Disclaimer: None of the authors own any of the referenced properties.
[Persona 4], [Persona 5]
Royal Straight – part 1
Author: Solaris Requiem
It took all of Akira's willpower to not immediately fall over asleep at his seat during their social studies field trip. It was bad enough the first time, even worse the second time, and it seemed to get more and more annoying as time passed. Unfortunately for him, he was pretty much forced to attend this boring talk session at the TV station.
"Now then, now that Akechi Goro has introduced himself, let us welcome in our next guest!" the male show-host announced. Akechi noticeably fixed his tie and straightened his posture, something that caught Akira's eye. He and Ryuji managed to regain their attention.
"For the first time in years, the original Detective Prince, or rather the Detective Queen, as she is known by nowadays, has finally appeared on TV again! Please welcome... Detective Naoto Shirogane!"
There was a fanfare and thunderous applause as a young woman, dressed in light blue with a navy cap on her head walked onto the stage. She had a light blue shirt, thin khaki pants, and a yellow tie. The way she walked oozed confidence and personality, and Akira could see Ann looking at her with an appraising eye while Ryuji's jaw opened. Akira did his friend a favor and closed his mouth shut.
"Whoa..." Morgana whispered as he peeked from his bag, his voice containing no small amount of awe. "She looks... just... wow..." Akira sighed good-naturedly as the cat fell head over heels for the female detective.
"She would be perfect as a model," Ann remarked as she observed how Naoto greeted the host and Akechi. "It's clear that she has a lot of experience and confidence dealing with TV and the media. She doesn't shy away from the camera and she doesn't appear to be nervous at all. I can tell that she had to deal with a lot of this kind of attention before. Plus, frankly, there are a lot of girls who would kill to have looks like hers."
Akira nodded, taking in Ann's comment before he turned back to the stage where Naoto took her seat next to Akechi.
"Now then, Miss Shirogane. Since it has been a long time since you agreed to an interview of any sort, I would like to answer a few questions that I'm sure everyone in the audience is curious about," the host began. Naoto nodded as Akechi smiled good-naturedly. However, Akira's sharp eyes were able to detect that Akechi was slightly annoyed that he was being completely ignored in favor of Naoto.
"It came as a shock for many of us when it was revealed that you were actually not a Prince, but rather a Princess. Why did you decide to hide your gender for so long?" the host asked. Naoto nodded, unbothered by the pointed question.
"The typical image of a genius detective, as seen with famous detectives such as Poirot and Holmes, has always been male. Therefore, I determined that a more masculine image would be more beneficial to me when I first started my career as a detective. I never actually claimed that I was male in the first place but due to my image as a genius detective I was given the name of the 'Detective Prince'. Thanks to several of my colleagues, I realized that I no longer needed that image of myself and that allowed me to become the detective that I am today."
Naoto chuckled. "I was informed by my colleagues that large portion of my female fans were disappointed to learn that I was actually a girl. I was also informed that for every female fan I lost I gained three more male ones." There was a loud and audible chuckle at Naoto's remark as the host transitioned into the next question.
"Now then, here's a question that I'm sure is on everyone's mind: are you currently dating someone? Or are you currently single?"
"I am currently single, there has been nobody in particular that has caught my eye in recent times. But, of course, that is all subject to change." Naoto replied smoothly. There were various whispers among the studio audience after Naoto made this statement. Akira could feel Morgana shift around in his bag, a bit frustrated that he had not been able to attain a human form just yet.
"Oh really?" the host pressed, "What kind of person would you want to-"
"Excuse me ma'am," Akechi interrupted. "I believe that it would be best to move onto the main topic of this program rather than to ask about Detective Shirogane's love interests. Not that I myself am curious, of course. It is just that it would not be polite to delve too deep into her romantic life."
"Agreed," Naoto nodded to Akechi. "I believe I was called here to discuss the rumored 'Phantom Thieves of Heart' rather than my own love interests. That issue is more relevant to this society than what kind of person I am currently interested in."
The male host looked a bit upset but moved on regardless. "Fair enough. We have gotten Detective Goro's opinion on the matter of the Phantom Thieves. He says that they are a threat; that their powers of 'changing the hearts of people' can be used to perpetuate more crime. What are your opinions on the matter?"
Naoto considers this before she responds, "Yes, this so called 'heart stealing'... the ability to make criminals suddenly confess their crimes. A sudden change of heart, especially of this nature, is immediately suspicious and unnatural. However, I wish to remain 'cautiously optimistic' as some people say," Naoto asserts. Both Akechi and the hosts are caught off guard by this.
"Could you elaborate on this?" The host asks. Naoto obliges with a nod.
"Take, for example, a sword. In the right hands it can be used to protect and defend people. In the wrong hands, tragedy and disaster follow in its wake. It is not the sword's fault; but rather the intent of the person that wields it. The same argument can be applied loosely to the Phantom Thieves of Heart. With their powers they chose not to create more crimes, but rather, to bring crimes to light that the police never knew existed. Instead of choosing to spread chaos, they gave people hope."
"Giving people hope?" The host asked. Akira, Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana were all paying very close attention to what was being said. In fact, Ryuji actually looked a little bit teary and rubbed his eyes a bit.
Naoto nodded, "Precisely. The society that we live is not flawless; I myself faced major discrimination and prejudice within the police department due to my age. Things only got worse when my real gender came out. Eventually, this prejudice eventually became one of the reasons why I became a private investigator rather than one that worked solely for the police." The Looper turned to the female host. "I am sure that you know exactly what I am talking about, miss."
The host bit her lip but did not say anything. Naoto nodded and continued. "The feeling of being absolutely powerless without any way to change... That is a feeling that I learned about a long time ago. Then, suddenly, the Phantom Thieves do something that nobody else could do; they make the people who oppress and manipulate others change and right their wrongs from their seat of power. In doing so, they allow for people to believe that life can change, as long as they do not lose heart or spirit. That is how they inspire hope."
"I-I see..." Akechi frowned, perplexed and confused about the answer that was given.
The male host nodded and moved the conversation further along. "Alright then, we currently have students from Shujin Academy. You there young man," he stood up and brought his microphone to Akira. "What is your opinion about the Phantom Thieves? Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts about them if they were real?"
Akira looked up, making eye contact not with Akechi or the announcers, but Naoto herself and spoke: "They're justice themselves." This time around, there was a stronger conviction in his voice than before.
"That is a... very strong response," Akechi remarked. Naoto herself was surprised at his response but a nod of understanding was given to Akira.
"Given the fact that they are from the very same school that Kamoshida was from, it is understandable," Naoto began. "Teachers in general have a lot of influence on their students for the better or worse. One student even tried to commit suicide recently. The students themselves were unable to even do a single thing without risking expulsion or worse. Then suddenly, the teacher confesses, apologizes, and turns himself in for his crimes. In a single action, the school changes for the better," Naoto smiled. "Of course, I am not endorsing or approving of their actions directly but the optimist in my wishes to give them the benefit of the doubt. They have the potential to change society for the better or worse. I, and everyone else in the entirety of Japan, will be watching them closely."
Naoto closed her eyes. "How they wield this power of theirs is dependent on their own intent. Will they use it change society for the better? Or will they create despair and chaos instead of hope? Only time will tell. But I, as do the people who were oppressed and suffered from both Madarame and Kamoshida's actions, hope that the Phantom Thieves continue to strive towards justice."
…
"Man... This field trip ended up being pretty damn good..." Ryuji had a wide grin on his face. The same went for Ann and Morgana, the former of which displayed it with a cheery demeanor and a smile. Even Akira himself was in a pretty good mood, especially after being acknowledged openly for that kind of thing. It was a very... warm and refreshing feeling. One that was even better than the time after they got a 60% approval rating on the Phan-site.
"Yeah... It's really nice to finally get someone who understands what we're trying to do," Ann replied before she frowned. "But still, what Detective Akechi said about the the Phantoms being judged by the law is kind of bothering me."
"Don't worry about it Lady Ann," Morgana replied. "Like Lady Naoto said, we are doing something that the police cannot do. We're carrying out our own justice and we're giving people hope. That's all that really matters, no matter what the other detective said."
"Oh, so you're calling her that too?" Ann teased, "You've fallen for Naoto, haven't you?"
Although Morgana's fur hid away the sudden blush it was clear that he was embarrassed, "I just admire her sense of justice and inner strength. That's all!"
Ann whistled. "I wouldn't blame you. With a body like that she'd easily make it to the top three in my agency." Morgana had the knowledge to remain silent without sticking another paw in his mouth.
"Anyways, I gotta go take a leak. Be right back!" Ryuji hollered as he dashed off. Ann rolled his eyes.
"He shouldn't have drunk so much water... Anyway, I'll meet you back in the front later." Ann replied as she walked forward. Akira leaned against the wall as Morgana's his in his bag for the time being. He was about to pull out his phone to wait for the inevitable meeting with Akechi when a distinctly different voice caught his attention.
"Excuse me," a calm voice called. Akira turned and was surprised to see Naoto Shirogane walk his way.
"Can I help you, Detective?" he asked as Naoto walked closer to him. It seemed that Akechi was nowhere near him this time.
"It is nothing much. It is just that you remind me of a dear friend of mine," Naoto said with a gentle smile. "The both of you have the same... aura of determination if you will. For a moment when you spoke I suddenly was reminded of him."
"Was he your boyfriend?" Akira asked. Naoto chuckled before she shook her head.
"No. He was just a good friend of mine. But regardless, considering what kind of person his was... I think it would be definitely worth my time to get to know you better. If you do not mind of course," Naoto offered.
Akira considered this. This was something that had not happened previously in the resets. But he couldn't help but notice something very... different about Naoto. It only took a moment for him to make his decision.
"I would be happy to," Akira responded. He could feel Morgana shift around a bit, happy at the current scenario.
"Would you mind if I brought my cat along?"
"Oh you mean the one in your bag right now?" Naoto asked before she smiled at Akira's shocked expression. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. But no, I wouldn't mind. I'm fond of both cats and dogs."
"Glad to hear it. I think he'll like you a lot," Akira said. Naoto nodded before she pulled out a small envelope and handed it over to Akira.
"This envelope contains my contact information as well as a small gift to thank for your indulging in my curiosity," she responds. "I believe that it will be of great use to you in the near future."
Akira took the envelope and felt a few small objects inside of the paper container. "Did you give me a wedding ring?"
Naoto was flustered for a second before she regained composure, "If I were to give you something that important I would have given you a small box rather than a paper envelope. But anyway, I do hope you talk to you soon. Until then."
With that the two of them parted with Naoto began to walk back into the crowd with Akira watching her closely. Morgana popped out of his bag again and lay his head on the human's shoulder.
"You gonna open it?" Morgana asked curiously, "It's not like we have anything else to do until Ryuji and Lady Ann get back."
Akira nodded before he undid the paper stamp that sealed the envelope shut. With that impediment gone, Morgana looked over his shoulder to see what was inside and froze. Sitting almost inconspicuously against clean and professional looking business card were five small objects that looked very familiar to the two Phantom Thieves.
"Those are Revival Beads!" Morgana hissed as Akira stowed the envelope away into his jacket pocket and took out the business card separately for safe-keeping. "Where did she get those?!"
Akira frowned as he stared at the business card, written in a navy blue with a fancy gold font. "We need to discuss this with everyone else." But then time stopped for a moment, as he heard a familiar voice call to him.
I am thou, thou art I...
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Aeon Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power...
Akira frowned as he the new link between Naoto and him was formed. It was different than the one he usually got from Akechi, and that confused him utterly.
What was going on? What had changed with this reset?
[Persona 5], [Kids Next Door]
(no title)
Author: Alastair Dragovich
Akira Woke up on a particularly sunny afternoon to find himself holding what looked to be a childish wooden, western styled sword. He looked around as he sent off a Ping to see that a couple members of his team, Ann and Ryuji, were looking at him and giving him the signal that they were Looping, while Yusuke and Fubata were still working on some strange contraption that looked like it belonged in a junkyard. Morgana was nowhere to be seen, but hopefully they'd find them before too long. Then again, with 7 Pings and the tendency for each sector to have roughly five members, they may be the only ones Awake besides the native Loopers.
Akira checked his memories. It seems this time the details were ENORMOUSLY different, and as such probably a Fused Loop. As it turned out, there were a lot of strangely themed adult supervillains this loop who would go about annoying and pestering children with things that they didn't like, like forcing them to brush their teeth or feeding them too much food or keeping them out of the adults only pool. One even stole children's candy.
However, not all kids took this lying down, and through the use of brainwashing technology and a healthy dosage of refuge in audacity, the kids formed a secret organization to fight against what they called 'Adult Tyranny' and battled them day in and day out. Using '2 X 4' technology, which was, indeed, made out of scrap materials that kids found lying around in junkyards or in their houses, they were able to make things from lasers to supercomputers to even a freaking moon base.
Feeling envious that their hideout was a mere, earthbound treehouse, Akira motioned to his two aware teammates for a team meeting.
"So, we're kids this time, huh?" Ryuji said rubbing the back of his head. "Well, at least we're still doing what we do best. Kicking the butt of evil, rotten adults."
"Are you sure they're evil though, or just crazy?" Ann said doubtfully. "I mean, the Toiletnator? What's he supposed to do, force kids to-"
Before Ann could go through with that strange and horrific line of thought, one of the base's different alarms went off. Searching his memories, Akira straightened up and darted over to the console to receive the message.
"Sector P reporting," Akira saluted. "What's the situation..."
"Numbah One," Nigel said with a coy smile. "I'm afraid we've got ourselves a bit of a Loopy situation."
"Loopy- Oh, right," The Leader of the Phantom Thieves cleared his throat. "Myself and Numbahs Ten-Oh and Four-Oh are well Anchored, but the rest of the team isn't."
"N-numbah Oh-One-Oh?" Yusuke turned to his leader in concern only to be given a patient, 'wait until later' gesture in response.
"Understood. We'll set up a private call later," Nigel said with a smile. "That said, my team could use a bit of help with something. It seems Father, UnAwake as he is, is a bit trickier than usual, and has stolen the blue-prints for the decommissioning device. Probably as some sort of plot to retrieve the memories of former KnD operatives turned Adult."
The Anchor for the KnD Loops lowered his sunglasses. "We were hoping to see your team's expertise up close, 'Phantom Thieves of the KnD'."
A smile quickly grew on the leader of 'Sector P's' face as he turned to his team. Already, the team was pulling on their masks, which were purely cosmetic this Loop. He turned back to Numbah One, mask in place with nary a movement to suggest it didn't simply just come into existence onto their face.
"You can watch us if you can, but I think we've been told we're too fast for eyes."
Immediately, Skull and Panther groaned.
"We really should have seen that coming," They murmured, with their UnAwake teammates mostly just looking on in confusion.
[Persona 5], [?]
Playing the Game
Author: Detective Ethan Redfield
Akira looked at the book and almost threw it in the dumpster where it belonged. Last time he read the book, he tried romancing them all as it suggested and ended up getting thrashed when they found out. But something about this book was different. The author, for example, was different. He felt he had heard the name "Jiraiya" from somewhere. He opened the book and started flipping through the pages.
[Persona 5]
(no title)
Author: Alastair Dragovich
Akira hummed to himself as he waited at his usual spot at the Big Bang Burger. Morgana, who didn't remember anything this time, sadly, was safely tucked away in his bag while they waited on the Burger for the current rank of the Big Bang Burger Challenge, the Gravity Burger. It wasn't the healthiest of challenges to partake in, but considering he was stuck in a time loop he probably wouldn't end up suffering any of the consequences.
"Here you go sir!" The waitress placed the obscenely large burger in front of him. "The Gravity Burger! A burger so large, it almost has its own gravity field!"
"Umm, but it should already have one though."
The waitress tilted her head at Akira's statement. "...excuse me?"
"Technically, all things have a gravitational pull on all other things, according to basic physics," he pointed out, something that had been bothering him ever since he picked up that factoid during his studies.
"W-W-well-"
Before the waitress could finish her statement, however, a loud crack echoed out through the restaurant. It took a few seconds for Akira to realize that the noise had come from... the burger?
"O-oh no. Oh nonononono," The waitress dropped her plate as she turned around, running for the back.
"...Umm... what just happened?" Morgana asked, eyeing the burger suspiciously. The thing responded with another cracking sound.
"Young man!" The manager came out with the waitress. "Did that burger make another cracking sound while she came to get me?"
Akira, thoroughly confused, could only nod. The manager's face paled. He pulled out a strange, rectangular device with two antenna sticking out of it and motioned for Akira to stand next to him. The other customers, also looking nervous, followed suit as the manager fiddled with the device.
"Sir, what exactly is going on?" Akira asked, his Guts failing to steady him as his intuition began howling like a crazed monkey.
"Young man," the man's face was frowning in a dour sort of manner. "If this device is reading things correctly, then we are literally one hair's breadth away from annihilation."
"A-Annihilation!?"
He nodded. "You see, one of the men in charge of making burgers was never fond of false advertising. Every burger we make has to relate to its name in some manner, in their mind. Normally, these burgers end in disaster, due to poor taste."
The poor manager gulped and dabbed at his now damp forehead. "However, with the infamous Gravity Burger, he succeeded. Somehow, he managed to cram enough meat, lettuce, tomatoes, and other ingredients into a small, compact space. This normally wouldn't be a problem... except a scientist had rushed over to warn us that they had detected a gravitational field so powerful, it could create a miniature black hole."
'...what...?'
As Akira stared on in disbelief and fascination, the manager continued the tale. "This, naturally, worried a lot of people. Unfortunately, the same process that created this deathtrap of a burger not only saved us a lot of money, in defiance against all known laws of economics, but the density meant that no one could actually complete the challenge and, with the waver we had you sign, we could extort the populace for even more money for failing what should be an impossible challenge."
The hero's eyes widened as the waitress spoke up. "So now we have to keep making these things. But should the process be messed up even the slightest bit, then it wouldn't take much more matter to cause it to... collapse."
"SO NO ONE. MOVE. A MUSCLE."
After the manager bellowed that out, everyone froze, eyeing the burger cautiously. It was at that moment that Akira's bag, still near the burger, rustled.
"Hey, what's all the commotion about?" Morgana asked as he poked his head out, a visible tuft of hair coming out with him.
A visible tuft that floated down onto the burger.
"Oh Go- EVERYONE EVACUATE THE CITY!"
The crowd then panicked, screaming and scrambling to get out.
"What the hell?" Morgana looked to the burger, which was now looking a little funny. "A bit of fur landed on it. Do you seriously expect to believe that it will- OH NO AKIRA HELP ME!"
But it was too late. In an instant, Morgana was forcibly pulled into the burger's gravitational field. Without even a chance to reach out his hand, the leader of the Phantom Thieves watched as one of his oldest teammates was sucked in between the buns of the now distorted burger along with the table, the windows, and the bystanders on the other side of the windows.
As the screams of the soon to be dead rang out, Akira swiftly grabbed the counter behind him, hanging on for dear life as the manager, clawing and scrabbling at the tile floor, was dragged screaming into the event horizon. He didn't have much time to think on it, though, when he heard a new cracking sound.
The sound of the counter cracking to be specific.
With a terrified cry, the Phantom Thief of Heart went screaming to his death for the first time since his life began looping through time.
…
Akira paused mid-step outside of Sojiro's apartment. As his mind processed everything, he only had one thing to say.
"WHAT THE FUCK!?"
[Persona 4]
(no title)
Author: wildrook
Everyone Awake had just stared at the concoction that was Mystery Food X. Yu, Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, Kanji, Rise, Teddie, Naoto, Nanako, Marie, Dojima...even Igor and Adachi had been here to see it.
"I don't know what that thing is," Adachi said, "but I can confirm that even spoiled cabbage combined with prison food would taste better than that."
"I have seen many things in my lifetime," Igor added, nose plugs in his area. "But NEVER have I seen anything that has combines the odor of Abaddon with the composition of Legion that hasn't resulted in a Persona."
Ryotaro Dojima then groaned. "Nanako," he said, "we're ordering from Aika's."
"Okay, Daddy," she replied, a little nervous. "It smells funny either way."
Marie then groaned. "And Margaret said that my chocolate was unnerving to be around," she muttered, writing something. "If this ends up in my grave, you guys might have an advantage in using poisoned weaponry."
Now, normally, Yosuke would probably gloat and say 'I told you so' concerning what happens when they let Yukiko, Chie, and Rise in the kitchen, but this time, well...
"Please tell me there's a location we can safely dispose of this," he muttered. "Every time this thing shows up, we're either going to be stuck with it all day, or it turns into a Shadow."
"Our cooking isn't THAT bad!" Chie yelled.
"The latter only happens when Margaret makes Mystery Food X, Chie," Marie said. "Or any of the other residents of the Velvet Room, Elizabeth included."
"Before we can confirm a place for this un-bear-able mix of food," Teddie exclaimed, glad that he decided to be in human form, "can I say that you are not throwing it into the TV?"
"Agreed," Igor replied. "The Sea of Souls is someplace that the odor can do without. That, and someone you know does not want to remember the experience."
Adachi blinked. "Sea of Souls?" he asked him. "Is that some sort of afterlife?"
Yu sighed. "Kind of," he said. "Igor knows more about that subject than I do, and we've only been there a few times. What we can confirm is that it's where Mayumi Yamano, Saki Konishi, and King Moron go when they were murdered."
"And Mom," Nanako replied, somber.
Adachi gave out a small frown when he realized it was a sensitive subject. "Sorry I asked, then," he muttered.
Yosuke groaned. "So," he muttered, "how long until the biohazard squad shows up, Yukiko?"
"They'll be here in a few minutes," Yukiko replied, putting her cell-phone away. "Although we might have to move to another place while they decontaminate the area."
"And we'll probably stay at the Amagi Inn for a few days, too," Dojima added. "If you don't mind."
Yu then sighed. "Well," he said, "Nanako would have a good time, at least. Not sure about Adachi."
Adachi gave Yu a look. "I did promise you that I wouldn't be causing trouble," the former killer replied. "I never met up with Mayumi Yamano and left Saki alone."
"Yeah, but it didn't stop the death of King Moron," Kanji replied.
"That one was out of my control. Morooka's cause of death was blunt force trauma with a baseball bat, and the killer was Mitsuo Kubo, who had a bit of an attention complex."
Dojima looked at Adachi. "And yet, I start to wonder how good of an officer you can be when you're not focused on the whole thing," he muttered. "Or acting like a rookie."
Adachi gave out a small glance. "A Persona User on the police force," he muttered. "I'm pretty sure Shirogane and Satonaka would fall under that."
"That," Naoto replied, "and the only other one we know of is Katsuya Suou. I tend to run into him on certain cases."
Chie gave Adachi a look. "Dojima told you?" she asked him, Adachi giving out a nod in reply. "Right. Anything I should know about?"
"If you're going to be under his wing, you have to know how he likes his coffee."
"This is kind of weird, seeing him act affable to us," Rise whispered to Yu, who, out of the entire Investigation Team, was the closest to the former killer. "I was under the impression that if he Awakened, he'd hate our guts."
Yu's response...was a little unexpected.
"Maybe, but remember that he did help us out against Hi-no-Kagutsuchi. That, and even though he's keeping his promise, he's more aware about the circumstances changing from 'solitary confinement' to 'house arrest.'"
Adachi then gave Yu a look. "I heard that," he said, "and you're not wrong on the house arrest. Dojima and Nanako are considered my Wardens in this case, and...they're pretty effective."
And that's when a knock on the door was heard.
"I'll get it," Dojima replied. "Try not to start a fight. We do not want that thing spilling onto the table and floor."
The others nodded as he opened the door.
"Ryotaro Dojima?" a voice asked him, the man nodding. "Where is the offending odor?"
"Right this way," he said, leading them towards the barrel in question.
The head of the biohazard group, however, only said, "Men, we've got another Mystery Food X in the area."
"Another?" Dojima asked him. "You mean, this has happened before?"
The biohazard unit's leader nodded. "We get calls from the Kirijo Group about this every now and then," he muttered. "The last one was triggered when someone's cooking got overexposed to egg-whites and protein products. The dish looked bad on its own, but adding that just triggered a reaction."
"This is why we let Senpai do the cooking," Naoto said to Adachi. "Less likely for this to happen."
Adachi got the idea instantly. "Not going to argue with that after seeing...that...for the first time," he muttered.
[Persona 5]
(no title)
Author: wildrook
"Well," Morgana said, "at least Sojiro was kind enough to let us have a TV...although I wouldn't recommend jumping in it."
Akira nodded, remembering Naoto Shirogane's explanation on how they became Persona Users. "Everyone has their method of using Personas," he added. "And considering the only entrance is in a Junes in the middle of nowhere...or at least, the only Entrance and Exit...it's best not to risk it." He then looked at the talking cat from the Metaverse. "Up for a movie?"
"We've got time before palace raiding. Which one do you have in mind?"
That's when he heard a knock on the door.
"It's unlocked."
The door opened with footsteps ascending the staircase to reveal a blond-haired male classmate.
"Hey, Boss," he said. "You Awake?"
"Yeah, and the Nose is Anchored from what Morgana told me." He then smiled. "Long time no see, Ryuji."
Ryuji gave out a grin. "Same to you, Akira." He then noticed the set up. "Sometimes, I wonder if Sojiro is Awake in order to give you that kind of entertainment system...and is that a PS4?"
"Yeah," Morgana said, hopping onto the bed. "Futuba helped us set up the system."
He then looked at them. "So, no plans for going out?" he asked them.
"We're technically under house arrest," Akira replied. "The cell's just fancier because of good behavior. Either way, we were thinking of having movie night before going through Kamoshida's Palace again."
He nodded as they looked at this. "What were you guys thinking of watching?" he asked them.
"22 Jump Street."
"A Cop Drama?" Akira nodded, Ryuji just sitting on the bed. "Well, someone's interested in looking at the enemy."
"That's not exactly true," Morgana replied. "They're just...less corrupt. Kind of like the few cops in this Branch that are Awake. Like Naoto and those people she mentioned that she's both close to and have met."
Ryuji got the idea. "And if it wasn't for jurisdictional friction," he said, "they'd have probably stopped the beatings altogether. At least, that's my guess."
"Considering that one of them was a bully hunter," Akira replied, "yeah, Officer Satonaka would have."
…
(After the movie)
They were kind of stunned at the whole thing, but there was one part that stuck out in their heads.
"Akira," Ryuji said, "would I really be that vocal?"
"You tend to be outspoken," Akira replied. "And yes, I may have seen you do it when you were sent to the Interrogation Room with me in front of Sae or when Sojiro confronted me."
Ryuji gave out a nervous chuckle as he laid down on the bed. "Yeah, I know I'm a loudmouth, but Makoto and Futuba are our friends. Then again, be glad that neither Sojiro or Sae have tasers."
Akira and Morgana nodded as they remembered that scene.
"That reminds me," Morgana muttered, "how'd they get Channing Tatum for Kingsmen when he was this loud?"
"Maybe he's that good of an actor," Ryuji replied. "It's not often you see the transition from loudmouth to sharp-dressed butt-kicker."
And that's when they heard Akira's phone play one of their battle themes as a message was sent.
It was from Caroline and Justine, and from the tone of their expressions, Akira knew this was big.
"What, did we miss the deadline?" Ryuji asked him.
"Worse," Akira replied. "Their sister is coming to visit."
Morgana gave out a look of complete and total shock...before realizing something. "Ask them which one," he muttered.
Akira texted that and...the reply...
"The one that left the Velvet Room and curb-stomps humanity's desire for death on a yearly basis," he read.
The total shock face had returned on the cat, leaving Ryuji confused.
"Caroline and Justine have sisters?" Ryuji asked them.
"Two sisters, one brother, and three friends," Akira replied. "And from what I've heard, every single one of them are insanely powerful due to the Nose training them."
Ryuji cringed. "And...why is this one feared?"
"Because Elizabeth's the only one of them that has the power of the Wild Card," Morgana replied. "She just prefers using Thanatos as it reminds her of an old friend."
Ryuji got the idea, remembering how Akira can be deadly with multiple Personas. "What's your order, Joker?" he asked, going into business mode.
"Gather the team, Skull," Akira replied. "If we're going to end up fighting her, I need everyone with me. Caroline and Justine are powerful, but Elizabeth's stronger than they are."
"You might want to remove the Orb, too," Morgana added. "If it's one thing the residents of the Velvet Room hate, it's the Omnipotent Orb."
Ryuji nodded, bringing out his smart phone to contact Ann, Yusuke, Futuba, Makoto, and Haru, hoping they were Awake.
They needed everyone on hand in order to calm this terror down.
[Persona 5], [Jurassic Park]
Dinosaur Eden (title added by compiler) – parts 1 and 2
Author: GarnettFoxy
"Well this is new." Akira mused as he opened the envelope addressed to him and Morgana, on his shoulder said cat was awake and tense.
"Be careful Joker it might be a trick." He cautioned, a pair of tickets fell out of the letter as Akira unfolded it smirked a little at the bold opening title.
A prize you have to be Loopy to say no to!
"Subtlety, you'd have think they would have heard of it." Akira chuckled skimming over the letter, he'd 'Won' an all expenses paid month long trip for him and Morgana to the world famous Jurassic World resort. He pulled out his frantically beeping phone checking his messages seeing that Ryuji and Ann had also apparently gotten the prize envelopes and where asking if they should go or not.
After a moment of thought he smirked and typed his reply.
'Pack for central America'
…
The quartet of Phantom Thieves where met off the boat by a Miss Hammond who had apparently been the one to organize the sweepstakes they had 'Won'. While apparently the same age as them the teen was as tall as a grown woman, was obviously muscular under the army styled coat she was wearing in the tropical heat, and her neck and cheek was three thick scars running diagonally across them.
She grinned as they stepped off the boat "Welcome to Jurassic World, if you'll come with me we'll start you off with a personal tour of the offices and other behind the scenes goings off of Jurassic World. Your bags will be waiting in your interconnected rooms when the tour is finished."
They where dragged into her office the woman pinging as she locked the door.
"We're awake, now what the hell is going on." The woman sighed sitting on the edge of her desk.
"That makes this a lot easier." She smiled offering a hand "Roxanne Hammond, native Jurassic Park/World looper."
"Akira, Morgana, Ann and Ryuji native Persona loopers." Akira smirked shaking her hand "Now what's the catch? You had to have a reason for this." Roxanne sighed.
"The prize thing was just to get you here I'll admit. And don't worry no matter what happens I'm not kicking you off the island you get to enjoy the VIP treatment no strings."
"Your dodging the question."
"I'm just making things clear." Roxanne huffed "this is just an offer, you can take it or leave it at your leasure I'm not forcing you." She rapped her claw like nails on the desk "I'm the heir to Jurassic World, only a few years from taking it over after dad...Well I have reason to believe that Jurassic World is going to be ruined, burnt to the ground if I don't do anything to change it but I don't have the power to do so. Every Jurassic World loop a monster is created known as the Indominus Rex, a Hybrid monstrosity-"
"I checked online, aren't all the Dinosaurs here by definition 'Hybrid monstrosity's'?" Ann questioned, Roxanne grinned showing to many sharp teeth to be normal.
"The normal Dinosaurs contain only the DNA of a single species of Dinosaur and some animal DNA needed to fill in the gaps and help them survive in the modern world. For example the grazing Dinosaurs like Stegosaurs and Triceratops have bovine DNA added as otherwise they wouldn't be able to digest Grass. The Indominus Rex on the other hand is a hybrid of some of the most deadly dinosaurs and animals on the planet. Raptor, Spinosaur... , viper...Human."
"Wait some guy makes Dinosaur human...things?!" Ryuji yelped.
"Thing singular...Well it was plural at first as in baseline it had a sister. She ate them." Roxanne sighed "I don't have proof he's made it, yet. What I would like is you to find evidence that Henry Wu is either planning or has created the Indomnius Rex and either bring me the evidence so I can have it destroyed before it slaughters half the park. Or change his heart so that he never creates it in the first place...And if that is the case, I would like to join you in changing his heart." She grinned again gold eyes glinting coldly "I more then know my way around a fight. And as for payment, I'll reward you handsomly from my subspace pocket, and you'll gain favors with all of us Dinosaur Loopers as the Indominus is one of our most hated adversary's."
The four shared a look and nodded Akira pulling out his phone
"You said his names Henry Wu yes?"
…
'Candidate found' Roxanne sighed hearing the voice of the Meta-Nav.
"Looks like we're in business, so Miss Hammond where would Wu think of as his palace." Roxanne smiled.
"Please, just call me Roxy, as for where now that's easy he's the head of the DNA labs the only person he answers to is Masrani." The Meta-Nav chirped it's confimation once more. "As for what...Uhrm...His own island?"
'No candidates found.'
"We're already on an island so his cognition wouldn't distort like that." Morgana sighed, Roxy hummed and looked to Ann.
"Uhrm...Can you translate cat for me?"
"Research facility?" Ryuji tried getting another negative. "Damn it."
Ann hummed deep in thought "He's creating his own Dinosaur, an entirely new species...Kind of like God creating life in the garden of Eden."
'Result found'
"Jesus he's that deluded?" Roxanne sighed shaking her head as she got off the desk "Come on there's a old matanence tunnel that leads almost directly to the labs, I don't have actual access to the DNA lab but that should be close enough."
…
The 'Garden' looked like a twisted cancerous nightmare trees with neon colored leaves and trunks twisting in way no earthly plant could replicate, flowers with stems threatening to snap under the weight of hideous growths, instead of the sounds of flourishing life there was deathly silence broken only by heinous screams of no creature that should have existed.
"Well this place looks fuuuuuun." Ryuji sighed adjusting his mask before noticing something "Uhhh...Ain't we missing someone?"
Morgana brushed his self off frowning "Lady Hammond seems to have failed to follow us."
A hot puff of air that stank of rotting meat made the four of them freeze "Sorry I think my cognition's fucked up." Ann squealed as she was nudged a sheepish looking T-Rex peering out of the trees.
"What the hell?!"
"...Ya I didn't mention. In my baseline I'm a...Well I'm a T-Rex."
"...And you didn't think that would be relevant information?" Joker deadpanned. The Rex shrugged with it's tiny arms.
"Sorry I didn't think it'd effect me like this...I wonder..." Roxy closed her eyes and seemed to vanish before their eyes. Before they could question it there was a triumphant shriek and a Velociraptor jumped out from the bush grinning. "Ha! Thank you every single Shapeshifter I have ever been."
"...This isn't even the weirdest thing we've experienced let's just go."
[Persona 4], [Persona 5]
(no title)
Author: wildrook
'Another Loop,' Akira thought within the classroom, 'another Yasogami variant.' "So," he muttered, looking at the Investigation Team, "what's so significant about the Group Date Cafe?"
The utter silence...other than Yu labeling the chopsticks for a possible King's Game...was enough for him to show that he's probably going to get an awkward explanation.
"Bro," Yosuke said to Yu, "we've been over this."
Yu looked disappointed. "It just a conversation starter," he muttered.
Kanji gave Akira a look. "It's something that happens every time we have a Culture Festival," he explained.
Akira's blank stare just brought an even more awkward silence.
"He's not kidding," Yosuke replied. "At first, it was utter curiosity, but then it turned into something embarrassing. And every time we try to change it, it's still the majority vote."
Chie then groaned. "We need to put more than one slip in there that changes it," she muttered.
"Still not answering my question," Akira said.
Yosuke then sighed. "Well, it would be just guys and girls just sitting on both sides of the table trying to make small talk," he said, "but every time, there's always an uneven amount and one of us has to sit at the girls side. And it's either me...or Yu."
Akira nodded as he tapped it in his smart phone. "And the chopsticks...is this because we never finished the King's Game at Paulowina Mall's nightclub?"
"If I recall," Chie muttered, "you two managed to take the atmosphere in way too much and started sword-fighting with chopsticks the moment Narukami drew the red one. You said something about being the Joker that would 'overthrow the King.'"
"Yeah, that was fun," Yu said, looking at Akira. "We should do that again sometime."
Yosuke face-palmed. "Why is it that every Wild Card we know has to be an outright goofball?" he muttered. He then brought their attention. "Okay, we have six people, so we have the usual plan in mind."
Kanji then groaned. "Let me guess, one of us has to be on the girls' side?" At that moment, Akira found himself the furthest from Chie and Yukiko. "SERIOUSLY!? HIM, TOO!"
"Hurry and take a seat please," Akira said, in a falsetto tone.
"He's learning," Yu muttered. "I can't tell if I'm proud or not."
"I'm starting to think you're a weird influence on him, Bro," Yosuke said.
It didn't take long for the guys to be seated. As usual, Yosuke was seated across from the guy while Yu took Daisuke's usual spot.
"Okay," Yosuke muttered, "I can't believe I'm doing this, but we're going to go for the question box."
"Wasn't that Teddie's suggestion during the Group Date in the Rift Between Time?" Kanji asked them.
"Rift between what?" Akira asked them, falsetto still present.
Yu gave him a stare. "It's a place between Space and Time where we meet Zen, Rei, and S.E.E.S. in a fake Yasogami High," he replied. "That reminds me, you'll meet up with fellow Wild Card Makoto...sometimes he goes by Minato."
Yosuke then groaned. "Not exactly a good approach when he's in character," he muttered, bringing out a tissue box and six slips of paper. "Now, write down a question and put it in the box, then we'll randomly take one out after shaking it, just to make it interesting. We'll go Clockwise for this one by position of the box. And Kanji...try not to be too specific."
"Alright, alright," Kanji said, writing his down and putting it in the box.
After a minute of silence with Yosuke shaking the box, he was the first to draw a card.
"Okay," Yosuke said, "this one says, 'Can you keep up with me in a...steak-eating contest'? Chie, is that yours?"
Chie was startled. "I had no idea that you'd pick THAT one!" she yelled.
"Well, to be fair, it's kind of obvious that my wallet and I would collapse faster than you would." He then looked at Akira. "I think that question was meant for you."
Kanji was up next as he drew one...and was amazed. "Wait, what is this?" he asked them.
Much to their shock, Akira had changed into his Joker Outfit without either of them looking, giving Kanji the look.
The question...was the calling card of the Phantom Thieves.
"This just got awkward pretty fast," Yosuke muttered.
"I think she's trying to steal your heart," Yu commented. "He's adapted quite well."
"Seriously!?" Kanji yelled. "Why is it always me?"
"We haven't even gone a full round," Chie muttered, "and already, things are going off the rails."
Without a beat, Yu was next.
"So, what kind of girl do you like?" he read. "Let's see...if you want an honest answer, I'd have to say...any preference but the creepy type after the incident in the Amagi Inn during baseline."
...And it just got even more awkward.
"No wonder Margaret called you a man-whore," Yosuke muttered. "You're up next, Chie."
Chie blushed as she brought out a sentence. "So, what do you think of...cute things?" she asked them. "Kanji, is that you?"
Kanji gave out pained look. "Is it that obvious?" he asked them.
"You're the one who makes plushies in his spare time," Yosuke muttered.
"Well...I did like the replica of Tomoe you made. I still have it on my cell phone. Does that help?"
"It's probably the straightest answer we had all round," Yukiko replied, drawing hers. "Let's see...'What would you think of serving your customers origami napkins?'" She then looked at them before turning to Yu. "That's one of yours?"
Yu just gave her a blank stare. "I kind of thought it would make a nice addition," he said.
"That's probably because you're the only one that can pull it off," Yosuke replied. "And that makes..."
Considering they hadn't paid attention to Akira, the fact that he instantly changed back into his school uniform was quite jarring.
The last question was Akira's.
"'Which one of us would you prefer to have for a boyfriend?'" he read, STILL keeping the Falsetto voice. "Hmm...while Yosuke's got that adorable kicked puppy look and Kanji's got the manly/sensitive combo..."
"Kicked puppy?" Yosuke asked him. "I know that happens a lot to me, but do I really invoke that look in people?"
Kanji then face-palmed. "I didn't think of myself as a combo," he muttered.
"...I'm going with Yu-kun because he's father material."
This did not surprise any of them in the least. Not because of the father material, which was a boon due to mostly taking care of Nanako, but more along the lines of 'every girl tends to have the hots for Yu Narukami.'
"Did I just walk into something totally cringe-inducing again?" a voice asked them, revealing Ryuji. "Because I could have sworn I heard Akira say that he'd go for Narukami-Senpai because..."
And that's when Yukiko started on her hyena fits on how awkward it was.
"Please tell me you brought cold drinks," Yosuke said to Ryuji.
Ryuji nodded as he brought the cooler out, revealing drinks.
"Huh, they would go well with the food we ordered from Aika's," Chie replied.
Before Ryuji could ask, Aika appeared behind him, catching him by surprise.
"Your order's here," she said.
"Where did she come from!?" Ryuji yelled.
"You can order at her restaurant from anywhere," Akira said, STILL using the falsetto voice. "Even inside a Palace, I'd wager."
Ryuji groaned. "Why is Boss acting like this?"
"Don't ask," Kanji muttered. "Just grab a bowl and sit down."
Ryuji nodded as he did so, sitting on another table entirely. "Just going to point out," he said, "interrogation by Makoto's older sister is less awkward than this."
And no one else came to the Cafe that day.
[Persona 4], [Persona 5]
Debrief
Author: Edgar Fizzlewhip
"Akira, I owe you and Yosuke apologies. Your loop is much harder than it looks from the outside."
"Okay, that explains why you think you owe me one, but why Yosuke?"
"Morgana was replaced by a sleeping Teddie. I never knew you could make so many bad cat puns."
"Right."
"And, in retrospect, telling Sae that I was dating Makoto and had maxed out her social link was a mistake, but in my defense, I was heavily drugged by the police."
"Is that what we're calling it now? And no, telling Sae about dating Makoto never really turns out well."
"Still, on the plus side, I did get Rise's new album early and a promotional poster for it."
"That's it? That is the sum total of advice from my wise elder? His teammate is annoying and it's a bad idea to tell the prosecutor in charge of my case about banging her sister."
"What do you want from me? Dr. Takemi has nice legs?"
[Persona Q], [Persona 5]
(no title)
Author: wildrook
"So, tell me," Akira muttered, "how is it that we can only use Four Personae?"
"It's what happens when we have three Wild Cards on our team," Minato replied. "Narukami and I had experienced something similar before your group Awakened...there are different traits we have that make them more efficient. Add the fact that the others can use Sub-Personas, and we've got one heck of a power creep on our side."
Yu nodded as they looked at the army of cards the Queen of Hearts had brought up. "And it seems like she has more than 52 cards in her deck this time," he said before looking at the black-clad male and the yellow female. "Zen, Rei, how are you two holding up?"
"We're fine, Narukami," Zen replied, Rei using a crossbow herself. "Although I did not expect her to have this many card soldiers the first time around. Can you clear them in one hit?"
Yu nodded. "Yosuke, tell the others to stand back," he said. "We're going to be releasing the triple Morning Stars."
"Ryuji, you heard him," Akira added.
"Mitsuru, stand back," Minato finished.
"I swear," Junpei muttered, knowing where this is going, "you guys synch faster with each other than you do the rest of us."
Mitsuru nodded. "You heard them," she said. "Everyone get back."
As they piled out of the room, Minato, Yu, and Akira had their Evoker, Tarot Card, and Masks ready.
"LUCIFER!" Minato yelled, blasting the evoker in his head.
"HELEL!" Yu yelled, breaking the star Tarot Card.
"SATANEL!" Akira yelled, the fire showing on his person.
At that moment, all three aspects of the Morning Star appeared with Satanel (being human-sized) leading the charge as fire, ice, and gunshots had riddled the area, destroying the Queen of Hearts.
Zen and Rei were the first to look at the carnage.
"That was your Ultimate Persona?" Rei asked Akira, who nodded. "He's scary."
"Yeah, but it's not often you use that guy as a symbol of hope," he said to the spirit.
Minato and Yu just stared at each other.
"Should we tell him?" the blue-haired male asked the guy.
"That he'll probably run into the guy in the main Amala timeline?" Yu replied, Minato nodding. "As soon as we get out of Wonderland."
"They're that powerful," Futuba replied. "And those aren't even their Ultimate Personae..."
"Remind me to never anger them," Ryuji said.
"I will admit," Yusuke replied, "seeing three different forms of that guy...it's rather inspiring. Does anyone have an easel?"
Ann gave Yusuke a blank stare. "You saw art," she muttered, "we saw absolute carnage."
"The sad part is," Yosuke said, "there's a lot more to this Branch than you think. Let's meet in the Velvet Room."
"Wait," Zen replied, looking at the three. "Is the box still intact?"
"Yeah," Minato replied. "You still need it?" Zen nodded. "Go ahead."
Zen and Rei walked over to said box, opening it to reveal her stuffed rabbit.
"You've grown," Zen said to Rei. "At first, you were terrified of learning the truth, but now...you're comfortable."
"I've had the chance to live, Zen," she replied. "And when I don't, I get the chance to make new friends and hang out with my old ones. It's nice to know that I can live my life and afterlife without regrets."
Zen gave out a smile. It was faint, but Rei knew that he had been developing emotions.
…
"So, you're telling us that our Branch is just a small part of a bigger one?" Haru asked them.
"One a lot more screwed up than ours," Shinjiro replied, the others seated with tables around the Velvet Room. "Seriously, compared to guys like YHVH and the White, we're more of a Quirky Town."
Makoto was a bit skeptical, but they knew more about this place than the others. "So," she muttered, "how is it that we've got the part with corrupt officials while you guys deal with the concept of Death and Illusions?"
"Because the world can change for better or worse," Naoto answered. "And by the time Namatame takes office, while he still keeps in contact with us, he's mostly out of Shidou's way due to Inaba being that far off."
Akira nodded as the listened intently to their seniors. "So, YHWH and the White," he muttered. "If they're as feared as you say, are there methods in taking them out?"
"For starters," Minato replied, knowing where this is going, "YHWH is powered by belief. From what I've heard from Flynn, one of the locals, you have to denounce his claims in order to weaken him, but he'll try to come back stronger as long as there is one person who believes in him." He then groaned. "The fact that I have Messiah as my ultimate Persona just adds to the irony."
"As for the White," Yu said, "it's usually best to take them out before they start their breaking speeches. They usually take the forms of loved ones and people you've bonded with, or in your case, Confidants, and they really don't like the fact that they're stuck in a Time Loop. I think Naoto said it best when they're nothing but children having tantrums."
Akira got the idea. "So, Yaldaboth on steroids for the first one," he muttered, "and a bunch of whiny kids who complain about things not going their way for the second."
"And even though Lucifer may be seen as a affable friend," a voice said, catching their attention as Igor had appeared on the chair, "he, too, must be treated with caution, Joker. He is not known as the Trickster without caution, as you are already aware of."
Morgana just gave Igor a look. "So, what are the odds that he'd make Akira his apprentice?" he asked his creator. Igor gave out a frown. "There's something else, isn't there?"
"One of the most common visitors I've had is Naoki Kashima, or as he's known in certain areas, the Demi-Fiend. That young man is the shining example of why the main Amala Branch was quite the crapsack world before the Edit, to the point where his own Shadow had forced him to rampage through Yggdrasil at one point."
That caused the Phantom Thieves of Hearts to freeze until they caught onto Igor's use of tenses.
"You said 'was,'" Yusuke muttered. "What happened?"
"Quite simple, young Fox. He moved on, aware of the futility of trying to restore his friends. While his road was rocky, there was nowhere to go but up. And as he walked the path of redemption, he found a new love, new friends, and forgiveness...even after a certain incident which made him disillusioned to certain colorful people, he had managed to be civil with them."
Ryuji got the idea. "Yeah," he muttered, "I'm starting to see why there's a problem. Must have been hell on Earth if he was dealing with that much crap in his life."
"It's not a pretty place," Zen confirmed.
The gloom within the Velvet Room had continued for a bit as the newcomers pondered about what would happen if they were in that part of the branch. The only sounds were of Yu writing numbers on the multitude of chopsticks.
"You trying to lighten the mood, Senpai?" Kanji asked them.
"Kind of," Yu replied. "Why?"
"Because I'm pretty sure that there's a festival going on, and you're implying that the King's Game should lighten the mood."
That caught Morgana's attention. "King's Game?" he asked them. "Wait...does it have anything to do with the mock swordfight Yu and Akira had?"
"Oh yeah," Ryuji muttered. "I don't think Naoto was Awake at the time. Still, if it helps lighten the mood, I'm in."
Yosuke groaned. "I think you're going to regret saying that, Ryuji," he muttered.