#hakuoukishippingweek

[hakuoukishippingweek]

Sannan Appreciation Day fast approaching

Remember February the 4th is his day.

[impracticaldemon]

Suggestions for Hakuouki ship (and non-ship) events

Hi!  I wanted to share some ideas, after reading @hakuoukishippingweek ‘s post about possible upcoming ship events. (Original post here.)

First, thank you to HSW for the SaiChiFest mention!  The event’s been great so far, and there are contributions still coming in (late is just fine, lucky for me!).

So, as a note to all fans, lots of fandoms have more than one blog running events, so that nobody gets too overloaded (it happens to all of us, as HSW points out).  Also, that way fans of a particular ship, or character, or non-ship event, can organize what’s best for them.  As mentioned before, I’ll be running SaiChiFest in February next year, to bring it back in line with Saito’s birthday. (Plus, I want the fandom to think hard about having major events in July-August, when participation is often compromised because of vacations.)

The point is, HSW doesn’t have to do all the planning & hosting.  They’re trying hard to be fandom- and ship-friendly, but everyone’s busy and everyone has priorities.

HSW would like to hear from everyone.  As HSW mentioned at the beginning of all this (i.e., August-September 2017), the first year was a bit of a trial run, and none of the dates are necessarily set in stone (although I think Okitober is hard to pass up, personally - kudos to @eliz1369​ for the name, I believe).  

I’m sure that HSW never intended to have a week for KazaChi in September and then only two days for HijiChi in May, given the relative size of the ship-fandoms.  Mostly, this happened because there was a mix-up on who was running a SaiChi event.  If SaiChi had been in February (which it will be in 2019), HijiChi week in May would have worked out well.  (Or maybe a 5-day event. Week-long events can be hard on smaller fandoms like Hakuouki.) 

There are also new ships and characters to consider, and plenty of room throughout the year.  Mid- to late September’s a good time for events, to give people creating time in the summer; maybe KazaChi could be early November, flowing from HallowOni.  

[HSW just a suggestion on the month switch, I promise! KazaChi is not my ship, though I tried to contribute last year. I’ve just been doing a lot of thinking about timing (since the mix-up for us with SaiChi week, which squished HijiChi week etc.).  Thing is, there weren’t many creators for KazaChi last year, but HallowOni makes a really nice intro for your event.]

Ships like OkiSai, which have a significant following, may want to have a specific weekend event (i.e., 2-4 days, similar to SaiChi) to see how big the pool of creators is. @kondo-hijikata​ has managed to interest people in KonKata, so why not a try a day for that (and see where it goes)?  Specific events often get more people interested and excited.

My only suggestion for HijiChi is that I think late June would be better.  I try to get prompts out minimum 4 weeks in advance.  I didn’t know that HSW was planning June as a month for LGTBQ+ events (until just now), but there doesn’t need to be a conflict. I think the fandom is better off with short, scheduled events to build interest anyway. Maybe late June for HijiChi, with somebody else running the event to take pressure off the HSW mods?  (And they can work on specific LGTBQ events for June?)

If others want to take up running an event for their ship or ships of choice, and are willing to coordinate with people like HSW if feasible, then I’d be happy to support them.

~ Impracticaldemon

[eliz1369]

Happy HallowOni!

Here’s my contribution to Oni/Rasetsu Day. ^.^

Poor Chizuru just wanted to go trick-or-treating but apparently Count Okitula couldn’t resist giving her a scare :P Thankfully valiant Sir Hijikata is there to save his princess from Souji’s poor taste in jokes. 

Really Souji? Was the white hair necessary? 

O.O’ Then again, Sannan said he was making the punch... 

P.S. Don’t drink the red stuff!

[kurokiorya]

***

“Cutting it with a sword is quite rough, don’t you think?”

“One of the principles of Tennen Rishin Style is to be rough.”

Day 3, “Gift”

//Souji is good at threatening. Ibuki, Itou and Chizuru could tell. Remember when Souji gifts Itou with a rose? This scene is not included in the game but it’s quite intense.

Again, I’m taking a step aside from the rules. @hakuoukishippingweek, I’d be glad if you reblog it, but it’s up to you. It's my fault for not drawing Okichi again =) You can also check my previous ‘Lost’ prompt. 

Tagging @eliz1369, @hakusaitosan, @moon-faced-pear-shaped, @shell-senji, @impracticaldemon. 

[sabinasanfanfic]

OkiChi Week - Laugh and Sleepy

As my entry for Day 4 of OkiChi Week is late, I decided to combine the last two days. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first time Chizuru ever heard Okita laugh, it was in response to her concern for the potential of injury during a sword fight with Saitō. Apparently, Okita thought the idea of Chizuru being any threat to one of the greatest swordsmen of the Shinsengumi was hiliarious. Initially, Chizuru was a little put out by Okita’s reaction, but later that night she thought about that sound that he had made.

Prior to that moment, Okita’s laugh had been more like a snicker. It entailed the upward curve of his lips and a rather mischievous sparkle in his green eyes. Sometimes, he would even show his teeth in an almost feral smile. It wasn’t a happy sound that he would make. It was full of mockery and disdain. 

Then, there was the quiet laugh. It was a soft, sharp exhale through his nose with a little heave of his shoulders. It was something a little closer to his true laugh in that it wasn’t full of mischief. His eyes sparkled with something less impish. Despite the change in laugh, there was still a wall that protected Okita from making himself vulnerable. Chizuru appreciated this laugh from Okita, but it still wasn’t anything like the one she heard on that beautiful sunny day.

As time passed and Okita began to sicken, it became obvious that Chizuru would probably never hear that laugh the same way again. As the insidious illness stole his breath, Chizuru realized that it was difficult for Okita to laugh deeply like that without it being followed by a long, harsh coughing fit that served as a stark reminder of just how little time Okita had left.

As day gave way to dusk, Chizuru was sitting on the futon with Okita’s head cradled in her lap. He was barely awake, and his breaths came long and shallow as he slowly relaxed. Her fingers combed lazily through his hair. She marveled at how much Okita had changed over the years in regards to her. It wasn’t that long ago that he was comfortable with this sort of contact with her.

“You’re thinking,” Okita stated, his tone heavy with slumber.

Chizuru hummed a reply. 

“What about?”

“Your laugh.”

A soft snort. “Why?”

Chizuru looked down at him with a fond smile. “I was remembering that day when you laughed at me for implying that I could kill Saitō.”

“Why?”

“It was the only time I heard you laughing like that. I-I...I wished you would make that sound again because it was so carefree. So...”

Okita’s smile was crooked. “That’s...a wish I won’t be able to fulfill.”

“I know,” Chizuru whispered. “But...at least...I have that memory...”

[vicey-vice]

Falling for You

For @hakuoukishippingweek KazaChi Day 2: Reunion

When Chizuru and Kazama were reunited after their first meeting at the Ikeda Inn.

Draw the Squad Template by @riddlemd

[hidetheremote]

OkiChi Week 2017: Day 1, Regret

No More Games

Souji smiled, all teeth bare, and egged Chizuru on, “Go ahead, ask something.”

She trembled, fingers shaking so violently they barely touched the planchette.

“Do you have a message from my brother, Kaoru?”

Souji chuckled, his fingers grazing hers as he settled them on the device, sending the hairs on the back of her neck straight up.

Chizuru’s eyes shot open as she read the letters out loud, “I-W-I-L-L-K-I-L-L-Y-O-U.”

God, he was moron. He should’ve known that little prank he pulled would send Chizuru to her grave, but it was obvious that he was moving that stupid little toy, and it was her fault for believing such foolish things.

It had been over a week since they played with the Ouija board and Chizuru was still acting like a ghost had haunted her.

“Hey,” Souji called out to her. Chizuru continued to walk past him, head down, like he didn’t exist.He followed her like a shadow, waiting if she would change back to her normal self.

“Good morning, Chizuru!” Heisuke greeted brightly, a bit cheery for such an early morning. The two captains locked eyes and bowed their heads to each other, acknowledging each one’s presence.

“Mm,” Chizuru hummed, barely looking up, her hair pulled back into a ponytail with a few strands pulled out to hide her pale face. She moved sluggishly as she headed to kitchen to help with the breakfast duties.

Souji waited at the door—to give her space but also he’d be damned if he stepped foot in the kitchen while Saito was around. He was not going to volunteer with kitchen duties, unless ordered to do so.

“Oh, Chizuru, good morning,” Saito whispered, his eyes flew open like he was surprised to see her. “Please start setting…” his voice trailed as he watched her silently grab plates and cups.

She walked past Souji again, tray in hand, but this time huffed a little bit as Souji lifted his arm to let her through.

Saito cleared his throat, his hands aimlessly molding rice balls. “I sense some tension between you and Chizuru.”

“It’s nothing. She’s just being dramatic,” Souji scoffed, his eyes darting to Chizuru, who clearly wasn’t watching where she was going.

“Whoa, Chizuru,” Shinpachi exclaimed, catching a tea cup as it toppled over when they ran into each other.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, grabbing the cup and placing it back on the tray. She continued to keep her head down, sliding the door behind her.

Breakfast was brutal. The tension in the room was so thick, it would take Souji more than a few slices with his sword to cut through it.

Every captain had their eyes glued to a very quiet Chizuru as she sipped her tea slowly. Discreet was not her forte. She was obviously not in a good mood.

Hijikata broke the silence. “Chizuru, if you are not feeling well, go ahead and head back to your room,” he said harshly, not at all his intentions of course, but Hijikata was not one to mince his words.

Chizuru stood up, bowed, and left the dining room without saying a word. Oh, she was so fucking obvious, Souji thought.

“What the fuck is going on?” Harada asked, his glance aimed at Souji. “We all know she’s mad at you.”

Souji rolled his eyes. They weren’t there. It was just a stupid game and he thought it would be funny to play along and tease her a bit.

“I will kill you,” Chizuru repeated to herself. “My brother’s message is ‘I will kill you’?” Souji laughed, his belly aching from the uncontrollable spasms of stifling the chuckles and giggles that he no longer could hold.

“Your brother is a hoot, I tell ya,” he said, gasping for air in between his words. Kaoru was dead, he knew that, but he was also a terrible brother to Chizuru. And Souji had no good words to say about him.

But after having his laughing fit, Souji instantly knew he took the whole thing too far. Chizuru stared blankly at the Ouija board, repeating the phrase over and over to herself. Souji was ready to comfort her, his hand reaching out to her, but she had slapped it away and ran out the room before he could apologize.

The next day wasn’t any better. Chizuru continued to mope around the headquarters like someone had died. Souji tried to lighten the air with trivial chatter like commenting on the weather and the time of the day. She wouldn’t completely ignore him (Oh, gods, that would have been more tolerable) but it had annoyed him when her answers were curt and a bit snappy than usual.

Chizuru continued her act. She continued to act like a stranger and the other captains took notice immediately. But the reason was not quite as obvious as he imagined.

“It’s probably that time of the month,” Kondo assumed, waving Heisuke off. Heisuke was first to comment on Chizuru’s newfound attitude. “Women tend to get moody when, you know,” he coughed, refusing to finish his sentence.

It was a good guess and the rest of the men did not question Kondo’s explanation and left Chizuru alone.

But after a week’s worth of waiting for “her time to be over,” something else must have been bothering her.

And Souji knew why. But as Chizuru continued to act wounded and hurt from the prank, Souji also grew weary with walking on egg shells.

It was harmless fun, he thought. She should know better.

Hijikata cleared his throat again. “Fix this, Souji.”

It was late in the night and Souji could hear Chizuru muttering from behind her door. She was still awake. He lightly knocked and waited for her reply. He didn’t even wait for a minute before opening her door.

“Chizuru, sit up,” he commanded, closing the door behind him. “We’re going to play the game again.”

He lit a small candle and set the board in front of her futon. Her back was turned to him, and Souji lightly shook her shoulders, begging her to get up.

“No more games,” she said, voice muffled under her blanket.

He snatched the blanket off her, the swift breeze it created made her shudder. “No,” she said, lifting her knees up to her chest.

“Chizuru, please.” His tone was soft, dripping with guilt.

Chizuru slowly released her legs, and sat up, her back still facing Souji. He could hear her labored breathing, hesitant and forced out of her lungs.

“One last game, please.” His second “please” was less forced and more hopeful than usual. He needed her to play the game one more time.

She turned around slowly, her neck craning to look behind her. Souji sat straight, his legs perfectly crossed in front of him.

“Go ahead and ask again.”

Chizuru shook her head violently. “No, no, no, no, no.”

“You need to ask again,” Souji instructed, pushing the planchette forward for her to reach.

Chizuru sighed deeply, submitting to Souji’s pleas. She placed her fingers on the device, feather-light and barely floating on the edge of it.

“Do you have a message from my brother?” Her eyes were now welling up with tears, and she shut them immediately, afraid of the answer.

“Chizuru, it’s moving.”

She opened one eye, taking a peek as the planchette moved in circles. She opened the other eye and watched it move from letter to letter.

“I-A-M-S-O-R-R-Y.”

[peasant-hijikata]

Kondo seems to have enjoyed entertaining others by showing them how he could put his fist in his mouth.

In honor of Kondo’s appreciation day hosted by @hakuoukishippingweek !  (I wanted to make a longer post but I didn’t have time to search for more, sorry. I’m still happy I could make something) Taken from Peacemaker Kurogane manga and Hakumyu Kazama-hen backstage. 

Bonus: Because of this fact, everytime I see this scene in Galavant, I think of Hijikata playing matchmaker for Kondo and it’s honestly hilarious.