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ikeromantic · 3 years

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Unexpected Gifts

A Mitsuhide Akechi fanfiction, approx. 2000 words of fluffiness. This scene occurs in the midst of chapter 12 and features Motonari as well.

First: Mitsuhide and the Maiden

Previous: Mad Dogs

Motonari sauntered past the innkeeper with a grin. The man clearly knew something was going on, but he just bowed and went back to wiping down tables and ordering his staff around. The pirate had to wonder what a man like him thought about the rough men filing through his entrance, carrying crates of gunpowder, firearms, swords, daggers, and other implements of war. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to bother him.

Maybe the world had finally gone mad. Fitting, considering his current allies. Only in a mad world would the demon monk, the disgraced captain, and the traitorous kitsune be allies.

He carried just one package, a wooden box. So lightly burdened, Mouri bounded up the stairs. He could hear the little chatelaine ordering his men around, telling them where to set what and how. For such a naive little girl, she could get real bossy. He kinda liked it.

Motonari made it to the top of the stair just in time to see one of his men make a grab for the little Oda princess. The deckhand pinned her up to the wall, leering like she was a dock-front whore.

“Want to tell me where I can put this,” the deckhand grabbed at his crotch suggestively.

She glared at him furiously, but her legs were shaking. “Through the rolling hole of a cheerio,” she spat.

While neither Motonari or his men had any idea what that was, it was clearly an insult. The deckhand drew back to slap her, but Mouri caught his arm first.

“Whaddya think yer doing? Didn’t I tell ya to set tha boxes down and go?”

The deckhanded nodded. “Yeah, but boss, she said -”

He didn’t get to finish. Mouri let go of his hand and punched him in the throat. Hard enough to hurt, not enough to kill. “I didn’t ask fer an opinion.” His men took the hint and grabbed their friend, exiting quickly.

When they’d gone, the spicy little princess sagged against the wall. “Thanks Motonari. I was worried for a second.”

“Ya should still be worried,” he grinned. He closed the space between them, pushing her back against the wall, hard.

“M-motonari. If Mitsuhide sees you, he will kill you.”

“The fox ain’t here, is he? So what’re you gonna do about it?” Motonari lowered his head to her neck, inhaling the smell of her. It was no wonder the kitsune warlord lost his mind for this girl. She was smart, stubborn, and she felt like heaven against his chest. Plus there was something sweet about her. A gentleness absent in most. It appealed to the darkness in him.

The Oda princess considered a moment and then with a breath, slammed her head into Motonari’s jaw. It hurt. He let go with a laugh. “That was good. Not good enough, if I really wanted ta hurt ya. But good.”

Her hands shook as she straightened her clothes. “So what, you were just trying to freak me out by being a creep?”

Mouri wasn’t familiar with that word exactly, but he got the meaning. It only made him grin wider. “Sure did. Yer smarter than ya look.” He shoved the box toward her. “Take this.”

She eyed the box with distrust, but took it from him. “It’s not full of, like, poisonous death toads or something? It won’t explode when I open it?”

“Nah, but that’s a good idea. Have ta remember that.” Motonari watched her, curious if she would take what he’d brought.

The princess carefully opened the box as if she didn’t quite believe it was safe, but once the sunlight hit the polished metal within, she gasped. Inside, lying on a stuffed cotton, a matched set matchlock rifle and dagger. The design was slimmer and lighter than the usual matchlock, and the metal was engraved with tiny flowers, which also decorated the knife hilt.

“Motonari . . . “ she looked at him with wide eyes, wavering between shock and pleasure at the unexpected gift.

“Don’t ya look at me like that. Had ‘em lying around the boat. And ya need ta be able to protect yerself.” The pirate shrugged uncomfortably.

She set the box on the table and hugged him. “Thank you. That was very nice.”

Motonari tensed. “Yeah. Ya better let go before yer fox shows up. Seems ta be the jealous sort.”

The princess dropped her arms and stepped back. “Still. I really appreciate it.”

“Ya can stop thanking me.” He turned away, unsettled. He hadn’t expected quite that reaction. “I’ll have tha boys bring by more powder and shot later. Be ready.”

Then he left, passing Mitsuhide in the hall. The kitsune gave him a flat stare. Clearly, he didn’t trust him, but then, Motonari didn’t trust himself either.

***

Mitsuhide watched Mouri hit the steps at a near-run, hurrying as if he was escaping something. And his face was red, gaze distracted. Strange.

The door to the his room was open, and the smell of gunpowder wafted out. Mitsuhide stepped in. His little mouse was bent over a wooden box on the table. She turned when he came in and hurried over to him.

“You’re back!”

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes wider than normal, even for her. “Did I surprise you?” Mitsuhide studied her. Mussed hair, slightly disheveled kimono, nervously fiddling fingers. Something had happened and she was trying to hide it. Silly mouse.

“N-no! Of course you're back! I just, I thought it would take longer.” She glanced back at the table then rushed forward to take his arm. “Look, Motonari’s men came today with more weapons. Are these what you were expecting?”

Mitsuhide let her divert his attention, curious what her end goal was. She showed him the crates of tanegashima, the swords and daggers, and armor. Her words spilled out in an anxious flow, repeating herself and stumbling through descriptions of the delivery.

Finally, she ran out of things to say and stared at the floor. “So, uhm, that looks, ah, about right?”

He took her chin in his hands and gently raised it to look at him. “The delivery is fine. You are not. Tell me what happened today.”

“Nothing?” She blinked up at him, schooling her features to stillness.

It might have been convincing if not for the way she shifted on her feet, and a glance back toward the table. Mitsuhide let go of her and turned back to see what the box was and why it seemed to concern her.

What he found surprised him.

A delicate kaiken and a slim-looking tanegashima. Both bore an imprint of flowers, delicate sakurasou blossoms. Mitsuhide lifted the matchlock. The stock was polished maple, the steel barrel rolled from thin metal sheets by a master. This was no common weapon. It felt light in his hands compared to a regular matchlock, and a little small. A tanegashima made for a woman.

“Did Motonari leave these?”

The chatelaine nodded. “He gave them to me.”

“Before or after manhandling you?” Mitsuhide watched her reaction carefully.

She looked down. “After. He said I needed to be able to protect myself. He had to stop one of his men from . . . well, anyway, nothing happened. I didn’t want to mention it.”

Because he, Mitsuhide, could not keep his calm when it came to her. He felt a mix of guilt and jealousy. If anyone should give gifts to his little one, it should be him. And that flower . . . not that she would understand. But Mouri had to know that he would. Bastard.

Mitsuhide set the weapon down and went to her. He took his little one into his arms and held her tight to his chest. “You must not hide things from me, little mouse. I want to know everything about you. Everything that happens to you. Even if you think it doesn’t matter, even if it might be . . . upsetting.”

Her arms twined around him, pulling her even closer. He could feel the beat of her heart in time with his own, and the rise and fall of her breath. It made him feel so frail for the first time since he’d taken up his place as the left hand of the Oda forces. Small in the face of this love that he held. Fragile in knowing how many ways it could break.

“I’m sorry. I should have told you right off. I just didn’t want you to worry.” She looked up at him. “I want you to know I can take care of myself. You don’t have to worry about me when you go off to do what you need to. I can handle myself around men - even ones like Motonari.”

Mitsuhide held her and let her words sink in. It helped, a little. He still wanted to smash the matchlock and snap the knife. Throw them in a gutter. Bury them. Along with the man that brought them.

“I can tell you’re still angry with me,” his little one murmurred. Her voice was muffled against his chest. He could feel the tickle of her breath, the movement of her lips.

“Never with you, little one.” He stroked her hair.

She snuggled into him, her nose and chin pressing. “Then . . . at Motonari? Nothing really happened. One of his men got a little handsy and Mouri stopped him before I had to.”

Her voice was confident, certain of her skill. Mitsuhide had done everything he could to impart to her the ability to protect herself in exactly such situations, but she’d never really been tested. Maybe he worried for her unnecessarily. But he couldn’t help it. “Perhaps you should come with me when I run errands - just to be sure. I don’t like the thought of another man laying his hands on you.”

“Mmmm, now you sound almost jealous. Are you, Mitsu?”

“Yes.” He couldn’t help the way he growled the word, nor the surge of possessiveness he felt.

She kissed the hollow just below his throat. “You shouldn’t be. There is no one in this world for me but you.”

“I know,” Mitsuhide grinned. “You promised to stay by my side, remember?” He sat down, pulling her into his lap. She fit against him perfectly. “But other men see you and desire you. And bring you tokens of love.”

She giggled. “The gun? You can’t think Motonari - I mean - no - just no. He thinks I am some stupid little girl that is going to mess up your mission.”

“And you believe that means he does not also wish to bed you?” Mitsuhide’s eyes flashed gold and hot in the afternoon light.

“I hope not.” She glanced over at the box. “If it bothers you, I can just get rid of them. I don’t need my very own gun. Any of the ones from our stockpile will do.”

Mitsuhide shook his head. “No. Then he would know it got to me. He would see it as a little victory. No - you should keep them and use them. They are fine weapons.” He ran a finger along the curve of her ear. “Just remember that even if you carry a weapon with his sakurasou, it is my bellflower that engraves your heart.”

“Sakurasou? Is that his clan symbol?” She closed her eyes, enjoying his light touch. These moments were his and his alone. Seeing her in pleasure like this.

“No. But he meant to express his desire for you. And that I would see it and know. He is testing me.” Mitsuhide smiled, and it was a wicked grin. He leaned down to place a little row of kisses along her neck. “Perhaps I should leave my own little message - and mark -” he nipped the skin just under her ear.

“M-mitsu! You already left a mark!” She pointed to the fading love bite half covered by her collar.

“Not obvious enough.” He kissed her forehead. “Maybe I should put one here?” Then he kissed the tip of her nose. “Or here?”

“Ah! No! D-don’t you dare -”

“Or maybe a ring of them all around your neck.”

His little mouse looked worried. “You can’t be serious. Mitsuhide - I might die if you do that. My heart would burst from the teasing alone!”

He laughed, feeling at last better. “I couldn’t risk that.” She was his, and the whole world would know it once he finished this mission. Mitsuhide promised himself that he would make her his wife and she would bear his name, his children, and his mark.

“Good,” she smiled up at him. “But . . . that doesn’t mean you have to stop kissing me. I really liked it when your lips were - here - and here -” she pointed at spots on her neck. Then she got a mischievous look in her eye and brushed a hand over her breast. “Here too.”

“Mmmm, I see. Perhaps I should make a study of these spots. Compare your reaction when I kiss you elsewhere?” He let his hand caress her side, slipping down to her belly.

“I support that research.” She shivered and her eyes took on a hungry light.

“Then let’s begin.”

Next: The Greatest Harm

***flower meanings gotten from here

#ikemen sengoku #ikesen mitsuhide #Mitsuhide Akechi #ikesen motonari #otome guys #otome #fanfiction #fanfic #fluff

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one-piece-dumpster-fire · 3 years

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Pudding's case is fascinating - because this is an example of a WELL written subplot, but Pudding's design doesn't match the given backstory AT ALL. Would it make sense for a young girl from abusive family who spent her whole life mocked by mother and siblings for her appearance and developing a complex because of it to turn sides because someone finally treated her like a human being and said something nice to her? Of course! (part 1)

Oh boy this is gonna be a bit long I'm sorry xD

I feel like I should preface this by saying that Pudding is one of my absolute least favorite characters in OP for many reasons, but since most of them don't have anything to do with the topic at hand I'll try to keep myself from straying too much :'D

But before I get to the issue with her design, I have to say this: although the premise of Pudding's subplot makes sense and fits in with the overall theme of domestic abuse present throughout WCI, the execution of her character is,,,, not really something I'd call very well-written, to be honest😅?

Her insecurities or inner hurt is not explored beyond the flashback/compliment, which was also not build up at all, there isn't another significant moment where she reflects more on how Sanji's treatment of her contrasts with what she previously faced, or even the many parallels between them and how they both stem from abusive households yet choose to deal with their inner pain in different ways is never explored.

I always thought it was kind of a waste that you have an arc supposedly centered around Sanji being the 'kindest', yet his kindness didn't really seem to inspire her to change her view on herself. Which, if I'll be honest, was what I was expecting after Pudding broke down- that she would get to have a genuine talk with Sanji, demonstrate her initial conflicted feelings at his comment because she was never complimented before, and go through some self-reflection and exploration by really looking at their stories of abuse and how that molded her into who she is now. But... naga. She is turned into somewhat of a joke and everything her character did before is pushed aside and not adressed again.

With the premise Oda set up there could have been done so much more with her, but in my eyes, Pudding is one of the most disappointing characters he has written post-TS and a good example of unused potential.

She had great potential as a villain too, and I won't lie, I was incredibly disappointed when she was revealed to be just another 'tragic' female character, but even then her 'redemption' or whatever it was that happened with her could have been handled so much better and just feels like a repetition of what we've already seen in this, and even previous arcs: aka, woman has man call out her problems/take care of her problems, she has a realization, her character development is done.

As far as princesses go her character breaks out of the mold a little, admittably, yet her struggles are barely explored, and given how much excitement there was for her to be an actually unexpected female villain after her betrayal of Luffy and Sanji, her suddenly breaking down crying and having that flashback felt incredibly flat and honestly,,,, kinda forced, after everything that happened? Also why did Oda first set up a vague connection between her and Lola, their shared desire of being free, but then,,,, completely switched to making her character all about being insecure about her physical appearance instead? Especially when we get Katakuri later and his position/struggles within the family are, imo, explored a lot more than Pudding's, even though she's had far more screentime and is arguably more important to BM's overall cause.

Eeeeeeeeehhh but I'm ranting again lol there is much to be said about her character, but on how that ties in with her design:

I completely agree on that, Pudding looking the way she does and being referred to as a 'monster' honestly felt like a fucking slap in the face xD I mean even some of her weird '100% human' siblings (Perospero, Opera, whatever the hell Kato is-) look more like monsters than she does. Also in her flashback Pudding was only shown to be bullied by her mother and citizens- (none of her siblings were shown to be involved, they generally seem to turn more of a blind eye when it comes to the abuse from their mother? Which is just as bad tho) but I kept wondering, "which citizen in their right mind would bully the daughter of a fucking Yonko, especially when there are so many other freaky things walking around in Tottoland xD?"

It's blowing my mind and honestly made her backstory even less believable.

The other examples you mentioned are all things I wholeheartedly agree with as well- hhhh Hancock's overplayed 'crush' on Luffy is still something that haunts me whenever it's brought up, the same goes for the unfortunate treatment of Tashigi rip

I absolutely think that Oda is partly influenced by editors, and of course when it comes to female characters, fanservice for future merch must play a big role as well- yet at the same time I can't help but wonder, when every women looks almost identical to the next one, are fans really gonna be that excited about new merch anymore...?

I mean look at this and tell me Robin and Hancock don't look the exact damn same-

My worst issue with how Oda writes women lately is that you can sometimes see what he's going for, what he could be doing, but he hardly carries through anymore and instead reverts to over-used tropes. I was really expecting Komurasaki to be this hardboiled samurai daughter who doesn't take shit from anyone and proudly stands her ground, but then he turned her around and gave us Hiyori, whose interactions with Zoro I can barely watch,,,, and let's not even talk about Toki,,,,

Kiku is like the only female character I care for in Wano so far.

Man I just wish we could have something like Otohime, Bellemere, or pre-TS Robin again :( Who were allowed to be actual characters-

Or a case like Connis, who was first introduced as a maiden-like character but then began questioning what was happening on Skypeia and ultimately had this badass bazooka moment while denouncing Enel hhhh---

#michelle answers things<3 #more one piece criticism #i'm sorry if i came across a bit too strong about pudding but I have lots of negative feelings about her #it's more than ok if you disagree tho!#i don't wanna badmouth anyone's favorite her but hhhh I just personally don't think she was that well-written #more like there were some interesting points behind her character and it was up to the reader to piece the nuances together-#:'D #also #LONG POST

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forallyourikemensengokuneeds · 5 years

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The reality of love ch 2

She woke to a strange room surrounding her. The futon under her was new. She blinked as she took it all in. The room was like her previous one in Azuchi when it hit her she never left. She was still stuck in the sengoku with him. He was him she saw the night prior. Sakamoto was one of his estates. Her door slid open and she looked at the intruder on her her thoughts.

It was him.

"My dear did you sleep well?" He asked.

"Mitsuhide what am I doing here?" She asked.

"I am normally the one asking questions and it seems you have the better of me." He replied.

"What does that mean?" She asked.

"You seem to know me but I am sure we have never met. I never forget a face and I would not forget one like yours." He replied.

"You don't know me?" She asked. She wondered if this was hell again. Her own private hell.

" You are a stranger in a strange land i see but I don't know you as you seem to know me." He replied. "Can you please tell me how you came to fall out of the sky? I have been trying to figure that out since you landed in the lake."

"You really don't know me?" She asked.

"No my dear." He said as he sat down next to the futon.

"You aren't married?" She asked.

"No." He chuckled.

"Then where the hell am I?" She asked her self.

"I welcomed you to Sakamoto last night." He simply stated. "I am the lord here."

"I know. You are Akechi Mitsuhide." She said without thinking.

"You are?" He prompted.

"Kit." She said as she struggled to sit up.

"Now Kit can you tell me how you know so much about me?" He asked as he looked her over.

"It's a long story and one you probably will never believe." She said.

"I have heard some of those before." He chuckled. It was always a sound that warmed her heart. She forgot in those few moments all the pain she had felt for days as she listened to it.

"Alright don't say I didn't warn you though." She said and the words tumbled from her mouth. He sat there looking at her blankly as she spoke and waited until she was done.

"That is an interesting story." He said.

"The sad part is it is all true." She replied. "I know it seems far fetched but I swear it is all true."

"It does seem to be beyond reality itself. However I watched you fall from the sky. No trees nor mountains were around you. You fell from nothing into the lake. You did have to come from somewhere. You are different. You speak different. You hold yourself differently as well. I have to believe in your far fetched story as if it is the truth until you prove it to be other than the truth." He said as he looked her over. "Though it does not explain where you know so much about me though."

"We were close in the other place." She said softly, "Until he was ordered to marry."

"Ordered to marry?" He asked.

"Nobunaga was adamant that all his vassals marry to create the next generation to protect his line." She said.

"That does sound like Nobunaga." He laughed. "However here he would not do that. Our lives are our own as long as we continue our service when he needs us. Peace has been established through most of Japan now. There are no major wars anymore."

"What?" She asked.

"It has been this way for a few years now." He said with a smile. "Most saw the idea of unification as a good one. There were only a few hold outs which were easily fixed. The ones you said Masamune, Hideyoshi, Ieyasu, and Mitsunari all have their own estates now and we mostly live on them and not in Azuchi."

"Peace is here?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied.

"Everyone is okay?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied.

"Thank god." She said as she let her breath out. This was like Sasuke had said once before, there must have been crossovers in the timelines at times. The crack she went into lead to one of them. This land was one of peace. An alternate reality or a parallel universe with a different line but the same people. "Why haven't you married yet then?"

"Good god you sound like every other woman in my clan." He said as he let out a bark of laughter. "Don't you think a question like that is more for later?"

"I'm sorry." She said, "I am forgetting I know the other you not the You, you."

"If this is not going to be confusing enough." He chuckled. His golden eyes were laughing as well. The situation was not lost on him either.

"I will try to remember you are not him, just another him." She said.

"You loved him didn't you?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied. "I stayed in this time for him. I could've gone back to my own. I chose him though."

"And he chose to follow orders instead of you." He said softly. "I am sorry."

"It wasn't you." She said.

"But a different version of me though." He said. "I am still sorry."

"I tried to go home." She said.

"Instead you ended up here." He replied.

"Yes." She said as her head hung lower.

"Maybe that was a sign instead of a mistake." He said. "Though I can not make you a princess of the Oda line I can declare you one of the Akechi line. You shall reside here until you can find a way back to your world."

"You would do that?" She asked.

"I just did." He replied with a smile. "Welcome home Princess."

"Mitsuhide I don't know what to say." She said as she looked into his face. It was the same as the other but it seemed so different at the same time. This man was not the same but he was.

"Say thank you Mitsuhide." He prompted.

"Thank you Mitsuhide." She said with a smile.

"Good girl." He said with a smile and she felt her heart soar again with a possibility for happiness after all.

Later that day when she could move again without wincing he had brought her some new clothes since everything she had was wet from her fall in the lake, she had changed and he was showing her around. "What did you do in Azuchi?"

"I was the caretaker." She replied.

"Did you enjoy it?" He asked.

"It was a job and I could earn my keep." She said.

"But did you enjoy it?" He asked again.

"Not really but I would do it again if I had too." She said.

"What would you like to do?" He asked.

"I was a seamstress in my own time though it had a different name there. I was a fashion designer. I designed new clothes and different styles." She said.

"Is that what you wish to do?" He asked.

"I would like to, yes." She said.

"Then I propose a deal for you." He began as he stopped. "If you help with running the castle and my other estates for you time here I will set you up as a seamstress and you can use your free time as you wish."

"Mitsuhide how can you do that?" She asked.

"I am master here my dear, remember?" He chuckled, "I can do as I wish."

"But setting me up is too expensive." She replied.

"I doubt you could break me or my coffers, my dear." He said. The people of the castle were watching their lord and the new Princess as they toured the castle grounds. They were shocked to find her there as they had not been informed she would be a guest. They saw the way their lord was around her and though the idea of the foreign born princess being an Akechi princess as well was beyond their minds it was the way he looked at her that made people stop and pay attention. She would be their lords. They all knew it. They watched her as well.

"Your people are watching me like a hawk." She laughed.

"They have never seen someone like you." He easily replied.

"The traders." She started to say.

"Not your foreignness, Kit. The fact you are beautiful." He said.

"Oh." She replied, "but I am not."

"Do you really think that Princess?" He asked as he hooked his finger under her chin to lift her head up to look into her eyes.

"Sure why not. I am nothing spectacular." She said easily.

"We must change your perception of yourself then." He said, "because you are spectacular and blinding."

"Mitsuhide." She said softly.

"You may not like the truth but it is how everyone sees you, my dear." He said equally as softly as he let her chin go and she turned to hide her crimson hot cheeks. He chuckled as well as she did that. "Color in your face suits you as well."

"You are a tease." She said. "I guess that never changes."

"Am I like him?" He asked quietly.

"A little." She replied. "You sound like him, you look like him, somethings are the same and some are different."

"If you could go back would you?" He asked.

"No." She said. "I want to go home."

"Tell me more about it." He prompted and he listened as she went on and on about the different things. He knew he would lose his heart to this woman who already won over one version of himself in a different reality. He was going to enjoy her, he was relaxed as they walked.

#ikemen sengoku inspired #akechi mitsuhide #past au #damn wormhole #alternate universe #the reality of love

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my-soul-sings · 5 years

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Forbidden

Synopsis: Based on Episode 7 of Yukimura’s route in Ikemen Sengoku.

That moment when he saw the girl of his dreams on the battlefield, the sweetness he had felt all day turned to bitter ash in his mouth. As it turned out, dreams were short-lived, and he’d been living in a nightmare for far too long without realising it.

It killed him to leave her that night, when they had kissed as fireworks went off in the air. He remembered how the sparkling lights illuminated her beautiful face, painting it with colours that nevertheless failed to hide the bright red flush settled on her cheeks.

Nothing had ever felt more right. With his lips pressed to her soft ones and her body pressed against his in a tight embrace, it had been all too easy to forget that a war was brewing, and that he had a home to return to. Every moment that he was with her made him wish he was just plain and simple Yuki. Not Yukimura Sanada, loyal servant to Shingen Takeda, but Yuki, the traveling merchant who had the best luck to run into this woman over and over again. It was as if Fate had been gradually pulling their red threads closer and closer, until they were standing together in that moment, lost in time and in themselves.

It still pained him when he thought about how he wouldn’t be able to keep his promise to her. He could already see how disappointed she would be when she saw his letter tied to that tree, and the corners of his lips turned up slightly as he thought of her adorable pout. He would have to make it up to her when he returned to her side.

But before that, he had a duty to uphold.

Mounting his horse, Yukimura set off following after Shingen and the rest of the army. The battle was starting, and he had it all planned out perfectly in his head: he was going to slay Nobunaga, put an end to this cruel war, return to his homeland, and live a peaceful life together with her.

It sounded like a dream come true. Nothing could possibly ruin it, aside from perhaps, getting killed in the line of his duty. Not that he was going to let it happen. He had been training for months and years. He was going to prove himself worthy on the battlefield and make it back alive to see her and tell her everything that he wanted to say.

But then he saw her, riding atop that horse, holding on firmly to Nobunaga’s waist.

The first thing he thought was that he was hallucinating. He missed her so much that he had gone crazy. He must have mistaken her for another woman; one of Nobunaga’s women. He must be insane to bring a woman out on horseback with him to the front lines. Either that, or he just wanted an extra shield to cover his back.

But then their gazes locked once more, and he recognised it all too well: her long, silky hair, her wide shocked eyes, and her soft parted lips he had kissed just the night before…

And in that moment, the sweetness he had felt all day turned to bitter ash in his mouth.

As it turned out, dreams were short-lived, and he’d been living in a nightmare for far too long without realising it.

She was on Nobunaga’s side. Probably one of Nobunaga’s women. Had she known he was Yukimura Sanada, an enemy troop all this time? Had Nobunaga simply used her as a tool to get close to him and make him waver like he was right then on the battlefield?

No, it couldn’t be. She looked far too shocked when she laid her eyes on him. She couldn’t have known.

In that case, she had been having an illicit affair with him? Pining after an enemy troop and betraying the Devil King all this time? Had she been lying when she said all those things to him the night before, secretly hating it when he had touched her and kissed her passionately beneath the stars and fireworks?

He didn’t know what to think. Nor did he have time to think. His fingers curled around his spear in a tight grip as anger and pain erupted in his chest. Nobunaga was beginning to attack, and in response, Yukimura snapped the reins of his horse and moved forward, preparing to land that spear in the disgustingly smug face of that warlord.

She seemed to have said something to distract Nobunaga, and Yukimura knew he had a good chance right there of ending the war once and for all. But just before he could land his spear in Nobunaga’s neck, her arms sprang forward to cover it, screaming for him to stop.

Why her? Of all people, why did it have to be her?

Like a fool, he did. He hesitated, pathetically betraying everything he had been fighting for all this time, and that gave Nobunaga the opportunity to knock him clear off his horse.

The hard impact as he crashed to the ground and rolled was a good wake-up call for him. He wasn’t Yuki anymore; he never was. Out here, he was, and had always been, Yukimura Sanada. Loyal vassal to Shingen Takeda, a soldier who had sworn to beat Nobunaga in battle to bring peace to the lands and return home, where he truly belonged.

He repeated it in his head over and over like a mantra, almost desperately. Anything to take his mind off her, and away from trying to think of where she could be, because she was no longer on Nobunaga’s horse. He must have sent her away, and if she was alone now, she could very well die in the crossfire of all this war.

The mere thought of her dying, the brilliance of her smile forever gone was enough to make him lose his mind again, and he took it out by charging towards any enemy soldier he could find, slashing and making them drop like flies one by one. It felt like he had taken an arrow to his heart, and it hurt far more than any flesh wound he had sustained before. He wanted to scream, to destroy this entire filthy empire that Nobunaga had built, designed only to torture and bring unhappiness.

He continued his streak of blindly knocking down soldiers, until he ended up meeting her again, like he seemed to always do. For the past few weeks it had been the same pattern of bumping into her on the street by coincidence, having the chance to talk to her and experience this strange fluttering in his chest that made his heart hammer against his ribcage and yearn to be with her even a minute longer.

Except this time, when he bumped into her again, he wished he hadn’t. He couldn’t bear to look at her, and imagine all the things she might have done with Nobunaga as his woman. He couldn’t bear to think that the romance he thought had developed between them had been nothing but a lie and a sham.

She was barely saved by one of Nobunaga’s soldiers, and Nobunaga recognised him as the man whom they had returned his son to just the other day. He remembered how adorable that kid had been, and how heartbroken he and his mother would be if their father and husband didn’t make it home alive.

The father didn’t recognise him though, and Yukimura could see it in her eyes: the silent plea to spare the soldier’s life.

And for the second time, he did. He spared an enemy’s life. He merely knocked that man’s weapon away with a harsh blow, which seemed to scare her even more.

It was something he discovered he loathed the most. The fear in her eyes made him feel like a monster, and only reminded him of their positions as enemies.

Clearly, the things he had planned out for the both of them—confessing his feelings for her, making her happy for the rest of their lives after the war ended—could never happen. It was impossible from the very start.

And so even though he wanted nothing more than to talk to her, to ask her all the questions sitting on his tongue, he merely bit down on it and left. If they were both alive at the end of this, they could talk then.

The fighting ceased during the night, each camp having dealt equally serious damage. The wounded were brought to their tents for healing, the exhausted soldiers were huddling together eating or sleeping, while the other leaders were taking stock of the earlier battle and trying to strategise again.

He should be there with Shingen, but he would never be able to rest easy unless he found her and spoke to her. Anxiety rose in him as he quietly left the camp, wondering if she was safe and unharmed. She had to be. If Nobunaga had let her die on his watch, that Devil King was as good as a coward and was better off dead than claiming to have the right to rule and protect over all the lands.

A giant load lifted off his chest when he spotted her figure hidden in the pampas grass. She seemed to be looking for him too, and when their eyes met, he lost his breath again. She stood, revealing herself to him, and he quickly approached, not wanting any of his comrades spotting her and mistaking her for an enemy raider.

As he approached, he scanned her from head to toe, and it seemed she had been unharmed. Her hair was messy, and clothes muddied, but apart from that, she still looked beautiful and made his heart pick up its pace. He kept his face in a cold, blank expression though, not wanting to reveal too much to her. Once he was close enough, he could see her lips part, about to speak his name, but he took her cold hand before she could utter a single thing.

“Come with me.”

She nodded and followed after him, keeping themselves hidden in the pampas grass and heading towards a grove of trees a good distance away from the camps.

When they arrived, he released her hand, and stepped away. The air had turned thick between them and he didn’t know what to say. From the conflicted frown on her face, it seemed she felt the same way. All they could do was stare at each other in silence, searching each other’s faces for answers to the millions of questions running through their heads.

Eventually, he decided to speak first, unable to contain himself.

“You’re Nobunaga’s— what?” He was almost too afraid to hear the answer to this question, but knew he needed to confirm it and have himself move on from his delusions of romance once and for all.

“I’m a chatelaine for the Oda forces,” she replied.

“Chatelaine? You?” He couldn’t believe it. A girl like her, someone who seemed to hate the very idea of fighting and war, was a chatelaine, serving the very people who were starting a war. Besides, if she was a chatelaine...

“Then why are you here instead of at the castle?” he questioned in a tone more accusatory than he intended.

She couldn’t answer him. There was a mixture of hurt and sadness in her eyes, and dread filled him. His suspicions were probably right.

“You’re Nobunaga’s woman?” The question came out softer now, and he closed his eyes, clenching his fists at his side.

Please, say you’re not. Please.

“Huh?” Confusion was painted all over her face, and he frowned.

“I can’t believe he’d bring his lover out onto the battlefield with him. What a fool!”

“No!” she exclaimed, interrupting his tirade. “It’s not like that! You’ve got it all wrong!”

It was the first time Yukimura saw her so genuinely angry. Her lips quivered and her hands fisted at her sides as she met his gaze fiercely.

“I came along because I wanted to help the people of Azuchi Castle! I hate this fighting, but I wanted to do what I could to keep the people I care about safe! I wanted to protect them, so—” She trailed off then, seeming to have run out of things to say.

That sounded more like the woman he knew her to be. To protect people and blindly charge into the battlefield like an idiot, it was just like her to do something that stupid.

A pang of guilt hit him, and he looked away, wishing he could take back what he’d said. “I see. I’m sorry I yelled.”

She shook her head, appearing to accept his apology, but she still looked dissatisfied. “So, Yuki, you’re an enemy of the Oda forces.”

It was his turn to be questioned now. “That’s right.”

“And your real name isn’t Yuki.”

“That’s right. My name is Yukimura Sanada. I’m a soldier in the service of Lord Shingen.”

The despair only grew in her eyes and in the moonlight, he could see that they were growing moist. He had a knack for always hurting her, it seemed.

“Tell me you’re lying!”

He could only close his eyes and breathe out a weary exhale. “It’s not a lie.” He wished it was. He really did. “I posed as a traveling merchant in Azuchi to spy on the Oda forces so that we could defeat our sworn enemy, Nobunaga, in this battle, and gather the remnants of Lord Shingen’s family and rebuild the Takeda clan. And so that I could finally return to my homeland.”

He hated the look in her eyes, and he felt like a dirty monster for lying to her all this time. Even though it had been for an honorable purpose, he still felt horrible now for deceiving her. But then again, she had also kept certain things from him, so he supposed that made them even.

“You weren’t in Echigo because of your ‘traveling performer brothers’, were you?”

“No,” she responded tiredly. “I was with Nobunaga and one of his men. It was a reconnaissance trip.”

“I see. I thought that story of yours sounded fishy.” A bitter, wry smile made its way onto his lips. “So, when we first met near Honno-ji, when we met again in Azuchi and when we ran into each other at a teahouse in Echigo, it wasn’t coincidence and it wasn’t so strange. It was all because we were spying on the enemy.”

The realisation made him feel sick. All this time, the coincidental meetings that he thought of as beautiful, chance encounters arranged by Fate, had really been a cruel way for two completely different people to meet and fall in love. It was almost laughable, only that he didn’t have the energy to laugh right then.

“Yuki—”

“Not Yuki,” he cut in coldly, eyes flashing to hers. “I have always been Yukimura. Your enemy.”

“Names don’t matter,” she insisted stubbornly. “Whether you call yourself Yuki or Yukimura, I know you and you are not my enemy.”

How could she say such a thing so easily? As if their problems could be fixed by nothing more than a change of names.

“Then what am I?” he challenged, certain that she would have no good answer to that.

As it turned out, she didn’t. Which only made her even madder and raise her voice at him. “You’re so annoying! Even in the middle of a battle you make my heart race and make me feel crazy with longing!”

“Uh—” This was definitely not the response he’d been expecting.

“You’re insensitive and tactless, but also sweet,” she continued rambling on, ignoring his meek protest. “You send my heart spinning with a kiss… You make me feel so frustrated I can’t even think straight! You’re such a jerk!”

“You—”

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we met on the battlefield today. I felt like I might burst if I didn’t see you again!”

“Stop!” he shouted, not wanting to listen further. The pain in his chest was only growing with each word she uttered.

“I won’t!” she yelled back, but the moisture gathering in her eyes betrayed the force of her voice, the strong front she was trying to put up in front of him.

Damn it, this woman was impossible. Didn’t she understand that they were enemies and that they were in the middle of a war? Only one side could emerge victorious and at the end of it, only one of them would walk out alive. They could never be together, no matter how much she shouted and made that sorry face, and no matter how much he listened quietly, all the while fighting the urge to pull her into his arms and to never let her go.

“Don’t make that pitiful face,” was all he could manage to say in response. He was wavering just like he had on the battlefield, and her making that sad, hurt expression wasn’t help at all.

“I can’t help it!” she cried, a tear finally slipping down her cheek.

His heart twisted in pain at the sight. He had never been good with emotions, and seeing her cry was one of the things he hated most.

Without realising it, he was already extending his arm toward her and in the next moment, he had her caged in his arms, holding her tightly against his chest. She responded eagerly by wrapping her arms around his neck, squeezing just as tightly, like she didn’t want him to let her go.

His chest swelled with emotions. It was wrong to be with her like this. But at the same time, nothing felt more right. He was transported back in time to that night when they were standing under that tree in the moonlight, listening to the fireworks crackling above their heads, and when she pulled away, gazing into his eyes with the same longing he’d seen that night, all his barriers came crashing down.

Just one more night. All he asked for was one more night to be Yuki, the man she had fallen in love with and the man who had fallen deeply in love with her.

He leaned in, capturing her lips with his and kissing her passionately. Throwing all caution to the wind, he allowed himself to get lost in the feel of her soft lips melding with his, the curve of her nose resting against his as her hot breaths fanned out against his face, and her breathless pants as he kissed her over and over, sliding his tongue against hers and listening to her whisper his name quietly.

Unable to stop himself now, his hand began sliding down her back, and it was only when it slipped dangerously low that he felt her gasp.

The sound made him tense up, and he hastily pulled away, jerking himself back to his senses. He glanced up, noting that the night sky wasn’t as dark anymore. Before long the camps would wake up and if they were missing, even he didn’t dare imagine the consequences.

“You should go,” he muttered, loosening his grip on her “It’ll be dawn soon.”

“No! I don’t want to leave you!”

“Go.” He kept his tone resolute, even though deep down, he wanted her to stay. To get lost in the taste of her and to make her his, because come dawn, he didn’t know if he would get to see her again. He could very well die the next time he got on the battlefield, and so could she. There was no telling what the gods had in store for them.

“No!”

“You— fool!”

If that was how she wanted it, and if she was insisting on spending the night here with him, then there was no telling what he would do.

But it seemed that she wanted it just as much as he did, if the desperate anticipation glimmering in her eyes was any indication.

If that was the case, then so be it. He took her by the end, gently nudging her down till she was lying on her back on the bed of soft grass, while he hovered over her. Her hair billowed out around her face, and it only made the tension in his stomach grow.

Leaning in closer till his nose was brushing hers, he whispered, “You’re a real fool. And so am I.”

She offered him a sad smile, and reached up to stroke his cheek tenderly. “Yukimura.”

The way his name left her lips made him suck in a sharp breath, and he wanted to hear more of her sweet voice.

He uttered her name in return, letting the syllables slowly roll of his tongue before sealing the distance between their lips again. This time he kissed her more passionately, teasing her by biting her bottom lip, pushing his tongue into her mouth and listening to the moans that she made for him.

A/N: I’m afraid you’ll need a story ticket to read the rest of this story... ahaha. I’ve spent enough time on this, I decided to write this on a whim because I played episode 7 of Yukimura’s route which basically destroyed me, so it was bugging me all day to write this whole thing out based on the events in episode 7. :’)) Maybe when I have more time I’ll write out the rest of this scene.... ;)

#ikemen sengoku #yukimura sanada #ikemen sengoku yukimura #yukimura #ikemen sengoku fanfiction #ikemen sengoku fanfic #my writing

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whatsthecraicwithvideogames · 6 years

Text

My Definitive Ranking Of All 21 Confidants in Persona 5 (yep it’s a list you just gotta deal)

Persona 5 has some of the best characters in any game I've ever played. Over the 100 hours spent in the game, a lot of these characters are significantly fleshed out and you feel a genuine bond with them. Some not so much. So, because the world needed it so much, here is my official 100% accurate ranking of all those characters. No debate needed. This is the only ranking you will ever need. Enjoy.

21 Yuuki Mishima

Mishima seems to think that just because he figured out that you were a Phantom Thief that he is entitled a spot in your friend group.No. GET YOUR OWN FRIENDS MISHIMA. There are plenty of characters less interesting than Mishima, but none that annoyed me more. It may be completely unjustified, but I just need him out of my life. More specifically, I need him out of my hotel room in Hawaii. Go home, Mishima. No one wants you here.

20 Toranosuke Yoshida

The main issue that afflicts the majority of the people at the bottom of the list is dullness and being underdeveloped. Yoshida happens to be the former. Maybe it's just because I'm young and ignorant, but when I'm trying to save the world from its inevitable ruin, I'm not really all that interested in a disgraced politician. Call me simple minded.

19 Chihaya Mifune

Now we come to the underdeveloped. Although it must be said that Chihaya could have had an amazing storyline that I just didn't see, as her character was so one note and uninteresting that I became equally uninterested in what was going on with her and I didn't pay a whole lot of attention. So I apologize if I've missed an amazing character, but she should have made a better impression sooner.

18 Shinya Oda

I have little feelings towards Shinya. He's a little higher on the list due to his storyline being a bit sympathetic but there isn't really much to his character other than the fact that he's a kid who's good at a video game. I was invested in making sure that he got fed, but that's about as far as it goes.

17 Munehisa Iwai

I am currently holding a bit of a grudge against Iwai at the minute, as he was the only confidant I didn't manage to max out on my new game plus run, basically meaning I wasted about an extra 70 hours BUT HEY. That's not his fault. He also suffers from side character dullness, but he gets bumped up the list a bit because we had a lot of weird dates together that I'll never forget. What other game allows you to go to the planetarium and an all you can eat buffet with a yakuza member? In Persona 5, even the boring characters have something to offer. Some more than others.

16 Igor

There isn't really much to say about Igor to be honest. Of all the people on this list, he’s the one you have the least opportunity to get to know, but there's just something about him. Maybe it's his nose? Or perhaps the eyebrows? Either way, I like his style and he managed to crawl up a few spaces.

15 Haru Okumura

We arrive at another character who took a little while to grow on me. Originally I thought she was just as boring as Makoto, but at least Haru has some semblance of a personality. She's awfully sweet and her storyline is very sympathetic. She struggles under the weight of her responsibility to run a company, and is conflicted by her arranged marriage to a man she has no interest in. I felt genuinely invested in making sure she was okay and safe, even if her metaverse outfit is a bit dumb. Nobody's perfect.

14 Ichiko Ohya

If you're not familiar with Ohya, just imagine a really incompetent Jessica Jones and you're pretty much there. Meaning, she's drunk all the time. She drinks away the guilt she harbours from losing her best friend on the job, but she still remains a fierce journalist who doesn't crack under pressure and is determined to find out the truth. She just happens to smell like gin while she's doing it.

13 Sae Niijima

Sae is cool in the most normal way that you'll find in Persona 5. She's a prosecutor, working against against all odds to become the top in her field. She may have been working slightly against us in the beginning, but she was a formidable foe; working with an open mind and a level head, she eventually began to believe our stories about our time with the Phantom Thieves. Sae is rad without needing a cool outfit (@Makoto) and we should all be more like her.

12 Makoto Niijima

I'm not even going to apologise. Makoto just barely made it above her much more impressive sister, and the only reason she did is because her whole deal in the metaverse is pretty badass. However, and let me say this loud for you Makoto, just because your persona is a motorcycle, DOES. NOT. MAKE. YOU. THE BOSS. Once she joins your team, every plan comes from her, even though I am the leader of the Phantom Thieves. I have tried really quite hard to understand why everybody loves Makoto so much. I even romanced her on my second playthrough so I could get a different perspective on her. It helped nothing. I really tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, but anywhere outside of the metaverse, she is dull and boring. Number 1 Waifu she is not, I'm afraid.

11 Hifumi Togo

Before Futaba came along, I was all set to romance Hifumi. To be fair I felt she was the best of a bad bunch, but let that not detract from her good qualities. She's a shogi master (or at least she thinks she is), and yet she still struggles with something that a lot of us can identify with: she is desperately trying to live up to her mother's unachievable high expectations. All Hifumi wants is to play shogi, and when she plays shogi, she plays shogi. She's a bit crazy but we love her anyway, and there's no one else I’d rather play shogi in a church with. Now just to figure out what shogi actually is…

10 Morgana

What would a JRPG be without a resident weird humanoid animal thing? Mediocre, that's what. Morgana is an integral part to the whole structure of the game, in more ways than one. Without him, our character would have no idea about how anything works in the Metaverse. Yes, he can be literally the most irritating presence on the planet whenever I'm trying to go out and Morgana is telling me to go to bed (YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME MORGANA), but deep down I know he's doing it out of love. Sometimes I wish Morgana loved me a little less but hey, you can't pick your family.

9 Goro Akechi

Okay, look. I know what you're thinking. Akechi is a little bit problematic. I know this. But he's just so adorable before all that! That's pretty much that only reason I have for having him so far up the list. His little face in his character profile is just so cute that you can't help but love him. Also the way he yells ‘PERSONAAAAAAGHHHH’ is badass and I can't hear it enough times. I forgive the Ace Detective of all crimes he has committed.

8 Futaba Sakura

A couple of months ago, Futaba would most likely have topped my list. She was the first girl I romanced in Persona 5. I had spent the whole game waiting for someone to come along and sweep me off my (digital) feet. It was beginning to look like I was going to have to settle with Hifumi- and then Futaba came along. She was a hacker and a gamer: my perfect waifu. Her romancing scenes are very sweet and I remained enamoured with her throughout my whole playthrough. After playing new game plus that changed. I went in with the intention of romancing someone different, and boy is Futaba different without those rose tinted glasses on. Her inability to do anything on her own is, while understandable, it's frustrating at best. She's still pretty high on the list though, as I'll never forget our time together, and also she's saved me countless times during combat that she will forever be elevated to God tier in the Metaverse. I owe her a debt I can never repay.

7 Tae Takemi

I won't lie to you. A lot of Takemi’s charm and appeal lies in her character design. The idea of a cool, punk rock doctor who supplies us with our own extreme healing products is great. Even better is that she's got the attitude to match. Confident in her skills but still dating enough to go rogue and have you be her guinea pig for new medicines she's developing, Takemi is a doctor you would want as a friend, but DEFINITELY not treating you. Unless you enjoy drinking mysterious liquids and passing out for hours on end. In which case be my guest.

6 Sadayo Kawakami

Ah, Kawakami. She sure does have it rough. Teacher by day, maid by night, she's a very sympathetic character, although she may not start out that way. At first glance she just seems like your typical extremely incompetent teacher- which she is. However the deeper into her storyline you go, the more you start to understand why she is the way she is. She ends up being quite a sweet person, not to mention her skills enable you to have more of the most important resource in Persona 5: time. Coincidentally, that's the one thing it takes for her to grow on you. Just give her a couple of days, and you'll learn to love her for who she is. A hot mess.

5 Sojiro Sakura

I don't think it’s an overstatement to say that the entire plot of the game would not have happened if not for Sojiro. For some unexplained reason, he agrees take in our main character who has just been put on parole, and it's that act that eventually brings our whole crew together. Even when he discovers that he has a phantom thief right under his roof, he sticks by you and even lets you hold meetings right there in his café. He goes from standoffish jerk to ‘dad we never had’ in a beautiful transformation that is one of the best progressions of a relationship in the game. If it wasn’t for his curious combination of coffee and curry for breakfast every morning, there's no way we could have completed our rehabilitation and saved the world from ruin. Sojiro literally saved the entire world (don't question it he totally did).

4 Ann Takamaki

Of all the characters on this list, Ann is the one that surprised me the most. She's pretty, blonde and a model. In video games, TV, movies; these things tend to be a placeholder for a personality, so really I expected nothing more from Ann: and boy did she prove me wrong. She is kind, loyal and is extremely strong willed. She suffered through sexual harassment at the hands of her teacher, her best friend's attempted suicide, and the her career as a model being sabotaged by a spiteful competitor. Through it all, however, she remains a positive force on the team and one of your characters closest friends from beginning to end. We all deserve someone like Ann in our lives.

3 Yusuke Kitagawa

Yusuke is another character that I love purely because every conversation with him is golden, particularly when leveling up your relationship with him. Throughout his journey to find himself as an artist, I joined him at an art exhibit, a romantic boat ride on a lake, and I posed as our Lord and Savior himself Jesus Christ on the crucifix as a way to inspire the creativity within Yusuke. Some may say that Yusuke’s best quality is his voice, but those people simply can't appreciate what he brings to the table and I simply have no time for them. He is a rare flower and I will defend him at every given opportunity.

2 Caroline and Justine (The Wardens)

Before starting my new game plus playthrough, these girls wouldn't have even been on this list, because I had no idea that they were even confidants until my second time around. The way you level up your confidant ranking with them is by fusing personas with a certain ability, per their request. The only thing I dislike about that is that you don't get to spend as much time with them as I'd like. They are both as entertaining as they are enigmatic, and though it may seem strange to have them so high up, everytime I brought them a new persona, they stole a little bit more of my heart. By force. They demanded I give it to them. But it still counts all the same.

1 Ryuji Sakamoto

I don't care what anyone says, this game would not be half as interesting or funny without Ryuji in it. There are a lot of people who would probably put Ryuji last on this list, due to his loud nature and penchant for yelling in public about how you and all your friends are the Phantom Thieves. But that's all part of his charm! Ryuji owes a lot of his likeability to his voice actor, Max Mittelman, as he somehow manages to be comically over the top while still remaining believable for his character. There are multiple times during the game where you'll have to pick who to hang out with at certain story moments, with the intention really being that you hang out with the girl you're romancing, but every single time I chose Ryuji. Every situation with him is comedy gold. Ryuji will forever be my number 1, and nobody will ever change my mind on that.

#persona 5 #list #video games #persona #ryuji sakamoto

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deathbytimewrites1 · 6 years

Note

Can you please make one for warlords react to MC already have a boyfriend in future time?

MasterList

Fandom: Ikemen Sengoku

Pairing: Head Canon – MC with a Boyfriend inthe future.

A/N: HiAnon, Sorry if some seem out of character. You didn’t say which warlords and because I know the Oda better I’m just doing them. If you are interested int he others let me know. I never really thought about this before so it was interesting tocome up with. Hope you enjoy.

Oda Forces

Nobunaga:

“Princess, tonight you will warm my bed.” He statedin that deep commanding tone of his as if it was an order.

The princess glanced up at him from looking overtheir game of Go; the beaming smile that she had never left her face, “I cannotdo that.”

Nobunaga looked taken aback not used to people tellinghim no but intrigued enough by this strange girl that saved his life, “And whynot?”

“I have a boyfriend back home and I have nointention of being unfaithful.”

“Boyfriend? What is this? A husband?” He questionedcuriousness lasing his voice.

She laughed and shook her head. “Not quite. But wewere on the road there if I can ever get home.”

“You are not allowed to leave until I have unifiedJapan, you are my lucky charm. Your boyfriend thing will just have to comehere.” He said as he smiled, satisfied with the frustration playing on herface.

Hideyoshi:

“Princess? Everything alright in there?” Hideyoshiasked tapping on her shoulder.

The princess jumped with a small gasp coming fromher lips. When she turned to face him she smiled at him sweetly, “HeyHideyoshi, didn’t see you there. What was that?”

He returned her smile and let his hand land on her shoulder,“Everything okay? You seemed lost in yourself.”

A shadow casted over her face as she looked awayfrom him. “I was thinking about my boyfriend back home. I miss him.”

The pain in her voice pulled on his caregiverstrings. “I’m sorry you are separated from him. Who was he to you?”

“Oh right, you don’t know the word boyfriend.” Shelooked off in thought of how to word it for him to understand, “He was notquite a husband but we were on our way there.”

“Oh is that right?” He said smiling at her, “I’msure he misses you too. How about we go into town to cheer you up?”

Mitsunari:

“Do you plan to return to your home, princess? Iwould like you to stay. It’s nice having company in the library” Mitsunariasked out of the blue while she was across from him in the library reading thebook he gave her he thought she would enjoy.

“As much as I love it here and care about all ofyou, I have to go back.” She paused as she looked up at it thinking on how muchshe should share, “I have a boyfriend I have to get back to.”

“Boyfriend?” Mitsunari asked curiously.

“Let’s see, I have a love waiting for me back home.I miss him dearly.” She said as she smiled but it didn’t reach her eye whilethinking of him, this didn’t go unnoticed by him.

“Ah, I think I understand.” He felt a pain in hischest he didn’t understand but smiled at her regardless, “Then I will helpanyway I can to get you back home. I wish nothing but happiness for you.”

She returned his smile with one of her own beforeshe went back to reading. He watched her for a moment trying to figure out whyhe felt such a tightness in his chest.

Iyeasu:

“You know, you kinda remind me of someone.” Theprincess said one day while she sat in him room helping him organize for atrip. He didn’t respond but she knew well enough he was listening. “Yeah, he’sall gruff on the outside but inside he’s super caring. Kinda like how you takecare of everyone here.”

“I do that because that is my job. They are allannoyances.” He stated as he looked away from her trying to hide his cheeksthat were warmed with embarrassment.

“He is my boyfriend, or well romantic partner wouldbe a better fit here.” She said smiling. His face fell at that. He didn’t knowwhat a boyfriend what but the second part he could easily get the jest.

Keeping his face neutral, “I doubt we are anything alike”.Hiding the jealousy, he never anticipated feeling bubbling up in his chest.

Masamune:

Masamune watched the princess as she sat in thegarden drawing in that little book she always kept with her. “Lass, what areyou drawing today? A new outfit?”

She startled slightly hearing his loud voice comingfrom behind her, jumping to her feet she turned to him, “Good Morning, you’rehere early.”

“Yep got somethings to do, but I always got timefor you kitten.” He said walking up to her and grabbing her book.

“HEY!” She yelled jumping at him to get it back.

“I just want to look, kitten.” He pulled out ofreach of her and looked down at the sketch. It wasn’t her normal with designs.No this was a face, a man’s face. One he didn’t know.

“He is my boyfriend back home.” She said softly asshe grabbed the book and held it close to her.

“What is a Boyfriend?” He asked confused.

“Similar to a lover in this time period, I guess.”She said turning a bright shade of pink.

“You are someone’s concubine?” He asked amazed anda little hurt.

“In one since of the word but without the negative connotations.We…. We were planning to eventually get married. But I guess that is if I getback and if he waits for me.”

“He will be waiting, I would be.” He said softly,grinning down at her. “If you ever get lonely though, come to me. I’ll do whatI can to cheer you up.”

Mitsuhide:

He loved to toy with her. She made it to easy. Todayhe had her pinned to a wall. Trapped between both his arms. “Oh, princess, let’sgo for a stroll this evening.” He whispered with his lips lightly grazing herear. She shivered but put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. Helaughed at her. “I was only joking. It’s always so rewarding to watch you getflustered, mouse.”

“Nothing will ever happen Mitsuhide. I have someonewaiting for me back home!” She hissed at him in frustration.

“Oh” He perked up at the bit of information, “You havea lover?”

“Yes” she stated firmly but still her face turned red.He reveled in her expression.

“Well then,” stepping back to her, “If YOU ever gettired of waiting we might have some real fun.” Before she could respond hepulled away and walked down the hall out of sight to regain composer of himselfbecause he wasn’t expecting that. ”Our little princess if full of surprises,isn’t she?”

#ikemen sengoku #oda forces #ask request #headcanon #nobunaga #ieyasu #Hideyoshi #mitsunari #mitsuhide #masamune

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yoolee · 6 years

Text

Samurai Love Ballet: PARTY

A/N: A quintessential exercise in self-indulgence. Learn about the Nutcracker here. Original headcanon here. Also, all thanks to @han-pan, the culler of commas, the tracker of tenses, the sense-maker of sentences, etc. and so forth. EDIT I AM TERRIBLE Y’ALL I forgot to credit @dear-mrs-otome, provisioner of puns that you will encounter around 10:16.

Samurai Love Ballet: PARTY – Battle for Divine Tulle

07:03

Kojuro is already grateful for his assistant. He acquiesces instantly as she swaps his long-cold cup of coffee for a fresh mug of tea. In the same motion, she swipes away his notes on funding allocations and exchanges them for a tray of breakfast with as stern an expression as any scolding mother. It’s ruined a bit by the rosiness in her cheeks, brought out by the wreaths of steam from her tea and his. Instead of stern, he thinks perhaps that she looks like one of Drosselmeyer’s delights—enchanting and entrancing.

If only he could cajole her into being a distraction as they are, but she is already off and into his spreadsheets, and he suspects he has missed his chance this morning. Pity, that.

Though not for his budget, he acknowledges, as he watches her at work, murmuring quiet recommendations with efficient care.

She is, undoubtedly, his left hand, and he allows himself the time to marvel until she looks up and catches him watching. With something like a dismayed pout, she points to his plate. Not quite sheepishly, he digs in to the food she’s brought and his stomach sighs in gratitude at the reprieve from his abuse. He should know better than to drink coffee on an empty stomach, but he hadn’t meant to get sucked into things so early. He has to admit, that’s what he’s said every other morning since he accepted the position. Somehow, no matter how many hours he works, there’s more to do and it’s his job as artistic director to see it all done right. And so he comes in the early hours before spats between soloists, disruptions by set design, and last-minute changes by their capricious Executive Director and Producer can be introduced to interrupt his day.

And though she scolds, she never fails to see him fed with something fresh and tasty from her kitchen.

(That wasn’t in the job description, but he appreciates it.)

Not, he acknowledges, that her uniquely evolved role really has one. She gets him to delegate, keeps track of schedules, hops on stage for blocking, and notes down Nobunaga’s endless whims with a mostly straight expression schooled on her lips (she’s getting better at that, but it still makes him smile).

In another era, he supposes, she might have been his page, though he struggles to imagine a similarly absurd set of circumstances leading her to his side through history as those that have conspired to put her here now.

“Kojuro, are you listening?”

He blinks, and offers her a smile that only makes her faint frown deepen. “Of course, precious girl.”

She looks skeptical but reaches over and brushes his cheek, a soft smile lighting her bright features even as she attempts—unsuccessfully, once again, although he won’t tell her so—to school her expression into one that is serious and scolding. “Eat your breakfast.” She glances around the abysmal mess of his office, and fails to hide a sigh. “You know, it would be easier to find things if—”

Eager to silence that thought before she can finish it and he can get roped in, he quickly (and blindly) agrees to the unfinished thought he has no wish to hear her speak aloud and so turn into action on his part, “You’re right of course!”

08:30 - Elsewhere

(Outside his office, the company begins to trickle in, bags over shoulders, circles under eyes. He hears Oichi; the smooth, confident tones of his prima floating easily over the sleepy chatter of the rest)

08:45

As is his habit at this time, Kojuro checks in on Masamune.

To his pleasure, the company’s maestro is nibbling silently on a familiar-looking breakfast of his own, steadfast in keeping crumbs from falling onto his perfectly tuned piano. Kojuro feels a surge of appreciation for his assistant once more and the thoughtfulness that marks her presence in the company. It was once a rare thing to see an empty plate in Masamune’s hands, and Kojuro can only be relieved at the change.

Beyond Masamune’s corner, tucked against the far wall where mirrors meet barres, the dancers are stretching, and Kojuro can’t help but smile at their half-asleep grumblings and mumblings. It will be the quietest they are all day, no doubt.

“Do you miss it?” Masamune asks quietly.

Kojuro glances at him in surprise, and knows there’s more to the question than an eavesdropper would guess. Because of who asked, he considers the question with due gravitas. He remembers sore muscles, charley horses at 3 AM. He remembers the stage lights, the smiles, the whispering swell of ah’s from the audience, and applause at the end. He remembers how it feels to hold another person in his hands, a partnership dependent on synchronized seconds, the slide of warm palms across satin and tulle, the toss, the turn, the temperaments and trust.

But he considers, too, the alternative and lays them neatly side-by-side in his thoughts. In the other column is laying the strategy, translating the vision, plucking the strings and soothing the tempers, turning an idea into a grand reality, and watching it from the wings as it unfolds, out of his hands and in the feet of his dancers and timing of his crew. And, of course, his assistant, whose path may have never crossed with his own it were still endlessly and intricately making circles under spotlights.

On stage, he was a commander, by necessity.

Offstage, he is more…a consultant, and no less necessary.

He smiles faintly, and says nothing.

Masamune nods, and turns back to his piano as the dance master enters the room.

Kojuro’s faint smile turns a tinge wicked as the dancers immediately scramble to the barres without a word from their already faintly-disapproving instructor. Ishida Mitsunari is no easy taskmaster, but then, nor should he be. Kojuro inclines his head in greeting and slips out as class starts, the dancemaster’s acerbic snap deriding floppy dégagés and lazy, dull dancers echoing in his wake.

9:38 - Elsewhere

(Noboyuki is leading the corps through their new steps in the party dance. He corrects a placement with a touch that’s brief and a smile that lingers. The dancer stumbles - and the warmth gains an edge of disappointment.)

10:16

It’s too quiet.

Kojuro leaves his office, concerned with the serenity, and finds his instincts rewarded; his stage manager nearly in tears.

In three seasons, Kojuro has never seen Mitsuhide lose his calm. The quintessential right hand man, Oda Company’s Stage Manager is one of the only ones willing to push back against Nobunaga (understandably so, as it’s his crew that invariably takes the brunt of his changes) and handles each immediate backstage crisis with aplomb and quiet certainty. So Kojuro can only imagine what tragedy has struck, what horror has befallen his fellow cat-herder.

“Mitsuhide!” Alarmed, he runs to the man’s side, nearly taking a spill when a waylaid prop trips him up in his haste, “What’s happened?”

The other man turns, and schools his expression into one more familiarly unruffled on his features, but it only lasts a second before crumpling once more, as he turns back to hunch over what he has discovered. His hands helplessly gesture before him to the ropes looped around stage pegs. Worried, Kojuro follows his pointing finger, stepping closer to take a look at what he is sure is going to eat into his already thin budget.

And stops dead.

Mitsuhide sniffs and gets himself under control.

Almost.

“What a good widdle kitty she iiiiiis yes, and what widdle noooooses they have!”

Kojuro’s arms cross, troubled crease pressing between his brows. Apparently the theatre’s resident mouser, Bontenmeowru, is not, in fact, a he. Being an uneasy fan at best—despite the adorable name his assistant provided in an attempt to woo him to the creature’s side—Kojuro decides to let Mitsuhide handle it. “Right.” He says faintly. “Little noses.” Part of him wants to lean closer, stroke the soft fur and say hello.

The other part remembers what claws feel like.

He turns on his heel and retreats hastily to his office.

10:17 - Elsewhere

(Mitsunari is reading the riot act over lethargic assemblés - just because something is simple does not mean it is acceptable to do it without necessary effort. His ironclad argument rattles off the mirrored walls)

10:58

One of his marzipan flutes is missing her call.

Umeko, Kojuro thinks with a sigh. He automatically looks for Matsuko, since the pair of them seem to be inseparable, but for once they're proving him wrong. Matsuko is currently trying wheedle advice—and a date, Kojuro suspects—from their Cavalier. Shingen looks nonplussed, indulging the dancer’s flirtations with a cocksure smile, and Kojuro closes his eyes.

He’ll worry about that later.

For now he has a flute to find.

He is unexpectedly aided by the thud and flash of a spotlight turning on, illuminating his wayward dancer perfectly. He’s curious for a moment just how Saizo knew who he was looking for, until he sees who Umeko is with. His flute is arched into a stretch with her ankle resting on a completely frozen, sheet-white stagehand’s shoulder. “Thanks, Yukimura, you’re just the right height to help me stretch, and I’m so—”

Kojuro fights to hide a smile and instead pointedly glances to the light booth. Saizo.

The spotlight flicks off.

“Umeko.” Kojuro murmurs. It’s his firm tone, and he has to work to keep it that way when not only Umeko, but poor Yukimura too, jump in absolute unison. Umeko looks disappointed at worst. Yukimura looks…

Red. Kojuro decides, after cycling through a variety of descriptions regarding guilt, horror, shame, and impending visits to the gallows.

“I—that’s—well, um—I didn’t…” The man stumbles helplessly, despair in his brilliant blue gaze as he runs a nervous hand through his hair.

“Of course not,” Kojuro agrees blandly, patting him on the shoulder. “You…” He has to pause to take a breath or he’ll start laughing and the poor fellow doesn’t—quite—deserve that. “Have dropped your tools…”

Yukimura blinks, and glances down, clearly failing to have noticed what would have smashed the toes of a less hearty soul. Not for the first time, Kojuro thinks wistfully of the lifts that could be effortlessly accomplished—if he weren’t afraid the tendency to drop tools would translate to dancers too. (Shingen has been coaching him. Kojuro wonders if Yukimura realizes quite what Shingen’s plans for him are - and, given the other contenders to replace the man when he retires, thinks it’s probably for the best if everyone remains in the dark).

Yes, best to keep him on sets for now, even if he does tap his toes in . Kojuro smiles sympathetically and nods before placing a hand on Umeko’s back to lead her away and back to where she is supposed to be. She looks nonplussed and pleased with herself. He gives her a look. “Please refrain from traumatizing our technicians.”

Umeko sighs, biting her lip and watching as Inuchiyo strolls by, whistling, on his way to the set shop, toolbelt slung on his hips and half of Clara’s bed over his shoulder. “But they’re so pretty…”

Kojuro makes a noncommittal sound. “Places, please.”

11:46 - Elsewhere

(There is a great fussing hullabaloo over a missing prop. Kansuke stands in the wings, holding it out to multiple people as they scurry about, frantically seeking it. No one takes notice.)

12:12

At noon, disaster strikes.

Though he has too much dignity—and awareness of ground that would be lost should he appear flustered—to run, Kojuro certainly does make his steps faster. His cast is palpably silent and that’s never good. It means one thing.

The Executive Director has paid a visit.

Kojuro closes his eyes in brief prayer that he has not yet crossed paths with Shingen, but knows it is in vain when he hears their lead dancer's low, amused laugh followed by the purring patronization, "Listen, slugger—"

"You listen you broken-down, doddering—"

Kojuro steps smoothly in between and doesn’t have time to sigh, "Director Oda—"

"—decrepit geezer, I—"

"Gentlemen!" Kojuro tries once more. This time he at least gets a glance in his direction. Where was Mitsuhide? Where was Kansuke? His assistant, at least, appears with a wink and a plate of sweets. He could kiss her. In fact he makes a mental note to do just that, and maybe more, once rehearsals were done for the night. "Director Oda, if you would follow me. Danseur noble Takeda, if you would excuse us—"

Shingen raises an eyebrow at the formal speech and Kojuro silently warns him with a gaze but to no avail. "Of course. Some of us are—"

"Hey Shingen try this, yeah?" His assistant shoves a cake in the dancer's mouth, even as her other hand busily pushes the plate into Kojuro's hands. Smooth as any choreography, he in turn offers it to their capricious financial supporter while doing his best to lead the man away. Luckily, Nobunaga is as fond of the home-baked goods as he ever was; though he looks a bit put out, allows himself to be steered away. Kojuro lets out a silent breath of relief. He rather dreaded asking, but the sooner he did so, the sooner it could be dealt with. "Now, what was it you came by…?"

"The tree needs to be bigger."

The tree already grew over 30 feet. He definitely needs Mitsuhide and is relieved when the other man flanks Oda from the other side, already looking determined. If also somewhat more decorated with cat fur than usual. “The tree is fine.”

“The tree needs to be bigger.”

Kojuro thinks despairingly of smooth rehearsals and takes a deep breath. “Why don’t we consider…”

12:30 - Elsewhere

(His assistant is everywhere, lunch in hand for those who have forgotten, chatting brightly and soothing bruised egos that took batterings during morning lessons. Mitsunari is unrepentant - and the dancers do look better).

13:34

Kojuro is thinking that he doesn’t miss the stagelights.

They’re hot, for one. Saizo is clever with them—he’s in the rafters again even now Kojuro suspects, and vaguely ( vainly) he hopes Sasuke, hasn’t clambered up after him again, because he’s certain that’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. The boy, who takes the bus straight to the studio from school is supposed to be their production’s Fritz and not an apprentice lighting technician, but Saizo and Yukimura do keep him out of trouble. Trouble just reminds him of the rest of his cast, and he decides to go back to thinking about lights as a safer topic of consideration. It’s the nature of having them on for a two or more hour performance, and the exertion required to perform for its duration, for them to heat up.

A dancer could be spared, he supposes, if one used less lights in the production, and he is the one who could make that call. He doesn’t. The effect of them, sending the younger Sanada’s sets into gleaming brilliance, is too valuable to the performance, and even if Oda would accept anything less than brilliance in his company’s productions—which he would never—Kojuro himself is hardly satisfied with a strategy less than absolute.

So the lights stay and the stage will heat. By the end of the run, the ornately beautiful—and heavy—costumes lovingly crafted by the Uesugi costume master will be saturated with sweat and grime, the sort that no amount of sprayed vodka or deodorizer can mask. Kojuro would have been skeptical of the vodka usage had he not used it himself in his own days of drenched costumes and dance belts.

(He doesn’t miss those, either.)

14:03 - Elsewhere

(Kenshin is gleefully fitting Shingen for tights. Kanetsugu stays outside the door, and resignedly warns away any would-be knockers)

15:21

One of his dancers is throwing a tantrum.

Objectively speaking, that isn’t unusual. He is used to artistic temperaments and the delicate handling of their sensibilities. What’s unusual, this time, is that the dancer in question is not entirely known for such things. His Clara is throwing a tantrum.

That is surprising.

Ai is an angel and has displayed remarkable maturity for her age in the face of being given a role that often creates quite an ego in young dancers. Immediately, Kojuro looks around for Sasuke, who at times embraces the bratty mischief of his role as Fritz a bit too literally. But he is nowhere to be found (rafters, Kojuro resigns himself with a sigh).

Kojuro crafts his tone to gentleness, the respectful quiet he used ages ago on a younger Shigezane and Masamune. “Ai?”

It works—he sees her expression twist in the dismay of a child disappointing someone—and she squirms for a moment before confessing, clear as a bell, “I don’t want to dance with him.”

Kojuro merely waits, unsure of which him she refers to, until she points imperiously to…Ah, yes.

Well to some extent, he can’t really blame her.

The man on the other hand of her accusatory pointing merely crosses his arms across his chest, his smile benign and angelic underneath loose curls of gold. He looks every inch the falsely accused angel. Which is why, Kojuro reminds himself, he was cast in the first place as the prince transformed from Clara’s beloved Nutcracker.

Kojuro is smart enough not to ask Ai why. Unfortunately for him, the Rat King (a man Kojuro loves like a little brother, and briefly considers pummelling like one when he opens his mouth, but he’s too old for that) is not. “Aww, why not, doll? He’s not so bad.”

Ai doesn’t miss a beat. “He’s a dick.”

There’s a beat of silence. Kojuro’s hand comes down hard on Ieyasu’s shoulder, locking him in place even as an outraged hiss escapes his Nutcracker Prince’s teeth. Someone snickers. Hideyoshi, probably, the other contender for the role who instead opted to play the mysterious Drosselmeyer. Kojuro quickly speaks up. “Ieyasu, please—Kenshin paged from the costume room, your costume repairs are done.”

He sees the calculation in molten eyes, the acidic rebuttal forming, and sees too the weighing of options, the bile swallowed back down as Ieyasu opts for a poison smile that is all golden acquiescence and good manners. “Of course, Director.” He bows farewell to Ai—and if there is a mocking flick in the gesture, it is brief— and stalks off with the catlike grace that keeps him employed when his attitude has sent more than one of his corps dancers weeping to the wings.

Kojuro allows himself the brief pleasure of imagining Kenshin’s assistant’s face when he learns of his daughter’s language. He bites down a smile and decides that, outburst aside, Ai has earned her secrets. “It’s only for a few steps, Ai. After the Nutcracker turns into the Prince, Clara turns into the Princess.” A different dancer, instead of the child Clara. “Just a few steps…”He hears Hideyoshi laugh, and the cheerful whisper of then he’s someone else’s problem! Kojuro throws a bitng glance, and then gentles his expression, and even more grateful to have decided so when Ai’s expression instantly collapses into one tremulously unsure.

“Can’t I dance with Uncle Kenshin instead?”

“He’s retired,” Kojuro murmurs gently. And happier, by all accounts, in the throes of endless tulle, sequins, and silks. So long as he stays on budget, Kojuro is happy to leave him to it – and minding the budget is Kanetsugu’s headache before it’s Kojuro’s. And speaking of absolving headaches, Kojuro’s assistant is suddenly there, kneeling by Ai’s side with a sisterly smile.

“C’mon, let’s take a break, huh?” His assistant cajoles sympathetically. Ai nods and Kojuro hears as they walk away, “You know, Mitsuhide found kittens…”

“Can we name ‘em?”

“I don’t see why not.”

Kojuro allows himself a brief moment of sympathy for the creatures, who will surely be doomed to paw de mew and copurrlia.

But then it’s back to business. “Set for Land of Snow,” he calls.

16:38 - Elsewhere

(Inuchiyo reaches for the drop curtain pull--instead he gets the snow release. White fluff dumps down on startled ballerinas two dance sets too early.)

16:58

Now, Kojuro thinks, unable to hide the smile that takes up residence on his face, now the fun begins.

The calm before the storm. Or, he supposes – the smaller squall before the tempest, since the stage and theatre is swarming with activity as dancers chatter and stretch and snack on their break, parents drop children off for rehearsal, set pieces are hauled into place. He waves to Kojiro, being fitted for his Toy Soldier costume, and is gratified when the boy’s expression blooms into a grin as he returns the wave. Next in line is his assistant’s little brother Yahiko, already angling for a fancy corporal’s hat. Kenshin is beaming at him, and whips out a peacock feather (from where, exactly, is a concerning question for someone else to attend to) for the cap in question. Next to him, Kanetsugu snatches it away, nonplussed by the twin pouting expressions that meet him.

Kojuro moves on. In the audience, Ieyasu is smiling thinly at their Executive Director, and Kojuro can tell from his posture that the earlier slight has not been forgotten—but it has been tabled, for now. No one has glass in their pointe shoes, he supposes—he’d have heard the shouts.

Hideyoshi, eyepatch in place and swirling cape pooling around his shoulders, is entertaining Ai and some of the other toy soldiers while they wait. Solemn-faced Mitsunari glides by followed by a parade of tiny, bouncing mice, gleeful to be wearing their tutus for the first time and giggling at their rat king, Shigezane, who is trailing along as though he is one of them. Kojuro catches some of the calm, quiet instructions the oblivious Mitsunari offers his small entourage—and the grumbled complaint in their wake from Yasumasa who fails to understand why the dancemaster doesn’t treat them like that. Their choreographer Nobuyuki pats him consolingly on the shoulder, but murmurs serenely, “Because they don’t show up hungover.” Toramatsu laughs, but smothers it when Yasumasa glares. Tadakatsu does not such thing and Kojuro calmly steps between his Spanish and Russian dancers, currently dressed as party guests for the first act, silently pointing them to their places.

His Arabian dancer is missing. No—Kojuro lowers his searching gaze, and sure enough, finds the man napping in the audience. “Kageie…”

His harlequin doll pops up at his elbow, “I got him!”

Kojuro murmurs his thanks and continues his survey. Oichi and Shingen are practicing the shoulder sit lift to the gleeful oohs and aahs of the younger dancers. Yukimura is looking far happier, but that likely has something to do with kittens in his arms, all straining towards a less-happy looking Saizo. Mitsuhide is adjusting his headset, murmuring instructions. Masamune’s orchestra tunes their instruments under his gaze and Kojuro frowns at their fearful whispers. Just because Masamune has high standards…he shakes his head. “Places!” he calls, and then there’s only one more person to find.

He smiles when he sees her, head ducked against her childhood friend’s as he makes a last minute repair to toyboxes Toramatsu and Yoshichi will appear from in the first act. Inuchiyo says something that makes her laugh, and the brightness of it is still in her eyes when they lift and meet his.

There, he thinks, is the true calm. Not before the storm, but in the center of it, amidst dancers scrambling to places and 30 foot tall trees (soon, Kojuro thinks with a sigh, to be 45), sour-tongued soloists and lost slippers, napping performers and flustered stagehands. He holds out a hand and she accepts it with a grin.

“Ready, Director?”

“Are we ever?” he offers fondly, but turns to the cast and raises a hand that—mostly—invites silence, helped by Masamune silencing the instruments. He has their attention, for now. For a few hours more, he’ll hold it, and take them through the paces necessary to create a dream out of dancing feet and magic out of mechanical sets. “From the top.”

More of Lee’s Rambles

#slbp #slbp fic #slbp modern au #modern au #slbp drabble #slbp fanfic #NO REGRETS NOT A ONE OF THEM #NOT #A #ONE

155 notes · View notes

satoshi-mochida · 6 years

Link

Nippon Ichi Software has released the first official information and screenshots of Liar Princess and the Blind Prince, its upcoming action adventure game about a wolf who can transform into a princess guiding a blind prince through a forest in order to cure his eyesight.

Get the details below.

■ Logo and Key Visual

■ Solve Puzzles and Head to the Witch’s House

Liar Princess and the Blind Prince is a stage clear-type action game. Players will solve puzzles by utilizing the ability to transform between a “monster” and “princess,” and guide the non-player character prince to the goal.

Stage Skip Feature

Liar Princess and the Blind Prince includes a stage skip feature, enabling even players who are not good at puzzle and action games to enjoy the story.

Also, once you clear a stage, you can play it again at any time. Collect the items necessary to unlock side stories and clear the puzzles at your own pace.

■ Warm Graphics

One of the characteristics of Liar Princess and the Blind Prince is its pen-drawn analogue-style graphics. Many of the elements that make up the screen—including the characters, stages, and user interface—were hand-drawn by the designers.

Players can enjoy delicate 2D graphics throughout the whole story, including shadows expressed through cross-hatching, multiple scrolling for a better sense of the forest’s depth, soft light textures, and more during action parts.

Also, during story parts, players can enjoy illustrations depicted in analogue.

■ Play in a the World of a Picture Book

The goal of Liar Princess and the Blind Prince is to combine a video game with picture book-esque visuals. Progress the story through event scenes recited by voice actors and page-turning presentation.

■ Story

In a certain forest lived a man-eating monster that resembles a wolf. The monster had a beautiful singing voice that did not suit its fearsome appearance, with which it was proudly singing on a moonlit night.

However, that night was unlike any other night before it. When the wolf monster finished singing from atop its slightly elevated crag, it suddenly heard applause.

When the wolf looked down below the crag, it saw a well-dressed boy looking up. He was the prince of the small country near the forest, but came to listen to the wolf’s song. But the crag was an obstacle, as it seems that the prince was unable to see the wolf’s appearance.

Normally the wolf would have immediately captured the prince and eaten him. However, the wolf overlooked the prince. This was merely by whim.

After that, the prince would come every night to listen to the wolf’s song. The two would not exchange words. However, the wolf eventually lost the feeling of possibly eating the prince.

That night, the prince heard the song of the wolf as always. However, when the wolf finished singing, it did not hear the prince’s applause. Thinking this was strange, the wolf looked below to see that the prince was climbing the rock. He probably wanted to finally meet the face behind the singing voice.

The wolf—who thought once the prince learns its true identity, he would no longer come to listen to its song—stretched its arm to the prince’s face. Its intention was to cover his eyes so the prince could not see it.

However, the wolf’s clawed hands were unfit for gently touching anyone. While it was not the wolf’s intention, its sharp claws slashed the face of the prince. The unexpected pain and the monster’s big hands surprised the prince, who fell to the ground and fainted.

They must have heard the prince’s scream. The castle guards came to rescue the prince. The guards shot their arrows, and the wolf retreated into the depths of the forest.

The prince would no longer come to listen to the wolf’s song. There was no one in the forest, including anyone to admire its song. Surely, such an eccentric would not exist beyond the prince.

Eventually, the wolf learned that the prince was blinded, and that he was imprisoned in the castle tower by royalty who hate face injuries. Unable to hold itself back, the wolf sneaked into the tower.

What the wolf saw in the dim prison was a prince wearing torn clothes. Perhaps to hide his unsightly wound, a plain cloth was wrapped around his face.

The wolf’s chest ached. However, the wolf was the one who cut the prince’s eyes. Would now be a good time to greet him?

The wise prince realized that the owner of that beautiful voice was standing in the prison before him. However, he did not know it was the monster that injured him.

With the prince unable to see the wolf, it promptly lied to the prince. “I am the princess of a neighboring country. I came to wish you well. Let us have those eyes cured by the witch of the forest.”

The wolf knew. Deep in the forest lives a fearsome witch. If you pay for it, the witch will grant any request.

Yes. If the wolf takes the prince to the witch, she will surely be able to heal his eyes as they were before.

But the wolf is a monster. If it touched the prince with its body, it would surely end up hurting him again. The wolf promised to return to pick up the prince, and ran to the witch’s house in the depths of the forest.

…in order to become a “princess” to take the prince out of that cold and lonely prison.

■ Characters

Wolf

A man-eating monster who lives in the forest. It gave up its prided singing voice to the witch and obtained the appearance of a human.

Princess

The wolf, transformed into the appearance of a princess through magic. She takes the prince from his prison under the lie that she is the princess of a neighboring country. She fears that the prince will learn her true identity.

Prince

The prince of a small country that surrounds the forest. He has a deep wound on his face from the wolf’s slash, and lost his eyesight. He is afraid of the monster that wounded him.

Witch

A witch that lives deep in the forest. She can grant any wish, but to do so you must give up “the thing that is most important to you.”

■ Actions

◆ Two Forms: Beast and Girl

The witch, with the wolf’s wish to “make me into a human,” asks for the wolf’s singing voice as compensation.

The wolf then obtained the magic to change into the form of a princess in exchange for its beautiful singing voice.

However, with the princess’ thin arms, she cannot remove the heavy obstacles that block the path forward, nor can she protect the prince from the fearsome monsters that live in the forest.

The wolf was troubled. The prince is blind. As long as it did not touch the prince, it could turn back into a monster and the prince surely would not notice—.

In order to safely take the prince to the witch, make proper use of both forms, monster and princess.

Wolf Form

The wolf, with its strong legs and sharp claws, can climb to high places, remove obstacles, and defeat the monsters that wander the forest.

Princess Form

The princess has a small body and is good with her hands. She can pass through crevices the wolf cannot, cooperate with the prince to solve puzzles, and pick up flowers (which are a collection element of the game).

◆ Grab the Prince’s Hand and Head for the Depths of the Forest

The forest is a familiar habitat for the wolf, who has become used to seeing it, but for the prince it is completely unknown territory.

For the blind prince to head to the witch’s house on his own would be a dream within a dream. The wolf takes the prince’s hand and together they make their way.

Humans are powerless. While a monster can get to the witch’s house overnight by running, it will surely take days for a princess and prince to get there by foot.

However, the wolf was very happy with its newly obtained body.

Because of the princess’ small and tender hands, she is able to hold hands with the prince.

Holding the Prince’s Hand

The prince cannot walk long distances on his own. Grab his hand and head for the stage’s goal.

■ Image Boards

—An illustration meant to depict the world view.

—The forest is filled with man-eating monsters. It is rare for humans to enter.

—The caves below the forest.

—The forest where the witch lives. All of the leaves on the trees have died.

—A forest where giant mushrooms grow.

—The scene where the imprisoned prince meets the princess.

■ Nippon.jp Shop Limited Edition

Starting February 15 at 15:00 JST, the Nippon Ichi Software official online store Nippon1.jp will begin taking pre-orders for a mail order-only limited edition including a Liar Princess and the Blind Prince canvas artwork.

The illustration will be done by Liar Princess and the Blind Prince planner and character designer Sayaka Oda.

Prices are as follows:

PlayStation 4 or Switch Version: 9,980 yen (without tax) / 10,778 yen (with tax)

PS Vita Version: 8,980 yen (without tax) / 9,698 yen (with tax)

The set itself includes a copy of the game, and a 275mm width x 220mm height x 19mm depth canvas artwork.

Liar Princess and the Blind Prince is due out for PlayStation 4, Switch, and PS Vita in Japan on May 31.

View the screenshots at the gallery.

#Liar Princess and the Blind Prince #Nippon Ichi #Nintendo Switch #PS4 #PS Vita #Gematsu #long post

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atopearth · 6 years

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Ikemen Sengoku Part 1 - Oda Nobunaga Route

Yess it is out! Lolol, basic story is the heroine gets taken back to the Sengoku period when Oda Nobunaga is betrayed and supposed to die but she ends up saving him from the fire instead. (BTW, yes I play my games very late at night lmaoo)

Lol when she said she doesn’t want to know what his name is. The heroine seems pretty cool. Ohh I’m not well versed with Japanese history but I was aware of Mitsuhide’s betrayal, I just didn’t realise it only lasted for 3 days before Hideyoshi came back and took back control, I see, I see. And the post grad physics guy that came to the past with her actually was stuck here for four years before the time she came in. What a convenient time and location for her to pop up in to change a big part of history! I still find it hilarious that Nobunaga asked if she would rule by his side LOL. What a wonderful suggestion. And she replied by running off hahaha, he got rejected lol.

I see, Sasuke also came and changed Kenshin and Shingen’s lives when they were supposed to be dead by this time already. I guess this makes everything more flexible story wise then! An alternate history! I feel so sorry for the heroine though… She could have relied on that physics guy turned ninja but then Hideyoshi and Masamune found her and now she’s back to Nobunaga aiyaa. Sasuke’s right, love clouds your decision making skills. Unfortunately, this is an otome and I’m going to be choosing a route so Sasuke’s warning of telling the heroine to not fall in love with anyone here ain’t gonna happen. Guess we’ll just have to hopefully pick one that’s worth staying in this timeline for lolol. Lmao, the heroine is such a hard worker, she refuses to be a bum for 3 months (before she can return home to the real world through a wormhole) even though Nobunaga just wants her to be near him as his lucky charm. I would’ve been like sure, I’ll just explore this world for 3 months lmao. It’ll be like a holiday!

Anyway, I hate arrogant men like the Nobunaga in this game and since I like to keep good things for last, I’ll pick him first lolol. At least his character design is pretty, he’s my second favourite in terms of appearances! Masamune has got to be the best looking one kyaa~~ LOL at Hideyoshi saying he’d cut her if she disrespects Nobunaga again, the poor heroine. Omgg, can her situation get any worse? She’s going to war by his side gg. Nice knowing you heroine. Everything she says to him falls on deaf ears lmao.

When the heroine was surprised that Nobunaga protected/saved her from an arrow, I was like why are you shocked?! He better damn well protect you! He took you here and you’re his lucky charm! He can’t be that irresponsible! Although it could be possible I guess… I mean, he is ruthless… I’m surprised the heroine wasn’t aware of what Nobunaga was trying to do by bringing a smaller force with him to destroy the enemy commander’s forces etc… Still must have been traumatising to have to witness this skirmish as a normal person who has never been acquainted with war in any way, even if it is a small skirmish. She does owe him a thank you I guess though lol. LOL that he wants her to warm his bed and lmao, she’s right that she needs to know more about her partner than the simple hobbies of quashing revolts and burning castles 😂😂😂 she’s so right but funny at the same time lol.

Omgg, the heroine knows consent! I find so many otome ignoring the concept of consent all in the name of hot guys and it infuriates me sometimes so I’m glad our heroine this time is very spunky and stands her ground. Hahaha she’s so cute and optimistic about learning how they make kimonos back in this time. But I’m surprised that she told him she’s from the future and he believed it, but I am most impressed with Nobunaga’s bet with Go. Definitely a good idea in getting the heroine haha, he’s adapting to her personality well. I think I might enjoy this route more than I thought. Strip Go is an entertaining game after all 😂😂

HAHAHA, when the heroine was clueless and Ieyasu explained stuff to her because her clueless face was annoying and that she should be quiet and then she said “sorry for breathing” LOL, she is so hilarious, I love her. Poor heroine, she tried to run away from this hot spring trip with Nobunaga but everyone is out to capture her, lolol at Hideyoshi being the one to have packed her belongings for the trip hahaha. I assume Nobunaga was protecting her from that assassin who grabbed her leg, I mean I would assume that if you take on the role of an assassin, you wouldn’t regard your life as important especially when facing someone you believe to be a tyrant and enemy, you’ll never beg for your life from such a person. I love how they resolved their differences and they talked to each other of their worldly views and then he ended up snuggling up using her lap as a pillow and then tucking her into a futon with him later when she fell asleep 😂😂 he’s so good at this lmao.

I’m really enjoying this story. You can see why Nobunaga and the heroine come into conflicts a lot of the time when it comes to human life since he’s stuck in a time filled with killing as a normal circumstance whereas she hasn’t. It’s not that he particularly likes to kill but he understands that he needs to do so in order for his goal of unity across the lands to be achieved and he can’t allow any betrayal and treachery to even possibly occur. There is no mercy for anyone because once you show it, then people will know your weaknesses. It’s a sad world to live in..

I’m glad the heroine is such a cool girl, she got Kennyo to let his guard down so she could bite him and then run and she is aware that Nobunaga may not be a good person but she knows in her heart that she doesn’t want him to die and I think that’s enough resolve to wanting to save him. Omg, when he said she lost the game by default and so he can claim a part of her and he chooses her heart, I literally swooned! Gotta admit though, the heroine was so cool when she saved Nobunaga and threw the smoke bomb and spikes on the he ground to delay the enemies, she’s smart, witty, emotive and loving. I like her just as much as Nobunaga hahaha.

When Nobunaga started talking about his past and the heroine felt terrible that this period in time forced him into having to take measures such as killing his own brother to survive, it made me think a little about Soji from Rurouni Kenshin, he was also a kid that had no choice but to do what he had to in order to survive and that’s what set him off on to the path he went on from that day onwards.

The way that they got together was so cute though, I mean it was obvious how attracted they were to each other but seeing how much Nobunaga cared for her and cherished her made me all giddy! Lolol. Especially when he suggested another game of Go for her heart and she told him that everything was his already, that was so great~~

I’m surprised that Sasuke is not planning to leave either because of whatever job he needs to see till the end, I mean, it literally means he’s never going back, he must either have a great sense of responsibility or this duty is something only he can perform and he needs to see it to completion. I wonder how he even got this job though….

I can’t take Nobunaga’s confidence, especially when he’s facing Kenshin, why is he so cool?! Not only is he gentle and reliable, he’s even starting to become even more considerate and understanding that it’s really hard to not see how perfect of a man he is. He’s playful but also serious, sigh, I don’t think the heroine or I really understood what we were getting into when I chose this route, I honestly didn’t think I’d like him this much, I can see why the heroine is willing to stay in this world forever for him, it’s a big sacrifice but you gotta admit, he’s worth it lmao. I just love how they both changed each other for the better (in their perspectives anyway) and as such well balanced individuals each in themselves.

This game is so good lol, it’s so difficult to find a heroine as likeable as the guy these days so I really appreciate the effort they put into her character as well because I love her just as much. They united Japan so fast! Hahaha, well I guess that’s okay too lol since it’s the romantic route, but going around the world does sound very ideal, especially with the charisma of Nobunaga to be coming along hahaha. Anywho, Nobunaga was much more unique, cooler and fun than I thought and I’m starting to think it’ll be hard to best him because the chemistry he and the heroine shares is too great and funny to beat, they’re like made for each other lol!

P.S I don't think I'm as fond of the dramatic route haha, too dramatic for me lolol with the running away from the storm taking her back to the present and him wishing for her to live. And the whole idea of them changing the past too much etc. But it was really cute when he was scared she wouldn't like it if he came back to her full of the blood of the enemies on him so he went to a river to wash himself first, he's so considerate and I guess a bit hurt after she pushed him away when he killed someone and yet could touch her so tenderly. It was the best when Sasuke showed her Nobunaga's everlasting love for her that could be shown in the present with him cherishing that toy bear she made and proclaiming his love for her. He's so cool.

I personally think the romantic route was much better in terms of sweetness and how fun it was~

#ikemen sengoku

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multi-fandomtrashtm · 7 years

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Time to compare Big 3 and FT!Part 1

Now that FT has ended, I can do a full(er) evaluation of this. Yay.

As you know, the big 3 are One Piece, Bleach and Naruto.

FT is like..a rank or two below them in terms of popularity and sales except Bleach. Anyway, it’s still up there so time to compare and contrast. Characters, fights, story are all being judged. This post is all about characters.

Obvious spoilers for all series mentioned above. Because One Piece isn’t even close to being done yet, I’m only evaluating up until Dressrosa arc.

Character Basics Designwise:

I’d say that FT falls behind in this department, but isn’t last. In terms of design, One Piece wins by leaps and bounds in term of design diversity. Oda has made literally hundreds of characters and has interesting designs and personalities for each of them. He gives a lot of them good backstories and relationships with other characters.

Bleach has some interesting characters as well. Most of them have interesting abilities and cool designs, but not to the degree of the sheer outlandishness of Oda’s designs. The hollows look very good, though.

The designs in Naruto are kind of plain even for the villains. It’s understandable for the less fantastical setting I suppose, but it really feels like the designs could be spiced up a little at times. However, most characters have some kind of depth to them and decent backstories.

Fairy Tail has decent designs,kind of like Bleach in terms of creativity/complexity. It’s kind of odd at times because you’ll have human people wearing normal things then there’s just that one guy with the bizarre design. With such a fantastical setting, you’d think you’d see a lot more wild designs but nah. Unfortunately, FT has a bad streak of following basic tropes when it comes to villians. Later in the series, it’s the Psycho Lesbian(?), the battle enthusiast(s), that one cool intelligent guy and/or an Ice Guy/muscle dude. Earlier on, there was more variety in types. Backstories are alright.

Main Characters:

Seeing as how they’re all following the Jump formula, let’s just get it out of the way.

Orihime/Lucy/Nami/Sakura: Main-ish girl character who can technically fight but almost never does (if she does, she rarely wins).

Robin/Rukia?/Erza: Typically more mature mentor-like character who engages in some of the main group’s hyjinx anyway.

Uryuu/Zoro/Gray/Sasuke: Somewhat angsty/edgy main character’s best friend/rival (Zoro is the only exception to the angst/edge and rival). Typically smarter than the main character and more cool headed except when they’re not.

Happy/Kon/Chopper: Cute animal sidekick for plushies.

Natsu/Luffy/Ichigo/Naruto: The main character who is basically a child in a teenager’s body with an insatiable hunger, no intelligence except in battle and little to no sex drive despite all of the beautiful (mostly half naked) women constantly around them. So basically Goku clones. Ichigo and Naruto thankfully dodged this or, in Naruto’s case, grew out of it.

In terms of development of the main characters, I’d say Naruto absolutely wins this. Naruto and Sakura grew into great young adults and developed pleasantly along the way. Naruto stopped being so reckless and kind of a mess. We got some great looks into his psych with the whole Kuruma issue and dead parents thing.

Sakura eventually stopped being such a damsel and got the powers that she really needed. Although, I really did appreciate when she cut her hair and tries to protect her friends even though she was really weak. Listen, I don’t give a damn what you say, Sakura accomplished great things in Shippuden and does not deserve even half of the hate she gets from the fandom. Now I’m fully wiling to acknowledge that her persistent love for Sasuke got pretty ridiculous. But the same could be said for Naruto’s persistence, so I think that’s on the writer. I don’t think that it’s too much of a problem, though.

Sasuke..is an odd case. I don’t think he really developed that much in Shippuden until near the end-ish. It was more like he had a breakdown in slow motion? Idk, the whole thing was really strange. Him being stoic or batshit crazy for most of it made it hard to tell. If anyone has some solid evidence of development I’ll take it, but his case is just really strange.

Bleach is also an odd case. I’m certain that the main cast changed, I’m just not sure how. It was quite subtle. I suppose Orihime got a bit more confident in her abilities and Ichigo, Uryuu and Chad got stronger. Again, I’m open to some enlightenment on this.

One of the most glaring problems is how the human characters tend to get sidelined quite a bit. Orihime is especially bad about this because of how she’s written. Her powers are the most game breaking ones in story-she’s basically a God and she does almost nothing when it comes to battles. At best, she’s defense and a medic. Her main ability is essentially to “reject” parts of reality i.e rather than healing someone’s arm, she just “rejects” that it got injured in the first place. There’s no known limit to her abilities except that if she doesn’t believe that can do it,then she can’t. It’s the worst restriction possible because she doesn’t have cripplingly low self esteem or anything. That kind of restriction is just begging for her to be hated.

Chad just kind of faded into the background as time went on. It’d be really easy to forget who he is if you hadn’t read Bleach in a while.

In One Piece, I feel like the crew was pretty static outside of their individual character arcs except maybe Chopper. I’m very, very glad that Chopper is presented as more of a part of the group than a cute mascot. All of them got stronger after the timeskip and Sanji got a new gag. And I’m certain that Usopp got more competent and manly?/confident, too. Luffy definitely matured at least a little because of a certain incident with Ace. As sad as it was, it was kind of neat to see Luffy at his lowest point.

But, because grouping (The Coward Trio, the Power Trio,etc.) Nami especially got shafted after the arc right after the timeskip. It’s like...she showed off her abilities then and it was cool, then she got moved to the backseat by just about everyone else on the crew and barely seems to use them anymore. Anyway, all of the crew have good backstories despite like half of them making me cry like a bitch. Brook’s backstory is both depressing and horrifying.

I wish that the groups would be mixed up more often, though.

Fairy Tail has the absolute minimum amount of character development for the main characters. Out of all of them, Wendy is the most developed. She grew more confident and powerful over time. Lucy has stayed just about the same over the entire series. Well, I guess she got less vain and more confident, I suppose. With Erza, it was a combo of character depths and development that got her to show her goofy self after the Tower of Heaven. After that, her characterization just got strange because of the romance subplot with Jellal. She just grew more and more into being just a love interest around him rather than being a character who happens to be in love.

Gray did develop a bit, although its kind of hard to tell most of the time. By the time Tartaros hits, he’s learned his lesson about trying to whip out Iced Shell when things get tough. At least, that’s what I thought he learned until he decided that it’s better to kill yourself and erase your existence while trying to be a hero rather than just getting strong enough to have to drop to that point and wanting to live the very next big arc.

Natsu has not changed at all. He is the exact same guy he was at chapter 545 and at chapter 1. Despite his dad dying, his very existence being a lie AND his family history being shoved in his face, he has not changed at all.

Happy, for the most part, is a cute mascot character. He had his character depth/development in Edolas arc, but it vanished right after. He is occasionally shown to be Natsu’s support, but that’s about it.

It’s a real problem when almost all of your main characters have barely changed outside of their respective character arcs. What’s equally irritating is that their character designs have not changed except for Lucy’s and Wendy’s. After two timeskips! Natsu, Gray and Erza all look exactly the same as when they started. Outfits don’t count with this series because the characters frequently change their attire anyway except Erza. Erza has had the same outfit for 500 chapters except the GMG.

I think that’s it for this post. It’s gotten quite long. Next time I’ll do side characters and villains.

#fairy tail #shounen manga/anime #naruto #bleach

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