I had a dream that I may use as a fic idea some day. PegoBan, but Souji is a girl (henceforth called Somi because it means "beautiful," I think?) and she and Akira are high school sweethearts with no friends and shitty parents that hold them to shitty expectations. So they pack their bags and hop the last train out of the city, heading to Inaba in hopes of starting a new life.
That's where the dream ended, but what if...???
So they ditch their old phones and change their names and Somi cuts her hair and they get jobs in the shopping district and have a tiny, TINY little apartment above Skiroku Shop or something, and it all takes some getting used to but they're happy together and they make it work, even though Somi works double shifts at Junes while Akira works at Aiya's and also the bookstore.
But then Akira gets arrested. Doujima, who is a better father in this AU and hasn't yet figured out Somi is his niece (she didn't know he was there either, oops), is on Akira's side because those charges are some bullshit. He's the one that calls Sojiro and asks him to take Akira in. Later, Dojima takes in Somi because she can't quite make rent anymore and everyone is hesitant to cut the girl dating a "criminal" much of a break.
Everyone's Persona journeys happen pretty much the same after that, and because Somi and Akira facetime CONSTANTLY, they're both fully up to date on each other's stuff. Yosuke is still Somi's best friend, and she comforts him after Saki's death and in return he comforts her after Akira's arrest. (He 100% has a crush, but he's kinda friends with Akira, too, and even helped Akira pick out a promise ring or something for Somi idk, and he's never gonna act on it. To both Akira and Somi's polyamorous frustration.)
Sometimes when he's in Mementos, Akira can feel the Fool bond vibrating, and he knows it means Somi is in the TV world and they can both kind of reach out to one another through that bond. When a fight goes ary and Akira is in legit danger, a Persona he didn't summon appears and shields him, and he knows, he KNOWS it's Somi trying to protect him because she watches the news RELIGIOUSLY now, for more than just Midnight Channel stuff. At first it's a beautiful woman bathed in gold light, with golden armor and a glittering crown, a massive two-handed sword held high.
("I am Guinevere. Villainize me, but I choose the truth of my heart before my duty to the world.")
Later, after Akira's phone is bugged he stops messaging Somi about persona and PT stuff because he doesn't want her targeted, and it's only after he fakes his death that he can tell her why, but Somi has a breakdown in the meantime because she thinks the love of her life, her fiance, her SOULMATE is dead. She forgives him, of course, because she understands completely after he tells her but she's also an emotional wreck right now and Nanako is missing so she doesn't talk to Akira for a little while after that.
Akira thinks she's pissed enough to leave him, but during the final battle, that golden, queenly persona reappears to protect him, only this time she's clothed in bright silver armor, with shining wings, holding a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.
("I am Jean D'arc! I will fight and live and die for what I love and know is just!")
And they win.
The IT wins and the PT win and Akira does his stint in juvie and at the end of it all, the rest of the Thieves drive him back to Inaba, where Somi is waiting, and the two of them RUN at each other because it's been a YEAR, and she's still wearing that crappy little ring because of COURSE she was still gonna wait for him, what the hell, Akira?
But maybe Inaba (other than the IT and the Dojimas, because you KNOW Nanako calls Akira "Aki-nii") still doesn't like Akira much, and he DOES kind of have a job offer and a mostly free place to live at Le'Blanc, so maybe Somi does wind up leaving Inaba like in game canon, but it's less bittersweet this time. They go back and live above the cafe, and Somi can hear Morgana talk, who flirts with her just like he does with Ann (Akira is going to put the fear of god into his cat if Mona doesn't stop, so help him.) Yosuke comes to visit them some times and WHOOPS POLYAMORY, because Akira and Somi are also dating like, half the PTs now, get in here, Hanamura.
(And also Haru pays for the Seta-Kurusu wedding and no one can stop her.)
