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darkdevasofdestruction · 3 months ago

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Chapter 1 - A Demure Smile

It was a lovely evening of Spring, not too hot, yet not too cold either. It was the perfect time for two people, a woman and a man, to casually walk through the illuminated streets of the beautiful Kyoto. The night was starry, and a calming breeze was enough to calm everything down, and pass along the beautiful perfume of the blooming flowers.

The couple was carrying some big luggage, yet they were both dressed elegantly - Not too posh, not too casual either - Just enough to pass off as respectable people. They were planning a long awaited trip, and their car was close-by, yet they decided to take a short detour, the weather was that lovely.

However, in the spur of the moment, almost as if in the blink of an eye, really, the beautiful night turned into a complete mayhem, as sudden thunders were heard in the distance, and the lightning struck dangerously close, and blindingly bright. And then, a torrential rain poured over them. The two looked at each other, ready to run away to cover, back at their car, only to feel a killing dizziness take over them...

A mixing vertigo was enough to make the two faint on the spot.

The red haired woman, Katrina, with some difficulty, opened her eyes, realising the dizziness passed - But she was alone. She didn't panic, not yet, at least, as she figured out that not only was she alone, but she was in a completely different place altogether. In front of her, there were no more building, nor shops or the beautiful trees from down the road - Instead, a temple alit by flames was the sole thing she saw through the billowing scorching smoke that was obscuring her vision. In fact, she was in this wooden building, and she had to run the hell away, before it collapsed on her, or she asphyxiated on the Carbon Dioxide.

She covered her nose and mouth inside the trench coat hanging from her shoulders, and just as she was about to leap the hell away from there, she noticed a man laying on the ground, seemingly asleep or knocked out. He was dressed in what looked like a suit of armour from long ago... Like a samurai. Or something close to that. Approaching him, another man, dressed in robes, of a rich purple and possibly green, raised what looked like a cane or a staff, along with a glimmering blade - It seemed to Kat that he had murderous intentions.

Not sure of what to do, or whether to act in any way, she decided to take a piece of rubble and hurl it at the assailant. "Leave him alone!" she yelled at him as she rushed to the unconscious man's side, shaking him awake until finally he lethargically opened his eyes.

"Who are you?" his voice was deep, possibly made even deeper by the way he was so deep into his sleep.

"Later. You were about to get killed, and this place will collapse soon. We've got to escape." the red haired girl grabbed him by the arm, helping him up, and together, they ran away from there, just in time to watch the temple collapse to the ground. "That was close." the woman muttered, getting in a crouched position, trying to ground herself and ease her breathing.

"Someone tried to do away with me while I slept? Audacious, but foolish. Killing my guards and getting that close to me is another matter." the man huffed, glaring at the temple with resentment.

"Say what you will about that assassination attempt, but it was almost successful." the woman sighed as she got up and used her sleeve to wipe the soot away from her face. However, her beautiful outfit was a mess. The black turtleneck, the black jeans, the boots, her watch, jewellery... Everything was covered in soot and ashes.

"You saved my life. You may be some girl the monks snuck in for amusement, but I owe you my thanks." he said, looking the girl up and down, analysing her and her weird attire.

She looked at him, and said nothing for a while. She was always the kind to either be silent or, in the cases she wanted to speak, to collect her thoughts and think before letting those ideas get out of her mouth. "I'd rather you not make such obsolete assumptions." came her response, her arms crossed defensively over her chest, as she looked away, offended.

"What were you staring at? Surely, you know who I am." his rough voice came out as cold and bored.

"...Sorry, I really don't know." she muttered, not daring to look at him, yet she wasn't afraid, just uncomfortable.

"You saved me without knowing who I am? Not expecting reward or favour?" he asked, almost as if shocked by her words.

"Promise to ask for your identity card next time." she pulled her trench coat closer to her, almost as if it was her only defense mechanism available.

"So be it. I shall tell you my name. I am the man who will rule all under the sun-" he began, as the girl noticed a confident, devilish smirk growing on his face.

"Not interested." she deadpanned, turning away to look into the horizon, scanning the place for any other person... Or any clue as to where she was and what was going on.

"What?" he blinked, not expecting such a response. "You're a curious one, woman. No one's ever spoken so impudently to me before." he spoke, but she didn't even turn to look at him or acknowledge he spoke. "You intrigue me, which is almost as worthy of praise as saving my life." he let out a loud, amused laugh, and the devilish glint in his eye only glimmered brighter. Katrina merely hummed in approval, absent-minded. "I am the Lord of Azuchi Castle and the Daimyo of Owari, Nobunaga Oda."

For the first time since the beginning of the conversation, Katrina turned to properly get a look at him. Then, with concern and worry painted on her face, she turned to look back at the temple. The name 'Honno-Ji' was engraved on the gate. Putting her hand on her forehead, the woman turned her gaze back to the brunet man, looking him in the eyes with a very exhausted look. "Please don't tell me the year is 1582."

"With what purpose would I lie about the year we are in?" he asked, seeing the girl close her eyes and slap her forehead. As soon as she opened her eyes again, she let out a dejected sigh.

"Things got very problematic and complicated all of a sudden." it seemed to him that she was made to take care of 100 naughty children, that's how done with life she looked.

"What are you doing that for? I've given you my name, now it is your turn." that wicked smirk on his face grew wider. Before she got to answer, however, he took a step forward and took her chin in his hand, raising her head as he forced her to meet his dark, abyss-like eyes. "Give me your name."

"Don't do that please, it is rude." she calmly put her hand over his, taking a step backward. "My name is Hasashi Katrina." she informed him.

"Katrina, huh? An unusual name, but rather pretty." he mused at her.

"...Thank you? I will inform my mother that you thought so." she raised her eyebrow questioningly, yet looked to the side, uncomfortable. "Listen, I-... Uhm..." the girl fidgeted on her spot, biting her lip and trying to come up with a viable question, but her attempts were drowned out by a loud voice, calling out her name, along with the loud sound of a large group coming their way.

"Nevermind..." she muttered in a low, barely audible voice.

"Lord Nobunaga, you are safe!" a man dressed in white and purple, with grey hair and a calm expression, called out and rushed to their side.

At the same time, Drew, Katrina's boyfriend, hurried and pulled her roughly to his side, making her uncomfortably stumble over her own feet. "Calm down." she muttered, putting her hands over her chest to pull some distance between them. It wasn't proper to behave that way in front of people, especially strangers.

"Why are you rejecting me?!" the man was angry, and it grew more as the girl shushed him, paying attention rather to the strangers' interactions, than to him.

"Mitsunari? Why are you here? Where is Hideyoshi?" Ishida Mitsunari... Toyotomi Hideyoshi... Oh dear. No bueno.

"Lord Hideyoshi sent me ahead. He should be here shortly." then, Mitsunari looked at the raging flames dancing everywhere around the collapsed temple and frowned gravely. "We received information about an assassination attempt. It appears to have been true. I had my men search the grounds, but whoever it was had already fled. If I may ask, who is this? I saw the two of you leave the temple together."

"Katrina, present yourself to my subordinate." Nobunaga ordered simply.

"I am-" she began, only to be cut shortly by the man dressed in a dark red shirt who put his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them enough for her to blink in pain and bite her lip.

"Her name is Katrina, and she is my girlfriend. I am Drew." the possessive poison in his voice made the girl want to throw herself in the nearest well and end her life from the embarrassment she was feeling.

"I'd... Rather speak for myself." she muttered after a tense silence.

"I believe I asked the woman who saved my life, not her lackey." Nobunaga's glare sent shivers through the modern man's spine, but he didn't budge. Stupid man ego.

"Please, this is on me. It was rude of me not to introduce myself first. My name is Ishida Mitsunari. I serve at the side of Lord Hideyoshi, Lord Nobunaga's right-hand man." the grey-haired man spoke with curtesy, in a gentle voice.

"It is a pleasure meeting you. I am Hasashi Katrina." the girl bowed slightly at the man as a greeting.

"I don't know who she is, but she woke me up and saw me to safety." Nobunaga informed his vassal.

"She did! I can't thank you enough for protecting our Lord's life." Mitsunari thanked the girl, who could only blush slightly from the embarrassment for having so much attention on her.

"Please, do not thank me. I did nothing worth of praises." she shook her head lightly, biting her lip.

"But what brought you here tonight?" he asked again, a bit suspicious. "You don't appear to be a nun, and your outfit is unusual. Are you from abroad?"

"Ah... You wouldn't believe me if I told you." she scratched the back of her neck awkwardly, trying to find some words to explain what happened.

"We're from the future." Drew spoke without thinking, which only made the girl roll her eyes and sigh loudly. "Great." she muttered, done with life.

"What?!" both the lord and the vassal exclaimed in shock at the same time.

"Can we... Have this conversation over tea or something? It's... A lot to explain." she tried to explain the situation.

"It's not so much to explain. We got stuck in a thunderstorm that made us time-travel to this point in the past. We are from 500 years in the future." the man explained simply, making his girlfriend put her hand over her forehead in disbelief.

"Quite the story-teller too, yet I've never heard such an absurd story!" Nobunaga barked a laugh.

"The smoke and tiredness from the journey must be disorienting, I'm sure. Sit down over there, try to get some fresh air. Someone will bring you a change of clothes. Once you're freshened up, you'll feel much better." the man said in a sweet voice.

"Thank you for your consideration, Mitsunari." she spoke graciously, only for the grey-haired man to take her hands in his, holding them until a soldier came up with a bundle.

And thus, a light, yellow kimono, along with an orange haori were brought for the girl, while her boyfriend was given a plain, green one. Once they were changed - Thankfully, using different tents - Mitsunari guided the two to the center of the hastely-put up camp. He then went ahead to bring them both a cup of warm water to clear their throat. The only other person around was Nobunaga, whose gaze lingered on the girl who couldn't look at him because of that. Drew's hand went over her shoulder, squeezing it tightly as he pulled her to his side. She said nothing.

In that instant, another man, with white hair and dressed in white and aquamarine, made his way to the Lord, with a concerned, yet somehow passive expression.

"Lord Nobunaga, are you alright?" this man asked, stepping in front of the brunet lord. The first thing Katrina noticed about him wasn't his snake-like smirk that followed soon after the concerned look, but the beautiful rifle that hung from his waist.

"Mitsuhide?" Nobunaga seemed surprised to see him here. The man who, in the future, is known as Nobunaga's traitor, the one who had him killed here, seems concerned in all the weirdest ways about his Lord.

"I hurried here when I heard about the attack, but it seems there was nothing for me to worry about." he spoke, the smirk gracing his features seeming more natural than the concerned one.

"You, worry? Don't make me laugh. I've never even seen you sweat." Nobunaga seemed amused and at ease around him, as if they were old friends.

As they had this exchange of words, another man, with messy chestnut hair, burst through, much louder - And he seemed more genuine in his concerns too. "Lord Nobunaga, are you alright?!" he, too, asked, in a more shouted voice.

"Hideyoshi. The only injury I suffered is to my pride in letting my assailant escape." Nobunaga's hand casually traced his sword's handle, a serious expression on his face.

"At least you're alive! And it's thanks to my girlfriend! You could be a bit more grateful, you know?" Drew glared at the Lord, making Kat hide her face in her hands in shame.

"Well, aren't you outspoken and rude?" Hideyoshi glared at the man, whose grip on the girl tightened enough for her to jolt her arm away from him and walk towards the warlords.

"Please don't mind him. My name is Hasashi Katrina, it is a pleasure meeting you." she spoke, gracing them with a bow.

"She is the one who saved my life." he spoke so casually, as if it meant nothing at this point.

"Forget it. It's nothing worthy of so much attention." her voice was calm and demure, never once wavering.

"You saved Nobunaga...? My, and you're such a slender thing. But it appears your courage makes up for it." Mitsuhide praised the girl, who could only sigh and look away, saying nothing more.

"Mitsuhide, what are you doing here?" Hideyoshi asked accusatory.

"I was wondering the same thing. I didn't know you were in Kyoto. What about the campaign?" Mitsuhide asked with a similar tone.

"When I heard about the threat on Lord Nobunaga's life, I dropped everything to come here. But I never heard anything about you being in Kyoto." came the dead pan response.

"Are you implying anything?" Mitsuhide asked with a cold sneer.

"Can you swear before our Lord you weren't plotting anything?" Hideyoshi glared at the man - They seemed like arch-nemesis.

Katrina, feeling uncomfortable with the horribly tense silence, cleared her throat and casually spoke up. "If my testimony matters for anything, the man who tried to kill Nobunaga was wearing deep purple and green robes - Not armor - and held a staff and a sword. Also, he was tall and pretty burly... And I'm pretty sure he was brunet. That's, uhm... All I was able to see through the smoke and fire. I'm sorry I can't be of more help." she spoke, only to be received with even more silence, yet now everyone was looking at her now. "I-I mean... I just think it wasn't Mitsuhide... Because his outfit is pristine clean, while my outfit was completely ruined, and he doesn't look like that man either... Uhm..." she coughed awkwardly. "Please don't fight in my presence, it makes me very uncomfortable." she crossed her arms to her chest, looking down.

"Katrina, was it? Stay out of this." Hideyoshi's harsh voice became directed towards the red haired girl, who could only remain silent. "We'll settle things with you later, and learn why you've schemed to get so close to Lord Nobunaga."

"...Sure." she simply shrugged her shoulders, not caring about any implication. "No good deed goes unpunished with you, I see." her snark towards Hideyoshi made the silver haired fox snigger.

"Enough, Hideyoshi. Regardless of what bring Mitsuhide here, I am alive and well." and with that, Hideyoshi visibly relaxed and apologised to his Lord. "Hideyoshi, Mitsuhide... And you... Whatever you name was. Give us a moment, I have something to discuss with Katrina." Nobunaga ordered the three man.

"What?! Why the hell do you want to stay alone with my girlfriend? I won't allow it!" Drew's loud and annoying voice came through, making the girl hide her face in her hands.

"Please, just... Stop making a scene. Step aside, it's just talking." she tried to make him go quiet, but he didn't. In the end, both Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide took Drew by each arm and got him out of there. "I'm very sorry about him. He, uhm... Well... Nevermind. What did you want to talk to me about?" she sighed, exhausted, yet her voice was as calm and collected as always.

"Your bold lies about coming from the future aside, you saved my life. I'm intrigued by you. You're a woman who carries fortune's favour, of that, I'm certain. You have a man by your side, yet he's not man enough to be worthy of you. How would you like to rule the world at by side?" Nobunaga's strong arm snaked around her waist, drawing her flush against his chest.

"U-Uhm... That's uhm... You're making me uncomfortable, being so close." she said after registering what was going on. She then put her hand on his arm to get him to let her go, and she stepped backwards - For the second time that day. "As I said previously, I would like to clarify the incident of us coming to this place. I... I am not a liar. I do come from a future time, yet since you do not believe us - Understandably so, might I add - I will have to show you proof of that." her voice was as mellow and collected as always. "Also... I have been alive for 25 years and I don't remember any time when I was lucky... So I hope you don't actually fool yourself into believing I'm some kind of... Lucky charm." the girl explained - And he slowly looked up to see the look on his face. He was stunned, at first, but then, he started laughing.

"One of a kind, aren't you? I hope you'll speak more in the near future. It is a pleasure listening to your voice and the eloquent and calm words you're uttering." and thus, he put his hand on her back, guiding her to the horses outside.

"Don't flatter me." she muttered with an awkward cough. "So, uhm... Do I get a horse too?"

"You will be riding with me." and thus, he effortlessly got up on his very tall black stallion.

"U-Uhm... Wouldn't it be more appropriate for me to ride by myself?" the girl asked awkwardly, fidgeting on her feet; She loved horse-riding, and although pair-riding looked awesome in movies, she couldn't imagine how it would be in real life.

"Are you a confident full-speed horse-rider? bingo.

"... I guess not. I didn't get past the trotting and slow-running lessons..." she nodded in understanding. "So, uhm... How do I get up? I only ever got up on a horse when I was by myself." she chuckled lightly and a bit nervously.

"What do you mean - Riding with that guy?!" Drew's voice echoed angrily through the place. "That's my girlfriend, she'll be riding with me!" his words and tantrum made the girl hide her face thoroughly with the long sleeved of the haori.

"Give me your hand, Katrina." peeping through the draping sleeves, she saw the man encouraging her with a smirk, as he leaned down, extending his hand towards her.

She slowly stepped towards him, only to flinch and draw away her hand as soon as her boyfriend stomped over to her, yelling some more. It was a bit of a chaos, and Hideyoshi was trying to fight with him into obeying already to reason, while Mitsuhide was mocking him. Biting her lip, she focused on tuning out every bit of external sounds and shifted her gaze toward the Lord's hand - And with a spur of firey bravery, she let her hand fall over his like a discarded flower petal - And then she found herself on the horse, pulled with one swift and fluid movement, in Nobunaga's arms.

"Holy cricket." she let out a flabbergast breath of shock as she looked up at the brunet man, not even feeling the nervousness or awkwardness, only being amazed by what just happened. "That was so cool. I thought these things were only possible in movies. I was wrong." she blinked in surprise, only to look down and cover her mouth with her sleeve, letting out a silent chuckle.

"You seem easily impressed. Are men from your life that boring?" he jabbed at her with a smirk on his face.

"A-Ah... W-Well... Uhm... I-I suppose you could say that." she stammered, not really wanting to insult anything, but she seriously doubted she ever met a man who could do that with such ease.

"What a pitiful place filled with fools!" he barked tauntingly. "I will have Mitsunari prepare room a for you and that man when we arrive to Azuchi. In the meantime, I would like to have that discussion over tea you talked about." it was more of an order than a request, but Katrina didn't mind. She didn't feel threatened by the man, at least for now.

"Alright." she nodded and tried to relax, matching her breathing with the rhythm of the horse. "Separate rooms, please." that comment made the man smirk - No woman likes obnoxious brats like him.

It was weird, sitting like that on a horse, not to mention, with someone else in the same saddle, but you get used to it fairly easy, she thought to herself as she let her mind forget about anything modern and just allowed herself to lean back into his chest and admire the rising Sun, despite the feeling of drowsiness she was feeling from everything going on. In spite of the chest armor, she felt rather comfortable in his arms like that. Yes, the rhythmic up and down almost got her hypnotised, but... She felt warm and safe right where she was.

As soon as they arrived, Nobunaga didn't wait for everyone to introduce themselves to the two new-comers. Instead, he jumped off the horse and picked the girl up with ease, like a feather, then dragged her to his room, all while instructing Mitsunari on the accommodation required.

Then, as soon as they got to his room, he took off his heavy armor and sat down in front of his desk, waiting for the servants to pour tea for the two of them. Katrina sat down opposite of him, finally letting go of the small bag she had been taking care of more than her own life, and she clutched it in her hands.

She then unclenched her fingers from around it and moved her hands gingerly around the tea cup, and let herself embrace the warm feeling going down her throat, soothing her senses, a calm smile gracing her features. Finally - She was peaceful.

"I want to hear your story and proof now. Later on, when everyone has gathered, I will have a meeting and discuss everything of importance - And that includes you and the one whose name I refuse to bother to remember." hearing him address that way to Drew, she had to look down and cover her face so she could stifle a chuckle.

"Alright, I understand. I am happy that you are willing to listen to what I have to say." she said in a soft voice, after after a few seconds of silence, she opened her bag and looked at everything she had, putting it on the table. "This is a phone, this is a phone charger, an external battery, my wallet - Along with my lip balm, money, cards, keys, chewing gum, my identity card, my driver's license... Here I have a bottle of soda... Some tissues... Ah? I forgot I had my surgical gloves and spare scalpel, scissors and forceps. Why do I still keep them here?" the girl muttered, carefully examining her own instruments.

"These contraptions look foreign. I will await explanation on their usage." he spoke patiently, picking each object with care and analysing every inch of them.

"Let's see... " and thus, with the patience and calm of a princess, she took each object in her hand and explained what they were, how they were used, what they were made of and so on. It seemed to captivate the man significantly, as he didn't want her to stop talking.

"Interesting. The future seems bright and very technologically advanced and developed. So you say, with this device, I could contact anyone from across the globe by just tapping my finger on the... Screen?" he somehow managed to find the button that lights up the phone's screen, and saw the picture of the girl speaking to him, smiling happily as she let a small, black puppy lick her face. "What is this?"

"Oh... Ahaha... Sorry, that's embarrassing. Well... Most people put their lockscreen picture as something they want to see often... And that... Well... I had a puppy. She passed away recently and I really miss her. I loved her a lot. This picture makes me tear up every time I look at it, but at the same time, it makes me smile, so I don't have the heart to change it. Although... By the time I get back home, this phone will already have its battery drained, so I won't be able to see her again until then." the girl sighed pitifully, only to shake her head and regain herself. Then, she put her finger on the unlocking sensor, showing him the wallpaper.

"People in your time value their animal companions dearly, I see." he affirmed, seeing the drastic change of expression on the girl's face. Nostalgia, pain, sorrow, but also a sweet and pure kind of love and beauty were painting her visage.

"Yes... Very often, they mean to us more than children or spouses or other family members. The beauty of having a pet dog is that it loves you unconditionally. It doesn't judge you, nor does it bring you harm, or demands anything from you. It just... Exists to bring you happiness whenever you return home after a dreadful day at work." she smiled sadly, bringing her hand to her eyes, softly tapping away the wet glimmering of forming tears from her lids with the back of her hand.

"I am sorry for your loss. The way you describe your world, it seems almost as harsh as ours. A lonely place." he noted, only for her to tilt her head just a tiny bit.

"We live in the same world, yet different eras. Humanity is still humanity, facing the same hardships as they always have, through the years, since the forming of the Earth, only it is disguised under different veils and it has different-looking layers." she turned to give him an enigmatic smile. "This picture here... It is called a wallpaper. Like the one you put on the walls in a house. It is me and my best... And only friend. We are dressed in medical outfits. It was taken when we got a job as doctors in the same hospital, and we worked together in a surgery. It was the first surgery we ever did. It was very exciting, despite the stress and tension. All the blood on us made us look as if we were serial killers, but the surgery was a great success... And we couldn't not take a picture." her smile grew a bit, a soft chuckle being heard by the Lord as he saw the girl fondly trace her fingers over the screen of the phone.

"Ha! To think such a soft Princess like you would make light of being covered in blood! Aren't you amusing?" the devilish smirk on Nobunaga's face appeared once again, only for the girl to look away and hide her smile.

"It was funny!" she tried to defend herself, only to chuckle more at the silliness of the situation. "Okay, alright. You are right, I admit. It is weird. And most people don't make fun over that... But! My sense of humour is ridiculously dark and dry, especially for my time, so don't judge me!" she said, without the least bit of malice.

"I don't judge anyone for their sense of humour or their work. Very well, Katrina, I have concluded that you are, indeed, from the future, therefor I have to continue on accordingly." as they engaged in a little more light conversation, Hideyoshi knocked on the wood and told Nobunaga that all the warlords have gathered in the meeting room - The brunet said they will come soon as well.

Extending his hand for the girl to take, he guided her to the meeting room, and she saw, somewhere in the corner, Drew was seething in anger, glaring at her. Her previous passive smile and the warmth she felt by holding the Warlord's hand were wiped, and she let the cold, unbothered facade take over again.

Nobunaga went to sit in front of his table, where the Lord should stay, and Kat was invited to sit down on the pillow opposite of the table, in front of him. Katrina stood with her back to most of the Lords, and despite feeling uncomfortable with all the attention, she kept her composure straight and demure, like a proud lioness. From the back, a commotion was heard, as someone - Unexpectedly, that being Drew - Took his pillow and went to sit uncomfortably close to the girl.

"That's my girlfriend right here, I should stay next to her and protect her. You can't have me seat away from her, nor sleep in another room!" the man complained, as the girl could only close her eyes and take a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose and keeping her composure.

"Please stop making such a scene. We are not home, nor are we with people we know, therefore it's rude to complain and have a bratty behaviour with the people welcoming us with a temporary residence in their own home." she spoke elegantly, only for the man to grip her wrist tightly, using his strength to drag her up and make their way towards the exit - But Katrina snatched away her hand from his grip, shocking him, as she rubbed the reddening spot.

"You are embarrassing not only yourself, but me as well with such a tantrum - Please, stop." was all she said, giving him a look of warning, before going back to sit on the pillow as if nothing happened.

"You have a lot of nerve behaving in such a way in front of our Lord! Do you have a death wish?" Hideyoshi warned the man who was breathing heavily.

"Stupid woman." was all he could sneer under his breath, but he was ignored by everyone as Nobunaga started speaking.

"Henceforth, you will reside in this castle and give your services to me." Nobunaga spoke, as if he was reading an edict.

"How are we to serve you?" the girl merely nodded in understanding.

"However you like." he spoke, and seeing her eyes widening in confusion, he reached forwards and grasped her hand, drawing it towards him, but not enough to make her get up, like Drew did.

"Your only duty is to stay nearby. That is what I need of you. You will be my lucky charm as I unify this nation and all that lies beyond." he spoke, a smirk on his face, yet his eyes seemed cold and devoid of any kindness.

"I don't know what you see lucky in me, but... I suppose, as long as you're happy...?" she muttered, not bothering to move her hand from his grasp.

"Don't fear. You shall be known as a princess from afar and will be treated as such. Spend your days on make up, or cards and games if it suits you. And, most of all, speak up if you have anything to object or tell. Your interactions have been rather educational." as the man said that, he could see the gears of her mind working, as she was pondering over and answer. Then, she got her hand up in the sky, as if to interject something.

"I object." she exclaimed loud and clear. "I hate yellow and orange." she said, making the man blink in confusion. "My clothes." she pointed out with a playful whisper. This objection made a few of the Lords laugh, baffled by her boldness - It was Ieyasu alone, who could only huff in disbelief, and Hideyoshi who felt personally attacked.

"How dare you speak like that to Lord Nobunaga, after he so gracefully offered you a change of clothes, when your own were dirty from the fire!" Nobunaga looked at the girl who could only smile wryly and chuckle, just a bit awkwardly - Yet she still looked at him with a small, playful smile, as if she was holding back a giggle.

"I... Was joking. Nobunaga told me to object when I saw fit... And I did." she replied simply. "Although, I rest my case, I hate these two colours." she muttered, making the lords laugh more at Hideyoshi's horrified expression.

"Leave her be, Hideyoshi! It is my fault for giving her such a freedom! Her humour is outlandish, I admit, but it is not unwelcomed. Anything else you'd like to add to that objection of yours?" and with that, the girl nodded once again.

"I am a person who likes to play to her strengths, not weaknesses. I was a practicing physician in my time - Albeit, I was taking care of animals - Therefore... I would much rather like to be working as a physician here too, rather than wasting my time doing nothing. I'd go crazy if I did nothing but loaf around." she spoke, with every bit of seriousness she could muster.

"I agree with you, Katrina! I'm the same way." the man who, she learnt, was Masamune Date, had a fearless and daring smirk on his face, that she noticed as soon as she turned to look at him.

"So be it. Rather impressionable speech too, might I add. I shall appoint you as a physician then, however, apart from horses, there won't be many animals to attend to, thus you will have to take care of humans, should that be the case and need." the brunet nodded, and he took his hand back from her, his arms now crossed to his chest, pondering and looking over all the warlords.

"What an excellent idea. Katrina, I'll provide you with all the support you need to get started. Out of all of us, Ieyasu is the most well-versed in the arts of medicine, I suggest seeking some help from him as well." Mitsunari was the first to chime in.

"Hey, don't include me in your unnecessary schemes without informing me first. Besides, how could this waif be of any use to us?" the blond man, Ieyasu, grumbled with a glare.

"It's Lord Nobunaga's decision, Ieyasu, hold your tongue." Hideyoshi reproached the Tokugawa lord in an instant.

"When you see this one covered in blood from head to toe, only to see her laughing merrily, you will understand." hearing the Oda Lord say such things, Kat could only stiffen up in embarrassment.

"Nobunaga!" her calling out to him sounded more like a teased kitten whining for attention, the Lord thought. "That was... Uncalled for. You make me sound like a psychopathic serial killer, not a healer!" the girl protested, hiding her face with her hands.

"... I suppose only time will tell if we can trust her... Let alone, that one." Hideyoshi threw a shady glare towards Drew.

" Who says you have to? Just keep an eye on her. You're good at that, right? She may surprise you." Mitsuhide's slithery voice came out, as both a defense and a jab attack.

"Then, it's decided. Work hard and prove your worth to me, Kat." Nobunaga smiled triumphantly at the girl, who could only give a composed, princess-like smile and nod at him. She was struggling hard not to grin - For once, she felt... Important. Appreciated, even. She hoped this warm feeling will last forever.

"Thank you. And thank you for letting us stay here. I promise I won't let you down." she said, and the man realised she wasn't promising for her man as well. It seemed that she was getting fed up with being silenced and undermined by him, and as she saw others encouraging her to be more like her own self, she is taking small steps towards the light.

"I plan on taking good care of you." he said, his smile turning wicked for a few seconds, before it changed into a more serious one.

"As for him... I cannot bring myself to give him any trust. I'd rather him do nothing of significance around the place, nor have the liberty of being a bother. Might as well be the castle's minor caretaker. Mitsunari will give you some pointers. Dismissed."

As she was already pretty exhausted, she went to her assigned room, happy to see her bags safely delivered and, even more, cleaned of all that soot. She had a huge room - Fit for a princess, they said - And she wasn't going to complain about anything. It was beautiful, and she already had quite a variety of clothes in a chest. Everything was meticulously planned, clearly by Mitsunari, so she needed only to lay down on the futon and let sleep take over her, without any of the world's worries on her shoulders anymore.

She left peacefully.

Next Chapter >

#behind the veil #ikesen #ikesem x reader #ikesen imagine #ikesen x oc #ikemen sengoku #ikemen sengoku x oc #ikemen sengoku imagine #ikemen sengoku x reader #oda nobunaga x hasashi katrina #oda nobunaga x oc #oda nobunaga x reader #oda nobunaga imagine #oda nobunaga

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dxwnfxll · 22 days ago

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'Finding Sarasa'

Girl with umbrella is an oc (this was mainly scene practice)

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zenlesszonezero · 20 days ago

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Join Zenless Zone Zero with Tsukishiro Yanagi, the deputy leader of Hollow Special Operations Section 6! Beneath her ordinary office lady exterior lies a meticulous, emotionally intelligent big sister to the team.

#zzzero #zenless zone zero #Yanagi #Gaming #Anime Game

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tiny-wooden-robot-fics · 6 months ago

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Voyager - Seven

Rating: Explicit Pairing: Oda Nobunaga (Ikemen Sengoku) x Original Female Character Characters: Oda Nobunaga (Ikemen Sengoku), Eri Davidson (Original Female Character of Color) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Grief/Mourning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Slow Burn, Flirting (so much flirting), Teasing, Oda Nobunaga is a huge flirt and a huge tease, Angst with a Happy Ending, Pregnancy, Pregnant Sex, Slight Timeskip Near the End

Previous Chapter (Six): No Easy Conquest | Next Chapter (Eight): A Familiar Face

Chapter Masterlist

Summary:

"Valerie, you should know that I never say anything I don't mean."

She glares at him.

"Calm yourself," he laughs. "It isn't as if I've never seen a naked woman before."

Read on AO3

“You did well today.” The Lord of Azuchi says the words as he helps her dismount from the pretty chestnut mare she’d chosen for her riding lessons. “How do you feel, having completed your first lesson?”

“Like I’m going to be really sore tomorrow morning,” Eri laments. “I can already feel the tightness in my legs.”

“A soak in the baths tonight will ease the soreness,” he tells her, leading the horse back to the stable to brush and feed it.

“Baths?” Eri raises an eyebrow, unsure if she’s heard him correctly.

“Mm.” He grunts in response, his attention focused on the horse.

“Wait… you did say ‘baths’, right?” She shakes her head. “As in, baths?”

He looks up at her. “I didn’t think there was anything unclear in what I said.”

She squeezes her eyes shut tightly. “You mean to tell me,” she starts, “that there have been baths at Azuchi all this time?”

This seems to amuse him. “They were there before you arrived, and they will be there after you leave.”

Exasperated, she clicks her tongue. “No one told me!”

“I just did,” he replies simply.

“Where are they?”

“Not far from here.” He motions vaguely toward the area behind her. At Eri’s blank look, he sighs. “Help me feed her,” he starts, motioning to the horse, “and I’ll show you where they are.”

***

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She murmurs the words, her eyes taking in the sight in front of her. She turns to him, incredulous. “I can’t believe this has been here the whole time, and I’ve been wasting away in my room wishing for a hot bath where I could soak.”

“Why did you never ask?”

Because I’m a moron. Eri shakes her head. The maids must think I’m a nutcase. “Because I just… I guess I just didn’t think to,” she admits. “No one ever offered me anything different, so I didn’t know another option existed.”

He cocks his head to the side curiously, studying her. “Surely they have baths where you’re from.”

“Actually---” She stops herself. “You know what? It doesn’t even matter.” She shakes her head again. “So it’s alright for me to use this tonight?”

“As much as you like.”

“I get to wash my hair,” she croons happily.

“Is that a special event?”

This makes her laugh. “You have no idea.”

“Well then,” he says thoughtfully, flashing her a smile. “Perhaps I shall come by tonight and observe this special event for myself.”

Is he… serious? Before she has time to contemplate it further, he has turned on his heel and is walking away from her.

***

“Lady Eri,” Haru calls from the other side of the shoji. “I am here.”

“Oh, Haru,” Eri calls back, as she gathers her clothing into a bundle. “Come on in.”

“I’m sorry for the delay,” Haru apologizes, bowing low as she closes the shoji behind her.

Eri waves a hand. “No, it’s alright. I just wanted to see if I could get your help with something.”

“Anything,” the young lady smiles. “I’m here to serve you, My Lady.”

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that, she thinks, shaking her head. “Tomorrow morning, before tea with Yasuke-San and his family, I’d like to go into town to buy a few things. I’ve already spoken to Ishida-San, and he’s given me a list of places I might find what I need and the money with which to buy them. Would you be available to go with me?”

“Of course,” Haru beams at her. “I’m so glad you asked. There’s a new vendor I heard about who has the loveliest hair pins. I’d like to go see for myself, if we have time.”

“I think we can arrange that,” Eri smiles. “I’ll send for you mid-morning, if that’s alright.”

“As you wish, My Lady.” She bows once more before leaving the room, and Eri turns her attention back to gathering the clothing she needs for her trip to the baths.

***

If there is a more luxurious feeling than the one she is experiencing now, Eri has yet to find it.

She sighs in contentment as she lowers herself into the steaming water. The baths at Azuchi are laid out much like the more modern ones that she has seen occasionally during her time in Japan, and she is grateful that just like those modern baths, there is an area for her to clean her body and hair before soaking in the steaming hot water of the large bath. She has purposely waited until late in the evening, when most of the estate’s residents have retired for the night. Her patience has served her well, as the baths are deserted by the time she gets there.

I haven’t felt this clean in days, she thinks to herself languidly, watching the steam rise over the surface of the water. She submerges her head, re-wetting her hair before reaching up to grab her comb and oils. She has just started working the camellia oil through the first section of her hair when she hears his voice.

“It appears I have arrived too late to witness the beginning of your special event.”

Eri lets out a yelp, dropping the comb in her hand onto the stone lip of the bath. Frantically, she reaches for her robe, but realizes that she is too far away from it to retrieve it without coming part of the way out of the water. “You--!” She gasps, letting herself sink deeper into the water and trying to cover her breasts with her arms. “What are you doing here?”

The Lord of the castle gazes at her, genuine confusion in his features. “I did tell you that I wanted to witness it for myself,” he says logically, as though he hasn’t just scared her nearly to death. “Did I not?”

“I didn’t think you meant it!” She’s still curling away from him, mortified, trying to hide the private bits of her body.

“Valerie, you should know that I never say anything I don’t mean.”

She glares at him.

“Calm yourself,” he laughs. “It isn’t as if I’ve never seen a naked woman before.”

She sputters, trying to come up with a snappy retort and finding she is utterly unable to. It becomes even harder to speak once he removes his own robe and Eri realizes that he intends to join her in the bath. “Oda-Sama---!” She averts her eyes, her face burning.

“I think,” he starts, “that in such a casual setting as this one, it would be appropriate to use my given name. Don’t you agree?” He submerges himself completely, moving to the other side of the bath. “Please,” he continues, motioning to the abandoned comb and oils, “don’t let me stop you.”

Stubbornly, she keeps her arms crossed over her chest.

“Would it make you feel more comfortable if I looked the other way?”

“Do whatever you want,” she snaps, refusing to look at him.

“I told you, it isn’t as if I’ve never seen a naked woman before.”

“You’ve never seen me naked before.” And I was hoping to keep it that way.

“One could argue that I still haven’t,” he chuckles. “You’ve been keeping yourself covered, but even if you hadn’t, night has already fallen, and the darkness of the water covers what you don’t want me to see.”

She can’t refute that point. “Are you really that curious about what I do with my hair?”

“I really am,” he answers.

“It isn’t that interesting,” she rebuts.

“Perhaps not to you,” he shrugs, the water lapping at his collarbones. “But the things we find uninteresting because we do them often are the things that are most interesting to people who have never seen them done.” He offers her a smile. “I promise to keep my eyes above your neck.”

Eri sighs. She knows that if she doesn’t resume detangling and moisturizing her hair before it dries, she will have a tangled, shrunken mess on her hands very soon. “You give me your word?”

“You have my word,” he tells her solemnly, raising his right hand. “I would ask you for the same, but the truth is that I don’t really mind if your eyes wander.”

Son of a bitch. “My eyes won’t be wandering anywhere near you,” she snaps.

True to his word, however, he keeps his eyes on what her hands are doing in her hair, studying the way she parts the thick curls into sections and works oil through each section from root to tip. Even without her arsenal of modern styling and holding products, her hair takes well to the camellia oil, shining in the light of the lamps placed around the tub and curling into its natural z-pattern.

“It’s beautiful,” he muses, once she has finished doing the same all over her head.

Eyes wide, she looks over at him. “Thank you.”

“You seem surprised,” he remarks.

She shrugs, her arms instinctively crossing over her chest again.

“The mere fact that something is unfamiliar to me doesn’t make it any less worth admiring,” he reflects. “Do you think me so incapable of recognizing beauty in all its forms?”

Eri isn’t sure what to say to that. “Oda-Sama---”

“Nobunaga,” he interrupts her, laughter in his voice. “We’re naked in each others’ company. I think you can drop the formality.”

Her face goes warm. “Nobunaga,” she tries quietly, the name fitting strangely in her mouth.

“How sweet it sounds coming from you.” She can’t tell if he’s flirting or just teasing her.

“I’d like to get out now,” she tells him.

“I won’t stop you.”

She huffs indignantly. “Can I ask you to please look away?”

“If that’s what you want me to do,” he shrugs.

“Yes,” she tells him firmly. “I’m going inside to dress.”

“As you wish.” He turns away from her, and she scrambles up out of the water, snatching up her robe and wrapping it tightly over herself.

She takes her time drying and moisturizing her skin before dressing in her newly-cleaned modern clothing. She exits the bath house just as Nobunaga is pulling himself up out of the water, and a gasp escapes her.

“Oh, you’re finished,” he says conversationally, as if he isn’t standing in front of her stark-naked and dripping wet. “I’ll escort you back to your room.” He seems to realize then that he’s still naked and reaches down to pick up his robe and drape it over himself. “So your eyes did wander a bit,” he smirks.

“It isn’t as though I’ve never seen a naked man before.” She throws his words back in his face.

“But you’ve never seen me naked before. Did you see anything you liked?” He asks her, that teasing lilt back in his voice.

She ignores his question. “What do you think I am?”

“I think,” he starts seriously, holding out his arm for her to take, “that you are a mystery that I would like to solve.” He looks down at her, watching as she accepts his arm and loops her own through it.

***

“You know,” Valerie starts, looking past her reflection in the mirror to gaze at his, just behind her, “you’re being awfully distracting.”

“Me?” Shinichi chuckles. “I’m not even doing anything. I’m just watching.”

“Yes,” she says, “but it’s very hard to concentrate on what I’m doing when every time I look in the mirror, I see you lying there.”

“Would it help if I helped you?”

“Maybe,” she giggles. “It would help even more if you’d put some clothes on.”

“But I’m comfortable like this.”

“What you are, is a distraction,” she reiterates, wagging a finger at him playfully.

“Alright,” he says, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and standing up. “How about a compromise? I put on a pair of pants and help you.”

“That sounds like a fair deal.” She watches his reflection go into the third drawer of the bureau, pull out a pair of blue pajama bottoms, and slide them on. His reflection turns to her.

“Better?”

“For now.”

Her boyfriend closes the distance between them, bending over slightly to press a kiss to her lips. “Want me to get the back?” He asks, motioning to where her hair has been divided into two large sections.

“Yes, please,” she tells him gratefully.

They work together in a comfortable silence then, each tackling a section of her hair with moisturizer and a wide-toothed comb. More than once, Valerie stops moving, relishing the feel of Shinichi’s gentle hands working through her hair. Every now and again, he presses his fingertips to her scalp, softly massaging it and eliciting a pleased hum from her.

It isn’t long before her hair has been completely worked through, divided into large two-strand twists. Without her even having to say a word, Shinichi reaches over and grabs the length of satin she uses to tie her hair up at night. He hands it to her with a smile.

“Thank you,” she says, turning her face up for another kiss.

“You’re welcome,” he says, obliging her and pecking her on the lips. “So now that you’re done and the danger of distraction isn’t an issue anymore, is it okay for me to get naked again?”

“Well, I guess it’s alright now,” she giggles. “But I can’t promise I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself.”

“I honestly don’t expect you to.”

***

“Valerie?” Nobunaga is calling her name, concern lacing his deep, heavy voice.

“Oh, yes?” She looks up at him. “I’m sorry, you were saying something?”

“I was, but it was of little import.” He pauses, looking down at her curiously. “You seemed to go somewhere else for a bit.”

“It’s nothing,” she tells him, trying on what she hopes is a reassuring smile. “I was just… thinking about something from a long time ago.”

He looks as though he wants to ask her what, but thinks better of it and decides not to. “A mystery, indeed,” he says instead, almost as if to himself.

“Thank you,” she says quietly. “For walking me back.”

“Does this mean I have your permission to join you some other night?”

The question makes her laugh in spite of herself. “I promise to make less of a fuss if you warn me before you decide to show up,” she tells him sternly. “But you’ll have to keep your hands - and your eyes - to yourself.”

“Hm,” is all he’ll say.

Previous Chapter (Six): No Easy Conquest | Next Chapter (Eight): A Familiar Face

#tinywoodenrobot fics #black oc #ikemen sengoku #ikesen #ikesen nobunaga #oda nobunaga #oda nobunaga x oc #ikesen fanfiction

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the12thnightproject · 2 months ago

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Chapter 26 - Time Warped (Again). While Okatsu deals with the emotional fallout of recent events, Mozumi hosts a badly timed banquet, and Mitsunari consults another book.

Mitsunari x OC; Nobunaga x Mai

Previous Chapter

Logline - In order to protect a political alliance, Katusko and Mitsunari must pretend an engagement. But this “all business” arrangement is threatened by a coup against Nobunaga… and by feelings.

From the Military Notes of Ishida Mitsunari…

It is over. We succeeded in preventing Iekane’s forces from killing Nobunaga. Mitsuhide patted my shoulder and told me I had performed beyond his expectations. I’ve received word that Nobunaga plans to reward me for my service.

I should feel happy… We have won… and Okatsu kissed me. Perhaps as one might kiss a brother, however, her lips touched mine, which is the definition of a kiss.

But Okatsu still plans to leave.

No, that is a mischaracterization of the situation – Okatsu never planned to stay. This is something I knew. This is something I wanted. I no longer want this, but she will be with her family, she will return to a future that is peaceful and safer than here. I will be happy for her.

But…

…wait…

… Where is every--?

When Aki aimed his gun at the minion, I shut my eyes, waiting for images of my past to flash before me, as is foretold in popular fiction.

That didn’t happen.

Either I wasn’t going to die… or popular fiction was wrong. I had a bad feeling it was going to be the latter unless I took steps to avoid that fate. I opened my eyes again, knowing that as soon as Aki killed the minion, I would have to use that moment of distraction to act –

THWUMP!

With more power than grace, Mitsunari hauled himself over the edge of the tower and knocked the minion off his feet. As a distraction, it worked wonderfully. I grabbed the war fan out of my kimono, jammed it into Iekane’s stomach, then flipped him over my body.

He landed right where Aki was waiting for him.

While Mitsunari was easily dispatching the minion, I grabbed Hikosane and yanked him out of the path of any stray bullet, sword, or –

THUNK.

Unconscious minions.

The second the minion hit the floor, Mitsunari had Hikosane and I in his arms, as far away from the Iekane and Aki’s fight as possible. At the moment, there wasn’t much else we could do except let Aki have his chance at Iekane. The two of them were evenly matched. Aki discarded the musket for his sword, and they battled across the perimeter of the tower, grimly trading hits, swords clanging against each other. Then Iekane backed up a step and pulled out a small rectangular object … was that a cell phone?

“No, you can’t it’s too-” Aki’s words were lost as he leaped at Iekane -

For a moment, out of the corner of my eye, I saw an odd aura – almost like the ones I used to get before a migraine headache. It felt like reality was rippling around me, almost as if the horizon was a curtain that was about to lift. I’ve… seen this before…

Then Aki’s forward motion took both of them over the railing of the tower.

Holy fu-

Mitsunari, Hikosane, and I rushed to the railing, and I was hoping against fate that I would find Aki clinging to the edge of the tower, and not in a broken heap on the ground below. Of course, he’d be clinging to the edge. This was Aki. Slippery. Wily. Acrobatic…

He was not clinging to the tower.

Nor was he – or Iekane – in a heap on the ground below.

In absence of their fight, the birdsong seemed unnaturally loud. None of us said anything to break the quiet. The three of us just stared over the edge, looking at… nothing.

We weren’t that far off the ground… a fall from the tower platform would have been survivable, although neither Aki nor Iekane would have had time to drag themselves into the woods, nor was there any evidence of two adult sized bodies having thudded to the ground.

It was as if they had never been there at all.

Finally, I pulled myself out of the shock, and rushed down the ladder and through the tower to the outside, barely aware that Mitsunari and Hikosane were right behind me.

Aki?

Dad?

Even in my head ‘dad’ didn’t sound right. Aki was… just… Aki.

And he was gone.

Vanished somewhere between the tower platform and the soft, springy ground – a ground that clearly had not been crushed by two men thudding onto it.

“Where did they go?” Hikosane looked through the brush around the tower.

“Um, ninja tricks,” was all that I could come up with on the fly. I might have been able to formulate a better lie, but my attention was caught by something on the ground. A few stray leaves. Normally, exactly what you’d expect to find on the ground in the middle of a forest.

But they were late Autumn leaves. Maple leaves. Brown and gold where all the trees around us had yet to change color. Nor were any of them maple. I picked one up to examine it. Aside from being out of season, it was just a leaf.

“There may have been men waiting down here to help Iekane escape.” Mitsunari’s explanation to Hikosane sounded more plausible than mine. He glanced at the leaf I had in my hand and nodded.

Aki and Iekane had somehow, without a wormhole, gone elsewhere in time.

“We’re going to go after them, right?” Hikosane tugged on my arm. “Iekane and your father.”

Mitsunari sent a startled look my way – I guess he had missed that part of our drama. “Yes, of course I want to go after them, but now isn’t the time. I’ll need supplies and more arrows,” and a time machine. “Besides, right now we need to get you back to Genba, where I am sure your own father will be watching for you.”

We walked quietly back toward the castle, still alert to any remaining stragglers from Iekane’s crew that would be lurking, ready to jump scare our party. But Masamune and Ieyasu had been quite thorough in the mop-up detail. Masamune’s reputation alone might have been enough to send many those mercenaries running.

I felt a light touch on my shoulder and looked over to see Mitsunari looking at me steadily. “How are you?”

“A few bruises, that’s all.” Hopefully not another black eye. “Nothing that needs medical attention.”

“That was not what I was asking.” He glanced back over his shoulder, to where the tower was still visible in the distance.

Yes. I had been aware that he was really asking, ‘are you ok after watching your father apparently die?’ I had no answer to that. I wasn’t used to delving through my psyche. My mother’s emotions had strangled Toshiie and I for years – I’d never seen any reason to inflict mine on anyone else. Mitsunari was asking me to access the sort of things that were usually packed neatly away. I was afraid if I unpacked them, I would discover feelings that I couldn’t shove back into the suitcase.

But…

Aki’s disappearance… no, I wouldn’t think of him as dead. The man had always seemed indestructible. He wasn’t though. Aki was human. He aged. He could die.

He could die.

He might already be dead.

I couldn’t cry now.

Not here.

Mitsunari took my hands, and gently pulled me into an embrace. Then, with my face pressed against his chest, I cried, while Mitsunari simply held on, his fingers soft across my back.

We returned to the last thing I was in the mood for… another banquet. If Mozumi was humiliated that his wife had not only been cheating on him, but had been treasonously plotting to kill Nobunaga, he chose to pretend otherwise. Or maybe this was banquet was more along the lines of a plea to Nobunaga, the old, ‘hey, I’m sorry a member of the household tried to kill you, but look on the bright side, you didn’t die, so let’s party’ distraction technique.

The mood, at least, was far more subdued than the engagement banquet, and the ‘let’s entertain Nobunaga’ banquets. Most of Mozumi’s vassals were still on the coast, and the ones who had stayed behind, like Susumu, had lost friends and comrades in the struggle. While they were grateful enough to be fed, they (naturally) weren’t in a celebratory mood. Mozumi himself was seated only with Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, all three with their heads together in an intense discussion.

Mozumi didn’t look like he was pleading for his life, but his attitude was far more deferential than it had been a couple weeks ago. I wondered if they were trying to decide Lady Yone’s fate. Normally, she would have been sentenced to death for her treasonous acts, in fact, I was surprised that she had not already been executed. But Mai had pleaded for leniency, for the sake of her daughters, all of whom were under the age of ten. Last I heard, her punishment had yet to be determined.

On the other hand, the happiest person at the banquet was Shohime, who was in her element, alternately – or, well actually simultaneously – flirting with Keiji and Masamune. Both seemed happy enough to reciprocate. I wondered if they were getting her ‘beautiful, perfect, but dumb’ persona, or if now that Hikosane was safe from Lady Yone, Shohime was finally going to be able to allow her true self to emerge.

One person who had escaped the celebration was Mitsuhide, who had claimed that the sight of his injuries would put people off their food. Personally, I thought that unlikely – these men and women had seen far too much danger and battle to care. More likely, he didn’t feel social, or had decided to keep his presence on the down low.

Hikosane had also been able to escape the ‘banquet’ and was supposedly in his room – but I had a feeling he’d snuck out to the stables to hang out with Mitsuhide.

I would have like to have been able to get out of the feasting too – it would have been nice to be able to find a time and space in which to process the events of the few days. But since I was supposed to be an Oda Princess, I couldn’t suddenly claim to be mourning my father (long-dead in my fake backstory). Additionally, to avoid confusion, Hideyoshi had (reluctantly) decided to let the false engagement stand until we returned to Azuchi.

But… I wouldn’t be returning to Azuchi.

Travel in this century being what it was, I intended to part ways with the Oda and Mitsunari as soon as we left Genba. There wasn’t time for me to go all the way to Azuchi and then travel back up to the Togakushi shrine – I would miss the wormhole if I did.

Until then I would pretend to be a happy, engaged Princess. As such, I looked over and smiled fondly at Mitsunari, who was happily catching up with Ieyasu (less than happy to be caught up with). Déjà vu, Mitsunari’s hand came close to knocking a bowl of soup into Ieyasu’s lap.

Ieyasu braced himself, that familiar scowl descending his face. Mitsunari slowed down, moved his bowl out of the way, and continued the conversation.

Startled, Ieyasu blinked. Then he frowned again – must be disappointed not to have anything to complain about. If I had been in a better mood myself, I would have laughed at him.

Yes, Mitsunari had changed. Well. A little. He was less clumsy. More confident. Oh, under that he was still the too literal absent minded, sweet genius that I …

…couldn’t possibly allow myself to think, to feel about in that way.

Suddenly, I could no longer stand to be in a room full of people and before I could think of any excuse, I jumped to my feet.

“Are you feeling alright, Okatsu?” Looking concerned, Mitsunari reached for my hand, but I was already backing away from the table.

“I’m fine. I thought I’d steal some dessert and take it up to Hikosane.” It was a stupid excuse – Hikosane probably had been fed the same meal we had. But I realized I did want to check in on the kid. “Oh, no stay put,” I added when Mitsunari moved to join me. “I know you haven’t seen Ieyasu in a while, and you want to spend time with your friend.”

Ieyasu sighed the sigh of a man facing a long evening.

Without allowing either of them to say another word, I hurried out of the banquet hall.

Eventually, I tracked Hikosane to the stables – just as I expected, he was pestering Mitsuhide and Kyubei to tell him about their adventures.

“Young man, you are one question away from becoming as annoying as – that one.” Mitsuhide indicated me with a nod of his head.

“Truly? I am honored by the comparison.” Hikosane gave a rather Mitsunari-esque response. Perhaps he had been spending too much time with both of us.

“That was in no way intended to be a compliment.” Mitsuhide stood up, signaling to us all that whatever patience he had was at its end.

“Huh, actually, I took it as a compliment too.” I held out my hand for Hikosane. “If I can annoy you, I must be doing something right.”

Kyubei hastily smothered a laugh, which earned him a look of doom from Mitsuhide.

“Anyway, I will be out of your … wig… soon enough. And you can sooth yourself with the knowledge that Hideyoshi hates me even more than you do.” Every time that man looked at me, his jaw twitched as if he were biting his tongue.

“There is that.” Mitsuhide then turned serious. “Neither I nor Hideyoshi hate you… far from it. You’re simply too volatile for my peace of mind. Doing the work that I, and by association, you, do, requires a certain cold calculation that at this point, you do not yet possess.” I opened my mouth to protest that (which… might have proven his point), but he continued, “And I would regret it if someday you were to acquire that skill.”

He turned back toward Kyubei, who, I belatedly noticed, was sitting in front of a partially completed shogi game – I suppose Hikosane had interrupted them. I wondered if Mitsuhide and Aki would ever get the chance to complete their long-running game. Hopefully, wherever Aki was, he was still alive and would be able to return to this time.

My expression must have been unusually unguarded, because Kyubei said, “Hikosane has told us what happened to Akihira. Do you think Iekane would take him prisoner?” Unspoken was the ‘or simply killed him elsewhere?’

“That’s certainly a possibility.” Or they could both be chasing after each other in a different timeline, but that wasn’t something I could bring up to this audience.

Reminded of his manners – or at least of macro-etiquette in this type of situation, Mitsuhide turned back to me. “I am truly sorry that you lost your mentor. I imagine you were close.”

“He’s her father!” Hikosane had not yet fully learned the lesson of keeping information private, but this likely wasn’t something that I would have been able to hide from Mitsuhide in the long run anyway. “Of course, they were close!”

That bombshell prompted mirror image raised single eyebrows from both Kyubei and Mitsuhide (yeesh, can everyone but me do that?). “Fascinating. That was information that had escaped me.”

I considered telling him that it had been a surprise to me as well, but it would do him no harm to believe that I had always known and had managed to keep it a secret from him. I also imagined I’d get some spy credit chips if he thought that I had grown up being trained by Aki. “Well. You can’t know everything.”

That, in my opinion, was a perfect exit line, so I gave Mitsuhide a version of his own mocking bow, and a more polite one to Kyubei, before leading Hikosane back to the castle.

Hikosane looked back over his shoulder toward the stables as we padded through the corridors of Genba. “I’m looking forward to knowing him better.”

“I don’t think anyone really knows him, aside from Kyubei.” The castle had quieted down for the night. Seemed like the banquet had ended earlier than usual, and people were heading off to bed.

“When Shohime and I are living at Azuchi, I will make it a point to learn as much as I can from and about him.” Hikosane’s voice held a solemn vow, but I was more interested in what he said, and not how.

“You’ll be living at Azuchi?” I slid open the door to his room, and automatically scanned it for samurais and snakes. The page waiting for Hikosane flinched under my stare and stepped backward, nearly tripping over the futon.

“It has not been formalized yet, but we went to Nobunaga and offered ourselves as hostages – no, it’s what I want – and Shohime too,” he added quickly before I could make a protest. “While you may not think it’s necessary, I wish to learn more about governing and I’ll learn more from Nobunaga than my own father.”

This was clearly true, and if his life was still in danger from Iekane, Azuchi was a safer place for him to be. “You’re right, you probably will.”

“I can learn from you too. I’ve never known a kuinochi princess before.” He bowed to me.

Neither have I.

“Hikosane, I’m going on a long journey first – to spend time with my brother and look for my father. I don’t know exactly when I’ll be returning to Azuchi.” Too many directions I wanted and needed to go. No matter where I ended up, part of my heart would be somewhere else.

He looked at me a long time, then ran to me and gave me a long hug. “I am certain I will see you again.”

“You’ll see me tomorrow.” I bowed to him. “Good night, Hiko.”

As he slid closed the door to his room, I wished I were not leaving. I would like to see this child grow up and become whatever it was he was to become. I even wanted to see what kind of damage Shohime would do to the Azuchi warlords.

Who knows… maybe she and Mitsunari would end up together after all. I wished that thought didn’t hurt as much as it did.

I took a deep breath.

And then another.

By the time I got back to our room, I had composed myself… until I opened the door to discover that Mitsunari had lost his mind.

He was …? I tilted my head to try and get a better perspective on what he was… he was… well, it looked like he was playing a game of invisible twister with an octopus.

When he saw me, he blushed, then lost his balance and collapsed in a heap, half on the cushion and half on the floor.

I rushed over to help him up. “Are you alright?” By which I meant both physically and mentally. He scrambled to toss something behind him. It, naturally, bounced off the wall. I put my hands up to avoid getting smacked in the face with it, and –

One of Mozumi’s pillow books?

I looked at the book.

I looked at Mitsunari.

He was still blushing.

For the first time in years, I could think of nothing to say. I might (possibly) have been blushing too. I simply handed the book back to him. My mind still blank, I considered whether I should just back out of the room, then re-enter and do a retake of the entire last five minutes.

Hey. Time travel. It could happen.

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#TBTMND #A mitsunari night's dream #ikemen sengoku #fanfic #ikesen fanfic #ikesen mitsunari #mitsunari ishida #ikesen mitsuhide #ikesen ieyasu #oc: katsuko #katsuverse #sorry for delay computer was not playing nice

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