Work Text:
NAME OF STORY/MOVIE/BOOK: Persona 5 Royal
Is this a “successful” meal or a “failed” meal? How do you know? Explain using evidence from the text.
It is a successful meal with an unfolding rivalry hidden underneath their words. Akechi invites Akira to this secluded jazz bar that Akechi happens to frequent, and it is revealed that Akira is the first person Akechi has ever brought to the bar. They have some small talk over some sweet, carbonated drinks while there is some light music playing in the background. (I’m pretty sure they start to talk about how Akechi is pursuing the Phantom Thieves so I’m going to base it off of that) Akechi then gets to the point and begins to talk about how the Phantom Thieves case is rather draining for him and how public opinion seems to be swaying back and forth. Akira himself is a Phantom Thief as well as a rather silent protagonist, so he doesn't have much input for Akechi, although he does side with the Phantom Thieves again and shows some subtle support on his behalf. This doesn’t go unnoticed by Akechi and he even points it out, although Akechi quickly dismisses it as quickly as he brought it up. This scene is so funny because Akechi has this facade going on where he has this goofy, unarming smile while he is probably thinking in his head how much he hates Akira. And then after a couple more rank ups, Akechi tries to beat Akira in a duel where Akira proceeds to beat his ass. Akechi is dramatic af and throws his glove at Akira who catches it with incredible speed. Akechi’s all like “Y’know in the west, they throw gloves at each other all the time when they want to duel” and Akira’s just like “Okay pretty-boy”. A couple months and one destroying-of-an-alternate-reality later, Akechi is implied to be dead and Akira spends his last day in the area going around and saying goodbye to different people he has rank 10 with. Due to Akechi’s (supposed) death, Akira visits the jazz bar and engages in a small discussion with the owner of the jazz bar. The owner mentions how he hasn’t seen Akechi in a while and is worried. This makes Akira feel solemn about the loss of Akechi, but as he reflects on their relationship, he feels something in his pocket. As he reveals what was concealed in his pocket, he realizes that it is the glove Akechi threw at him when he declared for them to duel. This gives Akira some hope and he promises that he and Akechi will have their duel one day. This encounter brings many players to tears as everyone playing hates Akechi’s guts but wants him to be alive again. But have no fear, as there is a scene that gives many wet dreams and uncertain hope. The very last cutscene in the game shows Akira boarding the train, getting ready to leave Tokyo. As he is sitting there, contemplating the most stupid goodbye he had with Sumire and how it would have made no difference had he simply ignored her, he receives a notification on his phone and immediately sees who is trying to disturb his peace. Unfortunately, at this exact moment the player sees three people walking outside the window from where Akira sits. Two of the men are wearing simple black suits, while the third one wears the exact same uniform a certain Detective Prince we know wears. At this moment, time slows down as we see him walk by the window, and this brings a huge shock to everyone who caught this. Of course, the second they pass by, that is when Akira raises his head and looks out the window, searching for something. Akira is such a dumbass and I love it. Now, with how he had hurriedly looked out the window as soon as Akechi had left, that leaves me to believe that he somehow was alerted that Akechi was there and tried to find him, but just narrowly missed him. I don't care how people say “Oh well later Akira saw his Phantom Thief self in the window so the window probably doesn’t portray what is actually going on, it just reflects his desires, blah blah blah”. Why would a goddamn window reveal something that we see yet Akira doesn’t? This isn’t Akira having a schizophrenic episode, this is Atlus being a cock tease. But anyways, this has completely gotten off track about food and communion, but that’s okay because this helped me kill time while listening to the audiobook of The Great Gatsby.