#Yukimura is the only man ever. he’s the only one I trust

[vitos-ordination-song]

It’s hard to have a stance in the middle of the quality of such a beloved and debated work. ‘Cause on the one hand, you have those who will hear nothing but praise for it, and on the other, there’s a kind of mindless backlash to frame popular works as overrated. I wouldn’t call LOGH overrated. Just, its diehard fans are overlooking some major issues.

It’s fine for a story to have limitations. “Plot holes,” wonky worldbuilding in places, etc. But as someone who’s read a lot of sci-fi, I found it to be full of anachronisms and questionable writing choices. I mean, why are the space imperials talking about Valhalla? We’re given no backstory for how this galactic empire came to have Norse religion. This is from a society which views Earth as a long forgotten backwater. Like??? There’s a lack of attention to materialism, like technology is just able to do anything; the battles feel more based on sea/ground combat than anything to do w space; the story will drop a huge bomb like “the first kaiser only allowed people of Germanic descent into the empire,” only to never explore the issue of race again; etc.

None of the above issues are enough for me to criticize the story really. I just view them as limitations. No one person, no creative team even, can create a perfect world in fiction. And there are really interesting things about it. For instance, I found all the history episodes compelling. The author clearly has an interest in history, especially military and leadership history. It’s fun to watch a story where the past is projected on to space. That’s not to say that the story does nothing original, and it does have harder scifi elements at times. Besides, there’s no reason that history can’t repeat itself on a galactic scale.

My issue really is with the ending. I’m not sure the promise of the first half was fulfilled. I’m still sorting through why, but I’d say the number one reason is that it feels too satisfied with itself. The story became cliched at the end—how disappointing! I mean, the Church of Terra was just there to be Evil and mess things up for the protagonists; there was absolutely no thought put into making that interesting. Every single character moment felt telegraphed. There was none of the tension and excitement of the first half. It was… corny? Maybe it was always corny. Maybe I just liked Yang Wen-li’s corniness better, lol. But his self-effacing nature kept the story from going full soap opera. With him gone, it was like, Reinhard’s just gonna keep being the same guy and then die, ok, and now Julian is a generic hero, complete with under-written girlfriend. So why did I watch to the end???

I’m venting but there was a lot I did like. I thought Reuenthal’s episodes were extremely well executed. I really only lost interest when it was like “the alliance and the empire have to fight again despite both sides wanting to talk.” It made Reinhard more boring to me that he was that predictable. And the show had never felt so complacent on the topic of violence. It’s just boring to be like, yep, we’ll end with the exact same values that we started with: might makes right. Ooooh Julian proved himself to Reinhard through combat. I guess if he died his opinions wouldn’t be worth anything???? When this was framed as Reinhard’s fatal flaw, a personal foible that led him to recklessly pursue Yang, I really enjoyed it. But I’m supposed to respect the character, right? Well what’s to respect when you always have the advantage and end up fighting a kid with way less firepower than you? I suppose you could say that Reinhard earned that right by fighting from a young age himself, but it felt like the story took a step backwards. I get bored of one trick ponies. Then it’s like “Julian gets Revenge for Yang by going on a murder spree” as if that’s also supposed to impress me. Cool, you created completely two dimensional characters for your hero to justifiably kill, you want a cookie for that amazing writing? In the end the story ended up being short-sightedly masculinist. But yeah I did enjoy it. Yang was the realest and I’ll love him forever. The rest of you hoes can go home.

[redsamuraiii]

Truth about Ochiba & Toranaga *spoilers*

Ever wondered why Ochiba hates Toranaga so much that she wanted him gone quickly in the beginning?

*book spoilers ahead*

In the book, it is revealed that her son's father is not the Taiko but an unknown peasant. Ochiba is stressed in having to bear an Heir for the Taiko or risk losing her political position of power as the Taiko's Consort to someone else who can bear the Taiko's child.

To destress, she went horse riding, where she had a fateful encounter with a young peasant who resembles the Taiko. Thinking that it's fate, she went ahead to conceive a child with him. When she was done and emerged from the forest, Toranaga was there waiting for her.

Toranaga asked if she was alright as she was gone missing for some time with her dressing unkempt and some dirt on her back. She told him that she fell off her horse and took some time to clean herself and get back on her horse. She suspected that he knew.

So ever since then, she had to look over her shoulders every time, especially when the Taiko is alone with Toranaga as she fears Toranaga would either tell the truth as the Taiko trusts him with his life or would use it to blackmail her for his own political agenda.

Interestingly, in history there is a legend or rumors that the real Ochiba, Chacha has a romantic relationship with Yukimura Sanada, the legendary Samurai that would lead the defense of Osaka Castle against the Tokugawa to protect Chacha and her son, Hideyori.

The idea that her son is actually Yukimura's son and not the Taiko makes sense as her son is described as smart, dignified and handsome young man behaving more like a Lord, unlike the Taiko, who is uncouth, behaving like a peasant.

The relationship between Chacha and Yukimura have been shown numerous times in Japanese period dramas like Sanada Maru where Chacha took a liking to Yukimura as he strike as a different breed of Samurai than the ones she's accustomed to seeing in Osaka.

Which makes sense as most of the Samurai and Ronin that served the Taiko, like Ishido, are peasants so they have different upbringing, behavior, mannerism and mentality. Seeing a "real" Samurai made a big impression on Chacha as he's more sharp and honorable.

Even Ishida (the real Ishido) is impressed by his knowledge and skills, leading Yukimura to be one of the trusted vassals of the Taiko. Yukimura had to serve the Taiko as a political hostage (like Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones) for many years since young.

Chacha like Ochiba is an influential political figure in court that vassals listen to in the absence of the Taiko, especially Ishida. She always put on a "fierce" front in public and in court but only show her true self to Yukimura, the only person she loves and trusts.

Although many characters in Shogun are based and inspired by real life characters, I noticed that there is none that represents Yukimura Sanada, a figure that is often left out even in Netflix's Age of Samurai. He's an important figure if they were to make a Season 2 of Shogun.

[fierce-little-miana]

may i ask you what u mean when you say that kodo emotionally isolated Chizuru? do you mean by not telling her of her true nature or something else? love your souji route commentary btw!!❤️

Hello anon,

I am glad your like my commentaries on Souji's route. I like making them too so at least two of us are having a nice time with them.

It is true that I must have said 3 or 4 times now that for me Kodo emotionally isolated Chizuru while raising her, without ever explaining what exactly I was referring to. So thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about this.

(However, please be aware that I haven't play the game in its entirety yet and I am playing Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi which is a ten-years-old game and far from the newest iteration that might explore the subject a bit more. So this is informed by the anime, the movies and the part of the game I have played as of today. Plus by some of the discussions I have seen in the fandom.)

Also, I am so very sorry for the long post.

When I say Kodo emotionally isolated Chizuru am I referring to him lying to her about who she is or to something else? The answer is both, or rather I think the lying and other things were tools he used to isolate her (emotionally and also physically to an extent) in order to control her easily.

First the lying. Kodo lied to Chizuru, and he lied to her constantly including on things that cannot be reframed as a safety issue for her. Let's list the extent of his lies:

Not telling Chizuru she is an oni: This could potentially be reframed as a way to protect her from a world that would hunt her down. However, Chizuru still knows she is not like other people because of her healing. She has to hide it from ´outside’ people. This means Kodo only gave her half of the truth so she can't have a full picture of herself while also being convinced the only person she can trust entirely is him.

Not telling Chizuru she is not his biological daughter: Kodo is not Chizuru's biological dad. Biologically I am not even sure who Kodo is supposed to be for her. He is part of the Yukimura clan but he is not a pure blood oni. This means that the closest he could be to her is her uncle as the half-brother of one her parents. In the movies Kaoru calls him "Kodo-ojisan" (meaning uncle Kodo) but in Japanese as a younger person you can call middle-aged man ojisan as a mark of respect that is less formal than san (Mister/Sir). The official French subtitles translate this as "M'sieur Kodo", an informal version of Mister Kodo. In the game I am pretty sure Kaoru only calls him "Kodo-san". Which would mean that Kodo is not extremely closely related to the Yukimura twins (personally in my fic I made him the (half-)uncle of their mother who was born only a few years before her so they were raised as siblings more than uncle-niece, which meant that while Kodo is Chizuru's great-uncle he actually served as an uncle figure, I love family drama and complicated family tree). What does any of this matter? Well this lie does not serve any safety or cultural properness purpose. Adoption was extremely common in Japan at the time. Kondo Isami was adopted, Inoue (Okita) Rintaro (Okita Souji's brother-in-law) was adopted by the Okita family, Ito Kashitaro was adopted, Iemochi the Shogun at the beginning of the Hakuouki game was adopted, twice!, apparently Okita Mitsu was adopted by the Kondo family too so she could marry Inoue (now Okita) Rintaro... It would not have been shocking for Kodo to present himself as Chizuru adoptive father. What he actually is, btw. Yet he preferred to lie to her and say that he is her father, period.

Not telling her she ever had a sibling: as a follow-up to lying to her about being her bio dad, Kodo never mentioned to Chizuru that she had a brother. Reminder that Chizuru was 7 when her village was destroyed which meant she could have memories of her previous life (I can't remember if this is a popular headcanon or something backed by canon but it was Kodo who altered her memory right?). Hypothetically Kodo could have told her she had a brother (without mentioning the twin thing considering the negative superstitions surrounding them) adding that he died/disappeared. This could have match with snippets of memory she might have. It might also have salvaged Kaoru and Chizuru's relationship if they ever met again (something I believe Kodo was planning) because I personally thing that what definitely broke Kaoru was his sister not recognizing nor remembering him at all.

All of this accumulate to create a picture of "it was always just me and my dad and no one else" (why would she ever think she might need anyone else?) and "my father is the only person I can really trust". This is plain bad for Chizuru's development as a person and an absolute lie.

To this, one must add other ways Kodo used to make Chizuru dependent on him alone:

While Chizuru is well-educated and has attended a dojo for a short while, she has no (let alone close) friend. She never mentioned anyone back in Edo. I know some of this come from otome protagonists being some sort of a blank page so you can project on them but if we compare her to Hoshino Ichika for exemple (from Collar x Malice), Ichika does have friends and relations outside of the main cast that date back before the plot kicks in. Chizuru does not, besides Kodo.

The inclusion of Iba Hachiro in the new games might mitigate that but from my understanding Kodo did put some distance between the two at some point.

Chizuru had no prospect of her own, no goal with her future life despite being on the brink of adult life. Was the plan for her to live with her father forever?

While Kodo seems to be well-integrated in the medical/scientific community, no one seems to really care about Chizuru. No one seemed to have actually looked for her after she disappeared from the family home and went missing. Chizuru was 16 when she left Edo! She must have more or less run her father's household (which must have make her interact with people), maybe she helped him in the clinic and her father must have been a known figure in the neighborhood at least (as a doctor)... I understand that were more than troubled times but no one cared about the missing 16 years old girl they must have interacted with regularly? Really?

As a result we see a Chizuru that is an extremely strong-willed (she travelled alone from Edo to Kyoto by foot at sixteen years old disguising her gender in the middle of a deeply trouble political time! That takes guts!) and rather intelligent girl, yet she is also quite timid and does not seem to have a point of reference on how people should treat her.

The Shinsengumi kidnaps her and holds her captive for months for being at the wrong place at the wrong time and she is not deeply resentful to them? She thinks they are "nice men" deep down?

It takes her being physically put in danger in the place she is forced to live in to go:

???

She has no basis for what a sane relationship with someone should look like. She take being controlled as normal. Ironically, it is with the political militia who kidnapped her that she starts learning how to interact relatively normally with people. Because for what I think is the first time in her life since Kodo adopted her, she is allowed to interact with a multitude of people who have different opinion and act as if disagreeing with each other from time to time is normal (which it is). Hijikata gave the order for her to stay in her room? Well it is stupid order and we are not following it. Etc etc.

My thoughts about Kodo's behavior is that he raised Chizuru so she would be able to nominally be the head of Yukimura clan and his future oni/rasetsu kingdom (giving her Shotsuren, making sure she is passable with it, making sure she is educated, etc.) while making sure she could never really escape his clutches and would never even think about trying to do so.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 2 - Unwritten Laws

The next morning, Katrina woke up better than ever before - It was a beautiful morning with an even more refreshing feeling - Something she hasn't experienced in a very long time. She had a soft smile on her face so she dressed in the kimono of that annoying colour and braided her hair, doing a cute bow to tie it, only for someone to randomly pop up - Or, pop down, rather, from a tile from the ceiling. 

The man was dressed like one of those Ninjas in Naruto, only to have modern-day glasses that gave him away, somewhat. "Hello. I know we haven't properly met each other, but I was there when you went through the wormhole." he explained, making the girl snap her fingers in realisation.

"That means you have an idea of what and/or why it happened, right? Are you a scientist?" the woman asked, gesturing for the man to get out of the ceiling and sit down with her and chat properly.

"Yes. I am a post-graduate in Physics. We entered the wormhole at the same time, however, I arrived four years prior to you. And in this time spent here, I came to the conclusion that we are in an alternate timeline. I arrived at the place where Uesugi Kenshin collapsed. I saved his life with my knowledge of modern medicine. If this were our timeline, Uesugi Kenshin should be dead by now. Also, the Warlord Takeda Shingen, who is supposed to be dead by now, is also alive. Well... I predicted that you would do a time travel as well, and I searched for you, but I never imagined you would arrive four years after me." the man chuckled cheekily, making the woman look down with an amused smirk.

"Well, well, finally, someone who has brains around this place. Trust me, it's a real wonder. I'm a doctor now, but in the only day spent here, I didn't get to use my skills." she hummed in mock-superiority. "Anyway, I see these 4 years have been kind to you. To become such an excellent ninja requires true hard work and dedication... Not like you had anything else better to do, anyway. To think both Kenshin and Shingen are alive right now... As well as Nobunaga... Mitsuhide wasn't the traitor, he hasn't died in less than a week, and Hideyoshi isn't Japan's unifier yet... There truly are a ton of discrepancies compared to our own time's history. Well... Not like I know a ton about universal history and all. As you can see, I'm not exactly 100% Japanese, and most of my time I spent in Europe. I know the basics of history, with some details from some Wikipedia searches and... 'The Age of Samurai' documentary from Netflix. But I guess it matters for nothing now that we're pretty much re-writing history by just existing." Kat smiled wryly, admitting to her own ups and downs in common knowledge, but then she grinned charmingly, tapping the side of her face, pondering.

"I don't think we will need too much history knowledge with how much things have changed, but I suppose you could say that seeing the famous warlords of the Sengoku with my own eyes is a dream come true for me. My parents were big history buffs so I got my name from the Legendary Ninja that served Yukimura Sanada. Sarutobi Sasuke, the leader of the Sanada 10 Braves, the fictional group of 10 ninjas that supposedly assisted the warlord Yukimura Sanada during the Warring States, and since that's pretty much my name, I've basically taken his place, so my impact on history is pretty low. Unlike yours, Physician Princess." he sniggered friendly, making the girl shrug playfully.

"Rumours fly around faster with a ninja around. Anyway, I know we have no actual technology around... Except for what we were caught with in the wormhole, and that only works on the left-over batteries... But do you have any idea if there's any way to go back home? There must be a wormhole some time soon, right?" she theorized, and thankfully, the ninja scientist nodded in relief.

"According to my data, the next appearance will be in three months... But I'm still unsure of its location, so I believe it will be best if you spend these next three months here, since we're in the midst of a chaotic civil war... Ah, someone's coming. I'll be staying with my employed in the city below. Send a smoke signal and I'll come to your aid quickly. Bye, Kat, it was lovely meeting you." and with that, the scientist completely disappeared.

"Goodbye to you too..." the girl muttered, getting up and opening the door to her room, only to see Mitsuhide, wearing his usual fox-like smile, and two very soft and sweet looking women behind him, both holding some big boxes of unknown content.

"Hello. Please, do come inside... Although, I don't have any tea or snacks to serve you." she stepped to the side, welcoming the trio inside her room.

"What a lovely welcome, from one fire fox, to another silver fox. Well, I will be direct with you. Lord Nobunaga is calling for you. He wants to see you." crossing his arms and nodding to the girls to open the boxes, revealing several hair pins and hair decorations, along with a beautifully embroidered and painted flower-patterned black, golden and red kimono and matching haori and zori sandals.

"U-Uhm... I would like to thank you for your consideration... Truly, I appreciate the thought... But I simply cannot accept such a gift. I have done nothing to deserve or earn such expensive outfits and jewellery, therefore I must decline." the red haired woman looked away, embarrassed, fidgeting awkwardly with her fingers.

"My, my, how modest of you, little Princess. Well, then take it as an early payment for all the hard work you're going to put throughout your stay here, at Azuchi. Besides, if you don't accept them, it will be me Hideyoshi kills. He pushed these onto me and said, and I quote, 'She can't go dressed like that, take this to Lady Katrina'. Don't worry so much and let these maids take care of you today, then, you can do whatever you want." Mitsuhide bargained with the girl who remained quiet for a while, and then simply nodded. Whispering a soft "Okay." and "Thank you.", the two maids had Mitsuhide leave the room and called Katrina to take a bathroom.

The Faux Princess had to insist a few times to be allowed to wash herself... Alone... By herself. She enjoyed the soothing hot water that calmed down her overworked and stressed muscles, and soaked much longer than she realised, but damn, the relaxation was so worth it. She didn't even care for the wrinkly skin, she was just so happy.

Her apartment back home was pretty small, so she didn't have enough space for a bath tub, only for a shower, so there wasn't any chance for her to relax like this. Not bad at all... Maybe this will be a pretty fun trip... A vacation, maybe? Definitely worth it. With just this bath alone, Kat was content.

After what may have felt like ages for anyone waiting on her, the physician woman got out of the bath and dried herself off, allowing the maids - Aiko and Maki - To take of her however they felt fit, trying to erase the embarrassment she felt in allowing others to pamper her like that. But this kindness and politeness... Yes, these women were nice and all, but it was all fake. After all... She was a Princess, and everyone wanted to gain favour with the Princess, and by default, gain favour with the Lord who assigned them to do this. She's seen enough Imperial Chinese dramas to know the drill.

The girls carefully combed her long, crimson hair, and they made two decorative braids in the back, loosely tying them together with a beautiful, golden ribbon. They helped her with dressing, and then gave her some food - And an excellent dessert - And shockingly, Masamune was the one who cooked for her! Kat knew, cooking wasn't rocket science, but cooking in the 16th century, and especially something so spectacular... She was intrigued, to say the least, and it's the first time she was actually interested in learning something that wasn't revolving around her work-space.

When she was finally able to leave the room, she saw that Mitsuhide was still there, and he smirked at her, satisfied. "You look lovely, Lady Katrina. Shall I take you to Nobunaga's room? I don't believe you know your way around the castle yet well enough." he spoke, gesturing with his eyes to be followed.

"Thank you for your thoughts, Mitsuhide. Although... Please, do not use such honorifics when addressing me. You and I both know I'm not... Well... I did nothing to earn such a high social status, nor the respect of anyone, therefore, such words are nothing more than empty pleasantries that are used as an attempt at gratifying and elevating one as someone greater, yet it has no meaning, nor worth." she finally spoke after a while, making the silver-haired warlord stop in his tracks and look at her with slightly widened eyes, surprised by her words.

Instead of addressing her statement, he merely hummed in amusement and understanding, and took her hand, kissing the back of her hand. "I thought I'd ease your nervousness, yet somehow, I may have missed the mark. You seem even more tense. What dark thoughts are plaguing your mind, little fox?"

She didn't dare look at him - She could feel her cheeks reddening slightly, as she could only look to the side, fidgeting with her fingers and biting her lip. "I... I shouldn't... It's not..." she muttered softly, almost as if afraid to say anything, her eyes darting around carefully.

"There's no one here who could hear you, there is nothing to be afraid of, little one. Your voice is soft enough that not even I may hear it." the warlord mused, encouraging her with the teasing.

"In my time, what you did is a romantic gesture. All that considered... It never happened to me before. That's... That's all that I was thinking. Nothing of importance. Forget you heard it." and with that, the red haired girl stepped ahead, getting in front of Nobunaga's door, only to peer behind her shyly. "Although... It wasn't too bad saying it to someone. Thank you, Mitsuhide."

And thus, hearing a soft snigger from behind, the leaving footsteps left her all alone, in front of the beautifully painted landscape from Nobunaga's paper door. Announcing her presence to the Warlord, she was invited inside, only to see Drew already sitting there, playing Go with Nobunaga. And he was losing very shamefully.

Looking down and fidgeting with her fingers, Kat felt awkward and didn't know what to do, so she just stood there, by the door, awaiting further instruction. It didn't come until Nobunaga completely decimated Drew's forces and he won. Drew threw a tantrum and flipped the table, having all pieces fall around the room, but Nobunaga sketched no reaction - His face was hard and cold as an ice statue's.

The poor girl could only look away, very embarrassed at being associated with him, but also, feeling incredibly uncomfortable with having to witness such a... A fight. A one-sided fight. The man didn't even bother speaking to her - Instead, he stormed out of the room, cursing the warlord left and right. As well as him, the girl said nothing either, but unlike him, she moved for the first time since getting there. She got one of the vases that held the red pieces and began picking up each piece. However, as she was doing that, Nobunaga suddenly moved, grasping her wrist, stopping her at once.

"Why are you doing this? It was not you who made a mess of my room." he spoke, his eyes cold and almost ruthless.

"Yes, but what he did wasn't okay. A man shouldn't behave like a spoiled brat. He's always been a sore loser and would make a huge show whenever he lost at something. Mind you, he was never a great player at... Any game. As well as that, we are both from the future, and having him show such disrespect makes it look as if we are some ill-mannered savages or something." she explained, placing down the vase and putting her other hand gingerly over his.

"You feel responsible for his actions, is that it?" he scoffed, seeing the girl offer a small smile.

"Unfortunately, I do tend to do that a lot." she mused, freeing her hand and continuing picking up the pieces. "But I think it's more shame and second-hand embarrassment."

"A leader always takes the responsibility for his subordinates' mistakes, likewise, they are responsible for teaching them accordingly. Katrina, I do not understand you. It came to my understanding that you and that man were married, or in courtship, therefore you are not a leader, just a maiden trying to pick up the discarded sword of a broken peasant pretending to be a warrior. You could become an Empress, but you sell yourself short. It's pitiful, if not, pathetic." he grimaced, making the girl hang her head, but nod, nonetheless.

"Yes, you are right. I am aware of that - But it's not like I have much choice in the matter, do I?" she let out a dry, sardonic chuckle. "We are not married, and, truth be told... I don't have any positive feelings towards him either. I could end it any time, should I find something better -- I just hadn't found anything better than this wretch yet.." she shrugged simply, though the bitterness was evident on her face.

"Enough self-pity and servant-work. I did not call you here to clean my room." he swiftly ended the conversation. "A scout reported from the East. One of the daimyos there wants to revolt against me. We are facing a force of more than 2.000 men, so it is very small. I am going to lead the attack with my own army of only 500. You will be coming with me. Here's your chance to bring me luck again." he finally spoke with more vigor in his voice, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Oda Nobunaga, the Demon King of the 6th Heaven almost died... He must be weak, we can finally take our chance and win against him. We can defeat his army and take over Kyoto." Kat smirked softly, humming in amusement. "You're going to make quite the statement, Nobunaga - A 1 to 4 army... Very bold." she tapped the table, a habit she took whenever she was being playful or amused. "Is it true what they say? The safest place for anyone is near the general, for it is the most guarded one? Is there anything I should be afraid of?" she teased playfully.

The brunet warlord let out a boastful laugh. "You are brave, woman! Brave and witty, yet foolish to believe there is any place safe under the Sun. Get up, we are leaving now!" and saying that, he lunged to the girl, getting her up and leading her out of the room and into the stables, leaving her mute from shock as she, once again, was dragged up onto Nobunaga's horse with crazy ease.

Nothing more was said until they arrived at the camp - They sat on small wooden chairs, awaiting... Something. Tension was high in the air, and screams of rage, agony, war cries were splitting the air. It wasn't like in the movies, Kat knew that, but even so, curiosity, intrigue and slight fear mixed together in her heart. She wanted to watch, to observe, to analyse, but at the same time, she wanted to stay away and be safe. It wasn't that she valued her life much, but she didn't want to give it away too freely either.

Then, one of the warriors came by to his warlord, alerting that the enemy commander sailed out, risking his life in battle - Nobunaga was almost impressed, he could even say he was half-intrigued... Or maybe a quarter at most. And yet, the Lord got up from his chair and put his hand on the katana hanging from his waist.  He was going to go there and put an end to the enemy's life by himself.

"You must be bored of sitting there, silent. You'll come with me, I want you to see this." the man commanded, already striding to his horse, leaping up and going ahead.

"... You should have waited for me, at least." the girl muttered, and seeing that no one else was around, she held her clothes up, allowing more freedom of movement, and ran after him awkwardly, muttering curses under her breath.

Suddenly, she heard a loud, authoritarian shout - "Aim for Nobunaga's head!" - they said, making the girl's head snap up to the Lord's silhouette, barely a few meters in front of her, and then she saw an archer to her right, drawing his bow towards her. 

"Do I look like a man to you?!" she shouted at him, and seeing a dead soldier on the ground, she leaped down, grabbing up the corpse and using it as a way to cover her body as much as possible.

The familiar sound of an arrow being released, and Kat closed her eyes, not having a clue what else she could do to shield herself - But than the splitting of air by a sword was heard, and a familiar voice boomed through the place. "I am your enemy! Don't mistake me for someone else!" and with that, Kat peeked from behind the dead warrior as Nobunaga decapitated the archer, his blood splashing around like an artesian fountain. So that really was as flashy as in movies. "Katrina! Observe diligently what is happening around you!" he commanded, and with that, he turned around and went ahead to create more carnage.

Thankfully, the war didn't last much longer, for the warlord got to the enemy, and the red head ran up by his side as soon as he leaped down from the horse. "A demon!" some of the enemy soldiers shrieked in fear, seeing the merciless eyes of the sadistic warlord, along with "This man is a monster!" Nobunaga's cold, lifeless, killer eyes seemed to terrify the soul out of everyone... He was enjoying the way he scared and intimidated his enemies.

But Kat wasn't scared. Instead, she kinda felt sad hearing such words. In a period of only war, to call someone so gifted in the art of war, a monster, just because you're lesser than him - No, never mind, humanity hasn't changed.

The woman walked by his side, in front of the cowering enemy leader who was kneeling and praying, begging for his life to be spared. But Nobunaga was having none of it. None who rebel against him may live. And he struck him down on the spot.

"You lost to number less than half of yours. You should be cursing yourself for thinking you stood a chance. Understand it already! This is the end for you. And it goes without saying, your foolish vassals will accompany you on your fate." and thus, he ordered everyone from the castle to be pulled out - They were all bound and taken away - It seemed to Kat like they were inmates on death row, or maybe lambs to the slaughter, awaiting the guillotine blade to fall down on their neck.

Was he going to kill all of them? Even those who weren't involved in any way in the war, and just had the misfortune of being born in the wrong castle area? It seemed unfair, and yet, she wouldn't be surprised in the least. It's the Sengoku era, and she remembered how completely heartless Nobunaga was said to have been, killing and lighting up buddhist temples, women, children and anyone that was unfortunate enough to cross his path.

She could only look at them go by her with lingering sorrow, feeling her heart sinking, but she was saying nothing. She understood, and it wasn't like a warlord would take back an order and choose the mercy route, just because of a woman's plea. He was Oda Nobunaga, and he was a Warlord. The most feared one in the whole country.

As a physician, she looked at the irony presented in front of her - A woman who vowed to save as many lives as possible, next to a man who vowed to bring his success by killing. Did he even care about others' lives, or did he just see humans as pawns in a chess game, playing only to win? Was he truly not afraid, even by a little bit, of being in the middle of the war, among so much death and danger?

She went back to Azuchi almost robotically, not being aware of anything around her, as she was too deep in her own thoughts. Maybe someone tried to talk to her, but she behaved rudely by unintentionally ignoring them. But she wasn't sorry, she didn't want to do it, those thoughts were too intense and interesting to speculate.

And so, she got back to her own room and slumped on the ground, resting her elbow on her knee and propping her jaw on her palm, looking unfocused and just...Pondering. That is, until the room to her door was opened and, unexpectedly, Hideyoshi greeted her. She saw the man and gestured for him to sit down next to her and have the conversation he wanted - Why else would he be there, anyway?

"You seem unexpectedly well after what happened. Are you sure you come from an era of peace?" he asked with light amusement, no doubt trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

"Yes, I am sure." she smiled softly. "I've always been great at hiding what I'm feeling, and I naturally am level-headed and don't fall under the pressure, so I guess my rational thinking and composure saved me from panicking too bad. Thank you for your concerns, Hideyoshi, I truly appreciate your thoughts." she nodded as a thanks.

"I did come here to bring you some basic necessities and see how you were doing, but I suppose you are pretty fearless." he stated. "Did anything happen to put you in such deep pondering?" he asked, almost as if he were a big brother concerned about his little sister after her first day at school.

"Well... An archer tried to shoot me. The arrow was aimed at my face. That was scary. I leapt to shield myself with a body from the ground, but thankfully, Nobunaga was there in time and sliced the arrow... And then the archer. It was scary back then, but the adrenaline surging through your veins makes it bearable. When you relax, it's when the fear actually catches up to you - Rationally, at least." she recalled the story with a sigh. 

"Yes, I suppose for a woman who never even saw weapons her whole life and lived such a sheltered existence, having an arrow pointed at you and almost dying must be traumatic." he nodded, a serious expression on his face - But then he patted her head with a nice smile. "But that's not what's on your mind, is it?"

"No... You are right." she admitted. "After he killed the enemy lord, Nobunaga tied up all the vassals, including the women and children. In our history, he is known as a merciless man who kills anything in his path - However, there are enough discrepancies in this timeline from my own... So, I was wondering... Are these war prisoners going to be killed? Or will they be used as slaves or something?" Kat asked, looking pensive at the vassal in front of her.

"Kill? Lord Nobunaga would never do something so wasteful. The traitor will be stripped of his land, which will be put under the control of a new daimyo. The wounded will be treated and sent home to work the land as farmers and peasants once more. They won't be allowed to become samurai or warriors again, though." the man explained to her the process of taking war prisoners.

"I see. I suppose that makes sense. That means I will finally have some proper work to do of my own these days, that's great. I figured he wanted to get rid of this revolt quickly, with as few people as possible, to show that he's stronger now than ever, even in spite of the fast-flying rumours about the Honno-Ji incident... So he's thoughtful first, then merciless and valiant. I think I understand him and his reasonings better now." Kat nodded in understanding, letting a pondering silence veil the both of them for a while.

"I still don't yet approve of you, but now that you are a member of the Oda forces, and you have already been through one war, you have to try and understand what is going on around here. Things won't be easy for you, but I am sure Lord Nobunaga wouldn't put you in direct danger, considering he needs you alive. But that's all I can tell you now. Once you've calmed down and had enough time to sort out your thoughts and feelings, go to Lord Nobunaga and thank him." and thus, he extended his hand towards her, to help her up.

She graciously gave him a smile and got up with his aid, and they nodded at each other. "Thank you for coming here and explaining these things to me. I needed that. You're a very nice man, Hideyoshi, whether or not you approve of me. I appreciate it." but then, the man smiled and hummed cheerfully.

"Don't thank me. Also, before I forget - Have this. Put this on your wounds. While I won't trust anyone who seems suspicious until they prove me wrong, I wouldn't leave an injured woman untreated. It's not my style." and thus, he stepped out of the room, waving at her goodbye.

"Thank you, Hideyoshi!" the girl went out as well, waving at him as well.

"Thank Ieyasu, not me. I'm just giving you leftover medicine he made." he chuckled lightly.

"Ieyasu is interested in medicine as well?!" the girl's first real reaction - True interest and excitement - Painted on her face, her eyes gleaming eagerly.

"Yes, he is very gifted in this domain. He may be skeptical and apprehensive at first, but pay him no mind, he's just introverted. You can learn many things from him. I'm sure you will be his favourite student... And only one." with an amused look, he left the place, leaving the girl to her own thoughts.

"Fascinating... Very fascinating..." she muttered to herself as she found her feet taking her towards the Lord. "Well then, here we go again..." 

And thus, Katrina sighed, gathering herself and her thoughts, and calling out to the Lord, awaited for approval to walk inside - And she did hastely.

She walked in the demon's den as fearlessly as he expected.

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[thezestyone]

So just doing some day dreaming and thinking...and I got this idea for a HC and since you do such an amazing job with them and you love these two boys as much as I do, I submit this to you as a request.

Motonari with an MC who is as flirty as Shingen and Shingen with an MC who is as crude/crass as Motonari.

I would love to see what you come up with, please and thank you 😊

@writingwhimsey I am digging these themes!~ And Motonari and Shingen- Thanks for the requests like always, Whimsey, and thanks for being a follower!~ 🥳

A Flirty MC

Motonari: He was not going to lie. Her flirtatious nature definitely caught him by surprise. This woman should hate him with all her being, so why was she flirting so much with him, saying the corniest/strangest lines he ever heard like: ”With looks like yours, you should be rated Arrr”, “Cap’n, you must have walked the plank of handsome a thousand times”, ”Baby, you can pillage my heart anytime”, and his favorite- Er, the most peculiar one of all: ”I must be a pirate too, because I just found some treasure I rather keep to myself.”

Eventually, though, he started to flirt happily back with her. And the more the two flirted with each other, the more closer they naturally became, which he did not mind at all; she was gorgeous.

Of course he would initially have an issue with her trying to be so close to him, but over time, he began to trust her, and he was not let down, surprisingly enough. She seemed to put him first above everything else, treating him like an actual god, which he also did not mind, but he did want to remind her that no one “outranked the captain” in their little flirting sessions. That also extended to seeing her hanging around any one else, especially Hideyoshi who he suspected had quite the crush on her. He wanted her whole attention, to be the only one she found attractive, and he would be damned if anyone stole the spotlight from him. He would feel rather protective of her quite quickly, not at all eager to let anyone else even be in her vicinity.

“All you need is me, ya said it yerself, so do not be looking for no other man. I got all that ya need right here.”

A Crude MC

Shingen: This was a first for him. A woman that did not want him near her, a woman who could see right through his cleverly crafted mask, a woman who did not at all seem like she even liked him, not one bit.

Yukimura was jumping for joy when he first met her.

“Finally, a woman who is not interested in you,” He would say, much to Shingen’s displeasure.

He wanted to have her take an interest in him, so he made sure to thoroughly take his time with her and pump the breaks on his strong flirting style; it wouldn’t work on this goddess.

Patience was a virtue, and did it pay off, because when he gained her trust, he found a wild side that took his breath away. She was very straightforward with what she wanted, something else quite new to him, and he did not at all mind obliging her.

“Whatever you ask of me, my Goddess, I shall happily deliver,” He would tell her with a smile.

So, what was initially excitement at finally finding a woman not interested in Shingen soon turned to utter horror for Yukimura at just how interested she became in his lord.

“I have no idea how you do it, my lord, unless you put something that drives women to insanity on your lips.” He would huff, as Shingen would chuckle. There was no trick to his wooing, he was just that good at doing it.

[writer-akihiko]

Hello!

Ikemen sé request

the warlords realizing that Mc is very popular with their soldiers. Sending love letters and stuff.

IkeSen Boys + Popular!MC

This was so cute ahhh although I'm sorry if it's a little short, there's a lot of Ikemen to get through. Thank you and I hope you like this work!

Nobunaga Oda

Nobunaga thought it was quite odd that there were a lot of presents delivered to you... Which he didn't gift...

After some digging, he found out that you had garnered some popularity after a campaign

He was dumbfounded at the idea that other men could be attracted to you

He didn't quite like that, but being the person he is he did tell you his thoughts

You insisted that you wanted to keep some gifts to distribute to your maids. He agreed, but he just buys better gifts for you anyway

He's not as jealous as you'd expect, since the man is also a bit egotistical when it comes to himself and your feelings for him

"Oh... Nobunaga..." You wanted to laugh at how childish he was but it wouldn't be in the right taste.

You stopped your giggling when Nobunaga muttered, "I could transfer whoever sent those gifts to you away..."

"At least let me keep some!"

He silenced you with a quick kiss. "Whatever you like from the pile, I'll purchase better ones from the merchants."

Hideyoshi Toyotomi

He doesn't want to admit that he's jealous, but he is. He unknowingly calls out the soldier that was about to gift you a present in an oh so convenient timing…

He doesn't take it to such extremes, he still respects the other soldiers. Although, he found it quite tempting from time to time to not bring you along for some campaigns

In this case, he wished that Nobunaga hadn't demanded such things of you. He really does appreciate your skills on the field, but he doesn't like that he can't control how much attention you're getting

He only realises it once someone points it out to him, or when someone sends you a letter. Letters are an absolute no from him

"Lord Hideyoshi, what should I do with these letters for YN?"

"Burn them."

"Lord Hideyoshi, what should I do with these letters from the townswomen?"

"Oh, send them to my office-"

YN smacked Hideyoshi up in the head. "You hypocrite."

Mitsunari Ishida

Mitsunari did notice that you gained a lot of attention, but he knew that it was only from your good merits and character

In no way did he ever thought it was romantic, until Mitsuhide pointed it out

He wasn't sure how to feel about it. Sure, he was happy that a lot of people thought you were a wonderful person

However a small inkling of him wanted to keep it to himself

Seeing the multitude of gifts for you, the guilt hit him hard. What if you wanted gifts all along?

"YN, do you like it when those soldiers give you gifts?" He asked, as you opened another gift that consisted of a bunch of fabrics.

"I do appreciate it," You admitted. "But I don't plan to keep them for long. I share any snacks with the maids and fabrics with the seamstresses. Why?"

He didn't reply, except for the blush that bloomed on his cheeks.

You pecked his cheek, understanding what he meant. "You have no reason to be jealous, my sweet angel."

Mitsuhide Akechi

Not a lot of people can read him, and he uses that to his advantage. He sneaks up on those who had planned to give you gifts, and instead direct their attention to another maid or townswoman

In the end, with this strategy, you don't receive much gifts from soldiers. This doesn't work on his fellow warlords however

With you, he doesn't hide his frown when people like Shingen or Masamune send you gifts

He doesn't care for what reason it was for, the gift shall not be touched by you

"Mitsuhide? Have you seen a package from Masamune? He sent some really pretty Oshu fabrics for me…"

He sipped on his bland concoction of tea. "Why my dear, I wonder where it could be…"

You sighed. "You gave it away didn't you? Now I have to write to Masamune- Ah!"

Before you could continue any thoughts, your charming kitsune sweeped you up in his arms, smiling coyly at you. "Write to him? I'm afraid my jealousy won't allow that YN… I'd certainly be interested in writing my thoughts of you on your body…"

Ieyasu Tokugawa

Ieyasu surprisingly doesn't notice any traffic of gifts to you. It might be due to the fact that he publicly ban any gifters from his estate…

You still manage to get some from soldiers passing by or Ieyasu's fellow warlords gifting you as a token of appreciation

Only when you bring the gift home is when he realises how popular you are. He doesn't initially care, but similarly to Hideyoshi, he gets rid of any letters

He doesn't burn them, but he moreso stages it so you'd see adorable Wasabi chewing on the papers

"Hey Ieyasu? Oh-" You dropped to your knees, seeing Wasabi with some paper in its mouth once again. "Wasabi, you should know better than to chew on my letters! Ha… Looks like I have to apologise later on."

"Do you even remember the soldier that gave you the letter?" He looked up from his work to ask you.

You pouted. "No… But I'm sure I can ask around!"

He patted you head. "Don't waste your time on that. The maids should be done with dinner now. Let's go and eat."

Masamune Date

He notices your popularity early on, but he's not too bothered about it. In fact, he shows off that you and him are in a relationship

It might be a 'rubbing salt in wound' move but he doesn't care. He has a thrill of seeing some of his jealous subordinates, which he trusts that it is in all good favour

With the way he approached it, most admired you in a non-romantic way, and for those few that actually do, Masamune opts for a duel as a 'wholesome' way to solve the solution

The duels end up with him winning, and the challenger often with some pointers from Masamune during fighting

You wiped off Masamune's sweat from his brow, wondering why he suddenly went up to that random soldier. "Did something happen?"

"Didn't he give you that gift earlier?" He asked, confused. He put up a good fight, although he'd probably have to answer to Hideyoshi since the boy was under his army…

You shook your head. "It wasn't. He has a twin, and the twin is working under Mitsunari…"

Masamune stood up, groaning. "Looks like I have another duel YN. I'll be back by dinner!"

"H-Hoi! Masamune!"

Kenshin Uesugi

Jealousy plus Uesugi Kenshin equals disaster in Kasugayama Castle

Kenshin was shocked when he saw the servants carrying the presents in, specifically addressed to 'Princess YN'

No one could stop him from drawing his sword and rushing to the training grounds, where every poor soldier who passed by was forced to duel him

Yukimura and Sasuke were already battered from the multiple duels they had to face. You pitied the poor souls, so you sent some of your maids to heal up the soldiers that faced his wrath

Holding one of your many bunny children, you walked up to your soon-to-be husband, smiling at him. "Kenshin my dear, we should be on our way to our stroll…"

He tugged off the upper part of his kimono, his torso and upper body dripping with sweat from the fights. "I'll be with you YN, I just need to cool off. I shouldn't dirty you with my sweat."

For as much as you wanted to be proper, you couldn't help but stare at your perfectly sculpted fiance. "T-Take you time my dear."

Sasuke Sarutobi

For the many things he was dense about, this was not one of them. He saw the way some of the Nokizaru looked at you

He of course told them off, but he still had an inkling that some didn't get the memo

Within whatever wisdom he had left, he somehow consulted Kenshin on how to resolve this, which ended up Sasuke battling about half of the Nokizaru

You had no words on why half the men were injured and why your boyfriend was bruised as well. Initially you thought it was from some dispute, but Yukimura so kindly filled you in

You tightened the bandage around Sasuke's arm, giving a disappointed look to the group of ninja. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"We're sorry Princess YN."

"And what do you have to say, Sarutobi Sasuke?" You huffed.

"I won't go to Kenshin for romantic advice."

"Good."

Shingen Takeda

He is not oblivious to your charms, as well as the way other people were attracted to your charms

He'd be lying if he said he weren't jealous. Of course he was, but he didn't plan to do anything malicious to whoever sent you gifts

They were free to waste their money and/or time, it wasn't his business. He'd however, make it clear that you were taken

He's not above doting you in public, and sneaking kisses in the markets or kissing you as the rain goes by. He's very calm about it, since he sees the way you were attracted to him

"S-Shingen! We're going to a war council!" You patted his face away from your own, as the much taller man held you in his embrace.

"Embarrassed Princess?" He teased, giving you his sweetest smile reserved just for you. "But we've done many affectionate things in public…" "People will see!"

He kissed your cheek. "Let them see how in love we are."

Yukimura Sanada

He is another victim of Kenshin's not-so great love advice, hesitating to pick up his spear at anyone who sent you glances. Well… it was Kenshin's advice… and no way he'd risk getting teased by Shingen by asking him!

He then opted for a silent jealous strategy, keeping you by him and covering you with his body everytime he felt someone looking at you

You wondered why he was acting so odd, after all, you just wanted to go on a nice stroll with Yuki and Muramasa

Luckily, to Yuki's benefit, Muramasa is a good wolf who knows to rip apart any letters that come to you or hound after any men that look at you the wrong way

"Is it just me, or is Muramasa a little more energetic than usual?" You asked your boyfriend as you folded your kimono underneath you to sit on the impromptu picnic blanket.

Yuki shook his head, handing you over the basket of food. "He's probably just excited to see us… I think…" He said, as Muramasa runs off into the bushes with what he could see was a paper in his mouth.

Kennyo

Kennyo doesn't really know what to do with this information. He's quite unsure if you wanted the attention or not

He thought the issue didn't need to be brought to your attention, as most of those around you are most likely his subordinates

He could… simply remind them of the holistic teachings that was preached to them

It does a good effect, as most quickly dispelled any sort of romantic attraction

He doesn't mind his subordinates admiring you out of respect, as he thinks you deserve such respect for your deeds

You clapped your hands after hearing your boyfriend's sermons. "You impress me every time my beloved," You said, pecking him on the cheek. "I'm always in awe when you deliver your preachings."

He shied away from you, "My dear, you praise me so…" He couldn’t stop repeating those praises over and over in his head, wanting to pen down the exact words you said. "Thank you YN."

[bigskydreaming]

I absolutely hate that the most popular Melissa ships are with Chris and the Sheriff, the first of whom pointed a gun at her son multiple times, while the Sheriff used Scott to track down criminals but didn't give a crap when he was kidnapped and taken to Mexico. Melissa might have had her flaws, especially after finding out Scott was a werewolf and in season 5, but she deserved better than that, and Scott definitely deserved a father figure that actually cared about him.

Oh wait, he had one. Wonder why no one ever shipped Melissa with Deaton. It's a real mystery.

RIGHT???

I will literally never stop being a screaming little ball of rage that the show was so oblivious to the trauma it heaped on its main character that it never even OCCURRED to them that maybe the woman who kicked her FBI husband to the curb for drunkenly knocking Scott down a flight of stairs as a kid MIGHT not be keen to hook up with a guy who had knowingly and with intent:

threatened her son at gunpoint at multiple times, told him he was a monster, told him part of him wanted to kill him because his wife died (after taking her own life due to getting bitten by Derek defending Scott from HER murder attempt), had broken the window of Melissa's car and dragged her son OUT THROUGH it in order to threaten to kill him if he ever caught him with Allison again, had held Scott choking by the throat against his fridge while threatening him again, had shot Scott through the arm the very first night he was a werewolf and hadn't done shit to anybody in direct contradiction to Chris' insistence that he only ever hurt werewolves who had ALREADY hurt people...

And all without Chris ever saying an ACTUAL word of apology for ANY of this to Scott, but its okay, because Scott forgave him and looked up to him and trusted him and that means its all good, and not that Scott just has shit self-esteem due to being abused and traumatized left and right by all authority figures in his life except for Alan, the Clear Untrustworthy Asshole Adult in all of this.

Like, maybe Melissa might have had some THOUGHTS on all of this, if the show had ever considered it remotely a priority to have someone fill her in on the laundry list of shit Chris had done to her son before like, pointing her towards Chris and telling Cupid to take the shot.

And we don't acknowledge Melissa/Stilinski around these parts, nope. He can choke after the whole "sure, Scott only went to hell and back to be my literal ONLY ally at various points of 3B, as invested if not more invested than I was in keeping Stiles alive no matter how many people wanted him dead, but let's leave his kidnapping to the authorities who have absolutely no idea about anything supernatural and who even if they COULD deal with the berserkers and Kate, would be just as likely to freak out and take a shot at Scott themselves if they saw so much as a hint of fang because idk, maybe he might be traumatized or not in a great state of mind whilst kidnapped."

I mean, lbr, I hated him long before that, but yeah that was the point of no return, lol.

In conclusion, yes Alan Deaton is the only worthwhile adult man on the show except for Ken Yukimura who is spoken for and happily committed, and he and Melissa could have made a great couple and even failing that, like, even in the Teen Wolf universe I'm sure Tinder exists, she had options. Keep those other two a No-Fly Zone, thank you, next.

[otonymous]

Prisoner Of Love (Ikesen Kenshin - NSFW)

Description: Can two victims of circumstance find their way to love? Warnings: NSFW/18+: Explicit/graphic language — reader discretion is advised.  Spoilers for the first half of Kenshin’s MS.  Potential trigger warnings: angst, imprisonment, mild mentions of injuries, self-harm and death, self-loathing, anxiety, possessiveness (it IS Kenshin after all 🤣), slight dub-con elements, profanity, vaginal intercourse, squirting Word Count: ~3100 words (~17 minutes of angst and smut) Author’s Notes: Sending out a super giant thank you to the incredibly kind and gracious @azuchi-princess​ for commissioning this Kenshin piece from me.  I cannot tell you how honoured I am to have been entrusted with writing for your husbando! 🥰💕 It was an absolutely wonderful process working with you, and I’m so glad to have been able to indulge in my need for angst and smut at the same time!

(SPOILER ALERT!) This story takes place shortly after Kenshin has MC (read: YOU!) placed behind bars as his “spoils of war,” but I have taken creative license in altering the events that occur afterwards.  Moreover, the perspective shifts between that of the reader’s and Kenshin’s in the hopes of delivering that optimal punch of angst 👊🏼🤣

Please note the warnings listed above — especially the potential triggers — and avoid this read if anything makes you uncomfortable.  Otherwise, dear readers, I sincerely hope that you enjoy this piece! 💕

Chapter I (Kenshin’s POV)

Betrayal.

Cutting deeper than the sharpest blade.

Unforgiving like Himetsuru-Ichimonji, severing the red string of fate as quickly as it is drawn from its scabbard.

So why was it that Kenshin still couldn’t bring himself to hate her?

Footsteps echoing along stone walls in the bowels of Kasugayama Castle — the very place where he had her cast behind bars — Kenshin wanders, trapped in a hell from which there was no escape.

For the confines of the mind were impervious to even the God of War’s sharpened steel.

And in between each beat of his thunderous heart, he hears her: gentle tears rolling down that delicate face to fall on packed earth, the ground’s inhospitable chill reaching up through limbs to rob even the final vestiges of warmth from bone.  Her every shuddering breath is a weight upon his chest, suffocating until Kenshin clings to the reins of reason holding him back from storming her cell like a madman, animated solely by the fire commanding him to see, to touch…

…to love her.

Hands clenching into tight fists, Kenshin’s knuckles blanch whiter than his already pale skin when he slows to a stop.  Round the corner and there she’ll be.

Woman of the Oda.  The Devil King’s own.

She, who had lied in the same breath that commiserated with him as they waited for Sasuke’s return.  She, whose tears left him dazzled, catching the light of the fire like precious stones even as their salt stung, seeping into his open wounds.  She, who had held his hand within her own, caring not about sullying her perfect skin with his tainted blood.

Because tainted is what he is.  It is what he deserves.

And yet, he can’t help but see the moonlight in her gaze, shimmering like a spectre every time he closes his eyes.  Can’t stop himself from desiring the tender warmth of her smile.  Still wonders at her fearless bravado in the face of a man who brought nothing but death and destruction upon friend and foe alike.

Isehime.

No.

No, he will not see her, Kenshin thinks, gaze frosting over as he wills the ice in his veins to freeze a heart he no longer wanted to feel.  He walks away, forcing himself to believe that the sound of her sorrow growing faint was nothing more than mice in the walls.

Chapter II (Reader’s POV)

Ethereal moons beckon from scrolls depicting each of the four seasons — resplendent colours discordant against the drab stone walls on which they hang.

Cherry blossoms flutter against gold-foil skies; delicate petals frozen in time as they float across a folding screen.

Even the futon in the corner of your cell seemed fit for a princess at court, much more luxurious than the one in which you had slept at Azuchi.

The Dragon of Echigo had took it upon himself to see that his spoils of war would want for nothing, and yet he would deny you the one thing you truly desired:

The man himself.

Sasuke, Shingen and Yukimura would visit — sometimes together, sometimes in turn — graciously sharing their company for which you were so starved.  Your ninja friend swore with as much emotion as he could muster to do anything and everything possible to persuade his lord to release you, or at the very least, agree to see you.  Yukimura couldn’t stop shaking his head, the expression on his face indignant to see you treated thus, ‘boar woman’ though you were.  As for Lord Shingen, he likened you to a bird in a gilded cage, trying to tempt you with offers of freedom and a ready smile on his face that surely would’ve moved any woman to see it…

…any woman but you, that is.

For in your eyes, there was only ever Kenshin — the man who came to your rescue time and time again without knowing your true identity.  Intoxicating like the finest sake, each and every moment spent by his side became a precious embrace of a memory, emblazoned in your mind until it was impossible to forget:

The black cape that flowed from broad shoulders like a powerful wave, trailing behind him that night he saved you from those thugs in Azuchi.  The way your feet dragged behind his footsteps, moving slow just to watch him cut swift through tall grass with all the seasoned grace of a dancer.  His porcelain skin glowing from within as if lit by the light of his own moon.

And in his eyes…sorrow as unfathomable as the sea was deep, rising like smoke from sapphire and emerald in those rare moments the Dragon of Echigo let down his guard.  But alas, no more.

You had broken his trust.

How many nights have you lain awake, seeking out pinprick stars through the sliver of window high above your prison and thinking about how things might have been different?  What if you had disclosed your relationship with the Oda at the very start?  Would the press of the cold steel of his blade be more of a consolation against your neck than the heartbreak spreading from chest to limb every time you lay down to sleep?

Sleep?

No, that was not forthcoming these days — rest a luxury you couldn’t afford until the moment you could face Kenshin for yourself and tell him that you never meant to hurt him, never meant to lie.  That though Nobunaga found you first, you had no ulterior motive in approaching Kenshin other than the fact that you…you…

…simply couldn’t stay away.

No matter what anyone tried to say about him.

For even on the battlefield, every nerve singed as the stench of freshly spilt blood filled your nostrils, you still couldn’t tear your gaze from the one they revered as the God of War.  Like an immortal stepping from an unfurling scroll, Kenshin moved with the fluid grace of a master painter wielding his brush, completely at one with his sword as he dispatched his enemies with a precision that terrified and awed all at once.

And when he held you in his arms that night — the same hand which had claimed countless lives bleeding into your own as you clasped it in prayer for Sasuke’s safe return — you had felt no fear; only the wish that time would stretch into eternity so that you might forever have him near.

“Kenshin.”

You say his name once…twice…the syllables rolling off your tongue to echo down the hallway like a ghost, lonely and forgotten in the dungeons of Kasugayama Castle.  What was freedom to you when you couldn’t bear to break the shackles chaining you to a god who would never look your way again?

Chapter III (Kenshin’s POV)

“Kenshin.”

Her voice halts him in his tracks, one hand shooting out to rest upon the cool stone wall as Kenshin bolsters himself against the sudden weakness in his knees.  When was the last time he heard her speak his name?  Had it always sounded so melodic, caressing up the spine to curl gently upon the lobe of his ear?

That she is calling for him at a time when she should’ve been fast asleep is a source of elation and anxiety all at once, She is thinking of me tempered by the dread in knowing that she wasn’t getting the rest her body needed.  And slowly, slowly…the scales start to tip: if she didn’t sleep, she’d become too exhausted to eat.  And without eating, she would…

…die.

The nightmare would begin anew.  Except this time, it would be her blood on Kenshin’s hands, spilling crimson over the scars left behind by Isehime’s lifeless body.

She’ll slip away from you like the other, the voice in his head chastises, full of malice as darkness begins unfurling from the corners of his mind, tightening the vice in his chest.  They come hard and fast, thoughts tangling one over the other like a labyrinth of vines from which there was no escape:

Poison runs through your veins.  Loving her would only doom the girl to misfortune and regret.

If she is not yours, could you possibly surrender her to anyone else?

You cannot outrun your curse.  All those you hold dear will end up like Isehime: sleeping in the cold earth.

No one must lay eyes on her beauty, witness her elegance, know of the rare flower blooming in the depths of this dungeon.

No one but you.

Fist pulling back, Kenshin releases the full force of his strength in a punch to the wall.  Bruised bone and shredded skin send blistering pain to interrupt the cacophony in his head, silence reigning supreme once more until

“Kenshin?”

…she calls for him again, voice coloured with anticipation this time.  He hears a shuffle, sees her in his mind’s eye — throwing off the covers of her bedding to press against the bars, straining to peek around the wooden slats that kept her from freedom.  Kept her from him.

“Please, Kenshin…is that you?”

He knows not why he does it, body moving before his mind is even aware.  Kenshin had managed to make his way to her cell undetected every night since he put her there, standing silent in shadowy corners just to watch her sleep, allowing the rise and fall of her breath to soothe him with the knowledge that she was still very much alive.  But now, in a single moment of thoughtlessness, he had thrown it all away.

She gasps to finally see him and even the sound of that is beautiful, resonating clear like the note of an expertly plucked koto.  His gaze falls on her tightened grip around the bars, follows the solitary tear gathering starlight as it rolls down her cheek.  And when her eyes widen in horror to look upon the state of his injured hand, Kenshin feels it:

A shift deep within, barely perceptible but wholly significant, like ice cracking beneath the surface of a frozen stream.

And the rush of waters that follows drowns the lovers in a flood from which neither was capable of nor willing to escape.

Chapter IV (Reader’s POV)

Perhaps he really was a god, answering every prayer that ever slipped past noiseless lips to materialize before you in that prison.  His white kimono is pristine beneath that black cloak, as if emphasizing the sanctity of his being, the unalterable distance between Uesugi Kenshin and a mere mortal such as yourself.  But then the rivulets of red run down that swollen hand to tell you otherwise; the revelation bittersweet because maybe now, there was a way for you to be together, complicated though circumstances were.  

So you reach for him through the bars and he complies, watching as you lay kisses upon bruised fingers, feeling the familiar sting of your tears as they seep into wounded flesh and broken hearts ��� full of sorrow, full of joy…and impossible to stop.

“Push me away.”

His voice is soft for the hard edges of his words.  Head lifting, you meet those striking eyes, focused and still.  Yet, you felt the storm brewing in those blue and green depths, turmoil barely concealed beneath the ice of his gaze.  And there, standing before the man whose very blood stained your lips, you refuse.

Lightning flashes in those eyes and suddenly, his fingers are curling tight about the sleeve of your kimono, Kenshin pulling you close through the bars in one swift motion until the stilted rhythm of his breath is dancing hot over your skin.  

“Say it.  Say you hate me, that you want absolutely nothing to do with me.  Do it now or else—”

“No.  Never.  How could I ever bring myself to hate the one I love—”

The grimace on his handsome face cuts you off, the great Dragon of Echigo trembling at the very word, love, like it was dirty, taboo.  And as the final threads of control slip from his grasp, Kenshin is moving once more without thought — his body a slave to the dictates of the heart.  Yanking on the ring of keys hanging from his tapered waist, Kenshin throws open the door to your cell and in an instant, he is by your side.

“Fine.  Then I’ll make you hate me.”

His whisper is a promise.

The keys clatter as they’re thrown to the ground, but all you could hear was the rush of blood in your ears, deafening with every pounding beat of your heart to feel his lips on yours for the very first time.  The insistent tongue pushing into your mouth carries a hint of sake, the fervour of his kiss leaving you intoxicated and desperate for more.

Long fingers thread through the silk of your hair, Kenshin’s grip gentle yet firm as he angles your head to deepen the kiss, bringing you closer and closer until the end of his exhalation marked the beginning of your next breath.  And hadn’t it always been this way, you forever chasing after the mystery that was this beautifully broken man?  The intensity of his want is a spell that bewitches, inexorably pulling you into the crucible of his desire, passion matching yours flame for burning flame until all else was extinguished.

Good and bad, right or wrong.

Words insignificant like ash in the face of this all-consuming love.

“Hate me,” Kenshin begs, teeth sinking into your lower lip until the taste of your blood mixed with his.  “Please…or else I’ll never give you up.”

Open-mouthed kisses now trailing wet along the column of your neck, your fingers find purchase in his golden hair, pulling hard as you yield to the sensation of his breath moving lower and lower still.  Kenshin groans, the sound resonating from deep within his chest to send a rush of heat that dampens the sacred space between your legs.

Body ready and heart set, your mind had been made up long ago.  So you grasp onto those shoulders — broad and strong — to pull Kenshin up before you.  And in the silent space between the beating of twin hearts, you say with a conviction so strong there could be no doubt,

“I am yours.”

The sound that catches in his throat is guttural, almost feral as those eyes of emerald and sapphire train on you with the intensity of a thousand suns.  A sea of emotions flit across that handsome face, subtly shifting until one finally wins out:

Need.

You barely feel it though it must’ve taken considerable force to tear your obi off, the sumptuous kimono he gifted you with slipping from your shoulders as the God of War sets you upon the futon fit for a princess.  Elegant even in haste, Kenshin disrobes with the grace of snow falling on frost-covered pine, revealing porcelain skin stretched over perfectly sculpted muscle that beckons to your every nerve.

And before the dungeon’s chill could rattle your bones, he gathers you into the heat of his embrace.  Skin to skin, the arms wrapped around you tremble when he whispers, “I’ve wanted you so desperately, I-I don’t think I can hold back.”  

Head falling back onto your pillow, you will Kenshin to see the sincerity, the surrender in the darkened gaze that reflects his very image.

“Then give me everything.  I want…all that you are.”

It tears a breathless gasp from your lips, mouth drawn open in a silent scream when Kenshin fills you to the hilt with a single thrust — the thick, hard heat of his cock testing the limits of your body with its size.  Equally skilled in bed as he was on the battlefield, the God of War is a force to be reckoned with, the swing of his hips graceful even as they connect with yours, ruthless in speed and intensity.

He moves within your body like he belongs, pulling out only to dive even deeper into slick depths until pleasure bloomed pink along your skin, the hardened tips of your breasts so enticing Kenshin couldn’t help but take them into his mouth in greedy turn as he continued thrusting, harder and faster until your legs began to shake.

“Oh god, Kenshin!  You feel…so…good...ahh!—”

Pants and screams echo down darkened corridors, the sound of your pleasure in being taken this way resonating in the corners of every prison cell until you think to bite onto the sleeve of your kimono.  But Kenshin just shakes his head, the sweat of exertion glistening on his body as his fingers move towards your mouth.

“No, I want…hmm…to hear you.  Every sound you make is…precious to me.  Let it out.”  

With that, he removes the embroidered fabric, lips pressing to yours to swallow every licentious moan for himself as he props your legs up against his shoulders.  All of a sudden, like pieces of a puzzle sliding into place, the motion awakens sensations you never before knew existed.

Unable to scream with your lover’s tongue in your mouth, your body responds in the only other way it knew how: convulsing beneath Kenshin until he is forced to pull out, allowing a flood of your arousal to cascade past swollen lips, spilling down the insides of your thighs in a lewd display that wets the bedding beneath your entwined bodies.  And yet,

“More.  Please, Kenshin…I want more…”

…you were insatiable.

The sight, sound and smell of you so undone ignites a fire inside the warlord, his mind scrambled by lust.  And when he slides into you once more, he fucks with absolute abandon, yearning for complete union even as he leaves you breathless to finally spill into your depths.

* * *

You awake to moonlight glowing soft beyond shoji screens and the rhythm of a heartbeat, measured and slow beneath your ear.  The robe you wore was fresh and soft; vague recollections of Kenshin gently caressing your fatigued body with a washcloth filtering in and out of your thoughts.  At some point, he must’ve carried you to his chambers, sleeping now as you were upon his chest.

Lifting your head, you gaze at your lover in repose.  It fills you with affection to see him — heart tightening to bind you to this man.  And as his muscular arm winds about your waist, you knew you would forever be a willing prisoner to his love.

Thank you so much for reading!  Check out more of my work here! 📚

[dear-mrs-otome]

Musashibō Benkei

The Basics:

Rough and tumble, brash and loud, Benkei is the devoted companion of Yoshitsune. His trusted right hand man and self-appointed guard dog protector, Benkei is a fantastic example of the bark being far worse than the bite - but make no mistake, this dog is still bristling with fang.

All of the men of Ikegen are talented warriors in their own way, but it's Benkei who could quite literally be a one-man army. A veritable mountain of muscle and martial arts, this sōhei (warrior monk) is fiercely protective of Yoshitsune and almost fanatically loyal. Beneath his gritty intimidating exterior though beats a heart of pure marshmallow gold, and when he's not on the field of battle Benkei can usually be found fussing over the other members of the rebel army, doing odd jobs around town, lending a helping hand to the citizenry, and indulging in his favorite hobbies - cooking and gardening. The mom-friend and the 'have you eaten yet' friend, all rolled into one giant package.

The Spoilery Stuff:

Benkei has a sizeable presence in the mythology surrounding Yoshitsune, and there are countless stories of the antics the two of them get up to. One of the most famous tales of Bekei though is that of his 'Standing Death' which conveys the same selfless devotion and heroism as the Ikegen version of him.

The story goes that when Yoshitsune was surrounded shortly before his death, he retreated into a castle to commit honorable suicide. Benkei took up a post outside on the bridge leading to the castle to protect him until he was able to finish. Yoritomo's men, being too afraid to continue challenging the giant warrior after he single-handedly slew 300 of them, stayed back and shot him with arrows. Long after the fighting should have ended, Benkei was still upright - and only when they finally mustered the courage to approach did they discover he had died still standing bravely on his two feet.

Our version of Benkei was born to an ordinary man and woman, but from birth he was freakishly strong and fast-healing, reviled as a demon-child - part ayakashi (most likely oni, as some Benkei tales claim), from some distant ancestor, as Kurama informs him. He grew up rough on the streets basically, eventually falling in with the Kumano Suigun, a sort of navy/band of pirates. They accepted him until his vast strength ended up injuring his own friends, and set off a chain of similar patterns for Benkei. Over and over he would find himself amongst people he came to care for, only to accidentally hurt someone with his great power - until he grew to resent it, and believed the words of those who called him a monster. His bitterness and deeply wounded heart allowed a possessed sword to get its claws in him, and at its behest Benkei set off on a reign of terror through Kyoto. Determined to be the monster they all saw him as if they wouldn't accept him any other way, challenging 999 men to duels and stealing their swords.

It was the 1,000th man that stymied his quest, beating him handily. That man was Yoshitsune himself, and when Benkei lost the duel he swore his fealty to the man who saw something more than a brute in him. But that doesn't mean that Benkei has come to terms with his abilities. He maintains an uneasy relationship with his strength, hiding it when possible and expecting the fear and revulsion of any who witness it, including even MC.

So afraid of his own power is he that he refuses to even touch her unless absolutely necessary, out of terror that he will end up only hurting her too.

Rough about the edges but staunchly reliable, the gruff Benkei has a deep well of caring for others and is selfless to a fault, but remains ever-ready for the other shoe to drop, perennially braced for their love to turn to hate. If you ever wondered to yourself 'what would you get if you mashed together IkeVamp Theo and IkeSen Hideyoshi?'...this is your answer.

Benkei's route tackles him coming to terms with what he is and realizing that what he's viewed for so long as a curse can be a blessing - and that you cannot love someone else until you truly love yourself.

Benkei's personality in a few words:

Blunt

Nurturing

Unrefined

Self-sacrificing

Softhearted

Similar Characters (note I do not say EXACT):

IkeVamp - Theo (gruff exterior, selfless and caring inside)

IkeSen - Hideyoshi (devotion to lord, the Mom Friend)

SLBP - Inuchiyo (actions before words, doubts self-worth)

IkeSen - Yukimura (a more mature version, minus the glaring virgin-alarm)

[lorei-writes]

Ikesen - Rating Suitors

Except it’s my cats who do the rating, as my little Rzepka sat on my arm and is preventing me from writing. Excuse all the typos, let’s say my screen visibility fluctuates. 

Without further ado, allow me to introduce our judges! 

Rzodkiewka/Rzepka - the matriarch of the clan, the miniature kitty of confused stares and trust issues, the lady of reoccurring bladder problems, the one and only princess of wet cat food! She has seen some shit in her life. What shit? Idk. But she’s a good cat. infinity/10, would reccom...I am not supposed to be doing that.

Junko - the older sister, the mighty beast of cuddles, the resilient hunter who fears nothing, and will not leave until your plate is empty - either because you hurried to eat your food or because you’re now crouched in front of the couch and trying to GET BACK MY YOUR BREAD. Associate of cat food thieve organisation. Clumsy fluffy ass. Never did anything wrong in her life.

Porzeczka - the void kitty, one who knows all and has experienced all things of the world.... Except for snow. And rain. But who would want that, right? Ew ew ew, my paw is wet, how did that happen, i only put it in my water bowl. How was I supposed to know that water is wet? Hm? HM? Now look at it, your wall is wet, and I want fresh water in the bowl; will murder you with her claws. Sleeps on my stomach at night. Tsundere. Shows affection excussively between midnight and 5 AM. THE NINJA.

Nobunaga

Rzodkiew - would most likely piss in his futon from stress, not that he would notice it given how little he sleeps. Wouldn’t rule the world at his side, too much ore in this sama. 0/10

Junko - sold after the first piece of konpeito which she absolutely shouldn’t have been given. Turns into a round cat. She rolls in happiness and food. Perfect sleeping charm, the match made in heaven - her previous owner has been long imprisoned due to complaints about cat dietary habits .-. ; 11/10

Porzeczka - she is an independent kitty. She cares not for his promises. Her murder mittens have murder in them for a reason. Time to set the history straight - and then perhaps go and live peacefully somewhere in the mountains. Whew, this odd man was really too stressful, there was no other way.; -11/10

Mitsuhide

The council of cats has expressed their regret in having to announce no fucking way. Dude, are you ever home? Do you think Rzodkiew will be waiting? Nu-uh, get yourself and yours schemes somewhere else, void kitty smells nothing but trouble here. Food? What food? There is no joy in depriving you of food if it’s barely edible in the first place. Those leaves you eat aren’t the conventional edible leaves, sir. Don’t you even dare to disrespect the-mighty-hunter Junko like that.

Hideyoshi

Rzodkiew - yes, please??? Somebody with a common sense??? Who knows that animals need to be fed and who is responsible enough to be trusted with it??? Is home at least frequently?? Cares for his pets?? Rzodkiew would give him smootches, may leave some paw prints on correspondence though. Will absolutely sit in the ink if it means he’ll go to sleep; 110/10

Junko - forget about your pipe, Hideyoshi. Junko knocked it over. It’s probably under the couch. Or the desk. Cabinets. Somewhere. Actually, Junko doesn’t know where it is either. She also left nice print on the tatami mats, but found no bread, sadly. Get her some bread? No? NO?! Well, good, cats shouldn’t eat bread, that’s a plus point. Junko still likes you. Just spoil her with treats. I will come after you the moment she turns into a rolling cat, though. ; 8/10

Porzeczka - void kitty likes. Calm (aside from when he isn’t). Organized. Too stupid to stop her in her plans of world domination. Purrfect conditions for her development.; 9/10, could give her more cat trees.

Mitsunari

No. 

Because he already has a cat, duh. 

Ieyasu

Rzodkiew - is always super grumpy, no matter how many smootches she gives him. Somewhat confusing. But he treats her and is very gentle, and understands the personal space, and actually gives them very good food, and... RZODKIEW WHERE ARE YOU GOING, NO, DON’T MOVE OUT; 14/10

Junko - she is always with him, hugging him and such. Stopped trying to steal his food after she succeeded ONCE (too much spice, man, too much spice). Likes how fluffy his hair is, may try to groom him. 10/10, best friends, their colour schemes sorta match.

Porzeczka - destroyed his scarf because she thought it was a toy. Responsible owner. Not too loud. Will grumble with him, and then will headbutt him to show love. She understands. She would lend him her murder mittens. ; 10/10

Masamune

No. 

Because they don’t want to become the food. Take it as you will, they don’t know who’d they fear more - him or Shogetsu.

Jokes aside, Junko loves the food part. The holy cat mother says annoying. Porzeczka opened claws.

Kenshin

Porzeczka is scared of bunnies. Is there even any place for cats left there? So many bunnies.

Is he multip...?Oh.

Prediction: Kasugayama will become a Bunny-Yama soon enough. Porzeczka must up her plans for world domination.

Shingen

Rzodkiew - can I call you father? Gentle gigant, gentle gigant, gentle gigant! Emotionally stable. Could build her a fort. Spoils all the ladies - and she IS a lady. A little (literally) tiny (very tiny) cat lady. *hit adopt button*; 16/10

Junko - tall guy tall guy tall guy shoulder rides on the tall guy! SWEETS. THEFT TIME. Her foodie instinct is tingling. Although she knows she will only get food appropriate for cats. Smh. She didn’t travel to the past for that.; 5/10

Porzeczka - he is fine, I guess? She would purr at him to go rest. And then would sit on his chest to make sure he can’t get up. It’s the law of the land, you can’t get up if a cat sits on you. I’m not making this up.

Yukimura & Sasuke

No. They have Shingen and Kenshin to baby. No room for pets in that.

Aaand the winner iiiiiis

Kennyo

Solely because he has all the benefits of the above and no annoying neighbours/INTENSE BOSSES/ore excess. 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[ikeromantic]

Not an End

A Mitsuhide Akechi story - this scene takes place at about the midpoint of Ch. 10. Approx. 1700 words.

First: Mitsuhide and the Maiden

Previous: Loyalty

The battle was brutal. In the uncertain light of flickering torches and flaming arrows, colors bled to grey. It was impossible to tell who struggled against whom. Men shouted, screamed, and died. Blood mixed with ash and others pushed forward to continue the struggle. Mitsuhide did his best to keep his little one from the thick of it, but there was no clear path.

He fought when they had to, his sword arm stronger than it had any right to be. His heart beat with ferocity. Not to win, but to protect. Mitsuhide did not note the faces of the men that fell to his blade, but part of him mourned the innocence his beloved lost with each death she witnessed.

Then out of the smoke, like a spirit, a shape took form. Beauty and grace out of place in the landscape of savage violence. Yoshimoto. 

Mitsuhide knew the leader of the Imagawa was here and yet . . . he’d hoped to avoid him. Yoshimoto’s quest for an honorable end was not a part of his plan, nor any concern if his. He respected the man’s desire to end his struggle even if he didn’t understand the feelings that motivated the young warlord. 

Yoshimoto didn’t even seem to notice Mitsuhide. His eyes found the chatelaine and fixed on her with an unexpected passion. “I was hoping I would meet you again in more pleasant circumstances.”

“Me too.” She stepped out from behind Mitsuhide, smiling. 

He felt a surge of irrational anger. A desire to lash out. He contained it, left it simmering behind his own smile. “The tides of battle have turned against you. I suggest you and your vassals stand down, Imagawa.”

Yoshimoto’s lips turned up in a ghost of a grin as he finally focused on Mitsuhide. “I am truly impressed by this plan of yours, Silver Kitsunde. You have truly earned the sobriquet.” The flower of the Imagawa drew his sword anew, steel ringing clear of its sheath. “I thank you for the advice, but sadly . . . I cannot withdraw. That choice has never been mine.” His lips firmed into a thin line, his jaw hard. “Everything has led to this moment. The moment it all ends.”

Mitsuhide wan’t sure he could win against Yoshimoto. Not in his current state. And yet, fate had set his path here. Loss was not an option for him, any more than retreat for his opponent. He readied his blade.

Yoshimoto struck. 

This was nothing like the fight with Masamune. The one-eyed tiger was ferocious, single-minded, and bloodthirsty. With Yoshimoto, the battle was art. Each move, choreographed. Perfect. This was the strength of the Imagawa. Deadly beauty.

It took all of Mitsuhide’s skill to keep up. Predicting his opponent by understanding the steps of this dance. The rapid strikes shook his bones and sent tremors through his tired muscles. Yet he could sense in Yoshimoto the beginnings of an end. His eyes begged Mitsuhide to finish this fight. To give him a good death. 

Mitsuhide readied himself. There was no need to ask why. The Imagawa clan would never yield so long as Yoshimoto lived. The young warlord was a symbol. An excuse to fight on no matter the odds. If he fell . . . they would give up, finally. Mitsuhide knew Yoshimoto’s next move. It would be simple to change his defense to an offense. To slide his blade between Imagawa’s ribs. Straight through his heart. 

“No! You can’t” The chatelaine threw herself between the combatants. “Yoshimoto! Run! Live!” She turned to face Yoshimoto. “Go and live for yourself. Think of your family!”

She didn’t understand. Mitsuhide felt a pang of sadness for his little one. She was so vulnerable. So naive. His blade stopped misdwin and he lowered it to his side. 

“My . . . family?” Yoshimoto sounded as puzzled as Mitsuhide felt. 

She held a hand out to him, as if to touch his cheek. “Sasuke and Yukimura are still looking for you. Everyone in Echigo is waiting for you to come home.”

Mitsuhide felt a surge of jealousy. His precious little one, speaking so passionately to another man - even if only to convince him to live - stirred a poison in the kitsune warlord’s veins. 

“Yoshimoto . . . your life is precious. Too precious to throw away for bloodlines and clan responsibilities. It’s your one and only life.” The chatelaine put her hand atop Yoshimoto’s, her pale fingers brushing his ash and bloodstained grip.

“I -” 

Mitsuhide grabbed his little mouse by the arm, pulling her back, out of harms’ way. And out of Yoshimoto’s reach. “Are you shielding an enemy, little one?”

“He’s not an enemy,” she protested.

Both a true and untrue statement, Mitsuhide thought. He wanted to explain to her why the Imagawa warlord must die. But the look in her eyes . . . full of belief in him. Trust that Mitsuhide would never harm someone she called a friend. Though he knew - absolutely knew - that killing Yoshimoto was the wisest path, he found that he could not do so. 

Mitsuhide met Yoshimoto’s gaze over the top of the chatelaine’s head. An understanding passed between them. Neither wanted to be the man that made her cry. “You will go, Yoshimoto Imagawa. Take your vassals and leave.”

Yoshimoto nodded. “I will withdraw.” He gave an elegant bow which the chatelaine caught as she turned her head to face him.

As Yoshimoto sheathed his blade, the Imagawa vassals shouted in a mix of anger and disappointment. “If you will not fight,” they cried, “then we will die for the honor of the Imagawa tonight.” 

It seemed, Mitsuhide thought, that his mercy was misplaced. Regardless of what he would prefer, he did not think he could avoid slaughtering the fractious warriors of the fallen Imagawa. There would be tears from his little one later, he thought. But he could live with that as long as she was alive to cry them.

But before anyone could begin to fight again, Yoshimoto’s voice rang out. It lacked his usual soft cadence. Now it cracked with fierce anger. A heat that Mitsuhide had not thought the Imagawa warlord possessed. “There is no honor in death! Choosing to die here is a betrayal of all the ideals you claim to stand for.” In a quieter voice he added. “As I have only just realized.”

He leaned forward, far too close for Mitsuhide’s comfort, and spoke to the chatelaine. “I want to thank you. And . . . I hope we get the chance to meet again.”  Yoshimoto lifted a lock of the chatelaine’s hair and pressed it to his lips in farewell.

“And I do not.” Mitsuhide pulled his little one behind him, away from the passionate eyes of this Imagawa upstart. He was beginning to regret not killing Yoshimoto. 

Yoshimoto smiled. “Be well.” Then he led his vassals out of the fight, rallying them around him with an aura of command that he had not shown before. They were soon lost in the chaos and darkness.

Mitsuhide scanned what he could of the battlefield. Most of the shogun’s forces were routed. Crushed between Masamune’s warriors and Hideyoshi’s defenses. He found a good position and waited for the fight to end. 

It was Hideyoshi that came to them. His face was splattered with blood and filth. His eyes were bright with victory. “It’s over. We won.”

Masamune’s troops were tying up survivors and putting out fire. The monks of Honno-ji were attending to the wounded and gathering the dead. It was, Mitsuhide thought, a better win than most. Even if his quarry survived. That only meant the hunt was not done. He had yet more to do.

Mitsuhide took a step toward Hideyoshi, intent on wrapping up this goodbye before Hideyoshi turned his mother-hen instincts full on. But his legs didn’t seem willing to move forward and his arms felt heavy as lead. He stood there feeling dumb and slow as Masamune approached alongside Nobunaga.

“Mitsu . . .” His little mouse clung to his arm, almost as if she knew the thoughts that raced through his mind.

“You’ve done well. All of you.” Nobunaga smiled as he approached. 

“Thank you my lord,” the three of them said in unison. 

Mitsuhide watched Masamune warily. It was entirely possible the one-eyed tiger still meant to fight him. “You took longer than I expected to catch up to me.”

“That’s all you’ve got to say?” Masamune rested a hand on his hilt. A threat, though not an immediate one. “Pfft. I was late because Ieyasu and Mitsunari couldn’t stop squabbling over who would accompany me. I told ‘em they could keep each other company in Azuchi.” His one eye narrowed with anger. “You’re lucky I didn’t hand your ass to my troops after our little . . . chat . . . in the rain.”

“I am grateful,” Mitsuhide began. He had a witty comment to make. He was sure of it. But whatever it had been was gone. “I - I am grateful to you. To Nobunaga. And, and to Hideyoshi.” He put an arm around his little one’s shoulders. “And to you.” He couldn’t help the way he leaned toward her, supporting himself.

Hideyoshi poked a finger in his chest. “You can keep your ‘thank you’ until you and I are done, Mitsuhide!”

There were words Mitsuhide wanted to say. They tumbled, disorganized through his tired mind. He tried to marshal them to order. He was the kitsune warlord - and this was not the time to fall. Not. Yet.

Hideyoshi took his silence as offense and grabbed the front of his clothes, jerking him violently forward. 

Mitsuhide felt his beloved’s warmth retreat from him and heard her make a worried sound.

“I hope you’re ready. I’ve got hundreds of questions and you are going to answer ever single one!” Hideyoshi shook him. 

“Can’t it wait . . . until . . . tomorrow?” Mitsuhide heard his voice as if it came from a long way off. He was in a tunnel. In a hole in the ground. Hideyoshi’s face floated in the light above him. 

“What? And give you the chance to escape?” He shook Mitsuhide again. “You’re not getting out of this.”

Mtisuhide felt his lips turn up in a smile. “It’s not that. I - I’m just . . . rather . . . tired.” And then Hideyoshi’s face was gone. There was only the darkness, silent and heavy. He didn’t have the strength to fight it anymore.

Next: Peace

[ranmanjuu]

—gen z mc with uesugi-takeda + misc. forces

ahh, i’m so glad people liked my gen z oda hcs! lol it’s usually pretty slow from my writing blog experiences until now, but i’m rlly happy! i was planning to do u-t and the others but then i decided to stop at oda and continue another day. thx for the asks tho! and yeah, i do take requests but it’s more of a pasttime, since this whole blog is just my stupid ideas written out and shared out there.

also someone said that a gen z mc could be old enough to romance the warlords, like, early twenties. and yes, very fair if u wanna romance ur mans with memes and existentialism go for it!! i just think it adds more to the comedy side of this child they have to babysit, while not fearing death or any consequences from their dumb of Ass decisions. someone who fears no death and armed with no braincells is a fool, but a Child who fears no death and armed with no braincells is also a fool, but more bizzare and has That Vibe y’know

@niphredil-14​ and @arthotsglasses​

tw: s*icidal, violent jokes treated in a light manner

also spoilers to some things of their characters

—kenshin:

who is this,, , sassy lost child??

he first saw you prepared to throw hands with ronins who were being Elite Dickheads. ofc, armed with nothing compared to the sworded-adults, he had to interfere.

no matter how cold he treated you, masking his secret !!!-like concern, you seemed so unfazed through it. you still interacted with him like normal,,,,, why?? do you want a death wish?

and each time he threatened you with,, anything, you responded with, “the only one who gets to hurt & kill me, is ME”

...... what?

he’s convinced you’re the biggest fool of a person. and he’d be right but even so, he has a weirdly strong need to protect you as you two got closer. you’re often with sasuke, so it’s harder to avoid you.

even with all the Horrible jokes you make on a daily basis, if your passionate side with everyone having equal rights of being treated as human, for him it shows a side of you that makes you seem precious and pure and kind hearted.

and the overprotective side increases.

which is, ,, a bit problematic sometimes cause you have the tendency to target and piss off anyone in a 10 meter range by just one (1) sassy comment, along with your lack of impulse control and blurting out everything in your mind. it’s made you a lot of short enemies in the sengoku period, and kenshin would always be ready to slice them down behind you.

sasuke has to tame him down with his Masters degree in kenshin-wrangling.

at banquets, kenshin would often have you beside him. if you’re too young for sake do age for drinking exist in sengoku? probably not. it’s more of sasuke advising for him to not give you alcoholic drinks he’ll have you pouring for him or just munching away at pickled plums or food.

—shingen:

(ngl i kinda had a hard time with this since it’s erasing a big part of his overall character,,, flirting)

once he heard the news that oda had taken in somone as young as you during honno-ji,, ,,,he’s in a very “how dare that demon >>:( taking such a pure soul,....”

and when you’re taken to kasugayama as a captive, you’re,,, surprisingly very calm and whelmed. you don’t have much sign of fear or anxiety in your overall demeanor meanwhile you’re busy dissociating and spacing out to feel those

you actually don’t seem to hate your captor. but shingen isn’t sure if your ‘fingerguns’ is a good thing or not cause it depicts you pointing guns @ him,, (dw is good shingen)

while yes being held hostage—no matter how good you’re being treated—isn’t ideal and kinda not very cash money, you consider shingen v chill. man has a kindheart!! “i diagnose you with good vibes.”

if he ever sees your righteous side, as everyone else, he’ll deeply admire you. he himself is someone who believes in such as well. and hearing the circumstances in the modern world regarding those things (blm, etc.) his heart truly does go out for you. he feels sympathy for such a young person like you having to take action

also your dirty humor around him, echigo’s player, kind of makes him question where and how you learnt it

and,, his illness.

through getting straight to the point and not falling for it each time he changes subject/dodges the question, you managed to get to the bottom of his illness. shingen himself thinks it’s not something you have to burden with knowing—you’re so, so young.

but that doesn’t matter to you. the world’s given you such a shit time, you’re mature enough to understand the situation at least.

and as he finishes his explanation, all there was is silence. it felt wrong to say any of your usual quips,, so all you did was slowly came there and hugged him.

that was more than what he’d ask for.

—sasuke:

oh hell yeah

you are in your element with him. the chillest guy to talk to, and probably the first one you’re the closest to

your phone was dead after like 2 days of use, and you were miserable while hideyoshi, like a typical parent, told you to go outside and into town. sensing your bad mood, sasuke asked what’s up. you deadpanned, “my phone game ended and now i’m ready to commit not breath.” you oslemnly look out in the bustling streets and clutched your fist like an Anime Protagonist, “those boomer memes were right all along... i am absolutely Miserable and Useless(^TM) without it.”

in response, you could’ve sworn he did the Anime Glasses thing as well, “then we at team Moderately Awesome Sengoku Ninja are happy to announce the launch of a DIY phone charger, made with the electricity from a fruit and the main functionality of a solar panel. and has more durability than samsung’s.”

there were Stars in your eyes now. with a big grin, you thank him, “i’d die for you, sasuke.”

“then perish.” he said with a blank look. (yukimura, in the bg: ???!!!??!??!?)

the next day he consentually breaks in through the ceiling and gives you the weird contraption. you’re now saved, soul-wise.

the memes start coming and they don’t stop coming from the two of you. in any situation. whether it’d be at a teahouse, or at a battlefield that can determine your life and death.

and you can have discussions about current world events, or the past ones, with him and he’d understand completely what you’re talking about. it’s those rare nights when you’ve been thinking and have a deep conversation with him in his room, and as an adult, it makes for interesting results as well.

the others are endlessly confused, but you’re both so unapologetically yourselves.

and he’s super protective if the circumstances are tough. he feels bad for dragging another person in the sengoku with him—much less when they’re so young like you.

if you’re enough of a lil shit, once you’re taken into kasugayama, in the nights where you can’t sleep because brain at what would be 3 am, you’d probably trudge over to his room and wake him up to tell him what kind of mind-blowing shit you realized.

—yukimura:

when he saved you from falling to your death, your reaction already set off weird Vibes inside him. what do you mean, “you stopped me from fleeing this fleeting world by the sweet embrace of death” ?!?!?! are you crazy?? yes

he doesn’t waste time getting blunt with you at all either.

once he goes into azuchi as a merchant, he silently observes you talking to sasuke for a bit. what’s with your weird language?? and crude humor???? never in his life has he met someone in your age act like that wtf

even so, he still operates on the basis of ‘‘if sasuke trusts you, i trust you’’, no matter how utterly concerned you make him feel

you have a dirtier mind than him! unsurprisingly. along with everyone else, you often tease the poor soul, a nd you’d gladly tell him what the innuendoes mean ( 69, etc.) and maybe sprinkle in some gay jokes in there

and why do you keep mentioning this “bromance between him and sasuke” ?? what us,,, a bromance????? and why is sasuke in it??

he takes you out to teahouses to eat chestnut dumplings and other desserts with you. you always seem to target the one he doesn’t like the most and have a bit of banter

your relationship is built on banter but what’s different rlly

he treats you much more maturely than other people your age. as in, he doesn’t pull back his punches in words most of the time. you don’t seem to around him also, it looks like.

and, he’s also very protective of you. he regards you as his little sibling, as rat as you may be. and he does care about you—he might just be a bit unwilling to say it

—yoshimoto:

you think he’s very chill, if a bit unique but who were you to judge. and he is, if you ever meet him in echigo or even azuchi

his big liking to art and something of apathy to people is osmething you can respect. there’s something about that kind of Vibe that you find oddly a mood.

and oh boy oh boy you wasted no time pulling up your phone and showing images of what art is in the future. whether it’d be a screenshot of anime, fanart, aesthetic-like ones, palette-themed—the whole shabang. 

and, somehow, you were left ranting to him  about how some artists in the future get it so shitty for theft, reposting, not crediting, the list goes on (please be a decent human being to artist, sincerely the author) and he can’t help but just listen in silence and kind of thinking about how you’re so passionate about the Struggles of artists. and it isn’t something he sees often in the sengoku era—where war rules most things.

and he does find art from the modern times interesting, how they’re so different and vast in styles. and not only that, it’s not like the future only has one major style like then, each hand can draw such different pictures and still have beauty in each. he appreciates and admires that.

and he does tell you his thoughts ^ while you give your own insight. it’s so fascinating to see someone like you having strong opinions on this.

because, well, rn art is a big thing in our lives as we’re stuck inside. a part of entertainment is looking at any media of art—and he finds his view of art and yours quite the same. you two came from a time of turmoil (one moreso than the other) but still think art isn’t exactly irrelevant just because it isn’t a cure to diseases or the Ultimate Weapon.

you had to Surgically Remove him from your phone so you can use it and to stop him from draining your battery looking at the art

and he often drags you out to town and admire pieces when you’re holing yourself in too much. your comments are always unknown to him, “radical”, “that’s one i can vibe with ngl”, and the list goes on.

and you occasionally call him pretty boy as a compliment rlly

—kennyo:

when you first saw him at honno-ji, and he won’t forget the one (1) line you gave him, all you said to his warning of ooo spooky demons was, “that’s lit fam gtg tho”

and that alone was enough to stun him for a few seconds

honestly you told the others of your meeting with kennyo before they told you it could be kennyo. just a throaway line of “oh yeah there was this dude with a scar across his face.” / “,,, ,....that’s kennyo. he’s really dangerous actually—” / “oh, poggers”

you’re probably kind of half the reason the oda forces found who dun it.

and it was an eye for an eye, kennyo himself found out that you were their child chatelaine, and very close to the others. as per his villain-schedule, he kidnaps you .

he laments about how “such a pure soul such as yours is not to be stained by the demon’s hands”

oh how Wrong he was.

you were the definition of the opposite of pure. and you seemed unfazed, which surprised kennyo but shrugged it off. he was willing to face you screaming and panicking, along with shouldering the sin of doing the deed. but instead, he was met with a raised eyebrow and, “this is unexpected and probably not welcomed but what am i doing here.”

he was stunned for a moment before explaining what he can. 

“......... fuck.”

he cringed ever so slightly at your curse. but your attention seems to stray so quickly off of the fact that you were bounded and helpless, to the fact that you have the man doing unspeakable things to civilians and you absolutely don’t approve.

throwing your common sense to maybe be civilized, you went off on a rant of how human rights and how to not be an ass to him. all he could do was just listened, shocked to even cut you off.

when he did, he gave the whole ‘unsaved demon’ shtick, and you weren’t taking that kinda shit. he believed he was truly unsaved—you knew that. but that doesn’t make it okay.

eventually, he left you with a cold end of the conversation.

he admires your spirit in a way—but with what he’s experienced,,, it’s a bit of unreachable for him.

if at any point you saw the soft side of his with animals, you just gaped at him for a split second and whispered, “the gap moe is strong with this one.”

also old man died inside when you said that you’d fight god, along with many things.

all in all, to him, you’re insufferable. but weirdly,, fascinating.

you’ve totally ok boomer’d him once cause he rlly looks old

—motonari:

,,. if your speech to kennyo was bad, he’s going to rant hell.

motonari already knew you were interesting even when his men just spied on you. your behavior, so brash and impulsive, is going to be so fun to have, he thinks.

through some planning to stir up more chaos, he kidnaps you and brings you unto his ship. same as kennyo, you showed no clear sign of surprise, and that’s when he decided you were either used to this in any way, or a fool. both answers, he liked.

you’re kind of really confused on why he’s doing what he’d doing. “i get it, i like to stir up chaos myself but it’s harmless,, most of it—but not until the people are in danger, bitch.”

and by that line, motonari leans towards you with a deadly smirk, “now, i can bite, ‘kay kid? you don’t wanna be in the receiving end... do you?”

“do it, coward.”

and before he could let out even a wheeze of laughter, you continued on on a lecture of, again, not being a dick and letting people live their life in peace. and much less all of this damage, for what? chaos?? yeah you wanted to see the world burn but it wasn’t literally.

however, his patience was running thin. he shuts you up forcefully, and leaves.

even so, after a cooldown period, he still talks to you (,,,, well, that’s kind of a generous term) because, right he was, you were so fun in his eyes.

an interesting observation he made,,, was that you picked up on his big dislike of physical contact. and he’d think with how annoying you were at times, that you’d weaponize it. but you didn’t—in fact, you kept your space (not that you were planning to get close) and respected his boundaries.

he thinks you a bit of peculiar for that decision, some wary, and perhaps naive.

one of the days—the more dangerous ones—he was planning to take you to the oda as bait or something. and you weren’t taking it like that. two days before arrival, a storm racked up. you stood upon the edge of the ship with the rest of the crew watching you like you were a madman.

“the oda won’t want me if i’m dead, would they now?”

motonari stands in his composure, guffawing, “all i need is to make sure they believe you’re alive, kid.”

a smile that showed absolutely no fear and 1000 percent spite spread in your face, “not unless i decimate my own body until all the trail left is my blood. the only one who gets to do that shit to me, is me.”

finally, a look of wavering shows in his face.

you were saved last minute,, and the rest is history.

[readerinsertfanfiction]

Hehe we talked about it 2 seconds ago and here i am😂😂can ya pretty please write an wardrobe hc for ikesen plz (whick ever of the sweet bois u want) of how they would react to MC who loves wearing gym/exercise clothes ie i only wear tights, sports bra and crop tops like they are sooo comfortable ❤🔥🥰 thanx love ❤🌻

😂 asdfghjkl. Ded. Okay, okay let’s get down to this. 

Context: I joked around that I would give out headcanons for those who want if they give me a description of their wardrobe. 

Fandom: Ikemen Sengoku

Characters: I’m aiming for the whole cast and I did it! Yes! 

Oda Nobunaga 

His first reaction is curiosity. What is this style? What are these clothes you wear and what are they made from? He wouldn’t mind that it is so revealing, scandalising so, in fact he would probably enjoy it and make an indecent joke or two.

If you’re intimate with him he will make sure that you only wear those clothes in private, when it is only you and him. He doesn’t need you to scandalise the rest of his men, but he definitely doesn’t want them to see your skin as much as he does.

I can see him jokingly pull out a fundoshi (Japanese traditional underwear) to compare to your clothes and then laugh about it very loudly.

Will definitely make the above joke when you first meet and he summons you to the war meeting in your usual clothes. It will be humiliating, but then he will offer you some era-appropriate clothes.

Hideyoshi Toyotomi 

Scandalised. He will screech like a victorian governess about the inappropriateness of your clothes. Immediately throws his coat over you.

Will always be nagging at you to wear something more appropriate, or to think of your position. “You’re dragging the name of Lord Nobunaga down!” -- though he means well and actually is looking out for you, but do please, argue with him, don’t have him talk to you like that.

After a while he will just carry an extra cloak with him to throw over you. “Hideyoshi, aren’t you warm with that second coat?” “Yes, yes, I am, but I got to protect the dignity of my lord!”

Again, I wish to press the fact that he is more worried about your well-being than Nobunaga’s name, he just says it is for the sake of his lord’s reputation, because that honestly is easier to argue about for him.

Ieyasu Tokugawa

What is this? Why is he always turning around and heading for the other way? Is he avoiding you? What? Ieyasu Tokugawa will not deal with the extra skin.

Will probably also throw an extra blanket or cloak over you. “You look cold, you should wear more clothes.”

He really can’t be honest about it, but the extra skin, the form-fitting clothes, they are the reason why he can’t look you in the eye. There is so little left to the imagination and he is still a man and oh gosh, he is blushing.

Please don’t confront him about the fact that he is trying to avoid you. He will make up some sharp excuse and say something he regrets in regards to your clothes and oh, the shame.

Mitsuhide Akechi

Well, this is interesting. Are fabrics expensive from where you come from? Is that why you wear so little? Another result of poverty, or some outrageous sense of fashion that he isn’t aware of yet?

Would see the practicality in the form-fitting tights. They do help with movement, but still, are they also supposed for seduction? Definitely an effective distraction mechanism.

Will make little jokes about how you are probably wearing kid-sized clothing, because that top really should be covering more than just your chest.

Yes, he will tickle you. Your waist will be the main target, because if you are going to reveal that so easily he is going to take advantage of that. I hope you aren’t ticklish.

Masamune Date

It is canon that he (dis)likes our modern undergarments, I think? So, modern gym wear? Count him a fan.

Plenty to see, just enough covered for him to still enjoy. It is bold, it is flashy, it is just his style.

If you ask him he will probably try a crop top or the tights. He will have to say he prefers the crop top, they are nice and flowy. Perfect for a hot day of training, or when in the kitchen. The tights he isn’t a fan of, they feel like they are pressing the blood circulation out of his legs.

Probably the most enthusiastic of the bunch to see and learn more about modern clothes and especially exercise (read: gym) clothes. Your world sounds fascinating and very practical!

Mitsunari Ishida

I can actually see him being blissfully unaware of the extra skin and the form-fitting clothes. He won’t realise it until it is pointed out and even then he won’t see anything wrong with it.

“If you’re comfortable you should wear them!” he will say. “You always look good to me!” he will compliment.

Honestly will be the nicest about it from the bunch. This man is a god-given gift, an angel who fell down to the earth and forgot his wings.

When the weather gets chillier he will worry about you, however. “Ah, are you sure you don’t want anything warmer and more comfortable?” he will ask, but he won’t force you into anything if you tell him no.

Ranmaru Mori

Everyone’s little brother will be a little confused over your dress. What did you call it now? A crop-top?

I feel that, if you have him wear your clothes he will rock them, and even enjoy them. It is like having a little sibling that you can dress up and the likes.

“What? Why are you calling me cute! You are the cute one!” he exclaims, though he does enjoy the attention given, and the colours that crop-tops come in. The tights can stay away, though.

Will be a little bit conscious of your somewhat revealing wardrobe, but will try not to act scandalised about it. He tries to respect you for your choices, even if he worries for your safety and the eyes of the rest of the men.

Yukimura Sanada

He will blush. A lot. And act very scandalised. Mostly because he has no idea how to react to your wardrobe, but also because he can’t get his mind out of the gutter.

“I’m a man too, you know!” he will warn you. Cue confused expression, because what does he mean with that? Gosh, Yuki, no, it isn’t because you’re not considered a man, doof. #misunderstanding.

Will hide you in his sleeves when given the chance. Kimonos have wide sleeves and that means fabric that can cover you up. He will probably not think of carrying an extra cloak with him, because it is Yuki.

“Is this your secret to seducing the Oda-forces!” he will accuse you. Goodbye witchcraft, it is definitely the clothes that are to blame.

Shingen Takeda

“Is this how the gods above dress?” he jokes, appreciating the fashion and how it accentuates your figure.

Though, he will joke around that he will die of blood loss before his illness because of you.

“It is just me, or is it rather hot in here?” he jokes, stripping off his own top.

This man will appreciate it and try to match himself to it as well. It will be a show for sure.

Kenshin Uesugi

Will start out with his usual misogynistic remarks. “Trying to seduce my men, wench?” he says with enough malice.

Though, when he warms up to you he will mind your dress in a whole other way. “If you aren’t careful I will have to hide you,” he warns.

You will see that cage a lot faster than you did before and it is your wardrobe that is to blame. Not that he will let you out if you start dressing more era-appropriately.

Does not enjoy how other people are staring at you for your dress. Will threaten anyone who stares for too long, man and woman alike.

Sasuke Sarutobi

He is used to it, honestly. 21st century man from Japan. He probably has walked through Akihabara (the anime-district in Tokyo) more than once as well. He has seen his fair share of fashion and you are honestly tame.

However, since this is the sengoku era in which they aren’t very friendly towards strangers and basic human rights don’t exist yet he will worry. He will worry himself senseless and follow you around in the shadows.

“Are you sure you don’t want to dress yourself according to the era?” Sasuke tries to reason with you, but after a while he will just relent himself to it.

Will come up with something creative to meet your wishes and wants and that of the Sengoku era standards. There is a hidden fashion designer sheltered within this man.

Yoshimoto Imagawa

Not going to lie, but I feel he will find offense in your wardrobe. He strikes me as rather traditional.

Thinks it is rather classless, though he appreciates the colours. Otherwise he will mourn the loss of the fine sensibilities and elegance that comes with the traditional kimono.

“Must you reveal so much of yourself?” he questions, wondering what the aesthetics are like in your world. Though in time he will come to appreciate it, even if he doesn’t entirely understand.

Will ask you a bunch of questions on why you prefer this. Is it for flowiness and comfort? What about the yukata, have you tried that? Lighter fabrics? Will marvel a bit over the fabrics of your clothes, but also mourn the loss of quality that usually comes with mass-produced clothes.

Kennyo

Frowns at the clothes, wonders why, but keeps his opinions to himself, otherwise. You are your own person and he respects that.

Will make a comment on how men are beasts and beasts can’t be trusted, but otherwise will fight anyone tooth and nail if they dare to harm you, because just because you are dressed weirdly does not mean that they have any right to touch you!

Does marvel at the ease of your clothes and their efficiency. The warrior monks should honestly start to consider employing those tights of yours, because they are definitely a lot better than whatever they are using now and a lot easier to wear.

Will scowl at crop-tops however, because, no. Those are just useless pieces of fabrics that are better off used as napkins. Are you sure you didn’t accidentally run out of fabric when making these?

Motonari Mouri

The one who will mind it the least from all. It will remind him of the belly dancers in the middle-east - arabic countries.

Will definitely ask you if you could perform a dance for him. Feel free to feel offended and to call out this offense, because he does deserve a good wipe-off.

Will be the one supplying you with more short tops, though you can bet that they are more revealing that crop-tops. “What, I thought you liked them short and baring?” he questions, not understanding the difference.

From what I can see from his character design his pants are what comes closest to what your tights are. He will definitely be pulling at the fabric and wonder how it is so stretchy and comfortable and light. He will definitely need to loot a bunch for himself from wherever you got yours.

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Hakuoki Shinkai Hana no Shou Harada After Story Translation

This is my first post of the month, so I’ll start by asking you to please support me if you can through my ko-fi, and paypal or patreon which provides access to my hakuoki blog translations and early access to my postings. Also, please let me know if you have any hakuoki drama cds that you’d be willing to share that are on my Lookout List since i either do not have audio for those cds or do not have audio that I can share.... and if you are able to remove watermarks from a video, please contact me.  

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i don’t really play rhythmic music games... but i gotta say, Deemo Reborn was amazing. my heart is feeling very hurt right now. highly recommend it. 

Anyway, this is my translation of the Harada story from the Hakuoki Shinkai Hana no Shou Stellaworth pre-order bonus booklet「薄桜鬼 真改 華ノ章」ステラワース早期予約特典 小冊子 (....I should really make the Japanese on these particular posts of mine uniform), which was translated from Chinese as always.

Kinda sad that it’s taken me so long to get to finishing these when I consider how the very first translation on my tumblr was for the Saito story and when i posted that... ahahahaaaaa...... lol. *facepalm.* 

Now that this is done, that just leaves the stories for Souji and Heisuke (of which i have now queued) since I don’t have translations of the after stories for Shinpachi, Sanan, Souma, Iba, and Sakamoto (have scans for them should anyone want to translate them or commission someone else to translate them). 

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Hakuoki Shinkai: Hana no Shou Stellaworth Pre-order Bonus Booklet After Story - Harada Sanosuke

Translation by KumoriYami

The boundless sky and horizon——

The war between the old Shogunate's forces and the New Government Army, and the fighting between humans and oni, had nothing to do with the country on the other side of the sea.  And it was in that place, a [certain] man and woman were [now] living.  

The man's name was Harada Sanosuke, former Tenth Division Captain of the Shinsengumi. While the woman in love with him was the young female oni who had decided to leave Japan with him, Yukimura Chizuru.

After Harada finished his daily firewood delivery, he rode back towards his beloved at home. Ever since coming here, his riding skills have improved by a lot.

After leading the horse back to the stable, he opened the door of this house, which looked a bit lonely in this cold weather.

"Yo, Chizuru, I'm back."

Chizuru, who was leaning over from where she was sitting down in a chair and mending clothes, lifted her head with a smile.

"Welcome back, Sanosuke-san. How was it outside?"

"It's still the same. Although I've been mentally prepared for a while, the coldness of winter here really can't match the degree of coldness in Kyoto."

As Harada spoke, he curtly sat down on his chair. The old chair looked as if it were to collapse at any moment, and made a creaking sound.

"But, it's thankfully very warm at home, right?"

Although it was difficult living in a foreign country where there was a language barrier, Chizuru wasn't the slightest bit dissatisfied, and was still smiling from ear to ear as she responded to his words.

Her appearance made him feel that he would never be able to fully express how thankful he was. Harada, who always felt a little ashamed about this, lightly tousled his hair.

"Nn...... indeed.”

Chizuru who finally finished mending the clothes, then quietly stood up.

"Please wait a bit. I'll go make you some tea."

"No need,  I'll go make the tea, you go and rest.”

"But...…"

"Your body isn't just your own, so don't force yourself...… alright?”

The tone of his voice was slightly more forceful, which was why she sat back down into her chair again.

"Since that's the case, I'll leave it to you. Sanosuke-san.”

"Yosh! Just look forward to it, and watch me make you a delicious cup  of tea.”

After, he tried copying the way that Chizuru made tea——.

"......Ah, sorry, I wanted to make tea like how you usually do.”

The tea that Harada made, was one that someone would have a difficult time calmly drinking. Having seen that, Chizuru made a new cup for him, which tasted quite good. The same tea leaves were obviously used, yet there was such a difference in the taste, and upon seeing this, Harada felt incredulous.

"Please don't worry about it. I'm already thankful for your intentions.”

"...…That so."

Truly, what a kind woman. once again Harada confirmed how kind she was.

When he was thinking about coming to this foreign country, she didn't utter a single complaint, and followed him in silence. Although this method was used to hide her from the oni clans that were pursuing her——.

(If she was born as a human, she wouldn't have had to bear such difficulties.)

Although he felt that Chizuru who had ended up with the Shinsengumi because of various reasons, it was why he tried helping her as much as possible, but it was in that period of time, that he found himself unable to look away from her. He didn't know when it started, but he felt that he was the only one to protect her.

(......No, she was no longer alone.)

As Harada thought this, he stood back up.

"Sanosuke-san?"

After she doubtfully called his name, Harada went over to Chizuru's side, bent his knees slightly, and then placed his hand on her lower abdomen, where a new life was.

"Ah......"

Gently caressing this small and growing life, his heart was brimming with warmth.

(I never thought that I would have a family.)

Because of his rough personality, his hometown wasn't able to handle him, and all sorts of commotions occurred whenever he went somewhere, which was why he cut ties to the place he was born.

(Originally, I thought that I'd be a man who would live like a stray dog, then die alone.....)

He never thought that he would be able to find someone to fall in love with, the chance to start a family, or even have children.

As he gently caressed her now swelling lower abdomen, he worriedly asked a question.

"How's your body doing? I heard that you had a fever a while ago."

"I'm all right, the people nearby have given me plenty of advice."

"What about the language? Were you able to understand it?"

"I've been able to understand a bit more of it recently. Otherwise things will be expressed using body movements and pen and ink/writing.

"...…So it was like that."

Chizuru then placed her hand against Harada's. The soft heartbeat and his warmth were both able to reach her palm.

"Hey, Chizuru."

Hearing the way his voice called out, Chizuru tilted her head.

"As long as I have you and this guy, I don't need anything else. Not even life."

Those were his honest feelings, but the moment he said this, Chizuru's expression became very serious.

"Even if that's a joke, please don't say that. If Sanosuke-san dies, this child and I will not survive.”

He already anticipated Chizuru saying this, but——

"I'm not joking. Ever since I met you, and since we've become husband and wife...…. for the first time, I know that there are things in this world that are more important than my own life and ambitions.”

His words made her blush.

"This...…"

Just from looking at her expression, it was obvious that she thought he was being too serious, but Harada truly felt that what he wasn't an exaggeration. No, if only words were used to convey his inner thoughts, perhaps not even half of them would be conveyed.

Harada lovingly brushed Chizuru's hair which drooped to her shoulders, then spoke.

"Don't worry.  I didn't plan to leave you and this guy to die behind. Even if it looks like that, I'm very confident about how I never give up in life."

"..….I believe you."

In response to his trust, she showed a smile that was brimming with confidence. Seeing her like this, Harada involuntarily smiled back.

---End---

for some reason, i translated track 5 of something... now done track 5 and 6 (of 6) for that drama lol. 

unfortunately, i only got half-way through june for my queue... ugh dammit. still that’s a decent start i suppose tho last week was my last “allowance” time for translating since i anticipate getting a lot busier now... [btw, the 4th ginsei no shou chapter for Saito is at 40% and will be at that completion level for a looong while. will need to have my queue reach november before i can earnestly focus on that game again]... also,  i’m going to assume that with school, most of my game translation videos will take longer to get done (dramas are fairly easy since timing isn’t difficult to set as there’s no text that i need to worry about).

on the plus side though, the yuugiroku dramas are now being moved via cmd...  though for some reason, i can’t see half the on-screen text in the programs i use right now... including notepad, which i use for subtitles, and nimble writer, which is the program i use to write i’ve saved my translations in... and i can’t even view my files properly cuz i can’t see any of the folders or file names...

[missolineaux]

Hi! X, R and N pretty please? :3

♦ X — A trope which you are almost certain to enjoy in any fandom.

• Enemies to Lovers. (As long as it's healthy) — The character development, the "Talk please. Just. Have a conversation.", The mutual pinning, the moment when one realises and is like "Fuck. He hates me. He's never going to love me back". I'm all in for that.

• Gender/Sexual development positive tropes. — A character realising they are trans, or non binary. A "male-presenting" woman. Or "woman-presenting" man. The first time a boy uses make-up and is like "omg I did it for laughs but I'm beautiful and I'm going to stick to this." The uncertainty of a trans woman the first time she wears a dress and her friends telling her she looks stunning. A character realising "omg I'm gay" when EVERYONE has known so since chapter one. Someone finding out they are ace and being confused but they have this cheery friend in rainbow colours who is all like "well, that's fine and you're precious and if anyone says otherwise I will beat their ass". God, I'm all in for people finding themselves and BEING ACCEPTED and HAPPY.

♦ R — Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favourite in fandom:

I'll go with my current mains: Prince of Tennis and The Untamed. If you want any other fandom, tell me so ^^

• Prince of Tennis: Marui and Jirou — BONDING OVER SWEETS. And all Jirou's fanboying at Marui??? This gives me life. Also, to me they are just friends. Very good friends who share sweetshops and gossip and encourage eachother X 1000. (It's one of the few pairs I don't ship in this fandom, and it said friendship. If you think any other duo deserves the title, I probably ship them XD)

• The Untamed: Wei WuXian and Wen Ning — They are friendship goals. Encouraging eachother, full trust, always there to help, they both want what's best for the other, and seriously they are just adorable cinnamon rolls who could totally kill you trying their best in this world. (I would need a whole essay, PowerPoint presentation included, to fully develop why I love this friendship.)

♦ N — Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of your choice)

I'll go with overall in this one because these are things I want as my daily doses, please. And then I'll add one for both POT and The Untamed

• Non-binary people appreciation. Agender people appreciation. Gender non-conformist people appreciation. You get the deal. I want women in ties. I want men wearing lipstick. I want a person who wears a dress on a scene and then suit and tie on the next one and whose gender is never revealed, because their gender is just: None /Both / it literally changes every couple of hours.

• Ace / Aro characters. No, I don't mean only AroAce characters (But Y E S. I also want that) I mean Ace characters who aren't Aro. Aro characters who aren't Ace. I want all the ranges of the spectrums. I want Ace repulsed people. I want Ace sex-favorable people having sex because they genuinely want to. I want Aro people being confused as to why anyone would like to have a romantic partner when friendship is just A LOT more comfortable. I want Aro people in a happy relationship. I want confused people who don't know if they might be Aro or Ace. I want Demisexuals. And Demiromantics. I want all of it.

• Confirmed Non-heterosexual Ships outside of BL or WL. PLEASE. WE NEED THIS. I know, there are a lot of fandoms working on that. And I love it. I know. Everyday there are more less subtle hints (like more hints, and less subtle). Every day there are more characters that are canonically gay because the author said so in an interview once. And all of that is FINE. And I LOVE IT. But. I want this two very non-consecuential male characters having a date. I want this one friend overtly admiring both women and men. I want that one character saying: yeah, no, sex is just not my thing. I want that other character saying: Today I'm a woman, tomorrow who knows, I don't make the rules here. And it being NORMAL. AND FINE. AND NO ONE BEING LIKE: OMG WHAT???

Seriously. I need this. Daily. Please.

Now, for particulars:

• Prince of Tennis: (I was going to add the ships one here but seriously I want that in every fandom, so I'll go with something else) I want more Rikkaidai and Hyotei doing things together. Especially after Game of Future. I just think Atobe and Yukimura are a very explosive combination and their teams could have a lot of fun together. Seriously. I need to see them more outside from matches.

• The Untamed: (Not a big surprise, honestly) I want Nie Huaisang to have the fucking happy ending he deserved. This boy has done nothing wrong in his entire life and I will stand by that. And anyone who thinks otherwise... Is totally appreciated because I respect all point of views. BUT if you actually try to change my mind on this OH BOY GET READY FOR AN ESSAY BECAUSE I'M A SLYTHERIN AND HAVE SIBLINGS I WANT VERY MUCH ALIVE. AND THIS BOY DID. NOTHING. WRONG. EVER. AND BEING CALLED EVIL IS NOT WHAT HE DESERVED AFTER EVERYTHING HE HAS DONE FOR THE FUCKING CULTIVATION WORLD. Yup, I love him. Not sorry.

Anddd that's that! Thank you for the questions ^^ 💕💕💕

[yukizakii]

ghosts ch. 1

They were both broken people. Broken people didn’t fix each other, as the pieces would never quite perfectly together. But they understood each other. They were able to see the beauty within one other of being incomplete. --

fall, 1870. The Boshin War is over. Yukimura Chizuru returns to her childhood home in Tokyo to learn how to live again. Nagakura Shinpachi has escaped with his life under a new name.

The world is cruel, but it works in mysterious ways to bring their paths together again.

(aka a hakuoki fanfic | shinpachi x chizuru centric; post hijikata bad end) 

xposted on AO3

— one.

“Ow!”

The clay of the teacup burned hot, much hotter than Chizuru had expected, and her fingers instinctively drew away from the heat. The cup slipped from her grasp and smashed into scattered shards onto the ground, the oolong tea that had once been contained forming little rivers in-between the cracks of the stone pavement. A few droplets beaded onto her kimono, but she quickly brushed them away with the back of her hand; she had washed all of her silks just yesterday, and she hardly wanted to have this one stain.

She sighed. It was probably her twentieth sigh of the day so far, and the sun had just barely moved into the sky. Every time she let out another heavy breath, she could almost hear Okita’s voice teasing her—What are you sighing for, Chizuru-chan? Don’t you know that I might have to kill you for looking so unhappy?

But he wasn’t here, and neither were any of her old friends.

Chizuru was alone, and lost.

Stop, Chizuru. Don’t think like that. Negativity was no stranger to her now. She could barely even go through the motions of her daily tea routine without thoughts and voices from the past lingering in the back of her mind.

Each morning she woke up to felt like night, a darkness shrouding over mind like the shadows of the weeping willows in Kyoto. Heavy as it was, she still forced herself to get up from her futon and face each day. She had to live, because as much as she sometimes wished that it was all but a dream, it was reality. She had to live, for those who didn’t.

You have to live, like they wanted you to.

She reached for the broken pieces of the clay cup, but a jagged piece slipped through her palm and slashed through the skin. Chizuru let out an instinctive gasp in pain and dropped the broken pottery again, watching as the blood welled from her hand and dripped over her arm. The bright red droplets struck her with a sense of deja vu, and suddenly she was transported back years before. There she was in front of the well at the Shinsengumi compound washing dishes when she had cut her finger in a similar way, and Heisuke, Heisuke-kun, had been confronted with his Rasetsu bloodlust for the first time.

But it didn’t just stop there. The sight and smell of her blood continued to reveal a torrent of memories that washed over her with a vivid brightness—memories that she had been trying to repress every day. That alley in Kyoto during a snowfall, the smell of blood and the high-pitched laughter of a monster in the air. The brilliant scarlet that seemed to flood the streets of Kyoto after Kinmon no Hen, mixed with the smell of smoke and ash from the fires.

That flowering cherry blossom tree in Hakodate, the spiderweb of blood across her hand transforming into a river that flowed into the ground from a man’s body.

“Look, Hijikata-san. It’s the Flag of Sincerity that everyone worked so hard to raise.”

—

She had no idea how long she stayed under that beautiful, cursed cherry blossom tree. Seconds, minutes, hours—time meant nothing to her anymore. The only thing that she knew of was that at that moment, he was gone. As the war raged on, Chizuru had felt herself becoming alarmingly numb to loss. She had become almost accustomed to seeing the dead lay on the ground through each city they trekked through, and the snippets of conversations she overheard no shook her like they used to. A hundred of our men, lost at Bonari Pass seemed like normal war talk now. But being surrounded by death and devastation didn’t make it any easier though. Losing her father, her friends, and her family had pierced through her heart, and she couldn’t think of a night that she hadn’t cried herself to sleep for the past few months.

Losing Heisuke and Sannan had broken her for days—she still felt partially responsible for the creation of the Ochimizu, and it pained her to know that she would never laugh with Heisuke again, or see Sannan’s cunning smile. Okita and Kondou had felt like some kind of sick joke from God, the two of them leaving this world in ways that were unfit for the two strongest warriors she knew. Harada, the man who had a spirit so loud and noble that somehow could make everyone smile, was now someone she would never hear from again. Every one of her friends’ deaths wrecked her heart open in ways that she didn’t know it could bleed. But losing him was different. She had held Hijikata’s body in her arms long after his eyes closed and the last traces of warmth left him, her tears dripping endlessly down her cheeks and onto his bloodied uniform.

She didn’t know what to do without him.

For the past five years, he had been a constant presence in her life. Chizuru had first come to depend on him for protection and stability; to the girl that had somehow landed into the Shinsengumi headquarters, Hijikata had been downright scary. His steely violet eyes seemed to read straight through her every time he caught her outside of her room, and she felt secondhand fear every time that she saw the way that he tolerated no sort of disobedience from his soldiers and punished those who strayed from the Shinsengumi’s code with injury or worse. But then as those first few months somehow stretched into years, Chizuru’s fear slowly faded and her days and memories began to fill with so many other emotions and experiences with Hijikata. Even though she spent her days with all of the different captains of the Shinsengumi, it was somehow always Hijikata that was by her side when she needed it the most.

Hijikata, who had shielded and fought against Kazama for her, his arm wrapped around her and her kodachi in the other. Hijikata, who was uncharacteristically fussy about his long, beautiful jet-black hair, and had yet allowed her to comb and tie it back while he had worked. Hijikata, who secretly wrote poetry with a smile on his face when no one was looking. Hijikata, who had taken her to a restaurant after a festival in Kyoto, and had paid for what was a surprisingly luxurious meal for what he had gruffly described as “just a thank you, you’ve been a big help”.

Hijikata, who had drank the Ochimizu that her father had created, and gave up his humanity to protect her from Kazama and to stand up for his values.

Their initial relationship as a page and superior had been awkward at best, and trust had been slow to develop. But after 5 years, the realization came to her so suddenly that she had almost fallen over herself: she was in deeply love with him. Her heart ached to always be near him and she loved to hear her name roll off his tongue—secretly, she thought that sounded more beautiful than she had ever heard it said. Chizuru had never had anything more than innocent crushes and dates when she had lived with Kodo in Edo, but her emotions and heart felt so strongly towards this person that she was certain that this was love, and a love that she knew would not come easily.

And of course it didn’t, because the man her heart had fallen in love with was like a force of a demon himself. Demon Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toshizou. Hijikata Toshizou, who was feared but adored by equally as many. Hijikata who was the talk of the town at times, with his long black hair that he refused to cut and high cheekbones that seemed to only accentuate his piercing gaze. Chizuru knew that he was a handsome man, some even saying he looked as if he had walked out of a wood-block painting, but she found more merit in the Hijikata she knew. His dedication, his resilience, his loyalty, and his love ran deeper than anyone else would ever know.

He had chosen her. And then he had left her.

Memories and concern for Hijikata filled her mind and thoughts endlessly for the months she stayed by herself alone in Sendai. She knew that he had left her in Sendai for her own safety; a young woman had no place in a war after all, but it was maddening. Chizuru knew she was no good on the battlefield and defenseless against a gun, but being left behind crushed her more than she could have ever imagined. She had no idea if she would ever see him again—dead or alive. What had happened to Kondou was something she very well knew could be something that could happen to Hijikata. But once she received the letter from Ootori, she had hastened to Ezo with her heart thudding in her chest with every thought that she was one step closer to seeing Hijikata again. No matter the hurt and pain that lay ahead of them, she knew that she had to be by his side.

And it had been so worth it. For a few months, despite knowing the pain and suffering that lay ahead of them, she had been happier than ever, just to be by his side. From the moment of their reunion, Chizuru was able to see his actions and words in so much more clarity. The bitter hoarseness in his voice when he yelled at his troops was not conveying anger, but worry to please come back alive. His scowl on his face when he worked long nights was not just because he was frustrated to shoulder this burden, but because he didn’t want anyone else to take the fall for the secret messages he was sending. He was the strongest person she had ever met, yet also the kindest and gentlest at the same time as well. In those few short months, Chizuru witnessed all sides of Hijikata and learned just how soft his hands could be on her hair, or the warmth of his embrace during the occasional nights that he did not work until dawn and allowed her to stay in the room with him.

If she could shoulder some of his pain and suffering, Chizuru had thought, then that was enough purpose for her to keep existing. If her blood was truly as powerful as Sanan and Kodo had alluded, then she would use it all and anything else in her power to keep him alive.

But he was gone, and she had failed. Maybe he would survived if she let him drink her dry, but Hijikata Toshizou was never the kind of person who would save himself at the expense of someone else. Makoto, he would say. Sincerity, which was the foundation for the Shinsengumi’s core beliefs. One had to be sincere and true to himself as a warrior and as a man to the end. Hijikata Toshizou had chosen his path. He chose to use his remaining life force to protect her from Kazama, and protect the beliefs that he had loved and carried for so long. He had died a warrior, and she knew that the Shinsengumi and all that he had fought for was finally at rest with him as well.

The two of them had known that this was a possibility from the start; the war was drawing to a close, and they were fighting a losing battle in Hakodate. Chizuru knew from the way Hijikata shook with anger and pain his sleep, or the scowl on his face every time he walked into the room from another meeting. She had always had some hope that maybe, just maybe, they would prevail and the two of them would find a future together.

But there was no place in this world for the two of them.

In a rush of scattered cherry blossoms, another individual had appeared under the tree—Amagiri. Polite as always, the red-haired demon he had greeted her with a formal bow before speaking. Since Kazama had strayed from the way of a demon and had continued to meddle with humans against his Clan warnings, he no longer could be laid to rest with his ancestors. Amagiri had come to bury Kazama’s body—and if Chizuru would like, Hijikata as well. How Amagiri knew that Kazama had died was some Demon logic that Chizuru knew was simply beyond her, but in that moment, she had been oddly relieved. Chizuru had always been a sensible girl, and even in times of crisis, she had a way of forcing herself to function. Even though burying Hijikata was exactly the last thing she wanted at that very moment, this was war. If they did not bury him now, his body would be discovered by troops and dragged out as a trophy to mark the fall of the Shinsengumi. She would have rather herself die than allow that to happen, but there was no way that she alone could have ever found the strength, physical and emotional, to bury him.

So she had let Amagiri dig two graves underneath that beautiful cherry blossom tree to lay both Kazama and Hijikata to rest. At Chizuru’s request, Amagiri dug Hijikata’s grave on the other side of the tree, away from Kazama’s; she knew that he would abhor being buried directly next to the demon he had spent years fighting. She took her final last glance at the man she had loved in the earth—his eyes closed, dark hair framing his face, swords crossed over his body, looking more peaceful and well-rested than she had ever seen him—and then turned away, unable to look as Amagiri completed the burial process.

Chizuru had been so consumed with grief that what happened afterwards was a blur. When she admitted she didn’t have an idea of her next move, Amagiri had simply stated, “It would be unwise to allow a woman to travel alone.” He had accompanied her to Hakodate, where she collected the rest of their personal belongings and relayed the news of Hijikata’s passing to Ootori. They then traveled to Yase, where Osen had been waiting; news of Kazama’s battle against a fake Demon had spread fast in the Demon world, and she had immediately sought to take Chizuru under the protection of the Yase Demon Clan. Chizuru had little memory of the months she spent in Yase; she only remembered grief and sorrow. News of the defeat of the Shogunate army and the rise of the Meiji Restoration flitted into

the Demon village over the next few months, but none of it meant anything to Chizuru. Hijikata was gone. Okita was gone. Heisuke, Sannan, Kondou, Harada…her life as she had known it, and all the people that had made it were gone. She heard nothing about Saito and Nagakura, but it hurt too much to hope. But after a few months of moping and living like a shell, Chizuru decided that she wanted to return to her home in Edo—well, Tokyo, now. She still had a home there, after all, and as kind as Osen and the demon clan of Yase was, it was not her home. So after six long years, Chizuru had finally returned to the old house that she had used to live with her father. Kodo, the man she had thought was her father. It had taken her almost a full two weeks to clean out all of the dust and vermin that had accumulated in the space over almost half a decade, but she had never been one to shy away from hard work. Rather, she had thrown herself into it, desperate for something, anything to do, to keep her mind busy and away from her thoughts. What quite honestly should have been work for two or three, she had completed in an astonishingly short time.

Chizuru had cleaned and changed the house to be more of a modest one fit to her needs; she had sold away most of their belongings, and kept only the essentials of what she needed. In this exchange and cleanup, Chizuru had dug out her women's clothes, but quickly found that many of her old kimonos in her closet no longer fit her—and well, of course they didn’t. She had last been a growing sixteen-year-old girl the last time she had worn them, and now she was a twenty-one year old woman. The hems that had once grazed her feet were now hanging above the ankles, and the silk was tight around her new curves and defined muscle she had developed after years of patrolling and running around Kyoto.

It was a strange and painful reminder that so much had changed.

Crafty as she was, Chizuru had loosened the seams and sewn together some of the cloth to create a couple of kimonos that fit her, so she could finally retire her pale peach hakamashita and hakama into storage. How strange for her to finally fold and lay those clothes away, although quite honestly she should have reduced them to rags. The silk had been patched and restitched over and over with years of wear and tear, but part of herself could not simply bear to toss that part of her life away. Instead, she had neatly folded it up and placed it into a box, next to her tattered Western military uniform. Her kodachi was racked on display in the bedroom, close enough to where she could grab it, but Chizuru sorely hoped that she would never need to touch that blade again.

But what was she doing here in Tokyo? What would she be doing, for the rest of her life? She had no idea. Chizuru knew that her existence and troubles as a female Demon did not end with Kazama’s death; Osen had been sure to warn her of it, and had strongly cautioned her against returning to Tokyo alone. But despite the lack of a clear direction in her future, and the dangers of traveling and living alone, Chizuru knew that she needed some sort of normalcy. She didn't want to think of Demons, of Rasetsu, of Ochimizu, of war and blood and death—she wanted to grieve alone, quietly, away from all that had pained her.

She was here, living and trying to bury her past life behind, but it always seemed to follow her.

She was just here. Existing, living. Drinking tea on her front porch, although her current cup was now smashed to smithereens and the tea was seeping into the hardwood. That painful memory hung heavily on her heart, and she wiped away tears from her face with her unbloodied hand, although the wound was already well on its way to healing. Maybe she would go into the town today to get some new teacups along with her daily groceries for meals; she still had a hard time stomaching food at times, but Chizuru knew she needed to keep her strength up. She wanted to start a garden in the back as well, to save her coin for fresh vegetables for when she needed it. Ootori had paid her well for her time and escape, but she knew it wouldn’t last forever. At some point, she would need to recoup her finances and find work to sustain herself.

But for today, she wanted to be normal. As normal as she could be.

Live, Chizuru.

I am living, Hijikata-san.

Chizuru stood up and stepped outside, tilting her head up to the sky. A slight breeze fanned across her face, and she inhaled the air deep into her lungs. Even though it was well into fall, she thought for the briefest moment, she smelled the sweet scent of cherry blossoms. Maybe today would be a good day.