Warning: This is based off a manga called Sengoku Strays. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend that you do! I don't own anything but my OC, and I will probably end up using artistic license to butcher Japanese history, so I would just like to apologize in advance, and I don't mean to offend anyone!

[Narration]

{setting/stage directions}

"Speech."

'Thoughts.'

"English speech."

—¡–!–¡–!–¡— Scene shift/passage of time.

A whole line of text like this without quotes is a written letter or something similar.

WORDS IN ALL CAPS AND NO QUOTATION MARKS ARE SOUND EFFECTS.

Flashbacks and changes in POV will be labeled.

Unless stated otherwise, the POV will be third person omniscient.

If you ever have any questions, please feel free to ask.

"Oh... umm... the lord took me in when I had nowhere to go." Kasane explained. "I'm not here for the country, or for someone else, or anything cool like that—I've just got to hang on here, because my brothers are waiting for me! That's all!" Kasane said, smiling brightly. Ayako and smiled at Kasane.

"Same here, we're both just doing the best we can, so that we won't have any regrets." Ayako said.

"... I see." Nouhime said, smiling softly at both of them. Ayako refilled Nouhime's cup with normal tea for her, and handed it back to her.

"—Wait, Gahhh!" Kasane suddenly yelled as she jumped to her feet.

"!?" Ayako said, startled when Kasane suddenly shot into the air like she had a small rocket strapped to her.

"What's wrong?" Nouhime asked as she calmly sipped her tea.

"I-I forgot to prepare lunch! The lord is going to be mad at me!" Kasane said anxiously.

"Oh! Today's our turn, isn't it?" Ayako said. "Will you be alright by yourself for a while, Lady Nouhime? Your condition has stabilized for now, so you should be fine as long as you stay in bed." She emphasized the last part, knowing that Nouhime probably wouldn't want to. Nouhime frowned slightly.

"I hate having to be confined to a room like this, so I can't make any promises if I don't have someone here to distract me and keep me company." Nouhime said frankly. Ayako sweat dropped. She had a feeling Nouhime would say that.

"I'm sorry, Ayako! I'll be back in just a minute!" Kasane said as she started to open the door.

'So, I'm the one staying behind after all... well, I am the one who'd be the most help if her condition suddenly worsened...' Ayako thought, sweat dropping.

"Whoa!?" Kasane cried in surprise and shock when the door opened completely, and Kuranosuke, Inuchiyo and Gorouza, who had apparently been leaning up against the door and eavesdropping, toppled into the room.

"Gah!" Kuranosuke grunted in pain when he hit the floor and Inuchiyo fell on him.

"Ah!" Inuchiyo cried in surprise.

"Oh!" Gorouza said when he too lost hi balance and fell on Inuchiyo. The three of them were stacked up like an odd totem pole.

"Ooow..." They all groaned.

"Hurry up, and move it!" Kuranosuke grunted, vein mark throbbing on his forehead. He felt like he was being crushed under the combined weights of Inuchiyo and Gorouza.

"You surprised me! Ev-Everyone's here!? What happened!?" Kasane asked. "A-Ayako, are you okay!?" Ayako had her back turned to them, and she was shaking uncontrollably as she held her sides. Ayako couldn't bear it anymore—she bust out laughing.

"Hahaha—I'm fine—that was—haha—hilarious!" Ayako said in between laughs. Kasane and the others sweat dropped while Nouhime held back an amused smile of her own at the three boys' little stunt and Ayako's odd behavior.

"Haha, well..." Gorouza said, smiling wryly.

"We brought a get well gift!" Inuchiyo said happily, not at all bothered by Ayako's fit of laughter. "I've got rice balls!" He said, holding up a package of rice balls, courtesy of Gorouza.

"C-Can't... breathe..." Kuranosuke mumbled as he started to turn blue from lack of oxygen.

"As amusing as you guys look, maybe you should move... before Kuranosuke dies." Ayako said, wiping her eyes as she recovered from her fit of laughter.

"Oh!" Gorouza said, realizing that Kuranosuke was dangerously close to suffocating. He immediately moved himself off of the top of the totem pole, and helped Inuchiyo off of him. Kuranosuke inhaled deeply, relieved that he could finally breathe again.

"We were wondering how things were going." Gorouza said, explaining how they had ended up eavesdropping.

"Hmph, I—I was just tagging along." Kuranosuke said, avoiding their gaze.

"But you were the most worried, Kura." Inuchiyo said, smiling.

"Shut it!" Kuranosuke snapped.

"How is Ikeda?" Ayako asked.

"Seems it wasn't a major wound." Gorouza said, smiling.

"That's great!" Kasane said.

"What a relief!" Ayako said, smiling.

"... Hmph." Nouhime said, smiling wryly as she watched them. They all looked so close, like family. "This castle... is as interesting as ever—"

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

{Later that night}

Ayako sighed as she walked on the wooden porch, returning to their room after she finished bathing. For some reason, Nouhime had insisted on staying with Ayako and Kasane in their room, instead of letting them move her to her own. Well, Ayako didn't really mind since she liked Nouhime... but the fact that she liked Nouhime—Nobunaga's wife, the guy she was in love with—just made her feel even worse. Since she was starting to become fast friends with Nouhime, Ayako didn't want to do anything to hurt her... like accidentally flirting with her husband, and Ayako knew it would only make trouble for Nobunaga if she caused a rift to form between him and Nouhime—especially when he was already trying to deal with dangerous enemies. He didn't need her emotional baggage—Not that she really thought Nobunaga would be interested in her that way when he treats her like a child... Ayako shook her head.

'I shouldn't focus on the bad things—stay positive, Ayako! In a way, this'll be like a slumber party! Yeah, that's right, focus on the fun part. Take a leaf out of Scarlet O'Hara's book—'I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow.'' Ayako thought. In fact, she was so deep in thought that she didn't notice she was about to bump into someone, until it was too late. "!?" Ayako said, startled when she bumped into none other than Nobunaga himself. 'Uwaaah! Just when I was trying to not to think about my feelings for him! Congratulations on winning the award for worst timing ever!' Ayako screamed internally, as she tried to remain calm and stop herself from blushing. 'J-Just act normal—yeah, normal...!' "E-Excuse me, my Lord." Ayako said as calmly as she could and brushed past him, walking away as quickly as she could without looking like she was running away... which she was...

"..." Nobunaga said as he stared after Ayako and watched her retreating form. He narrowed his eyes and frowned. Ayako never called him 'my Lord' when it was just the two of them, and though she had managed to keep a calm expression on her face, Nobunaga hadn't missed the panic and pain that had flashed through her eyes when she saw him. Nobunaga turned and started stalking after Ayako. She was clearly trying to avoid him. If Ayako thought she could hide from him, she was sorely mistaken.