#in this chapter they do the do

[quinn-borel]

[Quinnmeric/Wolmeric Modern!AU. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.Part 4, Part 5, Part 6]

A/N: This chapter contains NSFW content.

The moment they got into the Kwehber together they knew that the night would be an interesting one, each sitting in silence yet glancing at the other while their fingers were interlaced.  Quinn had taken the initiative to hold his hand once they left the restaurant, and Aymeric happily obliged if only to feel her soft skin against his once more.  He once again felt his heart race in the back of his throat as they awaited their stop, the temptation to lean over and kiss her completely at the forefront of his thoughts.  He wondered if she felt the same–if she, too, wished to simply drop her guard and allow him to indulge.

But such affection was not appropriate inside a stranger’s car, so they continued their vow of silence up until they arrived at the Exarch.  But there was still the matter of getting through the lobby and up the elevator, both of them still in silent agreement that any public display of affection was unwarranted.  But upon the elevator doors closing, Quinn turned to him while tilting her head upwards.  One small peck wouldn’t hurt, right?

Like a swelling dam, Aymeric was fit to burst at that point.  Her gentle kiss made him want more, and had it not been for his upbringing and current status he may have very well made out with her while waiting for the fifth floor.  Yet alas, his lips twitched with need while Quinn retrieved herself and squeezed his hand rather firmly.  Was she aware of the game she was playing with him?  Most likely by the way she smirked and slowly ran her tongue against her upper lip.  He retaliated by releasing his hand from hers, running it along her lower back before resting it on her hip.  He then quickly pulled her towards him with little resistance, to which Quinn mimicked his actions in response.  The lift door finally opened, allowing the intertwined couple to walk almost gracefully towards Aymeric’s room.  Luckily, no one was in the hallway to see them…

And then they crossed the threshold, Aymeric shutting the door behind him while Quinn whipped around and grabbed him by the lapel, pulling him in for a sultry kiss–full tongue and all.  He grasped her waist with his ‘gentle’ hands, gently nudging her away from him so he could remove his jacket.

“Ahh, yes, I’ve missed this room.” she said as she abandoned him and went straight to his bed, plopping onto the edge and kicking her shoes off.  Aymeric chuckled as he draped his jacket over one of the decorative chairs,

“Make yourself comfortable.”

Quinn leaned back a bit, crossing one leg over the other and gazing upon him with a beckoning look in her eyes.  Her alluring gaze drew him in as intended, and the man found himself abandoning his wallet and phone on the night stand so that he could comfortably sit next to her.

“Shall we continue where we last left off?” she cooed, drawing her hand to his tie, “Unless you had something else in mind?”

“By your leave.” he whispered back.  Quinn drew him closer with the gentle tug of his tie, and their lips pressed together once more.  As they met, Aymeric allowed his hands to wander freely as they did before, one palm resting upon her thigh while the other kept him propped up on the bed.  Again, her lips tasted sweet with the lingering hint of wine upon her tongue–something Aymeric wished to drown himself in.  

“I know I said you were gentle,” she breathed, “but you can have a little fun with me.”

Aymeric felt a stir below his belt upon hearing those words–her own words, begging for him to make her his plaything.  But where was he to begin?  That’s when Haurchefant’s words echoed in his memories–acting all sly, but performing like a virgin…

Aymeric closed his eyes and went forward with what felt natural to him, his lips dragging from her own along her jaw and down to the crook of her neck.  The hand that once gently gripped her thigh moved upwards and planted itself against her breast.  

“I want to hear it again…that squeak.” he hummed against her neck.  She obliged him as he put pressure on her, groping her with one hand while gently suckling on her.  He was surprised to find little resistance, mentally noting that she most likely wore the bare minimum underneath that little dress of hers.   Had he the gall, he would reach for the back and begin to unzip it.  However, the man knew better than to tread into the territory of undressing her at such an early stage.  Yet it seemed that Quinn had other ideas as she softly moaned while pulling at his tie.  He released his lips upon her neck with a soft pop, his icy blue gaze falling to the small mark left behind. But he wasn’t done yet, nay, Aymeric nudged Quinn onto her back and continued from there, again kissing her lips before finding a new spot on her neck to leave a mark.

“I don’t suppose you stopped by the drug store today?” she asked with a small smirk.  That’s when Aymeric froze in his spot, heat filling his cheeks as he damned himself for not doing so.  

“Shit.” he muttered, yet Quinn brought both of her hands to his cheeks, forcing him to look her in the eyes,

“Ah ah ah,” she cooed, “at least one of us expected this night to go the way it is…”

His face lit up with a tinge of excitement, yet moreso relief than anything.  Quinn couldn’t help but to laugh as she pulled him in for another kiss, then forcing him to roll over onto his back as she sat atop him.  He looked upon her in awe, yet unable–or rather, unwilling–to explain that he wasn’t expecting her to have sex with him that evening.  But would she believe him when he acted the way he did?  Sly and flirtatious while offering to share a bottle of wine with her in his room?  Anyone with two eyes could see that his inner intentions were to satiate his curiosity of sleeping with someone whom he found a fondness for.  But he wasn’t all to blame, no, Quinn found herself already prepared for the inevitable in his stead.  She wanted it just as much as he did.

“I had a feeling you’d be a little too busy to do so.” she said with a smirk, her hand running itself down from his neck to his chest.  Aymeric swallowed his words of protest–a futile attempt to explain himself when she pinpointed the very reason why he forgot.  Quinn began to pick at the buttons of his shirt, slowly peeling away his top layer as her gaze was drawn to the toned features of his torso.  She noticed his chest heave as her hands touched his bare abdomen, and she finally broke the silence between them with the painful question Aymeric begged her not to ask,

“Is this your first time?”

“Your hands are just cold.” he lied.  Truthfully, his body count was at a solid 1 at that moment.  He had only been with one other person, and that was going on almost a year prior.   To say that he wasn’t nervous to have a sexual relationship again was a tad bit of an understatement.

“Ah, I’m sorry.” she giggled as she accepted the lie, “Just let me know if you’re uncomfortable, alright?”

“I could say the same to you.” he chuckled, his chest heaving once more in relief that she believed him.  He would rather not have to explain to her the intricacies of his sexual past, especially noting that he had not slept with someone of the opposite sex before…

Her hands lingered on his lower torso, which only made him quiver in delight knowing she was just inches from his lower half.  The anticipation was killing him, his hips shifting ever so subtly underneath her if not just to feel an ounce of friction against his length.  She caught on rather quickly and slid off of him as she reached for her purse on the floor.  He knew what she was fishing for, which signaled that it was time to finally remove his trousers.

“If you don’t mind…” his voice trailed off expectantly, his gaze going from the lump between his legs to her bent over the side of the bed, ass in the air as she continued to fish around her bag for a condom.  He certainly couldn’t help but to stare.  

“Not at all.” Quinn replied back as she glanced over her shoulder to catch him staring at her.  His gaze quickly left hers as he made work of his belt and trousers, removing each article with zeal until he was left wearing only his underwear.  Quinn repositioned herself back on the bed with the small packet in hand, her eyes immediately drawn to the thick outline of his cock through his drawers.  He noticed her raised eyebrows as she stared, which caused him a tad bit of concern.

“Is everything alright?”

It was if the sight had left her speechless, though he could see a twitch in her lips…and was that gods damned twinkle in her eye!? He never felt himself that impressive, but apparently this was rather the shock for Quinn.

“Everything is perfect.”

She crawled over to him, yet he stopped her with the gentle press of his lips against hers, his hand falling upon the small of her back,

“Let’s rid you of that dress first.”

Having a newfound sense of confidence, Aymeric reached for the zipper on her dress and gently pulled it down, allowing Quinn to peel the garment off as she retreated from the bed to give him a small show.  She wiggled out of it, and it fell to the floor at her heels.  

Ah, indeed she was not wearing a bra, as he expected…

Speechless, Aymeric reached for her hips, pulling her closer to him.  His lips grazed the soft skin of her abdomen, his hands finding their way to her ass and fingertips tracing the lace of her panties.  

“You are so beautiful.” he breathed as he gripped the suppleness of her backside, “So…fucking beautiful.”

She got back on the bed, straddling him and forcing his hands to her breasts. Following another zealous squeeze, Aymeric released her and planted his mouth against one with his hands going right back to her hips.  Quinn moaned softly and started to thread her fingers through his hair, her hips sensually rocking back and forth as she began to grind against him.

Halone have mercy…

After a few moments of suckling, he released her—their eyes meeting with a tense stare as both of them were rather breathless.  Hungry.  Needy.  Quivering with anticipation.  Chests aflame with desire.  Quinn cupped his cheeks in her palms once more,

“Let me put it on for you.” she whispered.  Aymeric swallowed, gave her a nod of approval, and leaned back.  From there she yanked his shorts down, allowing his cock to finally break free of its prison.  Again, the look of surprise was blatant on her features.  With a soft exhale, she abandoned him and went back to her purse,

“I thought your manspreading was just an act of dominance,” she explained with a soft chuckle, “But now I know what you had hiding all this time…”

“What I...” his words left him once more, and he could only awkwardly chuckle in return.  Quinn came back with a different condom in hand,

“This one will be more comfortable for you.”

Did she really…bring a bigger size in anticipation?

Aymeric shook the thought from his mind in an attempt to redirect the mood back to what it was before the ‘big reveal’.  However, he couldn’t help but to be a little self-conscious about how he normally sat…

“You’re so cute.” Quinn hummed playfully as she removed the rubber from its package.  Red in the cheeks, Aymeric sat back with trained eyes on her as she performed the act–a gentle jerk of his shaft to get him nice and firm before she began to unravel the condom over his length, “There we go…how does it feel?”

“Fine.” he breathed, “Now…I want you to lay down on your back…”

She appeared rather receptive to his demands, smiling with warm cheeks with her hands slowly going to her thigh highs, to which Aymeric cleared his throat in response,

“Keep those on…”

“Yes, sir.” she purred, dropping only her panties and crawling onto the bed to lay down before him.  He approached her carefully, slowly parting her legs just enough to fit himself between them.  He felt his heart nearly burst from his chest, yet he forced himself to keep his sly smile–anything to make it seem like he was in control, though he very much had his doubts.  Especially when it came to parting her legs and seeing the soft pink flesh of her cunt just waiting for him.  Begging.  

It’s not so different…you’ll do just fine...

With a harsh exhale and a sharp inhale he nudged himself into her–inch by inch, all while watching her expression in case she felt discomfort.  Nay, her eyes lit up once more along with her cheeks.  Her brow furrowed and lips parted as she gasped at his touch.  Both of Quinn’s hands found Aymeric’s locks, tugging them gently as he filled her.  A staccato moan left his throat–how wonderful it felt to be inside of her.  So warm, so tight, so pleasurable in every sense.  It had been so long…too long…

The feeling was most welcome again.

As he filled her to the brim he buried his face into the crook of her neck, into her hair, taking in her scent and her sounds and the feeling of her nails digging into his scalp.  He wrapped his arms around her, pushing himself into her, listening to the way she gasped and moaned his name.  His teeth grazed her ear as he began to pound himself into her, his words so faint that they may have not met her over her own noises,

“I adore you, Quinn…”

He meant it, though. Even if she didn’t hear him, he meant it.  But she didn’t respond how he expected, though he did notice her grip loosen on his hairline and eventually fall to his shoulders.  Her nails plunged deep into his skin, causing the man to wince yet at the same time fueling him to continue his pace.  

“Harder.” she demanded, breathless, “Fuck me harder.”

He had zero hesitation in bending to her will, the force of his thrusts causing the stable bed beneath them to quake.  His hands were planted firmly against the headrest as he watched her whole body shake with each thrust–she moaned behind gritted teeth, her nails still stuck firm against his skin.  But the pain was nothing compared to the pleasure they both felt, each of them smiling at the other as they did the deed.  

It didn’t take long before Aymeric was riding his high, eyes closed as he felt his pulse quicken before his hips came to an abrupt halt.  His whole body vibrated with delight, his jaw clenched as he spilled his all into the condom.  A low moan followed, signaling his finish.  Quinn squeezed him between her thighs, a look of satisfaction painted upon her visage as their eyes met.  She grinned widely, disheveled with a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek,

“Holy shit,” she whispered, “Aymeric…”

“Yeah?” he huffed, trying to catch his breath, “You alright?”

“Better than.” she giggled, “You outdid yourself.”

With a sigh of relief, Aymeric removed himself from her and made the awkward trip to the trash bin to dispose of the remnants of their lovemaking.  When he turned back to the bed, Quinn had already pulled the comforter over herself and curled up to one side, leaving little blanket for himself.  Yet he didn’t care, if anything he found it adorable that she nuzzled up so quickly after sex.  

“Are you still with me?” he asked with a chuckle, shutting the light off in the room.  Quinn hummed a bit to show that she hadn’t fallen asleep just yet, but she chose to stay still in her cocoon.  Aymeric plopped down on the opposite side of the bed with his eyes trained on the ceiling.  He took a moment for himself to realize what had just transpired, again lingering on the thought that he had only known Quinn for a few days.  It all felt unreal to him, if not out of character of him.  Yet when he looked over at the curled up lump beside him, he couldn’t help but to feel a warmth well up in his chest.

“Hey…”

He glanced over at the ball of blanket that spoke to him, noticing two eyes peering from the top of it, “Yes?”

With hesitation in her voice, she asked, “…do you mind if…we cuddle?”

He parted his lips to answer, but no words seemed to leave him when the question at hand was…why would she ask?  Naturally, he wanted to.  Without a word he gently patted his chest to invite her in.  Quinn slowly scooched over to him, planting her head against his pectoral and sliding her arm around his torso.  

“Comfy?” he asked.  She could only nod before it seemed that sleep took her, for not another word left her for a long while.  Aymeric ran his hand through her hair and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

Although it was dark, he could see a soft smile pull at her lips.  

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Hey now, Let her cook!

[ash-and-starlight]

Sokka baulked. "I'm not getting on that." "That," said Zuko, "is my baby." Zuko's baby, a fifty foot dragon, huffed. Great white plumes of smoke issued out of his nostrils and buffeted around Sokka. "Play nice, Druk," said Zuko, laughing

for The Mercy of Magpies chapter 2!

as always written by thee wonderful showstopping incredible @ranilla-bean ✨

chapter post || cover || map and characters

[tariah23]

The manga industry, especially JUMP, needs to hurry up and do away with weekly scheduling for mangaka. There needs to better regulations put into place for their health and safety because this is pitiful. Two weeks - monthly updates should’ve already been the standard for the manga industry at this point. These money grabbers will only continue to put the lives of these artists at stake for the sake of capitalism unless some serious changes are implemented.

[forgettable-au]

PROLOGUE

FORGETTABLE-AU (Page 1-9)

AND SO IT BEGINS!

[CONTINUE] [MASTERPOST]

[hinamie]

parenthood was not on my 2024 bingo card but clearly life is full of surprises

[egophiliac]

crossing my fingers and wishing upon every star that chapter 10 finally brings us the tweel cards 🤞🤞

[blueboyluca]

“When I first heard it, from a dog trainer who knew her behavioral science, it was a stunning moment. I remember where I was standing, what block of Brooklyn’s streets. It was like holding a piece of polished obsidian in the hand, feeling its weight and irreducibility. And its fathomless blackness. Punishment is reinforcing to the punisher. Of course. It fit the science, and it also fit the hidden memories stored in a deeply buried, rusty lockbox inside me. The people who walked down the street arbitrarily compressing their dogs’ tracheas, to which the poor beasts could only submit in uncomprehending misery; the parents who slapped their crying toddlers for the crime of being tired or hungry: These were not aberrantly malevolent villains. They were not doing what they did because they thought it was right, or even because it worked very well. They were simply caught in the same feedback loop in which all behavior is made. Their spasms of delivering small torments relieved their frustration and gave the impression of momentum toward a solution. Most potently, it immediately stopped the behavior. No matter that the effect probably won’t last: the reinforcer—the silence or the cessation of the annoyance—was exquisitely timed. Now. Boy does that feel good.”

— Melissa Holbrook Pierson, The Secret History of Kindness (2015)

[defnotkanyewest]

So this mf was friends with Sukuna in the heian era

Found out that Sukuna ate his twin in the womb

Decided to get railed by Sukunas Twins Reincarnation

Gave birth to an absolute unit

Then plotted to put his Son up against his Brother in Law?

What the fuck is wrong with him

[bumblebeebats]

As much as i love Dungeon Meshi, i do think that given Ryoko Kui's attention to realistic worldbuilding there ought to be a companion series called Dishes Meshi where they spend 2hrs washing and drying and packing away. Alll the goddamnfuck dishes they just made

[chiptrillino-art]

(ID in ALT text)

something stranger and more wonderful: CHAPTER II

Now there is blood in the water 👀

Written by @faux-fires (ao3 Link)

beta red by @ranilla-bean (ao3 Link)

Start at the beginning

(ID in ALT text)

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Soup solves everything.

[hellspawnmotel]

cementing my place as the crossovers for no reason guy

(third pic based on)

[nonomives]

I did something

[caramelcove]

Cat distribution system had a bit of a malfunction 😬

Stay tuned for the continuation 🥰💕💞

Part 1.5

[thepersonperson]

Why the hell is JJK 270 called Dream's End?

JJK 270 being titled Dream’s End is so fudging ominous. That’s some Umineko type beat. I’m not sure if I should even judge this chapter as presented because of this. In fact, I'm holding off on posting the other analysis I had for today since I no longer am certain of what JJK 268–270 are.

There's two lines of thought I have:

1) Gege suffering from burnout and bad working conditions plus rushing has caused the writing to decline.

2) Gege still has a hidden ace saved for the final chapter and the weird writing is deliberate.

I'm going to humor Option 2, but only because the title of this chapter is called Dream's End.

(The most 'hear me out' discussion under the cut. Using TCB scans and leaks. Click images for captions/citations.)

[Small Update: Follow-up Discussion on why everyone feels OOC.]

Preface

"Without love it cannot be seen."

This is a phrase and philosophy I have borrowed from Umineko since I've started these JJK yapfests. It essentially boils down to 'discard your negative biases and try to examine things in good faith.'

JJK 268 & 269 have fudging tested that for me. I've been giving Gege and the characters a pretty hard time with the caveat of knowing how exploitative the manga industry is. I initially rejected the idea that these chapters were to be taken at anything other than face-value because of this. In fact, I cited the JJK 268 chapter title of Finale as a reason I've accepted things as is.

And with that same logic, I'm now doing the opposite... So hear me out! I've got some pretty good reasons to be doing this.

What's wrong with JJK 268–270?

There's a lot of things in these chapters that are fundamentally inconsistent with what's been established in throughout the manga. If we use Option 1 to explain these contradictions, these are last second retcons because Gege forgor.

Option 2? We're about to have the rug pulled the hell out from under us because the last 3 chapters have been delusions.

What first tipped me off to something possibly being wrong on purpose was the fate of the incarnated culling game players in JJK 270. Not too long ago it was established that the souls of non-sorcerers in vessels were unsavable.

The souls are suppressed in a way that distorts them permanently or their consciousness is outright destroyed. They were gambling on Megumi's survival due to him being a sorcerer and Sukuna's incarnation method being unique. 99% of them will die and those who survive will likely be vegetables, so why is there a sudden gamble on their survival in JJK 270?

It's such a neat and fine bow to tie this mess up that goes directly against existing lore. It's so ideal that it has me suspicious.

Brain damage from sorcery on non-sorcerers has been established as extremely taxing. I think about Gojo's Unlimited Void (UV) the most when it comes to this. Non-sorcerers were hit by it for 0.2 seconds and required medical intervention for 2 months to fully heal from it. Sukuna, the absolute strongest, tanked some of it and it affected him for the rest of the battle. ...And then we have Megumi who was under it for about 6 minutes and seems to have very little problems from it.

This is bizarre. Someone who underwent the month long bath and UV without Reverse Curse Technique (RCT) should be struggling to even stand after waking up. Sukuna had RCT and the Gojo brain damage still took him out. This screams of inconsistent writing unless...this is a deliberate hint that something is amiss.

I want to draw attention to the panel Megumi's UV damage is addressed. Just about everyone has been seemingly waiting around in the same spot for him to wake up. It's a bit weird given that sorcerers don't usually do that. They usually get a move on asap. And after the destruction of Shinjuku and the Culling Game Players still running about, why would they take a breather to discuss their plans that worked?

But that's not what started bothering me about that panel after reading JJK 270. It's that characters who aren't in the room, start appearing without warning. Look who is behind Maki and to the left. It's Kusakabe. And to her and Yuta's right? Inumaki. So why is it that Hakari, Kiara, and Ino are in Kusakabe's place while Todo spawns where Inumaki is? (And Yuta is facing the wrong direction too.)

That's pretty fudging weird right? You can chalk it up to Gege forgor but it doesn't stop there. Higuruma enters the discussion in a way that causes Yuji to pause.

Why is Yuji surprised to see him? (And where the fudge did he come from?) Shouldn't he know of his survival by now? And why is he in a cast? Higuruma had learned RCT and fully restored his arms before leaving the battlefield. If he's conscious, then he should be able to heal himself fully no problems.

And that got me thinking... Why is Yuji still missing his fingers?

It was established that he kept his fingers unhealed to help with Yuta's plan. This means that if he won, he has no need to keep them missing. Yuji has fully regenerated missing chunks of his face, including his eye, and stomach. He has RCT just like Higuruma. But it doesn't end there either. Yuji's number of fingers on his left hand keeps changing.

4 fingers, 3 fingers, dubious amount of fingers, 5 fingers. Once again, you can chalk it up to Gege forgor, but JJK 270 came out and the same problem started happening with Megumi's scars.

The same mistake is made within the same set of panels and very big page. That's weird.

ONCE AGAIN, you can chalk it up to Gege forgor, but when these errors occur, like with Yuta mistakenly having his ring on in JJK 251, Gege will note the mistake outright. Gege has made no such comments for Yuji's fingers or the scars. This many “errors” in row when Gege has otherwise been careful with these features could indicate it really is on purpose. (Kind of like Sukuna's everchanging mask. The thing was just moving around and pulsing. That was deliberate not inconsistency.)

What does this mean?

I think it means what we are seeing isn't reality. After all, the most common way to tell if you're dreaming is being unable to count the number of fingers on your hands. Another way to tell is the distortion of faces.

Readers have noticed that something is wrong. The weird timeskips, the lack of lasting consequences, design inconsistencies, characters behaving like similes of themselves, death and pain being glossed over like it's nothing. It all feels so off. But it's still close enough to the original to be somewhat believable. ...Is that not what it's like to dream and not know you are dreaming?

Why is it that the chapter titled Dream's End ends with the hunt for a curse user whose ability is to distort the perception of reality?

Dreams and Delusions in JJK

We already know Gege weaves Buddhist symbolism and ideas heavily into JJK. I'm not an expert in Buddhism at all, so there's a lot of it that goes over my head. I decided to look into if dreams are significant in Buddhism and boy howdy are they. Quoted directly from the source:

"Dreams can be a message from a Bodhisattva, an ancestor, or a god, The intent of the dream may be to test the dreamer’s resolve: is he non-retreating (avaivartika) from Bodhi (enlightenment) even when sleeping? The purpose of the dream visit may be to communicate information vital to the dreamer’s well-being. The Buddha himself had five dreams of catastrophes, falling stars and worlds in collision just before his enlightenment. The dreams were sent to him not by a benevolent Dharma-protector, but by an malevolent sorcerer, intent on disrupting the Buddha’s samadhi and preventing his awakening."

In summary, (correct me if I'm wrong) dreams appear to be seen as another state of being just as valuable and impermanent as reality.

There's also this other bit I'll quote directly.

"The most common use of dreams in the literature of the Mahayana, or “Northern School” of Buddhism in China, Tibet, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam is to see dreams as a simile for sunyata, (emptiness) the hollow core at the heart of all component dharmas (things). For example, in the well-known Vajra (Diamond) Sutra, the Buddha taught that:

“All conditioned dharmas, are like a dream, like an illusion, like a bubble, like a shadow, like a dewdrop, like a lightening flash; you should contemplate them thus.”"

That's starting to sound like what Yuji's Domain does, right? He projects memories that did happen and mixes them with delusions and dreams. Sukuna and Megumi both experience this in full.

It's incredibly suspicious that it hasn't been named yet. Yuji is the son of Kenjaku who has a domain based on the Womb Sutra/Realm...which is paired with the aforementioned Diamond Realm to encompass the entire Dharma. It's very likely this is what Yuji's domain is—a realm of dreams and reality combined as one.

Unreality Runs in the Family

When Sasaki Setsuko "wakes up" as the Culling Games begin, Kenjaku explains her situation with this:

What follows is a sequence that cannot be described as a dream. It seems to be a blend of reality and hallucinations. But that's not anything strange, Sukuna does it too with Kashimo in reverse.

As you can see, both the positions of the characters and even the backgrounds change suddenly from reality to ??? and from sequence to sequence. It's all incredibly dream like.

Another strange thing about this space is Kenjaku creating it as a part of an escape route Binding Vow. You know, the kind Sukuna uses for Malevolent Shrine.

What I want to draw attention to here is this reality-dream state somewhat requires consent (in the loosest possible definition) to appear. The person entering this state has to desire it themself. We see this with Jogo and Gojo who are mutually interested in having a relationship of somekind with Sukuna. (Same with Kashimo.)

(It's also very hard to tell if they are dead or still in the process of dying during this.)

This is where the delusions Yuji projects differ. They are forced onto others when he is near death or severely injured, seemingly as a defense mechanism.

And would you look at that...the syntax is identical for Todo and Choso's Brother Yuji Delusions. "At that moment, a memory was born inside X's brain...of a past event that never happened." It's kind of like how Yuji replaces Gojo in Megumi's memory to reach him. It's also very strange that Sukuna, Choso, and Jogo go "What is this?" to this in-between space.

My point here is that Yuji having access to this space has been hinted at since the start of this manga and that it was inherited it by blood. (Totally Not Kenjaku showing up with Takaba Mr. Reality Warping CT in JJK 270 supports my case too I think.)

What does this mean for JJK 268–270?

The battle ended in JJK 268. Of that I'm certain. What I no longer know is if anyone survived.

A common complaint about Sukuna's death is his lack of an afterlife scene. Everything ended so abruptly. And then Megumi wakes up.

It's so jarring in out of place. ...But that's how all scenes involving the space between dreams and reality begin. Sasaki Setsuko "wakes up" once and then again. Most of us have experienced those kind of dreams right? (They made a whole movie about it called Inception which is based on the movie Paprika.)

There's one other thing I need to draw attention to. Yuji's Domain shattered after Sukuna cast Domain Expansion (DE).

When a sorcerer withdraws their domain voluntarily, it does not shatter. Gojo has demonstrated this for us in quite clearly.

When a domain is broken by force, it will shatter and shards will scatter. When a domain is withdrawn, no shards are left behind. Yuta uses these facts as a part of his plan. In JJK 252, it's revealed by Kusakabe that Yuta shatters his own domain on purpose to trick Sukuna into thinking he won.

What this means is that some kind of violent action needs to be taken to shatter a domain. Yuji's domain is massive and his attacks only targeted Sukuna. What could've shattered his domain all at once? He's not had the time to practice shattering parts of it like Yuta.

Gojo has shown us what a uniform domain shattering looks like—it happens when Malevolent Shrine activates. (Please note that the sfx used for Sukuna breaking Gojo's domain is カシャア. It's the same one used for Yuji's domain shattering.)

I'm proposing that we've been in unreality since the end of JJK 266. Sukuna and Yuji are both severely injured, on the verge of death, and have a connection with each other. These are all conditions that trigger the space between dreams and reality.

And I must remind you that Yuji first triggers this event with Todo after a severe head injury. Right before Sukuna casts his domain, they do this to each other.

Everything that has come after has been perfect for Yuji to a unbelievable degree. Everyone whose death was uncertain is alive and the living are getting exactly what they wanted. The effort behind it and the logistics are all missing. And yes a rushed ending can explain that, but that too can be part of the ruse.

Another massive complaint is that mourning has not occurred. Not for Gojo or Choso despite how much Yuji cherished them. It's like they're being willfully forgotten by the cast despite being crucial to their success in Shinjuku. It feels out of character, especially since Yuji is of the few that showed concern for them no matter what.

But if this is a delusion on the brink of death designed to bring happiness, why would Yuji think of the dead? He's always been so avoidant with it. When his grandpa is dying and trying to talk about his parents, Yuji tells him to shut up. When Nanami dies, he thinks of him then and then never again directly leading up to his talk with Sukuna. When Megumi tries to discuss Nobara's fate, Yuji ends the conversation as quickly as possible.

The only people in this world are the ones who may or may not be dead. He saw Yuta in Gojo's corpse. The only way that can happen is if Gojo is dead. Yuji has no choice but to believe it. Choso burned away before his eyes. Yuji has no choice but to believe it. He went through some of Megumi's memories and saw Tsumiki's corpse. Yuji has no choice but to believe it.

And since Tsumiki is the only person Yuji wasn't close with, she's the only death that has been outright acknowledged. But not for too long! That would make Megumi sad.

Another complaint is that Sukuna really didn't kill anyone in the final battle outside of those two and Kashimo. The dudebros call it Disney Kaisen. But the fairytale-like idea that everyone is ok? Todo was the one who put that idea in Yuji's head.

And Yuji has always been one to fall to story-like logic when things look like they're finally wrapping up.

"And then everything will be just fine." (Yuji before the worst possible outcome for both him and Megumi happens.)

This is similar to the line Gakuganji uses in JJK 270. "Everything is fine." This line is the whole reason I sat down and wrote this all out without stopping. I know Gakuganji. He'd never say that. This man has been in a state of worry over Jujutsu Society since his first appearance. He doesn't even fully believe in Gojo's cause as someone who values tradition. He's a stickler for details and will do everything in his power to ensure stability. For him to toss Sukuna and Tengen's remains in a shrine and call it a day? Who is that? He's changed but not that much.

And so I compared the raws.

It is very much the same 大丈夫 (Daijoubu). These are Yuji's words.

What I'm proposing is that JJK 267–270 are Yuji's delusions of the happiest possible ending. It's a picture perfect little end where all the trauma and death has no effect on the living and people move on like nothing happened. I don't know if this means he's dead or if Megumi's dead or if they're all dead. But what I'm seeing now? I don't think it's real.

Reexamining JJK 269

CW: Brief discussion of suicide.

Even if this turns out to be a part of the smokescreen, I'm always going to hate JJK 269. But I do want to give it some grace under the assumption this chapter titled Examination (which can also be translated as Reflection) is about Yuji's guilt. Both him and Megumi's tbh. I think their feelings for each other and their situations are driving these delusions. That's one thing about this space that's real—the feelings behind them.

Yuji has a lot of guilt surrounding his existence after ingesting Sukuna, Megumi does too. Straight up Yuji has been seeking death over it since JJK 9.

He struggles to forgive himself for being the centerpiece to violence he had little to no control over. The only thing that upsets him more than that is knowing that his death will break Megumi's heart. He doesn't want Megumi to feel any guilt for it whatsoever.

The kicker is, Megumi already knows Yuji is planning to die. And he wants to do everything to rid him of that guilt. Up until they connect inside of Yuji's domain, they were unaware they shared the same goal for each other.

And that's what JJK 269 is. It's a very cold and harsh breakdown that allows them to forgive themselves. Blame is passed around and ultimately pinned on a combination of Gojo and Kenjaku. (It's really weird Sukuna isn't blamed either, but that's not the point of this for now.)

Kusakabe's comment is especially harsh. Telling Yuji point blank he should've died and that both sides on the issue were valid? He may have believed that to an extent, but he made a point of not telling it to his face. Why have a whole chapter discussing how kind he is only to turn around and do this?

If this is all a delusion, a manifestation of Yuji's guilt and trying to absolve himself of it for Megumi's sake, that makes sense. This version of Kusakabe is what Yuji feels guilt over the most—Everyone's lives being better if he died.

In the same breath Kusakabe tells them to solely blame the adults. It's very reminiscent of Nanami telling Yuji that being a child is not a sin.

It should also be noted that every single time Megumi tries to apologize for being possessed, he's stopped. Maki tears into Yuta without checking in on him, but she asks if Megumi is ok and tells him to not blame himself. JJK 270 is full of this too. He tries to apologize to Tsumiki at her grave and Shoko tells him not to sweat it. He tries to apologize to Hana and she hits on him instead.

This delusion is crafted out of love. It allows Megumi to live in a world where he can move on from the guilt surrounding his possession and saving Yuji. It's all Yuji has ever wanted for him. And now that Yuji knows Megumi wants him to forgive himself, he has no choice but to do that too.

It's a perfect ending for Megumi that's too good to be true.

It must be a dream...

There's another thing I can't reconcile about JJK 269 unless it's a delusion—Todo's explanation for Yuta's plan. It's another one of those glaring contradictions.

In JJK 269 Todo claims Boogie Woogie can't target Maki. But in JJK 259? Todo makes plans with Mei Mei knowing that it works with her.

Either Todo lied...or Yuji never fully knew the plan and that Boogie Woogie could target Maki. Otherwise she would be dead. Her surviving Sukuna's flames would be impossible.

I've already talked about how Yuji believing those who may or may not be dead are alive is Todo's doing. He's always been the one to save Yuji from his breakdowns. But let's talk about his speech in Shibuya.

"Looking for meaning or logic in death...can at times defile the memories of those we've lost!"

Everyone who has read these past 3 chapters has really felt the defiling of Gojo's memory. And it was all in service to a strange logic that helped them cope with all this death. Acknowledging how massive Gojo's sacrifice was would riddle both Yuji and Megumi with immense guilt, so it's best to ignore it for Megumi's sake. (And perhaps that's why Yuji replaces Gojo in that memory.)

"What have you been entrusted with? You don't need to answer right now. However... Until you find your answer, never stop moving."

In a way, JJK 269 is an answer to the question Todo proposed. Yuji was entrusted with saving Megumi. Saving Megumi requires Megumi and Yuji forgiving themselves. And Yuji won't stop moving until it's done. All these time jumps and rushed developments are Yuji moving Megumi forward. He's getting that happy ending even if it's to the detriment of everything else.

What about Sukuna?

When Sukuna respects his opponents and they have a connection, he gives others these dreams before they pass. He's been very impressed by Megumi since JJK 9. It's not out of the ballpark for him to allow Megumi to die satisfied in the way Gojo did. Yuji also seems to understand that Sukuna was manipulated by others just as much as he was. I think that's why Sukuna is spared of the blame for the most part.

I don't think Sukuna won. He's probably dead. But he did warn Yuji not to underestimate him. I think the worst absolute last fudge you to Yuji he could give is this happy ending dream before ripping it all away as he dies.

In Conclusion...

I'm not sure that we're going to get that happy ending. Reggie Star warned us not too long ago.

"...it all comes down to a sorcerer's lies."

Reggie is a lot like Sukuna here, outwitted by modern sorcerers and dying to someone he loathes. Sukuna is good at tricking people. He let Gojo think he won before tearing it all away. Yuta did the exact same thing to him. Or did he?

"Can you do me a favor? After all, you've killed me. Let fate toy with you, become a clown, then die."

If the last 3 chapters are delusions...Megumi will be playing the part of a clown.

Gege said the manga would end with either 1/4 or 3/4 of Yuji, Megumi, Nobara, and Gojo surviving. This of course, could be changed throughout its development, but Gege said the manga is ending in its original vision. There's a real chance that it's only Yuji or Nobara surviving.

Remember, Gege is a troll first and foremost. Somehow Gojo was revived, but in the worst way possible (Yujo). Somehow Gojo did tell Megumi about Toji, but in the worst way possible (dead man's final letter).

Gege also said this about the final chapter:

"I am working hard to create a final chapter that will (hopefully) satisfy as many people as possible who have supported Jujutsu Kaisen. So everyone, please bear with me!"

I can't think of a better way to appease everyone than by making the last 3 chapters nothing more than dream.