Persona 5.5: Reign of Terror

"You would've seen them in the news lately: 'Phantom Thieves'. But what exactly do those words mean? Well, the trend originated in Japan, where-"​

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"This is an outrage, this is a disgrace! Phantom Thieves? My God, is this what America has devolved into?!"​

"The media's just trying to use all this talk 'Phantom Thieves' to distract you from their real agenda..."​

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"Tonight's top story is Phantom Thievery. Yes, this is the world we live in, where American crime is now aping old French crime novels. Or 70s Japanese comics, take your pick."
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This is my story, a story I was shaking in my boots to even tell, but I figured someone had to, and it might as well be me if the record's gonna be set straight.
My name's-

[ ] Write-in.
(Examples: Marty/i Scorer, Leon/a Sergius, Octavia/n Baron, Kyrie Xiang)

I was eighteen year old-​

[ ] African-
[ ] Arab-
[ ] Asian-
[ ] Caucasian-
[ ] Hispanic-
[ ] Jewish-
[ ] Write-in.
- American, sitting by myself there in the back of that cab, swiping over my smartphone while the driver turned the radio every other second to random stations, each on-air and online news report going on about a crime spree so wide-reaching I'd done my part in it.

Until recently, I'd been one of those infamous 'Phantom Thieves'. Really, most students back at my old high school were, everyone I knew was into it, and who could blame to us? We thought it was our only real chance to strike back at society, to get back at everyone and everything that'd rigged the system against us, denied us our future.

You may think it silly of me, but I seriously believed that. Well I did back when the movement was still young anyway, when all the possibilities were still open, when it felt like a Phantom Thief was someone who could go anywhere and do anything.
Then I learned that 'Anything' also meant 'Anything Bad', as my stupid self had been naive and excited enough to not think of how stealing 'treasures' from people's minds, our license to brainwash, could be seriously abused. When it stopped being about justice and starting being about silencing and controlling people, I knew we'd gone too far. Yes, I'd gone too far too, I won't pretend I was innocent in any of this.

Eventually I broke down and confessed to my parents, and they responded by no less than having me transferred all the way across the country, to-
[ ] New York City.
[ ] Los Angeles.
[ ] San Francisco.
[ ] Chicago.
[ ] Las Vegas.
[ ] Write-in.
They'd figured the further away I was, the less likely I'd get mixed up in 'that sort of crowd' again, and the sooner I'd be back to my 'normal' self.

I took in comfort in one thing though. Since I'd never been more than a low-ranking pickpocket in his eyes, there was a chance my old Boss of the Gang, er, 'Thieves' Guild' I'd been in would barely notice my departure. I hoped, as Guilds didn't take kindly to potential snitches.

I did keep two things from my thieving days however. The first was an App on my phone, the 'Meta-Navigator' that let me enter into the Sea of Souls, where everyone' hearts resided, so as thieves we could do the dirty deed of stealing the 'treasures' that people prized the most. I could never trust the cops with it, and I couldn't hand it back my old gang either, as you don't just 'resign' from a Thieves' Guild. Feh, couldn't even delete the damn thing, just kept popping back.

The other was my Mask, the dormant form of my 'Persona', the manifestation of the Soul that was a Phantom Thief's coup de grace. Much as I wanted as little to do with being a Thief or breaking into anyone's mind anymore, I knew from first-hand experience that your 'Persona' really was a part of you, so there was no way I would just hand mine over, not to the Gang, my parents, the police, even my old friends...

On my mask there was a number and a word, both of which marked the 'Arcana' (something I'd put no stock in before becoming a Thief) I was told I fell under:
[ ] Write-in any number between I and XX, 'abnormal' Arcana like Aeon allowed.

"Hey, ya dozing off back there?" my cab driver had to call out. I shook my head and said I was fine, he just grunted and went back to the sub he ate despite still driving.

Point was, I really did think my thieving days were over...
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I am a Sinner
Who's probably gonna Sin again
Lord forgive me.​

QM's Note: Might be starting this Quest up a little bit early, but thought 'eh, what the hell'.
Might be looking for a co-QM, to help smooth over a few remaining things and possibly take over from me in case I run out of steam. Not just anyone of course, would have top be someone I'm reasonably familiar with.

Edit: Xalgeon now appointed co-QM (should've typed this up here earlier).

To recap, the choices in this first post are:
[ ] Choose Name.
[ ] Choose Gender.
[ ] Choose Race.
[ ] Choose City.
[ ] Choose Arcana.
[ ] Choose Life.​