#shinsenvember

[asterparfait]

shinsenvember days 17-20! just (almost) all memes,, u can tell i am slowly losing steam im in tears day 17: tenchu! (okita souji & yoshida toshimaro, bsp shinsengumi) day 18: western uniform (enomoto takeaki & hijikata toshizo, touken ranbu musical) day 19: funeral (yamatonokami yasusada, touken ranbu) day 20: internal investigations (yamazaki susumu & ichimura tetsunosuke, peacemaker kurogane)

[hakuouki-history]

Introducing Shinsenvember!

Postcard courtesy of the Ryozen Museum of History, Kyoto. Artist: Nagata Midori.

Because the world needs more samurai content, I’ve made a Shinsengumi-related prompts list for November, which I am calling Shinsenvember! This would be for drabbles mostly, probably, but anything else: art, fic, rp etc. that came out of it would be great. I’m using the tag #Shinsenvember and encourage you to post in it if you do any of these. Don’t worry about trying to do them all (unless that sounds fun to you), just use whatever appeals to you. 

I’ve made these prompts so they should all work for any Shinsengumi fandom, except Gintama, (but I would be totally tickled if people used any of these for Gintama). I’ve linked interesting stuff for some of the prompts but they’re not full explanations or limits on how to use the prompts.

Also dropping a link to a detailed Shinsengumi timeline fyi. 

November 1 - That Pale Blue Haori  November 2 - Bakemono  November 3 - Swords November 4 - Pigs and Pork November 5 - The Shinsengumi Code November 6 - The Ikedaya November 7 - The Tokaido (or other journeys) November 8 - Sake November 9 - Fire! (A constant threat) November 10 - Treachery November 11 - Espionage November 12 - Tuberculosis November 13 - A View from the Other Side (the Shinsengumi as seen by others) November 14 - Kids in Kyoto (Okita played with some) November 15 - Seppuku November 16 - Family Back Home November 17 - Tenchu! (literally, “Divine Punishment”, the cry of a Sonnou Joui assassin.) November 18 - Western Uniform November 19 - Funerals November 20 - Internal Investigations (Yamazaki’s realm) November 21 - Rangaku Medicine November 22 - Retreat November 23 - Promotions (the Shinsengumi going up in the world) November 24 - Edo Women (supposedly headstrong and stubborn) November 25 - Kyoto Women (Here’s the whole women’s history tag.) November 26 - Foreigners (not allowed in Kyoto, but in the ports and people’s worries, present in Boshin War) November 27 - Prison November 28 - Local Delicacies (Every place has them.) November 29 - Battle November 30 - Writing Memoirs (Real or imaginary)

[flower-dragon]

Makoto no Hata 

“In the name of makoto, it was possible to exact selfless service to the nation...” Ryusei Hasegawa

Seeing all those beautiful fics I read under the aegis of Shinsenvember, I wanted to contribute somehow, to find something that can reflect the essence of the Shinsengumi.

As I am terrible with words,  I drew this battle-worn flag. I wish I could do it better, with colors and better details, but that’s unfortunately not my level. ;-S

[hidetheremote]

Shinsenvember: That Pale Blue Haori

“One golden dart frog contains enough venom to kill 10 people.”

“We’re like sitting ducks,” Heisuke sighed, inspecting the haori he tried on. It was too big, and it encompassed him like he was drowning in a sea of white and sky blue. He would have to work overtime a couple of nights just to pay for the alterations on his new uniform.

“The other forces wear darker colors to blend in at night,” he added, a huff of annoyance escaped with his words.

Yamazaki hummed, giving Heisuke a little nod to indicate that he was listening. He was wearing his light green kimono and black pants, a distinct contrast from his usual black shinobi shozoku.

“Have you heard of the dart frog?” Yamazaki asked a confused Heisuke. Heisuke lifted an eyebrow, shooting him a look that egged the ninja to continue his train of thought. They both knew Yamazaki wasn’t asking a question but was about to give the young captain a lesson in a roundabout way.

“The dart frogs wear the most brilliant and vibrant colors ever seen,” the Shinsengumi spy continued, his tone unusually upbeat. “I’ve never seen one myself, as they are not natives of Japan, but we quickly learn about them in acupuncture school.”

Heisuke continued to listen, his eyes focused on Yamazaki, ready to learn. Heisuke wasn’t one to stay still and listen intently, but the way Yamazaki spoke about these frogs, he was quite intrigued by his comrade.

“These frogs live out in the open, easily spotted by bigger animals and creatures that can eat and kill them in one bite.”

Poor frogs, Heisuke thought. Defenseless little pretty frogs.

“But do you know what is most interesting about these frogs?”

Heisuke’s eyes perked up, the anticipation killing him.

“They’re one of the most deadliest animals on the earth. The brighter the frog, the poisonous that they are.”

Heisuke nodded and smiled at Yamazaki. A sense of understanding washed over him, and although the haori was too big for him, Heisuke wore it with pride that day, like a beautiful dart frog with blue and white skin.

[teapotart]

Shinsenvember Day 18: Western Uniform.

if you thought that i could miss this prompt like i did with other 17 days, you underestimated me. Don’t get me wrong, I hatelove his outfit from the game, but if you have ever seen this terribly detailed, ridiculously unhistorical and beautiful thing (don’t forget freaking flowers), you’ll understand why the idea of drawing the historical version of the uniform (from his famous photo) seemed to me a good one. Ha. What a naive fool I was when I thought it would be easier to draw.

[sabinasanfanfic]

Shinsenvember : That Light, Blue Haori

I’ve started these rather late, and I’ll end up posting them out of order (because everyone decided to rebel). This prompt is actually being fulfilled by the beginning of my much longer (and much talked about but not nearly complete or posted yet) fic Always. Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We're to have a guest this evening for supper.”

Hijikata’s words broke through the pleasant silence that had existed between the pair, and Chizuru’s head snapped up from her breakfast tray to regard her partner with widened eyes. Chizuru wasn’t sure what to expect with this sudden change in their evening routine. She set her chopsticks gently down on top of her bowl of soup.

“O-oh?”

“Ah,” Hijikata replied, his expression neutral. “We have some business to discuss.”

Chizuru knew well enough that this was all the detail she was going to get, and it would be pointless to inquire further. She picked up her chopsticks once more to resume eating, but her stomach felt like it had twisted, and her appetite had gone in almost an instant. Still, she forced herself to eat as she wondered over the implication of Hijikata’s words.

The aforementioned man finished his breakfast and thanked Chizuru for the food before he rose to gather up the various things he would need for his job. Before he left, he placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head, which Chizuru barely registered. She remained kneeling in front of her tray, her chopsticks dangling absentmindedly in her hand. She didn’t even notice the worried glance Hijikata cast her way as he stood in the shoji before he took his leave. She was too distracted by her thoughts to the point that she was unaware of her surroundings.

It took a few minutes before she blinked and quickly shook her head to break herself from the trance-like state she had entered. She took stock of the empty room and the two trays standing close to each other—one devoid of all food and the other half-consumed. With a sigh, Chizuru stood and began clearing the dishes. While in the kitchen, she continued to dwell on the fact that they were to have a guest, and there was only one conclusion she could draw from this. It was one she didn’t want to think of.

Hijikata’s time was coming to an end. She wasn’t sure why she thought this, especially since she didn’t know who was coming to visit, but something about the sudden change and the way the news was delivered made Chizuru jump to conclusions. And it was this thought that made each step she took heavier and the minutes tick away too quickly for her liking. After washing the dishes, Chizuru stood in front of the sink, unsure what to do next.

There was a part of Chizuru that wanted to cry out over the idea of losing the man she loved so quickly after they had finally put their feelings for each other into words. She felt cheated, even though she had been very aware of the fact that her time would be limited after Hijikata had become a rasetsu. Then, there was the other part of her that knew that Hijikata would want her to gather her courage and strength to continue on with her routine as if nothing had changed.

With a fortifying breath, Chizuru left the kitchen and made her way sluggishly to the corner of the room that hosted Hijikata’s desk and a wooden chest. She knelt in front of the chest, carefully opening the lid to expose the contents within. It had been almost a year since either one of them had gone through the chest, for there were painful memories buried within. She leaned over the edge and carefully withdrew the light blue fabric folded with precision.  

She settled back on her heels and placed the haori on her lap, running her hands over the smooth fabric. She caught the scent of dark sandalwood—deep and earthy with a hint of sweetness—wafting from the folds, making a shiver race down her spine. The scent always reminded her of Hijikata, and it was irrevocably associated with all of the pleasant emotions the man evoked within her. Unconsciously, her hand drifted to her abdomen to rest there.

She hadn’t told him yet. She was waiting for the perfect time to spring the news on Hijikata as she wasn’t entirely sure how he would react. She thought he might be excited, but Hijikata was never easy to read despite the fact that she had known him for so long. She knew she was looking forward to a future of possibilities. Well, had been until this morning. Now she wasn’t sure if she should tell Hijikata if only for the fact that she didn’t want his last moments to be consumed by worry for her and their unborn child.

As the blue haori sat on her lap, Chizuru thought of all the stories she would share about the Shinsengumi. She knew their tale was mostly tragic, but there were moments and people that brought a smile to her face. She had decided she would share these moments in order to temper the sadness that ultimately tinged any memory she had of the Miburo. She had imagined Hijikata beside her sharing these tales with their children, but now…it would never happen. Chizuru felt hot tears well in her eyes, and she scrubbed them away with the back of her hand.

“I can’t cry,” she told herself out loud.

She needed to move on with her day, otherwise she would be stuck reminiscing. She picked up the haori and brought it to her nose for one more deep inhale of the dark sandalwood before returning it to the chest. She gently closed the lid—a physical manifestation of what she was attempting to do with her own emotions.

[once-a-turncoat]

Shinsenvember 1: That Pale Blue Haori

Prompt list here.

“Yes, we know. Pale blue shows up every speck of dirt. Not to mention blood. Do you think no one’s mentioned THAT before?” 

“I just thought maybe a darker colour would be easier to keep clean, and we wouldn’t have to do as much laundry.” Poor Souma looked as though he wanted to disappear under Captain Nagakura’s withering scorn but he stood his ground. 

“Kid, you wanted to join the Shinsengumi, that jacket is our brand. People see a flash of blue in the corner of their eye, it reminds them to be on their best behaviour. Got that?”

“I understand, sir” said Souma resignedly.

“Keep up the good work with the laundry.”

He found a more sympathetic ear among the Inspectors.

“It’s not the washing that’s hard, Yamazaki-san.” 

“Yes it is,” interrupted the other page, Nomura Risaburo.

Souma frowned at him. “It’s hard work. But we know what we’re doing. Yukimura-senpai has been showing us all the tricks for getting out stains. But sewing back on the sleeves after they’re cleaned . . .”

“He stabbed his hand with a needle,” Nomura supplied. “And Yukimura-senpai’s been gone out all day, so . . .”

“We were thinking, Yamazaki-san, you know about surgery, and sewing up people, so would you please show us how to stitch the sleeves back on?” The two pages bowed deeply in making their desperate request.

[kondo-hijikata]

Pairings: Everyone is fucking everyone and it’s causing violent love triangles Rating: M Prompt: Shinsenvember 5 – The Shinsengumi Code Summary: "Stop fucking each other.” -- Hijikata Toshizo, probably. “You and Kondo-san first.” -- what everyone immediately thought...probably. [AO3]

A Strong Suggestion

Serizawa Kamo was--to put it very lightly--a very large problem and now, after the blessing of the Protector of Kyoto, that problem had been dealt with. But the ever pragmatic Vice Commander Hijikata knew this purge alone hadn’t gone far enough. To prevent a repeat of the same hypocritical and entitled behavior which scarred their reputation, the newly unified Shinsengumi would need a refreshed, stricter governing doctrine.

It was for this reason today that all members sat in formal style on the tatami, arranged in ten neat rows behind their respective captains. From the front of the room, the foreboding figures of command--of Kondo, Hijikata, and Yamanami--loomed over them, and written on a scroll attached to the wall was the new legislation.

“Rule one,” Hijikata announced, his face ever stern and his voice so strong it echoed in the space. "You will never deviate from the code of bushido. Rule two, you will never leave the Shinsengumi. Rule three--”

Kondo and Yamanami remained silent during this time; apparently, it was Hijikata, himself, who’d been behind the creation of this charter and it would be he who presented it in his ever petulant way.

“--you will not engage in the raising of private funds. Rule four, you will not partake in the litigation of others. Rule five, you will not partake in private combat.”

Indeed, these rules were a direct call out to everything Serizawa had ever done in his life, and somewhere, his ghost was throwing an absolute fit for it.

“The penalty for violation is seppuku,” Hijikata seemed to conclude--but then his chin raised regally and his eyes slowly pierced the company from right to left. “And regarding the disturbing amount of private combat as of late, I will offer you one suggestion on how to avoid breaking the last rule. Stop fucking each other.”

...On second thought...Serizawa hadn’t been the only one called out here after all, because suddenly, there was a whole lot of uncomfortable shifting in the room. Even Kondo looked off to the side and coughed.

And as if things couldn’t get any worse, Hijikata continued, “And now, onto the next order of business about rationing sake...”

[hijikata-toshizou-official]

I have an important exam tomorrow and took the Shinsenvember as an opportunity to take my mind off it.

Day 8: Sake

482 words, Hijikata’s POV (fandom is ambiguous), no ships. English is not my first language and I wrote this in a rush, so please excuse any odd mistakes.

Drip.

A precious drop, wasted. Not quite able to capture all of the cup's content, the liquid had escaped an end in the devil's throat, jumped off the edge of his lower lip, only to evaporate between the coal black fibres of the fabric covering his lap. All that was left was a little dark stain. What a waste.

The vice commander's thirst was to blame. Oh no, whom was he trying to fool, he was all by himself – he was not thirsty, not at all. He had had enough to drink this evening. Dinner had been merry, sure, the mood was unusually good and he was rather content. His men were in high spirits, confident even; Hijikata Toshizou should have shared the confidence for it was his inspiring speech – little words, yet full of passion – that had ignited a new fire in the hearts of the men that followed him. There was still hope, everything would soon turn out for the greater better and they were fighting for the right cause. So many lies, tied together by the only good in the candle lit hall: Glistening sake.

Hijikata did not believe his own words anymore. On nights like these, he forgot what they were fighting for. He had learned to tell wonderful lies, the most wonderful of which he told himself. That night, though, he failed to believe even a single of his words and he withdrew to his room, alone, no, the sake was still with him, his good, old, honest friend, he was still there. He would help him believe.

The man knew that he had had enough already. His thoughts were warped and so was his language. Though that night, he could not stop. He could not think of a single reason to stop and there was nobody to provide him with solid reason, either. Maybe the drink could even help him fall asleep. Another lie – Hijikata knew all too well that all his false friend gave him was a most unsatisfying, light sleep, as if the liquid diluted his dreams. Tomorrow, he would regret not holding back on this drink he grew to detest so much, though he had grown to harbour so many regrets already; what worth was one more on the list?

The bottle was empty and so was his head. The drop on his lap had dried too. The lone man enjoyed the numbness that spread from his head to his fingertips and every other part of his body. Maybe everything would be better tomorrow. Maybe the lost ones would return. Maybe the struggle would end. Finally, reason had left him. The sake had chased it away. Now he could rest. When he closed his eyes for the night, he felt nothing. He would feel nothing until yet again, he would wake up and tell himself his most wonderful lies.

[asterparfait]

shinsenvember days 13-16! day 13: a view from the other side (kazama & hijikata, hakuouki) day 14: kids in kyoto (tetsu & souji, peacemaker kurogane, panel redraw) day 15: seppuku (souji & yamanami, pmk) day 16: family back home (souji & mitsu, pmk, panel redraw)

[nanashi1869]

I pray yall have some stuff to add tomorrow for Shinsengumi! day, I only managed four shitty posts and no video T_T

I’ll make it up with Shinsenvember prompts! 

[chickenswithsocks]

The new Shinsengumay prompts list is here! Of course the old one is still available for viewing too, but this is for people who would like to switch it up.

What iS Shinsengumay? It’s simply an initiative I created to inspire people to make fanworks of your favorite Shinsengumi media during the month of May! Because @hakuouki-history‘s Shinsenvember is great, but I would like even more Shinsenmonths!

How do I participate? You participate by creating something Shinsengumi-themed during the month of May, either following the prompts list or using your own, and if you want to you can post it in the #shinsengumay tag. That’s it!

The prompts list

Hope

Struggle

Meeting

Kyoto

Fleeting (note: this is Hijikata’s birthday on the old Japanese calendar)

Unwavering

Strength

Villain

Seasons

Rumors

Trust

Night

Weapon

Health

Taboo

Danger

Longing

Message

Love

Responsibility

Edo

Foolish

Memory

Safe

Truth

Belief

Embrace

Travel

Illusion

Celebrations (of life and death)

Home (note 2: this is Hijikata’s birthday if you count according to the Gregorian calendar!)

[hidetheremote]

Shinsenvember: Bakemono

Bakemono:

1. A thing that changes, referring to a state of transformation or shapeshifting.

2. Monster.

Hijikata pinched his face, a tinge of red reaching the tip of his ears.

“The answer is no,” he huffed, arms crossed against his chest so rigid he might break a rib or two if he pressed hard enough.

Serizawa grinned, lightly chuckling and clearly amused at Hijikata’s breaking calm.

“His patronage pays really well,” Serizawa said, taking a sip of sake. “If we don’t accept his proposal, some other police force will gladly take his money.”

Hijikata was now fuming, glaring at the larger samurai with so much contempt in his eyes.

“We are men of warriors, not scientists,” the Vice Commander retorted, his eyes darting to Sannan—who remained silent during the heated exchange.

Sannan, feeling the pressure from Hijikata, cleared his throat to get the two men’s attention.

“He’s right, you know,” he said softly, lifting his gaze at Hijikata. “If we refuse, Kodo will go to another group and they will do it without question.”

“We need the money, Hijikata,” Kondo interrupted, his face staring at the floor of the meeting room, an invisible dark cloud above his head.

Hijikata shuddered, feeling the shift of power move away and drifting to the shadows that crept within the hearts of his respected commanders.

It was never supposed to be about money, they all knew that when they joined the Shinsengumi.

“What was his crime?” Sannan asked, watching the rogue samurai squirm in his restraints.

“Posing as one of us.”

Sannan sighed, feeling his heart pounding against his chest like a fist fight of disagreement. “Is that even a punishable crime, Serizawa?”

Serizawa scoffed in annoyance. “He either drinks this elixir, or commits seppuku.”

The rogue samurai gasped, eyes glazed with scared tears. “No, no, no. Please, I’ll drink it. I’ll drink it.”

Sannan grabbed the red vial from the cabinet, squeezing it in his hand tightly like he didn’t want to let it go.

He uncorked it and handed it to the shaking prisoner. The man swallowed it in one gulp and exhaled with relief.

Serizawa smiled and patted Sannan on the shoulders as he walked out of his office.

“Don’t expect to learn everything in one night.”

Sannan nodded. He turned to watch the man writhe in agony, body contorting and changing into something unnatural.

He didn’t learn everything about the elixir that night, but he did realize that monsters have always existed.

[flower-dragon]

What have I done?

aka: all the stuff I have drawn so far...

A kind anon requested if I could make this list. Thank you for asking, here it is!

Note: I did these mostly to practice and improve my mediocre skills. You can expect redraws of official media next to the “more regular” ones.

They are supposed to be in chronological order by fandoms, so hopefully they get better towards the end of the lists.

Last updated: 19/10/2018

New additions marked with: ★

Hakuouki:

Harada Sanosuke

Hijikata Toshizo

Makoto no Hata (Shinsenvember contribution)

Kazama Chikage (for @nalufever)

Sannan Keisuke & Todo Heisuke

Yamazaki Susumu

Kondo Isami & Okita Souji (child)

Kazama Chikage (for @hidetheremote)

Okita Souji (NSFW-ish)

Sannan Keisuke

Chizuru and Okita (2017 Secret Santa for @eliz1369)

Saito Hajime

Nagakura Shinpachi

Yamazaki Susumu (long hair - for @hakuyamazakisensei)

Yamazaki Susumu (in west-style garments -  for @hakuyamazakisensei )

Kondo Isami (Shinsengumi recruitment poster)

Kondo Isami (in west-style garments)

Sanosuke Harada

Okita Souji

Hijikata Toshizo & Yukimura Chizuru (Hijichiweek 2018 contribution)

★ Harada Sanosuke, Chibi (Birthday present for @hakuouki-or-hakuoki.)

★ Hijikata Toshizo, Chibi (Birthday present for @sabinasanfanfic.)

★ Sakamoto Ryoma Color version | Greyscale version

★ Okita Souji, Chibi (Brithday present for @resshiiram.)

Samurai Love Ballad Party:

Waiting (general, MC)

Uesugi Kenshin

We are Sanada (for @pseudofaux) NSFW-ish

Date Shigezane

Sanada Yukimura

Sanada Nobuyuki

Takeda Shingen (screencap, created in BDO CC)

Sarutobi Sasuke

Akechi Mitsuhide

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

 Inuchiyo / Maeda Toshiie (WIP, Finished)

 ★  Kirigakure Saizo

Ikemen Sengoku:

Uesugi Kenshin

Takeda Shingen

Oda Nobunaga with Bearsace (requested by @.cherryb0mb79) NSFW-ish

★ Oda Nobunaga x OC (addition to the fanfic “Nobunaga’s picnic” by @nalufever, for @impracticaldemon.)

Touken Ranbu

Tsuramaru Kuninaga

Izumi no Kami Kanesada and Horikawa Kunihiro

Miscellaneous:

Kumo Tenka | Donten ni Warau

“Father....”

Aoba & Ren | Dramatical Murder

Yona | Akatsuki no Yona

Hijikata Toshizo | Kaze Hikaru

 Erza Scarlet | Fairy Tail

★ Noiz, Chibi (Birthday present for @hakuyamazakisensei.)

★ Nurarihyon, chibi (Birthday present for @shell-senji.)

[sabinasanfanfic]

Shinsenvember: Bakemono

“Do you think he really is?”

“Don’t be an idiot, Heisuke,” Shinpachi said over the rim of his sake cup before drinking its contents.

Shinpachi’s utterance was swiftly followed by a cuff to the back of the head courtesy of Harada. Heisuke yelped and rubbed at the sore spot, muttering obscenities towards the aggressor. Shinpachi watched the exchange silently as he filled his sake cup once more and used another sip to hide a smile.

The trio were gathered in Shimabara to enjoy a few free hours drinking sake, and Shinpachi had hoped they would avoid talking about work, even if it did consume their lives. It was so like Heisuke to bring up sore subjects when all they wanted to do was have fun.

“I thought we said no talking about what goes on in the compound,” Harada reinforced.

“Yeah, but...I wasn’t going to talk about...I just wanted to talk about Hijikata-san’s nickname!”

“What about it?”

Heisuke peered at both of the men, a light blush dusting his cheeks. “We all know he’s strict and can be a terror when he’s angry, but...I mean, there has to be more to it, right? So...do you think he’s a real Oni?”

Shinpachi hummed thoughtfully as Harada frowned. In any other circumstance, Shinpachi would have laughed off Heisuke’s question and chalked it up to a young man’s overactive imagination, but now...

Now, they were dealing with a new medicine they were ordered to experiment with. Shinpachi has borne witness to the effects of the red elixir, and his belief that Oni didn’t exist was now in doubt. If the old stories were true, then what they were creating would verify the existence of such creatures. It made a shiver crawl down his spine.

“Just because we have that stuff doesn’t mean Hijikata-san is like them,” Harada replied.

“Then why is he so insistent on using it?” Heisuke’s tone was petulant.

There wasn’t a ready answer. Shinpachi wasn’t even sure what Hijikata was thinking. It wasn’t in his nature to share his thoughts with his subordinates. Which was rather irritating to him. If only Hijikata realized that if he was a little more transparent, it would foster more trust among him and the captains.

“I don’t know, but it’s no use dwelling on this when we have perfectly good sake to drink,” Harada said with a smile as he poured himself a draught.

Heisuke didn’t look convinced. “I guess.”

Shinpachi shoved his own serious thoughts aside and grinned as he helped himself to more sake. “I think as long as Hijikata-san hasn’t taken the stuff, we can be certain he’s not a real Oni.”

[kondo-hijikata]

Pairings: Okita/Saito, no fandom attached Rating: M Prompt: Shinsenvember 4 – Pigs and Pork Summary: Eating pork is healthy–or something like that. [AO3]

(This is a repost of a short story I wrote in 2017, but accidentally deleted. The characterizations of Saito and Okita are based off of a fandom I’m no longer a part of, so just consider them original.)

.*To Your Health*.

It was the perfect summer evening to smoke.

The outer shoji had been slid aside and Saito sat dead center before the open doors, staring thoughtfully into the garden speckled by firefly gold. Cricket song filled the air, joined by the intermittent baritone croaking of frogs perched about the central pond–and then, distant groaning of floorboards from the inner hallway growing ever louder.

Uncommon, the tiny smile that pulled at the corners of Saito’s mouth on hearing those particular footsteps, and with that, he exhaled a plume of white smoke.

The kiseru pipe was held between his pointer finger and thumb just before the tip, with the rest of the long thin shaft supported by his upward-facing palm. He lowered his hand and waited for the very much desired company to arrive outside his door.

“Saito-san,” a muffled voice called out from the other side.

“Come.”

Pivoting on his knees, Saito turned as Okita entered looking incredibly pleased with himself. In his clutches were a small plate and pair of chopsticks, which he held steadily as he slid the shoji shut again with his foot. “I have something for you, Hajime!”

“Oh?” His curiosity piqued, Saito watched as Okita neared with the dish; from this angle, he couldn’t tell what it held but if it was some form of sustenance, then he was sure it would delight his palate. Okita shared similar tastes with him when it came to food, and sometimes he would visit in the evening with a delicious helping of daifuku or manju.

“Mm.” Okita made no move to sit when his bare feet came to a halt before Saito. “Did you hear what Matsumoto-sensei said today about the state of our health?”

Saito cocked his head and pursed his lips. “The decidedly miserable state of our health, you mean?”

Okita’s eyes closed momentarily and his grin widened. “Well, yes, that too.” There was an innocence about him when his lashes parted again, something Saito had always found droll; he was the formidable captain of the first squad, after all, and the one who posed the greatest personal challenge when sparring. “I was referring more to the suggested solution, though.”

With that, Okita lowered gracefully to seiza and on the plate–

Saito’s expression of interest shifted into a deadpan when his scrutiny merely fixated on the trio of small strips lined up neatly; they were mostly two-toned, with some parts off-white and others charred from the cooking process. “Pork,” he stated indifferently.

“Kondo-san was awfully irritated by Matsumoto-sensei’s lecturing this afternoon,” Okita said with a tiny laugh. “So much that Yamanami-san took matters into his own hands and went out to arrange for the purchase of a pig.”

Taking a lengthy draw on his pipe, Saito exhaled slowly while listening and then huffed with amusement. Yamanami was the intellectual gift that kept on giving; he was well educated, level-headed, and book smart–attributes which were both a contrast and complement to Hijikata’s own practical experience. That variation was what balanced out the top of their organization beautifully and kept them successful.

Saito could clearly see how that situation had unfolded, too: Kondo and Hijikata simmering together over the medical report (Matsumoto had been needlessly belligerent and insulting when presenting his findings), while Yamanami simply cut directly to the resolution.

“He returned toward the end of dinnertime,” Okita continued, placing the dish down and resting the chopsticks across it. “It was a few minutes after you took your leave, actually. The rest of us were about ready to be off ourselves, but Yamanami-san told us to stay put for a little bit longer. And the next thing we knew…“

“You were all eating pork,” Saito supplied.

Okita’s chin dipped in a nod. “Seems he was able to secure some of it for tonight’s dinner along with his other arrangement.” Shrugging, he raised his palms at shoulder length. “Who knows how much he paid, but that’s none of our concern. Anyway, have you ever tried it?”

“Cht. What do you take me for, Okita-kun?” Saito lifted his face and with a turn, cast his gaze off to the side. “I have no interest in smelling like a pig.”

The laugh that followed brought Saito’s attention back as Okita grabbed his belly and tipped forward. “Ahaha! Oh, Hajime!” When he straightened his spine again, he gave his head an animated shake that sent the short ponytail he wore into a graceful swish. “That’s not even true! Don’t tell me you really believe that nonsense. I mean, I ate it tonight.” His lashes fell a little and he leaned in while craning his neck, his voice low when he inquired, “How do you think I smell?”

A soft warmth burned within Saito’s eyes. He set his kiseru against the ash collector and slowly neared, fingertips bracing against the tatami while bringing his nose close to Okita’s jaw. Saito sniffled. “Hn…” And sniffled again.

Okita stiffened a bit, the slight displacement of air clearly tickling against his sensitive skin and he asked at a louder volume, “…So?”

Saito’s lips trailed along his cheek and up toward his ear, into which he whispered after a dramatic pause, “…You smell like an American.”

A hand clapped gently against Saito’s cheek and Okita shoved him back at the shoulders. “Don’t be rude!” Letting his lashes fall, Okita tossed his face to the side and his palms landed heavy on his thighs.

Unable to stop the chuckle from leaving his throat, Saito immediately leaned back over. “I apologize, Souji.” He reached for Okita’s chin and coaxed it back so they could meet each other’s gazes; annoyance was clear and present across the way. “I’m sorry,” Saito repeated genuinely, and then pressed their lips together with a gentleness that betrayed how they usually approached the act.

Their eyes remained open during the chaste kiss and once Saito saw the irritation aimed at him beginning to fade, he began to draw back. Their mouths were still touching when he added, “…You taste like one, too.”

“Damn you!” Okita snapped and sent him away with another rough push. “You want to be offensive?! I’ll make you smell and taste like one too, then!” And with that, he picked a strip of pork up with the chopsticks. “Open up!”

Saito laughed softly as the morsel was shoved in his direction and he turned away from it. “Nope.”

Sitting taller and dragging his knees over the tatami to close the space separating them, Okita growled through clenched teeth, “Eat it! Eat it, or I won’t forgive you!”

Regaining his composure, Saito finally stopped dodging and relented. “Now that just won’t do,” he declared, and then opened his lips to receive the bite. He chewed immediately, and could only imagine what crossed his features.

“It’s not that bad,” Okita replied in a nonchalant, dismissive voice.

“It’s not good, either,” Saito grated out after swallowing.

“It’s healthy.”

“It’s also uncivilized.”

“And yet, you’re going to eat it anyway, Hajime.” Okita was smiling now but his expression darkened when he raised the next strip. “…If you know what’s good for you.”

Saito certainly did.