#like takasugi just has a lot of issues

[soo-won]

(katsura voice) worry not gintoki...i'm also gay and a terrorist and im here to tell you that takasugi is just a freak

[bbq-potato-chip]

honestly it feels illegal for gintama to be this good

[lilac-5ky]

A Birthday Plot (Takasugi birthday oneshot)

A/N: As his legally wedded wife, I think that me writing an incredibly lengthy piece for his birthday, surprises no one. Takasugi is a character whom I utterly love, one who has helped me deal with many self issues and gotten me to accept myself. People outside the anime community will mock you if you suggest that a fictional character was enough to change your life, yet I feel no shame to admit that without him or Gintama, my mental state would have deteriorated a long time ago. Takasugi is the one who basically saved me and he's brought a great deal of happiness to my life, and for that, I will always be grateful to him and Sorachi. SO YEAH BEFORE THIS TURNS INTO A MUSHY EMOTIONAL SPEECH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BELOVED SHINSUKE 💜💜💜

p.s. i really did time this to japan time so that it gets posted the same second his bday comes. aye.

Warning: Don't get fooled by the fluff, this turns into a full mode smut. But you know, it's full of love and fluff too so uwu.

adding this gif bcs his expression here overwhelms me and i wanna squeal.

Birthdays are special. You’ve always been a firm believer in that. When you are a child, you get to eat all the cake in the world undisturbed, getting coddled by family and friends alike. No one complains about you spending the entire day playing ‘kick the can’. No one asks you to do chores; you are free to do as you wish.

Birthdays really are special, but as time went by, you saw a less selfish reason as to why that was. It’s the one day of the year when you can celebrate and honor a person’s life and very existence, when you can return all the joy and happiness you’ve received tenfold. When you truly care about someone, their birthdays have even more importance than your own. Yet when it comes to the one you cared about, things did not come as easily.

Takasugi was never a big fan of birthdays. Even when the two of you were younger, he always spent his birthday like any other ordinary day at Shoka Sonjuku, bickering and getting into trouble with his friends. While Katsura wished him a “happy birthday” without fail, Gintoki’s teasing never seized. If anything, it was just an opportunity to remind him how another year had gone by with him not growing an inch, leading to even more arguing between the two.

At the end, Shouyou-sensei was the only one to try and make this day somewhat memorable, letting you play to your heart’s content and prepping a small gift for each of his pupils’ special day.

When it came down to you, Takasugi’s birthday was perhaps even more valued than your own. Ever since you were mere brats, your eyes had always been set on him, more so than on any of your other friends. For reasons you failed to understand, his happiness meant a great deal to you, and so, even if it was nothing but a small thing, you wanted to give him something that would make him smile.

The first present you could remember giving him was the silliest of the lot; a makeshift bouquet of freshly cut mountain flowers, one that you’d hastily shaped on your way back from the temple school when he wasn’t looking. It wasn’t much of a gift, for sure, but that was all you had to offer at the time.

The two of you paced side by side as per usual, the distance between your houses being relatively small and all. Though the walk was short, your anxiety made it feel as if you’d been on the road for hours. The fact that no one was around was enough to make your palms all sweaty, the green of the stems molding with your fingertips. It didn’t help that he’d chosen this day to keep to himself either, as if he had some sort of premonition as to what was about to happen.

Doing your best to forsake that gut wrenching feeling, you held onto the flowers as if your life depended on it. His house was the first on the line, yet rather than taking a left turn to reach your own home, you tagged along with him. Surprisingly enough he didn’t seem to mind, his attention turning to you only after you’d reached his front door. It was time.

“H-here!” You shut your eyes, extending the bouquet for him to grab. “Happy Birthday, Shinsuke-kun.”

The second he took them in his own hands, you had vanished into thin air. Your heart was beating so loud, that by the time your feet stopped moving, it felt as if your entire body was tossed inside an oven. When the oxygen returned to your lungs, you realized what a big idiot you were. Instead of waiting to see his reaction, you had ran away like a coward. What if he hated you now? What if he didn’t want to see you again? How would you face him? And lastly, why on earth would you gift a boy flowers?

Perhaps you were unsure of what that feeling that you felt for him was, but if you’d stayed just a second longer, you’d get to see how a bright shade of red clung onto his cheeks as well, his lips trembling between a frown and a shy smile.

Your second attempt at a birthday gift didn’t come until his next birthday. Despite neither of you bringing it up, the embarrassment of the flower incident managed to haunt you all year long. At times you mused over what had actually happened to the bouquet, though knowing him he’d probably discarded it. Well, that’d didn’t matter. It wasn’t a particularly bright idea to begin with, and now you were given a chance to redeem yourself. No matter what, past mistakes would not be repeated, a rule that did not necessarily apply to new ones.

This year, you had decided to put your mothers culinary teachings into practice by opting for a different kind of present, one that just about anyone would be able to appreciate; homemade cookies. Surely a birthday cake was far more suited for the occasion, but your skills were not honed for such a thing just yet. Cookies would have to do. Besides, your mother assured that they were most delicious.

The first thing you did in the morning of Takasugi’s birthday was to hide your gift underneath your desk, away from the prying eyes of your friends. For once, this was a present you could actually be proud of; packed in a small fancy box and kept together by an even fancier looking ribbon, the cookies looked as if they were straight from the bakery. Those half shredded daises you gave him last year would finally be erased from memory.

When the opportunity to approach him presented itself, you fished the box out, walking towards the boy with the biggest smile on your face. There was no reason for you to run away anymore, not when this was a guaranteed success.

“Happy Birthday, Shinsuke!”

The boy arched a brow, his curious expression studying your own and then the box, before finally relieving you of the burden. Things were moving along way better than they did last year. Or so you thought until the ribbon came off and you found yourselves staring at an empty metallic pit. Well, semi empty, that was. Other than a leftover cookie and many, many crumbs, everything you’d worked so hard for had turned into smoke.

Without saying a word, Takasugi picked up the remaining cookie, shifting it with his fingers while looking at it in disbelief. You didn’t know what to say. There was no way that box was empty when you left the house, and yet, there was no way to explain this. At least not until a certain silver-haired troublemaker passed you by with a face full of crumbs.

“Gintoki!” The two of you growled together in unison.

And that was how your birthday surprise was once again ruined.

It wasn’t until about three or four years later that you dared break through that birthday curse. In all those years that went by, you’d managed to identify those weird, swirling-like emotions as love. Or at least an early stage of it. With time, you were able to keep them under control around him, yet they remained the reason as to why you could never come up with a proper birthday gift. Celebrating another failure would not do. Next time you attempted to gift him something, it needed to be proper and well thought of, a present that equaled your feelings.

At least that was the thought, until the four of you officially joined the war. With Shouyou-sensei’s rescue being your primary goal, no one had the time nor the mind to fool around anymore. Not when death and destruction loomed right around the corner. However, Sakamoto’s eventual arrival did have an impact, restoring some of that past liveliness in your lives. After all, soldiers or not, you were still teenagers. A little fun here and there when the war was in a stalemate wouldn’t hurt.

With Takasugi’s birthday approaching, you found it hard to concentrate on anything other than finding the perfect gift, while he seemed to focus on literally anything else. When he wasn’t in the middle of fighting over every single petty thing with Gintoki, he was constantly working on new strategies and tactics, doing his best to predict every possible enemy movement in advance. His dedication was admirable, earning the respect of many fighters among your ranks. Yet that perseverance of his limited your gift choices, rounding them down to tools of practical usage. How unimaginative.

Time kept flowing, and you’d been unable to come up with a good idea, until one day you overheard an argument between him and Gintoki. The latter was accusing him of being unable to see past a meter because of his height, while Takasugi put the blame on the overgrown flora. It didn’t take long for things to get heated between them, each trying to bring the other’s head onto the ground in a contest to see who could reach lower. While an entertaining sight to behold, you had no time to spare on watching, not when you had finally come up with the greatest idea.

On the day of his birthday, you found yourself aimlessly circling through the woods. According to Katsura, the boy set out for the forest around noon, hoping to scout the area before nightfall. It wasn’t unlike Takasugi to take on objectives all by himself, refusing to ask for help even in the face of daunting tasks. Aware of that stubborn nature of his, you decided that rather than waiting around for him to return, it’d be better to go on the lookout yourself.

After searching just about every nook and cranny of the place, you were unable to find any sign of Takasugi, or anyone else for that matter. He might as well have turned back from a different path, leaving you to stand all alone in the desolate woods. The sun was about to go down and the first batch of stars were already appearing upon the sky. It was time to go. Finding him in the dark would be impossible anyway.

Having let out a disheartened sigh, you were about to give up when the sound of leaves rustling from up above caught your interest.

“Shinsuke?” You asked, perplexed as to why his face was buried between branches and leaves. A pair of sharp green eyes looked down on you, with the boy’s back leaning against the trunk and his arms crossed over his chest.

“Y/N.” He acknowledged without budging an inch. “Why are you here?”

“I was looking for you. Zura said you’d be here.”

The light hum of the cicadas was the only answer you received.

“I came here to bring you this.” You went on, ushering him to grab the bag from your hands. “It’s your birthday, remember? When I saw this I thought that you might find some use for it and I uhm…” Panic seeped through your words as you watched him take the pair of binoculars out. “I hope it’s to your liking. Happy Birthday!”

Takasugi carefully examined the object, his gesture reminding you of how keenly he had once studied that cookie you gave him. Though you couldn’t tell from down there, he seemed at the very least interested, bringing the binoculars to his eyes and then looking far into the distance.

“You can use these to spot ambushes or enemies in general, but you could also use them to gaze at pretty things from up close. I’ve seen you stare at the stars or the sea or other pretty things such as-“

“You.” He interrupted, the direction of his binoculars shifting.

The second you understood the meaning of his suggestion, you felt your entire face turning red, an expression he could easily spot with his new toy. Did he really mean what he just said? Did he really find you pretty? Did he actually look at you? All sorts of thoughts spiraled through your brain, until you realized that he wasn’t done talking.

“…should head back in. I’ll take care of things and join shortly.” At the sound of his words, you felt a weird rush of embarrassment and disappointment, resulting in your legs picking up a quick pace on their own.

Just when you thought you’d been able to escape, the sound of his voice made your feet come to a halt.

“Oh and Y/N?” He hesitated, briefly contemplating his own words. “Thank you. I really appreciate this.”

That was the first and the last actual gift you managed to give him. The war, your defeat, his injury, sensei… all those events that transpired changed Takasugi in unimaginable ways. Just like the rest of you, he’d lost so much during those years, yet he refused to ever let go. Ten years had passed since then; ten years of him living his own life as if it was borrowed; ten years of him throwing himself down the path of vengeance.

Although it was hard for you to see him progressively destroy himself, you knew that without a purpose he’d truly lose it. You understood that better than anyone. After all, you’d spent all these years by his side.

Perhaps you really were Takasugi’s final selfish need, a remnant of the past he couldn’t forsake. Be it persistence on your side or tolerance on his, you clung onto one another like no one else, promising to see the end of things together no matter what that meant. This was your pledge.

Considering birthdays during such a crucial point of your journey wasn’t the most sensible thing to do, yet part of you could not completely abandon your previous way of living. Even when he had no intention of celebrating the occasion, you found yourself reflecting upon the past times, wishing that just this once, you could return to the girl who schemed around his birthday plans.

“Why are you in such deep thought?”

The sound of his voice made you turn around to the direction of your bed. Despite being all dressed up, he was still sitting idle, not particularly willing to leave the comfort of your covers.

A light frown of his as you approached him was all it took to make you smile. Even when you’d grown accustomed to seeing that face on regular occasion, it didn’t seem to lose its appeal. He remained as endearing as ever.

You hummed softly, taking a seat by his side. Bringing up the past would likely turn the mood sour and foil all plans for the day. You had to carefully consider your choices before giving him an answer, or else everything you’d worked for would go to waste.

Takasugi patiently awaited your response, his eye trailing down to his fingers, mindlessly tugging at the roll of bandage between them.

“I was thinking about going to the city today.” You admitted, claiming the bandage from his hands. He stood still, watching as you pushed the hair off his forehead, wrapping the fabric around his left eye with great care.

“What for?” He asked, a pout taking shape on his face. Even when he let you handle such things for him, he’d much rather be the one taking care of himself. At the end, past this imposing and striking appearance, lied a bullheaded child.

“To replenish your stash.”

“My stash?” He arched a brow.

“Well…” You chuckled awkwardly, doing your best to play the part. “Can you blame me? This heatwave is unbearable and-”

“You drunk my yakult?” He interrupted, shooting you a glare.

“Yes… but I was planning on compensating you, as you see!”

It didn’t matter whether you upset him or not, as long as he took the bait. All you wanted was for him to be distracted enough so that when you reeled it back in, he’d be sure to follow. After all, this was nothing but a carefully planned ruse to get him to celebrate his own birthday.

With an apologetic smile, you cupped his face, ignoring his unamused expression.

“I’m sorry, I know you don’t like it when I touch your stuff.”

He shook his head, some of his annoyance dissipating.

“Would you like to come with me? It’s been a long time since we last walked together, and well, carrying all that yakult by myself would be exhausting.”

“Just how much did you consume?”

If anyone heard the conversation between the two of you, they’d assume that you had committed a grave sin. His tone was stern and his expression strained, as if you’d just revealed to him that you’d sided with the Bakufu. Seeing such side of him resurface brought great joy to you, relieved that this part of him had survived the war.

“All of.. it?” This was a big oversight. Checking his actual stash beforehand completely slipped your mind. You could only hope that the amount was formidable enough to pique his interest.

“Three refrigerators?”

You widened your eyes, finding it hard to believe that he actually kept this much inside the ship.

“Y—yeah! I told you I was quite thirsty.” You chuckled, hoping that your plan wouldn’t fall apart now.

Takasugi kept quiet, his expression tensing up once more before relaxing into a curved smile. Fooling him was hard, but when it came to his beloved beverage, you could only hope his excessive defense would drop even for a bit.

“You’ll pay for this.” He said in a rather ominous tone, briefly erasing the thoughts from your mind.

“O-of course!” You nodded, returning your attention to the unfinished wrapping of his eye. Going about three more times over it, you tucked the loose ends in the back, making sure that it was secure enough. “So, you are coming?”

He sighed, rolling his eye ever so slightly. Success!

Unable to contain your excitement, you flashed a smile at him. Today would be so much fun. Even if he got mad about you disrespecting his wishes, he was bound to forgive that little scheme once he got to see the actual surprise you’d planned. Or at least, so you hoped.

Leaning closer to his face, you pressed your lips softly against his bandaged eye, earning yet another annoyed scoff from him.

I’m sorry, Shinsuke. But this is the only way.

“All set, let’s go!”

Surprisingly enough, Takasugi seemed to be in a far better mood when you met up on the docks. Once you’d finished fixing his bandages, he went back to his own room, giving you time to change into something nicer. After all, you wanted to look pretty on his birthday. A light blue kimono decorated by cherry blossoms was your outfit of choice, paired with a silky pink obi. Your hair was shaped in a slightly excessive updo style, kept together by a dark blue hairpin.

On second thought, maybe this was too much for a walk in the city, a fact that he also took notice in.

“You look…” He furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly searching for the right words.

“Weird? Is it too much? Should I get changed?”

“No. Just…” He walked closer, leaning as close to your face as his hat would allow. “Pretty.”

You had to suppress the urge to attach yourself onto his arm, with your entire face lighting up at his comment. Maybe if you were alone, he wouldn’t mind, but in front of all his comrades, he still had to keep appearances up. It’s fine, you’d have enough time to show your affection for him later on. For now, moving things according to the plan matters more.

On the way to the city, the two of you walked side by side, the conversation unsurprisingly falling back to the topic of work and his goals. If one thing about Takasugi remained the same in all those years, that was his tendency to throw himself into his personal aspirations, which was basically another word for ‘workaholic’. Still, you were never bothered by that. This was one of his many charms.

Things on board had been quiet for the most part, and so when he asked you if anything interesting had occurred, you didn’t have much to say. Truth was, you spent more time inside the ship than he did. While Takasugi was busy going from spaceship to spaceship, personally handling the meetings with the Harusame, you stayed back, the main focus of your job being babysitting the new recruits.

Still, it wasn’t as if you could complain. Your communication skills rather outmatched your battle prowess. If anything, you’d be dead weight on the battlefield. Besides, the majority of the time, there was always a funny story to be shared with him.

This week’s story involved one of the newest members of the Kiheitai, the son of a farmer who’d joined about two months ago, eager to serve the cause even when that meant leaving the warmth of his home behind. For the most part, he seemed to adjust well enough, if one overlooked the whole Matako incident.

“What is the Matako incident?” Takasugi inquired with an already entertained expression. He was well aware of how ridiculous such stories could get.

The infamous Matako incident was a series of events that followed Takasugi’s latest trip to one of those planets with over ten syllables in their names. While he was gone, there was a small gathering to celebrate one of your most recent alliances with another mercenary tribe. As expected, everyone was in a joyful mood, drinking perhaps more than they could handle.

One of those people was the new recruit, who’d drunk until he could barely stand on two feet, slurring and bumping his way closer to your table. At first, you thought he needed something, but when he dropped onto his knees before Matako, you knew what was up. A love confession followed, with the man struggling to express his sincere feelings. At the end, all he managed to do was throw up all over her skirt, resulting in the blonde firing bullets at his feet until he dropped into the sea.

Takasugi snickered out loud, his right eye falling shut while he laughed.

“The poor guy was bedridden for an entire week after that.” You chimed in with a chuckle of your own. “Matako refuses to apologize and he hasn’t even looked her way since. What a tragedy.”

“I told you not to let fools aboard.”

“He is not half bad with a sword. Plus, I do understand where he’s coming from.”

“Fools tend to relate to one another.” Takasugi sneered, earning a playful nudge to his shoulder.

“That’s not it!” You protested. “It reminds me of how hard I tried to make you like me back then.”

“Hmm? There was no need for you to try.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I wonder…” He smirked, the tone of his voice rather suggestive.

Before you could ask further questions, Takasugi stopped walking, making you realize that you were standing right outside Edo Mart. Damn, all this mindless talking had you completely forget about your plan. If you went yakult shopping this early, then everything would fall apart.

Sliding in front of him, you extended both hands and legs in a dramatic manner to block his entrance. Perplexed, Takasugi tried to move past you, yet you stood in the way again. His confusion progressively shifted to annoyance, and you knew you had to say something, or else things would take a turn for the worse.

Bringing your arms to your stomach, you put your best strained expression on, making it seem as if you were in severe pain.

“Can’t we get something to eat first? My stomach is killing me.” You protested, keeping up the tormented grimace.

“I’ll let you have one of the yakult.” He argued, attempting to push past, when you clung onto him with both hands, pressing your face against his chest as if you were about to faint.

“It’ll be too late by then… please, let us get some food now.” You pleaded with teary eyes.

With a sigh, Takasugi pulled you back on both feet, briefly glancing around him. Except for a few exiting customers, no one seemed to notice the dramatic scene unfolding right in front of their eyes. The last thing you wanted was for people to realize that the two of you were wanted terrorists with a large bounty placed over your heads. But then again, who would assume that terrorists went yakult shopping in broad daylight?

Indulging your whims, Takasugi stepped away from the door, letting you lead him to wherever it was you wanted to go. One would assume that your destination would be some sort of food selling vendor or restaurant. So when the two of you came to stand outside a pastry shop, naturally, he failed to hide his own surprise.

“You need cake to quench your hunger?”

At this point, making stuff up was becoming second nature. Surely it was getting ridiculous, but what else could you do?

“Well… I heard cake is a good counter to nausea.” Plus, a birthday celebration with no cake just doesn’t feel right.

“I told you to quit exchanging letters with that idiot.” At the mention of your childhood friend, Takasugi clenched his jaw, despite him being the one to bring him up.

“It’s not that, it’s just that I… damn, I feel nauseous again.” You feigned dizziness, with your hand covering your mouth.

Following your gesture, Takasugi seemed to be taking your theatrics more seriously. Inspecting you from head to toe, you felt his stare pierce right through you, an expression of visible dread overtaking his features.

“Y/N. Don’t tell me you…” He insinuated with a hushed voice.

“What?” It was then that you realized how he’d been fixated on your belly all along.

“What?! Of course not, that’s not it!” You assured him, frantically waving your hands up and down as if to erase his suspicions. “I just can’t remember the last time I had cake and well I… uh…” Even now, he didn’t seem fully convinced that an unplanned pregnancy wasn’t behind today’s shenanigans.

“Be right back!” You yelled, throwing yourself into the store as fast as possible.

Just how much worse could things get already?

Not long after, you came out of the door with a sole piece of strawberry shortcake in hand. Had you opted for more than that, he’d most definitely grow suspicious, if he weren’t already, that was.

Though reluctant at first, Takasugi agreed to take a seat for as long as you ate your dessert, settling down at a table by the door. For a guy that was hunted down by the entire police force of Edo, he seemed overly relaxed, with his head hanging back and his legs stretched underneath the table. Perhaps all those recent diplomatic meetings had finally taken their toll.

“Feeling any better?” He asked, peering at you through his half-shut eye.

“Mhm, much better!” You grinned, pushing yet another spoonful past your lips. “Want some?”

He was about to say something regarding sugar rush and idiotic samurais, when you stuffed his mouth with cake. Your gesture most definitely caught him off guard, a muffled grunt evading him as he stubbornly pursed his lips around the spoon. In the end, he was left with no other choice but to swallow.

“How is it?” You asked as he took the spoon off your hands.

“Edible.”

You chuckled, pushing the cake towards the center of the table. No matter his lackluster comment, it was obvious that the dessert was to his liking, with his spoon stealing bites off the plate every now and then. Your first objective was completed.

“So, what was it that you liked about me?” You dropped your spoon, leaving the remaining bits for him to dig in. “You said I didn’t need to put in any effort.”

“I figured that if I left you behind, you’d probably die on your own.” Takasugi shrugged, a smirk appearing on his lips the moment he picked up on your pouty expression. “That and because… you prove to me there are still things to be preserved.”

“I do?”

“You still don’t get it? This planet is a home for idiots. At least one should remain to upkeep traditions. A pure-hearted idiot like you would do just fine.”

You weren’t sure if he meant to compliment or insult you. Knowing him, the one went hand in hand with the other.

“You really look down on me.”

“Do I?” He teased, licking the cream off his spoon. “Don’t worry. At the end of the world, I’d feel much more confident caving in the arms of said idiot.”

Once Takasugi finished his cake, the two of you hit the road, resuming your original yakult replenishment quest. Or at least, that’s what he thought. The day was far from over and so were your plans.

After a while of strolling through the streets of Edo, the wonderful scent of lavender led you to a local flower shop. Admittedly, this wasn’t part of your schedule, but when you came to remember those sorry daisies from back then, you figured that a bouquet would add a nice little touch.

“Shinsuke?”

His ears perked up at the sound of his name.

“Can we stop for some flowers? I want my room to be a bit more lively.”

Rather than giving you an answer, he gestured towards the door. You had to admit, he was far more agreeable than you’d expect him to be.

Considering the impulsive nature of your purchase and the large variety the store provided, making a choice was rather difficult. Roses smelled divine, but they were too much of a cliché. Spider lilies were beautiful, yet a symbol of death. Clenching your fingers around your purse, you found yourself unable to make up your mind, despite the florist being eager to assist.

Just as you were about to go for one of the more ordinary assortments, a bouquet reminiscent of the one you once gave him caught your attention. Perhaps revisiting the past wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Back then you had been too eager for the both of you to forget, yet now you couldn’t help but wonder whether he remembered or not.

“Daisies…” He smirked, picking at one of the petals with his thumb and index. “Aren’t you a bit too old to be plucking flowers?”

Holding the bouquet out of his reach, you scoffed right in his face.

“I don’t need to do that to be certain of your affections.”

A muffled chuckle followed your words. Despite neither of you willingly admitting to it, bickering with one another like this had always been a welcome break from the harsh reality. Such were some of the memories you treasured the most.

“What’s next?” Takasugi asked, seemingly having given up on the idea of yakult shopping.

You looked at the sky; the sun beamed at its peak. There was still time for you to pick his actual gift up, though perhaps it’d be better to get it sooner than later.

With a smile, you took a step forward, pouring back into the streets side by side.

Noticeably, the pace of your steps had slowed down, with Takasugi stealing glances at the windows of the shops. He didn’t seem particularly interested in making a purchase, though he did end up buying some tobacco for his kiseru. Shopping with him like that made it seem as if things were back to what they used to be, with the two of you looking like an ordinary every-day couple.

At times, you did muse over what it’d be like to lead a normal life with him. Had the outcome of the war been different, would things also be different between you? Would he end up making an honest living without having to look over his shoulder? Would you be leading the kind of life your family hoped for? Would the five of you gather up and share drinks like you once did?

Though such a life was enticing, it was far from reality. No matter how many chances you were given at a normal life, you’d always choose life on the run as long as that meant you got to run with him.

After a while of browsing the stores, you reached the entrance of a workshop, one that belonged to an acclaimed artisan. Naturally, figuring out a suitable present for Takasugi involved hours upon hours of you bending and twisting your brain around his personality and interests. Unlike back then, he wasn’t just a mere friend to you anymore. He was the man you shared your life with; your gift had to reflect as much, and that was how you came to pick said artisan for the job.

“I placed an order a while back. Mind if I grab it real quick?”

He shook his head dismissively, settling against the wall.

Your entrance was followed by the high-pitched ring of the doorbell, its sound notifying the owner. He was a man in his late 50’s, with a prominent jaw and a receding hairline of gray color being among his more striking features. Upon seeing you, his marble-like eyes lit up in recognition, a most welcoming expression carved into his face.

Luckily, he cut straight to the chase, ushering you to follow him to the back where he kept his creations. Though small, his desk overflowed with all sorts of items, from time-worn clocks and antiques, to complex jewelry and sword handles. That was one of Edo’s most versatile artists for you.

The man went through the piles of objects until he fished out a shimmering handguard. You took a step closer to inspect it, the gold color twinkling within your orbs. It looked exactly as you’d pictured it, if not better. The wings of the butterfly were perfectly engraved, identical to the ones his yukata sported. It was perfect, it really was.

Satisfied with the results, you thanked the man, slipping the money across the busied counter before making your way outside.

“I wasn’t late, was I?” You asked Takasugi, smiling at the sight of him.

Perhaps you were more excited about this than he’d be, though you could only hope the gift appealed to his tastes.

He turned to face you, with his arm lazily hanging out of his yukata. Approaching him, you quickly shoved the handguard inside your obi, concealing it from him. This was not the time nor place for him to receive his present.

“Only about a hundred years too late.” He scoffed, pulling away from the wall.

“My deepest apologies, supreme governor general-sama!” You clasped your hands together.

Irked by your comment, he was about to scold you over the excessive use of formalities, when a third voice chimed in, catching you both off guard.

“Takasugi! You won’t be getting away this time!” A young man with chestnut colored hair roared, aiming at you with a bazooka from within a car. The Shinsengumi!

Before you could react on your own, your hand was clenched in Takasugi’s as the two of you ran through the streets. A shot followed, the cries of the passersby echoing in your stead.

There was no time for you to look back, with the man quite literally dragging you into a maze of back alleys. The passage was too narrow for the police vehicles to pass, yet you both knew how they’d stop at nothing to get to him.

For a second, you were tempted to shake him off, aware that he had a better chance running on his own. It was because of you that he’d gotten himself involved in this mess. You shouldn’t have been so naïve as to think that such a leisurely time in the city was still an option, yet not for one moment did he let go of you. Even if your body gave out, he’d keep the two of you moving no matter the cost. That’s just who he was.

After entering what seemed to be the millionth alleyway, you spotted what appeared to be the beginning of a forest, a series of pine trees popping behind the final rooftops. Normally you’d hate to ruin your newly bought kimono with mud and twigs, but you were left with no choice. It was hide or fight and, admittedly, you stood no chance like this.

Takasugi was the first one to go, creating a path for you with his bare hand. Using a sword would be easier, though that'd leave an obvious trail for your pursuers to follow. It had been so long since you had heard a siren or a gunshot, but it was still too soon to rest assured. You had to keep going, and so you did, until the trees thinned out to an open field.

Surprisingly enough, you’d ended up standing right above the city, having a perfect view of the streets you previously roamed, as well as the docks. Somehow after all that running, you’d come closer to your starting point than before.

While you were busy inspecting the area below, Takasugi let go of your hand, his back disappearing past the rows of trees as he attempted to survey around.

What a disaster, you thought to yourself, wincing at your own stupidity. Had you gone to Edo Mart as planned; had you purchased the gift in advance, you wouldn’t be finding yourself in such a mess.

It was pure luck that your kimono suffered no heavy damage, other a couple of attached leaves, that was. At least you both survived, and so did the-

Where is the gift?

Throwing your hands all over your body, you patted down at the fabric, attempting to locate the handguard. You definitely remembered placing it inside your obi right before the chase ensued, but it was there no more. Not just that; somewhere along the line, your fingers let go of the bouquet. This really was an all-for-nothing disaster.

“Looking for this?” Takasugi asked, holding an object right above his head.

The handguard!

“You know, had I known of your scheming skills in prior, I’d have you replace Takechi.” He semi—jokingly said as he slowly made his way towards you.

“Next time you try to deceive someone, better make sure your lies check out. I can’t believe you don’t even know how many refrigerators we have on board.”

It seemed like even before the two of you set out on your little adventure, he knew all along. He knew, yet he’d willingly followed through on your plan as if he didn’t.

Sighing, you brought your hands to your face, brushing them over your eyes.

“I’m sorry. Really, I didn’t think it would end like this, I never meant for any of this to happen.”

“It’s fine. Let those filthy dogs chase after their own tails.”

“They lost us?” You asked, receiving a nod as a reply.

The safety of you two mattered more than a stupid birthday present, though that didn’t prevent him from triumphantly waving it in front of your face.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

He shrugged, a hint of a smirk trembling upon his lips.

“I was curious to see how far you’d go. Besides, leaving you unsupervised would lead to you doing more stupid things, wouldn’t it?”

“Well…” There was not much to be said, considering you were responsible for the outcome. “I suppose you are right.” Your voice was so meek, with your eyes looking at him like a puppy in the rain.

“All I wanted was to surprise you, but I couldn’t even manage to do something as simple.”

“You surprised me plenty.” He argued back, his gaze falling back at the handguard.

“I had this one made for you. I know that after everything, celebrating birthdays must be about the last thing on your mind, but…” You coughed, clearing your throat. “But you can’t prevent me from celebrating the birthday of the man I love. Such a day is precious to me, just like each and every day we get to spend together. I am grateful for all those days, I am grateful that you were born and I am grateful that I got to meet you.

“Shinsuke, you aren’t a samurai who only destroys. So far, you’ve been able to protect me through everything with that sword of yours, putting your soul on the line more times that I can count. This isn’t much, but hopefully it’s enough to protect you too.”

Your speech left him speechless, as he sheepishly stared into your eyes. No malice, no gratitude, no nothing.

“But uh, there is no need for you to use it if you don’t like it! You’ve been going without one for years, so perhaps you find no use for it and I could always return-”

In a rapid movement Takasugi unsheathed his sword, cutting through the air and your words in half.

“Has no one told you that asking for a gift back is rude?” He scoffed, installing the handguard at the base of the sword. Thankfully, it seemed to be a perfect fit.

Once he was done looking at it, making sure that it wouldn’t fall out, he attached his sword back to his hip.

“So you like it?”

Flashing a smile at you, Takasugi moved closer until no distance remained between you. With his hand reaching forward, he cupped your cheek ever so softly, a callused thumb rubbing at your skin as he gazed into your eyes. Somehow you’d forgotten all about your question, falling victim to his charms all over again like you always did.

“I love it.” He breathed his answer right before he claimed your lips with his.

You closed your eyes, finding comfort in the warmth of his mouth and the certainty of his touch. It didn’t matter how long you’d been running or how far the Shinsengumi had chased you. This moment right here made it worth the trouble. He was worth the trouble.

“Happy Birthday.” You whispered on top of his lips, feeling them stretch into yet another smile.

Even when he pulled away from the kiss, he didn’t pull away from you. His hand kept holding you in place, while the rough edge of his hat bumped against your forehead.

“Next time you are definitely paying for this.”

The rest of the afternoon went by in relative peace. Somehow you were able to avoid any further run-ins with the Shinsengumi, the sole sign of a police vehicle being the distant echo of a faraway siren. Even so, Takasugi seemed to be on the edge, with his fingers itching to grab the hilt of his sword at the slightest of sounds. Considering everything that went down, you could hardly blame him. Besides, you were too preoccupied fawning over his sword’s new appearance, feeling all giddy that he got to carry a part of you everywhere he went.

After a while of trailing through the city, the two of you managed to reach the docks. Your feet were borderline killing you, making you wish that Takasugi offered you a ride on his back like he did when you were children. Of course you never dared to ask such a thing, especially when he’d spent more than half the day glaring at you. This was far from the ideal birthday you’d planned in your brain. You hated to admit it, but there was still so much for you to learn in terms of scheming.

By the time you set foot on the ship, the sun was fully submerged into the waters below, leaving nothing but a lovely shade of saturated orange behind. Though you didn’t mind traveling through space, sunsets in Edo were a sight you would never forsake. There was no place like home.

“Ahh, what a fun day!” You exclaimed, stretching both arms above your head.

Takasugi closed the door behind you, undoing the strings of his hat.

“Fun… well, that’s a way to put it.”

You watched as he leaned against the dresser, setting his hat and sword aside.

“Come on! The weather was nice, the cake was nice, the flowers were nice, the gift was nice”

You pointed at each of your fingers as if you meant to count through every positive happening of the day, only hesitating when you reached your pinky.

“You were nice.”

He tilted his head, his lips curling into a crooked smile.

“Suggesting that I normally aren’t?”

To count all the times he glared, threatened or even killed someone these past few days, you were in need of at least three sets of extra arms. Despite that, you knew better than to consider Takasugi the evil bastard terrorist that the Bakufu and the rest of his enemies made him out to be. To count all the times he’d smiled at you, all the times he’d saved you, all those times when you’d felt as if your entire world had collapsed only to find yourself in his arms; to properly count those times, you’d need more fingers than the entire Kiheitai had to offer.

“Hmm… You have your moments."

He seemed satisfied enough with your answer, his expression softening up as the two of you shared a look. Words meant nothing when your eyes spoke for themselves, one’s image etched into the eyes of the other, adorned by sheer adoration that neither of you bothered to hide. Behind closed doors, there was no reason to.

“I’d better go get some rest.” You mumbled, a forced yawn breaking through the tension.

It wasn’t that you felt particularly sleepy, but after spending the entire day with him, he was bound to have at least a few unfinished tasks to tend to. A day of mindless fun was not enough to switch his work habits.

You were about to return to your own room when, all of a sudden, the door fell shut before you, a palm preventing it from opening.

“Oi, oi. Where do you think you are going? " Takasugi taunted with a sultry voice.

“My room?” You peered over your shoulder, a curtain of dark purple blocking your vision.

“I thought you wanted to celebrate my birthday. Go on, celebrate it. Day’s not over yet.”

The way he looked at you was enough for you to understand what “celebrating his birthday” implied. Such an amorous look was only preserved for you, with his green hue undressing a little less than your soul and a little more than your body.

Even without touching you, the attraction between your bodies was palpable, drawing the two of you closer together. His hands that constantly ached for a fight were now aching to hold you, and who were you to deny him?

The moment you turned around, you caught sight of a victorious grin, both of you aware of what was to follow. You rolled your eyes playfully, unable to hide your own smile as your hand reached forward. Grabbing a fistful of fabric, you pulled Takasugi down to you, until his body met yours and your lips met his. He sighed softly, his fingers dropping from the door around your waist, capturing you in a tight embrace free of any reservation.

You surrendered yourself to his touch, letting go of his yukata’s collar while his grip only tightened, pinning both your bodies against the door. Unlike the unbearable summer heat, his warmth was more than welcoming, enveloping your entire body down to your hips and thighs. You felt feverish, throwing your arms over his shoulders for him to take over.

Takasugi drew your bottom lip between his teeth, languidly lapping his wet tongue over it before sliding it into your mouth. You tilted your head to the side, a soft hum dissolving at the tip of your tongue as you explored each other's mouth anew. Even when you had memorized his taste, you couldn’t help yourself but seek more of it, completely in love with everything his body had to offer you.

The lack of air had your head spinning around, your only source of oxygen being that of his lungs; the only one you ever needed. With his hips pressing your waist down, he made a mess out of your thighs, your slick entrance drooling for him to fill you up in every way imaginable. Perhaps offering yourself to him as a gift would have been a far better choice than all this running around, you decided, gently bucking your hips forward.

Regrettably, Takasugi was the first to pull away, his sharp breath tickling your nose and lips. Through half-lidded eyes, you took in each other’s image, lust clouding both your features while you drew air from one another, avoiding to close the distance just yet.

His hands reached lower onto your body, possessing your every bit, with your own hand dropping down to his chest. You felt how frantically his heart beat for you, just for you. Time and time again you came to realize that this heart, this body, this man… they all belonged to you. Even if the two of you came to lose everything, you’d still be each other’s most prized possessions, a fact that not even revenge could forsake.

“What are you smirking for?” He asked with a smirk of his own.

Shaking your head, you guided him into another kiss, quick to wipe that cocky expression off his face. Whether you confronted him or not, he’d never admit to being wrapped around your finger, though there was no need to. The way his body reacted to your own spoke volumes, with his mouth granting you access once more and his hips utterly attuned to yours.

In no time, his hands were tugging at your obi, each string of your kimono coming undone between his fingers. You felt the fabric loosen up around your curves, the expensive silk curling into a ball across the tatami.

Left in nothing but your undergarment, you were exposed to his touch, fire spreading through every part his fingers came to brush. You leaned forward until your lips found his neck, smearing open-mouthed kisses all over. He was always the one to mark you with his mouth, acting as if he wanted the whole world to know you were his and only his. It was about time you returned that favor.

Parting your lips, you pursed them at the base of his neck, sucking at his skin until his pale complexion turned into a bright shade of red. Perhaps he’d have a hard time covering that one up, a fact that filled you with unprecedented pride. No future scolding or frowning could take that away from you, though at the moment, he seemed too preoccupied to even care, attempting to fill his hands with as much of you as he possibly could.

Satisfied with the result, you puckered your lips up, peppering gentle kisses down his collar bone, while you held onto his shoulders for support. You couldn’t help but notice how he felt stiffer than usual, your fingertips bumping across the various knots that his muscles formed. Your previous assumptions seemed to be correct, all those exhausting work meetings had taken their toll on his health at last, leaving him nearly drained.

You pulled away from him, catching your own reflection in his eye. Even when the things you were doing were far from innocent, there was a certain purity in his gaze, as for once, the thing his right eye saw had nothing to do with torment, turmoil, or vengeance; tranquil passion having cleansed all that.

Slowly, you brought your other hand to his cheek, watching as he pressed a feather-light kiss in the center of your palm. Your heart skipped a beat, seemingly forgetting all about the words you wanted to share with him. Fucking hell, he had no business looking this lovable, you pondered.

“Let me take care of you.” You requested, brushing a couple of disheveled purple strands off his eye.

Though skeptical at first, Takasugi came to agree, leading you both towards his futon. In a theatrical move, he lifted both hands, prompting you to strip him off his clothes. Snaking your arms around his torso, you took advantage of the position, placing your head on top of his shoulder while your hands worked on undoing his obi. The blue fabric dropped onto the floor, with his purple yukata following soon after.

For a second, you caught yourself gawking at his bare body, your eyes trailing the entirety of him up and down. Thin white lines sprawled across his near flawless complexion, remnants of past conflicts and nearly forgotten treacheries. His body that was hardened by battle and shaped by hardship, remained the most beautiful thing your eyes encountered, a spectacle only second to the sublime features of his face.

Even after all these years, you found it hard to believe that someone had the power of making you feel as if you were experiencing them for the first time all over again, yet Takasugi managed to do just that.

Before he had the chance to reprimand you over your excessive stalling, you brought both hands against his chest, pushing him down onto the covers with great force. At once, his green orb narrowed into a perfect slit, sheer fury taking over his expression. You fought the urge to laugh, ultimately failing to suppress a high pitched giggle that sneaked past your lips.

For most, receiving such a menacing glare from the leader of the Kiheitai meant certain death, yet to you, it only made your heart flutter within your chest. How could you feel any dread when he looked just like that stubborn kid you’d countless of times sparred with in the past?

All funny thoughts dissolved the moment his hand found yours, forcing you to violently crash on top of him. Even then, you couldn’t quite stop laughing at his frown, only pausing to press a hasty kiss atop his crinkled nose. I love you so much, Takasugi Shinsuke. So damn much.

Ignoring his silent protest, you lowered yourself down his thighs, making sure your hands could still reach his upper body. In reality, you’d never attempted to give him, or anyone else for that matter, a massage, though when you came to see how tense he was, you couldn’t possibly turn a blind eye. You wished to bring him some relief, just as he had so many times done for you.

Taking a deep breath, you placed both palms flat over his chest, slowly dragging them up and down his shoulders. You started by applying pressure to your wrists, rolling them hard against his stiffened muscles.

Takasugi began to relax, his scoffing giving way to a contented expression. As promised, he refrained from touching you, with his emerald orb slowly disappearing behind his eyelid. You kept on kneading his hardened skin, gathering all strength on your fingertips as you rubbed him thoroughly, glancing up lest you hurt him.

With each stroke, he appeared more delighted than before, his low breathing producing a sort of melodic sound. You were pleased to see him enjoy himself, though maintaining your movements was quite tiresome for your inexperienced hands. Still, you tried your best to switch both the pace and the pressure up, overextending your little massage session as much as possible for his sake.

Distracted by your technique, you failed to notice how you’d been grinding against his crotch all along. Each time you pushed against him, your hips would follow, pressing down against his over and over again, until a hoarse moan disrupted his once steady breathing.

You froze in place, your eyes quick to spot the red shadow that bloomed across his cheeks. Perhaps the massage was far from being the only reason behind his delight, you realized once you glanced at the solid tent between your thighs.

“Looks like your shoulders aren’t the only stiff thing about you.” You teased, softly palming his clothed erection.

“Go on, then. Take care of that too.” Takasugi cooed, his hands softly brushing over your knees as he compelled you to keep going.

Your fingers worked on undoing the knots of his fundoshi, at last setting him free. His cock sprung between your palms, already at its full length. Slowly, you traced over a vein, your fingers closing in once you reached the head. His reddened tip was already glistening with precum for you, eagerly awaiting to disappear within one of your needy holes.

Drawing your thumb over it, you spread his thick essence all over, inducing a muffled sigh to fall out of Takasugi's lips. You loved how sensitive he was to your touch. Even when getting him to this state wasn't your intention, you couldn't help but smile knowing how hard you'd gotten him.

Bringing a second hand down his length, you clenched your fingers into a pair of fists, firmly pumping him up and down. His size made it hard for your palms to cover all of him, but your gestures compensated plenty for that. Your right hand remained below his head; four fingers lightly twisting around him, with your thumb repeatedly brushing over his tip. At the same time, your left hand came to cup his balls, another moan failing to remain within his lips.

Though Takasugi had never been particularly vocal as a lover, when you were stimulating him like that, it was impossible for him to keep to himself.

“Hm, this doesn’t seem to be working.” You noted once you heard him curse out loud. “If anything, you are stiffer than before… Should I try something different?” You asked, your hands stopping only for a moment.

Despite his eye being shut for the majority of your playtime, he was now watching your every move with bated breath. Slowly, you let go of his cock, bringing your hands between your thighs to pick your undergarment off the way. He wanted you to expose yourself so badly, yet for now he was content with merely glancing at the hardened peaks your nipples formed below the creamy linen.

You lined your hips with his own before finally, sinking down onto him, his entire cock sheathing deep within your gummy walls. His grunt was overshadowed by your moan, the sensation of being whole enough to make you shudder. He was stretching you so good while all you could do was gush over him, your womb aching to be filled to the brim with his seed.

It was his turn to smirk, your reaction bringing him great amusement. Normally he'd be the one to push you down, pleasuring the both of you until your lips could barely shape his name, but for the time, he remained perfectly still. He loved to see you struggle, knowing that even when you'd been together since you were teens, you were still overwhelmed by him.

“Something wrong?” He asked in a condescending tone, conveniently forgetting all about how a moment ago he was the one to lose himself in your hands.

“N-nothing at all.” You stuttered as you attempted to regain your composure. If you gave him the chance, he’d overthrow you without thinking twice.

Dropping your palms back onto his chest, you raised your hips, figuring that it’d be easier for you to keep going with just the tip inside. At a slow pace, you rocked your body against him, sensually drawing circles with your hips all the while maintaining eye contact. His smirk persisted, the only sign to betray his true feelings being that of his fingers as they clenched around the covers below.

“Something wrong?” You taunted in the same tone he used, taking full advantage of his vulnerability.

Takasugi let go of the sheets, bringing both hands around your hips.

“Nothing at all.” He answered with greater confidence.

Even with his fingers gripping you, he didn’t do as much as to guide you in any way. He merely held you in place, patiently awaiting for you to pick your pace back up. Besides, your little mind games brought him plenty entertainment already.

At a much slower pace than before, you repeated the same movements, fully aware of the fact that his patience was gradually wearing thin. You weren’t even sure whether you actually meant to take care of him or test your limits anymore, seemingly achieving both. Either way, you could tell you weren’t the only one having fun with this.

Biting down your lip, you lowered your hips, allowing a little more than half of him to sink into you. It took every bit of self-restraint not to go all the way, your own juices making it easier for him to get sucked deeper into your pussy.

Reaching a hand behind your back, you found the base of his shaft with your fingers, keeping it steady enough for you to lightly bounce onto it. Takasugi pressed his lips together in a straight line, with his fingertips applying slightly more pressure than before. He didn’t cave in just yet, though when your fingers traced over his balls, he couldn’t help but dig his fingertips right into your skin, a bruising sure to follow.

Motivated by his reaction, you tried to sync the movement of your fingers to the movement of your hips, bouncing faster when inevitably, his cock slipped outside your lips. You looked down, hesitating to drive him back in.

Shamelessly, you brought the tip to your slit, wetting it enough for you to glide it over your throbbing clit. A delirious whine evaded your lips, the delicious feeling clouding your mind as you frantically tapped the two together. Even when tonight was all about him, there was no way for you to help yourself, not when it felt so damn good.

Having had enough for the moment, you were about to go back to riding him, when Takasugi rammed his dick so hard into you, that you had no choice but to collapse against his chest, your cry making him chuckle.

“That’s unfair!” You pouted, attempting to lift yourself back up.

“Unfair?” He whispered. “Unfair was having to go all day long without doing this.”

Before you could ask what ‘this’ meant, you felt his hands crawl down your butt, forcing your bodies to grind against each other.

“Why would I need another gift when I can have you, hm?”

The newfound bliss caused your vision to go blurry, the thoughts in your brain replaced by the sole sensation of his cock twitching deep within your heat. Had he asked you earlier, then maybe you’d have an answer to his question, but right now all you could do was bite down at your lip, while he hit all the right spots.

To your surprise, he appeared in no hurry to chase after his much awaited high, merely enjoying the warmth you offered him. Placing two fingers below your chin, he compelled you to look at him, a loving smile erased by your lips. His hands pulled away from your rear, Takasugi allowing you the freedom to move around. Losing yourself in yet another kiss, you claimed his cheeks with your palms, your tongue meeting his while he snaked his arms around your waist.

Tears formed at the corner of your eyes, slipping past your shut eyelids as you both moved against each other, fucking one another in sync with your kiss. Even when it felt like your heart was about to explode, you couldn’t bring yourself to move away from him, relishing every last bit of his body.

“You are more than enough.” He refused to let go, mumbling the words straight into your mouth. “You are mine.” His teeth tugged at your lower lip, before cushioning it all over again. “Mine.”

His sudden confession made your eyes widen, the sheer possessiveness of his voice sending chills down your spine. You always thought that you were the one who chased after him, though right now you were finally able to feel how tight his embrace was, a certain desperation pouring into his kisses as if he feared you’d slip away from his grasp.

“Shinsuke, I-” You began, only to be hushed by yet another kiss.

“Let me handle things from now on.” He said, completely inebriated.

With a small nod, you ushered him to take action, not caring about who got to take care of whom anymore. All you wanted was to finally become one with him.

A swift move of his was all it took to bring you down, your undergarment flying off your body. It was his turn to gawk at you, a slight smile hanging from his lips once he got to savor what you’d kept from him for so long.

The bandages over his head had come undone, their edges drenched by his own sweat. You reached to his face, pulling them out of the way when he claimed your fingers in his palm, pressing your hand down onto the futon. He had no intention of letting you lift as much as a finger.

Once more, he turned the tables on you as he rolled onto his side, pulling your back tight against his chest. With no distance left between your bodies, Takasugi snaked his arms around your waist, one hand spreading your legs open and the other cupping your breast. He kneaded at your soft skin, flicking both your nipples between his fingers, while his lips traveled to your nape, smearing your back with hot kisses.

With his fingers locking behind your knee, Takasugi steadied it around his torso, opening your body for him as much as possible. Unable to resist, you brought your hand between your thighs, gently rubbing circles over your swollen clit. Even when you hadn't had a drop of alcohol, the feeling of being utterly engulfed by him made your head spin.

Sighs evaded your lips one after the other, your fingers clenching around his bandage, while you kept on pleasuring yourself, continuously chanting his name. He was the only one who could make you feel so good, even when the fingers that touched you were yours and not his.

Once he had enough of groping you, Takasugi lowered you onto him, adjusting your position so that he could comfortably penetrate you. His cock brushed over your entrance, eager to slide past your pink lips. Nodding in confirmation, you nestled your head into the crook of his neck, breathing into the faint yet intoxicating scent of sandalwood and cedar. Despite everything, he still smelled so nice.

Taking in your blissful expression, he caressed your hair softly before finally pushing his way in. A strangled sound dropped from your lips as you bit down onto his skin, unable to contain yourself.

“Relax” He muttered in a mellow tone as he thrusted again, earning himself another of your pretty whines.

Each moan of yours sounded like the finest of melodies to his ears, knowing that each whimper was meant for him and him only. Perhaps he relished your reactions more than anything, fixating his pace according to the pitch of your voice. The louder you cried, the harder he went, ferociously rutting his hips in you as if there was no tomorrow.

His hand dropped from your knee onto your stomach, traveling down to your clit. Without disrupting his movements, Takasugi started to rub at it like you previously did, causing your entire body to jolt at the stimulation. Your moans turned into a series of desperate cries as you squirmed on top of him, unsure of whether you were trying to cling harder or to run from the overwhelming pleasure he offered.

“Look at me.”

He instructed in the same gentle voice and you followed, meekly gazing up at him as his lips took over yours. He didn’t care that all you were capable of doing was drool over his jaw, too fucked up to reciprocate the kiss. All he wanted to do was claim your sounds as his own, letting none of them go to waste, swallowing each and every one of them.

Soon, the only sound to remain in his room was that of your cunt squelching, eagerly taking the pounding he gave you. Your hands grabbed at one of his arms, holding onto him while ushering him to go faster. He grunted at the sound of your words, mercilessly keeping it up until your walls started to clamp around his cock.

His pace grew sloppy at the sensation of your cunt clenching around him. You could feel your own legs shaking, pure ecstasy spreading all the way down to your curled up toes, while he chased after his own climax. He was so focused that thin lines were formed upon his forehead, with his brows furrowed together.

"I love you"

Those three little words were all it took for Takasugi to fall out of pace. Thick ropes of his hot seed came pouring into your guts, filling your insides to the brim. His strained expression was completely relaxed when he dived forward, capturing your lips in yet another desperate kiss. Those words that he never allowed himself to say, were easily conveyed by his touch, assuring you that he was as utterly in love with you as you were with him.

Eventually, he pulled away from your mouth, though he remained attached to you in every way possible. His cock was still buried within you, loosely fucking his cum deeper into your hole, until he had no choice but to go limp. You felt his warm essence pouring down your thighs, clinging onto your skin just like he did. His arms remained wrapped around you, holding your body as close to his own as possible. There was nowhere else you’d rather be.

“I’m so happy you were born.” You broke through the silence, once you’d managed to regain your voice.

A hearty laugh followed, with his lips softly pressing onto your forehead.

“Are you now?” In less than a heartbeat you nodded against him, completely certain of your feelings on the matter.

“I guess your birth was one of the less unfortunate events in this world.” He admitted, going back to his usual snarky self.

Too elated to stoop to his level, you nuzzled your head into his chest, your arms caging him within your tight embrace. The light had completely faded from the room, with only the moon attempting to illuminate the space. Mindlessly, Takasugi caressed your shoulder with his thumb, while you hummed a soft tune, one that turned out to be none other than the happy birthday song. Skipping pretty much through all the lyrics, the only words you came to intonate were “my darling commander” right before the end.

“You make it sound as if you only sleep with me for my title.” He scoffed, though not particularly bothered.

Angling your chin to face him, you spared one of your brightest smiles.

“Of course not… my darling Shinsuke.” He was quick to dismiss you by tapping your forehead with his palm, doing his best to disguise his own smile with a hasty frown.

“I never thought someone could actually be fucked silly, but you seem to have lost every bit of common sense.” He mocked, too prideful to ever accept such a term of endearment from your lips. “Now go fetch me my pipe. I need a smoke if I am to tolerate you a second longer.”

Urging you to get up, he pushed you off his arms, forcefully rolling you onto your side. The duality of a man, you murmured under your breath. One moment he could whisper the most loving things to your ears, and the other he went back to treating you as if you were his personal maid. If all those fangirls of his knew of the mistreatment you endured, they wouldn’t stand for it, yet there you were, blindly searching through the darkness for the light switch.

“You know, you were the one who went all like ‘Y/N, spend my birthday with me, I long to nest between your thighs, please surrender yourself to me’.” You nagged, purposely messing up his previous words. “Deal with the consequences.” You went on as your fingers located the switch, light pouring into the room at once.

Surprisingly enough, he seemed to have nothing to counter your childish taunts, resorting to a mere huff. That’s right, he couldn’t even dispute your claims, victory was yours.

“Where is it again?”

He lifted a finger, pointing towards his dresser. You followed, going through the drawers one by one in search of his kiseru. Come to think of it, you hadn’t seen him smoke all day long. It was rare for him not to have it on him, considering how he seemed addicted to the rush the bitter tobacco had to offer.

“You know though, smoking right after sex is such a cliché. Who does-” Your sentence was cut short once you peered at the contents of the final drawers, finding more than you’d anticipated.

You blinked your eyes, wondering if you hadn’t actually left the bed, pure disbelief making you question your senses. His kiseru was right there, resting next to a small metallic box, one you could have sworn you’d seen before. Picking it up in your hands, you took a peek at the inside, your suspicions confirmed at the sight of a worn pair of binoculars. Their condition was beyond poor, though there was no doubt; these were the very same binoculars you gifted him all those years ago.

“I never expected you to keep anything from back then.” You admitted, placing the objects back inside the furniture.

“I kept you, didn’t I?” Takasugi shrugged, accepting the kiseru from your hands as he worked on lighting it up.

You stayed silent, lying next to his side. All sorts of thoughts went through your brain, while you traced back to each of your memories in an attempt to analyze his past behavior. The binoculars and the cookie box… could this mean that he returned your feelings long before he admitted to it?

“I will allow it.” His voice interrupted your thoughts, a light gray ring of smoke spiraling past his lips.

“Hm?”

“You can celebrate my birthdays.”

Your eyes widened, an expression of pure awe beaming upon your features.

“I’m only doing it for the free massage. Don’t get full of yourself.” He was quick to add.

“Then, how about we go somewhere nicer next year?” You suggest, forgetting all about his comments and your own contemplation.

Your hands traveled all the way to his neck, with your eyes pleading him for attention.

“I hear Waiiha planet is dreamy this time of the year. Or we could go over to Kagoshima for something quieter. Or-”

A cloud of thick smoke came to hush your words.

“By next year, nothing but ruin will remain.” He smirked, pulling the kiseru away from his lips. “I shall bring this rotten world before your feet.”

“Can’t you at least keep a place for the two of us?” You pouted.

Takasugi tilted his head as he took in your expression, finding himself smiling at your stubbornness.

“As long as we are both around, there will always be a place for us to run to.”

However romantic and grandiose his words came off, you failed to suppress a laughter. He always did that, using such fancy expressions to sway and misdirect you, but after all these years, you’d like to believe you knew better than to fall for it.

“You are so full of shit, Bakasugi.”

His smile twisted into a sneer, with his eye narrowing into another of his infamous glares. Using that ‘nickname’ on him, always irked him beyond compare.

“Can’t you keep Kyoto at least?”

He took another puff, blowing smoke towards the window.

“I can consider Yamagata.”

“Kanagawa?” You pleaded, pulling your entire weight on top of him.

“Don’t push it.”

“What about Hokkaido?” You weaved your fingers through his hair, slightly ruffling them. “I could make you a flower crown.”

Takasugi claimed your hands in his, dragging them down his chest before letting go of them. His expression softened, making it seem as if he didn’t completely oppose your proposition.

“Hokkaido…” He repeated, in a soft manner, one that caused little stars to spiral within your orbs. “Sounds like an enticing destination… for me to spread your ashes.”

“Hey, don’t be so mean!” You protested, throwing a punch at his chest while he giggled.

The two of you kept bickering over potential vacation destinations for quite some time, throwing names of different places until there was no planet, country, city or village left to name. Neither of you agreed to back off, with each insisting on a suggestion of their own.

Without admitting to it, secretly, you wished that by the time his next birthday came around, you’d both be around to celebrate it. Whether it was upon a hilltop or the edge of a coastline, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that you'd see the end of things with him, standing side by side like you'd done every moment up until now.

No matter what, you'd see this one wish through; no matter what you would never let go of him.

[ukaiknowsbest]

What makes Tae more compatible with Gintoki than Tsukuyo, Takasugi, or Hijikata? I think Gintoki has way more in common with them considering he is a seasoned veteran with lots of mental health issues. I've never understood how Tae who is still immature and has never gone through the amount of trauma that he's been through could genuinely connect to Gintoki on an emotional level compared to those three.

So these are the “compelling reasons” you wanna bring up huh.

On Otae being immature.

Who’s not immature in Gintama? I’m throwing that back at you. She’s mature in some ways and immature in others. But so are everyone else: Matsudaira, Otose, The Joui, Shimura Ken, Shoyo are all immature one way or another. Maturity is a social construct.

Why is maturity demanded from Otae out of all people when Ya’ll are not demanding maturity from Sougo, Nobume and Kamui for some reason? They all belong to the same age group as Otae and are more popular.

You are all so weird.

Tae has never gone thru trauma as much as the other three.

Wow.

Getting orphaned at a young age, raising one’s brother by themselves since childhood, be abandoned by patrons /all relevant adults in their life, losing a first love, losing a best friend, losing a source of income, having to deal with relentless loansharks out to sell her to brothels.... isn’t traumatic enough.

Add relentless stalkers who violate her every right to privacy to that.

This isnt trauma olympics anon. Trauma is trauma no matter what form.

These asks are getting weirder istg. Are you stuck in 2016 tumblr or smth?

Gintoki more compatible with Hijikata, Tsukuyo, Takasugi coz they’re all seasoned veterans.

Anon. I don’t know if you realize how contradictory this ask is. You demand maturity from Otae as Gintoki’s life partner and yet you bring forth the following:

Hijikata “i blame a woman for all my male boss’s stupidity” Toshiro; Hijikata “if anyone commits one single minor mistake then they are ordered to kill themselves” Toshiro;

Takasugi “I will destroy the world that hurt you” Shinsuke;

Tsukuyo “Women are awesome, all men are shit except for that one guy who saved my town coz he was just doing his job” ;

I do not think you really want what’s best for Gintoki anon. You cannot think of Otae as a soul friend/partner who can give him a neutral and safe place to return to where he can just be himself, stretch his legs and grant wishes. Which is what she is already doing in the story anyway.

You want him to be mom’d. Yikes.

And before you tell me I’m reducing Otae to a “servile wife position” I’d like to remind you that Gintoki from the very start has been the one person who doesn’t worship an imaginary ideal Otae in his head and is who truly accepts her for what she is. Gintoki is the one she trusts with her brother, her life, her house, her dojo. He’s a safe haven for her too. (Well him and Madao actually but u cant ship her with madao cant ya?)

Hey idk if you are all the same anon. But this is disturbing. Im telling ya’ll. Please read my goddamn Otae notes. It’s all in there. Holy sht.

Last thing. GinTsu / TakaGin / HijiGin are all interesting dynamics okay? I get why people like them. They’re sexy and fun. Idgaf if u ship those. But I prefer GinTae more. Leave me alone and go your goddamn merry way with your fellow shippers. You dont have to keep coming at me for enjoying a ship that I like.

[t0sshii]

ginhiji hospital au??

I needed to get this off of my brain and I can’t draw or write so here it goes... Ginhiji but Hijikata is a nurse working in a hospital and Gintoki is the new resident who comes off as lazy but is actually a really good doctor (which surprises our boy Toushi)

More thoughts under the cut? (I have more thoughts about hijikata because.... i have more experience there LOL)

I’ve been a working nurse for more than half a year now so I kind of know what I’m talking about? (but not really because i’m definitely still a baby nurse that’s still learning OTL) but really im a baby don’t ask me specifics

I got into Gintama super late and I have so many regrets because it’s taken over my life. 

hijikata working in either medsurg, ICU, or emergency because it’s not slow, needs great time management skills and working under pressure /but i have a bias for medsurg because that’s where i am right now... but i feel like he would definitely be the same kind of intense that some ICU nurses i know are... 

he’s definitely the type to not take a proper break at work... would probably eat saltines from the nutrition room 

reason 1: he’s too busy

reason 2: hates to go on break if he has to leave hella shit for the person covering him (so he give all his meds, clean his patients, give pain meds...make sure they NEVER call the person covering him on break) but that also means when things don’t calm down he feels like there’s never an opening for one

meanwhile he will give meds, clean patients, and do everything for whoever he covers for break 

when this happens kondo sends yamazaki to cover him for breaks because you can’t tell patients to eat their food when you haven’t eaten toushi 

is really good at putting in IVs, nobody on the unit even tries to put them in when he’s working they’ll just ask him to do it for them

a charting superuser lol

his brain... impeccable. a work of art. a pinnacle of organization. made his own because the hospital issued one doesn’t work for him

probably looks something like this

note: allows you do just quickly circle things during shift change instead of writing it all down...i would probably make past medical history section bigger though (do i use a sheet like this? no because i am... organized chaos and writing it down helps ME--but toushi probably wants to take as little time possible writing shit down) 

reads his work e-mail, even the newsletters from the hospital

kondo is nurse manager and is a very supportive one (the potlucks!!! tries his best to make sure everyone feels supported at work ; w ;) hired hijikata..

when hijikata is charge, the work is distributed evenly thank god 

also “it’s an hour until shift change and if this patient doesn’t come up in 10 minutes they’re not coming until after shift change” 

everyone asks him for help because he knows all the hospital policies

what nurse isn’t frustrated with doctors lets be real 

exhibit A: “my patient is in TEARS with 10/10 pain and the doctors have the audacity to ask if THEY TRIED TO DISTRACT THEMSELVES WITH ART?” (this is a literal conversation I’ve had with a resident before) 

hates talking to interns because he ends up having to teach them how to do their job 

hates talking to jaded attendings

only attending he likes is shouyo

used to have long hair in nursing school but cut it after his ponytail got into some shit during a bed bath 

still smokes.. kondo hates it because we’ve all seen what it’s done to our patients and you still smoke?

has tried to quit but never works out

gintoki also gets on his case about it

just imagine hijikata in those black figs joggers scrubs UGH 

in this universe they’re called digs because copyright and this is still gintama we’re talking about

these scrubs are unnecessarily expensive so he didn’t actually buy them himself ( “why the fuck would i buy expensive scrubs if i am going to get literal shit on it”).. if left to his own devices he will wear those ugly ass hospital issued scrubs

Kondo and his other friends split the price for the black joggers and a 3 pocket scrub top -- because we all know hijikata puts ALL his supplies in his pockets. he NEEDS pockets

Gintoki thinks his ass looks good in those joggers UGH 

Hijikata won’t admit it but the digs are his favorite pair they are so comfortable. still won’t buy them with his own money though

student nurses are scared of him because he’s intense and asks hard questions, really strict... doesn’t bully but pushes students and orientees really hard

but also any one who can survive being trained by him becomes an excellent nurse

that nurse that’s on top of their shit and THINKS instead of just following orders

“saw his potassium is high. can we do something about that?”

“there wasn’t continuous oxygen monitoring ordered but i put them on because it doesn’t look good. can we get an order for that” 

all the doctors trust him because he’s just so goOD

gets on gintoki’s case about looking like a bum at the hospital all the time

if he EVER catches wind of doctors talking down to his nurses or older nurses bullying the newer ones (which never really happens because kondo is a great manager who fosters a very nontoxic work culture) they will...FEEL. HIS. WRATH. 

also will not tolerate patients treating him (or his coworkers) like shit. will be more professional dealing with patients tho than with the MDs. but if it’s an MD berating a nurse, they better be ready to get their ass KICKED

Gintoki is the new resident along with katsura and takasugi in.... internal medicine? surgery? idk? 

i mostly just wanted write this one: hijikata has a patient in a pain crisis 10/10 pain, given all available pain meds, tried everything possible but still no relief. paged the new resident working with this patient 

hijikata fully expects either a call saying “sorry i can’t order any more pain medicine for this patient” or just another IV medicine ordered with no communication at all 

but gintoki comes into the patient’s room (first thing hijikata notices is unprofessional hair, wrinkled jacket, mismatching socks and thinks this doctor is going to be lazy AF), speaks to the patient with great bedside manner, talks to the patient about pain management strategies and WORKS WITH THEM for a better plan for medication. walks with the patient in the hall and even takes them to the bathroom 

hijikata is FLOORED. because this never happens with MDs.

(this has actually happened and me and all my coworkers were SO PLEASANTLY SURPRISED)

hijikata once sent gintoki a message asking if he wanted to lower the dose for a medication because the lab for it was high 

gintoki thought he was the pharmacist because hijikata is just that good

likes the sound of hijikata’s voice on the phone so he always returns his pages even if it’s just to say “ok i’ll put the order in” 

secretly gets excited when he sees hijikata’s name on the chart under the care team 

one because he’s hot

two because he’s a good nurse

actually learns a lot from hijikata

gets to know hijikata’s bad break habits and gives him a coffee whenever he notices he’s working (but is absolutely disgusted when he brings out the mayonnaise)

“how can you tell your patients to be healthy when you put that shit in everything you eat?” 

hijikata counters with “you can’t tell me what to eat when you’re on your way to diabetes asshole” 

tries to be the kind of MD shouyo is 

being in healthcare is hard so the two of them do drink together if their days off line up to vent....

hijikata complains about dumb MDs (gintoki makes mental notes on how to not be an annoying MD), how busy his days are, and why are we always understaffed... how can we run out of IVs? 

gintoki complains about all the calls he gets, how stressful residency is, why are rounds so early, that midget takasugi, the long ass working hours, being on call fuckin sucks

both bond over sharing crazy stories about patients or how their day went....also hospital complaints because what healthcare worker doesn’t complain about their hospital 

get into “who’s job is more stressful” arguments a lot

on particularly hard (emotionally, physically, mentally) days the other would show up with a bag of food and drinks? 

when the two start dating, it’s usually just... hanging out at work? 

if somehow by some miracle, they get their breaks together (if at all) they eat together

if they do have days off together they usually spend it sleeping (literally you guys) or relaxing at one of their apartments

sleep deprived healthcare workers lead to many....petty...arguments but they make up by the end 

it’s late and i have more thoughts? but i have work tomorrow. but i needed to get this OUT OF MY BRAIN.

also feel free to message me about any of this!! :) asks are always open hehe

[itsybitsylemonsqueezy]

Hey, I’m here once again with the ranting (if you don’t mind)! I just finished playing Yakuza 5 and damn I have a lot of feels I want to share. When I was first introduced to the franchise, I thought that nothing could beat Zero for me, but here I am now, holding back my tears and thinking what a fine game 5 turned out to be! I really loved the bonds that characters formed along the way, it just felt so sincere and warm that my heart throbbed nearly at every dialogue Х) Like Saejima/Baba, Mirei/Haruka (and Akiyama too!), Shinada/Takasugi were absolutely delightful. And don’t get me started on the ending scene with Kiryu and his daughter. I fucking lost it there. So damn emotional and pure. And while I adore Zero for its majestic tragedy and fatalism, I also love the kind and inspiring atmosphere of 5. Of course, there were some flaws, like I didn’t find the main antagonist all that interesting (especially after Ryuji and Mine), but in the end I was ready to overlook it just because the heartwarming scenes between the characters were so well done. So yeah, for me it’s top tier along with Zero. What’s your personal opinion on the game (and your favorites in the series in general)?

Congrats! Oooooh, Game 5. I’ve got a lot of feels about Game 5 too ^^; It’s a real fav c: There’s an awful lot I love about it, but there’s one or two things that really stick in my craw. I’m not sure I could put it up with Zero, but it’s definitely a game I treasure c: 

I find it interesting that your interpret Zero as fatalistic and 5 as inspiring. Zero definitely has a lot of high-key tragedy, but I think the fact that we come through the other side, that Kiryu doesn’t go into the ground with Tachibana, that Majima decides that even though he could be happy with Makoto, it isn’t what he wants, I find that really powerful and even hopeful. Not inspiring perhaps, the choices we all make in that game are crushingly hard and frequently we’re punished for things that aren’t our fault. But seeing Kiryu confront his potential for the first time and, perhaps for the last time, deciding he’s not afraid of it, that this is a mantle he can carry and do good with, really does things for me. And I’ve gone on at length before about how we ought to read Majima’s choice at the end as not sacrificial, not denial, but rather a choice of identity. What stopped him from going with Makoto isn’t fear for what it would do to her (though certainly those protective instincts are still alive and well), but rather a... with nothing holding him back, he would still choose the life he started. He could leave it all right here but... there are things he wants to do, not has to do, wants to do. And he makes the choice to be yakuza, to be the Mad Dog, crucially, before he sees Kiryu. He could leave it all behind, but then he wouldn’t be himself. He wants to be yakuza. And he couldn’t do that if he was with her. I think that’s really cool and really life-affirming. 

Meanwhile 5... it’s hard for me to articulate what 5 is about because we have a bunch of different character arcs, some of which mesh quite nicely and some of which have nothing at all to do with each other. It’s probably best if I just break this down piece by piece ^^;

(spoilers follow for game 5 my little chili babies)

Kiryu’s arc, as I have articulated before, I fucking love in game 5. However, I do have my criticisms of it. In many ways, the conflict we’re facing in 5 is something that should have come up awhile back. But, even delayed, it is satisfying. It is satisfying to force Kiryu to confront his mistakes. It is satisfying to at least reach a turn on Kiryu, to have him decide that he wants to live and does feel worthy, even if it’s at the last possible second. Like, I interpret 5 as much more fatalistic because Kiryu’s dying in the snow in the middle of saying how he wants to come home to his daughter. Like... he may have finally gotten his revelation, but he was already in the middle of repeating the cycle. What would have been truly satisfying was to force him to live, to insist that he grow up and learn how to live with people because dying won’t fix it. This is a problem we’ve had since the beginning and have never really addressed. This was our chance to address it and it breaks my heart that game 5 comes so close and was going the right direction, but doesn’t quite give us that resolution that Kiryu’s going to continue his relationships and be okay now, that he isn’t going to back out this time. And if the creators had been brave they would have ended the fucking series here with that resolution. That’s SO OBVIOUSLY the main conflict in Kiryu’s plot and here, at last, we were finally fucking dealing with it and this SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE END. THIS WAS IT. THE ACTUAL FUCKING END, I- *breathes* Let me not derail this entire thing with game 6. Let’s just... never talk about game 6. 

That said... one of the things I ADORE about game 5 is this is the clearest sense of motivation we’ve had since Kiwami 1. For the first time in FUCKING FOREVER character choices made sense! HALLE-FUCKING-LUJAH. I CANNOT TELL YOU what it did to me that it was Majima that got Kiryu into the game. I cannot tell you the breath of life it gave me, after all this fucking BULLSHIT, that the game came FUCKING HOME on the most important person to Kiryu is Majima. Daigo needs help? Kiryu can’t help. Haruka needs her dad? Kiryu can’t help. These are both mistakes, don’t get me wrong! Absolutely terrible decisions, but they make sense out of Kiryu’s depression, out of his fears and doubts and feelings of unworthiness, his guilt. He’s so caught up in “better off without me” and so scared and so guilty, he can’t answer people even when they ask for help. But Majima. He can’t turn away from. He hears Majima’s dead and Kiryu loses his goddamn mind. Because it’s his fault. Because he wasn’t there. Because he left him out there and now Majima’s dead. Kiryu asked him to do something and, for all Kiryu knows, Majima’s dead because of him. And... as much as Kiryu hates himself in this moment, as much as Kiryu is sure that it’s all his fault, he’s SO upset, he has to go help, he HAS to go fix it. Majima’s dead and with his last breath, Kiryu will make this fuckign right. He’s gotta try. Because Majima being dead is... unacceptable. He can’t handle it. I fucking love that. At long last, it felt like the same story I’d been watching from 1. At long fucking last, we got some fucking proof of Kiryu’s feelings. And for that alone, I love game 5. I’ve got some issues with it, but that was... vindication. Spent 3 games waffling and pretending we didn’t know him unless we’re literally in the same scene, but even Kiryu’s denial isn’t that strong. Majima’s dead and Kiryu can’t anymore. He’s gonna go there and, god help him, he’ll go into the ground with him. You look at that and tell me it was un-fucking-requited. 

On that note, I just gotta gush for a second about that scene where the girl is naked in Kiryu’s apartment and Kiryu just ???? He’s not even “no thank you” he’s like PAINED. Like... she hugs him and Kiryu looks like he’s being fucking tortured! That is not the reaction of someone with even an iota of attraction to feminine bodies! This gay icon! Like, if you’d done that to Majima he would have been like “You’re pretty, babe, but I am Emotionally Unavailable” like the bi icon he is, like... you may not take her up on it, but you can still appreciate her or at least turn her down gracefully. But Kiryu out here doing his best to touch her as little as humanly fucking possible like’ he’s TERRIFIED. That’s not someone being overly polite, that was “cannot conceive of being attracted to this.” Just... this gay fucking dad. Holy christ. 

Related GOTTA love Kiryu’s boss being “Hey, there’s a rumor going around that you’re gay! Any thoughts?” and Kiryu just “That Is A Thing People Ask Me” which is the EXACT RESPONSE of a queer person who doesn’t want to out themselves but also doesn’t want to lie. Game 5 fucking iconic for those 2 scenes alone, god bless. 

Moving away from Kiryu for a second, although this game is VERY about Kiryu’s story, let’s talk about Saejima! Saejima FINALLY gets to come into his own as a character, we get to handle him properly as a character and not as a crux in Majima’s character development. I love the marked differences in how Kiryu and Saejima respond to Majima and handle him. I love that they fucking NAILED motivation here. That Kiryu and Majima mutually code romantic, that they both make batshit decisions because of each other, in that way that you do when you’re madly in love with someone. Meanwhile, Saejima loves his brother but isn’t in love with him. Saejima’s relationship with Majima is stable and trusting. He’s not losing his mind over Majima’s death because he trust him and knows him. If he’s dead, Saejima trusts that Majima did all he could and it was just his time. That’s why he’s not losing his mind, he’s resolved. He just wants to know what happened. And it’s this stability that really tells us who Saejima is and how he functions as a protag. His strength is his trust in others, which at times IS naive, but it’s also what turns Baba. It’s what keeps Saejima strong when Kiryu’s falling apart. It’s so cool to see a character who isn’t paranoid, who isn’t tore up with guilt, in this series with very complicated leads. Saejima is functional and necessary because he isn’t any of those things. He doesn’t get swept up in big emotional turmoil. He cuts through a lot of foibles that would have tripped up his brother or Kiryu and it’s just really refreshing to see and exciting to experience Saejima’s brand of problem solving. He’s not terribly clever and he’s not subtle, but he’s honest and sure that counts for A LOT in this series. Gotta love Saejima. 

And, as I have gushed about before and will again, Baba. Baba. Saejima turning Baba hand me fucking ascending. Baba Known Whore Shigecki turning on a time because Saejima screams “Because we’re kyoudai!” I am LIVING. I love their relationship. I love that Baba’s a little shit. I love that he’s inexplicably a supermodel. I love that his constant vibe is “would like to choke til he cries on Saejima’s dick.” I love that Saejima has a gorgeous prison boyfriend. Well deserved! I love the idea of Baba getting integrated into the group. I need WAY more fic about him coming back to live with Saejima in Kamurocho and Saejima just has an ex-assassin boyfriend now and we all get to live with that. Ugggghhhh, bless. So good. No notes, no criticisms, just good.

Haruka was LONG overdue to be a protag, I’m so glad this game did it. But... pop idol? The thing she explicitly said in Kiwami 2 she didn’t want to be? *siiiigh* Like, I get that she can change her mind as she grows up and that that’s the Thing You Do with Japanese teenage girls, but... Imagine Martial Artist Haruka! Raised by the yakuza, surrounded her whole life by people with incredible fighting skills, who would gladly teach her self-defense. Imagine! Or even training her to become a yakuza! My wife and I joke about Seventh Chairman Sawamura Haruka, but imagine how satisfying that would have been! A whole Tojo dynasty of Kiryu’s kids! She’s so ripe for it! And I know the yakuza is a male-only organization but... c’mon, this is fiction and sexism is boring. I guess I can understand the creators unwillingness to depict violence against women, even if it’s being perpetrated by other women but uh... *eye twitch* game 5 is maybe not the BEST example of their... respecting women... 

*screams into a pillow for several minutes* *breathes* *screams for another fifteen minutes* Okay... I uh... I um... can’t talk about Mirei Park without having an aneurysm. PLEASE skip this bullet point if you don’t want to read Mirei Hate. I just... I Hate Everything About Her And I Don’t Know Why She Fucking Exists. I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade and if you like Mirei, y’all welcome to feel how you feel but... she is the only thing I truly Hate about game 5. I just... leaving aside my personal feelings about the... Majima part of her story which we just... Won’t talk about... Leaving that aside... I don’t know why she’s here? She’s the person who convinces Kiryu to leave his children. She’s predatory, she took advantage of a vulnerable young girl to live out some personal dream? Like, sure, economic opportunity, independence, but we don’t get a lot of motive from Haruka that it IS her dream to be a pop idol. She has said in the past that’s not what she wants, she makes mention of doing this for the money to support her family, Mirei LITERALLY SAYS she wants Haruka to do the things she couldn’t, and ultimately Haruka asides not to do this anyway because she’d ratehr be home with her dad! So what was the FUCKING POINT of Mirei Park? Is she a villain? Is she sympathetic? What the fuck was I supposed to take from her? How the fuck am I supposed to read her? She tells this TRAUMATIC story off-hand to Haruka to... justify her decisions? Motivate Haruka? Dragging in another long-term character for no good reason and reframing how we have to think about said character. But then THIS NEVER COMES UP AGAIN. The information wasn’t even important! It’s just traumatic! If it was supposed to keep Haruka doing the pop idol thing, it didn’t work! Haruka still leaves! If this was meant to deepen our relationship to Mirei or complicate her or whatever, IT DOESN’T, SHE WAS LITERALLY DEAD THE NEXT SCENE. I just... WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED HERE?! What even the fuck was I supposed to do with any of this?! Leaving ASIDE my VERY intense feelings about what this did for Majima (for the sake of not going ogg Even More than I already am, I just won’t talk abotu it here), I just have no goddamn clue what the point of Mirei even was. She’s not useful to Haruka’s arc and she only serves in Kiryu’s arc to be a villain. We could have had Haruka leave home and decide in the end that Kiryu’s her dad and that’s where she wants to be a MILLION different ways, we could have done that MUCH more kindly and consistently with the rest of her character and values, but we don’t! We have this shitmess instead!

I’m really really sorry to anyone reading this who likes Mirei. You don’t have to agree with me! And I’m not trying to make you feel bad! I’m not trying to tell people how they should feel or what they should get out of the story. If you got something out of her, you related to her, you found her part in the story meaningful, that’s great! I’m genuinely glad that you did. I... didn’t. I have a lot of negative opinions about what happened. Usually I try to just not talk about it because I don’t want to ruin someone’s good time. I’m not here trying to start shit. So I apologize for my tone and I did try to put a warning before it and recommend it be skipped if it’s the sort of thing that would offend you. My Mirei rant is over now, I won’t talk about it again.

I have absolutely no idea why Akiyama is in this story, tbh? He contributed very little, but I’m glad Haruka got to hang out with someone cool and that one of her uncles was here watching out for her, since Majima was “dead” and Kiryu was in the middle of a personal crisis ^^; I love Akiyama, always happy to see him, but he really had nothing to do here ^^; I was sad for no Hana though 8C Wherever there is Akiyama, there must also be Hana!

Shinada... is adorable and actively injured the plot. I’m sorry, I just... no one ever talks about the fact that including Shinada in the story actively hurt it. I love him too! He’s an incredible idiot and very sweet, but why the fuck is he here? What did an ancient baseball cover up have to do with anything? This was the only way you could think of to put Daigo in the game again? Really??? And Daigo doesn’t even do very much here! So like... not really worth it. You could have had a whole substory of Daigo finding out what happened to Majima, fuck DAIGO COULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE PROTAGS. THERE’S A THOUGHT. We could have utilized, y’know, characters we already have, but no, instead we introduce this dumb fuck to do... what exactly? Oh right, beat up Baba AFTER HE HAD ALREADY DECIDED NOT TO SHOOT HARUKA! Like, YOU DIDN’T EVEN NEED SHINADA FOR THE THING YOU NEEDED HIM FOR. Saejima and Kiryu were enough of an influence on Baba to stop him! And that makes sense out of Baba’s character arc, since it’s about personal redemption and learning to be a person and his faith and love of Saejima, y’know, the character he actually HAS a relationship with, is about that. The point of Baba was him learning it WAS his choice and him MAKING that choice. See, I can’t argue that Baba’s superfluous to the plot, but he WAS the threat! He was actively involved and he’s what makes Saejima involved. Shinada doesn’t occupy the same space, he has no horse in this race, he’s not yakuza, he’s only here because he and Daigo kinda like each other or whatever, and, again, HE WASN’T EVEN NEEDED! Baba’s arc was complete and the threat was terminated without this shit! Like, Akiyama has no reason to be here either, but at least he was a true neutral, neither helping nor harming the plot. We actively waste time to bring Shinada in and he hurts Baba’s arc by overly punishing him and potentially risking the decision he just made. Like if I was Baba, I might have gone “you know what, fuck you, I will shoot her just because your self-righteous ass decided to hit me for MAKING THE RIGHT CALL” Jesus... 

I hate to be nothing but a curmudgeon but just... no one brings that up and I just had to say it if no one else was gonna. 

As for villains, the game would have been a lot stronger without the “thwarted destiny, I should be on the throne” bullshit especially since the story has done a SHIT JOB with the legacy of Nishiki and in NO WAY utilized the fucking koi or the burden of Nishiki’s death properly for this to hit the way it should. It makes theoretical sense that Kriyu’s last villain should be the reincarnation of Nishiki, but the story did not build that up or support it so it falls really flat. That said, the main problem in Kiryu’s arc is that dying is not a resolution. Dying doesn’t fix a problem, it only delays it. THAT’S the thing we have to confront and we almost nearly do and... I’m just so excited that we finally articulated that, I’m willing to forgive A LOT. 

And finally we wrote Majima entirely out of the game only to confirm that his only reason for living is Kiryu and then, again, didn’t resolve it because, y’know, fuck ending things, I guess? But he did have that sweet fight with Saejima and can do shadow clones now I guess? Fucking ninja magic or whatever. Sure, Majima’s so OP he can do fucking shadow clones now. No, teleporting wasn’t enough, he can fucking shadow clone. That’s like a staisfying story arc right? ...right?

[suchine-toki]

(1) I don't understand what you all complaining about Gintama's ending. All because "Gintoki failed to protect Takasugi and Shouyou". Gintama has always had a "Soul over Body" theme. Way back in the beginning, Gintoki said that he'd rather his body break than his soul break. He told Kondo after ShigeShige's death that as long as they keep their comrades' "soul", their spirit, in their heart, those people never die.

First of all, I want to apologize for taking so long to answer. A lot happened and I forgot about this until some time ago and I thought hey, it would be good to finally reply on June 19th, considering a year has passed since the last chapter. I’ll answer from my point of view, so please don’t expect this to be a summary of why people aren’t satisfied with the ending. I only represent myself.

To start, I would like to clarify that I’ve tried to like Gintama’s ending, I really have. I’ve tried to see things from the point you are presenting to me and say "it was fine." But it didn't work for me. And to tell the truth, I also don't think it's okay to force yourself to like something, but I tried anyway because the series meant so much to me. At this point, when a year has passed since it ended, I still don't like the ending, so I don't think I ever will. Although I wish so.

You know, I’d Gintama on a pedestal. I still think it’s a very good series. However, I can't help but feel a little sad about how it ended. True, I’d high expectations, but in my opinion they were justified, Sorachi had written a great story after all. I never thought it was a masterpiece, but it’d a strong impact on me and, after all, that's what's important. If I decided to share my opinion it’s precisely for that reason.

Gintoki's failure to protect Takasugi and Shouyou is the top of the iceberg, there's a whole context you're missing here (the whole iceberg lol). Yes, one of the themes of the series is “soul over the body”. That’s why Gintoki suffered so much when he’d to kill his master, his soul was broken. And even though he kept on trying to live under his teachings, he still suffered for the decision he’d to make. This was in fact the main conflict of his character.

Gintoki feared losing his friends again, so he tries to carry his burden alone. In the last arc, I expected to see how he got through this. Instead, the last few chapters only revolved around things we’d already seen. A lot of time was spent on Takasugi, if he was good, if he was bad, stabbing him lmao when his character arc was practically resolved. Yes, Utsuro was still a pending issue, just as it was for Gintoki and Katsura (who was treated as if he didn't exist)! But Takasugi can't get over it and he dies. You know, if you ever have depression, the best way out is death :D

Arguably, Gintoki is the one who had it the worst, however, the “keep living” message applies to him but not to Takasugi. Weird. Returning to the point, by the end of the series the entire cast had their character development arc. The only ones left were Gintoki, Shinpachi and Kagura, the main ones. However, nothing happened to them. They just beat Utsuro, a villain that Shinpachi and Kagura had no relationship with (a huge mistake in my opinion), Shinpachi comforted Shouyou as you said, and that was it.

Then Gintoki went back to his old ways and it’s not clear he’s much better than at the beginning, and Shinpachi and Kagura forgot the dreams they once had. While it’s not wrong to want to be next to a person, when you cannot advance in their absence there is a problem, which is literally what happened by the end. Parting ways is presented as something bad, but you know… doing your own thing is not wrong. In fact, it shows maturity and growth, which was an especially important point for both Shinpachi and Kagura.

Well, in the end, Sorachi chose to maintain the status quo and repeat over and over and over again how happy everyone is like this... I think it’s great that you’re satisfied with the finale, I really do. I wish I could be you. But these things still bother me. I hope that in a year or two in a while I’ll get over it. As I was saying, I still consider Gintama to be a good series overall, it's just that its ending was a big shock to me. It's frustrating to see how something with so much potential falls flat. So, it’s a bittersweet feeling when I think about Gintama.

***

Here I link some posts I made that expand my thoughts on the ending on specific topics (it's fun bc you can see my different stages of grief lol) feel free to pick whatever you want ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿_

Chapter 703 /// Thoughts on Silver Soul arc /// Gintoki’s state /// Utsuro as a villain /// Takasugi’s death /// BFY ending /// Contribution of side characters /// Gintaladies involvement /// About the ships

***

I just wanted to see Gin smile like this...

[by-mana]

Commissions Redux

Hi Folks!

This has been copied from my main blog and cleaned up a bit, since I’m trying to separate the fan stuff from the main to keep something like a semblance of an order. Commissions are therefore moved from Mana-chan’s Corner to here. They are still open and perfectly free, just read the rules, please. In case you wish to support me, you can do either of these things:

» Leave a Tip

» Buy Me a Coffee

As I am currently jobless (thank you Corona) every bit is appreciated. 

» Full Update

For a long time I didn’t take any commissions because the fandoms and pairings I have inspiration for is a limited fraction of my active fandoms (i.e. the fandoms I engage with via reading fic, commenting, enjoying content, reblogging, etc.) and I didn’t want to disappoint. 

Recently, in an unexpected strike of utter genius (which only took me like... 5 years to work out), I had the epiphany to compile a list of fandoms+pairings I’d be more than happy to write as you desire.

» Commission Rules/FAQ. Please read before commissioning.

» For full list of available fandoms/genres click below.

» Fandoms

» The Untamed | Mo Dao Zu Shi

The most recent fandom, also the one that currently dominates my mind. 

Including: CQL, Novel, Movies. I haven’t read a lot of the source material, but I’m intending to and I already did some research. For now I think I prefer a mix of canons. 

» Pairings

» Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian

» Jiang Cheng & Wei Wuxian (mostly gen, but I believe I could do something sexual/romantic as well, but please ask first if you have any specific ideas)

» Jiang Cheng/Wen Qing (please read the rules)

» Jiang Cheng/Wen Ning (tentative)

» Nie Mingjue/Wei Wuxian

» Nie Mingjue/Lan Xichen (tentative, though I mostly see myself as writing them on the side)

» Any version of the 3zun (same as above)

» Lan Xichen/Wei Wuxian

» Jin Zixuan/Wei Wuxian

» Specific Canons / Prompts

The Untamed basically exploded over my head and didn’t leave me alone. In the past few months a few plotbunnies developed which I’d all love to write at one point. You can chose to prompt me either of these or pick any general prompt, or anything you’d like to read, as long as it aligns with what I can write.

» The First Witness

Genre: Case Fic, Modern AU, Canon retell, Drama, Tragedy, Romance, M/M

Pairings: WWX/LWJ

Includes: Forensic Medical Examiner Wei Wuxian, Inspector Lan Wangji, Single Dad Wei Wuxian, Wei Sizhui / Wen Yuan, the dead ones are dead, Badass Grandmother Baoshan Sanren, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, Businessman Jiang Cheng, Murder Mystery, Pining, Getting Together, HIV positive character, past off-screen rape (mentioned only). It’s basically what it says, a canon retell wrapped in a modern day case fic. It was the first thing that I had inspiration for.

» Nurse Wei Wuxian slice of life Modern AU

Genre: Modern AU, slice of life, recovery, drama, tragedy, adoption, M/M, hurt & comfort, getting together, romance, fluff

Pairings: WWX/LWJ

Includes: pediatric nurse Wei Wuxian, pediatric nurse MianMian, elementary school teacher Lan Wangji, pediatrician Lan Xichen, intense care nurse Jiang Yanli, intense care doctor Wen Qing, teacher’s aide Wen Ning, Yunmeng reconciliation, only some are dead, Wen family+WWX living together. 

Premise: Former convict Wei Wuxian, fresh out of nursing school, applies for a job at Dr. Lan Xichen’s pediatric practice. Lan Xichen (who sometimes takes pro bono foster children abuse cases) isn’t quite sold on the idea of a former felon turned nurse attending to already traumatized children, but upon interview decides to give WWX a chance. Not only does he never regret it, it turns out it’s to be the best decision he’s ever made, not only in regards to his practice. Meddling ensues, love blossoms, truths are revealed, happy end. Probably the fluffiest story on the list.

» ABO Yunmeng Shuanjie Fake Marriage AU

Not what you think. Does not involve pseudo-incest (at least not for a long time, haven’t decided on the end results yet). First ABO I’ve ever considered writing, but all the more exciting, since I know now what I want of it.

Pairing: WWX/LWJ (temporal, non-endgame - so far, platonic), WWX & JC (gen, ruling partners)

Includes: fake marriage, extra marital affair, male pregnancy, abo (mostly non-traditional, I think?), not actual pseudo incest, adoption, canon divergence, not everybody dies, Wen Chao being a monster, sexual assault (interrupted), golden core loss, NO golden core transfer, misunderstandings, complicated political situations, the Wens are saved and live in Lotus Pier, a-Yuan is still adopted, “sometimes love is not enough”

Premise: shortly after concluding the studies at Cloud Recesses LWJ starts courting WWX. Engagement is discussed between the two clans, but the Wen indoctrination and the burning of the Cloud Recesses gets in between. When LWJ refuses to lie in order to save WWX from Wen Chao’s assault, JC steps in and pretends to be the one engaged to WWX to save his brother from a forced bond. To prevent this from being debunked and to ensure a future marriage (which will now be more challenging to achieve, given the state of Cloud Recesses), LWJ and WWX mate and bond in the Xuanwu cave. Then Lotus Pier is sacked, JC loses his golden core, the Jiangs are dead and the Yunmeng siblings flee for their lives, find refuge in Yiling, etc. Plays out as in canon except they find out WWX is pregnant and transferring the golden core would cause an abortion. WWX still says do it, but changes his mind in the last minute, leading to JC finding out about his plan upon waking up and remaining coreless. They flee to Meishan and marry to protect WWX’s reputation (since a marriage would now be impossible for a long time on both sides - Gusu and Yunmeng, AND JC needs WWX more than ever and WWX is not abandoning his little brother) Sunshot happens, WWX invents the control tower & still saves the Sunshot campaign. The sixteen years that follow are utter chaos.

» Nie Mingjue/Wei Wuxian arranged marriage AU

You know what this is inspired by. 

Pairing: Nie Mingjue/Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian (unfullfilled, for a long time)

Includes: arranged marriage, some characters die, Nie Mingjue dies but later, revenge, wwx adopts a-yuan, canon divergence, slow burn, learning to love, the Wens live, political intrigues, wwx and nhs teaming up against jgy

Premise: To save the Wens and himself from qi deviation Wei Wuxian marries Nie Mingjue (in spite of being in love with LWJ). Slowly some truths are revealed and feelings blossom but some tragedies cannot be prevented. NMJ realizes the feelings that are between WWX and LWJ, but they both marry regardless. Later WWX realizes that NMJ is similarly in love with Lan Xichen. With time they learn to love and respect each other, NMJ learns about what WWX did for JC, WWX learns clarity to play for NMJ when JGY nearly succeeds killing him (WWX suspects but he has no proof). NMJ still dies (disappears) and widower WWX spends the next decade or so seeking revenge and searching for his husband’s body so that he can rest in peace. It’s all very bittersweet, but there’s a happy ending.

» Hakuouki + Extended Universe 

The longest active and steadiest fandom. I know exactly what I’ll write and what not.

Including characters from: Urakata, Toki no Kizuna, the most recent overhauls (Kyoto Winds, Edo Blossoms). I’ve seen all three anime seasons, played a few routes of Kyoto Winds and read some walkthroughs. I’m not completely done with all of them, but I’ll take the time to research if the commission demands it.

» Pairings

» Harada Sanosuke/Nagakura Shinpachi (I lovingly refer to them as my naval battle cruiser)

» Harada Sanosuke/Shiranui Kyou

» Shiranui Kyou/Takasugi Shinsaku

» Kondou Isami/Hijikata Toushizou (tentative)

» Hijikata Toushizou/Saitou Hajime (tentative)

» Nagakura Shinpachi/Saitou Hajime

» Saitou Hajime/Toudou Heisuke

» Yukimura Chizuru/Sen-hime

» Ibuki Ryuunosuke/Kosuzu (please read the rules)

» Specific Canons / Prompts:

I’ve had a number of inspirations for this, which I’ve never written, but would love to delve into. You can chose to prompt me either of these or, of course, pick a general prompt.

» Fabulous Family Series

The one in progress, you can check it out on AO3. You can prompt me in this, if there’s something you’d like to read.

Pairings (current and planned): Harada/Nagakura, Kondou/Hijikata, Okita/Chizuru (casual), Heisuke/Saitou, Takasugi/Shiranui, Chizuru/Sen-chan, Ibuki/Kosuzu, Ibuki->Saitou (one-sided crush), Saitou/Chizuru (temporal)

Tags: adoption, modern AU, lgbtq+ issues, M/M, genderfluid character, disabled character (future), teenage pregnancy (future), slice of life, sexual assault (future), child abuse (future reveal), romance, ace/aro character, casual sex, underage sex, 

» Gender Swap AU

Main Ship: Harada/Nagakura

Side Ship: Ibuki/Kosuzu

Summary: Sannan secretly tests a version of his experimental Ochimizu on a few of the captains. The result is that the new day dawns with some drastic changes to their bodies that have nothing to do with white hair, glowing eyes or bloodthirst, but with a whole other set of complications. 

Premise: Original story was supposed to be about Shinpachi developing and unexpected attraction to Sano, them “experimenting” together and Sano falling pregnant. While the others manage to turn back to their original bodies, Sano doesn’t and it is all very complicated. Eventually he does (after giving birth), but instead of it being a good thing it just makes things more complicated. In the end, he choses to live in a female body instead of death and marries Shinpachi. Would include trans issues, gender dysphoria, friendship vs. love, the nature of attraction, respect, feminism and female issues. I wanted to write it as a multi-chapter, but never got around to it. But I’d love to put it out there in any form I can.

» Prince of Tennis

Tentatively putting this down as one of my oldest fandoms. I never wrote for it as cosistently as with other fandoms, but a few years back I rp-ed it for quite a while and could probably still write for it, if the pairing’s right. 

Including: ShinTeniPuri characters up to Pirates and Black Holes (I haven’t read much further, but I’ll probably catch up at one point? I always do.)

» Pairings / Characters (mostly Shitenhouji and Higa centric)

» Oshitari Kenya/Shiraishi Kuranosuke

» Oshitari Kenya/Chitose Senri

» Oshitari Kenya & Oshitari Yuushi (gen, ask me about cest)

» Shishido Ryou/Oishi Shuuichirou

» Oshitari Yuushi/Kikumaru Eiji

» Oshitari Yuushi/Hirakoba Rin (this relates to that rp)

» Kai Yuujirou & Hirakoba Rin (both gen and slash)

» Kite Eishirou/Hirakoba Rin

» Watanabe Osamu/Sakaki Tarou

» Higa gen

» Shitenhouji gen and casual relationships (ask me about specific ones)

» Hara Tetsuya/Taira Yoshiyuki

» Mori Juuzaburou & Hara Tetsuya (mostly gen, but I probs could do casual slash as well)

» Ochi Tsukimitsu/Mori Juuzaburou

» Marui Bunta/Hara Tetsuya (you will never get this, but it derives from that rp I did and would still def write it if people are interested)

» Tango Pair (Sanada Genichirou/Atobe Keigo)

» Specific Canons / Prompts

Most of what I had in my head has faded but a few things remained. Of course you can also come with your own prompt at me.

» College AU, future fic

Premise: Everyone has grown up and moved on. The Oshitari cousins are now rooming together, both studying medicine at Tokyo University. They’re upper neighbors with Shishido Ryou (paedagogy) and Oishi Shuuichirou (medicine), who both miss their doubles partners, but have seemingly moved on from their middle school days and broken hearts. No such thing can be said about Kenya, who can’t get over his break up with Shiraishi following their graduation, or Yuushi, who seems to hold secrets of his own.

I haven’t developed much for this, most of it are scattered ideas, but I’d love to explore it. I’ve thought of some pairings for it, but none of them final. It would also leave a lot of room for casual stuff or one-night stands. It’s actually an ideal prompt premise, from that standpoint.

Pairings (at start, no necessarily final): Oshitari Kenya/Shiraishi Kuranosuke (past), Oishi Shuuichirou/Shishido Ryou (current), Oishi Shuuichirou/Kikumaru Eiji (past), Shishido Ryou/Ootori Choutarou (past), Oshitari Yuushi/Kikumaru Eiji (current, secret), 

» It takes two to Tango / Tango towards Destruction

An old fic that was supposed to be a series which I never finished, but could pick it up and remaster it. It’d be a nostalgia project. 

Pairing: Tango Pair

Premise: Atobe’s father finds out about him and Sanada dating and threatens to disown him if they don’t break up. In the original Atobe runs away, but I’m thinking now he simply might not take it seriously enough and then it would escalate. He ends up moving in with the Sanada family. Your typical rich boy loses everything and struggles through poverty, finding meaning, building a life for himself, coming off age. 

» One Piece

A fandom older than even TeniPuri it’s been with me the longest. Unfortunately it doesn’t inspire me anymore the way it used to, but I’d still be able to write some things for it, if the right muse struck me. I kinda want to. Nostalgia, you know.

» Pairings

» Zoro/Sanji

» Ace/Zoro

» Ace/Sanji

» Luffy/Law (tentative, like, I ship them hard but I don’t know if I’d be able to write something for them? Oh but I’d like to try)

» Mihawk/Shanks

» Mihawk & Zoro & Perona family dynamics

» Zeff & Sanji adopted family dynamics

» Usopp & Yasopp gen

» Izo? I’d like to try an Izo.

» Canons

» Canonverse

Set in the original canon of the fandom.

Including (not limited to): backstory - past canon, present canon, future fic (please specify), canon divergence

» Modern AU

Including (not limited to): no powers, modern with magic (potential, please ask), slice of life, mystery, case fic, ‘job AU’ (coffee shop, doctors, idols, etc., please specify/ask)

» Sci-fi AU

Including: original sci-fi canon, Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly, Cowboy Bebop, Dune (tentative), Hyperion (tentative), for everything else ask. I know a lot of sci-fi, but not enough lore for each of them to set a story in. I might be interested but it'd necessitate research.

» High Fantasy AU

Including (not limited to): original fantasy canon, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Witcher, but overall I’d prefer if you ask about this. I haven’t read/seen a lot of the most recent and popular franchises (mostly because I’m writing my own high fantasy and don’t want it to be too influenced by other things, and someone already told me it sounds like Game of Thrones, so that one’s a big no. Sorry...)

» No Powers, other than modern AU

Including (not limited to): everything that doesn’t fall under the modern AU list, but has no powers in it, i.e. historical AU (specify time & culture), future AU (near & far), cyberpunk dystopia (possibly), post-apocalyptic (possibly). I don’t write zombies.

» Superpowers / Hero AU

Including (not limited to): X-Men, Avengers, Wildstorm Universe, original superhero canon

» Genres

I do mostly serious stuff, like drama, tragedy, intrigues, arranged marriage, tragic backstory, etc. I like to put my characters through a lot of suffering. I always joke that it’s very easy to spot my favorite character by the amount of torture I put them through. I feel that it makes the happy ending weigh even more. Sometimes I even prefer a bad ending, if it gives the story more meaning (I mean, imagine LotR trilogy have a happy ending. It would totally take away all the development and the lessons the characters went through.) I wish I could write light stuff but so far I have not succeeded. I use a lot of sarcasm and irony though? 

My shorter fics tend to be fluffy and sweet rather than funny, if full of playful banter and teasing. Relationships are usually depicted in a naturalistic rather than romantic way (I’m ace/aro myself, and I have lots of opinions about the nature of love and attraction, and how a functioning relationship ideally looks like and it tends to seep into my writing). Instead of traditional romance I like to write a non-traditional one. Slow burn, instead of love on first sight. Learning to love instead of falling hard. But it also depends on the pairing. I can write most things if I put my mind to it, so don’t hesitate to prompt me and I’ll let you know whether it works for me or not.

I’m not shy of dealing with child abuse, assault, suicidal ideation, trauma, disability and other difficult topics in my writing, so if you wanna request any of these or something similar I’m a-okay with it, as long as you discuss it with me. I’m not knowledgeable in everything so it’s likely I’ll need to do research, but I’m more than alright with it. Honestly, it’s very probable that I’d love to try. 

» Kinks

I’m okay with most stuff. Where I draw the line is the really hardcore stuff like scat and kinks involving feces, some forms of humiliation, zoophilia, necrophilia, mutilation, stuff like that. 

I’m alright with both dub-con & non-con (although I refuse to depict is as normalized, or glorified), bondage, s&m, dom/sub, light bdsm (ask me about the harder stuff. I’m not against it, I’m just not always in the mood or right mindset for writing it), omorashi (tentative, ask me), daddy kink, breath play, age play, spanking, verbal humiliation, dirty talk, edging, come eating, orgasm denial,... all the good stuff. 

[aurora-cybird-ikemen-anthology]

# Cybird Ice Breaker Challenge “Answers!”

Hello Princesses, Time-Travelers, Waitresses & Alices

Here are my answer to #Cybird Ice Breaker Challenge

Questions

Your favorite ING name? My personal favorite name to use is Aurora.

How old are you? I was born in 95’

What time-zone do you live in or what country? (please refrain from giving out your home address.)  North America, Eastern Standard Time  

How did you come to find Cybird’s Otome games? I was in the google play store and Midnight Cinderella came up as a suggested game for me to play. Get to date fictional characters I’m in!

What is your favorite Cybird game? My personal favorite was Love, Lies and a Heist but since it was discontinued I would have to say Ikemen Sengoku.

Which of Cybird’s games do you play? Currently I am playing all of them except for A3 (just not my style). I haven’t been playing lately since I have a lot of real life issues going on. Nothing bad just that a lot needs to be done in a short amount of time.

Which suitor is your favorite? Out of all the suitors I have read in each game here is my favorite;        Midcin: Leo Crawford        Dtl: Soji Okita        LLH: Logan Bradley        Ikesen: Kenshin Uesugi        Ikerev: Sirius Oswald        Ikevamp: Undecided, I haven’t read enough of this game to decide yet but I am like Saint Germain.

Which game has the best MC? I would have to say it’s a tie between LLH and Ikesen, I’m either one or the other, there is no in between.

Which Cybird Game do you think has the best Graphics? Game Graphics: Ikevamp CG: Ikesen

What are your top ten Ikemen?        1.) Kenshin Uesugi        2.) Leo Crawford        3.) Logan Bradley        4.) Soji Okita        5.) Sirius Oswald        6.) Hideyoshi Toyotomi        7.) Sid         8.) Nobunaga Oda        9.) Lancelot Kingsley        10.) Shinsaku Takasugi

[blundergato]

My Yakuza 5 review MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD (AND A REALLY LONG READ):

Honestly, this game is so weird in a lot of ways. It felt like the team was just throwing EVERYTHING they had idea-wise into it and funny enough, most of it worked.

First things first, this game gets plus points for making Daigo suck still. I don’t think Daigo has ever done anything in any of the Yakuza games except get owned and I love it.

The plot suffered from some pretty serious pacing issues and the plot involving the Yakuza itself was...convoluted and kind of nonsense, but not in the way these games usually are. There are so many questions I had about pieces of the plot that I don’t think there is an answer too.

Akiyama’s part, again, felt pretty superfluous. I really don’t think there was a need to play as him and his connection to Park was just whatever. I think this is especially noticeable because he doesn’t have any side stories like the rest of the characters. He’s a very likable character, but his part here felt forced.

Shinada is another weird one. He is an incredibly likable character with a good backstory. His entire portion of the game had SO much heart and the ending to his story made me tear up too. Hearing Takasugi tell Shinada “We miss you, bud” while Shinada just breaks down crying hit me some sort of way. His section was just down to earth and normal and about the relationships he built up around him.

But his part in the plot was almost pointless. I really enjoyed his part of the game a lot and the conclusion was wonderful, but seeing him team up with Akiyama, Kiryu and Saejima at the end just felt completely random. He had so little connection to any of them. His part of the plot almost felt completely disconnected from the rest of the game and while I enjoyed it, it added to the pacing issues.

Haruka’s part was a lot of fun from a gameplay standpoint. I love rhythm games, so I had a blast doing it, but I have the feeling that the game should have put way less focus on the Yakuza stuff and more on Haruka trying to achieve this dream. Her part, combined with Kiryu’s part, was the focus of this game’s emotional impact. Her speech at the end and the post credits scene had me crying. 

I do think it’s weird that Haruka wanted to be an idol and I know that it was hinted at in Yakuza 2 at least, but still. It kind of felt random. Anyways, Haruka needs to become a detective because that substory in Kiwami 2 was the best. I WANT DETECTIVE HARUKA. SAWAMURA, PRIVATE EYE.

Mirei Park got screwed over pretty hard in the game. She gets killed off screen and I honestly thought it was just a fakeout. But no, she’s dead and that’s that. Sucks too, because she was an interesting character even if I HATED her at the beginning for what she said to Kiryu.

Saejima’s part was weird too. It was like...a retread of his part in Yakuza 4. You start in prison, you break out, you go to a town and hide. The big difference is that this time you get to fight a demon bear and do some hunting. That part of the game is very weird. Saejima’s character is so fun and charismatic that he carried it through, but this was another part of the game that completely stalled the plot. NOTHING happened in it. You learn about Majima’s death very early on and just about nothing changes by the end of his part in regards to finding out anything. Anyways, Saejima has a substory where he slips and eats shit on the ice and that’s unbelievable. He honestly has some of the best substories in the game period.

What I will say is that the pacing is SO bad that when the other inmates and that warden appeared near the end to help Shinada, I completely forgot who they were because it had been SO long.

Kiryu’s part of the game was great. Seeing him suffer from so much loneliness because he was away from his kids and have this severe self loathing of himself because he truly believes that he’s a roadblock to his kid’s happiness and success...it just hit so hard. He has a substory revolving around buying gifts for his kids and it’s just so cute. Being a taxi driver as Kiryu was also really solid and I loved seeing him build new relationships with everyone at the company.

I think this game should have focused WAY more on all of that. I even like the idea that his people back in the Tojo were keeping an eye on him the whole time and planting people in his life. That would have been an intriguing path to further explore without all the...Omi Alliance/Tojo Clan war shit.

I don’t know what to say about all the war stuff between the Omi and Tojo. It was really stupid. The guy who wants to destroy the Tojo and Omi is the current Omi chairman, but he’s dying and doesn’t want a successor and also he wants his son...to have that power and his son somehow singlehandedly took over the Tojo headquarters, but also he was a Tojo plant and his sworn brother died and he was fighting in the coliseum so he could get info on who did it and seemed genuinely broken up but apparently he didn’t actually give that much of a shit?

It was some omega level ridiculousness. I don’t even understand the motivations other than “We came from nothing and achieved this power and now..I dunno f**k it I guess?” 

I said it before, but this game is incredibly ambitious. There are 5 big ass towns you get to play in and other setpieces like the prison, the hunting town, etc. There is just A LOT of stuff to do. All the sidestories are unique and fun to play. The gameplay finally hits its stride and the combat is super fun (even if Kiryu and Saejima are BEYOND broken gameplay wise). The substory writing is the strongest it’s been in terms of the old games. Yakuza 5 is bursting to the rim with content. It’s ridiculously impressive as a package and I really enjoyed my time with the game, even though it had its faults. It’s definitely way better than Yakuza 4, which is to this day the weakest entry in the series.

Now all I have left is the conclusion to Kiryu’s tale and I AM SCARED.

[dropintomanga]

G Is Not Only for Gintama, But Also Gratitude

So it really is over, huh?

Gintama was everything I wanted despite its shortcomings near the end. The final chapter was a toast to what made the series a cult hit to many fans - blunt humor, hilarious characters, touching interactions and lessons on how to live in a world that doesn’t hesitate to beat you down.

One of the funniest things about the final chapter was Hideaki Sorachi’s awareness of the final chapter shams he was pulling off. Most of the major characters tried to come up with some silly endings of their own. Yet in the end, the status quo still remains the same in a joyful way.

There’s a moment I want to focus on in the final chapter and it’s the final interaction between Gintoki Sakata and his master, Shoyo Yoshida. While teaming up to save Edo and the rest of the world one last time, Gintoki tells a revived but dying Shoyo that he wanted to let him know how much he’s grown. He tells him that he found people of his own, Kagura and Shinpachi Shimura, to help people in need. What makes this scene memorable is that the Yorozuya are all together helping Shoyo. Shoyo replies by telling Gintoki that he turned out to be a great man after being born a “demon child.” In a way, it speaks to how much people want notable approval from peers and mentors.

When you’re a parent/teacher/caregiver/guardian or any person that has some sort of hierarchical relationship with someone below you, you try your best to set them on a path where they’ll do just fine. You might worry about how they’ll turn out as obstacles pile up. You hope your advice rings through to the end even if you might be suffering inside.

And when you’re on the other end, you want to make your mentor proud. They helped to change your view of the world when it was limited. They gave you opportunities that probably no one could/was able to give you. You understand that it’s possible you wouldn’t be here today without their support.

I feel the strongest lesson of Gintama is gratitude towards anyone who’s been with you along the way - even the people who may not be the best of friends. All the Gintama characters aren’t super-close (i.e. the Yorozuya and Shinsengumi have a somewhat testy bond), but they know and respect each other to the point where they’re visibly appreciative of whatever help they get from one another over the years.

People always talk about how working hard will make all your dreams come true when it’s not totally true. I feel that Gintama is in some ways, a stand against the idea of meritocracy. The residents of Kabukicho have all been cast aside by alien rulers who felt justified that only their success matters. If your life sucks, then you didn’t put enough effort or so they say.

Throughout Gintama, there’s no training arcs. In a series like this where most of the characters’ problems stem from situations beyond their control, it makes sense. No amount of physical training can help you completely process guilt and trauma. That’s what Gintoki, Katsura Kotaro, and Takasugi Shinsuke had to deal with when Shoyo died in the first place. Time and time again, Gintoki made it clear throughout the series that the one person he fights against the most is himself.

It takes a group of mutual peers to help get through whatever pain you’re going through. Gintoki not only had Shinpachi and Kagura, but he had Tae Shimura, the Shinsengumi, Otose, and a whole slew of people to list. They all gave him renewed faith in humanity when he was about to give up. Sure, everyone was judgmental from time to time, but they knew the right things to say/do when times got tough. They were good enough and that’s important to note as we sometimes get too caught up about the types of people we want to be around.

There’s a notable speech by Gintoki way back in Volume 2 of the manga when Kagura and Shinpachi were kidnapped by space pirates. He tells Katsura that he’s determined to rescue them much to the former’s dismay. For a while, Gintoki was hesitant to take on the burdens of other people. He felt that he’s just standing on a pile of dead bodies when it’s all said and done. Gintoki was tired of it, but out of of the blue comes two kids who would later help him overcome his guilt 75 volumes later. He remarks that being around people (even if unwanted at first) makes life a lot more fun.

It really takes a village for someone to grow, though in the case of Gintoki’s, it took an entire town. Just look at the cover comparison of Volume 1 and the final volume, Volume 77.

Practicing gratitude (the right way, of course) can help you a better person in the end not just for yourself, but the people around you. That’s the grand lesson of Gintama. Groups of solidarity matter. I try to take this lesson to hand as I know that without the help of a bunch of people to help me handle my mental illness, I wouldn’t be here.  Overcoming mental health issues should never be a solo journey, but it more often than not, is that way. I wish Gintama’s ending to happen for those having a rough time right now because that’s the kind of ending will give the soul a nice silver gleam.

Thank you, Hideaki Sorachi, for 15 years of utter zaniness and showing readers what it means to be a human being with all the beauty and ugliness that makes one. I’m forever grateful for having followed Gintama and finding fellow fans along the way. I’m grateful for realizing that even though the good things in life eventually end, the least we can do is move forward and perhaps celebrate what made them good to the world for our sake. 

That’s what a certain naturally-wavy haired samurai would want, wouldn’t he? 

[zukalations]

Backstage Journal: Agata Sen (Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate/Dramatic ‘S’!)

Backstage Journal is a short Kageki feature where very young cast members write anecdotes about what’s going on behind the scenes of the productions. They’re not very deep, being full of emojis and more like blog entries than articles, but they are a good way to get to know the newest actresses in each troupe.

This one is by Snow Troupe member Agata Sen (of the 101 Class), and was published in the July 2017 issue.

Due to the nature of this feature there is the possibility of spoilers.

Backstage Journal: Agata Sen (Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate/Dramatic ‘S’!)

Dear Kageki readers, it's an honor to meet you! I'm Agata Sen of Snow Troupe, writing a Backstage Journal for the first time! The current Grand Theatre show, The Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate/Dramatic 'S', is the farewell performance for Sagiri-san and Sakihi-san, and also the debut performance for the new class, so it's a very high-energy production. I hope that I can convey at least a little bit of what it's like backstage. I hope you will join me!

~Makeup The new class members aren't used to stage makeup yet, so they spend a lot of time putting it on. When I was a new debut, it took me over two hours to put my makeup on. Even now I take too long, come to think... During small gaps in the show, the senior actresses will watch the new class members putting their makeup on, and it's wonderful to see them have such consideration for their juniors even while they're so busy. We get better at makeup by a cycle of trying it out ourselves, and then getting advice. I have to work hard too!

~Buying on credit During the play, in the festival scene where there are lots of different stands set up, Seika (Rian)-san and I are playing firefighter friends of Kin-chan (Hoshou Dai), so we're there enjoying the festival. The firefighters normally spend their time gambling, so they don't have any money. Then one day, why, Seika-san went and bought some candy from a sweets stand! When we exited into the wings and I asked her how she managed to buy it, she said with a huge smile "I put it on Kin-chan's tab!" Now, does Kin-chan know about this, I wonder. And it seems that at the same time, the members of the Choushuu-han are buying things on Takasugi-san (Nozomi)'s credit... Takasugi-san doesn't appear in the festival scene, but apparently she watches to see what the other Choushuu members are buying from the wings. Apparently Takasugi-san being so concerned was very cute.

~Bonds! During the middle ensemble number of the revue, where everyone is wearing pink, Sagiri-san comes up on stage through the lift, wearing feathers. During that part, my classmates Asato (Mire) and Mika (Monami) and other junior actresses are in the wings vigorously cheering her on. Whether it's onstage or in the wings we just want to give Sagiri-san our power! Those are the "Bonds! Bonds!"* of friendship that bind Snow Troupe together.

What did you think, everyone? This performance is filled with all kinds of 'F-U-N'. However, the play isn't just that, but within the comical scenes, the different people all affect one another and change. That has been happening with us, as well. Being able to work on a show with everyone in Snow Troupe right now, and experience the joy of completing its creation, makes me so happy. I'll keep doing my best from now on so that I can keep bringing you dreams from onstage. Thank you so much for reading this all the way to the end!  

* This is a troupe chant that was created during Sagiri Seina’s run as Top Star.

[lilac-5ky]

Takasugi in a relationship Headcanons (includes some NSFW)

My love for this man gets bigger with each passing day. Expect many posts about Takasugi from me on a daily basis from now on.

WARNINGS: Contains NSFW content down below, Minors Do Not Interact!

Not the type of person who'd say I love you. Even if his life depended on it, I bet he'd never openly say those three words. Takasugi definitely is the kind of guy who'd indirectly admit his love to you.

And so, words of affirmation wouldn't be his thing at all. Instead, he'd definitely use metaphors to describe his feelings, vaguely commenting on things around him as a manner of expressing himself.

Whether that'd be watching the moon and the stars at night together, him bringing some camellia flowers to you, or even the silliest of things such as him giving you yakult bottles, Takasugi would make his feelings for you known, you'd just have to be able to see behind the image of such things.

To him love goes hand in hand with loyalty and devotion. If he falls for someone, he falls hard and he'll be faithful to them in his own silent way. Don't expect him to act particularly jealous if you get courted by others. Don't even expect him to make a scene. Takasugi's love for you is quiet yet resilient.

Although not the warmest person, he will seek your company, as quality time is his love language. He doesn't mind you going on and on about things as he is a great listener, however that doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy the silence too. To him, just being near you is enough.

I can imagine him playing the shamisen for his love interest, as a form to entertain them. Man is talented and although he is not the one to go out of his way to prove his worth which you already know, he'd still enjoy doing something small like this for you in his free time. Even if it's not something he'd personally admit, he puts extra effort when playing personally for you.

Also, even if he might not look it, Takasugi can be fun and would enjoy teasing you on a daily basis. He'd find your reactions really entertaining and would go out of his way to see your flustered face.

Due to the nature of his job, Takasugi has a lot in his mind and while he doesn't let you in on his worries too much, from time to time he could allow himself to make a rare exception and ask for your opinion when it comes to new strategies or issues he'd be facing. Mostly, he'd be carrying the weight on his own as to not burden you but if you allow him to de-stress, he'll let you in a bit more.

Speaking of de-stressing, Takasugi is a man of action and few words. If he is going through a difficult day and you are available, expect him to come to you the second he is free to go. Definitely someone who would use sex as means to relax and to let go of his worries.

Going further into what he is like when doing the deed, Takasugi is definitely a passionate man. Sex with him will be really enjoyful as he is a sensual person. Slow yet steady, you'd feel him all over you as he'd take his sweet ass time before finally entering you. A very traditional man, his favorite positions would be the ones that would allow him to get the best view of you while being able to touch you thouroughly. I'm talking about the likes of missionairy, cowgirl and even face off. He'd be open to trying new stuff but as he is using sex in a way to connect with you and to let go of his problems, he wouldn't stress over how you do it too much. All that matters to him is that it's you, everything else is insignificant.

When it comes to oral, his dream would be to have you between his legs while he is relaxing, perhaps puffing smoke from his kiseru. Would pet your head and use his hands to show you what he likes and maybe if he is feeling particularly fiesty, he could use words to compliment you. (author's note: TAKASUGI CALLING YOU A GOOD GIRL ASDFGHJKL i'm foaming) If you ask him, he will go down on you gladly. Even if you don't climax from oral that easily, he will be persistent and patient until he makes you clench your fingers around his hair, calling his name out repeatedly.

Speaking of name calling, Takasugi is not a fan of nick names. If you have a long name he might go for a shorter version of it but stuff like baby, honey, sweetheart or anything else really are a big no for him. He'd roll his eyes to you calling him anything other than his name but wouldn't exactly correct you. Worst case he'd sulk over it. Particularly enjoys it when you call him Shinsuke as that's a name not many call him. Makes him feel as if he is just a guy, not the leader of the entire rebellion. Also, calling him Shinsuke while the two of you are intimate, will bring great satisfaction to him and he might even moan or groan for you if you do it at the right time. He isn't too vocal but if you make him feel good, he won't try to suppress it.

Lastly, when it comes to making things official Takasugi won't hesitate to admit the relationship between the two of you. He is proud of you and considers you an actual partner, one who'd have his back, one who is worthy of his own protection. If we are talking about marriage, I don't think Takasugi cares about it too much. If you ask him about it, he will go through with it but overall he doesn't think it's too neccessary as your union is based on a deep emotional connection, not a piece of paper. If it comes down to it, however, he will buy you a ring and will hold a small ceremony, assuming there is time for it. In that case, there is a chance that you'll lose the privilege of having a name of your own, as your name will be changed to "Wife".

[alroma1]

Gintama 701 Review

Exactly. Someone would have pretty enough pages if someone would not spend them on pointless stuffs. And no, I dont mean DB parody.

So first thing first - itsnt ending. It is going to continue on official app.Which is NOT self-publishing, lets make it clear. No real surprises here honestly.But I wonder if this was plan from the beginning and gorilla with editorial staff are just desperately trolling all known indication of ending. 

Yeah, with that mug Gintoki making no way it would end. But all those are old designs. But those are all old designs. I mostly judge from Sakamoto and Takasugi but Kagurs`s eyes are also too big for time-skip version. If you are asking yourself why Sorachi keep erasing new designs I want to remind of 2 movie there they first put on old clothes and then literally go back in time.

Poor Gintoki. You thought they were jumping for you but they were jumping for Sadaharu.

Gintama reunion. But let me make accent here. This is 14 page. Out of 47 pages gorila wasted more than 10 on just Sadaharu falling

. 

Life would not be completed without Oguri Shun jokes. 

Yeah who cares about Takasugi?

But you were  on TV I am pretty sure you got hella lot of money from it.

Is it Grease?

Rude

At this point heart doesnt really have any use since Utsuro has already awaken. The problem however that it lost its importance as devise for awaken\saving Utsuro. What this even was for? In the end it is most likely just a metaphor for Zura.

Nice censure, sensei ( both of you)

Damn, Taka-kun was a bit late. Just a bit earlier he would have seen sensei in all his glory. Also with what are you going fight, Gintoki? You dont have anything.

The problem I have here is how they say that DB parody was indication it is no ending. But it is really like that. It only lasted 6 wonderfull pages. All other pages were blatantly wasted on running and talking. And real editor cant not to know this. 

There were two things from character poll that caught my attention

Sorachi personal message from issue is something along the lines of”Sorry for not entering important place (scene) Ill draw the end freely Graditude to everyone who gave me this chance” One person on twitten theoried that part of chapter was cut from release so there is where pages for poll come from. Personally I really doubt about this. It is either trolling or Sorachi actually asking forgivnese for not returning to real plot.

LOL WHERE THIS EVEN CAME FROM? Strictly speking Oboro doesnt even use sword. He use stuff ( yes with blade but strictly speaking itsnt the same) needles,hakkei and two short swords, same as Tsukuyo.

OMG I was sure it was fanmade but it is reeeeeeeeeal.

[razberryyum]

Gintama manga chap 699

~

Dear Gintama gods and Sorachi-sama,

During the last three and a half months where the world was without any new Gintama—which frankly felt like three and a half years—I tried filling every single day with some amount of Gintama so that I wouldn’t miss not having new Gintama as much, but in the end, nothing can beat the excitement and anticipation of looking forward to a new Gintama chapter and nothing can compare to the sense of satisfaction and relief of finally being able to feast my eyes on some new Gintama. I can only imagine this might be what drug addicts feel like when they finally attain their high.  I don’t even want to think about the severe withdrawal I’m undoubtedly going to suffer a couple months from now...or whenever the third issue of Jump Giga comes out in this current run. But I should stop thinking of the potential dreary future and focus on the fact that there is a new chapter of Gintama right now, at last; all is right with the world again.

I was wondering how you would start Gintama’s new life in Jump Giga and one of the scenarios that crossed my mind was that you would probably start chapter 699 with a totally irrelevant parody of some type, probably Star Wars related, just so you could tease and torture us a bit before actually delving back into the meat of the story, so I was quite delighted when you did just that. Except I did get two things wrong about the parody: it’s not Star Wars related and it’s actually quite relevant since it provides a very helpful recap to the events leading up to the gang’s current situation inside the Seibouists’ ship. And while I probably couldn’t appreciate the Dragon Ball Z homage as thoroughly as actual fans of the series did, I did find the parody completely amusing, especially when you had baby UtsuShou riding on top of Gintoki (yes, obviously, I have no idea what that was in reference to, but I’m assuming it’s something integral in DBZ...I just thought it was hilariously adorable).  

There was so much Joui love in this chapter; my overfilled heart was in danger of bursting. What was especially touching was how much they obviously wanted to meet up with their teacher again; it was as if they were little kids again, yearning to reunite with their beloved parent/mentor so that they can tell him everything that has gone on in their lives. I really do hope we get the opportunity for them to have that moment, even if it could only last a page or two. After all they’ve been through, it would just be so beautiful and heartwarming if they could stand before the form of Shouyou-sensei again and just tell him how much he meant to them and how much they miss him. Just imagining such a scenario right now is already filling my eyes with tears. I know it’s on the sappy side, but haven’t they earned this sappiness, if even for just a few minutes? And while I’m at it, I also hope they will get one group hug between the three of them. I mean, even though there were enough hand-holding moments to make my heart melt into a puddle of goo, I still want to be greedy and ask for a real hug between the three Joui boys. I know it might be a little out of character for them...especially for someone like Takasugi who would probably kill Gintoki right after for touching him in such a sentimental way...but I really want to see that so bad even though I will most likely cry so hard that I would probably pass out afterward.  

And while I’m talking about hugs,  Sorachi-sama, please, have mercy, let our Yorozuya actually reunite in the next chapter? They’re SO CLOSE that I’m beginning to feel the lack of a reunion like a physical pain. I know this was already a longer chapter than usual, but it actually flew by so quickly, and I found myself rather disappointed when by the end, we didn’t even get the three of them in the same room at the very least. I know I should be grateful that they’re at least nearby, just like I’m grateful that the Shinsengumi boys (translation: Hijikata) is also getting closer to Gintoki, but the fact that Gin-chan, Shinpachi and Kagura didn’t get to actually see each other still made the distance between them seem way too far.  

A big part of why the chapter felt shorter than its 53 pages is because everyone was rushing to reach their goal: the Joui boys to Baby UtsuShou, everyone else to Gintoki.  I loved the frenetic energy that you maintained through each page, I rarely had a chance to catch my breath as we jumped from one frenetic scenario to another. It felt like we were back in the days of the Liberation Army war, where danger and life-threatening moments were happening around each corner and there is really no chance for a break. But I do hope you give us a break eventually...as much as I love the action-filled moments, I love the quiet moments of Gintama as well, sometimes even more because of the emotions they usually conjure up, so I hope we would be afforded the opportunity to experience such precious moments soon...if not in the next chapter then hopefully the one after that.  

I know it might seem like I’m harping a lot on what I hope to see in the future chapters but that’s because I feel like all the events within this chapter were a sort of set up to what will come next. Of course the revelation that Utsuro had taken over the control of the Tendoshuu old farts was indeed chilling, but I can’t say it was entirely shocking since I think you even hinted at that many, many chapters ago when you showed us a bunch of Utsuros making up the Naraku in the past. At the time I was confused and wondered why there looked to be clones of Utsuro, and eventually figured you probably just meant it as a figurative representation, but I guess with this newest development you might have actually meant it literally. I hope your intent is to eventually have everyone fighting a Utsuro in a collective effort to defeat every part of him completely, because THAT would actually be a supremely cool and amazing.

As for Takasugi’s injury, honestly, I’m not too worried about him. That doesn’t even look to be a mortal wound and I am assuming he still has enough of Oboro in him to at least survive it. At most he’ll probably just end up with an unsightly scar there, but I have confidence he will live through that. He’s been hurt worse.  

Other than that, there were a couple of touching moments amongst Kyuubei, Tsukuyo, Sacchan, and Zenzou where they pretty much declared their affection for Gintoki that I definitely appreciated, but what I found the most touching of all was actually Gin-chan's confession of love almost for Takasugi, when he admitted to him that he found what he finally regained what he had lost in the past and his memories were composed entirely of Takasugi. Not to mention the moment was further punctuated by the joining of their hands. My shipper heart was stirred, even if they are not my coupling of choice.  Even though I don’t believe Takasugi would die in the next chapter, especially since Matako and Henpeita are nowhere to be seen, to play devil’s advocate, if he were to, at least all his emotional loose ends with his two childhood friends would have been neatly tied up and he should have no regrets about anything anymore. Not to mention, at least then hopefully in the afterlife, he would be able to reunite with Bansai.  Again, I don’t wish for his death at all nor do I think it would happen, but I guess what I’m saying is that, I would also be able to understand and more easily accept it.  

Since my understanding of Jump Giga is that it is released in an irregular schedule, I don’t know when you will bless us with the next chapter of Gintama, but as usually, I hope the rumors/intention of it ending in the next two issues will not come true. My hope is that now that you’re not subjected to a weekly deadline grind, you would be able to enjoy life more and become re-inspired so that you will find a way to continue Gintama even though we will only get it like six times a year, or however many volumes of Jump Giga are produced. I don’t know how you can be sufficiently compensated for such a relaxed release schedule or if you could even live off of that since the monetary returns are probably much less than if Gintama were released on a weekly basis, but I can only hope that things work out somehow so that you benefit from having Gintama continue to run in Jump Giga for many more years to come while we also benefit from continuing to have Gintama in our lives. I can only wish for the best and humbly ask that my Gintama prayers continue to be answered. Thank you for everything, Sorachi-sama.

Yours truly,

A silly fangirl with Gintama dreams

(^3^)

[runawaykotaro]

I posted this on twitter with no explanation but i’m breaking it out again but this time I don’t have a character limit so

JOUI 4 CLASSPECTS BUT I ACTUALLY EXPLAIN THIS TIME:

Gintoki: Knight of Heart

Heart: Heart as an aspect is synonymous with soul- which just immediately made me think of Gintoki. Because heart also stands for emotions and personal relationships, and Gintoki’s biggest strength in the series is from his bonds with others (note: I think blood would also be a good aspect for him, because its the aspects of bonds, but I feel like Heart’s emphasis on soul and individuality was fitting for Gintoki)

Knight: Knights protect their aspect and protect with their aspect- and Gintoki uses the relationships that he has with others and his own convictions, his soul, to protect and to protect with. His whole thing- “While you have thrown away a hundred people, I have formed bonds with a thousand... We have protected everything as just three people”- Is forming connections and defending them. But also, Knights tend to put up facades to hide their insecurities related to their aspects. Gintoki’s constantly afraid of connections that he’s made with others being destroyed, and when that fear is invoked, Gintoki will put up a callous persona and try to distance himself from other people (Four Devas arc) And while he’s obviously deeply connected to his own sense of self and keenly aware of his ‘soul,’ he’s not as secure about who he is and how he effects others as he pretends to be (Kintama arc)

Derse Dreamer

Katsura: Mage of Doom

Doom: Doom is the aspect of death, as well as rules and regulations. But isn’t Katsura a terrorist?? A rebel?? A revolutionary?? Why the hell am I giving him the aspect that’s literally about rules?? Because the rules and regulations of doom symbolize mechanisms within a structure, patience, and inevitability. Katsura broke from creating literal doom when he stopped being an extremist (he stopped gunning for the collapse of society) and began to use the cracks that were already in the system (discontent the tendoshuu, Nobunobu breaking up the shinsengumi) in order to bring about the fall of the bakufu. His character also has a lot to do with obligation and repression, with the general position, and his unique weapon is a bomb (blood and time I feel would have also been good choices for Katsura)

Mage: So mage is the active understanding class, which I thought fit Katsura because he shows that he’s ‘in the know’ with the political situation in gintama, and when he’s not acting as comedic relief, he serves as a source of exposition (so, understanding) but i chose mage instead of seer because Katsura acts on his own a lot, as well as filling more of a director role than an advisor role

Prospit Dreamer

Takasugi: Heir of Time

Time: Time is the aspect of destruction, which was my primary reason, but I also chose it because Takasugi is still caught up in the past and he struggles moving forward, which is a time issue

Heir: This one was a little bit more abstract than Gintoki and Katsura’s, but I chose heir because of the scene with oboro, when Takasugi takes in his bones and ‘inherits’ more time to live from oboro, as well as his wish of saving/serving Shoyou. Also, heirs are prone to projection, like how Takasugi projects his anger about Shoyou’s death onto Gintoki (Gintoki even says ‘you hate me because you would have done the same thing’)

Derse Dreamer

Sakamoto: Rogue of Space

Space: So space is the aspect of creation, and I feel like that fits Sakamoto, who creates meaning in otherwise insignificant things. Like, he finds ways to change ‘pebbles’ into desirable goods. Space is also linked to mediation (through Kanaya, who was called a meddler a lot and spent a lot of time auspiticing, and through Jade, who spent a lot of time supporting/working for her friends even before they entered the game)

Rogue: (I love Roxy Lalonde and I love Sakamoto) So rogue is the passive ‘stealing’ class, and its function is redistribution, and they’re ‘robin hood’ types. I feel like that fits Sakamoto, who’s generous and focused around bargaining- making sure that everyone gets what the need

Prospit Dreamer

Additional fun facts: My biggest concern was their personality and role in the overall gintama narrative, but I also tried to give them parallels in their classes that were reflective of how they parallel each other (like for takasugi and katsura, Heir (passive changing) and Mage (active understanding) are counterparts, and so are rogue and knight)