#Specifically Kuusuke coded

[transmasccofee]

Ngl I’m tempted to animate something from that one canon au where Kusuo dies with this cover

[akirameta84]

Akechi being Rivulet definitely works! And can also act as Aiura both desperately wanting to help Saiki, and get some vengeance for Saiki via having Akechi be built specifically for ripping out Kuusuke's Rarefaction Cell, whether he consents to it or not. And maybe she included a secondary purpose afterwards. One geared towards giving Saiki a companion after the Rarefaction Cell transplant happens.

Aren could be the Spearmaster Scug, but his creation was completely different. Like, Saiki could've created him as a desperate attempt to communicate with Kuusuke and get him to stop draining all the water, even if it's probably too late, via acting as his messenger because Kuusuke wasn't listening to all other methods of communication. And when that didn't work, he finally gave up and had Aren send out his final message. The ability to tap into the Iterator network could've been a side effect of Saiki's attempt to figure out why this is happening bleeding into Aren's creation process, and by the time he switched focus from investigator to messenger, it was already coded into the genome. ...and I'm adding angst via throwing out the idea of Aren sticking around Saiki's collapsed Super Structure until things have both cooled down enough, and there is an opening even there, so that he can finally reunite with his creator.

Mera as the Artificer. Her siblings and mother were killed by the Scavengers, so she decided to go a little crazy. ...yes if there was a way for her to have learned what happened to Saiki due to Kuusuke's actions she wouldn't be happy with him whatsoever. But for a while she had no way of learning and by the time she can learn she's living on top of Kuusuke's Super Structure taking care of some Slug Pups she found because it's safe from the rain so she probably won't learn about it until way later on.

Hairo is a less chonky Gourmand, but that's only because of his energy because otherwise he still cooks to keep up with the amount of energy he burns just by existing. Anyways he just got a bit lost scouting, met Saiki once, surprisingly without Nendou or Aren nearby, helped him out with a lizard, left, met Nendou and Aren individually and helped them hunt a bit, then met Kuusuke, got him to open the gate, then left. But he still visits on the occasion. Not at all realizing the two loner slug cats and the other Iterator know each other until Teruhashi arrived and helped them.

Speaking of, Teruhashi, she's the Survivor. She was swept away, and is now desperately trying to survive. She met Aren who chucked some food at her then left, and later Nendou who guided her to Saiki, alongside Saiki, Toritsuka, and Aiura's Overseers. Which she trusts because they've helped her so far. Anyways she ends up getting the necessary Neurons for Saiki because Nendou and Aren are too busy guarding him from the wildlife to go, and despite his body language it's obvious Saiki is nice via how he didn't hesitate to absent mindedly pet all the Scugs around him. ...when she meets Kuusuke the dislike on her side is great and Kuusuke is trying very hard to ignore her reasoning for grabbing his neurons, instead acting like she isn't grabbing them.

Kaidou is the Monk. He was a member of the colony Teruhashi was from and after a bit decided to go after her. He's fucking terrified the entire time, somehow ended up meeting Kuusuke before meeting literally anyone else, and had to be guided by Kuusuke to Saiki, and as a result Saiki's group of Scugs. Including Teruhashi. Saiki is just extremely confused on how they know each other.

Now then, as for the Monk... I honestly have no clue the Monk could be the same Slug Cat for all I know the little guy is wack like that.

yes. very much yes. i have 2 rain world aus now it seems lmfao, a scug one where its an isekai and everyone is a scug, and this one, where they replace the canon cast <3

akechi was definitely designed to also be a companion after he did his job. hes sleek and fast but strong, as aiurs didnt know how hard stealing a rarefaction cell from a mostly functioning iterator would be.

rain world kinda implies that rivulet was a purposed organism (being so unique + already having the mark), so in this au its just the actual truth

you did Monk twice but i think you meant Saint can just be the same crazy fella, and i agree haha

spearmaster aren is perfect. kuusuke hsd closed all communication networks so a messenger was needed, and kusuo was still functional enough to make one. and hes there as a companion too <3

mera, as the most feral character, works well as the most feral scug lol. those scavengers didnt stand a chance.

everyone who wasnt a purposed organism has to got through kuusuke to get the mark of communication, since the other closest iterstor cant exactly do that. so them winding up there makes sense lol

ty for the ask i agree with everything so so so much <3 love getting these even if i apologize for a lackluster response because honestly all i have is agreement ahdb