Sea of the Unconscious
is a Persona 4 written by signalbeam, based on an anonymous prompt the author received.
Instead of fighting Shadows and saving the world with their Personas, the members of the Investigation Team all get possessed by gods and famous historical figures from Japanese Mythology and Shinto lore. Hilarity Ensues.
This fanfiction contains the following tropes:
- Alternate Universe: Persona 4, except with the Investigation Team's Personas possessing them instead of being used by them.
- Butt-Monkey: Poor Yosuke is left to deal with the fallout of Susanoo's antics because Susanoo is too much of a brat to own up to his mistakes, and hides behind his human host should angry gods (especially his own family) come knocking.
- Bring My Brown Pants: Yosuke soils his pants after a very pissed Amaterasu comes after him, while in control of Yukiko's body.
- Commonality Connection: The headmaster of the Investigation Team's school has a hobby of collecting tank models. Rokuten Maou, who wants to be the king of collectible models, is intrigued.
- Demonic Possession: The story. Instead of becoming Persona users, the Investigation Team gets possessed by Shinto gods and historical figures of Japan instead. Dojima just thinks that the kids had gone batshit insane instead. It was all caused by Ayane, the timid girl in their school who was trying to summon her dead grandmother.
- Souji is possessed by Izanagi, the Top God in Shinto lore.
- Yukiko is possessed by Amaterasu, goddess of the Sun.
- Kanji is possessed by Rokuten Maou. Unlike most of his friends, who are all possessed by gods/goddesses and heroes, Kanji is a straighter example, as he's the host of a Demon King.
- Yosuke is (unfortunately) possessed by Susanoo, god of storms.
- Chie is possessed by Suzuka Gogen, a warrior woman who fell in love with a hero and betrayed the Oni king she married for the affections of said hero.
- Rise is possessed by Kanzeon, otherwise known as Guan Yin, the goddess of compassion and mercy.
- Naoto is possessed by Yamato Takeru, a Warrior Prince who famously used crossdressing to infiltrate enemy ranks and kill his targets.
- Irony: Naoto, influenced by Yamato Takeru, proposes to Dojima her plan to infiltrate a criminal gang meeting by dressing herself as a woman and using a hidden knife to behead everyone in attendance. In the game, Naoto dressed herself as a male so she would be taken seriously in the workforce.
- Jerkass God:
- Susanoo, just like in the original myths. He goes an extra length to hide behind his host, Yosuke, should things go south between him and his sister, Amaterasu. The story even started with two of Susanoo's infamous deeds - going on a drunken, destructive rampage through some rice fields, and giving Amaterasu a horse.
- Amaterasu herself isn't much better, being prone to act like a spoiled, immature brat and, like what happened in the original myth, hides herself in a cave (in this case, a bomb shelter) partially to throw a tantrum, and mostly because of her brother being a total ass.
- Nice Girl: Kanzeon, obviously, being the goddess of mercy. Thanks to her compassion, Rise has a massive fanbase than in canon. Though it's mentioned that she sometimes causes more problems with her good intentions.
- No Indoor Voice: ROKUTEN MAOU TALKS LIKE THIS. By extension, because he's his host, Kanji talks this way as well (at least when Rokuten is in control).
- Parental Incest: Conversed; both Susanoo and Amaterasu make comments about their... closeness to their father, Izanagi, with Susanoo taking the opportunity to make jabs about how Izanagi likes his son more. It's made weirder with the fact that Izanagi is currently possessing Souji.
- Power of the Sun: Amaterasu's domain, natch. She appears to Susanoo/Yosuke with an intensely bright glow while enraged, and she turns the horse Susanoo/Yosuke gives her into a charred corpse.
- Spoiled Brat: Both Susanoo and Amaterasu tend to act like immature brats, though it's more pronounced with Susanoo.
- Terse Talker: Kanji, while Rokuten is in control.
- To Be a Master: Rokuten's goal is to be, in his words, "THE KING OF MODELS!"
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Ayane, the timid girl and music club member from class 2-2 in Persona 4 was responsible for getting the Investigation Team possessed by gods and other spirits. She was only trying to summon her dead grandmother so she could have her opinion on whether she should get a cross or a Buddha statue, but kept summoning the wrong spirits by accident.
