#just like sengo

[kowaindar0u]

[ braid ] (kara -> sada)

[ nonverbal memes ]

[ braid ] for your muse to braid mine’s hair 

Sada has always made an effort to look good, especially on the battlefield, his getup comprising of a full three-piece short suit replete with feathers, strings of jewels, a cape, and of course, some accent braids in his hair. So, all things considered, he's able to put it together himself, including his hair, with relative ease.

So, in readying up for his sortie dispatch later today, he's finding his usual routine going smoothly. While he's buttoning up his vest, though, he's caught off-guard when Ookurikara takes it upon himself to help with his hair.

"Oh--? Wah, Kara-chan!"

The tantou has to fight the urge to turn his head around to grin at him in surprise, so he just smiles to himself as he finishes up the third button.

"Thanks for the help! I didn't know you knew how to braid, though!"

[je-suis-problematique]

Behold our current (dysfunctional) fronting team made up of Leon (me), Raphael, Moony, Gortash, Halsin, Chris, Rolan, Zed, and Sengo (that was the closest faceclaim I could find that vaguely looks like Sengo so forgive me for any inaccuracies). This lot is in charge of making sure we don't spontaneously combust while dealing with everyday stressors.

– Leon

[kowaindar0u]

Sengo stands back a bit, letting Yagen carry out his specialty of caring for their saniwa, and instead opts to just fold his arms and watch with concern as he seems to recover.

But, when he speaks, it's... just odd, unfamiliar to him. Speaking in third person, with a voice different enough to notice, but difficult to put his finger on the actual change. His eyes flit from Saseki to Yagen, though he knows the tantou can't see behind him.

Would this be this 'other master' he'd spoken of?

His gaze freezes on Saseki's when he now sees that, indeed, even that has changed.

Sengo is concerned for his master, yes-- is he still in there? is he just unconscious? is he fully aware, unable to control himself?

But he is intrigued, too...

He places a hand on Yagen's shoulder and leans over him a bit to address the saniwa.

"You aren't Saseki, are you...?" He starts, his speech lilting again. "Huhuhu... I'm afraid we haven't met. Might I get an introduction?"

From the corner of his eye, Yagen could tell Sengou wanted to help but just wasn't sure how to. One gloved hand patted on the other man's arm in assurance, but he was also quick to help the sage to sit up. "Taishou, it's okay. We're here. You fainted right in the middle of the porch and Muramasa got you here just in time."

He gently placed the glass of water in Saseki's hands, who still had his eyes scrunched closed due to the sudden hacking fit. "Drink up, Taishou. You should be okay soon."

A gentle nod from the Saniwa and he took just a few sips, breathing just a bit heavily. This body definitely had felt something from one of his men that was dispatched to a mission, but there was also something else that the sage had done the night before to make it a bit more difficult.

He started to slowly speak, but his voice was...just a tone deeper than his usual cadence...

"I knew he shouldn't have that sake last night...everytime it tasted like metal, he "answers" to all of you a lot easier..."

And when the sage opened his eyes, there were a dark blue hue instead of his striking green shade.

Yagen almost stopped mid-track. This wasn't Saseki doing the talking, and he knows that too well.

[atamascolily]

I took a closer look at the label in the lower right-hand corner to confirm that yes, this is an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. Most of the text is pretty utilitarian description with info about model numbers, but at the top there's some English text, "MRMASA".

I've seen a lot of speculation that this is a reference to Sengo Muramasa, a famous Japanese swordsmith, which seems kind of random to me, so I'd like to see a bit more supporting evidence in the actual film. Likewise, I'm not sure if there's any thematic significance for the air conditioner beyond "convenient round and spinning domestic object that Japanese audiences would recognize instantly"; I'd like a little more context before I start spinning off theories.

Yes, everything in Madoka Magica is there for a reason, but there's already so much symbolism in this shot--from the spinning fan to the cross-quarted circle to the closed eye to the pink tape crisscrossed everywhere to the "Fragile, handle with care" stickers with the cracked goblet that maybe the label is just the label this time. Maybe.

However, just for fun, I went and searched for what "normal" Japanese outdoor units look like. In general, they have their brand name in English on the front, which makes me suspect that MRMASA is a knockoff name for copyright reasons.

I also got this stock photo from near a train station in Tokyo:

As you can see here, the SHAFT version is just amped up for the aesthetics, but the sentiment is basically the same: a kind of community space where people express their feelings via stickers and spray-paint. (To be honest, that part surprises me a little as it doesn't match my experiences in the country, but Japan contains multitudes and there are enough little details that I feel reasonably confident that the location data is accurate.)

It's even more striking in the context of Mitakihara, which has always been this gleaming, futuristic and utopian city.... at least in the open public spaces. The alleyways and dead ends--the places where witches lurk--is an entirely different story, and it's an open question for me how much witches are responsible for what we see in this image.

The net result is that this seemingly innocuous image of an air conditioner fills me with dread. This latest incarnation is beautiful, but it is undeniably fragile, vandalized and literally held together with duct tape, and I don't think it will take much for it all to come toppling down before the end.

(And that's without the fact that the closed eye at the center will probably open at some point in the actual film!)

[nehswritesstuffs]

a good son, a better person

4969 words; for @gendervapor14, for whom I wanted to write this for their birthday, but it’s hella late, so Happy Belated Birthday and Merry Early Christmas; I often wonder about the psychology behind people like Sengoku bc it’s just so interesting how they compartmentalize things; I would recommend reading the original story this is derived from, as this is supposed to be a companion piece (the gist of it is it’s an AU where Corazón and Bell-mère live and then raise their canon foundlings (plus Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo) in Cocoyasi); might get a bit more edited further on but don’t expect much

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Sengoku glanced over at the little boy sleeping soundly on his office couch, the lad completely tuckered out from the day he’d had. He had found him outside Mary Geoise, sobbing his eyes out and hungry, and he felt as though he’d had no choice but to take him in or else he would starve. The child had eaten two adults’ worth of food before falling asleep, completely ignoring the adults in the room.

“This is going to backfire,” Tsuru said calmly. She and Garp were there in their old friend’s office, having came immediately once they heard the news about the foundling. While she seemed to be there in empathy, all Garp was doing was eating rice crackers in glee.

“Brat’s a Fallen Dragon,” Garp scoffed. “The big bosses are gonna be pissed.”

“He’s just a boy,” Sengoku frowned. “He didn’t ask for this.”

“Whether he asked for it or not is not part of the equation and you know it,” Tsuru reminded him. She seemed so calm, despite the fact it was clear the boy wrapped up in the Admiral’s coat was putting her on-edge; both her comrades knew her long enough to be aware of that. “What happens when they decide they want him dead?”

“They wouldn’t want that… they don’t even want to look at him…”

“…and they might solve that risk by wanting him out of the equation for good.” Tsuru sighed and shook her head. “One of your worst enemies is not a Celestial Dragon, but their memory, not to mention their mercurial whims.”

“They’re so self-absorbed they can’t remember if they shat yesterday or not,” Garp guffawed through a cracker.

“Some of them,” Tsuru agreed, “but it’s the ones who do remember that are the problems.” She exhaled heavily and looked at the child. “You sure you want to raise him? Dragons are very particular, Fallen Dragons especially. There will be plenty of challenges.”

“I will raise him to be a great Marine; might even have more potential than Garp’s Dragon…”

“Ah; you’re just jealous I got a kid through the Academy and you didn’t,” Garp smirked. “My Dragon’s a stubborn shit though… might end up being more a wild card than me.”

“I can hardly wait,” Sengoku deadpanned. Another wild card out of the same gene pool that brought forth Garp was honestly one of the last things he wanted to experience, even if said genes were only working at half-power. He glanced over at the boy to see that he was curled up and shivering—a bad dream. With a sigh, he went to the boy’s side, sitting down so he could rest a hand against him, calming the lad instantly. Seas, he was tiny…

���What’s his name?” Tsuru asked. Sengoku blinked at that—huh, he hadn’t said it yet?

“Donquixote Rosinante,” he replied. He turned back to the boy and smoothed his mop of blond curls. “Don’t worry, Rosi. You’ll be safe with me.”

‘I’ve got your boy, Saint Homing; you’re going to be proud.’

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

As it turned out, the Celestials did tolerate a Fallen Dragon being raised within a stone’s throw of their home. In fact, some of them even relished in the idea, the boy’s circumstances amusing them beyond what Sengoku could have imagined. He raised the boy to be a fine Marine, to be an advocate for Justice, to work hard and possibly even succeed himself in the place of Admiral. The boy even had friends within the system, just as Sengoku did, the lot of them pushing one another towards greatness.

There was one friend in particular, however, that Sengoku wasn’t entirely fond of. A year older despite being in the same class, she was from an Eastern backwater that never saw high or low of anything. She was trouble and he knew that from the start. It wasn’t until her that his boy started getting caught smoking, or was found with his uniform rumpled and out-of-place, or his mind started to drift elsewhere during lessons. Sengoku knew where—he too was only a man—but it worried him that this punk with a pair of sideshaves was causing a loss of focus… a lack of direction… and it brought worry that the Fallen Dragon was liable to slip further into something that he could not be lifted out from.

Then, one day, not long before his graduation ceremony, Sengoku’s boy took him by surprise.

Donquixote Rosinante wanted to take his brother down.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Before you go dark, there’s something I wanted to ask you, son.”

Sengoku watched as Rosinante stopped sorting his papers and contemplated turning to face him. The boy was too young and stubborn to be making such decisions, but since when did the young take their elders’ advice? Eventually, he went back to sorting.

“What is it?”

“That girl you were seeing while you were both cadets…”

“Bell-mère.”

“Yes. She was the one who took those orphans from Oykot and retired, correct?”

Rosinante’s hands began to tremble and he looked at Sengoku. “Why…?”

“I was thinking… and… do you think you can convince her to come back?”

“She’s not going to let the naval daycare raise those girls, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Rosinante replied. He went back to his personal papers in an attempt to seem too busy to talk. “Besides, she’s out of this game.”

“What if… she didn’t have to rely on the naval daycare?” Sengoku asked. The question hung heavily on the air, settling between them like a thick haze. “You know I’m old enough to retire.”

“You didn’t do anything for them before, so why start now?”

Sengoku knew the lad’s words were meant to sting, yet he didn’t feel anything. He was used to such accusations, after all. “As a member of the military, my hands are tied. However, as a retiree…” He trailed off, his eyes moving towards a messy stack of papers on his son’s bed. “I know how much she means to you.”

“You never seemed to care before this.”

“I was never sending my son into a demon’s den.”

Rosinante stopped going through papers, his hands shaky. “I’m going to come back, Dad, but before that I have to stop Doffy.”

“…and I don’t want that to take so long that they miss the opportunities they would have had if you were around… if I could help…”

“I already tried—she doesn’t want the girls raised on a base.”

“Then we can live off-base. Rosinante…”

“I’ll think about it,” the younger man said, tone almost a bit too sharp. “You know… they told me I had to go somewhere before heading over to Doffy to help cover my tracks. Maybe I’ll go there.”

“You will keep me informed, will you?”

His son didn’t answer and maybe… maybe it was for the best.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

To offer up one’s heart is a terrible thing.

They don’t know how precious it is, how precious they are, and can treat it casually and accidentally chip it.

Except, sometimes they know precisely how they should handle it, and that is by letting it slip from their fingers and shatter on the cold, hard ground. How could they possibly be in the wrong, when the one to blame is clearly you?

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Did you talk to her?” Sengoku asked. The snail on his desk frowned.

“You shouldn’t know that,” it replied in Rosinante’s voice.

“I am the Fleet Admiral; not a lot gets past me.”

Silence—the snail seemed to muse sourly.

“I did what I went there to do.”

“Then, what did she say?”

“It… never came up.”

“How could it never come up? I thought you were there for a few days.”

“It just… didn’t.” The snail looked almost melancholy. “Gonna go dark for a bit. Catch you in about six months for my check-in.”

“Rosinante?” The snail lifted an eyebrow. “Be careful.”

The snail went to sleep and that was that.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Missing.

Tsuru assured Sengoku that her troops had scoured the island—Rosinante was nowhere to be found on Minion Island, let alone any of the other neighboring islands. There was evidence of Birdcage survivors in one of the houses, but the cooking fire was out cold and there were bear tracks outside—there wasn’t much hope for whomever had lived there, let alone anyone who might have taken shelter there in the meantime.

Sure, he had sent a letter of resignation, but without the ability to confirm the date, what did he have except a sense of hope that felt more false than anything?

There was no funeral, though there was a mourning period. Most people kept their distance from the Fleet Admiral whether they knew why he was testy or not. The only ones who really came around were Garp (annoyingly), Tsuru (at least she was supportive), and a teen who had been picked up on Minion… whose father had dragged him along when defecting from the military. It was an interesting choice, for Tsuru to bring the lad to Sengoku, and yet having the youngster around… it felt more right than it deserved to be.

To hell with Diez Barrels; if he wasn’t going to raise his boy to be the Marine he was destined to be, then Sengoku sure as hell would.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Time passed.

No word from any of the intelligence agencies about Rosinante. They must have looked through all the North Blue without uncovering a trace.

Drake grew into a fine Marine.

A child with a familiar name started gaining a name for himself in the North Blue via petty trouble.

Sengoku still felt lonely.

All anyone could do was carry on.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

It was a lull in an otherwise stormy day when Sengoku got the mysterious letter, completely out of the blue. He stared at the envelope curiously. There was no return address, no identifying marks to inform him what was in his hands. It didn’t seem dangerous… and if it truly was, the sniffer snails would have caught it before it reached his inbox…

Carefully, he slid his finger under the envelope flap and broke the seal. Once opened, it yielded a folded-up piece of paper and a smaller envelope that was only folded shut. He opened the paper and began to read the letter, the author’s handwriting young and unfamiliar.

‘Fleet Admiral Sengoku,’ it read. ‘My name is Nojiko and I live on an island in a Cardinal Blue with my parents and little sister Nami. I have four brothers who you know about too, but I haven’t seen them in a long time.’

Huh…? Why was this girl writing him? How did he know her brothers? Who gave her access to his private office…?

‘Mom and Dad would be livid if they knew I wrote you. It’s not that we’re not allowed to contact you, but they don’t want to be found. I don’t think it’s about you specifically, but the people you are around. They don’t trust Navy Headquarters. To be honest? I can’t blame them.

‘Enclosed is a peace offering. Keep it safe. Consider this the only time we’ll talk unless my parents say otherwise or it’s an emergency.

‘With love,

‘Donquixote Nojiko’

Sengoku sucked in a breath—Donquixote?! He trembled as he picked up the other envelope and nearly cut his finger on the paper flap as he freed it and its contents.

There, clear as day, was a pair of photographs. The topmost one was not just anyone in the snail-captured image, but his son Rosinante all clean-faced and awkward limbs. He was wearing a nice suit that matched the other adult, someone that he had not seen in ages… the same one who his son had been involved with all those years ago. A pair of young teenaged girls were also there, throwing flower petals in the air. They were all smiles and laughter—it was a joyful day.

Sengoku missed his elder son’s wedding.

“Nojiko…” he whispered, looking at the photo. She must have been the teen with the darker skin and blueish hair—the kid with the ginger hair and pale skin looked like the younger of the two. Yes… these were the babies that the Cocoyasi woman left the military to raise… the ones she refused to bring on base longer than it took to be told there was little that could be done for them… his granddaughters.

Sengoku was missing seeing his granddaughters grow up.

Suddenly, a knock at the door shook him from his own thoughts. He looked towards the door and saw Drake, the younger man’s expression incredibly sheepish.

“You wanted to see me, sir?” he asked. Sengoku blinked as he tried to remember why he summoned him—the shock of the letter had made him completely forget.

“Take a look at this,” he said, holding out the photo. Drake took it and stared, brow knitting in concentration. “That is Rosinante. Recently, I might add.”

“Where’d you get this?”

“The girl on the left sent it through the private channel.” Sengoku watched Drake as he studied the image.

“These… are my nieces, aren’t they?” the younger man asked softly. He seemed nearly in awe at the idea.

“If Rosinante had come home, they would have been, yes,” Sengoku confirmed. “My guess is that he wants some time away from Headquarters before returning. I wouldn’t blame him if that was the case.” At least, that was what he told himself.

“Their names…?” Drake seemed hesitant; could Sengoku blame him?

“Nojiko and Nami.”

“Then let’s hope Nojiko and Nami are smarter than their brothers.”

“With that mother of theirs? Not a chance in hell.” Drake passed back the photo, a pensive look on his face. “Then you really think those hoodlums in the North are the ones?”

“Without a doubt,” Sengoku confirmed. He looked at the other photograph now in his hand, one of the sisters with four young men who he knew were making a splash around the North Blue. Not enough to need bounties yet, but they were putting their marks on things nonetheless. Bepo, Penguin, Shachi, and Law, now joined by Nojiko and Nami; none of them looked like his eldest son, and frankly they were mostly of a better age to be Rosi’s younger siblings, yet he knew they were all the best chances he had at grandchildren. “That wasn’t why I called you here.”

Drake raised an eyebrow. “It wasn’t?”

Sengoku shook his head. “I need to talk to you about SWORD.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“They did what?!” Sengoku went pale as Garp cackled on the couch and Tsuru stared him down. “You can’t be serious!”

“Deadly,” Tsuru replied. She laid a stack of reports down on his desk. “These are my findings after going on my usual rounds of the North. Seems like your grandsons are into the concept of freeing slaves.”

“Those boys have moral backbone—you should be proud, Senny,” Garp guffawed through his tea. “Wonder if they came that way or if Rosi had anything to do with it.”

“Damned if I know,” Sengoku said. He was going paler and paler with each line of text, going over the lads’ exploits. They were now gaining members to their crew and some of them may or may not have been former slaves. “They’re going to be the death of me.”

“No, just the death of the color in your hair,” Garp snarked. Sengoku resisted the urge to physically throw Garp out—the last thing he needed was to tussle with the man who regularly threw hands with the Pirate King and do so in his office. “How long do you think before Brannew catches on?”

“When I’m good and dead, with any luck.” Sengoku scowled. “Maybe if I threaten the Bounties Division, I might be able to pull something.”

“Pull what?” Garp snorted. “They’re a bunch of goddamned criminals no matter how you spin it.”

“Are you thinking ‘Alive Only’?” Tsuru wondered. Sengoku’s silence on the matter was rather telling. “You better have a damn good excuse for it before you go, or else you’re going to have more than just Brannew to answer to.”

“The son I found had a hand in raising these kids—I want to meet them first before it gets decided what goes on their bounties,” Sengoku rationalized. “I don’t care if the powers higher than me get their feathers ruffled. As Fleet Admiral, I need to know.”

“As a grandparent, you mean,” Garp teased. “They’re good boys; you should be proud.”

“What happened to them being ‘goddamned criminals’?” Tsuru deadpanned. Garp shrugged, barely able to contain his laughter.

Asshole.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

As it turned out, Brannew didn’t ask for an excuse as to why issue the lads’ bounties as Alive Only. No one in Bounties even blinked at the suggestion. It was almost as though it was… expected…? Sengoku took it as a minor miracle and went back to his office as though nothing at all happened. All he did was ask Tsuru to keep him in the loop when it came to the rag-tag quartet out of the North and if he needed to get more involved. She did not respond, though within a month there was a dossier on his desk following a certain crew’s movements.

If this was as close as he could get, then so be it.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Stay away from my children, do you hear me?”

“I’m the only thing keeping those kids from being hunted down like animals.”

“Wouldn’t that get in the way of Justice? You always did wear your guilt a little differently.”

The door slammed, Rosinante leaving in an instant.

Sengoku woke up with a gasp, nearly falling off the couch as he came to in his new (and still box-filled) office. Someone was knocking at the door; that explained that. His elder son’s words from the week prior rattled about in his brain as he lethargically got up to answer whomever disturbed his nap.

“You know, I always felt sorry for Garp growing up. I guess it’s his son and surviving grandson I should pity.”

He had spoken those words with a venom that Sengoku had never known from him—what had happened to his boy there in the East? Why was it so easy for him to walk away? He opened the door and saw the absolute last person he wanted to look at that current moment, his very presence the beginnings of a monster headache.

“What do you want, Garp?” His colleague had the biggest shit-eating grin he had seen on the man in a long time, which he was honestly too tired to be more concerned over. “Have Kuzan and Sakazuki worked out who’s replacing me yet?”

“Nah; I hear that’s probably gonna come to a duel. I’m here because of this.” Garp held up a newspaper that had been opened to the seventh page, a blurry photograph accompanying a rather concerning headline.

EX-NAVAL OFFICERS JOIN REVOLUTIONARY ARMY – INTELLIGENCE LEAKED?

“Seas below,” Sengoku cursed. He took the paper and looked at the article closer. “What the fuck does your boy have on mine that made them do that?!”

“I just got done running this through Intelligence—they’re there of their own accord,” Garp replied. “Them’s the breaks, Senny. You can try to raise them into good Marines, but can’t win ‘em all.”

“Garp…”

“Sometimes you lose ‘em to discontent and radicalization, and sometimes they’re smart and join SWORD. You learn to live with it…”

“Garp, do you realize what this means?!” Sengoku smacked the paper with the hand not holding it. “My son and his wife are working against us! Are you even able to conceive of the implications, or did your brain use all its ability to conjure up discontent and radicalization?!”

“Now that’s just mean.”

“I hope for both of our sake that Kuzan gets the Fleet Admiral spot,” Sengoku deadpanned. Garp simply shrugged.

“Got your kettle and rice crackers unpacked yet?”

A beat.

“They’re in the cupboard.”

Garp then made it his mission to push past his old friend and start putting together tea while chattering away, the empty words flowing over Sengoku as he instead looked again at the newspaper, the blurry—yet undeniable—photograph of Rosinante and Bell-mère underneath a Revolutionary Army flag almost too much for him to bear. He hated it, he hated how it made him feel, and he hated wondering what he could have done differently to prevent it. Eventually, Garp shoved some tea in his hands and started blathering on about something. Anything. Whatever it was that would keep his own thoughts at bay.

Was he truly no better than Garp? Was this how he felt? He sipped the tea and nibbled on rice crackers, hoping that the feeling would soon go away.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Sengoku’s hair was beginning to gray when he got his next letter, the fact there was two at the same time nearly knocking him out of his chair. They were both slid into a pile of paperwork that one of Tsuru’s subordinates had delivered to him—there was no way it wasn’t at least partially her doing. They looked very similar, as though the senders had been taught the same way in school.

‘Inspector General Sengoku,’ the first one read. The handwriting was familiar—Nojiko.

‘I’ve been following in the papers what’s been going on with your work situation these past few months. It seems like you might now have some free time to possibly visit? Mom and Dad left me in charge of the farm and, although I have help and I get letters from some of them, it’s… difficult. I can do the work, don’t get be wrong, but I’m used to having at least one sibling and parent wandering around and now it’s just me.

‘What did you say to Dad and Mom that made them not come back home? One of their old work friends sent me a message saying that they were going to see you, and now… you know. Is it related to why we never really saw you growing up? Is it related to work? What’s going on?

‘Donquixote Nojiko’

Sengoku’s stomach twisted in a knot. What was he to tell this young woman? He placed the open letter down on the desktop and opened the other, hoping that it would at least be better news. The handwriting was unfamiliar; it wasn’t even the specific lettering he taught Rosinante and Drake to help conceal their communications. He opened the envelope carefully, unsure as to what he would find.

‘Grandfather,’ Sengoku’s heart skipped a beat, ‘Should we call you that? I dunno. Seems a little weird, but our family kind of is in general.

‘We’re going to visit our uncle’s for a while. Not the one who works with you, but the other one, who grew up with Dad and has the big house. We’ll check in with our normal uncle on the way. This might take a bit, because we don’t want Dad’s brother to know what’s going on. We wanted to tell you that in case… well… because our parents don’t know, and neither do our younger siblings. They’d all make too big of a fuss. You’re kind of a neutral party, you know?

‘Wish us luck! Our uncle can be pretty weird, but you know that.’

Sengoku let the paper fall out of his hand and onto the desktop, covering the one from Nojiko. It wasn’t signed, but he knew it was from one of the lads Drake had gotten on the snail. They were headed for Dressrosa…?! Why?! There was no way they were going to join him—either that or they had been extremely talented liars—and what hope did they have of opposing him?! How many good and loyal soldiers had they sent Dressrosa’s way, only for them to become swept up in his antics? There was only so much he could take…

A nudge at his arm and his pet goat bleated in a plea for a snack, glittering black eyes trained on the letters. Sengoku petted its head instead, drawing out a soft protest.

“No, not these ones,” he said. “Not until I know they’re safe.”

…because, really, what other choice did he have?

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Sometimes, love is rough. It’s distant and feels absent. Life tests it due to one reason or another and picking up the pieces can be as difficult as watching it shatter in the first place.

Did you do enough? Of course you didn’t. Was this how it was supposed to go? Never. Who was the one who allowed the veneer to crack and hairline fractures build and build before it began to truly hurt?

Except, you already know the answer, don’t you? Deep down in your bones, in your soul, and it aches something fierce on those silent nights where it doesn’t take the imagination much to conjure another possibility… a room full of noisy, happy people providing the exact thing that instead claws and festers in their absence.

It hurts sometimes, to love a family, and not entirely know if they love you back.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

When Tsuru told him she was headed to Dressrosa to pick up Doflamingo and his cronies, it was all Sengoku could do to not immediately jump up from his desk and force his way on her ship. She knew she was inviting him—there would be no other reason why she was making mention of it now. With Garp off torturing the youngesters or whatever it was he did these days, it was good for the two of them to get work done without his antics… yeah… that was the excuse.

“You’re tense,” she claimed, watching as he kept his eyes on the horizon.

“Who’s tense?” he scoffed. “Dressrosa is nothing but beautiful women and wonderful food; nothing to worry about.”

Tsuru simply made a noise and left him to his devices, making it clear she didn’t believe him. How could she, when she knew it was not just Doflamingo on the island, but also the ones he had wanted to see for so long… to share a meal with… the ones who he could have had like she Kujaku… she pitied him, in a way, knowing that there was so much to contend with despite his desire to wipe the slate clean.

That was why he bowed, in fact. A sorry old man filled with regret on his hands and knees; he was a sight to behold in the one-room house, weeping openly as his grandchildren hugged him. First it was the bear and the young woman, then the pair who had gone undercover, and finally the now-former Warlord, having needed cajoling by the others to join in. It felt bittersweet, knowing he could have watched them grow from teens, from children, from babies, and now these adults—not much younger than his sons—had lost so much that he could never repay.

“C’mon! Youse guys gotta hurry!” The green-haired idiot who had come in to warn them about Tsuru began to usher everyone out, shivering at the sight of him. Eventually, it was only Sengoku, Rosinante, and Bell-mère in the house, the former never having felt so tired.

“Rosi…” he said softly. “Can you ever forgive me?”

“I don’t know,” Rosinante replied. “It’s… complicated.”

“Will you at least quit the Revolutionary Army?”

“Pshh… no way,” Bell-mère smirked. “We’re finally doing something useful for a change; Dragon’s got the right idea. She nudged Rosinante with a twinkle in her eye; her sense of mischief from her cadet days had not waned. “I’ll see what the kids are up to; can’t let them have all the fun.” She left the house, leaving only father and son.

“Is she…?”

“Yeah; she’s telling the truth. We won’t be coming back.” Rosinante shuffled his feet slightly, looking down at the floor. “Listen… I…”

Sengoku didn’t let him finish before he was hugging him, the action taking the younger man by surprise. Rosinante didn’t know what to do with his arms, hunching slightly until he could cautiously hug back, knowing that it had been a very, very, very long time.

“I’m proud of you,” Sengoku said, voice threatening to break. “Follow this sense of Justice and be a better man than I ever was… better than Homing, even.”

“So you won’t hunt me down? Swear you’ll lock me up like Garp does to Dragon?”

“No.” He held his boy at arm’s length, simply glad to be looking at him again. “There’s a farm in the East I’ve been meaning to visit. I hear they grow some of the best mikan in the Cardinal Blues.”

“Something tells me you’re right.” Rosinante stepped backwards out of his grasp, letting Sengoku’s hands slip away. “I guess this is goodbye.”

“For now.”

“Depends on what’s waiting outside that door.”

At that, Rosinante turned and ran, hitting his head on the lintel before stumbling outside. Sengoku watched as the younger man floundered around until Bell-mère stopped him from falling over, catching her husband in a grasp that easily allowed her to pull him into a kiss that made all their present children visibly uncomfortable.

It was almost normal, the bonds they had out there under the sun. While Sengoku was proud, he was also envious. Despite working outside the law, they were all so good, while he honestly did not know what he stood for anymore. He watched as they vanished into the distance, waiting until they were out of sight before sitting on the bench outside the small house with his gaze towards the harbor. Everything was peaceful until the rubble from the town began to rise up and start flying around.

Issho did not have a chance.

[ask-toukendanshi]

Sengo, is there anything you enjoy doing on days where you have no sorties or chores? Please don't say stripping,,,,

"I like spending time with Hachisuka going through fashion magazines. I find them fascinating... And Hachisuka's company is nice, he is so used to my appearance that I could be in any state of dress and he wouldn't care. Maybe I've influenced him a bit too much? But it really is a nice pastime. Other things I enjoy are nice long baths. I let others practice hairstyles on me, but that's not as much of a hobby as it is just something I lend my time to for the sake of others. And of course I love to spend time with Tonbokiri and the other two great spears. They've made me an honorary fourth member by now. I take up drinking with Nihongou and Jiroutachi as often as I am allowed." -Sengo Muramasa

[kowaindar0u]

I almost never play the game so don't judge me hfjdjd

//

@kowaindar0u @zantedeschia-praesul

i need to know your most used team (for research purposes)

[spinchip]

I am VERY intrigued by your new OC Dot. For the ask thing can you do 5, 10, 17, 18, and 24? Also just curious what area of ninjago is Dot from, and does she have any relatives? What was her life like before she got the ice powers?

thank you!! I love her, I'll use any excuse to talk about her!! :]

5. What’s their most useless, weirdest, or least marketable skill?

She can mirror write! she's ambidextrous too, and can mirror write and forwards write at the same time with both hands! it's her party trick

10. What do they fantasize about?

She doesn't like to daydream much, she'd prefer to be in the moment and living each second to the fullest, but during times where there's really nothing to do she likes to imagine herself as a princess who is saved by a knight. Damsel in distress type of stuff! Anything where she can dress up pretty

17. What’s the most ridiculous thing they’ve ever spent money on?

like 600 rhinestones. She bedazzled her leg, left it on for a day, immediately hated it, and had to pry them off by melting the hot glue w a hairdryer

18. What’s their dream job?

Professional figure skater! She loved to figure skate when she was younger. She hasn't been able to really do any of her old tricks sinces she lost her leg

24. Do they have any phobias?

She used to suffer from Agoraphobia (fear of certain inescapable/unsafe situations) due to trauma, but shes come a long way in therapy and can comfortably be in unsafe situations! Though I imagine she still has flare ups every now and again

She was originally from Ninjago! Born and Raised, but after the Great Devourer her father took a job position south across the country in a town called Sengo because of it's highly ranked Amputation and prosthetic rehabilitation facility. She has plenty of family- Mom, Dad, and a younger brother (Tomo) and sister (Rayna). A few scattered older relatives, mostly in Ninjago City still.

Before the Great Devourer, Dot was enrolled in her first year of college working towards a degree in education. After, she dropped out, moved back in with her parents and across Ninjago to a coastal town near Metalonia. She was working as a cashier at legowalmart before she was gifted with ice and her own personal ghost!

[kingwuko]

Since it is a given that movers exist in lok and they probably cast from every region on the world, is it there any actor that makes Wu's tingle? What would be Wu's reaction? Or viceversa for Mako and actor/actress

Ooooh Okay soooo I'm gonna have an Avatar Legends lore dump for this ask. In Avatar Legends, there are a few mover stars mentioned.

From the show we have Bolin and Ginger. From Avatar Legends we have:

Akar (Core Rulebook, Plot Hook "A Worried Groom"): Akar is a mover star from the Northern Water Tribe. He has recently come out as gay and announced his engagement to his long time boyfriend, Jieren. The two of them are planning a large star-studded wedding. Xue (Movers and Shakers, quick start adventure): Xue is the star of the mover "Sengo: Lady of the Wind", a spiritual successor to the Nuktuk movers. She comes from an air acolyte family and was very excited to land the role of the leading lady Sengo, an airbender. Rai Feng, AKA "Breeze" (Movers and Shakers, quick start adventure): Breeze is a stuntworker who is faking being an airbender to gain more fame (his assistant is actually the airbender) Quin Yu (Movers and Shakers, quick start adventure): Quin Yu plays the antagonist of "Sengo". He is actually an opera performer who thinks himself a true artist and thinks movers are beneath him; however he has had to resort to mover work because he's deeply in debt from his lavish lifestyle.

As for what Mako and Wu think of these mover stars? I think Wu definitely gets a little star struck by mover stars in general. I hc that Wu loves going to the movers. I don't doubt he finds some of the actors attractive. None of them are more attractive than Mako though!!! Unfortunately I wouldn't be surprised if, during the time skip between seasons 3 and 4, Wu attended a mover premier and hit on an actress at the afterparty or something. (though we all know he's just trying to hide his feelings for Mako and maybe make Mako jealous)

Mako I think does not get starstruck at all. Bolin is a mover star, and Mako has probably turned off the whole mover production scene in general because Bolin was kind of an arrogant ass about it and Varrick, the creator of movers, framed him after he discovered a clue linking Varrick to the bombing on the mover set. So I think Mako probably doesn't look at movers or mover stars and actors/actresses as being anything special.

I do like the idea of them publicly supporting Akar and Jieren. Desna and Eska were invited (they have been openly supportive of same sex marriages) presumably because Akar is from the norther water tribe. Maybe Wu manages to get an invite for him and Mako too.

[kowaindar0u]

[ with @nxmelessfighter ]

After two miserable years in captivity, Sengo is finally free.

Well...

It hasn't been quite that simple. But he's choosing to push that deep, deep down inside for the time being, because right now... He's walking!

Or... stumbling, really, like a newborn calf.

His strong, powerful tail, which made him agile as could be in the water, had instead split into these two clumsy legs in a process he could only describe as agonizing.

It would be a bit embarrassing, the reactions garnered from the few people out at this time, surely put off by his strange and struggling manner of movement (and definitely not by his sheer lack of clothing)-- but he's far too busy staring in wonder at everything around him.

So many of the buildings are dark, and their doors don't open when he tries to pull at their handles. But then he sees one with light coming from inside-- he spots the word 'pharmacy' which he can more or less infer the meaning of-- and excitedly rushes to the doors, using the wall for support... He pulls, and it opens!

Excited and almost overwhelmed by this new discovery, he clambers inside, wide ochre eyes darting back and forth across everything.

Shelves, boxes, bottles, bags, lights... So much! Oh, is that... food? He moves toward this aisle, haphazardly using shelves as a guide along the way, knocking off items with mumblings of "oops...! oh dear..."

There is a particularly shiny metallic bag that catches his eye, with 'chips' printed on it near the bottom... He doesn't know what they are, but if they're in such a pretty bag, they must be delicious, right?

He grabs the bag and haphazardly rips it open, half the bag's contents flying out and to the ground, and starts munching.

"Oh? Yummy...!"

[vyragosa]

sorry if i barge in like that but..... tonbo and sengo solo stage was anounced for this winter apparently, just wanted you to know

[je-suis-problematique]

Working all night on that long ass post about my source memories had me realize that I probably also had a thing with Halsin and not just Kar'niss and it's making me Feel Some Kind Of Way.

– Sengo

[kowaindar0u]

Sengo had slept quite well, happily hugging Saseki to him, and having hooked a leg over his at some point in the night. But, still, he's typically a relatively early riser most days-- even on more lazy days he tends to wake up at least with the sun and then perhaps go back to sleep or simply lie in bed.

So, he notices Saseki finally awake, though when it seems rather sudden, he can't help but worry, or at least wonder...

"Huhu... Good morning, aruji..." He gives a kiss to his crown, and squeezes him just a little. "How are you feeling? Did you sleep alright?"

Continuing Where @kowaindar0u Left Off: x

Saseki finds himself jolted awake just a couple of hours after dawn. Trying to make sense of his surroundings, realizing that he's snug in someone's embrace. Who--

Oh, right.

He looks up to Sengou's (seemingly) sleeping face while still remain in his embrace. It feels nice, but...

Those paperworks still nagging on his mind, despite his half-dazed promise laat night...

[goldenteaset]

Hinamori Citadel Sword Timeline (in-game)

...For posterity. I could just do this with images, I know, but I couldn't actually see the dates that way. Wound up bolding the swords that became important to the Citadel's canon (and swords not in bold might become important later). After awhile the memories came flooding back, so there's random bits of Citadel history/headcanon notes too! (I often made choices Airi would be too cautious to attempt, heh.)

Assume that the Government swords/Munechika are still important in the grand scheme of the Citadel history even if they're not in bold, by the way!

The long list is under the cut~

First Day: 8/26/2021

Starter Sword: Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki

First Tantou: Sayo Saimonji

First Smith: Akita Toushirou

Battlefield Tantou:

-Midare Toushirou (Airi's BFF and wingman)

-Yagen Toushirou

-Aizen Kunitoshi

-Maeda Toushirou

-Hirano Toushirou

Results of First Day Smithing (figured I'd wing it):

-Nikkari Aoi

-Yamatonokami Yasusada

-Yamanbagiri Kunihiro

-Nakigitsune

-Kasen Kanesada

-Okurikara

-Kashuu Kiyomitsu

-Souza Saimonji

-Tsurumaru Kuninaga (First Tachi)

-Shishio

-Nagasone Kotetsu

-Urashima Kotetsu

Day 2: 8/27/2021

Smithing results:

-Horikawa Kunihiro

-Doudanuki Masakuni

-Yamabushi Kunihiro

-Sengo Muramasa (Airi's soulmate is discovered! Becomes Unit 1 Captain into perpetuity)

Battlefield Tantou:

-Shinano Toushirou (the first sword I decided would pine for Airi, still unsure if it would go anywhere)

-Gokotai

First breaking: Akita Toushirou. Horrified, I decide to forge stronger swords to protect everyone while furiously grinding for Akita.

Stronger Sword Plan Results are as follows:

-Izuminokami Kanesada

-Heshikiri Hasebe

-Shokudaikiri Mitsutada (Got on the pining train before Hasebe, haha)

-Azuki Nagamitsu (his Dad Energy is so powerful he gracefully exits the harem and joins Sayo and Mitsutada in kitchen duty)

-Ichigo Hitofuri

-Hizamaru and Higekiri (back-to-back! They become fixtures in the Citadel rather than on the battlefield)

Day 3: 8/28/2021

Battle Tantou: Akita Toushirou (this felt like weeks)

I took a "break" until the Underground Treasure Chest on 9/1/2021. After this, counting days becomes very difficult ^^;

UTC Swords 9/1/2021:

-Honebami Toushirou

-Imanotsurugi

9/4/2021:

Arrived in the mail:

-Mikazuki Munechika

9/5/2021:

Smithing Results:

-Juzumaru Tsunetsugu (Airi's second BFF! He goes on Unit 1 and stays there almost in perpetuity)

9/9/2021:

UTC Results:

-Namazuo Toushirou

9/10/2021:

UTC Results:

-Atsushi Toushirou

-Houchou Toushirou (one of Airi's adopted sons now like Sayo and Akita)

-Hotarumaru

-Gotou Toushirou

Somewhere around here, I obtain a copy of Hakata Toushirou. Which leads to...

Second breaking: Hakata Toushirou (via boulder to the head ;_;)

9/11/2021:

UTC Results:

-Ishikirimaru

-Taroutachi

9/12/2021:

UTC Results (or possibly smithing? Things get blurry)

-Tomoegata Nanigata

-Monoyoshi Sadamune

-Taikogane Sadamune (is taller than Airi and grows to really, really like that. Biggest "Will They, Won't They?" of the cast so far, sorry bud...)

9/22/2021

-Hakata Toushirou

10/3/2021:

-Mouri Toushirou

-Tonbokiri (after many Tantou copies. Hasn't appeared in fic yet!)

10/4/2021:

-Otegine

10/9/2021:

-Kikkou Sadamune (Airi's third harem member is established immediately)

10/11/2021: (I believe there was a Training Event here?)

-Uguisumaru (Airi's third BFF)

10/17/2021:

-Akashi Kuniyuki

10/18/2021:

-Kogitsunemaru

10/20/2021:

-Jiroutachi

10/22/2021:

-Nenekirimaru (Hinamori Citadel's resident himbo/problem-solver re: The Move)

10/27/2021:

-Koryuu Kagemitsu (Airi is "in danger" and Mutsunokami watches him for any Casanova shenanigans)

11/1/2021:

-Iwatooshi

11/4/2021:

-Nansen Ichimonji

11/6/2021

-Nikkou Ichimonji

Somewhere between here I beat the Ikedaya Inn in World 6!

Third Breaking: Fudou Yukimitsu, who breaks in the aforementioned attempt on that accursed bridge.

11/17/2021:

-Shizukagata Nanigata

November-December 2021 In General: "The Winter of Kiwame".

-Sayo Saimonji

-Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki

-Sengo Muramasa

-Akita Toushirou

-Kikkou Sadamune

12/4/2021: (Hanafuda event for sure)

-Kotegiri Gou

12/5/2021:

-Kuwana Gou

12/7/2021:

-Buzen Gou

12/9/2021:

-Matsui Gou

12/11/2021:

-Samidare Gou (Poetry Club, assemble!)

12/17/2021

-Murakumo Gou

12/24/2021

-Fudou Yukimitsu

Regimental Clash happens with Fukushima Mitsutada, fourth love of Airi's life. For various reasons, he does not come home and I'm despondent about it.

2022 In General: There are so many Kiwame that I don't remember the exact dates of (same with 2023) that they needed their own post [will link here]

1/14/2022:

New Year's Stamp Collection:

-Kokindenju-no-Tachi, who I actually started the game for

1/16/2022:

-Oodenta Mitsuyo

1/26/2022:

-Kenshin Kagemitsu (Airi overprotects him, much to his chagrin)

2/17/2022:

-Nihongou

3/2022 in general: The Great Invasion occurs, bringing with it a sense of truly global scale I had never encountered in a game before. Everyone fights to protect their Citadels, and in Hinamori Citadel Mutsunokami sets out to save Munechika's life and prove his story's worth.

Led by Sengo Muramasa as Unit 1 Captain, Hinamori Citadel does its meager but worthwhile part in the fight to protect everyone's histories.

3/8/2022:

-Hyuuga Masamune (arrives with supplies /half-joking)

In between these two dates, Kashuu Kiyomitsu goes on Kiwame and helps turn the tide. Munechika returns as well, and with Mutsunokami's help Hinamori Citadel is saved.

3/23/2022:

-Hakusan Yoshimitsu (Hinamori Citadel's final reward for their Great Invasion efforts)

5/20/2022: (Edo Castle)

-Kogarasumaru

In Hinamori Citadel canon, Fukushima Mitsutada arrives 6/18/2022. In reality it takes a much longer time for me.

July 2022:

-Mitsutada goes on Kiwame, resuming his on-again off-again flirting status.

-Fudou Yukimitsu also goes on Kiwame, and much for the better. ;v;

7/14/2022:

Juurakutei Special Investigation Event tests everyone's mettle and Airi's temper, thanks to...

-Yamanbagiri Chougi

7/22/2022:

-Chiganemaru

7/27/2022:

-Chatan Nakiri

7/28/2022:

-Okanehira (appears out of the sand and will become the next Kiwame a few weeks later)

7/30/2022:

-Chiyoganemaru

7/31/2022:

-Sasanuki (gains the honor of Airi's first dubcon boyfriend)

8/18/2022: (Mutsunokami's Special Investigation)

-Hizen Tadahiro

8/19/2022:

-Nankaitaro Chouson

In late August, Taikogane Sadamune goes on Kiwame and flusters Airi terribly with his "groupies" line.

9/23/2022:

-Minamoto Kiyomaro

-Suishinshi Masahide

10/16/2022:

-Inaba Gou

10/21/2022: (Kasen's Special Investigation)

-Jizo Yukihira

November 2022 in general:

Fourth and Fifth Breakings: Higekiri and Hizamaru in their first time in battle during Training Camp. It's a tragic blow for Hinamori Citadel. Forgings are immediately attempted for a week straight, until...

11/10/2022:

-Hizamaru

11/13/2022:

-Hanjin

11/18/2022: (Kashu's Special Investigation)

-Ichimonji Norimune (Dangerously attractive??)

12/15/2022:

-Higekiri (after Hizamaru as always)

12/23/2022:

-Daihannya Nagamitsu (I finally decide Airi's an "Osafune Saniwa" after all, because goodness)

2023 Kiwame: There are less this time, but still a lot [here]

1/1/2023:

-Ningen Mukotsu (the first successful Winter Regimental Clash for Hinamori Citadel! Poetry Club is now even more powerful)

1/4/2023:

-Nukemaru

1/6/2023:

-Sanchomou

1/14/2023:

New Year's Stamp Pick:

-Onimaru Kunitsuna

Shortly after, in forging:

-Hacchou Nenbutsu

2/19/2023:

-Taiko Saimonji (the whole Saimonji family is reunited!)

3/6/2023:

-Himetsuru Ichimonji

6/27/2023:

-Jikkyuu Mitsutada, the last new sword in Hinamori Citadel

-Fukushima Mitsutada, officially home at last

The Last Kiwames (in the days before EoS):

-Daihannya Nagamitsu

-Higekiri

-Akashi Kuniyuki

-Hyuuga Masamune

[caliganxio]

Five Comfort Characters, Five Tags:

Sengo Muramasa (Touken Ranbu) - I'm not sure what it is about him but... boy howdy I love him so much. He's sweet and he's silly and pretty but also has some depth below all that? I love him to pieces, love of my life, even though I barely keep up with TKRB as a whole anymore lol rip...

Takahashi Takeda (Mortal Kombat) - i just vibe with Tak so much! He just seems the most relatable to me personally and like... Idk, he's so good! I miss roleplaying him and I hope to get back to him soon!

Inuyasha - lol ... my boyfriend! jk i guess (though i did always have a crush on him growing up). I think part of it is the show itself that's a comfort, but there's something about a dumb feral growly guy who's actually got a big heart that just really hits the spot in my heart yknow!

Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler (X-Men) - i think he started my love for blue characters cause at this point my friends associate "blue character" with "luka" and i can't even protest cause it's not wrong lol. but he's precious and badass and just sweet as hell, i've always loved him and i long for him to be given his due in the movies sob

Leslie Knope (Parks & Recreation) - I think I'd be remiss to not add her here!! Parks in general is my comfort show (even though it's on Peacock so I haven't actually seen it in ages because...the app is terrible lol). I just love her so much, and how much she loves her friends is really just ... *clutches chest* same ....

tagged by @shouga-nai

tagging: you!

[startersword]

🌸 I love u swordboys

Sengo Muramasa!

Book description: "huhuhuhu. I am Sengo Muramasa. You've at least heard my name, haven't you? Yes, that so called demon blade Muramasa. But, no one really knows why the Muramasas are called demon blades. It's rather comical how everyone is swayed by an unclear legend, isn't it? huhuhuhu..."

SENGO IS SUCH A QUIRKY GUY IN MY HUMBLE OPINION ok so hear me out HEAR ME OUT. But. I think. Sengo...may be autistic.....HEAR ME OUT ‼️

• So I know it's like a running gag for him that he's always like. "I have to be naked RIGHT NOW" but tbh I think he may have like a sensory thing...the opposite of wanting weight on oneself, I think Sengo may be more sensitive to weight in that he might want less weight on him and he also may be sensitive to the way certain fabrics feel on his skin and body. Maybe he is suffering through the Scratchy Shirt Tag Hell and we are all just too blinded by his boobies to even thinking about such a thang...!

• Hard time reading social cues. See: Wanting to be oh so nakey all the time and also tending to scare people. Tonbokiri (a relative of Sengo) even states that he's worried people are going to misunderstand Sengo bc of. Well. How He Is and Acts

• Speaking of. He's got that unreadable autistic swag

• "Huhuhu" is a vocal stim or perhaps a tic/form of echolalia for him, it's just a Thing he does even when a situation is serious

All in all: autistic man busts it down sexual style.