#cat ears maruki

[hopskipandarump]

I HAVE LITERALLY ZERO REGRETS INSTALLING THIS MOD LMFAO

[rattled-shadow]

I accidentally made a furry au for persona 5

Well, kind of

It's an au where everything is the same but everyone has animal ears (kemonomimi). So, they're not quite furry lol

I'm unofficially calling it my kemonomimi au or km!au

More details on how animalistic everyone is:

Depending on the animal they are, everyone has the ears, appendages (eg. tail, wings, tentacles) and even teeth and tongue of their creature

It is more common for people to be one animal but hybrids exist

There is a loose rule that if two people are genetically related, they, at least, share some animal traits

They do not have both animal ears and human ears, just animal ears

The characters I've come up with so far:

(If you have any ideas for the characters I'm missing or have better ideas for the ones that aren't, tell me! Also feel free to ask me about my choices (most have explanations lol))

Let's start with the ones who I'm most solid on: Palace rulers

Kamoshida - ram

Madarame - a goat peacock hybrid. He has the wings and tail of a peacock and ears and horns of a goat

Kaneshiro - cat (maaaybe calico)

Futaba - she has the same tentacles as Necronomicon coming from her back. The sclera of her eyes are black and her irises are glowing green. She can disguise these traits to make her look like she's an octopus girl

Okumura - wolf

Sae - crocodile

Shido - lion ears and a (golden) snake tail. He also has teeth similar to a lion and a forked tongue. Humorously, he's still bald

Yaldabaoth - he has a big ol' mechanical serpent tail and vaguely feline ears made out of wings. Mecha dragon <3

Maruki - he has the same tentacles of Azathoth coming from his back. His sclera is black and his irises are glowing blue. Just like Futaba, he can disguise these traits to make himself look like a squid man

Now for ones I'm less solid on: the Phantom Thieves

Ren - black cat

Morgana - the only change is his human form gaining his cat ears and tail

Ryuji - maybe monkey or lemur (either with gold fur or black fur he dyes gold)

Ann - jaguar

Yusuke - fox

Makoto - crocodile

Futaba - see above lol

Haru - wolf

Akechi - he has the tail and wings of a crow but has the same sharp teeth and forked tongue as his dad

Sumire - squirrel

Zenkichi - wolf or dog

And now for confidants (and co.):

Yoshida - sun bear

Iwai - monitor lizard

Kaoru - gecko

Sojiro - probably civet lol

[we-rate-maruki]

My version of Maruki

Hope this feels better soon

What fantastic Marukis!

I like Vamp Maruki’s nails and cozy sweater. He looks so happy~

Cat Maruki cat is giving golden compass x persona vibes. DOUBLE EARS

Panther Maruki putting the nyaa in nyarlothotep.

Menacing Maruki emanates ominous positivity. This MUST feel better soon, it has no choice.

19/10 them’s some Marukis

[teddiesbestestpal]

Morgana sweats as he falls upon the lower floor of Maruki’s palace, Adam Kadmon had knock both him and Tiefsee out of the upper layer of Maruki’s palace.

Morgana sweats, the black cat panting and sweating having already dropped his sword onto the ground, as hears the elegant yet graceful tap of boots Morgana grins.

“ Thanks for coming Tiefsee!” Morgana says eying the dumbo octopus Metaverse creation the same short height as him with light creamy orangish yellow skin with pointy elf ears long orangish yellow tentacle tendril hair with piercing reddish pink eyes with heavy eyeliner covered by a golden masquerade mask with a trident theme, underneath Tiefsee’s long grey trenchcoat adorned with golden buttons and a skull & crossbones badge he wears a white collared shirt with a light pastel reddish pink frilly tie around it and he wore light pastel reddish pink frilly gloves, his pants can rarely be seen under his trenchcoat but they match the color of his collared shirt which is white, he wears white boots with black stripes on the edge and with small gold buttons in the back and on his shoulder their are gold Epaulletes.

“ What are we going to do Tief?!” Morgana asks urgently as Tiefsee shakes his head.

“ I don’t know! Maruki’s stupid false reality has prevented me from processing data to access situations like I usually do!” Tiefsee says panicking as suddenly Adam Kadmon appears, the tall golden mechanical giant staring at them.

“ Tief! Watch out!” Morgana exclaims pulling out his sword as he tries to cut through Adam Kadmon but is pushed back. Morgana summons his third semester persona Diego as Diego casts Garudyne onto Adam Kadmon but Adam Kadmon destroys Diego with a single step as Morgana jumps back in pain.

“ Mona! Are you okay?!!” Tiefsee says with genuine concern written all over his face.

“ Tief.. please defeat Adam for me…” Morgana says as Tiefsee retorted.

Even though he couldn’t process data correctly currently he will help Morgana.

Tiefsee materialized his golden bladed anchor with a golden handle connected to a golden chain similar to that of a morning star. as Tiefsee threw his Anchor into Kadmon’s Back as he used the chain to pull himself up there.

“ I’m doing this for Morgana! For Akechi! For everybody!” Tiefsee thought to himself as suddenly a blue energy surrounds him as his Persona transforms into his new third semester Persona Edward, the now turquoise teal skinned half merman with long pastel light turquoise teal hair with a small emperor’s crown on it with tear shaped code coming out of it as Edward’s scleras are black with water tear shaped code in them and a closed mouth wearing a light dark turquoise fish tail scales themed raincoat with long puffy sleeves, actually opposable legs with scales on them and part bright turquoise teal with rainbow scale themed stripes heeled boots with a seashell shape at the end of them and wielding a fishing rod with multiple sharp bladed Darts at the end.

“ Rippled Heartache!” Tiefsee says as Edward channels his water energy as drips of water appear around him as the bladed darts from his fishing rod’s end become coated in water as the darts enters Kadmon’s body destroying it piece by piece as it makes a water heart shape before exploding as Tiefsee surely but gracefully landed on the floor.

Morgana got up as well happily hugging Tiefsee.

“ That was amazing Tiefsee! And you awakened to your third semester Persona as well! See? I knew you would get one!” Morgana says as Tiefsee blushes as he leans into the hug.

“ Thanks Mona.. now I’m sure the others are having a more easier time defeating Maruki..” Tiefsee says sweating while hugging Morgana, Tiefsee has worked hard today and so has Morgana, so they deserve to embrace each other.

[pugs-cats-bb-8]

Mementos-Vanilla

So blue was the colour of instakill?

Queen's Necklace weak to gun instead of psychic.

I always read "Did we overdo it"? In a sarcastic tone.

Nice sound effect. It sounds like someone taking a shit.

I thought the vending machines were added in Royal.

Last Surprise is too slow to be a battle song. IMHO.

R6 is the same.

R7 is the same.

R8 is the same.

R9 is the same.

R10 is the same.

If you pass down a move that a Persona is going to learn the next level. It defaults to the next move.

Unvoiced conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

You can totally leave and come back.

I like Peace And Security.

I love how Treasure Demons had 2 weaknesses.

I hate the floor puzzles.

Chest

I don't see Dionysus or Nebiros till Maruki's palace.

Unvoiced conversation.

Did they add the voices in Royal or did I just never hear them before?

Slightly different layout.

Chest.

No mask logo telling you what Personas you have.

Dominion is weak to gun?

Noodle boy.

I like the paper crumple effect when you skip an execution or hanging.

I like Sraosha's design.

Odin looks like he's straight out of Yu-Gi-Oh.

The guard's shoes make sounds?

Different layout.

Different boss. Which is good because Abbadon sucks.

Unvoiced conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

Different enemies.

Different door sound.

Moved Mara back to the last part of Mementos in Royal.

Different layout.

They added more puzzles in Royal. 😡😡

Mara used to be weak to ice?

A lot of stuff used to have weaknesses that they don't have in Royal.

Different layout.

The grail makes sounds?

I like how you can keep asking "Am I dead"? "Where are my teammates"?

Ren's going to have nightmares about guillotines.

I love his motion when he tells the Holy Grail to go fuck itself.

All the saving people conversations are unvoiced.

Different item in chest.

Best weapon/amour is not the first one.

Unvoiced conversation.

Different layout.

A Abdadon and two Kalis 😠😠

Abdadon had a Nuke weakness?

Somehow Ryuji can say "For Real" while frozen.

You could only itemize once a day?

Fusing Throne used to be 3 Personas?

The Yaldy reveal is so cool.

I love when it says "indulging in a lewd fantasy" 🤣🤣

The Okamura, 1V1 Shido battle, Yaldy and Maruki battles stress me out.

The end always gets me. 🤧🤧

I love how it heals your HP but not your SP.

Yaldy's cheating he didn't use a turn to charge.

"Begone" 😋😋

He got shot in the face and can still speak.

You can tell they're not to scale. Futaba should be more underwater.

Why is nobody trying to stop Morgana from floating away?

I love how Ren just has this netural look on his face till the very end. Then he reaches out.

Like dude, your cat is floating away. I'd be inconsolable if that were my cat.

Who watched Mystery Dungeon and decided to put it in?

The cheering thing is Royal only.

Solitary confinement? So he not only woke up in jail but all alone.😭😭😭😭 For a month and a half. I don't know whether to be more sad or mad.

No Christmas cake.

"I got you something". *Hands you nothing* 🤣🤣

Poor man needs gloves and a hat. I don't think his hair covers his ears.

Different text.

No watching the snow fall.

Unvoiced conversation.

Mishima's part gives me second hand embarrassment. I don't like begging like that. It reminds me of when they took us up to the local grocery store to sell Girl Scout cookies.

Long legs 😋😋

Why do I have to wait so long to get my cat back?

Human Morgana 🙅🏻‍♀️🙅🏻‍♀️

Unvoiced conversation.

Morgana chocolate.

All goodbye conversations are unvoiced.

You get text messages from the girls you dated? I don't think that happens in Royal.

Where is my man going to put a giant panting on the train?

"Sojiro's stupid". 🤣🤣

"I'm free from my attic prison". 🤣🤣

He looks so pretty without his glasses 😍😍

Not that he doesn't look pretty to begin with but... Something about him without his glasses. 😍😍

They make Morgana fix the car. 🤣🤣

"Just had to borrow a plug". 🤣🤣

How did Morgana know what spark plugs look like?

Yusuke's going to jump out the car. 🤣🤣

They credited the English VAs but not the Japanese ones?

You get to see his forehead.

God damn he is soo pretty. 😍😍

I still like Royal's ending better.

The entire game used to be blocked for recording? In Royal, it's only 3rd sem.

[notcorrect-persona5]

akira for the character ask thing please!

Yes!! I’ve been wanting someone to ask me about Ren or Yu. After typing this though I feel like some of my opinions are kinda controversial 😅

Favorite Thing About Them

This is the question that keeps me from posting these quickly. There are too many things I love about these characters. It’s really hard to pick a favorite thing, so I’ll just talk about one of the many things I love.

Even though we know nothing about his life pre-game and he’s a silent protag, Ren’s still a really unique character while also being a normal, teenage boy. He doesn’t need to be weird or have an intriguing backstory to be interesting. He also feels like he could be a real person. And he’s hilarious.

Least Favorite Thing About Them

He’s mean to Mishima for no reason.

I wish he had more of a backstory. I want to know more about him and his life prior to the game. I think Strikers would have been the best opportunity to give us some more insight on his life, and I was really disappointed when that didn’t happen.

The way some of the fandom sexualizes him is disgusting. He’s a child.

Favorite Line

“I’m not the free labor type.”

brOTP

Ryuji!! They’re friendship is so pure 🥺

OTP

Shumako! I wish they had more fan art, they’re such a cute couple.

nOTP

I understand why people ship Shuake. I do not understand how people can say they’re “basically canon.” They’re not. Also, a lot of Shuake content I see portrays Ren as this super fluffy, sensitive, sweet catboy which is weird and so far from who he is. I think he’s portrayed this way to be a contrast to Akechi. I don’t think you should change a character’s personality just to fit your ship better or to create the ship dynamic that you want. Not all content is like this, but I’ve seen a lot of it. Also, also, Ren caring about his friend’s death doesn’t automatically equal romance. Of course, he was sad that Akechi died. They’re friends. Speaking of, Ren’s dream reality wish wasn’t for Akechi to be alive. People who are currently rejecting dream reality don’t get their wishes. We know this because the wishes of everyone else in the party disappeared when they started rejecting it. We also know that Ren’s wish was to stay in Tokyo forever (which you find out if you accept dream reality). Maruki said he brought Akechi back because he thought it was tragic. He never said Ren wished for it. Even if Ren did wish for it, that wouldn’t automatically equal romance. If my friend died, I would want them to be alive too. I know a lot of Shuake shippers are really defensive of their ship, so if you have the urge to argue with me, please don’t. I don’t have the time or energy to talk in-depth about their relationship.

Random Headcanon

Ren has a light country accent. In the stage play, Ryuji makes fun of the way he says a certain word at the ramen shop. In a manga, a stranger calls him “an idiotic country bumpkin.” The only way that stranger could have known Ren was from the country would be his accent.

Ren’s scared of heights. This is actually implied in the game, but not a lot of people know about it. When he goes to Tokyo Tower with Sumire, two of his responses are “You don’t mind heights?” And “B-But if we fall...” When he goes there with Takemi, he says his ears feel weird and his heart is pounding. She then asks if he’s scared of heights. If you choose to train, Morgana will tell Ren to stand on a chair and one of his dialogue options is, “I’m not good with heights.” He looks miserable on the roller coaster in the animation. At Dometown, Ryuji says he’ll protect Ren on the roller coaster and starts teasing him saying “you better not cry on it.” When asked if he would rather go to Hawaii or LA, Ren can say Leblanc. Ann will then ask if Ren is scared of airplanes.

He is not athletic. Like not in the slightest. Ryuji, Sumire, Takemi, and Kawakami all point this out. In the manga, Ren says he was late due to his “poor physical condition.”  Sumire never tells him “good job” after training, she always says “good effort.” In a manga, Yusuke said he wanted to capture suffering then asked Ren to exercise. In Dancing, Ren thinks this while in Makoto’s room, “The weights are labeled 4K...Almost nine pounds. Really!?” While in Akihabara, Ryuji says the exercise machines are really expensive. If the player chooses to say he wants one, Ryuji says even if Ren could afford one, he won’t use it and it’ll just collect dust. Ryuji also tells Ren, “You gotta be more active.” After Takemi says a lot of students have been getting injured due to sports she says, “Well, I guess a kid like you doesn’t have much to worry about that...”

His glasses are real. I know it’s confirmed that his glasses are fake, but I really don’t like that concept. Most people don’t wear glasses, so they won’t help him “blend in.” They’d do the opposite- if they did anything at all. And that “intense gaze” thing doesn’t make much sense either. Have you seen his portraits? His facial expressions hardly change, and he has so much hair you can barely even see his eyes. I also just dislike the “intense gaze” trope in general. I like having a character with glasses who isn’t a nerd, genius, or old. Your eyesight has no impact on your personality, so Ren - who is also the main character btw - needing glasses would be cool.

Since he wears a lot of black and is always with Morgana, he probably has cat hair all over him.

He doesn’t have a big stomach/appetite. He tends to react judgmentally to how much Sumire, Ryuji, and Ann eat. When he was asking around Yongen-Jaya to see if anyone knew Futaba, a man asked if Ren eats a lot, and after you respond the man says “you don’t eat a lot?”

Ren’s a picky eater. Makoto asks Ren if he’s an adventurous eater and his dialogue options are basically no. He says, “yeah, sometimes”, “not really”, and “it depends.” When Jose asks if your tastebuds change as you get older, both of Ren’s responses are no which makes me think he won’t try anything he disliked once, even if it was years ago.

Since he’s from a small town, Ren gets lost a lot. There’s actually a manga where he texts Ann, “I’m lost. Send help.” Ann asks if he’s bad with directions, and he - distressed- says “No...Tokyo just takes a little getting used too...”

Ren’s late pretty often.

Since he’s from a small town, he’s a slower walker than some of the other characters.

He’s terrible with names. He asks for Kamoshida’s name three times, when Kawakami says Niijima wants to speak with you he has the option to ask who that is, the dialogue options for telling Ryuji Mishima’s name, the text bubble never changes from principal and Haru’s fiancé even though the player knows their names, he forgets Arsene’s name in a manga strip, he forgets Eiko’s name, and in Q2 one of his dialogue options is there’s too many names.

Unpopular Opinion

I’ve seen a lot of people complain that Ren didn’t seem to have PTSD after everything that happened in the interrogation room. I’ve also read things like, “There’s no way he doesn’t have PTSD.” That’s not how PTSD works. PTSD doesn’t care what you think “should” or “should not” happen. Traumatic events can trigger PTSD; however, not everyone emerges from trauma with it. Headcanon all you want, but saying it’s wrong that the game didn’t give him PTSD isn’t right.

Song I Associate With Them

Criminal by Brittany Spears

Wildcard by KSHMR

Good Kid from The Lightning Thief the Musical

Make It Up by Sam Tsui (this song also gives me major Percy Jackson vibes)

Still Feel. by Half•Alive

Favorite Picture of Them

I have two!

[artekai]

Cat dad Maruki and kitty son Ren?

Cat dad Maruki and kitty son Ren :') :')

Ren is a bit of a thrill seeker who climbs trees, chases after birds, and jumps on furniture, so Takuto is constantly worried about him and keeping an eye on his son all the time. Even then, he doesn't want to cut Ren's excitement short, so he lets him explore and show off his abilities as long as it's within reason, encouraging him to do whatever makes him happy if he's being careful.

Takuto, on the other hand, is more like a lazy cat, haha. He does work a lot, especially on things that pique his interest like cognitive psience, but, when it comes to cat stuff... he's one very lazy cat lol. He likes naps and pets and lying in the sun. That's pretty much it :3

Still, he likes playing with Ren, as father and son, and he loves surprising him with new toys. Not for special occasions or anything, but just to brighten his day up a little, especially when he notices Ren is feeling down.

Sometimes, they cuddle with mom Rumi on the couch for some quality family time, watching TV, sharing snacks, or simply talking. Ren happily lays between her arms, purring until he falls asleep, and Takuto nuzzles her cheek repeatedly, trying to get her attention, making her giggle and scratch behind his ear until he falls asleep too. She loves touching their hair because it's always really soft and fluffy and, of course, she loves seeing them so happy! :3

And now that there's two of them, they can hiss at the TV together whenever Shido gets on the news lol

[inkpens-coffee]

Imagine if Ren was a kid and had a ton of kitten-like behavior and Maruki was his dad how much chaos would their be?

I see kitten Ren being this tiny lil baby and Maruki plays with him like

Oh and kitty Ren gets into ALL the mischief! He’ll be sitting the floor playing with his toys, Maruki will look away for one second and when he looks back Ren is on a really high place like a shelf knocking stuff over and it gives Maruki a heart attack!

He also loves to cuddle! Kitty Ren will whine and cry until Maruki sits him in his lap and gives him ear scritches. Plus he does the cat eye thing when he wants something and Maruki never has the heart to say no. His cat son is definitely spoiled!

[fatumsolutus]

Humanized!Morgana Sakura (Persona 5 Royals) Tag: Phantom Feline     FC:  Aoyagi Ritsuka from Loveless

  Age: Guesstimated around 12 or 13   Gender: Male   Pronouns: He/Him   Arcana: Magician   Main Persona: Zorro > Mercurius > Diego   Height: 5’1   Sexuality: Unsure   Build: Short and slender.   Occupation: Phantom Thief, Student   Affiliations: The Phantom Thieves of Heart   Personality Traits: Loyal, Outspoken, Curious, His Family,   Likes: Treasures, Coffee, Helping others, Discovering new things and learning about being human, School,   Dislikes: Shadows, Cops, Bossy and corrupt adults, Rules,

   Biography & Main Verse:     - Morgana was born of Humanities Hopes and desires. He helped form the Phantom thieves and fought against corruption in the world. He assisted Joker, and through living with him and Sojiro he longed to be a person. Even After Maruki had manipulated his world.     - After defeating Maruki, and reality reset, Morgana woke up as a human boy. After freeing Joker from being incarcerated, they theorized that Morgana’s human form had something to do with the wish to change forms granted by Jose, or it was the will of his desire.     - Sojiro took him in as his ‘nephew’ and Morgana lives with the Sakura Family. He spends his days learning about being human now.

    Tidbits/Head Canons/Verse Specific Info.     - To Persona users, Morgana appears to have a pair of cat ears, there are unseen or unnoticed by regular people. It reveals the true nature of him not being fully human.

[renxamamiya]

The Sins of Your Mistakes Weigh Heavily On My Soul

A03 Link Here

My half of a tradefic with @wildcard-rumi. This is based on my Theatre of Mirrors AU and her Takuto is Ren's Dad AU, specifically on her 'Buried Memories' series.

Go have a read of her AU, it's amazing and I love it. As for people waiting for Theatre of Mirrors don't worry, I've been busy/exhausted with other personal projects and life that I haven't really got the time/motivation to write it. But I will hopefully put something out before March!

Sumire: Hello, Dr. Maruki-San Sumire: Can you come to Leblanc today? There’s something we need your help with. Sumire: It’s about Ren.

---

Takuto stared at Sumire’s message on his phone, his fingers awkwardly tapping against the hardwood that made the Leblanc counter. It had been a while since he’d met the rest of the thieves; more than a year had passed since he’d tried to force a false reality to the whole of humanity, one where there was no concept of pain, only placid happiness in which the wildest dreams had come true. It came with a price: the stagnation of humanity, one where no one had to struggle, had to fight for what they wanted. He did it out of kindness, of course; to save everyone from the pain he experienced, from the pain his son had to endure... Looking back upon his mistake, he found it ironic that his sole reason to plunge humanity in a reality of ignorant bliss was the one who unravelled his plans at the seams.

It wasn’t as if Ren didn’t have his share of anguish, yet Takuto was too aware he had condemned his son to nothing but suffering. A clumsy night in the early hours during his time in college, Ren having to grow up without a traditional, nuclear family... Him having to witness Rumi’s death, traumatized, only then to have his memories wiped... Takuto still found the memory of Ren in the hospital room hard to swallow, the time where he’d used his Persona’s powers to alter reality, to make him happy. Reflecting upon it with his changed heart, he now realised that his good intentions would have led humanity into a Hellish existence; though he didn’t regret it one bit as he wouldn’t have reunited with his son in the first place.

He nestled the cup of coffee he had close to him, taking a sip from it, savouring the complex flavours intertwined with the tangy bitterness of the roast. Sakura-san had kindly brewed a cup for him to enjoy before closing the shop temporarily for his meeting with Ren’s friends, Takuto graciously accepting the cup and paying for it, waiting anxiously for the group to arrive. A ring of the bell caught his attention, Takuto whipping his head to see Sumire’s eyes peering from the frames of her glasses. She smiled upon seeing him, rushing into the quiet cafe followed by the other thieves before giving him a quick bow, “Good morning, Maruki-sensei,” she greeted, and Takuto laughed at her extreme politeness.

“You don’t have to be so formal, Yoshizawa-san,” Maruki laughed, “I’m not your teacher anymore, and I did come here because you asked, after all,”

He looked over to the rest of the group, the thieves minus Sumire sitting in the booths, their faces solemn as they looked away from his gaze. Takuto frowned; he had spotted Morgana quietly curled on Haru’s lap, the girl running her fingers in his fur absent-mindedly, looking worried at the cat with worry. Another sweep of the room with his eyes, distress welling inside him. Before Sumire could even speak, having noticed his panicked expression he asked out loud to the room: “Where’s Ren? Has something happened to him?”

“That’s... what we want to talk to you about,” Makoto said, yet she found it hard to look Takuto in the eyes. The feeling of unease between the thieves grew between them, the worried glances they exchanged only made him more anxious.

“What happened? Is he okay?” he stuttered, jumping from his seat, “Did he get into some sort of trouble? Is he in danger?” Each time he asked them the group winced, Sumire’s cheerful expression evaporated as she watched Takuto beg for any sort of information, each question curling the corners of her frown deeper on her face, “I need to know, please tell me: what is going on?”

“It’s... hard to say,” Ann replied to his plea, “It... he...”

“Ren’s gotta Palace,” Ryuji huffed, stoic at Takuto’s shocked reaction, “We’ve been infiltration’ it for some time now,”

“He has a Palace?!” Takuto’s eyes widened, shocked at this revelation, “W-when did he get one? Does that mean that world... the Metaverse came back? How-”

“We don’t know,” Makoto tried her best in answering him, her voice understanding at his floundering confusion, “We don’t know when the Palace had been formed, but when it did fully form it brought back the Metaverse with it,”

“And Mementos too,” Futaba added, “The whole thing, and his Shadow has been manipulating it too for his own goals,”

“Just like...” Takuto swallowed, still bewildered at this newfound knowledge, “But why? Do any of you know?”

“He has mentioned a performance of some kind,” Yusuke said, “One ‘of a lifetime’, it isn’t wrong to suspect his plans with Mementos had something to do with it,”

“Have you noticed something with the public, Maruki-san?” Haru asked him, her expression curious, “We’ve been noticing ourselves the renewed interest in the Phantom Thieves out in public, even selling Phantom Thief merchandise again,”

“I... I have,” Takuto swallowed, loosening the buttons of his coat, his hands shaking in the warm air of the cafe, “I’ve heard things on the radio about the Phantom Thieves; passengers would always mention about them to me, but I always thought it was because of the anniversary of your first heist that brought interest back. Kamoshida, right?”

Ryuji and Ann cringed at the mention of Kamoshida, Takuto immediately regretting his words, “S-so anyway, where is Ren? He has a Palace, but I assume-”

“He’s trapped inside of it,” Takuto whipped his head to look at the cat, Morgana, rising from his listless nap upon Haru’s lap to talk to him, “For some reason his shadow’s keeping him in there. No idea why, but what we do know is that he’s kept at the top floor,”

“Trapped inside...” Takuto repeated under his breath, rolling the words on his tongue as he tried desperately to even comprehend the situation. Heavy silence soon fell amongst the group. Takuto bit his lip, was he the one who caused this?

Makoto cleared her throat, snapping the room back into attention “There’s a vital area of the Palace he refuses to open up for any of us, Takuto. Anyone but you, that is, according to his shadow,”

Takuto looked at her in thought, contemplating her words, they churned in his mind. He looked at the polished floor of the cafe, his lips pursed. He curled his fingers into a fist, his chest tightened, Takuto blinking the tears from his eyes as they arose.

He looked back up at the thieves, their eyes filled with hope, pleading for him to assist them in saving his son.

“Alright, I’ll go with you to his Palace; Ren’s Palace,” he said.

---

“Is this?”

Takuto gazed at the foyer before him, watching the humanoid cognitions before him, all of them chatting to and fro, paying no mind to the thieves, all of them wearing masks. Light from the scarlet day of the outside shone wonderfully through the stained-glass windows. He gazed uneasily at the statue that nestled itself between the two ascending stairs, gulping down the stress and anxiety he felt, staring at an uncharacteristically pompous statue of his son.

“The Palace is becoming more unstable with each trial we complete,” Goro informed him, Takuto still bewildered by the mere fact that he was alive, and more importantly, helping the thieves with their infiltration, “I’d advise you to keep your wits and do whatever the shadow wants you to do, we can’t risk it prematurely collapsing,”

Takuto nodded, intimidated by the former detective, barely hiding the disdain he felt towards the former councillor. He had almost condemned the entirety of reality to one of false bliss, forcing his wants onto the entirety of reality. He also understood Goro still felt bitter towards him with erasing Ren’s memories, making him suffer, the infallible leader a mess in the confrontation of his recollections, having no way to cope with any of them. Sure, he had come out on top of them, able to power through his relieved anguish of losing Rumi, of losing his father, of having to witness her...

“It certainly has seen better days,” the bespectacled man sighed. He could still see signs of grandiose and luxury in the untended chaos of the tatters and scratches that accented each curtain and carpet, as if abandoned and allowed to rot with time. A part of him still wanted to deny the sight before him, still rationalised that nothing about this was real, that his son was back in reality, that he was safe, that this was some sick prank conjured up by his friends.

All those wishful thoughts Takuto had mustered quickly dashed when he saw the figure stood before them. Waiting.

“-And remember, refer to him as Joker, not Ren,” Goro hissed in his ear, “All we can do is appease him unless... well, I don’t suppose you’d like to end up as a corpse, would you?”

“I- Thank you, Akechi-san,” Takuto gulped, nodding in acknowledgement of Goro’s warning before turning towards his son. Though they were meters apart it felt like they were looking across the maw of a canyon. With a step, and then another, Takuto walked towards his son.

“Hello, dad,”

“Hello, Joker,” Takuto responded to the shadow’s greeting, already unnerved by his eyes, no longer grey but golden. Was this a shadow his friends constantly mentioned about, the dark, repressed side of the individual? Takuto had never gotten a chance to meet such a being, the ruler of his own distortions, he was the one who sat atop of his warped heart, ruling them with a gentle hand. He had his familiar outfit on, his will of rebellion, Takuto recalling seeing it when the thieves confronted him to change his heart. Though it was the differences that unsettled him: his dapper vest shining in scarlet red, his mask, black and golden, greatly increased the eerie glow of his eyes, “You wanted to see me?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I want to see my own father,” Joker said, words dripping with sarcasm, “It’s been a while since we last sat down and talked, I’m really starting to miss it a lot,”

“Likewise?” Takuto said cautiously, fearful of what the shadow’ll do to him if he misspoke, “I would like to spend some time catching up with you, if that is your reason for summoning me of course,”

“It was! You know me so well, father,” Joker smiled, and hand raised and the click of his fingers, a door swung open among the foyer, “Come, come with me, we have a lot to talk about I’m sure,”

---

The theatre room led him into nothing but a featureless void Takuto discovered, empty as if he was transported to another world. The Phantom Thieves, Ren’s friends, did warn him about the possible dangers that he had to face, Takuto still willing to plunge into whatever trial Ren - Joker - wanted him to face. The shadow unnerved him yes; he reasoned that anyone would be uncomfortable with the confrontation with the shadow of a loved one, their dark, inner thoughts giving shape in a distorted environment. A ‘Palace’ the thieves called it. Walking in the directionless void he hoped deeply his knowledge of the Metaverse could aid him in whatever Joker wanted him to endure. He had to save his son from himself, and this time he wasn’t going to run away from him, Takuto told himself.

“Daddy?”

Takuto’s heart jumped in his throat, him turning instinctively towards the sound of a child whimpering in the darkness. The voice was familiar, too familiar, a beacon that guided Takuto in the dark, or a lure to ensnare him into the jaws of his doom, Takuto rushing towards it with haste all the same.

“Daddy? Where are you?”

“Ren!” Takuto shouted, clambering toward the terrified child, tripping on his own feet with every other stride he took in a desperate, maddened haste to reach his crying son. He didn’t consider the possibility of the apparition of his crying son to be a trap, only instinct carried him forward until he approached the small cognition.

Grey, watery eyes full of innocence stared back at him, the small form of Ren clutching tightly onto a distinct plush of a cat. Takuto’s heart melted as he knelt to his level to address the boy, to show him that he meant no harm, the boy shying away into the fur of his toy.

“I’m here for you, Ren,” Takuto cooed, reaching out his arms towards the frightened boy. The young Ren stopped his crying. He looked at Takuto’s inviting, outstretched arms; and then at him, Takuto gave him a smile that radiated safety and love.

“Who-who are you?” from the stuttering, fearful cognition was the reaction that Takuto did not expect, his face falling in confusion, his bemusement matched with the smaller Ren that stared blankly back at him. Takuto tenderly brushed the mess of hair away from Ren’s eyes.

“I-I’m your dad,” Takuto said reassuringly, yet the cracks of his tone betrayed the melancholic feelings that welled inside of him. To see those grey eyes gaze upon him, wide and curious and with wholly innocence broke his heart, “There’s no need to be scared, Ren. I’m here now, I’ll protect you,”

Young Ren looked at him, slightly backing away from the unfamiliar, familiar man in front of him, “I... I don’t... I don’t remember, if you’re my dad I don’t remember you! I don’t-”

“Hey, calm down,” Takuto said, yet he respected the distance Ren had put between them, “It’s alright to forget sometimes, which is why we need others to help us remember,”

“I-”

“Do you trust me, Ren?” Takuto asked the frightened child. Young Ren looked at him hesitantly, clutching the stuffed toy in his arms closer against his chest. He looked down onto the floor, pausing in contemplation.

“I... Guess so,” Young Ren mumbled shyly, eyes flickering between the floor and Takuto that reminded the bespectacled man so much about Ren in his younger years. He gestured for the child to sit down in front of him, Young Ren doing so obediently, the both of them folding their legs as they sat cross-legged on the murky floor.

“Now, do you remember anything about your father?” Takuto asked, adopting a more professional persona with inquiring the boy, “Anything at all?”

“Well, I think he wears glasses,” Young Ren started, curling his small thumb and finger before holding them up to his face, peering into the holes he had made with his hands, “They’re really big on his face. He wears them a lot, and I barely see him take them off,”

“That’s good, what else do you remember?” Takuto asks, amazed at Ren’s recollection, the boy knitting his eyebrows in concentration.

“And... He had brown hair,” Ren recalled, his hands moving to his head, “Brown hair that was really long and wavy, but not too long like a girl’s. He also had brown eyes... and...”

“And?”

“He would watch Featherman with me,” Ren said, “Every Saturday, he would wake up just to watch Featherman with me. I would always ask which Featherman he liked the best a-and he would ask me who was mine, and it was-”

“Featherman Red,” Takuto finished, Young Ren’s eyes widening, “I remember. I’ve always remembered,”

“A-and,” Ren continued, his cheeks slightly flushed against his skin, “I remember whenever he came home he would always bring apples! He’s not good at cooking them, but I didn’t mind eating them anyway, because he would always bring home the really tasty ones,”

And the child continued his recollection, Takuto’s small smile that sat on his lips grew a little wider with each detail Ren managed to recall, the excitement in his eyes growing more and more, and Takuto wondered if the child was even aware of how much he recalled. Yet whenever Takuto asked for the child of his father’s name he merely blinked at Takuto.

“I don’t remember my daddy’s name,” Young Ren shook his head, his disappointment reflecting Takuto’s, “I’m trying really hard, I am!”

“I know you are,” Takuto sighed, resting a hand upon his shoulder, giving the small child a reassuring smile. Yet, as defiant as his grown-up self, Young Ren shook his hand away.

“But, there’s one name I do remember.” Young Ren mumbled under his breath. Takuto’s eyes widened, a sudden drop of water dropped upon his head. Carefully reaching over the moist patch of his hair he looked at his fingers. Nothing. He looked up. Only the black that characterized their surroundings present. He turned to look back at the boy.

“What name is it?” Takuto asked, Young Ren squeezed his eyes shut.

“I... it’s someone close to dad,” he mumbled. More droplets of phantom liquid dripped upon him, “Someone... I.... don’t remember,” The child began to panic, “I... I can’t remember it anymore. I can’t, I’m-”

“There, there,” Takuto cooed, brushing away Ren’s tears, ignoring the storming of the invisible rain on his person that only increased in ferocity, “It’s okay. Just do like what we did with your dad, okay?”

“O-okay,” Young Ren said, trying hard to salvage a mask of bravery, looking at Takuto with red, blotched eyes “I mean... I don’t have a lot of memories of her...”

“Her..?” Takuto feared he knew who the young boy was referring to, the invisible storm now pouring magnitudes onto him, unrelenting, the liquid thumping hard against his frame, his hearing starting to be muffled by the roar of rushing water, “Ren, maybe we should-”

“She had big eyes-” Young Ren began to recite, Takuto grabbing tightly onto his shoulders, his pleas for the boy to stop falling on death ears.

“-and she was smart, and nice-” Young Ren continued, oblivious to the panicking Takuto that desperately pleaded with him to stop.

It smelled. Everything smelled rancid, like something rotten, something foul, something metallic. But it was as if Ren was painfully unaware of the speckles of red splattered on his face.

“-and, and she had red hair!”

Takuto recognised the expression the young boy suddenly snapped into, grey eyes once filled with ignorance now watered with fear and distress. The memories of the break-in, the blood, the red. The child stumbled back away from Takuto, both of them shocked that the ground seemed to ripple under them.

“Ren!” was all Takuto could utter until a shrill shriek spilled from Ren’s lips. More blood dripped down from the sky, the child turned and tripped against his feet and fell onto the ground. Takuto reached for Ren but stopped.

Rumi. Rumi was in the reflection, so many copies of her, eye wide and afraid, blood gushing from her red locks, Takuto speechless, the only sound coming from his lips were the terrified whimpers that bubbled up from his tight throat. He too soon stumbled onto his knees, his own distressed reflection mirrored back at him, Takuto’s traumatic expression staring back at him among the mosaic of Rumi’s last moments. He dared not to look at the scene above him.

“Subject one is asleep and well, Dr Maruki,”

“Was the actualisation successful?” his voice rang in his ears. Takuto blinked his watering eyes, adjusting his vision to the spotless white tiles that made up the room. The familiar, sterile smell of disinfectant stung his nostrils, Takuto barely making out the sweetness of forgotten flowers in bouquets that splashed colour among the featureless wall. He allowed himself time to collect himself; he looked at his hands, bloodless yet he swore he could still feel the liquid staining his hands.

“Yes, Dr Maruki,” the unfamiliar voice rang out. Takuto swallowed the bile that rose from his throat, allowing himself to collect his composure and strength before he stumbled onto his feet with great effort.

Suddenly he found himself in a chair, gazing at the two figures looking over a sleeping child. One was a faceless nurse, writing on a clipboard as she talked. The other was himself, “There seemed to be no complications with the procedure,” the nurse continued, the reflection of Takuto reaching down absent-mindedly to stroke the sleeping Ren’s hair, “He should be waking up at any moment,”

“Thank you,” the other Takuto smiled, “You may go now,”

The nurse nodded before dissipating into a thin cloud of smoke, the other Takuto sighing before turning to the sitting Takuto, looking at him soberly.

“It was...” Takuto croaked, the guilt of his past mistake tightening in his stomach, “I just wanted...”

“I’m sure he’ll understand,” the other Takuto said quietly, turning back to the sleeping form of Ren, white-gloved hands coiling around strands of black hair. Flashes of memories flickered from within Takuto’s vision. How his son’s face contorted in anguish at the recollection of memories, how desperate he was to forget, willing to battle his friends to preserve his own ignorance, the lingering gazes, hauntings of his own psychological pain that echoed from within his own eyes, “He’s such a strong child, even when staring at the face of danger he still puts on a brave face,”

“Yeah, he really-” he feels something wrapping tightly around Takuto’s wrists. He looked down; blackish-blue tendrils slid across his skin. Panic rises from his chest and tightens his throat; he struggles against the grip of the monster binding him.

“There’s one more thing I need to get rid of,” the other Takuto murmured, Takuto futilely thrashing against Azathoth’s hold. The cognitive double approached him; eyes unblinking under the thick frames of his glasses as he watched Takuto struggle against the cognitive Persona. A click of his fingers, and the tendrils encompassed all of Takuto’s body other than his face, “This is for my patient, for my son,”

“You’re making a mistake!” Takuto’s voice cracked, his appeals to his cognitive double fruitless as he saw him snap his fingers. He felt himself pulled down by the otherwise unseen demon, his feet slowly sinking into the floor, the cognitive Takuto watching him disappear with a blank face.

“This is for his own good,” the cognitive Takuto said absolutely, his expression unmoving while he watched Takuto sink into the ground, “He needs to forget, he needs to be unburdened by the memories of her death, and that includes removing you from his life,”

“But-”

“It’s the only way,” the cognition repeated to him, the scenery around him going monochrome, the doubles skin growing paler before everything started to fade into white “We both know it’s the right way,”

“We...” Takuto croaked through the tears that started to well in the corners of his eyes, trying desperately to blink them away, tearing his eyes from his cognitive double in shame, “I was... I was foolish to think that. All it did was cause Ren and I suffering...”

The cognition said nothing.

“I should have been there for him...” he choked, the tentacles that wrapped around him grew ever tighter, “But I was a coward. I-”

He turned his head to see nothing. Featureless white. His throat tightened. There was nothing; he was stuck, yet the tendrils continued to drag him down, deeper and deeper, his breaths quickened, he was panicking, fidgeting against his bonds. It was too much, he was growing increasingly fatigued, he needed to escape, he-

“Daddy?”

Ren’s confused voice rang out, and Takuto quickly lost consciousness, his vision turning black.

---

“-he the next patient?” a voice rang out from the fringes of his consciousness, so familiar to his ears. His eyelids were heavy. Takuto wanted to sleep.

“Yes, Dr Am-” another voice accompanied the stranger. His mouth was dry. He felt sick.

“-ki, Takuto,” the first voice chuckled, Takuto dragging himself from his uncomfortable slumber, wincing in pain at the bright light that assaulted his vision.

“Who... who are-?”

Takuto jolted awake in alarm. The voice... was Ren, the grey eyes of his son looking at him, tired and heavy. His hair was slicked back neatly, his outfit a white, spotless suit, his shirt collar propped neatly around his neck. “Where am I?”

“You’re in good hands, Mr Maruki,” Ren smiled at him. It unnerved Takuto; Ren’s eyes shimmering yet empty, the curl of his lips rehearsed and forced, his voice too calm for the situation they both found themselves in, “Don’t worry. Soon your troubles will all disappear,”

Ren’s words did nothing to soothe Takuto. He looked down to where he currently sat, a white throne under him. Takuto paled.

“Patient seems to be distressed due to the loss of his son,” Ren spoke, snapping his fingers to the same featureless nurse from before, who then handed him a clipboard, “unforeseen circumstances; it seemed that the little one had died during a failed robbery-”

Ren fiddled his hair in thought, tucking a stray strand  behind his ear before continuing, “Patient seems to be in great psychological pain. Advisory procedure includes amnesia brought upon by actual-”

“Ren, please don’t,” Takuto cried, shaking his head furiously, “Please stop this madness, you’re making a-”

“Nurse, please make sure our patient here is secure!” Ren ordered the cognition, it nodded its head before lunging towards Takuto, its limbs sprouting from its form before pinning Takuto on the throne.

“Please, Mr Maruki,” Ren begged the thrashing Takuto, “Just calm down. I don’t want to cause you any more distress, the redhead was already enough trouble to treat,”

“Ren wait plea-”

A snap of his fingers. The entire amphitheatre rumbled violently, a great figure rose from behind Ren’s determined form, its golden skin and green eyes glowing in the light. Takuto sat there petrified, his mouth hung agape, his body quaked in fear, eyes wide as his forehead perspired with sweat, his mouth dry, his heart thumped with sickening speed, only able to hear it thrash in his chest as he gazed up upon the Persona who stared back at him with its unmoving face.

“Adam Kadmon,” Ren uttered his name, “You know what to do,”

A click of his gloved fingers, and Takuto’s vision was once more engulfed into black. ---

His brown eyes flickered open once more. Takuto rested his head on the featureless floor. He was back to where he started, the weird ethereal voice that Joker- no- his son had sent him to face the trial he so desperately wanted Takuto to endure. He wanted to go home, he wanted this madness to stop; he rose from the blackness, seeing that he was now palming wood, the walls surrounded him painted black while fluorescent light hung above his head.

“Was this...” he mumbled, yet the clicking of familiar heels made him snap to attention, hastily scrambling up to his feet, the shadow of his son walking towards him with hands in his pockets, golden eyes transfixed intently, emerging from the shadows of the empty room, him using his will upon the Palace they were currently in to convey his dramatic aura with persistent intimidation.

“Did you have fun, father?” Joker seethed, tongue rolling with each syllable as if the words were bitter to the taste. He looked pleased with himself, claiming his victory over his father, looking down at him with scorn, yet Takuto could see the agony that brewed in him by the quiver of his bottom lip, “I sure did, watching you flounder like that,”

“Was all of that how you truly felt?” Takuto meekly asked, watching how Joker swaggered towards him, avoiding the rhetorical inquiry from the shadow, “Everything I put you through... did you suffer that much?”

Takuto didn’t like how the corners of Joker’s mouth tugged higher, how his smile grew wider, thinner, his golden irises quivering in delight, how the white in his engulfed everything. Joker said nothing, his strides widening, Takuto’s feet firmly planted onto the floor.

“I-”

“The things I had to endure,” Joker roared, his expression unmoving yet his voice quaked with rage ill-fitting of the mask he wore, “The fights between my adopted parents, the stares and whispers I’d get from my classmates, the anguish I had to endure once I remembered. I kept-”

Joker’s facade slightly cracked, lines on his face, as if it were porcelain.

“I had nightmares” he cried, voice breaking, yet he betrayed no tears, “Nightmares from that day, seeing things that I couldn’t explain, seeing her dead, the blood... I always woke up in a cold sweat, never remembering why I was crying, I-”

Joker inched his face closer to Takuto’s with each word, stretching himself further upward, standing on the soles of his boots. What he didn’t expect from his rant was the arms that wrapped around him, the shadow pulled from his taunt into a comforting embrace, Takuto’s hand snaked to comb the strands of his unruly hair. Joker’s expression transitioned one from hate into befuddlement, feeling something hot drip down onto his grand, black coat.

“I’m sorry,” Takuto choked, bringing him in closer, undeterred by the mask poking painfully in his neck, “I’m sorry,” he repeated, grasping his son’s hair, palming it with long, tender strokes, “I couldn’t bear to look at you, you didn’t move, didn’t speak, I wanted you to get better, I thought-”

Takuto swallowed the bile that rose from his throat. He felt Joker’s body in his arms slump slightly, his head resting on his shoulder, “I’m sorry,”

The shadow said nothing, merely allowing himself to be held, his body limp, small heaves escaped from his throat every so often.

“Please, let us help you, Ren-”

The shadow snapped to attention, a hand around the scruff of Takuto’s jacket collar, tearing him away from the embrace they were locked in. In his shock, Takuto tried to escape from the grasp of the invisible assailant, only able to by slipping from the article of clothing, stumbling forward and running back to the hunched shadow, Joker’s gloved hands hiding his face. Yet as he got closer something stopped his advance; he collided into something, hard, yelping in agony as he clutched his nose, blinking to see that there was nothing in between them.

“You don’t get it, do you?” the shadow laughed while Takuto pressed his hands at the unseen barrier between them, the sound hollow, no joy in his words, “None of you do,”

The sound of trickling water filled the room, red swirled below Joker’s boots, Takuto confused and scared at the sight before him. It was like... It was like... “I’m going to make everything better,” Joker continued, peaking through the gap of his splayed hand on his face, “Heaven is nothing but a lie; I’m going to make a place where desires can truly be realised,”

“Ren, you don’t have to do this! Please,” Takuto begged, the red liquid rising rapidly up towards Joker’s hunched body, the shadow glaring at Takuto’s fearful form, “You’re making a mistake, Ren, don’t make the same mistake I did,”

“Of course I won’t,” Joker smiled as he stood up straight, the waters still rising, his facade perfect yet again, the calm on his face appearing so sudden that it terrified Takuto how easily Joker was able to slip back into calm, “I know a way to make them obey, all of them,”

“Is it true? Are you using-” the water was now up to his waist, Joker unfazed by the liquid slowly drowning him.

“A trickster never reveals his tricks,” Joker laughed, licking his lips while he watched Takuto squirm, “Not like I’ll tell you... any of you. You’ll just make everything more complicated, you’ll ruin all my plans, and the worst thing is the realisation that none of you care,”

“You’re destroying yourself in the process,” Takuto begged, his hands pressing against the glass, “Your friends have told me everything, each day your mental state is decaying further, this place is collapsing in upon itself. You’re losing yourself, Ren-”

“DON’T CALL ME BY THAT NAME,” Joker screeched, banging two of his fists onto the invisible barrier between them, Takuto clumsily stumbling back with shock, “I am not Ren, I’m not him, I am better, HIS better!” the red was now at his neck, the room shaking with invisible fury, “I will never go back to being him, Maruki, and you should realise that by now,”

“Ren-”

But it was too late, the shadow fully submerged in the red liquid, seemingly gone. Panic engulfed Takuto, him now thumping against the glass with his hands rolled into fists, desperate to save his son from the other side, “Ren!” he called out to no avail, continuing to pound against the barrier before him.

A subtle crack, and then another, then another. Takuto heard the trickling of water before he saw it, red liquid now bursting through the dam separating him and his son, the cascade of water spilling out like dominoes, and it wasn’t long for the barrier to completely break, the red torrent sweeping everything in his path up in its tide, taking Takuto with it.

---

A low rumble came from behind the theatre door, the thieves emerging from another one of Joker’s trials pitted against them, it swung from its hinges with Takuto being thrown outside of the room. He landed with an ‘oomph’ onto the carpeted floor, the group running towards him in shock and worry, though they could barely see a visible scratch on him.

“Maruki-san!” Sumire was the first to rush to his aid, kneeling next to the dazed brunette, blue flames dissipating her mask while her hands glowing with the familiar green of Diarahan, “Are you okay, are you hurt, what happened?”

“I’ll, I’ll be fine,” Takuto assured her gently dismissing her, trying hard to amass the strength to stand up on his own two feet, “I just... I just need a moment,”

“You don’t look fine,” Haru pointed out softly, “Are you sure you don’t need to rest? You look like you’ve been through a lot,”

“If it’s anything like the trials we have to endure, I’m surprised he came out unscathed,” Yusuke mumbled out loud, “Though then again, Ren is his son...”

“I didn’t do anything too taxing, haha,” Takuto weakly laughed, giving the thieves an unconvincing, weak smile, “It was... it was...”

His smile faded, his facade melted, looking down at the faded carpet below him, “I... I didn’t realise fully the pain I put him through,” he said, almost whispering, “He was suffering all that time. It’s my fault-”

“It isn’t your fault though,” Ann said earning perplexed looks from the thieves and an unamused glare from Goro, “I- I mean, it’s not just you who’s at fault here, Dr. Maruki,” she clarified, “I think we each all have something to do with making Ren’s Palace appear. We’re at fault too,”

“Yeah, it’s not like you were doin’ it for bad purposes too,” Ryuji interjected, “I mean, you did what you thought was right, right?”

“All of you are too forgiving,” Goro muttered.

Without warning the Palace started to quake, everyone thrown off from their feet as the walls started to shake, the chandeliers suspended above their heads rattling amongst the thundering rumble that consumed the premises.

“W-Why is the Palace acting up now?!” Morgana squeaked before falling onto his back, the others struggling to keep their balance, “I thought-”

“Ren’s not looking too good!” Futaba squeaked, fiddling and adjusting her headset as she looked over the information displayed by her Persona, “His vitals are falling fast!”

But Takuto didn’t pay attention to the panicked chatter of the thieves, looking down at his hands, mortified how the dull colour of the red carpet below his hands faded even further into a rotten brown. Lights flickered around him from above. It was a nightmare, the cognitive patrons screaming. He felt something small and dust-like trickle against his back.

The quake went as sudden as it came, the roar fading into deathly silent once more. Takuto peaked out from under his huddled hands that shielded him from above, eyes darting from side to side in a panic.

“W-what happened?” he asked the thieves who were trying to regain their footing, though he already suspected the answer.

“Ren’s getting worse,” Makoto answered his rhetorical question, and Takuto’s face flushed with dread. She looked at him, her eyes sympathetic behind her mask, “You should get out of here, it isn’t safe for you,”

“You’re... you’re right,” he sighed defeated, aware that if he had accompanied further than necessary, he would be nothing but dead weight. He didn’t have a Persona, no way to support the rest of the group within or outside of battles, sure to get in their way. He hung his head in defeat, carefully picking himself up from the floor, “Just... just make sure you do everything you can to save him... alright? He’s... he’s all I have left,”

The thieves nodded in response, yet their expressions conveyed the apprehensive outcome of their endeavour.

---

Ren said nothing, merely watched his shadow wandering throughout the grand space of the dressing room. His path was directionless, absent-mindedly walking in loops, circling the furniture, his stare unfocused and distant.

“Why?” was all Ren could ask, baffled by his own shadow, “Why do you keep lashing out?”

“He deserved it,” Joker reasoned, continuing his purposeless pace, the other cognitions that normally served him purposely out of sight, “They all do, Ren, why don’t you see that?”

“They don’t, they don’t, Joker,” Ren said, and Joker laughed bitterly, “You’re hurting them. You’re hurting the people I- we-”

“Did WE deserve what happened to us!?” Joker snapped at Ren, turning to him, venom in his expression, “Did WE deserve to forget Mom? To get carted off to someone else just like property, to have to endure our adopted parents and their wrath to only be thrown by the wayside, to have our father, LIE to us, to be USED by him for his actualization? DID we!? DID WE?!”

“Joke-”

“HE ABANDONED US!” Joker shrieked; the walls of the Palace quaked around him. His golden eyes welled with tears, pulsating with anguish and bitterness, “HE USED US AS A- A- A SICK GUINEA PIG! I am SICK of being used as a- as a- a- an OBJECT! Like I’m NOTHING!”

“Joker-”

“Stop denying that you feel this way,” the shadow squeaked, his red fingers intertwined in his black, dishevelled locks, “Stop it! It’s hopeless, Ren, you know that deep inside you don’t want to understand, you don’t want to forgive. That bastard-” another sob escaped from his throat, Joker choking on his tears and disgust, a familiar swell of power coursing through his being. Another shaky sigh. He could feel Ren finally coming to his senses, his lips curling upwards from the corners of his mouth, yet he barely felt any joy as he continued, “He’ll soon pay. They’ll all soon pay, and I’ll make sure that they’ll regret what they did to us.”

---

“Are you sure there’s nothing you can’t help with?”

Takuto looked at Sumire, she and Goro the only ones escorting Takuto onto the edges of the Palace’s domain. A weak, tired smile he wore as he shook his head, “I’ll be nothing but dead weight, Yoshizawa, and it looks like you all have everything under control,”

“At least we agree on something,” Goro hissed, arms crossed as he leaned his weight on one of his legs, “No Metaverse Powers or any standout physical strength. All you’ll be to us is a liability. Deadweight. A sitting duck-”

“I wonder why, Senpai,” Sumire pondered, “I mean, he should have his Persona at least, right?”

“I-”

“Regardless, I hope that I was able to help in some way,” Takuto interjected, tearing Sumire and Goro from their pondering, “But please... please save Ren,”

“We’re doing everything we can, Maruki-san,” Sumire nodded, “And if there’s any way you can help we’ll tell you, right, Akechi-senpai?”

“Actually, there is a way in which Maruki can help,” Goro mused, as he looked at the bespectacled man, “There something I was wondering about Joker’s plans,”

“You have my attention,”

Goro turned to look at the theatre before them. A moment passed, before he gazed back into his brown eyes, “I want you to see if there’s anything suspicious going on in the outside world, any changes at all in the public cognition. If you do, contact Yoshizawa, and she’ll contact me, am I clear?”

“Why? Are you suggesting-”

“Just do it,” Goro snapped, and without another word he turned on his heel, making his way back to the Palace. With an apology and a quick bow, Sumire too left Takuto alone at the cusp of the ethereal realm.

He watched them leave, disappearing into the Palace in front of him. His eyes trailed upwards. Towards the top floor of the accursed building, to where Ren was held against his own will by his own distorted thoughts.

“Hold on a little longer, Ren,” he croaked under his breath, unwilling to leave as he blinked the tears away from his welling eyes, “Just hold on a little longer, please.”

[i-just-wanna-be-called-sparkle]

Shit I keep forgetting to post about the angel/demon adaruki AU I’ve got I should do that now. It’s so so soooo barebones it only came about like what a week ago?? less? more?? so there’s almost nothing to it.

Basically, it’s a little thing where Adachi gets kicked out of Hell for not being a good enough demon, and Maruki gets sent from Heaven to take him to a small pocket of spacetime where he can help rehabilitate him over time until he’s good enough to go back to being a demon in Hell. Those are the very basics of it, and then there are some little details.

While Adachi is out of Hell, his wings are all tattered and one of his horns is painfully chipped. Other more demon-like traits, like red scales over his body and sharp teeth, become... idk what’s the word, weakened? Less “exaggerated?” In any case, they become way less prominent than they should. I believe Adachi also has small claw-nails and a snake looking tongue.

Heaven and Hell have their respective hierarchies, and the reason Adachi gets kicked out is because he was at the bottom of Hell’s hierarchy and wasn’t doing any good at climbing up the ranks. Meanwhile, Maruki is an angel who stands at a relatively powerful spot in Heaven’s hierarchy. The higher up you are on Hell/Heaven’s hierarchy, the more exaggerated your demon/angel traits become, such as horns becoming grislier and gnarlier, or wings becoming larger and more numerous. Maruki’s status in the hierarchy means he’s been gifted with numerous wings and possibly eyes, as well as a more grandiose looking halo (I don’t have a mental design for it yet). These multiple wings and eyes can actually harm demons (at least demons of a lower status than Maruki’s own, I’m not sure about demons of equal status or above) purely by being exposed to them, so while Adachi’s in his care, he has to keep them concealed. The only thing he can’t hide are his main wings, of course, which are pretty big - useful for giving warm, soft, comfy hugs though.

On the topic of wings, Angels have to go through molting season similarly to how birds do, AKA, lots of annoying and uncomfortable pin feathers and overall grumpiness. It’s a pretty good idea for fluff - Maruki has pin feathers in an unreachable area on his wings, Adachi comes along and uses his claw-nails to help him deal with them, and Maruki becomes all droopy with relaxation.

I’m sure I’m missing a few miscellaneous details here. I know one is that Adachi has animal-like ears, like a mix of bat ears and cat ears, meanwhile Maruki has feathered ears that look like wings. It would be easier just to show them but I can’t because they haven’t been drawn yet. When Adachi’s wings (and possibly horn?) are all done being healed up and he’s through with his rehab, he can officially go back to Hell. The two live in a fantasy treehouse kind of home because self indulgence is fun. They will both probably have yellow eyes, or at least Adachi will. I think that’s it.

Maybe it’s just me but it certainly needs more work done on it, or it at least just needs to be sharpened up and polished more - cuz not every AU needs to be overly complicated, right? Simplicity can be nice and for what it’s got, this AU is decently solid. But it still needs work done on it, cuz for example, as I was writing this I had the dilemma of “Oh, do Maruki’s other wings also go through molting? Probably. How will he deal with them around Adachi if the mere sight of them burns his eyes? He can do it in secret, but what about the pin feathers he can’t reach?” and though it’s kind of trivial, it’s still a dilemma nonetheless - at least to me. I’m sure there are plenty of issues and plot holes I personally can’t see that also need to be worked on. But yeah I think that’s it rambling is fun lmao

[jesterofinaba]

"Ohhh, you're a little kitty cat now! Come on Adachi-san, say it! Say nya!"

Oh noooo haha i’ve been convinced to write catboy adachi oh nooooo lol 🥴 - Accepting of course algjsld

Well, someone he doesn't completely despise being around makes Adachi give off a lot less aggressive body language. His ears still twitch a little, tail flicking back and forth as he gives Maruki a once over just to make sure everything with him was alright. But he looks much calmer, and even decides to lay back a little, much less on edge.

He rolls his eyes at the request, though he still doesn't look as angry.

"Don't be so demeaning, will ya? This is humiliating enough.

...but fine. Nya. You happy, Doc?” He even does the little paw thing.

[shadow-scenarios]

hello !! can i request what it would be like to be a bff relationship with morgana ?? uwu

Hi Anon!! I knew someone would request Mona eventually. Damn, now I have to find a good image of his All-Out Attack. Hmm...

- Nexus.

Mona { Morgana }

✧ Apart from Akira & Haru, Morgana does not know many people he can immediately put his trust in. When they join the Phantom Thieves & can finally understand him, he is rather pleased. He liked them before when they were just a someone Akira happened to run into a lot but now that they could properly communicate, he was stoked.

✧ In the Metaverse he is a huge show off, making a game of the enemies whenever the two of them are in the front lines together. He explains cognition very patiently as well & is generally a gentleman.

✧ Immediately he asks Akira if they can take care of him a few days a week. When he literally shoves him into their bag the next day & breathes a sigh of relief, he is rather confused but happy at the same time.

✧ Would absolutely love them { platonically! } if they ever brought him some left over fish or sushi. Although he likes the high class stuff, it would melt his heart if it was homemade specifically for him. To be honest, he is rather sick of the canned food Akira gives him.

✧ He would definitely confide in them about his love for Lady Ann & asks how to make his dream a reality. If they were to recommend any date ideas, he would incorporate it into his master plan. It is incredibly sweet & he swears that as soon as he regains his human form, he will sweep Lady Ann off her feet.

✧ As a cat, he has a soft spot for affection but he cannot receive it in the normal way like a human would. Hugging him is an option but he more than often likes to sit in the lap of or next to them. If they were to gently scratch behind his ear, he would complain about them patronising him but purrs at the same time.

✧ If he ever was to regain his human form outside of Maruki’s reality, Morgana would be very insistent on doing human things with them. Trying new foods that are not fish { though it is definitely still his favourite food } & going to places typical of teenagers such as the arcade would be rather pleasant but they would have to pay because he has no money.

✧ Getting used to being human is also strange. Where before he could jump very high & had paws, acclimating to having hands is a strange concept, let alone teaching him to eat with the correct utensils. Although he is more mature than a baby, his motor skills as a human are very similar to one.

✧ Conversation with Mona is never boring. He has plenty of topics to talk about because Akira is never very responsive to him. Even if they were more on the introverted side, he would figure out some of the things they like & talk about them in order to help them come out of their shell. He is a really empathetic friend!

✧ He also understands what it is like to not be heard by people so when they are upset he is more than willing to listen. Afterwards, he voices his opinion on their situation & gives advice if needed.

✧ The only problem with being friends with him is his pride & ego. Once his mind is made up about something, he refuses to back down a lot of the time & this can lead to a lot of arguments. After a while he will realise his mistake & apologise but it can be difficult.

Word Count: 640

Publish Date: 08.10.20

[starlight-phantom]

Takuto Maruki Week Day 6 Prompt - Animals

A pleasant breeze blew through the streets as Takuto leisurely wandered home. He hummed quietly to himself as the cool wind blew through his hair. The counselor had been out shopping for some simple groceries, but he'd be lying if he said that he didn't take a more roundabout route to enjoy the weather.

'Well, I've got all these ingredients… What should I make for dinner?' He pondered as he walked along the street. The past couple of weeks, he'd been looking up recipes online and trying a new one each day. Some results were fantastic, others… not so much…

"Hm?" He hummed as he could have sworn he saw a flash of black in the nearby bushes. Curiosity got the better of him and he crouched down to get a better look.

It was a cat.

A black cat with white markings on its face, paws and tail. It's eyes were a bright, beautiful shade of blue. It wore a yellow collar. Takuto swore that he recognised this cat…

"Oh! You're Amamiya's cat! What're you doing all the way out here?" He gently exclaimed, catching the cat's attention. The animal cautiously backed away before suddenly losing its balance and slipping onto his side. This was when Takuto noticed a large cut on the cat's side.

"Ooh! What happened there? Poor little thing, did you catch yourself on something while you were exploring?" Takuto gasped at the sight. He made up his mind. He had to help this cat.

"C'mere! C'mere, little guy! Lemme help you!" Takuto cooed, coaxing the injured animal out of the bush. The cat looked at him with an unimpressed expression. Takuto considered some other options. Maybe he could tempt him out with food? Did he have anything a cat would like? Oh, sushi could work! He carefully pulled the pack of sushi out of the carrier bag. The cat's ears perked up as he saw the sushi. His whiskers twitched as Takuto opened up the packaging.

"C'mon… Come over here…" Takuto muttered as he held out a small piece of fish, hoping to entice the cat into walking over to him. The black cat took a cautious step forward. Then another. And then another. Takuto watched intently as the cat edged closer and closer to him. After luring the cat into his arm's length, the chestnut haired man quickly and carefully grabbed the cat, picking him up and balancing his groceries on his arm. The cat yowled in protest as he struggled against Takuto's grip.

"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down! It's okay! It's okay! Calm down, I wanna help you… Careful… You'll hurt yourself even more if you thrash around like that…" Takuto quietly stated in an attempt to soothe the cat's nerves. The cat's fidgeting calmed down until it finally let out a defeated huff and let Takuto carry him.

"Good boy… Here you go…" Takuto chuckled as he held the piece of sushi in front of the cat. It didn't seem fair to lure it out with food and then not give them the food… The cat turned his head as his nose twitched excitedly until he finally couldn't resist anymore, grabbing the sushi and shoving it into his mouth. This movement gave Takuto a good view of his collar.

"So, you're called 'Morgana', huh? Well, alright then, Morgana, let's get you patched up." The man said, delighted by the fact that he was finally holding a cat that wasn't trying to scratch his face off. After making sure that Morgana was comfortable, Takuto continued on his way to his apartment.

"Okay… Let me just put these away and then we'll get you all sorted out." Takuto told Morgana as he placed the cat down onto his sofa before taking his groceries into the kitchen. The black cat meowed indignantly as Takuto began unpacking all of the food in his bag. The chestnut haired man let out an amused chuckle as he chucked another piece of fish over to the cat.

"You really like sushi, huh?" He asked with a soft smile while he placed his groceries into his fridge and cupboards. After everything had been put away, Takuto made his way into the bathroom and looked through his medicine cabinet. A trouble frown appeared on his face. As a thought crossed his mind, he pulled out his phone and began typing into an internet search.

'Cat friendly medicines'

There had to be something he could use… As he recognised some names from the list, he grabbed them from the cupboard along with some bandages and some paper towels to dab the disinfectant onto.

"Okay, that's everything, let's sort that cut out." He announced as he re-entered the living room. Takuto wasn't quite sure why he was chatting to the cat so much, but it really did feel like Morgana understood what he was saying. He placed all of the supplies on the coffee table before laying Morgana on his side to get a better look at his injury.

"... Ah." He said as he realised he couldn't really inspect the injury through the cat's thick coat of fur. Takuto sighed as he flashed Morgana an apologetic smile, standing back up and walking back into the bathroom. He grabbed his electric razor and returned to the cat.

"Sorry, buddy… You're gonna have to have a little bald spot for a while…" He apologised. Morgana groaned quietly, flopping onto his side to let Takuto do what he needed to do.

"Sorry…" He muttered again as he began carefully shaving the cat's fur, making sure he didn't get too close to the skin. After cutting the fur short enough to properly see the wound, Takuto turned off the razor and cleaned up the fur before finally inspecting the cut.

"Oh, that's good. It's not that deep, just need to clean it up and then put a bandage on it." Takuto remarked as he poured some disinfectant onto a paper towel. He gave Morgana an encouraging pat on the head before dabbing it onto the wound. The cat yowled and hissed at the stinging sensation.

"I know, buddy, I know… Just deal with it for a little while longer, okay?" Takuto mumbled quietly, amazed by how smart the cat was. He really was very understanding about the situation… Maybe he really could understand what Takuto was saying?

"Alright, that should be enough… Well done! Now, just put a little of this cream on there so it doesn't swell up…" Takuto cheered, dipping his fingers into a small tub of an anti-inflammatory cream and rubbing it onto the cut.

"Aaaaaaaand finally, a bandage so you don't manage to hurt yourself again." Takuto muttered quietly, mostly to himself as he plastered some gauze onto the cat's side. He flashed a contented smile to the cat as he helped him back onto his feet and gave him a proud scratch under his chin.

"You're a brave lil guy, aren't you? Didn't try to run away at all! Okay, let me just tidy all of this up and then I'll take you home! Sound good?" Takuto remarked as he enjoyed the very rare occurrence of a cat actually letting him stroke them. Morgana replied with a cheerful meow as Takuto stood up.

"Although… I think you deserve a little treat for being so brave…" The bespectacled man muttered, walking over to his fridge and throwing another piece of fish to Morgana, who very enthusiastically ate it up.

The bell quietly jingled as Takuto stepped through the door into Leblanc. He was greeted by the sight of Ren pacing up and down anxiously while Sojiro tried to calm him down and Futaba searched for something on her laptop.

"Um… Excuse me? I've brought someone who got a little lost…" Takuto announced to let them know he was there, unzipping his jacket slightly to reveal the black cat nuzzled against his chest. Ren turned around and gasped as his eyes widened.

"Mona! You're okay!" He squealed in relief, flinging himself over to the counselor. Takuto carefully freed Morgana from within his jacket and handed him over to the emotional teenager.

"Oh, thank god… We were really starting to get a bit worried. Thanks for bringing him back." Sojiro thanked him as he watched Ren and Futaba hug the cat tearfully.

"Where was he?" Asked Futaba, stroking Morgana's head.

"I'm not sure about the exact street; I found him while walking home from grocery shopping in Shibuya." Takuto answered.

"Shibuya?! How the hell did he get all the way to Shibuya?" Sojiro asked in disbelief, his eyebrows furrowing together in bewilderment.

"What happened to his side? Why's there a bandage?" Ren anxiously enquired.

"I found him with a cut on his side so I took him home and patched him up. Don't worry, it wasn't anything too serious. I just needed to disinfect it and cover it up. Although, fair warning, I did have to give him a slight shave. I think he might've caught himself on a fence while snooping around." Takuto explained, glad that Ren didn't have to worry about his little friend any more.

"Awwwwww~ Have you got a little bald spot~?" Futaba teased the cat with a mischievous grin. Morgana simply whacked her with his paw as he looked at her with an irritated scowl.

"Thanks so much for taking care of him, Sensei. I got really worried when I hadn't seen him for a few hours…" Ren thanked Takuto, bowing politely to display his gratitude.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. Although, I am probably gonna have to buy another pack of sushi…" Takuto chuckled awkwardly.

"Oh, yeah… Mona loves his sushi…" Ren sighed.

"Trust me, I noticed."

"Well, since our cat stole your dinner, how does a plate of curry sound? On the house. Our way of saying thanks." Sojiro laughed softly. Takuto's stomach growled at those words.

"Sounds good! Thank you." He decided to accept the offer.

"Oh, I'll help!" Ren hurriedly declared, passing Morgana to Futaba. Takuto chuckled quietly to himself. He was planning on a quiet night by himself, but… A delicious meal with a happy family to share conversations with... This really wasn't so bad, either.

[wallstoothin]

Goro-Pyon (P5R spoliers)

Based on the middle panel of this art : https://twitter.com/yk_ankou/status/1279353120007401472?s=21

“Hey Akechi, we’re friends right ? or at least well acquainted with each other.” Akira said out of the blue one day. Well it was not just any day. It was their first of soon to be many meetings at the jazz club. 

Akechi wouldn’t call himself ‘friends; with Kurusu. Far from it, he doesn’t have any friends and he does not have plans of having one anytime soon. He was close to his goals and distracting himself with something that could be so needy and useless would ruin everything. 

“I suppose we can call our relationship something more than acquaintances.” He replied. 

Kurusu nodded once again, instead putting all his focus on his drink. 

Now he was curious.  

“Why do you ask Kurusu-kun? Is something the matter?” Akechi can hear ‘Is there something the matter with me?’ behind his own words and he hates how desperate he sounds.

Kurusu shook his head. “No, it’s nothing like that. I was wondering if we could move pass the last name barrier.”

All that trouble for something so small makes him want to throw his drink at the others’ face.

But instead of causing a commotion he put on his best smile and laughed. “There’s no need to be so shy about it. Would you like me to call you Akira then? You can call me something else as well. I don’t mind.” 

Akira nodded his right hand resting on his chin as he look down. Now Akechi was starting to worry if smoke would come out of the others’ ears. Such a shame they were starting to get along. 

“How about Goro-pyon.”

Hah?

It was harder to put on a smile this time. “Is...Are you making some sort of joke? I wouldn’t have expected someone like you to think of such a childish nickname.” His anger was seeping through at this rate. He need to calm down before he choke slam the boy down on the table.

A small smile makes its way across Akira’s face. The glare on his glasses hiding his contracting bright and happy smile. “You said I can call you anything right? So I decided to call you Goro-pyon. I think it fits just right.”

Akechi mouth can’t stop twitching “Is that so.” 

The nickname was supposed to be a small thing, something that Akechi prayed would soon be forgotten after some time. But no, Akira just have to go and rub it in.

“Goro-pyon! You came.” Akira called out waving his arm around like a mad man. Not even a minute into their meeting and Akira is already doing something stupid that makes him want to slam something on his face.

A chair maybe? Or a metal bat. Something just as hard as Akira’s head.

He must’ve let his mind wonder for far too long because Akira was tilting his head like a confused dog. “Goro-pyon? Is everything alright? Are you sick? We can cancel if you want.”

“No, I’m quite alright Akira-kun, thanks for asking.”

Forget a blunt object he’s going to strangle him with his gloved hands. 

“If you say so.” The pity that the other boy gives him makes it harder to keep his facade up.

The name even comes up after Akechi joined the thieves. 

“What should we do for Akechi’s codename?” The cat called out. 

“Doesn’t Akira already have a nickname for him? What was it?” Sakamoto as always suggested something awful.

“Goro-pyon!” Akira proudly answered. “But I don’t think that’s a great idea since it’s close to his actual name.”

Akechi suggested ‘Karasu’ which then became ‘Crow’ and for once Akechi is thankful for the one brain cell that Joker has. Who knew what would happen if he managed to convince the other to use that horrid nickname. But from the sly glances that Sakura and Sakamoto give him he suspects that it would not be the last he would hear about this. 

Akira called him by his name in February. After the talk with Maruki. Actually Akira said a lot that day, perhaps even more than all of their talks combine. It was also the first time that Akechi saw the younger boy get truly mad-nothing forced like being ‘enraged’ in the metaverse. It was a cool anger like Le Blanc decided to quit being a cafe and instead become a walk in freezer. He did his best to hide the shiver crawling up from his spine but from the look that he received Akira totally caught his body’s response, and while Akira was yelling about minor things, Akechi can’t help but think that type of anger suits Akira much much better. He stopped using the wretched nickname for a while after. Akechi can’t help but to miss it no matter how dumb it was and he wish to hear it once again in the future should they meet. 

[artekai]

AHWHEURHJDHRJRGH FUCK YEAH I’D LOVE SOME CATBOY MARUKI HEADCANONS...... *physically melts* -mod dock

asdfghjkldfghjkl I LOVE your enthusiasm! Here’s what I have! :D

- We’ve already established that Maruki prefers catnip to alcohol and human snacks to cat treats. But please don’t ask him to choose between apple juice and milk or he’ll literally bluescreen and then proceed to have an identity crisis over the next few days lol

- You know how cats chatter at birds when they’re far away because they can’t catch them? Well, just know that if Maruki is quietly watching TV and you suddenly see him chattering like crazy, it’s because Shido is on TV. I guarantee that’s the reason nine times out of ten.

- It’s very easy to tell how Maruki feels about other people, because his ears, his tail, and his overall instincts always betray him. But what causes him the most problems is definitely the part about chattering at his enemies...

- After his meeting with Sumi and the vice principal, you can be sure he also starts chattering at him because oh my god I fucking hate the vice principal. Sumi gets worried and whisper yells at Maruki gently asking him to stop, so he apologizes, but, as soon as the vice principal turns around, he begins chattering again. Poor guy, he just can’t help it, please pray for him and hope that he doesn’t lose his job over a slip-up like that T-T

- Please watch this video, that’s him, that’s exactly what I had in mind, it’s him. Big and strong and deadly and cute and soft...

- Akiren is a catboy and Akechi is a dogboy... Of course this is relevant to Maruki being a catboy, because when the Royal trio infiltrates his Palace in the third semester, Akechi is the first one to go “hmm... something about this smells catty, and it’s not Morgana 🤔🤔🤔”

- Cue the barking and the hissing as Akechi and Maruki go feral while Sumi  panics and Akiren simply sits there smugly and waits for it to be over.

- That one time Maruki tried to help a kitten get down from a tree, he got stuck too. But at least the kitten was more appreciative this time  <(￣︶￣)>

(Probably because it knew that it wouldn’t have been wise to pick a fight with Maruki, but shh)