This is gonna be my QA chapter ! I will answer to questions posted in comments and PM. If you are not interested in these questions, do not worry, I'm releasing a real chapter at the same time so you can skip directly. If you have any questions you want to ask or any remarks, feel free to comment/PM and i will update this chapter.
(Unless your questions are about events AFTER these chapters. I will not answer because of spoilers but if you like QA, i could do another one at the end of the second arc)
In hakuouki, Saito can't stand alcohol, why is it that your Saito has so much resilience ?
Saito in Hakuouki is based on an historical person. The « real » Saito was known to be an alcoholic and was even killed by his liver due to his alcohol consumption. I decided to keep this fact for my fan fic.
Did you invented Yuki or is she based on an actual historical figure ?
I invented her. When i think about Saito, the snow comes to my mind so i chose the name « snow » for her because it seemed logical in my head to have « snow » and Saito together. I'm happy that so much people like her and i can say that she's going to be staying in this fan fiction for a while !
Are there going to be lemons at some point ? Saito seems on the verge of jumping on Chizuru anytime but he never tries anything...
Yes. Definitely yes. But Saito is so honorable that i just can't make it happen out of the blue. I know exactly where I'm going and i know when it's gonna happen. I can't say when exactly because spoilers but be patient, there will be more than one !
How can you manage to release chapters so quickly ?
First, they are short so it's easier. And when i release a chapter, normally i have already at least two written already. I don't want to release anything if i'm not sure of the sequel. That's why sometimes i can release two or three chapters at the time. For the moment, i know all the events that are going to happen from now to Toba-Fushimi. I think the second part will be harder because there is so much things happening that making originals is going to be very, very hard. And i can also tell that the story will probably continue after the game events.
In the chapter « instructor », you give a lot of information about iai. Do you practice it ?
I'm a beginner and my school of iai is based on more like « dueling » kind of iai but last time, we tried another type and my teacher explained that it was more of a iai for fighting in streets, with no armor, Edo era, and i thought it was pretty close to Saito's style even if it wasn't really the same. Saito's iai is Mugai Ryû and i have no knowledge about it so i tried something else. I'm glad i could make you feel like i knew what I was talking about. That's what i wanted since Saito is so much of a master in iai. By the way, the teaching of Saito about the hips and the unsheathing flat isn't relevant in my school of iai where we focus more on the left hand and the scabbard. So yeah, there's a lot of different kind of iai.
Your Chizuru is very active in your fan fiction, more than in original Hakuouki. Why did you choose to send her on spying missions ?
Yeah, i don't like the idea of Saito falling in love with someone only making tea (which seems like the only thing Chizuru does in Hakuouki) so i wanted to explore more her « warrior » side and « doctor » side. Let her be a little more useful and be someone that Saito could actually fall in love with.
Have you played Hakuouki Zuisouroku or watched the OAV ? In it, they change Chizuru in a geiko.
I haven't played Zuisouroku yet although i have it but i've watched the OAV. I didn't really like it though because even if they say « geiko » she has the obi tied on the front, her kimono reveals a lot of her neck, and she is working in Shimabara therefore, it's an oiran like Kimigiku. Oiran can give some sexual services so i didn't wanted that for my story and i also didn't wanted a poor plot like « yeah lets plant chizuru as a spy but let's ALL go to see how cute she is and therefore, be with her all the time so that we can't learn anything » it just didn't make any sense to me.
To finish this QA, i will just give some special thanks to Gome, Haruka and Guest who are always commenting and giving me their impressions. Thank you very much, without your comments, maybe i would have given up on this story but with your support, i write everyday to bring you new chapters as quickly as possible. Please continue to comment and bring me some motivation ! Saito, Chizuru, Yuki and the others are counting on you so that their story can continue !