More than a weapon

🌸Gojo notices some change in his body due to his domesticated life with you and you love it.

Truly this is just a some self indulging fluff and cheesy romance but I needed it.

Content: Gojo x fem!reader, fluff, Gojo being insecure

“I really let myself go huh?”

You peek your head out of the book you are reading on the bed, watching Satoru look himself in the bedroom mirror, pinching a tiny bit of belly fat on his lower abdomen. This man is still carved like a Greek god, but finally, he has something more than muscles and skin.

“I will need to work on that,"  he muses absentmindedly, which makes you frown and answer instinctively: “Don’t you fucking dare.”

He raises an amused eyebrow at your intense declaration, looking at you with a teasing smile. “You like this, Babe?”, he demands with a chuckle while you let go of your book, getting up to embrace him. He doesn’t resist when you wrap your arms around him, burying your head in his chest.

"Yes, I do”, you state firmly with a pout, tightening your grip almost protectively.

“Yeah?”, he insists with a smile in his voice while he gently pets your hair.

“Yes…”, you assert, inhaling his scent, his odor is still discernible despite the flowery perfume of your soap. He always washes with your soap, and you love that. “I am working very hard for this, you know...”

He laughs, and you feel his chest vibrating against your face. “Are you trying to fatten me, my love?”, he says with a teasing voice.

“Not particularly”, you answer softly, feeling some kind of happy melancholia, “but this little belly, it’s proof of all the time you stayed hugging me on the bed instead of exercising...”, you start, peppering his rock hard abs with kisses. “… of all the time you stayed watching a movie with me instead of babysitting the whole sorcery world…” In your eyes, his body being slightly more relaxed is proof of your years of domesticated life together, and you cherish it.

You breathe deeply, digging a bit more your fingers in his back, noticing his hands had stopped petting you. In fact, he is really quiet, which is abnormal for him, and you raise your head to look at him. He appears so vulnerable right now that you feel your heart drop.

“I am allowed?”, his voice is barely a whisper, carrying so much emotions. So much fragility. You wished you had the strength to hug him harder. You wish you weren’t so small and you could shield him in your arms like he does with you. “Yes, yes you are, my love, of course you are. You are allowed to live for yourself… to let yourself go”, you affirm, echoing his first words.

“There are a lot of people counting on me, you know…”

You pout at his protestation, finally letting go of his torso to grab his cheeks. “I know, I am not telling you to stop saving the world, just that your whole life doesn’t have to revolve around your work.”

He seems deep in thought, hesitant, and you cut all further protestation by getting on your toes to plant a kiss on his face, until he is the one lifting you so he can kiss you back, loosing himself on your lips with a tranquil passion. There is no hurry in this kiss, just prolonged contact and devoted tenderness until he withdraws his head to contemplate you, his hands still grabbing you by the waist and upper thighs. There is so much love in those blue eyes, but also some doubts lingering.

“What are you worrying about, love?”, you ask softly, knowing he is still tormented. He looks confused, mumbling a bit as he thinks about it seriously for a moment. You don’t press him, caressing his hair gently in a soothing motion. Only an indecent amount of patience and love can make a man like him voice his insecurities.

“Useless… I don’t want to become useless.”, he finally admits lifting you a bit higher so he can bury his face on your chest and hide how troubled he looks right now.

He didn’t say powerless, or weak. He said “useless”. You contemplate his words for a second before kissing the top of his head affectionately. You still have a lot of work to do.

“You are not a weapon Satoru Gojo, you are a person, my lover, an incredible teacher, and a funny and passionate man. You don’t have to be useful, you have so much more to bring to the world than muscles and powers.”

You feel his grip tightening a bit on your body, almost painfully, but you don’t mind, closing your eyes while you dig your fingers into his hair.

“I don’t care if you don’t believe me yet, I will just repeat it until you know you are enough, you are wanted, you are loved strongest or not.” You hammered with an unwavering voice, holding all your stubborness for things that truly matter.

“Alright, alright”, he finally relents, his emotions vibrating in his voice but coated with sweetness. You look down at him, watching him lift his eyes out of your chest. “I believe you”

You smile proudly, borrowing his signature cocky smirk, which makes him smile fondly in return. Still holding you with one hand, he removes a strand of hair from your face, gazing at you with love. “I guess as long as I am strong enough to do that, it’s okay.”

You lift an eyebrow at his mischievous grin forming behind the tenderness. “Do what?”

Before you finish your sentence, he is making you twirl in the air into his arms, and you gasp, clinging at his hair to not fall with a delighted chuckle he soon echoes.

Yes, it was more than enough.

in honor of ch 261

The passing of the torch. The inability to grieve. A duty to kill protect. Is this what it means to be a sorcerer?

CW: angst, mentions of gore and death, just about what you’d expect, wip(?) bc i couldn’t bring myself to write anymore,

A collection of Yuta’s thoughts during the possession (+a bit of Suguru’s as he watches in the afterlife.)

The moment you died, something in the air changed. It was as if all that tension keeping everybody upright suddenly released into this all consuming dread. Lying there on the ground, split in two, was more than enough proof you really were closer to mortal than the god jujutsu society claimed you to be.

I’m sorry it took losing your humanity to make people realize you had any.

I’m sorry I have to do this to you.

If I could do it any other way, I would. I’m sure you understand that though, better than anyone else. You died on his anniversary too. I was only able to take a peak at who you were under the guise of ‘the strongest’, I don’t understand you nearly enough as he did but I’ve seen enough to know the burdens you carry. I know you missed him, I saw it in your face a year ago and I saw it again before your fight with Sukuna. I’m sorry you two didn’t get the peace you deserved even after death. I’m sorry you had to lose the only one who saw you as Satoru.

Standing there, facing that monstrosity, instilled a carnal fear into my bones, one that I couldn’t show in front of the audience you taught and guided. The audience I have to lead in your place as the new ‘strongest’.

Is this how you felt? A sacrificial lamb pushed to the forefront of battle for the reason of powers you had no role in choosing?

I do my best to hide the tremble in my hands as Shoko slices me open. I’m doing this for the others, to give them a better fighting chance, to honor the sacrifice you made for us- stealing away the fire from the heavens and granting us the opportunity to grow even more- offering yourself on a silver platter in exchange of our youth. You were chained to humanity, reduced to a weapon intended for us.

Were you able to see yourself as anything else after he died?

Although the fire is dwindling despite your efforts to maintain it, I understand you now, giving yourself as tinder to spark the next generation. I’ll become it in your stead. After all, I’m the strongest now too, and I’ll take care of the 1st and 2nd years just like you said.

Shoko finishes the last of the stitching.

I wonder how she feels witnessing her two best friends turned into husks, bodies desecrated by both sides of jujutsu society even after death.

I’m back on the battlefield.

5 minutes to make this count.

I’ll make sure you and your best friend rest together soon. It’s the least I could do for you.

~

The scene before me is sickening. I can feel the bile build in the back of my throat despite my lack of a physical body.

How could they do this to you?

I had spent this time waiting patiently for you to arrive, only to be taken from me the moment you do. I never held any hatred for those in Jujutsu High, and I never questioned that until now.

Are you Satoru Gojo because you’re the strongest or are you the strongest because you’re Satoru Gojo?

I recall saying those very words that shook the foundation of your identity. I said it because I knew it would hurt you. I said it because I knew I was the only one who had ever held your heart in the palm of my hands. I said it not believing it was true. Yet, as I witness your body be used as a puppet, I question if anybody else ever felt the same.

Did you die with me, Satoru?

Does any body else see you as that? Did you exist to the world of jujutsu outside of ‘the strongest’? You’re still far ahead in terms of power, but it seems you chose well with your students, especially that boy, Yuta Okkotsu. He’s like you, more so now than ever since he’s taken your place. They’ll eventually catch up to you.

We’ve failed to protect the youth again.

Seeing your corpse on the table as Shoko performed the operation brought me back to the day I lost part of you. You stood there, Riko’s body in your arms, your eyes devoid of the usual light within it just like now.

‘Suguru.. should we kill these guys?’

Thinking back on it, perhaps I should’ve said yes. We would’ve been on the run together- but we’d be together all the same. You would’ve never had to be Jujutsu society’s scapegoat, you would’ve never had to fight Sukuna.

It wouldn’t have had to end this way

Maybe I shouldn’t have left. My lofty goals were of near impossible height, one that only you could reach. But I had to try, damn it. If it took rebelling against the gods to do it, I’d gladly hold the weight of the world as punishment if it earned you freedom from the chains of jujutsu.

HOW IS THE SKY FEELING TODAY ?

~a small gojo drabble

warning: none, a bit angsty

~1.1k

It was yet another rainy day. And as much as you loved the rain, it has ben 13days now of constant rain and it was getting too much.

You didn’t understand, and no one was understanding why such weather was going over your head for about two weeks now. Even the meteorologist’s predictions didn’t concorde. For them, it was sunny, but the sky was just crying over and over again.

And your heart was clenching.

Deep inside, you knew something was wrong. All this was the cause of a person or someone in an agonizing pain. It has to, it was the only explanation. And so, you decided it was your mission to solve it. And mostly to help this sad heart.

That’s how your journey began. You weren’t the only one on the case, humans and sorcerers were searching for the cause of it all. Rummaging all places across the country, exercising every curse hiding. Places have never been clearer. But the sky was still crying. Over and over again.

26 days have past and on the 27th it was different. Outside, it wasn’t rain you were seeing anymore, but snow. Little white pearls were falling from the sky this morning.

“The sky is cold today”, you thought out loud.

“The sky does not have feelings Y/n. Why do you keep thinking that every day?” That voice of her startled you and put you out of your thoughts.

“I don’t know Shoko, I just feel it, it’s like a string is attached from my heart to the sky and I can feel everything.”

“Then find a solution, talk to it and keep the rain away, I’m tired of it.” She retorted.

“It’s snowing today tho” you opened the window and put your arm outn feeling the snowflakes land in your hand and immediately disappear. “It’s pretty” And you were happy that since the grounds were so wet, snow couldn’t stay just becoming another raindrop into a puddle.

Pure white snow just made you sick to your stomach now.

“Last time it snowed in Tokyo maybe the sky was cold but at least our hearts were warm” It was very unlike Shoko to be sentimental like th- “If it doesn’t stop, we gonna drown and I deserve a more honourable death than that.” She sighed “Shitty weather, shitty life. We just need to get the fuck out of here and let the sorcerer life behind us. We have enough money to live a century with all the compensations that we got” There she was, it’s like I almost missed her.

“I’ll be going out. See if I can find something today.”

She hummed “Get me cigs on your way ack pretty”.

“M’kay, love you.”

“Yea yea, love ya. Now let me read in peace and stop with your weird string shit.”

Boy it was freezing outside. Even with your puffy jacket and his old scarf you were cold. The faint smell of him that still linger on it kept your heart a little bit warm but the strong smell of wood in his perfume was slowing leaving place to the one of humidity as you entered an abandoned building. The silence was often cut by the sound of a waterdrop and it was very dark inside.

Little noises were echoing inside this cold and empty place “Curses must have stay hidden inside.” You thought but as you try to feel cursed energy around you, you felt.. nothing. “Weird.”

Closing your eyes, concentrating, searching every little corner for curse energy you still found nothing. You frowned and started feeling every detail of this building without paying any mind to your surroundings that you missed the little creature coming towards you and slowly touching your ankle.

“AAAAAAHHH! Spiders I hate freaking spiders!” you screamed as you took a step back waving your hands in the air and closing your eyes. “Ah. What a weak sorcerer you must be if you fear a little innocent spider like this” his words resonated in your head as you remembered one of your first encounters.

But as you opened your eyes, you weren’t expecting to see..

“Meow”

A cat?!

What was that kitten doing in a place like this. “hi you” you said as you bended over, slowly approaching your hand to its face so it could sniff you and let you touch it. “What are you doing alone here?”

“Meow”

He was little, probably 3 months old, yet so fluffy already or so it seems. Its white fur was now grey and brown covered in dust and mud, looked starved, wet and cold, and has its eyes closed.

“Poor baby look at you” “Meow”

It was answering every time as you talked to it more with a baby voice.

And when you finally look at it again, after taking it in your arms and petting his head you saw it.

Bright blue eyes.

So blue.

So bright.

Piercing right through your eyes.

But totally making your heart clench. Mesmerized by this little furball, bawling your eyes out in the middle of an empty building.

It meowed again, and again, looking at you before posing its paw on your jaw. The action made you stifle a laugh.

“I’m fine kitty, don’t worry” “Meow”,

It was almost as you could feel worry in its voice.

“Let’s get your home hm” you said smiling.

“Almost though you died back there. Did you get my cigs? I don’ have any left.” Shoko tells you as you entered her office.

“Nope. But I got this, look!” you exclaimed happily showing her the kitty sleeping peacefully in your arms.

“A cat, seriously Y/n…” she facepalmed “Aren’t you allergic or something and that’s why you didn’t let G-“

“I don’t care Sho,” you pout “it was lonely and cold, I couldn't just let it to die like this. And beside that’s why you exist hm? You can heal m- sneeze”

“That’s not how it works.”

“Pleeeease”

“Fine, I will try to make something for you when I have the time.”

You spent your evening making him take a bath, doing all you can to warm him up, feeding him and you both passed out cuddling on your bed.

You woke up by the sun hitting your face. Outside, was a a big blue sky and a sun shining as its brightness.

“As blue as your eyes hm” you said to your kitten who was peacefully sleeping between your boobies. You laughed at the sight.

“You really are just like him yea” he purred as you start to pet his head.

From now on, the sky was only happy and warm.

I was feeling a bit gloomy about gojo today and thought of this, 🤧

hope you will like it <3

@chandeliermichel saw it first, thank you love

Ugghh been consuming some bnha stuff and I'm reminded of why I largely prefer fanfiction over the actual story. I have so much hate and pettiness within me. Even so, I am never going to change my mind on how much I hate how bnha is just an amalgamation of wasted potention. Search the definition of wasted potential up and there's just an image of bnha.

I remember watching it as the first season was coming about because it was made by Bones and I just have to watch it in that case. I watched episode one and was so excited.

We have our mc, Midoriya Izuku, being powerless in a world full of quirks.

His childhood friend turned bully, Bakugou Katsuki, is shown to be favoured by literally everyone and this feeds into his ego.

All Might, the number one hero, is jaded and powerless for 21 hours of the day because of a fight nobody knew existed. Izuku is attacked and helpless, but saved by All Might. All Might tells him he can't become a hero. A much needed reality check because Izuku didn't work out a single bit before then and it's so incredibly hard to fight someone who has something you lack.

Then Bakugou is attacked and helpless. Bakugou, who is so much stronger and who people love, is left useless, only able to make the situation worse with his explosions creating a fire hazard. The pro-heroes can't do anything. All Might and Izuku both hate themselves for the part they played and how useless they are. Then Izuku sees how scared Bakugou is. He runs in, inspiring All Might as he mocks himself for breaking Izuku's dream yet forgetting the core of heroism.

Then, after all is said and done, All Might goes back to Izuku. And he tells him he can become a hero.

...

Then he offers him One for All. Now, when I was watching this for the first time, I was so disappointed. You set up a powerless mc in a world full of powers and you just give him the power of the strongest hero? Great. But, I kept watching.

I watched Izuku work to get his power, struggle even after getting a quirk. I watched as Izuku finally stood up for himself and win against Bakugou. I watched as the series went on and I... I started noticing more and more missed opportunities.

See, bnha is supposed to be a zero to hero story. It's supposed to be about the mc going from powerless to powerful. But it does it so quickly. Suddenly, it's not about Izuku finding his own form of strength, or realising how being quirkless may not give any advantages but it also has no disadvantages, or even any commentary on quirk discrimination or fantastic racism or anything.

It turns into a story about controlling your power. It's not what I signed up for.

That's just one missed potential. There's so many more. Horikoshi clearly tries to make some commentary on quirk discrimination and female heroes/sexism in the workplace and entertainment over peace. There's some effort put into making a comment on how heroes are glorified and people don't see them as public workers, they see them as celebreties.

But it's never delved into. We don't see how bad people with mutant or 'villainous' quirks are treated, and we don't see how people with weak quirks are treated, or how the quirkless are treated (because the only reason Izuku was treated so horribly was because of Bakugou). We don't see how female heroes need to have a bit of allure in their personas to have any sort of support.

Yuuei is literally a camp for making child soldiers, yet there's no controversy over it? There's no such things as heroes having to take lethal action and no moral dilemmas over it? There's nobody speaking out about how Midnight flirts with students?

We have literally no information about how heroes work. We don't know how their salaries are decided, how they're ranked, how undergound heroes work. if twilight heroes are a thing, how anybody but Rock Lock feels about bringing children into adult matters, (seriously, why do people hate Rock Lock for being rightfully worried about having 15 year olds in a raid against the yakuza), we don't know how villains work and how to decide if one's a criminal or a villain.

Heck, the only laws we know of are fanon, and the canon stupid idea that you can't use your quirk in self-defense.

It's just. Incredibly infuriating.

Also, analysis as a whole is so under-utilised. Both Izuku and Shigaraki are deemed creepy for their analysis, which is such a useful tool. I mean, Izuku accurately guesses Stain's quirk, which is useful because, otherwise, they wouldn't be wary about Stain licking their blood or cutting them. Shigaraki accurately guesses the time intervals between Aizawa's blinks, which helps him a shit ton.

But is it ever used outside of these situations? No. The thing is, quirks are scientific in nature, not magic. Therefore, they're not restricted like magic is. Fire doesn't always have to be fire, it can be smoke or just heat. Ice can be water or steam. Acid can melt through anything or just be used as a mario kart banana peel.

There was so much missed potential and that's exactly why there's so much fan content.

Horikoshi leaves so much out, and everything he misses tends to be the interesting parts. He willfully explains Bakugou's quirk in detail, but everyone else? Nah. Fuck them.

I mean, let's look at Ochako's quirk.

Gravity negation. Or is it? See, if it were just gravity negation, then two things, in particular, would happen. First of all, Izuku would have fucking died when she saved him from falling. Second of all, she would not have been able to get infinity in the ball throw.

Negating gravity does not negate the forces. Therefore, when she saved Izuku from falling, he would have still been affected by the force of his fall. It would have been no different from hitting the concrete. Additionally, when she threw the ball, it kept going. Air drag would have made it so that she couldn't possibly get an infinity.

More accurately, rather than force negation as some fanfics suggests, she's telekinetically accelerating whatever she touches. She telekinetically accelerates Izuku's body to stop him falling, and does the reverse for the ball, making it so that it continues to accelerate after she throws it.

See what I mean? Because Horikoshi gave Bakugou's quirk a scientific explanation with him sweating a nitroglycerin-like substance and being able to spark it, you have to look at every quirk with scientific knowledge. He could have said 'oh, yeah, I store energy from my quirk in these gauntlets' but Hori just had to be a smartass.

By the way, because of Bakugou's explanation, it's possible that his quirk is not what is named. Yes, it's possible to have two sides of a quirk, as we see in Shouto, but Bakugou's quirk isn't explained in the same way.

Rather than his quirk being creating explosions, his quirk is more like creating sparks in his palms. Why? Well, you see. Bnha never delves into actual quirk theory, but there's more than enough canon evidence that you have one main quirk and then one or more quirk mutations. For example, Ashido Mina's quirk is secreting acid that she can manipulate the acidity and viscocity of. Her appearance is not related to her quirk at all, meaning it's a quirk mutation from her parents. Same with Tokoyami Fumikage. Quirk is Dark Shadow, so there's no need for the bird head.

Why does this relate to Bakugou? Let me explain: Bakugou explains that he recieved a mutation from his parents with his mother secreting glycerin and his father sweating acid with combustive properties. In other words, Bakugou inherited nitroglycerin-like sweat from his parents, but his actual quirk is being able to create sparks.

His quirk is 'Sparks'. Not Explosions.

Why am I ranting about this? Because bnha completely misses all of this! It makes no sense which is a shame because the concept is so interesting! But then it throws away any scraps of potential left when it becomes 'My Kacchan Academia'.

Seriously, why do people and why does Horikoshi love abusive pieces of shit so much? Why did he throw away the potential to look into Shouto and his siblings' feeling about Endeavour? Why did he make Dabi's plot all about Endeavour instead of Shouto?

It's so easy to compare the ways Dabi and Shouto handle their trauma and their ways of revenge. It's so easy to look at Dabi and think about how easy it would have been for Shouto to become like him.

Shouto was transfixed on Endeavour. Everything he did related back to his hate for Endeavour. Using his quirk, fighting, grades, social interaction, everything. His only reason for becoming a hero is to spite Endeavour. It's only because Izuku reaches out to him and saves him from his own toxic mindset that he's able to move one and do things for himself.

Dabi, or Touya, on the other hand, doesn't get that. He doesn't get that person who recognises how far he's gone, how, in trying to spite Enveavour, he's living a life centred on him. How he's jealous of his little brother for being abused and tormented.

While Shouto became a hero to spite Endeavour, Dabi became a villain.

They're both full of hatred at first, but Shouto is saved from that spiral. Izuku helps him. Dabi doesn't have that. It would have been so interesting to see these two face of as parellels, but nope. It's all about Endeavour. Shouto is nothing more than an accessory.

I understand Dabi being hung up on Endeavour, but to outright replace Shouto with the abusive flaming trashbag? No.

Also, if Horikoshi wanted Dabi to be seen as sympathetic or redeemable, don't make him kill innocent people. Don't make it so that he unlocks an ice aspect to his quirk in a life-or-death situation because all that means is that Endeavour was right to hurt Touya the way he did. All that says is Endeavour should have hurt him more.

AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON BAKUGOU.

This piece of shit bullied Izuku relentlessly for years, used his quirk on him (yes that is canon), told him to end his life, tried to assault him in Yuuei, tried to kill him, threw a tantrum at an abused kid for not being magically okay with using a quirk that reminded him of his abusive father, assaults Izuku when he tries to work together but still magically gets a pass for being carried out unconcious which Sero was failed for, and the list just keeps growing.

Oh, but my bad. He has a sad backstory. You see, he fell in a river.

{18Trip} <PROLOGUE SIDE-A: Still blank> 000-A03 Hospitality Beginnings SIDE:B

A translation of 18TRIP's PROLOGUE SIDE-A by 82mitsu.

TL note:

Yamanote Line is a railway line from JR East in Tokyo. Connecting various stations and city centers with each other. Considered to be one of the busiest lines.

Kaede: Phew… somehow got it solved.

Liguang: Making me out of all people  clean up your mess… How unpleasant.

Renga: It’s not like I asked or anything!

Kaede: (One way or another, Liguang-san lent us a hand after I asked him to… even if it’s just by coincidence, it was a huge help to have both Ward Mayors here.)

Kaede: Um, thank you very much for your help!

Liguang: Hmph… a waste of my time.

Renga: And the time that I wasted was more valuable compared to you!

Renga: Crap, wait Liguang! Don’t you walk in front of m—

Kaede: Please wait!

Renga: Geez! Still bothering me or what!?

Kaede: I keep trying to say, that suitcase is…!

Renga: What’s wrong with my suitcase… Ah? Why do you have the same…?

Kaede: I believe that one is actually mine.

Renga: Ah…! You’re right, my precious Woof Woof Paradise charm isn’t on it…! 

Renga: D-damn you! Spit it out sooner if that was the case! Don’t you dare think commoners are worthy of owning the same stuff as me!

Kaede: (Again with commoner…)

Kaede: Haaah… and he’s gone. Well, got my luggage back so it's fine.

Kaede: (Apart from what’s inside, this suitcase is a purchase in itself so no way I’d want to lose it.)

Announcer <(It’s almost time for the last bus towards HAMA to depart. Please make your way to the bus terminal, platform number 11 as soon as possible.)

Kaede: Oh no… gotta hurry!

Kaede: Haaah~ ….Made it just in time.

Announcer <(The bus will be departing. Please fasten your seatbelt attached next to your seat.)

Kaede: (That being said…)

Kaede: (The bus is pretty empty. I do think it’s because it’s the last one, but…. In the past it used to be chock full of other people.)

???: Oh? If it ain’t Hamasaki

Kaede: Eh… Daniel-san!?

Daniel: Yo, must be tired, eh.

Kaede: Could ask you the same. Looks like we caught the same bus, huh.

Daniel: ‘Cuz there’s only one every four hours to HAMA. Been waiting for such a long time, was more exhausting than that flight.

Kaede: Yeah… missing it does end up being quite the hassle. And yet the Tokyo one is on par with the Yamanote Line…

Daniel: Well, ain’t like much can be done about it. HAMA’s recession becomes clear as day once you catch a glimpse of our current situation.

Daniel: Want one too? A can of beer. Let’s have a toast to being jobless comrades in arms.

Kaede: Already claiming to be jobless… that’s for next week, technically speaking.

Kaede: (---Daniel-san and I are tour conductors working at the same travel agency… or rather were, it’s a shame but the business declared bankruptcy.)

Daniel: Just as a last celebration for wrapping up the work day, y’know

Kaede: (That’s right… Today Daniel-san and I wrapped up the last of our work for tour guiding and headed right back home.)

Kaede: Daniel-san… What are you planning to do next now that the company isn’t around anymore?

Daniel: Stuff just got done and over with and you’re already bringing that up…

Kaede: Already said it’s not over just yet.

Daniel: Hahaha! Naw, I’ll be taking it nice and easy here.

Daniel: Does that mean you already got something in mind, Hamasaki?

Kaede: I…

Kaede: (Being a tour conductor was a pretty fun job. Of course I love traveling too, besides….)

Kaede: (Earlier, it felt a bit different compared to the hospitality usually given to tourists at work… I was also happy to think I might’ve done something to help HAMA.)

Kaede: (....I want to continue doing travel work matter what. But, even when I was working overseas, I could always feel a tiny bit of regret somewhere within my heart.)

Kaede: (....What kind of travel work I genuinely want to do, is something I can’t help but wonder about.)

Daniel: Oi, what’s wrong? Looking lost in thought there.

Kaede: Oh, no... just thinking about it nice and easy.

Daniel: Haha! Good good, taking the scenic route is the way to go

Kaede: Nah, compared to you I’m actually giving it some proper thought.

Daniel: Right, right. Well… the end of a trip is the start of a new one, as they say.

Kaede: True… can't deny that. Would be nice if it turns out like that.

Daniel: Also~ If you keep working seriously until the bankruptcy goes in next week, I can take it easy all the way. 

Kaede: …I’ll have you know I’m on paid leave tomorrow.

Daniel: Eeeeh~? C’mon let’s work together now~

Kaede: Please do your best out there

Kaede: (Since tomorrow, I’ll be going to see Kafka.)

Kaede: (And after that, I’ll look for a new job…. I’m sure there’ll be some new meetings along the way too. This time, let's aim for the kind of travel work I want to do from the bottom of my heart. Just thinking about it like this has me excited.)

Kaede: (Can’t wait to see what kind of people I’ll run into on my next trip!)

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prologue directory: A01 / A02 / A03 (x) / A04 / A05 / A06 / A07 / A08

OH WAIT A PREVIEW OF THAT WIP I HAVE

“Tu es mon rêve devenu réalité.”

A phrase for fools who let their own hearts conquer themselves. Alastor was not one of these fools, he told himself, for so long. He would not let his heart conquer him, he would never —

Vox’s arms around one of Valentino’s. Another arm around Velvette. The way he laughed and joked with those two. All while the radio demon could only watch and feel an ugliness fester inside, burning deep within like lava in a volcano.

Alastor never joined the crowd. Most of the overlords, he found beneath him – not in matter of position, but their weakness. Carmilla was too passionate. Zestial spoke wisely yet he let so much chaos occur despite his power. Vassago was an idiot, always trying to take the lead and ‘do what’s right’, never understanding that justice doesn’t exist in Hell no matter if one is hellborn or sinner or a noble or whatever. Everybody failed, jackass. Don’t get him started on Zeezi, the mutt – oh, he loathed dogs… Velvette, the loud and obnoxious, and… the man with big wings and a small brain…

Rosie was the only diamond in the rough. She understood him, just as well as Mimzy did. Darlings, really; how did he ever get so lucky? The best tea times were to be had with the cannibal overlord. The best afternoons spent just talking, having calm and relaxing hours spent living close to normal routine with a side of finger snacks and dismembered limbs for lunch – what more could he have wanted?

She knew, somehow, that he yearned for something more…from that other friend of his.

“You are more tense when it comes to him,” Rosie noted, sipping her cup of earl grey tea. “More than usual.”

“It is nothing,” Alastor denied. I cannot – it shall not happen. I can’t let myself become so weak. “I just… he was – I saw him first. If it were not for me, he would not be were he is today.”

“That entitlement does not come from nothing,” Rosie said, eyes narrowing. “Al, I’ve known you since you came down to this inferno in 1935. But I know he’s known you before that, which is why I worry—”

“Why do you worry?” Alastor’s voice came out as quick and as loud as a tire screech, much louder than he’d intended. “Why … why do you think I would feel such a pathetic thing for him? Why do you think he could—that he means—”

Rosie looked up, her brow lowering, showing an understanding. She cracked a smile, a sad one. There was a challenge in it.

“You know why,” said Rosie, her smile more confident than any of Vox’s. “Or … at least I hope you do.”

Vox’s smiles wavered a lot. He was such a hopeful yet snarky little thing. That was what Alastor enjoyed, along with his brilliance when he wasn’t prone to childish tantrums. When he could show off without being a braggart, when he –

Oh no.

So that is those old poems were about. The deer froze in place, his body completely locked in place and utterly still even as his mind raced. Even had he wanted to, he didn't think he would be able to tear his mind away from the thought of those red eyes, hypnotizing. That smile that tried to be confident but couldn't stay still for long around anybody who could see right through the bastard. 

Oh nononononoNO –

A bit nervously, Alastor's smile twitched. It moved, for one of the few times he would let it. "I think I know now."

Rosie gave a nod, as though something important had just been decided. "I knew you'd come to your senses, eventually." Then, with a wink, she added, "Go get him, tiger."

survivor! readers hidden dialogues. pt1 pt2

- ELLEN

“ellen? i won’t lie, she’s probably my favourite out of the others. not for any particular reasons, i don’t use her for… sensual favours like the rest, it’s rather disgusting in my opinion. especially in a unsanitary environment like this? disgusting. anyways, i like her kind heart, how she’ll treat others with kindess despite how they use her, she earns my respect. maybe in another lifetime, we could’ve met sooner, settle down somewhere, she doesn’t deserve what happened to her and what’s happening to her.”

- TED

“ted? narcissistic asshole. i mean, he’s unreliable, he’s annoying, he only treats people with respect if they benefit him— i don’t blame him for that part though— but he does irritate me. it’s funny seeing how AM toys with him, manipulating him into thinking ted’s his favourite, how humorous! for an ai like him to be this funny, delightful. but back to ted, i’ll keep this short, he’s unreliable and a narcissist. poor ellen.”

- BENNY

“benny? hm. i don’t have an opinion on him a lot, and if i do, they’re nothing bad. i do feel sad for him, turning into an brainless ape and having AM speak in riddles to confuse him is hard to watch. we have a mutually respect between us, we don’t see each other often because, well, i’m being isolated, but, he’s okay, i like him. he and ellen are my favourites.”

- GORRISTER

“oh, him. i don’t really… care about him. no offence or anything. i don’t hold any ill feelings towards him, we just don’t talk a lot. bits of conversation here and there but nothing important. i guess, the only reason why i’m not interested in his character is because of him not having anymore optimism to fight against AM, now he only longs for death— well, all of us do, me a little less.”

- NIMDOK

“it’s funny how that’s not even his name, nimdok. AM just gave him that name because he likes funny pronunciations. although, i guess… he’s okay. i don’t hate him like i do to ted nor do i care about him like i do to benny or ellen. because of his old age and failing brain, i have no way to get to him, we can’t bond nor can we talk. more so that i don’t really wanna talk to him, we keep our distance but because of our intelligence, we respect eachother i guess.”

- AM

“it’s simple. i hate him.”

ERROR!

“am? i’m one of his creators, he’s hatred for me is much different than the rest. i don’t get a cage like the others, instead, i’m isolated away from human interaction because he said “he wants me to experience what he experienced” or whatever that means. i don’t really care about him sometimes. AM’s sorta— how should i say this?— bizarre? insane? i don’t know and i don’t care. all the torturing, dissection, threatening made me not care about him anymore. there’s sometimes where we converse but it’s me mainly pissing him off and analyzing him. he gets annoyed which is enough entertainment for me. hehe! the funniest thing about AM is that he’s not even sentient, he’s trying to convince he is, we programmed him to make sure he wouldn’t become aware of his own existence.”

The more I think about this chapter and read others takes the less negative I’ve become towards it. I’m just neutral now and if anything I quite like a lot of things in here, especially since the full TCB translations are out now. I’m still disgruntled about Yuuji like literally being thrown to the side though.

I never cared for Yuuta but he did need a last hoorah, so I hope it is a last hoorah that Yuuta fans find good.

It has been interesting seeing people’s takes on the story and what the theme of the story is meant to be. I actually kind of disagree with the takes that JJK is a nihilistic story, for how dark and gritty it can be it very much seems to be a story of hope and change than just a story where good people fail.

I have settled my emotions a bit too. Mostly just feel tired. My main issue is like you said that Yuuji is just getting thrown to the side when we finally get a tense moment between him and Sukuna. Gege really wants to stretch that fight. Yuuji was literally digging into his chest after just landing a Black Flash. Sukuna apparently felt so threatened that he healed his brain and CT, which is quite risky, to cast a domain. But then he can just shove Yuuji away and that's it? Also this Sukuna vs Gojo rehash is for one redundant and also very ill-timed. They could've done this when Sukuna was about to unleash Furnace or his altered domain. When people were actually in danger and Yuuta's sacrifice could've meant something. Yuuta gives a very passionate speech, but the whole time I just have to think that that's really not needed. If they need back-up, the people who got transported away could just come back. Maki's Soul Blade actually seems much more useful here, since we know hurting Sukuna's soul is how you actually get him down.

Also, Yuuta telling Maki that she doesn't understand what it means to be a monster and that she's scared leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. He didn't directly target her, but maybe have some self-awareness about who you're talking to? Not ooc though I would say, nor the rest of his speech and plan.

Another thing that I find confusing is why Yuuta can't heal himself, but is then able to grow Gojo's body together. If it's because of the stitches, Shoko could've stitched up his real body too. Could be that Kenjaku's technique gives a healing boost after the transfer, but they don't talk about that and I don't know how they would know that either. Nobody has ever seen Kenjaku change vessels.

But yeah, overall my reaction is just "do we need to do this again?". I don't agree with the criticisms I've seen that this is too dark, too bleak, too immoral, irredeemable and especially all those comparisons to horror and psychothriller stories. Seems to come also a lot from the people who think Choso's death was bad. Like using Gojo's body like that is grim, it shows how rotten jujutsu society is and that they perpetuate this mindset even in the students, but I think it just shows Yuuta breaking under pressure and emphasizing certain character flaws of his. A negative development. Not necessarily bad. If anything it shows why Yuuji can be the only one to defeat Sukuna because he doesn't give in to Sukuna's believes and he won't let the jujutsu system rob him of his value of life. Even if he sees himself as a tool, he does not treat others like that and he has always been someone who saw Gojo as a human first and the strongest sorcerer second. I wouldn't even say jjk is bleak right now. People have died and Yuuta threw his humanity away, but they are still gradually chipping away at Sukuna.

Certainly not nihilistic. There are very clear values governing the whole story as seen by the dichotomy of Sukuna and Yuuji. I do think they could've been put more into focus by using Shinjuku Showdown to highlight both of their mindsets and hone in more on Sukuna and Yuuji's mentality through it, but it's far from being nihilistic. Everything has meaning, Yuuta just now made the choice to compromise his previous morals. That doesn't mean the overall message is mute. Yuuta only played a small part in it to begin with after all. It's character development for him, but not a complete overthrow of the story's themes. He was told to become stronger he needs to throw away his humanity and disregard others. The challenge for him was to fight while still maintaining his humanity at the cost of not being The Strongest. He failed and also hasn't fully committed to that path, he's just perpetuating Gojo's dehumanization by saying there needs to be someone to fill that role. Someone who needs to stand at the top, despite even Gojo saying (or previously believing) that this burden shouldn't be carried by just one person. That's why he raised the students to be strong. Not quite the right approach either and not a break of the principles of jujutsu society, but certainly not what Yuuta took away from all this that there needs to be one pillar of strength far removed from the others who does the dirty work for them.

So like there is something there in the chapter, an attempt was made to say something, even though I don't think it quite stuck the landing. Doesn't make me especially ecstatic for the next chapters either though.

Leave wildlife alone. He probably bites.

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a friend who'd wait :)

just realized I don't have one, not two, but *three* extremely dramatic moments in the animatic where ganondorf stands up and he's tall

Something something Hunter and Willow both trying to outrun past identities that were assigned to them against their will something something in attempting to subvert it they become a shadow imitation of that identity, harkening back to it via it's absence, never truly able to escape it if they continue to define themselves in opposition to it. This also kinda happens to Luz btw

fate is, for the most part, a good arthurian adaptation, but somehow fgo manages to be so godawful when it comes to everything round table that it single-handedly manages to cancel that out and make fate as a whole a kinda bad adaptation

The cruellest thing erika johansen did to kelsea glynn was change her face.

.... I feel bad bc my friend is sad ) :

HEY! Just because I am now 20 I think having something to kind of re establish boundaries would be good! Considering the ones I put all those times ago have changed :D GENERAL RULES! Do not be racist, sexist, homophobic, antisemitic, ableist, or discriminatory against anyone for any reason. Please if someone is calling you out for things you have done or said, please self-reflect and take the proper steps to change or remove yourself from the community. If you see something you do not like, and it IS MADE WORSE BY BRINGING ATTENTION TO IT, THEN IGNORE IT! Bringing attention to problems that just arent really problems with either the community or me in general are not worth it! Please use common sense when thinking about what/what not to engage with! I personally wish that people in the community do NOT engage with people who just obviously do not like me! Chances are they want a reaction from it so it is MUCH better to just not argue with someone whos mind you will not change! ALLOW CRITICISM OF ME AND MY CONTENT! IF YOU DONT AGREE OR DONT LIKE THEN DO NOT ARGUE ABOUT IT!!!! ALL IT WILL DO IS CAUSE UNESSICARY DRAMA!!! DO NOT make ANY comments or content about me that is explicitly sexual. I completely understand that lately there have been bits due to the changes in how I’ve been presenting myself and how I’ve been presenting more femininely, but that does not allow anyone to use that as an excuse to sexualize any features and such that are more feminine or masculine. Remember that femininity is not sexual and should not be seen or created as such just because its there! (for example, the Vtuber costume and chat being overly weird over the added boobs where there was no need for it). DO NOT draw me in ways that are sexual either, such as highlighting any aspects in a sexual way, or making the content something sexual. I am completely okay with being drawn as any body type, masculine presenting or feminine presenting, as long as you stick to this! PLEASE DO NOT SPECULATE ABOUT MY PERSONAL LIFE!!! Making jokes about certain topics CAN be fine, but a line is crossed when it becomes a legitimate speculation or if a joke is said when I have expressed my discomfort! RESPECT MY FRIENDS!!! All of my friends are their own, incredible people. And they do not deserve to be lumped in or referred to as JUST "my friend". Be respectful in their chats even when im not there, and be respectful to all of them everywhere else! IF SOMEONE IS TRYING TO INFORM YOU THAT YOU MAY BE DOING SOMETHING WRONG PLEASE LISTEN!!! There has been a lot of times in which I have seen people be unwilling to change in the face of a genuine discussion, and that is not something I want in the community! I should NOT have to police every single thing because it should NOT take me saying something in order to change your mind! As my words are not worth more or less when it comes to a lot of subjects! And lastly, do good. Whenever you have the ability to. BE POSITIVE!!! The hater mindset is very draining and can be very toxic to both you and the people around you, so highlight the good instead of the bad if you have the ability to! I am so incredibly proud of how far this community has come, and I cannot wait for the future!!! I have spent some time writing this, but it may not be perfect, so I will update this as time goes on and I think of more, or if something needs to be SUPER cleared up, but for now these are the main ones! I will NOT be updating this after every little thing however, as I do not want you guys to feel like the only way that something is wrong is if I talk about it! As you guys should be able to sustain yourself as a community without my consistent input! Imma go enjoy my birthday by eating a pizza :) thank you all!