#it's not like i've given him much else to do

[willowsnook]

When Love is Left Unspoken pt. 2 (MV)

max verstappen x reader

pt. 1 here

I could be talked into a pt. 3 if people want it

It had been a week since the Austin GP and forgetting about what happened had been impossible mostly because Max would not leave you alone.

He didn't reach out directly, but every morning this week, you had woken up to a new gift outside your door. Flowers, chocolate, coffee, pastries, clothing, etc. You had no idea how he even knew your address.

You struggled with what to do. On one hand, you had missed your best friend for a long time. You missed the inside jokes, the comfort you found in him, and supporting one another. But on the other hand, you couldn't stop thinking about how he threw it all away because he was scared of loving you. You had never been scared of loving him, even if you never said. Well maybe that was hypocritical.

Saturday morning an envelope accompanied the box outside of your door. You opened the box first, revealing a vintage RedBull racing bomber jacket that cost who knows how much. It was cute, you'd give it that. Opening the envelope you froze as you read the letter that sat next to a paddock pass for the Brazil GP.

I know you hate me and you have a good reason to but I will do anything to have you back by my side even if you refuse to look at me. Please come to Brazil, I know it's your favorite track. You can stay on Checo's side of the garage if it makes you feel better.

Love, Your Max

Brazil was your favorite track and in the past you had always travelled down early to experience the culture for a bit before the racing started.

You facetimed Carmen, hoping to talk this through with someone else.

"Hey girl, what's up?" She asked, clearly in the middle of a workout.

"Oh, I can call later if you're busy," you said and she shook her head.

"No, it's okay!"

"Max invited me to the Brazilian GP," you told her slowly and her eyes widened.

"Wow."

"I know, I don't know what to do."

Carmen was silent for a little bit, clearly thinking. "Is there any part of you that wants to make up with him?"

"Yes," you admitted quietly. "But I hate myself for even thinking that. I don't want to just forget about everything that happened and take him back with open arms."

"I don't think you necessarily have to forget what happened but maybe focus on the people you both have grown to be in these last few years. Maybe treat it like you are starting over."

"So you think I should go?"

"Selfishly yes of course," she said grinning and you couldn't help but smile back. "You don't even have to spend time with him. Just see how it feels to be around him."

After hanging up with Carmen, you texted the number Max had given you for his assistant in order to get flights and a hotel figured out.

-----------------------------------

You landed in Brazil on media day and didn't plan on going to the track until Saturday. Max was pulling out all the stops even when he couldn't see you as evidenced by the ridiculously nice hotel he put you in. The view was amazing and laying on the bed was a variety of your favorite snacks and drinks with a card that read "I'm so glad you're here -your Max."

The 'Your Max' thing was working even though you hated to admit it. You spent the next two days traveling around the city by yourself and then with Carmen.

Saturday rolled around and you found yourself nervous to be at the paddock despite Carmen's constant reassurances. You hadn't seen Max yet and you weren't really sure what to say when you did.

Funny enough, the first person you ran into when you made it to the RedBull garage was Christian Horner.

"Y/n!" He said surprised to see you. "It's been a while, how are you? You know my wife is obsessed with your tik tok channel."

"Ahh tell her I said thank you," you replied kindly. "I've been doing well."

"We're glad to have you back," he said and your heart swelled. "It's been a rough year for him."

"I'm not sure I can change that," you said politely and he gave you a look.

"You just being here might," he commented before leaving you to go talk with the mechanics. You wandered around the garage, catching up with a lot of people you hadn't seen in a long time.

Max spotted you as he was coming out of his drivers' room and his heart stopped. Of course he knew you were in Brazil, but he still wasn't 100% sure you'd show up. He didn't think he should approach you so he just lingered by watching you. You felt him watching you and looked over at him, trying to control your breathing and gave him a small smile.

He smiled back before being called off to get ready for the sprint. Leaning against the back wall you pulled your headphones and settled in to watch. Max was doing pretty good, battling with Charles for most of the race. Your face appeared on the broadcast and you smiled to the camera, giving it a small wave.

After the race you checked your phone to see that you'd been tagged in countless tweets.

@.username12312: Was that y/n y/l/n in the RedBull garage? I thought her and Max had a falling out???

reply to @.usernam12312 @.user345: Yeah they haven't been friends for a long time. It had something to do with Kelly

reply to @.user345 @.username12312: oh yeah, you're right! I always liked y/n better anyways

You were amused reading the speculation and decided to stir the pot further. While Max was doing interviews you found Checo in the garage and asked him to take a picture with you. The confused man agreed and you quickly posted it to your Instagram story with the caption: My favorite RedBull driver, good luck tomorrow!

Carmen and Lily both slid up with laughing emojis and you walked back to Max's side, trying to avoid the rain. It was really coming down now and you weren't sure if they would even be able to go out on the track. You found Max a little while later sitting against the wall, legs sprawled out in front of him. You sunk down next to him, holding your knees into your chest.

"Think you'll be able to go out there today?" You asked casually and he looked over at you, clearly excited to hear you speaking to him.

"I would say probably not," he replied. "Maybe tomorrow morning."

"How much longer until we know?"

"Another half hour would be my guess," he said. "I can call for someone to take you back if you want to leave now?"

"No, I'll wait," you said looking down at your phone. You sat in silence for a while and the rain was starting to make you very sleepy. Losing the battle with yourself, you rested your head on Max's shoulder and he stiffened.

Max smiled to himself as you dozed off and the two of you caught the attention of the cameras, the photo soon to be splashed everywhere online. Quali was called off and Max nudged you awake, reaching out to help you up.

"Ride with me back?" He asked hopeful and you nodded. You ran into George and Carmen on the way out and she gave you a knowing look to which you rolled your eyes at.

"You guys should come out to dinner with us," George said. "We're meeting up with Alex and Lily too."

You hesitated, not wanting to miss out but at the same time your social battery was dead. You could only handle so much social interaction before you were craving your warm bed to snuggle into. You started to give in and agree but Max cut you off.

"I think y/n is done being around people for the day so I'm going to take her back."

You looked at him surprised and the realization that he still knew you so well just added more fire to the internal turmoil you were facing. Bidding them goodbye, you followed Max out of the paddock and into the car he had rented for the weekend. The car ride was silent as well as the elevator ride up to your floor.

Max followed close behind you as you made your way to your room and it was starting to irritate you.

"You don't need to walk me to my room Max," you said and he looked at your sheepishly.

"I'm in the one right next to you."

"Are you fucking serious?" You asked frustrated. "I need space Max!"

"I just want you to be safe," he defended and you rolled your eyes.

"From what?" You exclaimed. "Oh yeah, your girlfriend I mean ex-girlfriend is from here. Think she's sending people after me?"

"I don't think that's funny," he said, eyes darkening. "Sue me for wanting you close to me. I'm not going to apologize for that."

"You are the worst," you bit out before shoving into your room, slamming the door.

---------------------------------------

Stepping out of the steaming shower and back into the bedroom you glanced worriedly out the window. You wouldn't necessarily say that you had a fear of thunderstorms but they tended to make you uneasy.

Trying to distract yourself you put on South Park, your favorite show to watch in a hotel, but it didn't work. After a couple of booms you were still on edge. Sighing you got up and left your room, hoping a small walk around the hotel would ease your mind. By the time you made it back, Max was leaning against the wall by your door, waiting for you.

"Can't sleep?" He asked and you nodded.

"The storms."

"You always were scared of them," he teased and you scoffed.

"I'm not scared of them!" Right as you said that, a streak of lighting flashed by the hallway's window followed by a loud crash of thunder. You jumped a little and Max smirked.

"Come on," he said gesturing back to his room. You hesitated and he sighed. "We both know you won't fall asleep alone to this."

Giving in, you followed him into his room. It was a carbon copy of yours and you were amused to see South Park playing on his tv. He climbed into his bed but you stopped short; the scene in front of you reminded you of so many times before. When you traveled with him back in the day you'd often find yourself in his room at night hanging out. You always fell asleep and woke up in his arms, neither of you ever saying anything about it.

Max sat up in the bed looking at you, he knew what you were thinking.

"Y/n," he said softly as he watched you wipe a tear from your eye.

"This is so hard Max," you said, voice breaking. "How am I supposed to just forget?"

"I don't know," he confessed. "I'm sorry."

"It's not even like you broke my heart that day," you said meeting his eyes. "You had chipped away at it for so long that there wasn't even anything left to break."

Max's heart dropped and he moved over closer to where you were standing, so that you were now eye level.

"I was so scared back then y/n," he said and you put your head into your hands. "So scared of failing that I did things I shouldn't have done, like pushing you away to protect myself."

"Protect yourself from what?" You said, looking back at him.

"Your unconditional love," he said sadly and you tried to compose yourself, taking a deep breath.

"You acted like nothing happened, I watched you move on with your life," you accused, whispering to him.

"I did not move on, I was a mess. I couldn't eat or sleep for months and I latched on to you in whatever way I could through your videos or podcast. Every picture or video you saw of me was strictly PR."

"But you never reached out, not once in these past few years," you said, starting to grow angry with him.

"Neither did you!" He exclaimed.

"That's not fair Max," you retorted, moving away from him.

"Isn't it though? You accused me of moving on but I watched you do the same. I watched your popularity grow, watched you start to travel around the world, watched you post with other guys. You didn't need me to be happy."

"I needed my best friend!" You yelled and he flinched. "I needed you to be there to call when I got a new deal! I needed you to be there to lean on when I had self doubt! You ruined everything Max. I could never be truly happy celebrating something because in the back of my mind I was thinking about how you should have been there with me!"

Max squeezed his eyes shut, sitting down on the bed.

"I don't know how to fix this schatje," he whispered and you flinched at the term of endearment. "Everything has been so dark for so long. I am okay with you hating me forever. Because even if you just look at me, it'll be a better day than what I've had."

Sniffling, you stared into his red rimmed eyes. "I want to forget about you so badly Max but I can't."

He smiled softly at you before patting the bed.

"Please sleep here tonight, it will make me feel so much better knowing you were well rested. I'll sleep on the pull out couch," he said standing up.

"Just sleep in the bed with me," you said sighing, wiping the tears from your face before climbing into the bed. Max slid in next to you, leaving a healthy distance between the two of you and you drifted off to sleep.

The sound of his alarm woke you up at 4:30 and you groaned sleepily. Max's arms were wrapped tightly around you, his head buried in your hair as he refused to open his eyes.

"Max, you have to wake up," you said and he mumbled incoherently into you. You pried his hands off your body and stood up, stretching. He watched you lazily from the bed, wondering if this was a dream.

"I'm going to go get ready and then I'll meet you back in the hallway in 30 minutes okay?" You asked him and he nodded. Leaving his room you headed back into yours to get ready for the day. Your eyes were still a little swollen from last night but that was nothing a little makeup couldn't fix.

Pairing the new RedBull jacket with a black jeans you gathered all your stuff before texting Carmen about what had happened last night. All she responded was that we would discuss it in person and sent a winky face.

Max looked more awake standing out in the hallway and you both left for the track.

Qualifying was a mess to put it simply. Crash after crash after crash. It was spiking your anxiety to watch and you were just praying that Max would make it out unscathed. He did make it without crashing, but not without controversy.

You grew furious as you watched everyone in Q2 get to finish their laps following Lance's crash except for Max and Esteban. This made him miss out on Q3 for the first time in forever. You knew he was pissed when he got out of the car and his eyes met yours for a brief second. He talked to his engineers before grabbing your hand to drag you with him to over where he had to do interviews.

Standing behind the reporter you watched him try to contain his anger.

“If a guy goes straight into the wall, it is a straight red,” he said. “I don't understand why you need to take 30, 40 seconds for a red flag to come out...”

His voice was rising as he said it and both you and the reporter braced for the impact of whatever he was going to say next. He started to say something but then looked over at you and stopped himself, taking a deep breath before waving off the question.

“I don’t care in all honesty, it is so stupid to talk about. It’s ridiculous.”

He answered a couple more questions about the race happening later and you waited patiently. Christian came to join you and gave you a knowing look.

"I told you that being here would make things better," he said with a glint in his eyes. "I'm giving you credit for him avoiding more community service."

Things got even better after that with Max winning the Grand Prix in what you could only describe as a complete masterclass.

As the celebrations wrapped up, you and Max found yourselves alone in the quiet of the garage, both still processing the day's whirlwind. He glanced at you, a hesitant warmth in his gaze.

Max reached for your hand, gently holding it, as if afraid you'd slip away again. "I'm glad you came, I've needed you here for a long time."

"I'm still not sure where we stand Max," you said unsure of how to deal with what you were feeling.

"As long as your standing next to me, I'll be okay," he said cheekily and you smiled. You knew that your relationship had a long way to go but maybe, just maybe, it was finally starting again.

[beef-brisket]

Lilith: "Adam". How nice. I had an Adam once. Complete idiot, you remember, don't you Lucifer?

Lucifer: He wasn't an idiot, Lilith. He was made to breed, and that was it-

Lilith: Yes, yes. And I was given more brains because I had a higher purpose, I've heard it all before, Lucifer~.

Adam stood awkwardly as he watched the two go back and forth. He felt sorry for the first man, only being made to breed while your counterpart obviously had more work put into their design and functionality.

He hoped Lucifer was kind to him.

Lucifer: You're staying?

Lilith: Oh, don't sound so scared~. It'll only be for a week.

Lucifer: Fine. You get room 12. Do you remember where that is?

Lilith: Oh, of course I do!

Lucifer's eye twitches as he watched her walk off.

Adam: ...Well, she seems nice.

Lucifer: nice is one word for her...

Adam: ...I hate to leave you alone with her, but is it okay if I head back to bed?

Lucifer: Sure, Ad. Would you like me to walk with you?

Adam: No, No, I'm okay. I'll see you later.

Adam blushes as Lucifer pulls him into a kiss.

Lucifer: I'll definitely be seeing you later~. Get to bed, love. Have a good nap.

Adam smiles and walks off. He wishes this place was smaller, so he didn't have so far to walk. He was so close to his and Lucifer's room, but when he turned a corner, he stopped. Lilith was standing there, smiling at him.

Lilith: Oh! Sorry, Adam. You almost walked into me~.

Adam: Uh- sorry about that-

Lilith: You're fine! It's nice actually.

Adam: ...what is?

Adam tensed as Lilith grabbed his chin, pulling him closer.

Lilith: You're not much to look at, are you? You're not even jester worthy, let alone worthy to be queen. Do you really think you could take my place?

Adam: N-No-

Lilith: So. Why are you here?

Adam: ...L-Lucifer sacrificed me- specificly to marry him-

Lilith: Really? Sounds like a lot of trouble- I can't see anything unique about you. You look and smell just like every other sinner, down there.

Adam tried to curl in on himself, but Liliths grip on his chin stopped him. But it was only going to get worse.

He tensed when he felt Liliths clawed hand touch his stomach.

Lilith: And this monstrosity isn't even worth the dumpster you'll throw it in~. Once Lucifer sees you for the scum or are, he'll want nothing to do with you.

Adam had tears streaming down his face, and he felt sick. Not morning sickness, but something else. He hates it.

Adam: S-Stop- please-

Lilith: Stop? Ha! That's what the first man told me~. Too bad I didn't listen to him... and too bad that I'm not going to listen to you~.

((Tw: sexual assult))

Adam tried to push Lilith off, but she was too strong. She laughed as she forced her hand into his pants, gripping his dick before forcing two fingers inside of him.

Adam: N-No- stop! I don't-

Lilith pulled her hand out and wiped it on his shirt.

Lilith: Oh, don't worry. I don't want to touch you~.

Adam quickly backed away as soon as she let go of him. He wants to run, but he's afraid she'll run after him. Like he's prey.

He tensed as the hallway went dark, Liliths face has changed into something sharp and twisted. He couldn't move. He could only look at her.

Adam whimpered, and she gripped his shoulder, a claw digging itself into his shirt.

Lilith: And if you tell Lucifer- or even THINK of telling him, I'll tear that THING out of your stomach and crush it. Right. In front. Of. You~. Understood, "Adam"?

Adam quickly nodded. He just wanted this to be over, but he wants Lucifer even more.

Lilith: Good boy! Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to get some beauty sleep~.

And with that, she disappeared is aburst of purple flame. Adam was so tired. And sick. Every kind of sickness possible.

Devil Lucifer x Ghost Hunter Adam

@beef-brisket ((Here it is lol))

Adam is trying to prove that ghosts are real so he started a YouTube channel with his friend Lucifer, who unbeknownst to Adam is the literal Devil.

-

Adam: I'm telling you Lu, this place is super haunted I can feel it.

Lucifer was unloading their filming gear as they got ready to go into this supposedly haunted prison.

Lucifer: I don't know Ad, you'll need more proof than just the wind.

Adam frowned: It was a whisper and you know it.

[alloftheimaginesblog]

something sugary {alex karev}

Plot: Reader has diabetes and Alex always keeps a stash of sugary food and drink for them in his locker.

requested by anon

Character: Alex Karev x Female Reader

Alex nudged your side for the third time in the span of twenty seconds. You shot him a dirty look, "Stop," you hissed under your breath.

Bailey pulled a look of 'shut your mouth right now or I'll kill you' at the two of you but still, ten seconds later, Alex nudged your side, "Are you feeling alright?" He asked quietly, "You're looking a little clammy..."

You looked at him, feeling a rather large surge of anger bubble inside you, "Alex, you're a piece of-" and then you realised that he was right. You'd been feeling rather warm for the last five or so minutes and when you stopped to listen to your body, you felt sluggish and a little shaky. You were having a hypo. "-shit!" You cursed as you began to feel the familiar tendrils of a hypo taking over your body. It had a way of sneaking up on you and then making you go down fast. You had to check your bloods and get something sugary into your body and fast.

Bailey, who'd been in the middle of telling you about a patient, raised her eyebrows, "Excuse me?"

"Sorry, Doctor Bailey, I need to go check my levels, think I might be-"

She flapped a hand at you, "Alright, go, go!"

You rushed out of the room quickly, trying to get to your locker before the hypo got worse. You always kept your kit on you but the snacks were always stored in your locker (or the vending machine since you usually forgot to get more) - maybe not the most ideal but that's the way it had to be. You'd been so preoccupied with getting out that you hadn't realised someone else left behind you.

By the time you got to the locker room, you felt rather worse for wear. A dull headache was spreading across your forehead that was slick with sweat and your body felt like one more step forwards would cause it to collapse. Despite that, you pushed through and sat on the bench. You needed to know your levels, as you did this, you barely processed the fact that Alex Karev had now joined you in the locker room and was rifling through his locker for something.

2.2mmol/L flashed on screen.

"Shit," you whispered before standing and going to your own locker but before you could, Alex caught your wrist and twirled you round. Annoyed, you snapped, "Alex, I don't have time for-"

He pushed something into your hands, "Eat." You frowned at him and then looked down at what he'd put in your hands... Candy?

"What is this?"

"Shut up and eat," he rolled his eyes, "I told you that you looked funny, you're having a hypo. Something sugary is what you need. Eat."

You didn't question him again and instead sat down on the bench and began to eat a few of the sour candies he'd given you. He sat next to you in silence.

As you ate, you could feel the headache ease off a bit and you didn't feel as warm, "How did you know?"

"I'm a Doctor, genius."

You rolled your eyes, "Seriously, Alex, how did you know?"

He shrugged, "We've been doing this together for like a year. I know when you're having a hypo or you're about to. It's why I've stashed so much sugary stuff in my locker for you."

It took you a moment to process what he'd just said. He'd been observing you enough to know when you were in a hypo and he kept snacks in his locker for you? You and Alex were friends, barely. He was an asshole half the time but sometimes, in rare moments, you connected. You liked to drink with him, he had the wildest stories and could always make you laugh.

"Alex..."

He gave you a small smile, "Don't mention it but maybe you should lay off calling me a piece of shit and just let me help you instead, yeah?"

"... Why do you keep snacks in your locker for me?"

"Give me your locker key." He held out his hand and you gave him your keys. He stood and moved to your locker before swinging it open. Inside, you had a few changes of clothes, some skin care, shampoo, tampons but no snacks, "Like I said, we've been working together for a year. I know that even though you're one of the best Doctors I know, you're hopeless at keeping on top of buying yourself snacks to keep in work. Too many times I've seen you send O'Malley to the vending machines." He shrugged, "I thought I'd keep a stash for easiness."

You were touched. You were insanely appreciative of Alex Karev in this moment, your heart surged and felt rather full and warm inside, "Alex, I don't know what to say."

He shook his head, "It's alright," he sat beside you again, "here, let me check your levels." He took your hand and you let him. You were a little too shocked to stop him if you wanted to but you'd never felt this seen before, least of all by Alex Karev. You watched him in awe as he expertly pricked your finger and took your levels, "There," he grinned, "Perfect."

He packed your kit away and handed it back to you and dug around in his scrub pocket to pull out another key, "It's my spare locker key." He looped it onto your keychain and you noticed it had AK in Sharpie on either side, "If you ever need sugary stuff, help yourself... it's all for you anyway."

"Thank you, Alex," you said softly. Your cheeks felt hot again but not because of a hypo but more so because you didn't know what to do now. Having him be here, having him care for you like this... it sent your heart and stomach into a frenzy and you weren't sure how to react now.

He rolled his eyes as he laughed, "What?" He asked, "I give you candy and that's got you all blushing and shy? What would you be like if I took you on a real date, mm?" He was teasing but there was a genuine question under the humour. A date - a real date with him. He was testing the waters, wanting to gauge your reaction to him saying that.

You laughed, not freaked out or disgusted at all by his suggestion, "You need to work harder to get a date with me, Karev," you stood up and the two of you began to walk back to the elevators.

"Yeah? Name your price, I'll do it."

"Coffee, every morning for the next two weeks. Not crappy hospital coffee-"

"Nah, you want the real stuff from that coffee shop across the road. I've seen you in there before your shift starts." You nodded in agreement. Alex smiled, "Easy, done."

You saw a completely different side to Alex Karev that afternoon and it didn't stop there. Once you'd seen it once, you'd seen his softer side one hundred times. You began to see him just like he had seen you. And yes, for the next two weeks, he got you coffee and a muffin every morning (and then every morning afterwards also).

[austinslounge]

girl thank you for bringing up the hate Austin gets for no reason. It’s so confusing. Imo I think the hate comes from jealousy and the assumption that pretty people are automatically arrogant dicks and unfaithful partners but I’d like to hear your take

Yea girlie, I am totally ready to have that conversation if anyone else is wiling to because to me it's just gotten out of control. 🥴 I've usually kept quiet on this topic because I don't like to complain or vent too much on my blog about silly things like this, but it's to the point now where I just have to say something.

This man has been getting hate for years, and for absolutely no good reason at all.

Some people hated Austin even while he was dating Vanessa.

He's even been called a clout chaser, when hello, Ashley T. hooked them up together and Vanessa had her eye on Austin! She admitted it herself!

Then, after the Aunessa breakup, Austin was blamed for that too! Even though, we really don't actually know what the reason was for their breakup, or even who actually broke up with whom or how it happened!

Then, people called him a cheater and just assumed that Austin cheating was the reason for the Aunessa breakup, even though, there's been ZERO proof that has come out in nearly 5 years since their breakup that he cheated on her.

Then, he's been bashed for dating KG, even though, I'm almost 100% sure that she went after him! (We've seen how she operates)

Then -- there was the whole stupid "Elvis voice" thing. 🙄 That "joke" has been run into the ground for two whole years, and it's almost like beating a dead horse at this point. That man has been bullied for over two years for the voice thing, even when he doesn't even sound like Elvis! And so what if maybe he got stuck in a voice inflection for a little while? It happens to a lot of actors. Why is he the one getting so much hate? Instead of bullying him, people should have been showing him compassion and just given him more time to acclimate to his more typical way of speaking again.

Then there are also the people online who say that they just "don't like him" because they think he's "creepy" or they don't like him "just because". 😒 Like wtf? 🥴 They don't even have a real reason to hate the man, but they are so proud to say that they dislike him. This man is one of the kindest people in the industry. I'm thinking, what on earth are they smoking?

He's also been called "pretentious", "arrogant", and "phony", but yet, if you watch even just one interview of Austin (even pre-Elvis), you'll see that he's one of the sweetest, most down-to-earth and genuine celebrities out here. Other people who have worked with him or met him also echo that same sentiment.

Now, he's getting blamed for the breakup of his costar and her fiancé just because they're currently filming a movie together, and there's absolutely zero proof of them having anything romantic off-camera whatsoever. 🙄

I'm just thinking, what on earth is people's problem with this man? If anything, he's been very private, he minds his business, he works hard, he's never been involved in any scandal, he minds his manners and treats everyone with kindness and has never been one of those jerk celebrities who act entitled. I'm just trying to figure out where people are getting their reasons to hate this guy from?

I think you have probably hit the nail on the head girl. I think most people take one look at Austin and assume that someone that good-looking just has to be a jerk, a cheater, or extremely arrogant. But he's totally the opposite!

I also agree with you that part of it is jealousy too. But a lot of the people saying these things about him online are women! 🥴 It's almost like women these days automatically judge good-looking guys as bad guys or smthg. Heaven forbid a guy be hot and actually a nice guy. Those men do exist! If Austin were ugly or even just average-looking, I kind of feel like the opinion on him would be totally different.

It just makes me so sad when I see people on Twitter or online just going in on him for absolutely no good reason, and making up lies in order to justify their hatred of him, because he is so not how some people assume him to be. 😔

Thoughts anyone??

[nientedal]

Is it worth watching Megamind rules? I know I’m not the target, but I’m curious yet also really really nervous. I know it’s for a younger audience but I’m still very on the fence and nervous. Also, love your writing

Omg, thank you, and thank you also for asking and yes yes yes 100% it's worth watching! It got crapped on by a bunch of people who decided based on the trailer alone that it was going to suck (how fun, a movie about a guy who everyone decided would be bad despite not knowing him got a spinoff show that...everyone decided would be bad despite not watching it, lol), so there's a lot of hate out there for it. I'm assuming you've caught wind of some of that, and that's why you're nervous? But for what it's worth, I was staring at the screen like :D basically the whole time.

Some more specific notes below the cut, but the tl;dr is please do give it a chance, if you can find the time. A G-rated direct-to-stream spinoff show wasn't what a lot of people were hoping for, and there were some folks who watched it and didn't care for it. But from a writing and storytelling standpoint, I think it is genuinely good! If you go in expecting a cute kids' show with some silly jokes and social misfits finding their way forward together, and keep an open mind, I don't think you'll be disappointed-- in fact I think you may be pleasantly surprised.

Just a gentle heads-up on some stuff because I'm not sure what you've heard about the show yet, and I'm also not sure what your existing expectations are!

The show was given a shoestring budget and not a lot of time to go from writers' room to final product, and yes, there are places where you can tell. But that was always going to be the case-- Dreamworks was absolutely not going to be spending big bucks on a franchise they've barely even acknowledged in more than a decade-- and it wasn't the fault of the people making the show. And even with the low budget, I think the animation is still genuinely solid, especially in later episodes! The people who worked on it really did a great job with what they were given.

And the writing!!! Holy shit!!! My skin is clear my crops are watered etc. The original writers handled this project and they absolutely delivered. Megamind & Roxanne's whole Thing progresses and grows and blooms in a really sweet and realistic way. Roxanne & Chum have a great dynamic. (Minion's name needed to be changed for legal reasons, but the writers worked that into the show and I gotta say, as a trans person, it was really lovely to see everyone else respond to "actually, because of [spoiler], my name is Chum now" with "oh! cool okay" and just keep rolling. I love that that was modeled for kids.) The character development is tangible; we get to watch Megamind really grow as a person and come into his own over the course of the series. And the new characters are really fun-- I genuinely enjoyed Keiko and everyone else.

Even if you never watch it (it's OK if you don't!) please just know: this was not a cash grab; Megamind Rules was made by people who truly cared about this world and these characters.

It's also worth noting that Megamind Versus the Doom Syndicate (the extended pilot) recaps a bunch of the same lessons as the original movie, so it can feel a little bit "...didn't we JUST do this??" but I'm pretty sure that was because Dreamworks didn't want to rely on kids to watch a 13 year old movie rated PG instead of G in order to get context. So like, I get it. And it's still cute! But it did mean I was nervous about what the rest of the series would be like until I was laughing my ass off halfway through Episode 2. If you're nervous, you can probably skip MMVtDS.

But yeah. I truly do think Megamind Rules is worth watching, and I've been so sad about the reception it received. Thank you so much for asking about it, and not just deciding it sucks and moving on. I appreciate you.

[blooddrinkingbartender]

theotherrookie

"Yep, I can never escape the paperwork." Or her mother's scrutiny. This was going to be quite the tale to tell. She turned her attention back to Lucien, taking note of the great care the fae was using despite a bit of obvious awkwardness. "You'd be surprised. Lucien is stubborn, but he isn't wasting that second chance he got. Russell did more for him than probably either of them realizes." The question now was whether this incident would set Lucien back. He was very set in his ways and being shown that he wasn't so safe just minding his business in his shop had to have been as much of a shock as watching someone else try on him what he used to do. "Well, you settled things with me." she corrected, waving the ring around for emphasis. "Lucien might have different ideas about your eyes." She gave a nod once Leofric was done and sent the ring flying. Raw healing magic didn't require her to aim. "Rook, can you do something for Russell? He still isn't fully recovered." Lucien asked, gently pulling at her cape. "Well, I can give him an energy bar. Doctor Birb recommends a nap– Because I'm completely out of everything else."

"If there are three things that are certain in life, it's death, taxes, and paperwork," Antonio said, "Although I suppose taxes fall under paperwork in a sense."

Bill then nodded.

"I suppose I can get that," Bill said, "And to be honest, even if they did know, I doubt they'd acknowledge it. Lucien seems the sort of guy to keep his feelings on the down low, and Russell would probably say something like 'I was just being a decent' person."

"Good to know," Antonio replied, "Well, I don't care what he thinks I might owe him. He's not having my eyes for real. I have a feeling I'm going to need them."

For future use. He wasn't planning to attack innocent people. But now he had some better idea of what he was capable of, maybe, just maybe, he could actually use abilities for the better, or some more harmless fun for those who might need a lesson in manners.

"Don't worry, I'll, I'll be fine," Russell said, managing a small smile that he hoped would be reassuring.

"I'm guessing it's a lingering aftereffect," Antonio said, "Rest is the best solution, given that it isn't really an injury of the body. While the soul knits itself back together and becomes whole again, some fatigue will be expected."

Leofric then pulled out another bottle of his coat. It was able the size of a standard water bottle and had a glittering purple liquid inside. It was offered to Rook.

"Here, this should help replenish you as well, given the help you gave me," Leofric said then, "It took me a while to get it to taste like cookies and cream, but people find it's more palatable that way."

Russell rubbed at the back of his neck.

"So I uh, I guess I should probably go and, and do that," Russell said, "Unless I, I can help with, with anything else... it feels like I've, I've not really done much here, except look, look after Lucien's jacket."

"I suppose some have a redemption arc, and I suppose some go in the opposite direction," Antonio said, "On this occasion, you are the better person than me, I won't deny that."

He chuckled a little bit.

"Of course not," Antonio said, drumming a set of sharp claws on the top of his walking cane. When had they appeared? "You think I'm going to miss a rare chance to be something more than what I am now?"

Despite all of his efforts. It appeared that Lucien just couldn't be swayed. Antonio could see it in his face, especially his eyes.

"Heh, of course not," Antonio replied then, "Well, you've made your choice. Seeing as I can't have your mind..."

The green swirling mists disappeared from his eyes, and they instead turned a solid black, like that of a long abandoned tunnel. His teeth appeared sharper, and green energy formed around his hands. He then held one of that out towards Lucien, who might have started to feel a horrible stretching sensation inside of his chest.

"I'm going to have your soul."

[laurelwinchester]

one of my many many many arr*w related grievances is that people in the fandom (including in the laurel lance sub fandom) are very hesitant or even outright refuse to admit that quentin lance was an extremely emotionally abusive father. i still don't understand why that is.

[thepersonperson]

Sukuna’s Loneliness Part 4 (Sukuna’s Negative Rizz)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Some warnings before we start.

1) This analysis deals with sexual topics.

2) I will be mainly using the TCB scans because of their accessibility. Raws are from mangareader(.)to.

3) This was written as of JJK 262 266. (I'm just going to keep updating this until I stop finding things I should've noticed earlier.)

4) The raws broke me in ways you cannot possibly imagine.

(Click images for captions/citations.)

Fighting as Communication

Baki the Grappler. This is a manga where men destroy each other’s bodies as a test of strength. It’s poorly written but the art is terrifying and I love it so dearly. Between fights of extreme violence and body horror the characters eat. And that’s it. That’s the manga.

I bring Baki up because Gege is a huge fan of Fujimoto Tatsuki, the creator of Chainsawman. Fujimoto is a fan of Gege too, but more importantly, he is a huge fan of Itagaki Keisuke, the creator of Baki. (His daughter made Beastars btw.) In a way, this means Jujutsu Kaisen has been influenced by Baki. But that’s not a surprise, a lot of manga is.

Itagaki’s work is so massively influetial on Japanese media that it’s kind of hard to grasp since it’s not as popular overseas. When listening to interviews from various Japanese creators, Baki will often be cited as a major influence. And the thing is, you can tell when a creative has read Baki. There’s nothing quite like it. If you’ve read Baki and consume Chainsawman, you will see its bones everywhere. I feel the same about Jujutsu Kaisen.

The main antagonist in Baki is Yujiro Hanma. He is the strongest creature alive. So much so that he has no one to call a rival. He’s bored. He causes trouble. He kills his wife to motivate his son, Baki into becoming stronger. His son, Baki, who he grooms into becoming a fighter that might beat him in combat one day. Kind of sounds like Sukuna, right?

But that’s not my point here. My focus is how Baki doubles as a discussion about strength and manhood. It’s aggressively bisexual. Men love each other with their fists. Straight up the main character says having sex with women is the same thing as fighting men.

And it just doesn’t stop there. The homoerotic nature of the fights is never shyed away from. Here’s an example of my favorite.

He grabs his balls and compliments their size. That’s pretty gay, right? Well there’s this reanimated prehistoric caveman called Pickle that fights Baki’s brother Jack. And how do they fight? They kiss.

I didn’t call it a kiss. Itagaki did. I didn’t say they melded together. Itagaki did. This mangaka overtly calls attention to the homoerotic nature of men fighting men, and how men communicate their love for each other through violence. And yes, it’s sexual. Itagaki wants you to read it that way.

But sometimes he doesn’t want you to read it that way. Sometimes the fights are a dialogue, an emotional conversation. Like one between father and son.

Itagaki is a master of narrative framing. When he wants you to feel a certain way, you will feel it. He also tells his readers that there’s more to the fights than just fighting.

Those are the ideas that help me see the bones of Baki in other works. Men loving men with violence. Men communicating with men through violence. I see these ideas in Jujutsu Kaisen too.

Jujutsu Communication

I’ve gone over how Yuji commucates with other people on their own terms. And a lot of it is through fighting. A conversation without words, learning how someone works. Yuji is good at using fights as tool of communication.

But he’s not the one who tells you that there’s more to the fights than just fighting. Maki does in her spar with the sumo guy.

Just like Baki. Fighting is a means of communication. Gege has told you that there can be more to the fights than fighting. It's a tool used to understand the self and others.

With that in mind, I want to reexamine a particular fight under the lens of Baki rather than Umineko.

Sukuna vs Gojo

Baki tells you that homoerotic readings of its fights are intentional. If you ask me, this probably stems from historical stances on masculinity and homosexuality in ancient Japan. Men loved men and women differently, but both were ok. That’s how Baki can have a girlfriend and his gay fights. Peak bisexual optimization.

What does Jujutsu Kaisen have to do with this? Well it has been extremely queer friendly. We have a multidue of canonical trans characters, non-binary characters, and other flavors of queer characters not disparaged for their identities, Gojo Satoru included. It may not be stated outright, but Gojo and Geto do love each other in a gay way. The subtext is so persisent it’s basically text.

In other words, Gege has already told us, yes please have queer readings of this text. It’s the same way Baki tells you, yes this is straight up convoluded gay sex. So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to reread the Sukuna and Gojo fight as some ridiculous mating display between two men who are fighting over can miscommunicate their intent the hardest.

Framed as Courtship

Let’s start with the framing. The pre-fight set up. How does text tell you queer readings are allowed?

Kenjaku does. It’s romantic. It’s a date. This reading has been made valid explicitly. And if there’s room for doubt because of the sarcasm? There’s still additional support for it.

We already know how badly in love Gojo is with Geto. The fight is on the 24th of December, the most romantic day in Japan. And in a fun little Geto parallel, who declared the start of war on this day, violence underlines this new romantic venture.

That doesn’t include Sukuna who recalls Yorozu’s words about teaching love in the context of marriage.

Gojo never heard that conversation which is why the next point is absolutely insane.

The outfit Gojo initially is in resembles that of a groom at a Shinto wedding.

Shinto weddings were implemented after the Heian era. Part of the ceremony includes a priest and a shrine maiden who respectively stand to the right and left of the altar. A purification ritual will occur, lead by the priest, to cleanse the shrine before vows are exchanged. Gakuganji is the priest and Utahime is the shrine maiden. To the right and left of Gojo respectively.

The bride at a Shinto wedding wears mainly white. After the 200% Hollow Purple cleanses the area, the dark shawl is removed and Sukuna remains in mostly white.

How interesting that this battle has been framed as one between groom and bride.

The thing is, marriage in the Heian era was far more lax. There were no major ceremonies. If a man was interested in marrying a woman, he would visit her for 3 nights after receiving approval from her father. Upon the passing of their 3rd night together, the family would have an informal celebration of their union in private. Even after marriage, multiple partners were allowed and sometimes encouraged.

Yorozu’s big celebration proposal to Sukuna and banning of concubines was quite improper by Heian standards. Though it is in line with modern marriages. If Sukuna did not consume any Shinto wedding literature, he probably didn’t recognize that Gojo was dressed as a groom.

But did Gojo dress this way for Sukuna intentionally? The Toji fit served an entirely different purpose. It’s the robes and pre-fight ceremony that catch my attention. So I propose the following:

1) Gojo dressed up as a groom to die and be wed with his one and only Geto in death.

2) Gojo dressed up as a groom in part as an offering to Sukuna. And because Sukuna is from the Heian era it went over his head entirely.

3) Gojo intended for both of these things at the same time and left who he would end up with to fate.

Regardless of what Gojo was going for here, it’s a visual cue combined with the knowledge of it being Dec 24th that encourages the reader to perhaps consider the fight as something other than just a fight. A date perhaps? Kenjaku made the connection and neither Gojo or Sukuna really denied it. Gojo gave the weak excuse of a death anniversary confusion. But much weirder, given how hostile he was to Yorozu, Sukuna did not object to the romantic framing in any capacity.

Am I reaching? Is this reading intentional?

When I start getting this confused by how a translated work wants me to read it, I try to refer to the original language text and anyone who knows it for missing context. Sometimes localizations add things that weren’t there or push readers towards one interpretation. So for the rest of this analysis, I’m going to be focusing on the raws.

I’m going to be honest. My Japanese fudging sucks. I can barely read kanji and can’t reliably translate anything. Feel free to correct me if I got something wrong. That being said, with what little I do know, I have discovered something interesting.

In this post I talked about how weird Sukuna’s manner of speech is. I focused on his you pronoun usage of お前 (Omae) for everyone else and 貴様 (Kisama) for Gojo since this is a strong indicator of how a character views their relationship to someone.

Here's a summary of the two points I made in that post:

1) Omae is informal and either a casual thing amongst peers or indicates the speaker's higher status. Since Sukuna is arrogant, we can reasonably assume he's talking down to people.

2) Kisama historically was a formal show of respect, but in modern times it is a hostile insult, much more rude than Omae. Since Sukuna is 1,000 years old and hates Yuji (who he uses Omae with), we can reasonably assume Sukuna was being friendly to Gojo when he used Kisama.

With that pronoun usage in mind, while examining the raws for the infamous “You Cleared My Skies” speech I found this:

Kisama. Sukuna is very happy and lavishing Gojo with praise. The assumption it was formal from the start seems to be correct. It's hard to read this any other way.

Though Japanese can easily be dubious in its interpretation, there are instances where context can cut off all other readings. I truly believe this one of those cases.

Now, to confirm Sukuna is still only treating Gojo this way I started looking at his you pronouns as he got excited post-Gojo death. Maki is the person he seems to admire the most.

He’s still just using Omae. What does that mean? Gojo is in his own fudging category for Sukuna and he has been there since the start of the manga. (For more on why this is significant, refer to this post.)

Wow ok. That’s pretty intense! We’ve got Gojo dressed up as a groom on December 24th and Sukuna treating Gojo different from anyone else. I read their fight again under the lens of explicit courtship and focused in on these specific panels.

Satisfaction. Now that’s a word that can easily carry a sexual connotation. Love as well. The parallel syntax fascinated me in English. So I decided to look at the raws and see how close they are.

Pretty much the same except for "the one who will teach you love" and "the one satisfying him now". Since the one being satisfied is Gojo by Sukuna, it really seems we can assume the one being taught love is Gojo by Sukuna.

Time to learn some Japanese again!

Kanji has multiple readings. Most have at least two. The Onyomi (Chinese) reading typically used for nouns and the Kunyomi (Japanese) reading typically used for verbs. (This is not always the case but it’s the basics.)

That’s probably why 満 is read as まん (man) when Gojo and Geto are talking about “satisfaction” using the On version and み (mi), the Kun version, when the narrator is talking about who “satisfies” who.

However 満 on its own does not mean satisfaction. It means full. To be filled. Or fullness. 足 (zoku) is added as a modifier after 満 to be read as satisfaction 満足 (manzoku). 足 usually means feet, but it can also mean to be sufficient. Manzoku therefore has a direct translation of being sufficiently full. It’s not a surprise a lot of food places in Japan use Manzoku in their names or advertising.

But what’s this? Why is this sentence written as 満たして or Mi(tashite) instead of 満足して or Manzoku(shite)? The addition of Zoku is what transforms Man into "satisfying". Without the Zoku, it’s just "fill". The means this sentence can be read as “The one filling him up now is—”

We’ve already established that the blank is Sukuna. The new problem is that he’s filling Gojo up. And boy, does that sound homoerotic to put it lightly. But perhaps I am reaching.

So I did what any sane person would do in this situation. I read hentai.

Surely if the phrase 満たして (mitashite) can carry a sexual connotation I will find it in hentai.

...

I immediately found a yaoi doujin called Fill me with your Big Love aka おっきな愛で満たして (Okkina Ai de Mitashite). Honestly, I found too many doujins about creampies specifically. (You have internet access verify this yourself.) When you search Manzokushite the results are much more in line with life satisfaction than sexual satisfaction. ...So Gege decided to use the more frisky phrasing.

Manzoku is also the name of an active sex toy manufacturer (I’m not linking them use a search engine.) and a discontinued adult entertainment news company. So the satisfaction Gojo and Geto talk about, along with Geto using 妬 (ya), the jealous kanji often used between lovers, is definitely probably carrying a sexual connotation too.

So, I’m not reaching. What the fudge did Gege mean by this?

Now that we've established that I am NOT reaching. What do we do with this information?

Well, we ruminate on the fight with the knowledge that Sukuna, of his own volition, decided to get Gojo off, probably.

I have forgiven Nanami for calling Gojo a pervert. If I watched someone bust a nut after being cut in half by his sworn enemy instead of saving the country, I too would be like what the fudge.

Anyways, the typical phrase used for an orgasm in Japanese is 行く(iku). It translates as to go. And yes it can mean to die, as in going to the other side. To die and go to heaven if you will. Which is what Gojo did with a big old smile on his face.

There’s also the term 心天 (tokoroten). It refers to a dish were a semi-opaque white substance is pushed through holes to create noodles. Literal translation using the kanji for heart 心 (kokoro) and the kanji for heaven 天 (ten). (Don’t ask me why them being smack together turns the Koroko into Tokoro. I don’t know.) Which in slang refers to prostate orgasms. This has nothing to do with this analysis I wanted to drop this fun fact in here. …And this image of Sukuna clutching his heart while looking at someone he sent to heaven.

(This is a reach but the idea of this being an elaborate gay pun amuses me greatly.)

I have another fun slang term: 賢者タイム (kenjataimu) which directly translates to sage 賢者 (kenja) time タイム (taimu). This refers to post-nut clarity sending someone into a meditative-like state.

Oh that’s a bit familiar. Sukuna was giving sagely advice to Kashimo and reflecting on satisfaction and love.

And what’s this? Mitashite has made a reappearance! Sukuna is saying “I’ve never thought about needing another person to fill me up.” Which 1. further supports the 'The one satisfying/filling him (Gojo) now is—Sukuna.' reading and 2. suggests Sukuna is a top suggests Sukuna really doesn’t have sexual interest in people. (Since the context of this convo is relationships and love.)

By the way. Acts of eating in Japanese can be modified to carry sexual meanings. It’s a bit more suggestive than English, but it carries over pretty well I think? 肉食系 (nikusokukei) refers to someone who aggresively pursues romantic or sexual relationships. Composed of the kanji 肉 (niku) for meat, 食 (ta) for eating, and 系 (kei) class. If you noticed, 食 isn’t usually read as Soku. It becomes Soku when paired with Niku for some reason. (I don’t know why someone please help me.) Side by side the kanji 肉食 (nikusoku) means meat-eater.

食 is still interesting on it’s own. The 食べる (taberu) reading is normal eating. The 食う(kuu) reading is an innuendo. It can mean to devour someone, like a cannibal, or devour someone sexually.

Sukuna has made it very clear that his eating of people is literal. There’s no innuendo. In fact, if you read into it, he’ll kill you (rip Yorozu and Kashimo).

Gojo, however, appears to be his sole exception to this rule. When Sukuna tells Kashimo not to spoil his pleasure he uses the kanji 興 (kyou). This of course can be directly translated as pleasure, but the Chinese reading of it can also indicate intense excitement or sexual arousal.

Sukuna is pretty good at double-entendre wordplay if his earlier stunts with the kanji for Enchain doubling as Megumi Activities if read a different way is anything to go by. He's a fan of Chinese literature. It's not a stretch to assume there's more going on here.

And if notoriously homophobic Reddit dudebros are posting things like this. Maybe there's a lot more merit to this reading than I can currently grasp.

I’m still pretty convinced Sukuna is aroace. That of course doesn’t bar him from pursuing romantic or sexual relationships. Sometimes there’s the one exception. Sometimes the desire to be with and please an allo partner allows for engagement of activities they aren’t into. Sometimes the actions are pursued without the emotional attachment because they physically feel good. There’s also the gray-scale and demi labels to consider.

With that in mind, I want to emphasize this all points to how important Gojo is to Sukuna regardless of sexuality. He tried to engage with and understand Gojo on terms he won’t for anyone else. And he’s been pursuing this connection relentlessly since the start of manga.

Sukuna’s Negative Rizz

Ok I established that reading the Sukuna vs Gojo fight as unhinged courtship is supported by the text. That doesn’t really say anything about Sukuna sucking at it.

But, my dear reader, that in of itself is proof of his negative rizz. I had to sit down. Learn about Heian era and Shinto wedding rituals, learn more Japanese, splice seemingly unrelated manga panels together, read hentai, and know that Gege is into yaoi to come to this conclusion. I had to rip every little shred of characterization and context apart and rearrange it into something comprehensible.

You know who can’t do that? Gojo.

As far as Gojo is concerned, Sukuna hates him. Kisama is an extremely hostile you pronoun in modern times. And if Gojo can’t tell Shoko (his closest friend after Geto) is stressed over him being used like a meat puppet by her visibly falling back on her addiction, he’s going to default to the assumption Sukuna hates him just as much as everyone else.

And Gojo does just that. He assumes he failed to reach Sukuna. Despite how often they did hand to hand combat and weaponized their knowledge of each other, Gojo believes they never had proper conversation through fighting. He dies not understanding Sukuna, convinced the other was not trying to communicate with him at all.

And if you recall, all of this fight occurred while Sukuna was wearing Megumi’s face. That boy is pretty much Gojo’s adopted child. From my experience, most single parents do not go looking for clones of their kids as partners.

If someone wore the skin of my family member I would assume they were trying to torment me. And torment Gojo Sukuna does. He draws attention to Megumi’s soul being used as collateral and attacks him with the 10 Shadows. We as the audience know this is all for the sake of getting past Infinity using his Shrine. Gojo doesn’t know that. He’s fighting an evil dude who is puppeting the body of his son for god knows what reason.

Seriously, Sukuna sucks at communicating intent.

In Part 3 of my examination of Sukuna’s loneliness, I said Dismantle is a tool Sukuna uses to understand. And that him upgrading it by making Gojo the center of his world was indicative of his desire to reach him. I also said his refusal to use it on Yorozu was him expressing how little interest he had in her.

Yorozu is pissed by this. She sees it as Sukuna rejecting her and I don’t think she’s wrong. Sukuna saved his special Cursed Technique (CT) for Gojo while turning Yorozu down. If we’re considering all the wedding imagery and references that started with Yorozu, I’m certainly allowed to read that as him saving himself for Gojo. (Think of how he lied to Gojo about being the first one he killed.)

There’s also the fact that Yorozu saw their battle as an expression love and lust—that the usage of CT is a type of foreplay under certain circumstances since it is an extension of the self. Combine that with the established premise that fighting is a type of a communication thanks to Maki vs Sumo Guy and you can start to see the courtship logic behind Sukuna’s treatment of Gojo.

If we are to read “The one who will teach you love is…Sukuna” there’s another adorable caveat. Yorozu uses the you pronoun あなた (Anata) for Sukuna.

It’s an informal you pronoun used by people learning Japanese. Native speakers try to avoid using it as it can come across as rude. But in the context of love? This is colloquially called the wife pronoun as its often used by a wife to her husband.

If you wanted to localize its usage in the way Yorozu means it, Anata might become “you, dear”. So here we have Sukuna dressed in white, like a bride to Gojo’s groom, thinking of him as Anata.

The problem is, Gojo doesn’t know that. Sukuna never bothered to open his mouth and say this was an act of love. Sure he told Kashimo in the most roundabout way possible, but Gojo was the one who needed to hear that. If a courtship is going to be this diabolically complicated, there has to be clear hints for the other party. JJK is not Umineko where there’s a witch that can revive the dead over and over until the idiot finally understands this was all for them.

Gojo also doesn’t have access to the kanji Sukuna uses to describe certain techinques or words. He hears the phonetics and runs with whatever best fits the context. This means there’s no way for him to catch the double-meaning unless he’s a certain type of lingust, which he is not. His manner of speech and personal interests don’t line up with the flowery language of the Heian Era. The types of written works Gojo is into are historical war politics from the Sengoku period (known for violence more than the fine arts), Shonen manga, and physics/math.

And what's this? According to CFYOW (the canon light novels): JJK Thorny Road at Dawn, Chapter 3 Asakusabashi Elegy, Gojo doesn't even like ancient poetry. You know, the thing Sukuna enjoys and tries to communicate with.

The Kokin Wakashu Gojo off-handedly disparages is a compilation of Hiean Era poetry known as Waka. This was the primary means of communication amongst the noble class and spiritual leaders at the time. And the thing is, this poetry is supposed to be read into. Down to the quality of stroke and paper, not just the kanji written. Especially for courtship.

It’s not that Gojo is stupid. He just doesn’t specialize in the studies that would give him a more critical ear to Sukuna's words. And Sukuna doesn’t seem to understand that no one in the modern era communicates like this anymore.

If you didn’t know, this is why Japanese characters introduce themselves they often describe what kanji their name is spelled with. Take for example: Satoru. He uses the kanji 悟 meaning enlightenment. This kanji can be read as Go instead of Satoru. Additionally, the name Satoru can be written in kanji as 聡 for smart, 智 for wisdom, 知 for knowledge, 了 for understanding, 哲 for philosophy, 聖 for virtuous, or 暁 for daybreak. That’s 8 different kanji possible if you hear the name Satoru.

This is why Sukuna’s wordplay for everything else can be easily missed by other characters. They hear the words and cannot read the kanji like us. Context decides what Sukuna means for them. And since Sukuna’s context for most is violence and insults, it’s very hard for them to think about his words in any other way.

And boy howdy does Gojo miss it. Sukuna straight up calls him his husband and it took me several rereads to catch it. While mocking Gojo for being unable to open his domain, Sukuna calls him "painfully ordinary". This is localized from the word 凡夫 (bonpu) which can also be translated as unenlightened. (A layered insult! Sukuna is pretty much saying Gojo's sorcery is so boring he shouldn't even call himself the Honored One.)

The thing is...Bonpu is comprised of the 2 kanji 凡 for mediocre, and 夫 for husband. (Please note that there are many other ways to call Gojo a ditz without using the kanji for husband.) And an update from the Replies: Turns out there's layers to the gayness too.

It's come full fudging circle. Gojo came dressed as a groom for a wedding and Sukuna thinks they're already married. The miscommunication is off the rails.

But wait! There's more...

Earlier I mentioned that the kanji for Enchain doubles as Megumi Activities. Let's break that down more. (Unfortunately the Twitter account of the person I referenced may or may not be nuked so here's this screenshot I've doctored.)

So we have the translation of Enchain from 契闊 (Keikatsu), which might be better localized as Separation.

This term comes from a Chinese poem about lovers who are husband and wife in The Book of Odes, Section I (Lessons from the States), Chapter 3 (The Odes of Bei), Poem 31 (Banging the Drum). (Here's a link to the full poem and context of it.)

In summary, it’s about a soldier who is on the brink of death, having lost nearly everything after being abandoned by those in power, lamenting the happiest days of his life with his love are ones he can never get back. (Hey that sounds just like what Sukuna did to Yuji!)

Keikatsu specifically comes from this passage:

“Our vow is beyond death and life”, I and you are together I always remembered. I will hold your hand, And together we grow old.

Too pitiful we are faraway apart, The distance separates us to meet again! Too miserable this takes forever, And it does not let us fulfill our vow!

Keikatsu is used to exemplify how the physical distance between the husband and wife prevents them from fulfilling their wedding vows. And that's just what Keikatsu/Enchain does to Yuji and Megumi, it causes painful separation neither of them wanted.

Keikatsu also tells Yuji exactly how Sukuna plans to do it. 契(kei)闊(katsu) can be written as 恵(kei)活(katsu). The kanji 恵 can be read as Kei or...Megumi. (It's the literal kanji used for his name.) The kanji 活 (katsu) can mean "activities", which is how we get Enchain=Megumi Activities.

A two for one special! Sukuna mocks Yuji for being so close with Megumi while telling him exactly how he's going to destroy their relationship.

It seems this has nothing to do with Gojo until you consider the 3rd possible reading from wordplay with 契闊 (Keikatsu). The kanji 契 when read as Kei refers to a promise, pledge or vow. When 契 read as Chigi? It can refer to sexual intercourse, especially between husband and wife.

So we have 契闊(keikatsu, separation), 恵(kei Megumi)活(katsu, activities), and 契(kei chigi, spousal sex)活(katsu, activities). It's no wonder he erased Yuji's memory of it.

Keep in mind, that when Sukuna uses Keikatsu, the only vow that he has made at this point is his promise to kill Gojo. He eventually does that using Megumi's body during a fight framed between groom and bride. And for reasons beyond their control, Sukuna and Gojo have been unable to fulfill that vow through lengthy separation.

Notes from poem "Banging the Drum" Sukuna references include the following:

"And during the operation, he lost his horse, which was a desperate situation (horses in ancient time carried soldier supply and weapons, are life companion for soldiers in advance or retreat), he lost his horse, his supply, maybe his armor and weapons, and the road he was facing that we may lose his life so he may never go back. In all these mess, he started searching, and somehow at this hopeless moment he started to revisit his happiest moment, when he together vowed in marriage ceremony with his wife, and he was even afraid that he might never see his love again."

"And His last statement for his true value is his home, his love, his fulfillment of his vow is his true duty. Hero's duty is to pursue love."

In Buddhism, which JJK is heavily influenced by, horses are a pretty big deal. Horses can represent the path to enlightenment, especially since The Buddha's horse is what takes him on this journey away from his wife and children. They separate in the end though, the horse dying of a broken heart.

Remember how Sukuna called Gojo unenlightened? He sort of guided Gojo to enlightenment using Mahoraga, whose Eight-Handed title is a reference to the Eightfold Path to be followed for enlightenment. Buddhist enlightenment is centered around liberation from suffering. (Just check the wiki entry to verify this.) Infinity was the source of Gojo's suffering and Sukuna cut right through it.

Sukuna has been running around with a broken heart for a good chunk of the post-Gojo fight. And if you take that into consideration with this poem and all the other symbolism, he's somehow a Buddha, a Bodhisattva, the dying husband, the widowed wife, and the heartbroken horse all at the same time. Not unlike his wordplay taking on every possible meaning at once.

But my point here is that Sukuna might’ve seen his fight with Gojo as consummation of their marriage. (There's probably a joke in here about the husband reaching climax while leaving his wife unsatisfied.) Remember in the wise words of Itagaki Keisuke, "Fighting and sex are exactly the same!"

In Conclusion?

This is possibly one of the most bizarre and elaborate expressions of love I have lost my mind over. Sukuna gave everything Gojo ever wanted from Jujutsu violently. He did it in such an unpleasant and cruel way that the target of his affection thought there was nothing between them. Sukuna also hid his intent under social norms that no longer exist. Unless Gojo happened to be into ancient literature, there was never a scenario where he would catch onto this. Sukuna's failure is critical on multiple levels.

It’s impressive. It really is. No one knows how Sukuna’s strange little brain works so he’s stuck being loner without anyone that fully understands him. (I’m still thinking about how Uraume didn’t know Sukuna was a twin for over 1,000 years.) He’d have to let people in and tell him outright, but he’s just like Gojo so I guess that’s never happening.

[turtleduckmocha]

trimeshi enjoyers i see your chimera!vash and raise you... wolfwood as [MANGA SPOILERS] marcille

or as my partner @sozosnipes named him, Wolfcille <3

[xtinyslip]

"i'm not entirely sure that he used to like anyone. except himself, of course but yes. i… i wasn't well and for a time we were all living together and the property wasn't all that spacious either. i'm taking it day at a time but yes, me and my father have never gotten on as well as we do right now." it really was a matter of taking it a day at a time but the progress that was being made was good. no, it didn't erase the past but if they could find a way to be at peace with one and other then she owed it to herself to try. "i'm here, most likely making a complete fool out of myself but i'm here. does that not say it all?" didn't that say it all? because if it was anyone else and they'd try to given her the cold shoulder, she probably wouldn't have remotely cared enough to stop them. with him, it had always been different. "if we could be just friends it may be easier, i could give you that but better? i don't know what about that sounds better." if she was being completely honest. of course, she wanted to be his friend but she also wanted to be everything. she didn't want to stop at just being his friend. no. "i'm around." offering a slight smile. she hadn't been but if she'd walked in here before today. well, she didn't feel like her best self as it was right now but she wouldn't want him to have seen the state of her before now. "yes," nodding. perhaps, that made her crazy but wasn't that what love was supposed to do anyway? fuck it. it was the truth. "to have more time with you? yes, i would without hesitation." definitely.

"don't tell me this apartment of yours upstairs is a bachelor pad 2.0?" a mild tease. "it makes me selfish to say that i'm glad… you really scared the hell out of me. i've really missed you." cecilia honestly thought that he had been gone and that this time there was no returning. she thought she'd lost him permanently and the hurt that caused hadn't gotten easier as time went by. in fact, it was just as unbearable now as it had been that night. "hm," she nodded. "the cecilia you always got to see, i'm allowing certain others to see too." she wasn't going to pretend that she was magically fixed, that she was this completely better person. it was unrealistic and a total fucking lie but she was trying. "we soon came to the realisation that whether we held onto it, whether we didn't move on… we were still together. we always found a way back to each other so, what was the point?" what was the point in letting the past be their future? if they were bound together as tightly as they were regardless? she was so used to speaking for people, she didn't want to speak for him but she was trying to speak based on what she had known then. considering he couldn't remember. "frodo," why wasn't she expecting anything else? she smiled slightly, still focusing on their hands. "i can say sincerely now that i would like that." considering she hadn't been much of a dog person before, or much of an anything person before. if they were honest.

her heart was pounding and she didn't know whether it was from excitement or nerves, maybe it was a mixture of both. he hadn't asked her to leave, if anything, it felt like she was stepping further into his life by seeing his apartment. all she knew was that she didn't think she could let go of his hand. it didn't seem possible. it was like the trauma was playing the worst kind of trick, waiting till the second that those doors closed to kick into action. she didn't even realise she was trembling, something else took over her body when she was like this. he thought he knew how bad it was but he didn't, he didn't remember how awful it had been this most recent time. seeing how hard he'd fought to escape to get back to her, feeling how cold his body had been, how cooper had literally had to physically pull her off him. if cooper hadn't been there, that door would have sealed shut leaving her in there with him, they'd have both been dead but still, strangely she didn't doubt that they wouldn't have found their way to this very moment. somehow, she knew they would have. "it's not. it's not okay. you, i," still glancing to the corner where his body would have been if they were actually in that room. "i don't give a flying fuck about me, nothing can ever happen to you. not again." that was true. it was the hand on her face that seemed to ground her, it gave her a chance to manage her breathing. get it somewhat under control. deep breathes. it centered her, realising that he was there, that he was so close to her. when he kissed her she couldn't help but let out a groan, feeling their joined hands above her head, using her free hand to cup around the back of his head and pull him in closer and keep him there. the moment he fully embraced her, the trembling stopped, she no longer felt ice cold but warm, hot even. her mouth crashing against his in the same messy, desperate kiss. @fcdcdmcmories

"THAT SOUNDS.. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY. HE NEVER LIKED ME. PRETTY SURE HE WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY PLANNED MY EARLY DEMISE, IF.. WHAT HAPPENED HADN'T HAPPENED. and now, you mean to tell me that there's a world out there where.. he likes me? and above all, where he has finally realised how lucky he is to have you?" that seemed unlikely and yet, deep down, he knew that she wasn't lying. how? well.. he didn't - not technically, anyways, but.. in his heart of hearts, he knew that he would have been able to tell when she was lying. this? WAS NOT IT. "oh, does it, now? maybe you should tell me more?" wanting to draw the attention away from him, because right now, he was having a hard time remembering why it was that he had been so damn determined to make sure that he stayed away from her. wasn't he? "no. it doesn't. and maybe.. maybe everything would be BETTER if we could be just friends, but i-" he didn't think that he could ever look at her and think of her as just a friend. it was why it had pushed away every single thought of her in the past and had tried to move on and to brush all of it to the side, because he knew that he could NEVER. there was far too much history with the two of them and always would be. how could one go from looking at someone and seeing their entire world to just considering them a friend? THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE. "i think she just needs you around. that's all. i mean, you.. you're family. laney's done her best with her, yeah, but.. GABI MISSES YOU, I'M PRETTY SURE." she wasn't the only one.. was she? right now, he found himself staring at her and staring back at their hands and then back again, because.. right now, he didn't know half of what he was doing. "even knowing how it ended? how.. maybe it's always doomed to end? you would?" because he was finding that maybe.. he would too. right?

yeah. maybe. just maybe. "you're different to me, too. you always have been. HELL, I.. I TRIED. I REALLY TRIED. BUT I COULD NEVER LOOK AT ANYONE ELSE THE SAME WAY. forgetting you is not as easy as i was hoping that it would be, you know?" there was nothing easy about it. she was underneath his skin, she was in his heart and she was in his head. there was no changing any of it. was it? shaking his head. "nah. more.. yourself. the cecilia you only let come out every now and then back in the day? it's like you're.. her now. that you're free to be yourself." was that the case? had he gotten it right? maybe and right now, that wasn't even the strangest thing about it all. that? it was the fact that apparently, he had forgotten.. something. "so i.. let go of it all? of the past? we.. we moved on from all that?" maybe it was the night getting to him and the effect she had on him, but.. no, he hadn't thought that was possibly. any of it. until now, when it had all CHANGED. "you.. you really have changed. more than i had been expecting. i mean, huh.. i have one too. his name's frodo. he's upstairs, so.. you'll probably meet him. lame name, i know, but.. huh, gabi picked it. he's more her dog than anything, but.. yeah." why was he so damn nervous? right now, he could feel his heart pounding against his chest, as he glanced over at her. god, he wanted to- no. he was only doing this, so... people would stop staring, they could talk in peace and then, she'd leave and he'd go back to his life. right? why did it feel as if it was so much more than that now? he did not let go of her hand. he couldn't. right? it was how he noticed the change - as soon as the doors closed. was she.. trembling? "cecilia? what's wrong? you? hey.. it's okay. WE'RE SAFE HERE. I'M HERE, OKAY? YOU'RE.. TALK TO ME?" he was frozen for a second there, as the elevator came to a stop. frozen, because his mind jumped to her remembering what it had been like in that room and he didn't want that. for her. never, right? he moved forward, placing a hand against her cheek. "it's okay. i'm here. nothing will happen to you while i'm here. it's.." it's us. you and me. it was only then that he realised how close they were. when he heard her words? that was all it took. with a grunt, he moved forward, pressing her against the wall of the elevator and lifting their joined hands against the wall, as he crashed his lips to her own in DESPERATE KISS. / @xtinyslip

[marcsnuffy]

I don't think that differently about Kaiser now

[immortalsins]

gantt charts are actually great i'm so sorry for making jokes with engineering people about gantt charts but at the same time i'd rather sink into the pits of hell than show up to my supervisor meeting tomorrow and say 'well sir i have this gantt chart'

[brrdhouse]

i've been given the incentive to write angst about MORE of them.... yes..... 😈🫶

aka, just talking about his relationships with people you brought up because me? overanalyzing relationships between characters who either hate each other or never interact in canon? never. i'd never do that

pacifica:

pacifica wasn't allowed to have close friends growing up. she could've been friends with gideon, the gleefuls were influential enough in town that her parents didn't completely disregard them, but he was younger and immature so she didn't pay him much mind. then she got older, and she met the pines twins who helped her move past her parents' prejudice, and that year she spent working with gideon at greasy's was one of the best she'd had, spending time with someone who knows so intimately how it feels to be outcasted and above it all at the same time. when he told her about what the amulet really did to him, she was horrified. she knew firsthand how horrible the supernatural could be, but would it really kill a kid? he couldn't even drink yet, and he'd be gone? when he left the year after, they kept in close contact, and she'd send him workplace drama and food recommendations, and he'd mail her clothes he knew she'd like and tell her about random gossip he heard on the train.

and when he died, she was one of the first to know. melody called her while they were waiting for an ambulance, and she showed up before they did. she cried, waited with them, and ended up sobbing into wendy's shoulder when she came after soos called her too.

at the funeral, she wore an overly-dramatic veil, sunglasses, and a chic black dress. he had sent her the dress, and she called him in fake-anger yelling about if he really thought she'd dress like a goth freak, but they had a good laugh about it. she cried the hardest. dipper was the one who first noticed how her mascara was slowly dripping down her face, and he held her hand tight for the rest of the service.

and after... she didn't really know what to do. one of the first people she'd ever let in and see the meanest parts of herself, even as they were healing, was gone and she couldn't do anything about it. it'd been years since she learned that money couldn't solve anything, but there was always that desperate hope that whatever took him could take her money and bring him back to her.

things got better, eventually. she couldn't drink certain wines or wear certain clothes because she could practically hear him call it tacky or because she knew he'd been the one to pick it out for her. she did wear some things he gave her, there's no way she could avoid it, but there were some that were for comfort and some that had to be preserved. that black dress was perfectly ironed and hung in it's own alcove, outcasted. above it all.

robbie:

just because you said all that, i'm taking it into my own fanon 😈

robbie hadn't given much thought to the gleefuls, honest. he knew they existed, but the first time he truly interacted with gideon was that year he stayed in town. he was wearing the shirt for a band he knew no one cared about when gideon said off-handedly, "y'know i saw them live. definitely seen better, but it was alright."

and so when gideon started texting everyone, he'd ask robbie if he liked the band on whatever poster he saw. then, it was getting their shirts and CDs and sending them back to gravity falls so robbie could be pretentiously punk about them.

robbie wore one of those shirts to the funeral. the rest of his gang did too in a somber solidarity, wearing them with neatly-pressed blazers. he'd worn it when he helped his dad get gideon in a blindingly blue suit, when he dabbled blue glitter on the boy's eyelids and brown on his lips, and when he watched his mom tuck a bright bouquet under gideon's arms.

he doesn't cry at the funeral, he just looks angry. and he is. he is angry. he's pissed, honestly, moreso at the apathy he's seeing than anything else. there is a dead 23-year-old in that casket, and no matter how much foundation he caked onto that kid's face, he can't hide the fact that this town killed gideon gleeful. weird things happen all the time, and it's cool when those weird things are gnomes or fairies or love spells, but those aren't killing people, and no one seems to care that this town's stupid anomalies are hurting them. this isn't some sort of cosmic punishment for gideon's wrongdoings—those had happened years ago in a throne room at the end of the world. this is just cruel.

he cries when he gets home and spends the next year in grief-stricken anger for the corpse he had to play dress-up with. mabel invites him to coffee the next time she's in town and they talk, and he can see how she's angry too but working through it, and it makes him consider that maybe he can work through his, too.

stanley:

stan didn't like "li'l gideon." he didn't, and he'll never be ashamed of his distaste for the kid.

but gideon? just gideon, the young man who sent him pictures of crappily-made bobbleheads and obviously-fake cryptids? that was a good kid. sassy as all hell and mean when he wanted to be, but what college-aged guy wasn't.

stan showed up to the funeral in a basic black suit, same as ford, with a "li'l gideon" pin on his lapel, polished and gleaming. he hugs his niece, who is already sniffling, and then his son successor who is already sobbing, knowing their hearts are too big to carry on their own. he greets everyone else from town, shares a moment with his nephew and other niece ex-employee, gives his condolences to the family, and sits down.

stan pines does not cry. his voice doesn't shake when he steps up to the podium to tell a funny story or two or ten about the deceased. and he absolutely does not stare into the casket, thinking about how many kids he saw on the move who just wanted to find themselves and found themselves in a grave, even if the one in front of him knew that it was coming.

he does give bud a rare nod of solidarity after he leaves, and that's all he's willing to admit to.

it gets a little harder after that. he's off with ford on some foreign port and he takes a picture of a silly gift shop and realizes, oh, i can send this to my niblings and their friends but the brat won't get a giggle out of it. he's visiting the gravity falls pool the next summer and that chair in the "perfect spot" has someone else in it, some random tourist, and stan finds another one. he sees a sideshow psychic and starts ragging on the guy but... it's not him. it's not the spoiled little kid that he'd shoo out of his house with a broom, or who he'd see doing his public service on the side of the street with the rest of his gang, or the young man he'd grown into matching stan beat-for-beat on a con, where he could almost see himself.

he really needed to stop getting attached to these kids. hopefully he goes before the next one does.

the others support him, ford obviously and especially, and the grief slides into the rest of the weight he drags around, but it still makes his shoulders heavier.

sorry if these rambles are boring ack! i wanted to do everyone but it was taking enough out of me to write these so.. paz, robbie, and stan and the brat they miss so dearly :,)

i am also so upset (in a great way) about deity!robbie and his care for that little guy, even if it confuses baby!gid because why is this guy here? where's soos? should he be worried, is this something he saw in the journal? and then it's the chill of death and the warmth of love . they make me sick! i'm ill! deranged, even!

teen gideon headcanons because i love him :] i am constantly thinking about him and how he's the only zodiac member (and honestly, only main-ish character because of the book of bill and the website) that doesn't get a sympathetic moment, other than POSSIBLY the finale but that barely counts

i think he deserves to have a SORT OF redemption, at least internally, because he took dipper's advice in weirdmageddon to heart. even if he gets over his crush on mabel (which i think he does. mom said its my canon now) theres still the truth of "people wont wanna be around you if youre a selfish prick"

anyways he makes me emotional so i'm giving him attention

im scared tumblr will kill the quality on my tiny handwriting so transcription under the cut:

after turning like 15, he just starts traveling, gets out of oregon and hits the ground running

uses my headcanon (?) that the amulet takes years from you, and gideon probably won't live past his 20s

he finds this out, has a total mid-life (literally) crisis at 14-15 and decides to do anything "normal" he can do because he doesn't have long to do it

ofc he still has anger issues and obsesses over people and everything else, but he's a lot better at managing it [than] when he was a kid

he doesn't care if he dies with people still hating him, but he wants it to be known that he tried

[blujayonthewing]

crucial to me that you understand that this happens right before laios tries a little raw bite of the giant parasite they all cooked and ate like a fish

[fatespalm]

solemn vow to never be complacent or meek around things i feel strongly about again — to at least start the conversation even if i don’t have the words to talk back exactly to a poisonous idea — in kind, to pick up the thread if someone else does the same — tired of letting evil shit unfold —

[panvani]

Gil apology scene will always be one of my all time most favorite scenes of anything ever