#i just have a LOT of problems with the fight scene

[hanamukes]

Uika in Ave Mujica episode 4

For episodes 1-3 of the Ave Mujica anime, I felt like while there was definitely stuff going on with Uika that's worth unpacking, the scenes were straightforward enough in what they wished to convey that I didn't feel like they warranted explanation. Episode 4 has completely turned my view of this character on its head though. It feels as if her every word and action in this episode completely contradicts what we knew of her prior. What is going on with her?

I wanted to talk about her in a longform post, so here I am. This is maybe half analysis, half just me rambling my thoughts on what's happening on screen.

DISCLAIMER: If you're not familiar with the way I discuss this character, let me make it clear now that I absolutely love her! This post is essentially a love poem dedicated to how fantastic I think her writing is. That said my tone here might come off a bit sharp, because of how contradictory she is (which I say as a compliment) and how I want to grab her by the scruff and shake her until she tells me what's going on inside that head of hers. Just wanted to mention something before anyone gets the impression I'm criticizing her or the writing when I'm doing nothing of the sort.

Her first moment happens and immediately a lot stands out to me

First: the models in this anime fall under two specifications, girls who always have a blush programmed in and girls who don't. For instance, Sakiko has one so she's always blushing no matter her mood. Uika doesn't. But throughout this entire episode, she does. Why? Why is she so... eerily happy, in a way we have never seen her before?

Secondly, what is her aim here? Sakiko expressed her discomfort with everyone's attitudes, and rather than just being "Sakiko's second voice" as she has been up until now (take the episode 3 fight as an example), she's taking everyone else's side. Her actions are already in total contradiction with the Uika we've seen up until now, who didn't care about anything except easing Sakiko's feelings

Then this happens. Uika is basically in la-la land daydreaming about having her destiny tied to Sakiko's forever (especially because Nyamu points out that sounds like something Sakiko would say), yet she's ignoring her beloved who sits on the other side of the table

Uika, do you really love Mujica as it is when Sakiko's expressing to you directly that she's unhappy?

Ironically, when she does acknowledge Sakiko directly, it only leads to further frustration for Sakiko

Because she's focusing on the wrong thing. She's more worried about Sakiko's exhaustion from writing songs (which is something she can physically see, thus easily pick up on) rather than Sakiko's concerns with the band (which is something she'd have to actually stop to think about). It really feels like she doesn't understand Sakiko at all. How much does she actually stop to think about her feelings? How surface leveled, rose-colored lens does she view her?

Her actions here scream, "well, so long as I get to stay with Sakiko, I don't actually care if she's happy," regardless of if that's her intent. Sometimes your inner feelings aren't enough, Uika. Sakiko is actively looking miserable in front of you and what are you doing about it?

Are you really just going to leave without saying anything to her? You express concern when halfway out the door, yet when face to face with Sakiko, you act like nothing is wrong?

Again, yes, Sakiko is exhausted, but that's not all there is to it Uika. And she hasn't exactly been subtle about what she's worried about!

Mortis keeps the focus of the conversation to Sakiko having to write all the scripts (thus prompting Uika to point out that she's been pulling all-nighters and maybe that's the problem), but I quite like this line, as there's a lot to unpack here

前はそういうの絶対見せなかったのに

The translation gets the idea across fine to be clear, but in Japanese, there's an emphasis on the "never" part. It feels unthinkable to Uika that Sakiko would perhaps lash out, or show her exhaustion to the others. Kind of putting a mental pin in this because that's not the impression we, the viewers, have seen from prior episodes (Sakiko in this episode was acting incredibly in line with what we've seen of her already in this anime), so I wonder where Uika got this idea from. It makes you wonder just what Uika's impression of "normal" or "prior" Sakiko is

This line is genuinely sweet of her, if not a bit ironic because Uika's already absolutely overworking herself for Sakiko, which Sakiko pointed out in episode 1 (a lot of the officially published interviews have been pointing this out over and over too, just as a side note). They really want to ease each other's burdens...

Yeah, we're not even being subtle about Uika having to "borrow" ways to cheer people up anymore

I actually noticed this about her even back in It's MyGO. When Uika comforted Tomori in episode 10, it was eerily close to what Sakiko did in episode 3. Tomori even associated Uika's actions as being reminiscent of Sakiko's behavior. I had no evidence about Uika copying what Sakiko did then (I don't... think? know? that Uika saw Sakiko's meeting with Tomori and thus could copy it), but now? There's evidence that perhaps her acts of generosity are in fact just things she's imitating from others. If you're curious about the It's MyGO example of this, I highly recommend watching this for yourself

Oh, I'll also mention that in my pre-anime analysis post for Uika, I mentioned she probably doesn't "shine" at all as an idol without Mana, and she more or less just confirmed that for us

Again there's a lot to unpack with this part

Hoo boy. Let's go back an episode. In episode 3, Uika was feeling insecure about the fact Sakiko "knew" Mutsumi "very well since they were kids." She looked visibly bothered by it before changing the topic. So hearing from "Mutsumi" herself that "Actually, you're the one closest to Sakiko, not me" must be making her day. Mortis is actively using Uika's affection for Sakiko against her (well, for the sake of the band, but she's still manipulating (for lack of a better word) her regardless). It's a bit harrowing when you realize that Uika's happy that her "competition" for being close with Sakiko is dead, despite her not realizing Mutsumi more or less is dead at this point...

Moving on to the scene in her apartment, my only addition here is... well, it sure is something how the only things she said to Sakiko were what Mortis told her to say. She has no lines here that weren't just parroting advice. Is that really all you have to say to your beloved?

This is an interesting comment from her

Because there's a couple ways you could interpret this. Is Uika referring to the "stiff" expression, or the close proximity? We know for Sumimi, she views herself as having a "terrible expression" (when Mana's not around to change her energy), but it's also not lost on me that it could also be referring to "my image of Sumimi [where we take photos together in close proximity]"

Sakiko's reaction to this is what makes it so meaningful to me

Nyamu and the photographers are saying "this doesn't look like Mujica at all, but that's a good thing," which Sakiko is obviously displeased about. Why would going against Mujica's worldview be a good thing? And yet... even Uika, who founded the band with her and who writes all their songs, is saying she likes the photo. Once again, Uika is completely disregarding Sakiko's feelings despite how close she is to her. Physically, they're almost close enough to brush shoulders, but emotionally, I don't think Sakiko's ever felt further from her. The betrayal in her face and voice feels so obvious, yet Uika's still in la-la land like she was earlier in the episode and doesn't acknowledge it at all... we really can put ourselves in Sakiko's shoes throughout the whole episode, because truly, what is going through Uika's head?

Uika doing sweet gestures for Sakiko. This is the character I recognize!

It's not lost on me that 1. she has two umbrellas like she does in her apartment, and 2. there's this almost eerie focus on Uika making coffee for people. I say this because the opening itself has a shot of her mugs, there's that weirdly placed clip of coffee dripping in episode 2 (it's also in one of the trailers), the donut scene in episode 3, and now this. I'll be interested in seeing why this is so important to her

I do wish we had gotten to see the conversation Uika and Sakiko had here. Sakiko has a habit of brushing Uika off, but she was finally able to open up to her about something. They finally talked together amidst all of this miscommunication and not understanding one another, but we didn't get to see it... (which may be a sign they didn't really talk about much, but hey, I like my Uisaki crumbs where I can get them)

Thank you for the confirmation that Uika would be the first victim in a slasher film. Moving on

I love the way this comment is framed. If Sakiko left the band, who would be most hurt? Sakiko or Uika?

Uh oh. She's having her words used against her

What she said in episode 3 was honestly a bit careless* (she said it in front of Sakiko, who famously broke up Crychic by leaving it)... but she did have a point. She just wanted to articulate that Ave Mujica should be the 5 of them, and that surely they have a strong enough bond that if one of them left, they wouldn't be able to carry on and just "find a replacement," right? She's our kindhearted front of the band who loves everyone equally, right?

Well

(To clarify the translation, it's not super clear whether Uika said this directly to her, or if Mortis just hit the nail on the head)

Oops! Now that's an awkward position to be in, especially in front of Sakiko herself! Zero denial either...

(*I'll just tack this thought on here, but there's potential Uika's "Please don't hate me" line from the trailer could be because she feels guilt for having said the "if one member quits it's over" line (and thus bringing about the downfall of the band))

Last thing for this episode...

Same, Mortis. What? Why does she have no fight in her? Why doesn't she care? Why is she not saying anything? Are her feelings of guilt, embarrassment and self-hatred actually overpowering her drive to be with Sakiko? Is it over for her, now that the cat's out of the bag regarding the fact she only ever cared about the band to be with Sakiko?

I noticed she acted like a kicked puppy in episode 3 as well. When someone points out how selfish she actually is, she loses all her edge and goes quiet. She wants to escape the situation. She can't fight against what's true about her (the ugliness in her heart), after all, lest she drives herself into a corner as a hypocrite even more than she already has. But her reactions are fascinating to me, because you'd think the front of the band, and someone who swore her life to Sakiko out of profound love for her, would put up more of a fight to keep the band together so she can stay with her. She's not doing damage control at all, she's just taking the hits and all the impact that comes with it. Maybe it's some form of self harm...

(I'm also incredibly curious to know what Sakiko thought of all of this, but maybe that was the least of her concerns...)

Anyway, we'll see what happens next week. I wonder if and when we'll get closure on why she's been so apathetic to Sakiko, despite her claimed devotion for her. I get the impression Sakiko will be moving out (next episode?), so we'll have to see how she reacts to that...

[smallestapplin]

A sweet turn of events

This is a commission! @reallyshadowycollective thank you!🩷

Warnings : Optimus gets hurt, fluffy and cute ending I looked up the stages of courtship for this. Spark bonding. Everyone is fine dw.

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Being Optimus’s partner was wonderful, he was always so kind, devoted, even at his busiest he’d still find a way to be there, for such a large bot he treats you like a prized treasure, loved and cared for. Being with Optimus for so long gave you an edge, despite being much smaller than the autobots around base, you were considered a boss of sorts, the only bots who’d still talk back to you were Prowl and Ratchet.

Though it also allowed you to bully your way passed Bulkhead and into the medbay after hearing so much commotion, knowing they had come back from a patrol and something went wrong, you weren’t expecting to see Ratchet and Wheeljack looking panicked, hovering over a badly damaged Optimus’s open spark chamber.

“Our tools can’t reach back there.”

“It’s too close to his spark, if we aren’t careful…”

“He’s still losing a lot of energon, that peice of scrap metal there. H-hey, why are you here?”

Wheeljack finally noticed you, his optics wide as he rushed over, trying to usher you out. Ratchet tries to hold a glare but it’s clear he’s worried.

“I’m not leaving until you tell me what happened.”

Despite Wheeljack holding you tightly in his servos, he pauses, looking back between you and Optimus.

“An ambush on a routine patrol, boss bot took a hit or few for some of the others. We ain’t got much time, we need you to-“

“Let me help. You said your tools can’t reach where it’s needed, right? Let me do it.”

The two look to you like you’re crazy, Ratchet even especially.

“What!? No! There is too much energon leaking from his fuel lines, it’s too toxic in there for you.”

Yet you don’t take it as an answer.

“Ratchet, I am not asking. We need Optimus, we can’t just stand around arguing over this, when we could be saving him!”

Wheeljack looks to the head medic with a solem expression, you are their friend too, they can’t imagine base without you, but they also need Optimus as their friend and leader. Ratchet can feel his spark sinking, he has to sacrifice one friend for another. Looking down at Optimus’s battered frame, he’s barely hanging on, if they are going to save him it has to be now.

“Fine.”

“But, Ratchet-“

“We don’t have any other way, we can’t wait around much longer.”

Wheeljack walks you to the medical berth, your heart breaking at the sight of your beloved but it makes you all the more sure. Ratchet hands you human sized thick gloves and a mask.

“These will only protect you for a short time. I will walk you through it.”

You are quick to put them on as Ratchet hands you a bunch of self adhering tape. Wheeljack loads up the x-ray, so much more in depth and clear than any you’ve ever seen, even showing you where the problem areas were.

“We will tell you where to go, but right not stop his fuel lines from leaking energon and the get to the scrap metal poking into his spark chamber.”

You nod as Ratchet helps lower you down into Optimus Chassis. It’s a mess, you want to cry at the scene before you but you stay strong, pressing on as you get to wrapping leaking lines, and pulling small metal bits from places you’re certain they aren’t suppose to be. The longer you’re in here, the heavier your head feels, but you fight to stay clear, working towards your lover’s spark.

You can hear Wheeljack and Ratchet’s voices telling you where everything is, telling you what needs wrapping, encouraging you to press on. Until you made it to Optimus’s spark, it’s massive compared to you, but you can see the issue instantly.

The metal is at an odd angle it would make the most crooked tools break, and it’s far too close to Optimus’s spark for any servos to get in here, but those decepticons didn’t account for you. You grab the sharp jagged metal, pulling and wiggling it as best you can, slowly but surely working it out until you hear it.

A pulse? A voice maybe?

You look at the bright blue glowing spark, noting how much it’s glowing.

“Shh, it’s okay Op, I’m here, I got you.” You spoke low, just for the both of you to hear, if he could hear you at all.

You grab the metal again, widening your stance and pulling again, you hear it again almost akin to a groan.

“I love you, I got you. Please, just hold on.”

You know you could die here, you know this isn’t the safest place for you like this.

You’ve been in his chassis before, it’s the safest place for you, it’s hard for anyone to get to, but for you Optimus would carry you around there. Memories what keep you going, refusing to left him fall like this.

Finally with one harsh pull the metal is freed, the force taking you down but you yell for Ratchet, moving to over get it out into the open for him to grab.

“Let me guide you this time!”

He doesn’t argue this time, grabbing the solder to close up the gaping hole behind the spark, you guide his servo making sure to be between him and Optimus’s spark, protecting him from any of Ratchet’s movements. The room is spinning, but you refuse to move, even as Ratchet starts cleaning up any leftover energon, even as the medic softly calls your name.

Your energy feels depleted, but as you lean your head against the thrumming spark, you smile, you feel safe at home.

You don’t hear the panicked voices, don’t get them calling for one of the racers to take you to a human hospital.

As your eyes slide closed, eyelids feeling heavy, you could only think about how you’d do it again in a heartbeat to save your beloved. There is a harsh glow behind your eyes, making you groan as your eyes flutter open. When did you fall asleep?

You blink as frames come into view but too difficult to make out.

“Oh thank the all spark you’re alive!” You never heard Ratchet so relieved.

“You gave us a scare, I was sure you’d be meeting Primus by now.” Wheeljack places a cold wet cloth over your forehead, chuckling as you grow in relief.

When has your body gotten so warm?

“But still, a human spark bonding with a cybertronian, I never would’ve thought that was possible.”

You groan, you’ve heard those terms before but your head is throbbing, it hurts too much to think right now. Despite the pain you can’t help but have one fleet thought, is Optimus okay? As if hearing your thoughts, you can hear a faint rumble of Optimus’s engines purring.

Sluggishly you sit up, ignoring the loud protests from the medics as you move closer to an obviously tired Optimus, who opens his optics to look at you, despite his exhaustion he looks so content and happy to see you. Optimus lifts a servo up to cup your body and hold you closer.

“Hello, my light.”

“How are you feeling?”

He hums, laying limp back against the medical berth.

“Tired, but are you okay? You shouldn't have-“

You cut him off with a stern grunt.

“I’d do it again, I’d do it as many times as it takes to make sure you’re alive and well. I love you, and I refuse to not at least try.”

The others in the room leave to give you two some alone time. Leaving you and your beloved alone. He seems to hear your words, but seems somewhat dazed.

“Do you have a preference for when to hold our ceremony? Or maybe you have a tradition you want incorporated?”

“Huh?”

You look up to Optimus, who now looks confused at you. You two have been dating for a while of course, acts of intamacy, acts of disclosure, acts of giving, you two had been doing such things for years, was this not your act of devotion? Was this not the grand gesture of love you intended it to be?

But you spark bonded with him, he can feel the ties between you two now.

Did you not know? Surely you had to, your actions were loud and clear, your words were even louder.

“My love, don’t look at me like that, please.” You kiss his chin, trying to soothe him.

You feel an ache in your chest, it feels so heavy, can you feel his emotions now? Surely not.

“You bonded my spark to you, it’s not something that can be forced, I thought you wanted to make it official if Ratchet and Wheeljack haven’t told the others yet.”

Though your head is spinning, you feel light headed at the idea of marrying Optimus Prime, you didn’t know you could do that! But seeing his expression so light and dreamy makes your heart swoon, you don’t think you could tell him no.

Who are you kidding, you’d love to.

[thebaldursmouthgazette]

Oh and speaking of the clear plans for future games, I know a lot of people are worried about the executors being a retroactively fitted secret organisation puppeting events and I just wanna direct people to this part of the chant of light (from the canticle of silence, written by archon Hessarian based on historical records)

This is about the magisters sidereal and documents an acolyte talking to the high priest of Dumat and encouraging him to work with “the builders” (worshippers of Urthemiel, the high priest being the Architect of the Works of Beauty. Yes that Architect) to enter the golden city.

I’m pretty sure that guy is an executor, and this is the extent of the whispering and nudging. This guy did not come up with the idea of breaking into the golden city, he did not tell Corypheus to break into the golden city, the old gods (or, the evanuris through their archdemons) still whispered to make it happen to achieve their goals. The magisters still did it out of their own desires. There was just also another guy who, for his own purposes, was encouraging this and giving tips to make it happen.

Executors did not tell Loghain to abandon the fight at ostagar, or start a civil war. They just might have encouraged his paranoia by mentioning why the wardens had previously been banished. He still acted on his own accord.

Executors did not tell Bartrand to steal the idol and go insane, but maybe they told him about an interesting site in the deep roads (note that the teaser doesn’t imply the executors were involved in Meredith and orsinos nonsense at all).

Ive spoken about this at length before, but this isn’t a secret organisation puppeting things from behind the scenes. They appear to have a clear goal (get to the blight) and have nudged some specific events to favour them getting that goal (break into its prison, allow it to run rampant without warden intervention, bring the key to its prison back into play, possibly twice since it’s not clear who told the guy who removed the idol from the statue how to do that) and basically failed every time.

This isn’t secret over the seas illuminati secretly responsible for every problem we’ve faced. They’ve meddled with events we have seen in the past, but everyone still acted of their own free will and they’re not going to turn out to have been the villains behind everything all along.

[justablah56]

look at my silly polycule guys

I love them dearly

[weirfq1]

with all these gaston crackships/rarepairs that are coming out lately it would be so fucking funny if he had a flig with all the main characters (ambar, nina, simon... hell luna too if you want) and they all know it except matteo

[longagoitwastuesday]

I am liking Jujutsu Kaisen, way more than I imagined I would, but I foresee it will let me down and it's keeping me from enjoying this as much as I could haha

I think the characters and dynamics are well set, and I think many of them have an incredibly good and deep potential, but I would be willing to bet they'll not get a proper development, enough for them to really hit. A well assembled set of gears is not enough to make the movement go, you have to wind the clockwork.

I think Gojo and Megumi have a fascinating and very complex dynamic, but I doubt it will be given the time and care that imo it needs to actually work. And it is going well enough for now! One could see the intimacy between them was deeper than the one Gojo had with, say, Yuji and Nobara ever since the very first few episodes despite the fact Fushiguro too was a first year. But the pieces forming what they have are extremely complex, and it just wouldn't be realistic if it doesn't show, even if in a not showing way, or if it doesn't have consequences or implications.

It's one of those dynamics that shape one's life, the way one regards the world, the way one establishes or not relationships with other people. It's one of those dynamics that could be full of fondness, gratitude, resentment, admiration, trust, and that imply intimacy, the good kind or the bad, even if in just the knowledge of someone who's been a constant through your life. It could, and would, imply a myriad of feelings, and probably in such a mix it could imply contradictory feelings too. Even the nothingness would weight, even the nothingness would be significant and meaningful.

Gojo took Megumi and his sister under his wing, the son of a man who murdered him, because of both selfish and selfless reasons. Megumi looks like Toji. What does Gojo feel about this? How does Gojo deal with this? How does Gojo go about taking care of Megumi? Would he walk him to school? Make him breakfast? Celebrate his birthdays making him blow candles? Did he take him to the zoo? Does the relationship between them feel professional or is it something more? Gojo appreciates his students, but is Megumi to him just another student? When Gojo faces Sukuna in Megumi's body, did he see the kid he raised, or does he just see Sukuna in one of his students' body? Did he have one faint wavering instant? And how does Megumi feel about this? Is he resentful of him? Resentful of the situation? Of the selfishness behind his actions? Does he feel like a pawn? Is he grateful? Does he resent feeling grateful? Would he rather not? Does he love Gojo? Does he feel nothing about him other than what he could feel about a teacher that sort of annoys him but knows he's reliable in his strength? Does he think it unfair, cruel or unfeeling that Gojo is close, closer perhaps, with Yuuji or Yuta, considering their story? When Sukuna slices Gojo in two, does the remnants of Megumi's soul tremble?

And not just Megumi and Gojo. Yuuji and Nanami, Gojo and Nanami, Yuuji and Fushiguro, Nobara and the boys, or Nobara and Maki, Todo and Yuuji or Yuta, Gojo and Yuta, Megumi and his sister. Gojo and Geto, even! If the pieces are well set, the dynamics are intriguing, interesting, and have potential to be deep, but then the characters have like two plot relevant scenes that punch you hard, but little more, it's not nearly enough. Especially not nearly enough for the enormity that is shonen dynamics and situations. And the potential existing at all, and then not delivering, makes it all the more frustrating when you're left with something mediocre that could have been so good.

The development of dynamics through not only a few plot relevant gut wrenching moving scenes, but also the smallness of life, is important. The friend who recommended this to me said that those things were just unnecessary filler, but I disagree. I think there's a big difference between a large amount of anime-only filler episodes whose existence is based on the fact they had run out of manga chapters to animate, and moments of quietness. The low stakes character-driven moments of quietness can be so telling and so insightful, and they are so satisfactory when brought back later in higher stakes situations. My friend teased me there was no scene of Gojo making breakfast to Megumi, that it would be an idiotic idea, but it would be so telling. How he makes breakfast, what they eat, if he tries hard or if it's all mechanised, if they have personal bowls or if they use whatever, if he just buys them some pastry on the way to school, if the way they have breakfast changes through the years, or if he doesn't make them breakfast at all! All that would be very insightful on their dynamic and its evolution. All that would give a glimpse on how they regard each other and why, even in the present. All that could become meaningful in tense situations and high stakes scenes.

These moments also let the plot breath; if a lot is happening all the time, if every character is always experiencing trauma after trauma, the entire story is so emotionally draining that at some point you don't even care all that much. Besides, these nothing moments or low stakes plot arcs, besides deepening and developing dynamics, also let some in-world time pass, which would make the intimacy and bond between characters more believable imo; between Yuuji eating Sukuna's finger and their last confrontation in December how much time has passed? A few months? Am I truly to believe these characters are so everything to each other in only a few months?

Without some smallness, some repetition, some daily life, some low stakes not plot-centric development, the dynamics don't hit, they don't truly feel fleshed out, and dynamics as complex as the ones Megumi and Gojo have, or as supposedly meaningful as the one Megumi has with Yuuji or his sister, should be fleshed out if they're going to exist at all. Otherwise they'd risk making the writing feel awkward and fake. Besides, if the dynamics felt well fleshed out and realistic, they would shape the way the characters interact and act, and how they deal with situations, thus being plot relevant.

The shonen genre has so much happening all the time, the stakes are so high, the dynamics are so rooted in big events and the relationships carry enormous weight and implications. Yet they barely get developed, and it feels so stupid, so plain, the absence of something so important noticeable like a constant void, a shapeless nothingness present in every scene. It makes the characters feel like cardboard figures. Jujutsu Kaisen is already getting a better job than many, but I doubt it will do enough for what I've heard, and I fear I am bound to feel let down, and bound to feel unmoved.

After all, if not enough time and care has been given to develop a dynamic, I am not going to feel pressured by the high stakes; if not enough time and care has been given to develop the dynamic between Megumi and Yuuji, as good potential as it has I am bound to feel little for this last confrontation between Sukuna and Itadori, and his effort in getting Megumi back.

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

First off, the way you write Tsumiki is so beautiful and makes so much sense and I would die for her. Also, Tsumiki/Maki is fucking inspired. It fits so perfectly within the story and fleshes out both of their characters and I have so many feelings about it.

What you wrote about the cause of the no-contact fits so well with the Zenin how do you even come up with this!! And it also reframes so many scenes in sea glass gardens (specifically, I went to double check bc I just realized that Tsumiki still refers to Megumi’s dogs by their names and they still reapond to them. I am going to cry Megumi deserved so much better). Nanami is absolutely insane in the best way for demanding half custody like he seems like he’d be willing to throw hands over it regardless of the cost to himself and it’s so perfect with how much he (like Gojo) believes so much in protecting children. I have more words to say but not the brainspace to say them bc it is late at night for me. But! I would die for you and your writing thank you so much for getting into jjk

I’m soo glad that y’all liked Tsumiki/Maki too. The versions of them that live in my head just fit together like puzzle pieces. They were each other’s foil and they understood the other all the more for being what the other had chose not to be. Tsumiki had chosen her sibling and Maki had chosen herself, and both of them know what it means to have those be mutually exclusive.

Also the version of Tsumiki that lived in my head violently hates the Zenin and I could not imagine anything more attractive to Maki. Tsumiki would firebomb their compound without hesitation or regret. Maki wants to kiss her on the mouth.

Tsumiki very purposefully was designated as the character who would keep calling the dogs by their names, because she’s the one who most aggressively tries to insulate Megumi from the effects of the jujutsu world on him.

Tsumiki knew Kuro and Shiro longer than anyone. She remembers when Megumi first summoned his puppies. She knows exactly how much he loves them and she knows exactly how badly he must have been hurt to push him to never call them by their names again. Those dogs mean the world to him, and she knows it.

In her mind, what Megumi lost wasn’t his love for his dogs. If he lost that, she thinks he’d be more willing to call them by their names—names are just easy ways of distinguishing them, after all. They’re already named. He’s only inconveniencing himself by never saying their names aloud.

She thinks Megumi stopped calling them by name as a way of protecting them from the Zenin clan.

He never saw his family again, is the thing, but the Zenin have always existed on their periphery. They know that the Zenin haven’t lost interest in him. Gojo tries to shield them (but mostly Megumi) from as much of the Zenin as possible, but they know that the Zenin have been prodding them for more contact and information on Megumi ever since Gojo cut them off. And they know that the Zenin have a lot of contact with the jujutsu world. They both assumed that, over the years, plenty of people have reported back to the Zenin on Megumi.

They trust Gojo, Nanami, Shoko, and Ijichi to not leak information to the Zenin. No one else.

She’s always suspected that Megumi stopped calling his dogs by their names because he didn’t want it to get back to the Zenin that he loved them like pets still. They’d be safer if the Zenin didn’t realize how much he still loved them. Maybe if he hid it, they’d assume they scared him off, and they wouldn’t hire someone to kill a dog when he’s on a mission or something. And that’s what she’ll never forgive the Zenin for taking from him.

They took away Megumi’s safety in his love. It became something he didn’t feel comfortable showing, ever, because it was something he would be hurt over. They made him hide it. And it kills Tsumiki to see, because her brother loves more fiercely than anyone she’s ever met. He loves in a way that terrifies her, sometimes, because she thinks it will kill him one day, she really does.

He loved those dogs enough to be beat within an inch of his life to keep them safe. He wouldn’t just suddenly start treating them like they’re impersonal weapons. They’re still Kuro and Shiro to him, she knows it. They’re still his puppies. And she doesn’t want the Zenin to get to take that from him.

She doesn’t want Megumi to just… succumb to what the jujutsu world did to him. She doesn’t want him to just take the beating the way he took it for his dogs. And she doesn’t want him to just sacrifice himself for her and call it a day. She wants him to fight for himself and for his right to live on his own terms. And she’s not sure if he’ll do that.

So she’ll fill in the gaps where she can. His dogs’ names are Shiro and Kuro, and they’re her brother’s puppies. They’re her best boys and she’ll treat them like pets all day long if she pleases, because the Zenin had no fucking right to take that from her brother. She’ll spit in Zenin Naobito’s face if she ever gets half a chance.

[waywardsalt]

linebeck is probably so god damn paranoid all of the time

[jrueships]

rewatched shooting stars aka the baby bron and friends movie <3 very cute

[rawliverandgoronspice]

would love to get a full, unwatchably wrangled ms paint levels of a first draft for my animatic before the end of winter. not sure how realistic that is given the amount of work I have on my plate, but I'm curious to having the whole thing to assess and see if that is even a coherent narrative, if I have left enough room for lore dumps (doubting it at the moment), stuff like this

[variousqueerthings]

been reading a lot of clive barker recently and find him to be incredibly whimsical, life-affirming, and wondrous so I decided to read his ya series "abarat" which as it turns out isn't finished, so we're waiting at a point of utter despair for the most part, rip to the kids (that being said I do wish I'd known of it when I was a kid, no matter how frustrated by the wait I might have been)

anyway, do think I will write a little fanfic that nobody is going to read of christopher carrion and finnegan hob working through their mutual realisation that they were both being used by princess boa (meanwhile she's shooting finger guns at them, love her, love how she fucked up not one but two incredibly powerful silly boys, love that she just loves being bad, it appears to be her whole raison d`etre), and then they make out or smthin, unclear

[daydreamerdrew]

The Incredible Hulk (1968) #246

[rigginsstreet]

you know how in new girl it was a thing that winston couldnt do pranks because he’d either go too small or go way overboard to the point of causing physical harm or something lmao but like thats exactly how i feel about writing conflict or people being mean like idk where the middle ground is like i just need for a character to be an annoying asshole but all that ever comes to my brain is “go for the jugular. bring up a dead mom or some shit” like idk how to casually be a dick lmfao

[shinynewmemories]

Since book 1, Katniss and Peeta have both considered dying preferable to living without the other person and I think that's very soulmate-y of them

THE HUNGER GAMES, CHAPTER 25

[fortune-maiden]

A little over halfway through Season 1 of DNT now, I thought I was starting to warm up to it.

But then I got to the Castrop Rebellion Episode.

Soulless doesn't even begin to cover it......

[cutesilyo]

my opinion is that if you havent gone through manga -> anime adaptations or anything -> musical adaptations, you arent equipped to deal with pjo books -> pjo series adaptation discussion lol