#let akechi cook!!!

[raiyni-dayz]

A lil doodle i did, i loved drawing this 😭

[darlingsheep]

joker: its pride month, you know what that means

maruki: what. do you want me to make gay reality.

joker: no i want you to make me and akechi a thing

[columboposting]

No greater feeling of pain than when the obscure character you’ve been pulling for in a tumblr tournament is put up against a character with an unstoppable horde of dedicated fans. And in the first round too. My despair is immeasurable. Injustice in the tumblr poll tonight I fear

[sandwichfan]

ah yes, me, my wife and her pancakes

[manias-wordcount]

Hello may I please request Goro Akechi, Ren Amamiya, and Shinjiro Aragaki with their partner surprising them with a very thoughtful date?

Surprising Him with a Thoughtful Data HCs (Goro Akechi, Akira Kurusu, Shinjiro Aragaki)

𝗔/𝗡: 𝗶 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗷𝗶𝗿𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 (𝟯 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗹) 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝟯 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲 <𝟯 (𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝘂𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗶 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟯𝗶𝘀𝗵/𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟰) 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁???? 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗛𝗔𝗛𝗔𝗛𝗔

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?

𝙗𝙪𝙮 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚?

Goro Akechi

Because work and life and his popularity had been keeping him busy for the past couple of weeks, he felt lucky (and a little obligated) to plan a date for the two of you since he felt he had been neglecting you to keep up with his other responsibilities

So imagine his surprise when you turn down his offer of taking you to your favorite date spot because you “already had reservations for the two of us” at that time

But when the night comes and he meets you at the location you sent him, he can’t help but be floored bc like…

Who would have thought that you’d plan something all about him when he was the one who wasn’t making time for you?????

But of course, because he’s Goro Akechi he’s gonna keep his composure when you surprise him by taking him out for a nice, long dinner at some rooftop place in the city

Though you really made his heart soar when he realized that you picked a place with some quiet live music so the two of you could chat (or not! depending on his mood) and just enjoy each other’s presence

The menu has all his favorites on it, the music is from local artists he had discovered and started listening to a couple of months ago, and you wouldn’t let him talk about anything you thought could raise his blood pressure

So most likely, the night is spent with him looking and feeling all soft as he stares out and enjoys the scenery while holding your hand over the table

Truly, this date with you was just so nice and gentle and sweet and just decompressing

It was exactly what he needed (or rather, you’re exactly what he needed hehe <3

Akira Kurusu

Although he’s probably busy himself, Akira tends to make a lot of time and does most of the date planning because he’s a romantic hehe (i swear on my life he is, he has to be)

So the one time he let you take the reigns and plan a date, you wanted it to be super special

So you plan: treating him to a delicacy that’s famous in his hometown……anddd learning how to cook it with him!

It’s not much but you remember how he talked about missing when he could eat that local delicacy whenever he wanted but how it was difficult to find it in Tokyo

So the moment he realized that was your plan, he was pretty smitten

It was something so simple but it showed that not only do you care and listen to what he says, but you also wanted to cook with him- something he only recently realized he loved

So that whole day was spent munching on food that reminded him of home and perfecting the recipe (that turned out to be a bit harder than expected!!

But by the time the two of you were satisfied with your creation, Akira felt like he had fallen in love with you all over again

Only someone who truly loves him could dedicate their time and money to making a wish he had mentioned off-handedly once come true

And that someone was you- utterly perfect you! <3

Shinjiro Aragaki

Okok stick with it for a second but- There’s a dog shelter that Shinjiro always lingers by right? Because there’s a few dogs he has bonded with every time he gets the balls to go in there

Including a little mutt who is way too lovable, but far from the definition of cute

So your date idea: take Shinjiro and the doggy out for a day and give the doggy a good time

That means getting pup cups and doggy treats after a nice morning walk by the water and sneaking the doggy bits and pieces of your lunch to her and then hours at the doggy park

And Shinjiro? He loves it because he spends every walk holding your hand and pet his favorite dog whenever he wants and just enjoying the excitement a cute pup brings hehe

It’s not much of a “date” per se, but with all the heavy emotions he feels and burdens he carries you figured something like this would allow him to let his guard down

He doesn’t even realize that’s what you were trying to do until way, way after the date had ended and you both were inside in his place cuddling on his bed or something

It was your way of spending quality time with him while ensuring that he could spend the whole day in a good mental state where all he could think about was the doggy and you and all the silly happy things that were happening right in front of him

He never said anything but the second he realized, his eyes started tearing up as he started to feel overwhelmed with emotion because of how much he loves you and how good you are to him

And like the good partner you were, you just held him tight and promised to keep providing him with all the good things he thought he never deserved (but you know he always did)

[hotwaterandmilk]

2024 English language manga releases I'm enjoying

Here are a couple of titles I've picked up in English so far this year that I've enjoyed. Most of these I read digitally in Japanese for one or two volumes a couple of years back, but opted to wait and purchase the English print versions for my collection.

I feel like all of these books are worth the purchase price, but don't have the energy to do individual posts for each of them. So here's a very smooshed together post covering a few 2024 reads.

GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! from Yen Press

Akechi Ushiro is a heavily flawed, hard-working woman whose disregard for her own wellbeing results in her coming face-to-face with her equally flawed guardian spirit, Masako. The pair decide to combine their forces and begin tackling the obstacles in Ushiro's life using curses.

Hiruzuka Miyako's darkly funny tale of a woman taking control of her life alongside her queer sister spirit is such a delight . Featuring a rough-and-ready art style that helps underscore the macabre elements at play, the entire first volume is scathing in its humour and unashamed in its portrayal of Ushiro's flaws. I was surprised when this one got picked up by Yen Press a while back, but so happy to see it enjoying a stateside release. If you're after something that doesn't always play nice, GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! might well be for you.

Edit: If you haven't read it before, this Japanese interview with Hiruzuka is worth reading for a bit more on her background and the creation of the series.

Pass the Monster Meat, Milady! (Akujiki Reijou to Kyouketsu Koushaku) from Kodansha USA

A sweet little fantasy romance between two individuals who find solace in one another despite being reviled by the general public for their interest in monsters. One loves defeating monsters in battle while the other loves cooking them!

Melphiera is a smart, capable heroine while Aristide Rogier du Galbraith is a dashing and supportive hero. The manga art is a bit low in detail, but the characters and story are absolutely worth your time. I'd love to see the LNs that the manga adapts in English someday too. I mentioned in tags before this whole series gives me the types of vibes I enjoy in historical fantasy romance novels, so if you like that kind of content this might be a good title to check out (or recommend to friends who appreciate romantasy but haven't tried manga before).

In The Name of The Mermaid Princess (Mio no Na no Moto ni) from VIZ Media

In a country where being "unhuman" or in some way supernaturally inclined is seen as a curse rather than a blessing, Princess Mio takes medications to suppress her mermaid-esque traits and please her father. Her perspective changes when Yuri, a tutor from her fiance's home kingdom, encourages her to be herself and embrace the things that make her different.

I've seen people say this is a bit too obvious in its parallels between fantasy oppression and IRL issues, but this is a Ribon manga for young girls so yeah it's on the nose but I think it works for the audience it has in mind. Tashiro Miya's artwork here is gorgeous and both leads are quite endearing (Mio is SO freakin adorable I can'ttttt). Overall a solid little series with nicely packaged volumes for those after something for a younger audience.

The Moon on a Rainy Night (Amayo no Tsuki) from Kodansha USA

A romantic slice-of-life tale featuring two high school girls, one of whom is a budding pianist (Saki) and the other a loner who is hard of hearing (Kanon).

I don't normally go much on high school romance but the way this series blends classic GL melodrama tropes with genuine issues in an earnest manner works for me. While we see things more from Saki's viewpoint as she eagerly tries to learn more about Kanon and tries to figure out her own sexuality, we do also come to understand Kanon's thwarted ambitions and the difficulties she has with letting people in.

Kuzushiro's art is quite whispy and cute, with all the characters tending to look quite well-realised on the page. While I prefer romances that feature a character with disability to centre their perspective, I do feel this does a decent job of portraying both girls as they try to navigate their deepening relationship. YMMV on this though, particularly if you are d/Deaf or hard of hearing.

Sketchy from Kodansha USA

Ako is living an unfulfilling life with a dull job and even duller boyfriend, but she suddenly finds herself thrust into a whole new world upon encountering a mysterious young skateboarder.

Sketchy, while ostensibly about women taking up skateboarding is more a snapshot of their individual lives and the role having a hobby plays once you're no longer a child. Ako's story particularly resonates with me (I literally worked her job at a similar age) but all the characters prove interesting in their own way.

Makihirochi's art is a bit more experimental than others on this list and may not be to everyone's taste, but I do think Sketchy is still worth checking out even if you're not entirely sold on the art (which I think has improved since I first became familiar with her work through Itsuka Tiffany de Choushoku o in Comic Bunch). Titles like this, which, let's face it, have low levels of mainstream appeal, don't often get English language releases so I highly recommend supporting this one if you have the opportunity to do so.

[brain-ghost-akechi]

do i want to post my old infodump i said to my irl friends about the issues wif the parents of the main cast of saiki k?

edit: yeah i do copy paste-- some may be terribly written and slash or not to accur8 due to this being like last month i dont really like it much because i feel like im missing alot but yeag

toritsuka- raised by monks in a temple, his dad most likely kicked him out of their home and he lives in some other dudes temple how did his parents let him get that bad around women oh my god

Teruhashi- parents are probbles fine, but are most likely a bit neglectful, as st8d by saiki when he met makoto- "how did their parents let it get this bad" seriously how did they not notice how weird he acts toward kokomi espesh that one scene on tv where he just kept ranting about her

Nendou- dead dad, mother cares for him atleast but is hardly there due to the amount of work shes doing to support the family

Kaido- dad is hardly mentioned, his mom is like me when it comes to grades but worse (i consider a 94 not doing good which is a horrible mindset of which i am trying to fix)

Akechi- divorce

Aren- his parents raised him in a horrible setting for a child to be raised in and and are most likely hardly at the house ("oh yeah thats how i learned how to cook too!" -him when responding to nendo saying he has to cook for himself since his moms always working and barely there) luckily his father is seemingly getting better though his mother still isnt seen much

Aiura- no seriously how are her parents fine with her working at a fortune teller stand that is sexual in present8ion (thank god it isnt actually sexual) and move schools just cuz she saw in a fortune that her soulm8 is there

mera- poor af her dad was being chased by loan sharks and escaped to puerto rico atleast he didnt want to put his family in danger so thats nice

saiko- his dad had raised his son on the saying that money could buy anything this man shaped his son to buy friends and never have an actual life to which he can support himself

saiki- dad is also very pathetic and exploits his children alot im sorry but kurumi why are you still with him WHY DID HE DO THAT??????

[frickingnerd]

secretly dating akechi

pairing: goro akechi x gn!reader

tags: wholesome fluff, secret relationship, hiding your identity in public, protective boyfriend!akechi, akechi is a private person

akechi doesn't want people knowing too much about him or his love life

even if he was an ordinary guy, he'd keep his relationship with you to himself

but as someone who's in the public eye, he refuses to tell anyone he's dating you

he doesn't want to drag you into the world he lives in, where angry fangirls would harass you if they knew you were dating him

so, he doesn't tell anyone about his relationship with you! 

on tv, akechi always avoids questions about his love life, kindly letting everyone know that he refuses to answer those questions

though they do annoy him every time! 

since you two keep your relationship to yourselves, you can't really go on dates with each other

whenever you two go out in public, you wear big hoodies or hats to hide your identity

though most of the time, dates will just happen at akechi's apartment, where he cooks for you and puts on a movie!

eventually, your relationship will reach the point where you can't keep it a secret anymore, but until then, akechi will keep you out of the public eye and protect you from any obsessive fans!

[mac33cheese]

Okay silly little tdlosk au thing

Akechi and Nendo as step brothers, LET ME COOK

What if Nendo and Akechis mom got together (we don't know anything abt Akechis mom other than the dads no longer in the picture I'm pretty sure) and they are the best wlw mom couple ever

Nendo and Akechi become step brothers, I think they would get along pretty well actually. I imagine nendo would be a great step brother and Akechi would probably also do his best to get along with his step sibling. Akechi might be a little put off by nendo at first (like a few minutes) but he'd understand nendo pretty quickly I think. I think nendo would be glad to have a brother that shares a best buddy with him :D

I also think nendo would mess with Akechi a little the way he does with Kaidou, but frankly Akechi doesn't mind since it's light hearted, probably does it back a little

[immortalmsmoon]

Hi sorry I hope I can make this make sense I was wondering if you’d be able to write some head cannons on how Yusuke, Ryuji, and Akechi (separately) would react to a reader whose love language is making and giving food. Like the reader doesn’t look like they could even boil water only to find out they not only like to cook but is pretty damn good at it. Making them something like a boxed lunch or some sweets for Valentine’s Day or a small treat just because and always asking to make sure it’s to their liking.The reader will make it a point to find out what food they like to get when they order something from a restaurant and learning how to make it to surprise them and will keep an ear out to see if they ask for anything changed or added when ordered so they’ll know to change it so it’s more suited to their crushes taste, and the reader will probably let their crush know that if there’s something they’d like them to make that they’re more than willing to try. Being willing to learn and will make anything be it different types of drinks (classic sweet tea or whipped ice coffee) to a multitude of different entrees (soups, sandwiches, pasta dishes, etc.) and a boat load of different desserts. And early on making sure to have some extra stuff made so they can say they brought something for everyone if they’re worried about seeming too weird or pushy.

Yum!

Cast Line Up: Ryuji Sakamoto, Yusuke Kitagawa, and Goro Akechi

A/N: This is so sweet!! i absolutely love it! Thank you for the request!

Warnings: None, just lots of fluff!

Let me know if i missed any warnings!

Wordcount: 1069

Ryuji Sakamoto

it means so much to him the you go out of your way to make food for him, and find out exactly what he likes.

when you invite him over for a picnic one evening, only to find that you made all of his favourties, he melts

he knows how to cook very few things, and its just the stuff that helps him with track and is high in protein.

when you guys go on coffee dates, and have his favourites memorized, he feels like he's falling in love all over again.

On white day, when he comes over to your house to visit just to see all his favourite snacks laid out for him, he feels like his stomach is filled with butterflies

It had been a long tiring day for Ryuji. He had been training like crazy, and school had been as draining as ever. of course he loved training but it really did a number on him, especially with his crippled knee.

he slowly made his way to his apartment, not wanting to go home just yet. thankfully he received a call from his favourite person, asking him to come over. He quickly changed course, not even caring that he probably still smelled like sweat. it didn't matter, right? you'd probably just be playing video games or reading manga together anyways.

he reached your house quite quickly, and knocked on the door, hearing you squeak a "come in!" from the other side. he quickly opened the door, a grin on his face.

the grin spread even wider at what he saw once he fully walked into your house.

you were running around the kitchen, a cute little apron tied around your waist. all his favourites are on the table, and soon he's smiling so hard his face hurts.

he wraps his arms around your waist, pressing a kiss to your temple.

"How'd ya know, baby? about all the stuff I liked?" he says, and you can hear the smile in his voice.

"Because. I love you" you say, rubbing his hands with one of yours, the other stirring up some food. "and i may have also asked your mom" you say, blushing slightly. he lets out a laugh, pressing another kiss to your temple.

"love ya baby. More than anything."

Yusuke Kitagawa~

As an acts of service man, there is nothing he appreciates more.

he's never really had anyone take care of him as well as you do. Madarame did, but lets be honest, he was a terrible cook.

It makes him so happy, especially on nights when his art has taken over his life, and its all he can focus on.

he's kind of busy, whether its phantom thieve business, school, or his art, so he never really has time to make himself a good healthy meal.

he really wishes he could return the gesture, but he is no where near as good at cooking as you are.

Everything in Yusuke's dorm except for the painting in front of him had disappeared into a deep blackness, like a black hole had gone through the room and sucked up everything except for himself and the painting.

in the back of his mind he sensed that tonight he would be getting no sleep. it didn't bother him though. he dabbed at his palette, filling up the canvas with colour, sighing every so often when it whatever he was painting didn't come out the way he wanted.

as he continued to paint, he started to hear a voice. he ignored it though, after all he was so close to getting his painting right! just a little longer and it would be perfect-

"Yusuke!" a soft voice called, and then a soft hand appeared out of the abyss that was his room, gently resting on his shoulder. all of a sudden the blackness that had become his surroundings disappeared, and he was in a room, his room. there was a delicious smell, something savory but soft. it smelled amazing. he turned to you, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his lips when he saw all the food you had prepared. His heart soared; no one had ever put this much effort into taking care of him, not even Madarame. he knew if it hadn't been for you, he probably wouldn't have been eating.

Goro Akechi~

Again, as an acts of service man, it means SO MUCH to him.

he's often very busy with work and school, and it's just so heart warming to come home to you in his apartment, with a cute little apron on, rushing around making him food.

definitely returns the favour, and cooks you all sorts of little goodies. he has a lot of experience due to living alone for so long.

it makes him the happiest if you stop by his work place or school to deliver him food, especially if he's working late or couldn't bring food to school due to being in a rush.

he would eat anything you give him, but will also give you pointers on how to pair flavours and what not.

the moment Akechi saw you at the reception of his work place, his heard skipped a beat. you looked adorable, your small cute face all flushed from the cold weather, a sweet looking bento in your hands.

as soon as Akechi told you he'd be working late you rushed to make him some food. the last thing you wanted was your lovely boyfriend to be stuck at work with no dinner.

to be honest, he had not expected you to come, even when his boss told him someone had come to see him. he figured it would be some unwanted fan girls again, for the 5th time that week. he was pleasantly surprised when he saw you, a little smile on your face.

you quickly walked over to him, setting the bento down on the counter, before reaching up to press a kiss to his cheek. He held your face in his hand, and even though he was usually a stickler about public affection, he was willing to let this slide due to how tired he was. you then handed him the box, giving him one more kiss, before telling to eat all of it, and call you if he was hungry for anything else. he smiled. he was truly so greatfull for you.

[0heartangel0]

PERSONA 5 TACTICA IS NOT GREAT: AN ODDLY-CONSTRUCTED RANT

Pt. 4.5: Kingdom 4 Is A Waste Of My Time

After shortly running through each Kingdom's gimmick in the previous part, I realized something that I knew I needed to discuss on its own. And that's the fact that Kingdom 4 is the worst thing to happen to any Persona player since October 4th!

It might sound like I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. It sucks. I hate it. It's garbo! It's what would culminate from Fuuka, Chie, Yukiko, Akechi, and Zenkichi all collaborating to cook something. Blindfolded.

Who in the board meeting stood up and was like, "you know what would make this game better? If we did a dumb boss rush at the final world, while making everything and everyone grey!" And everyone clapped. And the one mother flipper that tried to object was launched to the stratosphere.

Let me tell you something: no one likes a boss rush, especially if it's a recolored version of the same boss. I hated it in Kirby, and I hate it here. And even then, it's just the bosses repeating the same kinds of lines and attacks once you get to them after two missions (I get that that's the point, but still).

The environment isn't even that nice to look at. It's just....Grey and metallic. It's extremely boring, and makes me frustrated having to go through 9 levels of this same environment. Even the enemies are grey!

Oh, but don't worry! The game actually gives a reason as to why everything looks like this!

Translation: After Toshiro found his big boy britches, Salmael ran out of colored ink in his printer, so now has to resort to the black and white setting no one likes.

That's still such a stupid reason, but OKAY!

They also tried to explain why they brought back the bosses, and it's just as dumb!

So, basically, Samael brought these rulers back simply to put fear back into Toshiro....even though he has gone against and conquered these fake versions of these people before! So, obviously, it won't work again, just because they're grey now, and you amped up what they say now!

Isn't it funny just how over-the-top she's being (even though she was always like this)? Isn't it hilarious how the big bad is so desperate to make Toshiro shake in his little boots, that he just had to bring back the same ridiculous-looking mother flippers again, but add a grey coat of paint on them with cute red highlights? No. At least, not to me.

You know what is funny? The fact that they did this just to show how Toshiro has grown throughout this game. But really, this is just unnecessary.

The fact that he has faced these people before and even get scenes before and after their defeat where he accepts what they did to him, and he'll stand up to them SHOWS this! Hell, his awakening + him fighting his shadow was supposed to show this growth! We don't need an extra reminder of this! We kind of get it! The fact he's even down here to face a GOD should be proof enough! We shouldn't have to be forced to relive this same moment of confrontation *X3* to prove to us that Toshiro is no longer the guy that keeps a night light in his bedroom to go to sleep! Then again, I still have my doubts, considering how they handle his growth, but trust me, WE'LL GET TO THAT!

So, in a way, this is all just one big rehash. They might as well have cut to the final boss the moment we got to this Kingdom to save me the trouble!

Also, you mean to tell me that I have to fight Eri AGAIN after having just faced her, not....*8* missions ago?! And she's somehow EASIER??!! AND GREY????? Is this really how we're ending the game???

And this is just the surface - a peek through the curtain, if you will - of just how dumb the villain is, since this is his lair! His Bowser's castle! He couldn't even be bothered to put in some torches! NOTHIN'!!

I keep saying it, but I will talk about the villain at some point! And I'll have words for him!

Then again, I already did, here. Let's just say, insulting his decor was the first step among a whole 2 year-old's Christmas list's length list.

Pt. 1

Pt. 2

Pt. 3

Pt. 4

(Next up's just gonna be another random tangent on something I don't think many people have talked about, so might as well step into the ring. Sorry once again if it takes too long)

[colourless-hydrangeas]

Ikesenverse J's opinions on the Warlords and her many siblings~

Oda Forces:

Nobunaga: "I prefer to avoid him as much as I can. He once asked me to warm his bed. I've been avoiding him since then."

Hideyoshi: "He's odd... and kind of motherly. He adopted me as soon as he met me, though I already had a parent. He deserves a good long vacation, honestly.

Akechi: "He is... strange. How do I say it? He seems rather 'uncultured' to me... He is not what I expected from the Akechi Mitsuhide..."

Masamune: "Chaotic but good guy. I quite like his personality. I wonder if I should teach him to cook Indian food someday..."

Mitsunari: "I like him. He's very nice and loves reading, like me. He is fun to talk to, too, as he knows a lot of books. He often suggests me material to read."

Ieyasu: "He would love Indo-Chinese dishes."

Keiji: "I simply do not understand him. I have met him only a few times."

Ranmaru: "He's also a nice guy. He's like a brother to me. His pet weasel is also very adorable."

Uesugi-Takeda Forces:

Shingen: "When I first appeared at Kasugayama castle, he tried to save me from Uesugi-sama's suspicions. I am grateful that he adopted me as his child and gave me a place to stay."

Kenshin: "I do not understand him, but I wish I did. He is not a bad person at heart."

Sasuke: "Fellow bespectacled person. He's a good friend of mine."

Kanetsugu: "He knows a lot of things and is fun to talk to. We talk about a vast range of topics, ranging from religion to warfare."

Yukimura: "My nice, but not so nice older brother. Please do not hate him. He may be weird sometimes."

Yoshimoto: "He has a huge collection of art and antiques... I love visiting him at times to appreciate art."

Lone Forces:

Kennyo: "I have met him only twice or thrice, but I cannot trust that man to be a terrible person, as he says. Have you seen how gentle he is to the forest animals? I wish he was not so hard on himself..." Sighs.

Motonari: "I do not like him. He seems almost crazy... But I have heard that he is a health freak..."

Kichou: "I have so many questions..."

Others:

Mai: "She needs to be more respectful... That is all I would say."

Bonus! Saika Magoichi from the Stage Play: "Magoichi is not really a bad man. He's quite like Kennyo in a way. I wish that the wars would end and he too, could go back to living normally, as a monk should."

Amaryllis(@silkkorchid): "The potion brewer! I would like to get to know her better. She is adorable in her fox form, though."

Morgan(@morgan-squad): "They seem like a good person. If they have finally healed Kichou's heart, then they must be a very good person indeed."

((Please let me know if I missed any of you out of this. If you want your OC's to be listed here, please do let me know.))

[ms-all-sunday]

SO GLAD to see the Zonami love it’s actually so good. For the ask game… Luffy/Usopp

you just want to see me talk about ships i like at this point and im not complaining. so glad i hit the right zoro/nami audience <3

luffy/usopp - compels me and i like it.

luffy and usopp are the naruto and sasuke of this series. you have to accept that. there should be a fanfiction on ao3 and there isnt but there should be of these two fighting and then it regresses into making out with sexual tension and everything.

you know how people say they like zoro and sanji because they like people who are friends but bicker? luffy and usopp are actually that, but instead of fighting about nami or some very semantics based bullshit (zoro and sanji are very catty people who are ultimately very sensitive) usopp and luffy are fighting about love. and that's the best type of bickering ship where people are fighting and it's actually because they love eachother in different ways that they feel they cant express directly. it's tension. its angst. what more could you need. i need them to fight physically and have usopp pin luffy to the ground and then they kiss and wait hold on youre a persona 5 fan. people who dont want persona 5 spoilers. dont read more

finally someone will get what im saying. you might not like it but you will understand and i need that validation because im replaying p5r right now.

so i was censoring myself when talking about their dynamic as naruto/sasuke because i believe usopp as a character is maybe the only comparable guy to goro akechi when it comes to protrayals of mental illness. i believe goro akechi and usopp fulfill the same roles in both persona 5 royal and one piece as direct parallels to the protagonist and have very similar personalities (they both double sided coins) and they both have bpd and theyre both lying bitches and they both put on costumes to make themselves feel like men (akechis dual personas and usopps duel personas with the captain and sniper king). and the akechi bossfight in shidos palace, like the monologue up to it, if I'm remembering correctly i havent seen it in a bit is very usopp at water 7 same type of deal.

their backstories are kind of similar but it's mainly their personalities and neuroses and everything.

you see okay lets talk about something for a bit. goro akechi is why i believe if usopp was lightskinned slash white he'd be the most popular character in one pieces fandom, that being said persona 5 has as you know found its demographic in a way one piece hasnt, so maybe its a problem of demographic or both? whatever. usopp is like goro akechi if he healed or to be honest was better written in some respects. when i say "characters like usopp" i mainly mean goro akechi. mainly.

and what does this mean for usopp and luffy well if i were to be writing a persona 5 royal au for a year and some change i would surely liken their dynamic to ren and akechi, considering ren as a protagonist is *so* similar to luffy.

and their dynamic is similar (theyre the only ones on the same level with eachother both fool cards and both gods.)

and what if i was cooking on that. what if i was making an incredibly detailed au just so i could make a point about luffy and usopp and ren and akechi.

what if i was making an au just so i could make usopp a prettyboy celebrity.

what if i was just making an au for one piece solely so i could have that shidos palace moment with akechis mental breakdown and validate usopp as Also Like That.

what if i wanted to validate usopps mental health issues and validate his position as the best character ever by making an au in which he is compared to another best character ever?

[triphantoms]

Oh am I mistaken? I thought I heard something about de- WHACK

Woops sorry I accidentally whacked that anon with a frying pan. Good thing we're not real or that would mean a real nasty concussion! Anyway, would any of you like the frying pan to help ward off any future askers from annoying Akechi to death? (Probably their own, let's be honest.) I wouldn't recommend it for cooking, it's got a rather sizable dent in it now.

I will gladly take that for all of the anons in the inbox. You know who you are.

- Akechi 🐦‍⬛

[manias-wordcount]

Hello my awesome friend! I hope you're having a great Christmas break!

May I please request headcanons for Joker, Ann, and Akechi being stranded during a raging blizzard, a kind woman saves them and takes them in, and they start dating after the blizzard ends?

Dating After Blizzard HCs (Akira Kurusu, Ann Takamaki, Goro Akechi)

𝗔/𝗡: 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼!

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?

𝙗𝙪𝙮 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚?

Akira Kurusu

He was instantly grateful that you took him in once the storm was starting to make it unbearable to find his way back

So much so that he had to show his thanks in one of the only ways he could- by making curry and coffee

It started with him just cooking for you, and you taking care of whatever sickness he got by being out in the cold for too long

And eventually it turned into you joining him in the kitchen and cooking along side him

And then eating on the couch together…and cuddling to “stay warm”

…and then sleeping on the bed together because the coffee wasn’t enough

Once the storm is over and Akira is free to leave, he does leave your place for a little while

But that isn’t to say you’ve left his mind- au contraire

Let’s just say homeboy sends the next weeks months arranging for you to come visit him instead

After all, you did something incredibly nice for him- so the least he could do was make the night he finally asks you special

Ann Takamaki

The two of you hit it off right away

Like you were the nice, sweet girl in the random cabin in some random ass swedish looking chalet…how could she not like you?

As you both were waiting for the storm to blow over, the two of you got to talking a lot

And as the storm got worse and the house started to get a little colder (cough, cough did someone turn the heat off? hehe) the two of you started to get a little bit more cuddlier

And soon enough, the two of you were attached hip to hip

Once the storm blew over, Ann stayed for a little while longer

In fact, the only thing that got you two to leave your house once the blizzard ended was the fact that you were running low on food

So of course, Ann had to buy you groceries afterwards as a thank you…….as well as take you out to lunch too

Maybe to other people, asking out a person to who had you had only met a couple days prior would be way too fast

But to Ann? Something about just felt too right

Goro Akechi

He’s reluctant to accept your kindness at first

After all, he’s famous and has a lot of enemies at the same time- anything to happen

But you were just so soft and gentle with him

When you were running around your house, gathering supplies to warm him up after he had been stuck in the blizzard for so long, it made him think of his mom

And so slowly, he softened up and allowed you to take care of him

When finally he left your place after the blizzard passed, he tried to forget about you- tried

But his mind just kept coming back to you- to someone who unselfishly took care of him

So it was only natural that he finally sent a text to you about taking you out somewhere nice as “payment” for what you’ve done for him … and that your first kiss with him happened on that night too

Besides, Goro doesn’t get to hang around angels all too often in his life of work

So there was no way he could let you go a second time- no when you’ve already saved him once <3

[the12thnightproject]

Chapter 46: Divergent:  Katsu and Toshiie reconnect, while Mitsuhide gives Katsu a field promotion.

Mitsuhide x OC; Hideyoshi x MC (Mai)

All Chapters Archived on Ao3 

Logline - With Mai, Hideyoshi, and Aki missing, Mitsuhide and Katsuko reluctantly team up. Disguised as a merchant and his concubine, can they outsmart the man known as the God of Deceit?

As Toshiie continued to level his best glare at Mitsuhide, well… my first impulse had been to laugh. I didn’t laugh, of course, and squashed the giggles before they could reach my mouth. The idea of my clumsy brother picking up a sword to duel the cool elegant Mitsuhide seemed a recipe for self-inflicted injury. When the initial humor faded away, anger jumped in to replace it. “You knew that I was in Sakai… and you didn’t come to find me?”

“If I might offer an explanation –.” Mitsuhide began, before the second half of the realization hit me.

“And you! You knew my brother was here and you didn’t tell me either?” Someone was going to be sleeping alone tonight.

“May I continue, Brat?” At my shrug, Mitsuhide raised a questioning eyebrow at Toshiie, who also seemed to be inclined to let him keep talking. “Might I first point out that you never mentioned your brother’s name?”

I hadn’t? I thought back… I might not have.

“It didn’t occur to me that I had met your brother until after you returned to your original time.” When Toshiie startled at that, Mitsuhide nodded to acknowledge he was aware we were from the future. “Katsu, Toshiie was the healer who treated you when you were in the accident. Why he chose not to disclose the connection and not to return to see you is something that you need to discuss with him.”

When I turned to look at Toshiie, who hung his head, Mitsuhide again took control of the conversation, this time by removing the wig to reveal his natural silvery hair. “Before you two talk though, I must introduce myself to you, Master Toshiie. My name is not Kyubei, its Akechi Mitsuhide. When your sister and I were here earlier this summer, we were pretending to be a merchant and his concubine.” Even though Toshiie bristled like an angry cat, Mitsuhide strolled to my side, picked up my hand and kissed it. “My brilliant fiancée was kind enough to agree to the charade in order to help me locate a kidnapped Oda princess.”

As Toshiie edged down from DEFCON one status, I gave Mitsuhide a look. Ok, he technically hadn’t lied, aside from claiming that we were engaged, but I still was going to have to expand on the story to Toshiie… hang on. I slapped Toshiie’s arm “You didn’t visit me because you thought I was a prostitute?” Way to be sex positive… not.

Toshiie threw his hands up in the air and looked to Mitsuhide, apparently now deciding that hewas the good cop, and I was the hard ass. Mitsuhide simply bowed. “Dear me, it appears that the two of you need some time alone to sort through matters.” He kissed my cheek, and then whisked himself downstairs, where I expected he would probably get a lesson in all kinds of nasty potions.

Who am I kidding? He had probably crept back up the stairs and was listening in. I mean…. I would have.

“I thought he was holding you against your will.” Toshiie glanced toward the stairway. “He seems nice though.”

“He’s not nice… but he is kind. Nice would bore me.” Since Toshiie didn’t respond to that, and had instead fallen into awkward silence, I gestured at the walls. “Is this your building?”

The response to that question was bitter laughter, a sound that seemed out of place coming from my brother. “No, I work for the herbalist in exchange for room and board.” He seemed not to know what to do with his hands, and so, taking pity on him, I asked for tea, even though I was not thirsty.

While he bustled around the irori, I took a closer look around his quarters. His place was small – there was no upper floor above us, so all he had was a cooking area and a main room. A futon was folded neatly in the corner, with two cushions sitting on top of that, but there wasn’t very much in the way of décor.

It was such a huge departure from his room in modern Japan, which had always been full of art posters, brightly colored textiles, and piles (literally piles) of books and graphic novels, that I realized my brother had become a completely new person. One I would have to get to know from scratch. Well… I suppose it was the same with me. I was not the same directionless adrenaline chaser I had been in my adolescence.

Once the tealeaves were steeping, Toshiie grabbed the cushions from the futon and placed them on the floor on either side of a tray table. I knelt across from him and waited for him to begin his story.

…

…

…

When a couple minutes had passed with him doing nothing but stare uncomfortably into his teacup, I finally decided to prompt him with a little bit of interrogation. “Would you rather start at what happened the day we got here? Or fast forward to the day you found me and didn’t stick around for me to wake up.”

“Wow. Harsh… But I guess I deserved that.” He still wouldn’t look at me. “Last fall… I was in a bad way. I um, drank. All the time.”

"The first night I was injured. I don’t recall much, but I do recall hearing a flute. That was you, wasn’t it?"

Mitsuhide inclined his head. "The healer mentioned you might find it soothing."

"Where is this healer now? Did he not come back after the first time?" It was strange to hear about a doctor who popped in once but didn’t come back to check on a patient. Maybe he needed to be sent for.

"From what Shojumaru has told me, the man is brilliant but rarely sober." As if to illustrate the point, Mitsuhide poured himself a cup of tea, rather than breaking out his sake. "As long as you appeared to be incrementally improving, I thought it not necessary to further test his sobriety."

Calling on the spirit of my moderately awesome ninja pal, I kept my face as impassive as possible.

“And I thought I had nothing to offer… that you would hate what I had become. I needed to clean up first.” He clenched his hands so tightly that his knuckles paled in the effort.

“I wouldn’t have cared. I mean… well, I would have worried a lot, but I wouldn’t have ever hated you.” Although I might have done my best to stage an intervention… which probably wouldn’t be possible in a place where the rice wine was sometimes safer to drink than water. “I just wanted my brother back. I’ve been looking for you – that is one of the reasons I became a courier to begin with. To find you.” I paused a moment, then prompted by honesty, I added, “Well, that and I hated being a housemaid.”

“Until I saw you with Kyu- er, with Mitsuhide, I thought you were dead. Eaten by a bear.” His fingers played absently with a rough chip in the side of the teacup.

Eaten by a … what?

“A bear?” There was nothing I could do after hearing that except laugh. “I’m sorry,” I said when I caught his hurt expression. “I know you must have been devastated when you heard that, it’s just… I’ve never gotten close enough to a bear to even be bitten by one, let alone become a bear meal. They don’t eat people. They’re more scared of us than we are of them.”

At that point, there was only one thing to do, and that was to hug him and pat his back and he tensed and shuddered a few times. “I’m sorry. You must have felt so lost.”

Belatedly, I wondered whether Aki’s gruff, slightly distant affection had indeed been exactly what I needed. After my first few weeks of culture shock, and reluctant acceptance that yes, I was stuck 450 years in the past, my entire motivation had been focused on physically and mentally becoming the best scout/ messenger possible. I had thrived on the challenge, more than I ever would have on any challenge I had faced in modern Japan.

“I thought it was my fault. I was the one who suggested we go to the shrine that day, and then when we were attacked, I couldn’t protect you.” His face was still buried in my shoulder, and I could feel his tension through his entire body.

“You wouldn’t have had to suggest it if you weren’t so worried about me, but… it would never have mattered. They would have figured out how to get us here no matter what.” Ok, that last bit was still a theory, but given the whole Aki situation, I think we were both supposed to be here.

He pulled back, and now his expression was one of curiosity. “What do you mean?”

“It’s a long story… but I want to hear about you first.” I figured Toshiie needed to unload and get everything out. Bringing up Aki right now would just derail all that. “All I knew, or at least what I thought I knew, was that you were on a ship of some sort.”

“We’re going to need more tea.” He poured out another serving. “That’s right. I was on a ship. We'd been at sea about six weeks," he made a disgusted face, "when we encountered a rogue wave that damaged the mast. The ship limped into Sakai for repairs and in the confusion, I escaped… and well, I guess they probably didn’t look too much for me. I was an awful sailor. They were getting tired of stepping in my vomit… and when they asked me to clean it up myself… well, I just got sick again.”

Yeah, that tracked. Toshiie always had had terrible motion sickness. “I didn’t have any money though and for a long time I just existed by helping out in a noodle place. Chopping and stuff. Putting those medical skills to good use. And then I actually did put my skills to use when the restaurant owner cut himself and I stitched up the wound… did you know that they’d never heard of sutures here?”

In fact, I was aware of that, having witnessed my share of battles from the sidelines, but I didn’t want to stop his flow so I simply raised my eyebrows to get him to keep going.

“Anyway, every so often I would do some actual medical work and after a while people started coming to me when they were injured or sick. The herbalist downstairs thought it would be a good business decision to have me up here, so it is kind of a trade. However, he takes most of what people give me for the care.” He gestured around the sparse room and at his worn clothing. “Hence.”

Ugh really? And I had smiled politely at the man when we came in? “That’s not fair!”

“It … is though. I might have not spent it wisely anyway.” He left that open for interpretation, but I got the inference. “I haven’t been very proactive about this… career. Or really bothered to do much in the way of advancing my knowledge.” He sighed. “At first the drinking was just to help the sea sickness.”

“And that helped… how?” Wouldn’t that have made it worse?

As if no years had passed, my twin was able to glean my thoughts again. “You’re thinking it might have made it worse… but I already felt so miserably sick, that at least at some point I wanted not to care about it. Besides, you should have seen the quality of the water on board. You do not want to know what I found floating in one of the barrels.”

Ew… I could imagine.

He turned serious again. “Once I was off the ship… it made things seem less awful.” I stretched out my hands to him and he took them. “I didn’t want to live… but after what mom did, I couldn’t kill myself either.” His grip tightened on me. “When I saw you alive, I finally had a reason to change.”

He … should have changed for himself. I didn’t want to be anyone’s reason or purpose (too much pressure), but now wasn’t the time for that. “And … did you… change?”

A rather strained smile crossed his face, and I could see that there were dark unhealthy circles under his eyes, but his next words were from the old Toshiie, my sarcastic twin. “Cold turkey, baby. It… sucked, but having knowledge of herbal teas helped get me through the worst of the symptoms.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help.” Because there were no more words to say, I pulled him into a hug, and as he once had done when our mother died, he sobbed on my shoulder. Toshiie always had felt things more deeply and fiercely than… no, maybe that wasn’t true. His way of dealing with pain was different from mine.  His outlet was emotion; mine had always been activity – to push my body until I couldn’t think.

Neither way was better or worse… they… just were.

After his emotional storm passed, he got up and pulled the teakettle off the irori. It had been steaming and spitting for a while now. He’d be lucky if there was any hot water left. While he made yet another pot of tea (well… he was probably still flushing poison from his system) I gave him the highlights of my past seven years, doing my best to get to this summer where I knew I would need to selectively edit information to match up to Mitsuhide’s story. “After Aki disappeared, Mitsuhide and I partnered up – “

“So you weren’t his fiancée?” Toshiie, of course leaped on that inconsistency, seeming (of course) very interested in my relationship with Mitsuhide.

“At the time it was more of a business partnership…”

“Heavens, wherever did you get the idea that I was offering you a partnership? You will be working for me, and you will do exactly as I say.” Before I could tell him where he could put his job offer (such as it was), he continued. “Don’t look so mutinous, Brat. Am I wrong in thinking that this was exactly the scheme you were planning with this man-” he nodded toward Francisco, “-as your conspirator?  And would you agree that I would be far more competent in the role than a man who was not able to appear at the auction in time to rescue you from danger?” In spite of, or more simply to humor, Francisco, Mitsuhide sent a friendly smile in his direction.

Again, yes. Mitsuhide and his mouth full of teeth would be an upgrade in that regard. If I continued with Plan A. However, I could move directly to Plan B – finding and working for this Shojumaru – without taking a partner. Especially one who would-

“I rather think your rejection of me, while somewhat personally hurtful,” he dramatically placed his hand over his heart, and directed an over-the-top lovelorn glance at me, “lies in the fact that unlike your language-deficient friend, I would exert control over your somewhat impetuous behavior.”

“My rejection, as you put it, lies in the fact that I don’t want to work for you. I don’t want to work with you. I don’t want to spend any time in the same room with you.” 

“OW!”

A punch on my arm startled me out of my reminiscence. Toshiie grinned at me. “Look at you, with that goofy smile on your face. You liked him even then. My little sister in love. Never thought I would see the day.”

Ooof. Goofy smile? Mitsuhide probably heard that. Oh boy. I was going to be teased for that for certain. “It was only after I got hurt that the two of us realized how we felt about each other… but Toshiie, I haven’t yet told you… it turns out that Aki is our father… he’s from some time in the future…. I mean the future of our future. If we hadn’t gone through the wormhole then, we might have ended up here at some point anyway.”

There was a long silence while Toshiie digested all that. “Wow. That’s some serious sci-fi stuff. I love it... Our bio dad, huh? What’s he like?”

“Gruff. Distant. But… I always knew he cared about me. Before learning he was our father, I would have said that I loved him as a father figure. My Obi Wan. Now… it’s all mixed up because of the multiverse … on man, I haven’t even explained that part of it yet.” Toshiie was looking at me with four parts fascination and one part incredulity. “We live in a multiverse, and you and I have alternate selves. There is only Aki, but lots of us, and in another timeline, I met my alternate – as well as your children. I met them. Nao and Mayumi. They’re pretty good kids. Nao likes to climb things.”

“Huh. Kids.” He smiled. “I don’t know why that helps. But it does. I feel less cursed.”

Well. That was good… but it made me wonder. My life, and Katsuko’s life and apparently my unmet alternate Okatsu’s life had turned out all right. Maybe the mysterious ninja self was good too.

But… were there timelines where we were not ok? Where things had gone as badly for us as they had for Toshiie in this timeline?

“Brat, I don’t recall you mentioning that you met an alternate version of yourself.” After spending most of the evening at Toshiie’s, Mitsuhide and I had returned to the machiya, eaten a light snack, and were now getting ready for bed. I’d hoped he’d missed that part of the conversation… but Mitsuhide misses nothing.

“Hah. I knew you were listening in.” His re-entry into Toshiie’s rooms had been suspiciously well timed to the end of my conversation with my brother, and his welcome interruption into what had been an awkward conversational lull had diverted the rest of the evening into a getting to know you session between the two most important men in my life. Under Mitsuhide’s acting of a fervent lover (and probably also under the spell of those cheekbones) Toshiie’s stiffness had melted away. By the end of the night, he’d agreed to Mitsuhide’s proposal to move to Azuchi.

“I was, and you would have done the same.”

Ok, that’s fair.

True, I had indeed expected him to listen in… but it had been difficult enough just to pitch my edited tale toward Toshiie. I’d decided I would just deal with the eavesdropper later.

Now, it was later… and I still hadn’t figured out how to handle any potential questions. Divert, divert, divert! I gestured to the parcel he’d brought back from the herbalist. “Did you buy something?”

“A little of this, a little of that.” He set a few paper-sealed packets up on the shelf where he kept the oil and incense. Then he turned around and gave me one of those looks. The look that seared into my soul and set my nerve endings buzzing. That prickly feeling… but now that I knew what it meant it was less frightening. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Ok… maybe a little bit frightening. But in a good way.

I knelt on a cushion, folded my hands piously, and gave him an innocent look.

Eyebrow raise.

Letting my fingers trail across the smooth straw of the tatami mat, I tried to ground myself. “It’s nothing really.”

Grounding would have been more effective if my kitsune hadn’t simply picked me up and tossed me onto the bed. He crawled on top of me and kissed the underside of my chin, his tongue flicking out to caress my throat. “You do remember I have my ways of making you talk… and moan… and scream.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have let you watch those old melodrama – oh!” He was already nibbling his way along my throat, moving leisurely up to my ear. I wiggled in anticipation of what would come next.

“You are avoiding the question.” That wicked smile told me he was having fun questioning me… and that he wouldn’t stop until he got an answer.

And, I suppose, that avoiding it would only make the revelation seem bigger than it actually was. “It’s really not that important. My alternate self is in love with Shingen.” When he frowned at that, I added, “but having met them both, the only way I could manage not to be weird about meeting another me was to think of her as my older sister, and as such, he will always be another brother in my eyes.”

Before he could respond, I hugged him closer. “Thank you for finding my brother. And for having someone watch over him.” I had not missed the nod that Mitsuhide had given to a man sitting across the road from the herbalist’s storefront. “It was the best grand romantic gesture a woman could ever dream of receiving.”

Well, that and travelling through time to find me.

There was silence for a moment, but I wasn’t expecting him to answer. Mitsuhide had as much trouble acknowledging a thank-you as he used to with accepting pleasure. Therefore, I was surprised when he very quietly whispered, “you are very welcome.”

“I’m glad he decided to come back with us. I mean, sure Kyoto isn’t that far from Azuchi, but it will be nice to see him every day…” Hm. That did remind me of one other white lie he had told my brother. “Although he’s going to figure out pretty soon that I’m not your fiancée.”

“He will not, because you are in fact my fiancée.” While I was still processing that matter of fact statement, Mitsuhide took advantage of my silence by kissing me thoroughly that most of my consciousness jumped the track to yes there, move closer, why are we both still dressed.

When my brain cells finally took control again… “I don’t recall there being a marriage proposal-“

“Consider it a permanent extension of our contract.” He propped himself up on one arm and smiled down at me, his fingers drawing little circles on my stomach.

“You know I’ll stay by your side without marriage. I’m more than happy as your lover.” Marriage had never been part of my dreams. “It’s not necessary.”

“You misunderstand. It is very necessary to my continued happiness that you become my wife. Until that blissful moment occurs, I intend to at least use the term ‘my fiancée’ on a daily basis.” He leaned down and placed a slow gentle kiss on my lips, one of reverence, one that said what his words could not. Then, he pulled away, and with that smirk, he added, “After all, do you not want to marry the man who can, to quote your brother, put that goofy smile on your face?”

I knew that was going to come back to haunt me.

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