There are a lot of emotions going into this arc, The Lotus and the Warrior. And it's not just because of the upcoming release of The Wolverine movie. One of the most difficult challenges of dealing with a character like Wolverine is balancing the emotion with his tough-guy, rugged, loner persona. I've seen many X-men comics, cartoons, and movies handle it horribly. I could create a whole new website dedicated to all the flaws within the X-men movies under Bryan Singer. But I want to focus on making it work with the X-men Supreme fanfiction series. I've already shown Wolverine to have a sentimental side. He's able to show love for someone like Jean Grey and Storm. However, I've also made it a point to show that he's a tortured soul. And when more revelations about his history in Japan are revealed, that torment will affect both him and the X-men as a whole. As such, I've prepared an extended preview of what you can expect from this issue.
As Logan and Mariko walked together through the falling cherry blossoms, they settled at a small pond near the south end of the shrine. Still in a warm embrace, they admired the peaceful waters before them. Mariko snuck in a few more affectionate gestures, making the smile on his face grow even wider. But as peaceful their surroundings were, the former living weapon’s attention shifted towards a window on the east wall of the temple where another female figure was busy training. She was practicing some swordplay, grunting intently as she performed lethal swipes that would make even veteran assassins cringe. When her gaze briefly met his, Logan’s peaceful feelings were shaken.
“Your sister is still giving me that look,” muttered Logan.
“Half-sister,” Mariko reminded, “Please don’t tell me she’s getting to you. I know how persistent Yuriko can be.”
“If you’re worried about competition, you can save yourself the trouble, darlin’. You know I’ve only got eyes for you,” he assured her, giving Mariko a light kiss on the side of the head.
“Your sincerity is sweet, but your eyes are not what concerns me,” said Mariko as she looked towards her irritable half-sister, “Yuriko carried quite a flame for you. I don’t think she’s over it yet.”
“Seein’ as how she likes to drop in on me half-naked when I’m showering, I ain’t surprised. I just wish she would take a damn hint already!”
“Yuriko is frustratingly stubborn,” sighed Mariko, “She always has been, although I can’t say I blame her when so much of our family shuns her.”
“Her old man boned some random girl from a rival family to make her. That ain’t her fault.”
“Thta hasn’t stopped her from being bitter and spiteful. I’ve tried to be there for her. I’ve even nourished her desire to fight in the same way I have nourished yours. I hoped that being trained in the Way of the Warrior would help her find peace. Now I’m not sure I made the right decision.”
Mariko turned away to avoid Yuriko’s critical gaze. Logan turned with her, offering her another affectionate gesture. It was a gesture he knew Yuriko frowned upon. It showed in the way she aggressively gripped her sword and shredded her targets. They started walking away, not looking to revisit old wounds even as Yuriko’s grunts could still be heard.
It was a taboo subject in the Yashida Clan. Yuriko Oyama was technically one of them, but because of her father’s infidelity she was a pariah. That was one of the reasons why they connected for a times, but only to a point. Mariko was the only woman for him. Yuriko was something else entirely. He just wasn’t sure what she was turning into at times.
“You’re doing your best, Mariko. You take on challenges no one in your family even tries to take on,” said Logan as he affectionately cupped her chin, “Between loving me and being a good half-sister, you’re the most honorable human being this side of Asia.”
“That’s so kind of you, Logan-san. But there are times I wonder whether honor isn’t enough,” she said sadly as she cherished his embrace.
“It doesn’t have to be enough. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since I started this whole spirit romp, it’s that doing the right thing is better than doing too much. I walked that path and it nearly destroyed me. Don’t let it destroy you too.”
“But Yuriko…”
“Has a long list of problems she’s gotta work out on her own. I care about her too, but I don’t want you to get dragged into those problems. You’re better than that. You do the right thing while guys like me have to beat ourselves up a million times over to learn from past mistakes. Yuriko has to find her path just like I did and the best you can do is not let her torture herself as much as I did.”
His words drew a smile from the conflicted woman. Looking up at her lover, Mariko saw a man with a harsh yet compassionate honesty she saw in far too few. He had the heart of a warrior who had done so much to reclaim his honor. In the process, he captured her heart.
“Promise me you won’t cross those lines, darlin’,” Logan went on as he caressed the side of her face, “Guys like me and girls like Yuriko have done it one time too many. At least one of us has gotta stay pure around here.”
“You’re placing an awful lot of trust on my shoulders, Logan-san,” said Mariko.
“I can’t think of anybody better to bear the load,” he said with a grin, “You and your family have given me so much. This is my home now. I want to protect it, but for once it ain’t something I can do alone.”
“Then I suppose there’s only one honorable thing to do,” she said, now smiling back, “Although I could use more incentive.”
“I think I can help with that.”
Logan gave this elegant woman his incentive, capturing her lips in a powerful kiss amidst a shower of cherry blossoms. It was a perfect setting for a perfect moment. Logan felt so many things for this woman. She helped fill a void in his heart that had been vacant for too long. Whether or not she was truely the one for him was still in question. However, this was his home now. This was where his heart and his spirit resided.
In addition, I'm proud to say that I'm keeping up my streak of updating the X-men Supreme pics section. I'm trying to become better at keeping that section up-to-date because I know there's only so much text X-men fans can take. I understand the pics are important and this week it's Jean Grey's deviant cousin, Goblin Queen and Magneto's daughter, the Scarlet Witch, who gets the update. Enjoy!
Goblin Queen Pics
Scarlet Witch Pics
As a new Wolverine movie draws near, I want to capture all those special ements that make Wolverine's story and the story of the X-men so compelling. The X-men Supreme fanfiction series has taken on a wide array of plots and sub-plots. I have every intention of taking on more as this fanfiction series continues to unfold. I've received support from a number of people as X-men Supreme has evolved. However, I'm always hopeing to grow that support. X-men Supreme has been expanding for over three years now and I don't want it to stagnate for a second. And that's why it's so important that people take time to provide feedback for X-men Supreme. If ever you want to talk X-men Supreme or X-men in general, feel free to contact me at any time. Until then, take care and best wishes! Excelsior!Jack
No comments:
Post a Comment