#phantom thieves x reader

[apples-and-all-that]

hii apple :D

I was thinking about a phantom thieves x reader angst where reader is a persona user but is constantly being left out by their teammates… like when you’re in a friend group and they lowkey don’t want you there mmm angst yumyum

it’s your choice to add resolution but honestly hurt no comfort is just as fine :P

I'll be right here, right where you left me

Phantom Thieves x Phantom Thief! Reader ♯ right where you left me - Hindia and Jae Park Synopsis: when you had no choice but to be a part of the Phantom Thieves. Genre: angst. Hurt/ (gulp) no comfort. Tags: Insecurity. Insanely OOC. Crying. Sojiro's a good guy. Suicidal thoughts. Loneliness. Mental health issues. Self scratching (?). Mentions of suicide. Reader implied to have no family. Ambiguous but sad ending. Wc: 2.6k

C/n = code name

You thought you had found yourself a friend group.

The very same friend group that you'd see in coming-of-age TV shows and movies where the group of outcasts bond and become one. Share each others trauma and talk about it together.

And you did. In a way, you did. It wasn't like anything you imagined, though.

Your friends don't seem to like you.

You don't even know if they'd consider you as their friend.

You just happened to carry the misfortune of being a Persona user. Of having problems big enough that you developed superpowers.

It just felt like you were outside of the greatest inside joke. Yet you were the inside joke. What with the way you'd hear snickers behind your back. Whispers whenever you'd do something wrong.

Each time you were in the MetaVerse, you felt deeply underestimated.

Every time they'd decline your invite to a hang out.

"Sorry, Y/n. I gotta work out." Ryuji's sorry smile didn't seem sorry, or like a smile at all. It never seem to meet you eyes. Especially when talking to you.

"I apologise, Y/n, I really need to finish my next project." Yusuke speaks as if you were the project. A project that exhausts him. The bags under his eyes seem to accentuate whenever you met them.

"I'm going shopping with Shiho, I mean, you can tag along, but I don't know if you know Shiho that well!" Ann never came off as mean. But she'd always make you feel like you were asking for too much. It's always 'if you want to.' And never 'I want you to.'

"I'm busy." Makoto was blunt, she never sugar coated things. But she'd always make you want to shrink in on yourself. Make you smaller under her intimidating gaze. But friends shouldn't make you feel intimidated. Friends shouldn't make you feel like you were screwing up every second of the day.

Futaba barely even talked to you. She acts as if you were capable of harming her. Her agoraphobia seemed to be better with the rest of the team. But would remain even when you were there. You wonder if you're doing something wrong.

"Oh.. well, I need to tend to my cafe, so I'll be busy this week! I'm sorry." Haru's always so kind-hearted, she tries her best to let everyone feel at home. Her voice is gentle and her actions are soft. But she speaks to you like a child, like if she says something wrong, then you'll do something you shouldn't.

Morgana acts like you're an idiot. Like everything you say is the stupidest thing that you could've done. Yes, you weren't a long time Persona user, but you knew how to do things, you knew how to learn. "No--! Y/n, you're supposed to use this, not that!" He grumbles. He's such a big talker for such a little guy.

And Ren-- your trusty leader. The quiet guy who should've been the one to treat you differently. To see you. He isn't any different than the people who would make up rumours about him. Who would whisper and point and scurry away from him whenever he'd try to speak.

It felt like they had their own seperate group without you.

No, you've never really seen them hang out with each other without you as a group. But you'd see duos.

You'd see Ryuji laughing with Yusuke. You'd see Futaba talk easily with Ann. You'd see Makoto invite Ren to the movies. You'd see Morgana say something other than complaints to everyone else.

You had nobody. You'd just watch from a far. Not knowing what to do. Where to put your hands, whether or not you should leave lest you cry on the spot and make everything worse.

You don't know what you're doing wrong. You're just like everybody else in this team. You were wronged by an adult like them, you were hurt like they were hurt. And you were helped like they were. So why do they treat you like--

Like a fucking loser.

It's always like this. Wherever you go. Even before you awakened your Persona. No one would even dare to look at you. No one would come up to you and strike up a conversation.

And even when you thought everything would be different, they weren't.

Which was why you made a decision. You distanced yourself. You only talked to them if you had to. You'd join in on the meetings at LeBlanc's attic, but you'd never dare to speak. In fear that you'd be humiliated like you always were.

"We should spend a few hours in mementos to collect coins for upgrades." You said, meekly. Voice smaller than you intended for it to be.

And much like you expected, you ended up getting shut down.

"We don't have time." Morgana didn't even spare a glance at you.

"Yes, our deadline is in a week," it felt like Makoto was sneering down at you.

"And we're only at the first floor of the palace."

You nodded, back slumping further down. Everyone was practically piling down on you. Gathering up and forming a group to make you feel as bad as possible.

The conversation went on. They didn't really look up to ask for your input. Despite the unanimous decision rule, it was like your opinion didn't matter.

You could feel your eyes grow wetter by the second.

You refused to break down in front of them, god knows how they'll treat you after that.

You excused yourself, standing up and walking down the stairs to the main floor. Not like they'd notice if you were gone anyway.

You practically ran to the bathroom, locking the door behind you and pressing your back against it. Ignoring the calls of Sojiro from the counter.

You slapped your hand onto your mouth. Trying to muffle the sobs that were threatening to come out of your throat. Hot streaks of tears falling down onto your cheeks, meeting under your chin before falling down onto the floor. Your knees were threatening to fall, weak.

You weren't sure how long you spend crying on the floor of this cafe. At this point, your eyes were already getting swollen, your nose was running like crazy, and you had to bite down on the knuckles of your hand to keep quiet.

Everything just felt too much.

You--

You just felt so lonely.

It was only when you heard a knock on the door that you scrambled up on your feet. "Just a second!" Wiping your face and splashing cold water onto your face. You let out a sigh, hands holding the sink as you tried your best to compose yourself.

Shaking your head, you unlocked the door and peeked outside.

"Oh, hey boss." You tried to crack a smile. It definitely looked wrong.

"You okay?"

That question alone made you want to break down all over again. But you managed to push through it.

"Yeah-- yeah, I'm just.. had a bad day is all."

He nodded slowly, very obviously not believing that it was just nothing.

"You want to talk about it? I can brew us up some coffee." Before you could refuse, he was already shushing you, making his way back to behind the counter.

Sitting down on the stool, you picked on the sides of your fingers, trying to calm yourself down and not go absolutely insane. Trying to redirect your attention to anything but your swallowed feelings.

You heard a clink come from in front of you. Hesitating, you looked up, adverting your gaze to the cup of coffee right in front of you.

"Thank you.." you muttered, not trusting yourself to speak any louder.

"Now.." He placed his hands onto the counter. "Tell me what's going on."

You blinked, eyes darting up to his face. You opened your mouth to speak, but you knew that it was useless. That when Sojiro wants to know something, he'll stop at no ends to know what it is.

"I'm.. I'm just having a bad day." You nodded, though, it felt like you were trying to convince yourself rather than him.

"Bullshit."

You felt your heart drop ".. what?"

"You can't fool me, L/n." He chuckled. "I've seen how you hold yourself up whenever you tag along behind the group." He recounted, you recounted as well. Cringing at yourself, at how you'd come in hiding behind whoever was in front of you. Worried that if you made yourself visible, they'd find something else to pick on you about.

You chuckle. Though it was dry. Nothing felt funny right now.

Before you knew it, you let out a large exhale from your nose. Slouching down further on your seat. "It's uh-- well. Hm." You struggled to find out how to tell him. "i just don't think I'm fit for this group."

Sojiro looks at you, his eyes unmoving, expression not changing. "Is that so?"

You nodded. Trying to ignore the twist in your gut. At the thought that you were finally talking to somebody about this.

"Yeah-- you know, it's nothing personal." It definitely was. "I just don't think I'm.. meant... for this group."

He sighs. "Are they.. giving you any trouble?" He tried to ask you casually, you knew what he meant though.

"No, nothing like that." You waved your hand. "It's more like... they don't really see me as a friend." You heard your own voice crack at the last few words.

"How so?"

Don't fucking cry. Not like this.

"Well....-- it's like. Like they don't like me." The corner of your lips were tugging down into a frown. "Like they're okay with each other but when it comes to me." Your nails were digging deeper into your knee. Trying to distract yourself from the heavy feeling returning to your chest.

"I dunno." You were scratching your leg now. "It's like they hate me."

"Why do you care?"

You looked up at him, shocked. "I care because.. because the only way I could ever start to like myself is if someone else does." You blinked away your tears. "I mean, if you spend your whole getting shitted on, you start to believe that that's what you deserve."

"Ugh." He looks off to the side, shaking his head at disappointment, at Ren, at his entire group. In general. "Those kids... I'll talk some sense into them--"

"No!" Clearing your throat and composing yourself. "I mean, please don't. They treat each other so well, so I'm sure it's just a problem with myself."

"Well, even so, they'll have to talk to you about it. Instead of treating you like this."

"No, no, it's alright."

He sighs once again, leaning further into you. "Don't do this, kid." As if he were sharing a secret. "Don't knock yourself down by blaming yourself."

You only nod. As if you were actually going to do anything about it.

It's not like you could just leave the group, you have fucking powers for christ's sake. Well, not like they enjoy your input, but you still had something to give.

You excused yourself once again, making your way back to the bathroom to freshen up.

Rinsing your face again and again with the painfully cold water for minutes on end. You opened the door walking halfway up the stairs, before you were met with nothing.

They weren't there.

In your confusion, you looked down, eyes struggling to find Sojiro. It drifted to the front door. The 'Closed' side of the sign was plastered outside, confirming the fact that he had to leave from errands or whatever.

But that didn't explain the empty attic.

They left.

Fuck-- of course they left.

How stupid of you to think that they wanted to find you.

They wouldn't go tot he MetaVerse without you.

They're hanging out. WIthout you.

Funny.

You knew it was going to happen evenually, but you didn't think it would be this obvious. You were right in the bathroom, how did you not hear anything? Six pairs of footsteps making their way down the stairs.

Maybe they were in the MetaVerse without you.

Or maybe they knew that you were in the bathroom, and they were intentionally trying to be quiet.

You felt your lower lip tremble once again. You ran upstairs, grabbing your bag and making your way out the building.

This time, you couldn't help but to cry. Couldn't help but to let the sadness take over. The devastating realisation that no matter how hard you tried, no matter how many people wanted to talk to you. You'll always end up by yourself in the end.

That night, you were on your phone, scrolling on social media to ignore your feelings.

You scrolled so far down, you stumbled on a post. A group selfie. You blinked, unmoving.

A photo of everybody, excluding you.

You swiped. A photo of Haru laying on Futaba's lap.

Swipe.

A video, of Ryuji and Ren laughing like maniacs. At a stupid joke that only they seemed to understand.

Swipe.

A picture of Yusuke crouching down, petting Morgana's back. He'd never let you do that.

Swipe.

The last picture made you tear up once again. Another group selfie. Couldn't have been just a few hours after you stormed out of LeBlanc. They looked to be in a restaurant, some cheap barbecue place downtown. Ren's hands held the tongs, while the bright coloured sodas assigned to everyone was visible in the frame.

You couldn't really take it anymore.

You sat up on your bed, your legs twitching, trembling in pure sadness. Utter devastation. You really, really hated this feeling.

You didn't bother with thinking when you sprang up to your feet. You ran out of your bedroom, slipping your shoes on and making your way out of you door.

You ran.

What's the purpose of life if this is how you're living it.

You couldn't live like this. You never wanted to live like this. You wondered what you did to deserve this.

All this time, you've just been trying. Trying to change your personality every fucking second just to satisfy everyone you've ever met.

Trying to not come off as too pushy, or too distant. Trying to become the perfect, and most balanced version of yourself.

You just hated this.

You ended up on the rooftop of your apartment building. Shivering under the cold of the night.

You stepped closer to the ledge.

You found yourself struggling to breathe, your tears didn't seem to stop. Your nose was blocked from all of the snot.

You tried not to let it go this far. But you don't know what else to do. You just want to escape. You just wanted all of this to stop. For these feelings to just go away.

For everyone to treat you like a regular fucking person.

Were you cursed? Was that what this was? Were you just doomed from the beginning that this was how your story was going to eventually end?

This wasn't the life you were promised.

And maybe, you'll get the one you deserved in your next. Or rather, this was the life that you deserved. Shaking, you inched closer.

You don't have a home.

You've never had a home.

You're just a lonely kid.

And you always will be.

*SIGH* this is my taglist Ig... *SIGHS LOUDER*

@orphicarchive @theempuzzlement @pinkwafflesxd @theempuzzlement

[thewolffairytaler]

this is meant to be more of an ask on the shorter side, but what are a couple fumbles the persona protagonists have made while trying to impress their crush?

Happy Valentine’s Day, by the way!

Author's note: It would have been better if this one came out on Valentine's Day. However, because I had plans that night, there wasn't enough time for me to work on this at all. Not to mention, it was a lot more difficult for me to figure this one out, which surprised me since I hadn't had that problem in a really long time.

There have been numerous instances where the Wild cards have made mistakes they wished they could have erased from existence, some more than others. Certainly, when it comes to the one who has a special place in their hearts. They may be Philemons champions, nevertheless, they aren't immune to the universal experiences of fumble when it comes to romance.

Makoto Yuki: As one of the oldest Wild cards, he is the most mature one, as well as the one who is dead inside. You'd think he wouldn't care if he did anything clumsily, and you'd be right. He could care less about how anybody perceives him, until that behaviour is challenged against his crush.

He might be stoic, including showing a few signs of asexuality every now and then, but he's not explicitly unsusceptible to attraction. He's still has his conflicted feelings on the matter, so the way he will show his clumsiness is through social and emotional cues.

He could accidentally overshare a topic, saying blunt truths without realising the social impact. He could also withdraw entirely, only responding to important matters such as orders.

There will be a lot of social awkwardness with this male. To be fair, though, he's like this with everyone. It will naturally be more with his crush since he has no idea how to handle his emotions with them.

To know if he's embarrassed is to look at his cheeks, he can shape his face all he wants, but that flushed face dosen’t lie.

The last tall Shadow with a tattered cloak, which spinned continuously, had finally dissolved into a dark puddle after being striked upon multiple turns. The four members of the team gather around their leader—Makoto, concerned for his well being for the reason that he got knocked down a few times, it was as if he had forgotten which of his Persona's had a weakness against the Phantom Mages. His breathing steadies, but his cheeks are flushed a vivid scarlet, a stark contrast to his normally composed conduct.

“Your not too hurt are you!? I tried to heal you with all the SP I had but- Um...Uh, Makoto‑kun. Why are your cheeks so red?"

The blue haired one side glanced at the individual for a moment, before uttering in a calculated murmur that it was just him feeling extremely warm from the battle.

"My palms got sweaty too..." It was a sentence more to himself than his crew, and the way he phrased it made it seem like he was pouting over it because it made his hands clammy. His crush giggle in amusement, he could be way too cute without meaning to.

Kotone Shiomi: Our favourite female protagonist is a way more showing soul than her counterpart, that's for sure. She's also the most likely one to embarrass herself the most.

Imagine listening to her crush and expressing frustration over a small setback. Rather than asking thoughtfully, "That sounds really tough," her happy go lucky instinct takes over. She would add, "Don't worry!" with a slightly too-bright voice and a slightly too-wide smile. "Next time, everything will go your way! It can't get any worse after how far you've come."

The mistake is in ignoring the person's legitimate frustration. She is desperately trying to heal their torment with pure positivism, leaping over the crucial step of sitting with the problem rather than trying to minimise it. And depending on what kind of individual her crush is, that can make the crush feel as if though Kotone dosen’t actually care about their situation as much as they believed she does.

Kotone might not seem as depressed as Makoto, but she's still in that mindset whilst trying to seem as good as she can be. She dosen’t want others to worry about her, and she genuinely does want to be happy no matter how much life seems to throw setbacks at her. She's trying her best. The crush and her have to communicate better in order for their potential relationship to work properly.

Yu Narukami: This Chad's fumbles would most likely come from misunderstandings or his deadpan honesty. It could honestly be a downfall mix of both. It's all about the scenario.

His crush is a horrible cook and wants him to try out a dish they had made? "Your cooking is... an experience." Attempting to seem fine, but wanting to vomit it out immediately before he faints from food poisoning.

Being the king in a Ōsama game, and then decideds an order than would normally make the both of you die in embarrassment? "What? Come on now (l/n). Are you seriously choosing a punishment over a kiss?"

This guy rarely gets embarrassed, and nothing really does phase him, but do it right, and he'll attempt to be smooth about it.

In Chie's own words, when Narukami says things, they don't sound quite as pervy.

Yu isn't trying to be a jerk. it's just a trait of his that is meant to be good intended... alright, perhaps his sentences are intentionally mean, but he's attempting his best for his sweetheart.

Overall, he's the champion with the least fumbles out of all of the protagonists. He's confident in himself, and his manhood, Yu said it, not me.

Ren Amamiya: This phantom thief is shameless, and his whole gimmick as Joker is being effortlessly cool, along with charming, but you tend not to see that with how cocky he can be.

Nontheless, he has his moments, and they can be hilarious.

If his crush happens to ask him for help when a teacher questioned if they paid attention to the lecture, he so happens to get it wrong. He'd definitely feel the embarrassing pain for them. Luckily for him, his crush won't be displeased about it. Though he will feel the sheepishness of the memory for a while.

He's incredibly goofy and dosen’t try to hide it, his teasing can be really sweet as well, yet when it's reflected towards him, something out of left field, he becomes a stuttering mess. Not as much as Futaba, but the mild kind where his cheeks get all rosey and he's nervous.

Ren is the literal definition of playing it cool whenever he fumbles. The type of guy that would seem unphased if he tripped whilst running in a palaces staircase's, to then get up and be on his marry way, ignoring his team's worries.

"It's okay, I've had worse injuries." The male patted his black coat to get rid of the floor dust clinging on to him. The masked individual looked perplexed at him for a moment, only to then press on the issue further. "Joker, your knees are bleeding!" The leader looked down to his pants to see two sections where crimson liquid was being soaked into the magical fabric. "Yes... your point?"

[crivyxen]

Hiiii!!!! Happy to see your doing fanfics again :D

Anyways anywayssss, may I request socially anxious!reader x phantom thieves! My vision was that like reader is a new phantom thieves member, but they are not really comfortable around them yet. So like outside of phantom thieves work they act really shy and distant. The others try to make them feel comfortable but progress is like slow and stuff. But then one day they finally open up and they do so by pulling like a silly prank on phantom thieves.

Sorry for how long this is!!! Thought it would be a cute, silly idea! Anyways thank you and have a goood dayyy!!!

phantom thieves x socially anxious!reader

not proofread! ~2.5k

Wiping off the sweat pooling at your brow, you slice through the last of the shadows in mementos. With a flick of your wrist, the gunk on your katana splatters on the floor and you move to sheath it, taking in a gulp of air and striaghtening yourself out. Looking at your watch, you realise you've been in the blood-tinted metaverse for quite some time now, and you were getting tired. Right as you slide your weapon inside, you grip it at the hilt and see the reflection of your eyes in the blade.

It's been a few months since you accidentally peeled back the covers on your unfathomably incredible power. The ability to change peoples hearts? It seemed far too good to be true. Alas, regardless of your initial apprehension and confusion, it was a fruit that was ripe for the picking. The opportunities to help people while staying behind the scenes was bountiful, and you could do all of this while shrouding behind your persona. You've always been a rather shy person, after all.

Once news of the phantom thieves and their forum drifted onto your timeline, you felt a myriad of emotions bubble up, the most prominent one was a sense of belonging. There were others like you. Not that you'd ever expected to run into them of course (they could be anywhere, after all). Well. That was true. Until now.

You practically jumped out of your skin when you heard a boisterous laugh and chatter ricochet off of the fleshy walls somewhere close by. With your heart thundering at an extraordinarily fast pace, you bolted further into the depths of mementos, slipping into a corridor in hopes as to not be spotted, so you could go on to process what exactly that was. Shit. Shit. Shit. Clearly there was something else with you. No, not something, someone! The phantom thieves? Could it be?

You clutched your head as you felt your footing slip away, nervousness crawling up your skin, prickling like the ghost touch of an insect or a stray hair you couldn't locate. "Did you guys see that?" a feminine voice reached your ears. Your eyes flew as wide as saucers, you backed up against the wall instantaneously, holding your breath and biting the inside of your cheek. Just great. "I thought I saw something move," the serene voice continued thoughtfully. "A shadow?" Another voice, slightly more mellow, piped up.

- The crew spent maybe an hour in mementos and everyone was starting to get tired. Morgana reverted back into whatever it is that he was in the palace and mementos - half-cat and half.. ambigouous creature - since being a transportation vehicle for 8 entire teenagers got far too exhausting to bear for such a long stretch. Proceeding Morgana's abundant complaints, they trekked on to finish off the last shadow request on the forum.

Only to find out now, that they'd reached their location and the only thing to greet them was not an individual who's irises gleamed an inhumane neon yellow, but instead, nothing. Nada. Zilch. "You think someone was just screwing with us when they put in the request?" Ryuji inquired, shifting his weight on his feet and kicking a stray stone. Ren frowned in response, "that's not right. I could've sworn I sensed a presence here.. but it just.. disappeared."

Ann went on a little further, narrowing her eyes and peering somewhere into the distance. "Did you guys see that? I thought I saw something move..", the girl trailed off, an unsettled look in her eyes.

- You clasped a hand over your mouth and screwed your eyes shut. You didn't even know why you were so scared. They weren't going to murder you. Well. You didn't know that. They very well could. But they probably won't, right? You steeled your nerves but still couldn't get yourself to turn the corner. What would you even say to them? How could you explain why you were hiding? Clenching and unclenching your clammy fists nervously, you couldn't help but feel like you'd rather be anywhere else.

Ren looked up at the direction Ann stared thoughtfully at and strided forward. Hearing the pattering of speedy footsteps in your direction, any sliver of courage that remained in your feeble body evaporated and you froze.

_

"Huh?!" The boy exclaimed, when he took in the sight before him. Mementos was laced with many mysteries, but after spending several months combing through the place, they figured they'd seen everything it had to offer. Seems like they were proven wrong, because what stood before Ren was not a shadow, but a person. Another persona user, by the looks of it. A person who seemed to be as shocked and startled as him.

"I'm sorry!"were the first words that left your mouth. Realising that made absolutely no sense, you slapped your hand over your face, the need to apologise again zapped through you like lightning once more.

Ren simply stared in awe for a few seconds, taken compltely aback, his once casual and unconcerned demeanour that put the team at ease propelled itself out of the window. The rest of the team caught up, and as they filed in, you felt your blood pressure spike. The second they laid eyes on you, the same flabbergasted expression made its way onto their faces. "Holy shit! It's a person!" Ryuji exclaimed, eyes gleaming with curiosity. You instantly shriveled at the statement, not knowing how to respond.

Futaba whacked the boy over the head, "you're scaring her! Can't you see that?", she reprimanded, Ryuji's boisterous demeanour dissapated instantly and was replaced with sheepishness. "Uh. I.. Er…" You managed to choke out half-baked words, but by heavens grace, Ren picked up on your struggle and filled in the gaps. "You're also a persona user?", not trusting your voice, you nod. "Hey, that's cool! We were just about to leave mementos though. Wanna join us for a bit?" Ann spoke up, her voice warm and inviting. She seemed to sense your frayed nerves. "Alright," you say simply, voice small.

That was how it started. You got all their names that day, and exchanged contacts. They didn't let you in immediately, but seemed to show some interest to get to know you more before extending a hand to join the phantom thieves. After a few more run-ins in mementos, and outings with Ann and Ryuji, they added you to the groupchat.

You didn't take their initial hesitation with bitterness but it still made you unsure of yourself. You were still the 'new member' and you felt like you hadn't truly assimilated with the group. Even with their assurances and small gestures to make you feel welcome, your anxiety pushed you to recieve it laced in doubt.

So you sat there at the phantom theives meeting as they planned their next trip to mementos and picked out requests to complete. Running your fingers on the rim of the half empty coffee mug, you zone out. Overlapping chatter fills your ears, and Yusuke passes you a chips packet, mouth full, he nods for you to take one. It takes you a good second to respond, you mutter a sheepish apology and take the snack.

You were grateful to have such inviting friends. But could you even call them friends? You weren't sure you meant to them. This fear was what made spending time with them feel like you were constantly walking on eggshells.

Ryuji seemed to notice you started marinating in your own thoughts for a while now. You were usually quiet but not this quiet. Ryuji was everything you were not, bold, radient, funny and charming. He had a way to lighten the room that made you truly admire him.

The meeting wrapped up and everyone started bidding their goodbyes. Yusuke and Futaba stayed back at the cafe for dinner, Makoto rushedly left to finish a school project. Ann quickly followed after her, asking if the former could help her with the same. Ren carried Morgana downstairs, setting the feline gently on the counter and got started on the dishes that piled up from their hangout.

The orange lights overhead the island made warmth buzz through your body, you set your scarf straight, waved to everyone and started on your way home. The road was still, save for a rare gust of wind - it contrasted the hearty atmosphere in the cafe, and you found yourself feeling as cold inside. You sighed and turned your phone on, the blaring light burst through the device, causing you to scrunch your eyes as you fumbled to lower the brightness, and in the process, it slipped from your grasp.

Your breath caught as it clattered on to the ground, you groaned and moved to pick it up, before another hand beat yours. Startled, you look up, met with Ryuji who wore a tepid smile. "Here, be careful", he chuckled as he handed you the device. Your face heated up. "Thanks… um.. are you going to the station?", "Yeah! Wanna walk together?", "Oh, er.. sure", you respond softly.

The boy shoots you another smile as you both start walking. The walk is filled with a comfortable silence, which Ryuji breaks as you both walk down the stairs into the station. "Hey so… do you wanna do something fun?", a thoughtful look crosses your face, "Like..?", "A prank!" Ryuji says cheerfully.

Ryuji wouldn't describe himself as the best companion, or most emotionally intelligent person. Infact, he often found himself not being able to say the right thing at the right time. But one thing he did notice was your withdrawn nature. It was obvious to anyone paying close enough attention. He knew what it felt like to be an outsider, someone who was there but never.. truly there. Someone who existed but didnt thrive. He also wouldn't say he was the best at dealing with situations like this, but if anything, he had to try. He had to try for someone who he saw parts of himself in.

And what better way to rope you in by actually making you feel like a part of something?

He snickered as you both concocted the plan on the train home. You seemed to hesitate but agreed quicker than he anticipated, so he took that as a win. Soft laughs, silly ideas, and unspoken affection that crackled with the graze of your fingers and the bump of shoulders, were the colours that painted the memory of this ride home.

__

On a fine autumn saturday, golden leaves cascaded down from trees and decorated the winding roads with speckles of brown. You, Ryuji and Ren planned meet up for lunch that day. Carrying 3 bentos in your backpack, you walked over to the duo when you spotted them. They greeted you with cheerful smiles, and you all ate at the bench to enjoy the weather before going back into the cafe. The view was pretty. You wished you could take a picture.

Ryuji stuffed the last spoonful of rice eagerly into his mouth, as he spoke without chewing. A stray grain settled on his cheek.

"You know, my grandma told me an urban legend today," "Oh yeah?" "Apparently if you go into the bathroom at 3 in the morning, with the lights off and spin around 3 times you'll summon a demon" Ren snorts in response "Do you wanna try it?", Ryuji snickered, "Sure". You giggled to yourself quietly, the plan was in action. The three of you spent the rest of the day perusing through the streets of shibuya, dressing up at clothing stores, running some errands for Sojiro, and finally bought cartirages that you'd heard Futaba and incessantly whine that it wasn't in her possession.

Returing back to the cafe, you lounged in the sofa in Ren's room while Ryuji sprawled out on the bed. "I'm so sleepy now," the boy whined and curled up against the pillow. You laugh softly. "then go to sleep, we had a long day", you respond, stretching your legs on the couch. "Nah.. it's like, I'm tired but.. I don't wanna sleep, y'know?", you hum "Sure, I get it. Do you want to do something?".

The sound of footsteps padding up the staircase reached your ears. Ren stepped into the room and stretched his arms before settling onto the futon near the bed. "What do you guys wanna do now?" he said as he wiped his glasses. Ryuji's face lit up, an idea seemingly crossing his mind. "I don't know if you'd be down for this but… "

That's how you ended up in the cramped bathroom, cross-legged on a stool while Ryuji deftly dabbed colour-dye onto strands of your hair, and Ren leaned against the bathtub while playing dulcet and melodic jazz music on the speaker connected to his phone. You felt warm. Warmer than you've ever felt in a while. You felt Ryuji's gloved fingers card through your hair, and as the expertly chosen songs graced your ears, you couldn't help but feel a blush creep up on your face.

You burned the scene into your brain, the memory would forever be remembered with a tint of serenity, the feeling carefully preserved and encased, so you could feel it throb dully whenever you'd recall it.

The time passed, laughter filtered through the room when Ryuji made dumb jokes and Ren responded with witty quips. Eventually you all went to bed, stretched-out on the futon, freshly dyed hair sprawled out on the pillow, blanketed by the warmth of what you think you might just call your best friends. You let your eyes shut.

You're awakned by a soft nudge from Ryuji. You make a disgruntled noise before peeling your eyelids open, and proceeding to rub at them furiously to get the gunk out of your eyes. "You good?" The boy whispered, you nod. Suddenly remembering the plan, you feel an excitement bubble up in your chest.

_

Ryuji lugged a drowsy Ren to the bathroom, "You seriously want to do this?" Ren grumbled, "Just trust me!", Ryuji chided as he held onto Ren's shoulders to turn him around thrice, Ren yawned sleepily at the third rotation, and opened his mouth to tell the other boy to stop, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a harsh yank of the shower curtain. Shock zapped through his body like lightning. Startled, he let out a yelp and stiffened, with a thundering pulse, he narrowed his listless vision to make out the figure standing in the shower.

Ryuji barked out a laugh and switched on the lights, revealing you standing awkwardly with a blanket draped over your head.

Ren sputtered, still sluggish from just having woken up, trying to make out the scene infront of him. You sheepishly smile as you take off the blanket, and let out a small giggle. "Sorry" you chuckled, but this time, it wasn't from a place of shame. Ren sighed softly before running a hand through his hair, and gave you both a smile. He then unexpectedly smacked you both on the head.

"Oh c'mon.." Ryuji whined. "Let's get back to bed. Who's idea was this? You owe me lunch tomorrow" Ren muttered, despite his words, his voice was laced with affection. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: anon, im so sorry this is a little late! i still hope you find this post. thank you so much for requesting! i know i focused a lot on ryuji and ren's character interacting with reader throughout this, because i struggled a little with getting the whole cast involved and this is how it ended up shaping up. i still hope you enjoyed it regardless!!

thank you all for reading! <3

[manias-wordcount]

Phantom Thieves' reaction to entering their friend's castle to find out the shadows are taking care of people within, showing no hostility towards them, as they see their friends need to be helpful to be wanted.

Dealing with Peaceful Shadow HCs (Phantom Thieves)

𝗔/𝗡: 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼!

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?

𝙗𝙪𝙮 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚?

They would most definitely be confused and entirely put off

It’s not like they haven’t run into shadows that don’t immediately attack them before 

But to see you and your shadows just…taking care of each other in different ways? Ofc they’re surprised

For the longest time, they have to debate amongst themselves whether or not there’s this is all just a trick to draw them in

And if it’s not, then what are even the ethics of them defeating you or any of the shadows here?? It’s not like the you that’s here is anything that concerning, right?????

Well, according to Morgana and what Joker knows about this world, it’s not that simple or as good as it seems

All in all, shadows represent someone’s darkest desires and most negative impulses and feelings

And the fact that you even have a palace means that there’s something much darker going on than they initially thought, even if everything looks fine and dandy and peaceful

So if this is what your palace is like, and to them you’re a somewhat normal person

It definitely makes them wonder just what type of person you are to others when none of them are around…

[frickingnerd]

love triangle with the phantom thieves

pairing: ren amamiya/akira kurusu x ryuji sakamoto x yusuke kitagawa x gn!reader x ann takamaki x makoto niijima x futaba sakura x haru okumura

tags: non-phantom thief!reader, loner!reader, protective!phantom thieves, wholesome fluff, supportive!phantom thieves

a/n: the phantom thieves truly are the reader protection squad!

the phantom thieves had their eyes on you from the very start, when it were just ren, ryuji and ann! even back then, you had already captured their attention and would slowly make them fall in love with you as the months passed by

you were more of a loner yourself, which was why you were always kind to the three of them. ren and ryuji were unjustifiably labeled as delinquents, while you knew all the rumors about ann were unfounded!

your kindness was what made the three of you fall in love with you and they always tried to find time for you, even when they were busy as the phantom thieves!

as yusuke and makoto joined the phantom thieves, it didn't take long for them to get to know you too! after all, ann, ryuji and ren wouldn't shut up about you, so they already heard a lot about you, before they finally met you

yusuke was drawn to you immediately, mesmerized by your beauty, both inside and outside

meanwhile makoto was a little more reluctant, unable to see what the others saw in you at first. but that would soon change…

by the time futaba and haru completed the phantom thieves, the love triangle situation had gotten even more complicated

for futaba, you were the one person outside of the phantom thieves that she got along with, leading to her growing attached to you and falling for you, just like her friends had!

and for haru you were a great support as well, during the difficult time after her father's death. so much so that seeing how kind you were finally opened makoto's eyes too to how special you truly were

despite all of the phantom thieves having fallen in love with you, there was barely any jealousy between them! sure, each one of them wanted to end up with you, but their main concern was your happiness! if anyone deserved to be happy, it was you…

so instead of fighting amongst each other, the phantom thieves worked together to protect you and make you happy wherever they could! you might not even notice it most of the time, but they always kept an eye out for you, taking care or anything that could threaten to trouble you…

it also made it hard for other people to approach you, as you essentially had an entire group of bodyguards constantly around you. only that you never realized how this looked from the outside and just saw this as friends hanging out together!

perhaps you were a little too oblivious at times, as you didn't even seem to realize how madly in love they all were with you. but none of the phantom thieves wanted to confess to you, as they were all happy with the way things were. as long as they got to keep you in their lives, they were content!

[cosmichorrorsarestillnicerthanme]

contributing to the curse (ask number) and your request for anything persona x reader (whims)

any game goes, but how about the characters with a reader that doesn't seem to mash with the rest of group too well? i'm talking someone who is quiet, the complete opposite of a team player, doesn't get the inside jokes, and doesn't hang out much with the others outside of persona ass-kicking pursuits...

this errs on the platonic side of things :3c just for fun

I had fun putting this together, though I feel it is a tad sloppy in the middle section but I am pretty sure that's just me.

Now! Your Wish Is My Command!

Ren drank his can of soda through a silly straw as he watched you, the hat he received from The Boss for his birthday which matched Sojiro’s own save for Ren’s being black with a red band as opposed to white with a black band sitting snugly upon his head.

Ren had to go through hell to get you out here, he was going to make sure you didn’t slip away when no one was looking.

The sound of billiards cracking against one another rang out.

“ARRRRGH!!! C’mon man!Cut me some slack here!” Ryuji cried as Akechi laughed.

“Hmph, and why should I do that? You’re the one who carries around a blunt instrument all the time, perhaps you should learn a bit of delicacy!” Akechi said as he moved to the sidelines and next to Yusuke who seemed to be pondering something.

“Crow, tell me, have you noticed?” Yusuke asked vaguely.

“I have, our dear Joker has been glaring at them for quite a while. Then again, it quite is rare for them to come out for a “Team Bonding” exercise.” Akechi stated as he briefly turned his gaze onto you from the corner of his eyes.

“I… was talking about the scene we are currently in being perfect to paint…” Yusuke meekly muttered, causing Akechi to sigh.

Was Joker the only one with a brain cell in this group?

He was promptly reminded that his favorite and most powerful Persona was a Jack Frost that can nuke anything and anyone. He chose Jack Frost purely because it was cute.

Joker most definitely did not own any brain cells.

“I am well and truly surrounded by idiots…” Akechi hissed to himself.

How could Joker believe such sacrilege?

Jack-O-Lantern was clearly the cutest.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Haru kept her eyes on you as the Mona-Mobile rattled down the halls of Mementos.

This was the first time she had ever been sent out with you on the same team.

It was proving to be… enlightening.

Especially with your Persona, Robin Goodfellow.

Trickery, illusions, and misdirection to position an enemy in the perfect spot to ensure defeat.

That is what your Persona specializes in.

And when Haru took your weapon into account… It made her think of the tricksters in the old stories she used to read as a child.

A wiley trickster causing mischief and chaos as they pleased to both friend and foe alike.

And to a certain point, that fit.

Except… you were always a bit off to the side.

Watching everything, working with the others for only as long as was needed.

The jokes the thieves made were lost on you and the moment they were done with Mementos or a Palace you were gone on the wind.

Now that she thought about it, that is probably why you were only able to do a Showtime with Joker who seemed to be the only one you listened to.

And it was certainly a mindblowing sight.

A “Midsummer Night's Dream” if she had ever seen one.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“It's Showtime!” Joker shouted with a grin as you walked forward, spear in hand.

“Do you Shadows dream?” you asked as you reached for the mask on your face.

Joker rushed past you, knife in hand and carved through the enemies before them.

You tore the mask from your face and your Persona appeared behind you with a manic laugh and an impish grin upon its face.

“I know that I do.” you declared evenly as you stabbed the tip of your weapon into the ground and the world changed.

A forest at night in the dead of summer with a hundred fireflies flying through the sky and a clearing filled with flowers stunning the thieves and the shadows.

“Unfortunately, dreams are but illusions without the will to make them real.” You stated as you appeared behind the shadows, speartip stained with their black Ichor.

Then, as quickly as it came the illusion shattered and an explosion rained down from above, courtesy of Joker.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Haru continued to be vexed by you.

She was not alone in that if the way the others talked about you was any indication.

“So then Joker, is ya pal gonna be joining us tonight?”

“I am desperate to paint their Persona, its whimsical beauty has truly enraptured me!”

“I got these sweets earlier today! I want to share them with everyone! Wait! They’re not here!? You better not eat their share, Ryuji!”

“C’mon! We can’t have a party discussion about what we’ll do in the next Dungeon if we’re missing our Illusion caster!”

“Joker, shouldn’t we try to get them to show up to at least a few of these to ensure everything runs smoothly?”

“If they bring me pancake mix again I am going to break their fingers.”

Haru was happy to see that everyone was treating you as part of the team despite how distant you were.

But… she just hoped you knew they had your back if they needed it.

They all knew what it felt like to be the odd one out as well as anyone could ever hope to know it.

They were outcasts, misfits, social pariahs, delinquents, and weirdos.

They were the Phantom Thieves Of Hearts, and you were one of them.

[bayothemayo]

🎃Whumptober Day 1: Panic Attack (Phantom Thieves x Reader)🎃

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |

Warning: Panic Attack

Loneliness. That is what you are currently feeling right now. Maybe you regret leaving your, now ex-friend group. Either way, it would be awkward to go back to them now. There was a new quietness in your life now. You are starting to not mind it now. You have some more free time for yourself. Though...you had notice that you feel a little more...anxious? You are not quite sure about what this feeling is. You continue to study and have a crisis about your future.

You don't want to disappoint your family.

You don't want to be a burden to them.

You don't want to end up being a stain in society.

You don't want to have a worthless life.

You don't want to be homeless.

You don't want everyone to look down at you.

You don't want to be a financial dependent on someone.

You don't want to work at a soulless job.

You don't want to be considered a failure.

You don't want to be considered as someone who threw their life away.

You don't want to work to death.

But you guess you have to.

You continue to do your homework when you felt pain in your chest. It was subtle. You dumbly thought it could be you slouching most of the time. But you can feel your breathing gets faster. The pain in your chest doesn't go away. You feel fidgety and restless. You want to rest in order to get this...whatever this is in control but you also need to finish your work. You try to slow down your breathing and continue to work.

Guess you'll get used to it.

[spextr1m]

Persona Navigation List

Persona 3

Makoto Yuki

Mitsuru Kojo

Akihiro Sonoda

Shinjiro Aragaki

Fuuka Yamagishi

Yukari Takeba

Persona 4

Yuu Narukami

Yosuke Hanamura

Reader with an evoker

Yukiko Amari

Chie Satonaka

Kanji Tatsumi

Naoto Shirogane

Rise Kujikawa

Persona 5

Ren Amamiya

Enemies to lovers S/O who sneezes loud

Ann Takamaki

Ryuji Sakamoto

Yusuke Kitagawa

Makoto Nijima

Futaba Sakura

Haru Okumura

Sumire Yoshizawa Goro Akechi