#hakuoki sano

[widemushroom]

I'm not saying that Harada is "sexist"

Kazama, Hijikata, and Saitou sometimes speak like Harada too but none calls them "sexist"

The thing is that I find Harada "manipulative"

[inthegardensofourminds]

May the Fourth be with you!

[witchfinderlieutenanttable]

[pumpkin-patch-cat]

For the record

I still can't bring myself to do the new character routes on Hakuouki 🤷🏾‍♀️ I've given up trying to talk myself into doing them.

[chikaged]

i honestly don’t know what happened here i just stumbled across some hakouki media recently while browsing pinterest for another thing and suddenly THIS p.o.s is THE blorbo now i guess. i’m usually a lotr/middle-earth liker

Of course me being massively late to a somewhat dead fandom is gonna result in me scrounging for old content, so formal apology to any hakouoki/kazama blogs that suddenly see a decade old content showing up in your activity lol

[pumpkin-patch-cat]

FINALLY

SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS.

LAWD JEEZUS.

Thank you for writing this. Sanosuke has the biggest heart and legitimately wanted nothing but the best for Chizuru!

"Even if she has powers that I don't, or even if she doesn't need my help--it's still no reason for me to stop protecting her. A man always looks after his lady!" - Harada

Harada Sanosuke: Analysis | Hakuoki

Please keep in mind that everything in the following post is my opinion and will contain spoilers for the Hakuoki games: Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms as well as the anime. Also disputing talk of assault.

I don't get the hate towards Harada. I have seen so many posts or comments talking about how Harada is this borderline sexist, possessive dude who doesn't allow Chizuru to come out of her shell and makes her this damsel in distress. Also, how he doesn't have any character besides "I want to meet a beautiful woman and have a family and a nice house by the ocean". So, first of all, there is nothing wrong with being a damsel in distress, I wholeheartedly believe that Chizuru would've died the night she came to Kyoto or been eaten by the furies had the Shinsengumi not saved her, she isn't helpless I know that but she isn't a warrior either and she is no match for furies or trained soldiers, Harada knows this. As for his stereotypical view on genders, he never uses them in a way to harm anyone and always has Chizuru's best interest in mind.

At the last leg of Kyoto Winds, if you're romancing him, he tells Chizuru that "the battlefield is no place for a woman" believe me, I was put off to hear that but he follows it by saying "and you're not a warrior" and he isn't wrong again. Chizuru is not a fighter and she would very likely die or not be able to fight in a battle for various reasons. He doesn't necessarily mean "you're woman and you don't belong in battle" he basically means that she isn't a woman who's a warrior.

Chizuru isn't weak. She's strong but not in a masculine sense, her strengths lie elsewhere, in, I suppose what most would consider "feminine" aspects of life. She is a woman of the 1800s and is good at things that women are expected to be good at in those times and has done very brave things like risking her life coming to Kyoto. The reality is that she is a good cook, she knows a good bit of healing, she can clean and she works very hard to keep everyone's spirits up, she has some skill with a sword but not enough to fight trained samurai or rabid furies. She does owe the Shinsengumi and she knows this, that is commendable. All this doesn't make her weak or small or a damsel in distress, she does all she can and what she's good at; just like Harada does what he's good at and that's fighting to protect people, he often talks about how being a Samurai isn't about fighting, it's about protecting women and children (please remember that this is during a time when MOST women were still homemakers). Despite wanting to embody the epitome of masculinity, people tend to forget that Harada is very kind and gentle towards Chizuru, asks her about her thoughts and feelings and does the same in return, tells her to let herself feel what she feels and not hide it which are also qualities that aren't toxic or toxically masculine, in fact, in those days they would've been considered feminine and weak. People don't tend to like the fact that Harada's route more human and doesn't allow Chizuru to find out more about her demon blood and I agree. I do wish that the devs would've added more story to Chizuru and her bloodline in Harada's route aside from the romance. Harada doesn't seem to mind that she is a demon, as he has said plenty of times and it would only make sense if she wants to know more about her family and where she comes from, which would make her choice to live as a human feel more earned and satisfactory. Edo Blossoms in general was a very rushed game and feels more so like an epilogue than a proper story like Kyoto Winds which is a shame but oh well.

Harada has never struck out to me as someone who is possessive or even misogynistic. As a lover, he wants to look out for Chizuru and protect her, as every partner should. Even as a friend, he wants to look out for her because he swore to protect her, like the other Shinsengumi men and Harada likes to keep his promises. His flirty remarks here and there are just part of his personality and how he is, he likes to joke around, be carefree and make girls blush and he knows his limits, something that he calls Nagakura out on, saying "you don't understand when a girl starts to get uncomfortable", something along those lines I believe. Although Chizuru is a predefined character who has her own thoughts and feelings, most tend to forget that she is still being played by the player and many tend to self-insert themselves in the game like I did. A lot of her personality changes with who she romances. With Harada, her whole self-inflicted angst is that she is a monster and he's a human, hence he'll never like her the way she likes him (remember that Chizuru has had a crush on him for a while now and Harada knows this as he fancies her too but he doesn't push it because he doesn't want to cause complications) Harada only properly says he loves Chizuru when SHE confesses to him, saying that he has always had putting his feelings into words which is something I can relate to.

Most people have qualms with a scene that comes a while after this, where Chizuru decides to leave for Edo alone because she doesn't want the man she loves to have to choose between his best friend and her, the woman he loves. So, let me break it down: When she goes to say goodbye, Harada gets sad and says "you're not even gonna bother consulting me, are you?" to which Chizuru replies "that's right, I'm telling you. Right now." Harada gets a bit upset after this and that is valid, he brings up a fair point that this is war and if they separate now, there's a very likely chance they won't see each other again. And Chizuru knows this. They are a couple and couples make decisions together, her telling him that she is going to go to Edo by herself is hurtful if you put yourself in Harada's shoes. Being told such a thing would get anyone angry, he isn't mad at her because she wants to go alone, he's mad because she didn't even bother talking to him about it. She calls herself pathetic and says that she feels like she is a burden to him. This is self-deprecation on Chizuru's part, not Harada's, from the beginning, he has wanted to care for her and protect her. He has never seen it as a burden or something that bothers him, it truly makes him happy to do so. Harada contemplates and says that he has never wanted much from life, only to be with a beautiful woman, have a beautiful home and some peace and quiet and he has had plenty of opportunities to do so but he never did because he couldn't commit but now that he has found Chizuru, he finally feels like he can be happy with someone and commit to the good, idyllic life that he wants. He points out that she chose him and told him that she wanted to spend her life with him so; according to me, her choosing to go to Edo alone is a bit counter-intuitive, it's almost as if she came to say "goodbye" to Harada hoping he'd change her mind. It is also a bit selfish on Chizuru's part because they are in this together, even if he went on to fight with Nagakura, he'd keep worrying about how Chizuru is and what happened to her. Honestly, this whole scene would've gone a lot better if she just talked to him about about it rather than tell him.

Another scene which seems to put people off is their kiss in the beginning of Edo Blossoms, Chizuru is sad and distressed because of how Sanan has been speaking to her and basically threatening her, telling her that she doesn't care about the the Shinsengumi and has concocted a lie about Heisuke, saying he's getting worse (we don't know this to be false at this point in the game) and has told her to not tell Harada about it because he may get angry and that might cause him to want to leave altogether. After days of not talking to one another, Harada has had enough and asks Chizuru why she is so sad and crying, she ends up getting very hysterical and doesn't give him a clear answer for obvious reasons, not knowing what to do, Harada kisses her out of the blue. Now, I have heard that this is assault or harassment by harada because "he kisses her against her will" but I disagree. The definition(s) of assault according to the Cambridge dictionary is:

to attack someone violently.

to make a sudden, violent attack on someone.

And harrasment:

behaviour that annoys or upsets someone

behaviour that annoys or troubles someone

illegal behaviour towards a person that causes mental or emotional suffering which includes repeated unwanted contacts without a reasonable purpose, insults, threats, touching or offensive language.

behaviour towards someone that is threatening or that annoys or upsets them.

If it was assault and/or harrasment, Chizuru wouldn't have liked it (and we know she did) and she had every opportunity to push him away but she doesn't, and she isn't the kind to take assault either. Chizuru is a decently strong woman with good morals and wouldn't stand for such a thing being done to her, even if her efforts were futile, she wouldn't stand being kissed by someone she doesn't like. Besides, if one has played Kyoto Winds, you know that Harada is not the kind to assault someone, a big part of his personality is protecting the helpless. Harada knows she likes him and she does, we as the player know this and Harada likes her, even if it is unspoken or she chooses to be oblivious of it (but it isn't since at the end of Kyoto Winds, Harada tells her "when you fall for someone, you want to protect them always"). Besides, this is a romance in a video game. Inserting myself in this scenario, as I'm sure many of us do when playing these games, I would not categorise this as assault, I'd want to be kissed by my crush. Eventually, it does help her calm down and she is able to talk to Harada about what she's been going through and he looks out for her. Those saying it's "unrealistic" to do such a thing, this is an anime game taking place in the mid 1800s where a woman is surrounded by a harem of men who look after her, oh and also, demons. In reality, she'd have died the night she came to Kyoto or worse.

Harada's Personality:

Harada is a bit of a complex, he's simple but he's not. He is hyper masculine but he's very gentle and kind. He likes the ideal of protecting the helpless, even in a relationship, he sees it as a man's job to protect the woman he loves. Some may call this sexist but I don't think so, as a partner, you want to protect your significant other, whether it is physically or emotionally. Either both can do it or just one, in some relationships that works, that is, if the other doesn't expect the same in return and that's absolutely fine. As a straight female, I adore the idea that the man I love would want to protect me, it is heartwarming to hear such a thing from your significant other and for them to put it into action. Harada is one of those people, he wants to protect Chizuru and doesn't expect her to do the same, mostly because she can't. She isn't too skilled physically so it only makes sense that Harada would be the physical protector. This doesn't make him sexist, it is just his preference. And there is nothing wrong with a man being physically dominant or being the protector in a relationship, some people like myself are into that. It doesn't make a woman weak to be physically protected by her partner, her strengths may lie elsewhere like Chizuru's do. She is very grounded and allows Harada to be more open, which in a sense is emotional protection. He opens up to her about his feelings and thoughts and things he's always wanted from life. Things, he's never even told his closest friends. She looks after him in a more traditionally feminine ways and is happy doing so. Harada is very level-headed and always tries to put himself in other people's shoes before making a decision, he's thoughtful and dutiful. He sees being a samurai not being about fighting or gaining glory but about protecting the weak which is a quality that's difficult to find. He cares deeply for his friends and comrades, has learnt from his foolish mistakes as a boy which has made him a sensitive, sensible and mature person. His flirtiness and tendency to joke around with people is just a character trait that makes him approachable and playful, it isn't immaturity. As for him calling Chizuru an "idiot" or "stupid", well, one can argue that she was being stupid and idiotic in those instances, she is a very passive character and tends to become very self-deprecating at times which can be frustrating, Harada has the patience of a monk, most people would just get annoyed. And besides, I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to be called out on my idiocy by my partner. Also, the way harada says it, sounds more playful than malicious.

I adore his level-headedness and ability to make decent decisions despite the initial impression of him as a character. I genuinely thought he was gonna be the comic relief of the game and not have a good romance path but I was wrong. He sneaks you out the first night or so you have been at the Shinsengumi headquarters to help you get some air and not be clouded with bad thoughts which is a super sweet gesture given the tight spot you're in. He talks with Sen in the hopes that she might be able to help you feel better. He even looks out for you with Sanan and basically tells him not to bother you further. In his special anime episode, he puts his life on the line for a stranger who just wants to meet his sick mother and, albeit a minor thing: while they're outside he fixes Chizuru's slipper for her, also allowing her to lean on him while he does so. I know this seems a silly thing to mention but it's a little sign of care and compassion which touches my heart more than anything. If these are not signs of love, duty or care towards a person/people then perhaps I have it wrong.

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Hakuoki Drama CD - Hijikata Biyori Track 19 Eng translation

For some reason, I had the part of that song with Kodo and Kazama's final confrontation from Kazama-hen in my head today despite not having listened to it in quite a while... guess something's telling me that I should go watch Kazama-hen instead of Shinkai Hijikata-hen, which I've only seen the switching camera version of? 😂

Anyway, this is this week's translation!

Hakuoki Drama CD - Hijikata Biyori Track 19 - Various Problems

Translation by KumoriYami

(sound of door opening)

Toudou: Hey, Sano-san, Shinpach-san, if you want to head out, go now... Uh, Hijikata-san and Sannan-san?

Hijikata: What is it, Heisuke.

Sannan: What are you trying to do in such a hurry?

Toudou: Ah, no, um...

Hijikata: That's right, Heisuke, come sit down over here.

Toudou: Eh? Um, I… have something urgent to do with Sano-san and Shinpach-san...

Hijikata: Harada and Shinpachi went out earlier. They were probably going to Shimabara anyway. There even enjoying themselves/fooling around during the day.

Toudou: No... damn it... those two left me behind!

Hijikata: Oh? What's wrong?

Toudou: No, it, it's nothing!

Hijikata: Is that so. Hey, Heisuke, quickly sit down.

Toudou: Ah! Right! Let me bring those two back.

Sannan: Bring back... is it?

Toudou: Seriously, Sano-san and Shinpach-san, they're really troublesome. Going to Shimabara in the middle of the day.

Hijikata: I guess you're going to go with them too.

Toudou: No way! How could that be! After all, I'm the one always stopping those two.

Sannan: Toudou-kun?

Toudou: That's right, but no matter how much I try to stop them, they still won't listen.

Sannan: I see, that's quite a problem.

Hijikata: It's amazing that you, who usually likes to mess around, would actually stop them.

Toudou: That's right. I mean, those two get drunk and cause commotions in broad daylight.

Sannna: What do you mean by commotions?

Toudou: It's something they always do. Things like Sano-san boasting about the scar on his stomach and Shinpach-san bragging about his arm muscles. Ah, the other day/a few days ago, they were arm wrestling and the loser had to drink sake! It was really terrible.

Hijikata: What, you must been drinking with them too.

Toudou: Ah...

Sannan: Although I understand how you feel, it really is not commendable for a Shinsengumi executive to get drunk and then cause trouble in broad daylight.

Toudou: Ah, how should I put it, those two people insisted…

Sannan: If they insisted, then you should have refused even more. Rejecting other is a type of strength, Toudou-kun.

Hijikata: Be a bit more mature. Heisuke.

Toudou: What, why are you're saying that just to me! Are those two much better/Aren't those two more outrageous? Anyway, I have to bring Sano-san and Shinpach-san back!

Hijikata: In that case, there's no problem. The two of them didn't go out. T

Toudou: Huh?

Sannan: Thanks to Todou-kun, we now have a good idea of what Harada-kun and Nagakura-kun were secretly doing behind our backs.

Toudou: How could that be――what the hell were Sano-san, Shinpach-san doing!

Hijikata: Those guys went to that person's room. Harada brought tangerines.

Sannan: It's not right for two guys to barge into a girl's room.

Hijikta: Isn’t that better than going out to drink during the day?

Toudou: Huh? That's not better, that's a much bigger problem than going to Shimabara! What's with that excuse! Those two…!

(Heisuke rushes outside)

Hijikata: Seriously. When will he start behaving like an adult/he grow up/get more mature? I can't help but think he's entirely driven by his emotions.

Sannan: Yes, that's true. But, isn't that Toudou-kun's strength?

Hijikata: Ah, yeah. There's no difference.

---end---

[glatisant-questing]

Personal Hakuoki Translation/Collection Masterpost

I mainly post translation practices/reviews/analyses/memes of Hakuoki special edition booklets/magazine content/artbook content on this blog.

My favorite characters are Souji, Yamazaki, and Saito. So I will prioritize the translation/collection of materials related to these three characters.

My translations are definitely not 100% accurate, so feel free to leave a comment to help me improve my Japanese skills.

My scans (as well as translated content) all come from my own copies which I purchased.

I translate/post stuff as a hobbyist learning Japanese and a passionate fan of Hakuoki. If you like my content and are new to the Hakuoki universe, please consider supporting the Hakuoki franchise. As of 2023, the franchise is still releasing new content.

An index of the stuff I have posted on this blog:

Manyo no Shou Special Edition Booklet:

Yamazaki's short story

Souji's short story

Saito's short story

Hijikata's short story

Heisuke's short story

Kazama's short story

Harada's short story

Shinpachi's short story

Sannan's short story

Iba's short story

Souma's short story

Ryoma's short story

Manyo no Shou Stellaworth Booklet

Part 1 (Okita, Saito, and Yamazaki)

Part 2 (Hijikata, Sannan, and Souma)

Part 3 (Heisuke, Sano, and Shinpachi)

Part 4 (Kazama, Iba, and Sakamoto)

Drama CDs

Manyo no Shou Bic Camera Bonus (Yamazaki, Iba and Hijikata)

Scans of Selected Pages of Artbooks/Goods I Own:

Pages from Ten'un no Shou Box Set Artbook "Hakuoki Shinkai Artbook （薄桜鬼真改絵巻）: Information magazine article illustrations （情報誌揭載イラスト）

Manyo no Shou Ebten cards.

Manyo no Shou Wondergoo Yamazaki message card.

My Random Thoughts/Memes

Hakuoki + Disco Elysium =?

Yamazaki's shorthands

Ochimizu (repost)

My Fics

The Charm (Omamori) (Yamazaki/Chizuru)

[puffybee-dreams]

April 1865

Character: Iba (Hakuoki) x Ellie (OC)

CW: Slight mentions of War; Archery

Word Count: 2170

Comments: I wrote this literally YEARS ago. But! Here it is! It's one of my favorite Ellie fics. I had to edit some of it so hopefully it sounds good! Thanks for reading!!

The morning light shone into the courtyard of the compound men who were still sleeping finally stirred from the futons all while Ellie stood among the men giving orders and directions to her morning class of future marksmen. Some of the lower-ranking men had been startled by her suddenly commanding presence. Up to this point she had been soft, polite, sweet even. Yet in this moment, transgression wasn’t at all tolerated in the presence of the mistress of the courtyard. Her assistants, Shinpachi & Sanosuke, hardly had time to correct the young men before she was on their ass. 

“Non! The left!” Her voice barked. The men only quietly obeyed. None wanted to meet the same fate as the first young man this morning who dared comment on the fact that they wouldn’t take orders from a woman.

“And why would I take orders from you? A woman’s job is to serve a man.” 

A loud resounding smack was heard as Shinpachi approached. Ellie gripped the man's ear and leaned in so close their noses were almost touching. 

“Listen well, you incompetent fuck. What matters is not the sex of the warrior. What matters is their aim and their ability to kill. If you’ve any problems with this I suggest you have a personal chat with Commander Hijikata.” 

Shinpachi watched, mouth agape. Sano came over and whistled. “I think we have a new assistant for training.” 

Shinpachi just watched on before snapping back to reality and smiling. 

“You tell ‘em, lil’ sis.” 

Ellie only shot him a grin before turning quickly and rattling out a new order.

Hijikata joined the bustling crowd with a grin on his face. He had witnessed her disciplinary plans and could only watch with a bemused smile. Seeing the four targets set up and men beginning to drift in and out of the way, filled him with a sort of pride. He was the one who gave the okay to organize this little training camp after all. Narrow eyes scanned the courtyard until his gaze finally landed on the dot of red perched on one of the compound walls. They were waiting on one single guest at this point. 

Ellie watched the perimeter and checked the wind pull from her perch atop the stone wall. The wind was coming from the east, but rather gently, she decided. Sanosuke joined her shortly after, his broad shoulder reaching the height of her dangling feet. He and Shinpachi had only been allowed to be her aids after they had passed her far too rigorous beginner training in the previous weeks. 

“You’re waiting until he gets here to start?” 

She smiled down at her fellow redhead. “Of course. I have to keep him on his toes.” 

The woman kicked her feet a bit as she waited for an all too familiar Okuzume to show himself. Blue eyes keenly watched the entrance to the courtyard as a familiar shadow appeared behind a particular shoji. Quietly, she nocked an arrow and took her aim. The post she locked her aim on was just next to where he would stand. 

Sano looked up at her, suddenly horrified.  “Oi, what are you…” 

He trailed off as she let the arrow fly, the sound turning heads. The shock caused even more heads to turn as the arrow from her bow landed no further than 12 centimeters from his left ear.

Shaking his head with a bemused smile and sigh, Iba looked at his dear friend. “Hello to you too, Ellie.” 

Kotaro immediately was set on edge and started scolding the young woman. “Ellie! You could have seriously hurt someone!” 

Hijikata only shook his head, sighing. The woman, on the other hand, spoke to the crowd of men. “Control will be the most crucial thing in your training. Had I no control, our dear guest here would have been dispatched and I would have been too. You will not shoot at others during your training. Do I make myself clear?” 

An awestruck hush blanketed the courtyard. Ellie frowned and lifted her chin before bellowing. 

“DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?”

 A loud affirmative shout filled the courtyard as she jumped down and gestured to her male companions.

 “Pass out the Yumi. I’m gonna go welcome our guest.” 

Knowing their close relationship, Shinpachi could only bellow with laughter before he barked orders at the men to line up. Ellie slipped the body of her bow across her chest and trotted over before giving Hachiro a tight hug. 

“Sorry, I didn’t warn you sooner. I only had the idea this morning.” 

He shook his head. “It’s fine. I expect these kinds of shenanigans from you. And besides, I trust no single archer in all of Japan more than I trust you.” 

Feeling her face flush from the compliment she elbowed him softly. “I’m supposed to be in charge here. Don’t start flattering me now. I may go easy on you when I teach you.” 

His face dropped. “But...I was just invited to watch. Your letter said-” 

She smirked at him. “A small white lie. Payback of course.” 

She then turned on her heels, his eyes watching her as she walked away, noting the hakama on her legs swaying in the wind despite being bandaged in place. He couldn’t help but marvel at the way her voice, usually so kind and gentle, bounced off of the walls as if it were Hijikata speaking instead of the female.

“OKAY MEN! LISTEN UP!”

~~~

The sun was hot on everyone’s shoulders and necks. By this point, many of the men wondered where this small French woman got her commanding voice. Coupled with the fact that she was supported by Shinpachi and Sanosuke only filled them with more unease. Yet this was the selfsame woman who in the most cocksure manner possible left to and from Edo on diplomacy trips and information exchanges. 

Hachiro, on the other hand, watched in complete awe. He was swiftly reminded why he often questioned his desire to protect her. She was clearly well-trained and taught to take care of herself. These trains of thought often stirred warm thoughts of her missing father. They both searched for the missing man nearly constantly. He hadn’t dared to tell her the truth. How was he supposed to tell her that the shogunate was quickly losing interest in their search; that soon they would be the last two to care? He couldn’t let her down but he couldn’t deny that she had likely already noticed his visits and subsequently their trips were becoming less and less frequent. 

He just didn’t have it in him to break her heart like that. 

The men were dismissed for lunch and subsequently freed from their lessons. Ellie, now glistening with a healthy sheen of sweat, trotted over to Iba smiling widely. “What did you think?”

 He smiled at her, passing her a towel. “Your skills are quite impressive. One would think you’ve been doing this your whole life.” 

He teased her jovially as she scrunched up her nose. 

“I have. My father wouldn’t have had it any other way.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

 Shortly after the lighthearted exchange, Inoue brought the pair a small platter of onigiri. After their polite and formal “thank you’s” were shared the pair were left alone in the otherwise vacant courtyard. Picking the nori off of her rice ball, Ellie made a face as she laid it on the plate. 

Her male companion shook his head, tousling his brown locks. “You still have no taste for it?” 

She stuck her tongue out. “Not at all. If anything it tastes worse every time I try it.” 

A chuckle bubbled past his lips as they ate their lunch in peace. It was such a stark contrast to the events of the morning where Ellie - the woman, as Iba knew her, was replaced by Ellie - the Colonel’s daughter, as she was known by all the men here. If he hadn’t known her any better he would have been shocked beyond all measure. 

Once Ellie had finished eating she wasted no time standing up and grabbing her personal Yumi, a gift from her companion himself. 

“Now. It’s your turn.” 

She held the bow out to him. His eyes widened as he saw her smile, kinder still than the one that warped her face in a look of complete satisfaction as men finally understood the bare-bones basics of shooting an arrow. 

He lifted both of his hands in front of him, waving them back and forth slightly. 

“I'm sure I'll only disappoint you. After all, your shooting is second to none. And I have my katana. I haven't any need for a bow or archery skills." 

Ellie pulled her lips back in an unconvinced smile. "Are you scared to shoot a bow?"

 Hachiro looked at her, indignant. "I have two blades at my hip. Weapons don't scare me." 

She then lifted her chin proudly. "Ohhhh so you're afraid of looking foolish in front of a pretty girl, is that it?" 

His cheeks began to flush a rosy shade. That was his fear exactly. 

Gathering his dignity he stood, sighing. She certainly knew how to push his buttons. She grabbed the sleeve of his kimono, pulling him towards the middle of the courtyard among the scattered arrows she would have to clean up after the fact. The young man allowed himself to be pulled and placed into position. He never doubted her shooting. He remembered seeing her father train with her. 

Anton had been relentless. He would throw cheap pottery scraps for her to shoot and hound her with orders and commands. In those moments she was no different than a soldier in training. Being removed from his memory, the young diplomat sighed as Ellie placed the bow in his hands. She stood in front of him and looked him over with a smile. 

"You look so... uncomfortable. I'll go easy on you. I promise. This is more for fun than anything. It's useful to know of course. But… I don’t know. Perhaps I wanted to spend time with my friend." 

Her smirk melted into something much softer as she eyed him and helped him nock an arrow. 

"Okay. I'm standing behind you. Just pull back and let it go." 

Iba pulled the weapon up into the air as he'd seen her do so many times before. Pulling back was difficult. He hadn't expected the string to be so unforgiving. Ellie held back a soft giggle as he tried his best to force the string into position. Once he finally got it pulled back to any extent he let go of the fletching gripped in his fingers. 

The pair watched as the arrow, flying in an all too anticlimactic arc, clattered to the ground, staring back as if it were mocking the prestigious swordsman. Sighing, he straightened his shoulders and tried again only to achieve the same result. Pressing a fist to her lips, Ellie nodded as he reached for another arrow she softly stepped towards him.

Feeling her arms securely around him caused Hachiro to freeze a bit, nearly fumbling to grab the arrow. "Here, I'll help you." 

Before she did anything she snorted. "Well, first of all, your stance is terrible. Here." Her hands grabbed his hips and adjusted them. 

"Your shooting is very loose. You're trying to sword fight with a bow. Tighten up here." She adjusted his right leg. 

"But loosen up here." her hand went to his sides. 

Her training with the foot soldiers hadn't been nearly this intimate. He was stiff now because she was so close, and maybe it helped his form. He had no idea with his mind as foggy as it was. Shaking his head to collect himself he felt her return to her original position, holding him from behind and supporting the places his hands rested. 

"Now pull back." 

Pulling the cord was much easier from this angle. She smiled and stepped back. 

"Now fire!" 

He let go and hit the outermost edge of the target. But it was a hit nonetheless. 

"Excellent! Now do it again!" Ellie cheered him on. 

Unknowingly his chest puffed out as his ego inflated a bit. Hachiro swiftly and gracefully nocked an arrow and pulled back. It was a bit more difficult but he had barely budged from his position. He couldn't mess up now. He released his fingers and the arrow flew straight and true...right towards the ground. 

Ellie giggled as Hachiro let out an exasperated sigh. 

"You tilted down unknowingly. It happens. But! I think that's enough fun for today. I'm sure Hijikata wants to hear what we thought of the lesson this morning." 

Shaking his head and smiling at her, he happily handed the bow back to her. "That sounds far more pleasant than ruining the landscaping." 

Ellie giggled as she slipped the bow around her. "C'mon then. I'll make some tea too. Shimada picked up a really nice new black tea blend."

[hakubunii]

hiiiiiiiii it's me carlee but tumblr makes me use my main for asks 🙄 bunny if u got to dress up any of the hakuoki characters in sanrio character themed outfits or onesies who would you have wear what 👀👀👀💖

Hiiiiiiii Carleeee!!!! Thank you so mf much for the ask! I’m actually so excited to answer this and am so glad you brought the idea to my attention. I’m gonna think of outfits but also treat this like it’s a Hakuouki Sanrio collab- I also wanted to try to use different characters from the ones we usually see with Sanrio collabs.

Here’s the ideas below:

Chizuru (and consequently Kaoru): Sugarbunnies- Shirousa and Kurousa. They are twins and Kaoru would be Shirousa, the older twin, while Chizuru would be Kurousa, the younger one.

I would dress Chizuru in an oversized, brown sherpa fabric sweaters with pastel pink leggings. The hood of the sweater would have floppy rabbit ears with pink detailing. They’d both wear pink converses. Kaoru would wear a similar outfits but the sweater being white with darker pink accents. I love Sugarbunnies, they’re so cute and also Kiki and Lala aren’t the only pair of twins from Sanrio!!

Hijikata: I wanted to pick a character that isn’t used much but I think Kuromi would be really cute! He’d probably refuse to wear anything too cutesy but might let me put him in a purple button up shirt. He’d just wear white pants but I’ll be damned if he doesn’t wear a Kuromi headband!! Specifically, I’d have him dress like the purple variant of her. She’s a little mischievous so I think he’s be on her ass lmao.

Okita: Masyumaro! Souji HAD to get a cat character! I think he’d wear white pants with a white, slightly larger, button up shirt. One top of the button up, would be a large, orange sweater vest. To emulate his bow, he’d would wear shoes of the same color. Ofc he’s in cat ears. You’ll find I’ll add animal ears to any given outfit in this.

Saitou: Hangyodon!! I desperately want more merch of this character and of Saitou! I would put him in a onsie of him too- it’d be really cute haha. Like Saitou, he doesn’t express a lot of emotion. Like Saitou, he’s still super cute. :)

Harada: Hanamaruobake!!! Omg! It’s be so so cute! He’s a little white ghost who treasures his giant red, pencil. He matches Sano’s color pallet perfectly and even has something that resembles his weapon. Hanamaruobake is shy but he really likes superheroes and loves encouraging his friends. He and Sano have the latter in common! I also think he’d think Sano was cool! Anyways, I’d dress him in themed t-shirt of him! He might wear red pants with it but I’d mostly want to give him a headband with a cherry on it to look like Hanamaruobake’s.

Heisuke: Usahana!!! Omg it’d be so cute and it’s not just ‘cause she and Heisuke are my favorites. She is so special to me! Her story is that she wanted to go play on a rainbow by a lighthouse but kept stopping to help her friends. After doing this, she saw all of her limbs were a different color of the rainbow! Her favorite season is summer and she loves sunflowers and orange sherbert. I’d throw him in a hoodie that matches her colors- it’s kind of look like one of those color block hoodies. I’d probably put him in normal jeans and yellow socks. As for the bunny ears, he’d DEF have a headband of them. I’d throw the orange flower in his hair just to be silly.

Shinpachi: Kobuta no Pippo!! Mostly because of his green shirt haha! I think I could convince Shin to wear a onsie of this character- mostly if I give him food. Pippo loves surprises, games, and playing with his friends. This reminds me a little of him haha.

Yamazaki: Chococat!!! He’s probably wear a black sweater and black pants and cat ears. I wanna put a blue collar on him like how the mascot has but that felt…odd…so he’ll wear a blue belt. Chococat’s whiskers work almost like antennas and is often the first to know information- I thought because Yamazaki gathers info, it’d be a cute match.

Souma: Little Forest Fellow!!! I’d put him in a matching hat to the characters and a big brown and white sweater!!! He’d also have a charm of the little guy somewhere. I think he’s think the little dude is so so cute.

Iba: Cogimyun! He’s think she’s so cute! She a flour fairy that wants to be a rice all! She crumbles into a pile of powder when she’s upset. He would be very protective of her!!! I don’t exactly know how I’d style him- I think I’d put him in matching headpieces to hers. I think I’d just have him in a white shirt.

Sakamoto: Chibimaru! He’s a cute lil puppy. Put that man in puppy ears rn!!! I think he’d just wear a brown jacket and a shirt themed to the character! He’d also wear normal pants.

Kazama: Lloromannic! I was going to choose them for Chizuru and Kaoru, but I think I’d just give Kazama both of them. They are also demons. He’s probably wear black to match them and a top hat with wings to look like Cherry, the pink one!! He’d also have horns like Berry, the black one. Now that I think about it more, it would have been really cute to use them for the oni twins but it’s okay.

[camuslittlesister]

Summer of Smut 2023 - 2

It's My Life

Prompt Beach Bar Flirting Ends in One-Night-Stand (a day late, soz ^^') Otome Hakuoki SSL Ship Harada x female OC Warning It partly takes place in the context of a scene in the game so could be considered a spoiler. Also the characters are true to their SSL personalities and situations, so that could be considered a spoiler too. It’s also again very plot heavy, I’m an Energetics blueprint (look it up, it'll be worth it)

It's my life It's now or never But I ain't gonna live forever I just want to live while I'm alive - Bon Jovi

"What's with that sour face, Toshi?" I was sitting at a table in a far corner of the bar area at the water park, my colleagues and friends Toshizo Hijikata and Keisuke Sanan glaring at each other while the old pal Shinpachi Nagakura scoured the menu back and forth looking for the cheapest item that would provide the highest amount of food "I'm going to pick up the tab" I announced, hoping it'd make Shinpachi speed up his decision-making. 

"You did not die for a bit of water in the face, and anyway look at how cute they are. We must accept that we aren't that young anymore" I took a glance at Todou and Yukimura at the other side of the bar as I left the table. Ah, teenage love. A feeling I hadn't felt in a long time. Love at all had been a feeling I hadn't felt in a long time, but as a high school teacher with mostly male colleagues stuck in Tokyo for the summer holidays there weren't that many opportunities for the kind of whirlwind romance you have on holiday. My parents kept bugging me about settling down, but that felt just as far away. I smiled wryly as I leaned on the bar, taking my place in the queue, looking back at my friends looking a little more relaxed than when I left them. 

Soon I was taken back to Earth by the light touch of someone bumping into me. "Oh, I'm sorry" it was a woman's voice with a cute accent. I replied that it was not a problem, not paying much attention to what must have happened. My turn came, and I ordered our drinks and Shinpachi's huge parfait. I heard the same voice again, speaking in English to the Japanese friend who was with her: "Must be nice being a man that fit, I'd have needed 3 trips for our order if you didn't come..."  that fit...that's a compliment, right? I finally turned in their directions as I made to leave the bar. She didn't notice, as they were by then making their order. 

"Hey Sano, why so distracted today?" Shinpachi was talking to me but my mind was clearly somewhere else. I realised I had been looking at the girls a few tables away from us, absentmindedly. There was four of them. Keisuke smirked, noticing that I averted my eyes, and turned around to see where from. "There's four of us, and four young women. Maybe losing to Todou was not bad after all" before I could realise what was going on, he was half the way to their table. I could not hear the conversation, but it was easy enough to imagine. He addressed the Japanese girl as the group spokesperson, in keigo with his melodic intonation that really was more like a snake trying to ensnare a prey, bowing elegantly like he was paying court to the daughter of a lord or something. It wasn't too long before he came back with a triumphant smile on his face, four young women and their drinks following behind him like a bridal procession. 

Shinpachi shot up to attention like a lazy soldier caught red-handed taking a nap, looking around for extra chairs. Keisuke had thought of everything, though. The table next to ours had already vacated, making it easy to just move it closer so we could all fit around it. "I'm going to buy us another round. What would you girls like?" they made their choices and then he confirmed if we just wanted to stick to the same. A petite girl with brown hair that reminded me of Yukimura asked him if he needed a hand since there were 8 of us, and they left while the other girls spread around the table to mingle with us rather than all sit on one side like a singles mixers. 

The girl from the bar sat between Toshi and I. I panicked: the old grump had a 50/50 chance of ruining our time together. She looked amused as she leaned back on the chair at a 45º angle, like she knew the vantage point it gave to her figure in the stylish black one piece she was wearing: "My last day in Tokyo and I'm finally meeting people other than my friends." We talked about where she was going next and for how long, how she had made these friends since she knew them before the trip and was visiting, what her life was like in her home city. Toshi chimed in every so often, clearly listening to the conversation but not bothered enough to participate in it fully, but it was mostly as if we were alone. It wasn't long before we were bantering back and forth, by then on our third or fourth round of cocktails. 

"Do you girls have any plans for your last night in Tokyo?" I asked, as the sun was beginning to set, letting us know it was almost time they'd close the establishment. "Nothing set in stone" she replied, her tone an open invitation. It was as if the left the ball in my court: she made it clear she was not desperate for the attention, while letting me know she was open to an invitation. "I know an amazing rooftop lounge where we could grab some food and see one of the best views in the city..." we exchanged phone numbers and a promise to meet again later that night.

"Are your friends okay with you not spending your last night with them?" I asked her, trying to hide how nervous I felt seeing her dressed up in a low cut evening dress, her makeup enhancing her already incredible feature. I had seen her with just a swimsuit and, yet, her sex appeal had shot through the roof as she swayed her hips on her heeled sandals on her way to me. "I think they would be way more mad at me if I didn't spend it with you, to be honest..." 

The relaxed atmosphere of the late afternoon couldn't feel any more distant as I felt conscious of her every move. The way she caressed the side of her champagne glass as I talked, and how her lips parted seductively whenever she brought the glass to her lips. The way her chest leaned forward as she ate. The way her eyes lit up when she talked about something she was passionate about. I was captivated. Knowing it was her last night in Tokyo was a bittersweet feeling, she was a woman I could see myself falling in love with, but at the same time there was a thrill to knowing we only had that one night, and she would always live in this suspended realm of possibilities. 

"Shall we dance?" I asked her extending my hand towards her after our dessert plates had been cleared. She took it, and let me lead her to the dance floor area of the lounge. It was busy as all popular spots are, and the closeness of her body made me somewhat tense. I wondered how she felt, as she touched me playfully, coquettishly even. "What time do you leave?" I asked her, as the night turned into morning. "My train is not until the afternoon..." she replied, a knowing smile on her lips. "How about we take it somewhere we can be alone? I promise you'll make your train" "If you don't mind, my hotel isn't very far..." we called the cab and I sat next to her, my hand casually on her thigh to mask how I was excited like I hadn't been in a long time, even though I was far from an inexperienced teenager.

She opened the door and turned on the light, and I was able to notice some dresses on the chair and her makeup all over the vanity before all I could see was her, her arms wrapped around my neck. I wrapped mine around her back and leaned down to kiss her. I don't know how long I kissed her for, it felt both like an eternity and not long enough, as I savoured her like fine sake. I only know that we started by the door, and we parted with her sitting on the bed in front of me, her dress on the floor and my shirt unbuttoned. She looked beautiful in black lace, her red lipstick now vanished to a mere tint. 

I took off the shirt as she reached for my belt, and I rushed to help her out like every second wasted not feeling her was one too many. She looked down at my erection with a pleased expression, but I stopped her hand reaching out for me. She looked puzzled. Was I truly her first unselfish lover? I held her hands laced with mine as I kissed her neck, trailing my lips down her collarbone, pulling down her bra straps with my teeth before lying her down on to the bed and finally let go of her hands to play with her breasts. I unclasped the bra and she took it off, her hands reaching for my shoulders as if she understood I didn't want her near my penis yet. I took off her knickers and parted her legs. 

She looked surprised when I just didn't push myself in, but soon relaxed into my touch as I checked how wet she was (a lot) and how ready she was. She felt tense around my finger, so I whispered in her ear, as low as my voice would go: "Let me spoil you like the princess you are." She settled on her back as I reached as far as I could go, massaging her clitoris at the same time until I felt her tension go with her orgasm. I whispered again: "The sounds you make are so sweet". I kissed her again, taking it deeper as I made my way inside her at last. 

I started slow and deliberate, pushing as far as I could, feeling for her reaction, then picking up the pace faster and harder, her body moving in sync with mine like a boat on a wave, her moans pushing me further and further into my own pleasure. I laid down next to her, breathless, and she curled up on my chest as if we were long-time lovers. She kissed me where my heart was beating so much faster: "It's almost tragic that we only had one night."

CC:  @voltage-vixen 🖤 @xxsycamore​ 🖤

[widemushroom]

The thing is that I believe if Kazama was the one who kept attacking the headquarters to kidnap Chizuru instead of Shiranui, then Harada would not be able to act "badass" or like a hero at all 🤷🏻‍♀️🤭

[onestubbornlass]

Head-canon that Sano draws a face on his stomach and dances for his son and Chizuru, while his son is giggling and Chizuru is cracking up. When he gets older, the son does the same to his kid but without the obvious cut and it becomes a tradition.

[otobabe]

samurais can’t have any blind spots… except for these.

[h20milk]

height difference

[pumpkin-patch-cat]