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symbioticsimplicity · 1 year ago

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In Another Life

Shuake quick fic based on this post by @arcsin27 thanks for passing on the brain worms!

As the door swung closed behind Maruki, an oppresive silence filled the little cafe Akira had long since begun thinking of as his home.

It wasn't the first heavy silence he and Akechi had shared, but he was all but sure it would be their last.

The thought filled his head with noise, thousands of thwarted plans and half uttered pleas coalesing into static behind his eyes. Trapped, just like every other feeling he kept locked behind his teeth. He'd kept hundreds of things to himself by now, he was pretty sure he was an expert.

And yet, when those glaring red eyes turned back to him, that tightly held control freyed.

"Don't tell me you're actually considering taking that asinine deal." Akechi scoffed, as though the mere idea were beneath discussing, as if he weren't going to--

"If we don't you're going to--"

The sharp stare his rival sent him cut the words off at their knees.

"If you fold to such a trivial threat, perhaps you were never worthy of being my rival in the first place." He near spat, "To think, the famed leader of the Phantom Thieves would be so easy to manipulate."

Akira clenched his teeth, all those unspoken words piling up in his throat until he felt choked with them. He wanted to argue, to rage, to do something other than just stand there and let Akechi win. But everything he could say wouldn't tilt the scales, no if anything it would only convince Akechi he was truly in the right.

"I--" His voice broke, and he couldn't figure out what to say anyway so he left the sentence there, glancing away as if the future was looming just behind Akechi's head.

"You are." Akechi snarled, as though the thought alone was enough to insense him, "Kurusu, I'm aware you hardly listen to anyone, but if ever there were a time, listen to me now."

Akira couldn't bring himself to look at him, but that didn't seem to be stopping Akechi.

"If you take this deal, you will be going directly against my wishes."

"You want to die?!" Akira snapped in an uncharacteristic show of anger.

"I think I ought to!" Akechi growled back, "You're the only one who doesn't seem to agree!"

Akira reeled back as though struck, but quickly recovered, "Of course I don't."

"Right, of course, how silly of me to forget. You're the hero, you don't think anyone should die, no matter how monstrous." Akechi rolled his eyes, "You're half as deluded as Maruki."

"Is it...is it really so wrong?" Akira whispered, unable to utter the words with his usual confidence, "To want a second chance?"

He forced himself to look back to Akechi, finding him scrutenizing him with that stare of his. The one that made Akira feel like a bug pinned to a wall.

"I know you've thought about it," He continued when Akechi made no move to speak, "What would have happened if we'd met sooner. What we could have been like if not for--"

Akira's hand sought his hair but ended up pressed against his forehead instead as the thought tried to sweep him away. It wasn't a new fantasy by any means, in fact it was probably the very one Maruki had plucked out of him that saw Akechi standing here right now.

It changed every time, whether they were playing chess or in the debate club together, from rival schools or fast friends, it hardly mattered. Akira just wanted to be by his side, to compete with him because they wanted to, not because God or Fate or whatever was forcing their hands. He wanted the same quiet evenings they'd already shared, and the kinds of outings he had with the rest of the Thieves. And in the small hours of the night, he could admit he may even want something more...

"It doesn't matter." Akechi's cool voice shattered the sugar spun daydream, "That's not for us. It isn't who we are, Akira."

The use of his first name hit like a physical blow, leaving Akira reeling as he looked back up into Akechi's eyes.

He looked tired, far more so than Akira himself felt. Resignation was etched into every shadow falling across his face, in the looseness of his muscles and the blank stare he met Akira's own startled one with.

"But it could be." Akira breathed, desperation curling around the syllables like a living thing all it's own.

Akechi's eyes closed and for a moment Akira could have sworn he heard him pray for patience.

"No, it couldn't. No matter how good the lie, it would still only ever be that." His contempt twisted the words until Akira could feel the barbs of them digging into him, "Would you really rather swallow some shallow immitation than to-- than live with my memory?"

Akira heard what he didn't say, of course he did. It was something he'd noticed about him early on, when he'd first realized how much of Akechi's outer self was a mask. He spent so much time editing himself, trimming away the pieces others would doubtlessly find objectionable, forcing himself to condense into the narrow box he was expected to fill, until he had a well contructed front he could use to fool the entire world. Everyone except Akira himself.

If he took Maruki's lie it would be like he was putting Akechi back in his cage himself.

He wished they were at the gym so he could throw a punch or something.

Instead he swallowed down the ugly neediness bubbling in the back of his throat.

"You're right." The words tasted like the bitter herbal tea Takemi had given him to help him recover from one of her harsher clinical trials, "It wouldn't be the same."

Akechi took a deep breath but looked no closer to being relieved, "Then you've come to your senses?"

Akira nodded, "I know what needs to be done. I'll do it but-"

Akechi's eyes narrowed, his frown deepening instantly, "But?"

"I'm not strong enough not to be a little selfish." Akira said to his shoes, "If this is going to be it- would you stay with me tonight? Please?"

He knew Akechi would hear what he didn't say, the same as Akira had for him earlier.

Don't make me let you go without ever having had you to begin with.

For a moment he only stared. Akira could see the thoughts racing behind his eyes, could almost hear them as he read each micro-change in his expression. It was an art that had taken him a long while to learn, but it had been worth every moment.

Finally he sighed, some of the manic energy that clung to him disappating as his posture sagged infinitesimally.

"I suppose I do still owe you a duel."

Akira's knees nearly gave out but he managed to keep that little bit of dignity intact and nodded instead.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me, I have every intention of winning this time." Akechi smirked, "Unless of course, you enjoy the taste of pavement, in which case, you're welcome~"

Akira heard it for what it was, an offering of a distraction. One Akechi could more than likely use just as badly. Selfish as he was being, Akira could at least recognize how hard it had to be to argue for his own destruction.

So he took a deep breath, and let Joker rise to the surface to meet his rival.

"If you can, I'll personally write you a Thank You note."

The fire that had been absent Akechi's eyes since he walked in rekindled, redoubled even. Without the vineer of civility he'd affected for so long, his expressions were much more extreme. Akira would be hard pressed to describe this one as anything short of 'bloodlust'.

"I'll take it with me to hell." Akechi growled.

Akira winced, but only just barely. He himself was guilty of making light of his own 'death', he could hardly fault Akechi for doing the same.

"Inokashira Park?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

They fought until the sun went down.

It hadn't been hard to find an isolated spot, not with the weather so cold. There was hardly anyone around, and even fewer who seemed to care about a pair of teenage boys roughhousing.

Despite this fight taking place outside of the metaverse, neither boy had taken it any less seriously than their first. If anything, Akira felt like Akechi was fighting harder than their first time. It reminded him of the first time they'd played billiards without Akechi using his non-dominant hand. He was always good, but unleashed he was a force of nature, all snarling teeth and vicious blows until Akira could hardly keep up with him.

It was beautiful in the same way bloodspatter could look like a painting. Not something most people would ever see, or appreciate if they did, but Akira couldn't help but to be in awe of him.

When he found himself pinned to the pavement, just as Akechi had promised, he couldn't even find it in himself to be disappointed.

The other was above him, panting and a little brused, grinning like a coyote with a fresh kill between it's jaws.

"Ha!" He crowed, "I knew those healing spells were the only thing keeping you-"

"You could have killed him." Akira interrupted.

Akechi's smile didn't fade, but confusion crept into it, "Whom?"

"Shido. You could have killed him. You're stronger than he is, even in his ruler form." So why didn't you?

Akechi flinched back, though the action caused him to sit heavily on top of Akira's stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of him a second time.

"I wanted revenge, Kurusu, not mearly to kill him. It wouldn't do to let him escape into the comfort of death before he knew why exactly he was being targeted in the first place."

Akira nodded, "So it's because you're a drama queen."

Akechi looked so affronted Akira raised his hands to block the blow he was sure was coming. A good thing too, as Akechi's knuckles connected with his wrists seconds after he'd raised them.

"Shut the fuck up, that's not it at all!"

"It sounds like it from where I'm standing."

"You are not standing!" He hissed back, grabbing Akira's offending wrists and pinning them down beside his head, "You are lying on your ass, soundly defeated and you ought to have more respect for your current predicament!"

Akira could have wiggled his leg out from beneath Akechi, barred it across his stomach and kicked him off of him, but that would have required higher thought, which he was sorely lacking. His focus had been stolen by the pressure on his wrists, across his hips, against the tip of his nose where Akechi's own was currently pressed as he growled at him. It was the closest they'd ever been, Akira was sure, and from here he could even see the light clumping of the mascara he hadn't previously been aware of his rival using.

His breath came hot against Akira's cheek, his pulse thundering where his palms met Akira's wrists. He was just so alive it made Akira's heart ache all the more to remember that soon, too damn soon, he'd be gone.

"Goro..." He whispered, his voice pitching oddly as he struggled against tears, "I don't think I can do this."

He could see recognition fire in Akechi's eyes, could see the effect the use of his first name had in the way his nostrils flared, his teeth gritting. He could also pinpoint the moment he decided to toss it all to the side.

"You said you would."

"I know."

"You aren't allowed to lie, you're supposed to be the hero."

"I know."

"Then promise me, instead." Akechi didn't move back, but to Akira's surprise moved closer, "If I give this to you, you'll do what needs done without hesitation."

He swallowed almost compulsively, his eyes rivoted to Akechi's as if pulled by magnets. Despite the rage that seemed to have made a permanent home there, his gaze was still steady enough to be calming. The center of a maelstrom, a river in a desert.

"I..." Akira was not weak, nor was he selfish, despite how desperately he wanted to be this time, "I promise."

The words were little more than a breath, but he could feel them bind to something deep in his heart. It was not unlike when he made a deal with someone, and the realization had tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.

Akechi must have felt it too because for a moment he softened, as if Akira's promise truly brought him peace. It was stupid, worse it was evil that something like this could make Goro Akechi smile genuinely for the first time in months.

Akira didn't have long to bemoan it however, as seconds later that smile was pressing against his own lips.

The most shocking thing was that it wasn't shocking at all. It felt like a foregone conclusion they simply hadn't had the time to discuss before, but one that was inevitable nonetheless. From Akechi's hands cupping Akira's face, to Akira's finding Akechi's waist, it was almost as though they'd finally found their way back into their own narrative, the one they'd been forced to abandon all those quiet nights ago. The natural conclusion of a perpetual motion machine designed to stop on doomsday.

Akira didn't notice he'd begun to cry until he could no longer breathe through his nose and had to pull away.

"Goddamn it." He swore, tucking his face against Akechi's shoulder, "Goddamn it!"

"I would point out that that seems to be part of the problem, but it seems redundant." Akechi sounded no better than Akira, his own voice straining to stay scathing and failing miserably.

"I hate this." Akira allowed himself the honest admission, "Why'd it have to be like this?"

"Born cursed." Akechi muttered, his own face buried in Akira's neck, "I've always been unlucky."

"One more thing we've got in common." Akira squeezed his eyes closed, "At least...at least I'm not going to have to wonder."

"Would you have spent your nights sleepless otherwise?"

It was supposed to be a joke, but neither had it in them to make it one at the moment.

"Yeah." Akira's hold tightened, "Already have."

"Over little old me?" Akechi chuckled, but the sound was humorless, "I would have thought the great Joker would have far more important things to occupy his thoughts."

"You overestimate how much I actually plan." And underestimate how much I care about you.

"It's... it's comforting to know at least one person will miss me."

Maybe was because he knew Akira couldn't see him, or maybe it was the impending eleventh hour getting to him, but the admission was so heartbreakingly honest Akira could hardly stand to hear it. While he knew Akechi didn't have family, and he saw how quickly he disappeared from the public's thoughts, it had yet to register that he may be the only one to actually mourn him.

"I'm going to miss you for the rest of my life." Akira held him as close as he could, feeling Akechi's heartbeat thudding against his own ribs from the other side despite the layers between them, "Who else is going to keep me on my toes?"

A wet laugh broke from him, messy and honest and a little deranged, "Selfishly I hope you never find an answer to that."

"Me too." Akira agreed, "I'd rather just wait to see you again in the next life."

"Disgusting." Akechi's tone sat in opposition of the way he finally relaxed against Akira, "Do you really believe in that nonsense?"

"I've ridden around in a bus that was also a talking cat, rencarnation doesn't sound that implausable."

"Touche."

"I hope it's true." Akira answered anyway, "I'd-- I'd like to live beside you. For real this time."

Akechi didn't anwer, but his hands clenched tighter where they were bunched into the fabric of Akira's jacket.

Akira didn't mind the silence this time. It was heavy, but it wasn't oppressive this time. He'd found an emergency exit for the things he'd long left unsaid, and though he was no closer to feeling at peace with any of this, he did feel less regretful.

With Akechi's shoulders now relaxed, Akira could see the sky above them. It had gotten dark, with a few of the most tenacious stars fighting to be seen through the city's light polution. It looked the same as it ever did here, murky and washed out, not like the sky back home. Yusuke would have said something about the way beauty could still be seen even in the least condusive circumstances, but Akira wasn't put together enough to attempt the thought.

"Akira?"

"Yeah, Goro?"

"Earlier, you asked me if I wanted to die." The words were so subdued, if he hadn't been holding him, Akira would never have thought they'd come from Akechi, "I told you that I thought I deserve to."

Akira didn't say anything, but Akechi wasn't looking for him to.

"I've done a great many horrible things in my life, most without remorse, as they were all in service of my ultimate goal. I still don't regret most of them, even those perpetrated against your friends. I'm a monster, and I know that. I've made peace with it. I always thought I would die at the end of all this, pragmatist that I am, I never made a single plan for what I would do after Shido was dealt with."

"Where are you going with this...?"

"I'm not a man with a future, I never have been, so when you asked if I wanted to die... the answer was obvious to me. Of course I should die. But...that isn't what you asked." Akechi breathed out a long, heavy breath that made Akira's neck tingle, made his eyes flutter a little, "I don't... I don't want to die."

He sounded so small, so young, so unlike himself that it made Akira's chest ache, made him yearn to comfort him. There wasn't a thing he could say to make it better, for either of them, so he turned as he usually did, to action when words failed him.

He pressed a kiss to the top of his head, then to his temple, then his forehead as he could reach them. He was trembling, or Akechi was, but he couldn't tell the difference at this point.

He wanted to tell him that dying wouldn't fix the things that he'd done, or that he'd only done them because of Shido, or a million other platitudes he'd see right through. But even if he could make his mind connect with his mouth again, he knew Akechi well enough to know any of those would only sound like pity to him. The best he could do was to hold him while they processed the latest addition to their heaping plate of misery.

"This second life of yours'..." Akechi eventually spoke again, "What would it look like?"

"A lot like this." Akira managed to force through his choked off throat, "But, you know, happier."

Akechi hummed, his hands now mindlessly rubbing against Akira's sides in a way that made him suspect the only thing he regularly showed affection to were probably dogs.

"You'd still want to fist fight me in a park somewhere?"

"Definitely." Akira nodded, "You need it."

"I need it? If someone were not there to kick down your ego every so often, you'd never fit through a door again."

"Same goes for you, Mr. Ace High School Detective." Akira nearly snorted, "If I had a ten yen coin for every time I heard a group of girls screaming about you, I could have just paid off Kaneshiro outright."

Akechi rolled his eyes so hard his whole body moved with him, "I think they mistook me for an idol."

"You're pretty enough to be."

"Have you always been this shameless a flirt, or is this some new feature I've been unlucky enough to uncover?" Akechi sounded exhasperated, though Akira could feel his face flush from where it was still pressed against him.

"Yes."

They continued on like that, trading barbs and bodyheat until it was too cold to stay out any longer. Akira nearly managed to put tomorrow from his mind when Akechi allowed him to take his hand as they walked back to the train station.

The world had a sense of vertigo to it that had little to do with the liminal space of a late night train ride. There were too many factors for Akira to pick just one, but it resulted in a subdued ride that faded into a subdued walk, broken only by Morgana's screeched complaints about how long they'd been gone. If he saw their hands, still entwined at their sides, he kept blessedly quiet about it.

Well, until Akechi followed Akira into Le Blanc.

"What is he still doing here?" Morgana groused, "Go home, tomorrow is going to be busy."

"I was invited to stay." Akechi said archly, dropping his jacket over the back of one of the barstools.

Morgana threw a betrayed look at Akira who was busying himself making them each a bowl of curry, as they'd missed dinner.

"Uh, earth to Joker?" Morgana hopped up onto the counter in front of him, "That's a terrible idea! In case you forgot, he's literally shot you in the face before!"

"Don't care." Akira easily answered, hip checking the fridge closed.

Morgana couldn't have looked more shocked if he tried, contrasted sharply by Akechi's sharp smile.

"Oh, I like this side of you." He needled, "Rebellion suits you."

"Thanks."

"Hold on, back up, wait wait wait!" Morgana shook his head, "What's gotten into you, did he brainwash you?!"

Akira set down the food, taking a deep breath to calm himself before turning back to the black and white cat.

"No. He didn't. I know the risks, Morgana, thank you." He replied evenly, "But you heard Maruki earlier. This...this is probably the last time I'm going to get to see him."

"You should be doing cartwheels about that!" Morgana shouted, big blue eyes wide with disbelief, "I know you're sentimental but jeez!"

"He was my wish, Morgana." The words came out a bit sharper than he meant for them to and he forced his usual calm to come to him, "Out of all the things Maruki could have used to try to keep me from fighting him, he picked Akechi. Think about that for a second."

It took almost a full minute, in which time Akira got both himself and Akechi dished up. He was opening a can of tuna for Morgana when a slow, pained 'Ooh' reached his ears.

"Okay. I get it now. I can't say I understand or...approve, but I get it."

Akira hummed to himself as he sat down beside Akechi.

"Wait, where is he sleeping?"

Akira looked down over his glasses at Morgana, taking a purposeful, slow bite of his food.

"Right... I'm going to Futaba's."

With that, the little cat popped up and all but ran to the door, jiggling the handle down to let himself out.

"I had no idea Morgana could be so considerate." Akechi chuckled, "I think you may have scarred him for life with those insinuations of your intentions with me."

"Who's insinuating?" Akira took another bite of his food.

Akechi froze mid bite, but recovered himself quickly enough that someone else likely wouldn't have noticed it at all. As it was, Akira was paying enough attention to even catch the light blush that painted itself across his cheeks.

"Bold of you to assume I'd be so easy, Kurusu." Akechi quirked a brow, his expression otherwise flat.

"Bold of you to assume I couldn't win you over anyway." Akira retorted, bouncing the verbal tennis ball back into Akechi's court.

"You have that much faith in yourself, huh? You of all people should know how stubborn I can be."

"You want to make this a bet?" Akira fought to keep his expression as neutral as ever.

Akechi's smile flashed across his face, like a knift glinting in the sun.

"Generally a safe manipulation tact, but you're going to have to do better than that." He sat back, folding his arms.

Damn.

"Before we get into this arguement, I'm going to need you to be sure you can handle the reprocussions of losing it." Akira countered, mimicking Akechi's posture but with the addition of folding his legs at the knee.

Akechi's brows made for his forehead in a brief moment of shock, but he quickly brought them back under his control.

"I think I can handle anything you throw my way. Surely if nothing else, I've proven that by now."

Akira nodded, a smile gradually blooming across his face as he sat forward.

"Alright then."

#shuake #persona 5 #goro akechi #akira kurusu #fall out boy caused this and I think we're all entitled to financial compensation #i could have kept going #i might be convinced to but i figure this ended up long enough by now

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nardaviel · 1 year ago

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here is a little excerpt i wrote for my roleswap au, the one with the sunflowers, wherein shuake meet briefly for the first time after kamoshida's palace. goro is irritated, and unnerved for reasons he can't quite pin down; ren has some Thoughts of his own, which he is keeping to himself for now (hint: they are the beginnings of a fixation)

---

May 4

Goro enters Untouchable to find it already occupied by another customer, which isn't ideal when he wants to sell a mysterious, shady gold medal. But the other boy only glances at him before returning to his idle perusal of the pistols on the shelves. Goro's eyes linger for another uncertain moment on the unruly curls on the boy's head, but he needs Kamoshida's medal gone to pay for the Thieves' celebration. He can't just come back another day. Maybe he can just... be quiet about it.

He shows Iwai the medal, and despite some initial reluctance, Iwai agrees to buy it for 30,000 yen. The entire time, Goro is excruciatingly aware of the other presence in the shop, but Iwai doesn't seem bothered, even as he buys what he must believe is stolen property. "Anything else?" he grunts, as Goro carefully tucks the money into his wallet.

"I have some other things to sell, and then I'd like to look for a new model gun."

Iwai glances at the door. "Don't take too long."

That's unusual behavior. In fact, everything about this business is still as shady as Goro remembers. Morgana shifts restlessly on his shoulder, probably thinking along the same lines. But then, Goro's entire life has become so strange that doing business in Untouchable is almost mundane. He unloads a Palace's worth of random trinkets onto Iwai and collects more money. Best not to wonder why Iwai's interested in buying all the shackles and nude candle stands, he decides. As long as Goro can buy Ann a new gun with the proceeds from her tormentor's Palace, that's good enough for him.

When he turns around, the boy by the shelves is watching him with bright, intent eyes. He doesn't even try to look away when Goro catches him; he just smiles, calm and friendly. Goro eyes him doubtfully. The smile deepens with wry amusement.

He's as odd as the shop he's loitering in. And Goro isn't in the mood for socializing with a stranger. But those shelves are where Goro needs to be if he wants to buy Ann a better gun, so he heads over anyway.

In his mind, the next few minutes unfold peacefully. He browses and chooses a model, perhaps with Morgana's input, and the boy goes back to whatever he was looking at. A nice, calm non-interaction. Instead, when he gets to the shelves, the boy says, "I like your cat."

"I'm not a cat!" snaps Morgana, fur bristling. Goro sighs on the inside; the boy grins.

"He has a cute little voice. Is he a boy? What's his name?"

"Yes, I'm a boy!"

Goro resigns himself to the encounter. "Yes," he says wearily. "His name is Morgana."

"Hi, Morgana. You're so cute..." The boy leans in a little, gazing at Morgana with soft, adoring eyes. Silver stud earrings glint in the shop's dim light. Morgana plops down on Goro's shoulder and sulks.

The boy is still smiling when he straightens up, although even then his posture leaves something to be desired. "Anyway, what are you looking for? Maybe I can help."

"I'm all right, thank you."

The boy takes the rejection easily. "Suit yourself." He leans against one of the shelves and gazes out the window, tucking the paper bag he's holding closer against his side.

That wasn't as bad as it could have been. Goro relaxes slightly. And, because Morgana is still in a mood after receiving the cat treatment, he browses model submachine guns in silence. The most promising ones are out of his price range, but there are a few for sale for less than 10,000 yen that Ann could get some good use out of. He narrows it down to two and turns to ask Iwai a question, only to find Iwai slowly shuffling things around behind the counter, keeping a wary eye on the door.

Unease creeps over Goro's skin. Something is going on.

"Leave him alone for now," whispers the boy. "What's up?"

Maybe he's an employee, the way he stands around and offers to help. He's just wearing jeans and a t-shirt with an open overshirt, but, frankly, that dress code would suit Untouchable. "I'm trying to choose between these," says Goro, pointing to the two boxes.

The boy looks at them, humming thoughtfully. "Are you gonna use it, or is it mostly for display?"

"...Does it matter?"

"Yeah." The boy tilts his head and considers Goro, sharp-eyed behind a tumble of dark curls. "You'll get better use out of the Sterling, but it's kind of ugly." He nods at the box. "All the weird holes."

What does he want Goro to say? I, a high schooler, have a use in mind for this model gun? Absolutely not. Although he suspects that he's going to incriminate himself anyway. "I see what you mean, I suppose. How would the Sterling be better for use?"

"The Thompson is just older. The design's not as refined." The boy steps closer, points to the giant circular drum featured prominently on the picture on the box. "It's too heavy, and it takes a lot of cleaning. The real thing's a lot worse, but a model of a bad gun is still gonna be a bad model gun, you know?" With the same self-assurance, the boy gestures at the Sterling L2A3. It is undeniably ugly, even for a gun. "The Sterling is better with that stuff," says the boy. "And it's designed for smoother recoil. It won't bruise your shoulder."

They've never yet had to clean their guns. That's not an issue, as far as Goro knows. But Ann would likely appreciate something lighter, with easier recoil. The Sterling is more expensive, but...

"We can't get Lady Ann a gun that hurts her," says Morgana firmly.

That's fair enough. Goro nods, even as the boy lights up again beside him.

"Hi to you too, buddy!"

Morgana sighs.

But something outside the window catches the boy's eye, then, and he straightens up. "I need to get going," he says, with a final, somewhat distracted smile. "Hope I helped. Nice meeting you, Morgana."

"Thank you," says Goro, because he did help, despite Goro's initial reservations. He can't even explain why the boy puts him on edge; there's just something about him that makes Goro take notice. And that's never meant anything good before.

All the boy does is brighten, though, like Goro's thanks made... maybe not his day, but his hour. "Sure. Iwai, I'm heading out."

"Thanks, Amamiya," says Iwai, cryptically.

When Goro brings the Sterling to the counter, he says, "I've never seen him before. Was he an employee?"

"Huh?" Iwai glances at the door. "Amamiya? No, he's just an enthusiast. Like you."

Yes. Goro Akechi, model gun enthusiast. "He was eager to be helpful. I thought he might work for you."

Iwai rings up the Sterling. "No, he's just like that. Weird kid."

Goro thinks back to Amamiya's keen focus as he watched Goro sell his trash, and the strange, wry knowing when their eyes met. "You're not wrong," he mutters, handing Iwai the money he owes. "Thank you for all your help today."

It's at that point that two police detectives burst onto the scene, and a flood of sudden, irrational panic washes away all thoughts of the mysterious curly-haired boy. Goro doesn't think about him again for a while.

#persona 5 #p5 #shuake #akeshu #goro akechi #akechi goro #ren amamiya #amamiya ren #persona 5 joker #persona 5 protagonist #sunflower roleswap au #my post #libby's writing #the fic is still in the planning stages i just. wanted to write this #this is what i made my writing blog for lol but im posting it on my main nonetheless

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akechi-stole-my-heart · 2 years ago

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My Persona 5 Fics

Regrets, Broken Trust, and Stardust - 9.9k+ words (ongoing longfic)

With the successful execution of their plan to change Niijima Sae's heart and deceive Akechi Goro, the Phantom Thieves have overcome their most dangerous obstacle yet--but one obstacle still remains. Akechi has yet to let the name of his boss and their ultimate target slip. The Thieves are at a loss for how to proceed, until one Sakura Futaba reveals a game-changing discovery that may unravel the secrets they seek.

Akechi Goro has a Palace.

Akechi Goro Lives and befriends the Phantom Thieves. Akechi Character Study. Rated Mature for themes. Abuse; Suicide. Akeshu/Shuake.

Insanity's what kept us sane - 6k+ words (ongoing longfic)

One November evening in 2016, an unlikely trio is sucked into a mysterious alternate world both like and unlike the Metaverse they are familiar with. There they find themselves opposed to the ruler of this world, a troubled young woman called Guernica, who has the power to drive people mad with her art. Thanks to her abilities, the Royal Trio are forced to face the most terrifying enemy of all: themselves.

Rewrite of Tactica's DLC Repaint Your Heart; Royal Trio are brainwashed by Guernica and their masks are forced off prematurely. Brainwashing; Mental Breakdowns; Suicidal Ideation. Royal Trio focus, Mostly Gen.

code violet - 158k words (complete longfic)

code violet: an emergency code that can be called by any person who is a witness to a violent incident or a combative individual that poses a threat

The engine room confrontation goes down a little differently when one Yoshizawa Sumire is there, hiding in the shadows.

A two-shot that ballooned into a Royal Trio longfic. Sumigoro-centric. Canon Divergent - Akechi Lives. Slow Burn Akeshusumi Polyship.

joker's wild - 3.1k words (one shot)

joker's wild: a phrase used to refer to the use of the joker played as a wild card; unpredictable, chaos

Akira has to convince Akechi to join the Phantom Thieves, but nothing he says seems to reach him. He's got one more card up his sleeve, but not the courage to play it.

A companion piece to code violet that covers a missing scene from chapter two. Rated Mature for intense making out; Roleplaying; Dom/Sub. Akeshu.

eat crow - 19k words (one shot)

eat crow: to be forced to admit one's mistakes or defeat; to be humiliated

Upon returning to the true reality, Sumire discovers that the person still standing by her side is not who she expected. Neither of them are prepared to cope with a reality that doesn't include their boyfriend.

Another companion piece to code violet taking place after chapter fifteen from sumire's perspective. Rated Mature for nudity and themes; Hurt/Comfort, Self Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Intimate Partner Violence. Akesumi.

Actualized - 5.9k words (one shot)

Akira has betrayed him. He's betrayed everything, become just as bad as that cursed doctor. Goro won't stand for it. He can't stand for it.

If he has to face Maruki alone on February 3rd, he will.

The Ideal Ending from Goro's point of view. Heavy Angst; Hurt No Comfort; Suicidal Ideation. Akeshu/Shuake.

Idyll - 2.3k words (one shot)

"Something is wrong, Akira."

"Whatever do you mean?" says Akira, sounding utterly unconcerned. He continues to hum under his breath, a permanent smile etched on his face. The picture of perfect contentment. "What could possibly be wrong?"

Blood dripping thick and red into his drink at the Jazz Club. Empty gray eyes. Goro blinks. The images disappear. "Something is wrong," he says, quieter.

Pseudo-sequel to Actualized (though reading it first is not required). Psychological Horror; Heavy Angst; Hurt No Comfort. Mind the tags. Akeshu/Shuake.

Awakened - 2.9k words (one shot)

Akechi Goro is dead, in every way that matters. It's time that Akira avenged him.

Conclusion to Actualized and Idyll. Angst; Hurt No Comfort; Major Character Death. Akeshu/Shuake.

you're so far gone, but i'm not leaving - 10k words (one shot)

Akechi Goro has one goal—live until election day.

Akechi Goro has one goal—make Shido pay.

Akechi Goro has one goal—

Akechi Goro—

Akechi…

Akechi Goro has one goal—live happily forever with his boyfriend.

Akechi Goro has one goal—escape.

Time loop of the day Akechi Goro dies. Angst; Suicide; Memory Loss. Akeshu/Shuake.

reaper - 5.5k words (one shot)

Futaba visits Mementos alone on a whim and senses something strange on her scanners. Curiosity gets the better of her, and well, you know what they say about curiosity.

But Futaba's never really cared for that particular saying.

Futago siblings/friends, set in the Third Semester. Fluff and Angst. Background Akeshu/Shuake.

weak to ice - 5.7k words (one shot)

Akira takes the Phantom Thieves ice skating in celebration of Haru's eighteenth birthday. Goro's displeased for one simple reason--he's not too fond of the idea of wasting a day on frivolities when Masayoshi Shido is still out there, awaiting his punishment.

And Goro doesn't know how to ice skate. There's that, too.

An exploration of Akechi's self-worth issues. Canon Divergent; Hurt/Comfort. Soft Akeshu/Shuake.

remember that you can't save everyone (remember that you have to try) - 2.0k words (one shot)

At first only silence greets him. The sound of fabric shuffling. Perhaps Kurusu merely called accidentally in his sleep, and there's nothing to be concerned about. But then there's a sniff, and something that sounds like a quiet sob.

"Kurusu-kun?" he tries.

Silence. Then, a very soft and quiet, "...Yeah."

"Is everything alright?"

More silence. An even softer, "No."

Takuto receives a call from Akira after Akechi dies. Angst; Survivor Guilt; Savior Complex; Mentioned Suicide, Alcohol Abuse. Gen.

heart(less) - 2.6k words (one shot)

Sophia sacrifices herself, and Akechi Goro has some belated realizations about himself, the heart, and the AI he underestimated.

Sophiagoro friendship, Strikers but Akechi is there. Features Sophia, Goro, and Ichinose. Gen.

white raven, black swan - 5.5k words (one shot)

A collection of scenes taking place during Persona 5 Tactica's DLC Repaint Your Heart

What it says on the tin. Sumigoro focus/friendship, Royal Trio. Gen.

drop dead - 3.2k words (one shot)

Kasumi is a bit overwhelmed. Infiltrating a Palace with a ruler who seems to know so much about her with Kurusu-senpai and an Akechi Goro who's acting more than a bit out of character is...somewhat stressful.

But she'll be okay. After all, she'll always have her senpai to help keep her head on straight.

...Right?

Sumire deals with her feelings toward Akechi during the Royal Trio infiltration. Bad Girl Sumi; First Kiss; Trauma; Temporary Character Death. Akeshusumi Polyship.

giving the game away - 5.3k words (one shot)

Sumire wants to tell her parents about her boyfriends. Goro constructs a plan that is absolutely foolproof...for anyone but the fools he's surrounded himself by.

Future domestic fluff with Royal Trio. Secret Relationship; Akechi Goro Lives; Making Out; Knifeplay (sorta of, not really). Akeshusumi Polyship.

#sera posts #sera writes #p5r spoilers #p5 fic #ao3 #akeshu #akeshusumi #shuake #futago siblings

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crescentmoonteas · 2 years ago

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Does Akechi still temporarily leave the Phantom Thieves during Akira's arc? Though, here it's likely out of trying to figure out what the hell is going on rather than just Morgana getting depression or whatever.

~~Also, is the Shadow of Akira's Dad actually fun to fight?~~

yes!! it's also a bigger plot point for Akira's character arc now :3c I can't go into details because Jazzy and I have agreed to keep certain plot points under wraps but there's plenty of Shuake content during that palace!!

(also yes. I may not be making an actual game but I promise his boss fight would be more fun than Okumura's) (although I am in the minority where I never really had a problem with Okumura? but I do play on Super Easy Safe Narrative mode lol)

#anon #ask #IYR/RTG

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a-being-of-chaossss · 2 years ago

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Ok this is going to be super long but I am currently obsessed with this game so skip this if you want

Favourite: The boiler room scene. I LOVE THIS SCENE SO MUCH! I don’t want to spoil the scene for anyone but the voice acting is amazing and it’s just so good Least Favourite: Morgana leaving the phantom thieves during okumara’s palace

Favourite: Futaba hands down. I love her so much. She is literally me. Least Favourite: Morgana cause he just kinda sucks

I can see why people think so but personally no

Ren and Akechi

I really liked Sumire’s inclusion. It works so well with the theme of the game and i feel she added a lot to the story

Favourite: Shuake it just works so well. Least Favourite: Futaba and Ren THEY ARE SIBLINGS

Best: Futaba it fits so well. Worst: Akechi (Prince)

Haru should have gotten more screen time but I understand why she didn’t get it

Favourite: Futaba/Sojiro (I love Futaba if you couldn’t tell). Least Favourite: Morgana i just don’t like that it is automatic

Best: Yoshida idk why tho. Worst: Mishima it was a cool idea but poor execution

Story wise Royal but everything else vanilla

He absolutely did have one. He was the jokester of the group and always lifted everyone’s spirits

Morgana’s arc during Okumara’s palace

Best: All of Akechi’s lines in the boiler scene or “I’ll make like a tree and branch on out of here” -Futaba (i love her soooooooo much). Worst: “If you are willing to to bare everything to me, i will pour my heart and soul into creating the greatest nude painting ever!” - yusuke

Ren but whatever I have to say his full name i say Akira Kurusu because I can’t pronounce Amaniya for my life

Best: Futaba’s or Sae’s Palace Worst: Okumara’s Palace

Best: When Mom was here (Futaba). Worst: Whatever Kamoshida’s is called

YESSSSS 🏳️‍🌈

Oh absolutely but she hasn’t figured out she’s sapphic yet

I really did like his inclusion into the story because it makes you question how far is too far when it comes to changing hearts

No but at the same time what Maruki was doing wasn’t right

Probably one where his mom is alive and he never met Shido and he’s with joker

I think when Maruki created the “perfect reality” he became like a god and could read anything’s desires

She absolutely changes after Madarame’s palace to the dumb blond stereotype and i wish they hadn’t changed her

(i got a little lazy at thr end so if you have questions just ask me)

Reply to this post/message me your answers to any of the following:

Favorite and least favorite moment/scene/line from the game

Favorite and least favorite character from the game

If you think Xander Mobus gave Joker a hot voice or not

If you ever paused the screen just to listen to said voice (🙋🏾‍♀️🙋🏾‍♀️🙋🏾‍♀️)

Who you think is the gayest member of the Phantom Thieves

If you enjoyed Sumire’s inclusion or not

Favorite and least favorite ship(s) in the fandom

Who you think has the best and worst Phantom Thief outfit

If you think Haru had too little screen time and if she deserved more

Favorite and least favorite Social link

Best and worst Confidant (outside of the PTs, Akechi, and Sumire)

If you prefer Royal or Vanilla

If you think Joker was given a personality or not

Most useless scene/aspect of the game

Worst and best line

Which canon name you prefer for Joker

Best and worst Palace

Best and worst Palace theme

If Joker and Akechi’s interactions feel gay or nah

If you think Ann is gay for Shiho

Opinion on Maruki’s character (if his inclusion was done well or not, his status as a antagonist, etc)

Whether Joker was right to break his friends free of their perfect realities

What you think Akechi’s perfect reality would look like (unless he’s too jaded to have anything of the sort)

How the hell Maruki knew Morgana wanted to be human (this one’s mainly a joke lol but feel free to answer anyway)

If you feel like Ann’s character significantly changed after the first two arcs (this one is especially important to me because I feel like she did but I wanna hear y’all’s thoughts. I still love her, though).

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cherubchoirs · 3 years ago

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(same anon that was abt yal's slides) i also have many sc au brainworms on a near daily basis i have read if-then like. 3 times now? its so good i love it so much. it's also really sad to me that two of the three yal & akira fics are of that au imo though theyre both. such good content. i think there's a lot of stuff ppl could do but ig they dont bc like?? idk maybe more focus on ships or they just arent used to the gods having an active and always present role and connection to the protag in persona games so they dont play around with it as much as they can?

i also have. bad end akira thoughts i want to share which is like. the idea of him trying to stop the thieves from taking down the angels that lead to taking down yal, and possibly after each one he gets more of his own memories (to a degree not completely) possibly bc yal's grip is loosening? or something?? and that helps w the thing of reinstating his will for rebellion and specifically getting him to turn on yaldabaoth??

omg thank you so much!! i loved writing that fic and i actually have another one i'm slowly working on that i hope to upload eventually ^^ and don't even get me STARTED on how much i love the fic that tayani wrote, it makes me go insane just thinking about it dkfhdg BUT YEA...there's not many fics that really take a look at the relationship between akira and yal which of course is fine! people write what they love, and unfortunately yal just isn't the most popular character. i do also think there is a definite glossing over of the bond he and akira forged in-game, but it likely is due to the fact that the game ITSELF glosses over it almost entirely 😭 it's such an absolute shame since there was so much potential left on the table, but the game's near immediate dismissal of their confidant certainly led to a lot of the fanbase writing him off as another god-villain in persona despite his unique position in relation to the protagonist. so honestly i think that's why my aus often focus so heavily on yaldabaoth's involvement and character - i gotta make my own food!! as much as i love the thieves and of course most of my aus are shuake, yaldabaoth and akira get the spotlight since they're both my favorites and bc i think i just. genuinely want to see more content involving yaldabaoth and how he interacts with others. SO it's a pretty niche market, but i'm so happy other ppl are enjoying that content too (and it's even changed some minds about yal aaaaaaa!!)

ooooh i like this too! i have thought about how it's likely the angels would attempt to persuade akira to rejoin them, but it would be interesting for him to sort of feel...an opposing pull inside of him as they get closer and closer to the shrine. like with each angel that's defeated he can feel something shift in his heart, yet as he closes in on the shrine, yaldabaoth's presence becomes increasingly oppressive - ultimately, he has no idea what he might do when the last angel falls. his heart i think at that point is vulnerable, at least by his measure - with each passing angel, he knows more and more he's feeling a freedom he's forgotten...but without knowing how to manage it properly, he knows it could easily fall under yaldabaoth's control again. that feeling could really be what makes his decision for him though, as he knows he needs to feel his freedom and totally own it if he ever wants a chance at his life again. and the only way he can do that is to see how it stands now against yaldabaoth.

#tbh i'm so glad there's like. a lil yal corner of the fandom #and i'll make it clear too i get why there's not much content of him #everyone should produce whatever they want!!#but that's exactly why i'm here too with all this yal content lol #like i do sometimes feel as tho i should make content for others #more with the thieves or shuake or WHATEVER...#but yal is just where my heart lies u kno????#thank u so much for these kind messages too aaaaa #cake answers

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ineffableuser · 3 years ago

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Day 3 of Shuake Week 2021: Glove, Grief

Words: 807

(Angst, happy ending under the cut)

(Constructive criticism is welcome as well as corrections of eventual grammar/spelling/etc mistakes)

As Empty As My Soul, Now That You Are Gone

He always kept it with him.

Ever since… everything that had happened, he often found himself taking it from his nightstand and putting it in his pocket—sliding his hand in there would have been seen as a common gesture, after all. Nobody could tell that every time he did so, his mind drifted to the feeling of its fabric caressing his palm as he took his time to rearrange its position, slowly and ever so carefully, so that his fingers intertwined with the glove’s tremendously empty ones.

He didn’t regret his decision. That’s what he told himself. The world that Maruki would have created would have been fake. It would have had fake friendships, fake families, fake love: fake Kasumi, fake Wakaba, fake Okumura and fake…

However, no matter how disappointed he may have been if he had said yes to Maruki, part of his mind kept telling him that he wouldn’t be feeling any of this if he had let himself give up.

He could almost hear him. Coward, he would say. Sentimental, maybe. He couldn’t have understood, though, what it would have meant to him to have a chance to live a normal life with him, become good friends, or perhaps even…

He was walking around aimlessly; it was late, and the only sounds that he could hear were some faint steps of people going home after a day’s work and occasional cars. That was the first time he took it out outside his house; he wasn’t sure why he had waited so long. It wouldn’t have been too odd to see a guy holding a glove instead of wearing it. Probably most people wouldn’t have even seen it or even cared.

People’s opinions, though, weren’t the point. Not this time. This time, it wasn’t about the Phantom Thieves, it wasn’t about justice, it wasn’t about evil, it wasn’t about trickery—it was about him and the boy that was so lost and broken that the only thing that could keep him together that wasn’t a world of fantasy… was him. That, however, he didn’t know. He never let himself hope that his feelings—whatever they were, he kept repeating—were reciprocated. It wasn’t the right time, he had thought. It was better to wait until all the palaces were destroyed.

However, that time had never come. To be exact, it had, but the one before it took Akechi away with it.

He stared at the glove clutched in his hand. Part of him told him to let go of it, to let go of it all; to climb the highest mountain and throw it in the wind, then scream: “I accept your challenge, now come back!”

The other part, though, begged of him to not let go, to hang onto his glove as he has promised him, the real him, to do, that fateful day of a couple months prior.

He didn’t know what to do. He had no idea. He felt his lungs fill painfully with air, and exhaled slowly, trying to ignore the burning pain that was developing in his nose. After a few seconds, he lightened his grip on the glove once he started feeling pain from his own nails scratching his skin through the fabric.

A slight feeling of surprise flooded through him as he saw a light fog forming before his eyes, only to get shut down as he realised that his glasses had started fogging. He sighed and took them off with his other hand, careful not to bend the other temple. He stared at the lenses as they cleared, still. He took a moment to glance at the sky and noticed that the clouds were darker and bigger that before.

Right on cue, a single raindrop fell on his face mixing with the salty water that was already resting below his eyes. He didn’t seem to care, though, and kept feeling more and more numb as seconds passed.

He put his glasses back on, pressing on the bridge with his middle finger to make them stick to his face. They were the only mask he was now allowed to wear.

In the desperation of the moment, he asked himself if he was ever going to feel happy (or anything at all) again, as more raindrops followed the first and started hitting the ground, soaking his hair, his soul as empty as it would have ever been.

A thunder made him shut his eyes, so loud that seemed that it could break through anything, although the barrier he had started raising between himself and his emotions, brick by agonising brick, didn’t even seem to crack. It was another sound, way more pleasant, that made the tears star flooding again and the side of his mouth raise to form a smirk.

“I cannot believe you actually kept it.”

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oceantoast-writes · 3 years ago

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Shuake week prompt- Fate

Title- Fate of Ruin

Word Count- 683

Fate did not smile upon the likes of Goro Akechi. It never had, and it never would.

He kneeled over, battered and bruised from his fight with Akira, with some puppet version of himself with a gun to his head. This was how it would be. He’d die cold and alone surrounded by enemies because he was weak. Because the man he had intended to betray had outwitted him subconsciously.

The puppet asks if any of the thieves want to take his place. If they’re smart they won’t. Akechi isn’t going to let them.

To be perfectly honest he doesn’t want to make it out of here alive. Once they steal Shido’s heart there won’t be anything left for him either. Best case scenario is that he’ll go to jail.

“I’ll do it.” The room falls silent. All of them, including Akechi, stare in awe at the voice who said it. Akira holds his hand up with a fire in his eyes that makes Akechi want to be sick, didn��t this idiot understand what he was doing? He was going to die! His friends needed him, they didn’t need Akechi. Akira wasn’t disposable like he was.

“Like hell you are!” He snarls back. He gets a glare in return. How Akira could be so self sacrificial is entirely beyond him. “Save yourself for god’s sake!”

The cognition smiles, Goro recognizes it as the smirk he gave Akira in the interrogation room. Like he was fated to be the end of Akira. Perhaps he was. He doesn’t know whether the absolutely stupid and even more superstitious method of thinking was going to make him laugh or cry. “Well well well.” The cognition speaks, lowering it’s gun. “I never imagined you of all people to be suicidal.”

Was that a joke? Was that a fucking joke? It feels like everything in this palace exists for the sole reason of getting under Akechi’s skin. Akira takes a step forward. “Get back!” He demands it before he can even think to shut himself up. “Go! Run! Leave me here!!!” He stands up as if he could even bear to summon Loki right now, he’d probably topple over trying to shove Akira away.

Akira won’t even say a goddamn word in self defense, barely even looks at Akechi. It’s getting on his last nerve. He finds the strength in him to at least grab Akira by the collar and glare at him through the cracked mask. “Explain it to me dammit! Why do you think you can just throw away your life like that?! For me of all people?! Don’t you get it?! They can’t go on without you!”

I can’t go on without you.

He can’t say that out loud. “I’m the one you all can afford to get rid of, so why…?”

“Stop.” Akira finally says something to him. “Stop saying that stuff, stop acting like you’re less important than me. Don’t you fucking get it? All I ever wanted was to help you!”

“AND YOU THINK THROWING YOUR LIFE AWAY NOW IS GOING TO HELP???” He’s still holding back tears, not sure if they’re angry or upset. Whatever it is he doesn’t want to be feeling it.

“I’ll be fine, you just have to trust me,” What bullshit. Trust him? There was no way he could take on all those shadows alone and they both knew it.

“Then stop lying to me that you’ll be fine,” he hisses. “Leave me here and-”

He’s not given a chance to repeat himself, thrown into the group. Takamaki keeps him from tripping when he turns back around. Akira gives him a smile and a nod, pulling out his gun and aims it at the button that holds the gate ahead. He almost dives back, slamming into a wall that wasn’t there before. Just a moment too late.

The noise of gunshots echos through the stunned silence, cutting deep enough to leave a lifelong scar. Akechi slams a gauntlet against the door, unable to hold back his tears any longer.

“His signal went dark,” The Sakura girl comments quietly.

#shuakeweek2021 #shuake #goro akechi #akira kusuru #ren amimaya

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thepancakeboi · 4 years ago

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Corrupted Desires

ShuAke Week 2020

Day 2: Corruption / Masks / Games

November 27th should have just been a normal Sunday for Goro. Go to work, do an interview or two, and try not to think about the dead face of someone who could have been a potential friend in another life. However, the thieves he betrayed are out to steal his heart, and he refuses to let them succeed. Even if means having to kill Joker again.

Contains: swearing (no effs though), Goro Akechi Palace AU, (most likely) angst

“So, you came, despite my warnings.”

I turn around. The world may be tinted red by the lens of my mask, but I don’t need color to know who these people are. I’m face-to-face with the very thieves I had worked with for a short time before betraying them and shooting their leader in the head.

At least, that’s what I had thought happened. Something had felt...off in the interrogation room that held Ren Amamiya, leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. I had brushed it off at the time as being an unwelcome feeling from murdering someone in the real world.

I only realized Ren was still alive by the sight of him outside my bedroom window last night, six days after I had “killed” him. The sight of him unnerved me more than I care to admit. He was lucky I didn’t have a gun in my apartment. Otherwise, I would have shot him then and there. The thought of stabbing him with a kitchen knife came to mind, but that idea got shoved aside. Against my better judgment, I had simply opened the window instead of trying to murder him for the second time that week. “How the hell are you still alive?” I snapped. Ren knew my detective prince personality was little more than a façade, anyway.

“Hi to you too, detective,” he replied with that devil may care attitude, courtesy of being Joker, and a side of flirtatious annoyance. “Can we talk?”

“You didn’t answer my question,” I said as an answer, though I once again ignored common sense by stepping back from the window. Ren had taken the silent invitation, opening the window the rest of the way as he jumped through it. Even outside of the Metaverse, he had to be a showoff. “You should be dead.”

“Yeah, but I lived.”

“I shot you in the head. I watched you die.” There was no way he could have normally survived taking a bullet to the face at point-blank range. No chance whatsoever.

The smirk that pulled at his lips was nothing short of smug. It pissed me off. His tone matched his expression as he asked, “Honey, did you really kill me?”

“Yes! I-” I stopped mid-sentence. It was then that it had dawned on me; he somehow had used the Metaverse to escape and cheat death.

That little shit.

“Figure it out, detective?”

I refused to dignify the slight taunt with an answer. “Damn you. I should kill you right now.”

“You could.” He didn’t sound concerned. “Besides, murder is so intimate,” he added with a wink.

I gave him a withering glare as I asked, “What do you want? You didn’t come here just to gloat, did you?”

That seemed to jog his memory. For the first time that night, he wasn’t being a cocky son of a bitch. If anything, he looked almost somber as he reached into his bag, devoid of a certain black and white feline. It was jarring. “Here. This is for you.”

I stared at the proffered item: a calling card. “Is this a joke?” I scoffed.

He shook his head. This wasn’t something he was enjoying. “Just read it. Please.”

I don’t know why I had obliged. Maybe it had been how hurt he seemed. I had carefully read each word aloud, punctuated with my own comments, to make sure he knew I did as he wanted. “Sir Goro Akechi, - was the sir truly necessary? - the traitorous sinner of wrath.” Ren flinched at that second part. “You have lost yourself in your desire for revenge - bullshit! - and have committed many atrocities to advance your plans. Thus, we have decided to change your heart. We will take your distorted desires without fail. From, the Phantom Thieves.” I looked back up at Ren, snapping, “What is this supposed to mean!? Are you implying I have a Palace?”

“Yes.”

“That’s impossible! My heart isn’t distorted. I’ve accepted who I am! I’m not hiding anything from myself! All you’re doing is getting in my way!”

“I will steal your heart.” Even with the potential flirty double-meaning that was normal for him, the words were clearly painful for him to say.

“If you have any sense of self-preservation, Joker,” I snarled, emphasizing the codename, “don’t provoke me.”

He turned away from me, apparently so spineless that he couldn’t even give an answer to my face. “I can’t ignore this, Goro. You asked for my help yourself.” I didn’t even get a chance to question him on that. Without another word, he left the way he came, leaving me alone to mull over what he said. I was about to throw the calling card away until I saw something written on the back. Ren, the utter fool that he was, had given me the keywords for my own Palace:

Goro Akechi, Tokyo, castle.

This morning, I had pulled up the Metanav to see if any of this was true. This couldn’t be real. It wasn’t possible. I had to check, though, to make sure that whatever they were planning didn’t come to fruition if it was true. To my surprise, there was a hit on the Metanav. Ren’s words had held merit to them after all.

Now, I find myself here, prepared to fight the Phantom Thieves in my own Palace. The grand castle behind me will serve as a fine backdrop for these events, although if it’s any reflection of me, it isn’t so pretty on the inside. My gaze is focused solely on Joker. The rest of the thieves mean little to me. Without Joker, they would crumble and fall into despair. “You should have known I would stop you.”

I’m surprised when the rest of the thieves stay silent. I would have expected them to have something to say to me, especially Haru and Futaba. I did murder people close to them. Instead, Joker steps towards me as he says, “Goro, listen to yourself. You want our help.”

“I do not require your assistance. What makes you so sure that I even want your help?”

“Your Shadow told me.” Joker is now right in front of me, slightly taller as always due to his heeled boots. He’s not being cocky. For once, he’s taking things seriously. “You want acknowledgment, right?”

He is right, but I refuse to admit it to anyone, least of all him. “You can’t be serious. That’s what you believe?”

“I know it’s true. Something happened to form this place. Skull had said your name before and nothing came up.”

“My desires aren’t corrupt if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“I know. But you want someone to want you around.” I jerk back. How the hell did he-? “And I do, Goro. I’ve always wanted to be with you. Please, just let me help. We can take Shido down together. Your mother w-”

“Enough!” I yell, turning my back to him. I won’t. He’s trying to change my heart, and I can’t let him do that. “That’s impossible.”

“Goro, please-”

“If you’re so desperate to help, then leave.”

“No. I love you too much to leave.”

Love. Does he think that’s all it will take to stop me? Ha, what a joke.

You love him too, though, don’t you?

I force that thought as far away from consciousness as possible. It’s too late for love, even if I deserved any. He can’t save me any more than he could stop someone like Shido with his methods. “If you won’t leave, then I’ll have to force you all to leave.”

He chuckles humorlessly. “You’ll have to find them first.”

I blink, turning around to realize we’re alone. Joker, being the menace that he is, smirks. The expression doesn’t reach his eyes. “Damnit! You Phantom Thieves are really starting to piss me off!”

“I said I would steal your heart,” he says, grabbing a hold of my wrist as I move to go hunt his friends down myself. His grip is surprisingly strong as he prevents me from leaving. “I don’t want to fight you, but if I have to...I will.”

“Fine, then!” I snap. “If it’s a fight you want, then it’s a fight you’ll get. You may have outsmarted me before, but I won’t lose to you! I will prevail!” My voice suddenly gets eerily quiet as I rest my free hand against my mask, summoning Loki as I finish:

“And this time...I’ll make sure you stay dead.”

#ShuAkeWeek2020 #titles are just not my thing okay #akeppi writes #p5 #persona 5 #p5r #persona 5 royal #goro akechi #akechi #ren amamiya #akira kurusu #akeshu #shuake #i wish i could have explored the idea of his palace more #alas time constraints made that impossible #this idea hurt so much #but this idea had been brewing in my mind for weeks after i saw the prompts #and it wouldn't be me if i didn't use it to gut-punch myself in the feels

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krisseycrystal · 4 years ago

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rated: t

fandom: Persona 5

prompt: “Soulmates” + Shuake

requested by: @ardentknight

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

- o - o - o -

Too Many Video Games [Read on AO3]

- o - o - o -

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

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

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

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

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

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

“And that is…?”

“The who is private.”

“What, really?!”

“Really.”

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

It was infuriating.

- o - o - o -

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They talked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

--oh my god.

Akira fucking took the outside seat for a reason.

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

Akira’s soulmate is Goro Akechi.

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

“You--”

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

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

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

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

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

It wasn’t.

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

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

“You and Akira.”

“You said that.”

“I can’t fucking believe--”

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

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

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

“Y-yeah, but--”

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

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

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

“The FUCK?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“You wouldn’t.”

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

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

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

Damn.

#persona 5 #p5 #shuake #akira kusuru #goro akechi #soulmate au #fanfic #fluff bingo!#it's all really silly #ryuji sakamoto #but picture that one scene from friends where joey finds out about monica and chandler #that's basically what this is #krissey writes a thing

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akechicrimes · 5 years ago

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ok alright there’s been some talk about sumi’s outfit being modeled after joker and how this is disappointing, so today i’m getting on my soapbox and we’re talking about:

sumi and akechi are foils of each other through foiling joker.

this breaks down really easily. it’s literally like math.

sumi wants a happy ending so badly that she’s willing to sacrifice her entire identity, sense of self, even the physical manifestation of her soul, to become like kasumi and model herself after joker. she is heavily invested in the damsel-in-distress narrative, and models herself after it. she’s so heavily invested in it that she conscripts joker into performing it with her (take a look at her showtime and how she grabs his hand to make him dip her). and ultimately, as we already know, this means that she literally is destroying her sense of identity as “sumire” in order to become literally someone else (kasumi and also joker).

akechi is... the opposite. of literally all of this. not only is he not into happy fairy tales, he actively embraces villain aesthetics. especially in royal, he has a strong sense of self and sticks to it, even when it pisses off other phantom thieves members, even going so far as to antagonize them with it. he spends less time cooperating with joker as he does asserting his independence and arguing against joker. on the note of akechi arguing against joker, akechi actively advocates against a “fairy-tale” ending,

in sum: akechi is joker’s opposite--his antithesis, if you will. sumi is joker’s replicate--his identical.

so of course sumi’s outfit is identical to joker’s.

sumi, i think, is a really interesting observation that in some way, sumi’s erasure of herself is exactly what joker does throughout the game: he erases his self, hides who he really is, all for the sake of pleasing other people’s social links and narrative arcs. in the same way that sumi is trying to fulfill kasumi’s narrative arc post-death, joker can model his answers to whatever will help the other person’s personal story, and the game actively rewards you for modeling joker’s personality after s links according to the person. dating sumi, especially in the valentine’s day scene, feels like fulfilling all her princess-in-a-castle dreams, and joker successfully models himself after the same fairytale narrative that sumi’s modeled herself.

akechi, by contrast, asks the exact opposite: he wants to see akira’s true self, wants to see what akira’s really made of, wants akira to choose reality and truth over a manufactured happiness. (i don’t think it’s a mistake that akira as a character with a personality is far more prevalent in akechi’s storyline than sumi’s.)

(again, not to make it LGBT, but i think it’s worth noting that the fairytale aesthetic is one of the most insidious forms of heterosexual scripts, employing men as the masculine savior and women as delicate and in need of saving. as lesbianakechi mentioned, sumi’s adherence to fairytale heterosexual scripts feels a lot like comp het that she’s conscripted joker into. by contrast, akechi, the coded queer love interest, gives less than a negative fuck about heterosexual scripts, and instead pushes an alternative romance script in which both partners are religiously equal to each other in power and agency, respect each others’ decisions as individuals, and are unafraid to disagree with each other while still remaining dedicated to each other.)

if we’re taking it as a fact that both sumi and akechi are more or less presented as opposite love interest options for joker, what ends up happening is that they become paired up as two completely opposite ways of going about a relationship with someone. and in pairing the two of them up, royal is able to demonstrate the pros and cons of both situations. the comparison means that royal walks away with pretty consistent and strong message about what a good romance should be--hell, what a good relationship in general should be.

royal says that it’s actively harmful to erase oneself so be in a relationship with someone else. royal actively pushes against sumi’s erasure of her own identity and asks her to be--well, sumi. royal’s bad ending is akechi’s free will and his identity being erased. royal’s good ending has them all returning to reality, in which the phantom thieves go on to pursue their individual interests and don’t have their selves erased to fit into some perfect ending, and this reality includes the fact that akechi picked being true to himself and his ideals over being alive (insofar as he was aware), and also this reality includes sumi having to do the terrible, horrible work of actually being herself at the risk of being hated for being imperfect.

basically, insofar as i can see, sumi’s not just there to distract from the amazing amounts of shuake in royal. sumi is struggling with the core problem of royal’s storyline all by herself, which is the need to sacrifice oneself and one’s free will and one’s truth for a mandatory perfect, happy ending. takuto struggles with the same issue from the other end, in that he’s sacrificing other people’s free will and truths for a mandatory perfect, happy ending. akechi and joker are obviously struggling with the same issue, but for each other (”if only akechi were just NOT an asshole to all the thieves, people could be friends... if only akechi WEREN’T dead, we could have a fairytale ending...”)

ironically, what sumi does seem to be there for is to illustrate the ways that shuake, for all its arguing and fighting and the fact that both parties have attempted to kill each other, is a relationship that’s founded on respect for each other’s autonomy and individuality. their rivalry has an appreciation for the ways they’re different, rather than merely tolerating the differences or working around them. akechi disagrees all the goddamn time with the phantom thieves, from the minute he shows up in the interview newsroom at rank 1 all the way to the moment he tells joker to return to reality even if it means akechi will die. and this is shown as a good thing, and this is especially obvious because sumi is there to demonstrate the opposite situation in which nobody argues and nobody is honest and we achieve happy perfect endings at the cost of everything else.

according to royal, a romance in which someone erases their selfhood to fit a (heterosexual) fairy-tale script is a deeply fucked up thing, and we should not do that. royal says that sumi is making a mistake in trying to be kasumi and trying to be a perfect damsel--or should i say, perfect waifu.

the irony about sumi is that in this light, her storyline is really a self-inflicted crime. she’s hurting herself at its core. it has nothing to do with romance or joker or being a cute waifu. her adherence to fairytale scripts is a means of self-destruction. which, in my opinion, is a pretty bold fucking plotline to pitch for a female character: that her adherence to feminine-coded roles and heterosexual interactions are actively destroying her as a person.

#meta #mine #p5r spoilers #i say this with a lot of love for blkmvsk because u are one of my favorite mutuals #please dont be offended hahah..........#i was following the conversation on ur blog and honestly i thought it was really interesting tbh #i just wanted to pitch in my two cents

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cantfoolajoker · 5 years ago

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shuake for the ship ask meme please

SEND ME A SHIP and i’ll tell you:

who wakes up first in the morning: akechi does for social obligations and because he has to, akira is not allowed to sleep in either

who’s the first to fall asleep at night: more often than not akira sleeps first and it’s because akechi is more of a night owl than he is, though if akechi isn’t in bed by a certain time akira will generally wake up again and come back out and harass him until he also sleeps

what they playfully tease each other over: they tease each other over everything they possibly can, though akira is usually the instigator with akechi sassing him back

what they do when the other’s having a bad day: when akira’s having a bad day, akechi generally follows very classic romantic media ideas of comforting your significant other, so he usually does the whole nine yards of asking if akira wants anything specific, drawing a warm bath, etc etc. if akechi’s having a bad day, akira offers to rub his shoulders since he’s usually super tense and becomes more affectionate than he generally is so akechi doesn’t spiral to an even worse mood.

how they say ‘i’m sorry’ after arguments: so akechi typically shows his apologies in the form of extravagant gifts, since that’s one of the things he feels the need to resort to in order to show his worth in a relationship. akira on the other hand is just a huge cuddler since the time they spent being annoyed at each other for a dumb argument means they weren’t affectionate while they were cooling down and he wants to make up for lost time.

which one’s more ticklish: akechi is, again akira is used to being bullied by the thieves, he’s numb to it

their favourite rainy day activities: akechi wants to go take pictures in the rain for that sort of perfect image mentality he has, meanwhile akira is playing in the rain and Definitely comes out sick ‘cause neither of them actually considered the downsides of that

how they surprise each other: again akechi is very extravagant, so things that actually surprise akira from him are when he goes personable for special occasions. likewise, akechi is not used to receiving personal gifts, which is usually akira’s type of gift in general. however, he’s also equally surprised if also exasperated when he’s on the end of akira giving him a joke gift like a brick with “i owe you” taped on it.

their most sickening shows of public affection: akira continuously tries to steal fork or spoonfuls of whatever fancy dessert akechi is eating. the thieves tease that’s some serious pda. akechi is just annoyed and trying to swat his hand away and tells him to get his own.

#ask tag #shuake #akira kurusu #goro akechi #the brick comment is from personal experience #Anonymous #p5

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mystech-master · 5 years ago

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Alright, so outside of the Shuake fans I’ve seen a lot of iffy views on Royal, with how nothing really changes, and how the Third Semester kind of undoes character development with the dream world (even though I’ve also heard that Maruki is giving them what he thinks they want, and it could be possible that they still desire these things even if they have moved on but that’s just me).

So I’ve been trying to think of a way to include Maruki and Kasumire more in the plot, although this is hard due to the writing style of “introduce a new theif per dungeon”.

I do think that Maruki being Kasumire’s personal enemy is fine like almost every other thief having a personal foe, and he has unique circumstances b/c you don’t meet his shadow. You aren’t fighting some gross over-exaggerated saturday morning cartoon villain like every other palace owner. This is just a guy doing what he thinks is right. He’s still corrupt, it’s just without that “MWAHAHA I AM EVIL!” thing it gets harder to hate him b/c you don't have that push. He’s doing the whole “I am doing this b/c I think it is for the best, and you naive children need to accept the reality” going all “tut-tut” and all that.

But still, moving the palace around is kind of hard. I’d maybe want to move it before Shido’s palace but with the Prime Minister elections beng a set time I don’t see how that could happen.

Anyways

For my idea, have Maruki be a part of the Conspiracy. Maybe Shido offers him to work for them so he can actually take off with his research, probabaly threatening to use Goro against him. In this idea, main game mementos is the 3rd semester mementos. The clean pristine stuff that Maruki’s Mementos is. Representing the calm order that Shido claims to be bringing and that the Chaotic Phantom Thieves are breaking down. When Maruki is defeated later, “clean” mementos is replaced by the one we know, all dark and demonic. Kind of representing the theives unmasking the cruel reality. Cue a bad guy going “Look at all this chaos and evil the thieves have caused!” only for the thieves to say that it was always this bad, they just expossed the truth.

Maybe have it so he knew Wakaba, depending on how his research went maybe when he was doing more basic stuff Wakaba consulted with him about the psychological aspect of Cognitive Psience. SO when the Futaba arc comes along during Summer he can be there, maybe talk with Sojiro and Futaba about Wakaba, him probabaly just knowing her as a co-worker compared to the much closer relationship she had with Sojiro, so we can get some of that bonding.

When the time for fighting him comes along, maybe Shido and Maruki offer the thieves “gifts” to keep them docile. AKA, the 3rd semester false reality. Sort of a bribe to keep the theives under control while they do whatever.

Maybe Maruki can say that sometimes you need to bite the bullet if you want to get by, like a lot of people have to do in real life. We can’t all just say no just b/c something seems bad, you may need to take a lesser of two evils in life someday, and not everyone has heart-changing powers like the Thieves that make all the evil stuff go away, some people just have to deal. The P-Thieves are not omnipresent after all.

I am not too sure on the Kausmire side of things though. Many people have pointed out that she isn’t much of a rebel compared to the P-Theives, she isn’t oppressed in any way shape or form outside of Maruki’s Cognitive Hypnosis. Compare that to the other thieves who have been majorly screwed over by corrupt adults.

I do think that this could work though. I know that the initial trailers had Kasumire say that people need to solve things themselves, which sounds like victim blamming. But I have a different approach for my idea.

Just because you haven’t been fucked over in life doesn’t mean you shouldn't fight against corruption.

Kasumire becoming a thief means more because even if she hasn’t had any corrupt figure fucking her over, she still sees it as bad and wants to fight back.

In fact it kind of has even more good meaning like that, she is the star gymnast and might be throwing away her good name to help these people deemed “lesser” by society. She isn’t doing it to get revenge on a corrupt figure, she has no personal beef with anyone. Sure she can’t really empathise with the other thieves about beign abused by authority, but that doesn’t mean she can’t fight for the oppressed.

Maybe Kasumire awakens in a special part of Mementos where one starts to see small hints at her true nature as Sumire, like maybe she discovered Maruki’s cognitive bullshit and he granted her wish to keep her docile/mind wipe her. That could add some interesting stuff to it. And maybe this would be activated by her Confidant, which if you get it up to a certain point, will allow her to be a part of the team during the main story, thus branching off the game and adding Violet to the main story, mostly just extra dialogue here and there.

#persona #persona 5 #p5 #persona 5 royal #p5r #p5r spoilers #kasumire yoshizawa #kasumi yoshizawa #sumire yoshizawa #takuto maruki

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