Post Canon - Tumblr Posts
The trope I appreciate very much



-Summary-
Ikki has always lived life with a wistful attitude but the older she gets the more she questions if her old ways of thinking are doing her more harm than good. Taking an impromptu trip to the Southern Water Tribe was supposed to help her clear her head but after saving a wayward traveler she involves herself in a story beyond belief. She is soon to find out that not all wounds are physical. That doesn't stop her, she's always had a positive outlook.
I want to write a post-canon sheith fic where Atlas Shiro and BOM Keith both disappear, leaving the rest of their teams scrambling over the mystery and relearning how to work together.
1.
Maybe they are stranded somewhere, hurt/comfort, wrestling with feelings and huddling for warmth. The years they’ve grown apart melt away, but there’s still healing to be done.
2.
Maybe wherever they are captive, they’re living out a false life (something simulated, magical or drug-induced). Brought back to a memory of a time before they drifted apart (s7), they’re living it over and choosing a different path. When they get rescued, they have to square the lives they re-lived with the ones they return to.
3.
Maybe they’ve both lost their memories and don’t know where they are. They don’t remember their own names, let alone each other’s names or their shared past, but decide they ought to work together to get out of this mess. Stripped of everything that divides them and everything that would seem to connect them, they still drift toward an inevitable collision, drawn by feelings they can’t explain.
... I’m leaning toward option 3?

post canon Giyuu
I like Giyuu
I want both Rue and Mytho to be able to come to terms with both their past actions (Rue) and the effects of the raven's blood (Mytho)
I see quite a few post-canon Rue-centered stories, some of which were how she still regrets her actions. But I don't really see a lot about Mytho.
I always felt that even after the conflict is resolved, Mytho still feels pretty awful for his actions and behavior from when he was affected by the raven's blood (manipulating many girls and trying to sacrifice their hearts) even though it wasn't directly his fault that he did those things. He's a prince meant to love and protect others, so those events must take a toll on his dignity, and he needs to try and move past it properly.
Apologies for the sudden infodump ^^'
Super curious what are y’all’s headcanons and theories for what a post canon world look like? These can be what you think would happen realistically or just want you want to happen, it’s up to you!
An old AU/Fic idea!
So, this ask from @wild-selenite-caffine actually reminded me that I haven't posted this yet so here it is: An old post-P5S idea!
tw: stalking, harassment, major character injury, death threats
Also, MAJOR P5S SPOILERS!
The concept is this: What if the secretary that supposedly killed themselves had a relative/family member that basically held a grudge against Zenkichi for participating in the coverup (for the murder of his wife). Basically, blaming him for the hell their family went through.
So, they end up stalking him whenever he's in Tokyo; gathering info, just following him around. Nothing huge at first since they don't exactly know who he is. Then they learn after Konoe and Owada get arrested which made the news. Perhaps there was a press conference that they secretly attended and Kaburagi answers some questions before crediting Zenkichi Hasegawa for his aid in the case. Bingo! That's what they needed! Zenkichi actually notices a figure with a hoodie obscuring their face among the crowd but decides not to stress about them for now, thinking that he was just seeing things. That was when the notes and letters start. Basically threats against him and sometimes just words like, "MURDERER" on them along with, "I HOPE THE PHANTOM THIEVES STEAL YOUR HEART OR WORSE!" "I HOPE YOU DIE LIKE YOUR WIFE DID!" He was bothered, but willing to ignore them at first but the last one? Good god did that rattle him severely. He still tries to keep a level head but the notes become more frequent and even somehow ended up at his own house! In Kyoto! And Akane? She starts to become aware too, especially with how stressed her dad seems lately. That and she snooped a bit out of concern and finds the notes he kept as potential evidence (in his own secret hideout maybe?):
"Dad? Is someone bothering you at all?"
"What do you mean?"
*She shows him what she found*
"Akane... Where did-"
"I'm sorry, I know I should've done that but... I just, I felt like something was wrong and... I don't want things to go back to when mom died..."
"Akane... They're all just petty threats and I'm just saving them for evidence. Probably for a restraining order at best..."
"Then why does it not reassure me in the slightest?"
Turns out, Akane had every right to be concerned. They step up their game a bit. Now there's dangerous packages added to the mix, one of which gets Zen hurt by a bundle of razors at work. Thankfully it was not a serious injury and he dismissed it as a nasty prank from a co-worker. But now it catches Kaburagi's attention as she expresses concern too. He still tries to keep calm though but gives her permission to investigate and maybe some protection if needed. He finally loses it though when Akane nearly gets hurt by a bundle of rusty nails left on his front door and then gets a message from an unknown number saying to check the PhanSite. He does (after being filled in on its purpose by the others and Akane) and pales to see a request made towards HIM. He feels sick as he reads the message attached to it saying that he needs to pay for ruining their life and taking away a loved one.
"What...?! Who in the-?!"
He gets in touch with everyone via video chat and that's when he fully breaks down from all the stress that's been building up.
"Please... Help us! I don't want to end up nearly losing the only family I have left again!"
Futaba gets in touch with Mishima who proceeds to delete the request after she pleads that Zenkichi is genuinely a good person despite everything. This pisses the stalker off and feeling that the PTs "failed" them decides to take "justice" into their own hands. They plan accordingly, keeping an eye on his activities and routine while he, Kaburagi, and the PTs try to figure it all out with Akane growing more worried. Especially when someone has been watching her streams and leaving disturbing comments. Especially about her dad. One day, Zenkichi had to work late and gets a call from Akane, who immediately tells him to come straight home right after work. He notices how anxious she sounds and tries to reassure her again. She just responds that he comes home and that she also wants to talk to him. He's concerned now but agrees and they end the conversation there. It's late and dark out by the time he leaves and while walking to the train station, he hears a noise and starts to ready himself. He hears the noise get louder before turning around and pinning the assailant to the ground, knife sliding away. He questions them, having concluded that this was the person that threatened him and, by extension, his family only to be knocked off of them and a struggle starts as he tries to keep them away from the knife. But sadly, they fought dirty and was able to free themselves. Zenkichi chases them only to feel pain as he looks down to see a knife in his gut. They twist it, causing him to cry out in pain before pulling it out, causing him to fall to the ground. They look down at him, clearly enjoying the high they got from the action and stomps on him. He cries out again and they kneel to his level, almost giggling madly as they express their desire to continue to the torture to make him "suffer like they did." There was more beating and Zen was reminded of his interrogation back in P5S and freezes up, not fighting back. He snaps out of it when they grab him by his hair but before they could do anything worse...
"FREEZE! DROP YOUR WEAPON AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP NOW!!"
They pale and turn to see an angry Kaburagi pointing her gun at them. They panic and run off, dropping the knife in the process. Kaburagi could have chased them, but she had another priority right now. She tries to keep him alive as she calls for help and even tells him to stay awake for Akane's sake. He does survive the encounter but now there's a pissed off group of teens and daughter now...
Also, there would be Phantom Thief!Akane as the whole incident would act as a lead up/catalyst to her awakening to a Persona. Maruki would be involved too (having started dating Zen by then).
Spoilers post canon
Kinda tired of the "Laios need Kabru to tell him to do literally anything in his king job post canon" like yes, Laios is extremely off putting when he talks about his special interest and fail to pick up social clue until they punch him in the face (Toshiro they'll never make me hate you but please learn some additionnal steps between "acting like you're still in your japanese household" and "I Will Break Your Face")
BUT
My boy is a good leader, autism be damned. He didn't even whisper a word about eating monster before the beginning of the serie because he knew it would be strange to other people. He only told Tenshiro about the Crimes™ because he considered him his best friend (and Shiro is his friend ! The miscommunication is strong with these two but they do care about each other !). He told Kabru about eating monster because Kabru straight up told him "omgggg that's like, so interesting" while twirling his hair around his finger (that's one is on you Kabru, don't put yourself in your own PTSD nightmare for the bit please).
He is also observant of his party's personnality and strenght and know when he need to let someone else do the job (also why Kabru is his advisor, Laios know that Kabru is way more skilled in inter personnal relationship than him, especially when it's about people Laios doesn't know/care about like foreign dignitaries). Yes, outsider of his party are wary of him but he is still a stand up guy. And when he became a king, I have no doubt that his people will love him in the long run.
That being said, he absolutely needs Kabru ! That off putting motherfucker is very skilled and care about everything Laios cannot even force himself to give a fuck about. Alone they're good but lack something that would allow to them be good king. Together, they're unstoppable.
Anyway, Laios is an adult with his strenghts and weaknesses, but he is not a innocent little baby that need to be told how to say hi to people.
Honestly, it was looking over some of your KHR posts, and then remembering how he absolutely lost it after Jiang Yanli died. So, Wei Wuxian would be her Lightening, Jiang Cheng her Storm. And *then* Cloud Recess arc. Lan Wangji unknowingly starts vibing with Wei Wuxian’s Cloud, which makes Jiang Cheng bristle. I don’t think the Core Transfer would effect Flames, but if you continue on through canon, what you’d get would be a broken Sky bond to Jiang Yanli, a heavily damaged Sky bond to Lan Wangji, and then the rest of the trauma conga line that is canon.
And Lan Wangji gets to have a broken bond to his only Element, and then unknowingly bonds to A-Yuan, which at least keeps him alive.
Weird thought: Jiang Yanli is a Rainy Sky, Jiang Cheng is an Electric Storm, Wei Wuxian is screwed as an Electric Cloud (Inverted Cloud, Classic Lightening), Niè Huaisang is a Mist, JGY is a Mist, Lan Xichen is a Rain, Lan Sizhui is a Rain, Lan Jingyi is Storm or Lightening, Lan Wangji is a Cloudy Sky. Is this making sense to you too?
I could see it .
I think I figured it out?
My favorite thing to do with Danny? And the Zone in General?
Is to just... zoom out a bit, maybe move stage left, leave the trouble and (most of the) dramatics of his teen years behind and just? Discover that not all of Death is War. Not every Obsession is violence.
Sometimes it's owning a fancy little soaps shop. Or that PERFECT garden of their dreams, where they can share with EVERYBODY, that they could never manage in life. Maybe it's the universe biggest Comics library.
Yeah, when you can't die and pain is kinda subjective, a good ol fashioned brawl IS the best way to communicate. Fist to Fist, ecto to ecto, come out the otherside understanding each other a bit better. But like?
.....you could ALSO just use your damn words, you know? Maybe some of us don't WANT to fight.
The freedom to Do Anything? Means a good chunk of us will say "Nah, we good". And move on to do other, non-violent things! Not every Area of the Zone is the SAME you know. It's like countries. Or, well, Galaxies? Since it IS far more spread out then any country will ever be.
It's why Danny probably didn't notice. Thought his area was all there is. It's the standard "my neighborhood is the default. Normal for everywhere" mindset that people unknowingly tend to have before they travel much. It's not like he had any chance to learn otherwise.
He had school in the morning. Had to stick close in case a fight broke out. How FAR could he truely travel? The end of the metaphorical street? The next block over? The Far Frozen alone was pushing it!
But then! He defeats the Tyrant of his Area of the Zone. And it's like a map filling in, in the back of his head. Perfect outline of what's "his" and "not his". And??? Wait, wut?
Why is he not surprised the Observants fuckin Lied? Pariah wasn't King Of Everything! He was king of... *head starts to violently hurt as he tries to grasp the scale of things* ow, Ow, OW! Bad idea! BAD IDEA!!! A chunk? Yeah, big chunk! Let's go with that!
It was APPARENTLY like saying "ruler of the known world". Other countries very much still existed, just APPARENTLY didn't count. Good to know! AFTER THE FACT.
At least HIS territory likes the "Wooooo! Anarchyyyyyy!" Goverment model. Frees him up to do other shit. He can come back to it LATER. But FIRST? :) Get? :) The FUCK :) Off his lawn! :) *kicks everyone back through the portal* *closes it* AND STAY INSIDE THE ZONE!
Abuse of power? Sorry, he can't hear you over his magically recovering sleep schedule and GPA. The fact he might ACTUALLY graduate. His new favorite past time of watch the GIW slowly losing both their funding AND minds. Mmmmmm~ relaxing!
He graduates.
He is the son of crazy people with a shit GPA. His parents may have finally come around on ghosts, started over on their research... with a frankly ALARMING enthusiasm, but? You can't undo decades of damage. The Fenton name is untouchable.
He applies anyway.
Goes ghost for the first time in over a year.
Is... bigger. Starlight and ice. Royal. It feels right, settled in a way. More HIM then his skin could ever hope to be. He notes it, but doesn't linger. Decides to find out what's OUTSIDE "his" territory.
And...
Huh.
The answer depends?
In one direction? An endless battle. From horizen to horizon, like shooting stars. Crashing and smashing, weapons clanging and ringing. Mad blood stained grins. Worthy opponents. A challenge that goes on forevermore.
He...backs away slowly.
Going sorta, up-ish? Leads to a weirdly muted stillness. Muffled. He can't find anybody. But the doors here are pretty... worn. He doesn't want to keep pushing.
Finally, he tries at an angle to the right. And? Spots a patrol? They look nervous to see him, but hold their ground. He asks what's in this direction. Is polite. They look incredibly relieved.
Which is how Danny? Learns about the SINGLE BEST thing ever. The thing I actively fantasize about. Long for. And gift to him because I can.
Floating island cities FULL of highly specific little shops and passion pursuits. All for damn near free, because they are mostly doing it for THEM and you just happen to be there. The islands go one for days in every direction. Overflow with color and sound and the flash of ghosts flying too and frow.
Stunned, Danny, jaw on the floor. Wanders the streets.
Finds a space themed shop and feels his eyes dilate like a cat. Mine ™. He gets a book on "First Astronaut's of their Species" and some BESPOKE space meme socks. Looks around. Decides that this? This is where his doing ALL his shopping from now on.
He's pretty sure he sees a shop dedicated solely to canned food from across the Multiverse.
There is a sale on corn(non radioactive), apparently.
He tells EVERYBODY. Well, Fenton and friends "everybody". But you get the idea! The shopping trip they organize? Is legendary. His Father finds a Fudge shop and probably scares the local ghost population with his mad Fudge Glee cackling. Mom found a weapon smith. And an old fashion lace maker. Jazz? Lost to the world of intergalactic boy bands and psychology textbooks.
Tucker made a running slide straight for the nearest tech shop. Then the butcher. And Sam?
........m....maybe if he doesn't ask? He can claim plausible deniability?
@hdgnj @legitimatesatanspawn @hypewinter @lolottes @nerdpoe
Danny: *trying to sleep*
Ghost living in his house: Geeeet Oouuuut...
Danny: Paaaaaay Reeeeeent
Ghost: I'm 200 yeeears oooold...
Danny: Then you're 200 years behiiiiiind on reeeeent
zeus: i forgive you for your horrible transgressions against me. you’re a god again. you may now thank me for my generosity
apollo, sick of his dads shit: nuh uh
this is how the end of TOA went right
On AO3 and wattpad!
"Are you telling me that when our son will be born I'll have to say no when he wants to fill the room with colored balls despite being a brilliant idea???"
- Lance to Allura
"Don't put all the blame on me" RK900/Gavin Reed
The first panic attack is a hell like no other, and RK900 is sure that he's dying. Assigned to keep Detective Reed safe after the Android Revolution, RK900 finds himself stuck investigating a talkative deviant, who seems to have no issue putting his dread and existentialism in RK900's hands. Being deeply busy trying to bust down Red Ice operations, now targeting androids with new formulas, may just about be the worst time for him to get sudden stomach aches and shaking components. Even worse is the fact that he has to balance these malfunctions and his mission, all while spending his day to day with Gavin Reed, who is probably the least empathetic cop he could've been assigned to.
----- Basically, Nines doesn't know he's having emotions, and Reed hates the idea of getting comfortable with an android, and there's so many drugs that need to be destroyed like for either to focus on that. Come and witness my first ever official fanfic on AO3!
Literally No One:
Me: Do you think when Truman escaped The Truman Show and he saw the real moon for the first time, he was like "Huh it's a lot smaller than the one I grew up with," but then he noticed it changing after a few days so he brought it up like "Honey, the moon is getting skinnier. Is that normal?" and his girlfriend was like, "Yeah it does that. Don't worry about it," so Truman ignored it because he had bigger fish to fry (assimilating to the real world) until one day, it was just gone and he positively flipped his shit "GUYS SOMEONE STOLE THE MOON IT IS MISSING WE NEED TO ALERT THE MOON PROFESSIONALS ABOUT THIS HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SEE AT NIGHT WITHOUT MY MASSIVE NIGHT LIGHT" and then Lauren had to sit him down and explain the phases of the moon for an hour? Do you think he got really obsessed with the moon after that? Did he get a library card and check out all of the books he could find about the moon and the moon landing and moon rovers and space travel? Do you think he kept up with it after that by maybe following NASA's subscription newsletter to see if there are any updates on the moon? Could he tell the difference between a waxing and a waning crescent? Did it make him excited to see it during the day too sometimes? Does he miss it when it's too cloudy to see? Does looking at the moon at night help him cope with his newfound freedom because it proves he's not trapped on Seahaven Island anymore? Because not every day is the same like it was before? Because the world changes around him now instead of stopping when he leaves the room? Just like the moon will keep changing even if he can't see it? What's his opinion on werewolves?
Chapter like, 50 in a Persona 5 fanfic that doesn't exist yet (but it's a scene I really liked, so I yearned to Post It)
A Past Forgotten; Fates Ungotten
Chapter (Like) 50:
Airi gathers the Phantom Thieves and tells them everything-- and brings Akechi down to see the rest of the team. Makoto is immediately suspicious, as is Joker, Ryuji, and Morgana. Airi bows deeply in front of the group, and asks them: “I know what I did wasn’t right. We never intended to damage him, or change his heart, or any of it-- but we learned too much, and now he’s going to do something terrible sooner than we can act--- unless we act now.” Futaba is the first, surprisingly, to agree. She says that “we can’t wait for some guy to learn nuclear launch codes and deploy them before we do anything. Or.. something.” Yusuke takes her side right away, saying, “it is better to act with Surety and good intent, than to falter and allow injustice and devastation to occur. Furthermore, I trust Airi with my life. She’s already saved it.”
Airi becomes emotional-- hearing it means a lot to her-- but she hides it. Instead, she asks to speak with Akira-- alone. They go upstairs. She makes sure to whisper so any potential ‘Futaba bugs’ don’t overhear. Morgana sneaks up and listens at the threshold, out of sight, of course, so he hears the full conversation go as follows:
“I’m going to attempt to change his heart, no matter what. I know the Phantom Thieves have to agree on their target. I understand that will make me an enemy of the Phantom Thieves. I know it’s wrong of me to decide that my path is right, and follow my ideals blindly, even if the team decides against my judgment-- but i cannot look away from what this man is capable of. He could end the world. I think he might. I won’t run from him. And… I know that it will be hard defeating him on my own. Akechi is powerful, but he’s still recovering from his time comatose, even today. He’s still relearning his strength. He may never be as strong, again. He’s a different man now. The two of us will probably fail, on our own.”
“However….. I cannot tell the rest of the team my plans. I don’t want them to feel pressured to enter the metaverse blindly just to keep me alive, to keep me safe. It would not be right of me to hold my life over their heads. And I’m not holding my life over your head either. It’s not your job to convince your team what’s right-- they already know. But you have a right to know what I’m planning. You’ve kept me alive, and safe, thus far. I owe you… I owe you so much. You, at least, deserve to know the truth.”
Akira doesn’t say much back-- he never really does. But he does say: “So… this is the path you’re choosing?”
Airi just nods and says… “yeah. This is my purpose. I’m the only one that can do what I do. I have to do this, even if it spells my end. Even if I’m. Even if I’m…. scared. Of dying in vain, and failing. I’ll still do it.”
“Well.” he says. “Looks like I know my path, too.”
One by one, the phantom thieves come to agree, all except for Makoto. “What if this is a trap, and we never knew Airi, really? What if her plan was this all along, to bait us into doing exactly the wrong thing?”
Akechi speaks up after that. “You’ve spent all this time with her, and yet you still don’t know her? I don’t know if you know who I am, but I am a murderer, a criminal, a liar, a traitor, even. I’m supposed to be a cold, heartless killer, according to this world. I thought I was. Despite everything though, I was shown that even a monster like me has a heart-- and she’s the one who made me see it.” he says it, and Airi can’t see him through her closed-tight eyes, but she knows he’s pointing to her. “SHE made me realize that I’m capable of doing good, by my own merit-- that I don’t have to have a reason. That I will never make up for my sins, but that I can still atone and right some wrongs in this world. She’s good as good gets-- Don’t distrust her because I made her swear to keep my operations a secret.”
“You can say whatever you want,” Makoto says. “But the truth is, none of us know who Airi truly is. And she has no problem doing things behind our backs-- like she did with pulling Akane into the metaverse. Like she did with her foray into Officer Mashime’s Hallowed Grounds-- like she did, every time she consorted with the wanted criminal known as Goro Akechi.”
“Makoto-- p-please… it’s okay,” Airi says, nearly squeaking the words out. “I understand. You’re right. I’ve done little to justify the trust I’ve gotten from the Phantom Thieves. I’ve kept secrets, even since our first meeting, where I pretended not to understand Morgana. You’re probably right to distrust me. If I were you, I don’t know if I could trust me, either. So… just. Say what must be said.”
Makoto takes a breath. “I reject the notion that we should change Aoi Konuta’s heart.”
“But, Mako-chan…” Haru states. “W-we have to be unanimous… if you don’t agree, then… we’ll lose our opportunity. We might allow something horrible to happen.”
“We’ve saved the world from gods three times,” Makoto states. “If something happens, we can fix it, like we always have. But I’m not walking into a trap with my friends without knowing half of what we can expect. I’m not going to let my friends get killed in a vague attempt to do ‘what’s right’. There’s a reason we have a code-- and it’s to keep us from faltering, from making a big mistake. We follow it, lest we lose our way. And I’m not losing my way or my friends, because I trusted someone that I should not have.”
Airi feels her heart nearly stop-- she realizes that she’s about to Waver, and stops it-- it’s painful to reverse that process, she finds. But, through her heart pain, through the pain of being spoken to like… like a villain. Airi just bows and says: “Thank you for being the voice of reason, Makoto. The Phantom Thieves are lucky to have you-- and, that’s not. That’s not sarcastic. I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”
And, just like that, she takes off her apron, and walks to the door. She thinks there’s not much she can say, but figured it’d be rude to just leave without saying: “I’ll catch you guys later.”
She knows she can’t just enter the Hallowed Grounds today-- she still has to construct a calling card. She has to find a way to get it to him. She’ll figure it out. As long as it keeps her from thinking too much about the inevitability of her fate: she’ll do it.
She sidles out the door quickly.
Akira speaks up-- it’s not something he does often, but he does it: “Akechi. I’ve never heard you say something so sincere before. About anyone. You respect her more than anything, don’t you?”
Akechi scoffs. “She’s the strongest Phantom Thief of all of you. I’ve seen you all win every battle, despite less-than-stellar odds-- I’ve even seen you--” he points at Akira “--reign victorious, all on your own-- you all don’t lose.
“But the moment that she awakened for the first time, she was already dying. She’d been stabbed through the heart. She was alone. Anyone, ANYONE else would have died. But her? She was furious at the world. I saw a fury that could rend the world in two, if she saw fit-- she’d been betrayed by the forces that be-- she’d nearly been killed, killed by a demon. She could have awakened, killed him, and continued down a bitter path, filled with anger and strife-- she should have.
“But she didn’t. She didn’t because she was strong enough to fight for JUSTICE. TRUE JUSTICE. She was strong enough to be kind, even after suffering like she did. She was strong enough to win on her own. Alone. Without help, or aid. I could have helped her. I could have saved her before she was stabbed, had I bothered to-- but I didn’t, and she never held it against me, even though she should have. She’s strong enough to see reason, even when she’s hurting, even when her allies-- her friends--” he spits the word with venom, clearly pointing it to Makoto-- “are hurting, or even outright don’t believe in her. When her friends betray her unbreaking trust in them.
“She’s strong enough to face Konuta alone and kill him-- but she won’t take the easy way. She believes in living for what’s right more than she believes in her right to live. She’s better than all of you. Of course I respect her.”
The room is a little quiet-- Makoto’s face goes red, clearly emotional, conflicted, but trying to hold her ground.
Yusuke stands up.
“She had ample opportunity to sit down and live a quiet life in peace. She could have done it all this time-- but she sees the beauty in the world-- she knows she must preserve it at any cost.
“For some time, I had forgotten how it felt to defend the precious and delicate harmony of this world. I’d forgotten how to hold a brush-- what making a decision felt like. I grew cold. She assured me that I’d known all along-- that I could find that power again, even when my inaction had caused her to come to harm. I couldn’t see it, until I was confronted with two worlds: a world where I did not act, and lost everything; or a world in which I risked it all to stand for that which I believe in. To protect that which was most dear to me. I succeeded, and it’s only because she believed that I could. I came away with a perspective I never understood before-- and I will never forget it again.
“I must, therefore, ask that you reconsider your stance, Makoto. Reconsider throwing aside your inhibitions, and seek to protect that which is dear to you.”
Makoto avoids his powerful gaze.
Futaba speaks up.
“Airi… when Inari got really, really hurt in the Hallowed Grounds in Sapporo, I thought my heart was going to break in half. Inari threw himself in harm’s way, just so that I could be safe-- and then Airi stood between him and that mob boss, barely hanging on. She gave me the opportunity to pull him out of danger.
“When we got out of there, I felt all twisted up inside-- I felt so guilty that I’d allowed my.. my best friend to get hurt like that-- and still, she pulled me aside. And you know what she did? SHE apologized. SHE, the woman who had just saved us said sorry-- that if she had been stronger on the beach, had stood up to that creep, Inari would not have been confronted with such strong feelings of doubt.
“I cried that night-- I cried for hours and hours, I couldn’t stop crying. She held me and told me that everything would be okay-- that he would be awake, bright and early the next day. And she was right. He was awake before the sun came up, back to his old self again-- I wanted to cry again, but all I could do was smile. She helped me g-get rid of all my tears, so that I could show him, show everyone a brave smile. I trust her with everything I have in me.”
Makoto shuts her eyes-- she can’t take that gaze.
Surprising everyone, Shiho chimes in.
“When I met her, I was surprised she’d… she’d been assaulted by a man. Her demeanor was demure, and kind, and she didn’t look at men with fear. After what I went through at Shujin, it shocked me-- she took her pain in stride, everyday. It’s been years, and I still hurt. It’s hard to be brave in the face of that pain-- but seeing her thrive was inspiring to me. She reminded me of Ann. Her heart is strong.”
“Shiho…” Ann says.
“When the shooting happened in Sapporo, and we were caught in the middle of it, I saw her face-- I saw fear-- no, terror. But I saw it-- I saw her expression change. She buried that fear in calculations, looking at all of us. She calmed herself and told us to get under the table. Her hands were over her heart-- I almost thought she was having a heart attack, she looked so in pain. And then… time slowed down. We heard Morgana’s voice for the first time, as he leapt in to stop a cognition from attacking us. She’d saved us.
“If she hadn’t considered us, she could have slipped into the Hallowed Grounds by herself. She could have left us to die-- but she didn’t. And when she and Morgana were beaten by shadows, she told us to run. She was afraid. But she clearly cared about our safety and our lives above her own.
“Makoto-chan… I know we don’t know each other very well. And maybe we don’t know her very well, either. But, even with everything we don’t know about her, I do know this: She saved my life; Hifumi-chan’s life, and Akane-chan’s life that day. I know that I’m not obligated to trust her-- but I want to trust the woman who sacrificed her safety-- her life so that we might live.”
Akane speaks next. “Makoto… I don’t understand why you can’t trust her on this. You all hid Phantom Thief activity from the world-- my own dad hid it from me! My… big sisters kept the truth from me. To me, you were all doing things behind my back, but I didn’t mind it-- I know you all had good reasons for doing what you did. She’s a Phantom Thief-- she’s done so much good with you. So why… why can’t you trust her?”
“Akane-chan…” Makoto says. She opens her eyes, unfallen tears obscuring her view of everyone. “I didn’t want to tell everyone this, since these cases were unconfirmed.” She takes a deep breath, and exhales. “Sae’s been working on an investigation-- in fact, the catalyst for it was Airi, herself. Sae probably wanted to learn more about Airi’s interaction with Akechi, rather than anything else. She didn’t find many answers at first. But… a week later, another patient wound up at the same hospital Airi went to-- his skin, hair, and eyes had turned stark-white.”
Everybody looks surprised, and even Akechi’s dour look softens.
“He was comatose,” she continued. “But, Sae was able to speak with the patient’s wife. The wife couldn’t explain what had happened, just that, one morning, she woke up to find her husband had lost all his color, and couldn’t wake up.” Makoto pauses, trying to calm her heart. Speak a little slower. Take your time, she tells herself.
“Two months later, another man-- and a wealthy one, at that-- was sent to a hospital in Kabukicho with the same symptoms.”
“Where we changed the Hacker’s heart?!” Ryuji asks.
“Yes,” Makoto says. “Right after we changed his heart, in fact. His sister explained to Sae a story much like the first patient’s wife. But it doesn’t stop there-- two months after that, a man fell into the same pallor in Sumida-- the police officer who murdered Chiaki’s parents. Right after he’d been arrested.”
“M-Mako-chan…” Haru muttered. “You’re not suggesting that you think Airi-chan is responsible, are you?”
Futaba butts in, stammering, “Y-yeah, there’s no way that Airi did anything to those guys-- if anything, they’re just afflicted with the same thing!”
“But it’s strange how the events seemed to follow the changes of heart she took part in,” Akechi posited. “First in February, then April and June. Even so, it would be completely out of character for her to ruin anyone’s lives.”
“That’s how I saw it, too--” Makoto continued. “--when Sae explained all this to me. I thought to myself, ‘there’s no way that Airi was capable of doing this to people.’ But… in late-August, another person went pallid. In Sapporo. A previous mayor lost consciousness and fell into the same sort of coma the other patients experienced.”
Haru’s eyes go wide. “Y-you don’t mean--!”
“I do mean,” Makoto replied. “Headlines read, ‘Disgraced Ex-Mayor Mariko Hyodo Falls Into Mysterious Coma.’”
Haru’s eyes gloss over, and she looks at her phone, tapping away here and there on it. “No… no wonder Mari-san never answered my calls or texts after our vacation. She… she’s…”
Makoto places her hand on Haru’s shoulder, crouching down to hug her from the side. She knows how much Mariko Hyodo meant to Haru.
“I’m sorry Haru. I promise, if it turns out these events are connected to the metaverse-- like I think they are-- then we’ll figure out a way to restore them to their previous selves.”
“I’m sorry to cut in,” Yusuke cuts-in. “But is that all? Or is there something more to these cases you haven’t yet shared with us? So far, I remain unconvinced of Airi’s involvement.”
Makoto sighs, and releases her hold on Haru. “Two more patients cropped up. One in October, at Shujin Academy-- a student, in fact.” Everyone gasps, and Akane nearly shrieks. “And the most recent one was three days ago.”
“But, wait,” Ryuji says. “We haven’t changed any hearts this month.”
“Which begs the question-- who did?” Makoto asks, pointedly. Her gaze lands on Akechi, distrust mounting as her heart begins to beat faster. “Airi has been especially busy this month-- I hear she’s missed a lot of work, as well.”
Akechi doesn’t even blink at the attack-- he sighs, resisting the urge to ‘tut tut tut’ her logic, but settles on: “Correlation isn’t causation, Niijima-san. Simply because a Change of Heart preceded the other comatose incidents doesn’t mean they’re caused by them.”
Makoto decides she really, really does hate this man. “I know that. But it would be foolish to ignore the quantity of coincidences in all these cases. Furthermore, I know that you and Airi have been keeping in touch-- using pagers-- since at least August. Probably before that, too. If the two of you have kept in contact this long, then it’s highly possible you arranged times to carry out these plans.”
“And to what end?” Akechi asks. “What would Airi-san or I have against a husband, a brother, a child, and a disgraced mayor?” Haru trembles and chokes a sob at the insult. “The cop, I understand your suspicion, at least. He was a terrible person. And.. ah, my apologies. Who was the last comatose patient? You neglected to tell us, Niijima-san,” Akechi says, using his sickly-innocent detective prince demeanor.
She doesn’t answer right away.
In fact, tens of seconds go by, with all eyes on her.
Then, she realizes she can’t contain the emotions no matter what techniques she tries.
“It’s Sae. She’s turned bone-white and hasn’t woken up,” Makoto rasps.
Haru lets out another sob, then covers her face with a tissue, weeping softly into it. Futaba’s and Yusuke’s eyes go wide and they become extremely still. Akira looks at everyone else-- Ann, Shiho, Sophia, and Hifumi, looking at each other; Ryuji, Shinya, Atsuki and Zenkichi sit with their mouths agape, stares unwavering from Makoto. He notices the shock in Akechi’s face-- completely stunned silence.
It’s Akane that breaks it.
“WHY didn’t you tell me that Sae was in the hospital?!” Akane shouts. “My oldest sister was targeted and you didn’t bother to tell me that THAT is why she wasn’t home during Christmas?! NOW who’s keeping secrets from who?!”
“I wanted to tell you-- I wanted to tell you all. But Sae made me swear all of this information to secrecy while she was awake. I wanted to pick up the case where she left off. I wanted to have faith in Airi, believe that she would never do something like this to anyone-- but Sae shared all of this with me two months ago, when the Shujin student went comatose. She said, ‘If even one more person falls into a coma, I’m going to confront Airi about what she knows.’” Makoto huffs, trying to dispel the bitterness in her throat. “And then this happens.” Tears sneak past the corner of her eyes, and fall down her cheeks. She pulls Haru back into that side-hug embrace, trying to find any sort of comfort.
“Dude…” Ryuji says.
“Sae-san…” Akechi says. “Was she close to some sort of breakthrough, Niijima-san? Perhaps she made a powerful enemy.” Makoto opens her mouth to speak, but is cut off abruptly. “Someone besides Airi-san.”
“I… I don’t know,” Makoto rasps out. “The timing is alarming. It’s almost as if…”
“...as if it was planned,” Akira finishes. (as if it was a rush job/as if the culprit couldn’t wait for a better time)
Futaba shakes her head. “No, that can’t be right… no, no it’s not right at all!” she says. “The timing would be perfect, had we changed a heart already this month-- It’s December 27th. This is later than any change of heart we’ve done in a month.. this year, anyway. There could be multiple reasons why this time is different, but a definite possibility is that the culprit expected us to follow our pattern of changing hearts-- one change every two months, somewhere in the middle-- in fact, besides the target Airi told us about today, we haven’t planned any changes of hearts! A potential culprit would have had to choose someone without being able to find a perfect candidate in a perfect place to… albinize! Comatize? Comatize!”
“You’re right, Sakura-san,” Akechi says, a little surprised at her sound logic. “Whoever is responsible for these victims’ conditions-- if a person is indeed responsible-- chose the one person who cared about this case. There was no viable target. They chose a target of convenience, in lieu of a target that correlates with the others. It seems as though someone is rather intent on framing the Phantom Thieves, or at least Airi-san, in these attacks. Perhaps they wanted to sow distrust between her, and the other Phantom Thieves… but anyone doing something like that would have to know who the players are…”
Everyone looks at Akechi. “I appreciate the suspicion, but I meant it when I said I respect Airi more than anyone else in this shit reality. But… regardless, I actually have a suspect in mind. Or, at least, a connecting thread to all of this. But you’re not going to like it, Niijima-san.”
Makoto leers at Akechi through tear-swollen eyes. “You had better not conveniently pin it on your current target--”
“Ugh. Obviously that’s what he’s going to say,” Ann interrupts.
“For certain,” Sophia agrees.
“100%,” Futaba adds.
“No more interjections?” Akechi spits.
“Rule of three’s--” Futaba clarifies. “I’d say you’re good to go, Detective.”
He takes a breath in, then out. “I will explain, but it might take some time. To start: yes, it is our target, Aoi Konuta. But there’s a reason he’s our target. I asked her to take me into his Hallowed Ground, because my investigation halted when I hit upon his connection to the case.”
“Question,” Futaba asks. “What exactly were you investigating? I was joking about the whole ‘detective’ thing.”
“My survival, to be frank with you. When we confronted Doctor Maruki, I had already believed myself to be dead-- Doctor Maruki had even all-but-confirmed it. I’ve been searching for answers since I woke up-- and thanks to Airi-san, I finally found them. Most of the mystery has been cleared up for me.”
“So what happened, then? How did you survive our encounter in Shido’s Palace?” Akira asks softly.
Akechi turns so he can see Akira more directly. “In Konuta’s Hallowed Grounds, we stumbled across a memory of his. On the day that I should have died, Konuta heard a scream come from the Diet building’s boiler room.” He paused, unsure if the Phantom Thieves deserved to know-- but seeing Akira’s soft expression, all doubt melted away. “He opened the door to find me, bleeding profusely on the floor-- and beside me, a young woman clutching her heart. It appeared to be a heart attack. He arranged for us to be carried off, and taken somewhere he knew we would be off the grid. He told his secretary in that moment, that ‘he could learn everything he could about us, medically-- and perhaps he’d be able to mimic the power of metaverse traversal.’ He was in-the-know, after all,” Akechi clarified. “He was a strong supporter and ally to Shido, so he knew about me, specifically. But it was odd he mentioned the woman could travel between, as well.”
Akira’s eyes go wide, a reaction normally out-of-character for him. “You’re saying the woman in the memory was Airi,” he blurted. “He sent you two to that shady hospital. She was studied. The doctor learned something and forwarded that information to Konuta. And now Konuta’s abusing that power to frame her, now that she’s loose-- and Sae got too close to learning the truth of it all, so he had her eliminated from the game.”
Akechi smiles. “Finally, someone with common sense. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Hold on,” Makoto says. It’s not a request. Everyone turns and listens. “There’s one more piece of information I have for you, regarding the comatose patients. The final nail in the coffin. It’s what made me consider her to be… using us. Lying to us.
“...The first patient woke up four days ago,” she said. “Sis-- Sae-- was still awake. She questioned him right away, but the patient had no memory to speak of. The ONLY thing he could tell Sae was that the very last thing he remembered was seeing a woman dressed in white, with white hair and pale white skin. He told Sae that the woman pulled his heart out of his chest.”
“He remembers a woman pulling his heart out of his chest?” Zenkichi asks. “You kids don’t think that sounds awfully Jail-like-- like how Desires were taken-- do you?”
“It certainly sounds dire,” Yusuke replies.
“A woman who is entirely white? It does match her description.” Hifumi adds.
“--but I don’t think that means it’s her,” Futaba continues.
“Because this guy’s just setting her up…” Ryuji added. “...right?”
“I hope you mean Konuta and not the patient who just woke up from a nine-month coma,” Makoto warned.
Ryuji sputtered. “Bwuhh-- of COURSE I meant Konuta! He saw what Airi looked like in that boiler room several years ago, so he knows just how to fake her appearance and confuse the victims!” he says, proudly.
“Unfortunately, when Konuta saw Airi-san in the boiler room, she wasn’t painted white-- her skin took on a somewhat healthier, tanner-hue; her eyes were dark; and her hair was black as night. The only consistency in her appearance from then and now lies in her facial structure, her shape, and her ridiculously-long hair. I hate to say it, but he might have no idea what she looks like, today. The witness protection seems to have done her some good-- we didn’t find any sign he’d detected her current existence, while we were at his Hallowed Grounds.”
“He doesn’t know about her?” Ann asked. “But… if he knows about the metaverse, then he’s totally been keeping tabs on the changes of heart.. right? So how can he not suspect she’s a part of this?”
Akechi responds, “If I were to guess, it’s because he had never been made aware of the meta-nav. Without knowing about it, he’d have to assume the entry to the metaverse required a different sort of method. Perhaps he believed the Phantom Thieves were operating under their previous capabilities all this time. Maybe he wrote off the existence of the comatose girl once she was no-longer of any use to him. It’d make sense, considering he cut off Doctor Hashiba’s funding entirely right before he snapped.”
“Wait, I just realized something,” Sumire suddenly muttered. “We’re disproving the existence of a ‘culprit’ besides Airi-chan. That simply won’t do,” she finishes, plopping her cheek onto her fist, letting it support her head.
Akechi places his elbows on the table and props his chin on his hands. He expounds, “Konuta may or may not know about Airi, but that memory we saw of someone receiving heart surgery might suggest that he has someone working in the metaverse, now. That procedure to augment a heart with the power to Waver between was finalized by an associate of Konuta’s. It’s likely that he has at least one agent doing sinister work in the metaverse.”
“That’s a convenient fact Akechi, but I’d say the specificity of the recently-recovered coma patient is much better proof than your correlation,” says Makoto.
“Really?” Akechi asked. “A man with no other memory than the one that conveniently points the finger at Airi-san is hardly proof-- it’s unsubstantiated hearsay, and little else. The description is hardly specific, I’ll add-- it mentions white hair, clothes, and skin-- but if he’s talking about our Dove, he missed the most prominent detail.”
Makoto’s eyebrows shoot up. She responds: “Her mask.”
“Furthermore,” Akechi continues, smiling now, “there’s now an array of people turning pallid-- apparently, they’re waking up, as well. Who’s to say a previous patient isn’t infecting healthy people for their own benefit? Since we’re accusing Airi-san, anyway.”
Makoto closes her fists-- she doesn’t know if Airi can be trusted, but now there’s a reason for the Phantom Thieves to enter this politician’s Hallowed Grounds. Makoto breathes in and out. She speaks: “...You’re right. Sae would never have accepted such weak proof. She might have gone along with his story to learn more, but she doesn’t accept a statement as truth just because it fits the facts as she knows them-- she scrutinizes every detail. It appears the only way I’m going to learn more about this, and continue Sae’s investigation, is by gleaning whatever info we can from Konuta.”
Haru gasps, as does Futaba, Yusuke, Shiho, and Akane.
“Does this mean…?” Haru asks.
“Yes,” Makoto replies. “If everyone else is in: then I’m in, too.”
put me back in it
Cover for @malevolentmango 's Persona 5 fanfic, "put me back in it," written for the #spookiss minibang! Their fic is SO so so so good! Please check it out! [here [>>] https://archiveofourown.org/works/51258967
This Cover is a collab piece between @vulpesorion and myself! Vulpes drew the initial draft, drew Akira, and spiced up the background I drafted! I drew Akechi and the background!
PLEASE check these two out! They're both stellar!
Happy (late, oops) Halloween🎃!
Happy Spookiss 🎉!
