#ryuji is just really into the way akira carries himself

[samarecharm]

Ryuji having the worst bi crisis of his fucking life bc his mom just had to fucking ask “oh, whats this young ladys name?” when he showed her a picture of Akira petting Morgana. Like okay yeah Akira is like objectively pretty, hes like the Classic Delicate Pretty Boy just like Yusuke which is like whatever; straight dudes have eyes, and they know what women like to see. But now hes like. Seeing things he likes in girls IN Akira now and he cant make it Stop like its genuinely keeping him up at night 😭

Pretty boy used to be A Face that would come up in his mind when he thought of the term. There was no specifics in mind, just like. Pretty Boy. Pretty boy! You say that and theres like a Face Template that shows up in ur minds eye and hed just attribute that to any dude who was like Vaguely Pretty. But now its Akira 😭 and he finds himself cataloging things that Akira does that he KNOWS he finds cute when girls do it. The hairtuck behind the ears. The headtilt when he mishears a question. The Actually Pretty Doe Eyes. The breathy, nearly inaudible chuckle he does in place of a Real laugh (thats made better by the fact that its so hard to get him to laugh in the first place). He likes cute snacks. He blushes easily. Ryuji is sitting here like ‘theres no fucking way man. Like theres just no way. That shit makes NO sense (a lie)’ lying in bed in the middle of the night looking like this vvvv w his phone in his hands (looking at pictures of akira)

It drives him insane bc like he did Not see any of these things as like inherently girly or whatever. Like thats just akira thats just his bro! And he does OTHER weird shit that cancels all that shit out. Hes like a messy engineer/tinkerer, he rolls out of bed and whatever situation his hair is is everyones problem. He wears that AWFUL gym uniform and doesnt tweak it AT ALL?? He likes baseball?? hes got a whole binder of trading cards that he will show off if u show any moment of weakness. Like hes just Some Dude but also manages to be Some Girl at the same time and Ryuji is like thats not fair. Life sucked ass but at least it made sense before Akira stumbled into it 😭

#persona 5 #pegoryu #akiryu #chattin #long post #THIS one is almost a year old lmao its been in my drafts for a while #i at least tagged it as pegoryu before running away cutely so i think i was finished ??? well now i am throwing it into the world #anyway. akira is the guy ever. and ryuji is exploding #‘i have died. badly’ #i like thinking of akira like this; hes ryujis first exposure to nb ppl and gnc adjacent stuff #even if akira is p masc by most standards hes still got a bit of. aloofness. about his gender stuffs #ryuji is just really into the way akira carries himself #and it takes him a while to go oh. oh i think its cause i like this dude #um. #😳. #also i wanted to clarify #but ryujis mom just doesnt know Who akira is in that picture #and in my head hes like. looking down at mona and petting him (while sitting) #(AND hes with ann and theyre both kind of a distance away from the camera) #so at a quick glance; hes just Some Girl #and even though shes wrong; it kicks off the mental chaos olympics in ryujis head #‘what hes not a girl’ to ‘where would she even get that from’ to ‘well akira said himself he didnt rlly care what ppl thought about it’ #to ‘well. where DID she get that from?’ to lookin at what his homie does a little closer to ‘aw fuck. man.’ #but i love that for him #ALSO. RYU/GORO IN TAGS….. #but ryuji going oh my GOD oh my godddd 😨😓😓😓 when something clicks in his head about goro #his voice is so practiced and naturally softspoken and his public facing persona is very demure #and once he gets past the initial anger over goro being a pompous prick who shittalks about the thieves. hes like. god fucking dammit. #There Is A Pattern and A Type He Has and Its Killing Him To Realize it. #hes literally sitting in his room w his head in his hands

[akechi-stole-my-heart]

morgana finds akechi first huh :eyes: that's an interesting concept! would this be before all the mental shutdowns have taken place? is wakaba a key character? any elaborations would be cool :>

That would be a really interesting and cool way to take the AU (and I think I've seen others with AUs along those lines) but I actually take it in a bit of a different direction. So sadly, no, Morgana doesn't find Goro that early on or stop him from joining Shido/enacting his stupid ass plan to take him down.

Basically, only about six months before the start of the game, Morgana and Goro happen upon each other at some point, most likely in Mementos. Morgana immediately wants to recruit Goro, especially when he learns Goro is relatively popular and can access more of Mementos than he can, which would help him figure out how to regain his true form. Goro is having absolutely none of this, but Morgana helps him out of a difficult fight and actually has some knowledge about the Metaverse that he doesn't (like how he has healing skills and knowledge about infiltration tools, etc) so he reluctantly admits to himself that it might not be a bad idea for him to use Morgana for his own gain too.

When Morgana finds out Goro is killing people he doesn't outright object to it but he does keep going on about how there's a "better way" and he has this idea about creating a team that will change hearts and reform society and Goro is having absolutely none of that shit, he works alone thank you very much (conveniently ignoring the fact that he is currently working with a not-cat-being).

The two keep meeting up in the Metaverse, mostly initiated by Morgana but Goro tolerates it only because he always brings something useful and carries his own weight. Over time a very uneasy alliance forms between Morgana and Goro, who both fully believe they are merely using the other for their own gain but very secretly and slowly getting attached. Goro keeps his true plans a secret from Morgana (he just knows Goro works for Someone and that people keep mysteriously dying or going on rampages after his trips into the Metaverse) and Morgana is also pretty cagey about his own past (not having any memories doesn't exactly help).

After a few months (so around February 2016) Morgana moves in with Goro and slowly starts to get more concerned about him, while Goro starts to grow fond of the cat he's now caring for, but both of them are in deep, deep, deep denial about this. Goro is genuinely intrigued by this change of heart deal but he's not sure about where he stands on it morally, and he doesn't want to work with anyone else or make Shido suspicious. But if what Morgana is saying is true, it could be a very interesting experiment at the very least. But he still refuses to actually suggest they try it out.

One day in the early spring Morgana leaves the house and doesn't come back. He'd told Goro he planned on checking out a new Palace he found in an attempt to experiment with this change of heart idea he has and Goro refused to come along with him. Finally, worried about Morgana's safety, Goro follows him into that Palace, which of course, is Kamoshida's.

Both of them end up captured and Goro is thrown in the same cell alongside Morgana, and Akira and Ryuji find the two of them Very Loudly bickering in the cell over whose fault it is that they ended up here (Morgana argues that Goro shouldn't have gotten reckless and gotten himself captured by confronting Kamoshida's Shadow head-on by himself while Goro argues Morgana shouldn't have come here alone and given Goro no choice but to try to find him, both of them completely ignoring the implications of these arguments and how they reveal their weaknesses and care for each other).

And long story short Goro ends up joining the Thieves from day one by complete accident. He functions as a double agent for the first two Palaces, fully intending to eventually betray them all, but over time he's slowly won over as he forms bonds, and by the time Makoto joins he realizes he's let adults manipulate him too and decides fuck it--his loyalty is with the Thieves after all.

I haven't worked out exactly how it'd go down but eventually he'd stop taking orders from Shido, probably doing something like fake his death somehow, and join the Thieves for real, eventually taking down Shido along with them.

#morgana & goro au #<- tag in case i decide to elaborate on this at some point in other posts #i just really like morgana and goro as reluctant allies/secret friends ok #sera answers #goro akechi #morgana p5 #recosie

[muzzleroars]

can't stop thinking about since loki only as curse moves, unless you have sumire in the party all the time, you as joker have to start using bless moves

and just the idea that joker and akechi's developments paralleling each other....

like i don't know how to explain but i feel like how akechi is at the end of royals is similar to how joker was at the start of the game does that make sense?

YES LET'S TALK PERSONA MOVESETS...goro's personas actually have weird sets, in that they don't seem to focus too heavily on any one thing. loki has physical, almighty, gun, and curse moves, and hereward is similar except he gets a final almighty move to top it off. BUT they are curse types given their resistances and weakness. raoul skews heavily toward a curse build while satanael is generally best suited to a gun set although he can do...well, a lot lol especially with his trait pagan allure. BUT they inherit almighty and raoul is weak to bless the way loki and hereward are. SO really akira and goro have similar persona typing, with it generally being curse that leans into almighty skills. it really gives the idea that these two are deeply similar to one another and i find that they have an incredible amount of synergy when on a team together. i will say i always found it sort of interesting that goro favors single target moves which make him a bit more difficult to carry the full weight of being a dedicated curse-user, but i think it makes sense that he may be in a similar situation to akira at the start of the story. he's been backed into a corner, put in ANOTHER box, but he finally has the option now to fight back for himself and truly let out his own anger in the way he wants. and what's so neat about it too is that loki is a curse persona that evolves into hereward just before the final boss fight...and holy shit does hereward wreck it as an almighty user. like this is a small tangent, but curse-build akira, goro, ryuji, and ann completely break that fight lol they reliably hit all of maruki's weaknesses every turn, absorb most of his attacks, and a fully charged baton pass with megidolaon/rebellion blade depending on how you feel???? like literally rip to maruki it makes him SO easy. the second phase is slightly less clean, and by that i mean you generally only get 2 baton passes instead of 3 but hereward continues to clean up as ryuji switches to physical attacks and ann heals what little damage you take. SO I JUST THINK. it's really amazing to see goro fully evolve into an almighty user that delivers final blows so efficiently now that he has a team that sets up so nicely for him :')

#raoul in general is a great set up for hereward i think #he's meant for sleep strats and so he makes tech hits easy #meaning he downs foes and rebellion blade ends them #BUT yea goro being the star in the final boss fight.... #it's really nice imo as akira gets center stage with yaldabaoth #and goro gets to do the same in the maruki fight aaaa #cake answers #p5 #goro akechi #long post

[battywlove]

Hi Dusty! :)

RE: your recent rb, I was wondering if you could tell me some things you love about your F/Os, specifically Ryuji or Sun Wukong (I would say Phoenix but I’m pretty familiar with him and not so much with the others!) And also maybe what they like about your s/i if you’d like? :) —CCFM

HIIII SABRINAA!!

I see Sun and Ryuji being similar characters, at least in appearance and basic traits. Both canon and fanon treat them terribly. So I apologize if I sound repetitive

Sun is just omg <<333 He is my boyfriend material <<33 He is such as sweet and endearing guy who just wants to help his friends and make them happy! I love how playful and funny he is! A lot of people both in show and out, portray him as this dumb blonde, while he may not be book smart he's actually really emotionally intelligent! He's not a perfect person but who doesn't have their own flaws. Sometimes Sun can be selfish without meaning to, often because he's trying to help someone else without thinking of the consequences. Also he has great abs <3

Ryuji is similar to Sun in that they're both rebellious, outgoing, and not so book smart. He's not always the most street smart either, but he really tries to be good person despite all the sh*t he's gone through. He really has heart, and passion! Honestly at first I fell for the protagonist Akira Kurusu, but overtime I felt he was too.. idk perfect? Ryuji felt real, he wasn't perfect, Ryuji made mistakes but he just wants to help, to be seen as more than just 'the delinquent'. On a less deeper note I think he's really super cute <3

Now why they like my s/i's!

Sun thinks Estella is the most beautiful star in the sky in all of Remnant. He appreciates how grounding she can be, because Sun knows he can get carried away and is thankful for her reminding him when to stop and think. They both love being silly and having fun together, feeling more than they've ever felt.

(My persona 5 s/i is still a work in progress so for now I'll call her Eve) Ryuji was a first confused by Eve, sometimes he still is. He didn't understand why she went out of her way to talk to him and make conversation. Eve wanted to find out the truth about what happened to him and wouldn't listen to any rumors, only straight from the source. Ryuji is floored by how much she loves him, constantly defending him and lifting his spirits with compliments. He's made it a challenge to himself to be more affectionate! Much to the annoyance of their friends

#me: I wish people would ask about me and my f/os! #me when someone actually asks: *head empty no thoughts* #💗 sunkissed #💗 skulls and daisies #lovely asks #dusty.txt #long post

[almightyrozenidiot]

*points at you* akira & ryuji for the ask game if u want :)

I'm gonna put everything under a read more so I don't clog up people's dashes.

describe their canon relationship/dynamic

Canonically they're best friends. It's not so prevalent in Persona 3 but definitely in Persona 4, there's a tradition of having the first human male character the Wild Card protag meets be their bestie and confidant. They're usually a bit of an outcast that could fit in with society/a friend group but for one reason or another, has lost their place in it. Whatever happens, they are "second banana". They're a bit of a jokester but not to the extent they and the protag are a manzai comedy duo (but they should be). At the end of the day, they will be there by the protag's side through thick and thin.

your ideal/headcanon version of it? how does it differ from how it is in canon & why is this your favorite version? any other alternate versions of it you enjoy?

I don't think my ideal version of it really differs that much from canon? They're just two dudes who happen to be dating to me. I guess in my head they get up to more wackier hijinks and Joker is willing to carry Ryuji around more.

what do you like about their relationship, why is it interesting or enjoyable to you?

I know I go on a lot about how LGBTQ+ relationships should be allowed to be messy and complicated, but that doesn't mean I can enjoy a simple, cute ship from time to time. And these two fit that niche for me. I mean they're still morally grey and do crimes and shit but compared to, say, Akeshu or even Ryugoro, they are homies that kiss and do crimes.

what about the individual characters involved? what does this relationship mean to them, what makes it unique among their relationships?

Ryuji was one of the first people that didn't immediately go ballistic at Joker for being arrested, which is the key to their relationship - platonic or otherwise. They're also in a similar position of wanting someone to stop lauding other others by abusing their power for personal benefit, but lacking the means to achieve it, so even if he doesn't outright state it, Ryuji is one of the first people Joker would go ride or die with. Also I think what's interesting is when Ryuji gets a bit drunk off of the popularity of the PT, Joker seems hesitant to tell Ryuji to calm down (at least afaik). Whether it's because he's scared of the consequences of deflating Ryuji's enthusiasm and putting a wrench in their friendship or because he trusts Ryuji will see eye to eye with him is juicy either way.

Joker is the catalyst for Ryuji's life changing and looking better. Like it's very clear he wants to do something about his situation but every time he tries something he goes about it the wrong way and it never works out for him. Also from Ryuji's confidant and after the Kamoshida incident, you can tell he's learned from the whole ordeal and while he is still a bit brash in his methods, he knows he can make a change as long as Joker is there for him in some capacity. This comes full circle when he risks his life to lower the lifeboat when Shido's Palace is collapsing because he built up confidence from all of his experiences - none of which would have come to be if Joker didn't give so much of himself to make all this happen to begin with. Also also I forget the line in question but when Ryuji is like "wherever I am with you is when I'm at home"... I am actually physically tearing up typing this aaaaaaaaaaa

Even if he takes his safety of being anonymous as a Phantom Thief for granted when shit hits the fan around Sae's Palace, never once does he take Joker for granted. He's just as angry when he learns about Joker's circumstances and is willing to do anything to make Shido pay.

favorite interaction they have in canon

I think I pretty much described it with the line that I don't properly remember due to my shit memory lmao. I'm also a fan of Joker and Ryuji's awakenings because they mirror each other in how helpless they both felt but were able to turn a dire situation around and protect each other.

favorite interaction they have in your head/a situation you want to put them in

I just like imagining them hanging out and doing mundane shit in my head. I like imagining this meme with a lot of my otps but in this case, the third wheel is either Ann or Morgana. Morgana more often than not (just imagine there's a table or something IDK).

#ryuren #ryuji sakamoto #ren amamiya

[atticinthecafe]

Short Phantom Thief Leader Akechi au drabble beneath the cut

---

Morgana shifted around in the bag he sat in. Brand new, just for him. Akechi had never needed a bag like this before becoming a thief, but now it made it easier to carry his cat- er, teammate, around. Morgana had suggested the idea after a bit of being carried in Ryuji's and Ann's school bags. Now those were comfy. But that's not right now, so anyways.

Right now? He was stuck in this bag. Of course, Akechi had to stop at this little cafe he heard of. Why wouldn't he? Not like it mattered to him that Morgana's legs were getting sore and he was hungry. (Okay, maybe it did matter to him, but Morgana is a bit dramatic.)

"Gorooo, I'm hungryy!" Morgana eventually gave in, popping his head out of the bag and yowling. That seemed to catch Akechi's attention, as well as the barista serving him.

Oh! Wait! Morgana knew this guy. He was the one he had followed around a few times. Morgana wasn't sure why, but he felt something special about him. He almost wanted to take him into mementos, just to see if he had a persona.

"You… have a cat in your bag?" The barista slowly sat down the cup he was working on. For himself it looked like, since Akechi already had one. He was smiling and snickering gently at both the cat sticking out of the bag and Akechi's flustered face.

"Ah.. yes. Him." Akechi emphasized the word 'him' with a playful glare towards the bag, "I found him while walking home one day. He was a stray so I decided to take him in."

"I never would've guessed you have a soft spot for strays, detective," the barista hummed and set down his cup, now intently focused on something else as he moved to the back of the shop.

"I hang around you, don't I, Akira?"

"Oof. Ouch, Akechi."

The laugh that followed this let Morgana know it was all in good fun. It was only a moment before the boy named Akira returned, setting a plate on the counter with canned tuna on it.

"Here you go, kitty. I bet that mean ol' detective never does anything nice for you," Akira hummed out a laugh as he reached over to pet Morgana before letting him pull himself out and onto the counter.

"You better not let boss catch this, and I'll have you know, I do a lot of nice things for him. He is incredible spoiled," Akechi scoffed and reached over to scritch between Morgana's ears, which Morgana took as opportunity to bite him.

"I am not spoiled!" Morgana justified his bite before going to eat the sweet sweet tuna placed before him, "I do a lot for this team!"

"MORGANA!"

Akira watched with entertainment glinting in his eyes as Akechi tugged his hand back before turning back to his own cup of coffee.

"I think Morgana disagrees with you there,"

Despite the wounded hand, a small smile was finding a way onto his face, "He's a handful, but he keeps me company. Plus he nips at me until I go to bed on time, so he helps me out as well" His voice held a fond tone.

"Must be nice to have a friend like that."

There was a wistful air to Akira's tone, but as quick as it came, it was gone again. Hidden with a smile and busy hands. He went to work cleaning up the counter before he would settle to enjoy his coffee. Morgana almost paused to take a look at him. They both must know what it's like to want company. His tail twitched in thought.

Akechi had been there for him, and they were getting along fine now, despite a rough start. Maybe Akechi would do the same for him and he could join the team after all. Morgana hoped so, more allies was always useful, plus, it would prove his intuition right.

Akira and Akechi kept up conversation for a while after that. Akira only pausing to clean up the cups they had used and get Morgana a dish of water to drink. Morgana couldn't help but listen in too. The two talked about the phantom thieves, theories, and all kinds of stuff that went way over Morgana's head. Akira seemed interesting.

Guess he would have to find out for himself what Akira was really was capable of. Especially after that new navigator joined the team. He needed to prove he could be useful. This might be the perfect opportunity to do so.

#persona 5 #goro akechi #persona 5 royal #ren amamiya #p5 akechi #akira kusuru #p5 akira #leader akechi au

[aeniqmata]

send “εїз” to hear a headcanon the mun hasn’t been able to organically implement into the blog yet ( always accepting ) || @detectivcprince

So Akira is a germaphobe. He’s someone who really doesn’t like being touched if he’s not already ok with you. He has his mysophobia under control for the most part, keeping his skin covered as much as he can and keeping his hands in his pockets. Morgana probably found out the hard way that he has everything to keep himself clean in his bag, hand sanitizer and wipes along with his own preferred brand of hand soap. It’s expensive, but it keeps him from having streaks on his hands from cheap soap. And as Akira is well aware of how much hand washing can hurt his hands, he always makes sure to put on lotion afterwards.

When he’s in the MetaVerse, his idle animation is primarily checking to make sure that his gloves are fully covering his hands. He touches all of those shadows, and while they are just cognitive beings, their appearance and the knowledge that he is willingly touching them is enough to trigger a reaction if a glove is torn or if his skin touches them. After one particularly bad event, where he ended up touching a Legion without realizing a glove was torn, the group all but agreed that if at all possible, they would carry a spare. They may not be his signature red ( they only regenerate when one re-enters the MetaVerse ) they’ll keep him from having a meltdown when they need their leader most. 

For the most part, you can expect lovers to be someone who are allowed to touch, Akira has accepted that he cannot control whether or not people are as clean as he is, but he does just occasionally request if he knows they have been painting ( Yusuke ) or working out ( Ryuji ) or modeling ( Ann; make-up ). He isn’t expecting compliance, but he appreciates them dealing with his weirdness.

#joker: ask #joker: important #blog: ask #detectivcprince #blog: out of character #he dun like it #make sure u wash ur hands #or you'll make him cry #( hc — akira )

[praeteritus-memories-muses]

Name: Akira Kurusu

Series: Persona 5

Continuity: Base Game / Anime

Age: 18

Height: 5'10"

Birthday: July 20th

Birthplace: Japan

Orientation: Bisexual

Species: Human / Wild Card Persona User

Occupation: Student / College student for criminal investigation

Father: Unknown

Mother: Eriko Kirishima

Persona(s): Arsene, Satanael and Raoul

Bio:

Akira's childhood was somewhat normal. His parents were always incredibly busy so they couldn't ever spend time with him. His father is a photographer while his mother is a model who's often traveling out to the city while Akira would stay home alone.

Yet his lack of parents may perhaps explain his strong sense of justice. If he grew up never being told to mind his own business the way so many adults tell the youth of the world, then of course he's going to turn around and end up with such a strong sense of protecting the world.

It's why on one night he had seen a drunk man trying to sexually assault a woman in the street. He grabbed at the man's shoulder just to pull him away from her until the man stumbled back in his stupor and fell onto the ground and hit his head. He blamed Akira for his injuries where it turns out the man was a highly respectable politian with powerful connections in the police department.

He'd frame Akira for a multitude of other crimes including: obstruction of business, intimidation, defamation, carrying weapons, and murder. All of which were crimes Akira had never committed in his life, but was framed anyway and the courts believed him. He was sentenced to one year probation, if he failed his probation rules then he'd be sent to juvenille hall to face prison time for his 'offenses'.

Akira's parents, knowing little of their son as he was sixteen by now, they believed he truly was a criminal. Due to his criminal record, he was expelled from school where it turns out no school in the area would accept a student with a heavy criminal record like that. His parents, upset with their son in believing he really did all those awful crimes, didn't want to commute either. They had a friend who was going to take him in but circumstances came up with that friend, so he entrusted Akira over to Sojiro Sakura.

This whole ordeal made Akira slowly fed up with the way society treats those who seek for justice. Why do people like Kamoshida receive praise while they're openly abusing students while those who speak up get expelled? He was sick of it, and an inner burning desire for that change came up inside of him in the form of his Persona awakening. He would soon rope in Ryuji Sakamoto and Ann Takamaki into joining him in this justified rebellion over society.

Together they formed the Phantom Thieves. A group of teenagers, and a cat, who would go inside a palace to steal treasure and change the hearts of those corrupted in this world. New friends would join nearly with each palace of the heart they entered, with it came adventures that Akira would truly never forget. Even now earning the nickname of Joker, after the card in a deck. It's the wild card, perfect for a boy like Akira who was filled with nothing but surprises

Yet after so much, even almost turning himself in for his crimes as being a Phantom thief certianly violated his probation ten fold, things would work out. Now that the pollitician was exposed for being the corrupted man he was, many came out and finally exposed more and more of his crimes thanks to the Phantom thieves changing his heart to confess all he had done. This would cause Joker to be dropped of all his charges and given a clean criminal record once again.

Yet he had to return home now that a year passed, he couldn't stay in Shibuya forever now that his parents heard of everything they saw on television back home. He'd say goodbye to the friends he cared for, having a fun roadtrip all day with them until he came home.

His parents actually greeted him with a hug, something they hadn't done in years. When his parents saw their son looked as though he had been shot on television, their world came crashing down until they heard he was okay. It's thanks to this experience that not only did he have friends he talked to every day now, but it would patch up his relationship with his parents as well.

Akira was accepted back into his old school where now came the time for his future. Due to his hatred of seeing businessmen and high standing politicians go free, Akira would study to become a prosecuter. He wants to become someone who makes this world a better place, doing that means he has plans to crack down hard on other corrpupted politcians, businessmen and even those within the justice system itself.

Akira is often honest and straightforward. Yet just like his mother, he radiates confidence and even a bit of optimism. Though most of the time, he's often a bit clumsy and unsure of himself like his father. When Akira doesn't know something or isn't confident in what he's doing, he'll often feign confidence for the sake of looking 'cool' and wanting to be a person others can rely on.

[akirakurusuimagines]

had the idea of reader getting marin karin'd and it not wearing off after leaving the metaverse so our dear boy helps her out by gently overstimulating her in front of a mirror 👉👈

I'm sorry for how long it's been taking to get this out! Hopefully the others won't take as long. Please enjoy! (minors DNI)

It only takes one mistake for everything to fall apart.

Akira believed they were sufficiently prepared to waltz right into Mementos and explore the depths that opened after the public’s response to their latest and greatest heist. He disregarded Morgana’s incessant warning that he was running low on ailment-curing items and revival items, reminding the cat that he was already planning on putting him and Makoto on the front lines this time so there was nothing to worry about.

So really, this mess was his fault. As leader, he knows he shoulders the responsibility of anything and everything that happens, even if his teammates don’t blame him.

It began to storm back in the real world as they reached the end of the current depths⁠; a painstakingly slow thirteen floors⁠ to comb through in search of treasure and experience. Everyone was nearing their physical and mental limits for the day, but at the sight of a rare challenger on their way back, they let their youthful recklessness seep through. One more, they all thought, one more to end the trip on a high note.

The high note they sought after quickly⁠ and almost comically⁠ became shrill.

The battle turned for the worst: unable to find a weakness, you and Mona were left with minimal SP, Queen had suffered an ill-timed critical attack and was knocked out cold, and Joker himself was running on fumes. Mind scattered in desperation, Joker attempted to regain some footing by attacking the particularly strong enemy with Marin Karin, hoping to charm it.

He didn’t expect that the enemy would end up reflecting it back at him.

Nor that you would take the brunt of the attack by jumping in front of him last-minute.

Joker and Mona finished the battle through sheer dumb luck, and all of the thieves expected things to return to normal. Queen stood up on shaky legs and thanked Panther for medicine, but when they turned to look at you, their hearts dropped.

Your face was flushed and eyes glassy, no different than how you were in battle. The unspoken rules of Mementos was broken⁠—somehow you didn’t come to once the fight finished.

Joker took to your side immediately, helping you up but freezing at the garbled moan that slipped past your lips the moment his hands landed on you. The others looked on with concern and fear, not understanding why this was happening, but it was obvious to everyone that they needed to leave immediately. He apologized to them and announced that he’ll be taking you home to make sure you’re safe and resting while the others research the strange divergence.

His arm wrapped loosely around your waist, keeping you steady as you mindlessly clung to him, and ushered you out of Mementos and towards the trains.

Akira felt like he was suffocating. If this is how he was feeling, he could only start to imagine what you’re suffering through right now.

He kept you hidden from view as best as he could, squished in the corner between the door, the seats, and him. Akira put you in a spare face mask he had and slid his glasses over your nose, hoping to protect your identity in case any snooping individual lingered on you two a little too long.

“Hold on just a little longer for me, okay? We’re almost there.”

He watched your knees buckle and your thighs clench together at his words and felt his mouth run dry. Akira willed himself to stay calm, to steady his heartbeat, but it wasn’t exactly an easy thing to do when you were in a state like this. Especially considering he harbored feelings for you.

“Please,” you begged. He almost didn’t hear it with how quietly you murmured it. “Akira, I… I need…”

Fuck, you were going to be the death of him.

“Yeah?” he leaned in closer, hoping to catch the rest of what you’re saying.

Your hand grabbed his thigh, tugging his leg closer to you and causing him to stumble forward, balancing with his forearm next to your head. He stared at you with wide eyes as you shifted his leg with no resistance between your thighs and sat on it, slowly and carefully grinding against it.

Akira’s head whipped around, making sure no one was watching as you shamelessly used his leg to relieve some of the pressure that Marin Karin’s charm had on you. He nearly stopped breathing when you whined right next to his ear, a sound too soft for anyone else to notice as the train screeched to another halt.

Your stop was next, but there was no way he was making it out of this without a boner. He looked back at you and swallowed hard, only able to see the way your eyes were screwed shut and eyebrows knitted with frustration and concentration, pressing yourself a little harder against the meat of his thigh.

“Need more, ‘s too hot,” you blabbered softly, hands gripping the lapel of his blazer. “want you, want you so bad⁠—”

“We⁠—we’re almost home,” Akira choked out, each passing moment more difficult than the last. He wanted to pinch himself, wondering if this was actually some wild porno dream he was having back in Leblanc, but the way you felt rutting against his thigh like this was far too real for him to deny this was reality.

“Akiraaaa...”

He nearly lost himself when he saw your teary-eyed expression, suddenly grateful for the crowded train dissuading him from bending you over the train seats and giving into temptation. Akira wanted to know every part of you: every touch that makes you keen, every kiss that makes your head spin, every position that makes you cream.

Akira almost praised the gods aloud when the announcer comments on your stop, pulling himself off of you despite your whines and taking your hand in his, squeezing it tightly as he nearly runs out of the train the second the doors behind you open.

It was quite the ordeal dragging you back home. Every moment he stopped, your hands would wander, gripping his shirt or his belt loops, sliding your hand underneath to feel the warmth of his skin. You pressed closer and closer against him, your inhibitions far-gone, leaving only your charmed mind.

He grabbed your wrist firmly when you reached for his crotch at the door to your house, sucking in a large breath and hoping you’d be able to contain yourself enough for him to open the door with your keys and lead you inside.

Akira pushed open the door and dragged you inside, kicking it closed and locking it quickly. He couldn’t help the whole-body sigh that passed through him with the relief of privacy.

You, however, took it as your cue to tackle him to the ground and relieve yourself.

“Shit, wait, hold on⁠—” Akira staggered back, gripping your hip and arm and barley catching himself. “Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t want to try to get… uh… get off on your own?”

“No no no no no⁠—!” you shook your head adamantly despite your slurred voice, the sheer panic in your voice and face surprising him. “Want you, only you, please.”

Akira pressed his lips together in a tight line and hoisted you up in his arms, silently thanking the rough training he’s been enduring with Ryuji. The way your eyes lit up as he carried you to your bedroom made his heart palpitate, the rational side of him quickly losing to the promise of passion.

He really was weak to you.

He grunted as his legs hit the bed, falling down with you on his lap. Akira barely had time to speak before your lips were all over him, kissing all over his face and jaw as you roughly grinded against him. He choked down his moans and tangled a hand in your hair, hoping to slow you down with a sharp tug to your scalp.

Akira felt you seize up the moment he did, nails digging into his shoulders despite the layers of clothing, pressing your hips harder against his, and with a loud cry, he felt dampness against his crotch. It took a moment to process that you came untouched, just from him having you in his lap and tugging your hair.

“Did you just…?” his hand wandered towards your pants, slipping inside your underwear and feeling the sticky substance coat his fingers as he reached your thighs. He pulled them out, observing the strands between his fingers and licking them clean with a low groan. “That’s so hot. You’re so fucking hot.”

Akira palmed your crotch and felt you shudder as you rolled your hips against his again. “But… it isn’t enough, right?”

“Nnno…”

He looked around the room briefly and caught his own eyes in the floor-length mirror in your room.

“Stand up for me and strip, sweetheart,” Akira instructed with a gentle slap to your thigh.

He loved the way you scrambled off of him, shedding your clothes and looking at him with the same hazy doe-eyes that made him spend countless private hours fantasizing about. You looked at him with so much lust, being so obedient for him in hopes of getting another orgasm.

He shrugged off his blazer and tossed it aside, shifting closer to the mirror until it stood in front of him. “Turn around and sit back on my lap.”

Akira steadied you with gentle hands on your hips as you sat on his lap and pressed your sticky thighs together to feel some kind of friction against the torturous heat. He pried them open, spreading your legs to straddle him and spreading you open for the mirror.

“Ah, ah, ah,” he gently chided, “keep these pretty thighs open for me, okay?”

Akira refused to touch you until you nodded.

“Perfect,” he whispered, resting his chin on your shoulder, “you’re absolutely perfect.” Akira guided his hands up from your thighs to your chest, brushing against your nipples and continuing his path up until he reached your face. He cupped your cheeks in his hands and tilted your face up, forcing you to look at the shameful display you created with him. “I want you to look at yourself as I touch you,” Akira explained, “I want you to see everything.”

You nodded dumbly, anything to get his hands back to pleasuring you. “Please,” you continued to repeat with breathless whines, “I want more, I want you in me.” You pushed your ass harder against his hard cock, hoping he would take the bait. You wanted to be fucked silly and at this point you really didn’t care how you got there.

Akira sucked in a sharp breath and shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut and stilling for a few seconds as you continued to grind yourself on his dick. “Later, okay?” his voice wavered and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep his own word with how enthusiastic you seemed about riding him.

He let go of your face and skimmed your inner thighs, catching the cum from your first orgasm on his fingers and finally touching you properly. You keened, head falling back as he slowly pressed two fingers into your hole. “Yes⁠!” you groaned, spreading your thighs a little further and bucking your hips into his hand, “More, please, oh god it feels so good⁠— hnn!”

Akira’s hand steadied your head, once again pushing you to look at yourself as his fingers thrusted in and out of you. “Come on, baby. Don’t stop watching,” he purred as he scissored his fingers inside of you. “Oh, you liked that?”

You grasped his hair and his wrist, incoherent noises fumbling from your lips as Akira brought you to another orgasm within minutes. Marin Karin had quite the effect on you: keeping your stamina high and your libido higher, giving you more orgasms than you’ve had in your life, emptying your head and leaving nothing but pleasant buzzing.

He stared at you in the mirror, catching your unfocused gaze as your eyes shifted from his face to his hand and back again. “You’re doing so good,” Akira mumbled strings of words he barely paid attention to as you squirmed in his hold. He added another finger, stretching you out further and curling his fingers inside of you. He felt your legs shake and watched your jaw go slack as pleasure only continued to build.

“Again?” he asked, groaning at how you clench around his fingers, barely giving him room to move them. Even still, you continue to thrust your hips into his hands⁠, unsatisfied. “I’ll give you as many orgasms as you need,” Akira promised, kissing your cheek and resting his temple against yours, “I won’t stop until you’re begging.”

#merciless mode #persona 5 #persona 5 royal #akira kusuru #ren amamiya #joker #protagonist #p5 #p5r #p5s #persona 5 strikers #persona 5 scramble #akira kurusu x reader #ren amamiya x reader #joker x reader #akira x reader #x reader #ren x reader #3000 followers #full fic

[akirasarchives]

[ʜᴄ] 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐤𝐞

sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs: what having yusuke as your boyfriend is like!

⤷ ᴀ/ɴ: gn reader

— RELATIONSHIP OVERVIEW

hand!!made!!gifts!!

lemme tell u he does it all! a portrait, homemade sweets (with akira’s help), little trinkets and more!

he’s very observant and will immediately notice any changes in your demeanour

due to his directness, he’ll straight up say anything 😭

Y: “Me and [y/n] will be leaving now”

R: “why?”

Y: “Because I’d prefer to kiss them in a more intimate setting”

Yeah.. A very passionate boyfriend in terms of romance, you’re constantly telling him to save the money he doesn’t have

If you’re a persona user then he always throws himself in front of potentially fatal attacks coming your way..even if he needs to heal he’ll use his turn to heal you instead even if you have more health than him

a very emotionally filling relationship. he helps you see all of your beauty on the outside and inside, he’s so sweet and his eccentric way of talking is almost as if a prince is trying to court you lmaoo

— BEFORE THE RELATIONSHIP

yusuke..is so clueless

his whole life has centred around art and creating things for madarame so he’s never had the chance to just..focus

as first he thought that maybe he fancied ann because she’s literally gorgeous but it seemed to be of an admired beauty that a loved beauty (u get me?)

then, he saw you. sliding in to block him from touching ann that day and pulling her away as akira and ryuji shouted at him

your caring and protective aura, how you carried yourself and how you spoke to others was eye-catching. he couldn’t help but reach out to you instead

you captivated him in a way no muse could really do.

you ended up taking ann’s place modelling for him and yes it was still awkward and you had 3 teenagers that were literally gonna commit assault for you

it got a little easier after the whole madarame thing..when he could finally focus on being a teenager

he most likely asked akira what he should do on one of their mementos trips and akira was startstruck! everyone knew yusuke was more eccentric and worked a little differently from others but he never saw a change in behaviour on how he treated you compared to others

— ASKING YOU OUT

surprise! he asked you to model for him

did his whole thing about how he was in an artistic slump yada yada..

but as soon as you dot to his dormitory, you noticed how his canvas was already beautifully painted, accompanied by a cheesy display of pink and red flowers

“[y/n], truth be told, I don’t need you to model for me..But I want to ask you to consider being my partner”

yeah..weird choice of words yusuke

“Partner?”

“Significant other, if you’d like”

this boy could not sound more awkward than he could

pls say yes he’s already on one knee like he proposing to you

— IN THE RELATIONSHIP

you feel like you’re dating a prince

deadass

fr he enjoys more “outdated” ways of showing love such as daily bouquets, hand written letters, magical getaways and the occasional art themed date

for my fellow fem inserting readers, i thought you didn’t have an interest in the opposite sex yusuke?

he loves to declare his love in strange ways and he’s that means draining his bank account

brings akira to mementos to protect y’all while he draws you in your person user form

ryuji teases him so much but at the end of the day guess who’s still the single one?

HE!!KNOWS!!HOW!!TO!!DRESS!!

ann is your number one supporter, she’s always offering to take couple photos of you two and often captures candids when you’re out with the group

makoto is so sweet she’s always telling yous about new places where you two can go on dates to!

futaba relentlessly teases yusuke “Inari, I don’t know how you got [y/n] with that face of yours”

it’s all jokes though!!

sojiro was annoyed that you didn’t chose akira cuz he needs someone to hold that boy down

PLSSS your social media comments from yusuke are all like;

“your eyes are so captivating in the photo, it’s struck inspiration in me to begin a new passion project, please model for me my angel”

😭😭😭 pls

PROTECT HIM PLEASE HE’S A LOVESICK FOOL!!

#p5 fanfic #p5 x reader #persona 5 fanfiction #persona 5 x reader #persona 5 #yusuke kitagawa x reader #yusuke x reader #p5 headcanons #yusuke headcanons #yusuke kitagawa headcanons #p5 imagines #persona 5 headcanons #p5 reactions

[halcyon-writings]

i checked this list and it said persona so im hoping this is still ok. Date night with the protagonists? (Makoto, Yu and Ren) please and thank you >///

ー『anonymous: Can i get dating headcanons for the persona protags (Makoto, Yu and Ren) please and super thank yous. I love these boys so much. ;A;』

note(s): I am going to combine these requests as they are similar enough I hope that is alright! no real warnings for this one either, I just think these dudes are neat. Also I know they all have like 5 different names, so I just went with the ones I am more familiar with. Maybe(????) spoilers for 3, 4, and 5, so if you haven’t finished or played them, be warned (although, idk if anyone would read it if they haven’t played the respective game but idk warning for spoilers just in case) also idk how i feel about these hcs rn, but i did my best dhdjdj

all my other links can be found in my navigation post!! If you like my writing and you’d like to support me, my tip jar is also linked there!

hcs under the cut so i’m not clogging anyone’s dash (originally these were gonna be a short set of hcs but i guess not dbdndn)

What our dear protagonist lacks in overall extrovertedness, he makes up for in action. Surprise surprise, dates can either range from hanging out in the dorms and cooking a nice meal together. Or maybe going to the mall and heading to the arcade. Or basically wandering around until your legs hurt and your purchases range from new outfits to weird antiques from the antique shop.

However he really does treasure these little trinkets, because the memory of your laughter when you were given a certain item will forever be ingrained in his mind. It’s a comfort in the end too.

Date nights are focused on you and you only. He definitely sets a date where he knows you both are free so that there’s less likely of a chance for being interrupted. He definitely wouldn’t want his time with you to be wasted. Although seeing his small pout when it does happen is very cute.

You also gotta be keen on if he sees something he likes and wants. While Minato won’t exactly say it, his gaze lingers a bit longer than usual. But he ultimately won’t get it, because he wants to focus on you and also save up for when the group goes to Tartarus. So if you surprise him with whatever he had wanted, he’s so happy.

While he is slightly more reserved in comparison to Yu and Akira, Minato speaks through action. Whenever you two are walking together, he always has your hand in his, or keeping close by in some way. He likes to cling to you when it’s just you two, his head buried in the crook of your neck as you two nap tother, legs tangled up together. Or the small jokes he says loud enough for only you to hear, but they’re still so funny. Sometimes you’re asked if he’s really a good boyfriend, and you have to laugh off the doubt, because they don’t see the sides of him that you do.

My god. Yu would absolutely be the best at arranging dates and hangouts. I take no criticism. Like you guys could literally just be walking all around Inaba, or just sitting by the river bed and it could be one of the greatest times you’ve both had together. A romantic at heart, Yu would also be a bit cheesy in arranging dates.

He shows affection through communcating it. Whether it’s a new outfit or something, he’ll say that you look incredible or if you’ve studied for a hard exam, he’ll make sure you know how amazing you are for passing. Idk just anything that has you smiling from sweet compliments and other words of affirmation. A big sap, honestly you try and joke about it but he just earnestly says “Who wouldn’t be for you?” And you have to sit down and hide your face in your hands for a solid 5 minutes.

You also gotta be cool with Nanako. But then again she’s a cute kid and a sweetheart so idk why you wouldn’t be. Although he does get a little flustered if it’s you two watching her while Dojima-san is working late at the station and the old ladies coo over how you three look like a mini family yourselves. Which is kind of a common occurrence. And I feel like Yu would know pretty well if he sees a future with someone he’s with, and with you he does shhh

Date nights in Inaba are really fun and a good way to wind down, sometimes it’s wandering Junes and finding whatever the newly advertised, as seen on tv appliance is. Or other parts of the shopping district, where he can really let go and just have fun for himself. When not worrying about school work or the cases the Investigation Team is working on.

some spoilers here; but after Izanami is defeated and the year ends. When Yu has to leave Inaba it doesn’t mean that he won’t put his best efforts to keep up the relationship. If possible, video calls or just the occasional text too. And when he visits, while he does miss his friends, he’s especially antsy to see you too. And when you’re both together again, he refuses to leave your side.

Now, Akira can be described as this suave, casanova type character. But he’s also a giant dork and you know it, he knows it, the Phantom Thieves all know it, hell even Sojiro knows it. It doesn’t mean his attempts at flirting doesn’t get you blushing. And when he sees the flustered expression, it only motivates him to keep going. But turn the tables on him, and he’s putty in your hands. (And he looks very cute).

Because of the way you met, aka, at Shujin, where his reputation was basically over and done with before it even began, he has a lot of doubt and trust issues, what if someone dared you to speak to the “criminal” or something? While he won’t show these doubts out loud to his friends, it’s still something he thinks back on a lot. But when you defend him vehemently one day, he knows he was right to trust you.

A part of dating Akira, is eventually finding out who he is. Maybe trips to Mementos cause him to be late to dates or not even show up at all. You end up stood up more often then not once things begin to get really serious. From small time school teachers to the literal Yakuza (and eventually a candidate for Prime Minister, and a god), you don’t know where he is. And that becomes really stressful because then the doubt™️ sets in.

To make this less angsty and more funny, imagine you know from figuring it out. He’s suspiciously watching the news on the PT, and no offense to Ryuji, he’s not the most quiet. So he’s so nervous trying to tell you when you’re just “yeah I know, sorry for not telling you, I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to know.” and he’s just the surprised pikachu face.

As for date nights, the city is your oyster. I’d say the world but mans still currently has a criminal record so probably not yet. But he’s gonna take you wherever you want. Whether it’s a themed cafe, or just the streets of Shinjuku, as you take in all the sights from the bright places, he’s willing to do whatever for you. That includes facing off kids at the arcade for a stuffed plush you saw and admitted it was cute. He is a man on a mission. And you cannot stop him. So you both end up back at Leblanc at the end of the night carrying your plushies and eating some curry that Sojiro left warming for you. That even includes the Big Bang Burger challenge he will do it for you , even though you probably do laugh at his pain after but you still coo and praise his efforts.

After he goes back home, record clean and world hopefully peaceful. Virtual dates become a thing, either just sitting and talking while having dinner or something is nice. He still loves to say those cheesy pickup lines that had you hiding your flustered expression as you walked through the streets of Shibuya on call. You only hung up on him once but he quickly called back and was very pouty about it. You were forgiven though with the promise of giving many kisses when he visits.

#persona imagines #persona x reader #persona 3 imagines #persona 3 x reader #minato arisato x reader #persona 4 imagines #persona 4 x reader #yu narukami x reader #persona 5 imagines #persona 5 x reader #akira kurusu x reader #mine

[samarecharm]

Bouncing off my bi ryuji awakening post, im gonna add these tags from it: (separated to make it easier to read)

[#anyway. akira is the guy ever. and ryuji is exploding#‘i have died. badly’#i like thinking of akira like this; hes ryujis first exposure to nb ppl and gnc adjacent stuff#even if akira is p masc by most standards hes still got a bit of. aloofness. about his gender stuffs#ryuji is just really into the way akira carries himself#and it takes him a while to go oh. oh i think its cause i like this dude#um.#😳.

#also i wanted to clarify#but ryujis mom just doesnt know Who akira is in that picture#and in my head hes like. looking down at mona and petting him (while sitting)#(AND hes with ann and theyre both kind of a distance away from the camera)#so at a quick glance; hes just Some Girl#and even though shes wrong; it kicks off the mental chaos olympics in ryujis head#‘what hes not a girl’ to ‘where would she even get that from’ to ‘well akira said himself he didnt rlly care what ppl thought about it’#to ‘well. where DID she get that from?’ to lookin at what his homie does a little closer to ‘aw fuck. man.’#but i love that for him

#ALSO. RYU/GORO IN TAGS…..#but ryuji going oh my GOD oh my godddd 😨😓😓😓 when something clicks in his head about goro#his voice is so practiced and naturally softspoken and his public facing persona is very demure#and once he gets past the initial anger over goro being a pompous prick who shittalks about the thieves. hes like. god fucking dammit.#There Is A Pattern and A Type He Has and Its Killing Him To Realize it.#hes literally sitting in his room w his head in his hands]

Ryuji definitely finds Conventionally Attractive Girls pretty, but he realizes around postgame that he genuinely formed crushes on THREE people; Akira, Makoto, and Goro. And all three of them are people who carry themselves as a bit Soft and Delicate (akira and makoto w their personality and mannerisms, goro w his appearance) while also being deceptively strong. Yusuke WOULD fit into this but hes only strong in the metaverse. Also if u tried to argue that he still finds yusuke pretty, Ryuji would just say ‘yeah duh? Of course???’ and would not elaborate further.

I just think. Its cute 👉🏾👈🏾 Ryuji loves someone whos pretty and capable of knocking him flat on his ass lmao He LOVES a challenge and he likes that they can all challenge him in different ways.

Akira is way stronger than he looks; hes very toned and he used to be quite active before being shipped off to tokyo. And after fighting in the metaverse, hes gotten way better at using an enemies mass and momentum against them. Yeah he can properly knock someone down, but its way easier to let Ryuji charge him and use that momentum to sweep and pin. Which Ryuji remembers vividly for Weeks. Akira is not allowed to spar w him and Makoto for awhile after that.

Makoto is just strong as hell. But shes very defensive, and extremely patient. ‘Ill wait and see before I decide What to do’. Shes got good reaction timing and its hard to catch her offguard. Its very difficult to disorient her so oftentimes, his spars w her are more about endurance. And if he ASKS her to do so, she’ll actually fight him back. He never wins 😭 but she is very patient w him and she doesnt treat him like an idiot. She likes to give him tips and redirect his strengths to make up for his weaknesses and it makes him a bit warm in this chest

Spars w Goro are just fun. Theyre fun! Goro is way more aggressive and reckless than Makoto and Akira. He is looking for openings near constantly and Ryuji has to either keep up or tank hits. Its very. Engaging. For him. Sometimes he loses and Goro is giving him a look so smug, Ryuji wishes he could kick him in his fucking teeth (something he clearly couldnt do bc hes already been knocked flat on his ass). And sometimes he wins, and hes so shocked and HAPPY about it; he doesnt miss the way Goro looks away from him pouting like a brat (‘no fucking way are u POUTING man, what a sore loser 😭’). Goro and his uptight personality is thrown out the window completely and its so fun and refreshing to see. Hes tall and imposing w broad shoulders and toned arms and if Ryuji is staring, he finds himself immediately distracted when Goros cheerful, softspoken voice asks if hes willing to go another round.

I love it 👉🏾👈🏾 Ryujis got a complicated relationship w violence but it helps to have people he trusts engage with it in a way that doesnt make him feel like some brute. Theyre all kind of itching to beat the shit out of things for multiple reasons, but instead of taking that out on each other, they spend time training one another so that they can beat the shit out of OTHER things better. Its an efficient system 😊

#chattin #i dunno how to tag it; dont wanna add ships in here bc theres not alot of NonPego/ryu fans in the pego/ryu tag lol #but ye. ryuji likes a pretty face and he likes getting his ass whooped sometimes #i mean he likes to fight and WIN; he is not trying to roll over like a defenseless tortoise #but he likes the deception a little bit…. #what do u mean ur shitty shirt or sweater is hiding those arms ??? what do u mean u can bench more than ur own weight???? #its insane. #its a little 😳 #also oops i am writing essays in tags again. i will continue to do this im sorry #i just have so many thoughts that dont feel like they fit in the body lol #my approach to the thieves is . they are very angry and prone to violence and violent thoughts #and they have an questionable outlet w the metaverse #BUT #if the metaverse was to poof away; where does that outlet go? #and thats the foundation for my idea of their ‘found-ish family’ #i HATE the actual family stereotype but i am thinking of like #they are bonded in a specific and unique way #and they stick together because of it. no one will understand them as much as they understand each other #i know i mentioned only the four of them #but i am thinking of ALL of them #they are a little gang of their own now lmao if u mess w one u mess w the rest of the hounds #and they all have some warped perspectives on good and ‘evil’ and justice #maybe the others arent as readily capable to physically hurt someone. but they are more than okay with bad and cruel things happening- #-to bad people. #anyway. this post was about ryuji having a thing about getting roughhoused bc hes a rowdy boy #i can see it being something ann teases him about #and definitely as they get older its something that just doesnt leave him. his brain has already made the Connections #i love my homies they beat the shit out of me when i ask them to and vice versa 😊 #naw theyre not really HURTING each other that bad #but its the idea of it 👀 like look at me bearing my weaknesses to u so you can make me a better person

[purrsonaimagines]

Reminds me of You - Akira Kurusu x Reader

fluff prompt #3 - “Do you know where my hoodie is?” “No...”. “You’re wearing it, aren’t you?”

i’m writing some stuff for the girls soon as well, and also a little somethin somethin for our lovely akechi and yusuke.

-

“Where is it..?” Akira mumured rustling the covers on his bed, brows furrowing in frustration.

“Whatcha lookin’ for?” Morgana asked from the far corner, bringing a paw over his ear.

“My jacket... I can’t find it.” Akira replied, fixing his blanket now to look around the room.

“Have you looked downstairs?” Morgana suggested.

“No... I left it up here last night when I got home from [Name]’s place...”

“You sure?” Morgana tested, standing up to nose around the room himself.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I remember beinging my jacket home...?” Akira huffed in reply, adjusting his glasses when he saw a piece of dark fabric dangle from under his bed.

He tugged on it, but his brows raised when he pulled out a small bundled robe instead. He looked over to Morgana briefly, before looking back down at the cover up.

“A robe...?” Morgana mused with a teasing tone, causing Akira to huff and nudge him lightly with his foot.

“Where’d I put my jacket then—“

Suddenly the ring of his phone caused Akira to jump, turning to fave the device. He walked over and grabbed it off his nightstand. His eyes lit up noticing your ID, a smiling filling his lips as he answered.

“Hey, [Name].” He hummed lovingly.

“Hey, sweetie. I was calling to see if you knew where I put my headphones last night? My mom wants to borrow them and—Oh!”

“Oh..?”

“I found them in my pocket.” You chirped, causing Akira to snicker at your cluelessness.

“I actually have a lost item of my own. Couldn’t find it since we hung out last night.”

“Oh? What’d you lose? Maybe I can help you find it.”

“My hoodie.”

“Your.. Hoodie?” You said slowly, shigting in your seat.

“Yeah, can’t find it.. I was gonna wear it when I went out today with Ryuji and Mishima..”

“Ah.. Well, I don’t think I’ve seen it.”

Then suddenly as he heard you move on the other end, his ears seemed to perk up like a cats. His eyes softened in realization, and a smirk crosse his lips as he let out a small laugh.

“Do you know where my hoodie is?”

“No...?”

He couldn’t contain his snickers now as he shook his head.

“You’re wearing it, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You hummed, trying to play it cool.

“Nice try, sweetheart. I can hear the fabric against your chair.” He said lowly, his glasses getting a mischievious gleam.

“....”

Silence filled the other line as he waited, before he heard you release a breath.

“I hate you.” You grumbled, causing Akira to grin in victory.

“So you do have it?” Akira teased, eyes softening at the way you mumbled under your breath.

“It’s soft..” You mumured over the phone, causing Akira’s heart to quicken and his smirk to drop.

“Plus it reminds me of you. I know you’re busy with the Phantom Thieves, and all sorts of stuff you do.. So I have this piece of you y’know..?” You admitted bashfully, the silence from Akira’s end causing your face to heat up.

“Sorry... That was was dumb, and sappy.. I-“

“Hey, hey hey.. I didn’t say that. I think it’s cute.”

“Mhm... Are you gonna come pick it up now..?” You asked in a dehected tone, and Akira could practically see your doe eyes from here.

“Ah.. Actually, you can keep it if it makes you so happy. I’ll just wear a different one today.”

“Really? Thank you so much, babe! I love you!”

“I love you too, treasure.”

Behind all your excited chattering, you finally paused to let Akira speak again. A large grin covered your lips as you waited in silence.

“I’ll come hang out with you after I’m done with Mishima and Ryuji, okay?”

“Mhm! That aounds good. We can finally finish that movie, and we can get more ideas for Haru’s birthday!” You exclaimed giddily, jumping up from your seat.

“That sounds nice..” He hummed, already thinking about the relaxing aura of sitting on your couch cuddling during the chosen movie.

“Alright treasure, I’ve gotta go now, okay?” Akira affirmed, grabbing his bag from beside his door.

“Aw, yeah okay. Have fun! Tell Mishima and Ryuji I said hi!”

“I will. I’ll see you around six?”

“Sounds good, sweetie. I love you.” You cooed with a gentle smile.

“I love you too, [Name].. Seeya later.”

“Bye!”

The phone beeped signalling the wnd of the call, causing Akira to let out a contempt sigh. He was so damn lucky to have a partner like you, the thought made his heart race already.

“So.. You call them treasure, huh?” Morgana’s teasing voice bounced from the room’s corner, causing Akira to gasp and whip his head to the cat.

“How much of that did you hear..?” He gulped.

“All of it.” Morgana said with a devilish stare, practically smirking if he could.

“Morgana—“

“If you don’t want me telling Ryuji and Mishima, I want fatty tuna for the next month!”

“No way!”

“Well I guess your treasure is about to become everyone elses then, huh—?”

“F-Fine! Let’s just go, okay? We’ll negotiate later..”

Morgana let out a satisfied purr and hopped into Akira’s bag, nestling into the inside. Akira on the other hand was beet red as he approached the door, looking down at your messages talking about movies. Your texts were carried by hearts, only causing him more distress.

Sometimes he was the luckiest guy in the world... But other days it came to bite him in the ass..

-

this seems so short I’m so sorry. i feel like im oumpung these out so fast. i have smth angsty coming up pretty soon, so im excited for that! im making sure its all good first before posting though bc i want it to be impacting.

tysm for requesting and reading tho, it means the world to me!!! ily guys sm

#akira kusuru #akira kurusu x reader #persona 5 x reader #persona oneshots #persona imagines #persona 5 oneshots #persona x reader #personafic #personaakira #akirakurusupersona #ren amamiya #ren amamiya x reader #persona 5

[muzzleroars]

What do you think if the Phantom Thieves (except Futaba) all had Shadows they had to confront and fight (like in p4), and what would they be?

OK this one is super interesting and it’s taken me MONTHS to get to, so let’s gooooooooo (will include p5r spoilers!)

i think all of their contracts sort of give us an idea of what their shadow selves may be (meaning goro is more up in the air), and i like to go with the idea that in p5, their shadows are how society has forced them to act. they have incorporated that into the self and conformed to it, but they don’t wish to acknowledge that they do so, instead making themselves believe they have no choice. futaba’s shadow, as the example, wishes for her own death as she was a burden and a curse to her mother...but she also made futaba aware this was a lie concocted by adults that took away her agency and her anger. SO with that in mind, here are the takes!!

akira - the bystander, the boy told to keep out of the way and to keep his head down. he’s determined to live a quiet and peaceful life, to get through his probation and swear to turn the other way when evil happens in front of him. akira is ashamed of the impulse because he knows what’s right, he knows he needs to help, but his shadow is all about self-preservation and avoiding further punishment. so he protects himself and only himself by feigning ignorance and closing his eyes, his ears, and his mouth. his shadow says “i already got mine, they’re on their own”

ryuji - the traitor, the boy who ruined the dreams of the track team and wears it with pride. he destroyed their hopes of the future and now has become a delinquent, free of the responsibilities he once had to himself, to his mom, and to his school. he can be rude, crass, and vulgar (lol) to his heart’s content because no one expects any more of him after enacting such violence. his anger runs deep and he doesn’t care about how he hurt his old team, they deserved it for never standing up for themselves.

ann - the sweetheart, the girl always there with a kind but seemingly empty word for her friend, supportive but distant. however, she instead tries to work within the confines of the world, trying to save the ones she cares about by using her looks and the reputation everyone puts on her because of them, pretending to be a flirtatious airhead to please those that may hurt the only person she cares for. she hurts herself over and over again, breaks down her own sense of self worth to sacrifice endlessly in ways others never see. she takes the pain forever with a smile.

yusuke - the student, the boy who knows the lies his teacher tells to him, but he is forever devoted to preserving the image his superior has both to the world and to himself. he believes his debt extends to worship, faith in the teacher who is a genius, who knows best, who is so much older and so much wiser and so must be doing right. in fact, he should be so lucky to have his work considered good enough to carry his teacher’s name instead of his own, he should happily produce for him because his teacher’s reputation has no price too high. surely he at least must return the cost of caring for him when no one would.

makoto - the role model, the girl who is quick-witted and resourceful, she can juggle every task the incompetent, lazy, or uncaring adults entrust to her. after all, their responsibilities are so much greater than even hers, just a silly high school student with all the time in the world to perform their lowlier tasks for them. she accepts every ask with grace and tact, she turns down no request and will work herself past the point of burn out for praise, for recognition, for the promise of her future. this is just the way the world is, she must get used to it now if she wants to survive.

haru - the princess, the girl who’s always charming and polite, perfectly prim and never a bore but her words are always shallow. she seems to only exist at gatherings and galas, always smiling, introduced by a beaming father and complimented on how beautiful she is, how she will make a most wonderful wife now that she’s blossoming into a young woman. she worships her fiance, she has captivated his whole family and, most importantly, his father with how delicate and vapid she is. a wonderful spouse up for trade, the loveliest business venture her father ever pursued.

goro - the orphan, the boy who is helpless and was left abandoned by his family and by society. he has no will of his own that he can inflict on the world, instead he is battered by fate and by an actively cruel reality, a curse, unwanted and unneeded by anyone. he elicits disgust in whoever he meets, yet he yearns deeply to be loved and to be accepted, he begs for it and everyone he meets that will give him any time of day are his “friends”. he believes there is no such thing as unconditional love and no matter what he tries, his struggle will be rendered futile.

sumire - the doppelganger, the girl that believes she is only a shadow of a sister far more talented and determined than she could ever be. she only had worth defined by another, one she followed around like a weight, dragging her down with her incompetence. a burden for her sister, pitied awkwardly by parents, an inconvenience that grew increasingly irrelevant and irritating with every passing day until she botched her own death. now she is a shadow without a body, the wrong girl taken in her attempt on her own life, the ultimate blunder ever committed by another human being. she pantomimes her sister more and more poorly, although she’s tricked herself into believing she really is her in her house of ashes.

morgana - the monster, the boy that can’t face who he really is for he fears what he will see in the mirror. he lives happily in ignorance, never wanting to remember his origins or his duties and he indulges in his freedom without worry of where he comes from. after all, if he has no idea of his past, he can imagine himself as anything he wants - a dashing rogue, a swashbuckling hero, a gallant thief, he is whatever he makes himself to be without the burden of his history. he never turns around too quickly, never wanting to catch a look at himself because every now and then he sees jail cells, black ooze, darkness. but that’s not him.

#A NOVEL...I WROTE A NOVEL.... #i know there's lots of ideas on their shadows #but this is my take on all of them!! #this was really fun to write tbh.... #i'm so sorry it took a thousand years to post aha.... #p5 #phantom thieves #p5r spoilers #Anonymous

[sonofanumbranwitch]

P5S Seven Heavenly Virtues PT.6. Akira Konoe and The Jail of Patience.

TW: Mentions and discussions of abuse.

Now we come into an outlier in this little project, because ultimately I would change little to nothing about Konoe’s Jail from a design perspective. I wouldn’t change the dystopian city, I wouldn’t change his idea of himself as a hero, I wouldn’t even change much about his boss fight design.

Instead for this segment we’re just going to slightly change the focus of Akira “Gabriel” Konoe’s message to the Phantom Thieves. Namely in regards to what he tells them about how they can’t save everyone. Regardless of how many hearts they change, there will always be someone waiting for a hero to come save them. And the waiting is torture.

“Everyday I waited. I waited for a hero to come busting through the door to save me from the monster that was my father. A hero who would smile and tell me everything was going to be alright. I waited so patiently. But no one ever came.”

It is that message that is the ultimate challenge to the Phantom Thieves’ ideals. No matter how hard they try to give hope to all the people in the world, someone is going to be left by the wayside. Konoe, and other antagonists like him, have a plan that is appealing in it’s absoluteness. That by taking control of everyone and everything, he can ensure no one is left waiting for a hero.

But then we come to the main member of the team who challenges this idea, best boi Ryuji. I already have a post talking about what a wasted opportunity Konoe’s jail was for Ryuji’s character. They’re both victims of abuse at the hands of their fathers, and they both have this ideal of “being a hero” that they strive for, albeit in different ways.

When we reach the trauma cell and find out about Konoe’s abuse, Ryuji ends up having a triggering effect, because it reminds him so much about his own father. He starts lashing out at the shadow, an anger Ryuji has only shown a few times before. After the fight he’s still worked up, hitting the walls and screaming. The thieves let him vent his frustration before going in to comfort him.

“I’m sorry it’s just… that felt too real. It brought so much shit back up. I thought I had put all that behind me. Turns out I’m still no better than I was when we all first met.”

“Bullshit!”

“Wha?”

“Ryuji, you don’t have to apologize for that. We get it. We’ve all been through something horrible like that. We understand, and you can trust us to help you when those things get tough to carry. Because trust you the same way.”

Ryuji confronts Konoe by telling him that he gets his anger at the world. How frustrating it is when shitty adults ruin the lives of the people they are supposed to look after. How they both want to save as many people from going through the same pain they did. But Konoe is wrong.

“Look I get it! I had a dad who beat the shit out me before he just ran off. After that I had to put up with another shitty adult who made my life hell. I waited for a hero to. At first no one came. But then this guy showed up, and he showed me how I could be my own hero. I didn’t have to wait anymore. Because my hero, myself, was here the whole time. If you take control of everyone, you’ll just be robbing them of being heroes to!”

I said I wouldn’t change much about Konoe’s design, but I would add a bit more angelic touches to his boss fight; wings, and halo, and the like to keep up with the theme.

A lot of the dialogue post fight remains the same, but again Ryuji gets a bit more focus for this segment.

“There are tons of shitty adults out there, who pick on the weak. We’ve all been victims of that. We waited for a hero. But then we got done waiting and became heroes for ourselves. Everyone can do that; they only need to see it with their own eyes. All you would be doing is shutting everyone off from that possibility. There’s a lot of thing I’m not proud of about myself. I’m not that smart, I’m really not that strong on my own, and I get angry a lot… kinda like my old man. But I was able to pull myself up and become a hero like I always wanted. I’ll never let anyone take that from me. Especially not some self-righteous prick like you.”

#Persona 5 #persona 5 strikers #p5s #akira kurusu #ren amamiya #ryuji sakamoto #ann takamaki #yusuke kitagawa #makoto niijima #futaba sakura #haru okumura #p5 morgana #akira konoe #seven heavenly virtues #take a shot every time I used the words wait or hero #sorry this took so long #writers block

[kareofbears]

plainly in truth, chapter 4/5

“Without you around, it’s sorta like stuff is just kinda…bleh.”

—

Or: hiding, confiding, and misguiding.

read on ao3 or below the cut

Niijima Makoto doesn’t know what she’s doing.

It’s rare, but it happens. Sometimes she doesn’t understand the material in university. Sometimes the trains close down before she can catch the last one. Sometimes she has a breakdown because what does it mean that the system that got her father killed is the same one that she’s working so hard to get into.

But there’s always a way to find a solution—ask the professor after lecture. Call Sae and, as humiliating as it was, ask for a ride home. Convince herself that maybe she’s what the system needed in order to get real change. (She’s not quite there yet.)

She doesn’t know what she’s doing with Ryuji, and the internal tug-of-war is almost getting too much for her.

Makoto can help him; how many students has she worked with to help get them back on their feet? But each of those students she had tutored wanted help—she didn’t need to convince them to focus on school. How do you convince someone to get academic help? Duct tape them to a chair and show them a PowerPoint about how their life can fall apart if they don’t take this seriously? Then she’d be blatantly ignoring his mental struggle, and be no better than the adults who want to push kids through a meat grinder that’s the education system and turn them into mindless workers, existing solely to earn them profit.

Then she can leave him alone. That’s what he wants, anyway, and it’s by far the simplest option.

However, if she leaves him alone, would that mean that she’s still the same person who let Shujin students sell themselves to Kaneshiro? Convinced that they can handle it on their own, but only letting their debts pile higher and higher on themselves until they get crushed?

Sudden laughter and shouting from behind pulls Makoto back to reality. They were all in a heated game of Tycoon, and it sounds like Akira’s been on a winning streak for the past half hour.

She grips the steering wheel tighter, forcing herself to focus on the road and not the whirlwind of thoughts. The highway is nearly empty, despite the sun being high in the sky, not a single cloud blocking its rays. They’re on their way to Okinawa, and it’s her turn to drive.

Makoto may not know what she’s doing, but she can at least do this.

—

Okumura Haru has always had a bit of a guilt complex.

It started with refusing to give her hand to an abusive man for her also abusive father’s business, and it had only escalated even further once she realized that it’s technically her fault that her father had been killed; that one in particular had been crippling. Not only because he died due to her poor decision making, but it was another reason why the Thieves had fallen for Shido’s trap last year.

She respects herself enough now to understand that most of it is misplaced, but it doesn’t erase any of the guilt she still carries today. Far from it—that guilt has only grown to be bigger, looming over her as if it were ready to consume every inch of her body and spit out a bag of bones.

This situation, though, she can’t help but feel that her guilt isn’t quite as misplaced as she likes to convince herself it is.

They were all having lunch at the ferry’s restaurant; it’s small, given how little people want to go all the way out to Okinawa, but it’s still selling ludicrously overpriced coffee and pastries. Nobody seems to mind, though. All of them were sharing one cheese omelette, each with a plastic fork in hand, tapping them against each other to get the best piece and assert dominance like animals at a watering hole.

A way to soothe guilt is to somehow find a way to remedy the situation. Employees of Big Bang Burger have been unionized, her father is now remembered for the man he was rather than the man he became, Sugimura has long since been a problem (how he stopped being a problem, she legally cannot speak about), and Shido isn’t even in the public’s conscious anymore.

But for Ryuji, there is no way to soothe that guilt. Not in a way that matters.

It’s not just because Haru had essentially been the reason why too many people know his secret, but because the secret should have never happened in the first place. She’s his senpai, she was supposed to be the one looking out for him. Ryuji was struggling, mentally and academically, and she hadn’t realized it until it was far too late. He had been there for her, ready to knock Sugimura’s teeth into his throat, but she couldn’t have done the same for him when it truly mattered.

How do you soothe that guilt? Buy out the entire school? Forge his grades? More cram books? That’s ridiculous.

There’s no way to soothe that guilt, she realizes, because the only real way to do that was to turn back time.

—

Kitagawa Yusuke understands pride better than most people.

Without a cent to his name for most of his life, pride was all he had. Pride of being the pupil of someone great, pride of turning money away in the name of art. Being able to withstand enormous pressure and stick to his guns has always been one of his strongest abilities.

They’re in the Okinawa jail, tearing through Shadows and screaming Sophia’s name, over and over again until all of their throats are torn raw. He calls for Goemon, and ice crawls over the narrow corridors of the facility like ants covering every inch of a buffet. They’re all strong, because they have to be, but the Shadows here are cunning; fast and magic-infused, drunk on the strange, thick air that’s bled into every inch of cement in this building.

But pride can be an unforgiving catalyst that can change you from the inside out, like a parasite hijacking your brain stem and compels you to bow down to it. He had refused to see the truth, turned a blind eye to the evils of his sensei, and it made him into a lesser version of himself. It had made him weaker.

A crack of lightning strikes, emanating light so bright that he instinctively raises a hand to block it out. When it dims, any smell of the cold, dry air is gone—in its place is the distinct scent of ozone wafting around him, and a light buzz that settles atop his skin like a second layer. The hair on his nape stands, but Yusuke’s positive it didn’t come from the electricity still buzzing from the ashes of the Shadows.

Ryuji had obliterated all of their foes with one, clean strike.

—

Takamaki Ann can tell that something’s off.

Her toes are buried deep in hot sand, taking refuge under their big umbrella. The sun is just about setting over the horizon, casting an orange glow on her skin, and she idly hopes that she had put on enough sunscreen. They’ve tired themselves out for the most part; some were taking naps on beach towels, some had retired back to the RV where air conditioning awaits them.

Only Akira and Ryuji were left, standing where the sand meets the tide, water lapping at their ankles. She couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but she recognized the look on Akira’s face—with his glasses hanging from his button up, his eyes sparkled brighter than the ocean does, not quite smiling but his lips are curled up as if unable to completely restrain itself. It’s the look he reserves for Ryuji.

She digs her feet deeper into the sand, enjoying the way it tickles her calves. Ann’s been thinking about this whole thing in her head ever since she found out the truth, and something just isn’t adding up.

As absolutely insane as it all is, if she closes one eye, tilts her head, and slams her head against a wall, she can sort of, kind of, maybe understand where he’s coming from. She’s known him too long not to. The whole actively lying to his friends thing is still unforgivable, but the need to hide it? Understandable. She barely scraped by second-year herself with a prayer and English-speaking parents, and even then her grades are nothing to write home about.

Ann could barely believe that Ryuji really thought that Akira would leave him over something as stupid as flunking school, but even that she can understand, too. Everyday, she wants to be a better person for Shiho, and everyday, she goes to bed thinking that she didn’t try hard enough. Ann gets it. Love screws with your brain, swirls it up until you can barely stand up straight, and definitely messes with your perception of yourself. Ridiculous, crazy, but still somewhat coherent.

There’s still one piece in this whole puzzle that hasn’t clicked yet, and it’s been bugging her ever since that night in the cafe.

As perceptive as he is, as smart and observant and unstoppable as he is, as kind and knowledgeable as he is, as much as he adores Ryuji to the moon and back—

Why hasn’t Akira said anything yet?

—

Sakura Futaba knows that something’s off.

As the navigator, she sees everything she needs to make sure her team makes it out of every battle alive and victorious. Necronomicon can see stuff that no one else can, can predict two, three, four moves before it can happen. She eats stats for breakfast and spits out results by second breakfast. She knows her team’s moveset like the back of her hand and then some. Futaba takes this seriously, because if she doesn’t, someone’s not walking out alive.

The best part is that she’s good at this. So good that the eternal worrywart, Joker himself, can still walk out of the Metaverse with a head of thick, black hair.

But something’s been off. She felt it in her bones and that feeling only gets more prominent with every passing Jail—no, not even Jail. With every battle, that feeling only gets stronger in her gut.

When it started is still a mystery to her, but she started picking up on it in Sapporo. Sapporo. Her mom told her never to pray, but by god she’s hoping that it started in Sapporo, because this—this thing, is too big to have missed.

Futaba isn’t sure what it is yet, but she has no idea what’s happening with Ryuji.

To be more specific, she has no idea what’s happening with Captain Kidd, but that’s basically the same thing; Personas are the extension of the user, I am thou, et cetera. The weirdest part is, she knows something’s off, but she doesn’t know if it’s necessarily a problem.

It’s as if Ryuji’s been hitting the gym while they weren’t looking, or giving Kidd a stern talking to. His attacks, which used to be around the same baseline as the rest of the team, is nearly outputting double the amount of damage than the rest of them. His hits are buffed to the wazoo on a level she’s never seen before in any other Persona user, even Akira.

She’s considered bringing it up with him dozens of times. The two of them have to be honest with each other, not because they love and respect each other or any of that bullcrap—it’s because it’s the only way anything can ever function in the team. Between the navigator and the leader, if they ever hide anything from the other, no matter how small, things would never run smoothly. Or worse: it’ll crash and burn.

And then Ryuji comes along and makes them all take a blood oath to never, ever tell Akira a really big secret.

Technically, she doesn’t see an issue with it. It’s more of an unspoken rule than any kind of signed contract, and it’s mostly about Metaverse stuff instead of real world problems. She’s not eagerly telling Akira about her private Pixiv account or anything. But it’s not impossible to think that Ryuji being strong enough to be wearing ten Gilded Vests stacked on top of each other is somehow connected to his very real, very heart-affecting situation. If she really thought it was a problem, she’d tell Akira right away. It’s better to have Ryuji hate her than to have him dead.

But when she sees Akira’s face flash with relief in Akane’s Jail when Ryuji all but annihilates a mega-super-high level Shadow, one that Akira’s been stressing about the entire time since they’ve been here despite him trying his best to act cool about it because he has to be, it’s kinda hard to consider this to be a problem at all.

—

Between Konoe’s attacks and relentless bolts of ions getting shot up every few seconds, the static is so thick in the air that their hairs are all frayed and heading skywards.

The blast from Konoe’s mech, once a symbol of their triumph and had pulled no small amount of whoops and cheers from their throats, is only the first stage of their fated battle. They hadn’t planned for an extra phase, and the only reason they were able to escape was that steam from the busted metal and machinery had given them a few seconds of cover.

All of them are huddled behind a wall, outlined with neon blue that only served to blend them in with the futuristic technicholar that is the Osaka Jail.

“We’re clear,” Makoto announces, voice low as she returns from peeking around the corner. “No chance he knows our location.”

“Thank you Queen,” Akira says, mask pushed far up his head, clear eyes rapidly checking over each of his teammates, nodding. “Good work out there with the mech, now let’s figure this one out. What do we know?”

“Not a lot,” Futaba’s goggles reflect data as her fingers dance over the screen. “If we assumed that his weaknesses would be the same as his mech, then it would be lightning and nuclear.”

“Only if we assume that his physical form reflects his robotic form,” Yusuke points out. “What are the odds that that’s the case?”

Morgana taps his paw on the ground, deep in thought. “High, I’d say. Remember, he didn’t even think anyone could actually get into his Jail. He was worried enough to give himself two forms, but I doubt he’d go much deeper than that in terms of protection.”

“Look, my math might be a little off,” Ryuji starts. “But it’s literally a ten-on-one, right? I vote we kick his ass from the get go.”

Akira grips his arm. “Don’t. It might be a ten-on-one, but I don’t want to be walking out of here with only nine or less. We take this slow, like we always do.”

“...Fine.”

“What I’m worried about is that big sword of his,” Ann says grimly. “It looks like one hit from that thing I can kiss my entire torso goodbye.”

“That’s what I was thinking.” Eyes flickering to Futaba, Akira asks, “Possible defenses?”

“I’m not seeing anything special from it other than it’s huge and sharp and could kill us if he really wanted to, which, he does. So it looks like it’s physical, unless he has something up his sleeve.”

“Which he probably does, because that’s just how things usually go for us,” Ann sighs.

“We’ll go with what we know.” Akira gets on his feet, taking another peek, black coattails swishing around his ankles. With blood-red hands he pulls his mask back down, and they all straighten up. His voice is barely above a mutter, but they all catch every word he says. “Panther, how’s your energy?”

“Nearly full,” she answers.

“Use Concentrate on Queen and Skull on their call, double their magical attack whenever you can. I know it takes awhile to reuse when you’re using it for anyone but yourself, but try your best. Ryuji, how you holding up?”

“Like everything’s zero gravity, leader.”

“Then I want you to do the same with Charge for Fox, Noir, and yourself. Don’t overdo it though—only do it on my call.”

“Got it.”

“Sophie, Morgana: healing duty. Especially for those of you who drain your health like an open tap. Noir, try to get a vantage point and use Milady’s arsenal. Catching Konoe off guard can be what we need. Oracle, watch our backs. Everyone else, on standby. Are we all clear?”

With a nod, Akira takes a deep breath. “Then let’s get this show on the road.”

He takes the first step, knowing full well that ten more are right behind him.

The minute Konoe spots where they were hiding, he takes a slow pace towards them, confident in his own abilities. He swings his lightsaber around him with ease, footsteps heavy and sure.

They take his lethargy to their advantage. “Split!” Akira calls, and immediately they head to where they need to be. “Let’s take this nice and—”

In a split second, the unhurried pace that Konoe was taking dissipates and he dashes forward, a blur to their eyes, heading straight for Ann, who just barely dodges out of the way.

“What the hell?!”

“He’s fucking fast now!”

“This guy’s speed just cranked up!” Futaba yells. “If he could do that without me even realizing it, then who knows—”

“Stay sharp, we know what we’re doing.”

“How on earth are you still so calm, Joker?!”

“Because I believe in all of you.” Dashing left, he brushes his mask. “Neko Shogun, help me out.” A black cat with eyes bigger than his hand materializes from the monochrome mask, and they all suddenly feel lighter on their feet, ready to dodge anything that comes their way. “Queen, Skull.”

“Roger that!”

Makoto scales one of the neon walls, grip strength insurmountable, and runs across the wires that are tied from each platform, boots barely touching the cord, before jumping down. “Johanna!”

An explosion, or something more akin to a nuclear bomb getting set off mere meters in front of them, occurs where Makoto lands, hitting Konoe head-on.

He staggers back, obviously shaken but he recovers quickly. Lightsaber buzzing red, he’s about to strike at her when she hops on the back of Johanna, engine revving. “Lucky us, he’s weak to nuclear.”

Ryuji hops on his feet, hyping himself up. “Not all of us have cars for a quick getaway,” he snarks, before he’s gone, sprinting so fast that he’s nearly a blur to anyone looking his way. Racing behind a wall, he gets the jump on Konoe. “Come on out, Captain!”

A storm brews even without a single cloud over them as ozone reeks and lightning strikes, the deafening sound of thunder makes their ears ring.

“Holy crap,” Futaba breathes.

“Is he weak?” he asks.

“Uh,” Ann says. Konoe uses his lightsaber as a makeshift cane to get himself on his feet, shaking his head aggressively. “Yeah, I’d say he’s weak to it.”

“Comms are set,” Futaba announces. “Noir, can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, Oracle,” a bright voice chirps in their ears. “Joker, it’s an easy shot.”

“Take it.”

“With your help, Milady.”

The unmistakable sound of a gunshot rings out, and their heads swivel to see if it hit, but there’s no one there.

“What the...?” Ann wildly spins around, eyes widening. “Sophie—!”

Without turning her head back, Sophia instinctively ducks sideways, bits of red locks falling to the ground as Konoe’s lightsaber slices through the edges of her hair, and again when it grazes past her head, and another when it slices through the metal flooring like it was butter.

Panic grips her. “Pithos!” Sophia shrieks, voice high with fear. Blinding light shines from her hands, but Konoe walks into it like it was nothing.

Yusuke grips his katana, and silent as a gust of wind on a winter’s night, cuts through the air in front of him to deliver a myriad of slashes over Konoe. It does little to him, but it’s jarring enough that Sophia can escape where she was cornered.

“He’s very speedy,” Sophia says shakily. “Thank you, Fox.”

He nods, touching his mask in preparation. “That speed is nothing to jest about.”

“And we can’t do anything about it by just standing here! Makoto, back me up here.” Ann throws her mask in the air. “Carmen!”

“Find me an opening, and I’ll handle the rest,” Haru’s voice crackles.

“She’s right.” Akira touches his mask as it burns bright with the strength of dozens, maybe even hundreds of Personas. “She needs cover, and we need the element of surprise. Fox, Morgana.”

“Not a word more.”

“You got it!”

Ann takes a leaf from Makoto’s book, using her whip to grapple herself onto a ledge, running to take the high point behind Konoe, grazing Haru’s shoulder on the way there.

Konoe turns, but before he can take a counter measure, Akira calls out: “King Frost.”

At the same time, Yusuke says, voice loud and clear: “Goemon!”

Together, pillars of ice, meters and meters high surround Konoe, high enough that he can’t see anything past a few feet. But that height comes with a price; they can only make it so thick, and the lightsaber didn’t hesitate to crush it into bits.

“Panther, we don’t have too much time.” Already, sweat begins to pool and roll down Akira’s skin, using up his magic rapidly. “Are you in position?”

“Just—” she hops, heels clicking rapidly against the floor. “—About! Ten seconds!”

“We can hold it. Sophia, stay close on standby.”

“Understood!”

Motorcycle wheels screech next to Ryuji, and he doesn’t hesitate to hop on the back before they’re off again, leaving tire marks where they skirted off. “I swear to god, you play the racing games in the arcade. How the hell else would you get so good at this?”

“Would you shut up?” Makoto snaps.

“Roger that.”

“I’m in position!” Ann announces. She’s almost directly on top of the ice pillar. “On your signal.”

Gritting his teeth, Akira wipes the sweat away. “Hold.”

Yusuke swivels his head to him, knees shaking. “I can hold for as long as you need me to, but I might not be as much use afterwards.”

“It’s fine.” His eyes narrow at Konoe, still tearing through their ice blockade as the pile of shards only gets higher and higher. “Just a little bit longer. Sophia, use the biggest, most pinpoint bless move you have on my word.”

“Yes,” she responds, before hesitating. “He’s immune to it, I’m afraid.”

“I know.” Even Akira sounds breathless, his footing becoming unsteady.

“Joker, you don’t have much left,” Futaba warns. “You better hope this ends things, or we’re gonna have a real big problem on our hands.”

Once the shards of ice have piled high enough that it would surpass Konoe’s height twice over, and despite his hands beginning to turn blue, Akira's grin is wide. “Three—”

Yusuke’s vision begins to blur, but he refuses to relinquish Goemon.

“Two—”

Haru rearranges her finger on the trigger, palms drenched in sweat but they don’t shake. Not anymore.

“One—”

Ann takes a few steps back, sucking in a breath before sprinting forward, jumping straight over the open-chasm of ice and death beneath her.

“Now!”

Carmen releases a blaze of flame intense enough to encompass an entire neighborhood and then some, taking the shards and bits of ice that was piled high on top of each other and turning it into a cloud of fog and hot mist, shooting straight up and turning the visibility of the whole area to zero.

Yusuke crumbles to his knees as Ann tucks and rolls onto the floor, hissing as she feels her ankle twist into something nasty. “Shit!”

Akira staggers back, gripping his head like it hurts for him to stand, but that doesn’t stop him from yelling out: “Sophia!”

“Makougan!”

Like a lighthouse in the middle of a storm, there shines a beam of light so bright, so concentrated into one area, that they all know exactly where to aim their fire.

It all comes tumbling down, a perfectly set-up domino trap; Haru pulls trigger after trigger, bullet shells flying, ignoring the way her shoulder is inching further and further from where it’s supposed to be by taking the brunt of the recoil. Ryuji hops off the bike, crossing his arms in front of him calling two, three, four bolts as Makoto calls another nuclear blast.

From inside the whirlpool of thick clouds, where the fog is most dense, a figure sways, coughing and lurching forwards and back, trying desperately to escape.

“Oh no you don’t! Zorro!”

Wind, so thick you can almost see it, swirls around most of the mist, locking it in and dragging everyone else’s attacks right in the center.

Futaba’s clacking can be heard even now. “He’s losing health fast! Eighty percent, seventy percent, sixty—”

The ground trembles ominously.

“What in the world…?” Yusuke pants from the ground, elbows barely able to keep his torso up.

It happens again, stronger this time.

“Fifty, forty—” she continues, voice small and desperate. “Thirty! Twenty!”

Akira presses his palm against the ground, eyes closed before snapping open. Despite his exhaustion, he compels himself to stand, arms outstretched defensively. “Guard!”

They do so, and a streak of pure light flickers from the inside, before rapidly getting larger and larger until it turns into a scintillating sphere that grew and pulsed, eating up everything in its wake and blowing away the captivating fog. Try as they might, there’s nothing they can do to stand up against a Megidolaon.

Bruised and battered, Konoe stands tall as the Phantom Thieves can do nothing but look up from the ground, energy and options all but dried up until neither was left.

—

“Stop, I can walk, let me up—”

“Panther, stop struggling, your ankle is already too injured to—”

“Fuck! Oracle, does he know where we are?”

“Not yet; looks like that vanish ball Joker threw out gave us some cover but it’ll last for a way shorter time considering he blew through our plan in less than—”

“Whoa, Fox, you’re not looking good.”

“I’m afraid I can’t keep going, everyone. Goemon has reached his limit, but I don’t necessarily need him to keep fighting. Judging by my vision, however, my accuracy might be much lower than usual.”

“Man, shut up and stay down.”

“Sophia? Can you hear us?”

“Yes, but—ow!”

“Okay, stop moving, you’re only going to make it worse.”

“Joker, we still have plenty of items that we’ve accumulated from previous Jails. We don’t have much time before he can find us again, but if we put our heads together—”

“Are you talking about the scraps of grilled corn and the three life stones we have left? It would be suicide. We have to go in, guns blazing. It’s the only way it can work.”

“You’re talking about suicide, Mona, and the ‘guns blazing’ strategy you’re talking about would be literally lead to us serving our heads on a silver platter.”

“So what’s your plan, Queen? I’m all ears, I’m serious.”

“G-guys, stop fighting! We’ve barely got enough time as is. Just let me scan—”

“We’re pulling back.”

All eyes turn to Akira, posture straight despite the sheen of sweat clinging to his forehead. It’s obvious how he was barely able to stand.

Ryuji takes a step forward. “Are you crazy?”

"More than half of us are running on fumes, and half of those people are injured to the point where they can barely keep going. Our plan was shattered like it was nothing, he has a super move that’s so powerful that it tears through our defenses like tissue paper. We’re retreating.”

“Like hell we are! Do you know what’s gonna happen if we leave?”

“We heal our injuries, we get more items, we prepare better this time, and we come up with a better plan.”

“And that gives that bastard—” he jerks his thumb behind him. “The exact same advantage.”

“And what advantage do we have?” Akira’s voice is calm but they all feel the edge to it. “Who can even fight?”

“I can,” Morgana answers quietly. “He takes wind like concrete, though.”

“So can I. However, I can’t do as much as I normally can.” Haru rolls her shoulder, wincing. “I may have dislocated my shoulder earlier.”

“And me, obviously,” Ryuji finishes. “That’s nearly an entire team. We even have support and a distance shooter, and Futaba’s still in this too, so—”

“No.”

“What?”

“I said no,” he says, hard. “Don’t be stubborn about this. You know damn well why we can’t.”

Akira turns on his heel, only the slightest wobble in his movements. “Let’s move out. We only have thirty seconds left before the vanish ball wears off.”

“We’re not leaving.”

“Yes, we are.”

“Is it because you’re not on the team?”

A hush falls on them, and for a second, everyone forgets that they were even in the middle of a battle.

Akira glances back, hair covering his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Ryuji takes another step forward, chin tilted up. “That you don’t think that we can handle this without you.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it really? When was that last time you weren’t on the A team, Joker? Does anyone remember?” He glances at the rest of them. “Anyone? No? Yeah, I figured.”

He stares at him. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?”

“I just don’t like that you’re implying that I can’t do shit for myself.”

“Ryuji…” Ann tries quietly.

“Yourself?” He faces him, expression blank. “I thought this was about the team.”

“And I’m part of the team, ain’t I?”

“You’re not dragging the rest of them into your petty, nonsensical argument, Skull,” Akira goes toe-to-toe with him, neither one blinking. “That’s final.”

“You know it would be dumb as shit to give that guy even more time to prepare. It’s like Shido—he was the toughest guy we went up against because he gave himself a billion counter measures since he knew we were coming. Konoe barely knew jack but he handed our asses to us. We finish this now or we don’t finish this at all.”

“I’d rather lose the battle than lose my friends,” he hisses. “We’re leaving. Now.”

“You’re too fucking blind to see that this is more than just us, leader,” Ryuji spits the word. “I can do it—no, I will do it.”

Akira grabs the bandana around his neck. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you,” he says through gritted teeth. “But you’re not going anywhere near Konoe.”

But it’s useless, and they both know it—Akira’s far too drained and Ryuji’s far too strong for it to be much more than an empty threat.

Ryuji wraps his fingers around his wrist. “I’ll prove to you that I can fucking do this,” his grip is tight, before forcibly peeling Akira’s grasp from him. “Believe in me. I’m strong, Akira.”

“Don’t do this.” Any anger from his words dissipates, and desperation takes its place. “I’m commanding you, as the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts—do not do this.”

With a wide grin and lightning behind his eyes, Ryuji’s gone, and Akira’s hand is grasping thin air.

“Fuck,” he clutches at his head, body shaking with exertion. “Fuck.”

“Oh my god,” Makoto breathes. “He’s going to fight Konoe alone.”

“Over my dead body,” Akira touches his mask. “Come out, Yoshits—” Before he can finish, a gutteral sound from deep in his throat cuts him off, and he crashes ungracefully on the ground. “God dammit.”

Makoto shakes herself out of her stupor, taking a deep breath. “Alright, we can’t leave Skull. We’ll work with what we have.” Instinctively, she looks to Akira for advice, but his eyes are glazed over. Whether or not it’s from exhaustion or shock from what happened, she doesn’t know. “Noir, range attack. Shoot down the broken limbs from the mech, pray it still has nuclear running through its pipes. Mona, you’ll be on the support. Noir is already down in health, and Lord knows Skull’s going to need it. I’m down energy wise, but I have a good visual from above.” Eyes sliding sideways. “Oracle?”

“Comms are set up, I’m scanning for weaknesses, and Skull’s almost there,” she replies instantly. “If you’re going to join him, it’s now or never.”

“Alright.” Makoto swallows. “Everyone else, stay back. You two—go.” Morgana and Noir dart out.

“Thank you,” Akira says quietly. “I was just…out of it.”

“You don’t have to explain. That was…” she trails off when he looks up at her. His gaze in the Metaverse is sharp, always sharp, but now they’re dull. From knives to pebbles.

“Why did he do this?” he whispers. “What did I do wrong?”

The floor begins to rumble again, and they all lean over the edge to watch the battle playout.

“Everyone’s in position,” Yusuke narrates with a frown. “I don’t doubt Skull’s skill, but even at our full power, Konoe couldn’t be beaten.”

“He’s there,” Makoto says, and Akira watches, perfectly still. “He’s about to hit first.”

Ann leans forward, as they all did, at how Ryuji calls Kidd, voice ringing so loud they can hear it from where they sat on top of a wall. “Can he really do it?”

“Well,” Futaba heaves a deep sigh. “He’s right that this is probably our best shot, considering that we already got Konoe down to twenty percent of his health.”

Captain Kidd materializes, and his cannon is leaning back, glowing with power, and Konoe takes a step sideways, about to dodge.

“But Ryuji isn’t the same fighter that he was before.”

Instead of shooting forward, the cannon is swiftly raised skyward and thunder cracks before lightning strikes Konoe, followed by Ryuji lifting his pipe and slamming it straight into his skull and dodging just as another Megidolaon grows where he stood.

All of them stare, wide-eyed, at the spectacle before them like it was a sporting match; a back and forth happens, where Konoe would use his immense speed and power to try and get the leg up on Ryuji, but he would only hit thin air as he dodges and parries, shifting and ducking with a finesse they’ve never seen before, calling up Kidd and using electricity so potent that they feel can its static. Konoe grips his saber and swings and swings, triple-attack rolled into one but everytime he tries he only gets cut off when Ryuji slams his hand into the ground and calls dozens of wildly waving purple hands, each of them clawing at Konoe mercilessly.

“I knew he was stronger than he was before,” Makoto’s eyes are wide with wonder. “But it's like I don’t even recognize him.”

Ions and plasma strike as lightning meets saber, causing a violent cascade of sparks to fly frantically around the two of them. Bullets ring out whenever Konoe takes a step back, only to send him flying as a mini nuclear blast explodes behind him; Haru’s aim is impeccable.

This dance plays out for a long time, with Ryuji calling earth-shaking attacks and dancing around Megidolaons while Haru finds weak spots.

“Has he grown even faster?” Yusuke wonders aloud.

Futaba is struggling to watch all the data, attention straying to watch the fight. “He’s shaved off another ten percent off his health!”

“He’s incredible,” Ann says, awe-struck. “Isn’t he, Joker? He’s totally kicking his ass, pretty much by himself.”

“There’s something wrong.”

She peels her eyes away from below to stare at him, perplexed. “Things couldn’t be any better.”

Akira’s eyes are trained on Ryuji, on the way he’s limboing, countering every single attack rather than guarding. “I’ve seen his style since the very first day he got his Persona, and I’ve never seen him dodge so fluently. So desperately,” he says, eyes narrowed. “Something changed. And I didn’t notice.”

“Guys, am I crazy,” Morgana’s voice crackles in their ear. “Or is he really, really good at dodging attacks? I’ve only healed Noir this entire time, and she’s not even down there.”

“I just think he’s being cautious,” Haru replies, cocking her gun before continuing her assault. “Oracle? Report, please.”

“Five percent left,” they all hear the grin in her voice. “He’s actually going to do it.”

“Panther.” Ann blinks at Akira. “Help me up.”

She does, pushing his shoulders up until he’s sitting straight. “Needed a better view of him being a badass?” she teases.

Instead of answering, his gaze focuses, irises turning into a bright shade of blue.

Third eye, she registers with surprise. “We already know his stats.”

“I don’t care about Konoe’s,” his brow furrows slightly. “I care about his.”

“Two percent!” Futaba calls gleefully.

Suddenly, air catches in Akira’s throat. “What?” Ann startles.

“His endurance,” his voice shakes so intensely that she almost can’t understand what he’s saying. “His endurance.”

“What? What does that mean? Joker?” He tries pushing himself on his feet, crumbling and spewing obscenities when he can’t. “What are you doing? There’s nothing you can do, and Mona’s already got the healing taken care of.”

“One percent!”

The look in Akira’s eye is wild, and he’s paler than she’s ever seen him—whiter than when he came back from the interrogation room, and it’s enough to make her stomach drop all the way to the ground. “By the time they heal him, it’ll be too late.”

Everyone cheers and they both turn their attention back to the battle below them, where Ryuji summons one last bolt at Konoe, and finally, it’s enough to take him down.

Ryuji turns his back to Konoe, arms raised in triumph and drenched in sweat, immense pride clear on his expression.

It all happens in slow motion.

Akira jumps down, ignoring the protests from above, limping and scrambling towards Ryuji. Behind him, Konoe tries for one last, desperate attempt to win by swinging his saber weakly at Ryuji’s ankles, grazing his flesh ever so slightly.

“No!” Akira cries out.

Despite the cut being as shallow as a paper cut and as wide as a bee’s sting, Ryuji crumples to the ground, all life seeped out of him like he was struck through the heart.

#p5 #p5s #mine #fic tag #plainly in truth #persona 5 #persona 5 strikers #ryuji sakamoto #akira kurusu #akiryu #pegoryu #chapter four...how the time flies