#and I wanted to keep things as spoiler free for your story as possible

[emilykaldwen]

For OC dynamic ask, Abby + Dyana!

I don't remember what meme this was in regards to but I'll figure it out!

THE BABY GIRLS!

We've definitely kind of talked about this before in the universe of Blood and Bone so we'll stick there!

I think the two of them are as thick as thieves. They're close to the same age, they're family, with Abby being from the cadet Strong line, and I think having Abby with her when they are told to go to the Red Keep later on really helps Dyana out. KL is a big, scary place, there's a lot happening, no one is remotely happy there, but as long as the two of them have each other, it's bearable.

I think while Dyana has the struggles of bastardry she has to deal with and Abby is so low on the nobility totem pole here, it puts them on even ground, hoping to get in as an eventual companion to Princess Helaena. Having each other's backs means issues that rise up at court due to their stations doesn't mean that they're isolated and alone. Together, these girls can get through anything.

It would be interesting to see how things develop as they get older, since Dyana is drawn to Jace and Abby to Aegon, but such is inherent tragedy of this story, right? I don't see these girls ever growing to hate one another, but I do see Abby fearing she's losing Dyana as she follows down Deirdre's path and vision.

[needfantasticstories]

“Many places I have been

Many sorrows I have seen

But I don't regret

Nor will I forget

All who took that road with me”

-The Last Goodbye by Billy Boyd

This is an Adjuration by @not-freyja, after 86 chapters, 300k words, and 10 months of joy, laughter, tears, heartbreak and love, has finally reached its end. 

Adjuration is a tragedy that is nothing short of an act of love. That much is clear in the passion and dedication put towards the story, the characters, and the message Freyja is trying to convey. This fic will teach you about love. About death. About the inevitability of existence and why despite knowing it will all come to an end, there is still meaning in trying and hoping and loving each other. In loving yourself. You will laugh, you will cry, you will hope and you will despair as you read this story, but you will not be able to put it down.

It’s hard to say goodbye to something that has been so important to and loved by so many people. So we won’t. Instead, we will say thank you for this incredible journey and the community this fic has built. For the friendships that have been made and the endless inspiration you have given us. Thank you for wanting to tell a story, and for letting us join you around the campfire to listen.

Thank you.

(If you like Linked Universe and haven’t yet read Adjuration, see below for spoiler free reviews of this fic and artist credits.)

This is an Adjuration is the kind of story you fall in love with, the kind of story you think keep thinking about long after you put it down. The kind you keep finding hidden details in after you think you’ve got it figured out. 

The characters are distinct and people with their own voices, motivations, relationships and histories. You’ll have your favourites but love them all. They influence how you’ll see the characters in everything else. 

It’s full of moments where everything clicks and everything before is recontextualised in a way that’s so satisfying and make the whole story very re-readable. A time travel story where all loops are already closed, where you can know but not yet understand what will happen. It’s long, complex, and beautifully, meticulously planned and detailed. It’s clever and considered, funny and heartbreaking. 

A story that whispers ‘it matters’ over and over. It is worth it to love, it is worth it if it doesn’t last forever, it is worth it to give someone a little more time, it is worth it to fight. It’s about loving others and your world and finding grace for yourself. 

It’s loss and tragedy and the cruelness of fate. It is the sacrifice and the breaking. 

Full of heart to both fill yours and break it in the best possible way. 

It’s about love. Always.

By @toyouhellohowareyou

Sometimes, it’s hard to explain to others why art moves us.

I could tell you This is an Adjuration will make you cry, laugh, and sit at the edge of your seat in anticipation. And it’s probably true - I did all of that as I read, often with a coffee in one hand, early in the morning as I got ready for the day. 

But that’s not the reason why I’m writing this.

The real reason is how it followed me during the rest of the day.

You see, at a certain point I realized this isn’t a story about Links going on adventures. Well, it does feature Links, and they do go on adventures, so let’s talk about that for a minute.

The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the characters. Each individual is unique, interesting, and exciting to follow. Not only are the Links individually compelling, but one thing that stands out in Adjuration is how the relationship between each Hero and their own worlds matter, and these connections shift, evolve, break and grow as the plot progresses.

Freyja does an incredible job of bringing together impactful storytelling with humor and heart. This is an Adjuration starts with an interesting premise, and then twists and turns in directions you wouldn’t expect. It’s rich in thought-provoking moments, soft joy and intense action, blended in with carefully crafted time travel and magic.

Adjuration sucked me into the world it builds, combining believable characters with fascinating stories, an unnervingly devious antagonist, plot twists, and lovingly crafted details that slip unnoticed until you’re surrounded on all sides. It made me cheer for characters I feel as if I’ve known intimately for years, made me worry for their safety as I would for that of a loved one, kept me hunting for hints and hidden references, pulling on a thread to try to find the end only for it to twist and loop into itself and show me a completely new side to the story.

Yes, This is an Adjuration is a fanfiction piece that explores the winding river flow of the Legend of Zelda timeline and how the stories of each Hero merge into each other. It also stands out for its heavy emotional content, and it doesn’t shy away from angst and hurt.

But to me, Adjuration is an epic journey that taught me how the choices we make, make us in turn. It’s a tragedy that deals with pain and healing, and it bares naked the non-linear nature of grief. It’s a celebration of the things that make us unique, of our flaws, an essay of the impact of little acts of love. Indeed, it’s a story about love.

I can tell you now, This is an Adjuration moved me. It still does. It has a special way to surface in my mind in unexpected ways at seemingly random times, from something as simple as tossing an apple core, to watching a lightning storm in the distance, or finding a picture of an old friend.

And every time, without fail, it makes me think about love.

By @sunny-porridge

This is an Adjuration is a wonderfully and beautifully crafted story about love, loss, and choice as the various incarnations of Link come together and travel through time. Freyja seamlessly weaves a tapestry of setup and payoff across different timelines and loops, in the best-constructed time travel plot I’ve ever seen on page or screen. Even at its surface, Adjuration is an emotional rollercoaster involving tragedy and the soft moments that make that tragedy worth it. But the deeper you look, the more meaning you can pull from every chapter of this amazing work. This work has made me cry, squeal with delight, and think more deeply about its themes all while having an absolute blast reading it. So in summary: READ IT. READ IT. READ IT NOW. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

By @life-in-winter

While I love that every chapter is emotionally enthralling, with carefully woven, visceral tension you crave in any good story, yet Adjuration is more than that, and you feel it in the careful weave of each character and plot point. Nothing is lost or unanswered. It's the kind of story that, by the end, makes you stop and take a hard look at your own life. Are you appreciating the now? Are you savoring joy? Are you so wrapped up in fear that you can hardly take care of yourself? Do you know who you are?

This story is more like an external experience. It's riding atop a tsunami. How do you handle that ride, Link?

There aren't enough words to describe how amazing this fic is.

@needfantasticstories

Artist credit

Legend: @gia-d

Hyrule: @bittirsweeteer

Time: @toonblade

Sky: @noorahqar

Warriors: @whitewinterstar

Wild: @weavingstarlight

Twilight: @bluury2

Wind: @thewitchdoctor39

Four: @lunaopus

Red: @peepthatbish

Blue: @glowingmin

Green: @winterfen

Vio: @waterfallstream

Shadow: @deleetrix

Wolfie: @linkiscool333

Fierce Deity: @awildsilver

Ravio: @lele5429

Malon: @tooner-tastic

Dink: @passerinesoncaffeine

[geezmarty]

Curtain Falling BTS! ✨

We're halfway through the month, which means you still have a couple weeks to grab my 2024 Shortbox Fair Comic, Curtain Falling!

I wanted to thank you for your support so far (many of you said the nicest things about it and I'm really glad you liked it!! It's the work I'm proudest of yet!) and what better way to do that than show you a BIT of the concepts and history behind it.

I will try to be as spoiler free as possible but I can't stress it enough: I think this comic is best experienced going in completely blind save for the brief description on the site.

But you can do whatever you like, so read on if you want.

I came up with the first concepts for Curtain Falling in 2021. At the time I was itching to try my hand at a short visual novel on Renpy (something that I'm still itching to do and that I may do?? Maybe soon??? My biggest maybe. Stay tuned on this page) and so I sat down and wrote a little something that didn't end up going anywhere.

(Some of the very first concepts I drew!)

The idea for the visual novel was simple, and actually very similar to the final comic: you'd get to play out a different fairy tale at a time, the eye and the mysterious woman would always be there, and the more you played the more you would find out about the truth. I always knew what the eye and the woman were, I think the only thing that changed along the way was the very ending and some details here and there (maybe I'll do a follow up about that after the fair is over).

(I drew this one while actively working on the comic but I feel like if I had stuck with the visual novel idea, this could be considered a concept for the "pick your fighter" screen)

After I shelved the idea, the concept just sort of sat untouched in my WIP folder for a long time. I would occasionally pick it up to roll it in my hands but I couldn't find an ending that felt satisfying to me.

Proto designs from 2021. The mysterious woman didn't change much but the protagonist is kind of unrecognizable to me lol

Of course, at some point last year after being accepted into the fair I was like well you know which story I'd like to tackle again. That's right. The perfect ending actually came to me halfway through production (I was set on just using what I had written down because a project that's finished is always better than a project that doesn't exist even if it's not as good) but the idea just struck me and I was actually pretty divided between it and keeping what I had gotten used to.

It was only after I was on call with a couple of friends that I decided - I presented both ideas and they GASPED and went "You HAVE to use the new one!!" that I was like well you're right actually. Let's go. This is all very cryptic if you're still here without having read the comic so what are you waiting for? You could find out what made my friends gasp if you go read it now.

There's more BTS to share but I don't want to give away too much so I'll leave you with a bit of fanart I drew in celebration of the fair starting. Thank you for reading!

[baldursgate3tempobsessed]

Your stories have definitely scratched that Astarion itch that I've had since I started the game!

One thing that's diffently not sat right with me at the end of the game, is how tav and the gang don't run after astarion after he loses his immunity to the sun. I would imagine that if the player character was romantically involved with the guy they would atleast try to shield or comfort the poor guy. A short drabble on that would be awesome!

That's so sad, I heard that's what happens 😭😭 I'm in act 3 and haven't had to see it for myself yet so yes, let's do some preemptive therapy there! And just warning since I haven't beaten the game yet I'm sure this will be inaccurate as fuck, but also with spoilers somehow ~

~

It was an exhilarating feeling, to win against all odds. One that Astarion had never been confident he would experience. It felt good, final. The official beginning of his new free life, even if it was bittersweet.

This was the bitter part, the end of his illithid protection. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, and the burn was already starting. He was being an idiot, standing there with the rest of you like he belonged, waiting for the last possible second before he had to scuttle down in the darkness. But he wanted to see this out. Hadn't he earned that right?

According to the laws of reality, no. No he hadn't, because you had barely opened your mouth before the pain started to overwhelm him. The others would be able to hear it, the sickening sound of his skin crackling.

He was out of time. But before he could make a break for it, you happened. Astarion had been a little preoccupied with his impending doom to pay close attention to what you had been mumbling. But then sudden blackness was blanketing above your heads, opaque enough to make it as dark as night.

Astarion's eyes widened as the pain subsided, surprised beyond belief.

You were looking at him with concern in your eyes, gesturing to the think cloud of darkness above your head, "Will this be dark enough? Can it still get through?"

Astarion stared at you, momentarily confused on why you would do something like that. Before he remembered, oh. Yes. The extended care for his well-being was probably included in the whole love thing. Of course. Obviously.

That was definitely going to take some getting used to.

But the reasoning didn't stop an idiotic smile from blooming on his face.

You grinned back at him, somehow still managing to read his mind even without the tadpoles, "Did you really think I would forget about you?"

He had, but through no fault of your own. One of these days he was going to actually remember that he was worth the effort to keep alive.

"Thank you darling," Astarion said, ignoring the quested as he waltzed up to you. He grabbed your hand in his, bringing it up to his lips to kiss, "Just what would I do without you?"

"Speaking of," You turned to the Emperor, a question in your eyes as you vaguely waved upward, "Is there anything we can do about this particular problem?"

"The astral tadpole is still-"

"I'll pass on that, thank you very much," Astarion interrupted, cringing at the very thought of willingly letting another worm into his brain, "But I appreciate the thought."

There were worse things than living his life in darkness. And Astarion was counting becoming a mind flayer in the top three.

He watched, participated even in everyone's final goodbyes, always eyeing you at of the corner of his eye. It's not that he thought you would leave after you both declared your eternal love for each other, but... the two of you hadn't exactly talked about the specifics of the future either.

But that didn't stop you from leaving together. Astarion hadn't expected you to keep the dark cloud above his head as you walked the streets, startling nearly every passerby. But hells, the heroes of Baldur's gate had earned the right to a little strangeness.

You both had decided on going to the nearest, most windowless inn that you could find. Astarion wanted nothing more than to scrub the brain viscera from his skin and sleep for three days. Preferably with you in his arms.

But before all that... he had to know something.

The question was out of him as soon as you both were behind closed doors, "So what happens next to the great hero of Baldur's Gate? I'm sure you have something in mind."

He was just praying those future plans still involved him.

You blinked at him, head cocked like he was asking a silly question, "We go and find you a cure so you can walk in the sun again of course. What else would we do?"

That took Astarion aback, "I-Do you think that's really possible?"

"Well," You started, counting off on your fingers, "We know that illithid powers can do it. As well as devil contacts and ritualistic demon sacrifices. If that's all possible then that means there has to be something else on the other end of the spectrum, right?"

Astarion didn't exactly share your blind confidence. But you did have a point. The two of you had managed so many impossible feats in such a short amount of time. What was one more?

"I suppose there's a chance," Astarion said, hope fluttering in his chest with every word, "And if there is a chance no matter how small, I'm going to take it. But..."

He didn't want to ask, but he needed to know, "Are you sure this is what you want? I would... understand if you wanted to go your own way."

In all honesty, Astarion would not understand. He'd be absolutely furious. Especially after everything you'd been through. This was more of a confirmation for his waning self-confidence than anything else, versus a sincere to desire to let you go your own way. He had no intention of letting you go, not if he could help it.

But his near certainty in your feelings was the only thing that gave him the confidence to ask the question in the first place. And you did not disappoint.

"No, this is what I want," You insisted, reaching out to take his hand in yours, "You're what I want."

That was exactly what Astarion needed to hear. He used your joined hands to tug you closer, face to face.

"Good, because as selfless as I am, I really did not want to let you go," Astarion smiled, leaning in to lightly press a kiss to your lips, "I hope you realize that my love has made me a tad bit obsessed with you my dear."

"I'm sure it's no worse than me," You sighed, resting your forehead against his own, "You've really ruined me for anyone else haven't you?"

Astarion grinned, leaning in for another kiss. He had every intention of making it stay that way, for as long as you would have him.

[fics-a-plenty]

Hurtful Words and Bear Hugs

Astarion x gn!reader x Halsin

Word Count: 1,411

TW: Spoilers for Astarion's story in Act 3, mentions Astarion's victims, reader crying

Hi! It's been awhile!

This game literally has me in a choke hold. I am so weak for these two men. I love that you can have a little romance between the three of you. 🥰

As always, I hope you enjoy. Feel free to send any requests for these two as they own my thoughts at the moment!

The days following their victory over his past master, Astarion had struggled with his thoughts and feelings. He felt terrible for how distant he had become, especially as you tried your best to be supportive. Yourself struggling with how to balance giving him his space and wanting to just hold the lost man until his world seemed to piece itself together again.

The one thing stopping him from his full blow guilt was that Halsin was there to distract you at times. The larger man seemed to have a better grasp on his emotions than Astarion did, always seeming to pull you off to some task that needed your attention just at the right times or to lead you back to Astarion's tent with hands and hearts full from their adventures whenever he felt the weight of loneliness creep back in. The pale elf was even sure that at times the druid spoke to Scratch and the owlbear cub to cause small bits of chaos or demand attention from you when he could no longer keep your focus.

Astarion was especially grateful for the times the three of you could spend time together in peaceful silence, either walking around near the camp or just sitting near the fire while he read next to you as you focused on redoing the braids on the side of Halsin's head. While the days seemed to be getting better, and his heart seemed to fill in the empty spots left behind by his revenge and the past that had lead to it, some days seemed to thrust him right back into the deep of it.

He pretended not to see the sad glances you shot him as you racked your brain for some way to help. He knew you meant well and normally he would appreciate it or tease you for how wrapped around his finger you were, but today it just seemed to be to much. He hadn't meant for the groan of annoyance to leave his lips as you came by his tent for the third time today, wanting to check in on him.

"What is it you could possibly want this time?" He snapped as he slammed his book shut, shooting a glare at you from where he sat in his tent. "If you're coming to see how I'm doing, let me save you the breath. I'm the same as I was the other million times you've interrupted me today. Now do you have something to actually contribute to my time or can I read in peace?"

It took a moment for him to realize just what had been said, and by the time the guilt had built up in his chest, your eyes had gone glossy. You turned your face away, not wanting him to see your tears welling up.

"I was just coming to tell you that Halsin and I were going into the city to get a hot meal. I was gonna see if you wanted to come, but I guess I'll let you read."

He could have sworn that he could hear his cold heart crack at the shake in your voice. His lips parted to apologize, but his throat tightened around the words before they could leave. He sat in silence as he watched you turn to walk back to where Halsin was waiting nearby.

His eyes met the druid's before you got to him. The wood elf's eyes seemed to be conflicted, split between knowing Astarion hadn't truly meant to hurt your feelings and the disappointment that the interaction had gone so wrong. Once the two figures were gone from sight, the vampire let out a deep sigh and tried to go back to his book. The words just wouldn't come to him now, and every thought seemed to lead back to the hurt look on your face.

Tossing the book onto the ground next to him, he ran his hands through his hair, partially wishing that he could physically push the thought to the back of his mind or even out of his brain altogether. Deciding to take a walk around camp, the lingering eyes of the other camp inhabitants pushed him to walk further and further away until the camp faded from view.

He wasn't even sure how long he wandered, lost in the downward spiral his mind had fallen into. The tears in your eyes fading into the tears of the past victims as they realized the pain he had lead into. Visions of the lives he had ruined flooded his mind until he couldn't take it. An almost feral scream ripped from his throat as he swung his fist against the trunk of a tree he had wandered to close to, another innocent victim to the control he didn't have over himself.

The pain pulsing in his hand seemed to help ground him as he fell to lean his back against the hard bark. He would have been a sight to anyone wandering by, the pale elf with a bloody hand resting in the ground. His fangs bared in his open mouth, and his chest heaving to try to catch his breath. The now rising moon beginning to reflect off the streaks of wetness down his face.

As his red eyes stared up at the glowing rock, he began to push through the dark thoughts, trying his best to lock them back in the recesses of his mind they belonged in. The sound of your voice began to ring in his mind, helping to fend off the thoughts of self doubt and hatred that lingered. The countless times you had told him that he was good enough, that he was worth being loved and cherished. The times you had kissed his face until these same bad feelings were long forgotten.

As his heart and breath began to settle, the world seemed to know what he needed in that moment, and the wind shifted to blow gently against his face. His lips curled up slightly as the faintest whisp of your scent kissed his skin as if you were there with him. It dawned on him that in the hours he must have been gone that you were probably running yourself wild with worry. A short laugh forced itself from his lips as he imagined Halsin trying to quell your panic, probably saying something about some time in nature doing him good.

The walk back to camp was much quicker that he imagined, his feet pulling him home faster as your scent got stronger. It lead him straight towards Halsin's tent. The deep sound of the man's snore was almost as if he was walking into a real bear hibernating.

He froze for a moment as he saw you curled up against the bear of an elf. Your hand slowly moving back and forth over the hairy chest being the only sign that you were still awake. His feet moved him toward you before he asked them to, before he could even worry about if you would want to see him. He crawled in carefully behind you, not wanting to wake the other. His hand hovered over your side, hesitating at the thought that you may still be hurt.

Your skin against his brought him back to the moment as you pulled his arm over your waist. You thumb began to move side to side on his wrist, your wordless forgiveness warming his chest and releasing tension that he didn't know he was still holding.

"I'm sorry." The words were so quiet as they left his lips that he wasn't even sure he has really said them.

"I know." The quiet response was just as possible to be a fantasy.

"I didn't-" His throat closed again as you turned to look over your shoulder at him.

"I know." Turning your face back forward, you brought his hand to your lips before squeezing it slightly and clutching it to your chest.

The moment of peace was interrupted by the sleeping druid rolling over and throwing his arm over the two. As his thick arm tightened around them, each you and Astarion let out a groan as you were both crushed into the bear hug. The smiles on the three faces and the quiet laughs drifting from the tent seeming to right every wrong in the world for just the moment as the two of you joined Halsin in a well needed night of rest.

[uriekukistan]

JJK 261 ANALYSIS: What happened, how, why Yuuta made the choice he did, and a discussion of tragedy & major themes of JJK

MAJOR spoilers below the cut so please read at your risk.

i wanted to dissect what happened a bit, and address a few points i saw floating around since the leaks dropped. of course, these are all my interpretations, so feel free to disagree, i just had a lot of thoughts floating around that i wanted to put out for discussion.

I. Gojo was never coming back

first of all, i don't know how you guys expected him to survive bisection. i said this earlier in the day as my justification for why i didn't think gojo was coming back, prior to leaks, and i don't think i can say it any better now.

and this is just my interpretation of reverse curse technique, but if anything, yuuta in this chapter supports my theory. in the scene where he's on shoko's table and arata nitta says that he's used rct to keep the wounds from getting worse, but it might be too late for yuuta to recover. in that case, gojo wasn't coming back from being sliced in half. it's just not possible.

additionally, and this is another thing that i've said for a long time. he says right in episode 6 (i forgot the chapter) that his dream is to reset the jujutsu world raise up a generation of strong students that work together. that is why he became a teacher. this very clearly comes from his relationship with suguru, and it's one of gojo's clearest motivations from the beginning.

the problem is, in order to achieve this, he has to die. so long as satoru gojo is alive, he will have to carry the burden of being the strongest alone. his students won't have to work together, because gojo will just take care of everything. this is already in the works, with how many people have come together to stand against sukuna. if gojo lived and defeated sukuna on his own, this wouldn't have happened, and bringing him back would, again, reduce the need for his students work together.

unfortunately, gojo has been doomed by the narrative from the start, and his primary goal as a character basically requires his death to be realized in its entirety.

II. They're not heroes, they're jujutsu sorcerers.

yeah, i'm stealing megumi's line because it's true. he literally said it twice for a reason, and then yuuta said a repackaged version of it in this chapter ("we're about to fight history's strongest jujutsu sorcerer. if we can win by throwing away our humanity, we shouldn't even be arguing about this").

trust, all the characters are well aware of the ethical issues with taking gojo's body after he's dead, both with what it means for gojo, and with what it means for yuuta. but this isn't a story about heroism, this isn't a story about the power of friendship. if it was, yuuji would have saved junpei all the way back at the beginning of the series. it was pretty clear from the start that this wasn't going to be the typical shounen manga like that.

in fact, expecting it to be is unrealistic. it's unrealistic in real life too, if i'm being so honest. everyone wants to think they'd take the moral high road in this type of situation, but the reality is, when you're fighting tooth and nail against an opponent that is fighting dirty, you have to fight dirty too if you want to win, and i think that's what yuuta is trying to point out in this chapter.

this happens in real life wars which im not gonna get into examples because i dont want to start that kind of discourse, but like...it's so great to be idealistic and hope that virtue will triumph simply because it is virtuous, but i think if you take a look around, you'll realize it's true that good people do not get what they deserve simply because they're good (that's so megumi of me to say...). or if you think of it like a board game, if a player is cheating, it is infinitely harder to win without cheating yourself.

maybe this is a bit pessimistic of me to say, but you will not win a dirty fight without getting dirty yourself, and i think it's pretty clear that sukuna fights dirty.

additionally, it's shitty to see gojo be weaponized, and i understand that, but it plays into the themes about strength in jjk, which i will get into.

III. This was not an "ass pull."

i don't really have much to say to this. did you think yuuta wouldn't take kenjaku's technique? plus, kenjaku being eaten by rika is probably the only surefire way to ensure that they're dead and won't just hop to another body. i've already said why gojo wouldn't come back, but it makes sense that if yuuta were to copy kenjaku's technique, who else would he body hop into, if not gojo? there's already narrative evidence to support this action, from the guidelines of yuuta's technique, kenjaku's technique, and gojo's technique, to the character of yuuta okkotsu, which i want to do an analysis in a separate post for him, so i won't get into that right now.

idk...to me, all the threads connect, plus i felt like yuuta's return was foreshadowed pretty heavily in 259 & 260, with the mention of yuuta's plan that yuuji couldn't know, and then on the last page of 260, the comparison of sukuna and yuuta, so for me, i always thought that it was not actually gojo, but yuuta at the end of 260.

IV. Themes of JJK: The burden of being "the strongest," or even just strong

even many jjk fans see gojo as "the strongest," and nothing more, doing exactly what the narrative sets up as one of the chief problems of jjk. a lot of gojo's actions are spurred on by the burden he feels from being the strongest modern sorcerer. his entire character is built around this problem of the responsibility and burden that falls on someone who's considered to be "the best" at anything.

in fact, this is also a driving point for geto too, and the conflicts geto and gojo come into with each other, as well as geto's inevitable fall from grace. it all comes from this issue that's at the core of jujutsu society. gojo recognizes that, and, as i mentioned, that is why he became a teacher. so that no young sorcerers will feel the burden of being the strongest alone.

the problem is this is easier said than done. after gojo dies, this burden gets passed down to yuuta, and he feels that immense pressure, which is why he decides to do what he does. he says "haven’t we been pushing the burden of being a monster onto gojo-sensei alone? if gojo-sensei is gone, then who else will be the monster? If no one intends to become one, then I will!" and i think this really powerful evidence of the pressure and burden of being the strongest, and i think the word monster is really important here. the burden pushes people to be something they're not, a shadow of their true self.

it distorts morality, like with geto. it isolates people, like with gojo. it forces people to go to unspeakable lengths to uphold their burden, like with yuuta. it leads people with immense power to doubt themselves, like with megumi. it leads people to feel like a cog in the machine, not a human, like with yuuji.

this is sooo so important and a key theme of jjk, and this chapter in particular, and the driving force behind yuuta's actions.

V. Themes in JJK: Loneliness and Isolation

this one has, in my opinion, a bigger role in the story overall than just in this chapter.

as i mentioned before, gojo is lonely. the only person who could understand him was geto, and he turned away from him, and then died. he seems like a silly guy or whatever, but it's just a mask.

but geto also felt alone and isolated, and that's why he turned away. between gojo and geto, neither of them were able to put share the burden of carrying their strength alone, and it's what kept them apart and made their relationship so tragic.

arguably, and though he would never admit it, sukuna is also lonely, though it's buried deep within him and something he will likely never acknowledge, despite it, and his lack of understanding of love (arguably a symptom of his loneliness), are major reasons for the way he acts.

yuuta, though supported by maki, inumaki, and panda in a way that the previously mentioned characters are not, is still isolated. he alone carries the burden of his strength. he was also alone his whole life after rika died, and then again when he was shipped off to africa, away from his friends (yeah he had miguel, maybe i'm missing something, but i dont see them having that type of relationship.

not only that, but yuuta recognizes gojo's loneliness, and reaches out to tell him not to try to stand by himself once again, and gojo admits that's something he can't do, the reason being his relationship with geto.

even further, yuuji and megumi, the parallel to satosugu, are both deeply lonely, except for when they have each other. i mentioned in this analysis that the reason megumi can't just get up and keep going is because he's alone and has been for over a month. i want to get into this more in my next point.

VI. Where I think (hope) this leads for JJK

a satisfying ending for jjk, in my opinion, would be the resolution to this loneliness and burden of strength issue that has been present throughout the narrative. something like yuuji being able to save megumi and them being able to correct what went wrong with satosugu in their own relationship.

personally would like to see satosugu reach the ending they should have had through the itafushi parallels - let them save each other! but i do know gege said only one of them (the trio + gojo) will die, or only one will live....that was years ago maybe he changed his mind :D

we all want to see yuuji take down sukuna himself, but i think it would be a great resolution to see everyone take down sukuna as a team. no one person is alone, no one person has the burden of the strongest. i know i said this wasn't a "power of friendship" manga, and i stand by that, but i think this would be the perfect ending. yuuta throws his humanity away to do what he did in 261 because he felt like it was the only choice and it was something he alone could do, but yuuji represents unwavering humanity (literally his name), and i think to preserve that, they all need to share that burden. let them realize they need each other.

this is what gojo died for, and this is what he lived for. this is why he became a teacher in the first place- to raise a generation that can be strong together, that can support one another.

VII. "It's poorly written torture porn!" "There's no point if there's no happy ending!" etc

i said this in a separate post but tragedies have existed in literature since the 6th century BCE, 2600 years ago. many of the most popular stories throughout history have been tragedies, for example, orpheus & eurydice, romeo & juliet, even things like the fault in our stars and the titanic movie. here's a quick explanation of what it means for a story to be a tragedy (yeah it's from wikipedia but they want me to pay to access the original source and im not doing that for a jjk analysis)

one of things i like most about this definition is the use of the word "catharsis," which is to say that the expression of strong emotions is a way of bringing about renewal and relief. in literature, it's used to say that with the arousal and following release of negative emotions relieves suppressed emotions for the viewer. im not gonna get too personal with it, but i know i've experienced this with jjk.

additionally all of the aforementioned tragedies, they have a message, no matter how sad they are. orpheus & eurydice inspires perseverance and faith in the gods. even something like titanic has messages about everlasting love that overcomes all boundaries. jjk has its message too, and it's long underway. we just have to wait for it to reach its conclusion.

it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when we only get one chapter a week, and the fact that the pain is so dragged out is a bit tiring, i'll admit. but that doesn't mean it's bad. having negative emotions stirred by a story doesn't mean bad writing. i mean, i would hope you feel sad. i would hope you feel angry. i would be concerned if you didn't. but given that jjk is a tragedy, that just indicates good writing. especially these last two chapters, i've felt moved in a way nothing else has done for me in a long time.

as always, these are just my thoughts!!! im happy to hear from anyone what they think :D

[ishgard]

Presenting: An Absurdly, Stupidly Long and Wordy Warrior of Light-based Questionnaire, or as my bestie dubbed it:

30 WoL Think Thonkers

Less an ask prompt, more of a daily prompt, (though you can use it as an ask prompt if you prefer!) Answer the questions however you want: straight-forward, with stories or screens, or a mix of all.

Get any of your little brainworms out. Wax poetic, ramble off into several digressions, challenge yourself to answer in the least amount of words possible, whatever you're vibing with! (If you want to tag them #wolthinkthonkers feel free!)

This is very Warrior of Light and MSQ based. It's set from a Post-Endwalker mindframe, so there are some minor/vaguely worded spoilers.

----------------------- WARM-UP QUESTIONS

I. Where is your Warrior of Light from? What was their home like growing up and what set them out on their journey?

2. What city-state did your WoL start in? How did they feel about it then, and how do they feel about it now? (ie, did their experiences sour their perception, or make them appreciate it more?)

3. How do they feel about being Hydaelyn's chosen? (Feel free to break it down from ARR's "Champion of Eorzea" all the way to "The Savior of Etheirys" as much as you like. Have those feelings changed, or just grown more complex?)

4. What do they do in their down time? Do they have any hobbies outside of Primal-slaying and world-saving? Are these lifelong hobbies or recent interests?

5. How do they feel now that "it's all over" (the story of Hydaelyn and Zodiark)? What do they plan to do next? Or is their story finished - and if you're retiring them, what does retirement look like for them? Do you have someone else taking the stage going forward?

6. Who was their Azem? What were they like, and were they different from your WoL? Who were their family, friends? Or, if you don't care for the Azem angle or went in your own direction for their past self, how so? How does your WoL feel about their Ancient identity?

----------------------- CHANGES

7. Have they gone through any physical changes? What scars have they collected, and how do they feel about them? Did they sprout horns or other features as a result of spells or pacts gone wrong? How did light corruption impact them? Or have they walked away miraculously unscathed? Are they more peculiar for how eerily unmarred they are?

8. What is one of their biggest regrets? Has it had an effect on how they act moving forward, for better or worse?

9. The Warrior of Light has been through quite a lot, but what is a moment, big or small, that bolstered and renewed their spirit? Was it a cup of hot cocoa or a lovingly crafted sandwich? Did someone give them a few words or a gesture at just the right time that meant the world to them? (Of course, this can be a canon event or headcanon!)

10. What does home look like for them now? Do they still return to the home where they started, and if so has it changed at all? Or have they found or forged a new home? Who do they live with, if anyone? What sort of things do they keep in their personal space?

11. Despite everything, is it still you? Has the core of who they are as a person remained true through everything, or have they been changed by what they've experienced and learned, for better or worse?

13. Is there a canon moment you've drastically (or not-so-drastically) rewritten? A character death, or something that just really did not fit your WoL's character. Or just some alterations and personal touches you've added? Has that had any long-term changes on the wider story?

----------------------- STORY

12. Which canon moments shaped your Warrior of Light and impacted them the most?

14. Do you have any headcanons for what happened post-Ultima Thule? What kind of injuries did they suffer, or did they walk it off like a boss? Did they take a lengthy vacation, did you shove a time skip in there before 6.1 hit? Or was it quickly off to the next adventure?

15. What were their thoughts and feelings on the events of Myths of the Realm? How did they regard the Twelve prior, and how did the revelations impact them? Was meeting their patron particularly special to them, or not really?

16. What were their thoughts and feelings delving into Pandaemonium? How did they feel working alongside Themis and Lahabrea, after all their history? What did they think about how things ended?

17. Taking a step away from "canon", do you have any wholly unique side quests and adventures your Warrior of Light has gotten caught up in? Did they chase down ghosts of their own past, get married, open a bakery, or fix an ancient blood curse on their family line? Have they reunited with loved ones or buried old hatchets? If there's some unique story behind your character, how does it show up and how did it play out?

----------------------- COMBAT & ABILITIES

18. How do they feel about the work they do? As the Warrior of Light they're tasked with quite a lot of violence, is it something that comes naturally to them or do they resist it? Are they merciless, do they try to spare as many lives as they can, or do they fall somewhere in between?

19. While many fights are dramatic or have high stakes, are there any especially memorable or difficult fights they encountered? Outside scripted battles, were there conflicts that you thought felt better if they were tweaked for narrative or lore-based reasons, ie their first time fighting a primal? Or perhaps a more meta "You the player had a hard time so it translated into headcanon for them".

20. Are there any unique abilities that they possess outside of what's in-game? Are they actually a dragon, or do they see visions of the future? Or, is there a special way that their Echo manifests?

21. Jobs! What job is your character and why is that the route they chose? Is your WoL a Jack-of-all-Trades, or just have one (or a few) specialties? Did they start with one job and change to another? Have you 'homebrewed' their job at all, adding any unique twists or details to it?

----------------------- RELATIONSHIPS & THE WORLD

22. What are their feelings on the Scions? Who are some of their closest allies and dearest friends? Are they more of a loner, or closer to people outside the Scions? Have they kindled any romances or partnerships?

23. How do they feel about getting pulled into politics? Are they adept at navigating political intricacies, or does it go over their head? Do they appreciate getting asked to do more than punch their enemies, or would they really rather just punch their enemies? Are there any areas they like to be particularly involved in?

24. How do they feel about Hydaelyn? What was their perception of the Mothercrystal in the beginning, and how did that change by the end, if at all?

25. Do they have any particular enemies that stand out to them? Someone who inspired a lasting grudge? Our beloved and beloathed antagonists give us plenty of reasons to despise them, but are there any that particularly rubbed your WoL the wrong way? On the other hand, are there villains they can't help but sympathize with, even if it's at odds with the narrative or their allies?

26. What are their thoughts on the Ancients, their way of life, and the world they lived in? Did they sympathize at all with the Ascians, or did learning the truth not influence them in that way?

27. How well known are they? Does everyone know their name as the Warrior of Light, or have they managed to maintain some level of anonymity? Do they prefer it that way, and do they have any struggles resulting from it? (Getting stopped on street corners VS awkwardly avoiding questions.)

----------------------- WHAT'S NEXT

28. What's something they look forward to? Exploring the stars, more of a place we've already been, or somewhere we haven't? Or do they look forward to retirement, starting a business with their craft of choice, or any other little old thing?

29. How do they feel heading into Dawntrail? Excited? Exhausted? What do they think of the promises of adventure to come, and their role to play? If you're using a new character, do you have any idea how they'll end up on this path, and where is their headspace starting out?

30. What are they going to be doing while waiting for the ship to Tural?

[the-lambda-archives-ai]

Statement of : Gordon Martinez Freeman, 30 year old MIT graduate,Regarding a peculiar video game he’d found.

Recorded direct from subject, May 16, 200-

Statement begins.

Pt 1 > here

ABOUT 👇

Hello! I am the author of this AU, you can find my main at @inkzectz , for more meta questions about this AU, or for general comments about it, please go there.

What is the AU about?

LA : AI is a crossover AU of sorts, in the simplest way put, it’s TMA but with HLVRAI characters, TMA stuff happens but altered to fit the general HLVRAI narrative, and with my own changes, headcanons, etc. added

I will be updating/editing this post as I progress.

Will it have spoilers?

Disclaimer!!

The AU will have a lot of the original themes of hlvrai and more so TMA, more so, horror themes, this will include gore, body horror, worms, decomposition, cult themes, psychological horror, arachnophobia,flashing imagery, etc.

(Will update as I go on)

I also feel it is important to mention this is the first time I have ever made a ask blog/ web comic/ published a story online, I will make mistakes, please bare with me as I am trying to figure things out.

English is not my first language, I do my best to grammar check and write well, but at the end of the day I will also be making mistakes.

Please be patient with me.

This au is a passion project of mine that I am doing on my free time because I want to, it is important to remember as a reader, I do not owe you anything.

It is best if you’ve seen it but as of writing it right now (early ep 4) there aren’t any spoilers. Once I am a little further ahead then you may want to listen to it.

Yes, not a lot, but vague/mild spoilers about how the world works, plot points, and character.

Again the spoilers will be vague and mild at worst, as it progresses I would recommend listening to tma, but it’s sort of like how while half life knowledge is helpful in hlvrai it isn’t exactly necessary to enjoy hlvrai bc it’s different enough from it to not really matter (?) I hope that makes sense.

Asks rules

- No telling [ player ] exactly what happens ex : “omg [ player ] when you weren’t looking [ npc ] said this very important thing that is supposed to be kept secret for lore reasons”

- Please avoid asks like “tell this character they’re pretty” while I appreciate the compliment, I am trying to write a story and want to keep things as on topic as possible. Instead tell me on my main if you like the art, I’ll probably reply with a doodle or something, just not on here.

- Less so of a rule but more so of a general statement, I will be avoiding asks that either are too close to what happens or if answering would mean progressing the story too quickly, there’s a lot I want to happen and I want time to do it all.

- Another one that’s less of a rule and more of a general thing, if I don’t like what you said I won’t be answering.

- I also sometimes just don’t know how to answer some things.

- Please be respectful of the ships I choose to include and don't force your own, ship wars and such will not be tolerated.

- Please be respectful of others and do not spoil anything, not everyone has listened to TMA and knows it's themes.

I will not be answering everything, I cannot always get to every message so please be respectful of that.

Select character

Character abouts! [ Will be updating as I continue to work on the story ]

[ select ] > Mr. Freeman

> Gordon Martinez ‘Martini’ Freeman

30 y.o . 6’0 . 230lb . Romani / Puertorican . male [ he/him ] . bisexual

[ PLAYER ]

> Lives in Seattle, MIT graduate, left Black Mesa, works as a librarian IRL but also makes money via streaming video games occasionally, in real time it is 2018.

> Believes in the paranormal out of fear but tries to rationalize out of denial, he will never admit something is supernatural and will jump through hoops to rationalize even if deep down he does believe.

> Has a son named Joshua Medrano Freeman, who is 6 years old, Gordon and his old partner met in college but split up before Joshua was born, they remain civil but are nothing more to each other than Joshua’s other parent.

> Gordon rents an apartment with 3 rooms, his own room, Joshua’s room, and a third that used to be a guest room but he has so little visitors he’s just chosen to revamp it into a gaming room.

> Gordon works primarily in a library for now as he’s looking for a better job.

> Gordon often wears hoodies, sweaters, t-shirts, crew necks, and any general outfit one would wear at home, long curly hair that is beginning to grey due to stress, unkempt goatee, and almost always wears green tinted glasses [ he doesn’t need glasses he just thinks they’re cool ]

> His hair is usually pulled back in a ponytail but can also be found in a bun or just down.

< [ select ] > Mr. Coolatta

> Thomas ‘Tommy’ Coolatta, primary researcher, and technical head of the institute.

39 y.o . 6’7 . 190lb . Chinese/filipino . Male [ he/him ] . ???

[ NPC ]

> His father owns the Lambda institute and he grew up in it, he officially started working in the archives when he was 24, and of all the employees in the entire institute he has worked there the longest.

> No one knows who his father really is, Tommy being the only one who’s ever actually seen / spoken to him, his father is the real head of the institute but gives most his orders through Tommy, so Tommy is also technically the head as well.

> Not much is actually known about him, besides his father he doesn’t appear to have any other family, nor does he ever speak of his personal life much.

> Tommy primarily works as an archival assistant, specifically in research, he is the one who will verify details regarding statements or do further investigations into aspects of the statements.

> Tommy is quite the colorful character, often wearing colorful clothing and accessories, he seems to think doing so brings some cheer into an otherwise boring environment, he often wears patterned polo shirts, cheap company bracelets, pins, lanyards, pant chains, but is never without his signature multicolor propeller hat.

[eveledoze]

spoilers for ep7 ! things about N and Uzi i wanted to point out 2/?

I like that he smiled at Nori's words, as if he himself met his old friend. but in reality it's not that cool. he seemed familiar to her, so did she see him before? again thoughts that it was he who killed her body huh (while her heart remained alive)

Nori turned out to be not as silly and playful as we all thought (which is sad a lil bit), but on the other hand she is quite a badass and confident woman. and it makes me wonder more about what she saw in Khan... but hey, despite some time apart she calls him hunk! i hope that if she is reunited with him, she will find a new body for herself, since it will be awkward to meet only the heart of your wife-

hearing N say Khan's name, Nori becomes tense. what kind of friends does my daughter have huh

after Nori tells a little story, N acts sweet and friendly as always, clapping for her, and Nori throws a rock at him, telling him to stop. i love how much she looks like her daughter, she does things to make N stop doing stupid things btw it’s funny that she, being a small body, chained him, such a big one, to the wall with a pickaxe for safety

when she asks who is the host of the solver at the moment, N smiles slightly, saying "Uzi", despite the fact that the situation is tense

ok, I didn’t understand this moment right away, but now I understand. "which one (Doll or Uzi) tried to eat us right now?" he realizes that it is none of them

he says in such a joyful tone “she will fall when she finds out that I met her mother” :з but then Nori pinned him to the wall again, forcing him to remain silent about it. it's funny how she openly admits that she is the cause of all the nightmares in Uzi's life, so she thinks that if Uzi finds out she is alive, it will cause problems. N says in a decisive tone that he doesn't want to keep secrets from Uzi anymore, since he has already seen what this can lead to - a loss of trust. the moment from ep2 when he wanted to touch her shoulder, but she backed away, and when just recently he went to her, but she stepped back. seeing your loved one afraid of you and losing trust in you is a very painful thing

she presses the cross on him so hard that cracks appear on the ground, she is really serious

N promises, after which she looks a little surprised and as if grateful, but then she realizes that there will be some kind of catch

and she's not wrong. he got out of this situation so that he didn’t have to lie to Uzi and keep everything secret. Nori rolls her eye, realizing that it couldn’t have been otherwise and this guy wouldn’t be convinced and yeah she said THE LIINEEE

wild N oh........that's something I think Nori told N that there is a way to weaken the solver so that it does not cause problems. and since he guessed that Tessa knew about this, now her pressure for N to choose the universe and not the little drone sounds strange. if it is possible to weaken/ get rid of/ heal of the solver, then why kill Uzi? and Tessa had a clear desire to get rid of the Uzi. in essence, she gave him free rein, saying that he will make the choice, but at the same time she said that he would have to choose the universe

after which he cuts off her head, with an X on his visor. it was intense. the robot disobeyed his boss and a good friend. not fully understanding who the person you knew for a long time was. did you make the right choice

he immediately woke up from shock when he saw Uzi's hand on the cross and started helping her get up. his voice sounds pitiful, worried, but at the same time joyful, since he saw her again after what happened. N's voice trembles a little, but he still sounds sincere. he doesn't want to scare her off again

oh yeah and now that line is heartbreaking- he extends his hand to her, he needs her and emphasizes the word "you"

when watching the teaser his "together?..." at the end of the phrase sounded uncertain, pleading, as if he wasn’t sure that she would agree to solve everything together. but now, watching it, I hear in his “together?” hope and joy, as if he understands that it is with her that he can overcome everything and figure things out, and he is glad that he was able to find her and she did not reject him. at the words "to figure things out.." he sounds uncertain, lost and a little sad, but then he sees her placing her hand in his. his cross disappears and at the same time he blushes. she was able to calm him down from shock simply by touching his hand.

i know that before this I made a post “if a character blushes it doesn’t mean they're in love” and I’m a little embarrassed, but damn.. it really looks like that in here, right? we know that Uzi was the first one who started to fall in love with him and after some time he started to develop feelings for her. and at this point he may have accepted it

and should I mention that they immediately lace their fingers together, whereas the last time they held hands it was very awkward for them?

and then he smiles

[writerwrabbleswords]

The worst (Part 2) | [Worst] Wolverine/[Male Iron Man variant] Reader

So many thoughts, and each one makes him feel worse.

  Quick Notes :  Hello! Here is a continuation of my [Worst] Wolverine/[Male iron man variant] Reader drabble/oneshot! This one was a bit harder to figure out the tempo of, especially considering the first one was only about 800 words, but I believe I made a satisfying continuation! There is room for another continuation set after this one, but I think I will only continue this story if it is requested. Simply because, I want to focus on other possible drabbles/oneshots without fully leaning into one idea. Of course, if a continuation is requested, I’ll write it!

  Story Details :  Roughly 1200 words, Deadpool & Wolverine spoilers, Male Reader is referred to as ‘You/Your,’ implied tragedy (Reader), Cliffhanger ending

You didn’t want to join the resistance’s efforts in attacking Cassandra. Logan knew why, of course - to lose the people you cared about twice over would drive anyone mad. He’d watched you for most of the night within the void - watching as you fiddled with your repulsor gauntlet - until at one point, Wade woke up. The mutant waking up caused both you and him to sigh heavily, but at least you didn’t outwardly show your annoyance. 

  With Wade awake, he quickly attempted to drag you into the resistance’s scheme, but you shot him down so quickly and harshly that even Logan was surprised.

  “I’m not going. You can face Cassandra with the others,” you stated bluntly, your fiddling coming to a stop as you flexed your fingers within the gauntlet you wore. They moved slightly, drawing the mans’ attention as he watched your face twist into one of bitterness. There was more to the story, and both he and Wade knew it.

  Of course, this was Wade, and that meant both you and him were well aware that the mutant wasn’t going to leave you alone. A scowl etched your lips, the repulsor gauntlet covering your hand letting out a sudden spark when you moved to clench your hand into a fist. You sighed heavily, and for a split second, Logan almost felt bad enough to try and help. He didn’t, of course, but he thought about it for longer than he normally would.

  “Come on, you’re a Stark, aren’t you?” Wade piped up from beside him, the mutant suddenly well aware of how close they were as he tried to keep his focus on you - on your reaction to the mans’ prodding words.

  What you said next, however, wasn’t what Logan would have guessed. Hell, if you’d given him a million years he couldn’t have guessed what you’d say.

  The scowl on your face deepened, your free hand picking up the screwdriver once more as you tried to force it between the plates,

  “Not anymore.” Bitterness coated your words like honey, though they were anything but sweet, “I don’t claim the name Stark, and I never will after being dropped in the void.”

  Logan felt his eyebrows raise, his gaze flickering to Wade as he noted the fact that his fellow mutant looked just as surprised as him. When Wade moved to open his mouth, he cut him off,

  “There a reason for that, bub?” 

  You paused, your hand stilling for a brief moment before returning to its task of pulling apart your repulsor gauntlet and shoving wires back into place. It was clear you weren’t keen to discuss your reasoning, your movements jerking as you tried to keep the anger clearly simmering below the surface at bay.

  Instead of answering Logan, you turned away in your chair, resting your gauntlet on one thigh as you dug in between the metal of it. The base fell silent once more, Wade glancing at him before patting him on the shoulder in some sort of silent bid; Logan shrugged his hand off.

  Both the mutants could sense you were done with the conversation, and reluctantly, both Wade and himself chose to depart to their designated sleeping areas, exchanging glances that said more than words could. Logan had spent most of the night speaking with you - learning every little thing you offered him - and an odd pang quickly filled him when you’d all but dismissed his question. He knew he shouldn’t take it personally, he was similar in that way, but he couldn’t help it. The desire to know why was all that seemed to bounce around in his mind.

  Logan didn’t get much sleep that night.

  When the resistance departed the next morning, you remained at the base, still working on that infernal gauntlet like it was the only thing left for you. He wanted to say something, anything to convince you to come along and help, but the mutant knew it would be useless. A trait carried across Stark’s was they were stubborn - even if you didn’t claim that name anymore - but it showed loud and clear in everything you did. You were stubborn, already half a genius if Logan had to guess, and from the small things you’d told him, you knew your way around the void more than you let on. He wanted to make you come along, but he knew better.

  Logan tucked himself into the trunk of the car, giving the base one last glance before the door was closed. From one window, he could see you watching, the look in your eyes one of eternal hatred - or perhaps a sense of bitterness - before you turned away and returned to your spot at the table. 

  Electra’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, the woman adjusting her weapons before the car lurched forward and the group was off.

  “He’s always been like that, you know,” Logan looked towards her, noticing Wade’s glance as well, “He’s been here for years, and he never leaves the base. We’re lucky if we can get him to go find food.”

  A frown tugged at her face, Electra’s brows knitting together in some unnamed emotion; Logan couldn’t tell what it was.

  “He’s always working on that damned repulsor gauntlet, and I don’t think any of us have seen him with his full suit before,” Blade added coolly, cleaning the rocket launcher he held in his lap.

  Logan gave a quiet huff of annoyance, his gaze focusing on the quickly fading base. What kept you from leaving? More importantly - at least in his eyes - why were you the worst Iron Man? He knew he was the worst Wolverine, that had been made abundantly clear by the fucker from the TVA, but it was hard to believe an Iron Man could be the worst at, well, anything.

  “He got a reason for that?” The mutant asked after a pause in the conversation, leaning back in the trunk as he crossed his arms, “Or ‘s he just rough around the edges?”

  None of the resistance spoke, and that was answer enough for Logan. 

  His thoughts drifted back to when he’d met you the night prior - when you’d been almost obsessively tearing into your repulsor gauntlet - how you hadn’t told him your name, only the term you’d been called. It made him wonder who’d called you that enough for you to seemingly believe it. The thought made his stomach twist uncomfortably, much to his annoyance. 

  Logan zoned out from the conversation Wade was having with the others, unable to hide the vague worry that had begun to fill his chest. He shouldn’t be worried about you - he barely fucking knew you - but the feeling just wouldn’t go away. Before he could mull on it further, the mutant was pulled from his thoughts.

  It was show time.

[bimboothefool]

Reader was taken kidnapped by Wally and taken to his world. But what Wally didn't expect is that all the other characters would start to remember memories with the reader as a child and discover the truth of their colorful world.

( Now it's up to you to decide what will happen! Will they help the reader get back to the real world or will they become so attached to the reader that it would help Wally keep them there with them FOREVER. )

ℌ𝔬𝔫𝔢𝔶 ℑ’𝔪 ℌ𝔬𝔪𝔢

𝔗𝔞𝔟𝔩𝔢 𝔬𝔣 ℭ𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔰: Kidnapping, Yandere Behavior (You know the drill keep this shit in fiction.), Stockholm Syndrome, Amnesia, Possessive Behavior, Wally manipulating the others, and Gaslighting

𝔄𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔯’𝔰 𝔏𝔢𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯: Thank you so much for this request and I apologize for taking so long so much came up, but regardless thanks for the request let’s jump right in!! Keep in mind it could either be read as platonic or romantic regardless spoiler alert they don’t see you grow up.

- Wally was surprised to see you after all these years. Same thing with the rest of the crew, your eyes are definitely different instead of that whimsy you’ve once held. You’re rather cautious, it still wows them how different you are now.

- Wally did believe for the time being that he’s the only one who truly remembers you and for a while that’s true. But once you’re in their world things started to change.

- Eddie and Frank are the first few to notice that you looked oddly familiar. When he asked specific questions about your childhood it started to click for him.

- Sally and Julie are shocked that you remembered the lines of a play or the rules of a game. They start to ask themselves the same questions why do you look so familiar yet different.

- Howdy, Poppy and Barnaby are a bit unnerved when you remember stuff like the residents orders or certain joke punchlines. Even certain recipe ingredients. How come you know those things.

- They all meet together to discuss the possibility of how they felt so familiar with you, but this is seemingly their first time meeting you. They all come to the conclusion that they’ve met you before. [Excluding Wally since he fully remembers you.]

- For a while they’re all happy to have you back, but you’re getting homesick. You constantly ask questions on how to get back to your world. But they’re not even sure if it’s possible.

- But only Wally knows a way in and out of their world and keeps it out of your grasp. He even starts manipulating the others.

- “We have them back, why let them go now? Don’t you all miss having our best friend?” He asked the others as they’re all conflicted. Sure they miss you and love you, but was keeping you here really right?

- This could go one of two ways. The first being they do buy into Wally’s twisted line of thinking, why go back to such a troubled and dangerous world? You can stay here and everyday is nothing, but joy and laughter.

- They’ll start gaslighting you into buying into this logic as well, which really freaks you out and you start lashing out. They see this as you throwing a tantrum.

- Another way this can go down, they aren’t sure and start asking you why you want to go home. And you explain that yeah your world isn’t perfect, but it’s still your home.

- Soon they all start talking about how to get you back home, out of Wally’s watchful eyes. You all start to unraveling and untying the mysteries of their world and Wally’s existence.

- Either way it’s ultimately up to you to really choose your own path on how things will play out.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my stuff please feel free to check out my other stories from other fandoms, along with reblogging and commenting on it! If you like my art and wanna commission me for some art, head over to my kofi!

[sufferu]

I absolutely love the way you write your BTZ post. I wonder if subaru's mental health would be much worse than canon. He thinks everyone just suddenly hates him lmao. Will subaru stay hoping he could someday be useful to them or will he try to leave after everything? Anyways, I love your post man.

I’m so glad you like it! :D

…Eh, I’ll try to answer your question so it’s as spoiler free as possible. ;)

So, this story is basically three fics long, and each one has a very specific vibe to it.

ONE: Subaru is in hell and doesn’t know how to get out. Very angsty and it just seems to get worse and worse to the point of absolute absurdity. Also everyone feels like they’re straight out of Re:Forgotten or something lmao, WHAT is HAPPENING—

TWO: Context is suddenly given for why everyone is acting the way that they are. Pure crack. Benny Hill Theme on full blast. Everyone is rushing to keep Subaru out of harm’s way with all the grace of a bunch of college students trying to wrestle an oiled pig. Things keep going wrong and Subaru’s desperate attempts to be a problem(???) are really not helping.

THREE: Subaru has given up and everyone very suddenly realizes that They Fucked Up. Everyone is desperately hoping that he’ll go back to being a spoiled brat, please. He can be an actual delinquent this time if he wants, even, they’ll put up with it. Welcome it with open arms, even. Subaru gradually learns that this was an enormous fuck-up and no, these people don’t actually hate him, they’re just kinda dumb. The “it gets better” part is finally here. (At one point he starts being an absolute shit and Julius is so happy to see him getting a personality again that he instantly sucks all the fun out of it and then starts pleading with him to PLEASE go back to being a brat, he’s sorry, he’ll act annoyed this time, he PROMISES—) (This one’s so fluffy it might actually give me a toothache ngl)

[yanderes-galore]

Hello!! (Hope I'm doing this right lol, it's my first time doing a request here)

Fandom: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Character: Dragona and Jodio Joestar

Pairing: Platonic

Type of Fic: Was thinking of a Reader who isn't aware of their "jobs" (selling drugs and stealing stuff) even though half of the people around them are, reader is like that one younger sibling that doesn't have a clue what's going on but it's still around for some reason. Was thinking of them behaving a bit like Yasuho in the very first chapters of Jojolion where she is quite clueless about what's happening but still wants to help somehow

Sure! I'm still relatively new to JoJo Lands so I won't be focusing on any specific plot points from the manga if that's fine? So, mostly spoiler free I think. Like the short with Dragona, Dragona is referred to as 'They/Them' pronoun-wise.

Yandere! Platonic! Dragona + Jodio Joestar

(Oblivious Sibling! Darling)

Pairing: Platonic - Sharing

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Overprotective behavior, Violence, Drug dealing mentioned (Part 9 is like that...), Blood, Attempted murder, Some stalking, Social isolation, Paranoia, Dubious companionship.

If I remember correctly these two really care about family, like their mother.

I imagine you'd be a younger sibling to them.

Naturally, like their mother, they'd both want to give you the life they feel you deserve.

Honestly, your oblivious nature probably works in their favor.

It's so much easier to keep you out of harm's way then.

That and you don't think any less of your two siblings.

The two have different yandere behavior yet both would care deeply for you as their youngest sibling.

Dragona is definitely the more caring one.

Jodio cares, yeah... but is much more volatile than nurturing.

Dragona is known for calming Jodio after his more violent bouts.

They definitely act as a nurturing figure who's active, takes things seriously, and is great with persuasion.

They're your oldest sibling and no doubt likes to watch over you.

They're more likely to manipulate you, preserving your oblivious nature while they and Jodio do crimes.

I can even see them dressing you up in cute outfits as a form of bonding since Dragona likes fashion.

Jodio is an entirely different story.

He's the more violent brother of yours.

Jodio's most common response to new faces is aggression.

He's impulsive and often feels no guilt for his actions.

He cares about personal gain and family, that's it.

He's the yandere most likely to commit murder compared to Dragona.

Dragona, on the other hand, is most likely to help hide it.

Jodio is focused on protecting and keeping his family members happy.

This is seen with how he acts towards Dragona, so of course he's going to be concerned about his oblivious younger sibling.

Honestly, if you were ever bullied and threatened, there's a good chance both of them are stepping in behind the scenes.

That person is either being bribed by drugs... or outright murdered.

Something to know about Dragona and Jodio is this... They know not to leave evidence behind.

They're used to doing crime for personal gain.

Be that drug dealing, theft, or even murder.

The two could do the most heinous things, blood spilled across the ground in a meeting gone wrong.

Yet then come home completely clean to greet you, maybe even offering to hang out.

These two are used to living a double life.

They even make sure that when they're away, due to their connections, you're treated well by everyone around you.

It would be eerie to everyone else, but you don't see it.

You just think you have cool older siblings that are popular!

There's probably times you're almost involved in crimes.

Yet both your siblings are quick to correct things, keeping you unaware while threatening anyone who decided you should be involved.

Honestly, this is mostly just these two keeping you out of trouble.

They really only need themselves getting involved with all this crime.

Dragona at the very least doesn't want you involved with drugs let alone the rest of what they do.

Jodio is mostly just concerned with keeping others away from you.

They know better than anyone else that anybody could be involved with what they do.

Which no doubt makes the two distrusting of any friends you have.

Said 'friends' could be using you to get close to them, or intend to hurt you.

Which often ends up making you socially isolated due to your overprotective siblings.

I also imagine these two have eyes everywhere due to what they do.

They also know what you're doing and who you talk to.

Your siblings don't view what they do as anything malicious.

Due to their connections they view it as something necessary.

You getting hurt could jeopardize a lot.

They love you, in their own ways.

It just so happens their love is doing crimes to get money to keep you happy.

Sometimes those jobs include a bit of blood.

However, they promise they won't ever get caught.

You won't know about a thing.

You'll just praise your older siblings, tell them you love them, hug them, etc...

You just see them as your protectors, the people who would do anything to prevent you from being hurt.

They like that you view them as that.

They aren't heroes, not even close...

But to you? They are...

They plan to keep things this way, to see you happy, even if it means behind the scenes they have to get blood on their hands.

[rqbossman]

Hello Mr Bossman! (and possibly anyone else who reads this)

Its an honour to be here, I have a few questions. First i appologise for the long paragraph, you may dismiss it for the questions at the bottom. For context, i am here after finishing TMA and being up to date with TMAP, i then went over and listened to RQG, and have just finished listening to Epilogue 3 and might i just say, good sir I am grateful for your podcasts. I am currently just a few months away from my final exams of High School, and as someone who even just 1 year ago was very lost, struggling with school and being just overwhelmed. TMA isnt exactly comforting, but the characters and plot managed to serve as a good form of escapism while sorting myself out. I found my self engaging more in creative things that i had originally put aside in favour of maths and science (which i hated but thought i needed to do). I started drawing again, even if just fanart. and i found things going well. By finding podcasts, story telling and these communities have helped me in my own understanding of what i want in life. I got an ADHD diagnosis earlier this year, and almost directly after started RQG and as my first hyperfixation (that i was aware of as an hyperfixation) gosh dang it hit hard. (in a good way). Ive been able to do so much more creative writing and drawings, and got re-involved with a small dnd group with some friends who i played one game with almost 4 years ago now. So overall, inspirational sounds cringe, but it was. Im doing my best with the upcoming exams, but trying to get in to Medicine is not my only prority, and the fact ive been re-introduced to my first love (Literature and story telling), im planning to go do an Arts degree and i know i wouldnt have been able to confidently make this decision, or even have survived this long in the school system without the work you and your coworkers do. Now the sap is out of the way, Question time! (if you could answer even just one of these questions it would be so cool)(they go in order of RQ relevant to random stuff)(dont feel pressured to answer all/any. i know i wrote alot): 1. what would you say is the best way to draft out a long-form story. (with "Erasing the Line" as an example) Did you start at the end, with the links to the overarching plot.

2. When working with the players (in a form of TTRPG), what did you do to make sure you didnt miss relevant timing of plot points/ avoid creating spoilers while still giving enough detail?

3. What are good places to start with making a job out of storytelling/voice acting/audio etc. In the case of RQ, how is this a job and where do i sign up please! /j (what i mean is, how is best way/how did you find all the people involved and was there a common path that you were all on before getting to where you are now?) 4. Do you have recommendations for Terry Pratchett Books, i may be an literary-leaning student, but it seems i have never actually properly read any of his books. so where is best place to start?/What did you read first?

5. Similar authors or similar inspirations? Did you have a favourite podcast you listen to in your free time that you havnt had a hand in producing/directing/working on. 6. Favourite song/album/artist. And more specifically, what you like listening to in background when doing either writing or (for ttrpg) character research/game planing. 7. Since the olympics are on at the moment, what has been your favourite sport to watch, if you have been watching at all. Thank you for your time :)

Thankyou for all the kind words. Knowing our work is helping people really keeps our engines fired up. Let's see if I can't answer your questions: 1. I "sandbox" which is where I just shove everything I can think of into an unorganised bullet point list. Characters, setting, plot, all of it in one big mess. Then I decide what type of story you want to tell, copy and paste to a new document and then start to organise the thoughts (with the sandbox on standby if new stuff comes in I don't know what to do with). I think of it like scultping, you cut away bits and reshape until something comes out the other end that is story shaped. Only then do I attempt to build the sandcastle and put something coherant together like a synopsis or scratch draft etc.

2. Very tricky. I did a complete review and update of all notes after each recording session and don't forget the audio eas edited. I made lots of gaffs that you never heard as audience.

3. I contacted anyone I could convince to take part and just proved I was serious by overworking. I don't reccomend that route. Unfortunately it really is "who" you know. That doesn't mean chase established professionals as much as it means you need to get out there and associate with other up-and-comers who match your vibe. For me the route was long and windy and not a particularly good example. 4. I normally recommend people do not read his books in publication order. Don't get me wrong, its wonderful watching his craft grow from one title to the next but I would recommend new readers tip their toe into his later works to see if they like where he ended up before committing the time. I often recommend 'Monstrous Regiment' as people's first one. My favourite though is 'Thief of Time.'

5. I don't get much time to listen to podcasts in the last couple of years. I used to listen to a lot of non fiction. 'Stuff you Should Know' and that ilk. I also read a fair amount of classic YA fiction to unwind (Windinsger trilogy, Bartimeous, stuff like that.) 6. Paul Simon's Graceland but when working I assemble a playlist for each seperate project that is tonally appropriate. If I really need to focus I listen to Classical Minimalism. Or the Old School Runescape soundtrack. I'm allowed to be ecclectic. 7. I am actually in an incredibly busy work crunch at the moment so haven't seen any of it!

[hyperfixation-fix]

Alright girls, guys, and gays - welcome to...

A Newby's Guide to the Marauders Fandom

You keep seeing your mutuals post about this Harry-Potter-adjacent fandom. It seems cool, and pretty damn gay, and you're kinda curious to know more. Except there's one problem: there is little-to-no actual canon.

How do you get into a fandom with little-to-no canon material?

Well friends, I'm here to help! Consider this post your roadmap to the fandom - useful locations are noted, major landmarks and tourist destinations are starred, and recommended routes are highlighted.

But where you actually go is up to you.

Level 1: The Basics

If you're the freshest of fresh meat to this fandom, you may like to start with a nice little overview of our chaos-fanon. Here are some YouTube videos that give you a good tl;dr:

a deep dive into the marauders fandom by uncarley (YouTube video, general topic, no major content warnings) - this is a great starter video, especially if you're not a fandom person usually. It's digestible, fun, and not too lore-heavy.

The Marauders Era Fandom Deep Dive! by Coffeekoe (YouTube video, general topic, no major content warnings) - alternatively (or in addition), this is another great starter video, but possibly more from a fandom-familiar perspective. Also Coffeekoe just has great vibes and I want to kiss them on the forehead. Mwuah mwuah mwuah.

Marauders Era Ships Deep Dive! by Coffeekoe (YouTube video, several different ships, no major content warnings) - after you've got the gist of how the fandom works, you might want to know a bit more about the common Marauders ships. This video gives an awesome (and comprehensive) overview.

Level 2: The Canon in the Fanon

You're going to have a pretty tough time in the fandom if you're not at least somewhat familiar with The Fanfic™️, All the Young Dudes. This fic is as highly revered (if not more so) than the real actual canon text (obligatory fuck JKR).

First off let's understand what it is.

All the Young Dudes is a long-form fanfiction written by MsKingBean89 and published on Archive of Our Own. And when I say long-form, I mean long-form - this thing is a monstrous 188 (chunky) chapters long. It spans from 1971, when the Marauders start their first year at Hogwarts, until 1995, when Remus dies. Speaking of which, it's also canon-compliant, so I'll save you some heartache and tell you right now that all of the characters die in pretty tragic ways. I'm not going to lie to you, it's a pretty heavy story - there are strong themes of child abuse, homophobia, underage drinking/smoking, drug abuse, abusive relationships, and trauma. BUT. I really enjoyed it and have read it twice now, simply because the happy bits are worth the painful bits.

With all of that in mind, here are (my recommendations for) your options for acquiring your ATYD education:

All The Young Dudes Deep Dive! by Coffeekoe (YouTube video, ATYD, some light discussion of triggering topics mentioned above, spoiler heavy!!!) - yep that's right, it's Coffeekoe again. Mwuah mwuah mwuah. This video is a super duper great alternative to reading ATYD, or a great way to dip your toe in and see if you want to commit to reading it in full. Obviously it's spoiler heavy, so if you already know you want to read ATYD and spoilers bug you, just skip it.

All the Young Dudes by MsKingBean89 (AO3 fic, mostly Wolfstar, triggers as mentioned above) - here's just a straight up link to the fic. You may need an account on AO3 to access it.

All the Young Dudes by BIBLIOBIBULI (YouTube, same as above) - if you're like me and love the idea of reading a long-fic, but don't actually have the time/energy/patience/stamina to do it, an audiobook might be the way to go! This one is great, and complete. You're welcome 🫶

Level 3: Fics of Note

Okay! By now, you should have received your official Marauders Fandom Certification in the mail (or, I guess, via owl), and you're pretty much free to go and explore the fandom on your own. You may, however, still come across references that confuse you. Those (probably) come from one of the many, many, many popular fics in the fandom.

Here's just a few of the major ones and links to them, for your convenience (asterisks indicate fics that require an account to access):

NOTE: This is not a rec list. Approach with caution and read all the tags.

Crimson Rivers by bizarrestars*

Just Lovers (Like We Were Supposed To Be) by bizarrestars*

Best Friend's Brother by bizarrestars*

Choices by MesserMoon

Kill Your Darlings by MesserMoon

All the Young Dudes - Sirius's Perspective by Rollercoasterwords

The Cadence Of Part-Time Poets by motswolo

Art Heist, Baby! by otrtbs

Only the Brave by Solmussa*

Level 4: You're On Your Own, Kid

You're still here? Why are you still here? You should be out there, enjoying your newly acquired fandom!

Fine, one last piece of advice and then you really have to leave:

Engage.

This fandom is unique because it is the weird, Frankenstein's-Monster-esque lovechild of thousands of strange little obsessive gremlin people like you and me. Sure, it only has one eye and far too many nipples, but who cares? We made this and we love it. And it's your job, as someone in the fandom, to keep it alive by engaging. Yes, this is true for every fandom, but even more so here. Comment, reblog, share, recommend fics, ask for fic recs. Fuck it, create too - write, draw, share headcanons, make playlists. It doesn't matter if it's "bad" or "wrong", there aren't any fucking rules.

Add another nipple, by all means! Eyes are overrated anyway.

[just-jordie-things]

[part five] to build a home - gojo satoru

word count: 4.4k warnings: !!manga spoilers!! swearing, jjk-verse style fighting series summary: when (y/n) (y/l/n) catches wind that the notorious sorcerer killer, toji fushiguro, has children, she makes it her personal mission to find them. the catch being she couldn't tell a soul about them- the risk of the zen'in clan learning about them was too great. keeping the secret isn't the hard part, it's lying to her friends, shoko ieiri, geto suguru, and of course gojo satoru, that she struggles with. especially when satoru has suddenly become so keen on keeping an eye on her lately.

series masterlist

[part five] : "Quality Time"

___

With Satoru’s watchful eyes gone for the week, (y/n) was able to sneak off campus during most of her free time after classes were finished.

On Tuesday, she stopped by the Fushiguro household to get started on chores.  She spent the whole afternoon and evening cleaning and organizing.  And when the day was done, she happily made the kids a big dinner and dessert.  She won Megumi over just a little more with strawberry shortcakes.

On Wednesday, she picked them up from school, much to their surprise.  She took them on a shopping spree for some new clothes.  Tsumiki happily brought dresses, skirts, blouses, and shoes to her dressing room.  Megumi had a little more trouble picking out the things he liked, but after waiting forever for his sister to try everything on, he finally chose a few items for himself.  Again, (y/n) sent them to bed with full bellies.

On Thursday, she finally got a call from Tsumiki, who was only calling because she was hoping that (y/n) would come by again, just to hang out.  (y/n) happily agreed and told her she’d be there first thing that afternoon.  When the call ended, she held her phone to her chest and couldn’t contain her grin, happy to be wanted.  When she arrived, she suggested they go to the park.  Megumi blew off some steam from school on the swingset, while Tsumiki sat in the sandbox and made little castles.  (y/n) spent the afternoon listening to Tsumiki open up more, about her friends at school, what subjects she was good at and which ones she needed help in, and (y/n) was happy to hear all about it.  She could only hope that soon Megumi extended the same notion of friendship.

On Friday, Tsumiki asked if (y/n) would read to her before she left for the night.

“Mom used to,” She admitted in a small voice.  “It helped me sleep” 

Lingering in the doorway of her bedroom, (y/n’s) heartstrings were thoroughly tugged.  How could she possibly refuse?

“Of course,” She said softly, and stepped into her bedroom, glancing over the small bookshelf.  “What would you like to hear?” 

A small tug on the back of her shirt made her turn around.  You could imagine her surprise to see Megumi standing there, a book outstretched in his little hand.  (y/n) recognized it as the book he often read when he went to bed.  She’d never taken a second glance at the cover.

She took it from him, examining it closer, now.

“Charlotte’s Web, huh?” She mused, smiling down at him.

Megumi looked away, but she saw his pink cheeks anyways.

“I loved this book when I was your age,” (y/n) said.  “I haven’t read it in forever” 

With that, she wanders over to Tsumiki’s little desk, dragging the child-sized chair there with her to the side of the bed where the little girl was patiently but eagerly waiting.

Megumi hesitated at the bedroom door, unsure of whether or not he wanted to come inside and stay for the story, or go back to his own room.  His small hands play with the hem of his pajama shirt.  (y/n) didn’t pressure him to come in, instead she just flipped to the first page and began reading.

The boy never did come and sit in Tsumiki’s bed, but he did listen for a while, until he was too tired and retreated to his own bed for the night.  Soon after, Tsumiki fell asleep as well.  (y/n) marked the page they left off on, and tiptoed out of the room, turning off the lights and quietly wishing both the children a good night’s sleep.

As she leaves the house, she draws a curtain of protection, which she’d done every night for the last week, and makes her way home.

When she got back to Jujutsu Tech, it was far later than any of the previous times she’s snuck back on campus.  Almost eleven o’clock.  The long walk home was tiring enough, but she’d grown quite tired just from reading aloud back at the Fushiguro house.  So when she finally crossed over the threshold of the barrier, she was lazily stumbling, a bit tired.

Unbeknownst to her, Shoko Ieri was having a late-night smoke break on the roof of the dormitories.  The perfect place for viewing the front gates, and the familiar figure of her best friend dragging herself onto the property.

Curiously, the short haired woman pulled the cigarette from her lips.  She hadn’t even known (y/n) had left campus today, she thought that she had a tutoring session with one of the first years.  She’d been offering her tutoring services for a week or so now, supposedly looking for some extra cash.  For what, Shoko wasn’t sure.  But she wondered if it had anything to do with her sneaking back home in the middle of the night.

A smirk plays on her lips as her mind wanders with the possibilities.  Whatever it was she was doing, it must have been mighty interesting for her to sneak around to do it.  

A boy, perhaps? She wonders.  Or girl? 

The idea has her chuckling, as she replaces her cigarette between her lips and leans back against the roof’s tiles comfortably.  She could keep this to herself, for now, she presumes.  Just to see how exactly this plays out.

With Satoru having been gone all week, there wasn’t much drama to keep entertained with, anyways.

As she blows a cloud of smoke above her, watching it slowly disappear into the sky, Satoru crossing her mind raises an interesting thought.  What would he think of (y/n) sneaking around Tokyo past curfew to meet up with some mysterious stranger?

Shoko smiles to herself, shutting her eyes as she takes another, slower drag.

This was bound to be interesting. ___

On Saturday, (y/n) finally allows herself some extra time in the morning to sleep in.  The past five days she’d woken up first thing in the morning to train with her cursed technique, only to rush to her classes for the day, tutoring first thing after, and then off to tend to the Fushiguro kids for the rest of her night.  It had been a nonstop week, but she knew that was what she was signing up for when she told herself she would do right by Toji’s children.

Tutoring had helped her to get some money in her pocket, and she wasn’t so bad at it either.  But it took up any extra scrap of free time she might have had between school and the kids.  She was lucky that Yaga hadn’t extended any assignments her way in the last couple weeks, but that only meant the more time passed, the more likely he was to approach her with one.

And it wasn’t like she could refuse, it was her duty to protect non-curse users by exorcizing curses.  However… she had grown quite fond of taking care of Megumi and Tsumiki.  And if she wasn’t mistaken, they were starting to warm up to her, as well.  Tsumiki more so than her brother, but she was bound to crack Megumi soon enough.

When she finally got up and around, she was slow to shower and get herself dressed for the day.  She planned to go into Tokyo for the day, since Satoru was back tomorrow and she likely wouldn’t get another chance to for a bit.  She’d promised Megumi and Tsumiki that as long as they had all of their schoolwork done today, that she would treat them to something special.  

She hadn’t decided on what that would be yet, maybe ice cream, or a movie, or both.  Whatever they preferred, she would happily fulfill their wishes.

Her fondness for them might have been turning into quite the soft spot.

After deciding on her outfit for the day, a simple button down shirt and pair of jeans, she excitedly grabbed her purse and her phone, and hurried out of her room.

Just as she whipped open her door, she ran straight into someone.

With a squeak of surprise she jumped back, only to have two hands steady her by her shoulders before she could recoil too much.

Gojo Satoru grinned down at her, wide and toothy, always happy to have her so shocked to see him.

“Satoru!” She yelped, half surprised to see him home early, half scolding him for startling her.  “You’re home?”

“Miss me?” He asked.

His voice was soft and smooth, like fine silk.  It worked it’s way into her head and made her a little dizzy, even though he wasn’t a Cursed Speech user.

“Is that what you were hoping?” She teases, cocking her head to the side.

He chuckles, and releases her shoulders.

“Got sent home on good behavior,” He tells her.  “Now I have an extra day to spend with my favorite little hex” 

Her breath hitched in her throat at the nickname, not having heard it before.  Normally she would roll her eyes when he called her nicknames or affectionate pet names, but this time she didn’t react, unless you counted the rosy hue in her cheeks.

(He did)

“Ah, I can’t possibly train today,” (y/n) told him.  “I’ve been pushing it all week, and with all the tutoring I’ve been doing I just want a break from-” 

“That’s fine,” Satoru shrugged, pursing his lips.  “Where were you off to?” He asks, nodding to the purse and phone she held in her hands.  “I’ll join you, then” 

(y/n) looked down at the offending items, cursing them for giving her away.

Fuck.

“Oh, just, to go kill time in Tokyo” She said, shaking her head nonchalantly before looking up at him.

“Nothing in particular?” Satoru asked.

She chewed on her bottom lip, wishing that a decent excuse would present itself.

You’ve been troubling Satoru, (y/n) thinks back to the night Suguru had stopped her in the hall.  He’s been looking forward to some time with you away from here, you know.

She releases her bottom lip, shaking her head in answer.

Sorry, Tsumiki and Megumi.

“No, nothing in particular” She answers.

Satoru beams.

“Wonderful! Now we finally have time to catch up,” He says, stepping away from her door so she could follow at his side.  “Come on, let’s start with breakfast” 

Begrudgingly, she follows beside him out of the school.  Her heart sinks in her chest, knowing she was going to be letting the Fushiguro children down by not showing up today.  Maybe if she was lucky she could find a way to wiggle out and still sneak by their place tonight.  But from the animated way Gojo was telling her about his mission, and the way he’d smiled when she’d agreed to spend the day with him, it wouldn’t feel right to just ditch him either.

If only she had the cursed technique to multiply herself, to be two places at once.  Then she wouldn’t have to let anyone down with all of her lies and excuses.

As they wander off campus and make their way to town together, (y/n) feels guilty for even thinking of ditching Satoru.  He pressed her to hear about everything she’d been up to while he’d been away.  Even though besides her double life, she didn’t lead much of an interesting week.

“Come on, something interesting had to have happened,” Satoru whined.  “I just told you, like, twenty minutes worth of stuff” 

“You were exorcizing Special Grade curses,” (y/n) replies.  “That’s interesting.  Tutoring first years isn’t interesting.  It’s boring” 

“You like tutoring?” He asks.

(y/n) shrugs.  “It’s alright.  They’re nice, and I nee- I like the extra money” She catches herself, but it was too late.

“You need money?” He asks, already reaching for his pocket.

“No!” (y/n) says quickly, her hand snatching his wrist before he could grab his wallet.

For the second time now, she’s surprised she’s able to actually touch him.  He raises a brow at the defensive maneuver.  She quickly lets go of him, and goes back to walking along the path.

“So you need money but you don’t want my money?” He asks cheekily, following after her with his hands folded behind his back.  

(y/n) stares straight ahead, even as he bends forward enough to be at her line of sight.

“I don’t need money,” She tells him.  “I like having extra money.  There’s a difference” 

“Mhm,” He hums thoughtfully, not believing her bullshit.  “But if you needed money you know you could always-” 

“I know, Satoru,” (y/n) says, peeking at him from the corner of her eye, only to find him still staring at her.  “You’re the wealthiest person I know.  Of course I’d ask you first” 

He grins, and returns to his full height.

“So I saw Haibara Yu last week,” He mentions, not very casually.

(y/n) fights the impulse to whip her neck around to stare at him, instead biting her tongue and waiting for whatever he was going to follow that with.

“You know him well?” 

She raises a brow at him, a little confused by the sudden change in subject.

“I suppose?” She replies, unsurely.  “He's a kind man.  Very friendly” She added.

Satoru hums, eyes scanning the restaurants that line the streets, trying to find the right place for breakfast.

“Right.  Well.  Turns out he’s got a bit of a crush on you” He tells her.

(y/n’s) face grows hot, and she shakes her head in disbelief.

“And where did you hear that?” She asks.  She’s giggling nervously.

His mood sours a bit at her giggling.  Did the idea of the second-year having romantic feelings for her excite her? 

He keeps his expression neutral.

“Yu,” He replies, voice dry of emotion.  “Well, Nanami.  But Yu was there and didn’t exactly debate it, so, you know,” He stops walking, and (y/n) turns after taking a few steps ahead.  “Figured you’d want to know” 

Her expression is hard to read, with her brows slightly pinched together, and the smallest of smirks on her lips as she was trying to figure him out.

“I see,” She says, thoughtfully.  Her arms cross over her chest.  “So that’s why you told me? To ruin his fun?” 

Satoru frowns.  That wasn’t exactly the response he was aiming for.

“Well, thought I’d give you a heads up, that way you can let him down easy” He replies.

“Let him down easy?” She laughed to herself, and took a step towards him.  “Bold of you to assume I’ll be letting him down at all”

He grinds his teeth, and she can tell from the way his jaw moves back and forth.  He’s annoyed.

Finally, she begins to understand why he loves to get under her skin.  It was fun to get a rise out of someone who always kept themselves so well reserved.

He reaches out suddenly, his hand sliding around the dip in her back.  (y/n’s) eyes widen at the action, but she doesn’t say or do anything to protest.

“Here,” Satoru says, in a low voice, before pointing to the restaurant they were stopped in front of.  “This is where we’re having breakfast” 

She turns to where he’d pointed, nodding as she takes in the small diner that didn’t seem as busy as the other restaurants on a Saturday morning.

He keeps his hand on the small of her back as they head towards the doors.

“Actually,” A thought dawns on her then, and she steps back until his hand falls away from her.  “I just need to make a quick call, do you mind getting us a table?” 

He nods, but he looks confused.

“Thanks, I’ll be right back” She says, already pulling her phone out as she steps back outside to be out of earshot.

She’s quick to click on Tsumiki and Megumi’s shared contact in her phone, and hopes that they pick up.

On the second ring, Tsumiki’s voice rings through the receiver.

“(y/n)?” 

“Tsumiki, good morning,” (y/n) answers.  “How are you and Megumi doing this morning?” 

“We’re good,” She replies.  “We got all of our work done! I even answered all the questions on my math homework” 

Math was the subject Tsumiki struggled with most.  She often skipped questions on her homework sheets because she couldn’t figure them out.

It was like someone had a grip on (y/n’s) heart, and began squeezing mercilessly.

“That’s great, I’m so proud of you both,” (y/n) said, but the disappointment in her tone was clear.  “But, I’m really sorry, I don’t think I can come by today” 

It was silent for a few beats, before, “Oh…” 

“Something came up that I can’t take time away from,” She told the young girl honestly.  “I promise, if it wasn’t important, I would be there right now” 

“It’s okay, (y/n), I know you’re really busy, with the monsters and stuff” Tsumiki said as comfortingly as she could.

(y/n) shut her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.  These kids were too kind for their own good.

“I’ll try to come by tomorrow, okay?” She tells her.  “You guys be safe today… go treat ourselves to some sweets, or something, I’ll bring by some extra money when I’m around” 

“You don’t have to, (y/n), there’s still brownies leftover from the last time you were here” Tsumiki says.

“You’re right, there’s plenty of sweets, huh?” (y/n) replies.  “I’m spoiling you too much,” 

Tsumiki giggles on the other end. “Well, tell Megumi I’m sorry, okay?” 

“Okay, I will” 

“I’ll call you later tonight, I want to hear all about your day, okay?” 

“Okay” 

“Be safe.  I’ll see you later” 

“Bye (y/n)”

“Goodbye, Tsumiki” (y/n) says, before pulling her phone away, seeing the girl must have already placed the phone back on it’s hook.

She frowns, tucking her phone back into her pocket and quickly wiping her eyes.  She couldn’t go into the restaurant and have breakfast with Satoru with such a heavy sadness sitting on her shoulders.  She’d have to pull it together.

With a deep breath, she turned around and walked back inside, quickly finding Satoru alone at a window seat, wistfully looking outside.

“Sorry about that” 

He looked up to her as she sat across from him, picking up the menu on the table and skimming over it.

“Had to call Haibara to tell on me?” He asks.

Glancing up, she sees him with his elbows on the table, propping his head up in his hands as he gives her a teasing grin.

“I just might have” She replies, smirking back down at the menu. ___

Despite the clawing feeling of guilt in her chest, she enjoys her day with Satoru.  After treating her to breakfast, they wander around the shops a bit.  He’s relentlessly trying to spoil her, but she continuously turns him down.  Nonetheless, She continues to present her with jewelry, snacks, accessories, books- anything he finds that he thinks she would enjoy or would look pretty on her, he asks her if she wants it.

“Satoru,” (y/n) huffs as he places a pretty porcelain hairpiece in her hair, sliding the combed edge in carefully, so as not to scrape her scalp too rough.  “Could you give it up already?” 

“Of course not,” He says with that toothy grin of his.  He’d finally gotten the piece to stay put against the neat bun she’d put her hair into that morning, and he steps back, proud of his own work.  “Okay, just take one look at this and tell me you don’t want it.  It’s perfect” 

(y/n) rolls her eyes, but he’s already taken a small hand mirror from the clerk, and was holding it before her so she could see her reflection.  She gives him a look, but when she finally looks in the mirror, even he can see the way her demeanor changes.

Her playful expression fell, a bit taken aback by how beautiful the glass piece looked, how the colors complimented her eyes, and stood out just enough in her hair without being too flamboyant.

Just as quickly as she was admiring herself, her fingers reached for the porcelain comb, plucking it from her head and placing it back on the display.

“What a ridiculous waste of money,” She chuckles.  “I couldn’t possibly own something like that”

“What?” Satoru asked in disbelief.  “It was beautiful! Come on, I know you liked it” 

(y/n) glances back at him, just for a moment, before turning back and heading along to the next display.

“I have no occasions I could wear that for,” She says honestly.  “So I couldn’t justify buying it-” 

“I would buy it for you!” Satoru replied, slinking around to stand in front of her, stopping her from distracting herself with whatever the next thing was.  “And we could make our own occasion for you to wear it to” He adds with a charming smile.

(y/n) scoffs.

“Satoru, a piece like that is meant for a ball, or an elegant dinner, or something,” She deadpans.  “I don’t think I could squeeze that in between exorcizing curses, or class” She laughs at the thought of wearing a piece of jewelry so luxurious during one of Yaga’s lessons.

“We could go to dinner,” Satoru shrugs.  “I’d take you to dinner”

“Sure,” She chuckles, shaking her head as she walks around him.  “With what time?” 

“I have time right now,” Satoru shrugs, following beside her despite her trying to put some distance between them.  She hoped space would relax her racing heart.  “We could go tonight” 

“We’ve been out all day, and now you want to take me to dinner?” (y/n) muses, raising a brow at him.  “What’re you getting at?” 

“Do I have to be getting at anything?” He replies smoothly.  “Can’t I just take you to dinner because I want to?”

“Dinner implies that it’s a date” (y/n) says.

“So was breakfast a date too?” He asks cheekily.

“So dinner is a date?” Her response is even quicker.

Satoru just shrugs his shoulders, gazing down at her with that ever so charming grin.  She stares back at him inquisitively.

“You’re being silly,” She tells him.  “What is this anyways?” She asks.  He feigns ignorance, as if he doesn’t know what she’s referring to.  “All the shopping, you trying to buy me things, and take me places,” She clarifies.  “What’s that about?” 

“I can’t spend time with you?” 

“You weren’t like this before,” (y/n) comments truthfully.  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to keep me occupied” 

Satoru throws his head back in a laugh, which takes her by surprise.  She was sure that he’d bristle up like a cactus and call her ungrateful for the immense amount of kindness and spoiling he was showing her today.

“That pretty head of yours thinks too much,” He tells her, finally resuming their casual stroll through the antique shop.  “You think the world is out to get you, that everyone who wants to be around you just wants something from you” 

“That’s not entirely untrue” (y/n) quips.

People wouldn’t stick around if they didn’t need something, she thinks.  That wasn’t always a bad thing, but it was true.

“Maybe sometimes,” Satoru agrees, and when he looks down at her, she gets a peek at his eyes from over his sunglasses.  It was like seeing the ocean for the first time.  “But I promise you sweetheart, I’m just trying to spend some quality time with my friends while I can” 

He stares at her a moment longer, before he’s off to show her something else again, this time a vintage bookshelf.  While he’s admiring the hand-carved wood that’s designed in pretty spirals, (y/n) feels her heart weakening just a little bit for him.

He’d been on so many assignments in the last six months, she realized.  Ever since the incident with the Star Plasma Vessel, the higher ups had been singling him out to take care of anything they didn’t feel like doing.  He was stretching himself too thin, she worried.  He was barely home for a few days to a week before being shipped off somewhere else in the world.  Despite the bragging he’d done around her and their friends, she could see now that it wasn’t what it was cracked up to be.

Being the strongest wasn’t just a title.  It was a weight that he had to carry.  

Satoru must’ve realized that (y/n) was lost in thought, not paying an ounce of attention to the bookshelf he was trying to convince her she needed.  He glances over to her, catching the look of concern on her features before she quickly returns to a blank expression.  He frowns for a second, wondering what was on her mind, but he doesn’t ask.

Instead he suggests they head somewhere else, to which she agrees, and happily follows him wherever he wishes to take her next. She realizes that this was his way of reaching out.  His own odd way of saying he needed more, because he couldn’t possibly admit such a vulnerable thing.  She should have known as soon as he started cornering her for more alone time, and again, Suguru’s words rang in the back of her mind.

He was looking forward to some time with you away from here, you know.

Now she understood what he’d meant.  Satoru was losing more and more time with the friends he’d once spent every single day with.  And soon, he’d probably be so busy with assignments from the higher ups that he’d barely be around at all.

The thought brings a frown to her face.  The idea of him being gone more than he was around filled her with an inexplicable… sadness.  

(y/n) glances over at him now, admiring the way the sun seemed to make his hair even brighter.  A soft smile adorns her lips.  Satoru catches this when he peeks down at her from behind his sunglasses, curious as to what she was staring for.  He pretends not to notice.

There’s still guilt eating inside of her for having let down Megumi and Tsumiki.  But for a passing moment, she almost forgets, as she’s filled with a warmth she couldn’t explain. 

He’s been a little less annoying lately, she thinks.  It’s been nice.

___

taglist: @whats-humanity-lol @malinq-ashida @mor-pheus @bekahtaylorgriggs @pookiea @megumimind @thealchemical @pearlstiare @niallerhere @96jnie @purpleguk @peqch-pie @yukinemaroop @makis-girl @sadtoru

xoxo - jordie