History Fanfic / YouSeeThem

-->'''Morgana''': Besides, if she tried to tell someone, who would believe her? She's a known drunkard.

* {{Touche}}: From Chapter 5, after Ren tells Yoshida his secret and Yoshida suggests a government position for helping ghosts:
-->'''Yoshida''': Imagine it: Minister of Ghost Affairs! It has a ring to it.\\
'''Ren''': Sounds like something out of a book.\\
'''Yoshida''': ''(scoffs)'' Doesn't the very concept of the Phantom Thieves and ghosts existing already sound like something out of a book?\\
'''Ren''': ''(snorts)'' Touche, Yoshida-sensei... touche.

* OnlyMostlyDead: Kayo Murakami, Ichiko Ohya's partner, was left comatose and braindead after a mental shutdown, as in canon. This was enough for her soul to manifest as a ghost despite her body still being technically alive; it's further muddled since Kayo mentions others in the same circumstances have not become ghosts, and they theorize it depends which parts of the brain are damaged beyond repair. Unlike other examples, though, there doesn't seem to be any hope of recovery. The only hint otherwise is implicit in that Kayo has deliberately [[spoiler:placed herself last on the list of mental shutdown victims that Akechi needs to help]] to buy herself as much time as possible with Ohya.

* TerriblePickUpLines: In the Confidants side story, Ren tells Sojiro that Wakaba has been telling him all about Sojiro's pick-up lines, and apparently, she liked the bad ones best.
-->'''Ren''': She said you ALMOST had her with 'did it hurt when you ascended through the crust of the earth? Because you're hot as hell.'

!!Tropes in ''You See Them'' and the ''Confidants'' side story include:

* ArmorPiercingResponse: From Chapter 11 of the side-story, when Ren has to reveal his secret to someone for the umpteenth time (this being before [[spoiler:changing his parents' hearts]]):
-->'''Ren''': Whatever happened to me keeping my damn mouth shut about all this ghost stuff?\\
'''Haru''': You found your people and no longer have to hide like you did; that's what happened, Ren-kun.

** [[spoiler:Madarame]] fits this after he dies in prison, unable to move on due to the emptiness of his life and spending goodness knows how long WalkingTheEarth to come to terms with himself.

* CassandraTruth: Ren's friends reassure him this way in Chapter 11 of the side story, when circumstances force him to reveal his secret to Ohya (the ghost-whispering, that is; she had long since figured out he was a Phantom Thief).

* ConditionedToAcceptHorror: As Ren has been able to see ghosts since birth, he's had ample time to grow desensitized to the fact that many of the ghosts he sees are partly or fully nude or horrifically mutilated. As shown in Chapter 7 of the side story, where they meet a ghost who died with his pants down and one who was decapitated in a motorcycle accident, it's something Ryuji has to get used to.

** All of the Thieves are adamant that Ren's power really is a gift, and none more than Yusuke. His quirkiness and passion for art allow him to think little to nothing of the perspectives of others or the gruesome or unseemly appearances of some of the deceased. He comes to understand the drawbacks of the power for the first time when, sometime after the events of ''We See Them'', [[spoiler:Madarame dies of a stroke and Yusuke has to deal with his ghost]].

* DumbassHasAPoint: In Chapter 4 of the side story, Taiki's ghost needs to clear the air with Kawakami before he and his real parents can move on. Ren tries writing a note with his message, but...
-->'''Ryuji''': This is dumb, you know that, right, Ren? She’s gonna figure it out! Won’t matter which way you cut it.\\
'''Morgana''': Wow. Didn’t expect the words of wisdom to come from Blondie.\\
'''Ryuji''': Ah, shuddup, cat!

* EyeScream: In the Confidants side story, Wakaba attacks Youji whenever he comes to Leblanc. The first time he starts tormenting Futaba, Wakaba tries jamming her fingers in his eyes, and he hisses in pain. The second time, she does it harder, and he screams.
* ForegoneConclusion: Chapters 7 and 8 of the side story occur after the events of ''Royal'', but were posted when ''We See Them'' was unfinished. But it's hardly a spoiler that the Phantom Thieves win against [[spoiler:Doctor Maruki]] in the end.

* ISeeThemToo:
** As it turns out, in addition to her fortune-telling prowess Chihaya is another ghost-seer like Ren is, and after a rough start the two of them bond over it.
** Kaoru, Iwai's son, also turns out to be one of these, with his deceased mother having watched over him since he was an infant.

* LadySwearsALot: Kayo Murakami, Ohya's partner, is unapologetically this.

* OnlyMostlyDead: Kayo Murakami, Ichiko Ohya's partner, was left comatose and braindead after a mental shutdown, as in canon. This was enough for her soul to manifest as a ghost despite her body still being technically alive; it's further muddled since Kayo mentions others in the same circumstances have not become ghosts, and they theorize it depends which parts of the brain are damaged beyond repair. Unlike other examples, though, there doesn't seem to be any hope of recovery. The only hint otherwise is implicit in that Kayo has deliberately [[spoiler:placed herself last on the list of mental shutdown victims that Akechi needs to help]] to buy herself as much time as possible with Ohya.

** Takemi hears Ren mumble in his sleep about being able to see ghosts during the clinical trials; she initially dismisses it, but considers it more after the second time it happens, and becomes certain after Oyamada's change of heart, preceded by Ren being completely certain that Miwa wasn't dead. She also keeps [[spoiler:Akechi]]'s secret when the time comes.
** Mishima finds out on the Hawaii trip thanks to—what else?—Ryuji opening his big mouth. Of course, as usual, Mishima is as supportive as he can be.
** Iwai takes it more easily than most people since his son Kaoru can also see ghosts; Ren gives away his ability by accident when he sees Kaoru's mother with him and talks to her before realizing she's a ghost.
** Kawakami is the first confidant shown in the side story that Ren deliberately confesses to, letting her and Taiki have one last conversation so he and his real parents can finally move on.
*** On another note, Wakaba is the only one to learn about Ren hiring her through the maid service, and though judgmental, she doesn't tell anyone else.
** Yoshida, appropriately, doesn't find out by any arcane means; he discerns that Ren suffers from trauma the same way he himself flinched at "No-Good Tora," but just as Ren helped Yoshida build up his confidence, Yoshida encouraged Ren in every conversation they had. Which leads to Ren telling him everything with no outside influence after [[spoiler:learning the truth about his parents]].
** Ohya finds out thanks to Kayo, her partner, having a ghost despite not being technically dead. She gets Ren's help to point Ohya in the right direction, but for once, she tries to be careful so that he doesn't have to come clean about his powers. But between Ren SayingTooMuch when he gives her advice and Kayo accelerating the change of heart on Ohya's boss after he doubles her quota again, Ren resigns himself to admitting the truth to her. She takes it extremely well.
* ShoutOut:
** In Chapter 7 of the side story, when Ryuji questions [[AnIcePerson Yusuke]]'s decision to be eating ice cream when it's 5 degrees, Yusuke answers, "[[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 The cold never bothered me anyway]]," prompting groans from the others.
** Also in Chapter 7, near the end of the chapter, Ryuji's mother mentions a therapist that Chihaya knows who's also a ghost seer, one Dr. Sonomura. Or, more precisely, Maki Sonomura from ''Persona 1'' and ''Persona 2''.
** Chapter 9 of the side story has Ren mention a game called ''[[Franchise/KingdomHearts Kingdom Spades]]'' and how there was originally supposed to be only one "latchkey sword," only for there to turn out to be so many that they stopped feeling rare.

** Taiki Takase, Kawakami's former student, has a few of these that convince Kawakami that it was really him speaking, including the phrases "que sera, sera" and "math is the devil" as well as a love of history, especially ancient history.

* ThisIsGonnaSuck: This is Ren's reaction whenever he has no choice but to tell someone about his powers. He quotes the trope name verbatim when he tries, not really believing he'll succeed, to help Taiki Takase and his parents get closure with Kawakami without revealing his secret.

* {{Touche}}:
** From Chapter 6, after Chihaya inadvertently exposes Ren's secret to Morgana, and the latter asks why he had kept it secret:

** From Chapter 5 of the Confidants side story, after Ren tells Yoshida his secret and Yoshida suggests a government position for helping ghosts:
-->'''Yoshida''': Imagine it: Minister of Ghost Affairs! It has a ring to it.\\
'''Ren''': Sounds like something out of a book.\\
'''Yoshida''': ''(scoffs)'' Doesn't the very concept of the Phantom Thieves and ghosts existing already sound like something out of a book?\\
'''Ren''': ''(snorts)'' Touche, Yoshida-sensei... touche.

** Also happens when he speaks to the Takases, having been made aware of what they were doing to Kawakami and had done to Taiki.

** In the side story, Wakaba is incensed about her brother Youji's behavior from the first time he comes into Leblanc. It gets worse every time, up until the last time when he tries attacking Futaba and then threatens to sue Ren when he trips and falls. She goes so berserk that for an instant, Sojiro, Futaba, and Youji can see and hear her.
-->'''Wakaba''': '''''YOOOOOOUUUUJJJJIIIIIIIII! GET AWAY FROM MY CHILDREN AND GO TO HELL!'''''

** We get two instances of this in Yusuke's chapter of the side story, set after the events of ''We See Them''. The first is Kaneko, the senior pupil of Madarame's who committed suicide and didn't actually move on. Yusuke enthusiastically handles his final regret of conveying the wonders he'd seen from Everest's peak to the ocean floor in an expansive piece of art. The second is [[spoiler:Madarame himself]] who, after dying from a stroke, decides to follow Kaneko's example in an attempt of coming to terms with everything. It's implied it will be a long journey.

** Chapter 42 - [[spoiler:While it's incredibly close, the Thieves manage to save Akechi's life - and accidentally give him the ability to see ghosts like Ren]].

* OnlyMostlyDead: Kayo Murakami, Ichiko Ohya's partner (in both senses of the word), was left comatose and braindead after a mental shutdown, as in canon. This was enough for her soul to manifest as a ghost despite her body still being technically alive. Unlike other examples, though, there doesn't seem to be any hope of recovery. The only hint otherwise is implicit in that Kayo has deliberately [[spoiler:placed herself last on the list of mental shutdown victims that Akechi needs to help]] to buy herself as much time as possible with Ohya.

!!Tropes in ''You See Them'' and the side story include:

The sequel, [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/26798473/chapters/65376694 We See Them]], covers the added content from ''Royal'' and began production in October 2020. An {{Interquel}} covering the DLC campaign of ''VideoGame/Persona5Tactica'', [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/52539253/chapters/132901525 You See Them - Repaint Your Heart]], began production in December 2023, with plans of doing the main story at a later date.

* LyingByOmission: The only choice left to Joker, Rose, and Violet when they're sucked into the Metaverse with Akechi in the middle of the casino heist. While they cover up the fact that Ren can and has always been able to see ghosts, they tell the truth about Kasumi being one, how she watches over Sumire, how both twins Awakened to their Personas in a mysterious Palace in Odaiba, and how they've been talking things out in Mementos. Akechi is suspicious but satisfied.

** Chapter 9 of the side story has Ren mention a game called ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts Kingdom Spades]]'' and how there was originally supposed to be only one "latchkey sword," only for there to turn out to be so many that they stopped feeling rare.

* IfIWantedYouDead: When Joker questions if they can trust Luca, Luca points out that if didn't want them to live, she wouldn't have bothered to help the Thieves escape her sister - she would just let them die.

* LyingByOmission: The only choice left to Joker, Ren, and Violet when they're sucked into the Metaverse with Akechi in the middle of the casino heist. While they cover up the fact that Ren can and has always been able to see ghosts, they tell the truth about Kasumi being one, how she watches over Sumire, how both twins Awakened to their Personas in a mysterious Palace in Odaiba, and how they've been talking things out in Mementos. Akechi is suspicious but satisfied.

* ForWantOfANail: Ren has the ability to see people's ghosts. Nearly every change in the story is a direct or indirect result of this.
** Futaba's eavesdropping on Leblanc results in her hearing about Ren talking to her mother's ghost, who never hated her. It doesn't make a massive difference for the Palace infiltration, but Futaba does open up to them more willingly.

* ExactEavesdropping: Dr. Maruki was just trying to return Ren's pin, and ends up hearing him talking to Kasumi Yoshizawa's ghost. He can only hear half of the conversation, but Ren says just enough for Maruki to collect all of the pieces.

* ProperlyParanoid: In Chapter 7, after Maruki visits, Sojiro is suspicious of him, not only because of his acute interest in cognitive psience but also because he seems to indicate that he knows that Ren can see ghosts. Wakaba dismisses his worries... but [[DramaticIrony we all know that Sojiro is completely correct]].

*** A possibility confirmed in Chapter 9 of the Confidants side story, when they confess as much to each other. Shiho's parents found out and took it about as well as Sojiro did, while Ann accidentally comes out to her parents when the ghost of one of their recently deceased business partners shows up. However, she doesn't tell them about being one of the Phantom Thieves.

* ShoutOut: Chapter 9 of the side story has Ren mention a game called ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts Kingdom Spades]]'' and how there was originally supposed to be only one "latchkey sword," only for there to turn out to be so many that they stopped feeling rare.

The sequel, [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/26798473/chapters/65376694 We See Them]], covers the added content from ''Royal'' and began production in October 2020.

The author has also confirmed plans for adaptations based on ''VideoGame/Persona5Tactica'' and ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers''.

* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: As before, this is the key to making people believe in his ability; at the end of Chapter 5, Ren says "Sometimes you just have to get back up in the saddle" to the brainwashed Sumire at Kasumi's direction. The actualization doesn't break... but it definitely cracks. And in the following chapter, he does it repeatedly to keep damaging the actualization.

** And later, [[spoiler:the rest of the Phantom Thieves]] gain the ability after the final battle against [[spoiler:Yaldabaoth]] due to the latter's influence [[spoiler:erasing the Thieves from existence]]. A later chapter of the side story confirms that the Thieves kept the power after the events of ''Royal'', meaning it wasn't just from [[spoiler:the actualization beginning]].

The author has also confirmed plans for an adaptation based on ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers''.

* ForegoneConclusion: Chapter 7 of the side story occurs after the events of ''Royal'', but was posted when ''We See Them'' was unfinished. But it's hardly a spoiler that the Phantom Thieves win against [[spoiler:Doctor Maruki]] in the end.

** In Chapter 7 of the side story, when Ryuji questions [[AnIcePerson Yusuke]]'s decision to be eating ice cream when it's 5 degrees, Yusuke answers, "[[WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}} The cold never bothered me anyway]]," prompting groans from the others.

** In Chapter 7 of the side story, when Ryuji questions [[AnIcePerson Yusuke]]'s decision to be eating ice cream when it's 5 degrees, Yusuke answers, "[[WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}} The cold never bothered me anyway," prompting groans from the others.

** And later, [[spoiler:the rest of the Phantom Thieves]] gain the ability after the final battle against [[spoiler:Yaldabaoth]] due to the latter's influence [[spoiler:erasing the Thieves from existence]]. Or so it seems; that explanation is perfectly feasible, yes, but it's quite possible that the actual reason they gained the ability is [[spoiler:the actualization beginning]]. Which one it is, only the sequel can tell. [[spoiler:Based on what follows, it seems the actualization is unrelated.]]

* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: In the canonical game, [[spoiler:Shadow Okumura was unceremoniously killed by Akechi after the Phantom Thieves left and took his Treasure. In this story, Shadow Okumura died by TakingTheBullet for Haru.]]

''(everyone but the Akechis look horrified and guiltier)''