#and i remembered hijikata evidently and i was like Oh Yeah

[todayisafridaynight]

The bento counter clip you shared is EXTREMELY funny (if it's not a glitch I'd love to try and trigger it), but I couldn't help notice the flower petal-shaped particles in Jo's "heat trail" for the first time. I somehow managed to overlook them until now.

RGGJo also has petals in his heat trail, and personally I've always liked to link it to the fact he canonically wears perfume. What if 7Jo wears a floral scent too...? Would be neat, given I can't tell which of them is supposed to be the one with the sensitive nose lol

Jo’s counter is actually a programmed thing from my understanding: he is meant to deflect regular/MPless attacks and items, but considering most people use exclusively special attacks at this point I reckon not a lot of people catch it (and as for items, you’re either using a rocket launcher/projectile or you’re too far for him to do... that LMAO). Still, it’s going to entertain me for a while the fact he CAN just cancel your healing

And I’m SO glad you noticed the petals too! I didn’t catch that they were a thing for RGGJo as well, but I thought they were a cute detail for Y7Jo when I first noticed them a while back! It’s especially sweet if we put it in the context of a reference to him and perfume :)

[goldenkamuyhunting]

Ramblings and crazy theory time about GK chap 263 “Oosawa Fusatarou, also known as Boutarou the Pirate”

And so we’re ready to talk of the chapter we got as a (rather sad) present for Christmas and of someone we shouldn’t forget…

Yeah, Oosawa Fusatarou, better known as Boutarou the Pirate

(for who’s wondering the quote below his name is actually based on this quote: "Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for those late hours in the night when you can't remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story." by Tim O’Brien)

So okay, now let’s dig into the chapter.

We first follow some of the escaping knights, the ones who were tailed by Hijikata. Hijikata shoot them but he’s displeased to discover he chased the wrong group as the sack they were carrying is filled with barley and that he didn’t manage to kill them at the first shoot as they stand up again and try to gang up on him. At this Hijikata takes his sword...

...and since Hijikata is not bad with the rifle but he’s usually much more awesome with his sword I don’t expect them to last long.

We then move to Tsurumi’s steam pumper where Sugimoto has his rifle in his hands... and he’s ready to use it as a primitive club... because he has figured not even that up close he would manage to shoot something. Okay so he is also holding himself up with his other hand so shooting would be difficult but really, I see Sugimoto using his rifle as a club way too many time to think this is an one time thing motivated by emergency.

Sugimoto favours to use it as a wand, if this can’t be done, he revert to using it as a rifle.

Anyway with hit he tries to break Kikuta’s head but Kikuta manages to lower himself right in this so Sugimoto gets close but manages to make no harm... well, apart from managing to knock from Kikuta’s hand one of his PRECIOUS Nagant.

This is a hard blow for Kikuta, more than if Sugimoto has managed to hit him, because everyone has his priorities.

Tsurumi too has his priorities and tries to shoot at them.

I doubt he genuinely bothered aiming as Tsurumi is usually much better with his gun (though yes, they’re on a moving vehicle, but really Tsurumi is good and they’re close). I’m sure he thinks hitting Sugimoto would be preferable but he wouldn’t be above getting rid of Kikuta whom he never fully trust... so Kikuta complains that what Tsurumi is doing is dangerous. I doubt Tsurumi cares.

But we go back to Boutarou and Shiraishi. The bottle car enjines are still roaring but the car is still. Boutarou is still alive but no more in shape to drive.

Shiraishi, sweating a little, is asking him ‘what the hell came over him’ as saving Shiraishi wasn’t Boutarou’s normal behaviour in Shiraishi’s books.

Boutarou, who’s clearly dying, tell him that he has messed up and therefore, since he saved him, Shiraishi will do better not to forget him and tell his children the reason they exist is ‘thanks to Oosawa Fusatarou, also known as Boutarou the pirate’. Shiraishi agrees and Boutarou tells him he also has to make something of himself as he can’t live his life as nothing more than the escape king.

As he says so... Boutarou hands him the skins he got from Kadokura.

Shiraishi says he understands...

...and Boutarou pulls him closer to reveal him the info he got from the Ainu about where is the place where the Ainu first gathered up all the gold. This surprises Shiraishi greatly but when he asks Boutarou for confirmation the latter is dead.

The next we see is Shiraishi driving the bottlecar, a dead Boutarou on his side, as he promises him he won’t forget him... OosaKA Fusatarou, also known as Boutarou the pirate (Boutarou’s surname is actually ‘Oosawa’).

Okay so I stop here to say Boutarou’s whole death felt very underwhelming. Shiraishi, who up to the previous chapters seemed concerned and worried for him even though Boutarou had betrayed them, now doesn’t really look like he’s feeling much, even though Boutarou has just saved him from death taking the bullets that were meant for him.

Sure, it can be that Shiraishi is a bit in shock, hence the lack of expression but really, I’m not particularly impressed. The only moments in which Shiraishi seems genuinely affected are when he’s surprised at hearing the location of the gold and when he says to a dead Boutarou that he won’t forget him. Though since it seems Noda wasn’t in his best shape when he drew this chapter, maybe this scene will be revised later on. Shiraishi seemed a lot more emotionally involved when Kiro died than now... and it doesn’t help that Shiraishi, at the end of the scene, spells Boutarou’s name with the wrong kanji. If it’s a joke to say that Boutarou’s name couldn’t even be remembered correctly, well, that’s not funny, placed at this point. If it’s a typo though, this is also something we can only find out in the volume version.

Overall, okay, I was expecting for Boutarou to die, and it was great how Boutarou, in his last moments, passed everything to Shiraishi while pretending to remain himself (oh, I made a mistake in saving you) yet still showing he cared for him by telling him to get a real life, something that was more than escaping from prison to prison, and something Boutarou has always insisted Shiraishi should search for himself so it’s not like he’s saying so just because he’s dying.

And I think that Boutarou’s death will affect Shiraishi’s future, the way Kiro’s death will affect Asirpa (will Sugimoto too have someone whose death will affect him? Kikuta? Hijikata? Ogata? We’ll see...) but really, I wanted to see Shiraishi reacting more to his dead, at least as much as he has reacted to seeing him wounded. Well, whatever, we’ll see if this gets improved in the volume version.

Meanwhile back to Sugimoto we go.

Tsurumi has given up on trying to shoot him and is merely driving the steam pumper carriage, while Sugimoto is pinning down Kikuta, taking care of not getting shoot by another of Kikuta’s beloved Nagants.

Sugimoto, with his irises white in full murder/beast more, demands to have Asirpa back and that he’ll send them all to hell. Now that Kikuta is lying flat on his back and Tsurumi couldn’t shoot him too by mistake, Tsurumi is taking good care not to try to shoot Sugimoto. I guess if Sugimoto kills Kikuta Tsurumi will consider it as a personal favour.

Anyway, at Sugimoto’s statement Kikuta says to do it as ‘they’ll be rolling out the red carpet for him’.

This rings a bell in Sugimoto, whose eyes return normal, and should ring a bell in us also as Sugimoto said this same sentence in chap 2.

With an almost vulnerable look Sugimoto seems to realize the man he’s strangling is ‘Kikuta-san’.

As he calls him that this rings a bell in Kikuta as well who realizes ‘the immortal Sugimoto’ is the one he knew as ‘Norabō’ (ノラ坊 “stray boy”)…

...which draws a funny parallel with how Ushiyama called Ogata ‘Nora Ogata’ (のら尾形 “stray Ogata”)…

...but this nick is more likely meant to be here to tell us the truth is Kikuta met Sugimoto prior to the war, when Sugimoto was wandering after he left his village, which might explain why Noda was very vague when answering to a question asking what Sugimoto did in those 2 years.

Q8: What did Sugimoto do in the 2 years between leaving the village after burning his house and coming back to Ume’s wedding? Noda: He travelled to places such as Tokyo and Kyoto. [translation courtesy of @piduai]

This might also explain why Sugimoto and Kikuta, despite knowing each other, didn’t recognize each other.

Sugimoto was younger, without his distinctive scars, with longer and more straight hair so Kikuta, who apparently never learnt his name, didn’t connect him with the boy he knew. As for Sugimoto evidently he didn’t pay Kikuta any attention when the latter was in Karafuto with Tsurumi and now he was so knee deep in the heat of the battle he likely paid no attention to Kikuta’s face, only seeing an obstacle in front of himself.

I’m genuinely curious to see how things will go between them, especially because, at this point, Tsurumi decides to try to shoot Sugimoto again (no idea if because he’d heard their talk and understood things could turn out unfavourably or because he decided the chance Sugimoto were to kill Kikuta wasn’t worth carrying Sugimoto with them, especially because, once he had dealt with Kikuta, Sugimoto would try to kill him), the shoot distracting an already confused Sugimoto and Kikuta, instead than taking advantage of this to try again to shoot him, just kicks him off the cart.

Sugimoto rolls on the ground with his rifle...

...again Kikuta making no attempt to shoot him and then resumes running after them, calling Asirpa.

At this point we see Asirpa’s face as she tries to call Sugimoto...

...but we can’t know if she’s with Tsurumi because the scene switches to Koito, Tsukishima and Nikaidou’s group and really, I would totally LOVE if Asirpa’s with them (so yes, I’m biased and therefore not reliable in trying to guess where Asirpa is) because, as they think they’re safe because no one is pursuing them, Koito’s horse gets shoot down by someone in front of them, causing Koito to fall.

Tsukishima thinks someone is following them when, in that moment, Sofia, MY QUEEN, jumps from the roof on Tsukishima’s horse.

So you see, of course I want Asirpa to be there and end up with Sofia as I’ve been anticipating their reunion for YEARS. On another side Koito and Tsukishima are in a really bad spot because not only Sofia is very strong and her men are probably with her (hence Koito’s horse could be shoot by someone ahead of him), but Sofia knows they had a hand in Kiro’s death and wants revenge, sweet revenge.

Now, I don’t want those two to die but it was high time the tiger curse were to come bite their backsides and Sofia is such a formidable foe even alone she could spank Koito, Tsukishima and Nikaidou with a single hand considering how she had no problems holding her ground with a tiger and with Gansoku.

On another side I really wanted Sofia to have a chat with Koito as there’s a huge chance Koito too talk French and I think it would be really good for our Bonbon if he could talk with a lady who used to be a bonbon herself but grew out of it to became such AWESOME revolutionary leader.

Really, I’m so happy Sofia is back to the plot I can barely wait for the next chapter!

Anyway the story ends here, with Sofia ready to spank the boys while Sugimoto runs after Tsurumi. I expect Shiraishi will reach Sugimoto with the bottlecar and they’ll resume the chase and that Hijikata might possibly join them. That or Hijikata will join Sofia.

Will the Hijikata group join their boss as well?

We’ll see.

I doubt someone will catch up with Tsurumi though, and it’s entirely possible the next chapter won’t even spend a word on this as we’ve left Ogata and Vasily in the middle of attempting a sniper duel so next chapter might be about them.

We’ll see.

[atopearth]

Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds Part 10 - Sakamoto Ryouma Route

I’m not sure if I never realised or just completely forgot about Chizuru meeting Sakamoto when she went to ascertain whether a rumour about her dad being at this random place was true. I do remember him trying to help her and her rejecting him though lol. He seems so carefree and happy go lucky talking to her, trying to chat her up and completely forgetting that he said he’d help her find her father LOL. I’m surprised he rather readily told her who he really was the second time they met coincidentally. A lordless Ronin from the Tosa domain - somewhere that recently had a fight with the Aizu domain because they helped Takeda when he was asking the guy questions and things got a bit violent I guess? Sakamoto seems to really like what he’s doing right now - teaching people how to steer ships like the new steamboats, and he seems to be allied with the shogunate? Lol at the Nakaoka guy having his hands full with Sakamoto running around doing whatever he wants and telling people like Chizuru his true identity lol. Ooh he’s an alleged survivor of the Tosa imperialist party and is involved in imperial nationalist movements - that’s what I thought he was supposed to be related to. But I guess they’re still investigating so we’ll see what Sakamoto really thinks about everything.

Hijikata telling Chizuru to lure him out since Yamazaki and them can’t seem to tail him and get any info out of him is just so…I don’t know, it feels so wrong. I know they say they just want to question him, and Chizuru seems to be interpreting it positively in that they want to question him so they can become allies kinda thing, but what if things go downhill in the conversation? She’s been mostly neutral, so I feel like it’s inappropriate to ask her to do this for them tbh. Omg, I love Sakamoto. I love that he could immediately tell that the letter she sent about wanting to see him was really the Shinsengumi wanting info about him, and I’m happy that he doesn’t blame her for it and instead thinks it is quite underhanded of them to get her to do this. You go tell them, Sakamoto! I don’t think I completely understand the depth of their differences in Hijikata and Sakamoto’s argument, but you can tell that Sakamoto is definitely knowledgeable about the current state of affairs and really hopes to make Japan a better place. But then again, who isn’t? From my experience with Sakamoto Ryouma in most mediums though, he’s not a bad guy and he really wanted to mediate a solution that both the shogunate and imperialists could settle with, but he was killed by a group on the shogunate side and that began the war between them, since although many people were after his life, it’s indisputable that right now, there are people on both sides telling them to not touch Sakamoto because of the impact and repercussions of doing so, considering his influence etc I believe. I’m happy that Chizuru apologised for sending that letter even if Sakamoto didn’t mind since it’s such a common thing apparently lol! But dang, he’s such a flirt, I don’t know if he’s really interested in her or not, but I guess the fact that she caught his eye since the beginning is enough to prove that he’s interested to an extent haha. Considering how obstinate and passionate the Shinsengumi seems to be towards one thing and not backing down towards anything that may seem wrong in their eyes, such as what Sakamoto speaks of, it’s probably true that he really is practically an enemy of the Shinsengumi.

I think it would have been nice to see what Sakamoto got up to in Nagasaki, but maybe they want to keep it mysterious for now since everyone is still wondering where his allegiance lies considering that he has the backing of a shogunate leader and yet communicates with the Choshu. I’m surprised the Shinsengumi wanted to protect Sakamoto from the other groups that are aiming for his life that probably don’t know he has the backing of a shogunate leader. But I guess since their superiors are the Aizu and they told people to not touch Sakamoto, it could be quite important for them to protect him in accordance with what they have relayed, and since they don’t like Sakamoto, making him owe a favour to the Shinsengumi would be nice too I guess lol. It would be so much more logical for Chizuru to distract the lookout with Heisuke or Shinpachi but I guess she’s got to be the one to bond with Sakamoto lol. I was quite worried when he got injured since I thought that was the place where he died in history but I’m glad they made it to the shack. Sakamoto is SO charming though!! When he kissed her on the forehead and told her to go~~🥰 Like, c'mon Chizuru, go get help otherwise you’ll die together if you get caught! Luckily they were close by to where Sakamoto’s allies were so it was fine, no credit for the Shinsengumi though haha but keeping Sakamoto alive is probably more important than any credit😅 Lmaoo at that letter he sent her when he got a bit better, why you so flirty?! Oh yeah, forgot to mention, it seems to be confirmed that Sakamoto isn’t liked because of him doing trade with foreigners and I guess this sharing of wealth and resources doesn’t sit well with them since it’s like a betrayal to their country by allowing foreigners and their weird products and beliefs into Japan.

I wonder if telling her some information about her father’s whereabouts was just an excuse for him to lure her out and see her again… He does seem to be really fond of Chizuru. Omggg when he was so direct about wanting to see her whenever he wants and then he tried to get her to say the same hahaha, such a tease. But it’s nice to know that he wants to see her so much that he’d give random bits of information for her to tell back to the Shinsengumi so that they’d see some worth in her meeting up with Sakamoto and won’t stop her from doing it. With her finding out about his trade with foreigners, it was nice to see a bit more insight on what he thinks with their discussion. He seems to be dissatisfied with how stagnant the shogunate and its system is and has been, he believes there’s been no improvement over the years and can’t see a future with their continued governance, which many probably can’t help but agree with too. It’s just that the Shinsengumi and others are too loyal and obstinate about keeping to the shogunate even when they at times can recognise the faults with them. Sakamoto seems to want Japan to become stronger to fend off against other countries such as Russia who have already attempted to take over an island above Nagasaki 5 years ago. I guess you can’t blame Sakamoto for thinking that these trades are needed, considering how powerful guns are compared to the weaknesses of swords especially with the distance advantage and lack of skill required (when it is compared to mastering swordsmanship).

Lmao at Sakamoto just announcing his arrival to the compounds by shouting he’s here hahaha. He really does whatever he wants. It’s nice to see him take Chizuru out, she’s always confined to the compounds, I feel sorry for her. But wow, I didn’t think that Sakamoto was born a country samurai (lower class samurai) that was treated badly because his ancestors were enemies of the Tokugawa like 200 years ago, and now they’re still so oppressed by these rules and customs that have been solidified. It’s really unreasonable, I can see why he wants things to change. I mean, if things haven’t changed in 200 years by others, then he might as well change them himself. YUCKKKK! I was really enjoying this route until Kaoru appeared. Omg, I hate him with a passion so zzzzzz. If Kaoru plays a big part in this story, I’m gonna die. Anyway, yeah, getting rid of the shogunate system and implementing something similar to the West where they elect their own leaders sounds cool and all, but to actually do it would be quite difficult, but it’s always good to pave the way to get people to start thinking that there can be these kinds of choices (since other people are doing it) rather than allowing people to be settled into the mindset that those who are born upper class will always be upper class and the lower class will always stay as peasants. I loved how Kaoru tried to paint Sakamoto as an enemy and bad guy with the things he had done recently, but Chizuru was unfazed and thinks that he’s a good guy deep down hahahah, Kaoru’s face was great🤣🤣 I hadn’t seen the CG with Hijikata protecting Chizuru and using the opening she gave him to retaliate against Kazama when he attacked the compounds at night so that was sweeet!

Although I’m not sure how I feel about Sakamoto spreading the availability of guns to the Satsuma and Choshu, especially with how terrible these contraptions were for the Shinsengumi, but it is true that unlike guns, Furies can’t be controlled. However, Sakamoto just coming and telling them to stop researching and doing experiments on Furies is pretty unreasonable considering that he just gave them information that the Satsuma Choshu have Furies of their own because of Kodo. This mutually beneficial relationship between Sakamoto and the Shinsengumi would be useful though - Sakamoto tells them progress of the Furies in the West and the Shinsengumi tell them the weaknesses and attributes of the Furies. Although I do agree with Sakamoto for some things, I do think he does undermine the Shinsengumi’s thoughts and beliefs. I believe that they are fighting for a better Japan in their own way and aren’t just completely following after the shogunate, at least right now anyway. It’s just that as the story goes on and everything, it becomes more evident that there’s not enough people who carry the same beliefs and honour in the same way as them. Oh, this is where Sakamoto dies! I remember him being on the second floor of somewhere. Most people on the shogunate’s side probably has no more patience with him spreading his weapons and words aiming to get rid of the shogunate. Well, that’s worse than what I thought would happen. It’s saddening that the Shinsengumi came too late, but to think that Kaoru had already turned them into Furies, and now Nakaoka (and maybe Sakamoto) think that the ones who assassinated them were the Shinsengumi when it was most likely the Mimawarigumi that they saw before they rushed to Sakamoto…that sucks...

I wonder if it really is like so, is the spreading of Furies by Kodo similar to how opium was spread in China to ruin them? In a way, maybe, but it’s undeniable that becoming a Fury at least gives you another chance at life whilst having superhuman strength, whereas opium really only served to end up killing healthy people on the inside and outside, as well as their families. I hate always seeing Gen die, especially when it’s by the traitors from Yodo and Tosa domains that they thought they could get reinforcements from😫 If only Sakamoto came earlier😭 Or not lol, no difference I guess since Sakamoto captured her back to Kodo so that means he has to save her another way. Btw, Sakamoto looks much nicer in Western clothes imo. Nakaoka doesn’t though lol, that hat is ugly! He’s also pretty annoying now with his insistent blame on the Shinsengumi for killing them and their comrades like they’re so righteous and everyone else is wrong. I was really happy and touched when Sakamoto said he buried Gen for her😭 I was so worried that the Furies might have gotten to him, I’m so relieved now😭 I kinda liked Nakaoka before so I’m really disappointed in how unreasonable and violent he is with Chizuru, I’d rather he had stayed dead now tbh. Sakamoto is right though, if they rely on Fury powers to win the war, then Kodo and them will get the credit and also, as the people that transformed them into Furies, I’m sure they easily know how to get rid of them after. I don’t think it’s something Nakaoka should really brush off until the war is over since that’s when they’ll make their moves. It’s also pretty silly and a waste since the shogunate is losing right now, it would be different if they weren’t already winning, but it’s pretty clear that they have the clear advantage with the guns.

Now that Sakamoto and Chizuru have successfully escaped from Nakaoka and Kodo (with the help of Shiranui), it’s nice to see them lay out what their goals are now - killing all Furies and not interfering with history as dead people. Ohh? Sakamoto knows Shiranui because they used to guard Takasugi together!😮 Considering how much Shiranui seems to be fond of Takasugi, I kinda hope there’s a Takasugi route in the future (alongside a future Shiranui route too!). Ooh, this seems like it’ll be an interesting journey with Sakamoto and Shiranui together killing Furies lol. I guess it is also the first time Chizuru doesn’t go with the Shinsengumi to Edo since she feels that dealing with her father here is her responsibility and she wants to watch over Sakamoto since he’s reckless by himself lol. I think it’s a good choice, it’s not like she can really help out much anyway, so she might as well do what she wants to do now. Nice to see how much Sakamoto appreciates her being here with him too - that hug was nice🥰

Both the bad endings were pretty average, sadly - nothing too heartbreaking or different. Overall, Sakamoto seems to be a responsible, passionate (for his dreams) and flirty guy, and the story seems to take a different route from the usual since it’s not as related to the Shinsengumi, so I am looking forward to what it’ll be about, and I quite like it right now. The only thing I’m kinda wary about is that since Kaoru seems to be there, I feel like there is a chance I might hate it in the end if it’s focused on him as the villain…😣😣😥

[sabinasanfanfic]

February Prompt -Days 9 & 10

Rose(s) for a (Soul)Mate

Two days.

It had been two days of radio silence from Satomi. The last he heard from her was Monday at 11:15 when she texted an apology. She had overslept. He let her know it was fine and looked forward to seeing her on Wednesday. Then...nothing. She didn’t show today for lunch, and she didn’t even bother to text. Hijikata was annoyed, and he didn’t have the time to chase her.

The feelings from the rejection on Saturday still lingered with him, and while he logically understood where she was coming from, there was a part of him hat was still stung by it all. That part of him wondered if she was attempting to end the relationship by going silent. If that was so, good riddance. He didn’t need a woman who avoided conflict like that.

He slammed his locker door shut a little harder than usual, a physical manifestation of the turmoil within. He heard a chuckle and closed his eyes with a sigh, knowing who was standing there.

“What do you want Harada?”

“I just wanted to check in. I know Satomi-�� Hijikata’s whole body tensed at the sound of her name, and he whirled on Harada. Harada looked momentarily surprised, but then it was replaced with an easy smile. “Oh boy...”

“What?” Hijikata snapped.

Harada leaned back against some lockers. “I figured you didn’t know...but I wasn’t expecting you to be that upset. You’ve got it bad.”

“Why don’t you stop being so vague and just tell me what I don’t know.”

“Satomi’s been sick. Really bad cold or something. She was sent home early on Monday. Haruka’s been in to check on her, and she says that Satomi is pretty much sleeping all day and hasn’t had the energy to do much of anything the past two days.”

At that news, Hijikata felt a weight lift from his chest that he only now had realized was there. “Oh.”

Harada’s brow furrowed. “Something happened to make you think she was ignoring you.”

Hijikata looked away with a ‘tch’ as he crossed his arms. He hated how easily Harada could read him. He also knew that Harada wouldn’t let him go without talking. “Yeah. We saw each other on Saturday.”

“Uh-huh...”

Hijikata turned his head, reluctant to continue. “Well...things kinda got...physical.” He paused and exhaled. “She turned me down.”

Harada stood up straighter. “She what?”

“You heard me! I’m not repeating myself.”

Harada laughed, which made Hijikata blush. “Oh man...I’m sorry...I shouldn’t laugh. No one’s rejected your advances before?”

Hijikata just shook his head, annoyed that Harada was finding the situation humorous. Harada’s laughter subsided, and he sighed. “Did she say why?”

“She wasn’t ready.”

“That’s it. And you didn’t talk about it?”

“I told her it was okay. What else was I supposed to say?”

Harada smacked himself on the forehead as he shook his head. “Holy shit...I didn’t realize how similar you two are.” He looked up at Hijikata. “I think you two should talk.”

“Why? Did she say anything?”

“No. And she won’t. It’s between you two, and she’ll keep it that way.”

Hijikata glanced to his side. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

~~~~~~~

Satomi slowly opened her eyes, her body feeling stiff and heavy from sleep. As she became more aware, she made note of the pain in her throat and her head. Her nose was still stuffed, though she felt that she could breathe a little easier. At least the headache is a little better...

She slowly sat up, and sighed. She still felt tired even though she had napped for a few hours. Her stomach grumbled, and she bemoaned the thought that she would have to put effort into making food. After a moment of hesitation, she rose and shuffled to the kitchen. She spotted her phone on the counter, and frowned. I don’t remember leaving that here…

She picked it up and hit the home button to see a text message from Hijikata. If she was feeling better, she was sure she would have a reaction, but right now, she was too tired to put any effort into emotions.

How are you feeling?

Exhausted

Up for some company?

I’m not gonna be very entertaining…

That’s fine

Want me to bring anything? Soup?

As much as Satomi wanted to tell him no, the opportunity to not expend her limited energy was too tempting to pass up.

Soup would be lovely

Be there in about twenty

Satomi shuffled back into the living room, and for a moment, she freaked out about Hijikata seeing her in yoga pants and a t-shirt. Again, her exhaustion won out, and she figured she would throw on a bra and brush her teeth. She completed those tasks and then settled herself back on the couch and under the comforter she had dragged off her bed. Soon, a knock sounded on her door.

“Come in,” she called, not wanting to get up again. Her head was starting to pound.

Hijikata came in with his messenger bag as usual and a take out bag in his hand. Satomi smiled in greeting.

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

He took off his shoes and went into the kitchen. Satomi wondered if he would remember where things were kept. He soon came out with a bowl and handed it to her before sitting next to her.

“Thanks,” she murmured.

Nothing else was said as Satomi began to eat the soup. The warmth of the broth soothed her aching throat. After a few more bites, she set the bowl aside and pulled her comforter up to her chin. Hijikata shifted a little closer to her.

“I’m going to check for fever,” he said before reaching out and pressing the backs of his fingers to her cheek and then forehead.

Her eyes closed, reveling in the coolness of his touch. When he pulled away, her eyes opened, and she saw a slight frown on his lips.

“A little feverish.”

Satomi nodded. The room became quiet, and Satomi felt as if Hijikata wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how to begin. For her, the big elephant in the room was Saturday. While Hijikata had assured her that evening that he was okay with her refusal, there was a tiny part of her that questioned if that was really true. A quick perusal of her phone showed her that he hadn’t texted her until this afternoon. While Satomi figured it was because he was so busy, there was a tiny part of her that used it as evidence to prove that he was angry with her.

She looked down, her fingers twisting together. “Um...about Sat-“

“I told you it was fine.”

Satomi peered up at him. “Is it really? I mean, I’m going to assume you’ve...had sex with the other women you’ve dated.” Hijikata nodded. Satomi took a deep breath, held it, and exhaled. “Did you...feel anything for them?”

“Yes. I cared about them.”

“But did you love any of them?”

Hijikata’s eyes narrowed, and Satomi feared that she was now becoming too personal with her questions. A part of her wanted to take it back—change the topic to something else—but she needed to know, and she wasn’t sure why. Hijikata sat back and looked away.

“No.”

Okay...I figured as much. Satomi took another deep breath, trying to figure out how she felt knowing that, but her mind was too sluggish to concentrate. She finally decided that it didn’t matter what happened in his past, but now it was on her to make her thoughts known.

“I want...I want to be in love,” she murmured as heat exploded across her face. “I know it sounds silly and idealistic...”

Hijikata shook his head. “It’s not silly at all. It’s...how you feel.” He shifted and returned his gaze to her. “I was just...surprised. No one has ever...done that.”

“Oh. So...you were mad.”

Hijikata’s eyes widened. “What? No!” A pause. “I mean...I thought that when you didn’t text, you were ending things. I didn’t know you were sick. I was...upset about that, but Tanaka-“

“Satomi.”

“What?”

Satomi felt her cheeks heat further. “Please call me Satomi. I feel it’s appropriate now after...”

“Okay...Satomi,” he said her name carefully as if he was tasting each syllable of her name as it came out, “you’re allowed to set boundaries. You’re allowed to tell me what I can and can’t do. And...I’m not gonna go away just because you told me to wait.”

Satomi nodded slowly, a small smile on her face. She felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She had so many more questions for Hijikata, more to satiate her curiosity, but her headache was returning full force, and the light in the room made it worse. She closed her eyes and slid down the couch until her head lay on the arm rest. Her feet slid underneath Hijikata’s thigh. She thought she felt him tense for a moment before he relaxed.

“Thank you for bringing me soup,” she murmured after yawning.

“I should let you sleep.”

Satomi opened one eye. “Stay? Until I fall asleep at least.”

Hijikata chuckled. “Sure.”

Satisfied, Satomi closed her eye and curled up on her side. The last thing she thought before slipping into slumber was how comforting his presence was.

When she awoke later that evening, Satomi noticed that Hijikata was gone. But lying on the coffee table across from her was a single pink rose on the edge of full bloom.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tagging: @hakuyamazakisensei, @eheartangel, @hidetheremote, @resshiiram, @shell-senji, @hakuouki-or-hakuoki, @lescahiersdesable, @flower-dragon, @enby-peep, @emmalanna, @fic-writer-appreciation

[resshiiram]

Pairing: Okita Souji x OFC

Gods and Demons AU [Hakuouki AU w/ Spice & Wolf Inspiration]

Word Count: 3,741

This is heavily based on Hakuouki, but it is somewhat of an alternate universe. The OFC is inspired by Spice & Wolf.

Hisa inhaled shakily as she and Saito stepped back onto the grounds of the Nishi Hongwanji temple together. The thought of Souji contracting such a terrible illness was shattering her heart, so she had been dreading the inevitable return to headquarters. Alas, she had not ventured far from the temple at all and therefore the walk back was painfully short. The yokai exhaled slowly and dropped her eyes to the ground, wordlessly kicking at a clump of dirt. She couldn’t believe it; she didn’t want to believe it.

 Souji couldn’t have tuberculosis. Not Souji. They’d been through so much together. How could this happen?

 Sensing her heartache, Saito rested a hand on Hisa’s shoulder. “Take some time to gather your emotions and then go to him. He needs you right now.”

Hisa nodded her head weakly in response. “I will. Thank you, Saito.”

Saito said nothing, only dropping his hand and striding away. Hisa gazed after him until long after he was gone; she wished he would have stayed longer, but it was likely he had things to attend to. She finally squared her shoulders and set out across the temple grounds herself. She wasn’t emotionally prepared to see Souji yet and besides, there was one thing she had to do first.

 She was passing by the common room when she found Heisuke, his expression instantly brightening when he saw her. “Hey, Hisa!”

Hisa forced the male a half-hearted smile. “Hello, Heisuke.”

Heisuke looked at Hisa quizzically and his cheerful expression changed to a frown. “Uh…hey, you alright? You seem kinda down about something.”

Hisa shook her head. “It’s nothing, Heisuke. Do not worry.”

Heisuke didn’t look convinced. “You sure? Sanan ain’t giving you a hard time, is he?”

If it was as simple as that, Hisa thought. “Really, there is no need to worry. I’m fine. Although I am curious if you have seen Dr. Matsumoto around?”

 Heisuke scratched the side of his nose for a moment in thought. “I know that he asked to see Yamazaki a short time ago. I dunno about what exactly, but it seemed pretty important. ”

Likely it was in regard to Souji’s condition, but Heisuke wouldn’t have known that. I suppose there’s a reason that humans say ignorance is bliss.

“Do you know where they went?”

“Yeah. I think they went toward the courtyard. Why do you want to see the doctor, though? Are you not feeling well?”

Hisa met Heisuke’s worried eyes and gave him a smile. “No, it’s not in regards to me. Thank you, Heisuke.”

Heisuke returned Hisa’s smile, albeit somewhat meekly. “Actually though, I did wanna ask you something.”

 Hisa arched an eyebrow at the male. “Oh?”

“I was wondering if you maybe wanted to spar with me, since it’s been a while.”

Hisa was taken aback by Heisuke’s request, but he was correct. It had been quite some time since the pair had trained together and perhaps sparring with Heisuke would help lift her spirits.

“You don’t patrol tomorrow, correct?”

Heisuke’s appearance turned expectant as he realized what Hisa was implying. “Yeah, you are.”

“We will meet up tomorrow after breakfast, then, and we can train together.”

 Heisuke grinned widely. “Sounds like a plan! Don’t you dare forget!”

His enthusiasm caused Hisa to laugh slightly, despite herself. “Don’t fret, Heisuke. I will certainly not forget. Although, if you’ll excuse me…”

“Oh, right. Well then, see you tomorrow!”

Hisa inclined in response. “Likewise.”

 With that, the pair parted ways and Hisa made her way to the courtyard. Sure enough, she found Dr. Matsumoto deep in discussion with Yamazaki. As they became aware of the yokai’s presence, however, their dialogue lapsed.  

Dr. Matsumoto was the first to speak. “Hello, Hisa. Is there something bothering you?”

Hisa merely bowed deeply to the doctor. “ I only wanted to apologize for my untoward behavior earlier. I should not have reacted like that.”

Dr. Matsumoto smiled at Hisa sympathetically. “You have nothing to apologize for, Hisa. You’re concerned for your friend.”

Yamazaki nodded in agreement. “I can’t say I blame you. Okita and yourself were always particularly close.”

 Hisa smiled at the two men shakily. “Thank you, both of you…”

Like Saito before him, Dr. Matsumoto rested a reassuring hand on the female’s shoulder. “I assure you that I will care for Okita’s illness to the utmost of my knowledge, but I’ll need your assistance. Make sure he rests if he feels he needs to and see that he continues eating.”

“While he’s likely to disregard us, I have little doubt he’ll listen to you,” Yamazaki added.

 Yamazaki’s point was sound, which if truth be told, made Hisa feel ashamed for not going to Souji already. She had been avoiding him simply because she was scared to go to him, since seeing him in person meant she would have little choice but to face the cold reality of the situation. Seeing that their time together was going to be cut extremely short, however, it would be in her best interest to spend as much time with Souji as possible. The two men were relying on her to watch out for him and make sure he followed their orders, so perhaps doing so was the best she could do for him at this point.

 “Yes, I will be sure to keep an eye on him.”

The smile that Yamazaki gave Hisa was despondent; in her own anguish, she had admittedly failed to remember that she wasn’t the only one devastated by this turn of events.

“Thanks, Hisa. I’m not sure if he realizes it, but Okita is lucky to have you.”

Yamazaki’s words only intensified Hisa’s humiliation at not seeing Souji first. “I’ve yet to see him, actually.”

The male frowned faintly. “Well if that’s the case, then he’s in his room. But I should warn you, Harada visited him shortly ago and mentioned something about him wanting to be on his own for a while.”

 Hisa frowned as well, feeling her heart fall. “I see.”

Yamazaki must have noticed Hisa’s crestfallen expression since he opened his mouth to speak, although she disregarded him and instead bowed to the two males.

“Thank you, doctor. Thank you, Yamazaki. I’ll take my leave now, but don’t worry. I will be sure to watch over Souji.”

Dr. Matsumoto gave Hisa an understanding smile. “Be well, Hisa. You can’t care for Okita if you don’t look after yourself.” Hisa returned the doctor’s smile. “Much appreciated, but you have no need to trouble yourself over me.”

 Once she had left the courtyard, Hisa paused so she could contemplate her options. She was going to see Souji when she was done with the doctor, but she didn’t feel right disturbing his solitude. As close as the pair were, she begrudgingly accepted the fact that the male was his own person and therefore needed space. He likely had much on his mind, afterall, and her visiting him while she was still so shaken herself would only make him feel worse. She briefly considered visiting with Hijikata, since she knew he would be grateful for her company.

 But the commander, although he would never acknowledge it, was already worried for Souji as it was and would deduce that something was seriously wrong if he saw her so distressed. Frankly, Hisa had a suspicion that Hijikata already knew how severe Souji’s illness was. It seemed her best course of action would be to take a page from Souji’s book and take some time to gather her own thoughts. What she longed for was a good run and the feel of the wind through her fur, but she had already caused enough inconvenience by fleeing the compound without forewarning.

 It appeared she had little choice but to return to her room for a bit of solace, but when she arrived she found that Chizuru was present. The girl looked up at her as she entered, a touch of concern in her brown eyes.

“Hey, Hisa.”

Hisa nodded wordlessly in response and stepped past her into the corner, sitting herself on the floor and pulling her knees up. Following a moment’s hesitation, Chizuru inched toward her.

“Is something wrong?”

There was a long moment of silence before Hisa responded, her voice barely above a whisper. “Yes…”

“Oh…I take it you heard about Okita, then.”

“It was revealed to me by Dr. Matsumoto…”

 Hisa’s voice faded off as she registered what Chizuru had said and her eyes narrowed, an animalistic snarl rising from her throat.

“He couldn’t be upfront with me about his condition, yet he was able to tell you.”

Chizuru immediately recoiled from Hisa’s unforeseen anger, her face growing pale.

“N-no, you’re wrong! He never told me! I overheard him talking to Dr. Matsumoto about it!”

Chizuru’s dismay caused Hisa’s features to soften somewhat. She was admittedly on the clingy side when it came to Souji and tended to get envious when he spent time with the younger female, but her harsh reaction had been gratuitous.

“My apologies, Chizuru. That was uncalled for. I just...” the female’s voice faded away and she averted her eyes, focusing awkwardly at the floor. It was another several moments before she was able to continue, her voice somewhat strained. “I can’t fathom the idea of losing him.”

 “Okita is quite important to you, isn’t he?”

Hisa forced down the lump in her throat and nodded weakly. “Yes, he means very much to me.”

“Then I don’t mean to be forward, but may I ask why you’re here?”

Hisa uncertainly brought her attention back to the other female. “What are you getting out?”

“I mean, why aren’t you with him right now?”

Hisa released a drained sigh. “According to Harada, he evidently wants some time alone.”

Chizuru stared at Hisa with a look of bewilderment. “You do realize that Okita is in-“ Her eyes abruptly grew large and she cut herself off midsentence, almost as if she had only then realized what she was saying. Her face red from embarrassment, she took a second to carefully reword her thoughts. “Just because Okita told Harada he’d like to be alone, I don’t think that means he wouldn’t want to see you. In fact, I’m pretty sure that he would value the time with you. I’d even dare to say that you’re the one here that means the most to him, well other than Kondou.”

 Chizuru’s lecture made Hisa knit her brows. “Your observation coincides with something Saito told me earlier.”

The younger female gave Hisa an empathetic smile. “Oh, then you should absolutely go be with Okita.”

Hisa answered Chizuru’s smile with a firm smile of her own before pulling herself up. “Yes, I suppose you both are correct. I’m going to go spend some time with Souji.”

Chizuru’s expression perked up. “Great! The two of you really need this time together, so don’t rush back. I’ll be fine!”

Hisa gave Chizuru an affectionate pat on the shoulder and turned to leave, yet paused as something dawned on her.

“Chizuru, what was it that you began to say a moment ago?”

Chizuru’s eyes enlarged and she waved her hands frantically. “Oh, n-nothing! You should get moving! You don’t want to keep Okita waiting!”

 Hisa lifted an eyebrow skeptically at Chizuru; how she had cut herself off midsentence made it seem that she was saying something that she was not supposed to. Her excuse at covering it up only made it more suspect, since Souji didn’t know  that Hisa was coming and therefore wouldn’t be waiting for her. She opened her mouth to say something, but chose against it and left the room without another word. The journey to Souji’s room was a small one, since Kondou had insisted during the move to Nishi Hongwanji that his room be close to the room Hisa shared with Chizuru. Afterall, it wasn’t unknown how close the pair were to each other.

 No matter how much the thought frightened her, Hisa was truthfully beginning to ponder herself just how strong her attachment to Souji truly was.

 The yokai found herself chewing on her lower lip as she stood in front of Souji’s door, her confidence from only moments ago beginning to ebb. She was beginning to wonder if one could ever truly be prepared for a moment such as this, but there was no turning back now. She couldn’t keep running away from the issue while simply hoping it would disappear. So, Hisa sucked in a breath to ease her nerves and slid the door open. Souji was laying on the floor, staring at the ceiling with his hands propped under his head and his legs folded. His eyes narrowed slightly as she stepped into the room, but he didn’t turn his attention to her.

 “What the hell do you want?”

The tone of Souji’s voice caused Hisa to shrink back slightly. “I wanted to spend some time with you, but I can leave if you’d prefer.”

Souji brought his attention to her and his expression immediately softened; he pulled himself to a sitting position and patted the floor next to him. “Hey, Hisa. Come and sit with me.”

After a moment of hesitation, Hisa stepped over to the male and took a seat next to him. The pair sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on both of their minds. There were no less than a million things running through Hisa’s mind and she had no idea how to articulate any of them.

 Souji was finally the one to break the silence. “So, I heard from Sano that you ran out of here all miserable like earlier. What was that about?”

The yokai said nothing and simply stared across the room at nothing, worried if she’d lose her composure if she even looked at him.

“It was about me, wasn’t it?”

Hisa nodded her head wordlessly, still not looking at Souji.

“I figured it was. C’mon hon, there’s no need for the long face. This isn’t like you. I beat the measles, didn’t I? A little cough ain’t nothing.”

 Hisa dropped her eyes to her tail, which lay across her lap; she was so caught up in her despondency that she hadn’t noticed the usual shimmer that always accompanied the appearance of her lupine features.

“Consumption is different, Souji. I have watched many of your kind suffer and die from it, so I know that you will very likely not survive this,” Hisa replied in a monotone.

Souji emitted a soft sigh. “I’m going to be honest here, but I don’t get why this is bothering you so much.”

Hisa frowned slightly, absently stroking the fur on her tail. “I don’t follow.”

“Look. As unlikely as it seems, there’s no real guarantee that I won’t fuck up tomorrow and get killed while on patrol. Just look at what happened to Sanan.”

Hisa gazed at Souji through her peripheral vision, but otherwise didn’t respond to him.

“Besides, you knew when you got involved with us that we’d all pass on way before you, regardless of the reason. You’ve seen many humans leave this world and really, I’m no different than any of them. So, why does it matter if my death is going to be sooner rather than later?”

Souji’s words prompted Hisa to finally turn her lavender eyes to him; he was gazing at her with a curious appearance on his face, which made her release a long sigh of her own. She had a suspicion that his dialogue was meant to probe for something, although she didn’t have time to consider what that was. He was plainly waiting for her response, so she swallowed quietly and took some to choose her words before speaking.

 “You are correct that I am no stranger to death. I have indeed seen many people pass on and I will no doubt see many more do so. So it isn’t your death that frightens me, per se. I would not hesitate to stay by your deathbed and hold your hand whether you were gravely wounded in battle or if you had simply grown old and feeble. But Souji, you are so young, so full of life…and what frightens me is the fact that you’ve come to mean so very much to me.”

 Hisa noticed that Souji’s face was slightly flushed as she finished, which was something that she thought was strange. She wondered if it was from his illness, although she was fairly certain it hadn’t been there a moment ago. But then what appeared to be a self-satisfied smirk crossed the captain’s lips and before she could question what he was doing, he had pulled her alarmingly close to him.

“C’mere, wolf girl.”

 Hisa froze as Souji enveloped her in his arms and gently pulled her even closer to him. His body seemed to be particularly warm, likely due to a fever caused by his tuberculosis. But despite that, being this close to Souji was pleasant; she felt unexpectedly safe and comfortable in his embrace. Hisa finally placed her cheek against his chest somewhat awkwardly, allowing the steady sound of his heartbeat to soothe her.  

 A playful poke to her cheek caused Hisa to somewhat reluctantly lift her head off Souji’s chest so she could look up at him; he was watching her with amusement written on his features.

“Hey Hisa, you feeling okay? You look kinda flustered right now.”

The yokai glared at him, which simply caused a teasing smile to play about Souji’s lips. “Surprised you that much, hm?”

Hisa released an irked huff. “You did no such thing. It is just the first time anyone has ever held me.”

Souji looked stunned for a brief instant, but then the mirth returned to his face. “Oh, really?”

Hisa could only nod sheepishly in response; neither his proximity nor his ribbing were alleviating her burning face. All of this was peculiar and somewhat overwhelming for her; she had spent much time with Souji in the past and none of this had happened, so why was all of it happening now?

 Souji’s impish smile widened and he suddenly lowered his head closer to hers.

“Well then, aren’t I the special one?”

 The sensation of the male’s hot breath against Hisa’s ears tickled, causing one of them to twitch. Souji must have taken delight in the spontaneous action, since he let loose a sound of merriment.

“That was the cutest damn thing ever.”

“It only occurred because they’re ticklish,” Hisa mumbled, feeling her face color more.

Souji noticed her blush deepen and lightly brushed his knuckles against her warm cheek. “Man, your face is so red right now. I didn’t even know you were capable of blushing. I guess that you’re enjoying being this close to me, huh?”

Hisa whined in protest, yet absently found herself leaning into his soft touch. A quiet chuckle escaped Souji’s throat as he touched his forehead to hers.

“So, how do like it in my arms?”

 Hisa’s heart was instantaneously fluttering and she found herself unable to speak. His face was so close to hers.

She eventually forced herself to swallow. “It’s nice,” she admitted meekly.

Souji flashed her a triumphant grin. “I’m glad to hear that, because I rather enjoy holding you.”

Was Souji flirting with her? She was about to ask him if that was the case, but before the question was even formed Souji’s hand was clasped over his mouth and a frenzy of ragged coughs were tearing through his body.

“Souji!” Hisa exclaimed, feeling her stomach drop. Of course. His tuberculosis. By some means, that had managed to slip her mind.

 Not knowing how to help her friend, Hisa merely slipped her arms around him and held onto him until his coughing began to subside.  Souji took a moment to catch his breath when it had relented completely and then returned his attention to her; his face had grown somewhat pale, but what concerned Hisa more was his unusually solemn expression. He wordlessly placed a hand on her cheek again and began stroking it gently with his thumb. Much to her displeasure, the affectionate gesture made the damned color rise in Hisa’s cheeks again.  Souji eventually sucked in a breath and acknowledged her in a quiet voice.

“Look, Hisa. I don’t know how much time we have left together, so I think we should enjoy what we have.”

Hisa swallowed past the lump in her throat and reached up to softly brush some of the male’s bangs from his eyes.  “Yes, agreed.”

Souji gave her a fond smile in response and subsequently tugged her into another hug. Hisa nestled deeper into his arms and lay her head against his shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent. Being close to Souji like so admittedly felt right to her and she was starting to perceive that she never really wanted him to let go.  

 Hisa glowered as she felt a sudden snicker rumble in Souji’s throat. “What do you find so amusing now?”

“Your tail’s wagging.”

The female squeaked out of surprise and quickly turned to look at her tail, which was indeed enthusiastically swishing. She emitted a mortified whimper and buried her head into Souji again, who laughed quietly and began tenderly running his calloused fingertips against her back.

“I take it that means you’re happy, right?”

Hisa turned her attention to Souji and smiled softly at him. “Yes, that is exactly what it means.”

She then reached up and touched his cheek gently, feeling her heart jump as he instantly relaxed into the contact. His eyes then slowly fell shut and he exhaled contentedly. A few seconds later, his eyes fluttered open and he gazed at her kindly. Hisa felt her knees grow weak as she saw the utter adoration filling his green eyes; the male had never before looked at her in such a manner.

 “I’m happy too, you know.”

An idiotic grin spread across Hisa’s face at Souji’s whispered utterance and she snuggled against his chest. “I could get used to this, I think.”  

Souji reacted by maneuvering them so she was sitting on his lap and gave her a soft squeeze. After lovingly nuzzling his nose against one of her ears, he lightly rested his chin on top of her head.

“Well then hon, you are more than welcome to stay as long as you’d like.”

[goldenkamuyhunting]

Ramblings and crazy theory time about GK chap 301 “Second wave”

So we’ve the last chapter for this year, which shows us...

...how cool and amazing Ushiyama the Undefeated is.

But let’s go with order.

So we resume the story with Shiraishi and Co realizing they got aboard a train carrying Tsurumi’s reinforcements. In short it’s as if they’ve walked straight into his army.

However, as the soldiers didn’t expect them to appear, they are completely caught by surprise by Ushiyama grabbing two of them and using them as non conventional weapons to knock off all the other soldiers. So, Ushiyama the Undefeated begins a massacre fest with all the poor soldiers of the 7th. Really, I kind of feel bad for them, Ushiyama is like a bullet train squashing everything on his tracks.

Hijikata and Sugimoto supposedly get into the fray as well but really, Noda doesn’t pay them any attention, he’ll likely expand their role in the volume version, as we only see Hijikata pull out his sword and Sugimoto, supposedly before start fighting, tell Shiraishi to grab Asirpa and get off the train… which really isn’t a great plan considering they likely had let go of the horses.

I mean, trains back then were slower but jumping off of one at full speed likely wasn’t healthy and they would still be without horses and chased by Tsurumi and his men who instead had them.

(That is unless they forced their poor horses to keep up with the train)

Whatever, Asirpa tries to reach back to Tanigaki, who had yet to enter into the wagon, to tell him they should leave asap when Tanigaki is shoot from behind right in front of her eyes... evidently because poor Asirpa wasn’t traumatized enough yet so Noda decided some more psychological harm won’t hurt.

Or, possibly, would hurt enough to get her to the point he wants her to reach.

I mean... I wonder if Noda is trying to break her so as to push her to shoot someone so as to save Sugimoto or someone else, even though he previously had shown her resisting to it when Ostrog threatened her.

Is he trying to find a way to trigger her to... push the trigger?

Is Asirpa’s arc meant to be tied to Sofia’s in some way? While Sofia hesitated and couldn’t kill Tsurumi out of guilt, is the idea that Asirpa will have to overcome that guilt or she’ll have to keep on seeing the people she cares about die all around her?

We’ll see.

Anyway, after having been shoot, Tanigaki manages to close the door of the wagon before he falls off the train. The wound was bad and the fall isn’t going to help. His own daughter might be about to become orphan before learning to say ‘papa’.

Bright plan Tanigaki, go help Asirpa, get killed in front of her so she’ll get traumatized and make your daughter an orphan.

Nihei told you, you get only a shoot at life so you’ve to use it well. I understand paying back your debts but sometimes you’ve to pick up what’s more important and, although I love Asirpa more than your daughter, you should prioritize ensuring your own child grows up with a father.

Okay, I get you didn’t get yourself shoot on purpose, I get you meant well, A side of me loves this side of you but really, sometimes picking up the safe option isn’t wrong.

Anyway, while Asirpa is frozen in shock, Shiraishi holds the door close.

I’m not sure if he’s locking it, but it doesn’t matter because Tsurumi, after giving a creepy peck at Asirpa from the window, uses his own head to break it (in a scene that reminds me of some horror movie, can’t remember which one, I saw long ago) and then tries to rip away the quiver from Asirpa, as he believes the land deed is in it.

Oh, and yeah, this also mean he was the one who shoot Tanigaki.

Sugimoto tries to stop him, stabbing Tsurumi’s hand with his own bayonet, and Tsurumi replies shooting Sugimoto twice. Don’t worry, Sugimoto, differently from Sofia, Vasily and Tanigaki is the main character with a solid plot armor so this is surely a flesh wound and he’ll be better in a moment.

Asirpa pushes Tsurumi’s gun away but Tsurumi catches this chance to free his hand and resume trying to pull away the quiver, only for Shiraishi to grab it while Sugimoto tries again to stab Tsurumi, this time going for his head.

Tsurumi’s plot armor is even better than Sugimoto as Sugi doesn’t even manage to scratch him.

Sugimoto tells Asirpa to stand back so she hides under the seats and start moving toward the front of the train.

Tsurumi notices her actions and warns Tsukishima, who’s still riding his horse forcing it to go at the same pace of the train, about it. Tsukishima tries to move toward the front of the wagon while Ushiyama tosses out of it more and more soldiers.

Too bad he doesn’t catch Tsukishima with one of them.

Meanwhile both Koito and Ogata hear the gunshot and realize they come from the train, of which they can see the smoke. By the way, Ogata seems to be riding now so yes, he shoot one of Koito’s men to steal his horse.

I expect both Koito’s group and Ogata to converge on the train because we need more people to make this trainwreck even bigger.

Anyway Asirpa and Shiraishi keep on crawling under the seats, trying to reach the front exist. Asirpa is clearly still in shock, all sweating and thinking at Tanigaki, again looking as if she’s turning into water.

Ushiyama catches sight of her and tells her to give a good look at him as he deals with the soldiers so she’ll be able to add the tale of Ushiyama to her Ainu legends, making Ushiyama’s story an Ainu favourite.

Surely Ushiyama looks like he’s basically disposing of the whole 7th division single handedly, Noda having forgotten about Hijikata who wasn’t shown again (he’ll probably add him back in the volume version) and while this is very, very cool for me as a viewer I’ve two main worries, the first being I’m not sure how psychologically healthy for an already traumatized Asirpa is to see Ushiyama massacring people left and right, and the second is that Ushiyama is pulling up a goddamn huge red flag with his own words.

On the other side Ushiyama has already pulled up red flags in Abashiri and survived to them easily, never mentioning he was on the right side of the survival road so I feel pretty confident the undefeated Ushiyama will not lose to death either… but something can happen that might make Asirpa believe he died too (kind of like she believed Ariko died), possibly a meeting with Tsukishima, since Tsukishima is heading toward the front of the wagon.

That or Noda decided the survival road wasn’t that safe after all and that allt he bets are open and everyone can die.

Whatever, I really think my poor girl needs to catch a breath and stop seeing so many deaths of people she cares about, this can’t be good for her.

Anyway, with this the chapter ends, leaving us wonder if Tanigaki died or not.

So I know some people are wondering if it was the tiger curse and some others just aren’t thrilled by the idea of blaming the tiger curse for what’s happening to Tanigaki.

What was the tiger curse exactly and how does it involve Tanigaki?

In chap 181 Sofia explained how, according to the Nanai people, tigers are gods and therefore shouldn’t be harmed. They actually have a legend that anyone who kills a tiger will live a life of misfortune.

In that same chapter they make a point to inform us that Kiroranke’s true name, Yulbars, means tiger, tracing a parallel between him and the tiger that attacks the prison.

Later Kiro will be murdered. He dies of blood loss and the ones drawing his blood were Tanigaki, Koito and Tsukishima, Tanigaki being the first and the one who gave him a fatal blow (albeit one who would kill him slowly).

Ironically Tanigaki is also the last (he shoot Kiro along with Tsukishima) and, of the three, he’s the only one who owned his life to Kiro.

He’s also there for a misguided reason as he believed Kiro attempted to kill Inkarmat and so that he’s avenging them, when Kiro actually stabbed her by incident (they were fighting and fell and she ended up on the knife, he would have wanted to help her but Inkarmat instead clung to the knife, sinking it even deeper).

Long story short, the introduction of what ended up being called by fans ‘tiger curse’ where in this case the tiger would be Kiroranke, ends up becoming a narrative trick to foreshadow that who was involved in Kiroranke’s death will face misfortune… kind of like characters being drawn with naked feet might foreshadow their death.

There’s no tiger out for Tanigaki’s blood, there’s just a narrative warning Tanigaki (and Tsukishima and Koito) will have bad karma at play due to their own actions.

My personal interpretation of this specific foreshadowing was that the three of them wouldn’t die but live a life of misfortune (example: They’ll end up jailed by Central). Of course it can be Noda instead wanted to foreshadow they’ll die instead.

Alternatively, he might have forgotten his foreshadowing and decided to go for a different ending for them. It’s a pity but it’s something a writer is entitled to do.

Tanigaki’s wound seems to be in the abdominal area, so it’s likely a wound which ensures a slow and painful death same as the one he would have given Kiro with his stabbing. Tsurumi was pretty close so, unless Tanigaki was wearing some form of protection (courtesy of Inkarmat which can occasionally see the future) and the blood that sprayed out wasn’t his own, I would say it’s unlikely Tanigaki will survive.

We’ll see though if Inkarmat managed to save him of if this is what will kill Tanigaki off.

If Tanigaki will die I’ll be sorry but not surprised as Tanigaki has been nursing a long string of bad decisions so, even without the bad karma, he was a character that was at risk of not getting out of this story alive.

Noda also said

Q21: Will Inkarmat, Tanigaki and Cikapasi ever reunite, just the three of them? Noda: I think it would be more compelling if Tanigaki and Cikapasi never meet again. (Q&A section from the Golden Kamuy fanbook translation courtesi of @piduai​)

The interesting part of this reply is that this person asked if INKARMAT, Tanigaki and Cikapasi will reunite and Noda replied solely that Tanigaki and Cikapasi will not reunite, meaning Cikapasi and Inkarmat might. Of course Noda might have also said so because, since Inkarmat has become Tanigaki’s wife of some sort, she couldn’t be away from Tanigaki so saying he and Cikapasi will not reunite implies Inkarmat will not get a chance to meet with him as well.

We’ll see.

I’ll probably talk more about Tanigaki’s death if or when it comes to pass, for now I think I’ll stop here. This should be the last Golden Kamuy chapter for this year so let’s wait and see what next year will bring us!