#mitsun comes after him~~

[not-krys]

[Repost] Hold My Hand - Houki

Part of this set of WIP Wednesdays

Raw, unedited writing below. Content warning for pregnancy, and Mitsun is super sweet as always.

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Dawn's early morning rays peeked through Mitsunari's window, blinding him temporarily before his eyes adjusted. Things seem to be the same as he and Houki had left them last night. Books placed in haphazard places, Kitty sleeping on his discarded sleeping robe near the bed, and his lovely Houki sleeping as well, her hand resting on her swollen belly.

Lord Hideyoshi would be here soon to bring breakfast, he thought. Houki, now in the later stages of her pregnancy, was relieved of her chatelaine duties to allow her to focus on her (and his) soon-to-be born child, so Lord Hideyoshi had taken over meal duties, making sure the two of them had regular scheduled meals now that Houki couldn't in her condition. Lord Hideyoshi didn't mind as he used to do this long before Houki came along. It was a return to form, to speak. But it did mean that Mitsunari was alone in getting ready for the day.

Today, however, would be different.

Set aside were both his clothes and Houki's, in neat piles thanks (again) to Lord Hideyoshi.

He was going to do it. He was going to dress himself and Houki. It was only fair after the number of times she'd help him get dressed and made sure he looked like a proper lord. Plus, it was getting more difficult for her to do basic tasks now so heavy with child. He wanted to help her, now more than ever.

With a nod and a small kiss to her nose, he rose from the bed, determined with his goal. He walked towards his pile, examining each article carefully. They were his own clothes, it shouldn't be difficult to dress oneself, after all. Just one piece at a time.

After several minutes, he did indeed dress himself. All his ties and strings were in place, tied neatly. Only one or two things were still askew but he was comfortable with this. His mission was just to dress himself and his wife, not to make sure they were immaculate for a visiting noble or something.

Next, he examined Houki's garments, similar to his own save for a few key items. Under clothes were pretty much the same, as was the kimono itself. Her blue jacket he could understand. Her obi and sashes, however, were a little confusing to him. He'd seen plenty of women in town and castle maids wearing bows with their sashes, but to make one with his own hands confounded him. Even the book he read over last night also called them a mystery. Mitsunari frowned.

He could ask Lord Hideyoshi about how to make one since he was regularly correcting others about their crooked obis and fixing them as needed, but he did want to try it on his own first. Houki would know how to tie the ribbon in the back, surely. The maids taught her and she learns things so quickly.

Maybe that should be his course of action, ask for her help as he's helping her get dressed. He nodded again, turning when he heard her stirring behind him. Mitsunari smiled brightly.

"Good morning, my love," he said quietly, kneeling by her side, "I still adore waking by your side."

"Good morning, Mitsunari," she said, her voice still heavy with sleep. "But, you're already dressed."

"Lord Hideyoshi is coming by soon, so I wanted to wake up early to help you get dressed."

Houki reached for her glasses, sitting just at the edge of her pillow, but Mitsunari grabbed them, remembering to grab by the frames rather than the glass and handed them to her.

"Are you sure?"

"I am. I want to help you."

She nods, still affected with sleep.

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

Mitsunari holds out his hand for her hand, helping her to stand on her feet. Kitty flicked her ear, still sleeping on his robes.

"Is he kicking?"

"Not yet. I guess he wore himself out last night."

"He must have been intrigued by the story we were reading to him."

"It was quite exciting. I even dreamed about the story, with our little boy in it."

"You see him in your dreams?"

"Sometimes. It's how I'm sure he's going to be a boy. The maids have been placing bets ever since I started showing."

"I've heard whispers of Lord Mitsuhide running bets as well."

"I didn't doubt he would. Lord Hideyoshi wasn't pleased with him."

She looked down at her stomach, slightly peeking through her sleeping kimono.

"What do you think?"

"I trust your judgement, but… even if we turn out to be wrong, we'll still love them regardless if they are a boy or girl."

Houki nodded and started taking her off her robe, Mitsunari helping her take it off the rest of the way. He then picked up her inner kimono, slipping it over her arms. He then moved in front of her, adjusting the fabric so it closed over her properly. He then repeated the process with her outer kimono, adjusting as needed.

"One of the older maids gave me the wider obi sashes," Houki said, "She said it help her in her pregnancies, saved her back when the baby started getting heavy. They seem to be starting to be fashionable amongst the nobility."

"I've started to notice them more often whenever noble ladies visit Lord Nobunaga and Lord Hideyoshi. Perhaps it's more comfortable?"

"It's… more supportive, I suppose. My back doesn't hurt as much when I wear them."

"Is he starting to get too heavy?"

"A little bit. I don't mind, as it's a good sign he's growing and healthy."

Mitsunari rubbed her lower back and kissed her temple.

"Let me know if it starts hurting too much. I want you to let me take care of you."

[krys-loves-otome]

hi krys!!! nobu hideyoshi and mitsun from ikesen? vincent and arthur from ikevamp too? 👀

Character Opinion Bingo!

So, I may have misread Mitsun as 'Mitsus' and thought you meant both of them, so I did both, bc I'm overachieving like that. Whoops.

Also, am not careful at all when it comes to route spoilers, so spoiler warnings for all of the above-mentioned characters.

Nobu:

So Cool Looking: idk, something about that black and white color scheme with the pop of red just does it for me.

Afraid of him: Warlord that takes and does what he wants. There is a reason he's feared. His photographic memory is also terrifying.

In a handbag: I wanna carry all of them in a handbag, this should have been a free space for me.

Wow! He's a Horrible Person!: Is a warlord so it comes with the territory, but I also hate that in his ms (it happens in his act 2 too) he does not explain his reasonings to MC at first for why he has to kill a guy that was trying to kill her in the hot springs chapter (that he took her on, forcibly so). Not even a 'hey, that guy was trying to kill you, I had to act fast before he could do just that.' And let's not forget the 'Drink from your lips' scene when we first meet him. And the Strip Go.

Better as a Dynamic: Not that he can't function on his own, but he's a lot more fun when he's playing off of others, esp when it involves konpeito escapades, like in Hideyoshi's route, or in one of his bday events where he was in a three-way horse-mounted battle with Shingen and Kenshin over trying to reach a village with the last supply of the sugary treat. Or really any event where all the warlords are gathered together to do stupid shit. That's always fun.

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Hideyoshi

Marry them: He's really nice and helpful, I'd be cool with entering a romantic partnership with him.

Blorbo: If cybird won't love him, I will <3

Deeper than they seem: Momsona on the surface, deep underlying insecurities about hurting others when (not if, definitely when, in his mind) he has inevitably to leave them behind because of his loyalties to Nobunaga and his cause. Plus a past he isn't proud of despite it helping to mold him into the person he is today.

Projecting my own issues: Yeah, that.

Got done dirty: Pls stop writing him off as 'Team Mom', both y'all. Not cute.

why they look like that: Sensei has too many details on him that are a bitch to figure out when drawing. Also, yes, he has complementary colors, but he's got Christmas colors in his casual clothes, sheesh.

Better as a dynamic: Team Mom has to have kids to parent after all. He's usually a part of gossip groups with MC, Masa, Ieyasu, and Mitsun, calling out Mitsuhide on his shit, Nobu worship but still parents him too.

Done nothing wrong in his life: Hideyoshi is a good boy and I stand by that statement.

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Mitsun:

Like a blorbo: He pretty much is a blorbo.

Projecting my own issues: Also, that.

Don't have much to say: He's a sweet boy that's got some insecurity issues. Not much deeper than that.

Literally me: Yeah, getting lost in certain tasks to the point of oblivion is also me.

Never done anything wrong: Precious boy that can do no wrong <3

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(surprise Mitsuhide)

Wasted potential: His route could have been a shit ton darker and his MC could have been better if she had been written more as his equal.

Afraid of him: Too much anxiety about teasings and pranks.

Blorbo: I will mold him how I want to, because I say so.

Projecting: A few, yes.

Got done dirty: A stronger MC probably would have helped, someone that could stand more toe to toe with him, more on equal footing. Much as I love him finding her after Yoshiaki is mean to her scene, all the guy did was say some mean words to her, really. Could have roughed her up a bit more, imo. (ikeromantic does the scene better in their ongoing Mitsuhide fic, imo). The scene with Hideyoshi after MC sees Mitsu doing dirty deeds still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Really, all this could be solved if he was allowed to kiss Hideyoshi He's full of good ideas but just needs some help on the execution.

Horrible person: See above-mentioned scene with Hideyoshi and MC. And how often he does the self-sacrifice thing when he's told not to do that. And stop being a jealous ho with Yoshimoto, you know MC only has eyes for you, dumb butt.

Better as a dynamic: Really, all this could be solved if he just kissed Hideyoshi already. Or Masa, I'm sure he'd be down for it.

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Vincent:

Wasted potential: Please let him experience negative emotions. Friend threatening your girlfriend usually means friendship over, I'm sorry bro. Plus there could have been more interaction in Will's route too because you're supposed to be close friends, right?

Marry them: Sweet darling dear, I'm cool with a romantic relationship with you.

Done dirty: See Wasted Potential.

Literally me: That's up to personal interpretation.

Never done anything wrong: No, he definitely hasn't. <3

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Arthur:

Blorbo: I will mold him how I see fit and have fun doing it.

Projecting: Somewhat.

Done dirty: Pls give more sweetie Arthur than horndog, pls I'm begging.

Horrible person: All good for character development but I still hate Chapters 1 and 4.

Better as a dynamic: Like Nobu, he can work well on his own, but it's also nice to see him interacting with others.

[daeva-agas]

Hideyoshi’s Tenka birthday cutscene

Everyone’s gathered in the Main Hall to celebrate. Mitsunari says no one is allowed to leave the whole day, and everyone’s is like “are you serious”. Kanbei comments that it’s barely after noon, so like, the whole day is gonna be a long one.

Nobubu and Shibata sent gifts. Did Akechu and Inu send any? I hope they do. 

So I guess the “feeling gift packages to guess what’s inside” is the theme. Mitsunari hands Hideyoshi one, and says “the one from me is definitely something you like”.

Masanori notices that something’s off, but Kiyomasa shushed him (clearly whatever it is must be from Kiyomasa). Hideyoshi touches the gift. It’s fabric and has strings... it’s a fundoshi. Mitsun quickly assures him that ISN’T his present. Kiyomasa just laughs.

Kanbei gives it s feel, and is like... “wow this is REALLY skimpy, this will fall off easily”.

Hideyoshi: “then when can I even wear something like that D:”

Kiyomasa: “During the Big Battles *wink wink*” (bedroom ahem “wrestling”)

Kanbei says don’t, because it will be a bother if it comes off during battle. Masanori says “not THAT kind of battle” while blushing. Mitsunari gets mad, and Kiyomasa tells him he can give him one too. Mitsun doesn’t want one but Kiyomasa says “it’s matching Hideyoshi’s”

Mitsun starts considering it while Hide is like “hey you should be getting mad at this” LMAO. In this house lords do not appreciate fanboying vassals. Nobu doesn’t like Akechu fawning, Hide doesn’t like Mitsun fawning, Mitsun doesn’t like Sakon fawning. Simping is verbotten XD

Anyway, Hide says it looks like the year will be fun as always while the squad do their usual silly comments. Hide can needle everyone around, but he’s weak against Kiyomasa LOLOL. Kiyomasa is 1000000x more chaotic.

[nad-zeta]

Compatibility Matchup  (>^_^)><(^o^<)

Hi dear! I hope you’re doing well 💕 The compatibility matchup really piqued my interest and I’d like to request for Nobunaga-sama and Masamune? I get those two a lot 😅 Sending in my details again; I hope it’s not too much~

Zodiac sign: Aquarius, INFP-T, Ravenclaw/Horned Serpent house, Lawful Neutral // quiet in many occasions & is more expressive non-verbally (I am a bit louder online than in person), I adore animals (we have 5 dogs in the house, 3 adopted~), loves adventures (hiking & roadtrips) and the sky (esp. night skies), has ladylike movements (that pinky finger thing?), hobbies are mainly dancing, singing, reading and drawing, the listener type of friend, mediator in fights, always trying to see good in everyone, ideal vacation would be going someplace new for a few days, a curious one, sometimes called a cat or ninja because my footsteps are light and lastly (finally) is someone who likes affectionate gestures (I can actually be clingy)~ *p.s. work-wise I think I’m quite like Mitsun; focused to the point I forget to eat properly and socialize sometimes

I always love your insights on things like these! 🥺💕

Hi hi, love! ❤❤Hehe, thank you so much for the request! I hope you enjoy it🌻! And I hope you are keeping safe and well and not overworking yourself! 😏🔥🌻

Nobunaga

Pros of dating Nobunaga

Definitely have an introvert vs extrovert relationship going on

Because he is so extroverted, he is easily able to pull you out of your shell

He is hella patient, so he will let you open up to him at your own pace, although he soon notices you express yourself more through non-verbal gestures

Will play games of Go with you, as an excuse to spend some quality time with you, after you rejected his *ahem* advances that first night

He is also an adventurous soul and will sneak out the castle with you, just so the two of you can spend some more quality time together and go on some fun adventures and explore new places

Nobunaga is always travelling to check up on his various territories, so he always opts to take you with for some good company on the long journey, not that you mind cause you love going to new places and seeing new things

He will 100% spontaneously taking you with him on a hiking trips 

He will insist that you sit in front of him, just so he can wrap his arms around you and rest his chin on your shoulder

He is a sneaking boy, so he will definitely nibble on your ear and do things to make you feel hot and bothered while the two of you ride to your destination

He legit loves how playful, and cheeky you are, especially when he is kissing your neck playfully, and you turn to look him in the eyes. 

You have a playful mischief swirling around which causes him to withdraw immediately cause that look can only mean one thing

You are going to tickle him to get payback

The two of you are more often than not, definitely sitting out on the balcony, snuggled up together in the evenings, and looking up at the night sky

Loves your strong opinions and open-mindedness, he will most likely support all your ladylike movements. 

At first, he may not really understand the concept of it, considering the 500 year time difference between the two of you, but once you explain the concepts of equality and empowering woman, he is right there by your side supporting you with any and every project

He also loves dancing, so when this man discovers you dancing in your shared room one day, he is over the moon. 

He will teach you some of his favourite traditional dances and you would teach him some of your more modern dance moves

It’s not uncommon for the two of you cuties to take over the dance floor during banquets and slow dance together for hours and hours 

He honestly loves those peaceful moments with you in his arms while the two of you sway along to the light music in the background

Also, love love love the sound of your beautiful voice, the way it has the ability to melt away all his stress and fatigue of the day.

The first time he hears you sing he simply stand in the doorway and relishes in the melodic sounds echoing off the walls, will 100% pull you up into his arms and dance with you while you sing

Loves nothing more than to rest his head on your lap as you pull your fingers through his raven hair and sing him a peaceful song

He loves your affectionate gestures and loves to be near you. 

He absolutely adores the little notes and doodles you leave around the castle for him, especially if you haven't seen each other the entire day and he starts to miss you. When he finds the little note from you, reminding him how much you miss and love him, his little devil king heart melts into a puddle.

This devil king is a secret cuddling fan so he will never refuse your cuddles, snuggles, hugs or kisses. 

In fact, if you are not sitting in his lap, so he cuddles you during banquets, he will become a very pouty boy

Cons of dating Nobunaga

He is an, incredibly stubborn and commanding man, so there would be a few fights when it comes to differing opinions of things. 

Even though he likes to be challenged, he is not really used to losing at challenges so sometimes it will be a hard pill for him to swallow.

Often you might have to be the one to admit you were wrong just to keep the peace- mainly cause you are a mediator and you want to avoid conflict and fighting 

Although lord help this poor boy if you give him the silent treatment, when you stick to your beliefs and values and he has to be the one crawling back to you, which he definitely would do cause you are his one and only fireball- although it might take a few days and war councils dedicated to getting you to talk to him again

But in saying that when the two of you do make up it is bliss and you guys spend the whole night in each others arms just loving each other and making up for lost time 

He doesn’t really share your love for animals that much, and the first time he takes you hawking with him, is a little traumatising, especially after you had just mentioned how cute and fluff the bunny was one minute, and then the next minute a hawk is swooping down to kill the poor little thing.

Although, don’t worry Nobunaga hates to see his precious fireball upset so after that incident he takes you on non-animal killing adventures

Nobunaga has a really strange sense of humour, it’s kind of dark and its not always clear when something that he has said is a joke or not… so that may take some time getting used to. 

But once you figure out his sense of humour you are there right beside him bursting out in laughter at some stupid thing he said, while everyone around you is still wondering if they should take what he said seriously or not

He is extremely possessive, although this is not all that bad. He gets jealous really quickly so you will need to reassure him that he is your one and only love. 

Will mostly get in these grumpy moods during banquets if there is a visiting daimyo who had their eye on you

“Fireball, come sit with me I don’t like to be parted from you for too long.”

Will smirk triumphantly at the daimyo after giving you a full-blown passionate kiss and trapping you in his arms for the rest of the banquet

Relationship point

I score this relationship   3/5

I think the two of you could work well together, you would balance each other out pretty well. Because of your mediating personality, you would show him new ways to resolve problems and not just jump headfirst into a fight. He would be a very doting and loving boyfriend, that would support all your dreams and ambitions no matter how crazy they would seem to the outside world. Your soft-spoken peaceful nature balances out his loud commanding/demanding nature perfectly. You are the only person who he would ever show his true soft boyish self to, and since becoming your lover, he actually lets those around him see his softy boi heart more often. There might be a few hiccups in your relationship here and there, but overall I think the two of you are pretty damn compatible. He will be loyally devoted to his queen and soulmate and would spend every day of his life reminding you and showering you in love and affection

Masamune

Pros of dating Masamune

Wild crazy adventure most of the time

This boy will legit sweep you off your feet and take you on some crazy adventure, so you better be prepared to hike up mountain sides, explore caves or even just have fast-paced horse rides through the open fields for no reason at all other than to feel the wind in your hair and so that Masamune can spend some time with his kitten

Your quiet soft-spokenness is no problem for this loud dumbass. 

He will most likely do most of the talking until you are comfortable to open up on your own. Beware dad jokes, and puns are definitely going to be fired your way

This boy will pester you 24/7, by poking your cheek or teasing you for hours, anything to get you to open up to him

Masamune like you, is a curious cat, so when he sees you always scribbling in your journal you best be sure he is ganna steal that straight out of your hands, to see what you’re up to. 

His eyes would light up in delight when he sees it filled with all your thoughts and cool ideas

Will 100% tease you, i.e. hold the journal over your head, as you try and jump to get it back, “Masa gimme back my journal!” he will legit give you the biggest smile, “Oooh and what will you do, feisty little kitten, if I don’t.” 

He loves the sight of playful mischief swirling around in your eyes, “last warning” you would say with the biggest grin

He is sister shook when you steal his eye patch and blot. It takes this wild cat 0.2 seconds to regain composure and start to chase you

The two of you cuties are always engaging in playful games like that, and usually, your game of chase would end with him catching you and tickling you mercilessly

Is hella surprised when he hears the sound of beautiful singing coming from who knows where one day. 

He is absolutely mesmerised by the beautifully soothing voice and follows the sound to the kitchen where he sees you full-blown singing and dancing

He is absolutely enchanted by you, and the way you move around the kitchen dancing and cooking

Can’t help but sneakily come up behind you and wrap his arms around your waist, “Well well well, you sure are full of surprises aren’t you kitten.” Cue the meal you were making being burnt by Masamune distracting you with a kiss, or should i rather say several kisses

It’s not uncommon for the two of you to be singing and dancing together in the kitchen, as Masamune cooks the two of you something absolutely delicious

You can’t help but laugh at the one-eyed dragon as he tries to dance all sexy like you but it comes out looking more goofy and clumsy

He will steal your sketches and display them all over his manor, and if someone comes to visit and takes notice of the sketch you best be sure this boy is going to brag like crazy at how wonderful and talented his kitten is

Fall in love with you again, whenever he sees you and his little tiger cub play together. He doesn’t hesitate to join in the fun. The two cute tigers usually land up play fighting for your affection.

He knows you love animals so when the two of you come across an injured kitten in the forest he doesn’t hesitate to adopt the second cat and then give the kitten to you. 

Soon the two of you manage to rescue yet another poor defenceless animal this time it was a wolf pup that’s mother had been killed by some hunters. 

Not that Masamune minds having a full house of rescued animals, he knows you adore animals, and he would adopt even a pet elephant if that meant getting to see that beautiful smile grace your face

He also loves the night sky so he would plan moon-viewings just for the two of you. 

Keeping to his spontaneous sense of adventure, he would often sneak into your room and guide you up to the top of the castles roof, where you would find a picnic set out for the two of you

He definitely calls you kitten very early on in your relationship, not only cause you’re as cute as a sweet kitten but because you are curious and stealthy like one too.

Masamune is the king of affectionate gestures well right next to Hidemama but still. He is a firm believer that action speaks louder than words so don’t be surprised if he is pulling you into an empty room when he spots you in the hallway between meetings, for a quick make-out sesh. 

He loves it when you are being clingy, and to be honest, he is quite clingy himself. He wants to spend every possible moment with you, whether it is just chilling together in his room or going on some crazy adventure, if your not there he feels a bit lonely 

Speaking of affectionate gestures whenever the two of you are apart, both of you would continuously write to each other, this ranges from cute doodles and funny puns about how your days have been, to beautiful romantic poems pouring out your every feeling and affection into it for each other

This is especially something the two of you do during times of war when you are apart 

Either way, Masamune knows that when he returns his kitten will be at the gate waiting for his ready to run and jump into his arms, as he twirls you around.

He will care for his little kitten when you go into Mitsunari mode, and trust me when I saw he is not afraid to spoon feed you like Hideyoshi does with Mitsunari. 

If he sees you are working too hard, he will be sure to bring your plenty of food, snacks and water during the day to make sure his kitten stays healthy. 

If you are looking tired or overworking yourself, Masamune will legit pick you up and throw you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carry you to his futon where he will trap you in your arms and coax you to sleep. 

He won’t listen to any complaints, and if you try to complain about wanting to finish your task, he will kiss you until you forget all about your duties.

Cons of dating Masamune

In the beginning, the two of you struggle to see eye to eye much like with you and Nobunaga, mainly cause this boy is super loyal to his clan, and at one point he low key tried to kill you because you stood up for your friends Yuki and Sasuke

But after the two of you got into a relationship he puts his love for you above his duty and would never hurt you and would definitely kill anyone who would make his kitten sad! Although his clan and role as leader does cause the occasional conflict 

Also, he was a bit of a playboy when the two of you first met, and your first kiss was on a bit of a whim, because, “You just looked so cute and kissable at that moment.” This means you have to have the uncomfortable boundary talk with this wild tiger, i.e. “you can’t just go around kissing people, Masamune, the mood has to be right, both people need to be aware etc.”

Although in saying that the second he got to know you and fell in love with you, he swore off his playboy ways and dedicated his life and heart to you and only you

Because of past trauma, you need to be patient with this boy and give him as much support as possible, like when he goes into a panic about whether you are alive or not. 

Luckily your soft kind-hearted nature helps you in this aspect of the relationship cause you know he just needs to feel your warmth and beating puls/heart.

You are also the one to teach him that it is okay to cry and that it is not a sign of weakness although many a time it is you who holds him tight and cries the tears for him, that stings his eyes and unable to fall

Relationship point

I score this relationship   5/5

I think the two of you are very compatible and that’s not just because of my bias for matching you two cuties up originally. The two of you just have so much chemistry and things in common. I cant help but believe that no matter what, the two of you would 9/10 time always end up together. Masamune’s wild spontaneous side balances out your quiet soft spoken side perfectly. Masamune will always be there to bring a smile to your face with his goofy jokes and crazy shenanigans and you are always there by Masamune’s side offering him support and helping him to grow into the best version of himself. Together you two cuties make an unstoppable match, making all those around you jealous of your pure love for each other. 

I hope you enjoyed this dear! 🔥🌻❤

[ikesenhell]

Reunion

AMERICAN DREAM, Chapter 3. You can find all other IkeSen works of mine here. NOTES: Thanks to @missjudge-me for commissioning this! As always, I’m calling @a-shout-to-the-void IEYASU out in my work. 

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Neither of them wanted to stop for the night, so they didn't. “It’s only, what, one day of straight driving?” He’d reasoned. She took over the Camaro and he snoozed in the passenger seat, lulled to sleep by ‘Journey of the Sorcerer’ by the Eagles humming under the droning road. Light streamed golden-orange through the windshield when he woke. 

“Hey there, sleepy,” she murmured. “Want some coffee?”

Masamune grunted assent, stretching out. “Fuck, it used to be a lot easier to sleep in the car.”

“We all used to be a lot younger.”

That was true. Still road-tired, he lolled his head to the side and rested it on her arm. She was warm and solid, scented like spices, the warm fabric of her flannel cushioning his forehead. Unbidden, he wondered what it would be like to wake up to her every day. 

Maryland was bright and sunny. They reached Ieyasu’s house around five a.m., a quaint, brick rancher in the outskirts of Baltimore. One very awake Mitsunari let them in (“I still haven’t recovered from jet lag and Tanzania’s time zone—hello!”) and they crashed in a heap on the plush grey couch. By noon, he woke to banging in the nearby kitchen. 

“Mitsunari, I said put that away, not dump it on the tiles—”

“—I’m so sorry, let me clean it up—”

“No! I don’t trust you with the damn broom, go sit down or find a turnip field and bury yourself in it again, clearly you’re underripe—”

Just like old times. Masamune grunted and rolled off the couch. She still napped on the other end, buried in decorative pillows and a blanket. “‘Yasu?”

Sure enough, the blonde peered grumpily from the nearby kitchen, dustpan in hand. Against the canary yellow walls, his green eyes were piercing. “Great, now you’re up. Now I have to deal with two idiots staggering around my kitchen.”

“Great to see you again, too. What’s going on?”

Mitsunari sheepishly set a tin on the counter. “I spilled green tea everywhere.”

“That was my fault,” Ieyasu groused. “I’m the idiot who forgot about Mitsunari’s inability to hold things. I can’t believe I forgot. Two years, and I went forgetting. What a wonderful two years it was, too.”

Either the other man didn't get the hint, or he looked straight past Ieyasu’s barbed tongue to the affection deep below the surface. “It was fun, getting to write you and send you pictures. You kept me very up to date.”

Masamune crowed with laughter, making his way to the refrigerator to poke around. “Did he now?”

Ears flaming, Ieyasu ducked behind the counter and scraped the scattered leaves from the tile. “He’s the only one who knows where the hell to find half of the reference books I needed for medical school and where to pirate them—”

“I swear Mitsuhide knows how to do that.”

Ieyasu didn't respond. Instead he dumped the leaves into the garbage. “Well, are you gonna stand out there and run your mouth, or should we get a move on and go to the grocery store while she’s still asleep? I figured we’d need some stuff before the others get here.”

Peering over the doorway with a bottle of orange juice, Masamune frowned. “Others?”

“Well, yeah, dumbass. You really didn't think we weren’t gonna get the other guys down here for a visit, did you?”

“On such short notice?”

Ieyasu froze, eyes wide and searching, desperately avoiding Masamune’s gaze. “I mean—can’t—are you the only person allowed to make spur of the moment choices?”

But Masamune turned his eyes slowly over to Mitsunari, finally understanding. “I’m pretty sure the Kitten and I weren’t the catalyst for inviting the others over…”

“I—no.” 

“Hey, Mitsun.” Masamune overrode the stuttering Ieyasu. “Was it your idea to come here?”

Mitsunari glanced up from his mug of tea. “No, Ieyasu kindly offered his house when he learned I was coming back.”

“Listen,” Ieyasu managed. “Listen, that disaster is our responsibility now. We can’t just pawn him off on the unsuspecting public.” 

“Right.” Grinning, Masamune swigged from the bottle of orange juice (ignoring Ieyasu’s annoyance) and shunted it back into the refrigerator. “Well, if the old crew is getting back together tonight, you’re damn right. Let’s get to the store.”

---

She was awake when they all came back, laden down with (“Entirely too fucking many,” Ieyasu complained) groceries. Her hair was slick from the shower, cheeks shiny with moisture and flushed from recent sleep. Masamune switched all his bags to one arm and pulled her in by the waist. 

“Mornin’, Sleeping Beauty.” He punctuated it with a kiss on her forehead. 

“Let me live.” Swatting him away, she grinned. “And you’ll never guess who I just let in—”

“Masamune!”

“God,” Ieyasu deadpanned, hoisting his bags onto the countertop. “Just letting strangers into my house.”

Mitsuhide chuckled, stirring some thick, soupy concoction in a glass. Masamune dreaded what it might be. “I’m strange?”

“Yes. Is this a trick question?”

“Good to see you again, brother.” Masamune fist bumped the other man. He hadn’t changed; if anything, age only accented the weirdest parts of him. It seemed like every year, Mitsuhide got lankier and more ethereal, white eyelashes too long to be human. 

“Ieyasu.” Nobunaga rounded the corner, holding aloft an opened container of protein powder. That explained the mysterious substance in Mitsuhide’s glass. “This stuff tastes like ass.”

Ieyasu rolled his eyes. “So you’ve tasted ass?”

Both Mitsuhide and Nobunaga cocked a mild brow. “Yes?”

“God damn, I didn't want to know—”

“It’s a popular request,” Mitsunari chimed in, shutting the garage door behind him. “It’s grown in popularity over the last—”

“What are we talking about?!” Hideyoshi emerged from the hall bathroom, wringing his wet hands and looking utterly alarmed. 

“No!” Ieyasu cupped his hands over his ears and fled to the other side of the kitchen. “I don’t want to hear any more from anyone about eating ass!”

Time was kind to them. Nobunaga had grown into the imperious smile he’d always worn, eyes flashing sharp over a long nose. Hideyoshi still possessed all of his world-weary charm, the faintest crease between his eyebrows. “New York is treating you guys alright, huh?” Masamune asked, planting himself on a barstool. 

“Of course,” Nobunaga laughed. “Why wouldn’t it?”

“Dunno. Figured that Hideyoshi might have an aneurysm about the subway system by now.”

Apparently he’d hit a nerve. Hideyoshi strangled the air. “Why is the L train always down—?”

“Alright!” She swept in, clasping Hideyoshi’s hands in hers, grinning like the summer in full bloom. The effect was immediate; all the other men relaxed, lounging around the kitchen. How did she do that? Masamune knew she was talking (her mouth was moving), but the words floated away. Hideyoshi looked so soft in her grip. God, he hoped Hideyoshi didn't try anything with her. 

Where the hell did that thought come from?

“Earth to Masa.” Ieyasu waved a hand. “Did you hear anything?”

“Nah. Wasn’t listening. What’s up?”

The blonde rolled his eyes. “I literally asked if you wanted to make burgers for the bonfire tonight.”

“Bonfire?” Mitsuhide smiled. “That sounds excellent.”

“No lighting anything on fire like last time,” Hideyoshi warned, his shoulders tensing again. “You almost burned down the house with Nobunaga inside!”

“I assure you, that wasn’t my fault. Would that you believed me.”

“Well who the fuck else was watching the fire—”

“If you two are gonna fight, I’m just gonna…” Masamune rolled up his sleeves and plucked her from the floor, flinging her over his shoulders. “Borrow the kitten as my personal assistant tonight. How about that?”

“We’ll get the firewood together then.” Nobunaga waved him off. “And let you two to it.”

Hideyoshi hovered still. “Do you need any help? I’m not a master chef or anything, but I can be a pair of hands.”

Masamune almost took him up on it. But then she pulled back her hair—a long, languid movement that showed the curve of her back—and he shook his head. “Nah. We’ll manage. You go do things about, like, fire safety.”

That was the magic sentence. Those hazel eyes went large, and Hideyoshi nodded, purpose renewed. “You’re right. Let me know if you change your mind.”

Just like that, the two of them were alone again. She tittered and slid the bag of golden potatoes to him. “Need these peeled, chef?”

“Nah. Just washed. Throw on some tunes, would you?”

Her grin should have warned him, but he still wasn’t prepared for Neon Trees to echo in the kitchen. Masamune grinned and slapped the ground beef onto the cutting board. “What a fucking throwback. Is that Habits?”

“Yeah!” She dumped all of the potatoes in the sink. “Do you remember dancing to this in the car?”

Did he ever. They used to take Hideyoshi’s hand-me-down mom van (the only car that would fit all of them) out to the Oda Family property on the river, parking it in the field and lounging on blow up mattresses they’d pooled for at Target. Everything played on those busted car speakers: Neon Trees, old Panic! At the Disco, Chevelle, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Radiohead, Foo Fighters. Mitsuhide tricked Mitsunari and her into jumping in the water one night, and she was so mad and wet that Masamune stripped off all his clothes and put them on her, riding home in his boxers. 

“Yeah,” Masamune laughed. “I don’t think I ever got my pants back from you.”

“You got the pants back. I never gave you your hoodie back, though.”

“Shit, you’re right. Whatever happened to it?”

She hesitated over the sink, a funny, strangled smile on her mouth. “I turned it into a pillow.”

He froze. “Did you?”

“Yeah. Put it over a throw and tied the edges. I had it on my bed all the way through college.”

“Where is it now?”

She shrugged. After a long moment, she chuckled. “Would you judge me if I said I still had it?”

“No.” It wasn’t like him to stop, but he’d stopped, knife poised, a head of garlic ready for mincing and hands still. What did that mean? Savage pleasure surged in his stomach and he couldn’t place why. He’d always been protective of her. Right? Was that it? Just some misplaced neurons firing? “Not really, Kitten, no. I’m alright with that.” A beat. “It probably doesn’t fit me anymore anyway, you know? Might as well stay a pillow.”

Still she didn't look his way. Instead, she grabbed her phone and flipped on Caramelldansen, and he roared with laughter. “Hell!” 

As a unit, they flung down their utensils and danced. Adult bodies were different, but the chemistry was the same. He abandoned his station and flung her into his arms, the water still rushing down the drain over the potatoes. She squealed. 

“Could you guys not run up my water bill?” Ieyasu reemerged over the counter, knocking the faucet down. “If you’re gonna be distracted—”

“Sorry!” Her smile was infectious. “Let me just get back to those.”

His body cooled so quickly when she parted. Ieyasu hovered a moment longer, his green eyes boring into Masamune’s good one. 

“What?” He asked, cracking half the cloves open with a practiced hand. Ieyasu shook his head. 

“Nothing.”

[descendent-of-the-sixth-heaven]

[Koro: Ooo that sounds nice~!! Koro loves hot chocolate~! ^w^]

[Shingen: *chuckles and pats Koro’s head while smiling at Selena* That’s a wonderful idea, Bluebird~~]

{Asahi: *sees his annoyed face and giggles* It’s not that~ I was just confused~ Geez, you’re too cute sometimes, ya know~? *pokes his cheek*}

{Laddu: *ears droop* Mew… *sadly curls up in Masamune’s arms*}

{Kotsuki: Great! I’d love to know more about him! Oh, and you too, Mr. Sebastian! ^^}

{Sebastian: *bows* Thank you, my lady.}

{Arthur: Heh~}

*they all walk out towards the dining room*

Zeest: *passing by Jean, Napo, Kotsuki, Sebas, Arthur, Dazai, and Mitsun, while her eyes are shadowed over*

{Dazai: Ah, Jee-Chan~!}

Selena: heh, I can prepare a snack for you two, sandwiches with hot chocolate sounds good after having fun in the snow.

————

*Ieyasu blushes, turning away so that she doesn’t see it*

Ieyasu: whatever, here is your plate.

*He gives her her bowl full with the vegetable soup and pieces of fish*

————

Masamune: you know, Laddu, things can get difficult. But we can cheer her up eventually, we just got to find what happened to her.

————

*Jean immediately looked at her*

Jean: Zeest, are you feeling unwell?

Napoleon: it’s breakfast, will you be coming with us?

Mitsunari: oh, hi Zeest!

[little-lady-mimi]

Usagi Saizo

Shippo ni sawaritainara tsukamaete mi na Ninjin aji no dango? Mogu mogu 

[ If you want to touch the tail, try to catch it ]

[ Carrot flavored dango? Munch munch ]

Usagi Ieyasu

Nani? Shippo sawattara iyana wake?  Mimi ni sawattara… korosu yo? 

[ What? Why I hate it when my tail is being touched? ]  >_< Not sure about this, could it be “(You ask me) the reason I hate my tail is touched?” too?

[ Touch my ears and...I’ll kill you? ]

[blue-and-dog]

His Father’s Eyes (A Sengoku Basara One-Shot)

(Feat: Ishida Mitsunari)

(Alternative title: Mitsun & Son)

(Illustration is a commission by @nekkyousagi​)

Their small home was deep in the mountains. Hidden away from prying eyes. Or any eyes, really.

A small, humble hideaway. Away from the chaos of human society; away from pointing fingers and anguished screams for vengeance; away from pitying gazes.

Koromaru let out a soft grunt as he felt a wet nose nudge his cheek; opening his eyes, the boy found a furry white face staring back at him.


“Shiranui...” he whispered, reaching up and placing a hand on the dog’s head as he sat up, looking around the room. His mother, younger brother and younger sister were all still asleep; his father was missing. Then again, he rarely ever saw his father asleep in bed; whenever he saw him asleep, his father had usually nodded off in some odd place around the house. Carefully, Koromaru crept out of the room, Shiranui slowly padding after him; when he entered the main area of the home, he saw his father at the front door, in the process of closing it behind him; he had a small knife sheathed at his side, and a bow and quiver on his back.

He paused as he spotted his son over his shoulder.

“...did I wake you?” he asked. Koromaru shook his head. “...I’m going to check the traps. I won’t be long.”

“Can I come?” Koromaru asked gently. His father paused again.

“I suppose,” he finally replied. Koromaru smiled a bit at this, nodding to Shiranui as the pair followed his father out the door, closing it behind them.

Ishida Mitsunari. The Dark King. Long since gone into hiding with his family since the Tokugawa Shogunate had been established. If anything, he would have died on the battlefield, in his lord’s name, where he felt he belonged.

But...by that point, he already had other obligations.

Koromaru’s father rarely smiled or, quite frankly, changed expression. There was an almost defeated emptiness to him; though he was alive, and with a wife and a legacy, he seemed still very lost and aimless. Koromaru’s mother once confided in him that his father had lost a great deal.

What sorts of things did he lose, he had asked.

A lot of things that meant everything to him. When he is ready, he will tell you, she had replied.

As Koromaru trailed after his father, watching his lean frame in the morning sun peeking through the treetops, he almost seemed like a spent wick, or discarded torch—a flame that had long since been extinguished.

In that moment, Shiranui suddenly took off at a sprint, vanishing like the wind around the bend.

“Seems he found his breakfast,” Mitsunari remarked. Silence. Mitsunari glanced at Koromaru, then kept walking.

Did he just try to start a conversation...? Koromaru thought.

“....like the wolf from the story,” Koromaru spoke up; Mitsunari seemed to twitch, almost in surprise, then looked back at him again, “Shiranui in the story was so fast he could evade nearly anything.”

“...yes.”

A classic tale told many times by Koromaru’s mother, to the wide-eyed attention of her children; the tale of the mysterious white wolf who helped a hero defeat an eight-headed serpent.

“...father, do you like that story?” Koromaru asked.

“...I don’t really care for fairy tales,” Mitsunari replied as he stepped over a creek; Koromaru instead walked right through it, “Reality is enough for me.”

“Really? But you listen when mom tells the story to the rest of us....”

“There’s no harm in it. Besides, you all like it. Enough to name the dog after it, even.”

Come to think of it, Mitsunari was usually off to the side doing something else whenever his wife entertained the children. Preparing traps to place outside, looking out at the stars....or cleaning that sword.

It was something he treasured more than anything; Koromaru’s mother had warned him and his siblings many times to never touch or play with it. The one time Koromaru had grabbed it out of curiosity was the one time he saw the light of unbridled rage in his father’s eyes. He snatched the sword from his son’s hand with one violent swipe; his knuckles were white from his grip on the scabbard. But, in that moment, he grit his teeth, clenched his fist, lowered his head, and sent Koromaru out of the room with a single-worded command. When Koromaru saw him next, he was merely reminded not to touch his father’s things. His father’s eyes were dull again.

His recollection was broken by the sound of a faint snap; he looked down to see his father kneeling by a snare trap, picking up a now-dead rabbit.

“It’s a good size,” Mitsunari remarked to nobody in particular as he raised the rabbit to eye-level. He glanced to Koromaru, then looked up as he heard Shiranui’s footfalls; the dog came to a stop before him. “I take it you’re quite finished?”

The dog merely sneezed. Mitsunari snorted, then looked back to his son. “We’ll see if we can get some pheasants, too.”

“I don’t see them around here much...” Koromaru replied.

“There’s an area lower on the mountain. I usually prefer to go down there with just Shiranui, to flush them out. Typically the sun is barely up when I go down there...but we should be fine.”

There shouldn’t be anyone traveling around there, he thought. Please, please, let there be no prying eyes.

“Come on,” he continued, “I’ll show you, but you have to be quiet when we get there. They frighten easily.”

Koromaru had faintly seen a glimmer of something in his father’s eyes as he spoke more freely. Like he was letting his son in on his methods. A master passing down his wisdom. Mitsunari placed the dead rabbit in a sack, passing it to his son to carry.

Mitsunari began to lead Koromaru down a winding path, Shiranui bringing up the rear; the trip was made in (mostly) silence, until...

“Koro.” Mitsunari spoke up. Koromaru flinched, then looked at him in surprise. Mitsunari seemed briefly surprised at *his* surprise.

“Koro...?” Koromaru echoed.

“That’s what Tatsuhime calls you, isn’t it? Is there a problem?”

True, his younger sister preferred to shorten his name. But Mitsunari didn’t seem the type to use nicknames, so why...?

“N-no. It’s fine. What is it?”

“...why did you ask to come with me today? You’ve been up around the same time I was leaving many times before and you’ve never asked to come.”

The question caused Koromaru to pause for a moment. Then, he swallowed. “I....”

“...is something the matter?” Mitsunari stopped as well, turning to face his son.

“..no...it’s just...there’s so much I want to ask you...” he admitted. “I just...can never think of a good time...or something comes up...”

“You wanted to speak to me alone,” Mitsunari concluded. There was that glint of something in his eyes again. Surprise? Intrigue?

“...yeah.”

“...I see. Let’s see what we can catch, then I’ll see if I can answer your questions.”

The pair reached a clearing lower on the mountain, bathed in the morning sun; the brush was twitching with life. Mitsunari removed the bow from his back, nocking an arrow.

“Watch,” he whispered. He clicked his tongue; Shiranui was off in a flash, his white form cleaving through the brush as critters began to flee their shelter. A flash of feathers, and Mitsunari exhaled and fired; the arrow found its target, sending a pheasant crashing to the ground as Shiranui retrieved its carcass moments later, bringing it back to the pair. Mitsunari took the pheasant from Shiranui, looking back at Koromaru.

“Well?”

Koromaru blinked, then nodded. “...I wish I could hunt like that. You’re amazing.”

Mitsunari scoffed. “I’ve missed plenty of times. Archery isn’t my strong suit. Do you want to try?”

“Huh? But Shiranui already scared away the animals...”

“It’ll just be a practice shot.” Mitsunari held out the bow, staring hard at his son. Koromaru’s eyes met his piercing gaze; something had ignited in his father’s eyes. Fascination? A hint of excitement? After a moment’s hesitation, Koromaru took the bow.

“You’re going to aim for the knothole on that tree over there,” Mitsunari pointed, “Start by turning your body sideways.”

As Koromaru followed his father’s instruction, Mitsunari crouched behind him; he reached out and grabbed his son’s left foot. “Relax,” he instructed, as he adjusted Koromaru’s footing to a wider stance. Helping Koromaru nock an arrow, he took his son’s right hand. “You have to hold it with three fingers, tight as you can. You’re going to draw it until your right hand is behind your ear.”

“Okay,” Koromaru muttered, nodding once. Mitsunari guided his hands as he drew the bowstring, past his right ear.

“Steady,” Mitsunari whispered. “Exhale....and fire.”

Right as Koromaru released he string, he felt a burning hot pain at his ear, dropping the bow and grabbing his ear as he doubled over in pain.

“You held it too close to your ear,” Mitsunari stated as he picked up the bow, “A beginner mistake. Understandable, but I’m certain you won’t be making that mistake again. Take a few deep breaths.”

Koromaru did as he was told, breathing heavily, but finally deeply, until he stood up straight, wiping his eyes. He saw Mitsunari pulling the arrow out of the tree.

“You missed the knothole, but you did hit the tree. Not bad for a first shot.” Mitsunari walked over to his son, who was now trying to keep Shiranui from licking his face.

“Ah—!” Koromaru pushed the dog back. “Stop! Your breath smells like death!”

“Death smells far worse,” Mitsunari remarked, “Come on. We’re going home.”

“Yes....” Koromaru picked up the bag now containing the rabbit and pheasant. “Will this be enough?”

“It’ll be plenty. We still have to see what we can harvest, too. You’ll be helping me with that.”

His father was much more talkative than usual, now. With a brief whistle, Mitsunari nodded to Shiranui, who began to follow the pair back up the mountain path.

“Father,” Koromaru began, “can I ask you something?”

“Depends on what it is. But I did agree to answer whatever question you had, so go ahead.” Mitsunari didn’t look back, continuing to lead his son home.

“...are you sad?”

“...how do you mean?”

“...you never smile, and...your eyes always seem kind of....” he struggled for the word.

“Kind of what?”

“...empty.”

Mitsunari stopped walking at that, but didn’t turn around.

“...I’m not quite sure how to answer that, Koro.”

“...Mother said you’ve been through a lot and lost a lot, but...”

“...those are details you don’t need to know. They don’t matter now. But...just because I don’t smile, doesn’t mean I’m not content. I have you and your siblings, and I have your mother. There are few other things I could ask for.”

The answer seemed almost...half-hearted. But, there was still something there in his eyes, as he looked back at his son.

“When you become a man, there will come a day that there will be no one to give you instruction and guide you, and every decision you make will affect those around you. I have made decisions both good and bad. And people have suffered for it...perhaps rightfully so. Despite my attempts otherwise, sometimes these dark memories, these wretched reminders, come creeping back into the front of my mind, clawing their way back in front of my eyes. In those moments...I suppose I am sad.”

Koromaru listened to his father, frowning and dropping his shoulders a bit.

Then, Mitsunari spoke again.

“But, it’s funny.”

Koromaru tilted his head, as Mitsunari, in a rare moment of affection, placed a hand atop his boy’s head.

“Up until now, I hadn’t really thought about that today.”

Mitsunari pulled away, continuing up the path, Shiranui padding after him. Koromaru watched him in silence, then followed after.

To try and nurture that flicker in his father’s eyes.

[mitsunerokuyari]

Letter

Mitsune did not recieve mail like most individuals. Every once in a while he would get some from those he did jobs for or payment after completing a contract. For the both of them, Kihta received the most mail, much of it coming from her brother Koh’li. However, he recevied a letter that was unike anything else he had got before. It was sealed in paper only found in Doma, with a seal used by those that send mail from Shirogane.

This might come as a strange letter out of nowhere but I’ve been looking for you, Mitsune. I’ve been researching and looking for you for a long time and I wasn’t certain I would be able to. Our entire family has been searching ever since you disappeared on the night grandfather died. I want to meet you brother, and I hope we can soon. Just let me know when is best.

- Kiyomoro Rokuyari

Mitunse narrowed his eyes in disbelief as he peered over the letter. He leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes in thought as he started to get light headed. He put the letter back on the table before leaning over and peering to the open window. Was this a trap or was this really his family reaching out to him? He didn’t want to shut it out if it was true but he also did not want to be duped into some kind of trap.

Kihta looked to Mitsune and walked over to him, putting her hand on his shoulder before wrapping her arms around him, “Mitsune, are you okay?”

“It’s my brother. He’s alive...”

@nocturnedreaming​ mentions

[saizoswifey]

Holy Heck... I mean, is Ieyasu alright? I guess after the first death he must have been pretty shook and he hated the one that was beheaded but still... How, why is he like that?

he...

is not okay 

[ramble]

I’m about to get to the intrigue but I feel a fucking storm a’brewin. 

Nobunaga’s death shook him to his fucking core. Then Tadatsugu passed his one anchor aside from MC. Then he had to watch Hideyoshi die of illness and he tried to hide how hard that was for him but he couldn’t even bring himself to visit sick Hide and then after he passed he kept having visions/memories of Nobunaga talking about divine rule and what he(ieyasu) would do if he got it which was giving him anxiety to think like okay I can take this but even the person I looked up to even someone like him ended up dying without grasping it. 

Then Yasumasa dies in the battle that gained him divine rule finally. And he couldnt even celebrate he just emptily told MC that night in their room after coming home like “I won...” all softe and MC is like “Yes, you did” and hes like “thats good...im happy” but it was fucking void of all emotion at all like robotic he is numb AF and THENNN, of course, he had to take out Mitsun and he reeeeally didn’t want to do it (I mean earlier in the route he had captured Mitsunari and despite protests from his retainers to just kill him then he let Mitsunari go) it was so upsetting but Mitsunari was like its fine Ieyasu, you won the battle and are divine ruler fair and square just do it I’ll report back to Hideyoshi now (sob) and then after that was done Ieyasu came back home even more of a fucking empty shell and during their little victory feast MC notices Ieyasu is gone and she has a terrible feeling about this 

so she goes to his room and hears him basically wrecking his fucking room and ripping books apart like sobbing/breathing all heavy. This boy is having a fucking mental breakdown rn I feel so terrible for him I’m so nervous for the next part but I think MC has got this handled she’s going to be there for him and help him get through this hnnnnnng GDI 

[frywen-babbles]

Sounds of Silence pt11

Part1 | Part2 | Part3 | Part4 | Part5 | Part6 | Part7 | Part8 | Part9 | Part10

A/N: Thank you for the patience! Sorry for leaving you to suffer for so long ^^

***

He tried to study but failed spectacularly. None of the things he read stuck to him and he couldn't write even one word to the essay he was supposed to work on. He laid his head on his books, wailing in his misery when he heard the door open. He rushed to his door and swung it open.

"Hideyoshi!" he cried out before his door was even fully open, only to be greeted by baffled Hideyoshi and his booty call. "Oh, it's you," he dismissed the woman before he turned to Hideyoshi, "I need to talk to you."

"Okay, I'll just..."  Hideyoshi shot an apologetic look to his booty call and whispered something in her ear. She agreed to whatever he said and pulled him to a kiss Mitsunari thought would never end.

"Don't choke each other," he said surly, ready to be rid of the damn woman. She gave him the finger over Hideyoshi's shoulder before she let him go and smiled.

"I'll call you. Bye." She left as fast as she had the previous morning. Hideyoshi let out a disappointed sigh before he turned to Mitsunari.

"What do you need to talk about?"

"I kissed her!"

"Finally!" Hideyoshi exclaimed, only to earn a glare from Mitsunari.

"She pushed me away and said she's too old for me."

"Oh, please, she's what? Like a year older than you?" Hideyoshi laughed and walked to the kitchen to get a drink.

"No." Mitsunari shot back, annoyed Hideyoshi didn't seem to understand. He told Hideyoshi how old she had told him she was.

Hideyoshi spat out the water and coughed until he managed to wheeze, "What? She's how old? What the hell?"

Mitsunari slumped on a chair and covered his face. "I know..." he mumbled in his hands.

"What?" Hideyoshi asked when he managed to steady his breath.

"I said I know! How am I supposed to fix this?"

"Okay, okay." Hideyoshi sat down and took a deep breath before he levelled his gaze at Mitsunari, "I need to know you're absolutely sure about this. I care about her too and I'm not going to lift a finger if you're not serious."

"I..." Mitsunari fell silent. He had been so desperate to sort things out with her, to make sure she didn't hate him it never occurred him to think about what he wanted from their relationship. Did he want them to be friends? Lovers? He thought about it over and over again until he came to a conclusion.

"I think I'm in love with her..." he finally managed to say, his gaze firmly fixed on the table. He wanted to be her friend. But he couldn't help but want the sort of intimacy with her you only get with a lover.

"Okay," Hideyoshi said, his voice soft. Mitsunari looked up and saw his gentle smile turn into a mischevious one, "I'll try my best, but no promises!"

***

It was awkward at home, to put it mildly. Mitsunari busied himself with his studies, staying after classes to write reports in the university library, exhausting himself in the dojo.

She didn't come to sleep next to him. Not until one night when he was woken up by the sound of the television from the living room. He opened his door to see her sitting on the sofa buried under blankets, staring at the television.

"Oh!" She noticed him with a start and reached for the remote, "Was the sound on? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake up anyone..."

"If you can't sleep, you should come sleep next to me," Mitsunari offered, certain she'd refuse him. Her face softened in a smile and she nodded.

"Okay. I'd like that." She followed him to his room and curled on his bed next to him. He placed his arm around her like many nights before and felt all the tension drain from her body.

After that, things sort of returned to normal. But there was a distance between them that hadn't been there before and every time Mitsunari saw her with one of their friends, jealousy ate him alive. It shouldn't have. He had no right to feel jealous and yet he did and he hated himself for it.

Especially because the person she seemed to spend the most time with was Hideyoshi.

He heard her giggle in the living room and threw himself harder at studying to drown out the voices. It didn't help, he still heard her laugh and it stabbed him straight into his heart.

"Okay! You won!" she laughed when she said it and he couldn't help thinking about what they were playing. "Just one." She had started to speak to aloud to Hideyoshi every now and then and he absolutely hated hearing her sound so delighted when talking to somebody else.

His door opened and she called him from the door, "Mitsun?" She looked bashful, slight pink tinting her cheeks, but a bright smile pushed through, "Monkey talked me into it. One date. We'll see how it goes, okay?"

He stared at her for a moment, all thoughts frozen in his head. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. She actually agreed to go on a date with him. A date date? Like a real romantic date? With him?

"Manju-boy?" she asked, clearly confused. He realised he had been staring and stood up, taking a few hasty steps to close the distance between them.

"Yes!" he nodded solemnly and she smiled at him again,

"Great! I have the next Saturday off, is that okay?"

***

She had wanted to get ready in her apartment and Masanori had dropped her off. Mitsunari tried to focus on studying but all he could think about were the movie tickets he had already bought, about the museum he wanted to take her if she was interested, about the cafes and restaurants he had looked into that had had good reviews, about her smile, about seeing her all dolled up just for him and he found out he couldn't focus at all.

They had agreed he'd pick her up from her apartment, but he was there way too early. He stood in front of her apartment building, eyeing at the for once quiet European cafe debating if he should go in there or head for her apartment. He had almost reached her door, when it flung open and she dashed out, the door slamming to the wall. She crashed onto him full force sending him stumbling, but he managed to catch her in her arms, steadying them both.

It took only one look at her face to know something was wrong.

Horribly, horribly wrong.

***

@honeybeelily    @you-mass-effect-my-dragon-age    @han-pan    @masamunesmistress    @dreamfar628 @enchantress96 

[mythiica]

Congrats on all your followers ! Can I get a scenario or mini fic of a drunken MC after a really hard day or maybe they got in a fight and her having to be literally pulled away along with some smut? Nobunaga and Mitsunari or you choose which one. ❤️ you

Title: Drunk MC + Suggestive Mini Fics

Fandom: Ikemen Sengoku

Character: Nobunaga Oda, Mitsuhide Ishida

Genre: Romance, smut

Warnings: honhonhon

Kinks: idk they dont do the hard bang bang but they almost xd

Intended Gender Audience: Female Audience

Word Count: nobu one = 980 words, mitsun = 1135 words

POV: second person w/ (Y/n)

Other comments: i ended up cutting the smutty smut short because i have a lot of other ;) requests and i dont wanna burn out LOL. still though, i hope you like it

Nobunaga Oda – Put the Sake Down

“My lord, we’re… having problems removing Lady (Y/n) from the dining hall. She has armed herself with a broken sake bottle, and we are worried that she might injure herself on accident.”

          Nobunaga looks up in disbelief and laughs. “Really?”

         The vassal nods enthusiastically. “She is asking for you.”

         “Is she now?”

         He stands from his spot and follows the worried vassal through the winding hallways. Even though the hall is still a few buildings away, he can hear you shouting.

         Nobunaga leans against the doorway of the dining hall and watches you swing around in circles, wielding a half shattered bottle in one hand. He did not really believe his vassal when they said that this was happening… but seeing it in real life… Nobunaga could barely contain himself.

         When you hear him laughing, you swing around and shoot him a deadly glare. “The hells are you laughing at?”

         He saunters forward despite his servants advising against it. “You, of course. You’re making a fool of yourself. Put the sake down and come down here.”

         Shocked by his words, you shove the bottle towards him and give Nobunaga your best threatening glare. “I’m not getting down! I’m the queen of this castle here,” you declare. “And don’t try to take that away from me.” To conclude your speech, you wave the glass at Nobunaga, and it comes dangerously close to his face. However, your movements are retarded by the alcohol in your system, so Nobunaga casually catches your wrist and pulls you down from the table. “Hey! No! Let me go!” you shriek as you try to squirm away from his grip

         “Now, now. If you’re the queen, that would suggest that you are mine,” Nobunaga replies with a sly smirk. “Afterall, I am the Devil King.”

         You relax your muscles and fall against Nobunaga’s chest. His warmth envelops you, so you bury your face into his clothing, trying to inhale his musky scent. He takes the bottle from your hand and gives it to a servant to throw away. “You’re so cozy… like a cuddly bear…”

         Nobunaga tries to pry you off, but you wrap your arms around his waist. You are surprisingly strong when you are drunk, so Nobunaga flicks your forehead. “Don’t drool on my clothes.”

         “But it will improve them,” you whine.          Sighing, Nobunaga hoists you up bridal style and walks you back to the tenshu. He places you down on his futon and wraps you in the blanket. When he turns to leave, you catch the edge of his haori and tug on it. So Nobunaga turns around and looks at you. “What is it?”

         You play with the fabric and give him a sad face. “I saw you talking with Lady Nōhime today… she is very beautiful.”

         Nobunaga raises an eyebrow.

         “And Hideyoshi said there…” you swallow, “are talks of marriage between the two of you.” You try to swallow your cries, but tears begin to trickle down your face. Sobs bubble in your chest and you pull his haori harder, trying to bring Nobunaga towards you. Realizing how weak you likely look, you hide your face in the futon and close your eyes.

         After a moment, you feel Nobunaga patting your head gently. You look up and nearly headbutt him in the face because he is so close to you. His caramel eyes are filled with emotion, and Nobunaga tucks his finger under your jaw to push your head upwards. “Don’t cry,” he whispers with a pleading voice. “Is that why you got drunk?”

        “Yes…” you confess sheepishly.

        Nobunaga exhales slowly and brings your hand – the hand he claimed from a game of go – to his lips. When he presses a kiss to your skin, all of your worries seem to melt away. “She came with a proposal on behalf of her father, but in actuality, Mitsuhide is investigating her. People talk, and there are whispers that she might in fact be a spy or an assassin.” He strokes your cheek comfortingly. “I don’t plan to marry her.”

        Relief washes over you and you nuzzle Nobunaga’s hand. “Good,” you mumble, still under the influence of the alcohol. “I really made a fool of myself, didn’t I?”

        Nobunaga laughs and nods. “Queen of the castle, eh? I don’t recall the wedding.”

        “What we- oh.”

        He presses his forehead against yours and tucks his arm around you. “Would you care to remind me how the night went?”

        You sit up slightly, pushing your hand against his chest. “You know that we didn’t actually get married, right?”

        Nobunaga’s fingers trill against the skin of your shoulder, and only now do you realize that the sleeves of your kimono have slipped far down – enough to reveal the top of your breasts. You would cover yourself, but Nobunaga pulls the hem down further and begins to kiss your collarbone. His lips are as hot as his finger tips that trace circles on your back. Electricity pulsates between the two of you, and suddenly, you feel sober.

        He tangles his fingers in your hair and pulls you down on top of him. As his knee separates your legs, you realize what he was getting at. Even if you did not actually wed, Nobunaga was going to show you that he preferred you over anyone else. Perhaps you had made a fool of yourself, but he didn’t seem to care. He kisses you deeply, his tongue slipping past your lips without hesitating.

        “N-Nobunaga,” you mutter breathlessly as he pulls back, a string of saliva hanging between the two of you. “Are you sure?”

        “Only if you are-”

        “Yes,” you reply quickly, lust burning in your lungs. You could see the same spark glinting in his beautiful eyes, and you know that he has plans to keep you up late into the night. Maybe teach you a lesson or two about making a fool of yourself in the dining hall.

Mitsunari Ishida – Cake Stealing Fairy (and other adventures)

When Mitsunari enters the kitchen, he is reading a book, so he nearly walks directly into you. Had you not jumped around with wide eyes at the last minute, Mitsunari surely would have actually stepped on you. Scared by your sudden ‘attack’, Mitsunari drops his book and screams.

         You are quick to cover his mouth with a hand though. “Shhh!!!” you insist. “If you’re too loud, you’re going to scare the yōsei.”He raises an eyebrow, and you remove your hand. However, instead of lowering your hand, you let your fingers linger on Mitsunari’s lips. “So soft…” you mumble.

         This makes Mitsunari flush a deep shade of red. “(Y/n)! Are you alright?” He clasps your hands together to keep you from squirming away. “Have you been drinking?”

         “No!” You hiccup. “I’m looking for the yōsei. I told you. She came in through the window and stole my cake.”

         Mitsunari pushes his glasses up his nose and catches a glimpse of the half empty bottle of sake on the table. He exhales and takes your hand. “There is no fairy. You are drunk. Come now, let us take you to bed. You need rest and some tea.” He pulls you toward the door, but you catch hold of the nearest table.

         “Your book!” you exclaim.

         “What about it?”

         “It’s not there anymore.”

         Mitsunari looks down, expecting to see the book simply kicked under the table, but it is not there. “What?”

         “I told you there is a yōsei!!!” You jump up and down. “It stole my cake and now it’s hiding. Help me find it, please Mitsunari. I’ve had a long day…” you plead with a slurred voice. “And that cake was going to make me happy. But now I don’t have it anymore!”

         “Alright, I will help you,” Mitsunari says to console you. “Where were you when the fairy took your cake?”

         “I was getting something to drink.”

         He looks around when he hears a chirp from above.

         “It’s the fairy!” you exclaim.

         A sparrow flies from the top of a cabinet to the window, and it is carrying Mitsunari’s book in its claws. You race towards it, only for the bird to fly out of the window and into the night. “No, come back! You ate my cake!”

         Mitsunari catches you before you fall over the edge, pulling you back to the ground. “Careful!” When you reel back, you press yourself against Mitsunari by accident. Under the influence of the alcohol, you thought it be a wonderful idea to kiss his soft lips. He flushes to a deep shade of red, but does not move away. “Uh… (Y-Y/n)?”

         “Your eyes are so pretty…”

         He clears his throat and wraps an arm around you. “Come now, let us go to bed.”

         “Your bed?!”

         “No. I’m taking you to your room.”

         “Aww…” you whine. “But I want to kiss you.. and your soft lips…”

         The entire walk to your room, you try your best to seduce him. “Are you blind?” you ask as you lean against the doorframe. You push your hip outwards in an attempt to intrigue him.

         Mitsunari covers his eyes. “No, princess, but you are not in the right mindset. You need to sleep.”

         Whining more, you stumble into your room and begin to strip your kimono from your skin. “Too hot..” you complain as the fabric slips from your shoulders. However, you had forgotten to undo one of the knots, so it does not fall past your waist. “Mitsuuu… can you help?”

         He sighs and steps inside and struggles to look everywhere but your breasts. Sure enough though, Mitsunari manages to undo the knot for you. “I’ll be taking my leave now,” he whispers before rushing out of the room.

         You catch his wrist before he has the chance to and pull him back towards you. “No, please.”

         Mitsunari realizes that your voice is different this time – there is no teasing lit woven into your words as a result of the sake. You sound more vulnerable… more desperate than before. “Is everything alright?”

         “I tried to tell you earlier, but you were too busy reading.”

         “Tell me what?”

         You sigh, blowing your hair away from your face. “I like you… a lot,” you confess with a giggle. “I have for a while, and I was going to tell you today, but you weren’t listening. So I decided to consult my therapist, Dr. Sake.” You lower your voice. “He’s a great listener.”

         Thousands of thoughts run rampant through his mind as he remembers the events from earlier that day. He groans at his obliviousness and opens his mouth to say something.

         “Wait, fuck, have my boobs been hanging out this entire time?” you realize, looking down at yourself. “Well this is awkward..”

         Mitsunari doesn’t know what to do – his extensive knowledge only really applies to war or espionage or weaponry. You were none of those things, so he felt greatly underprepared. Still, he did not want to let the moment go. Fueled by impulse, Mitsunari cups your face and kisses you. You moan into the kiss, quick to wrap your hands around him so that he does not rethink his choice.

          When you lean back, the both of you are out of breath, and you feel more sober all of a sudden. “W-What was that for?”

         He lets go of your cheeks and takes a step backwards. “I’m sorry, princess. I don’t know-”

         “Can you do it again? You taste nice… like ginger tea and honey.”

         Mitsunari does not know how to react to your forwardness. “I really should be going…” He does not want to go though. He wants to stay and kiss you again. Even after drinking sake, you smell so nice and calming. Mitsunari always loved it when you came to sit with him in his office, even if he never knew how to admit it.

         So he lingers in his spot, looking at you with big eyes, unsure how to proceed.

         You take the lead and wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him close for another kiss. This one is more steamy than the previous. Mitsunari locks his arm around you and guides you towards your futon. As you lie down and open your kimono, Mitsunari catches your hand. “Are you absolutely positive?”

         “I want you… even if I’m drunk and probably won’t remember.”

         Mitsunari smirks, something you have never seen before. “I will ensure that you don’t forget this,” he promises as he undoes the ties to his own haori. The fabric falls to the ground and he presses his body to yours, enveloping you in warmth. He kisses down your jaw and neck, leaving goosebumps in his wake as he explores your body.

         Indeed, you won’t be forgetting this any time soon.

[otome-reviews]

IkeSen: Tokugawa Ieyasu Dramatic Route Review [SPOILERS]

“I won’t let go of you. Not until the day I die.”

Between IkeSen’s Ieyasu and SLBP’s Ieyasu, I’ve always preferred IkeSen’s version, but only by a smidgen. So...I admittedly may have come into this route much more biased against him than I should be. 

Because if you’ve ever encountered Ieyasu in any main story or event, you probably know that this guy’s a bit of a misanthrope. And surprise surprise, in this route, MC and Ieyasu do not get off on the right foot. When MC is shipped off to Ieyasu’s castle to be watched after a failed escape attempt (tl;dr he saves her from some murderous ronin), the kid is a giant mega asshole about it (“Don’t get the wrong idea. I have no desire to be friends with you”).

But nevertheless, MC persists. She stays happy and friendly, even when he’s harsh during archery lessons, and goes out of his way to avoid her. And I guess that’s exactly what Ieyasu needs, because as time goes on, he definitely starts softening towards MC, without giving up his contrarian ways. He shows MC Wasabi, his “food reserve” aka his pet deer, lmao. He buys her earrings (while claiming the gift doesn’t mean anything). It takes a long time for the poor guy to embrace his growing feelings for MC, but even well before he does so, it’s clear that MC is special to him, somehow (“when I’m with you, MC, I feel like I’m going mad”).

Ieyasu strikes me as a pretty reactive guy, and his story definitely provides a ton of external catalysts for relationship development. Ieyasu gets captured. He gets grievously injured. MC gets captured (by Kenshin - definitely a route highlight, lmao). Ieyasu gets injured - again! Of all the IkeSen routes I’ve read to date, this one is probably the most dangerous for our poor couple, and each time something life-threatening takes place, the nature of MC and Ieyasu’s relationship changes again. It’s pretty freaking excellent writing!

Which is good, because to be very honest, I’m still not the biggest fan of the romance itself, or Ieyasu’s personality. MC has to try wayyy too hard in the beginning, imho (any sane woman would’ve probably given up immediately!). His obsessiveness and jealousy after getting together with MC is off-putting. I can barely tolerate Kenshin’s jealousy in his ES - and Ieyasu is way less funny about it. And on top of all that, there are aspects of Ieyasu’s character that I really wished the plot would expand on more. What is the origin/nature of Mitsun and Ieyasu’s odd “friendship”, and what does Ieyasu really feel about the guy? Ieyasu is supposed to be one of the three great unifiers of Japan - are there any aspects of his personality that would make him a good leader? 

It really speaks to how talented the IkeSen writers are, that regardless of all that, I still loved reading the route. Ieyasu has a lot of good or funny isolated moments (two words: angry nap, lmfao). The Dramatic Ending plot is probably the strongest IkeSen ending I’ve read to date (spoiler: MC has to Paul Revere it back to Azuchi to save Ieyasu’s life, and it is glorious). And as usual, I loved all the cameos from the other warlords!

Overall, do I recommend Ieyasu’s route? Yes, absolutely. Even if you’re like me and still not sold on his character after 13 episodes and an epilogue, you’re likely to enjoy the fast paced plot and adventure. And if you are charmed by our resident grumpy face, more power to you! Ieyasu’s route is excellently written, and there is something for everyone.

​Personality: 4/10. Ieyasu is a prickly porcupine/cat. It might be your cuppa tea, but it sure ain’t mine. Also he’s ever so slightly obsessive about MC.

Appearance: 6.5/10. He’s a cutie pie, and his grumpy face is adorable.

MC: 10/10. MC is a total badass! I also admire her persistence, which I do not possess, haha. 

Plot/Payoff: 10/10. Imho this is probably the best IkeSen plot I’ve read to date (and there are quite a few great ones out there!).

Personal enjoyment: 6.5/10. I don’t love Ieyasu and I really didn’t ship them, but his story was nonetheless a thrilling read!

Masterlist

[daeva-agas]

Continuation of monkey Hide AU

After he gets used to his human form he ends up being the normal mama Hide mode

It’s just that instead of slipping into coarse language every now and then he just starts babbling in gibberish because monkey

Also because actual monkey he hides Nobu’s candies in places that are Very Hard To Reach. Like the ceiling and support beams. Or just straight out in the ceiling itself. Sasuke gets confused about all the candies in the ceiling when he comes to spy (IDK since this is a fantasy AU the Kasugayama folks can be a rival cultivation sect or something)

Just because Nobubu can do the kungfu flying thingy doesn’t mean it’s fun having to fly around the room checking every pillar to see if the candy is there

Hmm wait but this is a fantasy land what about Shingen... 

Oh I know.

Shingen has malformed spiritual channels that causes abnormal energy flow and make him cough up blood often. Very hard to fix even with all the spiritual magic and potions.

I imagine Mitsun would be like... very skilled but too clumsy to fly on swords and fans like all the normal kungfu masters do so he has a flying giant basket or something (Mitsun: “It can even hold books so I can read on the journey. Hide: don’t read while flying you’ll bump into people)

Also... *gasp* THAT MEANS IN THIS UNIVERSE KUNGFU MONK KENNYO IS A THING

[ohtomatotome]

The Two Mitsus

Title: The Two Mitsus -- Or Mitsun Impossible

Characters: Mitsunari, Mitsuhide

Word count: 1.3k

Warnings: None

A/N: This was originally written for @destinedatmidnight for the @ikesencrypticcupid exchange in 2018. I’ve always thought Mitsunari, with his genius for strategy and his power of concentration, would be the perfect stake-out partner for Mitsuhide. So this little story was a fun way to show there’s more to him than meets the eye, and that his bumbling isn’t always by accident.

Mitsunari sat a table in a crowded tea house, holding a book in his hands. A bowl of steamed vegetables and a cup of tea sat on the table in front of him. Neither had been touched yet. The young waitress had come by a couple of times to see if he wanted them reheated, but he never acknowledged her, instead keeping his eyes solely on his book.

Mitsuhide entered the tea house. He didn’t seem to notice Mitsunari as he leisurely made his way towards a table where two scruffy men sat. He smoothly slid into the seat opposite them and gave them a crescent of a smile. The three of them began speaking in low voices.

Two or three minutes after Mitsuhide’s arrival, Mitsunari stood up, tucked the book under his arm, and balanced the bowl in one hand and his tea cup in the other. He passed by Mitsuhide’s table on his way towards the front entrance. He suddenly stumbled and the cup flew out of his hands, spilling tea all over the feet of one of the scruffy men.

“Oh! Oh no. I’m sorry, sir. Here, let me clean that up!” Mitsunari exclaimed. As he bent towards the edge of the table, a scrap of paper fell out of his kimono sleeve onto Mitsuhide’s lap.

Crouching under the table, Mitsunari dabbed at the man’s toes and sandals.

“Stop that!” He said angrily, adding in a low mutter, “Th-that tickles.”

The young waitress had rushed over when she heard the tea cup clatter on the wooden floor. She bent down to pick it up, then asked Mitsunari “Do you want a refill, sir?”

He stood up and replied “No, thank you. I don’t want any more tea. But I think I will finish these vegetables outside where the lighting is better for reading. And I apologize for making a mess.” He flashed his angelic smile at her.

The waitress’s lips curved upwards in an involuntary response to Mitsunari’s own dazzling smile. She shook her head in a dazed manner and said, “Don’t worry. Please come back any time.  Please. Come back. Any time. Please. Come. Back...” Her words repeated and drifted off as she stared dreamily at him.

Mitsuhide softly cleared his throat, fighting the temptation to roll his eyes.

Mitsunari bowed to the waitress, saying “I’m sorry” once more before heading outside. He sat down on a bench, balanced the bowl on his lap, and opened his book again.

About twenty minutes later much of the dining crowd exited the tea house, including the two men Mitsuhide had been talking with. Mitsunari had been picking through his bowl of vegetables when he suddenly discovered a big chunk of carrot in his chopsticks. He flung it away. The carrot splattered the back of one of the scruffy men.

He turned around, frowning at Mitsunari. “Did you just throw food at me?” he growled.

Mitsunari was peering into his bowl, but looked up when the man spoke to him. “Oh! Did that hit you? I apologize, sir. It was a carrot.”

The man took a step menacingly towards Mitsunari. “So?!”

Mitsunari looked innocently at the man. “Well, you see, I don’t like carrots. I wanted it far away from me. I hope it didn’t hurt.”

The man’s expression went from angry to bewildered. “Wha …? Hurt?” He huffed with annoyance, returned to his friend and they walked down the road.

As Mitsunari turned his head from the men to glance across the street, he saw a flash of indigo go in the same direction of the two men and then disappear from view. Mitsunari gave a little sigh of relief.

A moment later Mitsuhide came out of the tea house, pausing just long enough beside the bench for Mitsunari to pick up his book and stand up. They strolled through the village towards the castle.

After a while, Mitsunari broke the silence. “Everything you suspected was correct. They were planning on double-crossing you today after they collected your information.”

Mitsuhide gave a curt nod. “And thanks to you, I could play my part to alleviate any suspicion they had of me knowing their plan. ”

A grin broke out on Mitsunari’s face. “You’re very welcome, Lord Mitsuhide.”

“When I saw you had your head in a book, I was worried you hadn’t been paying attention to their conversation.” Mitsuhide muttered in a bored tone.

Flipping the book open in front of them, Mitsunari showed him blank page after blank page, then said “Quite right, quite right. If this had been a real book, I most likely would have been absorbed in it. So I brought a blank journal instead.” Tucking the book back under his arm, he asked brightly, “So when is the next mission?”

Mitsuhide didn’t miss a beat in replying. “I’m never using you again. Not after those theatrics.”

The happy grin turned into a smirk “Oh?” Mitsunari cast a calculating side-glance at Mitsuhide. “You mean ... the spilled tea?”

“Yes.” Mitsuhide said as dryly as possible, trying to keep the interest out of his eyes as he noticed Mitsunari’s unfamiliar expression.

Mitsunari dug a small glass vial from his sash and handed it to Mitsuhide, saying “I spilled that tea so I could have an excuse to get close enough to their feet in order to apply this oil to their sandals. This will enable Ranmaru to track them through the woods and over long distances. And it also allowed me to pass you the note warning you not to accept their invitation to the  massage parlor just now. They have a group of thugs waiting to kill you there.”

Mitsuhide rolled the vial between his smooth fingers, and raised his eyebrow skeptically. “I would not have gone with them anyway.” He tucked the vial into his sash. “But I appreciate the tip-off.”

They walked on in silence a few more minutes before Mitsuhide said in mild annoyance. “And what was that with the carrot? Why did you even order them if you hate them? Your little stunt could have ruined the plan.”

Mitsunari didn’t look remorseful or perturbed. Instead, that appraising look had once more entered his eyes and a slight smirk played at his lips again. “When I saw how crowded the tea house was, I made sure to order them to have on hand. I was worried that if our marks had left inside the crowd, Ranmaru wouldn’t know which men to tail. It was a precautionary measure. One that ended up being necessary, I might add.”

Mitsuhide stifled a “tch” before asking “But why did it have to be carrots? You could have thrown any vegetable at him.”

“Oh no,” replied Mitsunari in complete sincerity. “I despise carrots. I wanted the performance to feel as true as possible. And throwing any other food would have been wasteful.”

Mitsuhide was silent, his face briefly showing surprise -- an uncommon expression for him.  Another minute passed before he said “I had no idea Ranmaru gave you this oil beforehand.”

“He didn’t. I formulated it based on a few things I had read.” Mitsunari replied simply.

A look of appreciation flashed in Mitsuhide’s eyes before his usual fox-like look returned to them. “What would it take to have you concoct another batch of this oil?”

Mitsunari replied with a small tinge of self-satisfaction, “I delivered a small crate to both Ranmaru and your man Kyubei earlier this morning.”

A nod was all the reply Mitsuhide gave as they made their way back to the castle. As they passed under the gate and were about to go their separate ways, Mitsuhide said “I don’t like surprises. So ... no surprises next time.” He turned away to go up the castle steps.

Mitsunari grinned at Mitsuhide’s retreating back. “You mean there will be a next time, my lord? I get to be used on another mission?”

No answer came. But a rare look of genuine amusement and admiration crossed Mitsuhide’s face as he walked away.

[maddy-the-otome-hoe]

Heavily pregnant mc and Mitsun are in town shopping for baby clothes when a brute ronin shoves her out of his way. How does Mitsun react to this?

Ok I finally have time to answer this properly because man this is another big mood. 

It was normal for you to take walks around town during the day but today was special because Lord Mitsunari actually had time to join you. Holding tightly to your hand you both walked down the streets of town. “While we’re here why don’t we pick up some more clothes. I’m worried we won’t have enough.” His suggestion made your heart race and tears filled your eyes. “Good gracious woman. What in hells has you crying this time?” You hurriedly wiped your tears away and smiled at him.

“It just makes me really happy to see you getting ready for the baby. I love you so much.” Mitsunari couldn’t help but blush and look away from you. “Sorry. I know me being so emotional makes you uncomfortable. I’m just so happy.” Mitsunari gave you a soft smile as he handed you a handkerchief.

“Don’t be so daft. It’s not like you can control it. Now let’s hurry before the shop closes. You could pop at any moment and I’d like to be more than prepared for it if possible.” You nodded and began walking down the road with Mitsunari. The two of you were nearly to the shop when a rather large man came out of a shop. Mitsunari had assumed he would just go around the two of you. He never imagined the man tear himself between the two of you and throw you to the ground. Mitsunari instantly went to your side and checked you over. Several people gathered around now in concern. “Someone go to the castle and fetch some guards.” He looked to a woman standing by. “Stay with her please.” The woman nodded and kneeled beside you. Once he knew  you were alright he stood up and grabbed the man in a fit of rage. “How dare you put your filthy hands on her. You dullard of a bastard. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t strike you down where you stand.” The man didn’t even flinch at Mitsunari’s anger and you worried for your husband’s safety. When the man looked back at you his eyes were beyond cold.

“I don’t see the problem. It’s not like she can’t have more. And if the babe was that week in the womb it wasn’t fit for the world.” His words felt like a knife to your heart and your hands instantly went to your stomach. Tears began to fall down your face in worry for the baby you carried. Hearing you cry only fueled Mitsunari’s rage as his fist connected to the brutes jaw. The man tried to hit Mitsunari back but Mitsunari was ready for it. After several of his swings missed the man drew his sword and came at Mitsunari. Not able to watch you closed your eyes and prayed that Mitsunari would be alright. Your ears picked up the scraping sounds of metal followed by a loud thud. When you dared to open your eyes the brute that had shoved you to the ground was unconscious with his face in the dirt. Mitsunari put his sword away and went back to you. He noticed that you were trembling and crying. 

“Are you alright manju girl?” You nodded and he began to stroke your hair. He hated that people were watching but he knew that making you feel better was his first priority. When the guards arrived he explained what had happened. “When we get back to the castle send for the doctor to come to my chambers.” Now that his rage had subsided he couldn’t help but be  worried. You seemed to be uninjured, as well as the baby, but he was no doctor and he would not be taking any chances.