#oichi official

[superawesomesamuraitime]

Cosplayer, @oichi.official as Leora from Dislyte.

[itsfantasticac]

Oichi ending illustration, for Sengoku Basara X.

Sengoku Basara X Official Guidebook (Jul. 3, '08), pg. 106

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: The Medusa Cycle

Author: Emily Devenport

Series or standalone: series

Publication year: 2018

Genres: fiction, science fiction, fantasy, mystery

Blurb: The Executives control Oichi's senses, her voice, her life...until the day they kill her. An Executive clan gives the order to shoot Oichi out of an airlock on suspicion of being an insurgent. A sentient AI, a Medusa unit, rescues Oichi and begins to teach her the truth: the Executives are not who they think they are. Oichi, officially dead and now bonded to the Medusa unit, sees a chance to make a better life for everyone onboard. As she sets things right one assassination at a time, Oichi becomes the very insurgent the Executives feared, and, in the process, uncovers the shocking truth behind the generation starship that is their home.

[f3lldrag0n]

https://twitter.com/CAPCOM_AWT/status/1468060194194300929

[dirtybasaraconfessions]

AU where Oichi says fuck

[tragedestined-a]

❛❛ Holding hands before marriage...is it really that sinful ? Has Ichi...committed another sin ? ❜❜

[scotianostra]

October 23rd 1822 saw the official opening of the Caledonian Canal.

Dates differ a wee bit on this.

The Caledonian Canal bisects Scotland, linking the Irish Sea to the North Sea via the Great Glen. Its design and construction was state-of-the-art for the time, and advanced 19th century engineering methods considerably.

It was the famous Scot James Watt who first prepared a survey for a canal in the Great Glen in 1773 but nothing came of the project, in 1801 Thomas Telford produced a feasibility study and two years later an act of parliament in 1803 signalled the start of the project, although it was another year before work began.

Telford worked with William Jessop on the survey, and the two men oversaw the construction until Jessop died in 1814. Jessop estimated the cost of the canal at £474,500 (excluding land purchases) and the construction time at seven years. In the event 18 years and cost £1.2m.

The Caledonian Canal created a new trade route across Scotland. It meant people and goods could be moved quicker and more safely. This helped boost both the local and national economies.

Building the canal created jobs both directly and indirectly. Later work (from 1843 to 1847 for example) also provided employment by extending and improving the waterway.

The Caledonian Canal is 97km long. 60km of it is routed through the lochs Dochfour, Ness, Oichy and Lochy – leaving 37km of channel to excavate.

Building the artificial stretches of channel saw around 1,500 workers constructing a total of 29 locks. All of these were about the same size. At the time they were the biggest locks in the world – 55m long, 12.2m wide and 6m deep.

Engineers working on the canal faced significant environmental challenges. The Highland ground was hard and the Scottish climate harsh.

The project team was helped by some new technology, however. This included the first steam dredger seen in Scotland, purpose built in 1814.

The dredger, looking a bit like a flat-bottomed boat, was 24.4m long and 7m wide. It used 25 buckets on a 12.8m frame to scoop up material from the canal bed. Working at its best, the dredger could shift 91 tonnes an hour.

The canal is now a popular tourist destination. It's still used as a shortcut for smaller commercial vessels, while I’ve never travelled on it as such, I have hiked along parts of it, and camped alongside it, I recommend it as an easy walk where you can “wild camp” at various spots. Scottish Canals have a key you can use for just £10  it gives you access to toilets and showers.

Pics include a drawing of culverts on the Banavie reach,  a ship being towed along Loch Oich and restoration work at a drained section in 1984 at Fort Augustus.

[redsamuraiii]

Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman (1969)

Blind Oichi is a blind swordswoman created by Teruo Tanashita in a manga published by Shukan Manga Times, in what is believed to be a response to the hugely successful Zatoichi series. 

The origin of the international English title "Crimson Bat" is unclear. Some have suggested that it was due to her wearing a crimson red kimono and being "blind as a bat", as the saying goes. 

Another (more likely) reason was that Matsuyama had just finished playing a sword-wielding character named "Crimson Osen" in the aforementioned 52 episode TV series Tabigarasu Kurenai Osen. 

An official Zatoichi-based film about a blind swordswoman was released decades later titled Ichi, starring Haruka Ayase, which featured the title character searching for her mentor Zatoichi.

[odaclan]

More Samurai Warriors 5 character reveals.

Takenaka Hanbei, Kuroda Kanbei, Nakamura Kazu’uji, Sena (Tsukiyama-dono), and Yamanaka Shikanosuke

Kanbei and Hanbei looks pretty close to their SW 1-4 appearance. That is nice. Kanbei looks less dead, though. Kanbei’s amulets turn into shikigami, somewhat similar to Oichi’s origami weapons. 

Not much is know about Nakamura Kazu’uji’s background. As he is recorded as part of one of the 53 clans of Koga, in the game he is portrayed to be a Koga ninja who is friends with Mitsuki. 

Sena or Tsukiyama-dono is Ieyasu’s wife. The description says she doesn’t treat Ieyasu well, but that’s just per the usual.

Yamanaka Shikanosuke is a rather interesting addition. According to the description, he met Mitsuhide when under invasion from the Mouri (I’m not sure how this is supposed to work). Mitsuhide then helps him to rebuild the Amago clan.

So with this we officially have characters who aren’t supposed to be involved until, historically, the 1570s. Makes one wonder how the game will run the narrative. With the previous titles, since it’s per-character or per-clan basis, it’s fine to have narrative spanning multiple decades apart. With the new one... we don’t know yet, I guess.

I’m not entirely sure what the Mitsuhide-Shikanosuke angle is supposed to be about. Word has it, Nobunaga actually came to assist the Mouri per Motonari’s request to fight against the Amago remnants in 1569. Yes, really. When Motonari was alive, apparently the Oda are on good terms with the Mouri. Maybe Mitsuhide here is supposed to be part of the Oda army sent to the Western territories. 

[professor-tammi]

Here is a rambly SW5 post I do not expect anyone to read

- So I don’t really need to say much about Ran being gone because I’ve known for over a month that none of the silhouettes could possibly be him (+ he wouldn’t fit in anywhere on the official site, my numbering analysis from way back was correct :/!). I think his only hope for being readded to the series is SW5:XL, because if SW6 goes into Sekigahara territory I imagine they’ll be more concerned with adding characters from that era. Anyway that said, at least give me UNPC Ran Koei. I will take it. I’m desperate :(

(i actually don’t know if I’ll be able to play this game at all bc Ran not existing sends me into a very Bad Emotional State so it will literally depend on how good my mental health happens to be when the release date rolls around. lmao. why am I writing an essay on a game I may or may not play? well,, I don’t know)

- Moving on! Yasuke is actually in!? I’m still a little concerned Koei will mishandle him but also kind of hopeful and I’m probably just worried over nothing. His profile doesn’t seem to be covering up the basics of what is known about his relationship with Nobunaga from history; it at the very least mentions that Nobunaga was “intrigued by his appearance” :’)

- I didn’t expect Koei to change up Magoichi as much as they seem to have done, and to be honest, I’m not a fan of his redesign. Actually his may be the only redesign I don’t like? Mago was never one of my favorites but his old version definitely struck me as having more personality. Anyhow, he kept his voice actor, so maybe he’s not as changed personality-wise...

- I think one of the earlier trailers showed what appeared to younger Nobunaga and Mitsuhide at Honnoji, so the latest revealing that both of them actually age was quite the surprise? Their aged versions look much more like their pre-SW5 incarnations... I’m happy with the designs if nothing else, much less happy how they seem to be handling Honnoji in this game

(why are Nobunaga and Mitsuhide just. meeting up and greeting each other before the battle. it’s supposed to be a surprise attack!? hello?? I am not going to like the Nobunaga/Mitsuhide relationship in this game am I)

- Honestly I am not feeling Mitsuhide’s side of SW5′s story at all, presumably because all of his relationships I enjoy (with Motochika, with Gracia, even with Ran) no longer exist :(

- Speaking of which my main concern with this game is really just that I will have no relationships to latch onto because I obsess over relationships much more than I do over individual characters. Like, Nobunaga is my favorite historical Sengoku person by a long shot, and I think his portrayal in SW5 seems really really good (and to the people who have been saying this: no he is not remotely a goody two shoes shonen hero, that much is already evident in the story bits they’ve shown) -- as much as I love older SW Nobu he was always a very intentionally inhuman character and, while fascinating, I think a more human Nobunaga is a much needed change, but. I don’t have his relationship with Ran to latch onto anymore. I’m so sad?? I am heartbroken

- People are talking at great length about stuff they don’t like so I’m going to talk about the stuff I do like. First of all!! I love Toshiie and I like that maybe SW5 will actually explore Toshiie+Nobu friendship a bit; Toshiie’s redesign is not overly drastic imo but still his best design out of any other SW game so far, and also I’m delighted he keeps his VA because honestly his VA gives me life. (Koei if you readd Ran please give me Toshiie+Ran content)

- I like Hanbei’s new design a lot, even if (or maybe because) it’s quite in line with his old versions, and am also glad he seems basically untouched as a character bc Hanbei did not need changing. I’m also glad for Kanbei’s redesign, and since I frankly never cared much for Kanbei as a character I’m sort of hoping they change him at least a little bit (but it’s also fine if they don’t bc the classic SW Ryoubei relationship is very cute regardless). Also I sincerely hope Hanbei+Nouhime friendship is still a thing, even with this very different new Nou...

- While I’m not very interested in what little we’ve seen so far of the story bits for new Ieyasu (cute design, I guess, but that’s all?), new Hideyoshi is actually kind of endearing and I like that they’re kind of leaning more on a country bumpkin depiction for him ahaha. It’s cute :’) oira

- Also! Still really love Sena, her determined personality feels refreshing and I really like her design; I don’t personally expect to care much for her core relationship with Ieyasu but hopefully there’ll be something else for her? Hopefully? Could we get like... Cute Sena+Oichi friendship content. That’s what I want out of this game at this point tbh

- Mitsuki actually seems cute and her supposedly father-daughter-like relationship with Nobunaga has potential to be sweet, so I am tentatively hopeful for her too (also she is a punchgirl which is of course always a bonus)

[nummerdric]

@0first0holder0​ asked: "I could never apologize enough...because all I did was ruin your lives just by being in them. I'm sorry I brought so much down on you, I'm sorry you died because of me...sometimes I wish I had never met you...if only for your sake."

x

“Yoichi. . . “ Hifumi’s facial expression saddens before they shake their head. “You’ve never ruined anything.” Arms wrap around their best friend, chin resting on top of his head. What they’re feeling right now can be described as a mix of anger and sadness- mostly sadness. They have no idea in regards to exactly just how much the poor man has suffered, highly likely will never know and that’s okay. He doesn’t have to share anything he doesn’t want to share. But that wont stop them from doing their best to comfort him anyway and remind him over and over again of just how much joy he has brought.

“Absolutely none of that is your fault. You’re talking about yourself like you’re cursed, like you bring misfortune to every person you meet. . . But that’s not true in the slightest. Just like everyone else, you’re a victim of All For One. Not a single one of his actions are your responsibility.”

Finding the right words is hard. There is so much they want to say-- so much that they want Yoichi to know. But what to say first and after that and after that and after that and. . . Maybe Hifumi should just do a Niji and say whatever comes up in their head. Just don’t say the wrong words. Hurting their best friend when they absolutely don’t want to do that is something they really want to avoid.

“There’s really no need to apologise for anything. I’m not angry at you, never have been. Nor have I ever been hurt by you. All of my actions are my own choices. My brother and I are here because we want to. You’ve never made us do anything against our will. Niji always is and looks the happiest when he’s with you and I am so grateful for that. Just your presence has already brought more joy to our lifes than you can possibly imagine.” Finally, they loosen the hug a little bit and move their head away from Yoichi’s to show a warm smile.

“It’s true that we’ve died once but. . . Neither deaths are your fault. You didn’t kill us, right? Didn’t end our lifes with your own bare hands? Maybe you wish that we never met but I’m glad we did. Having you as my best friend is absolutely excellent and I’m so excited for you to join our family officially-- though, you’ve always been a part of it and that makes me really happy.”

[descendent-of-the-sixth-heaven]

[Shingen: I DON’T KNOW!! Koro: WH-WHY IS HE HERE?! {Mangoose: *sniffs them*} Shingen and Koro: Uhhh… {Mangoose: *sniffs Selena*}] Perhaps… Good thinking my Lord~~! *pats him on the head* {BlondeZ: Ugh then don’t bother trying to! *turns to Ranmaru* Quit whining before I give you something to cry about!!} {Oichi: Treason… I honestly don’t know. But I’m sure that the only person who can really make it official is my brother.}

*Started trembling while hugging Koro and Shingen as tightly as possible*

————

Masamune: Pats!

*He purrs and leans towards her*

————

Yoshimoto: What...?

*Ranmaru was sobbing, hiding his face behind Yoshimoto*

————

Hideyoshi: I am sure that it can be possible. We just have to try it.

[f3lldrag0n]

[rdmfavcpls]

Not Worthy of the Light

 Title: Not Worthy of the Light

Category: Pokemon Conquest/Samurai Warriors

Pairing: Nene/Hanzo 

One-sided: Oichi/Hideyoshi

        Nene/Hideyoshi

Rating: T

Summary: The brighter the light shines, the darker the shadow becomes. When the light dims, the shadow protects the lights and tries to restore it.

Author’s Note: Merry Christmas! @liifesword. How did you know that I love to write for rare-pairs and the pair of Nene/Hanzo is beautiful. I’m sorry that I can’t draw so I hope this story works for you. I also took some elements from the Samurai Warriors franchise and combined it with Pokemon Conquest.

Disclaimer: I own no rights to the franchises mentioned. 

~~Story Begins~~

Ninjas were supposed to stay hidden in the shadows. Their names only known to their lords, but there were always those who did not fit the mold. The ninjas that do not blend in with the shadows, but filter into the light, those are the ninjas that are most dangerous when their emotions run high. If you bring upon a ninja’s personal wrath, the only thing I can advise, is to run out of town, but even then you might not make it out with your life.

-Excerpt from The Way of the Ninja by Motonari Mori

The only way Nene could be described was a candle with a flame that made shadows dance with her movements. The way she moved on the battlefield, spinning out of her enemies attack range while her Crobat swooped in for the finishing blow or a poison strike rivaled even the dances of Okuni on the stage or off the stage. 

Hanzo would deny it publicity, but he knew he was a coward when it came to Nene, even though it always seemed like he was scolding her and Kunoichi. He would use excuses to visit her kingdom of Viperina, ignoring the laughter of his Spiritomb and Gengar, ignoring the knowing looks that Ieyasu and Tadakatsu shared when Hanzo was gone.

He was content to watch Nene and her Crobat from his beloved spot in the shadows.

Until that monkey showed up.

Nene’s full focus centered on that monkey and his equally ridiculous monkey partner like it was the center of her world. She treated him like he was the sun when Hanzo knew that Nene could outrival the sun with personality. Even when the monkey’s attention was making Oichi jealous over his status as Nobunga’s right-hand man.

Oichi was unimpressed and neither was Nobunga, since Nene was the one who got him that position. Nobunga also gave the proper big brother speech and the face that Hideyoshi wore is one that Kotaro still looks back on as one of his fondest memories.

That didn’t stop Hideyoshi and his quest of gaining Oichi’s heart, even to the dismay of Nobunga, Oichi, and the warlord of Aurora, and he tried another way to make her jealous. He courted Nene in public which caused a lot of warlords to give warning advice (Kotaro’s promise of chaos hidden in his message from Ujiyasu to Nene was heard) if she needed Hideyoshi to be taken care of. Hanzo was one of the many ninjas who had to resist the temptation of hunting Hideyoshi when he started to chase after other females while Nene stayed loyal to him.

No one saw the light that is known as Nene begin to dim except for the one who protected her and watched from the shadows.

~~~

The first spring breeze fluttered through the newly reawakening leaves as the region enjoys its first spring with no bloodshed. The glow of the crescent moon illuminated the dark night and the lone female with golden armor and brown hair that stood on the balcony.

“Have you come to laugh at me as well?” Nene said as tiny bumps formed on her skin. A mixture of cool air from winter trying to keep its grasp on the region as the days grew warmer and the ominous feeling of being prey that always accompanies two ninjas from the shadows.

“…No,” Hanzo said as he stood beside his fellow ninja. His black and dark purple armor blending into the night, the only movement that was noticed in the night was the black hair tied out of his face. A simple illusion to think his enemies were being attacked from the corner of their eye, but their fate already sealed as the ninja was behind them.

They stood there in comfortable silence, a trait that calmed Nene so much during the war in Ransei. Her Crobat flew into the night, just as careless as her partner used to be and not the shell that she is now. His Gengar watched from the shadows just as vigilant as his own partner.

“He’s an idiot,” Hanzo said.

“Is the world ending after the war stops?” Nene said. “Kuniouchi said the same thing to me this morning. In fact, that was her alarm for me.”

“…”

“Everyone has been watching me, but you have kept an eye on me even beforehand. I always found it comforting and even now it’s been a big comfort. Especially since I know he’s in town right now, trying to outdrink Keiji and chatting up Okuni.”

“Okuni finds the monkey dull and boring,” Hanzo said. “The monkey is not work the pain. You are worth more than him with your Crobat alone, let alone your own ninja skills.”

“Hanzo…”

“We work in the shadows, Nene,” Hanzo said. “We can mask our emotions until the perfect moment arises for our revenge. His guard is never up, it is always down. Even when we were in war.”

The silence between them came back as they stared at the moon. The silhouette of a Crobat cawing out its sorrow of his mistress’s heart the only sound in the night.

“Hanzo.”

 A slight movement of his amethyst eyes let her know she had his attention. It was little movements that she had to look for when he interacted with the other lords to see how he treated them. It took awhile for her to realize she was one of the two lords who used body language to talk.

“Can I borrow your Gengar for a few nights?”

“…If you must.”

~~

Ninjas must always hide their emotions in case their enemies use it to their advantage. However, there are two sides to every tale, ninjas emotions can also be their most powerful weapon. Soon, the region of Ransei would know that the anger of Lady No or Lady Aya and their long feud over beauty did not make them the scariest woman in the region. For the anger that Lady Nene had shown made Lady No and Lady’s Aya child’s play in comparison.

-Excerpt from The Warlords of Ransei by Motonari Mori

~~

The older Warlords watched as Hideyoshi started to become paranoid. His two trusted officials, Kanbei and Hanbei, both had a knowing look, but refused to say anything. Kanbei has been the one to keep Ignis in order and with the help of Hanbei, Nobunga, and the warlord of Aurora, they were working on making a treaty to force Hideyoshi into giving up Ignis to Kanbei as he has been neglectful in his duties as a warlord.

When they finally found Hideyoshi, his Inferape told their pokemon about how his master has been haunted by nightmares and hallucinations. That it was just this morning, Hideyoshi had woke up to a blade being pressed against his neck by Lady Nene with Crobat’s fang dripping with a dark purple liquid right above the blade. What she said to Hideyoshi, Inferape did not know, but Hideyoshi had been rocking in the corner of a dark room for a majority of the day.

~~

“Hanzo, are you here to question me over Hideyoshi’s claim?” Nene said when she felt that familiar chill that no longer made her feel like prey (unless it came from the agent of chaos).

“I do not know of what you speak of,” Hanzo said with a slight glint in his eye that told her he was playing ignorant.

“Then what brings you here?”

“Lord Ieyasu has personally let me go from his services and I am in search of a new master,” Hanzo said.

“Do you wish to join me in Viperia?” Nene said.

“If I may be of service to you, Your Ladyship.” Hanzo said.

[frywen-babbles]

Sounds of Silence pt7

A/N: Thank you for patiently waiting for the next chapter! My life has been busy and I felt a bit discouraged to continue this fic. But I have new ideas! More plot! More pinning? More angst? Who knows. I hope you enjoy!

Part1 | Part2 | Part3 | Part4 | Part5 | Part6

***

He was about to ask what she meant when her stomach let out a rumble and she covered it with her hands embarrassed. Suddenly, the pieces clicked.

"You don't have any money for food." It was more a statement than a question so he didn't expect any answer from her. Still, she made a timid nod, her lips pursed firmly together.

"The new job... starts in a few weeks. I had to pay rent..."

"You should have told me."

"I didn't want to-" She was interrupted by the buzz of the phone in her lap.

<where did you two go? the pizza will be here soon>

Hideyoshi had made a group chat with the three of them and Mitsunari typed his reply when she just stared at her phone.

   <At the lobby. We'll be up shortly.>

"Are you sure your friends want me there? I should just go..."

"Don't be stupid. You need to eat."

The elevator doors opened and Hideyoshi came out. He looked around before he spotted them and came over crouching in front of her.

<i was really worried when you disappeared like that>

He dug out a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her. Mitsunari felt like kicking himself. How was Hideyoshi always so smooth at comforting people while he stumbled and failed.

She accepted the tissue and wiped her eyes dry before she gave Hideyoshi a small smile which he returned.

<mitsunari should fix your makeup>

She looked at her phone and quickly dug a small handmirror from her handbag. She took a quick glance at her face before she turned at him.

"I look horrible, why didn't you say anything? How will I fix this..." she let out a sigh and looked at the mirror again. He reached to tap her hand to get her attention.

"I can fix it."

"Really?"

"What do you have with you?"

She handed him a small makeup pouch and he dug around to see what she got. Then he reached into his own bag to get some makeup removal wipes he was thankful he had for once forgotten there and wiped all of the smudged makeup away from her cheeks and under her eyes. In a few minutes he had fixed her makeup and when she looked into the mirror again she blinked in surprise. Then she looked at him and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you..." she whispered into his ear, quiet enough he wasn't sure he heard her. His heart fluttered and he wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair gently.

"Okay lovebirds, the pizza is here, we should go if we want our share." Hideyoshi brought him back to himself and he let go of her to look at him. He heard her stomach growl again and saw the slight pink blush of embarrassment rise in her cheeks. He got up to follow Hideyoshi and gave her his hand.

When her fingers entwined with his, he was sure there was a blush on his cheeks too, but he didn't mind.

Her hand felt so right in his.

She practically devoured her pizza leaving Mitsunari to wonder when she had had her previous meal. He went to get more snacks when Ieyasu confronted him again.

"I see you brought your little piggy back. How rude to our host to bring someone like... that in here, don't you think? Or maybe you like your women desperate because that's the only type you'll ever get?"

How dare he insult her like that. How. Dare. He?! Mitsunari felt his hands curl into fists and was just about to insult him right back when someone stepped between them.  

"I have a sign even an idiot like you can understand." she hissed at Ieyasu and made a very rude gesture right in his face. Ieyasu didn’t reply anything. He looked like he had eaten something sour, the contempt in his glare evident, but she wasn’t backing down.

Mitsunari stared at her in stunned silence. He had never seen her get angry at anything, even when she had been justified in doing so. But now, she was glaring at Ieyasu, her eyes blazing.

It. Was. Awesome.

She was fierce, her head held up high when she stared Ieyasu down and he loved every second of it. His heart made a thump and he felt like he could look at her forever, the fierce glare in her eyes so enticing he was awestruck.

He didn't, however, miss the tremble of her hands, a sure sign of how nervous she was. He reached to touch her palm gently before he offered her hand a reassuring squeeze, which made her stand even taller.

He heard quiet snicker behind him and Hideyoshi came to his side, pulling them apart from Ieyasu, trying to hold off his laugh at the same time.

"Now, now, we're all friends in here, right, Ieyasu?"

He saw Ieyasu glance at Nobunaga, a feign smile rising on his lips.

"Of course we are." There was nothing genuine in his words and when he passed them Mitsunari could hear him whisper, "Bitch."

He had never in his life wanted to punch someone as much as he did now. She nudged his arm and he turned his attention to her.

"A wrinkle." She poked a finger between his brows.

"I'm not angry at you..." he took a deep breath and let out a sigh to calm down. He wanted nothing less than to make her scared of him. "I'm angry at that filthy tanuki..."

She snorted and covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking in silent laughter.

"And you told me I invent stupid nicknames!"

She hadn't played Wii before but quickly got the hang of it after a few rounds. He loved seeing her so focused and excited, genuinely enjoying herself.

She bounced to hug Hideyoshi who sat next to her and shook him, a huge smile on her lips.

"Look, look, I wasn't last!" She pointed at the screen and turned to look at him, "Manju-boy, did you see?! Look! I wasn't last!"

He was genuinely happy seeing her enjoy herself. But at the same time, her hands around Hideyoshi shot a pang of jealousy through his heart he couldn't reason himself out of.

When they were leaving, Nobunaga pushed a bag full of food into Hideyoshi's hands.

"Take this away, it's such a hassle to get rid of the leftovers."

"Of course!" Hideyoshi took the bag with a broad smile. Nobunaga pushed a similar bag to her hands and she looked inside surprised and turned towards him for help.

"Just accept it. He never takes no for an answer."

She looked helplessly at the bag in her hands and at him but finally bowed at Nobunaga, who looked away, an annoyed frown on his face.

"Just go already, why do I have to throw you out every single time?"

***

"You need to see this, Mitsunari." Hideyoshi grabbed his arm as soon as he came home from the library. He barely managed to kick his shoes off of his feet as Hideyoshi dragged him in his room and showed his laptop screen.

There was a picture of her and below it a long text on how a man had a silly fight with his wife and wanted her to come back, but she didn't want to talk to him. How he missed her so much and would do anything to win her over again.

"It's her ex trying to find her," Hideyoshi pointed out the obvious like Mitsunari didn’t have eyes of his own.

"... Yeah..." he murmured back, reaching for the mouse. The update had already thousands of shares. There was no way he wouldn't be able to find her this way.

She had already switched address, switched jobs, distanced herself from her old friends. What more did he want from her?

"There's even a newspaper who ran a story on it, look, they want anyone who knows her to contact them." Hideyoshi pointed at a phone number at the end of an online article. Mitsunari dug out his phone and typed the phone number in.

It didn't take a long time for a cheerful woman answer from the other end.

"Is this about the article?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Oh, do you have a tip on how we could reach her?"

"Leave her alone."

"But it's so romantic! He made a small mistake but is ready to make anything to get back together with his wife. Such a dedicated husband, ooh..." she sighed dreamily. Mitsunari couldn't resist huffing irritated.

"She has a reason she doesn't want to be found. It would be best if you stopped looking for her."

"Don't be silly! Of course, she'll want to see husband after she hears what he has to say! He has been desperately looking for her!"

"Desperate enough to assault and stalk her."

"I will not listen to you slander a well respected public official like that! I will now end this call, good day!"

Public official? He pushed Hideyoshi aside and did a quick search.

'Inspector Satake Yoshishige'

A prodigy of the police force, a neighbourhood hero, well-respected member of the community. All he could find were articles promoting how nice, well-mannered and selfless he was. There were even a couple pictures of her with him from charity events.

This certainly explained... a lot of things. Like why she refused to go to the police. And why she was so terrified of him finding her. As a police officer, it wouldn't be hard for him to search for her address or phone number.

"Yeah, that'll make things more difficult for sure..." Hideyoshi muttered next to him.

***

It took only a day before he received a distressed message from her.

<ppl r staring n fllwng> <sum1 fllwd me 2 wrk> <wht do I do>    <Where are you? I’ll come and get you.> <no> <srry> <i dnt wnt 2 trbl u> <im fine>    <Just tell me.> <wrk> <b off in 2hrs> <ppl r starng n hre 2> <gt mvd 2 bck rm>

He let out a sigh. Why did she always have to be so difficult. Every single time he had to dig out what was really wrong with her, why couldn’t she just tell him what was wrong in the first place.

“Is everything okay?” Oichi’s friend leant in to whisper to him.

“Yes.”

“You can talk to me if you need, okay?”

“Why would I ever need to do that? I have other people I can talk to instead of nosy busybodies.”

“No need to be rude, Mitsun. Just let me know if I can do something to help, okay?”

He let out an irritated huff and ignored her for the rest of the lecture. She really should mind her own business, especially after falling behind in her studies as much as she had. He didn’t judge her for that though. He knew she was ill. And he knew illnesses like that take a huge toll on you and all the people around you.

As soon as the lecture was over he packed all of his stuff and headed to the grocery store she worked at. He drank canned coffee and read a book until she poked his arm.

"What are you reading?"

"A book on ancient warfare."

"That seems like a nice light reading." The sarcasm was obvious in her words but he decided to ignore it. He stuffed his book to his bag and stood up, walking out of the door.

He saw the looks she got, the people reaching for their phones and he grasped her hand in his, holding tight as he pulled her along the streets and into a bus. He didn't let go until they reached his apartment and the door was firmly closed after them.

She let out a sigh sinking to the couch exhaustion clearly written on her face.

"Thank you." She offered him a tired smile before she reached for the teacup he had placed in front of her on the table.

His eyes were drawn on her lips as she blew on her tea to cool it and took a tentative sip to test out how hot it was. How could something so simple look so beautiful? He was only brought back to the present when she put her cup down and turned towards him.

"You know something about why people kept staring at me, don't you?" she asked. Somehow she managed not to look accusing even though he was sure the accusation was there somewhere. Instead of telling her, he took his phone and showed her the article.

Her eyes scanned the words from the small screen, the frown between her brows deepening every second. When she handed him his phone back she almost dropped it. He saw the tremble of her hands despite her face maintaining it's somewhat neutral expression.

"I have to go back."

"Back where?" he asked puzzled by her declaration.

"I have to go back..." she repeated herself and got up. He reached for her arm, determined to get an answer from her, but she yanked herself away from him. "I have to go back to him!"

***

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

[diversereadingchallenge]

Title: Medusa Uploaded

Author: Emily Devenport

Prompt: 14 - A book that takes place in the future with a protagonist of color. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (from Amazon): My name is Oichi Angelis, and I am a worm. They see me every day. They consider me harmless. And that's the trick, isn't it? A generation starship can hide many secrets. When an Executive clan suspects Oichi of insurgency and discreetly shoves her out an airlock, one of those secrets finds and rescues her. Officially dead, Oichi begins to rebalance power one assassination at a time and uncovers the shocking truth behind the generation starship and the Executive clans.

Review: This is a fun, interesting read. There are a lot of plot twists and turns, and I was never quite sure what was coming next. I really love anti-heroines, and Oichi is a great one. I really enjoyed her character. 

The main problem I had with it, is the narrative structure has a lot of flashbacks, and flashfowards, and it could be very confusing about where in the timeline events were taking place. 

The book is violent and dark in places, so if that’s not your thing I wouldn’t recommend it. But if you like anti-heroines, or political machinations, I would recommend it.