#dojiruki roleswap au

[artekai]

Wait just saw ur pinned post and now I HAVE to ask how maruki is being inserted into p4 ABDHDJFJ

SO GLAD YOU ASKED

ASDFSHFG OKAY where to start?

I must have some kind of curse because whenever I try to write a fic I cannot physically resist the urge to put Maruki in it. So every time I start writing a P4 fic it feels like the how do you do fellow kids meme except it’s Maruki going “how do you do, fellow Persona 4™ characters?” This is funny in my head.

I also have tons of crossover ships involving Maruki and P4 characters (okay, they’re only three, but three crossover ships are three sources of pain too many), so it makes sense to put him in P4 so he can interact with them, right?

Usually, the way I put him where I want him to be is very basic. I just say that, after P5R, he moved to Inaba to get a fresh start in life. There, he meets Dojima and falls in love and gets married and becomes Nanako’s father and has a family of his own and they LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. 

(Hi there, hello, I’m the CEO of Dojiruki, nice to meet you :] )

But, well, using a post-canon setting ensures that neither him or the P4 characters can interfere with the main plot of the games.

HOWEVER, one of my fics, Tristitia, takes place during the main plot of P4 in an AU where everything is the same except Maruki is there and is dating Namatame. Well, they’re not dating, but it’s not really platonic either, it’s complicated. To be fair, though, Maruki doesn’t really affect the plot there, because he’s not close to any of characters (besides Namatame) and the whole fic is basically just Maruki reacting to Nanako’s kidnapping, combined with a bit of a character study and comparing and contrasting him and Namatame.

So, moving on. I do have an AU where Maruki plays a huge part in the plot of P4 and that is the Adaruki Roleswap AU, which is exactly what it sounds like. Maruki and Adachi are swapped, so Maruki is Dojima’s partner and the Inaba murderer while Adachi is Shujin’s counselor and can bend reality to his whim during the third semester. It’s the most elaborate AU in this list but it’s pretty half-baked, mostly because I cannot figure out Maruki’s motives for murder and Adachi’s motives to NOT murder the Phantom Thieves during the third semester.

Still, it’s a fun idea to toy around with, and I’ve written two fics about Maruki interacting with the P4 setting in this scenario, Credit Where It’s Due and Pink Alligator in a Forest of Green. I don’t consider any of those as strictly “canon” to the main plot of the AU, because that was just me playing around and seeing what I could do with the idea of Maruki being Dojima’s partner, but he gets to interact with six year old Nanako in the second one, so that’s nice :3

A similar AU that I haven’t talked about but that has been on my mind for a long time is the Dojiruki Roleswap AU. That one doesn’t change much in P4, only the Hierophant SL, but it’s also half-baked because I have no clue what to do with Nanako’s kidnapping since she’s not in Inaba but in Tokyo with Dojima. And, when it comes to the P5R side of things, Dojima’s reality bending shtick is a whole other can of worms. He should be easier to figure out than Adachi because at least he cares about people’s wellbeing, but that doesn’t mean it’s not gonna take a lot of planning too.

Maruki is still a counselor in this one, but I was thinking that Dojima could maybe be Akiren’s probation officer? We’ll see.

Oh, and I know we’re talking about Maruki and not Rumi, but I thought this might be relevant since we’re talking about P4 x P5R crossovers. In the Phantom Thief Rumi AU, the plot kicks off when Rumi moves out of her grandparents’ and moves to Inaba. But this AU is in its very early stages so I probably shouldn’t say much because else I might end up spoiling the whole plot :)

Anyways, I guess I just have a thing for putting Maruki and Rumi in Inaba and seeing how they interact with the setting and the other characters. Probably because P5R came out right in the middle of my P4 phase, haha :)

[artekai]

See, if I had known that Takuto likes the black mug, I would’ve written that into that one Dojiruki fic where Dojima gives him a mug, but no, of course I didn’t know that and had to make it a color with absolutely no significance in canon :/

[artekai]

A Pink Alligator in a Forest of Green

Fandom: Persona 4 x Persona 5 Royal

Rating: General Audiences

Characters: Dojima Ryotaro, Maruki Takuto, Dojima Nanako, and Narukami Yu

Pairing: Dojima Ryotaro/Maruki Takuto

Summary: Dojima comes home from work to find Yu and Maruki helping Nanako with her homework. Coincidentally, he also has some pending business with Maruki, so he takes the chance to have a private talk with his work partner.

// Read on AO3 //

For @personararepairweek day 1: Roleswap / Hanahaki AU

In this AU, Maruki is swapped with Adachi, but the main pairing is Dojima x Maruki.

#

On one of those rare days when Dojima just so happened to go home earlier, he ran across a rather pleasant surprise. At first, he thought it was weird that he wasn’t greeted with an enthusiastic “Welcome home!” as soon as he walked through the door, but he soon realized that the reason why no one had been alerted to his presence was that they were all engulfed in a story that someone was reading out loud.

“... And so no one remembered the pink alligator.”

Dojima instantly recognized the narrator’s voice. It belonged to Maruki, his junior partner, who had left the station a couple hours before him, and who, apparently, was now hanging out in his house while he was away. It didn’t bother him, as Maruki had been there many times before, but it would’ve been nice to get a heads-up in advance.

Dojima took off his shoes and hung back to listen in for a bit.

“Even today, the lake is shining the way it always did.” Maruki put the book down audibly. “The end.”

“Aww…” Nanako cooed. “That’s so sad…”

“It is.” He said. “It’s hard to believe they are asking you to read this at school. It’s way too upsetting for a children’s book.”

That’s when Yu decided to cut in. “It wasn’t all bad. The alligator had a positive impact on the other animals’ lives, even if he didn’t realize it.”

“Well, I’m glad that’s what you took away from it,” Maruki said, “But, after everything he went through, don’t you think that the alligator deserved a happy ending?”

“Uh huh!” Nanako protested. “He was very lonely, and he just wanted friends.”

“No, I agree with you, Nanako.” Yu scrambled to correct himself. “No one deserves to go through that. However, I think that the moral of the story is that all of us can help make the world a better place, even if we don’t realize it yet.”

“Of course, I get where you’re coming from.” Maruki said. “Still, I can only imagine the amount of guilt that the alligator had to deal with after what happened to the bird…”

At that moment, Dojima decided it was time to make his entrance, so he stepped into the living room, announcing himself. “I’m home!”

“Dad!” Nanako said, her face brightening up with a wide grin. “Welcome home!”

They were all sitting around the low table, with the book placed over it, and the TV was turned off. The atmosphere seemed cozy, strangely easy-going, and definitely more homely than whenever Dojima arrived at a silent house only to get a few hours of sleep and be on his way before Yu and Nanako woke up.

“Ah, Dojima-san!” Maruki said. “Good evening. I’m sorry for coming over without first asking for your permission, but Narukami-kun invited me and I couldn’t exactly turn him down.”

“It’s fine.” Dojima waved it off, as he approached the group. “What were you up to?”

Maruki tilted his head towards the table. “We’ve been helping Nanako-chan with her homework.”

“Hmhm.” Nanako nodded. “I had to read this book and get a mark from a grown-up saying that I did it.” She turned towards Maruki. “Can I get a mark now?”

“Of course! You did a great job.” He smiled, but then he looked at Dojima out of the corner of his eye and reconsidered. “Although… Wouldn’t you prefer to get a mark from your father, since he got here just in time?”

Nanako frowned. “But you promised!”

“Well,” Dojima said, plopping down on the couch with a sigh. “I can’t exactly give her a mark if I wasn’t here while you guys were reading.”

“That’s a good point.” Maruki turned back to Nanako. “Fine, I’ll give you one. Where should I sign?”

She handed him the slip of paper where the instructions of assignment were presumably written. He slipped a pen out of his suit pocket, but hesitated, glancing at Nanako. She smiled, encouraging, and he returned the gesture before drawing a smiley face neatly and giving the piece of the paper back.

“Is that alright, Nanako-chan?”

“Yay! I like it!” She said. “Thank you, Maruki-san!”

He chuckled. “Glad I could help!”

Dojima sat back and watched the whole exchange fondly, thinking that Maruki would be a great father to Nanako. He already had an idea to show his appreciation for his partner, but seeing him help Nanako with her homework with so much glee only cemented Dojima’s decision in his mind.

After that, the evening passed by fairly quickly. For once, Dojima managed to kick back a little and enjoy the pleasant chat he had with his daughter, his nephew, and his partner while they had dinner together. They watched some TV, commenting on it occasionally, and then Dojima sent Nanako to bed, tucking her in and everything. It felt kinda weird, given that he was rarely ever home these days and that Chisato used to be the one who tucked Nanako into bed, but he found himself enjoying the closeness. Things around the house had definitely started to feel different since Yu had arrived, and he was beginning to open up little by little. Even if facing her was still a bit painful, he had missed those small moments he spent together with Nanako more than he had initially thought…

By the time Dojima went back downstairs, he realized that Maruki was having a serious conversation with Yu, judging by the tone of his voice. They were now standing near the entrance, as if Maruki was getting ready to leave.

“... It’s for your own good.” He said. “The last thing I want is for you to get hurt.”

“Who’s getting hurt?” Dojima asked.

“Oh, nobody, hopefully.” Maruki knitted his brows. “I was only advising Narukami-kun to stay away from crime scenes. There haven’t been any more murders since spring, but we can never be too safe. Isn’t that right, Dojima-san?”

“Yeah.” Dojima glared at Yu. “If you won’t take it from me, at least take it from Maruki.”

He had warned Yu to stay out of the murder case time and time again, but he didn’t seem to be getting through to him. Of course, Dojima’s warnings always sounded more like an interrogation or a reprimand than like a friendly piece of advice, so maybe he would listen to Maruki, who was the opposite; always approachable and overly youthful.

Maruki placed his hand on his chest, his voice dripping with sympathy. “I understand that you’re worried, but it’s best for everyone if you leave the case to us.”

Yu was quiet, as usual, but there was something unnatural about it. He stared at Maruki a little too intently, a little too distrustfully, as if he wanted to take his words at face value but knew he couldn’t.

However, Maruki didn’t waver, as his concerned frown was still plastered onto his face. “By hanging around crime scenes, not only are you putting yourself in danger, but also on the police’s radar. I don’t think you’re suspicious, but I wouldn’t want to see you or any of your friends getting into unnecessary trouble.” Maruki’s tone then softened. “Will you promise to at least try to stay safe?”

Yu closed his eyes. “I’ll try.”

“Good.” Maruki nodded, before an idea struck him. “Oh, I almost forgot! I also meant to ask you not to overwork yourself with school and part-time jobs. You’ve been taking on a lot of responsibilities, but you should be hanging out with your peers and enjoying yourself. Make the most of your stay in Inaba while you are still here.”

“Come on…” Dojima said. “He’s got a lot of energy at his age, so he should put that to a good use. I’m sure he knows his limits.”

Dojima didn’t get why a hard worker like Maruki seemed to be in a constant quest to promote laziness, but that was his way of showing how much he cared for Yu. Not like the kid would take that advice seriously, given how many activities he had packed into his schedule. He really did take after his mother… and Dojima, to some extent.

“Dojima-san is right.” Yu said. “I’ll be fine.”

Yu then proceeded to dismiss himself to go to his room. The three of them exchanged their good nights before he went upstairs.

Maruki took that as the cue to take his leave. “I should get going as well.”

He turned around, but Dojima grabbed his wrist before he could make for the door. “Hey, not so fast. I need to have a word with you.”

Maruki glanced at him over his shoulder, his eyes widening. “Is something wrong?”

“No, don’t worry. This won’t take long.”

Maruki hesitantly stepped back, as Dojima made his way towards one of the kitchen cabinets, opened it, and produced an object so quickly that Maruki didn’t get the chance to see what it was until he had planted it over the table. Dojima leaned back to witness Maruki’s reaction when he saw the gift: it was a purple mug, similar to the ones Nanako, Yu, and Dojima himself had.

“Here. This is for you.”

Maruki could only gape, clearly having been caught off-guard, and he stared at the mug in shock. “Dojima-san…!”

“You’re officially part of the family now.” Dojima smiled. “Swing by whenever you want.”

“I can’t…” Maruki shook his head. “I can’t accept this.”

“Why not? You’ve been looking out for Yu and Nanako, and I’m very thankful for that.” He then paused, realizing that Maruki might not be as excited about the compromise as him. “Uh… Do you want me to show my gratitude some other way?”

Maruki broke out of his reverie, putting his hands up and shaking them in denial. “Oh, no, no, it’s okay! I’m not uncomfortable, only surprised! In fact, I’m flattered, because I know this means a lot to you -- a-and it means a lot to me too -- but I never thought you’d consider me deserving of… being part of your family.”

He stepped towards the table, carefully grabbed the mug, and inspected it with a sad smile on his face, holding it with both hands like it was a prized artwork, the only one of its kind. He then placed it back on the table, but he kept staring at it while he ran his finger over the rim, deep in thought.

“I have to confess…” He said, his eyes still on the mug. “What I told Nanako-chan wasn’t entirely accurate.”

Dojima raised a brow. “About what?”

Maruki’s expression was unreadable. “About the pink alligator.” He said. “Unfortunately, he wasn’t fated to live a happy ending, but his sorrow brought joy to all of the other animals, whether they recognized him for it or not. I guess that was the purpose of his existence.” Maruki glanced up at Dojima. “And I have a feeling that that was enough for him.”

But Dojima thought he had heard Nanako mention that the alligator wanted friends… Surely he wouldn’t have been satisfied with his fate. Then again, Dojima didn’t know the whole story, so he didn’t have enough information to draw a conclusion.

He chuckled. “If Nanako heard you talking like that, she would be up in arms about how the alligator deserved better.”

“But he didn’t.” Maruki insisted. “Even if it was accidental, he was still guilty for hurting the bird. Before the incident, he was treated unfairly by the other animals due to a characteristic he couldn’t control... but after the incident, he was the one who caused his own loneliness. He might’ve regretted what he did, and he might’ve wanted to turn back time to save his friend, but that was impossible. He was left alone to deal with his pain on his own.”

For someone who was kind to everyone, Maruki was being surprisingly harsh to a fictional animal, of all things...

Dojima grimaced. “You’re reading way too much into it. It’s just a children’s book.”

“Perhaps.” Maruki sighed, before recovering his usual gentle smile. “Sorry for going off on a tangent like that. Thanks for the mug, Dojima-san.”

Maruki excused himself, muttering a quick “good night”, a “rest well”, and a “see you tomorrow”, and scurried out of the house, almost like he was in a hurry to get somewhere.

With his departure, Dojima was left alone to wonder… had Maruki truly liked the mug? Or was he just being polite? He didn’t seem as excited as Dojima thought he would be… Rather, he seemed melancholic, for some reason. Had Dojima jumped the gun? Did Maruki not see himself as part of this family? Maybe he wasn’t ready for the kind of commitment that the mug implied, not that it implied that anything had to change in practice... And why had he started to ramble about the pink alligator? What part did he play in all of this?

Dojima groaned, placing the mug back into the cabinet. If Maruki were still here, he would’ve told him to turn off his racing thoughts and stop looking for answers to everything, because that would only stress him out. There might’ve been some truth to those words…

Dojima resolved to go to bed early. He couldn’t remember the last time he had had a full night’s sleep anyway, so maybe it’d do him some good.

[artekai]

Credit Where It’s Due

Fandom: Persona 4 x Persona 5 Royal

Rating: Teen

Pairing: Dojima x Maruki, can be read as platonic or pre-relationship.

Summary: Dojima doesn't have any complaints about his junior partner, Takuto Maruki. Except, of course, for his stubbornness, which has proved to be both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness while working on the force.

Then again, Dojima is one to talk.

(AU where Maruki replaces Adachi as Dojima’s work partner)