This page contains unmarked spoilers for Persona 5 Royal. You Have Been Warned!
Akira Kurusu moves to Tokyo in early March under new circumstances. But as he bears witness to a shocking accident, his fate is set upon the path of ruin: one that he can only avoid with faith in his trusty confidants and his own brand of justice.
Royal Blossoms is a retelling of Persona 5 Royal written by DefinitelyNotLuna with a few changes as well as an expanded focus on Akechi, Sumire and Kasumi.
As of May 2021, the story is ongoing at seventeen chapters. It can be read here
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This fanfic contains examples of:
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade:
- Downplayed with Sumire as while her depression is touched upon in canon, it's much more prominent here due to Sumire's Ascended Extra status - however, because Kasumi is alive and Akira becomes friends with her during her hospital stay, Sumire is in a better mental place than she is canonically, lacking her suicidal impulses or delusions.
- In canon, Kasumi was shown to be a cheerful and idealistic girl (which is carried over when Sumire was taking on her identity). Here, after a month of being hospitalized, she ends up crossing the Despair Event Horizon and becomes a Stepford Smiler. Her depression gets to the point where she forms a Palace of her own and if her Shadow is any indication, has become suicidal.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: Due to Akira's lack of a criminal record here, Sojiro is a lot kinder to him upon his arrival.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Akira moves to Tokyo in early March, one month before he does so in canon.
- Adaptation Origin Connection: The fic heavily implies Akechi caused a mental shutdown on the truck driver who almost hit Kasumi; Akira mentions the driver showing similar symptoms to the psychotic breakdown victims. In canon, no such thing was implied, with Kasumi's death being a complete accident on all parties' ends and Akechi having no confirmed involvement.
- Ascended Extra:
- Due to being Spared by the Adaptation, Kasumi gets more screentime and development than she does in canon.
- Unlike in canon where Sumire was mostly irrelevant to the plot of Royal until the third semester near the end of the game, here she's a prominent character from the start and joins the Phantom Thieves much earlier overall.
- Berserk Button: Whatever you do, don't ever try to harm Sumire whenever Akira is around.
- Break the Cutie: Kasumi's Game-Breaking Injury ends up taking a toll on her mental health.
- Broken Ace: Kasumi is an accomplished gymnast, but as her Shadow reveals, she loathes the high expectations set on her which lead her to believe that failing or otherwise showing weakness would be considered a betrayal of everyone's faith in her, including Sumire's. These feelings intensified after the accident.
- Creepy Monotone: Shadow Kasumi's first appearance has her speaking in a monotonous voice on how she can't support anyone anymore and that she must die in order for Sumire to succeed.
- Game-Breaking Injury: Kasumi gets both of her legs broken in multiple places during the accident. She ends up wheelchair-bound as a result.
- For Want Of A Nail:
- Akira manages to intervene in the Yoshizawas' car accident, saving Kasumi's life in the process, though it does lead to all three getting hospitalized.
- During their stay in the hospital, Akira talks to Sumire, helping her get over her inferiority complex and helping her realize that there are people who recognize her as herself. This would lead to Sumire rejecting Maruki's actualization.
- History Repeats: As noted by Akira himself, the discovery of Kasumi's Palace happened the same way he discovered Kamoshida's Palace, this time dragging Sumire along with him.
- Ironic Name: Akechi notes that one of his targets, Hisao Yoshinaga, has a given name that translates to "long-lived man".
- It's All My Fault:
- Sumire initially blames herself entirely for Akira and Kasumi getting hurt. Akira manages to talk her out of it.
- Rescue Romance: It's a Shipping Fic set after Akira helps save Sumire from being run over by a truck.
- Spared by the Adaptation: While Kasumi still ends up getting hit by a truck after running after Sumire, she survives the ordeal though not without getting severely injured.
- Stepford Smiler: Around others, Kasumi puts on a somewhat optimistic act, but reverts back into depression when alone in her hospital room.
- Suicide for Others' Happiness: Shadow Kasumi is willing to die in order to ensure Sumire's success without burdening her.
