#the 216 has thoughts on things

[dislegomena]

the 216 is behind the times

(Yeah I know. I'm not called janeway216 here. It's a thing. Just go with it.)

I've always built my own PCs, but in the past few years I let my mid-tier 2016 build ossify into a "you're running a what" build. What I had was fine and nothing on the market was an attractive upgrade anyway, especially once Bitcoin mining and silicon shortages cranked the prices on everything into the mesophere.

Enter Cities: Skylines II, which appears to have been optimized for the gaming hardware of 2028. The minimum requirements are ludicrous for a city builder sim, especially considering that Cities: Skylines will run on anything up to and including a Super Nintendo, but I wanted to play so I started gathering parts.

Let me tell you, C:S2 has been out for a month, I still can't play it and I'm about to yeet my entire PC into Jupiter.

Most of my parts are fine, but the big issue since the game actually released has been my GPU: a GTX 970 from 2015. I knew it was going to be a problem! It's ancient! However, I was really hoping my teeny tiny sub-1080p monitors would make up for it.

Nope. It is so bad that it doesn't matter how I tweak the graphics settings, I only have one quality setting: Potato. All changing the settings does is determine whether it looks like trash at 13 FPS or 28 FPS.

Okay, I can fix that, so I bought a GTX 3060 Ti on Black Friday. Problem solved! Except... well. My case is an Antec Three Hundred I bought in 2011. Great case. Solid metal and built like an M1 Abrams. But it's old and the largest GPU it can fit is 279 mm. The 3060 Ti? 286 mm.

🤦‍♀️

Of course now that Black Friday is over everyone's all sold out of GPUs anyway. So at this point my options are either RMA the 3060 Ti I bought and hope a smaller-sized model comes back in stock at something close to list price, or give up and buy a newer, larger case. And let me tell you. If I wanted a new case, I would already have a new case.

And either way, I still can't play Cities: Skylines II yet...

[sempersirens]

iuvenalis

part one of strangers in the night

a joel miller au

main masterlist

author's note: welcome to part one of strangers in the night! this is going to be a six part anthology of joel x reader meeting throughout different lifetimes. expect a lot of angst, pining, and yearning. i'm so excited for each and every era i have planned. they will all be different kind of stories but will pretty much be heartbreaking across the board. thank you for reading and don't forget to follow my updates blog @sempersirenswrites as i don't have a taglist!

warnings etc (spoilers): [historical fantasy au] no outbreak (yet...), ancient rome, reader is a vestal virgin, implied misogyny/sexism/patriarchal society, angst, punishment for sexual transgression is being buried alive (not graphic), historically accurate, no smut, no use of y/n, this has not been beta read pls forgive any errors!

Rome, 216 BCE

The door creaks as it opens. 

You know this dance by now. You should’ve anticipated the wooden shrill beneath your toes alerting the entire household of your deviltry one final time.

The walls hold their breath as you descend to the floor below, the warmth from the hypocaust crawling up your shins.

Yet, all remains still. Not even the feral cats who roam the cobbled streets stir from their slumber. 

Tomorrow they will march you down this road; praetorian guards brushing your bare shoulders with no fear of corruption.

But dawn is yet to break and your palms yet to dampen with fear.

“Iuvenalis?” The muggy air clamps around your throat as you speak for the first time in days.

You know his footsteps as intimately as you know the beat of his chest. Months moving in darkness, knowing one another only under the veil of the night. You’d recognise the weight of his step if you were robbed of each and every sense.

“Mea columba.” 

You shut your eyes as his sweet, misplaced worry fills your ears.

“Iuvenalis.” You breathe his name, surrendering to his hands desperately finding their way from your waist to your cheeks.

“You are too trusting of these streets, mea columba.” My dove. You hadn’t seen him the first time he saw you. It had been the day of your inauguration; he says he mistook your hair for a dove in flight. Wild, white, and too soft for the wind tangled within it.

“These are streets I played in as a girl. They have treated me well.” 

“But, tomorrow-,”

“Tomorrow is a far-off thought, corculum. Be with me as I am now. That is all I ask.”

He nods. You know he disagrees, but tonight he swallows any indication of contention as he silently takes your hand in his and leads you toward the walls of the city.

You can see the Colosseum from here. You always hated the wretched thing. Slaves and beasts banished to Tartarus simply to divert the eyes of Rome far away from treaties signed in the stands.

You hated how as a daughter of Vesta, your presence was expected at each game. As a girl, your father had once caught you squeezing your eyes shut as two lean slaves delivered their final blows to one another's pink flesh.

“You think me naive to have taken up the post, do you not?”

His brows pierce into his forehead as he considers your question.

“I think your family cruel to sentence you to death from girlhood. I think the Gods merciless for requiring such sacrifice.”

"You are brave to speak of the Gods so recklessly." You scoff. Part of you feels guilty; he was devout when he found you. All soldiers must be; how could you believe in nothing as the enemy charges toward you?

It didn't take long for you to become his temple. You replaced his exaltation; the ripples of your thighs his temple; your stifled moans his prayer.

You had corrupted him just as much as he had you.

"Let them hear me. I would sooner accompany you to Elysium than press my head to the altar of these false prophets."

"You don't know what you speak, Iuvenalis."

His grip finds your arm, turning you to feel his breath against your forehead.

"You are dimidium animae meae, there is no punishment I would not endure to remain by your side in this life and the next."

"What a wretched soul you must have for that to be so."

His fingertips find your cheek before you even notice the tears falling.

"We could still flee. I would grow old in the slums of Carthage if it meant I could watch your hair turn grey."

"Traders would recognise a Vestal Virgin as far as Babylonia."

"Then we will go farther."

His beard scratches beneath your palm.

"I will not lament any longer, corculum. Tomorrow, you will walk beside me, and then I beg you turn and do not look back. I can't bear to think of you watching."

For the first time this night, a smile creeps across his cheeks.

"You forget the man with whom you speak. I will be at your side until they drag me from you."

The crowds in the street do not look at you as you walk.

Your mother wails somewhere behind you, but she is blocked by a procession of praetorian guards. She does not weep in sorrow, but in shame that her only daughter approaches the grave unchaste.

He is there, beside you. The guards that encircle you owed their lives to his leadership in a battle on foreign soil.

Your fingertips brush against one another as you walk. You are already ruined, you think, what more could they punish you with?

You think that if not for his presence, you would fall to your knees in the street. You would claw at your skin and the cobbles beneath you, leave scratches in the road and beg to be forgiven.

But he is there, and you will not leave the world as you came into it.

The priest waits at the end of the procession. Iuvenalis' fingers weave between your own, and he squeezes three times as the water is brought forth. Enough to last you a day; their hands are clean if they keep you alive for a little while.

A final prayer is read, and the crowds turn their backs. His hand squeezes tighter; you fear he will not release you.

"No," you mutter, loud enough for only him to hear.

The guards herd you both forth like cattle, the marble descent to your tomb the only viable path for you now.

But he is still here.

Your palms grow damp as the men flock closer.

"No!" You shake your head, searching the faces of the praetorian for an answer.

"It's okay, mea columba. It's going to be okay."

The realisation sinks into your skin like a tick; he never intended for you to enter your grave alone.

The light grows dim as you both are forced into the chamber, and silence rings out above you. Soon, everything goes dark.

You weep and beat into his chest, engulfed almost entirely by darkness. Slim arrows of light beat across his face, and he is here, smiling down at you.

"Why condemn yourself?" You choke between gulps of grief.

"You think I would wait to walk the fields of Elysium by your side? There is nothing for me on this plain of existence without you. Dimidium animae meae. You are half of my soul, I will follow you anywhere. Even into death."

Under the darkness you began, in the darkness, you would end.

[redrosyrose]

stronger - @wolfstarmicrofic - word count:216

"the stronger the better" Sirius answered quickly as James just asked about his type in a dreary afternoon

"Really?I thought you prefer the shy one,like the mystery boy you told me last week"James said smugly while nudging Sirius with his elbow

This just makes Remus more desperate to know who is that mystery boy Sirius is currently obsessed over.What house is he?How does he looks like?Is he shy like James just said or strong or both?Thrash of questions just take turns to fill his mind.His eyes unconsciously dart to Sirius fluffy lips as Remus patiently waits for an official answer from the boy he's been secretly has a crushed on since third year. "He has both of it,shy and strong at the same time."Sirius slowly replied. "He also have hazel hair,which is always mousy whenever he read a book or have a revision in library.He has an obsession for anything with chocolate and he's effortlessly strong and.." Sirius voice trails off while blush is creeping up his cheekbones."he's in this room,wearing a maroon sweater and being unfairly stunning."

Sirius' grey gems are now looking straight at his purposefully while James's sneakily excuse that he's going to find Peter and the last things Remus knows is his lips are crashed eagerly with Sirius

[bloodybreakupscene]

I had sent a request like yesterday- and AAA IM SO HAPPY TO SEE IT DONE ALREADY!! IT WAS SO CUTE >^<

I had another idea, cause my brain has been absolutely filled with different thoughts! Once again, earth 1610! Miles morales- but this time with a very well off partner who tends to spoil him alot. Like gift after gift, as soon as Miles is saying he likes or wants something- they're getting it for him!!

It's just something they really enjoy doing and they love seeing the smiles they get from Miles when he sees the gifts!!

-> 𝐇𝐔𝐒𝐇.

miles morales x reader

-> u like to buy ur cutie patootie bf miles expensive gifts and he's like aw :(

-> btw guys i do other characters LOL i kinda wanna try writing for hobie!! i've been trying to research british slang but i can't stop laughing (it's the AMERICAN 🤓🇺🇲🔥🔫 in me i swear)

you and your boyfriend miles were walking along the streets of brooklyn, occasionally stopping for snacks or to observe the stores placed amongst each other. you held his hand and he held yours. this was just another after school thing you two would do.

". . . and when i walked in he was wearing my shoes! like what the hell man." miles ranted, slightly shifting the story because if he told you what actually happened he'd reveal his identity as spiderman, and that wasn't a path he wanted to go down just yet.

"pfft, that's funny. you know, if it bothers you so much i could just buy you another pair of shoes." you reply, nonchalantly.

"huh? no way! that's your money, besides, you already bought me enough stuff."

"i gifted you stuff," you corrected, before joking once more, "you deserve it anyway! i mean, c'mon miles be grateful."

"i am grateful! i just feel bad, you know, they're all so expensive." he defends.

"name ONE gift that was expensive."

"the ohuhu marker set!"

it was miles' birthday and you were at his dorm for a small celebration, just the two of you [ ganke left because he didn't wanna third-wheel. ] so, you two were just sitting on the floor as he opened the carefully wrapped gift.

"so, how's being fifteen so far?" you make small talk, while a pit of happiness boils inside of you as you can't wait for his reaction to the gift you got him.

"totally fun. can't wait to do adult stuff." he laughs, and just as he finishes his sentence he sees a black bag with markers in them, specifically 216 markers. it was a set that cost roughly $170.00.

"oh my god!" he stands up, that's the reaction hoped for, "these are so cool." he rushes to pull you up, kissing you on your lips, holding a side of your face with his hand.

"how much were they?"

"don't worry! it's your birthday you deserve it." you pull him into your arms, embracing him.

"i looked it up when you left and they were almost $200!"

"you're worth more than $200 miles."

"aw," he leans his head on your shoulder as you both continue to walk down the street. "wait! what about that other time, when you got me a camera.”

it was summer time, you and miles walked into a random electronics store. as you both observed the different assortments of cameras, miles picked one of them up, a small, old digicam.

"my uncle used to have one of these." he says, as he moves the camera around in his hand to look at the many details on the camcorder. over the few months you've been dating, you noticed the admiration he had for his uncle, he even mentioned going down under the subway tracks to graffiti on the walls.

"do you wanna get it?"

"nah, it's $40. let's go get lunch, i'm starving."

"wait! but you like it right? i could get it for you, if you want."

"what! no way, i should be the one spoiling you." he wraps his arm around your waist.

you both eventually walked out the store, but later, for christmas that year, you gave it him as an early gift. miles felt like crying, not a sad cry, more like, 'i've never felt more appreciated in my life i love you so much' kind of cry. he couldn't stop hugging and kissing you that day.

"the camera was a gift for both of us." you rolled your eyes, "i just gave it to you to hold, indefinitely!"

miles gives you a look, "whatever, you know i'd love anything you give me, regardless of price."

[citrus-soju]

I already talked about it in this post, but I want to share all of my thoughts properly.

The Metal Masked Assassin (I'll refer to him as MMA) was an incredibly unlucky person when you think about it. His mother passed away right after he was born. It's assumed she either died of blood loss due to birth complications, or she might have even been murdered, due to her baby being born with albinism.

We don't know anything about his father's whereabouts, if he's alive or dead, if he would take his children in if he knew. Either way, he's not in the picture. But unluckily, MMA was "left a brother".

Logically, we can put together that MMA's brother was older than him. We don't know for sure how many years the two siblings were apart, though. Judging by the picture of them as teens, their age difference doesn't appear to be too great. Of course, MMA might simply be tall, even as a teenager, and looking older than he really is.

There's also a possibility that, while both of them are depicted as teenagers in this picture, Agent 216 was actually already an adult while MMA was still young. It would make more sense for authorities to leave an infant in the care of a relative who's over at least 16 years old than leaving two young children completely on their own.

We can only speculate about their childhood years, honestly, since there is not much known at all. They could have been adopted by a distant relative, placed in a foster family, given up for adoption... But one thing is for sure, just from looking at these pictures - Even as teenagers, they were already prone to violence, and already hiding their faces.

Perhaps they got by thanks to armed robberies, perhaps they were already training to be assassins at this age. Personally, I'm voting for the first option, just because their clothes appear to be in a bad condition, holes and all, which is not the case in the image depicting them as adults. Their weapon of choice is also quite different; the bat and axe being more commonly used for self protection or work, and the machete/knife looking much more professional.

But now to the part I've been wanting to talk about.

Let's start with what we know about Agent 216. According to General Crozier, he is a "trained killer". That means, someone, or some kind of organization, must have taken him under their wing and taught him the art of being an assassin at some point. At least as a teenager. It's never specified where the two assassins got their education from. But however and wherever they spent their youth; Agent 216 was most likely the more skilled assassin, considering he's the one the General confides in and claims to be "perfect".

Ah yes, General Crozier. At least as an adult, Agent 216 must have some sort of connection to the US Military, or at least General Crozier directly, since it's him who personally hires him, and then informs MMA about his death later. No other tribunal members are present, nor are they aware that he was hired to kill, not just to spy.

What I find really interesting is that Agent 216 has a tattoo of the FalconBack Project logo on his left arm. Whatever that means. It makes me wonder if he and Crozier have some kind of connection outside of the deal, and if the assassination attempt on Dethklok was more of a personal favor to the General instead of a one time deal. Whatever connection they have was apparently meaningful enough for Agent 216 to get involved in a top secret project led by Salacia himself - but not his younger brother.

This raises a whole bunch of questions, but that's for another day and another post.

So where is MMA in all this? Where was he in all this?

While MMA is a violent person and seemingly has a passion for murder, what stood out to me is that he is never actually seen involved in any assassination related jobs that don't directly involve avenging his dead brother in a way - besides that one time where he's introduced. The people he fixates on besides Dethklok themselves are Klokateers and Charles Ofdensen, in particular. Perhaps that can simply be blamed on MMA's lack of screen time, but I would leave it up to Brendon Small to consider any small detail.

MMA appears to be as goal driven and determined as he is violent, with only a single goal in mind throughout the entire series - avenging Agent 216, regardless of what it may cost. He's willing to dispose of anyone who gets in his way, including his allies (Magnus).

What I'm thinking is... what if he wasn't even a blade for hire before the death of his brother? What if the only reason why Crozier was able to "hire" him was because of his promise for revenge? What if Agent 216 was the "actual" assassin among them, while MMA was more or less a sick and dependent child who simply got caught up in the situation?

This sounds farfetched but hear me out.

Regardless of how they grew up, regardless of what led up to this point; MMA's older brother was clearly very dear to him. So dear, in fact, that avenging him consumed every bit of space on his mind. While MMA willingly recruited people to assist him in his cause, for the most part, he used people who felt wronged by Dethklok for his own gain. Instead of viewing them as likeminded individuals, he saw them as underlings. Even Magnus, who did most of the "negotiating" during DSR, treated Toki's wounds and fed him, was just a puppet to MMA in the end. Once Magnus didn't cooperate with him anymore (claiming that the death of Ishnifus "wasn't part of his plan"), MMA didn't hesitate to show who's the REAL mastermind behind it all ("this was never your plan").

Throughout the series, we definitely saw that MMA has a tendency to use people for his benefit, and discard them once they're no longer useful to him, without any consideration for their feelings, or even their lives. We also learn that he's not much of a "talker" and much rather a "do-er". He leaves all the talking to Magnus, who dramatically goes off to Toki and Abigail about his reasoning, while MMA is in the background only thinking about revenge and his brother.

He seems to do very poorly with things not going his way. He doesn't listen to instructions from Crozier. He refuses to let Magnus berate him. Like a child, he no longer wants to play the game if it's not by his rules.

This is acquired behavior. Which means, somebody taught him that this is the way to go through live. Most likely - his older brother.

While he clearly holds a lot of admiration for Agent 216, it makes me wonder. The contrast between how much he looks up to his brother and how much he looks down on other human beings is stark. It's almost like he looks up to his brother like he's some kind of God leading him on his path, even displaying his body during the torture of Toki and Abigail. He MIGHT just be a crazy dude with a lust for blood who saw an excuse to kill and torture. He MIGHT just be very obsessed with the only person he has a real connection with.

Or perhaps, his brother isn't the good person he views him as.

I believe Agent 216 might have always made MMA feel inferior to him, knowingly or not. Being labeled the "perfect" assassin, the older brother who was kind enough to raise an abandoned baby, the one fending for them. Plus, with MMA having some visible physical deformities, he most likely was the "better looking" one, too.

Perhaps the reason why MMA isn't seen assassinating anyone for other reasons than revenge is that his brother simply took the spotlight. In the best case, Agent 216 merely wanted to protect MMA from this kind of lifestyle, both because he's his little brother who he cared for, as well as considering Albinism comes with a long list of potential health issues, depending on the exact diagnosis. Examples are vision problems, ranging from nystagmus (rapid uncontrollable eye movements) to legal blindness, sensitivity to (sun)light in both eyes and skin, a weaker immune system, a higher risk of infections, premature aging, etc.

Or perhaps all these things were a lot of excuses for Agent 216 to treat his little brother harshly and cast him into the shadows.

Tidbits that made me put this together in my mind would be, for example, the fact that MMA is covered in scars, while Agent 216 is not. Strange, considering that his targets are mostly seen tied up, hanging from hooks or otherwise immobilized. And somehow, all these scars look the same. They all look as if they were inflicted by... a machete perhaps.

In early concept art, MMA is shown with what appears to be burn marks. They almost look as if they were deliberately inflicted on him. The spotting doesn't exactly appear like he got caught in a fire, much rather that they came from separate instances.

And one more thing, which might just be an observation I made that you might disagree with. But as someone who worked with both abused and disabled children in the past... I recognize some of his patterns and behaviors.

Looking up to the one person caring for him without even a second thought. Enduring great pain for their sake. HAPPILY doing so. Not being great at dealing with instructions. Not handling it well when someone disagrees with him or even scolds him. Letting the "adult Magnus" do the talking for him in difficult situations. Struggling to relate to people, perhaps even due to low emotional intelligence, or simply not understanding that people have feelings. Not CARING if they have feelings, possibly. Using people for his benefit, then discarding them like dolls he's done playing with once they're not useful anymore.

All acquired behaviors somebody taught him in his life.

Considering his condition, harsh upbringing and visible deformities, it wouldn't surprise me if he was a younger age mentally. His behavior is almost childlike in ways. The way he phrases things, too. Revengencers, instead of Revengers. The fact that he has these scars, yet his brother didn't have a single one on him.

This might be a reach. A big reach. But what if Agent 216 had him completely wrapped around his finger. All like "I had to endure so much for your sake, so I have a right to take my anger out on you", and perhaps followed up by an "I do this because I love you and because that's the only way you learn". I can see him making MMA feel inferior, for his appearance, for needing food, medication, comfort. Guilty for "killing" their mother. For being a burden. How dare he want love. Isn't it enough that he puts his life on the line for him every day? What is love? Baby don't hurt me

To me, he's a lost, disabled person stuck in a trauma bond with his brother until the end.

[wardevilwins]

Why is it the War Devil?

Obviously, I am fascinated by the concept of the War Devil. There is a way in which her presence in the story is uniquely Japanese. Since WWII, the question of how to process the Empire’s defeat has hung over Japanese society. On the conservative side, there is a long project to minimize the realities of the War, especially atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army. Alongside this, there is the concerted effort within the legislature to repeal Article 9 of the constitution, the article which forbids the Japanese government from raising an army. On the left, there is a desire for genuine reconciliation and strong support for article 9. However, the effort has not gained much of a foothold. Japan is, much like the United States, a strongly conservative country.

For example, when the historian Ienaga Saburo wrote his textbook “New Japanese History” for public schools in 1953, the government initially approved his manuscript, but when he resubmitted a revised version two years later, they demanded that 216 revisions be made. Revisions included minimizing the Rape of Nanking, adding a mention of public support for the Russo-Japanese war, etc. Straightforward government censorship of established historical fact.

Ienaga sued the government for damages arguing that he was protected by Article 21, the right to free speech. Note: his book was not a state standard. It was simply one of many textbooks available for use by schools. A district court ruled that the government’s demands didn’t constitute censorship, but did constitute an abuse of authority and granted monetary settlement. An appeal to the High court rejected the monetary settlement, and the Supreme Court upheld the appeal.

In other words, the Japanese Government was granted the right to dictate the facts of history “for the public good” in the words of the rulings. Realities of war were erased from the public consciousness with the intent to control the narrative around the Fallen Empire. And the state reasoning was a paternalistic appeal to the greater good of humanity. If this reminds you of Makima’s plan in part one, I am sure that is not a coincidence.

This is a metaphor that I think was broadly missed by the international audience. The idea that War should be forgotten for the sake of humanity, this is the ideology behind historical revisionism. Fujimoto is looking directly at the way that political power in Japan is used to manipulate public understanding of history. Pieces of the past are erased, eaten, and forgotten.

This is why I don’t lend much credence to the idea that Chainsaw Man actually modifies the fabric of the universe somehow when he eats a devil. It is not that the world changes, it is that people forget about it. It’s not that our forgotten sixth sense was deleted. We just forgot it used to exist. It disappeared, perhaps as a part of Chainsaw Man’s attack. And then we forgot.

The main reason I think of it this way is because of the parallel with historical revisionism. Right now in Florida the state government is attempting to erase the suffering of African slaves brought to America from the school curriculum. If they maintain this for three generations, no one in the state of Florida will know of this true part of history. It will be forgotten. Humanity in Florida will have forgotten a part of slavery. We don’t need supernatural mechanics to explain historical ignorance. This happens all the time.

Yoru describes this phenomenon in more detail: “War became a thing of books and movies.” Yoru became weakened as humanity became less afraid of war. Parts of the war that really happened are not gone, but have been consigned to unreality. They exist only at a distance. It is only one step further along this axis until they are completely forgotten, until they aren’t thought about at all.

This idea of forgetting War is directly relevant to the political conflicts around Article 9. This conflict is split as I mentioned, but the reality of the situation is more complex. During the occupation, the US Government directed the drafting of the new Japanese constitution. In a real sense, Japan was literally Americanized. The text of Article 9 reads:

Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.

In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.

This is part of Chapter 2 in the Articles of the Japanese Constitution. Other chapters contain multiple articles. This is the only article in chapter 2 which is titled “Renunciation of War.” To date, Japan is the only country in the world to include a renunciation of war in its constitution.

Of course, Article 9 doesn’t exist out of the kindness of the Japanese people’s peace loving hearts. It exists because the US military thought that the Japanese people were so intrinsically bloodthirsty, that if they didn’t dismantle the empire and remove their ability to raise an army, there could never be peace.

That said, Japanese politicians were involved in the drafting of the constitution as well. Since the war began in China in 1928, a significant faction even among the hawkish types were exasperated with the boneheaded aggression. But the fascists had control of the Emperor, the key figurehead. Once that was lost, cooler heads who were open to the idea of a peaceful Japan stepped in.

So Article 9 starts with this complex identity. On the one hand, it is an imposition by the occupying force, on the other hand, it is a reconciliation within Japan around mistakes the nation made. This remains the case going forward. Because soon after the occupation ends, the Korean War begins.

America, having secured a foothold in the region, realizes that militarily neutering their nearest ally may have been a tactical mistake. But they also still don’t really trust the Japanese government. So they make a move. The US signs a controversial security-treaty with Japan that creates the “National Security Force” to act as a military police. Japanese conservatives then use this precedent to begin building a military under the premise of it being for “self defense.” Thus the JSDF, Japanese Self Defense Force, is born. This was all done with explicit American support.

The American’s didn’t want to team up with the JSDF per se. They wanted Japan to manufacture weapons to create a short supply line towards the Korean front. The creation of the JSDF gives the Japanese government permission to permit manufacturing of military machinery, which was originally taken to be forbidden by Article 9.

Since it’s founding, the JSDF has gradually crept further and further towards active military activity. The final line was crossed in the Iraq war. At the behest of George W. Bush, Prime Minister Koizumi approved a battalion of Japanese soldiers to act in conjunction with the US military for the invasion of Iraq.

This occurs in 2004, in the wake of the 90s. Japan re-enters war in a real way. At this point, article 9 is essentially window dressing on a country which has what amounts to a fully functional military force. But, the existence of article 9 creates a public perception of Japan as being removed from war, even as it actively participates.

You can see now why when Yoru appeared in chapter 98 I was immediately excited. The idea of the War Devil coming back is a stab at the powers that be trying to paper over their militaristic intentions with political rhetoric. Conservatives are currently moving to repeal article 9. This was one of Shinzo Abe’s major objectives. But he failed to achieve it.

So the struggle continues under the current leadership. And in that context, Fujimoto is placing War front and center. War that has been forgotten but will come back. War that, should she return to full power, will turn legions of young men into weapons.

It’s a subtle but also daring message. The debate plays out in politics but is notably absent from public discourse. Japan is different from American in that political conflict doesn’t dominate its media landscape. Generally speaking, the media is running cover for the government.

So to see someone go after this idea of forgotten war, of war coming back from a weakened state, and to highlight the latent threat it poses, is quite refreshing. Once again, Fujimoto manages to subtly weave a cogent political message into the threads of his story, not necessarily by trying to push a particular narrative, but simply by reflecting in his work the political realities he sees in his society.

[snarryauctoberfest]

The Week 1 roundup can be found here. The Week 2 roundup can be found here.

Week 4 commences posting on the 21st of October.

Day 10

Title: After the Orchard Creator: ??? Prompt: Prompt 2024-110: Newly widowed Harry has trouble getting his son to sleep. One night Hermione sends him a podcast of Severus Snape talking about his time during the war, and it puts his son directly to sleep. Even though the man had never answered any of Harry’s letters through the year, he decides to reach out and tell him about this new development. Rating: Mature Word Count: 20.8k Summary: Same as prompt.

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Title: Blonde Tresses Creator: ??? Prompt: Prompt: 2024-115 - Severus had sworn never to kneel before another wizard again. But he had to try proposing one last time. Rating: Mature Word Count: 1.2k Summary: Same as prompt.

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Day 11

Title: Second Chance Inheritance Creator: ??? Prompt: 2024-232 - The Prince family has a different sort of inheritance, the secret to their success: When they come of age, members are taught the Second Chance spell. One chance to go back in time and fix things. Rating: Explicit Word Count: 32k Summary: Following a tragedy, Severus Snape is determined to tap into his estranged family's greatest legacy. He finds himself with more chances to woo the love of his life than he ever thought possible.

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Day 12

Title: Help Stepdad, I'm Stuck! Creator: ??? Prompt: 2024-67 - Help Stepdad, I'm stuck! Rating: Explicit Word Count: 6k Summary: After years of marriage, Severus can feel his relationship with Lily waning. He had already been contemplating ending things when his stepson, Harry, proposes something that he struggles to refuse, although will he ultimately come to regret it?

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Title: Leak Creator: ??? Prompt: 2024-165 - Harry is a plumber (hot daddy type with hairy chest - I beg for it). He was called to Spinner's End. The door was answered by a pissed off, soaked wet bloke in a silk robe and lace stockings. Harry had never been turned on by the sight of another man in his entire life. Well, until now. Rating: Explicit Word Count: 4.3k Summary: Same as prompt.

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Day 13

Title: (Not Quite) As You Wish Creator: ??? Prompt: 2024-124: After Nagini's bite, due to some unresolved life debt stuff, Severus becomes Harry's Genie in a Bottle… And he desperately wants to make Potter's life as difficult as he can - until he hears what Harry actually wishes for. Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Word Count: 6.5k Summary: It’s post-war, and Harry is still hearing voices. A voice. One, very specific voice. A voice that wants something of him. And it’s the one thing he doesn’t do.

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Title: Lively Days at Potter House by khaleesisophie - a Podfic Creator: ??? Prompt: N/a Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Length: 2:12:47 Summary: Podfic of Lively Days at Potter House by khaleesisophie

Harry, who has a misplaced understanding of his own skill in matchmaking, attempts to strike a match for his dear friend, Draco Malfoy. A tale of misunderstanding and romantic misadventures.

Or, the Emma Snarry AU we always needed.

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Day 14

Title: First Impressions Creator: ??? Prompt: 2024-216: Trope reversal: Snape was forced into multiple arranged marriages by his grandparents. The spouses kept dying. Very mysterious. But Harry isn't worried when he winds up the latest candidate. Rating: Explicit Word Count: 24.6k Summary: When Harry is forced to marry a complete stranger, he tries to make the best of things. After all, he's a Healer, he can take care of himself. And his new husband seems nice enough… But why, exactly, has Severus already been married three times before? And why have all three of those previous spouses died unexpectedly? Is Harry next? Or will he fall in love with his new husband after all?

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2024 Snarry AUctoberfest Entries || HOS Tumblr || Discord

[huntthemouse]

Dream Eater Mickey

216/365 #hunt the nightmares

This one really got my attention since I didn't really know this was like, a mythological thing but yeah, it's actually a lot more common than I thought. Japan has a creature known as the Baku that eats nightmares, but can be ravenous and eat your dreams and hopes too. They typically have grotesque appearances but are welcome since they serve such a important function in eating nightmares and bad spirits. For the design, I went with sort of otherworldly textures based off plastic miniatures to really capture a dreamy appearance.

I am making 365 new versions of Mickey Mouse for the public domain and releasing them under public domain all year long.

You can join the initiative to #hunt the mouse or suggest a theme yourself via my ask box.

[homestuckreplay]

vc with tentacleTherapist, aka The Call of Cthulhu

(page 215-226)

I've been traveling and haven't had time to write about Homestuck for a few days, which has been devastating because SO MUCH IS HAPPENING. TT is real now, like when you meet a tumblr friend in person and keep getting jumpscared by the fact that they have a face.

If John lives in a regular suburban house, Rose lives in a haunted house, and the comic is setting up a 'but which one is REALLY scarier?' parallel. Rose clearly knows how to summon a paranormal entity (John would do this also but by accident) and on page 225 we see that she has a backyard mausoleum, a creepy nuclear reactor type laboratory next door, nothing else but forest in one direction, and a terrifying Blood Storm on the horizon.

I LOVE how Rose's room is a near-perfect reflection of John's when we first saw it in terms of door, window (with tree branch) and core furniture - it makes the differences stand out more, like Rose's fancier chair and desk, knitting projects all over the floor, and darker palette and goth ass lightning.

I'm continually impressed by the comic's attention to detail - there are a lot of tiny changes between John and Rose's introductions, like the green checkmarks on pages 3 and 216 having different flashing patterns. These might not mean anything, but they show things aren't just being copied and pasted with no thought, which is cool.

From page 223, it looks like we could cut back and forth suddenly between John and Rose, following the 'important' actions each of them take, but not seeing everything either one of them is doing. That could get frustrating, like if we never get to sit with either character long enough to get super invested in their stories, but it could be good if it's done well.

I'm very intrigued by Rose and have a lot of questions about her, but my main concern is still the <1:30 on John's timer. I really hope for his sake that Rose is better at inventory than John is.

[stabbyfoxandrew]

mafia au please the boys are going THROUGH IT RN

WIP Wednesday (9/4) | Mafia Front Restaurant AU (Part 216)

After a couple breaths, Kevin chokes out, "I'm sorry."

"It's all right. I'm not..." Jean licks his lips and shakes his head. "It doesn't matter."

“It does, I know it does. But I was afraid to tell you so I lied. Like a fucking coward!” Kevin says, voice dripping with self loathing. He starts to talk again and Jean silences him with a thumb over his lips.

“Afraid of what?”

“Afraid you’d leave me.” Kevin answers, voice rough. The sound of it, the meaning of the words… It has Jean’s heart breaking. There is no version of him who would ever leave Kevin, not in the entire universe.

"Kevin." Jean says firmly. Kevin blinks a few times and Jean drops his forehead onto Kevin's. "You're a beautiful idiot. Do you know that?"

"Huh?"

"Do you know how many times I kissed Neil when you were gone?" Jean murmurs low enough that Neil can't hear. "Hundreds."

"Yeah, but we—"

"Neil was my partner there. Andrew was your partner then. He took care of you and you loved him. That doesn't negate my feelings for you. Nothing can negate my feelings for you. If anything could, your attitude would've done it long ago." Jean says, just to get on his nerves. It works. And makes Neil laugh. 

“I love you.” Kevin says, releasing Jean's wrists to pull him in for a hug. Jean's arms are smashed between them, hands still on Kevin's face, but he can feel the way he's shaking. He kisses Kevin's head.

"I love you too. You ridiculous man," Jean says against his hair. Kevin tucks his head into Jean's neck and they stay that way for a moment, only startling apart when Neil clears his throat.

"Why did Andrew threaten his cousin?" He asks, lounging in his chair again like he'd never moved at all. Jean wants to throttle him. Why the fuck does it matter?

"Huh? Oh. I never figured it out. All I know is Nicky had a thing for me.” (Of course he did, look at you, Jean thinks.) “One night, we were at the club and I heard my name mixed up into some German. I assumed Nicky was drunk and forgot I didn't speak it. Before I could ask what he said, Andrew had him pinned to the wall with a knife at his throat.”

Good man, Jean thinks before shaking that thought away. Andrew Minyard might not have kissed his boyfriend, but he still beamed Jean with a ball in that one game—

"So, he threatened his cousin over you," Neil points out, making Jean's hatred shrink again. Damn it. He’s French, it shouldn’t be so easy.

"Yeah. That was the deal. Andrew said he would keep me safe no matter what." Kevin says, his expression wistful. Then it falls away. "But I walked away. He's not obligated to keep me safe anymore. He can do or say anything he wants."

"I still don't think he'd do it," Neil says as Jean leads Kevin to the other side of the couch and sits down. He waits for Kevin to sit beside him, but he just tilts his head back to look at the ceiling. Jean ogles his throat.

"Yeah. But what if he does?"

"No one would believe it. As far as anyone knows, you have not seen either of us since we were teammates," Jean says, a bit of insecurity gnawing at him. It disappears when Kevin drops into his lap. Jean winds his arms around him immediately, pulling Kevin closer and nuzzling into his hair. "Tell us, what is the worst that could happen if people knew?"

[ratherhavehopewithyou]

After chapter 241, my heart is b r e a k i n g for Yona. Let me show you what I mean.

In chapter 235, we got this moment where Yona begrudgingly let Hak go further into the enemy camp without her and begged him to come back:

Then in chapter 240, we get this (amazing) scene where Yona stands back to back with Hak and pleads to stay by his side, insisting she can fight with him instead of running away:

NOW in chapter 241, we see Yona once again begging Hak not to leave her behind when he offers to search for the dragons:

Of course she is concerned and worried about the dragon's safety, but I think this also cements how desperate she is not to be separated from Hak again. Why do I say desperate? Let's rewind back to chapter 216...

We cannot forget the way she sobbed and wailed and mourned Hak while he was missing. Look at her anguish, her despair.

In this chapter she says, "Even on the night I lost everything, even on the day I took up arms to protect him, the thought of losing him was truly unimaginable. Even if we left for different places fighting different battles, once peace returned...eventually...together..."

This was the first time she genuinely thought Hak might be gone forever. And it terrified her. This is a girl who has gone through so much grief over the course of the story, has learned how to manage it and heal and fight for another day, and yet the possibility of grieving the loss of Hak was something she couldn't fathom living through.

Fast forward a bit to chapter 225, we see the dam break again:

The fear is raw and evident in her face as Soo-won confirms Hak is alive, and then she can't hold it back anymore. She WEEPS. Hak is unconscious, bloody, and broken, but he's there. This is more than relief, this is deliverance from a reality she couldn't muster the strength to accept. The world without Hak would have been the one that tore her apart.

And things have been moving so quickly since Hak has been back, they probably haven't had time to talk about it... aside from a short conversation in The Shed™, they haven't really expressed how traumatic Hak's disappearance was for both of them. And now they're on the move and Hak keeps trying to run into danger without her or tells her to leave so she can be safe, and she is not having it.

[dasher85]

Elucidation

Alhaitham x reader | y/n | you

Slow burn

Part 5

[ When Alhaitham is pressured by the arranged marriage he refuses to deny his feelings any longer. ]

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

[ 3 more days ]

"I care about you"

He was holding a list of words as if it's his new research material. But all those words he has spoken were not the exact one you really want to hear.

"No. Even my friends cares about me" 

He frowns all the way to his lips. You could tell he was frustrated but refused to declare defeat.

"If you don't feel and understand this, what's the difference with the man whom I've never met?" 

" Are you really comparing me with him now?"

You laughed, feeling absolutely amused by his genuine reactions.

"It's just for your reference. No hard feelings intended"

He's still listed in your friend list after all even though you never want to admit it yourself.

It's probably only you who could enjoy and crack a few jokes with him. The way he normally looks would absolutely terrify most people, even those kids would run away from him. He's all frown that sometimes even you couldn't help but feel depressed just by looking at his face. You'd rather not look at him whenever you're already feeling stressed over writing the research report. But today, you're feeling good so even if he's making such an expression it wouldn't bother you as much. 

"Terrible reference."

He muttered, but eventually started to focus his gaze entirely on you.

"I'll probably regret for making things easier for you but perhaps I still do prefer you…" you let out a chuckle, "page 216"

It was maybe the way he looks at you, the way his teal colored eyes beautifully amplified the calmness in his gaze. These subtle things somehow give him winning points even without him realizing it. 

[ 2 days left ]

You walked side by side with the man whom you've never met until today. He was undoubtedly handsome, tall and perfectly well mannered.

"If you're interested, we can visit the places you're interested to go"

The man spoke with a soft smile, and by his appearance you can already tell he's well off. As expected because your parents wouldn't want someone any less compared to their financial status.

You nodded, displaying the same smile. Being you, showing politeness and kindness is the only way to communicate with people. If you hated something in someone you'd rather just refuse to speak up about it as long as it doesn't harm you.

As of right now, he's been good to you. So there's nothing to hate or dislike about him. At least that's your first impression of him but who knows, you're just following the flow. 

The hustle and bustle of port Ormos does feel refreshing to you because you haven't had a leisurely stroll for a long while. You haven't had much conversation with the guy, but he was too just seemingly at ease. 

"Let's go" 

A voice spoke close behind you and you spun around, the person beside you also stopped walking as well in response to your sudden halt. The emerald diamond on his chest reflects a fraction of sunlight as it reaches your eyes.

"Eh?!"

Before you knew it, he had grabbed your wrist  and was about to bring you along with him but the other guy was also quick to stop him.

"Who are you?"

The person whom you've only met today was genuinely feeling cautious about the whole situation as he questions Alhaitham. He was reluctant to let you be taken away by a person he doesn't know anything about.

They intensely stare at each other and you can feel the unwavering determination that neither of them is willing to surrender. Even at times like this you still thought the moment was quite interesting. 

'Should I intervene?' You secretly enjoyed the things that unfold before you but surely it's not good to make other people argue just because you failed to explain to both parties. 

"It's alright, he's a work colleague from the Akademiya. He's just too focused with his research most of the time. So he doesn't really explain things"

"I see… "

"Seeing how he's in a hurry, I guess he's having problems with the research. He's required to submit the research at least by tomorrow… so, I believe I'll have to deal with this first. I must apologies for cutting our stroll short"

You explained while displaying an apologetic smile. Eventually, he nodded understandingly before telling you that it's fine with him too. The guy hasn't formally excused himself but Alhaitham didn't wait any longer before taking you with him.

He carefully lets go of your wrist after taking you farther from the place before, finally setting his phase a lot slower that matches your smaller steps. 

"I'm sorry for taking you so suddenly. Initially I thought of waiting for you until your meeting ends but seeing you talking with him suddenly makes me feel impatient" 

Listening to his troubled words only made you smile, you casually took hold of his hand from which he instantly halted his steps in complete surprise at your actions. His eyes widen, as he glances at your hand before it reaches your smiling face.

"I'll let go if you-"

On the spur of the moment, he gently squeezed your hand, declaring that he didn't want you to let go.

You let out a laugh, "Do you feel happy now or?"

"I'm unsatisfied"

He barely explained before pulling you into his arms. The sudden closeness made your head turn blank, devoid of words. You didn't know how to react but you didn't refuse him either. The way he rests his head by the crook of your neck feels unquestioningly comfortable to you. How strange... 

"I have a confession, listen."

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

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 244. brb x oc

a/n: * sprinkles in drama and then walks away *(comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

/210/211/212/213/214/215/216/217/218/219/220/221/222/223/224

/225/226/227/228/229/230/231/232/233/234/235/236/237/238

/239/240/241/242/243

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

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-

Beatrice looks at him from the sink, leaning back against it as her husband nurses himself with a glass of water close to the fridge, “...so,” she begins, crossing her arms and walking closer to him, “You feel like telling me what happened? Dinner time is over and Nikki is asleep.” 

Rooster’s lips close as he swallows the ice cold water, then swirls what was left in the glass with his hand, keeping his brown eyes on Beatrice and smiling himself, “Yeah,sure gorgeous.” he sighs through his nose, “So…you know my promotion right?”

“Mhm.”

“Some…higher ups are a bit confused about moving it forward because me and Mav work together,” he shrugs, “Cause we’re family.”

Beatrice blinks at him for a few seconds, parts her lips only to close them again, and tilts her head, “Wait but…” she holds a hand up, “You two aren’t blood related Roos. He’s your godfather…and that’s-that’s it?? Why would they be so…upset about it?”

Rooster sighed as he tried to find the right words to explain the situation to Beatrice. He leaned against the kitchen counter, his gaze fixed on her as he began to elaborate.

"Yeah,well," he began, his voice thoughtful. "I don’t know either. I have no idea, because it doesn’t make any sense, you know? Why would they be upset about it now?"

Beatrice nodded, starting to understand the significance of their relationship. "So, what's changed?" she asked, her curiosity growing.

Rooster rubbed his forehead, tossing the same hand up in question. "I mean…there's probably the fact that our personal relationship is of family…and maybe to them that can be an issue…or…”

“Or?”

And the muscle in Rooster’s jaw pops when he closes his mouth, looking down at his glass with a frown, “Or, they are just using that to force Mav into retirement.”

Her head jolted back in surprise, eyebrows furrowing “Forcing Mav into retirement?" Beatrice repeated, her voice filled with disbelief. "That's... that's a serious decision, Roos. What would be their reasons for doing that?"

Rooster's frustration was evident in his expression as he tried to make sense of the situation. "I don't know, Bea," he admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. "They haven't given clear reasons. I think,well,Mav has always annoyed them in some way. I remember him saying that to me and…Admiral Kazansky, while alive, was…well,he helped a lot in this situation."

"That's unfair," she said, her voice firm. "And…it can’t be…legal,right? Can it?"

Rooster licked his lips. "You're right," he agreed. "It does seem unfair. There are certain regulations in place to protect service members from being unfairly forced into retirement, especially without a proper cause."

Beatrice's expression shifted from disbelief to determination. "So, what are you going to do about it, Roos?" she asked,quietly. "You can't let them push Mav into retirement like this. He deserves better. Or threaten you with it by holding your promotion over the fire.”

He reached out to gently hold her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I won't stand by and let that happen," he said firmly. "I'm going to fight for Mav and for what's right. There has to be something I can do…I don’t know.”

“What?”

He scratches his chin, “It’s just…something in my mind, that,” he moves his hand trying to find words, “Came up…weird this suddenly happened after Officer Halton joined.” he frowns, “I doubt he has something to do with it though, he’s a Lieutenant. He can’t interfere like that.”

She could see the concern in her husband's eyes, and she knew that he was determined to get to the bottom of this situation. One way or another. “God,not him again…” she repeated, her voice thoughtful. "It does seem suspicious that these changes started happening after his arrival, but like you said, he's a Lieutenant. He can’t do that.”

Rooster nodded in agreement. "Exactly," he said, his mind still racing with possibilities. "But something just doesn't add up, Bea. I can't shake the feeling that there's more to this than meets the eye."

“...so what will you do?”

“For now,I’ll…wait.” he frowns, “I…something is off,something is really off Bea. Everything was fine and dandy weeks ago. No mention of this, nothing.

Beatrice squeezed his hand, chewing her lower lip, “Do you…want me to call Evelyn? I mean,Cyclone is her father and he’s your superior. Maybe she heard something?”

Rooster considered Beatrice's offer for a moment. Evelyn Might have some insights or information about the situation that could shed light on the recent changes in his career prospects...but she also just had a baby herself. After a brief pause, he answered

"No it’s fine.," he replied, grateful for her support. "Evelyn might have too much on her plate,right now,gorgeous."

Beatrice nodded in understanding, respecting Rooster's decision. "Alright, Roos," she said with a warm smile, "Just remember that I'm here for you, no matter what. We'll figure this out together."

Rooster leaned in to press a loving kiss to her forehead, his gratitude evident in his affectionate gesture. "Thank you, Bea," he whispered against her skin. "You are going to be my own little detective,huh?”

“I can try.” she smiles, and she’s so genuine, “I’d do anything to keep you safe.”

And God, his heart still couldn’t take it.

Both of them were protective of each other, that was obvious. While Rooster was more in the physical side of things - he was bigger than her, he was strong and he often was considered intimidating by some - Beatrice was on the emotional,always - the times she defended him, the times she told people off and the one time she punched Eric because he was talking shit about him.

He couldn’t have asked for someone better, truly. Never. “...you are so special.” he whispers, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “Fuck you are so fucking special,Bea.”  and her cheeks reddened, just like before, just like always. While he was bothered by this, this whole scheme he also wasn’t worried.

It was something he learned only with Beatrice. He could relax because he knew things would turn out okay, they would. Like he knew how he’d marry her from the second he walked into the Hard Deck, how they knew they’d have a good life together, he just knows those things. “Ah,well.” she shrugs, cutting his thoughts short, “I just want to help.”

“Gorgeous, there’s not a time when you don’t.” he reassures her, cupping her chin and leaning her head up to kiss the tip of her nose, smiling when she scrunches it, ‘And you always bring my feet back on the ground.”

“And that says a lot, since you are a fighter pilot.”

He sputters a laugh, meanwhile she giggles, too proud of her joke to hold it back, “Okay,” he sets the glass aside, “You know what that means, right?”

“Wha-” she yelps because he just picks her up suddenly, throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her out of the kitchen, “Bradley Nicholas! Put me down!” but she didn’t want to, she really didn’t. She was just relieved he wasn’t that upset, her heart felt light.

Rooster chuckled heartily, carrying Beatrice over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing at all. Her protests only fueled his playful mood as he strolled through their home, thoroughly enjoying her laughter.

"Where are you taking me, you big lug?" Beatrice playfully demanded, her voice laced with amusement.

Rooster flashed a mischievous grin over his shoulder. "To the bedroom, my love," he replied, his voice playful. "You're going to pay for that joke, Mrs. Bradshaw."

Beatrice let out a mock gasp. "Oh no, what will you do to me, Mr. Bradshaw?" she teased, her laughter contagious.

As Rooster reached their bedroom, he gently lowered Beatrice onto the bed, careful to make sure she was comfortable. He then settled down beside her, his arm wrapping around her shoulders as they both caught their breath from their playful exchange.

Beatrice nestled against Rooster's side, her head resting on his chest as she sighed contentedly. "You're incorrigible, you know that?" she teased, her fingers tracing patterns on his chest.

Rooster grinned down at her, his gaze filled with adoration. "Guilty as charged," he replied, leaning in to place a sweet kiss on her forehead. "But you love me anyway."

Beatrice smiled, her heart feeling lighter than it had in a while. "I do," she admitted, her voice soft. "I love you more than anything, Roos."

Rooster tightened his hold on her, his love for her evident in his actions. "I love you too, Bea," he whispered, pressing another loving kiss to the top of her head.

-

Morning comes and he’s back on the grind, but this time he’s called again into Cyclone’s office. He can’t help but sigh heavily before he turns on his heel and walks back there, jaw wiggling out of nerves and anger, hands clenched by his hips.

He knocks twice, then is allowed in. “Sir.” he says as neutral as he can,”You called for me?”

Cyclone looks back at him,”Close the door.” the younger pilot parts his lips to question but does as he’s asked, then looks back at his superior officer, “Sit down,Bradshaw.”

“Sir?”

“Just sit.”

He does, a bit confused about what’s happening, but he stares back at Cyclone with his eyes locked on the Vice-Admiral’s frame as he paces behind his desk, “Your promotion is no longer in jeopardy.” 

Rooster blinked in surprise at Cyclone's unexpected statement. The tension that had gripped him since the meeting with Maverick and the subsequent decision on the promotion began to ebb away. He leaned back in his chair, needing something solid to keep himself upright.

"Sir?" Rooster asked, seeking clarification. "What do you mean my promotion is no longer in jeopardy?"

Cyclone paused in his pacing, his sharp gaze fixed on Rooster. He sighed heavily, as if carrying a weight on his shoulders. "Bradshaw," he began, his tone more somber than usual, "I've had some discussions with the higher-ups, and they've reconsidered the situation."

Rooster's brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of Cyclone's words. "Reconsidered, sir?"

Cyclone nodded. "Yes," he continued, "It seems there was a misunderstanding. You are going to be promoted, nothing to do with Maverick since he’s not your blood relative."

Rooster's eyes widened in astonishment at the unexpected turn of events. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You mean... I'm getting the promotion?"

Cyclone offered a small, tight-lipped smile. "That's correct, Bradshaw," he confirmed. "You deserve it, and the Navy recognizes your dedication and contributions."

“...oh,wow,um,I mean–” he clears his throat, “Thank you,sir. I thought that–”

“The whole thing about the higher ups and Maverick is dealt with.” Cyclone says, “I’ve personally talked to them.” and Cyclone didn’t look pleased by whatever was that he was told.

Rooster's mind was spinning as he tried to process the sudden reversal of his situation. The weight that had been pressing on his shoulders had been lifted, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of relief and gratitude. He leaned forward in his chair, his expression filled with earnest appreciation.

"Thank you, sir," Rooster said, his voice tinged with emotion. "I can't express how much this means to me. I've been working towards this promotion for a long time."

Cyclone nodded, his gaze fixed on Rooster's earnest face. "I know, Bradshaw," he replied, his tone more fatherly than authoritative. "Your dedication and hard work have not gone unnoticed."

Rooster couldn't help but smile, a sense of validation and accomplishment washing over him. "I won't let you down, sir," he vowed, determination shining in his eyes. “But…if I may ask, what exactly happened? I mean,I genuinely thought this would last much longer than…one day.”

Cyclone hummed, sitting back down on his chair and holding his hands up to his lips, pressing his index fingers against his mouth, “I cannot go into detail.” he says, “Not yet, but call it a hunch.”

"I appreciate your honesty, sir," Rooster replied, his curiosity tempered by his gratitude for the promotion. "I'll trust your judgment on this."

Cyclone offered a reassuring nod. "Thank you for your understanding, Bradshaw," he said. "I have no doubt that you'll excel in your new position."

With the unexpected turn of events, Rooster's mood had shifted from one of anxiety and uncertainty to one of excitement and anticipation. The weight that had been lifted from his shoulders, hell,he even felt lighter after he  left Cyclone's office, his mind buzzed with thoughts of what the promotion would mean for his career and for his family.

 He couldn't wait to share the news with Beatrice. She’s going to be so happy.

As soon as he walks out, he’s surprised to see Mav out there, who in turn looks just as surprised to see him, “Rooster?”

“Mav?”

“What are you doing here?”

“Cyclone told me to come,” he points to the now closed door, “He told me my promotion is now out of the shark infested waters.” 

His uncle blinked, then narrowed his eyes at him, “Wait,really?”

Rooster nodded enthusiastically, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, Mav, it's happening," he replied, the excitement in his voice palpable. "I'm finally getting that promotion. Cyclone just told me."

“Well,I’m really happy for you kiddo.” he smirks, patting his shoulder and then giving him a hug, “You deserve it,Brad.” and before Rooster can say anything, Maverick pulls back, his smile still confused, “But he said nothing else to you?”

“Just that he talked to the higher ups.” he mutters, “Called it a hunch, I didn’t prod him about it, he didn’t seem happy sharing that with me.” his uncle’s smile turned into a small frown, one he tried to hide from Rooster by looking away, “Mav?”

Maverick's sudden change in demeanor didn't go unnoticed by Rooster. His uncle's furrowed brow and the way he averted his gaze raised a sense of unease within Rooster. He had expected a more straightforward reaction from Maverick, especially considering everything.

Rooster stepped back slightly, his brow furrowing as he studied Maverick's face. "Mav, is something wrong?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. "You don't seem as thrilled as I thought you'd be."

Maverick let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping as he finally met Rooster's gaze. "Brad, no,I’m ecstatic. Really, I’m so happy for you.” and his eyes shone with pure pride for him,that Rooster saw, that was obvious in his mind, “It’s just…it’s weird this whole thing happened,Brad. You know that it is weird,I know you way too well.”

“...well.” he pauses, “I gotta say it was out of the blue. This whole family thing, considering we aren’t blood related. Seems odd.”

“It does.” Maverick looks over Rooster’s shoulder towards Cyclone’s door, “Tell you what, meet me after work outside? We should have a conversation,hm?” and he taps his nephew on the shoulder, “See you soon,Rooster.”

[animehouse-moe]

Hi! If you can I would love to hear your thoughts on chapter 236 of the JJK manga

First of all, very cool to see a Gokurakugai pfp! Secondly, man this is a very fun question to answer. So broad and open that there's so much I want to talk about. Obviously spoilers for people that haven't read the chapter yet so be warned about reading further.

Okay, so interesting stuff, lots and lots of interesting stuff. First of all, I think Gojo getting (potentially) off-screened is incredibly hilarious. Yes, I'm a diehard Gojo fan, but before that I'm a Gege fan. The idea of the "The Strongest" not even getting a death that's shown to viewers is just so damn great that it's funny to me.

Following that up though, I love how far they're digging into Sukuna now. The torch of "the strongest" is being passed to Sukuna, and with it he has to carry the burden of that isolation. It's a feeling that characters like Gojo can really relate to, and I think it's great to see Gege explore that.

Now, I'll skip over all the ideas of reading into the "dream/death" sequence since it's been done to death in regards to the concept of rebirth and enlightenment, but I will say this. I've had friends say it and I've seen other people express it as well. Confusion as to why everyone's young in the flashback.

It's a valid question, and I think there's quite a few answers. Nanamin's answer is one of them, and it's where my response stems from. This time in their lives, the trip to Okinawa, the days of Jujutsu High filled with excitement and happiness. It's something that they all missed. In their minds, those days were the days they were their ideal selves. Haibara and Geto remain the same for obvious reasons, but Nanamin and Gojo revert back because of that. They lost the people most important to them back then, and it's no lie to say that in both cases Itadori was what filled that hole. Gojo's comment about getting Geto to pat him on the back, and Nanamin's relationship with Itadori in general are the vestiges of that past. Anyways, where was I. Right, regression to the ideal. The whole reason they appear like that is because it's before all of that trauma, before all of the terrible things they've had to face in their life.

In a way, it's both fitting and unfitting. It's really interesting how Gege works in that regard, as Nanami and Gojo's paths have been largely similar in my eyes. Not so much in the details, but the broad paths they trace in terms of satisfaction in their lives. The most unfitting part though is Gojo being young in the flashback. I feel like if Gojo is to truly die, that we'll see him once more at his current age in this dream sequence. But I don't feel like that's going to happen. I'm pretty comfortably in the camp of "Gojo survives" and for a few reasons.

Firstly, Sukuna. Yes, Sukuna's "reality slash" fodderized Gojo but there's more to it than that. It is still an extension of one of two techniques, of which the chapter leans towards "cleave". Mostly because Sukuna confirms that the initial target was Gojo, but that the attack expands past him. Dismantle is typically used for inanimate objects while cleave is used on cursed spirits or other living things.

This part is a pretty wild idea on my part, but bear with me. Sukuna is a stupidly prideful sorcerer, do you really think that he would let Mahoraga deal the final blow to Gojo Satoru? I don't believe so, so it presents a contradiction. Sukuna's fanaticism with threes. In the prior two fights decided by cleave, Sukuna has obsessed over the number.

The first instance is against a finger bearer in chapter 8.

And the second time we see him kill using cleave is vs Ishigori in chapter 216. Where he states that he was aiming for 3 slices on the first failed attempt before delivering on the next.

So why now, why of all fights would Sukuna not only not deal the final blow himself, but do it in such a half assed manner? It's not a real kill, that's why.

Let me use the Ishigori example once more. Sukuna attempts a simple slash against Ishigori before getting a read on his ability. Realizing that his "simple" cleave did not kill him, he could form the conjecture that Ishigori is a high level sorcerer, one that could possibly use reverse cursed technique to heal himself. Because of that, he goes after the head so that Ishigori has no possible way of healing. Something that he doesn't do against Gojo. The questions continue to pile up in regards to Sukuna's conduct. He uses Megumi's technique as well as dismantle and cleave, but not the unknown technique he used against Jogo. Of course, it was for the act of embarrassment, but that's something that Sukuna would endeavor to do with Gojo anyways.

There's just too many pieces that contradict Sukuna's behavior through this chapter, and a lot of it does stem from the fact that content was passed over (for the time being). Sukuna still hasn't healed back his hand from the prior chapter. The act of cleave is denoted by an attempt at threes, but in this example it's one. There's a lot of oddities that point to something more going on with the chapter.

But because of that there's also so much potential. I think most people share in the opinion that while Kashimo's fighting Sukuna, the goal will to be to find a way to help save/revive Gojo.

There's three characters that we know of in the group that can use RCT: Hakari, Shoko, and Yuta. Kusakabe's a wildcard due to his grade 1 status without a cursed technique, but it's not likely. Anyways, the idea I've chatted about at end is that Hakari joins Kashimo out on the battlefield to stall using his domain expansion. It's a guaranteed four minutes and eleven seconds of unkillable (as far as we know) time, so long as he hits. During that, Yuta and Shoko will attempt to secure Gojo and use RCT to bring him back. But that's just one part of the puzzle, I'm very curious to see how the rest of it goes that Kashimo's chomping at the bit.

Overall, as a shock and awe chapter it's borderline perfect. It gives readers an intense feeling of despair, just the right amount for them to dig incredibly deep into the content of the chapter. To find all the odd pieces, to discover the incongruencies and ideas that don't quite sit right. I'm definitely not perfect with my ideas, but at the end of it all Gege's goal was to get everyone's brains into overdrive, trying to figure out what they'll do next. So while I may be in the fetal position thinking about Gojo being dead, I'm still incredibly excited to see where Gege goes with this potential.

[headsincloud9]

Part 3 | Part 5

SMUT MINORS DNI

212. "If you called me just to get off to my voice then I'm hanging up.

213. "l fuck you for as long as you can stay awake.. maybe after that too."

214. "Take it off slowly.

215. "You're mine for the day."

216. "Your wish is my command."

217, "Can you help me with this zipped?"

218. "Come to my room, there's this thing I wanna try."

219. "I was trying to keep my thoughts at bay, but damn you're provoking, you know that?"

220. "I hope you know what that implies."

221. "I shouldn't allow myself to get so close to you."

222. "No one can ever find out about this"

223. "For your safety I'l be gentle."

224. "What the hell, I was gone for five minutes!?"

225. "You really shouldn't come close to me while I'm in this state.

226. "This is interesting.. "'m finding it hard to relax."

227. "Now why don't you come back to my room with me?"

228, "Are those handcuffs?"

229. "Miss me?"

230, "I've always known you felt this way, and I know exactly what you'd like to do next.

231. "What are you staring at?"

232. "It's just a bikini."

233, "I don't feel like sleeping."

234. "What are you gonna do about it?"

235. "You won't be getting any sleep tonight."

236. "Will you let us fuck you?"

237. "I express my love a little differently than others do."

238. "Why so shy?"

239. "Don't worry, I'll make you feel really goad."

240. "If you're scared close your eyes."

241. "You're the one that aroused me, let's have fun."

242. "Why don't we move this to the bed?"

243. "Would you like to go somewhere a little more private?"

244, "You should start making plans to stay home - You won't be able walk when I'm done with you."

245. "I know the fastest way to relieve anxiety."

246, "Do forgive me if I get a bit carried away."

247. "Throw your morals out the window, just for tonight."

248. "These are so wet, aren't you going to remove them?"

249. "Is this too much?"

250. "I was just about to wash up, Care to join?"

251. "I need you. now."

252. "This feels dirty..." "because it is."

253. "Don't make me put you on a leash."

254. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

255. "Suck. Now.

256. "Move your hands."

257, "You feel amazing."

258. "What do you mean you broke MY bed!?"

259, "Fuck." "Already did,"

260. "I was doing things." ""'m things."

261. "Don't pretend to be so innocent."

262. "I want you touch yourself."

263. "That's an order."

264. "Will you help me stretch?"

265, "Just let yourself go."

266. "I dare you to fuck

267. "What has you so excited?"

268. "Even angels can be bad."

269, "Show me your inner animal."

270. "You have to come see how soft this mattress is!"

271. "Hey, you awake?"

272. "Nothing about your outfit encourages chastity."

273. "Don't be gentle."

274. "I'd be more than happy to show you a good time if you're looking for one.

275. "I want you. Right here. Right now."

276. "Bend over and spread your legs."

277, "I can't hold back anymore."

278. "Do you trust me?"

279. "It's been a long day, why don't we help eachother unwind?"

280. "Do it like you always do."

281. "Oh don't mind me. Just enjoying the view."

282. "Your lips make me wonder what the rest of you would taste like.

283. "Get on your knees. Now."

284. "You can go deeper than that."

285. "I don't like being told what to do unless I'm naked."

286. "You're so sexy when you're all hot and bothered."

287. "I've been thinking about this all night."

288. "Don't cover your face, I want to see you."

289. "You're so beautiful, all spread out like this, just for me."

290, "The food looks great but there's something much more delicious I'd rather eat right now."

291. "Lay back."

292. "Well fine. Just this once."

293. "I'm waiting."

294. "The fun doesn't have to end."

295. "Oh geez what did we do."

296. "I think I can convince you to stay."

297. "Are you pretending to sleep? I can think of a few ways to wake you up."

[psychewritesbs]

Chapter 219: Bath, part 4—Inner evil

Cursed JJK Sunday. There’s only two types of JJK Sundays--cursed or happy. Today is a cursed JJK Sunday and this has been the week from hell.

Let’s taco about it under the cut.

Anyways. Here comes a tangent!

Megumi this chapter.

Man, I was wondering how Gege was going to move the plot along back into tragedy and deep angst territory, and there you have it. I have to admit that, while some in fandom haven’t liked how he’s been manipulating the mood, I’ve quite enjoyed it. 

It’s just that, in retrospect, what’s happened and the absurdly comical way it’s been executed so that it culminated with one of JJKs Top Depresing AF Moments, is something that I vibed with a lot.

The journey of utter ridiculousness, as per usual, served a purpose for my brain. After all, what’s more depressing than unnecessary tragedy?

So it hit really hard to see Megumi in a state of shock and in the fetal position. I literally shed tears when I saw the panels.

I may be totally projecting here but ever since chapter 216, Megumi has been shown as increasingly infantile. Almost as if his ego is regressing to early stages of emotional development or as though certain emotions experienced in his early life have been triggered.

So when I see Megumi curled up in a fetal position, I can’t help but think of Megumi metaphorically going into a womb-like space, the mother in all of her unconscious glory.

Learned helplessness

And this is such a relevant pose for a character like Megumi who already had to overcome his own limiting idea of himself.

I don’t know how to put it into words without turning this into a conversation about how emotional trauma gets stored in the body (the unconscious) and how it severely limits our sense of self without our conscious knowledge of the fact.

But anyways, watch me overpsychologize the whole thing by saying that learned helplessness is an insidious emotion that directs our thinking and behavior in the form of self-fulfilling prophecy.

So, again, to see Megumi like this, it almost feels like he’s being held back by his own sense of self and that he’s given up on himself.

In other words, he’s not even trying to win by dying, but rather gave up fighting by metaphorically dying.

What’s interesting is the idea that “after taking his sister Tsumiki’s life, Fushiguro’s soul sinks into the abyss”. Perhaps it really just comes back to seeing his body act without his conscious will in ways that are harming others, more specifically the one person he wanted to protect most.

But I much prefer the idea that Megumi can’t tell the difference between Sukuna as evil, and the evil within--Megumi as evil. Whatever that looks like and however Gege executes, if he indeed executes like this.

Anyways, Spooky wrote about it and I wanted to add some thoughts to their post because there’s so much symbolism and Jungian shadow metaphors at play with Megumi right now... Spooks, I promise I am on it.

But all of this brings me full circle to...

The Gospel of Sukuna

Sukuna continues to appall me with his inhumanity and his cruelty. 

And this is so weird to say as the weirdo who infamously published an ode to Sukunaism and the gospel of Sukuna, and then went ahead and hailed it as the way of the highway.

It’s just that, from my perspective, this whole battle sequence against Yorozu has been nothing but an attempt at traumatizing Megumi. Like, yes, it’s obvious because he said he was after Tsumiki’s life in order to sink Megumi. 

What I mean more specifically is that the latest chapters showed us the lengths Sukuna will go to in order to achieve his goal and I wonder whether Sukuna could have killed Yorozu from the start but instead delayed doing so because he knows Megumi is watching. So he toyed with Yorozu to hurt Megumi and like... I love Sukuna but he’s such a selfish and cruel bastard.

And this is the thing... I want to reject Sukuna’s evil so bad ever since he took  Megumi and left Yuji behind in shambles. 

I hate it. 

He’s just an awful, inconsiderate and right out evil being. That’s the whole point of Sukuna, right?

So I want to denounce his selfishness and say “no, fuck him, I’m leaving the church of Sukuna, he can find another social media manager! I will not stand by his cruelty”

But I can’t because to denounce Sukuna is to denounce a part of me. There is, after all, a little bit of Sukuna in everyone. Every single human being has a propensity for evil inside of them and I am, of course, not the exception.

Sukuna is the kind of mind free from reason to the point that it is divorced from personal responsibility to the collective. True evil. The completely pathological and utter lack of empathy for another living being and their suffering in favor of self-gratification.

Recently I watched a documentary about a girl who would have grown up to be a serial killer as a result of the abuse she experienced as a child. The abuse, the documentary argued, resulted in her inability to develop empathy for others, which in turn translated in anti-social behavior like hurting her brother and defenseless animals.

But I think it’s also easy to think of evil in grandiose terms such as something we encounter in extreme cases like the example I mention above, or even hell or something that other people do. Not us, never us. 

It is far easier to look at evil as some distant trait that is foreign to our sense of self than it is to accept that the many micro-aggressions we commit on an everyday basis can also be considered evil. Micro-aggressions that are pure instinct devoid from reason.

Like, for those of you who play around in twitter, how many hateful posts are you exposed to on a daily basis? Name calling, putting other people down, hating... how is that any different from Sukuna? 

Oh, of course, most people aren’t mass murderers.

To denounce Sukuna is to denounce the totality of your Self. It means to repress inner evil so deep into your shadow where all it can do is fester until it takes a mind of its own and seeks an outlet--like harassing others on twitter over a disagreement of opinion.

So anyways, Gege’s brand of hurt and self-hate is something else entirely.

He’s worse than those women from CLAMP if I’m honest.

For those who’ve read CLAMP, then you know their stories can be very depressing and that Okawa Nanase, the group’s writer, hurts her characters with calculated abandon.

It’s fascinating to say the least.

But not Gege. 

Gege is cruel and perhaps no one reflects that quite as well as Sukuna does.

Anyways...

To anyone who reads, thank you as always and looking forward to your thoughts and comments if you have any that you’d like to share. 

If you’ve sent me an ask I promise I am working on answering you and thank you as always for your patience.