artifitial being that is really jealous of humans and hates them for it. He's sarcastic, extremelly rude, ready to kill. Also imagine that in the Ruins we encounter Dummy of Sei that Kai is keeping due to grief and memories, but now it ends up here as Ranger with consciousness but no soul.

Then we move to Hotland. Nao is a good Alphys in my book: a bit dependent, insecure, still striving to become better. Plus I want to give Mishima a Gaster role, so they share connection. (On the second thought, Safalin would make a compelling Alphys as well: she is actually a scientist, she has far more self-deprication as crying doll, she has many sceletons in the closet with questionable experiments).

There's little info on Gaster as well as on Mishima. Royal scientist whose genuis was unparalleled and that fell in lava (burning again?). Though Meister, whose role is still unclear, may look more like Gaster and have the same air of mystery.

For Muffet there are two worthy candidates: Mai and Maple. Both are acquainted with cuisine, both are extra sweet with their words, I think both can be persuasive about the product (it's Mai's profession, and you can't refuse to drink tea in disscussion room so Maple's capable of it as well). And of course you should never underestimate either of girls.

Mettaton... the star of the show, daring, flashy, attractive... Alice was in the band, his desing (in usual sprites just hair) is quite colorful, not to mention his physique, so why not? That would mean interesting relationship with Reko, who's his neighbor. Plus he could be a doll as Mettaton is an artifitially created robot. Maybe Nao/Safalin/whoever's Alphys created him to help Reko, they reconciled and Alice found his own path.

We are nearing the end. Asgore is morally gray character who killed children, regrets it but ready to repeat the deed for the sake of his country. As was mentioned previosly, either Q-Taro or Gashu could fit his role: Q-Taro because of appearance, kindhearted nature but ability to commit not the most ethical actions. I can also insert joke about killing kids (no matter how you interpret Q-Taro's words in the first main game, part of fandom will bring it up). Gashu had done even more morally reprehensible things for his "community" Asunaro. Plus, Gashu literally had a foster child that died (Sei, Ranger's inspiration).

I didn't mention Flowey because his story blossoms only in the end and depending on the person I replace him with the story becomes drastically different. The first one is Shin because firstly, I am biased toward him, secondly, Asriel essentially is bound to return to his flower form (kind of 0% to be truly happy), thirdly, they were both inicially kinder and due to horrible circumstances became worse. But yet they can become better. Moreover, roses. Maybe Kanna here was killed, and from sheer grief Shin turned into a rose? Alternatively, Ranger matches as well: he can't feel positive emotions just as Flowey doesn't feel them (I don't remember specifics but something along these lines). Plus, Sei was killed being a small kid just like Asriel and he has familial connections to Kai-the-Toriel and Gashu-the-Asgore (this sounds extra weird, nobody here is shipped of course. Just in case).

What about the souls and remaining dead people? I think some of the dead could be these souls: Kurumada as Bravery (he is boxer and this soul has gloves), Megumi or Mr. Policeman as Justice (police is supposed to make sure justice prevails), Hayasaka as Perseverance (he looks a bit nerdy and has glasses), Hinako as... Patience? (the real one), Kanna if dead can definitely be Kindness, Kugie as Integrity? Honestly, we know little about these guys so the arrangement can vary a lot.

Finaly, Chara. Maybe I'll do their character an injustice, but imagine them as Midori. When Frisk Sara is in the end of genocide, she sees Midori, a demon that is resurrected by her cruelty. He enjoyed every bit of it. Plus, then dynamic Chara Midori and Asriel Shin becomes quite intriguing (and messed up). Or maybe Kanna could be Chara as well, a kid that met a friend (or foster brother. Oh even a real one) in the underground and then died.

[randum-famdoms]

Hello! I'm reading one of your fic's on ao3 and was wondering when it's gonna be updated? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the fic and wanna know how long until we get a new chapter! Love your writing! And I was so happy to see that you gave Mishima such a cool persona! I love the fic so much! I've been ranting to my friends about it nonstop (even though neither of them have ever played the game) but they both sit there and listen nonetheless! (I may even try and convince them to read it! It's a pretty interesting take on the whole game! And the part where Akira is worried that Mishima will have a problem with him being gay and Mishima just like "If I had a problem with it I would've said something back in kamoshida's palace" was amazing! I love everything about it and I can't explain in words just why I love it so much! It's just amazing! If I was better at art I would LOVE to make some fanart of it!!! Again I can't explain just how much I love it! I hope you're doing well and aren't sick!

(How was the dog sitting by the way? Hope it went well!)

Ahshdjdkjfndbdkjdl thank you??????

I just. *scream*

The idea that people can love a silly little thing I write for fun this much is kinda unreal to me. Idk how to respond???? Thanks????

I mean, I’ve reacted like this to fics I have read before but having it turned into myself is trippy. Like this is some weirdly dream or some shit. Idk man. Shit’s wild.

Every time someone tells me how happy they are about the way I’m treating mishima in my fic I am further convinced that everyone who says he’s a bad character is a fucking coward and if more people would just make Mishima positive content then the fandom would be better off. He does not get enough love and appreciation and I will gladly take on the mantle of Mishima Ambassador. He is my blorbo, my boi, and I love him dearly. He deserves better, both in game and in the fandom, so I just did it myself.

Also, I ain’t about to beg you for fanart because you reading my fic is more than enough already and then you sent me this ask and Ann bear gave me a heart attack from joy, but trust me if you think you’re a bad artist I’ve seen worse. Much, much worse. I took an art class in a very sports heavy highschool and 90% of the kids in there were teenage boys who thought it would be an easy A. The first assignment was to draw a realistic hand. You’d think that they were AI with how bad some of them looked. So yeah, any hypothetical art you make is beautiful to me, especially because I’m fairly sure that if anyone made fanart of my fic I’d cry tears of joy <3

I tried really hard to update every week and I failed miserably, so I’ve made the decision to cut back to every other week. I’m like 85% sure that I’ll get the next chapter up this Sunday. I started my summer classes today and one of them (my English class) is cramming a 14 week course into 4 weeks, but I’ve always been pretty good at English/reading/writing so I’m hoping that that won’t ruin my update schedule AGAIN. I swear I can’t go two weeks without something fucking up my writing/editing time. We’ll see how it goes. I am not sick don’t worry, Just like, super fuckin tired cause my sleep schedule is fucked. I’m pretty good otherwise tho!

Dogsitting went well! I actually finished up with that yesterday. The little demon I was taking care of had absolutely no braincells, and was very annoying, and she kept pooping in my bathroom no matter how often I tried to take her outside to shit, but at least she’s small so it was easy to clean up and she was a good size to cuddle. Overall it was a 5/10 experience that was turned into a 9/10 because of the couple hundred dollar paycheck I got for it. The family I was doing it for is uncomfortably rich lol. Pretty sure some of it is blood money because the dad is an ex-cop turned middle school teacher (neither of which make good money) and the mom is a Russian immigrant stay-at-home mom and they somehow own a huge house in a really nice neighborhood and can afford a two week trip to the Caribbean on that income. I ain’t gonna complain tho.

I’m excited to get chapter 11 written and posted, I think it’s gonna be really fun! Lots of good plot and character development is gonna be happening :) the fic is really picking up now that we’ve finally gotten over all the exposition hurdles. Only took 60k words lol (I swear I thought that it would take half as long as it did to get to this point in the fic, at this rate the things gonna end up 800k words long and I’ll be dead before it’s finished)

[soulofamy]

spoilers for tekken 8's story and character endings under the tag! read at your own disgression. these are just my thoughts on it. for transparancy, i likely wont actually be able to purchase and play the game for the foreseeable future so i just watched a playthrough of it instead

so ill start with what i liked. i really liked that, unlike tekken 7, everyone on the roster to some degree was in the main story. i like that a good healthy handful of them even tried their best to aid the efforts against kazuya. it was really nice for me especially to see shaheen get to be cool and heroic. i dont want to hear ANYONE say hes boring ever again, you hear me?

i like the character endings as well, theyre so fun and lighthearted. i liked zafinas and shaheens the most. i surprisingly likes kazuyas and juns too, it makes me think he actually DOES love his wife to an extent. not enough for me to like him as a character unfortunately though lol.

i LOVED angel jin at the end. his design imo was phenominal. i love that they crossed an ethereal, otherwordly monster with a knight and gave him golden angel wings too. it was so visually captivating, i will be looking out for a character sheet to see what distinct features i can point out. i just love that they made an angel design so unique, there was nothing predictable or boring about it.

now things i didnt like

first off, i am SO mad that they killed off zafina AND claudio so early on. they were the two i was most interested to see!! i wanted to see their dynamic together!! but at least zafinas death made a little more sense than claudios. his death did absolutely nothing for the story! i thought maybe that hyper-charged up bolt he shot was going to slowly deteriorate kazuya overtime and weaken him enough that jin could take him one on one or something but NOPE! even zafina i felt didnt need to die. was it ever explained that her life force was connected to azazel? wouldnt it make more sense if she was free to be of MORE use now that azazel isnt holding her back? i never thought i would write tekken fanfiction but they have forced my hand. justice for my faves please </3

they did nothing with leo finding his mother and that makes me sad. its cool we got his dad though, he seems like a cool guy. i wouldnt mind his dad being a new fighter.

steve just kind of dropping the whole thing with nina also upsets me because like if you were going to make the ending to that whole thing so lackluster, why introduce it at all? nina clearly doesnt care and steve just kinda carries on, what was the point? why put nina through such a traumatizing experience of having a child against her will for such little payout?

lastly, i just really could not give two rats toenails about reina im sorry 😭 like visually shes boring. her personality is boring AND annoying. and then they try and make us want more by showing us this heihachi child is ALSO a devil. like i am so tired of the mishima saga that i dont care enough to wonder who her mother is. there are SO many loose ends that havent been tied up yet, i dont want a potential tekken 9 to focus on the mishimas anymore i am on my hands and knees begging

[livewithyura]

Day 1 - First meet ! [ kazujun One-Shot Fanfic ]

Prompts : Jun Being a double agent to Hunt Kazuya down , but is that worth it?

1 year before the iron fist tournament

Jun's Pov

I lift my chin up , staring into the tall building that touches the sky. It doesn’t amuse me , It punches my guts knowing that I sign myself up for this mess.

    The crowded noises haunted the big city , everyone’s moving normally . Except for me , I just stood there and stared at the Mishima Zaibatsu main headquarters.The feeling of curiosity coated with my nervousness. 

    Of course , I don’t want to mess this up . This company is full of hungry monsters.Working as wildlife surveillance officer is a flexible job.Most of people think I’m just handling animals , but the job scope is wider than that.It becomes much wider when Kazuya Mishima appears in this whole chapter.

Ceo Of The Mishima Zaibatsu , Kazuya Mishima. A devil himself. Well , I’m not saying that he’s a devil but he acts like one.

In my research , he was involved with  an illegal animal experiment . Not just that , he has also been involved with smuggling animals across the world.I can’t tolerate my hatred , my hatred keeps growing just like the poisoning apple tree.

    The problem keeps increasing after someone volunteers my name to be a double-agent for that man.He likes animals in a toxic way right? Doing a stupid experiment and acknowledging their worth in such a devilish way . So , I’m here to ‘pretend’ that I care about his interest and collect all the evidence to bring him down.

    “You have an innocent face , He won’t be suspicious staring at your angel-like face . Mrs.Kazama” 

I’ve never wanted to scream all of the curse words on top of my lungs this bad . God , It’s tiring to keep up my kind face when all I want to do is give him a nice uppercut on his chin.I hate being a double-agent , especially to Kazuya Mishima.

     I fixed my bangs before I decided to walk into the dragon’s dungeon , I mean the Mishima Zaibatsu headquarters.

Honestly , I was overwhelmed by the environment on this ground floor. I keep walking until I reach the cafeteria as my eyes continue to search for Kazuya’s secretary.I feel like everyone's watching me with untrusted feelings . I Just want to go back home and have a nice bath but now I’m here.

“Ah! You’re Jun..kazama?” 

My entire body jolted a bit when my name was called by a name . A silver haired guy accompanied me with a warm smile. I was told to find Mr.Lee Chaolan for my appointment with Kazuya.

     I noticed he looked at my name-tag as I tried to not hide it in the first place .

    “Yes , Nice to meet you”

     “Ahh!! Nice to meet a beautiful lady like you! My name is Mr.Lee , Mr.Mishima’s secretary . Care to follow me, my lady?” Stated Lee while opening his left arm with elegance.

     Why does he act..so flamboyant? Well , I don’t have any reason to object to his offer .

I can’t hide my hatred , I can’t act that I want to ruin this man’s career even though I want Kazuya’s reputation to be torn apart. I Just want a fair fight , not this cunning fight.

    In short , I don’t want to act like a joker in this chapter.

My eyes are locked into the screen , the 100th floor.

    “Awe , don’t be nervous my lady.You will be just fine….. If everything turns out wrong you know I'm here to help you . I will wait in front of his office door” . Lee addressed his words with a modest attitude.

“Thank you , Mr Lee . I appreciate it” I replied , he tilted his face while looking at my face.Does he know? 

   “Thank god he doesn't need to kidnap people that work as a wildlife officer”  Lee hummed.

      What’s that supposed to mean!? He kidnapped people? How crazy can he be?

In front of his office door , feeling helpless. I was terrified to meet him . 

     No . Keep your head up Jun . You can’t be scared of him . 

     I feel like someone stepped on my stomach as soon as I stepped into his cage . I don’t see anyone except for the office that resembles fancy suites . It’s gloomy and empty . 

      “Take a sit” A low-adverb voice comes from the chair that faces the window . 

 I narrowed my eyes as soon as the black chair turned around to face me . The purple tuxedo of his makes him so magnetic , but it was obnoxious . 

       “You have 10 minutes” . He didn’t look at me once , Looks like he tried to keep himself busy by tying up the paperwork .

     “Can you be more specific?” I stated , he raised his eyebrow with an untoned face. The silence between us works like classical music in this gloomy room.

     “I give you 10 minutes . 10 minutes to impress me, Why should I take you? Why are you qualified for this job? Why….you?” He crossed his legs while looking at the paperwork . 

“I know why you want someone like me to work under you”  I covered the nervousness in me with my smile,He tilted his head finally looking at me.

    “As you can see , I’m not a newbie in my company . I'm an expert at my job . You need a wildlife like me to clear your mess and I’m willingly to serve you” I said , I gaze into his eyes to make sure he trusts me.

   It was a lie , I’m here to be a traitor . Not his ally .

“My mess?” He scoffed as he put his paperwork aside to look at my face.

   God , I shouldn't have said that . I crumble the front page of my notebook as I try to keep my composure.

“Why? You’re not agree with that? Are you aware of what you were doing?” I said .

   I can’t hold my anger anymore , I don’t care if I get caught . He finally stood up from the chair , folding the button sleeves of his tuxedo.

“I'm aware of what I’m doing , Mrs…” he hesitate ,

“Kazama,” I said .

“Mrs.Kazama , I like your…fearlessness” He grins at me while sitting at the table , he crosses his arms with arrogance.

   “That’s basic skills for a wildlife officer to have” I kept my chin up , trying to pretend that I am not afraid of him. Meanwhile , I’d rather hunt a lion than be in this room with Kazuya Mishima.

“No I don’t care about skills requirements that wildlife need to have , I’m talking about you” He’s not even stuttering when he says something weird like that.

   “Are you really that fearless?....”  He stood up from the table , changing his position as he approached me.He’s now sitting across from me with a grin on his face.

   “...or are you just pretending?” 

   You can’t give up right now Jun , he tries to test you.

“Why should I? My company believes that you have a power that will benefit us in future”  I said , My eyes still glued into his face . That was a lie , My company prayed for his downfall . So do I,I need to bring him down so the animals will not be his weapon again.

    “How about you? Why do you want to work with me?” 

  This is the worst interview I’ve ever had in my life.

Silence , There’s no words that will be out of my mouth . It’s like my tongue has been cut by an angel of hell.

“Are you alright ? Mrs.Kazama?” He woke me up from deep thinking . 

“Yes”

“Answer my question” he voice became deeper and firm as he looked into my eyes . I tightened my grips on my black long skirt as I tried to keep my composure to talk to him.

“To gain experience” The words finally free from my mouth , at this point I don’t care what nonsense topic that comes from my mouth.

   Kazuya, a heartless man, finally gives his honest laugh.Oh , so he does have feelings?

  “You came in this room questioning my wrong-doings with a fearless attitude and now you gave me such a basic answer”  He scoffed , he finally stood up from his chair . He came closer to me , he put both his hands in his pocket as he kneel his back a little bit to face me.

   “You’re hired” he whispered to my face with an arrogant attitude , I just wanted to punch his face . 

    “Thank you , Mr.Mishima” I gave him my hand to do a handshake.He looked at it with disinterested eyes.

     “Return that handshake when you are done with one task , Lee will help you . Keep touch with him…and me” 

No , I can sense something in him . There’s a darkness that can’t be tamed . He's a monster , I’ve never gone through this feeling , his aura sends chills down my spine.

      “Alright” I said with a little hesitation. He put his hand gently on my shoulder .

       “I’ll look forward to you...don’t disappoint me . If you ever betrayed me , you know what it cost . I will hunt you down and destroy your whole life . Remember?” He patted my shoulder gently while whispering his death threats . Jerk .

“yo kazu-I mean Mr.Mishima ! Your meeting will be held soon”  Lee opened the door , why he’s not come sooner? 

  “See you again , Mrs.Kazama” He said while taking a step leaving me in his office . I watch him leave as I think about the decision that I just made . I still crave for a fair fight , I don’t want this cunning plan to crucify my heart with darkness . I know it from the very start , I will never be the same again after I’ve met Kazuya Mishima.

[tsuki-sennin]

Welcome to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo~! Family shenanigans~! Heroism~! Jet planes~! Weird things we discovere about Elle~? New villain~? All this (hopefully) and more in these two installments of Hirogaru Sky PreCure~!

It's been real hot out lately so I've been pretty tired so hopefully a bit of heroism is the cool breeze I need to wake up~!

-Itadakimasu~!

-Breakfast time

-Already taking their mom duties tremendously serious.

-So, Tsubasa-kun... explain to me your thought process here.

-I'm not angry or anything, I'm just... perplexed.

-Waku Waku~!

-Ageha gets it. She may be the Messiah, but she's still a literal gosh-dang baby.

-Sorashinosaurus~!

-Don't worry Elle, soon you'll meet Reptar and the world will never be the same.

-Animalsmals.

-CAPYBARA

-You have been chosen.

-Like Baby Jesus and the Sheep.

-Elephant~!

-It's called a trunk, laddie.

-Blue and white... just like Sora-chan.

-Oh wow.

-They're not just different colored for the sake of it, there's evolutionary reason for it, I'm glad they thought to tell us that.

-Her disciples.

-I have to wonder if she overheard Tsubasa's chats with his bird bros?

-That lion sure is a nice guy.

-If she's anything like Chiffon, she's a demon core in doll form.

-

-"Classes for gifted children-" Noooooooooooooooo hoho, no~! No~! No. No.

-SORA SJHLH

-Calm down there, Heihachi Mishima. At least wait until she can carry conversations.

-She heals the sick...

-Thank you, pastel-colored baby.

-To the petting zoo~!

-This must be our new guy.

-Whoa, a minotaur!

-...Buffa?

-Finally, a worthy opponent... our battle shall be legendary~!

-Okay, so... if Battamonda's a PreCure take on a villainous Kamen Rider, and Kabaton was an homage to Bebop from the Ninja Turtles... does that make this guy

-BNUUUY

-I could just die from all this cuteness

-Fear.

-Whoa, he looks super goddamn cool.

-Minoton, of the Underg Empire!

-"Don't compare me to that dottering old gasbag!"

-OKAY BUSTING OUT A T-REX FOR YOUR FIRST MONSTER THIS GUY'S MY NEW FAVORITE

-Readyyyyy Go~!

-Straight up eats energy.

-No head?

-Ah, the good old tyrannosaurus rex. Only the most noble of our North American ancestors.

-It's easy to forget, but they're not just imposing, but with many of their prey being heavily armored and and surrounded by kin, they'd have to have been very intelligent hunters.

-...I wonder what a dinosaur themed season would be like?

-That poor bnnuy!

-Oh! A whole sentence!

-OH!

-Okay! Goddamn!

-"No true warrior raises a hand to a baby!"

-Y'know Tsubasa, the T-Rex is thought to be an ancestor to many varieties of birds in North America. The closest, of course, being the chicken. Dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets are therefore very fitting.

-Holy goddamn he's so cool.

-Wants to be a hero when she grows up~!

-No need to fear the bnuuy.

-*sniffle* They grow up so fast.

-That was a Saki cameo right there

-Tsubasa-kun! It's at last time~! Your day has finally come~!

-Baby Pushups!

-Incredible balance!

-Meet the grandparents~!

-Oh man Sora... ready to meet the in-laws?

-The airport~! The airport~!

-That was a great episode right there.

-Welcome to the airport~!

-There is so much autism stored inside that bird.

-Do it.

-Flying is a matter of making wind and riding!

-JETTO NINJIN

-An intellectual rival has appeared!

-Lots and lotsa planes.

-"Wow, these planes are toys."

-...well, with a name like that, you seem predestined to like planes.

-Kinda like me (Justin) with superheroes.

-Oh!

-Okay, he was just "Tsubasa of the Puni Bird Tribe" before, eh?

-...y'know I'd be a little more concerned about his legal status, but Sora goes to school just fine.

-Coooooooool~!

-Ohhhh, left your pops out to dry, eh? That's not good, is it?

-No need to worry~!

-"Please come to the information desk at once, my."

-JETTO NINJIN!

-Minoton buys his clothes from the Joe Fixit collection.

-I see Mashiro's also taken a shine to the little lady.

-"Well said, my boy~!"

-Let's meet our parents once more~!

-PreCure-sama, PreCure-sama~!

-He's broiling like an angus beef patty.

-The wind~!

-Ranborg~!

-"Battle me, Pretty Cure. There's no chance for you to flee again."

-Oh, Tsubasa takin' the lead today!

-Good on ya lad.

-Battle Time.

-Oh, that bird hit the windshield.

-Oh my god it's the infinity symbol, he is autistic!

-I win!

-I absolutely love Wing's tactical side being so colored by his aviation knowledge.

-Prism used Bubble Beam!

-Ride the wind, boy!

-Extra shiny yellow!

-Off we fly!

-Meet the missus's parents.

-Sora's keeping that shirt in reserve.

-I suppose a whole episode with Mr. and Mrs. Nijigaoka isn't happening

-PEACH

-You seriously dodged a bullet Love, there was a Jet Ninjin earlier.

-...though in fairness, I think you'd absolutely vibe to this ED, it reminds me a lot of You Make Me Happy, one of my favorites from this franchise.

-Next episode?

-Oh! Okay, the Mirror Pad is a pocket dimension apparently. That's frightening.

-And Elle's the God of this world.

-Anyhoo, see you next time~!

[takamakisu]

Alright so Royal absolutely robbed us of Mishima/Kasumi dynamic and I for one, am mad about it. The number one fan of the Phantom Thieves interacting with somebody who disapproves of their methods?? That would've been SO interesting. Like, she transfers in and people snub her because they think she's stuck up so Mishima befriends her cuz outcasts gotta stick together, yeah? But then when she brings up her stance about the Phantom Thieves, shit hits the fan. Think about it. In Mishima's eyes, Kasumi's viewpoint from the trailer of "the only one who can change your situation is yourself" would be absolutely RIDICULOUS because he was in a situation where that was literally impossible. He'd probably be angry too, because Kasumi has a loving (albeit a bit overprotective) father, and a bright future ahead of her so like.. how could she understand anything? At all? I think he'd really really dislike her because of that. Even with Akechi, he can't really argue that the Thieves aren't morally right. But Kasumi's argument REEKS of naiveté and he would definitely call her out on it.

...and because I could Not Stop Thinking about it, I wrote something. This drabble was written when the trailers dropped so uh..some creative liberty was taken but I hope y'all like it!

"Whoooooooo!"

 Mishima's holler could be heard all the way down the hall, reaching Kasumi's ears before she even saw him come into her vision; and he skidded around the corner, waving his arms a bit as he raced towards the first year. Students stared at him in bewilderment, but he paid them no heed. "Kasu-chan! Kasu-chan! KASU-CHAN!"

"What Mishima, what Mishima, WHAT MISHIMA--" she called back as she turned to face him, sounding annoyed, but he knew by now it was more playful teasing than anything. Yuuki slowed and stopped, beginning to chatter excitedly, and she put her hands to his shoulders. "Mishima-kun. Breathe." The boy took two deep breaths, and then exhaled as calmly as possible. 

"Good?"

"Yes. Now what's up?"

"The Phantom Thieves took down another baddie!!" he chirped, and her face crinkled with concern. 

"..oh." 

Mishima didn't notice though, and he almost puffed out his chest with pride. "And it's all thanks to me," he beamed, seemingly aglow. Kasumi tilted her head, furrowing her brows.

 "..what do you mean?"

"Well, you know, the Phan-Site? I got them on the map, pushed them through the door," he explained, moving his hands as he spoke. Now everybody's talkin' about 'em and things are changing!" 

"And so are you," she replied softly, shaking her curls. "Mishima, you're riding on their coattails. Sure, you give them suggestions, but they're doing all the leg work! Do you even care about justice anymore? Or is this just for a title you can parade around like a war badge? See, this is what's wrong with them, good deeds shouldn't have to be... grandiose and out there," Kasumi went on, lifting her hands, and a few students stopped to listen to the argument. "You equate justice with recognition and--"

"I should've known you wouldn't understand," he interrupted, and a dark shadow seemed to fall over his entire face. Kasumi silenced, looking bewildered. 

"Understand what?"

"You don't understand, Kasumi," Mishima accused, jabbing a finger, "What it feels like to be nothing. All my life, my existence has been a joke." He took an angry step forward, and she stepped back. "Nobody took me seriously, nobody was there for me. Not my parents, and definitely not my teachers. The Phantom Thieves saved me, saved Shiho, saved an abundance of people!! You've got your life already made, you've been a gymnast since middle school and everybody loves you, so how the hell would you understand what I'M going through?! How do you have any right to speak on this!?"

Mishima's voice was booming now, and more people had stopped. 

"The Phantom Thieves made me feel like SOMEBODY," he thundered. "Like I actually mattered for once in my life. I'm LIVING now, Kasumi. This 'change from within' doesn't apply to these sons of bitches who don't care about anybody but themselves. Your ideal doesn't work for them. 'The only one can change your situation is you'?! That's BULLSHIT! How can you have the GALL to say something like that after what JUST happened with Kamoshida!?"

Silence. A few students covered their mouths, quiets "oh"s chorusing in the air.

"And another thing," he went on, eyebrows furrowing, "The Phan-Site is not just 'giving suggestions'. I have to manage threads," and he started ticking off on his fingers," I set up polls to keep the community thriving, I ban trolls and people who incite drama and negativity-"

"Tell her!" somebody in the back yelled.

"I dig up information on suspicious people myself on top of sorting through a shit ton of recommendations and requests from users on the site, which I then relate to Phantom Thieves, and I do this for hours a day, easy. And what thanks do I get for it? NONE. But yanno why I don't even care? Because this is a work of passion, and after the Phantom Thieves saved my wellbeing this is the LEAST I can do for them. I may not be changing any hearts, but don't you DARE undermine my work as just 'giving suggestions' because it's JUST as important!" 

Hoots of laughter, clapping, and cheering erupted from fellow students, and Mishima's chest heaved with emotion as his tirade ended.

"Yuuki, I didn't mean to-"

"The Phantom Thieves, whether you approve of their methods or not, are changing society," he finished, pushing roughly past her with his shoulder. 

"So don't get in their way."

Kasumi's shoes clunked a little on the floor as she stumbled to the side, face just as red as them; and then she whipped around, ponytail snapping.

"Yuuki- wait- just... listen," she panted, chasing after him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think the Phantom Thieves are BAD." His dark eyes took on a glimmer of incredulousness, and he raised a black eyebrow. "I just think the way they're going about things is wrong."

"Then what do you suggest we do, Kasu-chan?" he challenged, turning to face her. "Huh? What's your solution?" 

"We teach people how to work through their issues. We teach them how to fight; how to be strong, encourage them to change themselves. It's not easy. But it CAN be done. Mishima...listen. You know the Phantom Thieves, don't you? Talk to them, tell them what I say. The change they're bringing about is not the change we need. What I'm saying is," and she patted the air with her hands, "What happens when society starts getting dependent on the Phantom Thieves and wants them to solve all their problems?"

"That won't happen."

"And how do you know?"

"Because the Phantom Thieves only go after criminals," Mishima countered. "They may not obey the law, but they at least have standards."

"Either way, we shouldn't be stealing people's hearts," Kasumi said gently.

And she lay a hand to her breast.

"We need to heal them."

"Oh yeah, lemme just sit down with criminal leaders, abusers and low down scum and encourage them to 'change themselves', 'heal their hearts.' This isn't a fairy tale Kasumi," Mishima snapped, although he just sounded tired at this point. "You can't just wish for things to get better and then bippity boppity boo, everything is all sunshine and rainbows. Wake up, and see reality, because you obviously don't."

And he stormed away, leaving one flabbergasted redhead staring after him in the hall. 

[mariposalass]

Sora’s Time to Shine

Summary: Mari is already not putting too much expectations going into watching the Final Smash Presentation when someone close to her besides Kirby and Edelgard’s beloved Professor pops out of nowhere in said Presentation. All hell breaks loose (but in a good way).

Setting: Mari and co.’s house in Daly City, California; October 5, 2021

Notes: I was pretty behind in seeing the reveal since I was pretty tired when it came out and I had to check a friend’s post on Plurk to make sure that it was not all for the jokes before watching it on Gamespot and writing this story down. And yes, the Byleth in my S/I verse is the female version in case anyone is curious. And yes, it took me until around 8 AM to write this up. Featuring Luther Vandross. Here is an ask I made on Sora’ behest during a F/O takeover long before he got confirmed recently. #SakuraiHasReachedtheImpossibleDream #Sora4Smash

Tags: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Super Smash Bros., Swift Keyblader, Smash Reveal, Sakurai has reached the impossible dream!, Sora for Smash, #Sora4Smash

“Hurry Mari, you’re about to miss it!” Kairi is dragging me out onto the sofa to see the final Smash Ultimate Presentation on the living room pretty early before plopping ourselves onto the sofa.

“Look, Kairi, guys. I hate to be a party pooper, but I have no clue about who could it be,” I try to be realistic in my views.

“Well, at this point, my beloved, it could be anybody from the video game world,” my dear Philip chimes in while trying to reassure me, “Besides, as soon as it is done, we shall try to reply back to this non Smash invitation that El had found in the mail today.”

“Huh, is that correct, El dear?” I asked my regal adopted daughter for confirmation.

“Why yes of course, Mother,” she replies as she passes me the invitation, “I believe that a friend of yours has sent us one, but I didn’t want to open it immediately since this is addressed to you.”

“Okay then, I will get to read it and reply back once the Presentation is over and see who gets to fight with Kirby and Professor Byleth,” I smiled back at her.

“I couldn’t believe that there was a leak that just came out before this Presentation video and it is about music. Who was that dense enough to do it at a time like this?” Riku mumbles as he gets the video streaming on the Nintendo Direct page in his laptop.

“You know, Riku, sometimes people can act very idiotic at times, so there isn’t much we can do besides ignoring and avoiding that as much as possible,” Harry sighs as he is bottle feeding and gently rocking Serena as she had cried a while ago to be bottle fed.

“Guys, have you guys seen Sora lately?” Issa asks us while carrying Chris in her arms, “I haven’t seen him in the last few days. He didn’t even reply back to either my or Kairi’s texts and calls. Do you think he’s off to visit Jack and Sally in Halloween Town? It’s nearing Halloween soon.”

“That’s really a good question, Issa,” Ahk agrees, “I had given up trying to find him by calling over on the phone since last Thursday. All I have gotten from it were many ‘The subscriber could not be reached’ messages.”

Even Riku and Kairi are in a loss for words as they turn to each other and wonder what is up with our friend lately. Did he just went poof without us knowing? Kirby always informs us through his many Poyos that he would have to head off to Smash whenever a new tourney starts or a newcomer arrives and Edelgard’s class often gets shorter class schedules or early dismissals whenever Professor Blyeth gets to fight in Smash: she is the professor handling the Black Eagles class. Sometimes even El, Petra and Dorothea along with a few others (and yes, that includes the Gatekeeper) would come over to Smash to spectate from the sidelines and support their beloved Professor.

There is a long silence when the Nintendo Switch title card plays in the laptop and Karina directs us all to watch the screen to see many clips featuring many Smashers in the current tournament before it transitions to Sakurai-san in the studio explaining about the video as well as showcasing the Mii Fighter costumes.

“Hey look, Isabelle the Dog’s demon slaying friend from Bethesda is now coming to Smash to rip and tear up the competition!” Moana screams when the Doomguy Mii Gunner costume appears.

“Good for him; I know that many fans really did want him to be in Smash, though the costume is a nice addition,” Issa agrees. “That now makes three Bethesda franchises represented in the costumes.”

“Even the Octolings and Judd the Cat got hats based on them too,” I chime in as well.

“Oh hey, guys! Sakarui’s about to reveal the last fighter for the Second Fighter’s Pass, so keep down it and don’t expect too much,” Karina informs as Sakurai transitions to the main event and we all stay silent and stay glued to our seats.

The screen turns black before the usual Smash logo opening shows up, but instead of the usual zoom in, it then turns into a flaming Smash logo with all the Smashers up until Kazuya Mishima (yeah, the guy who tried to drop Kirby off a cliff) looking at it and covered in the shadows. Did MH decided to get them to show up in there and meet the last fighter in the dark? Probably, I bet that he might be keeping it as a surprise and possibly even conserving electricity at the same time. Then cut to Inkling Girl looking in awe with the Smash logo reflecting onto her pupils as a nice ode to the first reveal trailer for the game/tourney, I honestly love this shot.

Wait a minute, the logo turns into stars and the next scene shows everyone frozen in place as toy-like ambiios?!? How is it even possible? Well, it does certainly confirmed once again that the video game version of the tourney is set in a world of make believe after all. I could swear that a lot of people crying their eyes out as they are watching this. It looks like this is the end of one great video game series about mascots fighting among each other. Or is it? Because the camera is aiming at Mario as if he looks like he’s trying to take a nap while standing up.

Riku then proceeds to mumble some words to me incoherently that something big is coming the moment Mario wakes up to see a glowing light to see the last remaining flame glowing on the floor, which I do agree with him. Suspicious right? Oh God, Mario no! Please don’t touch the fire for everyone’s sanity. Wait, hold on a second: that isn’t not just fire that he just grabbed on and then tossed it into the sky like a boomerang: the mystery object looks like a Keyblade and there’s that Mickey keychain! Yep, that’s a Keyblade alright. Could it be...

I could recognize that beam of light that Keyblades often produce whenever they lock and unlock Keyholes to other worlds, so does everyone in the room. Riku and Kairi hugged onto each other as if we’re about to brace for an emergency (Karina and Moana also did the same), Ahk stares at the screen to see if he’s not imagining things all the sudden, Issa has her mouth drop in shock, Chris and Serena didn’t cry throughout this entire presentation, Harry gasps and nearly drops Serena’s bottle, Philip turns to me for answers while Edelgard begins to sweatdrop in concern.

No words are exchanged as the light grows and shines brighter before it proceeds to shoot itself away from the Keyblade to reveal a Keyhole on another part of the room. It then glows bright within as the camera switches back to the rest of frozen Smashers as the light begins to fill the room and revives Link, Cloud, Incineroar and Mewtwo as they all gawk at it as it reveals something from the World of Light with the orchestral rendition of Simple and Clean playing in the background. And that’s when it hits us right at the gut: the familiar spiky brown hair poking out from that Keyhole.

“What!?!” Kairi shouts as the Keyhole ‘spits’ out Sora from the World of Light.

“H-h-he actually got in, for real?” Riku squeaks up.

“Oh my…” I gasp in pure shock as we watch the whole thing played out.

“Sakarui finally did it?” Issa adds in to the discussion.

“Well, it’s about time that they managed to get his darn behind into the tourney,” Karina seconds in.

Soon enough, Sora finally wakes up from his nappy time and takes notes from Peter Pan and Tinkerbell as he flies around, sprinkling fairy dust all over the other Smashers, before landing on the floor and the Keyblade flying back to his hand.

“Damn it, Sora!” I scream as the splash screen pops in.

“Kai, your boy has finally made it big time!” Moana shakes Kairi in congratulation rather rapidly that it nearly gives my lil sis a dizzying spell.

“Moana, please don’t make Kairi that dizzy,” Harry had to tell her that.

“Whoops! Sorry Kairi,” she apologizes to her which she accepts.

So with that, we switch back to Sakurai going in depth with Sora’s moveset after he discussed about the Kingdom Hearts games and world. And he has gotten 4 costume changes, man Sora, that’s a big wardrobe you’re bringing in, oh wait, he even got the Timeless River costume too. That makes it 5 then.

“Oh gods, Sakurai is making us suffer by watching Sakurai using Sora to beat up everyone,” Ahk tells us as the Sora moveset showcase begins.

“No kidding,” Harry muses as we see Sora beating everyone in Battlefield.

“Whoa, they went for Sealing the Keyhole instead of having Trinity Force with Donald and Goofy? What a bummer,” Karina bemoans in dismay.

“Well, you know modern Disney: too overprotective of their IPs,” Philip reminds her.

“Oh new stage, what could it be?” Riku gleefully chimes in before they reveal Hollow Bastion as the stage, “Whoa, Hollow Bastion. I never thought that you will return again.”

Then the stage changes into Dive to the Heart and it had Riku and Kairi in the stained glass in one, Riku being the main focus of the second one, Roxas in the middle of the third, Xion in the fourth, Terra for the fifth, a sleepy Ven in the sixth, and Aqua’s in the seventh.

“Pretty!” I complimented the look of each stained glass.

“Quite impressive I will admit,” El agrees with me too.

Then Sakurai begins a playthrough with Sora facing Cloud and Sephiroth in Hollow Bastion, for a while, we all thought that he’s going to be a goner with Cloud and Sephiroth beating him up in the Stamina match but then the tides begin to turn in his favor after Sephy lost his full stock and with Sora having to take down Cloud next. When he did, the scene begins to go into a slow white fade out with a Game!

“Alright! Sora did it! He defeated both Cloud and mean old Sephy,” Riku cheers on.

“Woo! Go Sora!” me, Kairi, Moana, and Karina screams aloud.

“That was brilliant!” Harry agrees before he turns to Serena, “Did you hear? Uncle Sora managed to defeat two opponents in a Smash Ultimate playthrough.”

“9 songs is better than nothing at all,” Issa observes, “It would be a licensing nightmare to talk to Disney if they can borrow a couple of songs from them and they straight up refuse to assist, oh well. Oooh, a Dearly Beloved Swing arrangement, nice! I better get that save file on the Switch prompto!”

“And check out that Spirit Board: Aunt Kairi has a Spirit of herself,” Edelgard informs us as the Spirit Board for KH is revealed.

“Oh gee, never thought that it could ever happen, but thanks,” she blushes.

“Hey, I got one as well, same with Axel, Xion, Roxas, Aqua, Terra and Ven,” Riku joins in, “Marina is so going to be happy to see her boyfriend as a Spirit. She will probably try to get him real soon.”

“You bet it right, Riku, you bet it right,” I nod and agree with that last statement.

“Oh hey, he’s going to be ready within a few weeks’ time,” Karina speaks up, “Neat! The roster is now complete.”

“Even Steve and Alex have amiibos of themselves being made, that’s even more wonderful,” Ahk takes note of it, “I’m pretty sure that Sora will have one of his own along with Pyra, Mythra, that jerk who tried to threw Kirby off a cliff, and even Sephiroth soon.”

“WHAT?!? Kingdom Hearts are coming to the Switch too!?!” I am surprised to hear the news as Sakurai reveals this new information, that is so mind-blowing.

When it fades to black then to the Ultimate mural, the camera then goes for the space between Ganondorf and Dark Samus to fill in Sora’s spot before panning back. Man, this Presentation is long and is finally ending, thank God; it must be tiring to sit down and watch a nearly hour long video as Sakurai showcases the screenshots he has made and showed off in Twitter. Man, so many memories and montages. And the achievements, wow, that is a lot of them, it will be a game feat that I don’t think it will be broken for a long time.

Man, I will miss the presentations and Sakurai’s corny jokes for sure. I wish him a nice deserving break from all the game development for sure as he gives thanks to everyone from the devs to the players to the people prompting the game and ends it off with a heartfelt goodbye as it fades to back into the full reveal trailer.

“Oh gee, I’m going to miss the Smash Presentations,” Kairi sighs, “I can’t believe that we’re coming to an end.”

“Man, it’s finally over,” Riku gasps in remark as the full trailer plays out, “I don’t think that there will be a game like Ultimate for a very long time. That’s for certain.”

“I agree, Riku. It’s to going to be a tough act to follow up on,” I add in before I look up at the ceiling and murmur some words, “It’s been a long time coming, Sora. You truly deserve that last spot, you really do. Have fun in the tourney and Smash Mansion, buddy.”

Sora is Finally Here!

The End

[erenaeoth]

You already did one of my Tekken boys, so please do my other Tekken boy, Paul Phoenix!

First impression

how does the hair stay up? he looks like the standard american bad guy in chinese martial arts movies.

Impression now

fun and well loved character with a heart of gold and a rocky backstory still filled with ups an downs despite his successes in the ring. I love how his humourous personality is complemented by his serious committment to his goals.

Favorite moment

When Marshall asks him to lose the 5th tournament on purpose because he needs the money for his wife and son, and Paul says no. Then after their match, Paul tells him of course he will give him all the winnings if he wins. It isn’t about the money to him but the glory and striving to be the best. And he wouldn’t let a friend go in need. That was good stuff right there.

Idea for a story

Canon lore forgot that Lee, Marshall, and Paul all trained together in America prior to Tekken 1. It would be nice to see a reunion and hear out their differences or see their friendship renewed.

Unpopular opinion

Some people don’t like Paul’s rival being Kuma, but I love the idea that Paul is the only one brazen enough to take on a bear. I would have liked to have seen Kuma and Kuma II handled more seriously in their appearances in the games though, since certainly Kuma and possibly his son are the man-eating personal pets of Heihachi Mishima and icons of the Zaibatsu (as well as nearly inheriting it when Heihachi got sick of his sons). I do like the humour in their interactions, but bring back some of the terror too B^)

Favorite relationship

Certainly his relationship with Marshall, which is really beautifully done. They know each other so well but are also kind of worn out and tired of each other by Tekken 6. Marshall has lots of TK6 SC dialogues where he basically says - look Paul might be an idiot, but he’s my idiot. Whilst Paul seems tired of cash always being Marshall’s end goal rather than doing the deed of winning itself, but he always supports his friend and knows why he’s doing what he’s doing.

I also like Paul’s relationship with Forest a lot, and his underrated uncle energy when he takes Forest off for slightly disastrous adventures. I’d like to see more about Paul and Steve, since their friendship seems very underexplored, but has a lot of potential. Steve has a similar mindset to Paul and is very dedicated to his goals. Steve also idolises Lee’s underground status in the ring, which could be a cool connection point with Paul since he and Lee used to train together.

Favorite headcanon

There are canonical indicators that Paul may be Jewish, and I certainly headcanon that that is so. I probably have some more headcanons lurking around, but its been a long time since I last wrote Paul.

[ukeishin]

ts*mishima but make him ur typically edgy angst teen and ur the cliche bubbly personality character and he hates you but you just think he needs to live a little and you always tell people this but you say it so snidely that ts*kki can’t help but fucking get annoyed by your presence but one day you get assigned to be project partners and he realizes ur not too bad but now it’s you who refuses to be civil with him bc ur sick and tired of his shitty attitude so he tries to improve but like,,, he sucks at it

it’s when he begins to envy whoever you’re talking to that he realizes he’s been a total ass to you. whenever you talk to him, you look like you’d rather die than spend another moment in his presence, but when you’re talking to your friends, you’re so animated and happy. ts*kki briefly wonders what that would be like. as quick as that thought comes, he’s getting rid of it because why would he think of you like that? things are tense between the two of you because you refuse to give him a chance at all (for good reason since he’s kind of a dick who’s never been nice to you). things reach their breaking point when ts*kki, who’s tired of you being short with him, says he’s sorry. you think you’re going mad because it kind of sounded like ts*kishima kei actually apologized for his behavior? and you’re too nice for your own good and tentatively accept his apology.

[starlight-phantom]

Takuto Maruki Week Day 5 Prompt - Holidays

Takuto hummed excitedly as he flicked through the tour guide magazine. This trip was unexpected, but definitely not unappreciated.

"Again, thank you so much for agreeing to help out, Maruki-sensei. And sorry it was such short notice…" Kawakami muttered tiredly from her seat next to him. Takuto had been asked to act as a chaperone for the second year's school trip to Hawaii.

"No, no! It's perfectly fine! I understand everything's been quite hectic, thanks to that tabloid about the Kamoshida incident. Besides, who am I to refuse a trip to Hawaii?" He replied with a sweet smile.

"That is very fair! Although, I can't help but feel a little tense… Everything's been so busy and muddled up that we haven't been able to plan an itinerary for the trip…" Kawakami sighed, leaning back into her seat dejectedly.

"Oh, I don't know… I'm sure the students will be fine. I've seen plenty of them doing their own research on the landmarks in Waikiki. Besides, you could use this trip as an opportunity to relax and de-stress. It's good to take a break every once in a while." Takuto suggested, flicking through the pages to find recommended places to eat.

"Hmm… Yeah… That would be nice… I've had to spend so much time fending off the press, I deserve to relax on the beach for a few days!" Kawakami declared with an excited twinkle in her eyes as she began daydreaming of sunbathing with a beer in hand.

"That's the spirit!" Giggled Takuto.

"We have begun our descent. Please return to your seats and fasten your seat belts." The announcement sounded out as the air hostesses finished up their duties.

"WHOOOAAA!" A sudden loud voice made the two adults jump as they flung their heads in the direction of the voice. They were greeted by the sight of Ryuji staring out the window in amazement, leaning over Ren who had the expression of a startled cat while Mishima tried to yank Ryuji back into his seat. Takuto couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, someone seems excited!" He remarked to Kawakami. The brunette teacher chortled back as she clicked her seatbelt and prepared for the landing.

"Okay, that's half of the students… Maruki-sensei, could you see if the remaining students need any help, please? Some of them might be having difficulty with the language barrier…" Requested Kawakami as she took roll call for each student that exited the arrival's gate.

"Sure thing." The chestnut haired man instantly agreed, walking back to the customs desks. He walked past a very tired looking Ryuji.

"Damn, I totally panicked… The hell was he sayin'?" The blond muttered to himself. Shortly after, a very cheerful Ann walked past. Of course she wouldn't have any problems with the questions. When Takuto arrived, a very nervous Ren was being questioned. His clung onto his bag as a confused frown appeared on his face.

"So, what are you planning to do while you're in the country?" The agent asked as he inspected Ren's passport.

"U-Um… I… am s-student?" The raven haired teen awkward replied, cursing his lack of understanding of the English language.

"So, you're planning to study?"

"I-I… Visit?"

"You're visiting someone?"

"Um, excuse me!" Takuto interjected. "He's with us. We're visiting for a school trip. Sorry if you've been having difficulty, some of the students aren't too acquainted with the language yet." He explained. The agent nodded in understanding.

"I see! So, all the teenagers wearing the plaid trousers and skirts are your students?"

"That's correct. Sorry for any inconvenience we may be causing."

"No, thank you for the explanation, my job can go a lot quicker now." The man smiled at the chaperone before handing the passport back to Ren. "Enjoy your stay."

"Th-Thank you. Have a nice day." Ren stuttered in response, hoping that he used the right phrase. An exhausted sigh left the bespectacled boy's mouth.

"I completely blanked…" He uttered under his breath.

"You alright, Amamiya-kun?" Takuto asked with a soft chuckle.

"I really suck at English… I only understood a few words…"

"Well, it's okay. Kawakami and the rest of the chaperones are waiting at the luggage carousel."

"Alright, thank you, Sensei." Ren thanked Takuto for his help before walking off to meet up with the rest of the group.

"Wow, this hotel is nice…" Takuto murmured as he scanned his eyes around the lounge area.

"I know! I'm quite excited about this trip now! Has everyone been paired up yet? We just need to assign rooms and then we can relax." Kawakami replied as she glanced down at her register.

"Right, I'll tell the students by the entrance, I don't think anyone's told them yet." Takuto offered.

"Thanks, Sensei. I'll go collect the keys."

Takuto wandered over to the ever so familiar group of Phantom Thieves students, overhearing their conversation as he got closer.

"By the way… What is this smell?" Asked Ryuji.

"It's the flowers for the leis and carpet cleaner. It's coconut scented!" Mishima informed him.

"What are you, the king of random facts?!"

"I just like to research places before I visit them."

"Have you ever thought of joining a trivia contest? You'd crush it." Ren commented with an amused smile.

"Hey, yeah! That would be great for you! You'd win so many prizes!" Ann giggled, smacking Mishima's arm lightly.

"I'd never thought of that… Sounds interesting!"

"Hey, guys! Just letting you know that you need to pair up for your rooms. We're handing out keys now, so if you could organise yourselves, that would be great." Takuto announced as he reached the group, Makoto joining him shortly after having finally finished dealing with the taxi drivers.

"Ooh, ooh! Hey, Ren, room with me!" Ryuji excitedly requested, slinging his arm around Ren's shoulders.

"Oh, sorry… I should have specified… You need to room with someone from your class…" Takuto apologised as he quickly added that last piece of information.

"Whaaaaaat? Oh, c'mon! Why can't I room with Ren?" Ryuji whined.

"It complicates roll call." Makoto sighed.

"Oh, hey! If it's in classes, then do you wanna room with me, Amamiya?" Asked Mishima with a shy smile.

"Sure thing. You're the only dude in our class that actually talks to me." Ren happily agreed. Takuto couldn't help but frown after hearing that statement.

"That ain't fair…" Ryuji moaned childishly.

"Awww, don't worry, Ryuji… We'll think of you when we share our midnight snacks." Said Ren, smirking as he slid his arm around Mishima's shoulders. Ryuji pouted.

"Yeah, and you'll be with us in spirit when we spent the entire night chatting." Mishima added with a grin.

"Oh, bite me…" The blond muttered as he skulked off to find his own roommate.

"What about you, Ann? Have you got a roommate?" Makoto enquired, clearly wanting to relax already.

"Hm? Oh yeah, one of my classmates asked me to room with her earlier." Ann replied.

"Alright, go collect your keys over by Kawakami-sensei. Once you've got your keys, you're free to do what you want." Takuto informed them. Ren and Mishima glanced at each other.

"Let's get that key."

"Hell yeah."

Ann rolled her eyes as the two boys sped over to the front desk.

"I'm gonna go see if my roommate has the key already."

"Oh, that seems to be everyone now, Sensei…" Makoto spoke up, pointing to the unimpressed Ryuji who had reluctantly found his roommate.

"Great! Alright then, go get your key, Niijima-san. You deserve a break after all your hard work." Takuto encouraged her, gesturing over to Kawakami.

"Thank you, Sensei." She bluntly replied. Takuto grinned as he watched her walk away. Finally, all of the hard organisation was out of the way… Now, he could relax… Where should he visit first? In the end, Takuto decided that he would go with the obvious choice and visit the beach. An excited smile appeared on his face as he went to collect his own room key.

"Mmm~" Takuto hummed happily as he took a large sip of his drink. He had checked out a few stores on the nearby streets before making his way over to the beach. One of these shops sold Hawaiian shirts and Takuto simply couldn't resist. He purchased a deep green shirt with a pink floral design on it and immediately put it on, buttons undone with his navy blue swim trunks and black sandals. Although, the main store that caught his attention was a fruit juice bar that sold freshly squeezed juice. He bought himself some mango juice. It was ice cold and incredibly refreshing, just the tropical taste was enough to put him in a good mood. But the delicious juice and a walk along the gorgeous beach? It was like a dream. The sun was beaming down brightly, the light shimmered on the crystal clear waves, the soft white sand slid under his footsteps, the trees blew in the soothing cool breeze… It was perfection.

"Hm?" Takuto hummed as he took another sip, noticing a familiar head of fluffy hair sat on a bench.

"Hey, Amamiya-kun, why are you here by yourself?" He asked, sitting down next to him to keep the boy company.

"Makoto and Ann went to buy sunscreen, Mishima wanted to buy some watermelon for us to share, and Ryuji needed to pee." Ren informed him matter-of-factly as he watched the sea with squinted eyes.

"Don't you have any prescription sunglasses?" Takuto murmured, noticing Ren's eyes watering from the brightness of the sun.

"Nope. Been meaning to buy some for the past year but I keep forgetting…" Ren replied, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

"Oh yeah, I've been there…" Takuto muttered in agreement, taking another sip of his drink.

"What is that?" Ren asked, pointing to Takuto's cup.

"Hm? Oh, I found a juice bar back there. It's mango juice! Really nice!" Takuto told him, grinning cheerfully as he displayed the juice. Ren scoffed with laughter at the sight.

"You sure do love your juice, huh?" He snickered.

"Mmhm~! Gotta stay hydrated!"

Ren rolled his eyes before glancing down at the bright colours that caught his attention.

"So, uh, what's with the shirt?"

"Found it at a shop back there as well. Looks pretty good, right?" Takuto cheered, proudly showing off his purchase. Ren smiled back at him awkwardly.

"It's… very you." Was his response.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Takuto asked, raising an eyebrow as he smirked at the raven haired boy who averted his gaze innocently. "C'mon… What did you mean?"

"It just screams Big Dad Energy to me." Ren replied, expressing his true opinion on the shirt.

"Well, I consider that a huge compliment, so thank you, Amamiya-kun!" Takuto laughed with his usual sweet smile.

"... Sure thing."

"Hey, Amamiya! I got the watermelon! Sorry I took so long, they sliced it up for me." Mishima called out as he jogged over, carrying a small platter of watermelon slices.

"Ooh, those look good!" Ren remarked as his mouth began watering.

"They're fresh as they can be! Would you like one, Maruki-sensei? After all, when you think of the beach, you think of watermelon, right?" Mishima offered, holding the platter out towards the chestnut haired man.

"Oh! Thank you very much, Mishima-kun!" Takuto thanked the blue haired boy as he very happily took a slice and munched on it.

"Wow, that's really good! You should try them yourself!" He exclaimed, eyes widening as the taste flooded his mouth.

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Ren giggled as he grabbed himself a slice.

"H-Hey!"

"Sit down, Mishima! You can eat them if you put the platter down!"

"... Oh, yeah."

Takuto laughed at the boys' banter.

"Well, I'll leave you two to it. Just remember to get back to the hotel by eight, okay? See you later!" He reminded them as he walked away, waving casually.

"Sure thing!"

"Will do!"

Takuto chuckled softly to himself as he heard the boys call back to him. A contented sigh left his mouth as the sea breeze blew through his fluffy hair. This place was stunning. Most people would consider having to watch the students a pain in the ass, but Takuto loved it. All of them were sweet in their own way, and seeing them all enjoying themselves made it completely worth it. The wind ruffled his shirt, making it billow behind him like a hero's cape. The cold condensation from his juice dripped down the cup and onto his hand. The soothing sound of the waves crashing against the shore reached his ears, along with the cheers and laughter of the friends, families and couples enjoying the beach. The underlying scent of coconut emanated from every tree in the area. It was the most serene scene Takuto had ever experienced. As he looked out at the azure horizon, a soft smile appeared on his face as he realised just how lucky he was.

[lovesgamesandanime]

I understand you and I love Ryuji, but he acts very stupid most of the time...

Let me explain why this is bothering me so much. 

Ryuji isn’t stupid, he’s just very naive. He has his bad sides, just like everybody does. He can be very loud, vigorous, even brash. He doesn’t care a lot about his school, which is pretty understandable after his past and yeah, he’s sometimes a bit weird around woman. But I got to be honest, he’s a 16 years old teenager, what do people expect from him? He’s not always the smartest, constantly telling people that they are the phantom thieves.

So yeah, I have to agree with you, that he sometimes doesn’t act the best. But they are reasonings behind his behaviour and I’m really tired of hearing and reading hate about him. So this is going to be pretty long, I guess.When we frist meet Ryuji he is a very aggressive punk, shouting at some random dude and being very impolite to you.

My first thought was “The heck is that guy?” So I wasn’t so thrilled about Ryuji either, but I really got t love him during the Story.

The first confidant I maxed out was Ryujis one and it’s revealed there that Ryujis father abused him and his mother, which leads him to protecting his mom and being allergic to unfairness or abuse of others. It’s stated that Kamoshida abused Ryuji as well, breaking his leg, destroying his ability to run and have a big future.

The problem with abuse is that the abuser plays with the mind of their victim. The issue here is to silence them down. “You’re not worth it, nobody will belive you, you’re ending up all on your own, You wan’t it” The victims know that nobody will belive them and Ryuji is aware of that, he knows that no one gives interest in his problems.

And when he tried to do anything against his abuse from Kamoshia, the response was killing of the track team, so that everybody hates him now.

He becomes enraged as soon as he finds out that Kamoshida is abusing almost every one of his students. Knowing very well the issue of dealing with abuse, he can’t stand that other students have to suffer just like him. And it’s getting more complicated when he finds out that everybody is aware of the abuse but no one cares. He knew the feeling of getting abuse, the feeling of not believing. Ryuji was let down by the system, the school, almost everyone, to just stand back and ignore the issues.

Another reason of why he behaves the way he does is most likely because of his wanting of transparency. He probably thinks that being not who you are, especially as an adult, makes you look fake. He doesn’t want to be fake. He want’s to be honest and real and that’s why he’s always telling the truth, telling whats on his mind, even if it is kinda mean in the moment, or not smart. He doesn’t want to hurt anyones feelings, he just wants to say the truth. He needs to avoide growing up to a fake adult.

I think he wants to protected the one that can’t protect themselfves. He was pretty useless when his mom got abused, he couldn’t help. But as a phantom thief, he’s able to help the weak, to do things that no one else can do.

The thing with Ryuji is that his heart is literally made out of gold. It says so much that someone is able to go through hate and abuse and not breaking, still having the heart in the right place. He’s understanable. He forgets Mishima for leaking Akiras criminal record, he is tolerant of the hate from the track team, because he thinks he’s deserving it, he comforts Makoto after what she has done with Kaneshiro and he is very nice to Akechi, even though he is one of the main culprits, wanting to kill him and his friends, he befriends Ann even though no one wanted to before, he didn’t even care about the criminal record of Akira. I could go on and on with all the good things that Ryuji did and that no one else would do. I mean he was willing to die, just so save the people who are the dearest to him.

Ryuji is a really realistic character, he’s not perfect, not famous he has his flaws, he has some mental issues, but he always tries his best.

You can say whatever you want about Ryuji, but telling me he’s acting stupid all of the time without giving a proper thought on why he acts the way he does, is simply not right. I will defend this till the rest of my life.

[mybrotherandmedraw]

i haven’t asked this before, so how about 21 for the ask game?

(Mod Nurd)

Who do I think is overrated? oh man thats a hard one,,, they all have an equal amount to be lovable characters... but if i had to choose one then, unfotunately it’d have to be- and im sorry for throwing my favourite character under the bus- mr joe tazuna himself. 

Not because he’s a bad character in any sense of the word! He’s in fact one I find very high on the list of interesting characters! But moreso I guess, how he’s treated by the fandom? the fact that he’s played out to be innocent and the jesus figure of the game just isnt true in canon cus he did a lot of suspicious stuff! 3 i remember on the top of my head is like

-Planning to throw everyone under the bus if it meant saving sara and himself

-openly admitting to snapping if sara were to be chosen to die (this could be meaningless bcos “big talk for a small dude” though)

-literally squaring up the moment mishima died (and hypothetically, if no one stopped him, and he found out who voted mishima, who is to know what he’d do? probably not straight up murder but it’d definitely cause an imbalance in cooperation)

Before i even started this tumblr i actually talked to yozi about this! but im no good with going into depth so I’ll end it there

Now to actively contradict myself, I think its challenging to portray joe with all sides of his character in mind! so i dont blame th fandom, plus everyone sees something different in their favourite characters. I suppose thats what opinions *are* for though. it’s nice to see joe portrayed in a less adored light. (in my opinion, of course) My man joe is a bit of an asshole! and thats ok

(Gonna add a definition of “woobified” here for Yozi’s response: A character made for the audience to feel extremely sorry for)

(Mod Yozi)

Keiji, its Keiji and Shin for me. The thing is I think Shin is overhyped and then protrayed very woobified a lot fo the time like, overly woobified. N Keiji is just, he's like the batman of YTTD. He has the extreme of being portrayed as the dad friend, or some incredible creep of a cop and its so jarring , and ykno sometimes there is this nice balance! I personally think I'm just being picky bcs it's not like there are a lot of keiji centric stuff around hes usually depicted w the kids or in ships rather than on his own so;; Shin I won't go too deeply into bcs I'm not that well versed w his character I just don't like unironically woobified characters. He's a funky and funny lad but not my cup of tea and sometimes I grow tired of him and the nagito/kokichi comparisons. I just can't escape them.

 

I also agree w nerd, he said it all perfectly fr joe. I would go deeper into Keiji but!!! I feel like it'd end up sounding really mean and we are still trying to be fairly neutral here so B) Yozi's anger towards Keiji's inconsistent and strange characterization in fanon is for another day, maybe on their personal blog whenever they make one.

[bearpillowmonster]

Persona 5 Review (Confidants)

You can increase relationships with characters, increase your knowledge, guts, charm, proficiency and kindness in your free time for various uses in the future, it’s really intricate and interesting because you’re seeing so many storylines at once and uncovering other characters’ pasts, it’s really engaging. I guess it's possible to not have maxed social stats but I didn't really have a problem with it. I know that there are some things you can only do before or after a palace but I ‘usually’ try to get it done in one run as early as I can, it’s almost like the palaces are the break from taking breaks. Though if you do leave a palace, it restores hp and sp so that’s cool. Also, finishing a palace early opens up a lot of relationship opportunities because they aren’t nagging “You wanna go to the Palace today?”

So, if you can spend time with only so many characters then which ones did I spend time with and which ones do I recommend spending the most time on? Well first off, you can dabble, like just start someone’s route and if you don’t like it then just ignore it and move on, I like how it gives you a chance to meet everyone before any major commitments. Also finishing one up sometimes gives you exclusive personas you can make. 

Let me start with Chihaya, I like the Chihayafuru anime so I went along with it but I really just wanted my money back, I’m not sure if the star actually did anything but the story was just average and that money wasn’t coming back. I didn't spend a whole lot of time with her though I kind of wish I had because I saw a rumor that she helps with something significantly, as long as you have the cash for it, which is very apparent around endgame or even if you had the part time jobs.

Ryuji’s story was average but I use him a lot in combat so I wanted to increase my bond. I’ve seen headcanons that these characters do really crazy stuff and go to prison for it but it’s not true, they’re just a band of misfits, the prison that you see in promos is a metaphorical one, a dream prison held inside their own mind, it’s in the very beginning of the game, just want to clarify that because it worried me going into this game. I finished his confidant.

Queen’s is rather decent, as I mentioned, she was...She acts way too attached to not like him, I mean look at the way she’s clinging to him during that house break in scene, she’s always the one to take initiative and be second in command. What I don’t understand is that if you go somewhere with her and see someone, she’ll immediately play it off “he’s just carrying my books”. She’s also the one that went straight to Alibaba when getting hurt, I like that motherly aspect. I ship my Joker with Queen for him but Kawakami for me (it would be kinda weird for him since she's older and his teacher). It’s the amount of growth we see her character go through, she seems the most genuine even if her side story focuses on her friend.

Panther’s is alright but she wants you to help her get mentally strong, O..k..? I’m not exactly one for Panther so I didn’t choose her romantic route because I think she has more chemistry with Fox. Though she seems to be the most connected to Ryuji for some reason, despite bagging on him all the time. DNF.

Fox, I will say that spending time with him made me appreciate him more and I like the rewards and art that goes with it. He’s actually hilarious, this game has a sense of humor and when it comes to him, it’s just gold, he’s so passionate and proper which makes for the best type of lines and delivery. DNF.

Kawakami, I obviously have a soft spot for but I see that her story is a real thing that bothers her, I’m not a big fan of what she reveals half way through, that seemed kinda pointless other than keeping that a secret but if you have a decent amount of money, I would up her confidant as well, it certainly wasn’t anything I expected. I finished it relatively early but by the end she enables you to go out at night even if you’re tired from mementos or a palace. Imagine my surprise when I instantly like her and then the way they introduce her route...I’ll leave it at that other than I finished her confidant.

Speaking of, quick break in the section to mention this. You would think something as in depth as this game would include a meter or consequence of sorts if you start neglecting people or duties but it’s not as stressful as that, you don’t have a sleep meter so you can do stuff in the evening (though sometimes sleeping will enable certain things like dreams which give you points with characters you spend time with regularly)

Mishima is actually one of the more interesting ones to bond with because his story seems very casual but it’s interweaving with the main one until the end of it and I like where it heads, I usually tried staying nice to him for the most part but making sure he doesn’t go “too too far”. The big thing you get is being able to increase your “other” party members stats as if they were equipped in your main party which can be useful. He was one of the first I maxed.

Yoshizawa is the new girl in Royal, so I tried to get on her good side, I actually met her and thought she was kind of robotic because of how apologetic she was but as time went on and as I grew her her confidant, she became more appealing. She was the first I finished because she only has 5 ranks but it was alright, as I said, she’s new so her story is going to be in there anyway but ranking just gives a bit more context is all. Getting all 5 ranks doesn’t finish it. However, it never seems like it's actually "finished", of course I didn't do the romance route so it might've been longer that way but for the most part, from what I see, the romance routes are mostly copy and paste with different characters outside their confidants. Other than a few dialogue options with different context but they’re the same events. The field trip in particular is the main one that I’m talking about. (I know I just revealed I played Royal, I’ll explain why this review isn’t about Royal towards the end though)

If you want, you can help Caroline and Justine experience human stuff but it isn’t a confidant, it just gives you items.

Sojiro. I only did his about half way because he gifts kindness and sometimes enables you to get coffee which gives you hp or sp. Which is cool but I wasn't sure how the confidants worked just yet and was scared I would drag him into the story unnecessarily but that's not the case for any of them, the consequences are a lot different than you might first imagine. He takes calls from multiple people, some who we figure out, some we might not and then he dresses in that sketchy outfit and says "dress for the job you want." and the way he's dressed makes him look like a pimp so...that's concerning. DNF.

Akechi is a bit questionable but every now and then I would spend time with him. He reminds me of a lion. There isn’t much of story though other than that one thing about his parents. Most of these are just spending time with the character and they start to build more substance about half way through. DNF.

Oracle actually has a really cool personality, I think of her more like a sister type to my character though. You have to have a good level of kindness in order to do a lot (which is the hardest to obtain) Once you do though, it seems to tie into a side quest and it’s really dumb because you change a gamers heart...for cheating. And that leads to...

Shinya. Why does this character even have a confidant? It easily could have been Iwai to help with that sort of thing. I didn't even rank him up, sorry, just wasn't really enough of a reason to.

Hifumi is cool, I like how she’s in a church and plays Shogi, it reminds me of Hunter X Hunter with Gungi. Her story is kind of sad too but not too much different from the “I’m on all the magazines but don’t really want to” she just wants to promote the board game. I waited until after I maxed out Queen to get past Rank 4 for her though because I was wary of giving some of the girls the wrong idea especially since that meeting between her and Queen. But once my character and Queen were official, then I decided to come back to Hifumi. DNF.

Takemi has an interesting take, I ranked her confidant up but wasn’t psyched about it, it provided a source for the guts attribute for a little while, it’s really sketchy in hindsight but the story is a little bit similar to Kawakami, with being shunned and all but Takemi seems to embrace it a lot more. I maxed her confidant, it allowed me to get discounted prices for health items.

Noir. She’s actually what I expected Persona to be like, she’s the neutral in my eyes, kind of bubbly but cute about it instead of overly obnoxious. She takes certain events way better than I expected which is good for her but I think the story would’ve packed a punch during that arc if they went deeper with how she takes it. It’s poetic how she’s acting healthy while her father is not. Not to mention that it’s like she’s planting the seeds for her new self both metaphorically and literally. You can gain some pretty good items if you do it right, SP is always a welcome in my book. DNF.

Iwai. I’m not going to recommend which thing you should prioritize, that’s up to how you want to play the game, you should keep it balanced but this guy requires a pretty high guts level. He can mod your weapons for you which comes in handy, the story is kind of mysterious because you go undercover. You also get discounts. DNF.

I love the idea of Joker bringing around a talking cat the whole time, it’s a total aesthetic, sneaking him some of his food, keeping him in his backpack, he’s as big a part of the team as any, if not the biggest. You don’t really choose to rank him up though, he’s intertwined, you can still choose to be nice to him though. Even though he doesn’t act like him, Morgana kind of reminds me of Daxter with the dynamic, wherever Joker goes, Morgana goes. I let Morgana kind of take free rein and he ended up being the strongest on my team, you don’t know how many “1-More”s I’ve seen this cat do, he was probably the one that was most consistently in my party.

I didn’t mess with that political guy or the journalist.

Also make sure to have figured out what gifts go to which person because once you get the option, it may be hard to get it back if you refuse. Ranking up people outside of the Phantom Thieves affects who is there for the ending so maybe keep that in mind.

Now you may or may not have noticed I missed a specific character, I have been writing this review since I started the game, accumulating different opinions and such, as I mention some in the Palace section of my review. The final days of playing this have pissed me off. From here to the end, I’m going to rant so if you don’t want to hear it and just want to take what I’ve said and leave, now’s the time, I’ve written everything else without this burden on the game hampering my score. However, you need to know this if you want to buy Royal specifically.

Maruki is far and few between, not much substance but I don’t mind sitting down with him once in a while. I only got about half way through so if you want to increase his confidant, do it early because it’s not always available but he helps with SP like the temple in Kichijoji. That’s what I wrote, then I finished the game and I was like “Wait a minute...something isn’t right...” So I looked it up and apparently Maruki is a new character to Royal as well. Alright, fine, so what? Well you need to rank him to level 9, there is in fact a reason and I completely missed it because I played this game BLIND. Biggest mistake and the game doesn’t tell you otherwise. So with Persona Royal, you get an extra semester longer than the original game with new story and new content that deals with Yoshizawa and Maruki in particular. The regular additions to the vanilla game hinted at it but I never knew there was more to it. So, I could’ve played the regular version of Persona 5 and had the same experience. Oh, but to put the icing on the cake. You need to rank up Maruki by November 18th. I only ever had two save files and you know what the one I didn’t finish was at? NOVEMBER FLIPPING 19TH. But wait; How do you play the new content if you can’t go back to the save file? And to that I say “HA” You don’t. I screwed the pooch unless I want to play the entire game again on new game+, has to be the same ending I had too so no finishing early with one of the other endings. Even if I played on the easiest difficulty, have all the stuff from new game+, use all the strats that I figured out afterwards, it would still take forever. The shortest speedrun of this game is 16 hours, that’s enough for a whole other game, I beat Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood in less than that. Why isn’t there a function to skip to a certain section?! I’M PISSED so for now F- this game, if I ever manage to play through those sections at some point then I’ll update this review getting rid of this and making its own review. I’m not just going to look up the cutscenes either, I got Royal instead of vanilla for a reason.

[winterune]

A comfortable sort of feeling

A Persona 5 Fanfiction

@shuannweek Day 1: Night In/Night Out

Rating: G | Word count: 1381

Also available on: AO3. 

~*~*~*~*~

Ren was hunched down on her sofa beside her, typing away at the laptop he had set on the coffee table in front of him. He had been in that position for the past two hours with no breaks but the occasional back stretching and neck rolling. He was doing one now, before reaching over to one of the papers scattered about his computer and reading through it.

They were supposed to have a date that night. A nice outing and a nice dinner. But Ren had called earlier, saying that he had a sudden assignment he had to submit that very night and asked if they could, maybe, just watch some movies at her apartment instead.

Pouting hadn’t helped, as Ann knew how much this assignment meant to him as modeling was to her. He was a college student and a member of his university’s press club. Ann had been surprised when she learned Ren wanted to pursue journalism in college. Yes, she knew of his ideals, and thanks to their phantom thievery era, Ann understood just what Ren would do to achieve justice and uncover the truth. But, in all honesty, she had never thought of him as a writer. Despite his quiet countenance, Ren was a talker and an executor. He had that way of talking that made people want to support his cause. A kind of political leader, or a teacher or lecturer who would pass on his idealism to his students.

When Ann had asked him about it, all Ren had said was, “I want to seek out truths, and help people speak up.”

Ann hadn’t known quite what to say when she first heard it. But now if she thought about it, it did seem very much like Ren.  That kind, quiet, yet strong and unyielding voice. Even when he first transferred to Shujin as a kid with a criminal record, he had been that lone sparkling star, fearless in the face of his adversaries. No wonder people were drawn toward him.

“What are you staring at?”

Ann blinked. Ren was staring at her, his fingers poised over his keyboard as though he had been in the middle of typing something. A smirk graced his lips.

Ann cleared her throat and carefully looked down at the forgotten magazine on her lap, ignoring the heat slowly creeping up her face at the realization that he had been staring at her for some time. How long had she been daydreaming about him?

“Is it wrong for me to look at my boyfriend’s face?” she asked, but it only made Ren grin wider.

He leaned back. “What? Did I make your heart skip a beat?”

Despite her best efforts, Ann couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “Oh, you!” she said, grabbing the cushion from behind her and smacking his arm with it. “Hurry up and finish your assignment or we’ll never have that movie you promised me.”

Ren caught the cushion with a laugh. “Sorry, sorry, I’ll be done in a sec,” he said, before turning back to his laptop. “Just need to finish this up and then I’ll send it over to Mishima.”

Right. There was also the fact that somehow Mishima and Ren got into the same university, the same major, and the same club.

Ann turned her gaze back to her fashion magazine. She flipped one page after the next, but her eyes seemed to only glaze over them and she couldn’t comprehend anything she was reading. In a sec probably meant half an hour. She glanced at Ren sitting beside her, then over to the scattered papers on her coffee table, and to the mug standing there, forgotten. She peaked over the rim and found it empty.

“Want me to make you more coffee?” she asked.

“Nah, that’s okay,” he said. “I’m already finished.”

That surprised her. Ann looked at him, then at his laptop. She scooted over to peer over Ren’s shoulder and indeed, she caught a glimpse of several documents filled with words from top to bottom being saved and closed before Ren moved over to his email and attached those same files. He typed Mishima’s email address at the recipient column.

“And…send.” He clicked the red button and they saw the notification that the email was sent appeared. Ren sighed in relief, stretching his arms high above his head. “I finally finished it.”

“You actually finished it,” Ann echoed in feigned astonishment.

He glanced at her. “What’s that look of wonder supposed to mean?”

Ann looked up to meet his gaze and the proximity of their faces threw her off guard. Those intense gray eyes were so close, and despite half-hidden behind his unruly black hair and black-rimmed glasses, Ann could almost make out her reflection in them. A tiny uncharacteristic pout on his face made her giggle, but it was cut short when Ren stole a kiss from her—a quick brush of his lips against hers that silenced her.

How long had they been together? Two years…and a half? Yet Ren had never failed to make her stomach do a somersault every time he showed her his affection in the most unexpected, cheeky ways. He grinned.

“Let me recharge for a moment.”

“Wha—Ren!” But before she could do anything, Ren had already laid his head on her lap, stretching his arms and back before settling down with a sigh.

“God, I’m tired,” he said softly as he crossed his arms and shut his eyes.

Ann stared at him, dumbfounded. Her arms were still frozen midair, her magazine hanging limply from one hand. She looked at his face, to his laptop, to their forgotten dinner—pizza with extra cheese—on the kitchen counter at the other side of the room.

“Hey,” she called. He didn’t budge. “Ren.” She shook her leg slightly to get him off of her, but still Ren ignored her.

Instead, he rolled to his side and sighed deeply. “Your lap’s really the best pillow I could ask for.”

Ann scowled at him. Her fingers pinched his cheek, not enough to hurt but enough to tell him that she’s annoyed. “Are you saying I’m fat?”

Ren’s shoulder shook with a quiet laugh. “Of course not,” he said. “I’m saying that I feel comfortable around you.”

Her cheeks tinged pink, Ann scoffed and looked away. “Charmer.”

“I’m serious!” He shifted back onto his back and looked up at her. “Hey, I think you can recharge me better than any food or sleep.”

“Now that’s an exaggeration,” Ann said with a laugh. She put her magazine down on the armrest then pushed at his arm. “Come on, your pizza’s waiting and you still owe me a movie.”

“Aww, come on, let me stay like this for a while,” Ren whined. “You got to stare at me as much as you liked, yet you won’t let me stare at you for as much as I want?” That made Ann pause. She looked down at him, and regretted it a moment later. The triumphant smile he had on his face didn’t bode well. “So, what were you thinking about?”

“What are you talking about?” she asked slowly, though her mind clearly knew what he was talking about.

“When you were staring at me,” he elaborated. “Were you thinking about how cool I was?”

Ann pinched his nose this time. “Cheeky, aren’t you?”

Ren batted her hand away with a laugh. “Do you want to know what I’m thinking now?”

“No?”

But Ren didn’t listen. He brought her hand to his chest where he laid it down with his hand over hers. She could feel it—the soft thumping of his heart beneath her fingertips. Thud. Thud. Thud. Her own pulse seemed to match his into a slow, calming rhythm.

“This is how I feel when I’m with you,” he said. “A comfortable-sort of feeling.”

Ann stared at him, at the soft lines on his face and the eyes that spoke of safety and warmth. Her hand moved on its own when she started brushing back those silky-smooth strands of hair. “And here I thought I’d find your heart racing for me,” she teased, but she was smiling, and so was he.

“Believe me,” he said, interlacing their fingers together. “It does.”

~ END ~

[takamakisu]

I've seen a lot of great posts about Shadow Mishima and his Palace in speculation, so I wanted to add mine to the mix. Chronologically, it'd take place between Kamoshida's Palace and Madarame's. Yuuki's angry: at the people who hurt him, but also at the people who didn't do anything during the time Kamoshida was hurting the students. So, he starts to take revenge the best way he knows how- online. Mishima finds all the dirt he can on his bullies and anyone else he feels has wronged him, whether directly or indirectly, and begins exposing them in retaliation for poor treatment. At first it's relatively harmless content, but it starts to get nastier and nastier to the point it's alarming. And that's when Akira steps in: not as Joker, but just as himself, and tells Mishima that he needs to stop what he's doing.

Not surprisingly, Mishima has no interest in stopping, and tells Akira that since nobody would listen to him, humiliating them is the only way. Joker is extremely worried about this and brings up his interaction to the PT at the next meeting: and sure enough, Mishima has a Palace. The interior is extremely futuristic (think like Tron-esque) and there's holograms of people all throughout the building talking to each other and making posts on the Phan-Site. In addition, cognitive versions of Skull, Panther and Joker are present on the floors of the Palace (their skill level matches the players so they're not a walk in the park. Ever.) and their designs will be based on concept art of their costumes and Personas since Mishima has never actually seen them.

Music is always important and so for this Palace theme, I went with vs. DJ Subatomic Supernova from No Straight Roads:

https://youtu.be/ANCMbw7y-sg

This song has a very futuristic techy vibe to it, which imo would be absolutely perfect.

As for Shadow Mishima himself, he's dressed very similarly to Arséne but in a blue color scheme instead of red and acts as the "leader" of his cognitive Thieves.

His Treasure is undecided as of right now, but currently I'm leaning towards his laptop/phone since that's presumably how he set up the site.

Taking on Shadow Mishima solo as Joker triggers this song instead.

https://youtu.be/6WMNknT279c

I haven't decided on a bad ending for failing to meet the deadline yet, but that'll most likely come soon.

[crowsent]

Whumptober 2019 Isolation

Haru Okumura, Akira Kurusu, Persona 5, Isolation

Two separate fanfics this time but I put them both on one post! I hope to gods that I got Haru right bc she’s such an underappreciated character. Big thanks to @lastvalyrian for giving me the Akira Kurusu goes back to his hometown idea bc I cried at that

=

Isolation was the monster lurking under her bed, the beast that trailed after her with a drooling open maw, her own Damocles’ Sword, held aloft by a single hair. And in a way, the fact that she felt isolated from everyone else was a little funny.

What a silly girl you are, Haru Okumura. How silly for you to fret over such trivial matters like companionship when you had the whole world laid out before you on a silver plate. Isolation? Loneliness? Solitude? If you’re sad we can buy you new friends. Friends who will adore you and shower you with praise. Powerful friends from rich families that will further the heights of the Okumura name.

You’re so lucky to have all this money, all this fame, all this fortune, and yet you wallow in useless self-pity. Be thankful that you’re an Okumura.

Haru had friends. Fake friends with fake smiles, with honeyed words dripping with the money Father paid them to be nice to Haru. Rich sons and daughters of other conglomerate businesses that Father used as a tool to spread the Okumura family name. They agreed to everything Haru said, laughed at all her jokes, and invited her out to everything. Employees vying for her father’s favour complimented her dress, her hair, taught her how to play cat’s cradle when she was but a young child. Managers of the Big Bang Burger empire always took care in flattering her. Haru caught people around corners, laughing at the easy money just for humouring the Okumura heiress' petty desires to have someplace to belong.

Isolation, Haru thought, was the invisible cage in which she was doomed to die in.

She was always surrounded by people, but she was always alone.

And it was cold.

It was empty.

It was hollow.

All the wealth in the world couldn’t stave off the chasm inside Haru’s heart, the desire to have someone in her life, just one person, who saw her not as the rich Okumura daughter, but simply as Haru.

She waited.

She hoped.

The shoujo manga she happened to read in Shujin’s library had always said that someone would inevitably swoop in and save her from being on her own. Someone would show her that she was more than a damsel in distress, fated to walk a predetermined path. That she could live her own life without someone else’s hand moving the pieces on the board.

But no one came.

Father had arranged for her to marry the son of a wealthy politician. She, too, had become a tool to further his own ambitions.

No one came.

“I’ll be fine.” Haru nodded decisively. “Everything’s going to be okay Haru.” She gently stroked the tomato’s leaves. It had grown so much, rising up despite being in a cramped planter. “Don’t worry about me, okay?” The tomato did not speak. Haru continued to gently brush her fingers over the leaves.

She was in her last year of highschool now. The shoujo manga she had read when she first came into Shujin was long forgotten. A distant memory. She couldn’t even recall what it was about anymore.

The tomato plant was still green, not yet ready for harvesting. Haru hoped she had enough time over the coming weeks to care for it properly. “Shibuya’s a lot safer now that that mafia boss turned himself in. The Phantom Thieves are amazing, aren’t they?”

Silence.

“I wish they would answer my request too…”

Her phone pinged.

A text.

Haru’s smile thinned. “I have to go now. I’m sorry for leaving you in such a quiet place.” The rooftop was silent and the plants which Haru had cared for had to wait. “I wish I could stay here longer.” The text was from Sugimura. Haru didn’t want to go. She had no choice.

“I’ll come back as soon as I can, okay?”

She stood up, wiping the dirt from her hands onto her gym tracksuit. Her plants did not answer, but they were all that Haru had. The rooftop was the only place she felt less alone. Her plants; the tomatoes and carrots, the bougainvilleas and lilies, were the only reason she held on. The only things in her life that brought colour to her grey existence. If she was fated to walk a path someone else had chosen for her, she wanted to at least see flowers blooming at the edges.

Her heart was empty.

Haru walked by a pair of giggling girls on her way out from Shujin.

Haru walked alongside a crowd on her way back home.

She was surrounded by people.

She had never felt more alone.

====

It wasn’t the same.

The gas station was still there, still manned by a single overworked attendant with dead fish eyes and a tired smile frozen on their lips. The school was still there, still tiny and still filled with gossip over every little insignificant thing that happened around town. The cats on the floodplain were still there, the large Department Store was still there, the historical Amagi Inn was still there.

Nothing changed about Inaba. It was still the sleepy old town Akira remembered it to be. His house was still crammed in the residential district. The old couple who lived across from him gave him clipped greetings. Rumours of his arrest, his second arrest as a rebellious thief had spread just as fast as he expected it to. His parents weren’t home.

Nothing changed about Akira’s hometown during his year in Tokyo.

But it didn’t feel the same.

Not anymore.

He shut the front door of his parents’ home with a sigh and stalked over to the living room couch where he collapsed on the cushion with a soft thud. Morgana wiggled his way out of Akira’s bag and onto the couch. “This is your home?” Akira turned face-up so he could watch Morgana’s whiskers twitch and his tail swish around as he peered curiously at Akira’s family home. At the white countertops, at the boring beige sofa, at the obsessively clean space. “It’s quite different from the chief’s attic.”

Akira laughed at that. Though it was a much quieter sound, now. Anything too loud in this too quiet house sounded deafening. “Aren’t you glad not to live in an attic, Morgana?” Akira scratched Morgana behind the ears. Morgana’s tail curled up in delight and his eyes shut with a soft purr. “It’s a lot better than Sakura’s attic, isn’t it?”

Morgana’s eyes opened. For some reason, Akira didn’t like the look his cat gave him. “Do you really think that?”

Of course, Akira wanted to say. Here he was, back home, his actual home. Back in his hometown where whispers about his criminal past would always trail after him like a cape, where his parent’s house was devoid of any character and life, where Akira would have to come back to a quiet building because his mother worked the night shift as the receptionist in the hospital and his father didn’t bother doing anything but drink beer from the fridge when he came home most nights.

He had his old room back. A spartan square room with only a bed and a dresser. Without the potted plant he’d come to love, without the decorations and gifts his friends had given him, without the work desk where he spent hours meticulously crafting tiny knicknacks together. It was a fairly large house that had everything he could possibly need; a nice bathroom with a large tub, a fancy new tv unlike the tiny box he had in Sakura’s attic, a lot of space where he would spend the rest of his life alone.

Without his friends.

Without freshly made curry given to him with a smile.

Without someone to say “welcome back” as soon as he opens the door.

“Joker?” Morgana shimmied away from Akira’s hand, walking on his chest to look at him properly. He nudged Akira’s cheek with a paw. “Hey. Joker. Akira. Are you okay?”

Thankfully, Morgana didn’t mention the fact that Akira’s face was wet with tears. “Why wouldn’t I be?” Akira croaked. He wrapped Morgana in a half-assed hug. Morgana’s tail traced patterns on his forearms. “I’m back home. I’ll be going back to school where you can’t come with me because you can’t fit in the space underneath the desks here. All of my friends are still in Tokyo and I have to live the rest of my life here listening to everyone else mumbling shit about me when they think I can’t hear!” A sigh. Akira’s hands running through Morgana’s fur, trembling. “I’m fucking fine.”

It felt like yesterday when Akira stumbled into Shibuya, wide-eyed and confused, lost. Staring at the cars zooming by and the bright lights and the allure and danger of a strange city. It felt like it was only yesterday when he and Ryuji stumbled upon a lavish castle, when Ann cried and broke down in front of him at some random diner because of Kamoshida’s persistence, when Morgana first came into his life and taught him how to be a phantom thief.

It felt like he had met Makoto only a day ago, when she trailed him all over Shibuya with a flimsy magazine like that would stop her from getting noticed, when she vowed to stop Kaneshiro with them all. It felt like Haru came to him to ask for help with differentiating coffee beans only a few hours ago, when they planted flowers together on Shujin’s rooftop, when she annulled her engagement with Sugimura and gave Akira the biggest smile he had ever seen. It felt like it was only a few minutes ago when he met Sakura, Chihaya, Yoshida, Shinya, Iwai, Mishima, and all the other people who had made his life worth living.

It felt like he had met Yusuke for the first time only a few seconds ago. When Yusuke dragged Akira all over Tokyo in pursuit of true beauty. When Yusuke proudly gave him ‘Desire and Hope’ with their fingers brushing against each other. When Yusuke softly requested for Akira to keep smiling until he was able to capture it on canvas. When Yusuke gave him a tearful smile at the train station as Akira was bound to leave.

A year was not enough.

A year would never be enough.

It’s not enough.

The box of things Akira had from Tokyo sat near the door. He couldn’t bring everything. His room was nowhere big enough to display all that his friends had given him and his parents would never allow such “unsightly” decoration around the house. At least they agreed to let Akira hang the painting from “a famous artist” by the living room. Something to give the white nothingness of the house a little bit of colour.

Morgana stayed quiet as Akira wiped his tears away. “At least I have you Morgana. You’ll stay with me, right?”

A purr, Morgana doing his damnedest to snuggle into Akira’s neck. “Hmph. You couldn’t get rid of me even if you tried.”

“I would never! Unless you try to steal my food. Then you’re gonna be living in the streets.” Morgana giggled. Having fur around his neck was ticklish.

The house was too quiet. There was no smell of coffee in the air, or the white noise of a television. He should unpack his things. He’d finish his last year of highschool at Yasogami and he’d have to enroll himself. Again. Not like anyone was going to come with him. Too busy. Not enough time. You’re already a problem child so don’t you dare think of being a burden on us even more. It was deadly quiet, at least, until his parents would come home.

At least he still had the headphones Futaba gave him. When his parents begin yelling at each other, he can block them out.

Pretend that his parents gave a shit about him.

Pretend that he was back in Tokyo.

Pretend that he wasn’t going to spend this year alone.