#does akechi even count as a thief?

[vashtijoy]

objectively, just objectively, the ‘phansite’ and ‘phandom’ are the worst names they could of come up with. just. ptsd all around whenever i hear it.

I feel you, anon. It gives me flashbacks to 90s leetspeak, where "ph00l" and similar usages were so in vogue. But let's not forget that Mishima comes up with the site, and Mishima (named for dead author Yukio Mishima, who was so desperate to be cool that he ultimately committed seppuku) is also exactly the sort of guy who would have thought leetspeak was cool. All this stuff sounds kind of cringy because Mishima is cringy.

Let's let him tell us all about it:

Mishima 怪盗お願いチャンネルだよ。略しS『怪チャン』ね。 kaitou onegai channeru da yo. ryaku shite "kai chan" ne It's the Phantom Aficionado Website. Phan-Site, for short.

怪盗お願いチャンネル kaitou onegai channeru Phantom Aficionado Website Phantom Thief Requests Channel

Look at that for a moment. Mishima's site is not really a fan site, despite it being called an "aficionado website". It's a request site. While it acts as a fansite, and Mishima intends it to try and control the narrative regarding the PTs, we mainly experience it as the place Mementos requests roll in—hence its name.

怪チャン kai chan Phan-Site

You see what they did there? The Japanese kai chan takes the first syllable of kaitou and channeru and forms a portmanteau—very commonly done. The translation does the same, stripping a syllable from phantom and website.

The full name gets shortened in various other ways:

お願いチャンネル onegai channeru Request Channel

怪盗チャンネル kaitou channeru Phantom Thief Channel

Online, the site describes itself as 怪盗ｃｈ kaitou ch, paralleling 2chan, 4chan, and all the other chan-style imageboard sites that originated in Japan. This is essentially what the Phan-Site is—a 4chan-style anonymous imageboard. See that ＠名無し nanashi at the bottom? The message is signed "nameless", or "Anonymous", the default name used on 2chan.

By the way, it really bears mentioning here that Futaba, our resident, hacker, geek, and representative of geek culture, is named after 2chan—also known as the Futaba Channel. 佐倉双葉 sakura futaba, "Futaba Sakura". 双葉チャンネル futaba channeru—2chan, or the Futaba Channel.

Her mother, Wakaba, is named after a piece of backend software 2chan uses: "Wakaba is a Perl imageboard script with a SQL backend to store thread information."

quietly removes Perl hacker hat

usage

Mishima's website is overwhelmingly known as the "Phan-Site" or kai chan, of course. There's a general trend where people start out calling it the kaitou onegai channeru, then quickly move through some variant on onegai channeru or kaitou channeru to more or less use kai chan.

Are there any interesting trends? Sure. Haru (who admittedly comes in very late) never uses kai chan. Akechi never mentions the site itself, though he has a few mentions of the rankings. Joker always calls it the kai chan. Most of the team manage an occasional onegai channeru, kaitou channeru or kaitou onegai channeru at one point or another—even Ryuji comes out with the full site name quite late, under stress. Mishima, of course, mentions the site more than anyone else—possibly as much, or more, than all the PTs put together. But even to him, it's virtually always the kai chan.

Many background or minor characters have one mention of the kaitou onegai channeru, or the onegai channeru, or the rankings.

"the phandom"

This is funny, not least because Joker is so puzzled by it: Mishima is using this term he doesn't recognise, which users of the Phan-Site have thought up for themselves. But the original is rather different:

Mishima アクセス数、着実に増えてるんだよ。これ、本気で流行語狙えるかも。 akusesu suu, chakujitsu ni fueteru n da yo. kore, honki de ryuukougo neraeru ka mo That's what users of the Phan-Site call themselves! It's really caught on as the forum's gotten more popular. Well, the hit count is going up and up, you know. I really think this label could catch on!

Just look at this. Mishima has earlier described fans of the PTs not as a generic "the Phandom", but as 怪チャンユーザー kai chan yuuzaa—"Phan-Site users"!

Mishima is not describing an organically developing fan culture here. This is Mishima the entrepreneur, aggressively building what he sees as his brand. honki de ryuukougo neraeru ka mo—"I honestly think we could aim to get this phrase on everyone's lips".

Of course, in English, "Phan-Site users" sounds incredibly bland. It needed to be spiced up—not that it's exactly peppy in Japanese AFAIK. But this is the point, underscoring why Joker is so unsettled and what's going on in Mishima's confidant: if you're talking about the PTs, Mishima wants you to be talking about his website.

In fact, in a way, Mishima is on the same page as Shido and Akechi—and, more innocently, Ryuji. He wants the Phan-Site to be massive. And he's doing everything within his power to make it that way.

"phanboy"

This one's used a few times, too. When you draw on the blackboard, people can ask if you're a Phanboy:

Students {family name}って、かなりの怪盗マニアか? {family name} tte, kanari no kaitou mania ka? Is {family name} a Phanboy?

kanari no kaitou mania ka?—"Is he a bit of a Phantom Thief fan?" "Is he this interested in the Phantom Thieves in particular?"

You can ask Akechi if he's a Phanboy—literally, of course, "are you a Phantom Thief fan?":

Joker 怪盗ファン? kaitou fan? Are you a Phanboy?

This page goes into the distinctions between otaku, mania and fan:

The difference between "otaku" and "mania" is vague, and there is no particular definition. However, in the field of linguistics, there seems to be a difference in that ``otaku'' refers to ``people who are only interested in one thing,'' and ``mania'' refers to ``people who concentrate on one thing.'' ... The difference between ``otaku'' and ``mania'' is still ambiguous, but in general, ``fan'' is used with a slightly more subdued nuance than the other two.

So the students around the blackboard are going "Wow, we didn't know he was a fan!", while Joker's question to Akechi is maybe more delicate, more like "Huh, are they growing on you?", or "Since when were you a fan?" Like in English, you might not mind someone calling you a fan, but you probably don't want to be known as an otaku, which suggests that you're too interested, and probably live in a basement.

"P-Thieves"

This one seems to have no original equivalent. The few lines that use it either don't name the PTs at all, or they use 怪盗団 kaitou-dan, "the Phantom Thieves". This is an artefact of "Phantom Thieves" just feeling much more unwieldy in English than kaitou does in Japanese—abbreviations for it would inevitably crop up.

But this one sucks. Can I do better? I'm not sure I can, lol.

#asks #persona 5 #p5 meta #japanese language #yuuki mishima #hello adam colley wherever you are

[eternalfarnham]

The core of Aigis's crisis, in The Answer, is that she has exactly two invested human relationships, one of which only half-counts because it's with a dog, and the other just died.

Note that in the post-Nyx "epilogue" month, where relationships formed via SEES kinda-sorta persist (MC-Yukari-Junpei trio, Ken and Shinjiro, etc.), no one remembers Aigis besides the protagonist, or even mentions her unless she's right there. She's some girl in their dorm. This influences her self-perception and indecision in the Abyss – Metis is the way she is, fixated on a single person and incapable of caring about anyone else, because Aigis was that way.

Compare/contrast Yukari – she ends up putting herself back into the position of "enemy of SEES," contesting them for the sake of achieving (the truth behind her father's death/the MC's resurrection), failing to acknowledge her relationship with Mitsuru (who takes her side partly due to the history between them, and who reminds her of that fact).

Aigis... just genuinely doesn't have anyone in the way she had the MC, not like Yukari does. The question of suicide via sacrifice is a real and legitimate one for her; it's why she gets Metis in the first place! Metis is both her capacity to care (the part of her that wasn't mechanical and rote) and her fatal flaw, her failure to recognize that there are other people to care about in her life, represented pretty directly by Metis insisting on being Aigis's "sister" and living exclusively to protect her. Aigis turned herself into an Arisato (complete with Wild Card!) and generated an Aigis to never, ever let her go like she wished she could've in the first place!

This is part of why I think Junpei's point, that they are nowhere near guaranteed a win in a rematch with Nyx, is so much more thematically potent than Akihiko's "respect MC's decision to sacrifice himself, because changing the past is wrong!" The world is full of people. Everyone's alive. "Accept loss" falls flat for me, considering the whole Great Seal thing and also, just, my entire understanding of life, but "there is no quantity of losing others you can experience that can make life stop mattering as a general case, because the world is full of people, and the best way to keep going is to keep caring about people and finding people to care about" works for me.

And this is absolutely not a tack any other Persona game could take about its MC! It's been noted that SEES aren't quite friends as a group, just psychodrama paramilitary coworkers, but it's that awkwardness and growing into imperfect relationships with one another that lets them live without the MC. Yu Narukami is more of a "most important person" to the Investigation Team – Yosuke, obviously, and Teddie, and arguably Rise – but they do at least have dynamics with one another, kinda, Chie-Yukiko and Naoto-Kanji.

Joker is the person who matters most to every single Phantom Thief, absent dead family members and NPCs who spend most of their time offscreen, and Royal makes it clear that they don't have the same "any cost" dedication to any of those dead family members or NPCs that Aigis and Yukari had for P3MC. Does Ryuji even hypothetically have more important dynamics with anyone? Certainly not Akechi. Not Yusuke. The Phantom Thieves would risk killing the world for Joker's sake. It isn't even really a question!

P3 was just so thematically aberrant compared to the rest of modern Persona that I can't help but admire it. I disagree with many of its takes, but by god does it have them.

#persona 3 #persona 3 meta #the answer #persona meta #p4 #p5

[fangirlingpuggle]

Ok so I couldn’t sleep and started thinking what if Shiho became a phantom thief and now I have a whole ass very dumb AU...so here is the don’t you want to go apeshit AU.

So Akira has an umbrella doesn’t wait but does see Ann get into the car he arrives at school and see’s Shiho overhearing other students talk about Ann the keywords get spoken both are in the metaverse, standard plot happens Shiho freaking out especially when she sees Kamoshida’s shadow but also getting angry.  When the two end up in the metaverse again and Shiho sees a cognitive version of Ann she goes full beast mode and awakens her persona. She refuses to go see Kamoshida when he tries to confront her oh so angry over someone not following his orders Akira’s there and the pair confront him, he gets pissed and basically says he’ll get them both expelled and that he’ll up the ante on he rumours about Ann and other horrible things. Shiho and Akria are ready to murder him.

Kawakami storms in overhearing everything and PISSED she is ready to end him when he reveals he knows about her side job and not say anything or else. She is shaking with rage and gets caught up when Shiho and Akira re-enter the metaverse. She awakens her own persona. The group then leave with Morgana and deliver the calling card that she plasters everywhere.

Kawakami having a persona doesn’t really help because Shiho pretty much single handily charges through the palace and beats the shit out of Kamoshida’s shadow. Morgana steals the treasure and comes back and Akira just standing there cheering her on while Kawakami’s just stealing other treasures.

The only reason she doesn’t kill him is that that’s too easy in her opinion he’s going to live with it and suffer, he dies now his reputation survives even if the truth comes out the school could bury it she wants his reputation dead and buried and him to live the rest of his life suffering.

The group start exploring the mementos, Kawakami especially loves the treasures like no need to be a maid I can just steal all this shit from mementos... until finds out about the other shadows and finds Takase’s guardians and well... her turn to go beast mode.

She still goes for the treasure a lot she’s as bad as Morgana and is the one who sells stuff at Iwai’s... he’s pretty convinced she’s a secret crime boss with the amount of stuff she goes in to sell.

Akechi turns out is watching as black mask as they’re in mementos and honestly kind of impressed. When the groups traveling, they actually see black mask destroying shadows and Akira falls hard and fast he is a pining mess.

Morgana ends up staying with Kawakami because he can not deal with the PINING! Akira is waxing poetic about the guy they saw tear apart shadows with his bare hands.

Kawakami: I mean it’s fine it’s not like I’m a crazy cat lady, it doesn’t count if the cat talks back right?

Shiho:…

Akira:…

Shiho:…should we tell her that no one else being able to hear Mona and her holding full conversations with them it’s literally going to make her the definition of a crazy cat lady?

Also Ann and Ryuji started hanging out as he didn’t believe the rumours about her and defended her, and Mishima thinks that they are the phantom thief’s and keeps talking to them about it and Akira and Shiho overhear which is how the website happens. Ann and Ryuji are just very confused.

Ryuji:… dude we aren’t the phantom thieves

Mishima: Rrriiigghhht I gotcha

Ann: No we really aren’t

Mishima: Right I get it

Ann:…I don’t think you do

All other palaces under the cut... sorry this is very long

Palace 2

Shiho and Ann are on a date, Akira is sort of third wheeling when they meet Yusuke and then Madarame. When they get to Madarame’s palace they run into black mask and amongst Akira’s awful pining they end up agreeing to work together. Black Mask is basically just seeing how dangerous they are and if he should deal with them… but he seems the entire time flirting with Akira in their weird competitive way.

Black mask is ready to end Madarame when Shiho talks about how change of heart makes him suffer more that he has live with everything falling apart and death he’ll dies and the truth may never come to light and people will still respect and admire him but if he admits everything, he has to life his life with everything gone….

Akechi starts thinking after that. He agrees to help with a change of heart. Just to see.

He also agrees may help out other times to. Akira is beaming and Shiho regrets everything later that night when Akira won’t stop texting her!!! He doesn’t even what the guy looks like under the mask but still keeps texting about his eyes. HE HASN’T EVEN SEEN HIS EYES!

They steal Madarme’s heart no real problem.

Yusuke actually kept hanging out with Ann and the also Ryuji… Mishima is now even more convinced they are the phantom thieves.

As is Makoto whose following them around.

Ann, Ryuji and Yusuke have no fucking idea what’s going on.

Palace 3

Akira actually figures out who Akechi is as soon as he starts calling the thieves out, he has spent the entire of the last palace listening to the other talk and bantering with each other and as soon as they call on him and they start bantering lightly he knows. Shiho also knows she’s just sitting there paling like ‘Oh god no not in the real world to Mementos was bad enough not here to’ she doesn’t even care he’s a detective she cares that she’s not going to get any sleep from 3am pining texts… especially now Akira has actually seen his eyes.

They meet in the corridor and Shiho nopes out as they start flirting and Akechi realises, he knows and then freaks out and runs for it… now Shiho has to deal with moping Akira.

Kawakami actually decides for them to go after Kaneshiro after she’s focusing more on teaching and notices students acting odd and see’s some at Iwai’s shop while she’s selling loot. So, she decides they’re going after him. She finds out who he is with Iwai’s help.

They don’t actually get into debt Shiho using her volley ball skill and pretty much downing the bank. Which catches Black mask’s attention and he meets up with them Akira pretty much says he knows but doesn’t care and trusts Akechi even though said will catch them. Akechi is full of guilt.

Kawakami is ignoring the teenage bullshit and her and Mona are stealing everything.

Makoto ends up realising they’re not the phantom thieves but has got adopted into their friend group. She’s tried show Mishima the evidence they’re not phantom thieves but he just says he’s really impressed how dedicated they are to secret identities… they’ve given up trying to talk sense to him at this point.

Palace 4

Futaba still contacts the group as Alibaba and they figure out about her but well they’re in LeBlanc and Sae and Sojiro are there and they both end up there in the palace Akechi’s there to…

Best way to describe the palace is fucking trauma… it’s in this one that Akechi working for Shido as an assassin, Wakaba’s death, Akechi being Wakaba’s subject of her research, Shido being Akechi’s father and maybe Futaba’s father as well is all revealed it’s a lot…

Sojiro awakens his own persona with everything especially the monster Wakaba that gives Akechi a fucking panic attack and has him unable to fight. Sojiro goes full dad mode. Sae meanwhile is with Futaba’s shadow and helping Futaba remember what actually happened.

Pretty such Sojiro is like ‘I have now adopted my future son in law and will be arranging therapy for him’ when they get out as well plotting Shido’s downfall.

Futaba is much better after and deals with medjed also starts hacking into Shido’s systems to fuck with him because they may not be targeting him yet but she will be fucking with him.

Also, Futaba, Sae and Akechi end up debating feather man episodes and lore so much… Sojiro closes the café and turns the lights off and none of them realise.

Palace 5 not 4 yeah orders a bit different because Sae knows about the metaverse and in Futaba’s palace Akechi revealed Sae has one and she is not happy with that at all.

While Kawakami, Shiho and Akira are on school trip Sae decides FUCK IT she’s dealing with her palace and basically demands a calling card that Sojiro and Akechi end up scribbling on a napkin that she grabs and then demands they let her into metaverse.

Sae is beating the shit of her own shadow while Sojiro and Akechi just watch on awkwardly… at the end Sae awakens her own Persona and the group come back with a new target.

Palace 4 now 5 Akechi reveals he’s been ordered to kill the target and that Shido will know somethings up those leads to

Akira: Hey Sae… how hard would it be to fake a death?

They handle the place without issue change his heart there’s a fake announcement of his death Shido thinks he’s won as Akechi mentioned killed thieves in the palace… not knowing they are getting ready to end him… Sojiro is ready to 1v1 him.

Maruki palace

No one is happy, Sojiro and Sae have coffee broken coffee mugs and try to shank him when he walks into LeBlanc

End is him getting kicked the shit out of by team mom and dad while they’re yelling

“THIS.IS.NOT.HOW.YOU.DO.THERAPY!!!!”

Bonus dumb ideas

Mona tries flirting with Ann one time even though she can’t understand him Shiho threatens to have him neutered.

In mementos Sojiro insists on driving and has on numerous occasions threatened to turn this cat around if they don’t quiet down.

All palaces end up with Akechi and Akira doing their competitive flirting. The rest of them just ignore the two.

Futaba still helps out team and knows everything even if she doesn’t go in to the metaverse.

Sojiro meets Caroline and Justine and is just like well I’ve already adopted three kids what’s two more.

Sorry this is very very long and dumb I need sleep. Sorry.

#persona 5 #p5 #au #fic prompt #akeshu #shuake #shiho suzui #ann x shiho #sojiro sakura #sae niijima #akira kurusu #akechi goro #persona 5 protagonist #mona #sadayo kawakami #this is very very dumb #and very very long #phantom theives

[angxlyxn]

satisfaction - goro akechi x reader

summary: akechi does not take kindly to misbehavior. 

warnings: obsessive behavior, a leetle yandere-ish, verbal/physical abuse, rough sex, hair pulling, degradation, nsfw.

a/n: I LOVE GORO AKECHIF

word count: ~1.2k

"So dumb, so pathetic to bend at my every whim, and yet so perfect for it." Goro stood over you, wistful eyes not able to conceal the expression of scorn on his face.  He gazed down, tracing his eyes from your bruised knees, which were pressing oh so alluringly into the hardwood floor all the way up to your eyes, gleaming with cresting tears.  He folded his hands over his lap, feeling a slight hard-on coming on.

He really should humiliate you for what you did.  Of everything that he expected from you, he never had considered that you would throw yourself at someone as... as repulsive as Akira.  He remembered how you had pleaded with him after, begging and griping at his feet, trying to convince him that it was just a friendly conversation, that you would never be so inclined towards the phantom thief.  To doubt him was a comparable sin to the actual offense.  After all, he knew what was best for you.  You weren't allowed to decide for yourself- or rather, you weren't informed enough. So naive and stupid were you, he really did have to do everything for you.  

He deserved a reward. He wanted to push his control over you, make you afraid and yet so aroused and completely at his disposal.   

"Down," he spoke simply. You knew the command. You had been through this same process of punishment many times before, any possible defiance leaving your body as you pressed your head to the floor, bowing down to him and leaving your ass up.  He let his hands fall, revealing the tent in his pants that was ever hardening at your submission.  To turn him on like this would be unforgivable- if you were anyone else than his favorite angel, his little doll.  He shant succumb to the pressure of cheap arousement, but the things you did to him made him feel so weak, so inferior.  Even so, he was truly better than you in every way.  He knew it, he knew he was. He was superior, better than you could ever be, better than anyone...

He lifted his foot and, before he could think about what he was doing, placed it upon the crook of your neck, pushing you down further.  Your eyes squinted in pain as your forehead rubbed against the rough hardwood.  The position, however, was far more humiliating than it was painful.  Bowing there, you were reduced to nothing more than a slave, a toy for the prince to pander with.  And that he did.

And still, Goro hated you.  Hated the memories of how he molded you into the perfect partner for him, hated that he always had to hurt you in the way he did. And yet, he so hated how he would search for reasons to reprimand you.  He hated how much of an angel you were, how utterly saintly you were, only for him. 

He emerged from his cacophony of thoughts, peering at you through long lashes.  He felt as his pants grew unbearably tight, chafing against his erect cock.  How arousing you were, with your arched back, ass on display like a cheap whore.  The things you did to him were ungodly, but the things he wished he could do to you were much more devious, many of them qualifying as morally unethical. Although, how could he help these sick fantasies of his when you looked like this? When you acted like this!

You quivered, involuntarily putting on a show for him. His boot was still against your head, although the strength of his press had slightly let up as he wandered through his thoughts.

He considered a bit before removing his foot from you, visible relief passing through your body as you shuddered from the lack of contact.  Your little victory was short-lived, however, as the prince spoke once more, voice thick with poorly concealed lust.

"Come.." he started. "I need... " he grunted through his words, shaky breathing nearly in time with yours. "Come atone for what you did." 

You raised your head, finally bringing yourself up to meet his crimson eyes, which were veiled behind his fluttering eyelids.  

You looked up at him, testing your luck as you braced yourself against the floor, preparing to walk over to him and save yourself the embarrassment of crawling like a puppy to his feet. 

However, a hum came from his mouth.  A drawling, condescending sound, wordlessly telling you to stay on your knees, where you belong.  You clenched your hands against the floor, assuming all fours as you sheepishly crawled towards the male, face flushing as you felt his red gaze burn itself into your back.

He cleared his throat, signifying for you to stop at his feet, which you did.  Sitting back onto your knees, you raised a pair of shaking hands toward his crotch, carefully unbuckling his belt before fumbling with his pants button, erection brushing against your hands and eliciting a cringe from you, even though you had done this many a time before.  You braced yourself, eyelids squeezing together as you pulled on the zipper of his pants.

You were so adorable.  Goro felt his cock spring free, nearly moaning as you handled it, ever so carefully maneuvering the substantial length from his pants. 

Your chest shoved itself against his knees, a few kitten licks being pressed to the tip of his length.  Goro groaned at the contact, but impatiently grabbed your hair, forcing you around him and causing you to gag, a pathetic sound.  The friction of your helpless noises only spurred him on, long digits finding your hair and digging into your skull.  You were whimpering now, tears wetting your cheeks just as he grew slicker with each moment. He thrusted into you, his angel’s mouth reduced to a fleshlight as he did so.  But you deserved it.  You deserved everything he decided to give you, every slap, every meaningless fuck, every week without food.  He loved you so much, and he knew that you returned it.  You were made to service him, and you were well aware of your place.

Goro felt himself approaching his climax, deep growls falling from his lips.  His mouth spilled venom, mutterings of worthlessness raining down on you.  He finally stilled, and you gasped for breath around him, hungry for air as a drowned man would be.  He soon released, seed spurting against your throat and coating your aching mouth.  His head was thrown back in ecstasy, eyes crossing and watering with pleasure.  

“Swallow,” he demanded, a deathly command seeping out from his breathy voice.  You obeyed, cringing as you did so.  

The prince was satisfied now.

#goro akechi #goro #goro akechi x reader #akechi #akechi x reader #goro x reader #persona 5 #persona x reader #persona 5 x reader #yandere #yandere x reader #yandere x you #goro akechi x you #yandere goro akechi x reader #yandere akechi x reader #yandere persona 5 #x reader #yandere oneshot #oneshot #persona 5 oneshot #persona 5 x you #persona oneshot #akechi oneshot #smut #akechi smut #goro akechi smut #crow x reader #crow

[aria0fgold]

Okay last post before sleep cuz ngl though I'm not gonna put Conan in p5 simply cuz there's Too Many Things going on with him that I'd have an easier time with Kaito instead which also, can yall see the problem then? Conan and Kaito is similar in that they're both pursuing and being targetted by a dangerous organization, Kaito is at risk a lot more considering how he's practically putting himself out there with his heists as Kaito KID while the times Conan gets in danger is when he tries to get closer to any of his org nemesis' henchmen for evidence, which doesn't happen often.

But despite that Conan has A Lot of reliable allies, Kaito included (not really on the "reliable" part but more on the "ally" part). While Kaito only has Jii-san which is the same guy making the KID gadgets for him and Conan (again not a "reliable" one for Kaito but still an "ally"). And like???????? What about Kaito's other allies? I'm not counting the group Kaito got pulled into by his childhood friend which is a group made to Catch KID and not help 'Kaito.' Like, what kinda allies are that, Aoko only wants to catch the magician thief, Hakuba is... Hakuba (he can be an "ally" but like Conan, not a reliable one), and there's that... witch who never really does anything much to help but give out warnings. (I forgot her name holup... AKAKO! There we go).

Compared to Conan who has like, a lot, and most of em are spoilers so if whoever reading this wanna get into dcmk, feel free to skip. There's Agasa that's the one creating the gadgets for him, Ai who knows his secret and is practically in the same boat as him (since she was a scientist from the org that wanted out yet shrunk too), Heiji which is like his bestie who's a fairly good detective, THE AKAI FAMILY (That entire family is a mf unit bro, there's a FBI sharpshooter, a mom that's a mi6 agent, another highschool detective with skills on par with Conan that knows jeet kune do, a shogi master that's also insanely good at strategizing in general. Like bro, wtf), Furuya Rei aka Amuro Tooru aka Bourbon-- Also a wtf moment there. CONAN HAS PROTECTION FROM VERMOUTH, one of the most important members of that same organization he's pursuing. Vermouth refuses to hurt and especially kill Conan and Ran.

Like, that kid has it all meanwhile Kaito DOESN'T HAVE ANYONE??? The treatment here. So yes, I'm only putting Kaito in p5 cuz he deserves ppl to be there for him if there's barely anyone in his own source material. (Maybe I'd even put Hakuba in p5 too, as a treat, cuz he's also gotten the short end of the stick too). Hakuba can be with Akechi to put some load off his back with the addition of Another thief getting added in their universe except Hakuba is also a menace of his own way so honestly, good luck Akechi.

#aria rants #wai a sec i aint forgettin bout the fact that tho conans parents are also Horrible and mostly #absent from All That is practically going on. when it counts. conan can call em for help and like #his dad is an insanely good detective and his mom is an insanely good actress that also knows #how to do disguises LIKE???? man. i just realized how bad kaito's situation is when put side to side conan's #my guy doesn't even have any reliable allies bro like what he gon do during the big confrontation??? #his dad is ASS. his mom doesnt even visit him and is living in ANOTHER COUNTRY #her son is in a deadly situation and shes out there chilling someplace far away like GOD #someone save kaito actually. like tbf... well like no confrontation gonna happen yet #considering that gosho only started to pick up magic kaito again after like so many years #like... maaaaaan. he rlly did get the short end of the stick bro save my son yall #am happy he picked the story up again but also like-- gayum. crossing my fingers this #doesnt turn out into another conan 2.0 or a mini conan 2.0 where it spans on for years #okay this got long and fr did end up as a rant. whys my brain so active whenever im sleepy

[tricksheart]

CHARACTER SHEET ―

FULL NAME. Akira Amano-Suou. NICKNAME. Jokey, Aki, Prince of Nightmares, Attic Trash, Prince Boring, Frizzy Hair, Inmate, Trickster.ㅤ ALIASES. JOKER (codename), Akira Kurusu (Tokyo probation name) PRONOUNS. 'He/him' also can use 'they / them'. HEIGHT. 5'8 / 172.72 cm. AGE. 16-18 ( 18 after Strikers and Beyond ).ㅤ ZODIAC. Pisces ( western ), Metal Dragon ( Chinese ). SPOKEN LANGUAGES. Japanese ( native ), English ( skilled ), French ( novice ), and Spanish ( novice ). 𝐏𝐇𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒 ― HAIR. Ebony black. Very curly and soft to the touch. Hasn't combed any strand for years and hurts to detangle, even with products.‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏Can find miscellaneous items if he or someone else shakes it ( with his permission of course ).‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ㅤ FACIAL HAIR. None. He is baby. ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ EYES. Storm Grey. You can actually see the weather his eyes are named after if you look into them for long enough. Very sharp and has caused people of all ages to be weary of him, so he wears fake glasses to hide them well. SKIN TONE. Pale, sometimes looks ghostly. ㅤ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ BODY TYPE. Short yet solid muscles underneath his somewhat lanky gamer's posture. Will probably have to get surgery down the line to fix his constant stooping and bent neck / back. VOICE. Deep baritone but is mostly silent / whisper-y when dealing with daily life outside of Phantom Thief duties. A little higher in pitch when he's singing certain parts of songs. ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ DOMINANT HAND. Ambidextrous ( uses right and left hand equally ). POSTURE. Lax and Lazy. Mostly has his hands in his pockets and show delinquent walking and body behavior in order to protect himself. More alert during Phantom Thief duties but still maintains a somewhat lax bent posture during some parts of scouting. Takes his hands out when something threatening is happening or only one is shown to give off an attitude. SCARS. Emotional. ( invisible bullet wound right in the middle of his temple because of the cognitive death he suffered from Akechi ). BIRTHMARKS. None. MOST NOTABLE FEATURES. Shujin High School / Seven Sisters High School uniform, Huge black oval glasses, Having a cat in his school bag, Very attractive / handsome. 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐃 ― PLACE OF BIRTH. Sumaru City / Yokohama, Japan.ㅤ HOMETOWN. Sumaru City / Yokohama, Japan. SIBLINGS. None. PARENTS. Katsuya Suou ( father ) and Maya Amano ( mother ). 𝐀𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 ― OCCUPATION. A student in high school ( close to graduating after Strikers and Beyond ). CURRENT RESIDENCE. Sumaru City / Yokohama, Japan. Visits Yongen-jaya ( second home ) and other places in the Tokyo area quite frequently. ㅤ CLOSE FRIENDS. Kasumi / Sumire Yoshizawa, Haru Okumura, Yusuke Kitagawa, Morgana ( cat ). FINANCIAL STATUS. Has obtained a lot of demon blood money thanks to the trips to the Metaverse and TV world. ㅤ DRIVER'S LICENSE. Does driving in video games count?? ( Yes after Strikers and Beyond ).ㅤ CRIMINAL RECORD. Expunged. Has been falsely accused due to trumped charges. Currently still wanted by law enforcement for confessing to being the leader of the Phantom Thieves. VICES. Video games, Excess eating, Lazing about, Manipulation, Indifference, Carbonated beverages, Prideful.ㅤ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 ― LOVE LANGUAGE. Quality time, Receiving gifts. RELATIONSHIP TENDENCIES. Very pragmatic, just like his parents are. Doesn't focus on appearances that often and is willing to support his significant other financially. Mostly put his needs on a backburner but doesn't totally neglect himself either.

𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐎𝐔𝐒 ― CHARACTER'S THEME TUNE. Beneath the Mask ( in-game theme ), Infiltrate ( Persona 5 the Animation ), Mystery ( Persona 5 the Animation ), Bad Luck ( Persona 5 the Animation ), Dusk ( Persona 5 the Animation ).‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ HOBBIES TO PASS THE TIME. Fishing, playing baseball / going to the cages, video games, cosplaying, reading, going to the sauna, going to the aquarium, going to the planetarium, going to the movies, sleeping, swimming, bursting out in song, taking care of Morgana, etc etc. ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ㅤ LEFT OR RIGHT BRAINED. A little bit of both, thanks to having to think being the leader of the Phantom Thieves. ㅤ‏‏‎ ‎ SELF-CONFIDENCE LEVEL. Hides his self-confidence due to his perfect non standout civilian persona. ‎‏‏‎Is more bold during his Phantom Thief duties, to a point in being a little too cocky for his own good. Elevates higher if he has Narcissus equipped as a Persona.

Tagged by: @adoranoia Tagging: Anyone who wants to do this and also @kingspuppet

#long post cw #long post tw #[ we call them tricksters. HEADCANON ]

[strawberryjamsara]

Uh I guess I’ll put my final thoughts on tactica here.

Main Story

This had a lot of potential that I feel was missed. I liked Toshiro as a character, and seeing how the game was setting itself up to be his palace, and the consistent chiding from other characters about his crimes, I was really excited about the idea of the phantom thieves getting to know, relate to, and sympathize with someone they would have to steal the heart of and trying to figure out how with him. The game sort of took the opposite direction of that by having Toshiro do nothing wrong in his life though.

I was pretty excited when his shadow was revealed thinking ‘Wow, maybe they’ll pull a Persona 4 and he’ll have to accept the worst parts of himself to heal!’ But they took the lazy route of having his shadow just be a fake.

Erina also I feel was just reduced to being there to develop Toshiro. Don’t get me wrong, I love her, and Toshieri is extremely cute, but she’s pretty much just there to be a love interest. Both of these characters had so much potential that went wasted.

I think the thieves were mostly just their flanderized selves. They blended into the background but there was nothing too egregious. In particular, I’m glad there was no mention of the police from Makoto, and she gets to be the cool, slightly scary, and passionate senpai she was meant to be. I also like how they had Haru explain some sort of redeeming qualities her dad had, so we can see why she misses him a bit more. I still don’t like how the game lets him off the hook so much though. Let Haru realize her dad was a piece of shit 2023. And they sexualize Ann and have her be harrassed way less which is a god sent. In particular there seems to be an attempt of sorts to sand away some of the #problematic aspects of the original which is always welcome. The Ryuji wedding put a smile on my face.

Also Samael was just Yaldabaoth for a third time. It’s become comedic how many times the phantom thieves have killed/defeated Gods at this point.

One last thing: Toshiro deserved a phantom thief outfit. I’m very dissapointed they did not give that man a fruity little costume to wear.

DLC

So I maaaaaay be biased because I love Akechi and Sumire, but I liked this one way more.

Seeing these three actually get to have a full adventure together instead of the pittance we have in Royal, I felt like I was feasting like a king (no pun intended). Sumires idealism clashing with Akechi’s realism, and Akechi willing to go along if she gives him enough puppy dog eyes, her admiring his strength while he admires her kindness, is the perfect dynamic for them.

And it’s also nice seeing some softer moments from Akechi here. It’d be easy to argue that this is part of the mask, but you can really see in this game how despite his reservations, he really does come to feel for Luca and Guernica which makes sense considering his own roots match up with theirs. Honestly he probably sees a lot of himself in Guernica, as a person unable to change anything and filled with rage, driven to do horrible things by a manipulator… yeah that might hit a bit too close to home.

Sumire also feeling internalized guilt about Kasumi with Guernica and Lucas conflict is. Aaaaaugh… she’s so upset about how she and Kasumi grew apart, and she’s upset at Guernica for saying she doesn’t need her sister because she’s mad at HERSELF, but she doesn’t know it’s herself so she’s projecting it onto Guernica. Ooooh that’s so cool.

Also I liked having all the options to mess with Akechi during the story. All his thinly veiled anger moments were such a blessing.

Guernica and Luca were such good characters too. They were definitely a lot more simple in backstory than Toshiro but I think that’s for the best. Guernica has a cool design, a good backstory, and her helping out in the final boss and bonding with the PTs is a good way to endear us to her, and it’s even a little sweet how she counts Sumire and Akechi as the PTs who saved her. They aren’t ‘true’ phantom thieves, but they still helped make a persons life better, and for Akechi who wanted to be a hero, and Sumire who thought she’d never measure up to Kasumi, having them be able to save someone and make their life better is a heartwarming conclusion.

Also Jerri is just Samael again, but she gets points for being camp and slay.

Im a bit upset the trio gained collective amnesia after the story, but it makes sense that this had to happen for the sake of not having inconsistencies with Royals story. But also… CMAAAAAAAHN.

Gameplay and Graphics

I don’t usually like tactical games because I’m dumb as hell. I’m speaking as someone who really loves fire emblem awakening, I often do NOT play these games for the gameplay.

All that said, I had so much fun with the gameplay of this game. The way persona mechanics combine with a tactical rpg is so surprisingly fun. Trying to rack up ‘one more’s to travel across the board is so much fun, landing a big hit is extremely satisfying, it is SO MUCH FUN to walk up to an enemy and smack them out of their cover, and it’s so cool to land an all out attack on as many enemies as possible, it’s so much fun and I went out of my way to get every award and do every quest.

I also liked having every member of the party able to equip any persona. It helps with builds of characters, and from a story perspective it makes Joker less of a ‘special boy who’s the narratives favorite.’

I also LOVED the more steampunk aesthetic of the velvet room. The fusion animations were adorable, and if we’re moving onto art, this is the first time Lavenzas design really clicked for me. In the og artstyle I think Lavenzas design isn’t really memorable compared to Caroline and Justine, but she looks really cute here! The chibi artstyle is very cute and simple, but you can tell how much effort went into it from how the animated cutscenes with the models look just as good as the 2D animated scenes. That’s genuinely impressive and points to a lot of effort in the models!

So all in all, I think the game had a lot of missed potential but I’m glad I played it if just for the DLC.

#persona #persona 5 #p5 #gothitxt

[narrators-journal]

Homecoming part 2

Holy hot fucking hell I’ve been staring at this for SO long, it doesn’t even make sense to me anymore lol. But, I am super happy with how it turned out and I hope you all enjoy the story 💕

I suggest you read part 1 first for full context!

        "Hello?" Akira's mother's voice asked from his phone, the surprise ringing in her voice like a bell, making his insides freeze over to the point that he had to force his words out through suddenly uncooperative vocal cords,      "Uh, h-hi mom...Just...just wanted to tell you I made it back. And that I'm...at the station." He croaked out, the silence that followed holding a potent question he couldn't even answer himself.

Why did you come back? And with one glance Akira instantly knew Akechi had caught that as well. He could tell from the way his warm brown eyes were glowing with the same questions he saw in Morgana's.        "Oh! Akira, dear. I-I'm so sorry, I must've forgotten the date. I'll be there in an hour to get you!" With that, she hung up, leaving the glasses-wearing teen under the weight of Akechi and Mona's stares.        "Um...Joker?" Morgana asked gently, his paw pressing comfortingly on his shoulder while the cat's sapphire eyes stared into him, but the teen just stroked his ebony fur, wordlessly telling him he was okay.        "Your mother sure does seem...forgetful." Akechi hummed next, the protective layer of social politeness doing little to hide the barbs he had just below the surface But the teen simply shrugged and, before Akechi could try to pry further, turned and went to get his things before heading out of the station to find a bench to wait for his mother while the last few rays of the sun painted the barely-populated edge of town its last warm hues for the day. Thankfully, Akechi took the hint and didn't try to pry into him for the hour that they sat in the cooling evening air. However, his family troubles still sat between them on the bench like a third commuter. I should've told him no. Akira thought while scrolling through the messages his friends had sent over the train ride, What did I think would happen though? I shouldn't have even come home in the first place. He added to himself, recalling the lack of contact he'd had with his parents all year. It was a pretty clear message on its own, and yet there the phantom thief was, seemingly hoping it wasn't true.

For the umpteenth time that day, the glasses-clad delinquent bit back the burn of tears. He stubbornly refused to cry. Especially not in front of his crush and rival. He'd know the likelihood of this occurrence, he had no right to break down right now. So, he instead made himself let out a slow, steadying breath and just focused back in on reading his messages. Pretending he didn't feel Akechi's gaze burning into his soul and the heavy dread in his stomach until he heard the crunch of the asphalt drawing closer.         "Are you sure that you're okay with this? Are your mom and dad awful?" Morgana whispered from his school bag as the car came to a stop in front of them, but he went ignored as a small moment passed before a woman with long, chestnut hair that cascaded down her back in the same wild waves as Akira's stepped out,      "Akira! Sweetie!" she sang a bit too brightly, coming over to throw her arms around him a bit too tightly, but also letting go a moment too early. "I'm so sorry for being late, dear. I've been so busy today, I should've double-checked your return date." She hummed as she stepped back and gave him a warm smile, but the boy saw the discomfort and remorse just beneath it. Silence. Akira wasn't a stranger to the quiet, no one in his family was a big conversationalist. But this bout of silence had him struggling to breathe while his mother just stood in front of him. scanning over his boxes and counting them as an excuse to avoid looking at him until Akechi finally stepped in to break the surface tension.         "Well, Akira? Aren't you gonna introduce me to this lovely lady?" He asked lightly in that masterfully crafted TV voice of his, making the brunette look at him, stunned for a moment at the sheer thought of her son bringing somebody back with him before she gave an awkward giggle,       "Oh, I'm sorry, are you his probation officer?" She asked,      "What? No, I'm his friend," Akechi chuckled, shaking the woman's hand with a sweet smile that the muted boy would've found angelic if he hadn't faced the Goro Akechi hidden behind that mask, "I'm Goro Akechi, ma'am, it's lovely to meet you at last. Your son has talked you up a fair bit." That last sugar-coated barb got the detective a sharp glare, but the phantom thief's look went ignored by his companion and unnoticed by his mother, who just smiled and apologized for the mix-up before changing the subject,          "Well! I-it's getting late, we better get home. Come on, dear, before you worry your father anymore." Akira nodded at that and set about moving his things into her car as fast as he could without letting on his tension. Don't you dare cry yet. He told himself when that sickly familiar burn returned to his charcoal-colored eyes yet again, Just a few more minutes. Let mom get out of sight of Akechi. Just don't cry in front of him. He coached, taking a moment to lean against the box he'd just loaded into the backseat of the car, blinking and taking deep breaths to curb the ache in his heart and the thorny dread and fear that were causing this latest threat to his stability. While he was duct-taping his composure back together, the dark-haired teen listened to Akechi and his mother's conversation,       "Oh! ma'am, I know this is a tad weird, but do you think I could ride back into town with you? Just so I don't have to walk and hunt for a hotel all night," Akechi asked, Akira's mom humming indecisively for a moment before caving under that small-town pressure of hospitality. It wasn't polite to send a visiting friend to stay in the hotel, but the phantom thief could see the despair glowing in his mother's eyes as she made the polite offer,       "Oh don't bother with a hotel! You're a friend of Akira's, you can stay with us for the night," She assured in a voice that was so forced, Akira was surprised his mother's jaw didn't break from the movement. Guess that plan's out the window. He thought darkly, letting the fresh wave of frustration act as a bit of plaster over his festering emotions so he could pack the rest of his things away and return to the casual conversation at the side of the road. Watching the brunette smoothly wrap the reluctant woman around his finger made Akira's stomach twist a bit. Not particularly because Akechi was manipulating his mother, but because it showed how easy it must have been for the man to do the same thing to the phantom thief, and that still hurt a little bit. This isn't a surprise. You already knew he was a master manipulator. He told himself, shaking his head, No. I have to remember what Akechi's done. He's still not trustworthy. With that, he double-checked that all of his boxes were put away and Morgana was at his shoulder, signaling to his mother that it was time to face the music.        "Well, come on boys, let's get back into town before it gets too late." She chirped, climbing back into the car and leaving the two of them to follow. Once settled in, she pulled away from the station, Akira watching out the window as the scenery zipped by them on the drive back to his childhood home. Predictably, the ride back into the main portion of the tiny town was steeped in tension and discomfort that seemed to grow when his mother flicked on the radio to fill the quiet. The music was nothing but a failed distraction from what both of them knew was waiting ahead. His father. Thinking back on his father's reaction to his arrest was something Akira had done in the days leading up to his departure from Tokyo. His father was a quiet man, like himself, and while he wasn't a very emotionally present father, the teen's false accusation had seemingly hurt him the most between him and the boy's mother. He'd been furious, not so much as looking at his son since he'd been hauled in on those false charges. It was like he couldn't bring himself to face the fact that Akira had supposedly hurt someone. Though at the same time, Akira couldn't help but feel like that wasn't the real reason for his father shunning him. It might have been the reason given, but the dark-haired teen could tell. His father simply couldn't stand to face the confirmation of his worst fears. To face that his son might have hurt someone, that he truly was as messed up as the kids and all of their parents had whispered since kindergarten. Akira's dad didn't need to say the truth because he'd already made his disdain clear.         "Alright, we're home." His mother chirped as she pulled into a familiar driveway and shut the car off in front of a small, but cute house that should've filled the phantom thief's soul to the brim with relief and joy to see, but instead only pinned the dark-haired teen to his seat with the weight of the dread boulder growing in his gut. His mother must've felt the same way because she didn't seem that keen on going inside either. So, they sat there for what felt like an eternity, silently daring each other to be the first one to approach the house. Though the game ended when Akechi cleared his throat,        "Uh, would you like me to help you bring your stuff in, Akira?" He asked, the teen's neck as stiff as a rebar pole as he nodded, but his mother spoke up when the detective went to finally get out,        "Oh don't worry about that right now boys! I-I'm sure Akira and his dad can get it tomorrow." She assured, her voice full of too much sugar and sunshine for such a dark hour, something that Akira saw made Akechi's reddish-brown eyes narrow briefly. However, the selective mute couldn't seem to force his frozen vocal cords to function, so he had to resort to sending the brunette psychic pleas to keep his mouth shut and not start a fight. How much Akira simply wished to get this night done with as little drama as possible. Which, the man thankfully seemed to get, because instead of outright calling the woman out for her behavior, all he did was tilt his head in innocent confusion,         "It'd be of no problem to me, ma'am, and I'm sure your son would like to at least have his blankets and clothes inside for tomorrow," but his mother got out and just laughed it off,         "He's got plenty of blankets and clothes left inside, he'll be fine for a night." She promised though the dark-haired teen could see his hollow room staring down at him like some sick taunt. Maybe that's why he still sat in the car. Letting his mother dissuade Akechi from bringing anything of his in at this hour. Stewing in anxiety with the weight of how unwelcome he was gluing him to the car seat. However, before the burn of tears he'd still miraculously not shed could pounce on that moment of weakness, a knock at the window made him and Morgana both jump. When he looked though, it was simply Akechi, looking through the glass with even more questions and annoyance swimming in his eyes. Though, for once, not aimed at him. For now, though, the thief pushed those thoughts aside and just forced his stiff body to get out of the car, keeping his school bag with him so he'd have Morgana close by as he walked with Akechi up to the porch where his mother waited, the woman giving the teen one more bone-crushing hug before smiling at Akechi,     "Forgive the mess, I've been a little busy today and didn't think my son would bring a friend home," With that, she opened the door and led them inside. What Akira saw inside was another familiar sight. His dad, a tall, dark-haired man with the same charcoal eyes as the phantom thief leader sat in a patchy recliner, focused on a book while a radio in the kitchen filled the silence until his mother spoke,        "Honey! Akira's home and he has a friend with him, so try to be nice and not scare him." She chirped as she flitted off to the kitchen to start dinner, deftly avoiding the way her husband tore his dark eyes away from her to narrow them at their child, the dark-haired boy not needing to look up from where his gaze was fixed on the hardwood flooring to see the venomous question in his father's look. Why are you back.          "I'm sorry sir, is Akira not welcome?" The detective almost spat, his own potent venom finally slipping into his curt tone, making the dark-haired persona user grab onto his arm and pull at him until the brunette turned the evil look he was giving his parent onto him and could see his desperate pleas in his rivals dark gray eyes. PLEASE stop. Don't start a fight right now, PLEASE. The teen was begging, praying Akechi had turned over a new leaf enough to not lash out any further than he already had. Which, at first, it seemed he had done, as he simply pulled his arm away from his rival and asked his mother in that polite facade he'd briefly dropped, "Ma'am, when's dinner expected to be done? I think I'm going to have Akira give me a small tour so I can get a feel for this place, and I'd hate for him to miss a homecooked meal." making the woman almost jumped when acknowledged, but she was quick to give them an estimation of an hour. Watching with her son as the brunette spun on his heel, grabbed Akira by the wrist, and pulled him back out into the quiet night once more. Once the front door had clicked shut though, Akira took the lead and silently walked down the road, not giving Akechi a chance to pry into him at long last. There was no point to it, Akira knew what the detective was going to say. So, instead of letting his rival confront him with things he was already well aware of, the wild card simply marched down the road. Passing by familiar homes and cars while wishing that one of them would pull out of their driveway and run him over so he could escape the thick cloud of hostility his companion gave off on his behalf. Don't be silly, the rational voice in his head said, Akechi'd just bring you back to life to get answers. And it was right, he had learned the painful way that Akechi was as determined as a pitbull in his goals. No matter how self-destructive or cruel. However, that didn't make it any easier to lead his companion to the main road where most of the town's shops were lined up and asleep for the night feeling the anger radiating off of him while a brutally sharp question sat notched in Akechi's bow. On the other hand, though, Akira knew he couldn't avoid the topic forever. Akechi would find out somehow, and it wouldn't be a pretty sight if the boy let the vengeful brunette confront his parents. So, the dark-haired phantom thief let out a sigh and pressed Morgana a bit closer to his side while he searched for the park his mother used to take him to when he was little and reluctantly plopped down on a weathered bench at the edge of the little plot of land, keeping his charcoal-colored eyes focused on the moonlight-painted grass while listening to Akechi's footsteps slowing down and finally stopping beside him before the brunette sat down beside him. Akechi gave him enough time to reach into his school bag and bring Morgana out to send the cat off to explore before taking a deep breath and speaking in such a jarringly understanding, gentle voice that the phantom thief winched,       "Did your parents think you were dead?" He asked, almost offering the excuse, but all Akira could do without letting the tears welling into his eyes fall was shake his head at the question, keeping his eyes on the ground as they lapsed into another suffocating silence. Akechi let it stretch out for a few torturous moments before he dealt another blow to the phantom thief.         "They didn't want you to come home from probation, did they?" The question was asked with such a sickeningly soft familiarity and understanding. He hated how perceptive Akechi was. He hated how he put into words the silent message his parent sent by not acknowledging his birthday. Akira hated how having that fact finally verbalized provided the hairline fracture the emotions needed to get through the dam he had been holding up with duct tape all day. But it wasn't just the way Akechi had been so aware of the issues Akira had never spoken of in his year with him that had him doubled over with his head almost between his knees and his arms over his head as hot tears poured down his cheeks and sobs shook his whole world. The final blow was the fact that the man who had betrayed Akira and his friends, had tried to murder the quiet boy twice, had voiced the truth so delicately. The same man who had been determined to end him for merely existing was sitting there in the cool, quiet darkness of the night, talking to him with nothing but empathy. Akira wanted to rip into his old enemy. He wanted to scream at the man and blow up at him, but the only thing he could do was let out an agonized, melancholy scream through his clenched teeth, his nails digging into the back of his head in some feeble attempt to staunch the ugly, childish sobs torn from his sore throat, but the pain didn't save the black-haired thief from being swept away in the heavy tsunami of anger, loss, homesickness, and a potent pain that he'd let pull him apart like fork-tender roast beef all day. So, instead of verbalizing his anger at Akechi for daring to be so nice to him after his earlier actions, Akira relied on physical attacks. Only to find that at some point in his haze, the detective had pulled him into a hug, letting the dark-haired leader of the phantom thieves dig his nails into his arm and bite him like a toddler throwing a violent tantrum until he seemed to tire himself out. After that, the thief just let his rival hold him while he continued to sob uncontrollably. Neither spoke. They didn't need to speak. All they did was sit in the silent park, Morgana wordlessly pressed to Akira's leg as he sobbed, and Akechi silently held him even after his distraught wails had lessened.

#persona 5 royal #persona 5 #akeshu #Akechi x Akira #Persona #short story #kind of canon compliant #but also not #I described Akira's parents but that's nowhere near canon #kinda angsty #Akira Kurusu #Ren Amamiya #Akechi Goro #You can read this like a ship #or friendship it doesn't really matter

[defiant-firefly]

Yo! Do you have any headcanons for team interactions and such in your p5r labby au? I'm really interested in the little things of how she meshes with the other characters

I do! Though everything is likely to change cause my mind is always a muddle till I actually ya know... Get there

Labrys strikes me as the type that will love literally anything that's not related to her past so I'm gonna take that and run a bit

Haru probably has the best relationship with her since she's around the longest in this AU aside from Yoshizawa. Labrys helps her out with her gardening and stuff and Haru has the patience of a saint with her and all her questions on how plants just grow. She likes showing her all these pretty flowers and stuff and they trade tips on axe wielding and stuff. Jdkdn they walk into Iwai's and Labrys is like 'so what kinda gun ya want?' and Haru points at the most explody thing she can see like 'that one.' and the second she first uses it she has the stupidest smile on her face and now Labrys wants one too.

Morgana is the one that wisely banned Labrys from using guns. She can't aim for shit and she nearly shot his tail off once so he makes the call that she's not allowed to shoot unless everyone is at a large, safe distance. He's encouraging towards her when it comes to making infiltration tools and he likes to bounce between staying with the different members of the team rather than just one. He absolutely abuses the fact Labrys doesn't have much of an understanding on what animals need to eat and will have sushi or curry or anything he can convince her is necessary to his health. Sojiro is like 'just give him cat food?' and then turns around and gives him curry and Morgana is loving it. Labrys is always fussing over him in his cat form though and while he pretends he hates it, he adores all the attention she loves giving him.

Makoto is a fun one. As student council president, Labrys looks up to her a great deal especially at first. Makoto's arc is a bit different in this AU but she becomes Labrys' go to when it comes to questions about how the world works. The team like dragging her into their shenanigans and whenever Makoto doesn't know the song they're singing in the Monabus there's a bunch of scandalised gasps and later Labrys spams her texts with all the songs she didn't know and all the new ones they're getting into. It takes ages before Labrys starts calling her by her name instead of 'Miss President' and it kinda irritates her but she kinda gets it.

Futaba introduces Labrys to Featherman and they maybe get a showtime where they imitate Team Rocket or something with Morgana. Once they get to know eachother, they bully eachother just a little bit in good fun and Sojiro just watches when these two get started with their little bickering matches like 'ah shit here we go again'. No one ever wins it usually ends with them both laughing about whatever dumb thing the other said last. Futaba likes to joke that she fears nothing since Labrys has the ability to talk to people and she doesn't and you can't tell me Futaba isn't a bad influence. At some point she's sat there trying to get Labrys to say 'fuck' and the next they've invented a coffee called 'Cyanide' so if anyone asks what they recommend they can say 'For you? Cyanide.' Basically: these two are chaos incarnate. Do not start a prank war. Futaba the master strategist will lead them to victory.

This is turning into a long post huh? But uhh Ryuji starts singing in the Monabus and suddenly these two are best friends. She helps him with training where she can and they hang out at the arcade sometimes building a hoard of tickets to get the biggest prizes possible. Labrys kinda gravitates towards him when she's feeling a little low and his persona's natural electric abilities are to blame. They leak out into the real world a bit and charge his phone a little and stuff so when Labrys is near she gets a little boost too. Ryuji uses it as an excuse to hug her. Futaba ships it but doesn't complain when they both hug her and her wireless headphones charge back up. He's kinda protective of the team, but especially with Ann and Labrys. He will not let her live down how she forgets she could yeet a train across the whole of Shibuya whenever she asks how he forgets his homework or something. He also probably loves the short jokes.

Ann uhh... Is Ann I guess? She's one of the ones my brain struggles to visualise doing stuff honestly. Maybe they go shopping together and just try on all the silly hats and stuff they can find. I have a few ideas for things they can do but they're spoiler heavy so I'll skip over those. She also forgets about Labrys' super strength and is amazed by it every single time she effortlessly lifts something. Maybe the one to explain sexualities to Labrys? I dunno I've not messed around much with her arc yet.

Yusuke is... Uhh well he's very spoiler heavy. They're both people watchers and just like vibing in eachothers company. They're very protective of eachother but don't necessarily talk much. He does become her curry taste tester though. She's determined to make sure he doesn't go hungry just like the rest of the team is. I dunno, they're vibers. Could both probably turn into theatre kids at the drop of a hat though

Yoshizawa is a fun one. Labrys isn't exactly human and Maruki didn't account for that and her already decent knowledge of illusionary abilities so Labrys is constantly getting her name wrong until they come up with a nice nickname to use instead. It kinda freaks Yoshizawa out but she sees Labrys calling Makoto 'Miss President' for ages and assumes she just sometimes has problems with names or something but being called her dead sister's name is weird as hell. They're relationship is a bit strained at first thanks to all that but it gets better. They're constantly supporting eachother and building eachother up. They do it with the rest of the team but when they do it with eachother they can be going back and forth for a while. Everyone outside their group assumes they're together. Whether they are or not is anyone's guess at this point though. Yoshizawa can and will eat as many Big Bang Burger kids meals as it takes to get Labrys all the spaceship toys and Labrys will practice for hours the gymnastics stuff she's been taught so she can get it right the next time they hang out. They will kill you with nice words and sunny smiles and feel no remorse and Akechi wonders how the fuck he's survived in their presence for more than five minutes. They're innocent oblivious beans and they get along so well singing showtunes with Ann and Ryuji in the Monabus.

I plan to give Akechi an overhaul I've not yet worked much on yet so I'll skip on him for now. And Akira has his own arc and stuff now that I don't really wanna spoil too much but he is sucked into what the school are now calling 'The Gardening Cult' with all the others.

I spent maybe too long on this but I don't care it was fun thanks for asking buuuud ^-^

#persona 5 royal #persona 4 arena #labrys #p5r labrys au #I'd tag everyone but I'm lazy and the cat is demanding food #i love this au #its so fun #if i could manage to focus on Ann in my head for a bit though that'd be great #a lot changes in this au ndkosjd #no one is safe from the au ray of doom #oh ub #long post #does akechi even count as a thief? #uh im gonna say no. #at least for now anyway #things will get clearer when i get there my head is a muddle honestly #it'll be fun when i do get there cause who knows whats gonna happen outside the main plot i got planned?? #not me not you not anyone we have fun here #hope I've not given too much away here hmmm

[randoimago]

May I request the Phantom Thieves boys + Akechi reaction of their persona flirting with their S/O’s persona? Also can S/O persona be Pimpernel? Named after the fictional thief the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Persona Flirting with S/O’s Persona

FANDOM: Persona 5

Character(s): Goro Akechi, Akira Kurusu, Ryuji Sakamoto, Yusuke Kitagawa

Type of Request: Headcanons

Word Count: 509

Note(s): I read up on the Scarlet Pimpernel and they’re so cool. Why are (fictional) thieves so cool?? I also love the trope of Persona/Stand/whatever flirting with the S/O’s Persona/Stand//Whatever because it’s just so funny to imagine.

Akechi

Would definitely be annoyed that his Persona is taking their time with getting a bit too comfortable with your own.

He might be more intrigued if it’s Loki that is doing the flirting. If it’s Robin Hood then Akechi just scoffs. 

But with Loki, I mean that’s his true persona so it’s very interesting.

Would tell you not to think too much on it. Akechi is a tsundere so he’s going to deny the idea of his persona flirting is an extension of his feelings. I mean yes, you’re his S/O so Akechi does like you a lot. But they don’t have to be so open about it.

Probably embarrassed on the inside but gets more annoyed if it’s brought up. Will be heavily resisting the urge to shoot someone if he’s teased (especially if it’s Akira that’s teasing).

Akira

He’s a wild card Persona user so for simplicity’s sake, we’re using Arsene for him. 

Akira is rather surprised that Arsene can act on his own. Usually he has to be the one to issue commands and such to his persona’s, then again this is his first one so maybe that has something to do with it?

But yeah, Akira is definitely interested in watching the interactions between Arsene and your persona. Especially because he wants to see your expression and if you’re embarrassed about it.

Of course Akira is flustered but also happy cause his Persona likes his S/O’s persona? Dynamic duo in multiple ways!

Will absolutely use Arsene flirting with Pimpernel as a way for Akira to approach you to start flirting himself. He’s a dork.

Ryuji

Ryuji is very confused at Captain Kidd’s behavior before his face goes red and he sputters as he turns to you to exclaim that he’s not doing any of this! 

Like Ryuji never hides how he feels about you but he’s a klutz with his flirtation.

Honestly might get jealous of Captain Kidd because why does his damn persona have to be such a good flirt and he isn’t.

Captain Kidd was a pirate so I imagine the persona is rather... explicit with his flirtations which causes Ryuji to be even more awkward.

Ryuji is just muttering cusses under his breath as he takes your hand and pulls you away. If you need your persona’s you both can just summon them later. He wants away from this interaction.

Yusuke

Yusuke is very intrigued that Goemon is showing attraction. 

Yusuke isn’t too surprised as he’s made it clear that he cherishes you so his Persona having similar feelings towards you just adds to that.

Will be very happy if he sees your persona flirting back. Again, his theory is persona’s replicating feelings so to see Pimpernel flirting back makes him pleased.

Might want to stop and sketch the moment out. At least make a basic outline so he can approve on it later. 

Or if you two could stop at a rest spot then that’d be great for him to paint (although maybe don’t stay in Mementos too long otherwise bad stuff happens).

#persona 5 x reader #yusuke kitawaga #yusuke kitagawa x reader #ryuji sakamoto #ryuji sakamoto x reader #akira kurusu x reader #akira kurusu #goro akechi #goro akechi x reader

[shadow-scenarios]

Yay requests are open again! How would the phantom thief boys + Akechi be with an s/o who dresses in a eboy/egirl style?

So I had to look up the fashion style and it’s very interesting, Anon! Dressing like that is fun, though I wouldn’t personally. I’m more of a hoodies person.

{ Gonna be honest, I didn’t know what to write but I hope you enjoy it anyways. :) }

Joker ;;

Thinks it is cool. Judging people by appearance is something Akira simply refuses to do due to his past & he wanted to get to know them before making a property judgement. Asks once or twice about where they got their clothing from but does not pay anything more than a casual interest. Clothes are often something he sees as superficial. Getting to know someone is the important part.

If he ever sees an accessory that fits with their style, Akira is sure to buy it as a gift later. It may only be something small but it would mean the world to him if they wore it.

Skull ;;

Thinks it is very neat!! Ryuji has a horribly bad sense of fashion with his tees & shorts but he definitely likes the way they look. Besides, he cannot exactly control what they wear even if he did not. He gives one or two compliments & it makes him considering what he is wearing a little more { he now tries to iron his clothing before he goes out so that it is less creased }.

Fashion is not his ‘thing’ but if ever want to talk about it with someone he is more than happy to introduce Ann to them, as she has a better knowledge of recommendations for things they may like.

Fox ;;

Surprisingly intrigued by how such a fashion style came about. Most of the time his clothing choices are not very adventurous as he does not have a lot of money but Yusuke is very interested in fashion, as it as quite intertwined with art, although one conversation with Ann quickly steered him away from the subject after she spent a very long time lecturing him about it.

More of the type of guy to go “ Huh, cool. ” internally to himself unless they ask what his thoughts are, which are very positive!!

Crow ;;

Usually, Akechi never saw them not wearing their school uniform. It was common for the two to meet up immediately after any bells went off. So when they turn up to a weekend date that his busy schedule would allow, he was surprised to see their clothing choices. Not that he was judging, it was merely a surprise considering it was more of a Western style of dress. However, he refrains from judging & simply compliments it.

Most of the time he wears very formal clothing, so it is a very strange clash of aesthetics. Many people in the public eye often look upon the two strangely but he pays no mind, as he has had to endure worse.

Word Count: 430

Publish Date: 15.11.20

#persona #persona x reader #persona 5 imagines #persona 5 scenarios #persona 5 royal x reader #persona 5 the royal #p5r #persona 5 x reader #akira kurusu #akira x reader #akira kurusu x reader #ryuji sakamoto #ryuji sakamoto x reader #ryuji x reader #yusuke kitagawa #yusuke kitagawa x reader #yusuke x reader #goro akechi #akechi #goro akechi x reader #akechi x reader

[notcorrect-persona5]

@ultragiverofstudents​ Aw, of course. I love doing these, and I haven’t gotten a lot of them lately, so thank you for sending me some!

Favorite Thing About Them

No matter how intelligent or mature she is, Makoto’s still a kid. She has childish fears, and she enjoys childish things. If you romance her, she’s nervous to even hold Ren’s hand. She’s reckless, and she makes mistakes. Makoto is still a kid, and ATLUS doesn’t treat her as if she’s an adult. I really appreciate that because I think a lot of fiction treats those smart, mature characters as if they weren’t still children.

Least Favorite Thing About Them

She calls Sae “Sis.” I don’t think the person who wrote this has siblings because I have never heard anyone call their sister “sis.”

Favorite Line

This is one of Makoto’s dancing lines when Akechi dances: “Yeah, you kill ‘em! I mean, do your best out there!”

brOTP

Eiko and Makoto! Eiko didn’t seem to believe the rumors about Makoto, at least she had her doubts. When she met Makoto, she didn’t hold on to anything she previously thought. Instead, she saw Makoto for who she is. Eiko didn’t even care when she thought the student council president was dating the delinquent transfer student. She could have spread that around the school, but instead she promised not to tell anyone and befriended Makoto. They both taught each other important life lessons, and even though they couldn’t be more different, they always have fun together.

Eiko deserves a portrait 2021.

OTP

Ren and Makoto! This is actually one of my favorite ships. It’s the first ship I had for the Persona series (okay, that’s not entirely true. I shipped Ann and Yusuke for .2 seconds, but that doesn’t count). I think Ren and Makoto’s relationship is very realistic. Like they’re similar enough to have common interests, but different enough not to get annoyed with each other. They’re also just really sweet together. I also appreciate that a lot of their fan fictions write Ren the way I see him.

nOTP

None :)

Random Headcanon

When she’s in college, she asks Ryuji to give her purple highlights. She doesn’t keep them for very long, but she loves them. In Strikers her fashion sense is much more like her phantom thief outfit which makes me think she’s starting to embrace that side of her. I think purple highlights would not only look adorable on her, but it also contributes to that character growth. Plus it goes along with my “Ryuji can dye hair” headcanon.

Unpopular Opinion

I see so many posts about how Makoto has it easy compared to other characters. First of all, why are we comparing the situations these characters are in? They’re all bad situations. Secondly, just because she didn’t go through the things the others did, doesn’t mean her situation doesn’t suck. Both of her parents are dead, her sister treats her horribly, everyone at school hates her, there’s rumors about her supporting an abuser, and she knew she was being used and manipulated by Principle Kobyakawa while it was happening. She wasn’t happy with herself or her life. She was a victim of adults treating her terribly as well.

Song I Associate With Them

Tolerate It by Taylor Swift reminds me of Makoto and Sae. 

Good Girls by 5 Seconds of Summer

Favorite Picture of Them

Why does nobody talk about how beautiful she is?

#not a quote #asks #makoto niijima #persona 5 #p5 #shumako #makoren #ren amamiya #ryuji sakamoto #eiko takao #sae niijima #akira kurusu

[adhdgoro]

Who has the brain cell during each of the arcs (royal spoilers):

Kamoshida: None of them has the brain cell. Not Ann, not Ryuji, and not Joker. Morgana acts like he does but really no one knows what the fuck is going on. They really said "we'll try not to kill him but if he dies whoops oh well haha 🤪🤪🤪"

Madarame: Still no brain cell in sight. At least they're pretty sure they wont kill him? If anything, Yusuke joining the group put them further into the negatives when it came to brain cell count. Also the whole thing with Ann modeling and her atrocious acting skills.

Kaneshiro: Finally, someone with a working brain. Or at least, a singular brain cell. Makoto, there's a reason they call you Queen. Still, made some very impulsive decisions there so its questionable where the brain cell was in those moments.

Futaba: Aha! Another brain cell, although this one only seems to know one thing. It's okay tho, her hacking really gets them out of trouble (except it totally doesn't). Minus points for keeping the calling card.

Okumura: Firstly i would just like to say FUCK this palace. Anyway, Futaba's brain cell does some work here. Makoto still has hers, even if it's not as prevalent. Also Haru for SURE doesn't have a brain cell. It's okay Beauty Thief i still love u.

Sae: Akechi came in and now we have 3 brain cells. Unfortunately it's not really 3 as Akechi is scheming against them, but it's okay because 2 is better than 1. GG pancake boy, you fucked up. Only reason I'm saying he has one is bc of the thing he did with the card to get them more chips.

Shido: You'd think that for having them for so long, Akechi and Makoto would keep better track of their brain cells. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Futaba is the only one here with a brain cell. It's ok tho, she's the only one that needs one rn, if everyone else was smart here things would get too chaotic too quick.

Yaldabaoth: while not technically a whole arc i still felt it was important to mention because i think its here where they get hit so hard they all lose their brain cells.

Maruki: yknow what i said about getting hit so hard they lost their brain cells? Akechi lost his when he got shot in the engine room. No one here has a fucking brain cell. Not a single person here thinks. "Akira this is fake im not really alive" bitch why didnt u disappear like okumura and wakaba did when haru and futaba realized this was fake!! And you didnt question this???? Also the fact the no one catches Sumire up on what the fuck happened between the group?? Why??? Also letting her fight while her Persona was being weird??? Really?? Dont even get me STARTED on the fact that Maruki and Joker's last fight was just them punching each other like akshakshsl bro u palace is already collapsing, give it UP!! ur all so stupid. I hate u...

#persona 5 royal #persona 5 #p5r spoilers #futaba sakura #goro akechi #makoto niijima #akira kusuru #takuto maruki #yusuke kitagawa #sumire yoshizawa #ann takamaki #ryuji sakamoto #haru okumura #morgana #ren amamiya

[personawritings]

could you write just like general dating hcs for the phantom thief boys + akechi?

Hi Anon! It’s actually part of my rules that I don’t write for Akechi. He’s a complex character who has a lot of trauma. While I felt the Persona authors did well, I don’t feel I can’t bring justice to that without bringing up some of my own trauma. However, I did give a few brief headcanons just for you about dating our other boys. 🧡 (The quotes are the end are just cute lines I came up with them saying to you in passing because we all need more fluff.) Published Date: October 20th, 2020

Akira Kurusu

➳ If you are a talker, don’t expect him to be talkative back. However, by dating him, you’re treated with a helpful, loving man. He’s a sweetheart without having to use many words. He’ll give you gifts of items that are borderline perfect for you, and he always knows the best date spots for you. Whenever there’s a problem, you can always count on him to help you out with whatever issues you are going through. Literally, an angel.

➳ You will, however, have to deal with the rumors plaguing your relationship, which also adds a less enchanting layer to dating Akira. He feels guilty about that, knowing that you are now stuck with being known as someone dating a criminal. Please assure the poor boy that you don’t care, he needs the reassurance that he’s not causing you problems.

➳ “I wish you knew how much you motivated me every day, darling. You’re my treasure that I’ll never let go.”

Ryuji Sakamoto

➳ Did you miss your inner child? Because that’s what Ryuji tends to bring out in you. He’s playful, goofy, and an absolute sweetheart. The way he gets excited over little things, and how his eyes light up when you talk about things you love, it’s precious. He’s nowhere near a ‘perfect’ boyfriend, he’s temperamental and gets jealous easily, but man does he try for you. It’s a lot of getting him to talk and trying to help him work through his issues. He’s more than willing to be better if it means your relationship is stronger, and hopefully, you’re willing to do the same.

➳Again, similar to Akira, dating him will not be the best reputation on his front. The rumors tend to be that you are dating a delinquent over a criminal, but the words tend to be just as vile. However, Ryuji works more to affirm you that those rumors aren’t true and that you shouldn’t listen to them. He really wants to build up your confidence and prove to you he’s not a bad guy, even though you know he isn’t.

➳ “Ya’know, I feel comfortable around you. Like I finally have someone who understands me, so thanks... For sticking around.”

Yusuke Kitagawa

➳ Congrats! You dated your local weird artist, and it’s not as most people would think. Sure, he can give you flowery, romantic poems all day long, and mean them. But honestly, those aren’t the best moments. The best moments with him are the simple moments when you catch him off guard. Yusuke can be caught off guard with a simple chaste kiss on the cheek or hand-holding across a table, but not in a bad way. It makes him happy, he likes being thrown off. He’s not the most physically affectionate, but he’s learning and it’s all a learning experience with allowing himself to be close to someone. Just be patient and let him open up with time.

➳ Your reputation won’t be as affected as it is with the other boys, though you will have a few jealous girls giving you some stares at Kosei. Everyone wants the idea of a pretty artist boyfriend, I guess. None of them are aggressive though, so if you can live with a few disappointed jealous girls, then it won’t be so bad. However, besides that, nothing really changes. Your reputation stays about where it was. 

➳ “You’ve shown me all the positive faces of love I was not shown growing up. I hope I’ve done the same for you, and we can learn new faces together.”

#persona 5 #persona #persona 5 imagines #persona 5 headcanons #headcanons #imagines #akira kusuru #ryuji sakamoto #yusuke kitawaga #ask box

[yusuke-of-valla]

like rats fleeing a sinking ship, pt. 7

intermission iii

<-Previous Next->

AO3

~

After parting ways with the others at the train station, Ann and Shiho ride up to Ryuji’s house. Despite everything, it’s almost nostalgic. They haven’t taken the train to Ryuji’s together since middle school, and Ann can’t help but smile at the memory of them getting set up to play games in Ryuji’s room or the way she’d always trail behind Shiho and Ryuji when they decided to race to the front door.

They just walk up to the door this time, and Shiho keeps glancing around them as they approach Ryuji’s apartment. No one stops to take note of them, however, and eventually they can hear footsteps approaching the door.

“Look, I already told you I haven’t- Oh!” Ms. Sakamoto’s eyes widen when she sees the two of them. “Ann, Shiho. Come in, quickly.”

She ushers them inside and sits them down at the kitchen table. “Can I get you girls something to drink?”

“No we’re fine. We’re not going to stay long,” Ann says.

“Ah, alright.” Ms. Sakamoto takes her own mug and sits down across from them, tapping her fingers against the mug. “So, how is Ryuji?”

Ann and Shiho share a quick look. 

“That’s what we came to ask you, actually,” Shiho says. “He didn’t tell you where he was going?”

Ms. Sakamoto’s shoulders slump. “No. He thought it would be safer if I didn’t know.”

“Did he tell you anything, anything at all?”

“I mean, you know Ryuji. He got an idea of a place he could go and practically ran out the front door, before I told him to at least sneak out the fire escape. All he said was that you’d meet up with him. I assumed that meant you had a safe house or something.”

Ann shakes her head. “No, we don’t.”

“But don’t worry,” Shiho adds quickly, “we know he hasn’t been arrested. And Ryuji’s always been tough, he’s fine.”

Ms. Sakamoto takes a deep breath. “Yes, you’re right.”

After that, Ms. Sakamoto insists that Ann and Shiho take a bag of cookies with them and they say their goodbyes. They slip into a nearby alleyway and Shiho groans as she slumps against a building.

“Well this is just great. We’re back to square one.” 

Ann hums. “I mean, not completely. We know it’s somewhere Ryuji thinks we’ll know he’ll be so he probably decided to hide in a place that was very… Ryuji.”

Shiho bites her lip and tries to think. “I mean, I can think of a ton of places that are very ‘Ryuji’ but not exactly ‘hide out from the cops appropriate’.”

“Well, i mean our first couple of meeting places were the school rooftop and the accessway tunnel in Shibuya.”

“Wait, like, in public?” Shiho asks.

“Yeah. I think at some point Yusuke or Makoto called it a ‘refuge in audacity,’ like it’s so insane a place to hold secret meetings that no one would bother to look there.”

“Huh.” Shiho crosses her arms. “Was that your intention when you picked it out?”

“No,” Ann says, pouting, “and don’t give me that look. We didn’t exactly get caught because we were meeting in the accessway.”

“Isn’t that how Niijima-senpai found out about you?”

“No, she found out about us because we were talking at school and didn’t know she was eavesdropping. And Akechi found out about us because he saw us in the Metaverse so that doesn’t even count. The accessway was a super convenient meeting spot and it worked, so shut up.” Ann gives Shiho a playful shove, and Shiho laughs.

“Alright, so we can’t rule out Ryuji’s hiding spot just because it seems too obvious. So should we just check around every place he’d hang out?”

Ann nods. “So the beef bowl shop, the sports store, the gym…

“The arcade?”

“Ooh yeah, we should check the one in Akihabara too since we need to go there anyway.”

“Alright then, let’s go. We’re burning daylight.”

-_-_-_-

Haru gets off the train in Kanda and gawks at the church. She’s heard Yusuke and Akira describe it, but she hasn’t been able to go herself before. It’s a gorgeous building.

She spots a girl in a Kosei uniform staring at a shogi board. 

“Um, excuse me, are you Hifumi Togo?” Haru asks after quietly approaching her. There are only a few elderly patrons there as well as the priest at the front of the building.

Hifumi looks up at her. “Yes, is there something I can help you with?”

“Well, my friend Akira said you’re a good Shogi teacher and I’ve been meaning to learn.”

Hifumi’s eyes widen. “Yes, I am. Would you like to join me for a game?”

Haru nods and takes the seat next to her.

Hifumi arranges the pieces. “So, is there anything i can do to help?”

“I don’t suppose you’ve heard about Yusuke Kitagawa?”

Hifumi furrows her brow and moves one of her pieces. “Well, the rumor goes, he disappeared into thin air.”

“What does that mean?”

“He tends to stay after school in the art room very late so when the notice went out, a bunch of officers showed up at the school building proper and his dorm. He was in the art room, and the police shooed everyone else still in the school away from the building before going to collect him. But apparently someone heard from their brother who overheard the janitor talking about how Kitagawa was nowhere to be seen when the police opened the door to the art room. They tore the building apart, apparently, but he’d disappeared into thin air.”

“And no one’s heard anything since?” 

“No.”

Haru closes her eyes and counts her breaths. When she opens them again, Hifumi is watching her with concern.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m just concerned,” Haru says. Tears are starting to well up in her eyes. “It’s just, I don’t know where half of my friends are, and they’ve done so much for me when I was practically a stranger, and what did that get them? They were led into a complete trap by going after my father, and now Shido wants to finish the job.” Haru’s nails bite into her palms. “I keep trying to stay calm and telling myself it’ll be fine, but then I think of all the reasons it isn’t and-”

Hifumi slams a piece down on the board. “Enough of that. You have to stay strong. If you accept defeat, then you’re sure to lose. You have to keep your chin up, no matter what. You can still win this. I know it’s not obvious but I’ve heard people in school talking. They may not be numerous, but there are people who still believe in the Phantom Thieves, including myself. You can’t wallow in despair while there’s still something you can do.”

Haru blinks. “Oh.” She wipes her eyes. “Yes, of course. You’re right. I’m sorry to unload that on you, I was just-”

“You’re fine. I know we’ve just met under less than ideal circumstances, but like I said I believe in your cause. If you need someone to talk to, I’ll be here.”

“Thank you, Togo-san.”

“Well you can call me Hifumi for one thing. And for another, I want to help in any way that I can. Any friend of Akira’s is my friend.”

“Thank you, Hifumi.” Haru stretches out her hand. “By the way, I’m Haru Okumura.”

They finish up their games and Hifumi writes down her number for Haru for when Haru can safely use a phone again, and they part ways.

Haru feels better on the train ride back, so much so that she doesn’t notice the boy in a Shujin uniform staring at her, at first.

But, when she gets off the train in Shibuya, she catches the boy following her. Instead of making the connection back to Yogen-Jaya, she walks around the Underground Mall to try and lose him. Eventually she does, but it’s only a moment of respite before she sees a police officer heading towards her.

Haru moves quickly, sprinting up the stairs into Station Square, and tries to get lost in the crowd. She slips down another set of stairs and tries to calm down, in case someone passes by.

She hears some commotion and pokes her head out to see more officers walking by and coming closer.

“Listen to me! I saw who you’re looking for. The Phantom Thief-”

Haru holds her breath and starts looking for a way out.

“-just went towards Central Street.”

Haru stops and turns towards the man who was talking. He’s clearly a politician who was campaigning in front of her hiding spot. The cops nod to him and run off, followed by a crowd of onlookers.

Haru waits for a few minutes, when the man says, much softer, “Are you alright dear?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you. I take it you’re Mr. Yoshida?” Haru asks. “A friend of Akira’s

The man gives a sheepish smile. “Well, yes. How is Kurusu doing?”

“We’re all holding it together the best we can,” Haru replies.

“I’m so sorry all of this is happening to you, to think people would actually believe the Phantom Thieves would kill someone, and be so quick to turn against a group of children. It’s shameful.”

“Well, not everyone’s turned against us. Thanks, you really saved me there.”

“Happy, to help. Now hurry along, before you get caught again.” 

Haru waves to Yoshida and walks back to the train station, where she bumps into Ann and Shiho.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Haru asks.

“We’re still looking for Ryuji,” Shiho says. “We’re about to check Akihabara.”

“I’ll go with you, but we’ve gotta be quick. I was just recognized.”

Ann and Shiho nod, and they head onto the train. On the ride over they fill Haru in on what happened with Ryuji’s mother.

In the arcade, a boy with a red hat and blue letterman jacket spots them, his eyes widening instantly.

“Crap, I think we just got recognized,” Ann mutters.

Before they can leave, the boy sprints over to them. “Hey. You’re the Phantom Thieves, right?”

“No,” Shiho says, blocking his view of Ann, “I think you’ve gotten us mistaken for someone else.”

“Nah, I’m pretty sure you’re them. Listen, I think I saw your friend walk by here a little while ago.”

“Are you sure?” Haru asks.

“Almost positive.”

“Can you show us where?” The boy nods, and leads them out of the arcade. “I just saw them pass by a little while ago.” 

“Let’s split up,” Ann says, and they split down the middle, checking the nearby alleyways. 

“Ryuji, are you here?” Ann whisper-shouts. Ryuji doesn’t poke his head out, but someone else does.

“Makoto?” Ann, gasps.

“Shh, there were cops prowling around here earlier.” Makoto pulls her into the alleyway, then a giant hug. “I’ve been so worried about you guys.”

“Us too, but hold on.” Ann goes back to the mouth of the alleyway and waves Haru, Shiho, and the kid over.

“Ann what is it- Makoto?” Haru doesn’t waste a second wrapping Makoto in a hug.

“Suzui?” Mishima steps out from behind Makoto.

Shiho grins. “Helping out too, huh Mishima?”

“Yeah.”

“How are the others?” Makoto asks.

“Well we’ve met up with Akira, Akechi, and Morgana, and they’re getting help. Luckily Akira has a lot of friends in different places,” Haru says.

“We’re planning on securing the route to Shido’s Treasure tomorrow,” Ann says.

“Cutting it close on Sae and Sojiro’s trial date, but when haven’t we?” Makoto says with a smile. “Alright, we meeting the others?”

Shiho nods. “We should be getting back to Yogen-Jaya soon, actually.”

“So, the Phantom Thieves are gonna go after Shido next?” Mishima asks.

“Awesome,” the kid says.

“Oh, I’m sorry, we never got your name,” Ann realizes.

“Shinya Oda. I’m a friend of Akira’s. He totally you guys were the Phantom Thieves before anyone else.”

“I’m pretty sure I knew first,” Mishima says. “I mean I am the Admin of the PhanSite.”

“Really? That’s cool so you’re like Mission Control?”

“Yeah, sorta.”

“We have to go,” Ann says. “Mishima, Shinya. Are you going to be ok?”

“Yeah, totally,” Shinya says.

Mishima nods, “Don’t worry, we won’t say anything to anyone.”

“Thank you,” Haru says, “we seriously couldn’t have gotten by without you guys.”

“If you wanna thank us, then kick Shido’s butt for us.” Shinya says.

“Yeah, what he said.”

They say goodbye to Shinya and Mishima, then rendezvous with the others back at Takemi’s office, the sun having set. 

Akira and Akechi introduce them to Kasumi properly, and the two groups fill each other in on what everyone else found.

“He just said ‘we’d know where he is’?” Morgana asks once Shiho and Ann finish explaining what happened with Ryuji’s mom.

“Apparently,” Shiho says.

Ann twists one of her pigtails around her finger. “We’ve been trying to figure out what’s a Ryuji place to go but we haven’t had any luck.”

“Maybe it’s less a matter of us trying to think of where Ryuji would go,” Makoto suggests, “and more Ryuji going someplace he thinks we would go.”

“And where would that be?” Akechi asks.

Akira closes his eyes and thinks for a moment. Then it hits him. 

“I think I know where he is,” Akira says. “If I’m right, then we can all meet at the Diet Building tomorrow,” he shouts as he’s running off.

“Akira, where are we going?” Morgana asks from the bag. 

The train isn’t going nearly fast enough, and Akira sprints down Central Street to the familiar sign of Untouchable. When he gets inside, Iwai is the only person there.

“Iwai, has my friend been here at all?” Akira asks, slamming his hands on the counter.

Iwai frowns. “Geez kid, calm down, you’ll draw way too much attention.” He tilts his head behind him. “Back room.”

Akira practically leaps over the counter, causing Morgana to yelp, and rushes towards the back room. 

In the hallway, he practically runs face first into Ryuji.

“Akira!”

“Ryuji!” Akira gives him a massive hug.

Ryuji laughs. “Took you long enough dude.”

Morgana pokes his head out of Akira’s bag. “You’ve just been at Untouchable this whole time?”

“Yeah. Figured we’d be going after Shido at some point, and that meant getting weapons, plus I knew Iwai hates cops so it seemed like the perfect place.”

“This kids been eating all of my ration bars,” Iwai calls from the front.

“Heh, sorry,” Ryuji calls back. “But seriously, Iwai’s been super cool. Especially since I kinda showed up like a crazy person. Kaoru’s cool too, he’s been playing cards with me to help me not go insane coped up back here. Oh, also I’ve been learning about guns and shit while I’m here.”

“Glad to hear you’re doing well, then.” Morgana says. “We were all starting to get worried about you.”

“Aww, miss me Mona?”

“Not more than anyone else.” Morgana snaps.

Ryuji laughs again and Akira feels so much better hearing it. Ryuji’s confidence has always been infectious.

“So, wanna fill us in on what happened to you?” Morgana asks.

“Sure.”

#alto writes #on the run au #ann takamaki #shiho suzui #haru okumura #hifumi togo #toranosuke yoshida #shinya oda #makoto niijima #mishima yuuki #wordcount: 2000-2500 #queuety and vice

[daxieoclock]

just rambled a metric ton of my Persona 5 Strikers thoughts to my gf over skype but i realized there might be a few people here who would enjoy it, so here ya go if u care to read

so i got up to the last dungeon in p5 strikers today and. holy shit. my opinion on sophie 180'd completely right near the end there

her awakening. is still a little messy at points but it's SO well done. the buildup to it, and the awakening itself, and the aftermath i went from "oh sophia's a sweetheart but im not that invested in her arc? also i wish kasumi were here." to "holy fuck holy shit what a good character i love her so much. she's sweet and kind and good and so brave. i still wish kasumi were here though"

my opinion on zenkichi has, on the other hand, gotten steadily worse. every time i look at him i am reminded that atlus chose not to bring back akechi THE most popular phantom thief besides joker and instead replaced him with a fucking police officer & absent father. like. in any other persona game, a literal cop teammate would be like. okay. i still hate it, but i understand but a fucking PHANTOM THIEF????

like the writers actively aknowledge how dumb this is throughout his introduction haru says fuck blue lives almost verbatim "sorry, we just despise the police is all" and joker has multiple dialog options about like "hey remember how i was arrested under false charges, and then Last Year I was beaten within an inch of my life By The Fucking Police" and then all of those threads just get DROPPED after zenkichi is mildly helpful a few times

his voice actor did a great job but what an absolute dipshit of a character they're probably not gonna bring back sophia or zenkichi for any game outside of a strikers sequel, and i'll miss sophia for sure but good fucking riddance you cop bastard also zenkichi's playstyle is miserable so they just gave him a bunch of relatively strong skills to make up for the fact that like okay so. zenkichi's persona, that one fucking dude from les mis whose name i forgot, is Almighty element

and strikers is a game all about hitting weaknesses. like. literally the whole game is "hit the enemy's weakness or prepare to tank a boatload of unavoidable damage to the face" the only way to avoid getting chunked for most of your health against any strong enemy is to break their shields to interrupt their attacks, and shields barely EVER deplete unless you do a critical hit, deal technical damage or hit an enemy's weakness

so the optimal way to play the game is to match your party lineup to the weaknesses of the shadows you're fighting which is great! incentivizes you to learn how everyone fights, all their combos and stuff and use them enough to level up their unique skills, rather than just relying on joker to hit every enemy's weakness, cause that'll run him out of sp FAST

so like. oh the base p5 thieves already have one for each element minus bless and curse (since we're apparently not counting akechi, even though we should) sophia uses bless and zenkichi uses ALMIGHTY so joker is the ONLY character who can EVER use curse skills, and you have to balance that with all his other personas and zenkichi is just a useless motherfucker who drains his own health to deal slightly higher than average damage, his combos are clunky and he still does less damage than just switching to another thief to hit their weakness, and he can’t stagger for shit

fuck i miss akechi dfjhgbjhd i literally heard his voice automatically go in my head in certain conversations, like there was a great spot for him to add cynical wisdom, and it was just. oh yeah nope they're still pretending he's dead and they replaced him with a beyond-useless cop im supposed to like

#p5s spoilers