#p5 calling card

[ask-alextheangel]

Calling card for our latest chapter

https://archiveofourown.org/works/45861766/chapters/158725066

[vinestaff]

are you ready to die kamoshida

[dukecarrion]

bunch of akiren expression doodles ft. an akechi

[clouds-soup]

Joker from persona 5 if you can hear me.....

[amebelladonna]

Happy 15th anniversary to the lesbians that wired my brain for the first half of 2024 (this was from march, didn't have time to make something new, but i don't wanna gatekeep this piece anymore)

and a bonus mitsu doodle because why not.

[humanityscompaniondaily]

day 3: sophie of the phantom thieves!

[kumakuma-circus]

follow-up to this post with an important amendment: eevee wild cards.

persona q more like persona v(ee)-

[cielomist]

taking v important notes for my au

[linkseasonmaster]

“To Sir Donald Trump, the two-faced bastard of bigotry. You are arrogant and out of touch with the needs of the American people. Your campaign of greed and hate makes you unfit to lead a nation. Thus we have decided to make you confess all your crimes and expose the coward beneath all that orange. From, The Phantom Thieves.” The above image is a fan-made calling card I found online, one written in the style of those delivered to all kinds of horrendous villains by the heroes in a video game franchise near and dear to my heart. And if Donald J. Trump were to find copies of this calling card plastered to every visible surface of each and every property he claims ownership of, I unashamedly would scream with joy, for he would deserve every single one of them along with the change of heart that follows, confessing to all of the awful things he has ever done and demanding to be thrown in prison. After all, Trump and his supporters are just like the corrupt authority figures from the games, indulging in revolting behavior and hiding behind their power base. I have felt this way for years, and now I shall explain why.

Back in 2015, when there were still more than 10 candidates in the running to be the Republican candidate for President of the United States, I was on a cross country road trip with two members of my family. One of our stops was in a town in Illinois attributed to being where Abraham Lincoln, a man famous for making the practice of slavery illegal in the USA, was born and raised. This was at a point in time between two specific derogatory remarks made by Donald Trump, each targeting a different demographic, namely Mexicans and Muslims. That evening, after spending the afternoon learning more about Lincoln than I ever learned in school such as his efforts to combat antisemitism, I would have one of the worst nightmares of my life.

In my dream, Trump made the proclamation that “Abolishing slavery was a mistake!” at one of his political rallies. That comment gets him the presidency, and once he is in office, he begins setting up concentration camps for countless minorities. If you were a person of color, belonged to a religion that wasn’t “Christianity,” had a non-neurotypical brain, possessed any form of mental health issue, or whose gender identity, sexual orientation, and romantic preferences went outside of narrow expectations, you were to be rounded up and imprisoned or executed within the walls of hellholes like those of Nazi Germany.

I tried telling my traveling companions about my nightmare the following morning, but they brushed me off, saying Trump would never win the nomination. I spent so much of the rest of 2015 warning everyone I could about that awful dream, but even come the 2016 November election, only two people ever took me seriously: my therapist as well as a family friend who all but fled the deep south years earlier and was just as terrified as I was. The day after that malignant narcissist was elected the first time, young children at the after-school program I worked at came up to me, frightened for their lives as well as those of their loved ones because of Trump’s rhetoric. But when I was rendered speechless in my attempt to respond, the site director yelled at me for not reassuring them, even if it meant intentionally lying to them. And when Trump’s administration started abducting people crossing the borders, separating families, and locking kids in cages, coworkers would insist it was made up. Yet considering these same coworkers openly complained about Jews and liberals, all while trying to hurriedly assure me I was “one of the good ones” whenever I pointed out I was Jewish and a liberal, there’s no doubt in my mind they knew it was real and just didn’t want me calling them out on it. And all too often, when my family gets together, they’ll all start complaining about the news and current events, yet continue to make it difficult for me to make any sort of contribution to the conversation. With all of that, I just started to feel like it didn’t matter whether or not I talked about my views on Trump and his cult. I’d get told off for saying nothing, and no one wanted to listen when I actually spoke. So why bother? Well, considering the sheer number of people who voted for Trump this time around, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever get another chance after he’s sworn into office again. Because whether or not he knew about the creation of Project 2025, Trump and every single person who supports him either actually want to see it come to fruition or have no problems selling out their fellow citizens if it means potentially putting a tiny, short-lived dent into their believed rising inflation rate for goods and services. From trying to thrust their interpretation of Christianity down the throats of children all around the country, all while ignoring that the religion’s namesake was himself a Jewish rabbi who preached about providing aid to the impoverished, to punishing any teachers trying to educate children about how their bodies change over time or the history of slavery and racism in the US, these hateful adults have made their wishes crystal clear.

In my eyes, everyone who has ever voted for Trump, be it now or back in 2016, from those who actually agree with his rhetoric to those simply not wanting to rock the boat, are blood-drenched, puss-filled, urine-soaked, vomit-coated, diarrhea-covered, sweat-stained, mucus-caked, wretched abominations masquerading as sentient beings. It doesn’t matter if I am a stranger, an acquaintance, a blood relation, or someone considered to be a loved one. By supporting and enabling Donald Trump and every single bigot in this nation, you’ve all but shown that you would enthusiastically see me and everyone even remotely like me enslaved, locked up, exiled, or dead. But I guess I shouldn’t expect anything else from those who could witness firsthand Trump raping, killing, and eating one of their own children yet would rather ask the person next to them to pass the popcorn than raise an objection. I can only hope that one day, be it in this life or the afterlife, all of these awful bigots experience a punishment right out of a Danganronpa game: personally tailored, horrifically brutal, and utterly humiliating.

Oh, and if you are wondering if I’ve had any other dreams about the future since Trump was elected in 2016? I’m honestly confused as to why you suddenly decided to stop treating me like Cassandra from Greek mythology, an oracle cursed to accurately predict the future but to have no one ever listen to her warnings. But since I’ve already come this far, I might as well tell you. During Trump’s first term, I dreamt on two separate occasions of dying in an atomic blast. Once, the bomb was dropped right on my house, and I died in my own basement. The second dream took place at an elementary school, and I could only watch in horror as myself and the children I was supposed to be looking after all disappeared in a flash of light. And yet there’s one other premonition I began to receive as soon as Trump was first elected. There’s a single phrase I’ve echoing in my head ever since that night, even eight years later, and when I share it with people around me, it almost always renders them silent.

Blood. There will be blood.

I’ve heard those five words promising future bloodshed repeating in my brain every day since the outdated electoral college decided to let Trump win instead of Hillary Clinton. They didn’t stop when white supremacists killed a counterprotestor in Charlottesville. They didn’t stop after the Parkland High School shooting in 2017, nor the mass shooting in Uvalde in 2022. They didn’t stop when protestors were killed during the George Floyd demonstrations of 2020, nor when COVID took the lives of countless people around the world. They didn’t stop when Trump whipped his fanbase into a frenzy following his defeat to Joe Biden in 2020, or when said followers tried to usurp the United States government in an assault on its capital and Trump refused to condemn the attackers. They didn’t stop when China stole the freedom of those who live in Hong Kong, or when Putin began his invasion of Ukraine. They didn’t stop when Hamas brutally murdered and kidnapped Israeli citizens, or when Netanyahu used said attack as an excuse to bomb Gaza and invade Lebanon, civilians and hostages be damned. And a day after Trump won a second term in the White House, following the Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year that anyone who holds the position of president is above the law, that phrase hasn’t quieted in the slightest. So if none of these incidents and others have been destructive enough to satisfy that premonition, it can only mean one thing at this point: the worst is yet to come.

But I refuse to just roll over for these blatant oppressors. I won’t sink to the level of these bigots and mistreat others because of their heritage or orientation, even if all of Project 2025 comes to be passed into law. After all, it’s because of people like those who penned that accursed document, the cops and armed forces who have gotten away with attacking and even killing protestors, the Supreme Court that has gutted key protections against women and minorities, and countless others that I have long since stopped viewing the law as a means to ensure that those who do wrong are punished and those who do good are protected. So long as the wealthy and corrupt are allowed to hold power over the government, the law is nothing more than a tool for those holding all of the chips, with Trump and his ilk having done nothing but try to rig these twisted, unjust games in their favor. They care nothing for the intended spirit of the law, only how to twist the word of law to their benefit. It is for these reasons that I hope I am never put in a situation where I have to choose between doing what is moral and what is legal, because I am sure I will become an outlaw should that happen. And an outlaw worth their salt never goes down easy, no matter what happens to them. 

So go ahead, you fascist creeps. Try to rob me and those I care about of our futures. We’ll continue searching for ways to create our own destinies, if for no other reason than to spite those who see themselves as gods. And even if one day my own journey ends before true justice has prevailed, I know that there will be someone, someday who can carry this torch onwards through the harrowing night and towards a brand new dawn.

[velvet-systims]

Haru & Sophia (with bird and cloud themes) - For Anon

�� 🐦 🩷 | 🐦 🦆 ☁️ | 🩷 ☁️ ☁️

[akihikosanada]

maxed all affinities, requests and social links, defeated margaret (don't ask how many times that took.), and got the true ending of persona 4 including that sexy timeskip where you meet all the besties again 💆‍♀️ loooove that for me

[caramelmochacrow]

I SPENT THREE HOURS PLAYING P5 TO MAKE RYUJI LEVEL 21 FOR THE MADARAME FIGHT HELP--

[limitlesspossibilities]

//Okay I’m tired but I will resume booping chaos and maybe try to get some actual replies done too tomorrow :3c

[autonomousxselves]

Whatever his reason, Nobu seemed genuine and she was happy to converse with him. She would try to return that trust favorably. At his comment of coffee, Haru closes her eyes for a moment. "I do, you could call it a special interest of mine. I've been reading a lot about it recently, the origins of different types of beans and different preparation methods."

Though this doesn't mean she drinks it too often. Sure, once a day most of the time, and maybe another cup later with friends as a treat, but she watches it and balances any drawbacks with her healthy diet and soothing teas. "I suppose to be more accurate, I enjoy watching and learning about nature growing."

She gives a small chuckle at his offer and joke. "Well then, that would be appreciated. I'll be sure to bring some food that pairs well." She doesn't catch the way the waitress looks over, but contrasts it with a kind gaze back to him. "I'd really appreciate that Nobu-kun," she repeats, suddenly a tad embarrassed and hesitant herself. "I'll be sure to call you soon, if thats really alright..."

Nobu relied on two main aspects when it came to his trust, one was acquired and the other inferred. His ability to see personas allowed him to gauge the possibility of how a person's personality might shift. Most people lacked a solid state persona due to shifting to the mindset that would allow for self-preservation, even at the expense of others. This made most people hard to trust as they were always a risk they could turn. The second was by their actions which he did by his initial remark of trying to push people away. The best kind of people are those who can take the high road even when it's not the easiest.

Nobu couldn't turn off his ability to see personas, but seeing Haru's persona would fit in his condition of someone to trust. But someone could be a unrelenting bad person by wishing to try and retaliate for his remark to try and push them away. Haru's rebuttal fulfilled the second condition. Which is why he was willing to trust her, but there was always the possibility of an elaborate plan.

"You must enjoy coffee Haru-chan." It was either that or she had affection for the preparer, but he didn't feel that it was right to try and twist her words in that direction, even in jest. He would drink coffee only when it was necessary. He practices what he preaches to his patients by living a healthy lifestyle, but desperate times calls for desperate measures.

"There's no need for food and drinks to be at the location. Though it may be necessary for the first meeting between me and your friend, depending on how they may view me." He figured that it might help to dissolve any possibile suspicions that they may have of Nobu, but by not having the meetings mandating them to be present, it would dissuade from any notions that he may be using Haru between her money and her generosity. "I can always brings drinks if you want. Just don't trust me to make food." He admitted sheepishly, a light tint to his cheeks as he stated that embarrassing fact.

The condolence for Haru's father's passing only provided further validation of who he was talking to, but Haru's identity through he father was only one portion of who he was. Reacting to it would be putting emphasis on one side of her that was out of her control.

When the waittress turned to him, there was a look of concealed suspicion. Why else would someone so regular be with Haru if not just to exploit her? At least that was the general idea. Nobu would place an order for a mild coffee with the same dessert. Reducing the efficacy of the coffee would keep the effects to a minimum and the dessert would serve to counter the flavor as well as being a start to testing the tastes of the cafe.

Once the waittress left, Nobu would turn to look at Haru. "Feel free to chat whenever you feel like taking respite from your studies or want some help with the material."

[ladymarvel27]

So Skeptical | Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz x Reader

Description: He is suspecting you fell out of love for him.

Word count: 800+

f1 masterlist

He was noticing you were distancing yourself from him since the last race. You always looked busy. Not like in real busy but fake busy, as if trying to avoid him. Another thing that bothered him was that you were talking to Charles, even more than you were talking to him.

His heart sank seeing you rapidly texting someone discreetly on Saturday morning before the quali.

“Hey princess,” he appeared in front of you. You immediately shut your phone, shoving it in your pocket, and he felt his heart break a little.

“Hey, Carlos. Ready for the quali?” He could see your made-up smile.

“Yeah,” he nods, bringing up a smile covering up his little heartbreak. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him down to press a kiss on his cheek. “Good luck honey,” you say. He pulls you into his arms and you giggle against his chest, feeling warm and lovely. You were so perfect, the thing he has and he feels for you is so beautiful. He keeps wondering how could you do this to him, as his grip around you tightens. Maybe he is just overthinking? It was only frantic texting, fishing some information for your new venture. He found it so endearing how you were so passionate about your profession. You were so lovely, so adorable. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. He felt the urge to pick you and spun you around and kiss your pretty lips passionately and tell you how much he- “Carlos?” He is snapped of his thoughts by your voice. He pulls away and looks at you. “Are you fine?”

“HUH?”

“You are crying?” He didn’t even realise tears streaming down his face. You wiped it away. “Yeah just,” he trails off and you raise your eyebrows, making him continue, “I am glad that I have a girl like you in my life.”

“Me too. I love you my-” You were interrupted by his engineer calling him. “I should leave, huh?”

“Yeah, go smash in the quali!” You say with excitement.

As soon as he got free from the parce ferme, he ran to talk to you. He needed to. He was so tense during the quali that he couldn’t focus at all and ended it in heavy disappointment. “Y/N!” He sprinted to you, out of breath.

“Hey, Carlos,” you immediately hugged his sweaty body tightly, “You did so good. I am so proud.” He was confused as hell and scrunched his nose. “It was just P5.” He replied to your compliment.

“But you couldn’t even make it to Q3 in last race.” He felt bad when you spoke it out. “You improved Carlos!” You smiled brightly and shook him by his shoulders. “Yeah,” he chuckles lightly.

“Y/n,” he rubs your shoulders, “can we-”

“Carlos the media pen is starting,” his PR interrupts.

“Carlos. I am tired. I think this gonna take time, so I am returning to the hotel.”

“Oh yeah, you should. Bye. See you in the evening!”

As soon as he finished up all his daywork, he rushed to leave immediately to see you. He glanced at his wristwatch. 11:55 p.m. It’s too late. You would have fallen asleep. Gosh! He felt like time was slipping from his hand as sand. He feels something is wrong. Maybe you’re not doing but there is something. Maybe you just fell out of love? And it’s all your disinterest surfacing up but he isn’t catching. He rushed to the door and immediately placed the key card. The door buzzed open. The lights were off. He turned on the lights. You were nowhere to be seen. His heart sank. He slowly made his way past the room to the lobby area.

As soon as he turned on the lights, several voices shouted, “Happy Birthday!” You were standing between everyone, holding a small cake with a lit 30th candle. You went forward to him and brought it in front of him. He smiled brightly seeing the cake: with a customized picture of him from last year when he took pole in Monza. He was suspecting and overthinking so much, he forgot he had his birthday coming up. And how this could be the reason for it.

“Happy birthday, my bear.” He grinned with all his teeth out. “The cake Carlos, we got it specially for you,” Charles shouts from behind. He nods and blows the candles, his grin being a constant presence on his face. Everyone starts singing for him. “This the prettiest birthday cake I have ever got,” he spoke, “but we have to cut it, right?”

You chuckled at him. “Of course, you have to, Carlitos,” you wink. He laughs and cuts the cake, his heart swelling with the warmth and love he feels for you. You press a kiss on his cheek, making his grin wider.

A/n: Yeah, this is a birthday special, I wrote in just few hours. Thanks to my sister for proofreading.

Taglist: @faithshouseofchaos @itsjustvs4

[megaderping]

A while ago, I made a post going into parts of the missable Sae Palace arc text messages, such as these:

However, that post neglected to include a full transcript. I have since transcribed all of these texts, which occur on 10/30, 11/3, 11/7, and 11/11. You must not infiltrate Sae's Palace until after these dates in order to get these.

Transcripts below the cut! Crossposted to the P5 sub.

The first of these texts takes place on 10/30. You will miss this text if you infiltrate the Palace on the first available day.

--

Ryuji: Yo, Akechi.

Akechi: What is it?

Ryuji: You got any idea who the true culprit might be?

Futaba: Oh yeah! You said you saw a masked guy, right?

Haru: I wanted to ask about that too.

Futaba: Did you really see him? The masked guy's gotta be the true culprit, right?

Akechi: If this so-called true culprit is acting alone, then there can be no mistake about it.

Futaba: I see.

Yusuke: The next question is, who is that masked man?

Akechi: Unfortunately, I do not know that much.

Futaba: Ugh, you're useless.

Akechi: That is quite harsh.

Futaba: Aw, you're making me blush!

Ann: That wasn't a compliment...

Akechi: At this point, I have yet to even grasp any clues. But once this is dealt with, I will surely capture him. I promise you that.

We'll be counting on you.

Akechi: Perfect. Leave it to me. It may sound somewhat odd for me to say this, but I am an exceptional detective. I assure you, I will catch this culprit. Look forward to it.

Can you do it?

Akechi: Hm? Do you not trust me?

[The rest plays out the same as the other option.]

--

What's funny about this exchange is how the Thieves know Akechi's deal and are just playing along. It makes some of the reactions (especially from Haru and Futaba) read as comically passive aggressive. However, the more interesting texts start coming on 11/03, 11/07, and 11/11.

Starting with 11/03.

--

Ryuji: Goddamit. People're acting like we were the ones who killed 'em.

Yusuke: I have even heard them say we are assassins hired to deal with psychotic breakdown victims.

Ann: Ugh, that's obviously not what we're trying to do.

Akechi: This must be part of the plan to shift blame onto the Phantom Thieves. After all, the true culprit is the one killing the people on that ranking list.

This is unforgivable

Akechi: Indeed. I have no intentions of letting this slide.

This is total BS

Akechi: But that is the truth for the general public at the moment.

[Both lead to...]

Futaba: Man, this culprit guy really won't let up. I don't remember ever doing anything that'd make someone hate us THIS much.

Haru: He used my father as well...

Akechi: I cannot fathom what his motive may be... We will just have to capture and interrogate him.

Makoto: But before that, we need to change my sister's heart. That's our first step toward stopping him.

Akechi: I must agree. The true culprit will be caught, but before that we must deal with Sae-san. If ranking is being taken into consideration, perhaps I will be targeted too... Just kidding.

--

This tells us that Shido is deliberately having Akechi target high ranking targets on the PhanSite in order to terrify the public with abhorrent acts of violence, much like he did in April. It's a way to make people feel scared and more reliant on Shido to be the change that Japan needs. But if you secure the treasure as quickly as possible, you will miss this added information that really deepens how cruel he truly is by ordering hits just to paint a convenient narrative.

And this is definitely Shido's idea, because on 11/7 we get this gem...

--

Haru: Do you think the culprit could be someone at our school?

Yusuke: That seems somewhat sudden.

Haru: I mean, didn't they find a calling card in Principal Kobayakawa's office? I thought you had suggested that idea yourself, Yusuke.

Yusuke: That was just a generalization.

Haru: But if Mako-chan noticed what was going on with you guys, somebody else might have too.

Ann: So you think that "somebody else" is trying to frame us? What's gotten into you so suddenly?

Haru: Nothing has gotten into me. I just think there's a chance the culprit is related to Shujin...

You might be right. / There's no way.

[Both get the same response:]

Yusuke: What is all of this about? It's too soon to be jumping to conclusions like this.

Haru: Well, I was hoping to hear a professional opinion on the matter... What are your thoughts, Akechi-kun?

Akechi: The possibility is not zero, but it does seem a bit unlikely.

Haru: Why do you ask?

Akechi: A normal person would never do such a thing. They would have no reason to callously murder your principal.

Haru: And what if they weren't normal?

Akechi: Are you implying they kill for the sheer pleasure of it?

Haru: No, not like that. What I mean is, you need certain special abilities to navigate through that world, yes?

Akechi: Ah, so you're saying the culprit is a Persona-user.

Haru: Yes.

Akehci: I see... How perceptive. Truthfully, I was considering that possibility myself. But it is difficult to think they have ties to Shujin Academy.

Haru: Why?

Akechi: There would be no motive for them to carry out such a cruel plot. Clearly our culprit is acting behind the scenes to accomplish some grand objective. He likely has accomplices. It is even possible that he is being controlled by someone.

Makoto: Controlled? By whom?

Akechi: If I knew that, I do not think we would be in this much trouble.

Haru: I see... So even someone like you doesn't know, Akechi-kun.

Futaba: Looks like our genius detective's not so much of a genius after all.

Akechi: Haha, harsh as always. If there is one thing I know, it is that the culprit behind all of this is extremely shrewd. But don't worry. I will catch him, no matter what it takes.

I'm looking forward to that. / I wonder if you can do it.

Akechi: More importantly, we need to focus on changing Sae-san's heart for the time being. If we cannot do that, everything we have done will be for naught. We absolutely must succeed here.

--

There is so much to unpack here. By far, it's my favorite of these texts because of the light it sheds on Akechi's motivations and intentions. First, we have Haru pressing the subject. She clearly wants to squeeze answers out of Akechi. She's subtly putting him on the spot because she knows...

But Akechi lets slip that no, actually, he doesn't do this for pleasure. That actually, he is being controlled and that the true mastermind is someone shrewd that he intends to take down. Amidst all of Akechi's lies and platitudes during this part of the story, we see a crack in his perfectly prepared mask. In a way, this is the most honest we've seen Akechi outside of his Royal confidant and on 8/28 and 9/3. In a way, he's sharing little slivers of himself with the rest of the team (either begrudgingly or for reasons he doesn't fully understand) the way he already has with Joker.

And it actually explains a few things that happen later. Namely, the way he downplays the need to kill the other Phantom Thieves until after the election (keep in mind, he does intend to knock Shido down from his pedestal) as well as treating Morgana as "just a cat." Obviously, this doesn't absolve Akechi of his guilt, but it does make it clear that he isn't as remorseless as a lot of people believe, even if no amount of sunk cost fallacy is gonna undo the damage he's done.

Hell, when combined with his lamentation that he didn't meet Joker years ago in the engine room and his reaction to Morgana explaining changes of heart, these texts further solidify that his feelings toward both Joker and the Thieves are extremely complex and absurdly messy.

Plus we get Haru and Futaba both taking shots at him, which is fun and also extremely deserved. :p

Moving on, there's one final missable November text on 11/11. It goes as follows:

--

Akechi: So, about the investigation... It seems they have no evidence that can truly be called as such.

Ryuji: Well duh.

Akechi: However, it seems they have no intentions of changing their plans.

Ann: They're going to investigate at both Shujin Academy and Leblanc, right?

Akechi: Indeed.

Makoto: Hm. I can understand Shujin... But why Leblanc?

Akechi: The key is Wakaba Isshiki.

Futaba: Is it cause of my mom's research?

Akechi: Correct. Her study of cognitive psience is closely connected to this case. Of that, there can be no doubt.

Futaba: Then this guy's really the mastermind behind all of this?

Akechi: That would be the case. There can be no mistake... The one who erased cognitive psience from this world is surely the culprit behind everything.

Makoto: And getting rid of the research was the only way they could use its powers?

Akechi: How perceptive of you. Yes, that is the only logical conclusion. Both Sae-san and I were searching for clues about that research. But just as we were about to deepen our investigation, this commotion began. And to make things even more troublesome... There was only one person with strong connections to both Shujin Academy and Leblanc. And that person turned out to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

Yusuke: So the culprit had calculated all of this in advance?

Akechi: Heavens no. That would be impossible. This was a miracle created by the coinciding of multiple chance situations.

Ryuji: Dude, you hear that? He says you got miraculously bad luck. Don't that make you feel good?

I'm so lucky.

Ryuji: Y'know, shitty luck is still luck.

That's not funny.

Ryuji: C'mon, you gotta be able to laugh it off at this point.

Haru: Yes, your luck really is impressive.

Akechi: At any rate, that's the current state of things. And that's why we must obstruct the investigation at all costs.

Makoto: Yes, that's our intention.

--

Once again, we have Akechi laying it on thick that Shido is the one behind everything, as he was the one who ordered the hit on Wakaba, stole her research, and had his own research team develop it further. And keep in mind, Shido's own words, first on 11/21...

"Those who get in the way must be eliminated at times—that's the correct way to use the Metaverse."

And later, his Shadow states, "Moreover, it was thanks to me that Akechi was able to properly use his power to begin with."

So we know that even the idea of inducing mental shutdowns came from him, even if Akechi offered his Metaverse abilities as part of his stupid revenge plan.

What this shows is Akechi wants to hint that there is this bigger puppet master, even if he's going to betray the Thieves, and this is actually really consistent with his Royal confidant. In Rank 7, he uses a billiard games as a metaphor for the upcoming betrayal kill and gives Joker an out, even if he's much happier if you assert your rivalry instead. This makes his warnings about the connections to Wakaba carry a very similar feeling, and since these texts were in Vanilla, it's likely that the Royal confidant built on this foundation.

But then there's the fact that the Thieves are fully in the know that Akechi is going to betray them, so it recontextualizes all these texts where they are genuinely trying to squeeze as much info out of him as they can and likely having to restrain themselves hard (especially Futaba and Haru).

And all of this you will never see unless you delay the infiltration until 11/12. So, the next time you play Persona 5 Royal, it might be worthwhile to delay Sae's Palace to see these in-game! They're really cool and it's a shame they aren't scripted events.