#fuck akechi's so hot!!!! i love her!!!!

[loveromeo1641]

Ok I JUST finished persona 5 so here's all my thoughts and ramblings because I NEED to put this somewhere (none of my friends have played the game and I'm going insane) (I also currently don't have any persona 5 moots so you know......)

Major spoilers (obviously)

I despise Kamoshida. They did a REALLY fucking good job of making him hateable. Like for me personally, all the other palace-owners aren't nearly as detestable as Kamoshida is. I feel like it's because we see Kamoshida's actions directly hurting people in a way that no other palace-owner is shown, if that makes sense. Like Madarame's actions do hurt Yusuke very directly but it's just not the same vibes. I really absolutely hate Kamoshida and I'm glad he got justice.

I love the original group of four. I do like all the characters that come after them and join the group, but those four have a special place in my heart. They're iconic.

I love Ann's story during the first palace and I feel terrible for her BUT it grosses me out how the creators continue to sexualize her (and other female characters) for laughs throughout the game. Like why the fuck did they think any of those scenes were they have to wear extremely minimal clothing was necessary. It's so fucking weird. You can't just write a character who's plot point is that she's forced into uncomfortable sexual situations, and then force her into uncomfortable sexual situations for a joke. It's not only not funny, it's fucking disgusting.

Speaking of which, can Ryuji and Morgana stop making weird comments or suggesting weird ideas? I get it's supposed to be funny, but it's just uncomfortable.

Yusuke is the gayest man I've ever seen good god.

I want to date men in the game, Atlus, come on. Stop being homophobic, let me date a man. Let me date Ryuji please

I love Futuba. She's like my younger sister and I would kill for her. Which made me really fucking grossed out when the romance started happening. Like what the fuck was that huh. I'm sorry, you can't just have Ren (I think that's he's name) and Futuba have a siblings relationship like the entire game (not to mention their basically step-siblings), and then all of a sudden turn it romantic.

Speaking of which, it's kinda weird that you can date your teacher and doctor (and the other adults). Like not shaming anyone for picking those options cause the doctors hot as hell, but why would a teacher think it's ok to date their student or a doctor date their underage client. There's nothing wrong with choosing them to date, especially if you (the player) are an adult, but it's still weird that like four different adult women want to date you.

I've seen this said before, but the middle palaces are kinda boring. The story pacing falls off after Madarame's palace. Again, I love Futuba, but Kaneshiro's, Futuba's, and Okumura's palaces feel like there's much less at stake, especially Kaneshiro's. Not that I disliked the game at those points, but compared to the rest of the game, it's not as exciting.

The Nijima palace was my favorite. Oh my god, it was so interesting and well developed. The music was also FIRE. I liked going around and collecting chips to continue on to the next level, and I liked seeing a shadow that wasn't directly hostile towards the group. It was such an interesting concept. I also just love Sae as a character, I like that she's not directly evil and she has good intentions, she just got kinda lost at some point. I think that's a nice change of pace from the other palaces.

Ren and Akechi have the most romantic tension in the entire series. Like kiss already, jesus fucking christ.

I like all the phantom thieves except Haru. She feels so out of place. This isn't like an attack on her character or anything, but the issues with her Okumura Foods stock or whatever it was felt so... weird. Like I get she's in a tough situation, but she's also like a millionaire, so no matter what she decides, she would be set for life probably. I don't know, it just feels wrong to me

I cried when Akechi died :( I know he's technically a bad guy but come on. He deserved better. I want to bring him back from the dead and give him a hug. Have him and the other phantom thieves live a happy life being besties or whatever.

The ending felt weird. It was so much monologuing. I don't even know exactly what I didn't like about the ending, I just didn't like it. I also didn't play royal, I just played the original, so that might have changed it. I know that apparently I was supposed to talk to the wardens throughout the game and I just... didn't. Oops.

This is such a small thing but I hated the music for Shido's palace. It made me go insane and not in a good way.

I cried when I thought Ryuji died. And then I got mad when the cast beat him up for some reason???? Literally why did they do that????

I realized I didn't talk about Makoto at all but I love her. She's amazing. She can do no wrong idc

Ok final thoughts: I actually really liked the game. It's far from a perfect game but I generally enjoyed it. I'm glad I sat down and played it (for 100 fucking hours). Anyway, this is all just my opinions, I'm not bothered or anything if you don't agree with something I said. If you want to leave a comment either agreeing or disagreeing, I'd appreciate it as long as you're not a dick about it

[taitavva]

yaldabaoth couldn't help but make his whole team overpowered huh ... how are the phantom thieves supposed to survive ?? "oh noo akechi ur so hot haha .. please don't kill me" brilliant strategy pego (entire ask under cut)

[ACTUALLY UR PUTFITS WERE SO ON POINT. I HAVE 2 OUTFIT IDEAS 4 HIFUMI & SHIHO (MINUS MASKS) & 1 mask idea for yuuki but idk what else. i was thinking for the leaders it would def be chaotic but goro has most metaverse experience so hes the leader. ken kinda acts like mona in giving useful tips abt personas etc and hifumi takes on the role of makoto where she gives out different strategies (her, ken, & goro debate over these tips & strategies but usually end up doing them anyway). I have an urge to show u these outfits omg. i can ramble abt these outfits & their personas for forever .. i chose jormungandr for yuuki, skadi for shiho hela for hifumi, and persephone for eiko. ik its not very in the literacy scene for them to all have deities as personas but... goro breaks it with loki anyway, so ..

explainations:: hela & jormungandr are 2/6 of loki's kids in norse mythology, aiding him in the ragnarok/end of the world, and hela is sentenced down to the underworld to be the goddess of that realm since she was born half alive half dead, and she's sentenced to it by odin (basically. kinda the zeus of norse mythology, like the "king" of all of them) because she's the daughter of loki & all this other stuff .. chose her for hifumi because hifumi's mom basically forces her to be a shoji star after hifumi's dad and yeah. jormungandr i chose because hes kinda just a sleepy little guy: in norse mythology he's known as "the World Serpent" and he wraps around the entire ocean with his tail in his mouth kind of in a constant sleep until the ragnarok (all of loki's kids --aside from 2, one being dead & the other being a gift to odin-- including loki himself, are kinda trapped somewhere before the ragnarok happens) and he's not talked about a lot but he aids in so much and he's important (like how yuuki is kind of ignored by the pts, the dialogue options being horrid, despite him aiding in them. also yuuki is the bm's navi in the au & he runs a "revenge site" like how Strega/takaya sakaki, jin shirato, & chidori yoshino do in p3-- strega also does death calling cards , mainly shown in the novels which is p cool.. first ppl to use mental shutdowns despite not beinf called that then either. i love strega sorry. they all agreed to it because shiho wanted to deal with more people like kamoshida, goro wanted to deal with more people like shido, hifumi wanted to deal w more people like her mom, etc).. i chose persephone for eiko because in greek mythology, persephone is (most commonly accepted form of the myth) kidnapped by hades and forced into marriage with him by eating a pomegranate out of the underworld .. point blank, persephone reminds me of eiko being trapped and persephone's shown to overcome it , ( honestly eventually making the underworld & hades her Bitch. she kills the goddess/nymph of mints and creates the mint plant because she got too handsy with hades).. also hifumi and eiko are a little gay for eachother so why not have their personas be, too? anyway. SHIHO!! i chose skadi for her because skadi , in norse mythology , is both jotunn (giant) and a god like how loki is, but she's an accepted form of it because she was given over to the gods as a peace treaty, and thats pretty important to norse mythology i'd say (like how rooftop scene is important to kamoshida arc), and skadi claws up the aesir (council of gods) thru both her marriage (ann? ann. hehe.) and her own sheer will (shiho's recovery and goro's ..... questionable aid.) and skadi just fits. the goddess of mountains and winter? sign me the FUCK UP.

Anyway . this was long I apologise]

[kroosluvr]

hi!! as a fellow royal trio-truther ive been ADORING and loving your posts so much <3 you mentioned that you've like mentally re-wired shusumi so i was curious if you had a list of head-canons for how they develop in the game/post-game!! Im super curious to hear (: also any head-canons for the akesumi dynamic would be great bc I hate how little the game developed them together !!!

OMGGGGGGGGG HAYYYYYYYYYY ok so. first. look at this (idr if i posted this here already but if i did look again heh..)

ok now ill actually talk under the cut

note that some of this is headcanon territory bc i just be frolicking at this point

some backstory i fell in love w sumi as soon as her art was revealed i was like omfg peak design PEAKKKKKK i love her so much so i was really excited abt her but i feel like there were so many loose ends w her confidant and namely her crush on protag sometimes doing her a disservice (it turned ppl off from her (understandable bc i also dislike when writers make a female character out to be dependent on a male character) but also made other ppl weird abt her in the same breath....... shivers. people who overly-romanticize/sexualize mentally ill characters (especially girls/women) freak me out sorry

anyway that put me off frm p5 fandom for a hot minute. BUT regardless. i think people often focus on like "shy cute sadgirl kouhai crush-on-protag" for her which on top of atlus's.......mediocre handling of her also does her character a disservice... shes so multilayered!! she houses such insane convoluted levels of distress and fear and anger and reluctance and most of all STUBBORNNESS. i think her headstrong personality is not really emphasized in fandom but i can totally see it (maybe its just me but).

ok moving on to my shsm delusions i think to turn sumire's canon crush on its head i want to make them doomed to never get together. i think 3rd semester is so tense and high-emotion that royal trio are so deeply intertwined w each other:

like they all are mildly-to-a-lot suicidal so they hold onto each other so tightly to make sure none of them spirals and does anything bad. i think in the end they just want the other two to be Okay, even if they themself doesn't. if the other two are ok, then it's all good.

ok back to shsm LMAO i think seeing their relationship as like an odd high-emotion situation makes sense. they love each other, obviously, and provide each other comfort, but the idea of a relationship slips thru their fingers like water. is that right...? is that how it is? like i said up there they just crumble under the weight of their own love. tldr theyre in no place to "date" each other........ but they have their "almost." they're inseparable, they love spending time with each other, but knowing in the back of their heads that it won't last, and they'll have to leave it be one day. "sometimes when i really love someone i leave them alone forever." peak shsm to me. "let's run away together - but what if it's not enough? what if all of this fear and sadness still stays? i take a man down to the river and he throws away his sadness but hes still left with his hands, he's still left with the river (paraphrased richard siken). peak shsm to me. i think they try to treat eachother so softly and gently that it fucks it all up, actually. peak shsm to me. it's not codependency in the sense that theyre not trying to save each other - they're just trying to salvage out some love from it all. all of these terrible things that happened: there's still love, right? there's still love. but the pain can't all be sifted out, and everything still hurts. but they still love. (they just don't date or even talk to each other much after graduating and i think they talk to akechi but to each other its suddenly COMPLICATED. i hate these guys)

ironically i think if you throw akechi in the mix it stabilizes out and i think shuakesumi could totally have a happy married ending. but shsm as a pair i dont see endgame for them. peak for me is that theyre in love and then they spend the rest of their lives trying to forget each other (they don't)

(If this sounds ridiculous and stupid im sorry. i just like shoving too-many-emotions onto my favs sometimes (a lot of the time))

IN REGARDS TO AKESUMI i think my latest 2 comics describe how i feel abt them pretty well!!! link 1 and link 2. actually i think akesumi's friendship is a great way for me to explore how i see/portray/feel about sumire, because i see them as way more similar than the game pays attention to. they're both stuck in their ways: sumire in her cowardice, hiding from the incident and refusing to move on, and akechi entrenched in his own traumas and feeling like he doesn't deserve more than that. their self-hatred manifests in two opposite ways but its very similar at the core. they both like. have no fucking clue what they're doing in terms of handling their pasts so that's why i think them working together to get around their own respective traumas is so fascinating: akechi is terrible at it, pushing sumire too far, but at the same time that perspective is something that she needs. meanwhile, her sensitive and observant personality shows akechi that like, you can have This too: a soft, good love. to have someone care about you unconditionally, so gently. you deserve that, too. yeah i can explode my head off now

i did not proofread this.

[dogbunni]

[begins coughing like a cat about to throw up a furball] [spits up several nendo headcanons and then looks at u proudly]

-nendo collects hot wheels. I have no justification beyond this except that I also collect hot wheels and I think we'd have that in common. if he was real I would take nendo to a toy shop to look at all the hot wheels. just stand there and observe them for an uncomfortably long time. my friends aren't deeply autistic enough to do this with me so I can never observe the little cars for long enough before making a purchase :(

-nendo trans ally #1

-nendo has no idea what his sexuality is but not in a confused/questioning way, in a "I have never thought about it longer than 1 second" way. he likes who he likes and has no thoughts beyond that. he is label-less in a [shrugs shoulders] way. (saiki is also label-less but in a "fuck you" kind of way)

-nendo loves rollercoasters and watches weird essay length youtube videos about theme parks and animatronics. its a hobby that deeply disturbs everyone around him bc this guy cannot do basic math but he can and will channel the spirit of akechi rambling about defunct animatronics. sometimes he shows saiki pictures of animatronics in late stages of decay in horrible pitch black nightmare settings and saiki reacts as if nendo has placed a live cockroach in his lap.

-he has a condiment problem. steals sauce packets from restaurants with diagnosable compulsion.

-he doesn't Get memes. everyone has tried and failed to show nendo a meme. it's like trying to show your mother a funny picture and she holds the phone as far away from her face as she can and then stares at it for way too long before silently handing it back. he just doesn't Get It.

-hes like, really good at making memes though. he will just absently turn a phrase or take an image so absurd that everyone is still saying and reposting and reacting with it years down the line. he has no idea that he has this power

-he feeds stray cats and makes little shelters for them outdoors <3

-nendo and kaido roleplay together sometimes. I'm talking like, warrior cats roleplay. sometimes dark reunion but kaido gets pissy if nendo messes up The Lore. nendo calls it "playing pretend" bc he has no concept of cringe culture and kaido dies inside every time

-he manages to forget his own birthday. every year. saiki remembers though, and it's the one and only day he will ask if nendo wants to get ramen with him, instead of the other way around. it gets to the point that saiki asks if nendo wants ramen, and he says "what, is it my birthday ahaha" and saiki is just like. you goddamn idiot. good grief.

-last time I did one of these I said that nendo loves cute things like sanrio plushies and holds them so gently. well I see that and I am correct, but I raise you nendo thinking that SAIKI is the cutest thing he's ever seen. something about the pink hair and glasses and the little limiter bubbles on his head and his purple eyes and little frowny eyebrows- nendo wants to. hold gently. sometimes he just grabs saiki by the shoulders and stares at him blank in the face and saiki is like [nervously] "what the fuck? what the fuck????"

-he and aiura actually get along weirdly well. they're unhinged in similar flavours and it gets saiki's blood pressure up. he tries at all costs to keep them away from each other. their singular brain cells cancel each other out on sight.

-akechi makes nendo's brain hurt a little. he just can't process all of akechi's akechi-ness and it makes him feel dumb. he's fine with being dumb most of the time but akechi just makes him feel a little self conscious for some reason. (definitely not because he's jealous that akechi was friends with saiki first)

-he still likes the funny lil guy though. akechi's the only one who will enthuse with him about rollercoasters and he values those talks. so much.

-toritsuka is afraid of nendo for some reason. no one is sure why but nendo LOVES it. he's always trying to jump out and scare him. saiki supports nendo in this endeavour ardently. toritsuka suffers.

-nendo falls down the weirdest tiktok rabbit holes. it got so bad once that they got teruhashi to distract him while kuboyasu lifted his phone and deleted the app off of it. it took nendo several months to realise he could redownload it.

[yandere-romanticaa]

Anna. Give it to me straight. As an Otome loving gal, out of 10 rate your top 3 Ikemen games and a brief description of WHY you’d recommend them? I see you talking about Ikemen and I wanna get into it but I don’t know yet.

Ok so, this is the order I started playing them because in truth, all of the Ikemen games are good in my opinion.

❤️ IKEMEN SENGOKU.

This was, I believe, my first ever otome!! I actually started playing it because I saw that the voice actor for one of my top anime husbands, Mikaela Hyakuya, was in this game so I was SOLD, I just went in blindly.

I never turned back though.

In this game, through a freak accident the MC ends up going back in time to the Sengoku era and meets the actual warlords such as Oda Nobunaga, Mitsuhide Akechi and many others. She is trying to find a way to go back home and not fall in love with any of the warlords. Now, in case you don't know, the Sengoku era was the era in which Japan was united which meant that there was a lot of war and battling, which gives this game a bit of edge. All of the characters have this epic air to them, everything they do is for the greater good but then the MC shows up and just fucks it all up with her presence jahahaah

Personally, I'd give it a 7/10. Solid game but not quite as good as some other games. There is also a bonus to learn a little bit about Japanese history lmao!!

❤️ IKEMEN VAMPIRE.

Ah, here we are, to my personal favorite.

I'm biased, I'm a sucker for vampires, okay? I also find it so hilarious how this game takes some of the most famous people in history and turns them into cute anime boys which you can date. Seriously, just what game allows you to date Napoleon Bonaparte or Mozart?? Well, it's this one!! Here, the MC follows a mysterious man, Comte, through a door that sends her back in time to 19th century France. That's not all though!! She is stuck in a mansion full of these historical figures, who all happened to be hot vampires! They're all there for a reason and it's bloody amazing.

Can you tell that I love this game? Because I fucking love this game.

In my objective opinion, it's either 8.5ish/10, maybe even 9/10. I'm not good at rating, my apologies. But since I'm biased, I'll give it 10/10. I'm in love, leave me alone.

❤️ IKEMEN PRINCE.

This might just be the best game yet. The writing is very good here, it feels as though the developers keep pouring more and more love into each new game that comes out.

In this game, the MC lives in the fictional kingdom of Rhodolite. Whenever the ruler dies, a maiden with a fair and pure heart is selected to become "Belle", who has the duty of selecting the next ruler of the nation. She must become close with all of the candidates and understand them well in order to pick the right ruler. The catch?

Once the king is selected, Belle is not allowed to have any contact with the new king. Bummer, am I right?

There's a plethora of princes to choose from, even some from opposing kingdoms. My own bias is creeping in oopsie, but Gilbert is a treat. So is Kieth tbh. The world feels very real and fleshed out, there's always SOMETHING happening in the background which makes this game feel more alive, if that makes sense.

Dare I say, this game is a 10/10.

✨ PRO TIP! - For all of these games, if a character has different colored eyes, he's most likely a yandere.

[hot-take-tournament]

HOT TAKE TOURNAMENT

PRE-PRELIMINARY #19

Submission 55

Tohru Adachi is a better character than Goro Akechi

[SUBMITTED JUSTIFICATION UNDER THE CUT]

Pre-preliminaries will be used to determine what qualifies as a hot take. Propaganda is encouraged!

Also, remember to reblog your favourite polls for exposure! (exposure like when your exposed to critical levels of radiation)

They're both terrible people but P4 doesn't try to justify Adachi's actions even if you pick the accomplice ending and side with him, meanwhile P5 constantly goes 'but he was sad tho :( his daddy doesn't love him so he's allowed to kill ppl' after the reveal that Akechi's the traitor. Also I did the math and in the cutscene where the train gets derailed alone Akechi killed at least 100x more people than Adachi did in the entire game. There's nothing wrong with liking evil characters (IMO) but acting like they're sweet innocent babies is lame

Adachi and Akechi have similar roles in the story. They’re both the subject of the main mystery of their respective games, the killer and the traitor, and in order to hide their involvement, they have fake detective personas (lowercase p personas not Personas). The issue is that while Adachi’s fake personality is a lovable dork who goofs off work by hanging out in the lobby of a department store, “accidentally” leaks critical information about the case to a bunch of teenagers, and has a weird friendship with an old lady who thinks he’s her son, Akechi's is just generic “crime bad, criminals bad” detective man with zero substance to any of his interactions with the main cast outside of literally all of them fucking hating him (the correct and morally right response to Akechi talking to you). But that’s just their fake personalities, right? It’s totally fine for a completely false, constructed persona to be a little shallow, right? Well Akechi’s real personality is just as bad. I already mentioned how his entire motivation is “Waah my dad doesn’t love me so I’m gonna help him achieve his goals then kill him” which is completely fucking stupid by the way just kill the dude and be done with it if thats what you’re gonna do anyway man, but his personality boils down to ‘generic angsty villain whos gonna get a completely undeserved redemption arc’ (thankfully cognitive Akechi killed him before that could happen, the one good thing he did and it wasn’t even really him). Adachi’s real personality is completely unhinged, his big motivation speech can be summed up as “ACAB!” “But you’re a cop!?” YEAH AND I’M A TOTAL BASTARD WHAT PART OF THAT DON’T YOU GET!?” You love to hate him, and that’s what makes a good antagonist, not feeling sorry for him because his dad doesn’t love him. Guess what Akechi, a lot of people's dads don’t love them and none of them became domestic terrorists to try to regain his love and respect!

And you might think that I’m exaggerating with how the player is supposed to sympathise and eventually forgive Akechi, but after he explains his awful motivation, the first person to extend a hand of sympathy is Haru, the girl who’s father Akechi murdered in front of her like two months prior. The second person is Futaba, who spent her entire adolescence traumatised because she thought she was such a shitty daughter that it drove her mother to suicide BECAUSE AKECHI KILLED HER MOTHER IN FRONT OF HER (the dude’s consistent I’ll give him that.)

[djungelskog-oblivion]

PERSONA HOT TAKES

look i just want to talk about these games. its not serious.

PERSONA FIVE IS MID. like its pretty good. it's fine. it's cozy. but the thematic content is actually terribly handled and really not as deep as ppl think it is. the story is also really hamfisted. i don't need a flashback every five minutes to realize what's going on.

Ann shouldve been the P5 protagonist. she's interesting, is directly fucked over by kamoshida's actions and deserves more time to heal/process what was done to her. wasted opportunity.

Teddie is adorable and I love him. Yes, he's annoying, but he's also just a sweet little guy who don't know shit. His shadow is also great.

Naoto is boring and underutilized. I like them, don't get me wrong, but they really could've done more.

Yukiko's social link is genuinely terrible. It reeks of backtracking, taking an independent character and flipping her motive on a moment's notice. The nuanced approach would've been to have Yukiko realize that she loves her family, and the inn, but she has to get over her guilt and live for herself.

This isn't a hot take but i thought shinjiro was like 30 for most of persona 3 when i played it originally.

Persona's trend of making villains traditionally "unattractive" is lazy and gross. Akechi is a notable exception as a fuckable twink but he actually gets to grow as a person and become likeable. Characters like Morooka, Kamoshida and Madarame don't.

Persona 4's shaders are so ugly i think it's insane the game got published lookin like that. I've made my own reshade set if anyone is interested lol it took me like 5 hours.

Persona 3 FES' combat is actually really good. Tartarus is the fun kind of grind. Bonus points for SP regeneration mechanics letting you actually use magic and party member exhaustion forcing you to actually leave at some point. The boss fights are also the best in the series.

Oldsona fans seriously need to PLAY the games instead of watching the cutscenes to realize why they're not actually the best. Yeah, the story of p2 is god tier but the combat is like wading through sludge. can't jun your way out of that shit

All yukari slander is baseless filth. She's the best P3 character IMO

[icespur]

 Akeshu Daughter Names meaning 愛/"love, affection, fondness."

Context and meanings for name choices below the poll. PLEASE, CHECK AND READ THOSE BEFORE VOTING

(Once again linking this amazing post on Phantom Thief Flower Symbolism)

愛/Love, affection, fondness

= Nod to Akiren and Akechi's bond, + one of the flowers associated with Akechi is "Forget-Me-Nots" which symbolize "True Love" among other things.

愛真/Asana

真 means "truth, reality, genuine."

(Immediate Third Semester Incident vibes. Think of this as the boys subtle middle finger to Maruki "Not only did we successfully stop you from creating a false reality, but we also conceived a child of our own free will)

愛矢夏/Ayana

矢 means "arrow, dart."　

(Penguin Sniper, Darts minigame in Royal, also the character of Robin Hood is known to use a bow-&-arrow)

夏 means "summer, hot, 

(Reference to the daughter's birth month and season. She's born 27 weeks early in August, and August falls in Late Summer)

生愛/Ichika

生 means "life, birth, raw, uncooked."　

(reference to their daughter being born early and premature)

心愛/Minori

心 means "heart, mind, spirit."　

(Originally I had Akiren in mind for this, but this could work for both of them.

Heart = "Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Akiren/Joker steals cognitive Hearts, or could stand for his own rebelious heart)

Mind = Persona

Spirit = Rebellious Spirit, Persona, Joker being a wildcard in general)

望愛/Mio

望 means "hope, wish, desire."　

(Their daughter wasn't planned in the slightest, so they didn't "wish" for her at all. But despite the weird circumstances, how logically Akiren shouldn't have even been able to carry her because "Who knew his uterus was fully functional"????

Her existence defies logic, she's a little being made from their DNA, they adore her all the same, maybe if two fucked up young men like themselves can end up creating something beautiful, maybe there is hope.

and hey, they didn't need to accept a Madman's false reality to have her, they made this child of their own free will (albeit by complete accident)

(hm, now that I typed it, that doesn't explain the meanings and reason I chose them, very well. Maybe this one doesn't work as well as I thought)

[arcplaysgames]

OKAY I WENT BACK AND FIXED THE FLAG, lets roll

i'm gonna say it: futaba is the character that can go toe-to-toe with the casts of P3 and P4. she is so well written, so expansive, just the way she talks feels more alive, like allusions to her broader self. she's the one character who feels like she exists when she's not being observed on the screen.

she is Reverie's little sister and I love her to death.

Also when Reverie gives her a head pat (which is a thing I do to my mother to say hello) it's adorable, and it's clearly been so long since it's happened that it takes her off guard and she leaps away.

Baby steps, Futaba, you're getting there and I'm proud of you.

oh man i love how this game keeps making it agonizing as i turn people down!!!!

tho tbh none was worse than Ann, my god the Ann scene was so good I almost dated her just because the set-up.

but no, Futaba, i really thought about it, and you are a little sister.

(also, I am morbidly curious how the obligatory Christmas date goes without a romance. in P4G it was fucking delightful, but P5R has proven to be a fucking bastard if you don't romance someone. I wanna see if it can be worse than the Hawaii trip somehow.)

but jfc PERSONA! STOP THIS! LEMME SAY SOMETHING MORE PROFOUND! Lemme say "You're like a sibling to me" or "You're the best friend I could have hoped for," SOMETHING not just "Because we are teammates," it's so fucking cold!!!!!

yells

SEE

THAT'S MORE LIKE IT

I love that they have an in-joke. Futaba is absolutely Reverie's key item too.

okay so that's Hermit nearly a wrap, rank 9.

Time for the latest Beige News.

Akechi wants to go have a private conversation. Super private. No, even more private than that. He wants to have a chat in Mementos.

Morgana, I cannot BELIEVE you just let Reverie GO OFF TO MEMENTOS WITH AKECHI, who the fuck is gonna be around to drag Reverie's body back to the real world after? Someone needs to run up to Sojiro and meow like Lassie, okay.

But no, Morgana presumably is nervous about being an unwilling spectator to some hot makeouts so he's outie.

Points to Akechi's VA because my god it sounds like Akechi is actually having an emotion for the first time in the game.

For the curious, his emotion is Barely Restrained Murder Boner.

Unfortunately for you, bro, I just bribed Notigor with 60k yen to give me King Frost with Null Bless, so you are royally fucked. (Ba dum tish.)

This is so fucking horny I just stopped and laughed to myself for a while.

i'm fukcing cackling at this shit

Akechi would be like 50% more stable as a person if he just read Homestuck, honestly. The feeling that is burning in your chest/pants right now is called kismesissitude and it's totally fine, man. You are be max dramatic about your blackrom feels when you and Reverie could just be making out and leaving bruises on each other for fun.

But lets be real, if Akechi read Homestuck he'd unironically think Vriska did nothing wrong and then we'd have to kill him.

HE FUCKING THROWS HIS GLOVE AT REVERIE

He could be taking off a lot more than that if he stopped being weird about this blackrom thing but WHATEVER MAN, Y'ALL CAN HAVE HATE MAKEOUTS LATER I GUESS.

Pompous little windbag. I want to beat you up and make you wear something that isn't monochromatic to a hospital wall.

[zingtastic]

ARSENE LUPIN P5 AU?????? FUCK YEAH!!!!!

(Holy shit I love this idea, I am in love a trillion times with it. Also basic gist of it pls (like is it based off of the novels in terms of story or is it p5 but old)?)

I’M GLAD YOU’RE EXCITED BECAUSE I AM TOO

I’m also very nervous because I’ve never made an au before and I’m kinda putting a weird spin on it. I am basing it mainly on the novels; time period, style, etc. But the novels only really concern Arsene and Ganimard. In order to add more characters, I looked to media similar to the stories and low and behold I found the Lupin III series (which I then binged and now adore but that’s besides the point).

The au follows Phantom Thief Ren Lupin, of course, with Detective Goro Akechi (I didn’t feel a reason to change Akechi’s name because he’s already named after a famous detective) hot on his tail. It takes place roughly in the late 1800s to early 1900s so I’m gonna throw an old fashioned twist on the p5 villains, which will be the people Ren’s stealing from. However, Ren will be the one carrying out the actual heists while his support… supports him in doing so, preventing the law from reaching him and all that.

Concerning his support: this was based HEAVILY on Lupin III’s gang. If you are unfamiliar with that franchise, a quick Google search should give you the gist of the group.

Ren obviously takes place of Lupin.

Ryuji takes the place of Jigen. I chose Ryuji because Jigen is Lupin’s right hand man—always there for support and to help get him outta trouble if he becomes overwhelmed. Bros lookin out for bros!

Yusuke takes the place of Goemon. In the show, Goemon represents the traditional Japanese thief—the same role that Yusuke plays in p5, relatively speaking. He’s the level-headed one with accidental humor, and if that isn’t Yusuke idk who is.

Then comes the idea of the fem fatale. I didn’t want this to be an all boys au because women are badass, duh. So I HAD to include my girl Ann in there somewhere, and I think she takes the place of Fujiko, in a way. She definitely won’t be used for sex appeal tho because women deserve respect and that’s a very “male gaze” idea so she’s there to be her girlboss self and show the boys how it’s done.

I’d like to include the rest of the Phantom Thieves down the line as other additions to Ren’s support group, but I’m gonna flesh out what I’ve got so far before I get too in over my head.

My favorite Arsene Lupin story is The Red Silk Scarf so I’m gonna play around with maybe doing a messy comic as a sort of intro to the greater story.

I am extremely excited to work on this but I do have a full-time job over the summer so most posting will probably happen on the weekends.

Anyway, sorry that was a little long but thank you for being interested and asking about it!! I hope it meets expectations :) <3

[jicklet]

Morrigan Dragon Age, Joker Persona, Shepard Mass Effect

(Send me a character and i’ll tell you at least two characters I ship them with)

Morrigan: Hmm, only different Wardens is probably cheating huh. Still, my faves are female Amell (with the Warden starting off in starry eyed admiration and it developing beyond that), and male Cousland (because the idea that you could become prince consort or any of these other things but instead nah, fuck all your responsibilities you're gonna follow after your hot Shrek girlfriend, that's just fantastic). Non-warden, Leliana, in this sort of way.

Joker Persona: Who DON'T I ship him with (the adults). Him and Akechi are just so impressively fucked up it goes all the way around to funny, especially with like *waves hand at all the other possible options that could actually be healthy.* With Ryuji, because he's just so goddamn dedicated and maybe they should smooch about it. Makoto for total power couple. Although, shockingly, she may have been surpassed as my favorite for in-game romance by Haru, I have a real soft spot for the relationship they build. Emphasis on soft, especially with the time of year you actually start her confidant, just getting to spend time with her in these quiet gentle moments on the roof is just so sweet, and the idea of going on supporting her as she goes on to build her cafes, with everything Joker's learned about coffee too, its just, aww.

Shepard: For non-romanceables, Gianna Parasini is delightful, and I have a soft spot for Shiala.

For the romances, Kaidan melts me. He'll be the support they need, but he's still got that core of integrity that draws a line he won't cross, even for them, and I like that no matter how in love he is, he keeps that part of himself. And they both get the other to loosen up a little, there's an aspect of them both humanizing each other.

With Miranda is fascinating because she's such a mirror to Shepard, they clash and push and make each other better. And with everyone else, there's an aspect of Shepard carrying the weight of things while they're supporting them at it, but Miranda doesn't let them do that for her.

I also have a soft spot for Steve, by the time they meet Shepard is so tired and giving so much of himself away, him and Steve kinda get the other to slow down and take care of themselves and it's sweet.

[daxieoclock]

Deja Vu Q&A

As an accompaniment to the last Deja Vu chapter of 2022, I’ve compiled a list of questions about the fic - and my process - from my friends, allies, compatriots, comrades and accomplices, and I will here be answering them. I hope you all enjoy.

Thanks to @lilyhoshikawa​ @superrabbittank​ @triskaidekaphilist​ and @mcpuliot​ for their assistance in compiling these.

Ralu: Since this is a really long story that has already celebrated some birthdays, and you have a lot of scenes/ideas already planned a long time since they appeared - I know you made some changes around the beginning, when the story started to form into what it is now (like the differences between Anachronism and our Ren), but what about things that have happened only recently, or are presumingly going to happen in the future? How much has the DV remained on track, and are there parts where it changed its route?

so as you mentioned, i included a lot of the early drafts of DV plans in the story as "here's what Anachronism fucked up in his iteration," tongue in cheek meta joke. For example, Ren not revealing about the parcels until October, partially because getting close with Haru and saving her father would necessarily have him tip his hand.

I'll also say Haru's father specifically and the entire idea of "the Thieves don't kill" is something I've very much changed my opinion on since I came up with DV. You can see that a bit in how Ren's own opinion changes, as the POV character and protag and half soapbox that he is in this story. He starts out telling Ohya that the Thieves want to act on "more than just vindication," and himself deciding that none of the Thieves wanted to be murderers. Yusuke and Makoto are both given full prerogative to kill their targets, and choose not to - in Yusuke's case, it was as close to a coin flip as Ann's decision in Kamoshida's Palace. Then things shift when we get to the Okumura arc.

Ren here offers Haru an opportunity to cause a mental shutdown in secret in order to preserve her reputation, and avoid having her abuse publicized. She chooses not to at the time out of moral obligation to the Thieves, with an implied "out of fear of becoming like the person who killed Futaba's mother." Then her decision to spare her father becomes not a default mercy, but something she does because it helps the other Thieves, because killing him would complicate things further. And because she gains nothing but satisfaction with his death. Then in the Empress at Dusk parcel letter, Anach!Haru states further that she is thankful to Anachronism for saving her father, because he ensured that her autonomy re:him was kept intact.

These themes come to a head during DV Redux's Kamoshida throne room scene, Haru's hot pot BBQ and the unposted Butterfly Effect "That Wears The Crown," between which the situation is spelled out clearly. Haru didn't kill her father because, like Kamoshida, there was more to gain with his confession. Death serves the purposes of satisfaction and silence, of keeping an abuser from ever talking about the abuse and providing direct and immediate catharsis.

Haru shuns Akechi (in a metatext standpoint, this is me also shunning Akechi stans who refuse to acknowledge their faults or treat abuse victims INCLUDING Akechi with much degree of compassion) not for attempting to kill someone who definitely deserves death, but for taking the choice away from her and for indirectly weaponizing her abuse against those she loves. If Haru's father died, as he did in canon, the results would be the revocation of Haru's autonomy over his fate, and it would throw the Thieves into disarray, in which they would fixate on Haru's abuser as a lynchpin of failure.

And in the hot pot, Ann doubles down on Ren's offer, making clear the similarities between her own situation and Haru's, and retroactively implies that if Kamoshida hadn't abused Ryuji and Shiho, she would have immolated him in a heartbeat. In a horrible ironic way, by entangling himself in the trauma of people she loves, he saved his own life. But since no other Thief has anything to gain or lose by Sugimura's death, Ann gives explicit permission for Haru to kill him if she chooses.

Rabbit: When did Haru realize she was a girl? How did she handle that realization?

I'm gonna wax poetic and silly and say Shakespeare. When she was in middle school drama club studying how old timey performances would often have actors crossdressing, and probably there was some sort of exercise where everyone switched their costumes and played each other's parts for fun, and it was this big goofy thing and for the first time, Haru is presented with the prospect that wearing a dress isn't something shameful or abhorrent, and that sort of clicks something for her.

And she probably asks to play a girl in the next performance. One thing leads to another, with a lot of fighting her father in between, and she gets her transition started by the Summer before high school, so she can enter Shujin as herself and not under her deadname.

Rabbit: In Ren's head, what's the first thing he's gonna do when this is all over? Has he even thought in terms of All This being over at some point?

He really hasn't. A lot of the epilogue is gonna be Ren trying to figur his life out now that he's lived past The Apocalypse At The End Of The Year that's been hanging over his head. I think there's still a part of himself that expects him to fail, that contextualizes "Ren" as "someone who fails," and is almost disappointed when he doesn't.

Rabbit: What are Ren and Haru and Ryuji going to name their dog?

CERBERUS. I've thought about this djfbgjb

Rabbit: What does Haru's ideal date look like? Ann's? Makoto's?

Haru: cooking together Ann: being out and about for a couple hours, windowshopping and sightseeing, and then having a relaxed romantic dinner Makoto: PJ movie night

Rabbit: Do Mishima and Haru have any kind of friendship?

FUCK, HOLY SHIT YOUR MIND. THEY REALLY SHOULD. Another part of the epilogue is gonna be Mishima (with her new name!!!) slowly getting incepted into the "extended Thieves" alongside Sumire, Sojiro and Shiho; and I already know that she and Futaba are going to get along like a peapod, but I think like. Mishima would be kinda smitten with Haru? Like "I'm infinitely jealous of you and I'm gonna be So Normal about it (lie)." And Haru throws a girl's night with her and Ann and Futaba and Kasumi and Mishima, and Mishima happy-cries so much.

Rabbit: Besides the characters who are trans, is there anyone else you considered blasting with the Gender Beam but decided not to?

Ryuji. I’ve definitely decided to do so, just haven't gotten around to it yet >:3c

[Jane addendum: If I may expand on the last answer, I think it’s also worth mentioning that vane initially planned for Akechi to be transmasc in DV, before we went the transfem angle, so that kinda counts]

Rabbit: In the pegoryuharu happily ever after, who takes whose last names, if any?

I'm not gonna canonize this yet cause I still want to figure out a balance between grounded and Best Case Dream Outcome for, ya know, moving forward logistics-wise with a polyamorous relationship. But if I decided tomorrow? Ren, Ryuji and Haru Sakura-Sakamoto. Because neither Amamiya nor Okumura deserve any place in a happy house.

Tura (by way of Rabbit): If every Persona game is about a concept (3 “death,” 4 “truth”, 5 “freedom”) does Deja Vu have a new word! Or does it have an alternate take on Freedom not covered in the base game!

OOOOOH good question. i think. hm hm.

"Rebirth."

but also, there's a bit of the idea of like. playing off freedom? it's the "Freedom (fear and hope)". cause everyone's psyched about the tiger escaping its cage yes yes yes the tiger is free. cause fuck yeah. and i bet the tiger's pretty psyched too. but there's also something to be said about like...longing for the cage. the way freedom can be overwhelming and difficult and frightening. it's vital, but it's also...big. and when you're born in a cage, it can be difficult to contextualize yourself outside of it. but also. you ARE outside of it. and the cage is broken now. you're never going back. to borrow dave’s favorite metaphor? the shell is cracked. you cannot put the chick back into the egg. it can only grow now.

Jane: Indulgence alley. What is ur favorite story addition or idea that Jane (me) has made

YES. OKAY. SO. FUCK.

g-d this is the hardest djfbgjb okay. okay uh. fuck djfgbjh. can i cheat and say "everything?" djfgbjdb cause. g-d. how do i even fucking PICK.

futaba's confidant arc?

the way she challenged me to sharpen empress at dusk into some of my strongest writing?

sumitaba?

the fact that just having her around to keep me acountable has pushed me to strive and make my writing better?

"A Little Faith?" "Get Some Therapy??" "Scorpions???" 

just djfbgjdbfg g-d. g-d. it's harder at this point to find a part of DV after the Kaneshiro arc that jane hasn't influenced, directly or indirectly.

but. Akechi. Freya motherfucking Akechi.

Yaldabaoth's false champion, the two-faced closeted transfem second detective prince groomed into assassination by an abuser they assumed they had power and control over, the unstable and scarred girl boy in the black mask, the unblinded justice, the false wild card who broke the rules of cognition by splintering their own true self in half,

who laughs involuntarily and barely sleeps and punishes herself to stay sharp because her own harm is the only one she can control, who hides a bloodstained pocket knife behind her detective badge, ren's pity project and rival and friend and most dangerous enemy and most trusted ally, Kasumi's oldest and most beloved friend, the thief who breaks the quo, the triple agent who finds the weak links that could make the thieves break and revels in that knowledge and then surrenders it and defends those weaknesses.

Akechi, who is fueled by love and scared of being loved. Everything Ren wants to be and nothing that he is. They would be a better leader than him, and that's why they never will be.

and i am. so fucking happy i didn't stick with the first draft dv akechi djfgbjhb like. dissatisfied transmasc, blind in one eye because he's destined to be disabled in tragically ironic ways for...choosing to be alive, eternally bickering to No Fucking End with ren and never getting better, being constantly proven wrong by overly moralizing dumbasses, repeatedly getting thrown under the metaphorical steam roller because The Plot Must Go On. goro with the silver tongue, all that wit and not a blade to be found. not sharp. not real.

i do not miss dv goro djfbgjhdb i just feel embarrassed ever thinking that was a better idea than canon

Rabbit: in the hypothetical pegoryuharu future, who proposes 👀 (assuming they get married)

Ren on accident. 1000%.

very like he's just thinking it through because "do i want to marry my partners" immediate yes. but "how do we get poly married" presents a more difficult question, so he sort of gets fixated on that and then is like "hey haru, ryuji, just to make sure, you wanna get married?"

and ryuji's like "YOU MEAN LIKE NOW???"

and haru's like "wait till spring"

and ryuji's like "SPRING IS IN THREE MONTHS ARE WE DOING IT THIS SPRING???"

and morgana laughs his little kitty head off.

like for one they definitely talk it through like logistically how would they do it, could they do some lavender marriage arrangement with ren and ryuji getting hitched while haru marries makoto and ann marries shiho, but then at some point haru's like "we're celebrities. let's just make a political push." (and I also just have not made a decision on what that logistical arrangement ends up being djgbfh)

Rabbit: what character or story element has gone through the most revisions or reworks? 

Akechi fhfhghg like by a long shot. Jane and Jae’s notes have been so so so incredible and influential. Like they’re a completely different character now and I absolutely adore what they’ve become. Makoto and Futaba and Mishima have changed a lot from my first draft idea, but definitely I think one of the biggest decisions I’ve made that doesn’t have to do with Akechi (even though it was still because of Jane) was. Refusing to allow the narrative to vindicate Ren’s bullshit.

Bc Ren is the protag and the POV character, I have this intuitive desire for his perspective to be unmarred, and end up feeling automatically kinda defensive when people (including my own better judgement) criticize him. Which shoots myself in the foot a lot because Ren IS extremely flawed. He’s a traumatized kid who is still figuring out how to be a human person and healing in a messy indirect way. And plans I had for the narrative to indulge his messiah complex or know better than any other character? Couldn’t last. And I’m so glad for Jane and Jae to keep me (and Ren) accountable.

Rabbit: what is each thief's favorite thing to eat. and in the case of haru, what's her favorite thing to cook?

YEAH so i actually djfbgjb iiii had converation with jane about this a while ago, you just reminded me so i delved into our chat archives to pull it out

Jane: I am a longtime advocate for Akechi actually being a big sweets fan and that not being just an act, but I also think they like black coffee to contrast the sweets. I also like the idea of Ann and Akechi taking each other to various favorite sweets places of theirs

I think Taba likes spicy foods, altho her usual favorite curry staple food probably isn’t spicy cuz her mom made it for her as a kid. We also know taba canonically has a very refined coffee palette and is a coffee snob

Kasumi definitely likes hearty foods for lots of gymnastics energy, I think she likes sweets as well but can’t keep up with Akechi and Ann dhdjfnf and I think she’s probably a big fan of pasta dishes, since they can be really filling and good after a big gymnastics event

Vane: I think for Ryuji it’s sabi’s ramen. Of course fgfgfg. Especially when Ren makes it, cause he’s a big ol sap.

Ren’s favorite probably changes day to day, depending on his mood, but he’s a big fan of food with happy memories associated. Like sojiro’s curry, sabi’s ramen, hot pot. Stuff like that.

Morgana loves tuna. We know this and we love him. Fhfhgh he is a cat and he loves him some fishies. Especially sushi tuna.

Ummm Yusuke I think enjoys the simple, few ingredient meals that he had as a child, something quiet and plain and cheap but made with love. Masumi probably makes them for him a lot, since they’re both struggling artists fhfhgh

Makoto loves street and fair food. Not a specific dish but she'd be in heaven in a farmer's market.

Haru….big hms on that. I know she loves to collect recipes and cook with people, food is something important to her. I thiiink she enjoys breakfast foods the most, cause those were always the ones made with the most love when she was young, since her father’s job started in the afternoon and he was always too tired to cook dinner. So breakfast time became sorta sacred, even though her father stopped showing up for it. And I think her favorite meal out of all the breakfast meals is a scramble. It’s sort of like cooking jazz to her, she just finds whatever vegetables she has left over from previous dinners and improvises a tasty mix, adds some protein maybe and lots of salt and spices and scrambles it all into some eggs. And it never tastes the same way twice.

Ralu: Do you think Haru has a favorite type of weather?

she loves the sun right after it rains. rainy days can be fun but a little too melancholic for her tastes

Jane: What is haru’s favorite movie

GOOD QUESTION hmmmmmm.... paranorman i think

Jane: In a word, what is haru’s feelings towards / relationship with each of the other thieves?

Ren: Dear Mona: Soft Ryuji: Gentle Ann: Bright Yusuke: Handy Makoto: Easy Futaba: Brave Kasumi: Rising Akechi: Sharp

Ralu: Does Haru like poetry? And if so, has she any preferred poems/poets/styles or eras?

yes and she would know how to answer that question but i don't djfgbjh haru probably has a list of her favorite poems and poets, but i couldn't tell you what they are. content wise she only cares about poems with something to say.

but she really loves when people can put words to complex / intense feelings

Rabbit: Ren and the babes on an ice cream date, what's Haru ordering? :Oc

if it's anywhere near artisanal, then lavender and/or honey. otherwise something with strawberry

Rabbit: Are there any bits of DV that ended up needing to be scrapped that you wish you'd been able to make work? I've had to "kill my darlings" so to speak a few times, have you had anything like that?

Yeah plenty!

I think I mentioned to a few people recently, in the newest chapter there’s a whole big double date scene I had to scrap for time / space, and then there’s like. Every single time I have a scene planned out in my head and go to write it, there’s some aspect or line or angle I need to cut.

I think what comes to mind for the like “biggest darling” I’ve had to kill, is Iwai’s confidant. Cause I keep having ideas of how to integrate it, to bring him and kaoru further into the story, but then I keep needing to cut those scenes and ideas out.

The most recent concept was Kaoru realizing Ren and Ryuji were phantom thieves and faking a kidnapping to get Ren alone and then criticizing his lack of contingency plans for something like this. Basically “if I wanted to hurt you, I could have. And there are people out there smarter than me who want your head. Start being safer, Thief.”

Rabbit: mistletoe! who sets it up, who gets got, how do they feel about it? 

I think. Sumire indulges in brief mischief and then sets it up for kasumi and Futaba, then goes about corralling them under said doorway. Only to find like. Shiho and Makoto making out under said mistletoe, before they both scurry off sheepishly, shiho snickering the whole time. At which point kasumi teasingly chastises Sumire and makes her promise to take down the mistletoe but then as soon as her back is turned, kasumi cups Futaba’s face and kisses her unbroken for like twenty seconds.

Also unrelated to the mistletoe but I think one thing that could be fun is like. Partway through some sort of holiday get together, shiho like. Wobbles out of a room and keeps like bumping her wheelchair into things, and her face and neck are covered in the comical amount of lipstick kiss marks. And Ryuji teases her about getting her holiday gift from ann early and Shiho’s like “uhhhhhhhh” and then haru silently walks by the both of them while reapplying her lipstick and sends a little sweet-devil smile at the pair

[narrators-journal]

Homecoming part 2

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

I suggest you read part 1 first for full context!

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

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

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

[fannefics]

Fanne's Fic Recs

Persona 5 Soulmate AU Fanfictions (Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protag)

It's a shipping fic rec list, this time on purpose, haha! As the above implies, here's some fics that feature various Soulmate-related AUs.

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when the rules don't matter (but you do, more than anything) by fleurdeliser, frequentlybees, ThirtySixSaveFiles Complete, Soulmate-Identifying Marks

Akira knows two things: that Akechi Goro is his soulmate, and that Akira is on the wrong. Side. Of. This. Fucking. Wall.

Learn to Share the Burden by maleficaster Complete, Injuries Transfer

They call him a freak.

To them, maybe he is, since it’s so far removed from their common timers, their color-blindness or tattoos. He’s the child who can never be injured. Goro likes it, though, because it means when he’s supposed to look injured he can tell his mom that he was just playing in the dirt, digging holes and building towers.

-

[Or, three of the times his soulmate took Goro Akechi’s physical injuries, three times Goro took his soulmate’s injuries, and one time they injured each other.]

The Botany of Love by LovelyLotus Complete, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Telepathy

The day his mark appears, Ren wakes up screaming in pain.

It circles his throat like a scarred collar. Anemones, asphodels, and roses curling across his skin, maroon.

He’s 9 and his parents are horrified.

Everyone's born with flowers on their skin, leading them to their other halves. Ren and Akechi find each other when they're children first, their bond running deeper than most.

Fistfuls of Nettles by DreadPirateMumbles Complete, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, marigolds fanfic AU

Every person's body has places where the hands of those most important to them will grace their skin. Goro wonders why he doesn't seem to have the most important of marks.

[A look at Marigolds, through the eyes of a soulmate AU]

Rainbow Vision by Eternal_Refrain Complete, Seeing Colors, marigolds fanfic AU

When you meet your soulmate, the world blooms in color. It's not an instant thing. The colors gradually seep in throughout your first meeting. Sometimes it's unrequited, but regardless when your soulmate dies, you lose colors forever. The world returning to grayscale until you eventually leave it.

Speechless by Zeliez Complete, Soulmate Words, Fem!Akechi Goro/Fem!Persona 5 Protag

Kagero Akechi is one of those rare people who has no soulmark on her skin. No word is staining it. She has accepted her fate, to never find the partner that many have. Until she met Akira. Who's mute. Of fucking course.

You find Akeshu hot? BUT WHAT IF THEY WERE LESBIANS.

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I hope I linked everything properly... Thanks for reading! - Fanne

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

persona 5 royal

blorbo: MARUKI MOOKIE MOOKS I’VE BEEN OBSESSED FOR OVER A YEAR HES MY BOY I WILL NEVER STOP LOVING HIM AND THINKING ABOUT HIM ALL THE TIME

scrunkly: Honestly I’m thinking Ryuji. He is just so fucking cute. He’s got kind of a baby face and he’s got monkey ears and he’s a dumbass and he’s fucken cute.

scrimblo bimblo: Ohya 100%. I’m gonna ramble a bit. Cuz everyone hates her because she’s an alcoholic but like. That’s not her entire personality. I think there may be like 2 scenes MAX in her social link where she’s actually drunk. And everyone seems to overlook her passion, and her drive, and her determination to find out the truth in the corruptness of the government (one of the only non phantom thief characters who learns of Shido’s corruption ALL BY HERSELF GO GIRL), and to find her partner. And personally I think she’s endearing, the way she talks is very energetic and she’s pretty funny sometimes. Oh also her relationship with Lala at the bar and how they interact I love it lol

glup shitto: Ohya cuz she fits the description of underrated, but also Maruki because if I see him for only a few seconds in a scene I will actually obsess. Like I will linger on the scene.

poor little meow meow: Geeze um??? Maruki and Ohya are seen as problematic but I’ve already mentioned them twice so probably Kawakami. She’s not an all time favourite but I don’t hate her. I like her development in her confidant. It’s too bad everyone overshadows it cuz of the maid shit.

horse plinko: Mishima because I think it would be funny to point a red hot laser at his feet and go Dance Monkey Dance. Also Akechi

eeby deeby: Probably all of them lmfao I can’t decide

[cinnamonest]

Yes! That's exactly! This also leads into nsfw category too! Yan Joker/Akira knows all about her kinks, knows all the right places to touch to leave her begging for more. Knows about ahem fantasies she has, even the more darker ones like cnc and kidnapping. But he knows that he has to ease into it. We agreed that he's definitely fantasized about taking her in a palace, perhaps her own and he's fucking her cognition of herself, and it's very noncon but Joker's cooing softly at her that he knows how much she's fantasized about being taken by him (Joker/leader of the phantom thieves) and be used by him. Loving how she's giving in to him, meeting his thrusts, she looks so cute. Pls hggjfgf I'm gonna scream into the void I love this stupid bitchhhhh

Anon hear me out. Oh my God. (Big p5 spoilers for anyone who hasn't played)

You know that second bad ending, the whole "evil Joker" ending - not the Akechi one where you die, but the one where you can just take all the glory for yourself by accepting "Igor's" deal, and it's kinda implied that you left the other phantom thieves in the velvet room to rot forever because Akira wants the sole glory for himself? (Since only he is seen in the ending and not even morgana is there)

Akira's personality can undergo significant differences based on how you play him y'know? (I took the snarky asshole route lmao) That ending is so good to me bc it makes Joker out to more or less be a sociopathic narcissist and... It's hot ngl

Imagine a very selfish and narcissistic Joker who wants the glory of the phantom thieves all to himself, but he loves one of his little phantom thieves too much to let her go... So instead, he takes the true good end and defeats yaldabaoth, but then? He goes back and reruns. Starts the story over again once it ends, does everything over again, but this time, he prevents her from ever becoming one of the phantom thieves. That way he can ditch the other thieves and take their glory after the main events of the game, while still keeping you. And once he's the only phantom thief, he'll become like Akechi, killing the powerful through their own palaces. Really, he never had anything against killing, you know? It was Ann and Ryuji that were so concerned about accidentally killing the palace holder at first iirc... Who says he really cares?

Alternatively, Joker forms his own palace - one based in his vice of obsession. Maybe that was why he needed to get rid of the other thieves to begin with - they knew something was wrong with him. So when he gets the opportunity, of course he'll throw them to the wolves and leave them alone forever in the velvet room. They were trying to take you away from him. They told him that he was going too far. They were in the way. And that's why he decides to get rid of the other phantom thieves, he goes back to get rid of them and keep you at the same time, getting rid of all the people who dared tell him he was doing something wrong.

Ultimately he doesn't really care about the others, you're what's most important to him. That's why he doesn't feel guilty. He blames them for getting themselves killed, really. They chose this path when they crossed him. He can sit there at their meetings, form fake bonds with them, go through the motions of all the adventures with his "friends" without feeling a thing, knowing full well he's gonna get rid of them in the end.

It's worth it. He's gonna be like a king in the metaverse, and he needs you by his side forever.

I'm gonna write it ahsahaksh