#some spoilers for Nobunaga's route

[silkkorchid]

Below the cut has some spoilers for Nobunaga route

Includes the doom couple (Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide)

I mean, with those two relationships dynamic. Yeee

Being punched to the face by Hideyoshi? Damn no wonder why these two are like yk

Yee these two are very much in love in their own way

Really. I’m surprised if he hasn’t strangle you yet.

[not-krys]

Author Interview 2025

I saw @rjthirsty's post about doing an author interview and I have done another one of them back in 2020, but the questions are different from that old one so I wanted to do this one as well.

Forewarning that I am going to be pulling from my older works on ao3 as well (and I have been writing for a long time, so there are going to be fandoms mentioned here that I don't write for anymore for various reasons but it does answer what question was being presented. Also, major spoilers for various series, including but not limited to Cybird's Ikemen Series (Ikevamp in particular, Vincent's route if you wanna get specific), Mystic Messenger (Jumin and Zen's routes in particular) and YuGiOh Arc V, in case that's something that needs warning for.

My ao3 and my writing masterlist for your perusing pleasure!

And tagging anyone that wants to do this as well!

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How many works do you have on AO3?

93 as of this posting. Most written-for fandom is Yu-Gi-Oh Arc V with 24 fics written. Next most written-for fandom is IkeSen with 14 fics currently, followed by IkeVamp, which has 12.

Your top 5 stories by kudos/notes:

-By Kudos:

1. Manager Princess: 714 Haikyuu!!, Four oneshots combined into one document, all mostly fluff. It's a collection of xReader stories involving a fem!reader being the manager of Aoba Jousai's volleyball team. I think my favorites are the ones with Iwaizumi and Oikawa so I highly recommend those first. Iwaizumi's is a cute fest where reader goes grocery shopping for the team needs. Oikawa's talks about that time he was injured and how that affected and upset Reader-chan, who has a sort of crush on Oikawa but refuses to admit it. 2. Manager Princess: After Hours [Hajime Iwaizumi]: 264 Haikyuu!!. One Shot, baby's first attempts at smut. It's basically a continuation of the Manager Princess Series, but they're all adults now and Iwaizumi and Reader-chan are married now and trying to start a family. Fluff and Smut is the tag on ao3 and that's basically what this is, fluff and smut. Be gentle with reading it as it was one of my first forays into smut writing and I hadn't polished that aspect of my writing just yet. 3. It's Not Like I Would Say No, Kitten: 154 Ikemen Sengoku, Oneshot, Smut, Masamune x AFAB!Reader, vaginal fingering featured. Tis baby's second foray into smut writing. Looking back on it now, it's needs a little more editing than it got, but it was my first fic in the IkeSen fandom, so it does deserve a little treat for that honor. 4. Love At First Sight: 143 Mystic Messenger, Oneshot Fluff, Jumin x fem!Reader. A rewrite of the scene after Jumin kisses MC in his living room to get Sarah Choi to leave. A very calm fic that focuses on sensory details and some cute handholding as Jumin is kind of a mess at this point in canon and he just needs some loving support! 5. A Second Glance: 128 Ikemen Sengoku, four chapters currently, ongoing fic, Hideyoshi x AFAB!Reader, pregnancy fic, one of my more serious fics. In the wake of Nobunaga's death, the reader's life is still full of surprises. Where does she look when she feels she has nowhere else to turn after she loses the love of her life? Taking tidbits from history and putting it gently into the IkeSen universe, this story is about budding relationships after the loss of love and finding love again in a new place, along with some inheritance drama that Hideyoshi is forcing himself into because of Reader-chan carrying Nobunaga's heir. Content warnings for mentions and references to major character death, blood, violence, Mitsuhide flirting with Hideyoshi, and all that fun stuff.

-By Notes Here on tumblr

1. Rub My Belly: 163 Ikemen Sengoku, oneshot fluff, gift fic, Mitsuhide x AFAB Reader, pregnancy fic. Mitsuhide is late coming home one day and he makes up for his absence by being sweet on his pregnant wife. Very fluffy and sweet. 2. Family: 139 Ikemen Vampire, oneshot fluff, Arthur Conan Doyle x AFAB Reader, pregnancy fic. Arthur and Reader-chan check up on their baby by listening to their heart beating. Very fluffy and sweet. Originally for Scummy's Arthur Week back in 2021. 3. That Didn't Stop You Before: 89 Ikemen Sengoku, oneshot fluff, a companion piece to Rub My Belly, it features Mitsuhide and Reader-chan again, but from Kyubei's POV. Extreme family feels with this one, very sweet 4. A Second Glance Part 1: 85 Ikemen Sengoku, the first part of the Second Glance story. This is basically set up for the rest of the story, about how Nobunaga's death has affected everyone in Azuchi, especially Reader-chan. And with the realization that she's carrying his child, she goes into panic mode, trying to figure out what to do. Hideyoshi comforts her and calms her down. Mitsuhide confronts Hideyoshi later about his one-sided love for Reader-chan, but Hideyoshi doesn't want to push too much on her right now and just vows to protect her for Nobunaga's sake. Tis the beginning of everything. 5. Fine, I Give Up: 80 Ikemen Sengoku, oneshot, Mitsuhide x fem!Reader, cute fluff. Reader-chan had a bad day and is now giving Mitsuhide 'The Silent Treatment'. He proceeds to be melodramatic about being pointedly ignored by his favorite toy.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

If someone has a question about the fic, then I'll respond to the question, but usually no. A lot of comments I get are variants of 'I loved this!' and there aren't many more ways outside of saying thank you to respond to it. I love getting the 'I loved this!' comments and its variants, don't get me wrong, but again, there isn't a lot of ways for me to respond back to that doesn't get repetitive after a while and I do feel bad that I don't respond back to the lovely comments I receive more.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I'm more the type to try and give all my fics happy endings as that's what I want to read most of the time, so my angsty endings are few and far between. It's more likely that a fic of mine will start angsty that will get happier by the end. That being said, my angsty-est ending in recent memory is probably Fais de Beaux Rêves. It's a oneshot about Comte staying with an aged fem!Reader in her final moments. It has more of a bittersweet feel than anything truly angsty, I think, as it's more of a very, very tender moment as the circle of life takes its natural course. If we wanted to go full-on angsty, then we'd have to go further back to my YuGiOh Arc V Days, where there are two fics in particular that involve torture and murder (in a sense, tis still YuGiOh we're talking about, so death can be considered quaint compared to what else could happen to you). There was a story arc in the Arc V universe that had a warzone/survivalist storyline with three resistance members that I latched onto in the story's run, but one of the resistance members is kidnapped and held prisoner by their dimension's aggressors. One fic (Innocence) involved torture via forced feeding while the other (Prisoner Princess) involved straight up murder via tearing up a card, neither of which has a happy ending. Just the resistance member being tortured in different ways by a very Gilbert von Obsidian-esqe character (this one is more evil and delights in torturing our plucky resistance member Ruri in different ways).  But yeah, those two are probably the angsty-est I've finished a fic that I can remember.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Happy endings are my bread and butter! Being a fluff writer in general, the majority of the time, happy endings are a given. Which means I've written a lot of happy endings! But, I think the happiest ending for my fics is the ending of 'I've Waited For This'. The fic features Theo, by pure coincidence, finding Vincent again after he goes after MC after she falls through Comte's Time Door and back to the future. He reunites with Vincent and his little family, talking with MC (in this case, my OC Abby) about the life they've lived up until that point. The two brothers meet each other at the end of the fic, hugging each other for all its worth, reunited once again. Though it wasn't stated directly in the fic, it's also kind of like Theo finally seeing the fruits of his wish to Comte, that he wanted to give Vincent a better life than he had previously and now he's seeing it after so long of thinking he'd never see his broer again. It's cathartic to both the brothers and I think this is the happiest ending I've created thus far.

Do you write crossovers?

Not anymore. When I was young, I was the type to mash my favorite characters together like barbie dolls in one big messy sandbox and wrote out adventures from there. We called those Crack Fics back in my day. But I've outgrown that style of writing, wanting to settle more into established universes and play in those sandboxes rather than smashing my favorite ones together and seeing what happens as a result of that.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Probably have, but I don't remember what it was about specifically.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Not often, but I do write it once in a while. I'm the type to focus more on the emotions and story involved rather than the acts itself as, for me, it gets repetitive pretty quick. I'm more interested in the why, thus why there's usually a reason when I do a smut fic. Manager Princess: After Hours has the plot of wanting to start a family. Can't say No Kitten has Reader learning to be assertive and Masamune is down for most things so he was perfect for something like that in my mind. The Experiment is about curiosity and exploring things in a controlled environment for my OC Houki and IkeSen's Mitsunari. I have been branching out more when it comes to smut writing, like writing a few more Porn Without Plot kind of stories with Under the Sundress with Shingen and Happy Birthday, Vincent, so there's that.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I've had it offered to me and in my fanfic policies on both ao3 and tumblr I say I'm okay with it, but I never heard anything else after that first comment.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

If RPing counts as co-writing, then yes! There's was the aforementioned Crack Fics that involved smashing characters together like barbies. I did that for a good portion of my high school days with a lovely individual on AOL Instant Messenger that I've since lost contact with, but I hope they're still doing well. After that, it was RP sandboxes on Livejournal and Dreamwidth, playing with different AUs and such, so that's what I'm calling my co-writing experience.

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I don't write for specific ships (or at least I don't anymore). I guess I can say that I like xReader fics, if that counts? Since that's what I've written for the past couple of years in various fandoms? My OCs and their beaus? Do those count? Idk, man, I just live here.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

See, this is why I started the 100 Themes Challenge, so that I can make WIPs and post them regardless of their doneness state (save for, like, one line and not much else kinda WIPs). I'm throwing around ideas and putting them out in the world and if they turn into finished fics someday? Even better. They are all in eternal states of unfinished. If I pick them up again, I pick them up again. If I don't, at least I had a good run with the idea before it puttered into nothingness.

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue! People always compliment my banters and back-and-forths between characters, so I'm considering that my biggest strength as a writer. Since my works are usually on the shorter side (usually under 5k unless multi-chaptered), I've gotten pretty good at being succinct with my details. This includes cutting down on 'to be' verbs in favor of actions, staying intentionally focused on one character's POV rather than jumping around to different characters in the scene, and writing summaries.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing things. As I said above, I love doing the 100 Themes Challenge as it gets ideas flowing but it would be nice to complete more fics. Pacing could use some work too.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I'm a sucker for it. I've probably learned more French and Dutch than I'll ever need just because I wanted to sprinkle it into some of my ikevamp fics.

What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

I have been getting into Love and Deepspace lately, so the possibility of writing fic has been going up recently. No promises on it actually happening, but it is a possibility the further along and involved I get in the story.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Now you're asking me to pick my favorite child, lol. Well, since this interview started on listing my top five on ao3 and tumblr, I figure it's fitting to list my top five that I've written, but try to keep it to stuff that hasn't been linked yet in this post. So, with that in mind:

1. Reunion

Midnight Cinderella, Alyn x Custom MC, angst with a happy ending. Alyn is searching for Wysteria's lost princess after she disappears into the night, causing the Princess Elect system to collapse in on itself. After it seems that all hope is lost in finding the girl again, Alyn finds her by complete chance. I remember this one fondly as it was written around the time that Cybird was nailing MidCin's coffin shut when the events were stopped entirely, a sad sign of things to come. I had worked so hard on this, even having giggle fits when I had it ran through a text to speech program at the time so that I could catch errors in the writing, something that I hadn't done before at the time, but it helped out quite bit at the time. I focused more on getting details in the background and set dressings of the fic, it was my favorite baby for the longest time despite being for a very, very small fandom that has its canon meet its end not long after.

2. Smiles

Mystic Messenger, Zen x fem!Reader, very very very fluffy. Inspired by the phone call you get in Zen's route in Day 10 after leaving Rika's apartment for good. Reader-chan isn't in a good place mentally (understandable, given the events that made them leave Rika's apartment) and they wake up alone in Zen's apartment after a nightmare. Zen calls them to tell them he's briefly stepped out to grab some groceries and he comforts them over the phone. It's stupidly cute with Zen being a complete dork in love.

3. First Kicks

Ikemen Vampire, Vincent x Abby (OC), pregnancy fluff. It's not the first time I've written about Vincent and Abby's adventures in modern world, but I like this one in particular as it's more of exploration of what the two of them are like as a couple. They say sweet things to each other, Vincent's eases her anxieties and teases her about stealing his shirts to wear, she tries to be the mature one in the universe but gets flustered when he points out her childishness in stealing his last clean shirt, they get excited when their baby starts kicking, etc etc. Tis very cute, I like this one.

4. Ruri's Misadventures

Yu-Gi-Oh Arc V, Ruri & Yuuto & Shun, survivalist fic, unfinished. When I was looking into the answers to fics with happy and angsty endings, I came across the list for my old Arc V fics and was reminded of this one in particular. Basically, I wanted to create a fic that filled in the gaps that canon left out, basically the day-to-day of the resistance fighters of the Xyz Dimension. Canon was tragically short on the details about the resistance fighters (hell, Ruri didn't make a physical appearance until 3/4s into the series aside from being mentioned by name despite being the entire reason Shun and Yuuto came across dimensions, to try and find her and get her back home). With this fic in particular, I wanted to explore the events leading up to Ruri's eventual kidnapping, which included trying to find shelter and supplies in what was basically a desolate warzone. And I loved writing about the relationship between Ruri and her boys, about how they grew stronger together in spite of the circumstances. It is a little bit older and in WIP Hell like the majority of my long fics, but if you wanna look into a survivalist kinda story (or just liked Arc V in particular of the YGO series(s)), give it a look. Just be forewarned that it can get dark at times (illness, terror attacks, injuries, Yuuto gets a rather nasty surprise in the last chapter that has to do with corpses), this is not happy fic. It has its soft moments, but it's angsty overall, if that's your kinda thing.

5. Bittersweet

Obey Me, Lucifer x Miri (OC), angsty-flavored fluff and timey-wimey shenanigans. Written when Nightbringer was in its early days. Miri has been sent back to the past where the Demon Brothers don't know her yet and are still sore from their fall from the Celestial Realm. She goes to see Lucifer with some coffee and she gets homesick, missing the versions of the brothers she knew, of the Lucifer she once knew. Lucifer comforts her as best he can (she's still a stranger to him at this point), thinking that it's strange that this tiny creature seems so comfortable with him, even knowing how he likes his coffee. This one was my first full Obey Me with Miri and I think it's a neat little story about what you would do if you were flung into the past and met past versions of people you once knew but they don't know you currently and what you could do in that kind of situation. It was also a time before we really knew what Nightbringer was going to be about and it was a fun time to explore the possibilities.

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

I Will Take You Tonight (Part 2)

These translations are not intended as a replacement for the game. Please support Cybird by buying their stories. Expect grammatical errors. Not 100% accurate. Spoilers under the cut.

The warlords returned to the dressing room.

Yukimura: “There’s no time to waste. We need to hurry and go help her.”

Shingen: “Acting without a plan is not a wise choice. This is not the time to act willy-nilly.”

Nobunaga: “You guys, write this first.”

Nobunaga showed everyone the notice the staff had just given him.

Kennyo: “What’s the point of writing it if we don’t know who the enemy is?”

Kicho: “Don’t tell me you’ll use the TV station?”

Everyone: “!”

Nobunaga: “That’s right. I already talked with the staff earlier.”

Nobunaga: “We’ll use the tv to declare war on those who have kidnapped Mai and save her as a phantom thief while watching for their move.”

Mitsuhide: “The tv station is willing to cooperate as long as they can capture exciting footage of the renowned phantom thieves.”

Sasuke: “If that’s the case, let’s write a warning letter first.”

And so each person let their pen run across the paper as they wrote their warnings.

Yoshimoto: “I think that’s enough for all of us.”

Sasuke: “Seventeen warning letters are overwhelming. I think some of them even contain threats.”

Ranmaru: “Some of them are a little scary because they’re worried about Lady Mai.”

Kenshin: “Staff, take this.”

The staff member who received the letters from Kenshin proceeded to respond. Shortly after, they received a response from the culprit.

Staff: “I received an email.”

Mitsunari: “I will keep this woman as my treasure. He’s provoking us.”

Kenshin: “I’m gonna kill him right now.”

Kicho: “You have every right to be angry, but you need to calm down. We have a lot of work to do.”

Kicho: “Sasuke, you’re a ninja, right?”

Sasuke: “Yeah. I know how to do a reverse tracing.”

Sasuke: “Excuse me, staff.”

Sasuke started doing something with the laptop.

Yukimura: “Wow. I have no idea what you’re doing.”

Sasuke: “Thanks. Oh, it’s done.”

He adjusted the laptop so everyone could see the map on the screen.

Sasuke: "I traced the email successfully. I've identified the source and where it was sent."

Keiji: "Let's go there right away."

Mitsuhide: "No, wait. The culprits have sent us a provoking message. They may be a well-prepared group."

Nobunaga: "Yeah. We'll split up into teams from here."

Nobunaga: "Sapphire will secure a route to sneak into the building, Ruby will eliminate the guards, while diamond will secure Mai."

Ieyasu: “What if Sapphire and Ruby find Mai first?”

Kicho: “After infiltrating it, it’d be best for each individual to make their own judgment and proceed with the rescue.”

Kicho: “How about we call your plan “A” and “B” for Diamond’s plan?”

Mitsunari: “That sounds good.”

Nobunaga: “Ours is plan A. Our priority is to protect her.”

The building that Sasuke identified turned out to be an exclusive luxury hotel.

Hideyoshi: “So far, so good.”

Ieyasu: “This lounge was open to non-members as well.”

Mitsunari: “Lord Hideyoshi, Lord Ieyasu.”

Shingen: “We’ve got some information.”

Mitsunari and Shingen, who were out gathering information, returned.

Hideyoshi: “You’re fast.”

Mitsunari: “I got the room number used by the person who runs this hotel.”

Nobunaga: “Our mission here is also complete.”

Nobunaga joined the four of them, and at that moment, he received a message.

Nobunaga: “It’s from Yoshimoto. He went in from the back, disguised as a contractor.”

Nobunaga: “He said he successfully infiltrated. We’re going to join him.”

Ieyasu: “Did you get what we were looking for?”

Nobunaga: “I told you the mission is complete.”

He smiled and tossed the membership cards for six people onto the desk.

Hideyoshi: “As expected of Lord Nobunaga! With this, we can infiltrate even beyond the lobby.”

Nobunaga: “Yeah, from the lobby and beyond.”

Nobunaga: “I sent Yoshimoto there because I believe there’s a route that can’t be accessed from the guest side.”

Shingen: “I don’t see this going down easily.”

The five used their membership cards to sneak inside the hotel.

Afterward, they received a message from Yoshimoto and met in a deserted hallway.

Yoshimoto: “As I thought, there’s a floor that is inaccessible to both guests and employees.”

Shingen: “I heard that the hotel manager’s private floor is on the top floor, the 33rd floor.”

Shingen: “Where is the floor that we can’t enter?”

Yoshimoto: “This building is actually 34 stories high.”

Mitsunari: “Then the owner’s actual residence is on the 34th floor.”

Yoshimoto: “Probably. But the elevator only goes up to the 33rd floor.”

Ieyasu: “Is there a staircase?

Yoshimoto: “It looks like someone tampered with the elevator.”

Yoshimoto: “You can only get to the 34th floor by inserting a key that only some of the staff have.”

Yoshimoto: “But there are surveillance cameras.”

Yoshimoto: “We need to do something about it, or the alarm will go off immediately.”

Yoshimoto: “Even if we reach the 34th floor, there’ll be a commotion right away.”

Mitsunari: “If we have that much information, then we can split up and solve the problem.”

Shingen: “Yoshimoto and I will get the key.”

Nobunaga: “We’ll handle the surveillance cameras.”

Nodding to each other, Nobunaga and the others split into two groups.

A few minutes later一

Nobunaga: “Looks like you got the key.”

Shingen: “Of course. Looks like you took care of the surveillance cameras.”

Mitsunari: “We tampered with them to make the recorded footage loop.”

Ieyasu: “We can now infiltrate the top floor.”

Hideyoshi: “Let’s hurry and get there.”

And so the five of them boarded the elevator.

Meanwhile, the warlords of Team Ruby were waiting on the roof.

Masamune checked his phone as he received a message.

Masamune: “Sapphire has secured the route to infiltrate the floor owned by the kidnapper.”

Keiji: “As expected of Lord Nobunaga.”

Kanetsugu: “And where is it?”

Masamune: “The top floor, but apparently, there are a lot of security guards there.”

Yukimura: “I see. So we just need to take care of them.”

Masamune: “Exactly.”

Then Ranmaru and Sasuke returned. Both were looking for other ways to infiltrate the hotel.

Ranmaru: “I found a way through the vent, but it was pretty narrow. I think I’m the only one who could fit in there.”

Sasuke: “The route from it is connected to the top floor.”

Keiji: “Why don’t we see if we can enter through the window?”

Kanetsugu: “We’ll attract attention if we go in a large group. Yukimura and I will use the wire gun and check it.”

Masamune: “I’m counting on you.”

Kanetsugu and Yukimura deftly used the wire guns, suspending themselves from the rooftop and maneuvering along the windows.

Sasuke: “Yukimura, Kanetsugu. Are you guys all right?”

Sasuke and the others watched them from the rooftop and called out to them.

Kanetsugu: “It’s windy, but no problem.”

Yukimura: “There’s a room with no lights on. Let’s try entering from there.”

The two nodded at each other and placed their feet on the window’s ledge.

Then, Yukimura lightly tapped on the glass and shook his head.

Sasuke: “It’s probably coated with a special coating.”

Ranmaru: “I’ll try to break in through the vent.”

Keiji: “We’ll just have to find a window somewhere to break in.”

As they investigated, Yukimura and the others finally found a window that could be broken.

Kanetsugu: “If we break it, people will immediately rush to it. Sasuke, the thing.”

Sasuke: “Got it. We’ll use this glass cutter to cut it.”

Kanetsugu disconnected the glass, making sure not to drop it.

At that moment, Masamune's cell phone rang, and he received a call from Ranmaru.

Masamune: "Yeah, okay."

Masamune: "According to Ranmaru, there are thirty guards."

Sasuke: "That's five guards each."

Keiji: "I'll take ten."

Masamune: "You think I'll back down?"

While they argued, Kanetsugu and Yukimura managed to sneak into the restroom.

Yukimura: "Hey, you guys come down too."

Keiji: "Coming!"

Masamune and the others also used wire guns from the rooftop to get down to the restroom.

The five men exited the restroom and moved to a nearby warehouse.

Ranmaru: "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Peeking out of the vent, Ranmaru landed on his feet and quickly pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, revealing a floor plan.

Ranmaru: "There are 30 guards. And then here..."

Ranmaru: "There's one room that's heavily guarded."

Keiji: "That's where Mai would be."

Sasuke: "We should go there as soon as possible."

Yukimura: "She's waiting for us."

Masamune: "Yeah, I won't let anyone hurt her."

Kanetsugu: "We'll get her back ourselves."

Ranmaru: "Yeah, let's go!"

Meanwhile, the warlords of Team Diamond一

Motonari: "I hope you're ready for me to steal you away."

Motonari turned towards the camera and dramatically flipped his cape.

Kicho: "You're not doing a good job flipping the cape. Let's start over."

Motonari: ".........."

Staff 1: "E-Excuse me! You were still cool!"

The staff hurriedly followed up on Motonari's moody air.

Motonari: "I'll do it again. Hey, start rolling the camera!"

Staff 1: "O-Okay!"

Kennyo: "This is not the time for this."

Kenshin: "End this farce immediately."

The warlords of Team Diamond were filming a scene in which a phantom thief announced himself at the request of the TV station.

Mitsuhide: "There's no need to rush. The preparations are complete."

Mitsuhide checked his phone and smirked.

Mitsuhide: "Alright, staff, let's proceed."

Kicho: "Is everything ready?"

Mitsuhide: "Yeah. Let's get this show started."

Mitsuhide and the others boldly entered the hotel in their phantom thief costumes, making a grand entrance.

Guest 1: “What’s with those guys?

Guest 2: “Cameras are rolling. Maybe they’re filming something. It’s nice.”

Some people were suspicious, while others were admiring.

Kenshin: “Make way for us, please.”

Motonari: “This is getting interesting.”

Kicho: “Why don’t you look a little more like a thief?”

Kennyo: “We’re attracting too much attention. This will make the enemies wary of us.”

Mitsuhide: “That’s the concept of this team.”

Kenshin: “Yeah. If we make a flashy frontal breakthrough as part of the filming, the security’s attention will turn to us.”

Motonari: “If Sapphire and Ruby are already inside, it could serve as a diversionary tactic.”

Hotel staff: “Sir, you’re bothering the guests.”

Hearing the commotion, the hotel staff stood in the way of Mitsuhide and the others.

Kennyo: “Sorry, but we’re in a hurry.”

Kenshin: “I’m the one who will rescue Mai.”

Hotel staff: “Our hotel is for members only. If you don’t have a membership card一”

Motonari: “You mean this thing?”

Motonari handed the membership cards for each member to the hotel staff, grinning.

Kicho: “You work fast.”

Mitsuhide: “The plan is going well. Let’s continue.”

Mitsuhide and the others, having infiltrated the hotel’s interior, used their smartphones to check the status of the other teams.

Motonari: “Is Sapphire heading to the top floor using the elevator?”

Kennyo: "Ruby is entering through the window and dealing with the security guards, yes?"

Kicho: "We still have two unfinished tasks."

Kicho: "To secure an escape route and to get the key to the room where Mai is."

Mitsuhide: "I arranged an escape route through the window and asked the tv station for a helicopter."

Motonari: "I've got a hang glider, too, so that's not a problem."

Kicho: "I'll get the keys. I just wish I had a floor plan of the inside of this hotel."

Kennyo: "Then I'll get the floor plan."

Kenshin: "I'll create a diversion."

Motonari: "Then I'll also create a diversion. It's better to keep the enemy's attention divided as much as possible."

Mitsuhide: "Alright, everyone. I'll gather some information. Contact me if anything comes up."

The warlords of Team Diamond left to do their part.

(Where am I?)

Mai: "----!"

I woke up and found myself in a room full of artwork and jewelry.

(Someone attacked me back at the TV station.)

Man: "Did you wake up?"

Mai: "Who the hell are you?"

A man dressed in expensive clothes was looking down at me.

I also noticed several men guarding the room.

Mai: "Why did you...?"

Man: "I'm a collector with a lot of money and time on my hands."

Man: "I only kidnapped you because I happen to like you. And to add you to my collection."

(C-Collection!?)

Mai: "I refuse! Please let me go!"

Man: "I like that competitive spirit. It's getting harder and harder for me to let you go."

(W-What should I do?)

I looked around to see if there was any place I could escape to, but一

(There are too many guards. There's no way out.)

(I'm sure everyone will come to help me.)

(There's no way they will lose to these people.)

When Nobunaga and the others took the elevator to the top floor, they found Masamune and the others fighting with the security guards.

Masamune: "Too late. Oops."

Masamune intercepted the guard who attacked him and chuckled.

Nobunaga: "You guys are going all out."

Keiji: "Nah, the security guys just keep coming one after the other."

Ieyasu: "Well, I'm sure they already expected us to come."

Hideyoshi: "We'll help you too."

Nobunaga and the others were about to join the battle when一

Mitsuhide: "Well, well, well. I didn't realize we were all stuck together."

Motonari: "We've reduced their numbers during the diversion."

Kenshin: "I don't care how many people are there. I'll get rid of anyone who gets in my way."

Guard: "I won't let you go!"

Ranmaru: "Back off! I won't show any mercy."

Ranmaru swiftly kicked the gun-wielding man's hand and quickly brought him down.

Kanetsugu: "There's one secure door at the end of this hallway."

Kennyo: "That's where we'll find Mai."

Yukimura: "I guess we'll just have to kick them all out!"

Three enemies leaped at Yukimura together, but he jumped back.

Mitsunari: "Even if we could get through here, can we safely escape with this number of guards?"

Kicho: "That's not a problem. We've secured several escape routes."

Keiji: "Then all we have to do is break through here!"

Yoshimoto: "But still, they're pretty tough. I can't believe we're having such a hard time together."

Sasuke: "I think they have special training."

Kicho: "They must be bodyguards for important people."

Sasuke: "They're probably not ordinary individuals, especially considering they are armed."

Shingen: "Just like them, we're not ordinary either."

Shingen, with a fearless smile, knocked the man, targeting them from the shadows of the hallway.

Yoshimoto: "That's true. I feel sorry for them."

Kenshin: "There's no room for pity."

Nobunaga: "Yeah."

Kanetsugu: "I'm gonna make them regret messing with our treasure."

Mitsuhide: "Guns of this era are quite interesting."

Guard: "Guh!"

Mitsuhide knocked down the man holding the pistol and took the gun from him.

Mitsuhide: “How does it feel to be on the receiving end? You’re prepared to face retribution, right?”

Nobunaga: “You guys! If this continues, there’s no way out of this. Each of you will do your best to get Mai back.”

(The commotion is getting louder and louder.)

There had been a lot of noise behind the door since a while ago.

(Could it be?)

(Maybe everyone came to help!)

Hoping this, the culprit, frustrated, shouted.

After looking around for a while, the culprit also left the room.

(I might be able to escape now.)

Just when I was thinking that一

???: “Mai!”

(Huh?)

I heard his voice calling me.

Previous Part

➟ Kenshin, Mitsuhide, Motonari, Kennyo

➟ Keiji, Ranmaru, Masamune

➟ Kanetsugu, Sasuke, Yukimura

➟ Ieyasu, Shingen, Hideyoshi

➟ Nobunaga, Yoshimoto, Mitsunari

➟ Kicho

[cidylee]

Welcome to the Future - Kicho x Y/N (Ikémen Sengoku)

Here is my entry for A Series of Firsts hosted by @aquagirl1978. I'm super nervous to post it because it's the first time I'm writing a fanfiction and English is not my first language. Also, I know only a little about Kicho. I've only read a few of his birthday events available on the Enslig server. So, expect it to be out of character.

Prompt: First look

Pairing: Kicho x Y/N (but consider it a self-insert)

Word Count: 1628

There are really few spoilers from his route. I think we all already know where he has been and when.

The story takes place in the present day. A university student travels to Japan for her master degree. She visits Honno-Ji temple. There is a thunderstorm and she finds... a man?

The wind is blowing through my hair, bringing with it a light scent of greenery, reminiscent of the few threes around. I can also smell the scent of wet wood and wet stone. The sky is grey. Not a grey that conveys sadness, just an old plain boring grey, perfect for the boring days.

I’m so stupid. So, so, so stupid. What did I decided to do my master’s degree on Dazai Osamu? I’m studying French literature not Japanese literature. At least, since it’s only a master’s degree, not a doctorate degree, I could write my mémoire based on translations. My university allows it. The thing is, French and Japanese are incredibly different. Reading Osamu Dazai in French is not the same thing as reading him in Japanese. I want to respect the creator’s work, so I told myself I would learn Japanese and visit Japan. Such a good idea. A degree that should take two years to finish has been extended to at least four years. I am already twenty-six-year-old. After my university studies, I’ll need to find a job.

I’m dumb. Even a lifetime won’t be enough to fully understand Osamu Dazai’s work. Will I ever be able to read his novels in their original language? Scrap that. I will never obtain my degree.

I sigh as I walk through Honno-Ji’s main entrance. As an international student, I get to visit a lot of places. I am quite pleased to be able to explore Kyoto. I mean, a trip to Japan is not complete without some sightseeing through Kyoto, right? Though, for some reason, a friend of mine recommended me to go to Honno-Ji temple. It’s not that I lack culture, but... I didn’t know what that temple was. I never saw it passed on travel guide. Oda Nobunaga was a name I’ve never heard before. Yet, here I am, about to pay my respect to that guy.

There are few people around. They are talking or looking at their phone. Yeah, nobody cares about Oda Nobunaga.

Suddenly, the surroundings are darkening. Well, I guess it’s going to rain. A lightning tears the sky, creating a root-like pattern. Seconds later, the thunder resonates in the air. The people around are quick to get up from their seat and find shelter under the roofs. Once they are safe from the rain and the thunder, people resume talking and looking at their phone. The storm seems to worsen. Light and electricity are spreading in the sky. Thunder is deafening. I hear a shrill noise in my head, like a powerful ringing. I cover my ears with my hands.

The rain splattering against the ground. The blinding lights. The roaring of the thunder. The heat and the dampness. The tense atmosphere I seem to be the only one feeling. It’s too much. I’m out of breath. My legs are trembling. My heart is about to burst out of my chest. My blood is boiling. I’m about to faint.

The next moment, a lightning strikes the memorial. The ground vibrates under my feet, and I collapse. All eyes are converging where the lightning struck. There, I see a man, lying down. What the… What is he doing?

People around are screaming, pointing at his direction, but nobody goes to help him. I understand. Even if I could move, I wouldn’t risk my life.

Soon, there is no more lightning and thunder. After a while, the sky is clearing up and I can see the sun above. The few people disperse, and I find myself alone in Honno-Ji memorial with a man only meters away. Is he unconscious? He didn’t run away when the storm was raging. I… I don’t want. I don’t want to go look after him, ask him if he’s fine, if he needs some help… I’m not good at that.

Despite my reluctance, I find the courage to look after him. I get up while holding myself against the wall, then walk in direction of the man, my heart still beating fast. Cautious, I lean over him. The man is soaked. His eyes are close, but his chest is slowly rising and falling. He wears a kimono, way too open in the chest area. His black hair falls on his face. He is unconscious, yet he looks irritated.

OK, time to wake him up. I kneel next to him and shake his body. Soon enough, his eyes flutter open. Well, that was easy. It means he is not seriously injured. The man stares at me with green orbs. I can’t help but notice the bags under his eyes. They give him an annoyed look. He’s still quite attractive. His jaw is sharp, his neck long and he possesses an elegant flair to him. I don’t think I’ve met a guy as handsome as him before. Now, what do I do?

"Hello?" I said in a broken Japanese. "Are you alright? Do you need help?"

The man stares at me, confused and more irritated. That’s it. He didn’t understand a word I said. I try again:

"Are you hurt somewhere? What is your name? Should I take you to the hospital?

The man stares at me for a while, and I feel more nervous. He scoffs at me and says something. What… what it is? That’s… I understood nothing. I look at his clothes again. He wears a kimono and the way he is speaking is weird, it is not the Japanese I usually hear on the streets. We are in a temple. The man is handsome… He must be an actor acting the role of a Japanese of the ancient times! He is certainly taking his role seriously. If I were him, I would’ve break character the moment the thunderstorm started. He even kept acting when I woke him up. That’s what I call talent and dedication.

"You’re an actor, right? You’re good, but I don’t think you need to keep acting. I just want to make sure you’re alright. Can you, maybe, answer me in modern Japanese? Please? If you tell me you are alright, I promise to let you alone."

The man scoffs again. He is talking again and… something mysterious happens. I hear him talking to me in Japanese, yet I understand him as if he were speaking to me in my native language.

"Your Japanese is horrible to the ears." He smirks, and I hate him. He’s not wrong, though. "You’re not from here."

"Of course, I’m not from here! It’s written all over my face and body. Do I look Japanese to you? Arg… Anyway, are you not supposed to be an actor for the Honno-Ji temple? If so, shouldn’t you be a bit nicer to the visitors? I was worried about you!"

The man’s gaze darkens. He is not smiling anymore. He scans the surroundings, and he looks confused. "An actor?" he repeats.

"Come on! Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m not dumb to the point of not knowing there was some sort of actors back in… the old days."

He frowns. "Where are we? What is this place? It’s terrible. Whatever you are wearing is distasteful for a woman… or just any human being."

Geez… That man is something else. "We are at Honno-Ji temple, where Oda Nobunaga died… hum… many years ago."

The man appears to be even more confused. Then, he puts one hand on my neck and forces me to look at him right in the eyes. The effect is immediate. I lower my gaze to his lips. He seems to notice as he sighs, but he doesn’t comment about it. "You said Oda Nobunaga is dead?"

"Yeah… He died some 450 years ago, or so my friend told me."

The man’s eyes widen. What is going on? My heart’s rate hasn’t slowed down since the end of the thunderstorm. I can only keep staring at his lips, his neck and chest. Did he hit his head that badly? He looks like he really doesn’t know what is going on. I should take him to the hospital.

The man has now a serious expression. "Introduce yourself. What is your name? What year are you born? Where do you come from? What year is it?" His voice is commanding, and I see no problem to answering his questions. "I’m Y/N. I was born in 1992. We are now in 2018. I’m from Canada."

I didn’t think he could look more surprised, yet he seems even more dumbfounded. "Canada?" At the end of the 16th century, Canada had already been discovered for some decades. Either the information had not yet reach Japan at that time, or Japan didn’t know Canada by that name. "It’s a far away land. Now, would you tell me who you are?"

The man answers a few seconds later. "My name is Kicho. I am a vassal of Oda Nobunaga." he murmurs. I nod, then I grab my phone, searching for "Kicho". Oh, OK. That guy definitely hit his head. Kicho is a woman, and she is Nobunaga’s wife. "Sorry, but Internet is telling me Kicho is Nobunaga’s wife. She is also known as Nohime." "Nohime?" repeats the man calling himself Kicho. He then stands up and grabs me by the wrist. I am forced to get up with him. "Y/N, you are coming with me. You will show me around and will explain to me everything about this place, and about Canada too." His gaze is piercing, and I feel compelled to obey, but I am not afraid.

"But first, we need to find you new clothes. You can’t go flashing your tits like that."

Kicho’s eyes widen, then he frowns. "Flashing my what? My… tits?"

[little-teasapling]

HEY.

IKEMEN SENGOKU PEEPS.

I NEED ANSWERS PLS.

SPOILERS? AHEAD I GUESS??? Only if you haven't read/played Nobunaga's sequel route and went the "Passionate" route

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.

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SO. The thing. The REALLY BIG THING That happens??? The reaalllyyyy big and ANGSTY THING that happens!!

IS IT TRUE?! IS IT CONFIRMED????!! Pls I BEG I need these answers because I am S A D 🥺🥺🥺

I tried to find some video plays throughs of his Passionate route and it did not give me any good answers!!

IF you do know what I'm talking about and feel the need to spare a very sad 20-something year old some agony 😓😓 to keep spoilers from being seen, s just msg me! I'm going absolutely FERAL

[jokertrap-ran]

[スタオケ] La Corda d'Oro Starlight Orchestra Mikado Ukiha Cast Story Chapter 2 Translation

*Starlight Orchestra Masterlist | Mikado Ukiha’s Personal Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Mikado's Route Tag will be #Ukiha’s Star

Ukiha: You can see red maple leaves everywhere in Kyoto during this season. 

Ukiha: I hope what few maple trees we have in this courtyard make for an adequate scenery to admire in your eyes.

▷Choice: They're beautiful

Ukiha: Hehe, thank you for the compliment. I am certain that the gardener in charge of maintaining the yard will be overjoyed to hear that. Ukiha: Your profile as you look up, blissfully gazing into the red foliage, puts anyone who wishes to monopolize you for themselves to shame…

▷Choice: This isn't what I'd call “few”

Ukiha: Really? I find what little maple trees we have here pale in comparison to the likes of those in Hogaike Park, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and the Tofuku-ji Temple.

Ukiha: We used to have many people coming and going from this place, so efforts were made to take special care of the courtyard back then….

Ukiha: However, we no longer have our gardeners come in as frequently as before, so the current state of the courtyard is a little… embarrassing.

Ukiha: It may give off the impression that it is lacking in some places, but please close an eye to it.

Ukiha: This courtyard was originally designed with the intention of being able to enjoy the scenery it provided regardless of the season. Hence, every season boasts a different view.

Ukiha: I believe that out of all the seasons, autumn is when the view here is most beautiful.

Ukiha: The courtyard is dyed red in autumn. Look… Some flowers continue to bloom ever so stubbornly, only to gradually wither away.

Ukiha: Seems like some flowers have successfully bloomed this year.

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Ukiha: These are winter peonies. They are still eye-catching despite being sequestered in the corner of the garden.

Ukiha: Peonies only bloom twice a year, but they may also fail to bloom before the season, such as this autumn, ends…

Ukiha: The peonies had bloomed beautifully this spring, so I thought that I would not be able to see them in full bloom this autumn.

Ukiha: But it looks like they still have enough vitality left in them to bloom.

Mikado’s eyes softened as he gazed at the peonies…

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Ukiha: If you like it, then how about taking one with you as a gift?

▷Choice: I'll gladly take one!

Ukiha: I will get Genichiro to prepare one for you later. Ukiha: I believe the flower will be satisfied to be able to live and wither under your care.

▷Choice: That would be too much of a waste

Ukiha: Fret not. After all, these flowers will not remain in bloom forever. Ukiha: Here, please accept it.

Ukiha: Peonies really are beautiful, are they not?

Ukiha: (L/n)-san. Have you ever seen how this type of flower withers?

Ukiha: They bloom even more intensely near the end. The large petals will gradually spread out, slowly falling apart and drifting to the ground…

Ukiha: I find the way it slowly falls apart to be much more interesting than how well it blooms.

▷Choice: When it falls apart…? You're captivated by its withering?

Ukiha: Since ancient times, Japanese people often find beauty in things that are about to reach their end, do they not?

Ukiha: The tale of the Heike, Oda Nobunaga, the Shinsengumi… They are well-loved and praised by the public for the tragic ends of their glorious stories.

Ukiha: The victor is always the one in charge of recording past historical events, yet generations later, it is the loser’s side of the story that manages to win the hearts of people.

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Ukiha: Flowers are the same… In fact, there is a much wider range of vocabulary to describe how they wither, compared to how they bloom.

Ukiha: Cherry blossoms flutter, plum blossoms fall, chrysanthemums drop… and peonies fall apart…

Ukiha: Just like a home that falls apart, it instantly loses its shape. So fleetingly, that it's almost akin to a midsummer night's dream.

Ukiha: One day, when I reach that end myself, I too, wish to simply disappear like a peony.

…

Ukiha: Is something the matter?

▷Choice: That's kinda sad

Ukiha: Flowers bloom and fade, but I fear that flowers are the only thing that can tug at your heartstrings in that manner. Ukiha: But, if you are there to feel sorry for me when I wither, then I will have no regrets.

▷Choice: Let's think of happier thoughts

Ukiha: Hehe, I do apologize for dampening the mood by talking about such grim matters when there are such beautiful maple trees to be admired. Ukiha: I am afraid making metaphors like this to get reactions out of others is a bad habit of mine.

▷Choice: I can relate to that

Ukiha: Oh, great minds think alike. Ukiha: Then perhaps we should both seek comfort from one another in this courtyard as we await the end… Ukiha: Hehe, you look awfully pale. I am joking, of course.

Ukiha: I wonder what Genichiro would say, had he known of the things I have said to you today.

Ukiha: But I suppose this is enough joking around.

Ukiha: We should get inside. I shall get someone to make you a cup of warm tea.

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬Ukiha’s Star♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Previous Part: (Chapter 1) Next Part: (Chapter 3)

[janumun]

Okie now that I know that you also love Nobunaga can we TALK ABOUT HIM PLEASE? Like ohmygod he’s so beautiful and amazing and UGH ;;-;;

YES ANON. FINALLY, I get to talk about my love and adoration how all my stars revolve around this man for this man who has me wrapped around his finger all his fingers! tight. I haven’t yammered away about how he’s my absolute favorite otome man but he is and I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon.

He is beautiful and amazing like you said and I could probably bang out a book on my keyboard over my fondness for the man. His delicious sprite - 

Look at that smirk. That haori. I also love a man in black. Those pecs just begging you to rip that kimono off and view them in all their fine tiddy glory. 

I never thought oresamas were my type (they still aren’t) but Nobunaga is an entirely different matter. I don’t even count him as an oresama at times going by how… adorably pure he can be at times.

Can we talk about how this dumbass loves our toes and ears? x’D Also, the way he’s so ticklish? AAAAA I want to fight tickle him and get punished later on. You’re his fucking Queen and he loves you: your intelligence, your jibes, your smile, your lap. 

Also, never forget how the man is very, very capable of fucking you right into pleasured whimpers on top of his futon, at the balcony, in the middle of battle, literally anywhere else. Who doesn’t love a man who knows how to provide a good romp?!

I’ve done his route three times (I’ve never repeated a single route in my life just to enjoy it all over again sob my thirst for Nobubu content is real) and I’m going to replay him for the fourth time cough for his Eternal Ending. Are you excited?! I hope they give him something of an Act 2 like the MidCin suitors.

Anyway, come squeal with me any time about Nobunaga. Any. Time. 

I hope my screaming didn’t scare you too much nonny, I just - LOVE HIM SO DAMN MUCH. He was one of my first otome routes (that was like… 4-5 years ago now? wow) and I still go all teen doki-doki for the man. Was it his adorable blushes at being teased? His absolute love for you and his darned sugar stars? And furthermore– Spoilers Ahead!

.

The drained blankness of his face when he returns after killing enemies out on the battlefield once you teach him how to feel again? His first tears when he pushes you into the wormhole in his Dramatic End, effectively ripping out and throwing away his heart to the mercies of Fate? The little snip in modern history books about how he never married after you left? The part about historians finding Bearsace among his possessions after his death and how well preserved he was? Or was it how he proudly talked of a certain woman, you, when asked about the love of his life, his heart, his Queen?

End of Spoilers

I have no idea. I may have started crushing on him because of that confident simpering of his and Strip Go lmao, who knows. Also, that VA of his voicing Sakata Gintoki (one of my anime faves) might have something to do with it. Sugita Tomokazu is a talent, folks! He also voices Victor in the JP version of Mr. Love: Queen's Choice. All his characters are out for the kill GD –

Going to stop now because I have to control all these feels I have before I flood my entire blog and blow up your ask more than I already have lol. Thank you for letting me yell. Here’s some random Nobubu to make your day/night!

[tacogawa]

😭😭😭

[leonardhoee]

A Rant About Ikesen’s Treatment of Motonari

I’ve been away from tumblr for a while but I had to come back for this.

So something I’ve noticed throughout playing Ikesen is the way that the game is very biased agains Motonari and I think it needs to be addressed because he is the only brown character and his portrayal is full of harmful stereotypes against brown men. I love this game but I haven't seen a single person acknowledge how badly Motonari is treated by the creators and the fandom as a result of that.

Also any racist comments will be blocked.

Possible route spoilers under the cut…

So lets start with the obvious, he is the only dark skinned character in Ikesen and when I first started playing I was so happy about that because finally (regardless of his ethnicity which honestly in this portrayal of him can be up for debate, I HC him as south East Asian) we are getting some representation. Throughout the game though I started noticing a lot of harmful stereotypes being thrown onto him that none of the other characters face.

Both him and Nobunaga are relatively misogynistic, I’m not denying that at all. However the way it is portrayed in their routes is very different. Nobunaga should in fact have sexual harassment charges, yet its romanticized repeatedly throughout his route. Motonari on the other hand treated MC as a possession the same way Nobunaga did, however he is shown as aggressive and scary as opposed to Nobunaga being shown as sexy and romantic.

There is also a difference in their respective CG’s 

Motonari’s CG is shown much more threatening and aggressive than Nobunaga’s

That brings me to my next point. Every other antagonist so far is shown to have a gentle and redeemable side. Kenshin threatened to wage war on the whole country while keeping MC locked in a cell yet he is still shown to be gentle and romantic. Kennyo repeatedly kidnaps and threatens MC’s life in other routes yet he is shown as a gentle monk who just wants revenge for his fallen brethren. Why doesn't Motonari get that level of consideration and empathy? Why is he, the only brown man, shown as an aggressive two-dimensional brute in every single route that isn’t his own? And this is a harmful stereotype that shows itself in all kinds of media. Brown men are depicted as predatory and aggressive both in fiction and real life.

This leads me to his ethnicity (I’m only talking about Ikesen’s portrayal of Motonari, I am well aware he was a Japanese warlord irl). In his route there is a part where he is talking about slavery and colonialism. As a South Asian woman I completely understand his perspective and its what got me thinking about this subject in the first place.

This subject is clearly personal to him. These lines, the way he looks as opposed to the other characters, and the fact that he speaks Spanish (around this time period the Philippines were being colonized by Spain), leads me to head cannon him as South East Asian, specifically Filipino. However, historically, Motonari comes from a region of Southern Japan, which is known as Hiroshima today. Cybird meant to market him as Okinawan. A large part of the reason Motonari is being treated this way by Cybird stems from the fact that people from Okinawa face racism from mainland Japan. Considering the fact that this game was made in Japan, and knowing what we know about their history of colonization, racism, and east asian beauty standards revolving around colorism, I am honestly not surprised that Motonari is being portrayed like this.

Until now they just showed his reason for fighting the Oda to be “oh I just want to watch the world burn for no reason”. But no that’s not the reason. These lines. That’s the reason. A lot of the context behind those lines comes from the fact that comes from because people from mainland Japan treated Okinawan people as slaves. He doesn’t want to see another colonizer come into power. Sure he’s a bit of an extremist but historically people who have this ideology have always been portrayed as savage and barbaric and “against the betterment of society” (think Jet from atla or even Malcom x). It’s no different in ikesen. The devs are clearly villainizing this ideology. Let’s not forget the fact that irl Hideyoshi invaded Korea. And the fact that anime and otome games are part of Japan’s way of erasing their war crimes and rebranding themselves to the rest of the world. It’s blatantly obvious here with the way they’re villainizing Motonari for having a perfectly valid reason to fight the Oda. If Japan stays divided they can’t invade and colonize other countries like the Philippines can they? Anti-colonialism = bad. 

Lastly I want to talk about how they downplayed his abilities as a leader and a warlord in his own right. In all the other routes he is depicted as less educated and frankly “dumb”, and it shows itself in his speech patterns too. Compared to Nobunaga and Mitsuhide, Motonari’s speech is stereotypically “less educated” and “lower class”. Yet he is just as much of a leader as any of the other warlords. However instead of acknowledging that, the game chooses to focus on his crimes and behavior as a pirate, instead of his role as the head of the Mouri clan.

At one point Kicho even compares his intelligence to a fifth grader which just rubs me the wrong way because lets take a moment to actually look at Motonari’s abilities. He is multilingual, has knowledge of global politics and economics, is an amazing businessman, and extremely analytical. He is literally known as the God of Decit, yet I did not hear that name once until his route came out. His strategies are good enough to be called a god, yet that is completely buried in the other routes in order to simplify his character into a trigger happy psychopath and a violent brute. He is just as smart as Nobunaga yet he is not given the credit he deserves.

Both Motonari and Nobunaga are extremely similar yet because of the horribly biased portrayals, Motonari is one of the least popular characters whereas Nobunaga is the second most popular. It makes me angry to see people in the fandom choosing to blindly hate Motonari without recognizing the fact that this stems from a frankly racist portrayal of an extremely intelligent and powerful character. Although truthfully, I blame the devs because if they had given his character even half the consideration and depth the others got, this would not be the case. 

You can disagree with me if you want. I am simply bringing attention to something I haven’t seen being addressed.

I hope in future routes, events, and sequels he is treated better by the devs and and the fandom. Please stop projecting racist stereotypes onto brown men.

[syneilesis]

Thoughts about Clavis route

I finished Clavis's route yesterday! I chose Dramatic ending and am now playing it again for the Romantic ending route.

Bullet points because I can't write coherently right now lol. Spoilers ahead!

I love Clavis's route?! I feel like it has the best writing among the available routes so far. I like how they wrote the MC here. Usually in other routes there are some aspects in the MC where I kind of got annoyed with but not here in Clavis's route! So I like that very much. MC is a tsundere! LOL

Much as I like Clavis, I came out of playing this route LOVING CHEVALIER MORE LOL. In every other princes' routes, he's the highlight for me. I just love him so much. I love him, your honor. CHEVALIER LIGHT OF MY LIFE. I have no intelligent comment to contribute lmao. Every time he shows up I'd get the urge to offer my body and soul to him. Stab me with your bloody sword, you towering iceberg bibliophile.

MC AND CHEVALIER AS BOOK BFFs YES PLEASE (and how jealous Clavis is YES JEALOUSY GIMME GIMME)

This route made me appreciate Leon's faction, surprisingly! I feel that in their breakfast interviews I managed to glean more on what they want to do for their kingdom than in their own routes lol. At the very least I have a concrete idea now on what they want. Why is it that I get more glimpses of their politics in the routes of the foreign affairs faction lol

Why do the princes in foreign affairs faction have better political plots I very much enjoy them

Chev's mother and Clavis's mother were lesbians and they loved each other.

Among the new characters, I'm eyeing Silvio because he's voiced by Satou Takuya, but I'm intrigued by Gilbert! In the trailer that first introduced them, I wasn't really interested in Gilbert, but now, with what is shown so far, I am curious!

CHEVALIER vs GILBERT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT (Team Chev all the way, of course)

Re Chevalier and Clavis's relationship: I had an inkling that Chevalier values Clavis as an individual, so I'm happy that it's confirmed!

The reveal that Clavis being a kind and compassionate prince underneath that scoundrel persona ... I know that he's supposed to be a foil to Chevalier, the opposite of cold logic and reason, I understand it, really. But -- and this is just my personal taste talking -- I'm the teensiest bit disappointed LOL. I get it, I really do. He's an analogue of ikesen Mitsuhide even, what with those blatant similarities in the first chapter and sticking to his own beliefs and convictions. I guess I was hoping for a more morally ambiguous motivation to his character. I do kind of notice that the princes, pared down to their essential motivations and character, are good and kind (I think it's an executive decision by Cybird to design characters [many, but not all] that come from the original position of goodness/kindness but are morally ambiguous in their actions -- I'm looking at you, Nobunaga, Vlad, Kicho, Motonari, Mitsuhide, Lancelot, etc.). Only Chevalier doesn't have that compassion and kindness the others have; his is more a question of practicality than morality. Come to think of it, Chevalier is an analogue of Nobunaga, so the parallels between Chevalier+Clavis and Nobunaga+Mitsuhide are notable. I don't actually know where I'm going with this lol. But I love Clavis as a character! I guess the dramatic ending plot didn't completely vibe with me (interfering in the affairs of another nation-state without their consent just invites disaster; Clavis is so fucking lucky this is his own route lmao).

What vibed with me, however, was that until the end of the route, they haven't properly confessed to each other! MC held on to her tsun till the last chapter. This is where Clavis has the advantage against Chevalier hahaha. I was slightly dissatisfied with how MC's confession took place in Chev's route.

Chapter 19 was hilarious because MC and Clavis were having a lovers' quarrel WHILE CHEVALIER WAS JUST A FEW FEET AWAY. Poor Chev, he just wants to read in peace 😂 He's truly the long-suffering brother, having to endure his brothers' shenanigans.

Clavis being a studious nerd is so precious. He just wants to prove himself! 🥺

I probably have other thoughts but these are all that I can remember right now. Anyhoo, tl;dr: I love Clavis's route! It has solid writing and I enjoyed it very much.

[malachiexists13]

DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERS: KENSHIN UESUGI, LANCELOT KINGSLEY, COMTE DE SAINT-GERMAIN, AND LICHT KLEIN. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

I think the nightmare I just set myself up for finally hit me. I just now realized what routes I have currently selected across ikesen, ikerev, ikevamp, and ikepri and all I have to say is- Shit, Im gonna be an emotional wreck, arent I?

The routes I currently have selected are:

Ikesen: Kenshin Uesugi

Ikerev: Lancelot Kingsley

Ikevamp: Comte de Saint-Germain

Ikepri: Licht Klein

Please ignore the fact that 3/4 of them are blonde-I swear I dont have a type. Thats a lie. I totally do. But its not blondes lol- God, I need to stop. I am not funny.

I dont know much about Comte's route besides that fact he and Mitsuki get married at the end of his romantic route, and that his real name is Abel. Funny story there! I didnt even learn his real name from his route, I learned because of fucking spoilers. Shortly after his route came out, I played uhh one of the wedding events and bought his epilogue because Im a whore- In the epilogue, they used his real name- So thats how I found out. I was a bit mad like, "Wow I just spent 300 diamonds get to spoiled. Wtf." But I figured Id probably forget because autism brain.

Which I did forget, until I found a oneshot book on wattpad that used Comte for the title, but then used Abel throughout the entire fucking oneshot without warning. I was maybe half-way through the oneshot before questioning, "who the fuck is Abel and where's le Comte? Oh- OH WAIT- ABEL IS COMTE-" So lil message to fanfic writers, treat your readers like idiot babies and put warnings for potential spoilers. Some people (me, im people) read oneshots without playing the actual route first. Im not actually that bothered by spoilers, Id just appreciate being warned first.

Back to the main subject of this post- I dont know if le Comte's route is sad or not. Knowing the devs, it probably is though. I already know that Licht's route is one hell of an emotional rollercoaster like holy shit- I hate touching others but Id gladly ignore every single one of my sensory issues if it meant I could give this poor sad man a hug. Ive been warned that Kenshin's route is a bit intense, but I just keep telling myself that he cant be worse than Nobunaga and it'll all be worth it in the end. To just shut the fuck up with your anxiety and date the pretty but secretly soft yandere boy. Ive heard Lancelot's route is sad, but Im prepared. Similarly to Mitsuhide, Ive already played a few routes before Lancelot's that he was a major part in so I have some idea of how his may end.

But all I see is that Ive set myself up for a potentially very emotional rollercoaster so in about a week or maybe even a month, I'll share how my potential mental breakdown is going.

[le-chat-sofi]

At the psychologist

*fourth dialogue has spoilers and sensitive content

from Licht, Masamune and Seth’s routes*

Psychologist: Welcome to our group reunion. Today, we’ll talk about brothers. Tell me about yours and…

Theo: Do you have any problems with my broer? I’m gonna tell you, he’s the light of my life, a very sweet boy with an enormous heart!

Yves: Well, I have 7 bothers, but if you’re talking about Licht, I suggest you think very carefully what will be your next words. Licht is kind, sweet, he shines like no one.

Jonah: What about Luka? He is a sunshine, a very sweet and kind boy, just a little stubborn, BUT YOU CAN’T SAY THAT, JUST ME, ME!!!

Psychologist: Okaaaaay! Next question! *Protective brothers* (〇_ｏ)

…

Psychologist: You’re welcome! I thought would be good for us to discuss about fighting and the feelings when…

Kenshin: Me too, I agree! Let’s fight! All of you, get up and FIGHT!!!!! *Where is Sasuke?*

Fenrir: The world will fear my magical guns! Bring it on, blonde one…

Napoleon: It’s not fighting, it’s fencing!.... ohh who am I deceiving? I’m next!!!

Chevalier: You’re all so childish. *of course I’m better than all of you*

Psychologist: Okaaaaay, that’s dangerous… Next question…. Ahhhhhh SECURITY!!!! *I’m gonna die* 〣( ºΔº )〣

…

Psychologist: uhmm, so *breathing hard*, you, guys, want to talk about…

Arthur: So, can we just talk very quickly? I have a date right now, and, you know, she is hoooot!

Shingen: Do you have a goddess too? Uhmm, mine has amazing curves and she is so hot too!

Jin: Look at this young boys, all the hormones! *Is this reunion already over?*

Nokto: *already left to meet his date*

Psychologist: Guys, here, pay attention! Guys!! *womanizers*

…

Psychologist: Welcome, guys! Today, let’s talk about secrets. If you want you can share and…

Licht: I killed my mom when I was 10.

Masamune: I killed my father when I was young.

Seth: My sister is a hostage at the Magic Tower and if I don’t do the way they want, she will be killed!

Jean: I killed so many people in my life, I just lost count.

Psychologist: uhmm…uhmm…uhmm *maybe, let’s talk individually!*

…

Psychologist: Hello… today we’re going to talk about the importance of being a leader and…

Ray: The duty of a leader is to protect his people!

Lancelot: You’re such a perfect idealist, Black King! That’s cute!

Nobunaga: Very simple! Kill Kennyo and whoever is in my way, reunite the land and eat some konpeito in the end!

Comte: I have to take care of 11 people at my mansion, an abandoned child and don’t even start talking about other three that make my life a nightmare!!

Leon: I have 3 older brothers and 4 younger brothers. Tell me about leading… I even have to take care of the oldest ones!

Psychologist: I see... *is it already dawn?*

…

Psychologist: *Ahhhh, finally, last group of the day! Finally!!* Hello, my friends! So good to have you here. So, tell me, what is the problem? All of you have the same…

Ieyasu: People just like me because of my medicine. I’m the only one making them and they don’t even say thank you!

Kyle: Me too! I love my work and I work all day, but they can say thank you sometimes. It doesn’t hurt!

Faust: Well, if it’s so bad, you can help me in my human experiments.

Psychologist: WHAT????? *why did I graduate? I can’t remember!*

…

Psychologist: Today was a tiring day! So many problems and I just want to go home and…HHHHAAAAA

Dazai: Hello, psychologist-san!

Psychologist: Who…How…Did you jump the window?

Dazai: Yes, sir! My name is Osamu Dazai and I want to know what do you think about suicide for two?

Psychologist: (╯_╰)

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Kicho's Main Story Ch. 13 Part 1 Romantic

These translations are not intended as a replacement for the game. Please support Cybird by buying their stories. Spoilers under the cut. Expect grammatical errors.

Suddenly, I smelled the scent of damp soil outside the window, and as I looked up, another memory popped into my mind.

(Come to think of it, we took shelter together that rainy day.)

------------Flashback------------

Kicho: “As long as you live in this world, the opinions and beliefs of others will make who you are.”

Kicho: “That’s why everyone has unanswered questions.”

Mai: “Everyone?”

Kicho: “Still, don’t forget. Wherever you are, whatever you do, you are you.”

Kicho: “As long as you have your will to live, this truth will never change.”

Kicho: “You are not just someone. You’re Mai.”

Kicho: “Wherever you are, whatever you do, just live as you.”

---------Flashback Ends---------

(Wherever I am, I can live as me.)

(That was what Kicho told me from the start.)

(That's why I...)

???: "Mai."

A low voice replied briefly, and Sasuke landed in the room quietly.

Mai: "So you came from the top today. You really are dedicated to your work."

Sasuke: "Thanks for the compliment."

Sasuke: "So, have you decided? What are you gonna do?"

Mai: "Yes, I'm going home."

Sasuke: "Huh?"

Sasuke: "You're serious. All right."

Sasuke: "Then let's hurry before we miss our only chance."

Sasuke: "Mai, how are you doing over there?"

Mai: "Great. I think it’ll be done shortly."

Sasuke: "I see. I'll go over there and get some water."

Mai: "Okay. Thanks."

I watched Sasuke move deeper into the forest and checked the grilled fish.

(It’s starting to cook well. It’s a little like camping.)

(Well, it’s still hard to start a fire. But what can I do? I’m in the Sengoku period.)

(Alrighty, I’ll check it again while I’m waiting.)

I took out a hastily scribbled note from my bag.

(The Oda army will leave Azuchi tomorrow, and their route will be一)

Sasuke: “............”

Mai: “Waah!? Sasuke, how long have you been there!?”

Sasuke: “A while ago. Sorry, you seemed so focused, so I tried to erase my presence.”

Mai: “Yeah. It was perfect. I didn’t even notice you until I looked up.”

Mai: “Wait, did you fetch the water already?”

Sasuke: “Yeah. But we can't relax even though we're on a break.”

Sasuke: “I have to get you safely back to Sakai before the Oda army arrives.”

Mai: “Yeah. Sorry for getting you into this trouble.”

Sasuke: “It’s okay, don’t worry about it. I’m here to help.”

Sasuke squinted his eyes slightly and picked up a freshly cooked grilled fish.

(That’s reassuring. I couldn’t have made this decision alone.)

(I can’t believe I’m going back to Kicho and not to my original time.)

After making up my mind, I spent the next few days attending war councils to learn Kicho's whereabouts and situation. Then, I slipped out of the castle with Sasuke last night.

I left eight lucky charms and a letter for everyone in the Oda army, apologizing for leaving without saying anything and wishing each of them well.

That letter, full of every thanks I could think of for everything they have done so far, has then probably already been discovered.

(It was painful to say goodbye like that, but I had no choice.)

(It was the best solution I could do.)

Mai: "Sasuke. I'm glad I came to this era."

Mai: "I guess I wasn't wrong in the past when I decided not to get too deep into it, but now that I have someone I care about, I feel like I can live more like myself."

Sasuke: "I see. Actually, I know exactly how you feel."

Sasuke: "After sending you off, I planned to stay in this period."

Mai: "You have someone important, too, don't you?"

Sasuke: "Yeah, a lot."

Sasuke: "So no matter what, I will support you."

Mai: "Okay! Thank you so much."

Mitsuhide: "Lord Nobunaga, excuse me."

Nobunaga: "Did you find Mai?"

Mitsuhide: "No. But the maid found this in her room."

Nobunaga: "A letter? And what are these?"

Mitsuhide: "Probably lucky charms. The maid said it was left there along with the letter."

Nobunaga: "Ho?"

Nobunaga opened the letter he received, and after a moment of silence, he sighed lightly.

Nobunaga: "Her handwriting is very sloppy."

Mitsuhide: "What does it say?"

Nobunaga: "It says that she left the castle silently. She also apologizes for that, wishes everyone in the Oda well, and expresses her gratitude for all we've done."

Mitsuhide: “That’s very typical of that lass.”

Nobunaga: “Typical of her, huh? Then what do you think about this?”

Nobunaga: “The letter ends with this statement.”

Mitsuhide: “I’m a spy who snuck into the Oda army. I see. We’ve been tricked.”

Mitsuhide: “I had no idea she was involved in all the planning, including the bombardment of the castle.”

Nobunaga: “She’s a better actor than you. She fooled everyone in the castle.”

Mitsuhide: “Lord Nobunaga, what should we do?”

Nobunaga: “Naturally, I won’t tolerate anyone who stands in the way of unification.”

Nobunaga: “If that woman has confessed to being a traitor, then we must eliminate her and Kicho.”

Nobunaga: “We’ll head to Sakai tomorrow.”

Mitsuhide: “Understood.”

A few days later一

(All right. There are no guards here.)

Stealthily slipping between the houses, I ran to the main street, then back into the shadows, looking around and holding my breath.

(Don’t be hasty. I need to proceed carefully until I reach the trading post. If they find me here, it’ll be over.)

(I shouldn’t waste Sasuke’s kindness in vain.)

Sasuke and I parted shortly before arriving in Sakai.

The rumors that Kicho himself had spread caused a disturbance in the public order around Sakai.

Because of this, we got caught up in the fighting, so Sasuke let me go, telling me to go on ahead.

(Kicho is in this town. That's why...)

Mai: "Mmhp!?"

Suddenly, someone covered my mouth from behind and put my arms behind my back.

(Crap, they found me!)

I felt a dull ache in my arm as I frantically twisted around.

Mai: "----!"

???: "Stop resisting. If you screw around, you'll break your arms."

(This voice...)

I moved my eyes to look across the street and saw someone approaching, smirking.

Motonari: "You're really bad at sneaking in, Princess."

Mai: “Motonari, let me go!”

Motonari: “Ha? Why are you even saying that to me? That guy is the one who’s holding you back.”

Mai: “Aren’t you the one giving orders to this guy?”

Motonari: “Geez, you’re so loud. Don’t forget, I’m doing you a favor by letting you talk right now.”

Motonari: “If I wanted to, I could cut off your mouth, your cocky eyes, and even your legs.”

Mai: “That’s...”

Motonari: “Ha! See, you can shut up. Follow me.”

Mai: “Fine.”

(It’s frustrating, but if I can’t do anything about it, there’s no way I could escape.)

(I never thought Motonari would find me.)

After capturing me, Motonari passed by the trading post and came straight to the port.

As I followed, unsure of his intentions, I noticed a large ship.

Mai: "Since I'm behaving quietly, can I, at least, ask you one question?"

Motonari: "What is it?"

Mai: "If we're at the port, does that mean we're going somewhere?"

Motonari: "Yeah, we'll move to another port from here. It's a perfect place to wait for the Oda army."

(Another port!?)

Mai: "Then, could you please stop by the trading post first? I have something important to do."

Motonari: "Kicho, right? If it's him, he's not there anymore."

Motonari: "To begin with, that trading post is heavily guarded but deserted."

Motonari: "It's better to have some clear information to spread rumors."

Mai: "Then, where's Kicho now?"

Motonari: "I only allowed one question. I've already answered two. It's time for you to shut up."

Motonari: "Don't worry, I'll take you back to your boss."

Mai: "Is that..."

Once we got on board, Motonari opened the door of one of the rooms without knocking.

Motonari: "Excuse me."

Kicho: "That's what you should've said before twisting that doorknob."

(Ah...)

Sighing, Kicho stood up from the chair and turned around.

The moment he saw me, his eyes widened.

Kicho: "Mai, why are you here?"

Mai: "Umm, I just wanted to apologize for the horrible things I said to you the other day."

Kicho: "Is that the only reason you came here?"

Kicho: "The wormhole will appear tonight at Honnoji Temple, as I observed. It's your last chance to return to your own time."

Mai: "I know."

Kicho: "Do you understand what it means to be here?"

Kicho: "It means you'll be left behind in this period with no way to return. You一"

Mai: "I know!"

Kicho: "..........."

Mai: "I understand everything. I know that's why I'm here now, of my own free will."

Mai: "I told you, don't decide for someone how to live their life."

Mai: "It doesn't matter how you live your life or how I live mine."

Kicho: "Mai."

(Your life is more precious to me than anything else because I love you so much.)

(I want you to live and be happy because your life is irreplaceable.)

(That's the only answer I found after living my life as me.)

Mai: "If you think justice and a villain are necessary for peace, I'll gladly become that villain too. I'll become everyone's enemy."

Kicho: “What are you…”

Mai: “Let me tell you something. There’s no turning back now.”

Mai: “I left a note saying I’m your accomplice, who snuck into Azuchi Castle.”

As I stepped toward the startled Kicho, Motonari burst out laughing behind me.

Motonari: “Ahahaha! You really are fucking crazy.”

Mai: "I-It's not a laughing matter! I made a serious decision."

Motonari: "That's why I'm laughing. As usual, yer head is still full of flowers."

Motonari: "If you're going to stay in this era, you better figure out how to stop this situation without risking the life of someone you care about."

Mai: "Me? Hold on. You know I'm not from this era?"

Motonari: "Yeah. Kicho told me everything. That's why you're the right fella for the job."

Motonari: "If yer head is full of everything about peace, you can easily think of another idea."

(Another idea...?)

Motonari: "Well, you two enjoy the rest of the evening."

Motonari: "It'd be rude to interrupt this emotional reunion any longer."

Motonari turned his back and left the room.

Mai: "You told Motonari everything, and then you decided to fight together?"

Kicho: "Yeah, that's right."

Mai: "Then why didn't you tell me?"

Mai: "I heard you're willing to give up your life in this fight."

Kicho: "That's..."

He frowned and fell silent.

His chest seemed to be filled with conflict, confusion, and many other emotions.

Mai: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound mean."

Mai: "The last time I spoke with you, I didn't realize the truth you were keeping from me."

Mai: "And I asked you terrible things too. I'm sorry."

Kicho: "Raise your head. You don't owe me an apology."

Kicho: "If anyone owes you an apology, it's me."

Mai: "You?"

Kicho: "Yeah. If I had really only thought about you, I wouldn't have gone to see you."

Kicho: "I wanted to make sure you were safe, but I guess I wanted to keep you somewhere."

Kicho: "I wanted you to be in my heart even if you don't stay in this era."

Mai: "Kicho..."

Mai: "I love you, so you don't have to do that."

Mai: "But thank you. Thank you for thinking of me that way."

I couldn't resist running up to him and hugging him, putting all my strength into my arms to convey all my feelings through my heartbeat and warmth.

Kicho: "I never thought you'd thank me."

Kicho: "You really are..."

(Ah...)

Swallowing a slight tremor in his voice, he hugged me too.

(It's okay, you don't have to say anything more.)

(I understand everything. It's all getting through.)

Kicho: "Thank you for coming back to me."

Kicho: "No."

Mai: "Huh? No?"

Kicho: "This is dangerous for you. You should value your life a little more."

Mai: "Someone who tried to sacrifice himself has no room to say that."

Mai: "But you're right. Our current strategy indeed seemed unreasonable."

(I wish I could come up with a quick one, but it's not easy.)

After a brief moment of happiness at our reunion, we remembered that we didn't have much time left, so we started thinking of new plans for the future.

Kicho: "Let me reiterate the situation. First, I had no problem with the actions you took."

Kicho: "There's nothing unusual about the travel guide, and you're not getting sick like you used to."

Kicho: "In other words, we're still able to avoid a war-torn future."

Mai: "You're right. I think what's important is to make the enemies or enemy disappear."

Mai: "However, that enemy must be someone not heavily involved in the history we are about to face."

Mai: "So, Ieyasu, who's about to open the Tokugawa Shogunate, is not allowed."

Kicho: "Yeah. He's too important."

Mai: "If Japan itself is the stage, then we're the supporting characters."

Mai: "Someone who would've remained the same whether they were there or not..."

Kicho: "Mai."

Mai: "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to sound so gloomy, but this is weird."

Kicho: "I guess you're still tired."

Kicho: "Fatigue affects our thinking. Get some rest."

Mai: "Maybe so, but now is not the time to一"

Kicho: "Impatience also has an effect. Anyway, wait here for a while."

He said that and quickly left the room.

(I'm kind of making him worried.)

(I didn't come here to drag his feet.)

Sighing, I plopped down on the table and groaned.

After a while, I heard the door open again.

Kicho: "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Mai: "No, it's okay. More importantly, what did you bring?"

Kicho: "Tea. It's a good thing I left some."

He carefully poured the tea into a teacup, emptied a small bowl, and took something out.

Kicho: "How sweet do you like it?"

Mai: "Huh? Sugar in this era?"

Kicho: "I'm the head of a trading post. I can get almost anything."

Mai: "I see. Then, a little sweet."

Kicho: "Yeah, got it."

He picked a few pieces of konpeito (sugar candy) and put them in the tea, the lovely sugar candy slowly melting in the steamy amber.

Kicho: "Here. You'll feel a little more relaxed if you drink something warm."

Mai: "Okay. Thank you."

Gratefully accepting it, I took a sip and a gentle sweetness spread in my mouth.

(It's delicious.)

(I feel my body warming up gradually from deep inside my stomach.)

Kicho: "There's that look."

Mai: "What?"

Kicho: "You finally smiled."

Previous Part╏Masterlist╏Premium

[annicaax]

Help! I have a new fave!!! PLUST's MIKOTO AMAMITSU

Mik's story was so good. Freakin hilarious and cute but also involved sentimental themes and emphasized on not giving up your dreams and aspirations. And how much it's comforting to work on your goals together with your partner/friends.

I love this title. It looks very promising so far. After reading Mikoto, I'd recommend it and the guy to everyone who has a similar taste. I'll list some of my forever favs (from Love 365) below so you'll know what I'm into.

MPD CTY, ASA, FILA, RMD, TLH... and PLUST (safe to add now. I think) So you can predict the themes I like now ;)

It took me 3hrs 47 min to binge Mikoto's story which I managed to do during different hours of the day. Spent about 240 hearts to unlock every heart choice and the SHE plus bonus track.

The art and the OST are gorgeous. I wish there's a steam release where I can buy the whole thing in one package with the OST. The OST is that good. It's so worth the effort (in reading a long story with a slow burn plot.)

(Oh this is a slow burn plot, mind you. And I love the stuff lol) The MC is fair enough. At times I cringed a bit, wondered why she wosn't protest when the guys casually get touchy with her. (Oh she does at times but she could grow more strong).

The fan service thing sounded unrealistic but it was still hilarious and cute. I was laughing falling in love not just with Mikoto but all the guys as a whole. They are all amazing. I think I'm gonna read every route. tho at present I have my eyes set on Mik, Wataru alone.

Guys like Claude aren't my type but I'm curious about him. I think Kotoha is a sweet guy, a tsundere. And Ryogo. Well I love childhood friend trouples so I'm gonna read his MS. He was super sweet in Mik story but the guy who stole the show (when it comes to side characters) was: Zeus.

The ThrOne guys. At first I didn't understand MC's obsession, specifically as they described the group is cold to its fans, but then I understood. That's not the scenario. Zeus has me very fascinated. I'll say I like him already. And his attachment to MC means we MAY get to see sparks flying between him and Mik. (I'd love to see Mik getting jealous haha)

Now I ramble about Mik here: Mikoto is a charmer but he's not overbearing or commanding. I only saw a trace of the pushy guys I played and liked in him. Just a trace. He apologizes when he's wrong. He thanks the MC. He encourages her!?

I expected Mikoto to be like Guy or more like Ikesen Nobunaga (both my faves) but he isn't.

Mik is so refreshing, so chill. Just like TLH Suzu was, captivating, with just one main story! He's blunt but not condescending. He's cheeky but with a sweet awkward side to him. He tries to shoulder his burden alone. The slow reveal of his true personality was a treat. I was rooting for him and MC! There were so many moments: them walking the ramp, rehearsing lines... Watching the show a pop star acted in, with the guy, and sharing a highfive? Haha. That's freakin cute. I love Mik and his Ducky.

So by the End of the SHE I'm super content and looking forward to MC and Mik's budding romance to blossom more. Which I expect to happen in MS 2. And anticipating more of the guys while hoping this title wouldn't take forever to get updated. (Well I understand making games isnt easy. I'm willing to wait tbh. But I see some title updates getting rolled out quickly, so)

Ugh! I went into rant mode there. Will post more content tomorrow. (Not much tho and not many spoilers. Don't wanna hit the game's earnings coz... well that's what I do. Be moderate. I think nicely done posts/shared stuff actually boost sales and earn more fans. THAT is what I try to do on my blog. Share. Share. But be nice.)

[the12thnightproject]

could i request a ikesen boys x thicc mc? like not really society's "fat" but hourglass? ( i know they'd be a lil surprised cause thats completely against asian beauty standards) ty! specifically motonari , nobunaga, masamune, and kenshin.please, but you can add more if you want if not thats okay!

Hi kawaiidumbass,

Thank you for sending an ask. 🙂

This is a little different from my normal writing style (I tend to stick with weird situational scenarios, rather than distinct MC characteristics), so I had to do some thinking and research.

Ikesen, aside from the occasional CGs with Mai, doesn't dwell at all on MC's appearance, aside from the fact that she has a beautiful smile. The warlords all believe she is "adorable," "cute," "beautiful" and some have gone on to attribute that to how passionate and brave she is in pursuing her dreams and ideals. No matter what MC looks like, the warlords adore her because she is who she is, passionate, idealistic, strong, and clever.

Anyway, that's just an overall general sense (warlord specific responses are below).

I've never been to Japan, so I don't really know what current "Asian beauty standards" are, but I've been an academic researcher in several fields, and I have library access to journal articles of all sorts. Which basically means, if someone says "Asian beauty standards" the first thing I am going to do is research what the beauty standards actually were in feudal Japan.

It's a compulsion.

Some things I have researched in the course of writing fanfic include, "what were the toilet facilities in Kasugayama," "what plants in Japan are poisonous?" "what kind of monkeys are native to Japan?" "What kind of fabrics would be available in Sengoku Japan? (which led me to the discovery that many samurai knew how to knit and did so in their down time)?" "how big were samurai's horses, and would they have had any access to European or Arabian breeds?" "What kind of mirrors were available to them?" "Did they have padlocks?"

...You get the idea.

Here's what I discovered were considered attractive/ and or trendy for women in 16th and 17th century Japan:

Floor length hair

Shaved off eyebrows (and then drawn in above their normal position)

White skin (cosmetically lightened)

Blackened teeth (covered in charcoal)

Red lips

plump figure (this is actually fairly common in many medieval societies, because there was an association between wealth and the ability to overindulge in food. It's really only been in the past 150 years that 'heroin chic' was, er, chic).

Therefore, based on the above research...

Nobunaga - Clearly this is a Princess from a wealthy clan. A rival clan? Perhaps even an enemy clan? Has she been sent to him as a spy? He might have her maids watch her correspondence, until it can be confirmed that she's not secretly sending information to her family. Once she's confirmed to be innocent, he thinks about potential dynastic marriage. It would be politically helpful to have a wealthy bride. Plus, of course, he adores her.

Masamune - This is an MC accustomed to being served fine foods, and likely has a vast and experienced palate. As a chef, he is intrigued... and challenged. Can he cook something that is better than anything she has ever eaten before? He might even quiz her on her favorite dishes, curious to learn about new cooking styles and ingredients. Oh, they can have so much fun together in the kitchen!

Motonari - [Note: route spoilers]. Clearly this woman has no idea what it is like to have been starving, what life is like for those in the lower classes. How can she criticize his plans for the world when she has never experienced starvation? Of course he finds her attractive and lively, but he has no patience for a spoiled rich girl who has had everything she ever wanted handed to her. Their arguments will be epic.

Kenshin - Will never believe that this woman is a simple seamstress. And given that he first meets her in Azuchi, he might immediately be suspicious that she is associated with the Oda. He does find her lovely and an interesting companion, but she would have to work much harder to gain his trust, because he thinks her story about being a servant is a lie. In fact... "to the dungeon with you, woman."

[batteryrose]

Kenshin, Leon and Vlad for the ask thing :)

Hewwo :) glad you're somehow curious about what i think of these boys. OH and for anyone else reading potential spoilers ahead!!!!

Kenshin

who? | only know their name | loathe | ugh | overrated | indifferent | dead | alive | just okay | cute | badass | my baby | hot | want to marry | favorite

I haven't played ikesen in ages and the only route I finished are Nobunaga's and Masamune's... soo i don't have any opinion on him. I do think his penchant for fighting/killing people is hilarious. Very good potential shonen anime antagonist i'd say.

also heard he locks you up? not usually into that behavior. HOWEVER.................... Trans King

now for the spoilers zone:

Leon

who? | only know their name | loathe | ugh | overrated underrated | indifferent | dead | alive | just okay | cute | badass | my baby | hot | want to marry | favorite | should've been a based character

His route doesn't do him justice in my opinion. I think he's perfect for some sort of a proper critique on feudalism...or something.............. but I'm asking too much from an otome game.

Could've been an amazing character, but I think the writers held back on the lore + relationship development with his other brothers because he's a starting character or something?? it sucks really. Like, you know how Clavis' route got a lot to do with Chev, Licht with Nokto, and Luke with Jin... etc. I feel like there's no connection with anyone else in Leon's route. Nokto shows up a lot but Leon doesn't really build anything with him. And his faction plays a role in the plot but it's not really a solid arc? He feels kinda disconnected with his brothers!

now THAT could've been interesting to explore given his backstory, but they didn't do that enough either. That's another thing. his backstory. I'm kinda tired of talking about it at this point but... bottom line, didn't really like how slavery is introduced and then never spoken about again. I never heard any other character's route explores it except Leon's. Makes it unnecessary (or implies that the other characters ignores it), because man, am I going to have to enjoy this romance game with slavery in the back of my mind? Especially since I like to write fics that explores the world/lore. I know there's a lot of other dark stuff going on in the game, but this is different for me

And like I said before, lore-wise his route didn't really add anything, except the slavery, that... doesn't even really matter in proceeding routes anyway.

Character-wise, he doesn't really make sense. He loves his brothers and the kingdom but as was shown in his flashback, he does not think that initially. There should've been a development shown where he goes from despising the royalty into... uh, let's say using his status to do what he thinks is right. I don't know. A lot is missing from him. He's got so much potential but imo they did him dirty

Anyway, bottom line bottom line, I want him to abolish the monarchy.

Vlad

who? | only know their name | loathe | ugh | underrated | indifferent | dead | alive | just okay | cute | badass | my baby | hot | want to marry | favorite |

I haven't read his route properly either, but I've heard enough. He KILLED wellington he's DEAD to me

I'm joking but, I think he's a underutilized villain. A lot of the routes before him hype him up a lot so I was expecting more evil. more schemin' and deceivin'. Perhaps more chaos? more.......irredeemable acts?

Also his motivation is what now? fixing the world by reviving old dead white men? alright, sus, but go on....

I'm Joking again but, yeah, from what i heard i jus expected more. but know what. I like the timey wimey stuff. and i love love his design tbh. if his route comes out in eng i may just read it. At the very least for the wellington KILLING scene. more wellesley deaths for character development PLEASE