#I dunno... It sounds interesting. Also I get to experiment around with Ann's gender expression too.

[nimue-hidden-lake]

Hi. This has been sitting in my mind for a week or two and I will explode if I do not share this now!

So Ann is not a Producer in Enstars… But what if they were? I did think up as much as I could and I want to share it!

Also just in case I decide to write stuff within this AU, so I can link to it for further context. I’m too lazy to be writing this chronologically/ like a story. So, if curious, at least have everything written out for further context!

Content warning for mentions of bullying and gender dysphoria. Proceed with caution if it makes you uncomfortable!

Before I start I want to note something rather important about Ann in this AU. A few things actually:

This one has been living in Japan for years. Here Karl and Hilda never left Japan and instead raise their child here (I will still need to debate on a reason but I could do it that Karl is still bound to the industry as a Senior Producer and is in charge of upcoming producers. Maybe make him a potential teacher for the Producer Course, not by choice but force. Maybe he is aware that his son has been taken by the Yamaguchi and they are forced to kill him if Karl doesn't abide... Not to mention his child as well... Hilda can defend herself, they are scared touching her)

Ann attends Yumenosaki and during !-Era is a 3rd year. By Music they graduated.

Ann is a Producer and works alongside Knights mostly. They may occasionally jump in for other units too if needed and are also helping out with the Shuffle units if Knights is involved.

Yes we must address the gender issue as this changes a lot about Ann's behavior, sort of. This Ann has no specified gender (but would fall more under 'genderfluid' maybe). I say maybe because the way they present themself as well as how they are referred to is extremely different. During the war era as well as a majority during !-Era, they are referred to as 'he/him' (we are getting to the why later), yet by the time their 'gender assigned at birth' is revealed, it becomes a bit messy - Anyone uses the pronouns they want on Ann and they tend to present themself however they feel like at that moment. It affects their behavior as well as they show the occasional dysphoria, depending on the mood. There are days where they will curse their body, then there are times where they don't care, then other times where they feel very comfortable. It varies.

I even made a chart of who uses what pronouns on them. But I will keep using 'they/them' for simplicity's sake:

You may use whatever on them as well.

Alright, with that out of the way, I will now go into more detail of my thoughts for the Producer AU thing. I will go in chronological order for the character just to make it easier.

Childhood

Ann's childhood at first seems uneventful. They are often described as a 'little tomboyish girl'. The difference to the regular would be that they are childhood friends with Izumi without ever losing contact... Yet it also extends to them knowing Makoto and Arashi. It would also result in them knowing Akiomi.

They are of course not liked by the Senas so their friendship with Izumi is kept a secret, though it might seem not like that at first. Doesn't help that they had shown up to the photoshoots and somehow snuck in without permission. The boy may call them a nuisance yet the two are close regardless and Ann is always able to laugh his attitude off. Though consider him a little jealous when Makoto calls Ann 'Onee-San' or a variant of it. The two remain friends until a temporary falling out during the war era.

Nothing special in regards to Makoto to be honest, especially when younger. The two are close but not the closest. Yet it seems that he also activated some type of 'big sister' gens within Ann from an early age.

Arashi at first was skeptical towards Ann and found them weird if not also a nuisance. As a kid Arashi may also have seen as a rival for Akiomi, at least for a bit. Though the two bonded eventually and when growing older they became close friends.

Akiomi probably sees Ann as the most normal child he had to deal with out of the four yet wonders why they had been there to begin with. Not to mention that he likes to note often that Ann is ‘reckless and wild’. He even mistook them for a boy at first until Izumi said "That's a girl! How can't you tell!?" Though they never minded and say "If Akiomi-Nii sees me as a boy, I'm a boy!"

Middle School

As Ann is a foreigner living in Japan they had to face isolation and bullying pretty early on, even more when turning out to be different. Most did not like them and they barely had any friends to the middle school they went to. School life was hell for them yet they always hid it to not make anyone they know worry. It is also where the on and off gender dysphoria starts, them starting to feel weird sometimes. They present however they are feeling since then and even decided to use the name their father had picked if they had been born as a guy. Needless to say, they just go with the flow and how they feel changes on a literal whim. They are fine with anything as long as they do not have to hear the same pronouns over and over. To escape their life they had also started to write more since, endulging in several fantasies with their writing.

Yumenosaki - Pre War Era

Ann at first enrolls at Yumenosaki's Academy, mainly after hearing that Izumi wants to attend it. One problem - It is an all boys school at the time. So they decided to be a little sneaky: They lie on their application and disguise themself as a boy, as 'Jean-Luca Giovanni Wolff' (also yes that is what Karl seriously wanted to name them), or just called 'Jean-Luca' or 'Luca'. Only few knew at the time - They had told Izumi and Arashi. Akiomi found out a few weeks into the school year yet decided to not tell on them. The stunt also got the approval of their parents, as long as they wouldn't be caught. They applied for the Theatre Course however and actually passed. Since then they had been a student, with the aim to land somewhere acting related. They really like acting and it offers courses helping them to improve on their writing skills, perhaps get started as a playwright or script writer if they played their cards right. Unlike in middle school they actually managed to form bonds within their class and were held in high regard for their extraordinary writing skills (which they excuse by being a result of practice).

Yumenosaki - War Era

As a second year student things would change. And while Ann was not the heaviest involved in the war era, it still left an impact on them and changed their school life. They were still managing as Luca, no one getting behind their facade. Outside of their performing arts classes they were also around one of the units a lot - Chess. There they had met Leo Tsukinaga and the two hit it off pretty much right away. Izumi blames it on the 'creative genius energy' the two have as both could be a nuisance if not looked after properly. Yet things seemed to be not going bad. They even helped a bit with Chess's managment when having the time to spare. In fact they were also starting this year very excited since Arashi also had enrolled at Yumenosaki, meaning that they had both of their closest friends around now. They also had encountered Ritsu a few times yet both were not close at that moment. They had heard of him and he had heard of them yet outside of one or two conversations nothing had occured as of yet.

But they would be forced to witness the downfall. They had heard of Chess's problems as well as how most students in the idol course were. Yet for a while they had to stand idle and watch as they had been told that 'It doesn't concern a theatre student'. So essentially they had been observing Leo's downfall for a bit... And each time they kept watching it getting worse and worse - First the live shortly after Leo had given the choice between 'him or his music'... And each time it became more and more painful. Unable to contain their emotions they turned to the ones who had started it all - fine. Or rather Eichi Tenshouin. Letting their emotions get the better of them they had actually attempted to murder him yet had failed. Not just that but Eichi had seen Ann as a nuisance as well, disposing of them by using blackmail and perhaps had only waited for them to slip up. He had found out about their secret as well as their true identity and threatned to lead them being expelled. Yet he left them a choice upon the agreement with their father: They may stay at Yumenosaki yet will have to switch courses. They hesitated yet not wanting to go back to their middle school days they agreed... So during the next year they would no longer be a Theatre Course student but a Producer Course one instead. And they are in charge of what would later become known as Knights.

Of course this did not sit right with the others... Izumi especially who chewed them out for being an idiot. The argument was also heated and the two did not really get along since then, only keeping up with another for the time being. The tension is more than obvious however.

!-Era

Ann is in charge of Knights as soon as becoming a third year. They had also been shunned by the Theatre Course students as their murder attempt became somewhat known, or at least nasty rumors had started. Information had slipped, or so Eichi claimed. The Producer Course had not been established and they had been shoved into class 3-A as a result. Needless to say at first they hated every second of it yet do their best to help managing Knights. They even have to cover up some of the earlier mess ups or minimize the damage at least, succeeding to varying degrees. Though at first they kept a distance from all members outside of Arashi, always making it obvious that they 'have to do it'. Tsukasa was the only one confused by this and tried to get Ann more involved instead. At first he was afraid to be shot down yet over time he managed to get through his senior and involved them more. It is with Tsukasa's starting efforts that Ann becomes closer to Knights and eventually learns to resolve their issues with Izumi bit by bit. Tsukasa kickstarted it at least. This may also be why Ann is a bit protective over him, seeing him as a 'younger brother'.

As for Anzu... Unlike Knights and Trickstar at first Ann has no motivation to be a rival to her (and still has not the motivation to do so). Instead they give her advice to handle life at Yumenosaki if anything and try to be a good upperclassman instead.

Though Ann still shows desires to become a writer instead, their passion lying there and nowhere else. They just hate that if they do not comply to Eichi it might be over for them and they can kiss that career path goodbye. He may still blackmail them for a while to keep them in check... That is until the 'revolution' starts and has been achieved at Yumenosaki. Yet even with having a choice to go back to the Theatre Course Ann had somewhat grown attached to Knights, deciding to support them for the time being. Being a Producer can also be useful to establish connections after all.

As for their identity... It remains hidden for the most part until close before graduation. At least the remaining members of Knights find out due to walking in on them changing. It was an accident yet that made Ann come clean towards them. Though they also decide to keep it a secret until graduation. By the end they do come clean overall, laying 'Luca' aside.

After graduation they start working for New Dimension as a Producer, having no interest in affiliating with the P-Association in any way. They are in charge of Knights.

!!-Era

After all this trouble it seems that Ann embraces who they are fully, not to mention starting to work as a Prodcuer, for the sake of their friends. They have to keep up with Knights' antics as a whole and it can be a headache for them in the longrun. However, they pull through usually. Yet it is not a position they want to stay in for eternity, so next to their Producer job they also major in film studies, thus having overly exhausting schedeules. It sounds like as if they overwork themself yet they seem to manage it with no issues. They have also moved out by then as they are now paid their own salary, managing to live on their own. They do not want to burden their parents after all.

While !-Era focuses on resolving issues and them getting more involved with the unit it may be during this era where the rollarcoaster of emotions might start. It would be hinted at during the !-Era yet not an obvious focus yet they had grown closer to Leo, Ritsu and Izumi respectively for something to happen. Arashi had her guesses and seems to indulge in it and entertain the idea as well as tease Ann about it. They deny any interest in the three yet truth could say otherwise. As for Tsukasa... He may have had something developed yet Ann clearly brother zoned him. But the two still have a close sibling like bond. Ann also supports Tsukasa as he is the new leader of Knights and helps him out should struggles arise.

!!!-Era

Not much of a change here as of now, the things stay like in !!-Era, though maybe a bit of a confusing situation as they become more aware of 3/5th of Knights feel about them. No big tension, just a bit of a complicated situation. They continue their film studies major while working as a Producer yet might be more present during movie and tv shoots as part of their classes. Sometimes they function as both Producer and film student (like during the EVIL NUM+ event for example as they shoot a pilot to a tv series - Ann is there as Knights' Producer (Ritsu) but also as a film student to learn first hand about directing and work on a set). Would they make a decision during that Era as well? Who can tell! Or Leo trying to make everyone happy and going for that triple ending... He would try, don't lie to me.

And that is all I have and what had been on my mind. Thank you for reading!