#Sanosuke always gets the girls when they go together

[blueblood99-art]

"Flowers in spider webs" [2]

Harada x Burado (my OC, you can learn more about her here)

Summary: Burado-chan is a shinigami, who was destined to take Sanosuke's life. Unfortunate thing is that she fell in love with him.

Also a little disclaimer - English is not my native language, so if you find any mistakes in the text feel free to share, I always look forward to improve my writing skills ✨

_____________

"How are you, Shinichi? " she didn't go to the Heaven very often, only when she was visiting an old friend.

For some inexplicable reason, Burado started visiting him. In Jigoku, she was bored, almost no demon normally perceived shigigami, such as she was treated with caution and prejudice. Suicides were not welcome here. Coming to the Garden of Eden, walking among the peach trees among the soothing, thought-provoking silence, she often wondered if she could also live here, help the local deities. A calm, full of silence life seemed to the girl something unattainable, even if she was no longer that scared beginner shinigami. In five years, she and Shigure have transported many souls to the next world, they have become much stronger.

"Don't worry about me, Burado-chan," he smiled radiantly as always, stroking the rabbit, peacefully snoring on his lap. They often chatted while sitting under the shade of a peach tree. After thinking for a couple of moments, the samurai looked into the sorrowful face of the girl. "You haven't seen him since, have you?"

"Oh… Who are you talking about?" the girl asked, even if she already knew the answer.

"Harada, my friend," the gentle wind ruffled his dark brown hair. "Sometimes I wonder what he has become over the years…"

"Yes, me too," she sighed heavily, as she always did at the mention of an old acquaintance.

Shinichi had heard that such strong feelings were alien to youkai, but looking at how the girl was overcome by an irresistible longing for something, he began to doubt. She saw Sano through his eyes and sometimes spoke of him as an old friend, albeit not without a touch of bitterness. According to Shigure, he thinks that the girl is to blame for his death.

"If fate brings you together again, say hello for me, okay?" he patted her on the shoulder, helping to cheer her up a little and distracting her from sad thoughts.

_______________________

February 1866, Kyoto

By the end of winter in the mortal world, she and Shigure managed to collect five hundred souls. The situation in Kyoto became increasingly turbulent, a serious political conflict was brewing, and Burado began to notice other reapers of death scurrying among people unnoticed, as if a dark omen of coming changes. During these ten years that she and Tokabo Shigure traveled around Japan, the girl managed to get used to the customs of the East, which she previously considered alien and barbaric. Even though she came to this country as a little girl, it was difficult for Katherine Blood to come to terms with other people's mores, her father raised her as an English lady and a Corsican donna. Now his lessons seemed so far away, forgotten. Having died in a foreign country, she became a part of it, another stone in the huge wall of Jigoku. Mother would never have believed it if she had found out what her daughter was doing.

"Do you feel that sour smell?" Shigure grumbled in a barely audible voice as they strolled through the large market square in search of a new target. The person on their list was an ordinary peasant who would be in the wrong place at the wrong time. In a few days, the father of five children and the only able-bodied person in the family will be hacked to death by drunken ronin, who mistakenly decide that he is spying on Shinsengumi. "Land demons are hanging around here"

She had already heard from Mr. Hozuki about land demons. They were incredibly strong, hardy and, unlike their afterlife representatives, never served in Jigoku. They didn't care what the other youkai were involved in, moreover, they preferred not to notice them. Shigure always spoke of these demons with such contempt. Once he belonged to one of these demons, he cursed his beloved umbrella and doomed him to an immortal existence. Angry at the whole world, Toukabo Shigure devoured the vital energy of his new owners, caused them all sorts of trouble and spoiled karma in every possible way. For this, Mr. Hozuki almost burned youkai on a brazier with hot coals, taking from him the word to atone for all his sins. Thanks to Shigure's efforts, new souls arrived in Jigoku ahead of time, and Hozuki hated overtime work.

"What are you talking about?" exhaling a translucent cloud of steam, Burado turned around at the strange ominous aura. A tall, long-haired man in flashy clothes, with a tattoo on his entire arm, he seemed to deliberately attract attention with his impudent appearance, looking at the crowd around him with arrogant contempt. Without noticing her, he passed by.

"Arrogant bastards," Shigure swore.

The demon seemed to have sharp hearing. As soon as youkai finished his sentence, he suddenly stopped. The bare muscular back tensed.

"Are you talking to me, girl?" he turned around slowly, breaking into a cold smile that looked more like a predator's grin. "You don't want to live at all, huh?"

A dark, sinewy palm rested on the belt, on which hung a holster with a revolver. Burado had seen similar weapons before, her father once had such a revolver.

"Our forces are almost equal," over the years spent in wandering, with each new collected soul, she and Shigure became stronger. If alone she could lose to a more experienced, battle-hardened demon, then together with a partner with the support of his youkai power, the demon was not such a problem. Burado felt like she was getting tougher and stronger every day, and at the end of last year she received a fifth-rank mask from Hozuki. Lifting her chin, she boldly responded to the cold, arrogant gaze of the demon. There was barely contained anger in the violet eyes. "If you want, we can somehow measure them, but right now I have no desire to participate in a quarrel. Forgive my friend, sometimes he can be short-tempered"

Despite the indignation of Shigure, who was already itching to fight with the demon, Burado took a step back and bowed low. The man watched her with a tenacious gaze.

"Who are you, girl?" crossing his arms over his chest, the demon threw. Despite the fact that he never accepted her apology, he looked less threatening now. By the scarlet mask with oni's face and the youkai companion, he probably already guessed who he was talking to.

"It is indecent for a girl to introduce herself first" - she chuckled, ignoring the grinding teeth of Sigure, who did not like this conversation at all. He expected them to kick this arrogant upstart's ass instead of chatting amiably with him.

"Hey, hey, are you making eyes at him?!" a pale scarlet glow began to emanate from the oiled scarlet paper of the umbrella.

"Shut up," Burado ordered, grabbing the umbrella so that she covered the ugly gaping mouth with her palm. Of course, she didn't make any eyes.

"I'm Shiranui Kyou".

"And I… " she hesitated, remembering how almost everyone in Jigoku could hardly pronounce her name. "I'm Burado"

The nickname given by Harada Sanosuke fell off her lips by itself. Involuntarily, something pricked in her chest at the memories of the spearman.

"Burado and that's it?"

"I have no family or clan. I serve Emma-sama"

Shiranui looked her over meticulously from head to toe and grinned at something. After parting with Harada and receiving the fifth rank of shinigami, she changed a lot in appearance. Now it was hard to confuse Burado with a girl who accidentally ran away from the festival. The simple black yukata was replaced with spacious clothes of the shugenja, extremely comfortable for traveling in the harsh northern climate. And the wooden mask didn't look so pathetic now, the new one was given out by Mr. Hozuki himself. Its lacquered, scarlet surface glistened in the sun, and empty demonic eyes were now devouring Shiranui Kyou. Concentrating, the girl could even see through the slits of the mask, even when it is not on top of her head, but is somewhere very far away. It was very convenient to monitor her targets.

"That's what I thought, you're one of those snotty bureaucrats who are always getting in the way, collecting the souls of mortals… There are a lot of you in the city today!"

There was some commotion in the crowd of people that filled the market. Looking around from the height of his height, Shiranui shook his blue-black hair pulled into a ponytail and cursed softly.

"We'll chat later, dead girl," he called over his shoulder, already disappearing among the excited people.

Katherine didn't even have time to say anything, as the tall figure melted into the air, taking advantage of the commotion. After staring at the empty place where Shiranui had been standing for a couple of moments, the girl turned around at the screams of people. There were some strange whispers, people were talking quietly now and then and exchanging frightened glances. An old man cursed loudly and spat contemptuously at his feet. For a while, the girl couldn't figure out what was going on until she noticed a column of Ronin in pale blue haori. They were all young men with stern, focused faces. The crowd devoured them with hostile glances.

"The Mibu Wolves are coming!" she heard a tense whisper next to her. Two old women selling snacks were talking. "Ugh, damn Shinsengumi!"

"Hush, Mita," her friend said, looking around in fright to make sure that no one had heard them. "Keep quiet if you don't want any problems"

Two squads of Shinsengumi, swordsmen and spearmen, who looked like a motley collection of young samurai in pale blue haori, crossed the market square. Burado, hidden in the crowd, devoured the backs of their heads with her eyes. There were a lot of rumors about Shinsengumi in Kyoto, mostly not the most pleasant. They were called cruel murderers and robbers, but she and Shigure had not yet had to come for the victims of the Shinsengumi. From the outside, especially looking at the captains walking on the right side of the rest of the column, the warriors looked more like bohemian thugs from adventure novels, young, flashily dressed. Despite the hostile stares of the townspeople, they managed to exchange restrained smiles, discussing something in a low voice. They didn't even care about the people around them.

"Shigure, do you feel it?" the shinigami's instinct, developed over many years of wandering and collecting souls, suggested that there was someone in the ranks of the walking warriors whose soul they would have to take away. There was a familiar, weak energy emanating from this man, which indicated that this was going to happen in a couple of years.

The fact that one of these people was going to die didn't surprise her at all. The situation in the country was gradually heating up, besides, samurai are always on the verge of death.

"Pf, big deal, you smelled someone's soul! We still have two more years to wait," youkai snorted, still sulking at her because of the conversation with Shiranui. However, despite his touchiness, he did not know how to take offense for a long time, especially if you offer him expensive sweets.

Burado pursed her lips, peering into the faces of the warriors, trying to figure out which of them was her target. Or he will be her target in a few years. Maybe a stooped skinny kid with a naginata? Or a stern swordsman with a samurai bun, looking at the townspeople with hostility? Or is it a tall, red-haired unit captain with a spear lying across his shoulders?

At some point, the tall captain looked back at her, as if feeling the eyes on him. His yellow eyes swept the crowd with a quick glance, as if searching for the one who was staring so intently. The man frowned slightly and returned to the interrupted quiet conversation.

The look of the wolf's yellow eyes seemed to burn her. Bouncing away from the shock further into the crowd, she shook her curly hair in disbelief. Burado barely recognized him. If not for the warm, bright red aura of the color of the setting sun, she would never have believed that this tall, muscular man with disheveled dark red hair was the same lively, laughing young man whom she met as if in a past life and for whom her heart ached.

"This is…" she pressed her cold palms to her cheeks, feeling them begin to burn. "Harada Sanosuke!"

"That mortal again! Are your lifelines stuck together!?" Shigure growled irritably.

Burado did not hear his words. Panting, she gasped for air and tried to recover. She no longer hoped that she would meet this man ever in her life, she was already used to nursing a wound on a broken heart.

Without thinking for almost a second, the girl moved after the column of soldiers, bypassing the people coming towards her. Harada's shaggy dark-brown tail loomed somewhere ahead, his crown towering high above the rest. The girl didn't know why she was following him, it was like picking up a badly healed wound. He has become so... big, tall, it seems, he has grown into a real warrior. Before going further, she wanted to succumb to a selfish desire to take a closer look at him.

"Girl, where did you run off to?!" Toukabo Shigure was indignant, but his words had no effect on her.

Her heart was beating like a wounded bird in her chest. At one point, she managed to sneak up so close that she saw his muscular arms, tanned from frequent exposure to the sun, every wreath and muscle on them, the folds on the pale blue sleeve of haori. Holding her breath, Burado watched him pass by, just an arm's length away. To him, she was a vague shadow, another face from the crowd.

"Who are you?"

Before she could react, the cold blade of the kunai pressed against her back.

[atopearth]

Bakumatsu Renka Shinsengumi Part 3 - Harada Sanosuke Route

I'm probably the least interested in Harada because of his looks hahaha, so we'll see if this goes anywhere for me! Lmaoo at Harada taking Suzuka out to see a girl and force her to eat another meal at the girl's restaurant. Isn't he worried about the impression it would make if he brings another girl🤣 I love how Suzuka helped Harada get the courage to take the step forward and confess, and I loved how she gently turned him down saying she was getting married next month, but considering how shy he was and all his fumbling, it was nice to see Harada so sincerely wish her marriage goes well. Lmao at the Takeda and Heisuke event, Takeda's silly face working together with Suzuka to win against Heisuke was funny haha. Harada is really sweet and funny though. He likes to train Suzuka and spar with her, but he is also very considerate and takes care of her when she's sick and feels bad that he didn't notice earlier. He even tried his best to make food for her! I didn't expect to get a Hijikata event but I still don't agree with his methods of forcing Kuraishi to commit seppuku for deserting them because he was worried about his family since his father was sick and they were lacking money. Yeah, Hijikata sent money to Kuraishi's family but that's pointless when Kuraishi is dead. Yeah, I can understand the need to enforce order and all that, but if you can't even give someone who was only concerned about their family a chance then what is the point of being in the Shinsengumi. Protecting people should be as important as protecting your family and not we have to discard our family for our duties. I kinda wish there was an Oishi route, I think he's quite interesting and I like that he criticises and questions the Shinsengumi's methods.

Witnessing Saitani/Sakamoto's death was saddening because he fought and desired peace and yet people didn't understand his ideals and ended up killing him for it. It really breaks my heart to see everyone fight, especially with Heisuke. I'm so glad to see Suzuka confront Harada about his weird behaviour always avoiding her because I don't think he would have ever said anything otherwise haha! I loved it when he said he wouldn't mind dying in battle if it was beside her, I think that's pretty sweet. Lmao when Shinpachi came out of nowhere and said he's been listening to them talk the whole time🤣 Seeing Harada desperately bring the injured Suzuka to Dr Matsumoto and then obediently stay quiet to allow Suzuka to quietly rest was difficult to watch because you could see how concerned he was for her. As for Harada and Shinpachi leaving the Shinsengumi, it seems like Kondo wanted them to leave and live for themselves because he didn't want to see them die a pointless death so he said all those things to make it easier for them to leave without regrets. It's nice that they both understood Kondo's intentions but at the same time acknowledge that even though Kondo is prepared to die, it doesn't mean they should force themselves to stick with him through that.

I felt so bad for Suzuka and Harada when he left her at Dr Matsumoto's clinic. She's obviously too injured to go with him back to war/fighting along with Shinpachi and he doesn't want to let her get hurt any further but it still hurts to have to see Harada feel bad for leaving her, and painful to see Suzuka have to recognise that she's a "burden" and can't support him like she wants to. I liked how Suzuka stood back up on her own feet and regained the resolve to fight against the new government on her own terms. She wasn't sure if she would be able to meet Harada again but she was prepared to fight for the beliefs they shared and to see each other in the afterlife. I was happy to see them reunited on the battlefield even if it meant that there was the possibility that they might have died because it would have been as they wished, where they would get to die beside each other fighting for what they believed in and I think that's what they would have desired. LMAO at the epilogue where Shinpachi visits them with dango and Suzuka ends up choking on it, and Harada's like we promised to die together!! So he eats dango and chokes on it too🤣🤣 how about you save her instead?! Hahaha, they're so silly. The extra epilogue was pretty funny too, it's nice to see them living such a happy silly life lol.

Overall, considering I didn't like Harada's looks, I definitely liked him much more than I expected to! I think my favourite event was when he took care of Suzuka when she was running a fever because it was great to see a side of Harada that wasn't silly or easily angered, but instead very caring and gentle. He so patiently and gently watched over her the whole day, I couldn't help but find that sweet. Yeah, he's rash and silly, but he does what he needs to when he should and I like that. I also really liked when he left her to recover from her injuries and said he didn't plan to die because I liked that he didn't give up on what he and Suzuka regarded as important and instead went to fight for what they believed in. It was even better when Suzuka didn't go along after she recovered to explicitly just look for him but instead continue to fight hoping to either reunite with him on the battlefield or in the afterlife because she was prepared for either outcome. I guess I just really loved how they both might not have had the most expressive romance but you could tell that their shared goals and desires made their love and care for each other apparent and unyielding as they both were prepared to die together on the battlefield. I found that pretty romantic.

[hakuogakuen]

Hakuouki SSL: Prologue

EDITED 7/31/20

Hello! Here is the translation for the SSL prologue. Primary translation is by yuugs, with proof reading done by shizuumi, kuririn, and dei-hime. Translation begins below the cut!

― May ―

Chizuru Yukimura: "The door and windows are locked..."

~ding dong~

Chizuru Yukimura: "Heisuke-kun, are you awake? It's almost time for school..."

 "..."

"......”

FInally, the door opened.

Chizuru Yukimura: “Uh! Um... It's Yukimura. Hello? Heisuke-kun―"

Heisuke Toudou: "Sorry, Chizuru! Gimme five more minutes!!"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh... Heisuke-kun!? Geez..."

‘Five more minutes, huh...? There's still some time left, so I guess it should be fine...’

Chizuru Yukimura: "... It's already been five minutes...Is he still not ready? ...What now? Should I ring the intercom one more time...?"

Heisuke Toudou: "Morning! Also, sorry!"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh, Heisuke-kun! Morning!"

This is Heisuke Toudou-kun, my next-door neighbor. We attended the same high school, and walked there together when we can.

Despite being a junior, a grade above me, he hated me calling him ‘senpai,’ since we were childhood friends.

I'd counted on him since we were little, but he sometimes overslept or played video games all night, which could be a problem.

Heisuke Toudou: "We good for time? How bad's it look?

Chizuru Yukimura: "I think we might not make it...!"

Heisuke Toudou: "Seriously...? Okay, let's book it!"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Yeah!"

It was shaping up to be a bit of a busy morning, but we had to hurry―!!

Heisuke Toudou: "Dammit, if my alarm just rang properly, we'd have definitely made it on time!"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Heisuke-kun, you said that last time as well."

Heisuke Toudou: "M-My alarm's busted! I'll buy a new one next time!!"

???: "Sure is noisy this morning, huh?"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Ah..."

Souji Okita: "Morning, you two."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Good morning, Okita-senpai!"

This is Souji Okita-senpai, a junior. He was in the same class as Heisuke-kun, and we were pretty good friends. He could be a bit mischievous, and like to take pictures with his smartphone. Occasionally, he'd email me and I wouldn't know how to respond.That did bother me a bit.

Heisuke Toudou: "If Souji's here… then we're seriously late!"

Souji Okita: "Maybe... But it's not that bad. Not like the school's going anywhere anytime soon."

Heisuke Toudou: "It’s absolutely that bad! The gatekeeper of hell's waiting for us!"

Souji Okita: "Haha, you're exaggerating. No need to be so scared."

Chizuru Yukimura: "L-Let's hurry anyway! Okita-senpai, you should try and run!"

Souji Okita: "...Looks like I'll have to play along."

After that, we began running for our lives. Of course, tardiness was against the rules, but even with that, there was another reason we didn’t want to be lateー

Heisuke Toudou: "All right, and he's saaaaaaafe!!"

???:  "Unfortunately, he's out."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Huh..."

Hajime Saitou:  "Sorry, but as a part of the disciplinary committee, I can't make any exceptions. Not even for five seconds."

Kaoru Nagumo:  "What he said. A shame, really. You ran so desperately just to make an own goal."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Kaoru...and Saitou-senpai...!"

...Yes, the reason we ran so frantically is because of the disciplinary committee.

This is Hajime Saitou-senpai , a junior. A serious and deeply earnest person, he was a feared member of the disciplinary committee. Heisuke-kun often called him 'inflexible', but he's tougher on himself than anyone else. I think he's a good person. Although he might not be the best with words, he was a good senior in my eyes.

This is Nagumo Kaoru, a sophomore, like me. He's actually my twin brother. Why our last names differed was a long story, but basically, we grew up separately when we were young. Initially, I was happy that we were going to the same school. But... Kaoru wasn’t the politest person ever. He would even disrespect our seniors without a second thought, and he always made me nervous…

Heisuke Toudou: "It was only five seconds! The gate isn't closed yet ―just let it slide!"

Kaoru Nagumo:  "No. How would letting you go benefit us?"

Heisuke Toudou: "Maybe it wouldn't, but it's not like it'd hurt you either!"

Hajime Saitou:  "Heisuke, this isn't open for discussion. The rules exist for a reason."

Souji Okita: "You heard him, Heisuke. Too bad."

Heisuke Toudou: "Souji, whose side are you on?!"

Chizuru Yukimura: "U-Um... Heisuke-kun. It's a fact we were late. We can't do much about that."

Heisuke Toudou: "But...!"

???:  "Pipe down! What are you up to there!?"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh...!"

Toshizou Hijikata: "Saitou, Nagumo! It's time. Close the gate."

Hajime Saitou:  "Yes, sir."

Kaoru Nagumo: "Hmph, that's a shame."

Toshizou Hijikata:  "Heisuke, Souji, Yukimura! You three hurry up and head inside....Don't be any later than you already are."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Y-Yes, sir!"

This is Toshizou Hijikata. He was Heisuke's and Okita's homeroom teacher, and also taught classical literature. He was very harsh, but passionate about education. As well being the vice principal, it was said that he was a childhood friend of the principal, Kondou-sensei. He always looked tense. He had this prickly aura about him that kept people away.

Toshizou Hijikata: "I swear... You never learn. You're late every single day..."

(A flash lit up his face and a camera shutter noise sounded.)

Toshizou Hijikata: "W-What was that?"

Souji Okita: "Haha. The wrinkles in your face are even deeper than yesterday's."

Toshizou Hijikata: "Souji! You punk!!"

Souji Okita: "Would you like to compare yesterday's pic with today's? Here, take a look."

Toshizou Hijikata:  "I don't need to! And don't take photos of people without their permission!"

...Seeing as everyone else was afraid of the vice principal, Okita might have be the only one who could banter with him like that... With that thought, we headed past the school gates.

――The private school, Hakuou Academy.

This school was an all-boys school up until this year. Thanks to the principal Isami Kondou-sensei and his efforts, the school became co-ed recently.

Somehow, I became the first female student at Hakuou Academy...

...And the only female student.

Of course, I was a little nervous when I learned that there were no other girls... But the people here were really nice, and I had always been good at getting along with others, so I was doing pretty well.

Chizuru Yukimura:"...Oh no! I have to get to class soon...!"

__

"Thank god, I made it in time..."

Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Hm? It's not like you to show up at the last minute, Yukimura."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh, Ibuki-kun. Morning. This morning's been a bit much..."

This is Ryuunosuke Ibuki-kun, my classmate. He could be a bit blunt at times, but he was a kind person. He always had milk and red bean buns for lunch. When I asked him if he was eating enough, he would say that it couldn’t be helped, since he had no money… He complained about someone called Serizawa-san being rough and tyrannical to him. I wondered what his relation was to Ibuki-kun, exactly.

Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "The teacher's about to arrive. We ought to take our seats now."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Yeah, thanks, Ibuki-kun."

???: "Take your seats, you lot. Homeroom's about to start."

Chizuru Yukimura: "!"

While I hurried to sit down, Harada-sensei smiled at me from the front of the room.

Sanosuke Harada: "What's wrong, Yukimura? It's rare for you to be late."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Y-Yes... I'm sorry..."

This is Sanosuke Harada-sensei. He was my homeroom teacher, as well as the P.E. teacher.  Friendly and open-hearted, all the students looked up to him as if he were their big brother. He used to go to the same Kendo dojo as Heisuke-kun and Nagakura-sensei, the math teacher. Even now, they all still seemed to be close.

Sanosuke Harada: "Well, I can imagine the reason why. You know, you can just ditch Heisuke if you think you'll be late."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Um, that's… I'll see what I can do about that..."

Sanosuke Harada: "Yeah, please do. Well, let's wrap this up quickly. Today's announcements are--"

I didn’t want to just leave Heisuke-kun behind... ‘I’ll try to figure out a way so I can pick him up earlier…’

Classmate A:  "Phew, it's finally time for lunch."

Classmate B: "Yeah, I'm starving. Hey, Ibuki, you eating at the cafeteria?"

Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "If you treat me, I’ll go."

Classmate B: "No way!"

Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Then don't ask. You know full well I'm low on money."

Classmate A: "U-Um, Yukimura-san, what about you? We can go together if that's cool―"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Me? Well...."

While it made me happy when my classmates invited me to have lunch with them…

Chizuru Yukimura: "I'm sorry… I already have plans. Maybe another time?"

Classmate A: "I-I see..."

I apologized once again and then headed to the cafeteria. At lunchtime, the cafeteria got so crowded, it was like a battlefield. It seems like things are ramping up with everyone on an empty stomach…

Heisuke Toudou: "Oh, hey, Chizuru! Over here, over here!"

Heisuke and Okita are waving at me. 

‘I can't keep them waiting, I have to hurry...!’

Chizuru Yukimura: "Hm.... Should I get set meal A?”

I bought a ticket for set meal 'A' from the vending machine, and then joined the line.

Genzaburou Inoue: "Oh, Yukimura-kun. You came to the cafeteria today."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Inoue-san, hello!"

This is Genzaburou Inoue-san.  He was in charge of cooking the meals for the cafeteria, and his food was always delicious. He was very kind and warm, and students affectionately called him the “Mother of Hakuou Academy”. In fact, rumor has it that he was quite a big-wig as well. But was it true, I wondered.

Genzaburou Inoue: "I’ll keep your portion on the smaller side. The boys’ portion could be a bit too much for you."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Thank you so much!"

His effortless consideration for others was one of his best traits, to me. I would have liked to take some cooking lessons from him one of these days, too...

Souji Okita: "You kept us waiting. Oh. You don't have much on your plate, as usual."

Chizuru Yukimura: "You think so?"

Heisuke Toudou: "Chizuru's a girl, so of course she'll have less, right? You don’t eat that much either, Souji."

Souji Okita: "And you eat a lot. For your size."

Heisuke Toudou: "That wasn't necessary!"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Hehe."

After a fun lunch, I parted ways with Heisuke-kun and Okita-senpai, and headed back for the classroom.

Shinpachi Nagakura: "Yo, Chizuru-chan!” Working hard today?"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Hello, Nagakura-sensei!"

This is Shinpachi Nagakura-sensei. He was a math teacher and a close friend of Harada-sensei's. Much to his dismay, he was often mistaken for a P.E. teacher, which was no surprise, since he always wore a jersey. He was hopeless with money management and often got in trouble with Hijikata-sensei because of that. But otherwise, he was a great teacher.

Shinpachi Nagakura: "Are you done with lunch already? If you wouldn't mind,  I've a small favor to ask of you.”

Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh, yes! That's fine. What is it?"

Shinpachi Nagakura:  "Sorry for the trouble. I just wanted you to deliver this to Sannan-san for me."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Sannan-sensei... So the infirmary?"

Shinpachi Nagakura: "Yeah. I've, uh...got some other things to take care of. Yeah."

Chizuru Yukimura: "I understand. I'll head there now!"

Shinpachi Nagakura:  "Great. Thanks for the help!"

I headed off to the infirmary with the manila folder Nagakura-sensei gave me.

Chizuru Yukimura: "Excuse me."

Keisuke Sannan: "Oh...Yukimura-kun. Are you unwell?"

This is Sannan Keisuke-sensei, the school nurse. He was always calm, kind, and willing to lend a hand. Knowing that, it was strange how most students tried to avoid ever going to the infirmary...

Chizuru Yukimura: "No, I'm fine. Nagakura-sensei told me to hand this to you."

Keisuke Sannan:  "Nagakura-sensei...?"

Keisuke Sannan:  "Ahh...I see now. He didn't want to deliver it himself, so he used you instead."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Huh?"

Keisuke Sannan: "Heh... He actually missed the deadline for the submission of his documents, you see? I suppose he didn't want me getting angry with him. I'll have to have a word with him later… To think he sent you on a fool's errand when he could've done it himself."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh, no, it's really no trouble."

Susumu Yamazaki:  "Excuse me. ...Oh."

Keisuke Sannan:  "Oh? I see that I've got many visitors today. You're here too, Yamazaki-kun."

This is Yamazaki Susumu-senpai, a junior. He was in the same class as Saitou-senpai, and his homeroom teacher was Nagakura-sensei. As part of the Health Committee, he frequented the infirmary to help Sannan-sensei out with his work. Yamazaki-senpai was a very strait-laced person, who'd never slack off on any of his committee work.

Susumu Yamazaki:  "Pardon me! I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation..."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh, no. It's alright! I've already finished up here."

Keisuke Sannan:  "How cold of you. Are you implying that you've no business talking to me now that you've wrapped up here?"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Huh, wait― What!? N-No! That's not what I meant..."

Susumu Yamazaki:  "...Sannan-sensei."

Keisuke Sannan:  "I know, I know, Yamazaki-kun. I was only teasing."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Really...?"

Keisuke Sannan:  "Heh. It was only a joke. Feel free to come by anytime, now. Of course you should visit when you're feeling ill, but do stop by if you have other concerns as well. I have some good medicine."

Susumu Yamazaki: "Sannan-sensei? But that's...!"

Keisuke Sannan: "Yamazaki-kun. Is there something you'd like to say...?"

Susumu Yamazaki: "...Nothing."

Chizuru Yukimura: "???"

The bell for afternoon classes rang just after I left the infirmary.

Chizuru Yukimura: "I'm already so sleepy..."

With my full stomach and the warm weather, I began to feel a bit drowsy. Thinking that, I returned to my classroom.

Then, as usual, I finished my afternoon classes...

It was time for homeroom again.

Sanosuke Harada:  "...and that's all for today. Those in clubs ― give it all you’ve got. Those going home ― take care not to wander about too much."

Whole class:  "Yeeessir."

Sanosuke Harada:  "...Oh, right, Yukimura."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Yes?"

Sanosuke Harada: "I also told Heisuke. Don't be late tomorrow."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Y-Yes, sir...!"

Sanosuke Harada: "Hahaha, don't give me that face. I'm not really angry with you. Well then, see you tomorrow."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Right! Have a nice day."

I smiled and left the classroom.

Chizuru Yukimura: "Hm? What's going on.... What's all this commotion about?"

???:  "Hey, hey, move it, bastards!"

???: "I'm so sorry, but if you could make way,please."

Chizuru Yukimura: "...That voice is..."

Chikage Kazama:  "Hmph. For these nobodies to block my path... unforgivable. Those who dare defy yours truly, the eminent student council president, Chikage Kazama, must prepare to face the consequences."

Kyuuju Amagiri: "...Please understand this is to avoid further trouble, from what you can see here."

Kyou Shiranui:  "It’d be less dull if some guys here had the guts to throw down with him though."

Chizuru Yukimura: "......!"

When I saw those three cut through the surging crowd, I thought to myself, 'Oh, no.' I really didn’t want to get caught, if I could avoid it. But as that crossed my mind...

Chikage Kazama:  "Oh... You came to meet me yourself. What a praiseworthy sentiment, my betrothed."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Ack! It was a coincidence...!"

Kyuuju Amagiri:  "Greetings, Yukimura-kun. ...You have my sympathies."

Chikage Kazama:  "Amagiri. What do you mean by that?"

Kyou Shiranui:  "The man said what he said. Ain't that right, Chizuru?"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Um......"

I was at a loss. I could only stand there in silence.

This is Chikage Kazama-senpai. He was a senior, and the student council president of Hakuou Academy. He was always accompanied by his attendants, Kyuuju Amagiri-senpai and Kyou Shiranui-senpai, and acted as if the whole world belongs to him. 

And why, really, why did he want me to be his bride? He decided that completely on his own...

This is Kyuuju Amagiri-senpai, another senior who acted like Kazama-senpai's watchman of sorts. ...He didn’t look anything like a high school student. There’s really no other way to put it. But I'd decided not to worry about that. He was probably the only person able to put up with Kazama-senpai's recklessness with any amount of success.

And lastly, this is Kyou Shiranui-senpai.  He was also a senior, like Amagiri-senpai, and always with Kazama-senpai. However, unlike Amagiri, he didn’t seem to really respect Kazama. He could be violent sometimes and a bit scary, but occasionally he could be quite kind too, according to his whim.

Chizuru Yukimura: "Um... Kazama-senpai. I've repeatedly asked you to not call me your wife, so please stop..."

Chikage Kazama:  "Why?"

Chizuru Yukimura: "W-Why....? Because it's not true!!"

Chikage Kazama:  "...I can't hear you. Amagiri, what is the girl saying?"

Kyuuju Amagiri:  "......She said that she is currently undeserving of the honour of marrying you."

Chizuru Yukimura: "What?!"

Chikage Kazama: "Is that so. Such a commendable attitude; such humility is a virtue."

Chizuru Yukimura:: “But, th-that's not...!"

Kyou Shiranui: "Give it up. He doesn’t wanna hear it."

Chizuru Yukimura: "No way!"

Chikage Kazama: "Hm... Fine. I'll overlook this for today. But know this, Chizuru. Once I set my eyes on my prey, I never let it escape. I suggest you ready yourself by coming to a decision.”

Chizuru Yukimura: "Kazama-senpai! Wait...!”

Without listening to a word I said, he turned and left, along with Amagiri-senpai and Shiranui-senpai.

...As they were leaving, Amagiri-senpai bowed deeply to me.

Chizuru Yukimura: “I would rather that he deny it along with me, though...”

"Phew..."

Somehow, after that, a wave of exhaustion came over me, and I let out a sigh. At that moment…

Isami Kondou: "Hm? If it isn't Yukimura-kun. Are you heading home now?"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Kondou-sensei!"

This is Isami Kondou, the founder of Hakuouki Academy. He was always full of enthusiasm. Just watching him and his energy inspired me to do my best, too. His topknot hairstyle surprised me at first. But it seemed that he sports one as his own policy of sorts.

Isami Kondou:  "Glad to see you're doing well. Have you had any issues lately?"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Thank you very much. Everyone's very kind and polite, so I'm doing well!"

Isami Kondou:  "I see, I see, that's great! To think that you're the only girl among a sorry lot of guys."

Isami Kondou: "Even now, I think the admission interview was a bit crazy. I'm sorry about that."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Ahaha..."

As I remembered the Hakuou Academy entrance exam, a wry smile came to my face.

That was back in the winter of this year. I was at a loss for which school I should attend. 

My friend, Osen-chan, suggested Shimabara Girls' High, which she was attending... It was an upper-class all-girls school, and I was worried about the formalities and expensive tuition fees.

Many other schools also interested me, and I just couldn't make up my mind.

Then, as I was trying to decide…

Heisuke Toudou: "Hey, Chizuru! Come to my school! Starting next year, they'll accept girls as well!"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh... Really?"

Heisuke Toudou: "Really! Go to the same school as me!"

At Heisuke-kun's suggestion, I began researching Hakuou Academy.

The tuition was pretty cheap, but more importantly, their educational ideals resonated deeply with me.

And so, I decided to take the entrance exam for Hakuou Academy.

It was difficult, but thanks to the work I put into revising, I managed to pass somehow. What I was most nervous about was actually the interview afterwards. What would they ask me? As my heart began to pound thinking that, the person I faced in the interview was…

Toshizou Hijikata:  "...Chizuru Yukimura. Our academy will begin to admit girls for the first time next year. Depending on the situation, the number of girls may be considerably low. Could you focus on your studies in such an environment?"

Chizuru Yukimura: “...I may have fewer female friends, which might be lonely. But studying is bound to be the main priority for school, so I'll be fine."

Toshizou Hijikata:  "...Why did you choose our school?"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Though this is embarrassing to admit… For one, the tuition is cheap. I don't want to burden my father,” I said. “Beyond that, a childhood friend of mine attends this school, and he told me this was a good place... And after looking into it, it seemed to me that this academy creates an environment that puts their students first... So now, I want to study here. That's what I truly think."

Toshizou Hijikata "...I see."

For some reason, Hijikata-sensei had kept silent for a while after that.

With his most serious expression yet, he had finally opened his mouth again, and asked me this:

Toshizou Hijikata: "...Last question. Can you recite our school's educational philosophy?"

Of course, I had responded immediately.

Chizuru Yukimura: "Yes! It's 'Sincerity'!"

Toshizou Hijikata: "......"

After that, I made it. I was able to pass the admissions process.

At the time, I would never have guessed I'd be the only girl in the school. That had me fairly worried at first.

Isami Kondou:  "I can tell you now that Toshi was against accepting female students until the very last minute.” He continued, "Ah... How do I put it? Um, we're a school with a short history, even if we have noble ideals and whatnot... So, when the proposal to accept girls was raised, Toshi insisted it'd distract the current students and disrupt their discipline."

Chizuru Yukimura: "S-So that's what happened..."

Isami Kondou:  "The compromise was that Toshi would interview candidates himself. And here you are ― the only girl who passed! But I am really sorry. You must have felt out of place. I wouldn't blame you for feeling nervous..."

Chizuru Yukimura: "Kondou-sensei... It's true that I did at first, but I'm alright now. And besides... Now that I'm enrolled here, I think it was one of the best decisions I've ever made!"

Isami Kondou:  "R-Really...! Thank you!! There may be hard times along with the good ones… But I want you to be proud that you're a student Toshi himself accepted, and enjoy your time here. As the principal of this school, I'll be watching over you!"

Chizuru Yukimura: "Thank you so much!"

Mr. Kondou waved me off with a smile and, after waving back at him, I left the school.

Chizuru Yukimura: "I'm home...! ...Haah... It feels kind of lonely when nobody's home..."

My father, a doctor, was on a business trip to some remote island, and wouldn’t be coming home for a while.

Our family clinic was also closed. While I was used to it by then, I think I took it for granted that someone would welcome me home before.

Chizuru Yukimura: "Hm?"

‘I should probably reply as soon as I can.’

-----

Sub: About emails

Since we're in the same class and we're pretty much friends, I'll tell you something.

At the entrance ceremony, the school admins announced that they would contact us via email. Have you registered an address?

You're going to start receiving emails, but apparently you can only reply to them right on the spot when you receive them.

You'll be able to check your email history later, but you can't reply. 

If you want to reply to a message, reply on the spot. 

Well, even if the school contacts you, I'm sure it'll just be chatter from teachers and students anyway.

That's all I wanted to tell you. 

-----

Chizuru Yukimura: "Huh?"

"It's Ibuki-kun again."

-----

Sub: Ryuunosuke Shop Grand Opening

My bad, I forgot I needed to tell you one more thing.

As you spend time at Hakuo Academy, you'll accumulate points from doing things like replying to emails or playing mini-games.

Now that my shop has opened, you can exchange those points for various goods at the shop.

There is a limit to the number of points you can have, so use them quickly.

There are also certain things that cannot be obtained until a certain time has passed, so come and look often. 

I mean.

The operation of this shop is  a matter of life or death for me.

I'm begging you!

Please exchange points!

-----

"Alright, I guess I'll take a look next time."

After I checked the email from Ibuki-kun, I put my phone on my desk and looked out the window.

Chizuru Yukimura: "...I have my friends and teachers. It'll be okay."

‘Tomorrow's gonna be a busy day. I'm sure I won't have time to feel lonely then.’

A place dear to my heart, where I could enjoy my everyday life.

My days at Private Hakuo Academy had only just begun――

[hakuoki-dreams]

I seriously love your blog and always get super excited when I see you've posted something new! Anyway! I've realized that I am as tall/taller than most of the Shinsengumi members, and I'm wondering what they'd think about an SO that's you know... taller or as tall as them. What do you think? Love love love your blog, your hcs and your writing and can't wait to read more from you!

Thanks so much @inquisitorwinchester! This is such a fun request!! I’ve been wanting to write some HCs about this for a while now--we can’t all be Chizuru-sized (love u babe but damn girl u tiny) So here we go, for a random handful of the romanceable guys:

Toshi-

Will be really attracted to the confident way you carry yourself because of your height

If you’re also the type to be independent and do things for yourself, that combination would make him pretty weak

Finds it harder to boss you around when you can stare him down from the same level, which is quite enjoyable for you to watch him come to grips with

He’s usually pretty hands-off and professional with you in public, but will slip an arm around your waist now and then since you’re the perfect height for it

Sanosuke-

It’s definitely all an adjustment at first. He’s used to dating women who are at least a head shorter

Will realize his signature head-pat move doesn’t work as well when the girl’s almost at eye level

Kissing is finally comfortable for him though; he doesn’t have to bend down super far to reach you, which is sort of amazing and a new feeling for him

He’s very much a leg man, so even on a superficial level he certainly could appreciate being with a tall woman

You two also bond over being above average height for your respective genders, swapping stories about the difficulties of finding clothes that fit right and being expected to do the tall-person chores

He loves the thought of settling down with you and imagines with pride how tall all your kids will be

Shinpachi-

It really throws him off in the beginning

He used to think he didn’t really have a type, until he fell for you and realized he’d always gone for petite girls in the past

It makes him uneasy that you’re close to his level, because it means he can’t hide his expression as easily when he gets nervous or embarrassed around you

Still, he really enjoys that you’re tall enough to be a physical match for him

He’s super proud of his physique but tends to be overly conscious of the size difference between him and most girls, not wanting to come on literally too strong with anything

The fact that you’re taller lets him hold back less when you’re kissing or fooling around

Hajime-

He’s not a tall guy, so he’ll be fairly used to running into women who are near his height

Will appreciate that it puts you at perfect hand-holding levels with each other

Sometimes leans his head on your shoulder when he’s tired or feeling affectionate

Might seriously suggest on more than one occasion that you should consider taking up some kind of martial arts or kendo training, since you have a good build for it

It’s the highest of compliments coming from him

Keisuke-

It’s not really something that’s on his radar

He’ll definitely take note of how tall you are, but he won’t treat you differently or feel a certain way toward you because of it

Does like that you can sit and talk to each other eye-to-eye; it’s a little thing, but it makes him happy

Will sometimes ask you to fetch things for him from high-up places and then chuckle to himself at his own dorky joke

Souji-

He’s more into it than he wants to own up to

It’s part of why he gives you such a hard time about that particular feature of yours, poking some fun at your long arms and legs

When you’ve got him at your mercy with enough kisses and affection, he’ll reluctantly admit that it’s not so bad

Likes the way your bodies line up easily during cuddles and sex

Has a running joke that he misses seeing the top of your head and will sometimes pull you down with an arm around your shoulder so he can put a kiss there

Heisuke-

He’d be lying if he said he was 100% secure with his size. But he’s basically come to terms with it by now, thanks to many years of maturing and personal growth

Realizing he has feelings for a girl who’s taller than him might undo that a bit

Inwardly will curse his luck

At first, things like you putting your arm around his shoulders instead of the other way around will make him really chagrined, though he’ll do his best to keep it together in front of you and especially the other captains

He’ll definitely feel a need to prove his manliness to you, even more so than usual

Heisuke’s already the first one to dive into a dangerous situation, but once you’re together it reaches a whole new level

It’s not just recklessness on his part. He’s used to being underestimated by other guys, and part of him will wonder whether you have the opposite problem--that people assume you can take care of yourself because you’re tall and imposing for a girl

He definitely won’t make the same assumptions and in fact will work even harder to protect you, to show how much he cares for you

Susumu-

Thinks it’s pretty hot actually

Like Toshi, he appreciates how confident and self-assured you come off as because of your height

He’s mature enough that it wouldn’t really bother him if you were slightly taller than he is, except in the moments when he’d have to lean up a bit to kiss you

Really into your long legs, and though he’s shy about admitting it out loud, it’s super obvious to you

He’s also a fast walker and used to getting places efficiently when he’s on duty, so the fact that you can keep up with his pace without even trying is a nice bonus

[coquettishcat-blog]

Prologue: Welcome to Private Hakuouki Academy

Do you want to skip the prologue

Yes

No

-- May --

MC:

Heisuke, are you awake? It's almost time for school... ....... ............... Uh, uhm..... Hello? Heisuke--!

Toudou Heisuke:

Sorry Chizuru! Just wait five minutes!!

MC:

Ah... Heisuke!? Come on.....

Five minutes later...

We still have a little bit of time to spare, I think it's okay...

MC:

.... It’s already been five minutes... ..........Not yet? What to do.... I guess I'll try buzzing the intercom one more time.....

Toudou Heisuke

Morning! And, sorry!

MC: 

Ah, Heisuke! Morning!

This is Toudou Heisuke, my next door neighbor and childhood best friend. Heisuke and I go to the same school together and we usually meet up and walk to school together. He's a year ahead of me in high school making him my senior. Even though he's my senior, he prefers not being called "Heisuke-senpai" and just prefers me calling him by his first name. I've been counting on him since I was little. He can oversleep in the morning sometimes from playing his favorite video game too much and sometimes that can be a problem.

Toudou Heisuke:

Is the time still okay?

MC:

I think we're cutting it a little too close...!

Toudou Heisuke:

Are you serious..? Alright, let's go!

MC:

Y-yes!

It's been a bit hectic this morning, but now we have to hurry--!!

Toudou Heisuke:

Dammit, even if the alarm did go off, I would have been on time!

MC:

Heisuke, you said that last time.

Toudou Heisuke:

Oh, then my alarm must be broken! I'll buy a new one next time!!

???

It's noisy this morning.

MC:

Ah....

Okita Souji

Morning, you two.

MC:

Good morning, Okita!

This is Okita Souji. He's in second year and he's in the same class as Heisuke. I get along well with him and we're pretty good friends. Okita is a little mischevious/likes to tease people and he likes to take pictures with his cellphone. Sometimes, he occasionally sends me emails. There's something that worries me about them and how I should respond to them, and I am a little troubled by that.

Toudou Heisuke:

Souji's here... Now I know we're really running late.

Okita Souji:

Maybe....that's especially not good. The school won’t run away.

Toudou Heisuke:

I can't afford to be late! Hell's gatekeeper will be waiting for us!

Okita Souji:

Haha, oh you're exaggerating. I don't think you need to be that scared.

MC:

Let's hurry anyway! Okita, please do your best and run!

Okita Souji

...Looks like I don't have a choice.

We then desperately ran.

Of course, you're not supposed to be late for school, More than that, I also don't want to be late. There's a reason why---.

Toudou Heisuke:

"Yes! Slide-in.... safe!!"

???:

Sorry, but it’s out.

MC:

Huh.....?

Saitou Hajime

As a member of the school disciplinary committee, I cannot overlook a violation of the school rules. Even if it's five seconds.

Nagumo Kaoru:

In that case, it’s bad you desperately ran, but I’ll give you a point.

MC:

Kaoru and Saitou....!

....Yes, the reason why we ran so frantically was because of the members of the school disciplinary committee.

This is Saitou. He's in second year. He is a very serious person who is feared [by students] as a school disciplinary committee member. Heisuke often calls him "not flexible" and it goes without saying, he is stricter to himself than anyone else. However, I think he's a decent person and a good senior.

This is Kaoru and he's in the same year as me. In fact, he's my twin brother. There are a lot of reasons why our last names are different. One of the reasons however is that he lived away for a time. I was happy to hear at first that we were going to be attending the same school ....But, Kaoru isn't very honest and he gives a rude attitude to our seniors, and it always makes me feel anxious/nervous.... Toudou Heisuke:

It's only five seconds! The gate isn't closed yet, let me pass!

Nagumo Kaoru:

I don't like that. What are the benefits of letting you go?

Toudou Heisuke:

It might not be a benefit, but it's another loss you can take!

Saitou Hajime:

Heisuke. Don't say anything unheeded. The rules are there to protect you.

Okita Souji:

As you can see, Heisuke. I'm sorry.

Toudou Heisuke:

Souji! Which side are you on?

MC:

Uhm... Heisuke. It's a fact that we were late and we couldn't help it.

Toudou Heisuke:

But....!

???:

Shut up! What are you all doing there!

MC:

Ah.....!

Hijikata Toshizou:

Saitou, Nagumo! It's time, close the gate.

Saitou Hajime:

Yes, sir.

Nagumo Kaoru:

Hmph, I'm sorry.

Hijikata Toshizou:

And Heisuke, Souji, MC. You three, hurry up and get inside. ...Don't be late.

MC:

Y-yes sir!

This is Hijikata Toshizou. He's Heisuke's and Okita's class teacher. He also teaches Classical Japanese. Mr. Hijikata is very strict, but he's eager to educate. He is also the vice-principal of the school, and a childhood friend of Mr. Kondou, the principal of the school. Mr.Hijikata always looks tense and there is an atmosphere around him that keeps people away.

Hijikata Toshizou:

Tch.... you're late every day without learning a lesson.....

Hijikata Toshizou:

W-what was that?

Okita Souji

Haha. Mr. Hijikata's wrinkles are looking deeper than they were yesterday.

Hijikata Toshizou

Souji! You!!

Okita Souji

Would you like to compare yesterday's photos to today's? Look, look!

Hijikata Toshizou

I don't need to! And don't take photos without permission!

......To the vice-principal who everyone is afraid of the way to get involved liked this it might only be Okita..... That's what I thought, as we left the school gate.

--Private Hakuouki Academy.

This school, which was a boys-only school until last year, is a relatively new school that was founded with the belief of Kondou Isami, the head of the school. This is my first time at Private Hakuouki Academy as a school girl..... I am also the only girl at this school. When I learned that there were no other girls, I was a little nervous.... I think I can get along well with the people around me.

MC:

.....It can't be! I have to get to class....!

MC:

Good, I made it in time.....

Ibuki Ryunosuke:

Huh? That's unusual, Yukimura/MC. It's unlike you to show up last minute.

MC:

Oh, Ibuki. Morning. I'm a little bit behind this morning.

This is Ibuki Ryunosuke and he is in the same class as me. Many people think Ibuki is a crude person​, but I think he's actually a nice person. He always has milk and a bread roll with red bean paste for lunch. I asked him if he was eating enough, but he tells me that he has no money, so there's no choice. Regarding that, his guardian, Mr. Serizawa is known to be a violent person, but I wonder if he actually is or if that’s just a rumor......?

Ibuki Ryunosuke:

The teacher is about to come. You should sit down.

MC:

Yeah, thanks Ibuki.

???:

Take your seats. Class is about to start.

MC:

Oh!

When I rushed to my seat, at the front of the class, Mr. Harada was grinning at me.

Harada Sanosuke

What's wrong, MC? It's rare for you to be late.

MC:

Y-yes... Excuse me...

This is Mr. Harada. He is my teacher,  and he's also the health and Phys Ed. teacher. He is a friendly person, who is loved by all his students. He used to go to the same Kendo Dojo as Heisuke and Mr. Nagakura, the math teacher. Even now they all seem to still have a good friendship with each other.

Harada Sanosuke:

Well, I can imagine the reasons why you're late. If you know you're going to be late, just leave Heisuke behind.

MC:

Uh, that's... I'll do my best to not be late again....

Harada Sanosuke

Please do.

Harada Sanosuke

Well, let's get to it. I have a message for you today--

I don't want to leave it for later, I should try to make some arrangements, such as going to go pick it up earlier. I’ll try figuring something out. Classmate A:

Well. it's finally lunch time.

Classmate B:

I'm starving- Hey, Ibuki, do you want to go to the school cafeteria with us?

Ibuki Ryunosuke:

If you treat me then I’ll go.

Classmate B:

No way!

Ibuki Ryunosuke:

You know I don't have money. So don't ask me.

Classmate A:

U-uhm, MC, what about you? Would you like to have lunch with me--?

MC:

Me? Uhm....

My classmate invited me out for lunch which makes me happy, but....

MC:

I'm sorry... I already have plans. How about another time?

Classmate A:

I-I see...

I apologized once more and then headed to the school cafeteria.

The cafeteria is very crowded, it was like a battlefield. Everyone seems to be getting agitated because they're hungry. Toudou Heisuke

Oh, hey, MC! Over here!

Heisuke and Okita are waving at me. I can't keep them waiting, I have to hurry....!

MC:

Uh.... I wonder if I should take meal set A.

I bought a meal ticket for set A at the ticket vending machine, I then lined up with the other students in the lunch line....

Inoue Genzaburou:

Oh, MC. You came to the cafeteria today.

MC:

Mr. Inoue. Hello!

This is Mr. Inoue. He is the one who cooks and handles the student meals. He is very kind, and is nicknamed "Mother of Private Hakuouki Academy" by the students. There are actually rumors that he's a very good person, but is it true?

Inoue Genzaburou:

I will keep the amount small. If I give you the same amount as the boys, it would be too much for you.

MC:

Yes, thank you very much!

He is always considerate when it comes to others, and I think it's one of his good traits. The next time I want to learn how to cook, I will definitely ask Mr. Inoue how it's done. Okita Souji:

You kept us waiting. Eh? That’s a small amount of food.

MC:

You think so?

Toudou Heisuke:

It's because MC is a girl, that's why, isn't it? Souji, you don't really eat that much either.

Okita Souji:

Heisuke eats for his body.

Toudou Heisuke:

Saying that wasn't necessary!

MC:

Heehee

After a fun lunch, Heisuke left and went back to his classroom and as I was on my way back to my own classroom...

Nagakura Shinpachi:

Yo, MC! Are you working hard today?

MC:

Mr. Nagakura. Hello!

This is Mr. Nagakura. He is in charge of mathematics and is a close friend with Mr. Harada. He is always wearing his tracksuit and I often mistake him for the Phys Ed. teacher. He is a very lively person. He is poor with money management, and gets scolded by Mr. Hijikata often because of that. Mr. Nagakura is an energetic and wonderful teacher.

Nagakura Shinpachi:

Have you already finished lunch? If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a small favor.

MC:

Oh, yes! That's fine. What is it?

Nagakura Shinpachi:

Sorry about that. I just wanted you to help deliver this to Mr. Sannan.

MC:

Mr. Sannan... So the Infirmary?

Nagakura Shinpachi:

Yeah. I've, uh... Got some small things to take care of, you see.

MC: 

I understand. I will go now!

Nagakura Shinpachi:

Thanks for your help!

I headed off to the infirmary with the manila folder from Mr. Nagakura.

MC:

Excuse me.

Sannan Keisuke:

Oh..... MC. Are you sick?

This is Sannan Keisuke. He's the infirmary's school doctor. Nice and empathetic, a great doctor who accepts consultations all the time. Even though that's the case, it's strange how most students try to avoid ever going to the infirmary.

MC:

No, that's not what I'm here for. I was told by Mr. Nagakura to hand this to you.

Sannan Keisuke:

Mr. Nagakura...? Ahh... I see. He didn't want to come here so he used you instead.

MC:

Huh?

Sannan Keisuke:

Fufu... He actually missed the dateline for the submission of his documents, you see? Guess he didn't want me getting mad at him. I have to put in a word with him later... To think he sent you on a fool's errand when he could do it himself.

MC:

Oh, no. it’s fine. It’s okay, so--

Yamazaki Susumu:

Excuse me... Oh--!

Sannan Keisuke:

Oh? I see that I've got quite the audience today. You're here too, Yamazaki.

This is Yamazaki Susumu and he's in second year. He's in the same class as Saito, and his class teacher was Mr. Nagakura. He often frequents the infirmary to help Mr. Sannan out with his job as part of the Health Committee. He's a very serious individual who'd never slack off any committee work.

Yamazaki Susumu:

Sorry for barging into the middle of your conversation...!

MC: 

Oh, no. It's alright! I'm almost done here, actually.

Sannan Keisuke:

Don't be so cold, now. Are you implying that you've no business talking to me now that you've wrapped up here?

MC:

Huh, wait- what!? N-No! That's not what I meant...

Yamazaki Susumu:

...Mr. Sannan.

Sannan Keisuke

I know, I know, Yamazaki. I was just teasing.

MC:

Were you, really?

Sannan Keisuke:

Fufu. That, earlier, was a joke. Do, however, feel free to come by whenever you like. Do come when you're feeling unwell, but you can also approach me if you have any problems or concerns as well. I've got a medicine to all your problems.

Yamazaki Susumu:

M-Mr. Sannan? But that's...!

Sannan Keisuke:

Yamazaki. Do you have something to say...?

Yamazaki Susumu:

......No......

MC:

???

When I left the infirmary, the bell for the afternoon class began to ring.

MC:

I'm going to be so sleepy during my afternoon classes....

My stomach is full and today the weather is good,  so maybe more good things will come too. That's what I thought as I was going back to the classroom.

And then, afternoon class was over.... It was time to return to go to HR class.

Harada Sanosuke:

So, that's it for today. For those of you who have club activities, give it all you’ve got, and for those of you who are going home, should make your way home before it gets dark.

Classmates:

Yeeeeeeees!

Harada Sanosuke:

....Oh yeah, that's right, MC.

MC:

Yes?

Harada Sanosuke:

I also told Heisuke. Don't be late tomorrow.

MC:

Y-yes sir...!

Harada Sanosuke:

Hahaha, don't give me that face. I'm not angry. Well, see you tomorrow.

MC:

Yes! Please excuse me.

I said that with a smile and left the classroom.

MC:

What's going on.... Why is there such a commotion in the hallways?

???:

Move, get out of the way!

???:

I am very sorry, we will be out of the way shortly.

MC:

....That voice belongs to....

Kazama Chikage:

Oh.... It's unforgivable for these nobodies to block my path. As the student council president and person with the highest grades, those who [dare to] defy me should be prepared to go up against me.

Amagiri Kyuju:

...As you can see, I would like you to endure here in order to avoid trouble.

Shiranui Kyo:

But, it's more interesting to have a guy who is more upset about it.

MC:

........!

People moved to either side of the hallway, as the three people walked down the middle of the hallway. I don't want to get caught if I can. That’s what I thought when...

Kazama Chikage:

Oh... I never thought I'd come to meet you personally, my wife.

MC:

It's a coincidence... Wait, what?!

Amagiri Kyuju:

So, this is MC. .......I sympathize with you.

Kazama Chikage:

Amagiri. What does that mean?

Shiranui Kyo:

Don’t worry about it. Hey, MC?

MC:

Uh......

I had no choice, but to shut up and nod.

This is Kazama. He is a third-year student, and the student council president of Private Hakuouki Academy. He is always with (mediator) Amagiriand followed by Shiranui. He also behaves in a very arrogant way. And for some reason, he wants me to be his wife, without asking for my thoughts on the matter.....

This is Amagiri. He is also a third-year student, he looks after Kazama. No matter where you look from, I feel that he doesn't look like a high school student, but that's not something I should be worried about. I think it is only Amagiri that can keep Kazama's absurd statements successfully repoved.

And lastly, this is Shiranui.  He is a third-year student too, and is always with Kazama, like Amagiri. However, Shiranui is different from Amagiri, he does not seem to respect much about Kazama. He can be a little rough around the edges, and a little scary, but once in a while, he can be kind.

MC:

Uh.... Kazama. I have said it a few times before, but please stop saying that I am [to be] your wife....

Kazama Chikage:

Why?

MC:

W-why....? Because I'm not your wife!

Kazama Chikage:

......I can't hear you. Amagiri, what is the girl saying?

Amagiri Kyuju:

............ .....At this time, she is not ready to get married--

MC:

Huh?!

Kazama Chikage:

is that right? It's not easy to be brave. It is good to be humble.

MC:

Uhm, it's not like that.....!

Shiranui Kyo:

Just give up. He's not listening.

MC:

No!

Kazama Chikage:

Oh, that's good. I'm going to miss you for today. Still MC. I never miss once I've decided on my prey.  It's your decision, you should decide quickly.

MC:

Kazama! That's.....!

Kamaza didn't listen to what I had to say, and he pulled Amagiri and Shiranui and walked away.

....On the way out, Amagiri lowered his head and bowed deeply....

MC:

If I could do it, I wouldn't have denied it.

MC:

Phew......

After that, I felt kind of tired and let out a sigh.

Kondou Isami:

Hm? Is that you, MC? Are you going back home now?

MC:

Mr. Kondou!

This is Kondou Isami. He is the founder of Private Hakuouki Academy. He is always full of enthusiasm. When I see Mr. Kondou, I feel that I need to work hard and do my best. I was surprised at first when I saw the chonmage on his head, but it seems that it is Kondou's teacher's policy.

Kondou Isami:

You look well. Do you have any troubles?

MC:

Thank you very much. But, everything is going well, so I'm fine!

Kondou Isami:

Okay, okay, that's good! I just wanted to know because you're the only girl among so many male students. If I think about it now, the entrance exam interview was a bit ridiculous, and I'm sorry about that.

MC:

Ahaha.......

I remembered my experience of the Private Hakuouki Academy entrance exam interview with a wry smile.

--- That was in winter.

I was having trouble deciding on what school to attend until the very last minute. My friend, Sen, invited me to the Shimabara Girls' High School where she was attending... As it was a princess school, I was worried about the high formalities and tuition fees. There were many other schools that I was concerned about and I couldn't decide for sure. When that happened.....

Toudou Heisuke:

Oh, MC! Come to our school! Our school is taking applications from girls for the next school year​!

MC:

Oh..... Is that right?

Toudou Heisuke:

That's right! Come to the same school as me!

With the invitation from Heisuke, I looked more into Private Hakuouki Academy. The school fees were cheap, and the letters that were widely held up as the educational philosophy were the most important, touched my heart. And so, I decided to enroll in Private Hakuouki Academy.

The exam was difficult, but thanks to my hard work studying for the enterance exams, I think I did well, somehow. I was more nervous about the interview than I was for the actual exam. What kind of questions will they ask? That's what I thought, but the real challenge appeared in front of me, with my heart pounding--

Hijikata Toshizou:

....MC. Next year will be the first time that our school will accept girls-- Depending on the situation, the number of girls may be considerably less. Can you concentrate on studying [while] in such an environment?

MC:

Even though the number of female students are few, I may be lonely, but it's natural to focus on school when school, so, I'll be fine, it's okay because that’s normal.

Hijikata Toshizou:

......... So, why did you choose our school?

MC:

I'm embarrassed to say this, but... One of the reasons why I chose this school was because the school fees are so low. I didn't want to cause trouble for my parents. Besides that, I heard from my childhood friend, who goes to this school, that it is a good place..... After examining it in various ways, I believe that this school creates an environment that keeps students in mind first... I want to learn here, too.... From the bottom of my heart.

Hijikata Toshizou:

.....Is that right?

For some reason, Mr. Hijikata kept silent for a while afterward. When he opened up his mouth again, he looked at me with the most serious eyes and asked [me] this.

Hijikata Toshizou:

.....Last question. Can you tell me the educational philosophy of our school?

I responded, of course, immediately.

MC:

Yes! It's "truth!”

Hijikata Toshizou:

............

After all of that, I successfully passed the enterance exam. At the time, I didn't think I would be the only girl, so I was really nervous at first.

Kondou Isami:

I can tell you right now, Toshi was originally against accepting female students until the very last minute. Oh. What I mean by that is, we're still a school with a shallow history, and the idea of changing that was something unthinkable. So, there was a proposal that female students should also be accepted, but Toshi insisted that school order would be disturbed.

MC:

I see.....

Kondou Isami:

The compromise was that Toshi had to interview you himself. And here you are - the girl who passed the interview was you! No, I'm really sorry. I am giving you a narrow shoulder. I would have been anxious....

MC:

Mr. Kondo.... I was nervous at first, but it's fine now. Also-- I decided to enter this school and I think it was one of the best decisions I've ever made!

Kondo Isami:

I-I see...! Thanks for saying that!! There will be hard times going forward, I had Toshi admit to enroll you. I want you to enjoy your days here. As the principal of this school, I'll keep an eye out on you.

MC:

Yes, thank you very much!

Mr. Kondou waved his hand and smiled and I looked back at him while I was leaving school.

MC:

I'm home....! *Sigh....* There's nobody at home, I guess I'm a little lonely after all....

My father is a doctor, and he's on a business trip to a small remote island. He will not be returning for a while. Our clinic is closed until he returns. There's usually no one at home to say "welcome back" when I arrive and having nobody at home is usually common.

MC:

Huh?

I think it's better to reply to Ibuki's email as soon as possible.

MC:

Huh? It's Ibuki again. Yeah, I'll check it out next time.

After I checked the email from Ibuki, I put my phone down on my desk and looked outside my bedroom window.

MC:

I have many caring friends and teachers.... So, I'll be okay.

It will be a lively day tomorrow as well. ...So, there is no time to think about how lonely I am. I can spend my days at school with all of the people who care for me.

My days at Private Hakuouki Academy are still [just the] beginning---

[hannah-deserved-better]

My fandoms and my favorite characters and ships

I’m going to talk about all my fandoms and my top one or two characters from each fandom, and my top OTP from each one, if I have any. I’m going in order from when they entered my life. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation

I watched TNG when it first aired in 1987. It was my first fandom and my most time honored fandom. I literally grew up watching it as a child, until it ended in about 1994, when I was about 10. I didn’t know about ships or OTPs or anything back then (no internet cuz you know... it was the 80′s and I was a child). But I did have my favorites: 

Favorite Characters

Captain Picard: Seriously Picard is awesome. He was my first role model. He always had an important lesson to teach and he always did the right thing. I had tons of different Captain Picard action figures.

Dr. Crusher:  She was probably my very first girl crush. I seriously loved Dr. Crusher. I thought she was tough and smart. In the 80s, when women were beginning to be able to go to college and stuff, she was especially important because she was the Chief Medical officer. She had an important role on the ship.

OTP: It shouldn’t come as a surprise that my OTP for TNG is Picard and Crusher. I wanted them to get together so bad!! My favorite episode was “attached” an episode in season seven where the two of them were stranded on a deserted planet and could hear each other’s thoughts. They learned about their intimate dreams and their feelings for each other.

Star Trek Deep Space Nine: 

Deep Space Nine is near and dear to me because it was MY show. I watched it as a young teenager. It was there for me when I was dealing with some dark times in my life, and dealing with the challenges of being a teenager. it was the first fandom that I wrote fan fiction for. Of course, there was no internet then either, so it was just on notebooks and those notebooks have been lost in time. But even now, Deep Space Nine is my default when I can’t decide what to watch. Its my comfort zone, it’s where I feel safe. It was also one of the first times I felt moved by a show ending. I mourned TNG but I was too young. DS9 left just a void and there was no netflix to take comfort in, so no reruns.

Kira Nerys

I loved Kira so much! She was so bad ass. I seriously wanted to be her back in the day. She had a quick temper and she could be stubborn but she had a very tough past. She was a terrorist. She fought for her people’s freedom and she cared deeply for her planet. She dealt with some serious trauma and PTSD because she had been fighting as a resistance fighter since she was a child. It’s all she knew. Living in caves, starving, surviving. She taught me how to be resourceful, my favorite quote is when she said if you need a hammer, use a wrench. 

Constable Odo

Odo was the sheriff in town. He cared about justice and getting at the truth and he tended to be very hardline about it. He took his work very seriously. I loved his banter with Quark. Odo was the observer, he was on no one’s side but he didn’t hesitate to give his opinion and he wasn’t a fan of authority. He did things his way.

OTP: Kira and Odo! I shipped them so hardback in the day! I knew they had something from the very beginning. In season one I shipped them. I was waiting through the whole show to see them be canon, only to be crushed when Odo left in the series finale! That kiss on the promenade was probably the best thing that ever happened to me!

Star Trek Voyager

I admit I didn’t get into Voyager right away. I was mourning for DS9 and couldn’t handle any more Star Trek spin-offs at the time. So I didn’t get into it until it had already been syndicated. But when I did, it definitely hit me hard. I was going through my early community college years, making friends, I met my husband around this time. I moved away from my parents. There were a lot of changes in my life so VOY came into my life at an important time.

Captain Janeway

Of course, I love her! She’s the captain! She’s smart, she’s tough, and she doesn’t take crap from anyone. She was another huge role model in my life. She was a scientist and a leader. Her crew mattered the most to her and it was through her that I learned about sacrifice and bravery. 

Commander Chakotay

I liked Chakotay. I liked his spiritual side. I happen to be part Native American so that’s something I related to him with. He was a strong sensitive type. The warrior. 

OTP: Janeway and Chakotay of course! I wanted them to get together so bad! It kills me when they had so many close chances that never happened. I mean it was so clear that they loved each other and that Chakotay/Seven thing at the end was a total slap in the face to us Janeway/Chakotay fans! I still hate the writers for that! it totally ruined the series finale for me.  

X-files: So begins the era of stuff that husband introduced me to, starting with X-files. I had never watched it back when it was on because I only had eyes for Star Trek, but my husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, introduced me to pretty much every fandom from here on out. X-files was his show, its what he grew up on. 

Scully: I’m a total Scully girl. I love her! She’s a scientist and she wears a gun. Total badass! And I love that even though her scientific mind, she was also spiritual which, as a pagan, I can relate. She knows that she is in a male-dominated occupation but she doesn’t let it bother her and isn't afraid to give people a piece of her mind.

Mulder

You can’t have Scully without Mulder! I love how dedicated to the cause he was. And my husband and I have this on going joke that whenever you see a top secret secured area you have to wonder if Mulder has broken into it yet. Cuz he always manages to get to places where he isn’t exactly supposed to be. 

OTP: Mulder and Scully of course! Mulder may be a goof ball but he has said some of the most romantic, amazing things. “You were my constant” that whole speech right there was amazing.

Lord of the Rings

My husband introduced me to Lord of the Rings. I never read the books until I met him and even then, I’ve only read the Fellowship, but I loved the movies. They are my ultimate sick day splurge. I plan a LOTR/hobbit marathon when I get sick. 

Aragorn: I think we are seeing a pattern. I like the leader types. The warriors. Which is why I love Aragorn! Also, I’ve always had a thing for guys with long hair so there’s that. But yeah, Aragorn is the sensitive, courageous warrior but he also has this self-doubt. He worries that he won't live up to what everyone knows he must become. 

Faramir

The younger brother to Boromir. I hate how Faramir’s father treated him and I think it’s sad how he still looked up to him and to his brother. He was brave but he had a kind heart and he deserved better than Denethor.

OTP: To be honest, I didn’t really ship anyone from Lord of the Rings. 

Rurouni Kenshin

I’ve never really been into anime but this is the one exception. And of course, my husband introduced me. He’s been a fan of the anime and the manga. I like this anime for it’s historical content. I am a history major and I love fandoms that make the setting a big part of the show. Like the setting itself is a character too, and this was certainly true in Kenshin. Meiji Japan was a character in the show in many ways. I really loved how it tied history into everything, describing Japan’s beginning of imperialism and its rise that would eventually put it on the world stage.

Kenshin

Kenshin is my favorite character! The wandering Samurai who just wants to protect people. He’s the warrior type just like all my other favorites. 

OTP: I didn’t really ship anyone, although I did have a soft spot for Kenshin/Kauru and Sanosuke/Megumi.

The Legends of Drizzt

My favorite book series of all time! I got so obsessed with the Drow through reading these books. My favorites were the first books about Drizzt and his homeland. This is also the first fandom my friend and I got really into and started RPGs with. WE had done RPGs with Voyager and X-files crossovers but this was probably the longes RPG series we did.

Drizzt Do’Urdon: Drizzt and Kenshin have a lot of similarities. Drizzt is another warrior type. He was abused by his female-dominated society until he finally had the courage to do what few drow ever did- leave. He faced hatred and discrimination on the surface because everyone feared the Drow.

OTP: I didn’t really ship anyone. I liked Drizzt/Cattie-brie and I thought it would have been nice if he got to reconcile with Ellifain and maybe they could have been together, but that’s all.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

I wouldn’t say I am a hardcore Buffy fangirl, but I love the show. My sisters were really obsessed with it back in the day and they both know every single episode by heart. My husband is a huge fan so he finally got me to watch it. 

Willow Rosenburg

Willow’s my favorite! She’s nerdy, geeky, and witchy. She’s been Buffy’s number one and she’s no side kick, she can handle her own. I was a nerd in school, and still am so I get her.

OTP: I liked Buffy and Angel and Willow and Tara. I also thought maybe Xander and Spike would have been cool, or maybe Xander and Andrew.

The Hobbit

I loved the Hobbit movies despite the criticism. They were my first attempt at publishing fiction online. I have a bunch of my old Hobbit fics on Fan Fiction.net still. I also have saved some of my all time favorite Hobbit fics. I love the brotherly love between Fili and Kili and fan fic writers did such a good job of capturing it!

Fili

I am on the ‘justice for Fili’ team for sure. I seriously feel like Fili deserved way more than what he got in the movies. The third movie irritated me because Fili hardly got a part. It’s like he wasn’t even there. Fili was Thorin’s heir and I just think fan fiction does a way better job of giving him the love he deserved. 

Kili

I loved Kili. He’s the younger brother so he feels he has to prove to Thorin- his hero- that he can do what needs to get done. I think it hurt him to be left behind.

OTP: No OTPS here, I don’t really ship anyone. I wasn’t a fan of the Kili/Tauriel thing at all. When I write Hobbit fics, I have these OCs I have been using for years that I ship with Fili and Kili but that’s all.

Supernatural

Last but not least! Supernatural is my last fandom. I’ve been a part of it for about three or four years. It’s my most current, the one I’m into the most at the moment. After it ends, that will be it! No more fandoms for me, all my fandoms will be things of the past. But my husband introduced me to it. He and I both have an interest in theology so that’s why we got into it, for all the angel and religious aspect. I like the mystic stuff, and I like how angels and demons are these different species with their own rules and such. That is the thing I’ve always loved about science fiction and fantasy- I love learning about non human cultures. I like learning how their society is. 

Hannah

Hannah is my current crush these days. I love her. I pretty much think she is a goddess. I have so many reasons. I love that she is a soldier and she’s tough, I love that she has flaws but that she’s brave. Her inner conflict was the best part of her character, how she struggled with her sense of law and justice and with her emotions. She seemed to struggle a lot with trying to process the things she felt. I can honestly say that she is the closest I’ve ever seen to a female person with autism in any of my fandoms. That’s why I love her so much, I relate to her on such a personal level, being autistic myself. She inspires my writing and my art so much. She’s probably my favorite character out of all my fandoms right now. I’ve never related to a character more than I do to her. She is the character I love to play the most because she feels comfortable to me. 

Castiel

When it comes to team free will, I am a Cas-girl all the way! Who doesn’t love that adorable little angel? I feel like Castiel’s whole time on the show has been so sad. He rebelled for his friends and ever since then, it’s been one disaster after another with him and even now when season 15 is about to come out, I don’t think he’s ever found true happiness, and that hurts. He misses being an angel and it hurts that they don’t accept him for who he is. I’ve tried to touch upon Castiel’s emotional health a lot in my writing because I don’t think the show does a good job of addressing it. He has done so much for the Winchesters but I don’t think he’s happy with how his life is now, especially after the end of the last season. 

OTP: Castiel and Hannah! My ultimate hardcore forever OTP. I truly believe Castiel loved Hannah and its clear that she loved him. She is one of the few people in Castiel’s life who seemed to truly, honestly want to address his needs. She literally begged him multiple times to take care of himself, and in true Winchester fashion, was willing to let Metatron out and this sacrifice the world, just to save Cas. She’s one of the few angels who cared about Castiel, even knowing what he’s done, none of that bothered her. In the beginning when they first met, when all the other angels wanted to kill him, she didn’t care what he had done and only left when she thought he had betrayed them and was quick to come back to him when she found out the truth. I love Castiel and Hannah, pretty much all my fics focus on them. 

NOTE: Before you start getting all upset about the fact that all my OTP ships are m/f, I want to point some things out to you. First off, I am bi. Second of all, m/f doesn’t always equal straight and m/m or f/f doesn’t always equal gay. STOP IT WITH THE BI ERASURE!!! I have plenty of other ships but these are my top ships and yes I mostly ship m/f. Just because they all just happen to be my favorites. Maybe because all the above characters tend to have certain characteristics and certain traits and it's their personalities that I ship not their gender. Also, I have huge crushes on the above female AND male characters so again, it’s probably why I ship them. Also, I am demisexual so sex doesn’t really play a huge role in who I ship. A lot of these characters also have similarities to me and my husband, so I tend to ship what I see in real life. I actually ship plenty of other ships other than what’s listed, yes most are still m/f, but some are f/f and some are poly. I don’t ship a lot of m/m because, well, I just don’t. I haven’t found any m/m ships that I really ship. I am all about chemistry first and if I don’t feel it I don’t feel it. Since sex doesn’t play a factor in my ships much, I need them to connect mentally and emotionally much more than physically. I also value equality in relationships. I am not into the whole ‘opposites attract’ thing. Characters have to be compatible. 

And one other thing. Chemistry is in the eye of the beholder. What one person sees as chemistry someone else might not agree and that’s okay. It’s okay to disagree it's not okay to be a hater.

[akatokuro]

The Inevitable StS Rewatch, Episodes 26-29

Leo Aiolia is... an angry person, you say? I never would have guessed!

- This whole Aiolia scene is REALLY interesting on a lot of levels and does a lot for his character.

- I love his whole immediate reaction to just hearing that there are deserters on the loose - Sanctuary is a brutal, awful place even without the recent setup of the Pope making things even worse. You are more than likely to get killed if you are a trainee there. It is more than understandable that people would want to escape. But Lia's response is "you fucking morons."

- Well, Lia probably has baggage about people trying to "escape Sancutary" to begin with, but...

- Lia is a decent guy, especially for a Saint, but he's determinedly and deliberately Lawful Neutral as fuck. He jumps in for the deserter babies situation, is clearly stern and unpleased, but then deliberately "softens" to urge the babies to go back. He's not going to be cruel about it, and he's more "merciful" than a lot of Saints would be, but he's also not going to let them go. His preference is resolving this without having to kill anyone, sure - but if it really comes down to it, he's going to uphold Sanctuary Law.

- And then, of course, Lia gets thoroughly disrespected and shittalked to his face by a bunch of Silver fuckwits. Lol at even the trainees calling him "Aiolia-san" vs "Algol-sama." Like, dude... yikes.

- Aiolia is even kind of weirdly meek when protesting, stammering and trailing off and all. You’d never guess this guy is a Gold Saint going from the dynamics in this scene, who could effortlessly squash everyone involved here like a fucking bug.

- And finally, Lia is clearly off-put by the blatant cruelty here, but does he actually do anything about it, whether it's against Algol and Shaina directly or the broader situation? Nah.

- yumetabibito, being the filthy Aiolia-lover she is, went ahead and checked, and this scene didn't exist in the manga, and Toei almost certainly wrote it before the reveal in the manga that Lia is a Gold Saint. It's hard to imagine that it would exist if they had known, because it revolves around Aiolia getting no fucking respect. Presumably, all they had to go off of was that Aiolia cameo from the first chapter, which they seem to have mostly gotten "likes Seiya and Marin?" from. So they’re vaguely trying to align him with them as sort of a sympathetic underdog in Sanctuary.

- But even so... they somehow stumbled into a really good and fitting scene that adds a lot to his character with future context in mind!

- yume and I have talked about, well, okay, Lia gets shit on and bullied for being a traitor's little brother - that's an important part of his characterization and his motives - but where does the hostility towards him really come from? He's clearly well-liked amongst the trainees and the regular soldiers. Among the Golds - okay, yeah, Milo, Deathmask, and Aphrodite would give him shit. (Goddammit, Milo.) But most of the rest of them either don't care or would be sympathetic.

- Getting his face spit on constantly by SILVERS, though, makes a lot of sense and would be even more rage-enducing than getting spit on by his actual peers. Because the Silvers obviously feel "safe". They know that Aiolia can't actually fight back or do anything without validating everything anyone has said about him and his relationship and his brother. He has to take it. And the fact that he just takes it leads to even less respect, with him being seen as a push-over while Aiolia quietly fantasizes about stomping on their broken arms.

- So in that way, it makes sense with the shitty crop of Silvers that around that jerking Leo Aiolia's chain is thought of as actually sort of a fun, twisted game. They get to taunt a fucking GOLD, a "traitor's brother" and wave their dicks around in his face and all the Gold can do is seethe powerlessly.

- tldr; Aiolia is very angry, has always been very angry, and even though it came together like this on accident - scenes like this give a lot of depth and context to that endless, boiling anger to the point that it is really, really fucking funny that it was almost certainly Toei writing out of ignorance of who Aiolia really was. How Aiolia is treated, and how he responds to the situation - both with the deserters themselves and with Algol and Shaina being assholes - says a lot about him.

- Meanwhile, as ridiculous as the [REDACTED] are, I can't help but find the weird sci-fi HQ Saori and the Bronzies have early on charming in a really corny way. I bet Saori really misses leading from this setup compared to that shitty little stone bed and curtain they throw at her when she's at Sanctuary, jesus.

- Man, there really is a lot more SeiShiryuu service than I remembered in these earlier eps. Will never be my ship, tbh - SeiSao is my One True Love - but lmao.

- for some reason saints on a plane always cracks me up no matter how many times i see it

- (note that once again we set up hyouga rushing in to help and then getting there too late to actually do anything. beautiful beautiful failswan)

- every time seiya whines about hitting girls i want there to be a flashback to this bit of him smashing shaina into the cliff face

- Oh for fuck's sake, the Steel fucking S--

- Wait, what was I thinking. What was I talking about. I have no idea. THANK YOU SAORI YOU ARE TRULY THE BEST.

- Shiryuu vs Algol is probably one of the more engaging fights in StS, Gold Saints aside. It's fun to see Shiryuu try to find a workaround to the shield and everything he tries blowing up in his face until he's cornered into jabbing his own eyes out. The sort of contrast between Shiryuu being the Bronzie who has the best chance at actually finding a normal life and a normal happiness with Shunrei, and Shiryuu being the one who keeps throwing himself into getting mauled like this, is probably the most compelling aspect of the character to me.

- One of the things that's also nice about Saint Seiya as a shounen is that it really feels like all of the Bronzies, not just Seiya, are equally crucial members of the team and get their own equally important fights. Like, Shiryuu legitimately gets to star here and save everyone because Seiya fucked it up. I used to like Rurouni Kenshin a lot, but I remember, like, yes - Sanosuke got his "big fight", but it was very much because Kenshin graciously "let" him because he could tell it was important to Sano or whatever. Or in Bleach, where the question of the others in Ichigo's group contributing during Soul Society is basically laughable. Neither really feels like the case in Saint Seiya.

- This is totally where CLAMP got their eye horror fetish from though isn't it. God I still can't believe Saint Seiya is directly responsible for the existence of CLAMP...

- Nothing to really say about the rest of the episode, but I do have to comment:

- Dude, what the FUCK.

- ANY of the Bronzies saying shit like this about Mitsumasa is grotesque, but fucking Ikki actually sort of makes my skin legit crawl. What the fuck, Toei. SOMEONE BRING BACK THE REAL IKKI PLEASE.

- Shunrei is such a good girl. She doesn't deserve this shit, man. What she honestly deserves is the privilege of getting to stab Dohko to death in his sleep--I mean, uh, what?

- THIS WAS COMPLETELY FUCKING UNNECESSARY. WHO THE FUCK SHIPPED THIS ON THE ANIME STAFF I REALLY WANT TO KNOW

- In seriousness, HyoShun is really darling. I love how weirdly attentive Hyouga is to Shun all the time; it's a really charming recurring detail. I IMAGINE SHUN IS CHARMED BY IT TOO. 

- Hyouga's good point is that, despite his bluster, he really is a sweet kid who is 100% sincere all the time. He acts tough but it's not like he's tsun or defensive about showing people - mostly Shun - compassion and concern either.

- lmao and then Ikki ditches these losers I like how after the HyoShun he instantly starts acting a million times more in-character. Did seeing the swan touch your little brother enrage you enough to expel the brainworms at last, Ikki...?

- Saori and Ikki are really good in this scene, though. I love everything about their quick exchange - Ikki being contemptuous and defiant of her, Saori answering without hesitation "HELL YES DO WHAT I SAY" when he asks if she's ordering him around. Both in how cool Saori is, but also her frankly falling back onto really bad habits dealing with the Bronzies when she's sort of panicking and doesn't know what to do. I love the scene of her lamenting about how she couldn't stop Ikki and obviously feeling like a fuckup by herself later, too. I really do appreciate that there is attention given to the arc of Saori learning to be a leader.

- I love Sanctuary openly referring to Saori as their leader, even without knowing she’s Athena, too. Damn right she is!

- Though I do still really think Saori should have been more involved in confronting Ikki when he was still extremely (justifiably) buttmad about everything. The idea of those two having a weird, special understanding about what Saori has to answer for would have been really cool...

- AND THEN SAORI GETS KIDNAPPED BY CROWS. YOU KNOW WE'RE BACK IN CANON, BECAUSE INSTEAD OF EVIL NEFARIOUS BUGS, WE HAVE EVIL NEFARIOUS BIRDS!

- Next time: THE SEISAO APOCALYPSE, MOTHERFUCKERS, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS: THE DESTRUCTION OF SEIYA’S BRAIN

[krys-does-otome]

Bae in Review: Chikage Kazama, Hakuoki Kyoto Winds/Edo Blossoms

...This route is still far too short for my liking, but it is a significant improvement over his route in Fleeting Blossom.

For previous Baes in Review, here’s the full list. There, you'll find my reviews for Collar x Malice, Bad Apple Wars, and thus far completed routes for Hakuouki: Sanosuke Harada, Ryouma Sakamoto, and Shinpachi Nagakura.

Remember, spoilers down below~

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

Kazama was the last route I watched on Youtube for Fleeting Blossom. I had watched the previous five routes, had grown attached to everyone and was ready to learn about the demon that was always in hot pursuit of our heroine. Honestly, I was expecting his route to be hot garbage, Kazama ready to do not nice things to Chizuru and everything would be horrible and would be hating him for the rest of time.

Not only did I not get hot garbage, it wasn't even good garbage. Kazama was a respectable gentleman (the majority of the time) that actually helped Chizuru try to get back to the Shinsengumi, chasing them practically across all of Japan until the bitter end. And then leaves Chizuru by herself at the end of her journey with only a kiss to remember him by, only coming back in the after credits scene to 'fetch' her from her returning to normal life back in Edo. Both in Fleeting Blossom, as well as now Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms, there are still tons of questions I have about the demons, and while the second round of Kazama still didn't answer all of my questions, it's still a significant improvement from it's Fleeting Blossom incarnation.

The overall goal is still the same as the first time around, namely getting Chizuru back to the Shinsengumi, a task that was quickly coming close to impossible with the war going on, the pair just missing them by days in some cases. And, though we don't learn a lot about Kazama through the journey, like about his past or about his clan, we do see his character growth along the journey, how he's still a pompous ass, there are lines that he refuses to cross, how he does respect boundaries, and that he's willing to wait for Chizuru to come back for him should she choose to do so.

He still comes after her in the end, but that's beside the point.

This time, we are treated to some more character moments between the two of them. We learn that female demons have the strength and stamina of a regular human, so that makes males naturally protective of them (not explained why this is so, so just roll with it); Shiranui and Amagiri show up more in this route and are actually helpful in trying to get Chizuru to her goal of the Shinsengumi; Kaoru and Kodo have a more significant role to play; and, best of all, we get to see Chizuru in girl clothes outside of the after credit scenes or when she has to disguise herself (clearly the best improvement).

If I have one complaint about this route, it's that this is still not long enough and still leaves a lot of questions. What's Kazama's clan like? His family? Why is it so rare to have female demons nowadays? Are they referring to 'pure' female demons when referring to the female demon rarity? Why is it they have the strength and stamina of a regular human when this isn't the case for their male counterparts? Since female demons can be with human males and have children, can the same be said for male demons and female humans? If female demons have the strength and stamina of a regular human, then a human woman wouldn't have a problem being with a demon male because there wouldn't be much difference between the two, right? If it's not a blood purity kind of thing, what else could have caused the decline of female demons to the point that they're 'rare' nowadays? Will the demons disappear as a species if the 'pure' female demons die out completely, and thus destroying the species entirely? Do demons have different gender roles than humans because of their gendered power imbalance? Do females do anything else besides be child-bearers? What do males do when they're not protecting their mates, supposedly? Is it a monogamous type of relationship, or has that changed since females are a rarity so she can have more male partners if she wants, or do males have to work to impress a female before she'll choose him as her mate? Because of their rule of not interfering with human affairs, have they become nomadic to avoid the humans? How many demon clans were there previously before they were likely killed off by humans?

...But I digress.

As stated previously, we do get more character moments between Kazama and Chizuru this round, and while the overall focus of the route isn't on Kazama himself, I am glad for more of these moments to give more insight into the demon himself, plus having his subtle shift from helping Chizuru begrudgingly to get back to her caretakers, to taking his own interest in the Shinsengumi and becoming invested in their fate the longer he and Chizuru kept chasing after them.

Not only that, but Chizuru learns about him on their journey, how she has learned to read his moods and has learned to counter some of them. She learns to trust him, that he has a rhyme and reason to the way he does things the way he does them.

Maybe if a future dlc comes out about everyone's life in their after credits scenes, I'd like more insight into Kazama himself when he and Chizuru aren't chasing after the Shinsengumi.

But until that happens, I'm glad that this is a significant improvement from his first round. More character growth from the first round, meaning that Chizuru and Kazama have much more chemistry together, which makes for a more enjoyable and believable relationship.

Pros and Cons

PRO: He may be an entitled asshole, but he's an entitled asshole with rules. CON: He's still an entitled asshole.

PRO: He's naturally protective to those he holds dear, especially his own kind. CON: Sucks to be a female demon because you don't get the strength or stamina of your male comrades. It sucks majorly.

PRO: He's willing to go along with you with your flights of fancy, even if he feels there are better things to spend his time on. CON: You're always a few steps behind from reaching your ultimate goal, no matter how much effort the two of you put forth in trying to reach said goal.

PRO: When you actually get to know him, he's not so bad. CON: He's tried to kidnap you on various occasions previously, and attempted to murder your friends.

PRO: Once set on a goal, he won't stop until it's completed to the best of his ability. CON: He doesn't help Chizuru get back to Edo. Like, what the hell, dude? Shimada and Souma are dead men. Everyone else in the Shinsengumi is dead or MIA. Shiranui and Amagiri have no ways to get her home. Does she go back to Edo by herself? Like, sheesh, dude. Rude.

PRO: He's willing to wait for you to come to him when you want to come for him. CON: Just kidding, he comes for you anyway.

Bae Rating: 7/10

If anyone has any special requests for baes for me to review, here’s the most up-to-date list of games and routes I’ve completed thus far: Butts Touched Master List

Have a good day, lovelies, and remember to touch all the butts.

[spider-moon-princess]

Is He Really a Knight?

Here’s the first part of my dream, Knight!Souji ^^

Uh, watch out for language?  ---++----

He stared deep into her eyes, professing his love through his lips rather than words. “Princess…”

 “Yes, my Knight?”

 Her eyes were eating up each word like she did when she saw truffles on a chocolate platter. She was so into her book, she forgot she existed, which is why she felt someone’s breath on her neck, she dropped her book and screamed. She glared up at the one responsible for losing her place. “Souji-kun!”

 He was laughing so hard he was clutching his sides. “You should’ve seen your face, Hime-sama.” He always said it so mockingly, it bothered her. She WAS royalty, she didn’t know why he always treated her title like a joke. “Though, that was getting pretty steamy, a romance between a knight and his princess? Are you hoping for something in real life, Etsu-chan?”

 How demeaning…But she actually didn’t mind it when he said it, not that she was going to let him know…he already teased her enough! “I am not. I’m just reading, it doesn’t have to mean anything.” Though she did wish for a romance as cheesy and lovely in the books she read. She was a romantic, she couldn’t help it. During her lessons, she’d daydream and her tutor, a man that looked rather kind, but had a sharp tongue despite his soft tone, would chide her for doing so. “Well, did you need something, my oh-so-noble Knight?”

 “Yes, actually, Isami-sama is asking for your presence. The King wants to discuss something with the both of you.”

 She puffed her cheeks in annoyance, picking up her book and stomping after him. She and Isami-oniisama did not have the best relationship with the King, their father. They didn’t see eye to eye. Their father was a greedy, old bastard that wanted nothing but war and to pillage villages and kingdoms to claim them in the name of the Shinsengumi Kingdom. She wished her older brother would take the throne for himself; hell, if he decided to overthrow the King, the whole kingdom would be behind him!

 Souji walked beside her, feeling her anger. He knew what she thought of the King, since they’d vented to each other. Isami-sama deserved the throne so much more than the King did. His loyalty didn’t rest on the crown, it rested on Isami-sama.

 Etsu pushed open the doors to the throne room rather loudly. She couldn’t voice her displeasure , but she sure as hell could show it in different ways. “Ah, Etsu!” Her older brother smiled kindly, beckoning her to stand next to him.

 She smiled at him and stood next to him, giving the King a rushed curtsy. She could see Sannan-san make a slight face of displeasure off to the side, but he gave her a light smile when she glanced over at him.

 Souji took his place in the back with the other Knights, next to General Hijikata.

 “I have an announcement to make.” The King stood up, making his way down from the throne to stand in front of the Prince and Princess. “Etsu, you will be getting married to Kazama Kingdom’s heir, Prince Chikage.”

 The whole throne room was silent. Sannan actually flinched ever so lightly, before she started yelling, “What the hell are you talking about?! I did not agree to this!”

 Isami held her arm to keep her from going forward. Just like their father, she’d inherited his temper, though she rarely showed it. Honestly, she was a sweet girl, she didn’t like being angry, but towards their father, she had nothing but anger towards him. He knew her dream was to marry someone she loved, so the fact that he was taking away that choice…it was no wonder that she was having such a strong reaction. “Etsu…”

 “You will marry whoever I choose, girl! You are the Princess of the Shinsengumi Kingdom, and thus, you will marry whoever I choose to benefit us!” His voice boomed.

“I will not! You cannot make me marry! I refuse to marry anyone you’ve chosen for me!” She escaped Isami-oniisama’s grasp and marched up to him, glaring into his eyes. “You can make me dress, make me take lessons, decide what I eat, but I will not allow you to decide my future husband!”

 His strength was strong that when he struck her across the cheek, it caused her to fall.

 Souji immediately clutched the hilt of his silver and emerald encrusted sword. Hajime lifted his arm in front of him, shaking his head. It took him a few moments to release his sword.

 Isami helped her up, his eyebrows furrowing in anger. “Father, if you lay a hand on my little sister again, I shall not stand for it.”

 “This child must know her place! Should you raise your sword against me, there will be grave consequences. My decision is final. I will be sending you to Kazama Kingdom next week. Be prepared.”

 Etsu continued glaring at him as her older brother pulled her out of the throne room, being followed by a few advisers and his circle of knights.

 “Etsu, are you all right?” Isami examined her cheek, looking at her slightly swollen cheek.

 “That son of a b-” Sanosuke clamped Shinpachi’s mouth.

 “Shinpachi! We’re out in the halls, we don’t know who could be listening.” He hissed.

 Shinpachi muttered curses under his breath.

 Isami led them all to his office, the only place in the castle that had been soundproofed, thanks to Sannan. They were safe to speak freely there, and they really needed to at a time like this.

 “That fucking son of bitch!” Shinpachi exploded as soon as the door closed. He rushed over to Etsu, taking her face in his large hands. “How dare he lay a hand on our ‘Jou-sama!?”

 Her cheeks were dusted with a light pink. “Sh-Shinpachi-san…My cheek hurts…”

 He quickly released her. “Oh, sorry, ‘Jou-sama!”

 “Shinpatsu-san! Why are you touching Hime-sama!? Are you trying to cop a feel or somethin’?! We ain’t gonna stand for that!”

 “Oi, Heisuke! I was concerned for our ‘Jou-sama!”

 Isami cleared his throat. “Yamazaki-kun, could you give her something for her cheek?”

 “I have something that could reduce the swelling.” Susumu pulled out a chair for her and took out a little bottle.

 “Thank you, Susumu-kun.”

 “Isami-san,” Toshizō crossed his arms. “I don’t like bringing it up, but maybe this is the perfect opportunity…” To overthrow the King.

 Etsu nodded furiously. “Yes, I agree! Oniisama, are you going to let me get married against my will? Send off your little sister to the arms and Kingdom of an unknown man?” She looked up at him with puppy eyes.

 “Etsu…” He sighed. “It’s not such an easy decision…We need men, supplies, allies…”

 “Isami-sama is correct. If we stage this revolution without considering every angle, every possible scenarios, we could be seen as traitors to the crown and executed.” Sannan spoke up, pushing up his round glasses.

 “Considering we only have a week until Etsu leaves, you might want to make a decision as soon as possible, Isami-sama.” Souji spoke up, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Please let me have the honor of killing him.”

 “Souji…” Isami sighed, placing his palms on his desk. “I need to think about this and talk it over with Toshi and Sannan-kun.”

 Everyone bowed, exiting the office.

 Etsu quickly walked off to her library with Souji following at her heels. “Souji-kun,” She stopped walking. “If…Oniisama chooses to leave things be, and I am forced to leave…” She was forced to admit that there was something unspoken between the two of them. They’d grown up together, know each other so well they could easily read each other. “…What would you do?”

 “Follow Isami-sama’s orders.”

 She turned around so quickly that she stepped on her skirt of her dress, almost falling back. Almost.

 Souji’s arms were around her waist, bringing her close to him to keep her from falling. It was a force of habit. She was never careful where she stepped.

Her brown eyes stared up at him, her hands on his shoulders. “…Would you really?” She whispered. “Let me marry someone…else?”

Part Two

[woodrokiro]

Barefoot (fic)

Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin

Pairing: SanoMeg

Summary: When Sano said he was returning, none of them imagined THIS would happen. Neither did Megumi.

FF.net Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12526849/1/Barefoot

When Kenshin and Kaoru receive a note from Sano stating he was back in Japan, they didn't think much of it. Kaoru bounces Kenji on her hip as she rolls her eyes, wonders aloud how much longer it'll be before they see him back in Tokyo because he'll most definitely get lost on the way so maybe, what Kenshin? Another three years? And Kenshin just smiles like he knows something but won't tell her what.

As it turns out, for once, Kenshin didn't even have a clue he was in for this sight, seven months later. He doesn't think any of them did.

Sanosuke grins lazily, lifts a hand to the couple and Yahiko in greeting. A very red Megumi stands next to him, eyes daring anyone to say something. He swishes a piece of straw in his mouth before Megumi angrily swats it out, tells him if he saw the world and was able to leave them for five years he should've learned to be more civilized for God's sake.

Their friends barely listen.

Their wide eyed focus is on the large bump of Megumi's belly.

"... So that's why it took you guys so long to get here," Yahiko finally whistles. Kaoru lets out a nervous guffaw before remembering herself and smacking the back of his head. Megumi stands stock still, looking more frazzled than anyone's ever seen her.

Sanosuke just grins wider at Kenshin, and--of course--he smiles back.

--

"When?"

Megumi feels like like she's in an interrogation center, not the Kamiya sitting room. She rubs her temples.

"Listen, this is... Actually a much longer story than ever needs to be told--"

"Right when I stepped through her clinic in Aizu. She knew she had to have me then and there."

"Sano, shut up."

"Why?"

"I told you, she had to have me. Nothing I could do about it, it seemed like. I was so pure, so innocent--Ouch! That hurt, Foxie!"

"You aren't allowed to talk anymore. I don't know why, Yahiko. I really can't answer that, especially right now."

"But how?"

The group falls into a silence as they look at a mortified Kaoru.

"Aren't you a ma, Little Missy?"

"Be a little less coarse, Kaoru, if not for your child at least for Ken-chan."

"That's not what I meant!" Her blush deepens as she struggles not to make eye contact with Kenshin casually sipping tea next to her. "I just... This is all so sudden! How did you find her, how did this all happen, why--WHAT IS THAT." She points an accusatory finger at the gem sparkling on Megumi's left hand.

"Never seen a ring before, Missy? Got it from... Well. Let's just say I found it, okay? Megumi will have my hide if I tell the story again. Anyway, it's a Western custom thing. For marriage and whatever. I got one, too." Sano flashes his hand, where a simple gold band rests. Megumi closes her eyes, preparing for the onslaught.

"YOU'RE MARRIED?"

"What the hell, why weren't we invited?!"

"Language, Yahiko--"

"Damn it Kaoru, I'm sixteen--"

"But really! You couldn't have just waited until you got here? Or even send a letter telling us?"

"Told you, she had to have me then and there."

"Shut up, Sano--it's not like that. It was a very quick decision, we didn't even marry in Aizu."

"Yep, got hitched in Shinshuu. Had to go there to let my pops know I was all right, let Megumi meet the family, figured it was a good place for all that."

"Well that still doesn't make any--wait... Sano you have a family?!"

Megumi groans and looks to Kenshin for help, only to see him quietly chuckling into his tea. It is the first time she has the urge to punch him.

--

Megumi isn't lying. She really doesn't know why it happened. One moment she's finishing up with a patient, the next she looks over at the front door and he's there, he's right there and not a letter or a strange foreign bauble but tangible, all sharp muscles and dirt and boyish grin like gold and she just. She wonders how he can take her breath away, so easily.

And now she's making dinner for him in Dr. Gensai's home, barefoot and pregnant. She's as unbelieving of it as they all are. She guffaws into the stew she's seasoning. If her mother could see her now.

Actually, Megumi knows exactly what her parents would think: how they would smile looking at her life now--not because they necessarily would approve, but it's obvious to everyone how stupidly happy she is. It's been a wild and insane seven months, how fast everything has happened--but then again? Considering all the coy looks and flirting, the hand bandaging and bickering, the nights she's prayed he was still alive and his stopping a dagger through her heart--maybe it wasn't fast at all. Maybe (probably) it was a long time coming.

Sometimes, she still expects it to end.

"You'll leave me," she accused him recently, hormonal emotions running high after some stupid argument they were prone to. "You'll leave me again for Africa or Antarctica or whatever stupid country with an 'ah' sound and I'll be here hoping your hand is okay--stop picking at the wrapping like that--while bouncing a baby that looks like you on my hip--"

He throws his hands up in the air. "Well, God. If she acts anything like you maybe I will! I can barely handle one fox, let alone two."

She glares at him. "They'll write a tragic opera about me."

"Yeah, yeah." He leaves the house, and Megumi just felt it inside of her: how much she'd hurt him this time. His family was very kind, good people; but with the rest of his life... She thinks he knows just a bit about abandonment himself.

When he comes back (like she knew in her heart he would), she's already in bed. She watches him as he takes off his clothes, gets in beside her. He's about to turn his back to her when she reaches for him, holds his face with gentle hands and apologizes. His eyes search hers for a moment.

"I wouldn't leave you." He says simply, quietly. She tells him she knows-- because really, she does. Sano isn't a man of poetry, the distinguishable gentleman of words she always expected to marry-- but he is honest, he is true and caring and handsome and brave and funny and loves her for some reason and she just.

She places a hand on her belly as she continues stirring the stew and smiles softly.

No. She really wouldn't ask for it any other way. --

His wife may be cutting his lifespan by fifteen years minimum--but fuck it. Sano was keenly aware how this would all go down the moment he laid eyes on her and he can't say he's too unhappy about it.

He thinks it's gonna be a girl.

Megumi insists he doesn't know that, tells him he's acting like an old country auntie with maid's tales of how she's been eating more sweet potatoes and less meats. She really can't stand the thought that he knows something she can't medically prove--but he knows, knows it as well as he knows the curve of Megumi's hip or that Kenshin is the kindest man to ever live. He knows and hopes not only will she be like her mother, but maybe a badass mix of them both: a girl with brains and fire in her eyes and insists on beating up every kid in the neighborhood.

"It sounds like hell," Megumi answers wryly when he tells her. "Honestly, are you even prepared for a little girl, then? Are you prepared for her to be a teenager? You don't wanna know what kind of child I was."

"I kind of do, actually." He snickers, and he moves her hair aside to kiss her neck. "I'll make do. I feel like being with you already prepped me for the worst of woman kind."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny," she swats his roaming hands away. "Just be prepared. You can't run away to all your foreign girlfriends and buddies anymore."

"Henriette from Paris will always wait for me."

"You're hilarious."

She turns her back to him to cut up some vegetables, stopping only to stretch her neck or smooth out the pains in her back.

Sanosuke remains entranced.

Because as much as he did enjoy seeing the world and all that (those were fun years, being on the run), as much as he really did enjoy being his own man and all that--this is at least ten times better. This, he thinks when Megumi wipes sweat from her brow with her wrist, this is what he calls being happy. This is the woman who of course he could handle raising a little girl with; hell, if it's up to him he'd like to raise ten little girls with her, all with variations of brown or black hair with chocolate or violet eyes and just leading a chaotic life with this gorgeous woman, his days spent wrangling these kids outside of her own medical practice only to end the day falling into bed together and making love and making more little girls and--

Okay, maybe he's getting ahead of himself. Megumi would look at him like he was insane if she knew he thought like this. But, hey. They've got years ahead of them to think about all that later, and he can learn to enjoy the quiet moments she puts his hand on her belly or when he nuzzles her neck during her work breaks.

It may be new to him, this domestic life--but taking things one step at a time is something Sanosuke can handle with Megumi.

(Besides: who needs to be the strongest man alive when he managed to get Megumi barefoot and pregnant?)

[hakuoki-dreams]

Which type of girl would the Baka trio like and why: tiny chaos goblin, the little angel, tiny tsundere that looks like an angel but is actually kind of obnoxious

Lmao you are phenomenal

I’m seeing Shinpachi with the tiny chaos goblin:

He is the only man alive with the combined mental, emotional, and most importantly physical energy required to deal with her

She’s a magnet for danger and he’s afraid to leave her alone for two seconds

Won’t hesitate to throw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and bodily haul her away from the many perilous situations she somehow gets into

‘What the fuck?!’ -Shin to goblin on a daily basis, probably

She manages to create small catastrophes doing everyday things like cooking and organizing her house and he is endlessly entertained by it

Burns her hand while making salad? More than once??

She cries a lot at little things because her life is a struggle and he can’t stop laughing, but also her face makes him really sad and he feels compelled to rescue her from herself

‘That’s not…none of this is right, just sit down, I got it’

At the same time she doesn’t know the meaning of fear and has a superhuman amount of moxie for such a tiny person

A guy tried to rob her house one time and she broke his nose with a frying pan

He’s fucking in love with her

Heisuke gets angelic yet obnoxious tsundere:

Her tsundere energy has met its match against his aura of constant optimism and positivity

Her rudeness just sorta bounces off of him

‘wow she’s so pretty but she’s kind of an asshole huh interesting’

He thinks she’s even prettier when she gets angry and her face goes all red, and she’s angry about something almost always

He takes it upon himself to teach her good manners and how to be nice to people and she’ll seem like she’s listening the whole time then just go ‘nah’

He’s not sure she likes him but she keeps kinda following him around so he figures she must be into him or something?

He loves to smoosh her cheeks together with his hands and watch her whole person vibrate with tsundere rage, it’s super adorable to him

She’ll make pissy comments about his various life choices and he’ll just be like ‘haha you’re so cute’

He just refuses not to cherish this grumpy tiny woman

She hates it so much

She falls for him so hard

Of course, Sanosuke with little angel is a classic combo:

She precious

She sweet

She love the tall redhead man

He’s a chivalrous knight and he will protect this small woman with his life

He takes her on picnics and feeds her pickled plums while she makes him a daisy chain to wear on his head like a crown

He scoops her up in a little bundle and she’s just like ‘yes happy!!!’

They will ride off into the sunset on his noble steed and rule their magical kingdom in peace & harmony

But I also really wanna see the trainwreck of Sano plus tiny chaos goblin:

He is shook

She is not a normal human woman

‘Tiny person no what are you doing’

He is alarmed at the way she recklessly yeets herself through life

Oh God he’s gotta save her, she’s going to get killed

‘No come this way we’re not doing that’

She throws caution to the wind and leaves a trail of devastation in her wake. She thinks she’s doing pretty well actually, but it’s only because Sano secretly follows her everywhere and diverts the multiple crises that are constantly headed straight for her at all times

She continues to insist she’s got this

‘Why are you like this just let me help you!!’

At some point he just starts carrying her around on his back like a happy little baby koala for her own safety

[hakuoki-dreams]

OKAY MY DEAR I HAVE A CHALLENGE AND NEED SOME THOUGHTS. I’m toying with some modern au ideas and wanted your opinion - what do you think the boys would be doing work-wise or major wise (if they’re in college) nowadays? I don’t even care who you do, whatever your feeling. I have a handful of my own thoughts but would love to hear yours! Thank you!!

@do-it-for-keef Hey gorgeous! 😘

Oh I mull over this subject a lot!! How do you always read my mind? Here are a handful that I’ve thought about, although this isn’t a complete list:

Heisuke - Realistically he’s around college-age, but I don’t know if he’d be the type to really want a degree. I could totally see this guy as a fireman because:

Master Forerunner

Won’t hesitate to sprint into burning buildings to rescue people and pets

In his route he has a lot of doubts about what’s right and wrong, who’s on the correct side of a conflict, which beliefs he should choose to fight for etc.

But he has zero misgivings when it comes to saving people from pure danger

‘Fire is always bad’ -Heisuke, probably

Would also make a great police officer:

He tries to diffuse tense situations by talking things out first whenever possible, an important quality in a good cop

But once things start to escalate he will take motherfuckers down

Kicking ass and taking names

Literally will take their names back at the station, best arrest record in the precinct

Saito - mathematics/physics teacher

He deals in absolutes, so I feel like a math-heavy field would really click with him

He’s very eloquent and knows how to explain complicated concepts in an understandable way

Also I’m pretty sure he already enjoys mentally calculating the exact angle at which to swing his sword to end a man’s life

Has a long fuse and is surprisingly good at controlling a room full of teenagers. Maintains order on the daily even though he’s not the most physically intimidating guy

Because his students know if they get too rowdy Saito’s angry voice will strike the fear of God into their quaking hearts

His smarts and icy good looks have all the girls and half the boys crushing on him

Starts finding secret love notes to Saito-senpai in his desk all the time, is a little shook

'This is completely inappropriate’

Shinpachi - I used to see him as a physical therapist/personal trainer type, because he’s good at motivating people and loves working out, but I don’t know if that would fulfill his more thoughtful side. So now I’m leaning toward camp counselor:

It’s not a lifelong career choice but look I just want to see Shin covered in adorable rambunctious children is that too much to ask?

He’s high-energy and has the emotional and physical stamina required for the job

Will lead activities like a champ: hiking, swimming, dodge ball, all of it

He grew up in a big family so he’s good with kids

Will mentor the shit out of them

Can motivate even the shyest ones, very inclusive with everyone

He’s a really good listener and will sit his kids down and talk with them one-on-one if he sees they’re struggling with something. He helps them see their problems in a much more black-and-white way.

Catches some of his guys sneaking girls and beer into their cabin and gives them an A+ lecture on safe sex and drinking responsibly

All the female counselors and campers think he’s a dreamboat

Sanan - Biomedical/pharmaceutical researcher:

He totally has the smarts to be a doctor, but his bedside manner is a bit awkward…

Prefers to know that he’s helping people from afar

He’s also got the focus and dedication to get through all those years of grad school

He’ll work super hard to attain his dream of running his own laboratory by 35. Wants to be in control of the direction of his research, has a very clear vision of what his life’s work should be

Published in all the major industry journals, total whiz kid

Can write the hell out of a grant proposal

Model workaholic. Last one to leave the lab at night, first one in in the morning

Personal life haha what’s that

Sanosuke - I think we’ve talked about this before but therapist/social worker:

He’s super easy to talk to and hella charismatic

Excellent at reading people’s inner thoughts and intentions. Good judge of character, but also patient and open-minded with his clients

Has a lot of compassion for the weak, the downtrodden, etc. and a deep-seated desire to help others

Takes a lot of genuine interest in his clients’ problems. Writes great session notes

He had to give up on marriage counseling though because the ladies would take one look at his face and ask for a divorce

Looks sexy in reading glasses

‘And how does that make you feel’ it makes me feel super fucking horny okay Sano??

Souma - business management intern

This baby is still in high school, but he has big dreams for his future, so he’s spending the summer working a highly competitive internship

Is always ten minutes early

Will go pick up coffee orders with the determination of a man leaving for war

Endlessly motivated to do a good job every day. Performs even the smallest tasks with a focus and concentration that is honestly kind of terrifying

’It’s For The Good Of The Company’ -Souma’s fight speech that he gives himself while crying in the mirror after spending 4 hours stapling papers together

Better employee than half the people on payroll

By Souma’s second week his manager had already decided that he was getting a firm job offer after graduation

About it for now! Might add some more later. I wish I could say I knew what the hell to do with Hijikata, but he’s a hard nut to crack 🤔

[hakuoki-dreams]

Hello, how are you? I think your blog is amazing and the dedication you put in each ask is lovely. Could I ask baka trio headcanons when their crush flirt with them in joke? I hope you've a nice day!

Oh wow thank you!! I’m great, how are you anon? This prompt is so adorable omg 😭 I’m getting back into writing fics after a long hiatus and honestly having requests to answer is very helpful because I need a lot of practice writing the Hakuouki crew. So thank you for sending this!

With these I’m assuming it’s a reciprocated crush, or that there’s at least some level of interest on both sides. (These also turned into another set of f/m headcanons–I’ll try to keep things more inclusive in the future!) Get ready for a text wall let’s gooooo

Shinpachi

You would totally knock him off his game!

Shin is definitely no stranger to women thanks to the red-light district. In front of you he always insists that he just goes to have a few drinks and let off some steam after a long day, but he’s also spent a good amount of time flirting with and being flirted at by geisha and oiran. It’s the sort of female attention he’s comfortable with, because there’s this mutual understanding on both sides that it’s all a pleasant business interaction.

But you’re a different story. Flirting coming from you just feels…weird. You’re his friend.

Well…

If he’s honest with himself, he’s started having some feelings for you that go deeper than friendship. But that’s not a reality he’s not remotely ready to confront, because he’s not sure you feel the same way about him.

Because shit, what if you’re not even trying to flirt with him at all? As far as he knows you haven’t had a really serious relationship before. Maybe you don’t realize what you’re doing. Maybe you don’t know how a guy takes it when a girl teases him for showing off his (albeit very nice) muscles, or accidentally brushes arms with him too often, or laughs at even his dumbest jokes. Maybe it’s all just your way of kidding around with a guy you only see as a friend. It sends his mind traveling around in circles. Shin has trouble thinking straight with you.

In the beginning it all started as good fun between two friends. From day one Shinpachi was someone you just felt comfortable around. He was honest, he spoke his mind, and he didn’t really have a filter with you. It was refreshing; the other men seemed to watch what they said around you a bit because you were a girl. Not Shin.

This did cause some awkward moments at first. You’d notice him double-taking at a pretty face walking past, then he’d realize you caught him and feel compelled to apologize to you for some reason, and you couldn’t help laughing at the sheepish way he scrubbed at his hair when he got embarrassed.

After a couple repetitions of this he finally started loosening up–it even became a type of I-Spy game you’d play together during walks through the city.

‘Ooh…cute maiko coming up on the right…’ You tip him off. Watching the sly way he glanced the girl over was like witnessing a master practice his finest craft. He shrugged a shoulder. ‘Eh, bit thin.’

The first time you responded in kind about a handsome young samurai, you’d think you shattered his entire world to pieces. ‘What? What’s with the face? Girls notice too, you know.’

He’s still staring at the man warily, as if he was a sudden threat. ‘I guess.’

‘Though he is a bit thin…’ You repeat his words without thinking. For a second you both catch each other’s eye, then break away in awkward laughter, the mood between you suddenly shy.

Day by day something shifts in the way he acts around you. Where at first he had no qualms giving back a brash retort when you teased him about his taste in women, now he seems especially chagrined by it. There’s something so gratifying about seeing him ruffle at your playful prodding, this big lug of a guy who used to share all kinds of details about his preferences for everything from women’s hair color to their shoe size.

It’s a little bit…no, it’s very adorable. You find yourself drawn to him more and more because of those moments, and for some unknown reason it makes you want to find small excuses to touch him. You prod him with an elbow, or give him little knocks with your shoulder, trying to let him know that it’s all in good fun.

Eventually Shinpachi will reach a breaking point with you. He’ll realize his fear of misunderstanding your relationship has been eclipsed by the need to know just what the hell is going on between you two, and why you keep picking on him in a way he doesn’t feel equipped to deal with anymore.

‘Come on, Shin…you can tell me! Who’s your type, anyway? I know you how much you love Kyoto women, but there’s so many kinds to choose from. Is it short girls? Tall girls? Blonde girls? What type do you really–’

He wheels around on you. ‘You, okay?!’

You blink up at him, suddenly feeling very small faced with his broad frame. ‘…Me what?’

‘My type is someone like you, all right? It’s you. You’re my type.’

There’s a tinge of pink across his cheeks, but he’s looking down at you with a pure and serious determination that makes your insides feel very warm.

‘Oh…’

Sanosuke:

To be honest Sano never thought he could have a thing for such a spirited woman. He tends to go for the sweet type, so realizing he has feelings for a woman who acts so playful around him would be kind of a new experience.

The truth is he’s very direct and open about his emotions. If he’s crushing on you, you’re going to know, and he’s not going to feel an ounce of embarrassment about something so natural as caring for someone. The fact that you’re actually flirting back without hesitation will be unexpected, even if for you it’s a bit of a smokescreen. It flips the script on him.

Inside? He makes you very nervous. Maybe even terrified. He’s just so full of confidence all the time, about everything. He says and does things that knock the wind straight out of you–like telling you that you look pretty when you laugh, or reaching over to calmly brush a stray leaf out of your hair with that warm smile. You realize you can either melt into an incoherent puddle every time he’s around, or you can find a defense mechanism, fast.

So you start evading the intensity of his attention with humor. It’s supposed to lighten things up between you, maybe keep him at a bit of a distance, but it soon becomes clear your plan is rapidly backfiring on both of you.

When you deflect his serious attempts to get to know you better with a coy joke, instead of putting distance between you, it only seems to draw him closer. His tawny eyes linger on your face, seeking to read your true feelings there.

‘You sure you’re okay?’ He’s looking down at you with that expression of kind concern, you can hear it in his voice, but you know better than to meet his eye.

‘Oh of course, Captain Harada! You know me–’ You make a big production of shifting the stacks of papers in your arms, trying to distract from the loud thump of your heartbeat. What if he’s close enough to hear it too… ‘The chief’s busy applying for new headquarters, and I’m his right-hand girl, so I can’t take it easy can I? But how sweet of you to worry.’ You cast him your brightest, most impish smile, still not quite looking him in the eye.

‘Hmm.’ His response is thoroughly unconvinced. ‘I do worry. You can’t keep working so hard all the time, you know? You’re going to get sick if you overwork yourself.’ And before you can do anything to stop it, he’s placed his cool palm against the skin of your forehead.

‘Ah, thought so. You’re warm. Probably got a fever…your face is all pink.’

‘N-no!’ It comes out more of a yelp than you intended. ‘No, I’m sure it’s just the weather–Kyoto summers are much hotter than I’m used to–’ You manage to twist away from his contact. ‘Besides, you shouldn’t go around putting your hands all over a girl’s face. You’ll give her the wrong idea.’

He’s thoroughly amused by you. ‘Oh? Like what?’

‘Come on, you know what I mean…’ Somehow you manage a breezy laugh. And then you high-tail it away from him with a string of excuses about your work, feeling his gaze on your back all the way, clinging to your crumbling facade until you’re at least out of his sight.

His persistence only makes it harder to keep putting him off. You can’t help being attracted by everything you learn about him; from his kindness toward women and children, to his bravery as a captain, to the look on his face when he’s listening to you talk about your day. It makes a sharp ache rise in your chest. You’re starting to panic.

Because you’re not supposed to fall for this guy–he’s a soldier, a man who stakes his life every day on his honor and his duty to his chief and the shogunate. Falling for someone like him could be disastrous. You have to stay aloof. And whatever you do, he cannot know that you’re starting to fall for him in spite of yourself.

But Sano is Sano, and he’s rapidly figuring out what’s going on here. It’s a strange kind of summer weather indeed that only seems to affect your face when you’re near him…

Very gently at first, he starts to test the waters. In a way he can’t help being impressed with your dedication. Even in moments when he turns up the charm in an attempt to catch you off-guard, to levels that have won over many women in his past, you somehow manage to respond with your own slew of defenses. It becomes a kind of sparring match between you two; each one equally determined to emerge from the fray on top. He’s only more attracted to you because of it.

And you–you start to realize that you never stood a chance against him in the first place, not under the full weight of the Harada charisma. He’s rapidly disarming you.

‘Hey, did you hear what I said?’ His voice calls you out of your daze. With a jolt, you realize you’d been staring at his mouth as his words went in one ear and out the other.

‘Oh! I’m sorry, Harada. I think I must be…tired or something.’ Had he been standing this close to you the whole time? He’s so tall that you have to angle your head back to meet his eyes. Something in his face is very serious tonight; it makes you feel like you’re rooted to the floor in front of him.

He feels it, too. His body bends slightly in your direction. ‘Listen. There’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while…but I’d like to know it’s something you want, too.’

Oh? Oh. Oh no. A string of disconnected retorts pass through your brain, none of them gaining traction. You can feel the warmth from his body as he leans dangerously closer.

There’s a pause, like a question hanging between you both. His eyes are soft as they read your expression. Unbidden, you feel your chin tip upward toward him. He meets you in the middle…and then his lips are on yours and his arms draw you in to press against his chest and you find your hands seeking his shoulders.

It all only lasts for a moment. He’s first to break away, and you could swear now that his eyes are laughing at you. ‘No comeback?’

‘Give me a minute.’ You’re already rising on tip-toe, ready to wipe away that smile. ‘I’ll think of something…’

Heisuke:

You are laughing at him and honestly he is offended!

Not really, truly offended. You two have been friends since day one, because after all, this is Heisuke we’re talking about. The guy could make friends with a houseplant.

He’s offended in the way he gets pissed at Nagakura and Harada for their good-natured teasing–lots of ‘hey, quit!’s and rambunctious play-fighting–only now it’s with you, this young woman his age who still teases and openly pokes fun at him. He’s never met a girl like you before. He doesn’t know how he’s allowed to respond. It’s alarming, quite frankly.

For a long time he’s torn back and forth between annoyance and attraction toward you. You do little things that get under his skin, especially ragging on him about his size. Heisuke’s taller than you, but not by much; a fact that you’ve innocently brought to his attention more than once. He reminds you at one point that he could still beat you up with both hands behind his back, a remark that’s unfortunately overheard by Nagakura and earns him a slap to the back of the head for being such a ‘fucking idiot talking that way to a lady.’ You only laugh a little bit.

But it’s not always a catfight between you two. He almost wishes it was; that would make this all much easier to figure out. It only makes him more confused when your mood suddenly turns softer or sweeter toward him. There are moments when he catches you watching him at dinner, though you quickly look down when he catches your eye, your expression almost shy. You can be surprisingly easy to talk to, on the nights when it’s just the two of you sitting out on the porch in the breeze.

Heisuke finds himself looking forward to those moments with you, particularly after the memorable night when you dozed off against his shoulder. You’d grown very quiet beside him, when out of nowhere he felt a light pressure and looked down to find your head pressed on his arm, your lashes two dark crescents across your cheeks, breathing through slightly parted lips. He sat frozen still until long after the feeling left his legs.

Pretty soon Heisuke’s frustration about it all will boil over and he’ll need to pay a visit to Harada-Sensei for lady advice. Harada will listen in bemused silence as Heisuke rambles out his thoughts, pacing circles around the floor.

‘…and sometimes she’s just…she’s so cute, it’s stupid! How do I tell her that when she treats me like her brother? Maybe I should just give up, I don’t think she even sees me as a man sometimes. And she always knows just what to say to make me embarrassed! Damn it–’

‘Sit down,’ Harada will sigh, ‘You’ve got this all wrong…’

Dejected, Heisuke will slump down in a sad pile of boy and wait for Harada’s words of wisdom.

‘Didn’t you ever throw rocks at a girl when you were little, because you thought she was pretty and you didn’t know how to tell her? She’s doing the same thing to you, kid.’

‘What are you saying? You mean she…likes me? But you guys see how she always makes fun of me–plus she calls me short all the time and you said–!”

‘So what? She’s short too, dummy! How about that! Why don’t you stop whining and grow a pair and go get her if you like her so much?’

Heisuke will leave thoroughly chastised, but full of new energy at this startling idea that maybe…maybe he’s been a gigantic blind idiot this whole time…maybe all those moments he thought you were making fun of him, you were just as stiff and clueless as he felt inside. He finds you out in the courtyard, thankfully alone. Best if no one else is here to see this.

His expression catches you by surprise. ‘Heisuke, what’s wro–’ Two hands come down on both your shoulders, gripping you firmly in place. He’s stronger than he looks!

‘Look.’ His eyes are clear and determined. ‘I like you, okay? And I think you like me too, because you keep throwing rocks at me and stuff–’

‘Rocks? What are you–’ So much is happening at once; your chest is pounding.

‘Forget it, doesn’t matter now, just listen. I think I figured out why you give me so much crap and tease me all the time. You don’t have to say it out loud if you’re not ready, but I still want to tell you all the same. You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever met, and I think you’re cute even when you’re being annoying and trying to pick fights with me, and I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time actually. Oh!’ he remembers something. ‘And you’re really short.’

‘You–!’ Your protest is cut short by his lips on yours, an awkward and sudden kiss that somehow leaves you short of breath all the same. When he pulls away, he’s glowing with a pure happiness that you just don’t have the heart to resist. You melt closer into him. ‘I think…I think you’re cute too, Heisuke.’

His beaming face falls a bit. ‘You shouldn’t really call a guy cu–’

‘Oh shut up, I like you back, just kiss me again–’

[hakuoki-dreams]

Hi, i'm so glad you aswered! I was thinking like Sano/OC/Shin for the poly ask. Thank you son much!!

Starting a poly relationship with Shinpachi and Sanosuke…I’m not sure whether to applaud your taste or ask if you have a deathwish! 😉 But here’s my best shot at how it might go:

                                        —————————

This will be a very, very big ask for either of them

Neither of these guys is especially jealous or possessive per se, but both of them are a little old-fashioned with romance in their own ways. Neither one has ever pictured themselves in this kind of situation with the girl they eventually fell for

Their individual reactions when you try to bring up the subject one-on-one:

Of the two of them, Sano is probably more open-minded in general. He won’t like the idea of sharing you in a relationship, but he’ll try to listen and not immediately shut you down. He can tell you’re serious about this and will match your mood. Inside he’ll be very concerned–he definitely sees a family and kids in his future, and he’s worried that it sounds like your needs might potentially be at odds with each other. Out of deep affection for you, he’ll do his best to hear you out and consider what you’re saying.

Shin will be a little more hurt, unfortunately. No matter how carefully you phrase it, to him it’ll confirm all his fears that he’s not enough for you. He won’t get angry, but he’ll have to leave for a while to be alone and think about it over a drink. He’s had multi-partner sexual experiences–although not with another guy–so it’s really not the idea of sex with a third person that bothers him so much. More so it’s the idea of sharing you emotionally, and having another person’s feelings in the mix to consider. He’s fearful that it would drive a wedge between you two and cause you to drift away from him.

But no matter who you decide to bring it up with first, when you get them together for a talk between all three of you, they’ll be dazed to realize just who you had in mind to complete this love triangle. Their first reactions will be the exact same: intense embarrassment

They’re practically brothers. They’ve risked their lives side by side in combat, lived together for years, have honestly seen each other naked in enough locker-room-type situations that it doesn’t even phase them anymore.

But this? This is just…beyond the pale

The idea of being brought into a very close and intimate relationship with each other, even with you in the middle, isn’t something that had remotely crossed either of their minds. In the moment, they’d almost rather it had been a complete stranger

The atmosphere in the room is a stark change from the easy camaraderie you’re used to around these two. Both will be very stiffly looking in opposite directions, wishing they were anywhere else besides here having this conversation.

They’ll have to get drunk together to even think about talking to each other about it. After half a dozen hasty rounds or so, some of the awkwardness has finally faded with help from good old liquor. Never one to be caught speechless for long, Sano probably breaks the silence first:

‘So before just now…did she tell you who, or…?’

‘No. You?’

‘Nope.’

‘Ah.’

Shin will drop his head onto the table and let out some choice curse words. Sano will nod in sober agreement. There’s another long silence in which both of them are picturing many vivid hypotheticals. They won’t just be worrying about your feelings. As strange and unfamiliar as it is to be concerned with, neither guy really wants to see the other get hurt if they can help it.

After some more private contemplation on both sides, they’ll find themselves drifting toward an uneasy middle ground. They’ll share a resigned glance that communicates something like well…if it had to be any other guy.

In the sober light of day, the early weeks will still be incredibly awkward. Neither one has an inkling how to make this work. They’re going to leave it up to you to decide all the boundaries, to your chagrin.

For a while it feels like you’re in two different relationships, not a single connected one. You certainly find yourself spending a lot of time with both of them–just not together.

There are many gawky hand-offs as a result. They like to meticulously plan their time with you so that there’s no overlap. It still happens, and it makes you all cringe inside.

Shin picks you up for a date and walks in on you and Sano kissing in the kitchen. He rubs a hand through his hair at the sight, sort of coughs to announce his presence. Later on Sano comes looking for you in the morning and finds you leaving Shin’s room hand-in-hand with him. Both turn redder than you’ve ever seen them, but they don’t say anything and sort of pass you along

You find yourself hiding your face in your hands a lot

It definitely puts a strain on their friendship at first. They both care a lot about you, and it makes them feel like true rivals for the first time in their lives. They don’t enjoy the feeling, but they’re not sure how to get past it.

Time can help thaw even the most uncomfortable affairs, however. The situation slowly becomes routine, if not entirely relaxed. You do your utmost to love on them both equally. And thankfully, alcohol always remains as the eternal equalizer among you three.

It will be a very, very long time before you three share a bed, and it’ll be after a night of heavy drinking on all sides. Everyone collectively decides they’ve had about enough of the tip-toeing around–you all used to be such good pals with each other before all this, and you know what? Fuck it

Afterward there’s a marked shift in dynamic between the two of them. They’re not rivals anymore so much as players on the same team. Where before you could deal with their individual charms one at a time, you’re now stuck in the middle with both their arms around you as they compete to see who can woo you better. Rather than getting embarrassed themselves, they turn their attention on you and see who can get you to blush or smile first.

It would be extremely unfair if you weren’t enjoying yourself so much

At the end of good days, you find yourself wedged between their sleeping forms, a tangle of sweaty skin and arms–wondering if you can actually handle what you’ve gotten yourself into

[spider-moon-princess]

You get to his Heart through his Stomach!

Sooo, I had to get this out of my system! Lol IDK if anyone was looking forward to more Shinpachi x Etsu, but here’s how they met! I want to keep the Time Travel AU focused more on the Okichi, so here this is! Of course, I will allude to things here and there, but this is more fleshed out lol. 

Time Travel Au

—–++——

She’d been convinced by Heisuke to come out one Friday night to go out drinking with his senpai and other doctors from the hospital. Chizuru-chan, Souji-kun and Hajime-kun would all be there, so she should be okay…

She was always so shy around new people, so she was a little worried.

“Ah, Etsu!” Heisuke waved over to her when he spotted her come in. “Over here!” He was sitting next to two men, a tall red-haired man with amber eyes, and another with reddish-brown hair and captivating blue eyes. Heisuke had made some very attractive friends…

She smiled widely and high-fived Heisuke in greeting. “It’s been a while, Heisuke-kun!” Nonetheless, she was happy to see him, since quite some time had passed. He was in med school now, and she was busy teaching. It had been a while since she’d gone out to have fun.

“Sit, sit, these two are my Senpai, Nagakura Shinpachi,” he gestured to the reddish-brown haired man, his biceps caught her eyes. “And this is Harada Sanosuke.” The red-haired man gave her a wink. “This is my childhood friend, Miura Etsu.”

She flushed and sat next to Heisuke, bowing her head slightly. “It’s nice to meet the both of you.”

“Ah, nice to meet you.” Sanosuke gave her a gentle smile. “Didn’t know Heisuke was hiding a cute girlfriend.”

“We’re not dating!” The pair chorused. People always assumed that they were, and it bothered them since they saw each other as siblings. Their mothers had been best friends since high school, and when Heisuke’s father abandoned him and his mother, they went to live with Etsu and her parents.

Neither of them was showing any signs of lying, so Sanosuke gave it up. Seems like they weren’t interested in each other romantically. “So, Miura-chan, what do you do for a living?” He saw Shinpachi sit up straighter to pay attention from the corner of his eye. There he goes again…

“Ah, I’m an elementary school teacher, I teach first grade!” She smiled brightly. She loved her job, even though the children in her class, her kids, could be a bit of a handful sometimes, she had nothing but patience for them.

Heisuke nodded proudly. “Yeah, she’s a really dedicated teacher!”

“What about the both of you, Harada-san, Nagakura-san?”

“I’m the hospital’s psychologist. I treat patients and the staff.”

“I’m a physical therapist and a nutritionist! I make sure our patients exercise and eat well!” Shinpachi grinned, beaming with pride.

Heisuke snickered. “They look more like delinquents though!”

Sanosuke smacked Heisuke on the back. “Oi, we’ve shed our pasts, don’t go making us look bad in front of Miura-chan!”

“That’s right! Tell ‘im, Sano! We’re good law-abiding citizens that help people!” Shinpachi high-fived Sanosuke.

Etsu giggled a bit at their interaction. It seemed like the three of them were a fun combination. She was having fun talking to Heisuke’s new friends, especially Shinpachi. In turn, he asked her a lot of questions about her kids, which made her rather chatty. Usually, she preferred to listen to get to know people better, but when people touched the subject of her job, she couldn’t shut up about how cute and amazing her kids were. “Ah, I see Chizuru-chan over there, I think I’ll stop by to say hi. I’ll be back.” She stood up, leaving her purse on the seat.

“She’s real cute.” Shinpachi grinned.

“That she is,” Sanosuke chuckled, “You certainly seem interested.”

“Nah-uh, Shinpatsu-san! She’s off limits!” Heisuke gave him a slight glare. Shinpachi wasn’t a bad guy, per se, but he certainly did date around a lot. He had a new girlfriend every few weeks. Etsu was too special to be just a fling.

“What’re ya talking about, Heisuke? It’s her choice to make!” Shinpachi crossed his arms.

“I’m looking out for her!” Heisuke scratched the back of his head, looking over to make sure Etsu was still preoccupied with making small-talk with Chizuru and Souji. “Look,” He sighed. “When we were in high school, Etsu confessed to some idiot. I heard the whole thing from start to finish. He said some…” He swallowed some curses. “…things to her. Horrible things. Since then, she’s been a little afraid to kinda put herself out there. That’s why I don’t want her dating just any guy.” He clenched his fists at the memory.

Sanosuke and Shinpachi remained silent for a few moments.

“You socked him, right?”

Heisuke looked up at Sanosuke and nodded. “Souji came with me. Hajime-kun didn’t help us beat the crap outta him, but he did stop us from completely beating the shit outta him. He wasn’t completely helpless, got a few blows in too.”

“Heisuke, you know me! I treat women with nothing but respect. I’m just lookin’ around for the right girl, that’s why I’m always dating.” Shinpachi looked over at Etsu. “Just her number. I’ll take her out on just one date. I am looking for something serious, ya know.”

Heisuke sighed, knowing what he said was true. “Well, that’s up to her if she wants. If she asks me about you, I’m not gonna play wingman though.”

After she’d gone around to greet everyone, she came back to the table. Shinpachi was the only one remaining there. “Ah, Nagakura-san, where did they go?”

“They got up for some more drinks.” He shrugged, drinking the rest of his beer. “Can I buy you a drink?”

She quickly shook her head. “Oh, no thank you. I’m not much of a drinker.” She had some interesting habits when she was drunk, like biting the person next to her, so she’d rather not drink in a public setting and cause a disturbance.

She and Shinpachi made more conversation, both trying to find out as much as they could about each other before the night ended.

—

“Heisuke-kun?” Etsu knocked on the open door to his shared office. “I brought you, Harada-san and Nagakura-san some lunch…I was hoping we could eat together…”

More like with just Shinpatsu-san. “I’m a little busy, so I’ll eat here, you can ask Sano-san and Shinpatsu-san. They usually hang out in Sano-san’s office for lunch. Thanks, Etsu.” Heisuke grinned, peeking inside his bento, his favorite onigiri! You owe me, Shinpatsu-san.

Etsu wished him luck and skipped to Harada-san’s office, hoping she’d see a certain reddish-brown haired man. Her heart fluttered at the thought of him in his green scrubs, his arms completely exposed for her to admire. Ah, he looked so strong…to be in those arms…what would it feel like?

“Oh? Miura-chan, come in.” Sanosuke welcomed her in. “Lunch again? Thanks, Miura-chan. Eating a home-cooked meal is definitely better than going down to the cafeteria to eat.” He gave her a warm smile. She’d been coming nearly everyday for a month after they’d met.

“It’s no trouble! C-can I ask where Nagakura-san is?” She placed his bento box on his desk.

Sanosuke suspected that this excuse of bringing them lunch was an attempt to woo Shinpachi. Well, he did believe in the saying, “the way to man’s heart is through his stomach.” She was definitely interested in him, but wasn’t confident enough in proclaiming her feelings in an assertive way. She was waiting for Shinpachi to make the first move, but the guy could be kind of dense. He internally sighed, there he goes again, analyzing people and playing matchmaker. “He’s probably at the gym. You can check there.”

Her smile brightened. “Thank you, Harada-san!” She heard him bark another word of thanks before she dashed to the elevator.

Her face ran smack dab into someone’s firm chest. “Oh, watch out there!” She felt a strong arm wrap around her waist to keep her from falling backwards.

Her light brown eyes looked up, meeting blue ones, a blush immediately spread across her face. “N-Nagakura-san!”

“Ah! Etsu-chan!” Shinpachi grinned at her. “Ran right into me, where were you off to in such a hurry?”

“…I brought you lunch. Harada-san and Heisuke-kun are too busy today to eat together today.” Honestly, she wasn’t too disappointed about that.

They wound up going outside to sit on a bench to enjoy their lunch in the nice weather. It was spring, the cherry blossoms were in bloom, the cold weather was subtly disappearing.

“Pita pocket sandwiches?! Etsu-chan, you’re too good to me!” Shinpachi immediately took a bite as soon as it was in his hands. “You’re helping me watch my calorie count too!”

Etsu blushed at his compliments, hiding behind her pink scarf. “I heard from Heisuke-kun that you keep track of what you eat…”

He nodded eagerly. “I’m kinda trying a new thing. I’m making myself go through different diets to recommend to my patients, since there are some that might be allergic or have difficulty of thinking of dishes to eat that fit into their calorie count.” Shinpachi grinned and placed his hand on her head. “Thanks, really, all this month, you’ve given me a different dish to try. I’ve written them down in some of my meal plans for my patients.”

This time, she buried her face in her hands. “Y-you’re welcome, Nagakura-san.” Yet another thing to admire about him, how dedicated he was to helping others. 

Shinpachi took one of her hands in his, pulling it away from her face to stare into her eyes. He took a deep breath. “…So…um, well, I don’t want you getting the wrong idea or anything that it’s just for the food or anything, but I really enjoy talking to you, Etsu.”

Etsu lowered her other hand and looked up at him, tilting her head in slight confusion. “Nagakura-san?”

“Will you go out with me?”

Blink. Once, twice. What?

Did she hear him correctly?

“…That is if you’re interested! If you don’t wanna go on a date with me, that’s fine too…” He rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks dusted with a light pink. “…But I…really like you, ya know…”

“You…like me?”

Shinpachi looked back at her, her light brown eyes were wide. He set his sandwich down and took both of her hands in his. “Of course! I really like you! So…will you go on a date with me this Friday?”

His large hands made hers feel so small…She honestly couldn’t believe what was going on. Why? Why did he like her?

But hell, she was going to go for it. She was interested in him, she liked him too.

Shinpachi grew nervous, the more the silence dragged on.

“…Yes, Friday sounds great, Nagakura-san!” She gave his hands a light squeeze, smiling slightly at him.

Part Two