thinking. about rens first two months in tokyo and how hes basically internally screaming and also hiding his clenched fists in his pockets all the time HES SO PISSED OFF and hes SO good at repressing that shit as a civilian but my god... it comes out in the metaverse v heavily at the start
ren really went into their year on probation completely closed off. wanting to keep his head down. he didnt want to know anyone and didnt want anyone to know him. keep out of trouble. stay safe. trying to avoid pain from all directions. emotional or physical. real or imaginary. he would create a personality so cold and so distant. whatever he needed to do to.
and then the universe drops one (1) ryuji in front of them and that whole plan fell apart.
ryuji saw ren was alone and decided to walk to school with him. that one show of kindness in a world that had since become so unjust and so bleak -- ryujis concern for them, a complete stranger, when under attack in the palace. and ren decided he would die for him.
ryuji is the real heart of the phantom thieves and thats why hes ren's second. he was the one who gave ren hope when he came to tokyo all alone. thrown to the wayside by their parents and treated like garbage by everyone around them. ryuji was the catalyst for ren believing in people again. he and ann helped ren learn to trust again.
his relationship with the two of them is different than any of his with the other pt. because they're the OGS and they had to face the prospect that they could ultimately be collaborators in killing a man if shit goes south. the amount of trust you would have for each other in this situation is insane.
ren has cat-like sass and gives cat-like affection. if he likes and trusts you he will want to be close to you and could even go out of his way to lie on you. you will become a pillow. he enjoys head pats. but the primary behavior is the cat-like Bonks.
and its not just head to head bonks. ren will give the headbonks to someones shoulder, their knee. it really depends on the position ren is to the recipient but. he just. bonk... most of the time theyre. silent thank yous or i love yous or theyre. silent requests for affection or comfort. words get hard sometimes if hes overwhelmed. and hes shy
ryuji saying 'whats bonkin' is an even funnier bit because of this habit ren has. ren laying around with everyone in leblanc and he just
post-games, goro totally picks up on this affection style. just from mirroring ren in an attempt to better understand and be understood. (autism to autism communication)
goro picking up rens silent, subtle affectionate Bonks. as an indicator that he wants attention and ren just. Understanding without the need for words???? its so good.
it helps with goro showing vulnerability and expressing his needs. if its hard with words (something goro struggles with) then actions are just easier. and i think goro is someone who could actually come to enjoy expressing his needs to those he trusts most. cause goro is someone who is starved for love.
and in mirroring rens weird cat affection, its like his brain unlocking new life hacks. literally him relearning how to live life like, ‘you mean if i go out of my way to bonk my head against rens shoulder they could kiss my forehead and hold my hand??? i wont even have to ask???’
thinking of how rens terrible eating habits heavily impact his performance in the metaverse in the beginning. how often ren would pass out or feel like passing out when first starting as a phantom thief because his diet does NOT make up for how much energy hes using in the metaverse (even if the metaverse lets you do feats you wouldnt be able to do irl)
ryuji and ann and mona are like AAA ARE YOU OKAY and ren is like. uhhh yeah. my bad. gimme a minute. like. he faints at least TWICE going through kamoshidas palace and they have to leave so ann and ryuji can FEED HIM.
ANN: oh my god, oh my god, ren— how many fingers am i holding up??
REN: seven
RYUJI: are you in pain anywhere?? shit!! what do we do??
MORGANA: stop crowding them!
RYUJI: dude!! he just fainted!!
REN: guys, im fine this happens a lot
RYUJI: BRO?? what?
ANN: Hello??
REN: well it... used to? when i was a kid
MORGANA: w—were you sick? are you sick??
REN: need to eat.
MORGANA: you— (we dont have time to unpack that) youre hungry? now? right now?
REN: sure
ANN: when was the last time you ate?!
REN: lunch. bread. had cup noodles last night.
RYUJI: oh. dude, your blood sugars so low youre tripping over it.
REN: heh,, my bad
ANN: geez, okay, we’re leaving right now! and we’re gonna take you out to eat!
REN: oh. uhh
RYUJI: seconded. and youre bringing home all the leftovers
REN: um
MORGANA: joker, you wont object to sushi, will you? can we get sushi?
RYUJI: taking the opportunity to satiate your tuna addiction even now?!
MORGANA: shuddup! i’m his greatest motivator! you want them to take all the leftovers or not? (he’ll feel less guilty about being spoiled if he can use it to spoil me!)
REN: eheheheh hahahaha!
EVERYONE: ?
REN: sorry, im fine (wipes his eyes from laughing. also he’s genuinely kinda emotional cause he has people who love him so much) yeah, we can go. im ready…
MORGANA: yes!!
ryuji and ann (and many of the others going forward) carry snacks on them specifically because ren forgets theyre a human being with a body that needs fuel to function.
both him and yusuke are disasters in this aspect. yusuke is no stranger to collapsing because he hasnt eaten enough. futaba also forgets they need to eat too cause their hyperfocus goes crazy. and goro also skips meals a lot.
ren has a job by the time they start madarames palace, i think? so at least he has more spending money so he can buy food for himself. and also sojiro is AWARE by this point that rens parents did, in fact, NOT send them to tokyo with a budget. so he's feeding ren every morning now rather than some mornings. he's allowing ren to touch the kitchen. use some beans and curry ingredients. and eat leftover curry. and he occasionally brings takeout home for him. (when futaba asks for takeout and he figures he should buy ren some too)
but sometimes. ren does. still. indeed. forget to fucking eat. hes running around doing all these things and has so much on his mind. so busy and goal focused on being team leader and helping others (unconsciously avoiding his own pain by doing so) that of course his autistic ass isnt. capable of that extra bit of processing when it comes to. his own needs. (and his needs never had a place at the table growing up. ofc hes completely detached from them)
years of dysfunctional eating cant be undone completely within just one year. (especially with ren going BACK to the environment that fostered those habits in the first place in the end.) they get better but theyll never not be just a bit dysfunctional. but being allowed to use the kitchen and being given a safe space where he feel like he wont be judged or attacked when he does it, has them going out of their way to try new things. to learn. to cook for their friends and they really really enjoy doing it.
rens eating habits improve in part through his own desire to provide food for his team. to support his other friends whose habits are also not that great. and as a show of love and gratitude for everyone taking care of him. this is also why ren spoils morgana so much. because this cat is constantly reminding ren to rest and take their time and eat.
SPEAKING OF RYUJI ive been thinking of adding his own crashout to the okumura arc at the same time as mona. because drama.
like. i know. i know everybody collectively goes UUHHHHGGGG during this part and i get why. i totally get it. its frustrating cause you just wanna shake the characters and tell them to talk to each other. (and i think a lot of people are frustrated by it because they just Dont like morgana and think hes annoying. none of that here)
not to mention how it overshadowed harus intro arc (which is also why im still debating it) but i feel like this could be remedied by. introducing haru earlier. we meet goro in june and he doesnt join the team til november. no reason we cant set haru up early too.
is this behavior in character for morgana? yeah id say so. could it have been written more smoothly? very yeah. listen i could go on about morgana and why this crashout of his Works with his arc and why characters like him are so squeezy toy to my brain BUT. later. ryuji time
i know ryuji isnt really the kind of kid to hold grudges. every time someone he cares about is angry with him, he thinks its more or less acceptable if they take it out on him. its just all he knows (but its not really okay!) but hes gone through the grueling psychological trauma of an awakening and. the truth of the matter is. kamoshida isnt the only person who he should tell to stop looking down on him
morgana does it all the time. and its rare i hear any objections from the gang other than a “will both of you knock it off” as if ryuji isnt outright being provoked. and yeah you could say this is just how they are. ryuji is a teenager and morgana is like two. communication blunders of the ages. ect.
and i do think this is part of it. some people have friendships full of teasing and ribbing on each other. but they Lead with Nice. you have to like. treat someone with enough kindness to warrant being able to playfully dig at them as a friend and morgana.
hasnt? sure theyre able to rely on each other as team mates but mona is just needlessly a little bitch. a lot.
i think the two do genuinely care about each other. that they can act like friends and they are friends. but. consider. its not enough that morgana has to stop being mean. morgana should have to be nice.
because when mona says “ryuji you idiot” or “you dumb monkey” or “youre pathetic” ryuji does, in fact, Not hear “ryuji i know you can do better” its literally just words hes endured for years at this point. and again!! i dont think mona has treated him nice enough to reach bullying privileges!
morgana has set the tone for pretty much every interaction he has with ryuji and the kid is just meeting him where hes at. which is why ryuji so easily calls morgana useless and thinks nothing of it. i mean (gestures to everything morgana says to him that the gang regards as normal and fine)
and the gang needs to object a lot more loudly to the ryuji slander. but they dont. and i think ryuji should have his own crashout moment because hes sick of morgana dragging him and no one really saying anything. they should have to have this moment where theyre like. aw fuck have we been bad friends? shit
and also realize that. them enabling mona to bully ryuji does not exist in a vacuum. it has consequences. and has in part fostered the dynamic that has ryuji so easily insulting mona. which leads to the cat running off in the first place
I wanted to share with you my thoughts about Persona 5 Royal because I love your rants!
So, Ryuji sees Ren as his bestie and hates Akechi for attempting to kill his friend and hurting the group in general. But then, Ryuji has to see how Ren is kinda becoming a rlly good friend with Akechi and he must be so confused on what to think!
Like he knows Akechi was an a**hole but now he is Ren's friend and kinda taking the place Ryuji had in Ren's life!
He must have felt a lot of conflicted emotions, and I want to see your thoughts about this
hi!!! very cool that you like my ramblings and thanks so much for saying so. and for sharing your thoughts with me!! i enjoy the chance to chit chat,, though i might struggle to gather all my thoughts together coherently
ryuji and goro have very VERY different relationships with ren. and each holds their own place in rens heart. and theyre both so precious to him. ren met ryuji and it was like standing in the warm sun after being cold and in the dark for so long and flowers bloomed in their chest. and meeting goro was a different kind of thrill. it was a game of wits. it was heart pounding and motivating. whatever souls are made of yours and mine are the same (for better and for worse)
ryujis relationship with akechi has a TON of potential. they have a lot in common.,, ryuji starts off seeing goro as some snobby bootlicker who would sell them to satan for a cornchip. and goro sees ryuji as a tactless fool with hot air between his ears. but while working with them. he, against his better judgement, and despite ryujis reservations as well. they start to see each other a bit different.
goro is not immune to Ryuji Charms and Ryuji is more emotionally intelligent than most give him credit for and he can stand in solidarity with goro as someone else who has suffered greatly at the hands of adults who should have helped him. and yeah, the whole thing is very conflicting.
i dont think ryuji would see goro as a threat to his place as rens best friend, mostly because it. isnt really clear if the gang knows just how close ren and akechi become until later. how much they regularly talk and hang out and understand each other. like,, the gang might think its a keep your friends close and your enemies closer sort of thing. that its all pleasantries. that this is all part of them playing goro as goro tries to play them. and be varying degrees of surprised at how much ren seems to grieve him after he disappears.
i think when goro joins the team theyre surprised by how familiar they act with each other. (what do you mean you gave him a Thieves Club bracelet and a cute endearment MONTHS AGO ren this is the enemy!!) of course ren and goro try to keep things low key. cause they both know whats coming. but. it becomes clearer. just how close ren has allowed himself to be to the resident backstabbing shitbird. and ryuji is like. hey ren whats the deal. what the hell. because hello?? look at what goro has done and what he plans to do. (hes worried for rens wellbeing moreso than anything else)
at that point, i can see him being very curious about their friendship. ren says theyre rivals but just how close are they? what do they do when they hang out and what do they talk about? he doesnt expect ren to spill a lot cause hes a private person. and then he asks. hey. but im still your best friend, right? and ren is like firefly my bruhloved no one could ever take the place of you. and ryujis like. alright cool. love you too, mia. be careful... (im here for you.)
and ryuji and the rest of the gang try, as their comfort dictates, to bring goro into the fold and be friendly with him. ryuji wants to know why ren likes him so much as much as goro wonders why ren likes ryuji so much. and the only way to find out is to try and hang out with the guy. ryuji is surprised at how athletic goro is and extends invitations to run or bike with him. they dont really get much chance to know each other better except as team mates on the battlefield.
they sure arent what one another would consider friends. and yet by the end ryuji is the guy to tell a broken goro "man, youre more than special." and "youre your own person, you gotta know that" because thats the kind of guy ryuji is. and goro cant wrap his head around it (this is why hes rens second!!! and the heart of the pt!! dummy!!!) ryuji didnt want goro to die! he pounded on that door and called him an idiot!! they can be friends!! i see the vision!!! and this is my city!!!
and like. post games i very much see goro and ryuji as like. coworkers at Loving Ren Inc. SDKHFSDF and ren has two hands. the thing is. ren is the kind of friend goro wished he always had, too. and goro takes a Long time to realize that ren is also his best friend. so its very much a chain here.
goro: this is my idiot, ren. and this is their idiot, ryuji. (<< pictured, goro getting sucked into the polycule, circa 2018)
also like. ryuji and ren have their own friendly challenges with each other a lot. if anything i think goro is far more likely to get all huffy and be like thats MY rival THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! YOULL NEVER CHALLENGE HIM LIKE I DO. but this fact also acts as a gateway to goro becoming closer to ryuji. like. when they bring goro into their own friendly challenges as a third. it. makes goro feel included. and they bond more. goro finds another rival in ryuji in a completely different way from ren. and theyre both so aggro for rens love and attention. like jealous puppies. and ren has to kiss them to calm them down LMAO
i can go on about them but its shippy this is really long orz
"Red heads huh, I prefer blondes myself. But I really see the appeal in 'em though, so I gotta say great taste mah man." (he saw the bingo card)
UNPROMPTED
( always accepting )
@scarlxtleaves said: "Red heads huh, I prefer blondes myself. But I really see the appeal in 'em though, so I gotta say great taste mah man." (he saw the bingo card)
"It's not like that I swear!!". Says the guy who's face is now beet red in embarrassment and who's light has left his eyes, now looking dead inside. Whoops. Guess the cat's out of the bag with this one. Now Ryuji is going to tease him for the rest of his days.
Why did him of all people see Akira's bingo card?! However, Akira comes back to the real world by a few words said by one of his best friends since coming to Tokyo.
".......! Wait a minute! Is that why you have been eyeing Sumi these past few days?! Answer me right now Ryuji. Ryuji!!". He's never seen the blonde run so fast to get out of the new situation the former track runner had gotten himself in. Guess they both now has something to hold each other over for the rest of their lives.
