#and kiryu who can accept consequences for himself but no one else was just like um ... well nishiki please give me the gun and take yumi

[dirt-str1der]

I literally had a dream about reading the worst fan fiction like fucking ever kiryu was just randomly a yandere and nishiki was trying his best to survive also kiryu turned into a dragon (deez nuts) halfway and let nishiki kill him for being a bad boy but he was so upset about having to kill his bro that he just lay in the corpse for a bit and thats when i decided to stop reading and i literally opened tumblr in my dream to complain about how bad it was like the writing went back and forth from being terrible to incredible and i found myself enjoying some parts and despising others. I skipped the first few chapters so i had to tab back out and read the summary like why are they in a beach resort and the summary didnt just tell me nothing but it was also double spaced between each line and very fucking irritating and while reading it i kept thinking this is extremely ooc and boring like they would not fucking say that

[itsybitsylemonsqueezy]

*sigh* I love him... oh, hey there tumblr! It’s been awhile, sorry about that. Been drinking a big ol’ glass of Loving Kiryu juice tho so it’s time for some Kiryu Opinions with Lemon. Sit’ya down and gather close. 

I’ve recently been informed that writing Kiryu is hard. This came as a surprise to me because Kiryu is very intuitive for me to wield. Like, there’s a certain amount of pressure with writing any protag, especially one who so defines a series and a universe, even now. But I just... don’t struggle with him. All of his decisions are intuitively relatable for me. 

But hearing that Kiryu was deceptively complicated made me stop and thinking about what about him appeals to me, what I find easy to move with him. I don’t know about any of you, but when I struggle to write a character, it’s because I struggle to understand their motivations. (Note that I said understand, which doesn’t necessarily mean agree with.) If I can’t explain to myself why a character is Like That, how the hell am I going to explain it to anyone else? How will I move them believably if I don’t know why they’re moving? 

So this got me thinking about... why Kiryu is Like That. 

One of the important things for me, whenever I have Kiryu in a scene, is that Kiryu is always in the Present. This is not true for many, many characters. Many people are reliving the past or hoping for the future. But in any given scene, even if Kiryu should be thinking about other things, what he responds to is the present, the here and now. That is first and foremost what motivates him. Whatever is happening right in front of him takes precedence. Both past events and future consequences mean very little to him compared to that. 

This is drastically different, as I said, from characters like Majima, who is nearly always living in the past. A strange thing for me to say about a character as self-aware as him, but being self-aware and being in the Present are two different things. But I’m not here to talk about him today. 

This is not to say that Kiryu is ignorant or foolhardy or callous. Kiryu does not deny the past its meaning or charge in blindly without an awareness of the consequences. He knows consequences will come, he simply accepts them faster than you might expect. And Kiryu is deeply affected by the past and does spend a great deal of time thinking about the past. But that’s not how his decisions get made. Many people are so afraid of or so hurt by the past, that all of their present decisions are predetermined by what has happened to them before. And that makes sense, we all learn from experience and react to it. It’s just a matter of which pieces of information any one of us is choosing to evaluate per decision. And rather than looking to past pain and past failures, or past successes, Kiryu gives deference to the most recent information. Part of the reason for this is that the only pattern Kiryu sees in the past is his failures. If everything he did before failed, why the hell would he do that again? And part of the reason is because the past is dead to Kiryu. 

I said before some people live in the past. They play it out every day, trying to redeem themselves, hoping for a different ending. If they just do it right this time, things will be different, things will be better. Other people believe in do-overs. Kiryu doesn’t. Kiryu internalized when he was young that there are no do-overs. Sometimes you get one shot and you live with the consequences. That’s what Kiryu believes. When he entered the yakuza, that was the ethos instilled in him. If you make a call, you stand by it and you live with it, good, bad, or break even. Kiryu believes that, even to this day. And in his defense, many of the decisions he’s had to make were like that. Any time he made a bad call, the consequences were permanent. Any mistake he made, he could lose a friend, he could lose a war. And when he made that decision, he had to be ready for those consequences. That’s what he learned. So for him there are no do-overs. The past is dead. It’s not an active, dynamic thing that he could change, even if he wanted to. He can’t bring Nishiki back to life, he can’t save Tachibana, he can’t un-orphan Haruka. Those decisions are made and gone. 

He’s not a fool and he won’t torture himself thinking about what he could have done differently. He accepts that these are the consequences. Sometimes you’re wrong and sometimes there’s nothing you can do about it. In some ways, this helps Kiryu let go. It means he’s never trying to save someone who’s already dead. It means he doesn’t dwell in regret. This gives him the ability to move forward. If he couldn’t do this, he never would have gotten up from the end of Kiwami 1. But Nishiki’s dead and there’s nothing he can do about it. So he doesn’t try. That’s the downside. Kiryu never goes back. He never tries to make it better, even for himself. Because he doesn’t think there is a way. It’s too painful to even consider that. Who is there to forgive him? Who is there to let him try again? The dead don’t talk. Kiryu accepts that he cannot change the past. Instead he flees from it. 

This is an opposite defensive maneuver from trying to relive the past, he’s trying to outrun it. If he never has to make those decisions again, then he can never fuck up like that again. It’s why he refuses to be chairman, it’s why he hates being in Kamurocho. It’s all a constant reminder of his mistakes and how much they cost. And Kiryu’s defensive strategy is sometimes overactive, deciding that he can’t fix situations that haven’t yet burnt to the ground. He always assumes people won’t forgive him, that they don’t want him to try. He always assumes his failure is enough to ruin all the relationships he has. Why would you forgive someone who ruined your life? Kiryu doesn’t know why you would and doesn’t think you should. He’s paranoid about failing the people he loves and he believes that if he has failed you, you rightfully don’t love him anymore and wouldn’t want to see him. He sees his mistakes too big to know how small they are to you. So he runs from good relationships because he thinks he’s already failed them, he thinks he’s already made too many mistakes and he doesn’t deserve that relationship anymore. Maybe he never did. 

And the more faith people put in him the worse this is. People treat Kiryu like he’s a god, a savior. And every time it makes Kiryu’s heart sore. He’s not afraid of his own power; he’s actually fairly confident in his abilities and has a good grasp of their reach. But seeing how much people trust him... it makes every mistake cost more. Kiryu worries because he knows he is human. No matter what anyone else thinks, he’s still just a guy. He sees himself as just a guy, maybe better trained or more gifted than some, but just a normal, mortal, flawed human being like anyone else. He knows he makes mistakes. He knows he will make mistakes again. And what if he makes a mistake that affects you? What if he’s wrong and it fucks you over? And how betrayed your trust is, how your faith in him falters... then you’ll finally see he was never worthy of it to begin with. Then you’ll feel deceived because he couldn’t live up to your expectations. 

Kiryu doesn’t want to hurt you like that, hurt anyone like that. He takes the expectations on him very seriously. He knows you’re only asking because you do need help. He knows you’re very sincere. And he badly wants to do right by you. But if he... if he fucks up, that doesn’t hurt him, it hurts you. And sometimes he can’t bear that. He can’t bear failing people, being responsible for their disappointment and hurt and ruined situation. 

It’s not that Kiryu wants to be reassured that he’s doing okay. People who want reassurance want to do the job they have. Kiryu hates this job. He hates being in the position to save or damn people. He hates the potential of getting it wrong and it mattering so much. And he would rather not help than risk it sometimes. His heart aches every time he’s asked again because that means... there’s no one else. It means he’s still the best you’ve got. And you deserve better, you deserve more than what he is. He’s just some guy and he’s not sure he can be what you need. He doesn’t trust himself to do it right. He wants you to have someone who WILL be there every time, who CAN weather it all. He doesn’t think he can. 

He will still help, because there’s no one else, because he does understand that if he doesn’t worse things will happen. And he’ll become responsible by not having stepped in. But this is why he’s inconsistent, he doesn’t think he can do more, he doesn’t trust himself. And he gets scared of how much people believe in him. 

He really doesn’t think that people could still love him, knowing he’s just some guy. He’s scared that if he isn’t perfect, like he’s supposed to be, like everyone wants him to be... everyone will feel betrayed. So he runs away to Okinawa to do something entirely different. But even then he’s scared of fucking up. He’s taken on all these young lives who depend on him and he’s waiting, he’s just waiting, to have someone tell him he’s a bad father, that he’s failed them, that he’s fucking up. And when that happens, he runs away again, so he won’t hurt them anymore. And because he doesn’t deserve to have relationships that bring him comfort and joy, he doesn’t deserve to feel useful and good, because he isn’t. He’s always been a failure. 

Kiryu carries the pressure on him EXCEEDINGLY well. He almost never breaks down. But he has those break downs. He has anxiety. He worries about fucking up. His confidence curves towards stables, but when he hits a rocky point... he’s unmoored. He’s left without any reassurance that he does know what he’s doing, that he is doing okay, that he hasn’t failed every relationship he’s ever had. People still love him and forgive him and want to be with him. Want to help him try again. 

I might even go so far to say that Kiryu has Imposter Syndrome. He has ex-gifted kid syndrome. Brought up with high expectations and high standards, more talented than his peers, launched into the stratosphere when he was still young, all of his personality moorings ripped away... He’s constantly just trying to be a good person, the best he knows how. And he takes it very, very hard when he falls short of what he was told all his life he could be. He doesn’t believe he ever achieved it.

I love Kiryu. I hope this helped show why.

[itsybitsylemonsqueezy]

Hey! What about Saejima for the character ask? :3

Hello friend! What a good suggestion, thank you c: 

character: hate them | don’t really care | like them | LOVE them | THEY ARE MY PRECIOUS

Who doesn’t love Saejima? Enormous, literal, blank-faced himbo.  Actually, let me talk about that for a second. Because, like, Saejima isn’t malicious by any means, but he actually has the greyest sense of morality I’ve seen in any of the protags. Like, you’ve got your Kiryu and Akiyama types, people who judge goodness by how it affects the people they love. In general they believe in being kind and understanding towards others, but they will bend or even break the rules if something happens to the people they love. They’re good people in the normal ways, the ways we expect. And there’s people following the rules and there’s people playing to their own motives. 

But Saejima, Saejima is different. He has... a sense of honor, a sense of duty, but at the same time doesn’t know when to stop. He believes in following orders and obeying his word, but isn’t empathetic, he’s not thinking about the consequences or how his actions affect others. Which is really wild in a protag. Again, he’s not cruel, but he can crush everything in his path if he’s decided that he has to do something. He’s not really capable of complex moral calls and has to turn to others for help. And that’s fascinating, especially when you remember he’s sworn to Majima. Majima who has the most hyper-sensitive morality of anyone in the series. Majima’s moral code is ironclad and he thinks decisions through. He understands cost and consequence intimately, that’s why he experiences guilt so strongly and will not perform actions that don’t jive with him. Saejima can be walked into a moral trap, quite literally, because he doesn’t know any better. If he’s told to do something, he’ll just go do it without thinking about what it means. Majima would never let shit like that happen to him and you could never walk Majima into a trap. Think about it, compare the manipulation gymnastics of game 0 and the ensuing fall out to the simplicity of game 4. The smartest people in the series could Just Barely retain hold on Majima and if Majima had been with Saejima, like he was supposed to be, you know Majima would have seen what was happening and left. 

And I just want to talk about that, that Saejima doesn’t see those things and can’t make those decisions. He’s a big, dumb weapon and we’re all very lucky that Majima got hold of him before anyone else did. I shudder to think what Saejima could have been if he hadn’t had Majima helping him make decisions and teaching him right from wrong. 

ship with: Baba Shigeki. Y’know how I said I love it when people upend their entire life over someone? Mmmmmmm. Baba is not quite as nutsville as Mine, but fuck. That moment Baba turns a gun on Saejima at last and just... can’t. That moment Saejima tells him to shoot him. That moment Baba’s screaming because he doesn’t want to understand why he can’t just shoot Saejima and complete his job. Saejima’s Hail Mary “Because we’re kyodai!” and the LOOK on Baba’s face! Fuck man. 

I really love their dynamic, I do. I love that Saejima is this blank slate who doesn’t think badly of anyone and so sincerely welcomed Baba with open arms, all his feelings about Baba are naive and legitimate and Baba can’t fucking handle it. Like, he hates that Saejima’s too stupid to realize what a threat Baba is. And yet, Baba knows that even if Saejima knew, he wouldn’t feel any differently. And that’s terrible. That’s terrible to know you would be accepted. Especially for Baba, who can never have real friends, who can never be trusted, who can’t count on anyone but himself. He looks at Saejima and has to sob because Saejima is this chance to be something else, this chance he never knew he wanted until it was here. And Saejima offers it, unthinkingly, unquestioningly, heedless of the consequences. That’s gutting. Baba’s a life ruiner, he doesn’t deserve to be trusted, he doesn’t deserve to be given a chance, and yet... And that breaks him. I think that’s fucking beautiful. One kind word, again, and people break wide open. And suddenly Baba would give his entire life for Saejima and will die if anything happens to him. Fuck yes, friends, fuck yes.

I should write more for them.

brotp: Majima! Majima Majima Majima! Kyodai til fucking death! Saejima is the beginning of what makes Majima Majima. Without Saejima, without having a little brother to care for, without having a partner in crime, without losing him, without trying every second to redeem himself for a mistake that wasn’t even his fault, Majima would not be the man he is. And it does FUCK ME UP every time I remember that Majima is older. I don’t know about y’all. but I am an older sibling. I understand intimately the responsibility and affection you feel towards your younger siblings. I cannot imagine the pain and horror of losing one. Of feeling that you let your little sibling walk into danger alone, that you were supposed to be there with them, that it’s your fault they’re alone and suffering now... God, I’m surprised that grief didn’t kill him in that fucking hole. But Majima has self-loathing like none other and wanted to stay alive so that his brother could rightfully kill him. He was just so sorry. Fuck. Shit man. 

And Saejima, poor idiot Saejima, who always loved and looked up to his madcap brother. Poor baby who never knew what happened and only had bits and pieces and people trying to manipulate him to go on had to come to terms with the idea that his brother, his best friend, whom he trusted with his life, betrayed him. Thank god they reunited, thank god they talked before Majima could just lay his head on Saejima’s blade and let him do it. Thank god their bond is stronger than that and now they can live together forever. I don’t ship it romantically at all, I don’t think that’s the love they experience for each other. But I do believe it’s life-long and permanent. They’re brothers and will be close forever because they both feel a keen sense of duty toward each other as well as affection and just enjoying each other’s company. And Majima, especially, deserves to have stable relationships of all types, at long last. He doesn’t just want a soulmate, though he CERTAINLY has that, he wants a family, people to come home to, where he can see the best parts of himself and not hurt with how much he’s let them down. This is what he deserves and Saejima wants to be his family again, wants to be there with him. I love them.

general opinions: Absolute idiot, but the best friend you’ll ever have. Saejima has never judged another human being in his life and chances are he’s never thought about you at all. But if you can get his attention, make it your mission to befriend him, because he’ll stick with you forever. 

[itsybitsylemonsqueezy]

So I finished watching Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon. Spoilers under the cut. 

(Mainly positive take, some criticisms. C+/B I’d give it.)

So, first of all, I didn’t play it, I just watched people on youtube so my perspective of gameplay should be taken with a grain of salt. But I really liked the turn taking fighting style! Like a real JRPG, I thought it was fun, it seemed fun anyway, and the strategies to JRPG make more intuitive sense to me than fighting games, which I don’t know at all. I did end up missing the hand-to-hand combat like... aesthetically and it kinda breaks universe rules a little. But, like, Ichiban seeing combat as a sort of heightened fantasy reality actually helps with that and the plot still treats us like average combatants. Like, there’s still no murder, despite a lot more weapon use, including guns. So... it’s a little sad and weird universe-wise, but seems fun to play. 

Ichiban is a great protag! Definitely not Kiryu! He has two dads, like 8 spouses, a lot of hair... He’s only 7 years younger than Kiryu and that’s... that’s a choice ^^; But he’s got a lot of good things going for him and I like his build. Interesting rage-grief he has going and a thing about revenge that Kiryu never had. And I like that actually, I like that Ichiban gets hit with different things than Kiryu did, but he still has flaws. Kiryu was never blind with rage the way Ichi got, but then, Kiryu also didn’t save his brother. Like, they have VERY different shit going on, which is GOOD. So I’m kinda annoyed that in the end we took Ichi’s dad and brother, just like Kiryu’s? Like... damn :/ Lame. Lazy. 

I love Ichi’s team! I love Adachi, Nanba, Saeko, Joon-gi, Zhao. Top notch peeps! I like that they all just like him and are here for a fun adventure with him. They’re all here for something different, which is also really cool. Zhao is sort of redefining who he is in... retirement I guess? Trying out being a companion rather than a leader. Saeko is longing for family, connection, a place to belong. Adachi was here to accomplish a goal, to restore his honor and provide justice. And Ichi’s been a big help to that. Joon-gi is... a whore. I’m sorry! He’s just this beautiful, obedient man who’s just here on lend and he does whatever the fuck you say. Do not put him in charge of decisions, he’s terrible at them, but he knows a lot and has a vast network. But he appears just to be here to serve everyone’s needs, so to speak, and to moon after Ichiban like everyone else. And Nanba. Nanba hates adventures. He hates germs. He hates people and friends and danger and doing things. But he’s here. Because Ichi makes him hate things a little less. Nanba is a cynical, cowardly bastard, and Ichi’s a fucking sunshiney idiot always trying to fix shit that isn’t his problem. And he makes Nanba get up and fight. He makes Nanba believe in tomorrow. Nanba doesn’t trust people, Nanba doesn’t hope. He’s a pessimist and lives only to complain. But he is first in line to get shot for Ichiban every fucking time. He’s always the first to Ichiban’s side when he’s in trouble. Leaving and betraying Ichiban broke his fucking heart and my ship is probably showing A LOT here but I don’t care. I fucking love Nanba, I love his arc, I did NOT see it coming. And they are definitely my ship out of this. The fact that Nanba without fail is always the first to put himself in danger for Ichiban guts me. With how much he doesn’t believe in good things ever happening, it destroys me that he’ll dare it all for Ichiban. Fucking wild. 

I thought it was cool to bring up a political villain, but... we didn’t really carry through on Bleach Japan’s thematic importance. We revealed them to be cruel and hypocritical, but we didn’t end up actually saving the slums or proving why the slums needed to be saved and that’s... kinda lame :/ 

I was really hoping that we might make a stand on why grey spaces were needed, on why organizations like the yakuza are needed but instead we... disbanded? And I don’t even know why? 

Like, it was to fuck over Ryo Aoki. But... he was a TEMPORARY problem. All you had to do was move the organizations underground until he was unseated, which the Tojo already was??? 

But instead... we brought down Tojo and Omi and... WHY?! Like, SERIOUSLY, can ANYONE tell me WHY! Because I have a LOT OF FEELINGS about why that’s a BAD CALL.

What are all those guys going to do now? “Oh, we’ll just make a security company” YOU’LL WHAT?! THOUSANDS of guys used to shake downs will now be hired to patrol rich estates and cover banks and business buildings?! Fighting WHO, themselves?! A LOT of that job is just watching some fucking cameras, what... what the fuck are you talking about Watase?! 

But I guess that’s still better than Daigo’s “I have no fucking idea” plan

NO WONDER Majima’s depressed at that funeral you JUST TOLD HIM his new job is BABYSITTING SOME RICH FUCK’S BUILDING. Fuck you guys! 

And HAVE WE LEARNED NOTHING ABOUT POWER VACUUMS?! CRIME doesn’t disappear just because there’s no one there to manage it! That just means it gets worse! And rasher, crueler people grab power in the interim. Smaller but rougher groups will appear. More and worse crimes will happen now. You just disenfranchised thousands, not all of them are going to come with you to play security detail and not all of them WANT to. So why EXACTLY did we disband the yakuza? What problems did that solve??? 

What about all that shit about the yakuza being a home for people who didn’t fit in? What about people who fell through the cracks in the system, who don’t have anywhere else to go? 

If the yakuza, as an idea, was so fucking bad, WHAT WERE THE LAST SIX GAMES ABOUT?!

You can’t have an established series that accepts the idea that crime and violence are sometimes necessary or are even good things and have a compelling protag who does that, ONLY to turn around at the last second and pretend like it was always wrong!

If you were gonna act like the idea of organized crime is a Bad Thing, THEN THAT NEEDED TO BE A CONFLICT FROM THE BEGINNING

But you didn’t even do that!

We DIDN’T disband the yakuza because organized crime is inherently morally corrupt, no we disbanded because some prick thought he could use us! A PRICK WHO IS NOW DEAD! THE FUCK?! 

And DON’T GET ME STARTED on how this reframes Kiryu’s narrative. KIRYU WASN’T RIGHT FOR LEAVING YOU FUCKING BASTARDS. 

THE WHOLE POINT OF KIRYU’S ARC WAS THAT HE WAS FUCKING WRONG TO ABANDON HIS RELATIONSHIPS I- *screams into pillow*

AND why does Kiryu need to be dead now?! There is no more yakuza! Who does he need to hide from?! 

OH no wait, my mistake! We didn’t disband ALL the yakuza, just Omi and Tojo! You know, the two biggest cities in Japan. I’m sure THAT won’t have Fucking Consequences. But Kiryu still has to be dead for uh... Reasons.

This was just such a fucking dumb universe-building move. It’s not been thought through, it betrays the whole point of the franchise up until now, and I’m honestly just mad that they didn’t even feel the need to address it? Like, the yakuza’s just gone now, but it’s whatever. Who would even care about that. Like, that’s not going to be a plot point next game. It won’t matter, at all, I promise you. All of the in-universe implications this has, none of it matters. And I’m not even mad I’m just... tired. And annoyed a little. that you can’t be bothered to tie up your own rules. You won’t give your own writing decisions weight and that’s just... kinda sad. It’s just lazy and sad that they don’t care enough to connect the pieces. But I’ve had my heart broken enough by yakuza writing decisions. Of course they would do this, of course they haven’t thought enough about their own series to really consider what ending the yakuza would mean. Why would they? 

I’ll still watch the next game. Like, Ichiban is likeable enough and I’m interested in his arc enough that I’d play or watch next time. But... *sigh* We’re the Yakuza series with no yakuza. And y’all gonna act like that’s a good thing or pretend it doesn’t even matter. And I really don’t know what to do with that since you haven’t bothered to examine it either. 

On a nice Kiryu note, I did like that he was scaled appropriately, I like that Ichiban is Wiped Out after almost every fight. He’s a good fighter, but he has human endurance. Kiryu’s still god. He hits the hardest out of anyone you fight and you Don’t win and that’s As It Should Be. I’m REALLY glad they at least let me have that. I’m glad they let us fight Kiryu and we passed and it was a cool passing of the torch. I was so worried they were going to destroy Kiryu’s legacy and at least they didn’t do that. 

The coin locker baby thing... it was cliche and convenient, but in the way that Yakuza is cliche and convenient and melodramatic and over the top. It was sort of fitting and familiar that way. Shame we ended Swashiro like that, I think we could have done more and cooler shit with him but, eh. 

SPEAKING OF MORE AND COOLER SHIT

...all that effort, just to kill him? Alllllll that long time, that hard conversation, that break down with Ichiban... just to kill him. Just to make him Nishiki, all over again. 

I... fuck you. 

Why do you refuse to write a goddamn redemption arc

Fuck, you don’t even have to write it, have it happen off-screen if you’re so fucking afraid of it. Just have him recuperate in a goddamn hospital and, I don’t know, by next game just show that he’s doing better and is getting therapy and whatever.

Jesus fucking christ, he doesn’t have to MATTER in the next game just... don’t kill him. Jesus. Please.

All that fucking work and you’re STILL going to give Ichiban the trauma of losing someone he was trying to save. 

I just... it’s really gutting how much you don’t like your characters and you don’t like to write and you’re cowards. You won’t take risks. You’re too afraid of fucking up so you won’t do what the narrative calls for. 

Killing Masato was lazy-ass, punk-ass, coward shit and I wont’ stand for it. I did not expect to care about his ass by the end but you guys REALLY made an effort in making him a three dimensional character there at the end and explaining why Ichi would care about him and I was willing to come with you! I was willing for us to invest in this dumbass. We walk him all the way up to the edge and step him back. We let him let go. And then you just. fucking. gave up. You goddamn cowards.

I’m so tired of this shit

For all that, it was genuinely a really fun game and a really fun story with a lot of likeable characters. I think a solid C+, even a B. I really did enjoy most of it. It’s just... in usual Yakuza style, they only fucked up 2 things but they were a REALLY IMPORTANT 2 things. 

Oh and I did like the fact that Ichiban Still Doesn’t Know. No one tell him.

[itsybitsylemonsqueezy]

I know this isn’t an ask prompt but I would love to know if you had any ideas for a Kazumaji proposal?

Awww, you’re so sweet anon, thank you! Hmmmm, let me think. The problem with them is where to pick it up in continuity? End of 5? After 3? Even before 1? 

I’m quite partial to after 5 myself just because Kiryu’s this old gay man by then who seems to realize that he’s wasted a lot of time not doing the things that made him happy for the greater good and, in doing that, may have sacrificed the thing most important to him. It just feels like a good place for these middle-aged men who have known each other too intimately and too well to finally, y’know, be happy. Let themselves be happy. 

Majima, meanwhile, has been ready to marry and settle down practically since he met Kiryu. If you’ve seen 2, then you see how painstakingly Majima constructs (pun intended) a safe, stable environment apart from the Tojo Clan while not wholly divorcing from it. He’s still accessible when he needs to be, but he has total security living on top of the Florist so he has early warning for any and all threats and has amassed a reputable business with a lot of strong and loyal types that would deter petty disputes. I don’t know about you, but sounds like a pretty reasonable place to raise children if you were also someone who needed to do yakuza business and keep your flock of children safe. I’m Just Saying. And Majima... just waits. Just sits there and waits, ever ready for Kiryu to come to him, for whatever he needs, providing though he hasn’t been asked. I- ugggghhhhhh. Fuck. 

And after 3 seems like such a reasonable time for Kiryu to come back to the fold. I think it’s fair that Kiryu tries to find himself, that he isn’t sure being yakuza is really want he wants to do after all and he goes off to raise some kids because he thinks that’s what he wants. And let’s be real, Kiryu needs a family, he loves his kids, he loves having people to take care of and having people around who love and support him. It does him good. But there’s a reality check there. It’s cool that you want a family and all and you were left devastated by the yakuza life and all your family, all your identity markers were stripped from you because they’re all dead so you’re scrambling to make a new identity with new people filling in those gaps, that’s cool and all, but it’s too fucking late. You’re Kiryu fucking Kazuma, you’re the Dragon of fucking Dojima and you will never not be that. Whatever else you are, whoever else you become, you are always going to be that too. 

And this is what Kazama was trying to warn you and Nishiki about when he said don’t join. If you join, there’s no leaving, there’s no going back, the ink on your back will not fade. You are and always will be the third chairman of the Tojo Clan and because of that, people are always gonna come for you. You’re always going to be a target, and it’s fine, you can take it, but maybe your kids can’t. And in 3 that problem was Loud And Clear. No one would have given a fuck about that orphanage except you were running it. Those kids never would have been in danger except they were a way to get to you. And I'm not trying to make Kiryu feel shitty about his life decisions, again, totally good and reasonable to want a family, but you gotta understand your own damn position. There’s wanting what you want and then there’s ignoring the risks and consequences.

So, y’know, all the more reason to MAYBE find a safe place to have your fucking kids. Just... just saying. MAYBE you COULD have your cake and eat it too if you weren’t such a stubborn idiotic askdfjkjasdhfkjsdh. I’m fine, I’m fine. It’s not him, it’s the writing, it’s not him... it’s fine. 

Anyway. But you asked me for a proposal, I’m getting off track. I think there’s a strong and dangerous argument to be made pre-one. Hell I nearly backed that in Snowed Inn, so, I feel y’all. I feel it. It’s intoxicating, the idea that these bastards couldn’t help themselves, dared hell and high water, and just fucking did it at the worst time possible, when there was everything to lose, because they were just so fucking into each other. Like... fuck, and they would too. Because, in their hearts, it’s always been true. They’ve always been married, there’s never been anyone else. Or, not since they met. Why not get it in writing? Why not just own it? We’re this fucked up about each other, we’re this vulnerable and it’s just... true.

And I’ve also got a real soft spot for old, tired men who have sacrificed a lot for stability over happiness and that has come to such heartbreak that finally... it’s time. 

But I think what I’ll do this time is fix canon and give us the post-3 marriage that we all fucking deserved. It’s not the only thing canon fucked (and Oh Boy we don’t have time for my list on THAT. Send another ask anon ;) ) but it is a glaring one. Enjoy:

After Kiryu got down from Millennium Tower, shaken, bloody, but whole, the first place he went was Majima Construction. 

“Kiryu-san!” Nishida ran over to him when Kiryu came striding through the gates, shirtless and determined, “What bring you-?”

“Where’s Majima?” he huffed, not even stopping for the answer, scanning the layout of the site hoping to spot him. 

Nishida trotted to keep up. “We- we weren’t expecting you! The boss returned not long ago, he’s in his quarters-”

“Where?” Kiryu snapped, eyes on Nishida now. 

Nishida gulped and pointed to a trailer above the work site. “But Kiryu-san, he said no visitors,” Nishida tried to uphold his boss’ wishes. 

“He’ll see me,” Kiryu insisted, starting off in that direction. 

“But he really wasn’t looking like he wanted visitors!” Nishida supplied.

Kiryu stopped and turned to Nishida, forcing himself to relax for a second. “Thank you, Nishida-san,” he nodded gratefully, “I’m not here to fight him, I just want to talk.” 

Nishida’s worried frown loosened a little. “He had a bottle with him,” he muttered, “I think... talking to him might help.” 

Kiryu smiled for half a second. “I hope so.” With that, he nearly sprinted to the stairs like he was making up for lost time. There was no real need to rush, he knew where Majima was and he was unlikely to do anything drastic right now. There was just this tight pressure in his skull that demanded he get to Majima before he lost whatever it was he needed to say. 

He rapped on the trailer door. 

“Go’way,” Majima whined, slurring a little, “We’re closed.” 

“I’m not a customer,” Kiryu explained. 

There was silence, then a rustle, a small sound as Majima tripped on something, then the door swinging open. “Kiryu-chan?” Majima blinked at him, hair askew, leather pants wrinkled and hung unevenly on his hips, “Whatcha doin here?” 

Kiryu blew a breath through his nose. “I came to see you.” 

Majima’s eye widened and, for the first time ever, Kiryu saw a bit of blush rise in his cheeks. Did alcohol have that effect on him? Kiryu saw him try to school his reaction, folding his arms and leaning ineffectually against the doorframe. “Thought ya didn’t want anythin’ t’do with me,” he huffed.

“That’s not-” Kiryu bit his tongue. “Won’t you at least invite me in?”

Majima raised an eyebrow and then leaned back, letting Kiryu just enough room to squeeze inside, so long as he bodily brushed against Majima to do it. Kiryu did catch the sigh escaping from Majima as just for a second their body heat mingled and it became hard to tell where one of them ended and the other began. Kiryu pushed pass and tried not to get distracted. 

Majima’s snakeskin jacket lay disregarded on the floor, the camp bed under the windows looked rumpled, clearly recently vacated. Kiryu swallowed and looked for somewhere to sit. 

“The bed’s free,” Majima murmured behind him, not quite salacious, but not quite not. 

Kiryu glanced at him over his shoulder before taking the offer and sitting on the edge of the bed. Majima’s mouth twitched, but didn’t quite smile as he plopped down too, stretching out behind Kiryu. 

“So, ya came t’see me?” Majima rejoined, not drunk enough to forget the conversational thread. 

Kiryu breathed deep and focused on a patch of carpet in front of him. “Yeah... yeah I did.” He swallowed. 

The silence held for a moment, then Majima squirmed, sitting up a little more alertly. “Kiryu-chan?” 

“I think I’ve made a mistake,” Kiryu finally said, licking his lips and glancing over at Majima.

He frowned. “Bout what?”

“About... everything,” Kiryu sighed, “I um...” His eyes drifted outside, unable to hold on to anything. “I, no, I’m doing this wrong.” He shifted back to the floor. 

Majima sat up properly now, swinging his feet in front of him so he could sit next to Kiryu. “What is it, Kiryu-chan?” he murmured, “You can tell me, I won’t tell a soul.” He grinned a little. “I’m good at that.” 

Kiryu smiled a little. “Yeah, I know. I know. I should have listened to you sooner.” 

Majima nudged his shoulder. “Ya scaring me now, Kiryu-chan, c’mon, just say it.”

“P-People are crazy in love, aren’t they?” Kiryu turned to Majima helplessly. 

Majima’s eye drew saucer-wide. A stuck noise came from the back of his throat. 

Kiryu licked his lips and tried to keep going. “It’s just... what I just saw... I just had a fight with Mine. Daigo’s alive, by the way, he’s fine.” Majima nodded vacantly. “And that fight, it got me thinking. I can’t keep running that orphanage.” He looked away. 

Majima’s sound finally restarted. “Don’t say that Kiryu-chan! Ya love that place!” 

“But I can’t, can I? I’m a danger to those kids,” Kiryu frowned, “You were right, you were just right when you offered me your protection.” He looked back at Majima. “And I’m grateful, I truly am. But I can’t accept.” 

Majima’s face didn’t just fall, it shattered into a thousand pieces on the ground. He dropped his head. “If that’s all you came to tell me, you needn’t have bothered,” he hissed. 

“I didn’t-! Move in with me!” Kiryu gasped.

Majima stared up at him quizzically. 

“I mean- me move in with, I...” Kiryu dropped his head to his hands. “I want to move here, Majima. I should never have left, I’m needed in Kamurocho and I’m needed by those kids and the obvious answer is just... to move here. Live with you. If you’ll have me.” 

Kiryu could hear Majima swallow. “Ah- O-Of course, we’d be-”

Kiryu looked up at him and cringed. “No, see, I’m still not saying it right. I don’t want,” he slid a hand over Majima’s, “your family. I want you.” His fingers wrapped around Majima’s, squeezing tight. “I’ve..." He swallowed hard, looking at Majima’s shoulder and not his face. “I want...” He bit his lip. 

“Kiryu-chan...” Majima whispered, bringing his free hand to Kiryu’s face, stroking the curve of his cheek just once, “will you marry me?”

Kiryu groaned something like a sob and crushed Majima to his chest. He buried his face in Majima’s shoulder so hard he didn’t feel Majima shaking for minutes as they both cried. 

“Yes,” Kiryu swallowed, nodding fervently as he realized he hadn’t actually responded, “Yes, yes, I... yes.” He panted, leaning back to look at Majima. 

Majima’s smile wobbled, his tears still running over, but the smile was there. “Oh, Kiryu-chan.”

Kiryu pulled him close again and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve been real stupid, I’m so sorry.”

“Shut up,” Majima muttered, “Don’t ruin the moment. You’ve just... done more than I could ever ask for, Kiryu-chan.” 

Kiryu just held him close. Majima’s heart beat close to his and it was nice to know it would never beat from afar again.