#master toda

[jacquelinemerritt]

Star Wars: Exploring the Canon - The Clone Wars Saga Part 1

Originally posted January 4th, 2017

In which we look at the first half of the canonical works set in the Clone Wars: the theatrical film, and the first three seasons of the TV show.

This review is part of a series of pieces on the entirety of the Star Wars canon. See them all here!

To preface this article, I want to try and point out the absurdity of following an article written about two films and a comic mini-series with an article written about six seasons of television, a comic mini-series, and a full-length novel. If you’re wondering why it has taken so long for me to get this part written, here’s your answer: there is just so much to write about that even after watching The Clone Wars all the way through, I wasn’t sure of where to start. We’re going to break this down by season though, starting by analyzing the first film and then tackling the show season by season until we reach the third. As for seasons 4-6, the comic, and the novel, expect me to cover them in my next installment.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

When I first saw the theatrically released Star Wars: The Clone Wars, I was incredibly dismayed. I thought it was a disgrace to have a Star Wars film released in theaters when that film told such a gutless story, took no risks, and had next to no consequence within the story’s universe. To be perfectly frank, I think all of that is still pretty true. The film tells the story of Anakin and his new apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, being called away from a battle on the world Christophsis in order to rescue the son of Jabba the Hutt (yes, you read that right, Jabba has a fucking kid), and it quickly devolves into four seemingly separate “episodes” that never actually feel like a full story but technically are all connected. The ridiculousness of this plot combined with a bad sense of humor brings it down, and there is no way this film deserves to be a part of the theatrical Star Wars canon.

But, just because the film fails as a theatrically released Star Wars film doesn’t mean that it fails on other terms. See, this “film” isn’t really a film, but rather a bafflingly marketed and constructed television pilot that combines four episodes meant to introduce the characters of The Clone Wars TV show and set up the lighthearted tone the show holds onto for its first season. In that respect, Clone Wars actually works. Each of the four set-pieces of the pilot all accomplish different things: the first set-piece on Christophsis establishes Anakin and Obi-Wan’s relationship as it will play out for the rest of the show and introduces Ahsoka Tano, surprisingly selling Anakin taking her on as an apprentice pretty well; the second section introduces the clone army as actual characters, rather a faceless proxy army, Captain Rex, and Asajj Ventress while letting us see Anakin’s first attempts at being a teacher; the third set-piece introduces Padme Amidala and the political and underworld arenas of Coruscant she’ll reside in; and the fourth set-piece introduces Count Dooku as he will be presented throughout the entire series, allowing Christopher Lee to transition him from an adversarial mastermind into an over-the-top campy villain.

Don’t get me wrong. As far as TV pilots go, it’s a little underwhelming and not the most interesting thing you’ll ever see (even if you’re grading it on a curve for being the pilot of an animated kids’ show). But it works a damn sight better as a TV pilot than it ever could as a feature film, and had it aired as a two-hour special on Cartoon Network like was originally planned, it would not have gotten nearly the level of backlash it did from fans and critics like me who found it intensely underwhelming.

That’s really it. There isn’t much to talk about with this film. It has a consistently annoying tone, no real thematic tissue holding things together, and the performances by most of the actors are fairly underwhelming. The only standouts on display are Christopher Lee, reprising his role as Count Dooku for the final time (I know it’s been said, but this guy seriously never gave a bad performance in his career), Samuel L. Jackson, reprising his role as Mace Windu (you could make the same argument with this guy too), and Matthew Wood, who voices the battle droids in this film. Now, let’s be real, the decision to make the battle droids constant comedic cannon fodder is dumb, but Matthew Wood sells it like a pro, imbuing the droids with a level of personality that makes their poorly written attempts at comedy come off as charming, and when the writing of these jokes improves across the series, Wood is right there ready to use that material to make the droids pretty funny at times.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Season 1)

This is probably the best time to point out that Star Wars: The Clone Wars is really weird to watch because for some unfathomable reason it was aired, written, and produced out of chronological order. This makes viewing it chronologically on Netflix a pain, because you have to bounce around a whole lot just to see the first three seasons in their proper order, and as a result you see glimpses of the improvements in writing and storytelling from the later seasons but are still forced to sit through the slog of the first season that’s only interested in telling safe, episodic stories that don’t challenge the characters or the audience in any significant way. For what it’s worth, it’s still probably the best order to view the series in, as it paints a much more complete picture of the Clone Wars itself, but I found myself annoyed with the logic of airing and producing the episodes out of order, regardless of whether I watched it in the order it aired or the chronological order.

This strange ordering of episodes also isn’t helped by the fact that it pushes the series premiere episode, which is a genuine delight, to being seen after about five episodes and the feature film pilot. It is definitely a better introduction to the goals and aims of the writers than the feature film ever was.

The premiere episode of The Clone Wars follows Yoda on a diplomatic mission to persuade the king of the Toydarians to join the Republic. The episode’s main conflict arrives when Yoda’s vessel is attacked by a Separatist warship and he must land on the surface with only three clones by his side. Meanwhile, Count Dooku and Asajj Ventress are attempting to lure the king of Toydaria into joining the Separatists by proving to him that the Separatists are more capable of protecting him and his people than the Jedi and the Republic. Ventress challenges Yoda to make it to their location by nightfall, and Yoda accepts, battling an army of droids with the help of those clones in order to reach the king.

This is a fairly basic premise with clearly defined stakes and characters, and in the hands of George Lucas, it probably would have turned into twenty minutes of Yoda engaging in meaningless conflict where he doesn’t run into any significant challenges. In the hands of Dave Filoni’s team, however, this episode becomes a chance to reclaim the character of Yoda as he was presented in the original trilogy, and it’s truly amazing to see this Yoda again. Unlike in the entirety of the prequel trilogy, the Yoda we get to see is not the introspective mopey Yoda, but the silly, unpredictable guru that pranks Luke in order to test and teach him. Yoda’s students in this episode are the clones that travel with him, and he asserts to them that they are not the same faceless drones that Lucas intended, but unique individuals with differing skills and internal lives. Filoni’s team even has the wisdom to play Yoda’s strange behavior and unpredictability directly into fight scenes, as he outthinks droids with ease and uses risky strategies to play the droids’ advantage in numbers against themselves. By letting us see Yoda the incorrigible trickster again, The Clone Wars lets us know that it cares about recapturing the wonder and magic of the original trilogy, and that makes this first episode an incredible introduction to the show.

This episode also makes clear another one of Filoni’s goals, albeit in a much subtler manner. As I mentioned last time, the Toydarians as they are presented in The Phantom Menace are a harmful racial caricature of Jewish people, and that racism makes parts of The Phantom Menace pretty difficult to watch. This episode, however, hints at the way the Toydarians will be treated throughout the rest of the show. It shows the Toydarians as a peace-loving people that draw on a cultural heritage with an uncanny resemblance to ancient Judaism. This comes through far less in this episode than it does in later episodes, but throughout the show, the Toydarain people are essentially the equivalent of the Kingdom of Israel under the rule of King Solomon. They are incredibly wealthy and influential, they have a rich, long-standing culture, and they are ruled by a wise King who ultimately desires nothing but peace. I will admit that my connection with my Jewish heritage is a bit weak, so I am not the best person to judge whether this is still hurtful, but it seems to me that by keeping the Toydarian connection to Judaism and replacing racial caricature with a connection to a great cultural heritage, Filoni’s team effectively reclaims the Toydarians. This isn’t to say that their work makes the racism of the first film any less hurtful–far from it–but it adds a dimension to this alien race that, in my eyes, makes them far less hurtful to be associated with.1

Most of the rest of the first season doesn’t quite hit the heights this episode does, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t solid episodes throughout. Some standouts are “Rookies,” which introduces us to the character Fives as he and other newly deployed squadmates fend off a commando droid attack; “Lair of Grievous,” which is twenty minutes of General Grievous kicking serious ass when Dooku betrays him and sets a trap for him in his own home; “Dooku Captured,” where we first meet the pirate scoundrel rapscallion Hondo Ohnaka (voiced by the ever perfect Jim Cummings) after he captures Count Dooku; “Trespass,” which introduces us to the Talz people and sets up an interesting conflict between an authoritarian military society and a young woman who believes in the power of diplomacy; and “Hostage Crisis,” wherein a group of bounty hunters hold a group of Senators and Anakin hostage in order to break Ziro the Hutt out of prison.

There are two episodes in Season 1 that manage to be as strong if not stronger than the premiere and those episodes are “Jedi Crash” and “Defenders of Peace.” These episodes contain some downright excellent storytelling. They challenge Ahsoka by making her face the potential death of her master, forcing her to come to terms with the Jedi Code’s requirement to remain unattached, and they then quickly challenge the entirety of the Jedi order. We meet the Lurmen, a pacifist group of monkey-like creatures that culturally resemble aboriginal and African tribes, and they explain to the Jedi that their role in the Clone Wars has spread more pain and suffering across the galaxy than it has relieved. Their chief even points out the hypocrisy of the Jedi espousing a philosophy of peace while taking on a role as military generals! The episode moves from that point to challenge the Lurmen chief, as he must accept that pure pacifism isn’t an adequate philosophy when their village is attacked by Separatist forces testing out an experimental weapon, and the younger generation has to stand up and fight so the older generation’s insistence on absolute pacifism doesn’t get them all killed.

It’s seriously really good. And George Takei is in it too. Go watch it now even if you’ve already seen it. I promise you’ll thank me afterwards.

What’s wrong with the rest of the season then? Well, nothing really major. It’s passable kids’ television, but most of the episodes I haven’t mentioned by name don’t offer any challenges at all. The closest we get are in the episodes set on Ryloth, wherein a revolutionary insurgent is forced to work with a Senator he believes is corrupt and uncaring (who on the reverse believes the insurgent to be power hungry and after control of the planet), but these two characters aren’t given enough screentime beforehand for this to be meaningful to us. The other episodes are even worse, with the episodes surrounding the Separatist battleship Malevolence being solely concerned with sending the characters on MacGuffin quests and having them triumph due to Anakin being a better military strategist than Grievous. It’s fine, and well-constructed I guess, but it’s honestly pretty boring and uninteresting, and the next time I watch this show, I imagine I’ll be skipping past most of these episodes.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Season 2)

The second season of Clone Wars is about as solid a season of television as I can possibly imagine.

To be clear, it’s not the greatest season of television I have ever seen. But damn is it good. Pretty much every single episode in this season either challenges the characters personally, raises the stakes for conflict in the universe, or calls the morality of the Republic and Jedi Order into question. It starts off with “Holocron Heist,” in which badass bounty hunter Cad Bane breaks into the Jedi Temple and steals a holocron for Darth Sidious in order to kidnap Force-sensitive children across the galaxy. And then there’s “The Deserter,” where Captain Rex meets a clone trooper who went AWOL and established a family on an unoccupied planet, “The Mandalore Plot,” which has Mandalorians being awesome and Obi-Wan being a massive flirt, “Cat and Mouse,” which has Anakin piloting a stealth fighter against a Separatist general who is literally the only person who knows how to fight against those…

If I wanted to, I could spend a lot of time writing about each and every episode and their strengths, but that would take way too long, so you’re just going to have to trust me when I say that the entire season is solid as hell. Instead, we’re going to take a look at two standout story arcs that take place over multiple episodes in Season 2 and dissect them in detail to look at why they work as well as they do.

The first arc we’re going to look at are the episodes that follow Anakin, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Barriss, and Luminara as they lead Republic forces in the Second Battle of Geonosis in order to destroy a droid factory that has been recaptured by Separatist forces. Our heroes arrive with a massive Republic force, but the Separatists have them outnumbered even still. Their plan doesn’t survive first contact with the enemy, and Anakin and Ahsoka are forced to fight their way through immense odds just to get to their original landing point. After they are reunited, Anakin and Luminara work together to serve as a distraction while Ahsoka and Barriss sneak into the droid factory in order to plant explosive charges and stop the production of endless reinforcement for the Separatists.

What makes “Landing at Point Break” and “Weapons Factory” special isn’t really their plot. The mission our heroes are on isn’t particularly complicated, nor is it even that novel of a story idea (especially considering that we’ve already seen a pretty boring Battle of Geonosis in Attack of the Clones). These episodes are special because they completely shatter the perception of the Jedi as genuinely unstoppable warriors that dominates the prequel trilogy and most of the episodes of this show. Anakin and Ahsoka’s fight to reach Obi-Wan is desperate, and while at no point do they stop being powerful warriors, they are quickly forced to turn to clever tactics and their wits in order to get past the Separatist forces that would block them from their goal.

That same desperation is present in Ahsoka and Barriss’s quest to infiltrate the droid factory. They’re forced to sneak through behind enemy lines, going through a hornet’s nest where any wrong move will get them caught and lead to their failure. And you know what the writers decide to do? They have Ahsoka and Barriss make one mistake, wake one Geonosian, and when that Geonosian catches up to them, their mission is nearly brought to complete failure and they are forced to bunker down in a droid assault tank in order to both set off their own explosion and have a chance at survival. They are then stuck underneath a mountain of rubble and debris with little oxygen, and Ahsoka only barely manages to send out a signal to Anakin using her communicator, letting him know they’re still alive and leading him to continue the search until they’re rescued. These episodes are tense and filled with danger, and I find it genuinely impressive that Filoni’s team was able to get such great mileage out of a story that so easily could have turned into a retread of the battle from Attack of the Clones.

The next two episodes we’re going to look at are “The Zillo Beast” and “The Zillo Beast Strikes Back,” which besides being regrettably named, are filled with some of the most interesting and challenging material in this series. These episodes follow Anakin and Mace Windu, whose use of an electro-proton bomb on the planer Malastare causes an ancient beast to awaken in a clear nod to the Godzilla film franchise. This beast is genuinely fearsome, as its scales are strong enough to resist even a lightsaber, but Mace Windu and Anakin argue against Malastare’s leaders, who want to kill the Zillo, as to do so would be to take the innocent life of a creature that is the last of its kind. Anakin is eventually able to argue that the creature’s impervious scales would be useful for military research, so he and Mace Windu devise a plan to stun the beast and take it back to Coruscant, in order to trick the Malastare leaders into believing it is dead. When the Zillo arrives on Coruscant however, Palpatine quickly pushes to kill the beast using Malastare fuel, which the creature is weak to, and when his scientists fail to administer a lethal dose, the Zillo breaks free and wreaks havoc on the streets of Coruscant in a number of clear nods to Godzilla and King Kong. Eventually, the Jedi are able to kill the beast by hitting it with a lethal dose of fuel, and despite the lives they managed to save, all of the Jedi deeply regret the loss of the Zillo beast’s life.

The nods to Godzilla and King Kong are some of the coolest things about these episodes, but beyond that, these episodes have some pretty challenging thematic content. For one, this is the first time we get to see the Jedi Order faced with a legitimate moral dilemma, as for a lot of reasons, killing the Zillo is pretty defensible, but it still goes in direct violation of their Code. They decide against killing the Zillo, but because of their use of deception and pragmatist arguments, the Zillo ends up being put in a place where it will have even more power to do harm, close to a person who wants it to harm people so it can be put down rather than kept alive. In a lot of ways, Anakin and Mace Windu’s decision to bring the beast back to Coruscant is reckless and misguided, and we are shown just how blind the Jedi are to the dark forces that surround them on their homeworld. It is this blindness that leads them to do the very thing they sought to avoid: taking the life of an innocent creature that is likely the last of its kind. The shadows of the Dark Side are everywhere, and when the Jedi are too blind to see their own mistakes, innocents like the Zillo end up suffering more than the Jedi ever will.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Season 3)

This is where it starts to get incredible.

Like, really fucking incredible beyond anyone’s wildest expectations.

Season 3 of The Clone Wars does more to expand the mythology of the Star Wars Universe than George Lucas has done since the release of Return of the Jedi.

I hear what you’re saying. “Jacqueline, how can you possibly make that claim? Lucas made three prequel films after Jedi that included important details on the world of Star Wars, the Republic, and Jedi Order that it’s impossible for a single season of television to outdo that.” Lucas did a lot after Jedi, and I am not trying to deny him or his importance to this universe. George Lucas, however, was entirely wrapped up in his goal of telling a story about a fascist government’s rise to power, and in focusing on those political details, he lost sight of the wonder and mystique that makes the Star Wars Universe as compelling as it is. Dave Filoni and his team, however, do everything they can to further Lucas’s message in the prequel trilogy, and they do that without losing sight of the fascinating mysticism surrounding the Force, the prophecy of the chosen one, and the tug and pull of balance between light and darkness that defines the universe.

Now, there legitimately isn’t a bad episode in this season, but like last time, two arcs told over multiple episodes rise to the top and that’s what we’re going to focus on.

The first arc that does this is the Nightsisters arc, which follows Asajj Ventress after she is betrayed by Count Dooku and left for dead. She manages to survive her ship being fired upon by another Separatist warship, and she returns to her home planet to the witches of Dathomir in order to find her heritage and get help in her quest for revenge against her former master. She and the seemingly invincible witch Mother Talzin first target Dooku directly, sending Ventress and two Nightsisters in with cloaking magic and a poison designed to weaken Dooku and make him easy to kill. Dooku is still a force to be reckoned with, however, and he dispatches Ventress and her sisters without significant difficulty. Ventress and Talzin then hatch a more sinister plan, testing the males on the far side of Dathomir until they find one who is worthy and take control of his mind so he can be planted as a traitor in Dooku’s ranks. When Dooku takes this man, named Savage Oppress,1 under his wing and trains him as an apprentice, Ventress sneaks into Dooku’s vessel and makes Savage turn on his new master. Her plan fails, however, and Savage quickly regains control of his mind and turns on the both of them, escaping back to Dathomir and seeking guidance from Mother Talzin, who tells him of a “brother” he must seek while showing him a vision of the Sith Lord Darth Maul, a Zabrak and Dathomir Nightbrother just like him.

We’ll talk about Maul next time, when we actually get to see him in action, but suffice it to say, closing out a set of episodes that explores the dark mysticism of the Star Wars Universe by promising the return of one of Star Wars’ most badass villains is a pretty risky decision, as is the depth of exploration of the Dark Side that we get to see here. The Nightsisters are absolutely fascinating on their own as a less-than-savory mystical underbelly that neither identifies as Jedi or Sith, and Mother Talzin is an imposing figure who, if she did not prefer to keep to herself and her coven, would be a far greater threat to the galaxy than the Sith could ever dream of being.

Of course, the main attraction of these episodes is that they finally put Asajj Ventress to use as the complex character she was always meant to be. Ever since I was a little girl watching Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars animated mini-series, I’ve been obsessed with this character. She has such a rich and tragic backstory, and as a young girl with her own demons boiling up under the surface, Ventress appealed to me with her mastery of the Dark Side, dual lightsabers, and dominatrix-like attitude (which is turned up to a ten in The Clone Wars, as she is referred to as Mistress by everyone around her). Up until Season 3 though, The Clone Wars didn’t really put her to good use. Sure, she was an assassin, and she had those dual lightsabers, but in this show she has been far less of a pure, unadulterated badass, as she’s the villain and the heroes have to beat her.

These episodes turn that on its head perfectly. Dooku’s betrayal of her makes sense, in only the way an abuser’s decision to abuse can; she has consistently failed to achieve victory against the Jedi after all, and as we see her backstory unfold over a few short flashbacks, watching her being taken from her family as a child and witnessing the murder of the Jedi who taught her how to use the Force, Dooku’s betrayal becomes an opportunity for her to finally exert some agency over all of the horrible things that have happened to her. She will have revenge against Dooku, because damnit, this is the first time she’s ever been powerful enough to strike back against the people who have hurt her the most. It becomes even more heart-wrenching to watch as any knowledge of the prequel trilogy’s storyline lets us know that she is doomed to fail in her quest for revenge, as Dooku survives until Revenge of the Sith to be killed by Anakin Skywalker. Despite having the power to strike back against her master with “dark magicks” and a monstrous warrior, she still ends up without enough power to take any emotional closure for herself through revenge.

The second arc of note in this season is the arc set on the planet Mortis, following Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan as an ancient distress signal calls them to an incredibly strange planet.

But I’m not going into detail on those episodes.

They are amazing. Make no mistake.

But I would not dare spoil the details of what happens in them to anyone who hasn’t seen them.

Trust me, just take my word on this, and go on Netflix, to Season 3 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and watch “Overlords,” “Altar of Mortis,” and “Ghosts of Mortis” right now. If you don’t watch anything else from this show (and seriously, you should, it’s great), then still watch these episodes. You don’t even need that much context to enjoy them, because as long as you accept that Anakin has an apprentice named Ahsoka, literally anything else you could need to know follows logically from Anakin and Obi-Wan’s characterizations in the prequel films. You have my word, a Jacqueline Merritt guarantee, that you won’t regret the time you spend checking these episodes out.

Next time, hopefully not two months from now, we’ll explore the rest of The Clone Wars, the comic Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir, and the novel Dark Disciple. See you then!

Critical Eye Criticism is the work of Jacqueline Merritt, a trans woman, filmmaker, and critic. You can support her continued film criticism addiction on Patreon.

1Any of my Jewish readers who disagree with my belief that the Toydarian’s are less hurtful because of their characterization in The Clone Wars are more than welcome to challenge me on that, as I am open to hearing any criticism of my argument here.

2I could also go into more detail on the character of Savage Oppress and how he is actually quite fascinating despite having an absolutely terrible name, but exploring his character is best left for our exploration of Darth Maul in the later seasons, as their arcs are fairly closely intertwined.

[sacachorch0vo]

El otro día hice una lista de reproducción porque estaba aburrida

La mayoría son canciones que escucha tu tío alcohólico, dolido, rogón y resentido, básicamente Kai.

Se escuchan sugerencias.

[itisformythesis]

Please take this survey for my thesis!

What is this thesis?

I am a sociology student preparing to write my thesis for my masters degree, looking at Goffman's dramaturgical theory and applying it to fanfiction writers and their relationship with sharing their writing.

How can I help?

If you write fanfiction (or have in the past), fill out this survey! It's entirely anonymous.

If you don't, please reblog this post, or share the link! I need as many responses as I can get!

If you'd like to additionally help, I am also looking for interviews (via zoom unless you reside in my state and want to meet up irl), or if that's not your thing, an extended version of this survey with more written out answers, to explain nuances.

If you're curious in this process and would like to read it/view results at the end, follow this blog! I made it just for my thesis posts. Additionally, all questions can be answered through my email listed there, and also the ask box of this blog.

**if you are under the age of 18, unfortunately you can not participate due to the level of IRB approval I received. Please share it though!

[yen-stanning]

✨️ calling all Star Wars fans ✨️

Hello there tumblr!

While we Star Wars fans are anxiously waiting for the bad batch finale, I could use your help! In fact...

I am currently in the process of writing my master's thesis. My research is about age & Star Wars characters. The research is trying to investigate whether there is a difference in fans of different ages liking or disliking certain characters that appear throughout Episodes 1-9. The survey takes about 5-10 minutes to complete, is completely anonymous, and you must be 18+ to participate.

It would be ✨️ wizard ✨️ if you could share it with your friends, parents, siblings, or any other Star Wars fans you might know! Or even just reblogging this post for others to discover here on Tumblr 😊

It would mean the world (or galaxy hehe) if you would fill it out. If you did THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU, ALWAYS! ✨️✨️✨️

[wandascosmic]

Would you write something where Wanda and reader just have like a slow morning. They don’t have anywhere to be and reader just wakes up to see Wanda staring at her and it’s just so sweet. Feel free to add your own ideas too!

slow mornings (request)

wanda maximoff x fem!reader

summary: in which you have your first day off in a year, and you and your wife decide to spend it in the best way possible.

word count: 733

tags: unedited, fluff, meet-cute, business major history, domestic wanda and reader, soft wanda and reader, slow mornings with our favorite couple, wanda has a staring problem

Wanda must have looked crazy, staring at you, her wife, for the past 20 minutes. Just watching your chest rise and fall in a slow, rhythmic state as you slept peacefully. Devoid of all the stress that usually plagued your face at your high-stakes job working as a company’s CEO. 

Wanda never wanted to leave, she felt completely content, having been married to you for the past five years, she never wanted it to end. 

Watching your expression, she reflected on your relationship’s history. 

You had met Wanda fresh out of college, during the first week of the master’s program you two had both been accepted to, one of the most competitive in the country.

Wanda was focusing more on the management portion, while you were learning more analysis topics. 

Sprinting as fast as you could to your most important class which you were unfortunately already late for since the bus got delayed, you accidentally bumped into a redhead on your way, dropping both your books and hers in the process. 

Widening your eyes, you ran back towards the figure. “Oh, my god! I’m so sorry, I really didn’t mean to do that. I’m just stressed and–” 

The figure gave you a reassuring smile, causing every word that wanted to come out to die in your throat. “It’s okay,” she said, her voice silky smooth as she handed you your books back. “I’m Wanda.” 

Nodding, you wordlessly took your books back, confused as the figure gave you an expectant look. “Um, oh! I’m Y/N. Studying business analysis.” You held out your hand for her to shake. 

“Nice to meet you,” Wanda responded. “Business Administration.”

“Wow, that’s– wow.” You acknowledged, seeing as that was the best program your school had to offer. Should you even be talking to her?

Wanda laughed. “It’s nothing. My greatest accomplishment is my coffee job on the side, with my twin brother. Want one?” 

“Um– what?” you asked.

“A coffee,” Wanda smiled. “Have you heard of Sokovian Sweets? Down the street?”

“Oh! Oh, yeah, I love them. They have the best hot chocolate,” you said in recognition. 

“Thanks,” Wanda nodded. “Pietro’s working the shop today, come on!” 

Wanda grabbed your hand and began to lead you in the direction of her and her brother’s store. 

“Um I really shouldn’t–” you protest. 

“Don’t worry, it’ll all be worth it!” Wanda reassured, never letting go of your hand. 

And it all was, because 4 years later, she became your wife. 

Wanda smiles as you begin to stir, slowly coming to your senses. 

With your eyes still closed, you reach towards your wife, grabbing her hand and squeezing it tightly. 

“You know, it’s rude to stare,” you say, feeling a pair of green eyes watching you. 

“Can’t help it,” Wanda shrugs. “It’s called appreciating your wonderful wife.” 

Turning over to face your wife, you slowly open your eyes and greet her with a smile. “Hi,” you say softly. 

“Hey,” she responds gently, giving you a kiss on your forehead. 

“How long have you been awake?” you ask, moving to rest your head in the crook of Wanda’s neck, to which she immediately responds with her arm around your waist. 

“Not long, I spent most of it admiring you.” 

“You know, 5 years of marriage and I don’t think you’ve ever lost your ability to flirt with me in new ways every morning.” 

“It comes pretty easy when you’ve got a pretty wife in bed next to you,” Wanda responds.

You hum, closing your eyes as you feel yourself relax in Wanda’s arms. “What are we doing today?” you ask. 

“Well, Pietro wants me to drop off some cookies at the coffee shop later today, but we don’t have to, I can just get Sam to pick them up since I made them last night.” 

You laugh. “Oh, yeah, forgot Sam owes you for nearly burning down your kitchen last month.” 

Wanda groans. “How can someone mess up French onion soup that bad! He burned the broth somehow!”

 You kiss Wanda’s cheek. “Let Sam know, I have my first day off all year and I want to spend every minute of it with you.” You wrap your arms around Wanda’s waist and snuggle into her chest, dozing off once more. 

“You got it,” Wanda agrees, kissing the top of your head before texting Sam, and going back to sleep alongside her wife.

[paintedpigeon1]

Are you an adult with ADHD and/or autism?

I’m currently doing a Master's dissertation about how to improve access to public library services for adults with ADHD and/or autism, and I need your input!

If you are over 18, have ADHD and/or autism (edit for clarity: no matter where you live), and would like to help with this, please fill in the survey below by midnight on 8 August 2024.

For more information please contact me on ruth.collard-stayte@city.ac.uk

Even if you're not eligible, please share this post so I can receive as many responses as possible!

(Also you don't want to disappoint the cute brain on the flyer do you?)

[geniousbh]

⸻ 𝒃𝒇!𝒑𝒊𝒑𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒏̃𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

obs.: eu provavelmente vou morr3r de desgosto por não namorar com esse homem aqui, e falo SÉRIO! não existem forças em mim que resistam, e eu peguei pra ver compilado dele falando em inglês esses dias e se embolando e SORRINDO e ai, de verdade (it was like desesperante mesmo), é um crime ele existir e não vir aqui na minha porta me dar um beijinho (coisa simples)! espero que gostem, meus briochinhos <3

tw.: quase tudo é fluff e slice of life, mas tem menção à sexo/sexo oral, por isso mdni

bf!pipe que você conheceu na calourada! ele tava trilouco já, pulando e cantando à todo pulmão o hino do river plate na companhia de outros quatro rapazes o que arrancou gargalhadas do seu grupinho de amigas

bf!pipe que foi você quem chamou primeiro, porque ele parecia aéreo e nem dava tanta bola assim pras meninas ao redor

bf!pipe que deu um sorriso muito canalha quando você disse que era brasileira "ay nena, lo siento, difícil ser o país do futebol e não terem lo mejor del mundo, eh?" mas se redimiu no final da noite com a melhor ficada que você tinha tido na vida

bf!pipe que virou seu ficante fixo, atencioso, uma boa foda, pau pra toda obra (tinha arrumado não só a fechadura do seu quarto, como trocado a resistência do chuveiro duas vezes), mas que nunca saía contigo em resenha pra ficar de casal, mesmo não ficando com outras garotas na sua frente

bf!pipe que te COZINHOU por meses nessa de ficante premium plus master e o caralho a quatro, mas espanou na primeira vez que você aproveitou do título pra ficar com outro cara, "ue, não to te entendendo, felipe, não sou sua namorada", "ah é?" e no meio da faculdade te deu um beijão de cinema (você ficou desbaratinada e ele foi pra aula como se nada tivesse acontecido)

bf!pipe que apareceu na sua porta dois dias depois pra te pedir em namoro! o cabelo PENTEADO e ele usando jeans e camisa social, bem diferente do combo blusa de time + bermuda + boné que ele sempre veste

bf!pipe que vive um "morde e assopra" contigo, uma hora é "e no que que isso afeta o river?" e outra hora é "vou casar com você, pode anotar"

bf!pipe que tem pose de bom moço pra família inteira, tanto sua quanto dele, fica com o ego inflado quando sua mãe fala que ele é o genro favorito, que é um amor e que nunca te viu tão bem (em contrapartida, quando vocês brigam ele usa isso de argumento a favor dele 🤐😵‍💫)

bf!pipe que faz suas vontades sempre, coloca suas playlists no carro, compra doce, paga pra você fazer unha e cabelo quando você quer, faz trend no tiktok (as mais memoráveis sendo quando ele fez pump dos bíceps só pra ti gravar aquela do its cuffing seasonnn i need a big boy, e quando você gravou ele falando com voz de bebê todo dengoso sem ele perceber - e quando percebeu foi logo um "mas você é uma piranha mesmo, para, apaga isso vai")

bf!pipe que muda de humor com o placar do jogo e você aprendeu a lidar com isso do mesmo jeito que ele aprendeu a lidar com sua tpm (se você reclama do bico dele ele reclama de como você fica chata naqueles dias, é fato)

bf!pipe que tem pavio curtinho e que fica MUITO mexido quando você provoca/zoa ele, faz beicinho, fica corado, cruza os braços, mas do mesmo jeito que ele fica, desfica rápido porque é igualmente fácil de agradar este pequeno grande homem

bf!pipe que can do both no quarto, gosta de foder lentinho e aproveitar o tempo que tem contigo, em parte também porque vocês são habituados a transar nos dormitórios da faculdade e sem chamar atenção, mas que quando bebe ou quando o river ganha de virada se transforma, te puxa o cabelo, da tapinha no seu rosto, te chama das putarias mais sujas e sem remorso nenhum

bf!pipe que te acha absurdamente gostosa, e ele não tem papas na língua/ressalvas de dizer "para com isso de falar que vai se matar por causa de ator de série, gostosa assim com esses papo", ou então, quando fica >extremamente< pussy drunk, te lambendo e chupando, nem sabendo mais o que é seu e o que é baba dele, murmurando umas coisas desconexas, fora que ele simplesmente não consegue negar se você pedir (não importa onde ou horário do dia)

bf!pipe que é todo resistente pra conversar sobre sentimentos que são ruins (tendo a ver com vocês ou não), apesar de demonstrar, colocar pra fora verbalmente leva tempo e por vezes ele acaba soltando muitos dias depois e DO NADA, "eu sei que fiquei com ciúmes no bar, me perdonas, sí?", e você lavando a louça sem entender nada já que ele só apareceu ali com a mão na nuca, falou e saiu

bf!pipe que gosta dos adjetivos, pra te chamar, mais no português do que no espanhol, "bebezinha", "gatinha" e tudo com o sotaque que você ama

bf!pipe que, quando não é contra a argentina, veste a camisa e torce pro brasil junto com você, virou tradição já e ele gosta muito porque é só nas vezes que a seleção brasileira joga que ele pode ver esse teu lado "JUÍZ FILHO DA PUTA! APITA MEU SACO!", e ele dando risada e te puxando pra dar abraço e beijinhos na lateral do rosto

bf!pipe que não sabe dizer eu te amo's, mas que demonstra todos os dias, nunca esquece do mêsversário de namoro (mesmo nos dias de jogo, viu?), sabe de cor suas coisas favoritas e sempre diz que não consegue lembrar de como era antes de ter você com ele e que agora você "vai ter que me aguentar pra sempre, panguá"

[harunayuuka2060]

MC: *arranging a bouquet when someone enters the store* Welcome to Fragrant Fields. How can I assist you toda— *looks up to see who it is*

Diavolo: Ah! So this is where you're working at!

MC: ...

Diavolo: *approaches them* I'm glad to see you in good health.

MC: ...

MC: *smiles* I feel the same. Is there anything I can help you today?

Diavolo: Ah, yes. I'm here to talk to the owner.

MC: *their tone becomes serious* May I ask for what reason?

Diavolo: I want to buy this place!

MC: ...

MC's employer: What should I do? I can't ignore his offer. But I'm worried for you...

MC: *smiles understandably* Please accept it, miss.

Their employer: Are you sure?

MC: Yes.

Their employer: Well then... *gives them the key to the house they borrowed last time*

MC: Miss?

Their employer: You can have this. So you don't have to rent an apartment.

MC: ...

MC: Thank you so much for this, miss. May your life always be blessed.

Barbatos: Young master, this isn't wise of you.

Diavolo: I bought this place so I would be able to see MC everyday.

Barbatos: ...

Barbatos: You don't understand, young master.

Barbatos: MC broke their connection to us.

Diavolo: Barbatos, would you actually let this situation as it is?

Barbatos: ...

Barbatos: I made a promise.

Diavolo: But I didn't.

Barbatos: ...

MC: *returns after talking to their employer* She has agreed to transfer the ownership to you, Diavolo.

Diavolo: Thank goodness! Well, I may be the owner but I appoint you to be the store manager. How does that sound?

MC: I decline. This is going to be my last day here.

Diavolo: Huh?

MC: I'm sure Barbatos had explained it to you.

MC: I don't want to get involved anymore.

Diavolo: ...

MC: You can find someone more competitive—

Diavolo: *has grabbed their hand, pulling them closer to him*

Diavolo: Was the time I had given to you not enough?

MC: ...

Diavolo: All I wanted is to see you. Why are you keeping yourself away? *his hold tightening*

MC: *their voice gentle but firm* Diavolo, you're hurting me.

Diavolo: !!!

Diavolo: *immediately lets go* I'm sorry—

MC: I'll get back to work. *walks away*

Diavolo: ...

Barbatos: ...

Lucifer: Diavolo, what happened?

Diavolo: *sigh* I thought they would be happy to see me. But it was the complete opposite.

Barbatos: I had warned you, young master.

Lucifer: ...

Lucifer: It seems we have no other choice.

Barbatos: I won't support this.

Lucifer: We don't care if you support or not, Barbatos.

Lucifer: MC deserves to be with us.

MC: *soaks their hand in cold water* *winced*

Luke: MC? What happened to your hand?

MC: *lets out a sigh*

Luke: ...

Luke: *uses his healing powers*

MC: *suddenly feels a whole lot better*

MC: ...

MC: *chuckles* That's weird. Luke, you're not here. Aren't you?

Luke: !!!

MC: *smiles* I hope that you're not. I wouldn't know how I should act in front of you.

Luke: ...

Luke: I won't show up. So please... You don't have to pretend that you're fine. *hugging them*

MC: *wakes up in the middle of night then realizes that Belphie is sleeping next to them*

MC: Belphie—

Belphie: *snuggles against them*

Belphie: I don't know what were you thinking leaving us like that...

Belphie: Even so, I have really missed you so much.

MC: ...

Belphie: *opens his eyes and looks at them with a smile*

Belphie: *caresses their cheek* Beel and Satan are waiting outside. You would be coming with us, right?

[dreamwithlost]

PASSIVO?

Jeno x Reader

Gênero: Friends to lovers, Br!Au

W.C: 1.4K

Avisos: Insinuação de sexo

ᏪNotas: Eu não lembro que dia foi, nem quem foi, mas só lembro de alguém brincando chamando o Jeno de "Passiva burra" ao reblogar uns gifs do Jaemin flertando com ele, e eu ri tanto desse comentário que ficou na minha mente (Se quem fez ele estiver lendo isso, pfv se manifeste) KSKSKKKKK e taram! Acabou virando uma onezinha em SP, então espero que gostem KKKKKKK Boa leitura, meus amores ❤️

— Nossa, mas cada vez que a gente sai você me leva para um lugar mais insalubre — Você brincou enquanto Jeno empurrava a porta enferrujada da entrada do hotel, e você dava a última tragada em seu cigarro, jogando a bituca no chão e pisando sobre a mesma.

— Para de reclamar, que esse aqui é incrível — O moreno retrucou com um sorriso digno de uma criança arteira, que logo se desfez enquanto ele abanava, de forma estabanada, a fumaça do tabaco que o vento trouxe para seu rosto, por mais que você tenha se virado para evitar isso — Insalubre é esse seu cigarro ai.

Você e Jeno costumavam procurar lugares abandonados por toda a capital de São Paulo para fazerem seus grafites, sempre andando para lá e para cá com suas bolsas repletas de sprays de tinta que tilintavam a cada passo. A verdade era que, apesar das pessoas sempre anunciarem construções assim como simplesmente "um novo ponto de drogas", elas não viam a realidade da situação, como aquele lugar poderia ser o único a abrigar uma família afastada da sociedade, ou como, mesmo em meio a destroços e à grama que crescia descontroladamente, poderia existir alguma beleza ali. Esse era o seu trabalho e o de sua dupla: trazer beleza para onde ninguém mais via, às escondidas. Era mais como uma resposta ao pedido de socorro de toda uma população: "Ei, não desista, você também pode brilhar novamente".

Vocês normalmente escolhiam lugares que não haviam sido descobertos ou usados como ponto fixo por mais ninguém, para que pudessem se divertir sem atrapalhar as pessoas e, claro, para que ninguém descobrisse suas verdadeiras identidades. Naquele dia, o Lee havia insistido para que você o seguisse, levando-a até um antigo hotel luxuoso de São Paulo, com arquitetura externa proveniente da Belle Époque brasileira, a vertente sul-americana do movimento francês, que antes, tão amada, agora muitas vezes era deixada de lado, já que as pessoas buscavam cada vez mais novidade e tecnologia.

Você não poderia negar que os primeiros andares do prédio estavam extremamente deteriorados, mas, à medida que Jeno insistia para que subissem um pouco mais, as coisas iam lentamente se modificando, como se o caos tivesse se cansado de subir aquelas inúmeras escadas.

— Meu Deus, não chega nunca — você reclamou, parando no meio de mais um lance de escadas, tão cansada quanto o caos.

— Só mais este — Jeno insistiu, indo para trás de você e lhe empurrando com as mãos em suas nas costas, incentivando-a a andar mais um pouco.

Quando, após muitos resmungos, vocês chegaram ao andar da suíte master do hotel e aquele par de portas foi aberto por seu amigo, seus olhos não puderam acreditar no que viram.

— Nossa — você murmurou, adentrando o quarto, ou na verdade, quase um mini apartamento.

Por incrível que pareça, a suíte estava incrivelmente conservada, destoando totalmente do resto da construção. Era como se, se você fechasse os olhos, pudesse imaginar os passos dados ali, alguma bela dama jogando seus vestidos para o alto enquanto o serviço de quarto vinha a seu encontro. Estava tudo bem empoeirado, isso era óbvio, mas, no geral, era...

— Incrível, né? — Jeno questionou vitorioso, parando à sua frente com as mãos na cintura, como um super-herói.

Você vagou pelo quarto, indo até a cama de casal após a sala principal, e olhou para o moreno, sorrindo travessa.

— Que que é isso, hein, Jeninho? Se queria ter algo comigo, pelo menos poderia ter escolhido um hotel em funcionamento — Você provocou, como de costume, e viu as bochechas de Jeno tornarem-se uma cópia perfeita das do Pikachu quando ele virou-se rapidamente para você.

Desde o dia em que sua amizade com Jeno se tornou extremamente forte, você se lembrava de provocá-lo, jogando flertes e cantadas ruins a cada oportunidade, apenas para vê-lo sem saber como reagir. Na primeira vez, você achou que ele tentaria alguma coisa, mas ao notar que tudo que tomava o seu corpo era o mais perfeito desespero, não pôde evitar de prosseguir com aquela brincadeira.

Por mais que... não fosse tão brincadeira assim.

A verdade era que você nunca possuíra alguém com quem pudesse realmente contar. Apesar de ter um número considerável de "amigos", sempre sentia a necessidade de se esconder, nunca podia contar como estava realmente se sentindo, nunca podia ser fraca. Afinal, quem gostaria de estar ao lado de alguém que passava vinte e quatro horas do dia em um completo vazio e tristeza que jamais se preenchia?

A única forma que encontrou de ser escutada era através de sua arte nas paredes, tão esquecidas quanto você. Até o dia em que conheceu Jeno, exatamente da forma que mais se sentia livre: grafitando. Jeno, diferente das demais pessoas ou colegas, havia entendido a sua arte, havia lhe abraçado, permitido que você chorasse em seu colo ao invés de forçar um sorriso. Ele lhe permitia ser você mesma, e essa amizade e conforto, pouco a pouco, foram se tornando um amor maior em seu peito.

Por mais que jamais pudesse lhe contar, não podia correr o risco de perder o seu melhor amigo.

— O quê? — Jeno exclamou de forma exacerbada, se aproximando — Para de graça — Pediu, colocando sua mochila sobre a cama para poder retirar as diversas tintas que havia trazido.

— Hm — Você murmurou, analisando o rapaz, tentando não perder a diversão daquele momento — Você é meio passivo, né?

— O quê? — O Lee novamente indagou, dessa vez mais alto, se endireitando rapidamente após aquele questionamento tão repentino.

— É, sabe, a pessoa que...

— Eu sei o que é ser passivo — o moreno lhe cortou, envergonhado.

Você não pôde evitar de gargalhar com aquela reação meiga.

— Viu? Então você é — Zombou, mostrando a língua para ele — Eu te dou tanta brecha e você nunca tentou nada, tem medo de mulher bonita.

— Eu só não quero ser desrespeitoso — ele confessou, trazendo, por algum motivo, uma seriedade maior para suas rotineiras provocações.

Seu coração não conseguiu separar a brincadeira da realidade e bateu mais forte por um momento.

— Você não seria desrespeitoso — você informou, tentando manter o tom descontraído.

Todavia, essa aura engraçada no ambiente pouco a pouco foi se afastando, a cada passo que Jeno dava em sua direção. Você, por instinto, deu alguns passos para trás, encostando na parede da cabeceira da cama quando o corpo de Jeno se aproximou mais do que deveria.

O rapaz agilmente colocou seus braços ao redor de sua cabeça, prendendo você entre ele e o papel de parede desgastado.

— O que foi? Ficou envergonhada agora? — Jeno sussurrou vendo seu rosto atingirem um nível novo de vermelhidão, e você se preocupou que o moreno pudesse até mesmo escutar seus batimentos cardíacos naquele momento.

O rosto do moreno se aproximou ainda mais do seu, sendo capaz até mesmo sentir o seu hálito amentolado exalando por seus lábios, o que lhe fez fechar os olhos, apreensiva. Mas então um sorriso se formou nos lábios do rapaz, um sorriso vitorioso, e logo seus braços lhe libertaram daquela gaiola, e o calor de seu corpo se afastou, para sua tristeza.

— Viu? Também sei brincar — Jeno zombou, mostrando a língua enquanto se distanciava — Agora você que é a...

Seu amigo não foi capaz de terminar aquela frase, não quando seu corpo voltou a grudar no dele, e seu desejo intenso começou a controlar seus movimentos, fazendo você entrelaçar seus dedos pelo pescoço do mais alto, erguer os calcanhares do chão e unir seus lábios, em um selinho demorado. Você não sabia o que estava fazendo, apenas sabia que não podia mais aguentar aquilo.

Você necessitava de Jeno, mais do que como amigo.

— Jeno, eu... — Você murmurou, um pouco arrependida após observar os olhos surpresos do moreno, e começou a lentamente retirar suas mãos de sua nuca.

O que não foi finalizado quando, rapidamente, sentiu as mãos do rapaz em sua cintura, garantindo que seu corpo não se afastaria, e aqueles lábios macios voltaram em busca dos seus, desta vez de forma ardente, pedindo passagem para a língua bailar junto à sua.

Suas mãos se emaranharam nas madeixas curtas, e suas unhas arranharam levemente sua nuca quando sentiu as mãos suaves de Jeno apertarem mais sua cintura, deslizando rapidamente até sua bunda para apertá-la, descendo até suas coxas, incentivando-a a saltar para seu colo. Você obedeceu ao pedido silencioso e foi erguida pelo rapaz, entrelaçando suas pernas na cintura dele, enquanto era levada, a passos lentos, até a pequena e luxuosa mesa de jantar na sala.

— Você sabia que tinha uma cama ali, né? — você separou penosamente seus lábios dos de seu amigo, rindo ao ser colocada sobre a mesa.

— Aí a nossa transa teria a participação dos fungos daquele lençol e da rinite.

— Tem razão — Você concordou, voltando a beijá-lo, e deslizou uma de suas mãos até o cós de sua calça, retirando de forma afobada o cinto de couro que segurava o tecido jeans — Vamos de mesa mesmo.

[croquis-el]

How to fool Odoroki Hosuke. Master class from Naruhodō Ryūichi pt. 2

In the last post I reached the limit of allowed pictures that can be attached, so we continue here.

So, we've played on pity, now it's time to get down to business.

ヤクザとつながっているらしいんだ。

ミナミタヌキー家、といったかな。

yakuza to tsunagatte irurashī nda. Minamitanukī-ka, to itta ka na.

Apparently he's connected to the Yakuza. The Minami Tanuki family, I think.

････キタキツネー家、ですか････?

(ワザとまちがえてないか?)

kitakitsunē-ka, desu ka? (Waza to machigae tenai ka? )

Are you about the Kita Fox family...? (Are you mistaken on purpose?)

Where's the joke, you ask. Let me explain.

The yakuza family involved in this case is called キタキツネー家 (kitakitsune-ka) - literally "Northern Fox Family"

家 (ka) - house, home, family

It is also interesting that this is the Japanese name for the Sakhalin red fox.

The Ezo red fox (Vulpes vulpes schrencki) is a subspecies of red fox widely distributed in Hokkaido and the surrounding islands of Japan; Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. The Ezo red fox's formal name, kitakitsune (北狐), was given to the subspecies by Kyukichi Kishida when he studied them in Sakhalin in 1924.

What is Minami then, and why did Naruhodō turn the original word into this?

So Minami (ミナミ) means "south"

南 (みなみ) south

And Kita (キタ) means "north".

北 (きた) - north

Where did tanuki come from?

貍･狸 (たぬき) [tanuki]

tanuki, zool. raccoon dog, Nyctereutes viverrinus Temminck;

But this word has another meaning - figurative.

In the figurative sense, a [sly] fox.

Naruhodō pretended not to hear and made a pun out of it with a play on words.

I can't believe in my life that a person who could hear every word Yusaku Amasugi (Ron DeLite) said in the detention center, while Mayoi kept asking him to repeat himself, suddenly didn't hear the loud-voiced Odoroki, who was a few steps away.

And one more thing - how does Naruhodō know that that clinic was some kind of partner of the yakuza? Considering that this information was hidden from the public. Do you smell this scent of patronage in interested circles?

And as Minuki said, "my dad knows about all the police."

And this phrase from Naruhodō: "I didn't think she would be involved in this..."

Your knowledge is very suspicious!

Let's continue

おやおや。今度はどんな問題が 起こったんだい。

oya oya. Kondo wa don'na mondai ga okotta n dai.

Oh my. What kind of problem happened this time?

モンダイなんて、ありませんよ。弁護の依頼を受けただけです。

mondai nante, arimasen yo. Bengo no irai o uketa dakedesu.

There's no problem. I was just asked to represent someone.

なるほど････。たしかに、それは困ったなあ。

naruhodo. Tashikani, sore wa komatta nā.

I see... That certainly is a problem.

だって、ホラ。ぼくはもう、弁護士は辞めているからねえ。

datte, hora. Boku wa mō, bengoshi wa yamete irukara nē.

Well, you see, I've already quit being a lawyer.

オレの依頼ですよ!

ore no iraidesu yo!

That's my request!

あ、そうか。そういえば、オドロキくんは弁護士だっけ。

a, sō ka. Sō ieba, odoroki-kun wa bengoshida kke.

I see. Come to think of it, Odoroki-kun is a lawyer.

(ゼッタイ、ワザとだ!)

(zettai, Waza toda! )

(Definitely on purpose!)

Do you hear that oya oya? (Flashback with Kuroo Tetsuro from Haikyuu!) Odoroki is furious, but he keeps coming back. Because the admiration hasn't gone away, because he's beginning to understand that he's being shown the reality of being a lawyer. Beginning to understand that seemingly unrelated details form a path to the truth.

There is a lot of information, so there will be another part (at least more).

To be continued!

[laylaeelfaouly]

Edit (29/09/23): This is now closed but THANK YOU SO SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to interact, like, reblog, share, and respond!!! I really appreciate it 💕🤧

Did you make goncharov (1973) content? Well then i've got the perfect survey for you :)

Hey! I'm a library & information science masters student writing my disso on the information creation process of goncharov (1973) and need participants for a survey.

Here are some reasons to participate:

Because it's Goncharov (1973)

Because surveys are fun

Force my university to read approx 20k on our gay little film which I bet none of them have even seen!!

Shouldn't take more than 10 minutes (5 if you're quick)

Help expand a widely ignored academic domain (fan studies)

Please??

The only requirements are that you're 18 or older and have made some kind of Goncharov (1973) content - even if it's just one meta post about Mr JWHJ0715. The survey is completely anonymous and does not collect your IP address. 

Link to the survey:

Please add as much detail as possible. Reblogs are loved and appreciated <3

[mily12]

Songs of the Soul

Hello, this is my first fanfic and I hope you like it. If you want, you can leave ideas and maybe we can do something cool by putting them together ❤�� Forgive me for any writing mistakes.

Gif is not mine.

English is not my first language 🤍

1440 words ☆

It was not to be expected that all you would find in the lands that were once green, would be only death and destruction. It was not to be expected that one day all those you loved would be gathered together and reduced to nothing less than the dust of the earth. But this was obvious, from dust we are made and to dust we shall return.

The truth is that in this era you could not expect anything else, these lands are cursed and nothing more! One day what was a beautiful place and the next just ashes. But as it was said before, nothing to expect, not even a love from someone who could not feel anything other than the desire for power, or maybe everyone thought so, or maybe even the one who claims to be the great Sauron thought so. Could it be that the master deceiver is so skilled in his skills that he can deceive himself?

You were mortal, completely, made only of skin and bones. You would not be powerful like the beautiful elves, much less so strong as to break a rock with your hands like the dwarves. Reduced and condemned to this, just a mere mortal. But what made the lord of deceit cast his eyes upon you?

You didn't possess the light that the elves so adored, but even so he found himself wishing to be closer to you.

“You should try to get some rest,” his voice echoes in a worried tone as a touch rests on the shoulder of the one you met a few days ago.

“Seriously Halbrand, I don’t see you resting and eating just a little” you sit down next to him, letting your foot touch the ocean water that was dangerously freezing.

“There’s no way to rest when all I see is just darkness and more water wherever I look,” he mumbles and looks at your face, as if he was looking into your soul, with a deep gaze that would easily make anyone else move away and avoid contact with the dark-haired man.

But not you, you were different and it was already driving you crazy! The first time you met, on the road, instead of fear or anything like that, you felt a chill. It's like something had changed inside you, like songs from the soul.

“Okay, but rest, I'm sure you'll soon end up passing out from exhaustion” the best of the best smiles found their way onto her beautiful face.

It was no secret that since your youth, you were someone who always tried to think of the best, even in the worst situations, like now, stranded in the middle of the sea with a beast on the loose.

After some recent events, you found yourself admiring the great island of Numenor. After all, who wouldn't admire the island that was gifted to you by the Valar themselves! You had only heard stories of great constructions that men could not make, but apparently, on this island they could.

It was like a chance to redeem himself, to forget the recent past that haunted the southern lands.

“ Isto é tão lindo” você arfou com surpresa ao tocar em todas as estruturas que conseguia ao caminhar pela bela cidade. Halbrand se pegou sorrindo para sua reação, claro que o lugar de onde ele veio, isso era apenas o mais simples de todos.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” he pulled your hand to walk through the city. A few days were what the Queen Regent was given to think about whether you would leave for your lands, but of course you didn’t want to go back, you would never go back to that place again. Yes, it was the idea of the elf you met on the way, the horrible thing about it is that she acted as if she had something with Halbrand, a connection and you felt jealous, of course, why didn’t you?

You were with him on the road, on the shipwreck and now at this moment, why did she have the right to arrive when the caravan was already moving and get involved in this as if she were doing something bigger?

You were overthinking, causing Halbrand to look at your face and wonder why your brow was furrowed like you had just tasted lemon.

“If you keep frowning like that, you’ll end up with wrinkles,” he smiled playfully as he approached you and tucked a lock of your hair behind your ear. The act made your heart race. It’s these small acts that not only make your heart warm, but your breath catch, your throat close, or even as if your soul were dancing a new dance.

For heaven's sake, you didn't know why your body betrayed you so easily.

“The elf, Galadriel.. do you trust her?”

You bit your lip waiting for the answer, of course the way you were incredibly nervous, and looked down with your eyes, were visibly pathetic in his eyes. Pathetically beautiful, that was what the dark lord didn't understand, how a being so inferior to his existence made him feel these feelings.

“Trust is a very strong word, there is only one person I trust and she is right in front of me jealous” he smiled mischievously making you shy under his gaze, jealousy? Was that what he thought you felt? Well, he was right.

“I’m not jealous” you pouted and by the gods that exist, he found it so cute, it was a beautiful sight that he would want to keep in his memory for the rest of his existence.

He smiled even more and came closer, closing the distance between you, leaning in and whispering in your ear. “I have my eyes on you.” He placed a kiss on the top of your head and began to move away only to look at you again and say

“Come on, we have to explore the whole city.” You stood still for a few seconds, as if every simple gesture this man made caused you to go completely awry? If this was paradise, then you prayed that whatever powerful force existed would never allow you to leave.

“Wait”

you ran and ended up colliding with his fully defined back, the smell of iron and salt that was his unique aroma entered your nostrils, so good you thought.

“And if I were jealous, what would I say? “

você mordeu o lábio inferior admitindo que realmente sentia um pouco. Ele se virou lentamente e uma risada true retumbou em seu peito. Lentamente ele abaixou seus dedos para que alcançasse seus lábios e fez um pequeno gesto de carinho.

“Then I would ask you to become my wife.”

He looked deep into your eyes, but never wavered. To your surprise he grabbed your waist and there was no more space between you.

“What?”

He repeated the words, as if he had somehow disbelieved them.

“Marry me”

He whispered again, looking at her lips for a brief moment before looking into her eyes again.

“Be mine and only mine, I will give you everything you want, little by little everything will be at your command”

He closed the distance between you with a kiss that at first was something passionate, but over the seconds it became more needy, something that had been desired for so long. When the need for oxygen became present, you lightly touched his chest, completely relaxed by your touch.

" Yes"

You said breathlessly with the brightest smile plastered on your face.

“And you will be mine, only mine”

You exclaim before leaving a small kiss on his face. You said that nothing that came from the south would be good, but you never imagined finding someone that you would love so much.

Finding your other soul, after all, wouldn't be just anyone who would make both of your souls vibrate in this way. As if a greater force had brought you both together, and you would make the most of it. And he himself didn't know he could feel any other feeling, much less love! Who would have thought that such a corrupted being would be capable of feeling the purest of feelings. He wished for more and more power, but at this moment not so that Middle Earth would fall at his feet, but to protect his beloved. At this moment, you and only you are the most important being in your existence now, with your eyes completely fixed on you and your souls in perfect harmony.

A song that only the two of you can understand.

[modelbus]

YOOOO MODDLEE

yeah I did it again.

(Help I have a problem of disappearing into thin air)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PART THREE OF CUT CHAOS SHEBSJNSUH

you said you would write 500 chapters.. but like obviously exaggerating..? (Kiddinggg)

tho a few more couldn’t hurt..

juuuust saying if you ever feel like it I will eventually see it and it will eventually make my week. <3333

BUT THATS NOT WHY WE ARE HERE! (I’m sorry my requests are always so long and dramatic bro I just brain like that)

Actual request:

ok so like I knowww cut chaos started from rumours but like rumours are an easy way to start plot lines k? (Also I use she pronouns out of habit but they is pog too)

the friends in question: Tommyinnit (duh), Wilbur (moosic boi), Ranboo (generation loss trauma guy), Possibly Slimecicle?? I know he’s not someone you do requests for normally buttt if you’re okay with it that would be POG, or if slime is a no, tubbo!

SO a few months ago Y/N started working on an SMP with some minimal custom mods, some fancy texture packs, maybe some data packs, and its like this BIGGG project, BUT its not public and its taking a lot of her time, so she can only really do a few streams and most of the time because her schedule is so full its hard to work out streams with friends so, she is alone. with the internet being the internet people started to think something was up, some annoyed viewers made a few rumours and people kept making things up and escalating things until people were saying she did all sorts of horrible things to “lose all her friends” but one of the most popular theories was that she was emotionally abusing them (??? Internet wildin ig) she ignored them while mostly finishing the stuff for the smp, but decided to address it in a very- y/n way. Getting four friends to come to her house and hide slightly off camera while she made a purposefully bad apology video only for them to jump out at the end and her to stand up and be like “YALL REALLY THOUGHT I WAS SOME MASTER MANIPULATOR?! I’M JUST A FUNKY LITTLE CHAOTIC MINECRAFT GOBLIN N’ I’VE BEEN WORKING ON AN SMP THIS WHOLE TIME!! ITS GONNA BE SUPER COOL AND THESE FOUR PLUS ALOOOOT MORE PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE THERE I’M POSTING THE CREATORS SOON AND ITS LAUNCHING IN A MONTH!, SO STOP ASSUMING I’M A BAD PERSON AND GET PUMPED BITCHES!” something along those lines, maybe at the end a little peek at what people are responding with. (Obviously no pressure, but like id be cool) (thanks for considering deity of the busses and models.)

HOW WE LIKING THE SILLIES?!?

P.S I’m not always an angst gremlin (just most of the time..) - ✨🌌🌙 Annon

I DO BE LIKING THE SILLIES (and thank you for elevating me to the level of deity, my ego has been inflated)

Pairing: Cc! Wilbur, Tommy, Ranboo, Charlie Slimecicle x Gn!Reader (platonic)

Roaring Rumors

Life was all about sacrifices.

Or, that’s what you keep telling yourself when you’re up at 1AM working on your server. Putting together an SMP is harder than it sounds; texture packs, data packs, comparability, world-building, even the (seemingly) simply act of contacting people to play on it. For the amount of time you spent on your computer, your hands might as well be part of your keyboard.

Sleep wasn’t the only thing you sacrificed. Streaming, even just fun ones with your friends, had quickly became rare. Although you loved to hop on a call while coding still, your online presence had severely receded.

You just keep telling yourself that sacrifices are necessary. That the payoff would be worth it.

And it really would be, but you just had to get there first. Which was proving harder than you had thought.

At the very least, you still had your friends. Wilbur sitting silently on call with you while you work, Tommy dragging you out of your room, Ranboo always willing to get excited over your progress. Every day you woke up with a text from your groupchat—typically Charlie—just filling you in on the latest internet trend by a meme.

Today, your news comes from Wilbur and Tommy.

“I think they’re canceling you.” Wilbur says casually while you’re in the midst of detailing the hunger bar for a texture pack.

“Ooh, you’re a wrong’un!” Tommy yells in the background of Wilbur’s side of the call.

The three of you had been idly chatting while each doing your own thing. Wilbur and Tommy were engaged in some Twitter competition, as far as you know.

“Canceling me for what?” You ask, deciding to ignore Tommy’s shouting.

“Existing, I think.” Wilbur answers.

“So the normal.”

“The normal.”

Although the conversation stops there, you can’t help yourself. Later, during one of the few hours you dedicate to getting sleep to stay alive, you pull open Twitter on your phone. Your last tweet was nearly two weeks ago, so it’s been a minute.

But you just want to make sure nothing horrible happened while you were busy. You’re a content creator, this is normal. Definitely. You definitely aren’t just justifying this so you can do it.

You swipe through tweets, heading to trending and searching your name. Tweets load, making your mouth run dry. Wilbur wasn’t joking.

All you can do is scroll, reading as the messages get wilder and wilder. From people saying they were missing you to theories on why nobody was streaming you. Each one seemed considerably more implausible, and before you know it you’re glaring at your screen like it’s to fault.

Some thought you had grown apart.

Some thought you had a falling out.

And, apparently, a lot thought you were emotionally abusing them. Or, depending on the tweet, manipulating them.

Quite honestly, you didn’t even know how they got the idea. The long threads of explanations did nothing but send you into a spiral, biting your bottom lip so hard that it bleeds.

You were so close to finishing the SMP. It needed just a few things, then you'd be able to start scheduling to get it up and running. You didn't have the time nor mental capacity to deal with whatever the fuck is going on right now.

Is it a good choice? Maybe not. But do you still ignore the accusations? Hell yes.

-

By the time you get even closer to finishing the preparations for your SMP, you've come up with the perfect plan to address the (quite stupid) rumors. It'll be a two-in-one; you address the rumors and announce the SMP at the same time.

"How long do I have to lay on this floor?" Tommy asks, stretched out behind your chair.

"Nobody asked you to lay on the floor." Wilbur points out, standing next to your computer. Charlie, on the other side, laughs.

"Yeah man, you wanted to be down there."

"Besides, I'm doing great down here!" Ranboo chimes in.

You roll your eyes, grinning. "I'm about to start stream, so it won't be for much longer. Just wait for my cue, yeah?"

Tommy grumbles, but shuts up. You take that as your chance to start the stream, switching it off your waiting screen and waving to the camera. Your chosen stream title has brought in a bit more than your usual casual steam view number, "Talking about some serious stuff," leading people to believe there will be drama. And if it's drama they want, it's drama you'll give.

"Hello, hello!" You smile, leaning back. "So I've decided to talk about some things. Namely, the Twitter shit. I am so sorry for everything, and I mean that. A lot. Sincerely. There's meaning in it."

Tommy snorts, and from the corner of your eye you catch Wilbur kick him to shut him up.

"What am I sorry about?" You ask rhetorically, acting like you read it off of chat. "Oh, you know. People have been saying all types of stuff. The things about me manipulating my friends?" There's a pause while you let that sink in. "So, I'm sorry."

It's a purposefully shitty apology, but you sigh and act like its heartfelt for a few moments, nodding towards chat. Their messages are mostly confused, especially because it isn't one emote-only.

"Sorry you guys are so gullible!" You shout, and Tommy practically tackles you.

Wilbur's the one to fix your chair, Ranboo and Charlie appearing next to you within moments.

"You guys really thought this one could manipulate me? The master?" Charlie asks the stream, pointing at you.

"Yeah!" Tommy shouts, way too energetic for someone who complained five minutes ago about being on the floor. "We're the master manipulators! Get fooled!"

"I, for one, haven't manipulated anyone-" Ranboo starts, but Tommy slaps a hand over his mouth and nods empathetically.

"Yeah, I don't know what you guys were thinking, but I've just been playing fucking Minecraft for the past few months nonstop." You laugh.

"Nonstop. It's a problem." Wilbur nods.

"It is not a problem!" Pause. "Anyways, I made an SMP! And that's where I've been! Not because I've been manipulating my friends or some shit, stop being dumbasses."

"It'll be super cool!" Ranboo adds in helpfully.

"These four-"

"That's us!" Charlie points around at himself, Wilbur, Tommy, and Ranboo.

"-will be on it, plus a lot more. It'll be posting those people soon! As in, check your Twitter obsessively guys! The SMP will be in about a month, too, so get fucking excited! I want to see some hype!"

"WOO!" Tommy screams, making everyone cringe at having their eardrums ruptured.

"So that's all I wanted to talk about I think. Anything to add, guys?" You glance around at the four surrounding you with a grin.

"One thing." Charlie nods, leaning in really close. "I have a secret. This SMP, it's actually-" He hits your end stream button mid-sentence. "And that's how you keep 'em interested."

-

Ycgmaenthusist NEW SMP NEW SMP NEW SMP NEW SMP

Mammalianeighingreflecenthusiest We are dumb as fuck aren’t we

Poabsenthusiest i will RIOT IN THE STREETS if any of yall be mean to MY STREAMER -> Cmwylenthusist FR I GOT TWO FISTS AND A CAUSE

[cherrynwinesk]

Boyfriend Headcanon's ~ Spreen

Género de historia/escrito: sfw/ fluff

Idioma: Español/Spanish

⚠️: ninguno

CC's: ElSpreen

Género de lector: neutral

📝: Todo el contenido es ficticio y se intenta adaptar la personalidad PÚBLICA de los cc's, es decir, la personalidad que se muestra ante camaras, no conozco la verdadera personalidad y cualquier parecido con la realidad es mera coincidencia.

🍒: Hola, las peticiones para todo tipo de escritos como escenarios o fics siempre están abiertas, puedes pedir de cualquier creador de contenido y el tipo de escrito, pregunta sin miedo c:

Master list

•Muy atento siempre

•Coincidieron por cosas de trabajo y se creo una buena conexión

•Trataría de que ambos tengan mucha confianza entre ustedes

•Antes de que fueran novios sería del tipo que te manda memes, videos o tiktoks para hacerte reír

•"Mira, así haces vos" y un tiktok de un animal haciendo un ruido extraño

•Como un bullying con cariño

•Y esa sería la mayor excusa para tenerlos a ambos chateando

•Es un chico ocupado pero siempre tendría tiempo para tí

•Le gustarías tanto y tendría tanto interés en ti que su iPhone estaría junto al mouse de su computadora y en cuanto sonará una notificación lo tomaría para ver si eres tú

•Te contesta al instante

•Le daría mucha pena decirte que le gustas o de que te dieras cuenta

•Te mandaría notas de voz en lugar de mensajes

•Y en las notas siempre termina con su risita nerviosa

•Te invitaria a salir algunas veces sin decirte las intenciones

•Como si fueran solo salidas de amigos pero solo es porque a él le da miedo decirte de salir como "cita"

•Trataría de no invitarte muy seguido para que no te des cuenta

•Al momento de tomar valor para pedirte oportunidad se tomaría todo 100% con seriedad

•A lo mejor te lleva a cenar lo más seguro

•Te diría que le empezaste a gustar y mucho

•Su cara estaría muy roja y no pararía de sonreír nerviosamente

•Te llevaría un regalo de cualquier cosa que te guste

•Te lo daría después de que aceptarás a su confesión diciendote "te lo iba a dar aún que me dijeras que no, pero no quería dártelo para presionarte y que me dijeras que si"

•Se pone paranoico y te da explicaciones de todo para que no pienses nada malo de él o sus acciones

•Esta vez él envolvió el regalo, y se esforzó solo porque era para ti (vio un tutorial en Youtube)

•Ya de novios te invitaría siempre a su departamento

•Trataría de trabajar y despejar sus pendientes los días que no se puedan ver para estar fuera de preocupaciones cuando te vuelva a ver y darte toda la atención a tí

•Como si fuera un día por la noche, y al día siguiente irías a visitarlo, estaría mandando grabaciones al editor, aclarando las ediciones y tal para al día siguiente no tener que ser interrumpidos por mensajes de su equipo de trabajo.

•Seria de cocinar juntos siempre y si no hay mucho tiempo él pediría comida a domicilio para cuando estuvieras en su casa, no tendrías que esperar

•Siempre tiene regalos para ti

•Todo lo que vea que te pueda gustar o cosas que le recuerden a ti, lo compra

•Siempre te tendría de la mano

•Acurrucados con su brazo sobre tus hombros para acercarte a él y te daría besos en la frente

•Tendría mucha iniciativa siempre tomando en cuenta las cosas que a ti te gusta hacer

•Tal vez no te prestaría su ropa, pero si se quitaría su gorra o sus lentes y te los pondría para "ver cómo te lucen a ti" y te los dejaría puesto

[xjulixred45x]

What unpopular opinion of yours in the fandom of sds/4koa?

Mmhm...dificult. lets see.

They ruined Jericho: this is pretty obvious, what was the need to turn NNT's best secondary character into a PEDOPHILE? other than she's super out of character from the Jericho we know and love. This especially hurt me as a Jericho stand.

Ban x Elaine (despite being super shady) is ironically NNT's best constructed relationship😑: this rather shows how low the standards were with Nakaba in his previous work. If Elaine looked like an ADULT, I think they would be a very pretty couple, but nowadays, it makes me kind of yikes to see them before the timeskipe.

Tristan is...boring: it's not bad!! not at all! It's just that his good-natured, do-nothing-wrong attitude (thanks to his loving upbringing) is a type of attitude that I can overcome to a certain extent, but if Tristan doesn't show REAL change in the story soon, he'll move down quite a bit on my list. .

related to that-

It makes no sense for Tristan to continue trusting Chion: LET'S SEE, even if he is his cousin, it is more than obvious that Chion hid information, attacked knowing that Percival was the child of the prophecy, separated from the group to go after Gawain alone and KILL HIM....and yet Tristan still sees him as a friend??! Tristan is kind of an idiot.

Arthur had the reasons to become evil: I know it sounds contradictory compared to the other posts I made, but let's put ourselves in a situation: Arthur was treated badly by his brother all his life until he became king at the age of 15, since he was A teenager was put in charge of an entire kingdom, with a selfish teacher who, more like a student, saw him as a possible tool. The kingdom that Arthur loves was constantly under attack by conflicts caused bc two assholes(yk who i mean) of other races and that ended up causing 1- HIS DEATH, that he will be left without an arm, that AN ANCESTRAL ENTITY WILL POSSESS HIM (because of his "master") and later 2- THE DESTRUCTION OF HIS KINGDOM.

Even if we all had wanted Arthur to have continued to be the sun child that we all loved, with all that TRAUMA, the PAIN and ANGUST that he had to go through, it didn't seem very viable....FUCK YOU NAKABA---

I think is all

_____

(ESPAÑOL)

arruinaron a Jericho: esto es bastante obvio ¿cual era la necesidad de convertir al mejor personaje secundario de NNT en una PEDOFILA? aparte de que es super fuera de personaje de la Jericho que conocemos y amamos. esto le dolio especialmente como una Jericho stand.

El Ban x Elaine(pese a ser super turbio) es irónicamente la relación mejor construida de NNT😑: esto mas bien muestra lo bajos que eran los estándares con Nakaba en su obra anterior. si Elaine se viera como una ADUTLA, creo que serian una pareja muy bonita, pero en oa actualidad, me da algo de cosa verlos antes del timeskipe.

Tristán es...aburrido: no es malo!! para nada! solo que su actitud de niño buenachon y que no hace nada malo(gracias a su crianza amorosa) es un tipo de actitud que puedo vancar hasta cierto punto, pero si Tristán no muestra un cambio REAL en la obra pronto, descendera bastante en mi lista.

relaciónado con eso-

no tiene sentido que Tristan siga confiando en Chion: A VER, aun si es su primo, es mas que obvio que Chion oculto información, ataco a sabiendas de que Percival era el niño de la profesia, se separo del grupo para ir tras Gawain solo y MATARLO....y aun asi Tristan sigue viendolo como un amigo??! Tristan es algo idiota.

Arthur tenia las razones para volverse malvado: se que suena contradictorio en comparación a los otros post que hice, pero pongamonos en situación: a Arthur lo trato mal su hermano toda su vida hasta que se convirtió en rey a los 15 AÑOS, desde que era un adolescente le pusieron acargo de un reino entero, con una maestra egoista que mas como un alumno lo veia como una posible herramienta, el reino al que Arthur ama estaba constantemente bajo ataque por conflictos causados por dos pendejos de otras razas y que eso termino causando 1- SU MUERTE, que quedará sin brazo, que UNA ENTIDAD ANCENSTRAL LO POSEEYERA(por culpa de su "maestra")y mas tarde 2- LA DESTRUCCIÓN DE SU REINO.

aún si todos hubieramos querido que Arthur hubiera seguido siendo el niño sol que todos amamos, con todo ese TRAUMA, el DOLOR y ANGUSTIA que tuvo que pasar, no se veia muy viable....PUDRETE NAKABA---

[redsamuraiii]

Fuji : If I might suggest, the port of Ito and the Yokose should be included in within the Anjin-san's fief. Toranaga : Why? Fuji : Ito in case Anjiro is not big enough. Perhaps bigger slipways be necessary for such a big ship. Anjin-san's interested in the sea. So are you. It was my duty to learn about ships and shipping, and when we heard the Anjin-san's ship was burned I wondered if it would be possible to build another, and if so, where and how. Izu is a perfect choice, Sire. It will be easy to keep Ishido's armies out. Toranaga : And why Yokose? Fuji : Yokose because a hatamoto should have a place in the mountains where you could be entertained in the style you have a right to expect. Toranaga was watching her closely. Fuji appeared so docile and demure but he knew she was as inflexible as he was and not ready to concede either point unless he ordered it. Toranaga : I agree. I'll consider what you said. Fuji : Thank you, Sire. She said humbly, glad that she had done her duty to her master and repaid her debt to Mariko. Ito for its slipways, and Yokose where Mariko had said their "love" had really begun. Mariko : Our journey here has brought me more joy than I have the right to expect in twenty lifetimes. Fuji : I beg you to protect him in Osaka, Mariko-san. So sorry, he's not like us. His nirvana is life and not death. That's still true, she thought, blessing Mariko's memory. Mariko had saved the Anjin-san, no one else, not the Christian God, or any gods, not even Toranaga, no one - only Mariko alone. Toda Mariko-noh-Akechi Jinsai had saved him.

James Clavell's Shogun (1975), Chapter 61, Page 1108