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ikeromantic · 1 year

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Ieyasu Beauty 🥺

for @ikemenlover

Ah Ieyasu. I think he may be my favorite grump. So tender on the inside, so prickly on the outside! Approx 800 words of love at first sight! 1K Follower Celebration Ikesen Edition!

Ieyasu made his way to the war council. His jaw was set, his shoulders tense. War was certain after the cowardly attempt on Nobunaga’s life. This meeting would only direct their aggression, point it at the enemy of the Oda, whoever it was that dared stand in the way of unification.

He stepped into the chamber, and stopped. There was a woman at the council. Her eyes fell on him and he could not move. They were such kind eyes. Her lips curved in a smile that had never known violence or pain. Ieyasu was entranced. She was so beautiful, so innocent, that it hurt him to see her here.

A woman like this was meant to be held in a tower, safe and separate from the world. Where her lover could run his fingers through the silken strands of her hair, which hung even now temptingly down her back, beckoning his touch. A place where only the sun and his hands could caress her tender skin with the gentlest of touches. His fingers ached to stroke the softness of her cheek.

Ieyasu did not believe in love at first sight, even when it tugged at his heart. “What is she doing here?” His brusque voice was a shield against her soft gaze.

“This is my luck charm. She pulled me from the fires at Honno-ji.” Nobunaga’s reply made no sense to Ieyasu.

This delicate creature pulled him from the flames? He could not imagine it. Ieysasu scowled at her, hoping she would look away. That her sweet smile would fall from her lips and leave in its place a common expression. Greed or malice or injured pride.

She ducked her head a moment as if embarrassed by the introduction. “I didn’t do anything special. And I’m not sure why I’m here either.”

Her voice, when she spoke, sent a shiver down Ieyasu’s spine. It was a divine sound, her strange accent lent a music to her speech. He wanted to hear her say more. He wanted to never hear her speak again. “Then leave,” he told the woman with a glare.

She laughed, and he felt his heart leap.

Ieyasu sat and tried to ignore her. As easy to ignore the light of the rising sun. The rush of the tide. He could barely follow the conversation around the table. His gaze was drawn to her, his ears strained to hear her, his heart thudded against his ribs at her nearness.

Her beauty was a distraction. He promised himself to avoid her after this. There were things he had yet to do, and he could not afford any interference. This would be the only time he saw her, this first and last moment. He drank in the sight of her, allowing himself this one weakness only because he would never allow it again.

“I give the protection of my lucky charm to you, Ieyasu.” Nobunaga’s voice pulled him from his contemplation.

“What?”

Masamune snorted while Hideyoshi looked offended on the Oda’s behalf.

Nobunaga smiled, imperious and regal as always. “You will keep her safe for me. Keep her occupied. Keep her happy. And bring her to me when I have need of her.”

A pure sort of rage over took the beauty’s expression, like the wrath of heaven. “I’m not some object you can hand over to just anyone! You can’t just send me off like that without even asking what I want!”

Ieyasu had his own reasons for arguing against such an arrangement. “Surely someone else is better suited. I don’t have time to babysit.”

Nobunaga was unmoved by their complaints. “You have your orders. You will obey.”

The beauty blinked in surprise, as if she’d believed her entreaties would find purchase. Such naivete. It struck Ieyasu as almost child-like. It brought to his mind his own childish beliefs, now long-shattered.

He struggled with himself for a breath. He wanted her close; he couldn’t be near her. He had to obey his lord; he rebelled against the casual, senseless command. In the end, Ieyasu yielded to the reality of his situation. His lord commanded this, and so it would be. He ignored the way his pulse sped at the thought of her in his home.

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” she told him as they left the war council together. Her hand lay on his arm, her light touch made his skin prickle with awareness.

“Don’t apologize,” he snapped.

The look of hurt that crossed her face wounded him. “Alright. I just . . . you don’t seem to like me much. I know you don’t want to look after me so . . . I just wanted to say I’ll do my best not to burden you.”

“You can’t help but be burdensome.” He watched her from the corner of his eye, heartbeat roaring in his ears. Her beauty hurt him. An unexpected pain, one he felt would heal at a touch, a smile from her. But he couldn’t allow it. Would not.

Ieyasu promised himself that he would brook no distraction, no weakness. No matter how lonely the path, he would reach his goals. Strength. Power. No one would ever hurt him again. And that meant he would never open his heart, not even to this girl with her gentle smile and her kind eyes.

#ikemen sengoku #ikesen ieyasu #ieyasu tokugawa #cybird otome #otome #otome guys #fanfiction #fanfic #fluff #follower celebration

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dear-mrs-otome · 1 year

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Hey Mrs. O hope you're well! I just have a question about IkeSen. Im a bit confused about whos in power. Like they talk about an Emporer, and a shogun, and daimyo's. Im confused how Nobunaga and the other lords fit in and who is in charge lol any clarification would be greatly appreciated

Hi Nonny! Thank you, I am peachy.

I don't blame you for being confused - Ikesen gives us an extremely watered down version of Japanese history and even that is confusing because Japanese history is heckin complicated! I'm no expert but I'll see if I can make things clearer for you.

In the time of Ikemen Sengoku it is the Sengoku period obviously (which roughly spans the 15th and 16th centuries) and more specifically 1582, which is the year Oda Nobunaga 'died'. However, we're dealing in a fictional version of things where stuff gets fudged a bit, so let's not get hung up on the exact dates. The structure of Japan at that time was still a feudal system divided into 5 basic levels that looked something like this:

Emperor > Shogun >> Daimyou >>> Samurai >>>> Peasants

The Emperor was nominally the most powerful person in Japan, a political figure of course, but most of all he is a spiritual figure. He's the leader of the Shinto religion and said to be descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu. The Emperor and his Imperial Court fulfilled many important ceremonial functions and was a place where the arts and culture were encouraged and maintained.

In truth though, the most powerful person in the sphere of day to day earthly life was the shogun, a military dictator that ruled over the country. (Incidentally, the first shogun to really consolidate power and create feudalism as it existed in Japan for 600+ years was Minamoto no Yoritomo - the poster boy for Ikemen Genjiden) The shogun ruled with the Emperor's blessing, whether that was freely given or manipulated, and if you really want to grossly oversimply an analogy I think you could somewhat liken it to the concept of the Pope and some monarchs in historical Europe - both powerful in different ways, and a monarch ostensibly ruled with the Pope's stamp of approval.

Below the shogun would be the daimyou, powerful land-owning lords who controlled personal armies of samurai loyal to them. This would include many of the warlords we know by name in the game - Oda Nobunaga, Takeda Shingen, Date Masamune, Uesugi Kenshin, Mouri Motonari, Imagawa Yoshimoto, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi (eventually) were all daimyou.

Samurai in service to the daimyous could include some illustrious warriors as well, and there are plenty of them that are suitors in Ikesen too - Akechi Mitsuhide, Ishida Mitsunari, Naoe Kanetsugu, Maeda Keiji, and Sanada Yukimura were all subordinates of the men above. (Though Yukimura's older brother, Nobuyuki, was a daimyou)

In the time of Ikemen Sengoku, we have the shogun (or ex-shogun, I suppose) Ashikaga Yoshiaki. It's Complicated, but suffice it to say that Nobunaga had helped him to power as a sort of puppet shogun and then removed him from it, and Yoshiaki did not take this very well. He became a rallying point for those looking to oppose Nobunaga's rise to power and hence his role as a villain in our story.

SO, technically, at the time of our story nobody really is in charge exactly, and that's half the problem. The Emperor exists offstage in Ikesen, and the Imperial Court is always a force that has to be taken into consideration, but Nobunaga is generally adept at maintaining a positive relationship with it. It isn't until after Nobunaga manages to bring almost half of the previously fractured provinces of Japan under his control, and the unification he begins is continued by Hideyoshi and ultimately solidified by Ieyasu, that a new shogun rises to power and maintains the Tokugawa shogunate for the next three centuries or so.

If you're interested in a brief rundown on the shogunate and how it worked, this video is really useful and entertaining for giving you a good grasp on the basics. And here's another from the same channel that gives a cool visual history of Japan, but I've linked the timestamp to the Sengoku period for you here. I hope that helped, rather than made things more confusing? I obviously didn't even touch on some of the other characters in the game or how Kennyo and the Ikkou-ikki opposed Nobunaga - if you have more questions about them, feel free to ask!

#mrs o talks

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otomefoxystar · 2 years

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Warmth

Fandom: Ikemen Sengoku

Pairing : Mitssuhide x MC

Warnings: none, fluffy fluffiness

Mitsuhide always loved waking up first thing in the morning entwined with his love. He was so warm. He couldn’t remember a time when he felt this warm before she came into his life. He had casual flings but nothing serious enough to wake up this warm. This is the first time he has ever let his feelings lead him. He gathered her sleeping body into his arms tightly, inhaling her scent. Listening to her softly snore made a smile cross his face. She was so cute, she turned in her sleep, facing him. He loved these lazy moments. He smoothed her hair out of her face. Traced his index finger over her eyelids and down the bridge of her nose. She twitched as if it tickled. He stared at her sleeping face. If he had to count the number of things he loved about her face. He would go on endlessly, but those freckles speckled over her nose were high on the list. He kissed her forehead, loving the feeling of her body so close to his. He was warm from the outside to the very depths of his being.

She began to stir, but she refused to open her eyes. She felt so comfortable in Mitsuhide’s embrace. She inhaled deeply, loving the scent of her love right next to her. “The sun is rising. It is time to open your eyes.” She squeezed them tighter “No” He had never met someone who liked to sleep as much as she did. “You promised Masamune you’d make him a new kimono. Don’t you have to take his measurements?” She turned over, trying to escape him. “Stop it,” he chuckled. “She spoke; she must be waking up.” She grumbled, trying to break free of his grasp, but he only tightened his grip on her. “There will be no escaping me.” He kissed the back of her neck, making the fine hair stand on end. He began peppering her neck with kisses. “Mitsuhide, just a little longer.” He grinned, “I am giving you more time, my dear.” He said as he laid another peck on the back of her neck. “No, you aren’t. You keep kissing me.” Another kiss, “Are my kisses keeping you awake?” Her eyes were still closed. “You know they are.” He hummed, “Perhaps I just don’t want you to fall into a deep sleep. I have a hard enough time waking you up.” She groaned. “You drive me insane.”

He found her hand and interlaced their fingers, which had become so natural to them that it was second nature. How their lives had changed since they became a couple. It almost felt like a sin to be so in love, so happy.

He squeezed her hand tightly, and she squeezed back gently, a small smile forming on her lips. It was probably the simplest, most passive way to show affection, but nonetheless, it made her heart smile. There were so many sides to Mitsuhide, but he reserved this sweet, gentle side only for her. No matter how hard she tried to fall back to sleep, he wouldn’t let her, peppering her neck with kisses. “Why must you be so lazy?” Pouting, she released his hand. “I just am! Learn to deal with it.” He gave a slight chuckle, “and grouchy, my goodness” She groaned, “I just want to sleep!” He combed his fingers through her long hair, eliciting a satisfied sigh.

It had the opposite effect if he was trying to wake her up by playing with her hair. He heard her heavy breathing indicating her falling asleep. “You are insufferable” He kissed her neck one more time before moving to get up. She rolled over and attached herself to him. “Don’t leave,” He laughed, “I thought you wanted to sleep.” Finally, she cracked her eyes open, “I do, but I also want to feel your warmth.” Mitsuhide sighed. “What? Am I your personal heater?” She nodded. “Would you hate me if I said yes?” Mitsuhide smiled sweetly. She was so honest. “My dear, I could never hate you for wanting me near.” She grinned as he laid back down, finding a comfortable spot and pressing his body close to hers, draping his arm over her hips as she snuggled into his chest. “We can only lie here for a little while longer. Both of us are needed in Azuchi.” Finally, her light eyes connected with his amber-colored eyes. “I know, but for now, this is perfect.” He kissed the top of her head. “It is perfect, isn’t it?”

They basked in each other’s warmth for as long as possible before Mutsuhide had to tear the blanket off her before she could peel herself off the futon. “Why are you so hard to get up?” She giggled as he came in for tickles to finally force her to get up. “I don’t know; my parents used to ask the same question. Just a little angrier.” As they made their way down the halls of Azuchi, she came to the seamstress workspace. He grabbed her wrist as she went to turn away from him, making her look back at him. “Don’t you dare leave without kissing me first.” Red bloomed on her cheeks, making her look more radiant than ever.

Most of the time, Mitsuhide had the upper hand, but he had these moments of neediness on occasion. It warmed her from the inside out. “Are you going to kiss me, or do I have to steal one from you. I much prefer-“She sealed his lips with hers. His hands went to her hips her hands were in his hair. What started as an innocent peck to appease Mitsuhide had become heated and intense. That’s how it was with Mitsuhide, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. As long as he needed her, she would be there.

#ikesen #ikemen sengoku #ikesen mitsuhide #mitsuhide akechi #Mitsuhide fluff #Milestone

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spoopy-fish-writes · 2 years

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Hello, Spoops! Could I request a fluffy drabble or a headcanon, with Masamune and Mai just resting after a long day of work? Perhaps they're sharing a dinner and just take their time to enjoy it, perhaps they're falling asleep / napping together, perhaps they're just watching the clouds or blossoming trees, or really - anything peaceful and/or domestic? Some... Tired idiots deeply in love, I suppose? Whichever sparks your interest! I trust your judgement completely.

I hope this has some semblance of sense ^^" Thank you in advance, have a lovely day!

—Lingering warmth

Suitor(s): Masamune

TW: Food mention

Genre: Fluff

Notes: Gender neutral MC || Hiya Lorei ^^ My judgement has decided that I should entertain my recent obsession with sunsets 😌 || Sleepy idiots in love... <33

Even with Masamune's habit of skipping out of war councils, he was busy and so were you. Work would swarm you and your interactions would be limited to brief greetings in the corridors and quick smiles. It was tiring but the both of you had things to do that couldn't be avoided. Meeting with one another was always a delight on these days with the need for something to take your minds off of work for a brief moment more than evident from the way that you would melt against each other once you returned to your room.

Your voices had long died down now, the steady breathing from the both of you filling the silence along side the chatter from the creatures of the forest that surrounded you, the sun shining a warm golden glow over the two of you as it set and you leaned on Masamune's shoulder watching it.

The food set in front of the two of you had been mostly finished, the main part of it still having been warm as you ate thanks to the fact that the two of you hadn't strayed far from Oshu. There was little left of it all now, in-between having been occasionally leaning over to pop fruit and ride into each others' mouths amongst trying to tidy everything up for when the two of you would leave, light laughter bubbling from the both of you while food missed your mouths and kisses being stolen when the two of you were close enough while tidying up.

Now you were both tuckered out, eyes drooping occasionally as the peace of the sunset further caught up to you.

It was nice and quiet in comparison to Azuchi and Oshu. Even a nice change from Masamune's usual boisterousness. These moments with him weren't always particularly memorable. They didn't have the same kind of flair as riding as fast as feasibly possible across a field, warnings to hold on tight getting lost in the wind; they didn't share the same kind of dangerous elation that came from dangerous stunts that had your heart beating wildly and the certainty that Masamune would never let you get hurt present in your heart and mind.

But they had their own charm, their own feeling of lingering affection and understanding that you couldn't match with anything else. Neither one of you felt the need to say it out loud but it was nice. A change that was more than welcome in Japan's warring period.

His hand in yours and the feeling of the steady rise and fall of his shoulder with his chest. He was warm and you smiled up at him, sleepy but content, earning a soft smile in response as he felt your eyes on him, his arm moving to bring you closer as the sky was bathed in stretches of gold and purples for that brief moment before day made way to night.

Tags: @a-chaotic-dumbass @shad0cat @kaeyas-beloved @rurifangirl @ikerevandotherthings @theblueberryreign @lucyw260 @simplycuriouscourage @101waystobeadumbass @ikesenfangirl @your-local-ikemen-simp @wtf-0w0 @notapinklasagna @themysticalbeing @fangirlinindia @skatercashew @roses-of-rosalie @character-design-who @kisara-16 @alureasoley @and-then-she-died-tm @joy-the-reader

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Do not repost or claim. Only reblog 💜

#ikesen #ikemen sengoku #ikesen masamune #ikesen fanfiction #ikesen fanfic #ikemen sengoku fanfic #ikemen sengoku fanfiction #ikesen fluff #ikesen x reader #ikemen sengoku x reader

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furysprodigy · 11 months

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Masamune in this game series is painted as one of the most DISTRUSTED, and most LOATHED of individuals, by both enemies and allies alike. In contrast to one such as the pure and honourable Yukimura, people see him as a COWARDLY, DISRESPECTFUL if not TREACHEROUS SNAKE who chooses to only ever fight on the winning side of things (Especially if it is able to get him closer to his own goals). As a person who is merely all talk, with hardly any real substance to him, if anything.

And when compared to other characters, he is also honestly one of the LONELIEST. Only having shown to have a close relationship with the likes of the mercenary SAIKA MAGOICHI and KOJURO KATAKURA (Though the latter almost doesn't count, since he's been his loyal retainer since the very beginning), it's a pretty damn big deal when he finally regards someone as... an actual friend.

In truth, there is an incredibly soft and vulnerable side to Masamune, that he most of the time seems to successfully conceal away by lashing out at others through his more loud, brash and arrogant side... Which is again unfortunate, as many will hardly get to see the kind, caring and generous side to this young man-- that he only offers to so few. One such example is him slicing a priceless scroll by a famous artist in half, and without a moment's hesitation-- giving one half of it to the game's MC as a BOND OF FRIENDSHIP of sorts. Stating that the bond between them was far more important than such material objects.

With his loud if not boastful declarations in wanting to be the one to rule the entirety of Japan itself, Masamune had only ever meant well. Sincerely caring for the future of his own country, he in facts welcome any changes that will better the Land of the Rising Sun itself. Hence how opening if not welcoming he actually is to visitors from other lands.

#乱 Headcanons 竜 #(Sorry just writing this out while I work on an icon psd for him SO I CAN FINALLY DO THOSE STARTERS)

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prismaticpichu · 2 years

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OKAY prompts!

How bout Zack finding out about an embarrassing hobby that Seph enjoys? We need wholesome content!

Oml what an adorable idea!!! <3

(This is so much longer than it needs to be. Sorrryy!)

x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x

On Pins and Needles

Zack had woken up at 6:00 in the morning.

This was a miracle, astronomical, a day where the stars aligned in such a way that the young SOLDIER's cocoon of dreams splintered earlier than usual. Two hours earlier, to be exact.

He tried counting sheep, he tried reciting the alphabet backwards, he tried naming all breakfast foods... but whatever spirit wanted him up was very adamant in doing so. It seemed better to start the day vitalized rather than zombie-hobbling out of bed, so after a small internal grapple, Zack did just that.

And good thing he did! Now he was waltzing down the corridor, blue eyes aglow and charcoal hair dancing with his frivolous steps. A smile bloomed on the SOLDIER's lips; Seph would be so proud to see him kicking early.

The poor guy rose every morning when dawn smeared the sky, sifting through files and reports until Zack joined him hours later. Sure, Seph had the stamina of a mechanical bull with a plugged in wire, but after months of working with the General, it was clear that some of his energy actually did bleed out.

Not today it wouldn't! Zack grasped the doorknob, scintillating like silver in the artificial light, and turned it aside.

“Goooood morning, bud! You got an early package to...!"

His voice trailed off like rising smoke as, with widening eyes, Zack took in the sight before him. Seph was there alright, and he was islanded in paperwork... though there was another object in the sea: not a pen, not a stapler, not even polish for Masamune, but a spool. A spool. Lustrous black thread was twined around the device, sandwiched between two beige plates like hamburger buns; a single black thread snaked around the desk, weaving through keyboard keys, tarring papers, until finally, rivering into the cascade of string that was spilling down a pair of scissored needles.

Sephiroth's entire body stiffened. His laser focus was shattered in those unfortunate seconds, his head whipping towards the door where he just stared, paralyzed, like a viper had crunched into his thigh. Zack shut the door behind him, slow and hesitant. Suddenly it felt like his presence was very unwanted.

"Whatcha doing, Seph?" he blinked, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

Sephiroth set down the needles, burying them under his documents in hopes Zack would mistake them for a mirage—or at least neglect their existence. "Work," he answered dryly, schooling his features as the warrior straightened from his slouched position.

Ok, Zack may have thought the sun was a planet, or put tin foil in the microwave, but he wasn't amnesic. "Seepph," the brunet smirked, starting towards his friend's desk. "Whatcha dooooing?"

“Why are you up?" Sephiroth dodged the question, glossing over with his natural authority.

"Wasn't tired!" Zack chirped, then folded his arms over the workspace. His visage melted into genuine curiosity. "I didn't know you like to knit, Seph!"

Zack never saw Seph's cheeks flush so coral—actually, he never saw Seph's cheeks flush coral. Must be a full moon.

Busted, Seph tried veiling it all with his bangs, duckling his head so that the mercury tresses would spill over. "Hmph..." he grunted. "I am surprised you had the strength to resist sleeping in.”

“C'mon, Seph." Zack’s amusement was ebbing, replaced by nothing but warm and earnest sincerity. Seph was being reclusive again, like a silvery glass statue… and in this fragile state, Zack knew better than to laugh. Just a little push against the shell. "I won't judge, bud. Promise.”

He knew that much. Sephiroth closed his eyes, letting the sincerity of Zack's words sink in; it was like his body fighting off allergies, his immune system battling and antagonizing emotions that meant no harm, going through security, checking for doubts. For loop holes.

But then he remembered that this was Zack.

"...I've been doing it for almost a year now," Sephiroth admitted quietly. "I wanted something else.”

In Angeal and Genesis's time, it became apparent that his two old companions weren't as strictly devoted to the company as he was. Their spare time didn't consist of swordwork, and for them, the borders between practice and combat weren't vague. He wasn't quite sure how long it took Sephiroth to realize, but the man eventually came to an epiphany: Angeal and Genesis had lives outside of ShinRa. Genesis enjoyed swordplay and poetry; Angeal enjoyed swordplay and cooking.

And he, General Sephiroth, thought it appropriate to knit. He always had exceptional dexterity, and being able to create something that was his, from his own two hands...? No barking scientists. No directions. Tools wielded with his own hands at his own pace.

Him, General Sephiroth.

Him, General Sephiroth…

“Seph?" Zack blinked. "You okay?"

“What am I doing…?” Sephiroth massaged the bridge of his nose, his words riding on a tired sigh. Feline pupils traveled to the mass of inky yarn, boneless and freckled with knots, undefined in shape. Time for nothing. A waste. Unfitting and unnecessary.

Zack also stared at the ball of obsidian, indistinct and full of potential, snarled up with trial and error, loose, but intact all the same. He gaze returned to Seph, a tender heart twisting at the man’s conflicted expression.

"Hey." Zack lowered to his friend's line of sight, offering a gentle smile. "I think it's amazing! Sure it's a little messy, but that's okay! You put so much time into it, and you can't stop now!"

Sephiroth lifted his chin, the emerald eyes rippling with a vulnerability that both broke and healed Zack's heart. Seph felt safe around him. It was all he could ever ask for. His grin broadened as he scooped up Seph's project, ticklish strings filtering through his fingers. "I'm so glad you have a hobby, Seph."

Sephiroth canted his head, almost confused. "...You are?"

“Of course!" Zack beamed. "I'm always bugging ya to get out of the office."

“I'm still in the office."

“You know what I mean!" Zack draped the yarn around his neck, toying with the loose end. "The office or the training room or anything! Sure you're General Sephiroth, ShinRa's rough-tough star, but you're also a person! And every person has hobbies. Keeps them healthy in the head." Zack rapped his knuckles against his skull, flashing a derpy smile; Seph shook his head, clearly trying to resist chuckling. Score!

He sobered then, just a bit, meeting his friend’s gaze. “And Seph,” Zack started, “you know you don’t ever have to hide things from me… right?” There was an undertone of plea laced in his voice, as if it was another barrier the boy needed to climb in their friendship. A newly discovered one.

It was a wall Sephiroth had made himself, unintentional, and now he would shatter it. “….Of course,” Sephiroth inclined his head. Starting now, of course.

Zack’s smile rejuvenated, more blissful than ever. He continued to wrap the fabric around his collar like a little leash, though thankfully, Seph didn’t make the parallel. “Hey, this thing makes a neat scarf y'know! Just needs a bit more, er… scarfing!”

Sephiroth stifled another chuckle, so unsurprised. He watched his best friend flaunt his knitting as if it was prized jewelry, the azure eyes beaming through the scarf and into his own. Blue eyes that pooled with a rainbow of emotions: joy, pride, gratitude… acceptance. Sephiroth supposed he could only smile back, because the message was clear.

Zack would always love him, no matter what he enjoyed. He always did.

“Well then,” Sephiroth smirked. “I will try my best to make it into a scarf for you."

#ffvii #fanfic #sephiroth #puppy zack #zack fair #friendsforever #my writing #practice

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descendent-of-the-sixth-heaven · 1 year

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Ginnie: I'm afraid that's going to be difficult, my master.....

Soldier 1: Huh? The earthquake stopped?

Soldier 2: Yes! We're alive!!

Soldier 3: Look, the sun is already rising.

Soldier 4: wait. What's that?

*the ground cracks open. And from it, a giant black snake emerges, hissing loudly at everyone*

Hibiki: That's it! This is the moment I've been waiting for! Go! And destroy them all! I want the desert to be mine! Muhahahaha!

*the snake's eyes glint as it dives in to have its meal from Nobunaga's soldiers*

Attack!

Hideyoshi: yes, my sultan!

Masamune: looks like it’s time for some fun.

Ieyasu: we should deal with this guy quickly.

*They all attacked at once*

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livingadoubledlife · 6 years

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@oshunokaminari

“Gotcha again, boss. This makes 4 for me and 1 for you~.”

#x Coonstagram || Text #oshunokaminari #x The One-Eyed Dragon || Date Masamune #x Land of the Rising Sun || Sengoku Basara Verse

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akitsuneswife · 2 years

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Rising sun | Masamune Date

a/n: a little thing I wrote for the flash exchange organized by @lorei-writes (thank you for making this great project. you did great!). my victim was @the12thnightproject <3

"Wake up, lass," Masamune murmured into her ear and she groaned softly, turning her head around to avoid him. He tucked her hair behind her ear and tried again. "C'mmon, lass, it's time."

"I'm awake," she said weakly, still in the hazy space between sleep and consciousness.

"Doesn't seem like it."

"Yeah."

"Yeah?" He chuckled. "You asked me to wake you up to see the sun rise. Or would you rather stay in bed? I don't mind either," he said, leaning in to deposit the softest kisses on the exposed back of her neck, lips barely brushing the skin.

"That's not fair."

"Huh?"

"Kissing my neck like that..."

"Gotta try my best to honor your wishes, it was your idea after all."

"Okay. I'm getting up," she replied after a minute.

It took all of her strength to open her eyes and slowly getting up but once she was ready, Masamune helped her put a coat to protect her from the chilly cold outside and they walked out of their room and into the garden.

They sat down on the grass, not worrying about the morning dew.

Masamune looked at her, sitting quietly beside him with her eyes closed, despite having come out to watch the first sunrise of the New Year.

Despite falling asleep quite late, she had insisted they should do this, as it was tradition. He had not known about this because, as she explained to him, it started some three hundred years after his time. Still, she seemed pretty excited and he would do anything for her, even if it mean waking up at ungodly hours of the morning.

"Have your prayers ready, lass?"

"Of course. I'm asking for everyone's happiness, for the times to come to be peaceful and for us."

"Us?"

"It may be silly but... I'm praying that we always find out way to each other's hearts and we share our strength for the rest of our lives.

He took her hand, fingers intertwining in instinct like they belonged in that position, and left a kiss on the back of her hand. "We always will. I'm not the one you direct your prayers to... but I promise you." He would walk through fire and back for her, just to ensure she was to be by his side.

She stared at him, her own personal sun, forgotten the star rising in the sky. Nothing could ever compare to the warmth and light that Masamune provided, the giddy feeling he provoked enveloping her heart in the most pleasant way.

"I love you," she murmured softly and he smiled at her, making her heart flutter lightly. He leaned in, lips searching hers to join in the softest kiss.

"I love you too."

Please support with a reblog (✿◠‿◠)

#masamune date x reader #ikemen sengoku #ikemen sengoku masamune

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strykingback · 6 months

Note

On nearly every monitor throughout the governments of Remnant, only the words, "REPENT." would be featured on the screens of many. Systems were being hacked if only to send a message to the people.

And then a voice was heard.

It was the voice of an elderly man, though his voice held the strength and resolve of a resilient force, a force that would signal the coming apocalypse for this unfortunate world.

"And yet, after all these cycles, you still find yourself screaming in terror into that void where no one would ever answer you. No one but me. For I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness. I am the alpha and the omega. The possibilities within me are beyond anything you can conceive. Yet you still insist on resisting. Yet you refuse to submit your guilt to me. As if you could atone for it in a way that matters."

Unidentified spacecraft and ships would be nearing the system.

Each of them resembled massive, cathedrals, houses of worship when in truth, these were devastating machines of war. The number of these ships would cause the unprepared to faint if they saw into the deep reaches of the cosmic void.

One thing was certain though: This would be the beginnings of an apocalypse never witnessed before by anyone.

Would the people of Remnant be ready for what would become the fight of their lives?

Only time may tell.

The cycle of guilt cannot be broken,....

Across Remnant people would see this as they all listened with horror wirtten on their faces even as now Remnant had survived one horror after the other. And just when it seemed they were finally healing something no someone just had to stand in the way... but.... does that mean they are not prepared. No.... they are always ready.

OST: Guardians Of Light (Autoplay Warning)

In Brumel, King Rodrigues and the Council of Brumel agreed for the first time that this was a threat to Remnant he would say only one thing to everyone including the Atelier Paladins and the Hunters across Remnant.

"Arm yourselves..... for Brumel and Remnant Stand as one!!!"

Across to that of Ruins of Light in Mistral, Exaltia for the first time could feel the oncoming darkness that was coming one that could rival even her brother Imperius. Walking out of the Ruins of Light and looking up to the sky and taking an inhale in she would release a Titan Call..... calling any and all Grimm Titans to awaken and fight.

The Neo-Shinbaori would hear of this as well thanks to Mizunami and his influence in the Mistrali government as Masamune would rise holding his Katana and nod at his trusted allies.

"It is time to fight.... not just for our lives but for the fate of Remnant in its entireity"

While above Aelius would release a screeching roar flying above with draconic grimm following them, with that of wyverns, gryphons, screechers, and even chimeras following the Titan King of the Air as he flew above the main city, which left everyone fearful but what they noticed was Aelius was keeping them in check and even releasing a few chirps to make sure they dont harm a human or faunus... keeping a silent vigil of Mistral...

In Argus, Perseus and the Atlesian Military along with many Sea-Dragon Grimm were patrolling the seas with the Titan rising from it looking up at the sky and angrily giving a glare... to what was coming.......he wanted to be ready this time....

In Vale, Hades was running through the mountains holding his War Axe which he looked up at the sky as well throwing the Axe down and slamming his fists against his chest before he released a loud roar of defiance....

Then in Vacuo Hideyoshi would prepare the Desertwalkers along with many bandits who had saw the announcement..... they lost their home to war once.... they were not going to lose it again........

And lastly the Scions of Salem.... Salem would look for the first time worried.... but this was the time to fight.... it was time to throw away her plans...as she too had a connection to Remnant whether if it was good or bad... as finally... she turned around to look at all them.

"TO ARMS...."

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER..... REMNANT WAS UNIFIED... UNDERNEATH ONE BANNER..... EVERY CREED, RELIGION, AND RACE WAS UNIFIED TO FIGHT

#archivisim #[The King Of Honor- Rodrigues]#[The Rising Sun- Masamune]#[The Titan Of The Skies- Aelius]#[The Titan Of The Seas- Perseus]#[The Shield Of Vacuo- Hideyoshi]#[Benevolent Light- Exaltia]#[The Scion Of Darkness- Salem]

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delanimelist · 3 years

Text

My Anime List!

-Here is a list of my finished and unfinished anime!-

Finished

-This will only include the Anime themselves, no movies. Individual seasons I won’t count separately-

Anne-Happy

Ao-Chan Can’t Study!

Aoharu x Machinegun

Assassination Classroom

Blend-S

Cells at Work!

Cells at Work! CODE BLACK

citrus

Classroom of the Elite

Cute High Earth Defense Club Love!

Daikaichi- I’m Being Harassed by the Sexiest Man of the Year

Danganronpa: The Animation

Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope’s Peak Highschool (Both Arcs)

Gakuen Handsome

Gakuen Heaven

Given

Haven’t you heard? I’m Sakamoto

Himegoto

Interviews with Monster Girls

Jingai-San no Yome

Kenka Bancho Otome: Girl Beats Boys

Kiss Him, Not Me

Koro-Sensei Quest!

Love, Chuunibyo, and Other Delusions!

Love Rice

Love Stage!

Magical Girl Ore

Makura no Danshi

Marginal #4: The Animation

Masamune-Kun’s Revenge

My Hero Academia

Nanbaka

Netsuzou Trap -NTR-

Orenchi no Furo Jijo

Osomatsu-San

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Parasyte -the maxim-

Pop Team Epic

Recovery of an MMO Junkie

ReLife

Room Mate

Sarazanmai

Seki-Kun: The Master of Killing Time

Sekko Boys

Skull-Faced Bookseller Honda-San

Spiritpact

The Highschool Life of a Fudanshi

The Laughing Salesman (The New Series)

The Royal Tutor

This Boy is a Professional Wizard

Watamote

Welcome to the NHK

Yuri!!! On Ice

-Things That I’ve Finished But Don’t Count for the previous list-

A Silent Voice (Not a series)

Grave of the Fireflies (Not a series)

Perfect Blue (Not a series)

This Boy Suffers From Crystallization (Not a series)

Given Movie (Debatably canon to the series)

My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (Debatably canon to the series)

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (Debatably canon to the series)

Osomatsu-San Movie (Debatably canon to the series)

The Royal Tutor Movie (Debatably canon to the series)

Ghost Stories (I watched the dub which has a vastly different plot to the sun)

The Gregory Horror Show (Not animated in a style close enough to the anime art style for me to count it as an anime, though it is a show animated in Japan)

Unfinished

A Centaur’s Life (Next on the list to finish!)

Angel Beats (On Ep. 2)

Asobi Asobase (On Ep. 2)

Beelzebub (On Ep. 2)

Blood Blockade Battlefront (On Ep. 2)

Chio’s School Road (On Ep. 2)

Devil is a Part-Timer (On Ep. 7)

Dr. Stone (Haven’t watched S2)

Food Wars (I would watch more but I don’t want to watch ahead of my sister)

GeGeGe no Kitaro (2018) (On Ep. 8)

Great Teacher Onizuka: The Animation (On Ep. 2)

Hayate the Combat Butler (On Ep. 2)

Hetalia (Need to watch S3, S4, S5, & S7)

Hinamatsuri (On Ep. 2)

How to Keep Mummy (On Ep. 2)

Junjo Romantica (Can’t Watch S3)

Kaguya-Sama: Love is War (On Ep. 2)

Kämpfer (On Ep. 3)

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! (On Ep. 2)

Lupin the Third (Part 1) (On Ep. 2)

Maria Holic (On Ep. 3)

Mayo Chiki! (On Ep. 6)

Midnight Occult Civil Servants (On Ep. 4)

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid (Haven’t Watched S2)

Mob Psycho 100 (Haven’t watched S2)

Ms. Vampire Who Lives in My Neighborhood (On Ep. 3)

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom (On Ep. 2)

Nichijou (On Ep. 5)

One-Punch Man (Haven’t watched S2)

Pokemon (To finish the Pokemon anime you would literally have to watch for longer than a week without stopping)

Prison School (Can’t find the epilogue episodes)

Rent-a-Girlfriend (On Ep. 2)

Sanrio Boys (On Ep. 2)

Servamp (On Ep. 2)

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (On Ep. 5)

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K (On Ep. 7)

The God of High School (On Ep. 2)

The Promised Neverland (On Ep. 2)

The World God Only Knows (On Ep. 2)

Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru (On Ep. 2)

Tsuritama (On Ep. 2)

Umamusume: Pretty Derby (On Ep. 2)

Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-Kun! (On Ep. 2)

Yamada-Kun and the Seven Witches (On Ep. 2)

Zombie Land Saga (Haven’t watched S2)

Cancelled

Aho Girl

Anime-Gataris

Another

B-Project

Black Butler

Comic Girls

Comical Psychosomatic Medicine

Corpse Party: Tortured Souls

Cromartie High School

Daily Lives of Highschool Boys

Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?

Dimension High School

DRAMAtical Murder

Dream Festival!

Etotama

Frankenstein Family

Fruits Basket

Future Diary

Girlfriend Beta

Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu

IDOLiSH7

Joshi Kausei

KAIJU GIRLS

Kamigami no Asobi

KING OF PRISM -Shiny Seven Stars-

Kokoro Connect

K-On!

Lucky Star

Magical Girl Raising Project

Mekakucity Actors

Miracle Train

My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU

No Game No Life

OneRoom

Overlord

Punch Line

Re:Zero

RWBY

RWBY Chibi

School Babysitters

Sengoku Collection (Parallel World Samurai)

Senryu Girl

SKET Dance

Sword Art Online

The House Spirit Tatami-Chan

The IDOLM@STER Side M

Toradora!

TRINITY SEVEN

Welcome to the Japari Park

Anime Recs

Cowboy Bebop

Dagashi Kashi

Fairy Ranmaru

Heaven’s Design Team

Junji Ito Collection

Ouran Highschool Host Club

Samurai Champloo

STARMYU

The Island of Giant Insects

Umayon

Yes, No, or Maybe?

Yes, I’m aware I have an awful taste in anime, I don’t have a life, and I haven’t finished barely anything. This blog is not meant to attack anyone. Just because I finished any of these anime doesn’t mean I recommend them or that they’re my absolute favorites. Any anime/game/manga recommendations are greatly appreciated!

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nightkarmaqueen · 3 years

Text

Ready as I’ll Ever Be - Ikemen Sengoku

----- Ready as I’ll Ever Be || Ikemen Sengoku - Song Fiction

Summary : When the Oda Force finds out the true identity of a merchant named Shojumaru, they are ready to carry out your rescue mission. And they are ready to save you!

WC : 748 Words.

Warning : Grammar errors, hostage things, gun, and others.

A/N : I was watching Tangled the Series last night and this suddenly came up in my mind:” And I also changed a bit of the lyrics. But it’s wouldn’t change the meaning, I just changed the pronouns.

ON a pirate ship docked at Sakai, you tried your best to convince Motonari that you wouldn't betray him. However, after learning that Oda Force has found his true identity, Motonari begins to doubt your loyalty. He thought you were the one who told them about him.

Motonari tied you to one of the masts on the ship very tightly, ensuring that you wouldn't run away.

Motonari walked to the ship’s bow as you watched him carefully. “Any moment now, m’lady!” he gazed beyond the horizon, knowing that the commanders of the Oda Force would soon be after him.

“Believe me I know, I've sunk pretty low,” Motonari turned to see you. His blood-colored eyes gazed throught you. “But whatever I've done, you deserved!”

“Motonari!”

“Quiet!” you shut your lips as he pointed his gun to you.

“I'm the bad guy, that's fine!” he sneered. “It's no fault of mine and some justice at last will be served.” he looked down to his left gloved hand before he clench it.

“Please, listen!” but Motonari didn’t want to hear a word from you anymore.

Motonari smirked at you as he walked to you. “Now it's time to step up or it's time to back down!” he kneeled down and lifted your chin with his gun. “And there's only one answer for me.”

You’re scared, but you have to be brave to reassure him that you're by his side. But he kept walk away from you. “And I'll stand up and fight 'cause I know that I'm right!”

Motonari climbed the the bowsprit and gazed far deadly. “And I’m ready... I’m ready...! I’m ready...!” he looked at you from his shoulder. “Ready as I’ll ever be...”

In the Oda Force Camp...

“My lord, are you sure you’re up for this?” Hideyoshi asked Nobunaga as his lord gulped down his sake.

“She’s my lucky charm, you monkey! She’s your sister too, isn’t she?”

"If you desire to save her, then who would lead the army? Ieyasu asked.

“It's not me who will save her, but he is!”

All pairs of eyes looked at the fluttering camp’s blinds, showing the red haired man with a pair of razor-like eyes. “I’m back, my lord!” he announced himself.

“Keiji,” all the warlords whispered. “That problem child? I guess it’s a good desicion,” said Ieyasu.

The tip of his spear glinted with the light of the sun. His glorious gold eyes gazed as sharp as his spear. He walked to report all the informations he got from his scouting to save you before.

“Now it's time to rise up or it's time to stand down,” Keiji dropped one of his knees and reported. He looked bravely at Nobunaga’s eyes. “And the answer is easy to see.”

Keiji raised his spear, making up his mind to save you. “And I swear by the sword. If you’re in, get on board!” as if he asking the other warlords, his golden eyes met every single pairs of their eyes. “Are you ready?”

"I’m ready!” Masamune who has no boundary in fighting answered Keiji first.

The other warlords looked at each other and nodded, raising their swords. “We’re ready!”

“We’re ready!” and the troops sang their loyalty to Nobunaga and will help Keiji to save you.

Keiji looked at Nobunaga, waiting for the Devil King to give him his permission. “Ready as I’ll ever be!”

Nobunaga stared deep into the young warlord’s eyes. “Are you quite sure we can do this?”

Keiji smirked at his lord and raised his spear. “Together we will guarantee!”

The message about the Oda Force starting to move reached Motonari's ears. You made up your mind once again and looked at Motonari. “I’ll make you hear me! Prove you can trust me!”

You've already told him the reason why you so desperately want Motonari and Nobunaga to reconcile with each other. “I’ll save my home and family!” tears slid down to your cheeks

Motonari gazed far beyond the horizon, noticing the Oda Force’s naval ships. An evil smile touched his lips as his blood-colored eyes dazzling under the sun. “Now the line's in the sand and our moment's at hand!”

“And I’m ready!” Motonari spread his hands.

“I’m ready!” Keiji looked at the reflection of his eyes on his spear. Mitsuhide patted Keiji’s shoulder with his fox smiles. “I’m ready.”

Motonari pointed up his gun to the sky, about to signaling that the war is about to begin. “Ready as I’ll ever be!”

BANG!

See you at the next work! Stay safe and I love you!

#nkq_works #cybird #ikemen series #ikemen sengoku #ikesen #ikemen sengoku x reader #ikesen x reader #ikesen hcs #ikesen headcanons #ikesen motonari #ikesen ieyasu #ikesen nobunaga #ikesen masamune #ikesen keiji #ikesen hideyoshi #ikesen mitsuhide #ikesen mitsunari #keiji x reader #motonari x reader

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ikesenhell · 2 years

Text

On Choices (And Not Making Them Yet) [2]

You can find all other IkeSen works of mine on my page under the Masterlist. NOTES: This was a commission for @anxiousdolphin --thank you! Trigger warnings: Nonspecific references to eating disorders, depression. This is largely a comfort fic.

This has already been released in its entirety on AO3. If you'd like to see it all, go there. I'll be releasing it in installments here.

---

Lord Nobunaga assented to the trip with precious little explanation. The man wasn’t stupid; no doubt he’d seen their princess’ dimmed spark and was mulling it over himself. Hideyoshi, however, was a tougher nut to crack. Even in the warmth and security of Hideyoshi’s office, he didn’t relax the scrunch between his brows.

“It’s a lot of riding, and she barely knows how.”

“I’ll break her into the saddle.” Masamune laughed around his teacup when Hideyoshi shot him a scandalized glare. “Do you have a different definition of that sentence than I do, oh mighty Toyotomi Hideyoshi?”

The other man’s cheeks splotched purple. “I–”

“Didn’t think I’d have to defend an innocent proposal from your dirty mind today–”

“It’ll be cold,” Hideyoshi sputtered, struggling to force the conversation back to heel. “And she’ll be out in the elements. I don’t think she has proper cold weather clothing for long trips.”

“You and I have many furs. We can lend her a few. You were the one who wanted to help her first. Don’t you think the Lass deserves at least some festival fun?”

Lowering his face to the tea tray, Hideyoshi said nothing. He merely scooped out a spoonful of matcha and began whisking another cup of green tea. Masamune watched. For all Hideyoshi’s rough and impoverished background, no one performed a better tea ceremony or made a smoother cup. It was only a matter of moments before his drink was full to the brim once more.

“She does,” Hideyoshi agreed. “I just worry. Mitsuhide says there are rumors that people may attempt to do her harm.”

Nodding, Masamune sipped from his cup. That was nothing new. Anyone and anything associated too closely with Nobunaga eventually found its way onto the political chessboard. “And the two of us won’t allow anything to happen.”

“Masamune.” Hideyoshi paused, mulling his words. After a moment, it was obvious why. “You should know better than I that strength of arms alone won’t always protect the people we care about.”

Of course not. Whenever the riflemen practiced and the scent of gunpowder lingered on the wind, Masamune went back there–back to targeting his own father down the sights of a cruel steel barrel. How often had he replayed that day? How often had he considered how things would’ve gone differently?

No amount of physical strength would’ve protected his father from the outcome.

“I know.” Masamune allowed. “But our dear Princess has her own battlefield in her mind. Our strength won’t fix that, either. We have to take the chance and let her live.”

For once, Hideyoshi didn’t argue. He simply nodded carefully and whisked himself another cup of tea. “Then it is settled.”

—

She didn’t have much of her own. The day they set off, she emerged from the stables with a chestnut mare and a humble, singular saddlebag. Hideyoshi had called it; she didn’t own the proper attire. No matter. Masamune produced a navy blue cloak lined with serow furs and draped it over her shoulder. “Here you are. For the journey.”

The orange rising sun glowed in her eyes as she blinked at him. Sometimes, Masamune couldn’t help but contemplate just how pretty she was. Now was no exception. In the sharp chill of spring morning wind, silhouetted against the high walls of Azuchi castle and dappled with fallen cherry blossom petals, he was struck by that thought all over again. Pretty. Her breath curled in dramatic, foggy spools. “I brought extra kimono and haori to layer, don’t worry. I already accounted for the cold. You don’t have to give me–”

“Of course not.” He grinned, mounting up. “But it’s yours. Hideyoshi provided the pelts, and I asked the seamstresses to stitch it for you. Do you like it?”

She paused, mouth poised in a now-dead protest. “You both had this made for me?”

Hideyoshi appeared at Masamune’s flank, saddled and ready. “Of course. I was worried you’d freeze on the trip.”

“And we like spoiling our favorite Kitten,” Masamune teased, shooting her a wink. “I would’ve asked for your favorite color, but I didn’t want to ruin the surprise. That, and I think you look good wrapped in mine.”

Now that got a reaction. Her whole face illuminated as bright and vibrant as the sunrise. “Date Masamune, I will wrestle you to the ground like that lesser Daimyo.”

“Gotta catch me first, Kitten!”

Mouth fixed in a determined line, she scrabbled into her saddle. Masamune whooped with laughter and kicked the horse into a canter, careening down the road as Hideyoshi scolded them both.

—

Oshu was a long, long ride north, but the chatelaine never complained. The bright mornings grew only colder, mountains rising around them like a swelling ocean tide and echoing with horses and voices alike. There were only a few setting out with them–a handful of retainers and soldiers to ease the dangerous possibility of bandits. Evenings spent outside the relative safety of town walls passed around a crackling bonfire amid the circled tents.

The whole time, Masamune watched her.

It wasn’t as if she changed much. After the first few days of riding, she’d (predictably) limped around camp, her mouth set in a determined line and flinching from sore muscles. Hideyoshi fussed over her with a container of muscle balm until she learned to stretch herself before and after the day’s journey. Despite that? She seemed more… alive. A spark flickered back into her eyes. When the soldiers taught her how to tie tent rigging and properly untack the horses, she watched with interest. And she was eating better, too; even if she didn’t seem to want to join everyone for dinner, she did anyway. After all, it was necessary to keep up strength.

He couldn’t help but think she looked at home in the wilder places of Japan. As they ascended into the mountains leading to his lands, it mirrored the same strength and tenacity he saw in her, no matter how cracked she felt in the moment. Even the tallest peak crumbled sometimes. It made them no less magnificent. So as the morning sun rose like wildfire over the heaven-bound topography, he watched her on her horse, cold wind tugging at her hair, her breath circling around her cloak fur.

It was obvious that she’d never had to ride in such steep terrain. Her grip and stance were all wrong. Even then, she cast her gaze around and examined the other, more seasoned riders, adjusting herself with a bit lip and furrowed brow.

Masamune reached out to her with a chuckle, pressing his palm to the flat of her back and guiding her into a better position. “Like that.”

She clearly hadn’t expected this. Her eyes were huge and cheeks flushed, but she just nodded and moved as he’d instructed. “This?”

“Perfect. You’re learning amazingly, Kitten.”

Like a bothered mother seeing her daughter flirt with a local boy, Hideyoshi appeared on the chatelaine’s other side, frowning. “Everything ok?”

“It’s fine,” she said, waving him off. The gesture nearly unseated her. With a squeak, she resettled. “It’s fine. Masamune was helping me learn.”

This clearly placated Hideyoshi exactly none. He leaned backward, behind the chatelaine’s gaze, to pointedly furrow his brows at Masamune. Masamune, for his part, offered him a shit-eating grin. The other man huffed. “As we come over the next rise, we should be headed into another town. One of the soldiers accompanying us says he’s from there, and that there should be a local festival either in full swing or shortly beginning.”

“Hear that?” Masamune gently adjusted the chatelaine’s hand on her bridle, helping her regain her composure. “How’re you feeling about stopping over for that?”

She gave him a gentle frown. “Why are you asking me? If one of the men is from there, I don’t see why we shouldn’t…”

“Because,” he said, lowering his voice, “I want to give you the control over saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’, Princess. Just trying to help.”

They’d just passed another peak. Masamune knew this part of the journey; the path opened up into a vista, the endless mountains on one side, the vast ocean on the other. He knew the water must glow orange and yellow and blue at this time of day. He’d stopped here to admire it. But now? All the light pooled into her beautiful face, illuminating her expressions with the contrast of an ink painting. Her hair reflected a thousand colors. The tiny bow of her lips quirked–a smile, just for him.

“Are you going to bully me into festival food?” She asked, but her voice was so teasing that he didn’t take the accusation too seriously.

“Lass, I don’t think I could bully you into anything.”

“Now that’s a lie. You have a whole tiger to help you.”

“You’re right–Shogetsu can bully people, mostly where food is involved.”

This garnered a giggle. Finally, she nodded. “Alright. Stopping by the festival sounds good to me. Does that work for you, Hideyoshi?”

He nodded, his eyebrows finally smoothing. “Yes. It works perfectly for me. I’ll head back and tell the others that we’ll be spending the night there.”

—

They arrived in the town just as the sun dipped behind the mountain. Paper lanterns hung from trees and archways and cast a golden glow; the familiar twang of koto music echoed between houses; the rich scent of rice and fish and noodles hung on the wind. Masamune raced double-time through unpacking and settling his horse into the inn stable, headed to help the chatelaine with hers, and whisked both of them back out to the street. There wasn’t a minute to lose, not when they could enjoy themselves.

“Ever been to a festival, Kitten?”

She shook her head. Frankly, he’d guessed as much; she stared around, wide eyed, taking in everything. “What’s that?”

“That?” Masamune peered at the stall. Children were bent around a giant tank, giggling and delicately scooping paper nets through the water. “Goldfish scooping. Whoever gets the most goldfish without breaking their paper net wins–and you can take them home. It’s a pretty popular game. The next one is ‘katanuki’, a game where you carve a picture out of thin, edible plates. If you do it without breaking the plate, you can win some money or prizes.”

Someone brushed past her, jostling her into his arm. Without offering the rude stranger a second glance, she wrapped her arm into the crook of his, pointing at the next stall. It was covered in long streamers. Each of them rose up, fed through a large bamboo tube at the top of the stand, came back down, and attached to a pile of objects resting on a red counter. “What about that one?”

Her hands were cold. He could feel it even through his sleeve. Without thinking, he wrapped the first layer of his haori over her fingers, tucking it around her palm for warmth. “That’s the string lottery. You pick one of those ropes and tug on it, and hopefully, it’s attached to something you like. Want to play?”

“Sure. I’ll give it a go.”

A small crowd had already gathered at the brightly-colored stand. Children and couples eager to try their luck approached, one by one, gently pulling on the ropes until their prizes emerged from the pile. Some got tiny dolls; others laughed at the unexpected weight of a new cup, or a woven tray. At last, it was their turn. Masamune paid the fee and gestured for the chatelaine to try. She appraised the bundle of ropes with her typical, thoughtful expression.

“Which one do you think?”

He chuckled. “Honestly, Lass? I’d just pick one. It’s the surprise that makes it fun, isn’t it?”

In any other circumstance, he could picture her protesting, offering some pragmatic reasoning as to why he was wrong. But this time she simply nodded. Selecting a rope from the bunch, she teased it toward her, hand over hand, and a small parcel pulled away from the stack on the counter. When she finally opened it, she sucked in her breath. “Oh, these are so pretty.”

It was a pair of hairpins. Dozens of tiny paper flowers dotted with little shells and pearls gleamed in the lantern light. Long chains speckled with tiny beads hung like rainfall from the comb. Masamune smiled as she held them up, turning them every which way to examine them. “Aren’t they so pretty?”

“Yes,” he said, not looking at the comb. “Beautiful.”

She spun on her heel to him. For the first time in a very, very long time, something of her old self sparkled in her eyes. He fought the urge to cry. No doubt the specter of everything haunting her would return in the morning–so often these things went like that, back and forth and back and forth–but for now, it was so lovely that he wanted to pull her tight and never let her go. “Would you mind?”

“Sure thing. I’m no expert, mind you, but I’ll do my best.”

The combs fit perfectly in her updo. She admired her reflection in a little looking glass a nearby vendor had propped up, the smile stretching from ear to ear. On a whim, Masamune leaned down and pecked a kiss against her cheek.

“Hey!” She smacked his arm, but he laughed. It was hard to take that seriously when she blushed so cutely. “What was that for?”

“Nothing, Kitten. You just looked so happy. You should be proud of me; I wanted to take a bite of you, but I settled for that.”

“You’re an absolute menace, Date Masamune.”

“I can be.” Chuckling, he wrapped her hand back into his sleeve, warming it again. “But I am awfully hungry. Either it’s me taking a bite of you or something else. What flavors are you thinking of?”

Her smile simmered away, eyebrows drawn and pensive. He reminded himself that these things took time, that they were working on the beginning stages of something healthier. It didn’t stop his sudden anxiety. Of course, it was better to ask than simply foist a new flavor on her, but…

“Well,” she said, slowly, “I’m not feeling much of a big meal.”

“That’s fine. We can just snack on things.”

Another beat. She hooked a finger between her lips–sometimes she did that when in thought–and stared up and down the street. “I suppose I could eat chicken, if they have some here.”

“Sure thing. Let’s take a look.”

They did. Masamune had never been so happy to see a yakitori stand. An older couple busied themselves over a grill, skewering morsels of cooked meat, drizzling them with sauces and bits of seasoning as they saw fit. He ordered a set of three, offering the first to her. “Here you go, Lass. This look like what you wanted?”

“I’ll give it a shot.”

“That’s all I ask.”

The chicken may have been her idea, but she was clearly still hesitant. She twirled the skewer in her fingers, watching the sauce slide down the cuts. Masamune reached out with his own and wiped some of hers away.

“Hey now,” she said, but it lacked the usual bite. “That was mine.”

“It looked like it was putting you off, and I wanted more sauce than I got.” Shooting her a wink, he took the first bite. The chicken was tender and delicious. “It’s good, Lass. You picked well. Thank you.”

“You’re the one who paid.”

“And you’re the one who picked. I’m thanking you for your good choices and the memories.”

He’d expected an eye roll, or a teasing smack on his arm. What he got instead was a strangely soft gaze. She worked her mouth open–then shut it once more, turning back to the chicken still untouched in her hand, finally chancing the first morsel. Masamune watched her chew and swallow.

Finally, she nodded appreciatively. “It’s actually really good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I was kinda nervous that it would be too heavy on my stomach, or maybe just not be as good as I wanted it to be, but the flavors are great.”

He resisted the urge to say ‘success’, or something equally stupid, and settled instead for, “Well, whenever we’re done with this, we’ll take another loop around. Maybe we’ll listen to some music. After that, we’ll see if you want anything else. Okay?”

She took a second bite and swallowed. “Okay.”

—

Koto music still filled the streets as they headed back into the thick of the crowd. The chatelaine, once resting so lightly against his arm, now held fast to his elbow. He purchased them a pair of masks (what was a festival without some masks?), and she affixed hers to her obi, unwilling to mess up the hair combs he’d so tenderly placed. It was precious. They wandered back up and down the town, looking at the lanterns and games, observing the humble decorations and pretty kimono.

Masamune finally checked his finger under her chin. “Hey, Kitten?”

“Mhm?”

“Willing to entertain me? I do want something else to eat. Ever had Taiyaki?”

“No, actually.”

“Would you want to split some?”

This time, her shrug of assent was far looser and easier won. He smiled. “Sure. I’ll try it. What is it, anyway?”

“It’s a pastry with red bean paste. Sometimes they decorate the outside with even more sweets, but that’s usually in the bigger cities. I’d be surprised if they had that version here.”

“Alright.”

There was a stand very close to the opening of the festival. Masamune paid for four, all shaped like fish, which a little girl in a bright blue kimono packaged very seriously and handed to him. He tipped her extra with a wink. They settled back in together under a tree and unwrapped the first two.

“Cheers,” he said, and bit right in. The familiar sweetness of paste exploded in his mouth. Without thinking, Masamune hummed. “It’s been years since I had one just like this.”

The chatelaine took her first bite, smiling as well. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. My dad took me to a festival just outside Aoba Castle. It was a larger affair than this, so just about every fancy thing you can think of was available; Portuguese sweets, fireworks, everything.” Peeling back the paper, he took another bite. “But my father was extremely insistent that we have some taiyaki. Nothing fancy–just the plain kind, with the red bean paste, shaped like the fish.”

“Why is that?”

“He never exactly said,” Masamune allowed. “But I have theories. My father always wanted me to remember that, no matter who I was, it was the people of Oshu that I protected. I may be their daimyo, but if I have the power over their lives, I need to take that seriously. I also need to remember that they don’t all have access to the means and riches that I do. There are many, many people in my realm who don’t have access to even this little sweet. I have to remember that.”

The chatelaine stared at him. He matched her gaze with his own, relishing the lantern light in her eyes. Cutting through the tension, he added, “I mean, that, or he just liked the taste of the plain kind.”

That got her to laugh. “Ah, yes. Either a very deep, introspective answer, or just accounting for taste, huh?”

Masamune grinned. “You never know.”

She polished off her first pastry with a happy hum, reaching for the second. He gladly unwrapped it for her. Night had long fallen; the stars shone bright overhead, the perfect backdrop to her tucking into the dessert. For the first time in a long, long time, Masamune had nothing to say. He finished his and watched.

Crumpling the paper in her hand, she smiled. “Those were really good.”

“Yeah?” There was a dollop of red bean paste on her lip. Would it stay, or would it fall off? He didn’t know yet.

“Yeah. Thank you, Masamune. I really enjoyed myself.”

Masamune wanted to say something pithy. He wanted to make a comment on everything being better with him, or, perhaps, something about being a good memory for her. But his brain was still latched onto the bit of paste on her lip. Slowly, he leaned in and brushed his finger over it. “You have something here.”

She blinked. He removed his thumb and displayed the bean paste–as evidence, perhaps–before placing it between his own lips. It was the same taiyaki he’d had. Why did hers taste so much better?

“I–” Her cheeks were bright red. “Thank you.”

He’d thought about kissing her before. Hells, he had once, in the far earlier days of knowing her. She’d lectured him for the audacity. That was how he did things. If he saw someone and felt the mood was right, he kissed them. She’d disagreed (clearly). But now? Now the same urge flooded him, a thousand times stronger and more purposeful, and he allowed his eyes to drift back down to her mouth. The delicate chains on the hairpin were scattered all over her neck. With a careful hand, Masamune brushed them behind her shoulder. Her breath caught. Their knees bumped; she craned forward–

“There you two are!”

Masamune had never considered fighting Hideyoshi before. Well–not on a serious level. First time for everything, he supposed. The other man appeared before them, arms crossed, a doting mother hen who’d just collected her chicks. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“We’ve been out here almost since we arrived,” the chatelaine said. If she felt the same as Masamune, she didn’t show it. Instead she leaned back against the tree, casual as ever. “We were just having some taiyaki. It’s really good, you should get some.”

Maybe Hideyoshi gathered that he’d interrupted something. He frowned at Masamune–probably gauging the uncharacteristic silence–before saying. “I was going to go listen to the koto players. Just wanted to touch base. I’ll head that way now, then…”

“Ah, that sounds fun.” Brushing off her knees, the princess got up. “I’d like to listen to them again. Masamune? Are you feeling up to more music?”

“Of course. I’m always free for a good time.” He joined them on his feet, tamping down the surprise when she still took his arm. Hideyoshi raised a brow and said nothing. “Shall we?”

—

They didn’t stay out much longer. When finally Masamune escorted her back to her room in the inn and they parted ways, Hideyoshi was waiting in the cramped hallways. They were sharing a room, after all.

“I apologize,” Hideyoshi said.

“For?”

“It seemed like you two were having a serious conversation earlier, when I interrupted you.”

Masamune chuckled despite himself. He didn’t know if ‘serious conversation’ was code for ‘about to kiss’, but he strongly suspected it wasn’t. No doubt Hideyoshi would have an earful for him if that had crossed his mind. “Ah, it’s fine.”

“Did she have dinner?”

“She did, actually. I told her to pick what she wanted, and she had some chicken and taiyaki. I’m not pushing her too hard on it.”

“Good, good. I suppose that’s better than how it’s been.”

The two men headed into their room. Two duvets were already set up, perfectly apportioned with blankets. Masamune peeled his haori off with a sigh. “Hideyoshi?”

“Mm?”

“Don’t bite my head off when I say what I’m about to say.”

Masamune felt, rather than heard, the man go completely still. He allowed another laugh at his expense. “Don’t be so rigid. It isn’t that serious.”

“No?”

“No. I just… I’m a little sweet on the lass. That’s all.”

He half-expected a lecture about Nobunaga having laid claim to her first, if not another one about behaving appropriately. Instead, Hideyoshi resumed moving. “Mitsuhide said you were.”

“Hah. I suppose you can’t get anything past that man.”

“No. You can’t.” A beat. Hideyoshi’s voice was softer this time. “I just… be gentle with her.”

“She isn’t a fragile flower.”

“No. But she is a person. And she’s a person who is going through a hard time right now, Masamune. I just want to make sure you’re… sensitive to that.”

He wanted to point out that he had been sensitive. That the chatelaine was a woman who knew her own mind, even if she didn’t have all the answers. That she was wonderful, and strong, and even if it sometimes looked like weakness, that no one could handle all the things that life threw their way without occasionally bending to the elements. But Masamune knew what Hideyoshi meant, and he didn’t have the energy to tease him too much, so he instead said, “I’ll make sure of that. Get some rest, Hideyoshi.”

“You too.”

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