#that one chapter with her telling him to go to rukh together is one of the best shit I've seen though

[morimakesfanart]

Sindria's Prophet #17

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[AO3]

*In this house we stan string theory and multiple dimension theory *Also, this chapter gets a little preachy, and delves more into my interpretation of the series so to make up for it I made a lot of art.

~POV Sinbad~ "If you're willing to talk about the future, does that mean you are finally ready to explain about those calamities you mentioned in Balbadd?" When Ja'far cut in he was in a rush; he didn't want to miss this chance. Sinbad had underestimated Ja'far's concerns; he had been too preoccupied with the Prophet. All the same, "I don't know if this is the time for that conversation. This is Mori's first meal with everyone after all." Wait. He knew that look. Ja'far wasn't actually asking to have that conversation now. He was pressuring Mori so she would have to agree to tell them soon. "I'm fine. I made a promise and I intend to keep it. As long as everyone else is willing to talk seriously for a few mins, I don't see the problem." Mori was wearing the same stern expression she had the morning of the coup in Balbadd. When Ja'far had cut in with his request he could have tried to sound a little nicer but it didn't warrant the cold response Mori gave in return. There had been rising tensions between Ja'far and Mori since Balbadd, but both seemed to get along most of the time. "Wait really? You're agreeing this easily?" Ja'far's shock also spoke for the King. She obviously didn't want to talk about the Calamities even when she promised to tell them, so why now? "A promise is a promise." Mori almost felt like a completely different person compared to the coy way she was teasing them all just moments ago. "Besides, this will just continue to be a point of contention until I explain."

--- King Sinbad was finally eating with his Generals and Prophet, but this was nothing like he had planned. Mori sat straight with both hands on the table interlocked. "The 1st of the 2 calamities occurs in about 2 years. As you know, there's a few countries that currently have rising tensions." Which countries? The Kou and Riem were prime contenders since they were already Empires causing trouble for other countries. There was also Magnostadt which has been becoming increasingly hostile to other nations, and seemed to be encroaching on the Kingdom of Actia. "In 2 years, 3 of them are going to go to war. A massive amount of black Rukh will be released, and the same type of magic used to make the Dark Djinns will be used to make a humanoid monster the size of a mountain." Of course, Al Thamen would be involved. "The amount of black Rukh it will have will make it a Medium for opening a black spot and letting Ill Ilah connect to the world which is Al Thamen's ultimate goal. Once Ill Ilah connects it will destroy all of the white Rukh in the world -bringing death." It sounded just like what Falon had described as her plan all those years ago. The same thing that happened in Parthevia a decade ago is going to happen again in only 2 years? "The Medium is destroyed before that can happen thanks to all of the current Metal Vessel users and assimilated Household Members coming together to destroy it. The world is saved but in the process one of the Magi will have to commit one of the ultimate taboos of this world. That taboo is what will eventually lead to the 2nd Calamity. If King Sinbad and the Metal Vessel users of the Seven Seas Alliance, which were the last to arrive, can show up sooner then that taboo and the 2nd Calamity might be something that can be fully avoided especially since I already know the Medium's weakness." It was clear that Mori knew more. Sinbad would have to talk to her about it later; he wasn't sure how much he wanted to talk about this tonight -they were supposed to be celebrating and getting to know each other light heartedly. However, there was one question he couldn't hold back from asking. "What is this taboo?” Mori sighed like she had expected that question. She looked to the ceiling. "Honestly, I didn't want to think it was a taboo when I first learned it, but after seeing what happens I get it now." She looked back at them. "I hope you can accept me not telling what it is. I don't want to even try to explain the 2nd Calamity because I'm not sure how without explaining the taboo. You see, the taboo involves information, so if I explain it to you I will be committing the taboo myself. I can only hope that the world isn't endangered because I know it." The air in the room felt thick. All of the Generals were waiting for his decision. Sinbad tried to read the Prophet's expression. It was serious, and determined; it seemed like fear and remorse were hiding right under the surface. What information could be dangerous on its own? "Alright," he agreed. "We don't want to take any unnecessary risks. However, if we are unable to prevent the taboo from being committed you will explain the 2nd Calamity." Mori attempted a half-hearted smile. "I was already planning to do that." She glanced around at the Generals. "Are there any other questions?" Sharrkan grumbled. "This is all really complicated stuff." "Yeah. Pretty scary, huh?" Pisti agreed. Drakon and Hinahoho were sharing a look while thinking.

"You still haven't told us where this is going to happen." Ja'far decided he would ask the next question. "Are you withholding that information on purpose?" Mori's expression was blank. "I'll tell you the countries involved after King Sinbad returns from the Kou Empire. I don't want to influence how the negotiation goes by giving him too much information he wouldn't normally have. I'm doing this for Balbadd..." Mori withholding vital information was the entire cause of Ja'far's distrust of her. "You took too long to tell us what was going to happen back in Balbadd, remember? If we know what their next target is then we can stop it before it ever happens." "The 1st Calamity has nothing to do with Al Thamen." "What?” that question was asked by all except the Prophet. Mori explained, "That country has refused contact with them and been building towards this for the past 10 years all on its own. All of the Black Rukh that has been accumulated there is like a trap waiting to be set off. The people currently in charge are not people who would be willing to accept change, or to listen to the arguments of the people here." That definitely narrowed it down. Riem was already having meetings with them, and it was only a matter of time before they formed an alliance. They already had the peace treaty with the Kou, and King Sinbad was about to go negotiate with them for Balbadd. That only left Magnostadt as the center of the conflict -the country they knew had increasing disparity between it's upper and lower classes. Mori was staring at him. He wasn't the one she was actually hiding this from. Since it didn't seem to be an avoidable Fate, she was preventing Yam from learning the Fate of her home country for as long as possible. Mori was trying to be considerate. "How is that possible?” "If they aren't behind it then how could such a thing happen??” Mori gave a sad smile. "It would be so much easier if all of the bad things in this world really were all caused by that organization. I had wrongly thought that was how this world works in the heat of the moment back in Balbadd, but I know better. I've read this world's Fate after all. Even in this world it is a mistake to hold onto the hope of total altruism too strongly." It almost felt like she was calling them all naïve with that last statement. She looked down at her hands. "Sentience, experience and free will make us all imperfect. All people are shaped by their past and everyone has a vice. There will always be people who think they are above everyone else, people who think they are right because of their feelings, people who think that they deserve something just because they want it or that they can do something because it is available to them," she looked back up and made direct eye contact with her King, "people that think that their luck or privilege is a sign that they were chosen by Fate, that they are the only one who can do something because they are special and that that means they are righteous and their failings mere stepping stones when in reality they are all normal people just like the rest of us." ///She knows nothing about being a Singularity. There's no greater proof of being chosen by Fate!/// Since the Fall of First Sindria, Sinbad had been hearing a voice periodically. It was like stray thoughts -many were opinions he didn't really have. The fact that the voice felt the same as him in this made a pit form in his stomach.

Mori gestured at him and continued. "Even his Majesty being a 'Singularity' is only something rare. You aren't the first, and you won't be the last. You know I can read the waves of Fate as well, so it's obviously not the type of thing that you or Al Thamen makes it out to be. There is no 'chosen one.' No one is immune to human fault or failing. 'Fate' is the history of how all of our decisions affect each other.” It was like she was reading his thoughts. There were other Singularities? Mori could also read the waves but- The waves in the room were over flowing. This was greater than when Mori changed things in Balbadd. They were far off topic now, but this was more important. ///She doesn't understand anything. I've read Fate!/// Those stray thoughts hated Mori and how she was changing things since the beginning even though when Sinbad read the waves around her he liked the direction they were going. Her waves wouldn't stop him from reaching his dream. If that voice was this against what she was doing then he had to know more. "Mori, please tell me, what makes you so sure? You say you've read Fate; how can you say there isn't a grand plan? Can you really deny that the Rukh guide us?" Would they have to agree to disagree? Was this something he could afford for the Prophet of his own country to not see his way? She watched him and the Generals as she thought. "There is a 'plan,' but it isn't absolute. I read more than one 'Fate' for this reality. If Fate was already fully decided then in Balbadd Judar would have defeated all of you instead of being crushed by Ugo, and Cassim would have married Princess Kougyoku instead of dying, but that didn't happen, now did it? When I read Fate, I read how it was changed from it's original design by the people of this world. And as I've already said, I couldn't be here if everything was already decided.” ((these are things that are said to be in the og draft of Magi, but got changed when actually making the scenes)) They had been changing Fate's course before Mori arrived? Was that even possible? Mori wasn't the type to lie out right over something like this. Between her demeanor and the waves, he could tell she wasn't lying. He had to know where this new path was leading and asked an obvious question. "Isn't it just as likely that those 'changes' were supposed to happen?" Mori scowled at that. "Anything is true somewhere. There are infinite realities where any Fate is true. Every moment infinitely more form to account for every possibility -every decision, and unexpected change, even an asteroid coming and destroying the planet. If you can imagine it, it is reality somewhere." Sinbad had read Fate in the waves, of course he knew about there being other possibilities. Were there really other realities where he had followed one of the other paths? Mori didn't wait for him to comment. "There's no way to know which destiny or Fate we are following until it's already happened. Being able to read the waves has helped me narrow it down to 2 or so of the Fates that I read for this reality, but it can't account for everything. Since I can't read my own Fate I can't know how my presence will affect things." Mori continued, "When I read this reality's Fate, I learned how it functions on a fundamental level. Everything is made up of Rukh and is dictated by the Rukh and magoi. The Great Flow of the Rukh 'guides' the living but it is also affected by the wants and desires of the living. It sees all those wishes and creates opportunities for people to realize those dreams based on how many want that dream to become real. But it's still up to the living how they react. The Great Flow creates opportunities and makes suggestions, but it can't make your decisions for you. And" Mori paused while looking for the right words, "and the more magoi directed at a certain wish the more likely the Great Flow will try to help." Mori waited for them to absorb the meaning of her words. That meaning made Sinbad nervous. If she wasn't lying... Drakon broke the silence. "That would mean that someone with

a lot of magoi would have a greater affect on the Great Flow." "It does." Mori confirmed. Was that really how the Great Flow of the Rukh worked? How Fate worked? Mori stayed silent again, reading them as much as they were reading her. The waves were still high. Yam was the next to comment. "I know the amount of magoi a person has defines how strong of a magician they can become, but it sounds like those born with a lot of magoi also have an amazing privilege when it comes to the Great Flow." "Exactly." Mori agreed. "The people that Fate seems to favor aren't chosen by Fate or particularly special. They are born lucky just like those born rich." She paused. "All Dudgeon Capturers have an above average amount of magoi. A Djinn won't select a King that doesn't even have enough magoi to use their power. The more Djinns a person has, the more magoi they need to have. King Sinbad, you were born with a rare ability, and the equivalent magoi of a large city or small county -even before all that Rukh merged with you in Parthevia. If you didn't, there would be no reasons for the Djinns to cut you off from trying to capture more Dungeons." "What?" Sinbad's question slipped out of him in an airy gasp. He knew he had more magoi than average, but this would make him no different from those that grew up as royalty thinking that they were inherently better than their poor subjects. He wasn't sure if he could believe her, but the waves of Fate had never lied to him. The Prophet's waves were overwhelming the space, encouraging him to believe her. It was obvious how this information would change things. King Sinbad had more than the waves, he also had a sharp intuition. There was something hidden in her words. Some truth about his future that she hadn't told them yet. Even if he had been intentionally given these privileges by Fate, Mori had already stated that his decisions were his own. When Mori had said there were people that conflated their privilege with a righteous roll given by Fate it definitely included him. But if he wasn't chosen by Fate, if they had been changing Fate all along, then what was what happened in Parthevia or Riem? Mori's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Not being chosen by Fate and everyone having free will is a good thing if you ask me. It means when someone chooses to do right by others it is because they chose to, not because someone is forcing or directing them. I like to think that everyone thinks they are doing the right thing, and only act out against others because of strong emotions and ignorance. The cure for most negative emotions is a stable environment ((including medication for those who need it)) and the cure for ignorance is education. These are things that Sindria and the Seven Seas Alliance are able to provide. "All of you are using your privileges and talents to help people, and to bring peace to the world. Regardless of whatever mistakes you made in the past, this country and the current state of the world are a direct result of your choices. These choices you've all made are even more admirable because you made them on your own. Isn't that why so many have sided with Sindria already? It's also one of the main reasons I chose to become Sindria's Prophet in the first place. With your help, we can greatly reduce the disparity of this world and raise the quality of life for everyone." Her smile was soft and confident. Mori's waves overtook his own.

The King had a thought that shook him, but it was Hinahoho that asked it, "You didn't just tell us some of the taboo information, did you?" "What? No." Mori was shocked by that question. "His Majesty and others would have figured this out all on their own in about 5 years -not to mention those that already know it." He could try to deny it, return to the path he was on, but he would know deep down that she was right. And apparently, he would figure this out in the future anyway. There was no reason to hold himself back then. He could see that now -there was no going back. This was one of the changes he had felt in her waves from when he first met Mori. ///How can she say such foolishness?? This woman must die before she ruins everything!!/// A chuckle slipped out of Sinbad. That voice really did hate his Beautiful Prophet. His waves were changing. He was changing. But he still had the same dream: to create a world without war or poverty. Mori's goal was to remove disparity. Even their goals worked well together. Why had he been so sure that being a Singularity made him some special chosen one? When had that started? It was members of Al Thamen that had told him that. They were the enemy yet he still believed their manipulation so completely. Sinbad knew why deep down. If he was chosen by Fate then his actions would be righteous and the awful things he experienced were stepping stones. Like a child learning to take responsibility and step out of the shadow of their parents, in this too he would have to take ownership for his place in the world. He would be thinking about this a lot in the coming days. All of this information was invaluable. Why did Mori choose to follow him if she knew all this? There was no way she didn't know how he viewed himself and the world before this conversation or the mistakes he had made. Was it thanks to opportunities that the Great Flow gave him that he was able to seduce her to his side? No. Mori already knew what was going to happen. She knew the future more clearly than what the waves could show. She knew him and his methods as well. She knew that the Kou Fleet had been on it's way. That meant Mori would have been deciding where she wanted to go and weighing her options from the beginning. Mori made her decision, gave him a slow drip feed of what she was capable of, and made sure each request he had of her was given a price. She wasn't just withholding her help due to a lack of trust; she was leading him to make the best possible offer. She knew that he would try to bring her to his side if he knew her value. He had played into her hands not the other way around. Why didn't this realization upset him? This new information wasn't going to stop him from achieving his dream. In fact, now that he had a better idea of how the Great Flow worked he could consciously use it to his advantage. He got what he wanted and it was mutual -not simply Fate. They both wanted this. This was making him excited. The smile on her face was one he recognized. He had worn it when he was young whenever he had convinced others to his side. Mori was cut from the same cloth. She had agreed to have this conversation not just because of Ja'far's insistence; she was after the opportunity to clear up his misunderstanding about Fate. ((plz ignore that I forgot to draw my freckles in most of the shots and am too lazy to fix it.))

[teammagi]

Alikou

Mhmm. I’m quite conflicted on this. 

AliKou is nice. It’s pure. And so…vanilla. Probably why I don’t dig it as much. Actually any ship with Alibaba in it is sure to be boring (to me). 

Another reason I don’t dig it as much is because I ship Kougyoku with my grandson Aladdin, just a tad bit more. 

Overall: 4/10. Not my thing.  

[watanabes-cum-dump]

Meant for you chapter 7) Welcome to Reim

”Cheif Rametoto, I the warrior Hinahoho am grateful for your presence” Hinahoho said. 

Hina, Sinbad, Amaris and a woman who’s name was apparently Rurumu, knelt in front of an old weathered man, Rametoto, cheif of Imcakk. Hina stood, “We are here to ask for your permission, will you allow us, Hinahoho and Rurumu to get married? And leave the Imchakk clan?”

’Hina, choose your words more carefully’ Amaris thought. ‘You do not talk to a girl’s dad like that’

“Answer this question, warrior Hinahoho, what are you able to provide for my daughter? Wealth? Power? Status? My daughter has been cultured to be a warrior, she’s wanted nothing else her entire life. She has everything you can think of. So, I ask again; what can you provide to a person like her?” 

“At the moment, I am unable to provide her with anything” Hina replied. ‘Bad answer’ Amaris though with a wince. 

“Bastard! Who in their right mind would dare to insult the great cheif of Imchakk!? I’ll mangle you!” 

The cheif yelled, jumping down and swinging his staff just above Hinahoho’s shoulder. Amaris was surprised he didn’t even flinch, ‘Hina, you now have my respect’ Amaris thought, trembling from the sudden commotion.

”I am unable to provide anything for her in my current state” Hina said calmly. “That being said, we can work together to make our dreams come true” he said, turning to face Sinbad. 

“That is my master’s dream”

’Again, WHAT ABOUT ME!?’ Amaris mentally yelled. 

Timeskip...

They were off, with an agreement with Imchakk. They would sell things from Imchakk, and make a name for themselves as great merchants. But, there was a downside to this...

”A dress!? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Amaris yelled as Rurumu held a white dress in front of her. Rurumu frowned slightly “You are a lady, you should dress and act like one” 

The white haired girl ran behind Sinbad “Sin-kun, protect me!” Amaris yelped, hiding behind Sinbad. 

“I don’t see a problem with this. You would look good in that. Plus, she’s right. We’re not street kids anymore” 

Sinbad was dressed in fine clothes, having changed out of the ones the Imchakk gave him. He looked good, more clean, but Amaris wasn’t digging her outfit options. Sinbad sighed, knowing he wouldn’t win if she decided to argue, he pushed her further into the room and shut the door  behind him “Have fun!” 

Amaris trembled as Rurumu cast her shadow over her. “Ummm...”

Timeskip...

“It’s truly a pleasure to meet you. My name is Ja’far, and I’m what you would call a merchant. We’d be honoured if you could stock our products in your lovely store- What the hell am I saying!” Ja’far fumed. Amaris sighed beside him, “Don’t worry. Sometimes I wonder why I’m here too” she muttered. She was dressed in a simple but beautiful white dress held together by a rope, her hair was free of it’s ponytail and hanging by her shoulders, a gold circlet set off her white hair “I’ve had enough of this you old hag!” The boy yelled, slamming his fists in the table. 

Rurumu’s eye twitched “Old hag?”

Amaris and Sinbad jumped as Rurumu karate chopped the poor kid’s face. 

“How many times to I need to tell you; when addressing a mature lady, you address them and ‘miss’ or ‘madam’. We are now a part of Sinbad’s merchant crew, we have to act the part. The way we carry ourselves is the key to building strong and true trade relationships” the Imchakk women scolded.

A few minutes later....

”HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO AMOUNT TO ANYTHING IF YOU CAN’T EVEN READ!? YOU MUST ALSO LEARN CULTURE, GEOGRAPHY, AND OF COURSE MATHEMATICS!” Rurumu scolded. ‘I should have paid attention to my teacher’ Amaris thought, regretting not listening paying attention to her classes in the other world. But there was more hell to come. 

“Ja’far! Correct you’re posture!”

”Stay standing!” 

Soon enough, the three kids were on the ground exhausted. They saw Hina, Vittel, and Maho standing over them. “Hey how are you guys? Hanging in there?” Hina teased. “C’mon! You’ve got this!” Vittel encouraged. Amaris groaned while Ja’far grumbled about his headache. 

“Lunch time everyone!” Rurumu called. 

“I should have stayed in Parthevia...” Amaris groaned as Sin pulled her up. He patted her back with an apologetic smile. “Remember your manners now!” Rurumu said. Amaris saw the boys cringing, but she was used to this crap and just dug in. ‘Man this is good’ Amaris thought, taking a bite of the well cooked meat. 

An hour later, they were back to studying. It was just grammar and speech, Amaris was pretty good at it. Having spent most of her life in a world where everyone had the right to an education, she was a few leagues above the boys. “Hmm, Amaris dear, you sound like you know these things rather well” Rurumu said, checking her work. 

“Well, it’s not that hard really” she replied. 

“Indeed, for a noble, at least” Rurumu said, eying her almost suspiciously. 

“Yeah!” Sinbad piped up “I’ve always wondered why you’ve always been so smart, being able to write and read like that. But maybe you were a noble before we found you”

”Found her?” Rurumu repeated “I thought you two grew up in the slums together” Amaris sweat dropped nervously but Sin came to her rescue. 

“When we were eleven, we found Amaris passed out a little ways past the village. She had amnesia so we took her in” Sin explained. 

“Oh, well, I’m glad you’re starting to remember” Rurumu said, patting her head with her large hand. “And since you’re one step ahead of all my lessons, I won’t need to teach you anymore” 

“WHAT!?” Sinbad and Ja’far yelled. “Thank you!” Amaris exclaimed before heading off to tell Hina so he could assign her something to do. “No fair” Ja’far whined. 

Many nights passed and Amaris got to know everyone else better. She learned that Vittel was incredibly funny and that Maho was amazingly good at handling delicate things. And that Ja’far and her got sunburnt easily. Yep. (Haha I can’t relate since I have dark skip ;P) 

It was one faithful day when she saw the docks of Reim up ahead, Sinbad had climbed up onto the mast for a better view, she would have joined him but she couldn’t do shit in a dress. 

“All right, let’s get to business! There’s no time to waste so let’s go!” 

“Come one come all! Get you’re exclusive imported goods from Imchakk” Sinbad and Ja’far advertised while Amaris just hung back. A crowd of people gathered around to look at the goods. Most of the women over Sinbad, and most young men over Amaris. “Eh” Amaris sweat dropped nervously at her new admirers.

”What a beautiful girl” 

“Such fair skin” (I’ve been watching way too much Saiki k...) 

Over the crowd, Amaris could see Vittel with an amused look. “Help me!” She whisper yelled. Vittel shook his head and waved at her as he dealt with some customers. But, her saviours were the guards. “Break it up, break it up!” startled, the citizens cleared out. 

“You don’t have permission to set up shop here young man” one of the guards said. 

“Oh, I’m sorry sir” Sinbad replied “We’ll begin the appropriate procedure right away. Where do I go?” 

“You mean you don’t know anything about trading in Reim?” The first one said, the other sighed. “All universal transactions must go through the Reim union, which controls everything. Only the companies approved by the union are permitted to sell” the other one explained. 

“If there aren’t anymore questions then you can leave. That goes for all of you, move it!” The guard said. The people muttered as they walked away. A man in a blue cloak walked up and asked for the proprietor, Sinbad Of course answered him while Amaris helped clean up. “Yo Amaris! Box up everything we have! We have a deal!” Vittel yelled. 

“What!?” 

A sac of silver coins clinked onto the ground “Please accept this. I hope to do business with you again” the mysterious man said, and with that, he boarded his carriage and left. But that night, they were in for a surprise. 

“What’s going on here? These are our products” 

“And look at the price! They’re five-no-times higher!” 

“We were duped!” 

“That jerk took advantage of us” Hina growled. 

“He must make his money by buying and reselling goods” Sinbad said. “That being said, he plays it safe and targets non union merchants like us”

”I see” Rurumu said sadly when they met up and told her what happened. 

“How much did we loose Sinbad?” Hina asked. (I’m too lazy to write Hinahoho ok?) 

“I don’t know” was the purple head’s reply. Amaris sighed, “So much for our effort” 

“Bottom line is we need to join the union in order to conduct business in Reim. There’s no point in arguing about the resale” Ja’far and Vittel looked down. “I agree. I underestimated the trading business” Vittel said. “We all did” Rurumu sighed “But this is the reality of our business” 

“When it comes to trade, we’re total amateurs” Hina said. 

“What are you saying!? Isn’t that the fun of being in this business!?” Everyone looked at Sinbad, shocked. 

“But that guy made us look like idiots!” Ja’far protested. 

“Look at the big picture! That’s why it’s fun” 

“Huh?” 

“I respect merchants. Is you ask me I think they’re the shrewdest people to ever live! The world is run by money, and merchants move money. They have a huge roll in this world. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if I said that merchants move the world! Just think of it guys! We get to compete with people of that caliber! It’s nothing short of mind blowing!” 

Amaris felt the Rukh buzz in excitement, she didn’t know how but, it was a feeling. “I cannot believe you’re talking me into this again” Hina scoffed. “Our leader has spoken, and it is our duty to follow him!” 

“Sinbad, are you sure about this?” Rurumu, Hina, Ja’far, Vittel, Maho, and Amaris were in their boat. “Yeah. Head back to Imchakk as fast as you can and come back with new goods. Hopefully when you return I’ve settled things with the union” 

“Got it. We’re counting on you Sin” and they sailed off, leaving Sinbad on the docs. When they were about fifty yards away from the docs, Vittel grasped Amaris’ shoulders “Ok, spill  it. Do you have a crush on Sinbad?” 

“WH-WHAT!?”

[bigyack-com]

The Best Movies on Netflix in India [February 2020]

In its efforts to win Oscars and please its 167 million members, Netflix has been pouring billions into movies recently, including projects from or featuring the likes of Dwayne Johnson, Martin Scorsese, and Michael Bay. One of those — The Irishman — racked up 10 nominations for the streaming service at the 2020 Oscars, though it failed to come away with a single prize. Netflix has also expanded its film efforts in India in the past year, announcing projects from the likes of Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar. For now though, the strength of its catalogue is still the acquisitions. With over 3,500 movies, Netflix offers more choices than any other platform in India. To pick the best movies on Netflix, we relied on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and IMDb ratings to create a shortlist. The last of them was preferred for Indian films given the shortfalls of reviews aggregators in that department. Additionally, we used our own editorial judgement to add or remove a few. This list will be updated once every few months if there are any worthy additions or if some movies are removed from the service, so bookmark this page and keep checking in. Here are the best films currently available on Netflix in India, sorted alphabetically. 12 Monkeys (1995) Inspired by the 1962 French short La Jetée, a prisoner (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to learn more about the virus that wiped out nearly all of humanity. Terry Gilliam directs. 12 Years A Slave (2013) Duped into slavery on the account of a job, Steve McQueen's adaptation of a free New York black man's (Chiwetel Ejiofor) 19th-century memoir is an incredible true story, and an important watch. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) In Stanley Kubrick's highly-influential sci-fi film, humanity charts a course for Jupiter with the sentient computer HAL 9000, to understand the discovery of a black monolith affecting human evolution. It's less plot, and more a visual and aural experience.

3 Idiots (2009) In this satire of the Indian education system's social pressures, two friends recount their college days and how their third long-lost musketeer (Aamir Khan) inspired them to think creatively and independently in a heavily-conformist world. Co-written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement. 50/50 (2011) Inspired by a true story, a 27-year-old radio journalist (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is diagnosed with spinal cancer and learns the value of friendship and love as he battles the rare disease. Aamir (2008) Adapted from the 2006 Filipino film Cavite, a young Muslim NRI doctor (Rajeev Khandelwal) returning from the UK to India is forced to comply with terrorists' demands to carry out a bombing in Mumbai after they threaten his family. American History X (1998) In a film that's more relevant today than when it was made, a neo-Nazi white supremacist (Edward Norton), who served three years in prison for voluntary manslaughter, tries to prevent his younger brother from going down the same path. American Hustle (2013) In the late 1970s, two con artists (Christian Bale and Amy Adams) are forced to work for an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) and set up a sting operation that plans to bring down several corrupt politicians and members of the Mafia. Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner star alongside. Andaz Apna Apna (1994) Two slackers (Aamir Khan and Salman Khan) who belong to middle-class families vie for the affections of an heiress, and inadvertently become her protectors from a local gangster in Rajkumar Santoshi's cult comedy favourite. Andhadhun (2018) Inspired by the French short film L'Accordeur, this black comedy thriller is the story of a piano player (Ayushman Khurrana) who pretends to be visually-impaired and is caught in a web of twists and lies after he walks into a murder scene. Tabu, Radhika Apte star alongside. Apollo 13 (1995) Ron Howard dramatises the aborted Apollo 13 mission that put the astronauts in jeopardy after an on-board explosion ate up all the oxygen and forced NASA to abort and get the men home safely. Argo (2012) Ben Affleck directs and stars in this film about a CIA agent posing as a Hollywood producer scouting for location in Iran, in order to rescue six Americans during the US hostage crisis of 1979. Article 15 (2019) Ayushmann Khurrana plays a cop in this exploration of casteism, religious discrimination, and the current socio-political situation in India, which tracks a missing persons' case involving three teenage girls of a small village. A hard-hitting, well-made movie, though ironically, it was criticised for being casteist itself, and providing an outsider's perspective. The Avengers (2012) Earth's mightiest heroes — including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk — come together in this groundbreaking Marvel team-up from writer-director Joss Whedon to stop Thor's adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his alien army from subjugating mankind.

The Aviator (2004) With Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes and Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, Martin Scorsese dives into the life of the aviation pioneer and film producer, who grapples with severe OCD while his fame grows. Awakenings (1990) Robin Williams and Robert De Niro lead the cast of this drama based on a 1973 memoir of the same name, about a doctor (Williams) who discovers the beneficial effects of a drug on catatonic patients, thereby gifting them a new lease on life. Barfi! (2012) Set in the 1970s amidst the hills of Darjeeling, writer-director Anurag Basu tells the tale of three people (Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Ileana D'Cruz) as they learn to love while battling the notions held by society. Beasts of No Nation (2015) With civil war raging across a fictional African nation, this Netflix Original focuses on a young boy who's trained as a child soldier by a fierce warlord (Idris Elba), and the effects it has on him. Before Sunrise (1995) In the first chapter of Richard Linklater's long-drawn-out trilogy, two idealistic twentysomethings, an American man (Ethan Hawke) and a French woman (Julie Delpy), spend the night together walking around in the Austrian capital of Vienna. The Big Lebowski (1998) A guy known as The Dude (Jeff Bridges) seeks payback for his ruined carpet after he's mistaken for a millionaire with the same name in this crime comedy from the Coen brothers. Less about the plot and more about a way of living. The Big Short (2015) Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, a look at Wall Street's penchant for self-profit in a vicious loop that caused the 2007–08 global financial meltdown. Birdman (2014) Alejandro G. Iñárritu won three Oscars including Best Picture for this tale of a washed-up superhero actor (Michael Keaton) who struggles to revive his career with a Broadway play. Known for appearing as if it was shot in a single take, it also starred Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, and Emma Stone. Blade Runner (1982) One of the most influential cyberpunk films ever made is about a burnt-out cop (Harrison Ford) who reluctantly agrees to hunt down a group of fugitive “replicants”, synthetic humans with a limited life-span who aren't allowed to live on Earth. Blue Valentine (2010) Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams lead this drama that shifts between time periods to depict a couple's courtship and how their marriage fell apart. Das Boot (1981) One of the most authentic war movies ever made chronicles the life of a German submarine crew during World War II, as they go through long stretches of boredom and periods of intense conflict, while trying to maintain morale in a capsule 10 feet by 150 feet hundreds of metres under the surface. The Bourne trilogy (2002-07) Technically not a trilogy, but the first three chapters — Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum — starring Matt Damon in the lead as the titular CIA assassin suffering from amnesia were so good that they changed the longest-running spy franchise of all-time: James Bond.

The Breadwinner (2017) This animated film follows a 11-year-old girl living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, who disguises herself as a boy to provide for her family after the father is taken away without reason. Uses wonderfully-drawn vignettes to stress on the importance of storytelling. Bulbul Can Sing (2019) Three teenagers battle patriarchy and the moral police as they explore their sexual identities in Rima Das's National Award-winning drama — and pay for it dearly. Das writes, directs, shoots, edits, and handles costumes. C/o Kancharapalem (2018) Set in the eponymous Andhra Pradesh town, this Telugu film spans four love stories across religion, caste, and age — from a schoolboy to a middle-aged unmarried man. A debut for writer-director Venkatesh Maha, featuing a cast mostly made up of non-professional actors. Capernaum (2018) In the award-winning, highest-grossing Arabic film of all time, a 12-year-old from the slums of Beirut recounts his life leading up to a five-year sentence he's handed for stabbing someone, and in turn, his decision to sue his parents for child neglect. Captain Phillips (2013) The true story of a Somali pirate hijacking of a US cargo ship and its captain (Tom Hanks) being taken hostage, which spawns a rescue effort from the US Navy. The Bourne Ultimatum's Paul Greengrass directs. Cast Away (2000) After his plane crash-lands in the Pacific, a FedEx employee (Tom Hanks) wakes up on a deserted island and must use everything at his disposal and transform himself physically to survive living alone. Castle in the Sky (1986) In the first film officially under the Studio Ghibli banner, a young boy and a girl protect a magic crystal from pirates and military agents, while on the search for a legendary floating castle. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Chupke Chupke (1975) Hrishikesh Mukherjee's remake of the Bengali film Chhadmabeshi, in which a newly-wedded husband (Dharmendra) decides to play pranks on his wife's (Sharmila Tagore) supposedly smart brother-in-law. Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan also star. A Clockwork Orange (1971) Set in a near-future dystopian Britain, writer-director Stanley Kubrick adapts Anthony Burgess' novel of the same name, commenting on juvenile delinquency through the eyes of a small gang leader who enjoys "a bit of the old ultra-violence". Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Steven Spielberg's slow-paced sci-fi pic — which spent several years in development, being rewritten over and over — is about an everyday blue-collar guy (Richard Dreyfuss) whose humdrum life turns upside down after an encounter with an unidentified flying object (UFO).

Cold War (2018) Jumping either side of the Iron Curtain through the late 1940s to the 1960s, Oscar-winner Paweł Pawlikowski depicts the story of two star-crossed lovers, as they deal with Stalinism, rejection, jealousy, change, time — and their own temperaments. Company (2002) Inspired the real-life relationship between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan, director Ram Gopal Varma offers a look at how a henchman (Vivek Oberoi) climbs up the mobster ladder and befriends the boss (Ajay Devgn), before they fall out. Dallas Buyers Club (2013) Refusing to accept a death sentence from his doctor after being diagnosed with AIDS in the 1980s, the true story of an electrician and hustler (Matthew McConaughey) who smuggles banned medications from abroad. Dangal (2016) The extraordinary true story of amateur wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat (Aamir Khan) who trains his two daughters to become India's first world-class female wrestlers, who went on to win gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. The Dark Knight (2008) In the second part of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, regarded as the greatest comic book movie ever, Batman (Christian Bale) faces a villain, the Joker (Heath Ledger), he doesn't understand, and must go through hell to save Gotham and its people. Dev.D (2009) Anurag Kashyap offers a modern-day reimagining of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali romance classic Devdas, in which a man (Abhay Deol), having broken up with his childhood sweetheart, finds refuge in alcohol and drugs, before falling for a prostitute (Kalki Koechlin). Dheepan (2015) Winner of Cannes' top prize, three Sri Lankan refugees — including a Tamil Tiger soldier — pretend to be a family to gain asylum in France, where they soon realise that life isn't very different in the rough neighbourhoods. Dil Chahta Hai (2001) Farhan Akhtar's directorial debut about three inseparable childhood friends whose wildly different approach to relationships creates a strain on their friendship remains a cult favourite. Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Preity Zinta star. Django Unchained (2012) Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) helps a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) rescue his wife from a charming but cruel plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). Drive (2011) A stuntman moonlighting as a getaway driver (Ryan Gosling) grows fond of his neighbour and her young son, and then takes part in a botched heist to protect them from the debt-ridden husband.

Dunkirk (2017) Christopher Nolan's first historical war movie chronicles the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the French beaches of Dunkirk in World War II, using his love for non-linear storytelling by depicting three fronts — land, sea, and air — in time-shifted ways. The Edge of Seventeen (2016) In this coming-of-age comedy, the life of an awkward young woman (Hailee Steinfeld) gets more complex after her older brother starts dating her best friend, though she finds solace in an unexpected friendship and a teacher-slash-mentor (Woody Harrelson). End of Watch (2012) Before he made a terrible sci-fi remake of his own film, writer-director David Ayer took a near-documentarian lens to the day-to-day police work of two partners (Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña) in South Los Angeles, involving their friendship and dealings with criminal elements. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) An estranged couple (Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet) begin a new relationship unaware they dated previously, having erased each other from their memories, in what stands as writer Charlie Kaufman's defining work. The Exorcist (1973) One of the greatest horror films of all time, that has left a lasting influence on the genre and beyond, is about the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and her mother's attempts to save her with the help of two priests who perform exorcisms. The Florida Project (2017) Set in the shadow of Disney World, a precocious six-year-old girl (Brooklynn Prince) makes the most of her summer with her ragtag playmates, while her rebellious mother tries to make ends meet with the spectre of homelessness always hanging over them. Willem Dafoe stars alongside. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) In John Hughes' now-classic teen picture, a high schooler fakes being sick to spend the day with his girlfriend and his best friend, while his principal is determined to spy on him. Fruitvale Station (2013) Black Panther writer-director Ryan Coogler's first feature offered a look at the real-life events of a young California man's (Michael B. Jordan) death in a police shooting in 2008. Winner of two awards at Sundance Film Festival. Full Metal Jacket (1987) Stanley Kubrick follows a US marine nicknamed Joker from his days as a new recruit under the command of a ruthless sergeant, to his posting as a war correspondent in South Vietnam, while observing the effects of the war on his fellow soldiers.

Ghostbusters (1984) A bunch of eccentric paranormal enthusiasts start a ghost-catching business in New York, and then stumble upon a plot to wreak havoc by summoning ghosts. Gave birth to one of the most iconic song lyrics in history. Gol Maal (1979) A chartered accountant (Amol Palekar), with a knack for singing and acting, falls deep down the rabbit hole after lying to his boss that he has a twin, in this Hrishikesh Mukherjee comedy. Gone Girl (2014) Based on Gillian Flynn's best-selling novel and directed by David Fincher, a confounded husband (Ben Affleck) becomes the primary suspect in the sudden mystery disappearance of his wife (Rosamund Pike). GoodFellas (1990) Considered as one of the best gangster films of all time, it brought Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro together for the sixth time. Based on Nicholas Pilegg's 1985 non-fiction book Wiseguy, it tells the rise and fall story of mob associate Henry Hill, his friends and family between 1955 and 1980. Gravity (2013) Two US astronauts, a first-timer (Sandra Bullock) and another on his final mission (George Clooney), are stranded in space after their shuttle is destroyed, and then must battle debris and challenging conditions to return home. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) A bunch of intergalactic misfits, which includes a talking racoon and tree, come together to form a ragtag team in this Marvel adventure that needs no prior knowledge. Guru (2007) Mani Ratnam wrote and directed this rags-to-riches story of a ruthless and ambitious businessman (Abhishek Bachchan) who doesn't let anything stand in his way as he turns into India's biggest tycoon. Loosely inspired by the life of Dhirubhai Ambani. Haider (2014) Vishal Bhardwaj's Shakespearean trilogy concluded with this modern-day adaptation of Hamlet, that is also based on Basharat Peer's 1990s-Kashmir memoir Curfewed Night. Follows a young man (Shahid Kapoor) who returns home to investigate his father's disappearance and finds himself embroiled in the ongoing violent insurgency. Her (2013) A lonely man (Joaquin Phoenix) falls in love with an intelligent computer operating system (Scarlett Johansson), who enriches his life and learns from him, in Spike Jonze's masterpiece. Hot Fuzz (2007) A top London cop (Simon Pegg, also co-writer) is transferred to a sleepy English village for being the lone overachiever in a squad of slackers. A blend of relationship comedy and a genre cop movie. Edgar Wright directs. Hugo (2011) In 1930s Paris, a boy who lives alone in the walls of a train station tries to figure out the mystery involving his late father and his most treasured possession, an automaton, that needs a key to function. Martin Scorsese directs.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) In the best of four movies, Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen is forced to participate in a special edition of the Hunger Games, a competition where individuals fight to the death, featuring the winners of all previous competitions. I, Daniel Blake (2016) After a heart attack that leaves him unable to work, a widowed carpenter is forced to fight an obtuse British welfare system, while developing a strong bond with a single mother who has two children. Winner of the Palme d'Or. I Lost My Body (2019) In this animated Cannes winner, a severed hand escapes from a lab and scrambles through Paris to get back to his body, while recounting its past life that involved moving to France after an accident and falling in love. In This Corner of the World (2016) Set in Hiroshima during World War II, an 18-year-old woman agrees to marry a man she barely knows in this animated Japanese film, and then must learn to cope with life's daily struggles and find a way to push through as the war rages on around her. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Directed by Steven Spielberg off a story by George Lucas, an eponymous archaeologist (Harrison Ford) travels the world and battles a group of Nazis while looking for a mysterious artefact, in what is now often considered as one of the greatest films of all-time. Infernal Affairs (2002) Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning The Departed is a remake of this original Hong Kongian film, in which a police officer is working undercover in a Triad, while a Triad member is secretly working for the police. Both have the same objective: find the mole. Into the Wild (2007) Based on Jon Krakauer's nonfiction book, Sean Penn goes behind the camera to direct the story of a top student and athlete who gives up all possessions and savings to charity, and hitchhikes across America to live in the Alaskan wilderness. Iqbal (2005) In writer-director Nagesh Kukunoor's National Award-winning film, a hearing- and speech-impaired farm boy (Shreyas Talpade) pursues his passion for becoming a cricketer for the national squad, with the help of a washed-up ex-coach (Naseeruddin Shah). The Irishman (2019) Based on Charles Brandt's 2004 book “I Heard You Paint Houses”, Martin Scorsese offers an indulgent, overlong look at the life of a truck driver (Robert De Niro) who becomes a hitman working for the Bufalino crime family and labour union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino).

John Wick (2014) In the first part of what is now a series, a former hitman (Keanu Reeves) exits retirement to find and kill those that stole his car and killed his dog. Less story, more action, with the filmmakers drawing on anime, Hong Kong action cinema, Spaghetti Westerns, and French crime dramas. Jurassic Park (1993) It might be over 25 years old at this point but watching the very first Jurassic film from Steven Spielberg — based on Michael Crichton's novel, which he co-adapted — is a great way to remind yourself why the new series, Jurassic World, has no idea why it's doing. Kahaani (2012) A pregnant woman (Vidya Balan) travels from London to Kolkata to search for her missing husband in writer-director Sujoy Ghosh's National Award-winning mystery thriller, battling sexism and a cover-up along the way. Khosla Ka Ghosla! (2006) After a powerful property dealer (Boman Irani) holds a middle-class, middle-aged man's (Anupam Kher) newly-purchased property to ransom, his son and his son's friends devise a plot to dupe the swindling squatter and pay him back with his own money. Dibakar Banerjee's directorial debut. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) A coming-of-age story of the young titular witch, who opens an air delivery business, helps a bakery's pregnant owner in exchange for accommodation, and befriends a geeky boy during her year of self-discovery. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Lady Bird (2017) Greta Gerwig's directorial debut is a coming-of-age story of a high school senior (Saoirse Ronan) and her turbulent relationship with her mother (Laurie Metcalf), all while she figures out who she wants to be through friendships and short relationships. Lagaan (2001) Set in Victorian India, a village farmer (Aamir Khan) stakes everyone's future on a game of cricket with the well-equipped British, in exchange for a tax reprieve for three years. The Little Prince (2015) Antoine de Saint-Exupery's 1943 novella is given the animation treatment, in which an elderly pilot (Jeff Bridges) recounts his encounters with a young boy who claimed to be an extra-terrestrial prince to his neighbour, a young girl. Rachel McAdams, James Franco, and Marion Cotillard also voice. A Little Princess (1995) Alfonso Cuarón directs this tale of a young girl who is forced to become a servant by the headmistress at her New York boarding school, after her wealthy aristocratic father is presumed dead in World War I. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003) Peter Jackson brought J.R.R. Tolkien's expansive Middle-Earth to life in these three three-hour epics, which charts the journey of a meek hobbit (Elijah Wood) and his various companions, as they try to stop the Dark Lord Sauron by destroying the source of his power, the One Ring.

Loveless (2017) A Cannes winner about the social ills of life in modern Russia, told through the eyes of two separated parents who are drawn back together after their 12-year-old child goes missing. From award-winning director Andrey Zvyagintsev. The Lunchbox (2013) An unlikely mistake by Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox carrier system results in an unusual friendship between a young housewife (Nimrat Kaur) and an older widower (Irrfan Khan) about to retire from his job. Lupin the Third: Castle of Cagliostro (1979) In legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki's feature debut, a dashing master thief enlists the help of a long-time nemesis in the police and a fellow thief to rescue a princess from an evil count, and put an end to his counterfeit money operation. Marriage Story (2019) Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver play an entertainment industry couple going through a divorce, which pulls them — and their young son — from New York to Los Angeles, the two different hometowns of the protagonists. Mary Poppins (1964) Based on P.L. Travers' book series of the same name, a disciplined father hires a loving woman (Julie Andrews) — who he doesn't know is capable of magic — to be the nanny for his two mischievous children. Won five Oscars, including best actress for the debutant Andrews. Masaan (2015) Neeraj Ghaywan ventures into the heartland of India to explore the life of four people in his directorial debut, all of whom must battle issues of caste, culture and norms. Winner of a National Award and the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes. Million Dollar Baby (2004) An overlooked, veteran boxing trainer (Clint Eastwood, who also directs) reluctantly agrees to train a former waitress (Hilary Swank) to help achieve her dreams, which leads to a close father-daughter bond that will forever change their lives. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) With the organisation he works for disbanded and his country after him, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) races against time to prove the existence of the schemers pulling the strings in this fifth chapter. Introduced Rebecca Ferguson to the franchise. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) The legendary British comedy troupe mix their talents with the tale of King Arthur and his knights, as they look for the Holy Grail and encounter a series of horrors. A contender for the best comedy of all-time.

Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) Satire so cutting that it was banned for years in the UK and elsewhere, Life of Brian saw Monty Python turning their eyes on more long-form storytelling. The Life of Brian is the story of a young Jewish man born on the same day and next door to Jesus Christ, who gets mistaken for the messiah. Mudbound (2017) A Netflix Original, this World War II drama is set in rural Mississippi, and follows two veterans – one white and one black – who return home, and must deal with problems of racism in addition to PTSD. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) After his parents find out he has been pretending to be a doctor, a good-natured Mumbai underworld don (Sanjay Dutt) tries to redeem himself by enrolling in a medical college, where his compassion brushes up against the authoritarian dean (Boman Irani). Co-written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) Set in post-war rural Japan, a heart-warming tale of a professor's two young daughters who have adventures with friendly forest sprits. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Mystic River (2003) Three childhood friends reunite after a brutal murder, in which the victim is one's (Sean Penn) daughter, another (Kevin Bacon) is the case detective, and the third (Tim Robbins) is suspected by both. Clint Eastwood directs. Nightcrawler (2014) Jake Gyllenhaal plays a freelance video journalist with no ethics or morals who will do anything to get the best footage of violent crimes that local news stations love. A feature directorial debut for screenwriter Dan Gilroy. Ocean's Eleven (2001) In this first of Steven Soderbergh's trilogy, which features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon, Danny Ocean (Clooney) and his eleven associates plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos at the same time. Okja (2017) Part environment parable and part skewer of corporatisation, this underappreciated Netflix Original by Bong Joon-ho tells its story of a young Korean girl and her best friend – a giant pet pig – while effortlessly crossing genres. On Body and Soul (2017) A shy, introverted man and a woman who work at a Hungarian slaughterhouse discover they share the same dreams after an incident, and then try to make them come true.

Only Yesterday (1991) A Studio Ghibli production about a 27-year-old career-driven Tokyo woman who reminisces about her childhood on her way to the countryside to see her sister's family. Isao Takahata writes and directs. Paan Singh Tomar (2012) A true story of the eponymous soldier and athlete (Irrfan Khan) who won gold at the National Games, and later turned into a dacoit to resolve a land dispute. Won top honours for film and actor (Khan) at National Awards. Pan's Labyrinth (2006) In Guillermo del Toro's fantastical version of Spain five years after the civil war, Ofelia – a young stepdaughter of a cruel army officer – is told she is the reincarnated version of an underworld princess but must complete three tasks to prove herself. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) Emma Watson stars in this coming-of-age comedy based on the novel of the same name by Stephen Chbosky, who also wrote and directed the film. Watson plays one of two seniors who guide a nervous freshman. Phantom Thread (2017) Set in the glamourous couture world of 1950s post-war London, the life of a renowned dressmaker (Daniel Day-Lewis), who is used to women coming and going through his tailored life, unravels after he falls in love with a young, strong-willed waitress. Pink (2016) A lawyer (Amitabh Bachchan) comes out of retirement to help three women (Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, and Andrea Tariang) clear their names in a crime involving a politician's nephew (Angad Bedi). Won a National Award. PK (2014) A satirical comedy-drama that probes religious dogmas and superstitions, through the lens of an alien (Aamir Khan) who is stranded on Earth after he loses his personal communicator and befriends a TV journalist (Anushka Sharma) as he attempts to retrieve it. Porco Rosso (1992) Transformed into an anthropomorphic pig by an unusual curse, an Italian World War I ace fighter veteran now works as a freelance bounty hunter in 1930s Adriatic Sea in the Mediterranean. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Queen (2013) A 24-year-old shy woman (Kangana Ranaut) sets off on her honeymoon alone to Europe after her fiancé calls off the wedding a day prior. There, freed from the traditional trappings and with the help of new friends, she gains a newfound perspective on life. Director Vikas Bahl stands accused in the #MeToo movement.

Rang De Basanti (2006) Aamir Khan leads the ensemble cast of this award-winning film that focuses on four young New Delhi men who turn into revolutionary heroes themselves while playacting as five Indian freedom fighters from the 1920s for a docudrama. Ratatouille (2007) An anthropomorphic rat (Patton Oswalt) who longs to be a chef tries to achieve his dream by making an alliance with a young garbage boy at a Parisian restaurant. From Pixar. Rebecca (1940) Alfred Hitchcock's first American film is based on Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel of the same name, about a naïve, young woman who marries an aristocratic widower and then struggles under the intimidating reputation of his first wife, who died under mysterious circumstances. The Remains of the Day (1993) Made by the duo of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, this based-on-a-book film is about a dedicated and loyal butler (Anthony Hopkins), who gave much of his life — and missed out on a lot — serving a British lord who turns out to be a Nazi sympathiser. Reservoir Dogs (1992) After a simply jewellery heist goes wrong in Quentin Tarantino's feature-length debut, six criminals – Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, and Michael Madsen are a few of the actors – who don't know each other's identity start to suspect each other of being a police informant. The Revenant (2015) Leonardo DiCaprio and director Alejandro G. Iñárritu won Oscars for their work on this semi-biographical Western film set in the 1820s, which tells the story of frontiersman Hugh Glass and his quest for survival and justice amidst severe winters. Roma (2018) Alfonso Cuarón revisits his childhood in the eponymous Mexico City neighbourhood, during the political turmoil of the 1970s, through the eyes of a middle-class family's live-in maid, who takes care of the house and four children, while balancing the complications of her own personal life. Sairat (2016) In a tiny village in the Indian state of Maharashtra, a fisherman's son and a local politician's daughter fall in love, which sends ripples across the society because their families belong to different castes. Currently the highest-grossing Marathi-language film of all time. Scarface (1983) Al Pacino delivers one of his best performances as a Cuban refugee who arrives in 1980s Miami with nothing, rises the ranks to become a powerful drug kingpin, and then falls due to his ego, his paranoia, and a growing list of enemies. Se7en (1995) In this dark, gripping thriller from David Fincher, two detectives – one new (Brad Pitt) and one about to retire (Morgan Freeman) – hunt a serial killer (Kevin Spacey) who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives. Secret Superstar (2017) Though frequently melodramatic, this coming-of-age story – produced by Aamir Khan and wife Kiran Rao – of a Muslim girl from Vadodara who dreams of being a singer dealt with important social issues and broke several box office records during its theatrical run.

Sense and Sensibility (1995) Jane Austen's famous work is brought to life by director Ang Lee, about three sisters who are forced to seek financial security through marriage after the death of their wealthy father leaves them poor by the rules of inheritance. The Shining (1980) Stephen King's popular novel gets the film treatment from Stanley Kubrick, about a father who loses his sanity in an isolated hotel the family is staying at for the winter, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and the future. Shoplifters (2018) Winner of the top prize at Cannes, the story of a group of poverty-stricken outsiders scraping together an under-the-radar living in Tokyo, whose life is upended after they take in a new, young member. Hirokazu Kore-eda writes, directs, and edits. Shrek (2001) A half-parody of fairy tales, Shrek is about an eponymous ogre who agrees to help an evil lord get a queen in exchange for the deed to his swamp, filled with enough jokes for the adults and a simple plot children. A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016) Based on the manga of the same name, a coming-of-age story of a school bully who tries to make amends with a hearing-impaired girl he tormented back in the day, after the tables are turned on him. Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Two people (Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper) with pain and suffering in their past begin a road to recovery while training together for a dance competition, in what becomes an unlikely love story. The Sixth Sense (1999) In writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's best film to date, a child psychologist (Bruce Willis) tries to help a young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who can see and talk to the dead. Snowpiercer (2013) Chris Evans stars in this sci-fi from Bong Joon-ho, which takes place in a future ravaged by an experiment, where the survivors live on a train that continuously circles the globe and has led to a punishing new class system. The Social Network (2010) The tale of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg gets a slight fictional spin, as it explores how the young engineer was sued by twin brothers who claimed he stole their idea, and sold lies to his co-founder and squeezed him out.

Soni (2019) A short-tempered young policewoman and her cool-headed female boss must contend with ingrained misogyny in their daily lives and even at work, where it impacts their coordinated attempts to tackle the rise of crimes against women in Delhi. Spartacus (1960) After failing to land the title role in Ben-Hur, Kirk Douglas optioned a book with a similar theme, about a slave who led a revolt — known retrospectively as the Third Servile War — against the mighty Roman Empire. Won four Oscars and was named as one of the best historical epics. The Stranger (1946) A war crimes investigator hunts a high-ranking Nazi fugitive (Orson Welles, also director) hiding in the US state of Connecticut, who is also duping his naïve new wife. Super Deluxe (2019) An inter-linked anthology of four stories, involving an unfaithful wife, a transgender woman, a bunch of teenagers, which deal in sex, stigma, and spirituality. Runs at nearly three hours. Swades (2004) Shah Rukh Khan stars a successful NASA scientist in this based on a true story drama, who returns home to India to take his nanny to the US, rediscovers his roots and connects with the local village community in the process. Taare Zameen Par (2007) Sent to boarding school against his will, a dyslexic eight-year-old is helped by an unconventional art teacher (Aamir Khan) to overcome his disability and discover his true potential. Talvar (2015) Meghna Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj combine forces to tell the story of the 2008 Noida double murder case, in which a teenage girl and the family's hired servant were killed, and the inept police bungled the investigation. Uses the Rashomon effect for a three-pronged take. Tangerine (2015) Shot entirely on iPhones, a transgender female sex worker vows revenge on her boyfriend-pimp who cheated on her while she was in jail. Tangled (2010) Locked up by her overly protective mother, a young long-haired girl finally gets her wish to escape into the world outside thanks to a good-hearted thief, and discovers her true self.

Thithi (2016) In this award-winning Kannada-language film, set in a remote village in the state of Karnataka, three generations of men reflect on the death of their locally-famous, bad-tempered 101-year-old patriarch. Made with a cast of non-professional actors. The Town (2010) While a group of lifelong Boston friends plan a major final heist at Fenway Park, one of them (Ben Affleck) falls in love with the hostage from an earlier robbery, complicating matters. Train to Busan (2016) Stuck on a blood-drenched bullet train ride across Korea, a father and his daughter must fight their way through a countrywide zombie outbreak to make it to the only city that's safe. Tu Hai Mera Sunday (2016) Five thirty-something friends struggle to find a place in Mumbai where they can play football in peace in this light-hearted rom-com tale, which explores gender divides and social mores along the way. The Two Popes (2019) Inspired by real life, the tale of friendship that formed between Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce), the future Pope Francis, after the latter approached the former regarding his concerns with the direction of the Catholic Church. Udaan (2010) Vikramaditya Motwane made his directorial debut with this coming-of-age story of a teenager who is expelled from boarding school and returns home to the industrial town of Jamshedpur, where he must work at his oppressive father's factory. Udta Punjab (2016) With the eponymous Indian state's drug crisis as the backdrop, this black comedy crime film depicts the interwoven lives of a junior policeman (Diljit Dosanjh), an activist doctor (Kareena Kapoor), a migrant worker (Alia Bhatt), and a rock star (Shahid Kapoor). Uncut Gems (2019) A charismatic, New York-based Jewish jeweller and a gambling addict (Adam Sandler) ends up in over his head in this taut thriller, struggling to keep a lid on his family, desires, business, and enemies. The Untouchables (1987) With mobster Al Capone (Robert De Niro) making use of the rampant corruption during the Prohibition period in the US, federal agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) hand picks a team to expose his business and bring him to justice. Brian De Palma directs. Up in the Air (2009) A corporate downsizing expert (George Clooney) who loves living out of a suitcase finds his lifestyle threatened due to a potential love interest (Vera Farmiga) and an ambitious new hire (Anna Kendrick).

Vertigo (1958) Topping Citizen Kane in the latest Sight & Sound poll of greatest films of all time, Alfred Hitchcock's thriller about a detective afraid of heights who falls for an old friend's wife while investigating her strange activities continued his tradition of turning audiences into voyeurs. Village Rockstars (2017) A young Assamese girl of a widow pines to own a guitar and start her own rock band, but societal norms routinely get in the way. Rima Das writes, directs, shoots, edits, and handles costumes. Visaranai (2015) Winner of three National Awards and based on M. Chandrakumar's novel Lock Up, the story of four Tamil laborers who are framed and tortured by politically-motivated cops in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh. Vetrimaaran writes and directs. A Wednesday! (2008) Neeraj Pandey's film is set between 2 pm and 6 pm on a Wednesday, naturally, when a common man (Naseeruddin Shah) threatens to detonate five bombs in Mumbai unless four terrorists accused in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings case are released. Wonder Woman (2017) After a pilot crashes and informs them about an ongoing World War, an Amazonian princess (Gal Gadot) leaves her secluded life to enter the world of men and stop what she believes to be the return of Amazons' nemesis. Wreck-It Ralph (2012) This Disney animated film tells the story of a video game villain who sets out to fulfil his dream of becoming a hero but ends up bringing havoc to the entire arcade where he lives. Zero Dark Thirty (2012) The decade-long international manhunt for Osama bin Laden is the focus of this thriller from Kathryn Bigelow, dramatised as and when needed to keep a CIA intelligence analyst (Jessica Chastain) at the centre of the story. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, and Abhay Deol star as three childhood friends who set off on a bachelor trip across Spain, which becomes an opportunity to heal past wounds, combat their worst fears, and fall in love with life. Zodiac (2007) David Fincher signed on Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. to depict a cartoonist's (Gyllenhaal) obsession with figuring out the identity of the Zodiac Killer in the 1960s–70s. Zombieland (2009) A student looking for his parents (Jesse Eisenberg), a man looking for a favourite snack, and two con artist sisters join forces and take an extended road trip across a zombie-filled America, while they all search for a zombie-free sanctuary. Read the full article

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 8/21/19

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, Vol. 4 | By Reai and Suki Umemiya | Seven Seas – Aside from praising Iris’s innovations, this volume focuses more on the political end of things than the commerce end. Iris ends up attending the ball, and it goes better than she expected, mostly as the Queen Dowager is in her corner. In fact, honestly, things may go a little TOO well—the entire ball seems engineered to show off how the guy who dumped and exiled Iris is a hothead idiot, and Yuri seems to be doing an excellent job of manipulating the country into… running itself into the ground. But how invested should Iris be in all this, especially as she has to look out for her own nation, because there’s war on the horizon. Still an excellent political drama. – Sean Gaffney

Behind the Scenes!!, Vol. 7 | By Bisco Hatori | Viz Media – I enjoy Bisco Hatori’s humor, but her plotting is not a thing to behold. That said, as predicted, things resolved with the Ruka plotline, followed by a quick epilogue showing the film Goda made (honestly, the plot of the film sounds like a manga I’d love to see Hatori write), and then another epilogue several years later showing the two pairings (mostly) resolved and the two stars at ease with themselves and successful. There’s fun to be had here, but I can’t deny that I think this started a lot stronger than it ended, and I’m glad it did not end up as long as Ouran. I’d still recommend it to Hatori fans, though. Oh yes, and the amnesia arc proves to be as inconsequential as I suspected it would be. – Sean Gaffney

Cocoon Entwined, Vol. 1 | By Yuriko Hara | Yen Press – Hoshimiya Girls’ Academy has a unique tradition. The students have exceedingly long hair, and as the middle school third-year students are being measured for their high school uniforms, the high school third-years are finally having their hair cut, which will be used to make said uniforms. Cocoon Entwined so far is light on plot, heavy on atmosphere. We meet Yokozawa, a girl who seems to be able to sense breathing and/or heartbeats from the uniforms, and Saeki, the princely girl whom Yokozawa has feelings for. We don’t meet, except in flashback, the elusive Hoshimiya, granddaughter of the headmistress, who has locked herself in her room and for whom Saeki seemingly pines, much to Yokozawa’s dismay. I really liked this volume, even though there’s not a lot happening so far. I look forward to more, whenever it comes. – Michelle Smith

Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction, Vol. 6 | By Inio Asano | Viz Media – Thankfully, and despite Kadode assuring her friends that something happened, it’s suggested nothing did, and the teacher is leaving the city due to the ongoing chaos. Honestly, the world may not have all that long to go—even if the aliens don’t bring things to an end, can Japan really hold off America and everyone else? This still has a bit of a post-apocalyptic feel to it. Still, Futaba does end up getting lucky, so to speak, though the implication is that her politics and his desire for a non-serious relationship will make that a very short relationship. The best part of the story was Oran’s surprise birthday party, which was sweet as pie. I hope there’s more sweet moments ahead. – Sean Gaffney

Emanon, Vol. 1: Memories of Emanon | By Shinji Kaijo and Kenji Tsuruta | Dark Horse – I initially picked up Emanon due to Tsuruta’s involvement since I’ve been enjoying Wandering Island; I only later realized that Kaijo is an award-winning author. The Emanon manga is an adaptation of a series of stories written by Kaijo (also illustrated by Tsuruta) featuring a young woman who calls herself Emanon. Kaijo’s somewhat melancholic but engaging narratives lend themselves well to Tsuruta’s atmospheric artwork. There’s very little action in the first volume of the manga. For the most part, Tsuruta is capturing a reminiscence of a conversation between two people, a young man who enjoys speculative fiction and Emanon. She intrigues him, not only because of the air of mystery surrounding her but because she tells him that she holds memories reaching back to the beginning of life on Earth. Memories of Emanon, adapting Kaijo’s original story, is self-contained, but I’m greatly looking forward to the continuation of the series. – Ash Brown

Idol Dreams, Vol. 6 | By Arina Tanemura | VIZ Media – It’s been almost two years since I read a volume of Idol Dreams. I’d stop short of saying it has gotten good in the intervening time—there’s a lot of melodrama here, from the death of Hibiki’s little sister and him carrying on despite his grief (leading to the spectacularly cheesy line, “Sayaka, can you hear Hibiki singing?”) to the plotline revolving around Hanami’s pregnancy and the fact that it isn’t Tokita’s—but it’s certainly somewhat better, and I think that’s because this volume puts much more emphasis on Deguchi as an adult interacting with adults rather than her masquerading as a teen interacting with teens. It was even a little gratifying to see this mousey character haul off and smack Hanami for leaving Tokita at the altar. Do I care enough to keep reading? Maybe, especially if the next volume is the final one. – Michelle Smith

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 37 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | VIZ Media – And so, Magi comes to an end. There were some things I really liked about it, like how Ohtaka-sensei showed how Alibaba’s unfailing determination to fight the spell reminded various brainwashed people of other heroes they had known who had sacrificed everything for goals and countries that would no longer exist if everyone and everything returned to rukh. I liked how Kogyoku was desperately trying to get him to surrender to her before the arrival of the massive army in an attempt to save his life. The rest, though, is not completely clear. I get most of what Sinbad did, but I don’t really get how Aladdin emerged victorious. There was a big flash of light and then… happy epilogue? Which I guess is fine. The happy epilogue was what I really wanted, anyway. Overall, I enjoyed this series and its themes of self-determination. – Michelle Smith

My Hero Academia, Vol. 20 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – This is an excellent volume, but it’s definitely a “wrap up one plot and start another” sort of book. Midoriya stops the “villains” and we see the small series of tragedies behind their backstory. He makes it back for the festival—just—and it’s a blast, with Jiro at her best (the redrawn art helps) and Eri dazzled. Then we see the new hero rankings post-All Might, and Endeavor is finally top of the charts, but being #1 also means that people are after you as well, and there’s a pretty nasty fight towards the end. Will Endeavor win the day? And will Todoroki care? Great volume, but I think it’s all about Jiro and Eri’s big grins in the end. Those are wonderful smiles. – Sean Gaffney

Shortcake Cake, Vol. 5 | By suu Morishita | VIZ Media – Ten has realized she likes Riku after all and returns early after summer vacation because he’s alone in the boardinghouse. Meanwhile, Chiaki is getting bolder about expressing his feelings. The great part is that not only does he get this pertain to Ten—including a smooch at the end and a “What can I do so that you consider me?”—but to Riku, as well. Chiaki’s oddball personality is starting to come through, and the best chapter here is a cute interlude where he lies about the origins of a cup Riku broke so that they can go out shopping for a replacement together. It involves Riku winning an enormous bag of potato chips for Chiaki from a crane game. I’m not super invested in the romance angle of this story, but I do like the main trio of characters! – Michelle Smith

Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization, Vol. 4 | By Tomo Hirokawa, based on the story by Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – There’s an attempt to ramp up the danger here, given that we’re dealing with the death of NPCs, who technically aren’t real people (though honestly, most of SAO has been built around proving that false lately) and the fact that this time you really can log out and go back to your life. But the threat of the game being hacked, as well as users using drugs to “enhance” their experience, means that this time the Japanese government may finally shut down all these VR games for good—something that Kirito and Asuna in particular are determined to stop. Can they help save Premiere from her fate? And what about Anti-Premiere? – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 10 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – As expected, Okamon is shot down (very nicely) by Hana. Of course, Takane misunderstands. Indeed, the entire volume is about misunderstandings and poor communication, which is always a good fallback in romantic comedies like this one. We also get the backstory on how Takane met Nicola, and how, like Hana, he was at first completely annoyed by him till he saw his hidden nice side. There are not quite as many amusing faces as previous volumes (though the omake helps make up a lot of the difference). But in return we do get a bit more on the romance front, as a drunken Takane (they had a birthday party for him) ends up kissing Hana… on the nose. That said, the effect is devastating. Fun times. – Sean Gaffney

Yuri Life | By Kurukuruhime | Yen Press – We’ve seen quite a few yuri anthologies about adults lately and this one is a 4-koma one-shot, with each chapter focusing on a different couple, until we come around to the first one at the end. There are couples I found interesting. (One involves the Grim Reaper waiting for a woman to die, falling in love with her, and then having her romance be what enables the woman to keep living… so they have to part.) I will say they are “mostly” adult romances… one is teacher-student, with the student being sixteen, and it didn’t work for me. Nor did the one about the “yandere.” Still, there were more hits than misses, and if you’re looking for cute, sweet yuri that won’t stick in the head, this is decent enough. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[salmankhanholics]

★ ‘Bharat’: Salman is Salman, but also watch out for Katrina Kaif, says director Ali Abbas Zafar!

May 8, 2019

Khan and Kaif get back together for the official remake of the South Korean film ‘Ode to My Father’.

The release of his latest movie, Bharat, is barely a month away. Ask writer-director Ali Abbas Zafar how he’s feeling and he says, “I am hanging in there.” Despite having delivered consecutive hits with Gunday (2014), Sultan (2016) and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), Zafar says the period in the run-up to a release still feels like an exam.

Starring regular collaborators Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, Bharat is an adaptation of the 2014 Korean film Ode to My Father and tracks the journey of its hero over 70 years. Zafar spoke to Scroll.in on the butterflies in his stomach and the dreams in his head of creating an Avengers-style movie with Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn.

Why do you say you are ‘hanging in there’? This phase should be familiar to you by now. This phase is like the time after you have taken your board exams and you think you have done really well, and you are waiting for that one day when the results will drop. Look at the recent CBSE results, by the way. Kids today are scoring 99 percent. They are turning into robots! Thank god that kind of pressure was not there for us, especially because I was not very good at academics anyway.

So what brought you to storytelling? I loved watching films. I used to bunk school and college to watch movies in the theatre. Even now, I am happiest when I am either watching a film or when I am directing on set. When I was at Kirori Mal College [in Delhi], I was part of the theatre group. The college has very strong alumni, including Amitabh Bachchan, Satish Kaushik and Habib Faisal who, over a period of time, have made a mark in the Indian film fraternity.

I was studying biochemistry, but I could feel a shift towards art and cinema. I knew my parents would be unhappy if I told them I was going to Mumbai to make movies. Nevertheless, I came to Mumbai in 2006 and started working as an assistant.

You seem to have a great love for cinema of the 1970s.

Yes, that was the golden period for Indian cinema. There can’t be a better balance of content, commerce and storytelling than the cinema of the ’70s. Great filmmakers like Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Manoj Kumar were making some incredible films that were profitable, talking to people and raising questions that were very pertinent for society at that point in time. If we take that as a template even today, the business of cinema can go somewhere else.

Look at Avengers. It’s a simple revenge story, but the way the revenge story has been contemporised makes you feel, oh my god, where is the world going? Similarly with Game of Thrones. If you see the world today and see what GOT is doing: the Whitewalkers represent terrorism, and until we unite to fight terrorism, it is going to come and kill us.

Cinema is about a point of view and telling a story, and if you can do that keeping in mind the entertainment factor required by a mainstream commercial film, then you are through.

There is a ‘Forrest Gump’ feel to ‘Ode to My Father’. Have you incorporated that into ‘Bharat’ too? I think the makers of Ode were very impressed with Forest Gump. See, if you are trying to showcase life over 70 years, then it will lend itself to a storytelling pattern similar to Forest Gump. All three films are told in chapters because you have to link the story. So the similarity in screenplay structure is there, and every story in every chapter has a beginning, middle and end with specific characters that he only meets in those chapters of Bharat. I have not revealed the special characters in the trailer because there should be some surprises for the audience.

What kind of research did you put in for the 70-year period covered in ‘Bharat’? This was the biggest part of scripting. It took us a year and a half to research and write the film because every chapter had to come from a specific timeframe. For example, the migration that happened in 1947 or the wave of unemployment that hit the country in the 1960s and then what happened with globalisation – these events trigger the main plot.

You have worked with Salman Khan repeatedly. Has the equation changed over the years? No, it’s still the same. Salman is still unpredictable, he still pulls my leg, and has moods. We are very good off-camera. He’s almost like an elder brother. We share everything. He has a great sense of humour and he likes my sense of humour too.

But when we come on set, it is a very clear director-actor relationship. Over time, we have built trust, and I like working with him. He’s a great star, and I think there is a very beautiful actor in him that I explored in Sultan and Tiger and, hopefully, we have taken that forward in Bharat.

What about Katrina Kaif, who starred in your first film, ‘Mere Brother Ki Dulhan’ (2011)? I think Katrina is going through the best phase of her career – from Tiger Zinda Hai to Zero to Bharat. She is blooming as an actress. I think sometimes what happens in your real life starts showing on camera, and the kind of experiences she has had are making her into an actor with a lot of emotional depth. I would like to do a film with her that can exploit all her powers.

What are those powers? I feel she is stunning looking and blooming as an actress. When that combination happens, you can write any text and she will fly. With Bharat, you will see a completely improved side to her language too. We pushed her to speak regular Hindi. We polished it and did workshops and she was incredible.

Wouldn’t you like to work with other actors? I would love to work with others, but Bhai [Salman Khan] chhod hi nahi rahein hai mujhe. Of course, I hope he gives me another film to do, and I do have a story for the next Tiger film, which I am excited about. But I also really want to work with Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn. I want to create my version of the Avengers with the five of them.

[xxbyimm]

Enya’s unexpected journey - Chapter 21

For all other chapters, click the number: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16a, 16b, 17, 18, 19, 20 . 

OR: List of chapters

Hi.

It's been three months (yes, I feel SO FUCKING ashamed about that) but I finally found some energy to finish this chapter! I feel a bit anxious about posting again, but there we go... the damage is done. I have to admit I fucked this up by allowing Thorin and Enya to do their thing. And I'm not even sorry.

Please let me know what you think of the next chapter of their story!

Enjoy <3

PS. Gelek menu caragu rukhs = you smell like orc dung Uzfakuh = my greatest joy Ghivashel = treasure of all treasures.

Chapter 21

Summary:  Enya meets Bard the bowman. Will he allow her to leave Laketown? And will Thorin be happy to see her arriving in Erebor, or... not?

Taglist: @symphony25 @oakenshieldsmizimel, @nelswp, @bellastellaluna, @imagines-for-multiple-fandoms, @leah-halliwell92, @sassytyphoondetective, @jotink78, @armitageadoration, @patanghill17, @sweeticedtea, @evyiione, @fergrigori, @thegreyberet, @maeoneill, - Tumblr doesn’t want to tag some of you properly, I’m sorry!!! If you wish to be on this list, please let me know.

Warning: Enya’s swearing. Contains smut. Seriously. SMUT AHEAD. Proceed with caution.

‘Da, she’s not waking up!’

The sound of a honey-sweet voice in distress lured Enya from her slumber. Her body felt wrecked. She clenched her teeth when a burning sensation spread through her limbs, making her hiss softly. Good gods, what happened? She felt like she had a little (alright, a lot) too much to drink last night and then decided to run the marathon. Enya slowly opened her heavy eyelids, her senses still hazy from her recent unconscious state. Her surroundings seemed blurred and it took her vision a few seconds to adjust to the dimmed light. There was a wooden ceiling above her, the thick beams hoovering over her body. The room was warm though and Enya heard fire crackling in the distance. She was wrapped in a woolen blanket.

What the actual fuck?

The last thing she remembered was practicing her water skills on the docks… What happened? It seemed like she built a new habit in which she accidently woke up in all kind of places; not being able to recall how she got there in the first place.

‘She will wake up, sweetheart. Don’t you worry…’ The voice of a man hushed the little girl. ‘What if it’s the same as with mom?’ she answered. ‘What if she….’ There was a short silence between the two. ‘Don’t talk like that, Tilda. She’ll come around eventually, I’m sure of it. All we have to do is get her warm. Can you get some extra blankets from upstairs for me?’

Enya groaned softly as she attempted to get herself to sit up straight. How many hours had passed? For how long had she been like this? There was no time… The others must have reached the lonely mountain by now. She had to join them. She had to… ‘Hold it, my lady.’ Strong hands supported her sides and gently pushed her upright. Enya hissed again as a sharp pain shot through her spinal cord, a sign of her body to take it easy and let it be. She clenched her jaw, knowing she had to pull through. There was no time. She would kill for a heavy painkiller right now… Stupid damned middle earth!

‘Easy now…’ the man coaxed. ‘You’re lucky to be alive, my lady. You need some rest.’ ‘No time.’ Enya replied and looked up to see to which kind villager she owed her life, and probably her dignity as well.

‘Well hello there!’ her mind squealed and Enya bit her lip. If Thorin hadn’t been her one, if Mahal hadn’t designed them for each other… She would definitely not mind to hit that! This human male was very easy on the eye with raven black long locks and carefully trimmed facial hair. His hazelnut colored orbs were beautiful. The man himself was eyeing her in a friendly manner. He seemed intrigued by her appearance. Enya smiled faintly and sensed there probably was a lot of passion hidden below that kind surface. Yes, he was good-looking… But still… there was no way he could beat Thorin, nor could he best her king’s panties shredding gaze. ‘Jeez, how could we ever forget about that intense “sexual predator” stare our king can muster?’ her mind mused. ‘I mean, I know I lost my panties at some point… where are they anyway En?’

Well, since Thorin ripped them off her in the bedroom of the master of Laketown... Probably there. What if the master looked under his bed and found that shredded, lacy piece of underwear…

Oh god no.

She could only hope the master didn’t know what panties were… Or never found the need to search under his bed. Or be sexually active for that matter, because who would…? A giggle got stuck in her throat and pressed her lips together. This was no moment to get all jolly, god damnit.

‘Thank you.’ Enya murmured softly to the man as she tried to regain her composure. ‘I believe I owe you my life.’ The man shrugged. ‘It was nothing my lady. Allow me to carry you closer towards the fire.’ ‘I’m fine, I can walk.’ she muttered, scrambling herself together. The man inclined his head and took a step back. Enya took a deep breath and carefully lowered herself from the table. ‘See? I’m-’ she began, but then her surroundings became quite blurry again, making her grasp the table behind her. ‘No, you’re not fine. You’re as white as a sheet!’ He established. ‘Please…’ Enya nodded shortly, not liking the fact that this stranger was right. There was no way she was gonna walk towards the fireplace without collapsing down on the floor. She needed a break to catch her breath again. The man lifted her up and took her in his arms.

‘I found you on the docks. You were freezing cold and for a moment I thought you were dead.’ The man told her as he lowered her into a chair next to the hearth. ‘To be honest, I was a bit surprised to find a dwarrowdam like you. because I was under the impression all the dwarves of Erebor left this morning. Are you part of the company of Thorin Oakenshield?’ ‘Oh… Yes.. I-I was delayed.’ Enya answered, a little distracted by the fact that stranger knew the name of her one. ‘I meant to go after them as soon as possible, but something went very wrong.’ She stared in the distance and her brows furrowed together as she tried to remember what happened to her. ‘What’s your name?’ the man inclined as he studied her curiously. ‘Enya Blueheart.’ She said. ‘Princess of the firebeard clan.’ ‘I am Bard. Or Bard the bowman, as they like to call me around here.’ ‘Bowman? Now that’s an interesting name. What is your trade?’ ‘I’m a bargeman. I enable the trade between Laketown and the Woodland realm.’ ‘So where does the bow come in?’ Bard smiled faintly, not really looking forward to share his painful family history with a mere stranger. A dwarrowdam even. It puzzled him that this dam seemed genuinely interested. Every local was familiar with the story. Didn’t she know…? ‘The story is widely known around here, my lady.’ ‘I’m sorry.’ Enya said. ‘I didn’t mean to insult you. I grew up in...’ she paused, trying to figure out how much she wanted to share with this man. ‘The land I grew up in differs from here. I didn’t even know about my own heritage until I came to middle earth.’ ‘So you didn’t know you were a princess?’ Bard asked. Enya laughed. ‘Up until recently I believed I was a human. It was quite a shock when I learned that I am, in fact, a dwarf with royal background.’ ‘Nogrod…’ Bard muttered as he vaguely remembered something about the firebeard clan and the awful way they met their demise. It was a gruesome tale in which the last fire warlock of the clan died fighting a foul creature that served Morgoth: a dragon.

‘Miss Blueheart…’ Bard began as he handed her a drink. ‘May I ask how you ended up here?’ ‘Please, call me Enya.’ Enya replied and took a sip from the ale he had given her. ‘It’s a long story, I wouldn’t even know where to begin… Also…’ she grinned. ‘You successfully dodged my question about the bow, but that doesn’t mean I forgot it. Why the bow?’ ‘Alright. If you tell me your story, I tell you mine.’ The bargeman gave in. ‘Deal, but you start.’ ‘My family consists of a lineage of bowmen, but the people, or rather the master and deputy in this town like to call me by this name to give offend. My grandfather was Girion, the lord of Dale. He is the human who failed to take down Smaug with the precious black arrows when that wretched evilness came to take the lonely mountain. The city of Dale was destroyed because of this failure.’ Enya sensed the deep resentment Bard had for his forefather, but she decided not to pursue the matter. Instead she gave him a bright smile. ‘Mine died fighting a dragon too.’ ‘The warlock…?’ Bard immediately asked. ‘But your family was…’ ‘Yes. My grandfather was Emrak, the last fire warlock of the firebeard clan.’ Enya said, choosing her words carefully. There was no need to tell him more than he needed to know right now. Black holes, another dimensions, witch powers, memories that had been wiped away… it would be too much for a man who basically lived in the middles ages. Even a kind one. ‘My grandmother escaped from our city and got my mother elsewhere. I grew up thinking I was human.’ She laughed when she saw a frown appearing on Bard’s face. ‘A very tiny human.’ She added. ‘I just thought that my family was… different.’ ‘So you never met a dwarf before?’ Bard questioned, clearly puzzled by her story.

Well, shit. This one was clever, too. ‘All inhabitants in my country are men.’ Enya admitted. ‘Except for me and my family, of course.’ ‘What is this country you speak of?’ he asked. ‘It’s called America.’ Enya replied matter-of-factly. ‘A-me-ri-ca?’ Bard repeated slowly. ‘I’ve never heard of such a realm in middle earth.’ ‘And that’s why my grandmother Gigi chose to live there.’ Enya grinned. ‘Very few know of its existence. It’s quite a small country, and safe too.’

Lies, of course. Oh well, it wasn’t like Bard knew she was telling lies. She just alternated… the truth. ‘Whoooooop guuuurlll!!!!’ her mind cheered. ‘We dodged that question with style!!!’ ‘When I found out about my ancestry, I went looking for my roots.’ She continued. ‘And I ended up in the company to reclaim their homeland.’ Bard nodded, seeming to find her story reasonable enough, at least for now. ‘Yes, I heard about this quest. You support their mission?’ ‘I think they’ve got a noble cause.’ Enya smiled. ‘But something tells me you don’t.’ ‘No, I don’t.’ Bard agreed. He tried to keep his facial expression clear, but there was a flicker of anger in his eyes. ‘I seem to be the only one in this cursed town who thinks straight and thinks Thorin Oakenshield cannot enter the mountain. I tried to reason with the master but he wouldn’t listen.’ He ruffled his fingers through his hair, clearly upset by the subject. ‘The master is only thinking about the wealth that lies beneath those rocks, but he won’t consider the safety of his people. The dwarves will awake the dragon, I’m certain of that… and then what, Enya Blueheart? No one will be able to stop that evil thing. You and your company will die trying, leaving Laketown vulnerable to bear the consequences of their greed.’ ‘This is not about greed!’ Enya countered fiercely. ‘Erebor is their home, it’s the place where they belong! They just want to live in peace, don’t be-’ ‘As do we.’ Bard interrupted her. ‘Everyone in this town has lost someone that day in Dale. We don’t want any more trouble.’

Her blood started to boil as she heard this complete stranger judge the dwarves she had grown to love. He was harsh. He didn’t know how much they suffered, how much they were longing for their home… ‘But he lost things too.’ Her mind mused. ‘I bet he dreads the fact that our little journey towards Erebor will more or less force him to take his grandfather’s place. He’s just terrified. Cut him some slack.’

‘I understand you, I really do.’ Enya said, exhaling slowly to keep herself from yelling. She was in his home, after all. She’d better suck it up. ‘But don’t be harsh, you shouldn’t underestimate the dwarven race. We found a way to kill Smaug without him leaving Erebor.’ Bard shook his head. ‘I doubt that. Smaug is said to be huge and terrifying. And you’re telling me there is a way, INSIDE the mountain, to deal with such a great fire-drake?’ Enya tilted her head and her lips curved into a smile. ‘I’m certain of it. And I promise you I will do my best to make sure Smaug doesn’t leave Erebor, unless chopped up in pieces.’

There was a short silence between them, as they both pondered about the discussion that just had taken place. ‘What kind of weapon other than a black arrow can pierce a dragon’s hide?’ Bard mused while drinking his ale. ‘Do tell me: what does Thorin Oakenshield possess that is THAT powerful?’ Enya smirked. ‘I can’t tell you. It’s confidential.’ ‘Oh come on!’ Bard laughed. ‘It’s not like I’m going to tell Smaug about it.’ She pursed her lips. ‘Nope. I’m not spilling the secrets here.’ Bard shrugged and held up his cup of ale. ‘Alright, if you won’t tell this poor man how you plan to kill that fire-drake, let’s make a toast instead. To our grandfathers. Our ancestry.’ ‘To success.’ Enya approved and the cups clanked as they clashed against each other. ‘Thank you for saving my life, Bard.’ Enya repeated. ‘I don’t know how I can ever repay you for that.’ ‘You don’t-’

‘Da, is she a REAL dwarf?’

Both Bard and Enya almost jumped from their seats as a little girl appeared next to her, viewing her meticulously. She had the same brown eyes as her father, but her hair was much lighter; a more dark blonde color. She wore a blue dress and held a few heavy blankets in her arms. A teddy bear peeked from under the folds. She couldn’t be older than ten and Enya found her adorable. Bard wasn’t as taken with his daughter as Enya was, and he heaved a sigh. ‘That’s impolite, Tilda. You cannot ask that.’ ‘It’s okay.’ Enya reassured him. Bard smiled apologetically. ‘This is my youngest daughter, Tilda. Tilda, this is Enya Blueheart, princess of the firebeards. She belongs to the company of Thorin Oakenshield.’ ‘But.. where is your beard? And why isn’t it fiery?’ Tilda inquired. ‘Da always says that ALL dwarves have beards!’ A giggle escaped Enya’s mouth when she saw Bard’s humiliated face. ‘I know. But thank god, beards don’t run in my family.’ ‘Why not?’ ‘That is a very good question.’ Enya replied as she stood up, ignoring the pain in her back. ‘I will ask my fellow dwarves when I see them again.’ ‘I really think you should rest, because-’ Bard began, but he was interrupted by his daughter. ‘Where are you going?’ she asked as she stared up at Enya. ‘You just arrived here! I brought you blankets! Can you please stay and tell me more about your family?’ Enya shook her head. ‘I’m sorry Tilda, but I really have to get going. I’ve got things to do.’ But Tilda wasn’t having any of it and folded her arms, a haughty demanding expression displayed on her face. ‘Will you get back?’ ‘I might.’ Enya answered. ‘I can’t promise you anything.’ ‘But I never talked to a princess before!’ Tilda sulked. ‘Well, you talked to her just now.’ Bard told his daughter while sending her a warning glare. ‘Miss Blueheart has to be somewhere else, she doesn’t have time to chat with you.’ ‘I’m sorry, da.’ Tilda murmured. Enya tilted her head. ‘You know what, Tilda? When Erebor will be restored to its’ former glory, you are a welcomed guest and then I’ll show you all of my dresses.’ The child beamed. ‘Really?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Alright, then that’s settled.’ Bard said and turned to Tilda. ‘Will you put the blankets upstairs again?’

As the child ran upstairs the bowman eyed Enya curiously. ‘Do you even own a dress?’ he asked. ‘No.’ Enya granted. ‘But I have no doubt I will, in the future.’ ‘Let me get you one.’ Bard offered. ‘I still don’t think it’s wise for you to leave right away, but if you must… please let me find you other…’ A frown appeared on his face. ‘clothes.’ ‘Thank you, but I think I’ll be fine.’ ‘No, you’re not.’ Bard pressed. ‘Your clothing is still soaked and you’ll get sick if you travel like this.’ Hm, she knew he was probably right. Her skinny jeans hadn’t recovered yet from her recent adventure, and she doubted that they ever would. She knitted her brows together as she tried to regain the events of the previous day. She knew she had been practicing her water skills at the docks. And then something interrupted her, disturbing her. Wounded her.

But what?

The room started to spin around her and Enya took a deep breath as she tried to steady herself again. ‘You’re probably right.’ she muttered. ‘That would be most kind of you-’ A gasp left her mouth as Bard broke her fall by catching her in his arms. ‘See?’ he told her. ‘You’re exhausted. You’re not going anywhere before you have something to eat and I’ve found you some decent clothing to keep you warm.’ ‘There’s no time…’ Enya spluttered. A grin rose on Bard’s face, his eyes sparkling. ‘You’re not gonna kill a dragon like this, miss… Patience is a virtue.’

Finding her way towards Erebor was easy. The dark-brown colored breeches that Bard had given her were a bit too big, but one of Bain’s belts prevented them sliding down from her hips. The loose grey shirt and a blue coat she had put on weren’t perfect either, but it worked. Bard hadn’t been keen on the idea that Enya would have to cross the town like this, and he insisted she should wear some sort of dress above her clothing. He told her that the climate in the town already was unstable and that the master wouldn’t be too happy to find out that there still were dwarves in his territory. On the other hand, Enya insisted that she was fine; she could handle any situation. For a moment it didn’t look like they were going to find a satisfying compromise, until Sigrid came in and turned out to be a very resourceful young lady. She had wrapped a skirt around Enya’s breeches to mimic the presence of a dress. Enya shivered as the cold wind howled against her. It was surprisingly cold around the mountain and she suddenly felt very grateful that Bard had insisted on her wearing some sort of dress. Although it made the process of climbing the slopes a bit more complicated (she never wore those things anyway), she luckily didn’t have to worry about getting sick. She groaned as she lifted her skirt for the hundredth time to conquer the hill towards the old overlook where the company was supposed to meet Gandalf. If they still were there…

During her visit at Bard’s she learned that he had been very kind to the others in the company by smuggling them into town and delivering them some weapons. She didn’t understand why the town master and his creepy deputy Alfrid had decided to scrutinize the poor man’s every move. Although he was wrong about the quest- he was generous man, loyal to his neighbors and a hard working widower. They probably didn’t like him because he was a sight to behold, and they were… well… ‘Butt-ugly.’ Her mind commented. She smiled as she remembered Bard’s goodbye words as they parted their ways on the docks.

‘I do hope you succeed, Enya Blueheart. If you should fail, I’ll promise you I’ll take my grandfather’s place on the wind lance and shoot the last black arrow.’

It was a generous promise, because he didn’t owe her anything. He had done more for her than needed. In fact, her female intuition told her that Bard had been a little bit too kind. Enya shrugged away the thought. A groan escaped her as she finally reached the overlook and found it to be empty. The dwarves were nowhere to be seen, and even Gandalf (who was known to be notoriously late) wasn’t there. Had they managed to get inside Erebor? Enya closed her eyes and tried to remember the outline of the map Thorin had carried with him. She wished she had paid more attention to the destination of the journey instead of the dwarven king’s gorgeous features.

Well, at least it wasn’t entirely her fault. She couldn’t help it that her one was excruciatingly beautiful. Even Dolvira had noticed, right?

She continued her path northeast, making sure to keep the ruins of Dale on her right hand. Apart from the wind, a deadly silence reigned the slopes of the mountain. Enya almost felt like the bull in the china shop. What if she accidently woke the dragon? ‘That’s impossible.’ She huffed. ‘I’m pretty sure you’re less loud than thirteen dwarves…’ Well, to be fair that actually depended highly on her mood. She could, in fact, be a lot louder (screaming and cursing came to mind) than the others. A smile went across her face when she remembered Fíli and Kíli’s faces when they learned she was able to swear like a sailor. They weren’t that shocked though, they mostly seemed impressed anyway. She bit her lip. The rascals even asked her to learn them a few. In turn she learned some Khuzdul swearing words that had left even Bifur shocked. ‘Gelek menu caragu rukhs’ she muttered with a smile. ‘No… No.. don’t go there.’ She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to focus on the task that laid before her. She had to pay attention now. The secret door was on one of the mountain slopes. She scanned the area around here. The fact that there was a door, meant that there had to be a way to access it somewhere, a stairwell… or…

She stopped dead in her tracks, her mouth falling open in awe. A giant stone dwarf-soldier stood proudly against the mountain, carved directly from the mountain slope. It was magnificent in its own right, but once you looked closer… you could see the stairs carved in it. Enya gasped. Jesus, that was brilliant. Scary, but brilliant nevertheless.

‘I AIN’T CLIMBING THAT!’ her mind screamed. ‘I REFUSE! BLUEHEART, YOU’LL DIE IF YOU TRY!’

Enya heaved a sigh. So much for stunning self-confidence, eh? She walked up to the soldier and looked up. It was a pretty long distance to climb, and since she hated heights she probably should give the fire witch way of traveling a chance. She sat down on the rocks, making herself as comfortable as possible. She closed her eyes, focusing on the kilometers of earth stretching out beneath her feet. And all that she had to do was getting it to move upwards. She took a deep breath and smiled as there was something stirring under her. ‘Grow.’ She whispered. ‘Bring me to the platform I ought to be.’ The ground started shaking and she felt herself rising.

‘WE’RE GOING TO DIE!’ her mind howled. ‘STOP! STOP IT! OPEN YOUR EYES!’

Enya resisted the urge to do what her stupid inner voice suggested. There was no need to panic. She was totally safe, totally…

‘ENYA!!’ The voice of Dori happily greeting her reached her ears. The peeked through her eyelashes, and was relieved to see a platform. She quickly got on it and gave Dori a hug. ‘Glad to have you back again.’ He said with a big smile. ‘It’s a bad idea to try to kill a dragon without our fire witch…’ ‘You had instructions, Blueheart.’ Dwalin stood there watching her, his arms folded. ‘Well…’ she winked. ‘I’m bad at listening to my king anyway. I’m sure he’ll overlook the matter after he calms down.’ She looked around. ‘Where is he anyway? And where’s my favorite halfling?’ ‘Bilbo just went inside, but Thorin went in earlier.’ Balin replied, his face expressing genuine concern. ‘Are they both looking for the Arkenstone?’ Enya inquired. Dwalin shook his head. ‘No. Thorin went to the east wing, had to collect something before we go down.’ ‘But he’s gone for quite some time now, brother.’ Balin pressed, his tone worried. It seemed like they had been arguing about this subject for a while now. Dwalin gave his brother an ominous glare. ‘I still think we should go looking for him.’ Balin continued. ‘NO!’ Dwalin countered. ‘He told us explicitly not to follow him. He’ll be back. He’s our king and we should listen to him!’ ‘Which way?’ Enya mouthed at Balin while Dwalin continued yelling at him. The dwarf smiled at her and gestured with his head.

Turn right.

She nodded and slipped past Dwalin, through the secret door. She turned right and took a little sprint to make sure the dwarven warrior wouldn’t come after her to drag her back outside. Time to find her king.

‘Blueheart.’

She had wandered through the narrow corridors of Erebor for about twenty minutes when she heard his low voice calling her. It resonated through her body and evoked pleasant shivers that ran down her spine. She cocked a brow and turned around. ‘Oakenshield.’ He stood in the doorway of one of the many chambers in the hall, his arms leaning casually against the doorpost. The tension between them sparked and immediately became unbearable, the sparkles shooting between them almost visible to the naked eye. ‘Balin was concerned about you.’ She began. ‘He thought we should start looking for you.’ ‘I should have known that you would end up here anyway…’ Thorin grumbled, but his eyes twinkled as he spoke. ‘You never listen.’ ‘Mmm… You’re dodging my question, sir.’ Enya purred as her hands caressed his face, the coarse facial hair scratching her fingertips. ‘But alright... Does my presence here in Erebor make you mad?’ The dwarf king closed his eyes and sighed. ‘Yes. I want to protect you, I need you to be safe. And you won’t let me.’ Enya smiled and kissed him gently, earning a soft growl in return. ‘I was born to do this, Thorin.’ ‘I know.’ ‘And I can look after myself.’ ‘I know, but…’ His arms wound around her, pulling her closer to him. His lips brushed faintly over her cheek, finding their way to the pulse point under her ear. His breath tickled her neck and Enya’s brain, once again, stopped functioning. It was too easy for him to seduce her… Far too easy. ‘But what?’ she dared him, her voice sounding heavy with lust. She felt him smiling against her skin and she bit her lip. ‘But I want to take care of you.’ Thorin whispered in her ear. ‘You cannot deny me that.’ ‘I wouldn’t dare…’ she hummed softly against his lips. ‘Please take care of me.’ A low chuckle escaped his mouth, a faint smile opening up his face and his blue eyes already darkening with desire. He knew exactly what she meant, and it seemed that he had no problem with that at all. ‘Right here, my queen?’ A deep pink blush rose on her cheeks. ‘Yes.’

Thorin wasted no time and lifted her up, his arms sliding around her and his big sturdy hands covering her bottom. Their mouths clashed, hungrily taking in each other; like they had been apart for ages instead of twenty-four hours. Enya’s hands wandered over his torso, struggling to take off his heavy belt that held his clothing together. Thorin groaned and with one arm he steadied her against him, while leaving his other hand free to pull at the strings of her shirt. Enya pushed herself onto him, grinding against his hard length and Thorin hissed in response. They both gasped in surprise as the belt gave in and sprang open. It slipped down his body, landing on the floor with a loud clank.

‘Who gave you this clothing?’ Thorin inquired matter-of-factly, but the slightly tense undertone in his voice made Enya smile. Oh, she couldn’t help herself when he did the whole protective and jealous lover thing… It melted her heart. As if he ever would have to fear competition from others… Though it was really sweet to see how much he cared. ‘Bard.’ Enya replied, while kicking off one of her boots. ‘The bowman?’ the dwarven king muttered while knitting his brows together. ‘Oh Thorin, don’t be ridiculous!’ she giggled as she dropped the other boot on the floor. ‘I met him this morning in Laketown. He seems to be a nice guy.’ Thorin narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. Enya shook her head in disbelief. ‘Thorin…’ ‘As long as he doesn’t think you’re nice.’ He growled. ‘I will not-’ Enya put her lips on his before he could tell her the consequences the poor male would suffer for simply being kind to a future queen. ‘Are all dwarves this jealous and protective?’ she teased. ‘Yes.’ Thorin stated. ‘We are. And you’re no better.’ ‘No better?’ she countered. ‘Who says I’m-’ ‘Very.’ Thorin said in a low voice. A shiver went through her body and Enya bit her lip. He carried her into the room, towards a desk that stood in the corner of the room and put her on it. The dark-brown wood was cold against her bum and Enya was vaguely aware that the room must have been a private library once. The walls were covered with bookshelves and in the corner of her eye she saw a fireplace with a cozy chair, but.. At that moment she didn’t care where the fuck she was. Thorin was holding her and she needed him. She stripped him of his thick woolen vest and threw it in a corner. Her own blue coat followed seconds later. ‘And you… You stir things in me...’ He confessed while staring down at her, setting his hands on either of her sides. ‘Which makes thought of him eyeing you in ways he shouldn’t unbearable.’ His jaw was set in a harsh line, his lips pursed together, and his blue orbs were watching her fiercely. The red and blue undershirts he wore complimented him, the low V-necks revealing some bare skin and chest hair.

The sight was mouthwatering. Thank god her panties got lost hours ago, because with him looking like this, they would’ve come down on their own accord.

Enya couldn’t help herself and her hand traveled from his neck to his broad chest, her fingers unbuttoning the blue shirt. Thorin eyed her intently, his gaze fixed on her movements. She rucked the piece of clothing up and pulled it over his head. The red fabric followed the blue one on the floor shortly after. She bent forward and kissed him softly. Her nails trailed down over his abdomen, the muscles jolting under her touch. Thorin inhaled sharply as her hands went further down and cupped him through his breeches. A mischievous smile was displayed on her lips as she proceeded by undoing the laces and letting one her hand slip inside, stroking him slowly. Her other hand palm caressed his strong jaw, while her mouth left a pattern of kisses along his throat. Thorin’s head fell back and his lips formed a perfect ‘o’ shape when a moan escaped him. Enya dipped her tongue into his collarbone and trailed her way up to his jawbone. Thorin buckled his hips in response, pressing himself further in her hands. ‘Mesmerizing vixen!’ He hissed as his mouth searched for hers again. ‘Let me-’

He grasped her with force, but was alarmed when she whimpered in pain. ‘Are you alright?’ Thorin asked and he loosened his grip on her, careful not to strain her further. ‘Did I hurt you, uzfakuh?’ ‘No, not you. It happened… earlier.’ She said absent-mindedly as she gnawed on her bottom lip. His bared chest was very alluring to her, making the simple task of forming words difficult. Or remember the vague pain in her back. All she wanted was to go back to kissing his muscles, the scars, the… ‘Do enlighten me on this subject.’ he interrupted her train of thoughts. ‘Oh…’ Enya replied. ‘I hurt my back when I took a tumble from the docks into the water. That’s why I got other clothes…’ Thorin heaved a sigh while eyeing his queen with a soft smile. ‘And I thought you would be safe in Laketown…’ Enya laughed. ‘I told you- you’d better keep me close.’ ‘Perhaps I should...’ Thorin whispered, his breath tickling her face. Enya licked her lips in anticipation as he leaned in slightly, their lips almost touching. The air around them was so loaded, so strained, it made her head spin. He’d called her intoxicating many times before, but she was certain he himself was more tempting than she ever had been. ‘Let me do the work...’ He grumbled against her mouth. ‘You take it easy here.’ ‘You know that’s not in my nature…’ she hummed. ‘I’m not gonna take it laying down, if that’s what you mean.’ Her mouth curved into a smile. ‘In fact, I remember something you said about me being allowed to torment you once we’d be in Erebor…’ Thorin chuckled, lifted her up and on the other side of the room he lowered her on a soft rug before the fireplace. Enya moved her hand and five flames shot from her palms, ready to devour the carefully stacked logs that had lain there for… ages. Thorin hovered over her, his lips ghosting over her collarbone and making their way south in an antagonizing slow pace. His coarse beard caused her skin to burn slightly and his kisses left a tingly sensation. Enya’s cheeks reddened, her breathing changing rapidly. ‘I said that?’ he purred. ‘I don’t recall…’ ‘That damp prison wall we almost made love against…’ Enya blurted out. ‘Almost, yes…’ Thorin agreed. ‘But I think we caught up with that a few days later, don’t you?’ ‘Aye.’ She replied, as her mind went back to the long night in Laketown. Especially that round in which he had her pinned against the wall, slamming his hips against hers… The mere thought was enough to make her legs turn into jelly again. It had been perfect, he was simply perfect. She could’ve died a happy dwarrow that night…

Her thoughts stranded as Thorin pushed her shirt up, pulling it over her head and dropping it carelessly on the floor. His fingers loosened the skirt around her hips, stripping the cloth off. He undid her belt and slid her breeches down her body. He then kicked his own boots off and got rid of his trousers. ‘You’re so beautiful…’ he murmured while his hands traveled over her bared skin. ‘Mine.’ Enya groaned and their mouths met in a passionate kiss again, tongues swirling around each other. Her hands raked through his hair, tugging on the braids, her fingers memorizing the beads tied in it. Thorin broke the kiss but went on by caressing her face and leaving small bitemarks in her neck. His tongue journeyed south and dragged over her chest, flicking over both nipples before sucking on the sensitive skin. Her eyes rolled back when she felt his thick hand shoving between her thighs, parting her folds. One finger entered her while his thumb grazed her clit. A soft hiss escaped her mouth. ‘Fuck!’ Thorin sat up and with his free hand he lifted her right leg. Enya cried out as he kissed her foot and worked his way up; his beard deliciously scraping over her skin and leaving her with a slightly burning sensation. It was too much pleasure; his one hand still working her up and his mouth coming closer and closer towards her heated core… Her legs started to shiver in anticipation.

Oh god.

His hand pulled away from her, and her body arched up involuntary. Thorin chuckled and the low sound vibrated against her thighs, leaving her aching for his touch even more. ‘Oh god.’ She murmured softly. ‘Please..’ He leaned forward, placing featherlight kisses between her legs. She whined as the world stopped spinning, every nerve in her body focusing on the movements of his mouth. She cried out in agony as the tip of his tongue slipped briefly over her clit, the feeling leaving her begging for more. Thorin groaned softly as his hands moved under her ass, his fingers digging in the flesh of her buttocks. Enya bit back another moan as she felt him moving between her thighs, his beard setting the sensitive skin on fire. That damned beard was an absolute turn-on, a- Her breath hitched when his tongue lazily dragged over her entirely, swirling back to flick over her sensitive nub. Her fingers tangled into the rug beneath her, desperately seeking something to cling unto. Her teeth sunk in her lower lip as she gave in to all the remarkable pleasure he was giving her. Boy, he never stopped to amaze her. He knew exactly how to work her up and then to cool her down just enough to get her all crazy in seconds again. Her mind briefly wondered how he had become such a- She lost track of her thoughts when Thorin purred against her, the sound against her setting her off. Her body started shivering and Enya knew she wouldn’t survive long. Of course, she wanted more, in fact she wanted him to stay between her thighs forever, but she also wanted to last. And her treacherous body.. it would come undone far too soon for her liking, it had proven her that before.

‘Thorin, I NEED you!’ she demanded. ‘NOW!’

With ease, he pulled her on top of him. ‘Your pace. Ride me.’ He rasped as his fingers trailed over the curving of her hips. ‘Take me, my queen.’ ‘Your wish is my command.’ She breathed in his ear. ‘Alas I changed my mind… YOU can easily wait a little longer…’ ‘Cheater.’ Thorin husked while delivering a sharp smack to her ass. Enya shot up, her mouth opened wide in shock and her cheeks burning bright. ‘Excuse me sir!’ she exclaimed. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Thorin cocked a brow, arrogance all written over his face. ‘You asked for it.’ ‘Did I?’ With a smile she placed soft kisses on his neck, traveling down to his chest. She swirled her tongue over his nipples and playfully tugged on them with her teeth, earning a loud groan from him. Then she trailed further down south, her hands massaging his abdomen and her tongue delving over his hipbone. She then took his thick shaft in her hand and swirl her tongue over the head. ‘Enya...’ Thorin panted, his blue eyes wide open as he was watching her movements. Enya smiled coquettishly, her gaze burning though his while she took him in her mouth. Thorin made a strangled noise and his head fell back against the rug. The warm light of the fire brushed over his skin, making him even more irresistible. Enya went down on him, her cheeks hollowing as she sucked him hard. She flicked her tongue over the head, and her hands traveled just further down to caress his balls. A harsh, Khuzdul word left him and the sound echoed through the room. Enya smirked, feeling quite certain she was well on her way to drive him as insane as he had done to her before.

But it was not enough. They craved each other, the feeling of being united once again. She straddled his lap, lowering herself just enough to touch him. Her breath hitched as she grinded herself against him, the friction causing sparks of pleasure through her body. Thorin moaned, his hands gripping her hips and kneading the soft flesh. Their eyes connected as she allowed him to enter, his girth deliciously stretching her. Her eyes fell shut as she took in the feeling of him being entirely inside her. It was a powerful and addictive sensation, satisfying but then always leaving her hungry for more. She never knew she was even capable of being insatiable like this, but then she met Thorin, who’d easily complied with her wishes for hours… there were no limits. She never had wanted someone this badly, but he was her aphrodisiac, her life.

Thorin huffed, his hips surging forward and his fingers digging into her hips. ‘My pace.’ She growled while lifting herself up and eyeing down fiercely. A dirty smile crossed his lips, his eyes displaying pure desire. ‘I’m yours.’ He agreed. ‘Take me.’ Enya bent down and their mouth crashed. Her hips surged forward, making them both moan into the kiss.

Oh, she liked this, having all the control… Her view was absolutely stunning, her breathtaking king laying under her. She knew it wasn’t easy for him to let go, which made the meaning of their lovemaking so much more intense. A token of trust, of his love for her. She threw her head up when her hips found a circular rhythm that made him stroke the sweet spot inside of her.

It was all too much, and at the same time too little. She watched Thorin under her, his face displaying nothing but sheer pleasure. His eyes were darkened. Over his chest laid a thin layer of sweat, which made him even more desirable. She wanted to tell him how much she cared, how much she loved his stubborn and majestic ass, but her brain short-circuited and left her as a panting, sputtering mess. Thorin lurched up, taking her into his arms as she still rode him. The gesture was intimate, sexy as hell. And his eyes... she couldn’t bear to look into them, or to look away. He was intense, blazingly hot. She needed him more than life itself. ‘Mahal, Enya…’ he panted, his lips brushing over hers. ‘Ah!’ ‘Thorin!’ she moaned, rocking back and forth against him. He was incredibly close, she could feel him getting more rigid with every second. His breath hitched, coming in unsteady pants and fanning her ear. Waves of pleasure surged through her and every move of her hips took her higher. Her heart pounded in her chest, her vision became blurred. She was standing on the edge, she needed to… Thorin groaned and his mouth crashed on hers, they hopelessly clung onto each other while both seeking their impending release.

‘Enya, ghivashel!’ The sound of Thorin’s low voice in her ear, speaking in the language of their kin… It was enough to send her over the edge. Her nails dug into his back as she realized she had crossed the point of no return. She cried out as her orgasm peaked and took hold of her, shattering her body and numbing all of her other senses. Thorin stirred. A harsh growl left him as his own pleasure cracked; his shaft pulsated as he spilled his seed inside her.

He laid on his back and nuzzled her against his chest as they circled back to each other. ‘I wish we could stay like this forever.’ Enya whispered. Thorin smiled and caressed her hair. ‘I know.’ ‘How does it feel?’ she asked softly. ‘Being home again?’ ‘I can’t wait to show you everything’ Thorin confessed. ‘It’s confusing ... For a second I allowed myself to believe that it was alright. There was no dragon, just us... risking to be caught in my father’s study.’ Enya giggled and kissed his jawline, his beard tickling on her lips. ‘Now that would be something…’ Thorin smirked. ‘He’d probably kill us both if he found out.’ There was a short silence between them wherein they let their thoughts wander. ‘I’m sorry.’ Enya muttered. ‘For everything you’ve been through. I’m sorry for being such a pain in the ass sometimes.’ ‘Sometimes?!’ Thorin countered while biting his lip in an vain attempt not to laugh. ‘Would you imply that I’m always difficult?’ Enya sniggered and she moved her fingers to tickle his sides. Thorin burst into laughter and it was the most beautiful thing she heard. He didn’t laugh often, and she enjoyed the sound of his baritone voice vibrating through his chest. It was a warm sound, comforting and tempting at the same time. ‘Yes… you are.’ He breathed. ‘But you’re also incredibly sweet, kindhearted, witty and the most beautiful dwarrow I’ve ever seen. Every male envies me.’ He caught her gaze, a stunning smile displayed on his lips. ‘You match my temper, Blueheart. That’s good.’ He cleared his throat. ‘As for me, I owe you an apology. The way I acted towards you during the journey was unforgivable.’ ‘Hey’ she said. ‘I would have made myself very clear if you were really crossing hard boundaries. I understand you weren’t all too happy that I destroyed your self-control while you needed all of your strength to focus on the quest.’ ‘I kept insisting you were doing everything wrong. I wanted to keep myself sane, but you were so… alluring. Even when you... breathe.’ ‘Don’t worry.’ Enya smiled. ‘I understood your tirades as: you’re devilishly charming and I want you but I can’t lose my shit.’ Thorin chuckled. ‘Lose my shit...’ ‘I do have unusual ways of expressing myself.’ Enya admitted, biting back a giggle. ‘I assume I have to adjust my vocabulary once I become queen?’ ‘Perhaps.’ Thorin mused. ‘Although I wouldn’t mind watching you shock a few annoying and tedious nobles with your language.’ Enya grinned, picturing the scene in her head. ‘We have to go back.’ Thorin told her, his voice sounding full of regret. ‘Yes…’ Enya agreed as she sat up straight and grabbed her shirt. She threw it over her head and shot him a playful glance. ‘Now let’s go kill that dragon...’

[itsdanystormborn]

Sinbad no Bouken 176.

This is only a fan translation, don’t forget to support the official releases of Snb and the MangaOne app if you can, and

►[Please don’t repost without giving credits. If you use this translation, don’t forget to share the link to this post!]◄

Thanks to @soreita​ for the raw! ^^ For HQ scans please wait for @sinbad-ai ‘s post.

Night 176 “Beyond the end”

(Page 1)

TN: The chapter starts with Falan ( Ohh nice, he hasn’t killed her yet, looks like David wanted to play hide and seek for a while) running stairs up on the Palace with David following close behind, and apparently effortless floating while he does so.

Falan: SFX *haa, haa, haa*

SinDavid: Oh dear…. Where do you think you are going?

SinDavid: The best is yet to come, Isn’t it…. hmm?

  (Page 2)

SinDavid: Magician Falan.

FUHAHAHAHA

 TN: Falan is scares as heck and keeps running upstairs. Then, she thinks about Tess

 Falan: Tess… Tess, Tess, Tess…

  (Page 3)

TESS, TESS!!

UWAAAAAAAAAA!!!

AAAAAAAAAA!!

  TN: But David manipulates the space.

David:  It’s futile.

  (Page 4)

TN: Which results in him twisting Falan’s leg in a horrible horrible way

 Falan: AAAAAAAAAAAAA

David: It’s what I’ve been telling you.

Your death has been decided by “Destiny”.

No one can escape from “Destiny”

  (Page 5)

TN: Despite everything, Falan stands up again, finding her balance with her staff.

 David: Oh?

 TN: Falan keeps walking up stairs

 Falan: ….

… Tess.

Tess…

Tess…

Ahh, My cute Tess, Tess!!

I will never lose you again.

 TN: Falan makes her way to the protected room where she left king Ceylan

 This time for sure…. [ Implied -we’ll stay together-]

This time definitely!

TESS!!

TN: Ceylan appears in the panel, crying in his sleep while he clutches his staff with both hands.

  (Page 6)

 Falan: TESS.

 TN: But in the moment David does something.

   (Page 7)

TN: And then, Falan disintegrates. David watches with a little smile.

  (Page 8)

*In Al Thamen’s dimension.

 Al Thamen: !!

…..

She vanished.

Does it mean Falan is done for…?

Al Thamen: What do you mean?

We couldn’t sense anything….

 TN: In the back, two dark figures listen to the members conversation

  (Page 9)

TN: They are Arba and Ithnan, who look as puzzled as the rest of the members.

  *In the Palace

SinDavid: Oh my,

It seems like time is up already….

  (Page 10)

Have I used too much power with this body I’m not used to?... Oh, well.

I connected with the “Singularity”.

The day in which I’ll return to the world again is near….

Until that time, I’ll return this body to you.

Sinbad….

 TN: And David retreats.

  (Page 11)

 TN: Sinbad regains conscience and control of his body.

 Sinbad: ….

…..

huh?

What the heck am I….

Why am I in this place

…. ?

 TN: And then he feels the change within himself.

  (Page 12)

TN: Sin spits blood/throws up and falls on his knees, agitated.

Sinbad: What’s happening? Something is wrong with my body….

 It feels as if it wasn’t my own body.

It’s like I’m being torn apart from the inside.

What… is this feeling?

 My body…

What the heck is happening to my body!!!?

 TN: Black and white rukh flutter noisily around a very confused Sinbad.

  (Page 13)

TN: In that moment, The rukh starts taking shape. Sinbad looks up, the rukh forms of Serendine and more people stand in front of him. And the black rukh within himself reacts.

  (Page 14)

 Sinbad: ough!!

 What is this….?

Who in the world are you…?

 TN: And then, Sinbad leaves his phrase unfinished as he recognizes the silhouette of Serendine and the people who stand before him.

…

…

And that was it! AH! I thought David had been quick with Falan but he did make her suffer for a bit. How tragic….

Let’s see how Sinbad will react to his new condition! I want a new chapter already…

Thank you so much for reading!

[murasakihime]

It’s beautiful that in chapter 367, Kougyoku is among the characters that believe that life is worth living. Also, as herself inform us, she has realized that she wants to live her life proudly thanks to Alibaba.

Ever since Alibaba returned from the dead, he has been providing support to Kougyoku time after time. He even helped her in restoring her country.

Remember how Kougyoku had lost all hope believing that her country would be dissolved soon and that there wasn’t anything she could do about it:

It was then that Alibaba told her not to give up and later on he also offered to help her with her country’s issues:

Please note, that Kougyoku, who was previously desperate and crying about her situation, was able to become determined thanks to Alibaba’s help:

(Side note: Look how proud Alibaba seems to be after witnessing Kougyoku being confident for once),

Later on, Alibaba suggested that she should give a public speech as the Empress of Kou. Kougyoku was reluctant at first but Alibaba was able to motivate her to do so. Actually this is the part where he told her that she was the only one who could make her people live with pride. And it’s beautiful coming from him, the person who helped Kougyoku herself live with pride.

Kougyoku, after Alibaba’s encouragement, was able to deliver a great speech that inspired her people:

And once again, Alibaba was amazed by her:

After everything seemed to finally work on the benefit of the Empire, Alibaba told Kougyoku that everything was able to be achieved thanks to her motivating speech. He never claimed that he also helped in achieving that. All he wanted was to make sure that Kougyoku knew that her efforts helped her country:

 When Alibaba finally found out that Kougyoku actually knew Hakuryuu and the others’ whereabouts he wasn’t mad at her for not telling him before. Instead, once again he complimented her for carrying on that weight on her own and still helping her country:

I really believe that Alibaba’s encouragement played a huge role to Kougyoku’s development. It’s not that she wasn’t brave or capable enough to lead her country. She was just lacking confidence and Alibaba by believing in her and her abilities gave her that. 

That’s why she was able not only to motivate her people but also stand her ground to Sinbad and exiting the Alliance. 

Even when Kougyoku isn’t in front of him, Alibaba still believes in her and her choices. Look for example this conversation of his and Morgiana’s. Morgiana, who is already under Sinbad’s spell, told Alibaba that Kougyoku choice to leave the Alliance was wrong. But Alibaba defends Kougyoku’s action:

 When Kougyoku is also under Sinbad’s spell and she meets Alibaba on the battlefield she still doesn’t want to fight him. In fact, she throws her metal vessel away trying to figure out why he protests against Sinbad’s plan. She really thinks that this is the best plan and so she suggests to Alibaba to return to the rukh together.

Alibaba tells her not only that he won’t throw away his life but also that he won’t let her die:

Once again, Alibaba’s words have an effect on her. Kougyoku, despite being under Sinbad’s influence, starts to question her choices and eventually tries to fight to cut down her invisible chains.

Finally, Kougyoku and the rest of influenced people are able to break free. Kougyoku is about to start thinking about her choices when Alibaba stops her by reminding her that there is no time for that at the moment. He doesn’t only say that, though. He also confines that he was happy when she throw away her metal vessel in order to help him. His words once again have a positive effect on Kougyoku:

In conclusion, I want to note that while I’m an Alikou shipper I didn’t theorized or used these scenes to imply there was something more going on between them. All I did was putting the panels where Alibaba encourages Kougyoku on the last arc and commenting on them. You see, you don’t have to make things up about them because in canon there are already many wonderful scenes with them. That doesn’t mean that everyone has to ship them, though. But whether you see their relationship as mere friendship or you believe they could be something more, one thing is undeniable: Alibaba had a huge positive effect on Kougyoku.

[sinbad-ai]

Sinbad no Bouken 137 RAW + a Summary!

Here are the raws for Sinbad no Bouken 137! Looks like we are getting closer and closer to the destruction of Sindria 1.0... 

Just a reminder, to anyone who follows me and enjoys these raws/summaries, parts of or even all of these summaries could be completely wrong, so be advised as you read them as I am by no means a professional translator!

*** Disclaimer : Sinbad no Bouken is not my work. Please be sure to vote for Sinbad no Bouken every day on the MangaOne app if you have it!

This chapter starts off by taking us back in time to the night of the celebratory banquet, with Barbarossa having just given his speech. As the crowd cheers, Barbarossa turns to leave, and we see Falan standing behind the curtains. She is administering some kind of magic that seems to be making the people even more infatuated with Barbarossa. Barbarossa tells her that she can stop the magic and she does. She comments on how his speech was another success and about how she was able to help support him by swaying the people’s hearts with her magic. But Barbarossa passes it off as nonsense and tells her that humans are actually very simple. He explains that if you act like the leader that they wish for, then they will begin to think of you as that person. He tells her that they are foolish and pathetic creatures who only believe what’s convenient for them and that he would have no trouble even without her magic. He then adds that the effectiveness of her magic is weak anyway, as there were people in the crowd that were not affected. Falan seems quite shocked by this and we then see that he was talking about Arba, who had established a barrier around herself and king Hakutoku. Falan begins to explain why her magic had no effect on them, but Barbarossa shuts her down, saying that he doesn’t want to hear any excuses and that he has no interest in incompetent people. After he leaves, Falan hears someone laughing and turns to find two of Barbarossa’s underlings, Rotter and Memphis. Rotter tells her that she’s done for if Barbarossa went so far as to say that. Falan recognizes the two as members of the “four heavenly generals”, but Rotter tells her his name and says that she should remember it. He tells her that Barbarossa simply uses insignificant magicians like her for her magic and knowledge of the dungeons (which they used to modify their bodies). He tells her that, otherwise, he would not have used such a suspicious looking person. Memphis then speaks up and tells her that they are aware that her and her organization are planning something and warns her not to disrupt Barbarossa. As the two of them turn to leave, Falan clenches her staff and then goes to confront Arba.

Later, we see Falan accusing Arba of canceling out her magic and asks what she what she was doing. Arba admits that she had made a barrier and explains that there’d be an issue if “her Hakutoku” was affected by Falan’s magic. Falan becomes furious and begins to explain the implications of Arba’s actions, but is cut off by Arba telling her that she is disappointed by Falan’s king, Barbarossa. She tells her that he may seem better than the average person, but wonders if he’ll really be enough to create a large concentration of dark energy and brags that the Kou empire is closer to bringing forth “their father”. She then wishes Falan good luck and leaves.

The scene then changes again, and we see Falan, with her veil off, washing her face. She tells herself to calm down and reminds herself that what Arba said was just her usual nonsense. She thinks to herself that there is nothing wrong with her plan and assures herself that if she uses Barbarossa, she will be able to create a dark spot.  She then wonders what she would do if Barbarossa didn’t have what it takes and thinks that it would have all been for nothing if that turns out to be true. Her train of thought is then disrupted by the faint sound of someone coughing. She turns around and asks king Ceylan, who is lying in the bed next to her, if he’s okay. Ceylan then reaches out his tiny hand to her and asks her not leave him. He tells her that if everyone were to leave him, he’d be lonely. He tells her that both his father and older sister had left him and begs her not to go anywhere. Falan then thinks back to her time in Alma Torran, when Tess had pretty much said those exact same words, “don’t go mama”. She then holds Ceylan close, assuring him that she won’t be going anywhere and calls him Tess. She again reassures herself that she is not doing anything wrong and once again thinks about her mission to create a dark spot.  The scene then changes to show her working together with Barbarossa.  

Ou of nowhere, he orders her to stop visiting king Ceylan. He explains that king Ceylan is a symbol of the last of the royal family and, if need be, might have to be killed. He says that this is his purpose and tells her that showing him any extra emotion will only hinder them. He asks if she understands and she says that she does while thinking that she needs to find another vessel. She thinks to herself that there is one boy that she met in the Valfor dungeon who had enormous magical power and seemed to be able to see fate, Sinbad. She contemplates on how she had sent Judal to Sinbad, in hopes of being able to use him for something and thinks about how that seems he have been a good move. She also thinks about how Arba had stayed in one country and how she has yet to realize the possibility that a dark spot might be produced from Sinbad. She then reaches out to Judal, through the black rukh, and asks how things are going on his end. Annoyed, he tells her that nothing’s really changed. She tells him that she wants to know about the king vessel and asks if they are satisfactory. After a long pause, he asks if she’s referring to the excellent preparation of his king vessel. She confirms this and tells him that it will be very useful to them. She also tells him that he can increase the number of vessels if need be. He tells her that things have become quite interesting on his end.

And that does it for this week. Oh my, it looks like all the pieces are in place for this tragedy to finally unfold. It’s apparent now that Judar will be at the epicenter of this catastrophe. I feel so bad for Sinbad… he just can’t seem to catch a break.  On another note, the extra content included with this week’s chapter is three more pages of concept art for the Heliohapt arc. I hope you enjoy!  ^^b

[azvolrien]

Anchored Tempest - Chapter Nine

Regarding the WordPress: I’m still going to do it (when I get around to it) but I’ll continue posting stories here as well.

In which inclement weather poses an obstacle.

~~~

         It took four days of searching the corries and valleys around the foot of the highest of the Tempest Spires, in the constant shadow of the storm clouds, before they finally found the base of the Throat – a tunnel, as Karash had theorised – and then another two to fully clear away the landslide blocking its entrance. There was no elaborate carving beneath the rubble, just an open archway with a suggestion of broken hinges at the sides, but it was easily big enough to admit Karash.

           “What do you suppose they made it for?” wondered Nirali, testing the stability of the bottom step. It was reassuringly solid.

           “An emergency exit, probably,” said Una. She peered upwards into the storm, but the clouds completely concealed the stronghold. “I would guess from the size of the mountain itself that the High Citadel is much smaller than Eyrie Spire, the old Balaurin capital in the north, but there’s still probably room for many more humans than for dragons. If there was a fire or some other emergency, it would take too long to have the dragons ferry everyone out. Better to have a way out on foot.”

           “How did the rebels never find this way up?” asked Karash.

           “Not sure,” said Una. “But this valley is fairly well-hidden – surrounded by high ridges on three sides and a steep drop on the fourth. And look at the rock face above the doorway – there was an overhang hiding it from the air, before they collapsed it to seal the path. Whether or not the evacuees made it out of the mountains before the rebels found them… That’s another question.”

           Nirali touched her throat with a grimace. “If they were caught, it’s not mentioned in any of the songs I know,” she said. “But… I’m not sure how merciful the rebels would have been towards escaping Sky Kings, even civilians. After seven hundred years under the whip… I’m not sure the distinction would have mattered.”

           There was a short silence as they considered this. Karash was the first to break it.

           “Nothing to be done for them now, either way,” he said, and poked his head through the archway to look up the stairs. “There are brackets bolted to the walls,” he informed them, “but the torches are long gone, if they were ever there at all. We shouldn’t get lost – we’ll have to run out of up eventually – but it’ll be a dark climb.”

           “Actually…” said Una. She picked up a pebble of white quartz and pressed it between her palms, scrunching up her face in concentration. The pebble began to glow with a soft white light. “Here.” She tossed the pebble across to Karash, who caught it in one hand and held it up to inspect it. Its glow was bright enough that they would be able to see where they were putting their feet in the darkness of the Throat, but dim enough to avoid casting a painful glare in Nirali’s eyes. “A bit rough and ready, but it should last a few hours.”

           “How did you do that?” asked Karash.

           “Conjuring a witchlight is one of the most basic spells there is,” said Una, demonstrating. She closed her hand and the hovering light vanished. “And crystals are good at holding magic. Putting the two together is fairly straightforward, though a proper Constructist would have been able to make a more permanent lamp.”

           “I suppose we’ll meet you two – four – at the top, then,” said Nirali.

           Karash passed her the glowing pebble, frowning as some worrying thought struck him. “Una, do you have a long rope?”

           “Yes, there’s one in that saddlebag – why?”

           Karash took it without explaining, and tied one end to the girth of Star’s saddle and the other to Tsheer’s. Both creatures looked down, affronted. Star wanted to know what exactly that had been for. Ikara looked as if she quite seconded the question.

           “I don’t want you to get separated in the storm,” said Karash, once in Orcish and once in Balaurin. “This will help you to stick together, in case one of you needs help.” He turned to Ikara and asked her something, to which she just lowered her eyelids in an exasperated stare.

           “What are they talking about?” Una asked Nirali.

           Nirali smiled. “He’s telling her to make sure she has her snow boots and hood, because it’s bound to be cold up there.”

           Ikara gave an exaggerated sigh, but took the requested items from a pouch behind Tsheer’s saddle, held them up for Karash to see, and pointedly put them on before strapping her flying goggles over the hood. The fleece-lined boots looked more like oddly-shaped gloves to Una’s eyes, with a separate section for each of Ikara’s toes – four at the front and one at the side, almost like a thumb but neither long nor flexible enough to be truly opposable – but they fit snugly and still had tough leather soles. Karash nodded his satisfaction and stood back to let Ikara climb into the saddle.

           Star gave Una a pointed look. She took the hint and swung herself up onto her back.

           “Be careful up there,” said Karash in Orcish. “We’ll see you both soon!”

           Una and Ikara looked at each other. Ikara held up one hand and folded her fingers down one by one. On the last, both Star and Tsheer kicked off from the ground and took flight. The rope, thankfully, was long enough that they were not forced into an uncomfortably close formation as they flew north from the valley, gradually climbing until they were level with the clouds. Una pointed back towards the mountain; Ikara lifted a fist in acknowledgement, and both dragon and rukh plunged into the tempest.

           Within the storm was chaos. Although nothing fell to the ground below, hail pelted them like tiny slingstones, carried by the swirling winds in wild loops midair. Now and then, lightning crackled through the clouds, casting baffling shadows and brilliant glows; so close to the source there was no delay between the lightning and the crash of thunder.

           Star narrowed her eyes against the storm and held her wings to let it carry her, not fighting the wind as she tried to read it, watching the ways the hail flew and the clouds roiled. Around, up, down – although the way it was anchored around the mountain was thoroughly unnatural, the patterns within its clouds were not unlike an ordinary storm.

           She had it. With a signalling roar to Tsheer, Star angled her wings and rode the storm in a huge, narrowing spiral around the peak of the central mountain, now and then half-folding her wings against her sides to plunge through narrow gaps between one cloud mass and the next or rolling to stay away from another high peak that loomed out of the clouds. Una lay flat on her back and wrapped her arms around her neck; anything else just then would only distract Star from the half-seen, half-felt path she followed. Behind them, on the other end of the rope, Ikara did the same with Tsheer.

           The storm grew wilder, winds forcing them upwards; more hail battered them, and lightning struck harder and more frequently. Star roared, shying away from a bolt dangerously close to her wingtip, but quickly shook her head and forced herself to concentrate once more, forging onwards through the storm.

           The next instant, there was total calm. The clouds cleared and the wind died; above them, there was nothing but blue sky. Before them, standing proud in the eye of the storm, was the High Citadel.

           It was easily the highest mountain in the Eastern Highlands: a towering pyramidal peak, surrounded on all sides by near-vertical cliff faces tapering to a pointed rocky summit. The lower slopes, far below, sported a light covering of trees and bushes, but this high and this steep there was nothing but bare black stone and a thin covering of snow. As they drew closer, the Balaurin handiwork became clear: watch towers had been shaped from the rock at each corner of the peak, and soon the tiny pockmarks of windows and the low, wide mouths of the landing terraces and dragon halls could be seen.

           It was not, Star thought, unlike the Sky Kings’ old home of Black Mountain Keep, back in the Dragon’s Teeth. The mountain itself was similar and the style of carving was almost identical. She looked back to check Ikara and Tsheer were still with them – they were; Ikara had lifted her goggles from her eyes and was gaping blankly at the mountain – and set her wings for a steady glide in to the highest terrace. No different to exploring Eyrie Spire; she flared her wings out to slow her descent, lowered her hind legs to grip the stone, and dropped to all fours before hopping out of the way to make room for Tsheer. He gave himself a shake, shedding hailstones from his feathers as Ikara climbed down from his back.

           All four of them walked forwards into the emptiness of the dragon hall. It, too, was much like those in the strongholds in the north: a space wide enough for even the biggest dragon, carved from the mountain itself with huge nesting alcoves all around the wall. The main difference was at the far side: another dragon-sized archway, providing a path deeper inside where the inner passages of most strongholds were only suitable for humans.

           Una exhaled hard, watching her breath cloud in front of her. They were not so high that it was difficult to breathe – not for creatures like them, used to life in the mountains – but it was still bitterly cold. Ikara’s fur fluffed out on her shoulders and she pulled her snow hood a little tighter.

           Una conjured a witchlight and set it floating a few feet above their heads. “Well, if they left something here,” she said, thinking aloud, “they must have hid it much further inside.”

           “Yeah, it’s much too exposed in here,” said Ikara. “I spotted some shutters as we flew in, but they clearly didn’t bother to close them before they flew out to the battle.”

           A moment of silence. Then they both wheeled around to stare at each other.

           “I understood you!”

           “I understood you!”

           “But I’m still speaking Imperial-”

           “And I’m still speaking Orcish!”

           “But I understood what you said!”

A few more moments of silence. Then, in approximate unison:

           “What the fuck?”

           Una folded both hands behind her head. “There must- there must be some kind of, of… translation spell imbued into the stones of this place,” she said. “I know the Balaurin have translation magic – when I first came to live with them, they gave me a potion to drink that kind of… poured the knowledge of their language right into my head – but I’ve never heard of it working as, as a field like this.”

           Ikara ran her claws through her fur. “Nirali’s going to love this.”

           “Yeah, she is.” Una crossed her arms. “I’d rather wait for her and Karash before we explore this place. They’ll still be climbing all those stairs.”

           “Mm. We should find somewhere a bit more sheltered to wait. Try and see if they left anything to make a fire.”

           Unlike Eyrie Spire, where the population had had plenty of time to pack their things and leave, the High Citadel still showed signs of a rapid evacuation. Rooms still contained furniture, some of it tipped over in the inhabitants’ haste; wardrobes still contained clothes. Kitchens still held pieces of food, probably no longer good to eat but still preserved in the cold. After a couple of hours of wandering the deserted halls, they found a room with fewer draughts than most and took apart a couple of old chairs to make a fire. Una held out one hand, narrowing her eyes, until the broken wood sparked and popped as the flames took hold.

           Star lay down against one wall; Tsheer settled down by the opposite. Una and Ikara sat down with their backs to their respective beasts, facing each other across the fire.

           “Is your home in the north somewhere like this?” asked Ikara.

           Una shook her head. “No. Well… No.”

           “Hm?”

           “This place… It’s clearly patterned on the main Balaurin strongholds back in the Dragon’s Teeth. Places like Eyrie Spire, or Black Mountain Keep. A city fortified within a mountain. But all of those in the north were abandoned long ago. Where we – not just us, but the rest of the dragons, the last of the Balaurin – lived was a tiny village by the standards of the old empire.” She took a thin spar from the fire, blew out the end, and used it to sketch a rough map on the stone floor. “It’s all contained within one big corrie, on one face of a mountain,” she explained. “A central square, here, and homes for both humans and dragons dug into the rock – but not hollowing out the mountain like this place. Just a few sub-surface chambers. Recently our council decided to abandon the place and move everyone to a new site, further west and nearer… well, nearer civilisation, that’s a bit more like this, but the mountain isn’t as high.” She tossed the stick back into the flames and sat back against the side of Star’s neck, stretching out a hand to scratch the base of one horn. “Though if I’m honest with you? I love Star, and I get on well with the Balaurin, but… the Dragon’s Teeth aren’t home. Not in here.” She tapped her knuckles to her chest.  

           “Where is?”

           “Stormhaven. It’s where I was born, where I grew up, where my family is… It’s home. I think it always will be. But Star needs to be with other dragons, and it would cut my heart out to make her miserable.”

           Star appreciated it. She really did. With a soft croon, she curled her neck around Una and set her chin in her lap. Una gave a small smile and folded her arms on top of her head.

           Ikara prodded the base of the fire with her spear blade. “Tell me about your family.”

           “Yeah?”

           “Yeah.”

           “Well… You already know I’m an only child. My parents both work at the College of Sorcery, where I was trained in using my magic. My father is a teacher there – he leads the School of Combat. My mother is a librarian.”

           “A what?”

           “I… suppose you could think of her like a Memory-Singer,” said Una. “A keeper of knowledge. Except everything is written down, not just memorised.”

           Ikara nodded. “What you told Tagra back at the Warren – how much of that about them was true, and how much was just for effect?”

           “All true, every word of it. My mother can transform into an animal as easily as changing a hat. My father… You saw me blast those rocks from the cliff face back then? My father could probably have cracked the whole mountain in two.” She paused. “He wouldn’t, though. He’s quite a gentle soul. He and Karash would have fun swapping hair-care tips.”

           Ikara sniggered. “Karash usually spends a lot more time combing his fur than he’s been able to recently. Most of the males I know are pretty vain about their capes, secretly or otherwise.”

           “My mother is the parent you really want to watch out for.”

           “Yeah?”

           “Once when I was eight, I was at the market with her. A man grabbed her arm, and when he refused to let go, she bit his hand so hard that he almost lost two of his fingers. Blood everywhere.”

           Ikara blinked twice, hard.

           “She had an unconventional upbringing,” explained Una.

           “Sounds like a lesson for everyone involved,” said Ikara. “He learned not to grab people, you learned how to deal with someone grabbing you, and your mother learned the bite force needed to break skin.”

           “Oh, I think she knew that already.”

           Ikara poked the fire again, sending a little whirl of sparks up to the ceiling. “Karash is the only family I can remember,” she said. “I was very little when the others died – I hadn’t even outgrown my cradle-name yet. He was only eighteen himself. Some of the others in the village didn’t think he was old enough to take care of me. They used to say things about his childhood ending too soon.”

           “I don’t think I’d call eighteen a child. That’s more of a young adult. Gods, there are plenty of places where eighteen-year-olds are already married with their own kids.”

           “I know, right? But things worked out. I think I turned out all right, anyway.” She stroked the fine, soft feathers on the underside of Tsheer’s jaw, and the rukh made a quiet chittering sound in reply. “Some of the other Windkindred are much less well-adjusted.”

           “What’s a cradle-name?”

           “You don’t have those? No? Weird. Well, when somebody’s first born, you can’t expect to know what they’re going to be like, right? You can’t know what name’s going to fit. But you have to call a baby something, so they get given a cradle-name – usually something really straightforward and descriptive – until their parents have a better idea of a good name for them. People usually get their proper name when they’re a couple of years old, once their personality’s had more time to emerge.”

           Una tilted her head. “So what was your cradle-name?”

           Ikara sighed. “‘Little Red’.”

           “That’s certainly descriptive.”

           “You’re one to comment – your parents named you ‘First’!”

           Una laughed. “I’m actually named after my aunt – my mother’s sister. I never met her, she died long before I was born.”

           “People do that here as well, sometimes,” said Ikara. “Naming after family. Karash is named after one of our grandfathers.”

           “What was his cradle-name?”

           “D’you know, he’s never told me.”  

           It was a while longer until footsteps sounded in the corridor outside, a dim white light appeared, and Karash and Nirali looked around the doorjamb.

           “So this is where you stashed yourselves,” said Karash.

           “We thought we’d find somewhere to warm up,” said Una. “How were the stairs?”

           “Numerous and steep, but we made it. I- wait. That wasn’t Balaurin.”

           “Nope. Imperial. My first language.”

           “I… do not speak Imperial. How…?”

           “Magic,” breathed Nirali.

           “Magic,” confirmed Ikara.

           “Well.” Karash sat down by the fire. “I don’t know what kind of a trip you four had through the storm, but we have been climbing stairs ever since you left. Before we go poking around in this place, I think we would all benefit from a few hours’ sleep.”

           Nobody could bring themselves to argue too hard against that.

~~~

Honestly, Fayn asking that guy to let go first was progress for her. Only a few years before she would have gone straight to biting.

[hotnews69]

Generally, Bollywood films imitate the fairy tale template – the happily-ever-after scenario. But there are many films that were tearjerkers and went the sad way. Rather the tragic way! Dhadak was the latest entry to the list of Bollywood films, which that had a heart-breaking ending.

Even though the climax wasn’t exactly the same as the original Sairat, on which it was based, it nonetheless left audiences heartbroken. Here are some other Bollywood films that had a tragic ending – beginning of course with Dhadak.

Dhadak (2018) Director: Shashank Khaitan Dhadak was an adaptation of the Marathi blockbuster Sairat (2016). Produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, the film features Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter in pivotal roles. In Dhadak, we see two young college students, belonging to different financial backgrounds, falling in love with each other. This results in an intense conflict amongst their families. The two run away from their hometown and plan to live a life of their own away from the venom of society. Madhukar (Ishaan) and Parthavi (Janhvi) end up in Kolkata, where they finally began to lead a life of togetherness. But, one day, Parthavi’s father finds out where they are and sends her brothers to kill them. While Parthavi isn’t shown to be killed, she has to bear the heart-breaking sight of her husband and her only child, lying lifeless on the ground covered in blood.

Rockstar (2011) Director: Imtiaz Ali Rockstar was in the list of Bollywood films instrumental in proving that Ranbir Kapoor was not just good in the looks department but also in nuanced acting. Rockstar is a journey about Janardhan aka Jordan (Ranbir), who goes from being an ordinary college student to an international rock sensation. Jordan learns that you can only create great music when you go through heartbreak. So, he sets out to look for his own heartbreak. Jordan goes after the prettiest lady in college knowing that he will be heartbroken for sure. But it leads to the most unusual love story. The chapter of Jordan and Heer (Nargis Fakhri) never ends and leads them to a path that ultimately destroys their lives. Despite Jordan going to jail and shown in dark shades, we see that he’s just an ordinary man looking for love. After falling in love with Heer, being a rockstar isn’t his dream anymore. Realising that he will never be with her, expressing his pain through music is all that he has left. Ranbir nailed the transformation of an introvert to a raging rockstar and made the audiences fall in love with this esoteric concept of love.

Rang De Basanti (2006) Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Rang De Basanti served as a wakeup call to the youth of India. This has to be included in the list of Bollywood films that showcased the power of friendship. The film revolves around five friends, played by Aamir Khan, Soha Ali, Kunal Kapoor, Siddharth and Sharman Joshi. They go through such a rollercoaster ride which changes their lives completely. The central character or sutradhar of the film is Sue McKinley (Alice Patten), a young documentary maker, who comes to India armed with her grandfather’s diary and a mission to make a film on the freedom fighters of India. The diary holds the lessons that he learnt from the freedom fighters. The first of half of the film hints how the characters in the film are unconsciously similar to the ones in the documentary. While the first half was all fun and games, the second half took a completely different approach. Their friend Ajay (R. Madhavan) becomes a victim of an aircraft accident. While the real reason of the accident was the faulty aircraft,  which the government used for cutting costs, it was Ajay’s poor piloting skills that were highlighted by the government. Enraged by this, his five friends decide to take the matter in their own hands. They realise that if they want to see change in the mind-sets of society, they will have to bring it about. They end up taking over a radio station, through which they try to bring the real truth of the incident in front of the public and expose the government. But, they end up being killed by the police for this act. In fact, even when death stares them in the face, they take it with a smile, knowing they were sacrificing themselves for their friend.

Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) Director:  Nikkhil Advani Kal Ho Naa Ho was a movie that taught us to live each day to its fullest. The story revolved around Naina Catherine Kapur (Preity Zinta), a pessimistic and uptight MBA student, who lives in New York City with her widowed mother. With the burden of so many responsibilities, Naina somewhere forgets to enjoy her own life. And during this phase, she comes across a special friend in the form of Aman Mehra (Shah Rukh Khan), a person who wins her heart with his helpfulness and warmth. He teaches her to enjoy life again. It’s then revealed that Aman is suffering from cancer and has limited time, he tries to make two close friends Rohit Patel (Saif Ali Khan) and Naina fall in love as he does not want Naina to remain lonely and face the burden of his death. Aman urges Rohit to marry Naina to honour his dying wish. On his deathbed, he tells Rohit that even though Naina is his wife in this lifetime, he will make her his in the next. That was a poignant declaration. This is define definitely amongst the Bollywood films that will leave you teary eyed at the climax, thanks to Shah Rukh Khan nailing his role.

Devdas (2002) Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali   Devdas was another inclusion in the list of Bollywood films that were adapted from novels. It was based on Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's 1917 iconic novel bearing the same name. The movie is about Devdas Mukherji (Shah Rukh Khan), who after completing 10 years of studying in London, returns to his hometown in Bengal. He reunites with his childhood sweetheart Paro (Aishwarya Rai) and their love takes wings. They are all set to marry but Dev’s mother disapproves of the match as Paro belongs to a lower cast. Paro’s mother arranges for her to be married to a rich widower. Heartbroken, Devdas becomes an alcoholic. A courtesan, Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit), falls in love with him but even her love isn’t enough to make him want to live. This classic tale of love and humiliation, pride and prejudice, self-annihilation and sacrifice, was earlier made twice. One with KL Saigal and the other with Dilip Kumar. from filmfares https://ift.tt/2LV1VWs

[itsdanystormborn]

MAGI 369 Full Translation        [Final chapter]

Disclaimer: i only to this for fun, to share it with you guys, and to practice my japanese :) which is very basic so keep in mind that i could be completely mistaken in some parts.  This is just a fan translation of incomplete spoilers, so: Don’t forget to support the official releases of Magi!  

[Please don’t repost without giving credits. If you use this translation, don’t forget to share the link to this post!]

@maumauxmau @sayakakat2012

Note: This is an only text Japanese to English translation. If you want, you can read this together with the raw or the korean scans.

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Page 1

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Night 369 “Wish”

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Page 1

Narration:

The ultimate Magical adventure story ‘s “Great final” …!!?

Red circle:

 Alibaba, the man who protected the world even though the world saw him as an enemy.

 Narration: 

The hero who resisted destiny, starts being resisted by Morgiana. Final Episode!

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Alibaba: Morgiana!! I love you!! Marry me!!

Morgiana: I’m sorry…

Alibaba: What!!?

Page 2

 Alibaba: why!?

Morgiana: “Why”, well… As you can see, our new home is also a mountain of rubble and….

Morgiana: My wedding dress has also been reduced to this.

Everyone might also be busy with the restoration, so let’s postpone the ceremony.

Alibaba: To worry about a dress for the occasion… whatever is fine!

Anyway, let’s establish the fact that we became husband and wife as soon as possible!!

TN: But Alibaba never said that, he only thought about it ^^

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Alibaba: Let’s postpone it then…!!

Page 3

Alibaba’s thoughts: Perhaps what to wear on a sunny day…. is something important to girls…? I value Morgiana’s feelings…

And thus, I will drown myself in work…

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Aladdin: hey, what’s wrong Mor san?

Morgiana: Aladdin. The truth is…

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 Page 4

*Change of Setting! With Alibaba.

Alibaba: I am Alibaba Saluja. I’m not a metal vessel user or anything anymore, but only a merchant!

2 months have passed since that battle. The Alibaba company is helping to rebuild towns all over the world.  You can see this scene from east to west everyday due to material brokerage.

Toto: Olba! Tell toto that she’s beautiful today too!♥

 Alibaba: Don’t make out with your husband! You two go to work!!!!!

 Manuscript: people are watching, aren’t they?

 Worker: The magic transfer circle to go to Remano is ready to operate!

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*Reim Empire- Remano

Alibaba: Hello, this is The Alibaba company….

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Kougyoku: Alibaba chan? Hey, Alibaba chan?

Page 5

Kougyoku: I’ve been staying up all night so i can see nothing but a yellow ghost….

Takueruhiko: Here is the Border of Sindria and Kina!!

Spartos: Lord Takeruhiko! You are making too many controversial statements!

Takeruhiko: What!? Spartos, you are starting to look like Darius, don’t you think!?

 Pisti: I want to redo the census and some laws here!

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Alibaba: Titus, you seem busy!

Titus: Hey Alibaba!

Titus: I cannot rest. Because we have to rebuild our country from this unprecedent view.

Alibaba’s thoughts: That’s right. It was all good until the dungeon towers were destroyed and the “Magic that returns the world to the Rukh” was interrupted, but…

After the magic was broken, the topography all over the world was extremely altered!!

Page 6

Alibaba’s thoughts: There is sea in the place where the mountains were. There is sky in the place where the sea was! Where are the national borders now? Nobody knows at all!

 Page 7

Alibaba’s thoughts: The leaders of every nation, in order to stabilize the lives of their people at any rate…

They decided work hard to collaborate in reconstruction work regardless of their past interests.

  Page 8

Drakon: My household and my assimilated body also returned to normal…

Drakon: Sinbad….

Have you vanished away? If you were here...

Drakon: ….

Drakon: No…

TN: Drakon has a flashback of Magi 317

Drakon: I was too dependent of you. I’m sorry i couldn’t understand that. 

I won’t only rely on you... not anymore.

 Page 9

Ja’far: Sin, I believe that you will come home one day.

*In Reim

Alibaba: Oh… you all are doing your best with your respective country, right?!

Alibaba: by the way, about my wedding to Morgiana…

Hakuryuu: Ah, you said it got suspended?

Alibaba: IT DIDN’T GOT SUSPENDED, IT GOT POSTPONED HAKURYUU!!

 Page 10

Muu: Who knows? Women change their mind very easily though!

Takeruhiko: Morgiana might have changed her mind about getting married!

Alibaba: ….  …..

SFX: WAA

Alibaba: Idiots!!! You guys are idiots!!

TN: Alibaba runs away…

Titus: Alibaba! Leave us the voucher behind!

Alibaba: yes!

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Page 11

*Balbadd

Alibaba: Well Kassim, what do you think?

Alibaba: About this new world.

Alibaba: Now, amazing magicians all over the world are starting the research of magic to destroy the wall of the dimensions.

Alibaba: Someday… The day will come when we can talk to other unknown worlds come.

Alibaba: At that moment…. Will we be scared once again? About the differences between those guys and us…

Alibaba: ….. …… …..

 Page 12

Alibaba: Since the moment we are born, there’s no person who’s the same as other ….

Alibaba: But, that’s why we can keep changing.

Alibaba:  Now, I don’t think being “different” is something sad anymore!

 Page 13

Alibaba: I wanted to show it to Kassim too! The new Balbadd, and my wedding!

Well, the ceremony has been postponed though…

Alibaba: ….

Alibaba: Well, it’s nobody’s fault anyway….

I’ll go back home.

  *Kou Empire

Castle town of Rakushou.

TN: Alibaba spots a mother who’s trying to make her baby stop crying, and smiles ^^

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Page 14

Alibaba: heeeeey! I’m home…

Morgiana?

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Morgiana: Welcome back, Alibaba san.

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Page 15 and 16

TN: Alibaba sees Mor on her wedding dress!

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Page 17

Morgiana: Do i look beautiful on this dress? Alibaba san.

Morgiana: Please, say something!!

Everyone: You are truly troublesome!

 Page 18

Hakuryuu: We heard there was no wedding outfit so, a lot of tried everything that was in our hands to make the arrangements!

Kouha: But it was not for your sake though.

Kouha: It suits you, Mor!

Yamraiha: I can’t refuse if it’s a request from Aladdin kun!

 Page 19

Alibaba: It was Aladdin!!?

Aladdin: I’m happy for you! Alibaba kun!

Alibaba: Aladdiiiin!!

Olba: Well then, we are running behind the schedule but… Alibaba and Morgiana’s wedding ceremony starts!!

Olba’s friends: yeah!

 Page 20

TN: Aladdin has a flashback while he looks at the wedding scene.

*In the Sacred Palace

 Aladdin: Ugo kun!

Aladdin: Aladdin! Only you will absolutely return alive to the surface. That is, the wish I thought with my own head!!

Page 21

Ugo: Go back.  And some day, you will come to see us again, yes!?

Ugo: It’s all right. You have become an adult! Even if the “Sacred Palace” is gone, you will be able to make your wish come true with your own strength!!

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 Flashback

“what is your wish?”

“Be my friend!!”

End of Flashback

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 Page 22

 Arba: Well well, the world still goes on.

 Judar: UWAAAA!!! WHY IS THIS GUY STILL HERE!!!?

 Page 23

The Great rift disappeared together with the “Sacred Palace” , borders disappeared from the earth and it became possible to come and go within the dark continent.

 Alibaba and Aladdin involved the people of all the world, opened a gate to a vast and unknown land and stepped out on an adventurous journey.

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 To the newly created “world”. The ultimate magical adventure story of the magician of creation and the people who surround him….. ends here. . .   Magi. End. .

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That was it! Thank you so much for reading! And since this is officially the last Magi The labyrith of magic chapter translation, I want to thank you all so much for all your support during the time I translated this series ^^, I know I just did it for a short while until the end, but it does mean a lot to me, Thank you everyone! <3 

[salmankhanholics]

★ Bharat director Ali Abbas Zafar says he really wants to work with Aamir, SRK, Ranbir and Varun, but ‘Bhai is not leaving me !

Seema Sinha | Jun 02, 2019 

Salman Khan’s Bharat — one of the biggest and most anticipated films this year, is Ali Abbas Zafar’s third collaboration with the superstar after Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai. Firstpost caught up with the director for a free-wheeling chat about (among other things) making Salman work harder with each film, adapting a Korean film to an Indian context, his last minute casting of Katrina Kaif and how ‘Bhai’ isn’t ready to leave him. Excerpts:

Salman Khan, is otherwise known to be a casual actor, but for you he seems to go that extra mile when it comes to prepping up for the role. Earlier it was Sultan, then Tiger Zinda Hai and now Bharat. How come?

(Laughs) Actually he is a very hard working actor and every time I take a script to him there is something very challenging for him to do. Even for me, I feel that if you do simple stuff you can get very complacent. With SK (Salman Khan) when I go and tell him, ‘Sir, this time we will have to work even harder as compared to what we did last time', he enjoys it. He has his good days and bad days, he is moody. But he enjoys the process.

How challenging was it adapting from a Korean film?

After Sultan, Salman gave me this DVD and said, 'Why don't you watch this? It's a very simple story about a displaced family and a promise that a son makes to his father. The germ of the film is very Indian. But I had to completely rewrite the film to fit it into the Indian context, and that too, in a mainstream Hindi film. The film is history and more than that it is an evolution of a full character.

Salman’s character starts when he is eight-nine years old and he goes till he is 72 years old, so he has to play the same person in different age groups and yet has to be very consistent with the story-line. At heart, it is a very simple emotional story of a displaced family in partition but the impact of the story is very high because not only do you see him, but you also see the nation change. People around him change and how these changes keep impacting his life. So it is a very challenging film as an actor which he understood on the script level. He has done an outstanding job.

The film is also quite challenging for me. It was like making six Salman Khan films because he is there in six different looks. And because we’re capturing six or seven decades of his life, every decade became a film within itself, every chapter has a beginning, middle and end. So when you watch the film, it’s like you’re watching six films within one film.

Also, every chapter of his life is like a short film. Every chapter has some new character which comes and goes. It was like a nightmare…and then to keep the emotional continuity going throughout the film was very challenging. But we have also kept it light and entertaining with lot of humor in it because humor works with Salman, and you also feel for the drama. The film is set in the middle classes of India which is a very colourful social strata with lot of people around him.

What was Salman’s reaction after watching the film?

When Salman doesn’t say anything after watching his film it means you are on good grounds (Laughs). It's the same with Salim (Khan) uncle. Both didn’t say anything so I am happy.

Was Salman patient enough with the look and weight gain and loss?

Yes, he was. He is still very unpredictable like he was from his very first film with me, but now he has become little patient and he understands that whatever preparation was happening was happening for the right cause and for the necessary impact from the film. His oldest look is the coolest one and he has portrayed it in the coolest way. But he would say all the time that what I was making him do. He would tell me that first you do this make-up, first you wear this beard and moustache and show me that old look. During Sultan he would tell me to wear the chaddi and come into the mud (laughs).

Did he have lot of questions for you?

He has good days and bad days. Some days he will not ask you anything, whereas some days he would want to sit an extra hour and ask lot of questions while having his coffee, and then again he would get up and say, ‘Okay, now it is done’.

How has Salman evolved as an actor over the years?

He is a very versatile actor. He is someone who can do films like Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Sultan and also do a film like Bharat and at the same time also do a Chulbul Pandey. But people don't look at him that way because he doesn’t talk very seriously about his acting skills. If he starts using those heavy duty words that I got into the character and I didn’t sleep for two days, people would take him seriously. He is a phenomenal actor and that is why he has this huge mass connect.

Many new records are being set with Avengers, Baahubali…and then Salman himself breaks his own record. Is there a pressure?

Yes, there will always be pressure with a big film. It is also a landmark film. But somewhere or the other we are all very clear that if the film is good, records will follow automatically. So the idea while making the film should only be about putting your best foot forward to make the best film on that day and that is what we work towards. And we have always seen that if the film is good it might just start slow but eventually it does lot of business. That is the approach we usually take.

Though your Tiger Zinda Hai was a huge success, there is also Salman’s Race 3 and Tubelight that didn’t meet the expectations. Does that worry you?

I am okay, I don’t think that would affect anything. Salman is still a huge star, the kind of buzz that Bharat has created with the trailer and the songs, is phenomenal. We have been getting messages from trade people that the vibe of the film is looking very good. Now it all boils down to the content and story. When the audience finds that this film is bringing something new, they will go for it.

You clearly didn’t want Katrina Kaif as she and Salman had just done TZH. Now that the film is ready for release what are your thoughts?

Getting Katrina on board was a very conscious decision. When Priyanka couldn’t do the film for X reason, I told Katrina, "You read the script but you have to understand one thing that I am not going to change anything in the film because there is a certain edge to Kumud Raina’s (played by Katrina) character." So when Katrina read the script she understood why I don’t want to change anything and then she worked backwards to get into the character for which she did lot of acting and language workshops and further she was styled for the part. We started from the scratch and I think her performance in Bharat will be nicely appreciated because it is very new for her and the audience.

You have said that the romantic scenes between Salman and Katrina comes very naturally...

They really look good together, so the problem is that you have to write scenes which are not love scenes because if you write love scenes then those will look very clichéd on both of them. So I try and write real scenes which are about real things and real conversations and automatically just with the way they look at each other it becomes a love scene.

You are already working on the third franchise of Tiger.

Yes, I have kind of narrowed down a story for the third instalment of Tigerfranchise but we haven’t made any announcement yet. I have shared that story with Salman and Adi (producer Aditya Chopra) and both are quite excited. So once Bharat gets out of my system, we will start working towards it.

As a director what is your take on the industry, how is it evolving? The monumental success of Raazi, Stree, Andhadhun, Badhaai Ho — the midsize films that defied the box office rules.

Content driven films have always worked. Deewar, Lagaan...these were all content driven films. Good film has only worked because it has a story, so let’s not start calling story content. Every time a director makes a film which is new for its times, is always going to work.

Who is your target audience for Bharat?

This is a pan India film, there is no target audience. From a seven-eight-year-old to a 100-plus, it has everyone in the film.

You may be wanting to work with other actors as well?

I really want to work with Aamir, Shah Rukh, Akshay, Ajay Devgn, Ranbir, Varun, Arjun — they are all very good actors. You just have to find the right story to do with them and then it all clicks, but right now ‘Bhai’ (Salman) is not leaving me (laughs).

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[itsdanystormborn]

Snb 144 a long rant by me!!! :D

( please beware the misreads, the forgotten stuff, the typos, i’m at work and i can’t fully pay attention to what i’m reading ^^ nor look for the words that i don’t know/ understand)

The chapter begins with a narration that says that one year until Sinbad’s foundation of the country, the situation of the word was changing, Parthevia got a large amount of funds by the attractions of Sindria trading co.  The compensations outside the country also steadily began to produce and the economic revitalization advanced. Parthevia’s force increased and was again attracting attention from various countries as the first country that abolished monarchy. That was a big influence, and the country was again in process off rapidly recovering its power, and that everyone in the world thought that from having the kingdom of Sindria, Parthevia would become the center of the future world, and that it was such an era...

Then the narration ends (that was long XD) and we have Barbs speaking to Sinbad, he says congratulations Sinbad, there’s a few months until the foundation ceremony, we are also looking forward to it (I’m sorry, I can’t help but think of it as a threat even if he’s not smiling as creepy as other times 😃) Sinbad answers yes, we finally made it this far, that’s also because of your power. your favor until now, how can we repay it? Barbs replies that his power also depends of sinbad’s power (or something like that), besides, it doesn’t end here, does it? Everything will become busier from now on. This place is now the heart of the world, it’s not reim, nor is balbadd, it is our existence that leads the world. Let’s change the world together, me and you (XDD lol).

Then ja’far and sin leave the room, smiling, and barbs is alone with Memphis, he asks barbs if he’s okay, barbs says what?,  and Memphis says something like, if they are not members of the political party, they are also a disorderly crowd that doesn’t have their way of thinking unified. Barbs says that there’s no problem, that he has been watching them for a year and there’s no indication that they would betray him, then he adds, “no, I wonder whether it’s better to think that “they can’t betray”? then he says that he has them in his hands and everything it’s just as he planned it. He adds, leaving that aside, isn’t it interesting? Parthevia is the heart of the new era, long time ago it was called the great country that fell… and that it’s quite a simple thing, there is nothing like taking control of humanity (damn, calm down!), if people can change, the world will change,  and that this favorable wind will probably become stronger if they approach the foundation of the kingdom of Sindria. The day in which we control the world is near (calm down?) then Memphis say that if this is how he thinks they better go for his next piece.

The scene changes and…. ITS YAMRAIHA!!! Awwwww she’s so cuteee! She’s in a car and she’s looking trough the window, saying that there are a lot of people, that they look like they are having a lot of fun and that there are also a lot of stores, and that she hasn’t seen that at musta’sin. She calls for mogamett, and he tells her not to look so much outside, this is not like the academy.  In the world where gois exists, us magicians are the prideful unique existences, do not come in contact more than necessary, and she says with a sad face, yes teacher.

Then the scene changes to barbs and mogamett, mogamett asks him what his business is ( apart from tying to seize control of humanity he’s just chilling teacher!) he continues saying that, at the war between parthevia and mustassin a lot of magicians died and that he has nothing to talk about with a former enemy nation. Now we are barely continuing with our magical research and that they are no more than a mere academic insitution. Barbs asks “barely continuing your research”? he adds that that method will not work for him. Mogamet asks why? And barbs says that he knows that magicians were below everyone before, that they used them as a shield from war or treated them like plagues. He keeps talking about how much magician’s lives were stolen and how they were treated no better than animals, then says that with the purpose of scaping the goi’s domination, he (Mogamett) has made the resolution of building a magician’s country. Then he says: you have been preparing that for decades, I am right? Matal mogamett. Mogamett asks him “where did you hear that?” barbs says that he has comrades in a lot of places and that it wasn’t a difficult thing, but that doesn’t matter. He says that he wants to help him to stir that revolution, and it’s for that purpose that he called him today. Mogamett is ??!??! ( same, same) then Barbs goes all crazy and says that he has the ability to stand above men and that he’s always thinking that there should be an existence that controls the world. That’s the same ( way of thinking) as the magicians,  he says that if they were born with the ability of feeling the rukh they might be a true dominant race. Then he says to mogamett than this way of thinking is the same as him. Reject the foolish humans and only the outstanding people should guide the world. He ends with a phrase that says: let’s build a magician’s country. (and there’s a pretty pic of yam at the end too, awww she’s a cutie)

 my fingers hurt from typing xDD thanks for reading!