Smile (P5/Royal Story x OC/Male reader)

Councillor Confidant Rank 6 to 9

Nhazul: Whoa, calm down, Mr. Snack man.

Maruki: S-Sorry! But think you've just helped me make a major breakthrough! I think this means something big for my cognitive psience research! I need to hurry and get this on paper! I knew I'd be worth bringing to you! Thank you, Nhazul! I swear I'll repay you for this!

Nhazul: No problem, Doc.

Arcana Councillor Rank 6

(Timeskip)

Currently, Nhazul is in Maruki's office, for another session and he was eating his third pudding cup.

Maruki: Well, let's get started. For today's topic, let's see...I'd like to hear your opinion on these Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

Nhazul: I didn't think you'd be interested in them.

Maruki: The ones who "steal the desires" of criminals, and reportedly force them to confess...Maybe it's a little hard to believe, but I guess I've taken an academic interest in them.

Nhazul: So are you a Phan boy?

Maruki: Sure. That's one way of putting it. I'd love to sit down and talk to one of them.

Nhazul's thoughts: I mean have been for almost a year...

Maruki: I just get the feeling that the Phantom Thieves work and my own research are rooted in the same principles. That's why I've decided to analyze them from my own perspective. For example, there's the matter of their methods...According to the Calling Cards they send out, their stated methods is to "steal your desires". How is such a feat even possible? Any ideas, Nhazul?

Nhazul: Your guess is as good as mine. What do you think about it?

Maruki: A question for a question, huh? That's unusual for you. But let's see...I suppose it'd be possible if there was some material proxy for those desires. Nhazul, do you remember that story with the cookies? In that experiment, the desires for the cookies actually changed the way people tasted them. I think we can look at this in the same way. They're not something easily perceived, but desires have a tremendous effect on our cognition. Put another way, if that desire is gone, your cognitive perception of the cookies skews back to normal. So does that remind you of anything?

Nhazul: The change of heart.

Maruki: That's right. The Phantom Thieve's own change of heart. That's the basis of my theory. Their "theft of desire" is not metaphorical, but something more direct. We still don't know exactly how they steal these desires, of course...But if this idea of physical, tangible desires can be activated, I think it'd logically follow that they can be taken away. In a world of intangibles...Let's say, a world composed of the contents of people's hearts...Well, they're thieves, so if they could perceive a world like that, they could steal desires like any other treasure. Hey, Nhazul. You think I'm getting anywhere here?

Nhazul: It's definitely interesting.

Maruki: You think so too, Nhazul? If it's actually anywhere close to hr the truth, it'd be incredible. Then again, we'll probably never know for sure unless we could ask one of them ourselves.

Nhazul: I guess not...

Arcana Councillor Rank 7