#fits asks

[minteayoongimakesmewoozi]

what about royalty!au Sanemi and Akihiko?👉👈

ohohohoh! sanekihiko, eh? they are actually such a special lil pairing for me, if only because we see so little of them in fits canon.

and i really wanna write them... TwT so here are some drabbles of them!!! interspersed with some hcs cos why not

- The first time Sanemi meets Higuchi Akihiko, he finds him pretty annoying.

That guy is always hanging around the Butterfly Estate, even when he isn't injured. Talk about not reading the room; he should just fuck off and let the Kochou sisters do their job. He should have better things to do.

Sanemi also hates the way Akihiko stands. It's a little odd - spine straight and shoulders sitting in a way that looks regal. He never fidgets with his hands, an almost well-trained stillness to him that makes him almost look like a painted doll. When he is introduced to Sanemi for the first time (by Masachika), there's a calculated tilt to Akihiko's lips as he bows and murmurs his pleasantries.

It's the little jerk Akihiko does before he bows a little lower that has Sanemi's lips curling into a sneer. Just because he has the kanji for prince in his name doesn't make him an actual prince.

"Shinazugawa-san, it's a pleasure to meet you," Akihiko says politely, before visibly dismissing him to shoot the shit with Masachika.

That fucking asshole.

- of course, their relationship eventually thaws. it was hard to hate the guy when sanemi heard the way akihiko talked about his little sisters. he still thought it was amazingly idiotic of him to run around being a demon slayer when his family was still living, but to each his own.

although sanemi would appreciate it if akihiko didn't make such googly eyes at kanae-san. seriously, his hero worship had to end some time. it was disgusting. (sanemi didn't know if he was more jealous of kanae-san or akihiko.)

- The first time Sanemi starts to suspect that prince isn't just a part of Akihiko's name is when they have a run-in with minor nobility.

If you ask Sanemi, the thought of even having minor nobility is ridiculous. The notion is so antiquated that it makes his stomach cramp. He can't stop himself from scowling, his expression growing darker when he finds Akihiko and his annoying little crow that he calls Kin at the front of the house that was attacked.

Well, Sanemi calls it a house, but it's really a mansion. The garden could fit the entirety of his childhood home, and he wouldn't even know what to do with all this space. There are more rooms than there are shoes that sit in the genkan.

Akihiko is nonplussed, which just irritates Sanemi further. He enters the mansion with enviable grace, and the distraught daughter who is worrying over her little brother. He speaks to the minor noble with elegance and poise, his words carefully chosen and his every movement deliberate. Sanemi feels clunky and rough, like a stray mutt that was dragged in from an alleyway.

"Who are you?" Sanemi asks.

He doesn't mean anything by it. He finds himself surprised at the solemn look on Akihiko's face. To call it serious would be a mistake, because it's more than that. There is an entire lifetime that is left unspoken within those blue eyes that gaze at him.

"I'm no one important." Akihiko's laugh is hollow and doesn't reach his eyes. "Honestly, Sanemi, it's just manners."

Was it really just manners, when he had known exactly how to refer to the minor noble?

Sanemi doubts so. Then again, a prince wouldn't be a Demon Slayer. That's just absurd.

- masachika and kanae are the only people akihiko tells about his status as minor royalty. it's nothing, all things considered. akihiko has abdicated from his title, so he isn't any better than any other commoner. he finds himself more used to being called higuchi than o-akihiko-sama.

at his core, akihiko is just a simple boy. he isn't a prince at all. (even if he is.)

- what's the use of a prince who cannot even protect his younger sisters?

- "Why Akihiko?" Sanemi wonders aloud.

Akihiko pauses in his swings, tilting his head at Sanemi curiously. Sweat glistens on his bare chest, sliding down pale skin and dripping to the dirt. Sanemi carefully doesn't let his gaze wander, eyes fixed to Akihiko's face as emotions flicker across his features.

Three became two. Masachika rots in the ground and Sanemi is a Hashira. Akihiko is still Akihiko.

Akihiko laughs, resting the blunt edge of his bokken on his shoulder. "You're asking me? I didn't exactly choose my name, you know."

Sanemi scowls. "Just asking."

A shadow passes over Akihiko's face. His dark hair - as black as ink - is plastered to the back of his neck. It's getting long; he'll be asking Kanae-san or Sanemi himself to help him trim it.

"A name's just a name," Akihiko insists. "Don't think too much about it."

What's kuge mean? Sanemi wants to ask. He heard Kanae-san tease Akihiko about it the other day, but all he knew was that Akihiko had sputtered like a child and hurriedly shushed her. He doesn't know they the thought of Akihiko having secrets with Kanae-san makes him burn on the inside.

"What does your name mean?" Akihiko asks, flicking a sweaty lock of hair out of his eyes.

Sanemi shrugs. "Does it matter?"

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet."

"Huh? You making fun of me?"

"No." Akihiko lobs his bokken at Sanemi's head half-heartedly. Sanemi snatches it out of the air, rising to his full height. "It just means that even if you called a rose something else, it would still be a rose. It would still smell the same, and still be just as beautiful."

Sanemi clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth, inexplicably irritated. "Never heard that before. It sounds like bullshit."

"Maa... others might call you Shinazugawa-sama, but you're still a grumpy old bastard, Sanemi."

The bokken whistles through the air. Akihiko let's out a yelp as the flat of the wooden plate cracks against his ass. He jumps a foot in the air, then whirls around to kick Sanemi's side.

Sanemi is more than ready for it. He traps Akihiko's leg against his side and takes a step forward to unbalance him. Of course, Akihiko being a Breath of Water user means he doesn't fall over, although he does hook an arm around Sanemi's neck so he doesn't land on his ass.

Belatedly, Sanemi realises that they're far too close like this. He hadn't thought this through.

"I don't get it," Sanemi says instead of a scathing retort.

This close, he can see Akihiko's unblemished skin, the curl of his eyelashes. Red paints Akihiko's cheeks like streaks of paint, and his blue eyes are wide.

Sanemi clarifies, "About the thing you said earlier."

It was in another language. He didn't know Akihiko spoke anything other than Japanese.

He realises there isn't a lot he knows about Akihiko. He knows the Breath of Water user has five sisters and two loving parents. He knows he came from a village somewhere in the northern part of Tokyo. He knows that Akihiko rarely scowls when met with civilians, but doesn't hold back his expressions when amongst Kisatsutai members - or at least he hadn't with Sanemi and Masachika. He knows Akihiko grieves stoically, but cries openly.

That's just about all he knows. He doesn't know what Akihiko did before he became a Demon Slayer, why he became a Demon Slayer when his family is still alive. He doesn't even know what kanji makes up Akihiko's name.

Akihiko chuckles. It's quiet and slow, and Sanemi can feel it in the depths of his chest.

"It means," murmurs Akihiko, "that whether your name is Sanemi or not, you're still you. You'd still be beautiful. Just like a rose."

The tension in the air is palpable. Sanemi can barely breathe because of it.

This is the moment he should let go. Akihiko should stumble away with an irate complaint - then he'll storm off while flipping Sanemi off.

Instead, Akihiko looks at him like he's something precious. Something beautiful and fragile and untouchable.

His arm around Sanemi's neck loosens, but he still rests his calloused palm against his sensitive nape.

"I shouldn't," Akihiko breathes.

His gaze darts downwards. Sanemi feels hot all over when Akihiko licks his lips; he's staring at Sanemi's lips.

"Pussy," Sanemi snarls quietly.

The heat in his chest won't go away.

"What's in a name?" Akihiko counters, then surges forward to press his lips to Sanemi's.

Sanemi's grip on Akihiko's leg tightens.

- in the end, it doesn't matter if akihiko is nobility, royalty or commoner. kuge or not, he still finds himself ensnared in douma's grasp, and he still falls to his younger sister's blade.

- sanemi finds another person to grieve. another thing to fuel his anger against onis. they take and take - and they always take from him.

- "What's in a name?" Sanemi says to Akihiko's younger sister, years later.

Higuchi Ayame pauses. Her blue eyes are almost the exact copy of Akihiko's, although the corners of them are harsher. She had always glared much more than Akihiko ever did.

"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet," Ayame completes slowly. "Akihiko-nii's favourite quote."

"Quote?"

"From Shakespeare. He was an English poet in the sixteenth century. Or seventeenth. I always forget."

Sanemi knows now that he and Akihiko would have never worked out. He knows more about kuge and buke than he did as a sixteen-year-old. The way Akihiko held himself - the way Ayame holds herself now - makes so much sense.

Not just nobility, no.

Royalty.

Akihiko was royalty, and he still recited poetry to him. Still kissed him like Sanemi was precious and important.

His old scars had never faded, but this particular unseen scar ached fiercer today.

Sanemi runs an absentminded hand through his hair. "Do kuge ever marry commoners?"

Ayame blinks. It's such an innocent expression that the mirage of Akihiko shatters in an instant.

She isn't Akihiko. Akihiko is gone. Permanently this time.

"No," she answers honestly, "but Akihiko-nii wasn't kuge when he joined the Kisatsutai. It's just a title anyway."

Her words and her actions don't match up. If the rumours are to be believed, then that Kamado brat is buke. That makes him more Ayame's equal than Sanemi had ever been to Akihiko.

And still they dance around each other like two nitwits.

"It's just a title," Sanemi echoes.

He tells himself it isn't for her benefit. (He knows he's lying.)

[minteayoongimakesmewoozi]

SANEMI WAS THE FIRST TO FIND AKIHIKO?10/10 angst,I will cry listening to Atlantis now

omg that song. i mostly listen to the covers of it but it's so so good and so so sanehiko and now i have to think about it alllll the time!!!

👀

(sanehiko angst under the cut!)

"An Upper Moon!"

Sanemi runs.

"Upper Two!"

He runs like his life depends on it.

"A Kinoe is facing Upper Two!"

Please don't let it be -

"Higuchi Akihiko is facing Upper Two!"

It isn't his life that depends on it, but he fucking runs anyway.

His crow is left in the lurch as he runs and runs, his breathing speeding up. It isn't from the exertion; he's a Hashira.

Akihiko has always had the worst luck. The absolute worst. He always jokes that his luck has always been balanced, but that's a load of bullshit. He has bad luck and sometimes - sometimes it isn't his fault.

Sometimes, it just is.

But there's no way his luck is this bad.

Akihiko knows about the Twelve Kizuki. How could he not? Masachika died because of Lower One.

Akihiko isn't the vengeful type. He isn't Sanemi. (He's a better man than Sanemi.) He has sisters and parents waiting for him at home. He won't die. He can't.

He just can't.

Sanemi comes across the bodies first.

There are piles and piles of them. They're all Demon Slayers, and he doesn't know their names. He isn't the kind of person to remember the names and faces of all the people he meets. He isn't Akihiko, isn't Kanae-san. He sees their faces and doesn't know their names.

But he knows blood.

He knows battle.

A battle had raged here.

He can see it from the way the dirt road is gouged and scuffed. Akihiko fought fiercely - has always been a fierce fighter, for a Breath of Water user.

Dread sinks into Sanemi's bones.

He can't hear him.

He can't hear Akihiko.

Akihiko has a funny way of breathing. Sometimes, before he speaks, he wastes a moment or two to take a deliberate breath. He does it often around Sanemi, especially when he knows he's nearby.

There's no way Akihiko didn't know he was on the way - to yell at him for his stupidity if nothing else.

Sanemi doesn't pray. He doesn't believe in gods or Buddha or whatever divinity people think exist. He knows they don't exist. If they did, his life wouldn't be like this.

The shattered katana in front of his feet makes his feet slow.

It's blue, like that bastard Tomioka, but it's green as well - like Masachika's was.

It's fine. Katanas can break, but they can also be reforged. They have an entire village for that.

Blood stains the dirt as the sun slowly touches the horizon. The world loses some of its greyness.

It gains red instead.

The dirt is wet and dark where it should e dry and light.

It's fine. Akihiko is a Kinoe, and he's nearly mastered Total Concentration: Constant. He's no marechi, but there's no way he bled out.

The bloodied haori is what makes Sanemi come to a stop.

Sanemi stares.

That - That's Akihiko's haori. The dark blue haori with seigaiha print. That's Akihiko's haori.

That's... Akihiko's haori.

He's so touchy about it. It's the one other trait he shares with Tomioka that passes Sanemi off. A haori is just a haori; it's just a bunch of fabric stitched together.

Clothes can be mended. They can be torn and ripped apart because there's always another you can buy. What's a haori to a Hashira, a Kinoe?

The stupid haori has stains the colour of reddish rust.

The bloodied haori.

Sanemi doesn't fall to his knees, but he does kneel before the tattered garment.

He doesn't touch it. Why would he? It's just a stupid haori.

(That's Akihiko's stupid haori.)

He doesn't know what to do. Akihiko wasn't there when Masachika died.

Sanemi wasn't there when Akihiko died.

It tears open the still-bleeding wound in his heart, filling his lungs with pain and rage.

Even holding Akihiko's broken body would be better than being left with nothing but the shattered remains of his katana and a bloodied piece of cloth. He had at least been allowed to do that to Masachika.

All he can assume is that Akihiko has been eaten by the oni that killed him.

And that. That pisses him off more than he can handle. How dare that oni kill and eat Akihiko. How dare Akihiko die before he became a Hashira. (How dare Akihiko leave him alone.)

Sanemi doesn't notice it when his hand reaches out to fist in all that is left of Akihiko. His head bows and tears stream down his cheeks, unbidden. They are borne of rage, he tells himself, not grief.

Never grief.

The memory strikes him suddenly, like an arrow to the heart.

The last time they met, the summer heat had been sticky and humid on Sanemi's skin. It didn't really bother him, but it caused Akihiko to shed both his haori and his gakuran jacket. Sanemi had lounged in the shade of a low tree while he watched Akihiko go through his katas. His blade reflected the late afternoon sunlight, and Sanemi found himself distracted.

Akihiko's white shirt was completely soaked through, revealing the taut planes of muscles as they tensed and relaxed. Sanemi only realised he was staring when Akihiko met his gaze, eyebrow quirking in a silent question.

Sanemi harrumphed. "Your hair looks fucking wild."

It was a mess. Akihiko always left his hair too long, the dark ink strands curling slightly at the tips. Sweat dripped from his hair, making the fabric at his shoulders almost translucent.

Why didn't he keep his hair short?

Oh, right. Akihiko said that the only one who could cut his hair right was one of his younger sisters. The punk had so many of them that Sanemi had no idea who he was talking about. It could've been any of them.

Akihiko's expression twisted into a scowl. "Look who's talking!"

(Even in this memory, Sanemi thinks there's something off about it. Maybe it's the way he remembers the shade of Akihiko's eyes, or the exact curl of his eyes. Everything is a little blurry, like there's a mist falling over his eyes.)

Akihiko stalks over. Onis don't scare Sanemi, so Akihiko doesn't even register as a threat. Sanemi's favourite annoyance throws himself next to Sanemi, radiating heat that is almost unbearable in the humid weather.

"Your hair is an absolute rat's nest," Akihiko complains, shooting Sanemi an annoyed look out of the corner of his eye. "I'm surprised your crow hasn't tried to nest in there yet."

"Shut your fucking mouth. At least I don't look like a mountain man."

To drive home his point, Sanemi roughly ruffles Akihiko's hair. The strands are rough to the touch, but silkier than they look. He's shocked enough by the feel of it that he freezes for a moment.

Then, he shoves Akihiko away.

Of course, Akihiko being Akihiko, he immediately bobbles back up to press his shoulder against Sanemi's right after. He shakes his head like a wet dog, showering Sanemi in his sweat.

Sanemi yells while Akihiko laughs.

"You're disgusting," Sanemi barks.

Akihiko leans closer, still shaking his head like a wild animal. Sanemi tries to shove him away again, but he doesn't mind the closeness or the heat.

He doesn't mind a lot of things when it comes to Akihiko.

Then Akihiko reaches up to run his fingers through Sanemi's hair. The action is surprisingly gentle, stunning Sanemi into silence before he can snap at him.

"What the hell? Your hair's so soft," Akihiko complains, nose wrinkling. It's adorable. "You actually take care of it?"

Why're you so surprised? Sanemi almost says, but his tongue is frozen stiff.

When did he start letting Akihiko in close? He was determined to push everyone away after Masachoka died, but Akihiko is stubborn. He never let that happen, and now his emotions are too big.

Akihiko blinks. His eyelashes are dark against the curve of his cheekbone. "Sanemi?"

With a jolt, Sanemi realises that he has his fingers skimming Akihiko's jaw. Akihiko doesn't look disgusted - just confused.

He even tilts his head in that endearing way. It's almost puppy-like.

Akihiko pauses. It's so deliberate that Sanemi can't ignore it this time. Akihiko shifts so he's a little closer; close enough that Sanemi can feel the measured way he inhales.

"Hey," Akihiko says in a strangely gentle voice, "can I be honest with you?"

Sanemi hums noncommittally. He's afraid worried that if he tried to speak, it would come out weird.

Akihiko brushes his thumb against Sanemi's cheek. It's fond and searingly hot and makes his throat feel tight.

"Sanemi. You're annoyingly pretty. Can I...?" Akihiko cuts himself off. Determination hardens his features. It makes Sanemi wonder if that's what onis see when Akihiko deals the final blow. "I'm going to kiss you."

Before the words can make sense, Akihiko is surging forward. His lips press to Sanemi's - firm and wanting.

Sanemi doesn't know what to do. His hands hover awkwardly over Akihiko's back, and his lips are frozen stiff. It feels warm and confusing and direct.

It feels... nice.

Akihiko starts to lean backwards, but this time it's Sanemi that presses his lips to Akihiko's. He's chasing that warm, confusing feeling, and he doesn't think Akihiko will mind.

Akihiko releases that stuttering, deliberate breath to his nose and melts into Sanemi. Sanemi's hands finally rest on Akihiko's back - coaxing him just a little closer.

There aren't many things that scare Sanemi, but there's a taste on the back of his throat that is similar to fear. It isn't enough to make him pull away, but he thinks about it anyway.

The sun has shifted in the sky when Akihiko finally leans back.

Sanemi is a master of Total Concentration: Constant, so he isn't breathless. He isn't breathless, but there isn't enough oxygen in his lungs. His chest feels compressed and weird.

Akihiko runs his fingers over his pinkened lips. "Okay... I'm glad you didn't punch me for that."

Sanemi's chest still feels tight, so all he can offer is a grunt. He isn't quite sure what happened, but he doesn't hate it.

Akihiko's cheeks are flushed. He's clearly embarrassed, but he doesn't shy away from Sanemi's intense gaze.

Akihiko chuckles. "Look, I know this isn't ideal. You're a Hashira and I'm barely a Kinoe, but..." His blue gaze wanders away; it feels like a loss. "But I want to make this work somehow."

"... Okay."

Sanemi isn't sure what that means, but making it work doesn't sound terrible.

It even sounds nice.

The way Akihiko's expression lights up reminds Sanemi of the first time he ever saw fireworks. It was before his mother was turned into a man-eating oni, when the Shinazugawa brothers were the Shinazugawa siblings, and the world hadn't become shades of grey in the night. It's breathtaking and beautiful and Sanemi wishes it would stay forever.

"My family would like you," Akihiko chirps, finally allowing some space between them. "But Ayame might be annoyed. I'm her favourite Niichan!"

"You're her only niichan, idiot."

And maybe... maybe if things went well, Genya would be okay too.

Sanemi blinks back to waking consciousness.

Akihiko's haori is pressed to his chest, staining it red. There's blood everywhere.

There's a chasm yawning open in Sanemi's chest. It's too big for him - feels like his body will crack apart.

"Sanemi-kun!" Kanae-san gasps. "What happened?"

Sanemi can't speak. His throat is too tight and his lungs have been crushed by the weight of the air.

He can't say it.

He can't.

If he does, then it makes it true.

(Whether he says it or not, Akihiko is still dead.)

[minteayoongimakesmewoozi]

The Akihiko stans are being so well fed!!(ty so much),what was Yohahiko's relationship with the Upper Moons and Muzan?I'm especially curious abt him and Douma(i just now realized he must have seen Kanae get killed,brb gonna cry)

thank u for stanning akihiko in the first place! the reason u guys are fed is bc i too am being fed. mutual feeding (not kinky)

Yohakihiko's relationships with the Upper Moons

Gyuutarou and Daki:

- yoha always found them disgusting. he doesn't understand why they would merge together like that. they've always been stronger than him together, even if he's pretty much on par with daki in terms of strength. still, wherever daki goes, gyuutarou is sure to follow, and yoha is no match for gyuutarou

- they share a sibling-like relationship on a very loose sense. they share a sire in that douma was the one to turn them into onis (even if yoha had forgotten how exactly that had happened)

- they're siblings who hate each other. yoha detests the idea of siblings; they make his skin crawl and he was never happier than when the combined upper six fell to those ridiculous demon slayers

- but it sure pissed yoha off to learn that gyuutarou and daki had been the first to make ayame bleed

- he's never forgiven them for that

- gyuutarou tolerates yoha bc douma does, but that's about it. he won't greet yoha when they pass each other, and they don't have much contact anyway

- except that time gyuutarou cut yoha for calling them disgusting

- daki adores yoha, but in a really annoying way. she enjoys the fact that she's technically his aneki, and she rubs it in his face any time she can. she stole his mask once and ever since she saw his pretty boy face, she was obsessed. she likes pretty things, after all

Gyokko:

- yoha doesn't care much for gyokko, and upper five feels the same for yoha

- they tend to ignore each other

- yoha does bear a grudge against gyokko for gifting his precious douma-sama that ugly vase. he hates all things to do with art. where possible, he tears it apart with his bare hands

Hantengu:

- yoha scares hantengu, oddly enough. there's something about the way yoha carries himself that makes hantengu's senses grow wary

- probably the fact that even though yoha forgot he was akihiko, he still carries himself like a demon slayer

Akaza:

- akaza cares very little for anyone who respects douma, so he's extremely apathetic about yoha

- this irks yoha to no end. especially since he sees akaza as his mortal nemesis. he doesn't like the way akaza commands douma's attention in the brief moments they meet. he especially hates the way douma-sama always tells him to play nice with akaza-dono

- yoha is still outwardly respectful of akaza, but he's plotted to overthrow akaza from the seat of upper three for the longest time

- it's thanks to akaza that yoha developed his obsession over ayame. it started with wanting to see the demon slayer that was so unremarkable but managed to gain the ire of akaza, but then he took one look at her and decided she was interesting beyond the rage she invoked in akaza

Douma:

- obviously yoha's relationship with douma is screwed up

- he's yoha's sire after all

- yoha thinks douma is fond of him because he was the one who decided he was worthy of becoming an oni

- douma doesn't feel such emotions. he acts like he's fond of yoha, but he's just fascinated by the particular way yoha broke because of his torture. he pokes and prods to see how he can make yoha worse, all under the guise of being a loving sire

- their relationship is seriously messed up. i don't even know how to go into the details

- douma rarely lets yoha out of his sight. (he needs to break yoha every day to feel some form of enjoyment.) he does loan out yoha to do muzan's bidding every now and then

- after all, no one can torture as well as the king of demons

Kokushibou:

- yoha's reaction to kokushibou is utterly fascinating

- he detests upper one with every fibre of his being. it's a revulsion that is written into his very dna, clinging to his skin and carved into his bones

- of course, yoha isn't stupid. he knows he's no match for upper one - he can't even fend off gyuutarou. he does his best to never look at kokushibou should their paths cross

- kokushibou feels nothing for yoha. i'm not sure he ever registered his presence. yoha might as well have been a speck of dust to kokushibou

- after all, for a demon-slayer-turned-oni, he's very dull. he doesn't even remember being a demon slayer

Muzan:

- ah. this is... it's hard to tell.

- yoha is an interesting experiment to muzan. nothing more, nothing less. a demon slayer who successfully turned into an oni but is useless otherwise. his power is unremarkable, and his ambitions are far too big for his body. his mind is in tatters and yet he still marches on

- muzan's decision to bring yoha along with him to okutama was nothing more than a whim. he was curious about how he might react away from douma's influence, but he brought kamado tanjirou and that girl he drags along into his life

- an unsuitable replacement for akaza. that's all yoha ever is to muzan

- of course, if it wasn't for muzan, ayame and yoha wouldn't have met again. he really shouldn't have fed yoha's obsession of ayame. it only ever made things worse for himself

- hindsight is twenty-twenty, eh?

and as for kanae...

- yoha was there was kanae was killed

- or maybe it's better to say that yoha is the reason kanae was killed

- kanae could have survived the fight with upper two. after losing a friend, after seeing the way sanemi retreats into himself after akihiko's death she trains harder than ever

- "i don't want sanemi-san to lose another friend" is what she tells herself, but the truth is that she fears what sanemi will become without her. she kept sanemi afloat after akihiko died, even when she knew it was dangerous to grow too close

- she loved sanemi, the way she loved akihiko. she could never choose. she just never expected fate itself to choose for her

- but obviously when she hears news of upper two on a rampage once more, she cannot stand idly by

- akihiko gave his life to stop upper two once. if kanae can kill him, then maybe she can redeem herself. (she had been to slow to come to akihiko's rescue. the sight of sanemi clutching akihiko's bloodied haori will forever remain ingrained in her brain)

- so she trained hard and could fight upper two to a standstill. she would even survive

- and then akihiko shows up and kanae is thrown off-guard

- then she was stabbed, cold freezing her lungs and causing her body to shut down

"see what becomes of demon slayers?" upper two tittered as akihiko's monstrous gaze landed on her.

utterly blank.

"pathetic," says the oni wearing akihiko's face, and kanae finds herself mourning akihiko all over again

- as shinobu holds her close and tears fill her eyes, she's struck with the cold realisation that, even in the afterlife, she won't meet akihiko

[minteayoongimakesmewoozi]

someone please ask me some fits au asks 🥺 it can be for an au i already have or bringing up an au you have 🥺 but only if u want my take on it!!!!!!

[minteayoongimakesmewoozi]

i'm tipsy rn but feel free to ask me for fits headcanons! or send ur own too and i'll tell u if it's canon, au or ooc! currently i am also dreaming abt actor au bloopers, so ask me abt any scene u wanna see a blooper too and i'll do my best to give u a lil drabble!

[minteayoongimakesmewoozi]

idk if you watch/read jjk but if you do,what do you think abt jjk!fits au where the Higuchis are related to the Gojo clan?I'd pity them for having to endure Gojo's bs but i admit that watching Ayame interact with him would be 10/10 entertainment

i don't read or watch jjk but my friends do and i know a fair bit about it through osmosis and wiki pages. not nearly enough to be able to make one proper au, but here's some musings from someone who only knows jjk on the periphery!

AYAME AND SATORU ARE COUSINS + SAME AGE AU

- from what i know of satoru...... poor ayame

- ayame is someone who puts a lot of pressure on herself to be calm and composed. she forces herself to remain humble, and as a result, she tends to look down on her own achievements a lot. we all know our sweet girl has low self-esteem, what can we do?

- satoru is..... basically the opposite. he's the strongest sorcerer and he knows it. it's an undisputed fact, no one else can lay claim to that title as long as he's alive.

- the higuchis are basically an off-shoot of the gojo clan. powerful enough to remain jujutsu sorcerors, but never powerful enough to be part of the big three. they split off some time in the meiji - or maybe taisho - era, although they still have close ties with the gojo clan.

- one thing about the higuchi family is that they're a family, not a clan. there has only ever been one branch in the higuchi family that can utilise cursed techniques.

in a way, you can say that it's like the universe itself makes it so. anytime there is more than one higuchi sibling who can utilise cursed energy, only one will ever be able to carry the lineage.

the history of the higuchi-family-as-cursed-energy-users is short, but the lineage can be traced back relatively easily back to the gojo clan

- ayame and satoru are cousins, but also not really. that's just because they can trace their ancestry back to one particular ancestor - and that's all.

- satoru still happily calls ayame his cousin. she's pretty much the only person in the whole world who is both unimpressed and unfazed by his abilities

- i still don't know enough about jjk to be able to give the higuchi family an inherited technique with a name, but they should have one. it should be visual-based - or maybe sensory-based that manifests as visual.

ayame is... she's not a genius at using their inherited technique. that was akihiko, but he's gone now

- (sorry for always killing you in almost every au, akihiko.......)

- if the higuchi family was a clan, ayame is the undisputed head of the clan. after akihiko, she's the most proficient in their family's inherited technique. she even surpasses her father, even at her current level

- fast forward to jjk present, where ayame is also a teacher at jujutsu high. she's teachers with the jjk sensei squad, but also tanjirou, zenitsu and inosuke

- and of course with satoru

- ayame never gets annoyed with satoru, although she does find him annoying. they've played together since they were children, when they attended gojo clan meetings together and had nothing else to amuse themselves

- surprisingly, she doesn't have an inferiority complex with satoru. she knows that they're in different leagues - satoru, as the inheritor of limitless and the six eyes; ayame as a somewhat proficient user of her family's inherited technique. they aren't the same, and that's fine. she'll do well as she is, and satoru will reign as the head of the gojo clan

- she wishes he did take his duties as the clan head a little more seriously though.....

- ayame is pretty much the only person satoru can be satoru - not gojo satoru, strongest jujutsu sorcerer, but satoru, who's kinda annoying and very ridiculous

- they're cousins, for all that the blood shared between them is as thin as air

- ayame is one of the people who uses megumi how to use weapons! her specialty is the katana, and she's the kind of person who teaches through hard work and perseverance

- also megumi using ayame's "hn" is just cute

- megumi calling ayame "obasan" will murder me actually what the heck i'm pinching his cheeks

- outwardly, it looks like he respects ayame more than he does satoru, but he actually respects them the same. they're both strong in different ways and he wants to learn as much from them as possible

- also tol satoru and tinie ayame just standing together or walking together is such a nice image. best buddies, bros just walking while ayame scolds satoru about something or another

- (if u ask satoru, he would actually admit that ayame is more like a sister than a cousin. he'll protect her with everything he's got - mostly emotionally, cos he has a lot of faith in her own strength and capabilities as a jujutsu sorcerer)

- yes there's tanyame in this. satoru ships it. nanami ships it. shoko ships it. hell, megumi, yuuji and nobara ship it! it's hard to find someone who doesn't ship tanyame. goddamn when are those two idiots going to get together already?!?!???! (satoru has screamed that phrase too many times to count)

- zenitsu, having known tanjirou and ayame since their high school days, is simply resigned to the fact that the only way they'll get together is through some superbly stupid circumstances. he just needs satoru to understand this (satoru will never understand this)

AYAME AND SQUAD AS THE SAME AGE AS THE MAIN TRIO

- the lore still applies as before, but this time ayame is infinitely more annoyed by satoru-nii

- like who wouldn't be, right? lmao

- this time, ayame grows up alongside megumi, which means that megumi and ayame share a few moves since they trained together for so long

- u know that scene where megumi and maki switch weapons? that's ayame and megumi like all the time. you don't want to double-team against those two since they've been training together since idk middle school or something

- also zenitsu senpai tickles me something fierce

- i think zenitsu would have a crush on maki. he likes strong girls and he admires the way she doesn't let her weakness stop her from becoming an amazing jujutsu sorcerer

- ayame supports this (in the hopes that zenitsu will also not let his own fear stop him from doing... well, anything, really)

- also i think tanjirou deserves to be a little jealous about ayame's and megumi's closeness. as a treat. yuuji, stop teasing ayame and megumi about what a cute couple they'd make! it isn't funny! (stop messing with tanjirou's poor heart like that!)

- i only know OF the shibuya incident, i don't actually know it. someone who knows about jjk more than me should say something about how ayame would react to it

- oh right. ayame and satoru. let's get back to the real reason we're here

- satoru doesn't try to fill in the big brother role. he might be satoru-nii, but he's still just satoru. he may tease ayame a lot and never let her get in a playful hit, but he'll be one of the first people to hug her if she really needs it. he's watched her grow up and there's something admirable about the way she doesn't let titles or the way the Big Three work stop her from trying her best and fulfilling her duties

- given the chance, he'd be the first to make her the head of the higuchi clan. if it ever became a clan (spoiler: it probably doesn't become a clan)

- i should really start consuming jjk media. After i finish fits

- but my god. what i know of jjk isn't any less sad than whatever happens in fits canon

- i think ayame would eventually be pretty fiercely protective of yuuji. she's a protector at her core, and despite his background and character lore, he'd be one of her closest friends (but seriously, itadori, stop teasing ayame and megumi about being a couple. think of how tanjirou feels!!!)

i don't know much about jjk so i'm always open to more headcanons about these aus!

[minteayoongimakesmewoozi]

have you ever thought abt a tanyame genshin au ?

oh BOY have i ever!!!!! i have a few wips of genshin au ayame written already since i got onto an unplanned hiatus (but the return is planned! it's just that life has gotten a bit hectic for me right now) but i won't be posting them any time soon.

but genshin au!!!! yeah!!!!!!!

i actually have two and i love infodumpinging about both teehee

kamisato clan retainer au

- ayame is a distant cousin of ayato and ayaka! a kamisato daughter married a higuchi son generations ago and as a result, the two families have always had strong ties. ayato and ayaka call ayame their cousin, but after all those centuries, the relation is tenuous at best.

- also ayame is older than ayato. don't ask me how many years, she just is

- but since ayato is the young master, he and ayame just speak to each other casually.

- ayaka calls ayame 'ayame-neesan' tho, so cute!

- when ayame is about sixteen, she goes to sumeru to study at the akademiya. this is efore the sakoku decree, but everyone can tell the wind is already changing in inazuma. she has to leave for the akademiya not long after ayato and ayaka's father passes, and she and thoma are friends!

- she never graduates tho

- after two years, she returns to inazuma to become ayato's retainer

- ayame and thoma are both the chief retainers. ayame has a more... intimidating presence than thoma tho, since she's in charge of the shuumatsuban with him. ayato doesn't need a bodyguard, but ayame is basically known as his most loyal guard dog anyway

- despite being ayato's personal retainer, she's actually from watatsumi island

- actually, ayame, tanjirou, zenitsu and inosuke are all native to watatsumi island!

- the higuchis did relocate to narukami island for a time - about the same time the kamisato clan was starting to decline. this means the kamados did the same, since u can't have a blacksmith without the charcoal burners close by

- when the sakoku decree is in full effect, the higuchis and kamados relocate back to watatsumi island

- yes, i'm saying that ayame stayed in inazuma city while tanjirou went back to watatsumi island 🥺 without ayame 😭 😭 😭

- ayame has a cryo vision. it appeared while she was at the akademiya, torn between her duties to the kamisato clan and her own personal goal of graduating as one of haravatat's brightest students

- (she also ended up dating alhaitham during that time, but that's a story for another time)

- as they grow up, tanyame kind of get into a big fight tho

- it has everything to do with ayame's loyalty to the shogunate even in the face of the vision hunt decree

- and also the fact that tanjirou joined sangonomiya's army and tried to get ayame to do the same, but she can't because she's a retainer of the kamisato clan

- think tanjirou's passive aggressive letters from fracture but over the span of years instead of weeks

- don't worry, they make up eventually. it's tanyame, after all

- but only around the time raiden shogun sees the error of her ways

- ayame, tanjirou, zenitsu and inosuke know gorou tho! inosuke and gorou are feral lil besties and zenitsu Suffers™️

- sorry zenitsu

- by the time genshin canon comes around, ayame, tanjirou and inosuke are about twenty-seven. zenitsu is twenty-eight.

- wow they're all adults fksnsksk

- ayame wears a navy blue kimono with white seigaiha and black tights. she has her katana - made by otouchan and niichan - on her left hip, and her cryo vision hangs off her sageo. her hair is in a half ponytail, but held up by a tama kanzashi with the kamksato emblem hanging from it. i haven't thought much of her outfit beyond that though. oh! and of course she has her pouch fixed to her obi!

- and here's a lil wip of retainer au under the cut!

"Not here," Ayame said sharply. "Inside. Now."

Thoma followed her without hesitation, throwing an apologetic grin over his shoulder. She was always so testy when there was danger afoot.

The moment the door of the Teahouse shut behind Aether and Paimon, Ayame spun around and delivered a kick – right to Thoma's ass.

He stumbled forward with a yelp, grunting when she kicked out the back of his knees. He landed with a groan, head snapping forward as she dealt a tight slap to the back of his head.

"Thoma," she growled.

Paimon clung to Aether, whose sword materialised in his hand.

"Step back," Aether commanded.

Ayame held up her hands in a non-threatening gesture, the sleeves of her cloak dropping down to her elbows to reveal her kimono.

"It's fine," Thoma yelped, a hand pressed to the back of his aching head. "It's fine. It's Ayame. She's one of us."

Ayame threw her hood back, blue eyes cool as they landed on the traveller.

"Outlander," she said coldly, "you've put my fellow retainer in quite the bind."

Thoma chuckled, shutting up when she smacked his shoulder.

"Fellow retainer…?" Aether repeated slowly.

Ayame mustered her composure and bowed stiffly. "I'm Higuchi Ayame, chief retainer of the Kamisato Clan and personal attendant to the Yashiro Commissioner."

Paimon gasped, hands pressed to her gaping mouth. "The Hammer!"

Ayame twitched. She never did like that nickname.

"Yes," she grumbled. "I suppose that's what they call me."

Aether lowered his sword, then sent it away.

"You're… not quite what I expected," he said.

Ayame rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I get that a lot."

She kicked the back of Thoma's knees once more when he tried to stand.

"I told you," she hissed, eyeing Aether angrily. "I told you! They can't get to the rest of us, so they went after you! Why don't you ever listen to me?"

Another swift thwack to the back of Thoma's head. Then another, and another.

Thoma let the first few blows rain down on him – he deserved that – but gripped her wrists when the blows lost momentum.

"It's fine, I'm fine," he soothed, slowly rising to his feet. "Everything worked out, hm?"

Ayame glared at him mutinously. "You're lucky Waka caught wind of what the Tenryou Commission was up to and had enough time to send me. If you'd just used your stupid head for once – "

"Maybe we should go," Paimon whispered loudly. "Paimon doesn't want to get in the middle of a lovers' quarrel."

Aether nodded. "Good point."

"And where do you think you're going?" Ayame snapped. "Stay. At least wait until the guards are more spread out."

"And don't call it a lovers' quarrel," added Thoma, releasing Ayame when it looked like she wasn't going to hit him anymore. "Ayame's already spoken for."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!"

Thoma grinned slyly. She hadn't said she wasn't spoken for.

"And I'm not spoken for. Quit telling people that."

Ah, foiled again.

harbinger au

- ahhhh the thing that started my genshin au kick

- higuchi ayame as the twelfth harbinger, codename: innamorati

- ayame has a pyro vision in this au, but with a cryo delusion hiding behind it

- as the lowest-ranking harbinger, she's often sent out of snezhnaya with tartaglia

- ayame and tartaglia are friends, although they would both hesitate to say so. they spend a lot of time together, and they spar often. it's rare to see one without the other

- ayame is the only harbinger who isn't given a new name by the tsaritsa. it's both a gift and a curse; the atrocities she commits as a harbinger can never be severed from her name. ayame knows that this is the tsaritsa's way of keeping her in line

- ayame still wears seigaiha, but the pattern has been dyed black and is almost indistinguishable from the dark blue base. she wears it as a haori and a coat, so there's fur lining the collar of her haori. her pyro vision is clipped to the breast of her customised fatui uniform, almost like a medal of honour. her hair is in a half ponytail, but there is a streak of white hair from her left temple - evidence from using her cryo delusion

- ayame and thoma still end up friends somehow. mainly because ayame's loyalty is still to inazuma, and thoma believes that her actions are still obscuring her loyalty to her homeland. he's the one who feeds her information about the inner workings of inazuma. there's a whole thing where ayato finds out about one of their meetings and ayame has to beat thoma up a little so ayato will believe that thoma gave her information under duress

- at some point, she holds her katana to thima's throat. she's so cool.......

[minteayoongimakesmewoozi]

Trytfullt, because I dont know how tumblr works or if you can see comment, there's a questions for the royalty AU. What would had been Ayame and Tanjirou's life had demon never showed up, add Nezuko's to that, waas she a bodyguard too or do the Kamado women had another role?

hiiii! honestly, i do see comments, but it does take me some time to reply in general. partly because of who i am as a person, but also because i'm on the + side of the gmt timezone, so i kinda have a weird sleeping schedule.

and i'm sorry i'm getting to this so late too!!! the last couple months have been hella hectic for me, but i've finally found some equilibrium uwu

anyway, some nezuko hcs for royalty au!

- this is probably odd for the time period, but the roles of the kamado women wouldn't be that far off from the role of the men

- it would be a spillover from the sengoku era, where fujiko was a demon hunter despite being a woman. i can see the kamados seeing that and emulating fujiko's strength in their daughters.

- i personally hc tanjurou as an only child, but i assume that if he had a younger siblings, they would have been takehiko's guard as well

- that being said, nezuko would have been ayame's guard if mimi-reikohime had never set foot in okutama. while she wasn't as trained in swordsmanship as tanjirou was in, er, royalty au canon (?), that was because tanjirou was assigned as ayame's guard from the time they were nine, which is when they officially start sword training with live steel

- nezuko has basic swordsmanship training since she's the eldest daughter. basically, only the eldest son and eldest daughter are the ones who have to take on the roles of guards. hanako might have been trained eventually though! but that would have been merely for her own (and misaki's) basic protection

- nezuko would have the unique position of being both ayame's guard and handmaiden tho. ayame's the first higuchi daughter born in centuries; the first hime from the higuchi line in generations.

by that time, the concept of handmaidens for the higuchi princesses would have long been lost in history. the higuchis, as kuge, are pretty self-sufficient all things considered. they have the forge, but it's more ceremonial than anything. not so much for knives and nails, but for ceremonial daggers - gifts for villagers that are getting married, have children born etc.

their blacksmithing would be more delicate as a result tho! but ayame wouldn't spend nearly as long in the forge as she did in fits canon. she had other lessons, naturally. horseback and archery would be some of them.

- nezuko would be awesome on horseback tho

as for tanyame...

- it would be unlikely they would become friends at thirteen years old. tanjirou is very bound to his duty, and his duty would have been exclusively to akihiko. ayame would remain o-ayame-hime to tanjirou for years, until he sees the way ayame treats nezuko as an equal, then he'd probably nurse a small crush on ayame.

- (listen. tanjirou falls first, but ayame always falls harder - no matter the au.)

- but would they have gotten together? I think so (bc i'm the president of the tanyame fanclub dammit)

- they would be much older tho - maybe nineteen by the time akihiko convinces tanjirou that yes, it's perfectly fine if he wants to court ayame. in fact, he would even encourage it!

- there's no one else akihiko could trust more than tanjirou to look after his eldest younger sister

- not that ayame needs to be looked after. she's very independent and headstrong

- tanjirou is probably the only person who wouldn't let her walk all over him. ayame can be such a brat sometimes. around tanjirou, she's a lot more humble. (but nezuko plays a part in ayame's humility too!)