#hijikata one actually made me spiral

[kazzzmataz]

hijikata and toshi blacktobers ☝🏽

#hijikata one actually made me spiral #gintama #hijikata toshiro #hijikata toshi #blacktober

[hakuoki-dreams]

opinions on the hc that saito is insecure about his height?

  (here’s the first HC I posted about this)

  Yes! Good question. This is very much a personal headcanon that has kind of spiraled out of control, and it has little basis in canon, at least the stuff I’ve read and watched (p.s. can anyone with more canon exposure back me up or refute me on this? Feel free to add your comments!) I should also mention that I base my HCs off the games primarily when it comes to ages etc. But I’d be glad to go into more detail about my personal opinions:

  As a young man Hajime wasn’t insecure about his height so much as his build, ie the fact that he’s pretty slender compared to the other guys he met at the Shieikan dojo. Something about him suggests to me that he was a late bloomer–maybe didn’t get his growth spurt until mid-to-late teens. So in addition to having an odd stance, he was used to being seen as weak or underdeveloped next to other students his age, up until he joined up with Kondou and Hijikata.

  This is part of why he stuck with iaido primarily, even after he joined a dojo that taught tennen rishin. Iai came much more naturally, since it’s all about speed and precision, and Hajime was always fast as hell. He didn’t have the brute strength that would lend him to such an aggressive fighting style. Compare this to say, Souji, whose height and brawn made him much better suited to tennen rishin.

  Speaking of comparing Hajime to Souji….

  Even though he’s closer in age to Heisuke, Hajime always found himself grouped more with Souji, maybe because he was closer in maturity level or both of them were kind of the loners of the dojo. There were always going to be some physical comparisons between the two. Souji was taller, but also broader and had a more muscular build overall. Ever since their first match when Souji got a hit in early, Hajime saw him as his main competition (albeit mostly friendly). So he couldn’t help comparing himself to him on a physical level. 

  Hajime’s proud of his mental and physical discipline, but there’s only so much you can do to counter your actual genetics. He knows he’ll never be the strapping-broad-shouldered type; it’s just not how he’s made. That’s why he doesn’t show off his body more like Souji, Shinpachi, or Sanosuke do. He prefers to stay kind of covered up and let his skills speak for themselves. It came in handy later during the Shinsengumi’s rounds, when strangers would often underestimate him because of his size and receive a swift reality check if they chose to start shit.

  All in all, it’s not a super big deal to him, especially as he gets older. It was just one of those things in the back of his mind that pushed him to prove himself to an even higher degree early on. 

  Basically I spend way too much time trying to get in Hajime’s head 🤔 So I’m glad other people seem curious about this stuff too, haha!

#saito hajime #hakuouki headcanons #hakuoki-dreams

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Gintama, Episodes 287-291

In which Lindsay Lohan can eat her heart out, two very different leaders come to two very similar conclusions, and Sakamoto’s Number Two stakes her claim.

Freaky Friday

If there’s one thing that spiraling down the anime rabbit hole has taught me over the past year, it’s that there’s no trope that I actually dislike based on concept rather than execution. I used to think I hated tsunderes, yet characters like Asuka Langley Soryu and Hitagi Senjougahara now rank among my favorite fictional characters of all time. I still hold a special place of hatred for incest subplots, yet the siscon in Kyoukai no Kanata has me laughing like a goddamn maniac every time he’s on screen. The point to be made here is that when I say “I hate this trope”, what I’m really saying is “I hate how this trope is commonly used in the media I consume”. A trope in and of itself is only a template; how that template is applied to the story it’s being used in determines whether it works or not. Case in point, I am usually very wary around body-swapping subplots, because more often than not they’re used as an excuse to indulge in the most cringe-inducing mistaken identity comedy possible. Too often when two characters end up in each other’s body, the end result is an endless stream of “jokes” wherein they embarrass themselves and everyone around them by failing to perfectly emulate the new body they find themselves in, and it makes me want to crawl down into my skin and die. But the concept of two people ending up in each other’s bodies does not in and of itself need to fall victim to that particular application. In fact, when used correctly, a body-swap storyline can be one of the funniest, most memorable, and most character-focused narratives you can tell.

Gintama has already proven itself capable of handling this material to fantastic comedic effect, as evidenced by that fantastic episode back in the first season where Gintoki and Sadaharu switched bodies. But it’s here in the Soul Switch arc, where Hijikata and GIntoki end up in each other’s bodies, that the show really proves how much it understands this trope’s potential. I’ve already gushed plenty about how well these two idiots play off each other, about how for all their differences, they’re both driven weary, sincerely cynical determination to carve out better lives than the ones they’ve left behind. So just watching them just not even try to emulate the other, whipping up their swapped families with their own brand of leadership and finding a way to make it work, was perhaps the best representation of their oddly congenial wavelength the show has ever given us. It also helps that it takes full advantage of their displaced minds to truly immerse us in how completely these characters own their personas, no matter what flesh shell they currently exist in. There’s a great sequence early on that cross-cuts between Shinpachi and Tetsu first running into their mysteriously personality-flipped bosses, selling both how similarly these two have shaped their lives and how differently they operate within those shapes (also, “Hijikata” pushing “Gintoki’s” split screen out of the frame had me cackling). This isn’t just an excuse to throw two characters into a pair of opposing situations; there’s a reason why it was these two idiots who the story decided should spend quality time living the other’s life.

It’s also fun. Like, absurdly fun. Both of their VAs do stellar work in capturing the speech patterns and inflections of the other, clearly having a blast getting to play against type. Not to mention how at one point, Tomokazu Sugita, GIntoki’s VA, is acting as Hijikata who is in turn trying to act as Gintoki, and there are so many levels of inception in that one sentence that you can’t help but admire it. Hell, Gintoki and Hijikata failing spectacularly to seduce Otae in any other show would be the most cringe-inducing thing imaginable, but Otae is just having such a good time fucking with them that it’s impossible not to laugh at their poker-faced ineptitude. And in the final stretch, where everybody gets roped into the body-swapping shenanigans? Sweet. Buttery. Christmas. Shinpachi as his glasses. Kondo’s VA getting to cut loose as a very different kind of stalker. Rie Fucking Kugumiya taking on Katsura’s legendarily pompous affectations (I think ”I’m not Zura. I’m Leader.” might be my favorite iteration of that running joke yet). This is the reason why I afford Gintama so much trust whenever it tips into territory that usually leaves my skin crawling; because it understands, on a fundamental level, what kinds of things people want to see out of these scenarios, the level of creative insanity it can indulge in. Why not let your entire crew of absurdly talented VAs cut loose and imitate each other when given the opportunity? Isn’t that by far a more interesting, engaging, and all-around hilarious alternative to “lol person bad at being other person and makes ass of himself” for the fifteen billionth time?

Follow the Leader

But yes, beyond the hilarity of just how far they’re willing to run with the inherent absurdity of the situation, the body swap between Hijikata and Gintoki is exhibit A of the best possible reason one might have to utilize such a trope: to explore the thematic differences between two foil characters and have them learn from each other in their own ways. These two idiots are the leaders of their respective extended families, tasked with guiding their charges through the muddy waters of life, and they go about those tasks in almost polar opposite ways. Hijikata implemenets order and discipline to an extreme degree, not allowing a single infraction, while Gintoki throws up his hands in laziness and mostly leaves the Odd Jobs crew to their own devices. The truth is, though, being a leader requires more than complete discipline or complete freedom. It requires more than the surface attributes of what method you use. It requires the connection you form with the people under your care, the bonds of trust you build together and the faith you place in each other to carry through. The Shinsengumi can easily devolve into a biker gang while the Odd Jobs crew can easily be whipped up into an Edo defense force, because it was never about the codes or rules they lived by. It was about the trust they put in the people who gave them those codes, and their willingness to follow their example in whatever direction it may lead them in.

If there’s one thing both of them take away from the experience, it’s how much all of them, on either side, truly rely on each other to get things right. Discipline without freedom leads to a lack of adaptability, while freedom without discipline leads to a lack of motivation. But trust in the people you care about will carry you as far as you need to go, help you face down whatever walls stand in your way, even if that wall is a titanic muscle cat with a purple schlong (side note, I appreciate how the embodiment of Gintoki’s “worse soul” is also a self-loathing martyr, because his readiness to throw his own sorry ass into the fire for the people he cares about has always been his biggest downful). Gintoki and Hijikata’s greatest weapons- the weapons they recognize in each other now, perhaps for the first time- are the love of their families, the love they’ve earned through many painful misadventures and moments of honestly. In the end, they’re not so different at all. They’re both tired, they’re both determined, they’ve both got far too much on their plates in handling their rowdy groups, and they both could stand to learn from how much faith the opposing side has in their leader. Because they’re both worth every ounce of that faith, for better or worse.

Mutsu the Avalanche

It has been far too long since we’ve gotten a meaningful stretch of time with Sakamoto. Out of all the Amanto War Big Four, he’s been the one with the least screen time and fleshing out, so much so that his presence in the OPs yet absence in the show itself has been a running joke for at least a good hundred episodes now. What makes him such a fascinating figure is that he’s by far the most optimistic of the four; whereas Gintoki, Takasgui and Katsura are all still fighting through the demons of their past in their own ways, Sakamoto has already risen above them. He saw a path out of the madness of war and jumped on it, seeing the merchant’s life as a way to repay his darkness while making a positive difference for the people still buckling from the bloodshed. If Gintoki represents the desire to leave the past behind, Katsura represents the desire to let the past drive you forward, and Takasugi represents the fear of letting your past consume you, then cheery, airy, globe-hopping Sakamoto represents the hope of the brighter future that exists just beyond the past you’re trying to escape, the future that you can still reach. Whatever awful situation he finds himself in- stuck in a bag out at sea, captured by a pirate ship trafficking in human slaves- he is constantly able to piece together the specks of light in the darkness and break free of the web he finds himself bound in. And nowhere is that unflappable faith of his clearer than in Mutsu, his right-hand woman who finally gets her turn in the spotlight when the pirate ship she used to captain (sorry, part-time captain) comes back in an attempt to punish her for abandoning them in favor of Sakamoto’s vision.

Mutsu was a girl trapped by who she was expected to be and what she expected herself, viewing the push and pull of war and trade as nothing more than blood money. Power gets upset here, power changes hands here, and all you can do is try to stay afloat on the raging sea and keep your mast flying high. Sakamoto was the first person to make her realize that trade could be a force for good, that it could bring smiles to people’s faces- including her own. There’s a fantastic metaphor at play how even something as small and insignificant as a pebble can be a force to be reckoned with in the right hands. Because a trader’s job is to find value in everything, no matter how hidden it might seem. It’s their job to see the buried potential in everything from the tiniest rock to the tiniest pirate captain, the potential that everyone has to have a genuine place in the world. It’s that glass-half-full ethos that makes Sakamoto such an important character: he’s hardwired to see the best possible option in any given situation and work to make that option a reality. More than anyone else in the show, he truly lives the promise that everyone else is still fighting for, and he seeks to help fulfill that promise for everybody else. Because everybody deserves to value themselves as much as he values them. Everyone deserves to see the goodness and worth in themselves that he does.

And Mutsu certainly saw that worth in herself. Because holy shit, I thought the fact that she looked kind of like a grown-up Kagura was just a coincidence, but nope! She’s a goddamn Yato! The warrior clan shrouded in darkness and blood, the thick fog of despair that Kagura has fought so hard and so heartbreakingly to be free from ever since her introduction, and here’s an ass-kicking, name-taking exemplar of that clan proving by mere virtue of her existence that the future Kagura is fighting for is entirely real. That it’s worth fighting for. The bonds of Mutsu’s past have long since fallen off her; now, her future is her own. Hell, she’s so confident in her own being and her place in the world that her arch-nemesis, the pirate captain who sought to depose her, isn’t even granted with a face reveal in a truly killer running gag; he matters so little to the life she’s carved out for herself and makes so little impact in his attempt to tear it down that he doesn’t register as anything more that a disembodied presence flailing fruitlessly on the outskirts of her vision. Her Takasugi-level rival is left behind in the dust; her future has no place for him. And with her captain by her side, they work to make the future just a little bit brighter for everyone they come across.

Perhaps it’s for the best that Sakamoto is such a fleeting presence; too much of this hope could easily dilute the potency of the show’s more desperate, wrenching arcs. But together, he and his spectacular partner in crime make my own future that much more exciting. Godspeed, Mutsu. I can’t wait to see what else you have in store.

Odds and Ends

-”So if we die, this nightmare will end, right?” istfg Gin-san

-Is it just me, or did Okita sound... off there? Like not his usual speaking pattern? I honestly thought he was going to turn out to be body-swapped as well, he sounded so different than he usually does.

-”Anyone who criticizes anyone who’s forgotten the Shinsengumi code must commit seppuku from lack of discipline!” Avoiding your responsibilities like a pro.

-”I don’t remember raising you to be a monster who pays salaries on time!” Jesus fucking wept I love Kagura so goddamn much

-”The Fully Automatic Egg-on-Rice Maker!” The real question is, does it come with a sword that squirts soy sauce?

-”Ego-on-the-wrong-device” Props to the subtitlers for wrangling a manageable translation out of that pun.

-”We’re joined at the hip!” “More like joined at the nip.” ffs Sachan

-”How did a fusion of shit and shades give birth to such an unprecedented supernatural creature?!” Best not to question it.

-Today in “How Many Censorship Mosaics is Too Many”

-”Whose army are you calling Lego blocks?” I will never get used to seeing Takasugi trading banter with the gang in flashbacks before he went full psycho.

-akjsdhasd why is your past self such a sentient shit-eating grin Gin-san

-”And I can see the next cut, when bird poop lands on your face, coming from a mile away.” This poor fuck

-”When you’re older, time seems to fly by so fast.” I like this lady.

-Aah, it’s been too long since we checked in on the Static Camera Odd Jobs House. Feels all warm and nostalgic.

-”Any adult who associates with this anime can’t possibly be a good person.” I feel attacked.

-’Stop, stop, I’m feeling really awkward now!” Not every day you get to witness your two alter egos fighting with each other.

Merry Christmas Eve, y’all! I probably won’t post tomorrow, so be with your families and enjoy the holidays. Unless your families are assholes, in which case, fuck them and feel free to spend the holidays going through my backlog of rambling about Chinese cartoons to pass the time. See you next time!

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #gintama #sakata gintoki #gintoki sakata #shimura shinpachi #shinpachi shimura #kagura

[nanashi1869]

🌼Flowers for my wounds🌸

(@kondo-hijikata @liuet in case you feel like reading it? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

~Yes, woo what a surprise, a long rant about the Shinsengumi again, how original Nashi. ~

Why thank you, dear reader ;) In all seriousness though, all the previous rants I made were spoiler free and it made me ridiculously furious that I held back all the salt and awe I have in me just for the sake of not spoiling any potential newcomers. I’ve covered some of this in vague posts hundreds of times, but today I will break that habit, I will spoil this to hell and back and enjoy it just as much.  

You've been warned.

PS: I’m doing this entirely based on my memory and some snippets I’ve seen one time too many for my own good. Inaccuracies are bound to happen. 

As always, what better way to begin than with the infamous episode 33...

I'm kidding, today I'm starting by digging into the post office. As with the usual routine the theme to talk about with this wreck is - guilt. Guilt over losing money in a gamble like a complete fool, guilt over buying a book and being too big of a shit (with rather solid arguments) to admit it, guilt over making rules you can't break even though going through the consequences once was enough to make you regret it for the next few miserable years... (Yes I lied, inadvertently everything comes back to the foolish daffodils). But let's talk about our pure accountant who is one 'i' short of being nothing but cute. Let's talk about the edge they put us on a bit before the main event took place, when the (drama version) of the idiot trio tore that scroll. Never forget that could have been the reason for all our tears, yet in the end it still had to be some more complex scheme. An act with the convict being an innocent man and the true criminal roaming free, while Toshi had all the time in the world to steep in deep, raging self-denial over the legitimacy of his past actions and life choices, all the while ending up the scapegoat to whom all the anger can be directed towards. The subtlety with which we were deceived to think the "actual events" of episode 38 were to play out earlier is truly commendable. But with this drama nothing is ever easy. You get to know a new character, someone moves a chess piece and then instead of moving forward everything takes a step back and lets you seethe with nervousness because, without realizing, you've been tricked and have to wait for all the heartbreak a while longer. Takeda's resolve to keep to his decision, regardless of consequences, was in his eyes, completely justified. It did make sense to try and prevent Kano from buying the book for Ito in order to protect the group from his growing power, the action simply failed due to Toshi's own greed after it. Kawai innocently, perhaps naively, thought lending money more than once would not be punished in hopes his friends would be saved from harm. It is his kindnesses that is ultimately his doom and it is the unexpected, usually harmless twists in life that turn it into a spiral with no point of return. Takeda's following quest for redemption ends up being just as pointless as Kawai’s death - he is killed in an instant of hate directed at him, where the assailants are unaware of his reasoning for the justification of his friend's demise. The book too, loses value as Ito gets his own copy later on.

Most, if not all, tragedies in this drama happen because someone is trying to protect or shield - and idea, a person. Toshi's friends die because he must protect the order of the group for Kat-chan, Yamanami and Akesato have a rift in their final moments because they cannot be honest (likewise Souji and Hide), Kat-chan's relationship with Tsune suffers because he lies about Miyuki, Nagakura and the others write the petition to shield the group from Toshi and Kat-chan's (propensity) ego. The pattern is pretty clear.

I'm going to loop back to the script for just a second - watching this drama knowing what will happens adds a thrill, it makes you question when an event will take place even though you know the chronological sequence, because the “mini-arc” leading up to it has to be completed first and the tension must be just right. How long that is depends on the episode and event of course. But each arc is a stepping stone to a new point of no return.

I think, since I've mentioned him, I'll take a bit to talk about Ito as well. I love, love, love the confrontation Kondo and Ito have right before his death. It's absolutely stunning despite being simplistic in nature, because what Kondo states is in fact the very obvious truth and in no way some overly wise notion of the situation. However, it's that simplicity (to me) that adds to the charm of the scene. If you expected some courageous battle of wits, you might have been sourly disappointment, but otherwise - see the pattern? - what brings people to their knees is once again the basic things in life. Kondo’s sincerity, the fact that life is and always will be (mostly) separated into black and white for them. Farmers and samurai, poor and rich - they fit in a narrow grey zone, yet even there they are bullied, pushed away to leave. It's everything complex they're trying to achieve being haunted by little things. It's the desire and determination to be something big and more buried into the ground by the small things they were raised with, holding them back.

Ah, it’s about time this goo got to the good part.

No, it’s still not episode 33. Firstly because I’m sure everyone is tired of my whining about it and secondly because I like to leave best (in my opinion) for last.

This is for our Gargoyle and Tofu. Just imagine, for a second imagine that final hug again and bathe in it, then come back to me, okay? The wedding rings champagne caps and Toshi’s little grimace when he tries to convince himself ‘it’s not over yet’. (At this point I would just like to praise Mitani again for giving us closure with that hug, unlike some other shows I watch *side eyes knife pile*). I’m really glad the two of them got to hug it out before the whole deal blew up. Everytime a ‘Kat-channn’ or ‘Tossshii’ came around my heart melted a bit. THE DYNAMIC IS SO GOOD. (I get so, so jealous each time I see well written relationships between two guys. Doesn’t matter if it’s boyfriends/best friends/would-die-for-you combined or only one of these included. (*cough* NIF & Bleach for one *cough*) I don’t even know what to say! We all know Toshi would sacrifice the world for Kat-chan. We all know Kat-chan trusts him above all else. The guilt one feels and the content of the other having come so far together and being such a power combo…*noises*

I don’t even know how to put this.... (@kondo-hijikata help this is your expertise)

I’m going to move on to some more feathery stuff because I’m really at a loss about these two (analysing NIF’s LC/MCS has engraved so deep into me it’s ruined my perception for everyone else, I apologize).

Right, feathers…

I wrote about Serizawa and his issue of not being able to get over his “I’m a bad guy, therefore I must act like it” complex...somewhere before. I can’t find it, but I’m very sure that was once a thing. I know most people hate the man with a burning passion and part of me probably does too, yet the way he is presented also makes him fascinating, like he is very self-aware but cannot change anything about that (this is similar to Toshi’s “indifference” (we all know he actually cares) of his path to become the villain - he knows that what he is doing is morally wrong and has no intention of stopping). I feel like in the end both of them continued with “bad guy” roles simply because they were too far down that road to stop.

I would analyse Serizawa’s character more, but I honestly don’t remember much anymore. I did want to mention this though.  Toshi on the other hand…feels like someone who desperately wishes to rage quit everything, but keeps on going out of pure spite.

And since I’m speaking of our beloved vice-commander - one thing that opisses me off is that Kotetsu got mentioned, but the whole wow deal with Kanesada got dropped out, even in the movie. *cue bawling over that Katsugeki finale* I was hoping for that when Tetsu showed up dammit!

Am I tiring you yet? Come, sit down, have some tea Gen-san made because he is totally ok and alive an happy and you cannot convince me otherwise because the hugging thing did not happen. Period.

…

Lastly, because my mind is going blank this is quite long - the bane of my existence and the one thing (to me) more cursed than Ryoma himself. (I’m lying PMK upped this x100000 and I am not over that either. I’ll confess immediately I did not read the whole thing yet but this, this haunts me).

This stupid episode with it’s stupid ending and it’s stupid decisions. *insert me yelling about rice balls on the Mibugishiden review post* I mean what is it with this drama and ending brutally sad episodes with (unintentionally?) funny moments? *cue Toshi’s squeaky crying* I have covered my thoughts about Akesato here and here though and since that essentially recaps everything I want to say, I won’t repeat myself. (Thought you’d have to read through 5 more pages of me screaming? I did too before I forgot what I wanted to say.)

I might make a part 2 someday, if I think of more to say, but for now, I’m done, leaving you with this stressful mess. Feel free to add your own opinions, I’m really curious about what the rest of you think.

~Nashi out~

#taigaqueue #personal #long ass rant just because #this has been a while in the making #I HAVE FEELINGS OKAY

[oh-my-otome]

I just thought of a sinful ask.... Could you possibly do the DTl suitors reaction to walking in on MC touching herself????? (🙈 sorry if it's too much!)

Yamazaki: “How sneaky.”

You jump when you hear his voice in your ear.

You had thought you were being quiet enough, having managed to moan his name with as little sound as possible. it could hardly even be considered a sigh. And for all of your trembling, you were sure that it wouldn’t have been enough to wake him– you had even scooted toward the edge of the futon so as to not bother him, but you can’t out-stealth a ninja after all.

“Do go on, though.”

His breath on your neck carries the same tingling sensation as if he traced his fingers across the length of it, and you cry out for the first time, rolling over onto your back.

“Don’t let me stop you.”

You can’t see his eyes in the darkness, but somehow you can feel them on you, burning into you with the same heat as if he were actually touching you, mapping out all of your favorite places. Grasping at you with that gentle desperation of his that drives you wild.

You want him to do it. You want to feel his hands on you. You open your mouth to ask.

“Just like that.”

You hadn’t realized how quickly your hands were moving until you inadvertently brush against the place that he always seems to find so effortlessly, and his name tears from your mouth on a broken moan.

You can hear him chuckle, a darkly satisfied sound, as he presses a kiss to your forehead, careful not to touch any other part of you. You know for a fact that his eyes, trained for darkness, can see you shivering as well as if the room were bathed in sunlight.

Once again you open your mouth to beg for him, but nothing comes out, the sound snatched by your desire, as your breathing syncs with the rhythm of your hand.

“Do it like how I taught you.”

He gets to his knees, perching over you, and you groan in frustration at how he once again makes absolutely sure not to touch you. You can feel the heat of his body, like a taunting phantom. So close.

They’re not his hands, but they’re just as good. And as the pleasure begins to claw at you, he falls upon you like a shadow, bringing his lips to yours, stealing every silent cry from your mouth.

Kondo: He came into your roomto tell you about…something. It might have been really important. It mighthave been nothing at all. He really can’t remember, as he stands there with hishand on the sliding door and his mouth hanging open, his gaze locked on the back ofyour hand as it slips underneath the fold of your kimono.

With your long lashes, he can’t tell if your eyes arehalf-open or if they’re actually closed, and through the haze of his arousal,he knows he should turn away, or clear his throat to let you know he’s there.

He knows it, but his thinking is foggy and slow. There’sno command, no signal. The only thing he knows for sure is that he’s yours andyou’re there– right there, nearing the edge. Just one moretouch and you’ll fall.

But he’s nothing if not considerate. He’s never shown youany disrespect before, and he’s not about to do it today. With thatrealization comes the delayed command, dull and hazy, to step backwards out ofthe room and to slide the door closed as quietly as possible.

It slides along the track so quietly that he can hear thewhisper of your kimono over the noise it makes, the fabric sliding off of yourshoulder. He can imagine it gloriously puddled beneath you, and he trains hiseyes on the floor even though he wants nothing more than to see you spiralinginto bliss.

If you bring yourself there, do you tremble in the sameway as if it were his own hands?

Do you make the same face? Are you calling for him inyour head in that same breathless manner?

Now is not the time.

As he steps out into the hall, with the door almostclosed, his hand nearing the jamb, he hears his answer as you call his name ona strained sigh so exquisite that he shudders.

“Kondo,” you breathe, “aren’t you coming in?”

Todo: He walked in, saw you,and then immediately walked right out again, closing the door in a stupor.

But that didn’t stop you, and he can hear you calling hisname, asking him to come and join you, with a teasing lilt in your voice. The is tone mockingly familiar– the same way that he usually teases you.

It’s not so amusing, now.

When your voice hitches higher, he presses his back tothe closed door, shutting his eyes as he tries to behave.

As he leans his head back against the door, he canimagine what you’re doing, and his eyes pop open when he realizes that he’sslipped his own hand underneath his collar, as his fingers trace along his chest and up against his throat, echoing the movements he saw you make, just moments ago.

Kyo: It’s been one lateshift after another, and Kyo’s had more than enough. He managed to drag himselfthrough the streets of Kyoto, all the way back to Shiki, and after groaning atthe fact that he’d have to climb a set of stairs after all of that, he managedto get himself up to the second floor and into the bath.

Feeling refreshed, he begins rummaging through his thingsas he gets ready for bed. There’s a pleasant feeling of warmth rolling throughhim after a good long soak.

Pleasant enough to make his eyes droop, so he can catchup on some much-needed sleep. But he feels nostalgic in his exhaustion, and hesuddenly craves a piece of home– a tangible slice of comfort before he driftsoff. 

Not finding his favorite hoodie, he knocks on your door,but receives no answer. Assuming that you’re asleep, he lets himself in– andstops immediately.

The sight of you on thefuton is almost too much for him, and his gaze seems to track everything all atonce: 

Theway your back is arched, and how your chest rises and falls. How your hair islike a waterfall spilling over the pillow, and across the side of the futon,the very ends of it almost touching the floor. The glint of the moonlight onyour skin, like a sheer covering, making your faint sheen of sweat almostglitter. 

His hoodie is the only thing you’re wearing, and it’s big– sobig –and yet somehow so perfect.

You call for him, and he’s at your side in an instant,but when you reach out for him, he shakes his head.

“Senpai, show me what you would do, if I weren’t here.”

Okita: Now you’ve gone anddone it. He slid open the door to his room and saw you on your haunches, likethat, and the shock caused him to drop his sword.

His sword! 

He steps right over it, though, as he makes his way tothe futon, half-aware that his breath seems to be coming out in pants. With aquestioning look in his eyes, he waits for you to nod your assent beforetouching all of the places your hands can’t reach, as you pick up where youleft off.

Hijikata: The two of youwere in the middle of an at-home date when Saito said he needed help withsomething. Although you hadn’t gotten past kissing, right then, you both knewwhere it usually led, so Hijikata didn’t mind what he assumed would be a smallinterruption. With a quick apology, he left to help out.

That was half an hour ago.

Stomping back to his room, his footfalls heavy withirritation, he slams his door closed with the same force with which he openedit, and it’s not until he turns around that his bad mood dissipates.

You’re on your knees, facing away from him, your kimonobarely on, and he can tell from the sound alone where your hand is and whatit’s doing.

With a wild flick of your head, to move your hair out ofyour eyes, you peer back at him, meaning to ask him to hurry, but he’s alreadymarching toward you, pulling his clothes off as he goes.

Anchoring himself behind you, he brings your hipsstraight back into his.

“No more interruptions.”

Katsura: It was either asmart decision or a really stupid one, but when he returned with the groceries,and saw you with your top down, he snatched up Koma as if she was his onlypossession, screeched something about taking her for a walk, and slammed thedoor behind them with enough force to rattle the walls.

He’s been circling the block for a few minutes now, andevery now and then, he steals a glance up at the window, unsure of when heshould go back inside.

He’s struggling with his ingrained desire to always be polite, as wants to give you enough time to finish up, but at the same time, healso wants to be the one to ensure that you do– with his own hands. 

Okubo: He was a little thrownoff, but now he can hardly look away. Of course he knew you likely did thissort of thing, but he had never actually seen you do it.

He doesn’t know the proper protocol, so he doesn’t evenbother stepping forward to assist, nor does he move backward to the door, sohe’s left standing there in a daze as his brain slowly frazzles all of hisrational thoughts.

Yet somehow, in this awkward atmosphere, you’re feelingbold underneath his unwavering gaze, and it’s not until he snaps out of it anddrops to his knees beside you, that you wonder if it was too much for him after all.

But the more you wriggle around, the closer he gets toyou, his eyes following your every movement, and you bring your hand up to stophim, right as he leans over you.

You’ll take him later. Right now you want him to watch.

Haru: He’s completelyenthralled and has absolutely no filter. Sauntering in as if it were onlynatural, he lies right down and makes himself at home, resting an elbow on thefloor and his chin in his hand.

With his lips to your ear, he lowers his voice as heasks you to narrate every last dirty thought you’re having.

Yuki: He’s doing the best hecan to ignore what he saw, when he checked up on you in the dressing room. Asit is, he can barely concentrate on the sale he’s supposed to be closing.

On one hand, it’s a very important client, who just madea large custom order. On the other hand, you’re in the back dressing room, withthe top part of a kimono of his own design, slipping further and further downyour chest. 

Your hands were buried so well in the sumptuous fabric that he couldn’t be sure of what you were touching to make a face like that– and he desperately wants to know.

He’s kind of torn, and whether he tries to concentrate onthe customer, or figure out the reason for your (as far as he knows) suddeninterest in him, everything sounds like static when he tries to think for toolong.

The more he tries to get the customer to leave the shop, the more she sees that she wants to stay and talk about.

Even if she left right now, he doesn’t know what to do when he goes back tocheck on you.

He may have a reputation, but you’ve got him stumped.

Saito: He doesn’t know whathe’s done to deserve this, and he’s frantically wracking his brain to figure itout– so he can have this reward again.

He’s careful not to let anything show on his face, asusual, but his heart is beating so fast that he grasps the front of his kimono.

No, don’t look at him like that. Did you think he wasgoing to take it off, just then? Is that what you want? Because it’s what hewants, too, but he’s trying to pretend that he doesn’t notice what you’redoing, since you went to the trouble of not hiding your arousal, either.

As he sits down and picks up where he left off in thebook he was reading, every fiber of him is poised and ready, hoping you’ll saythe word.

Takasugi: He’s in thehabit of coming over late, after missions, and you’re usually asleep when hecomes into your room, so when he slipped under the covers, like usual, hedidn’t suspect a thing.

It wasn’t until your knee knocked against his side thathe realized what was going on, and now he’s laying there in the darkness,debating whether or not to pretend to be sleeping, or pounce as usual. 

Pounce, he decides, as he steals the surprised gasp from your lips. But he limits himself to just kissing, even as you beg him for more. 

He was never one to let an chance at teasing you slip through his fingers.

Keiki: “So. Which one of thenovels was it?” Keiki asks, settling back into the covers. 

You had stoppedabruptly, when he came back into the room, but Keiki only tutted at you, askingyou to resume as if he weren’t there.

You had laughed when he told you that he enjoys eroticnovels. Even found it cute that he had a small collection. 

But you hadsuccumbed to your curiosity that evening, which is how you ended up with himpeering down at you with a grin a little too self-satisfied for your liking.

“I thought you were above such books? Isn’t that what you said?”

As he turns you on your side, pressing your back againsthis bare chest, he urges you to continue on as you were, and you oblige, as he describesvarious love scenes from each book in great detail, inquiring after each one ifthat’s the passage that got you going.

Sakamoto: He’s croucheddown by the door he just closed, with his hands tangled in his hair. Does hejust wait for you downstairs in the restaurant? Should he go back in?

He didn’t really get a good look, but it was enough tocause an intense flash of both desire and embarrassment to chase themselvesthrough him. 

Should he just act cool? Leave a note and come backlater?

When you come downstairs, looking a little sheepish, heflies up from the chair he’d been sitting in, and wracks his brain forsomething light to say, to clear the mood.

“So…uh…have fun?”

‘Dammit.’

#q&a #destined to love #short story

[eliz1369]

KazaChi Week 2017 Day 2: Reunion

Note to self: start these things before the week actually arrives...

Words: ~2,000 Rating: G

This is was supposed to be a short musing on what happens when Kazama finally get Chizuru to accompany him back to his clan, but it kinda got out of hand. It’s not often I write in canon (even if this piece exists completely post game) so please feel free to let me know if you catch any errors or inconsistencies. This is also up on FF and AO3. 

"We're here."

Chizuru blinked the drowsy fog out of her eyes as she lifted her head off of Kazama's shoulder and looked around.

They'd been riding since early morning, with only a short break for lunch. She'd tried to stay awake, she really had, but Kazama's shoulder had been surprisingly comfortable and she'd trusted him not to let her fall off the horse. The forest around them didn't look any different from when she'd dozed off, but the fading light lent it an ominous feeling.

Chizuru shivered slightly as she pulled herself closer to Kazama's back. She would have prefered to stay in her own home in Edo, with her patients and the few acquaintances she'd managed to make, but that was no longer possible.

Granted her neighbors had thought she was crazy when Kazama had first started living with her after showing up to 'retrieve' her, but eventually the muttering and rumors had died down. Especially since her skills were in such demand. Unfortunately it was those skills that had brought her to the attention of the government.

All it took was one official calling at her door and Kazama had been adamant that he was not waiting any longer to take her to his clan. Honestly it hadn't taken much convincing on her part, since the official hadn't even been vague about his interest in reviving her father's research.

No, it had been time to go… but that didn't mean she wasn't nervous about this next stage in her life. There was no getting away from the fact that she was going to marry Kazama. He'd made it clear that was what his clan would expect if he were to return with her.

Chizuru tried to suppress a smile at the memory of his surprise when she'd simply nodded and began packing. The idea of marrying Kazama didn't scare her anymore. While he'd been living with her, she'd practically been his wife in all but name and deed. What made her stomach clench and her palms feel sweaty was the fear of rejection. What if they didn't like her? What if they thought she wasn't good enough? What if she wasn't good enough? Could she handle the responsibilities they'd expect of her?

"Chizuru," the sound of Kazama's voice pulled her out of the spiral of her unfounded worries, "If you are going to daydream, please do so on the ground. I can't dismount until you do."

"Oh! Right. Sorry."

Carefully she started to swing herself off the horse, but even then the ground was still a long way away. Her hesitation had not gone unnoticed by Kazama, and he gave a quiet sigh, before taking hold of her arms and easily lowering her the final few feet to the ground. No sooner had her feet touched the dirt path, then he was also dismounting with an easy grace she couldn't help but envy.

Kazama frowned as he looked down the path ahead of them. "I sent a message ahead, so they will be expecting us."

Chizuru bit her lip as she nodded nervously. She hadn't noticed it earlier, but with the darkening forest, she could make out the faint flickering of firelight ahead of them, just out of sight around a bend in the path.

Kazama started forward, keeping one hand on the reigns, but Chizuru couldn't make herself move. She felt frozen with nerves, her worries returning afresh. Kazama had only gone a couple paces, when he realized she wasn't with him, he turned to look back at her.

"What is the problem?" She could see the subtle lines of tension appear in his shoulders as he said, "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet about this now."

"No, of course not." She rushed to say, finally managing to force her body to move the short distance to catch up with him.

"Then what is the problem?"

"Well… What if they don't accept me? I mean, I've never lived among our people before…" Chizuru stared down at the ground, her fingers clenching the fabric of her kimono.

Kazama sniffed disdainfully before he said, "They wouldn't dare. Besides," He tipped her head up to look at him, "I refuse to accept that there is anyone more suited to stand at my side."

Chizuru couldn't help the bright, relieved smiled that pulled at her lips, even if it was accompanied by an embarrassed blush at his declaration. He may be brisk at times, but Kazama always knew just what to say to set her at ease. In many ways, he had a number of the qualities she'd admired in Hijikata… not that she'd ever tell him that. He still refused to understand her obsession with those 'Bakufu Dogs'.

As if nothing of any consequence had happened, Kazama turned and resumed walking down the path. She hurried to keep pace with him, choosing to walk at his side, instead of slightly behind. He'd said she deserved to be there and she believed him.

All too soon, they were around the bend and ahead, Chizuru could see the path broadened into a wide street lined with buildings. It was no metropolis like Kyoto had been, but it was by no means small either. There were lanterns hanging from the corners of every roof, giving off a softly colored light, and she couldn't help but wonder if this was something they did all the time, or if it was in celebration of their arrival.

When Kazama had said he'd sent word ahead of their arrival, she'd assumed he meant for them to prepare some kind of event or celebration. Instead only three people stood at the entrance to the village.

Chizuru glanced up at Kazama to see if this was what he'd been expecting, but nothing seemed amiss in his expression or posture. If anything, he seemed more at ease than she'd ever seen him before. At least she wasn't going to be faced with the entire village just yet.

As they approached, she could make out two men and one woman. The woman's shoulders were stooped and bent with age, while the two men were tall and strong, one looking to be twenty or so years older than Kazama, while the other seemed closer to her own age, if not a couple years younger. Even in the tinted light, she could tell the younger man shared kazama's unusual blonde hair. Could they be related? The other man's hair was a black like her own, if lightly streaked with gray, but she took some comfort from its normalcy.

She'd always felt rather plain when compared with the other oni she'd come to know. Sen had her striking magenta eyes, Shiranui had his midnight colored hair, and Amagiri had his own striking combination of ice blue eyes and dark red hair. Even Kazama had red eyes and blonde hair, and yet she was left with dull black and boring brown.

The two men bowed and the old woman inclined her head when she and Kazama came to a stop in front of them. Chizuru blinked at the action, unused to anyone treating her with such diffidence.

"I trust your journey was safe, Kazama-san, Yukimura-san?" the older man said as he rose. When Kazama nodded, he continued, "Not much has changed since you left other than what I sent in my reports. I believe I speak for the elders when I say we will be more than happy to hand the day-to-day governance back over to you."

Kazama smiled somewhat wryly as he said, "I'm sure you would."

"Enough of the boring stuff already," The blonde man shot a smile at her, his eyes sparkling with the same excited light she'd seen in Heisuke's every so often. "Tell me nii-san, is this the woman I've heard so many stories about?"

Kazama's eyes narrowed as he glared at what she now knew to be his little brother. "What stories? I haven't told you any stories."

"Well you haven't, but it's all over the village about how you're marrying a fierce warrior princess who fought with the Shinsengumi." He turned his attention to her, a an all too familiar mischievous grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. "Is it true you fought off twenty Satcho soldiers at once during the battle of Toba-Fushimi? And that nii-san had to use all of his influence to keep the new government from arresting you?"

Chizuru stared at him, completely dumbfounded, "W-What?"

Warrior princess? Just what kind of reputation did she have?! How had menial chores and tending to the wounded evolved into that? The most she'd ever slayed was the dirt on the wooden floors and the leaves that had littered the courtyard, which was hardly a tale of epic valor.

Kazama sighed before shooting another glare at his brother, but it Chizuru didn't think it held any real anger behind it. It seemed to be more of a familiar routine between the two. "Even if your teasing seems to know no bounds, you would be wise to keep my future wife out of it."

"All right, all right," He winked at her, drawing an irritated huff from Kazama, "Just remember, I'll be happy to teach him a lesson if he gives you any problems."

"I-I'm sure that won't be necessary," Chizuru said, her cheeks warming with embarrassment. "Though I do appreciate your offer."

Up till then, the old woman had been silently watching the conversation unfold, so it was something of a surprise to Chizuru when she suddenly said in a no-nonsense tone, "That's quite enough out of you, young man. Do something useful with yourself for once and stable the horse."

Thankfully Kazama's brother didn't argue as he took the reigns from Kazama and led the horse down the street and around a corner.

The older man smiled kindly at her as he said, "I hope you will forgive him, Yukimura-san. He can be a handful sometimes, but his heart is in the right place."

"Oh, enough of that. Come here and let me look at you dear. This light doesn't do my eyes any good." The old woman said as she gestured for Chizuru to come to her.

When Chizuru was close enough, the woman's cool hands held her face as her sharp eyes looked her over as if searching for something, before finally settling on her eyes. Chizuru fought to keep her emotions calm and not look away from the piercing gaze holding her own.

It felt like an eternity before the woman finally smiled and nodded. "A fine choice. She will do well." Letting go of Chizuru, the woman turned to Kazama and jabbed a finger at him. "Well it certainly took you long enough. Did you have to examine every girl in the country before deciding on this one? I hope for your sake that she was the last one you looked at because I will personally give you a thrashing if she wasn't."

Chizuru waited with bated breath for Kazama's inevitable explosion. She'd never seen anyone talk to him like that.

Thankfully the explosion never came. Instead, he said with a measure of resignation, "No, I did not look through every girl in the country, and yes, she is last woman I have looked at to be my wife. Now, if that is all for tonight, Chizuru and I would both like dinner and to rest after our day's travels."

Without waiting for their answer, Kazama took her hand and began walking past the pair and down the street. Chizuru couldn't help but giggle when she heard him mutter under his breath, "Nagging old hag."

At the sound of her laughter, Kazama glanced down at her and offered her a small smile, his hand tightening around her own.

She may not know what to expect from her new life with Kazama in this village, but Chizuru couldn't help but think that it certainly wouldn't be boring. She'd become close to the feared captains of the Shinsengumi, and she'd to learn to love the man she'd once viewed as an enemy. She returned Kazama's smile. Being his wife and getting to know an entire village should be a walk in the park compared to that.

#hakuoki #hakuoukishippingweek #kazachi #Kazama Chikage #Yukimura Chizuru #kazachi shipping week 2017 #day 2: reunion #fan fiction