#Mitsuhide chapter fic

[otomefoxystar]

Finding the Light - Chapter 12

Fandom: Ikemen Sengoku

Pairing Mistuhide X OC ( Evelyn)

TW: descriptions of being kidnapped

Everyone looked at Evelyn with worry, but they were all excited to see her nonetheless. She hugged each of them, but they were all gentle when they hugged her back. No one commented on her appearance, which was a nice reprieve. She was sure they were all questioning what happened and why she was so thin.

As soon as Nobunaga entered the room, everyone quieted down. “My lucky charm is back!” Nobunaga announced. She walked over to him, and he gathered her in his arms. “You’re too skinny. Has Mitsuhide been feeding you?” It was a nice reprieve until now. Of course, Nobunaga would say something. He always spoke his mind no matter who it would insult. “He’s been feeding me and taking really good care of me.”  Nobunaga’s eyebrows furrowed. “Why are you so nervous?” She cleared her throat. “It took a lot for me to come.” He looked her up and down, and she knew he wouldn’t let up. “You aren’t going to let me go until I tell you everything, are you?” A smile spread across his face. “Nope, so please do tell, why all the mystery? What’s going on with you?” 

Ieyasu cleared his throat. “Lord Nobunaga, maybe give her time to get settled.” Nobunaga chuckled. “She knows how I am. She should’ve expected that I would want answers.” Looking away from Ieyasu, she was met with crimson eyes surging with concern. “I can’t,” Nobunaga drew her into his strong arms. “You’re not sick; something happened, didn’t it?.” He squeezed her tighter. “I’ll tell you, just not here.” He pulled away and put his hand on her back.  “Okay” 

Nobunaga cleared his throat, and everyone’s attention turned to him. “Let’s start.” Evelyn sat in between Ieyasu and Masamune, and Ieyasu patted her head, then whispered in her ear, “You’re doing well.” She sighed, trying to relax. 

Nobunaga took his seat in facing them. “There’s a group of rebels terrorizing the townspeople. Masamune found where their camp is. We must go in there and persuade them to leave by any means necessary.” Nobunaga looked at Evelyn. “I think you should stay behind this time, Evelyn.” She gulped at the thought of being alone and clutched at the sleeves of her Kimono. Ieyasu grabbed her hand and squeezed tightly.

A knot formed in her stomach, making her feel sick.  “We’ll have dinner together, and in the morning, we’ll leave,” Nobunaga announced before he stood. Everyone stood along with him, and Nobunaga glanced over at Evelyn with a look of unease. “Mitsuhide, Hideyoshi, I need you two in the tenshu,” Nobunaga said as his eyes left her. Mitsuhide looked over to Evelyn and gave her a smile and a nod before he left her behind as he followed Nobunaga obediently along with Hideyoshi. Ieyasu turned to her. “Come get me if you need anything, okay?” She nodded, “I will,” and she exited the room with everyone else.

Evelyn reminisced about living there. She walked the gardens and chatted with Masamune and Mitsunari. The worry was written on their faces the whole time she was with them. Mitsunari had excused himself so he could start planning for their mission. Masamune wanted to make dessert for dinner; he invited her to bake with him, but she turned him down. She wanted to be alone; she didn’t want to see him look at her with worry.

She found herself in her room, and as she looked around, she remembered the night Mitsuhuide discovered something was wrong. He sat with her and wouldn’t leave until she ate. The very next day, he dragged her to his manor.

She was in such a low state, the trauma of what happened still so fresh. Images climbed into her mind, images she would rather forget. A large, warm hand covered her mouth. A firm chest pressed against her back as they held her arms behind her, making it impossible for her to escape. He dragged her behind the building into the alleyway. A moment later, she was blindfolded. Her heart rate quickened, and her chest felt tight. She had to distract herself and get out of that room. Tears trickled down her face as she walked the halls briskly to seek out Ieyasu and quickly wiped them away.

She found him in the infirmary sorting through his herbs. “Ieyasu.” He placed a jar down, looked toward her, and raised his eyebrows, noticing her puffy eyes. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked. “Being here brings back the worst memories. I just need a distraction.”

Ieyasu grimaced at her explanation; he wished she didn’t have to suffer. “Come in; you can help me alphabetize these herbs. She nodded and took a jar off the shelf, then placed a different jar in its place. “I’m going to tell everyone tonight at dinner what happened to me.” She said as she worked.

Ieyasu moved another jar and looked over to her. “You don’t have to.” She was quiet for a moment before glancing at Ieyasu. “I need to. Nobunaga’s going to leave me here alone. I don’t know if I can handle that.” Ieyasu turned to face her. “And you’re hoping he’ll take pity on you and let you come?” Ieyasu narrowed his eyes, “Are you really afraid of being alone? Or are you afraid of being without Mitsuhide?” He asked curtly.

“Both?” She wasn’t entirely sure of the answer herself. Ieyasu sighed, “You’ll have to learn to be on your own eventually.” She knew that. She had been thinking that the moment Nobunaga told her she had to stay. “I know and don’t know how I will do that.” Ieyasu sighed, “You just do.” She glared at him. “You want me to be alone when I can’t even sleep through the night? When I can’t stop crying when unwanted thoughts enter my mind reminding me of what happened, of how pathetic I am?” Ieyasu saw the tears fill her eyes, took the jar out of her hand, and placed it back on the shelf. He pulled her into his arms. “I forget sometimes what happened to you. I’m sorry if I was hard on you.” She hugged him back, placing her hands on his back. The rest of the afternoon passed, with Evelyn helping Ieyasu sort his medical supplies. 

A dark curtain was cast over the sky, indicating night had fallen, and Ieyasu walked with Evelyn to the dining hall. Mitsuhide walked in just as she was sitting down. He smiled and sat beside her. She saw how tired he looked and looked at Hideyoshi, who looked just as exhausted. Nobunaga must’ve been going hard on them both.

After their meal and as the alcohol flowed, Nobunaga motioned to her, “Fireball, come here.” Nobunaga said. She walked up to Nobunaga and sat next to him. “My lucky charm” He drapped his arm over her shoulders. He looked at her. “You have this sad aura around you. I haven’t even seen you smile.” She looked down. “I smile…Sometimes.” Masamune looked over to her. “Lass, you smile about everything; you had such a drive for life. Now, you just seem miserable. What has Mitsuhide done to you?” He hoped his little joke would make her smile. Instead, she glanced towards Mitsuhide, who was teasing Hideyoshi and Ieyasu, rolled his eyes at their antics. She looked back to Masamune, “He hasn’t done anything, I’m more concerned about what I’ve done to him.” Masamune grimaced. “That’s not what I meant.” She sighed. “I know Masamune, and I appreciate you trying.”

She couldn’t stand how they were all looking at her. She was going to tell them tonight anyway. No time was better than now. “I’ll tell you all what happened.” Nobunaga moved his arm to wrap his hand around hers. He knew she was nervous; somehow, Nobunaga always picked up on these things. 

Their attention was on her, and it was so silent that the leaves blowing in the wind were heard. “I went shopping one evening, I’ve done it thousands of times, and nothing was different. Everything was fine until it wasn’t. My mouth was covered, and I was dragged towards an alley where I was blindfolded. Then I was carried to some sort of room or building I don’t really know.

” Tears formed in her eyes as she saw all their expressions. She took a deep breath, steeling herself. “My wrists were tied, and I couldn’t break free; I was blindfolded the whole time. Then they, I only know it was multiple men because of their voices. They…” Tears escaped her eyes, cascading down her cheeks. She wiped them away, and Nobunaga squeezed her hand. “They attacked me multiple times.” She wasn’t going to tell them how she was attacked, but she knew they all knew, but they all remained silent, even with the horror written on each of their faces. Even Mitsuhide and Ieyasu looked pained. Then she realized she had never told Mitsuhide how it happened and hadn’t told Ieyasu anything. 

She told Mitsuhide more personal details but never told him this part of the story. “They kept me till the morning; as they let me go, they told me, ‘Go back to your masters like the broken dog you are.’” The tears ran freely now, uncontrollable. Nobunaga shifted and took her in his arms, cocooning her safely into his chest as he rubbed her back soothingly. She cried, and everyone looked at them, stunned. Hideyoshi gave Mitsuhide a concerned look. Mitsuhide closed his eyes and nodded, showing Hideyoshi he knew what happened to her.

Finally, her tears dried, and she lifted her head from Nobunaga’s chest. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. “He shook his head. “No, don’t apologize, cry if you need to cry. No one’s judging you.”  She wiped all her tears away and nodded as she pressed her lips together. “I’m going to go to take a bath and get some sleep.” Nobunaga nodded, “Sleep well,” She mustered a small smile. “I’ll try.” As soon as she left the room, Nobunaga adjusted his Kimono and ran his fingers through his hair.

Nobunaga turned to Mitsuhide, “How was she when all this first happened? You’ve been alone with her for months.” He sighed, “I’ll admit it was touch and go there for a while. I had to move her into my room because I didn’t trust that she wouldn’t hurt herself. She would hardly eat; it’s just been in the last month or so that she’s been eating a healthy amount. She’s finally putting on some weight. The nightmares haven’t stopped. She wakes up screaming. She’s made a lot of progress, though I’m teaching her self-defense. She’s shown interest in sewing again.” Nobunaga nodded. Not all is lost. It comes in small strides.

“This was not only an attack on her. This was an attack on us; they used her to get to us.” Nobunaga said, and Mitsunari cleared his throat. “If I may?” Nobunaga motioned for him to continue. “Do you think that perhaps the rebels did this to her?” Nobunaga gave him a hard nod. “I was thinking the same thing. We need to strike them down.”

Hideyoshi sighed. “I couldn’t agree more, but how will we know who did it? She heard their voices. Only she will know who did it.” Nobunaga raised an eyebrow, “Fair point, but can she handle it?” Mitsuhide cleared his throat. “She’s stronger than you think; she can handle it. It’ll be hard, but she can handle it.” Nobunaga took a drink of his sake. “Good. Then she comes. I’ll tell her in the morning.” Mitsuhide stood up. “I’ll tell her I was going to see her anyways; somebody needs to be there when she wakes up from her nightmares.” Masamune had his arms crossed, and he looked up at Mitsuhide. “You got your hands full with that lass, don’t you? Good luck.”  

“Are you taking care of yourself too, Mitsuhide?” Hideyoshi asked with concern. Mitsuhide smiled. “Of course, I couldn’t very well take care of her if I wasn’t at my best.” He stood up and sauntered off to her room. 

[sabraeal]

Like Going Home, Chapter 6

[Read on AO3]

Written for Battlecrown of @traditional-with-a-twist as her prize for winning the Madness Kitty this year!

Dread builds with her every footfall, rising at the same slope as the stairs, just as inexorable— no, as inescapable— as the tide rolling to shore. Her slippers make no more than the barest hush against the carpet, and yet Kiki is sure that her mother counts every step, giddily awaiting the news of which noble son she has taken off the marriage mart. Mother might have been the toast of her season, a flawless jewel every lord coveted for his collection, but Kiki is relegated to choosing between liver and onions: two princes, both alike in incompatibility— and disinterest— and the most interminable second son to have ever fallen from a countess’s womb.

Perhaps she should have let Mother send her to the capital after all; at least there she has the chance to be called a failure, to be declared so unmarriable that she might give up on the idea entirely. But instead she is here, wondering how she might recount dinner without Mother heaving her weary sighs, worry etching itself deeper with each detail her explanations embroider.

When Kiki finally rounds the corner, the long corridor of nearly empty guest chambers unfurls before her. No light spills out onto the carpet— or at least, none save what the sconces manage from their perches, fluted glass funneling their shine up rather than out. Even her mother’s door is dark, cast in the pale shadow between sconces, not even a hint of a candle lighting the space beneath.

Her next steps fall quite lighter as she passes, relief buoying her like a feather on the wind. She drips pearls passing through her door, eager to be rid of her elegant trappings, the luxurious details that mark her out as the daughter of a count, a girl destined to be wedded and bedded and bred with a brave face. There would be time enough to disappoint Mother with her missteps tomorrow, after she’s had a full night’s rest, but tonight—

“Milady.” It’s a soft voice that calls to her, pitched at no louder than a whisper, more a notable absence of sound than spoken word. “Is that you?”

The clasp on her bracelet springs open, sapphires melting through her fingers as she meets the maid’s gaze over her shoulder. She’s a pretty one— they’re all pretty here— hair tidily swept back to underscore the point. An observation that might have been fun to float in front of His Highness, save that the girl is old enough to have been hired during his father’s term, not his. “It is. If you don’t mind, could you get the back of this? The buttons—”

“It’s your mother, miss.”

Every muscle stiffens, making her more statue than flesh. “My mother?” Her lips nearly cut themselves on the edge of those words. “Is she…?”

All right is what comes to her first, but there’s no point in asking, not when the maid stands there wringing her hands, distressed down to the weave of her dress. They hardly came here with hopes of improvement, merely a slower decline. A pretty place to pass the time while they waited out the inevitable.

And yet she cannot bear to voice the more salient question. Inevitable it may be, but still— there’s something about speaking it that makes it more immediate, more real.

“She’s…” Those slender fingers knit together, squeezing tight before she says, “Her breathing is quite labored, miss. Should we…?”

Call the doctor. Kiki’s teeth grit hard enough to ache.

“Don’t bother.” There’s little and less he can do for her anyway. “I’ll stay with her.”

*

Mother does not sleep easy that night.

For that matter, neither does Kiki. For hours she keeps vigil at her mother’s side, watching the agonizing struggle of inhalation, only to be followed by the stomach-churning lull of an exhale. It is not her worst bout, not by far, but as the hours creep toward morning, even the moon abandons her place in the sky, and she cannot help but wonder if each breath might be the last. If with every fall of her mother’s chest, it might never rise again.

At some point, Kiki sleeps— she must, since she wakes with a wince, a hand raised to shield herself from the light pouring through the curtains. Her gown is rumpled, pearls and silvered beads having shed off in the night, mussed beyond what even a good steam might fix. A chair— a big, wing-backed monstrosity of a thing— had been draw up for her use, set beside the bed so that she might hold one of those papery hands in hers, willing life where none dared cling for long. And yet somehow she’s migrated, no longer alongside the mattress but on it, propped up on her mother’s many pillows.

Every part of her curls around the small body beside her; the same one that once labored to bring her into this world now struggling with the same effort to draw breath. It’s eased now, no longer the terrible rattle it had been in the night but more a rhythmic wheeze, one that would dissipate as soon as she woke, as if nothing had ever happened at all. Not something that would happen soon though; Mother dozes fitfully besides her, limbs trembling with the effort of her tossing and turning, only kept in place by the barrier of Kiki’s body. One she removes, slowly, carefully, beads clattering as she rises from the bed.

Red marks pepper her arms; whole clusters of circular dints twine down its softest parts, carved into her like a relief of grapes on the vine. Ah, if Father knew that she had slept in this gown— if Mother knew—

Kiki grimaces. Best to change before she wakes and hope that there was a deft enough needle amongst the maids here to repair it. A squint toward the balcony informs her that it is far too late to hope for breakfast— so late the spread has long been cleared, not even the whisper of a sausage left behind to sate her— but still too early to be underfoot in the kitchens, inquiring about luncheon. The staff would be busy with its preparation though, rushing between the kitchen and cellar and dining room without room to think of the young lady abed upstairs. Zen would surely be holed up in his room still, licking his wounds from last night, and Izana…well, wherever he might be, he wouldn’t be sparing a thought for her. No one would be, not when Kiki Seiran is already accounted for.

It would be simple to slip into her buckskins, traipsing down to the shore with no one the wiser. Mother might not approve— certainly wouldn’t, not without her royal escorts— but there’s no reason for her to know, not when she’ll be there and back before she rouses, with only the lingering scent of salt on her skin as proof.

Her mouth curls, just slightly, reaching for the door. Yes, all she needs is to move carefully, and—

And the door flies open from beneath her grip, baring a maid behind it. The same one from last night, in fact; her pretty face now rounded in shock rather than worry.

“Milady,” she gasps, a hand pressed to her chest. “I didn’t…” She clears her throat, palm skimming down to her side. “Shouldn’t you be in your room?”

Kiki lifts her chin, brows curving into their most imperious arch. She may not yet be at her full height, still too small to look down on a grown woman, but confidence bridges the gap just as well as inches would. “Should I?”

The maid doesn’t quail as she should; no, instead, her mouth furrows at the corner, consternation sinking deep into every wrinkle. “His Highness said you would be, miss. He told the housekeeper you would need a maid to help prepare something appropriate.”

“Something…?” There’s a bitter taste on her tongue when she spits out, “…Appropriate?”

“For today’s outing.” The maid stares at her, as if she is perhaps speaking a different language. “I am to help make you ready.”

“Ready?” The knot of dread that tied itself last night pulls tighter still, settle her belly to roil. “Just what outing is this?”

“For the one young master Rougis sent this morning,” the girl explains, prim. “Out on their boat.”

Kiki blinks. “Excuse me?”

The words are hardly out before she remembers his father’s blustering last night. We have a fine little ketch my boys like to race around the bay. Out to Yuris and back in only a few hours!

Silly, it might have seen to her— the last place she wanted to be was with Hisame Rougis in a room she could not escape— but…

How diverting. Oh, what a shark’s smile that man wore as he said it, probably already thinking of invitations tendered and accepted. Perhaps we should plan an excursion?

“The invitation came in with the post, right over breakfast. Wasn’t my lady…? Ah!” The maid glances at her, guiltily, as she remember just why young mistress Seiran might not have been at the table. “Yes, well, His Highness sent your reply promptly.”

Kiki’s teeth grit down. “Did he now?”

*

Kiki strides into the training room with a storm dogging her steps. “I know you Wisterias are used to a certain amount of high-handedness, but I do not remember giving you leave to answer my correspondence for me.”

Frustratingly, His Highness doesn’t flinch. Even extended as he is, legs splayed deeply lunge and arm outstretched to the length of two men rather than the one, he doesn’t even tremble. No, he simply rises; a smooth flourish that brings his blade right down from his shoulder to his side. A salute, the way courtesy demands for a woman of her rank. Or at least it would, if he were not the crown prince, and she his unfortunate hostage.

His gaze lifts, scraping up from boot heels to hairline before his mouth settles into the sparest smirk. “Why, my lady,” he hums, sheathing the blade. “As much as I might appreciate a pair of trousers, I hardly think they’re suitable for luncheon.”

Her arms fold forbiddingly across her chest. “I’m not going.”

She expects him to balk, to straighten his spine and order her to obey the way a prince should, but his mouth only twitches. “That’s hardly the sort of manners a young lady should show, don’t you think? Not attending after you so eagerly replied that you would…”

“You were the one that sent that, not me,” she huffs. Izana was supposed to be on the defensive, and yet here she is, shoulders set stiff as a yoke, wondering if she might be able to flee fast enough before his footmen could catch her. “Without consulting me.”

“If it were solely an invitation tendered to you, I would have,” he parries, as deftly as he did with his blade. “But though it came in your name, Lady Kiki, it was issued to all of our party.”

“So you answered for Zen too?” The sudden jolt of his brow is all the reply she needs to seize the initiative on this bout. “I can hardly imagine he’ll thank you for that either.”

Now he draws himself up, squaring his shoulders into the shape of authority. “It is my prerogative as host to tender and accept amusements on behalf of my guests.”

“Oh?” She pitches a brow into a skeptical arch. “So he is your guest?”

“No. Zen is my responsibility.” There’s a weight when he says it, a reluctance. She might dig her fingers into it, might peel back that ironic armor he covers himself in, if only she understood why. “As are you, Miss Seiran. Your mother so much as told me so when she permitted me to manage your social calendar. At least, as long as you are here.”

She wishes that this small betrayal could shock her, but in her heart of hearts, Kiki knew: it was only natural for Mother to see him as her ally. Who else here would be so determined to see her well-married other than His Highness, after all? That his interest was purely to keep himself from being on the marital chopping block wouldn’t hamper her in the slightest. Oh no, it would almost be better this way— with all his attention fixed on her, surely affection and regard would be soon to follow.

Kiki hardly even knows she’s gritting her teeth until they ache, a sting that only spurs her to dig in her heels. “I won’t go.”

That twitch of his mouth is far less amused now. “I would hardly think a lady of your pedigree would stoop to be so rude as to—”

“I’ve done your dinners.” She takes a step closer, fingers dragging over the pommel of each blade on the rack as she passes. “I’ve made polite conversation. I’ve played nice”—she hesitates before stepping within arm’s reach, tilting up her chin to meet his stare— “but I have no interest in encouraging that— that annoyance any further. Unless it is to take a long walk off a short pier.”

Izana’s smirk never dims, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes either. “Hisame Rougis is the second son of a perfect respectable, if not as storied family as your own, Lady Kiki. Which means that his sole means of status is through marrying well.” He leans in, voice lowered to a rumble. “He will only have the power you give him, and that boy is cunning enough to know it. It would be an enviable position for many ladies in out court.”

Kiki blinks. “But he’s obnoxious.”

Izana does not sigh so much as exhale, disappointment palpable as he shifts back to arm’s length. “I am afraid you will have to give me a much better reason than that. At least if you want to avoid luncheon.”

If you could hear him talk about your brother, it would be so easy to say, perhaps you would not be so eager to see him with a ‘lord’ before his name.

Zen would hardly thank her for it, true or not. And though he’s nearly as intolerable as Hisame, Kiki can’t quite bring herself to cross the only person here suffering quite so much as her.

“I can’t swim,” she says instead, with a lofty lift of her chin. “I can’t possibly go out on a boat.”

Izana huffs out a laugh. “And am I supposed to believe that something so pedestrian as drowning would stop you, if you truly wanted to go?”

Beady black eyes flash across her vision, a diamond head distorting in preparation for the bite. Ah, he does have a point.

“Besides,” he continues, leaning his wrist over his pommel. It’s frustrating how princely he looks without doing much more than breathing. “It’s a short cruise between the islands on a pleasure yacht. You could hardly be much safer.”

Kiki frowns, bracing herself against the rack. “I could be on land.”

His gaze slips behind her, the briefest light sparking in his eyes before he lets it wander back to her. “Let us have a wager, you and I.”

The whole thing savors strongly of a trap, but Kiki can’t help but ask, “A wager?”

“Yes. I hear you are a deft hand with a blade.” He lifts one from beside her, tossing it into her hands. “If you can get the better of me on the piste, I will make your excuses.”

Hope chokes her until all she can stutter out is, “Excuses?”

“’I must beg your forgiveness, Count Rougis’” — a hand presses to his chest, utterly contrite— “’but I fear our dear Lady Kiki has taken to her bed this morning with a stomach complaint, and cannot possibly join us for luncheon.’”

Her hands grip tight around the scabbard, keeping them from trembling. “And if I lose? What then?”

“Then you will go, gladly.” A wolf might have a less predatory smile. “And in the highest fashion with which we can conjure.”

She tests the weight of the sword in her grip. Father had started her lessons two years ago, hiring only the best blades from Sereg to teach her. She could hardly call her education complete, but she could certainly beat a boy who only casually sparred with men paid to keep his porcelain skin unmarked.

“Fine.” Her mouth stretches into a smile. “I hope you’re good at apologies, since I’ll have you on your knees soon enough.”

“Oh.” His teeth flash, her last warning. “I think you’ll find a man of my inclination has no need to make them.”

[writingwhimsey]

What's your favorite longer piece/multi chapter of fanfic you've written and why?

So sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you on this. But... well I REALLY had to think about this one. I also wanted to give this the time and consideration it deserved to give you a good answer.

So first off, I absolutely love all of my fics (especially my multi-chapter fics). I write them pretty much for myself. They are the fics that I would like to read so, that's what I write.

But I also don't want to stop there and just give the cop-out answer of I love them all equally. But I also can't pick just ONE as my favorite. So I am trying narrow it down to some of them. So here are my top favorites of my longer fics, in no particular order:

All's Fair In Love & War- This one is the start of a series. Right now I only the story with Nobunaga is finished and I am just starting with Motonari. But I LOVE this one. And I love it because Ava (my version of MC) is a powerful warlord in her own right. So it's fun to play with that dynamic and how Ava getting to be on more equal footing with the warlords changes the dynamic. It is also fun that she has her own group of loyal vassals who are as dynamic as the groups surrounding the warlords.

My Pirate Lord & Our Life- My idea of a continuation of the end of Motonari's route. Motonari is my number one and I just love him. And I love getting to add my idea of what might happen after his main route. I also enjoy the OC's I bring in who are Ava's friends from the modern day and adding them having their own love stories. Especially when one developed between Nobunaga and one of the OC's without me really deciding haha.

Married to The Enemy-Shingen - I am currently knee-deep in working on this one. Shingen is also actually tied with Motonari for my number one. And I love getting to write this different take on Shingen. An arranged marriage between Ava and Shingen. It's a fun dynamic and this one has taken on a very fluffy feel and I just love that.

Second Chance Love - This one is...it's hard to describe. But to deal with a hurt/comfort and the level at which the grief is...I actually enjoy it. But I love Mitsuhide and I love in game how he is Hideyoshi's "love rival." But he's just always so willing to give up whatever for MC's happiness. So to have him get to be the source of comfort for her following Hideyoshi's demise (in this fic) I just love it. Sometimes you just need a good cry and it helps.

@kisara-16 thank you for this ask and for enjoying my fics. I hope I answered your question well.

[ikeromantic]

Hii doll, how are you? I hope everything is grand 💖 I love your fics and I was just wondering if you plan on continuing Chevs POVs and Mitsu mc reincarnation stories (Im not rushing or anything Im just asking cos I love them and am waiting for the nexts chaps 😹 but take the time you need Im just overly eager cos I really love the fics 😹😹) Again I will wait so do whatever you want/need prioritise yourself always Im just curious if you intend in dropping another chapter anytime 😹 Thank youuu 😘✨❤️ Feel free to ignore me if you thought it was rude of me to ask abr those fics (it isn’t my intention) 💕🌷

Everything is absolutely grand ^_^ I appreciate the ask! I am still working on Entwined - in fact the next chapter will post fairly soon. And I have started the next bit of Chev's route as well. Hopefully I'll have that one up in a few weeks.

The only fic on hiatus right now is Mitsuhide's route epilogue, which I've put on hold until I finish his sequel route. Just in case I want to make some changes before finishing it up.

It's not rude at all to inquire and I really do like these kinds of asks - it lets me know someone is still interested in my slow-going chapter fics ^_^

[the12thnightproject]

Help me choose...

...the banner for the next Tempest in Time longfic. I'm still a few weeks away from posting the first chapter (but I need to stop myself from continuously creating new banners on canva, so here we are).

Number 1:

Number 2:

Number 3:

Number 4:

The fic description:

Ten Things I Hate About Mitsuhide

Courier, scout, daredevil, housemaid … Courtesan? Katsuko has had many identities in the seven years since a wormhole sent her back in time to feudal Japan. But when her mentor Aki disappears and his trail leads to an illegal slave market in Sakai, Katsuko’s investigation sends her on a collision course with Akechi Mitsuhide.

Mitsuhide and Katsuko have never gotten along. However, Aki is not the only missing person. Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Mai have also disappeared in Sakai, and Mitsuhide is determined to locate and rescue them. Forced into a dangerous partnership, Katsuko must masquerade as Mitsuhide’s concubine. But even working together, can they fool the man known as the God of Deceit?

… Loosely inspired by Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew

[lorei-writes]

Lorei! 💓

For the fanfic writer asks~

16, 17, 34, 35

Scorchie! <3

Thanks for playing with me, ey!!

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

Too many. Too many, love. Far too many. I don't think I can pick just one to share either.

Jin, Bloodstained Rose Day (Misericorde, the weight of the world in his hands),

Chevalier x OC (Esther), confession fic (possibly two-shot; Scorchie, they're idiots *cries*),

Chevalier x OC (Esther), with religious undertones (Esther is religious, so I'd like to develop that; If loving you was sinful, I would not mind being a sinner),

Winter Flower, part 2 (working title: Summer),

Viva! Seeks Revenge (long fic; first appearance of Viva and Esther; premise: what if Belle was not so pure-hearted),

Clavis, on the topic of drinking, sense of inferiority,

... Steampunk Pirates AU crossover...

... Mystery AU, vaguely XIX century AU crossover...

all the missing chapters for The Doors that Connect and Divide (...Gilbert, Yves, Mitsuhide, Kanetsugu, and the last door I am not sure about yet -- either Arthur [again] or possibly Leonardo or Comte...),

Rio x Emma, holidays.

And then there are MORE ideas that are still fermenting (Chevalier x OC [Esther] -- regarding Esther's mother, Christmas [x2], Chevalier's birthday; Leon x OC [Viva] -- festival; Family AU Chevalier; Family AU Leon... and... some more...).

17. would be here.

34. Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

Hm, five years is a terribly long time. I don't really think about future this far away, as it's too unpredictable.

However, I can make a guess: I'll be just the usual me. I'll be trying out things that will seem hard, learning as I go, expanding my understanding of the language, and having fun while I'm at it.

35. What is one essential thing to remember when writing a villain? 

Hmm... I think it may be that they're also a person. They will operate as one -- their acts may be twisted, but there is a logic behind them. We all do the things we believe to be right, and we believe that for a reason -- "bad guys" are no different in that regard.

... If anything, the foundation on which they build their reasoning may be what is truly terrifying about them.

Ask game

[bearsace]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favourite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤

hi, thank you! <3

the tale of yukimura, kami-sama, and the impossibly long year (tumblr or ao3) yukimura falls for a nature spirit, despite her being the one who’s out to kill him. (t, 15k) - my absolute #1 favorite fic of mine I've written, I had such a blast writing it

through my broken and bruised eye, it was you i beheld. (tumblr or ao3) bearsace tells the tale of ikemen sengoku through his perspective. (k, 4k) - a little cheesy but has a soft spot in my heart as it was sitting in my head for a while

beneath a night sky, vast & wide. (ao3) mirai is a kunoichi sent to assassinate nobunaga— if she can get past mitsuhide first. (t, hiatus) - I would love to get back to this one!

the sunny self-portrait of kiyomi kanai (ao3) kiyomi is a vain, world-famous actress in modern day tokyo when she is sent back five-hundred years to the past. - I'm a couple chapters deep in my doc but waiting to post until I have more time to continue :)

embraceable you (tumblr or ao3) there’s a statue in the louvre whose legend is that he’ll come to life when he holds his soulmate’s hand; when mai goes on a work trip, she finds herself bringing to life an ornery sengoku warlord. (t, ongoing) - i think i might rewrite this one, with the knowledge i have now about creative writing :)

[zepharah0]

earlier, i asked if anyone would read a keiji × oc × mitsuhide fic, but rn i'm actually thinking of making a switch to one of shingen × oc x keiji instead. it'll still be about 5 - 6 chapters but more lengthy (about 10k a chapter) and a lot of slowburn + angst content. the oc is still another time traveler like sasuke and mai ofc, but the ending i have in mind is still ... bittersweet when i think of the potential

[randowwriter]

To Step Into The Kitchen Together chapter one

Naturally, I started another multichapter fic for the same event, whoops. XD But I couldn’t resist, and the more fics I write for this event, the more fics I have ideas to write for this event! (Also writing Zen and Mitsuhide’s friendship is a lot of fun, admittingly!)  https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14263581/1/To-Step-Into-The-Kitchen-Together

[reflectingstars]

Tagged by @ilovemuchless

Currently reading: A bunch of different non-fiction books about my home city, about Ireland and about folklore and ancient religions.

Last Songs: Will do 10... let's see, it's... Strangeness and Charm (Florence + The Machine), Edge of Heaven (Wham), Sing For the Moment (Eminem), Center of the Sun (Conjure One), Farthest Star (VNV Nation), Laura (Bat For Lashes), You Don't Know Me (Armand Van Helden), Full Moon (Sonata Arctica), Once Upon A Time (Kamelot), Siúil a Rún (Clannad)

Currently watching: I don't watch many ongoing series or the like because I have trouble focusing on anything that doesn't grab me within the first five minutes... so, usually, it'll either be some kind of survival horror playthrough or a lore video of something on YT on in the background. Or a fun speedrun! In fact right now it's a Tomb Raider speedrun, in honour of the upcoming remasters of the original games. Can't wait to spend Valentine's Day with Lara Croft~

Current Fic: A cute Luigi/Bowser little number. I cannot BELIEVE how many of these exist that manage to make my heart melt.

Writing: Slow going at the moment, but chapter 2 of that Hisahide->Mitsuhide/Motochika modern fic where Hisahide slowly unravels. Also... multiple other musou works, like TOO MANY I cycle between depending on my mood, and as an outlier, a Darkest Dungeon Leper/Jester ficlet.

Next on my watch list: I would like to watch the latest Puss In Boots movie soon, everything I've been told makes me believe it WILL be one of those things that grabs me immediately.

Current special interest(s): Irish folklore, the same videogames as always (MUSOU MUSOU MUSOU), pro-wrestling.

[gossamer-sky]

Hey ikemen fam!

I just wanted to give a little summary of what’s been happening with me and this blog. I’m sure it’s obvious by now, but I’ve definitely taken a step back in the past year. With work and dealing with loss in my personal life, it just became too much for me to continue working on writing and abc requests. I think I just started putting so much pressure on myself that fandom/fic writing morphed from something that was a stress outlet to the stressor itself.

Right now I’m not as involved in the ikemen fandom as I was, I’m sure you’ve all seen the new content/fandoms on my blog and I’m beyond pleased that so many of you have stuck around!! This is not to say that I’m leaving the ikemen fandom at all, rather that I don’t know how much content I will be producing going forward. At the moment there are still requests in my inbox, and I don’t know if/when I will be getting around to those; I won’t be deleting them, just in case the mood to write for ikemen ever strikes again.

I generally hate giving updates, because as soon as I say I’m working on something it seems like real life always blows up completely and ruins my plans, however

I have been planning a follow up sequel to Ellipsism forever; even when I originally published it (all the way back in Jan 2021!) I had a vague idea of where I wanted to take the characters overall. It’s something I’ve kept in the back of my brain for about a year and a half, but I knew that if I did end up writing a sequel it would be a big undertaking (absolutely a multi-chap fic) and I wanted to make sure that I did my original fic/the characters of Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide justice. I think I’ve finally landed on a solid premise that will take the characters where I want them to go, and although there is no date when this will be out, know that I am working on the first chapters currently. I’d love to complete this as a final swan song, sort of my own love letter to ikesen and the Misuhide/Hideyoshi pairing.

To end this long post, I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone for sticking around. The amount of beautiful comments I’ve received on my work still fills my heart with joy even years later; to those who have recently commented on AO3 or reblogged here on tumblr, an extra blessing to you bc I’m pretty sure that’s what has re-inspired me to pick up the pen again. Much love 💗

[otomefoxystar]

Finding the Light - Chapter 8

Fandom: Ikemen Sengoku

Pairing : Mitsuhide X OC (Evelyn)

Genre: Fluff and Angst

Mitsuhide took Evelyn to town. It was a warm sunny day, and Mitsuhide was hopeful that they could find her some decent clothes to fight in. They came to a small restaurant. I've been told there is excellent food here. When she didn't answer, Mitsuhude looked at her, waiting for a reply. "Never mind," he said when she seemed so disinterested. "Are you hungry, Mitsuhide? If you're hungry, we can go." He raised his eyebrows, "What about you, Evelyn? Are you hungry?" She swallowed. "I will do my best to eat." He cocked his head to the side, "What, no arguing?" She shook her head, "Not today." She didn't want to ruin the day, not when he seemed so happy to take her shopping. He was in a good mood, and she didn't want to ruin it. He smiled and held out his arm for her to take, "Shall we?" She hooked her arm in his and nodded.

Once they were seated, she looked around nervously. "What is it?" She breathed out nervously. "This is the first time I've been in town since…" He nodded, understanding what she was saying. She was scared of seeing her attackers. "You're safe with me. They wouldn't dare encounter you when you're with me, and if they do? That'd be a mistake. I'll always protect you, little mouse." She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I know, but I'm still freaking out a bit." Mitsuhide took her clenched hand. "Relax, I'm here." She unclenched her hand, and he cupped his hand around hers. Finally, she relaxed as Mitsuhide rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb.

She ordered soup, hoping it'd be easier to eat. "What are we getting today?" She asked with a curious edge to her voice. He cleared his throat from drinking a sip of water. "Well, you need pants and a shirt that are easier to move in." A twinkle lit in her eye. "What? "He paused as he took her in, but it wasn't worry or fear. It was a different emotion, one he hadn't seen from her in weeks. It was excitement, and he wanted to sigh at how good it felt to see a glimmer of her old self, but he restrained himself. "I could make that! All I need is some supplies, and I can make myself some clothes." Mitsuhide smiled. "You don't have to; I was going to have someone make them for you, but if that's what you want to do." She looked at him excitedly, "It is!" He chuckled, happy to see her face light up. He had no problem buying her what she needed if she was that excited by it.

When the food arrived, she took the spoon and stirred it. "I can do this," she whispered so quietly that Mitsuhide didn't hear. He was busy scooping up his food. Evelyn dipped the spoon into the liquid, raised it to her lips, and blew on it. Mitsuhide tried to ignore her but couldn't help but watch her.

Mitsuhide was finished quickly but patiently waited as she ate slowly and meticulously. he was in no hurry, and he wasn't about to rush her. Not when she was finally eating. "We can go." Mitsuhide shook his head. "Not a chance. I will wait until you have finished." He watched her pleased, but she put her spoon down. "I can't eat anymore."

"Are you full or just tired of eating? "I'm full enough; I don't want to push it." Mitsuhide smiled. "Probably wise, how do you feel?" Her lips turned up slightly, almost a smile, but not quite. It was close enough to a smile for Mitsuhide. "Better than how I've been feeling." She hadn't eaten much, but Mitsuhide was pleased nonetheless. Mitsuhide was about to praise her when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man in green walking past.

"I'll be right back. I just saw someone I know." She got up and scurried off. She grabbed the man's shoulder, and when he turned around, he saw his friend, but she didn't look how she looked when he last saw her. "Evelyn? Where have you been? I've been worried." She hugged him, and he noticed how frail she felt. When she released him, he took a long look at her. "You look terrible," Evelyn shifted nervously. She wasn't ready to tell her best friend about what happened. "Are you sick?" She was about to speak when Mitsuhide walked up and stood next to her. Sasuke wanted to question her more about her health, but the sudden interruption had distracted him.

"Who is this?" Mitsuhide asked protectively, "I'm Sasuke. Evelyn and I are from the same town." Mitsuhide nodded, "Ah, I see." Mitsuhide now understood the connection between them. If they were from the same town, then they must be close. Sasuke bowed, and Mitsuhide returned the gesture. "Mitsuhide Akechi." Sasuke gave a knowing look. The traitor Mitsuhide Akechi is all Sasuke kept thinking. He had to remind himself that they had significantly altered the timeline, so he needed to stop worrying. It didn't stop him from planning to check on her, though.

Sasuke pushed up his glasses and looked at Evelyn, worry written on his face. You would have to be an idiot not to realize his thoughts. He put his hand on her arm, "Evelyn, can we speak alone for a moment?" Sasuke glanced at Mitsuhide as he said so. "Uh, yeah, I suppose." Mitsuhide squeezed her wrist to let her know she wasn't alone. She looked up at Mitsuhide. Mitsuhide granted her the privacy to speak with her friend. He stayed close by; he wanted to keep his word that he would protect her. He had no idea who this man was and if he was capable of protecting her or not.

"Is everything okay? I came to see you, and you were gone." She shook her head, "I'm not staying with Nobunaga right now. I'm staying with Mitsuhide at his manor." Sasuke eyed her carefully. "Are you safe?" She nodded, "I'm safe, Sasuke; I've been going through some stuff and needed to get away." Sasuke gave her a concerned look, "If you change your mind and decide you want to go back, I can figure it out. The most important thing is your health and well-being; I can tell you aren't doing well just by looking at you." She glanced down, then back up at her friend. "You know me too well." Sasuke shook his head, "it's not that. Something has changed in you. You're different somehow. It's not just your appearance. It's like the light you carry has been extinguished ."

She wondered how he could tell all that just by looking at her. He wasn't wrong; she had lost so much of her passion for life. She couldn't even get through the night without Mitsuhide being near. "I'll tell you, Sasuke. I promise I will, but right now, I can't. I've barely come to terms with what's happened myself." He pulled her in for a hug. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything if you aren't ready. I'll always be here for you. I just need to know you're safe." He stepped back, looking her in the eyes. "I'm safe." He smiled tenderly, "Good. That's all I need to know to put my heart at peace. Can I come see you sometime?" She nodded, "Yes, I only ask that you let me know beforehand."

Sasuke was shocked; she must be going through a lot. She would never have asked for him to schedule his visits before. If anything, she seemed appreciative of his visits; of course, he would comply. He just wanted her to be happy. He smiled at her again, "I can do that." He gave her another hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you soon," he said, turning to leave, waving goodbye as he walked away.

Evelyn just stood there, tears prickling in her eyes. Mitsuhide walked back over to her as soon as Sasuke walked away. "None of that. We're having a good time, right? No crying." Evelyn looked at Mitsuhide, trying to will the tears away, "He's really worried, and I couldn't tell him anything." Mitsuhide patted her head, "You are not ready, and that's okay. One day, you will be. I'm sure he understands that." Evelyn watched as Sasuke walked away. "I hope so."

"Come." He took her hand, and they bought fabrics and supplies she needed to make some clothes for herself. Seeing her interested in sewing again was a good thing; that is not something he would take away from her, so he could be patient and wait to train her. After a full day, Mitsuhide took her home, carrying the supplies for her as they walked back to his manor.

After arriving home, he placed everything they bought in the corner of his room and began doing some work he had neglected. Paperwork was tedious, but if this was what he had to do to help Evelyn, he wouldn't complain...Too much. Meanwhile, Evelyn had gotten into Mitsuhide's alcohol, exhausted and overwhelmed by everything from the day. It felt like too much stimulation in one day. However, she seldom drank by herself. She had always been a social drinker. She put two cups, a bottle of sake on a serving tray and an assortment of snacks for them to share. Although she wasn't entirely sure she would eat them, at least she had the option to eat if she needed to.

Next Chapter

[sabraeal]

Like Going Home, Chapter 5

[Read on AO3]

Now that House Rougis is aware she is in residence, Hisame becomes singularly inescapable. Invitations pile upon her plate: lunch after lunch, dinner after soiree; enough that they cannot be ignored. Not unless she wishes to imply a calculated offense.

Oh, were it only her reputation to be impugned, Kiki would not hesitate. But as the heir to her father, as Seiran’s next lord--

Well, one did not make enemies because they misliked the fall of their fringe. Not even if said hank of hair flopped over their eye, requiring management so regular that she was quite tempted to ask if a stable had lost a yearling with all the tossing and snorting.

With blood feud removed from her options, Kiki was instead relegated to attending the interminable lunches at the Rougis estate. Worse, she had to submit to the count’s terrible seating arrangements.

There were few women in the countryside that would be considered eligible; most girls of a sociable age would be situated at court, jockeying to be in the queen’s retinue or catching the eye of an acceptable prospect-- and their mothers with them. The only acceptable ladies left were far into their dotage or hardly out of the schoolroom. And, of course, Kiki.

Which meant that all too often, she found herself caught between His Highness to one side, and young master Rougis across. An odd configuration if there was a conspiracy to cultivate their connection-- or at least, it would seem so if the young master could be appreciated more as a dinner partner rather than a portrait. But with his skills at conversation...

Well, it was clear that Count Rougis hoped that she would not discover his son’s deficit until after the curtains closed on their wedding night. Men always assumed a marriage would be happier if only a woman entered into it unwittingly. Strange how much marital bliss could be invented when a lady must make do.

Her only consolation is that though Mother is much recovered from her little scare, she is still far too unwell to attend these soirees. Though the second son of Rougis has a personality that would repulse Father upon association, his looks would be enough to send Mother into a frenzy. Between his eagerness and Mother’s singular talent for twisting a situation to her favor, Kiki would doubtlessly find herself engaged before dessert. But she sleeps easy knowing that there’s miles between the royal villa and the count’s table, a comfortable buffer between Kiki and her terrible fate/

That is, until His Highness so generously extends an invitation for dinner.

“What are you thinking?” she hisses over her eggs, fingers twisted into the royal sleeve. Damn him, but that fabric is soft. “If you have them here, then Mother...”

With delicate precision, he prises her grip from the linen. “I am thinking that Lady Seiran would appreciate the chance to socialize now that she is able. And that the repayment of Count Rougis’s hospitality is much overdue.”

It is not in her to deflate, nor back down, but the mention of Mother does steal more than a little wind from her sails. “But--”

“Surely you can appreciate how neatly this solves both our considerations, Lady Kiki.” His mouth cants, slanting at the precise angle that makes her want to wrap her hands around his neck and wring him like a pheasant. “And it is only proper that Her Ladyship meet Rougis himself before your houses are to be joined--”

She stiffens, fork clattering against gold trim. “I’ll thank you to remember, that is not decided at all.”

Those elegant brows of his lift, even as his teeth flash beneath them. “Oh, is it not? I could have sworn from how closely your heads were bent together only days ago--”

“You shoved me into him!”

“Did I now?” he hums, far too amused. “To what possible end? Seiran holds formidable power in Clarines’ court, more than even some of the oldest houses of the south, but surely you cannot think that such things would concern a prince.”

It would, she thinks so loud she wonders he cannot hear it, if our mothers’ designs placed you at the altar instead. Or your brother.

It takes a breath to calm herself; it would be unbecoming for a lady to raise her voice at the breakfast table. That would not normally be any cause to rein in her temper, she has spent enough time with the first prince to know: bad manners will only lose her ground.

“I think,” she says, so careful the edges of it could cut. “It amuses you.”

A boy might reply in heat-- his brother would, to be certain, with as much puffed up pretension and oversized ego as that undersized body of his could hold-- but Izana Wisteria is a man, his manners forged and tongue honed by Clarines’ court. He does nothing so much as allow a curl at the corner of his lips, but on his mouth, it is as cruel as a laugh. “Perhaps.”

It is a relief that when evening comes, Mother is only well enough to take dinner propped up on her pillows rather than at the table with the prince and his guests. Even still, she tries to cajole the maids to dress her and charm the footmen to carry her to the table; a disaster only averted by Kiki disrupting their attempts at lifting her from the bed to her vanity.

“I will stay with her,” she informs one of the girls sternly, once they have Mother back abed. “Have our dinners brought up once they are ready.”

“Oh, there’s no need to wait here on my account, darling,” Mother insists, looking weary from the effort. Or maybe from having half a dozen girls attempt to manhandle her into couture. “Please, go down. Enjoy yourself. For me.”

If tonight’s guest list left enjoyment as possibility, Kiki might have been tempted; Mother had such few pleasures left to her during this confinement, to deny her something so simple would be cruel. And yet...

“I find this company infinitely preferable to any table,” Kiki assures her instead, lowering herself into her customary chair.

Mother’s hand darts out, stilling her where she stands. “But I heard Count Rougis would be in attendance tonight. And his son as well.” Her smile is as charming as any debutante’s. “Surely you would rather spend time with children your own age rather than been cooped up here.”

It is very specifically the ones her own age that she is most eager to avoid. Still, Kiki smiles, giving Mother’s hand a comforting pat. “But we have not yet finished that novel. The one with the pirate lord and the young lady--”

“I can read just fine on my own,” Mother lies crossly. “You should go to dinner.”

Kiki shakes her head. “What sort of daughter would I be if I left you--”

“A married one.”

Her fingers stiffen to claws in her skirts; it takes all her best manners to uncurl them and let her smile besides. “But I thought you wanted me to hold out for a prince, not settle for the second son of some country lord.”

“I’ll take anyone, so long as they stand between Seiran and your idiot cousin.” Mother has always been fluttering lashes and coy looks, but now she is serious, her thin cheeks looking all the more gaunt for it. “You’d think he would have learned from his father: when you get in neck deep with the Bergatts, you lose what’s above the waterline.”

Kiki cannot help but stare. “Why worry about him? I am father’s heir. It’s not as if I have to marry him.”

“No,” Mother agrees. “But you do not know the lengths to which a man might go in order to clutch to the skirts of power. It’s best if you simply marry before--”

“But I don’t like any of them.”

It’s not until her mother stares at her, nonplussed, that Kiki realizes that she’s the one who has spoken. No, not simply that; that the dam inside her has broken, and all her frustrations are rushing to be let out. “Prince Zen is a baby, Prince Izana is a snake, and Hisame--”

A knock shatters all her unspoken words, scattering them to the four winds. Mother lies still, every line of her grim and gaunt, a specter already resigned to its haunt.

“We will speak of this later,” she says, the same way she would when Kiki made mischief in front of company. Brighter, she calls out, “Come in!”

By the time the door opens, Mother is smiling again, as if she had no more thoughts in her head than what to embroider upon a pillow or paint upon a table. Which is fortunate, since it is the prince that walks through, dressed and groomed until he practically glows.

“Your Highness.” Mother preens, shifting herself to her best light. Ill as she is, she still makes for a pretty picture, the sort inked between the pages of sensational novels, her hair spread in a great gold halo behind her. “You honor me.”

“The honor is all mine, Lady Seiran.” The heat has been downright oppressive the last few days, and yet, here Izana stands in coat and waist, not sweating a single drop. “I only thought I would drop by before I would be expected to entertain. Your comfort is ever on my mind. I hope you know that I am ever at my lady’s service, eager to render you even the most humble assistance.”

“His Highness is too kind.” That should be where the pleasantries end, winding on to inconsequential topics before the prince must excuse himself. Instead, Mother’s mouth takes a troublesome tilt. “But since you have mentioned how eager you would be to give me aid...”

“Mother,” Kiki hisses, just as Izana hums, “Any at all, my lady.”

The look that passes between her mother and the prince is far too conspiratorial for comfort.

“I’m afraid I find I cannot yet settle tonight.” Mother’s lashes flutter as Kiki’s mouth pulls thin. “As you know, my dear daughter is far too modest for her own good. She is positively incandescent with the thought of taking dinner at the table tonight, but at home she is never without an appropriate chaperone--”

--To think, the woman who taught her that honesty was a virtue could lie with such ease--

“--with my husband yet in the North, and as you know, your grace, I have not been blessed with sons, she cannot bring herself to go with no escort.” Mother’s eyes round, far too innocent on a woman at her age with a daughter nearly grown. “For propriety’s sake.”

It’s a ploy that should have no hope of working; only days ago this very same prince had dragged her up the sea cliffs in her unmentionables, a dead snake in their wake. And yet, his mouth cants, the barest spark glittering in his eyes before it’s smothered.

With a sweep of his arm he bows, as a gallant would to his mistress, even if he cannot bring his knees to bend. “Then consider me at your disposal, my lady.”

The prince does not rise; no, instead he peers up, those unfathomable eyes fixing to her as he says, “Nothing would give me greater pleasure than seeing Lady Kiki at dinner.”

It takes a concerted effort to unclench her teeth enough to mutter “Don’t you mean to dinner?”

His lips twitch. “Do I?”

Dinner is interminable.

Protocol steals Izana from her side, placing him at the head of the table; his due as both host and future king. Across from him the seat lies empty-- “For the countess,” he says with warm smile that hardly melts his eyes-- which leaves her with the count’s second son as her dinner partner, tossing his hair between breaths. By the time the cheese course comes around, she’d cut it with her own steak knife, if only to keep him still.

And yet, she is not the most unfortunate at the table.

“It must be a nice change of pace to get away from the court,” Count Rougis remarks, smiling with strained affability as the youngest princes prods his cheese to crumbles. “I remember in my own boyhood how exciting my summers were when we were in the country.”

Zen barely spares him a glance before he mutters, “It’s boring out here.”

At the corner of her vision, Izana stiffens, his whole body poised to reprimand, but the count’s laugh holds him at bay. “Then we must find something to entertain you! Do you sail, your highness?”

He grunts, hardly a positive noise, but it’s all the encouragement Rougis needs. “We have a fine little ketch my boys like to race around the bay. Out to Yuris and back in only a few hours!”

“How diverting,” the eldest prince remarks, too wry for earnestness. “Perhaps we should plan an excursion?”

It’s an effort to catch the protest before it can rumble much further than her throat, smothering it to the barest groan. It was bad enough being stuck at this table with this company, let alone trapped out on a boat where she couldn’t simply walk away when she tired of the conversation.

“Oh my, well.” Rougis holds up his hands, humble. “I’m afraid that I’ve lost my legs for it after all these years. That sort of speed is a young man’s game, after all! But I’m sure Hisame would be happy to take you round, should that please you.”

The prince glances at her, mouth curling when he replies, “I think we could all do with the diversion.”

A sigh slips out. She does try to drown it in her drink-- Father’s favorite maneuver during tiresome company-- but when she sets it back down on the linen, Hisame is waiting for her with brow raised. “Do you not like sailing, Lady Kiki?”

He does her the favor of pitching his voice lower, keeping the conversation from catching the attention of the whole table. Still, it does not endear him to her.

“I wouldn’t know,” she admits, not bothering to hide her boredom. “I’ve never been on the water. But I will confess, the idea does not excite me.”

“Oh really?” The other brow joins the first, and oh, the smile the surfaces makes her want to drown it at once. “Why, Lady Kiki, you don’t have a fear of boats, do you?”

“What?” Her head whips around to meet his self-satisfied smirk. “No, not at all. As I said, I’ve never--”

“Ah, so you can’t swim.” His mouth twitches, too amused. “That’s the problem.”

She draws her spine straighter than even her corset could engineer. “Of course I can,” she lies, just as smoothly as her mother. “I’m an excellent swimmer.”

“You?” coughs the second prince, for once interested in conversation. “Didn’t you just--”

“Your drink,” Kiki blurts out. “It’s empty, Your Highness. Let me--”

“--I wasn’t talking about--”

“Excuse me!” She turns to the footman standing at the sideboard, summoning her father’s most commanding tones. “His Highness’s glass is empty.”

The ensuing chaos is enough to distract both princes and count, burying that thread beneath a half dozen footman struggling to fill the same glass. Kiki sits back with her own, the crystal obscuring what smile she allows herself. But when she places it down--

Well, she is not the only one who has not been distracted by the hubbub. Hisame glances at the scene, brows draw, but when his gaze traces to her...

There is speculation in it. No, a cold calculation, and she can’t help but wonder if he likes the answer.

It would be traditional for men and woman to part after dinner, each sex seeing to their own entertainment. But with such a small table, Kiki finds herself with an empty glass over port in the study, wishing she could charm footmen as easily as her mother. At least then it might be filled.

“A pity your mother could not join us,” Hisame hums without a note of contrition. “I hear she was the toast of her season.”

“The flower of the court!” Rougis adds, his smile grown wider with the addition of wine. “We were shocked when she chose to marry a man so far from it! Why she could have been-- er--”

The count takes a hasty drink, as if a draught could drown his meaning. He even spares a guilty glance for the princes, as if they could not know, as if it did not weigh heavy in every whisper when they buried her first brother, and then a second. She could have been queen, the very shadows seemed to say, and then how close we would all be to ruin.

That court is a poison, Father spat, the first and last time she ever saw him lose his temper. A pit of serpents, and every one of them pretending to be kingsnakes among corals.

As carefully as the count swallows his words, the mood sits shattered, ruined as thoroughly as a rock through a shop’s window. And yet Izana smiles, shining all the brighter with his brother’s glare beside it, and says, “You are not yet out, are you Lady Kiki?”

She stares. “No.”

“But you must nearly be the age for it,” Count Rougis blusters, cheeks flushed. “You can’t be much younger than, what, sixteen summers?”

There is no graceful way to refuse an answer, much as she would like. “Fifteen.”

“Fifteen.” His echo is incredulous, as if time itself has conspired against the count’s expectations. “Well, I suppose there are girls who debut at fifteen. Your mother was one, I remember.”

A fork screeches across the china, the second prince letting his mouth curve into something like a smile as he says, “It is what ambitious men do with their daughters.” He looks smug as he meets her eyes, as if somehow she might take umbrage for a slight against a grandfather she never met and a father her mother never missed. “Marry them early.”

“It only makes sense,” Hisame drawls, shaking his hair out of his eyes. “If a young lady were to make a poor connection young, she could never hope to make a better match, even if the first conveniently disappeared.” He pauses, aiming his blow before he says, “Unlike some.”

That pale skin flushes, painting the space between his collar and hairline a red that looked more at home on a plate than a person. Zen’s mouth opens once, then twice, but ultimately--

“More’s the pity,” his brother drawls, so casual. “I’ve always found that young ladies are far more interesting once they have been crossed in love. Far less swooning, far more opinions.”

Rougis laughs, too loud and too eager to be anything but an attempt to sweep the remnants of the mood beneath the rug. “I wouldn’t have thought Kain’s son would hold such an opinion. He always held that the wide-eyed innocence of the debs made for the freshest blooms in his court.”

Izana’s smile stiffens. “I’m sure he did.”

“That must have been what he liked about your mother,” Rougis presses on, glancing over at her. “She was always such a happy girl, so eager to make merry.”

Kiki cannot make her own smile sit quite right. “And she still is, my lord.”

This time, there is warmth when Rougis laughs, a fondness when he says, “I’m glad to hear it, my girl. I’m sure you’ve got a bit of that too. Daughters are their mother’s legacy, as they say, just as much as sons are their father’s. Always meant to repeat their successes.”

Hisame’s mouth twitches. “And their mistakes.”

Across the table, Zen flinches.

“I do believe that Lady Kiki takes after her mother,” His Highness remarks, a little too loud for the easiness he aspires to. “She certainly favors her in appearance and intelligence.”

She stares at him, unsure if that is meant to be a compliment or an insult.

“I suppose temperament cannot be far behind, then!” Rougis chuckles, shaking his head. “And all the better for it, my lady. A tractable girl always is the jewel of her season.”

"A tractable wife would be pleasing,” Hisame hums.

“I’m like my father,” Zen announces. “I much prefer a smile over a scowl.”

Hisame’s grin hones to a point. “Then I hope you possess a better sense of what lies behind them.”

The prince pulls in a trembling breath, and for a moment, she thinks he might speak, might return whatever volley that second son had aimed at him. But instead--

Instead, he flies from the table.

“Zen--” he brother says, not so firm as Kiki would expect-- “I do not think--”

The door slams behind him, the servants shuddering with the silverware.

“Well,” Hisame drawls, turning back to her with a smile. “Now that we may speak without interruption--”

“Excuse me,” she says, far more collected than she feels. “But I think I am feeling unwell too.”

There’s no reason for her to jump to her feet. But still, Kiki cannot sit there and endure Rougis’s smug smile, not when she knows he drove him away.

It’s not until she sees his bowed back, legs dangling off the balcony’s rail, that Kiki realizes she has been searching for the prince. It’s not as if they are friends, after all; they’ve barely achieved more than tolerance in the few weeks since she arrived. And yet, when her mother lay in flux that night, he had tried to reach out to her. It only seemed fair to offer him the same.

“We’re only a floor up,” she informs him, arms folding over the balustrade. “You’ll at best break a leg.”

He jumps, flushing bright as he snaps, “I know that. I wasn’t going to jump.”

She hums, unconvinced.

“I wasn’t!” he huffs, settling back on his hands. “But if I did, a broken leg would still get me out of dinner.”

And probably half the social engagements for the next month. Kiki makes a show of contemplating the drop. “Do you think they’d let me out of it too?”

He blinks. “Why?”

It’s not easy to perch on the rail in skirts, but with a little creativity, she manages to get all her pieces over it. “To be your devoted nurse of course.”

Zen scowls. “I don’t see why you would.”

“I might as well. I have plenty of practice.” She leans back, meeting his glare. “I wanted to say that I am...sorry about what I said. About--”

“Don’t be,” he snaps, looking away. “You meant it.”

Her lips close around her teeth. She had in the moment, when she couldn’t bear to believe anyone could feel as she did, but now... “I didn’t--”

“You did.” A breath sloughs out of him, tight and terrible. “They were right down there, you know. We are all meant to make the mistakes of our parents.”

He swings himself off the rail, heels landing on the stone with a clack. “I will be a monster, and you--” he glares at her with derision-- “you’ll die early, weak from failing to make your husband an heir. Unless, of course, Hisame obliges you by making you a widow.”

This time when he leaves, Kiki doesn’t chase after him.

[malachiexists13]

Fuck it. Im gonna rewrite my entire Mitsuhide fanfic because I really hate the way its written and the ending fucking sucks. Maybe then I'll feel proud enough of it to openly share it around rather than letting it rot away on a doc in my google drive.

The fic is a reimagining of Mitsuhide's route, but the ending is based on his romantic ending. Which I hate. So as soon as I finish Kenshin's route, I'm gonna replay Mitsu's route for the third time just to replay the dramatic end while rewriting and changing all 94 chapters of my fic-

[ao3feed-izch]

The world of One Piece

by Lilylovesanime

In this au, a bunch of animes I've watched (with mixed themes), will meet each other! They will then react to the world of one piece, which, is a complex world! Eventually, they'll meet original characters and stuff but anyways... Sorry about lack of tags I have no idea... Also a lot of one piece angst will be included in this story, sorry... Don't worry it'll get happy! Eventually, the world of one piece will get telepoted. Sorry for lack of Bleach content, I'm still in the middle of it. I'm in the bount arc currently.

Words: 244, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of The Reaction fics

Fandoms: One Piece (Anime & Manga), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga), 鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Anime), 鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Manga), 異世界はスマートフォンとともに | Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni | In Another World With My Smartphone (Anime), 赤髪の白雪姫 | Akagami no Shirayukihime | Snow White with the Red Hair (Anime & Manga), Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga), 魔法科高校の劣等生 | Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei | The Irregular at Magic High School, How many fandoms are there, Dangan Ronpa 十神 - 佐藤友哉 | Dangan Ronpa: Togami - Satou Yuuya, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Hataraku Maou-Sama! | The Devil Is a Part-Timer!

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Vinsmoke Sanji, Nami (One Piece), Usopp (One Piece), Mugiwara Kaizoku | Strawhat Pirates, Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), Mochizuki Touya, Tatsuya Shiba, Miyuki Shiba, Ash Ketchum, Serena (Pokemon), Gou | Goh (Pokemon), Koharu | Chloe, Makato Naegi, Sadaou Maou, Demon Slayer Corps Ensemble (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Tanjiro Kamado, Shirayuki (Akagami no Shirayukihime), Obi (Akagami no Shirayukihime), Kiki Seiran, Zen Wistalia, Mitsuhide Rouen, Asta (Black Clover), Yuno (Black Clover), Abarai Renji, Kurosaki Ichigo, Inoue Orihime, Ishida Uryuu, Sado "Chad" Yasutora, Kuchiki Rukia, Gotei 13 | 13 Court Guard Squad Captains

Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji, Midoriya Izuku/Uraraka Ochako, Monkey D. Luffy/Nami, Kamado Tanjirou/Tsuyuri Kanao, Mugiwara Kaizoku | Strawhat Pirates & Other Fandoms, Multiple Relationships - Relationship, Shirayuki/Zen Wistalia, Mochizuki Touya/Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni | In Another World with My Smartphone, Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Serena, Gou | Goh/Koharu | Chloe

Additional Tags: So many fandoms so Idk if all of them will be included, I've watched all of these animes for crying out loud, Except bleach i'm still on season 4 :(, includes amvs, Reaction, One Piece is the main fandom <3, I just love One Piece thats why, Angst, Happy, Both angst and happy i guess?, Developing Relationships, The more I know about the fandom the more that will be included and more characters, Amv links will be shown at the end of each chapter, I don't have any more tag ideas :(

source: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49676275

[the12thnightproject]

Hi. I love your stories. From what I've read in current Mitsuhide's story, I was wandering if you are a native speaker of Portuguese or at least have a good knwolege of the language.

Hi Anon!

Thank you very much for the love. I very much appreciate it.

The short answer to your question is no - my native language is not Portuguese. I know almost no Portuguese. My native tongue is English.

The longer answer is that I have tried to learn the following languages: Hebrew, French, Spanish, Danish, and Norwegian. The operative word is tried. The technical term is failed. At best, I can somewhat read French, and at one point, I could manage to figure out newspaper articles in Danish with some context and a good dictionary.

Part of this might just be that I am a language dunce, and not capable of learning another language. Part of it might be more that in the United States, in public schools, students do not have the opportunity to take language classes until age 14 (an even then it is an elective and not required), and that's probably too late for most of us.

I wish I were better at language acquisition and greatly admire anyone who is fluent and able to communicate (speaking and writing) in multiple tongues.

As for the fic itself - though my main character Katsu has learned Portuguese, because the story is written in first person, I don't actually have of the dialogue written in Portuguese. Instead, I just note that such and such character (usually Francisco, but there will be a couple of others in later chapters), spoke in Portuguese, but because Katsu understands that language, she's already translated it in her mind, so whatever words the original speaker used, was already translated in Katsu's head.

Examples below the cut of how I work around it:

“Lord Mitsuhide – stop. That’s my partner. Francisco.” I pushed past him and called down to the lower level. “Francisco, up here. Don’t worry. I’m safe.” Then, because Francisco’s apt to forget his Japanese even in the calmest situation, I repeated myself in Portuguese.

Moments later, a puffing Francisco breached the top of the stairs and rushed into the room. His face was red and there were sweat stains visible on the shirt he wore under his jerkin. “Katsu. You are here. When I learned someone bought you, I thought, Akihira will murder me.” He paused and drew in a long panting breath. And then another. “I got lost and went to the wrong ship.”

Of course he did.

Note to self. Next time find a partner who can find their way from one end of the city to the other.

He was still speaking in Portuguese, so clearly his language skills (such as they were) had deserted him completely. I hurried to reassure him. “An acquaintance of Aki’s recognized me and purchased me. If you can repay him… and maybe give him a bit extra for his trouble, then we can be on our way.”

.....

In the next chapter, we get Mitsuhide's POV of the same conversation:

Shouts from below disrupted that thought. He couldn’t make out the words – it sounded like the Nanban tongue. Had her would-be purchaser found them so quickly and returned with more reinforcements? If so, it was a poorly thought-out ambush that would alert the victim to a pending attack.

He grabbed his sword and turned just as Akihira’s daughter yelled, “Lord Mitsuhide – stop. That’s my partner. Francisco.”

She rushed past him and called down to the lower level. “Francisco, up here. Don’t worry. I’m safe.” She then added something in Portuguese. Presumably to calm the man down but given that Mitsuhide did not speak the language he could not be certain of it. She could have given this ‘Francisco’ the opposite instructions in Portuguese and Mitsuhide would never know.

She understands Portuguese.

A useful skill.

Too useful to ignore.

He kept his hand on his sword, just in case as a short, stocky Westerner rushed into the room, his words tumbling over one another. Mitsuhide caught the words “Katsu” and “Akihira,” and none of the rest.

The daughter followed the gush of words without any problem and replied to the man in the same language. Not just familiar with the language. Fluent. Which turned her from an annoying impediment to a potential tool. Unfortunately, an aggravating tool.

-------------------

Granted, the fic would be much more realistic if I put the dialogue into the language it is being spoken in... but to do that I'd have to rely on google translate, and there's too much possibility of error that way.

This is more or less how it's handed when writing film and television scripts too. If the intention is that a character is speaking in another language, in the script that's signaled as "(speaking in Spanish)" but you write the dialogue in English. With spec scripts there is no guarantee that the whoever is reading your script (be it a producer or a contest judge) speaks that other language, so writing it in that language would cause them to miss potentially important information.

The intention is that if the script is ever filmed, they would either hire an actor fluent in that language and/or hire a translator, so those lines likely would be filmed in Spanish (or whatever language), and then subtitled.

Again, thank you for asking!