hey, would anyone be interested if I eventually published a fully fleshed-out KND AU I’ve been working on called' If I Let Go?"
I was talking to @kommandonuovidiavoli and it got me thinking maybe turning this into a full fledged AU instead of just something I cooked up and never really “baked” might actually be worth doing 😭
it’s a slice-of-life AU with action mixed in (they’re still around 11, so it keeps that balance of missions, chaos, and kid dynamics), but it leans a lot more into emotional consequences than canon usually does.
the premise starts with Wally and Kuki having their usual playful dynamic, but over time Wally’s fear of abandonment starts affecting how he interacts with her. what he thinks is being protective slowly turns into control, without him fully realizing how far it’s gone until it’s too late.
eventually it reaches a breaking point where Kuki realizes she doesn’t feel safe or free in the dynamic anymore and cuts off their friendship, asking for space. after that, the story shifts into fallout, distance, and the way Sector V changes when the team dynamic is disrupted.
and it doesn’t really “snap back” after that.
Wally spirals after losing her, trying to understand what went wrong and slowly learning that intention doesn’t cancel impact. his arc is about accountability, boundaries, and learning how to exist in her life (or absence of it) without control or expectation.
Hoagie ends up being one of the main grounding forces after everything falls apart, especially as Wally’s breakdown affects missions and team structure. Abby stays close to Kuki in quieter ways, noticing the shift early and helping her process everything while she rebuilds her sense of stability.
there’s also an added layer of tension because some of the usual “support system” energy in Sector V shifts over time (especially with transfers and people not being in the same place as before), so they can’t rely on the same group dynamic to hold everything together anymore.
it’s less about fixing things quickly and more about consequences, growth, and what it actually costs to let go of someone who hurt you but still mattered to you.
i can explain more if anyone’s interested, i just didn’t want to dump a whole essay unless people actually want it 😭
