#they’re tragic my honor

[terymlxyrstdus]

Are they lovers? Worse. - but it’s Oliver and James in iwwv

[sublimerences]

Yuri…. Save me yuri…

[bowiesawizardmoony]

James: “the world has shown you such cruelty, love. take my hand, take my arm, take my heart, take any and all parts of me to heal what has been taken from you. i know what it means to be loved and i know that i am overflowing with it to give and you deserve to know what it feels like to be loved without bounds.”

Regulus: * on the verge of tears because no one has ever loved him so fearlessly and unconditionally before and he’s not quite sure what to say*

[sillyouhette]

I know u guys followed me for tadc but Have some o these ocs :3c

Their names are (in order) Selene and Marilyn. They mean so much to me.

Also I’m so sorry for my terrible penmanship it was like . What . 1 am idk sjbkdjsvhdjavhd (it was like 9pm.)

[magnusgremlin]

I also drew some sad gays from my dnd campaign! A sad dad and a traumatized cowboy that are dealing with the horrors of Strahd. I love them dearly <3

[jingyi-ma-boi]

The way that this totally matches half of @curioussatoru interactions with @sugurusasks is gold

You will not believe the things people say on tiktok

support memes or command me to make shitposts on my patreon, link in pinned.

[davidtennantgenderenvy]

On David Tennant and Aging

So, I’ve seen a lot of posts in response to Tumblr users’ habit of affectionately calling their favorite middle aged dudes “old men”, David Tennant in particular, saying things like “clearly you’ve never met an actual old person”, “omg you talk about these guys like they’re 80”, “please be normal about people aging”, etc. And on one hand, all of these statements are objectively right and true! But as someone who’s always been really fascinated by and found a lot of beauty in getting older (which I’ve explored in some of my writing on A03 because nobody else is going to do it for me), I’d like to provide a bit more nuance on how I think this label applies to David in particular.

David, obviously, in literal terms, is not “old”, at least not to me- I don’t personally consider people old until they get past 60. 52 is middle aged, simple as that. And yet, when I see David stuck with the “old man” label, it still somehow feels weirdly right, for a number of reasons.

It annoys me so much when people say David “hasn’t aged a day since Doctor Who”, because, well…

He clearly has. A lot. He’s got forehead creases, deep crows’ feet and eyebags, and I think that post-Fourteen we’re gonna see him rocking the grey temples a LOT more. He also has the voice of an older man now, his upper range is still there but the default is much more deep and rich, with a gravelly, rumbling quality that just goes straight through you. I personally think Broadchurch was when David finally started to embrace looking his age- Alec Hardy just wouldn’t have been served by Ten’s fresh-faced boyishness.

Obviously, these are the kinds of changes you’d expect any 52-year-old man to have, but something about David just makes it all seem a bit more… intense? The expressiveness of his face combined with his almost gaunt frame makes his wrinkles very prominent, and when he works his voice to its emotional extremes, his lower register can sound positively ancient, to devastating effect.

David, I think, is someone with an old soul- I don’t think he could be as good as he is at playing ancient characters like Crowley and The Doctor if he weren’t. He has lived so many lives, given so much of himself to so many characters, often incredibly tragic ones, and I think it wears on him. David also has five kids. FIVE. Do you know how exhausting it is to be one of the hardest working actors alive and be a present, loving father to even ONE child? But David somehow does it anyway! Nowadays I see him and my heart breaks because he looks so tired, so weary and fragile. But he’s all the more beautiful for it to me because I know that that is because he is kind. He’s a deeply empathetic person who feels and lives to the absolute fullest, and that story is written so clearly on his face, along with every other story he has ever been a part of.

There’s other things about David that make the label endearingly fitting- his utter hopelessness when it comes to technology, for instance. And he’s just got that warm, wise, grandpa energy too sometimes- look at that above Fourteen picture and tell me I’m wrong!

I once showed my friend who’d only seen David in Doctor Who and Harry Potter a picture of David from Around The World in 80 Days. It was a particularly emotional scene, and his face had just the most beautiful expression of compassion and sadness, every wrinkle on full display. And she said, in a less than complimentary fashion, “he looks so old!” Which, of course, offended me quite a bit at first. But to me, referring to David as old almost feels like a badge of honor, something he’s earned by living fully and selflessly, working hard and being wise and compassionate beyond his years. I think David himself is secretly more than a little insecure about the fact that he’s getting older. There’s sadness behind every jovially self-depreciating remark he’s made about his age in the past year, particularly in comparing himself to Ncuti Gatwa. I know how much David struggles with his impostor syndrome and how people perceive him, and I can clearly see in his eyes the fear of being discarded, the anxiety he feels about if he’ll still be as loved as he was back in 2007 now that he’s closer in age to King Lear than he is to Romeo. So I hope David knows it’s a privilege to watch him grow older, to watch his soul and talents deepen with the crinkles around his eyes. If I, in my silly goofy tumblr girl-ness, call David Tennant an old man, it’s because it’s a label that suits him beautifully- even if it isn’t TECHNICALLY an accurate one yet.

[uriekukistan]

i wanna talk about this thing gege said

i’ve seen a lot of people saying that this is a bad way to write a story, and i couldnt disagree more. from a writer’s perspective, there is no reason to kill off a character if it’s not going to have impact.

in any case, i think this reaction points out two things i’ve noticed about the jjk fandom.

i. jjk fans prioritize enjoyment of characters over the plot

which is fine, i guess. i’m not gonna begrudge any readers the space to enjoy their fav characters. however, what i disagree with is the constant trashing of gege and jjk as a story because the narrative doesnt treat the characters as you want it to.

i mostly talk about these things from the perspective of someone who has been writing for a while, so i will take a second to acknowledge from the reader perspective. it’s easy to get attached to characters and see them as real people in your life.

but they arent real people. they only exist for the author’s intentions. every time i see someone complain that “x character only died because plot” i just think “yes?” characters exist for the plot. they exist to serve the narrative. they live and die for the plot, and that isn’t a bad thing. this is a story. that is how stories work.

with characters like gojo or choso, it’s easy to look back and see their character arcs and how their ends fit their purpose in the story, but i think people get so caught up in wanting to fuck the character, or fanon, that they forget their original purpose is to do what gege wants them to do.

this is a war against the most powerful, most evil sorcerer in history. of course characters are going to die, and of course it’s going to be characters we love. it’s honestly unrealistic to expect anything else.

and i think it’s really disrespectful to say so many rude things to gege because he is thinking about the story he wants to tell, and not the story that best suits your favorite character.

ii. few people want to feel anything from what they’re reading anymore

which again, is totally fine, but maybe read something else?

tragic stories have existed and enjoyed immense popularity for millennia. and theres nothing wrong with that. there’s nothing wrong with authors intentionally stirring up their readers’ emotions.

i wanna bring attention to the origins of the words “tragedy” and “catharsis”

“tragedy” is a genre that stems from greek drama based on human suffering and the terrible or sorrowful events that befall the main character. the intention of of tragedy is to invoke “catharsis”

“catharsis” is commonly used to refer to the purification of thoughts and emotions by way of expressing them. in terms of tragedy, this refers to arousing a negative emotion with the intention of expelling it so the audience can walk away feeling relieved.

for all intents and purposes, jjk is a tragedy. it’s meant to make you feel sad. that’s gege’s intention. yet every time people feel upset by a specific event, they call “bad writing.” if anything, according to what jjk is, it’s good writing if you feel sad.

i have seen some people say that jjk wasn’t set up this way, and i disagree so strongly that it’s hard to comprehend.

jjk0 ends with gojo having to kill his best friend, his one and only. tragedy. yuuta’s story is tragic too, having cursed rika and accidentally isolated himself just because he didn’t want her to die.

jjk starts with yuuji faced with execution just because because he wanted to honor his grandfather’s dying wishes. within a handful of chapters, there’s yuuji’s “death” and junpei, and there’s a clear set up of tragedy and repeated loss, despite characters giving their best effort.

i could get into how this relates to my interpretation of the themes of jjk, and sharing burden/responsibility to be stronger together, but that’s another point.

tldr; the point of this post is to say that gege killing characters and making readers feel sad is not bad writing or a bad narrative choice. it’s true to his intentions and the essence of jjk. if you don’t like that, then don’t read. but there’s no reason to disrespect gege and his hard work just because it’s not your cup of tea

[aventurineswife]

HEY

how are youuuu?? Hope you’re doing well <33

HOW ABOUT

An Aventurine x reader where like he confesses about like his real name and his past and everything and then like teaches reader about avgin culture ?

Behind the Mask, Beneath the Gamble

Summary: Aventurine opens up about his tragic past and shares the true story behind his persona. He confesses his struggles growing up on the harsh desert world of Sigonia, surviving slavery, and losing his people. As a way of honoring his heritage, he introduces you to the culture of the Avgins, teaching you their dances and sharing intimate details of his upbringing. With a deep connection growing between you two, Aventurine starts to let go of his emotional barriers, showing vulnerability for the first time.

Tags: Aventurine x Reader, Vulnerable Aventurine, Emotional Growth, Cultural Exploration, Survivor’s Guilt, Trust, Healing.

Warnings: Mentions of trauma (slavery, loss, abuse), Mild emotional angst, Mature themes (survivor’s guilt, emotional barriers).

A/N: OMGGG! HIII WELCOME BACK!! 🫣🤭💖 I'VE BEEN WELL (NOT WITH MY EXAMS AHEM) WHAT ABOUT YOU? I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS!! IT MIGHT BE BIT OOC(my memory is horrible and I keep forgetting a lot of things) :') I kept reminded of that one song from Arcane of Powder and Ekko's dance(never watched arcane it btw)😪💔

The room was dimly lit, shadows dancing across the walls as the faint hum of a starship reverberated around you. Aventurine leaned against the far wall, his signature smirk softened into something far more vulnerable. He had invited you here, away from the grandeur and noise of the IPC, to share something he had never spoken of before.

"You know," he began, his voice quieter than usual, "most people think they know me. The flamboyant gambler. The strategist. The Stoneheart who plays life like a game. But that's not the whole story."

You tilted your head, intrigued but hesitant to interrupt. He glanced at you, his eyes catching the dim light, revealing something fragile beneath the confident exterior.

"My real name isn’t Aventurine. It’s Kakavasha." His voice cracked slightly, and he looked away, as if expecting judgment.

“Kakavasha,” you repeated softly, the name rolling off your tongue like a forgotten melody.

His shoulders relaxed slightly at your tone, though his gaze remained distant. "I was born on Sigonia, a desert world where survival wasn’t a game—it was a daily fight. My clan, the Avgins... we were traders, dancers, dreamers. We had a culture rich with stories, music, and rituals. But none of that mattered to the Katicans who tore us apart. I was just a boy when they branded me."

You caught a glimpse of the faint imprint on his neck, a mark he'd usually hide beneath high collars and his carefully curated image.

“I escaped,” he continued, his voice steady now, though every word seemed like it carried the weight of an entire galaxy. “But not before losing everyone. My family, my people—they’re all gone. And I... I’ve spent my life trying to make sure no one controls me again.”

You stepped closer, your heart aching for the man who stood before you—not as Aventurine, the untouchable gambler, but as Kakavasha, a survivor. "You’ve been carrying this alone all this time," you murmured.

He let out a bitter chuckle, his lips curving into a wry smile. "When you gamble with your life, there’s not much room for sharing." He paused, his gaze finally meeting yours, filled with a mix of vulnerability and defiance. “But I don’t want to keep this from you anymore. You’ve seen past the mask, and... if you’ll let me, I want to show you more.”

You nodded, your chest tight with emotion. "I’m here, Kakavasha. Whatever you want to share, I’m listening."

His expression softened, and for the first time, he looked genuinely at peace. "Then let me teach you something about where I come from. About the Avgins."

He stepped toward the center of the room, his movements deliberate, almost reverent. "Our dances... they weren’t just for entertainment. They told stories—of our struggles, our triumphs, our love for the stars." He extended a hand toward you. “May I?”

Your heart raced as you placed your hand in his. He guided you into a slow, graceful rhythm, his steps fluid and deliberate. "This one," he said softly, "is the Dance of the Caravan. It tells the story of a journey across the desert, of finding hope even in the harshest conditions."

The movements were intricate but natural, his guidance making it easy to follow. As you danced, he began to hum a haunting melody, his voice low and rich, carrying the weight of his heritage.

When the dance ended, he held your hand for a moment longer, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. "You’re the first person I’ve shared this with in years," he admitted.

You smiled, your own emotions threatening to spill over. "Thank you, Kakavasha. For trusting me."

He chuckled softly, a genuine warmth in his eyes now. "You’ve gambled on me, and for once, I think I might’ve won something worth more than I ever imagined."

As the ship continued its journey through the stars, the two of you sat together, the weight of the past replaced by the promise of a shared future. For the first time in a long time, Kakavasha—Aventurine—allowed himself to feel hope.

[jingyi-ma-boi]

Don’t do this to me, please, I beg you (/j). My polyam, AuADHD ass loves these three men SO MUCH and is incapable of choosing among them. Like, yes, I am obsessed with JGY and kinda project onto/relate to him a lot. But it’s the same with NMJ and LXC for me. I won’t say I love them equally because you never love different entities in the same way and all the JGY hate there’s out there makes me focus more on the JGY stan side of things, but I honestly cannot choose between them 😭

Time to start a war.

[starkwlkr]

still into you | daniel ricciardo

faceclaim hayley williams

Liked by landonorris, scottyjames31 and 903,566 others

danielricciardo can’t believe I’m someone’s muse y/nofficial

landonorris parents?

y/nofficial you’re a great writing partner, Danny boy 🖤

dr3bitch HOLD UP DANIEL WROTE SONGS WITH Y/N

View all 1,679 comments

Liked by danielricciardo, declanrice and 5,367,980 others

y/nofficial My danny boy and i. Thanks for all the support and to everyone who came out for ACL fest. Here’s a pic of Danny that I took and here’s a pic of the day we wrote ‘all I wanted’. Thank you Austin for letting me find the love of my life in your city 🖤 now it’s grand prix time! Danielricciardo

ricciardogirly they’re in love your honor

georgerussell63 had a wonderful time watching you dance around like a lovely lunatic!

y/nofficial don’t think I didn’t see you dancing during ain’t it fun 🤨

mickschumacher how can two people like you write such a tragic song?

danielricciardo apart from being a high performance athlete, i am a skilled writer and a skilled writer doesn’t share his secrets

y/nofficial we pretended to break up with each other that’s all

danielricciardo love ya emo girl 🤍

y/nofficial love u more danny boy 🖤

View all 2,344,879 comments

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

It's funny to watch you insist all the time you're not into L*ona and J‐Word and then roughly every 6 months you stage a takeover of the Sebek-Zigvolt-Defenders-Club and loudly and proudly proclaim he's the best boy actually and we should all love him.

In all seriousness, it was your thoughtful analyses that changed my mind about Sebek some months ago and I now also preach the good word about him. He's so loud and dumb and silly and I cry when we get more of his lore and personality revealed, so you're doing great work soldier 🫡

(P.S. Is this confirmation of the list of your favorite first, second, and third year? Two secretive schemers known for taking advantage of people and one tall, loud, loving croc boy with a big ol' heart😏)

[My two big Sebek analysis posts: here and here! Other Sebek analysis can be found in this masterlist.]

I insist I'm not into J word and L*ona because I am, in fact, not into them :) Trust, trust. I cannot tell a lie :))

IS IT REALLY EVERY 6 MONTHS... If so, that's totally unintentional on my part 😂 If I put out a Sebek analysis, it's because there was an ask about him or there's been new official Twst content that I want to scream and shout about. Between Sebek, Jade, and Leona, I feel that Sebek is definitely the most easily understood and most disliked one, especially from the get-go. General opinion of him seems to have improved considerably thanks to book 7, but to this day I still remember the visceral hate he received because he was labelled a racist or loud or an ass-kisser or having no personality outside of liking Malleus. It was sad to see him getting trashed... so I guess I felt like someone had to defend his honor www (And to be clear, it's okay if you dislike Sebek!! Not everyone has to like him. I'm only saying that I don't agree with the opinion that Sebek is a shallow character.)

AAHHABIHFAHSFHQGTG830TQ3P9Nadfhubabyoifam;,; I'm happy that my analyses helped you to see him in a new light!! Again, Sebek truthers rise up ✊ He's a himbo, but he's OUR himbo...

I'd say that Leona is at the top of the third years for me, yeah. B-BUT NOT BECAUSE I LIKE HIM OR ANYTHING, GOT THAT???? It's mostly because I don't find most of the other third years that appealing to me. Jade faces much stiffer competition, since I like most of the second years. However, he manages to pull ahead of the rest of them by a smidge. It's actually Sebek that's fighting hard to keep the spot of my favorite first year; the other two I really like are Ace and Ortho. Ace fluctuates a lot though... While I do find his bratty personality cute (especially when he's doing vocal impressions of the other characters) and appreciate him having the gall to tell others off (regardless of power or social statuz disparity), I also find him very annoying and immature. So I guess it's actually Sebek versus Ortho, the more solid candidate. I think Ortho's relationship with his older brother is very sweet and, of course, tragic. I also love that he looks so innocent but has a deep capacity for violence (laser beam to the face, anyone?) and a strong curiosity to learn more about what it means to be human.

Assuming that Sebek, Jade, and Leona are my respective favorites of each year though 💀 They’re all freakishly tall and pretty muscular (sliding scale of least muscular J word to most muscular Sebek www)… Two big brains and there there’s just. The baby with brawn.

chsjwvjwjwow I mentioned this to some friends and here’s how that convo went:

THIS WAs 100% UNINTENTIONAL… OTL

[unsweetingtea]

The Sonic Movie 3 trailer came out and it is awesome!

I know it came out a week or so ago and I might be late into talking about it but rest assured I watched it 30 minutes after it came out.

I decided to start talking about it now because I want to put in my two cents about a certain topic.

At some point in the trailer we get this image of Tom:

He’s screaming “Sonic!!” and then it immediately flashes to this image of Shadow:

There is also this interaction with Sonic and Shadow:

“What did you do?”

“What I had to.”

First of all, f🤬cking aura Shadow, holy sh💩t. That “what I had to” sent shivers to me timbers.

Second of all, why I’m making this post:

This has led people to believe that Shadow might harm Tom in some way or even killing him.

And I don’t think that is true.

Do I think that they might tussle around? Yeah. Do I think Shadow will straight up assassinate him? Hell no!

CONTINUE UNDER THE CUT ⬇️

Now, I have seen people believe it and draw it but more as like a “this is a cool alternative but I don’t actually think it would happen”, but then there are others who genuinely believe that Shadow is going to kill Tom.

While there is nothing wrong with believing that, it raises a problem for Shadow’s overall character.

We all know Shadow is just misunderstood. Especially from Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails. Keep in mind that they are working with the very people that killed Maria—a little girl, Shadow’s best friend, and they have no idea 😀

I feel like if Sonic finds out about it, then there will definitely be conversations yet to happen, and not very friendly ones.

I kinda think this might be an image of Sonic looking around the Ark. Maybe this is when he finds out? However, that is not something I can really prove:

One thing I will say: even though if we were in Shadow’s position and we might try to kill humanity too, I think we should all acknowledge that even though we can understand him it doesn’t mean we should agree with the path he has walked down on.

Anyway, Shadow = misunderstood. Got it. That is all a story for another time, I’m still here for something else.

I think we can all agree that Shadow has been through a lot, and I think some of the games do him justice for the way he makes up for his actions; finding out who is he is and honoring Maria’s wish, sacrificing himself and falling down to earth, going against Black Doom’s wishes, fighting Memphis, saving Sonic (multiple times), him and Team Dark, the Archie comics, and more.

We’re gonna ignore the Boom!Shadow for this one boys. He’s irrelevant. (lol)

While Shadow and Sonic aren’t friends or enemies, they’re by each others side to do the right thing. All Shadow wanted to do was the right thing and at the time he believed it was killing humanity.

I think what I’m trying to say is that Shadow has done some villainy sh💩t under the influence of what people showed him back to the accident of the Ark. However, he is not a bad guy and he doesn’t deserve to be the bad guy.

If they do this, if Shadow kills Tom, he will be an irredeemable monster to Sonic and even to me, and Shadow doesn’t deserve that treatment.

I don’t want to look at Movie!Shadow knowing that he killed an amazing character and the father to Sonic.

I also want to say, that when Sonic is talking to Shadow and asks him what he did, he sounds mad but he doesn’t sound mad enough to the point of Tom’s death kind of mad. Sonic would be f🤬cking furious. He would fr say “screw the power of friendship I’m about to END this B🐶TCH”.

I can’t say for certain that Tom isn’t going to die, but I really don’t think and want to believe that Shadow is going to be the one to kill Tom.

Like I said before, it’s tragic for what happened to him but we shouldn’t justify the path he’s walking on. Killing Tom is no excuse either.

I just don’t want to be disappointed. I have been looking forward for this movie for too long. I really just want Shadow to be the sweet little anti-hero he truly is.

While I’m here, I wanna circle back around to Tom screaming Sonic’s name. First of all, Tom is in a G.U.N uniform. Either he’s going in disguise or maybe the commander guy whose name I don’t care to remember gave him a position in the G.U.N forces.

In the first Sonic Movie, Maddie did say that there has been a Wachowski serving and protecting for 50 years. The same amount of time Shadow was in a coma. Maybe the commander recognizes Tom’s last name and offers him a position.

Maybe Sonic and co. find out about what they did to Maria and the Ark, and when confronting G.U.N, G.U.N decides to turn on them. Maybe that’s why Tom was screaming Sonic’s name, because he was about to get hurt. Remember, even though Sonic saved the world in the 1st movie, in the 2nd movie G.U.N still believed they would be a threat. Maybe G.U.N is using them in hopes they won’t find out about what happened 50 years ago. They’d be perfect against Shadow, they’re the same species! (Kinda…)

If G.U.N can’t defeat Shadow, maybe another powerful being can.

Anyway, those were my two cents.

Don’t take this post too personally please, if you wanna believe Shadow kills Tom, then by all means go off! I just wanted to show my perspective of things and how I see Shadow as a person.

Remember, opinions are opinions and we shouldn’t devalue anyone’s just because we don’t agree.

Take care! 🫶🏻

[irisintheafterglow]

Just Wanna Keep Calling Your Name (gojo x you)

summary: you check on megumi and yuuji before they begin their mission to find tengen and unseal the honored one.

wc: 1.8k

cw/tags: angst/comfort with hopeful ending, swearing, mentions of eating and food, just sad separated found family things

note: part 3/4 of my "i don't wanna live forever" little series. yeah writing this made me so sad i just wanna tell them it'll be okay and this shit hasn't even been ANIMATED yet

likes/reblogs/feedback is appreciated <3

In any other circumstance, he’d be pushing you away in exaggerated melodrama because of how tightly you’re constricting him. He’d gently wiggle from your grip, saying something about you embarrassing him or that he wasn’t a kid who needed hugs anymore. You’d frown a little bit, staring at him in disappointment until he huffed in surrender and squeezed you even tighter. After a few moments, Satoru would inevitably come over and create a “Megumi-sandwich,” wrapping his lanky arms around both of your bodies and pressing a kiss to your cheek. Sometimes, Yuuji would catch wind of the affection and race over, tackling all three of you to the ground until you were in one familial heap. Satoru would take your hands and help you off the floor just to pull you to his lips. Yuuji would coo fondly at the show of affection while Megumi made a gagging gesture with his finger. In any other circumstance, it would be a perfectly normal hug. 

But, these were not normal circumstances. 

Because they weren’t normal circumstances, you weren’t able to utter a word before Megumi’s arms were shakily wound around your body, hiding his face in your shoulder and trembling. You catch Yuuji’s ashamed gaze from inside Megumi’s dorm and reach out your hand, which he takes and pulls both you and Megs closer to him. As much as you like to remind yourself that they’re capable of holding their own as sorcerers, you couldn’t ignore the reality that the Shibuya incident was not something that seasoned sorcerers should have experienced, much less two teenagers. With Panda, Inumaki, and Nobara in grave condition and Nanami soulless in the morgue downstairs, you were truly the only family the two boys had left. You never allow your mind to drift to Satoru. 

“Eat, Megs. Please.” You set the bowl of ginger chicken in front of him, his favorite ever since he was little. You silently thanked past you for putting frozen containers of ginger chicken and spaghetti in the teacher’s lounge freezer, which you picked up on your way to check on the boys. The picture in front of you was tragically familiar–Megumi on his bed with a bowl of ginger chicken and his stuffed wolf in his lap. You couldn’t guess the last time the two ate, but it must have been quite a long time from how quickly Yuuji scarfed down the first bowl of spaghetti. The second tub of spaghetti is still warm, thankfully, and you slide the bowl over to him in understanding. Megumi, on the other hand, simply stared off into space, the enticing steam of the food unable to pierce his broken exterior. “I’m gonna take the wolf back if you don’t eat.” His eyes are dark and dangerous when they flick up to you, the same look he gave you for the past however many years you’d been using that threat. Despite its age, you’re surprised to find that it still works as he finally takes a bite of food. “Thank you.”

“When’s the last time you ate?” 

“This morning. I had breakfast with Shoko.” You also tried one of her cigarettes again and hated them just as much as the first time. She’d poured a few shots for you before work to make it up to you.

“Coffee doesn’t count as breakfast,” Megumi deadpans and your first impulse is to laugh. But, you can’t stop the memory that breaks loose and it slams into you like a freight train. 

He was giving you that odd look again, something between the lines of skeptical and adoration. You stick your tongue out at him in defiance and his hand finds yours from the driver’s seat of the car. It was an early morning mission and you argued that you deserved a treat after dragging him out of bed. To Ijichi’s annoyance, Satoru stops at a grocery store, running in to grab you a muffin and scolding you for not having enough fuel for the day. He kissed you so fervently when he returned to the car, like you were going to disappear in his absence. He said he could taste the coffee on your lips and that you didn’t make it right; when you looked at him with an offended expression, he shrugged and said he made you the best coffee. You’d never admit it, but he was right. 

“I-I had a muffin, too.” Despite your best efforts, your voice still comes out as a choke and Megumi’s face falls guiltily. He knows exactly what his words had accidentally triggered. “I split it with Shoko.” You take his hand while he avoids your eyes, rubbing your thumb over his knuckles reassuringly. “Eat, Megs. It’s okay.” 

“Did the higher-ups really confine you to the school?” Yuuji asks after he’s finished the second tub of spaghetti. “I heard…some things about you and it made me nervous.”

You hum in assent. “Well, I’m still alive. There’s no way I’d let them kill me before checking on you two.” The words are meant to be reassuring but aren't received that way as their heads both snap to look at you in alarm. “Yeah, no point in lying. We talked about it, before everything happened. I know he didn’t say anything about it because he didn’t want to worry you, but we discussed what would happen in his…absence.” 

“Have they sent anyone yet?” Megumi’s voice is low and threatening but you knew the warning wasn’t directed toward you. 

“No, but I also know they haven’t sent anyone after Yuuji either, right?” They nod but still eye you warily. You give them a weak smile in an attempt to ease their worries. “So, that means the brass is still such a shit-show that they can’t dispatch sorcerers to apprehend Satoru’s associates. We have time, but not a lot of it.” 

“We have a plan. Or, at least, the beginnings of one. To get him back,” Yuuji says carefully, each word delicate like you were a grenade on the verge of exploding. Your walls go up immediately, shutting down to prevent the storm of emotions that welled up at the optimistic hope in his words. “We’re going to unseal him.” The sentence goes in one ear and out of the other; you can tell by their expressions that your eyes have gone empty and blank. It wasn’t anything against them. You just couldn’t handle thinking about him too much, lest you truly break down. 

“Okay. Try your best.” Your smile is pained and forced, but you still nod in weak encouragement. Megumi’s eyebrows suddenly furrow in thought, like he’d remembered something important. “What is it, Megs?”

“Who is Toji?”

“Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Satoru, Satoru please. Satoru, please look at me,” your voice cracks into broken cries while your hands frantically shake his shoulders, willing him to wake up. “Baby, I need you to look at me, please. Satoru, please, baby. Please, I can’t–” You can’t breathe. The words are getting caught in your throat and staying there. Every inhale tastes like blood and every exhale emphasizes your boyfriend’s lack of a pulse. “I can’t get to Suguru, Satoru. I can’t get to Suguru and he needs you. I need you. I need you, please. Please, wake up.” The tiniest bit of movement catches your eye and you stare in amazement at his hand, drenched in a pool of his own blood, twitching and violently blazing Cursed Energy. “There you are, baby. Come back to me.” 

“He was a sorcerer from the Zenin clan. Why do you ask?” 

“Was?” Megumi echoes, and it’s your turn to mirror his confused expression. “Like, he’s dead?”

“Yeah, he’s been dead for over a decade. Again, why do you ask?”

“There was a guy that Naobito called ‘Toji’ in Shibuya with us. He had no Cursed Energy but was stronger than the special-grades we were fighting.” Dread drops into your stomach like a dead weight. Fushiguro Toji coming back from the dead was the last fucking thing you needed. 

“Is the man still alive?”

“No, and that’s what I’m curious about. He asked me what my last name was and then killed himself when I said ‘Fushiguro.’ He could have killed me, but he didn’t. I just want to know if I have any kind of connection to that man.” 

“I see.” You felt guilty for lying to the boy’s face, but you also recognized that it was Satoru’s decision alone if he wanted to tell Megumi about his family history. “I’m not sure, then. I’m sorry.” He nods, face taut in suppressed disappointment and you rush to change the subject. You could feel time passing too quickly, the instinctual feeling that they had to keep moving hanging over your head. “I read about your fight with Awasaka in the report. Thank you for taking care of each other and taking care of yourselves.” You didn’t mean to strike a nerve, but your chest aches when they simultaneously dart their faces away, contorting in quiet agony. 

“He killed thousands using my body,” Yuuji hisses, squeezing his eyes closed to shut out the memory. “I don’t deserve gratitude for my survival–”

“Stop. Don’t tell me that I can’t be grateful you survived,” you state firmly and you feel emotions start to well up in your eyes again for the first time in hours. All three of you have tears quietly streaming down your cheeks; you have no more energy for the hiccuping and gasping-type of sobs that wracked your body days earlier. “You’re alive to keep fighting, so please recognize that as important.” 

“Would you ever marry me, Satoru?”

He looks at you like you’d just suggested cliff diving into sharp rocks. “Of course. Once all this shit is sorted out with Sukuna and I reform Jujutsu Society, we’ll have a rager wedding.”

You scoff in disbelief. “You want to have a rager wedding?”

“Was that not what you had in mind?”

“Mmm…no. I was thinking something small, you know, with Yuuji and Megs and Nanami and Shoko and the rest of your students. Save your strobe lights and fog machines for the bachelor party.” You both know damn well Nanami would never set foot in a club with Satoru, but it was still a funny image for the mind. 

“You want to involve my students in our wedding?”

“I thought that was self-explanatory. You care about them, I care about you, so I automatically care about them. Whatever you would do for your students, I would too.”

“I’d pull down the planets for you, you know.”

“Just the planets? You must not love me that much tonight.” His eyes shine in the moonlight as he rubs his nose against yours. “Break up with me now and put me out of my misery.”

“You underestimate my abilities, sweetheart.”

“Yeah?”

“Yep. I’d pull down every planet in the entire universe for you if you asked, not just the ones in this solar system.”

“There’s my sappy Satoru.”

“I’m yours forever.”

“Do your best, okay?” You say before Megumi and Yuuji leave to find Master Tengen, leaving you alone in Megumi’s dorm. Reaching over for his stuffed wolf, you summon a portal and store it in your domain for safe-keeping. You’d give it to him when you were all together again, your boys and your boyfriend. 

I’m yours forever.

[noxturnalnymph]

Devotion 🖤 Epilogue

CultLeader!Joel x OFC!Reader

Series Summary: When is it enough? When is it too much? When does Devotion become Obsession?

Visit the Series Masterlist for series warnings, cult info, timeline info, and HCs on ages. Reader has a nickname and some minor physical descriptions - is an OFC from Reader POV.

Thank you all SO MUCH for reading. Thank you to everyone who supported me and listened to me babble about this series since December. Thank you to all the readers who messaged me, commented, liked, reblogged, etc. I see every single one of you and I appreciate you so much. I injected a LOT of my own experiences and trauma directly into this story, and it meant a lot to me to be able to share it with you all. Whatever you're going through or whatever you've been through - you are a survivor, you are enough, and you can save yourself. Writing this has been such a journey and it wasn't always easy, but it was always worth it. xoxo

PREVIOUS

Epilogue

Some Summer Sunday (900) Sunday service is a regular occurrence for you and Joel, and the church gets more crowded every week. You've been noticing the building filling up with people of all faiths, packing in the pews until there’s only standing room left, and then lining the walls. Joel tells you residents from all over The Valley make the trek into town every weekend to see you but you’re pretty sure he’s just being complimentary. Guys say all kinds of shit when they’re trying to get in your pants so when he acts like everyone thinks you’re the holy madonna you just chalk it up to that. 

He’s asked you to wear a nice outfit today in preparation for a big announcement, so you’re wearing a flowy yellow gown with a little too much tulle in the skirt and feeling like a tragically awkward beauty queen. You’re worried he’s going to make a big deal of the greenhouse plans and you’re going to have to stand there while everyone - including Isaac - stares at you, waiting for you to make some kind of speech like you just won a humanitarian award. 

You don’t want to be raised aloft like some kind of goddess, that was where Joel made his mistake. You think it’s more effective to meet people on their level, to just act human and blend in with the group. People like having something to believe in but as long as they’re being taken care of and heard, they work better as a collective. Plus, when something goes wrong there’s not someone risen above everyone else for them to direct blame at, instead everyone just works together towards a solution to the problem.

But what Joel does on this day is even worse than you could have imagined. He asks you to join him in the thick, sweltering summer heat, standing in front of the maxed-out congregation and then, holding your hand in his, he gets down on one knee. Your brows knit in confusion and you’re honestly about to ask him if he’s okay until he pulls something out of his pocket. A ring. A fucking ring. Several women in the crowd gasp and squeal, and a smattering of clapping makes the rounds. 

You can’t believe he’s doing this to you right now.

“I want to give you everything I have, to share everything with you.”

You’re going to die of embarrassment.

“I want your partnership, your company, and your sage wisdom.”

No, he’s going to die. You’re going to kill him.

“I want your mind, your heart, and your body.”

Jesus fuck-, in a church, Joel? 

“I will spend the rest of my life loving, honoring, and obeying you.”

Did he just say-

“Baby,” he winks. “Marry me.”

That wasn’t even a question. He just ordered you to-

The crowd erupts in applause as Joel rises and places the ring on your finger, grabbing both sides of your face and kissing your mouth.

“I didn’t say yes,” you murmur against his lips.

“But you will. You know we’re perfect for each other” he says, looking deep into your eyes. He whispers your name. “I’m so in love with you.”

Words that you once wanted to hear so badly still carry an edge to them, a phantom sting in your gut from an old wound he made.

“You just said you’d obey me in front of everyone,” you say, your voice a whisper.

“I know,” he hums. “And I will.”

This is a lot. You let your guard down at the house, when you’re all alone. You let him hold you and kiss you and fuck you on every surface... but in public? You raise your walls back up, barely letting him touch you. Now he’s proposing marriage - marriage - and practically submitting to you in front of the whole Valley.

“What if I still don’t trust you?” you ask, your voice even quieter.

“That’s one of the things I love most about you.”

This is so fucked up. You know this, you know how fucked up this is. This is so fucked up that you should push him away and tell everyone exactly what kind of man he is, create a mob to distract him while you run away and leave this valley permanently. Tess would probably even help you this time. But the most fucked up thing of all is that you don’t want to do that, you don’t want to leave him. Part of you might hate him but there’s a part of you that loves him too. 

Not the way you loved him before, of course, when you were willfully ignorant of who he was. There’s a part of you that loves the Joel you now know he is. The anger, the power, the obsession. It rolls off him in waves that you can taste and smell, like a thick incense it fills your nostrils, intoxicating you. It makes you crave his violent nature, makes you want to sick him on your enemies like a junkyard dog, makes you want to climb him like a tree and howl at the moon. It makes you feel… exalted. 

“Marry me,” he says again. Just as much a command as it was the first time.

You look him in his dark eyes and nod slightly, watching his devilish smile grow.

You’re not going anywhere. You’re exactly where you belong… at his side.

🖤

THE END

Thank you SO MUCH to Bug for stepping in and helping me when I needed it, you are always fucking there when I need you and your friendship means so much to me I can't even put it into words. I love you I love you I love you. TY Beef for helping me in this process and for your amazing suggestions, encouragement, and absolute hyping up along the way. I am SO grateful for your friendship, you are such a ray of sunshine. I love you so so SO much. 🖤Cult Joel (CJ) would not be what he came to be without both of your help.🖤

no taglists going forward - follow @nox-notifs & turn on notifs🫶

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[tequiilasunriise]

The sheer soulmatism of Lenore and Annabel fucks me up so bad everytime I think too hard about it okay sit down y’all.

The way they were immediately drawn to each other even though they had no memory of anything! No reason to immediately become so attached and protective and trusting! Not even death could part them, it’s almost like reincarnation in a way. The sins of living and the pain that comes with being alive washed away not by holy water but rather split blood, and in this new life they’re reborn into a blank, clean slate. Even in this memoryless ‘next lifetime’ they still choose each other without hesitation, without question, and I am on my knees sobbing.

The parallels of Annabel fainting! Annabel fainted when she learned that Lenore was actually alive, and Annabel also fainted when remembering how she died, and by extension, how Lenore died too (not related to soulmatism but in one scenario her lover caught her despite the injury, and in the other Lenore had no such hinderance but failed to catch Annabel regardless and that parallel kills me so softly). The soulmatism that is reacting the same exact way when you learned she lived vs remembering how she died, the soulmatism that the love is still the same. Oh how the love is still so tragically the same, crossing that threshold of death, despite the unhappy ending you shared. Annabel faints because it’s learning you have a second chance at love vs remembering how that same love was ripped away and I am no longer on my knees but laying facedown on the floor.

(The way Annabel looked at Lenore before collapsing in both scenes but with DRASTICALLY different vibes of disbelief like okay yeah sure, sure okay mhm just smash my ribs and rip my heart right out why don’t you?)

Now, NOW, the thing that truly ends me? The crazy red/blue symbolism these two carry.

Lenore is the embodiment of red. Her thoughts come in red print, as do the ribbons she was wrapped up in. Her fiery (pun intended), confident personality, her pure raging defiance rallying those around her. What’s more, Lenore’s anger and bared teeth is painted red the same way her love is, because red is not just the color of anger. Red is love, and Lenore, my god, she cares so openly about the people around her that her heart’s just painted bloody and brazen on her sleeve. Born from self-made infernos into the person she was always meant to be- flirty, quick-witted, taking what she wants when she wants- she is a young Montague wrapped up in her family’s house colors trailblazing down her own paths.

(But unlike dear Romeo who scaled a tree to look upwards towards Juliet on her balcony, Lenore was in a tree looking downwards at her counterpart, and this parallel is so important as the scene is clearly a Romeo/Juliet parallel but without the sweet sappiness but rather tension and just like, 1000x more interesting ‘can I trust you fr fr-ness’.)

Annabel is the embodiment of blue. Her thoughts come in blue print, and her ribbons are a deep blue to match. Blue is the color of calmness, and she seems so tranquil with a gentle yet firm confidence that puts people around her at ease. A natural born leader with such cool-headedness. Oh, but underneath that mask? Sadness. SO MUCH sadness, Annabel is an ocean of it, she’s a peaceful smile with a melancholic heart shot through. Young Capulet holds not pure innocence like her Juliet-counterpart but rather a deep rooted loneliness, like guys, Annabel is actually just so fucken SAD I think we really need to address this more yes she’s a total girlboss but also Annabel is the personification of hollowed out loneliness that comes with your beloved being ripped away from you.

This really got away from me, but my point?

Lenore, the embodiment of red, has blue eyes.

Annabel, the embodiment of blue, has red-adjacent eyes.

FORGET LAYING ON THE GROUND IN TEARS I AM CURRENTLY CLIPPING THROUGH THE FLOOR AND HEADING STRAIGHT GAY TO MY GRAVE IN THE BACKROOMS!!!

YOUR HONOR THEIR EYES ARE THE GODDAMNED COLORS OF THE OTHER’S MOTHERMARYFUCKING S O U L LIKE WHAT IN THE JESUS H CHRIST BUMBLEBY SOULMATISM IS T H I S S S⁉️⁉️⁉️