ridiasfangirlings

[ridiasfangirlings]

"ANGELA X GORA"

CHAPTER 5: KIZUNA (MIYAZAWA TATSUKI)

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

(List of Chapters)

"Did you bring everything you need? Did you forget anything?"

Kusanagi Izumo checked repeatedly in front of the HOMRA Bar.

The person he was calling was Anna Kushina. She was wearing a red down coat, a red scarf, and a matching hat.

Beside her was a suitcase that seemed disproportionate to her body.

"Don't catch a cold. If you ever feel lonely, contact me."

"Izumo."

Anna interrupted the overprotective father.

"I'm just going on a school trip."

"......"

"It'll be fine. Everyone from school and the teachers will be there."

Kusanagi was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"That's true. It's only for a week, and the place is Australia, so I ended up overthinking it."

He laughed wryly to himself.

Kamamoto Rikio, who was with Kusanagi seeing Anna off, asked,

"Anna, do you want me to carry your luggage to the bus stop?"

Kamamoto's breathing was like a white cloud. Anna smiled and shook her head.

"It's right there, so it'll be fine. Don't worry, Izumo. I'll buy lots of souvenirs for Rikio and everyone else."

"Yes."

Kusanagi's gaze grew kinder.

"Souvenirs are fine, but I'd love to hear fun stories about them. Make lots of memories and tell me about them."

Anna nodded, pulled the suitcase handle, and started walking.

Anna turned and waved three times before turning the corner and disappearing from sight. Japan was experiencing a record-breaking cold snap, but in the southern hemisphere, all their winter clothes would be useless at that moment.

Kamamoto joked with Kusanagi.

"Kusanagi-san, you're already so worried after just a week, right? What will happen if Anna gets married and leaves here in the future?"

Kusanagi paused for a moment as he lit his cigarette.

"Idiot!"

He tapped Kamamoto lightly on the head with his left hand, the one not holding the cigarette.

"You're being hasty."

Purple smoke rose from Kusanagi's mouth into the cloudy winter sky.

He didn't dislike the cold, but he did dislike the dryness of the air conditioning, so he used a small space heater outside of office hours, when friends were gathering or clients came in.

A stove with a slightly retro design was installed inside the counter. He flipped the switch to the left, and a red flame ignited in the center. Soon, warmth began to rise from his feet.

The air inside the bar was so cold it made him shiver, but a slight warmth lingered in the workspace. That was enough.

He inspected the glasses, prepared the drinks, and began taking orders from the suppliers.

The empty store was starting to feel a little lonely, so Kusanagi turned to his PDA to put on some music. He had recently returned to jazz, a genre he enjoyed listening to in his late teens.

He was beginning to feel more intensely the sadness and depth of the music he had struggled to fully appreciate back then. Perhaps it was because he had grown older, or perhaps because he had matured.

Suddenly, Kusanagi noticed an unfamiliar file on a nearby shelf.

(What is this?)

He grabbed it without realizing it.

It looked like an album or something.

The title was handwritten.

At first, he didn't understand what it said, frowning, but then he got it.

Apparently.

"KIZUNA."

That's what it seemed to say.

Kusanagi was deeply confused. He was completely unaware of the origin of that album. He didn't know why it had been put there.

The top half is beige; the bottom is cream. A white space, like a window, runs down the center, with the word "KIZUNA" written in black marker.

(...This is weird, obviously.)

The reason he couldn't read "KIZUNA" on first reading was because "KIZU" and "NA" were clearly written by different people.

The "KIZU" part is written in very choppy handwriting, making it difficult to read, like a celebrity's signature.

The "NA" part, on the other hand, is not neat at all, but it is quite legible.

(I see... so he added the name (NA) to the scar (KIZU) to create the bond "KIZUNA".)

He pointed his finger at his forehead and thought.

(What's this...?)

It's a bit bland.

Who added "NA" to the title, perhaps to convey the message of transforming wounds into bonds?

The question is who collaborated on this title (although it's possible they were both written by the same person).

(The handwriting on the first half is so crooked that I honestly don't know who wrote it. But the meaning of the second half seems familiar.)

He's the one Kusanagi is thinking about right now.

Yata Misaki was competing in the World Skateboarding Championship and wasn't in Japan.

He looked at the clock on the wall.

It was still midnight there.

(I'll call him after work... I'd also like to know how Yata-chan is doing.)

Kusanagi decided to take a look at the album. As expected, it contained photos of the members of the red clan, "Homura".

There are six photos per page, arranged in a fairly loose layout.

(Most appear to have been taken by Totsuka.)

The photos featured Anna, Kamamoto, Yata, and himself.

Anna was sitting by the window of the HOMRA Bar, sipping iced tea with a serious face. Yata and Kamamoto, each wearing glasses and pointy hats, seemed euphoric and embracing. Judging by the decorations behind them, it looked like Christmas.

He was standing by the bar, holding a cocktail shaker, staring wryly at the camera. He kept flipping through the pages.

The collection included photos taken not only inside the HOMRA Bar, but also in various locations and situations. Group photos on trips to the beach. Or casual snapshots at cherry blossom viewing parties.

Some were taken at parties, and others were simply taken together.

Akagi, Bando, and other members of the Red Clan also appeared, some individually and others in groups. They were like layers of accumulated memories, a kaleidoscope of memories.

More than anything.

Kusanagi couldn't help but sigh.

Totsuka Tatara stood by the riverbank, smiling a smile as gentle as a spring breeze. Suoh Mikoto lay listlessly on the sofa.

A part of his heart was still beating strongly.

Seeing the two familiar faces, he tried to smile sincerely, but the pain he still harbored in his heart distorted it slightly.

He turned to another page.

(Eh?)

Suddenly, Kusanagi thought of something and turned back to the first page. He'd already thought of it.

(It seems Totsuka wasn't the only one taking these photos. There are several I don't recognize.)

Though not exactly a professional, Totsuka boasted a certain skill with a camera. However, among the photos in that album, there were several that lacked basic elements, such as poor composition or blurry focus.

(The equipment seems to be all over the place. Does that mean it's a collection of photos taken by several people, all stored together?)

A memory album of the members of "Homura".

However, Kusanagi's hypothesis was disproved with each page he turned.

(That's it...)

A look of confusion crossed his face.

(Why does such a thing exist?)

The members of the "Homura" clan walked down an alley with bloodthirsty expressions. Yata jumped on his skateboard. Kamamoto carried a bat over his shoulder. Akagi and the others cautiously observed their surroundings.

The Red Clan, a rare sight these days, was in the midst of a battle. It was probably all caught on camera, almost secretly.

(This must have been around the time our clan and the Blue Clan were locked in fierce battles. Is it a security camera clip or something?)

Kusanagi speculated. And what struck him most was...

(Uh...)

Instinctively, he covered his mouth with his hand.

A decisive shot captured with astonishing synchronization between two buildings.

Suoh Mikoto and Munakata Reisi were vividly captured as they collided and flew through the air.

The two kings, Red and Blue, calmly leaped from heights roughly equivalent to a dozen stories.

Suoh smiled menacingly, his right fist drawn like a bow, ready to fire at his nemesis. Meanwhile, Munakata brought his sword to his blue eyes and smiled coldly, ready to deflect the strategic high-level attack.

Auras of raging flames and sharp ice, cutting through everything, surged around them.

It was like the moment before the Red and Blue "Kings" of old collided.

Kusanagi growled again, still with his hand covering his mouth.

"What is... this?"

"KIZUNA"

That album of unknown origin was a bit intimidating.

Perhaps because of the cold, there weren't many customers that day.

After closing quickly, Kusanagi immediately contacted Yata Misaki.

He was curious about the "KIZUNA" incident, but even more so about Yata's condition while competing on the grand stage of the World Skateboarding Championship.

His supernatural powers are completely sealed with a special bracelet. He competes solely with his natural physical abilities.

Unsure of his movements before the tournament, he sent him a casual message.

"Yata-chan, how are you?"

He was pretty sure the main tournament was supposed to start the day after tomorrow.

Yata had said this before leaving Japan.

"Since I'm going to the United States, I'll arrive a little early to get used to it. I'll also gorge myself on hot dogs and hamburgers. Huh? Where to stay? Well, an American friend I made at the last tournament invited me to his house."

Furthermore,

"Yes. Of course, if I'm going to do it, I'll give it my all and aim for first place. But, you know, I want to give it my all and be satisfied with myself."

With that, he smiled and, carrying only a backpack, walked through the boarding gate. Kusanagi, who had gone to the airport to see him off, was thinking,

(You've grown up, Yata-chan.)

That's what he thought.

After waiting for a while, Yata's message still hadn't shown up as read.

Just as she was about to give up and head home, Kusanagi's PDA received a message from someone else. It was from Kushina Anna.

"With friends."

There's a photo with that simple caption.

According to the school trip program, it's probably somewhere in Cairns.

Now dressed in light clothing, something unthinkable when they left Japan, Anna posed for selfies with girls her age, also dressed in modern clothes.

Kusanagi's mouth lit up with a smile.

(Anna always does what makes me happiest.)

Anna has made a lot of friends.

That couldn't have been nicer. The heater had long since been turned off, so the bar was cold, but a faint warmth spread through Kusanagi's heart.

"Have fun.", he replied.

He decided not to ask about the album titled "KIZUNA".

He didn't want to bother Anna with something trivial while she was enjoying her unforgettable high school trip.

He would ask her about it when she got home.

Kusanagi turned off all the lights, left the bar, and went home.

However, the next day, part of the mystery surrounding "KIZUNA" was solved by an unexpected person.

"Oh, it was definitely Yata-san who wrote "NA"!"

It was Kamamoto, who had come to deliver a dozen Belgian beers for the bar. He had recently taken over the family liquor store.

According to Kamamoto, a long time ago, when Suoh Mikoto and Totsuka Tatara were still alive, there was a party in "Homura", and Yata, drunk, shouted,

"The scars (KIZU) we received in battle will become bonds (KIZUNA)!"

He shouted, "Mmm!" and added, "NA!"

(That was just what I expected.)

Kusanagi nodded. Kamamoto then revealed another fact.

"This is Anna's photo album. She brought it to the party because she wanted to save all the souvenir photos taken by Totsuka and the others. Oh, it brings back so many nostalgic memories!"

Kamamoto spoke with deep emotion as he flipped through the pages and looked at old photos.

Kusanagi was convinced.

(So it was Anna's after all.)

However, Kamamoto also said,

"Well, I don't know who wrote this "KIZU" either. When Anna brought it to me, it didn't have a title or anything. Then, during the chaotic party, I realized it, and it was written all the way through."

He tilted his head.

And just like Kusanagi yesterday, Kamamoto's eyes widened in surprise when he reached the second half of the album. Especially when he saw the photo of Suoh and Munakata clashing.

"What's this?"

He pointed at her with his mouth half-open and a blank expression. Kusanagi shrugged silently. He still didn't know the source of the photo.

"Wow, how amazing!"

As he looked at the photo, Kamamoto's expression slowly changed from surprise to affection.

He spoke in a slightly husky voice.

"This Mikoto-san... he's really scary. He's the Mikoto-san I know well. But..."

Perhaps it was cold inside the unheated shop, so he sniffed.

"It seems Munakata had a great time..."

He hunched his broad back and stared at the photo for a while. Kusanagi remained silent, determined to leave Kamamoto alone until he was satisfied.

In his mind, the face of someone who almost certainly knew the source of this photo appeared.

Kusanagi's question was direct.

"Seri-chan, there was a strange album in my shop. Do you have any idea what it could be?"

He sent a personal message to Awashima Seri, lieutenant of "Scepter 4".

The reply came instantly.

"Yes. From the way you're saying it, it seems the information wasn't communicated properly. I'll explain it to you when they close."

Kusanagi sighed.

(I thought so.)

A clip of what appears to be a secret recording of "Homura". No matter how you look at it, it was clearly the work of a public institution. It's reasonable to assume it was recorded by the surveillance cameras on "Scepter 4".

(Well, if Seri-chan comes and explains, everything will be resolved.)

Should he refill her bean paste? Holding the PDA, Kusanagi thought idly.

"Oh? What's that?"

His PDA was ringing.

"Yata Misaki"

That was what appeared on the caller ID field. Kusanagi immediately pressed the answer button.

"Hello, Yata-chan?"

"Hello, Kusanagi-san!"

There was a commotion in the background, but Kusanagi managed to hear Yata's voice. Although he hadn't seen him in about two weeks, Kusanagi felt a strange nostalgia, and a smile spread across his face.

"How are you?"

"Oh, yes, I'm great. How are things over there? Is everyone okay?"

"Yes. Everyone's fine. By the way, Anna went to Australia on a school trip."

"Australia!"

Even though he's in the United States, Yata seems surprised.

"Amazing! Kusanagi-san, you were in Germany last month, right? You closed up shop and went there, right?"

"Oh, I just went to the funeral of someone who helped me in Dresden."

"Kusanagi-san went to Germany, I'm in the United States, and Anna's in Australia. Now we're world famous!"

"Yes."

He still didn't quite understand what "World Wide Big" meant, but he answered quickly anyway.

"By the way."

After hesitating for a moment, wondering if it was okay to ask,

"How was the tournament?"

"Yes."

Yata replied enthusiastically.

"The preliminaries are in an hour! If I can make it through this, I'll make it to the finals!"

"Eh?"

Kusanagi asked the obvious question.

"Well, it's an important moment, isn't it? Do you mind talking to someone like me on the phone?"

"Oh, no."

Yata looked a little embarrassed.

"I just wanted to talk to you for a while before the event. Am I nervous, which is unusual for me?"

He laughed. Kusanagi replied,

"I see."

He said gently.

"Well, maybe that's the case."

Going to America alone, conquering the world alone. He must have felt a pressure Kusanagi couldn't understand.

"That reminds me..."

Not wanting to pressure Yata, he brought up the subject of the strange album as a casual, everyday topic.

Yata was immediately hooked.

"Oh, I remember that album! It's the one Anna brought, right? I definitely wrote "NA"! But, uh, I'm sure I didn't write the "KIZU" part."

At that moment...

"What? Really?"

Yata suddenly looked panicked. Kusanagi was also stunned.

"What's wrong, Yata-chan?"

Then Yata said something incredible.

"Oh, no! Looks like they got the time wrong, and my performance will be right after! That's what the staff member said!"

"What did you mean?"

"Sorry! I'm leaving now!"

"Ah."

Before he could offer any words of encouragement, the call was cut off.

"Are you sure, Yata-chan?"

Kusanagi looked at the PDA, half-stunned. But about an hour later,

"I passed the preliminaries! I made it to the finals!"

Kusanagi breathed a sigh of relief when he received a message with a picture of Yata making the victory sign.

Awashima had sent a message saying,

"I'll explain."

Kusanagi naturally assumed she would be there in person, but his expectations were completely dashed.

"Excuse me."

Just before the bar closed, the "Blue King", Munakata Reisi himself, walked through the door with a polite, almost excessively polite greeting.

To their surprise, Fushimi Saruhiko, with a slightly sour expression, followed them.

Kusanagi, who was wiping his glass with a cloth, saw them and let out a voice somewhere between "Huh?" and "Ah.".

Munakata walked quickly to the bar and sat down on a stool.

"Did you just say "Ah"?"

He asked Kusanagi, amused. Kusanagi stammered.

"Well, it was very unexpected."

Munakata smiled gently.

"Ok, Fushimi-kun, let's sit down. Since we're in a bar, we should at least order a drink. It's adult etiquette."

He beckoned to Fushimi. Fushimi, looking reluctant, followed Munakata's example and sat down.

Munakata raised his finger.

"A martini, please. Not Churchill-style, but as dry as possible. And you, Fushimi?"

In response,

"A water."

"Fushimi-kun?"

Munakata smiled, but with some pressure. Fushimi ordered reluctantly.

"...Shandy. Extra ginger ale, please."

"Yes, sir."

Somehow, the situation had been closed, and Kusanagi gave a slight, playful nod to indicate that he had accepted the request.

Fushimi clicked his tongue loud enough for him to hear, which was also a little odd.

Munakata simply offered Kusanagi a rambling conversation until they were served the martini he had ordered.

The cold outside.

The current situation.

The two conversed like a waiter and a regular customer, with an intimacy that was a fine line between emptiness and informality.

All the while, Fushimi felt sullen.

Munakata gracefully raised the martini glass to his face, moistening his lips after the first sip before finally getting down to business.

"In short, we needed records."

"Records?"

Kusanagi asked. Munakata calmly looked into his glass.

"As you know, our world is entering a new stage of chaos. Unprecedented Strains have emerged, forcing us to respond in ways not contemplated in existing manuals. Therefore, we, "Scepter 4", are working with the "Silver King" and "Tokijikuin" to attempt to gather information on all supernatural beings, from as remote a location as possible. This project will take several years."

Kusanagi thought for a few seconds.

"So, basically, you're collecting a massive amount of data on supernatural beings and using it to predict future events?"

"You're quite perceptive."

Munakata stated to Kusanagi in a way that some might find off-putting.

"We're currently collecting massive amounts of data from various angles. As part of this effort, I've negotiated with the current "Red King", Kushina Anna, through Fushimi. I'd like to borrow as many records from the Red Clan as possible."

Fushimi sipped from his Shandygaff with a disinterested look.

Munakata continued speaking.

"Anna Kushina seemed happy to accept, but she also proposed a deal. In exchange, she wanted the video of "Homura" that "Scepter 4" had stored. Of course, I had no objections."

"I see."

Kusanagi nodded. Many things began to fall into place. Munakata apologized.

"I'm sorry. It seems I misunderstood you."

At that moment, Fushimi finally spoke.

"It's not that I was worried about Kusanagi-san's absence or anything. It's just that when I went to HOMRA, only Anna was there."

"Hmm.", Munakata nodded, casting a questioning look at Kusanagi. Kusanagi replied,

"I was in Dresden for about a week. A person who was very kind to me when I went looking for documents recently passed away. I attended the funeral and paid my respects to the local scholars and historians who helped me."

"I see."

Munakata smiled and nodded. Kusanagi asked him a question.

"But that was a bit surprising. Knowing you, I thought you'd already have a good understanding of our data."

"Yes."

Munakata nodded without embarrassment.

"Our official title is the "Fourth Branch of the Family Registration Division". As you say, we have so much personal information about you that even we are embarrassed."

Kusanagi grimaced at his bluntness. Munakata continued, his face a little more serious.

"But something is missing. That is..."

"You mean a private setting? You mean photos of family members taken by the clan itself?"

Kusanagi spoke up. Munakata nodded enthusiastically.

"And Anna Kushina was generous enough to give me a memory album, which I'm sure you treasure dearly. To thank her for her kindness, I personally selected and cut out the best images of him and included them in the album. However, that..."

Munakata narrowed his eyes and looked at Fushimi with a theatrical accusation.

"No, that's why!"

Unusually, Fushimi sounded a little nervous as he defended himself.

"It's not like I was waiting for Kusanagi-san to leave to return it! I happened to find him outside, on the phone or something, so I quietly left it on the shelf and went home."

"And then you caused Kusanagi-san unnecessary confusion, right?"

When Munakata pointed this out, Fushimi looked away and clicked his tongue.

"Sorry."

Kusanagi considered. Then, coming up with an answer, he felt a bit resentful and tried to guess Fushimi's feelings.

"You were feeling a little awkward, weren't you? If I had accepted the album, it might have stirred up memories of my past. Perhaps you took the opportunity and didn't say anything?"

"......"

Fushimi remained silent. He simply brought the glass to his lips slowly.

"Ah, I see."

Munakata clapped his hands cheekily. Kusanagi had a vague idea.

(Munakata-san doesn't seem like a bad person. Perhaps he knew everything and sent Fushimi as an emissary.)

He didn't know if his guess was correct. But that day, Munakata seemed strangely in a good mood. He politely asked Kusanagi to show him the album again, and when Kusanagi opened it on the counter,

"What time was this photo taken?"

And so he began to ask questions. Kusanagi told him everything he remembered. At first, Fushimi pretended not to notice, but soon he became involved, slowly adding corrections to Kusanagi's memories.

This strange moment lasted for about fifteen minutes, until Munakata finished his martini.

"Thank you very much. That martini was delicious. Well, that's about it."

After carefully returning the album to Kusanagi and paying, Munakata prepared to leave.

At that moment, Kusanagi couldn't help but shout.

"Hey! It's a picture of you and Mikoto, crashing."

Munakata didn't let Kusanagi finish.

He seemed to be muttering to himself.

"Suoh Mikoto was a very annoying guy. When people say someone is incompatible with someone, they mean a guy like that. But..."

He turned to Kusanagi and gave him a charming, mysterious smile that seemed a little sad.

"Back then, I thought these conflicts would last forever."

Then he bowed and left. Fushimi gave a slight bow and followed him. Kusanagi stood motionless for a while, motionless behind the counter.

Anna called just as he finished closing.

Being a considerate girl, she had probably considered Kusanagi's usual routine and timed her call accordingly.

With a premonition, Kusanagi gently pressed the answer button.

"Izumo?"

He could hear her voice ringing like a bell.

"How are you, Anna? Are you having a good time?"

To Kusanagi's first question,

"Yes. I'm having a good time. I enjoy spending time with everyone."

Anna replied with a hint of pride. Kusanagi chuckled.

"Great. By the way, can you call at this time of night? There's almost no time difference in Australia, right? I'm sure everyone's asleep by now."

"Yes."

Anna replied with a hint of mischief.

"Actually, the lights went out already, but I couldn't sleep... so I went out to a remote place. I want to talk to you for a while, Izumo."

Kusanagi said sweetly.

"What a coincidence. I wanted to talk to you about something too."

Then he gave a brief summary of the events surrounding "KIZUNA". Anna listened silently, but when Kusanagi finished,

"I'm sorry.", she said, apologetically.

"It's my fault. The news came when Izumo wasn't there, and Saruhiko seemed a little nervous, so I thought it best not to say too much."

"Yes."

Recalling Fushimi's behavior today, Kusanagi laughed a little.

"Now all the mysteries are solved... Oh, I still don't know who wrote "KIZU", but it's not that big a deal."

"Eh?"

Anna's small, surprised voice echoed in his ear from a foreign land, across the ocean.

"Izumo, have you forgotten?"

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

"Izumo wrote "KIZU", right?"

"What...?"

Kusanagi gasped.

"W-what do you mean?"

Before Kusanagi could ask, Anna explained.

"Izumo, you were very drunk that day. After Tatara took a cross-dressing photo of you on a whim, he told you he was going to make an album with those funny photos and asked you to write a title for it."

"Oh, now I remember..."

A flash of light crossed Kusanagi's mind. The memories returned.

"I definitely wrote it, shouting, "These are my scars!"."

"Right."

Anna seemed to be nodding vigorously on the other end of the line. Kusanagi held his head with the hand that wasn't holding the PDA.

"Ahhh, uuhh. What's wrong?"

He felt very embarrassed.

Anna seemed to be chuckling.

"But I'm looking forward to it. When I get back, I'll be able to see the photos Reisi picked out. Mikoto, Tatara, and everyone else I know will be there, right?"

"Y-Yes, that's right."

Kusanagi somehow managed to compose himself and answered. He smiled slightly.

"I'm sure I have lots of photos you'll like, Anna."

"Hey, Izumo."

Anna suddenly spoke clearly.

"Ever since I arrived, I've been thinking about Izumo, Misaki, and everyone else more than usual. The further apart we are, the stronger our feelings. I think that's what defines bonds. I'm glad I chose that as the album title. I'm glad Izumo and Misaki wrote it."

He could perceive a smile.

"Well, Izumo. I'll be back soon. It was nice talking to you. Good night."

"Oh, yes."

Kusanagi was stunned by the maturity he'd never felt before in Anna. Without realizing it, the call ended.

Kusanagi took a deep breath, put the PDA in his pocket, and turned his head to "KIZUNA".

(Anna is right. The further away we are, the stronger the bond with the other person feels.)

He covered "NA" with his finger, turning it into "KIZU". Then he removed it and changed it back to "KIZUNA".

He repeated this several times.

"So, what I regret most about being away from you is that we'll never see each other again."

Kusanagi's smile curved.

"You call that a bond?"

Then he traced the title "KIZUNA" with his finger.

[ridiasfangirlings]

Sometimes I think about mikorei cigarette kisses and get so insane. I think their groups should accidentally see it a few times just so they could collectively suffer.

This just reminds me how much I like that moment near the end of S1 when they’re talking at the school and Munakata takes out a cigarette and Mikoto just super casually lights it with a finger, it’s such a quick moment but the way Mikoto does it so familiarly kills me. Imagine Munakata showing up at like the bar one day to inform Mikoto about something Homra did that S4 has to clean up, Kusanagi isn’t around so Munakata has no choice but to lecture the Red King himself. Mikoto gets up without a word and starts to leave, Munakata notes that how like him to try and escape all responsibilities. Mikoto shrugs and says no, it’s just being in such close quarters to Munakata gives him a headache. He lights a cigarette as he leaves and Munakata walks after him, still lecturing. They’re standing in front of the bar and Munakata pulls out his own cigarette, stating he can’t stand the smell of Suoh’s brand. Mikoto says he can’t stand the sound of Munakata’s voice so they’re even and meanwhile imagine Munakata is not even pretending that he has a light. He has the cigarette in his mouth and maybe he expects Mikoto will light it with his powers but instead Mikoto leans in, so close and smelling like ash and cigarette smoke as his cigarette lights Munakata’s. Munakata murmurs ‘how vulgar’ even as he moves his cigarette so the smoke entangles with Mikoto’s. Meanwhile Yata, Kamamoto and several alphabet boys are standing across the street, arguing over whether they should make an attempt to enter the bar or just give up now and leave. Yata doesn’t get why they can’t just storm in, what if that guy is bothering Mikoto-san, and everyone exchanges a look wondering if they should let the oblivious idiot go for it or is the secondhand embarrassment too much.

Of course imagining the opposite is even better, Mikoto can light his own cigarettes but imagine Munakata just doing it for him anyway. This time Mikoto shows up at S4, lounging in Munakata’s chair and probably hiding a couple puzzle pieces in his pocket just to screw with Munakata later. Munakata has had a particularly busy day and already has a cigarette in his mouth when he enters the room, a rarity for him as he normally doesn’t smoke where his men can see him. He’s just lit his cigarette when he pauses, taking in the sight of Mikoto sitting in his chair, and then sighs as he wonders to what does he owe such a visit. Mikoto shrugs all no reason, he was bored. Munakata suggests he be bored somewhere else and Mikoto wonders if Munakata intends to move him then. Munakata says perhaps, but he would hate to have to go to the trouble of cleaning the burns out of his carpet again. Mikoto’s all ‘what a shame,’ totally unrepentant as he pulls out a cigarette. He’s got one hand up like he’s about to light it and rather than saying anything Munakata just gets right up in his personal space and lights it with his own. Mikoto makes an amused sound at that, noting he can light his own cigarette, and Munakata says he’s merely making sure no mess is made due to Red King powers, both their cigarettes still touching each other. Neither one has noticed that the door creaked open, there are abandoned reports scattered around the hall as Enomoto and Hidaka have grabbed Doumyouji and are holding his mouth shut so they don’t get noticed, all while Fushimi is standing there holding a stack of reports staring through the door and looking like he just saw the most worthless thing in the world.

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have you ever considered an au where it was kusunagi who was killed instead of totsuka? how will that affect the subsequent events?

I think this would be interesting because I feel like Totsuka would handle being the last man standing so much worse than Kusanagi does. I do think he would still be last man standing too — I know people like to joke about how ‘Mikoto only lasted x days without Totsuka’ but I really don’t see how Mikoto lets Kusanagi die without getting revenge on his killer, and even Totsuka’s presence wouldn’t be enough at that point to keep Mikoto’s Sword from falling. I feel like Totsuka would be a little more in denial about it though, like he’s smiling a lot and saying everything will be fine and there’s an absolute desperate edge to his voice because deep down he knows full well that nothing is going to be fine. I think Homra would struggle more in hunting down Colorless too because there really wouldn’t be anyone at the helm directing things, that was Kusanagi’s job after all (ironically Fushimi would have been really handy to have in Homra at this point). I think Mikoto would do his best to give everyone some direction but he’s distracted by everything else that he’s dealing with and besides this was always Kusanagi’s job anyway. Similarly I could see people initially looking to Totsuka to fill those shoes just as the other member of the top three but Totsuka doesn’t really think he’s made for this, he can’t be a reliable person like Kusanagi. 

It probably turns into a lot of delegating, like Dewa’s one of the more reliable members so he gets to compile the information while Bandou and Akagi work on using the internet to gather intel and Fujishima and Eric focus on street level rumors. This would lead to some interesting changes once Homra takes over Ashinaka too, imagine Totsuka and Anna talking with Mikoto and Totsuka is trying so hard to avoid taking any responsibility and acting like this will be finished quick and they can all go back home because he can’t face the idea that Mikoto is really not going to survive this. There also wouldn’t be anyone for Awashima to negotiate with so I wonder if Munakata still shows up to talk to Mikoto the night before, like does he just walk in and the Homra guys are aware and freaking out and Mikoto is the one who tells them just to let that guy come. (I’m also now suddenly imagining if Homra wants to check in with S4 at all, do you think anyone suggests Yata reach out to Fushimi? Imagine Totsuka getting his number and calling him all friendly just to keep S4 out of this and Fushimi being very cold and to the point, because he’s not going to be polite like the rest of Homra and ignore that desperation in Totsuka’s voice.)

Post-MK too, I wonder who takes over the bar? Did Kusanagi have any kind of will, did he leave it to anyone? Totsuka would definitely be a mess afterward too, people are looking to him and all he wants to do is mourn his two best friends. I don’t know if it would occur to him to go to Germany to learn more about the Slate (so if Kusanagi dies Hisui wins I guess) though I could see him choosing to ‘run away,’ at least for a time. Like Totsuka tells himself this is just him being heartless again, Kusanagi and Mikoto were just another thing to move on from like any other hobby, but the more he runs away the more he’s struck by how deep his own grief is and he has to reconcile the fact that he did care so much more than he ever wanted to admit. That eventually gets him to return and he shows up in time to see Anna become Red King — though imagine he doesn’t show up until afterward, like when S4 is saluting her she suddenly looks up and Totsuka is standing facing her and she just runs to him. Totsuka apologizes for making her wait so long and he knows that he can’t be for her what he was for Mikoto, that she doesn’t need him to be that because she doesn’t need a ‘stopper,’ that he’s still the weakest clansman so there’s really not much he can do, but even so, he’d like to stay by her side.

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How do u think young saruhiko managed to get his glasses? I know neither of his parents are taking him to an optometrist

Imagining little Saruhiko just walking into an optometrist all by himself and being irresistibly drawn to the nerdiest pair of glasses XD I kinda imagine a maid or some kind of servant ultimately took him, Kisa’s too busy and Niki doesn’t care. When he’s really little presumably at least someone has to watch him since he can’t take care of himself, even if it’s just the maid whose only job is ‘don’t let him die.’ I would assume he also has one regular doctor checkup a year just to do the bare minimum, Kisa has the maid make the appointment and take Fushimi there and it’s that doctor who notices the eye issue. Kisa isn’t going to be bothered to make an optometrist appointment but maybe Fushimi’s been breaking some expensive things due to not being able to see well and Kisa is like fine take him to an eye doctor I guess, she can’t have him messing things up if she decides to have a party at the house. I kinda imagine Fushimi having outdated glasses for a while until at least mid-elementary or early-middle school, once he’s old enough that Kisa can trust he won’t hurt himself with daily living she doesn’t bother to have the maid do more than make him food so there are no more appointments. Fushimi can see okay at least even with the old glasses, it causes eye strain that gives him headaches but he doesn’t complain because he’s already learned that no one will care if he does . Finally when he’s old enough he just goes to the optometrist by himself (lying to the doctor that Kisa dropped him off, and forging her signature if needed for any medical documents), since Kisa gives him money all the time he can buy his own glasses and he just takes care of it all himself because by now he’s well aware that if he doesn’t no one else will.

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AU within an AU. In the Good Dad Fushimi world Misaki also has a kid.

Imagine Yata gets his kid after Fushmi leaves Homra, like maybe Fushimi adopted his daughter at some point right before they move in together but she’s pretty young at the time so Yata doesn’t get to know her super well. When Fushimi leaves Homra obviously Yata knows he’s not going to see the kid again but imagine their paths cross on occasion and Yata’s always kind to her, just because her dad’s being a jerk he doesn’t want her to think that he doesn’t like her anymore. Then something happens in Homra that Yata ends up adopting a kid too, like he saves a little girl whose family are all part of a dangerous criminal Strain gang. Maybe Yata was going after the gang himself and he was just supposed to check the purported hiding place out but he gets himself in trouble trying to show off and take them down himself. When he’s trying to get away from his pursuers in their hideout he meets this malnourished little girl huddled alone in a room and she hides him, even though her own family attack her for it. In the aftermath this kid has no family and Kusanagi says they’ll probably have to like call Child Services to place her somewhere but Yata can’t stand that idea, this poor kid has no family and she saved his life, he can’t just let her be taken away, and that’s when he decides he’ll take care of her instead.

So that’s how we end up with Girl Dad Yata and imagine this actually sorta weirdly helps him trying to reconcile with Fushimi, because Yata keeps running into stuff he’s not sure about when it comes to raising a kid and the only one he knows to ask is Fushimi (since this kid is so much younger than Anna, when Yata talks to Kusanagi he tries to help but he’s never raised a child this small either). Fushimi finds out Yata is raising a kid and of course his first instinct is to taunt Yata about it but then imagine one day his own daughter notices that he’s getting messages from ‘Uncle Misaki’ and looks at him all innocently wondering if they can go see him again. Fushimi clicks his tongue and tries to redirect her attention to something else, but he does send a curt yet detailed response to Yata’s question. After this imagine whenever they meet they still fight and Fushimi still insists that he’s Yata’s enemy and that he wants Yata to hate him but he’s also answering every parenting question that Yata texts him afterwards. 

When they finally reconcile post-ROK Yata thinks it would be cool for their kids to have a play date, he hasn’t seen Fushimi’s daughter in ages and he wants to introduce Fushimi to his kid too. It would be funny if Fushimi’s daughter has grown up to be kinda brash and loud and wearing her heart on her sleeve, while Yata’s daughter is quiet and clever and a little gloomy, Yata’s watching them wondering if they accidentally switched kids somehow. The two of them do get along though and Yata’s really happy about that, his kid has friends in Homra of course and Anna always spends time with her but she doesn’t have a lot of friends her own age. Fushimi admits his kid doesn’t have a lot of friends either, neither of their kids are quite school age yet so they’ve mostly spent time around the Red and Blue clans respectively (Fushimi is perpetually concerned that his kid will learn bad habits from ‘Uncle Reisi’). Yata hesitantly says well I guess they should spend more time together…our kids I mean, and we can hang out too… for the kids. Fushimi clicks his tongue but he’s looking a little awkward as he admits that would be nice and Yata grins, sounds like a date then (a play date. Definitely not an actual date. Play date. Totally play date).

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Sarumi and saru's daughter playing horror games and staring blankly at Yata whenever he screams

Imagine Fushimi’s daughter really likes horror games too, she loves creepy stuff and jump scares. Fushimi doesn’t particularly mind either way, it totally doesn’t affect him at all so he’s fine buying her horror games if she wants them (and then Yata probably has to yell at him to look at the age ratings, because Fushimi just assumes well I played games that were too adult for me as a kid and those specific games didn’t have anything to do with how badly I grew up so it’ll be fine). Sometimes they play the games together and Fushimi has no response at all to the horror stuff on screen, just totally deadpan and his daughter thinks it’s fun, she loves playing these games with her dad.

Then when Yata and Fushimi start dating Yata figures he should start spending more time with Fushimi's kid too, since he might end up being her other dad. The first evening he stays over she’s all excited to play video games with him, Fushimi says they’ll have to play something easy since Misaki can’t handle her usual games. Yata is immediately arguing that he can totally handle her games what are you talking about, he’ll play any game she has, absolutely assuming that all her games are like girly dress up games or something. Ten minutes later Fushimi and his daughter are happily killing zombies and being jumpscared by ghouls and Yata is white as a sheet. Fushimi smirks and says they can find an easier game if Yata wants, Yata’s like no no I’m fine I love these types of games. A ghost jumps out from behind a corner and Yata screams and throws his controller. Afterward when Yata’s leaving he’s trying to play it off like yeah those were really fun, I just wanted to make the game more exciting (‘By screaming and hiding behind the couch?’ ‘Shut up Saruhiko’). Fushimi’s daughter beams and says it was really fun playing with Yata too, the way he yelled like a little girl was super funny and next time she wants to play even more terrifying games with him.

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Saruhiko torturing vampire!Yata by simply... being on his period?

Can you imagine this is how Vampire Yata finds out Fushimi is trans, when Fushimi starts tormenting him once a month without really intending to. Say AU where Fushimi meets vampire Yata as a middle schooler, Yata was recently turned and has been trying to suppress his hunger because only bad guys drink other people’s blood. He’s finally unable to resist and ends up jumping skinny malnourished middle schooler Fushimi who is surprisingly willing to let his blood be sucked because it’s not like he cares what happens to his life. Yata is basically like what the hell, you’re just going to let me drink your blood and Fushimi shrugs, saying if he’s going to do it then hurry up, what a stupid shrimpy vampire. Yata gets pissed at that, like hey my growth spurt was just coming in when I got turned it’s not my fault (imagining a couple year difference between them here, so Yata was like in high school when he stopped aging and Fushimi eventually catches up to him). Now that Yata’s talked to Fushimi he can’t bring himself to suck Fushimi’s blood and Fushimi ends up buying him some animal blood from the butcher because Yata looks so pathetic.

After this they become close and end up moving in together, Yata probably wouldn’t have survived on his own as a vampire without Fushimi to get him blood and find him shelter during the day and everything so Yata thinks Fushimi is really amazing. Having their own apartment is great because it’s a place Yata can enter without needing to worry about invites and they have a fridge specifically for his blood rations (but Fushimi still makes Yata cook and refuses all the vegetables, Yata’s like your diet is worse than mine and I can only drink blood). One day Yata wakes up and he can smell some blood, it actually smells kinda good and he doesn’t know what it is. Fushimi comes walking out of the bathroom looking very irritated and Yata is immediately worried as he realizes the smell is coming from Fushimi. Yata thinks Fushimi must be hurt and keeps trying to get him to take his shirt off and let Yata look at his body and finally imagine Fushimi just super annoyed unbuttoning his shirt to show his bound breasts and Yata promptly screams and almost passes out because what the hell you’re a girl. Fushimi clicks his tongue and says he isn’t a girl, and he just got his period so don’t worry about it. 

If Fushimi says he’s a boy Yata will accept that but now Yata has to deal with the whole ’time of the month when Saruhiko smells like a snack’ thing. Imagine too this is like killing Yata because emotionally he considers periods to be Gross Girl Stuff and he doesn’t even want to know about them, but his general instincts keep insisting that Fushimi smells really good. Maybe Yata doesn’t even realize that it’s less the period and more that he’s been finding the smell of Fushimi’s blood more and more appetizing, Fushimi is usually careful not to get hurt around Yata so Yata doesn’t get to smell his blood much and can assume that it’s just normal blood that he has no specific interest in. But once a month Fushimi can’t avoid bleeding and it’s just messing with Yata completely, like why does this smell so good. He can’t admit it to Fushimi either because then Fushimi would never stop teasing him so Yata has to suffer in silence, assuming this is all vampire instincts as he tries desperately to stop being so attracted to Saruhiko.

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Saruhiko's daughter giving him corny dad's gift that Saruhiko gives unusual uses to? (Like a cutlass for BBQ that's always stained with blood.)

I feel like just about any gag gift she gives him that’s reasonably pointy ends up being used as a weapon sooner or later. Kitchen knife shaped like a chicken? Used as a weapon. A set of kebabs featuring monkeys on the ends? Used as a weapon. One of those singing fish that’s supposed to be mounted to the wall? Used as a weapon (he didn’t have anything else handy and it was a swordfish). His daughter probably just starts buying him odd things so she can see if her dad will take them to work and use them as part of his arsenal. Sometimes Fushimi catches Strains that are aware of what these gifts are supposed to be and they boggle a little, like it’s bad enough to be defeated by a weird looking cutlass and even worse when you know it’s supposed to be for barbecue. Of course some things can’t be used for a weapon even by Fushimi, like the cute knit hat with monkey ears — which makes a Strain feel pretty confident attacking him in the winter, until Fushimi pulls six knives out of it without even knocking it off his head. His daughter is really happy at how much her dad likes even the strangest gift, Fushimi really is good at making the most out of anything he’s given.

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So what if a animal strain (one who turns people into animals) accidentally hits Kotosaka with their powers and the reverse happens?

Human Kotosaka? Green haired bird boy can eat all the chicken now.

Imagine bishounen human Kotosaka, like his beauty even rivals Yukari (but he has a foul mouth and no manners at all). Like some time pre-S1 Kotosaka is following Yukari around on a jungle mission, relaying information from Hisui. Maybe the mission involves trying to get a random Strain to work with jungle, Kotosaka is working as Hisui’s mouthpiece to negotiate with the guy while Yukari waits on standby to fight if needed. The Strain ends up being more troublesome than expected and Yukari has to take them down, before he can do so though Kotosaka gets in the way of the Strain’s power. Yukari quickly dispatches the Strain and then looks around for Kotosaka, who was thrown into a pile of boxes. Something starts moving and a beautiful green-haired boy clothed in feathers sits up, squawking out Yukari’s name. 

Yukari decides to take Kotosaka back to jungle’s headquarters, Kotosaka is a little unsteady on his feet but manages. He probably keeps trying to fly and Yukari has to stop him from jumping off of things, reminding him that he’s human now and humans don’t fly. Kotosaka’s vocabulary hasn’t been enhanced at all by becoming human so he’s mostly still talking in couple word sentences. Yukari also gets a message on his PDA from Hisui that Hisui can’t contact Kotosaka and has something happened, Yukari smiles all amused like yes it seems something has. He does appreciate how beautiful Kotosaka looks as a human, to think he was hiding such radiant inner beauty all this time. Kotosaka just cocks his head and starts scratching at his hair.

When they get back to the hideout everyone is pretty surprised to see human Kotosaka, Sukuna wonders if Yukari didn’t just mess up and grab some random guy off the streets. Kotosaka immediately runs over to Hisui and crouches down for some scratches, Hisui obliges while saying that no, this is their dear fellow clansman. Kotosaka probably starts making all kinds of messes too, he’s all curious about his new body and keeps like touching Yukari’s makeup stand and Sukuna’s game system. Yukari decides to sit him down and give him a makeover, Kotosaka manages to sit still for a few minutes before Iwa-san walks in with some groceries and Kotosaka almost knocks over the couch trying to look in the grocery bag. Hisui explains that this is Kotosaka for the moment and Kotosaka is just pestering Iwafune for chicken, he definitely wants fried chicken. 

Iwafune doesn’t get how he ended up with another kid but promises he’ll make some, in honor of Kotosaka’s current transformation he can have all the chicken he wants. Imagine he makes a whole nice feast for everyone and Kotosaka just starts eating as messily and loudly as possible, Sukuna is like if I ate that way Iwa-san would start yelling at me. Hisui says not to worry, Kotosaka is used to being a bird after all, if this is the way he would like to eat allow him. Kotosaka makes a happy squawking noise and steals a chicken from Sukuna’s plate, Sukuna is definitely ready to fight now. Iwafune assures them that there’s enough chicken for everyone and Kotosaka is ready to climb over the table for seconds. Eventually he tires himself out from eating and running around and falls asleep on the couch sitting up. Sukuna wonders what they’re gonna do if he doesn’t change back, Iwafune sighs and says there goes all their food budget. Hisui is calm though, he enjoys having a chance to talk and sit with Kotosaka like this — Kotosaka was his first clansman after all, and Hisui cherishes him that way. Kotosaka sleepily nudges Hisui’s hand and Hisui smiles, assuring his clansmen all will be fine. (The next morning Kotosaka is thankfully back to normal, happily flying around everywhere now that he has his wings back, and still demanding chicken.)

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Saruhiko is struggling to get his daughter to eat while sick and Kamamoto offers to help.

I like thinking about this post-ROK and Fushimi has like not even really talked to Kamamoto much at this point. As far as Homra goes Fushimi’s mostly been spending time with Yata and has talked with Kusanagi and Anna a bit but Fushimi just assumes Kamamoto dislikes him and why should Fushimi bother trying to change that, he doesn’t care what that fatty thinks of him. One day though Fushimi’s kid is sick and Fushimi is having issues getting her to eat, he’s still not the greatest cook but he can at least make porridge and usually that’s fine but this time she’s refusing it. Fushimi’s been taking time off work to care for her and he’s stretched pretty thin, worrying about his kid and not wanting to leave her alone but not sure what to do if she won’t eat. The doctor he calls just tells him to ‘wait and see’ and that’s no help, Fushimi doesn’t want to act like some flustered first time mom but really he’s very concerned. 

At one point Fushimi has to pick up some medicine for her and leaves her alone under the watchful eye of an alphabet boy. He happens to be walking by Bar Homra and goes inside, secretly hoping Yata is there and Fushimi can ask for ideas on what to cook, like maybe he’s been making the porridge wrong and Misaki will know how to do it right. The only one there is Kamamoto, who greets Fushimi kindly while Fushimi clicks his tongue and says never mind, he was just checking something. Kamamoto wonders if he was looking for Yata and lets Fushimi know that Yata’s at work, Fushimi denies needing Misaki for anything. Kamamoto notices the medicine in Fushimi’s hands and wonders if he’s sick, Fushimi looks away and says it’s for his kid and he needs to get back home. Kamamoto asks if that’s why Fushimi was looking for Yata and Fushimi denies it, he just… wanted to be sure he was making the food right. Kamamoto grins, he’s a specialist at that and can answer any food questions Fushimi has. Fushimi has no idea why Kamamoto is being so nice to him and says it’s nothing, he’s just trying to get his kid to eat while sick but he doesn’t need any help. Kamamoto is already walking over though, offering to help in Yata’s stead.

Fushimi ends up reluctantly letting Kamamoto come back with him and Kamamoto is all ready to start cooking, he has a bunch of recipes that are good when you’re sick. Imagine him being really nice to Fushimi’s daughter too (I feel like Kamamoto would be good with kids), she’s already looking a little more energetic because he’s talking with her so brightly. Kamamoto does notice that Yata’s right, Fushimi really doesn’t have any good food at his place and Fushimi clicks his tongue and says he has some food, it’s not that bad. Kamamoto can work with this though, he knows just the thing, and starts cooking. Fushimi didn’t ask for help and is pretending to not be paying attention but Kamamoto narrates what he’s doing anyway, like he’s giving a cooking lesson, and every so often Fushimi will secretly glance over at him so Kamamoto knows that Fushimi is paying attention. When the food is done they give it to Fushimi’s daughter and it’s the first thing she’s eaten all of in ages. Afterward Kamamoto gets ready to leave and imagine Fushimi all uncomfortable and awkward before managing a stilted ‘thanks,’ Kamamoto smiles and says it’s fine, friends help each other out. 

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Misaki: can you tech me French

Saruhiko: sure *tries and fails Giving a French kiss

Misaki: 😳🫠😵‍💫

Imagine Yata’s going to France for some kind of skateboard competition and he decides he needs to know some words, and Saruhiko would probably know since he’s so smart. The two of them have just started dating but they haven’t really gotten physical much, like the most Yata has managed are a few chaste kisses on the cheek and Fushimi is getting real tired of this virgin. Yata’s also been really busy with skateboarding competitions which isn’t helping matters, Fushimi doesn’t always get a chance to attend the matches because of work. So he’s already a little grumpy and pent up when Yata comes back to the apartment all excited about going to France. He wonders if Fushimi could come along, trying to sound all casual, and Fushimi gets a bit red-faced as he says he’ll think about it. Yata adds that either way he’ll need to learn French and he’s sure Fushimi knows some words right. He’s all excited and sitting very close to Fushimi so Fushimi decides why not and says he knows a few things, just close your eyes. Yata doesn’t get what closing your eyes has to do with it but fine, now what do I say. Fushimi says French is all about how you use your tongue and Yata’s all huh I’ve never heard that before, but he’s barely gotten the words out before Fushimi’s tongue is in his mouth. They have a passionate kiss before Fushimi finally pulls away, flushed and licking his lips like do you understand now. Yata’s brain is overheating so he manages to stutter out ‘Wait, do I gotta greet everyone in France with that?’ and Fushimi buries his head in a pillow.

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Kamamoto and Yata making a cookbook together to give it to Saruhiko so he can make his daughter more interesting food.

Yata is also hoping that this will give him an excuse to get Fushimi to eat more interesting food. Like imagine Fushimi’s daughter is getting old enough that she’s wanting to try more food and experiment, she’s not a baby anymore and can eat basically anything but Fushimi is struggling with meals because he has no concept of ‘making different foods every day to eat at assigned times.’ He can make a handful of things but most of his food is very bland and simple, and usually easy to make because Fushimi doesn’t have time to make something complex. One day maybe Yata’s babysitting because S4 is busy and he takes the kid to Homra, she’s excited because Uncle Izumo makes fun food. Yata says well her dad makes food for her right and she looks nervous as she’s like yes, he makes food. It takes a little wheedling to get her to admit that her dad’s food is kinda bland and boring, she’s never said anything to him because she doesn’t want Fushimi to be upset. 

Yata decides he needs to do something about this and enlists Kamamoto for help, they’re gonna make Fushimi a whole cookbook of recipes with actual spices and flavor and interesting ingredients so he can make food for his kid. Kamamoto is worried that Fushimi won’t like them doing this but Yata thinks it’ll be fine, he knows Fushimi is always worrying about being a shitty parent and is probably somewhat aware that his culinary skills are lacking but that guy will never admit that sort of thing out loud. If they give him a cookbook he’ll complain but he’ll definitely take it, so this will help Fushimi’s daughter out but let Fushimi salvage his pride. The two of them decide to focus on meals that are quick to make but flavorful and soon Homra’s kitchen is filled with various dishes as they test different recipes. Anna probably shows up at some point to help out and when he hears what they’re doing Kusanagi offers to get them ingredients as long as they clean the place up afterward. 

The next time Yata watches the kid when Fushimi comes to pick her up Yata presents him with the book, playing it off like I figured you might want to give her more different meals. Fushimi clicks his tongue and grumbles that he can cook for himself now, he doesn’t need Yata to do everything, and Yata’s like yeah I know but Kamamoto and I figured you could use a nudge. Fushimi takes the book and mutters that it better not have vegetables dishes in it and Yata elbows him a little, we don’t need another picky eater around here you know.

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Yata runs into a grumpy animal with markings around the eyes and immediately thinks ‘Saru why does this always happens to you’

He takes care of the beast trying not to get bit as he tries to get him to eat.He finally calms Fushimi and manages to pet him.

Which is when Fushimi walks into their apartment, pause, and asks why Misaki is cuddling the missing zoo animal in their apartment.

Imagine one day Yata’s on his way home from his part time job when he hears this commotion nearby, Yata decides to go check it out in case it’s like a Strain issue or someone’s in danger and instead he finds himself face to face with this extremely grumpy zebra who keeps trying to bite anyone who comes near. Yata’s like okay that’s new, wondering if there was an escapee from the zoo or something, and that’s when he notices that this gloomy zebra has two stripes that look like rings around his eyes, almost like glasses, and Yata is immediately like ‘Wait, Saruhiko?’. The zebra snorts at him and tries to bite him and Yata’s like, yup, it must be Saruhiko.

Yata can’t just leave Fushimi out here and he grumbles that where are those guys from S4 when you need them, he can’t believe the Blues just left Saruhiko like this. Yata ends up using the shirt he usually has around his waist as like a kind of lead and ends up dragging the zebra across town back to his apartment. The zebra is super stubborn and keeps trying to bite and kick him, Yata doesn’t know what he did to piss Saruhiko off this much. One of the bites ends up hitting Yata’s watch and now it won’t turn on, Yata glares at the zebra like you know you’re gonna have to fix this when you turn back to normal. When he gets back to his place he then has to wrangle the zebra into an elevator, imagine people are walking by and staring at him and Yata’s like Saruhiko can’t you just behave, you’re making this harder than it has to be (Fushimi’s specialty). Imagine as he’s going to his apartment the elevator stops on at least one floor for someone going upstairs and they take one look at Yata standing there sheepishly trying to stop a zebra from biting him and are like ‘I’ll wait for the next elevator.’

Yata finally gets the zebra to his apartment, it’s too big to go inside so Yata lets him roam on the rooftop. He doesn’t know what to feed a zebra and he can’t look online since his watch is broken but he figures a zebra is like a horse right, so it should eat grass and stuff. He doesn’t have any zebra food on hand and reluctantly has to leave Saruhiko on the roof while he runs to some nearby feed store and buys a small bushel of hay. When he gets back to his place the zebra is chewing on the couch that’s on the rooftop and Yata shoos him away like look yummy hay. The zebra refuses, snorting again, and Yatas like I know you’re picky but come on you have to eat something. He manages to coax the zebra to eat and soon the zebra is nudging him for more, being suddenly more friendly. 

Yata grins like who knew food was the way to your heart Saruhiko, petting the zebra on the snout as it nuzzles him — which is when the elevator opens and normal human Fushimi walks out, wondering what Yata’s doing with the missing zebra from the zoo. Yata looks between Fushimi and the zebra like wait a second, Fushimi grumbles that S4 got dragged into all this because a Strain let the zebra out and they’ve been looking all day. He got a tip about some idiot bringing a zebra onto the roof of a building and it looks like that one was right, so he would like to know what the idiot is doing with the zebra. Yata is like in my defense it looks exactly like you, the zebra just snorts in agreement. 

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What if Misaki had a stuffed monkey when he was younger that he was utterly obsessed with. He forgets all about it but then post ROK his mom finds it. Somehow everyone learns about it (and how utterly destroyed it is in favorite toy)

Imagine it’s named ‘Saruhiko’ too, because when Yata was a little tiny kid still living in Shizume and his mom hadn’t remarried yet he heard someone say that name in a crowd once and thought it would be perfect for his monkey. It’s Yata’s absolute favorite toy when he’s little, he drags it around everywhere and makes up games where they’re both superheroes. As he gets a little older though he goes through a phase where he decides stuffed animals are ‘girly’ and stops playing with it, though the stuffed monkey does still stay on his bed. When his mom remarries and they move is when Yata loses it, the monkey gets packed away but ends up in like the wrong box and Yata can’t find it when he gets to their new place. He’s sad but tells himself he doesn’t need a stupid stuffed animal anymore and then largely forgets about it (though when he learns Fushimi’s first name Yata does have a moment where he wonders why that sounds so familiar and then shrugs it off, must be nothing). 

Post-ROK his mom is going through some boxes in the attic and finds it, she immediately calls Yata to tell him she has something for him when he stops by next. Imagine Yata looking a little confused as his mom proudly hands him this well-loved stuffed monkey and then Yata remembers, like oh hey this was my little guy when I was a kid. His mom says to take it with him and Yata’s like I’m not a kid, I don’t need a stuffed animal. His mom says to take it anyway, it’s a nice memory of the past and it belongs to him. Yata stuffs the monkey into his pants pocket and intends to take it back to his apartment but then on his way home imagine there’s a Strain incident and he has to go meet back up with the Homra guys. In all the fuss he forgets about the toy in his pocket, until the Strain’s been caught and Anna curiously picks up something from off the ground.

Dewa wonders where Anna got a stuffed monkey and she looks at it for a moment before smiling and handing it to Yata, Misaki dropped this. Yata’s stuttering trying to deny it but he knows he can’t argue with Anna and he mutters that his mom found it and gave it to him, it’s no big deal. The Homra guys can’t help but rib him about it a little, like aw cute little Misaki loves his monkey. Bandou considers and is like wait that makes a weird amount of sense doesn’t it, Akagi agrees now that he thinks about it this really does explain a lot. Yata has no idea what they’re talking about and then he hears a tongue click behind him, Fushimi has arrived with S4 to finish with the cleanup. Fushimi grouses at Yata for getting in S4’s way again and Yata’s immediately like it’s not our fault you Blues are too slow. Fushimi starts to argue and then glances at Yata’s hand and raises an eyebrow, Yata realizes he’s still holding this stuffed monkey. He wonders why Misaki has a kid’s toy and Yata’s like no reason, my mom found it that’s all. Fushimi smirks like oh so it’s a baby toy for baby Misaki and Yata tells him to shut up, he doesn’t play with toys anymore but don’t insult it either. Fushimi says Yata probably gave it a stupid name too and Yata’s like no it’s called…and then he trails off, smiling as he’s like oh I get it now.

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Fushimi grows a heavy stubble every morning before he shaves. Yata really loves that stubble and sometimes manages to get some kisses/face rubs in before Fushimi shaves. One time he doesn’t for a weekend and Yata is in heaven thinking he’s growing a cool beard b4 he shaves again.

The idea of Fushimi with stubble feels so strange, like he’s so pale and smooth-looking XD Imagine this is a bit of a secret though, Fushimi finds it really annoying and always shaves first thing in the morning so no one actually knows about it. When he and Yata start dating Yata is kinda shocked one morning when he catches Fushimi shaving because he didn’t know Fushimi even had facial hair (also imagine Yata is now low-key jealous because he thinks stubble is cool and manly and his own attempts at growing facial hair have been utter failures). Fushimi complains that it’s annoying and he doesn’t like it, it’s a pain to deal with. Yata thinks he looks cool with it though and now Yata’s definitely always trying to catch Fushimi before he shaves, Yata considers it a victory if he can get a kiss in before the stubble is gone. Fushimi doesn’t get why Yata likes the stubble so much, like how do you even find this attractive Misaki and Yata shrugs like I dunno I just think it looks cool on you.

One weekend his razor breaks and Yata has to stop him from shaving with a knife, like how do you not have extra razors. Fushimi is fussy and only uses one brand because all the others bug him so Yata suggests they can go out together and buy one, secretly a little thrilled that he gets to have a ‘date’ when Fushimi’s got the stubble. Fushimi grumbles that fine, it’s a weekend so no one from work will see him at least. The first couple places they go to don’t have the razor though and in the end Fushimi has to order online and wait for delivery. Yata is pretty pleased about the whole thing, like he finds Fushimi plenty attractive with shaved skin too but something about the facial hair is really doing it for him. Fushimi actually starts to get a little more comfortable with it himself, like hearing Yata praise him like this makes him feel less self conscious and Yata figures maybe he’s even convinced Fushimi to stop shaving so much. When the razor arrives Monday morning though Fushimi shaves immediately and Yata sighs like so much for that, Fushimi pauses and adds that if Misaki enjoys the stubble so much maybe he can stop shaving from time to time, just for the weekend.

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fem saru because why not ? So yata and saru are reconasing and stuff but it's harder to misaki than it's simes because compared to that dorki boyish girl from middle school he is meet with this sexy woman that he can't ever look at and his heart may burst so he ask humora boys for solutions and offcourse it end with a dissester

Imagine fem!Fushimi wears the same uniform as her canon self does (and maybe with like a binder or minimizer bra to keep her chest out of the way when she fights) and so Yata doesn’t even entirely realize that she’s now a sexy lady because she’s normally in a shapeless coat filled with knives. Like he’s somewhat aware that she’s grown since she was that gangly skinny middle schooler, she’s let her hair grow out more and maybe she wears a little lipstick but otherwise he thinks of this as just ‘Saruhiko, but a little girlier.’ Fushimi meanwhile is dealing with her whole secret crush that she’s finally admitted to and she actually for once wants Yata to see her as a girl and it doesn’t work if he keeps treating her as ‘one of the guys.’ They’ve been going out for drinks and such post-ROK and normally Fushimi’s casual wear is also pretty oversized and shapeless so she finally decides to try something different and shows up in like a dress that accentuates her curves and even has a little cleavage. Yata takes one look at her and he’s practically incoherent, like where did Saruhiko go and who’s this hot girl in her place. Unfortunately this just makes him nervous and tongue-tied all night, which makes the atmosphere between them super awkward and Fushimi is extra testy because she thinks Misaki suddenly doesn’t like her when she tries to be like a girl.

The next time they meet Fushimi is back to frumpy clothes and extra gloomy that this is the only way Yata will accept her, Yata meanwhile keeps thinking about how hot Fushimi looked and he still can’t be casual around her. Fushimi is probably certain that Yata hates her now and it makes her mood even worse, the air between them is stifling and Yata thinks this is his fault because he can’t just talk to a girl even when the girl is Saruhiko. He decides he needs to do something about this, he doesn’t want to lose Saruhiko again and he’s probably realized suddenly how in love he is, but how can he say that now when he can’t even look her in the face. Yata doesn’t know who to turn to so he has no choice, he has to ask the other Homra guys.

He initially tries to bring it up to Kamamoto, since Kamamoto’s dating his own childhood friend after all and probably has some idea of how to navigate this, but as Yata’s trying to explain the situation the other Homra guys show up. Chitose is immediately intrigued that Yata’s got a hot girl he’s interested in (and when Yata admits it’s Fushimi Chitose starts wondering out loud how good Fushimi must look under all those layers, until Dewa elbows him in the stomach). Yata says he needs to figure out a way to handle Fushimi being hot before it ruins their friendship and Bandou is like why can’t I have that kind of problem. Chitose comes up with the ‘genius’ idea that he’ll ask one of the girls he knows to take Yata out for the evening, to let him get used to hanging out with hot women so that he can finally confess to Fushimi. Yata isn’t sure if that’s the best idea but he’s assured that the only way to handle this is by immersion therapy, they need to throw him in the deep end of hot women and cure his problem by force at this point.

So that’s how Yata ends up at a club with a hot lady on his arm, who’s probably treating him like a kid because he can’t talk to her without getting red. The rest of the Homra alphabet came along for moral support too so just imagine everyone encouraging Yata to talk to this girl more and pretend she’s Fushimi. Doing that actually makes things worse though because when Yata thinks about Fushimi he gets even more tongue tied. Things are not going well and quickly become worse when imagine some Strain attacks the club, Homra of course takes care of it but naturally S4 arrives too and Fushimi gets to see Yata hanging out with another woman and asking if she’s all right. He’s suddenly not so nervous too because he’s still hyped up from beating up the Strain so to Fushimi it now looks like apparently Yata can talk to every girl but her. Yata doesn’t even realize Fushimi is there until a knife flies by him, Fushimi is like ‘my hand slipped’ as she turns to leave. Yata realizes how bad this looks and rushes after her. 

Maybe another Strain was lying in wait and Yata is almost attacked, Fushimi saves him but her clothes get torn so Yata can see her cleavage again. Yata starts to get red and Fushimi is about to storm off like never mind, go back to your ‘friend’ in the club. Yata shakes off his hesitance and grabs her arm, trying not to look at her boobs as he says that he was only spending time with that girl because Fushimi grew up to be too pretty. Fushimi gives him a flat look like ‘what’ and Yata stumbles over his words as he admits that he’s always had a fluttery feeling when he looks at Fushimi but he finally realized now how Fushimi is just way out of his league and he wanted to be able to talk to Fushimi normally again. Fushimi mutters that Yata’s an idiot, Fushimi hasn’t changed, and Yata’s like yes you have you’re— you’re really fucking pretty and now Fushimi can’t meet Yata’s eyes. The Homra guys meanwhile eventually make it out of the club to probably find Yata and Fushimi kissing dramatically in the middle of the street and Chitose is pretty proud of himself all see it worked, mission accomplished.

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Everything is the same except Awashima and Kusanagi switch places. (Ie: Awashima was best friends with Mikoto and Totsuka, Kusanagi was searched out by Munakata)

Instead of Bar Homra do you think Homra’s base would be inside a candy store that specializes in anko? I imagine in this AU it’s Awashima who Mikoto would meet in high school, he probably assumes she’s another authority figure who will immediately judge him and be afraid of him but Awashima treats him just as strictly as she does everyone else. Mikoto ends up being the first one to see her softer side too, imagine she’s sharp with him for lazing around all day but she also worries about his health and him getting into fights. When Totsuka gets beaten up she’s all ready to go to the proper authorities but Mikoto says he’ll handle it and Totsuka just laughs it off because Miss Seri is too strict for him. I kinda like the idea that Mikoto underestimates her too, like the first time Awashima gets confronted for being too close to Mikoto he expects to have to run to her rescue and this is why he doesn’t bother to get close to people, and then Awashima just suplexes a guy right in front of him. She doesn’t approve of the whole gang thing but also feels like it’s her responsibility as someone skilled to help keep the Shizume underworld in check and if Homra can keep all these energetic guys busy then so be it.

I can see her being treated as a ‘big sister’ figure in the clan similar to how Kusanagi acts as a brother figure, most of the guys probably try to call her ‘nee-san’ until she glares at them. Imagine poor Yata joining Homra in this AU too, he and Fushimi have just been rescued from jungle and Totsuka ushers them into the shop to be looked at and suddenly Yata is face to face with the biggest pair of boobs he’s ever seen in his life. It definitely takes a little bit for Yata to get used to her, eventually I imagine he’s only able to handle Awashima because he thinks of her as being ‘like a mom’ so it’s less scary (he still can’t look her straight in the face though). Fushimi I imagine has respect for her similar to how he feels about Kusanagi in canon but I could see him assuming she dislikes him because she’s always so strict with him. I feel like Awashima would be aware of Fushimi’s potential and also that he’s not really trying to use any of that potential in Homra so she’s strict because she knows he can do better and wants him to grow, but all Fushimi sees is that she’s harsher to him than to Misaki and so clearly she dislikes him and doesn’t think he should be in Homra. When she’s soft towards him he also sees it as being treated like a child or someone who needs to be ‘handled’ so he’s not really aware at all that she thinks so highly of him and wants him to treat himself better. 

Over on the S4 side, imagine Kusanagi and Munakata end up on the same plane after Munakata had a layover in England on his way home from America. Kusanagi was in England purchasing some authentic pub furniture for his bar and they end up sitting next to each other, Munakata is totally intrigued by this fellow Japanese person with the sunglasses and stack of business papers and Kusanagi would like his creepy seat mate to stop trying to make small talk. Then the plane gets hijacked though and they end up working very well together, Munakata recognizes that Kusanagi is someone skilled who can be trusted and even though Kusanagi isn’t so sure about Munakata he’s impressed with how quickly Munakata sizes up the situation and makes a plan. They take down the hijackers together but then the plane starts to crash and Munakata’s power awakens, when the plane lands a bewildered Kusanagi finds himself confronted by the newly crowned Blue King who is in need of talented people and has just already set his sights on who he wants first.

Without the Mikoto issue between them I feel like Kusanagi and Munakata would probably get along pretty decently, Kusanagi is aware that his boss is kinda weird but he recognizes Munakata’s abilities and believes in his cause. I could see them being sorta good cop and bad cop to the force — or maybe more ‘weird cop’ and ‘normal cop,’ Munakata being so inscrutable and dignified and no one knows how to handle him but then Kusanagi is his down-to-earth second in command who can talk to everyone casually. Kusanagi still runs the bar in his down time and the squad often go there for drinks, Munakata also likes to stop by after work and it’s the only way Kusanagi can get him to take a break sometimes, by offering him a drink. Kusanagi also does his best to smooth things over when Munakata has odd ideas for bonding experiences, he can never quite stop any of them (he couldn’t stop Totsuka, after all, and Munakata has the same immovable spirit) but he at least manages to make things less awkward. Also imagine him dealing with Fushimi, at first he’s just facepalming when he hears Munakata grabbed another kid (Doumyouji is enough hassle) and one from Homra at that but Munakata assures him that this child is very intriguing. Kusanagi quickly sees how skilled Fushimi is and definitely supports Munakata’s plan to make a position for him, he can’t believe Homra just let them take this talented kid (and when he’s talking to Homra’s second in command Awashima later she just sighs and asks if Fushimi’s eating okay at least, and Kusanagi promises to keep an eye on him for her). 

Then S1 happens and I think Awashima would be less willing to just let Mikoto do what he wants but she’s also aware that she can’t exactly stop him. At the very least she wants to mitigate some of the potential damage and I could see her wondering if she should be trying to find some other way to handle this, like she knows Mikoto is planning to have Munakata kill him and part of her feels like this should be her responsibility for letting things get this far. In the end she has to let Mikoto chase his vengeance but she doesn’t approve and Mikoto knows it, telling her this isn’t something for her to have to worry over. Directly afterward I could see Kusanagi coming to console her and maybe he’s the one who suggests she go on a trip to clear her head, promising to keep an eye on the rest of Homra. Then in ROK Kusanagi is dealing with the same issue, knowing that Munakata’s Sword is fragile but also feeling like his job is  to just let Munakata do what he thinks is best. I could see things being a little momentarily tense between Munakata and Kusanagi when Kusanagi just bluntly states that Munakata’s Sword is crumbling but then he sighs and says if Munakata wants to continue on this path Kusanagi knows he can’t do much to stop it. Munakata appreciates the concern but says he has everything well in hand, and Kusanagi finds himself for the first time truly worried about his King’s Sword of Damocles.