Nice! I am still hoping Kazama will show up and steal Toshi, hehe. Please continue this :)

Post-traumatic-stress Disorder . . . PTSD. I imagine that Saito & Nagakura had it and if the others had survived they would have too. Regardless of how much they believed in their cause, there are some things that just can't be unseen once the adrenaline rush wears off.

The Shinsengumi has been romanticized by Hakuoki in a sense but I think also fairly depicted in skills and in lives cut short by said skills. They are considered rather bloodthirsty but then again, in times of upheaval, it was deemed necessary.

Although I did think it was a shame most didn't survive. I think it would have been interesting to see what they did after. . .become policemen like Fujita Goro (AKA Saito Hajime) or a settled family man who tools his wife's name like Nagakura. . .hmm. . . In another multiverse perhaps.

That might be an idea. . .what if they ALL somehow survived . . . And what happened to them.

I particularly like these types of continuations fics. I mean, technically all the routes had a happy ending but what happens after that happy ending!

Great fic as usual. Hijikata as a tough softie is adorable. . .and Chizuru almost bullying him is absolutely hilarious.

AND if you ever get to the Epilogue. . .would love to read it!

-EM

It’s interesting to get a glimpse of the "happily ever after" (which is, in this case, not *so* happy). The game endings as the anime endings are very abrupt and elliptic. Your story shows how difficult it was for the former shinsengumi captains, who knew nothing but war, to come back to civil life. Your description of Hijikata’s transformation is also fascinating – it makes sense, he didn’t became an oni overnight! And Chizuru is, as usual, all devotion and quiet obstination :-)

Part 4
*incoherent screaming*
So. Damned. Good.
So so so so good. So much goodness, of the sinful and sweet variety. I’m stupid smiling. You’ve rendered me stupid. Are you happy?
Inane comments aside, I truly did love this—the whole story, but especially the part 4 wrap up. You could not have done a better job completing the story — it had everything I hoped for: resolution of the oni/rasetsu issue, putting Konkani in his place(lol), freaking amazing HijiChi humor and banter, steamy smutty content, and fluffy bits with a happily ever after.
Chizuru’s fierceness was perfection. Absolutely perfect. I was grinning like a fool the whole damn time.
Some of my favorite parts:
“Please tell me you don't mean the blond bas—I mean, not Kazama Chikage [...] You are not saying that he was in lo—no, I can't even say it, don't make me.” (Love the use of the fine line between love and hatred idea!)
“‘Konkani-san. I know you won't leave, so please close your eyes.’ Chizuru's voice conveyed the terrifying calm of a person goaded beyond endurance.” (She is tiny but fierce and heaven help those who get in her way!)
And then Konkani’s “you win, princess!” XD
Hijikata telling Konkani “don’t kid yourself” and giving him that oni no fukucho smile :-)
Chizuru’s “No apologies. No apologies, and no guilt, and no more self-destructive comments. I'm not interested. No saying that you were too rough, or unkind, or unfair. Nod if you understand." (I died. I’m still dead).
Okay I’m going to stop after one more favorite part —
“You don't plan to run away with Mr. Tense-and-Charismatic, do you?""You just described yourself." XD ouch Chizuru low blow!

Anyway, thank you sooooo much for writing this! I love it!

An amazzzzzzzing end to a wonderful story! I loved every single moment of this.

Part three was fantastic!
The description of Hijikata as a “reclusive poet who feigned alcoholism to hide madness” was both a lovely description as well as heartbreaking. *sniffle*
Love the idea of someone seeing Hijikata and Kazama fighting — it raises a really good point that I hadn’t thought of — why *hadn’t* someone seen them? LOL And I had to laugh that Konkani wished he’d been there
Color me surprised that Kazama survived though! I’m wondering how that ties into this mess.
The parallels between Konkani as a leader of a group facing annihilation and Hijikata in the Shinsengumi is also very interesting — I can see Chizuru perhaps being overly sympathetic and wanting to help, but I can absolutely see Hijikata, oni/rasetsu business aside, being tired of that role. I somehow don’t see him wanting to help fight the Meiji gov’t.
I laughed out loud at Hijikata’s thoughts about being vain over his streak in his hair ;-)
My heart was breaking for Hijikata as he remembered everyone he’d lost. I was glad that he was able to maintain lucidity, but that poor man…I can’t even begin to imagine.
I really like how you’ve worked with the Oni/rasetsu thing here — the idea of Hijikata shifting between both of those and human definitely demonstrates the loss of control he has been dealing with.
I love love love Chizuru’s insistence that he promised her he would live and that she did not give him permission to retract the promise :-) He should know by now he can’t win with her.
I had to smile at the inclusion of Saito surviving :-) It certainly would be nice for them to reunite!
Again, loved the use of humor (however dry or macabre it might have been lol) and I laughed out loud at the “Yeah, well it’s not a romance, trust me” line.
As always, this is wonderfully written and I love the exploration of both Hijikata with a combination of PTSD and whatever Oni/Rasetsu/blood addiction madness is going on. Can’t wait to see how it plays out!

Aaaaaaaah! The cliffhanger is going to KILL me! And wow wow wow! Chizuru is on fire! And yet...still so adokably Chizuru. I loved hearing Hijikata's thoughts on each of the Shinsengumi...and his take on Amagiri. Lol!
An epic update!

Oh boy! So many mixed feels with this chapter. An Oni! Aaaaaaah and eeeeeep! And Chizuru's defense of Sannan...loooooooved that! And the drunken poet tale made me laugh out loud because it was so freaking CHIZURU. Epic chapter!

Aaaaahhhh! A raesetsu?! With golden eyes... .
The way you weave a tale is always magical, and this is no exception.
I can't wait to see what's going on! Off to do that RIGHT now.
Epic!

Hello! I enjoyed reading the chapter so much, thank you!

When you write a Canon story, I think it's kind of difficult to find an interesting topic worth exploring (and untaken). Especially if the fandom is not new. You've discovered a really interesting field for ToD with demon heritage etc. And now it's about post-war life. Not-so-happy ever after - always interesting to read.

I'm so impressed by how real it feels. The steady rhythm of family life, casual tenderness and this comfortable feeling that you can rely on the person beside you. All these intense details... And then when the reader has made himseld comfortable (though worried about Hijikata's and Chuzuru's state), the actual plot begins ) I'm looking forward to reading the rest. Actually, I started reading this story last Friday, but I'm so slow nowadays)

Part 2 is excellent — I love the intensity of it and the further exploration of the “price” of him becoming a rasetsu, or Oni. I mean, at the same time, my heart hurts for both Hijikata and Chizuru — Hijikata for what has to be simultaneously infuriating as well as devastating, the memory gaps, the loss of control, the idea that he might be losing his mind a little. And poor Chizuru…having to cope with the man she loves acting in a way that is *not him* at all, but it not being his fault…yet at the same time, it’t not like she can just let it go.
I loved her shifting into her Oni form and smacking the crap out of him. Especially because it was done as much for herself as for him. Even in that situation she never fails to think of others :-)
I am very curious (if a tad suspicious…perhaps my inner Toshi?) of Konkani-san and what his role is or will be here. I also find myself wondering if the Ainu people will feature in TOD ;-)
I seriously died when Chizuru explained why she told people Hijikata was a poet. It was too funny, and I love the way you wove humor throughout this chapter even with its heavy subject matter. It really worked well.
And of course I absolutely love that last image we get of Hijikata before the end of the chapter. The elegant and pulled together vice commander, who Chizuru (and others of us…) find utterly appealing. Konkani doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell!
Can’t wait to read more! (and no rush — take your time!)

Hurry with part 3

Write the next part... not funny to leave on that note

As always your writing does such an amazing job of just sliding into the canon universe and capturing the characters so beautifully. The emotion you evoke initially with Hijikata’s “darker mood” is so poignant, painful. And then his and Chizuru’s back and forth about his well-being (and his name) :-) I laughed out loud at him asking if he had to get used to Hijitoshi-san.
I DIED when she said they needed to talk and he said “never good words to hear from a woman in my experience” LOL
And I loved the internal struggle between the Vice Commander and the “Hijikata Toshizō of The Backwater-to-End-All-Backwaters, unemployed wanderer, sometime farmer, and occasional poet,” LOL Damn oni no fukucho raining on his parade ;-)
AHHHH What a cliffhanger! You wicked wicked woman! but cliffhanger aside, I love this! I can’t wait to see how it plays out :-)