#but Mariko was worth it

[breed-station]

i did the Xera/Francis meme so lazily i put my whole motiv into the last one brbrbrbr

@askdeoxys @askstormscall because i love Marikos design and her dad would probs take the sweets lmaoooo it just fitted perfectly

[mahoutoons]

finished the oniisama e anime, it was wonderful. my favourite part was when mariko confessed her love to kaoru, then they got married in the timeskip and lived their butchfemme dreams together. such a beautiful end to an awesome show

[moodr1ng]

did not expect how much effort actually typing up the backstories & bios of all the characters from my oldest (still active) story would take.. esp bc aside from the main 4 characters i only had like a general idea of their circumstances (for some of them its just like. yeah this chick exists and shes among the friends of the main character. i have a general idea of her personality and ik she has two brothers. but then i need to come up w paragraphs and paragraphs of her life and interests bc ive done it for the other characters 😭).. so its actually a lot of fully original writing whereas for the main 4 it was mostly just writing down shit i already knew about them

[genkinahito]

Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2023 – Always Evolving - Japanese Cinema Then, Now, and for the Future

Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2023 – Always Evolving - @jpflondon #JFTFP23

  In the year of its 20th anniversary, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme will grace the screens of arthouse cinemas across the UK from  February 03 to March 31. During that time audiences in the region will be able to see a selection of 20 films that have been selected to fit this year’s theme, “the evolution of Japanese cinema” and audiences will have the chance to watch films that…

[johnwickb1tsch]

bittersweet ~ a yandere!John Wick x fem!reader sunshine/grump coffee shop AU... Part 38 all chapters

WARNING: NSFW, SEXUAL CONTENT, VIOLENCE, YANDERE SH!T. Plz take care. I luv u all. 😘

38. the honorable thing

“Jonathan.” 

“Winston.” 

This is the first the hotelier has seen the former assassin leave his room for any kind of sustenance–how telling, that his first stop would be the bar. The older man lowers his voice, leaning in. “Not that it’s any of my business…but did you give that lovely young lady an engagement ring on false pretenses?”

John sighs, looking down into his bourbon. “Not because I don’t want to marry her, Winston.”

“Naturally.” 

John growls low in his throat. “I’m just trying to do the honorable thing.” 

“Presenting a lady with a ring without intending to actually marry her is certainly honorable.” 

“You don’t understand.” 

“Enlighten me. Or better yet, enlighten her. If your aim is to fool the Camorra, a believable fiancée she does not make.”

John resists the urge to bang his head on the polished oak bar.

“Or, don’t,” muses Winston. “I’ll finally be able to rent out the rooms next to yours. You have gotten more noise complaints with that woman in the past week than in the entirety of your time staying with us in previous years.”

John does hang his head in his hands at that.

“Winston…”

If Winston didn’t know any better…he would have almost thought the notorious assassin was embarrassed. 

“Just fix it, Jonathan. Otherwise, I promise you’ll regret it…” 

As Winston walks away John calls after him, “Do you ever get tired of being right all the time, old man?”

Winston chuckles, raises a hand in acknowledgement, and goes to greet another patron. 

***

You took the ring off for your training session with Mariko. When you returned to the room hours later, it was gone from the bathroom counter–and your first reaction was relief. 

John says nothing about it, when he returns from wherever he’s been. You decide not to either. Maybe the cleaning staff helped themselves. 

Good riddance and Enjoy. You’re tired of agonizing about it, and you want things to go back to the way they were before. 

He kisses you hello on the cheek, seemingly in a better mood than he has been all week. “Let’s have dinner downstairs tonight,” he proposes. This is news to you. You’ve heard tell of the legendary restaurant of The Continental, and of course the room service has been excellent, but it’s just not the same as dining in.

“Are you sure?” you ask, intrigued but suddenly wary. 

“Yes, if sounds good to you?” 

“I…would love that,” you admit, suddenly excited. It will mean getting dressed up–the opportunity to see John in one of his evening suits will make the fuss all worth it. Watching him get dressed here has become one of your favorite pastimes; it’s way better than anything on TV. 

***

Dinner is everything you’d hoped for and more. The food is out of this world, and better yet, John is sweet to you, tucking you in the shelter under his arm in the booth and speaking softly in your ear between courses. It reminds you a little of that beautiful dinner you had in Venice, before everything…changed. 

He looks handsome as the very devil in all black in the low light of the dining room, the reflection of the candle on the table in his dark irises glinting like hellfire. You cannot look away, be he god or devil or something in between, so utterly lost you are to this man. 

The wine is very good too, which is only part of the reason you clutch at his arm afterwards, trying not to trip over your new Louboutins and beaded Valentino gown. The sleeves are long, better to hide your bruises from training, but the high slit in your skirt is rather daring, and helpful for movement. He says he wants to show you something, which makes you giggle knowingly, but he doesn’t lead you back up to the room. You take a side corridor, finding it lets out to a narrow dark balcony on the fourth floor. You are in shadow, and you can watch the street below nearly unobserved. The skyscrapers beyond are lit up like birthday cakes. Maybe the city isn’t totally your speed, but it is interesting–for a little while. 

You are more than ready to return to your mountain, if ever you can. 

But for now, you are happy with the view, and the warmth of John’s arm around you–until he produces that damned little black box again. “Oh, John…” 

“Wait, y/n.” 

You sigh. “I’ll wear it when they come, ok? If…they ever fucking show up.” 

“I want you to wear it tonight.”

“Ugh.” 

You turn to go, suddenly exasperated and exhausted, until he pulls you back against the hard line of his body, claiming your mouth in a fiercely probing kiss. With his forehead pressed to yours he says through gritted teeth, “I’m asking you to marry me, y/n.” 

Maybe you can blame the wine, but it’s only then that you realize he’s serious. Your fingertips turn to claws, digging into the arms of his suit jacket. The flesh is so solid underneath. This is not a dream. 

This is not a drill. 

“John?” 

If you’re misreading this situation–again–you will lose your fucking mind. 

“I love you with every bit of my black, broken heart, y/n. I know I don’t deserve you, but I will spend every second we’re together trying to make up for what I did to you. Will you marry me?” 

You don’t answer him immediately, standing on tiptoe to press your lips to his. He’s the one who draws back first, searching your face desperately for the answer to his heartfelt question. 

“Yes! Yes, you dummy.” He nips you a little for that, but soon it turns into another long and sultry kiss, your arms flung around his neck, your bare back pressed into the wrought-iron railing under the fury of his ardor. 

Later, with his arms around you in a tight embrace, he grumbles, “I’m sorry I made this so painful.” 

You laugh a little, at yourself, and him. “How else would we go about anything, John?”

“Very funny.” You kiss his ear, snuggling into the bend of his neck again. The warm, spiced scent of his cologne and his skin is nearly as maddening as his kisses.

“Can we go upstairs now? I have something I want to show you.” He chuckles darkly at this, sucking at the skin of your neck, winning a shudder and your clit singing out with approval. 

“What a coincidence, my love.”

You decide you’ll never tire of hearing that. 

***

You cannot stop kissing. 

You are practically joined at the lips from your little enclave of a balcony, through the halls, and the elevator, and the whole walk to your room. Once you make it through the doorway John presses you up against the door as soon as it’s closed, his hand finding its way through the slit in your dress to cup your ass. 

You’d be a liar, if you said you hadn’t thought of that, when you’d selected it earlier. 

You do not rip each other’s clothes off though, like in some bosom-buster romance. You both are seeming to savor this closeness together, making out like teenagers, grinding against each other through your nice clothes. You moan as John takes mercy on you, sliding one of his muscled thighs between your legs, smiling against your mouth. 

“Wicked man.” 

“You love it.” 

“I love you. And–I’m going–to ruin your nice suit.” 

“Please do.”

What is the American version of noblesse-oblige?

You are so pent up that you nearly cum like that, riding his leg with his lips on your neck, sucking the tender flesh like he means to devour you. 

You see scarves in your future. Lots of them.  

But then he is moving you across the room, practically picking you up with an arm around your waist, guiding you down onto the couch. 

“I messed up again,” he muses, kneeling before you. “I was supposed to get down on my knees for you. Want a redo?” You laugh breathily as he pulls the scrap of silk that passes for panties down your thighs, his lips gravitating to the inside of your knee. He nips you lightly, making you jump. 

“I think…this more than makes up for it,” you sigh, as he kisses up the soft flesh of your inner thigh. The ring on your left hand glints in the low light as you run your fingers through his raven hair. The slit in the skirt wins again, making it so easy to sweep the fine fabric aside, leaving you spread bare before him. The hunger in his dark eyes lights your world on fire, and when his tongue touches your clit you think you might see God, or at least, your own version of heaven. 

The world is golden-edged, and maybe it’s stupid–but in that moment you feel like nothing bad can touch either of you.  

[loooseeey]

Shogun Series Finale 1x10

Wow….

Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I’ve cried this much while watching any singular episode of a show before (that’s if I ever have tbh), and that should be a testament to how ‘perfect’ that series finale was.

I know there will be some people who are upset that we didn’t get to see the Battle of Sekigahara, yet in my opinion, it would’ve been detrimental to have it. Yes, there have been incredible action sequences strung throughout the show, but Shogun was never leading to a climactic battle, instead, it was leading to Mariko finally being able to embrace a purposeful death.

The finale perfectly shows the effect that Mariko’s death had on everyone and everything. The show as a whole perfectly encapsulates Mariko’s line to Blackthorne that “life and death are the same, both can have value and purpose”. Shogun highlights each character’s worth, whether they are living or dead. In the end, it was more impactful to see the magnitude of influence that a handful of lives and deaths could have as opposed to that of a great battle.

The finale also does a brilliant job of reinforcing what we already know, that Toranaga is the master of trickery and deception. The scene where Toranaga tells Yabushige that he already knows the outcome of the war is so gratifying. After episode 9, as viewers, we almost already know the outcome as Mariko’s death seals Toranaga’s victory before the war even really had a chance to begin. While Toranaga finishes answering all of our questions, he leaves us and Yabushing wondering whether or not he was no better than everyone else when it came to power.

Shogun is a masterpiece that deserves all of the praise and recognition it is receiving. The performances, writing, cinematography, effects and music were perfect, everything was perfect. Shogun is a 10/10, and by the time awards season rolls around I do not doubt that it will manage to bag a plethora of awards.

[the-forest-library]

July 2024 Reads

Funny Story - Emily Henry

Summer Romance - Annabel Monaghan

Until Next Summer - Ali Brady

All Roads Lead to Rome - Sabrina Fedel

Expiration Dates - Rebecca Serle

Director's Cut - Carlyn Greenwald

How to Get the Girl - Anita Kelly

Once Upon a Leap Year - Anna Bell

On the Bright Side - Anna Sortino

Near Misses & Cowboy Kisses - Katrina Emmel

Heir, Apparently - Kara McDowell

Only One Survives - Hannah Mary McKinnon

The Lost Alchemist - Samantha Vitale

The Fireborne Blade - Charlotte Bond

The Elizabeth Stories - Isabel Huggan

Pirate Stew - Neil Gaiman

Little Ghost Makes a Friend - Maggie Edkins Willis

Woe - Lucy Knisley

Give Me Space But Don't Go Far - Haley Weaver

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me - Mariko Tamaki, Rosemary Valero-O'Connell

Cat + Gamer, Volume 1 - Wataru Nadatani

None of the Above - Travis Albanaza

Cactus Country - Zoe Bossiere

Soundtrack of Silence - Matt Hay

Just Add Water - Katie Ledecky

I've Tried Being Nice - Ann Leary

Did I Ever Tell You? - Genevieve Kingston

I Shouldn't Be Telling You This - Chelsea Devantez

Little Earthquakes - Sarah Mandel

You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried - Susannah Gora

Healing Through the Vagus Nerve - Amanda Armstrong

Adult Survivors of Emotionally Abusive Parents - Sherrie Campbell

The Love Prescription - John M. Gottman, Julie Schwartz Gottman

Better Sex Through Mindfulness - Lori A. Brotto

Stop People Pleasing - Hailey Paige Magee

True to You - Kathleen Smith

Bold = Highly Recommend

Italics = Worth It

Crossed Out = Nope

Thoughts:  The latest Emily Henry audiobook narrated by Julia Whalen did not disappoint. And overall, this was a pretty decent reading month.

Goodreads Goal: 257/300 2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads | 2022 Reads | 2023 Reads | 2024 Reads

[hughiecampbelle]

Random Headcanons About Baby Roy:

Warning/s: addiction, addiction mention, drugs, alcohol mention

A/N: I think about Baby Roy all the time, lol. I just love them. I thought some fun headcanons would be nice :) Based on these headcanons and this fic series!

Baby loves screamo. Anything and everything screamo. Also any alternative artist! The more raunchy, the better. Any car or room they're in, they're listening to it or humming it or playing it in their headphones. Everyone's come to expect it and ignore it as best they can. Especially Karl and Frank, they hate it. Gerri just shrugs. it's not hurting you or anyone else, leave it be

It absolutely drives Connor insane, especially when you and Roman gang up on him and recite verses. Roman doesn't love your music, but it's so worth it to watch your other siblings cringe and get all uncomfortable

"That d*ick tastes like yankee candl-" I love Ashnikko lol

"Y/n, please."

"You wanna hear a so-"

"No."

Baby unironically plays Where's My Juul?? by Lil Mariko in front of Connor who has no idea what a juul actually is lol

Baby has a wicked sweet tooth. Kendall's been sneaking them candy since they were little, but it seems like you always have something sweet. A lollipop, gumballs, gummy bears, etc.

"You'll get a cavity."

"This is my one vice, let me be."

Shiv is always holding out her hand for whatever you've got. She doesn't ask, she just expects it. You never mind, it's nice to share with her. Besides, it makes her feel like a little kid, too

Baby loves gory movies. Growing up, when all the kids were together, they'd have movie night. When it was your turn, you always chose the goriest thing you could find. Rome would sit with his hands over his eyes and Connor would hold a pillow, But you, Ken, and Shiv would be totally into it

"Just wait! His head gets ripped off!"

"This can't be appropriate."

Baby is actually very smart. Despite all the partying, their grades were perfect. Logan had no need to worry. Maybe you weren't showing up to class, but you were there for tests and that's all that mattered. You throw your intelligence in your brothers faces

"Can you even spell egotistical?"

You make endless jokes about your sobriety that none of them like except for Roman. The others shoot daggers at you with a look that says "not funny" You think it's funny though, and that's all that matters

"I'll be at the bar, you guys chat. Kidding! I was kidding, jeez."

"Does anyone else need a strong drink right about now?"

"They say the food is like crack, but I know crack and this isn't that."

"I used to take handfuls of pills to this song. Now look at me, I've become a monster."

Connor is horrified. Every time you say anything, he's speechless. Shiv gets very serious and Kendall spirals, but Rome likes it. If you can't joke about it, what good is it?

Baby has lots of tattoos and piercings. It's the only socially acceptable way to self harm that isn't drugs and alcohol. Logan hates them and Connor thinks they're unsightly, but you don't really care. Gerri always wants to see the new ones you got, though she prefers they be covered up in the office

"I like that one, that one's very cute."

"Thanks, Mommy."

She hates when you call her that. For you, your and Gerri's relationship, it's not at all sexual like it is with Roman. She is genuinely your mother figure. She is warm and caring and only wants the best from you. She can always tell when things are getting bad again

"Oh honey, you don't look so good."

"Mommy, I don't feel so good."

She really does love you. Someone has to. She knows your mother and Logan don't. Someone has to be there for you

Both Karl and Frank are afraid of you. Between the music, the addictions, the tattoos, the piercings, everything is intimidating to them. You're not competing like your siblings, that scares them the most. You want nothing to do with the company

"Think they're rabid?"

"Might be."

You love it, the way they always back away when you get too close, like you're demonic or infected

Baby, I think, would write a lot. Not just your feelings, which are so hard to put into words, but good things that happened, reasons to stay sober

You have a notebook or something that they use to write in. You've brought it to every rehab you've ever been to and constantly reread it over and over. No one knows about it, and if they notice, they don't bring it up. It's yours

Reasons To Stay Sober: Connor, Kendall, Shiv, Rome. Connor, Kendall, Shiv, Rome. Connor, Kendall, Shiv, Rome. Connor, Kendall, Shiv. . .

You have a sobriety birthday and every month you bake a cake. It always turns out shitty, lopsided, and burned and runny at the same time, but decorating it makes you feel like a kid again

You're always wearing your siblings clothes. You're always stealing someone's jacket or socks or shirt or sweater. You like it. It makes you feel close to them

They've just come to expect it

"You look better in that shirt than I do, keep it."

"I was going to anyways."

You have those moments of deep regret and embarrassment and self-consciousness that always end up in tears, but your siblings are there to pick up the pieces

Connor especially will just hold you as long as you need and listen to everything you have to get out

You feel so deeply sorry for hurting them and scaring them so much. You just wanted it to stop. You wanted not to he angry anymore

They tell you they understand, but you know they don't. Not really. They can't unless they've felt the way you have

Baby falls asleep on all the siblings. Even Roman will let them get away with it, but no one else. You snuggle into them and have the best sleep of your life

"Quit moving."

"Don't use me as a pillow, then."

You get away with (mostly) everything because you're their baby and they love you so much. They love you so much it's gross

Connor still prides himself on the way he raised you. There were bumps in the road, but you ended up perfect. Absolutely perfect

They all pride themselves on how they raised you. It wasn't always good, they weren't always there, but they're making up for all that now. Logan is gone. Slowly they're breaking the cycle, for you and for them

Things will get better. You've hit rock bottom so many times and always found a way out. This is that. This is your out

[bisupergirl]

oh sorry, also are there any comics i should avoid completely because the gp recognises them as being completely ooc or just not a sensical comic for supergirl?

and i was thinking of collecting the series of graphic novels that start with supergirl vol 1 - reign of the cyborg supermen. is that a good comic run? i have no clue when it comes to kara haha.

also, one last thing i promise! what is kara's true personality? like as kara danvers but also as supergirl. do they contrast each other? is she a geek or is she still just as powerful but in different ways when she's kara not sg? if that makes sense

again im so sorry for all the questions, kara is a character that really intruiges me and i really want to know the canon version of her. (unfortunately i loved the cw version of her, no matter what any one says) but i know that's nkt exactly correct.

im so sorry if ive bothered you, and i will be eternally greatful if you manage to answer my questions. thank you so much!

YES THERE ARE. Anything you see written by either Jeph Loeb or Joe Kelly should be avoided at all costs. This includes Superman/Batman (2003) #8-13 and Supergirl (2005) #0-19. Basically anything written between the years 2004 through 2007 should be avoided like the plague. The early 2000s was truly an evil era for Kara... she was oversexualized to hell and back and really didn't have any sort of characterization beyond "sexy teenager". The only thing that I think is somewhat worth reading from those years is Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes (2004) #16-36, but even that isn't super necessary if you don't want to slog through it just for her.

Aside from that.... this is just my controversial opinion, but I REALLY dislike everything Mariko Tamaki has written for Kara. This includes Supergirl: Being Super (2017) and the Supergirl Special (2023). I've just found that she has a very boring and uninspired take on Kara... Nothing she's written gives off the vibe that she's actually read any of Kara's comics. Being Super specifically irks me because it's literally just "what if Kara... was Clark!", and that's just not remotely interesting to me... Obviously nothing she's written is on par with the truly heinous shit that Loeb and Kelly were doing with Kara, so I don't want it to seem like I'm putting them on the same level! A lot of people DO like her Supergirl comics, I'm just not one of them.

Steve Orlando's run of Supergirl (2016)—which includes Reign of the Cyborg Supermen—was written specifically to appeal to fans of the CW show, so I imagine that if you like CW Supergirl, you'll also probably like that comic. I don't necessarily want to say that you shouldn't read it (since you like CWSG), but it's not something I recommend since the way that Kara's characterized there is quite different than any other comic version of her—past or present. If you do want to read something from Supergirl (2016) I recommend Marc Andreyko's run! It's spans from #21 to #36 (although I don't suggest reading past #33) and is collected in Supergirl vol. 1: Killers of Krypton and Supergirl vol. 2: Sins of the Circle.

As for her personality:

Kara is very headstrong and stubborn—she doesn't back down from her beliefs even if it means coming into conflict with her authority figures (like Clark, her mother, her employers, etc.).

She's also incredibly compassionate and protective—even in her early days as Supergirl when humans would reject her, she wasn't directly scornful of them and she'd still go out of her way to use her powers to keep them safe.

Relating to that, she's also very empathetic—there's been multiple storylines where Kara sees herself and her experience in the person she's helping, and it inspires her to do whatever she can to help them.

She's often driven by her anger and devastation of what happened to Krypton. The fury and nearly inconsolable despair that she feels for the mass death that was caused by Krypton's destruction is such a huge driving force for everything she does.

In regards to her interests: they change pretty frequently between continuities, but Pre and Post Crisis Kara was depicted as being very artistic in a lot of different areas! Kara used to have a passion for acting: she went to drama school, starred in two films, and went on to star in a soap opera. She was also very into fashion and used to wear so many cute outfits :'). Additionally, in Post Crisis continuity, she was a painter and even contemplated joining the Art Guild on New Krypton just like her father did. Recently she hasn't been shown to be that artistic and instead has an interest in history (Kryptonian history, that is). Before Krypton's destruction she was invited to study at the Society of Historical Science, and she actually preferred history to applied science. She does have a lot of scientific understanding (both because she's apart of the House of El and because Krypton is so scientifically advanced), but I've always loved that she's shown a consistent interest in the humanities rather than science!

As a quick aside, Kara has had a couple different human identities over the years: she was Linda Lee Danvers (sometimes just referred to as Linda Danvers) during Pre Crisis continuity, and that was her most fleshed out and meaningful identity imo since it lasted for around 26 years. During Post Crisis she briefly went by Linda Lang, and then in the Rebirth continuity she'd go by Kara Danvers to match the CW show. All that to say, she really doesn't differ that much in personality when she's in her human identity than when she's Supergirl! Aside from pretending that she doesn't have powers, she's still just as incredibly headstrong and compassionate and protective when she's [insert human ID here] as she is when she's Supergirl.

Okay now I'm just going to drop a few reading guides / comic recommendations that I've made here if you're interested!

Ultimate Supergirl Reading Guide Supergirl Storyline Recommendations Pre Crisis Supergirl Recommendations

[jomiddlemarch]

Willow, weep for me

He’d survived pirates, plague, shipwreck. Abandonment by his captain. Abandoning his own children.

Starvation, capture, eluding the executioner’s sword in the nearest of ways. 

He could survive this.

John followed Lady Kiku into her private chamber, keeping his eyes fixed on the embroidered hem of her scarlet robe.

That it was supposed to be every man’s most extravagant fantasy, intended as a boon from his liege lord, did not ease the weight in his chest, the sick feeling in his stomach. He heard Mariko’s voice, the pauses between her words, the devastating candor with which she imbued the courtesan’s disquisition, and his wavering faith was shored up, as for certes, it could only be his soul which ached so terribly, which longed to answer her.

She had gone away, demurring when Lady Kiku had invited her to come inside, and it was not that he wished she had agreed but rather than he wanted, most dearly, to have turned and followed in her wake, even if the night would yield nothing more than dreams or another recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. She would say he ought to grow accustomed to being denied his heart’s desire. She would say he ought not have a heart’s desire, but only faith and duty and the ability to retreat to a hold so deep within it could never be breached.

He thought she would have said that, before Lady Kiku spoke and gave utterance to the devastating truth of Mariko’s soul.

Now, he had no idea what she would say. She had gone and, in his mind, she was silent, her face turned away. If he had called after her, she would not have come. Lady Kiku had led him into her room, a most elegant environment for debauchery, and he must needs allow her to make free with him, for he was still being watched and it would not do to have questions raised about his virility or allegiance.

There was some jest to be gleaned from it, he whoring himself with the whore his lord had secured for his satisfaction, but he could not find even the darkest amusement in it. He had broken his vows to Mary and perhaps to Fuji, but he cared only for what Mariko wanted; she would likely not see his coupling with Kiku as worth remarking upon or would only consider it the sin the priests warned of.

He must lie with the most exquisite doxy in the Japans and he felt only that he wanted to vomit.

Lady Kiku perceived nothing of this or perhaps all. She bade him sit, so he sat, and she moved about the room in a way that might have been the most irritating fussing, save that she was so graceful he could have gladly watched her for hours, if that was all that was he required of him. She was exaggerating for him, he knew, for he’d not noticed anything when she’d poured out the tea and now he saw how she could make herself appear as a blossom floating on breeze, a swan gliding across a lake. He wished he could tell her he appreciated her skill, her beauty elevated and refined, and that if she intended it to arouse him, she was wasting her time.

It might have been soothing, except that he knew what was expected of him. Appetite, rutting, a great beastly noise to signal his climax, confirmation of the hairy animal they found him to be, albeit one canny and worth training to the lead. Lady Kiku would report on his response, how base he was, how malleable, and he must let her believe it so, must make her believe it so, or risk not only himself, his men, still imprisoned and beyond his succor, but also Mariko, whose honor he understood would be impugned if he refused the courtesan’s attentions or failed to display the ready cockstand her tutelage had ensured she could command.

He would have prayed, except he couldn’t construe that even a Protestant God would be very sympathetic to his plight.

Lady Kiku knelt in front of him, regarding him steadily. Her skirts were spread around her, too vivid to remind him of blood. There would not be laces or knots to contend with, he might muddle his way through to her skin without much effort, and she should take that as evidence of his hunger. He began to reach out, hoping his reluctance looked like appreciation or wonder, the daring of a young boy incredulous at his luck.

She took hold of his wrist in her hand and stopped him. With her other hand, she touched his cheek and then the skin beneath his eyes, indicating her interest with the slightest dip of her chin, a parting of her lips.

“They’re blue, that’s how we say it,” he offered. She’d not understand a word. Mariko had learned some English already, her Portuguese fluent, her Latin as good. She’d known azul, learnt blue the first time he said it, unable to entirely restrain the delight she took in the knowledge, a smile curving her lips as if she tasted a sweetmeat.

Kiku sidled closer, her hand moving back down to alight on his shoulder. She pushed him gently, meaning for him to lie back upon the wadded up silk coverlets that must serve as bedding and he let himself fall back clumsily. She rose above him, straddling his hips, and leaned over, her face very near his own. One hand braced on his shoulder and she used the forefinger of the other to lightly touch his eyelids, the gesture telling him to shut his eyes.

He didn’t want to see her. It was his only joy to be able to acquiesce and know that he’d pleased both of them. He could only achieve that in this one way.

He would have to trust she could rouse his cock to congress, her training sufficient to her needs.

“I am Mariko,” she said slowly, enunciating the words with immense care. 

He would have understood them if she’d rushed, but she was cautious. 

She brushed her lips very softly against his own, almost chaste. She pulled back and spoke again.

“I am Mariko,” she repeated and then kissed him again, the hand she’d used to close his eyes now stroking his temple and then cradling his head. With the caress, she licked at his lower lip, sucked at it like it was a rare and tempting fruit. Startled, he opened his mouth and she swooped in, kissing him deeply, with a consummate confidence and a curious tenderness. 

If he had not ever kissed Mariko, if he had not held her tightly in his arms and felt her taste him, tentative and then eager, taking from him as she gave herself, he might have been persuaded by Kiku’s assertion.

He was a fool, yes, but he could not be fooled.

Kiku continued to kiss him, her hands moving deftly to draw his robes from his body, her touch on his bare skin appreciative, coaxing. He let her do what she would without interfering, his eyes still closed; he would not have to see her revealed in the amber lamplight as Mariko had been. He would try to pretend, as she urged him to; he’d choose to find it a kindness and not a snare that would tighten around him every moment after he left the Willow World.

His flesh was more willing than his mind. With every caress, he recalled Mariko in his arms. The way her hair had tickled his chest, how she had been ardent and also unexpectedly tentative, how his every response had emboldened her. She had made of him the man he liked best, strong and not brutal, thoughtful, accomplished, inquisitive. She had been quiet, her gasps and sighs guiding him, but he’d begun to prattle the giddiest lovesick nonsense in English; she had told him not to speak but he meant for her not to understand.

Dearest love, you’re like a fragrant posy, sweet as May, my tender dove, you’ve my heart entire, he’d murmured, his hands seeking her joy, learning her pleasure. There had been nothing practiced about her reaction. Indeed, she’d seemed new to carnal delights though she’d been a wife over a decade before she’d been widowed. He knew now Buntaro had never been able to stir her, had likely been rough and quick if the wounds he’d given her were any indication of his temper, his frustration with her withdrawal. For John, she’d allowed herself to move beyond the poised bedmate who’d come to him in silence into the woman newly roused. She had trusted him to know when she needed gentleness and when she wanted his vigor, his fervent thirst for her unslaked.

“I am Mariko,” Kiku said, now a warning, their bodies bare, her thighs spread above his hips. She’d worked him well enough, his lance raised, and settled herself down upon him with ease, riding him without urgency. The scent of their sex was heavy in the air, inescapable. There must be worse ways to be possessed, he was well aware, but still he wished to turn his face away and hoped she would make him spend quickly. She didn’t fondle him or try to kiss where she might, as he and Mariko had done together, their closeness desirous of an even more compleat union, love superseding lust, putting the flesh in service of the heart.

He hoped Kiku did not understand, but she must, to say what she did and how, in a tongue she knew he struggled to master. She was giving whoever watched the performance that was expected, a set piece of theater, and John could not be sure what he would owe her for it. It was a debt doubled, one part Kiku’s, one to his heart, for putting his life and the honor he gave to Toranaga above his affection for Mariko.

John was not certain he would ever have the proper coin to pay it.

He felt the tear that slipped from the corner of his eye to his temple. Kiku might not notice. Anyone watching was likely to think it sweat engendered by the coupling. It should not be a risk.

“Anjin-san,” Kiku called out as she tensed her quim around his cock. Her hand on the crest of his hip tightened and she’d mastered him. He let himself grunt with the peak, a sound audible to any listeners. 

He might yet have betrayed himself but he hadn’t made it easy for anyone to spread filthy rumors about perversion or weakness. What Kiku would do was much as a storm cloud on the horizon, something he could see yet do nothing about. The wind might lash him, the ship might founder, or the ominous darkness might dissipate, a clear dawn painted with gold and crimson beckoning him onwards.

He opened his eyes.

Kiku moved to his side, balanced on her hip and elbow. She was beautiful, her skin gleaming like pearl. He had never felt more alone. She touched the tearstain on his skin and then his lips. He lay still, the male animal in repose. She pulled the bedclothes around him, and began to withdraw.

“Arigato, Kiku-sama,” he said. Something flickered in her gaze, something she must keep hidden.

“Blue,” she replied, looking at him keenly, nodding in the slightest acknowledgement.

He closed his eyes again and slept.

“Please tell Lady Kiku I don’t have words to thank her,” he said the next morning. It was a grey morning and he’d slept poorly, dreaming dreams he dare not recall when he woke.

Mariko translated. She did not say what he had said and she did not tell him what Kiku’s reply was. It was a relief, to hide within her deception, to feel himself concealed by her, when last she had walked away, his fingers grazing her hand.

“I did not shame you,” he said, after the exchange was done and they were making their way back to his home. 

“I did not think you would,” she said. They had not looked at each other direct and her tone was measured, without any of the previous night’s poignancy, nor the warmth of the night they’d spent together. There was not even a hint of the woman who’d recited the Lord’s Prayer and then laid her palm upon the paper pane like a petal alighting. He felt the fatigue of the night upon him, a coldness in his marrow, at the base of his skull.

“I had a bath arranged for you,” Mariko said. “In your rooms. The maids will have seen to it and they will leave you to your own devices.”

“You are required elsewhere?” he asked. He could not ask her to stay and Lord Toranaga might have need of her.

“No,” she said. “I shall be there when you finish, Anjin-san.”

[itsjinkibitch]

What a beautiful and satisfying end (for me!!!) to this stressful journey. The snot and tears shed were worth it. All the callbacks to earlier scenes hit so fucking good. Toranaga throwing the telling dead men the future line back at Yabushige. Fuji holding John's hand with Mariko's rosary saying to let his hands be the last to hold her. Hell. Ochiba's last minute face turn. She did it and I'm proud. 🥹

It's been fun y'all.

[rozaceous]

<3 love that your jason todd tag is bbygirl btw. just finished going thru tcba again, hope you’re doing well !! <3<3<3 love that ur critical of the village and love how mariko affects her criticisms. I think it’s interesting that she considers herself weak, but nonetheless is very capable at fulcrums, for lack of a better term? applying pressure where effective, as appropriate? that’s a power all its own. <3333 love mariko thx for sharing :)))

Jason Todd is my beloved and has done nothing wrong, ever, in his life.

and you're not the first to bring up that mariko doesn't have very accurate self-perception! so now I'm gonna ramble!

part of this depiction is (my) innate imposter syndrome and fear of failure, but kicked to the max. for mariko, failure has Consequences. perhaps even CONSEQUENCES. she got placed on team7 and from then on, if things got fucked up, it wasn't just that the people she cared abt could get hurt or die. it's that she knows there's the potential for calamitous, world-ending type bs if things go too sideways. so she can't afford anything even smacking of arrogance ever.

and the imposter syndrome... part of this is that she's placing herself on a scale w shounen protags lol. scale is fucked. and she has to keep up, while knowing that she's going to get squashed like a bug if she's not vigilant.

the other part is that she's not sakura. she's filling sakura's role in canon, but sees herself as inferior to sakura in terms of ability/potential. she's kind of literally an imposter.

so on the one hand, this all leads to a fairly accurate understanding of how she measures up against certain opponents, bc not having that evaluative ability is the same as being dead lol. but it also means that she's by turns dismissive of lower-level persons/people she can easily out-maneuver (like the confrontation w danzo, she wasn't worried abt her fighting ability against him, and same against sai, even sasori to an extent), and very negative about her skills bc she always knows someone who is better and she's not wrong. those ppl really do exist!! and she's probably going to have to fight them!!

but this also means she's dismissive of how she is herself skilled and formidable. she's always using that scale against herself right? either they were small fry and not worth worrying abt and that's why she could win, or she's the small fry.

idk, I feel like my readers really want mariko to be the best at stuff, but I only gave her one superlative ability - her chakra control. the rest is mariko scrambling to be enough. not the strongest, but strong enough, smart enough, etc. and part of that is, as you note, learning how to apply leverage, bc that's how you topple someone when you're otherwise outclassed. (same thing goes for physical fights - you don't have to be bigger or stronger for something like a joint lock to work, bc those are all abt leverage.)

I personally think it's funny that what mariko admires konan for - keeping up - is the same thing she refuses to recognize as admirable when she does it.

[richincolor]

We've got four titles on our radar for today! Which ones do you want to get your hands on?

Age 16 by Rosena Fung Annick Press

A powerful coming-of-age graphic novel about three generations of mothers and daughters passing down and rebelling against standards of gender, race, beauty, size, and worth, for fans of Mariko Tamaki. Sixteen-year-old Roz is preoccupied with normal teenage navigating high school friendships, worrying about college, and figuring out what to wear to prom. When her estranged Por Por abruptly arrives for a seemingly indefinite visit, the already delicate relationship between Roz and her mother is upended. With three generations under one roof, conflicts inevitably arise and long suppressed family secrets rise to the surface. Told in alternating perspectives, Age 16 shifts seamlessly between time and place, exploring how this pivotal year in adolescence affects three women in the same family, from Guangdong in 1954 to Hong Kong in 1972, and Toronto in 2000. Award-winning creator of Living with Viola Rosena Fung pulls from her own family history in her YA debut to give us an emotional and poignant story about how every generation is affected by those that came before and affect those that come after.

Not About a Boy by Myah Hollis Harper Teen

Euphoria meets Girl in Pieces in this coming-of-age story of a girl trying to put a grief-stricken past behind her, only to be startled by the discovery of a long-lost sister who puts into question everything she thought she knew. Amélie Cœur has never known what it truly means to be happy. She thought she’d found happiness once, in a love that ended in tragedy and nearly sent her over the edge. Now, at seventeen, Mel is beginning to piece her life back together. Under the supervision of Laurelle Child Services, the exclusive foster care agency that raised her, Mel is sober and living with a new family among Manhattan’s elite. It’s her last chance at adoption before she ages out of the system and she promised, this time, she’ll try. But a casual relationship with a boy is turning into something she never intended for it to be, causing small cracks in her carefully constructed walls. Then the sister she has no memory of contacts Mel, unearthing complicated feelings about the past and what could have been. As the anniversary of the worst day of her life approaches, Mel must weather the rising tides of grief and depression before she loses herself, and those close to her, all over again.

The Second Chance of Darius Logan by David F. Walker Scholastic Press

Darius Logan is far from a hero. Since his parents were killed, he has spent most of his life navigating foster homes and shelters, abandoned neighborhoods and decaying buildings. All Darius knows is survival. Life was hard enough, but now he finds himself being hunted by the police after a drug deal he never should have been involved in goes bad. And when they catch him, Darius is positive he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. But in place of a long prison sentence, Darius is handed an opportunity almost too good to be true: the chance to get away from his circumstances by joining the Second Chance program of the Super Justice Force, a league of people with special powers who strive to do good and protect the world from harm. Darius soon discovers a strength he never knew he possessed, but evil forces manifest and threaten to destroy everything he holds dear. Will Darius be able to save the world when he faces a deadly--and all too familiar--enemy? This incredibly powerful YA debut by Eisner award-winning author David F. Walker, dives into matters of social justice and identity, courage and second chances, in a world where heroes loom large and what seems ordinary is anything but.

We Don't Have Time for This by Brianna Craft Disney Hyperion

Lemonade Mouth meets climate change activism in this enemies-to-lovers YA romance. A tied election throws two rival teen activists together to lead their school’s environmental justice club, and they are taken by surprise when their clashes reveal deeper feelings hidden beneath their antagonism. What's more romantic than saving the earth? Two presidents. One club. A sizzling connection. Isa Brown wishes her life would slow down. She doesn’t want to leave for college. Not now that her dad finally gets to spend some time at home. Not now that she’s finally been in one place for longer than a year. But nothing lasts forever. With wildfires ravaging her community and a new natural gas pipeline threatening her dad’s job, the last thing Isa can do is relax. The school’s environmental justice club seems like a promising way to make real change. If only her annoying co-president Darius would stop being such a control freak. Darius Freeman can’t stop hustling. If he does, how will he beat the other honors kids to be valedictorian? How will he get into the top schools in the country? How will he launch his political career? No. Darius can’t stop, and the next step in his plan is leading the environmental justice club this year—putting on a policy summit and rounding out his college applications with a leadership role. But then Isa joins the club and becomes co-president. Is she the stumbling block on his road to success? As Isa and Darius clash over the best way to lead the environmental justice club, deeper feelings emerge. About what’s at stake for their communities if they can’t figure out how to work together. And about the sparks they feel between them. Will Darius and Isa figure out how to burn brightly together? Or will their flames leave nothing but ashes behind?

[zahri-melitor]

Future State:

So this is a qualified opinion based on the fact I have only read the Bat-related titles and have not yet read the Bat book storylines subsequent to this, but my first impression of this is that you are just fine to skip anything in Future State that you don't want to read.

It does contain 'who is the Magistrate'. The Magistrate are a paramilitary force paid for by Mayor Nakano to hunt down 'masks' in Gotham (both capes and rogues). Their major members are called 'Peacekeepers'. If you literally just substitute the current cape-hunting paramilitary force of Peacemakers commanded by Amanda Waller in your mind, you've got the entire effect without needing to read any of it (Also Gotham is indulging in its neon futurism aesthetic, so think Batman: Gotham Knights the game, or just Bladerunner).

I only have time to read one title: Future State: Dark Detective. The A story in this title follows Bruce working undercover to find a way to reveal what's going on inside the Magistrate. The creative team is Mariko Tamaki, Dan Mora and Jordie Bellaire. One of the only stories in the entire set where I would confidently say this was still a solid yarn even out of context.

I'm interested in John Ridley's Fox Family Drama: read the A story of Future State: The Next Batman. Tam's had a relapse (because nobody can track whether or not Tam is supposed to be better or not), Luke's literally at a loose end because of plotting changes, you meet Jace, Tiffany has been aged up by the time jump to effectively be the age she was back pre-Flashpoint, Tanya is angry at the world because reasons (Tam) and Lucius is making bad decisions because ???.

What else do you think is a fun story? Future State: Catwoman is a train heist story with neon futurism aesthetics, which is busy indulging in re-education camp/concentration camp themes with more than a dash of Hunger Games references. Creative team is Ram V and Otto Schmidt (no prizes for guessing why it's a good story hey). Worth it just for Selina and Talia working at slight cross purposes but acknowledging the other has her own goals.

The E plot of Future State: The Next Batman (the Gotham City Sirens) has Ivy, Selina and slave android named Dee-Dee who has broken from her creator. This is fun for me personally because it is the rare concept where Ivy and Selina are bouncing off each other and Harley is nowhere in sight. The characterisation is at best fine, but the GCS vibes are there and fun.

The rare 'look I don't want to read this but it's well written' award: Future State: Harley Quinn. I deeply, deeply do not care about Harley, but if more of Harley's books were written like this, I think I would enjoy her far more as a character. So, recommendation for the 2021 run of Harley Quinn under Stephanie Phillips, I suppose (I am not planning on reading it).

The rest: look, the biggest issue with basically all of the Future State titles is due to being set in media res of an altered future, there's an awful lot of characters with changed personalities and no clear connections as to why they're acting OOC. And I'm a full believer in 'if you show me how the character got there, it's not OOC', but the whole concept of this is we don't get to see how the characters got there. So you're stuck going "why is Jefferson Davis currently a being of pure lightning, this isn't Jakeem Thunder". "has this writer read a single Stephanie Brown story not written by Bryan Q. Miller? (Vita Ayala I have been anticipating getting to your Wonder Woman stuff but wow you can't write Cass or Steph)". "I really wish this story where Dick is based in the bowels of an abandoned Arkham Asylum was leaning more into the Batman RIP/Reborn era storytelling around Dick and Arkham Asylum" and so on.

Characters don't fully track in their storylines between titles. Who's imprisoned when? Who are Two-Face and Croc working with? What hero titles are Cass, Steph, Barbara and Tim using? What costumes are people using? And so on and so forth.

You can really tell it's worked up from existing plots that got some surgery to rewrite them from the initial concept. Damian is Sir Not Appearing for the entire set of Bat titles, which makes sense on one level (given this is based out of scrapped 5G material) but makes absolutely no sense on another. Talia al Ghul is running around the background of at least two stories helping out the Bats, with no explanation given, but Damian can't be thrown into the art of group scenes because???

Like, read Mariko Tamaki, Ram V and maybe John Ridley because they can actually write solid stories and know (or are busy creating narratives for) the characters they're working with. Ridley's busy retconning a huge amount of existing Fox family stories but as it is he's setting up what will be their default for the ongoing future. Skip everything else unless you're feeling completionist (or interested in the Jason Todd-based alternate future title that spins out of this in Future State: Gotham).

[rnp5324]

I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE

This is gonna be long, so strap in. I NEED my fellow X-Men fans to hear me out on this one. I watched the Wolverine Anime (English Dub) in 2020, underrated masterpiece imo. There’s this one guy named Kikyo Mikage, right? Long haired, chest out, fem-presenting guy who rivals with Wolverine. So the two fight in Episode 3, AND THEN HE DOES THIS…..

WITH A SMILE AND A FULL LIP SMACK……I’m telling you there is NO hetero explanation for that 😭 who let ‘em cook in 2011???? There’s also just this entire segment in full and it doesn’t help that Steve Blum makes him sound fruity as hell. UHM SIR???? 😳 https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxLqxN5RcVXvru-W8HjCM5I9PuHOe6pX7G?feature=shared

So Kikyo hits Logan with this windslash thing, and— https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxqrrcXvohsF1Gfq9oTbgmkLzjj8XtgNTW?feature=shared

For context, Kikyo is meant to be one of Shingen Yashida’s deadliest assassins, and he’s just here talking to Logan so??? Relaxed??? Smiling calmly at him when he says this???? This is just Episode 3, it gets better. Episode 5 is also pretty strong with their dynamic and honestly the whole series is worth a watch, but I’m gonna skip to Episode 10 for now. We’re on Madripoor, reaching the bad guy’s place where Kikyo jumps in front of Logan & Yukio for this first exchange https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxAbV1TqO6PTsfw9XfzXUoIVyHFl3qco9Z?feature=shared

Logan’s like “gtfo outta my way, I’m tryna rescue my girlfriend” and instead of being like “lol idgaf die”, Kikyo is like “Shit u right, it wouldn’t be fair to fight u w/ her on ur mind, we’ll settle this later.” This point is continued in the next episode where his boss asks why he didn’t just kill Logan already. https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxwluYxh254EHRg76DKMP-C_gkkZHR4joi?feature=shared Shingen: “I hired you to kill this idiot!” Kikyo: “About thaaaat….It’s in my contract that I only wanna fight him if we’re equally matched, and he can’t do that rn since he’s focused on saving his gf instead of fighting me. So.” Shingen: “You know what, screw you. I’ll fight him myself.” Kikyo is so hellbent on fighting Logan equally, that not only will he help him reach Mariko, https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxZ1DxT6hPQ7sWRtmhoKGkuXyop8vUTg_H?feature=shared

THEY TEASE A FIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO DURING THE LAST EPISODE’S AFTER CREDITS SCENE 😭

Oh if you think I’m done with this fruity aaah Samurai, NAHHH you haven’t seen this clip in the Blade Anime https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxm7N9JEbALNkobK2OWq-XRa4oPL4t2FWS?feature=shared I shit you not, he pulls an ”Ah, Logan~…” HELLO????? I can’t be the only person who sees this, RIGHT??????

tl;dr Ohio man goes crazy over obscure GNC-Japanese-Mutant with insane queer coding

[redsamuraiii]

Fun Trivia : Mariko's father, Akechi Jinsai, is inspired by Akechi Mitsuhide

Akechi Mitsuhide played by Hasegawa Hiroki in Awaiting Kirin (2020)

In the book, it was explained that her father was a devout Buddhist and a trusted retainer of Goroda. Goroda is open to everything western, just like the real life Oda Nobunaga.

But the Jesuit see Akechi as a threat as he stands in the way of the Jesuit expansion into Japan and so began whispering in Goroda's ears which leads to the mistreatment of Akechi.

In Awaiting Kirin (2020), the turning point began after Oda burnt the buddhist temple on Mount Hiei killing monks. After which, the people began stoning Akechi's daughter for being the devil's daughter.

His daughter, inspires the character of Mariko. So I guess it makes sense that Mariko had learnt to mask her true feelings since young to care for the feelings of those around her.

And in Awaiting Kirin (2020), Akechi has good relations with the young Tokugawa (Toranaga) as they were both against the dictator, Oda (Goroda). And Akechi respects Tokugawa as a better leader.

When the Taiko took over Goroda, he branded those who kill Goroda or those who support the killing, as traitors as he wipe them out including Mariko's entire family, parents and sisters.

When Mariko married Buntaro, Buntaro struggles to climb up the ladder of success to be a Lord and stuck as a Samurai because he is married to a traitor's daughter, so no Lord or Samurai trust him.

So he blames his own misfortunes on Mariko.

He likes to "brag" about his "bravery" and archery skills to show others that "I'm unemployed not because I'm an incompetent warrior but because I'm married to a traitor's daughter."

You can read the book, James Clavell's Shogun (1975) to know more. It's definitely worth the read as it's more detailed and makes sense in many ways making you understand the "whys" of everything.