#for my goro palace fic | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

emanation-aura · 9 months

Note

joker palace fic. im in love with your writing. please share some with us

Oh my god anon I'm so happy you asked!! I made some fantastic progress recently so I'm definitely going to talk about it now

So actually I have. um. two Joker Palace fics. One of them is based in the third semester and is basically what I talked about in this post: in short, due to some Wild Card Bullshit™️, instead of living in Maruki's altered reality in third semester, Joker actually forms a Palace as a cognitive defence and basically it becomes Goro and Sumi's job to get him out (like Maruki, he physically resides in it).

The other one is a post-game Palace au, where Joker forms a Palace out of the stress and debilitating isolation of prison. This one is the one I've been working the most on and it's at 11k words and counting— when I'm not even close to finishing it!! I'm having so much fun with it so I guess I'll talk about this one.

He thinks about the past year a lot. About the Metaverse, discovering it with Ryuji by accident, that terrifyingly free moment when he ripped Arsene from his face and felt as if he could challenge the world itself, and proceeded to do exactly that. About Personas and the Velvet Room (he tries dreaming for Lavenza, but if she exists and can hear him, she makes no reply,) and the final chains breaking under his command, all the anger and hatred burning off Arsene in waves of blue flame morphed into physical form: the cold, immovable steel of Satanael. He thinks about how the unyielding heart of Satanael, a strength unto its own, had slowly melted in the face of a perfect reality. How Maruki’s lies had snared everyone but him, and that unique, awful loneliness melting the devil’s limitless island of strength into Raoul, the trickster just as capable as Arsene but acting under no name but his own. How the truth and free will, his own real self, triumphed over the benevolent lies of yet another false god.

This Palace AU revolves heavily around the theming of first, second, and third-tier Personas (mostly Joker and Goro's). Like, we all know the pattern to the Persona awakenings in P5R, right— trickster-god-true self. Raoul is the original name of Arsene Lupin in Maurice Leblanc's series (btw did you know I actually bought The Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief kinda for this fic), Hereward is the historical figures whose exploits inspired the tales of Robin Hood, etc. And like.

The Palace Joker has in this fic is a prison. But unlike the Velvet Room, it's not a prison where Joker is trapped; in fact, Cognitive Joker is the ruler of the Palace, and instead the stuff being locked away is memories. It takes the kinda passive/wallflower nature Joker has in the Confidant interactions to something more extreme: because Joker has literally nothing to do in prison but be trapped in his own head thinking, he starts categorising and compartmentalising his memories of the past year, wounds and traumas that are still fresh and raw.

And the crux is that he doesn't want to face his trauma. He locks away all his memories of the interrogation, of police brutality and being arrested and being deleted by Yaldabaoth out of existence... and most importantly, Akechi.

He had once said that Akira never allowed himself to be enslaved by things like human relations or past selves, leaving his heart forever free, but now Akira’s locked in juvie with nothing but his own misery for company, he thinks that’s wrong. The Velvet Room, taking after the shape of his heart was a prison, after all, and after that he’s simply traded one prison for another. (One might say that only the flesh remains imprisoned while the mind and heart remain forever free, but solitary confinement is a unique hell precisely because its containment reaches far beyond the flesh alone.)

So to tie these two tangents together, Cognitive Joker is the ruler of the prison Palace where he locks away his most painful memories, serving as a guardian/warden. The thing is, Cognitive Joker's true form is actually just Raoul.

Raoul is Joker's 'true self', but Joker's 'true self' has morphed in solitary confinement.

(Tighten the perimeter! It roars, golden mechanical wings spouting from its back, vivid red and gold trim dotting its jacket. Lock everything up. I will deal with him. There is no mask over its face, nor does there need to be. This is his true self: the lord of a fortress, the guardkeeper of a prison— the real occupation of gentleman thief, hoarding his hard-earned treasures.)

Instead of being a heart of a phantom thief willing to stand up to reality, Raoul has come to represent the worst side of a gentleman thief: hoarding his treasures (memories) and never letting them show. Hiding his trauma, even, from himself, just to try and convince himself that he's ok.

This has most been me rambling about the workings of this fic from behind the scenes, so anon, I'll treat you to two nice long passages now: the first one is the delivery of the calling card, and the second one is when Goro confronts Cognitive Joker— because this is also a shuake fic, by the way, although no actual romance happens yet beyond homoerotically beating the manifestation of your rival's heart to death and saving his soul from despair. Goro is the one to infiltrate the Palace (thanks to some intervention by Lavenza) and learn about all of the absolutely horrifying shit happening in Joker's mind.

(Continues on from right after the snippet in this post.)

Finally, Maruki speaks, jolting Akira out of his stupor. “Kurusu-kun… to tell you the truth, I didn’t plan on visiting you at all. I thought it would be better if I kept away from all of you, after causing you guys a great deal of hurt. I still intend to stay away, but—” Maruki pushes his glasses up, the reflective sheen hiding the strange, intense quality in his eyes. He reaches for his jacket pocket, pulling out an envelope. “Someone asked me to come today— I can’t tell you who, but they asked me to deliver something.” Akira’s breath catches, and his eyes dart to the invisible looking-glass that the security guards must be looking through. He’s not been allowed any communication from outside (either that, or he hasn’t received any, but he tries not to think about that). But Maruki catches his glance and shakes his head, in that soft, disappointed way he had shaken his head back when he carried Sumire in his arms and drove her Persona berserk. “It’s been cleared,” he says, still ever so soft. His fingers fumble, but he slides it under the glass partition like an immigration officer returning his passport. “And, before you read it… I understand you may be angry with me, which is fine. The important thing is that you read it and understand what it means.” He picks up the envelope with a curious hum, eyes hovering uncertainly around Maruki’s tense figure, a nervousness that is visible to him the same way bloodhounds pick up scent. Whatever it is, the therapist expects him to be angry, and will allow him. Short of a letter from— Akira wrenches the door shut, but the fading impression of brown hair and a thrown glove lingers anyway— short of him, nothing else could possibly faze him. Akira opens the envelope. Slips the small, black-and-red card out in one move. Flips it over— wrong, he seems. Flinches, at the words written there. I have not ever written one of these, and as such, find myself at a loss. I have no theatrics to demonstrate, no declaration of war, no enmity, even. Thus, I will simply state what happens next. Akira Kurusu, you have lost yourself in a fortress of loneliness, even going so far as to suppress yourself for the sake of others. You may call it protection and name it your guard, but that doesn’t change its essential nature: a prison of your own creation. Twice, now, has your heart been a prison. No more. I will steal your distorted desires without fail. No signature. Akira drops the card. Stands up suddenly, not even registering the sharp, panicked breaths he’s taking. Distantly, the blob of maroon in front of him stands up as well, saying something he can’t hear. No. Not possible. He cannot— he is (was?) a Persona user. He simply cannot have a Palace. Raoul screeches, long and loud, in his head. It used to be a deep, bellowing comfort, drowning out the silence in his head with a hearty laugh that wrapped around him like stage curtains, enveloping him in its warmth. Now it just sounds unhinged— the scream of a bat or the lone howl of a wolf, pounding through his skull with the force of a gunshot. No! It screams, pitched lower and deeper yet strangely similar to his own voice. When he closes his eyes, it’s not Raoul there but himself, with glowing, yellow eyes. The one person we allowed in— to betray us like this, not again! Throw him out, throw them all out! “...Kurusu-kun! Please, say something! I know it’s a great shock, so please try to calm down—” Akira’s eyes snap open. The world slots back into focus, colours swimming back to their original places. Maruki stares, eyes wide with stress. He can’t think. He can’t even feel. All he was and will ever be shrinks down into this point in time, crushing him under its immense weight. “I’ve heard the calling,” he says quietly. Any louder, and his voice will break. “And I understand what it means. Please leave now, Maruki.”

And for when Goro confronts Cognitive Akira/Raoul:

“You’re not Akira,” Goro states dumbly. He’d known, of course, that Cognitive Akira was not the real one— but it had the real one’s face and mannerisms, however foreign it had been. This, though… “You’re his Persona, Raoul.” “I am thou, and thou art I,” Raoul recites, punching a hole through Goro’s tattered heart. Goro had only seen Raoul once: in the final battle against Maruki, merciless curse damage and powerful sleep magic forming a potent combination against Azathoth. He’d assumed that Raoul was a new Persona Akira had fused, a powerful addition to Yoshitsune and Attis and the likes he’d brought to the battle. Yet… If this is the form Akira’s Palace Ruler takes, it can’t be just any old Shadow he picked up from the sea of collective unconsciousness. “Are you surprised, General of the Wake?” Raoul smirks, leaning back a little. He’s floating off the ground now, lounging on the air. “A phantom thief needs a place to hoard his treasures, for the hearts he steals cannot be treated like regular old trinkets.” Hereward rears his head, sensing his name. Goro thinks back to Hereward’s namesake— an ancient nobleman and leader of a resistance movement, nicknamed “Hereward the Wake”, whose exploits may have inspired the tale of Robin Hood. Raoul recognises not Loki, who he used for the longest, nor Robin, whom he had first, but Hereward— fancifully, neither a masked hero of justice nor a god, but just a man. The name comes to him easily. Goro read Sherlock Holmes in the run-up to his public deceit as Detective Prince, and thus, he also knows of its rival. “Arsene,” he says. It makes a terrible, hilarious amount of sense: who better to lead the Phantom Thieves than the quintessential phantom thief himself? “Arsene Raoul Lupin.” “Bravo,” Raoul claps, crimson eyes twinkling with blue flame. “Praise be to my rival, who has never failed to see through me. Yes, I am the gentleman thief of old, the one who took up the mantle of Arsene Lupin, master of a thousand faces, whose actions constitute my identity sufficiently*: Monsieur Raoul.” Goro pictures the original awakening, the blood pouring from Akira’s eyes. That blue-flamed trickster behind him, bursting with energy. Arsene Lupin. “I did not wish it to come to this,” Raoul says, his hands gesturing to the red flashing alarms at the complex. “Truly, mon corbeau. The gentleman thief keeps many secrets, but conversely, it is the detective on his heels who sees them all, not any of his closest acquaintances. That is why me and I have let you in, time and time again. Yet you end up betraying our trust to the very end. Let it be said that these precautions—” Raoul waves at the prison at large, demonic eyes wide with a sad kind of triumph— “have come to fruition at last.”

Goro flinches. He thinks about putting a bullet through Akira’s brain. The splatter, even though it had never been real. About reporting to Shido with glee that the Phantom Thieves were well on their way to falling into his trap, then going to Leblanc and playing chess with Akira, talking about Hegel and antithesis over rapidly-cooling cups of coffee. The deceit of Robin Hood and the truth of Loki. He has betrayed Akira. And while he’s been valiantly avoiding thinking about the boy ever since he woke up, the Palace— it has forced him to grapple with it. He cannot say he regrets his betrayal, nor can he say he enjoyed it, or felt it was necessary. Those things mattered to the Goro of the past, but not to him now, because— because— Because he lives with his sins every day. Wears them on his sleeve, because everyone else must know the true him before deciding whether to engage or not. He will not bend to their standards of social grace— you will live as yourself, sins and all, forever, Hereward says. It is not atonement nor punishment. It is your path to walk. This is still a realm of distorted desires, Goro reminds himself. He cannot start believing in the distorted rhetoric of the Palace Ruler. “It is still a prison,” Goro says calmly, perhaps the calmest he’s ever been since waking up in the god-forsaken place. “You think you are protecting yourself from the horrors of the world, from betrayal, from pain. But you are only locking it away so that you do not have to deal with it. You are not primarily protecting yourself from others— though I should think some part of that is true. No, you are trying to protect you from yourself.” Thinks of Maruki’s text. Done. Akira was defensive and cynical. Shocked by the calling card. Speaking as someone who’s been in contact with many traumatised teens over the past years… trying very hard to compartmentalise his pain, too. Raoul recoils, eye-like slits narrowing into a sliver of crimson. But Goro has already found the truth, written in video tapes of the “interrogation” and the partition falling on the engine room. This Persona might be Akira’s true self, not the invincible anonymity of Arsene Lupin, phantom thief, but it has distorted itself into a man chained to the prison of his heart, locking away pain and tragedy to fool himself into strength. Simply another mask, but not one aimed outwards. A mask placed over his soul in the hopes of fooling himself. “I know how this goes,” Goro says cockily, refusing to draw out the philosophical tangent, drawing his sabre. Raoul raises an eyebrow, or what passes for one on his face, and magic curls under his metallic talons. “You won’t go down without a fight.” “Indeed, detective.” Raoul sighs, languid and calm— like Akira, right before an ambush. “A thief cannot avoid confrontation forever. It is time, then, to use martial prowess to settle what trickery cannot.” Goro grins. This— this is familiar ground. This is adrenaline running through his veins, Loki’s enthusiastic bloodlust rippling into existence; the mask materialising over his features, the desire to rip, tear, kill. This is the same feeling their duel had evoked all that time ago, turned up to eleven. Truly, a no-holds-barred fight against the distorted ruler of Akira’s heart? The part of him that misses combat revels in this. (The part of him that played chess with Akira in Leblanc mourns it— not the battle, exactly, but the loss of what made him Akira.) Novel battles call for new tactics. Pressing a hand against his mask, Goro’s first command is not Loki, but— “Hereward! REBELLION BLADE!”

*whose actions constitute my identity sufficiently is specifically taken from Maurice Leblanc's tales on Arsene Lupin, where Lupin says:

"Why should I have a definite, fixed appearance? Why not avoid the dangers attendant upon a personality that is always the same? My actions constitute my identity sufficiently. [...] It is all the better if people are never able to say with certainty, 'There goes Arsene Lupin.' The great thing is that they should say, without fear of being mistaken, 'That action was performed by Arsene Lupin.' "

By the way, to any other writers of Joker Palace AUs out there using themes of masquerade/masks/theatre, with Joker represented as a person who has lost his identity by being a social butterfly and putting on 'masks' for other people: rock on!!!! That's literally exactly what the theme around Arsene Lupin is!!! He literally says "I myself have forgotten what I am really like; I no longer recognise myself in a glass" in the tales!!

Anyway. Yeah.

Here's your food, anon! Hope you enjoy. I plan on publishing this fic for Whumptober (if I finish it in time, haha), so keep an eye out for it then!

PS. if you want to read about the Third Sem Palace AU you'll have to give me some inspo, cause I'm a lil stuck >.>

#persona 5 #persona 5 royal #persona 5 joker #goro akechi #akira kurusu #shuake #fic writing

42 notes · View notes

byooregard · 11 months

Note

hey give the people your p5 recs

cracks knuckles ok let's go

Between Scylla and Charybdis by KivaEmber

Akechi’s eyes were wide in disbelief - then he laughed; a sharp, ugly noise.

“Oh!” he leaned back on his heels, his vicious expression softening into a mocking smile, “I forgot. This is new for you, isn’t it? Fighting alone?”

Or;

Akira has a near-fatal encounter in Maruki's Palace. Akechi... barely takes it well.

[I have re-read this one so many times and I think about it & Goro Akechi so much. Also general reccomendation that everything by this author is good.]

The Plural of Soulmate is a Mess by VampireBadger

You're not supposed to have more than one soulmate. Everyone knows that.

Nobody told the Phantom Thieves, though, and Akechi...

Well, he's just kind of along for the ride.

[One time I made a whole PowerPoint where I talked about soulmate aus and I spent a whole slide on a tangent about Akechi & how he works with the themes in his character and I was thinking about This Fic Specifically. Look at this bitch. he doesn't realize that it's impossible to escape being loved!!]

Analogous by jortsbian

analogous colors: noun. of art: a selection of colors that, while not the same, bear more than a passing resemblance to each other. a palette of colors that are near each other on the color wheel, and are thus similar.

In the weeks following the interrogation room, it becomes clear Akira is struggling to cope with his situation. Yusuke and Futaba provide an easy evening to de-stress.

[I have written on my ao3 bookmark only "PHANTOM THIEVES AUTISM" and yeah. phantom thieves autism]

To Grate Against the World by pretentiousashell

“Nobody seems to know what to do with you. When I received the call, the warden seemed bewildered that you were even here at all.” It was a phone call that Naoto would not soon forget—the chilling way that the warden seemed to continually forget what he was asking mid-sentence, unable to latch onto Akechi’s name as if his existence was something contingent on his direct and immediate presence.

Akechi bared his teeth, eyes in shadow. “Nobody has ever known what to do with me,” he said, voice dripping acid.

“Then, this should be refreshing for you,” he said, delighting in the way that Akechi’s gaze sharpened as Naoto plucked a nonexistent piece of lint from his coat. “You’re coming with me. To Inaba.”

At the end of P5R, the world forgets Akechi.

[I'll admit that I haven't played p4 so I cannot attest to characterization on the p4 characters that appear; however this fic makes me insane. Off the charts Vibes with the feelings of longing and melancholy and growing up growing past trauma. Its very good I'm very normal.]

blood, guts, and chocolate cake by aesphantasmal

The aftermath of Akira Kurusu, Ryuji Sakamoto, and Ann Takamaki's first slaying of a monster.

[Magnus archives au; kamoshida is an avatar of the flesh and Akira Ryuji and Ann have to kill him. Read for the feeling of the unbreakable bond of friendship you form when you and your two acquatiences murder your gym teacher together. part of a series which you should read and I am not at all biased no sir when I reccomend also everything else by this author who I do not know at all nopenope nope.]

sagittarius by moonlight by Writeous

Futaba rescues Akira before, during, and after the interrogation. In the heat of the moment, it's hard to think of them as victories.

[good shit. siblings. phantom thieves.]

falling down, falling behind by intimatopia

Akechi: are you actually fine?

What was she even supposed to say to that? Being honest was out of the question, especially with him. She didn’t like him. She’d forgiven him, and she was friends with his friends and he was dating the one boy she’d ever let herself trust. He’d taken everything from her and she was better than him, or had to be, because that was all she had left.

Haru: Why do you ask?

[I have seen so many varying takes on Haru and her feelings about the whole Everything and so far this is the only one that I've read and went YEAH!!!! YEAH THATS HARU!!!]

The Diamond Chest by kinneas

“The quickest route to anywhere is a straight line,” Akechi says. “He’s a target, and I refuse to give up that easily. I’m doing this.”

Morgana turns his skeptical gaze on him. “Are you sure? You weren’t feeling so great earlier...”

Akechi watches their target for a moment longer, and the illusion of his soft yukata and softer hair dispels under his glass shard of a smile. There isn’t a trace of pain on his face anymore—only simmering, dark excitement. “As I said. I don’t like to lose.”

And neither does Ren. Yeah, they’re head to toe in yukata and sandals, and yeah, everyone is right: this is so, so stupid. Ren is so stupid. But he’s gonna climb this roof and catch that goddamn cop.

He meets Akechi’s gaze beat for beat. “Let’s do it.”

—

Who says you have to see Morgana speak in the Metaverse before you can hear him in the real world? Not the few hundred officers who arrested Ren in Sae’s Palace two years ago, that’s for sure.

[my favoritest persona fanfic ever I think so hard all the time about this author's writing style and how the characters are written how they handle trauma and growing up and moving on from all the Things that happened in the year they were phantom thieves. the way akechi and jokers relationship is written & the way their arcs are written . this is both a great take on the characters and persona 5 and also a very well written Story in general with well executed Plot and Arcs. Everything else by this author is also fire.]

Will You Fuse Hestia? by kinneas

He tells them on a Thursday, when they sign their second lease together. They knew Ren was seeing someone. They knew Ren had a roommate. Now, they know the rest.

He doesn’t hear from them for a couple of months after that, but that’s nothing new.

—

The Phantom Thieves of Hearts have faced down angels, demons, and gods. Now it's time to face the parents.

[great and nuanced portrayal of jokers possible relationship with his parents. best one I've seen so far good shit.]

Interminable Ballistics by Stealth_Noodle

Amamiya isn't nearly as terrified as he was. As he should be. Instead his head is cocked, and he sounds equal parts frustrated and confused as he says, "I thought I was getting a do-over."

Akechi stares at him. Nearly drops the gun. Tightens his grip until his gloves creak. "You remember this happening before," he says slowly, more an accusation than a question.

"Yeah. I thought it was the drugs." Amamiya gestures at the floor, where wet syringes are scattered. "Is this real?"

Akechi realizes that he was tricked into killing a cognitive Ren in time to return and kill the real one. When he wakes up the next day, it's November 20th again, and he is a very stubborn man.

Unfortunately for his plans, so is Ren.

[Goro Akechi is insane and would rather die than do better. good news!]

#p5 #cleb talky #fic recs #gud writes #<<i do already have that tag but hey

31 notes · View notes

cyanide-e-pistachio · 10 months

Text

Shuake Spicy Fic Recs✨

Hi everyone! I’ve noticed a lot of amazing Shuake fic rec posts, but not a lot when it comes to the spicier variety 🔥 so I’m gonna link a few of my favorites! When it comes to Shuake, I like dynamics of all varieties and read a lot based on mood. So I’ll try to divide these as best as I can!

What are my credentials, you may ask? I'm just a simple gal who likes to read and write :3

If You Want Something Deceptively Wholesome - The Joy of Asking for It by Stealth_Noodle (One-shot, 6k words)

A post-canon, established relationship fic that is simply a wild ride through and through, ending with a lovely little domestic scene that warms the heart <3 I love this author's writing style and how they make everything so engaging!

If You Want a Good Top!Goro Fic - Advantageous Positioning by coleslawed (One-shot, 7k words)

Starts off with a really captivating cold open, has a fun mini-character study of Akiren, and has a good, assertive Akechi! I remember really loving how this author could write such compelling prose.

If You Want a Good Top!Persona 5 Protagonist Fic - We'd Feed Well the Land and Worry the Sheep by cookietosser (Multichapter, 34k words)

This is an older fic, but still so good. If you want a confident, doting Akiren, this is the fic for you! It's set during Sae's Palace arc where the two start to bond through nap dates, things escalate quickly, and Akechi has a bit of a crisis about it, lol. Aside from the smut, this is also just a great fic overall and a true classic for me!

If You Want a Great Switcheroo - change places! by bangandawhimper (One-shot, 6k words)

I guess if I'm preferential to any dynamic, I love switching, and this one has that in spades. An unspecified AU fic where Akechi tries bottoming for once, much to his (initial) irritation. There were some moments in this fic where I genuinely laughed out loud.

If You Want Something Actually Hilarious - spin cycle by androgenius (One-shot, 6k words)

Again, another fic where I genuinely laughed out loud several times while reading. Akechi and Akiren are neighbors, and a lot of hilarious shenanigans regarding a washing machine ensue (and not in the way you'd think, you heathens!). The writing style makes it an absolute joy to read.

If You Want a Good Amount of Plot - Bullet with Butterfly Wings by CloudMenaceBird (Multichapter, 127k words)

If you want a good plot to go with some incredible smut, this is one of my favorites. It's just an amazing post-canon shuake fic where Akechi wakes up in the Velvet Room and manages to find Akiren again after the events of Royal's final Palace.

If You Want the Oddly Specific Category of “Two People Who Have No Idea What They’re Doing but Pretend to be Experienced Anyways” - what matters most is how you bring joy to life by futuresoon (One-shot, 8k words)

This is simply a classic, through and through. Pretty much everything by futuresoon is, but this is my personal favorite of theirs. I have nothing to say other than this is probably my favorite characterization of Akechi, and that all the subtleties in this work are *chef's kiss*

If You Want WHOLESOME WHOLESOME WHOLESOME - Fools Rush In by Atalan (One-shot, 35k words)

I actually read this work recently, and being. Simply. FLOORED by how good this fic is, and how much it establishes in a one-shot. Essentially, Akiren and Akechi speedrun their entire confidant on the day they first meet at the TV Station, and it has a delicious way of writing that "instant connection" vibe. And it's incredibly wholesome. That is all.

If You Want a New Fav - Good For You by Chaoticconstellation (Multi-chapter, 14k words)

This came out just recently, and it is a new favorite of mine! A wholesome fic where Akiren and Akechi agree to try an experiment to see if physical touch improves Akechi's mood. It features a very touch-starved Akechi Goro who needs (and gets) a hug.

If You Want a Classic - To Catch a Tiger Cub, One Must First Enter the Tiger’s Lair by AyuOakhay (Multi-chapter, 77k words)

This is my personal favorite Shuake fic ever! I don't know what draws me to it - maybe it's because it has a little bit of everything I like! And despite what the tags may suggest, it does have some surprisingly sweet moments. It also inspired my current work!

And there you have it! I have more I can think of and other oddly specific categories, so I may do a Part 2 one day! 💚

#shuake #persona 5 #akira kusuru #goro akechi #persona 5 royal #fanfic #fic rec #akeshu

40 notes · View notes

cookiecomics · 3 months

Note

⭐⭐⭐ give me that directors infodump 👀

Hehehe I'll give my director's cut on Futaba's awakening!

So I am super in love with the day Persona 3 did their second awakenings. The idea that events in the characters' lives independent from the protagonist caused a shift in their psyche that caused them to develop as characters was appealing for me. Without Ren as the driving force behind the change, they had to change on their own which led me to try to brainstorm what events might push different characters to the brink.

For Makoto it was having everything about the police and justice stripped away with both her own actions, the actions of her sister and how it all culminated into getting a full view of what the justice system she craved to belong to can do to those with no power to do otherwise, it changed her in a way that she can't come. back from. That in my eyes, was the tamest of the bunch.

Then we had Akechi, someone who, at every turn, refused to free himself from his own mental shackles of the situation he's been in. How he viewed his mother and her complicated life. How he viewed himself in relation to his father and in relation to the world. He never really went after what HE wanted, only what he thought was what he was destined to do. To him, finding meaning in life meant finding some sort of balance that would be worth the cost of his mother's life. Bringing down Shido was that for him. A monster through and through and just like the stories and legends that Akechi is no doubt familiar with, that kind of karmic justice may not be "worth" his mother's life, but it's worth his. It's penance for what she had to go through. He wasn't living for himself, not really.

There's a saying in Naruto that really spoke to how I developed Ren and Goro in this fic. Sasuke said Naruto couldn't understand him because he's been alone from the very beginning vs Sasuke who lost everyone he loved. Those are two very different types of loneliness and two different sources of anger that feel like they should be the same, but they aren't. Fundamentally, they aren't, and that's why Ren was unable to reach him in that way.

From the very beginning, I knew Futaba and Cog Akechi were going to be the mechanism for Goro's second awakening. Goro's ultimate villain after all isn't fully Shido, it's always been himself. His perception of himself, his past, his inability to let himself have that love and adoration he craves now that he's found it. The person who could reach him was the only other person who would understand his very unique brand of pain in Futaba.

Being told it wasn't his fault his mom killed herself from someone that in his eyes, has every reason to despise him, to curse him, to see him fall, meant something to him. It reached him in a way that Ren couldn't in this side of the fic because Goro never tried to kill Ren. Not really, but he did ruin Futaba's life in the exact same way that his was ruined. That's why Futaba was the only one who could reach him.

She knows what it's like to believe and be told by others that your life was a burden on your mother, that self hatred, that hatred for the world at large, that need and desire for some sort of justice for your mother. Futaba gets all of that and she says as much in the game. She doesn't have to forgive him, but she can give him what he needs, and show him first hand, in action, that love is complicated.

As for Futaba's awakening, considering the deadly sin being explored in the palace was pride, neither Ren nor Goro was wholly equipped to deal with the palace at large.

They both wanted different things and were reluctant in their own ways to compromise the whole way through. It wasn't until both of them learned that they needed other people- that they could get saved by the person whose shown the most humility in the story thus far, Futaba.

Humility can be defined as having a realistic view of yourself and self-importance. Goro and Ren both put their goals above others, repeatedly.

Futaba is one of the few people in the story who never tries to sacrifice those around her for herself. When given the option to abandon Makoto to save herself when Goro takes everyone hostage, she rejects that. When given the choice to leave Goro to Cog Goro, she rejects that too. She stands up for Ren against the phantom thieves, and even against Sojiro. Time and time again, Futaba shows that humility when everyone else especially Ryuji, Ann and Makoto often fall to their own instances of pride or anger.

And most importantly, as much as Ren's whole life was turned upside down by Shido. The person who suffered the most at the hands of Shido were Akechi and Futaba and Futaba deserved to smack her dad (lol at my fav hc) in his stupid bald head as vengeance for her mom. I was disappointed the game didn't give her a moment like that, but alas, condense storytelling.

Throughout the story, Futaba constantly desires to have the power to save those around her. With her awakening and her turning the tide against the big bad, she does just that.

#ATOTT

16 notes · View notes

sketchy--akechi · 8 months

Note

Omg?!?! I thought I was the only one that thought I need a hero from Shrek 2 is absolutely a shuake song!?! Yes Yes Yes!!!!!!!!! You're so right op!!!! I really is it really is!!!

That one and I'm a believer are the two Shrek song that will never leave my Shuake playlist!!! Thank you op!!!

XD i coincidentally had it playing while reading a goro palace fic and i was just like now hold on a minute.........

it fit the vibe a little too well, and now i can only associate the song with akira saving goro from his palace or vice versa lmaoo

#txt #asks

41 notes · View notes

akechi-stole-my-heart · 6 months

Text

my favorite persona 5 fics

a while ago i made a post that listed all the fics i'd read over the course of my first year in the persona 5 fandom that i enjoyed. i've been thinking about making a post of all the fics i've read since then, but i actually decided to do something different this time. if you want a complete list of every fic i've read and enjoyed, check out my bookmarks on ao3. this, on the other hand, is a list of only my absolute favorite fics. i will continue to update it as i read more fics that i love.

these are the fics that occupy my thoughts to this very day and changed my perception of these characters. that made me cry and laugh and changed me forever. in no particular order, without further ado, these are my favorite p5 fics of all time.

Daredevil, You've Hit the Wall

A Persona 5 Strikers rewrite with Sumire and Akechi. Cookie is a phenomenal writer, and she'll be showing up on this list at a later point. Her characterization of both Akira and Akechi are absolutely godly, and their arcs in this fic are incredibly satisfying for someone who loved Strikers but was left disappointed by the lack of Akechi.

Read this if you like Akira angst, want to see Akechi improve himself and befriend the Thieves (and all the complications that come with that), like Strikers (or don't like Strikers), or love akeshu. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Love is a game (and I only play to lose)

The worst possible outcome to the Interrogation Room. This one is Dark, but the akeshu is absolutely phenomenal. Definitely heed the tags, this one isn't for everyone, but I was hooked from beginning to end. While I don't normally read Hurt No Comfort, I am very glad I gave this one a chance.

watching all the stars burn out

Are you in need of some incredible Royal Trio polycule fluff and angst? Would you like to read some of the most in-character fic I've ever read? Are you in need of a good cry today? Well, then have I got a fic for you!

This is a beautiful, heartwrenching, very sweet Royal Trio polycule fic that takes place during the final week of January when Akechi tells Sumi and Akira about his impeding demise early. It's so good. I cried. You will too. And if you're scared, I promise there is so much fluff here too. My babies,,,

Interminable Ballistics

Time loop of the interrogation room scene. Akira and Akechi are Not Okay. This fic makes me go hnnngh it's so well written the prose is beautiful and everyone is so in character it hurts. I love my bois please someone get them therapy.

goro akechi's waxed asshole

Ehehehe yeah well. This one is nsfw, but it doesn't actually have a whole lot of sex. It's more of a character study than anything, and despite the title and crack concept, is actually really beautiful and sweet? If the title doesn't scare you off please check it out I promise it is incredibly good.

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

AKESHU PIRATE AU!! Goro is a prisoner at a lighthouse and Akira is a pirate. The ways the author plays with their backstories in this AU is fascinating. I'm obsessed with this version of Akira and Goro and I really really wish a sequel existed that explored Sumire because my god-

If you like AUs, pirates, angst, and themes about self loathing and redemption, then check this one out. I think about it constantly.

Flight through fall

Okay....this one is probably the heaviest of all the fics on this list. Severe trigger warning for suicide, self harm, and medical stuff. It's...a lot. But it is also very very good. Akira is Not Doing Well after the events of Royal, and Akechi showing up in his life only makes things worse. This fic is not for everyone, but I personally found it very cathartic and poetic, to the point where I read it two times in a row.

Once More, With Feeling

Another akeshu timeloop, but this time, it's the day of the engine room scene. (I really like timeloop stories.) And then halfway through it also becomes a Palace fic (I won't say whose for the sake of spoilers). I love the characterization of Akechi and Akira here. The way they both handle the time loop is so very Them. It explores ideas of redemption, guilt, and finding a way to move on. I love this Akira so much please someone give him a hug <3

Falling Up

This is one of the only short one shots that have made such an impression on me to make it to this list. Akira and Akechi in the third semester. Akechi has...Feelings about having killed Akira. I don't want to say too much else for fear of giving too much away. Please read this. It's short and powerful and beautiful.

why don't we spin the wheel

Sae Niijima has a cognition of Akechi, and he's really fucked up. Please make sure to heed the warnings, this one's pretty violent. The exploration of Akechi is phenomenal and I think about the ending (and the rest of it) all of the time constantly.

When it's over, you're the start

Everyone starts to forget Akechi ever existed. This longer one shot made me fucking cry. It's so mean, incredibly mean, but don't worry, it has a happy ending. Nothing can erase the power of akeshu.

Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away

A what-if Mamakechi didn't die, but instead was kidnapped by Shido and her suicide faked? The characterization for Misato (Mamakechi) is sooo good, and while this fic does travel some dark places, it ultimately does result in some heartwrenching comfort for both Goro and his mama. I love this fic so fucking much, Misato is such a fantastic interpretation of Goro's mother and the the angst is sublime.

the first step to find your way is to mark where you have been

The best Akechi Palace fic I've read by a landslide, to the point where it's inspired my own Akechi Palace fic quite a bit. I had my kink awakening thanks to this fic (while reading That Scene in the middle seat on an airplane. Sorry, strangers). It's mostly an Akechi character study and an incredibly good one at that. I wish it existed as a game. It did what p5t did with Toshiro with Akechi and it did it so incredibly well. This fic makes me insane. Read it.

Fools Rush In

Akira speedruns Akechi's confidant in a day. This is one of the first fics I ever read, and when I did, I went "this is it. this is Them." The characterization is *chef's kiss.* I'm running out of new ways to compliment incredible writing help-

Pleasant Boy

This fic should be required reading for all Goroboys. No one is allowed to have an opinion on him (especially in third sem) before reading this fic. Akechi is actualized by Maruki in third sem, and Akira hates it. I love this fic so much. It heavily inspired code violet and changed the way I look at and think about Goro forever and ever I love it so much read it read it read it

it takes a village

Or, as I like to call it, The Akechi Fic. I legit had a major hyperfixation on this fic to the point where I read it three times in a row. It's more or less a NG+ where everyone remembers except Akechi. It is quite literally everything you could ever want from an Akechi redemption fic. After reading this I wondered if I ever needed to read another fic about him in my life because everything I ever wanted had already been delivered. There are so many moments in this masterpiece that make me go completely insane. This is my favorite fic of all time. Read it. Read it read it read it Please

#sera posts #sera's fanfic recs

12 notes · View notes