#ota's ask answers | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sweet-evie · 1 year ago

Text

Day in the Life of a Single Working Dad

A glimpse into the life of a single dad who's doing his best.

masterlist || pt 3

Content: Established Relationship, afab!oc, fem!oc, nameless!oc, she/her/hers pronouns for Satoru's S/O, singleparent!gojo, dad!gojo, Sentimental!Gojo, Mentions of Suguru and Satoru’s deceased lover, FushiGojo fam, Family, Fluff, Children…

A/N: Megumi is an angsty child… And Gojo’s antics don’t help. Also, I was 10 once and I had a potty mouth. Plus, I have loads of Gojo clan mentions sprinkled in this one, and they're connected to a post I made about my Gojo clan headcanons.

Never Grow Up Pt 2

November 2012

06:17 AM; Ota City, Tokyo

“Whatever happened to checking the calendar for appointment dates scheduled in advance?” Shoko snickered on the other side of the line. “And why are you rushing? I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re not going anywhere, but I am…” Satoru hissed, shooting a half-hearted glare at his phone propped up on a stand. Maybe answering Shoko’s FaceTime call was a bad idea.

“Why would you forget that Satsuki has her third vaccination scheduled today?”

“Trust me, you’d hate hearing the story.” He muttered through a mouthful of cereal.

“Sometimes I wonder what happened to the Gojo who would whine about his day not going okay. Where is he?”

“Buried under baby formula and diapers.” He grouched and shoveled the last of the sugary snacks into his mouth.

Catching movement at the corner of his eye, he turned to flash a bright smile and a wave at Tsumiki coming down the stairs dressed prim and proper in her school uniform.

“Come off it, Gojo, you have it easy. All you worry about is showing up on time to wherever you’re needed. And you never even do.”

“Okay, untrue.” Satoru knew Shoko was only joking. Did he have to mention the ad hoc lesson plans and the paperwork for the most recent missions he’d been sent on, plus the occasional parent-teacher meeting sprinkled in-between? “But I am self-aware enough to know that I have people helping me.”

“All that and you’re still a mess.” Megumi interjected, appearing behind Tsumiki with his school bag clutched between his hands. He barely evaded his sister’s elbow.

“Hey~” Satoru whined… Loudly. “I feed you!”

“The cook feeds me… He feeds you too.” Megumi shook his head, approaching the island counter to take the school lunches that had been prepped meticulously. He blurted out a quick ‘Hi’ to Shoko through the phone before busying himself with arranging his things. “Who packed this by the way? Kaihara comes in at lunch time today, doesn’t he?”

Sometimes Satoru marveled at how easily Megumi memorized everyone’s schedules in the house. Satoru knew who came in and out of the house too, of course, but he didn’t exactly bother remembering what time they were supposed to clock-in for their shifts. He was just used to seeing people outside of his family in the house, doing what they were hired to do.

“I would like to say that great teacher Gojo is good at packing lunches too, but I can’t take the credit. It was all ‘Miki.” Satoru grinned, reaching over to squeeze Tsumiki’s shoulder affectionately and pat the top of her head.

“Don’t look too relieved now.” Shoko piped up.

Satoru had almost forgotten they were still on-call. “I’m not even going to bother asking what you mean by that because it’s nothing good. I’ll see you at the school, Shoko.”

“See you… Bring Satsuki’s important medical documents.”

“Gojo, if you’re really busy today, Megumi and I can always take the train.” Tsumiki offered, smiling at him sweetly as she finished zipping up her school bag.

“And be late to homeroom class? No way!” Satoru protested playfully, sticking out his tongue.

“Because you always show up on time, don’t you?” Megumi muttered sarcastically, only all too eager to push Satoru’s buttons this early in the day.

Grinning impishly, Satoru took threatening steps forward with his hands outstretched, ready to mess with the boy’s carefully styled hair. Megumi was about to swat his hand away — infinity be damned, when Ms. Yumiko — one of the hired nursemaids — wandered into the kitchen carrying a gurgling wriggly baby in her arms.

“Satsuki!” Tsumiki cheered, coming over to greet the happy girl.

“Full from breakfast and fresh from her bath.” Ms. Yumiko was grinning, bouncing her adorable charge in one arm as Tsumiki teased, tickled, and cooed at the baby. “Everything you’ve requested is on the table in the foyer, Sir.”

Satoru began ushering Megumi to move forward, snagging his blackout glasses left on the dining table as well. “Thanks, Yumiko. I know your shift’s barely begun, but you can clock-out early if you want. I’ve already told Kaoru and Shiori they can take the day off too, since Satsuki’s coming with me today. Isn’t that right, Princess?”

Satsuki turned her wandering attention from Tsumiki to her own father as Yumiko held her out to him, all the while babbling a continuous stream of, “Da-da” as she was transferred from one place of safety to the next.

Satoru knew she didn’t understand what that meant yet, but he’d take it. His baby was looking for him. “Right here, ‘Tsuki.”

Father and daughter giggled at each other as Satoru eagerly participated in baby talk, cooing and mouth popping at the little girl. She had on a cute blue dress dotted with white kittens, complete with matching shoes and headband. Satoru didn’t think he was being biased if he said Satsuki was the cutest baby in the world. It wasn’t an unfounded brag either… It was just facts.

His baby girl with snow white hair, the prettiest amber eyes, and the puffiest cheeks. Like a chipmunk…

She should be a Disney princess.

“Hey, Gojo!” Megumi grumbled, peeking around the hallway to scowl at him. “Satsuki will be late for her shots if you don’t hurry. Tsumiki’s already in the car.”

He didn’t mention that he and Tsumiki would be late for school too if Satoru kept dawdling.

Satoru gasped dramatically and grinned when it elicited another giggly reaction from the baby in his arms. “Oh right! We can’t be late, Princess. Shoko will kick my ass.”

“Language!” Megumi huffed from the foyer.

“She doesn’t even know what it means yet!” The man whined, launching into a tirade. “You cuss all the time, and yeah, I can hear you cussing through the walls. But do I call you out? No, I don’t, because it doesn’t matter!”

“Fuck off.”

Satoru cackled like a demon out of hell as Megumi’s footsteps faded away, followed by the door closing. The kid didn’t take shit and knew how to tell people off. He couldn’t wait to see how that would serve him in the years to come — especially as a sorcerer.

If Satoru bothered to look, he would have seen Yumiko standing politely to the side, shaking her head at the antics in this household. When she’d first taken on the job, she had been made to believe that this was a serious undertaking and she would have to maintain strict propriety and formality at all times — express reverence to the head of the Gojo clan and the wielder of the Six Eyes… Reality couldn’t be farther from the truth.

“Stay safe, Master Gojo. Thank you.” She bowed as he passed by.

“Thank you, Yumiko. The house is yours!” Satoru waved as he made his way to the foyer and the genkan to get his shoes, phone in one hand as Satsuki busied herself chewing and drooling on the collar of her father’s leather jacket. “Clock out anytime and lock up. See ya!”

=OoOoO=

08:13 AM

Satoru pushed his glasses farther up his nose as he watched Megumi sullenly trail after Tsumiki as they passed the school gates. The kids would leave primary school behind very soon, moving on to Junior year. He should probably have Ijichi start looking into junior high schools they could transfer to. Two more years of that, and Tsumiki would continue to senior high school, while Megumi would relocate to Jujutsu Tech — on-track to becoming a full-time sorcerer.

Tilting the rearview mirror ever so slightly, Satoru grinned at Satsuki nestled snuggly into the comfiest car seat his money could buy. She was busy touching and nibbling her Yukimi Botamon plushie. That one would get its turn in the washing machine soon — about to join the other Digimon plushies victimized by her curious hands. He’d heard of parents who got upset with kids who tore up their toys, but it didn’t really matter to him. He would just buy her more.

“Should we stop by Starbucks, Princess? Auntie Shoko demands payment in coffee.”

Her reply came in wet babbles and a single squeal that Satoru took as a ‘yes.’ Putting the sedan in reverse, Satoru carefully backed away from the parking spot he’d stolen from an angry mom when he’d arrived ten minutes ago. Megumi and Tsumiki looked at him like he was crazy, but really, the angry lady didn’t have to get so defensive.

He glanced at Satsuki again as he left the school and drove to the closest Starbucks he could find. She was still babbling to herself. He was late for his own first year class at Jujutsu Tech, but it didn’t really matter. The kids could train with their upperclassmen just fine. Besides, he knew the moment he set foot on campus with Satsuki in tow, all sins would be forgiven in favor of entertaining the cutest, most precious baby alive.

Even Yaga couldn’t reprimand him for tardiness if he was toting Satsuki around.

Shoko accused him of using his daughter as an excuse and a shield to get out of trouble, and they were right. But who cared? Satsuki certainly didn’t. She just wanted to eat her baby food and play with her toys.

Besides, if all else failed, he could always hit the higher ups, who had the audacity to complain, with excuses along the lines of, ‘My kids are waiting for me at home.’

Being responsible for three growing children was a tall task, but in this at least, Satoru Gojo could admit he’d had it easy.

Well, easier than most.

Most people had budgeting to think about. They had to juggle work, child care, home maintenance, and healthcare. Most people were not privileged enough to be born into a family that provided their every need. Most people couldn’t move from one upscale residence to the next in just five days. Most people didn’t have a wealth of connections they could call or the money needed to take care of this and that to expedite processes as much as possible.

(What do you mean there were technical legalities to having a baby outside of marriage? Something about Supreme Court rule enacted last month? What do you mean there are lengthy legal procedures needed to legitimize the birth of his daughter just because he and his Love weren’t married yet when they had her? Apparently, the surname ‘Gojo’ didn’t have much weight if she wasn’t considered legitimate under the eyes of the government’s law.)

Satoru Gojo had the backing of an influential clan who had footholds in and out of jujutsu society. The majority of them cared too much for the family’s reputation as a whole and had resolved to help “cover” the “shame” Satoru’s “careless dalliances” brought them. It was a ridiculous mindset to have, really, but as powerful as Satoru was, he couldn’t change the way people thought.

It didn’t matter to him as long as he got what he wanted and Satsuki could grow up without worrying about legal bullshit around her birth.

Part of him wanted to whine about it to someone — about how much his life resembled a neverending whirlwind now, but Satoru was self-aware enough to know that he had been granted enough privilege and enough resources to make his life manageable. His younger self certainly wouldn’t have thought about it like this. If he had thought his life was busy before having Satsuki, he wished his old self could see it now.

=OoOoO=

10:02 AM; Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School

The drive up to Jujutsu High had been mostly uneventful. The only real hiccup had been when Satsuki started crying and he had to pull up at a gas station with a convenience store, so he could run inside and hopefully find something she needed that he didn’t have. But really, everything should be in the baby bag that Yumiko packed before they left home this morning.

Turned out, the baby needed a diaper change, and Satoru didn’t know what was worse: the fact that Satsuki had to be uncomfortable now of all times or the fact that diaper-changing stations were only in the women’s bathroom. It wasn’t a problem because he could warp in, do his business, and warp out, but it was still quite baffling.

Why did people in-charge of making restrooms and toilets neglect to put diaper-changing stations in the men’s room?

With Satsuki now strapped to Satoru’s chest, her baby bag slung over one shoulder, and Shoko’s unhealthy umpteenth dose of caffeine in hand, Satoru kept using Blue to move quickly up the stairs to Jujutsu High up until he reached Shoko’s clinic in the school.

Satsuki was giggling again, humming, and babbling ‘Da-da’ over and over as her tiny fists gripped the front of his dark gray shirt. Her little head moved this way and that, taking in colors and shapes that didn’t have a name in her growing brain. Satoru didn’t miss the way his baby kept staring up at him though, and who was he to refuse his daughter’s whims when she babbled like that? And if he had to blow his own saliva bubbles and pop them loudly so she would give him that cute gummy smile, no one had to know.

“Well, if it isn’t the deadbeat father.”

Shoko joked when Satoru stepped through the door of her clinic at Jujutsu High. She was taking the unlit cigarette out of her mouth to drop it in her stash.

“Nice joke, Shoko. You should try something funnier next time.”

Shoko snorted and helped him unload. The baby bag was deposited on the couch, and the Starbucks coffee left on her desk — plain old cold brew for her and a cola frappuccino for Satoru. Holding out her hands, Satoru gladly passed his baby over to Shoko while he rid himself of the carrier.

“This is her last round of vaccines right?” He asked, fishing out the documents Shoko asked him to bring earlier this morning.

“Da-daaaa~ Da-da Da-da.”

“Yep.” Shoko nodded once and turned to the gurgling baby in her arms, voice turning soft. “Is ‘Da-da’ the only word you know? Say Shoko… ‘Sho-ko.’”

Satsuki giggled, popping drool bubbles in her mouth. “Da-da! Da-da Da-da.”

It devolved into incoherent babbling after that as Satsuki moved around in Shoko’s arms and stared at everything and anything. Satoru snickered and reached over to wipe off the drool from the corner of his daughter’s mouth.

“You’re so gross, ‘Tsuki. This after you made a mess on the way here too?”

“Huh, I wonder where she gets it from.”

“I’m offended.”

“You should be.”

Leaving a pouting Satoru, Shoko went to get everything she needed for the vaccinations. Satoru took Satsuki back and made her sit on one of the patient beds. Shoko took her time preparing everything, but it was hard to ignore the conversation happening behind her — a nonsensical conversation, but it was one nonetheless. It was a mix of baby talk and so. Much. Giggling.

People could say what they would about Satoru Gojo at this point, but anyone who worked closely with him couldn’t deny that he loved his daughter dearly — so enamored by her too.

With Satsuki sitting on a patient bed, propped up by her father, Shoko began administering the shots methodically, and Satsuki’s giggles turned into loud wailing and a lot of fussing.

Satoru cooed, wiping fat tears that rolled down his baby’s cheeks, and when they were done, he took her in his arms, tucked her head into the crook of his neck and calmed her down in the softest, most saccharine voice Shoko ever heard him use — a voice he used just for his baby girl. In some small way, it felt wrong to be there. It almost felt like intruding on a very private family matter.

“Sshh~ why’s my baby cryin’? Did it hurt, Princess? It’s just a tiny boo-boo, don’t worry about it.”

He patted her back, left kisses on the top of her head, swaying side to side a little until the tears stopped and the aftereffects of the vaccine took hold.

“You don’t mind if I stay here a bit, do you?” Satoru gestured towards the sleeping baby in his arms. “She’ll wake up hungry and I have to feed her afterwards.”

Despite herself, Shoko had to laugh a little and nodded her consent. She sat next to him on the couch with a medical report in her hands. The clinic was silent — almost as if no one was there. Shoko intently read the document she’d been studying before he got here, while Satoru contented himself with scrolling through his phone while a baby slept on his shoulder.

Time passed slowly in silence, and after a while Shoko spoke up quietly.

“When are you moving back to your apartment in Roppongi?”

“I’d like to do it before ‘Tsuki’s first birthday. Everything should be settled by then. Also, we haven’t exactly been weaning her from breast milk, but she doesn’t like it much anymore. Is that normal?”

“She’ll be 7 months old soon.” Shoko fiddled with the corner of a page. “It should be fine. Some babies feed on breast milk until they’re 2 years old, some are weaned early by their parents, and some don’t have a preference for it at all. Humans are strange like that.”

“Oh…”

“Sometimes it feels like only yesterday that you moved into that house in Ota.”

“I know, right?”

“Does your mother know that you’re planning to move back to your apartment?”

“I’ll tell her soon, after I’ve finished arrangements to move all of the kids’ stuff to my apartment and after an interior design crew finishes remodeling the space to fit children. Less trouble that way.”

Shoko chuckled quietly. “Look at you being a responsible adult. Never thought I’d see the day.”

Satoru wanted to say that it only took losing Suguru and the Love of his life to childbirth, but he held his tongue. It would be a stupid joke to make, and it wasn’t even that funny. If he had done things differently after that failure of a mission to bring Amanai to Tengen, maybe Suguru would still be here… If he had been a tad more responsible, maybe his girlfriend didn’t have to lose her life.

This was the reality he lived in now, and he’d promised himself he would do anything in his power to give Fushiguro’s kids the life they deserve and love his daughter enough so she would not miss out on the affection her late mother would have lavished on her.

So even if the situation was far too complicated, he’d waded through the knots, got his hands dirty, and did his best to sort things out.

After Satsuki’s birth, his mother had been adamant about him spending more time in the Gojos’ expansive ancestral home — the family’s estate, located further in the outskirts of Tokyo. There, he would have had access to a small army of hired nursemaids that could cater to Satsuki’s every need. The women in his family and his own mother had more knowledge about childrearing and experience than he ever could, but there was the fact that if he let it happen, they would isolate him from his own baby — pushing him towards his duties instead.

That was not something he wanted, and the Love of his life would hate him if that ever happened. He made a promise to her.

Satoru would have preferred to raise Satsuki in his spacious 4-bedroom apartment in Roppongi from the start, but his mother did have a point. For the first few months of Satsuki’s life at least, his schedule required convenience. Roppongi was in the heart of the metropolis. His apartment was the perfect bachelor pad and entirely ill-fitted to house a newborn and all of her needs.

He settled in Ota City, which was somewhat closer to Jujutsu Tech and his family’s ancestral seat; moved into one of the residential properties registered under his name as clan head. It was a private two-storey home maintained by a live-in caretaker after the clan purchased it two years ago.

The propositioned army of nursemaids were reduced to three, scheduled to come in shifts throughout the day so Satoru would have assistance 24/7. His mother hired a cook for him, someone in-charge of nutritional meal prep for Satoru and the children under his care. The housekeeper and the gardener the family had hired when the house was purchased would retain their duties, reporting to work twice a week to make sure the property stayed neat and tidy.

So while he was indeed busier than ever before, his life wasn’t as messy as it was expected to be had he been forced into a situation where he had to deal with all of this by himself.

“Megumi gives me enough shit about it.” He joked, shaking his head at the memory of Toji’s son.

“You think you can manage without the nursemaids and the cook after you go back?”

“I could keep them around if I wanted too, but nah. The apartment is serviced, and honestly, Tsumiki knows how to work a kitchen anyways. I’m her sous chef you know.” He declared proudly, flashing Shoko a grin that reminded her of a much younger, more-carefree, and more insufferable Satoru.

“I pity whoever’s on housekeeping duty when they have to clean your apartment.”

“So mean.”

=OoOoO=

04:55 PM; Ota City, Tokyo

The rest of Satoru’s day fell into a routine. After Satsuki got the last round of her vaccines, she had woken up hungry, fed from a bottle, and then she was strapped to her carrier, before Satoru went off to check on his first years.

He had four of them this year. They were nothing to write anyone home about though. Two of them were more suitable for support — perhaps as assistants, and the other two were guaranteed sorcerers. They could get to Grade 1, if they pushed themselves hard enough — which looked like it wasn’t the case, because all four always did prefer theoretical lessons over practical applications.

And all four shared the same sentiment towards him bringing a baby to campus.

They adored Satsuki… Of course they did.

Satoru was predisposed to believe that anyone who didn’t, didn’t have a heart.

One of the girls, Eri, jumped up from her perch under a tree and rushed to Gojo first, squealing Satsuki’s name all the while. The other three followed and Satoru let them fawn over the baby girl while he delivered a verbal lesson on cursed energy control right there on the field. The students fiddled with her headband, cooed over how cute her little dress was, and watched her fondly as she played with the Digimon plushie that Satoru brought over. Yes, he derailed from the lesson from time to time to accommodate his baby whenever she squealed, “Da-da,” but for the most part, Satoru Gojo stuck with his version of a ‘routine.’

Finish a lesson at Jujutsu High, check the list of missions that were filtering down to the students, skip the paperwork (he’d make Ijichi do it, easy), receive mission briefs from Yaga, pick up Megumi and Tsumiki from school, and finally head home.

He wasn’t really one for routines. Living the same way every day was just boring. Whatever routine he’d managed to put together for the last couple of months had been ragtag… Impromptu. In a sense, it wasn’t really a routine, was it? More like a list of daily plans that got moved around the board by order of changing priority.

Megumi was quick to point out that it was a disgraceful mess if Gojo ever called it a ‘routine’.

Satoru had to give him credit though. He and Tsumiki were better at holding down the fort while he was running around taking mission calls from the higher ups, being a teacher, and being around Satsuki enough to witness her milestones.

Just like now…

Phone tucked between chin and shoulder, the furrow between Satoru’s brows did not disappear the longer he listened to an urgent mission brief on the other side of the line.

Megumi had closed the front door behind him and was heading to the living room to do his homework. Tsumiki cast one last concerned look at Gojo before turning away to follow her brother.

A shrill squeal stopped her in her tracks and she spun around to see Satsuki staring straight at her, one arm outstretched and pointing in Tsumiki’s general direction. She was babbling and blowing bubbles again and when Tsumiki outstretched both hands towards her, Satsuki squealed and gurgled some more.

“One second.” The clipped and curt tone instantly shifted into a cheery voice as Tsumiki approached. “Mind taking her for me, ‘Miki?”

“Nope. Come here, Satsuki.” Tsumiki smiled, carefully taking Satoru’s baby girl into both of her arms. “Can you help me do homework?”

Shifting the wriggling baby into one arm, Tsumiki brought over her school bag, plopping it next to Megumi’s as she claimed a spot on the carpeted floor. The television was on a nature documentary channel, and it held Satsuki’s attention while the siblings started to take care of homework. Megumi sighed, looked up from his notes, and paused immediately after.

“Tsumiki, she’s eating her fingers again.”

The brunette stared down at the baby lying on her lap and clicked her tongue in disapproval. “Oh dear. Satsuki, no… Your hands are not that clean.”

Tsumiki tried to take Satsuki’s hand out of her own mouth, but the baby began to whine in protest. She wasn’t crying yet, but soon she would be. The moment her wail gradually increased in volume, it was over. Tsumiki hadn’t even realized Megumi had left his spot. He startled her a little bit when he tapped her shoulder and held out the jar full of multi-colored pacifiers that he’d taken from the dining room.

“Da-daaaa! Da-daaa! Da-da Da-da~” Came the long, drawn out wail that Megumi had been afraid of — all before Tsumiki had the chance to stick one of the suckers into her mouth.

“Well, you know who to call if you don’t get your way, huh?” Tsumiki tutted, gently pressing the pacifier nipple to Satsuki’s lips.

She latched on to it, and Tsumiki wiped down the baby’s hands with gentle antibacterial wet wipes that she’d fished out of her bag.

“How is she spoiled already? It’s only been six months.” Megumi huffed, plopping back down on the carpet.

Tsumiki giggled. “I don’t think she knows she’s spoiled, to be honest.”

“You said yourself, she knows to call for Gojo if she wants something.”

“That’s just what it sounds like. But really, does she even know what ‘Da-da’ means?” Tsumiki mused curiously. To Satsuki, ‘Da-da’ was just a word that brought Satoru to her. So what was the comprehension level of a six-month-old?

“I don’t know.” Megumi shrugged.

“She knows all of us and everyone coming and going in this house, and she’s attached to Go—”

“Heyyy~”

Tsumiki and Megumi turned to the direction of the owner of the voice. As expected…

“I heard a Princess crying. Is she okay?” Satoru sauntered over to them with that ever present grin. The glasses had been tucked away in favor of a black blindfold. It hung around his neck.

“Mhm… Just fussy.” Tsumiki piped up, stroking Satsuki’s hair while the brunette rocked back and forth slowly. “She wanted to eat her own hands, so Megumi had to get the pacifiers.”

Satoru snickered and eyed the jar of flavorless suckers that the kids had abandoned on the couch. Satsuki was happily sucking on a Leafmon pacifier.

“Tried one of those once. Sucks that they’re so bland.”

Megumi wondered if Satoru realized how crazy his statement was. Even Tsumiki was giving him side-eye. God forbid Satsuki inherited her father’s sweet tooth. It would not end well if the food supply around the house slowly shifted to just sweets. Thank the gods for Kaihara who always brought fresh produce and vegetables that Megumi could actually eat — except red bell peppers. Fuck those!

“Seriously? How old are you?”

Megumi should have known better the moment he saw a shit-eating grin spread across Satoru’s face. “Old enough to have a baby and raise them apparently?”

“Gross.”

“Hey~ What’s wrong about having kids?”

Megumi glowered at him — an expression too eerily similar to a man Satoru knew not too long ago. “Shut up. You’re gross.”

Satoru laughed obnoxiously. “I don’t know what you mean, Megumi.”

The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes. They all knew Gojo knew… It was just one of those silent cues that said, ‘Drop the subject.’ Heaving a dramatic sigh, the man hopped over the back of the couch, landing smoothly next to Tsumiki. The brunette propped Satsuki up, so she was sitting on her knees, and Satoru’s expression brightened even more as he kissed his daughter’s forehead.

“Mind her bedtime, yeah?” He patted Tsumiki on the head and reached over to tousle Megumi’s hair — the latter felt unfortunate enough to receive it because he was not quick enough to evade him. “And you—” He zeroed in on the baby and tickled her tummy so she giggled, pacifier nearly falling out of her mouth “—be good to ‘Miki and ‘Gumi.”

“Hm?”

“A mission?”

Tsumiki hummed just as Megumi asked.

“Yup. In Aoyama and Suginami. Depending on how this mission goes, I may or may not be around tomorrow morning. Yumiko’s coming in early though, and Kaihara prepped meals that can be reheated in the oven for breakfast if you want them. Otherwise, there’s cereal and cookies!”

“Be safe, Gojo.” Tsumiki smiled at him with so much sincerity, lifting Satsuki’s little fist to mimic a wave. The tiny girl stared up at her dad with big amber eyes, still intently sucking on her pacifier. “Don’t worry about us.”

“I’ll try not to be.” He grinned and rose to his feet. “Oh and about the ride to school tomorrow. If I’m not here by morning, Ijichi will be around to pick you both up. Yumiko and Kaoru will take care of Satsuki. I’ll be off! Good night, kiddos!”

=OoOoO=

Contrary to what he’d said, Satoru did make it back home before the children were due to wake up. A single glance at the property assured him that everything was untouched — no sign of attempted entry on both the physical premises and the layers of protection barriers over the home. The talismans infused with his cursed energy remained undisturbed — probably more than enough to ward off any threat that wanted to come close.

Unprovoked physical and supernatural attacks were rare for him (actually close to nonexistent because what curse or curse user would be stupid enough to launch an assault on Satoru Gojo?), but you could never be too sure.

Someone left the light at the foyer open — probably Tsumiki. She was mindful like that. The rest of the house was neat and quiet like always. Even before he’d had Satsuki, Megumi and Tsumiki were always responsible kids that picked up after themselves, and Satoru appreciated it. It wouldn’t have been a problem if they were messy because the apartment in Roppongi was clean-serviced routinely, but the Fushiguros’ tidiness and sense of responsibility that matched an adult’s was a sad reminder of how they were abandoned too early and were forced to grow up.

The watch on his phone displayed 4:47AM in white bold letters.

He took the stairs two at a time and made a beeline for the room beside his — Satsuki’s nursery. It was a usual sight: Satsuki in dream land, her night light was on, the winter-themed animal mobile hanging above her bassinet was turning slowly in circles too, and the room smelled of baby powder mixed with something distinctly floral. What was not usual were the kids sleeping comfortably on the large bean bags on the floor, sandwiched between the Divine Dogs. They were supposed to be in their own rooms across his own, but nope… Tsumiki was clutching a Digimon plushie — completely unaware of the presence of a canine conjured from her brother’s shadows, and Megumi had an open book on his face, the fingers of one hand buried in the Black Divine Dog’s fur.

What a sight to come home to…

He didn’t really say it, but he truly did appreciate the way Megumi and Tsumiki cared for his daughter like she was their own sibling. He had the Fushiguros as his wards first — looked after them together with the Love of his life, and when Satsuki was born, the situation could have turned sour quickly because of the swift change in living arrangements and the introduction of a baby that would take the majority of his attention. They could have been resentful… They could have been jealous… They could have thrown tantrums.

Instead, he had Tsumiki being her kind and sweet self as always, while Megumi was… Megumi. The kid was a grouch from the moment they met, but Satoru knew that he cared — in his own quiet ways. He and Megumi were similar like that, but Megumi was reserved and preferred to keep to himself where Satoru often forgot what personal space was.

Snapping a picture of the domestic scene that stirred something in his chest, Satoru turned and left the children in their peaceful slumbers, making his way to his own bedroom to catch a nap.

If he could come home every day to a sight like that… he’d never complain about a single thing in his life ever again.

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk fanfic #gojo satoru #satoru gojo #dad!gojo #girl dad gojo #fushigojo #single parent gojo #mentions of #gojo x reader #gojo x y/n #gojo satoru x oc #gojo x oc #satoru gojo x oc #satoru gojo x reader #jjk x reader #wbad fanfiction

194 notes · View notes

forgloryforhonor · 6 months ago

Note

may i ask if gintae can be considered as parallel characters? since they share a lot of similarities in values and all. what do you think? i love parallel characters as much as narrative foils

I always thought they were parallels as well as foils to each other

GinTae as Parallels

Roles in community and family

Both are in wish-granting or dream-fulfilling kind of business (otae in hospitality/hostess sector and Gintoki as an Odd Jobs guy)

Considered as bosses/leaders and top class in their specific areas of specialty

Aniki (boss man, big brother) / Anego (boss lady, big sister) persona

Gintoki is kind of the Joui Vanguard (in the Joui war he is the first to rush in, and in action scense he always works alone and is the first to deploy himself)

Otae is also first line of attack/offensive defense (Silver Soul Arc-Siege of Kabukichou)

both had strong mentors that defined their way of life and philosophy. Gintoki knew Shoyo best while Otae understood their father best.

Gintoki canonically sees himself as surrogate father to Kagura sometimes

Otae raised her brother on her own after their father died

Otae also wholeheartedly accepts the Anego title Kagura bestowed on him

Gintoki is considered by Shinpachi as his Aniki too

Speak and curse in the same kabukichou accent

Personality

both act as Boke (stupid man) to the other straight man characters (tsukkomi)

both tend to hurt the people they love in order to protect/save them

Both can be incredibly self-sacrificial and suicidal for others and for their core beliefs

Both can be truly cruel at insulting others and each other (fatphobia, ageism, classism, misogyny, etc)

both are very very good at finding each other's weakness and exploiting them to cause most damage (or get them to do what the other wants)

both are very good at finding/recognizing each other no matter where or when

both have been positive and negative change to each other in many ways

Friends and Admirers

Both of them have similar group of friends. They operate in the same circles.

both of them are well loved in their community for their strong leadership and cunning bastard personas

both of them have admirers that are mirrors of each other: Kondou-Sarutobi, Kyuubei-Tsukuyo

Both of then are parallels and foils of Hijikata

Both of them are used to mingling/hanging out with opposite sex and know how to play their charms well to their advantage

Storywise

In my old posts, both Otae and Gintoki have preached the same things to other people at different points in time, which means they seriously have a lot of shared values and both live under the same life philosophy.

Them doing dogeza in Beam Saber Arc (nuff'said)

Their tragic future selves dying at the same time in Be Forever Yorozuya Movie and Novelization

Both risked their lives/ imprisonment/death penalty for Hijikata and shinsengumi

Otae earning Queen of Kabukichou title from Otose, Gintoki seen as Tatsugurou/Jirocho Protege

Similar Stands

Lots of manga panels where they mirror the same actions and dialogue on different pages

And etc

GinTae as Foils

Opposite Genders

Otae usually needs to be saved; Gintoki is usually one of the saviors

Gintoki can be quite a gourmet pastry chef and cook; Otae cannot cook ever

Different social classes / poverty level

Gintoki usually needs to be found, Otae does the finding (or is the cause) of the Yorozuya getting back together

Fighting style: Otae is rooted in reality and the traditional martial concepts; Gintoki is more freestyle, fantastical and wild

Fighting Style: Gintoki is Vanguard, Otae is backup/Rearguard or Home Defense/Baggage Train

Sexual experience: gintoki isnt a virgin and have slept with men and women, otae is a virgin through and through

I'm quite rusty on the GinTae nowadays so I hope you can suggest more too. But may I recommend my big essay "Otae's Involvement With The Odd Jobs" back in my older sideblog called @ukaiknowsbest ?

Thank you so much for the ask. I love questions like these.

#gintae #sakata gintoki #otae shimura #gintoki x otae #i have numerous essays on a lot of the points here tbh

18 notes · View notes

booklin · 2 years ago

Text

Bidders x Preg! Fem! reader

Fandom: KBTBB

Rating: E-10

Genre: Fluff

Tws: Pregnancy

Notes: If I throw this in as a scene in one of my books and you happen to notice.. NO YOU DIDNT

Baby Files

You and the bidders had been dating for quite a while, things had gone smoothly. Sure, there were ups and downs but that’s with any relationship. All and all, things were calm. Except… they weren’t. Not anymore. Despite how much you shamed yourself, you couldn’t stop eating sweets. You had to have a sweet with every meal. Considering you rarely ate sweets, always self conscious about gaining weight, everyone was taken aback. In fact, their looks were causing so much paranoia you stopped eating anywhere near them. Only eating sweets in your room now, they didn’t fail to notice your other new habits, such as sleeping and becoming stressed over everything. Lately, your work ethic has been terrible, constantly falling asleep. Even your boss couldn’t keep covering for you anymore, alerting Eisuke.

“Okay, I think we can all agree Y/n has been acting strange.” The others nod to Baba’s concern. “She’s been eating sweets everyday. I asked the Chef.” Soryu adds, causing Eisuke to chime in. “And she’s been avoiding us. What could be wrong?” They weren’t sure, and putting their heads together didn’t seem to come closer to finding answers. You were frightened by this new change as well. What could be wrong with you? “Maybe you’re pregnant?” Your friend says after listening thoughtfully to you worries, then laughs. Though, you weren’t laughing. “Pregnant?” You repeat, spacing out at the thought.

Immediately, you rush out of the cafe, leaving your friend behind. What if it’s true? It would explain the cravings. And emotions. And tiredness. And now, a new symptom to add. Throwing up when worried. What a nice cherry on top. Despite not wanting to believe it, you, reluctantly, go to a pharmacy. In disguise, wearing sunglasses, a hoodie, wig, and everything else to keep your identity undetected. Then you grab a test and ask to be rung up in a strained whisper. After discreetly exiting, you shove the box in your pocket before sprinting back to your apartment. You have been spending a lot of time there lately. With what’s been going on, staying away from them, as not to explode or do anything else embarrassing was a must.

Anxiously, you rip the box open then, after drinking plenty of water, go into the bathroom. Shaking the whole time, you nervously wait for the results. Two lines… your heart drops, and so does the pent up emotions inside you. Sobbing your eyes out, you fail to notice the knocking at your door. “Y/n? Are you in there? We want to talk.” Nothing, yet the door was locked. They had a bad feeling, after debating on whether your privacy was more important than safety, Baba agreed to pick the lock. Though, Soryu is impatient, deciding to break the door instead. “Y/n, are you here?” They hear a distressed cry suddenly come to a halt. “I- I’m fine-!” Your voice shakes, barely coherent, it was hard to hide. “Y/n, are you okay?” Ota asks, taking a seat next to where the sobs came from, the bathroom.

“Yes…” Your voice becomes quiet, sniffling any residue onto the tissue. “Can we talk?” Shaking your head, you remember they can’t see you and manage another reply. “I don’t want to.” You hear a small sigh, the voice getting close. “Y/n, we just want to know what’s wrong. We’re all worried about you.” At the moment, you were tied between embarrassment and wanting comfort. Was it worth them seeing you like this? A mess? About to side against it, something in you that yearns for their touch breaks loose. Without giving it a second thought, you open the door before you could change your mind. That sight was shocking to see, on their part. A teary eyed, broken down, head hung, nose running, messy hair partner, appearing miserable as she runs out to hug the first person her hands reach.

Rambling incoherently, you sob some more, this time into Soryu’s button down shirt. “We can’t understand you when you talk like that.” Going on, though everything is heard in more of a whine, he manages to make out a few words, however not enough to piece together what’s wrong. “Why don’t we take some deep breaths?” Baba suggests, his tone gentle and face softened. Facing towards him, you quickly turn away, shaking your head no. “Y/n, come on, I know you can do it. I’ll do it with you.” Without hesitation, he begins taking deep breaths and eventually you repeat after him. Steadying yourself, you’re finally able to say all at once, “You’re going to hate me! I’m going to have to raise our kid alone and I’m not going to have enough money to support us, then we’ll be sleeping in a box on the street, eating out of a trash can, and drinking water from some old guys sweaty socks! Please don’t leave me.”

You become worked up, sobbing once more, while you shake Soryu’s body back and forth, continuing to plead. “Wait, what?” Eisuke says, shocked at both the scenario you’ve come up with and the news. “You’re pregnant?” You stop crying long enough to shake your head yes, then immediately begin again. “Woah woah, it’s okay.” Soryu says, rubbing your back. About to pick you up, Eisuke snatches you away, being the one to pick you up instead. “Baby, it’s fine. We’re not highschool boys, we wouldn’t leave you because you’re pregnant.” Ota nods before saying “And how would you end up homeless?” He laughs lightly, “It just wouldn’t happen.” Finally starting to calm down, you sniffle, rubbing your teary eyes before saying “Because I’ve been doing bad at work, and now you’re going to fire me.” Looking at Eisuke, he shakes his head. “I wouldn’t fire you without reason, and even then I would take care of you. Technically, you don’t need a job. You were the one insistent on keeping yours.”

You give a small smile, thinking about the memories when you first began dating. Suddenly, a hand ruffles your hair, looking at the culprit, Mamoru gives a small smile back before sighing. Then, running a hand through his hair, he shakes his head. “Just relax kid, we’re not goin’ anywhere and you’re not in trouble.” The support was all you needed to calm down, shaking your head to acknowledge you heard Mamoru. “If anything, I’m glad you’re not upset with us.” Baba says, to which you look surprised. “Why would I be upset? If anything I’m ecstatic. We’re having a baby! I hope they look like one of you. They’re sure to be beautiful.” Thinking about it more, finally done crying altogether, you show them the pregnancy test. “We should make the gender a surprise! Do you think they’d like bears? Or are bears too scary? Maybe ducks? Oh, I know! Cats! Wait, what if we make their room ocean themed?”

Going on about the endless possibilities with clothes, room design, and how great parents you would be, Eisuke sets you down. “We have to get parenting books! What type of parents should we be? We could be intense, strict, free-range, french, or-!” You just keep going on, and they intently listen to every word, the smile never leaving their face. After that they had you take time off of work, you finally weren’t as embarrassed to eat sweets around them, they were always kissing, holding, or hugging you, saying how much they loved you. Baba loves rubbing your belly while you sleep, and together they get you anything and everything you could ask for. Eisuke is no longer brutally honest about how he thinks you look. He’ll tell you if something looks better than other outfits, but never critiques such as “it makes you look fat.” Overall, they all turned into soft, loving boyfriends who are always worried about you and the baby.

106 notes · View notes

babyrayblue · 6 months ago

Text

Hello everyone! I'm Blue. Welcome to my Simblr <3

Current Households: Aia & Jamal // Ota-Willson Family

Other: Aesthetics // Sims // Wcif

You'll find a CC Dump on my Pinterest. Should you ever be interested in a specific item however, feel free to ask. I'd love to help out. (Or check under the Wcif link. I might have already answered your question!)

Love, Blue ♡

7 notes · View notes

definitelynotnia · 7 months ago

Note

Hi nia ki khobor? kamon cholche with the entrances? what courses are you applying for if i may ask? (completely understandable if you dont wanna answer abt the courses)

hi cleo da <3 entrances almost shesh bas ekta baaki which is next week but ota beshi important na, thats just for a backup college.

im applying for integrated mba courses mainly and also one bba hons. just in case i dont get the 5 year mba course. ami jei college target korechi otar ekhono result asheni so im in a constant state of anxiety lol, bas ekta college e dhuke gele i can breathe easy.

how are youu

#ask #cleo da <3

9 notes · View notes

asmodeauxx · 8 months ago

Text

Just a little thing for my audience who actually like seeing my ocs, would you guys like for more planning references to be posted? My current interaction on Tumblr has been pretty low since I haven't been posting much COTL art, so I'm just wondering!

(PS as always, you can ask questions about Ode To Armageddon! I love answering them!)

#piper is being a faucet #ode to armageddon #cult of the lamb #poll

8 notes · View notes

cangrellesteponme · 2 years ago

Note

Hold on wait just actually thought of something.. Seb in the black version of the strawberry dress.. BUT ALSO.. with his glorious demon squeaky hooker boots. 🖤 Idk I THINK THE COMBO WOULD WORK???

so i. saw this ask and just.

the doodle had to happen.

#every time i draw the strawberry dress it gets further and further away from the og #yes the boots are squeaky #to me that is part of the design and it always will be!!#kuroshitsuji #sebastian michaelis #genderfluid sebastian michaelis #squeaky seb #my art #ota's ask answers

129 notes · View notes

nascentsoulstudios · 1 year ago

Note

Same person again, I do like your project and I notice some grammar I want to point out. I know it's pretty nitpicky especially when you've just posted it a few hours ago. Can I do that?

Of course you can! Please do, in fact. I reserve the right to keep it though. XD

0 notes

seekers-who-are-lovers · 2 years ago

Text

When Kazuki has confronted Misaki Unasaka, it looks like he is still holding a grudge concerning Miri finding his homemade hamburger steak better than hers.

The way she dropped the bomb that she never made those patties Miri loves so much is when Kazuki realises his hunch was correct. That is, that he can’t rely on Misaki’s affection toward her daughter.

She seems to be in deep end, a Teufelskreis if you will, where she simply cannot get out. I read somewhere here that she could have/should have gotten an abortion, but if the series would like to inject a bit of reality, it seems Misaki didn’t have much choice.

But many aspects of the old law remained. So, to this day, women who want an abortion must get written permission from their husband, partner, or in some cases their boyfriend.

…

“It goes very deep," Ms Ota says. “When a woman becomes pregnant in Japan, she becomes a mother, no longer a woman. Once you are a mother you are supposed to give up everything for your child. It's supposed to be a wonderful thing. It's your body, but once you are pregnant, it's not your body anymore." ( x )

What if her deceased mob boyfriend refused to sign it? Or, even before she wanted to ask him he fizzled out? Blaming the mother is easy. If Kazuki will consider the situation she’s in, I hope he realises that there are some things she cannot control.

Of course, to cast away a child so easily is not the answer either. I think she did her best even though inside she was hurting. The child remembers everything she’s done for her.

#buddy daddies #buddy daddies anime #kazuki kurusu #rei suwa #misaki unasaka #miri unasaka #episode 3: the slice of life #buddy daddies spoilers #I just read about the latest news on takahiro sakurai and well…#buddy daddies wall of text

73 notes · View notes

ribbons-in-autumn · 6 months ago

Note

Just to indulge in silly curiosity...favourite Garupa ships?

i don't think i ship them romantically, but here's some of my favourite dynamics:

anon and soyo is classic, but i enjoy the hypothetical pairing of anon and taki a lot more! something about how they both grind on each other but obviously have an unspoken love towards one another as bandmates, really speaks out to me

i've only read a few hhw stories but i love the dynamic between misaki and kokoro (wow can you tell??). they're comfortable and safe together

speaking of safe, here's a "safe" option: kasumi and arisa, the two's trust and love of each other is the foundation on which the entire anime series is predicated upon, i think. they're a classic boke/tsukkomi pair and it's easy to like them purely because of their comedic dynamic, they land on each other really easily, and because of that they're also very fun to pair up together (romantically or not, you pick). i just think it's nice :)

rapid fire answers of stuff i would retweet on xwitter but not necessarily pairings i lose sleep over: anon and tomori, saaya and otae, hagumi and nanami, saki and tomori

i will probably delete this at some point, i find it a bit embarassing to write about stuff like this </3, but thank you for asking!

#ribbons.txt #bandori

2 notes · View notes

yinnyguardian · 6 months ago

Text

Painted Pop - OTA Adopt [OPEN!]

What To Offer: - Art - Custom Adopts - Characters - DA Points - Money (Cashapp/Paypal) - Other (Feel Free To Suggest)

Info/Description: Is she a foodie? A baker? Who knows! Only you could know the answer if you adopt this beautiful pony! She has beautiful frosting hair with tiny lil sprinkles. Her piercing red eyes heavily, and beautifully, contrast the pretty pastels of her gorgeous purple and magenta ombre fur coat! And of course such a classy pony could only be complete with gorgeous pearly accessories! Lastly her adorable Cutie Mark! A Strawberry Cake Pop topped with purple ombre icing, pink sprinkles, and how could I forget the adorable cherry that sits atop it??? And of course I just HAD to add a small lil bow to TIE it all together (Get it? X3)

What You Get! If you adopt this little darling you will get the picture as shown (without the watermark), a transparent PNG version, and a transparent PNG of JUST the Cutie Mark as well!

What Can You Do? Once the character is yours you can do basically anything. Though like any respectable artist I would ask you to not use it in NFTs or AI and to always credit her original design and this art to me even if you should slightly change it!

#art #oc #mlp #my little pony #mlp oc #mlp adopt #mlp art #mlp adoptable #my art #my little pony art #my little pony adopt #my little pony adoptable #adopt #adoptable #ota #ota adopt #ota adoptable #offer to adopt

3 notes · View notes

cochidinh · 1 year ago

Note

For the ask meme, what headcanons do you have for the Ota Tribe characters from Tribe Nine? And do you have any ships for any of them?

It's 1/1 (2 am) here so happy new year, good year to you

back to the ask, I speedrun watch the anime again to wake up my inner Ota tribe spirit. I will put headcanons in indented and my thoughts in regular. (Sonoda is my favorite so I will talk more about him ToT)

Sonoda

Even though he was born in Ota, he was actually very well educated as a child in terms of dress.

His clothes tend to be vests (the other members are either bulletproof vests or t-shirts) and his shoes are neatly tied with bows.

He occasionally hums fairy tale rhymes, he likes fairy tales, especially those with dark and violent elements.

His way of speaking is a bit childish, for example, he likes to prolong the last sound of words, give short answers and imitate your voice when playing with puppets.

Sonoda wears the ring because he sees it as a form of weapon to punch Haneda harder, as well as to lure thieves to attack him. Ota is never peaceful, he likes the reckless people here a lot, even if many people die, there will still be the next one to come find him.

He did show no interest in those things so his jewel rings are too distracting for me lol

Haneda

Based on the fact of his last birthday and what was shown in the anime, he is a clever person and has a certain amount of knowledge about manufacturing machines.

Most of the machines in Ota city will be taken back to him after being dissolved to build something new.

He has knowledge from practice while the other members have luck.

He was better at pretending to be prey and assassinating than killing directly, unfortunately dealing with Sonoda was more difficult than he thought.

Yukigaya

She was picked up by Sonoda the way people pick up lost puppies.

Even though no one said it, everyone treated her like the youngest sister.

Asahikawa

He gets distracted very easily, if you tell him too many things he will start mixing things up.

Although he always smiles strangely, his mental state is completely normal.

His birthday fact mentioned that he used to show his cold, unsmiling face when he heard Haneda's joke, I thought it was really so unfunny that even Asahikawa had to stop laughing…

Saigo

He was also picked up by Sonoda, and because he didn't care where he was going if someone needed him.

He can cook, at least better than the rest of the members.

I dunno he really gives the vibe big boy who will protect his younger sister/brother at all cost

About shipping,

The only ship I think I will follow in Ota Tribe is Haneda x Sonoda, Sonoda x Haneda is okay. I like the way they punch each other so it's probably not that different from platonic ship lmao.

Oh and Yukigaya and Taiga (the red-haired boy) are also quite cute

#ccd reply #thanks for the ask!#I translated the 4k tribe nine myself and adjusted the size to be larger than the original size so it's a bit blurry #please let me know if you can't see well #tribe nine

4 notes · View notes

reasoningdaily · 1 year ago

Text

Ota Benga was kidnapped from what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1904 and taken to the US to be exhibited. Journalist Pamela Newkirk, who has written extensively about the subject, looks at the attempts over the decades to cover up what happened to him.

More than a century after it drew international headlines for exhibiting a young African man in the monkey house, the Bronx Zoo in New York has finally expressed regret.

The Wildlife Conservation Society's apology for its 1906 exhibition of Ota Benga, a native of Congo, comes in the wake of global protests prompted by the videotaped police killing of George Floyd that again shone a bright light on racism in the United States.

During a national moment of reckoning, Cristian Samper, the Wildlife Conservation Society's president and CEO, said it was important "to reflect on WCS's own history, and the persistence of racism in our institution".

He vowed that the society, which runs the Bronx Zoo, would commit itself to full transparency about the episode which inspired breathless headlines across Europe and the United States from 9 September 1906 - a day after Ota Benga was first exhibited - until he was released from the zoo on 28 September 1906.

But the belated apology follows years of stonewalling.

'He was a zoo employee'

Instead of capitalising on the episode as a teachable moment, the Wildlife Conservation Society engaged in a century-long cover-up during which it actively perpetuated or failed to correct misleading stories about what had actually occurred.

As early as 1906 a letter in the zoo archives reveals that officials, in the wake of growing criticism, discussed concocting a story that Ota Benga had actually been a zoo employee. Remarkably, for decades, the ruse worked.

Who was Ota Benga?

Captured in March 1904 by US trader Samuel Verner from what was then Belgian Congo. His age is not known, he may have been 12 or 13

Taken by ship to New Orleans to be shown later that year at World's Fair in St Louis with eight other young males

The fair continued into the winter months where the group was kept without adequate clothing or shelter

In September 1906 he was exhibited for 20 days in New York's Bronx Zoo, attracting huge crowds

Outrage from Christian ministers ended his incarceration and he was moved to New York's Howard Coloured Orphan Asylum run by African American Reverend James H Gordon

In January 1910 he went to live at the Lynchburg Theological Seminary and College for black students in Virginia

There he taught neighbourhood boys how to hunt and fish and told stories of his adventures back home

He later reportedly became depressed with his longing for home and in March 1916 shot himself with a gun he had hidden. He was thought to be aged around 25.

Source: Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga

In 1916, following Ota Benga's death, a New York Times article dismissed as urban legend tales of his exhibition.

"It was this employment that gave rise to the unfounded report that he was being held in the park as one of the exhibits in the monkey cage," the article said.

Ota Benga (R) pictured at the World's Fair in 1904 where he and others were exhibited as "pygmies"

The account, of course, contradicted the numerous articles that a decade earlier had appeared in newspapers across the country and in Europe.

The New York Times alone had published a dozen articles on the affair, the first under the 9 September 1906 headline: "Bushman Shares A Cage With Bronx Park Apes".

Then, in 1974, William Bridges, the zoo's curator emeritus claimed that what actually occurred could not be known.

In his book The Gathering of Animals, he rhetorically asked: "Was Ota Benga 'exhibited' - like some strange, rare animal?" a question that he, as the man who presided over the zoo archives, would know best how to answer.

"That he was locked behind bars in a bare cage to be stared at during certain hours seems unlikely," he continued, patently ignoring mountains of evidence in the zoological society archives that reveal just that.

An article about the exhibition, written by the zoo director, had in fact appeared in the zoological society's own publication.

Nonetheless, Bridges wrote: "At this distance in time that is about all that can be said for sure, except that it was all done with the best of intentions, for Ota Benga was interesting to the New York public."

'Friendship between captor and captive'

Compounding these deceptive narratives was a book published in 1992 and co-authored by the grandson of Samuel Verner, the man who went to Congo heavily armed to capture Ota Benga and others to exhibit at the 1904 St Louis World's Fair.

The book was absurdly characterised as the story of friendship between Verner and Ota Benga.

In at least one newspaper account since the book's publication, the younger Verner also claimed that Ota Benga - who had vigorously resisted his captivity - had enjoyed performing for New Yorkers.

So for more than a century, the very institution and men who had so ruthlessly exploited Ota Benga, and their descendants, contaminated the historical record with untrue narratives that circulated around the world.

Even now, Mr Samper has apologised for exhibiting Ota Benga for "several days", and not for the three weeks he was held captive in the monkey house.

The Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs Bronx Zoo, said it condemned certain dishonourable chapters in its history

The zoo has now posted online digitised documents it holds of the episode, among them letters that detail the daily activities of Ota Benga and the men who caged him.

Many of those letters are already cited in my book, Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga, published in 2015.

In the five years since its publication, zoo officials had inexplicably refused to express regret or even respond to media inquiries.

And while I had the opportunity to visit the primate house where Ota Benga was exhibited and housed, the building has since been shuttered to the public.

'Best room in the monkey house'

Now, Mr Samper says: "We deeply regret that many people and generations have been hurt by these actions or by our failure previously to publicly condemn and denounce them."

He also denounced founding members Madison Grant and Henry Fairfield Osborn, both ardent eugenicists who played a direct role in Ota Benga's exhibition.

Grant went on to write The Passing of The Great Race, a book steeped in racist pseudo-science that was praised by Osborn and hailed by Adolf Hitler.

A return to Congo would have been prohibitively expensive for Ota Benga

Osborn went on to lead for 25 years the American Museum of Natural History where in 1921 he hosted the second International Eugenics Congress.

Curiously, Mr Samper did not mention William Hornaday, the zoo's founding director who was also the nation's foremost zoologist and founding director of the National Zoo in Washington, DC.

Hornaday had littered the cage housing Ota Benga with bones to suggest cannibalism and had brazenly boasted that Ota Benga had "the best room in the monkey house".

Some feel the conservation society now needs to follow its incomplete apology with rigorous truth-telling befitting a leading educational institution.

The episode offers the zoological society the opportunity to educate the public about the history of the conservation movement and its ties to eugenics.

The Bronx Zoo's founding principals were among the most influential disseminators of specious racial inferiority theories that resonate still.

One suggestion has been that the society might also consider naming its education centre for Ota Benga, whose tragic life and legacy is inextricably bound to the Bronx Zoo's.

#Ota Benga #Caged Congolese teen: Why a zoo took 114 years to apologise #enslaved in bronx zoo #human zoos #Africans #Congo #Congolese

3 notes · View notes