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yukizakii · 3 years

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ghosts ch. 1

They were both broken people. Broken people didn’t fix each other, as the pieces would never quite perfectly together. But they understood each other. They were able to see the beauty within one other of being incomplete. --

fall, 1870. The Boshin War is over. Yukimura Chizuru returns to her childhood home in Tokyo to learn how to live again. Nagakura Shinpachi has escaped with his life under a new name.

The world is cruel, but it works in mysterious ways to bring their paths together again.

(aka a hakuoki fanfic | shinpachi x chizuru centric; post hijikata bad end)

xposted on AO3

— one.

“Ow!”

The clay of the teacup burned hot, much hotter than Chizuru had expected, and her fingers instinctively drew away from the heat. The cup slipped from her grasp and smashed into scattered shards onto the ground, the oolong tea that had once been contained forming little rivers in-between the cracks of the stone pavement. A few droplets beaded onto her kimono, but she quickly brushed them away with the back of her hand; she had washed all of her silks just yesterday, and she hardly wanted to have this one stain.

She sighed. It was probably her twentieth sigh of the day so far, and the sun had just barely moved into the sky. Every time she let out another heavy breath, she could almost hear Okita’s voice teasing her—What are you sighing for, Chizuru-chan? Don’t you know that I might have to kill you for looking so unhappy?

But he wasn’t here, and neither were any of her old friends.

Chizuru was alone, and lost.

Stop, Chizuru. Don’t think like that. Negativity was no stranger to her now. She could barely even go through the motions of her daily tea routine without thoughts and voices from the past lingering in the back of her mind.

Each morning she woke up to felt like night, a darkness shrouding over mind like the shadows of the weeping willows in Kyoto. Heavy as it was, she still forced herself to get up from her futon and face each day. She had to live, because as much as she sometimes wished that it was all but a dream, it was reality. She had to live, for those who didn’t.

You have to live, like they wanted you to.

She reached for the broken pieces of the clay cup, but a jagged piece slipped through her palm and slashed through the skin. Chizuru let out an instinctive gasp in pain and dropped the broken pottery again, watching as the blood welled from her hand and dripped over her arm. The bright red droplets struck her with a sense of deja vu, and suddenly she was transported back years before. There she was in front of the well at the Shinsengumi compound washing dishes when she had cut her finger in a similar way, and Heisuke, Heisuke-kun, had been confronted with his Rasetsu bloodlust for the first time.

But it didn’t just stop there. The sight and smell of her blood continued to reveal a torrent of memories that washed over her with a vivid brightness—memories that she had been trying to repress every day. That alley in Kyoto during a snowfall, the smell of blood and the high-pitched laughter of a monster in the air. The brilliant scarlet that seemed to flood the streets of Kyoto after Kinmon no Hen, mixed with the smell of smoke and ash from the fires.

That flowering cherry blossom tree in Hakodate, the spiderweb of blood across her hand transforming into a river that flowed into the ground from a man’s body.

“Look, Hijikata-san. It’s the Flag of Sincerity that everyone worked so hard to raise.”

—

She had no idea how long she stayed under that beautiful, cursed cherry blossom tree. Seconds, minutes, hours—time meant nothing to her anymore. The only thing that she knew of was that at that moment, he was gone. As the war raged on, Chizuru had felt herself becoming alarmingly numb to loss. She had become almost accustomed to seeing the dead lay on the ground through each city they trekked through, and the snippets of conversations she overheard no shook her like they used to. A hundred of our men, lost at Bonari Pass seemed like normal war talk now. But being surrounded by death and devastation didn’t make it any easier though. Losing her father, her friends, and her family had pierced through her heart, and she couldn’t think of a night that she hadn’t cried herself to sleep for the past few months.

Losing Heisuke and Sannan had broken her for days—she still felt partially responsible for the creation of the Ochimizu, and it pained her to know that she would never laugh with Heisuke again, or see Sannan’s cunning smile. Okita and Kondou had felt like some kind of sick joke from God, the two of them leaving this world in ways that were unfit for the two strongest warriors she knew. Harada, the man who had a spirit so loud and noble that somehow could make everyone smile, was now someone she would never hear from again. Every one of her friends’ deaths wrecked her heart open in ways that she didn’t know it could bleed. But losing him was different. She had held Hijikata’s body in her arms long after his eyes closed and the last traces of warmth left him, her tears dripping endlessly down her cheeks and onto his bloodied uniform.

She didn’t know what to do without him.

For the past five years, he had been a constant presence in her life. Chizuru had first come to depend on him for protection and stability; to the girl that had somehow landed into the Shinsengumi headquarters, Hijikata had been downright scary. His steely violet eyes seemed to read straight through her every time he caught her outside of her room, and she felt secondhand fear every time that she saw the way that he tolerated no sort of disobedience from his soldiers and punished those who strayed from the Shinsengumi’s code with injury or worse. But then as those first few months somehow stretched into years, Chizuru’s fear slowly faded and her days and memories began to fill with so many other emotions and experiences with Hijikata. Even though she spent her days with all of the different captains of the Shinsengumi, it was somehow always Hijikata that was by her side when she needed it the most.

Hijikata, who had shielded and fought against Kazama for her, his arm wrapped around her and her kodachi in the other. Hijikata, who was uncharacteristically fussy about his long, beautiful jet-black hair, and had yet allowed her to comb and tie it back while he had worked. Hijikata, who secretly wrote poetry with a smile on his face when no one was looking. Hijikata, who had taken her to a restaurant after a festival in Kyoto, and had paid for what was a surprisingly luxurious meal for what he had gruffly described as “just a thank you, you’ve been a big help”.

Hijikata, who had drank the Ochimizu that her father had created, and gave up his humanity to protect her from Kazama and to stand up for his values.

Their initial relationship as a page and superior had been awkward at best, and trust had been slow to develop. But after 5 years, the realization came to her so suddenly that she had almost fallen over herself: she was in deeply love with him. Her heart ached to always be near him and she loved to hear her name roll off his tongue—secretly, she thought that sounded more beautiful than she had ever heard it said. Chizuru had never had anything more than innocent crushes and dates when she had lived with Kodo in Edo, but her emotions and heart felt so strongly towards this person that she was certain that this was love, and a love that she knew would not come easily.

And of course it didn’t, because the man her heart had fallen in love with was like a force of a demon himself. Demon Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toshizou. Hijikata Toshizou, who was feared but adored by equally as many. Hijikata who was the talk of the town at times, with his long black hair that he refused to cut and high cheekbones that seemed to only accentuate his piercing gaze. Chizuru knew that he was a handsome man, some even saying he looked as if he had walked out of a wood-block painting, but she found more merit in the Hijikata she knew. His dedication, his resilience, his loyalty, and his love ran deeper than anyone else would ever know.

He had chosen her. And then he had left her.

Memories and concern for Hijikata filled her mind and thoughts endlessly for the months she stayed by herself alone in Sendai. She knew that he had left her in Sendai for her own safety; a young woman had no place in a war after all, but it was maddening. Chizuru knew she was no good on the battlefield and defenseless against a gun, but being left behind crushed her more than she could have ever imagined. She had no idea if she would ever see him again—dead or alive. What had happened to Kondou was something she very well knew could be something that could happen to Hijikata. But once she received the letter from Ootori, she had hastened to Ezo with her heart thudding in her chest with every thought that she was one step closer to seeing Hijikata again. No matter the hurt and pain that lay ahead of them, she knew that she had to be by his side.

And it had been so worth it. For a few months, despite knowing the pain and suffering that lay ahead of them, she had been happier than ever, just to be by his side. From the moment of their reunion, Chizuru was able to see his actions and words in so much more clarity. The bitter hoarseness in his voice when he yelled at his troops was not conveying anger, but worry to please come back alive. His scowl on his face when he worked long nights was not just because he was frustrated to shoulder this burden, but because he didn’t want anyone else to take the fall for the secret messages he was sending. He was the strongest person she had ever met, yet also the kindest and gentlest at the same time as well. In those few short months, Chizuru witnessed all sides of Hijikata and learned just how soft his hands could be on her hair, or the warmth of his embrace during the occasional nights that he did not work until dawn and allowed her to stay in the room with him.

If she could shoulder some of his pain and suffering, Chizuru had thought, then that was enough purpose for her to keep existing. If her blood was truly as powerful as Sanan and Kodo had alluded, then she would use it all and anything else in her power to keep him alive.

But he was gone, and she had failed. Maybe he would survived if she let him drink her dry, but Hijikata Toshizou was never the kind of person who would save himself at the expense of someone else. Makoto, he would say. Sincerity, which was the foundation for the Shinsengumi’s core beliefs. One had to be sincere and true to himself as a warrior and as a man to the end. Hijikata Toshizou had chosen his path. He chose to use his remaining life force to protect her from Kazama, and protect the beliefs that he had loved and carried for so long. He had died a warrior, and she knew that the Shinsengumi and all that he had fought for was finally at rest with him as well.

The two of them had known that this was a possibility from the start; the war was drawing to a close, and they were fighting a losing battle in Hakodate. Chizuru knew from the way Hijikata shook with anger and pain his sleep, or the scowl on his face every time he walked into the room from another meeting. She had always had some hope that maybe, just maybe, they would prevail and the two of them would find a future together.

But there was no place in this world for the two of them.

In a rush of scattered cherry blossoms, another individual had appeared under the tree—Amagiri. Polite as always, the red-haired demon he had greeted her with a formal bow before speaking. Since Kazama had strayed from the way of a demon and had continued to meddle with humans against his Clan warnings, he no longer could be laid to rest with his ancestors. Amagiri had come to bury Kazama’s body—and if Chizuru would like, Hijikata as well. How Amagiri knew that Kazama had died was some Demon logic that Chizuru knew was simply beyond her, but in that moment, she had been oddly relieved. Chizuru had always been a sensible girl, and even in times of crisis, she had a way of forcing herself to function. Even though burying Hijikata was exactly the last thing she wanted at that very moment, this was war. If they did not bury him now, his body would be discovered by troops and dragged out as a trophy to mark the fall of the Shinsengumi. She would have rather herself die than allow that to happen, but there was no way that she alone could have ever found the strength, physical and emotional, to bury him.

So she had let Amagiri dig two graves underneath that beautiful cherry blossom tree to lay both Kazama and Hijikata to rest. At Chizuru’s request, Amagiri dug Hijikata’s grave on the other side of the tree, away from Kazama’s; she knew that he would abhor being buried directly next to the demon he had spent years fighting. She took her final last glance at the man she had loved in the earth—his eyes closed, dark hair framing his face, swords crossed over his body, looking more peaceful and well-rested than she had ever seen him—and then turned away, unable to look as Amagiri completed the burial process.

Chizuru had been so consumed with grief that what happened afterwards was a blur. When she admitted she didn’t have an idea of her next move, Amagiri had simply stated, “It would be unwise to allow a woman to travel alone.” He had accompanied her to Hakodate, where she collected the rest of their personal belongings and relayed the news of Hijikata’s passing to Ootori. They then traveled to Yase, where Osen had been waiting; news of Kazama’s battle against a fake Demon had spread fast in the Demon world, and she had immediately sought to take Chizuru under the protection of the Yase Demon Clan. Chizuru had little memory of the months she spent in Yase; she only remembered grief and sorrow. News of the defeat of the Shogunate army and the rise of the Meiji Restoration flitted into

the Demon village over the next few months, but none of it meant anything to Chizuru. Hijikata was gone. Okita was gone. Heisuke, Sannan, Kondou, Harada…her life as she had known it, and all the people that had made it were gone. She heard nothing about Saito and Nagakura, but it hurt too much to hope. But after a few months of moping and living like a shell, Chizuru decided that she wanted to return to her home in Edo—well, Tokyo, now. She still had a home there, after all, and as kind as Osen and the demon clan of Yase was, it was not her home. So after six long years, Chizuru had finally returned to the old house that she had used to live with her father. Kodo, the man she had thought was her father. It had taken her almost a full two weeks to clean out all of the dust and vermin that had accumulated in the space over almost half a decade, but she had never been one to shy away from hard work. Rather, she had thrown herself into it, desperate for something, anything to do, to keep her mind busy and away from her thoughts. What quite honestly should have been work for two or three, she had completed in an astonishingly short time.

Chizuru had cleaned and changed the house to be more of a modest one fit to her needs; she had sold away most of their belongings, and kept only the essentials of what she needed. In this exchange and cleanup, Chizuru had dug out her women's clothes, but quickly found that many of her old kimonos in her closet no longer fit her—and well, of course they didn’t. She had last been a growing sixteen-year-old girl the last time she had worn them, and now she was a twenty-one year old woman. The hems that had once grazed her feet were now hanging above the ankles, and the silk was tight around her new curves and defined muscle she had developed after years of patrolling and running around Kyoto.

It was a strange and painful reminder that so much had changed.

Crafty as she was, Chizuru had loosened the seams and sewn together some of the cloth to create a couple of kimonos that fit her, so she could finally retire her pale peach hakamashita and hakama into storage. How strange for her to finally fold and lay those clothes away, although quite honestly she should have reduced them to rags. The silk had been patched and restitched over and over with years of wear and tear, but part of herself could not simply bear to toss that part of her life away. Instead, she had neatly folded it up and placed it into a box, next to her tattered Western military uniform. Her kodachi was racked on display in the bedroom, close enough to where she could grab it, but Chizuru sorely hoped that she would never need to touch that blade again.

But what was she doing here in Tokyo? What would she be doing, for the rest of her life? She had no idea. Chizuru knew that her existence and troubles as a female Demon did not end with Kazama’s death; Osen had been sure to warn her of it, and had strongly cautioned her against returning to Tokyo alone. But despite the lack of a clear direction in her future, and the dangers of traveling and living alone, Chizuru knew that she needed some sort of normalcy. She didn't want to think of Demons, of Rasetsu, of Ochimizu, of war and blood and death—she wanted to grieve alone, quietly, away from all that had pained her.

She was here, living and trying to bury her past life behind, but it always seemed to follow her.

She was just here. Existing, living. Drinking tea on her front porch, although her current cup was now smashed to smithereens and the tea was seeping into the hardwood. That painful memory hung heavily on her heart, and she wiped away tears from her face with her unbloodied hand, although the wound was already well on its way to healing. Maybe she would go into the town today to get some new teacups along with her daily groceries for meals; she still had a hard time stomaching food at times, but Chizuru knew she needed to keep her strength up. She wanted to start a garden in the back as well, to save her coin for fresh vegetables for when she needed it. Ootori had paid her well for her time and escape, but she knew it wouldn’t last forever. At some point, she would need to recoup her finances and find work to sustain herself.

But for today, she wanted to be normal. As normal as she could be.

Live, Chizuru.

I am living, Hijikata-san.

Chizuru stood up and stepped outside, tilting her head up to the sky. A slight breeze fanned across her face, and she inhaled the air deep into her lungs. Even though it was well into fall, she thought for the briefest moment, she smelled the sweet scent of cherry blossoms. Maybe today would be a good day.

#hakuouki #hakuoki #yukimura chizuru #nagakura shinpachi #hijikata toshizou #umm it's me i love writing tragedy

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talesofedo · 3 years

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Around 1850, a doctor by the last name of Harada was sent from his hometown, Wakayama in Kii province, to the city of Edo to serve the Ando household, who were in charge of the Tanabe domain in Kii. While Harada stayed indoors for a long period of time because of the ongoing rain, he composed a little book called "Bragging of Edo", which he published under the pseudonym Banraido Kiyufuku, giving us a little insight in the culture of the shogun's city at the end of the Edo period. ___ On weather and climate:

Since Edo soil is thin and the water table high, the climate is very humid. The consistency of the soil resembles ash, so traversing the streets after a shower feels like slogging through mud. Daytime temperatures in summer are so hot one thinks one is being roasted alive. On the other hand, it cools down in the morning and evening, and on rainy days unlined clothing does not suffice to keep one warm. Edo winters are three times colder than those of Wakayama. In the uptown (Yamanote) area the ground freezes, and each morning frost columns six or nine centimeters tall appear. After seven o’clock in the morning the ground that has swelled up begins to thaw, and unless one wears clogs it is difficult to pass through the streets. Most clear days are windy. When the wind is strong, dust fills the sky. It soils one’s clothing and socks, and one can hardly walk with the eyes open. Perhaps for this reason Edo natives wear dark blue socks and low-brimmed woven hats. Here and there crude dust goggles are sold for thirty-two coppers. Fires probably spread so widely because of the wind. Few fires break out on calm days and none at all on rainy ones. Thus Edo citizens are terrified by a series of fair-weather days, whereas Wakayama residents fear the rain [because of floods].

On local homes, presumably commoners’ homes:

Residential dwellings are crude, incomparably inferior to those of the Kamigata area. Walls are made of foul and insufficiently adhesive mud that poorly resists wind and water. [Roofs, constructed simply by] setting wooden planks on top of walls, are tiled only at the edge with no [supporting bed of] clay. If you kick a building, the tiles all come tumbling down.

Commoners’ homes (row houses / tenements):

The middle and lower classes always live in duplex housing units. Nobody owns equipment for pounding glutinous rice or mortars for hulling rice. [In their houses] they have no heated baths or braziers for guests to warm themselves. Visitors are granted no seating cushions nor do residents make their own miso. They possess no boards for pounding things, no oval wooden food buckets, and no laundry poles. Laundry is taken apart, lightly starched, and set out on a wooden plank to dry.

Fires:

Fires break out most frequently from the ninth month to the following year’s fourth month. At least two or three fires occur every night, and on some nights there are as many as five or seven. Minor fires consume from two or three dwellings to five or six wards; major ones burn four to eight kilometers. A drum is kept at the headquarters of [each] fire brigade; wooden clappers are stored at the headquarters of assistant inspectors (o-tsukaiban); and fire bells are found at commoner houses. The first three strokes [on the fire bell] are known as the “announcement” (oshirase); this is followed by a proclamation of the direction of the fire. At a double stroke, known as “prepare to go” (de o kakeru), assistant inspectors ready their horses. When the requisite number of firemen have assembled, the bells suddenly turn silent and one would hardly imagine that a fire has broken out. After the fire has been extinguished, five strokes sounded at both headquarters signal “all quiet” (shizumari).

Local beaches and rivers:

Nearby seashores are all muddy rather than sandy. Extremely crude muddy fields are found near these shores. Only the Tama River yields sweetfish (ayu), because it is sandy. All the other rivers are muddy and their water murky rather than clear.

Transportation in the city:

Within the city, carts are always used for hauling rocks, dirt, and grain, or for[transporting personal effects] when changing residences. Pack horses are only used for conveying produce, flowers, and wild boar and deer meat into the city, or night soil out of it. Businesses offering palanquin transportation are found in most wards. At well-traversed spots in the suburbs carriers of five or six palanquins wait for customers. Palanquins are used by people hurrying home or on trips, or by frivolous types who ride for fun because they enjoy the fact that o-ashi (“leg,” or “means of transport”) also means “coppers” (zeni). If one loses one’s way at dusk or is caught in a downpour far from home, one does well to pay for a palanquin ride.

Prices of home goods:

Buckets, floor mats, standing screens, and porcelain are all very expensive. Paper and sugar are extremely cheap.

Bath houses:

Bath houses have separate tubs for men and women. The entrances, too, differ. The men’s side has a second floor, where one finds shōgi and go game boards, braziers, and tobacco trays. Samurai and worthy townsmen ascend to this floor and a manservant brews tea and offers it to guests. Sweets of one’s choice may be purchased for eight coppers apiece. Eight coppers for the bath and eight more for the second floor result in a total expense of [a mere] sixteen coppers. Renting a rice-bran pouch [for scrubbing the body] sets one back four coppers, and a “grime scraping” [having dead skin removed with a rough washcloth] costs four more. Bathhouse tycoons pay to have their bucket of hot water brought to them. For one hundred coppers a month one is relieved of the task of fetching water and scrubbing one’s own body. Most samurai on duty visit these bath houses.

Restaurants and tea houses:

Restaurants serving cooked-rice meals in bowls, buckwheat noodles, or sweet bean soup with glutinous rice cakes are ubiquitous. So are tea houses with seating areas. The price for tea is usually sixteen coppers. One should not casually enter teahouses on the grounds of Asakusa (Sensōji) or at the riverbank at Yoshiwara (i.e., Nihon-zutsumi), for anyone who fails to order something priced at more than one hundred coppers is snubbed or effectively ignored.

Merchants:

A world of difference separates the courtesy and respect shown by Edo merchants and those of Wakayama. Edo merchants bow and repeatedly express gratitude for a purchase costing but a copper. Even fishmongers and greengrocers who make daily rounds to one’s home never fail to present summer and winter gifts. During the first seven days of the New Year, customers of all Edo shops are granted a gratuity in proportion to the size of a purchase. All wares are marked with a price tag, so one does not have to haggle or worry about being overcharged. Yet one ought to fear the street stalls at Yanagiwara, the second-hand shops at Shiba Hikage-chō, and local hawkers operating at [Ueno] Yamashita or at riverbanks. They present crows as herons, claim that tattered jackets are magical robes, and charge mountains of silver for a cheap straw hat. Here one must be on one’s guard.

People:

Perhaps because the city is so vast, locals are big-hearted. Warriors are polite rather than officious. Bannermen and their sort are especially congenial and display none of the specious dignity of Wakayama warriors.

Sake:

High-grade sake is very expensive. It tastes good but inebriates one only briefly and does not leave one with a hangover. Daimyo employees who drink heavily end up quickly emptying their wallets and probably even fall into debt. “Sweet sake” (amazake) resembles the water floating on top of rice gruel. It is not the least bit sweet.

Miso:

Even though miso is called “red miso,” it differs from its Kamigata counterpart. It is exceedingly sweet, perhaps because it is flavored with ample syrup from cooked soybeans. Because it is so sweet, the flavor remains on one’s tongue long after one eats it. “White miso” is also available but expensive. It is never consumed at middle- or lower-class homes.

Sweets:

Confections do not compare to those of the Kamigata area. Signboards and shop curtains announce “Kyoto sweets”—this speaks volumes. Buns (manjū) filled with bean jam are particularly bad. The plumpness of the wrapping is worse than a whore’s underbelly or a geisha’s cheek. But glutinous rice cakes (mochi), including those not of top quality, are delicious. “Otetsu dumplings,” “Eitai dango,” and “Imasaka [buns]” are attractive and elegant.

Staple foods:

Broad beans (sora mame) are of an extremely poor quality and unfit for consumption. Since no large adzuki beans are found, cowpeas (sasage; Vigna unguiculata) are used for cooking with rice. To differentiate normal wheat (tsune no mugi, i.e., barley) from wheat (komugi), the former is called “great wheat” (ōmugi). It is split [for faster cooking], probably because of the high cost of firewood.

Noodles

Buckwheat noodles are made without egg. Since the dough is rendered viscous by adding wheat flour, the noodles are tough. They stick in the throat and one cannot even down three small bowls of them. The flavor of the soup is exquisite, so if the buckwheat noodles of Wakayama were combined with the soup of Edo, this would be the best of both worlds. One would eat it until one’s stomach burst. When soup is added after the noodles are placed into a bowl, the dish is known as kake (short for kake-soba). When the noodles are heaped onto a small “steaming basket” (mushikago, a square wooden frame containing a bamboo screen-like bottom) and eaten like fine wheat noodles (sōmen, i.e., by dipping them into the soup by mouthfuls), this is known as mori (short for mori-soba, i.e., soba heaped up). When one enters a buckwheat-noodle shop, one is always asked “kake or mori?” I relegate the decision to my mood at the moment and answer without hesitation. The noodles are placed in attractive dishes and noodle shops all offer sake, in fact high grade sake.

Food prices:

Hatsudake mushroom (Lactarius hatsudake tanaka) are very plenteous, but matsutake mushrooms (Tricholoma matsutake) are scarce and command the price of pearls—daimyo employees cannot even dream of savoring them. Sweet potatoes command only half the price they do in Wakayama and are delectable. With everything else in Edo being as expensive as it is, the low cost of sweet potatoes is a heavenly blessing for humble daimyo employees of my sort. These potatoes cost only eight coppers, and eating them provides relief from the boredom of never-ending winter nights or long spring days. Herring roe is kept in water and is available year round. It is very cheap and represents the greatest luxury a daimyo employee can afford to eat with his rice. Many species of shellfish are available. Tiny short-necked clams (asari; Ruditapes philippinarum) and larger clams (hamaguri; Meretrix lusoria) are particularly bounteous. They are sold shelled, are cheap, and taste good. They represent the secondmost luxurious item a daimyo employee can afford to eat with his rice. Scallops are soft in texture and delicious, worthy of being called “Xishi’s tongue.” Yet they are so costly they ought to be savored alone, together with sake. Eating them with rice is a contemptible extravagance. Gray mullet (ina), sardines, and gizzard shad (konoshiro) are abundant and very inexpensive. Horse mackerel (aji) is extremely dear and pike conger (hamo) exceedingly scarce. Harvest fish (managatsuo; Pampus argenteus) is nowhere to be had. Octopus and stingray (glossed ebuta, Wakayama dialect) are so expensive that a poor samurai can hardly hope to relish them. Salt is very expensive. It sells for one hundred coppers for two or three shō (c. 3.6 or 5.4 liters). Tofu lees (tōfu-gara) are very cheap. An amount equal to three lumps of it in Wakayama sells for two coppers in Edo.

Bathrooms:

Urine buckets are entirely absent from rural villages skirting Edo, to say nothing of the city itself, with the result that urine runs into the streets. From what I have seen, night-soil collectors only scoop up the solid waste in the outhouses, leaving the urine behind. The only explanation for this is that so many dwelling houses saturate urban regions, which extend fifteen kilometers in all four directions, that not everything can be collected.

Miscellaneous:

Florists can be recognized by the willow tree planted at the shop entrance. Camphor wood, rather than juniper (toshō or nezu, glossed as morondo), is used for mosquito-repelling incense. Such incense is called ka-yari (literally, “mosquito chaser”). How odd that it is sold by florists! If one inadvertently loiters around the lookout of an Edo Castle gate, the guards shout loudly “Pass on!” just as beggars are scolded in Wakayama. Edo widows and wives are hard to tell apart because both have identical rounded hairdos (maruwage).

#history notes #historical research #history research #historical reference #history reference #historical notes #late edo period #bakumatsu period #edo culture #life in Edo #Dr. Harada #Banraido Kiyufuku

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shianhygge-imagines · 5 years

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Masterlist Format 3.0

So, once a year, I try to redo my Masterlist to make it look better.

I’m doing away with the old system, though I’m still sticking with the old “NUMERICAL-ALPHABETICAL ORDER” for the fandom names. I will, however, be listing chapters in the order that they are meant to be read.

{C} = Completed {O} = Ongoing {H} = Hiatus

{E} = Experimental {A} = Abandoned {R} = Request

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Bungou Stray Dogs 文豪ストレイドッグス

Reactions

{R} Where Do Babies Come From, Mister? |Link here|

{E} Jonquil [Kunikida/Reader] (Hanahaki Prompt) |Link here|

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Destiny

{O} Thin Line

Choosing a Side |Link here|

Guardian Games |Link here|

{E} If I Had A Heart [Cayde-6/Reader] |Link here|

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Devil May Cry

Headcanons

Cooking with the DMC Crew |Link here|

Dating the DMC Boys |Link here|

ASMR with the DMC Crew |Link here|

Waking up with the DMC Crew |Link here|

That Time of the Month with the Sons of Sparda |Link here|

Reactions

{R} So... You dropped the Nutella |Link here|

{R} S/O Sacrifice |Link here|

{R} The Kids Are Alright |Link here|

{R} S/O Sacrifice Scramble |Link here|

Devils Never Cry (Non-canon oneshots) All posted before March 8, 2019

Prompt 1: Vergil’s wife finds out about Nero |Link here|

Prompt 2 Reader’s reaction to seeing Vergil again |Link here|

Prompt 3: Reader confronts Vergil at the end of DMC5 |Link here|

{E} Devil May Cry x Among Us [Crossover Reader-centric series]

Playing the Game |Link here|

{O}{E} Black Rose [V/GenderNeutral Reader]

The House on the Outskirts |Link here|

{O} Silver Rose [Vergil/Fem!Reader] (Devils Never Cry, except canon accurate)

Where it All Began |Link here|

The Power to Protect |Link here|

Hope |Link here|

Nothing Dies Like It |Link here|

Sabbatical |Link here|

Gifts |Link here|

Imposter |Link here|

Doubt and Trust |Link here|

Nero |Link here|

The New Contract |Link here|

Splitting Fool |Link here|

The Demon Half |Link here|

The Mortal Half {NSFW} |Link here|

Umbral Angelo |Link here|

Bury the Light |Link here|

-coming soon-

Silver Rose Related Reactions & Headcanons

{R} Habits & Catchphrase! (Vergil Reacts) |Link here|

Silver Rose: Cafe AU |Link here|

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Detroit: Become Human

Headcanons

Deviants want bad skin |Link here|

{C} For Love [Connor/Reader] |Link here|

{H} Reason Living [Connor/Fem!Reader]

You Chose Another Path |Link here|

So Close Yet So Far |Link here|

{E} Sweet Dreams [Markus/Fem!Reader] |Link here|

{E} Invoke [Hank/Android!Reader] |Link here|

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Diabolik Lovers

{E} VoiD [undecided/Reader]

Prologue |Link here|

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Final Fantasy XV

Headcanons

Relationship w/ Chocobros (Some minor NSFW) |Link here|

{R} Kissing the Chocobros |Link here|

King Regis |Link here|

Studying |Link here|

{R} Relationship w/ Ravus |Link here|

{R} Holiday w/ Chocobros |Link here|

{R} When Ignis Proposes |Link here|

Regalia Designs |Link here|

{R} Ardyn’s Daughter |Link here|

Afterlife |Link here|

Starscourge Analysis |Link here|

Character Reactions

{R} Being Fathers [Ravus & Ardyn] |Link here|

{R} Smol Chocobo Reader [Chocobros] |Link here|

{C} Shian’s Middlemarch (Finding Love in Unexpected Places)

{R} The Middlemarch [One-sided Noctis/Reader] |Link here|

The Case of Cor [Mentor!Cor Leonis/Reader] |Link here|

The Case of Ravus [Ravus/Reader] |Link here|

{R} The Case of the Brotherhood [Chocobros/Reader] |Link here|

{R} Middlemarch Alternate Universe [Ravus/Reader] |Part 1| |Part 2|

{C} Amor Sempiternus Duology (Latin: “everlasting love”) [Ardyn/Reader]

I. Ephemeral |Link here|

II. Eternal |Link here|

{R} {A} Imaginary Lover Series (NSFW) [Ardyn/Reader]

Sin 1. First Interaction |Link here|

Sin 2. Temptation |Link here|

{C} {R} Evermore Duology (”You don’t know a good thing until it’s gone”) [Ravus/Reader]

Q.E.D |Link here|

I Will Be |Part 1| |Part 2|

{C} {R} Divine Intervention (AU to “Relationship w/Ravus”) |Link here|

{C} {R} Rinne [Ignis/Fem!Reader] |Link here|

{H} Claymore Series [Ignis/Fem!Reader]

Prelude One |Link here|

Prelude Two |Link here|

Act 1 |Link here|

{C} {R} Calling [Gladio/Fem!Reader] |Link here|

{C} {R} Home [Nyx/Reader] (Headcanon format) |Link here|

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shian and Hikigaya’s Photo Commentary

Magical Girl Gladio |Link here|

The Prince’s Natural Habitat |Link here|

Shian’s Theories on Ardyn’s Backstory |Part 1| |Part 2|

Shian’s Thoughts on an Ardyn DLC |Link here|

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Final Fantasy VII

Headcanons

{R} Dating Genesis Rhapsodos |Link here|

{R} Dating Sephiroth |Link here|

{R} Dating Angeal Hewley |Link here|

{R} NSFW Sephiroth |Link here|

Dating Rufus Shinra |Link here|

{C} The Letter - 手紙 [???/Reader] |Link here| -coming soon-

{C} Divide/Together [???/Reader] |Link here| -coming soon-

Sundown 勿忘草 [Reno/Reader]

Episode 1 |Link here|

Episode 2 |Link here|

{C} Ash [Sephiroth/ReaderOC]

Act 1 |Link here|

Act 2 |Link here|

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Haikyuu!!!

{E} Aberrant [???/OC]

Prologue |Link here|

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NBC’s Hannibal

{E} {Deleted} A Monster Among Monsters [Mentor!Hannibal/Reader]

Diamond Heart

This Is The Moment

{O} The Referral [Mentor!Hannibal/Reader]

Session 1 |Link here|

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Hetalia

{E} Taking A Chance [Various Countries/Reader]

Denmark |Link here|

{E} Finding Peace (A Hetalia Haunting Story)

Voice of Reason [England] |Link here|

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Kimetsu no Yaiba 鬼滅の刃 - Demon Slayer

Headcanons

Meeting the Kamaboko Squad |Link here|

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Kingdom Hearts

{E} Faded [Riku/Reader] (Angst) |Link here|

{E} Enter the Darkness [Vanitas/Reader] |Link here|

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Overwatch

{E} Fable [???/Reader]

Entry 1 |Link here|

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Persona 3

{E} Living with Determination [Shinjiro/Reader/Akihiko] |Link here|

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Persona 5

Headcanons

Studying with the Phantom Thieves of Heart |Link here|

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Resident Evil

{R} Shian: On Ada/Leon |Link here|

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RWBY

{E} Balance [Qrow/Reader] (Angst) |Link here|

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Watch_Dogs 2

Headcanons

{R} Snuggling w/ Wrench |Link here|

{R} Holiday w/ Josh |Link here|

{R} Getting Mugged [Wrench/Reader] |Link here|

{R} Sick Week [DedSec S/O] |Link here|

{R} Sex w/ Wrench (NSFW) |Link here|

Customer Escalations w/ DedSec |Link here|

{R} Male!Reader/Wrench Relationship |Link here|

{C} Project Wrench Your Heart (Wrench with a large helping of Angst)

{R} Your First (NSFW) |Link here|

{R} This I Promise You (Fluff) |Link here|

{R} Don’t Leave (Fluff) |Link here|

{R} By Your Side (Pregnancy Scare) |Link here|

Est-ce Que Tu M’aimes? |Link here|

Climbing the Walls |Link here|

{R} In the Name of Love |Part 1| |Part 2| |Part 3| |Part 4|

So Far Away |M.1|

{C} {R} Now Kiss [Wrench/Reader] (Fluff) |Link here|

{C} {R} Lies [Wrench/Reader] (Angst) |Link here|

{C} {R} Hardships Included [Wrench/Reader] |Link here|

{C} {R} Unavailable [Marcus/Reader] (Comfort/Fluff) |Link here|

{C} {R} In A World Like This [Josh/Reader] (Fluff) |Link here|

{C} {R} Breathe [Josh/Reader] (Lime) |Link here|

{E} {R} Busted and Blue [Wrench/Reader] (Hurt/Comfort) |Link here|

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Witcher [Wiedźmin]

{H} The Difference (A Witcher Story)

Prologue: I’m Too Sober |Link here|

Chapter 1: No Room For Morals |Link here|

Chapter 2: An Eye For An Eye |Link here|

Chapter 3: Trouble Will Find You |Link here|

Chapter 4: A Brief Respite |Link here|

Chapter 5: Uma |Link here|

Chapter 6: Geralt Has Stepped Out |Link here|

Chapter 7: Something Mundane |Link here|

Chapter 8: Awaken the Monster Within |Link here|

Chapter 9: Quest Start-The Bark of Another |Link here|

Chapter 10: The Burden of Living |Link here| -coming soon-

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

薄桜鬼〜新選組奇譚〜 Hakuouki

Dating Headcanons

Kazama Chikage |Link here|

Saito Hajime |Link here|

Hijikata Toshizou |Link here|

Okita Souji |Link here|

{R} Harada Sanosuke |Link here|

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Original Work

{E} 夜は眠れるかい？ |Link here|

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

845 notes · View notes

spy-der-woman · 4 years

Text

Spy-Der Woman: To Know Her

Summary: A young woman, Jessica, is captured by a mysterious group of government officials and is forced to recount her involvement in one of the most devastating events in Japan's modern history.

Word Count: 1858

Pairings: Jessica Drew/Gwen Stacy

A/N: Hello! Hi! Thank you for taking the time to read my personal spin on the Spider-Woman origin story. Ideally, many more chapters to come. Enjoy!

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23218846/chapters/55587907

Next Chapter: https://spy-der-woman.tumblr.com/post/618206045884547072/spy-der-woman-to-know-her

Chapter One: A Black Ink Face

Tokyo, Japan

The colors were still there: the reds, the blues, pinks, and purples. They just weren’t as bright anymore. The ashes of the most devastating event in Japan’s modern history still carried in the wind dulling any glow that the city once had. If anything, the black of Tokyo: skyline, alleyways, suits of men and women were just as deep and dark as ever.

And in that black, a group of young boys played kickball in their light-up Sketchers. Haruto Yamamoto, age seven, teased little Akihiro Nakamura, age six, as he stepped up to the makeshift cardboard plate. Akihiro was the runt of the group, and it didn’t help that his sneakers were too old to light up blue anymore like the rest of the boys. Haruto had no rhyme or reason to be this mean other than he was a boy, and he could. Akihiro, along with the rest of the gang, just begged him to throw the ball already.

But, before Haruto could finally pitch the ball, a warning siren rang throughout the city. The boys looked up at the screens on the sides of the buildings surrounding them as they changed from advertisements to a black screen followed by the logo of Tokyo’s five o’clock news. Yellow text appeared warning that the footage that is about to play may upset children and elderly viewers.

The boys continued to look.

Helicopter shots along with cell phone camera footage were spliced together to show all different angles of devastation that occurred at the Port of Tokyo. The broadcast didn’t linger long on these images before cutting to a live feed of reporter, Mitsuko Miyazaki, who stood a few yards away from the seaport. All of it had been leveled out.

“Good evening, this Mitsuko Miyazaki reporting live for Action News 10.

Prime Minister Kenuichio Harada has asked me to speak to you this evening in regards to what is potentially now being deemed a terrorist attack.

It has been one week since the catastrophic explosion that occurred at Tokyo Harbour. As you can see behind me, search and rescue teams are still looking for survivors. However, hope is dwindling as the death toll continues to rise. By the end of the week, numbers are expected to double, potentially triple.

With that being said, government authorities have been working day in and day out interviewing survivors of this attack. With the diligent work of the government, two crucial pieces of information have come to light. I urge you to pay attention carefully.

One, the cause of the explosion came deep within the underground and not from an outside source, as initially reported. Also, while initially thought to be a chemical explosion, experts are now leaning towards this being an electrical explosion instead.

Two, multiple eye witness reports mention a young woman helping survivors out of the wreckage, but then leaving the scene as rescue teams and authorities started to arrive. This woman has been described as being American or European, tall, black hair, with burn wounds covering her hands, arms, and chest. Gathering as much information as possible, the police have drawn up a potential sketch of what this person may look like.”

A black ink face covered the city.

“If you have any information about the explosion or about the woman. Please give a call to the number appearing on the screen now. Do not hesitate to call. Any and all information, big or small, could prove helpful in aiding this investigation.

If you know something, say something.

Thank you for your time, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you have a peaceful rest of your evening.”

Little Akihiro, frightened by the images he saw, had broken away his gaze midway through the broadcast. In contrast, the rest of the boys, with eyes glazed over, had continued to watch.

Desperately wanting to be in the comfort of his mother’s arms, Akihiro snuck off from the boys. He was only able to make it a few feet away before an unmarked car had pulled into the black. The headlights on the vehicle were so bright that Akihiro tripped over his own feet, falling into a puddle. This caught the attention of the other boys whose voices fell short of laughter when they saw a group of men exit the vehicle with guns visibly strapped to their sides.

All of the boys, now just as little as Akihiro, ran off in the other direction. Hamurato ran slightly behind and kept his head turned to look at the men. He watched as the last one out of the vehicle pulled a woman out along with him. The man kept his gun close to her head. Akihiro was frozen.

She was barely dressed, only wearing dirty white underwear and an oversized red and black motorcycle jacket. A large black box that hummed with a blue glow encased her hands, leaving her hunched over. The woman tried to walk on her own, but her knees started to buckle underneath her. The group of men shouted remarks that Aikhiro had only ever heard his father use underneath his breath. The woman took a few steps into the street light, exposing deep purple scars on her legs running from her ankles up to her hips. The tallest man shouted at her to stand up straight. He took a decent amount of her hair into his and yanked her head up, exposing her face underneath the street light.

It was her. The woman Akihiro had only seen moments ago on every screen in Tokyo. Her eyes locked with his, and he felt his heart drop into his stomach. She looked like a ghost. One of those urban legends the boys would talk about after school to scare him like the one about the woman who had a smile cut from ear to ear.

The men dragged her into a run-down building, while Akihiro, soaked and silent, got up and began to walk his way out of the black.

***

The building used to be a butcher shop. The walls, floors, even the air was stained with rancid blood. The men pulled her far into the back of what used to be a cooler. Meat hooks swinging back and forth, nipping at her exposed skin. The tall man, leading the pack, opened up a door in the back and instructed everyone to move quickly while he made sure that no one had followed them in. Once the coast was clear and the door closed behind them, all in unison they began to move forward, left foot first. The only source of light coming from flickering lights that were placed where the ceiling meets the wall. None of them spoke.

As they made their way down the hall, the hair left on the woman’s arms stood up straight. She felt nauseated and unable to keep her focus. While only four men surrounded her, she could see eight. Along with the gun firmly placed against her spine, she could feel the blood rushing through her body. Every single cell of her being trying to repair itself into some semblance of what it used to be. Exhausting the last bits of energy she had left. The smell of sulfur that came from the water dripping from the ceiling was strong enough that she could taste it on the tip of her tongue. But, worst of all, was the sound of the rats. The rats with their little claws scratched at the concrete surrounding them.

The group came to a halt when they had reached a new door. The tall man made his way to the front and knocked on the door with a particular rhythm. The door creaked open, there were whispers, followed by laughter. A deep feminine laughter.

“Come in. We have been waiting patiently.”

The new room they entered was filled with old TVs, all of them turned to various news stations and presidential addresses/condolences regarding the “terrorist attack” in Tokyo. The woman kept her eyes trained on the screens taking in as much information as she could understand, even as the men shoved her onto an illuminated platform in the middle of the room. Before she could get the chance to stand tall on her own, a magnetic pull between the platform and the box encasing her hands forced her down onto her knees.

She didn’t make a sound.

The woman that had opened the door slipped a remote into her pocket and approached the girl. “We only do this out of precaution. Not to harm you.” She took the girl’s chin into her palm and inspected every mark that marred her face. “Beautiful thing you are.” The woman looked up at the group of men, “Bring everyone else here now.”

The group of men dispersed, and for a brief moment, the two women were alone.

“You have done a lot of damage.”

“I did what I had to do.” The girl finally spoke.

“And the whole world heard you loud and clear.”

“Should I say sorry?”

“Sorry? Nothing to apologize for. It is all apart of the process.”

The men returned with several individuals dressed in suits and ties. Everyone took their respective seat at a makeshift table. The woman let go of the girl’s face to greet the people in the room with a firm handshake, except for the last man to which she bowed.

“Thank you for joining us, Prime Minister.”

“And thank you, Madame, for the work you have done.”

“It’s my honor.”

“So this is the girl.” the Prime Minister was the last to take his seat.

Madame continued to stand with one hand on the table and the other hand in her pocket firmly holding the remote control.

“Girl? Given our base-level knowledge, she is far more than that. Aren’t you?”

The girl only gave a small glance up at the Madame before looking back down.

“This girl from what we understand is the cause for this little incident. Aren’t you?”

The girl remained silent.

“Killing thousands, mass mourning, even pulled a few of New York’s finest over here to help the remaining survivors. All done by you and only you.”

“It wasn’t just me.” she spoke through her teeth.

“It wasn’t? Well, let’s write that down because we have no clue. In fact, for the first time in a long time, there is a lot of stuff we don’t know. Which is why this evening, you are going to tell us everything, every detail, on what happened last week and everything before it. We want the who, what, when, where, why, and how. And before you try and refuse, please remember how we found you—near death against a dumpster—which means that-”

“My name is Jessica.”

“Jessica? Last name.”

“No last name.”

“Why is that, Jessica.”

“I was told I was lucky enough to even get a name at all.”

“Interesting. Well, luck implies probability, which means there were others like you, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Why don’t we start your story there.”

Jessica gnawed at the inside of her cheek till she could feel blood trickle down her throat.

#marvel #spider man #spider woman #spider gwen #jessica drew #marvel fanfiction #Spy-der Woman: To Know Her #into the spider verse #spider woman fanfic #MCU

8 notes · View notes

blackcatanna · 4 years

Text

Okita's Route Part 2: Still on Kyoto Winds because I didn't realise that I'd ramble so much

Predictably, I'm enjoying Okita's route a lot more than Kazama's. Also, I'm skipping a lot less than when I played Kazama and Iba's routes, which makes a lot of sense because Okita is actually in the Shinsengumi and, therefore, gets a lot of screen time. So far, he acts like an asshole but this isn't backed up by his actions. Apart from the casual child cruelty X_X

Chapter, uh, 3? I think...

I feel like Hijikata sticking up for Sanan is just making things worse X_X . Saying that he's not useless because he's a swordsman is just plain wrong. It makes it seem like he's just saying it out of pity. I'm sure that Sanan has plenty to contribute, besides slicing people up.

"Sanan is quite the beloved member here, isn't he? It's nice to see such a tight-knit group." -_- Itou is such a master of shade. Gently implying that they only keep Sanan around because of their relationship. You evil bitch X_X

"Ugh, who brought those bastards into the Shinsengumi?" RIGHT?! Glad to see that Okita's not blindly following Kondou's lead here.

"He is easily deceived by silver tongues, those who appear virtuous... but are real scumbags." As the great Roisin Conaty once said: "Charming is just lube for evil." However, this is kind of backing up what those asshole kids were saying earlier about Kondou being an idiot X_X

SNOOP SNOOP 👀

AH! OKITA CAUGHT ME TALKING TO MYSELF! AGAIN X_X

"Trying to run away behind our backs." -_- You know that's not true.

"Heh, I'm just messing with you." No shit. "I mean, unless you were escaping, then I'll slit your throat." -_- You just couldn't resist the opportunity to throw out another casual death threat, could you?

Is he worried about my safety? I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO BE FLIPPANT BUT I SEE THROUGH YOU.

"Good girl." -_-

"It sounded like something out of a fairy tale." Oooooooooh hooooooneeeey... Have you not been paying attention?!

Welp, Okita told me to scream so... AAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Oh, apparently, not that... OKITAAAAA! Bet he loved that.

"Aaaaaaaaaaagh!" Everyone, please stop screaming.

Ngl, Sanan looks good with white hair.

Apparently, Okita likes hearing me screaming his name... Good to know...

"Don't worry your little head. It would be my pleasure to help you die." O_O ... Isn't that a little hasty!?!

"You're not serious, are you?" HONEY X_X

"It's really annoying, you know. You think you're part of the Shinsengumi?" </3 Ouch X_X You're the ones who took me prisoner, y'know? However, Chizuru does often act like she's the only one who cares about the Shinsengumi members, which must be annoying af.

"We only keep you alive because you're useful. You are NOT one of us." Uh... Thanks for calling me useful? But is that seriously your attitude? Anyone who's not useful to you should just die? -_-

"His words shattered my already breaking heart." Aw! </3 Poor Chizuru bae!

"Seriously... You can really be a pain, you know that?" RIGHT. BACK. AT. YOU.

"It'd be easier to just kill you," Broken record much?

"Had their last thoughts as men been hope they might survive the madness? It sounded horrible..." YUUUP.

"Sano! Make something up!" Definite DnD vibes again! When you make the low charisma character roll deception X_X

"You're a miserable actor. Keep your mouth shut." I'm sure that this exchange won't seem suspect at all X_X

"Oh, Sanan... Who cares what you are? You're alive!" Bless Kondou's pure and simple heart :')

"Yukimura, you go back to your room. I know you didn't sleep much." Why am I the only person in this game who requires sleep? -_- Just a trend I've noticed...

"*Cough* *Cough*" O_O OKITA, ARE YOU OKAY!??? O_O

"You owe us a lil' booze! Or maybe even, heh, a little... company?" WHERE'S OKITA'S MURDEROUS INSTINCT WHEN YOU NEED IT!?!?

"Suddenly I felt a hand on my arm." BWOOOOOOAAAARP!!! PHYSICAL CONTACT ALARM!!!

"Calm down, kid." ... NO. I HAVEN'T BEEN TOUCHED IN MONTHS.

"Hey hey hey! Looks like she's got the hots for you, Souji!" Oh Heisuke X_X

"No matter what, I won't buy Ishida Medical Powder." XD Got to admire Okita for staying true to his convictions :')

"I'm using the hell out of you" O_o Calm down, Hijikata X_X

Guess I'm going to have to put stalking Okita on hold for now...

Harada and Shiranui should just kiss already.

""Huh? Chizuru?" Okita looked up from cleaning his sword as I entered the hall." OH, HE WAS POLISHING HIS SWORD, EH? ;P YES, I AM TWELVE. Tbf, his face really does look like he's been caught in the act...

"Oh shut up, will you? It's all your fault. The medicine you gave me totally doesn't w..." >:( I'm hoping that the reason that sentence trails off is because I give him a verbal smack down!!

"*Cough* *Cough*" O_O WELL, I GUESS NOW I CAN'T CALL HIM A CUNT!

BLOOD O_O

"It's nothing." ... BOI!!

This game is totally a forcing-stubborn-men-to-rest simulator X_X

"I'd been given instructions to stay away" from the physical examinations but ho's gotta ho', amirite?!

"Oh my... So you WANT to see those savages? What peculiar taste..." Itou, don't call me out like this. Although, I still feel like we should respect their privacy X_X

"Oh! Oh..." ALRIGHT, YOU THIRSTY BITCH, CALM DOWN.

*Camera zooms in on Nagakura's tiddies* -_-

"Your body's fine, Shin." - Heisuke.

"Don't you wanna order a slice of this beef cake? I got two meaty servings on a plate, right here." Aaaaaagh! X_X My eeeeyyyeees.... Can't... un-read... sentence... please... fetch.... brain... bleach...

"A medical exam is for finding problems, not showing off. Now move." PREACH, SAITO!!!

"I feel like it's rude to intrude..." AND YET HERE WE ARE X_X

"It grants immortality" ??? Except for the part where you turn to ash???

"You're forcing your body in ways the eyes can't see." LISTEN TO THE DOCTOR, GUYS!!!

Everyone's just... RIPPING Takeda to shreds XD

"I'm scared shitless, believe me." :'( Poor Okita

No smart comments here... this is just really sad :'(

He's seen me? It's been nice knowing y'all...

Finally, Chizuru calls out Okita for threatening to kill her so much.

"Desist, you hooligans!" Sen is such a Queen! I want a Sen route!

Chizuru and Sen standing up to these arseholes is giving me LIFE! :') PREACH, GIRLS, PREACH!!!

"What were you going to do if they hurt you gravely?" Regenerate, biatch! >:)

"C'mon, was she that pretty?" UM, YES. But I think that she gives off too much of a domme vibe to be Okita's type :P

Chizuru is getting VERY distracted by Okita's hair. You know those scenes in movies where the woman takes down her hair and it's all slow motion and super sexy? This series has a lot of that. Plus when they get their Western makeovers :')

"That's funny... You don't LOOK like an especially nosy, hand-wringing version of my mother." XD I mean, -_- That totally wasn't hilarious.

"I grabbed his towel and began to scrub his head." ... We totally are his mother X_X

"I feel like I remember a time when you were nice and quiet..." NOT ANYMORE, BITCH! AND NOW, I'M ARMED WITH A TOWEL >:)

"You're really good with your hands." O_o ... What?

"You tied your hair up so quickly..." Why don't you show me what else you can do with them? ;)

Now he wants to know what I think of his hair? :/

OMG, HE'S TRYING TO COPY KONDOU'S HAIR XD I HAVE NO WORDS (for once)

Oh, you're surprised that I kept my promise? I'll have you know that I am an honourable woman, good sir! >:/

But Chizuru's claiming to only have done it out of fear of being sliced and diced? :/Uh, sure?

Chapter 4:

"They're small potatoes." This game has some excellent phrases in it X_X

Itou wanting to change the Shinsengumi uniform because it's not "fashionable" enough is the kind of genius that I'd expect from this game's most relatable character :') Although, I personally think that the blue uniforms are pretty <3

Awe, Chizuru thinks that Okita's joking about killing Itou :')

Kaoru just VERY BLATANTLY giving away that he was involved in the notice board incident X_X

:O I'm slightly jealous to discover that Okita's casual death threats aren't just reserved for me!

I get the sense that Okita knows that Kaoru's a boy but I'm sure that it wouldn't stop him if Kaoru was really a girl. Hooray for gender equality!

"I felt embarrassed for even doubting her for a second," O_e SERIOUSLY??!??

We're just going to let him go now!?!

Now Okita's having a coughing fit D: It was so stupid to run off and make him come after us :(

"What if she had accomplices nearby" GOOD. POINT. Chizuru would be so easy to lure into a trap X_X

"Without me around, you're just a useless kid." But I have a great personality! So, together, we almost make one complete, functioning adult :)

"Stop being so timid." I wish that I had that power :'(

"You can rely on us when you need to." Aweee! ^_^

"even compared to the weakest Shinsengumi foot soldier, I was pathetic." HEY. STOP THAT. WHAT DID I SAY? GREAT. PERSONALITY.

"Did you need something?" "Blood." O_O AH. Well, at least he doesn't beat about the bush! O_O

"What the hell? That's a little cold of you, having that pass for a good-bye, isn't it?" YEAH! :'( MIKI IS RIGHT! </3 :(

"Saburo. Watch your mouth." I'm sure that Miki is sad when Itou dies but 90% of their interactions are Itou telling Miki to shut up. X_X

"Is... Is that okay?" NO. IT IS NOT OKAY. SAITO AND HEISUKE ARE LEAVING, ALONG WITH LITTLE PIECES OF MY HEART. D'X

"would that mean I could never see them again?" *sobs*

"We're going to keep relations amicable between our two organisations." AHAHAHAHAHA HA.

"Okita...?" "... Hm? Damn." Uh, nice to see you, too?

"Next time we run into 'em, we'll probably have to kill each other." O_O Don't be so flippant, you ass :'(

"Swords don't think" damn, I didn't realise that you were sword-kin. Everyone thinks and has feelings. I'm sure that no power could convince Okita to kill Kondou.

"Takeda also left" and not one single fuck was given. :')

Just going to ignore Okita making fun of my "bed head" -_-

"I've come to take you" orly? ;)

"Look, lady, you're not part of the Shinsengumi, so I'd appreciate it if you could keep your nose out of our business." So, now that it's convenient for you, I'm part of the Shinsengumi? -_- I still haven't forgotten what you said before, asshole >:( Remember? HEART = BROKEN.

Sen knows that I'm a SLUT ^_^

"I can't tell if you have guts, or if you've got rocks for brains..." It must be the latter if I'm staying because of you XP

*Terrible decision immediately has lethal consequences*

LEMME GO! >:(

See Kazama post for my COLOURFUL feelings on this cunt >:(

Kondou can be so badass when he wants to be :')

Why... Hello there ;)

"Gotta admit, I didn't figure you for this type of girl." Then you haven't been paying attention ;P

Oh yeah: BWWWWWAAAAAAAARRRRP!!! PHYSICAL CONTACT ALARM!!! And then some X_X

"Didn't think I'd be getting pushed down into bed tonight, least of all by you." Oh yeah? Who else did you have in mind? Kondou? -_-

"Oh no! No no no!" Chizuru, we know you're thirsty and it's okay! Embrace the thot within! :')

"Tell me... How is it? On top of me. Does it feel good?" PLEASE SAY YES, PLEASE SAY YES, PLEASE SAY YES!

"I hadn't realised I was still on top of him." Uh-huh. Sure. And what a terrible shame that was.

"If I go out, Kondou will get mad at me." And then no more bum fun :( (me@me: WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!??! me: XD Sorry)

"Okita's eyes shone with admiration for Kondou." X_X The fanfiction writes itself...

Just to be clear, I think it's pretty gross to ship people with their guardians, even if they're both adults at the time, because that's called GROOMING.

"He isn't going to need the Water of Life. I'll make sure of that." ... How, Hijikata?! He's literally DYING of tuberculosis!

And now he's not eating :'(

"I just don't want to. Is that really a problem?" Yes, because you'll starve to death.

"Hm, you are a doctor's daughter... Maybe you just can't leave a sick guy alone?" Or maybe I just don't want YOU to die, ass >:'(

I WILL MAKE YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT, JUST EAT IT!!! Ooooooh! He's blushing :O

He doesn't like bitter stuff but wants me to put grated radish in his porridge? O_o Well, I'm glad that he's cooperating :D

"I'm only going to eat it if it's delicious." Well, if you don't like it, I'll try again! :D

"Don't think I've given up or something." Okay D': <3

EAT THE FOOD, OKITA >:D

"It makes me feel good..." Hooray ^_^

"Could you keep me company for a while?" :O Okey! :)

"What would I talk about?" HELLO DARKNESS MY OLD FRIEND...

"He wasn't afraid to die," um, weren't you eavesdropping on his conversation with the doctor? -_-

"I want to help... But I'm getting weaker every day." Of course you do :'( This is more heartbreaking than him saying that you're not part of the Shinsengumi and just annoying DX

Maybe tell him that everybody likes having him around and that the Shinsengumi is where he belongs? Or, we could just leave him to wallow in misery... I guess that works, too X_X

"I couldn't see someone like Okita succumbing to a mere disease." ... Why, exactly? Is he supposed to fight it off with his sword or persuade it to fuck off with the force of his personality?

"He'll be fine. Right...?" NOOOPE.

SAITO 😍 I mean, uh, whatever... Totally not bothered at all...

WAIT, HOLD ON: SPY-TO. Yes, thank you. I am a genius :3

Finally murdering Itou for realskies! :')

I get that Hijikata and everyone are trying to look out for Okita but he's terminally ill. Keeping him out of the action is only going to keep him miserable until his inevitable demise. :'(

"Saito'll be here for a few days, so you'll have someone to play with." -_- Bit patronising, Hijikata X_X

Kazama being his usual, charming self X_X

Let's go find Okita and... Tell him to go back to bed? Okay...

What the fuck!?!! Kaoru!?!!

Do we ever get a decent explanation for why Kaoru was sent to live with some abusive fucks?

Kaoru... Why are you so short? I bet you were malnourished X_X

Okita's just watching this unfold, chomping on imaginary popcorn...

"Do you just plan to use her, like Kazama does?" O_o... I fucking hope not, because that would be INCEST!!!

"... No," OH, THANK GOD.

"What would you have done if I'd said yes?" Ugh, you said no already! Can we please move this conversation in a less incestuous direction X_X

"... No. You're free to take her." OKITA!!! HE'S MY BROTHER X_X Not that I'm expecting you to leap to my defense but this conversation is WEIRD as FUCK.

:O The Ochimizu! Is Kaoru trying to help Okita?! Misguidedly, but still.

"But... if their plan is to simply use my dear sister as some sort of demonic broodmare... I can't allow that to happen." ... Kaoru... :'O That's... Actually really sweet XO This is the first time that someone who claims to be part of my family has actually looked out for me :')

Oh, so Kaoru wants to use Okita to protect me from Kazama! I have a feeling that he's going to be disappointed if he thinks that Okita will do what he tells him to but I appreciate the gesture :')

"Please don't do anything that would hurt Kondou so, Okita." Ugh, even as he lies dying, he's supposed to be worrying about upsetting other people? >:(

"Okita the Fury; Okita the beast." X_X Bit harsh but okay.

"He had traded away his soul." Um, since when? XD

"Happy now, Kaoru Naguno?" "Yes I am." ... Fair.

"... For falling into my trap." Wait, what?!? O_O

"I'm happy I got to make my sister suffer." Kaoru, why? D': WE COULD HAVE HAD IT AAAAAAAAAAAAAA-AAA-AAALLL!!! DX

I'm glad that Kaoru did away with the Nagumo fuckers >:( But still, why take it out on me?!

Even dressed as a boy, Kaoru still looks prettier than Chizuru...

*Sigh* looks like I'm being choked, as usual X_X

I feel like Kaoru could easily have given Okita something much worse than the Ochimizu if he REALLY wanted to make me suffer.

"I'd run out of things to say." X_X Again?!

"This was my decision and I don't regret it." That is good to know :)

"You shouldn't get involved with a guy like me." Oh, here we go X_X

"That came out of nowhere," Too right!

"No" uh, does that mean "no, I won't get involved with you" or "no, I won't do as you say"???

Uh, is he crying?! "Hey! You can't just act like you're sick when you want something!" XD What the actual fuck is happening right now???

"I'm dead" ... Uh... Really? Because... You seem very much alive...

"I don't think Kondou wants you around just because he wants you to do things for him." FINALLY, some sense!

Aaaand, apparently, it's earned me The Unblinking Stare of Doom >:(

"Do you mind not trying to speak for Kondou." Do you mind not assuming that he's so much of an asshole that he'd kick you out just because you're inactive during the day?! >:(

"It's not like you're capable of knowing exactly how Kondou truly feels." YES, YUKIMURA!!! GET HIM!! >:D

"Do you think Kondou would still need me... Even if I can't hold a sword anymore?" YES.

"You're right." I know :3

"I'm just jealous of you, Okita, that you have someone like Kondou by your side." Yeah. >:'( Fuck you, Kaoru, fuck you, Kodo :'(

"Oh yeah, huh... I totally forgot." Ffs, Okita XD

"They just happened to be there when you were born, you know?" Yeah! >:( And they can all go to hell!

"Somehow, my chin had acquired something of an arrogant tilt" yaaaas! You live your best life, girl! Let go of the haters, cut out the negativity! Stick it to 'em!

Chapter 5:

"How dangerous could foreign weapons be?" Oh, my sweet, Summer Sanan X_X

"Why are you going on night rounds with us?" ... Wait, what?! Why am I going on night rounds?

AS IF putting myself in danger is going to help Okita in any way X_X

DAMN, KONDOU... Nice, uh, blood you're accessorising with, there. O_O MEDIC!!!

"Lucky for us, they're idiots." Hooraaaay!

Okita's not going to be happy when he sees this...

Speak of the devil...

HIJIKATA, STOP BEATING ABOUT THE BUSH.

"I thought for a moment that Okita was going to grab Hijikata and shake him." :O :D Please yes!

Okita is suuuuuper keen to blame Hijikata for this -_-

"If he dies, it's your ass in the fire, Hijikata." Another excellent image but this pointless conversation has gone on for too long X_X

"I will find you, no matter where you may be, and I will kill you." O_O OKITA!! I THOUGHT THAT YOU SAID YOU WERE CALM!!! Bloody hell X_X

Oh no... What has Okita done now X_X

Killing spree, mad science, aggressive interrogation, Hijikata murder? The possibilities are endless with this stabby boi.

Where exactly am I running to? "I had finally found him." HOW?! With the power of love?! O_o

Looks like "Killing spree" it is X_X

"I'm about to murder you." Ffs Souji X_X

"I'm just doing my job." OH YEAH?!? THEN WHY DID YOU FEEL THE NEED TO GO BEHIND EVERYONE'S BACKS, HUH?!

"What's wrong with me doing what I'm doing?" Yeah, what's wrong with sadistically slaughtering a bunch of virtually defenceless men as they attempt to retreat?! -_-

"I just killed people, no matter who it was, as long as it was what Kondou wanted." *Sigh* Kondou's not going to be around for ever, you know? X_X Maybe TRY think about why your doing what you're doing. Maybe learn from Kondou's example?

"Do not ever act out and worry the chief like that again." XD You tell him, Saito!

"Idiots." XD Hijikata

"I didn't wake up until evening had arrived." Oh look, it's me :)

OH, FUCK. That looked like a Kaoru silhouette :O

Why do they keep saying that Kaoru "tricked" Okita into drinking the Water of Life?! Kaoru offered it and Okita drank it. No trickery here!

"They wanted to avenge Itou. You remember him? The man you deceived and murdered?" XD Can't argue with that :')

"shoot the weaker target first." UGH. Why do I always get SHOT!?!

"Call me what you want." Oh, I intend to 3:)

Omg, I didn't get shot! :O BECAUSE OKITA USED HIMSELF AS A HUMAN SHIELD O_O ... BUT WHY?!??

NO, DON'T CHECK UP ON ME! WE NEED TO MOVE BEFORE WE GET SHOT AT AGAIN!!!

Oh no! O_O Doesn't look like he'll be moving any time soon O_O

"Okita! Okitaaaaa!" O_O

"It kills me to see you hurt, just as much as it kills you to see Kondou hurt!" O: <3 :'(

"What an idiot.. " No, Kaoru! You're the idiot! Because you will never be happy while you continue down this sadistic, evil path, wasting your own life trying to destroy someone else's and refusing to let go of your spiteful jealousy >:( At least Okita's risking his life for something good.

"The more despair and anger you feel, the more you look like me." ... Silver linings! :)

D: Did they use silver bullets?! :O

Wait, when did Yamazaki get wounded?! :O

Bless Hijikata for letting me stay with my crush XD

Final Chapter:

Yamazaki is fine :D Hooray!

"They need men, so we need to go now..." Uh... Then why aren't you dressed? X_X

"... I want you to remain calm as I tell you this." That is... NOT AN ENCOURAGING WAY TO START A CONVERSATION O_O

D': Inoue has fallen. :'( It hurts every time DX

Aw, he looks really sad :'( and no wonder...

"as soon as we arrive, I'm gonna swing my sword at anyone and everyone." Uh... That's the spirit X_X

ONWARDS TO EDO

#hakuoki #hakuouki #okita #okita souji #Kyoto Winds #salt #otome adventures

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