#or at least to that process becoming viable

[overelegantstranger]

in the notes on the true crime post there's lot of people going "true crime shows call out the police". and it's like. yeah, but the vast majority don't. This isn't me bullshitting, this is me having grown up with this media everywhere.

The mainstream stuff doesn't, by and large, call out the police, and their failings are framed in a very particular pro-police way. There are so many that I've seen where it's abundantly clear that the police arrested the wrong person because they were black, or disabled, or neurodivergent, or poor, or gay, or all of the above - that the police manufactured or planted evidence or otherwise screwed the fuck up. But you have to read between the lines to see that, and if most viewers Did do that, then the landscape of true crime media would be wholly different.

[nopanamaman]

How does the stalker business work?

Loredump. October 2023

A web of alliances, insiders, clients, and territorial disputes - this is what forms the stalker business, a domain that’s as illegal as it is profitable.

Today, we’ll delve into the basic origins and inner workings of this peculiar profession. Let’s find out how these glorified marauders operate!

How did the stalker business develop?

The stalker business emerged almost as soon as the Zone itself was born. But, much like every structure based around the Zone itself, it became more refined - and more corrupt - as years went on.

What started as individuals travelling the Zone completely on their own accord grew into a network of organised groups with their own informants, clientele and designated territories. Yet when it looked like major alliances had become fully solidified with a couple of large groups operating across vast stretches of the Zone, the development of the internet put a dent in the system.

Yura: Do I really need to know the territorial policies of 70s factions Sergei: YES Olya: No.

As many information-gathering and order-related operations moved online, doing business in smaller groups became a more viable option. Nowadays, the majority choose to operate in gangs of up to 30 people.

Since the business has grown more decentralised and, in a way, accessible, the competition within it has increased dramatically. Territories are less clearly defined and run-ins with members of rivalling gangs are commonplace. When it comes to the human factor, it’s more dangerous than it ever was.

How are the little groups organised?

Modern stalker groups are typically formed around somebody who has direct connections to potential clients or those able to nicely aggregate information about the Zone’s current state. So any group needs at least one product reseller and one strategic leader, which can sometimes be the same person.

The latter is true for Sergei's group, for instance.

He is responsible for processing orders, evaluating the delivered artefacts, reselling them, gathering up to date information about the Zone’s landscape and traffic, and helping the available stalkers plan their trips accordingly. It’s a heavy workload, so having just one person performing all of those tasks wouldn’t be manageable on a larger scale.

Obviously enough, smaller groups are more reliant on the quality of their individual members, even more so when they have a specific role to fill. If we use known members of Sergei’s group as examples, they fit pretty neatly into the following roles:

Radar (радар). Formerly fulfilled by Kolya – a stalker with an outstanding sense for anomalies. Irreplaceable for navigating the more treacherous parts of the Zone. Yura was going to inherit that role.

Doctor (доктор). Self-explanatory. While it’s recommended that all stalkers undergo some form of first aid training, it never hurts to have someone with a deeper knowledge of medicine on the team. This role was filled by Nikita.

Insider (свояк). As the name suggests, it’s a person that helps in various aspects of stalker work by providing client contacts, guard post information, info about other gangs’ operations, and so on depending on their position. Insiders don’t usually take part in actual trips or even work with specific stalker groups, but Olya is built different.

Ram (таран). The muscle of the group. You don’t need to be especially physically fit to navigate the Zone,but when things become dire, it absolutely helps. This was Sergei’s role when he still travelled the Zone.

These are arbitrary designations and many don’t fit into one particular role. That said, creating a balanced group of 3 is easier when there’s a fair understanding of each person’s strengths.

Yura: Oh, kinda like video game classes! Sanya: Yeah, I guess. Yura: So who would I be? Sanya: Support.

What does the typical work cycle look like?

An order is either placed on an online marketplace or is mailed directly to a trusted trader. The trader then passes the information to the strategist, who analyses the current Zone layout, as well as the latest available information about the placements of various artefacts and anomalies.

The strategist then determines the optimal routes to retrieving the ordered goods. Some use special software to aid in the process. The service price is then estimated based on the difficulty of retrieval and transportation. If the initial price suggested in the order is lower than this estimate, price negotiations will ensue.

Once the minimal price is agreed on, the actual planning starts. A group of three is gathered from the pool of available stalkers. They are all informed about the mission specifics and the route they need to travel - this is when the team can discuss and make adjustments to the plan.

Nikita: No, no, this route will be way too stressful for Olyechka. Perhaps, she should sit this one out? Olya: If we don't make this route shorter, Nikita won't come back, I'm afraid. Nikita: Well, aren't you a treat. Anyways, Serozha, my leg has been getting worse and I won't make this climb. Olya: Perhaps, you should sit this one out.

After the artefacts are delivered to the trader, their quality is evaluated. Stalkers tend to pick up whatever valuables they find on the way, which means extra cash for them and more work for the trader.

Once the evaluation is complete, stalkers are paid off and the products are resold at a significantly higher price. The artefacts that were specifically ordered are exchanged for the agreed upon amount of money and the extra stuff is peddled to other high-paying customers.

Since selling artefacts is a risky and complicated endeavour in itself, most stalkers are content with the paychecks they get from their trader.

Finally, when everything is done, stalkers may anonymously share information about their trip to the online community. But considering the competitive nature of the business, not everyone is willing to help out their fellow colleagues – or really, not everyone wants to talk about the things they’ve seen.

What is the online stalker community like?

As was already mentioned, the internet has majorly changed how stalkers went about receiving orders and information about the Zone. It has become an important channel for communication and securing deals.

Firstly, all of the relevant platforms are on the deep web. Secondly, all of them are invite-only.

The three major platforms are:

Doska (literally “the board” as in bulletin board)

A marketplace where orders are placed and taken up by anyone interested, as well as an auction platform for selling off artefacts. Widely used by groups and stalkers who have not yet gained established clients.

Krematorii (crematorium)

A closed forum. Discussions, rumours, shitposting.

10K Crematorium karma

14KKM (as in 14 thousand kilometers, the approximate area of the Zone)

A dynamically updated map of the Zone. User-managed, hence chaotic and unreliable.

Users can mark locations of witnessed anomalies and artefact positions, which others can confirm or downvote. A marking needs to be confirmed by at least 4 people before it is put down and is removed if at least 4 people downvote it. All markings can be commented on.

Most of the community tries to maintain it more or less accurately for the sake of their own future missions, but there are malefactors that will add false markers to it. Should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

Of course, it bears mentioning that there are plenty of fake online communities on the surface web. Those are rife with people roleplaying as stalkers, scammers, kids, and just shitposters. No actual stalker uses those for business.

Rules regarding the Zone

Though the information side of things has changed a lot, the core methodology of travelling the Zone itself remained the same. Sets of universal rules became solidified over the years, which can be described as a mixture of operational protocols and esoteric beliefs.

What are the basic operational protocols?

Basic operational protocols outline best practices for dealing with simple anomalies, traversing the Zone, bypassing guard posts, and handling difficult situations (mercy kills, painless death, encountering other stalkers).

Some common recommendations include:

use projectiles (usually bolts with pieces of cloth attached for visibility) to check for gravitational anomalies;

operate in groups of three - two do the job, the third one watches on;

do not consume any food or drinks you find;

avoid unnatural shadows;

do not stay at the Hollow for over 20 minutes (your body will start to decay);

do not approach the Town (your body will permanently distort);

do not handle fizzy clay without rubber gloves (will leave you debilitated or addicted to the substance);

always send the draisine back;

don't photograph ghosts;

etc.

They are objective results of many years of trial and error. Going against them is likely to end in death or injury regardless of your personal qualities. In other words, there is little dispute over the validity of these rules. The same cannot be set for the second ruleset.

What are stalker beliefs?

The Zone favours the miserable. The desperate, the broken, the lonely. The Zone favours ones that are willing to give up their whole being to her, to completely entrust themselves to her whims. She rewards dejection.

These are common truths to some and hogwash to others. There is no solid proof for any of these claims - how can there be? However, there is no happy stalker, and there is no living stalker without a scar. To many, that's evidence enough.

On top of that, there are some group-specific philosophies. They include:

the Zone is a holy place that needs to be revered;

the Zone is an ulcer of the world that needs to be cleansed;

the Zone is the new stage of Earth’s evolution;

the Zone is divine punishment;

the Zone is a point of contact with a parallel universe;

and many others.

These philosophies dictate how people go about their activities in the Zone in a more ritualistic sense. It’s hard to devise whether or not those little rituals have any effect that isn’t purely psychological.

There is a good number of people that hold a purely cynical view of the Zone. But whether they admit it or not, everyone gradually develops a sense of fear and reverence for it. How they compartmentalise it is a different question.

Conclusion

I could write more about the topic, but as of now, I think this general outline should suffice. The stalker business is a multifaceted enterprise to say the least, so hopefully this article has shed the light on its most essential aspects.

Perhaps, there will one day be a more in-depth follow-up! Who knows. As we continue to unveil the enigmatic layers of the Zone, only time will reveal the full extent of its mysteries... And the engimatic layers of shitty Stalker forums, I guess.

[brunelsblog]

On 5th December of 2023, The Atlantic came out with an article titled "War in the Congo Has Kept the Planet Cooler" written by Ross Anderse, the senior editor at the Atlantic, where he oversees the science, technology, and health sections. As you could've guessed, this genocide-friendly title did not fly by the internet and they have since (9th December at the time of writing) changed the title to "The Grim Ironies of Climate Change", a paywalled article.

Let us break this down further to try to understand their thought process-

1) They posted an article with an insanely insensitive and dangerously racist title.

2) They, rightly, faced backlash.

3) With the knowledge that what they had done was wrong at least on some level, they decide not to remove the dangerous article...

4) ... but rename it and continue to unapologetically host it in their site?

There is no way to make sense of it outside of the framework of white supremacy that has dehumanized African bodies to the point where they, to a colonial mind, appear as viable sacrifices to quell the climate disaster that continues to be driven by the same countries whose foreign policy is to keep Congo as unstable as posible. There is no "war" in Congo, there is a genocide for raw minerals that, through multiple levels of slave labor, become the smartphones and other electronic devices you and I own. And the colonizers know this -- that they have implicated billions of people around the world in their inhumane project, and they hope to turn this forced complacency into active genocidal intent, where the plunder of Congo becomes acceptable to you if it buys the west a little extra time to protect what little comforts it has thrown your way. I am not going to tell you how to think. Sit with this information and come to your own conclusions.

They might have changed the title of the article but the internet is forever. Here is the link to the Wayback Machine snapshot of the original title. Ironically, you can access the archived version that implicates them for free, while you would have to pay to read the current version.

[vigilskeep]

I was stalking your blog when I saw some comments I can't find the answer for. Can I ask why you hate Celene? It's been a while since I played inquisition, but I remembered talk of her as fairly glowing. Is it the vague breakup with Briala? Is it that she's Orlesian (derogatory) and/or responsible for horrible stuff the state did, or what? Is it book stuff?

To be clear you have my sword either way but I'd like to know what we're fighting against (re: editing my worldstate).

her breakup with briala is significantly less vague in the book the masked empire, which covers a lot of celene, briala, and gaspard backstory

HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD: after promising briala could try to resolve an elven rebellion peacefully, when celene’s political reputation needed a rescue, celene set fire to the alienages of halamshiral, killing countless elves, and sparing only briala, who she had arrested by the chevaliers. of her plans for briala afterwards, she says: “It would have been a locked suite in the palace for a few years, nothing more! It would have changed nothing for us.” and then when briala says, okay fuck that, what about the people you burned, she adds something horrible about briala having the “luxury” to mourn while the poor empress who murdered the people in the first place doesn’t. at the very end of the book, briala also discovers that it was celene all along who had murdered her parents for political gain, and this happened when they were much younger, when celene was in the process of becoming empress, iirc. celene let briala serve her in all things, kill for her, risk life and limb for her vision of maybe letting an elf or two into orlais’ universities, wake her up every morning by pouring her a cup of tea and preparing her daily gown while celene lovingly reminisces about all the cruel things about briala having dark hair instead of blonde (read: about briala being a woman of colour) that celene herself used to say as a child before recognising the “value” of briala’s loyalty... and the whole time, she had murdered briala’s parents to get ahead. because she decreed it was worth it, for her vision of the empire

i really wish they had covered more of this during wicked eyes & wicked hearts, though i suppose in several ways it makes sense for the inquisitor not to be able to learn all of this. still, they diminish a lot to make the choices seem like roughly equal options, and to make reconciling briala and celene viable. (you’d think at least the alienage burnings would be public knowledge? iirc they really censor what briala can tell you to make it sound like a personal lovers’ spat and not what it is, or like the arrest was the main problem or something.) it does make me feel a little ill. thankfully, celene can still die!

anyway even in dai you’d think if she was as good an empress as they keep telling you she is, there wouldn’t be, you know... a civil war on? save yourself from assassination then if you’re soooo good at the game lmao. go on we’re all waiting

[stylesispunk]

"But daddy I love him"

ceo!Joel Miller x f!reader

summary: you made up a lie involving joel for the sake of both your companies. What would come out from all of this?

wc: 3k.

warnings: age gap and grammar mistakes because I didn't check my writing.

a/n: this is the mess that comes from my mind after a week of migraines and being sick. The idea is corny and stupid but I had fun and I know the rest is going to be fun too, so I hope you like it. (please read before I regretted it and delete) Reblogs and comments are always appreciated. Happy reading 💌

dividers by @/saradika-graphics

You sat at the head of the sleek conference table, your fingers drumming lightly against the polished surface. The room buzzed with a low hum of voice as the team discussed the latest financial reports and projections. Your mind, however, was elsewhere, focused on the challenge that lay ahead.

The company your father had built from the ground up was now facing unprecedented challenges. Competitors were closing in, and technological advancements were outpacing their current capabilities. Despite their best efforts, it was becoming clear that you needed a strategic partnership to stay afloat.

“Okay, what do you think?" John, the CFO, interrupted your thoughts.

You straightened in your chair, pushing a strand of auburn hair behind your ear. "I think we need to consider all options," you replied firmly. "Including a merger."

The room fell silent. Your suggestion hung in the air, heavy with implications. Everyone knew who you were referring to—Miller Enterprises, your fiercest rival.

"But your father..." John began, hesitating.

You raised a hand to silence him. "I know my father has strong feelings about Joel Miller. But we have to look at this objectively. Our future depends on it."

You could see the doubt in their eyes and the unspoken questions. How could they convince your father, a man known for his stubbornness and pride, to collaborate with the one person he despised the most?

The tension in the room was palpable as the team exchanged uneasy glances. You could almost hear the gears turning in their minds, trying to process the audacity of your proposal. The silence stretched on, heavy and suffocating, until finally, John spoke up again.

He called you by your first name to emphasize the gravity of the situation: "Do you really think there's any chance your father would agree to this? Joel Miller is his sworn enemy. They've been at each other's throats for years."

You nodded, taking a deep breath. "I know it's a long shot. I think their beef is stupid. I mean, my father hates Joel, and whatever the issue, they shouldn’t have passed it on to his son. And we have to at least try. If we don't, Carter Industries might not survive the next year."

Another voice chimed in, this time from Samantha, the head of marketing. "And what about Joel? Even if your father agrees, will Joel go along with it?"

"That's what I intend to find out," you said resolutely. "I'll speak to him tonight at the tech conference. We need to at least open a dialogue."

The room gradually filled with murmurs of reluctant agreement. The plan was risky, but it was the only viable option. The meeting concluded with cautious optimism, and you returned to your office to prepare for the evening.

Later that evening, you attended a tech conference at the Grand Hilton Hotel. The ballroom was filled with industry leaders, investors, and innovators, all mingling under the glittering chandeliers. You moved through the crowd with practiced ease, exchanging pleasantries and making mental notes of potential allies.

As you reached the bar, you spotted a familiar figure—Joel Miller. Tall, with a commanding presence and sharp features, Joel was in deep conversation with a group of executives. His eyes met yours briefly, and for a moment, you saw a flicker of surprise before his usual confident expression returned.

You couldn’t lie and say that the man hadn’t caught your attention; since the first time you saw him, you developed a crush on him, looking from afar at how he had been able to save his father’s company after he got sick, which was something you truly admired from him. However, the man seemed to be despicable, only showing cold behavior in front of others and in front of you; after all, you were the daughter of the man, whom he hated the most, and you had to pay for the sins of old men.

With twelve years ahead of you, Joel never took anything you did seriously. For him, you were the spoiled little brat daughter of his enemy.

Your name came out of his lips in such a sultry voice that your back arched. You turned around to face him, and he greeted you with a wry smile as you reached him.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.

"Joel," you replied coolly, matching his tone. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"It's always good to keep an eye on the competition," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes. "I was hoping we could talk," you said instead, lowering your voice. "Privately."

Joel raised an eyebrow but nodded. He excused himself from his group and led you to a quieter corner of the room. The ambient noise of the conference faded slightly, giving you a semblance of privacy.

"Alright, what's this about?" he asked, his tone more serious now.

You took a deep breath, steadying yourself. "Our companies are in trouble, Joel.”

He widens his eyes at you, surprised.

“Yes, I know your company is in trouble, Joel. and we need to merge if we want to survive."

Joel's expression hardened, with a flicker of skepticism in his eyes. "You know as well as I do that your father will never agree to that."

"I'm aware," you admitted, your voice steady. "But I also know that you're smart enough to see the potential benefits. We need to find a way to make this work."

He studied you for a moment, his gaze intense. "And how do you propose we convince our fathers to set aside their differences and agree to this merger?"

Before you could answer, a waiter approached with a tray of champagne flutes. You each took one, the pause giving you a moment to gather your thoughts.

"We'll need to present a united front," you said finally. "Show them that we're serious and that this is the best option for both companies."

Joel took a sip of his champagne, considering your words. "And how do you suggest we do that?"

Your mind raced, searching for a solution that would make your proposal more palatable to your father. The idea came to you suddenly, reckless and desperate, but it was the only one that seemed even remotely feasible.

"We tell them we're having a baby," you said, the words rushing out before you could second-guess yourself.

Joel choked on his champagne, his eyes wide with shock. "What?!"

"It's not true, of course," you hurriedly explained. "But if they believe it, it might just be enough to make them put aside their differences and agree to the merger."

You held your breath as Joel's reaction sank in. His wide-eyed shock was exactly what you had expected, though it didn't make it any easier to withstand.

"It's the only way they'll take us seriously," you explained quickly, your voice low but urgent. "If they think there's a future together—both personally and professionally—they'll have no choice but to consider the merger."

Joel wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, disbelief still etched on his face. "You're suggesting we lie about something as serious as a baby? Do you have any idea how insane that sounds?"

"I know it's drastic," you admitted, stepping closer to ensure no one could overhear. "But think about it. They'd be forced to put aside their grudges for the sake of a grandchild. And once the merger is complete, we can come clean. By then, it will be too late to undo anything."

He stared at you, the intensity of his gaze making your heart pound in your chest. "And what if they find out before then? What if they never forgive us for the deception?"

You shrugged, trying to seem more confident than you felt. "It's a risk, yes. But it's a risk we have to take if we want to save our companies."

Joel ran a hand through his hair, his eyes never leaving yours. You could see the wheels turning in his mind as he weighed the pros and cons of your reckless plan. Finally, he sighed, a mixture of frustration and reluctant agreement in his expression.

"Alright," he said slowly. "We'll do it your way. But this better work, or we'll both end up paying for this."

You nodded, the weight of Joel's reluctant agreement settling over you. "Thank you, Joel. I promise, this will work."

He glanced around the room, ensuring no one was eavesdropping. "So, what's our next move?"

"We need to act fast," you replied. "We'll call a meeting with both our fathers and present the news together. We have to be completely united in this."

Joel's eyes narrowed. “And how is your father going to act when he finds out I touched his daughter?” he asked.

You took a deep breath, recognizing the concern in Joel's question. "I know my father is protective," you admitted, "but that's why we need to handle this delicately. We need to present a united front and show them that this decision is ours, not something forced upon us."

Joel's eyes remained fixed on you, the intensity of his gaze making your heart pound. "And what if he reacts badly?”

"That's a risk we have to take," you replied firmly. "But if we approach this with honesty and determination, they'll see that we are serious about our future—both personal and professional. They might be angry at first, but eventually they'll come around."

Joel sighed, rubbing his temples. "You’re a fucking child, and so stupid.”

Joel’s harsh words stung, but you squared your shoulders and met his gaze steadily. "Maybe I am," you said quietly, "but I’m willing to take this risk because I believe it’s the right thing to do. For our companies, for our future."

He looked at you for a long moment, frustration etched on his face, but something else too—perhaps a grudging respect for your determination. "Fine," he muttered finally. "We'll do it your way. But don’t expect me to protect you if this blows up in our faces."

"I don’t need your protection," you replied, your voice steady. "I need your cooperation."

Joel's eyes flickered with something that might have been respect, but he quickly masked it with a scowl. "Alright, then," he said, his voice resigned but firm. "Let's get this over with."

+

The following evening, you arranged a dinner meeting with both fathers at an upscale restaurant, choosing a private room to avoid any public scenes. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation and unspoken tension as you and Joel waited for your fathers to arrive.

When your father entered, his eyes immediately narrowed upon seeing Joel. "What is he doing here?" he demanded.

"Please, Dad, sit down," you said calmly. "We have something important to discuss."

Mr. Miller arrived shortly after; his expression equally grim. "This better be good," he said, his tone icy.

Joel and you exchanged a brief, reassuring glance before addressing the room. "Dad, Mr. Miller, we have some news that will affect both our families and our companies," Joel began. "We need you to listen with an open mind."

Your father crossed his arms, suspicion evident in his eyes. "Get on with it."

You took a deep breath, bracing yourself. "Joel and I... we’re having a baby."

The reaction was immediate. Your father's face turned a deep shade of red, his eyes widening in shock and anger. "What did you just say?" he thundered.

Mr. Miller's expression was a mix of disbelief and confusion. "This better not be some kind of joke."

"It's not a joke," you said firmly, trying to maintain your composure. "Joel and I are expecting a child. We understand this is unexpected, but we believe this is an opportunity for both our families and companies to come together."

Your father's hands clenched into fists, his voice shaking with fury. "You...you betrayed me. With him."

"Dad, please," you pleaded. "Think about the future. Our child deserves a stable, united family. And our companies need to work together to survive."

You still had no idea of the phantoms your father withe

Mr. Miller, though still shocked, seemed to be processing the information more rationally. "If what you're saying is true, then perhaps we need to reconsider our priorities. For the sake of the future."

Your father glared at him. "You're willing to forgive and forget just like that?"

Mr. Miller met his gaze steadily. "For the sake of a grandchild and the future of our companies, yes. We need to find a way to move forward."

The room fell silent, the tension palpable. Finally, your father exhaled, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "Fine. For now, we'll discuss this further. But know this: if either of you are lying, there will be consequences."

You nodded, the weight of your father's warning settling heavily on your shoulders. "Thank you, Dad. We promise this is for the best."

Joel gave your hand a reassuring squeeze, his grip firm but gentle. "We'll make this work, Sir. I promise."

The tension in the room remained thick, but the initial storm of emotions had passed. The fathers exchanged a few more guarded words, agreeing to meet again to discuss the logistics of a potential merger. As they stood to leave, your father pulled you aside, his face a mix of worry and anger.

"I hope you know what you're doing," he said quietly. "This isn't just about business. It's your life, too."

"I know, Dad," you replied softly. "But I believe this is the right choice. For all of us."

With a reluctant nod, he let you go, and you watched as both fathers left the room, the weight of their expectations pressing down on you.

Joel turned to you, his expression a mix of relief and residual frustration. "Well, that went...better than expected."

You managed a small smile. "Yeah. Now we just have to figure out how to make this convincing."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Please don’t say we need to spend more time together”

Joel's words hung in the air; his frustration evident. You took a deep breath, trying to maintain your composure. "I know this isn't ideal," you said gently, "but we need to make this believable. Our fathers need to see that we're serious."

Joel rubbed his temples, a look of resignation on his face. “They know how babies are made, but fine.” he muttered. "What's the plan?"

"We need to start spending time together publicly," you explained. "Go to events, be seen together, and show that we're committed. We also need to have private moments where our fathers can see us interacting genuinely."

Joel looked at you, his expression softening slightly. "Alright. But let's make this as painless as possible."

You nodded in agreement. "We'll keep it professional and focused on the goal. We don't have to be best friends, but we need to convince them that we're building something real."

“But please, don’t make it public” he begged. “I need to sort some things out first”

You recognized the seriousness in Joel's tone and nodded, understanding his request. "Of course," you replied softly. "We'll keep it low-key for now. Just focus on sorting things out on your end, and when you're ready, we can gradually start making our relationship more public."

+

The next day, you found yourself immersed in a crucial meeting, discussing the finer details of the potential merger with key stakeholders. Despite the weight of the situation, you maintained your composure and focused on the task at hand.

As the meeting progressed, an urgent knock echoed through the door, interrupting the discussion. You glanced up, surprised to see Joel standing in the doorway, his expression stormy.

"Joel, what are you doing here?" you asked, your voice tinged with concern.

He strode into the room, his jaw clenched with barely contained anger. "We need to talk," he said tersely, his gaze fixed on you.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, you excused yourself from the meeting, motioning for Joel to follow you to your office. The tension in the air was palpable as you closed the door behind you, bracing yourself for whatever news had prompted Joel's unexpected visit.

"What's wrong?" you asked, your voice laced with apprehension.

Joel paced the room, his frustration evident in every movement. "Your father," he began, his voice tight with anger. "He's made the news public. He's announcing our supposed relationship to the world."

Shock rippled through you at the revelation. "What? But we agreed to keep it low-key until you were ready."

Joel's expression darkened. "Clearly, your father had other plans. He's blindsided us, and now our private arrangement is splashed across every news outlet."

Your heart sank as you processed the implications of your father's actions. "I can't believe he would do this," you muttered, a mix of disbelief and betrayal washing over you.

Joel stopped pacing, his gaze locking on yours. "You need to deal with this now!” he said, pointing at you.

"Okay, what's so wrong?" you asked, trying to maintain a calm demeanor despite the rising panic within you.

Joel's eyes bore into yours; his frustration was palpable. "Do you realize what this means? Our private agreement is all out in the open now. We're going to be scrutinized and judged, and God knows what else."

You took a deep breath, trying to steady your racing thoughts. "I understand the gravity of the situation, Joel. But you can't panic. We need to think rationally and come up with a plan to handle this."

He scoffed with a bitter edge to his tone. "And what plan do you propose? The damage is done. We need to contain this before it spirals out of control."

"Why are you asking so crazily about it?" you questioned, a hint of confusion in your voice. "We're in this together, Joel. We need to focus on finding a solution."

Joel's frustration seemed to reach a boiling point as he paced the room, his movements tense and agitated. "Because," he finally spat out, his voice laced with bitterness, "I have a girlfriend, and she's not too pleased about being dragged into this mess."

Shock washed over you as his words sank in. "Wait, what? You have a girlfriend?"

He shot you a withering look, his anger barely contained. "Yes, I have a girlfriend," he snapped. "And she's not exactly thrilled about the fact that I'm supposedly having a baby with you, of all people."

The revelation hit you like a punch to the gut. You had never considered the possibility that Joel might be involved with someone else. The realization that you had unwittingly become entangled in his personal life only added to the chaos of the situation.

"I had no idea," you murmured, feeling a surge of guilt wash over you. "I'm so sorry, Joel. I never meant for any of this to happen."

He scoffed, his expression filled with scorn. "Well, it did happen. And now we're both in this mess, thanks to your brilliant idea.”

He scoffed with a bitter edge to his tone. "And what plan do you propose? The damage is done. We need to contain this before it spirals out of control."

"Why are you asking so crazily about it?" you questioned, a hint of confusion in your voice. "We're in this together, Joel. We need to focus on finding a solution."

Joel's frustration seemed to reach a boiling point as he paced the room, his movements tense and agitated. "Because," he finally spat out, his voice laced with bitterness, "I have a girlfriend, and she's not too pleased about being dragged into this mess."

Shock washed over you as his words sank in. "Wait, what? You have a girlfriend?"

He shot you a withering look, his anger barely contained. "Yes, I have a girlfriend," he snapped. "And she's not exactly thrilled about the fact that I'm supposedly in a fake relationship with you, of all people."

The revelation hit you like a punch to the gut. You had never considered the possibility that Joel might be involved with someone else. The realization that you had unwittingly become entangled in his personal life only added to the chaos of the situation.

You swallowed hard, the weight of Joel's words settling heavily on your shoulders. "I understand," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. "I never meant to cause any harm, Joel. I thought…”

“You didn’t think! That’s the  problem." He snapped, “You’re a spoiled woman, just as I always thought, and you don’t care about anything or anyone.”

Joel's words cut deep, slicing through your defenses like a razor-sharp blade. The accusation stung, and you felt a surge of pain and frustration rise within you.

"I do care, Joel," you protested, your voice shaking with emotion. "I care about our companies and about our futures. I thought I was doing what was necessary to save them."

He scoffed; his expression hardened with resentment. "Save them? You're willing to sacrifice anything and anyone to get what you want, aren't you? Including my relationship, my life?"

Tears welled up in your eyes, a mixture of guilt and anguish clouding your vision. "No, that's not true," you whispered, your voice trembling. "I never wanted to hurt you, Joel. I never wanted any of this."

He shook his head, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "Don’t you dare to cry when you were the one who came up with this idea?”

Joel's words hit you like a punch to the gut, intensifying the ache of guilt and regret that had already weighed heavily on you. His anger was palpable, his frustration tangible, and you felt utterly defenseless in the face of his accusation.

"I'm sorry," you choked out, your voice barely above a whisper. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I never wanted to hurt you or anyone else."

His expression softened slightly, but the anger still smoldered in his eyes. "I know," he said, his voice gentler now. “I’m sorry for talking to you that way... It’s just... this girl; I haven’t felt this way about someone, and I don’t want to lose it because of you.”

Tension hung heavy in the air as Joel's words lingered between you. The raw honesty in his confession took you aback, softening the edges of your own guilt and remorse.

"I understand," you replied, your voice tinged with empathy. "I never intended to come between you and anyone else. I just wanted to do what was best for our companies."

Joel nodded, a sense of resignation settling over him. "I know," he murmured, his gaze drifting to the floor. "But we're in this mess now, and we need to figure out how to fix it."

You nodded in agreement, a shared determination filling the space between you. "We'll find a way," you promised, reaching out to place a hand on his arm. "Together."

As your hand made contact with Joel's arm, you both felt a sudden jolt of electricity shoot through the air, a tangible spark igniting between you. His gaze lifted from the floor to meet yours, and in that moment, you both sensed a shift in the atmosphere.

Joel's expression softened a flicker of something unreadable dancing in his eyes. For a brief moment, the world's weight seemed to lift from your shoulders as you stood there, connected by a string that threatened to pull the both of you together.

´+

[goldenrodchef]

So, you're turning into a Pokemon

A guide by Gen Taranz

This is a guide for people who are turning into, are going to turn into, or have already turned into Pokemon. I'm of the third category, and I've been stuck like this for almost a year now. So, uh. I think I might be able to give some pretty good advice. The guide itself is below the cut.

This is part 1 of...I'm not sure yet. I currently have 10 sections planned, but I might add more if need be.

Section 1: How do I know it's happening to me?

Generally, if your skin suddenly starts turning an odd color like blue, you're feeling really itchy and fuzzy all over, or you're feeling odd bumps in weird places (like on your head or tailbone), I'm sorry to say, but you're probably turning into a Pokemon.

Now, that's not always going to be the case. But that's the best I got for if you're being turned into a Pokemon non-instantly, or sleebied.

You might not experience any of these. You might just go to bed one day, and wake up as a Pokemon. That's what happened for me, after all. If that's what happened, feel free to skip section 8 of this guide.

Section 2: Fur, scales, and feathers

These are not fun to have, in my experience. I only have fur and scales, but I'll do my best to talk about feathers too.

Fur is going to need to be groomed a lot. Your tongue might be your best bet here, many furry Pokemon have tongues built for grooming their fur. Of course, obviously you might not want to do that, so it's a good idea to invest in a good furbrush that you can hold, or ask a trusted person to hold.

Scales are less of a pain to take care of, and are the most like skin out of these three things, but are still very weird. My scales are a bit squishy, which is. Something.

We don't know of many feathered eebies yet, but from what I've heard, they're a pain to take care of. There's the whole preening process that you'll have to start doing, not to mention molting.

Speaking of, let's talk about shedding. For me, shedding happens once every two months or so, and involves my tail scales getting progressively itchier and itchier until they peel off and reveal a new layer. For others, it might involve your fur getting really itchy as your summer or winter coat grows in, or something similar happening with feathers.

For fur or feather shedding, having a rough surface to rub your body against helps a lot with helping get fur loose. If you have a scaly friend, ask them if you can rub against them to help shed your fur.

For scale shedding, rough surfaces also help, but warm baths also help in loosening that top layer of scales. They also feel really good if you're a water-type.

Section 3: Paws, wings, talons, and tails

I'm sorry to say this, but your hands are likely going to drastically change. You'll probably lose most of their dexterity, and it'll be much more difficult to do stuff with them.

If your hands are changing or have changed into paws...there's not much to do. You'll just have to find other ways to do things. My little brother, Cobalt the Giratina eeby, uses xyr tail to do most stuff now, which might be a viable option for those with flexible tails, but I'll get to those in a bit.

You might keep your thumbs, or you might not. I'm sorry. I wish I could help more. All I can really do is recommend using styluses, and looking into disability aids.

For those of you that are becoming avian Pokemon, you're likely going to have your hands become wings. And for those of you becoming dragon-types, you might grow wings from scratch.

These are definitely no replacement for hands, but you can fly now, at least?

What is a replacement for hands, though, is talons. Talons, at least from what I've heard, are pretty dexterous, allowing you to do most things you could previously do with your hands! Though this will likely be a balancing act, since you also use these to stand.

And now, tails. I...honestly don't really know what to say here, since Pokemon have so many different varieties of tails. My cousin, Jayden the Brionne eeby, has a tail instead of legs. My best friend, Lily the Buizel eeby, has two tails that she can spin. And myself, I have a Sobble tail that's prehensile. It really depends on what species you end up as.

One thing I've consistently noticed, though, is that tails are very easy to lose track of, especially if they're the waggy sort. It's extremely easy to knock stuff over with your tail if you're not paying close attention to it. So...pay attention to it.

Also try not to sit on your tail. That really hurts.

And that's part 1 of this! I hope that this helps any eebies and sleebies who are struggling with their bodies.

[just-jordie-things]

[part one] to build a home - gojo satoru

word count: 4.3k warnings: !!manga spoilers!! swearing, jjk-verse style fighting series summary: when (y/n) (y/l/n) catches wind that the notorious sorcerer killer, toji fushiguro, has children, she makes it her personal mission to find them.  the catch being she couldn't tell a soul about them- the risk of the zen'in clan learning about them was too great.  keeping the secret isn't the hard part, it's lying to her friends, shoko ieiri, geto suguru, and of course gojo satoru, that she struggles with. especially when satoru has suddenly become so keen on keeping an eye on her lately.

series masterlist

[part one] : "Cigarettes And Other Things That Kill You" ___

Toji Fushiguro had children.

(y/n) tapped her fingers on her thigh in a steady motion, staring out the window in her dorm at nothing in particular.  She had been doing homework, an assignment that was due first thing Monday morning.  

He was a monster.  And he had children.

But it was Friday afternoon, and all that occupied her mind was her near- encounter with the Sorcerer Killer.

The mission had failed, but somehow another viable vessel had been brought to Tengen, and the merger had been completed.  This provided no comfort to (y/n), knowing that Riko’s death had been for nothing.  

She’d barely spoken to Satoru and Suguru since they’d returned to the school.  She wasn’t sure who was avoiding who, but she knew it was smart to keep her distance until they came to her.  Besides, she was still trying to figure out how to conceal what she’d been up to the past three days.

But it was only because she couldn’t be sure that the man she’d seen was Toji.  She didn’t know what he looked like, and since she hadn’t even spoken to him, she had nothing close to proof that it was him.  At least, that’s what she told herself when she told her friends that she followed a dead lead.  After three days the man she’d been closely following seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving her to feel useless.

At the end of it all, all she’d really done was follow an assassin- whether it was Toji or not- who had a vendetta against Tengen’s merger, and who had children he’d only mentioned once, and briefly.

If it wasn’t Toji, is this where her involvement ends?

Her eyes re-reads the prompt on her homework for what seemed like the hundredth time, but still, her brain wasn’t processing a single word on the page.

Would she be able to live with herself if she gave up on her suspicions now?

Her door swinging open jolted her from her thoughts, her posture straightening as she assessed the intruder.

But just as quickly, (y/n) smiles, as she watches Shoko Ieri invite herself in.  She shuts the door behind her and plops down onto (y/n’s) bed as if it were a shared space.  (y/n) turns in her desk chair, ignoring her long abandoned homework to entertain whatever reason Shoko had for barging in without notice.  She was still adorned in her white lab coat, so she must have just gotten off of a shift at the morgue

“What have you been stewing about in here, hm?”

She wasn’t expecting that.

“I’m not stewing,” She replied calmly.  “I’m doing homework”

Shoko scoffs.

“Alright.  Sure,” She says, unconvinced.  “Is this cause of last week’s assignment?”

(y/n) doesn’t say anything.  Instead, she turns her back to her friend to go back to her work.

“We can talk about it,” Shoko continues.  A cold shoulder never did stop her.  “We should talk about it,” She corrects.  “You were gone for days, (y/n)”

(y/n) lowers her head, a bit ashamed for worrying her friend so greatly.  Shoko had already been nervous about her taking on the assignment alone.  The least she could have done was send a few texts to let her know she was safe.

“Satoru told me that they didn’t even know you were going”

“He’s right, for once” (y/n) replied, but didn’t give her any more information.

“But… you knew that they’d be there?” Shoko continues.

There’s a pause of silence.

“Yes,” (y/n) replies, letting out a short sigh.  “Yaga wanted me to practice my technique on the field.  I didn’t get the chance.  They got to Riko before I could, and that was that.  Turns out, it was all a waste”

Her last comment comes off her tongue with bitterness.

Giving up on getting her homework done early, (y/n) tucks it away into a folder, and turns back around to face her friend again.

“I’m sorry,” Shoko says with a frown.  “That probably was a good time for you to take a crack at it, huh?”

“Yeah,” (y/n) sighs.  “But something else will come up”

Shoko nods in agreement, and gives her a small smile.

Good, (y/n) thinks to herself.  She thinks I’m disappointed about how the assignment went, and that’s not even a lie.  Everyone is disappointed.

She didn’t mind lying to Satoru.  But she doesn’t think she has the ability to lie to Shoko.  It wouldn’t feel right.

“Want to go for a smoke?” Shoko asks, revealing with a grin the real reason why she dropped in.

She presents a pack of cigarettes that she’d kept hidden in the pocket of her jacket.

(y/n’s) grin is enough of an answer for the girl to spring up from the bed and take (y/n’s) arm as they head out of her dorm. ___

(y/n) never thought she’d be one to partake in a nicotine addiction, but she’d found that sitting on the rooftop of the dormitory building and sharing a cigarette with her best friend was therapeutic enough that it was worth it.

“So how did the mission go anyways?” Shoko asked, leaning back against the tile on her elbows to better enjoy the beginning of the sunset.  “Suguru was too stressed to talk about it,when he came by, and Satoru was too tired.  I think he might have been dodging me, though.  What happened there?”

“I don’t know much either,” (y/n) replied. “I haven’t seen either of them since they got back,” With a deep breath, she decides to give Shoko a little more honesty.  “But… I haven’t exactly been trying to see them” She admits.

Shoko chuckled, taking a drag from the cigarette in her fingers before passing it over.

“Too worried to see how beat up they are?” She muses.  “Or are you more worried about them chewing your ear off for disappearing on them?”

“Tch,” (y/n) shakes her head as she takes the cigarette.  “They don’t need anyone worried about them,” She says.  “And they’re not my parents.  They can scold me all they want.  I don’t care”

Shoko quietly laughs to herself, amused with her response.  It was just like (y/n) to brush off any concern that anyone felt for her, not thinking twice about the danger she was in.  As long as she came home safe, Shoko didn’t mind.  But even she had to admit that three days of nearly no-contact was too much for her mental health.

“You know Satoru was worried,” She says, changing the focus of the subject.  “But you wouldn’t want him thinking you care about him or anything”

“It’s not that I don’t care about him,” (y/n) says, blowing smoke out of her lungs.  “I do.  But he doesn’t need me to.  He can handle himself just fine.  And so can I”

Shoko is quiet for a minute, thinking over her words carefully as she admires the soft oranges of the sky.  (y/n) always did have an odd friendship with Gojo.  She wasn’t sure why, because the pair got along pretty well.  It was like she told herself that Gojo didn’t need friends, so she didn’t put herself out there anymore than she had to.  Shoko didn’t question it often, because at the end of the day it didn’t put too much strain on the group’s dynamic.  But sometimes she wondered why it was (y/n) kept him at arm’s length.

Tonight, she decided to leave it be.  There were better things to discuss.

“We’re third years now,” She hums thoughtfully.  “Soon we’ll have to decide what to do with our lives”

(y/n) nods, her eyes distant as she passes the cigarette back.

“You say that like you don’t know what you’re going to do” She comments.

Shoko shrugs, and then takes a drag.

“Maybe I don’t,” She admits.  “A year is a long time.  Things can change.  My mind can change”

“My mind’s made up,” (y/n) says decidedly.  “Nothing could keep me from being a professional sorcerer”

Her mind wanders to the voice that had been rambling in the back of her head, pushing her to investigate further, dig deeper, something is off about that man you followed, and you know it.

“That’s because you were born with a gift to be a professional sorcerer,” Shoko says, drawing (y/n) out of her spiraling thoughts.  Her tone isn't as bitter as her words make her sound.  It’s endearing.  She admires that (y/n) knows exactly what she wants in her life.  “Some of us aren’t so lucky”

(y/n) looks over at her friend, trying to make out her expression.  But Shoko was a master at keeping a blank face, it’s where (y/n) learned it from, after all.  Despite this, even she couldn’t penetrate her mind.

“You can stay with me,” She jokes, leaning back on the roof with her hands tucked under her head.  “I’ll be the best.  And I’ll support both of us”

Shoko chuckles to herself at the idea, peeking over at (y/n) from the corner of her eye.

“You’re such a smartass,” She mutters lovingly.  “You sound more like Satoru every day”

“Take that back” (y/n) remarks.

Shoko laughs again, facing forward to enjoy the view again.

“Really though,” Her tone turns serious again.  “What would you do if we weren’t sorcerers? If you were born a non-curse user?”

(y/n) blinks, her mind drawing a blank.  She’d never thought about what her life would look like if she wasn’t born with the ability to see curses.  Would it be easier? Or would the stressors of the mundane world flood her life just the same?

“I don’t know,” She answers honestly.  “I’ve never thought about it before,”

She tries to come up with an answer, even a simple one, like being a lawyer, or a teacher.  But nothing sounds right.  If she wasn’t doing everything in her power to protect people, then she’s not sure what her purpose would be.

“But even regular people need someone to operate a funeral home.  Or a hospital.  You could still find a decent profession out there, make good money,”

She looks over at Shoko, hoping her deflection wasn’t too noticeable.   The brunette was still staring at the sky.

“If that’s what you wanted” (y/n) finishes quietly.

“I dunno,” Shoko shrugs.  “I wonder if I’d have a husband”

“Of course you would!” (y/n) says, beaming brightly.  “You’d have a line of men offering you proposals.  I bet it’d take weeks to sift through them all”

Shoko laughs at the confidence she had in her, and at the image of so many men begging for her hand.

“What about you, then?” She asks, an eyebrow raised in amusement.  “You gonna settle down after all this?”

“Of course not,” (y/n) shakes her head, letting out a scoff at the mere thought of having a husband.  “I’ll never have the time.  And I’d never put the prospect of marriage come before exorcizing curses”

Figured, Shoko thinks, shaking her head.

“But what if he comes to you first?” Shoko asks.

“He who?”

“Your husband!” She laughs.  “What if he finds you first? Ya’know, falls in love, dotes on you hand and foot… what if he proposes it first?”

“Well, I’ll never put myself in such a situation then,” (y/n) shrugs.  “It’s not like it’s hard.  I’ll be busy with work anyways”

“Right, right” Shoko mumbles as she nods in agreement.

They sit in a comfortable silence together while the sun sets before them. ___

Days passed, until it had been a week to the day that Riko Amanai had been murdered before she could merge with Tengen.  

And the more she’d thought about the man she presumed to be Toji Fushiguro, the more (y/n) thought about his children.

There was no way she could get involved, not without anyone noticing.  But she knew that whatever these kids’ situation was, it wasn’t a good one.  Their father seemed like a violent deadbeat that had no care for them, and whoever their mother was, she could only assume couldn’t be any better.

Where were they? And wherever they were, were they left alone? Were they safe? Were they curse users? Did they go to school?

There was no way that she could get involved.

But still she found herself sneaking quietly through the halls of the dormitory at midnight, a binder of records open in her arms as she flipped quickly through the pages under Z.

School records weren’t bound to get her far, but it was a good start to figuring out how to find this Toji Fushiguro, and hopefully his children.

“What’re you doing up this late?”

She jumped, not having heard Satoru before he spoke, and there he was in front of her.

“Satoru” She gasps, surprised to see him standing there.

She hadn’t seen him since that day in the streets of Tokyo.  He looked… different.  Thinner, maybe paler, too.  Maybe a stranger wouldn’t notice, seeing as his demeanor was ever the same, but (y/n) had spent enough time around him to know when something was eating at him.

He looked from her, to the large book in her hands.

“What, you reading the fuckin’ bible?” He asks, reaching for the book to see what it was.  

(y/n) held it closer to her chest.

He raised a brow at her defensive action.

“Not that it’s any of your business,” She says matter-of-factly, “But I couldn’t sleep.  Homework helps me sleep”

“That’s for your homework?” He asks in disbelief.

(y/n) nods, swallowing thickly.  The longer he stares at her, the harder she finds it to keep her composure.  She supposed he had that effect sometimes, on all people.  He could be intimidating when he wanted to be.

“Whatever,” He mumbles with a shake of his head, no longer caring about whatever it was she was up to that was clearly not homework.  “Look I wanted to apologize for the mission with Riko”

Apologize? She wondered, trying to quickly dissect what his ploy was here.  Surely he was going to interrogate her for disappearing on him, right?

“You?” (y/n) scoffs.  “Apologize?”

“Yeah yeah,” He waves a dismissive hand at her attitude.  “Suguru said something about me being overbearing, or something.  So.  Sorry if I was”

(y/n) blinks, trying to figure out what it was that made him bring this up to her now.  Sure, he had been overbearing, but he always was, and this particular time, she sort of deserved it.  However, he was always texting her to figure out where she was, sticking his nose in her business was second nature to him, and he’d never apologized for it.  She’d grown pretty used to it by now.

“Well, you’re forgiven,” She says.  “Not like I was able to accomplish what I needed to anyways” She adds in a smaller voice.

“Yeah,” Satoru agrees in a small voice.  His head lowers for a moment, as though he suddenly needed to study the floor.  “Look…” He speaks after a few seconds of silence.  “I wanted to ask… what were you doing there in the first place?”

It’s not the question she’s expecting, but (y/n) hesitates on telling him why Yaga wanted her there.  She’s not sure why, but it made her feel a bit embarrassed to admit to someone like him.  He’s the most powerful person in the whole world.  Surely he wouldn’t understand her struggle with her cursed technique.

She wished they could just forget the last week, and go back to normal.

She understands why they can’t.

“Yaga just wanted me to practice some stuff on the field,” She finally admits.  “Thought it might be good for me, in the heat of the moment, or something”

“Oh.  Well don’t worry about that so much.  You’ll get it soon enough,” He speaks so casually that her eyes dart up to his, hidden behind his dark sunglasses.  “You’ll master it in a heartbeat.  That was kind of a crazy assignment to send you on to do that,”

Her face feels warm at the thought of him believing in her so much.

“But look, you don’t need to go missing for days for that shit, okay?” His words are harsh, and she finds herself nodding her head rapidly, hoping if she accepted his scolding, he’d move on from the whole thing.

“Yeah, I know” She mumbles back.

(y/n) hopes that it’s dark enough in the hall to cover the blush that was certainly covering her cheeks.  She hated that he made her feel like such a child.

“We actually ran into the sorcerer killer,”

Her eyes went wider than a deer’s caught in headlights.  A million questions race through her mind, but he’s speaking before she can find her voice to ask any of them.

“It got messy.  Glad you weren’t around to see it all.  That guy’s… a dick”

“R-really?” She stammered.  “What was he like?” It’s all she can think to ask at the moment, too nervous to overstep and raise suspicion.

“A dick,” Gojo  repeated with a scoff.  “He put up a fight, but not good enough to beat me” He added proudly.

His hand rubs at his throat absentmindedly.

(y/n) tried to smile at his abundance of confidence, but she could feel her lips wavering at the fake expression.

“Do you…” She trails off, clutching her binder tighter in her hands.  “Do you want to get something to eat? A snack might help me go back to bed”

A small smile graces his face, before he nods, and turns to lead the way down the hall.

___

(y/n) knows it’s not right to pry like this.

As Satoru recalls the events of his run-in with Toji Fushiguro, she feels her stomach twisting into knots.  Tighter and tighter with every word.  He’s left his sunglasses on the top of his head, and having his eyes exposed to her only makes her feel sicker.

Had he stabbed him with the blade I saw him carrying? She wondered, her eyes staring at the place on his throat where he’d shown her the man had sliced clean through.  If I had approached him that day, could I have stopped this?

She’s quickly losing confidence in her abilities, both as a sorcerer and a decent person.  She couldn’t even follow a lead to the end, and as a result Satoru had been hurt, Geto had been hurt, and the Star Plasma Vessel had been killed.

Rage boils hot in her veins as she clenches her fists.

“(y/n),” Satoru calls, having noticed her fixed gaze for some time now.

She hadn’t torn her eyes off of his neck since he had told her about it.

Her eyes snap to his as he says her name.

“I’m alright, you know” He tells her gently.

She swallows thickly, and wills her heart to slow it’s rapid beating.

“I know,” She states, putting up a front before he could be any more genuine.  “You’re you”

He knows she’s deflecting, but his lips quirk up at the comment anyways.

“That’s right,” He hums.  “You don’t have to worry your pretty little head about him”

(y/n) fights to keep her eyes on his, and not let them wander back to the spot on his throat.  She knows that if she showed her worry, it would make him worry.  That’s just who Satoru was.  He wanted everyone around him to be at ease at all times.  He was the strongest after all, it was only natural for him to want the people closest to him to feel safe, to feel protected.  He might not have voiced this, but (y/n) just knew.

My fault, my fault, my fault.  The cruel voice in her head rears it’s ugly head.  He got hurt because of me.  Because I wasn’t capable of approaching Toji, because I wasn’t confident in my abilities, again.  I did this.

Unease and regret claws its way up her throat, leaving her mouth with a bitter taste.  The guilt of this whole thing was going to eat her alive.  And there was only one thing she could do to make it right.

Kill Toji Fushiguro.

“Besides, he’s dead now anyways”

Her demeanor shifts so quickly she pales before him, her glazed over eyes suddenly fixated on him again.

“What?”

The word comes out small, shocked.  Her brows stitch together as she tries to piece together what that means for her now, while still remaining composed before the nosy sorcerer in front of her.

“He died,” Satoru repeats.  “I killed him”

Normally he’d sound proud, but at this moment, he’s simply being honest with her.  Recalling last week’s events as though recalling the weather.

(y/n’s) mouth goes dry.  Quickly, she turns her back to him, reaching for a glass in the cabinet behind her to fill with water.  She doesn’t say anything, she doesn’t know what to say.  All she can do is succumb to her thoughts.

What of his children?

Her hands are shaking.  She sets down her glass of water to hold them to her chest, keeping them from Satoru’s view.

Everything that happened last week, every step she took and every mistake she made,

She latches her trembling hands together, squeezing them so tight they pale.  She wills them to relax, so that she can turn around and stop hiding herself while right in front of him.

It was all for nothing.  Riko was dead.  Satoru was hurt.  Suguru was hurt.  Toji was dead, the mystery of his children now a tragedy.  And she could have prevented it all.  Had she just gone after him-!

“Hey,”

A gentle hand lays on her back, and she closes her eyes tight, hoping that he would just give her one more minute to collect herself.  All she needed was one minute, and she could present herself to him again, unfazed.

“(y/n), look at me” Satoru’s hand takes a hold of her shoulder, making her turn around.

There’s tears in her eyes, and her hands continue to ruthlessly shake against her chest, before she covers her face, wiping away the wetness in her eyes roughly.

“Sorry- I’m sorry,” She sputters, shaking her head once she’s sure she’s stopped the tears from falling from her eyes.  “I just- I can’t help but feel like it was all my fault,”

Satoru’s eyes widened at the admission.

“I wasn’t able to help at all, and then you got hurt and-”

“Woah, hey,” He cut her off before she could continue, seeing how hard she was beating herself up.  “That’s not fair, that’s not what happened,” He tells her, both of his hands wrapping around her shoulders firmly.  His eyes didn’t leave hers once, so that she knew he was being serious.  “You didn’t cause any of this,” He says.  “You didn’t do anything wrong.  And we’re all okay,”

Her brows drew together, knowing that she didn’t believe him, because he didn’t know that she could have protected him.  She feels like her heart is being set ablaze.

“We’re okay,” He repeats, eyes wandering her worried features.

Satoru’s not sure he could recall the last time he’d seen (y/n) so worked up.  He suddenly feels guilty for telling her everything that happened, as clearly it made her uneasy.  But he hadn’t known she would react so emotionally- especially when he was okay and alive before her.  The traumatic experience was over, and as awful as last week was, everyone had come out of it unscathed.  Physically, at least.

A part of him is surprised she’s this worried about him, that she’s reduced to trembling hands and teary eyes.  His heart sinks as his hand raises to her jaw, cupping her face with a featherlight touch.

Gojo Satoru was a loud mouth who loved to use pet names and flirt to no end, but he’d never been physically affectionate with her before, and the feeling of his warm hand against her face has her resolve crumbling.  Just a little bit.

“What’re you so worried about, (y/n/n)?” His voice is low as his eyes search hers for some sort of answer.  “Did something happen?”

Yes! She wants to shout.  She wants to cry and fall into his arms and beg for his forgiveness.  It’s my fault! It’s all my fault, and you’re treating me too well.  You’re being too nice when because of my mistake, you could be dead.  I could have killed you.

Her eyes shut for a moment, taking in a deep breath, and trying once and for all to collect herself.

If she told him about Toji now, he would never allow her to find his children.  Surely he wouldn’t trust them.  He’d likely tell her to leave them be, let them be sold back to the Zen’in Clan or thrown into the system.

But she couldn’t let that happen.

She needed to keep them in mind first.

With her decision made, her eyes flutter open again.  Her fingers wrap around his wrist, and she carefully pulls his hand away from her face.

“No,” She finally answers.  “Nothing happened”

As genuine as she sounded, and as firm as her eyes were on his, something tells Satoru she’s not being honest with him.  But he doesn’t raise his disbelief.  He could get to the bottom of that another time.

So he nods, and gives her a small smile.

“Okay,” He hums.  “Good.  I don’t want you to worry yourself with all this”

She nods back at him, eyes briefly flickering to his throat.

If I can’t kill Toji Fushiguro I’ll do the next best thing I can.

No matter how long it takes, I’ll make things right.

___

taglist: @whats-humanity-lol @malinq-ashida @mor-pheus @bekahtaylorgriggs @pookiea @megumimind​ @thealchemical @pearlstiare​ @niallerhere​ (if you want to be tagged the quickest way for me to see would be messaging me!! dm or inbox)

xoxo - jordie <3

[startreksetplans]

A lack of Constitution class in TNG?

This is Head canon / Non Canon - These are my thoughts as to why why the Constitution class doesn't continue into TNG, but Miranda and Oberth do.

When the Excelsior broke the then maximum warp-barrier, it created the new Warp speed scale we see in TNG. This "TransWarp" would eventually become the standard default over time, leading it to be shortened to "Warp" For any starship class to remain viable in this new era of speed, it had to be on par with at least the low to medium end of the new scale.

Naturally Starfleet sought to do a fleet wide refit, but not all the ships were suitable. The stresses of the new warp speed were greater than most had been developed for.

The Miranda class was relatively recent, with a more modern and robust hull. Also its compact shape required a smaller warp bubble, allowing the new warp systems to work within the class's power limits.

It takes time to design a new type of starship - especially with such a big warp technology shift. This is why there are so many Miranda variants and off-shoot classes. It is simpler to build up the fleet from a known design as a base.

The Oberth class is a small compact ship, and so like the Miranda class, it had smaller warp bubble power requirements. It survives all the way into TNG because of its ability to be retrofitted for the new warp tech - swapped out the coils, core and control systems.

Obeths are not an ideal starship - as well as its well known lack of modern defences, its systems had a habit of burning out under strain. Almost all Oberth ships at one time or another had to be towed back to Spacedock.

Starfleet should have replaced these ships with something more robust, and maybe they tried. Its possible that the Oberth replacement was ready to go, after the usual extensive and expensive development period. But what if it was developed before the Excelsior? The replacement class may have not been compatible with TransWarp.

Starfleet would have been left with a science ship design that would have far less warp performance than its upgraded predecessor. In the end, upgrading the Oberth class was the only possible option. Also with the sunk costs into the replacement, there would be less of a desire to restart the design process for another Oberth successor. Ultimately keeping the Oberth class ships running as long as possible would be a more economic move.

The Constitution class is a very old ship by this point. It had already had been refitted to the maximum speed the space-frame could handle. It would have torn itself apart at TransWarp, which is why the "Great Experiment" opted for a new ship over the reliable Constitution.

With its duties to be assigned to faster ships, it could have still limped on working within Federation space, but it would have been well over-spec and over staffed for these lesser duties.

With the end of Klingon hostilities, Starfleet took the opportunity to decommission ships that couldn't be upgraded. It would be many years before it was possible to design Constitution style vessels that could withstand the new warp scale - culminating in the Ambassador class.

[zvaigzdelasas]

If we want a prosperous Ukraine with a viable path toward liberal governance and European Union membership, we will have to concede that it cannot be a NATO or U.S. ally, and that this neutral Ukraine must have verifiable limits on the types and quantities of weapons it may hold. If we refuse to agree to those terms, Russia will quite probably turn Ukraine into a dysfunctional wreck incapable of rebuilding itself, allying with the West, or constituting a military threat to Russia.

Russian progress is not yet evident on the map, where the battle lines have not moved appreciably over the past year. Ukraine’s counteroffensive failed to break through Russian defenses, and Russia has not pushed Ukrainian forces significantly westward. An observer comparing territorial holdings in January 2023 with January 2024 might reasonably conclude that the war has become a stalemate.

But this picture is misleading. The Kremlin is almost certainly not seeking such a breakthrough, at least not yet. Rather, it is methodically grinding down Ukraine’s capacity not only to wage war, but also to reconstitute a post-war military, by killing and wounding enormous numbers of Ukrainian soldiers and exhausting Ukrainian and Western arsenals of arms and ammunition. Ukraine is running short of artillery shells, and the U.S. and Europe cannot manufacture new ones quickly enough to meet Ukraine’s needs. Russian barrages of long-range air and missile strikes are increasingly overwhelming the capacity of Ukrainian air defenses, and the West simply lacks the ability to continue providing Patriot missiles or other advanced air defense systems.

It is quite true, as the Biden administration has warned, that ending U.S. aid to Kyiv would quickly result in Ukraine’s collapse. Sufficient aid to help Ukraine to stand successfully on the defensive should therefore continue. But what U.S. policymakers need to understand and honestly acknowledge is that absent a compromise peace settlement, massive levels of aid will have to continue not just for the coming year, but indefinitely. There is very little realistic chance of the West being able to outlast Russia and force it to accept peace on Ukrainian terms. The controversies in Congress over aid to Ukraine reflect these realities and are unlikely to diminish.

Under such circumstances, for the Biden administration to pledge American support to Ukraine for “as long as it takes” to defeat Russia is unwise, and even dishonest. It is widely believed in Washington that the failure of Ukraine’s counteroffensive means that the West has no choice but to back Ukraine’s fight against Russia for many years to come. Seeking compromise with Moscow is regarded as not only undesirable but also futile. Lacking alternatives, we must stay the present course, hoping that time will improve Ukraine’s position.

But time is not on Ukraine’s side, either militarily or economically, and so Ukraine’s position in any future negotiations may well be very much worse than at present. Russia’s population is at least four times that of Ukraine and its GDP 14 times. The Russian army is far better led and more tactically adept than it was at the start of the war, and Western sanctions show no signs of being able to cripple the Russian economy, which is more and more geared for war.

And whatever Brussels may say, as long as the war continues it is exceptionally unlikely that Ukraine will be able to develop economically and begin the extremely difficult process of joining the European Union.

Most importantly, the United States has not tested the assumption that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no interest in talking. It is indeed very likely that Putin believes Russia now has the upper hand in the war and can afford to wait. Nonetheless, Putin has repeatedly insisted that Russia is ready to talk, and also that Washington – not Kyiv – makes the key decisions in the war and therefore it is for Washington to engage in talks.

This may be posturing; but it is also possible that Putin recognizes that absent a settlement, Russia is headed toward the dangers of a permanently volatile confrontation with the West, an economy distorted by the demands of military production, and a constricting degree of dependence on China. Russians’ concerns about these problems are likely to grow as their fears they may lose the war in Ukraine diminish.

It is further alleged that Putin believes that a future Donald Trump presidency would be the Kremlin’s best hope for a settlement on Russian terms. However, Trump’s first term produced some friendly rhetoric but much hostile action toward Moscow, including withdrawal from nuclear arms agreements and increased flows of U.S. weapons and training for the Ukrainian army.[...]

Given that Russia now has the advantage on the battlefield and senses that time is on its side, to get Putin to end the war and end his ambition to subjugate Ukraine or seize more territory, Washington will have to offer some serious incentives. These will need to include showing that the U.S. is prepared to meet Russian concerns about the U.S. and NATO security threat to Russia (concerns that are genuinely held throughout the Russian establishment).

This will mean agreement to a Ukrainian treaty of neutrality, with security guarantees for Ukraine, that will allow that country to follow neutral Finland and Austria during the Cold War and develop as a free market democracy. Western sanctions against Russia would need at least to be eased if not suspended, but with a binding commitment that they would automatically resume if Russia launched new aggression.

An agreement along these lines would be extremely painful for both Ukraine and the Biden administration. However, we should see preserving the independence of 80 percent of Ukraine as a real victory, even if not a complete one. It is certainly far better than what appears to be the alternative: a war of attrition with dreadful losses for Ukraine, leading sooner or later to a far greater Ukrainian defeat.

11 Jan 24

[go--ichi]

You know how the antis are so convinced that the rejected bond storyline is Helion and Lady of Autumn..not the bond that got questioned and brought up the topic of bond rejection in the first place lol. The antis usual reasoning is that the male that gets rejected will go insane and poor Elain and Lucien will feel the bond forever. So obviously this would be too cruel to their baby LuLu and SJM would never do that. 

Coincidentally these are the same people that think Helion and Lady of Autumn are rejected mates and it will be the cautionary tale of going against the soup-pot lmao. Helion first met the lady before she married Beron and then after several years began an on again off again affair which started with Helion rescuing Autumn lady (the mating bond snap would likely occur atp). They were later discovered by Beron but Lady of Autumn ultimately chose Beron and rejected Helion.

“Beron is a High Lord, and she is his wife, mother of his brood. She chose to stay. Chose. And with the protocols and rules, Lady, you will find that most situations like the one you were in do not end well for those who interfere.”(ACOWAR)

So by the language used it sounds like The Lady rejected Helion and for the sake of the antis also rejected the mating bond. Now here is what's interesting Helion is somehow shockingly sane with a thriving court. He hasn’t gone psychotic. This is the single interaction between these two that I could find:

This does not look like an insane jilted male scorning his mate. So what gives? Now you can say, No the mating bond must not have snapped..surely Helion is not truly rejected..lol. Assuming they are mates, the Lady 'chose' Beron so the wording says otherwise. But why hasn’t Helion gone mad yet?? There should've been some mention of it at least. But there is none. So that argument about Lulu going crazy is stupid af.

Anyone thinking SJM will explore a big concept like rejecting a bond with a side couple that has already gone through the rejection process in the past (according to the antis) needs to get a reality check. The only viable candidate is Elucien whether you like it or not. It’s a big freaking Chekhov's gun waiting to be fired.

I don’t know what angle SJM will take Elriel.. whether it's carranam, true mating bond, chosen mating bond or no mating bond, one thing to me is pretty clear that Elucien bond is gonna get rejected. All those mentions of rejecting the bond and the very patriarchal message that 'rejected male goes crazy so females feel discouraged to reject it' is a solid obstacle that I believe both Elain and Lucien will overcome. Even if Elain and Azriel end up becoming mates, it will be because they have chosen each other and rejected their fate and created their own destiny.

[sea-owl]

Have you seen the news about Michaela sterling? What are your thoughts?

I have, and I decided to sit on the information for a couple of hours before answering. Reminder I haven't seen the season yet but it's all over my dash so hard to avoid.

Initially, I was a little disappointed. Franchael is one of my favorites as is their story. I was also kinda hoping we get to explore the soilders more in this world since Michael is the only one of the lord husbands to be part of the army. By the shows own rules we would have to do a major rewrite to Michael's story for Michaela. By the shows own rules Michaela can't inherirt, and the merry rake persona wouldn't be that viable of an option either because of how easy a woman can be ruined. Now do they plan to have Michaela become a spinster as well so we have our third or fourth one or is she going to be a widow like Francesca by the time their season rolls around?

And this also brings up Francesca's infertility storyline. Is that going to continue or are they going to keep that baby with John so Francesca can keep running Kilmartin? Or are they going to go down the Featherington route where John leaves in his will that Michaela's son inheirts. Again that will bring back the question of Michaela getting married.

Now, like I said initially, I was a little disappointed because I was excited to see Michael on screen. Needed some time to process. And for those like me who are disappointed it is OK to feel those feelings and process them. Michael was a pretty beloved lead from the books. I kinda equate this to gender reveal disappointments. Mom and dad are expecting and then the gender of baby isn't what they originally wanted. Are they going to love their kid any less? Or are they less wanted? No. They still love their kid just need a moment to readjust.

Now let me be clear on this as well. Being disappointed is no excuse to attack the actress playing Michaela. Nor is it an excuse to send hate to anyone. Being disappointed and needing time to process is OK. Attacking others is not.

Onto Michaela Stirling, I'm sure Michaela's actress will do a wonderful job. I can see a few potential plot lines for Michaela. And I'm sure this question is gonna pop up eventually, too. For my writing, at least am I going to continue using Michael, or am I going to switch to Michaela?

I'll start by saying this isn't my first rodeo with something like this. I'm a little bit of a gamer and often with RPGs the avatars usually have a male or female option with a gender neutral name or male and female names. Like Tav on Baulder's Gate 3, Byleth on Fire Emblem Three Houses, Robin in Fire Emblem Awakening, the Pokemon franchise. For the fandoms they often just switch to their preferred or whatever the vibe is that day, what story elements they might be using. Another option I see but not used often is they kinda combine the two by making the character either Trans or genderfluid. Or my personal favorite, make them twins.

I'll probably switch depending on story vibes or more than likely make them twins. Francesca can have three Stirlings. Give her a why choose. I mean majority of the fandom agrees that modern day John, Francesca, and Michael would have worked out poly, we can throw Michaela in there too.

[solarpunkani]

Okay but wait actually

How long does a seed bomb stay viable after you make it?

I know a lot of the recipes for them call for water--or at least for wet clay/compost. If that gets the seeds wet in the process of making them, about how long do you have before the seed bombs become unusable (like because the seed started trying to germinate but couldn't get water?)

Like. My usual method of guerrilla gardening is 'bag of seeds I carry in my purse and yeet whenever feels right', which works if you're on a walk or something, but becomes significantly less efficient when you're in a car going at like 60 miles per hour and your target is at least 10 feet away from the far right lane of traffic.

I wanna get a general idea of how long I have to use a seed bomb after I make it. Is it a 'go out immediately' kinda deal, or do I have some time? If the seed gets wet once and then doesn't again for awhile, is there a germination risk or no? Does it depend on the seed?

[damebunbury]

Been feeling kinda unmotivated so I did some outfit designs for my builder, Mai. I’m just gonna info dump about my silly lil OC bc it’s my blog, my rules babyyyyy. Also I’m making a tag for this particular character for any future posts I do about her (#mai’stimeatsandrock)

Mai competed as an athlete in Highwind’s gliding competitions (Until Pathea releases more info about Highwind’s gliding, this my concept lol). She participated in racing and had the impressive performance in the obstacle race event, where gliders have to not only make it to the finish line first, but must also navigate through a series of obstacles as well. During one year’s competition, Mai gets into a physical altercation with one of the most popular athletes bc Mai believes they tampered with her glider after witnessing them hanging around her equipment shortly before one of the races. Mai’s glider malfunctions during the race, nearly causing her to crash and be severely injured but she manages to perform and emergency landing and avoid too much harm. Mai, being extremely high-strung and prone to lashing out at this point in her life, throws the first punch. Her claims of the competitor’s possible interference are ignored by authorities due to Mai’s instigation of the fight, the competitor’s prestige, and the knowledge of Mai’s past aggressive behavior. She is banned from competing and thus ends her future as an athlete

Mai’s reputation and sense of self are both shattered. She feels incredibly guilty bc not only is she harassed and gossiped about, but her family and friends are also affected. Mai is unable to show her face in public for quite some time without ppl immediately talking about her or confronting her. She harbors shame about her behavior and the burdens she has brought in her parents’ lives. During this time, Mai fixes things around the house and for some kind neighbors who are at least willing to hire her for some small jobs. In the hardest time of her life, building seems to offer some kind of respite

Mai, realizing that any previous hopes of gaining scholarships from gliding were effectively gone, decides to pursue building as a career. Reconnecting with a childhood joy seems as good an option as any. Only, due to her horrible reputation, she has no access to any sort of financial aide from Highwind’s trade schools. Mai, with the help of her parents, manages to pay her way through school and takes any and all classes she possibly can. From building basics, to history, to defense classes, to safe ruin-diving practices. She throws herself into building and vows to prove herself to make up for her past mistakes

Mai learns to discipline herself and ends up becoming a very patient person, but she struggles to shake off the bad reputation and shame of the gliding scandal. Not to mention she’s just growing into a mature adult, so she doesn’t behave as recklessly as she did as a teen

After graduating, Mai cannot find any work in Highwind for several years. She can only find odd jobs here and there but nothing stable or long-term. What may have served her during school is not viable for any future plans. Her reputation in Highwind prevents her from getting any long-term contracts as a builder, and she struggles to find work outside of Highwind as well. Mai becomes a bit listless and idle, and slowly starts to grow restless in the process

Finally, after a few years, Mai notices a “Builder Wanted” flyer from Sandrock, and she jumps at the chance. She doesn’t even consult her parents she just sends a telegram to Sandrock’s City Hall to let them know she’s coming to work. She tells her parents, who are obviously shocked but supportive. They know how desperate their daughter was becoming and so they don’t try to stop her

However, her parents and Nia are worried because there are rumors of Sandrock’s state—it’s basically a wasteland and ppl avoid going due to the dangers of vicious monsters and a rogue bandit on the loose

Sandrock provides a much-needed sanctuary for Mai. She has a fresh start and can show what she’s capable of free from her past. She meets ppl who are similar to her—perseverant, stubborn, a bit reckless and crazy, but all in all trustworthy and committed to their community. Mai deals with severe homesickness, and for a while, she doesn’t plan on staying in Sandrock for longer than her 2yr-contract mandates. But she comes to consider Sandrock home, and eventually lets go of Highwind (although she knows two places can be like home), and chooses to settle down and sign a long-term contract. This part of Mai’s story will (hopefully) be elaborated on in future posts

Anyways, that’s all for nowsies byyyeeee

[hxhhasmysoul]

Hi, I really like reading your JJK analyses. Do you think that Itadori ate Sukuna's finger out of his free will? A lot of fans think that Itadori deserves to be punished for Sukuna's crimes because he willingly ate the finger (and because Sukuna is apparently a force of nature so he cannot be punished). I disagree, but what do you think?

Okay, so this really touches on a lot of stuff in-world for JJK and in general, philosophically. And philosophy is not my strong suit XD

Let’s take care of the last part of this first. Sukuna is a human, not a force of nature, not a god, not a curse. He’s a human in full control of his mental faculties: not mentally ill in any way, but especially not in a way that could make him incapable of controlling himself, not intoxicated, not coerced, not controlled by an outside force through magical means. So he’s fully responsible for all his decisions regarding his actions when he has control of Yuuji’s body. He’s hard to hold accountable, true, but it’s the problem of those who’d want to punish him. You know, skill issue.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the Yuuji part of this claim.

Free Will vs Fate

The first thing is whether free will exists in the JJK world and to what extent. And I feel it does but there’s also a fate component, for example in relation to Tengen and Six Eyes. So there’s some limitation to the free will, at least for some characters. Is Yuuji entangled by fate with anyone? He could be. There are hints that his connection to Sukuna might date back to Heian. It’s hard to tell at this point.

Choice

Then we come to the concept of choice. Let’s say Yuuji had the free will to eat the first finger on that school roof, that there was no fate involved. How much of a choice did he actually have? 

Some people like to entertain themselves by saying things like “you always have a choice” even when the choice is between two horrible outcomes. For example working a job that is very destructive to your body and mental health but having a home or having no job and becoming homeless. They like to pretend like there’s a viable choice here. 

And this is also the case with Yuuji. His choice was eat the finger and hopefully save Megumi or run and live with the guilt of whatever fate befell Megumi, likely never even finding out what actually happened, considering how secretive the sorcerers are. Is this really a viable choice? 

I don't think it is. The manga rushes through this part in a typical first chapter fashion. In the anime Megumi warns Yuuji not to eat it but he doesn’t even tell Yuuji why. He doesn’t warn Yuuji that he’s likely to die, let alone that Yuuji dying would be the preferred outcome to the alternative, aka an evil homicidal bastard returning among the living. So Yuuji is working with the information provided and to him it seems either they both die or they get both saved. To him it feels like a fair gamble at that point.

And all this disregards the circumstances of that choice:

Shock and grief of losing the only family he had merely minutes or hours earlier

Last words of the said family member which are eerily relevant to the situation with the curse

Shock of learning about the supernatural

Shock of seeing his friends badly injured and knowing they could’ve died

Mortal danger

Extreme time pressure

All these render any discussion of free will in that decision making process a little shaky. In philosophy the influence of a person’s mental condition on choice, free will and ethics is actually a field of study.

Circumstance or Part of a Plan

Yuuji was created to become Sukuna's vessel as a part of Kenjaku’s plan. And for that plan Kenjaku manipulates the lives of others and creates situations to get certain outcomes. Like they did with Yuuji's friendship with Junpei. Once Junpei was involved by Mahito but also befriend by Yuuji, mother used that to test barriers for their own plans and also to test Yuuji. And probably confirm Sukuna’d made a vow with Yuuji. Kenjaku doesn't tell the disaster cursed about the vow, but they know much more about Jujutsu and Sukuna than the curses, they knew Yuuji was going to come back to life after the detention centre. Likely because they knew Sukuna would make a vow.

This makes me ask questions like: 

Why was Sukuna's finger, an object of such importance, in an average school?

Why was Yuuji in that very school?

Why was that finger easily accessible?

Why did Yuuji find it? Was he drawn to it?

All these put complete free will on his part into question, unless we assume this was all a complete coincidence that by complete chance played into Kenjaku's plan.

But even if someone believes that, Yuuji would've been fed a finger at some point. How would it play into him being deserving of punishment? If he was coerced, would he still deserve it? What if he was tricked? Would he deserve it because he allowed himself to be incapacitated or tricked? I mean it's not an uncommon position assholes take towards victims of violence or scams.

Crimes and Complicity

Now let's look at Sukuna's crimes and Yuuji's complicity in them. 

The first time Sukuna has reign of Yuuji’s body is on that school roof. 

Sukuna then kills the curse and fantasises about massacres. The latter isn’t really a proper threat of violence because it’s not directed at any particular person or persons. That’s it, then Yuuji takes over. No crime so far. 

Then Gojou comes and arrogantly and irresponsibly decides that it’s a good idea to check Yuuji’s control over Sukuna in the open, there isn’t even a veil raised, no crowd control. Sukuna proceeds to do some property damage - his first actual crime. Is Yuuji responsible for that? Not really, he’s a traumatised and badly hurt minor who was pressured to relinquish control of his own body by an adult. 

The second time Sukuna comes out is in the detention centre.

Yuuji waits for his friends to be far away and then gives Sukuna control. It is very much a calculated risk, Yuuji believes in his ability to prevent Sukuna from rampaging and assesses the cursed womb as a bigger danger to everyone than Sukuna in his body, and he’s mostly right. 

Sukuna does more property damage and severely beats up Megumi and kills Yuuji. The latter is Yuuji’s choice to stop him from killing Megumi. So yeah, he’s responsible for Megumi’s injuries because he didn’t factor in how his own injuries and mental exhaustion would prevent him from fully controlling Sukuna. And in a kind of twisted way Yuuji is responsible for Sukuna’s last crime of killing Yuuji himself, because if he didn’t come back Sukuna wouldn’t have killed him.

Then Sukuna tricks Yuuji into a vow and makes Yuuji unaware of the existence of the said vow..

For Sukuna’s third outing Yuuji isn’t responsible in the least.

Yuuji gets killed by Chousou and if he was left alone, he and Sukuna could’ve died then and there. The only reason he survives and Sukuna is let loose is because the twins and then Jougo force feed him more fingers overwhelming his soul’s capacity to cage Sukuna. Considering the level of trauma Yuuji had sustained then, it takes him more time than at the detention centre to take back control. And yeah, Sukuna commits a mass murder.. And more property damage ;-)

So.

Even if someone decides that Yuuji had completely free will to eat the first finger (I wouldn’t if it’s not obvious so far), under regular circumstances Yuuji is perfectly capable of caging Sukuna, rendering him incapable of committing any crimes apart from verbal harassment and threats of violence. 

The sorcerers knew that perfectly well, because Gojou has tested it, on the roof and then by feeding Yuuji another finger after Wasuke’s cremation. 

The elders decided to murder Yuuji, and his two new friends as collateral. Thus created an abnormally traumatic situation. Which led to Yuuji losing control over Sukuna. 

Not learning from that debacle that Yuuji should be kept away from harm so they can slowly feed him the fingers, the sorcerers put Yuuji on the front line in Shibuya. And the whole Shibuya incident is orchestrated by Kenjaku, though not micromanaged. I don’t think they predicted Sukuna’s rampage. That was on the twins a bit but mostly on Jougo, the former are kids, Jougou is ancient, he should’ve known better.  

Blame - Who Deserves Punishment?

That all being said. Yuuji would’ve been fed Sukuna’s fingers one way or the other. He ended up under the care of the sorcerers who went the most fucking irresponsible way possible about handling that. 

Would the mass murder in Shibuya not happen if Kenjaku fed Yuuji the fingers under different circumstances and Yuuji was under their care? Maybe it would, maybe it wouldn’t. Would other mass murder happen instead? Maybe, maybe not. Would Sukuna have killed Gojou? Absolutely. Unless Gojou’d stayed in the box. 

This whole idea reeks of the fandom’s dislike of Yuuji. Nobody talks like that about Gojou and the elders where it’s pretty easy to point to the ways they are very clearly complicit in various tragedies in JJK, including the way the Shibuya incident went. 

And I guess they forget that Kenjaku exists?

Yuuji is a child and new to the jujutsu world. He follows instructions and puts trust in the adults in the jujutsu world. Most detrimentally to himself, he puts trust into Gojou who fails him over and over again. 

Yuuji doesn’t proactively go into the world to seek the fingers or fight curses. He finds himself in situations and tries to handle them, but he’s not the creator of the said situations. He’s not the driver of the events. He doesn’t act recklessly. 

Even if we consider eating the first finger, Yuuji's act of full free will. Yuuji ate the finger out of desperation and ignorance but still he managed to prevent Sukuna from doing any harm. He handled his questionable choice.

Then Yuuji was captured by Gojou, the strongest of the sorcerers and an adult. A person fully aware of curses, jujutsu and the threat of Sukuna. And Gojou decided to let Yuuji live, even though he could’ve killed Yuuji on that very school roof. Gojou kept Yuuji alive despite the elders’ will. He kept Yuuji alive knowing full well that by doing so he put a target on Yuuji’s back because he dragged the boy into his little political scuffles with the elders. He kept Yuuji alive and didn’t protect him, and didn't really put much work into educating Yuuji so he could protect himself better at least.

The truth is, if we’re looking to blame someone for Sukuna’s crimes, other than Sukuna (and he is the one to blame first and foremost!), or at least Kenjaku or Jougo, then it’s mostly Gojou and the elders to a lesser degree.

[justsomeguycore]

i think there’s a lot more educated and capable of people of saying this in an in depth and sourced way but i want a shot. kamala harris seems like a person who’s probably a kind and silly and caring wife mother sister daughter friend to the people in her personal life. she also has a career history of sending many people to prison. probably not enough people for conservatives to laud her as being tough on crime, but too many for anybody to the left of bernie sanders be able to make a compelling case for her being any sort of revolutionary advocate for women or LGBT people or even other people of color.

she’s a better option than donald trump just based on the fact that she’s not a volatile pissbaby rapist cult leader. she also is a better option than joe biden just based on the fact that she can form sentences and process questions. i think it would be cool to have a woman president, a woman of color president, for the optics and representation and setting a new precedent. i don’t know if anyone else viable right now who claims to have beliefs at least vaguely similar to my own who could also have a shot at representing the beliefs of the rest of the nation.

i also think that even if she had beliefs identical to mine, no matter who the president of the united states of america is will not be able to enact much that represents their own personal beliefs and essentially must become not only a mouthpiece for their party but also for the ruling class in general. no president of this country can ever have my whole endorsement because fundamentally the interests of our government are often in direct opposition to my spiritual philosophical and emotional beliefs. an american president can never be anti prison or anti war or anti colonialist or anti capitalist. even if they wanted to be, which again, i don’t think anyone could claim kamala harris wants to be.

i also think it must be said that due to how the electoral college works, a handful of people abstaining from voting will probably not influence this race unless they are all concentrated in crucial counties in crucial states. so arguing over whether saying you’re not going to a vote is a conservative or foreign psyop is like. pretty useless.

still i’ll personally vote for her because i watched liberty’s kids as a child and still have a part of my sweet naive soul that for some reason still believes that one day we could shape the nation into one that actually represents the ideals of the people and that my personal vote has weight and makes a difference. it’s a nice little dream for me. not voting makes my tummy hurt basically

[howtofightwrite]

Hi! So I'm trying to write a book where the main character is a teen girl who investigates cold cases in her spare time? Where do I even start?

Start by learning about how to investigate cold cases. You may want to take a step back, and start by learning about criminal investigation procedures, but, at the very least, start with what your character will be attempting.

When you're writing a character with a background and skills that you do not posses, it's important to start by learning what those skills entail. You don't need to develop this knowledge to a professional level. So, you do not need to able to actually carry out a cold case investigation, but, you do want to get to the point where you understand the process, and understand what methods are important and why. The easiest route (and, one you may have already started) is the volumes of material on specific cold cases. (I'm assuming this is a topic you found interesting, and have already been watching cold case documentaries, or reading up on real examples.)

One fun thing about studying true crime (including cold cases) as inspiration is that you can sometimes lift elements from the real world and drop them into your material without issue. (An example of this that I've encountered a few times in fiction are the cases where someone would assume the identity of someone who died as a young child, because they could easily get the birth certificate and use that as the seed document to develop their new identity. This doesn't really work anymore, because of how government documents are tracked, but it was a viable tactic back in the 60s and 70s.)

I realize some of this boils down to a, “you have to read before you can write,” advice piece, but you already have a framework for what you want to look into. So, if you haven't already, you probably want to dip your toes into true crime media.

-Starke

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