#it's everything that kyoto is and represents

[reasonsforhope]

"A 25-year-old woman in China is the first person worldwide to have type 1 diabetes reversed through stem cell therapy.

The therapy used the patient’s own cells to create personalized stem cells, which were then used to grow fresh insulin-producing islets.

This breakthrough offers hope for millions with diabetes, potentially eliminating the need for daily insulin injections and reducing complications.

In a groundbreaking medical achievement, a 25-year-old woman in Tianjin, China, has had her type 1 diabetes reversed through a novel stem cell therapy. This marks the first time such a feat has been accomplished globally, offering new hope for millions living with the chronic condition.

The patient, who had been struggling with type 1 diabetes, underwent a pioneering treatment that involved converting her own cells into personalized stem cells. These stem cells were then used to grow fresh clusters of ‘islets,’ the hormone-producing cells in the pancreas responsible for regulating blood sugar levels.

As Nature reports, this therapy’s unique approach of transplanting the newly created islets into the patient’s upper abdomen near her pancreas sets it apart from previous islet transplant methods. This strategic placement allows for easier monitoring via MRI, a significant advantage over traditional liver transplants.

“I can eat sugar now,” the woman said on a call with Nature. After over a year since the transplant, she says, “I enjoy eating everything — especially hotpot.” The woman asked to remain anonymous for privacy reasons.

Experts are astonished at the results, according to Timesnownews. “They’ve completely reversed diabetes in the patient, who was requiring substantial amounts of insulin beforehand,” said Dr. James Shapiro, a transplant surgeon and researcher at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.

The implications of this breakthrough are far-reaching, as it could potentially revolutionize the way we treat diabetes. By using a patient’s own cells to create personalized stem cells, this therapy bypasses the limitations of donor islet shortages and the need for immunosuppressive drugs, which have hindered the success of conventional transplant methods.

‘If this is applicable to other patients, it’s going to be wonderful,’ diabetes researcher Daisuke Yabe of Japan’s Kyoto University told reporters via Daily Mail.

As the world watches closely, the success of this case sparks hope for the millions of individuals living with type 1 diabetes. It represents a significant step forward in regenerative medicine and paves the way for further research and development in the field."

-via Gadget Review, September 30, 2024

[yourstru1y4ever]

Day 20 - There Was Only One Bed

Pairing: Satoru Gojo x Reader Word Count: 1140 Content: Fluff! Gojo being Gojo, one bed trope Tuna-Tober 2024 Masterlist <- check out the other fics posted this month!

A/N: Nothing to note! Be sure to reblog and comment if you want to see more! - YoursTruly

Why did the higher ups pair you and Gojo together to be chaperones for the Kyoto Exchange Event? They had something against you, you were sure of it. Gojo hated your guts. That’s the only explanation as to why he rarely talked to you anymore since graduating from Jujutsu High or barely acknowledging your presence at meetings with the higher ups. 

The meeting you both have in Kyoto is to ensure that everything is ready for the exchange event. The trip to the Kyoto School seemingly took forever with Gojo whining every five seconds.

“The sweets are better back home-”

“What do you mean you didn’t bring silk sheets?! My hair is going to be all frizzy-”

“God it’s freezing! Can’t they turn up the temperature on the train?”

“I’m going to miss the rerun of digimon back home~”

It took every ounce of your energy to not pummel him into the ground, but you both made it to the hotel in one piece before they shut their doors for the night. It was only a matter of time before you went in your separate beds-

“This can’t be right.” You step inside and see the room is fairly small, only a queen sized bed is in the middle of the room, a bathroom to the right of the bed and a loveseat to the left. There’s a TV mounted on the wall in front of the bed and a desk below the TV.

Gojo walks past you and sets his suitcase by the foot of the bed, “It's the only room they had available, sorry sweetheart.” 

“Can it Gojo, I know you’re lying.” You scowl at him and he shrugs his shoulders.

“Go ahead and ask; they’re gonna tell you the same thing they told me.” He plops down on the bed, spreading his arms out.

You’re too tired from the trip to actually check to see if he’s lying. You mumble, “I’m not sharing a bed with you.”

“Come on don’t be childish,”

“I’m not being childish!” You stomp your foot on the ground. Immediately you feel waves of embarrassment flooding through your body, proving his point unconsciously.

“We can be adults about this,” He reasons and you shut him down.

“You’re not an adult Gojo, you’re more childish than I am.” You roll your eyes at him, trying to brush away your embarrassment. “I’ll just. . . sleep on this chair; it’s late, I have a headache and I need to sleep.”

“Fine, be that way then,” He crosses his arms and looks away from you. 

“And I’m the childish one,” you mutter to yourself.

He sticks his tongue out at you and you reciprocate. You open up your suitcase and pull out your toiletries and a set of pjs, “Do you need the bathroom at all, for like the next 30 minutes or so?”

“No?”

“Perfect.” You walk to the bathroom, “Just need to do my night routine.” and you shut the door before Gojo could protest.

A peaceful silence fills the bathroom as you get ready for bed, doing your night routine. No matter where you are you always try to do it since it helps you go to sleep faster and regain some of that control you lost earlier.

Once you finish, you open the door, and to your surprise, the lights are off and Gojo has his back to the door. His blindfold is on the nightstand next to the bed, along with his phone charging. You figured he would be watching something on the TV but you don’t take the silence in the room for granted. 

You carefully walk back to the chair and notice that there’s a blanket and pillow on the seat. How thoughtful, you think, smiling to yourself before shaking your head trying to clear that thought out. That’s exactly what he wants you to think. 

You plug your phone in to charge for the night, and make sure that your alarm is set for the morning. You don’t want to be late for this meeting as it’s the first time you’re being a representative for the Tokyo School.

You try to get comfortable on the chair and you’re not sure how much time has passed but you do eventually fall asleep. In the haze of your dream, you feel someone picking you up, bridal style. You groan, trying to push the person away.

“It’s alright, go back to sleep.” The voice whispers and you lean your head against his shoulder.

“Please don’t leave me,” You mutter, your arms tightening around the figure.

“I won’t,” He places a kiss on the crown of your head. You smile and barely hear Satoru say, “I promise.”

You wake up hours later, to the sun shining brightly in the room, its rays hitting your eyes. You squint at the sun and groan, trying to turn to the other side of the bed. When you start to turn you feel an arm around your side and someone behind you. Your body actually feels stiff and by the time your brain catches up with you, you realize that Gojo has been cuddling you the whole night.

“What the hell?” You mutter and Gojo stirs.

“Well good morning to you too,” He pulls you closer to him and tightens his hold on you.

You try to push his arms away but he refuses to budge, “Why?” 

“You weren’t getting any sleep on that stupid chair. I moved you to the bed.” He states matter of factly, “You’re welcome by the way.”

You want to keep pushing away from him. You don’t actually want to acknowledge what’s been happening between you both for years now, but the small part of you that wants to give in to Satoru’s affection betrays you as you stay in his arms.

You place your hand over his own, slotting your fingers in between his.

You feel him smile against your back, as he continues to hold you. You stay like this for a while, enjoying each other's company.

"Satoru?"

"Yes Sweetheart?"

"What time is it?"

“I dunno, noon maybe?”

“What?!” You sit up and Gojo groans, “We’re late to the Kyoto meeting! Damn it Gojo!” You jump out of bed and rush to grab a new change of clothes.

“It’s fine~ I’m always late.”

“That’s because you’re Satoru Gojo, you're allowed to be late.” You tell him as you rush into the bathroom to change. 

Once the door is shut he lets out the laugh he’s been holding in, you’re cute when you’re all flustered like this, he thinks. He doesn’t actually have the heart to tell you that it’s actually nine in the morning and that the meeting isn’t for another hour.

Maybe he can convince you to eat breakfast with him once you realize you’ll be early for the meeting.

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 763: The third year's start!!

Pag 2

1: Ten seconds until the start

Pag 3 /4

1: Let's run with everything we have!!

The last Inter High of the third year Sakamichi, start!!

Pag 5

1: Yeah!!

2: Let's go!!

3: Let's pour our whole guts into it!!

4: Yes!!

5: Let's go!!

6: Teh!!

Pag 6

1: The first day of the boy's Inter High competition in Fukuoka, starts now!!

It's here!!

Pag 7

1: All the cyclists are beginning to run, with the big bridge connecting Kyushu and Honshu through the Kanmon Straits in the back!!

Goo!

Waa, splendid!!

Do your best!!

Pag 8

1: The entrance of Kyushu, here from Moji city in Kitakyushu, going south, they'll fight for three days

Gooo

It's Sohoku!

Yeah!!

2: Waaaaa

The wind is so strong!

The cyclists are so close!

So fast!

Pag 9

1: Kumadai you can do it!

Fukuokaa!!

Their fight will unfold on the stage of Kyushu's nature!!

2: There are so many cyclists

Which team will win?

3: The one you need to pay attention to in the first place, is the one in the front with yellow jerseys

Pag 10

1: Chiba's representative, the two times in a row champion, Sohoku

The third year they call “Mountain King” took the top goal two years in a row!!

Huh... then it's decided already!!

2: Another one is the one with the blue jersey, Kanagawa's Hakone Academy

They were the team that kept winning before, and they're so strong they say that in that team “everyone is an ace”

Huuh... that's amazing too

Pag 11

1: Then there's Kyoto representative, with the purple jerseys, Kyoto Fushimi, who make the race unpredictable every time!!You can already feel their peculiar tenacity!!

They look scary

2: So those three!?

Well, yeah, but rumor has it that this year the mountain bike champion is participating, too

4: MTB!? The off-road one!?

That's right!!

5: And I guess the local Kyushu team won't keep quiet, and Hiroshima is strong too

There's a strong element of uncertainty in road racing

There are a lot of people, and the distance to cover and the time are long too

6: It's not the stronger one who always win

Huh

It's always been said that....

Pag 12

1: Until the finish line is crossed and the race is over, you never know what can happen during a road race!!

Pag 13

1: Hyoo... there's so many people, teh

2: They're all waving their hands, teh!!

Ahhh.... so many people, the scale is so different from the prefectural qualification, teh

3: What's wrong, newbie!! Hahaha

Ka-Kaburagi-san!!

4: It started

Huh!?

5: Finally, the Inter High!!

Pag 14

1: I'll show everyone here what I can do!! Take a look, newbie!!

2: This is the genius Kaburagi Issa's!! Super Special Strong-

3: Start Dash!!

Listen up, Rokudai

Yessir, teh

The red on the referee car means we can't surpass it

Pag 15

1: As long as that racket-like thing is red, this is a parade run

2: Until it gets turned round and becomes green, the race is in a neutral situation

Horuaaa

It means we have to run slowly and safely

3: There's no point in jumping ahead here

And if someone did that, he's just an idiot

Are you watching me, Aoyagi-san!! Haha

Teh... Aoyagi... san..

I'll surpass the care ahead of us!!

4: Once it becomes green, the speed will increase

Don't fall behind

5: Ye... yessir, teh!!

6: Hahaha I guess I left them behind of quite a lot

Waaa!? They're still right behind me!? Imaizumi-san, you're so fast!!

Choose a senpai to refer to

Ah.. huh... yessir, teh...

Pag 16

3: We've pretty much passed the residential area, teh

The parade will go on for a few more kilometers

4: Once we get on a wider road and can confirm it's safe, then there's the real start

Ohh

Pag 17

1: My first Inter High....

What on earth is it... the Inter High....

2: Ahh... my heart is pounding, teh...

Yeah, enjoy the scenery and the heart pounding while you still can

3: Teh!?

4: Once the race starts you won't have time to look at the scenery or take a breath

6: You- you have enough time to take a breath

Ro- Rokudai-kun

Don't bully the first year, Hotshot

7: Onoda-san!!

Pag 18

1: Only a little

3: Almost... none... the Inter High!!

I see... teh

Onoda-kun... you were even worst than Hotshot now..

Huh!?

The Inter H...igh sounds harsh

4: No, uhm

Uhm, it is

5: It's incredibly hard

It's so hard you could collapse

6: Your whole body falls apart and you can't even take a breath!!

Fall apart...!!

He's really putting the boot in...

Pag 19

1: But we run with all our strength

2: with everyone supporting each other

3: If we connect

Connect...

4: and we run until the end with all our might

7: When everything is over and we look back at it

Pag 20

1: We'll feel like it a really irreplaceable time

2: That difficult moment

Pag 21

1: When we were angry, frustrated, or when we smiled

We'll remember everything

2: Then, we'll think that we're happy we didn't give up

3: “Think”....

“Wish”....

4: That's....

Pag 22

1: That's the Inter High!!

3: If there are people who have “power” in their words

4: For me, it's this person

I've been thinking it since I've met him

5: Are you... in trouble?

Follow me

6: He usually seems unreliable when he talks, and there are times when he's awkward, but

… yes

Pag 23

1: His words always strike my core!!

Yessir!! Teh!!

That's right, Onoda-kun

You're right, Onoda

You can bet on it..!!

Yes!!

Pag 24

1: Thank you so much, teh

For bringing me, who didn't know anything, in such a brilliant and heart shaking world!!

Pag 25

1: Huh!? Everyone else too!! You were listening!?

Ah... uhm.. I was talking to Rokudai-kun...

2: Hahaha, we heard

3: And thanks to it, I'm all fired up!!

Don't get fired up more than this or you'll turn into ashes quickly

4: I-I'll run with everything I have, teh!!

5: So that you can fulfill

6: your dearest wish you told us about when we were coming here on the ship!!

Pag 26

1: “Dearest wish”

5: Yokosuka-Kokura ferry, off the coast of Kochi Prefecture

7: Well, the schedule after we arrive is roughly like this

Remember it yourself

Yes

Yes

Pag 27

1: Now if you get too excited you'll only get tired, and now it's okay to relax

Get a good night's sleep today, when you wake up tomorrow we'll go ashore

Yes!

2: Onoda, you want to say anything?

Huh!?

5: Let's... let's do our best

6: Yessir!!

Yes!!

On!!

7: Good night

Good night!!

8: Can I ask one last thing?

Pag 28

1: Earlier, Naruko-san said that our objective for this Inter High is to get our “third consecutive victory”

To be on par with Hakogaku, who is the only team to ever win three times in a row in the history of the Inter High

4: I agree, I also think we have to do it

But I there's one thing I'm curious about, and I don't think it's been asked yet

5: Onoda-san, what's your objective this year?

What are you running in the Inter High for?

[lovemeafterhrs]

one night only

you wanna ride for a lifetime, this is one night only.

gojo satoru x sorcerer! reader

part 2: make me stay

word count: 3k

MDNI!

warnings: porn with some plot, oral sex (f! receiving) in an empty classroom, gojo is majorly determined and it’s hot as fuck

listen along:

“jesus christ, satoru. you have got to stop doing that.” she sneered, obviously confused by his sudden presence in her empty classroom. he was supposed to be overseeing his students, not warping his way to her classroom instead. “what do you want?”

“you don’t even sound excited to see me. you’re breaking my heart here.” his white head of hair rested gently against the frame of the door, pressed against the wood as he sent her one of his signature bone-chilling smiles.

“is it that obvious that i don’t want you showing up at my doorstep, trying to take me home for the night?” her deadpan stare should’ve scared him off, but it only spurred him on more.

“oh, i wasn’t trying to take you anywhere. in fact, i’d like to stay right here.” gojo had always had a way with words, and if she didn’t know him so well she’d be shaking in her boots right now. to top it off, what he was insinuating was legitimately insane. sure, the students would all be busy for a number of hours, scattered through the forest at the tokyo campus. still, the idea alone made her cheeks burn in shame.

“i think that we should celebrate, as an act of goodwill between our schools.” satoru was trying not to break his cool and collected facade. it took everything not to crack a shit eating grin at his own words. even he thought the line was bordering on corny, but stupid shit kept pouring from his mouth as he stepped further into the room.

“oh, yeah? is that why you’re here, instead of in kyoto doing your job?” she looked remarkably unimpressed by his words, and she rose from her seat to lean against her desk instead. “what’s your angle here, satoru? you’re hardly useful to your students in this empty classroom with me.”

“oh, i’m just here to pitch my spectacular idea. i’ll be back before they even know i was gone.” his reply was lighthearted and playful, but something in his eyes told her that he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“besides, aren’t you supposed to be there, representing your beloved school? not a very good example to be setting as a teacher.” he added, and she rolled her eyes at him.

“first of all, in what universe would i ever take you up on your so-called ‘spectacular’ idea?” she looked over at him, and she didn’t miss the way his eyes raked over her form. “second, i’m no use to them there. someone has to guard the home front.” she motioned to the school around her with one of her fingers.

“i can see it in your eyes, and in the way you’ve been clenching your thighs since i got here.” his response made her pause, and her eyes widened the slightest bit. she’d forgotten how receptive he was to body language, able to pick up even the smallest detail. she was screwed. so entirely screwed.

“that doesn’t mean i’m going to sleep with you.” she quirked an eyebrow at him, and he stifled a chuckle. that didn’t discourage him in the slightest. he had no intention of letting this opportunity slip out of his grasp. he was so close to finally breaking open her cold demeanor, he could nearly taste it. he was practically buzzing with excitement at this point.

“oh, c’mon baby. it’s just one night.” he smirked, and took another step towards her startled form. it was kind of funny, actually. it wasn’t so often that he saw the sorcerer so spooked, more like a deer in headlights than a powerful and dangerous entity.

“i told you to stop calling me that.”

“you keep saying a lot of things, but i only listen half the time.” his eyes glinted at her, and she frowned at the sultry tone that left his lips. she wasn’t stupid. she knew exactly what was going on in that little pea brain of his.

“you didn’t show up to the party.” he gave her a look that resembled one of a kicked puppy, just for good measure. said ‘party’ was the annual sister-school goodwill event, which he knew she hated.

“i missed you.” he cooed, and she looked at him in disgust. his sentiments were true, to a point. he liked seeing her much more than utahime, that was for sure. he liked teasing her, and riling her up far too much for a work function. in fact, he had grown to look forward to it.

it was fun. and he was dreadfully bored.

he didn’t get to see her that often, leaving him like an addict awaiting his next fix. it was kind of pathetic, if you looked at it too closely. he wouldn’t admit that, though. not over his dead body.

to be completely honest, he’d been trying to weasel his way into her underwear for more years than he could count. at every event since they were sixteen years old, he’d been adamate to pester her to an annoying degree. the two had developed a sort of love-hate relationship. one that had always leaned more towards hate than love, though.

“no, the whole thing was going to be a shitshow. besides, i wanted to spare myself from exactly what you’re trying to do right now.” her glare was pointed, and her reply was only partially joking. she chose not to respond to the other half of his sentence.

he didn’t have the guts to actually do anything, right? they’d been playing the little cat and mouse game for years, and he hadn’t succeeded yet.

she wasn’t expecting anything different, and she should’ve known not to underestimate him.

“what do you mean?” he asked, his tone deceivingly innocent. she didn’t believe it for a second.

“oh, don’t give me that shit. you should see the look on your face right now.” her response was more than accurate, even satoru himself could see that. he was leaning against one of the student’s desks, lust pooling in his irises as he leaned towards her.

“be honest, it’s working isn’t it?” his eyes glimmered in the light that beamed in from the window, as he lacked the small black glasses he normally wore. he was staring again. “you kind of want to fuck me, don’t you?”

“shut your whore mouth, satoru. you know that this is a dead end. why don’t you go get your rocks off somewhere else? i know there’s plenty of girls who want a chance to fuck you.” she was trying her best to fend off his advances, but the entire situation had made her rather weak in the knees. he had always been irritatingly gorgeous, but she found that she was having a hard time keeping her eyes off him.

“ugh, but they’re not as fun as you are. aren’t half as bratty, either.” he took another step, inching closer with every flirty reply. he could nearly see the finish line now, and he found himself growing more bold.

“i just think you’re a masochist. you like when i reject you, and kick you out the door on your ass.” he laughed darkly at her words, and moved to stand in front of her. he was towering over her, eyes lidded as he took in the sight of her so flustered.

“baby i’ll take whatever you give me, but i’d like it more if you didn’t.” he was inching his way in between her legs, and placed his hands on the table behind her.

“in your dreams, lover boy.” she choked out, leaning back against the wood in an attempt to keep him at a distance. satoru seemingly had other plans.

“you know that love isn’t my style, gorgeous. i’m just offering to blow your mind, if you’d let me.” his words nearly made her jaw drop open, but she clenched it hard as she swallowed down whatever her body was feeling right now.

“you talk like you have the biggest dick in all of japan. are you able to back up any of the shit you spew?” she was growing irritated now. he had always been such a fucking tease. knowing him, he’d warp out of the room before he touched her at all. she silently started to wonder if he was all talk, or if he was finally being serious for once.

“i’ve been trying to prove that to you, baby. you just never give me the chance.” his breath felt hot over the shell of her ear as he whispered to her, and he curled a strand of her hair between his fingers. she opened her mouth to speak, and he tutted at her again. “c’mon, angel. i know you want to.”

she didn’t reply, only scoffing at his words. she turned her head away from him, but he pulled her eyes right back to his.

“you’re giving me that look again.” she whispered, and he held himself back from laughing and breaking the tension. of course he knew exactly what he was doing, but he couldn’t help but try to push his luck.

“i have no idea what you’re talking about.” he replied with a charming smile, before staring down at her lips rather blatantly. he was testing his limits, and praying she wouldn’t throw a chair at him for trying.

“you are such a bad liar.” she had tried to keep her tone flat and unbothered. she really did. however, it came out closer to a whine than anything. he felt electricity coursing through his veins, and he nuzzled his face into her neck. his hands came around her hips, and he held her close as he left a soft kiss on her clavicle.

it was out of character to be this gentle, especially for him. that thought was shot to shit when she felt his wet tongue running along the side of her neck.

“satoru..” she breathed out, her words hushed as she tried not to moan. “we really can’t do this, i’m seeing someone.”

“are you exclusive?” he asked, not even bothering to look her in the eyes as he kissed her neck again. jealousy laced his tone, barely hidden in between the lines of his words.

“no but-“ she started, but was immediately shot down by an annoyed groan from the white haired sorcerer. he paused his ministrations, and his fingers started rubbing small circles into her hip bone. she was planning on telling him she had a date that night, but the words died in her throat when he squeezed the flesh of her thighs.

“fuck your little boyfriend, then. he can have you when i’m done.” he was staring her down with his sapphire blue irises, almost like he was trying to put her under a spell or something. it made her want to kick and scream, but instead she just stood stagnant as if the world had stopped beneath her feet.

“you are such an asshole.” she replied, her tone dry. still, she hadn’t pulled away in the slightest. “fuck, fine. just this once.”

“just once?” satoru asked, looking more than a little disappointed.

“yeah, one night only. if you try to get in my pants again i’ll fucking kill you.” she threatened, but all hints of malice left her voice when he bit into the flesh of her neck.

“you can try, but you probably won’t succeed.” confidence dripped off his words as he leaned to close the distance between them.

kissing satoru gojo was far too intimate, considering the situation they currently found themselves in. he kissed her like he was going to eat her whole, and devour every single part of her existence. his long arms wrapped around her ass, pulling her flush to his hips as he leaned forward again. the look in his eyes was akin to that of a starving animal, salivating over the sight in front of him. the wood desk underneath her creaked under his weight, but he paid it no mind as his hands began to creep underneath her dress.

he was having the time of his life, honestly. he never thought he’d have the chance to paw at the skin of the girl he’d been praying he’d get forever. he relished in every breathy gasp that left her lips, and soaked up every ounce of attention she was giving him.

“been waiting to fuck you for years. so excited to taste you.” his weight shifted as he dropped to his knees, and pulled her dress above her hips. “gonna make you cum so hard you can’t walk tomorrow.”

“oh, my employers will love that.” she rolled her eyes, thinking of the grumpy old geezer she took orders from. he’d probably have a heart attack if he saw the sight of satoru dragging her panties down her legs in the empty classroom.

“an even better reason to do it, honestly. maybe i’ll take you with me to the principal’s office and we can fuck on the old man’s desk-“ his words got him a smack across the side of his head, and he chuckled under his breath.

“do you ever shut up?” she asked, and he replied in kind by licking a stripe across her folds. ever the tease, he was looking to drag this little show out as long as he possibly could.

“you’ve known me since you were sixteen, you know the answer to that question.” he chided, and bit into the skin of her inner thigh. he was surprised he had made it this far, if he was being honest with himself. but he was nothing if not determined. his head dove between her thighs yet again, hell bent on hearing her loud moans ringing through the empty hallways.

her hands carded through his white locks of hair as his tongue made it’s way to her clit. a chill ran down her spine, and her back arched against the hardwood of the table.

“oh, does that feel good?” his question was muffled against her skin as he looked up at her, cheeks still pressed against her plush thighs.

“s-stop looking at me like that.” she replied breathily, and he winked at her before diving back into her folds. one of his fingers began to run along her entrance, gathering her fluids in a rather obscene manner. he licked his fingers, and hummed in appreciation.

“so wet already..” he cooed, touching and rubbing her most sensitive places with a smirk across his face. “is this all for me?”

“satoru.. please stop talking.” she whined, writhing against his touch as she was already getting dangerously close to release. his teasing was unbearable, and his words were doing way too much to her way too quickly.

“hmm.. let me think about that for a sec.” he mumbled, his tongue resuming it’s exploration. “how about.. no. maybe i’ll change my mind if you cum all over my face.” he smiled innocently, staring up at her again with his pretty blue eyes like he hadn’t just spouted the dirtiest shit she’d ever heard. his head was still planted between her legs, and his hands squeezed around her thighs as he pushed her further into the wood of the desk. she’d probably be covered in bruises from the pressure tomorrow, but she was too focused on the stars that had started to form behind her eyelids.

he started to tease at her entrance, before dipping a finger inside. followed quickly by another. her walls squeezed around his fingers, and she gasped as they started to move at a steady pace. it was all too much, and she couldn’t bare to watch him eating her out like it was his last meal on earth. she let out a pitched moan when his fingers brushed over a particular spot inside of her, and her hips sputtered at the contact. she loved the way he sucked at her clit, hitting exactly where she needed him to.

he only added fuel to the fire by pounding his fingers into the spongy surface, and her eyes widened as she came suddenly without much warning. her thighs clamped around his head, and he rocked her hips along his face as she rode out her high. even after, he still hadn’t let up in the slightest. it was overwhelming, and he didn’t stop moving his tongue until she was begging him to stop. she was already overstimulated, but she needed more.

for the first time ever, she was legitimately thinking about letting him fuck her right then and there. his lips left her clit with a grotesque pop, a string of saliva dangling from his pretty mouth as he pulled himself back up to look at her.

“you taste so good, baby. i bet you feel even better..” he teased, biting at her neck between his words. he looked down, admiring the mess he’d made of her already. “god, you’re shaking. you’re just begging to get my dick inside of you.” he continued, and her cheeks darkened as she nodded along wordlessly.

“oh c’mon, baby. tell me what you want me to do to you. i know you can do it.” god, he really never stopped talking. even when he was rubbing his clothed erection against her, he still found a way to keep his end of the conversation going. she wanted to wipe that smirk clean off his face.

satoru looked entirely fucked out after he nearly sucked the life out of her, with his lips swollen and his cheeks flushed. he looked almost entirely out of breath, so desperate to finally be getting what he’d been dreaming about for years. he began fumbling for his belt when his phone began to ring, and he looked down at the caller ID with a frown.

“fuck, i gotta go. this isn’t over, though.” he pressed a kiss to her lips, sporting a rather impressive tent in his uniform pants. he gave her a halfhearted salute, and disappeared before she had the chance to argue.

“such a fucking tease.” she groaned, cheeks burning as she pulled her dress back down. there was no way she was getting any work done now.

“where the fuck were you, asshole? we’ve been looking for you for the last hour.” shoko glared at her friend, and after staring him down for a moment a look of realization washed over her features.

“oh. nevermind. i literally do not want to know.” shoko’s expression turned to disgust, and she walked away from him without another word. she left satoru by himself, and he hit his hand against the wall as soon as she was gone.

“so close.” he sighed, leaning his forehead against the cool surface. “i got sooooo fucking close.”

[majycka]

Hello op! I am one of those people who actually like Utahime as characters, my initial reason was her character design and name (I still think she has the best design among the female cast in jjk, maki and yuki aside). Her CT made me love her more, cause that differentiates her from other jujutsu sorcerers, where selfishness and greed is required to become ones absolute best self, Utahime’s CT does the opposite though, she as a human and also by the virtue of her CT can never really be selfish in a way. She literally powers up others (and herself), and her major strength lies in connections (again completely different from what is expected of sorcerers). If we break down her CT, she is the strongest version of herself (since her CT also powers herself) when she is with others helping them to be even stronger, almost exactly opposite of what gojo, the pinnacle of what jujutsu society represents.

I am also someone whose perception of her don't align with that of her majority fandom, I think you are one of those people, too. I would love to know your thoughts on how you personally perceive her and why your point of view is different. Cause there are times I wanna discuss something about her with my irl mutual, but then again, it never goes well. They are too deep in fanon stuff. I am someone who generally likes to keep my headcanon toned down and mostly stick to canon. I really wanted a pov of someone who actually likes her but also respects canon quite equally.

I honestly would have loved to see her more. This is not even something i am saying a fan, but even as a minor character, what she represents is just so different from everything we have been told (even her students defy that).

I hope I didn't bother you a lot with my ramblings 🙏

Nah you're all good anon! I love it when I get to ramble with other ppl about my faves and I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments of Utahime! I'll proceed to just dump all my thoughts about her as well and discuss what fandom thinks of her from what I've seen.

One thing that I've picked up from fanon of view of Utahime (in some of the fics I've read) is she's SOLELY this strict teacher all about respecting tradition/authority when it's not and it reduces her to that "respect your seniors!" dialogue. In fact, I can even argue that Gojo represents more of JJK traditional view in valuing individual strength even how much he says he's being progressive. His view of dividing people between strength vs weak screams kinda the same as those traditional clans valuing cursed techniques above anything else. Meanwhile, Utahime's value of teamwork challenges this traditional view of individual strength when like Gojo said, the pinnacle of jujutsu, all sorcerers die alone even how much allies you have 'cause the jjk world is an individual sport.

But let's break down this a bit and see what Gojo mean by jjk being an individual sport. We have seen so far that people who usually ascend the ranks are pretty selfish. Mei Mei who cites herself having a pretty weak technique, optimized her CT by using her brother. Kusakabe who doesn't have a proper CT was able to be a grade one rank because he, at the beginning of the Shibuya arc, wants to save his own skin and would rather stay behind in fighting (but dude later on helped in pulling out the kyoto kids from the Kenjaku attack, still dude can be selfish). The big clan families will kill each other over cursed techniques. Gojo himself advised Megumi to be more selfish and greedy in power when they were training together. Of course, there are outliers such as a strong sorcerers like Nanami, who cares for children, but boom ended up getting killed right at the very end while Mei Mei was able to go to her Malaysia trip. It paints this image that selfishness is a needed trait to survive the jujutsu world and rise to power.

However by Utahime promoting teamwork shown through her kids, teamwork can give up the idea of selfishness because we learn when to trust others and work together for a common goal. It can save people especially in a world where being "weak" is a disadvantage. An excellent example of teamwork from Kyoto Tech is shown through that one scene in jjk 0 how each kid has a role in their group attacks which optimizes their cursed technique no matter how VARIED their ranks/skills are. Momo usually surveys the area, communicates to others, and is like the oversees everything in a big picture. Kamo acts as the leader, looks out for everyone and keeps them in task. Mai is the long range shooter and can back people up. Mechamaru constantly backs others up like Miwa. Meanwhile, of course, there's our fun outlier, Todo.

But the funny thing is despite Todo usually going off his own, breaking the "yay teamwork!" streak of Kyoto tech, his character brings up another essential point about teamwork: connecting with others. If it weren't for Todo showing up in helping Yuuji against Mahito, then Yuuji wouldn't be able to defeat him right after seeing Nobara blown up. Todo works best/fights best with his besto friendo. Todo is the same dude who said being sorcerers means always honoring their allies/friends because they keep us going. It's still very much in line in the spirit of Kyoto kids' teamwork and also their connection with others. Muta and Miwa. Mai and Maki. Momo and her bond with Mai and Miwa. Kamo and his mom. There's also their teacher Utahime who is close friends with Shoko, and she probably influenced these kids to get along with each other and foster that teamwork skills (you know like the MANY MAANNNYYY times Uta keeps on saying that the kyoto-tokyo kids should get along during the goodwill event). I'm not saying Tokyo kids can't get along, but it's not as the same degree as Kyoto's. I think what Kyoto's dynamic different is how they can be vulnerable with others and open about their problems/feelings which helps in these kids growing closer. For example, Momo is well aware of Mai's situation and will defend her. Miwa, who's well aware that growing closer will only end up hurting them because of the inevitable death in jjk, still chose to connect with her peers, and that lead to Muta even falling in love with her. For Tokyo, let's take an example of how the first years reacted to Yuuji's "death." Both Megumi and Nobara definitely tried hard to keep that stoic front. Nobara said how she can't cry on some guy she just knew for a few months when in fact Nobara is clearly affected. In the earlier arcs, Megumi and Yuuji were keeping secrets from each other about the whole "eating the Sukuna finger actually made things worse by awakening other fingers and kills more people everyday." The second years became close because of Yuta's nature who constantly reach out to everyone and not under Gojo's influence.

Moreover, I don't think I've seen this much group cohesion like Kyoto’s compared to Tokyo because it stuck to me how in Shibuya arc, the Tokyo kids are just constantly going off their own to prove their strength like Maki and Nobara which yes is a bit understandable cuz these kids are strong, but would it be so much stronger if they work together? But Gojo, their teacher, has established that he does not really advocate teamwork (even if he did for other’s help like Nanami and Utahime, he still ended up doing things alone). If Gojo's students are all strong individually because he's very particular in choosing his kids(aka choosing them for their potential/strength), then Utahime's student's are weak individually HOWEVER more stronger as a group. No wonder she is adored by everyone. No wonder that when Miwa was at her lowest during Muta's death, Kyoto tech was there for her.

However, there are times too when Utahime is carried away by the system and her students fell victims to it too(like the time she didn't know her student were targeting Yuuji, how Mai and Muta died in cruel way) because as the opposite of Gojo, she isn't traditionally strong who has the power to defy authority. She's more subtle about it because she works around the system (shown in investigating that haunted mansion from gojo's past arc and working to find the mole within the ranks and students) and doesn't easily power through them like how Gojo destroyed the mansion and can do whatever he wants cuz of his "strongest" title. That's why Gojo asked her help because she could investigate within the system and he couldn't do something like that when he's all about being loud and throwing around his weight. There are pros/con to her subtle nature, but since the JJK world favors the strong, then she gets stuff unchecked. So, NO, I don't think she's all that "strictly respect traditions/authority" type of person. She just knows how to play politics especially in a world where they will hammer down who is weak against the system, and yet, despite that, she's able to influence her kids to do something that sorcerers struggle with.

This is why her CT is beautiful too because literally and thematically anyone who gets into her "zone" will be strengthened by her. I've seen complaints about Utahime's CT in being merely a support/buffer type. Some people had been expecting that it could be something powerful and not just buffing people up. I’m guessing that its the girlboss belief that fans can latch onto. I mean most of the jjk girls are tough as nails that the fans like which yes is understandable! But I’ve seen this happen way too many time in shonen spaces where at times the considered “weak” or "support-type" fem characters are easily non favorable for fans. I think such thing doesn’t help people actually analyze the text and for me, if such character is written well then I’m 100% in (like c’mon, Miwa’s a “weak” character and yet she’s compelling not just her fun personality, but how she struggles with grief and a world where she gets her ass kicked for being weak). As for Utahime’s case, I love it! Because the whole point of the cursed techniques is it reflects a lot like of its user’s psyche and the series establishes that Utahime values teamwork and her connections with others which is anomaly in the jjk world, and it makes her CT badass in that way. That’s why it’s no wonder she’s a natural in supporting others! It 👏makes 👏sense👏!

My next fanon and canon comparison is more within the gjhm fandom which will be a bit controversial. Like I'm a gjhm shipper myself but there are times I have some issues in how they deal with Utahime. I think at times Utahime's spunk gets taken away just so she could coddle Gojo and easily ship them together fast. Like yall Utahime actually has some genuine reasons why she hates him not just 'cause of his annoying ass but cuz of his "weak" mockery to her. And I find it very much so amazing that Utahime's doesn't take his shit and will retaliate. I think it's Utahime wanting Gojo to be accountable on shit he does (like dang man this dude been getting away from shit) 'cause Gojo does perceive people in the traditional fashion of strong vs weak lenses. I keep on saying strong vs weak lenses because how Gojo nitpicks people he wants to "save" and that's usually people with "potential." Is it altogether bad wanting kids/students that have the drive to be stronger? Well, not exactly, no but when he started spouting how he wants to raise a generation way better than the higher ups, then why doesn't he include ALL of generation whether the kids start of strong or weak. Why didn't he pull out both Maki AND Mai from their Zenin situation? Don't give me the bullshit of "I can't save everyone who doesn't want to be saved" because especially if this is kids put in a dangerous environment, then it would be the job of adults to be responsible for them.

This is where the comparison of Utahime can show up again. Even how much different her kids are, personality and sorcery skill wise (llike Mai, Momo's fiery personalities way different from Miwa's, Kyoto being quite annoyed by Kamo's leader attitude), they obviously still make their group attacks work whether one is disadvantage in some skill or not. Utahime again and again is shown to care for her students whether not they're strong or weak. She prioritize their safety when that attack from goodwill arc showed up, and she went to the frontlines during the Kyoto-Kenjaku attack back in Shibuya.

I think, just personally, the fanon of Utahime coddling Gojo is ain't it for me when in many ways, Utahime can point out the flaws of Gojo's teaching that he needs. I'm not saying Utahime doesn't have her flaws either because she's weak to a whole system against her and there are times she couldn't be there for her students.

But yeah, that's about it for my Utahime thoughts and fanon discussion. Anon, if you have any fanon interpretation that you've encounter or more Utahime thoughts and wanna share then please feel free to drop an ask! ;)

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Hakuoki x Sengoku Night Blood Crossover - A Fleeting Vision A Fortuitous Meeting with a Samurai Episode 2

There are probably scene changes in this that weren't mentioned in the text I pulled... so I'll go check those later once I get my laptop back. That won't happen for 1-3 weeks based on what the customer service representative said... so I'll be using my old one until then, though things should hopefully be fine until I get it back.

Also... there's a prologue and five episodes for this crossover. I've evidently not been counting properly for a while... 😅

Hakuoki x Sengoku Night Blood Crossover - A Fleeting Vision A Fortuitous Meeting with a Samurai Episode 2 - Different parties in the same boat [more literally it's moe like "arch-enemies in the same boat", but I'm not too sure about that.]

Translation by KumoriYami

After separating from Yamazaki-san, we found a small village. For the sake of being able to talk to the villagers after daybreak. In order to be able to talk to the villagers after dawn, we decided to spend the night near the village.

I hugged my knees, watching the flickering flames as I worried about what I would speak about what I had heard. Even though I was skeptical of her words, I didn't know if everyone would believe me if I suddenly spoke of it...

Harada: Chizuru, you've been silent for a while now, did something happen?

Toudou: Are you feeling uncomfortable/sick?

Harada: Is that so, Chizuru?

Yukimura: No, it's not like that... there's something I actually need to tell everyone.

Okita:...So, the girl who was with those guys told you something?

Yukimura: Yes. At that time, I asked her about some things I was worried about... but I couldn't believe it myself, and I don't know if anyone would believe what I'm going to say.

Saito: Exactly what did she tell you? Tell us.

I told them that this was a world called "Shinga", and that this place was called the Uesugi Domain. There was also the existences of what they had been fighting a while ago, which were known as "Yakuma"...

It was very difficult for them to believe these things right away, and everyone fell silent.

Okita: If you told me that i was dreaming right now, I think I'd find that more credible.

Toudou: That's right… It's because you're so serious, Chizuru, that I almost have to believe you.

Okita: But no one is doubting the authenticity of Chizuru-chan's words.

Toudou: I, I also believe Chizuru. But...

I know what Heisuke-kun wanted to say.

If I had been able to ask more questions then, things might not have ended up this way...

Saito: Yukimura, do you believe what she said?

Yukimura: I… I don't think she would have lied under those circumstances. Furthermore, she seemed to not know about the Shinsengumi.

In Kyoto, almost everyone knows what the light blue haori symbolizes.

Saito: Nn... they also didn't seem to know about us.

Harada: Those other people had also looked confused when they saw us, so it's possible that what she said was true.

Okita: And I've never seen a person with animal ears.

Toudou: Then... this isn't Kyoto, but some other world!?

Yukimura:...I think that it is.

Heisuke-kun looked up to the the sky in shock and mumbled to himself.

Toudou: Even in another world, the starlight you see with your eyes doesn't change...

Harada: What you're saying is discouraging. The future is going to be a serious headache, do you seriously understand that?

Toudou: Hmm? What are you talking about?

Harada: In other words, we have to find a way to return to our own world.

Toudou: Ah, that's right...... Then, would anyone know how to get back?

Saito: The woman who told Yukimura that this is another world might know.

Harada: But, if that's the case, I should have asked who those guys were.

Okita: Alright, it seems that this is their domain anyway, so we'll see each other again.

Saito: Souji is right, though let's wait until we meet up with the Vice-Commander to discuss everything else, and call it a day.

Afterwards——we decided to take turns watching the bonfire, and then each went to sleep.

I could hear the sound of branches burning, and the sound of everyone breathing. Although I was a bit worried about whether I could close my eyes and fall asleep, because I was with everyone, I fell asleep before I realized it...

Yukimura:……!?

Upon hearing a terrifying roar that seemed to come from underground, I literally jumped up. Although I hadn't seen what had made that hair-raising sound, I however recognized it. Realizing that it was the roar of a Yakuma, my head turned towards everyone——

Okita: You finally woke up, I got up first.

After shooting a glance at me, Okita-san ran off. He had gone towards the direction of the Yakuma.

Harada: Chizuru, we can't leave you here by yourself, so you should also get ready to go.

Yukimura: O-Okay.

Toudou: The people in the village might have been attacked, so I'll be going first!

Saito: Sano, Yukimura will be in your care.

Harada: Oh, leave it to me.

Yukimura: Everyone, please be careful!

To chase after those who had gone ahead, I also started running. Then, I finally saw them wielding blades in the darkness. However, besides the Shinsengumi, there were others who had rushed towards the Yakuma.

Yukimura: That's...

Even with what I could from this distance, I was able to recognize the same group of people from yesterday.

Afterwards, the Shinsengumi fought along side them once again. White blades tore through the darkness, and silenced the low roars——

Naoe Kanetsugu: I didn't expect to run into you again in a place like this.

Okita: I also never expected that someone would disturb [one of my] fights for two consecutive days.

Naoe Kanetsugu: Ha!? It's natural for us to protect our people!

Uesugi Kagekatsu: Kagekatsu... you still need to express your gratitude.

Okita: I don't remember doing anything to for you all to be thanking me for.

Naoe Kanetsugu:...You have protected the people who live in Kenshin-sama's domain. Thank you very much.

Uesugi Kagekatsu: Thank you...

Hearing their frank words of gratitutde, we truly couldn't hide our shock. Perhaps it was because we were usually looked down upon in Kyoto.

Toudou: I'm a little confused, I thought these gus would be more aggressive… Could it be that they're not bad people?

Harada: If only it were that simple.

Toudou: I know, I don't trust them either.

Okita: Okay, okay, this will get nowhere if this continues. Hajime-kun, the discussions will be left to you.

Saito:…Understood.

Saito-san still maintained his usual attitude, and faced them [before] speaking.

Saito: Are you here to arrest us?

Uesugi Kagekatsu: No... we came to assist you.

Saito: How can you say that?

Naoe Kanetsugu: Your existence might be important to us.

Saito: Although I don't know if [we] would be of importance, we actually wanted to talk to you.

Uesugi Kagekatsu:...Nn. But, is that okay? Didn't you want to freely look around?

Saito: No need. I wanted to talk to you first. Would this be convenient?

Naoe Kanetsugu:...I understand, then come with me.

Not knowing what was meant by "important existences", we ended up falling them while feeling bewildered.

Hijikata:...Just when I wanted to say that we finally found someone, what the hell are those guys doing?

Hijikata, who had been hiding in the shadows of the trees, whispered as he watched the other's figures in the distance.

Hijikata: Yamazaki, do you know anything?

Yamazaki: No. Before I left, everyone concluded that they should keep some distance away from that group and meet up with the Vice-Commander first.

While saying "I would have thought that too", Hijikata gripped his chin with his hand and looked back at their disappearing figures.

Hijikatata: Why couldn't those people just wait there?

Kazama: Haha, they're just a bunch of dogs who can't even wait.

Nagakura: You're not in the position to say that to us!

Kazama: As the saying goes, the weaker the dog, is, the louder it barks.

Hijikata: Your prattling is noisy. I'm thinking about some things s shut up.

When he had opened his eyes, he was already in this forest.

Hijikata could only remember that he was about to carry out an assignment, and then Kazama suddenly appeared.

Although he had quickly understood that all the people present had gathered here, the reason for why he was in this forest was what Hijikata still couldn't figure out after thinking about it for a long while.

Kazama: Even if you broke your head thinking, you wouldn't find an answer.

Hijikata...Hah, things would be so much simpler if you oni were the ones who did this.

Kazama: What good would doing this do for me? It'd be easier to simply and straightforward to just kill you. It would be simpler and more straightforward to just kill you.

Hijikata:...That makes sense. You wouldn't do such a troublesome thing either.

Nagakura: Hijikata-san, we can't just wait around, in any case, let's catch up with them first, alright?

Hijikata: That's right. Follow from behind, and be careful to not be noticed by them.

---to be continued- in part 3 here--

[hazyletter]

Kei had always liked wearing rings. Though he couldn't quite determine as to when he specifically started collectingㅡit doesn't change the fact that they're there because he wants them to be there.

He liked how pretty his hands looked. He liked how it bought weight down to his wrapped fingers whenever he moves a joint. The clanking sound of his hand holding onto railings whenever he goes to the train station, echoing with the bustling crowd, him melting in the middle.

Kei doesn't have any specific brand he likesㅡprice as well. He just wants them to be stainless steel, and mixes of gold and silver, two clashing colors mended into one above his sugar-like skin.

With volleyball coming to mind, he removes them, of course, leaving them in a small packet in his locker in which he'll immediately wear after showering. He wears rings at home except when going to the bathroom. He wears rings when asleep. He wears rings when styling his hair. He wears rings as the main point of his mirror selfies.

It's the little things that counts, he thinks. He doesn't mention it a lot, clearly not interested in speaking about it any further than, "I like wearing them" with a faraway look to anything else beside who asked. He doesn't need a specific fidget ring. It already keeps him at bay.

Makes him feel like he belongs, having something that he likes and he likes only, with the exception of strangers. It's like a second skin for Kei. He doesn't wear any accessories more than it besides a watch and a bracelet from Natsu that he still kept after all these years. (Can't blame him. It's really pretty.)

But to see Tobio suddenly take interest specifically in his collections of rings, it brings Kei's thoughts to a place that morphs his supposed-to-be at bay feelings.

(It's the little things that counts.)

It echoes in his mind as Tobio fiddles with all the rings he'd owned for almost a decade, unorganized in one wooden box colored with rugby, the slight smell that had made Kei pay attention to Tobio's scrunched-up nose with an affronting sound.

"This is pretty impressive. I never expected for someone like you to be into this stuff." Tobio hums to himself, eyeing one silver ring that has a golden leaf in the middle in fascination, like he'd never see anything like it ever again.

""Someone like me"?" Kei raises a brow.

"Yeah." Tobio simply nods. "Someone like you. Because you play volleyball. And I know you hate anything clinging to you at all times."

How do you know? "And what makes you so sure about that?" His eyes follow the way Tobio's fingertips guide another golden ring in his hold to his left ring fingerㅡa much simpler one than the others. He remembers buying it from one of his trips to Kyoto, flashbacks of the vendor telling him it represents harmony of the mind and heart, taking effect when both the wearer and the one who bought it are bonded.

Ridiculous, Kei thought at that moment. And yet he still politely smiled at the vendor and handed them his payment.

Now, it seems as if he may be getting corrupted by Tobio's idiot disease as well for how it looked beneath the late afternoon sunset from his tall windows.

The thought almost felt as if it made his heart do a flip, something that made Kei silently curse to himself, whilst his eyes grew distracted, everything Tobio is saying going inside to one ear and exiting the other.

It's distracting. How it looks like it had always belonged to be right there around Tobio's finger as he raises his hand to take a closer look at it, humming to himself with a song that is definitely not recognizable to Keiㅡbut all of it takes his breath away all the same.

His eyes finally catch sapphires, and Kei feels something burning inside of him, static on his fingers as if he had just been electrified.

But the rush didn't prepare him at all at the calamity that is the stare of Tobio's which speaks a thousand words it leaves Kei overwhelmed. Kei's breath hitch without his own accord and without warning, he is a witness of Tobio tilting his head in confusion, bound finger by the golden ring shaking left and right in front of his face as he slightly registers Tobio asking him if he was okay from the depths of his mind.

It echoes all too well, like how it first did on Kei's own hand as he touches the bell he had just used when he made his new year's wish, lost packaging already inside a trash can that is a hundred stairs away from where he was at the temple in front of him.

A voice seeps through and suddenly, his nose is getting pinched.

"Ow, fuck!" Kei's voice is nasal when he hears it and finally, Tobio lets go of his now slightly red nose with an accusing grunt.

"What the hell were you even thinking about for you to look that lost in thought."

Kei blinks, now a distance far from the epiphany he had had, nostalgic feel of the new year snow on his face now warmed up by the spring sun from outside of his apartment.

He lays out a lazy grin, "Too complex for an idiot like you to understand, don't worry about it, King."

Tobio's glare directed at him only sharpens, companied by the click of his tongue, and Kei merely shrugs with a sly look.

Tobio moves from where he was sitting on the floor, in front of Kei's dresser inside his room, closing the box of rings and laying it beside him. He then looks back at Kei again, sitting away from him with enough length that it's not too far but not too close either.

A gnawing itch in his skin tells Kei it doesn't feel enough.

"Hey. Can I keep this?"

Pointing at the ring with his other hand, Tobio casually asks Kei.

Feeling rigid, he looks at Tobio's face then down to his hand then back and forth. Finally, his voice, though wavering, lets out, "W..why?" Inside, Kei curses to himself once again.

"It's pretty." Tobio shrugs. "I like how it feels. You already have a lot of them so.." Considering for a second, he pauses. "I just like it."

For the second time that afternoon, Kei couldn't think immediately. Fog cogs up the gears in his brain and he falters in his breathing, conscious but not feeling how he looked. Kei gulped, and shit, he would for anything his life, swore that Tobio's gaze followed it before returning to his stare once again.

The fact that it's not at all shocking leaves him overwhelmed, questions automatically getting answered without hesitation in which he never knew he could have ever felt.

(It's the little things that counts.)

"I-" Kei's eyes open for a moment. He searches, and searches, not even absolutely sure as to what he wants to say or show. "Well, I guess-" A strangled sound. "It's fine."

Not even a moment later, Tobio's eyes light up, and his expression turns soft, even just lightly with how bad he was at showing that kind of reaction. His lips shake at the corners, as if unconsciously stopping himself to break into a smile, even somewhat small, but he grows unsuccessful as a sound that almost seemed to be a happy exclamation escapes his still-shut tight lips that looked to be curving nonetheless. "Good."

The next wave crashes down on Kei with warmth, unfamiliar from what he knew to be an unbearable chill on his skin. This one glides through his messed-up hair in a swift motion, making contact with his face that doesn't make him want to yell to nothing in annoyance.

It's... it's bright. And gold. And... And-

Tobio clears his throat in the middle of the silence, "Does it.." Something changes, Kei doesn't know what, but he's fine, and alive, and all is well when the sun's glare from outside picks up and envelops Tobio in a stunning halo, forming around Kei's earth. "Does it look good on me?"

It was the calming sea. One he remembers that filled his summer long ago. The one that feels like he's floating and not complaining about how the sand is piling under his clothes. It grows from afar and yet on the shore, it doesn't splash him. It rocks him with a gentle tug on his fingers, pulling him close to the cool feel of the waters.

Far from it, the city still lives from stories below them. Murmured sounds of trains and cars pass along the backgroundㅡno amount of its loudness silences the thrums of Kei's heart.

Kei breaks into a smile that feels fond, unforcedㅡjust like his hobby. It feels nice on his lips, just like the bands of metal covering his fingertips.

He feels ridiculous. An abnormality at most at the top of his mind.

But if this is what it feels to be an idiot, then Kei sees why Tobio had always been one.

"Yes. It looks good on you, Your Highness."

Kei didn't know being an idiot would feel this exhilarating.

[longlistshort]

Chiharu Shiota’s gorgeous installations are just one part of her engaging exhibition, Signs of Life, at Templon in NYC. The installations lead to other rooms of smaller sculptures as well as  paintings.

From the press release-

After a foundation degree in painting at Seika University in Kyoto, Chiharu Shiota chose to pursue her artistic studies in Berlin, focusing on performance. Her practice soon shifted towards site-specific installations. She skilfully weaves knotted threads to create fantastical scenes combining salvaged window frames, a piano, suitcases, books and used clothes. Bordering on drawing and sculpture, her fabulous ephemeral, immersive installations have become her signature. Since her impressive installation for the Japanese Pavilion at the Venice Bienniale in 2015, she has become one of the key figures on the international art scene and is regularly invited to show her work at museums worldwide.

In a hyper-connected world, Chiharu Shiota’s new exhibition questions the notion of the “web”, a living organism similar to the structures that make up the universe or the neurons our brains are built on. Created on-site over two weeks, a large-scale installation made of red threads symbolizes this permanent connection of information, collective memory and the world’s knowledge which cuts across cultures and continents. At the heart of the work are two arms, her own, placed on the ground. They are cast in bronze, palms facing up to the sky. “I always thought that if death took my body, I wouldn’t exist anymore,” explains the artist. “I’m now convinced that my spirit will continue to exist because there is more to me than a body. My consciousness is connected to everything around me and my art unfolds by way of people’s memory.”

The installation is followed by a series of sculptures. Enfolded at the centre of each one, as though frozen in place by the intertwined threads, are objects from daily life. “I feel that the objects we possess are like a third skin,” she says. “We accumulate these things and transpose our presence and our memory to them.” Often obsolete, weighed down by impenetrable histories, these objects — old suitcases, stained dolls, miniature pieces of furniture and tiny bottles — represent the treasures offered up by memory, to be seen but not touched.

This exhibition closes 3/9/23.

[translationandbetrayals]

Violet Evergarden and the consequences of war.

Violet Evergarden tells the story of a girl in a post-war country, who after being used as a "weapon" of war, having lost her arms and the love of her life, seeks a new path in her life. After her recovery, a former commander takes her to his courier company, where she is scheduled to join a group of women who work as “auto memory dolls”, which is a job in which one person's feelings toward another are written down in letters. Violet, having been raised to fight in the war, does not understand people's feelings, since she understands everything literally and in military terms, which is why carrying out this task is complicated for her at first.

In the anime we are presented with many stories that to a greater or lesser extent are related to the war, such as the first letter that Violet writes, in which one of her classmates from the “auto memory dolls” course expresses how bad she is doing with her brother, who after the war became an alcoholic due to the loss of his parents, Violet was about to be failed in class due to her lack of understanding of feelings, but by solving the problem of her friend and her brother through a letter, she manages to graduate. Another story presents us with a soldier who, in agony, asks Violet to write a letter to his parents and his girlfriend to say goodbye.

All these stories represent an emotional development on Violet's part, who begins to realize the seriousness of the events she experienced during the war, learns how people appreciate things that she found no meaning in the past, and begins to slowly understand what love is, managing to empathize with people in a more human way. This anime gives us a beautiful reflection on life, it shows that even in a tragedy there can be beauty and love.

Finally, I invite you to enjoy this anime, which not only stands out for its narrative, but also for its impeccable animation by Kyoto Animation and a beautiful soundtrack.

By: Luis Yáñez

[divineprank]

Let’s talk about Hyrule’s bestiary, shall we? Tears of the Kingdom, and by association, Breath of the Wild makes this implication that all of Hyrule’s monsters are not a side effect but instead, a deliberate action of Ganondorf and his evil intentions, his malice and gloom. In fact, we quite literally see this in the Tears of the Kingdom trailer, and we see this in an in-game cutscene wherein he commands his monsters to rise up. Which, this isn’t the first time that a Zelda game ever suggests the presence of evil commands the existence of monsters, but I argue that this is a story beat that falls flat and in fact, I think there should be something more to these monsters’ existence; after all, this is a game series that reflects Miyamoto’s youth, mirroring his adventures in the Kyoto countryside, his discovery of that cave and his days-long hesitation to explore the inside of it. The creator and executive producer of many of our beloved Nintendo franchises, Zelda is one of the purest representations of Shigeru Miyamoto, but more importantly, it represents his faith and his relationship with Shintoism. Shintō - the way (tō) of the gods (shin), is a broad, native-based faith that draws focus around remaining in touch with and respecting the kami, that is, gods, the nature spirits, or perhaps the spiritual energy, that are believed to inhabit all things: nature, animals, landscapes... 

They are, essentially, the soul of everything.

Miyamoto actually lives close to the Fushima-Inari shrine, a beautiful place of worship at the base of a mountain (also called Inari) dedicated to one of the most familiar kami, Inari, (short for Ine Nari, or Ine ni Naru -- the reaping of rice)  who is the god and protector of rice cultivation. Miyamoto has a very personal connection to Inari, believing this nature spirit to be his guardian angel. This shrine is considered to be the head shrine, the big boy among the other thirty-thousand other shrines dedicated to Inari across Japan. The shrine has been around since at least 711AD and is where billions of people have come to pray for a bountiful harvest, prosperity in personal endeavors, the safety and thriving of their family and loved ones, and protection of their home. Worshippers will trek through the approximately eight hundred Senbon Torii, these beautiful Torii gates that are erected in honor and deep thanks by those who have prayed at the shrine and have had their desire or wish come true.

I mention all of this in a post about Hyrule’s monsters because it’s this real-world inspiration that permeates Miyamoto’s video games, informing his game design philosophy. Something particularly iconic about Star Fox 64′s levels, for example, are the many arches you can fly your Arwing underneath and receive health rings or power-ups as a secret bonus reward. This is a direct reference to the Torii gates at the Inari shrine. 

Purity is a very important component when it comes to Shinto rituals, such as kagura, a traditional dance that is meant to establish and maintain the perfect balance between nature, humans, and deities. Impurity, or more specifically, pollution is driven away by these rituals, as Shintoism suggests that it is considered a contamination and obstruction to the flow of life and thus the blessings from the kami.  

Tôru Ôsawa introduces this concept very, very effectively in Ocarina of Time. Young Link’s adventures across an untainted and pure version of Hyrule introduce us to two nature spirits, two kami, who are integral to the flourishing of their elemental domains. The Great Deku Tree and Lord Jabu-Jabu, both are honored as patron deities amongst their respective tribes. The Great Deku Tree embodies the eternal life, endless youth, and boundless spirit of the mysterious forest and Lord Jabu-Jabu is thought to protect the health and clarity of the water that runs down Zora’s river and crawls through the country, providing Hyrule with fresh drinking water -- the source of life itself. 

The early part of Link’s adventure introduces us to these kami. When we begin the game we are introduced to the Great Deku Tree, who has fallen ill after being cursed by Ganondorf, and we are required to travel inside of this great nature spirit and purify him, destroy the monsters, rid our tree-daddy of the impurities inside of him, and cleanse this deity’s soul. When we are almost at the curtain-close of Young Link’s act, we travel inside another kami who is rife with pollution, and as Link, we must heal Lord Jabu-Jabu, who has also become “green around the gills” following a terrible encounter with Ganondorf.

While it’s not subjected to the same anthropomorphization of the other two kami, we know that Death Mountain is alive in its own right. Kaepora Gaebora once whispers to us that the state of the mountain, its mood and its health, can be determined with one glance up at the cloud that crowns Death Mountain’s summit. When Link is a child, he must explore the inside of Death Mountain, purifying one of its many caverns by eliminating the monsters that are infecting it like a virus. Large, dangerous boulders roll down the mountain face and threaten the safety of the sleepy Kakariko Village nestled at the foot of the mountain. These are all symptoms of the natural balance being skewed, of course, brought upon by Ganondorf’s wicked demands not being met.

The beginning of the game doesn’t just introduce us to the controls, pivotal characters and how the world of Hyrule works, but it also establishes this Shinto concept that there is supposed to be a perfect balance between nature, humans, and deities. In fact, this is symbolized in the Spiritual Stones that we collect as we unite and purify forest, water, and fire. While we’re on our journey of healing, we as the player are painted a perfect picture of what a healthy Hyrule looks like – what it should look like.

We know what happens next.

Shintoism doesn’t really promote any commandments for followers to live by in the same ways that a western, Christian-based faith might expect, instead only suggesting that the idea of living a simple and harmonious life with nature and people and is quite simple when adhering to the four affirmations of the Shinto spirit:

 Love of nature; nature is sacred, to be close to nature is to be close with the kami

 Family and tradition; the family is the primary mechanism by which traditions are preserved

 Physical cleanliness; followers of Shinto take baths, wash their hands, and rinse out their mouths often.

 Matsuri; to participate in festivals in which worship and honor are given to the kami.

While they aren’t particularly “good” or “evil”, kami are imperfect creatures and there are ways to upset them. Negative actions such as living outside of these four affirmations of the Shinto spirit and thus not living a simple and harmonious life with nature and people, or committing negative actions or evil deeds referred to as “kegare”, (literally meaning “dirtiness”), are an equivalent to committing a sin in the eyes of the kami. While most kami are usually fun-loving, benevolent and quite forgiving, there are kami who make mistakes or are quick to rash actions, and some may actively try to hurt people should they feel disrespected or taken for granted. For instance, if a life is taken without gratitude for this ultimate sacrifice, the soul might experience “urami”—that is, it will hold a grudge.  During the spirit’s ongoing rage and pain, it transforms into an aragami: a powerful and evil kami that seeks revenge.

By the time Link wakes up seven years later, Hyrule no longer resembles that perfect picture of harmony with nature, the deities, and humans. There’s a terrible gloom settled into most of the major locations of Hyrule that gives off this desolate, dying feeling to the rest of the country. Everywhere you look, dark clouds hang over the once vibrant skies of Hyrule; the forest is infested with wicked monsters that trap the Kokiri children and their fairies in their homes. Death Mountain is angrier than ever with the ring of clouds blazing with fire as a ferocious dragon now inhabits the volcano. The lake has dried up and Zora’s domain is completely frozen. All the while, a violent and vengeful shadow looms over Kakariko Village.

What can be misleading about this part is Rauru stating outright, that Ganondorf’s evil powers radiated from the temples of Hyrule, which kind of suggests what’s happening to the very nature of Hyrule is coming directly from Ganondorf himself as if he’s waving his hand and infecting these temples directly. However, I don’t believe this is the case. This is because of what I’ve established earlier, that due to the mistreatment of Hyrule itself; the balance between nature, humans, and deities has been skewed, the very land as a whole began to sour.  

So yes, Ganondorf’s evil power did radiate from the temples, because these were places of worship, sacred temples that belonged to each of the races of Hyrule. Shrines to give thanks to the lands that take care of them, to show appreciation of one another, and to look up to the gods with gratitude. He stole something holy, and thoroughly abused it, disrespecting the Goddesses, abusing the nature of this beautiful country, and caused a horrible rift between the tribes who inhabit Hyrule, and as a result Hyrule rotted. Where gentle nature spirits once roamed, now only horrible monsters remain.

I don’t really believe that many of the monsters that infest the temples and attack Link among his journey are Ganondorf’s servants per se. Certainly, the Iron Knuckles are perhaps one of the only examples of proof of loyalty to Ganondorf’s cause, and even then, with proof of the (probably brainwashed) Gerudo warriors nestled inside of them, I’m not even sure you can call them monsters, anyways.

Why do I think this, then? Well, for starters…

Are we to take Fado’s words to mean that as soon as Grog transformed into a Stalfos, he marched out of the forest and joined up with Ganondorf’s ranks? That’s a cartoonish thought, and while it is possible, it really contradicts with what Fado says specifically: that anybody that comes to the forest will be lost.

Lost is the keyword, there. You see, in a 1999 interview with 64Dream Magazine, Yoshiaki Koizumi, confirms that upon transforming into a Stalfos, Grog instead wandered off to the Forest Temple to live there. He also confirms that this is what happened to the child who stalks around the graveyard in Kakariko, the one who wishes to look scary, just like Dampé. According to Koizumi, five years after Ganondorf obtained the Triforce, the little boy left Kakariko in search of his missing father. Upon entering the Lost Woods, he soon transformed into a Skull Kid, and now fears all adults he encounters.

Even before Ganondorf’s reign of terror, the people of Hyrule were already disrespecting the natural world and its spirits. Taking into considerations the Odd Mushroom that Fado demands back from you upon discovering Grog’s absence because she says it belongs to the forest, or even the Eyeball Frog, who Koizumi confirms in 64Dream Magazine, are often used by those who don’t feel particularly sorry for their sacrifices. Perhaps this is why Stalchildren roam the fields at night, why Peahats often attack any adventurer who wanders too close to their nests, why Skulltulas remain nestled in dark, damp places because even before Ganondorf stole the Triforce, Hyrule was already growing sick from its inhabitants’ greed.

It definitely explains the existence of the Spiders of the Curse…

That’s why I feel the idea that Ganondorf purposefully raises the monsters out of thin air to act as his “servants” really takes away some larger nuance and deeper meaning from the Legend of Zelda series, but, hey, that’s just an old boomer’s take. 

https://jref.com/articles/shint%C5%8D-the-way-of-the-gods.27/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/beliefs/kami_1.shtml https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/texts/stories_1.shtml#h2 https://www.zeldadungeon.net/the-divinity-of-jabu-jabu-zeldas-kami/ https://femhype.wordpress.com/2016/05/10/japanese-environmentalism-shinto-the-legend-of-zelda/ https://killscreen.com/previously/articles/unmistakable-influence-shintoism-videogame-history/ https://www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/T%C3%B4ru_%C3%94sawa https://zeldauniverse.net/2011/09/14/immortal-childhood/ http://inari.jp/en/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inari_%C5%8Ckami https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fushimi_Inari-taisha https://crafttabby.com/explore/nintendo-inari https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYPKHbOD_xg  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyUcwsjyd8Q  https://www.neoseeker.com/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time/faqs/162138-zelda-64-script.html https://www.armageddongames.net/archive/index.php/t-61081.html http://forums.legendsalliance.com/topic/17108-list-of-japanese-translations/ https://www.thehyrulejournals.com/what-we-do https://www.learnreligions.com/shinto-worship-traditions-practices-4570821 http://plaza.ufl.edu/sroy12/cgs3066/project2/beliefs.html https://www.patheos.com/library/shinto/beliefs https://archive.org/details/64dream-April-1999-ozidual/64Dream%201999%2004%20%28J%20OCR%29/page/n89/mode/2up https://www.reddit.com/r/truezelda/comments/y13iic/some_minor_lore_details_from_the_developers_of_oot/

[gion-division]

𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝟏 — 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖

Represent your city !

Of course, we all know Gion of Kyoto as one of the most exclusive Geisha districts in Japan, but there is one other thing that this Division is most known for! And that is…

— 祇園祭

The Gion Matsuri! The Gion Matsuri is a national festival hosted by the Yasaka Shrine that occurs during the entire month of July, it’s most famous event being the Yamaboko Junko on July 17th.

“Sing, dance, drink, and eat! You’ll forget all your problems if you do! Well, not that I’ve ever gone to an actual Gion Matsuri yet, but I’m sure it’s very fun. Miss Koyumi always says it is! You should come watch her perform there next time.”

Speaking of the Yasaka Shrine, it is dedicated to the sea god Susanoo-no-Mikoto, younger brother of Amaterasu, as part of the Gion faith.

“Which is why I asked Honoka to design me an outfit that resembles our God. I hope I’ve done him justice, ufufu.”

Behind the scenes . . .

Honoka couldn’t stop herself at all from pacing around the room after she finished the outfits and helped put them on her teammates. She’s far too antsy about everything. For good reason, of course.

This is her first time making clothes for such a big thing—And actually showing it off! On TV, no less! With so many people watching! Of course she’s gonna be anxious! She’s working with two people who actually has experience in fashion, and one of them has a whole brand compared to her who only makes clothes as a hobby! Her division is relatively small compared to everyone else, so she didn’t have much to base things off of. But she thinks she did a good job…? Maybe? Her teammates seem to like it at least…

“…My hands hurt.”

She should rest for now. Honestly, it feels like she rushed herself too much to get the outfits done. This is absolutely no self projection.

“Uuuuu…Let’s hope that people aren’t too mad that I combined traditional elements…”

“By the way, Moriko, please give me back my war fan after this is over.”

“Eh- Why? These are cool. You never let me try these out!”

“Just give them back to me.” （＾ν＾）

“Urk— …Fiinnee.”

“I don’t know why you weren’t satisfied with a regular fan anyway.”

“Because weapons are way cooler…”

[obsessivelollipoplalala]

"The late Joseph Stein, who wrote the show’s book, wrote a piece for the Guardian a decade ago recalling his visit to the first production in Tokyo in 1967: 'Japan was the first non-English production and I was very nervous about how it would be received in a completely foreign environment,' he writes. 'I got there just during the rehearsal period and the Japanese producer asked me, "Do they understand this show in America?" And I said, "Yes, of course, we wrote it for America. Why do you ask?" And he said, "Because it’s so Japanese."' ...Fiddler is Japanese because it’s a family drama. 'The show is about tradition, father-daughter(s) relationships,' Koji Aoshika, vice president of MTI Asia, which licenses the show, told me by email. 'Japan was the same. You had to follow what the father said—arranged marriage, for instance. So, the story of a Jewish father losing power in the family life and girls starting to make their own decisions resonates. As the majority of musical theater audience in Japan is 20-to-40-something female, I believe the show makes them think of their own relationships with their fathers.' ...And perhaps that’s another element that strikes a chord in Japan... The Meiji Restoration of 1868, and the decades of rapid industrialization that followed in Japan, represented a radical break from the country’s history, politically of course—the era of the shoguns ended and power returned to the emperor for the first time in centuries—but also culturally. In the wake of the Restoration came modernization and westernization; eyes once turned inward suddenly faced outward at a changing world. Everything about Japan changed, even the capital, which moved from Kyoto to (a newly renamed) Tokyo. Fiddler opens with a song celebrating tradition, but the bulk of the show is about the difficulty of maintaining those traditions—and, perhaps, the futility of trying—in the face of a modernizing culture. And it ends with the family, filled with a mix of hope and fear, taking off for whole new world(s) where the old rules don’t apply and the new rules, if there are any, are not yet clear."

I didn't include the whole text of the article here, but this is absolutely fascinating.

[x0401x]

Kinyou Roadshow Cinema Club: Violet Evergarden the Movie

A comment from Sakuma Nobuyuki about “Violet Evergarden the Movie”, which will finally be on TV tomorrow, has arrived!

Tomorrow on Kinyou Roadshow, “Violet Evergarden the Movie” will be broadcast on television for the first time! In the previous years, Kinyou Roadshow broadcasted the TV series’ extra episode and the Gaiden, which became a hot topic and was the number one trend worldwide on Twitter for two consecutive weeks.

The final arc of the series, “Violet Evergarden the Movie”, was released in 2020 and recorded a box office hit of 2,13 billion yen. Kyoto Animation’s overwhelming visual beauty and heartrending story also won the Japan Academy Award for Outstanding Animated Feature Film.

Once you watch it, you feel like telling other people about how deeply it moved you... this is how “Violet Evergarden” expanded its fanbase. The TV producer, director, radio host and YouTuber Sakuma Nobuyuki-san, who works in all sorts of fields, also claims to have been charmed by this title. With tomorrow’s broadcast around the corner, he has shared word about the appeal of it.

Q.: What is the charm of the “Violet Evergarden” series?

That the level of everything in it – screenplay, direction, art, voice acting, music – is extremely high. No matter which part of it you cut off from or what moment you look at, you get a new kind of deeply touching emotion from it every single time. And I think it’s wonderful how this story about the nurturing of love, which asserts that “feelings can indeed be conveyed” and “people can change”, doesn’t falter even for an instant. I find that the movie, where the feelings of each character, which had been cultivated in the TV series until then, are scooped up without letting any of them spill out and the story finishes its compilement, is a superb final arc.

I watch Kyoto Animation’s works as much as I can, but I had been putting off this one, telling myself that I should take my time watching it. However, when I binge-watched it on a streaming site after hearing so much about its good reputation, I was surprised by how magnificent it was. I told my wife and daughter about it, and on that very weekend, I caught the two of them bawling their eyes out in the living room.

Q.: What is your favorite line?

The one from episode 10 where Violet says, “Everyone has feelings they wish to convey. There is no such thing as a letter that needn’t be delivered”. I thought this was one of the lines that represent the story. It also carried the meaning that Violet’s growth as a human being was achieved through her getting to know the love of other people, since she didn’t know love herself, and that, too, was touching.

My favorite line in the movie are the words in the letter (written by Violet) at the last part, “And after coming to know what ‘love’ means... I wanted to convey the phrase ‘I love you’.”

Q.: What is the appeal of Violet, the main character?

The fact that she’s perpetually stoic, be it back when she had lost her emotions, or when she was coming in contact with other people’s feelings, or even when she became able to put her thoughts into words. Because, as she regains her emotions little by little, we, the viewers, also rediscover the compassion and affection that we’d forgotten throughout our lives.

[ultfreakme]

Sorry, but I need to say something I've been thinking about for a while. I found geto's death forcing. 1.he loses to a boy with no experience and the power of ''love''. 2.he was stronger and had more knowledge and experience than the boy yuta. 3. It seems that the author just wanted to get rid of geto so that this annoying villain Kenjaku could come. 4. In my opinion, Geto is the best villain. I don't understand why the author didn't want to continue with him. 5. His death was forced because Saturo already had a change in character and personality. What I'm trying to say is that in the film, Satura is already different, he's no longer that immature young man. 6. the serious work was much more dramatic if geto had survived saturo blow he would have become stronger and returned as a villain again with sukuna. Sorry if it's big, but I have these doubts that such a good and well-constructed character had a horrible ending and very little.

I understand your frustration anon, it's really unfair but I do think Geto's loss was somewhat explained and fully planned even before the start of JJK. There's a lot going on in JJK0 and the lead-up to his death.

Kenjaku explains that the only reason Geto lost was because he was actually kinda fighting every sorcerer in Tokyo and Kyoto at the same time as Yuuta and Rika. A majority of his curses were in the Night Parade. Geto was also going somewhat easy ont he rest of the students, Gojo says he could've killed them off but he chose not to.

My next point is possibly subtext, but Geto didn't seem like he wanted his plan to succeed. He told Gojo exactly where he'd be, when he'll start the attack and gave Jujutsu Tech ample time to relocate non-sorcerers. He could've done this with no warning, but he put them on some kind of even grounding, gave them advantages even.

He had perfect evacuation plans for all his family, but not for himself? How come? He could have wanted to die, it honestly seems like a suicide mission. If I were him I would have wreaked havoc on Tokyo and Kyoto and not told the only guy who can kill me exactly where I'd be after invading his territory. I think Geto didn't value his life much from the moment he left. It's complicated honestly.

He should have won, easily, but it almost feels like a personal choice that he didn't. Also the power of love? Geto says he fights for justice but he doesn't have nearly the same conviction as Yuuta. When he fired Uzumaki, I think he was emotionally faltering and that's why it didn't take down Yuuta. He was, in his heart, cornered and vulnerable.

Geto's a very good villain, I would have loved to see more of him but I think his death serves a symbolic purpose for Gojo and the cast of JJK. It's not only about Gojo's character development and change. Geto represents all the worst parts of being a sorcerer and having CE. He's the figurehead for how damaging Jujutsu society is. Sorcerers, no matter how powerful, are bound to break and die young. Geto is a ghost, a haunting in the story of JJK. He's dead before the story begins but because he represents everything wrong with Jujutsu society, he lingers in the background because everything that made Geto what he is hasn't been fixed. He had to die to show that whatever Gojo's doing now, whatever the jujutsu society's doing now, isn't working.

Kenjaku took advantage of these problems and used all of it against the sorcerers in Shibuya Arc.

I don't think Geto would have allied with curses, especially Sukuna. I think he'd have fought against them and eventually became an anti-hero and work beside Gojo during Shibuya Arc and Culling Games. He hates non-sorcerers but he hates curses more. Would have been interesting to see what Geto would have done if he lived in the main JJK storyline though(Junpei probably would have survived since he was the one involved in making Mahito use Junpei as bait, Shibuya Arc wouldn't be as severe because Gojo wouldn't be imprisoned, etc)

[adrianodiprato]

+ “The final chapter is ours to write. We know what we need to do. What happens next is up to us.” Sir David Attenborough

Our Common Home: Lessons from Pope Francis' 'Laudate Deum'

In a world increasingly grappling with environmental challenges, Pope Francis' recent apostolic exhortation, "Laudate Deum," offers invaluable insights into the urgent need for care and stewardship of our planet, lovingly referred to as "our common home." This blog piece explores the significance of environmental protection, the challenges of our current multilateral system, the role of faith in fostering a deeper connection with the Earth, and why it is particularly relevant to Christians across the globe. Pope Francis' message underscores the notion that hope-filled, faith-inspired actions are vital, for "The world sings of an infinite Love: how can we fail to care for it?" (#65).

The Challenge of International Climate Agreements: A Historical Perspective

For several decades, representatives from around the world have convened to address climate change. While these meetings have had their successes and shortcomings, there is much to be learned from the past. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol set ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but it failed to meet them. It is reminiscent of the wisdom found in Matthew 6:28-29:

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these."

In 2015, the Paris Agreement breathed new life into global climate efforts, but its success depends on unwavering commitment and political determination.

The Urgent Need for Climate Action: Lessons from COP28

COP28, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, presents a pivotal opportunity to accelerate the shift to sustainable energy sources. This is especially significant given the UAE's role as a major fossil fuel exporter. Their investments in renewable energy align with biblical wisdom in Leviticus 25:23, which reminds us that "the land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me, you are but aliens and tenants."

COP28 is our chance to prove that the years of effort since 1992 were not in vain. The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated, and it is in line with Pope Francis' message: every effort counts, and even the smallest action can alleviate suffering. The time to reduce global carbon emissions is running out, and action cannot be delayed. We need binding, efficient, obligatory, and readily monitored commitments from all nations for a sustainable energy transition.

The Role of Faith in Environmental Stewardship

In Laudate Deum, Pope Francis emphasizes the crucial role of faith and spirituality in fostering a deep connection with nature. He invokes passages from the Bible, emphasizing God's proclamation that "everything... was very good." This biblical perspective recognises the Earth as sacred and deserving of our care.

For Christians worldwide, our motivation to respond is hope-filled. We believe that the risen Christ reconciles all creatures to himself. As Pope Francis says,

"The world sings of an infinite Love: how can we fail to care for it?" (#65)

This deep-rooted faith calls us to see the world as a gift from God, worthy of reverence and protection. We must remember that we are tenants of the Earth, not its owners. Pope Francis’ situated anthropocentrism (#67) compels us to live in harmony with the environment instead of exploiting it for short-term gain.

Hope in the Face of Adversity

Despite the grave challenges we face, Pope Francis reminds us that we must maintain hope. To "‘say there is nothing to hope for... would mean exposing humanity, especially the poorest, to the worst impacts of climate change" (#54). Our faith compels us to have hope, as Romans 8:19-21 tells us,

"For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God."

Hope is not merely wishful thinking; it is a powerful motivator for change. It inspires individuals, communities, and nations to act and preserve our common home. Hope encourages us to look beyond the challenges and work collectively towards a sustainable and harmonious future.

Journeying in Communion and Commitment

For Christians across the globe, our faith calls us to recognize that we are part of a universal family. That human life is incomprehensible and unsustainable without other creatures.

For “as part of the universe… all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with a sacred, affectionate and humble respect”. Laudato Si (#42)

Individual, family, and community efforts are pivotal in creating a culture of environmental responsibility. Changes in daily habits contribute to a cultural shift essential for addressing environmental challenges. Furthermore, these changes exert pressure on political sectors to prioritize long-term environmental interests over short-term gains.

Conclusion: A Christian Duty

In conclusion, Laudate Deum by Pope Francis calls for a renewal of our commitment to care for our common home. International climate agreements and the urgency of COP28, the transformative power of faith, and the importance of hope underscore the vital role of Christians across the globe in environmental stewardship. Our faith and the risen Christ's reconciliation of all creatures to himself are motivating factors. In the face of environmental degradation and climate change, we have a calling that transcends borders, denominations, and ideologies. As Christians, we must unite in the noble pursuit of a sustainable and harmonious future for our planet, guided by the ever-present light of hope.

References

Apostolic Exhortation Laudato Deum (4 October 2013), Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ (24 May 2015), 89: AAS 107 (2015), 883.

Adriano Di Prato is a best-selling author, broadcaster and the Academic Operations Manager at LCI Melbourne, a progressive art, design + enterprise private institute of higher education.

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Kinuyo Tanaka in The Life of Oharu (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1952)

Cast: Kinuyo Tanaka, Tsukie Matsuura, Ichiro Sugai, Toshiro Mifune, Toshiaki Konoe, Kiyoko Tsuji, Hisako Yamane, Jukichi Uno, Eitaro Shindo, Akira Oizumi, Kyoko Kusajima, Masao Shimizu, Daisuke Kato. Screenplay: Kenji Mizoguchi, Yoshikata Yoda, based on a novel by Saikaku Ihara. Cinematography: Yoshimi Hirano. Production design: Hiroshi Mizutani. Film editing: Toshio Goto. Music: Ichiro Saito. 

Oharu (Kinuyo Tanaka) is by turns a lover, a concubine, a courtesan, a servant, a wife, a prostitute, and a nun, which in the 17th-century Japan of Kenji Mizoguchi's film is almost everything a woman could possibly be. But Tanaka's great performance individualizes Ohara, keeping her from just being a representative figure, a stand-in for Woman. Over the course of the film, Oharu suffers almost every indignity that could be inflicted on her: At the court in Kyoto where she is a lady in waiting, she falls in love with a page, Katsunosuke (Toshiro Mifune), but when their affair is discovered, she and her parents are expelled and he is beheaded. One day a courtier for a powerful feudal lord comes to the village where they are exiled: The lord is in need of an heir, and his wife is barren. Oharu fits his rather exacting specifications to the letter, so she is brought to his palace where she bears him a son, but she's not allowed to nurse the child and is expelled from the household by his jealous wife. She goes to work as a courtesan to pay off the debts incurred by her greedy father (Ichiro Sugai), takes a job as maid to a woman who suspects her of sleeping with her husband, marries a man who is killed by robbers, and becomes a Buddhist nun but is expelled from the temple for supposedly seducing a man who was actually trying to rape her. Years pass and she loses her beauty and now walks the streets to earn money to survive, but she is subjected to scorn and mockery as a "goblin cat" by a man leading a group of young pilgrims. Hope dawns when she is summoned to meet her son, who has succeeded his father as lord, but it turns out that the officials in the court really want to cover up the fact that their lord's mother has been a prostitute, so she runs away after only a brief and distant glimpse of him. At the end she wanders the streets as an itinerant nun receiving alms in exchange for prayers -- her prostitution is now spiritual rather than physical. It's easy to take a synopsis like this and dismiss the story as "lachrymose as a soap opera," and "a reverse Horatio Alger adventure," as a particularly obtuse New York Times review did when The Life of Oharu was first released in the United States in 1964. It is neither of those things, of course. Even the Times reviewer was struck by Tanaka's performance, Mizoguchi's direction, and Yoshimi Hirano's cinematography, without understanding how or why these elevate the story into art. The story comes from a 17th-century novel by Saikaku Ihara, The Life of an Amorous Woman, a work far more erotic and picaresque than the melancholy screenplay Mizoguchi and co-screenwriter Yoshikata Yoda derived from it. The Life of Oharu is unremittingly grim -- it put me in mind of the novels of Thomas Hardy, whose characters suffer more than seems absolutely necessary for the author to make his point about the workings of fate. But the film is not about suffering; it's about strength, and women's strength in particular.