#no one asked for this really

[drafthorsemath]

TBB and Clones HCs - What kind of horse would they have?

Thank you to @staycalmandhugaclone for listening to my entire ramble about this and encouraging me to post it.

I don’t actually do a lot of AU HCs but this was fun.  I’ve definitely thought about this in depth. Here are my HCs for what kind of horse these clones would have (breed, color, name, and horsenality) and what kind of horse sports they might be into.  You’ll see terms like left brain (a horse that is naturally confident), right brain (a horse that is naturally unconfident), introvert (in literal terms, this would rather stand around than move quickly unless they feel danger), and extrovert (the horse not only wants to move their feet, their instinct drives them to frequently).

Wrecker

This big boy needs a draft horse or cross. It's only fair. He gets a black Percheron.  And as Wrecker is pretty extroverted, he needs a left brain extroverted horse who can keep up with him. This horse likes chasing cows and going on trail rides. But don't let their size fool you. Like Wrecker, this horse is an absolute locomotive when it comes to getting somewhere fast.  When cow working or the trail ride is over though? Wrecker takes the saddle off and makes sure his equine partner gets plenty of time to roll and shake off. Horse's name: Hector.

Echo

This smart boy needs a horse who can be patient at the mounting block so he can get on safely and is comfortable with vocal cues in addition to the usual stuff. Echo prefers riding Western because he can get away with using just one hand on the reins. He definitely rides a left-brain introverted horse. One that will not take off with him for no good reason, but that is steady. Echo also prefers a shorter horse who is easier to get off of due to his cybernetic legs. This horse can walk for miles while Echo enjoys nature with his equine companion, but is also willing to book it when asked. Echo’s horse is a chunky, buckskin Quarter Horse named Blaster.

Hunter

Hunter is a pretty sensitive soul. He likes to take his time and consider things without jumping in too much and he definitely needs a horse who can think without jumping into trouble. Like Echo, he gets a left-brain introvert. Now Hunter is canonically the shortest of the group (except Omega) so he doesn't want to have to climb onto some super tall horse like Wrecker can.  Hunter can handle some height, but too much is annoying, especially when he has to get on and off a lot from the ground during trail rides or camping trips. Hunter has a palomino Tennessee Walking Horse which is perfectly suited to his horsemanship goals. While they may often be found in the show ring under stressful circumstances, Hunter prefers their natural gait and refuses to show his horse.  That’s not for him.  He finds it easy to ride outside for hours at a time. Hunter takes his horse deer hunting, dragging a deer carcass home after a successful morning in the woods. His horse’s name is Zip.

Tech

So Tech might be a chatterbox at times (and legitimately, I could listen to him all day about anything), but he's also a quiet thinker and can spend a lot of time to himself. When he's taking in new information, especially learning about an animal without the assistance of a data pad, he's going to be good at watching his horse and he learns how to read his horse quickly. He is a very quick study when it comes to horsemanship and so he would do well with a right brain introverted horse. This horse needs someone to take their time with them and form a strong bond, so when something scares them, their person will be right there to help them calm down.  Tech notices the small things that bother his horse before they become really big things. This kind of horse that needs a minute to think and a person who they can trust. Tech believes in himself and his horse latches on to that and so together they can do just about anything. Of all the batchers, I think Tech would be the most drawn to classical dressage for its elegance and precision. Tech’s horse is a dark bay Dutch Warmblood named Descartes.

Crosshair

I firmly believe Crosshair masks a lot of his emotions with snark, but I think underneath it all, he is very emotional. I think he would also do well with a horse that has emotions brewing underneath it all, so like Tech, I think he would do well with a right-brain introverted horse. This horse doesn't want to go fast and is naturally unconfident, but Crosshair takes the time to quietly reassure his horse that things will be fine. With time, they form a strong bond and Crosshair gets into mounted archery (obviously). This once nervous horse who wanted to stand around scared is now one that can be ridden at speed through a course with Crosshair hitting each target. And in between each target he discretely pets his horse letting them know that they're doing great. Because Crosshair knows what it's like to need some validation, he's not going to let his horse down. Crosshair surprises people and so does his horse. Crosshair’s horse is a Clydesdale named Arrow.  They show up at mounted archery competitions and all these people with tiny, fast horses get blown away by this absolute tank of a beast running through the course as they kick everyone's ass.

Omega

Omega got into horse riding like her brothers, but she’s not one to get on some tall horse.  Instead, she gets a left-brain extroverted Fjord pony named Beatrice.  This draft pony is full of sass.  I mean, you could not possibly put more sass into said pony.  Omega really wants to work on mounted archery like Crosshair, but initially Beatrice loved jumping the short fences along the path of the course and then just flat out galloped through any field before coming to a screeching halt.  Hunter thought getting Omega a pony instead of a big horse would be a good idea, but it was not.  However, Omega loves Beatrice and is learning a lot in the process. She has gotten good at warm-up exercises where she asks her pony to speed up and slow down and speed up and slow down.  This way she is teaching Beatrice not to run off with her, but also promises Bea that they can still go fast sometimes.  Recently, Crosshair started taking Omega to the mounted archery course to practice because they discover that Beatrice does better with another horse around.

Rex

Rex really wanted to try dressage.  He really did.  He like the elegance and felt like the athleticism required would be perfect for him, but his horse could not handle the mental collection needed for dressage. Rex should have known better with a horse named Chaos.  Instead of dressage, Chaos wants to go fast and jump high.  Chaos is a right-brained extroverted Friesian / Arab cross. This horse is naturally unconfident and his instincts say “go fast.”  At first, this combination resulted in Rex feeling like he was having a heart attack every time he rode, but as time went on, he was able to help Chaos be more confident, and especially be more confident in Rex himself.  Once Rex fully sees that his horse is just following his instincts, he’s very understanding.  He takes his time during warm-up so by the time they get to the real work, Chaos is much more calm.  Rex decides that show jumping would be a better outlet and Chaos excels at it.  They get to go fast and jump high as a team of two and while it’s not originally what he planned, Rex loves flying high.

Fives

Oh Fives. Fives is really into cross country.  He has a gray, left-brain extroverted Holsteiner horse.  This tall leggy horse is incredibly athletic and will take on the cross country course at full speed whether or not Fives is still on his back part way through.  Fives loves the adrenaline and manages to stay on each time, but it’s not what one would call a pretty ride.  Fives originally named his horse Uno, as in “the one and only,” but Kix started calling him OhNo and it stuck.  Despite their absolute insane rides, Fives does actually care about OhNo and puts in the time to be a better rider.  He knows that it can’t be fun to have a human flopping around your neck and back while jumping down a hill and into the water, and so he spends a lot of time both in the riding arena and on trails working on his balance.

Kix

Kix has a liver chestnut and white Sugarbush Draft horse.  This big, steady horse is a left-brain extrovert.  Unlike the more extreme extroverts on this list, Kix’s horse is find just trotting around all day.  As long as he’s moving.  They love trail riding and while they don’t compete, Kix is trying his hand at the discipline of reining.  Kix named his horse Spike, but Fives calls him FreckleButt.  When the group all go trail riding together, Kix and Spike bring up the rear, making sure everyone is together and okay.  Sometimes for fun, Kix paints the red medic symbol on Spike’s hind end.  As a result, the boys got him a saddlepad with the medic symbol embroidered on it.

Cody

Cody has an immaculately trained chestnut Oldenburg that he sometimes doesn’t know what to do with.  This left-brained introvert mare was a schooling horse, but at this point in her life, she’s tired of teaching people how to ride.  She instead prefers to be fed when she’s not snoring loudly in her sleep.  When Cody got her, he was determined to ride her regularly, but instead he has had to take his time to get to know her and win her over with a lot of undemanding time (mostly involving taking her to the best grazing area on the farm).  This horse is the epitome of “horses don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  Because of the time he spent with her, she will only put in effort for him now.  If anyone else tries to ride her, she refuses to move or will lay down.  Cody is mostly working on his freestyle riding, but after each ride he makes sure she gets a good brushing, some friendly scratches on her shoulders, and plenty of snacks.  Her favorites are molassas cookies and Cody knows better than to show up to the barn without plenty of cookies and an apple.  This horse’s name is Gloria and to Cody, she’s worth her weight in gold.

Jesse

Jesse has a buckskin Paint horse who has some markings that absolutely do not match his tattoo, but he's convinced otherwise. While Jesse originally got into horses because he wanted to run barrels, he actually really enjoys liberty work.  His mare is a right-brained extrovert and she needs to run.  While her previous owner and trainer had her run barrels thinking it got her energy out, it’s clear now to Jesse that it just gets her more worked up.  To take the pressure to perform off, Jesse started spending most of his time doing online and liberty work.  While he thought he would love riding and they sometimes go on a nice ride through the field, he spends most of his time teaching her tricks.  He likes the feeling that his horse can be running around without a halter or lead rope on and still wants to be with him and play.  Whenever he arrives on the farm, she runs to him the moment she sees him.  Jesse’s horse’s name is Venatrix and he frequently lets her steal carrots out of Fives’ stash for OhNo.

Howzer

Howzer has a Swedish Warmblood named Lucy.  This right-brained introvert is very unconfident and very introverted.  When he first got her, she would really rather just stand in her stall and be left alone.  She possibly comes from a difficult past, but it’s hard to say.  She is, however, a good equine match for Howzer.  He wants to do right by her.  He’s not going to just throw on a saddle and go.  He spends a lot of time standing around in her vicinity without asking much of anything.  This turns into doing online work and going for walks together outside.  As soon as she shows she’s worried about something, he backs off so she doesn’t feel pressure.  It doesn’t take long before Lucy realizes that he’s a different kind of horse owner than those of her past.  She rapidly bonds to him after this and as he’s able to ride more, Howzer is also interested in dressage, like Tech.  Lucy likes this discipline as well because it isn’t too fast and there is a lot of quiet communication with the rider.  As they begin to trust each other, Howzer is able to ask for more from her and she is able to expand her bubble of comfort.

Gregor

When Gregor decided to get a horse, Rex joked and said he should get a mule instead.  Gregor rolled his eyes a little bit, but within a week he brought Petunia home.  Like any mule, this Belgian Draft Mule has a lot of opinions.  She’s a left-brain introvert who values her downtime.  She is incredibly sure-footed and Gregor loves riding through the mountains with her.  She also enjoys cow working and Gregor gets a kick out of seeing her big ears pinned at the cows who don’t move out of her way fast enough.  While she can be very slow, she definitely gets into her groove around cows.

[inkskinned]

because sometimes there are invisible tests and invisible rules and you're just supposed to ... know the rule. someone you thought of as a friend asks you for book recommendations, so you give her a list of like 30 books, each with a brief blurb and why you like it. later, you find out she screenshotted the list and send it out to a group chat with the note: what an absolute freak can you believe this. you saw the responses: emojis where people are rolling over laughing. too much and obsessive and actually kind of creepy in the comments. you thought you'd been doing the right thing. she'd asked, right? an invisible rule: this is what happens when you get too excited.

you aren't supposed to laugh at your own jokes, so you don't, but then you're too serious. you're not supposed to be too loud, but then people say you're too quiet. you aren't supposed to get passionate about things, but then you're shy, boring. you aren't supposed to talk too much, but then people are mad when you're not good at replying.

you fold yourself into a prettier paper crane. since you never know what is "selfish" and what is "charity," you give yourself over, fully. you'd rather be empty and over-generous - you'd rather eat your own boundaries than have even one person believe that you're mean. since you don't know what the thing is that will make them hate you, you simply scrub yourself clean of any form of roughness. if you are perfect and smiling and funny, they can love you. if you are always there for them and never admit what's happening and never mention your past and never make them uncomfortable - you can make up for it. you can earn it.

don't fuck up. they're all testing you, always. they're tolerating you. whatever secret club happened, over a summer somewhere - during some activity you didn't get to attend - everyone else just... figured it out. like they got some kind of award or examination that allowed them to know how-to-be-normal. how to fit. and for the rest of your life, you've been playing catch-up. you've been trying to prove that - haha! you get it! that the joke they're telling, the people they are, the manual they got- yeah, you've totally read it.

if you can just divide yourself in two - the lovable one, and the one that is you - you can do this. you can walk the line. they can laugh and accept you. if you are always-balanced, never burdensome, a delight to have in class, champagne and glittering and never gawky or florescent or god-forbid cringe: you can get away with it.

you stare at your therapist, whom you can make jokes with, and who laughs at your jokes, because you are so fucking good at people-pleasing. you smile at her, and she asks you how you're doing, and you automatically say i'm good, thanks, how are you? while the answer swims somewhere in your little lizard brain:

how long have you been doing this now? mastering the art of your body and mind like you're piloting a puppet. has it worked? what do you mean that all you feel is... just exhausted. pick yourself up, the tightrope has no net. after all, you're cheating, somehow, but nobody seems to know you actually flunked the test. it's working!

aren't you happy yet?

[liimonadas]

so i've been playing a game

[hinamie]

surprise it's yuri!!!in 2024

[lunarwednesday]

Kindly Miquella... I see you've thrown away... Something you should not have... Under any circumstances.

[000bun]

[noodles-and-tea]

Hey this isn't a question but your style is so comforting I love it so much 💖💖 I love how you draw Ford he's my favorite

Thank you!! 🫶

[trueloveistreacherous]

The last time I made something "official", it didn't work out. And I...I really, really, really, really want this to work out. So, I guess I'm a little scared. But we're not your last time. We're this time.

Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams as Janine Teagues and Gregory Eddie in Back to School (S04E01) Abbott Elementary (2021-present)

[thepersonperson]

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

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

There's two lines of thought I have:

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

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

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

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

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

Preface

"Without love it cannot be seen."

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

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

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

What's wrong with JJK 268–270?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What does this mean?

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

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

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

Dreams and Delusions in JJK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unreality Runs in the Family

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What does this mean for JJK 268–270?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And so I compared the raws.

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

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

Reexamining JJK 269

CW: Brief discussion of suicide.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It must be a dream...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What about Sukuna?

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

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

In Conclusion...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gege also said this about the final chapter:

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

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

[chloesimaginationthings]

Gregory asks Michael an important FNAF lore question..

[bigshotautos]

doodle dump !!!

[abstractfrog]

Happy 1 year anniversary to Mr Sherlock Holmes! Here's a litttleee celebratory comic from me

[halogalopaghost]

TIL that you can assign an AO3 next of kin to control your account in case of your death???

[thelien-art]

Am I the only one who will be discouraged with interacting with any type of media if it has a picture made by AI with it??

Like I can love a concept and want to check it out but if I see it has been attached to a picture of AI by OP I just won't touch it. I won't check it out or even give it a chance even if I really want to!?!??

Am I the only one that feels like that??

[cherryfennec]

Summer Times

Hi! I'm finally back from my two week abroad trip!

[nenayaquisieras]

my brain is saying 141 with a reader that sees dead people. like they notice how respectful she is to the dead. when she kills she moves the bodies, sometimes says a small prayer to herself. they see her looking at things that aren’t there. “Did you see that? Never mind.” or she mentions she feels something weird in the air, or something wrong. talks to the team about the sleep paralysis she gets, always leaving out the grayish dark figure that accompanies her on those nights.

She’s never told anyone until she got drunk enough to were she’s literally laughing saying

“oh yea i see dead people.” And the guys obv think she’s joking and egg her on about said dead people she sees. but then she tells them about the entities that follow them, the people they’ve killed, always following them around. some are very angry, she feels their malicious intentions. ends up describing them in grave detail, they way they looked, what they wore, the last words they spoke before her teammates pulled the trigger. Something that only THEY would know.

“oh man, let me tell you about Gilbert my sleep paralysis demon. I swear he’s been visiting me more and more recently.”