personal Initial D headcanons (historical & social background themes)
I sometimes imagine alternative background histories for the characters, focusing on how social environment and marginalization could shape personality, pride, and the need to prove oneself. These are purely personal headcanons and not meant to claim anything about canon.
• The Takahashi brothers are descendants of survivors of the Fukuda Village Incident (1923), a little-known historical event in which migrants were attacked during the chaos and rumors that followed the Great Kantō Earthquake. In this interpretation, the brothers inherit a strong sense of distance from mainstream society and a determination to rely only on themselves.
• Kyoichi Sudo comes from a Burakumin background — a historically marginalized group in Japan that faced discrimination due to associations with premodern social class divisions. This headcanon frames his strict discipline and pride as something shaped by a lifetime of needing to assert dignity and self-worth.
• Seiji Iwaki grew up in extreme poverty and never had access to formal education, leaving him unable to read. His aggression and insecurity come from feeling constantly looked down upon and excluded.
• Shingo Shoji is Zainichi Korean (part of the Korean diaspora in Japan, often experiencing complicated questions of identity and belonging). His rebelliousness is interpreted here as resistance against expectations placed upon him.
These interpretations are intended as character study ideas exploring how social pressure, stigma, and exclusion might influence competitiveness and identity in street racing culture.
In the spirit of summer(ugh it’s still freezing over here but still)— what are your hc’s about a beach date?
• All Initial D Male and Female Characters
• Word Count: 1,782.
• Synopsis: In which you're on a beach date with the lovely boys and girls.
• Note: Thank you for the cute ask Anon, apologies it took me forever to get to it!
Keisuke: Will go in the water with you for a bit, but I feel like this guy gives into his primal urges and likes to dig holes in the sand. Will probably dig a massive pit and shape it into a circular sitting lounge, sticking the umbrella in the centre to shade the entire pit and sit with you in it while you sip on cold fruity drinks after being in the hot sun for hours. If you both stay the whole day and sunset comes around, he’ll take you to a beachside restaurant or pub to sit outside and watch the sun set over the ocean while you eat and drink.
Ryosuke: He’d indulge you and go in the water with you a bit, but he seems more of the type to relax under the umbrella and simply enjoy the breeze and the warmth while staying under the shade to not burn, he’s pretty pale. Would also love to enjoy the sunset with you at a beachside restaurant with a walk on the pier together to enjoy the views before leaving for the night.
Takumi: If he’s not zoned out and blushing at the sight of you in a swim suit, he’d follow you around as you collect shiny shells and hold them for you in his hands, finding it adorable how you take the scavenging seriously and fish through the shallow water for them, sometimes get caught with a sneaky wave and get submerged for a second before popping back up, hair soaked and sticking to your face before plopping a shell or two in his hands and continuing on, earning a chuckle from him.
Takeshi: Oh, yes. Sure, it may have been your idea to go to the beach for the ocean, but those plans changed the minute he took his black t-shirt off, casually setting it atop your towel bag. His hair was left messy, seeing as gelling it would be useless if he’s gonna go in the water. His little messy strands on his forehead are doubled now that his hair was left natural. The water was completely forgotten as you sat on the large towel, simply staring and admiring his form. He’d give you one of those raised brows, his lips pressing together in a “really babe?” expression once he caught on to what you were doing. Don’t be surprised when he picks you up to carry you to the water, enjoying how you’re squirming around to get out of his hold, but also enjoying how easily those defined arms are holding you. The clear smirk on his face tells you he knows the effect he has on you before he drops his arms without warning, dropping you straight into the water. Only he’s surprised when you grab onto him at the last minute, taking him with you.
Shingo: Is a little shit. He’ll straight up carry you over his shoulder before Batista bombing you into the water like a WWE fighter. You’d resurface and find him laughing his ass off with that high pitched voice of his before deciding to take him with you and knock his legs out from under him, making him squawk before he goes under. Gives you the same unimpressed look you gave him after he comes back up. If you both go to back to shore to lay on towels, he’ll try to get a tan but with how pale he is, he burns easy so he’ll tan first, looking like how he did in Final Stage, but then the sunburn will come in a few hours later. Refuses to sunbathe again after that, going back to being pale and pasty instead of tan and tasty once again. He’d take you to a pub as well, but as I’ve previously headcanoned for him, he’s a lightweight, so expect to be driving the EG6 back home.
Itsuki: Probably got a beach date by doing that double date stuff with Takumi and Natsuki, or even when the SpeedStars went to the waterpark with Sayuki and Mako. You’d be a friend of one of the girls and basically be Itsuki’s date for the day. Though, he’d spend more time gawking and daydreaming about “hot babes in bikinis” than actually holding a simple conversation with you and spending time in the water or going down waterslides together if its at a waterpark. Typical Itsuki, heh.
Iketani: Holds it together better than Itsuki, will actually go in the water with you, maybe try to play volleyball with the large blowup beach ball. If it’s another double date, he’d be on your team of course, even if it’s against your friends. If it’s not a double date, he’s pretty much down for whatever you want to do. Doesn’t mind sitting back and relaxing at a table, or laying on towels with snacks and drinks while you two talk about cars, hobbies and anything else that interests you. He’s just happy to spend time with you.
Kenji: Similar to Iketani, just loves enjoying the moment. Definitely is the one to drive you to the beach, making a fun road trip out of it. Will like to check out nearby shops for goodies, and get one of those disposable cameras to take pictures of you in your element, and even request some where you pose in front of his car. Bro’s living the high life. Will totally rub it in Iketani and Itsuki’s face, showing him the pictures and going on about how hot you are, much to the dismay of the Lonely Drivers™.
Kenta: Will sunbathe 100%. As seen in Project D when Keisuke and Takumi get to sleep in that lovely hotel, the rest of the Project is “chilling” in the middle of summer under a tree in the shade. Except Kenta. Bro’s tanning full on. He’d be cool if you wanted to go out and do your own thing, play in the water, build sandcastles, dig holes, whatever, as long as he can get a good tan in, he’s a happy guy. I definitely see him falling asleep at some point, most likely on his stomach while he tans his back, and you decide to just bury him in the sand, putting scoop after scoop on top of him until it’s just his neck and head showing. He’ll have an uneven top tan and be mad about it lol. His front looks good, but his back is probably paler since he was covered by then and didn’t know about it. His sleeping mind wouldn’t process it either since the sand made him warm with the sun soaking it up so it’d feel the same to him.
Kyoichi: Doesn’t strike me as a beach enjoyer. I feel like his tough guy act and pride would tell him that enjoying the beach is a wuss boy’s activity. However, he’s more than happy to watch you enjoy yourself and admire your form in that swimsuit. Would definitely take you out to a bar later to fit his tough guy vibe, and give you his large jacket to keep you warm, but more so to keep you covered and prevent weird guys from staring at what’s his for a second too long. Only the Emperor gets to admire his Empress for longer than a second.
Rin: Takes you on a romantic walk along the shoreline at early sunset. Ankle deep in the water as it rises and lowers periodically, enjoying each other’s company and talking about anything. Will take you to a scenic pier or nearby shrine overlooking the water after the sun goes down and perhaps dinner shortly after.
Go: Water fights you, hands down. Loses very quickly because he’s easily distracted by the water droplets flowing down your boobs and into your top. When you notice him standing still too long and catch on, not even registering your hand waving in his face, he’s completely unprepared to be tackled head on and dunked into the water. You wrestle him in the shallow water with alarming strength telling him that you’ll “cleanse his dirty mind of boobs forever” as you dunk his head in the water several times like a baby getting baptized.
Wataru: Is down to do anything, really. Will take you to the beach early in the morning so you have plenty of time to check out shops, restaurants, ice cream stands and more. Will also get a disposable camera, happy to take pictures of you with his car, building stuff in the sand, going in the water, any and all of it. Will help bring you buckets of water for your sand creations if you need more to help shape it. He’s rewarded with a kiss and “What would I do without my muscley hero, hmm?”
Nobuhiko: Seems pretty chill, would probably prefer to sit back and relax over anything else. Would go for a short walk with you before he’s ready to cool off under the shade again. I see him being temperature sensitive so he gets hot or cold easily. Would pack a bunch of snacks and drinks for you two to have as you lay on the towels, taking in the moment.
Mako: Would enjoy having some fun with beach volleyball. If it’s a double date with Sayuki, she’d team up with her against you and your friend and get as fiercely competitive as she does behind the wheel. Inadvertently kicks Sayuki’s ass and smiles all innocently about it. She also loves sitting back and enjoying some talking with you and learn new things about you and vice versa.
Sayuki: With how energetic she seems to be, I feel like she’d want to go to a waterpark over the beach like she did with the SpeedStars and Mako after the Usui race. Would drag you with her on all the rides and go in the massive wave-pool. If they had any little competition activities, she’d sign up right away and go full send, having every intention of winning. She’d be down for an early evening dinner and drive after to unwind and relax.
Kyoko: She’s the one who drives you both to the beach. Can’t go a day without driving her FD and would ask you to take pictures of her and with her next to the car. Like the time Natsuki asked a nearby guy to take pictures of her and Takumi at the beach, she’d do the same to a passerby while she hugs your arm or side sweetly, smiling bright for the camera before thanking the person and taking off with you to enjoy the water and find a couple fancy shells as keepsakes.
takumi actually puts on a facade that he’s all serious and shit. but when he’s zoned out, he’s not thinking about that thot mogi, hes thinking about that sleepover him and itsuki are gonna have on friday after school where they do a race or two and then go home, watch ytps and eat pizza rolls. probably end up staying up the whole night watching scary top ten things and have deep talks or shit-talk sessions.
Do you have any hc, thoughts or anything but with Takumi? Im so in love with him 😭😭😭 feed me please
This is a whole collage of anything that came to mind for me so it's quite a lot since I'm a sucker for detail, lol. Loved the idea Anon, hope you enjoy! Also thank you to @skeleton-beneath-this-skin with the brainstorming help! ❤️
As I've personally headcanoned in my fic with Bunta, I'm a firm believer that he scrunches and twitches his nose when concentrated.
He might also poke his tongue out as well and never realise it until someone points it out.
Probably ends up with chapped lips a lot and doesn't understand why they're dry all the time so he's constantly carrying a tube of chap stick in his pocket.
Honestly, I have no idea where, when, or how I've come to headcanon this, but for some reason I've always believed that if you tap on either one of his shins when he's zoned out/daydreaming, it'll wake him right up. Just woosh instantly pops him out of that state and he'll just look at you like 😳 h u h ?
You'd think with how he's zoned out all the time, he wouldn't be too smart a guy, HOWEVER!!
I definitely think he's smarter than the anime lets on, and I'm not talking about anything racing related as of right now.
Think about it, besties. High school sucks ass, right? All this crap you gotta force yourself to understand the concepts of, and most of it is probably not interesting in the slightest, which makes it even harder to comprehend.
Not to Takumi. Sure, he's not gonna be a genius with perfect grades, but he definitely passes all of his class with a B- or higher.
Tak barely has time to think, let alone overthink a concept of school material, so instead of trying to understand why it is the way that it is, he simply... does. He basically goes, "there is no think; only do."
He just copies what the teachers explain and it sticks. He doesn't think about it. Take math for example.
The teacher writes down a specific equation with specific numbers. Now, the assignment is the same equation, but different numbers. Some people, myself included, HATE this. It makes it feel like it's harder to solve it now and looks like a whole new equation.
Takumi however, just switches the numbers from whatever the teacher wrote, to the assignment's numbers and solves it no problem. Itsuki HATES him for that. Man's completely jealous.
It's the same with how Tak learned to drive manual and the 8-6. He didn't overthink the concept of why you need a clutch or why you need to shift gears and use the pedals in a specific order, he simply did it and didn't question it. The SpeedStars make fun of his simple mind, but oohhh how I envy it.
Onto the next topic. I feel like some of his pet peeves would be being called "Kumi" cause it sounds more feminine, but Tak and obviously his full name is fine.
Doesn't like the sound of dragging feet, i.e shoes dragging on pavement, but likes the crunchy sound of walking on loose pavement, i.e those little pebbles on the shoulder of the road. Oddly specific, but I see it in him.
Doesn't like his hair or head being overly touched unless it's with his S/O. Is fine with it if one of his buddies is trying to get something out of his hair that's stuck, but for anything else, leave his head alone.
Is probably clothing selective, thus why he tends to wear the same or very similar outfits a lot. Certain textures bother him, so a simple soft, cotton shirt like his usual white one is perfect for him and he probably bought a crap ton by the multi-packs. Same with his jeans or kahki-textured pants.
Loves the feeling of silk, hates velvet. He'd be on cloud 9 sleeping on silk bed sheets, but hand him a velvet blanket and the texture that isn't as smooth when you push it against its flow makes his skin crawl. Idk how else to explain it, but its like he's mostly fine with following the flow of the velvet like how an animal's fur coat flows one way, but as soon as he brushes his skin the opposite way against the flow, he's done for.
Moving on to more of his general likes and dislikes, he loves sour candy but can't handle too many sweet things. The sugar gives him teefie aches. 😔
Loves spicy food, can't handle hot food. Like that hot bean bun Itsuki gave him in early Stage 1 and he starts fucking dry heaving. 😀
With spicy food, he can probably handle a lot and call it mild. Seeing as wasabi is commonly used on the side with many foods in Japan, he probably loves to use a lot of it for taste as well as spice so if you're dating him and can't handle spice or wasabi well, you're gonna look at him like he's psychotic.
(Side note, I also headcanon this for Shingo. Something about Ratman tells me he could eat the spiciest curry or sushi or whatever and be like, "ehh, it tastes good, just ain't spicy enough." and shrug it off. Meanwhile you'd probably have a running nose and gone through a box of tissues. He could probably eat a single ghost pepper and either finally fucking die, or be like, "Hey! Finally something with the right amount of spice! 😀" He's annoyingly cute.)
Anyways, back to Takumi! I believe his favourite colour(s) would either be blue, green, and/or white.
His favourite meat is salmon, also loves fatty tuna when sushi restaurants get it in season. His favourite veggies are broccoli and carrots. I see him eating fried tofu, chicken and mixed veggies with rice a lot at home. Whatever they don't sell at the shop they probably make it for dinner to save money and food.
Loves raspberries and strawberries, can only eat a small handful of blueberries before he gets sick of the taste (same with black olives).
Likes Eurobeat, but doesn't blast it. I see him playing it lightly like Yuichi did in the car when he past Takumi in the first episode. Just simple background noise.
Probably likes the Move band as well that the anime plays a lot, so I see him liking a bit of pop music too. Not a fan of metal or rap but likes the occasional classical song. It just makes him more tired, honestly.
Loves tea and coffee, pretty much any kind. Occasionally partakes in a fruit smoothie or a soda but not often.
Also a water chugger. I see him always having a glass or bottle of water on his bed shelf for the middle of the night when the sudden witching hour thirst wakes him up.
On to what ya'll have probably been waiting for: Relationship HCs! (Once again thanking @skeleton-beneath-this-skin for this part of the brainstorming!)
Tak is great boyfriend material, however is probably too shy for anything PDA, but will make up for it in other ways!
I do, however, see him holding your hand in large places like a mall just incase he spaces out and accidently loses you!
His hold would transition to hooking his arm in yours or holding your waist if you both end up in a crowded area, so he can both see and feel that you're with him the whole time and you don't get separated.
He's a strong believer in the sidewalk rule without evening knowing that it exists. It's just a subconscious instinct for him to walk on the outer part of the sidewalk closer to the road and you on the inside.
He's a great person to vent out your emotions to!!
If you're at his place or yours in either of your rooms and you had a bad day, he'd pick up on it easily through your body language before you even get a word out. If you're the type to go silent when things bother you, he'd notice easily since you're not your talkative self like you usually are with him.
If you ask him if you can just vent for a few minutes, he'd nod with a hum, getting himself comfy on the bed and leaning back against the wall.
Crossing his legs, he'd motion for you to sit on his lap, and help you wrap you legs around his waist as you lean into his chest. He'd rub your back and hair as you vent, and if he had an okayish or worse day as well, the rubs actually help him calm down too.
He ends up distracting himself with the motions, and feeling you on top of him is like a weighted blanket, simply bringing further comfort knowing you're here with him.
He will most likely zone out while you're venting, absentmindedly nodding along to your background voice. If you're used to this behaviour of his, this can work out great and here's a few reasons.
Firstly, he won't give you advice or solutions that you don't want if he's not listening to begin with lol.
Secondly, you're venting just to vent and get it off your chest with no judgement. Thus, literally talking TO him like a wall, helps more than keeping it bottled inside and talking about it to yourself in your head, whether he hears it or not.
Lastly, his calm demeanor ends up helping to calm you down faster as well, the more you talk and the more he rubs soothing patterns and pressure into your back, arms, hair, etc.
Another big part of your relationship with Takumi is napping.
Hell yeah, imagine taking a fat ass nap with the King of Sleep. ✋🏻😌
Especially if he's in those silk sheets from earlier, ya'll are goooooone. Out.
Imagine being in bed with him in the winter time, under some soft and comfy blankets, maybe even a heated one. Cold pillows under your head and you're nuzzled up against Takumi and your pillow in that specific position that has you tapping out instantly. Ugfhhh... THE DREAM.
Next up, him driving with you in the 8-6. Certified passenger princess in the famous Trueno. Always kicks Itsuki to the back seat. If he keeps complaining like that, he's gonna toss him in the hatch next like he's a crate of tofu.
Doesn't mind if you sit or lean on the car, he knows you're gentle with his baby and his eyes always fall back on you when you're on it with a blush.
Silently relishes in the fact you're dedicated to be at every race he's in, always looking back at you before he takes off down the pass, ensuring you're the last person he sees before he drives off.
If you're dead set on being there for his Project. D travels, he'll tell you, you don't need to go every time, and he understands if one of their stops is too far and late at night for you.
Will be happy and feel bad at the same time if you do attend somewhere far and ride with him in the 8-6, meaning you're gonna be stuck there with them until they leave, instead of bringing your own car and being able to go home if you need or want to.
If you've got an adventurous personality and travel with him a lot for Project. D, and even before, he'd like to drive you around to places you want to visit, shops, onsens, restaurants and the like.
I don't see it happening all the time, but it may be a tad more frequent during Project. D, but he's still kinda a broke teenager, especially after Bunta used all his money for the new engine, so I don't see him wanting to splurge a lot.
Personally, if it were my idea to go places that require spending money, I have the full intention of buying things myself, and at the very least my half of the restaurant bills.
If anyone agrees to this or does the same, Takumi would feel like he got a mountain lifted off of him lol. Poor boy would be hella worried about going out so much.
Of course, if he ever had the idea to take you places, it would be a vice versa scenario and he'd pay for it all, of course.
On to holidays, I see him enjoying them more once you come into his life. It was said in the show that he and his dad didn't celebrate Christmas since he didn't have a mom or see extended family, so he wouldn't get more into it until the season comes around and sees how excited you are for it.
Same with other holidays, he'd get into some simple aspects of Valentine's Day, get you chocolates, a plushie of your favourite animal, and maybe a little dinner somewhere.
He'd like Halloween too, but dress up minimally if at all, rather enjoying seeing you all dressed up and going the whole nine yards. He would wear matching outfits for you if you asked him to, though.
Overall, Takumi would be a really great boyfriend. Definitely husband material.
If you have time could you do headcanons for what it’s like to sleep together with the racers? Like who hogs the blanket, talks in his sleep, cuddles the whole night, etc?
• All Initial D Male and Female Characters
• Word Count: 3,039.
• Synopsis: In which you learn the ups and down of sleeping with street racers.
• Note: Thank you Anon, I loved this one! Never thought about what it'd be like in detail to sleep with these guys, hehe!
Keisuke: A blanket AND bed hogger. Since he’s used to sleeping in the middle of his old twin sized bed, he’d have the die-hard habit. I see sleeping with him going several different ways depending on who is in bed first, and if you go together.
You go to bed first. Since he’s a night owl with racing he doesn’t normally get to bed until the twilight hours. So, if he comes home to you already asleep, he’ll weasel himself into bed quietly and even readjust the blankets for you so your covered comfortably and they aren’t all crinkled up. He’d snuggle up into you, spooning you at first since you’re already nice and warm. He falls asleep quicker that way, and this is where the “fun” begins. At least an hour into him falling asleep, he’ll start rolling around and adjusting positions, so you can bet his legs get tangled in the blankets and take it all with him. Your sleeping self most likely won’t notice until you get woken up from being cold or feeling him practically wrestle around in his sleep and accidently kick you in the leg.
He goes to bed first. In the rare chance he’s in bed and asleep before you, he’s already got the blankets scrunched up and he’s in the middle of the bed. I see him laying on his back, his arms are spread out and one of them curls back in so his head is leaning against his hand, kind of like a flexing pose (like that meme of the guy who’s sleeping like a medieval portrait of a damsel in distress). His legs are spread and one is bent at the knee, blanket wrapped around them as well. I imagine him as a heavy sleeper, and since he goes to bed so late from racing, he just taps out from exhaustion the second his head hits the pillow. Thus, you could practically wrestle the blankets from him to readjust it how it should be and he won’t even budge. He’ll mumble something at most or sigh and that’s about it. By the time you get into bed you’d either try to push him to his side, or just curl up into him like he does to you since that spot and him are already warm.
You both go to bed together. He loves to cuddle somehow. Whether its spooning you, or having you lay your head on his chest, or lay entirely on top of him for a bit, he’s happy. I see him wanting you to lay completely on top of him if he had a stressful night of racing, and your weight would imitate a weighted blanket to him so it’d help calm and relax him. I don’t see this as a comfortable falling asleep position on your part, so when you feel ready to tap out, you’d just slide off him and either cuddle into his side or have your own space. Hopefully you fall asleep before him otherwise you’ll be up for a while fighting for your blanket rights.
Ryosuke: Actually stays on his side, god bless. Doesn’t move a lot when asleep, but he’ll roll over, adjust his arms and legs a bit while awake trying to find that comfortable spot and position that just taps him out. Is quiet as well, no snoring or talking. He’ll occasionally sigh deeply, but it isn’t normally loud enough to wake you. Enjoys light cuddling with you on his side, head on his chest, as he gently rubs his hand up and down your back or side. I see two ways of sleeping with him.
His bad habit of overworking and overthinking keeps him up at night, making it take forever for him to fall asleep. If you both go to bed together, you’ll most likely fall asleep before he does, but I also see him as a sigher when he can’t fall asleep. It’s frustrating when your mind won’t shut off when it’s time to sleep. If he starts the sighing while you’re still awake, it’ll probably take you a while to tap out as well now. You could try asking him what’s on his mind, but be ready for an infodump. Hopefully, getting that off his chest and even talking it out will help him figure out his solutions that he can be satisfied with until tomorrow and he falls asleep fine after. Another snippet is if you do fall asleep even before or during his sighing, he’ll decide to just observe your sleeping form if there’s enough light in the room to make out your features. It helps distract him from his thoughts when he’s focused on you. If he can’t see you, he’ll brush his fingers along your neck, arms, waist, and hips, mentally mapping your form with his eyes closed until he falls asleep that way.
Like Keisuke, he’ll probably fall asleep quickly after a late night out on the mountains. If he does this, he’ll at least pull you to him so you’re spooned before he taps out. Likes to have your head in line with his chest, even if your back is to him. Has to have that space to breathe in the cold A/C air, or just have his nose be unobstructed by something that cuts of the airflow if that makes sense.
Takumi: Stomach sleeper hands down. The episode where his dad wakes him up, and he’s on stomach only reinforces that idea and he sleeps like that a lot. He won’t snore unless his neck is craned in a weird way that obstructs his airflow; breathes through his nose too. Since he’s on his stomach a lot, he doesn’t move around much except for a big of leg adjusting and maybe his arms a tad, so I can’t imagine he’s a blanket hogger or tangler. Will fall asleep hella quick if he lays his head on your chest or stomach, an arm wrapped around you and his hand splayed across your back. If his hand makes your back uncomfy, he’ll hold your waist, occasionally giving it little comforting squeezes. He probably had a stuffed animal as a kid and would squeeze it periodically to help him fall asleep, so the habit continued on with you. If you rub his head, shoulders or back with him on you like this, he’s out in record time. Gives pleased hums and little sighs, definitely falls asleep with a little smile on his face. Adorable baby boy.
Takeshi: Back sleeper. I envision him having a sore back after work so it helps him get rid of the pain when his back is straight and flat against the bed. He might sleep on his side occasionally if he’s got no pain, but he’ll probably wake up with a wee bit of soreness cause his spine was curved or he ended up moving to a weird side position for too long. Is also quiet for the most part, but will snore if his neck is craned weird like Takumi. I feel like he’d also twitch in his sleep when dreaming. Like his dreams would be hella vivid, his emotions feel real too so he starts physically moving a bit, most likely just his fingers or little nose twitches, furrowed brows etc. On rare occasion will he mumble or talk, again probably from a dream. A huge cuddler as well. He’s also your personal heater. Doesn’t hog the blankets at all because he’s so warm, but still needs a cover of some kind to be comfortable enough to sleep in. Prefers to have you curled up on his side, head on his arm or chest since he’s a back sleeper. If he ends up on his side, he’ll spoon you as well and nuzzle his nose into your neck, possibly even hang his leg over yours, or vice versa. Doesn’t normally have trouble falling asleep, even after a stressful race. He probably clocks out when he gets home and just wants to forget about it so he doesn’t tend to overthink things or have a hyper brain at night.
Shingo: Sleeps in pretty much any position, doesn’t care. As long as whatever he’s sleeping on is comfortable, he’s good. He’s definitely slept in the EG before so if he can sleep in that, practically anywhere is good for him. Since he’s pretty skinny, I imagine he’s kinda flexible and nimble enough to sleep in weird positions and it doesn’t really affect him when he wakes up. Like if he’s on his side, he’d probably have his hips leaning forward or something with his legs more in front of him so he’s twisted at the waist/hips but won’t wake up with any soreness or pain. In terms of cuddling, he’s more of a switch. Likes to have you on him, on his side, spooned, whatever, but also likes laying on your chest/stomach, or being spooned in a way where he’s on his back, and you’re latched onto his side like a leech, legs wrapped around his hips/legs and arms hugging his chest with your head on his bicep or in the crook of his neck. The only noise he really makes is, instead of sighing like normal, he’ll kind of hum instead? Such as if he sighs out, it’ll come out as a low, “mmmm” like a quiet microwave lmao. With his voice being naturally nasally, he doesn’t make those nose whistle sounds in his sleep unless he’s sick. He’ll do the same if he makes a big adjustment, such as rolling over to his other side, or from his back to his stomach, vice versa. Sometimes hogs the blankets if he moves into a weird position. Will sometimes sleep in an L shape with his legs straight out in front of him so if he does that facing away from you, the blankets are his unless he moves smoothly enough that they don’t move.
Itsuki: Is as loud in his sleep as he is when awake. Good luck, besties. Definitely a mouth breather and snores. It gets worse cause his mouth will dry out quicker so when his tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth its like a fuckin megaphone was put in front of him. Complains about being too cold or too hot, so it could be 50/50 for the blanket war. Will cuddle if given the chance but has a vice grip, so again, good luck getting out of that.
Iketani: Is usually pretty warm, so he’s only half covered by blankets; doesn’t hog them much either. His snoring is on and off. Breathes through his nose, mouth closed, but still snores anyway. Only stops when he moves positions and typically is quiet when on his back. Likes to cuddle when awake but he’ll eventually turn away from you after he’s asleep. If he wakes up in the middle of the night and realizes you’re not there, he’ll pat around till he finds you and goes back to cuddling before sleeping again.
Kenji: Is concerningly quiet and still. Once he gets comfy, he’s in that position for nearly the whole night. His breathing gets really shallow and slow once asleep so it sometimes spooks you and you have check if he’s even alive. Since he breathes every few seconds with a pause in between each exhale, you have to check his pulse or listen for his heartbeat. Likes to cuddle on you most. The usual head on your chest, shoulder, or stomach is his go-to. Like Iketani, once asleep he tends to separate from you and then doesn’t move after that. Not a blanket hog, but he probably takes up bed space and weasels a bit into your side.
Kenta: Not a huge sleep or bedtime cuddler. Prefers to do that during the day. He’s also a back and stomach sleeper. Only time he goes onto his side is to flip over. If you want cuddles at night, you’ll have to do it after he’s asleep and weasel yourself under his arm if he’s on his back. A bit of a sigher, but doesn’t snore. Since his voice is nasally like Shingo, he’s probably got a stuffed nose most of the time, so when he sleeps his breathing makes those little whistling sounds through his nose.
Kyoichi: Also concerningly quiet. Doesn’t make noise unless he’s sick, feel like he’d snore when sick as well. Definitely see him as a back sleeper and a personal furnace. Doesn’t consider himself a cuddler, but after being with you for so long, it’s become a sleeping ritual to have you pressed against his side/chest in order to even fall asleep. Like Kenji, if you get concerned about his status of life, you can either check his pulse, heartbeat, or simply put a hand on his chest since he does take in full breaths, it’s easy to feel, he’s just quiet about it. Is a heavy ass sleeper too. Once he taps out, nothing is waking his ass up except his internal alarm clock for when morning comes. Occasionally moves around too, but you don’t normally have to fight for the blankets, thank God.
Rin: Snores lightly, but rhythmically. It’s the same sound, length, and volume, so it turns into background noise for you quite easily after being with him for a while. Loves spooning you and with you facing him so you can kinda hug him back, or at least nuzzle your arms in between both your chests and feel your forehead against him. Actually, has to wrestle the blankets from you since he runs cold. When you get nuzzled up to be spooned, you form fit the blanket around you and the blanket acts as a barrier between your body and his even though your pressed against each other.
Go: Snores like his brother, but its erratically. The sound and volume aren’t the issue, the inconsistency of his snores is unsatisfying and annoying when you can’t get the pattern to fall asleep to. As always, he likes boobs, so he’s gonna use yours as pillows. If you don’t move away once asleep, he’ll stay in that position the whole night. He’s a normal temperature so blanket wars aren’t an issue with him. Mumbles in his sleep quite a lot actually, and you can even have a conversation with him, but his mumbles are damn near incoherent so you just have to make up a conversation with him, ask questions, make jokes, spill the tea, and he’ll respond in some way. It’s pretty funny even if you don’t know what he’s saying.
Wataru: Oddly possessive in his sleep. Cuddles the whole night, will not let you go. Needs to have some kind of point of contact with you even if its just a knee on your leg, hand on your arm, or something simple. Prefers having more of you on him, though. Like Shingo, he’s mostly quietly but he hums in place of his sighs. With his voice being deeper than Shin’s, it somehow sounds more lulling if you’re still awake, like that deep hum that just makes you feel safe, comfortable, and even though he’s always pressed up on you, reassured that your man’s always there. Because there’s that reassurance and his possessive sleep nature, I feel like he’s a light sleeper. The kind of light sleeper that’s usually tired all the time, but it’s his normal and if he hears a noise that’s not usually in the room or house, something that isn’t background noise, he’ll wake up and just lay there listening for anything for a few minutes before falling back asleep if he deems there’s no threat.
Nobuhiko: As sweet as he is, I somehow see him as not a cuddler at all. Like he needs his space in order to fall asleep and does so facing away from you. Most likely a habit of falling asleep on a specific side and if you’re on the side of the bed that has him facing away from you, that’s just how its gonna be. He kinda hogs the blankets, but he also wakes up a few times a night for some reason and when he does wake up, he’ll readjust them over the bed and you before tapping back out. I see him as being a quiet guy too, so it’s easy to stay asleep with him.
Mako: Full on cuddler, but poor girl never got the chance to cuddle with anyone until she dates you. Due to the lack of physical affection, she’s a leech. Will stay cuddled up with you the whole night and is a quiet sleeper. She’ll occasionally let out light sighs, but they’re so quiet and cute it can’t possibly bother anyone. Blanket wars hardly exist since she’s stuck on you the whole time and if she does move, she just glides under the covers so they stay in place.
Sayuki: Needs to spread out, starfish style. Kinda sporadic when it comes to sleeping, she’s everchanging. Can fall asleep anyplace, anywhere like Shin as long as she has room to spread out. Will throw her leg over your or even weasel it under if its in her way lol. Same with her arms, she’s probably clocked you in the head a few times if she rolls over or goes to move it and it just kinda flings over. Moves a lot in her sleep so good luck getting those blankets back. Probably has dreams where she’s navigating Usui for Mako and ends up talking about the pass in her sleep about whatever Dream Mako has to avoid, how tight a corner to take, etc.
Kyoko: Also a huge cuddler. She probably mumbles mechanic stuff in her sleep, seeing as that’s her job. If you ask her about it the next morning, she’ll most likely remember her dreams, but be discombobulated about if it was real or not and what day it took place. But she could tell you fairly well what she was talking about, fixing, etc. Doesn’t move much unless she’s having a racing dream, her hand probably twitches when she’s dreaming of shifting gears.
Aaaah I love your initial d stuff so much! I haven’t seen a lot of angst hcs, so I was wondering, what would the boys do if you were to flinch during an argument? I know a lot of them are quick to anger because of their egos and pride so I’m pretty curious! Again, love your work, and would be interested to see how you think it would play out!
Initial D Headcanons: Flinching During an Argument
• All Initial D Male Characters
• Word Count: 3,690.
• Synopsis: In which the boys cause you to flinch during an argument, getting their reactions to said movement.
• Note: As promised, I have returned! My hyperfixation for this god-blessed anime has sparked me in the dark once again! This was a fun one to think out Anon, thank you!
Would also like to thank @skeleton-beneath-this-skin for helping me ponder some ideas for Takeshi! :)
Keisuke: Gets heated in arguments fairly quickly as we’ve all seen. One scene that comes to mind for this prompt is when Keisuke confronts Takumi on Akina and gives him that angry speech about Takumi definitely being a racer and getting angry when he’s told he’s wrong. I see Keisuke being a very animated talker when angry and argumentative, using his hands a lot, waving them around, pointing, etc. In terms of arguing with you, he’d have the same habit of using his hands to accentuate his words and being in close proximity to him during the time of the argument, he might raise his hand just to express exasperation or some such, but when he catches a glimpse of you flinching when he does shuts him up real quick. The first thing that comes to mind is, why would you even consider, even subconsciously, that he’d hit you, argument or no? His utter surprise and racing thoughts makes him forget about the argument altogether and he calms down pretty quickly.
He’d say something like: “No, no. Don’t even think for a minute I’d do anything like that.” His voice softening to his usual tone immediately as he gently brings you into his chest, arms wrapping softly around you, a hand petting your hair slowly. His brows furrowed, eyes almost getting glassy at the impossible scenario of him laying a hand on you with any ill intent.
Ryosuke: I’d imagine it would take A LOT to get this man truly angry to the point of yelling, similar to the scene where he gets pissed at Keisuke when the Evo guys make him wreck in Project D. I see Ryosuke being more of a debate man over argumentative. He’ll explain his side of things and how he understands the situation, then vice versa, will listen to your explanation and ultimately you both would come to a solution for the presenting issue. Now say, for the sake of the prompt he does crack a bit like he did to Keisuke, but to you. I see it as he’s particularly stressed about balancing university work, the Project, and a relationship with you all at the same time. Something you said, or done, somewhere, somehow even if it was unintentional makes him crack and that stress comes pouring out in the form of an argument. He’d turn to you with pointed brows, an intense look in his deep blue eyes and with the intention of getting you stop what you’re doing and/or saying raise his hand in a way that means ‘stop’ or ‘be quiet’. When he catches you flinching and your words stuttering to a stop, he’d hold his breath for a few seconds, processing what happened. His brows now creasing in both confusion and worry that your first reaction was preparing to be hit. He’d quickly wonder if you’d dealt with this before from someone else, before attending his focus to you.
“Darling, that’s the last thing I’d ever do…” He’d say with a regretful tone, almost ashamed that he got that reaction from you. For one of the few times in his life he’d hesitantly and gently reach out for you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders, while his other hand gently brushes your cheek and wipes any tears as he places soft kisses on your forehead and hair.
Takumi: Seeing as how he’s calm 98% of the time, even when racing, I’d imagine it’s VERY difficult to truly piss him off to the extent that he was when he euroBEAT™ the shit out of Miki in high school, and when Shingo hit him in their race and Tak spun out. Other than that, he’s pretty easy to talk to with most things, seeing as he deals with Itsuki’s complaining and arguing over simple things all day. If the argument got to the point, he’d start reaching that real pissed off area, I’d see him doing the animated hand movements like Keisuke to show more emotion and nothing more. So, when he sees that any kind of hand movement topped with anger makes you flinch, he’d stop in his tracks. He’d practically wear puppy eyes at the thought of hurting you purposefully or not. If you’re both at a mountain pass, he’d softly lead you to the 8-6, muttering small “no, no, no’s” and quiet “I’m sorry’s” before leaving to find somewhere more private to park and hold your hands in his, rubbing them gently as he apologizes with, “Seeing you upset like this hurts me enough, and I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you anymore than this.”
Takeshi: (#TedTalk Incoming) Buckle up besties, this is gonna be a long one. Seeing as how Takeshi is an emotional man, as seen in his races where he cracks under pressure, stresses out, and expresses his emotions verbally and with volume on top of it, he’d obviously express it the same in an argument. HOWEVER!! Being an emotional man, means not only is he quick to get frustrated, worked up, and angry, he’s also easy to make laugh, flustered, melt with affection, and cry (normally only in places he’s away from people and extremely comfortable such as his house, car, you, etc, bro refuses to cry in front of other people thinking it’s a display of weakness). Though, he can also hold his emotions pretty cooly, as seen when he confronts Shingo at the restaurant when he hears the EG driver wants to euroBEAT™ the shit out of Takumi in a race. He easily displayed a cool, calm, and collected outside as well as stable wording, even after Shingo insulted him and bailed. He was also quick to cool off after his race with Keisuke on Myogi, and losing on your own course obviously sucks ass. Considering he was quickly distracted with another race between Takumi and Kenta, this brings me to the main point of this prompt. Seeing as you can easily distract him with something to avert his attention from the argument, I see his reactions to arguments going one of several ways depending on the situation.
You both are in an argument that isn’t too serious, could be considered just a regular disagreement couples have, and you decide you’re tired of it so you either flash him your boobs if you’re both at home, or make a dirty comment about what you’re gonna do to him later when you both get home if you’re out in public. Either option will shut him up quick and he’s basically gawking at you, mouth open and hardly blinking as his precious brain tries to process what’s happening.
The argument is more serious, perhaps he lost a race and you were with him at the event and when it came time to drive back home, he’d be fuming silently on the drive back. If you decide to try and lighten him up during the ride, he’d probably crack and vent out all those pent up emotions loudly like he’s arguing as to why you’re even trying to say anything. Sort of like a “what’s done is done, whatever you’re saying doesn’t matter, it’s not helping anything” sort of tone. Since he’s gotta use both hands to drive and it’s in the city, he’s definitely shifting frequently, so his harsher tone would be enough to quiet you down. He’d notice after a few moments that he was the cause of it, and it would take him a few minutes more to calm down mentally before he apologizes to you and explains he’s not mad at you and understands you were trying to help, he just gets worked up easily when things go wrong.
This is a really bad argument, I’d imagine it happens at home where he doesn’t have to hold back in words and tone of voice since others aren’t there to witness it. His physical expressions are just as strong as his internal emotions. Heavy use of hand gestures, facial expressions, if he’s got the habit of needing to hold something or absentmindedly do something with his hands during an argument he’d probably set things down on a hard surface harder than normal and it’d be loud to where you jolt at the sudden harshness of the sound, or his gestures keep going to where a sudden hand movement causes the same jolt from you.
When he notices you jolt, he’d take a strained deep breath, forcing himself to calm down before doing or saying anything else, and the next words he says are at a normal tone. He’d apologize for the behaviour but also add a short, “let’s just not do this again, okay?” as a way of ending the argument and moving on. I see him waiting for you to actually make the first move to approach him, seeing as he might’ve scared you and how you put a distance between the two of you to ensure you were out of range for any physical contact. He’d wait till you come to him and touch him first, with a hand on his arm, or a hug, etc. to show that you’re still okay with being near him, and only then would he allow himself to return the contact, apologizing in your hair that he went too far, he could’ve handled his attitude better, he didn’t mean to scare you and it could’ve been talked out.
Shingo: Since he’s best friends with Sayuki, I see him having an understanding of girl behaviour. He’d know the difference between girls wanting to vent to get it off their chest, and venting/complaining about something and actually wanting advice or a solution. He’s come to know it’s best to just agree with the lady if she’s venting since he’s had one too many close calls of getting heels thrown at him when he’d give solutions to Sayuki when she didn’t want it. In all seriousness however, I see his understanding of women behaviour make arguments easier to deal with, so they tend not to be severe or even last more than a few minutes with you in general. The only times I see him causing you to flinch if he’s angry is something race or life related. Perhaps he had a shitty loss, or Takeshi got on his nerves big time and his form of venting is a little more physical. He’d probably do what Keisuke did to the poor guardrails after Takumi raced him in Stage 1 and kicks the metal. If you’re next to Shin when it happens, it’s more of the sudden loud noise that causes you to jump or flinch, also on how close he is to you when he does it. If he puts a good couple of feet away, it’s just the noise that’ll get you, but if he’s mere inches, it could be taken as a near miss of a hit whether it was intentional or not. If he notices you jump at the impact, I see his reaction being immediate. He’d give a quick, “Sorry baby…” before letting out a raspy sigh, running a hand through your hair lightly and pulling out his pack of cigarettes and walking off a distance away to cool off as he has a smoke, knowing the smell might bother you. He’d come back a few minutes later, standing or sitting next to you silently as he pulls you into his side, your mere presence and warmth calming him down further.
Iketani: Is more verbal than physical in most ways. It’d have to be his tone of voice that gets you to flinch, or he probably goes to grab his hair with both hands and the upward movement gets you to react in such a way. He’d be quick to calm down when he sees that and sighs guiltily that he was the reason for that. Would apologize quickly and tries to explain things better while watching his hand movements next time.
Kenji: First thing that comes to mind is when he bangs his hand on the roof of his 180 during one of Takumi’s races. I see him as a slightly more dramatic kinda guy, so I see any kind of hand movement like that in a display of frustration to be something like that. I really don’t see him getting angry easily, as seen through the show when sudden races are sprung up without knowing prior, he wasn’t truly angry just surprised. It’d have to be the noise of whatever he’d be banging his hand on that might spook you for a moment and he’d give a light, “Sorry…” before lightening up on argument.
Itsuki: As we all know he’s loud, emotional, and very dramatic. Likes to complain and argue with his friends a lot, even in light hearted terms, but his sporadic nature and loud volume can elicit some unintended reactions out of you if he has one of those moments. As we’ve also seen he’s quick to deflate and apologize, so he’d quiet down after doing so and have a guilty look on his face afterwards. Kinda like the scene with Saori when he tried to kiss her on the boat and failed big time.
Kenta: Physically similar to Keisuke, but verbally loud like Itsuki, just not as dramatic. If this took place during the time of Stage 1, I see him kind of holding his point even after you flinch, determined to “win” the argument and get his side out no matter what and apologize later after you most likely are the one to just end the dispute. If this takes place during Project D where he’s humbled up quite a bit, he’d be more respectful and try to talk it out with you calmly, or you both just agree to disagree and have a moment to yourselves to mend a bit and move on.
Kyoichi: Kneels in apology for disrespecting his Empress. Kidding, hehe. (That first line is for you @angelspn15 <3). In reality, he’s not one to take shit from anyone, seeing as he slapped the fuck outta Seiji lol. Now taking into account that exact scene, the flinch reaction could go two ways.
You were there to witness Kyoichi slap Seiji, meaning you consciously and subconsciously take in the fact that he can get physical for a dispute if he deems it so. If an argument takes place after Seiji’s bitch slap, I’d imagine you’d react more strongly in the flinch when Kyoichi uses any kind of hand movement that’s above stomach height. If he notices, he’d stop mid-sentence and sigh, telling you, “Hitting the guys for dumbass decisions is one thing, but on you? Out of the question. It’s not even a possibility.” He may act cold-hearted on the outside, but deep down, just the idea that you thought he’d hit you sends a shot through his heart. He’s still prideful enough to not admit it out loud, but he’d apologize in other ways, through actions such as doing things for you, buying you little things he knows make you happy even if its just a simple coffee and a snack or something that reminds you of him when he’s out with the guys so you know he’s always there.
If the argument was before Seiji’s bitch slap, the reaction would be noticeable but not as intense. Even before Seiji’s incident, Kyoichi has always been a cold, rough kinda guy, so his behaviour is still very similar, there’s just not as strong of a correlation between getting physical in an argument at that time. I feel like he’d have the same reaction as scenario one where he apologizes in his subtle ways, but I also see that at the end of the day, you’re the one he goes home to after all the racing and traveling across the area, so he wants to have that peace with you at all times. I see that mindset is what gets him to apologize verbally and straight up, not sugar coating it and simply pulling you in for a forehead kiss before letting out a soft sigh and picking you up to carry you to bed with him to relish in the peace of the night you always bring him.
Rin: Pre-Kaori, he’d probably pull the same stunt he did with her where he’d threaten to ruin your family’s reputation. I’m not 100% sure if he actually got physical with her once? I think I remember a manga panel where he slapped her, but I could be wrong. If it is true, I’d say he’d do the same to you. Basically you’re Kaori in this instance. Since he did love her, seeing how much he fought Ryosuke for her, I see it as a desperate attempt to scare you into staying or just dropping the argument and getting on with it, but he’s doing it in all the wrong ways. I don’t see him apologizing much if at all, either.
Post-Kaori, I’d imagine him being softer, perhaps realizing through her where he went wrong and why, in the end, she technically chose Ryosuke over him before ending it. He’d make a harder attempt at doing better and handling the situation better. Choosing to talk it out and explain first over jumping to conclusions, cutting the other person off, etc. He’d probably go to rub his temple or something similar during the argument and if you’re sitting or standing next to him and give a small flinch, you’d see his brows crease in confusion, then into something similar to disappointment. He wouldn’t necessarily be disappointed in you for having that reaction, rather he’d be disappointed in the reaction itself, giving him the impression he’s done something before that caused you to react that way and having small flashbacks to how he treated Kaori and wondering to himself if he was unconsciously doing it to you and not realizing.
Go: I see him being damn near exact to Keisuke in this instance. He gets kinda animated when emotional, both in positive and negative emotions. So, if he happened to use hand gestures or kick/slam an inanimate object with a bit too much force to elicit a flinch from you, he’d stop pretty quickly. Shaking his head once he’s fully processed what you did, he’d open his arms and tell you, “Come here baby,” pulling you into a comfortably firm hug, his cheek pressed to your hair and giving a soft, “Sorry I get worked up too easy…”
Wataru: More verbal than physical. I see him getting pissed and jumping to conclusions quickly, such as when he was looking at Takumi’s new engine in the 8-6 and was getting livid that he thought Takumi was messing with him when he had no fuckin’ clue, and just dipped cause he had enough, leaving his sister with Takumi and Itsuki. With you, I feel it’s a very similar scenario. You’re both most likely in public, or even at home and the argument escalates fairly quickly since he’s jumping to conclusions and assuming too quickly. Before you even get half the chance to explain what he’s clearly not taking the time to understand, he dips. He simply leaves you to stand there, getting in his Trueno and bailing for a venting drive. The slam of the door from his car makes you jolt, and he barely processes it being as pissed as he is, but he doesn’t take it into realization until he’s well into his venting drive. If you were at home, the slam of the door would cause the same reaction, and he either wouldn’t notice that if he’s faced away or he decides to give you a last look/glare and catches you flinching before the door even slams shut cause you’re already expecting the loud noise. Depending on the location of the scenario, it’ll have two slightly different endings, but basically the same.
He comes back to your/his place, seeing you sitting silently on the couch or bed. He’ll approach you quietly, but you know he’s there, just remaining silent. Will sit next to you without a word for a minute, before looking down at your hands as he gently takes it in his, whispering apologies about his temper and reaction, and nodding wordlessly when you tell him he needs to just sit and listen to your side of the story before doing something like that again.
He’ll call you to check if you’re still at the spot he left you at. I you say yes, he’s immediately telling you to stay there, he’s on his way back to get you. When he arrives, he sees you sitting sadly by yourself before getting out of the Trueno and heading over to you. He’ll apologize then and there, not really caring who’s around. He’s squatting in front of you, looking up at your tear-stained face, your hands in his one as his other wipes your tears. When you ask him why he even bothered to come back after that, he’d reply, “Argument or not, you’re still my girl. I’ll be damned if something happened to you if you tried going home on your own in a state like this. Come on, let’s get you warmed up in the car, it’s cold out here.” He’d lead you back to the Trueno, opening and shutting the door for you and covering you with his jacket before heading to the driver side. “I’m taking you back to my place. I’ll make you anything you want, do or watch whatever you want, too, alright?” he'd offer lightly, his thumb rubbing your arm gently as he drives.
Nobuhiko: Very similar to Ryosuke. Would rather sit and debate it. Patiently tells and listens to each side of the story before suggesting any kind of solutions or compromises, or even just agreeing to disagree depending on the argument. I honestly can’t see him getting to the point of accidently getting a flinching reaction out of you. As far as I remember he even handled racing pressure well and didn’t act out in frustration.
