#shin-yu was really harsh

[zippverschluss]

ep 9 notes

haven't checked the tag yet, need to sort through / document my thoughts first.

i'm a bit... disappointed, i guess? but i think that's owed to my expectations. after a week of collective theorizing i was (not so) secretly hoping for a sauruman VS gandalf style face off and so what we got felt a bit... pedestrian?

so i guess the gardener did hurt him after all, just not the 'shears-in-your-body' kind of inury? i honestly thought he'd stick to stalking.

speaking of which, i'll be disappointed if it's really garden dude using nayeon and not the other way round. nayeon being skilled in black magic and just using / playing men left and right to reach her own various ends and satisfy her needs would have elevated the character immensely. feels a bit disrespectful tbh.

speaking of disrespect, i suspected as much, but still... how can they have the mother not know? like honestly? how can her asshole husband tell the woman his son just broke up with about the illness but not his wife? i reeeaaally want hj to hex him... like, make him step on a lego everyday of his life. or have shampoo get into his eyes. something like that.

back in ep. 3 when sy saw hj in the dress and just last episode, we focused on his right hand. same happend during the proposal scene in ep. 5 and yesterday in the hospital with nayeon. i guess that holds significance?

were sy and ny ever intimate with each other?

i liked how they filmed the nightmare hj had.

also, how ambigious jg still feels. though i'm leaning towards ally who hasn't realized yet that he missed his shot. (also, does jg know the mayor is dirty? the mayor is dirty, right? playing footsie with the haum ceo? is that why he poached sy? to take on the mayor? and if he doesn't know, doesn't that just really undercut his character?)

did garden dude hit sy with some magic to make him black out? did that magic bring back his past memories? i thought he remembered when he woke up in the hospital.

but then i really don't understand the artistic decision process behind the scene in front of the hospital. that scene made (makes) me think i must be mistaken? how can he remember loving / killing her 300 years ago and the first thing he asks about is the in house messenger? (yeah, i know, he wanted her to go back on her word...) but even if he wanted to not let on, where were the longing / pining / loving eyes from last episode? the whole thing just felt very bland and weird.

also, poor rowoon. they obvs. didn't find hospital pants long enoug for him.

also, pls. don't push sick / hospitalized people. you don't know what tubes / needles they have sticking in or out of them. drama writers, find other ways to initiate physical touch. (just as lazy as drunk alley dude in ep 2).

i cared about ma and go for the first time. that scene was funny. i don't appreciate that once again show insinuates that a man is needed to keep a home in order, but since ma is freshly divorced it is plausible. for a moment i thought he was gonna choke her out or pass out himself. lol

also, re the hug, 'what kind of man asks that beforehand?'. the kind that respects boundaries and gives you the chance to say no? uncool ma, uncool show.

i guess no tentative friendships at work, but passive-aggressiveness?

loved the fireworks and the traditional music. was my favourite part of the episode. that slapped. wished they would have kept that music for the romantic scene.

there's still the option that him wholeheartedly embracing his feelings for hj brought upon the past memories. in which case that must be one long-ass hug. still, i'd prefer that scenario over the hospital-dream one. embracing his feelings because he remembers cheapens it a bit imo. its prob. the latter though seeing how he asked his mom about past lives.

his parents' bickering is getting on my nerves.

this episode felt really disjointed. i understand the cuts / edits were to not reveal too much, but at this point i'm just really annoyed by it.

for that reason bridge scene didn't have the impact it prob. should have had since i wasn't really sure what was going on?

spell scene too short, dress not as strange / pretty. but loved the music. also, what spell did she use? seduction?

i liked the child actors surprisingly much. i liked it even more that already as a child she had shaman capabilities.

i know tall people fall in love too, but man those hugs looked uncomfortable.

there's many other thoughts in my head but lastly: i guess only him remembers the past out of the two of them. i don't like that. at all. after 8 episodes it finally felt like they were on somewhat even footing when it came to knowledge about magic, spells, curses.... having only him remember once again means he knows more and is the proactive one, whereas she is only reacting and being driven by him. (but, if only him remembers, how can we as an audience see the things that only she can know? being brought to the shaman as a child? her premunition of the bloody hand?)

on that note, i hope the next kiss is initiated by hj. would be nice to see her express her desires / feelings. 3 kisses in and it's always him planting one on her. reciprocity is hot!! gimme gimme gimme!

#destined with you #ramblings #zippy can't zip it #stream of consciousness #free flow #i like this writing exercise #might need to keep this for other things #episode 9 and still more questions #i couldn't help but feel the writer doesn't like women very much? #like some decisions just felt really disrespectful #bordering on misogynistic #saving grace is that the dudes are unsympathetic as well #poor wookie #shin-yu was really harsh #but he wanted to see his women #needs to do it in secret though cause technically he's still two-timing #also rowoon looked huge in the crowd-shots on the bridge #did hong-jo's hair change? #it did no? #i wish we could have seen a bit more of her falling for him #i really want a hong-jo / nayeon and shin-yu / haum ceo showdown

[lgbtqmanga]

New Releases April 9, 2024

Black or White (manga) vol. 8 by Sachimo

When Shin attends a cast party for his latest TV show, the events of the evening get twisted into a scandal involving the leading lady. Fortunately, the matter is settled without much damage to his reputation - but not before those around Shin realize that someone is pulling the strings as a means to trap him. Just then, Shin finds out that his next gig will be his dream project... finally costarring with his boyfriend Shige! But is this dream project a little too good to be true?

Crossplay Love: Otaku × Punk (manga) vol. 8 by Toru

When two guys who hate each other are also two girls forming a close friendship, wires are bound to get crossed! After the manager of Café Roman is injured in an accident, his crossdressing friend Shizuku is recruited to help keep the shop afloat. Hana takes the utmost care not to out Shizuku’s real identity, but it might already be too late for that…?

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish: Canji Baojun De Zhangxin Yu Chong (novel) vol. 1 by Xue Shan Fei Hu

After Li Yu stays up all night to read an engrossing webnovel, he finally falls asleep–only to wake up in the world of the novel itself. And not as himself, but as a helpless fish! Shocked and dismayed, Li Yu quickly realizes that he must live in a tank owned by Mu Tianchi, the tyrant of the novel who never speaks. Whatever force brought Li Yu into this world warns him that there’s only one way to become human again: to win over the cold Mu Tianchi and change his harsh ways. But Li Yu has no idea how to do that, especially as a powerless, palm-sized carp. Can a little fish really swim its way into a tyrant’s heart?

Engage (manga) vol. 1 by Yuu Minaduki

When a young chef confesses his love to a mysterious and attractive older stranger, he’s drawn into a deep web of intrigue and buried family history that could threaten his attraction to the only man he’s ever loved.

The highlight of chef Mei Suzumori’s year is the Tanabata Festival - the one day a year when a pair of mythical lovers reunites. For Mei, it’s the day that a mysterious handsome stranger visits his adopted family’s restaurant to buy tasty seasonal taiyaki. Unable to hold his feelings for the attractive stranger back any longer, Mei professes his love - and finds he’s linked to the enigmatic Naru by a bond much deeper and more complicated than he ever imagined.

I Married My Female Friend (manga) vol. 2 by Shio Usui

After Ruriko’s hospitalization, Ruriko and Kurumi’s connection seems to be deepening. But that doesn’t make them immune to the odd argument! Can they work through the knots that come with tying the knot?

I'm in Love with the Villainess: She's so Cheeky for a Commoner (novel) vol. 2 by Inori, with illustrations by Hanagata

In the wake of Lene's exile, aristocratic Claire François grapples with her feelings for her vexing commoner classmate, Rae Taylor. Her tangled emotions aren't helped by her childhood friend, the dashing Princess Manaria, suddenly reentering her life--or by a visit to Rae's hometown. Continue to revisit the events of I'm In Love With the Villainess from Claire's perspective in this second volume of the spin-off, including some brand-new glimpses into parts of the story never told before!

#new releases #lgbt manga #queer manga #manga #danmei

[sarangkstars]

Short Kdramas/Drama Special/Web Drama

Part 3

These dramas happen when nothing I watch grabs me or when I'm too exhausted for long dramas and when I just need something where I could just relax and smile.

Part 1 / Part 2

BingGoo

Bing Goo is a fantasy drama about a man named Go Man Soo (Kim Jung Hyun) who lives in the 70s. His world revolves around the woman he loves Yoo Shin Young (Cha Joo Young), who is very ill. One fateful night, his body is frozen for 37 years. When he wakes up he's in the year 2016 and meets Ha Da (Han Sun Hwa) who will help him face reality.

Time travel is one of my favourite plots so I was excited when I found this drama. And I'm glad I found it because I loved it.

To. Jenny

To. Jenny is a music drama about a young man who expresses his unrequited first love for a girl through music and a young woman who chases after her dream despite a harsh situation.

This drama is so good. I loved Park Jung-min, who is adorable and so ordinary but turns into a completely different person when he shows his love for music. We'll be rooting for him till the end and craving for more.

I loved his younger sister who gave him dating advice and his supportive friends.

I also loved the songs in this little drama. They are definitely the highlight.

Unfortunately, the two hours of episodes are not enough for the closure I desired. I needed more episodes with these characters.

Breakup Probation, a Week

After breaking up with her boyfriend Seo Jae (Hyun Woo), Ga Ram (Kwon Yu Ri) has an accident and dies. A man tells her that her boyfriend tried to save her and is in a coma. He gives her a second chance to go back in time and stop Seo Jae but she only has a week to break up with him.

It's 10 half hour episodes of a fairly enjoyable but heartbreaking drama. The story is nice although a bit predictable. The pace is slow but shine through the multiple flashbacks.

The lead actors were very good and the chemistry is quite sweet. As always Hyun Woo looks like an adorable little puppy.

Kang Deoksun's Love Story

Drama Special KBS2 of 1 episode of 1h and 10 Min. It is set in the year 1926 and is about Deoksun (Kim So Hye) and her personal growth and new friendships.

I really enjoyed the story of the innocent little girl who learns to write and grow as a person. And I was glad that she chose the future she wanted.

Be Positive

Hwan Dong (D.O.) is a film major and has a project to hand in for his graduation but encounters quite a few difficulties and obstacles. He asks his ex-girlfriend Hye-jung (Chae Seo-Jin) to play the main role in his production.

As I'm a D.O. fan I probably enjoyed this little drama a lot more than it deserves. As it only has 6 episodes of about 10 minutes it's not very substantial but it's quite enjoyable and has quite a positive message for youth.

Soundtrack #1

Sun Woo (Park Hyung Sik) and Eun Soo (Ha So Hee) have been friends for 20 years and support each other. Sun Woo has been in love with her for 8 years but in order not to damage that friendship he never confesses his love, until the day they have to live together for a few days.

If you like friends to lovers stories you will love this short drama of 4 episodes of 45 minutes each. As soon as I heard that this drama was available I immediately went to check it out, mainly because I wanted more of Park Hyung Sik after having seen (and loved) him in the drama Happiness. And I must say that I was very satisfied with the drama and I even wish I had seen more episodes and could have gotten to know the characters better.

Eun Soo and Sun Woo together - it was hard for me to accept this relationship, firstly because I'm not a big fan of Han So Hee, secondly because after Happiness, the only girl I wanted to see with PHS was Han Hyo Joo. 😅 But overall, I came to appreciate the two of them together, especially during the scenes of them playing house.

Traces of Love

It's about Ju Yeong (Lee Yoo Young), a strong, independent woman who still has feelings for her ex-boyfriend Ji Sub (Lee Sang Yeob), who she broke up with three years ago. One day, Ji Sub shows up as the new hire in her office and she will have to see him every day.

This one-hour short drama is reminiscent of one of my favourite short dramas - You Drive me Crazy - with the same actress. The only cons is Ju Yeong's personality, who struck me as a bit self-centred and unreasonable. On the other hand, Lee Sang Yeob is always a treat to the eyes with his soothing charm.

Be My Boyfriend

It's about a quiet boy, Lee Seung-Min (Shin Hyun Seung) and the most popular girl in school, Oh Ji-na (Lee Si-woo) who start a fake relationship.

Another web drama of 15 episodes of 13 minutes each. It's a teen romance with a fairly predictable but enjoyable plot and a cute couple. I loved the fact that it's about a contract relationship and that's what made me want to go see this show.

Let Us Meet

Another Drama Special KBS2 of 1 episode of 1h and 10 Min. It is set in the year 1937 and is about Soo Ji (Jo Bo Ah), a countryside girl who goes to a marriage agency run by Joo Oh (Son Ho Jun) to marry a rich man. Review here

XX

XX is a ten episode web drama, with each episode running for only twenty-five minutes. It's about a renowned bartender named Yoon Na Na (Hani) who is the head bartender of XX bar. Her initial goal was to save up and buy XX, but the owner suddenly sells it to Lee Roo Mi (Hwang Seung Eon), who was Na Na's best friend in college but betrayed her.

We have a friends to lovers romance, a best friend who is awesome and reconciliation with the past.

Honestly, I didn't care much for the romance between Na Na and Danny although I really enjoyed seeing Bae In-hyuk in that role and it was a sweet romance. The best part were really the rivalry between the two friends. Hani and Hwang Seung-eon have good chemistry together and it was a pleasure to see their dynamic because they both had strong personalities. I loved every moment of the story because it felt refreshing and intriguing all the way.

#bing goo #to. jenny #breakup probation a week #kang deoksun's love story #be positive #sountrack #traces of love #be my boyfriend #let us meet #xx kdrama #short kdramas #kbs drama special #web drama

[translations-dark-matter]

Living as an Extra in an Omegaverse novel

Chapter 6

Shin Tae-oh's answer was faster than my concerns.

"I don't do one-night stands."

It's true. When I was looking for a hotel, I thought he was a pervert, but I had no idea he would hit me like this.

"If they say it's okay, they say they want to hug me and sleep, but I don't really know the order. I can't imagine. If it's good for me, I first consider the future I have with that person."

Was Shin Tae-oh like that?

"I think about looking into each other's eyes, talking about things, eating, and then falling asleep together, but there is no future for one-night stands."

You can think so.

"Considering the emptiness you'll feel the next morning, it's better to do nothing."

He thinks differently from others, but he said that was Shin Tae-oh's standard, so it wasn't something I couldn't understand. Is that why you gave Jin-ha Yu a gift like that?

If the gift was sent in hopes of imagining Jin-ha wearing gloves or eating cake together, then the back and forth of what had happened so far continued.

I thought it was just a modification, but I was becoming more and more confused.

Shin Tae-oh has feelings for Yoo Jin-ha. So, he sent Yu Jin-ha a gift as if to express his feelings, and when his relationship with Ha Min-hyuk was not good, he thought it was an opportunity for him and expressed his feelings even more actively. Then, towards the end, I thought she was the type of person who acknowledged the love between Yoo Jin-ha and Ha Min-hyuk and coolly left...

"What were you just thinking?"

In response to Shin Tae-oh's question, Se-hyeon quickly raised her head and took a moment to decide what to say before answering.

"I thought it was cool."

"Cool uh?"

To be more precise, the question was, 'Was he this kind of character?'

I felt a little sorry for thinking so pitifully of Shin Tae-oh.

'You were a really good guy."

At this point, I felt like Shin Tae-oh was even more of a waste. She says she usually keeps the guy who has it all as her sub, but isn't that too harsh? If I were the author of this novel, I would pick it up and give it to anyone. It's all good, but I thought the adaptation to Yoo Jin-ha was a bit bad, but I understand that and can't find any flaws anymore.

Since he was that kind of guy, it would have been nice to meet someone who loved him, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Anyway, Se-hyeon asked all my questions and drank the wine without hesitation. Without knowing what kind of stone I was throwing.

"That I usually...

As Shin Tae-oh kept elaborating on what he wanted to say, a different atmosphere came out than usual.

"Are you very ugly?"

If you are asking whether what you are doing to Eugene Ha is not enough, you can confidently say that it is.

Sorry. "I don't know what that means."

Se-hyeon shook her head, pretending not to notice. I don't know anything. I don't think anything of your tricks. As he was roughly showing that meaning, he felt Shin Tae-oh's gaze looking at him with his mouth shut.

"I think this is the first time I've heard that I'm cool."

"Sorry. It was presumptuous."

"I'm not saying it was presumptuous. It's a compliment, but who doesn't want to hear it? It's just that I thought I wasn't cool before."

He is surprisingly quick-witted.

"I usually have more respect for him. And it was because I had personal admiration for a person named Shin Tae-oh, not the boss."

"CEO? Shin Tae-oh? Oh, I see."

Shin Tae-oh walked around holding a glass of wine as if he understood and then stretched out his index finger.

"I seem respectable and cool to Secretary Ahn."

No. I'm just saying that I was surprised that you weren't just a pervert. I don't respect you that much.

"That's right."

"That's how you saw me."

As Shin Tae-oh was muttering in amazement, Se-hyeon also gave up on answering. If you want to get an answer, it will take the form of a question.

'But why is it so cold?'

The temperature was supposed to be controlled, but I felt chills from earlier. Se-hyeon looked around and saw the wine and didn't look back as if she had found the cause.

Not long after I entered the room, I started feeling cold after drinking. It seems that drinking alcohol was too much for his weakened body, which was about to suffer a hit.

Even though I was passionate about it, this was the reason why I left out the dates before and after the day of the hit. This is because your physical condition deteriorates rapidly and your immunity weakens. At this time, if you don't manage it well, you may catch a cold or you may develop inflammation. So, there was a big reason to give my body a lot of rest through rest.

'The wine smells stronger than I thought.'

I thought the wine I drank at first was quite strong. I thought the scent had already disappeared, but there was a subtle feeling. So Se-hyeon, who swallowed a few times, looked at the cell phone reflected in the wine glass and stood up.

"Why are you getting up?"

"It's time."

I was wondering what Shin Tae-oh was talking about, and then I noticed my cell phone, which was flashing light from earlier. He has now discovered that there is a phone call because he is in silent mode.

Se-hyun was the first to see the name on the screen, so Shin Tae-o picked up his phone without a second thought.

"I'm here?"

Shin Tae-oh, holding his outer coat, stopped Se-hyeon from following him. Although he only stretched out his hand, Se-hyeon understood what he meant and stood still. He put his cell phone to his ear and just muttered.

Se-hyeon, who roughly read the meaning of "going home," nodded, and Shin Tae-oh left the room while continuing to talk on the phone.

With the sound of the door closing, Se-hyeon pulled down his tie with a relieved sigh.

"Let's soak the body in warm water first."

After that, you can rest for a bit and then leave when Shin Tae-oh comes up with Yoo Jin-ha. It was a perfect plan considering my physical condition and the time Shin Tae-oh would arrive.

***

Shin Tae-oh, who came down first and was waiting, was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice who was approaching.

"Uh? "It's Taeo."

Yoo Jin-hyeon, who was worse off, called Shin Tae-oh first, pretending to be a coincidence, and squeezed his shoulder as if to make him come to his senses.

"Yoo Jin-hyeon?"

"What's going on here?"

"I came here for a meeting... he is here too." Jin Shin Tae-oh smiled and welcomed Jin-ha Yoo, who followed him.

"Hello, President."

"Are you calling me the boss even on the outside?"

"Because the boss is used to it…"

Yoo Jin-ha smiled shyly and stopped talking, and Shin Tae-oh got up and made room for the two of them to sit.

"Did you have a drink alone? Shouldn't you have called me instead?"

Yoo Jin-hyeon looked at the alcohol on the table and said.

In fact, it was a fully planned script. He made it seem like something was going on and started rhyming with the intention of taking care of Yu Jin-ha and each other's hurting hearts.

"Just...It just so happened."

Shin Tae-oh reacted just as he kissed Yoo Jin-hyeon. However, Yoo Jin-hyeon felt something strange and looked at Shin Tae-oh's expression. He felt like he was being fooled by pretending that something was really going on.

"What happened?"

"There's someone I'm worried about."

"Who cares?"

"Hyung, what's going on?"

While Yoo Jin-hyeon was taking it in moderation, Yoo Jin-ha put down the glass he had received from the employee and filled it with alcohol. And he paid attention to Shin Tae-oh's cup by filling it with alcohol. The situation itself was going as Shin Tae-oh wanted.

"I saw him before he came out, and he looked somewhat tired. I'm a person who usually needs to rest, but I thought they brought me out for no reason...

"Say it so I can understand."

Suddenly, he seemed to be muttering to himself, so Yoo Jin-hyeon noticed him and tapped his leg. Jin-ha Yoo was listening, so it was a signal for him to work on his own.

As if he understood the signal, Shin Tae-oh looked at Yoo Jin-ha and said,

"I'll go to my room for a moment.'

"In your room?"

"Huh. I left something behind."

Shin Tae-oh woke up before hearing Yoo Jin-ha’s answer. And as I was walking quickly, Yoo Jin-hyeon pressed my forehead. He must have prepared a gift for his younger brother. Bring it in advance to break the mood.

"Leave Shin Tae-oh alone, how are you these days?"

"It's always like that with me. The office worker has something else to do."

"I'm asking because I can tell it's there just by looking at its expression."

First of all, I worked hard to bring out the loneliness in Yoo Jin-ha's heart. Yoo Jin-hyeon was on Shin Tae-oh's side.

***

Even after pressing the elevator's close button, Shin Tae-oh's eyes showed a hint of nervousness as he looked at the machine moving slowly.

"It was different from the usual Secretary Ahn."

He was a person who was not disturbed even when drinking. But he was definitely different when I came out. His room was hot and he was sweating, and his face was especially pale.

He said he always takes a break periodically and goes to see his parents every time. Maybe he's relieving his fatigue by meeting his parents...Shin Tae-oh's heart was heavy because he felt like he had done something terrible to such a person.

As soon as the elevator door opened, Shin Tae-oh hurriedly went to his room and searched his pockets. He wondered where he had left the card key, then remembered that it had just come out earlier. I missed it because I was used to the secretary taking care of everything. I wondered if I should call the hotelier and get a card right now.

Those worries faded as I approached the door. Something was blocking the small open door from closing.

Shin Tae-oh pushed it away with his foot and opened the door, quickly going inside and looking for Secretary Ahn. He was going to tell him to go home and rest.

"Secretary Ahn. Where are you?"

It seemed like it was there somewhere, but it didn't show up easily. Did you think I was coming with Jin-ha and left first? If it were Secretary Ahn, I think he would leave after checking...

"Did you really go first?"

Shin Tae-oh looked around lightly and listened to Secretary Ahn's popularity. I don't have anyone approaching me…

"Sound of water?"

The sound of water was coming.

"Not a secretary?"

Shin Tae-oh was filled with doubts and approached the bathroom. I really shouldn't have looked at it if I was washing it, but I couldn't back down from the feeling of discomfort that was gnawing at my head from earlier.

The bathroom door was also slightly open. Was Secretary Ahn the kind of person who leaves the door open like this? Thinking about what to do, Shin Tae-oh slightly pushed the door open and saw what had happened in the bathroom.

"What could this be?"

Shin Tae-oh tilted his head to one side and muttered. When I encountered an unexpected scene, I couldn't immediately recognize the situation. So he asked Se-hyeon.

"Secretary Ahn, can you tell me the reason without gasping?"

Se-hyeon, fully clothed, was crouching under a stream of water.

Prev chapter / Next chapter

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 16 part one

(Masterpost of All the Recaps)  (Canary’s Pinboard)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes

All righty, this one is going to be a laff riot...not. Let's do it.

The first half of this episode is like a beautifully executed standalone tragedy, while also threading together all sorts of themes and paying off all sorts of relationship building that's happened in the previous episodes. My hat is off to the writers, while I also shake a fist at them for making me cry an unreasonable amount.

We’re Sailing on a Strange Boat

The episode starts right off absolutely DESTROYING me with the Yunmeng brothers holding hands, fingers interlaced, in the first of many hand-touching moments that punctuate the episode.

Jiang Cheng has to be pretty far gone to accept this degree of comfort and tenderness. I think, from their positions, he is also holding Yanli's hand out of the camera's view. 

Zidian finally lets the trio go, and they immediately turn the boat around and head back to Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian gets the clever idea to turn the benches into makeshift oars but nobody gets the clever idea to use magic to push the boat like they do literally every other time they are in a boat. 

Their emotional need to go back to Lotus Pier is understandable, but they are being disobedient and irresponsible by doing it. Jiang Cheng is the future of the clan, and should not risk his life, particularly after his mother chose to sacrifice herself to protect him and after both of his parents told him to go hide with his sister and personal bodyguard brother. 

On the other hand, Jiang Fengmian, as clan leader, probably had a duty to go into hiding himself rather than go home to die romantically, so his authority is questionable at this point. Anyway, this is the Jiang Clan, they get to kind of do what they want, except when that pisses Jiang Cheng off.

Lotus Pier Massacre

Back at Lotus Pier, the Wens are kicking Jiang ass. The fight choreography is pretty good, taking full advantage of walkways, railings, pools, and other features of the environment. 

Using the set this way always makes fights feel more kinetic and real, as opposed to simply sparring in an open area. 

(more after the cut)

Yu Ziyuan is fighting adequately with a sword, having given her preferred weapon to her son.  She's clearly been at it for a while, and is tiring; the Wen soldiers are starting to land more and more sword blows but no critical hits yet.

Wen Zhuliu is kicking ass and possibly melting cores, although we don't see him do it to anybody yet. Later we'll hear from Jiang Cheng that he crushed the cores of his parents, but it's not clear when that happens.

Sixth young master replays Jiang Fengmian's entire archery lesson in his head while he waits, and waits, for Wen Zhuliu to finish strangling a dude the right moment to shoot an arrow at Wen Zhuliu. 

Homicidal tart Wang Lingjiao notices him lining up a shot, strolls over, and stabs him in the back while he's still thinking about what Jiang Fengmian said. One could wish that JFM's archery lessons weren't quite so wordy. 

Wang Linjao normally doesn't carry a sword because of her low spiritual power, but apparently can use one just fine when she's killing kids.

If you start feeling like this episode is unreasonably painful, just think of it as building up calluses so you can handle Yi City when the time comes.

Jiang Fengmian to the Rescue

Jiang Fengmian shows up very far past the nick of time, although he is not actually useful, so it's questionable whether arriving earlier would have helped. But his wife is glad to see him.

Netflix subtitles say that Jiang Fengmian calls Yu Ziyuan "My Lady!" which sounds courtly and romantic in English. His actual words are "San Niangzi" which hunxi-gullai breaks out here.  I might render this as "lady wife!" rather than "my lady" but I don't think English really has a perfect equivalent.

Jiang Fengmian sails across the courtyard, knocking down a few Wen soldiers and becoming a young, slender man in the process.

I mean, come on, that stunt double does not look like a boxy middle-aged man from any angle.

The Dying Bit

The episode splits up the big death scene for dramatic effect but I'm recapping it all together to keep things simple.

Within moments of arriving, Jiang Fengmian gets shanked by Wen Zhuliu like Scatman Crothers in The Shining (or Groundskeeper Willie in The Shinning).

Wen Zhuliu stops a Wen soldier from finishing JFM off, just so that a different Wen soldier can deliver the killing blow from the back, which is kinda harsh. With all this spin-fighting there is probably not an implication of cowardice when someone dies from a stab in the back, but still. Too rude, Wen Zhuliu.

Yu Ziyuan sees Jiang Fengmian fall, and after having a moment of sorrow and despair, she stabs herself in the heart, falls down, crawls to him and interlaces her hand with his. He revives just enough to give her hand a squeeze and say "San Niangzi" one last time before dying. 

She dies next, with a smile on her face at the end. The soundtrack plays that amazing "horribly emotional death scene" music that isn't one of the tracks available on the OST, argh. This same music appears at the end of Xue Yang's story.  

Of the many things I love about the Untamed, the complexity of all the minor characters is possibly my favorite. These two people suck at parenting, and suck at being married, and ultimately suck at protecting and leading their clan, making stupid, selfish choices at every step of the building conflict. 

And then they have this incredibly romantic death scene, in which they both face the inevitability of failure, and find comfort in failing together. Yet their death scene is totally in keeping with who we know them to be, and who they are to each other; the drama doesn't cheat by making them ideal lovers or great people at the end. But they have a great, great moment.

Jiang Yanli, waiting in the woods while her brothers are presumably running toward Lotus Pier, drops her lotus pendant, which is made of the loudest jade ever discovered, and it breaks with a crash.  

Yanli, who is a well educated young lady, knows a moment of doomy symbolism when she sees it.

Jiang Yanli: Who put a giant rock out here in the woods? What are the odds I’d drop my pendant directly on it? 

It’s all Over Except for the Crying, Running and Choking

The brothers climb up on the roof and are shocked to see nothing but Wen soldiers and piled up Jiang corpses... 

...including one child who is either about to become a zombie or who is being played by a young actor who can't control their curiosity, judging by the way this eye is sneakily opened while the camera is running.

There's a moment where Jiang Cheng is saying they must have spared his parents, they must be okay, where Wei Wuxian's face is just...wow. You can see right here the gulf in life experience between these two. 

Wen Zhuliu roams around looking troubled while searching for more people to kill. He’s an interesting villain; someone who believes his loyalty to his boss makes him a good guy, but knows his boss is a bad guy. 

Then we are treated to a hell of a camera move, where it tracks over Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian together on the floor, heroic in death and still holding hands, and then sweeps up to show their killers sitting on the lotus throne. 

The dead couple were at odds for their whole lives together, while the evil people who killed them are acting like devoted lovebirds. It's a stunning shot and a terrific thematic contrast. When Wei Wuxian eventually comes to take his vengeance, he will spend some time turning Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao against each other, before ending them. 

The camera shows us JC's reaction, then shows his mother, then WWX’s reaction, then JF; each reacting to the death of the person who loved them. Some folks may feel that Jiang Fengmian actually did love Jiang Cheng but was just bad at showing it. But Jiang Cheng doesn't think so, and I don't think it's a given that parents love their children.

Side note: Macroexpression king Wang Zhuocheng is able to open his eyes so far that a giant strip of white shows above his irises, and keep them like that, which is quite a trick. Try it yourself.

Meanwhile Wang Lingjiao and Wen Chao gossip about YZY and JFM's bad marriage. Wen Chao admires YZY's beauty, and Wang Lingjiao insults her character, and announces that she's going to stab YZY's body a few extra times. Jiang Cheng briefly faints at this, taking a page from Wei Wuxian's book, and rolls off the roof. 

Run Run Away

Both young men run, and run, and run away from Lotus Pier while Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao mistreat the bodies of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan 

The stabbing happens off camera, because it's ok to stab a live child on camera, but not a dead adult. (As always, there are cultural reasons for "what's ok" in any country, and I'm not saying anybody's wrong about these choices). 

Wen Chao follows this up with pouring a cup of wine across their faces. He does this in the style of a libation for the dead, but as a desecration, combining mistreatment of bodies with profaning a ceremonial rite. In a world where ghosts are real and have sharp fingernails, this is deeply, deeply stupid.

Yu Ziyuan’s actress Zhang Jingtong is able to have liquid poured INTO HER EAR without flinching. Mad props.

The brothers eventually finish running and arrive in a field with an extreme purple photo filter on it. Which I've done my best to remove for these gifs, with variable results. 

Jiang Cheng wants to turn around and go back to Lotus Pier. He says he wants to retrieve his parents’ bodies and to take revenge, but he's devastated and it seems likely he just wants to die with everyone else.  

Wei Wuxian pleads with Jiang Cheng to calm down and stay safe, while Jiang Cheng gives himself over to anger and shock as the brothers shout at each other.

Punching and running ensues, and Wei Wuxian tries to hold his brother back, grabbing him around the shoulders him in a gesture that painfully echoes the many hugs he's given over the years. 

This time Jiang Cheng doesn't just push him off. He turns around and chokes his brother for nearly a full minute, while screaming at him and blaming him. 

Just as when Madame Yu beat him, Wei Wuxian doesn't fight back; he pulls on Jiang Cheng's wrists but doesn't hit him or try to break his hold.

Finally Jiang Cheng lets him go, and cries out for everyone he's lost, while Wei Wuxian weeps silently next to him. Eventually they fall asleep in the grass together, their bodies curled up in the form of a heart. 

Damn, this episode really brings it.

Side Note: during their argument, Wei Wuxian says, among other things, that "revenge is a dish best served cold," according to subtitles. It's a French saying from the 1800s so it's probably not precisely what Wei Wuxian is saying. More importantly, as a longtime Star Trek fan I can't help but hear James Kirk yelling "KHAN!!!!!" whenever I encounter that phrase.

There’s Got To Be A Morning After

When they wake up in the morning, Jiang Cheng is still in his feelings, but now his feelings have moved along to despair, from anger.

I feel bad for noticing how handsome they both look in this scene. Let's all feel bad about this together.

Jiang Cheng is free to have this level of emotional breakdown because Wei Wuxian is there keeping his own shit together and focusing on what matters.

When Jiang Cheng refuses to get up, Wei Wuxian reminds him, very, very gently, that they have a sister, who has waited all night to know what happened.

At this, Jiang Cheng gets up, but won't look at Wei Wuxian, continuing to blame him for everybody else's actions, as he walks onward to find Yanli.

Wei Wuxian follows, hurt and bereft, as he gets to work internalizing everything that he's being accused of. This is good practice for his future as a widely reviled bogeyman.

Part two will be slightly less awful! Coming soon!

#fytheuntamed #the untamed #the untamed gifs #the untamed meta #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #restless rewatch the untamed #canary3d-original #my gifs #yu ziyuan #wen zhuliu #jiang fengmian

[towaniegaita]

FAQs [Nozakibento, 16th October 2010]

Original post in Japanese

I collected together some of the questions I'm often asked.

 Basic Information

Name: Nozakibento

Date of Birth: 28th April 1986 (Showa 61)

Height: 177.5cm (as of 2018)

Weight: approx. 60kg

Blood Type: A

Home prefecture: Hokkaido. I was born in Sapporo. I also lived in Tokachi and Kushiro.

Current location: Tokyo (I moved there from Hokkaido in the year I turned 30)

Occupation: A 33 year old amateur idol

Hairstyle: I used to wear a wig, but now I mostly go for a messy style

Visual Acuity: Both eyes are around 1.5 without glasses

Characteristics: Nozakibento

Likes and Dislikes

Favourite food: Sliced senmai (boiled tripe), vegetables in general, meat in general (especially meat sashimi), seafood in general (especially octopus and oysters), anything cherry blossom flavoured, anything yuzu flavoured, rice, miso soup, soba, udon, niboshi ramen, yakuzen herbal soup, grated yam, tofu, shiokara, sushi, sashimi, seaweed, mochi, rice flour dumplings, wheat gluten cakes, keihan rice, oyster soy sauce, slow-boiled eggs, Indian curry from Tokachi, ice cream (especially citrus, mint chocolate, watermelon and vanilla flavours), hard gums, mini Ramune candy, agar jelly, almond tofu pudding, oroblanco

Least favourite food: None.

Favourite drinks: Tea in general, kale smoothie, scented but not sweetened sparkling water, vegetable juice, tomato juice, soba water, miso soup, dashi, non-alcoholic beer, ginger ale, black coffee

Favourite alcoholic drinks: Campari-based cocktails (especially Spumoni), Violet Fizz

Favourite animals: Daring crabs, spotted garden eels, owls, sea urchins when they eat cabbage

My type: Someone with a big heart, who isn't rude and doesn't complain all the time. Decisive, speaks logically and is a fast worker

Favourite scents: Bergamot, yuzu, oroblanco, lemongrass, lemon and lime, eucalyptus, vanilla, incense, hinoki cypress, the smell of hot springs, medicinal water, struck matches

Favourite sports: Table tennis, endurance running, non-competitive swimming, walking

Favourite instruments: When I listen to bands, I tend to focus on the drums, bass and keyboard. If I go to see a symphonic orchestral concert or something, I tend to watch the percussionists. I myself can't play any instruments.

Hobbies: Gaming, listening to game soundtracks, table tennis, reading, darts, being enveloped in aromas, checking my daily electricity bill using a bill management app

Special skills: Ability to work as a librarian, can sing The Tortoise And The Hare starting from different positions, a little bit of competitive eating (can eat up to about 2kg)

Qualifications: Librarian, teacher's licence (for primary, middle and high schools), certified member of the Sports Boy Scouts (link in Japanese), Kanji Aptitude Test Level 2, driving licence (for manual cars)

Person I most respect: My mother

Favourite subjects: Japanese (especially modern Japanese), contemporary society, ethics, politics and economics

Favourite season: The shade in midsummer

Favourite phrases: 

80% Preparation 20% Performance (dandori hachibu)

The early bird gets the worm (sente hisshou)

Niche business (sukima sangyou)

Information, Communication, Discussion (houkoku renraku soudan)

Easier said than done (iu wa yasuku okonau wa katashi)

Haste makes waste (tanki wa sonki)

Drink if you want, but be swallowed up (sake wa nondemo nomareru na)

The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean (i no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu)

A picture is worth a thousand words (hyakubun wa ikken ni shikazu)

Stress-free

Favourite Japanese poem:

'If I live long,

I may look back with yearning for these painful days -

The world that now seems harsh

May then appear sweet and good!'

By Fujiwara no Kiyosuke, translation by Peter McMillan

Favourite place to hang out: Inside a game

Favourite characters: Domo-kun (NHK), Moji-kun (Kotoba no Puzzle: Mojipittan), Zushi Hokki (official mascot of Hokuto city in Hokkaido), Jack Frost (Megami Tensei series), Morgana (Persona 5)

Favourite anime: Eureka Seven

Favourite manga: Love Roma by Toyoda Minoru

I Wonder If I Can Make 100 Friends by Toyoda Minoru

Yoake no Toshokan by Nonou Tao

Other manga I like: Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun, PAPUWA, Final Request, Yu☆Yu☆Hakusho, Revelations: Persona, Mind Assassin, Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei, Arakawa Under The Bridge, Fushigi Yuugi, Ranma 1/2, Psychometrer EIJI, The Kindaichi Case Files, Rakudai Ninja Rantarou, Soul Hunter etc.

Favourite game: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers

Other games I like: Shin Megami Tensei 1-4, Shin Megami Tensei 4 Final, Shin Megami Tensei if, Persona 1-5, Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha 1 and 2, DIGITAL DEVIL SAGA Avatar Tuner 1 and 2, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 1 and 2,  Little Magic, Jake Hunter: Let Time Pass By, LIVE A LIVE, Final Fantasy 5 and 8, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, Secret of Mana, Trials of Mana, Schoolhouse Horror Story, Banshee's Last Cry, Jungle Wars 2, Ranma 1/2: Hidden Treasure of the Red Cat Gang, Renegade, The New Hot-Blooded Tough Guy: The Eulogy of Kunio and Co., Puyo Puyo, Puyo Puyo 2, Saga Frontier, Monster Farm, Monster Farm 2, KOF98, SAMURAI SPIRITS, vib-ribbon, Clock Tower 2, Clock Tower Ghost Head, Maria: Kimitachi Ga Umareta Wake, Double Cast, Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die, Kotoba no Puzzle: Mojipittan, RPG Maker Series, etc. As for social network games, I like Kuroneko no Wiz Dx2 Shin Megami Tensei Revelation, and Ensemble Stars!

What I most want right now: Time

Do I smoke? Never. But I have nothing against those who do. I don't mind if someone smokes next to me.

Things I struggle with: Exercise, exercise, exercise, exercise, English, mental arithmetic, making other people cross.

What I like about myself: Large earlobes

What I don't like about myself: The fact that I easily neglect my work if I lose focus.

Do I like nurses? I like them if they're good at giving injections.

Favourite way of heating things up in a microwave: 2 minutes at 500W

Ideal way to spend a day off: Sleep like I've melted into the bed, do the cleaning and laundry when I wake up, play games like I'm bathing in them, sleep again.

Novels I’m glad to have read and why: There's a lot, so I'll just list what I can remember off the top of my head.

★ Criss Cross - Konton no Maou by Takahata Kyouichirou, published by MediaWorks. This was the very first book that made me interested in reading novels.

★ Natsu no Niwa - The Friends by Yumoto Kazumi, published by Shinchousha. When I felt down, I read this and my heart was cleansed.

★ Rirekisho by Nakamura Kou, published by Kawade Shobou Shinsha. Because it gave me courage.

★ Tsubasa wa Itsu Made Mo by Kawakami Ken'ichi, published by Shuueisha. I simply thought that it was a really good book, and reading it made me want to read more books like it in the future.

★ Tsumetai Kousha no Toki wa Tomaru by Tsujimura Mizuki, published by Kodansha. This was the book that reminded me that I wanted to keep reading novels forever.

NicoNicoDouga and Dance covers

When did you start using NicoNico? 2007, in the earliest days of the RC version.

What kind of videos do you watch on NicoNico? Anything.

Were you learning how to dance? I've never learnt how to dance.

Why did you start dancing? I wanted to take part in the first large-scale Cirno meeting. (T/N: An event where a whole bunch of people from NND get together to dance to Cirno's Perfect Math Class. Here's the 2009 version.)

What's the average production time for a single video? It varies.

What's been the most fun thing to dance to so far? Ren'ai Hunter

Which of your own dance videos are you most satisfied with? Domo-kun's dance to MERRY GO ROUND

Where you happy to be chosen in the Geiran videos (A series where a gay man ranked dancers on NND)? I was.

Which version is your current Domo-kun?

Hokkaido and Tokyo version: Tiramisu (Original version. Mainly stays at home. On active duty)

Osaka version: Chocolat (Retired)

Fukuoka version: Fondue (Retired)

Tokyo version: Belgium (Retired)

Tokyo version: Demel (Retired)

What kind of expressions do you make and what feelings do you have when dancing as Domo-kun or in the blue full bodysuit? None

What would happen to you if you drank a strange potion? I'd become aggressive.

Aren't you going to wear a wig anymore? I'd like to wear one again some time soon.

Other

Were you in any clubs during middle school? I was in the table tennis club for all 3 years. My high school club is a secret.

Do you have a girlfriend? It'd be annoying to have to update this page if I got a girlfriend or if we broke up so that's also a secret.

What are your dreams and goals? To make the people I love happy. I want to live in a way that I can look back when I die and think that I lived a good life.

What are your habits? Looking at the ingredients and nutrition facts labels on food. Looking at the ingredients labels on shampoo. Moving around unsteadily. Clicking my tongue without any thought behind it.

What are your typical phrases? Okay (ii yo), I see (naruhodo), Why?! (nande dayo), hahahaha, hah hah hah hah, HAHAHAHA

What are your main principles? To always live calmly, and to never miss an opportunity

Does your Roomba have a name? It's called Junpei.

When did you first meet Domo-kun? A friend gave me a Domo-kun plushie for my birthday and the rest is history.

What was it that drew you to Domo-kun? His loveliness.

Where did you get such a large number of plushies from? Some of them I bought, some of them I received. A few of them I got from a crane machine.

What do you want to do right now? Sleep.

What part time jobs have you done in your life? Waiter at a sushi restaurant, library work, private tutoring.

If you have a child in the future, what book would you absolutely want them to read? You Are Umasou by Miyanishi Tatsuya, published by Poplar

Do you have any rivals? No (because no-one will compete in the same ring as me).

What's your image of the ideal human? Someone who can do fundamental things reliably.

What's your motto? Stress-free

What's the reason for your name?

Nozaki → Named after Nozaki Megumi from the idol group CHECKICCO

Bento → My inspiration

 -------------

First published 16th October 2010, updated 1st December 2019

#blog post #nozakibento #mesemoa #musumen #blog translation #16.10.2010 #1.12.2019 #if he changes this in the future I'll try to come back and update it

[belsiox-blog]

pairing: mahad/mana rating: n/sfw warnings: b/dsm, c/onsensual nonconsent, p/orn

Maybe she deserves it when he shoves her to the ground.

Or maybe—and this sounds much better—it’s Akhenaden’s fault.  It all starts with a meeting.  A very boring meeting led by Priest Akhenaden, a very boring man.  And it’s about taxes: a subject Mana barely understands even now that she’s a priestess herself, but knows enough about to know it’s very boring.  Honestly, what was her mind supposed to do besides wander to other, better topics?  And is it really her fault that Mahad is her favorite topic by far?

He’s sitting next to her, his fingers steepled under his chin as he listens attentively to Priest Kalim’s very boring counterpoint, and Mana finds herself gazing at those fingers with fondness. Long, skilled fingers to twirl his staff like a dancer’s baton, or conjure up flame in the palm of his hand—or press deep inside her while she cranes her neck and arches her back, that same fire blooming in the pit of her belly as he tortures her with slow, hard thrusts.  Patience, he would tell her, brushing the tip of his thumb over her clitoris, watching with the barest hint of a smile as she shook. Patience, Mana.  Good girl.

And when he gave her his cock—which he’d only do when he was satisfied with her begging, soft and fast and desperate with tears starting at the corners of her eyes—he would lie back on the bed and beckon her with a finger, and then hold her by the hips and direct her movements as she sank down, thighs trembling, her bottom lip between her teeth as he filled her.  

Or maybe—maybe not so gentle.  Maybe he’d pick her up and toss her over his shoulder while she pretended she didn’t want it more than anything, kicking her feet and pounding her fists against his back, and then throw her face-down onto the bed, push her skirt up and ram himself inside her while she shook her head no, no, no, with her mind singing yes, yes, yes.  Maybe he’d force her onto her knees with her hands bound behind her—no magic, just a simple strip of cloth—and then slide his cock into her mouth, breathing a low, heavy sigh as she eagerly sucked.  Maybe he’d prefer to kneel instead—he might sit her down at his desk, assign her reading from some rudimentary spellbook, and then listen with happy little hums as she stumbles over the words, struggling to concentrate with his face buried in her cunt.  He might bend her over the mattress and take her that way.  He might tug on her hair as she rides him, her arms quivering as she leans back on her hands, giving him full access to her heaving breasts.  

He might, he might, he might.  As Priest Shada chimes in with his opinion, Mana looks sidelong at Mahad and hopes that when this blasted meeting is through, he will.

But as the thing drones on, and on, and on, the priests’ voices sounding more and more like flies around a honeypot, Mana decides she might as well—expedite things a little bit.  It’s very innocent at first.  A soft bump of her heel to his shin, a sweet smile when he glances her way.  But patience isn’t her strong suit, and the muscles in his arms are taunting her with how badly she wants to grip them for dear life as he fucks her.  Her hand disappears under the table.  Ever so gently, she puts her fingers on his knee.  When Mahad starts talking again, Mana lets those fingers dance their way upward, until she’s touching his hip and rubbing the bone that juts out there. To his credit, his voice doesn’t even waver; he just goes on about the need to increase wages and taxes in tandem and doesn’t react to her hand as it sneaks over the firm muscle of his thigh.  Then, just as she’s about to put the teeniest bit of pressure on his cock—Mahad’s hand suddenly closes around hers, and he squeezes, hard.  A warning. Stop right there.  Don’t proceed any further if you know what’s good for you.

Fortunately, she does.  When Mahad lets go, Mana presses the heel of her hand between his legs, and he actually sighs out loud—loud enough that he gets a glare from Set, who probably thinks he’s reacting in boredom to his father’s financial genius.  Mana takes her hand away and props her elbows on the table to rest her chin in her palms. Mahad’s eyes flash to hers, and the message in them is clear: You are going to pay for that.

She hopes her response is just as obvious.  I sure hope so.

“Priestess Mana,” he says when Atem adjourns the meeting, and she leaves the hall like she hasn’t thoroughly soaked her underpants.  She turns at the sound of her name, arching an innocent eyebrow.  “There is a matter I would like your help with,” Mahad tells her. “Won’t you come with me and lend a hand?”

She knows better than to think it’s really a request.  Still, since she can, she gives him a pleasant smile and nods her head.  “Of course, Priest Mahad.  Lead the way.”

The journey to his room is short. The moment they’re alone, the door shut behind them, Mahad plants his hands on her chest and pushes her so hard she slams to the floor; when she instinctively tries scrambling to her feet, he snaps at her, “Stay,” like she’s a dog, and she obeys.

Breathing hard, Mana follows Mahad with her eyes as he slowly crosses over to where she’s sprawled on the ground, his hands folded behind his back, his mouth a thin, hard line as he glares down at her.  “I expect you to behavior better in public, Mana,” he tells her.  “Especially before the court.  Especially before the king of Egypt.  Instead you grope me like some harlot in need of money.”

“I’m sorry, Master—”

“I did not tell you to speak,” he says, and she shuts her mouth with a click.  “I do not want to hear lies.  You are not sorry.  You only fear the punishment you know is coming.”

“Please don’t punish me, Master.” Slowly, in case he stops her again, she rises up on her knees and scoots over to where he stands in front of her, clasping her hands under her chin as she looks up at him, small and sweet.  “Please.  I really am sorry.  I won’t do it again.  Next time I’ll behave.  I’ll be a good girl.”

“‘Next time,’” Mahad repeats with a scoff.  “Always ‘next time’ with you.  ‘Next time,’ and ‘I won’t do it again’—and then you do.  Simple chastisement is clearly not enough.  You need hard discipline.”

“Please—” she begins again, and then cries out when Mahad grabs a sudden fistful of her hair, using it to pull her forcefully to her feet.  The moment she’s upright, and dwarfed by the size of him, he grips her dress by the neckline and, in one swift, harsh movement, yanks it down.  The fine linen piles around her feet; she’s left in only her underpants and nothing else, bare and vulnerable.

Mahad’s eyes sweep over her body—her round breasts with dark, pebbly nipples currently wrinkled to hardness; her soft belly and thighs; her full hips and long, shapely legs.  “You are very beautiful,” he concedes, returning his gaze to hers.  “It pains me to have to treat you this way, Mana.  But you respond to nothing else, and thus leave me no choice.”  

He sits on the edge of the bed, still fully clothed, not even taking off his headdress.  With a snap of his fingers, he beckons Mana to join him, then points to his lap.  She knows well what he means.  Flushing down to her chest, Mana takes tiny steps over to the bed and obediently bends over his knees, her hands clasped in front of her, her eyes on the floor.

“I am going to hit you ten times,” Mahad tells her.  “You are going to count.  If you mess up, we will start over.  Do you understand?”

“I understand,” she says.

He clicks his tongue.  “Is that how you address me?”

“I’m sorry, Master.  I meant, ‘I understand, Master,’” she corrects herself, her ears burning.

“That’s better.”  Almost as an afterthought, he takes her underpants by the waistband and pulls them down her legs to let them dangle uselessly from her foot.  “Remember, every time you make a mistake, we will start the punishment over again.”  In her periphery, she sees him raise his hand, and her breath catches.  “Get ready.”

His first slap connects, hard.  He doesn’t ease her into it—the sound of his hand against her rear end echoes through the room, and the sharp, stinging pain makes Mana give a loud cry, the end of which she just barely remembers to tack on a choked, “One!”

“There’s a good girl,” Mahad says. Mana breathes hard through her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut tight as her bottom smarts.  “It’s just as I said.  You respond best to a firm hand, and mine suits you very well, doesn’t it?” He raises his hand again.  “I will continue, then.”

He smacks her again.  Again, Mana gasps, her body bucking forward with the force of the blow.  “Two!” she manages, tears starting behind her closed lids.  He’s only hitting her rear, yet she knows her thighs are just as hot and red; she both fears and hopes he’ll notice.

“Good, good,” he murmurs.  Mahad lowers his hand again, but doesn’t give her the next slap immediately; instead, he lets his fingers gently stroke her backside, feeling the hotness of the flush there and watching as she jumps from sensitivity.  Then, without warning, he spanks her again.

“T-two!  Three, three!” she corrects quickly, but too late.  Mahad is already tutting, looking down at her with disappointment.

“So soon, Mana?  Very well.  We will begin again.  I expect you to get it right this time.”  Mana moans, burying her head between her arms as he raises his hand again.  “From one, then.”

Again he smacks her, his fingers splayed.  “One!” she cries out.  Her bottom is aching, and it isn’t the only thing—her cunt is begging to be touched, hot and wet and swollen between her thighs, held firmly together by Mahad’s other hand.  Until her punishment is through, though, there’s no hope for relief.  He’ll gladly let her suffer for as long as this takes, teasing her with those amazing hands and his hard, stinging slaps until she’s like a kitten in his arms, tiny and meek and mewing for attention.  Then and only then might he put his cock in her, and fuck her until her knees are water and she’s wailing to please, please be allowed to come, and maybe, just maybe—if he decides she’s been good and sweet—he’ll let her.  Mana rocks in his lap and prays to the gods that it’ll be so.

Mahad starts adding variation to the timing of his smacks, giving her several right in a row and then making her wait for the next, trembling against his thighs as she tries to anticipate the blow. Then, just as she’s begun to relax—smack.  Mana gets all the way to six before she messes up again, and it’s barely even on purpose; Mahad just clicks his tongue and tells her, “We begin again, then.”  By the time they reach ten—at which point she’s really been hit almost twice as much—she’s a shaking, whimpering mess, her rear end raw and aching, her cunt dribbling wetness onto the lap of Mahad’s robes.

“That’s a very good girl, Mana,” he says, petting her hair.  “You see? That was not so bad.  Now, on your feet, and I will decide what I want to do with you next.”

Her legs are almost too weak to support her weight as she stands, the insides of her thighs coated in slick, her chest rising and falling with her fast breaths as Mahad, too, gets to his feet. After a moment of consideration, he crosses over to his desk, pulling out the hard wooden chair and gesturing to it. “Have a seat, Mana.”

She gulps, then tentatively goes over and places herself on the chair; the unyielding wood makes her bottom ache in protest.  “Good girl,” Mahad murmurs, tucking some hair out of her face.  He starts to take off some of his finery, abandoning his headdress on the desk and placing next to it his armbands, his belt, his pauldrons and neckpiece and cape.  When he’s wearing only the simple white robe, his shoes kicked away, he comes up behind where Mana sits dutifully on her chair and kneels, sliding his hands up her belly to cup her breasts in his palms.  Her back arches, her eyes falling shut.

“Lovely Mana,” he murmurs near her ear, squeezing, pinching the pert nipples between his fingers.  “Egypt’s finest flower.  And you belong entirely to me, don’t you, Mana?  No one else gets to enjoy you the way I do.”

“Yes, Master,” she breathes, lashes fluttering.  “I belong entirely to you.”

“You are such a good pet, Mana.  I knew that you had it in you.”  One hand slips lower, until his fingers tease the dark curls at the join of her thighs.  A small moan escapes her lips.  “All you need is a tiny amount of discipline.  It’s very simple.  Misbehavior means punishment.  Obedience yields rewards.”

“I’m obedient,” Mana whispers, her heart galloping in her chest.  “Master, I’m being so obedient.  I’m being good and doing everything you say.  I should—I should get a reward.  Please let me have a reward.”

“Patience, Mana,” he chuckles, his breath ghosting over her ear.  “Yes, you have been good, and you will be rewarded yet for your behavior—when I’m ready. But you are so fun to tease.  For instance, if I put just the tiniest bit of pressure right here—”  And he dips a finger between her labia, searching—and easily finding—her clitoris; Mana bites her lip against a desperate whimper.  “Ah, there we are.  That’s the good place, isn’t it, Mana?  Do you like it when I touch you here?”

“I do,” she whispers.  Mahad adds a second finger and starts rubbing her clitoris, small, tight little circles that have her toes curling in seconds.  “I like it a lot when you touch me there.  Won’t you please keep touching me there, Master?”

“Very well.  Since you have been so good for your master.”  He increases the pressure between her legs, rubbing her clitoris harder and faster; Mana bucks her hips and gasps for air against the sudden onslaught of pleasure.  “Oh, you do like that, don’t you, Mana?  Is this what you wanted when you thought it wise to grope me during Priest Akhenaden’s meeting?  Silly Mana. All you had to do was ask, and I would not have had to punish you.”

“I’m s-sorry,” she stammers, shutting her eyes tight as he continues his rubbing.  Fire blooms in her belly and between her legs, and her heart pounds like she’s running a race.  “N-next time. Next time I’ll be g-good—”

“Oh, I know you will,” Mahad tells her, increasing his pace even further.  “You will be good, or your punishment will be even worse than it was this time.  Although I have begun to suspect that you actually enjoy being punished.  I am starting to think that it arouses you to be bent over my lap and paddled like a disobedient child.  Is this true, Mana?”

“N-no, Master—”  She shakes her head, her hair whipping her face as she sinks down in her chair while her hips shake.  “No, Master.  Not at all. I d-don’t like to be punished—”

“It’s wrong to lie,” he whispers in her ear, and gives her cunt a gentle slap.  Mana barely stifles a shriek.  “Tell me how much you love it when I touch you, Mana.  Tell me how hard it is to breathe when my hand is between your legs, making you feel so good.  Tell me how badly you want to come all over this chair, like a common whore putting on a show for some coin.”

“I want to come,” she gasps, inching so slowly toward that peak, needing with everything in her to reach it at last. “I want to come, I want to come for you, Master, I want to—”

“Say ‘please,’” he murmurs, squeezing her breast to the point of pain.  “Say, ‘Please, Master, may I come?’  And I may let you.”

A single tear leaks out of her eye and rolls down her cheek.  “P-please, Master,” she repeats, “m-may I c-c-come?  Please?  Please, please, please?”

“Come, Mana,” he suddenly barks at her, and she wails as she topples over the edge, pleasure crashing over her in waves, Mahad rubbing her cunt unrelentingly as she rocks against his hand. “That’s a good girl.  That’s a very good girl.  Oh, you come so prettily, Mana.  Tell me how it feels.”

“So good,” she sobs.  “M-Master, it feels so good—”

He keeps rubbing long after her orgasm has subsided, ignoring her choked cries as her cunt aches with sensitivity. Then, all at once, he stops, stands, and lifts her up in his arms to drop her roughly onto the bed, flipping her over when she lands on her back so that she’s instead on her hands and knees with her hips in the air, fully accessible.  Mana trembles at the sound of rustling linen, of Mahad letting his clothes fall around his feet and kicking them away, and then he’s on his knees behind her, one hand twining in her hair to press her face into the mattress while the other buries itself in her cunt.  It takes precious little time to work her open; within moments, he’s taking his hand away, and the head of his cock takes its place between her legs. Slowly, he pushes himself in.

“Yes, Master,” Mana whispers into the blanket, her thighs shaking as he takes her.  “Y-yes, Master—it’s what I’ve wanted—please, give it to me, give it all to me.”

“You take it so well,” Mahad murmurs, and begins to move.  Like before, he’s not gentle—his skin slaps against hers as he sets a fast, hard pace, his fingers digging into her hips, his other hand holding her head down.  “What a good girl you are, Mana.  What a sweet girl you are to let me fill you with my cock. Priestess, sorceress—you are none of that right now, are you?  You are a simple girl who wants nothing more than to take my cock.”

“It feels so good,” she whimpers, meeting his thrusts as best she can.  Her first orgasm left her boneless, and already she’s aching for a second.  “It f-feels so good, Master.  It feels so good to have you inside me.  Take me, take me hard, make my body sing—”

“Sing for me, Mana.”  Mahad’s voice becomes low and gravelly as he continues to fuck her; Mana shudders in delight to think of her body giving him pleasure.  “I want to hear you sing.  I want you to sing as you come around my cock.”

“I’m so close,” Mana whispers, pressing her cheek to the bedspread.  She lifts a hand from the bed and slowly moves it down her stomach, wanting so badly to press it to her clitoris like he’d done.  “Please, Master, can I touch myself?  Can I touch myself while you fuck me?”

“You may,” he says breathlessly, and Mana doesn’t hesitate—she shoves her hand between her legs and starts rubbing, and immediately feels herself rushing toward the edge of climax all over again.

“Master, Master, Master,” she croons, closing her eyes as he slams himself into her again and again, his breathing getting rougher and shallower as he starts nearing his own peak.  “Master, I love you.  I want to come with you.  Please, come inside me, make me come with you—”

“Mana,” he gasps.

“Oh, oh—”  And it’s their game to use that old title, the one she hasn’t used outside of the bedroom in years, but as she starts coming, instead she calls out, “M-Mahad!”

“Mana!”

He holds her tight against his body as they both shake, Mana sobbing softly against the bedding, Mahad burying his face in the back of her neck as he spills inside her.  She collapses onto the bed, completely useless, and then Mahad lies down beside her, and strokes her face with his fingertips as she tries to find it in her to open her eyes.  When she does, she’s greeted with a gentle smile.

“Hi, there,” he says.

She smiles back.  “Hi.”

Mahad leans in, still smiling, and presses his lips to hers.  Mana wraps her arms around his neck, and they stay like this for several minutes, holding each other tight like everything good in the world depends on it.  In a way, it does.

“I’m sticky,” Mana complains after several minutes, and Mahad laughs.  “Let’s have a bath.”

“A bath sounds lovely.”  Mahad stands, holding out his hands to help her up, but Mana shakes her head and extends her arms instead.

“Carry me.”

He snorts.  “Sloth is a sin, Mana,” he tells her, but picks her up anyway, cradling her bridal-style and taking her to the adjoining washroom.  He fills the tub with hot water and lavender oil, gently places her in it, and then gets in behind her, winding his arms around her middle and resting his chin on top of her head.

“Are you feeling okay, Mana?” he asks her as he massages her arms with a cloth.

“I’m feeling fine, thank you for asking.”  She cranes her neck to kiss him on the cheek.  “Much better than I was at that dumb meeting.  Honestly, overtaxing the poor is how you start an uprising.  Akhenaden is such an idiot.”

“Oh, you were actually paying attention?”  Mahad quirks an eyebrow.  “I was not. Truth be told, I was thinking about this the entire time.”

Mana laughs and splashes him with bathwater.

#apprenticeshipping #mahad #priest mahad #mahado #mana #yugioh duel monsters #fanfiction recs #mine: fanfiction #tadaaaaa #mahad x mana #abbie.txt

[prism-rush]

Prism Rush Main Story Episode 4 Chapter 3

Beyond the Rainbow!! -sparkling acceleration to spring-

Episode 4:  The Reason We Will Give Our All #3

First Previous Chapter

Translators notes: Get buckled for not only the conclusion to Kouji and Yu’s battle in Hollywood, but also some very important Kakeru as well. This is another one of my favorite chapters! (Oh, do I have to explain the whole red string thing again or...?)

Kouji: Yu, why do you want to challenge me to a prism show battle?

Yu: Because I don’t like your attitude! 

Kouji: Huh?

Yu: You look at me like you think you know everything. Don’t get all high and mighty because you’re in America now. Once you see the all-knowing all-powerful Zeus’ prism show, I want to see you groveling at my feet!

Kouji: ...Eheh. Got it. You want to show off your skills so I’ll see how you’ve grown. 

Kakeru: H... Hold on a sec lil’bro! We can’t even do prism jumps yet! 

Yu: Can it! 

Kouji: I won’t go easy on you. 

Kakeru: That look in Kouji’s eyes... he’s serious!

Kouji: The song will be... “Over the Sunshine”!

Kakeru: Woah! Looking at Kouji now, you’d have no idea he’s had any break from prism shows at all! His dance moves and his voice quality are the same as always.. wait, even better! 

Yu: H.. Hmph! I expected as much!

Kouji: Prism Jump! The red string of fate... Summer Love! 

Kakeru: Woaaaah! My hearttttt!

Yu: Ugh...! 

Kouji: I’m just getting warmed up! 

Yu: AAAAHH!! 

Kakeru: Lil’ bro! He’s gotten whipped back by Kouji’s red string of love!

Kouji: Yu! How’d you like that? Don’t tell me you’re beaten already?! 

Yu: ....Ugh...

Kakeru: Lil’ bro’s a mess. I can’t look! Stop this already! ....AHH! 

Yu: Kakeru?! You took a hit for me.... 

Kouji: Is this all you’ve got to show for yourselves? Where is your love for prism shows?!

Kakeru: This is... Kouji-san’s whip of love?!

Yu: No... I... I can perform a show better than Over the Rainbow... I 

Kouji: Take this! 

Yu: AHHHHHHHHH!!! 

Kakeru: Lil’bro’s all tied up in string! 

Kouji: Yu! In order to cast off this string, you’re going to have to show me some love power stronger than my own. 

Yu: The power of love....

Kouji: The path to becoming a prism star is to unlock your own heart! 

Kakeru: Lil’ bro..!! 

Yu: ......HUAAAAAAAH!!! 

Kakeru: Yu burst out of Kouji’s red string of love!

Yu: I... I love my friends at Edel Rose! 

Kakeru: WOOAAH! An unexpected confession! My heart is pounding! 

Yu: They are always there for me no matter what, and fight by my side to reach greater and greater heights! When I am down they cheer me up, and when I’m worried about something they are always ready to talk. Every day is so I can’t smile enough... I... I...

 OF COURSE!! I should take all that love for them and put it right into writing the greatest songs! I am Zeus! There is nothing I cannot do!! 

Kakeru: Could it be..! 

Yu: Prism Jump! Jewel Spin Zeus! 

Kakeru: He jumped!!?? SO COOL! That was a true leap of the heart! It was so divinely bright I can’t even open my eyes! Wha, Kouji, you too?! 

Kouji: Yu... See, you can do pretty well for yourself. 

Yu: *catching his breath* Well, now do you know the power of Zeus?

Kakeru: He really did a prism jump.... Wow.... 

Kouji: And Kakeru, how about you? 

Kakeru: I.... 

Kouji: That look on your face tells me you’ll never be a prism star! 

Kakeru: Huh?! 

Kouji: We’re not finished yet! Prism Jump! STAND BY ME! Infinite Hug! 

Kakeru: W.. Waaaah! Infinite Koujis... are all hugging me...!

Kouji: Kakeru, how does it feel?

Kakeru: I... huah... ah.... 

Kouji: Your heart has grown so cold... 

I’m just going to have to keep hugging you harder, stronger! 

Kakeru: HUAAAAUAAUAH!!!

It’s so warm... Kouji’s warmth is coming into me... it’s like nothing I have ever felt before... No... wait, I have felt this before. Of course, Edel Rose... 

Kouji: It seems your heart has began to warm up, hasn’t it Kakeru...

Kakeru: My family has always forced me to be competitive. It’s the pressure of being an heir. It’s been nothing but envy and misery...  but somehow I’ve always gotten through it. Lying and being betrayed have been parts of everyday life. There is never a moment of peace in a household like that. 

Yu: Kakeru...

Kakeru: I joined Edel Rose just to get away from that. And then... I learned for the first time what a warm home is like... Somewhere I can be accepted just like that without having be someone I’m not... It makes me feel so good about myself that... I want everyone to see who I really am! 

I want to be accepted by everyone! So...

Kouji: Kakeru! Now’s the time!

Kakeru: Prism Jump!  

A Definite Date! Invitation to First Class special-service-just-for-you!

Yu: Kakeru jumped too?! ... Wait a sec, what kind of a prism jump was that?! 

Kakeru: I’ll always jump in a way which shows the true essence of me! 

Yu: So this is the leap of Kakeru’s heart... I’ve never seen him smile like this before... 

Kouji: The two of you are looking much better now... Eheh. 

(later)

Kakeru. But to think both of us would have our first prism jumps in the USA! Things really are different in the land of the free! 

Yu: .......Hey.

Kakeru: Hm? 

Yu: I just... wanted to say thank you... It was because you up and brought me to Hollywood, that somehow I... I got back the confidence to write you guys your songs.

Kakeru: Ehehe! It’s because you love us all so much!    

Yu: Y.. YOU! If you go spreading that around I’ll write you such a crappy song! 

Kakeru: No don’t!!

I just want to be myself! Make my song a jammin’, groovin’, party time song! 

Yu: ..Excuse me?

Kakeru: I’m going make use of my high spec, luxurious vibes and write lyrics so exciting they’ll make every girl in the world think she might someday get her chance with me!! 

So I’ll be counting on you to write the perfect song to match, lil’bro! 

Yu: Well I have no idea what you’re talking about but... 

Kakeru: Thanks to Kouji, I understood something. It’s OK for me to be myself. Edel Rose accepted me the way that I am. So, I an going to write lyrics that represent the real me! That’s what I wanted to tell you. 

Yu: Okay, I got it. I’ll write you that perfect song. Just you wait. Even though Kouji was really hard on us, he must have been really worried about us to go that far. 

Kakeru: Huh? 

Yu: When he said he wouldn’t listen, he was really just trying to get us riled up. 

Kakeru: Well... it was a pretty harsh way to teach us a lesson... but..

Yu: That guy. Even though he looks kind, he’s actually pretty sadistic. Well, thank you Kouji.. I’ll definitely show you I can write a song even better than you someday! 

Kakeru: Well!! Since, you’ve got your confidence back, shall we take a little stroll across the 50 states? 

Yu: Whaat?! I don’t have time for that...

Kakeru: But you haven’t seen the Statue of Liberty or the Grand Canyon yet, right?! They will surely spark your imagination and lead into writing better and better songs! Come on, let’s go! 

Yu: Hey, hold on wait! 

(back at the studio)

Kouji: Those two really turned themselves around. They found the answers they each were looking for and succeeded in prism jumps by their own skill. 

I guess I can stop worrying about how things are going at Edel Rose... Eheh. 

(back at Edel Rose)

Shin: Kakeru-san and Yu-kun really went to Hollywood...! 

Leo: So lucky! I wanna go! 

Minato: Hey, could you guys help me put together some snacks? 

Next chapter.

#prism rush #king of prism #kinpri #i just realized that kouji's last line probably explains his expression while he was watching the christmas show #he was worried about them #and also this is the true story behind emo chara night ehhh #what an awkward way to end the chapter though #it just stops haha #but ahh their first prism jumps my babies #so this was why they were so impressed when they saw shin jump in the first movie #ahhh im not done here like #the drive by kakeru feels were really something #kouji could have stopped with yu but he was like #OH NO #you cant escape kouji