Full summary: "Taking an extended road trip to avoid dropping Akira home, the Phantom Thieves make a pit stop at a small country town in the middle of nowhere. Checking in at the famous Amagi Inn, they meet certain individuals around the town that strikes them as familiar, but they know they've never met. Receiving the same stares back, what would happen when a team of detectives meet a team of thieves, especially when for the first time, gods aren't butting in?
Chaos. And lots of meat eating competitions."
special mention goes to guest1995 who wondered what the group could do after the game ended since they were already on the road. Weeeeeell, I had this story written up almost a year ago and never posted it here on FFNET. So here it is!
This is a post P4G only x post P5 story
So before we start this story, I should list some things here. This ties in with my first and main story, "The World Is Ours." It isn't far enough along to really connect with this one though, except my OC is part of the group, so no worries!
-The OC is named Kimisawa Airi, her Persona is Jeanne (based on Jeanne De Valois Saint Remy), she's bless skilled, and is the romantic partner for Akira.
-Akechi survived and joined the team officially after Shido's Palace.
-In my story, Akira is from Mishima, Japan which is about 3 hours away from Tokyo by car. It's near the eastern coastline and is a bit bigger than Inaba. It's more well known due to being a pitstop between Kyoto and Tokyo and so is a richer town.
-I'm making P5 10 years after P4. Due to the advancements in technology, slang, etc, it would make more sense if the P4 group were more seasoned adults for this. I know P5 hints that Rise is like 21, but I don't feel like 5 years is enough to create the relationships I want between predecessors and successors. I also want to explore the darker side of having your journey come to a close, which I'll be doing with Yu a lot.
-Yu here is a lot darker than ingame or in the spin offs. I never played those so I can't accurately judge his personality, and in P4G he was basically a mannequin. This is based off of his hard boiled costume.
-This will be short, only for a couple of chapters because I don't want to evolve this into a bigger story. Think of it like DLC I guess? But then again I can't predict how this will go, so it could turn out longer.
PERSONA 5 is a copyrighted product of the company ATLUS. I don't own anything except for my OC, Kimisawa Airi. This is written for fun and not for monetary gain.
"So, where should we go from here?" Ryuji asked while leaning against the front seats.
They were on the freeway, kilometers away from Tokyo. It had been hours since they set off on their way to Mishima in their large white van, but Akira was reluctant to return home and face his parents again. Wanting to give their leader one last good memory, they decided to take a detour. Having refilled their tank at a gas station with the attendant giving them strange looks for having no adults, they set off again with no real destination in mind.
"Um..." Ann hummed, scrolling the GPS on her phone. "It's getting kinda late, yeah?"
The group glanced through the windows to see the sun set within the horizon, casting orange rays across the rice paddies of the countryside. They had been driving for a while now, long passing Mishima by taking another route to go further inland.
"Why don't we find a place to stop for the night?" Airi suggested, adjusting under the weight of Akira's head resting on her shoulder. He had fallen asleep about an hour ago after doing his stupid stunt of standing up through the skylight while the van was going 60k/h. Curled up in his lap was Morgana, snoring quietly as the engine lulled it to sleep. "Makoto's been driving for a while now, and we're all probably tired."
Makoto nodded tiredly, eyes never leaving the road. "Yes, please. Is there anything close by?"
Humming, Futaba typed away on her laptop, crouching in the backseat. "...Um, there's a small town about ten kilometers away called Inaba. Kind of middle of nowhere. There's supposedly a famous inn there called "The Amagi Inn." I can do an online reservation right now?"
Haru perked up next to the hacker. "Oh, I know that place! They're famous for their hotsprings and hospitality!" She smiled cheerfully. "I remember spending a night there once on a business trip with my father. He didn't particularly seemed like he was impressed, but he wasn't complaining either."
"A hotsprings, hm..?" Yusuke grasped his chin thoughtfully, leaning against his seat on the other side of Futaba. "It would certainly be a treat. I don't seem to recall if we ever had an official celebration after defeating Yaldabaoth."
"Well, not with Akira..." Airi smiled forlornly. He was incarcerated at the time and the party wasn't as lively as it would've been with him there. "Then it's settled. Futaba?"
"Gotcha!" She grinned, the computer keys clacking only a decibel higher than the engine. "One suite, coming right up!"
Turning around in his seat, wincing when Akira unconsciously smacked him in the arm, Ryuji gave the hacker an odd look. "How're you gettin' wifi out here? We're in the boonies."
"Hehe..." Futaba snickered, holding up a red square object that was connected to her laptop via a USB cord. "I got an egg, of course. Can't leave home without it."
"Don't hack us a room, OK?" Makoto sighed, taking the exit coming up on the right. "We do have enough money to pay."
Futaba pouted. "Of course I won't! It's not like this inn has a system advanced enough for that. As far as online check-ins, they're pretty behind on the times." Tapping against the keyboard a few more times, she ended with the enter key. "...Aaand done! I got us a suite for tonight, and it comes with free use of the hot springs!" She grinned victoriously.
"All right!" Ann cheered loudly, waking Akira up with a grunt. "It'll be nice to wash off the sand from earlier!"
"Huh...?" Akira groaned, blinking his eyes as he woke up. "What's happening?"
"Well good morning, sleeping beauty." Ryuji teased. "It's been a million years since you fell asleep, and humanity is now ruled by robots!"
Yawning, the leader snuggled deeper into his girlfriend's shoulder and inhaled her calm scent. "'Kay..."
Airi gently shook him off. "Don't fall back asleep," She advised softly. "We're almost at our destination for the night."
He grumbled but acquiesced. He sat up in his seat and ruffled his hair, messing up his curls even more than usual. "We're not in Mishima..."
His shifting woke Morgana up in his lap, and the feline yawned, stretching out his back. "Where are we..?"
Slowing the van down as they entered the town, Makoto gripped the wheel with her gloved hands, turning at the corner as Ann's GPS dictated. "We're in Inaba right now. We should be at the inn in a few minutes."
A honk pierced through the quiet night, and they glanced back at the black car that had been tailing them for several hours. "Oh, right." Airi sweatdropped. "Did any of us tell Akechi that we were stopping?"
"Ah shit." Ryuji sighed, taking his phone out to call the detective. "I'll do it."
"Why is he driving alone again..?" Akira yawned, leaning against his girlfriend again. "We coulda squeezed him in here."
"I believe he said, and I quote," Yusuke began, crossing his arms in his thin striped sports jacket. "'I wouldn't want to be stuck in a car with you idiots or else I might catch your stupidity. I'll drive my own car, and none of you better get in with me.'"
"How mean of Akechi-kun." Haru frowned softly. "He's part of the group now, but he's so cold with us still."
"Well..." Ann winced. "We can't blame him. We did ruin all his plans and almost got him killed."
Morgana snorted. "He should be groveling at our feet for saving him after what he had done to us." He began grooming a paw. "He was lucky that mom gave him that chance or else he'd have disappeared into the Metaverse."
Airi gave him a disapproving frown, lightly flicking his forehead. "None of that, Morgana. You know he's been trying to get better by going to the therapist, and he's still our teammate and friend."
Makoto pursed her lips as she slowly parked into the inn's mostly empty parking lot. "Yes, we should be supporting him. We all know he does like us, he just doesn't want to show it."
Futaba snickered, closing her laptop with a snap. "What a Tsun-Tsun."
The feline sighed, getting up on all fours. "Yes, yes..." He darted through the small opening as Ryuji slid the door on his side open and landed on the cement. "Ahh! Fresh air!" He purred, shaking his body.
The group slowly got out of the van, groaning as they stretched after being cramped in such a small space for so long. The Inn in front of them was a traditional Japanese Inn, equipped with a koi pond in the front lawn. The building was large with several floors, made from traditional wood and plaster from generations ago, only updated to keep up with the times. Behind the building was steam slowly rising up into the night sky, most likely where the hot springs were.
They stopped as the other car slowly pulled up, parking next to them. With a click, the driver's door opened, revealing Akechi wearing a frown. "It would've been courteous of you guys if you informed me earlier."
Airi smiled apologetically. "Sorry, we only decided it about ten minutes ago on the road. How was the drive for you?"
He sighed sharply, cracking his neck. "It was fine. Let's just go in already. Driving for so long is ruining my back."
Chatting with each other, the group of thieves walked into the inn, not knowing they were about to encounter another group.
One that had achieved a similar goal almost a decade ago.
Taking another drag of his cigarette, Yu slowly inhaled the carcinogens, filling his lungs with the calming smoke.
It was another slow night in Inaba, the moon shining brightly in the star filled sky. Ever since he decided to stay in the town, he threw himself into his schoolwork, graduating with a degree and immediately entering the Police Force. He was now one of the top detectives in the town, only below his uncle.
Dojima Ryotaro was getting on in the years, and though he didn't show it, he was glad to have another trustworthy detective at his side again. He never took on another partner after Adachi confessed to his crimes, preferring to work alone in case another partner decided he was going to be a murdering psychopath again.
Chie was also a police officer, his assistant of all things. She had stood by her promise to keep on protecting what was precious to her, and that was this town and its people. She was out on a run right now in fact, making sure all the citizens were safe. No longer screaming about Kung-fu and eating meat, now she was only excitedly talking about kung-fu and eating meat. They would have a dinner at Aiya's at least once a month if everyone could make it. She insisted.
Yosuke had taken over as Head Manager at Junes, making sure the mega store ran as smoothly as he could possibly make it. He counted inventory, hired local workers, and even made sure to give back to the town. It had been years, but he knew that his family ruined Inaba's markets and he always felt guilty about it. Saki had secretly hated him for it as well, and it encouraged him to love this town as much as she had and more. The townsfolk no longer talked bad about his business, finally accepting that June's is here for good, and he made sure to source all produce locally to keep up the good relationship.
Now that the fiasco with Izanami-no-Okami was done, Teddie had stayed in the human world, opting to help out at June's. He was officially this branch's mascot, and his bear costume always brought smiles to children. Nanako loved him dearly, and always made sure to chat whenever she was at June's. (Which was every day.)
Yukiko stayed in Inaba, and after several jobs, finally took over as the manager of The Amagi Inn. She had grown up into a graceful young woman, a Yamato Nadeshiko, and greeted her guests with a mature and calm smile every time. She had improved the Inn, upgraded the technology, and even set up an online site for check-ins. She hoped more and more people would travel to her business, and fall in love with Inaba just as she had done so.
Rise was now a big star in Japan, doing both modeling and singing. She had technically moved out to Tokyo for work, but had promised the group that her Marukyu Tofu shop was her real home as it was with them. Her grandmother was getting on in years as well, and she came back frequently to help out.
Her health declining over the years, Kanji decided to inherit the textile shop from his mother, making sure to take care of her as much as he could. His skills as a doll craftsmen grew and soon the entire town was enamored with his creations. Every child had at least one doll from his shop, and every family made sure that their fabrics would come from him first and foremost. He was so happy that everyone accepted his hobby that he began to mellow out, not letting awkward comments get to him like they used to back when they were in high school.
The busiest person would be Naoto. Having lent her skills to every force in Japan, she traveled all over the country to help out with cases. The last case had been with those Phantom Thieves, chaining her to Tokyo for months. Kanji had been kind of depressed during that time, and Yu honestly still didn't know what their relationship was, even after ten years.
The Phantom Thieves.
That was a name that brought pride and envy inside of him. Pride that there were other people, kids now, who were defending humans with all their strength against corrupt gods just like they had. They risked their lives to change the hearts of so many corrupted people, and helped countless victims with their powers.
He even remembered that artist girl in high school who said she was going to go to the big city to showcase her artworks. She never did come back, and he found out only a couple months ago that she became one of the apprentices of Madarame Ichiryusai. The man who took in young artists to mentor them, only to steal their artworks and livelihood.
He was saddened to hear she was found dead in an alley after being kicked out of her Sensei's house, having wandered into the seedy parts of Tokyo looking for a job to buy a train ticket home. She could've been something, and that man stole her life from her. It was only thanks to The Phantom Thieves that she and the other apprentices had been avenged.
Envy, because he wished he could relive those days where he would go into the TV with his friends. Utilizing his Personas to fight Shadows, and saving people before they were killed. After defeating Izanami-no-Okami, who was now his longtime girlfriend Mariko, the Midnight Channel stopped working.
She had taken back that power to prevent other people from falling into the Shadow world, and worked as a weather reporter. Even if she did re-open the tunnel, she admitted that only Igor could control Personas, and since he had fulfilled his contract with the long nosed man, there was no more need of him to enter that world.
They were no longer needed.
He craved that excitement again, the days when his blood would boil with excitement and adrenaline under his skin as he struck down his enemies with his blade. The kendo room at the Police Station was a pale substitute, and he had already beaten his fellow officers at least twice each. Him and Chie had always tied, his taijutsu not being his forte, but even that got boring after the 20th time.
When that incident last year during December was broadcast on all the channels, he tried to reach Naoto, frantically calling about getting the team together and saving the people from the corrupt god. By the time Naoto got onto the scene however, The Phantom Thieves had the support of the entire nation, the world. He couldn't believe his eyes when the screen showed one of the members, the leader he assumed, summon a giant six winged demon to shoot down the god.
It was awe-inspiring.
He exhaled, letting the smoke escape his lips. He knew it was pointless to keep thinking back on the past, but he knew he wasn't the only one. Every time the Investigation Team got together (that's what they called themselves), they all spoke about how much they wished they could get back into the action.
Maybe one day.
-Inaba is based off of Fuefuki, which is pretty inland and so would be farther away from the ocean and Mishima.
-An egg is a portable wifi hotspot, commonly used in Japan because almost all the wifi ports are locked with passwords. You usually have to pay a fee per month, but it's honestly super worth it to invest in one if you travel a lot.
-Tsun-Tsun refers to Tsundere, a character trait where someone denies they have affections when it's obvious they do. "It's not like I like you, b-baka!"
-Yamato Nadeshiko is a term for Japanese women who represent the classic style of beauty. They usually have long straight black hair, pale skin, soft voices, and courtly manners.
-Artist girl is the girl on the first floor in front of the counselor's room in Yasogami High.
-Taijutsu is hand to hand combat, and could refer to kung fu, muay thai, karate, tae kwon do, etc.
Let me know what you think of it so far!