#akikoha friendship......is just so...

[xulips]

true friends shares the same tastes in yuri

an&toya yaoi (aka pt 2)

extras

[mymarifae]

i think the most important thing in the world is vbs being best friends who love each other so much and are super affectionate with each other like. listen to me:

- when toya hugs kohane he'll pick her up a tiny bit (a tiny bit is all he can manage. noodle arms) and she squeals with delight every time

- toya just really likes hugs in general. it's suuuuper common for him to just come up behind akito or an or kohane and wrap his arms around them and lean his head against theirs. hello and goodbye hugs with him always last a good 20 seconds because he won't let go sdjfjsnfkd

- kohane loooooves to tuck her hand in the crooks of her teammates' elbows while they're walking together. this way she won't get lost <3 sometimes she'll hold onto like, akito's elbow with one hand and an's with the other. it's very cute. and as vbs has grown closer, she's started to switch to hand holding. (don't tell anyone but akito's her favorite to hold hands with because he swings their arms as they walk and it's cute)

- also, kohane's hair tends to be messy because of her damn hats and this bugs akito so he spends a lot of time fussing over it. he'll just sort of...tug her closer and take out the pigtails and comb through it with his fingers. at some point she starts packing a brush in her bag to placate him. i like to think akito knows how to do hair because ena will sometimes make him do hers so after a while he stops just rebrushing kohane's hair and starts pulling it up in different ways... braiding it... etc... and he starts keeping things like hairspray in His bag. yknow. jic

- the hairstyling extravaganza extends to an and toya too. (i mean there's only so much akito can do with toya but he tries...) it's a calming thing for him - fiddling with his teammates' hair as they plan setlists or wait backstage. and having your hair played with is always nice <3

- i think shortly after teaming up an started giving kohane little kisses on the cheek. not as a romantic gesture - just simple affection! and after a while, she starts kissing toya and akito too. toya is always happy to lean down so she can pepper his face with little platonic kisses, but she usually has to wrestle akito. it's all in good fun and he'll always relent and let her kiss him in the end

- speaking of platonic kisses, i ALSO think that akito gives toya little kisses from time to time. it started back when they were still BAD DOGS. toya wasn't having a great time one night and after soothing him with a good sturdy hug, akito kissed the top of his head. it completely floored toya and akito blew up when he realized what he did. and they never fucking talked about it <3 but since toya didn't seem MAD about it, akito decided to stick with it and kept giving toya kisses like that. it's not common, and he ONLY does it when they're alone. except for when they make up after their little divorce arc in the main story. IGNORE the gunjo sanka mv and listen to me. they HUG after their heart to heart. and akito kisses toya's cheek. right around where he punched him

- but an's overaffectionate nature kind of rubs off on akito after a while. so he becomes less stingy when it comes to kisses and starts giving them to kohane and an too <3

- they lean against each other while sitting like kohane might cuddle into toya's side or an goes and lays her head on akito's shoulder

- and they have sleepovers and they fall asleep comfortably tangled up together (or not comfortably. at all. seriously cuddling while sleeping can get so uncomfy but it's worth it to be so close to someone you love). ken's taken quite a few adorable (and sometimes really funny) pictures of all four of them passed out on piles of blankets and futons. just dad things

i could go on forever it's just. platonic affection is so important to me and it's so frequently Ignored in fandom spaces. and in the case of vbs and the prsk fandom specifically, there's a tendency to separate vbs into akitoya VS anhane. which is so 💔 because the whole POINT of their story is that while they started off as separate duos, that's no longer the case! they've become such good friends. they're inseparable.

like even jokes about akito and an being "wlw and mlm hostility" are starting to wear on me because... they're friends, guys. they're incredibly close. akito is always looking out for an and is right by her side to support her through all the shit she's currently struggling with. there's no "hostility" present in their relationship. like, if you actually look at the game's text, an... rarely teases akito. the person who teases him the most is actually toya but you know... whatever... gotta reduce an down to a mean lesbian amirite... completely ignoring that she's one of the kindest characters in the whole game...

idk. i juuuuuust wish that this fandom wasn't so defensive and obsessive over shipping akitoya and anhane (mostly akitoya while anhane is a second thought but YOU KNOW) because it results in so many people watering down vbs as individuals And as pairs - because all they care about is shipping. like i promise that the other dynamics in vbs are worth exploring (both platonicallyand romantically but too much of this fandom still feels threatened by m/f vbs ships). and hell, explore akitoya and anhane on a platonic level, too! don't just jump to shipping them because teehee boyxboy and girlxgirl. take the time to understand what draws them together in the first place

i love friendship. i love when friends outwardly express their affection for each other and it doesn't have to have any romantic implications. can we talk about friendship for once like this game is literally The Ultimate Friendship Simulator feat. Hatsune Miku

[becomingpotatoes]

both of the shinonomes for the ask game. tbh stares at you

oh god im gonna expose myself

akito fucking shinonome

sexuality: he likes men. i think akito under the right circumstances could like a woman, but it wouldn’t happen often. in truth i think akito will often look at someone and think “yeah they’re hot” but not think much about it. when it comes to forming romantic relationships it takes him a while to actually. like. have a crush. sooo pansexual demiromantic with a male preference

gender: Guy. just some guy. probably cis. this is boring im sorry

ship: ok so akitoya i look at akitoya and i go “i mean it doesnt give me the brainworms but i completely understand”. they are boyfriends and they do make me happy but they dont set my brain on fire like shizuai and ruikasa.

brotp: the dynamic of tsukasa akito and mizuki is hilarious. same with akimafu they are so funny. i also really like platonic akian its special to me they have the same issues and were inspired together do you see the vision

notp: ehhhh ig romantic akian or akikoha isnt really my thing but like its fine i dont hate it

random headcanon: he owns a nintendo 3ds but isnt actually good at playing most of the games on there, just got it to play with toya, nene, and emu (the four of them formed a little gaming squad after the events of cgo). also he gets even more piercings as an adult.

general opinion: my least favorite pjsk character - (i am forcibly removed from the stage). hey, i dont hate this guy. i quite like his character arc (stray bad dog was a particular relatable event) and his voice actor does a phenomenal job portraying him. his event songs also slap ALWAYS. however akito has never been a character that really *clicked* for me. i recognize he is written well (as all pjsk characters are) but if i met him irl i would want to punt him.

ena shinonome

sexuality: girlkisser (asexual lesbian)

gender: woman but after getting to know mizuki she realized that she isnt 100% cis and sometimes uses they/them. demigirl leaning she/her but is still questioning herself

ship: mizuena means so much to me you guys

brotp: platonic enamafu is great and hilarious i love it and i hc all of nightcord to be in a qpr. i also like enas friendship with emu and hona its very cute.

notp: i dont rlly have one tbh except like enatoya ig????

random headcanon: has lots of bandages on her fingers from injuring herself while drawing, often has the urge to dye her hair but is too chicken to actually do it, needs glasses but hasnt said anything about it yet

general opinion: i loveeee ena. third favorite character. shes so insanely relatable and i love her snark. i love her voice and all her event comms are bangers. ena’s feelings and desires and wants are so complex but i do wish they explored he beyond her feelings on her art.

[indisputablypercy]

continuing this time with character opinions instead of just about the music let’s go

All 20 of the main characters are great. i couldn’t imagine disliking any of them

however best characters are haruka and ena i don’t make the rules

haruka is also the most autistic girl in the world i love her

shiho doesn’t hate shizuku.

tsukasa is trans. transmasc? transfem? yes. both.

toya isn’t canonically a tenma, it’s a headcanon. there’s the line where tsukasa says toya is like a brother to him but that is also just a common thing friends say. i’m not saying that it’s a bad headcanon, just saying that it is a headcanon

emu is dating every character. emurui? amazing. emunene? no notes. mafuemu? perfect. i could go on

same happens for mizuki. tho i’ve been particularly attached to mizutoya lately

akitoya QPR. don’t have anything else to add really to that one just. akitoya QPR.

i lied earlier the actual best character in the game is EASILY empty sekai miku. i love her an absurd amount

akikoha >>> i don’t make the rules

ena isn’t overly mean. airi isn’t mean at all.

“honami isn’t a pick me” well actually. she kinda is. she’s a people pleaser that’s like. a thing. but what makes her so interesting and wonderful is how she’s working on that aspect of herself. i love honami sososo much

the stage sekai vocaloids are like. super boring compared to every other sekai.

the street sekai vocaloids are my overall favourites probably

street KAITO best KAITO

we need more interactions between haruka and an. we’re told they’re good friends, we have the one event where they show them being good friends, but it kinda. like. doesn’t come up much after that and i Adore their friendship

Akito is a MMJ fan yes, but his bias is Haruka for sure.

Toya also likes MMJ. bias shizuku.

And once again i’m sure i’ll feel the need to braindump again in a couple days so. i’ll continue eventually

i feel like posting hot takes so

Love Material is an absolute jam

Kimi no Yoruwo Kure is the best Mizuki commissioned song

Awaiting Clear Skies is the best Honami commission, best Leo/Need commission AND the best commissioned song in the game

Salamander sucks ass

Showtime ruler is mid

What Sort of Ending are You Wishing For? is the best Rui commission

i don’t really care for any Tsukasa commission sorry

Nene has the best Wonderland commissions overall. easy choice

yeah that’s all i got atm. i’ll prolly think of more as soon as i hit post

[bruisingviolets]

remember the footsteps, remember the words said

2.4k words

Project SEKAI

Azusawa Kohane & Shinonome Akito, Aoyagi Touya/Shinonome Akito (implied), Azusawa Kohane/Shiraishi An (implied)

Additional Tags: Platonic Male/Female Friendships, Platonic Akikoha, Talking, Aged-Up Character(s), Out of Character, Fluff, Comfort + more

“I… never knew when I could stop.” She meets his eyes again, warm brown against dull green. “Do you want me to stop?”

This time he doesn’t look away.

“You can call me Akito.”

(Two years down the road, Kohane asks Akito an important question.)

read on ao3 or click ‘Keep reading’

“Your spins are still sloppy. Try again.”

His voice is piercingly jagged, unforgiving, almost relentless. She knows this is for her own good and he means well, that this is the only way she can improve, but the lump of dejection growing in her throat is getting seemingly harder to ignore. Her chest is burning with exhaustion, heaving in and out as she tries to catch her breath.

“S-Shinonome-kun, can we take a break?” She asks in between pants, hands on her thighs and sweat trickling down her temples. He unfolds his crossed arms loosely, expression softening when he realises the state she’s in.

“…Oh, yeah, of course.” He watches her sit herself next to him on the bench, passing her a fresh bottle of water. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to tire you out.”

She waves a hand dismissively, gulping down large mouthfuls of water. “It’s okay, this is good for me. Just needed a water break.” She sighs, resting her hands on her lap and staring off into the distance.

“What do you think, Shinonome?”

“Hm?” He glances at her. “What do I think of what?”

“Me.”

He nearly chokes on his own spit.

They’ve known each other for nearly two years now, their friendship settled in a hazy territory of feeling like so much and nothing has changed at the same time. When you grow up with someone, it’s hard to lay out all the different points of growth and development when everything is happening right in front of you, but sometimes the smallest of actions, the ones that go unnoticed by most people, the ones that mean close to nothing to an outsider looking in, are the most distinct identifiers.

“What do you mean?” He prompts, buying some time for himself to come up with an answer. What does he think of Kohane? How vague. It could go multiple ways, depending on what form of relation she’s asking him for.

“Well… I meant more of me as a performer and how I’ve been doing recently, but just me in general works too.”

He gulps.

Kohane still calls Akito by his last name, occasionally dropping the honorifics but still maintaining that level of formality between them. She’s still constantly looking to him for advice and criticism despite her tremendous improvement over the years, Akito still as uptight and rigid with his coaching as ever. He rarely lets his guard down around her (save for the one or two times she’s seen him cry and offered him a tissue and gentle reassurances of “It’ll be okay.”), and the two of them rarely hang out one on one other than when Kohane requests for feedback or when Akito wants to show her something about music, though she thinks he’s shown her nearly everything he can offer by now. Comparing this to where they stood two years ago, it seems like they haven’t really made much progress.

“Uh, I don’t know, as a performer you’re… great. You’re doing better every day, but you already know that. And in general…” He trails off, rubbing his neck sheepishly. “You’re pretty cool. I guess.”

But when you look between the lines, really squint and peer through the gaps of their dynamic over the past two years, you can easily recognise the differences that now stand tall and clear, separating how they see each other now than they did back then.

She nudges her elbow against his arm playfully, turning to look at him, brown eyes creased into a warm smile.

“And?”

“And? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves…” He jabs her at her side where he knows it tickles, sounding an immediate giggle from her. “I don’t know what else to say.”

“Yes you do, come on.” She jabs him back knowing he’s not ticklish in the slightest, but wanting to get back at him anyways.

She’s found herself to have grown quite comfortable around him, allowing herself to tease him at times and even lightly poke fun at his occasional mishaps like when he’s having a bad (horrible) hair day, or when he has food stuck in his teeth, or when he’s blushing so hard from something Toya just said that Kohane can’t help but point it out. He’s grown rather fond of this side of her and wishes she’d showcase it more often.

“I…” He feels his cheeks beginning to burn. “You’re a good friend, maybe?”

She raises a brow, tilting her head to the side with an unsatisfied frown tugging at the corners of her lips. “Shinonome-kun…”

“What? What!”

“…We’ve known each other for so long now. Is that really all you can say about me?” Her tone has taken a drastic turn for something much more disappointing and hurt, and her eyes are beginning to sparkle in the way it usually does when she wants something from someone, a point of weakness well-known to Akito (and probably anyone else that knows Kohane personally).

“W— Well, what would you say about me, then?” He folds his arms across his chest, averting eye contact lest he falls apart right there and then.

She mirrors him, arms crossed against her chest as well, leaning back into the bench they were seated on. She hums in thought, constructing her answer so carefully that it makes Akito feel just the slightest hint of remorse.

“I would say… I’m glad we’re teammates, and I’m glad you degraded me on my resolve all those years ago.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” He winces at the accidental swear he’d let slip, but figures Kohane doesn’t mind from the way she’s laughing in response.

She can’t seem to restrain her amusement, doubling over and clutching at her stomach. Their first meeting has developed into a running gag between the two of them, more so for Kohane than it is for Akito. She never gets tired of the reaction it brings out of him, the typical grumbles and groans and curses under his breath.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. But I mean it though, everything I said. I am thankful that we met, and that you told me what you did back then.”

His expression falls flat, seemingly taken aback by the sudden seriousness in her tone. “Really?”

“Of course. You’re one of the reasons I get to perform on stage to the best of my ability every single day, the reason why I get better every time we practise or perform, the reason I never stop pushing myself to improve. I’m glad we’re friends now, and not just teammates.”

Akito calls Kohane “Koha” on very rare occasions, having let it slip carelessly once and never really taking it back after the first time it happened. He does it when he’s teasing her about something or giving her a passing compliment or a “Koha, tell your girlfriend to shut the fuck up”. It catches her off guard every single time, but never fails to ignite something warm and fuzzy within her. He tries not to swear around her, knowing it makes her uneasy despite the occasional slip-ups from both him and An. They’re more physically comfortable now, Akito allowing himself to sling an arm over her shoulders after a good show or patting her lightly on the head when she performs well and when no one else is looking. She lets him braid her hair sometimes and he lets her do the same. She naps on his shoulder when they’re on train rides together and he (not-so-willingly but not-exactly-reluctantly) obliges. She cries into his chest at some of her lowest points when absolutely necessary, when desperation overrides everything else, when no one else is left and when she least expects his touch to be the most comforting.

His cheeks flush a deep red once again, evidently embarrassed at the unexpected nicety she’d just provided.

Another trait that’s developed over time—Kohane’s impression of Akito means everything to him.

“Thanks, I think.”

She hums pleasantly in response, scooting herself a little closer to Akito and bringing her knees to her chin. “My turn.”

He sighs loudly, running a hand through his hair in frustration. It’s not that he doesn’t know what to say—that could never be the case. There’s so many things about Kohane that he wishes he could put into words to convey to her, but nothing ever seems right. He takes the time to think it over.

Akito will never admit it to anyone, not to Ena or An or even Toya, the one person he pours his soul out to, but he will always reserve the softest spot in his heart for Kohane. When she gets hurt either physically or figuratively, he thinks he feels a piece of himself chip away in ache. When she cries into his arms in her most vulnerable moments, when she’s so desperate to be held by anyone that she’s willing to show herself to him, it takes all of him not to break down into tears himself. When she’s accomplished something so gratifying that she’s beaming from ear to ear and the giggles never stop coming, he feels a flurry of warmth residing in his stomach, an irresistible wave of pride overtaking him. When he tells her he’s proud of her, he means it.

“I’m… glad we’re friends too,” He starts, mumbling beneath the quietness of the street. “I’m also glad that you trust me enough to guide you in your journey of being a performer. I like talking to you and getting to know you more, even if we don’t get the chance to hang out alone together very often. And… Most importantly…”

He pauses, as if taking a breath or trying to collect his thoughts. He fiddles with his fingers on his lap, eyes pulled downwards in an expression Kohane can’t quite seem to decipher.

“I’m sorry.”

She jerks up. “H-huh? Sorry for what?”

“Oh come on, you know what. You bring it up all the time.” His eyes roll backwards as he sinks further into his seat. “Don’t play dumb with me.”

It takes her a moment, but when the realisation hits her, she only laughs quietly behind her hand, pressing the side of her arm against his.

“You’re silly.”

“…What?”

“Why are you apologising for that? It happened forever ago. You don’t still feel bad for it, do you?” Her voice softens as she cranes her neck to meet his eyes. He looks away.

“Shinonome…”

Still no response from his end, which could only mean one thing. Kohane sighs, giggling softly again at this realisation though it pains her more than amuses her.

“You’re a lot more confident now, aren’t you?” Akito had remarked one faithful day. She hadn’t known how to respond to that, unsure whether it had been a compliment or a subtle dig at her newly developed personality or simply just a matter of fact. Akito had never been the easiest to decode, contrary to popular belief.

“Am I?”

He took a breath, allowing the question to simmer. Kohane glimpsed over at him after a few seconds of unusual silence, awaiting a response.

“Yeah.” He smiled. She smiled back.

“I guess you never got the closure you needed back then, huh?”

“No, that’s not it, I don’t think. I was… young. And stupid. I thought I’d gotten over it by now but… I realised only recently that I never did apologise to you for that.”

“What you’ve done for me over the course of our partnership— our friendship, is enough of an apology. It’s more than enough, actually.”

He stays silent, fiddling with his fingers again as he so usually does whenever he gets nervous.

“If it helps… I forgive you.”

…

“I have for a very, very long time.”

“…Thank you, Kohane.”

She pats his hand lightly in reassurance, hoping it’ll ease the tension in his body. He relaxes a little under her touch and exhales, releasing the tightness knotting up in his chest.

One more thing Akito has noticed over the years—Kohane’s touch absolves most.

“Sorry about that,” He sits upright, clearing his throat. Kohane retracts her hand. “Didn’t mean to get sentimental.”

“Do you feel better now at least?”

“…Yeah.”

She nods contentedly and flashes him a gentle smile in hopes of further comforting him. “I’m glad, Shinonome.”

Kohane thinks she’s adjusted more into an older sisterly figure as time went on, as should have been but never was expected of her because of her age. When one of the members gets hurt, she’s the first one tending to their injuries, asking them if they’re okay, providing bandaids that she carries around with her everywhere, making sure they’re hydrated. She brings the group out for meals, sometimes treating them for lunch or dinner on special occasions. She gives the most encouraging affirmations right before a big performance. She makes sure everyone knows they’re doing enough and that none of them are overworking themselves. Though he likes taking on the role of her older brother after being treated like the younger one all his life, Akito doesn’t mind the older sister treatment Kohane offers him from time to time. It reminds him of home.

Silence settles between the two for a bit, not that it bothers either of them. Kohane hums an unfamiliar tune, a melody she makes up on the spot to no particular rhythm or key.

“Why do you still call me that?”

The humming stops.

“Hm?”

“Shinonome. You still call me that after all these years.”

“Oh.”

Now it was her turn to fidget—biting on her lip and playing with her hair, her usual tells of nervousness.

“I… never knew when I could stop.” She meets his eyes again, warm brown against dull green. “Do you want me to stop?”

This time he doesn’t look away.

“You can call me Akito.”

—

It is not a guarantee that the list of things that remain unchanged will only continue to shrink, some things will only ever stay the same, and sometimes that can be for the better. One thing is for sure, things can only continue growing between Akito and Kohane—for better or for worse, only time will tell. Whatever happens between them, both of them know that they’re in it for the long run, as teammates, as partners, as friends, as family. He’ll be with her every step of the way, as will she.

They have a long way to go, but they’re content with where they are right now.

They’ll be okay.

[xulips]

Hai idk if u take asks like this. BUT as you are the vbs artist ever I will ask anyway bc if u turn it down so what!!!! Platonic Akikoha is my favourite dynamic in the game draw them NOW (said in a gentle and non pressing voice) maybe even draw them cuddling. Anyway have a wonderful week bc your art always makes me go :>

AWHSG THANK UUU here have them hugging! i love akito's and kohane's friendship a bunch!! they're just so soft and i bet akito's really proud of where she is right now 🥹 she has come so far,,