#p5r rumi

[smolstarthief]

Ok sooo I need to share this AU concept since I feel like it wouldn't make sense in the actual timeline and among other things but still it won't leave my head:

So remember how people came up with AUs where Joker and Maruki are related? Well... This was inspired by a part of me and Creepy's RP but what if Rumi had a surprise for Takuto and her parents on the day of their visit which obviously ended badly and put an end to that plan? That surprise ended up being Ren but unfortunately, Maruki already removed himself from her life so neither of them were aware of being related until present day and 3rd semester.

Poor Rumi would just be so confused on why she's carrying a baby after the (accidental) memory wipe but considering how her personality was described she would no doubt keep him despite the potential stigma she would be hit by. She starts living with her Grandparents and remaining family members after getting out of the hospital who were apprehensive about her having a child alone out of wedlock but take her in anyway. Also having probably met Maruki before at some point... They already assume that the father is him and believed that he abandoned her so therefore end up not mentioning him to avoid hurting her. Her grandparents at least cared more than them though and try to support her as she gets back on her feet.

Come the day Ren was born and Rumi absolutely dotes on him but does note something being a little familiar about him appearance-wise and she starts to feel off whenever she thinks more about it. Namely kinda like how, "Kasumi" ends up having random slumps/depressive episodes. This worsens as he gets older and starts showing similar quirks and behaviors as Takuto which her relatives (except for her grandparents) start to resent him for, especially when he starts asking questions.

At one point, Rumi ends up having a sudden breakdown due her own filter further weakening (curse the lack of power consistency with Maruki in canon) and an older Ren asking about his father which scares Ren and then herself when she almost hurts him in the process (probably not physically though since I don't see her doing that to her own child regardless of her mental state). This gets her sent to a mental health facility which Ren does visit more than her relatives (this would be part of why he was heading home late when he encountered Shido). Each visit can vary for him: One day she was her usual loving and energetic self that he knew as a child, the next she was hardly responsive despite his best efforts to talk to her. He also often brings a book or even a chess board since they both liked playing it ("Checkmate") to cheer her up.

He's still just as confused about his father and who he was but from what did learn and even overheard in the past about him, he starts to resent him. Even more so when his relatives start acting distant and cold towards him due to blaming him for Rumi's current situation.

And the lack of contact throughout the game? Blame the relatives as they wasted no time in sending Ren away for his probation which leaves her shattered but to them, it's better for her health in the long run. Being the stubborn woman she is, she still tries but is blocked and prevented from doing so each time which actually worsens things with her as opposed to helping her. It doesn't help that her Grandparents also passed away already by this point and they were actually her primary support system while everyone else in her family was just tolerant at best, uncaring at worst.

How Maruki would piece everything together I'm not entirely sure but maybe like this: He starts to notice Ren showing similar personality traits as Rumi and even himself but doesn't think much of it at first but then Ren decided to randomly bring a chess board to a session which surprises him but plays along as Ren states it cheers him up sometimes, his mom especially. Now I can see Maruki maybe playing it with Rumi when they were younger so when Ren starts showing more of Rumi's quirks as they play, Maruki starts to pale a bit. Again, kinda tying into that "Checkmate" line. Not sure how Maruki would finally figure it out since idk how he would get DNA test done while not seeming suspicious but maybe Shibusawa makes a comment about Rumi having a kid while they were catching up alone? Either way, he would probably also have access to medical files from Shujin and once he sees Rumi's name as his mother with the father not being listed...

"It can't be..."

Plus, I feel like once he gets the ability to warp reality then maybe he would have probed Ren's memories a bit for more confirmation. Needless to say, he's extremely guilt-ridden.

And poor Ren when he finally puts two and two together... Compared to canon, he's PISSED that the person he bonded with and confided to was also the person he resented the most and he just ends up making rash and impulsive decisions without thinking like Sumi before her reveal. Which is something that would startle even AKECHI of all people a little since he's so used to Joker showing more empathy. I would also utilize Raoul because fuck Atlus for making him a DLC Persona.

He would basically represent Ren's acceptance of everything and how he still wants to change Maruki's heart but not out of spite or revenge but to save everyone and HIM since he realized that Maruki is hurting too and needed help. He wants to reconcile with him. To summarize:

Also the departure for the "Leave" ending will be changed quite a bit with Maruki initially parting ways like in canon but then excuses himself with a break to catch up with Ren to give a proper goodbye (bumps into Sumi too). It leads to an emotional conversation until they see a familiar face that Ren immediately hugs. It was an astonished but slowly recovering Rumi. Her filter is gone too. Granted, it's a little bittersweet since Rumi would be kinda pissed that Maruki more or less up and left her alone (even giving him a good punch or smack) but she won't forbid Ren from seeing him either. She's just still a nice person at heart so she wouldn't be mad for long. Especially when Ren pleads his case and she trusts his judgement. That and she would acknowledge that she should've told him about her carrying Ren sooner before that visit to her parents.

The context behind her showing up would be sad initially... She came to Tokyo because she saw the news report of Ren's "suicide" from the facility and was heartbroken. But then she decided that she had enough of staying in that place and demands that she be released which the orderlies complied. She then decided to cut ties with her more toxic family members when they showed little to no care about that report and even insulting Ren to her face. She basically went to Tokyo to find Sojiro and a temporary place to stay as she decides what to do next. Obviously that changed when she sees him alive and hugging her. The filter would wear off after reality is back to normal too during her train ride hence her impulsive response to seeing Maruki.

It does get happy again though when she confirms that as soon as they come back to retrieve what's left of Ren's belongings, they're staying in Tokyo full time. She's also willing to talk with Maruki to catch up and try to give closure as well. Before they both depart, they each give him something to keep him company and remember them in the meantime: Ren gives him his favorite childhood plush toy that he carried around (which suspiciously looks like Mona) and Rumi... She gives him what she wanted to give him before that tragic day... An ultrasound photo showing a small silhouette of a baby. To say that Maruki cried quite a bit is an understatement as he hugs Ren tightly, apologizing repeatedly and promising to step and provide for them as much as he can.

Is TakuRumi gonna be endgame? Idk since a lot of time had passed and I honestly liked the aversion of expectations the game did by having him not get back together with her and deciding to start over on his own (I do wish that more closure was provided with her at least but oh well). Past TakuRumi is a definite but present day? Maybe not likely. But they would still get along since they both care about Ren greatly. Also just imagining Rumi going mama bear mode towards Zenkichi at the beginning of Strikers is too damn funny too.

[lavengoop]

"Do you remember that wildflower field we used to go to, back in high school? You really loved it there, didn’t you?"

Takuto Maruki week day 6: 🌺Flowers🌷

[hauntingmiser]

BS on my camera roll

And there goes my Infinity "the Rock" Dwayne Johnson body pillow.... o m o

[wild-selenite-caffine]

Writer's Month 2023 XXIV

SUMMARY:

Takuto found no solace beneath the rain. Fresh out of college, knees deep in his research of human cognition, and his love for Rumi left him wilting. Finding a purpose was as regretful as everything else.

Pairing: none | Takuto Maruki-centric (Persona 5 Royal) Rating: Teen and Up Audiences (Hurt no Comfort) Word Count: 750

WRITTEN FOR:

Past Times | Takuto Maruki Week | @takutomarukiweek

Wire Dilemma / You Can't Fight Fate / They Look Just Like Everyone Else / One Curse Limit / I Never Said It Was Poison | Multifandom Flash Bingo | @multifandom-flash

Rare / Lost Voice from Screaming / Immense | July Break Bingo | @julybreakbingo

Bastinado | Bad Things Happen Bingo | @badthingshappenbingo

Sleep Deprivation | Bingo of Our Own | @thebo3bingo

[inkpens-coffee]

Maruki Week 2023 - Day 4 🍎

Trust / Regrets / Fantasies

It finally happened. Takuto was on a date with Rumi Chibana. He’s had a crush on her for so long but never had the courage to talk to her. Basically, Rumi did the asking; she snuck up on him after class and practically demanded a date. Takuto was startled but he said yes. In addition to his nice outfit, he brought a gorgeous bouquet of red tulips—they reminded him of Rumi's red hair. Takuto's heart skipped a beat when they met outside the school, Rumi looked amazing. Within seconds he was stumbling over his words but she just smiled and accepted the bouquet. Rumi seemed to have everything planned, so Takuto didn't think to ask if she had a license when they got into her car. Or if the car was even hers.

Now they’re at the beach, laying on the hood of the car while watching the sunset. Rumi was talking about an argument she got into with a teacher but all Takuto could think about was… why? Why would this firecracker of a girl chose him of all people? As far as he knew, Rumi’s never had any interest in boys—when guys flirt with her, she scares them off with threats of physical violence. Plus, Takuto’s barely said two words to her before tonight. So why now…?

“And of course I’m the one that gets in trouble and not that bastard for being a sexist prick,” Rumi was saying. “Ugh, all the teachers at our school are the worst.”

“… What are we doing here?”

“Ain’t that just life’s biggest question,”

“No, I mean… why did you ask me out?”

“Dude, I’ve seen you staring at me in class.” Leaning on her hand, Rumi looked down at Takuto. As she stared at him, he tensed up.

“O-Oh…”

“And you’re not a total dick like the rest of the guys in our class so I figured, why not?”

“Mhmm…”

“You don’t talk much, do you?”

“N-Not all the time,” Takuto chuckled, “actually my mothers say I talk too much but I don’t think I do it on purpose! Sometimes it’s too quiet and I don’t know what to do so I find something to talk about, you know? Like, uh… octopus facts!”

Rumi snickered. “What?”

“Octopus facts. Not everyone knows a lot of facts about octopuses. Did you know each tentacle has a mind of its own?”

“… For real?”

“Yeah. Octopus tentacles can do things completely on their own while the host does something else, like opening a shell while the octopus is checking out a cave. Scientists have observed severed tentacles flinching away in pain when they were pinched by tools during examinations. They’ve also got three hearts! Two pump blood and the other—oh, s-sorry, I’m rambling…”

“Well, shit, now I’m hooked! What’s the third heart do? I gotta know!” Rumi exclaimed.

“Really? Oh, uh, it keeps circulation flowing in the organs. The third heart actually stops beating when the octopus swims. That’s why they’re always crawling rather than swimming.”

“Wow. Octopuses are badass.”

Takuto stared at Rumi like she was a goddess. Apart from his mothers, nobody ever wants to listen to him talk about his interests or anything for that matter.

“Do you like any sea creatures?” He asked.

“Huh, I never thought about it. Hmm, I’d say jellyfish! They’re so cute!”

“Have you ever seen a jellyfish bloom?”

“That’s when there’s a bunch all together, right? Those are so pretty.”

“We should go to the aquarium sometime. I-If you want to that is! I guess it’s a little too early for me to be talking about a second date, haha,”

Rumi smiled softly, but it didn’t last as she sighed and slid off the hood. Sensing a change in her mood, Takuto followed behind. They walked quietly down the beach, Rumi stopping when they were close to the waves. She said nothing, silently staring out at the water.

“Are you ok?” Takuto muttered.

“Kind of,” Rumi dropped her hands at her sides. “I… got into fight with my parents. My older sisters are these perfect little princesses and I’m the menace that cut her hair and causes trouble so they got upset with me and I said some bad things…”

Tears sparkled in her eyes. She rubbed them away before they could fall.

“I needed a break from them pressuring me to study for college so I asked you out and… borrowed my big sis’s car.”

“I see… Are you regretting that decision now?”

“I was at first but…” Rumi looked at him with melancholy eyes. “I really like spending time with you, Takuto-Kun.”

Takuto didn’t need a mirror to know his entire face was turning red. The girl looked so beautiful, he wanted to pour his heart out to her right then and there. Don’t be weird, Maruki! He wanted to punch himself in the face. How could he show her he cared about her without making a complete fool of himself?

“It’s gonna be dark soon. I doubt I’ll be allowed out for a while after this. Maybe we should get going—“

“W-Wait!”

Without a second thought, Takuto grabbed Rumi’s hand. Time froze for a moment, his heart was beating out of his chest. Can she hear it? Swallowing the lump in his throat, Takuto spoke up.

“D-Do you regret cutting your hair?”

“Huh? Well… No. Guys used to pull it all the time and that sucked.” Rumi shrugged.

“Do you regret always speaking your mind?”

“Not in the slightest.” She shook her head.

“I-I can’t say I understand your situation perfectly because I’m an only child and my mothers don’t really care what I do—well, I never do anything reckless so they don’t have a reason, b-but that’s not the point! I like you, Rumi! I’m happy I’m here with you!”

Takuto willed himself to look her in the eye.

“So let’s not have any regrets!”

Rumi was stunned for a moment, cheeks turning pink. Then her eyes sparkled as she squeezed Takuto’s hand in hers.

“Do you trust me?” She said.

Takuto nodded eagerly. “More than anything!”

A big smile grew on her face. Rumi ran for the water, pulling Takuto along with her. He never realized how strong she was for her size. Rumi jumped at the water while laughing.

“NO REGRETS!”

They both went in with a splash. The impact surprised Takuto and he fell face first in the water. He came back up to see Rumi laughing her heart out, shaking water out her shining red hair like a dog. Her smile was brighter than the sunset. Their nice clothes were soaked with saltwater, and his mothers would scold him for it when he returned home but he didn’t care. Takuto started laughing too.

[chronicbeans]

Here's a little preview of something I (hope) to end up finishing before I end up going on vacay in about 2 days. It's my little Maladaptive P5R Au, with Palace Ruler Maruki and Cognitive Rumi.

I haven't gotten the background and stuff inked in, but I got the two of them done. I personally usually hate when I ink stuff in, because I usually mess up a bit (my perfectionist self needs to chillax and actually praise myself for once), but I kinda like how this turned out so far.

[afterthelambs]

i adore Maruki as a character because he's simultaneously the most relatable depressing character that will make you cry with empathy, and the goofiest wettest cat loser in the game like what do you mean youre a licensed therapist and your first response to trauma is to brainwash a girl, project ur relationship issues onto a 17 yr old boy, and then rule the world in a golden leotard? bro went from 0 to 100 so fast??? anyway he's like 30% of the reason why p5r works as well as it does

[umihoshi-art]

me and my friend agree that Rumi is too horny to notice the red flags

[kastillia]

[beezonia]

Also! Take a fae Rumi design!

She’s potentially the future queen of fae, that is if her and maruki’s wedding ends up happening

Or if she doesn’t hop of the gate of fae and run away

———

[huesofvioletandpurple]

genuinely astonished that the fandom hasn't utterly latched onto Kasumi and Rumi considering how they are essentially blank slates to an extent and you can pretty much write them however you want. like why haven't I seen any fics about Rumi feeling like something is wrong and going on a quest to figure out why her memory is inconsistent only to slowly wonder in dread if she should even pursue it. how come there isn't a wide fanon consensus on what Kasumi was like to the point where I forget it isn't shown in canon. come on !!!!!!!

[millionprocessors]

assorted things lol

[wild-selenite-caffine]

Writer's Month 2023 XIX

SUMMARY:

Takuto couldn't sleep again. His thoughts proved to be too much that night.

Pairing: none | Takuto Maruki-centric (Persona 5 Royal) Rating: Teen and Up Audiences (Hurt no Comfort) Word Count: 750

WRITTEN FOR:

Acceptance | Takuto Maruki Week | @takutomarukiweek

Prone to Tears | Multifandom Flash Bingo | @multifandom-flash

Moon and Stars, Thinking with Their Heart, Holding Back Tears, Sleepless Night, Sleep | July Break Bingo | @julybreakbingo

Ace of Swords | Tarot Card Bingo

[inkpens-coffee]

Maruki Week 2023 - Day 6 🍎

Silence / Isolation / Flowers

Inspired by @kazeillustrations day 6 art!!

Taxi driving was hell. Takuto doesn’t think that often but sometimes he can’t help it.

The usual passengers don’t care for small talk, and Takuto doesn’t mind it. He doesn’t particularly like the quiet but his passengers comfort is more important than his own. Occasionally he’ll have people that love talking as much as him and he’s more than happy to chat. But then there’s days where he gets parents with children that scream and get cereal everywhere. Drunkards that say the nastiest things to him and eventually need him to pull over so they can vomit on the street. High schoolers that are unnecessarily rude and vulgar the second they get in the car. So yeah. Taxi driving was hell.

After one particularly tough night shift, Takuto plugged in his music, turned the volume up, and started crying right there in the car. He was weak, he was exhausted.

He needed a self-care day.

Rumi was actually the one that suggested it. Over lunch, she noticed how dead tired Takuto looked and knew he was on the verge of burnout.

“Oh, I know what you need! A floral bath!” she had said. “It’s so relaxing and great for your body. I can get you some flowers and essentials oils so you can make one!”

Takuto’s heard of baths like that. Ren’s mentioned taking herbal ones at the bathhouse by Leblanc. They sounded nice, so why not?

Takuto made the floral bath on a quiet evening when he was off from work and Ren was out with friends. Rumi had gotten him some lovely purple and yellow flowers with lavender and vanilla scented essential oils. The minute Takuto got into warm water he felt his muscles and joints relaxing. He breathed a sigh of relief as he sat back. He set his glasses aside so he could dunk his head back in the water, running his hands through his hair. It was like all his stress was melting away.

Holding his breath, Takuto sank beneath the water for a moment, enjoying the sensation of being submerged. When he came back up, he felt petals on his head. He plucked a bright purple flower from his hair, gently twirling it between his fingers. It was a purple aster—those flowers represent love, wisdom and faith. Takuto knows this from Ren. Him and Rumi were always talking about flowers. He smiled and set the aster on the waters surface before shutting his eyes and resting his head back.

Takuto originally planned to play music while he was in the bath, but something told him not to. He's glad he didn't. For once… the silence was rather nice.

[chronicbeans]

P5R Maladaptive AU Maruki Palace

okay, I got the idea down. Maruki's palace in my Maladaptive AU is going to be a Diamond Castle. Diamond walls, diamond ceilings, diamond floors, diamond furniture... You get the point. Outside is a field of fake grass and flowers, as well as a small, diamond town.

More info below, including what certain aspects represent, current keywords I have come up with, some parts of how his shadow acts, as well as how a cognitive Rumi and Shibusawa act. Changes may be made since this AU is still in development, but I am going to keep the Diamond Castle idea. I hope to work more on how Sumire will act, due to her never being brainwashed into believing she was Kasumi, and how she will cope with what had happened.

Why diamonds, you may ask? Well, for one, the most recurring daydream for Maruki is of ruling over a peaceful diamond town, in a beautiful castle of diamonds with the love of his life, Rumi. Diamonds are hard, represent love, strength, and health, but are also brittle. They can be easily smashed and destroyed. Maruki's daydreams mainly consist of romantic scenarios like saving Rumi, marriage, basically anything sweet and nice involving Rumi and him being together in a future that will never be. These daydreams are hard for him to get rid of. They are all encompassing in his life at this point. At the same time, however, his daydreams are very fragile. He knows they will never happen, which hurts, and when he is reminded of that his daydreams will go to dark places as the dream is ruined. Then, he'll switch the dream back to a happier scenario once he gets control of his emotions again.

Shadow Maruki takes the place of the palace's king, with Rumi being his queen. Shibusawa is the butler, reminding Shadow Maruki to do things such a as wake up, get food, go to bed, shower, drink water, and other simple tasks. He also follows Shadow Maruki around the castle, silently, making sure he is alright. Shadow Maruki himself looks rather disheveled, with his hair being a mess and dark bags under his eyes. He goes from being happy to sad to distressed on a dime, depending on the mood of the real Maruki in the real world. This is due to his daydreams themselves being rather dependent on his mood, as well as the fact that Maruki KNOWS his daydreams are getting to a point of harming him, but he has too much trouble giving them up. It's basically an addiction, at this point.

Queen Rumi is happy all the time, because that is Maruki's greatest wish. He wants her to be happy, no matter what. Her parents are alive and live in the castle as the previous rulers, who stepped down to let him and Rumi rule. Whenever Shadow Maruki has to do something even slightly dangerous, Queen Rumi goes to spend time with her parents in the garden of fake flowers. This is because Maruki would never want her to be hurt in anyway, which has gotten to a point of never risking it, even in his own daydreams, where he can have her do anything with no consequence.

The small town works mostly as a place for them to rule over. He daydreams of love and romance, of course, but he wants the stories to be detailed and make sense. If he is a ruler of a castle alongside the love of his life, he must have people to rule over. That's not the point of his daydreams, though, since he isn't after power. So, a small town will suffice. Not a large population, so there isn't too much power and responsibility with ruling over them, but still something that would make the position of king make more sense.

There's a nearby forest of darkness, where important items to go through the castle reside. This forest represents both the trauma he has suffered from, as well as the times where his daydreams grow dark. He hides them all in a shroud of happy daydreams, but they are still present. Stepping inside of the forest, no matter how far in, engulfs those inside in a pitch black dog, only lightened by a lamp from the nearby town. In the forest you'll find journals left by supposed past knights and hunters who passed away from the monster of the forest, which detail the events of the break-in, the effects they have had on Maruki, and more by having those events happen in the lives of those knights and hunters. He's distancing himself from what had happened in the past, distancing himself from those impacts they have had on him, and all other factors that have been impacted by the trauma by literally making them into other characters in his daydreams. King Maruki is a happy man, with the love of his life. The knights and hunters are the ones who have had bad things happen to them. King Maruki can overcome the monster, while the others have died trying to do so. It's a happy fantasy to cope with what had truly happened. If it isn't obvious, the shadow monster is a representation of the home invader, Shido, and any other negative event involved in what happened to Rumi and himself on that night.

The keywords I have thought of so far are Takuto Maruki (of course), Diamond Castle, and his own Mind. He isn't aware enough of the world around him to have his palace be linked to a specific place. His palace moves around wherever he goes due to it all being in his own head. He is painfully aware that his dreams of a diamond castle with Rumi are only works of fiction, created in his own mind. However, him knowing that it will never be real is not enough for him to give up those daydreams.

I may end up making sketches of Shadow Maruki and the cognitive versions of Rumi and Shibusawa idk. I already got some of real Maruki, due to his design being slightly different because of him never being a counselor and how he interacts with the worl. Some small changes being his hair being more messy, his tan coat being too big and him almost always wearing it, his shirt being partially tucked in, and him wearing longer pants. He also always looks tired and a bit sickly from not caring for himself properly.

[afterthelambs]

I was explaining shuake third semester to my sister and she goes "Oh so it's like Inception except instead of the dead wife convincing Leo di Caprio to stay in the dream world, it's this dead anime guy convincing Joker to leave the dream world" and i felt like i got hit by a truck. She has never played persona and does not know these characters. And yet here she is comparing them to a canon husband and wife :') shuake so real