.
This story is a work of fanfiction.
All intellectual property of 'Persona 5' belongs to Atlus. The OC, 'Shiori Oshiro' belongs to me.
"Ghosts and magic. Miracles and love. And love. And love."
-Warsan Shire-
"Great artists and thieves are similar. They both know how to steal your soul," said Igor.
"A thief to steal hearts for some unknown end-game you have?" asked Ren.
"There is an end-game. Nothing of malice. Not against you anyway," said Igor.
Again, that earthy laugh which made Ren uncomfortable.
"That's not enough, Igor. I need you to give me something, if we're going to be in for a long road. I need to know this isn't going to end in some cliché betrayal," said Ren.
Those creepy crackly eyes studied Ren.
"You see that guillotine there?" said Igor.
"Kind of hard not to notice that piece of medieval here," Ren said, terse.
"That was created by you, not me. The same is true for the rest of this place," said Igor.
You've already told me this, said Ren.
"Human psychology is a fascinating thing, wouldn't you agree, Justine?" Igor asked the tiny twin.
Justine bobbed her head.
"Do you know inmate; what is the missing link betwixt Man becoming God? What's the final mountain, science would ever conquer before it knows everything?" asked Justine.
". . ."
"It's the human consciousness. A mystery that runs deeper than the quantum quarks and other building blocks of the universe," Caroline answered for him.
"One of the facets of consciousness's mysteries, is how humans have different personalities hidden in their subconscious. Of course, I don't mean a multiple personality disorder. But a kind of hidden…" Igor's eyes flicked to Arsene, "…masks. Personas. Almost a kind of divinity. These personalities can be a different gender or age from you. Take a look at human history. The looms that weave myths and legends. They say God created Man in his image. You know what I say? I say Man created gods and monsters in his image. Take your pick. Zeus, Jörmungandr, doppelgängers…djinns…even the Devil," growled Igor.
The sky became darker, reacting with Ren's emotions.
"All were first based on the human image. This guillotine is based on your image. The divine inside of you believes you're leading your own self to an execution. It's not me you should be wary of betrayal, Ren Amamiya. It's yourself. You're your own Cain. Your heart is the tragic epic of Der Ring des Nibelungen. Even if I were out to maliciously exploit you, what other avenue would you seek wisdom from, to prevent this ruin?"
Forward skip in time.
In the dimly lit interrogation room, sat two occupants.
Sae Niijima was in the inquisitor's chair. She appraised the person sitting at the opposite side of the table with an intense scrutiny. The Phantom Thieves had been a force of nature which disrupted society, popular culture, law & order in Japan – no, not just in Japan, the world had felt their effects too.
To think that one of these individuals had finally been caught. Which one of them was it? The leader? Or one of the rest? How this all went down, was ironic itself. The Phantom Thieves' greatest enemy had become themselves.
"I'll get straight to the point," said Sae.
The phantom thief said nothing. Bound in a stray jacket, the convict was leaning back, face downcast in a shadow. The SIU were taking no chances with an individual whose unknown methods could change people's hearts. Drugs had been injected to dull the thief's mind too. Sae continued.
"As of now, the full force of the Public Prosecutor's Office is pressing you with charges for obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons…and multiple counts of manslaughter. Do you know what that means?" asked Sae.
Again, the thief said nothing.
"You could be facing the death penalty if prosecution gets their way. But – if you wish to avoid that, I can help you if you cooperate in answering my questions. Your sentence can be lightened to a jail term," said Sae.
The thief laughed. Sae could feel emotions of bitterness and defeat, reverberate off the walls.
"You find this amusing?" asked Sae.
"A death penalty? You're already speaking to a dead person. I was killed in 'the other side'. . .it's only a matter of time before I die here," said the thief.
Although it was hoarse from the torture the thief went through earlier, there was something uncomfortably familiar about the phantom thief's voice. Did she know this individual? The poorly lit room had their prisoner's features veiled by a shadow.
"You mean this 'world' I've read about in the reports. It's hard to believe such a thing exists, from reports alone," said Sae.
". . ."
"When and where did you find out about that world?"
". . ."
"How is it even possible to steal another person's heart?"
The thief remained silent. Sae suppressed a frustrated sigh.
"Fine. At least answer the question; I want to know the answer to, the most," said Sae.
She paused.
"Why did you murder two of your fellow Phantom Thieves?"
April 9th 20XX.
It was always the barking. That was how Ren Amamiya knew that nightmare was starting all over again. That guttural animalistic rasp that had played over and…over again. So – many times, that the sound no longer sounded natural to his ears; like a cassette tape that had been winded too many times.
Ren found himself standing on a long narrow road in the dark night. The corner edges of his vision hazed, a percolation of smoky decay. Maybe the nightmare itself was sick of repeating. Getting a little more brittle, more dark each time he relived this shitty night. If memories could be rotting corpses, this was one of them.
"Just get in the car!"
Right on cue. That bastard's voice.
Ren took a step forward. In that one motion, the street blurred. He found himself standing before the dramatic scene of this tiresome diorama. The same black car. The tall shaven head man, with his powerfully built back turned to Ren. Reaching out to a young pretty woman, her lipstick slashed across her chin like a B-movie horror slash effect.
"Stop it!" she cried out.
Ren tried to will his legs to move on. Walk away. Just leave it. This was none of your business.
But that did not happen. That was not the choice he made that night. Ren was here for the whole show.
A snatch. Tugging at white blouse. Buttons snapped, falling to the pavement – bouncing and rolling. Their clack – clack – clack impact resounding as they rolled into the street gutter. The politician groped at her exposed bra, predatorially wanton as this woman tried to push him off her.
"Please! Let me go!"
"Don't give me that shiiiit!"
The woman made eye-contact with Ren, those eyes teary; a ship in this storm of sexual harassment and abuse. Wishing for a lighthouse. That night, she mistook Ren for her lighthouse, believing a teenage boy could somehow save her from this powerful politician.
"Please, help me!" she cried out to Ren.
The groping stopped. The man straightened up, his back still turned to Ren.
Ren had been through this part many times. Each time, the assaulter's face looked a little different to Ren, in the yellow illumination from the store-front light. Some nights, his face would still be intact, all flesh and skin still there. This time…
The man slowly turned around to Ren, first revealing that row of teeth. Then the lathering strips of decaying flesh. Then the empty sockets, wide and round. A grinning skull appraised Ren, smelling of alcohol and rot.
"What are you looking at? Get lost, kid. This ain't a show," growled the skull-man. Ren would come to know his name following his arrest.
Listen to him, Ren thought.
Go home. Where mum and dad are waiting. You have a life here, a tapestry of friends, integrity, a future and a…girlfriend. Do not tear it apart for some 10-second chivalry. Walk away.
Ren did not walk away. Instead his mouth opened, just as he spoke that night:
"I cannot ignore this."
Further behind them, two policemen stepped around the corner. Into the streetway. Ren's heart thudded. There was still time to leave. Go. Just go.
"What are you, deaf? I said sod off, kid!" said the skull-man.
LEAVE!
Ren raised his eyebrow.
"Didn't you hear meee? Did your mum birth you arseways? Do I need to teach you some mannersss?" the drunken-slurred word came out of the skull in an airy hiss.
WALK. AWAY.
Ren did not walk away. Of course, his cocky ass did not. The coolly snippy retort Ren gave Shido at that moment:
"Go…fuck yourself."
A fist swung at Ren. And the rest was history.
X
Ambient music greeted Ren when he woke, a genteel start of nudging his head up, eyes opening. Ren blearily blinked when orange sunlight filtered into the train's windows; bright and dazing. The strobing sunlight went away, revealing a city skyline in the distance. Tokyo. Compliments of some movie magic soundtrack that was playing from his earphones, like this whole thing was a cliché music video.
Ren tugged off his earpieces and wrapped them up with his BlackBerry. He rubbed his eyes. How long was he asleep?
The train's P.A speakers hummed. Announcement cue.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for riding with us today. We will be arriving at Shibuya shortly. . ."
While rubbing his face, Ren detected mini-trembles in his hands. That night still bothered him. The turning point of his life that got him arrested, indicted with a criminal record and put on probation. Before the ink was even dry when his father signed Ren's bail, word had gotten out to town.
What started as an initiative to help someone, turned into social suicide. His school wanted to expel him, Ren's girlfriend dumped him, and most of his friends stopped talking to him. The worst part was the fallout with his parents. Being the son of affluent corporate sharks had its perks and expectations. When they were not lived up to, things got…unpleasant.
To soften Ren's downfall, his parents decided Ren would be sent away for a year. Ren was supposed to spend a year with a man named Sojiro Sakura, who would act as his guardian and ensured Ren follow protocol during his probation. Perhaps staying away from Kyoto for now, was for the best.
"What? Are you for real? A mental shutdown?"
Ren's eyes flicked left. Two schoolgirls. Their uniforms did not look anything like the ones in the school pamphlet he was given.
"It's true."
"That's gotta be a joke. You really love all that occult stuff, don't you?"
Both the girls laughed.
Before Ren changed trains for his destination, he made a stop to Shibuya's local burger joint, Big Bang Burger. He skipped breakfast and lunch that day, not feeling the appetite to eat after the cold goodbyes from his parents.
Ren sipped coke as he checked his bank balance on a phone app. Well, at least he won't need to worry about money. His father might be angry at him, but his pride (and love? Ren hoped) saw to it that money was taken care of for Ren.
When he finished eating, Ren headed to the joint's washroom.
Ren splashed water on his face. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at the mirror. Dark circles were under his eyes. Ren's phone beeped. His heart went up. Did his mum text him to check he arrived safely?
Ren pulled out his phone and deflated. No messages. Just a strange…
What is this? thought Ren.
A strange red and black eye filled half the screen on his BlackBerry Priv. Ren tapped at the icon. No response. Great, the OS froze. The phone had a questionable battery life sure, but it never did this before.
He pocketed the phone and put his fake prescription glasses back on. When Ren tried to open the door, he found it locked. He jigged the knob a few more times then knocked loudly against the door.
"Heeeello! Anybody there?!" Ren called out.
No response. Awesome. Ren rolled his eyes.
Ren turned around and froze. In the washroom, blue flames were spurting from the floor and growing larger. Why hasn't the building smoke alarm gone off?
And why the fuck is it blue? Ren thought.
Ren swallowed. He pulled out his phone to call for help, then cursed when he found the phone was still stuck at the screen with the evil red eye.
From the depths of the flames, he saw some sort of creature? A grinning face took the form of a phantom apparition in the fire. Then it morphed into a person. Himself. Except, it wasn't him. This clone of Ren had yellow eyes and a wild vibe.
Just as quickly as the deviant copycat appeared, it disappeared, along with the flames. Ren blinked a few times, not fully comprehending what just happened. He looked back at his phone. The image that filled up half the screen earlier, had reverted into a normal sized icon. He quickly flicked the app to 'Uninstall'.
Ren tried the door again. This time it opened. The other patrons and staff of the restaurant seemed to be undisturbed. Ren opened his mouth, wanting to inform the staff what happened. He looked back at the washroom tiles and saw no scorch marks. He closed his mouth.
It was probably the lack of sleep, he assured himself. Yeah, that's what it was. Insomnia and disturbing dreams were making him hallucinate. Plus, it was better he did not draw the wrong kind of attention to himself.
The backstreets of Yongen-Jaya were cast in muted colours by the overhead grey sky. Bicycles and scooters parked on the side of alleys, next to corner shops. Just from entering, Ren could already see a small supermarket and a cinema.
Ren's eyes dropped from the powerlines ran haphazardly at the top. He decided liked the somber charm of the place. Maybe this was not going to be bad after all.
Ren double-checked his phone. Right, so it was a Sojiro Sakura that was going to be taking care of him.
Ren approached a police officer, who looked like he had been in better moods.
"Yes?"
"Excuse me, sir. Would you happen to know where Sojiro Sakura's house is?" asked Ren.
"It's in an alley a bit further back. Take a right after that apartment with the stairs," replied the officer.
"Thank you."
Tidbits of conversation dropped on Ren's ears as he walked.
"The police are so lazy, they're just stealing taxpayer's money."
"No one has been taking responsibility. It's a waste of time to dwell on it."
Looks like even the consciousness of society was not cheery too. Ren felt like there was something a bit downcast about Japan lately.
Ren came to a house which had a 'SAKURA SOJIRO' nameplate in the front. He rang the buzzer. No answer.
"Looks like he's not home again."
Ren looked to his right. A deliveryman was by his van, looking at his phone.
"Well, Leblanc's in the back alley so I might as well make my other deliveries first…" huffed the deliveryman.
Ren returned to the main alley, unsure. Leblanc? What was that? Ren stopped at the front of the supermarket, looking around lost.
Screams streaked across the street. In the distance, the siren sounds of emergency services grew louder.
Shiori was dazed. What happened? She remembered walking with her friend, Mizuki from school. They were talking about Kamoshida's exploits when…when…
"Gah!" Shiori cried out.
She clutched at her neck and choked. Something painful was wrapped around her neck. Shiori panicked, making the pain and bleeding worse. She forced herself to calm down. It was hard to breath, but if she stayed still, maybe she could make it.
Where was Mizuki?
"…Shi..ori…" came a weak voice.
Although Shiori's vision was blurring from the loss of blood, she could make out her friend. Mizuki's legs were crushed under steel pipes. At the apex of the pile, a bigger piece of the construction pipes threatened to roll down to her friend. If that happened, the blunt trauma would…
Shit, thought Shiori.
Shiori tried to move to her friend but seized up when she felt bits of skin tear off from her neck. She finally noticed her left arm was wrapped in a tangle of barbed wires, from her fingers, going up to her shoulder and -
That's what's wrapped around my neck, Shiori realised.
"...Shiori…please save me," cried out Mizuki, her face mottled with blood and tears.
Shiori's breathing started to feel light. She was about to pass out from the bleeding, but there was still time to try and reach Mizuki. But if she tried that, her neck would be torn open.
Shiori turned around, trying to find what was anchoring her with these wires. She saw the capsized truck which had been carrying construction materials. The roll of wires was tangled around the truck's tire and the hatched body of the driver's corpse, like some horror macabre. She was bound to this.
"There's one over here!" shouted a fireman.
Shiori collapsed on the pavement, trying to stay conscious. A fireman and a paramedic entered her field of vision.
"Fucking hell, look at her neck," gasped the fireman.
"My fri-" Shiori tried to speak but choked when blood spilt out.
"Don't talk. It's making you lose blood faster. We need to severe her from the wreckage, do you have something that can cut these wires?!" asked the paramedic.
Why couldn't these people see Mizuki was in more trouble than she was? Shiori tried to point her friend out to them, craning to see Mizuki as she did.
Before the darkness took over, the last thing Shiori saw was the heavy pipe rolling down to her friend.
Shiori Oshiro snapped out of the memory, on realisation that she was about to drop her cup of tea. A bit of it spilt onto the rooftop of the Yongen-Jaya's humble cinema. Her grandma did not like Shiori coming out to the top because there were no railings, but grandpa was more easy-going and allowed her the leeway.
Shiori slowly breathed the scent of the assam tea. Her therapist encouraged this semi-meditative hobby of hers. Said it would help her better deal with the trauma from that incident last year.
Shiori took a sip and walked closer to the edge to observe 'the local wildlife of Yongen-Jaya' (as she coined in her head). Also known as the folks going about their lives in the backstreets. It had been a month since Shiori moved to her grandparents' home, which was a hybrid of a residential living and two commercial theatres. At this point, she had memorised the faces of all the cinema's patrons.
Shiori noticed the cup trembled slightly in her hands. Shiori carefully placed the cup down and hugged herself. Past experience of coping had taught her that this helped quell the shaking. Although it would be more productive if she stopped reliving the accident like a 70mm film.
"Shiori."
"Yes grandma?" Shiori called back.
"Could you be a dear and buy some milk from the supermarket, please. Your grandfather seems to be making up fridge inventory these days," said grandma.
Shiori drank the last of a tea and left it by the foldable fabric chair. She went down the trap door and its ladder, into the attic. Which was also, her bedroom. Her grandparents already had a room to spare, but Shiori insisted on taking the attic. She told them 'the vibes of the place clicked' with her, a semantic which perhaps did not make 100% sense to the old folks; besides understanding that Shiori really liked the attic.
"Good, you're wearing a long-sleeve already," remarked grandma.
Shiori rolled her eyes. Heaven forbade that society found out. It wasn't just the scars Shiori had to hide on her arm.
When Shiori emerged from the supermarket, she saw a teenage boy whom she did not recognise. Shiori tilted her head, her long hair falling with. He looked rather unsure of his surroundings.
#
Ren spun on his heels, coming face to face with a tall brunette girl. She was pretty, in a black lipstick villainess kind of way, yet there was kindness on her face which seemed to contradict that cliché. She wore a thick choker, a black Nirvana long sleeve, weathered jean shorts and sneakers.
Her left hand was gloved black, but curiously, her right hand was not. Despite the asymmetry and contradictions, it was her eyes that made Ren pause. If eyes were windows to a person's soul, these ones showed-
"Hi," said the girl.
"Hello," said Ren.
A few second went by, with just them looking at each other. Didn't she feel this was awkward? Ren wondered. He cleared his throat.
"Umm…I'm kinda new to this neighbourhood," said Ren.
She nodded, as if expecting him to say that. Right.
"Would you mind pointing me to this 'Leblanc'?" Ren asked.
The girl pointed to her left.
"Head along this way and take the first left turn. Just a bit in, you should find Café Leblanc," she replied.
Before Ren could thank her, she hurried past him, into the cinema behind him. Interesting escape route for someone who was shopping for milk, he felt.
A bell tinkled when Ren entered Leblanc. He found himself in an old-fashion place. Despite the senescence, the place was very clean and well maintained. Two customers were watching TV. The third person was propped on a stool, reading a newspaper. The café manager?
"A public transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with its customers still in it. The citizens can't live in peace if this keeps up," said the man on the TV.
"Vertical is…the name of a shellfish used for farming pearls…" the manager mumbled to himself. The manager looked up from the newspaper, finally noticing Ren.
"…oh, right. They did say that was today." said the manager.
The elderly couple stood from their table, telling the manager the payment was on the table.
"Thanks for coming," said the manager.
"It's a good thing this place is a back alley. We don't need to worry about any cars crashing around here," said one of the patrons.
"A what now?" asked the manager.
"You know, those string of rampage accidents. I just hope none of that happens around here."
"Hmph. None of my concern," said the manager.
Something told Ren this was the sort of person who was very inclusive to his own affairs and not much else. If this was Sojiro Sakura…
"Haha. Well, we'll be on our way."
The customers left. The manager sighed.
"Four hours for a single cup of joe. So, you're Ren?" asked the manager.
"Yes. Please take care of me," said Ren with a slight bow.
"Uh huh…I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody over the next year," said Sojiro. He ran his eyes up and down Ren, trying to measure the kind of guy he was.
"I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you're the one, huh? Well a customer of mine and your parents know each other and…well not that it matters. Follow me."
Sojiro led Ren up a staircase, located at the end of the café. They came to an attic which looked like it was a five-star hotel for dust mites.
"This is your room. I'll at least give your sheets for your bed," said Sojiro.
Ren carefully kept his face neutral.
"Hmm? You look like you wanna say something," remarked Sojiro.
"It's…big," said Ren.
"Well it's on you to clean up the rest. I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You might be alone at night, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to do anything stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble." said Sojiro.
Ren could only nod.
"Now, let's get the gist of your situation. You played the white knight when some guy was forcing himself on a woman, he gets hurt, then sues you. Right? Why would you stick your nose in a matter between two adults? You did injure him, yeah?" said Sojiro.
Good thing Ren figured out the kind of person Sojiro was, downstairs. He would have lost his poker face here.
"…and after getting that criminal record, you were facing expulsion from your high school. But your parents' influence made the damage collateral, by making a compromise that you would be sent away for a year, to let the heat on your reputation die down. Or to put it another way, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass."
". . ."
Sojiro continued, "It's best you don't say or do anything unnecessary. I'm in the restaurant business, so any delinquency affects me. You keep your head down for a year, kid, and maybe, your probation will be lifted."
"I understand," Ren said quietly.
"And don't forget, we'll be going to Shujin tomorrow," said Sojiro.
Ren read the school's pamphlet on the train. Shujin Academy. Apparently, it was one of the better schools around here.
"It's of very rare circumstances they'd accept someone like you. But I guess you can thank your stars for being born as a rich kid whose family has connections. We'll properly introduce ourselves to the staff then," said Sojiro.
". . ."
"What a waste of my Sunday," Sojiro muttered, leaving the place.
#
Shiori closed down the theatre. Upstairs, her grandparents were probably in bed already. This had become routine once she had acclimatised to the place. A few times, she was allowed to screen movies when a staff member wasn't available.
After the main doors were locked, she turned off the lobby lights and headed up to the attic. That was when her phone buzzed. Caller ID told her it was mum.
"Hey mum," answered Shiori.
"Hello sweety. How was your day?"
They went through the typical mother-daughter Q/A that made Shiori answer on autopilot.
"Good to hear. I actually called to remind you about tomorrow," said mum.
"Yeah, I know. The re-enrolment at Shujin," Shiori said flippantly. Her grip on the mobile phone tightened by a slight.
"Are you alright, dear? I mean, after everything that's happened…with you dropping out of high school in your second year because of your injuries. Then there was your rehabilitation. I spoke to your therapist, she feels that it's okay to give you more time-"
"I'll be fine, mum. Really. Besides, you know dad wants me to get back on track asap," said Shiori.
"…yes, I suppose this will help you earn some points back with your father…after your phase with that tattoo person-"
"Takumi. His name was Takumi. And yes-" said Shiori, consciously tugging her left sleeve.
"-he was a tattoo artist," she said in a tight voice.
"Of course," her mother said quickly, not wanting to upset Shiori. She had treated her daughter like the most fragile kind of glass, ever since the accident.
"I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye," said Shiori.
"Goodnight sweety."
Shiori ended the line. She sat on the bed, going through her phone messages. Some students from school had emailed her. Word had already got out that model student and once-council president contender Shiori Oshiro, will be coming back to school. How things have changed so much since last year.
Shiori went through her contacts list. Some names she remembered, others she did not. Shiori grimaced when she saw 'Makoto Niijima'. Having her contact was a necessary evil as they were both on the on the student council board last year. Apparently Niijima-san had made Student Class President this year.
Shiori stopped the scroll at 'Mizuki Yamamoto'. Shiori might be returning to school, but Mizuki wasn't. She clicked on Mizuki's name and the contact ID picture enlarged. It was a selfie the two of them took in Jinbocho. She switched to the IM app.
Shiori replied to a few messages before tossing her phone on the pillow. She fell back on the bed and huffed. How did she feel about returning to school? Shiori wondered herself.
Shiori thought about playing some Guilty Gear on her PS4, but she felt a bit tilted from the call with her mother, and did not want to get bodied in the ranked matches because of that. Stuff that.
Shiori picked up her Nokia Lumia 930 and opened Cortana.
"Cortana, will I need an umbrella tonight?" asked Shiori.
"I don't think you will need an umbrella. But you might need a coat," replied her phone.
Perfect.
Two minutes later, Shiori was lying in a sleeping bag, at the top of the cinema. By her side was an energy drink and a portable speaker, playing Bent. Shiori didn't think of herself as a Matchbox Twenty fan, but she did like this one song from the band.
Shiori pulled off her glove and held out her scarred hand to the light polluted sky. No stars. But hey, the moon was there to keep her company.
After Sojiro left, Ren changed into easier fitting clothes, which were in the luggage sent ahead of his train ride here. He then started cleaning the attic, marvelling at the epic proportions of dust and clutter. At some point, Ren lost track of time.
Sojiro came up to his bedroom.
"So that explains the noises I hear you making up here. I didn't think you were cleaning though," said Sojiro.
Sojiro paused, surveying the place. Ren paused from dusting, and checked his phone. Whoa, he had been at this for hours.
"Actually, the place doesn't look too bad," Sojiro said slowly, nodding approvingly.
"Thanks. Although, I still have much to take care of," said Ren, gesturing to the ladder and boxes.
Sojiro nodded.
"Makes sense you'd want to keep your bedroom clean. Anyway, I'm locking up for the night. Make sure you're up and ready in the morning," said Sojiro.
When Sojiro was gone, Ren decided he'd probably get the rest of the cleaning done later. He put away the broom and had another look around the place. It wasn't ideal, sure, but at least he had a place to stay.
Ren collapsed onto his bed. The mattress made a funny groaning sound at the burden of his weight.
How did it all come to this? part of him wondered. The rest of him knew. Yes, of course, it was that powerful politician who had the police in that district, his bitches.
But still, thought Ren.
He looked out the window, to the moon. Part of him was still in shock at how quickly his life had changed.
Ren's BlackBerry beeped. Did his parents message him? He slipped the phone out of his pocket. Nope. But it was that same red eye app.
Didn't I delete you?
Ren uninstalled the app again and restarted his phone. That should hopefully get rid of it. His eyelids grew heavy. Ren fell asleep, into a world that wasn't quite reality or dream.
And that's the end of chapter 1. This is the first time I've ever written fanfiction so it was an interesting writing exercise. Just a few things to note if you plan to read further on. This is a story that will contain mature themes, scenes with an unfiltered framing of carnality and violence. There will be no gore stuff (not a fan myself). Also, the story will start diverging more from the game, here on out. Biggest changes are the story and battle formats.
While P5s battle system and dynamics works for it as a video game, for a piece of writing, I felt I needed to overhaul a lot of things, including Palace traversals, to keep the narration fluid. Story-wise, this will be more personal and emotional for Joker (who will bloom in the next chapter), and less on the world-needs-to-be-saved thing.
If you're wondering who Ren will be paired with, it will be with Ann Takamaki. But don't take it for granted :P The matters of the heart is not always as simple as a train on a linear track :) I'm still finalising other pairings/singles, but I think it is safe to say there will be some Mishima x Futaba (to what capacity, we will see) too.
Shiori Oshiro is my OC. I think she will be the only major OC for this fanfic. And yes, she will be a Phantom Thief. Her code-name: Comedienne.
I'll try to post chapter 2 in a few days.