#ryuji keeps offering food to yusuke

[samarecharm]

Love that Ann and Ryuji both love food and bond w Akira over food…something about it is so sweet to me. The ramen shop, the crepes, the hotel buffet, the afternoon diner hangouts, the attic hotpot…Ann making the hotpot suggestion; Ryuji showing u his favorite hole in the wall restaurant…all the thieves enjoying the local restaurants and food in strikers; Akira making the leblanc curry and coffee for teammates, and Akira getting volunteer help to cook restorative food for the team….i just love it alot. I want you to eat bc i want you to be well, i want us both to be well.

[lovelybrooke]

Platonic Yandere Phantom Thieves x reader

A/n: So, I'm taking a break from The Last of Us to write some P5 headcanons. After this, I'm going to start on Regret pt.2 and then some headcanons for The Last of Us, so expect that this weekend. Please Like, Comment, and Relog if you enjoy. (Also warning, I am very much American and don't know how the Japanese schooling system works, so please take that into account before reading)

The Phantom Thieves are as thick as, well, thieves. They are pretty protective of each other, mostly due to all they been through together. They were all once loners and outcasts, you know? That's a big reason why you become friends with them.

You transferred to Shujin in your second year. You were new to the area, and you weren't in a rush to make friends. You planned on just keeping to yourself until you graduated. Unlike a lot of your peers, you were not that worried about the "delinquent" school who was on parole. You've seen him around hanging with some other students. He didn't look that bad. His friend group was pretty diverse though, a true delinquent and a model, both of which were in your year.

A part of you was jealous, this guy who was branded as a criminal was able to make more friends than you. You shouldn't be upset at him for something that he can't control, but when you're eating lunch alone and catch them out of the corner of your eye, or when your when you're at the shopping district and you hear them loudly talking in the store you're in, even over your music, you can't help but get agitated. It's like they're following you, flaunting their friendship in your face.

You were doing your thing for about a few months before the supposed delinquent introduced himself to you. Akira Kurusu was his name, and he asked if you wanted to have lunch with him and his friends. You were kind of surprised, since he's literally never talked to you before this, nor has any of his friends. You were reluctant to except his invitation, thinking it was some sort of a prank, but you took the risk, since you were very desperate for friends.

Lunch was nice, and you learned a lot about his friend group. Akira was very much, not a delinquent, and shared some food with you. The real delinquent, Ryuji Sakamoto, was also really nice. He was pretty talkative and argued a lot with one of Akira's other friend Ann Takamaki. She was girly and sweet, which made it impossible to dislike her. Finally, there was Makoto Niijima, a third year, and the student council president. She was definitely the most intimidating, but of course, she was very nice, even offering to help you study if you ever needed.

You really enjoyed your time together with them. It was surprising that such a seemingly tightknit group was willing to let you hang out with them. At first, you thought this was a onetime thing, them just taking pity on a new student, but then the next day they acted confused when you went to your regular spot for lunch, Ann having to drag you over to their table. Then a week past and you had each of their phone numbers, each of them texting you nonstop. After a month went by, you met their other friend, Yusuke Kitagawa, who was definitely strange, but still very friendly and likeable.

You even got to meet Akira's strange cat Morgana, who definitely seemed more human than cat. You've seen him around school, appearing in some of the areas you would hang around by yourself. You assumed it was a coincidence, that they Akira took him in because he was a stray, but you couldn't help but feel as though he was watching you.

It was a strange friendship, but you were thankful, nonetheless. However, they were times when they would disappear for a while, with very little words for why. When you'd ask, they would play it off as being busy. You knew it was a lie, all of them were busy? At all the same time? Not very likely.

A part of you thought the problem was you. They all conveniently stopped hanging out with you around the time they became friends with another third year, Haru Okumura, a semi-celebrity and a young prodigy Futaba Sakura. They were obviously bored of you; you didn't offer them anything. You weren't extremely smart or attractive, nor were you particularly talented at anything. You were nothing compared to them, of course they wouldn't want to be around you anymore.

You stopped hanging out with them, and slowly stopped responding to their messages, even when your phone blew up with messages asking about where you were. You didn't show up to school as often, your grades dropping. You didn't care about your grades anymore, to busy wallowing in yourself pity to even notice your friends attempts on reaching out to you.

The Phantom Thieves were worried. Everything was going fine until you randomly stopped talking with them. You didn't respond to their messages, nor did you show up to school, so how were they supposed to help you? Ryuji immediately accused you of having a palace, and it took both Akira and Makoto both to calm him down enough so that they could come up with a plan to help you. Haru suggested that they just corner you at your home, which they of course new the location of. They all agreed that that would be the best solution.

When they arrived at you home, they let themselves in, knowing that your family wouldn't be home around this time. Ryuji immediately finds your room and starts demanding that you talk to them, even when you tell him to go away. After many minutes of pleading from the Phantom Thieves, you finally told them how you were feeling.

They all were conflicted. They didn't know whether or not to just straight up tell you what's been going on, since there's a large chance you wouldn't believe them. However, the took the chance and told you everything, claiming they were The Phantom Thieves. At first you though it was a joke, that they came up with an outlandish excuse for ignoring you, but you remembered the calling cards littered around the school during the incident with Mr. Kamoshida. You remember feeling eyes on you when you picked up one of them and read it out to yourself. Suddenly, everything made a little bit more sense.

It was strange, learning that your friends were a secrete group of vagilities, but you were happy to have them back. Though, you couldn't help but feel as though they were more possessive. Suddenly, one of them was walking you to and from school. You were always with one of them when they weren't busy, and they were checking up on you obsessively when they couldn't be with you. It became a little suffocating, but you assumed that's just what friends do, right?

A/n: Hope you enjoyed. Feel free to request persona 5 stuff from now on.

[nightlilly0110]

Phantom Thieves (and Sojiro) Coffee Preferences

Morgana: Milk. That’s it.

Ryuji: Hot chocolate. His hatred for coffee outweighs his dislike of sweets. You give him coffee, even with cream and sugar, and he will accuse you of trying to poison him. He’s lucky Boss likes him.

Ann: Probably flavoured coffee. Which flavour? Any of them, with whipped cream and some sort of drizzle on top. Drinks tea lattes like they’re going out of style. Prefers boba but will not admit that to Sojiro for as long as she lives. Doesn’t hate actual coffee but not her absolute favourite.

Yusuke: Whatever he can afford/is being offered to him.

Makoto: Her and Sae have one of those pod coffee machine and are constantly in debate as to which brands are the best. Often have this conversation when Joker is right there. Literally will drink whatever will keep her awake throughout the day. Doesn’t care what’s in it or how good it tastes.

Futaba: Her mom’s favourite blend and nothing else. Will drink it black or with cream and sugar, it doesn’t matter to her.

Haru: Didn’t like coffee at first but since she’s planning on opening a cafe, she needs to figure out what blends go with certain foods. Her and Joker are working their way through Leblanc’s various types of coffee, to Sojiro’s dismay. Cream and sugar are a must in her opinion.

Joker: Became a coffee snob after Sojiro taught him how to make coffee. Has a list of all the types of coffee in Leblanc organized from favourite to least favourite, further broken down into categories no one else has the attention span to follow. After explaining it, please do not ask him if he likes his coffee black or with sugar and cream - he has a whole separate presentation for that. Has very big Opinions and is constantly seconds away from breaking out The Chart TM.

Akechi: Leblanc house blend. Black. Preferably brewed by Joker. If there is so much as a single grain of sugar in it, he will Know.

Sojiro: Will give you a very obscure brand/blend. Will also inform you of the exact date, time, and coordinates he last drank it, and forever has a vendetta because the seller of those particular beans told him he would not sell to “some janky cafe in the middle of an alley.” Is of the opinion that flavoured coffee is okay “as long as you do it right” but also claims to have never had a good flavoured coffee. Suspicious.

[talesofsonicasura]

Persona 5: Phantom Cat Pt2

Here we go with Part 2 of the Phantom Cat AU. I'll be covering the Confidants, plot changes, but also the potential of Poppy Playtime being more involved. Let's get started.

If I can sum up the Phantom Thieves' relationship with Joker in one word, it'll be protective. Even the Personas especially Arsène are no different. Ren does admit to once being human but everyone doesn't learn about his tragic backstory until after Okumura's Palace.

You can bet their ass they were disgusted upon finding out Playtime Co's inhumane experiments. It isn't uncommon for Ren to find one or more of his companions lay against him when he loafs around like a giant cat. Something the Thieves' Den makes easier as Leblanc's attic is not that spacious.

Morgana sympathizes with Ren the most. Both of them aren't human and won't be accepted by the outside world for it. Ren was lucky to find someone who raised him with kindness than just free the young man from a terrible fate. They're feline brothers, your honor.

Ryuji, Yusuke and Haru are three flavors of food friends. The former track star sneaking out for a daily run with Ren alongside the occasional ramen or snack food chow downs. His zoomies become manageable thanks to Ryuji. (Sojiro is still reeling from a hyper Ren pouncing on him.)

Yusuke enthusiastically introduces the living toy to the art world since he cannot visit a museum like a normal patron. Ren sometimes find himself being a muse for some of his paintings and usually portrayed as a peculiar enigma. The two always chow down on curry afterwards.

Gardening with Haru anyone? Ren always feel bad about how much money his new family have to spend just to keep him fed. (Futaba had a limit put on credit theft by Sojiro as he doesn't want both his kids to rely on illegal crime to survive.) Something Haru can understand since she has similar issues. The two bond over coffee together.

Emotional support Ann is a definite. The two constantly talk about facing their issues and ways to strengthen their heart. Ren is always happy to lend a ear whenever Ann has problems in her model career or updates about her friend Shiho's recovery. She gives good advice when the giant toy needs help getting Futaba used to the outside world.

Makoto is the socially awkward training partner. Both Ren and her don't have much experience with people outside their friend group so neither know what can be considered normal. The two hammer out each other's issues whenever possible or just vibe together.

All of the Persona in the group do their best to make Ren feel normal every time the group is together thus shenanigans are guaranteed. Carmen and Milady are the wine aunts who endorse the chaos. Necronomicon is his 2nd fellow prankster partner(Futaba is 1st).

Zorro, Johanna and Goemon being the only responsible adults most of the time. Captain Kidd is a sheer chaotic neutral as no one knows whether he'll start something or remain level headed. Finally we get to Arsène.

The poor pigeon hasn't been in this particular element before. Nonhuman Persona Users are a thing so it ain't that. Ren's heart can be considered a massive mess. Whatever was done to make him a living toy, it left something vile behind. Yet Ren continues to defy fate even with the leech latched onto his soul.

Thus Arsène can be a bit more aggressive when it comes to Ren's health. Always near the surface of his partner's subconscious whether to offer soothing words or protect him if needed. In the Thieves' Den, Arsène is usually found snuggled next to Ren with a cover around his knife heels.

Now most of Joker's Confidants are people he has to sought out. A more complicated affair due to not being human. There is actually one more Confidant he has mostly maxxed out and knows about his status: Tae Takami of the Death Arcana. (Yes I absolutely complete the whole thing early just to unlock Alice.)

Sojiro was concerned about Ren's health as they had no clue if or when health complications will occur. Thus it led to Tae becoming his secret doctor as she not only the closest but is trusted amongst the community for her skills. It was a very interesting conversation to say the least.

Now Ren is quite crafty when it comes to establishing his other bonds. Until he could shift into a more human size, Futaba prepared a special plushie with a built in-camera that he can talk through. The excuse being Ren is an hospital patient undergoing recovery after serious health complications and this toy helps him interact with the outside world.

Now onto plot changes, the deadlines alongside their consequences for failure remain the same. It's just not for the first two Palaces. Ren is still captured and put in the Interrogation section. Although it took the traitor attacking from the shadows to injure him enough for police to subdue the Bigger Body.

He's far more beat up, chained and has a specialized muzzle since Ren is a giant chloroform breathing cat toy monster. Can't forget the possibile dissection if he can't escape his fate. The plot for the Third Semester dances around the chance to be human again in his face. Ren doesn't take it of course.

For Scramble, he casually chills in everyone's bags and pull the special patient card to converse with others. Ren can still cook as it's a calming hobby for him alongside gardening. Plus the sight of a giant CatNap in an apron cooking was too hard to resist.

Also yes, I am in the 'Adopt Sophia' group cause she's precious. Especially when Ryuji got to say fuck just to defend her. Sophia definitely calls Ren 'kitty' but he really doesn't mind unlike Morgana. Yes, they do snuggle in the Thieves Den as no one shall avoid the cuddle pile.

Awkward dad Zenkichi anyone? Man absolutely flipped upon seeing Ren as he thought the whole report about 'Phantom Cat Joker' being a giant purple monster was a joke. Nope and you shall get your tired ass dragged into cuddles cause Ren smells stress.

The Persona also get more involved in the shenanigans too. Only Ren's confidants or those who delve into the Metaverse long enough can see much less interact with them. Best to keep Captain Kidd away from fireworks though. (There are special cases but that's for later.)

Before you ask, yes, Joker's main Showtime special is different. Instead of just blasting Shadows with Eiha, Ren breathes out chloroform smokescreen and bursts forth alongside Arséne to come down on their targets like a predator. The attack retains the Curse element but does Physical damage too. A Two in One type combo.

Tactica's plot remains the same however every target views Ren with disgust. All saying there is an 'chimeric abomination' latched onto his heart. The enemies also target him more than Erina and the other thieves.

Speaking of her, she does think Ren is a cat who again doesn't really mind much. Toshiro absolutely freaks out and takes awhile to get used to him. Gameplay wise, Ren is mostly the same except he has more movement options to fit his feline Bigger Body.

Pouncing on further away enemies, inflict Sleep status in large groups, and his Phantom Judge special turns into Phantom Roar. An attack where Ren breathes out a massive cloud of chloroform for Arséne to convert into a Eiha powered explosion. Not only does it do massive damage but also has a high chance of inflicting Sleep status on targets.

Finally we move onto Poppy Playtime. If you guys were paying close attention, then the signs should be obvious. Something is connected to Ren and his past holds the answers. Thus the Phantom Thieves of Hearts visit the Playtime Co Factory to see if they can help their friend. He had been experiencing vivid nightmares which all link to this place.

Now the factory isn't the same like in the game. For unknown reasons, the place has become a pseudo-Mementos linked to the collective consciousness of the various souls who linger inside. Thus the factory has potential to shift anyone in the affected areas in or out the Metaverse side without warning.

A chance of Shadow attacks are not only high but there is a possibility that something even deadlier lurks inside. There are occasions where it is required to travel through this dangerous 'Labyrinth' to progress deeper. (Can't have them blazing through the place.)

Everyone split into two groups so they can cover more ground. Group 1: Ren, Yusuke, Ann, Makoto; and Group 2: Morgana, Haru, Ryuji, Futaba. They'll be encountering characters who not only appear in Poppy Playtime but also Project Playtime. Player character is there too so the Phantom Thieves will meet them.

Guaranteed canon divergence as some of the Poppy Playtime cast might not even encounter the game protagonist. The Phantom Thieves won't ignore someone in need *looks at one particular character* and don't kill their targets. For them, living with guilt for one own sins is a fate worse than death.

New players have entered the game that neither groups could ever foreseen. Can the Phantom Thieves of Hearts solve the mystery and shut down this the factory's immense distortion? Only the phantom cat will determine victory or defeat.

[icantthinkyandere]

Could we please get general relationship headcanons for (non-yandere) Ann and Makoto? Thank you!

I hope you enjoy them^^

{Makoto}

She's the kind of partner that would make sure you're eating properly every. Whether it's through text or in person. If in person she and depending on how busy you two are at the time, she would suggest you eat something together.

When it comes to date, she prefers more private dates like staying home and watching something or to a book cafe. She is open to trying out different kinds of dates since she loves experiencing her partners interests.

Which speaking of, she will take notes and research the things her partner enjoys. She does expect them to do the same as well.

While she does love the rest of the Phantom Thieves, she also knows they are very intense. So, it would take some time for her to introduce them to her partner. Another reason also is that she'd want to make sure the relationship can last more than a couple of weeks too, in case things get awkward.

Once she's ready to introduce everyone, she'd want to do it in a way that doesn't get her partner overwhelmed with how intense Ryuji can be or how weird Yusuke can get.

Being in a relationship with her will be awkward and difficult in the start due to her lack of experience having friends, let alone a partner. In the start, she can come off as distant since she doesn't want to seem overbearing or pushy in any way.

She tries her best and even asks her friends for advice even when it's just something Futaba saw in a dating sim.

{Ann}

Ann is the opposite of Makoto. She likes going out and exploring new cafes, shops, and anywhere else she can find. When she can afford it, she likes to go to anime cafes even when she's not a fan because she likes how cute the food is.

At the start of the relationship, she gets so excited to go on dates that she'll forget to get her partners inputs of what they would want to. She also forgets to plan ahead and will spring surprise dates on them when she sees something fun they could do together.

If her partner likes going out like her and surprise dates, then dates with her can go for hours since you both will keep seeing something new to do.

If they like planning dates and more private indoor dates, she'll start keeping an ear out for upcoming events they can plan together. It'll take a while for her to get used to indoor dates, but she will enjoy just laying around watching movies and eating snacks with face masks.

She also likes couples dates. Meaning her partner will definitely meet AkiraRen first if he has a partner at that time. That also extends to the other Phantom Thieves if they also are dating someone at the time.

Once you meet one of them on a couple's date, she'll offer them to meet the other Phantom Thieves. It'll he more low-key, like when Makoto takes you to them. Probably at Leblanc since it's their usual hang out and a nice comfortable atmosphere for everyone.

Being in a relationship with Ann will take a lot of work on both parts. They'll both have to learn how to communicate better what they want and what they expect from their partners. Especially if they're a lot more mellow than Ann. If they are, she will ask people like Makoto and Yusuke for more quiet and calm dates since their interests are more inclined to that.

[symphonic-scream]

hi yes i would like to know everything about the p5 inaba au please and thank you :)

AH YES

Sorry I've been staring at this all day but ANSWER

Yes so basically it's. P5 but- BUT. It's P4

So just. They live in Inaba and do small town stuff but there's murder and missing people oooh

(I'm still playing P4 Golden, like very early on, so all my knowledge of later plot points are from the Joseph Anderson highlights and PQ)

So Joker is moving to Inaba, to stay with his "cousins". Aka he's technically in witness protection?? Sae's a Private Eye, and took the offer to house him since she's already raising her younger sister Makoto. So they pretend he's their cousin

Ryuji lives with his mom and got injured doing track so he's the class punk now, dyes his hair, all that. Is at peace with the fact that he's gonna stay here forever. Works at Junes. Loves to watch VTuber [Hatsune Miku] (that's the name for now if I come up with anything more clever I'll let y'all know)

Ann's parents decided to take a career break so they could raise Ann for real and went out to some no where town. They have a boutique there! Ann is still like. Very rich. She's in love with her bestie too, who's on the volleyball team

Yusuke lives with his mom! She's alive for now! They run an arts and crafts store, he loves his mom. She teaches art lessons and such. He's just a bit of a weirdo. Barely blinks. Stands oddly tall. Has a weird obsession with crustaceans and watermelon

Makoto! Joker's fake cousin. She starts to consider the weird kid in her house her little brother. Eventually. But she mostly ignores him. She's nervous about leaving town the next year to pursue an education like Sae did. Fucking loves Junes. Gets rather nervous around a certain food truck employee

Futaba is. She's Hatsune Miku. She's a VTuber. Moves to Inaba cause she was investigating the case Joker is it protection for and she wanted to find him. When Sae finds out this random orphan is there she. Kinda forces her into the fucked up Niijima household. So new sibling yay

And Haru! Haru's dad gave up on corporate life when his wife died, and he and his daughter own a little food truck version of Big Bang Burger. Haru is their hostess, takes orders and brings food out to their seating area, she wants to keep working in the truck forever pretty much. She's afraid to tell her dad she wants to add cafe elements to their business

[noblechaton]

Fic title: Your Pain is My Pain

I'm seeing something post-canon (as in, somewhere post-Strikers) that sees the Phantom Thieves finally getting a break from the constant madness of the metaverse and thereon, each finding their own sort of reprieve in the aftermath of several cataclysmic events - Haru focuses up on her gardening, Ann spends time with Shiho, Yusuke dives into his artwork and Ryuji continues working on himself. Everything's calm, for once, and normalcy starts to creep back in - but that doesn't sit right with everyone. Amid her attempts to live a more outgoing life among her fellow citizens, Futaba can't help but keep tabs on Ren, himself having ended up living a relatively close distance to the others after all. While that quiet, somewhat stern behavior of his remains on the surface, she and the others come to profess worry over their former leader and best friend - after all of that, despite what's changed and the catharsis he might have felt alongside all the help he'd given them, it's not as if he'd really decompressed, as far as they knew, with who knows how much otherwise bottled up inside.

So they send Makoto over, dragging him out of his apartment and spending the day with him on the town. They reminisce over all that's happened throughout trips to the familiar places, the movie theater, Big Bang Burger, etc., but he doesn't seem to crack until he realizes that Makoto's taking him back to Leblanc for the first time in however long. Ren's expression shifts from subtle and restrained to something more uncertain, almost anxious as they approach the doors, some obvious silhouettes distorted by the glass. It processes then what all of this has been for, why she'd led him through town and avoided the topic of the others for so long. Makoto takes him by the hand and asks him if he wants to go inside, fingers between his own and her eyes soft on his. Silence falls as a gentle rain starts right on the verge of dusk, the moon above blocked by the clouds as they stand for what feels like eternity.

"Yes," Ren's lip trembles with his eventual, inevitable answer. "Let's...get inside."

All the bracing in the world couldn't quite prepare him for the welcoming faces that greet him, that invite him into a booth and supply him the finest cup of coffee in Yongen-Jaya. It's been a few months since he'd last seen everyone, and yet they all behave as if they'd not missed a beat. Ryuji makes a few bad jokes, Yusuke makes things weird, Ann and Haru offer gifts from their own professions - something stupid expensive and somewhat useless from Ann, a bouquet of flowers mixed with vegetables from Haru. Sojiro keeps the food and drink coming, while Futaba is the one who eventually settles the group down enough to confront the issue at hand, getting their attention with a loud clearing of her throat before she nods behind him.

Makoto eases her arms onto Ren's shoulders then, warmly asking him if he'd like to talk. When he tries to downplay and otherwise avoid the subject, the others nudge him back. Ann encourages, Haru assures, Ryuji affirms and Yusuke - in his own way - inspires. Ren's head dips some, his eyes to one side in a glance towards a Sojiro who shrugs him on. Ren then sits upright again, a twinge of red on his face as he finally, fully speaks his mind. He'd not been silent before, he was often blunt about things, but in this moment, he's allowed to fully process the utter insanity that's been his last few years now, the group listening and replying where they can and where best it fits. He talks and talks and talks some more, of Maruki, of Kasumi, of Akechi. Ren exhausts himself, a glance at his watch revealing that, for a change, he'd been the one talking for a near hour straight, with some tears having subtly welled up in his eyes. He's clearly embarrassed afterwards, but finds himself surrounded. One hand in Ann's, the other in Haru's with Yusuke across from him, sketching out his own inspiration from Ren's flood of emotions. Ryuji places a palm to a shoulder while Makoto rests one on the opposite side and Futaba, who'd earlier slipped onto his side of the booth, leans against him

His friends insist that it's okay, each sharing looks with him in their encouragement, that it's alright - it's alright for him to feel, outwardly, like this, given all they'd been through. Ren's somewhat unfamiliar with this, but comes to relent - he holds hands back, leaning into the touch of his friends with a slight smile across his face as they all share and repeat the sentiment that his pain is their pain, and that they'll all be alright, together.

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 107: Tamako’s Palace

The Phantom Thieves arrived at Leblanc, much to Sojiro’s surprise. “What the?” they shuffled in and started sitting down. “Wh- Where did you go? Why are you all here?”

“It’s complicated…” Ren said. “But in short, we found another palace.”

“Huh?!” Sojiro wondered. “I’m lost.”

“Trust me Boss,” Makoto said, “after everything that happened, I think we all are.”

Sojiro looked over then. He sighed. “Alright. It seems like you have a lot to discuss. You want me to make you somethin’ to eat?”

“Always,” Yusuke said.

“Hm,” Sojiro nodded. “Alright then.”

“Do you want help?” Ren offered.

“I got it,” he said, preparing to cook.

Ren sighed. “Alright then. Thanks.” She turned to her team. “Alright then. Today went a little fast, so let’s review what we know.” The Phantom Thieves nodded, and started cataloging the day’s events.

Once they finished, Ren nodded. “OK, now that we’re all clear on what’s going on, what should we do next?”

“Uhhhh,” Ryuji said. Everyone looked at him. “Well, I mean, I know we just blitzed a palace, but I think we should blitz this one too.”

Makoto nodded. “I agree.”

“Same actually,” Ren said.

“What makes you say that?” Ann asked.

“Well, I mean, Lena’s in a pretty bad spot,” Ryuji explained. “I want to get her out of it as soon as possible.”

Makoto was a little embarrassed. “My reason is not quite so heroic. But we’re still dealing with Medjed, right? I figure if we can free Lena, we could have another person thinking over ways to stop Medjed.”

“True,” Ren said. “However, I don’t think we have much of a choice.” Everyone else was shocked. “Hear me out: Morgana said that Eris told Lena that she was the only person she could target.”

Morgana nodded. “Yeah, that is pretty weird.”

“Do you think it means something?” Sumire wondered.

“Well, maybe,” Ren said. “Eris is the embodiment of chaos, right? Well, whenever we’ve met, she’s said some things that seemed a bit weird.”

“Like what?” Jose said.

“Well,” Ren began answering, “it comes down to the idea that maybe, just maybe, Eris can somehow manipulate time. I don’t know how, and I’m not even sure myself, but just some of the things she’s said give me that impression.”

“So, why does that matter?” Ryuji asked.

“I think I get it,” Makoto said. “If she can bend time, she could simply strike when someone else resented Tamako so strongly that they’d be willing to take her bargain.”

“Yeah, it does seem a bit odd that Lena is the only one who seems to be under Tamako’s control,” Ann said. “I mean, usually people with palaces tend to affect more people.”

Yusuke nodded. “And as for the only exception we’ve seen so far, Futaba, her palace was still imposing. By comparison, Tamako’s palace seems small, don’t you think?”

“Well, remember,” Jose said, “there was a sign there that said ‘Under Construction’.”

“True,” Yusuke replied. “Perhaps we should do it quickly simply to keep the palace from expanding.”

“But how and when will it expand?” Ryuji asked.

“That’s the thing,” Ren said. “I’m not sure it will.” Everyone looked at her in shock. “What I fear is that because even Eris couldn’t find anyone else, something might happen if we don’t act.”

“Oh my,” Sumire said.

“Any ideas on what?” Morgana asked.

Ren was a bit hesitant. “I’m not sure, but Akechi did mention that he might be able to do something.”

“You don’t think…?” Makoto worried.

“I can’t be sure,” Ren answered. “I don’t WANT to think so. But whether it is Akechi or not, I think we need to go through this palace as fast as possible.”

Everyone looked worried. Morgana noticed this, and said “Well, if anyone can do it, we can! After all, we’re the Phantom Thieves!”

Sumire giggled. “You’re right, Morgana-senpai!”

Sojiro started bringing out their food. “Here ya go.”

“Thank you!” they all said. They started eating.

“Say, um, I couldn’t help but hear some of your conversation,” Sojiro said. “Did I hear the name ‘Tamako Minamoto’?”

The thieves were stunned. “Uhhhh, yeah?” Ann answered.

“Hm,” Sojiro said. “So, she’s still suffering, huh.”

“You…know her?” Ryuji asked.

Sojiro nodded. “She’s the wife of an old friend of mine. I told you before that I used to work for the government. Well, Daiki Minamoto was a Diet Member who was incredibly popular. He also had some big ideas to change Japan. Everyone said he was on track to becoming Prime Minister.” Ren gasped in horror. “I take it by your reaction, you know where this story is going.” Ren nodded. Sojiro sighed. “He was assassinated. And they never did catch the killer.”

“How tragic,” Makoto said.

Sojiro nodded. “I’ve tried keeping in contact with her, but…with everything that happened with Wakaba and Futaba, I guess all of that got lost in the shuffle.” He sighed again. “I feel so pathetic.”

Ren reached over and placed a hand on him. “Don’t worry. We’ve got this.”

Sojiro smiled. “Thanks.” The thieves continued eating.

Once they finished eating, Ann said “Well, that hit the spot.”

“Agreed,” Yusuke said.

“Well, we know what the plan is, right?” Ryuji asked. “Should we just head out?”

“Hold up,” Makoto said. “We should inform Lena of the plan.”

“Oh, right,” Ryuji replied.

“I got it,” Ren said. She got out her phone.

Ren: Hey, just to let you know, our plan is to steal the treasure as fast as possible.

Ren: So that means we’re going in full force tomorrow.

Ren: Do you have any objections?

Lena: Not really.

Lena: I mean, it’s not like I’m going anywhere anytime soon.

Lena: But what do you mean by “treasure”?

Ren: Oh, right.

Ren: Basically, a person’s desire is their treasure, and by stealing it, we change their heart.

Lena: Oh, I think I get it.

Ren: If you’re still unsure, don’t worry. It’ll make sense once we do it.

Lena: OK then! See you all tomorrow.

Ren: Seeya!

Ren put her phone down. “OK. Are we ready?” Everyone else nodded. “Good. Then let’s get some rest and meet up tomorrow.” The thieves thanked Sojiro again for the meal, and then left for the night.

The next day, they gathered in front of the Minamoto household. “Here we are,” Ren said.

Jose noticed that Makoto was a little shaken. “Are you alright Makoto?” he asked.

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” Makoto said. “I’ll be fine.”

“I’d understand if you weren’t,” Sumire said. “I mean, the palace is a mausoleum. Whatever we find in there is not going to be easy to deal with.”

“Agreed,” Yusuke said. “But we must be brave enough to take a stand here.”

“You’re right,” Makoto said. “Thanks everyone.”

“So, are we ready then?” Ren asked. They all nodded. “OK then. I’m just gonna message Lena and tell her we’re here.”

Ren: We’re here. Are you ready?

Lena: Yeah.

Ren: Great.

Ren: Do you want to meet us now, or inside the palace?

Lena: I can meet you out there. My mom’s not home right now.

Lena: See you in a bit.

A few minutes later, Lena emerged from the front door. “Uh, hi…” she said nervously.

Ren nodded. “Hi. Um, things were a bit hectic yesterday to say the least. So, we didn’t get a chance to properly introduce ourselves.”

“Well, I’m familiar with Sakamoto,” Lena said, “since he’s in my class.”

“Yeah,” Ryuji concurred.

“And, I’m familiar with Niijima-senpai, since she’s the class president,” Lena continued.

“Noted,” Makoto said.

“And I met you yesterday, Amamiya-chan,” Lena said, “along with Morgana.”

“Correct,” Ren said.

“And…” Lena began to wonder. “I feel like I’ve seen you two around,” pointing at Ann and Sumire, “but I don’t know you that well. And I’ve never seen these two boys before yesterday,” indicating to Yusuke and Jose.

“Alright then,” Ren said.

“Well, for starters,” Makoto said, taking the initiative, “we usually call each other by our first names. So, you can just call me Makoto.”

“Wait, isn’t that a bit rude?” Lena said, getting embarrassed “I thought people in Japan refer to each other by their last name.”

“At first,” Makoto said. “But depending on how close you are, or if the person is OK with it, you can call people by their first name.”

“And we’re pretty OK with it,” Ryuji said. “So, you can call me Ryuji too.”

“Besides, didn’t I hear you calling Akechi by his first name?” Ren asked, grinning.

Lena got even more embarrassed. “Well… That’s just because… he’s SO CUTE! I can’t help it!”

Ren chuckled. “Well, just do whatever makes you feel comfortable, but we call each other by our first names.”

“Got it,” Lena said.

“Wait!” Ryuji said. “Um, we have been calling you ‘Lena’. Is that alright? Or would you rather it be Minamoto?”

Lena nodded. “Lena’s fine. And I guess I’ll go with your first names, now that I’m thinking about it.”

“Very well then,” Makoto said.

“So, who wants to introduce themselves first?” Ren asked.

Ann took the lead. “Hi! I’m Ann Takamaki!”

“Oh, YOU’RE Takamaki!” Lena said. Ann began to worry about what Lena had heard about her. “Sometimes when Ryuji’s asleep in class, I can hear him muttering your name.”

Ann was really shocked, and slightly embarrassed. She turned to Ryuji. “Is this true?”

Ryuji was now also majorly embarrassed. “Ummmm, no?”

“You know one of the student council members is in your class, right?” Makoto asked. “I could probably ask him to corroborate Lena’s story.”

Ryuji was still pink. “I mean, how would I know what I say in my sleep?!” he asked. “I’m sleeping.”

“Well…that’s true…” Ann said.

“I think it’s kind of cute,” Lena said.

Sumire giggled. “I agree.” Lena turned to her. “My name is Sumire Yoshizawa. I’m a first year.”

Lena smiled and nodded. “Hi.”

“I suppose I’m next,” Yusuke said. “My name is Yusuke Kitagawa; a second year at Kosei Academy.”

“I go to Kosei too,” Jose siad. “My name is Jose.”

Lena was a little perplexed. “...What’s your last name?”

“Oh, Jose doesn’t really have one,” Ann said.

“Although I wonder if you made one up for official purposes,” Makoto said.

“He did not,” Yusuke informed them. “They don’t really mind.”

“I mean, I could make up a last name,” Jose said.

“We…should discuss that idea later,” Ren said.

“Sorry,” Lena said. “I’m still lost.”

“Oh, right,” Ren said. “Jose’s not human.”

“Oh, OK,” Lena said. “Wait, hold on, what?”

Jose nodded. “It’s true.”

“He’s a being from the Metaverse that just happens to look human,” Yusuke explained.

“We’ve just kind of learned to roll with it,” Ann added.

“I see…” Lena said.

“Well, it seems like you have a handle on everything,” Morgana said.

“Right,” Lena replied.

A stunned silence filled the air. “Aren’t you surprised that I’m talking?” Morgana wondered.

“Well, you talked in the Metaverse,” Lena said. “And I already kind of figured you were magic. Wait…is magic the right word?”

“Well…” Morgana pouted.

“Are you seriously upset she understood you?” Ryuji asked. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t.”

“HEY!” Morgana sniped. “I was just confused by it is all.”

“STOP!” Lena protested. “No fighting!”

Morgana and Ryuji were surprised by this. “Uhhhh, sorry,” Ryuji said.

“I guess we were setting a bad example,” Morgana said. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Ren said. “They tend to fight. It happens.”

Yusuke nodded. “If I recall, they were fighting the first time I met them as well.”

“Oh,” Lena said, stunned.

“Well, now that that’s settled,” Makoto began, “I feel like we should do what we came here to do.”

“I agree,” Ren said. She got out her phone. “Are we ready?” Everyone nodded. “Then let’s head in.” They slipped into the palace.

Once inside, Lena asked “Alright, should we head in.”

“Hold up,” Ryuji said with a smile plastered on his face. “You need a codename.”

“Codename?” Lena wondered.

“We do it to keep our identities a secret,” Makoto said.

“Yeah, we’re essentially in someone’s heart,” Morgana said. “No telling what'll happen if we just shout each other’s names.”

“Plus it’s cool,” Ryuji said.

“OK then…” Lena said.

“In case you were wondering,” Ren said, “I’m Joker, he’s Mona, she’s Panther, he’s Skull, he’s Sunshine, she’s Violet, he’s Fox, and she’s Queen.”

“I see,” Lena said. She thought for a moment. “How about Cupid?”

“Cupid?” Ryuji wondered.

Lena nodded. “It is my intention to spread love. Through the darkness, I will shine to prove once and for all that love conquers all!”

“That, uh, sounds like it came straight out of an anime,” Ryuji noted.

“Eh heh,” Lena chuckled.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing, Skull,” Ann chastised. “I love it.”

“Sorry,” Ryuji said. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just… I never thought of it before, but this does feel like an anime of some kind. Feels almost weird to acknowledge.”

“Well, I like it too,” Yusuke said. “It captures your spirit quite nicely.”

“Thank you Fox,” Lena said.

“Well, I don’t think we have any objections,” Ren said. “Welcome aboard Cupid.”

Lena bowed. “Thank you for having me.”

Ren nodded. “Now with that out of the way, let’s head in.” The thieves all nodded and started heading toward the mausoleum proper.

Before they could enter though, they heard Eris shut “HOLD IT!” They looked up to see her sitting on top of the building. She jumped down to greet them.

Lena was ready to charge, but Ren stopped her. “Wait!” she said, holding her arm out. Lena stopped. “As much as we all want to, I still feel Eris is too powerful for us.”

Lena was angry, but Eris interjected. “She’s right, you know. But when the time comes, we shall battle.”

“IF it comes to it,” Ren said, reminding them of their deal.

Eris chuckled. “Right, right. Ahem. Anyway, you can’t enter.”

“Why not?” Ryuji asked.

“The door’s locked, silly,” Eris explained.

“We can find another point of entry,” Morgana said.

Eris shook her head. “This is the only one. However…” She drew her sword, and touched the door with it. The door fell into pieces. “There.”

Lena was confused. “Why are you helping us?”

Eris giggled. “Silly girl. I’m helping you to help me. Where’s the fun if you just get stuck? I want to watch you come face to face with all of this. And if you triumph, that will make you stronger. If you fail though, well, that’d be fun in its own way.”

“I see,” Lena said. “So, this is just a game to you?”

“I guess you could put it that way,” Eris said.

“My host mother is suffering, and you’re treating this like a game?!” Lena asked. “How cruel can you be?!”

“At least I’m doing something,” Eris replied. “It’s far more cruel to ignore the voices of the suffering completely. And in the world of chaos I wish to create, no one will be ignored.”

“Why do you keep tryin’ to sell this BS to us?” Ryuji asked. “You should know by now we ain’t buyin’.”

“It’s the truth,” Eris said. “You’d rather things stay as they are?”

“Of course not!” Ann said. “However, we have our own ways of accomplishing this change!”

“Well, be that as it may, one of us will be proven right,” Eris said. “Until then, I suspect our relationship will continue like this. Ta Ta!” She vanished.

Jose saw that Lena was tense. “Are you OK?” he asked.

Lena nodded and sighed. “If I never see her again, it’ll be too soon.”

Jose smiled. “Well, on the bright side, I guess that proves that you’ll fit in with us.”

Lena chuckled. “Thanks Sunshine.”

“Regardless, the door is open now,” Yusuke noted. “I think it’s high time to see what’s inside.”

“Agred,” Makoto said. They walked inside.

It was a small room. There was a coffin in the middle. The back wall and the right wall were completely blank. However, on the left wall was an open door. Beside the door was an image of a dog which looked like a Kai Ken carved into the wall. Above the door and image was a plaque with the inscription “Mr. Smiles.” “Huh,” Ren said. “This is smaller than I thought.”

“Well, the sign outside did say it was under construction,” Yusuke noted.

“Remember: this isn’t a fully formed palace,” Makoto said.

“Right,” Ren said.

“It’s not?” Lena asked.

“Right,” Morgana said. “Usually palaces are bigger than this.”

“We’re not sure,” Sumire explained, “but we think that whatever would cause it to expand into a real palace hasn’t happened yet.”

“Nor will it,” Ren added.

“Yeah, because we won’t let it!” Lena cheered.

Ren smiled. “As much as I like your enthusiasm, we think something might happen to Tamako before it can.”

“Why?” Lena wondered.

“Because Eris mentioned you were the only person she could possibly target,” Ren answered. “As I’ve told you before, Eris is powerful. If even she’s at an impasse, something might happen if we don’t put a stop to this now.”

Lena was nervous. “Relax, Cupid,” Ryuji said. “We ARE here now! So we’re gonna save her!”

“Yeah!” Ann cheered. “Like you said, we aren’t gonna let that happen!”

Lena chuckled. “Thanks Skull. Panther.”

Jose noticed something. “Joker. You’re stepping on something!”

Ren looked down at her feet to notice a piece of paper. She picked it up. “Huh.”

“What is it?” Jose asked.

“It looks like a set of blueprints,” Ren said. “But for the completed palace. And just as we suspected, it’s a lot bigger.”

“Well, what rooms are complete?” Makoto asked. “If they’re labeled, we could use this as a map.”

Ren studied the blueprints. “Well, it seems like the only completed rooms are three adjoining rooms connected by some halls, and a basement.”

“But we only see one door, right?” Ann said. “How do we get to the other rooms?”

“Well, I guess we just have to see what we can find,” Ren said.

“Just so you know Cupid,” Makoto said. “There is some level of planning, but there’s also going to be times like this where we just have to press on blindly.”

“I don’t mind,” Lena said. “But thanks for the heads up Queen.” Makoto nodded.

“Well, I guess we should just head into the ‘Mr. Smiles’ room,” Ryuji pointed out.

“Agreed,” Makoto said. They started walking.

“By the way Cupid,” Yusuke said, “since we ARE essentially in the mind of your host mother, some of the things we may find here might not be easy to process. So just brace yourself for that.”

Lena frowned. “I did kind of get that feeling. I mean, she sees the world as a mausoleum, so I doubt it’s going to be cheery. But thank you.”

“Always happy to help,” Yusuke replied.

After going through some halls, they found themselves in another small room. In the middle of the room was a Will Seed. However, between them and the seed was an ominous looking dog shadow. “Woah, is that a Will Seed?” Ryuji asked.

“What’s a Will Seed?” Lena asked.

“Will Seeds,” Morgana began explaining, “are essentially the building blocks of a palace. They are what is planted, and a palace grows from there.”

“But why is this one out in the open?” Makoto wondered.

“Probably because the palace hasn’t formed completely,” Jose answered.

“Good guess,” Morgana said.

“Whatever the case, we should steal it like always,” Sumire said.

Ren nodded. “But first, we should take care of this shadow.” They approached the shadow.

“Grrrrrr,” the shadow hssed. “BARK BARK!”

“Here we go!” Ren said. They fought the shadow, Despite its furiosity, the Thieves won.

“Whew,” Lena said. “Alright, now let’s take it!”

“Hold on,” Morgana said. “Remember what Fox said earlier, about how we might find some unpleasant things?” Lena nodded. “Well, once we take the Will Seed, we will hear something that tells us part of the story that made the palace ruler the way they are.”

“I see,” Lena said. “Well, it’s too late to turn back now.”

“Hm,” Morgana said. “I admire your tenacity. Joker?”

“On it,” Ren said. She took the Will Seed.

The voices began. “What do you mean we were broken into?” a man’s voice said.

“Huh?” Ryuji reacted.

“Have you found anything yet?” a woman’s voice asked.

“What the?” Ann said, confused.

“We’re still looking,” a different man’s voice said.

“Hmmm,” Morgana said.

A young girl’s voice gasped. “MR. SMILES!” She started breathing heavily like she was running.

“TAMAKO WAIT!” the woman’s voice said.

“That’s Tamako?” Makoto exclaimed.

The young Tamako continued running. “Mr. Smiles!” she called. “Mr. Smiles!” She gasped again. It sounded like she collapsed to her knees. “Mr. Smiles…what happened to you?”

The voice ended. “What the Hell?” Ryuji said.

“So…what happened there?” Yusuke wondered.

“Well, if I had to guess,” Makoto began, “it seems like when she was a child, her home was broken into, and the robbers…”

“I think we get it…” Ryuji said tactfully.

“How horrible,” Ann added.

Sumire was deeply saddened. Ren pulled her in for a side hug. Sumire smiled. “Thanks. Sorry, I’ve been getting better, but…”

Ren smiled. “You don’t need to say anything. But… it might get more difficult from here. You sure you want to stay Violet?”

Sumire nodded. “Of course.”

Morgana looked up at Lena. “How about you Cupid? How are you holding up?”

Lena was a little surprised. “Oh, uh, I think I’ll be alright. I mean, I can’t say that that wasn’t distressing, but we’re here to help.”

Morgana nodded. “Alright then.”

“Did you know about this beforehand?” Makoto wondered.

“Not really,” Lena said. “Although, I guess it was a long time ago.”

“Makes sense,” Morgana said.

They heard something shifting in the mausoleum. “Uh, what was that?” Makoto asked, panicked.

“I dunno,” Jose said. “Let’s investigate.”

“How?” Ryuji asked. “We can’t go further.”

Ren let go of Sumire. “Then let’s head back. Maybe something’s changed.” They nodded and headed back.

Once they got to the main room, they saw the back wall now had a door on it. Next to the door was a burly man in a suit, with spiked-back hair, and a beard. Above was a plaque with the name “Daiki” etched into it.

“Wait, this is open now?” Ann wondered.

“Is it because we stole the first Will Seed?” Jose asked.

“That’d be my guess,” Morgana said. “Honestly, seeing a palace that’s not fully formed is interesting.”

“So, I guess we just need to steal the remaining Will Seeds, and the way to the treasure should open,” Makoto surmised.

“Sounds about right,” Ren said.

“Well then, no time like the present,” Yusuke said.

“Oh, right,” Sumire remembered. “Do you know who this person is?”

Lena nodded. “He was her husband. She has pictures of them all over the house, and a little shrine near the back door.”

“I see,” Sumire said.

“Just to let you know, we were informed about him last night,” Ann said.

“My guardian is apparently an old friend,” Ren said

“I see,” Lena said.

“Are you all ready then?” Ren asked. “Then let’s go!”

They continued into the new set of halls. Lena gave a concerned look at Sumire and asked “Um, Violet?” Sumire looked back at her. “I don’t mean to intrude, but is everything alright?”

“Oh, you mean about what happened back there?” Sumire said. “Well, it’s just… My sister passed away recently. So the subject of death is a bit…complicated for me right now.”

Lena gasped. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Sumire said. “I mean, the loss of my sister is devastating, yes, but with everyone’s help, I’m feeling better every day.”

Lena was impressed. “Right.”

Sumire chuckled. “And once this is all said and done, you can do the same for your mother.”

Lena was surprised. She smiled and said “You’re right.”

They soon found the next Will Seed Room. A monsterous-looking shadow was guarding this one. “OK then…” Morgana said.

“Seems like our hypothesis is correct,” Yusuke noted.

“Well, it’s nice to know we don’t have to deal with any sort of bullshit traps,” Ryuji said.

“As someone who’s read the blueprints to this palace, I’m thankful too,” Ren said.

“Huh? What’s in there?” Ann wondered.

“You don’t want to know,” Ren answered.

“Huh,” Ann replied.

“Well then, second verse, same as the first,” Ren said. “Let’s take em down!”

They surrounded the shadow. “THIEVES! Filthy vermin! I’ll CRUSH you!” the shadow shouted. Another battle ensued, and again, the thieves won.

“Man, that was somethin’,” Ryuji noted.

“But we won in the end,” Jose said.

“Of course Sunshine,” Ryuji shot back. “We always do.”

“Now for the prize,” Ren said. She took the second Will Seed.

The voices started up again. “And so I humbly ask for your support,” a booming male voice said. “Together, we can create a Japan that is truly for everyone, in every sense of the word!” A crowd cheered.

“Was she there?” Ryuji wondered.

Suddenly, gunshots rang out. Tamako’s voice gasped. “Daiki!” she screamed. Footsteps could be heard as the panic of the crowd started to diminish in volume.

“Perhaps not,” Yusuke said.

“In some ways, that’s better, but…” Sumire noted. Ren pulled her in again.

“WHERE IS HE?!” Tamako shouted.

“Wha?” said a different voice.

“My husband, Daiki Minamoto, WHERE IS HE?!” Tamako shouted again.

“He’s at the nearby hospital,” the other voice said. The footsteps started up again.

A door opened. “DAIKI!” Tamako said. She pulled up a chair and sat down. The heart monitor could be heard. “Daiki…”

Tamako gasped. “Tamako…” Daiki said, struggling with every breath. “I…I…love…you…”

“Daiki…” Tamako said. The heart monitor started slowing down, before eventually flatlining. Tamako began sobbing incredibly hard.

The voices ended. “DAMMIT!” Ryuji shouted.

“We can’t change the past,” Yusuke lamented.

“Yeah, but…” Ryuji began to protest, before silencing himself and sighing.

“I know it’s painful,” Makoto said, “but right now we have to remain focused.”

Ren nodded. “She’s right.”

The mausoleum shifted again. “Well, looks like we can move on,” Morgana said.

Ren indeed again. “Two down, one to go.” They proceeded back to the main room.

Once there, they saw the right wall had a door now. Next to the door was an image of a young girl who looked almost like Lena, except she didn’t have glasses, and her hair was a bit shorter. Above was the inscription “Ariko”.

The thieves were stunned. “Well…that’s…something…” Ann said.

“Is there a human word to describe this?” Jose wondered.

“Uncanny,” Makoto said, both reacting to this and answering Jose’s question.

“Hmmm.” Ren pondered. “Akechi told us that a child from her orphanage was kidnapped and murdered. Maybe this is her.”

“Well, I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be…” Yusuke said. “However sad that may be.”

Sumire looked at Lena. “Are you OK Cupid?”

“Huh?” Lena said, shaking out of the shock. “Oh, yeah…” She sighed. “This has been… you know, a lot. But I think we can do it.”

Ren smiled. “That’s the spirit. Now, let’s head out.” They all nodded, and continued through the third set of halls.

“Hmmm,” Morgana groaned.

“What is it, Mona?” Lena asked.

“Well…” Morgana said. “Usually, when we grab all three Will Seed, we get a video showing us the palace ruler’s breaking point. I’m wondering what we’ll see this time, or if we’ll see anything.”

“What do you mean by ‘breaking point’?” Lena asked.

“We’ll see the moment that flung them down the path to having a palace,” Morgana explained. “All the things we hear are but kindling. The thing we watch is the spark that ignites the flame.”

“I see,” Lena said. “Well, I’m curious too now.”

They found the third Will Seed room, and just like before, a shadow was standing in the way. This time, it was wispy, but still emitted a powerful aura. “I say the sooner we get it over with, the better,” Ann said.

“Agreed,” Ren said. They ambushed the shadow.

“Well well,” the shadow said. “You think you can defeat me?” The shadow attacked, and the thieves began their battle.

The thieves won out, but it was a bit of a challenge. Makoto sighed. “Well, that takes care of that…”

“Indeed,” Yusuke said. “Now let’s take care of our other business.” Ren nodded and picked up the third Will Seed.

The voices began again. “And how does the defendant plead?” an authoritative voice said.

There was a bit of silence before a deranged voice shouted “Guilty!”

“Very well,” the judge’s voice said. “The court accepts the defendant’s plea.”

The deranged man laughed. “It’s TRUE! And I would do it again in a heartbeat. I’d do it even more if you hadn't caught me so soon.”

“YOU MONSTER!” Tamako shouted.

“Miss Minamoto, calm down,” a different voice said.

“Give her back!” Tamako pleaded. “Give me back Ariko-chan!” Meanwhile, the defendant laughed like a maniac.

The voices stopped there. “That’s just insane!” Ryuji said.

“I…I almost can’t believe it…” Makoto reacted.

“How awful,” Sumire noted.

The Will Seeds formed together to make the Crystal of Sorrow. It started projecting an image. Tamako was in a meeting room with someone who looked like a lawyer. “WHAT?!” Tamako shouted. “What do you MEAN?!”

“Calm down,” the lawyer said. “It’s just, recently, it seems you haven’t been… well, stable.”

“So you’re just going to take my dream away?!” Tamako retorted.

“Now now, should this go through, the orphanage will be in good hands,” the lawyer said. “We are going to have a meeting about this at the end of the summer to discuss this. Should you improve by then, nothing will happen. However, if you still aren’t well enough to run it, then we’ll have no choice.”

“But…” Tamako pleaded. “But…”

“It's for the good of the kids,” the lawyer said. “And if it comes to that, we’ll make sure you have a nice retirement package. Like I said, you have until the end of the summer.”

The video cut to outside, where Tamako was talking with herself. “No…they can’t…They can’t kill my dream too…” She grew angrier. “FINE! If it’s going to be like that, I’ll be more focused and disciplined than ever before! I’m NOT going to let them take this from me without a fight!”

The video ended. “So, they’re planning on taking her orphanage away?!” Makoto asked.

“That’s messed up!” Ryuji said.

“I hate to say it, but it makes sense,” Yusuke said. “If someone is not fit to guide children, they shouldn’t.”

“Don’t you think I know that?!” Ryuji barked back.

“Calm down, Skull,” Ann said.

Ryuji sighed. “Sorry…”

“It’s fine,” Yusuke said. “I get it. And we know this is different from our circumstances as well.”

Meanwhile, tears were streaming down Lena’s face. Sumire noticed this. “Are you OK Cupid?”

Lena was half paying attention to the question. She wiped her tears and said “Don’t worry. We’ll make sure to save your dream.”

Sumire smiled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

They heard the mausoleum shifting again. “I guess that means the basement is open,” Morgana noted.

“Let’s head back,” Ren said. They went back to the main room.

Upon arrival, they saw the coffin move over, revealing a set of stairs. “I detect the treasure is down there!” Morgana said.

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Ren asked. “Let’s head down.” The thieves went down the stairs. At the bottom, they arrived at a dark and empty room, with only a single light illuminating the treasure. “There it is,” Ren noted.

“Um…?” Lena wondered. “I can’t quite tell what it is.”

“That’s usual,” Ryuji said.

“The treasure appears like this, until we make it take form,” Makoto said.

“And how do we do that?” Lena asked.

“Simple,” Morgana answered. “We send a calling card!”

“That’s not just for show?” Lena asked.

Ren shook her head. “A treasure is essentially a desire. Once it’s been made apparent that their desire is under attack, it’ll manifest itself.”

“I see…” Lena said. “How peculiar.”

“Well, now all that’s left is to write it and show it to her,” Ryuji said.

“Do…you want me to do it?” Lena asked.

“As good as that sounds, I don’t think we can,” Ann said. “She’d recognize your voice.”

“Oh,” Lena said.

“Rest assured, we can take care of it,” Yusuke said.

“Although, you can tell us when she reads it,” Jose said.

Ren nodded. “That’s important,” Ren said. “The calling card’s effect only lasts for about a day, so we need to move quickly.”

“We’ll message you when we send it,” Sumire said.

Lena nodded. “Got it.”

“Well, with that all settled, and us having a route to the treasure,” Ren said, “I say we should leave.”

“I agree,” Morgana said.

“We should work on the calling card tonight though,” Sumire pointed out.

“Agreed,” Yusuke said. “The sooner, the better.”

“Right,” Ren said. “Now let’s head out.” The thieves went up the stairs, out of the mausoleum, and headed back to the real world.

[akirakurusuimagines]

I know that you already write how Akira would tease his innocence s/o but what would he do if he fall for an oblivious person like Akira flirting with them? To them, he just being friendly!

He doesn’t realize that you’re oblivious to romantic advances until the day that Ryuji makes a joke insinuating that you have a crush on Akira⁠, to which you responded with something very blunt and confused along the lines of “of course I like him, he’s a reliable friend and leader”, completely missing Ryuji’s point. 

It was hard to believe that you were that oblivious at first, but as soon as Yusuke opened his mouth to back you up, Akira discarded that train of thought⁠—he wasn’t sure anyone could be as oblivious as Yusuke could be. 

At first, it’s not a problem⁠—he respects your boundaries and cherishes your friendship. But the longer you two spend together, the deeper his crush on you begins to run. He catches himself drifting to you, bumping shoulders as you walk, his eyes lingering on you as you talk about whatever caught your interest that day. 

He was in love with you. He figured as much the day you came over in the evening to study with him for the upcoming exam. You two had worked together so tirelessly that before you realized it, it was already past two in the morning and the trains had stopped running long ago. He offered to lend you his bed and his clothes for the evening, given the fact that your place was too far from Leblanc.

You graciously accepted his offer, yet you felt bad about taking up his bed, so you somehow managed to convince him to sleep with you, as cramped as it is. You meant nothing romantic by it, he was sure, but laying down next to you, seeing the way your face softened as you slept, your breath fanning over his face, he couldn’t catch any sleep. His heart was racing far too fast for him to even think of sleeping. Besides, what if you two woke up tangled in a mess of limbs? He wasn’t sure his heart could take it.

Since then, he’s tried subtly flirting with you, in hopes of seeing whether or not you reciprocate any of his romantic affections for you, but considering the way you constantly remind him of how he’s “such a good friend” he wonders if it’s all for naught. He genuinely can’t tell if it’s your obliviousness, or if you truly only see him as a friend. 

As much as he hates to remember it, he’s even tried to use cheesy pick-up lines he learned from Ryuji to see if you’d understand that way. If you’re wondering, the one he used was “I’m learning about important dates in history. Wanna be one of them?”, to which you responded “Aren’t I already? I’m a part of the Phantom Thieves, there’s no way we aren’t already going to be remembered by history,” and Akira couldn’t help but make this face for the next several hours.

So, he decides to show his affection for you in different ways, rather than just flirting with you, since all that ends with is awkward tension and confusion. He’ll make you food or drinks as often as he can, surprise you with small trinkets he thinks you’d like, spend time with you over others, learn and participate in your interests. Akira takes his time, hoping to make you happy until he musters up the courage to confess his feelings for you when you get closer.

One day, you mention Akira’s recent behavior to Ann while out on a cafe-and-crepe run with her, who’s more than aware of your mutual feelings for each other (and unfortunately, also your stubborn obliviousness). Your cheeks were warm, smiling happily as you recounted the recent acts of kindness Akira’s done, mumbling at the very end about how lucky you are to have him as a friend.

Ann cannot keep a secret like this for the life of her. It’s killing her. You two are practically close enough to get married already, and yet Akira’s too worried to confess and you’re too oblivious to realize his romantic intent. She literally cannot keep it inside and after swallowing the piece of crepe she bit off, blurts out: “he’s in love with you!” 

It took you a minute to process it, and at first you laughed it off like “what’re you talking about? No he isn’t, we’re just good… friends…” and when you started to think about it you could only stare at Ann in complete shock, mouth agape, drink abandoned, as if you were rethinking your whole life (or at least part of it). “Is he really…?” 

Ann cringed when she realized what she did, but couldn’t take it back now. So instead, she nodded, answering your rather repetitive questions as it slowly sunk in. She felt bad, and would make sure to apologize to Akira later, but at least now you knew, and would stop skirting around the situation. 

When you saw him next, it was right before school, in the alleyway before Shujin Academy⁠, the same one that Akira and Ryuji told you lead to Kamoshida’s palace after you had joined their ranks. You both were running a little late, but you couldn’t stop yourself from grabbing the back of his blazer, stopping him in his tracks. 

“What’s wrong?” the way he said your name and the concern in his eyes really served to solidify your own feelings and the feelings that Ann revealed to you. “Are you okay?” 

“You two are gonna be late⁠, you know,” Morgana interjected, but you ignored the cat. You’d apologize later for it, but for now you only had one thing on your mind. 

“Akira, I⁠—” you took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. He looked a little nervous, too, by your mannerisms. “—Ann told me that you liked me. Not in a friend way. Oh god I’m so sorry,” you blabbed on, adrenaline running in your veins. “Okay, what I meant to say is: I like you too! And I’m really sorry I didn’t realize your feelings before!”  

There was a moment of tense silence between you two before Akira turned his face to the side, a hand over his mouth, and choked back an obvious laugh, finding the entire situation comedic. Your faces were matching shades of red and not a moment later, you both were laughing heartily over the whole situation. “I never expected this is how things would turn out,” he smiled, catching his breath, “but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Overhearing you two from her post at the front of the school, Kawakami peeked her head into the alleyway and told you both with a sigh to hurry up and get to class before she was forced to give you both detention. 

Akira extended his hand towards you, a hint of his teasing nature perking up behind those large glasses. “I want to hold your hand,” he said, as if to avoid your obliviousness. 

You lightly swatted his arm with a huff before lacing your fingers with his, walking together into the quickly-emptying school. “You’re lucky I like you.” 

“I know I am.” 

[mage-ellie]

PT boys domestic life w/ their S/O +kids

I’m slowly working on the requests :D

Request page: Click me!

Word count: 1091

Akira Kurusu:

He absolutely refuses to let you make your own coffee in the mornings. It's either his way or the highway. Jk. He looks like a sad puppy all day if you don't let him make you coffee. You love Akira's coffee so he rarely ever looks upset.

The only thing he knows how to cook is curry, so you're the one who has to do all of the cooking in the household. As a compromise, he always offers to do the dishes when you're done.

You two always split up the chores. You usually do the laundry, sweep and dust your house. Akira will clean the bathrooms, wipe down the windows and do any outside work.

He usually gets out of work an hour or so after you, so you always greet him with a, "Welcome home honey."

He loves to hold you from behind while you cook. He usually gets in your way, but it's okay. You'll never tell him that.

Kids:

He was the first to suggest adding children to your little family.

He's almost always the one to get up and care for the baby in the middle of the night when they start crying.

When the child/children are a little older, he likes to play cowboy with them. He let's them sit on his back and he crawls around the house, neighing like a horse while the children scream and giggle the entire time.

He's such a good husband and father.

Ryuji Sakamoto:

Literally the greatest chef you have ever met. His meals are tasty, yet healthy, thanks to him being a track star. He needs to keep his body in shape.

He loves it when you watch him run at his track meets. You're his personal cheerleader. He always tries extra hard to impress you.

You always make sure to keep his trophies and medals clean by dusting them weekly and polishing them monthly. You bought him a big trophy case so that he can display his winnings to any guests that come over.

You often invite his mother over for meals and to just hang out. He's so happy that you both get along so well. He loves his mother dearly.

He calls you his "greatest trophy" with a cheeky grin on his face. It always flusters you.

Kids:

You're a bit hesitant at first since Ryuji is basically a child himself. He's always so energetic and a bit of a troublemaker.

With a bit of convincing on his part, (he promises to learn how to change diapers), you agree to add a new member to your family.

You often catch him eating the baby food when he's supposed to be feeding your baby.

"You're supposed to feed it to our child!"

"I'm just showin' our little bundle of joy how to eat is all!"

He's an idiot, but an incredible father.

Yusuke Kitagawa:

He can't cook to save his life. He tried once and nearly burned your house down. It's the thought that counts though.

Whenever you're doing something, be it chores, cooking, or working, he'll be sketching you. He always tries to stay out of your way though.

He loves taking you to art galleries that he's featured in. He takes you by the hand and shows you around, describing the intricacies of each of his paintings. A lot of them look like you.

Sometimes, you think he loves his pet lobsters more than he loves you because of how much he pampers them. He refuses to let you clean their tank. You don't mind that part though, cleaning their tank is a hassle.

Yusuke is surprisingly a slob. His art room is always a mess. You usually spend an hour or two cleaning it every month. You're just thankful that he's careful to not get any paint on the floor or walls.

Kids:

The moment you bring it up, he bursts to life. He wants to try to recreate the Sayuri with you and your child.

"I love our child." He says while holding the baby at arms length, completely unsure of what to do.

No matter how many times you try to teach him, he never learns how to properly change a diaper. He's a master at feeding though.

He immediately starts teaching your child/children how to paint from the moment they're able to hold a paint brush.

He's a bit of an airhead at times, but he's always trying his best.

Goro Akechi:

Despite having already been married for several years, he often asks if you still love him. To which you always reply, "My answer will always be yes, my love." And give him a little kiss on the cheek.

He still has a job as a detective, meaning there are nights where he comes home late. You always do your best to stay awake until he comes home so you can make sure he eats. He often forgets to eat because he's so busy. He hates it when you stay up late for him, yet a part of him always jumps for joy whenever he see's you waiting for him late at night with a plate of food.

He always surprises you with little gifts whenever he comes home. Sometimes he gives you sweets, other times he'll give you flowers. Once, he came home with 2 tickets to Destinyland.

You're often left at home to do the chores while he works. You don't mind though. He works hard for you, so you work hard for him in return.

On rare occasions, he takes you to his mothers grave to talk. He might not have any blood relatives that love him, but your family didn't hesitate to drown him in their genuine love and affection when you first introduced him to them.

Kids:

Goro is absolutely mortified at the thought of having children. He's worried that he wouldn't be good enough to be a father due to his childhood.

With enough therapy and constant reassurance, he agrees to give it a shot.

He tears up the moment he holds his child. He always changes when he's around them. Around you, he's himself. A normal, snarky smartass. Around the child/children, he's gentle and warm.

He's quick to learn how to take care of children. You often find him practicing how to change diapers and looking up homemade baby food recipes online.

While he's constantly worried that he's going to mess up, you always remind him that he's human and that he's doing a wonderful job.

[shadow-scenarios]

Date Headcanons | Everyone

Thought I’d write something for everyone so that I can get used to it & you can see my style of writing.

- Nexus.

Joker { Akira Kurusu }

✧ Akira is definitely the type of partner who indulges in more casual dates. Although he has the money & resources in order to do something more classy due to his moonlighting as a Phantom Thief, he prefers more quaint locations where both himself & his partner can enjoy each other’s company instead of the location.

✧ He fundamentally believes that if he can enjoy himself around his significant other without needing to spend vast amounts of money, he’s found someone he can rely on for life. His life is naturally very very stressful so he finds solace in moments where he can simply be himself.

✧ During the date itself, he is the epitome of a gentleman { he does have max Charm, after all! }. Offering to pay for the meal; blatantly flirting but not crossing any unspoken boundaries; Casual touches of affection to fluster them. All in all, Akira simply enjoys having company that’s not related to Phantom Thief business & having someone who doesn’t only want to see him in order to seek out comfort.

Skull { Ryuji Sakamoto }

✧ Another one who likes casual dates. However, he is much less formal about it. Although confident on the outside, on the inside he is very nervous about a date. Ryuji is of the opinion that if he cannot be himself during a date, it would not feel natural. So, he takes his significant other places that seem like fun.

✧ Being the athletic type, Ryuji encourages his significant other to run with him. It is rather cathartic and good training. Starting out with shorter routes, they would be encouraged by him all throughout. Afterwards, there’s a high chance that the two of them would head out for ramen together as a ‘ treat ’.

✧ Other ideas would include the arcade or simply heading to his house. Introducing his partner to his mother is a key part of the relationship, since he desperately wants them to like each other { it wouldn’t be difficult, Ryuji’s mother is just as sweet as his son!! }.

Panther { Ann Takamaki }

✧ There are two types of dates with Ann: Food dates & Fashion dates.

✧ Food dates are usually more common. They consist of going to a restaurant she recommends or finding a dessert and ordering two. Ann encourages her significant other to try new things & expand their horizons much like how she’s trying to strengthen her heart.

✧ Fashion dates occur when Ann’s side job as a model comes into play. If she is in need of new clothes for a particular style or wants to try something new, it is likely to be turned into a date.

✧ Ann knows exactly what fits the body type of her partner & clothes that would make them look good. She wants them to be able to express themselves and feel good about it at the same time!!

✧ In return, all that is asked of them is that they honestly critique the clothing choices she has selected out for herself { she looks great in everything though }.

Fox { Yusuke Kitagawa }

✧ Yusuke’s interpretation of dates is... Strange. No matter what, it has to be visually stimulating & help inspire him in his career of art. He would die for art without a second thought and that reflects in his choices of location.

✧ For example, Inokashira Park is a perfect spot. It costs little money, has beautiful scenery & has a relaxing atmosphere. Throughout the entire experience, there is small gestures of casual affection. Not enough for people to be staring but just enough for it to be noticeable by them.

✧{ After his scuffle with searching for true beauty with Akira, he learns a little more about social ettique & how the boat ride they took could have been misinterpreted as a date. }

✧ However... Sometimes he forgets that going to places costs money. If a local art museum has a special showing, Yusuke will buy two tickets impulsively & invite his significant other to the event. Then he’ll be crushed by the reality of the train fares.

Queen { Makoto Niijima }

✧ At first, Makoto has no idea how to plan a date. She would definitely flunk a test about love, so to speak. However, it is very endearing. Study dates would be the most common, where they could go over any material either of them didn’t understand in classes. She prides herself over being able to assist her significant other.

✧ Once she becomes more adapted to stereotypical teenage life, there is a higher likelyhood of more outdoorsy dates. Her favourite spot is Chinatown because of all the vastly different stores and foods.

✧ She finds it a relaxing experience to people watch. Usually it’s done through the window of a cafe where she offhandedly comments about how different people are dressed & how they interact with each other. Makoto is very insightful.

Oracle { Futaba Sakura }

✧ Going anywhere is mostly out of the question. Futaba struggles with socialising & although she is trying her best to open up a little more, it will be an ongoing process.

✧ Playing video games until 3am or talking about the latest manga edition released from the comfort of her bedroom is one of her favourite things to do with a significant other. It is the one time where she feels comfortable to talk & even if they do not quite understand every thing she is saying, she is very happy to go into depth and explain.

✧ However, there would be one or two occasions where Futaba wants to push herself & go out somewhere. Beforehand, Sojiro would be lecturing her partner about keeping her safe & making sure she’s okay but wishes the two of them a good time.

✧ Although there’s moments where Futaba is overstimulated & needs a break, it is a fun experience! Akihabara is definitely a good place to start & buying a game as a reward for braving it will earn them a beaming smile of sunshine.

Noir { Haru Okumura }

✧ Haru has very few qualms about spending extravagant amounts of money on a single date. She thinks like a celebrity & aims to impress her significant other. Just because she spends a lot of money does not mean she is not thoughtful, though. Most dates will be something her significant other has mentioned interest in. She pays attention!!

✧ Throughout the entire outing, she is not afraid to initiate physical contact. Holding hands is a common & subtle gesture that she never really achieved with her previous marriage so she cherishes gentle intimacy.

✧ However, it eventually becomes known that she prefers cheaper & more heart-to-heart style dates. Making a picnic for her partner with the vegetables / fruits from her garden brings unparalleled joy. Especially when they give advice and talk about the taste & how they could improve. Her dream is to run a homegrown café after all!!

Crow { Goro Akechi }

✧ Akechi is either the most gentlemanly man anyone has ever been on a date with or he wants to unwind from a stressful day. Dates are few & far between with his particularly busy schedule, alongside the influence of his female fans bothering him particularly turns him off the idea most of the time.

✧ So, there are two solutions: Dates that are indoors so that no one knows where they are & incredibly extravagant dates that the media cannot gain access to.

✧ Indoor ones usually involve attending the Jazz Club in Kichijoji. It is a relaxing place with few people to bother his significant other, since there are few that know about the place. Throughout the entire occasion, he makes light conversation and is hesitant about accepting physical contact for fear of his reputation but eventually settles on taking his gloves off and interlocking hands with them.

✧ The other solution is usually reserved for special occasions. Although Akechi is wealthy due to his work as a detective, he is more deliberate with his purchases and understands the value of money. In these situations, he intentionally plays up his role as a detective prince & is even more suave than Akira. There is a lot of flirtation in a very polite manner, almost as if testing the waters.

✧ Although he genuinely enjoys these sessions, it is his job to play the role of a prince, even for his significant other. Akechi is practised at pretending.

Violet { Sumire Yoshizawa }

✧ Incredibly flustered at first, no matter what happens. Every step with her is filled with stuttering & a face the same colour as her hair but she’s willing to try her best!!

✧ Absolutely wants her significant other to come to her routines & competitions. If they are not there, she feels incomplete. It throws her game off which in turn creates more issues in the future.

✧{ At some point, her coach comes to speak to them and essentially demands they be at every session so Sumire can achieve her best. }

✧ Sumire also really likes different scenery. The aquarium in Shinagawa is a breathtaking sight from her perspective. No pressure to perform & the ability simply be herself allows for a much more natural date.

{ Yuuki Mishima }

✧ Mishima is much like Futaba in that he would prefer a date indoors. Although he is more confident after everything that happened with Kamoshida, he is still more shocked that he actually has a significant other.

✧ Most of his spare time when not doing schoolwork is spent on running the Phansite so when Mishima wants to spend time with them, he prefers low energy activities at home such as watching a movie with snacks or sitting & talking together.

✧ If he ever attempted to take them out somewhere, it would be adorable. There would be a lot of doting on them and ensuring that they’re having a good time & he needs this validation because of his self esteem issues. { Telling Mishima that the date was fun or that they enjoyed it will result in an adorable smile & red face }.

{ Hifumi Togo }

✧ Much like Yusuke, Hifumi enjoys dates with her significant other that are practical. If there’s a new book on some of the lastest Shogi techniques, she’ll take them to the bookstore in Jinbocho & make a date out of it.

✧ Although she sometimes struggles to articulate her feelings properly, it is often made up for with the purchase of a gift. Nothing expensive since she is still a high school student but instead something deeply personal that will mean a lot, such as a piece of jewellery or a particular book they are interested in.

✧ Also loves going to the church in Kanda for a practice game. Even if they are not very good at Shogi, she’ll teach them how to play and encourages them to develop their own style of play. After each game, she analyses all of the different moves used in that game & how they changed the game.

Word Count: 1.7k

Publish Date: 25.09.20

[samarecharm]

💕♠️💭 for akechi?

💕 Love

HONESTLY...not to be an annoying shipper and Blatant Goro Apologist, but I really do think Goro would be a good partner. Theres this post i think about on a NEAR daily basis thats like “He does everything whole ass, not half ass! He loves so hard; thats why his booty so damn big!” And why YES i think its worded in THE funniest way humanly possible, its a very good point. Goro is extremely driven; he gives 100% into anything he does, for better or for worse. And hed give 100% in a relationship bc he would not waste his time and effort on someone who he believes isnt worth what he has to offer. What he has to offer can be left to interpretation...bdjdbsjsbsksn...but like. Its there !

Im a multishipper and i have no problems w thinking of hcs for him and akira, or him and ryuji, and the major differences between both. But like to sum it up; Shuake is VERY subjective depending on how you characterize your akiren, but mine is ‘im going to make you(goro)break down your walls so help me god!!!’ Bc the most important thing in his friendship is having Goro live wo the burden adults have placed on him. All of his friendships are built around this. And it eventually leads to Goro caving in some way shape or form. Its a very complex scenario condensed into a small paragraph but please know that i think about their relationship (shippy or not) all the time.

Ryugoro is like. Okay its a borderline crackship but I REALLY fell for this dynamic SO QUICKLY like !!! Alot of this game has just So Many gaps in interactions, and i feel like any hoops you go through to make ships count means I can do this for ryugoro wbsjdbdjbssjsb I just think they would get along nicely after the initial butting of heads that would inevitably happen. Esp w MY hcs; fight it out, get a lil bruised up and talk it out afterwards ☺️ theres a mutual distaste for society, for shit fathers and society as a whole that enabled this cycle to perpetuate itself, and theres some comfort w ryuji that Goro hasnt felt in anyone aside from Akira. Just think about it...🥺

♣️Weakness/ Soft Spot

Im going to skip an actually Serious answer to this and instead go a very cute route, and thats to say he is a sucker for Food and specifically Any Excuse to do a Thing that involves food. Like he is Up There with Yusuke and Ann with their love of food; he is SO food motivated and im NOT just saying this bc of the pancakes (part of me believes he mentioned it to sound more Inclusive and Normal), like he also mentions that he wanted to take Sae to the Good Sushi spot like I think, when allowed to, he absolutely follows the ‘Treat Yo Self’ motto. He likes food and he likes GOOD food and he will Make Time to go to an expensive restaurant w people bc he Also enjoys company (shocking...). The only thing he cares about more is his bike and biking related events…

💭Daydream

Oh hes...so up in his head…someone come pull him down hes floating away... Hes thinking about alot...all the time...during the base game, inbetween hits and interviews and meetings and performing, hes this shell of a human lost in his own head. He goes home and his body is on autopilot; cooking, cleaning, showering, thinking. Intrusive thoughts and Nightmares are common and the more he thinks about things he Needs to do, the less he thinks about Other not so fun things. Hes EXACTLY that image of the dude from parks and rec thats like “if I keep my body moving, and my mind occupied at all times, I will avoid falling into a bottomless pit of despair” and i love it SO much bc its so coincidental and fitting that the person is also on a bike shdjbddjndksnd

[nightshadedawn]

Persona 5 Royal Playthrough pt3

I ended up going through two Palaces before I could update y’all. Oh well.

...Yeah, no, quit calling me Miss Special Snowflake's boyfriend. It's not happening.

Ryuji, Morgana, and Yusuke having a conversation in the laundromat: "It's like he's our mom," says Ryuji... the mom friend.

Every time Morgana is like "I have to turn into a human so no one else can have Lady Ann!" then expects no one else to hear him makes me laugh. Like, bitch, no.

I have the restaurant in my Thieves Den 'cause I like it. Yusuke, Ryuji, and Morgana are there. They're so precious.

I got a three in a row Tycoon on cutthroat!!!

Ryuji and Ann just keep going "Shoulda figured" and other versions of the statement every time I win.

Ann just rejected Morgana's feelings HARD. I am happy.

Ryuji is too good, honestly. Why would anyone not like him? He's... He's always trying to build the team up, make them proud of themselves and what they've done. I will admit that he has his moments of being not a great human, but they're teenagers who were given absurd powers, so honestly, can you blame them?

I didn't know darts was an actual minigame! There's so many minigames. I'm so happy.

I don't like Akechi. I don't know why some people do. Like, his death scene was a bit... too late for a redemption for me, right after he tried to kill Joker, several times. His pain is understandable, but still... I can't.

Their "two sides of the same coin" also doesn't seem particularly fair. It's totally uneven in everything but color schemes.

Guys, GUYS, please, PLEASE decide whether you're going to react to my teasing or not.

"We don't have to deal with them directly," Ryuji says joyfully about the mafia. Oh you sweet, sweet, innocent child, if only you knew what I do.

I literally can't play this game around anyone else because I tend to yell "BABY!" to Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke and "BITCH" or "FUCKER" to... a rather long list of villains in this game... and Makoto.

I can literally feel Yusuke's anxiety about his painting when you take him to Leblanc to see Sayuri.

How can you say Yusuke isn't gay when he says everything I do is beautiful?

I love Ryuji's 9th social link. It's LITERALLY written like a confession scene. This also means I kinda hate it because... I can't date him.

Also... PRETTY BOY RYUJI PRETTY BOY RYUJI PRETTY BOY RYUJI

I actually kinda thought that the new scene for Ryuji being a crossdresser is kinda funny??? Is this bad??? I wanna see him in a dress, tho. I gotta agree, he'd be a natural. Not the like, painfully obviously not taking it seriously from the dancing game, though.

Though I do think it's valid that he freaks out when two strange adults come up to him and try to take him somewhere, especially in a place known for being shady, and at night.

...When Ryuji complains about it, I do feel bad about ditching him. Then again, I blame the cat.

Ryuji may be my ideal type on paper, but I'm also highly attracted to Yusuke and this is so totally unfair.

*softly chanting* butlers butlers butlers butlers

Don't mind me just... *makes meticulous plot to avoid having Makoto join the team that i may or may not write a fanfic about*

Makoto is one dumbass bitch. Like, honestly, there's nothing she does that's in any way remotely smart.

...I thought I'd just skip Makoto's scenes until she became relevant, but here I am, still skipping her scenes. Does that mean she’s still irreleveant?

"Witch" I suggest, and Makoto complains! "Would you prefer "Bitch"? I can use that too.

I put Yusuke on the team in the middle of the palace through settings, replacing Morgana, who had been standing right behind me. Which made Yusuke stand right behind me. It looked like he was holding onto my waist and standing uncomfortably close. Bro, babe, I love you, but not in front of my boyfriend and girlfriend!

Just accept the compliment, guys, I'm not going to compliment Queen.

...Opening chests with Ann or Ryuji is just so sweet because they're so affectionate and touchy feely. Especially Ryuji.

Math. Fucking. Sucks. I should not have to use math in a game. I hate this. Obviously it's the Palace Makoto comes in that this happened.

Well, I finished the Palace in a day. I love the feeling. But it was getting close there. Joker and Yusuke were down to no spells...

...Yoshizawa hasn't showed up yet. When is she getting shoehorned in?

WHY IS THE VELVET ROOM RED!?

My very first playthrough I didn't execute a single execution except for the first one we have to do. It  really screwed me over my second playthrough...

...I broke the electric chair. That's certainly something that happened.

147 games of Tycoon later and I've only been a beggar 31 times in total, versus the pure thirty wins in just Cutthroat.

They're in their summer uniforms and it makes make miss warmer weather already. It's fucking snowing outside. Grrrr.

Beat Kaneshiro! ...Wasn't a fan of his new boss battle. I'm even playing on safe mode! But whatever.

Makoto is a DISASTER at Tycoon. She exclusively got beggar all three times I played with her!

...RYUJI YOU CAN'T SAY SHIT LIKE THAT AND NOT LET ME DATE YOU.

Ann, sweeties, baby, you're doing so well.

She confessed to me, then in the call afterwards it was basically insinuated I proposed... WHICH IS LIKE FUCK YEAH 'CAUSE SHE ACCEPTED IT.

It makes me think of the future conversation where they're talking about marriage.

Anyway, if you haven't noticed, l love Ann.

My next playthrough I'm not gong to date her, though. I'm a completionist and I want ALL of the possible awards. But... I refuse to cheat on Ann. So I'll date everyone else then just hang with Ryuji... despite how cringy some of the date things are.

...If Akechi wasn't, you know EVIL and tried to KILL ME, SEVERAL TIMES, I might, MIGHT, like him. But in truth, I think that's really just the Persona 5: Revival talking. We get... into some stuff during that.

I know that either Atlus or the translators know EXACTLY what goes on in the Persona fandom because otherwise "He's too pretty to be wrong" would not be an option when talking to the newspaper girl about Akechi. I have to agree with her that his looks aren't really, you know, awesome enough for that.

Also, I read it as "He's too petty to be wrong" at first and I think that's an accurate sum of his character.

YO AKECHI-FUCK I HAVE NO NEED TO SEE YOUR ASS LIKE THAT WHEN I HAVE BOTH A BF AND AND GF.

...fucker fucking giving me shit about my fake glasses...

If you COULD date the boy out of mod, Akechi would definitely be the one they were pushing you to date. Like Makoto. Or Yoshizawa.

But hey, at least I get to not be nice to him.

I remember seeing this picture where Ann, Ryuji, and Joker kept going to the movies together and seeing 3D movies, and Joker couldn't wear the 3D glasses properly because of his own. I keep imagining that picture during this event with Caroline and Justine.

You know what? Some people call Joker a loli lover because of them, but nope! He's just adopted two more siblings. That is my stance on it.

FUcking

Fucker

WHAT THE FRRRRRRRR

FUCK YOU ATULS OR TRANSLATORS OR WHATEVER

APHRODITE AND MARS ARE FROM TWO DIFFERENT MYTHOS. Aphrodite is GREEK, Mars is ROMAN. Their reversed are VENUS and ARES. USE ONE OR THE OTHER PEOPLE.

I get very pissed about this, and it's worse with Hades.

7/4 is the day I am screaming at, if you were wondering.

My dad asked me if the other students think Joker's stupid because every time I answer a question right they get all surprised.

I don't really like Makoto, as I'm sure you've noticed, but she was super nice about Ryuji's special move idea. And that put her ahead of Akechi in my book.

TESTS ARE NERVE WRACKING EVEN WHEN THEY'RE FICTIONAL

Yusuke and Ryuji are good boys, the best boys. And they're so awesome about their special move.

AND RYUJI OFFERED MONEY FOR YUSUKE'S FOOD. And implied that he did it before???? Ryuji, you best boy.

This boys' outing DOES make me happy, though. Like, insanely happy. Dunno why.

Maybe because Joker gets to be so flipping cheesy.

...fuck you, Yoshizawa.

HONESTLY WHAT THE EVER LOVING--- Grr. Too many choices while with her. Too many. OOC Joker when with her. 0/10.

I LOVE THE FESTIVAL PHOTO

And you know, it's really hard to choose between Lala-chan and Ann, but... GONNA TAKE ANN ON A DATE

Got her some flowers. Lets see if we can give them to her this time!

"Such a good FRIEND." Babe, we're DATING. For like, TWO WEEKS NOW.

AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO GIVE HER FLOWERS

Ann called Yusuke a pretty boy, but then she's missing out on the REAL pretty boy, Pretty Boy Ryuji.

Ryuji, why're you so worried about other girls when you've got ME?

"I like the shade." "What are you, moss!?" Oh, admit it, Ryuji, I'm growing on you.

Cargona. Snrk. Gods, I love you, Ryuji.

Dome town with Ryuji! "Isn't it all couples?" That's the point!

I COULD GIVE RYUJI THE ROSES!?

Sadly, I bought those for Ann. Ryuji, you get the noodles.

AND HE FUCKING LOVED IT.

"It feels like I really captured Ryuji's heart!" FUCK YEAH I DID

Gonna give Yusuke the bracelet when I get the chance.

Why is everyone color coded in the chat room? Kawakami, Akechi, Mishima, and the reporter are all ORANGE. What's the point? Well, Akechi's more of a golden orange, but close enough.

While Mishima is not my first choice for a date, he's definitely not my last.

...But the boy really needs some fucking sleep. He's not drawn with the bags under his eyes, but I can see them!

It's not fair that they give Akechi a kicked puppy sprite. I'm... goddamnit, they're trying to make me not hate him.

When Makoto doesn't know something, I'm brought great joy.

NO DAD MAKOTO IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND ANN IS AND SHE IS LITERALLY R I G H T T H E R E

First day in Futaba's Palace! I've gotta say, this is my second favorite palace. Kamoshida, Futaba, Madarame, Sae, Okumura, Shido, Kaneshiro, Holy Grail. In that order. I HATE Kaneshiro's place and dealing with the Holy Grail. But whatevs, man. I love this game. (Vanilla, at least, this one is still on the fence)

I found out a cool little thing. On the uphill sand slopes in the town (don't know about anywhere else) if you're running and turn back quickly, Joker will do a little animation to steady himself. It was cool and made it seem, I dunno, more human? Anyway, while I was admiring this, Ryuji and Yusuke just stood at the top of the slope and Ann followed me while I was running. Best girlfriend ever.

Kin-Ki is looking pretty kin-ky if you know what I'm sayin'

Please don't murder me because I do terrible puns.

*we fall through the trap door* *Ryuji starts screaming* Same, baby, same.

...Makoto is seriously annoying. Like, she's got no business acting as familiar with Futaba's situation. The one who WOULD be the most familiar is Yusuke, and I'm glad he recognizes that. It's not the exact same, none of their stories are after all, but I feel like those two get each other better than even Ryuji and Joker understand each other.

Yusuke and Ryuji's special attack is THE BEST

Ryuji and Joker getting up close and personal in the shadows. All those fanfics coming true, man.

I thought Futaba was sloth, not wrath? Why are her Will Seeds called Wrath?

Beat it in one day! It's so satisfying to watch all those achievements when I leave the palace.

You know, I'm thinking of wearing the Christmas outfits for the final battle. Just to be kinda funny.

Spending a relaxing day with Yusuke after going through Futaba's Palace... kinda want to take him to the bathhouse to check out that new scene, but I also REALLY wanna feed the boy... gonna feed the boy.

Apparently I can only make 'decent curry.' Which is fine. Because "I" can't make curry at all. Joker, you've done much better than I.

THE DATE CHANGE SCREEN HAD A RAINBOW AND RYUJI WAS COMING OVER ON THE SAME DAY FUCK YEAH MY BISEXUAL BABY

...Broooooo, the way you talk about your manga is how I talk right before I start shipping.

Took him to the bathhouse, 'cause I don't gotta worry about Mama Sakamoto feeding him.

...Can I take Ann to the bathhouse?

Asked Ryuji to move in. He was all up for the idea until he remembered that I live in an attic.

I'm Charismatic now!

...I was all hoping Ann would stop by but then Akechi asked me out. Laaaaaaaame.

Ryuji's smile is so fucking cute.

...I say we just be honest, and everyone's so fucking stupid about it until Makoto explains it. This pisses me off. They're not that dumb... At least, they weren't until Makoto showed up.

Futaba's hiding in the closet. ...I've spent too many weeks making jokes about closets to not have a joke about it.

Really, Yusuke? You see those books and think she can't understand?

...Wait, that sassy tone of voice... You were TRYING to pull a reaction of her. I knew I shipped those two for a reason. OTP and BroTP. Doesn't matter, they're both awesome.

I love you Ann, but I don't think your situations were the same at all. It's not like both are valid and bad, but... different.

Joker is SO fast compared to the others, especially when he's speeding.

What the...

Holy fuck...

JOKER IS TOO EFFING COOL

THAT MOVE TO GET FROM THE ENTRANCE TO TO TREASURE DOOR? Awesome!

Damn, Joker has my heart too.

I kinda wish we could see Futaba's costumes in her Persona. That would be pretty neat.

The moment right before Wakaba appears is so aesthetically pleasing.

...Futaba being happy is almost enough for me to accept Maruki's offer, and I haven't gotten there yet.

Ryuji and Ann keep smacking each other out of their ailments. Like, you guys just love each other so much! It's awesome.

Joker has lackluster responses to Wakaba... I'm hoping that isn't one of those "Answer these wrong and you break her!" things... Not that I think I was, but still.

I liked Futaba's new animation for when she defied her mother.

I wish the anime looked more the cutscenes. I'm trying to rewatch the anime so I can pinpoint specific moments for future editing purposes, but it's kinda painful.

1- This is the SECOND TIME you've landed on Yusuke while running from trouble.

2- YUSUKE LET GO OF MY GIRL

No Makoto, I don't want to go see Futaba with you! I can go see her myself.

So, I like Takemi's new voice with her lines during this scene.

Sure, she collapses every so often and sleeps for a while. Stays like that for a few days. Sorry that I put her into a coma for a month, Boss...

SHE LOOKS SO CUTE WITHOUT GLASSES

Guys, we have a month. Stop worrying.

THE TWINS ARE SO CUTE WHILE HANGING ONTO THE BENCH PRESS

Damn, Joker's dying to the amusement of two little girls.

I'm kinda disappointed I didn't get results for all that training. But I liked the scene.

Yusuke just casually be lugging bigass paintings around.

Taking the girls to the church may have been one of the funnier moments. These cement them as Joker's little sisters. With Futaba. Damn, Joker, you got no brothers.

Yusuke promises to come by every day and we can tell him to take his clothes off. ATLUS, you have some EXPLAINING to DO.

..And Yusuke took it and ran with it. My sweet summer child, I don't think I could handle you in as little as possible on the day to day.

"The heat induced delirium made me think outside the box." Same.

Guts takes sooooooooooooo long to level up.

"Punish me more" he says, as if Takemi won't do it.

"Good god. Well, none of my medicine can cure THAT." AT LEAST WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE

BATHHOUSE WITH YUSUKE

Awe, he had fun. :)

[notcorrect-persona5]

Ryuji for that character thing! If you haven't had him already

Ryuji!! I already know this is gonna be a long one.

Favorite thing about them

He has one of the biggest, kindest hearts in the Persona universe. Once he found out why Makoto was blackmailing them, he forgave her almost immediately. Despite not having a lot himself, he spends money feeding Yusuke (which I will talk about in my headcanons). He tries to befriend and include Mishima because he knows he doesn’t have any friends. He is always hyping up and complimenting the other phantom thieves (have you heard his dancing lines?)

Least favorite thing about them

I don’t like the number of times he is written OOC in the game, particularly when it comes to pervertedness. Before I go on, this isn’t me ignoring his flaws. Character flaws are extremely important. Without them, a character is no longer interesting or even likable. One of my favorite persona characters is Yosuke who doesn’t exactly have the cleanest mind, so I’m not saying Ryuji isn’t perverted because I don’t like it. I’m saying it because I honestly don’t think he is.

Yes, Ryuji likes girls, but he isn’t gross about it. The only times I can recall this behavior is in two anime cutscenes towards Ann for comedic relief (side note: he didn’t realize what the maid service actually was. He genuinely thought they were just ordering a cute maid to do housework). Ryuji has so much respect for Ann, and he knows what she’s been through. He would never ever do anything like that- no matter how close they are.

I think what happened is the writers didn’t write a character who could make those kinds of jokes (except maybe Ren who is a silent protagonist), so when they wanted to make one of those jokes they chose Ryuji because he’s “the best option.” Morgana is lowkey a feminist, and, you know, a cat, so it would be a little weird coming from him. And then there’s Yusuke who lectured two girls for asking to hangout. ATLUS knows how to write a “likable pervert.” We’ve seen it with Yosuke. They could have given this trait to Ryuji, and I would have been fine with it. The problem is, they didn’t, making those scenes awkward and uncomfortable.

Favorite line

“I can’t think and flex at the same time.”

brOTP

Ren Ren!! Based on his dialogue options to characters like Ann and Sumire, I think Ren finds the super cheerful and energetic personality a little overwhelming, yet Ryuji, who is the loudest and brightest sunshine child out there, doesn’t bother him, and if that’s not the sweetest thing-

OTP

RyuAnn is so cute. Normally I don’t like shipping characters who are just best friends, but I love them together.

nOTP

I don’t really have one. He’s kind of shippable with everyone. Like any ship I see with him I’m like “I don’t think it, but I can see it.”

Random headcanon

He buys Yusuke food and tries to keep Jagariko on him. A lot of the time when Yusuke talks about being hungry or not having money for food Ryuji offers to take him out to eat or pay. In a manga, he said he didn’t have any Jagariko on him implying he usually does.

This is a popular one, but I think he dyed his hair blond back in middle school when ann was considering dying her hair black. It doesn’t make sense for him to dye it as a way to embrace his new reputation as a delinquent. He hates that reputation so much. Yes, he accepted it, but I don’t think he wants to add any unnecessary fuel to the fire.

He and Yusuke are roommates in college!

Shiho, Ann, and Ryuji were a trio in middle school.

He has insomnia. There are so many times throughout the game when he mentions not sleeping for literal days.

There’s very little that Ryuji does that annoys Ren; however, I know Ryuji has taken Ren’s glasses off his face and put them on himself. It’s such a Ryuji thing to do.

The girl at the convenience store who gave the chocolate to Ryuji on Valentine’s Day? It wasn’t pity chocolate, and they date sometime during third year or after high school.

This is also a popular one, but I think the reason why he isn’t a very good dancer in Dancing is because of his leg injury. He usually does very basic dance moves with his feet, and his dances focus more on his hands.

He sees Mishima sitting alone at lunch their third year of high school, and forces him to sit with them.

Unpopular opinion

His whole “fame thing” wasn’t that bad. While I don’t think it’s a good mindset to have, he never did or said anything harmful as a result of it. He was just annoying. Ryuji has extremely low self-esteem. He has been beaten down his entire life, physically and emotionally. The only thing he thought he was good at was track, and that didn’t turn out well for him. Finally, he’s doing something incredible, but nobody knows about it. He’s proud of his work as a phantom thief, and he wants to tell people. He also wants people to recognize how awesome he is and give him some sort of validation. He doesn’t feel loved, and he thinks it’s his fault. Now he has something that he knows would make others like him. I don’t understand why he gets so much crap for it when in-game he recognized his that behavior was wrong, why it was wrong, apologized, and said he would work to be a better person.

Song I associate with them

Travel Song from Shrek The Musical lol. It’s literally the Hawaii trip. Shrek is Ann, and Ryuji is Donkey.

Favorite picture of him

Also this portrait. His smile makes me want to smile

[dragon-overlord-yuu]

Twin AU? Twin AU Lore under the cut

Ren Amamiya

Younger twin

Bisexual disaster

Himbo™

Actually it’s the brand of himbo where he’s high intelligence and low wisdom

Ren is ‘our’ Joker

Parents divorced when he was 12. He stayed with his dad in Inaba while their mom took Akira to Tokyo.

Mischievous and cheeky, with a flair for the dramatics

Always gotta be doing The Most™

Probably gets turned on by danger

This part of his personality gets toned down once he’s falsely charged with assault and shipped off to Tokyo on probation, turning him more meek and quiet

Reunites with his brother after four years whilst investigating Madarame’s palace

While he is considered the leader, the Phantom Thieves are split into two factions. The one lead by Ren consists of Ryuji, Ann, Morgana, and Akechi (when he does eventually join)

The reason for this is if Ren’s faction gets worn out in battle, Akira will step in with his and finish the fight and vice versa

Has a bit of an inferiority complex because he perceives Akira as the smarter “better” twin

Tends to doubt himself as a leader and often tries to overcompensate with stylish theatrics

Love interest is Akechi

Akira Kurusu

Older twin, by like, five minutes. He likes to rub this fact into Ren’s face a lot

Gay af

Tired™

Seems to be the “better” twin: mature, polite, and subdued with perfect grades. But this is merely a mask forced upon him by his mother. He is just as much of a little shit as Ren is

His true personality is quite dry and snarky

Attends Kosei and is friends with Yusuke

He is aware of Yusuke’s situation with Madarame but feels powerless to do anything about it.

The least he could do is sneak Yusuke food while Madarame was out on his exhibitions.

Mom remarried a wealthy man who owns a tech company. Akira hates his guts.

Because of their newfound status, Mom became much more stricter on Akira to the point of being suffocating

Expecting nothing less than perfect grades, putting strict curfews on him, controlling everything from how he dresses and who he’s friends with. It got to a point where she put a tracker on Akira’s phone so she can monitor every place he goes and who he talks to.

When news reached of Ren’s arrival to Tokyo on probation, Mom forbid any contact with him out of fear of Ren being a bad influence on Akira.

He reunited with Ren during the Madarame arc when he unwittingly got sucked into his palace whilst bringing Yusuke food

He’s distant with Ren at first because he was terrified of his mother finding out he was talking to him

Akira gets Raoul as his Persona, but he does not have the wild card ability like his brother

He awakens Raoul when he wanders into Madarame’s palace a second time and saw Ren in danger, choosing to save his brother rather than listen to his mother and ignore him to save his own reputation

After all, Ren is still his baby brother and Akira’s big brother instinct never quite left him

His thief code name is “Jack” to fit with the card theme with Joker

Second in command of the Phantom Thieves, leading his own team consisting of Yusuke, Makoto, and Haru with Futaba as their navigator

Mother is dealt with in Mementos and he leaves the toxic environment with his parents to live with Ren at Leblanc

With his newfound freedom, he starts going on a true rebellious streak from there, starting with piercings and punk rock clothing his mother never allowed him to wear

Ren makes fun of him for it and calls him a Hot Topic Gremlin

Black nail polish all day everyday. He sometimes makes Ren wear it with him so they can match

Love interest is Yusuke

Gen/Story headcanons

Ren prefers to go into battle with brute force, Akira prefers to go in with careful precision and strategy. Because of this, they compliment each other nicely as leaders

Futaba Bodyguard Squad™

Really, whoever dares harm Futaba will be in for one confusing ass-whoopin 

A few times before changing their mother’s heart in Mementos, Ren would offer to switch places so that Akira could have a taste of freedom for a little while

After a particularly bad fight with their mother, Akira attempted to storm Mementos alone to change his mother’s heart. He quickly found himself overwhelmed by shadows. He then wakes up in front of the train station in Shibuya

He doesn’t know who saved him but he remembers seeing a black mask and a striped suit before passing out.

Akira disliked Akechi the moment he saw him, but when he realized his brother was in love with him, he tries to be civil for his sake.

Ren/Akechi and Akira/Yusuke double dates 

Ren and Akechi tend to get overly competitive, as they do. Akira and Yusuke look on with their relatively functional relationship wonder why they keep inviting them

“This is why we can’t have nice things...” 

Akira wanted to be angry with Akechi after his betrayal and attempt to murder Ren, but when he saw how broken Ren was after Akechi’s death in Shido’s palace, he realized just how much Akechi meant to him and finds himself sympathizing with him instead.

While the other PT are just kinda like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Akira was mostly bothered by how indifferent they seemed to Ren’s pain

The PT ask to steal Shido’s treasure literally the next day and a livid Akira absolutely rails into them for not giving Ren time to grieve and being so inconsiderate of him, expecting him to be a leader when he’s mourning for someone so dear to him.

He watches over Ren for the next couple of weeks, helping him recover just enough for them to raid Shido’s palace

But Ren is still overcome with anger and grief, he nearly kills Shido’s shadow to avenge Akechi. Akira had to step in and stop him. 

“Though he deserves death, killing him won’t bring back Akechi, Ren. Enough” 

During the fight with Yaldabaoth, Arsene and Raoul fuse into Satanael

When Maruki’s reality kicks in, he’s the fourth party member along with Ren, Akechi, and Sumire.

Akechi: “Joker’s enraged? I kinda like it”

Akira forcibly removed him from the premises for horny crimes  

[outrealm-gates]

Futablob waited on hand and foot by her friends. Joker leaning on her shoulder and feeding her curry while Haru is on the other with burgers aplenty.

And the ginger blob is all too happy to keep opening her mouth, maybe someone strong like Ryuji would come along and heft up her folds and search around for any food debris or gaming equipment swallowed up by it, And if Yusuke gifts her enough offerings maybe she'd deign to sit still (as if she was going anywhere) and let him paint her grandiose form... gosh was she getting a little spoiled? It was hard not to with friends like this... god she felt like a harem protag... b-but with friends! Or... maybe some of them felt different...