Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

1 TOKYO SUBWAY - AFTERNOON 04/09/2016

[Note: I’m using the estimated dates of when Persona 5, royal or not, takes place. If you wish, you can put 20XX instead]

WE OPEN to REN AMAMIYA waking up suddenly. He is wearing black rimmed glasses and the school uniform. Slight suddenly pours in as he frowns. He is seen sitting down on a seat on the subway.

Various other people are on the train as well, and everything seems normal. Buildings pass by in the background, and REN looks around at the advertisements. Another train’s horn blares in the background. REN tiles his head down as he starts to think about how he got to this point.

BEGIN FLASHBACK:

2 HOMETOWN NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT ??/??/2015-16

Heels could be heard clacking in the background along with huffing sounds. A figure walks in front of a parked car with its lights turned on. An arm is shown grabbing another’s and a distressed sound is heard. The woman’s face is revealed as she is forced to look at the DRUNK MAN, terrified. The woman looks behind the man at something or someone.

DRUNK MAN is shown curling his free hand into a fist. He takes a step forward as another hand touches his shoulder. The man turns and stumbles before tripping over his own feet with a shout. REN, without glasses and in casual clothing, and STRUGGLING WOMAN are shown with surprised looks. STRUGGLING WOMAN covers her mouth as she lets out another distressed noise. The screen flashes white before showing the previous scene but zoomed out. The man is lying prone on the floor. He gets up slowly, with a hand over his face. His eyes are narrowed.

The scene flashes white again before showing a shocked REN being dragged away by the police.

END FLASHBACK

3 TOKYO SUBWAY - AFTERNOON 04/09/2016

REN frowns to himself as he recounts what happened to him. Two girls gossip in the background. REN overhears and looks in their direction.

The two girls giggle. The train passes by a cross section before the scene cuts to REN, walking down a street looking at his phone. He stops and looks up. A panning shot shows the large and busy crowd. REN’s phone makes a noise, drawing his attention. A RED AND BLACK APP with a peculiar design, like an eye with a black star as its pupil is shown. It expands to take up a good chunk of the phone’s screen. REN looks confused as he taps his phone a few times. The world stops around REN, who looks around, confused and then shocked. Everyone but REN is frozen, who is looking around warily. A rising tower of blue flames can be seen, forming a figure that solidifies with intensity, reflection dancing in REN’s glasses. Orange narrowed eyes and a crescent smile appear in the flames as REN’s face without glasses and with yellow eyes flashes by. The scene suddenly fades to white and REN is shown spacing out as the rest of the world continues to move around him. REN looks around again before deleting the APP.

4 YONGEN-JAYA STATION - AFTERNOON 04/09/2016

WE OPEN to a subway train pulling up to a station. The doors open and people, including REN, begin flooding out, with more people running in to replace them.

REN looks around the station for a few seconds. The train pulls away behind him.

[Note: This is part of the tutorial, although you won’t get any metaverse shenanigans yet. Periodically tips appear on the screen, teaching you how to play the game.]

REN exits YONGEN-JAYA STATION, looking for his new lodgings.

5 YONGEN-JAYA BACKSTREETS - AFTERNOON 04/09/2016

WE OPEN to REN walking down the street, looking at his phone for directions. A WOMAN IN A LAB COAT power walks by him, causing REN to look up in her direction. She, however, has already run off. REN dismisses his curiosity as he turns to other matters.

REN puts away his phone as he begins to look around for SOJIRO SAKURA’S HOUSE. He runs around and eventually locates it.

[Note: Over the course of the game, there are side conversations you can listen to, although they are not strictly necessary. Because of that and the fact this is going to be as long as it is, I will include some, but not all of them. Maybe I’ll compile a master doc of all of them one day, but for now I’m not keen on the extra torture.]

REN rings the doorbell and waits, but no one answers. He looks around before looking at the doorbell again.

REN turns to look at PARCEL DELIVERYMAN, who is also attempting to get in the house.

PARCEL DELIVERYMAN devolves into mumbles. REN, using this information, goes to LEBLANC. He passes by people talking among themselves.

[Note: I keep this since it appears whenever you walk through areas of the game, and therefore something you experience. I might stop writing them down if they get too repetitive, however]

REN reaches LEBLANC. The entrance is small with red and white accents.

6 LEBLANC CAFÉ - AFTERNOON 04/09/2016

The interior of the cafe is brown and dimly lit. There are two ELDERLY CUSTOMERS sitting down at one table. A man with an apron and pink shirt, likely the MANAGER, is sitting on a stool doing crossword puzzles. A small television is on in the background. REN walks in as he takes in his surroundings.

REN takes a step towards the MANAGER, who finally notices REN and looks up at him. He puts down the puzzle and gets up.

The ELDERLY CUSTOMERS get up. The MANAGER turns to look at them.

The two ELDERLY CUSTOMERS walk off pass REN, who bends to the side to let them through. The MANAGER sighs.

[To sometimes I will add what the character actually says in brackets. Feel free to choose which one you use!]

SOJIRO walks up some stairs in the background and REN follows. The stairs reach to a dusty ATTIC with a bunch of trash bags and other unused things in it.

SOJIRO leaves the ATTIC and REN. REN moves to the center of the room to look around.

REN examines a cardboard box in the center of the room.

REN changes to some casual clothes before he continues looking around. He walks around the room.

REN starts cleaning.

6 LEBLANC CAFÉ ATTIC - EVENING 04/09/2016 CONTINUOUS

After a montage showing REN cleaning the ATTIC, WE OPEN to REN standing in the center of a now cleaned ATTIC, noticing the time.

SOJIRO comes up the stairs.

SOJIRO looks around the room with approval and a hand on his chin.

SOJIRO leaves the ATTIC. REN walks over to the bed.

REN changes into sleepwear and lays in bed, thinking about everything that has happened.

FLASHBACK:

HOMETOWN NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT ??/??/2015-16

END FLASHBACK

LEBLANC CAFÉ ATTIC - EVENING 04/09/2016

The scene turns to black as REN continues thinking about that day.

FADE OUT:

WE OPEN to REN walking home in the dark. He overhears things as he walks down the empty sidewalk.

REN stops at the noise.

REN walks towards the source of the noise to investigate.

REN arrives and takes in the scene from a distance.

REN walks towards the two before stopping in front of the car.

Police siren can be heard in the distance. The woman freezes.

DRUNK MAN finally notices REN standing behind him. He lets go of the woman, who is still frozen, to turn to look at REN

END FLASHBACK

8 LEBLANC CAFÉ ATTIC - EVENING 04/09/2016

WE OPEN to Ren still awake and looking at the ceiling. He has an angry look on his face. He closes his eyes to sleep. Suddenly, REN's phone rings. He pulls it out of his pocket to check it. He becomes confused. The APP he deleted earlier is back and pulsing red.

REN deletes the app again. He puts down the phone.

REN closes his eyes to go to sleep.