#my favorite little samurai

[silentstaresfanficandfanart]

I tried and sorry for handwriting

It says "i try a new technologoy, filptor, it scareby, so bade i had to stabe and punch it"

It took me way too long to finish this but i am *delighted* soumie my boy i adore you, 10/10 favorite samurai my senior in the current enstars event and the lovely one who got me into enstars, therefore, my beloved senpai, told me he wasen't very good at technology <3

Its based on a tweet from this kitty but i dont know where the original is so heres a different one by same cat : )

is this accurate? i have no idea I don't know but I hope it is and i will keep it in my heart as something that is to me if not <3

[untilsfe]

Lmao I don't know why but i always think of Usagi and Kenichi doing "get help" from Thor and Loki

Finally it has arrived!!!

I laughed so much while drawing this my ginea pig looked at me pretty weird hahaha

And I was like: don't worry little one, mama is just a little crazy

Hope you enjoy it!

[licorishh]

OH YEAH ALSO finally watched the FNAF movie with the coolest person on Earth, 11/10 movie, Mike looked ready to curl up into a fetal position on the floor and burst into tears at all moments, he is so me, would watch again

[le--fruitcake]

In the meantime while I anxiously await your plentiful truths, might I ask for what cartoons you might recommend my humble self?

Ah, my vassal! I am neariy finished writing that essay, I promise. Just a while longer, I need to be sure my sources are accurate.

I will say you should watch Samurai Rabbit, despite it being almost painfully cringeworthy at times. It's surprisingly well-written, though! It's only on Netflix.

In terms of TMNT, the only one I can recommend with my whole chest is Rise of the TMNT. I like the others (mostly— 2012 is on Thin Fucking Ice with the Donnie/April thing), but Rise is the best by far! I am Extremely Biased and am going to say you should watch the Usagi crossover episodes of 2003 (S2E23-26, S3E01 [does not contain a whole lot of Usagi, but he and Leo uh. Exchange swords], S3E22-23, S4E13, and S7E13 [no speaking lines, appears as a background character only]) and 2012 (S5E15-17). The 1987 ones (S3E32/34) aren't as good, but you do get to watch Mikey slap Usagi in the face with a pizza. Fucking LMAO. All the TMNT is on Paramount Plus, but far be it from me to tell you not to hoist the colors, matey.

The Amazing World of Gumball... exists! It sure does. I really like the way they play with animation and art style, and it has some honestly amazing physical comedy, but it's very, um... 2012. I think it popularized a lot of tropes you see in more modern cartoons that make them borderline unbearable, but I found myself watching the entire thing and kind of wanting more! It's pretty good if you just want some batshit insane cartoon nonsense, but it has no story to speak of, really. The episodes are both startlingly interconnected and purely standalone. Anais is my favorite character, followed by Nicole, and honestly the men in that family are trash lmao. I think I watched it on Hulu, but it might have been HBO Max.

I like Star Wars, too, specifically Visions, Clone Wars (both 2003 and 2007), and, though I haven't finished it, Rebels. (I like the movies, too! Real shame they never made any past Episode VII. Had so much potential. Smh my head.) Visions S1E8 is my favorite thing Star Wars has ever done btw. Very Heavily Biased. All of this is on Disney Plus.

I have of course seen Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Legend of Korra, and recommend Avatar if by some miracle you haven't seen it, but tbh I don't know if I would recommend Korra. It has very interesting concepts, but the execution is um. Bad. Watching the Straights™️ frothing at the mouth over Korrasami was an Experience! "we poppin' the biggest bottles when Makorra happens tonight" is a regular part lo my vocabulary. Both are on Netflix, I think.

I like Teen Titans! I used to have the first two seasons on DVD. There are a lot of jokes I didn't get as a kid, and so rewatching it as an adult was interesting. I also didn't appreciate Cyborg enough as a kid, man has the best jokes. Robin was always my favorite, but on rewatch, I really can't say who's my favorite. I like Beast Boy's power the best, but Raven is p cool, and Starfire is wonderful, and Cyborg is funny. This is available on The Max Formerly Known as HBO.

I also watched all of the original animated Batman. Batman: The Animated Series, I think it was called? I really really liked that one, it was the perfect mix of edgy and funny, and is my favorite Batman iteration. Mark Hamill Joker also! That interpretation of Two-Face is my favorite, and made him my favorite Batman villain. I still want a silver dollar btw! I already have a $2 bill and several dollar coins, so if I get one of those and a half-dollar, I'll have one of every kind of defunct American currency. I think. I believe this is also available on The Max.

If you count anime as cartoons, Bleach and Fairy Tail are good, if you skip the filler. My Hero is... Pretty good. Mirko is of course my favorite character, and I am now only invested in the show for her sake. Crunchyroll is kinda the go-to for anime, but Hulu also has all three of these. I think Bleach might not be on Crunchyroll anymore also? Very Odd if so because it's one of the Big Ones, but I couldn't find it when I looked last.

Little Witch Academia is adorable! Lesbians abound, and features a surprising amount from actual Celtic lore. It's also quite possible the only anime featuring high school girls that doesn't make any blatant attempt to sexualize them, which is a breath of fresh air. The official anime is a Netflix original, but there apparently exists an OVA that I have not seen, and a movie, that I have, also on Netflix.

Castlevania is extremely good, but I guess it's technically an anime? It's originally in English and has some of the best lines I have ever heard come out of someone's mouth, ever, but it is heavily gorey, and S2 has some Unfortunate Rather Graphic Heterosexuality. Fortunately, one of the characters is confirmed bisexual! It is also a Netflix original.

This was a doozy to answer! I don't watch too many cartoons, per se, because I wasn't allowed watch most of them growing up. Never seen Spongebob, Powerpuff Girls, Phineas and Pherb, etc. etc. Despite that, I am a fan of animated shows over live-action shows, generally speaking, due to the liberties one can take, and the fact that you aren't limited by what you can achieve with human actors and such. The same goes for video games— I prefer heavy style to realism, though the GameCube/PS2 era games had the best of both worlds.

[demonangelgirl134]

Defeats of some of my favorite villains

I've seen a lot of these on YouTube and wanted to take part in it ^^

I might make a part two because there's still so many villains I like that I couldn't fit in the video

[fabdante]

this spawned from a thought i had at work like, last year. but i just think fuu would be really into making friendship bracelets

[qintarra]

i have so many issues with the new lupin series but i think my main ones would be how the show isn’t a satire comedy anymore and also the flanderization of ishikawa goemon the thirteenth

[mayonakano-archive]

holds him up to you . look its a little guy

omg a little guy. i love him

[sinnabum45]

Unexpected Babysitting

Link to help Palestine and other resources! 🇵🇸

[Plain text: Links to help Palestine and other resources! (palestine flag). End plain text.]

[Image description] Digital comic of Ace Attorney characters: Miles Edgeworth, Cody Hackins, Maya Fey, and Pearl Fey.

Page one: Colorful, blurred image of Amusement park’s entrance. People are walking around. Text: “Amusement Park: Steel Samurai special event.” Miles is walking and is internally excited. There are people walking around behind him. Miles’ thoughts: “They’re giving out exclusive Steel Samurai merchandise today! Yippie! Yippie!” There is a small drawing of Miles in his thought excitedly moving his hands up and down. Text box: “Bought a pass one month in advance.”

Page two: Cody yells “Hey, Pops with the frilly thing!!” Miles is surprised and turns around to see an upset Cody standing behind him. Cody, point at Miles: What are you doing here?! Don’t tell me something bad happened again!” Miles frantically tries to explain, “Wha— Ergh! Nothing happened- I’m just…” Cody interrupts him, and stomps his foot. Cody: “Yeah right! Why are you here then?!” Miles: “Ghk!” Maya is off screen and calls out to Miles, “Ah! It’s Edgeworth! And Cody!” Miles and Cody turns towards her.

Page three: Maya and Pearl are walking up to them. Maya is smiling and Pearl is shyly holding Maya’s hand. Maya: “What are you doing here, Edgeworth?” Pearl: “Hello, Mr. Edgeworth.” Maya, snickering: “Maybe you’re here because a “certain someone” is in today’s stage play?” Miles is embarrassed, clenching his jaw and his eyes are closed. Behind him are texts: “Why does this happen every time? I just want to enjoy the show in peace, ALONE. I knew I should’ve worn the disguise today!” There is a little drawing of Miles with “said disguise”. He is fixing his sunglasses with his right hand and a black coat over his usual suit. The kids start approaching Miles. Maya with a mischievous smile: “Aww, don’t be embarrassed! I love Steel Samurai, too!” Pearl: “Me, too!” Cody with his hands raised to his chest: “What?! You like Steel Samurai, too, Pops?!” Miles is backing away, embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Page four: Two sketches of different scenes. Miles is paying for everyone’s food. Behind him, Maya has one arm raised over her head: “Yay~!! Thanks, Edgeworth!” Pearl is holding onto Maya’s arm: “Thank you, Mr. Edgeworth!” Cody has his hands raised to his chest again “You’re not so bad after all, Pops!” Second sketch: Miles is facing an off screen worker with a glare. “Excuse me. She asked for no pickles.” Pearl is behind him with tears in her eyes and she is holding her hands up to her chest. Maya and Cody are sitting at a table eating burgers. Maya is looking at Pearl with worry. End description.]

I wanted to have the Steel Samurai fans hang out 🥺🤲 They probably discuss a bunch of facts and share their interpretations about it together.

Miles does not know how to interact with kids, that’s for sure LOL Maya making fun of Miles for his crush on WP is now my favorite thing (There was supposed to be a whole scene with PowersWorth, but maybe another time)🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️ I’m assuming Pearl got into Steel Samurai because Maya likes it!

Also, I really like how the anime emphasizes Cody’s impact on Miles. I feel like he was the catalyst for Miles to change. And the scenes of Miles struggling (and losing) against Cody in the games were very cute 🥹

[salami-dono]

It's Eddie Dear. I have a lot to say about Mr. Dear here.

First off, I wasn't sure how to present them in a post, so I just lined them up all together. I could post them separately, but the resolution wouldn't be any better. If you don't know about the Welcome Home project, you should look it up! Support Clown if you end up liking it.

The Big Challenges here (➡🐊⬅) were keeping all of the images consistent and, of course, coloring all of them the same way. Oh, what a nightmare! I also tried another new thing. Most of the coloring was done on one layer. The exceptions were the hats and rainbow neckties. Oh, and the envelope.

It was worth the trouble, he said, grinding his teeth.

All of the poses were referenced from the animations of Bobby Fulbright from Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies. He is one of my favorite characters. He's cute, he's funny, and I admire his passion for justice. (🚨Do NOT look up Bobby Fulbright if you'd like to play Ace Attorney spoiler-free.)

Eddie #1: Oh, Dear! Eddie's lost his hat! He can't deliver mail without his hat! Won't you help him find it, neighbor?

That's... kind of the idea for the first Eddie. It reminded me of a funny childhood memory. I stole my uncle's hat and he pleaded for me to return because it was "the source of his power." Obviously, I had to keep stealing it after that. He pretended to wither away and die if his hat wasn't returned. haha

I'm done! If you'd like, I could tell you a little about Bobby Fulbright and his partner, Simon Blackquill. It won't be a great description. If you're an Ace Attorney fanatic, you're not allowed to correct me!!! You can, however, tell me how diabolical I am.

Bobby Fulbright is a police detective and a self-proclaimed champion of justice. He acts like a superhero. He even has a catchphrase! It's, "In justice we trust!" In Japanese, it is simply, "JUSTICE~!" He has a friendly, honest, and bold personality.

He's also very loud.

Mr. Fulbright was assigned to Simon Blackquill, a cold-hearted killer with a tear-stained face. They call him the Twisted Samurai. He worked as a prosecutor while serving time. Prosecutor Blackquill constantly barked orders at the half-witted detective. Fulbright seemed unfazed by his insults, manipulation, and intimidation. Despite his past, Detective Fulbright fully believed in Blackquill's redemption and eventual return to society.

It was said that they worked in-sync in the courtroom.

I'd better stop there. You see? He's not at all like Eddie. 🤣 Thank you for reading!

[daisygirlwrites]

Task Force 141 + Reader (Callsign-Crash): friendship headcanons

a/n: Hello hello! Just some random headcanons that I had written down for Crash and her relationships with the members of the 141 team. Nothing romantic, just some wholesome stuff.

original gif by @collinnmckinley

also, this is really freaking long, sorry in advance. enjoy reading! 

Before getting thrown out the window and getting her callsign, she was quiet and shy around the group. Opting to listen to others conversations, rarely adding to it.

Honestly intimidated with how tightly knit the team is, and given her previous team’s history, she was scared to get close.

Volunteered to be the DD whenever the group goes out to a bar. Fortunately, most of the time, Ghost is sober(enough) to help her get everyone into the car and into their rooms

Would silently comfort Soap and Gaz whenever they threw up, rubbing their backs and getting them water.

In the mornings after, she got everyone a breakfast burrito. Soap and Gaz are eternally grateful. Got a little information about her when they asked why she got them food. “Help with my hangovers during college.” Soap and Gaz gave each other a look as she walks away

After the window incident, Crash becomes a lot more open. Seeing how they treat her as if she has been with them for years, it wasn’t fair to them with how closed off she was.

Soap:

He talks to you a lot and you don’t mind. He just comes out and starts rambling on whatever he has interested him at that moment. You don’t really say anything, just sitting there awkwardly (because why would he want to talk to the newbie instead of his friends) but nodding to what he says anyways. One time though, he looks at you and says “Thanks for listening to me. It’s nice to have someone not tell me to ‘Shut the fuck up Mactavish.’”

Literally you after he tells you this:

“you’re my friend now. we’re having soft tacos later” vibes

Would send him memes and funny videos whenever you guys are on leave

His contact name on your phone is “Bubbles”

Would show you how to make bombs out of random shit. Set them off in bare fields or abandon buildings. Had a couple close calls

Will let you call him Johnny but you call him Mac instead.

“Aww, why not, lassie?”

“I’d rather not get my ass beat by your boyfriend.”

Calls you Lassie along with your callsign. When he wants to piss you off, he calls you Mini Ghost or Little Ghost

Like Ghost, you rarely take off your balaclava and tactical glasses

“The mask, take it off.”

“Nah, I don’t wanna.”

“You ugly?”

“Not as ugly as you old man.”

Has yet to seen you drunk though and he intends to get you there some day

Holds his hand when he’s throwing up

You would use him as a pillow during rides back to the base

The first person to tell him about any drama that’s happening in your life

Gives you advice about men

"Men are stupid, trust me, I am one."

Loves it when you would go on ramblings about the things you like. Anime confuses the hell out of him but he would always ask you about the plot and your favorite characters. He’d ask you about the current artist you listen to and has a list of recommendations from you so he could look them up when he gets home

After a mission gone wrong and believing that it was his fault, you seek him out, finding him sitting alone in the meeting room. You tell him

“It’s going to be okay. I trust you, John.”

He tears up and you wrap your arms around him.

Gaz:

With you two being the youngest, you bond over similar experiences

Sometimes share exactly one brain cell with each other. Sometimes you, Gaz and Soap share a brain cell

Brings out the chaotic gen z energy of each other

Your guys’ energy:

Follows each other on social media and would send each other tiktoks at ungodly hours

Kind of have a competition against each other to see who’s Price’s favorite child is

Gaz finally has someone who he can talk about anime with

Favorite shows to watch together: Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo  and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Similar music taste. The whole team listens to Queen, David Bowie, Pink Floyd and a few more others. However, Gaz and Crash have the same love of rap and indie pop. Anything they find on tiktok will be added to their shared Spotify playlist.

Gaz would ask about how college was like. He thought about going but ultimately for him, the military was the better option

“Were you part of a sorority?”

“Oh hell no. Loved going to the parties though. Always had top shelf vodka.”

“Really? Thought students couldn’t afford it.”

“When it comes to alcohol, we find a way.”

Share the same sentiment of feeling like they’re not doing enough in the team. After a particularly rough mission, you two would find a corner and just sit together in silence.

Would break the silence by quoting something from vine or tiktok and all things would be okay again

Price:

He has adoption papers ready

Crash, despite your name, is polite, respectful and responsible. Would always help Price clean up after meetings and briefs

Same with Soap, you would listen quietly to Price’s war stories and even his favorite fishing trips

Saw in your file about what happened to your old team and captain. Vows to never pull the same stunt as them

Sadden to see how you’re so young and has seen and dealt with many things already. It breaks his heart that there’s more that you’ll experience. 

You, Soap and Gaz would do dumb shit all the time but you knew when it was the right time to bail. Of course, they would snitch on you to Price. You’d rarely get in trouble though

Basically you two:

Would gift him cigars from the countries you’d visit during leave

Also a matching set of torch lighters. His has a special green flame while yours is pink. 

You don’t smoke anymore but you would hangout with him and help him finish reports together.

Price often thinks about a life where he didn’t join the military. A life of normalcy. To go to a home filled with life. 

Would have loved to have kids and technically, he still can but his job makes it almost impossible. 

But with Gaz and now you, you two are his pride and joy.

Would be the “hip” dad and will always ask about the new slang and memes

“This food is-what you kids call it...uh, busting!”

You and Gaz look at each other, “It’s bussin’.”

“This food is bussin’!”

Ghost:

Did not to want to get close to you at all. 

Was honestly peeved when Price told him that he was going to mentor you

“I don’t want to play babysitter, Captain.”

Surprised to see how short you were. All of the rumors and information he was told, they never mention your size

At first, he hated how you would follow him around like a lost puppy. 

“Leave me alone, go bother Soap or something.”

Doesn’t miss the flash of hurt in your eyes but you turn around anyways.

Before you joined, he, Price and Laswell were all sitting in Price’s office, his phone on speaker. He was reading over your file before Price’s contact said

“She reminds me of Ghost when I worked with him seven years ago.”

He looks up from the folder, Price’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise and Laswell nodding.

“I think we’ll have her transferred to us,” Price replies.

Hates to admit but he’s impressed. Thought the rumors was bullshit but you proved him wrong, time and time again

You still have a lot of things to learn and even more practice to do but he believes in you

Does not go easy. He’s merciless. Has put you down countless times and reprimanded you more. You would always leave training sessions with a new bruise. The rest of the team gets concerned with his training methods.

But you still get up and you blink away the tears whenever he shouts at you

At about five months after you joined, on a mission, you spot an enemy behind him before he does and without a word, you quickly take your knife out and throw it towards the man behind him. 

He opens his mouth to yell at you but he sees the enemy on the corner of his eye and watch him slump down. Your knife stuck in his bleeding neck

Gives you a nod after that. Pulling out your knife and handing it back to you

Knife throwing would be one of the training sessions you’d do. It was also a good time for some small chat

Finds out that you’re also a part of the “Dead Mom, Shitty Dad” club

It takes a year for him to SLIGHTLY open up to you

Told you about one of his favorite dishes his mom made and his favorite Queen song was ‘You’re My Best Friend’

Even told you how he likes his Earl Grey prepared

It scares him of how much you remind him of his mom and brother. You have her kindness and his determination. He will never tell you this

You, along with the team, become the very thing he cares about and will protect you to the best of his ability.

Bonus:

[multi-fandom-imagine]

•EVEN MORE THE BLUE EYE SAMURAI INCORRECT QUOTES•

Reader: Do you ever do anything except whine like a little bitch.

Taigen: Some times I whine like a big Bitch!

Ringo: Do you think when Butterflies are in love that they feel human's in their stomach?

Reader: Ringo! What the fuck!

Reader: • • •_-• - / ... - •_• •_• -.-

Mizu: What is that

Reader: Remorse Code.

Mizu: I am even angery now.

Reader: Hey Mizu, what are you eating?

Mizu: A family sized bag of sweets.

Reader...that's not family sized....that's regular sized....

Mizu:Everything is family sized when you dont have a family.

Reader: *whispering* Mizu...nOo

Reader: *Laying in bed* Do you think birds get sad for not having arms?

Mizu: Well do you get sad for not having wings?

Reader: *Choke up* Every single day.

Taigen: If I say I love you will you say it back?

Reader: Yes

Taigen: I love you

Reader: It back

*Five Minutes later*

Mizu: Why is Taigen sobbing face down on the floor?

Reader: I wish I could block people in real life.

Akemi: Restraining order

Mizu: Murder

Reader: What are you five?

Taigen: Yea! Five head's taller than you.

Reader:

Taigen:

Reader:

Taigen:....Please don't kill me.

Mizu: Are you high?

Reader: Am I what?

Mizu: High?

Reader: Hello.

Taigen: Can you be quiet?! I'm trying to think.

Reader: Don't worry. Doing anything for the first time is difficult.

Mizu: WHOEVER CAUSED THIS MESS IS GOING TO-

Reader: It was me...

Mizu: ...Is going to be forgiven because everyone deserves a second chance.

Reader: Why are you on the floor?

Mizu: I’m depressed.

Mizu: Also I was stabbed, can you get Ringo, please

Taigen: I guess I’m just a bad person.

Reader: Nah, you’re not a bad person. You’re a terrific person. You’re my favourite person. But sometimes you can be a real cunt

Reader: Hey Mizu?

Mizu, internally: There they are. My favorite person in the world, the love of my life. Fuck I just want to stare at them and hold them and kiss them for the rest of my life—

Mizu: What the FUCK do you want?

Akemi staring at Reader: “You look like an angel.”

Reader who wasn’t paying attention: “What?”

Akemi: “I said you look ugly at every angle.”

Mizu *screeching*: YOU MEAN A LOT TO ME!

Reader: wh-

Mizu: YOU’RE ESSENTIAL TO MY EXISTENCE!

Reader:why are you screaming??

Mizu: BECAUSE I HAVE TROUBLE EXPRESSING MYSELF! IT HELPS TO YELL SENTIMENTAL THINGS IN AN AGRESSIVE TONE!

Reader: I-

Mizu: I FUCKING LOVE YOU!

Ringo: Wow, it’s a barren featureless wasteland out there isn’t it?

Reader: … Ringo, try turning the map around.

Reader: You’re mad at me.

Mizu: I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.

Reader: Oh, come on. Everyone knows that’s worse

Mizu: Don’t worry, you’ve got everything you need to defeat them.

Reader: The power to believe in myself?

Mizu: No, a Sword.

Mizu: Stab them.

Reader: Don’t kill me, I have a wife

Assassin: I don’t care about that

Reader: That wasn’t a plea for mercy, that was a warning

Mizu kicking the door down: You called, love?

Reader: Here you are, Mizu. Nice hot cup of tea.

Mizu: …It’s cold.

Reader: Nice cup of tea.

Mizu: It’s horrible.

Reader: Cup of tea.

Mizu: I’m not even sure it is tea.

Reader: Cup.

Reader: You need to react when people cry.

Mizu: I did, I rolled my eyes.

Reader: Gotta love knitting needles, I can make a scarf, I can make a hat, I can stab someones eyes out, I can make mittens.

Akemi: What was that middle part?

Reader: I can make a hat?

Mizu: How much sleep did you get?

Reader: Eight.

Mizu: Hours?

Reader: Minutes. God! Taigen, would you shut the fuck up?

Taigen*Fixing his hair*: What the fuck? I didn’t even say anything!

Taigen: how come you’ve been abnormally nice to me lately?

Reader what do you mean?

Taigen: you just seem nicer than usual

Mizu: They can punch you in the face if you want.

Fowler: I could kill you if I wanted.

Reader: Yeah? So could any other human being. So could a dog. So could a dedicated duck. You aren't special.

Akemi: Did you really have to stab him?

Reader: You weren't there, you didn't hear what he said to me.

Akemi: And what did he say?

Reader: "What are you gonna do? Stab me?"

Mizu, nodding: That's fair.

Akemi: NO!

Reader: *Screams*

Taigen: *Screams louder to establish dominance*

Ringo: Should we do something?

Mizu: No, I want to see who wins.

Ringo:Let's speak about our talents.

Ringo:...I'll start, I like to cook.

Akemi: I'm good at languages.

Reader: I'm good instruments.

Mizu: I'm good at killing people.

Reader: *Does something stupid*

Mizu: What an absolute fucking idiot.

Mizu: I can't believe I would die for them.

[renthony]

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Killing the Cat: Violence Against the Vulnerable as Sloppy Narrative Shorthand

It Wasn't a Damn Door: Why Jack Dawson Had to Die

Bury Your Gays on Solstheim: Queer Representation in the Elder Scrolls

Invisibility or the Freakshow: Intersex Representation on American Television

The Nuke in the Room: Political Allegory in Samurai Jack

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[m1d-45]

second chances

summary: baizhu knows he isn’t your favorite, but he still finds himself hoping for the impossible. maybe, with enough prayer, he’ll get it.

word count: ~2k

-> warnings: major spoilers for baizhu story quest + lore + liyue archon quest, based on me and my experience (vaguely disliked baizhu at first due to partial information, immediately changed my mind w his quest and now adores him, doesn’t have kirara)

-> gn reader (you/yours) and unspecified traveller (they/them)

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay || @cupandtea24 || @genshin-impacts-me || @chaoticfivesworld || @raaawwwr

< masterlist >

baizhu knows he isn’t the most favored.

from the first moment the traveller set foot in his office, he knew. he wasn’t met with anything special, no big flair from his god when you first saw him. it was to be expected, with how much time he spent praying—could gods have regulars?

it was simple. a quick ‘oh, the snake talks?’ thrown his way, a comment or two about his choice of outfit or the jade pendant hanging off his vision, and that was that. mostly, you seemed preoccupied with qiqi and the funeral parlor’s consultant, something to be expected. he was a quick stop on your journey, a note in the margins about the doctor you met at the pharmacy. it made sense, of course, that you’d be occupied with the death of rex lapis during the failed rite of descension, and the return of osial and beisht surely took priority over him. he offered little, only a dialogue or two actually shared between him and the traveller when you were present. he’d gathered as much of his energy, saved it for your arrival to make a good impression, so… it made sense you’d fret over qiqi, constantly forgetful as she was.

it made sense. he’d… made his peace. he had more to worry about, surely, what with orders to fulfill and his own condition to manage. maybe not more important—never, not maybe, what was he thinking?—but certainly more.

when your attention on qiqi flared, spurred by some unknown whim, he delighted a bit in being close to her, even if your thoughts on him weren’t entirely positive.

it was fair. you liked qiqi, and were concerned. it made sense you didn’t know every detail of teyvat, and since he’s never had the chance to come to you and spell out his story directly, it made sense you’d make some assumptions.

“i guess that makes sense, but still… qiqi deserves better.”

she probably did, in truth, but hearing it from you…

he’s had his vision for years by this point. he’s hd it for as long as he’d had changsheng, to be exact, and she was always able to remind him of exactly how long that had been.

“ssseven yearsss, four monthsss, thirteen daysss, and counting…”

“ah… thank you, changsheng.”

he knew he wasn’t special. out of the thousands of vision wielders across teyvat, only a handful have started having their constellations appear in the sky. just under a hundred, by his approximation, but he tried not to count. if he sought out the proper numbers, tried to pin down a percentage of those with a vision that had a chance to hold their god’s attention, then he’d start trying to find patterns. he was a doctor, patterns and rhythms were his literal job, but he knew that wouldn’t end well.

(a librarian, an alchemist, a lawyer: did you perhaps favor more studious types? a bartender, an exorcist, a detective: or those with a drive in their lives? a nobody, a traveller, a wandering samurai: or those seeking one out for themselves?)

there wasn’t a pattern. it was random. and part of him hated it.

baizhu had had his vision for seven years, eight months, and thirteen (was it fourteen? the sky was growing dark) days, and had never once seen his stars in the sky.

he had one. he had a constellation, something he knew was rare among vision wielders, but it didn’t guarantee him a spot in the sky any time soon. kirara had hers long before she had her chance in the heavens—they’d spoken about that, both hesitant to show the other their divine gift, but willing to speak of its existence.

and now kirara’s turn had passed. though her vision didn’t shine any brighter, he could see the pride in her smile when she dropped off another delivery at the pharmacy. sign here, check these, make sure this is what you ordered, goodbye have a good day, pretend like yours doesn’t weigh more after seeing hers.

it wasn’t as if he was unremarkable. a perfectly healthy man who had thrown himself into illness to find the cure for all of them? surely that was interesting, wasn’t it? but it wasn’t his time, he was being impatient, slipping back to the same mindset he condemned his patients for.

“patience. medicine doesn’t work in an instant, and you’ll need to be taking this for the next week at minimum.”

“but it’s so bitter!”

“then tell me, what tastes worse: bile, or this pill? if you want to stop being sick, you need to take it.”

patience.

qiqi was blessed with a place in the stars near instantly after she’d gotten her vision, but she was not the norm. perhaps his expectations were weighted, then? or maybe you disliked his work entirely? he didn’t like entertaining what ifs, but when various aches kept him up, there was little else he could do while he waited for his medication to take effect. patience, he tried to remind himself, counting his breaths. be patient. wait, be calm, don’t agitate yourself. count in, count out, are your breaths getting shorter? just stay calm, be patient…

the first time he saw you, he knew you were coming. he’d saved as much energy as he could, doing his best to make a good impression. but now, with changsheng nudging him awake urgently, pushing him into his shoes and putting his glasses on for him, the first thing he’d expected was the millelith, maybe, or perhaps the ministry of civil affairs. maybe he was needed urgently, maybe something had happened to qiqi, maybe he was late for his medication and he’d get terrible headaches if he wasn’t quick- oh, but then why would she bother to coil around his shoulders?

and yet, out of all those possibilities, none were correct.

“hey! who’s talking about me behind my back?”

“changsheng, qiqi meant that as a compliment. there’s no need to be upset.”

it had been so long since he’d felt your light, far longer since he’d been properly healthy. he’d forgotten how it felt to walk without the dull ache in his joints, and yet here he was. standing by gui and a familiar looking child, speaking with your traveller. it was easy to say words he didn’t choose, his throat not getting dry despite the lack of his morning tea.

the quest was long, and by the end he should have been exhausted. between taking on jialiang’s sickness to turning him into a zombie, he should have been out of commission for the next few days. as it was he had a nasty cough, his breath coming shorter than typical… but that was it. he took his regular medication at the dinner with your traveller, the linger of your aura on them still seeming to dull his pains. how curious, that you could cure ailments even he couldn’t name anymore…

“baizhu, are you alright?” idly, he wondered if the traveller noticed the change in their voice when they were speaking for you. it always sounded a bit lighter, a bit of your emotions bleeding through… a pity he’d never know why. “today must have been taxing for you…”

all eyes were on him now, even qiqi’s. “i’m doing fine,” he said simply, taking another sip of his tea. “better than normal, if anything, which i have to owe to our guest.”

paimon still seemed nervous. “but what about when we leave? what if everything hits you all at once? normally you stay at the pharmacy, and using your power so much…”

a fair assessment. while he was no stranger to combat, to be thrown in the middle of a pack of such vicious hilichurls was a shock. still, he had made it through—even if, privately, he doubted it would have been so clean without you there. “i will be fine. even if my condition declines, i am well equipped to handle flare ups.”

it seemed the whole group was hesitant to let him go. changsheng insisted he stay up until three hours had past since the traveller left, when his limbs again felt heavy and his head began to hurt. something odd was stirring in his chest, and he was eager to get to bed before it sparked into anything more. it was reasonable, he knew, but there were only so many prescriptions to prepare before he had nothing left to do. gui had long since went to bed, leaving just him in the lobby of the pharmacy, quietly double checking his stock of herbs.

eventually, he stood from his seat, returning the sweet flowers to their proper place. he held up an hand to let changsheng climb up his arm, closing up the pharmacy. she curled around his shoulders twice, a familiar weight. the night was cool, a slight breeze bumping the chain of his glasses against his cheek. it had been a long few days, and he was happy that everything was settled. he’d done all he could for jialiang, and he and his family hopefully wouldn’t be coming back for quite some time. back to routine…

“…baizhu?”

he checked the lock with a quick tug, “yes? what is it?”

“the ssstarsss… they’re due, aren’t they?”

ah. the cycles of constellations, switching through the sky. if he thought about it.. yes, they were, weren’t they?

“by my memory, they are. why?”

her head was turned, looking off to the part of the sky not obscured by the roof of the pharmacy.

“…changsheng-“

“look.”

“it’s late.” his heart began to pick up, false hopes being raised. patience, he chided himself, but what follower did not wish for acknowledgment from their god? “we should go to sleep before we fall too far out of schedule.”

“baizhu! i know you have better sssenses than that.”

perhaps he did. his vision burned where it was clipped to his side, invisible vines creeping up toward his heart. “don’t be too hasty,” he said quietly, the words tasting as bitter as his pills.

don’t be too hasty. you could still be wrong. don’t get your hopes up. be patient.

one hand went to his hip, undoing the clasp of his vision, the other settling on the railing. a few clouds dotted the sky, but he lifted his vision anyway, searching for any stars tinted green.

everything happened at once. the terrace was replaced with an ocean of skies, the slight mumble of “i do have a guaranteed…” getting lost in the whirlwind around him. he was weightless, trapped in by an invisible box, only dimly aware of the fact that his pain had once again disappeared. he was floating, dressed in the attire he normally saved for formal events—dressed in what he’d put on when you’d first arrived—with no sight of the pharmacy below him. it was just him and changsheng, him and changsheng and the bright light that came from everywhere, lifting him from his unseen prison.

a laugh, a smile, a rush of power flooding through him, and when he next set foot in front of the pharmacy, he did so with a new gleam to his vision. he could hear a door open behind him—qiqi, if he had to guess, as why wouldn’t she be drawn to the power the adepti could only hope to imitate?—but couldn’t turn, breathless.

“welcome home, doc.. it’s good to see you.”

it had taken seven years, four months, and 25 days, but he was here. and it was more than he could have ever asked for.

[inbarfink]

The ‘Escapades‘ in TGAA1 are already such a top-tier idea. I mean, I really wish we could’ve had those in any of the other games somehow.... Overall they’re an incredibly delightful addition to the game, and taking them individually, the least good ones are still like ‘well, that was a fun little vignette for these characters, I’m just not sure if it 100% gels with the main events of the game’.

And I think my favorite one right now has to be the first one, ‘In the Defendant Antechamber’. It just does… so much great stuff to the Asoryuu dynamic, recontextualizes everything that comes after in a way that makes it even better and just feels like such an Essential Viewing for really understanding these two. 

It’s just… you can go through the entire game with Ryunosuke constantly calling Kazuma his ‘best friend’, the ‘person I trusts more than anyone else’ and you might just casually assume that these two go a long way back. Maybe not as much as Kazuma and Susato since Ryunosuke doesn’t have all the details about his childhood, but seeing how much they mean for each other, they must’ve known each other for a while, right?

NOPE

THEY MET IN COLLEGE

ABOUT A YEAR AGO

They’ve known each other for a year, just a pretty ordinary year of school, and they’re already got that Unbreakable Homoerotic Bond of Trust, and Ryunosuke is fully willing to lay down his life for the sake of Kazuma’s dream of going to London. And Kazuma is fully willing to abandon his literal Life Mission of clearing his dead father’s name and avenging him in the shame of failing to defend Ryunosuke. And he drags Ryunosuke with him to London because he knows that he’s the only one who can keep him from straying from his path. And then Ryunosuke decides to dedicate his entire life in the memory of Kazuma. His college buddy. 

But they’re not just college buddies. Because in that one year, they did forge such powerful emotional bonds that all of these actions make sense for them. Because they’re just that kind of Ridiculous Human Beings and I LOVE IT!!

And the story of how they met is just… perfection. Like, if you look at the pre-‘death’ Asoryuu dynamic, it’s very ‘Japan’s most amazing promising young lawyer-samurai is absolutely enamored with an Anxiety-Ridden Human Disaster’. Kazuma Asogi is the Proudest Moronsexual and Ryunosuke Naruhodo is dating way beyond his league.

But also….the thing that drew Kazuma to Ryunosuke in the first place is the fact that he bested him at something. Kazuma is this rising star at Yumei University, he’s got the brains and the brawn, it seems like he is poised for success and glory for the rest of his days - and then this anxious innocuous little goofball beats him… humiliates him even. Ryunosuke beat the star student of Yumei University without any ambition or ill-intention, he was just being himself, he is just this silly little linguistic dork who likes tongue-twisters. 

And Kazuma feels no real resentment or spite about this defeat. He was beaten at his own game by such a silly little guy and all he feels is respect and affection and appreciation. A desire for friendship. Maybe even love. 

And meanwhile, Ryunosuke has just kinda forgotten that this is how they met. I mean, it's not like he totally forgotten it, but... it doesn't seem to register as particularly Notable in his own memories. It's just not that important to him. That was probably a life-changing unforgettable event for Kazuma, but when Ryunosuke thinks about their friendship he just thinks about hanging out after class and eating Yakisoba together. Because that’s just the kinda guy Ryunosuke is, and I think Kazuma appreciates that just as much as his tongue-twister skills.

Also, it kinda connects to an idea I brought up in a previous post, that Kazuma Asogi is less of a direct counterpart to Miles Edgeworth and more of a… mirror image, an inversion.

Phoenix and Miles’ friendship started with Miles saving Phoenix…

A moment which was a world-changing story for Phoenix that literally defined his entire life, but Miles, although he always kept his memories of Phoenix close to his heart, can barely remember it. 

Ryunosuke and Kazuma’s friendship started with Ryunosuke beating Kazuma. A moment that is… certainly not the most important thing in Kazuma’s life, but one that has certainly made his mark on him, and one that he is not going to forget. But Ryunosuke just... doesn't really think about it unless it's directly brought up.

And it’s just… such a good piece of characterization for both of them on every thematic level, I just love it so much!!

[vinomino]

Be Vulnerable Part 1 - Two Sides Of A Coin Make It Whole

Contents: nsfw mdni 18+, arranged marriage au, samurai au, heavy angst, miscommunication, mention of dv(not with reader), mention of abuse, mention of assault, violence, murder, dubcon(aphrodisiacs), vaginal fingering

WC: 10.5k

“Say, what would you want your husband to be like?” Your elder sister, Tsuya, often spoke of the topic, sitting next to you in the garden talking your ear off about her dream future husband. That he had to be handsome, taller, and the deal-breaker; to treat you, her only little sister, with kindness. 

Thumbing at the leaf of a pink lily, “I don’t really care.” 

You haven’t given it much, women aren’t given a say in their marriage, or their lives. Do what they tell you to do, speak how they tell you to speak, say what they tell you to say. Your worth as a human is decided by how you present yourself. What good is it to fantasize about a man that doesn’t exist? 

“Eh? You should care…this is a man you will spend the rest of your life with.” She ungraciously blows raspberries. You respect Tsuya, she’s smart and calm but is an utter fool in the world of love. Wind breezes through the garden as you continue to watch the ants crawl along the rocks until the maids summon you back inside. 

Tsuya was often scolded on your behalf, always taking the blame for accidents you made. “It’s alright, I want you to depend on your older sister.” Patting your head after leaving your mother's chamber, you could faintly hear your mother ranting about another one of her favorite vases being destroyed. A vase you bumped into, causing it to fall over its stand. “Do I need a reason to love my sister?” 

Mother never paid much attention to you, primarily due to the fact she isn’t your biological mom. You were an illegitimate child, your real mother was your father’s first love. She was a servant to your family, the daughter of your grandfather’s best friend, they had grown up together, but due to her status, were not permitted to marry. He kept her around even after marrying Mother, she didn’t lash out at her husband for keeping a mistress around, in fact, she said that she was grateful he didn’t seek her out every night, and it wouldn’t be a problem as long as there wasn’t a child. 

She passed away shortly after giving birth to you. While it did tick Mother off when Father said he would add you under the family register, she eventually let it go. You weren’t the firstborn son or daughter. Akihiro was the heir and eldest, Tsuya was the second, and Akiro, your little brother was the spare. As the third child, your duties were lessened. Akihiro would succeed Father and run the household. Tsuya’s duty was to marry into a clan that would benefit the house. While that was also enforced onto you, you had the option of marrying any man as long as he wasn’t beneath you in status. You were just an addition, your existence didn’t play a huge role. 

Your family wasn’t a battle clan, but rather a trading one. The Hatano clan. The lead family under the Hata clan umbrella. Your father was a wealthy aristocrat, while lacking power and might, he made up for it in merchandising. Your family was in possession of fertile land, having an abundance of crops which put him at the top of the agriculture circle. It fostered trading and strong ties to bigger clans, most notably, your family’s precious sake*. Known famously far and wide for being the best, the rice wine being traded off for the promise of protection. 

Tsuya and you were close, your parents didn’t spend that much time with you and your elder brother was busy with duties to prepare him for being heir, duties ranging from sword fighting to study lessons, and you rarely got to see him because of it. Tsuya was the only family member you spent the days with, she didn’t discriminate against you for being a half-sibling, in fact, she loved you unconditionally. Akihiro didn’t disrespect you, he mostly ignored you, much like Mother. Akiro was born in the winter of your 14th year, he didn’t feel much like a younger brother, but more like a nephew due to the age gap. 

Riko, your exclusive maid is combing your hair, getting you ready for bed. “Miss, your hair is always so soft and gorgeous! Oh, should I shut the window? It is quite cold tonight…” She patiently awaits your answer. “Alright, thank you.” You send her a soft smile through the mirror. Riko was born the same year as you, a child of a man serving your father. Riko was much more confident and courageous than you expected. Despite how the other maids who have worked in the family longer act, she doesn’t shy away at all. She puts your mind at ease. You stand up, going to head for the bed, catching sight of the katana, resting upon the decorative table. 

On your tenth birthday, Father seated you on his lap and asked what you wanted. 

“I want a sword!” You beam at him. 

“What will you do with a sword?” He raises his brows, confused as to why his ten-year-old daughter asked for a katana, but still decides to humor you. It was undeniable you were Father’s favorite child, most likely because you inherited your mother’s beauty, resembling his first love. 

“I want to put it on display in my room.” A childish answer from a child. He stares into your sparkling eyes, eyes the same as his lover. “I shall commission one to be made.” He let you get away with stuff your siblings wouldn’t. Your father’s right-hand man suggests to him some notable blacksmiths. They nod along at your excitement, saying what color it should be, what it should look like, and rambling on naming it as well. 

When Riko leaves, you shimmy out of bed, stepping towards the table. Picking up the sword from the koshirae*, you unsheath it from the red saya*, and a yellow sageo* cord is wrapped around it. Gripping the black handle holding the silver blade out towards the window, the moonlight flows over it. Father calls a bladesmith every season to do upkeep on the katana. The sword must’ve cost a fortune to make, the steel and forgery were better than some of the katanas the swordsmen serving the family had. It was slightly smaller than the average katana though, you remember when Akihiro let you hold his sword, his was much heavier. 

Your father revealed it to you and you stared in awe. The servants murmured in shock at their Lord presented his youngest child, a girl, with her very own sword. Mother bit her tongue during it. Once, she learned you had played in the kitchen, spilling flour all over the floor, so she had you whipped and locked in a room. Calling you an impudent low-born disgrace and declaring you were to only have water for a week. When Father heard word of it, he immediately came to your rescue and called the family physician to tend to your wounds. You didn’t see Mother for a while after that, but you caught sight of her leaving the garden, a veil over her head, and you could faintly see a dark bruise on her cheek. After that incident, the servants began to tip-toe around you. She didn’t raise a hand against you again and no one dared call you names. 

Remembering the training hall, how the men swing their swords you try to replicate it. Running a hand through your hair, you tighten your grip around the handle. Still, you couldn’t move the same way a samurai does. The reason you asked for a sword back then was because of Momotarō*, a Japanese folklore your nanny would often recite to you. You would parade around the house, pestering your sister and the servants to help you slay the demons. Thinking back, it was quite embarrassing. But the sword was too heavy for you, even swinging it for more than half an hour would tire you out. The first time you dabbled with it, you fell bedridden. 

Only noble and aristocratic women were permitted to learn how to read and write. Reading was the only way to relieve you of your boredom, you didn’t have lessons with tutors and did not attend social events like Tsuya. 

Picking out some books from the library, Riko and a footman helped carry them back to your chambers, setting the stack down on your desk. You usually would’ve read in the garden, but it was drizzling out. 

“Shall I bring you some tea and snacks Miss?” Riko asks, ushering the footman out. 

“No. It’s fine, I’d like to be alone for now.” You answer, opening a book. She bows and shuts the door behind her. Struggling to focus on reading, you sigh and shut the book closed. Leaning back into your chair you turn your head to look at the mountain of letters.

You could be called a quiet child who neither stood out nor would disappear into the background. You never had an interest in going to parties, but Tsuya nagged you enough that day. You received countless marriage proposals and rejected every single one to Mother’s exasperation, she says your pretty face will soon slip away if you don’t take advantage of it. But she knew that there would be many more, agreeing with you to wait for one to stand above the rest. “Mother, I’m sure you can sell me off for something more.” Which is why you had reached adulthood, a marriageable age, but yet to be engaged. 

Marriage; you could marry a male from within the Hata clan, but there weren’t many who were around your age. You’d plunge a sword into your stomach before marrying someone twice your age or one of those creeps who keep bothering you. 

Tsuya was promised to Miyoshi Akihito of the Roppo-Ichiza clan. He was three years older than her. They were called love birds by maids who often gushed at the sight of them. It was a dream come true for her to marry not only out of convenience but also love. At first, you thought Miyoshi was simply faking a persona until you saw he was actually sincere. Maybe your sister was pitied for being a hopeless romantic that the deities made her wish come true. Thinking made you tired, bookmarking the page, you headed to your bedroom, sliding under the blanket and closing your eyes. 

A large commotion is coming from the hallway, causing you to awaken from your slumber. Opening the door you see servants rushing around frantically, out of the corner of your eye you spot Tsuya coming down the hall, “Sister…what’s going on…?” 

She has a grim expression, pushing you back into your room, sending a glance at Riko who bows her head and leaves. The rain poured down, a crack of thunder. Tsuya grips your shoulders tightly and finally speaks up, “Brother Akihiro died in an ambush.” Hearing the news of your elder brother’s death you slap a hand over your mouth. You can feel her muscles tense as she thinks about what is going to happen now that the heir of the house is gone. The two of you go to find Mother, she's standing in the engawa, sobbing into her hands. You help her back into the house, as she weeps for your brother. The rest of the night is a blur, everyone gets sent back to their quarters for the night, aside from Father and his men who hold an emergency meeting. Tsuya accompanies you for the night, scared of what's to come. “Big sister…” You murmur lying next to her, she shushes you. The sleepless night passes and everyone gets summoned into the meeting hall early in the morning. 

Placing next to Tsuya, you notice only the immediate family is present. Mother holds a solemn expression next to Father. The door slides open and your little brother steps in, Mother ushers him to sit next to her, embracing him in her arms. Father clears his voice. 

“Last night, Akihiro passed away.” He lets out a long sigh. 

“First, Akiro is to be named the new successor and will proceed with the training. Second, Tsuya you will cancel your engagement with Miyoshi Akihito of the Roppo-Ichiza clan and marry into the Bofurin clan. Not only did we lose your brother, but many of our best men as well. Finally, the wake will be held this evening, so be prepared.” With that, you're standing with your sister in the hall. Tsuya buries her face into your neck as she sobs. You try to comfort her, rubbing at her back. 

The loss of your elder brother and many of the swordsmen leaves the house unprotected, trade routes would be vulnerable, and there’s also the risk of plundering by bandits. While Roppo-Ichiza is strong, it pales in comparison to Bofurin, known for its strength, one of the most powerful clans by its might and size. A marriage connecting your family to Bofurin would be extremely beneficial. Tsuya knows this herself, which is why she did not raise any words against the decision. 

Then came the funeral, full of tension and tears. Standing next to Mother as she squeezed the chopsticks in her hands, it was time for the kotsuage*. She stares lifelessly at the ashes and bones of her first child. No one spoke as each picked out bone fragments. Riko wraps your haori around you as you head back to the family home. You were resting your head on her shoulder as the carriage took you away from the cemetery. 

Staying in your chambers as the week passes, you learn from a servant that the man Tsuya is to be betrothed to was named Lord General Kaji Ren, second in command of the Vaisravana unit, serving under Lord General Militant Hiragi Toma, who was one of the four kings of Bofurin, second to its Lord Commander, Umemiya Hajime.

Riko stands by as you read a book while sipping on tea, the calm atmosphere makes you feel ignorant. The only orders you had were to stay in your quarters, placing the book down, “Riko, will you follow me wherever I go?” Resting against your hand as you stare out the window. “Miss, I will follow you wherever you go, I promised, didn't I?” Her voice is calm, portraying her sincerity. A sigh escapes your lips as you prepare yourself for your plan. 

Seeking out father, you seek out his office. The footman by the door notices you approaching, straightening himself up. “Miss, is there anything you need?” 

“I want to request an audience with my father, it’s important.” 

He nods and enters the office, a minute passes before he opens the doors for you, nodding his head again. You can feel his gaze linger on you as you inhale deeply and step in, making your way to your father. Tsuya was also there, she looked surprised seeing you. 

“Father, let me marry in Tsuya’s place.” Pressing your shoulders back and raising your head to meet his eyes. 

“What are you saying?” Tsuya whispers over in a hushed tone. 

He sets his cup down, brows furrowed, “No.” 

“There should be no problem with me being the one to marry, then please allow her to proceed with her marriage to Miyoshi. I will marry Lord Kaji Ren.” Placing a hand over your chest. 

He glances over at Tsuya and then back at you. “I won’t allow it.” 

“Father, Tsuya is also your child.” Father should’ve married you off instead– but he didn’t want to lose you. You know him well. 

He doesn’t want to lose you like he lost his first love. “I’m not sending you away–” 

“Father, I care about Tsuya’s happiness. For once– please see me as my own person.” You plead. 

Father grits his teeth, “Leave, both of you.” 

Tsuya grabs you outside the office, pulling you into a secluded area, “Why–” 

“Sister is always kind to me, so… I want to be the one to help her when she needs it the most. Marry Miyoshi, be happy together.” You hold her shoulder. 

“What about…you?” 

Offering her a soft smile, “Write to me often, alright?” 

Tears well up in her eyes as she embraces you, “Since when did you grow up? Hah…Making me feel like the younger one.” She pinches your cheek like she always did when you were kids. 

Lord General Kaji Ren, was also referred to as a beast on the battlefield. Riko managed to gather some information; he was taller than you, had platinum hair and dark gray eyes, and was allegedly “good-looking”. With this little to go by, you couldn’t picture what he looked like, staring at Riko’s squiggly drawing of who she says is a portrait of your husband-to-be. You know Father reluctantly agreed since he didn’t come to see you.    

The wedding date was set and preparations were beginning. The number of servants who were around you now felt draining, the seamstresses spent hours taking your measurements. slouching back into the chair and rubbing at your temple, “Riko, are weddings this much of a headache?” Taking another bite of a biscuit.

“Miss! A wedding only happens once in a lifetime. Also, the youngest daughter of the Hatano family marrying a Lord General of the Bofurin clan is a big deal! Miss, you shouldn’t eat so much…your wedding is tomorrow and the Head Lady looked quite…mad at dinner.”

For once she paid attention to you. Was something like this considered a big deal? 

The day of the wedding arrived, waking up at dusk to get ready for it. The servants bathing you and dressing you. You should feel nervous, but instead, you feel a strange sense of peace, being able to protect your sister’s happiness. The white shiromuku* is neatly laid on top of your body. Flowers and birds are hand painted on the silk fabric, showcasing the meticulous attention to detail. A white wedding kimono symbolizes pureness and cleanness; to take on the other color of the groom and accept the values and ideas of the groom’s clan. Riko meticulously does your hair-do, wrapping it around and pinning it up. The silence was interrupted by a knock on the door. 

Tsuya steps in, her eyes wavering at you. “Here I thought I would be marrying first…my baby sister is all grown up now.” 

“Oh, both of you are here.” You look at your mother, carrying a small wooden box. For the first time in a while, she smiles. “It seems I am losing another child again.” She sighs, her frail cold hands push your hair out of your forehead and caress your cheek.

“Mother…don’t miss me too much.” Earning a soft laugh from her. She opens the box, “This was the hairpin I wore when I married your father. I want you to have it. Serve your husband well.” Gently handling the silver ornament, sliding it into your hair. Mother then turned on her heel and left with her servants, leaving the three of you.

“It suits you. Let me do your makeup, one last favor from your big sister.” Tsuya pats your head carefully to not move it out of place. 

She skillfully applies the blush and lipstick, leaning back to admire her work, “I’d say you don’t need anything more. You are always stunning.” 

“I agree Miss, I fell for your looks the moment I saw you!” Riko chimes in. 

Again, a knock at the door. This time it’s Miyoshi, “Riko, can you leave us for a bit.” She bows her head and steps out of the room. 

“Miyoshi? What–” Tsuya is cut off when he kneels on the floor. “I wanted to sincerely thank you, for everything, I promise to take care of Tsuya for the rest of my life.” Miyoshi bows his head. 

Tsuya’s breath hitches for a moment before joining Miyoshi, next to him. “No, please– raise your heads.” You bend down and pull them up, “As long as you two are happy, that’s enough repayment I need.” Tsuya burst out into tears, refraining from touching you, to not stain your kimono. “I swear it on my life” Miyoshi states, taking Tsuya out with him to calm her down. 

You're left alone, sitting in front of the mirror. The woman looking back at you is unfamiliar, is she really you? It felt surreal, only yesterday you were tottering after Tsuya, and now you were getting married off before her. 

The wedding ceremony was to take place in Bofurin’s ceremonial hall, the ride there was a lengthy one. Peering over your shoulder, taking one last look at the place you were born and grew up in, before stepping into the carriage. Fiddling with the fan the whole way, Tsuya’s and Miyoshi’s children will grow up in a family full of warmth, that alone sets a smile on you. 

“Miss, we’ve entered the Bofurin territory.” A male voice informs you. 

Daughters live their whole lives for this. This is the last thing you can do for your family. 

In a separate room, Tsuya places the wataboshi* over my head. The pristine white hood to be worn before and during the ceremony is the equivalent of a wedding veil. 

SANSHIN-NO-GI (PROCESSION CEREMONY) 参進の儀

One foot in front of the other, white zori* shoes clacking against the ground as you walk towards the ceremony hall. The bridal party, accompanying you is led inside by a maiden. Head slightly tilted down you are still able to see how many people were present, your family to the left, Bofurin to the right, and all the clansmen were identifiable in their dark green haori*. Peering up, you can see the ceremonial table and altar at the back of the hall, a man stands beside it. Platinum blond hair, it's hard to see his eyes with his fringe, but you tell they are a murky color. He wears a traditional groom’s black kimono and the same haori as his clansmen, on closer inspection the Furin symbol is on it—a neutral expression on his face, lips in a tight line. The priest awaits you beyond the table. 

NYUJYO  (ENTRANCE) 入場

The maiden introduces the bride and groom, “Today we are witnessing the unification of the young lady from the Hatano family and Lord General Kaji Ren of the Bofurin clan.” 

SHUBATSU-NO-GI  (PURIFICATION CEREMONY) 修祓の儀

The priest purifies the bride, groom, and attendees. To purify you and Kaji Ren from all your sins to begin your journey together. 

NORITO-SOJO (SHINTO RITUAL PRAYER READING) 祝詞奏上

Then the priest recites ritual prayers, announcing to the deities of your marriage, a marriage promising eternal happiness together. Asking for protection and blessings. You shift and wiggle your toes against the socks. Unable to scratch the itch, you peek over to your right, at Kaji Ren. The guests all stand and bow. 

SANKON-NO-GI（EXCHANGE OF CUPS）三献の儀

The exchange of the three cups of sacred sake. In front, three cups, small, medium, and large. The priests begin to pour the sake into them. The familiar scent, it's your family's sake. For the first time your will wavers. You raise the cup to your lips, taking three sips, the harsh liquid burning your throat, but you force it down. Passing the cup to the priest for it to be refilled, he hands the cup to Kaji, who does the same, face never faltering. This proceeds until you have sipped from all three cups.    

KAGURA HŌNŌ (DEDICATION OF THE SACRED DANCE) 神楽奉納

The maidens then begin to perform the ancient dance as an offering to the gods.

SEISHI SOJO (READING OF VOWS) 誓詞奏上

The priest hands Kaji a paper scroll, he clears his throat, “This woman, I marry, no matter what the health situation is, I will love this person, respect this person, console this person, and help this person until death, I swear.” He hands the paper to you, “This man, I marry, no matter what the health situation is, I will love this person, respect this person, console this person, and help this person until death, I swear.” 

“Groom, do you take this woman to be your wife?” 

“I do.”

“Bride, do you take this man to be your husband?” 

Gulping, “I do.”

“Then it shall be.” 

TAMAGUSHI HOTEN (TAMAGUSHI OFFERINGS) 玉串奉奠 

Holding the tamagushi* in your hands, you bow twice, clap your hands twice, and bow one more time. Kaji does it alongside you. Showing gratitude to the gods. 

YUBIWA-NO-GI (EXCHANGE OF RINGS)  指輪の交換

The maiden then passes a black velvet box to the priest, he takes it and opens it in front of us. Kaji takes the smaller band and turns to you, holding out his hand, you place yours in his, and he slides the silver band on your ring finger. You turn and take the other ring, sliding the band on his ring finger. His hands feel calloused and rough. 

SHINZOKUSAKAZUKI-NO-GI (DRINKING OF SACRED WINE WITH THE WEDDING PARTICIPANTS) 親族杯の儀

Marriage not only symbolizes the binding of the bride and groom but also their clans and families. All the guests present take three sips of the wine, binding the Bofurin clan and Hatano family together. 

TAIJYO (EXIT) 退場 

After bowing, people start to exit the hall. Everyone takes their exit, leaving you and Kaji alone. “Follow me.” He roughly speaks and leads you back to his personal estate. Following the wedding, the night to consummate it was equally if not more important. 

Stepping into his bedroom chambers, he shuts the door behind him. You take off the wataboshi, placing it on the table against the wall. Kaji is staring at you, he’s finally able to see what you look like. Undoing your hair, letting it fall, placing Mother’s hairpin down. Nimble fingers reaching to undo the obi*, to get undressed, Kaji lets out a loud cough. “There’s no need.” 

Tilting your head, “Lord General, this is my duty.” 

“You’ve already done it. I heard about Akihiro, we used to spar together…and no need to call me so formally. We are husband and wife now, you are also a Kaji…” He trails off as he steps towards the bed, picking up his sword from its stand and unsheathing it. You watch as he slices at his arm, dripping his blood on the white sheets, staining it crimson. “This should be enough. There’s no need for you to worry about an heir.” With that, he walks past you into the connected room, disappearing from your sight. You don't follow, opting to get unready for bed instead. Blowing out the candles and sliding under the blankets, on the opposite side of where the blood is.

Kaji sits down on the lounge chair, hands working to bandage the cut. Then he cleans his blade down spotless, taking off his haori and the haori himo*, kicking off his sandals as he leans into the cushion. He sighs, running a hand through his fringe. How did he get into this situation? 

It was sad news to hear an old friend had died at such a young age, but what he didn’t expect was Umemiya and Hiragi summoning him to tell him he was to marry his dead friend’s sister. He knew the status of your family, knowing they were in dire need of manpower. 

“Kaji, if you don’t want to, I won’t force you to.” 

He clenched his jaw so hard he thought it would shatter. “If it's not me, who will do it?” 

“Hiragi would have to, the Hatano family specifically requested a groom from the Vaisravana unit. Well, there’s Sakura, but…” Umemiya pauses, the third in command, General Sakura Haruka, everyone collectively agrees he was not mature enough to take on a wife. “Her name’s Tsuya Hatano, she’s a year younger than you.” 

Kaji did not want to put Hiragi in a position he did not want to be in, no, he owed too much to the man. Owed his entire life to Hiragi, so reluctantly, he agreed. Word spread quickly in Bofurin, and his vices began to bother him about it. 

“A day ourrrr RRRen gets marrrrrried! Who woulda thought!” Enomoto laughs, smacking him on the back as he grimaces. Kasumi nods with a smile more annoying than usual. “Go away, piss off!” Kaji unwraps a candy and chucks it into his mouth, swirling the sweet around. 

“Oh look! It’s Sir Kaji!” Great, he mumbles, turning around and is met with another headache. A triple headache that is. Nirei, Suo, and Sakura all walk towards him. 

“I heard you were marrying a daughter from the Hatano family!” Nirei asks excitedly, making Kaji cringe internally. 

“The who family?” Sakura asks. 

“Sakura, they are practically ranked one–first in the trading business…” thumbing through the small notebook, “Oh they make the famous Hatano sake. Sakura, you like that one.” 

“Eh?” Sakura scratches his head, trying to remember. 

“Sakura, you know the names are the same, right?” Suo teases, dodging the duo-colored boy’s punches.  

“The Hatano’s have four children. The oldest son, the oldest daughter, the youngest daughter, and the youngest son. I heard Tsuya Hatano was very pretty, but I thought she was going to marry Mishiyo of Roppo-Ichiza…I don’t have much of the youngest daughter or son…they haven’t been to social events yet.” Kaji intently listens as the younger boy talks. It felt a heavy bitter taste on his tongue, worse knowing he was marrying someone who was supposed to be promised to another.  Crunching the candy, he storms off. “Oi, Kaji wherrrrre ya going?!” Enomoto calls out for him. 

It wasn’t until the night before the wedding he was informed the bride had changed to the youngest daughter. To his relief, you were only a couple of years younger than your sister. However, now, he's marrying someone he has no information on. You don’t want this either, no one wants to marry out of their family’s desperation. Kaji can only begin to imagine your emotions, he’ll always despise arranged marriages. This deepened when he first laid eyes on you, a well-bred lady, who looks far too weak and frail to be betrothed to a brute like him. He’s certain even the slightest touch of his hand will shatter you, unable to read any emotions on your calm face like this was your only destiny. Kaji sensed underneath that, the firmness in you, in those clear hues. Shifting uncomfortably on the chair, the image of you taking off your Obi belt resurfaces, he splays a hand over his face to smother the heat. Your skin must be smooth to the touch, without a single blemish, raised completely differently than him. It stirs an unfamiliar emotion in his chest. 

The wind chimes on the window jingles in the wind, swaying back and forth, you peel open your eyes to see Kaji not present. The sheets wrestle as you sit up, surveying the room with the daylight present. Noting your husband was a simple man, with little to no decoration, aside from a little jar filled with wrappers in the corner of the room, catching your eye. You walk over to inspect it. Popping open the lid to sniff it.

Candy? Does he like sweets?

“Miss, are you awake?” Riko knocks on the door. She had demanded to come with you, saying she promised to never leave your side. Grateful that someone familiar with you, you make a mental note to raise her pay. “Yes, come in.” 

Riko enters with an elderly lady, as she comes over to usher me into the washroom, the older woman silently walks over to inspect the bedsheets. Glancing over your shoulder; she looks up, clasps her hands, and deeply bows. The warm water comforts you, Riko washes your hair. “What do you think about the Lord?” She asks. 

You hum and tilt your head back, “He’s…not that much of a talker…?” Shutting your eyes trying to remember last night. Deciding it would be best to not speak of the bedding night, you sink further under the water, it pools up beneath your nose. Riko helps you dress, it's a fine kimono, made of silk; a pale fabric embroidered with green thread. Upon entering the hall another maid awaits, much younger than the other. “I will show you around the estate.” She says and bows, ushering Riko and you to follow behind. 

Your legs hurt, why is it never-ending? The young girl talks your ear off about the history and types of rooms present. You nod along, despite not paying attention, until you pass by a large portrait hung on the wall. A younger version of Kaji, along with his late parents. You stare it for a while until a voice breaks your thoughts. 

“Arrrre you the new miss?!” A man with slick black hair swiftly approaches you. The young servant bows her head at him. Straightening to do the same, “No, no, no you don’t need to bow yourrrr head. Yourrrr Kaji Rrren’s wife! Yourrrr my superrriorrrr!” He’s boisterous. “The name’s Enomoto Takeshi!” He nods, and you give him a friendly smile at his enthusiasm. Enomoto is taken aback, eyes widening. 

“Is something wrong?” 

“N-No! I’d say Rrren found himself quite a fairrr maiden!” Enomoto rubs at the back of his neck, “If you need anything, just hollerrrrr!” Giving you a thumb-up before scurrying off. Were the Bofurin members this eccentric?

The tour finally ends, sitting on a cushioned chair as you place your feet on the wooden rest. The walking seemed to never cease, Kaji’s estate alone rivaled your family’s house. Hours spent learning about the history and Kaji’s childhood. Letting out a sigh, you lean back, closing your eyes to refresh. 

“Psst! Enomoto! Over here!” The guys from his unit flag him down. “Did you see the miss? What’d she look like?” They surround him with questions. 

“Well, she was prrretty…” Enomoto mumbles, remembering your face. His answer causes the group of boys to erupt, pestering him for more information. 

“Is this all you have on her?” Kaji leans on his desk with elbows, staring directly into the nervous Vice General. 

“Y-Yes!” The blonde squeaks out. 

He hums and flicks through the three-page paper, “Alright, you can go now.” Nirei lets out a sigh of relief and skimpers out and Kaji begins to read the report. 

When he finished, he reached over for the bell, and summoned a servant. 

“Yes, my lord?” The man bows his head. 

“Call for the Head Maid.” Kaji traces a finger over the papers. 

“Young Lord?” The Head Maid bows her head at him. With the passing of his parents, she had been the one who managed the household in place of his mother. Now with a new lady of the house, his wife should be one to do it. “Shall I start training the Miss tomorrow?” 

Kaji bluntly responds, “No, there’s no need.”

The head maid is taken aback, “May I ask why…?” 

“She doesn’t need to do anything.” You were raised preciously. Even the rain could leave you ill for days. You shouldn’t be forced into a duty you never wanted, especially one that’s tiring. Remembering Nirei’s words: The lady spends most of her time reading. “Also, make arrangements to expand the library.” 

~

The Head Maid was the same woman who entered aside Riko on the morning after the wedding night. “What do you mean I won’t be handling the household?” 

“The Lord has not permitted you to do so. I will continue to carry on the work of the lady of the house.”

Kaji not permitting you was one thing, but the way she talked down on you, saying you weren’t the Head Lady irked you. 

You later found out the Head Maid was also Kaji’s nanny and took care of him while also managing the internal affairs after his parents passing. There’s no way he would side with you, a woman he just met over the woman who cared for him since he was an infant. So you just decided to bite your tongue. 

“I can’t go to the library?” Frowning at the footman. If Kaji didn’t want you to do anything, you would surely die of boredom. “It’s being expanded Miss, it should be finished in five days.” He fumbles out. Letting out a sigh, “Alright, I’ll come back then.” Turning on your heel back to your chambers. You don’t miss the way the servants are jeering at you under their breaths. 

It had to be the Head Maid, who else could’ve spread the word that you weren’t allowed to take on the marital duties? The servants were anxious, trying to figure out how to treat you. While they never spoke rudely to your face, they did it from behind.  From your books being placed back in the library when you haven’t finished with them to deliberately brewing poor tea leaves, the pranks continued. Snickering behind your back after playing innocent to your face. They even influenced the guards and footmen. Back at home, you would’ve had guards and a few servants accompanying you whenever you left your chambers, but now you only had Riko. Even Riko took on all the work of a low-ranking maid for you, dusting your room and bringing you your food. She picked up on the servants neglecting those tasks. But you chose to ignore it for your family, for Tsuya. 

The clan members were kind and welcoming, it touched your heart to be accepted by them. You even made friends, Tsubaki and Kotoha, who you often have tea with. When Enomoto and Kasumi run into you, they chat with you. You even met Vice Generals, Suo and Nirei. Nirei reminds you much of a sweet, innocent puppy and neither of them seems to harbor any hostility towards you like the Head Maid. They worked under General Sakura, speaking of whom, your first meeting with the two-colored boy didn’t go well. 

You were at the library alone, carrying some books back to your chambers. Maybe you picked out too many because you were struggling to walk back with them. Nobody was near except Sakura. He was speaking with Kaji and caught sight of you when he was heading out. Wordlessly he picked the books out of your arms and carried them. “Thank you, you can place them on that table.” 

“You’re kind of weak.” Your eye twitched. Was he talking about how weak you are physically or that you couldn't stand up for the mistreatment? 

“General, not everyone is as fortunate as you. Please take your leave now.” He stared at you for a moment before nodding his head and leaving. 

A day later Sakura stands outside your outer chambers, hesitating to knock. “Sakura…that’s not very kind to say to Lady Kaji…she got married in exchange for manpower, can you imagine being in her position?” Suo reprimands him as Nirei nods. 

“Are you here to see the lady?” Riko notices him standing at the door. He flinches and stammers, “Gah! Y-Yeah…” She ushers him inside. 

“Ah, Riko and…the General?” You look up surprised to see Sakura who is avoiding eye contact with you with a scowl on his face. Riko sets the snack tray down on the table. “General, do you like cookies?” 

Sakura reluctantly sits down and glances at the tray. “Here, have some.” You push a plate towards him, he grumbles and picks a biscuit up. You stifle a giggle watching the way his face lights up as he eats. He reminds you of Akiro. “You still haven’t told me your name.” 

“It’s Sakura Haruka.” He says while chewing. 

“Well, Sakura, why are you here?” You lean on your hand, waiting for his answer. 

“Urk– y-yesterday…” he awkwardly rubs the back of his neck. “I–I’m sor–” 

“Say ah~” You push a piece of candy into his mouth. He flinches backward into the chair, raising his arms like he is about to fight you. He’s as red as a rose. How adorable. “Oh? Do you not like candy?” You laugh as he blubbers, trying to talk. 

“I’ll forgive you if you come to have tea with me sometime. You can also bring Suo and Nirei with you.” 

And so, the next spring came. Kaji and you barely see each other, let alone speak. Even at important events, Kaji doesn’t even make eye contact with you, the house servants murmur to themselves about a cold marriage because you’ve yet to nurture an heir. Riko is still Riko, tending to you like she has been, although lately you sense she’s also on edge, spending more time at your side, recommending you take walks or visit the shopping district. Laying on your side on the bed facing away from Kaji, true to his word, he hadn’t touched you since you got married last year. He spent the nights sleeping on the sofa, until three months ago he started sleeping by your side. Kotoha, the clan’s doctor, instructed him to do so after he complained about a sore back. 

You should go see Lady Kotoha. With Kasumi’s advice, he seeks out the clan’s doctor. “My back has been aching lately and it's affecting my training.” 

Kotoha jots what he says down, “How do you sleep?” 

“On my side.” 

“Hmm, you should start laying on your back more, sleeping on your side all the time might be the cause of this issue.” 

“It’s too small for me to sleep on my back, do you have any pain medication?” 

“Too small? Where have you been sleeping?” Kotoha tilts her head in confusion. 

“On a couch.” 

“Why not on the bed?” She questions. 

“I can’t– someone is occupying it.” 

“You mean your wife.” Kotoha knows about how your marriage is with him, “Lord General, it��s common for married couples to share a bed. Even if I prescribe you with medication, the pain won’t go away.” With that, she sends him back to his estate. 

The first time he slept by your side you thought he wanted to have sex with you. Slipping your kimono off your shoulder, “S-Stop. I’m just here to sleep on the bed. The doctor told me to.” Covering his eyes with his hand, he only removes it when you dress yourself again. Not even sparing him a single word you laid back down and pulled the blanket over yourself.

“What…did you do today?” Kaji breaks the unbearable silence, laying on his back, head turned to look at your figure. 

“Nothing.” A blank reply. He could easily find out by asking Riko or any of the other maids, why bother asking you? After all this time of being neglected, you formed some sort of resentment towards him. Telling yourself it was only a matter of time before he takes in another wife, a woman he truly loves. Your mother often wrote letters, asking when she would meet her grandchild and to try and seduce Kaji. Over time the letters have gotten worse and worse, lately you just chuck them unopened into the fire to be kindling. Clutching the blanket closer, you close your eyes, falling into a dreamless slumber. 

Kaji clenches his jaw, his insides cringing in pain, a part of him wants to be angry and yell at you. He takes a deep breath, looking at your back, he wants to reach out and touch you. To feel your skin against his, at first, he thought he could just ignore you. But now, he isn’t sure. He would usually ignore when the other men talk of you, how gorgeous you are, and well that was true. However, when he overheard a man from the Komoku unit talk about the things he would do to you if he were in Kaji’s place, that had his blood boiling. His vices had to pull him off the guy as he pummeled the bastard with his fists, in a fit of anger he unsheathed his blade towards another Bofurin member, and Hiragi had to clash with him to pull him back to his senses. He never felt such a rage on behalf of anyone ever before in his life, the feeling scared him. Scared he would turn back into a beast. 

“Kaji, this is proof of your feelings towards your wife.” Hiragi pours him a cup of alcohol.

The younger male shakes his head in his hands, “That’s not possible.” 

“You fought on your wife’s honor this time, I won’t punish you…Lord General Militant Mizuki also wants to extend his apology to your wife.” 

“...Hiragi…how do you get along with your wife…?” Kaji strains out. 

“Are you having marital problems?” 

“We don’t talk, the only time I touched her was during the ring exchanging ceremony…we haven’t had…” 

“Your first time yet huh?” Hiragi finishes his sentence, “Well, I don't have a wife myself…my advice probably isn't the best in this situation. Let me ask you this Kaji, do you want to change your relationship with her now? Do you want to be closer to her?” 

Kaji pauses, does he want to be closer to you? The way you smile at everyone except him, offer your tender gaze to everybody else. He wants you to look at him the same way, to be the recipient of your affections. Especially the way you treat the Sakura, he wants you to talk comfortably with him as well. “I…I do…”

“Then you need to be upfront, try making subtle changes. Talk to her, ask her how her day was, and make an effort. Communication and honesty are key, but sometimes actions speak louder than words. Since you guys haven’t been intimate yet, it might take a while.” Kaji nods at his superior’s words. 

Glancing at your sleeping figure, he sighs. Stretching his arm out, he hovers his hand before hesitantly touching your hair. The silky strands flow in between his fingers, he presses a kiss against it, breathing in your scent before letting go. Crossing his arms and he enters a dreamless sleep as well.

Kotoha reminded you of your sister. She was mature and smart. You were in awe when you entered her office. The jars of herbs and medicines, you never thought a woman could become a doctor. “I’m running out of supplies, why don’t you accompany me outside.” 

“Oh…I’m not permitted to go out…”

Remembering the Head Maid telling you, you couldn’t go to the shopping district with Riko. “Stay here, it's for your safety.” Live quietly like a rat. 

Even going to Kotoha’s workplace at the Umemiya estate, you had to sneak out.

“What are you saying? You have every right to leave your estate…who told you, you couldn’t?” 

“It’s nothing! I must’ve been mistaken since I fall ill often.” You raise your hands playing it off. “Kotoha, does Bofurin not hold banquets or gatherings?” Trying to change the subject, you never stepped foot out of the estate until now when Kotoha invited you to see her chambers. 

“Huh? We do, if anything we hold too many…” she chuckles. “Come to think of it, do you not like such things? You never come. Oh– I’m not trying to pry or anything, I know some people who don’t go because they find it bothersome.” 

You’ve never received word or invitations to go. Kaji doesn’t even tell you. When you asked the Head Maid when the New Year’s celebration would take place she said that there was no need for you to go. That wicked woman– it’s almost like she wants to push you out and marry Kaji instead. You can’t say anything to the servants since they all take her side and that Kaji prick probably won’t even hear you out. 

“When will we be heading out? Shall I meet you here?” You avoid her questions altogether. 

~

“Miss, please don’t walk too fast!” Riko speeds up trying to catch up with you. “We shouldn’t wander too far from General Sakura and Lady Kotoha…” 

“It’s fine, I just want to see the hairpins in that shop, Tsuya’s about to give birth soon, I want to send her a gift. Will you help me pick something out? Riko…?” You turn around but don’t see her at all. Looking around, the crowds of people walking by make it difficult to spot her. An uneasy feeling creeps up, you should try going back to the way you came from. Retracing your steps, you're grabbed by your arm and yanked into an alleyway. “MMPH!” You try to scream, but a cloth is placed over your mouth. An odd scent fills your nostrils. 

Riko desperately tries to call out for you. You’re able to faintly hear her, before succumbing to unconsciousness. “Miss? Miss!” 

“Riko? What’s wrong?” Kotoha notices her panicking in the middle of the street. Sakura walks out of the medicine store behind her carrying bags. 

“The lady! I can’t find her!” 

Stirring awake, you open your eyes to find yourself lying on the wooden floor of a shabby shack. Wigging your hands, your wrists and ankles are bound by a rope. Eyes darting around the room to see what was going on. 

“Lookie! She’s awake!” A man’s shrill voice pierces your ears. 

“She is? Hmm…?” A second voice. “Hey, you idiot! You grabbed the wrong chick! She ain’t Kotoha Tachibana!” The other man grabs him by the collar about to punch him. 

“Shit? Really? My bad my bad…you barely gave me anything to work with!” 

“Dumbass! You stupid fucker! We can’t get ransom with some unknown girl!” 

“You sure? Her kimono looks expensive~ She was also traveling with a Bofurin General, you know how protective that clan is with their members.” 

They continue arguing, and you see the door is slightly ajar. Squinting your eyes you can see a forest beyond it, now inspecting the men, you notice one has a dagger strapped to their thigh and the other has a katana on their hip. One of the men noticed you staring, “Well hello there…wow she’s a gorgeous girl. I’m sure we can sell her for a hefty bunch.” 

“She’s likely married, she ain’t a virgin, we can’t get that much.” He scoffs, rubbing at his temples. 

“Then lemme play with her for a bit…, I went through so much trouble. We can just sell her to that old lady running that brothel. I’m sure she’ll rack in a bunch of money.” 

“Fine, sun sets in two hours.” A third voice speaks up, much for gruff than the other two. He leaves out the door.

“Fuck this, M’ going for a smoke.” The second voice leaves, leaving the door wider. Probably so he can hear if someone goes wrong. With more sunlight pouring into the dark shed you can clearly see the man’s face, a dark scar running down it. 

“Whewwww…I’d never seen a woman prettier than ya. I’ll say…got permission to play with you too.” 

“Play?” You croak out. 

“How interesting! Not ‘Where am I?’ or a ‘Why are you doing this?’ hmmm?” 

“You wouldn’t tell me anyways.” Speaking as calmly as you can muster. 

“I like ya…don’t like my women all whiny and crying. Ruins my mood, I think I'll enjoy you. Might even visit you at the brothel we’ll sell you to.” He licks his lips, the action making bile come up your throat. “Righty! I got something that’ll make ya feel real good!” He pulls out a vial of liquid. “Pucker up!” You try moving back, but he grips your mouth, pouring it in. Closing your throat to prevent it from going down, he clicks his tongue and shoves two digits into the back of your throat making you gag the liquid down. “There we go! It ain’t poison if that’s why you're shaking.” He smiles. The murky substance drips down into your stomach as you cough. 

Grabbing the dagger at his thigh, you flinch, pressing back against the wall. He hums as he drags the tip down your chin and chest, the sharp blade cutting the front of your kimono, slowly exposing your chest. Dread fills you, is anyone coming to save you? Whatever he gave you, you didn’t have much time to waste. Clenching your fists you wait for him to take back the knife. A sinister grin on his face as he scoffs at your tough demeanor. He’s speaking, but you can’t hear him, focusing on when the knife will be farthest away from you, he starts waving it around, pointing outside. 

You’ve always been weak, even standing out in the sun for too long would leave you ill for days. 

But you never realized the other downside of it until you were cornered by a son from the Hanazawa clan. He pinned you against the wall and demanded to know why you didn’t respond to his advances. Luckily, Tsuya was looking for you and he quickly backed off, fumbling out some excuse about you dropping your handkerchief and he wanted to give it back. The feeling of being helpless and powerless was horrid. He could’ve had his way with you– do what he wanted to you. 

A few weeks later you ran into Akihiro. “Have you just finished training big brother?” 

“Yes, is there something you need?” He eyes you up and down, seeing that you are troubled. 

“Do you know how to take a man down?” 

He stiffens up, “Did something happen?” 

“Oh, um nothing– I wanted to know– just in case.” 

“Hm, well I do see how it can be helpful in that case.” 

Slipping your hands out the rope you’ve been working at, you lunge at the man. Moving like how your brother taught you. Adrenaline rewiring your brain, you push him backward, kneeing him in the crotch, and shoving your elbow into his mouth to shut him up. The dagger slips out of his hand as he tries to shove you off, biting down on your flesh. Grabbing the blade, you plunge it repeatedly into his neck. Over and over again until he stops moving and his eyes roll back. Dark red liquid oozes out of the protruding skin, flowing down onto the floor. The man goes limp and you finally back off, looking over at the door to see if anyone was coming back inside. Slicing your ankles free.

A slip of relief, you’re crying. You didn’t even cry at Akihiro’s funeral, but now you mourn his death. Looking past the door into the forest, that man said the sun was going to set soon, you didn’t have time. Making a run for it, kicking off your shoes and socks, you dash out into the forest. The two other men shout behind you, chasing you down. Your lungs screaming at you, and your knees crying out as adrenaline rushes into your veins. Stumbling over a few sticks and rocks, you pray to not lose your footing. Tears bubble in your vision as you blink them away, a silent prayer for any kind of help. 

“Stop! You bitch!” They scream after you. 

Gasping for air as you feel your limit approaching. Right out the corner of your eye, you see a slip of green moving, Bofurin green. 

“Ren!” You wail, turning to run in the new direction. Please, please, please. 

“Over here!” A new voice shouts. You catch sight of a burgundy-haired man, Vice General Suo Hayato. He raises his bow, aiming behind you. His lone red eye is steady as he shoots, and you trip as the arrow passes by. Finally, looking behind you, the men turn tail and run, fleeing to save their lives. Panting on the ground, your throat is dry and hoarse. Someone engulfs you in their arms. Wrapping themselves around you. Who is it? Your vision is blurry as your head is tilted back, there’s a deafening ringing in your ears, and all you can see is gray. 

“Lord General Kaji! Lord General Kaji!” Everyone looks up as Nirei bursts into the meeting hall. 

“What’s going on?” The Lord Commander stands up. 

“The Lady– Lady Kaji– she’s gone!” For the first time in his life, Kaji feels his blood run cold.    

The nearby west forest was the first place to search. Bandits would kidnap women, often holding them there. He wasn’t much religious, but he begged and pleaded for any higher being to ensure you were safe. Hopelessness, regret, desperation, what else could he feel? 

Don’t be hurt, don’t be injured, please don’t die. 

All he can do is blame himself for his carelessness, touching your disheveled limp form, he wants to puke. Your cheek, colorless and clammy, holding you tightly against him. 

If only he paid more attention if only he accompanied you if only it wasn’t like this. 

On one hand, he was terrified of being vulnerable, but on the other, he wouldn’t mind being blinded by his emotions since you had become his whole world. He could no longer deny it, he fell helplessly under your charms from the moment he saw you. He no longer wanted to deny it. 

“Go after them! Don’t kill them, not until I talk with them!” His men obey his orders, hunting down the men. 

“She doesn’t look good, we should take her to Lady Kotoha–” Suo reaches down to feel your temperature. 

Kaji slaps his hand away, “Don’t you dare touch her.” He bares his fangs, wrapping you in his haori and carrying you away, away from the miserable place. 

Whose crying? 

Mother? 

Tsuya? 

It hurts. 

I can’t breathe. 

Anybody…

“I’m not your mother! You aren’t my child! Stop calling me that!!!” 

Father, why were you so nice to me? 

Tsuya…why didn't you resent me?

If you had held a single piece of hatred for me, I wouldn’t have felt so indebted. 

Can I wish for my own happiness? Am I allowed to wish for something like that? 

“Is it poison?” 

Kotoha shakes her head, “It’s a common aphrodisiac, but what they gave her is a much more potent form.” She hands him a jar, “This might ease the pain…” 

“How do I make it go away? How– How can she no longer be in pain…?” Clenching his fists at his sides, he is unable to look at your writhing form. 

“The quickest way is a release. It’ll detoxify her.” 

“You can’t mean–” Kotoha nods. “We– We haven’t even–” 

“Lord General, you’re her husband.” She calls his title to ground him, “Since you guys haven’t…you can do it without penetration.” Kotoha glances at his hand. She stands, a slight bow before leaving, shutting the doors behind her. 

Kaji sees you grasping at your chest, at the torn kimono, he grits his teeth. Sitting on the edge of the bed and pushing your hair out of your sweaty face. Your pretty face scrunched up in agony. He wants to cry. 

“Help– cough hurts…” Your eyes open, staring at him with a drugged gaze. Tears slipping down. 

Wiping them away with his thumb, “Don’t cry, please don’t cry– I’m going to take care of you…” Pulling you into his lap, feeling how you're overheating, seeing you in pain stabs at his heart. He tries to remember the boys talking about their night deeds, to remember how to do this. Gulping, he pulls the end of your kimono up to your thighs, deeply inhaling before he moves his fingers closer to your core. It's wet, dripping, crying out, for something, anything. Your hips twitch at the contact of his digits against your folds. The drug destroys all reason as you grip his thighs and roll your hips. Mewling when your clit touches the tip of his finger. “Shhh, it's okay…” Kaji smoothes your hair down. Slipping one finger in, you gasp as you throw your head back against his shoulder. He begins to curl it, squishing it against your walls. 

Choking out a moan as he inserts another finger, pushing them in and out of your cunt. He closely watches your reactions, the way you jolt and squirm when he presses against your g-spot. His restraint breaks, he wants to bring you to your release and make you feel better. 

Your cries of pleasure fill the room as he quickly finger fucks you, slipping his other hand down to play with your clit. “Guh– mmnn s’good-hahh!” Slurring out, unable to form any actual words. The desire for more, your eyes catch onto his dark gray ones, his Adam's apple moving as he swallows. He shivers and lowly groans when your plush lips make contact with the skin of his neck, suckling on it. Your hot slimy muscle lapping at the sweat beading on him. 

He breathes harshly, telling himself you're not in your right mind, and he to stay on task. How he dreamt of you making these sweet noises in the dead of night, having you all to himself, making you his. It’s driving him wild. 

You begin thrashing, Kaji tightens his hold on you, keeping you in place. You claw at his arms, body trembling as you come undone. Your mouth is ajar as you gush, clear streams spraying out of you onto the sheets and flow about. He continues to move his hands to prolong your orgasm, helping you ride it out. You shake against him and he can see the change in your eyes, the drugged haziness clearing up a bit, making you more aware. The aphrodisiac is wearing off. “Ren…” You murmur before going limp, exhausted and drained. It made sense for you to pass out. His forearm against your head, you’re cooled down now. 

Placing you back down on the bed, Kaji calls in a servant to help clean you as he makes his way into the washroom. Standing behind the door as he palms his hard cock, his pants straining against it. Tugging his cock out he spits on his head to pump himself. Replaying your moans and expressions as he works himself to his climax. The way you called his given name– cum spurting out his angry red tip as he gasps your name over and over again. Fuck.

~

The windchime jingles, and you wake up oddly refreshed. “My lady!” Riko throws herself beside your bed, “I–I was so scared!” She helps you sit up, fat tears pouring out of her eyes. 

“Are you alright…? I gave you some medicine…your fever has gone down.” Kotoha places her hand over your forehead. 

“Kotoha..?” You didn’t expect her to be by your bedside when you awoke. 

“They were after me…I feel responsible.” The brunette trembles, rubbing at the back of your hand. 

“It wasn’t your fault.” You give her a warm smile, happy she was alright. 

“Girl, why didn’t you have anyone with you?” Tsubaki sits down on the edge of the bed. 

“What the hell were you doing?!” Kaji grabs Sakura by his collar. 

“I was guarding Kotoha!” Sakura grabs Kaji’s wrist. He releases his grip, he clicks his tongue. 

“Tch– who was the guard with her?” 

“There wasn’t one– she said she found people around her bothersome.” That doesn’t make sense, when you were back at the Hattano clan, you would have guards and servants around you at all times, and you were basically pampered– he didn’t receive any word from anybody you were heading out. Things just weren’t adding up.

*Notes