#verse: epilogue

[thepersonperson]

Sukuna’s Loneliness Part 5 (Sukuna Did Nothing Wrong in the Heian Era, Probably)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Some notes before we start.

1) Big content warning for in depth discussion of historical slavery and the exploitation of minority groups.

2) I will be mainly using the TCB scans for the manga because of their accessibility. 

3) Raws are from Mangareader(.)to.

(Click images for captions/citations.)

Preface

This is another case of me making everyone suffer the consequences of my fic research. I finally got my hands on 100+ page THESIS on the lives of the lower class in ancient Japan that references multiple peer-reviewed sources. This is my holy grail. Please read all of it. (Thank you Mr. Breann M Goosmann!) Whenever I quote something, I am quoting this source. Most of what I'm summarizing is directly from this source.

Gege may have failed to write a proper backstory for Sukuna, but one was clearly set up using the actual history of that time. So I'm here to infer what's in those gaps using this document.

The Class System in Ancient Japan

During the Heian Era (794–1185) a social caste system called Ritsuryō (you can read more about its application here). The upper class was called 良民 or Ryōmin (good people) and the lower class was called 賤民 Senmin (low people).

The kanji 民 (Min) used for both of these classes can be translated as citizen instead of person. The Wiki page I linked uses the citizen translation. I have decided to change that to people because of 3rd group of people excluded from this system: The 非人 or Hinin (non-people).

Ryōmin included court nobility, citizens, professions that served the court, and tradesmen.

Senmin included servants and slaves.

Hinin included criminals, the deformed/disabled, and those working professions considered "unclean."

The most notable thing about this class system is the mobility between Ryōmin and Senmin. Committing crimes, selling oneself into slavery, aging, paying off debts, and doing good work allowed people to rise or fall from the ranks accordingly. Hinin, however, were confined to their class for the most part because many were viewed as innately "unclean".

Ironically, the best way to understand how this class system functioned is to understand what being "unclean" meant to it.

Uncleanliness (Kegare)

穢れ (Kegare) is a term that can be translated as the following: uncleanliness, defilement, pollution, impure.

晴れ (Hare) is a term considered the opposite for Kegare and can be translated as the following: to clear up, clear skies/sunny, renew, dispel, sacred, pure.

Both of these terms largely inform of how ancient Japan functioned and evolved over time. And though not a black and white dichotomy, it can be generally understood that society was organized in a way to minimize Kegare.

What's interesting about Kegare specifically is its complexity and its impermanence. Rather than being something only bad people have, anyone could acquire and dispel it through the proper rituals.

From the Kojiki, a Shinto document compiled before the introduction of Buddhism, and therefore before the Heian, separates Kegare into 2 categories:

1) Touch Kegare: Defilement through the physical contact with something unclean such as bodily fluids and the dead.

2) Transgression Kegare: Defilement through sinful actions.

"These versions of pollution appear as transient, exorcised relatively simply through misogi (cleansing ritual), seclusion from society, or expulsion of disorder causing elements."

This understanding of Kegare then evolved with the introduction of Buddhism to Japan. (This began in the Nara Era and extended well into the Heian.)

"As Jacqueline Stone explains in her study of deathbed rites and rituals, someone who had become enlightened was considered to have a “pure” mind, while those with a deluded mind were said to have a “defiled” mind. Monastic Buddhists also followed their own codes of “pure” conduct such as refraining from the eating of meat and killing of animals."

The old Shinto understandings of Kegare still carried over with the physical avoidment of unclean things such as dead bodies and blood. However, Buddhism introduced the idea that certain groups of people were innately impure. This includes the Hinin who were uniquely ostracized by this system.

"Hinin, like all outcast groups were bound to their “defiled” status. However, unlike other outcasts, they were also cast as blasphemers of Buddhist doctrine afflicted with karmic illness."

But despite being seen as this innately impure, the religious institutions were closest to them. Of the few places in society willing to tolerate and deal with Kegare, they offered outcasts "positions" where they could beg, display themselves as what happens to people who don't follow religious doctrine, and help with jobs considered "unclean". Since outcasts were considered permanently defiled for the duration of that life, they could touch impure things such as the dead, the sick, and blood on behalf of those avoiding temporary Kegare.

This is exploitation point blank. And though this suggests outcasts had some agency when it came to their survival, it doesn't remove the systemic coercion driving their situation.

Please keep this in mind as I explain why Sukuna did nothing wrong.

Sukuna is Hinin

Though there is plenty of debate on what makes someone Hinin, the general consensus is the following:

"All agree that hinin were considered defiled by others in society and looked at with some contempt. One medieval reference book called the Chiribukuro explains that hinin and other outcast groups “are alike in that they are shunned by human society.”"

But when trying to define Hinin more narrowly, this is the result:

"the term hinin indicated a very specific group of social outcasts isolated from the community and cast aside due to disease or deformation. In his description of hinin, Nagahara explains that those referred to as “kojiki-hinin” were of the lowest social class, physically isolated from their families and communities and therefore excluded from society and economic activities in the medieval period."

Sounds like Sukuna, right?

Sukuna does not refer to himself as Hinin of course, but he does call himself 忌み子 (Imigo).

To quote myself from Part 1, Imigo can be translated as "Abominable Child", "Unwanted Child", or "Shunned Child." None of these translations in my opinion get across how severe Imigo is. It's closer to meaning "child who should've never been born". Like the child's very existence is an affront to god. (If you play Elden Ring the Omen are called Imigo in Japanese for this reason.)

And since we know that Sukuna is canonically a conjoined twin, aka someone with a visible deformity, this all indicates he was considered afflicted with a "karmic illness" that would classify him as Hinin.

This means that from birth, Sukuna was designated as fundamentally unclean and non-human. Within that society, there was no route he could take to remove himself from this uncleanliness and be seen as human.

The following views of Hinin were considered controversial for their time (during the Kamakura Era aka right after the Heian):

"Although Nichiren believed in the karmic nature of certain diseases, he also understood that this kind of disease was not a hindrance to salvation."

"Undoubtedly, Eison envisioned hinin as the physical representation of the Bodhisattva Monju and advocated that compassion and charity were the appropriate response to karmic illness."

And since these controversial views of *checks notes* considering Hinin worthy of compassion and salvation were documented after the Heian, I don't think it's unreasonable to assume Hinin had less advocates during the Heian.

In other words, Sukuna could not exist within human society without being shunned or exploited. The manga itself suggests this has always been the case.

As you can see Sukuna is absolutely miserable performing a ritual someone of this lower class would be responsible for overseeing. All while the people he is helping regard him with disgust. (By the way there is a purification ritual in Nara called Yamayaki that involves burning an entire mountainside. Something Sukuna's flames would be very good at.)

This is also from the same chapter where he's assaulted by Yorozu who assumes he's lonely because he's strong. She's wrong about this. Just like Kashimo who assumes Sukuna cares little for love for the same reasons he does.

Love from one person is worthless when compared to the nonstop ostracization that comes from institutional discrimination. At most, love can offer relief from that pain. It does not eliminate it. I'm saying this as a minority myself. I love my friends dearly and they love me as well, but I still wake up and go about my day with the soul-crushing knowledge that most wish for me to not exist.

Sukuna is not lonely because he's not loved. Uraume clearly does. It's that for circumstances beyond his control, he has been excluded from human society and forced to constantly be around people who exploit him for the very traits they scorn.

Sukuna pretty much confirms this himself when he talks to Mahito.

And you know what? Sukuna deciding to kill all the people exploiting him is completely justified. (Imo, he can even kill the non-sorcerers that discriminate against him as a treat.)

The Cannibalism was Justified too, for the most part.

Another thing to note about Sukuna. He was born starving and he died starving.

Famines and natural disaster were frequent and extremely hard on the commoner population during the Heian. The fact Sukuna was born starving indicates he was of lower birth to begin with since nobility hoarded the resources to avoid starvation for themselves.

One way for commoners dealt with famine was via foraging. We actually see Sukuna doing that when he meets Uraume.

Now there are several very interesting things we learn from this.

1) Sukuna hunts and eats elk/deer. Something massively taboo for the time. Especially since deer were considered sacred animals back then and even to this day.

2) He appears to wander around and owns very little. This is further in line with him being Hinin per the following:

"Clearly, welcome could be revoked at any time, which meant that hinin had to be prepared to leave any location at any given moment. This mobile lifestyle also meant that hinin could only afford to carry essential daily items, such as cooking utensils and begging bowls. The image also reveals that the hinin were never officially invited to stay in that particular area. Instead, they sought out their own locations to set up communities."

3) Despite Uraume being alive and fresh human meat, Sukuna does not immediately see them as food. Nor does he attack them. This, combined with him not taking the dead villagers for eating and preparing deer/elk instead, suggests that cannibalism is not the default for him.

Back to famines, it's also not unheard of for people to resort to cannibalism during them. The logic is simple: An outcast with no support network eats humans to survive.

And given the frequency of death from natural disasters of this time, there’s a real chance he never had to hunt humans in the first place. As Hinin, handling the dead is one of the few jobs he’s allowed to do. So it’s possible the worst thing he did was desecrate corpses in the name of scavenging.

Furthermore, if Sukuna is considered a non-human, is it even cannibalism to begin with? Is a hungry animal evil for eating a human?

I may consider Sukuna human because I refuse to partake in his dehumanization, but it needs to be understood that in the context of the JJK's story, there is not a single character that refers to Sukuna as a human. He's not even referred to as a man. He's either a curse, a monster, or at the very end, a sorcerer. Sukuna has been so dehumanized by others that he himself identifies as a "curse". This is also separate from "cursed spirit", leaving him in his own unique category of non-human.

Sukuna may not see eating other people as acts of cannibalism. After all, they are the ones who decided he was non-human at birth. (And since he is taboo, eating the deer/elk can’t make him more taboo than he already is.)

The following is an excerpt discussing the dehumanization of the starving:

"This strange image is from the Scroll of Hungry Ghosts and the huge emaciated creature depicted is just one of many of the numerous depictions of hungry ghosts or gaki. Invisible to humans, the gaki depicted are the spirits of greedy or jealous individuals karmically punished for their covetous thoughts with perpetual hunger for bodily excretions such as urine or feces."

"The protrusions of the stomach, the red-tinted hair, as well as the greying of the skin, are all genuine symptoms of starvation. In this light, our image appears significantly different. Instead of an invisible monster attacking a man, we have a disfigured and suffering human reaching out for humanity."

The phenomenon of hair during red or blond from starvation is called Kwashiorkor. Gege may be color blind, but Sukuna being depicted with pink or blond hair appears to be deliberate and in line with Kwashiorkor.

Sukuna was probably framed.

The only crimes Sukuna is accused of by Jujutsu Society is murder and cannibalism. As demonstrated by the previous section, there could be a pretty good reason for the cannibalism. But what about the murder?

Another thing that should be noted about Sukuna is how his destruction is largely retaliatory in the modern era. Every kill or kill attempt is made as a response to a challenge that was directed at him first.

When Sukuna first incarnates, Megumi says this to him:

Yuji may be Megumi's target, but remember that Kegare spreads through touch. Sukuna coming into contact with Yuji has made them both unclean. In other words, Sukuna has been informed that in this life, 1,000 years later, where he has yet to do any harm (Those comments about the women, children, and massacre are still sus, but they could've been about the Merger.), he will be attacked by sorcerers no matter what. It's not unreasonable for him to then attack them on sight.

But even when he does that, most of them survive until Shinjuku. During the culling games, Sukuna kills only 2 sorcerers—Ryu and Yorozu. Ryu is given a chance to walk away, but he doesn't. Uro flees and is spared. Yorozu is the sole person Sukuna seeks out to kill and that’s just for his Gojo plans.

And in that month Sukuna has before the showdown with Gojo? Nothing happens. He kills no one and just lounges around. Eating his own corpse is the only cannibalism. He absolutely could have eaten Tsumiki’s body to further crush Megumi’s soul, but he doesn’t.

Then when it comes to the actual showdown, Sukuna kills 3 sorcerers total. It's also very telling that after Sukuna is dead...no one blames him for what happened. They blame Kenjaku, hell even Gojo, but Sukuna isn't mentioned once. Higuruma is convinced that Sukuna was playing around. Kusakabe agrees that Sukuna’s manner of play isn't what they’re super worried about, it's Kenjaku.

The worst thing Sukuna does is Shibuya and that too has nuance to it. The twins aren't killed for fun. Sukuna punishes them for making demands of him. The citizens of Shibuya? Collateral from dealing with Jogo and Mahoraga. (He only really kills Haruta for the sake of it. And let's be real, he deserved that.)

And though the Shibuya civilian deaths are an objectively bad thing Sukuna has done, the fact they are not intentional gives credence to the idea that Sukuna didn't really target them in the past either. This suggests that the "murders" Sukuna did in the Heian were likely retaliation against people challenging him or trying to subjugate him. In other words, self defense.

And if he did wipe out a village, it was probably collateral. But that's kind of the thing. Did Sukuna even kill innocents by accident? The only confirmed kills of the Heian are those of the Subjugation and Military Squads. You know, people who may have attacked him for simply being "unclean".

Who am I kidding he absolutely was attacked for being “unclean”. This is how Angel talks about Sukuna and the incarnated.

She doesn’t care about saving the lives of innocents, all that matters to her are things that she deems evil are purged. Sukuna to Angel is ontologically evil and doesn’t deserve to exist. She targets him more than other incarnated players while ignoring Kenjaku who is responsible for this mess in the first place. She also quite literally did something she deemed wrong and evil so she could follow him into the future and make sure he died. (Move over Gojo Satoru we've got a new minority hunter.)

But it’s not like her attitude is new. Jujutsu Society is notorious for trying to kill things they deem "bad" such as Yuji and Yuta. The striking thing about the wanted executions of these literal children is that the higher ups giving the command make other sorcerers do it for them. Going back to the ideas of Kegare—spilling blood and touching corpses makes one impure so the outcasts are to deal with it. This is the logic driving their decision to coerce Yuta into a binding vow to kill Yuji.

("No matter how many cursed spirits you kill, it's proof of nothing!" <Please take note of how Yuta's good deeds do nothing to earn the higher ups' favor because he's seen as inherently evil.)

Yuta is essentially scapegoated through this manipulation and Yuji initially treats him like an enemy. In the same way characters like Kusakabe blame Gojo for refusing to execute Yuji. Despite the higher ups being responsible for the system functioning this way, the people they’re manipulating bear the brunt of responsibility to other characters.

Who's to say Sukuna isn't also a victim of this scapegoating? His power is comparable to a natural disaster. It would be very easy to blame one on him. After all, the higher ups of the Heian, the Fujiwaras, did exactly that to Uro.

Uro’s situation is much worse than Yuta’s however. She is a military slave. This distinction of military slave is important because unlike domestic slaves, they were allowed to rise through the ranks and be given awards despite their status.

And since Uro is a Sukuna parallel, there is a pretty good chance he was a slave at some point during the Heian.

Slavery in the Heian

A little detail I left out when discussing famine in the Heian. The asymmetrical wealth distribution was so severe during this time that commoners would sell themselves into slavery in hopes of not starving to death.

An example from the Kamakura Era (after the Heian):

"As the article shows, during the three years of the Kangi famine (1229-1232) and several recovery years following, various common people sold themselves, their relatives, and their retainers into slavery in exchange for sustenance. Not only would an amount be given to the seller, but also presumably whoever now owned the sold individual would be responsible for feeding and providing shelter for that individual. In this way, the common populations of Japan created a strategy for survival. There was no certainty that a new owner would fulfill this obligation, but the promise of reprieve from daily struggles was impetus enough for the sale."

Another example from the same era:

"A didactic tale from 1283 tells the story of a small family consisting of a mother and son, who after experiencing severe famine, came to the realization they would soon starve to death. In the hope of saving his mother, the young boy offers to sell himself into bondage, and although the mother disagrees, he goes ahead with the plan."

Yes this is as bad as it sounds, but there is one thing I would like to get out of the way—this slave system did not function anything like the chattel slavery during colonialism. Strangely enough, these slaves had some rights they could fight their owners in court over. They could pay off debts and be set free. They were allowed to be married and have children with those outside of their class. They were not kept in cages or in chains like animals. (Silver linings! /s)

The term used for these slaves was 奴婢 (Nuhi) which roughly translates to “bonded person”. This is more in the contractual sense rather than the physical sense since most were slaves by contract or debt.

This kind of sounds like something binding vows could do, right? Well binding vows share no kanji with Nuhi using 縛り(Shibari) instead. However, Sukuna introduces the concept of binding vows with chains and a handshake.

Sukuna was also born unwanted to a starving mother during a time when starving people sold themselves or their relatives into slavery to survive. This can mean a lot of things for his upbringing and none of them are pleasant.

Here is a summary of what jobs Nuhi did:

"As stated previously, wealthy households frequently obtained slaves and assigned them to various domestic tasks. However, sources further illuminate trafficking of women into the sex trade of Kamakura Japan."

If you noticed, Sukuna's Cursed Technique is perfect for this. He can chop up veggies, butcher fish, till farmland, slash and burn farmland, light fires, and every other non-violent thing a knife and fire can be used for. If he wasn't exploited for exorcising curses, he absolutely would've been exploited for domestic tasks.

And to get to much more depressing line of work Sukuna could've been subjected to as a child, I'd like to discuss why someone as masculine as him would be associated with women's work in the first place.

The Treatment of Women in Ancient Japan

"In Japan prior to the Heian and Kamakura periods, women played prominent roles in religious activities as miko, which was akin to a female medium or female shaman...Since miko functioned as a sacred and integral part in religious communities, issues of impurity did not appear to be an issue. Instead, it was Buddhist ideas that linked the female form to impurity."

With the introduction of Buddhism, women began to be seen as innately impure due to the blood and fluids associated with childbirth and mensuration.

"In the Heian period, Buddhist temples such as such as Enryakuji and Tōdaiji, began barring women from entering the premises due to their defiled nature."

"prominent Buddhist discourse painted women as innately defiled and therefore unable to achieve enlightenment in their own female bodies."

"To be born as an innately defiled female was considered a karmic punishment for past actions."

Though not ostracized as much as outcasts, women were seen as innately unclean in a similar vein to Sukuna. Women were expelled from religious institutions but not the courts, while outcasts were tolerated by religious institutions and barred from the courts. (The courts and temples operated independently of each other, which is why it was possible for noble women to hold power despite being designated as unclean.)

A few months ago I made a joke about this panel:

"Sukuna’s two options were helping Uraume transition or becoming a girl himself."

This is still mostly a joke, but I do think Sukuna identifies more with women than with men. Not that Sukuna is a girl, but that he relates to them and their struggles better. (Keep in mind he does wear a women's yukata and a men's obi at the same time as Yujikuna.)

It's important to note is that this mystery woman here wears the clothes of a Miko or Shrine Maiden/Priestess—the main group of women that was displaced and persecuted because of the new religious doctrine. And like every other group without a proper social safety net, selling themselves into slavery became a survival strategy. They did have other options of course. In the case of Asobi, the Priestess that used to serve the courts, turned to entertainment and sex work after their exclusion.

"Either riding in boats or setting up shop on busy routes to the capital and religious sites, Goodwin argues that these performers were part of independent, possibly female-run organizations, which were not stigmatized until the later part of the Kamakura period. However, as Wakita Haruko has examined, at least some women involved in sexual entertainment were female indentured servants, serving as security on a loan issued by their parents."

In this way, the exact identity of the Miko in Sukuna's path may not matter. She might be a representation of those who accepted their exclusion and did their best to survive on society's terms. If the South choice is meant to represent returning to who Sukuna used to be, then it can also mean the types of struggles Mikos faced are his as well.

However, there was a temple that continued to accept women as followers—the Muroji Temple in Nara. Interestingly enough, this temple contains an inner sanctuary devoted to the founder of Shingon Buddhism, the type of Buddhism Tengen brought over. The mountain this temple is located on is also associated with a dragon spirit. Since there is historical precedent of at least one temple accepting a group of people seen as innately impure, a place like this may have also been a sanctuary for Sukuna.

With the information we have, it's not really possible to know exactly what awful thing happened to Sukuna. The most important takeaway from this is that the suffering he experienced was systemic. He didn't get unlucky with a few ignorant and bad people. This was the direct result of the Heian class system dehumanizing people. In other words, his choices were severely limited.

Sukuna's Other Choice

Going North with Uraume appears to be very similar what he did back in the Heian—taking in an abandoned child and looking after them. What makes this choice slightly different this time around is that the class system that oppressed him no longer exists in the modern era. Yes, he’ll absolutely face discrimination for being deformed, but the complete denial of his humanity at every turn for his appearance is gone. He won’t be treated as untouchable and inherently evil. Legally speaking, he has drastically more rights. Violence won’t be his only option moving up in the world.

I will always loathe that Sukuna had to die to obtain this. And that the “reformed” modern Jujutsu Society refuses to acknowledge the systemic failures of their institution. Kusakabe makes it very clear he still believes the immediate extermination of anything deemed “evil” is a valid way to go about things, even if it means the death of a child…as long as he doesn’t have to do it. (Hence him blaming Gojo for it, just like the higher ups.) After the fight, everyone passes blame around, absolves themselves of any wrongdoing, and decides no one is really at fault.

There were people at fault for this. There are institutions at fault for this. But their failure to confront those things directly is probably why Sukuna rejected Yuji’s offer so viciously. Instead of trying to understand Sukuna on his own terms, Yuji showed him the value of a simple life he was never allowed to have, then told him to die or go back into the cage.

Yuji offered Sukuna pity but no autonomy, which is exactly the way Hinin were treated by the religious institutions of old.

"However, Hosokawa argues that even in veneration of hinin as representations of Manjusri, Buddhist monks continue to discriminate against this outcast group and further perpetuate their low position in society. Hosokawa explains that although activity involved in charitable works towards hinin, Eison cared little about the salvation of hinin because he saw outcasts as divine only within the context of the ritual of assembly. Therefore, all charitable works directed at hinin were merely ceremonial. Hosokawa advocates the view that Eison believed hinin lacked ‘nature,’ meaning they were unable to study or practice Buddhism. Essentially, without nature, they had no ability to escape the cycle of re-birth through the study of Buddhism."

Sukuna even thinks of modern sorcerers like the ones of old. Why would he ever want to return to that?

His goals are simple; eat, play, and pass time until his dies. That’s not really evil now is it? But the people attacking him don’t know that. None of them ever stopped to asked because they assume him existing freely will bring evil.

But what does Sukuna do when he’s given a month-long truce a body he completely controls? He does what every minority group does when they are no longer being actively oppresed���he rests. He doesn’t go around killing or tormenting for fun. With his newfound freedom he secludes himself and lounges.

The fight in Shinjuku is essentially a group of well-meaning people from a corrupt institution beating an outcast that was ostracized by it into submission. Albeit for very good reasons.

Why did this fight change his mind?

If Sukuna is basically reliving past trauma via the Shinjuku fight, why did he decide this group of sorcerers was worth listening to? The simple answer of course is he lost to them. Sukuna believes the strong impose their will and the weak follow suit.

I don’t think that’s quite right. Sukuna used to be weak too. He was a child once. He used to controlled by others stronger than him. By his own logic he should’ve stayed like that, but he trained to get stronger and eventually rebelled.

Since Sukuna is a known liar and hides his feelings under several layers of repression, I’m inclined to believe this statement is also smokescreen. And after reading the Uraume Epilogue I am certain of this. But for now let’s revisit the Shinjuku fight, starting from the battle that made me realize Sukuna is indeed a pathetic sopping wet cat underneath it all—Sukuna vs Gojo.

Sukuna vs Gojo

Something fans picked up on during this fight was how Gojo dogwalked Sukuna when it came to Hand to Hand (H2H) combat. During their fight, Sukuna fails to land a single punch on Gojo’s face. It takes Yuta possessing Gojo’s body and fumbling around in it for Sukuna to finally punch that face. But it’s not just Gojo he sucks at with H2H combat. It’s everyone. Here is a compilation of Sukuna getting hit in the head or face.

This seems to conflict with Sukuna’s ability to learn anything visually. He sees someone do something and he can copy it immediately. This contradiction can be explained by him being Hinin.

Sukuna was considered an untouchable. Educated people were of a higher class and believed unclean things like him were to be avoided at all costs. This means that whatever education Sukuna obtained for himself was always at a distance. Aka watch and copy. And since H2H is mostly taught through body to body contact, Sukuna wasn’t allowed a proper sparing partner outside of the attempts to kill him.

In Part 2, I go over Sukuna’s fraud allegations for his copying of Gojo in particular. This is what lead me to realize that Sukuna spent 6 months plotting to kill a guy he met for 10 seconds. This insane level of pre-planning is also shaped by him being Hinin.

We know for a fact that Sukuna hunts deer/elk and that it’s safe to assume he driven to this because of his Hinin status. If you know anything about hunting, it’s that most of it is playing psychological mind games with creatures that are somehow complete geniuses despite having 2 brain cells. You don’t chase after a deer with a gun, you become obsessed with them. You study every little habit of theirs; when they hunger, what they eat, and where they defecate. Using this information, you set up the bait and wait in hiding for the perfect opportunity to kill them.

This is pretty much what Sukuna does to Gojo. He’s got a hunter’s obsession with him. In Part 4, I explain how this obsession might actually be unhinged courtship, but I don’t lay out why Gojo of all people seemingly means this much to Sukuna. This too can be explained by him being Hinin.

I’ve said it over and over, Gojo and Sukuna are twin flames. They are the strongest, isolated, dehumanized, exploited, self-taught, and really bad at showing affection. Part of this obsession is driven by Sukuna seeing himself in Gojo. He's being ordered around by others weaker than him in the same way Sukuna used to be.

But take note of this “I owe you a debt.” It’s easy to assume he means payback for punching him in the face. However…Gojo did actually do Sukuna a massive favor. He suspended his execution, even if it was primarily to save Yuji.

As I discussed before, Kegare was infectious. You touch something unclean and you become unclean yourself. By laws of Jujutsu Society and by social stigma around Kegare, Sukuna made Yuji equally as impure as himself. And Gojo went screw that, I’m going to look after you. He gave Yuji direct lessons, made sure all his basic needs were met, and treated him like a human. Behind everyone’s backs he hid the final finger, intending to let Yuji live for the duration of his natural life.

To Sukuna, Gojo is someone who would have taken him in and advocated for his humanity under different circumstances. Gojo is someone Sukuna would’ve loved to have as a teacher. And so he copies him. He learns and improves his own sorcery as if Gojo had intentionally taught him.

Through the Shinjuku fight, his experiences within Yuji, and Megumi’s memories, Sukuna gets a taste of what could’ve been. With Megumi in particular, he also gets to see what it’s like to be raised by someone who actually cares. Though not intentional, this is how Gojo teaches Sukuna love. This is why when Sukuna looks at Gojo, he thinks about love.

Sukuna choosing to go with Uraume is him copying Gojo one last time. After seeing that even if you’re isolated, exploited, and miserable, there’s still fulfillment in using your power to make sure someone else doesn’t go through what you did. It may not remove all that pain, but it makes it easier.

And bringing back Kegare’s opposite Hare (晴れ). The kanji used are in the Appare Da (天晴れだ) when Sukuna tells Gojo, “You cleared my skies.” (The Da at the end of this statement means it was pretty heartfelt too.) With this additional context, I think it can be taken to also mean that Gojo made Sukuna feel like he wasn’t impure.

Sukuna vs Yuji

Yuji and Megumi are the ones who ultimately make Sukuna realize that it's worth pursing guardianship regardless of marital status or blood relation. They are the two of Gojo’s students/children that are directly compared to Uraume.

Yuji who is also the same as Sukuna, fills the role of Gojo when he first chooses to look after Megumi. When he prevents Megumi from being sold by his father. Sukuna has seen both versions of this memory.

Since Sukuna is a twin to Wasuke and they are also the same, JJK 265 is Yuji showing Sukuna an entire alternate universe of the normal life he could've lived if he had been seen as human.

And even if he can’t ever be seen as human or live normally, Megumi tells him it’s ok to be improper and cherish someone anyways.

None of these 3 realize how greatly they’ve affected Sukuna. He barely admits to it even in death. But Sukuna had secretly wanted this from the start. The cracks started showing when he first tried to teach Megumi in his special little tsundere shark way.

There's also something to be said about Uraume making it to adulthood in a time where famine was rampant and parents would sell their children into slavery just to eat. Their cursed technique manifested around the age of 6, just like Megumi. The fact they survived means Sukuna was already doing a pretty good job as their guardian.

Other Things this Changes

I'm also looking at Sukuna's fondness towards Jogo in a whole new light. I thought that Jogo wanting nothing of him was the main reason he was favored. But there's more to it that that. It’s that he regards Sukuna’s life as inherently valuable. Jogo believes in a world where Sukuna has the right to exist as he is and how he wants. No one will try to control him or condemn him for something he had no say in.

He also stands out in his devotion to curses of any background. Mahito basically looks like a human, Choso and his brothers are half human, Sukuna is fully human, and Jogo accepts them all no questions asked. He’s willing to fight for people who exist differently than himself.

There's also that added “wanting to be seen as human” element. Jogo’s world is one where Sukuna would finally be seen as human. It’s the same logic that drove Choso to side with the Disaster Curses. He knew how difficult human society would make the lives of his brothers (both of which have 2 faces like conjoined twins), so he chose to fight for a world where that kind of discrimination no longer existed. (Which is why it's really sad he died and no one mourned him properly.)

And yes we can condemn the mass slaughter of humans as the wrong way to go about this. But the core problem is that Jujutsu Society branded them as taboo and in need of extermination or containment. They were driven into a corner and believed violence was the only way out. The only reason Choso was able to change was other sorcerers giving him a chance despite the hurt he caused. Something Sukuna didn't get outside of the offer to be caged.

Am I being too lenient with Sukuna here?

Absolutely. I am extremely biased.

To me at least, the type of "evil" Sukuna is has a lot nuance. It is very significant that someone as strong as him, who could basically do whatever he wanted (theoretically), took one willing servant in a time where slavery was widely practiced. (If you read the linked document, it's kind of up for debate how legal slavery was at the time.) It's also significant that the Heian crimes he was accused of were limited to cannibalism and murder. He's clearly got rules about his evilness and I really like that about him. I wanted to find the logic driving them and I think I've finally struck gold.

This didn't fit anywhere nicely. But consider the following:

"Earthly sins, on the other hand, were those that only affected individuals or forbidden actions, such as rape or cutting living flesh."

Sukuna's CT cuts living flesh. His very CT was considered impure in the Heian. The flames however, are more aligned with purification. It's just a neat little thing that shows Sukuna's duality imo.

He's also really good at archery. And though this is likely because his flame CT is a bow, he probably got good at it to hunt deer/elk on top of temple duties. (Just another way he enjoys corrupting the divine.)

But please remember, the only reason I've done all of this is because of Umineko's...

Without love, it cannot be seen.

[slavhew]

And I just have to tell you that I

Love you so much these days,

[koushirouizumi]

This A.M.V. is part of the “A.M.V.s Route” of my Digimon Adventures Koushiro Izumi-centric, semi canon compliant A.U.s series; REPEAT?_VERSE (Please note all notes on that series if you choose to view it!) This one is an A.U. spinoff of sorts, with a pretty, “calm” song; and can easily be watched as a standalone!

(For the Fic Route version, it can be read on AO3 at that link!) {Please consider checking out the fic version, which goes into much more context on their relationship!!}

Part 33 of the Fic Route version; a spinoff A.U. of A.U.s chapter, relates directly to this A.M.V., however the A.M.V. was made before that fic part! {It also contains many more contexts for this specific A.M.V. in fic form, however!!} (*Recommended to view AFTER finishing at least up to Part 24 of the Fic Route, but it can also be read as a standalone if you're all right with fic endgame spoilers!)

Note: Many more AMVs for this series have been made since this particular one, which was originally made to close out the "1st Phase"/Set of A.M.V.s! Please see this post, made later than this post was, for most of the rest of the AMVs currently in this series!

{D I G I M O N} x K a g e r o u P r o j e c t ~ S U M M E R T I M E R e c o r d (NEW Ver.) {Short Pre-view}

*Contains minimal Tri "spoiler" for "Kyousei" end sequence; "Aikotoba"

This is a FAN-WORK. No $$$ is being made off this work.

Summer Time Record (C) J I N

{@.M.V. by Me} {DO NOT RE-POST} {DO NOT COPY} {DO NOT RE-PRODUCE My Works Under any Circumstances WITHOUT MY PERMISSION}

Note: -This video’s embed may randomly not display at times, Showing like it’s “down”, but it’s not at this time! {It usually happens late at night[s] or seemingly when Tumblr and/or Vimeo is experiencing very high traffic} If that happens, please consider watching the Direct link here!

[fernflowerss]

When you make it out of the trenches, move on to new fandoms and still occasionally reblog a fanart

But then on a quiet october sunday tommyinnit and jack appear at your doorstep with The Grief

[the-kr8tor]

Epilogue

Navigation

Thread the Needle Masterlist

CHAPTER 10 <<<

3 years later.

Hobie lounges on the roof of his boat, a thick blanket under him, sunset bearing down on his form painting him in an orange glow, the heat from the sun melting him. Sweat dribbles on his temple, arms in full display, savouring the last days of summer. Waves laps softly at the sides of the boat, rocking him to a sleepy state. He looks content with his arm under his head, eyes closed, hand cold with condensation from his drink.

There's still that missing piece in his heart, longing and waiting. It's practically painless now, a dull ache whenever he sees remnants of you.

Late night calls through bleary eyes and tired muscles help wade him through it. With Letters slowing down, he doesn't seem to mind as long as he knows you're safe and happy wherever you go. But he can't help it whenever his heart seeks you out.

Hobie's finger grazes the pockets of his leather vest laying next to him. it's well worn and loved, cloth having indents and scars, a proof that he lived through it all. His pinky instinctively feels for the polaroid tucked inside, crinkled and folded a hundred times. With a soft smile on his lips when the mental image of it appears in his mind's eye. He Memorized every detail of it, from your tight grip on him to your grin under the dim light of his bedroom.

"Heard you're looking for a roommate"

Hobie opens his eyes lightning quick, elbows sitting him up from his position. He thinks he's still dreaming of you. Frozen, eyes glued to your familiar form yet different from what he's used to, from what he's learned by heart. The pictures you've sent don't do the real thing any justice.

Hands on your suitcases, you drop it theatrically when he rushes towards you. Elated, Hobie jumps off the roof with the same finesse of a cat. Arms outstretched, you giggle when his body reaches yours with a thud. He sweeps you off your feet, clinging, twirling you around.

His arms fit around you just like how you remembered it. Fingers tracing the muscles on his back, you take a big whiff of his scent, leather and citrus with something you don't quite recognize from before, yet it calms you all the same.

The embrace lasts for a hot minute, hands roaming, trying to remember how the other feels. Heartbeats syncing together once again.

Hobie resists the urge to pull away but the heat makes it difficult. Eyes glossy, he pulls away, still holding you as closely as the warmth could let him without suffocating you. He takes you in, taking all the new details to heart. Your eyes crinkling to a smile, the same ones that's currently doing the same to him.

You notice new lines on his young face, tracing it carefully with your thumb, his ring still on your middle finger, dutifully watching over you the entire time you were away.

"Hi, Wallace" you say through happy tears. Eyes shining bright.

"What?–How?...You?" He fumbles with his words. Chuckling, you get the desired reaction from him when you intentionally didn't tell him about you coming back home.

You're back to old habits, teasing him. "There's this thing called a plane, invented years ago I think– oof"

He doesn't let you finish your sarcasm laced sentence, pulling you back to his chest, warm hand behind your head, caressing, reminding him that you're back and not just some mirage from the heat.

You sigh in his hold, cheek right next to his steadying heartbeat, arms wrapped around his torso just like before.

"I'm home" you say softly, eyes tightly closed, breathing calm at his mere touch.

"For a visit?" He hopes.

You look up at him, a grin spreading on your lips, fingers looped around his necklace. "For good"

Cupping your face, calloused hands soft against your skin. You hold his hands right on top of his, kneading and tender.

"Welcome home" Hobie closes the distance, eyes fluttering shut, you don't miss a beat to kiss him back, lips moving with him. The touch you've both yearned for finally satisfied.

"Sorry, for making you wait" you say in between breathless kisses. He kisses you deeper, already missing you from the split second unlinking of lips.

You pick up where you left off, both changed yet it seems like time hasn't passed with every caress and kiss.

Breath hitching, you're more than ready to continue spending your life with him by your side again. You seep back in his marrow, staying there as long as he's willing to have you.

He smiles blissfully, heart finally full again.

A/N: Again, thank you all for the love! If you want more TTN! Hobie feel free to request, I'm more than happy to fulfill it! (I will forever miss this story)

Let me know your thoughts! Ly ❤️

[sonofsaviors]

"I hope so. It would be nice if I have kids or something." Logan had never really expressed much romantic interest in anyone else, although he could be friendly and affectionate towards people he was familiar with. But he had never really been in love. He thought; surely he would know what that would feel like if he had experienced it before.

The young Savior preened at the compliment, smiling happily. "Thanks! Yeah, I told her the same thing when it was all finished up." He smoothed his fingers over the skin, feeling quite proud of it. "She said we should definitely do color once we can either find or make good ink."

"You ever think that walkers will just... stop bein' a thing?" Logan asked; he was full grown, but there was almost - almost - a childish note of hope in his voice as he looked at her. It was easy to forget that he was a child when the Fall occurred, just starting life, and growing through a world that had drastically and forever changed. "That sounds good, Ma." He agreed, nodding his head and eager to move on from thinking of what his life could of been, and what ifs. The most he could deal with was the present.

Logan grinned at the comment, moving his arm this way and that so Carol could see the full tattoo. "Couple of weeks. Laura did it for me. We raided a tattoo shop a while back, just looking for anything useful. And you know I've been wanting to add more to it." He hugged her gently, despite his size; Ma was one of the most important people to him.

[ceaselessims]

so i'm guessing the london exclusion zone has become similar to the hilltop center, where it's the place that things from other worlds spit out from, and that's why we can hear some Things where Sam lands, but also know that the apocalypse is over in the TMA-verse

[pika-bitch-iii]

In the spirit of Christmas and also in light of the epilogues, welcome to Ways I Keep Myself Busy, otherwise known as wedding pinterests! I think it’s a fun exercise figuring out personal styles vs couple styles.

(I like multishipping and planning weddings, Sue me)

Toga Himiko/Uraraka Ochako

Toga Himiko/Yaoyorozu Momo

Toga Himiko/Hatsume Mei

Todoroki Shouto/Midoriya Izuku

Shinsou Hitoshi/Midoriya Izuku

Todoroki Shouto/Sero Hanta

Uraraka Ochako/Bakugou Katsuki

Feel free to make suggestions or add your own concepts/boards ;)

[aslanzounder]

I have to speak my truth.

[the-apocrypha]

Dude, I gotta tell you how much I appreciated your cottagecore update. Honestly, it was just what I needed today. Any time I see an update from you, instantly i'm just ~~~my crops are watered, my skin is clear, my headache is evaporated~~~ Instant balm, Aquaphor for the soul.

I also love how you're blending the lovey aesthetic ~cottage~ material with the -they live in a shack in the woods and nature has a hit out on their lives- material. That's why hurt and comfort go so well together; you really need one for the other to make its fullest impact, and you've got that down pat. Mmmpf, it's the endurance, and the grit, and the perseverance- so inspiring!

(Also, as an additional aside, your style of writing to me is proof that you can be both poetic and characterized and elegant- and succinct. Important stuff for an overly wordy bug like myself.)

I pray for good news about the life of Cat as well, I hold out hope that she survived Eskham, if just to terrorize Dream and Hob more.

Oh my goodness, this message totally made my day. Wow. Thank you so much! I absolutely have my own authors whose writing is also an InstaCure for That Which Ails You, and it's an honor to be that for another person.

The cottagecore setting is actually pretty convenient, as writing goes, because it's historical + magic, which means I can make things exactly as easy or as difficult as I need to depending on what the narrative calls for. We get a little bit of sitting cozily before the fire with your embroidery and your whittling, and we also get bedpans and moldy hay.

I especially appreciate your comment about my writing style, because I honestly feel like I don't have much of one! I am not very poetic, by nature, and most of what I write feels very functional. Brevity it always something that I am striving for, though. A lot of my writing process is typing things out, reading it, and then finding a shorter way to say it.

(Cat is the dark horse of this series, I swear to god, you are one of many demanding for her rescue. A GENTLE REMINDER THAT TRANSFORMATIVE WORKS ARE WELCOME, FOLKS.)

[sinclairmaxwellao3]

Epilogue!

[not-freyja]

WIP Game

tagged by @uniquevoidflowers, thank you Uni! (Starting a new chain cause that was getting long, lol). Name of the game is I tell everyone the names of my WIPs and y'all can ask me about them. Sounds fun!

Legend of Zelda / LU:

This Is An Adjuration: currently updating, original linkverse story with character designs from LU. Slow burn tragedy / platonic love story.

Winds of War: working title, most likely going to change. Wind's Adjuration Epilogue

Fractured: working title, probably going to change. The surviving Colors’ Adjuration Epilogue

[Redacted]'s Adjuration Epilogue, yet unnamed

[Other Redacted]'s Adjuration Epilogue, still no name

[Another redacted Link]'s Adjuration Epilogue, it'll get a name when I nail down the vibes

Emerald: Backstory Ravioli oneshot, unrelated to Adjuration technically, but set in that verse. Like, the context for this art right here.

Vidow oneshots. Like 4 or five of them.

Game Over. Continue? : a choose your own adventure LU Dungeon crawl.

Like three Ravioli PWPs that I might be convinced to post under my handle instead of anonymous author

Star Trek:

The Actual Wrath of Khan: second to last installment in the Doubt the Stars 'verse. Co-written with @straight-outta-hobbiton, and will update when we make our brains sync again. So... *shrugs*

The Oracular Refrain: timeloop ST 2009 fix-it fic.

Call Me When you Get There: also co-written with Hobbit. It's getting a full re-write at some point, maybe by myself if friend doesn't want to go back to it.

Original Fiction:

The Prisoners of Terra

Lost En Route

What's Up with Arleta?

That... is a lot more than I thought it was going to be. Huh. Neat! Okay, now I tag.... (with no pressure!)

@straight-outta-hobbiton @needfantasticstories @hotcheetohatredwastaken @life-in-winter @mika-13 @unexpectedstormy @kisnroses and literally anyone who sees this and wants to play!

[sonxofxgondor]

@tcbefearless asked: 'not a pretty description, but it suffices '

Sentence Starters: Agatha Christie! \\ Lothiriel

Colored to cedar both in eye and hair, the rays of brunette warmed to traits more familial than distant. Born of a countenance that Boromir could recall without strain, the lineaments from the branch of Imrahil, the side of his mother and her complexion. Kindness felt from the mere presence of her - the touch from the hand of Lothiriel - silver wrapped around her finger. No more a child but rather a woman married, the bride of Eomer and the Queen of Rohan. Proud and generous, diplomatic was what the court had dared to call their reunion, her and Boromir beneath the White Tree. A council of relations between the peoples made whole again; the Steward and the Queen. Commanders to the worries of their own kind, as unakin to cousins as could be, the very least in family happiness. Conversation free from the concerns of political negotiation, however, Boromir relished in her company, the taste of sweetened tea and baked treats.

Cup hot to the grasp still, corners of the mouth coated lightly in shortbread cookie crumbs, stories and tales were shared between the pair as if no time had passed. Battle victories and the spoils of war; the promise of good harvest and bountiful flowers come to bloom. All the land reborn, made anew come the end of Sauron, life from it better than before. More ample, the dreams that Boromir had hoped would come to pass come the finish of his journey, the battle against his woes. A wish granted from the heavens above; the prayers that had become answered, the skies over Gondor never to be darkened in the name of misery again. Boromir could find pleasure in his peace. Harmony in the lack of tension, serenity in the chance to be able to breathe without having to look over his shoulder. Boromir could take his happiness completely. Selfishly, with both hands, fingernails sunk deep into, smile that could go for days and days.

Choosing his next victim upon the tray brought to them both by the cook, a glass so clear that not a sole speck of dust dared to corrode, Boromir chewed into a second cookie. Soft and able to melt from the first touch of the tongue, chocolate chips and brown sugar, a delight that was addictive, temptation that gave reason to almost taking a third so soon.

"Had I not known you, dear cousin, I would have sworn you were one of my Gondor soldiers upon the battle field!"

Boromir grinned, cleaning his fingertips with the cloth provided, ivory then stained tawny, the slight smear of chocolate. "Do remind me, you are speaking about the birth of one of your horses, yes? Gorgeous creatures, aren't they? Your husband has promised to show me some of Rohan's best the next time I come to visit. I plan to hold the both of you to that! Oh! Lothiriel! It has been so good to see you. I have missed you so. It seems only yesterday you were following Faramir and I around, trying to best us at sword-play. You were always very skilled - and I do mean that. But now... now you are a queen. As beautiful and as smart as always, if not more so. My cousin, I feel so terribly old! Where has all the time gone to?"

[forebodingprophet]

The Valentine's Festival

@b-raypokemontime

By the time they got off the boat, Anastasios was exhausted- mostly from having to deal with a cooped up Hikaze and an overly-excited Celia. Xander had at least been... reasonably well-behaved- at least compared to the other two, but even he'd been jittery.

"I feel like I'm the only one here acting my age," Anastasios muttered as they disembarked.

"You're acting like a stick-in-the-mud, is what you're acting like. My behavior is totally reasonable for a teenager," Hikaze retorted.

"Shut up, you! You're still in trouble for that stunt you pulled in Galar. Arceus, I hope no one recognizes us." Hundreds of people had seen that spectacle, and while travel from Galar to OKI wasn't easy, it was certainly being done for this festival.

"MOM!" The sound of Xander's yell caught Anastasios' attention, and he quickly found the person the fox had spotted.

"Uggghhh... I told her not to come get us," Anastasios muttered under his breath. "Now it's gonna be a whole spectacle."

Hikaze, blantantly ignoring him, also ran towards the figure.

"Nee-sama! Thanks for coming to get us!"

Anastasios trudged up last, holding onto an excited Celia like her arm as a leash and clearly already worn out.

"Can we just get somewhere I can be away from these three? Please?" Anastasios sighed.

[iriysse]

over the shoulder

Inbox Answered---

--- Body language screamed a warning, the expression painted on her face mirrored in her hands on hips and determined stare through black lashes. Fierce defiance in her steel eyes . . . Aredhel was not moving. Pros of course were limited, and cons were rather rampant. She knew that if she actually was going to try and stand against him, there was a strong possibility she'd lose. He was a warrior with a feralness in his blood she lacked-- not that she even wanted to fight him, this wasn't about fighting him, it was about stopping him. He wasn't listening to reason, as brilliant as he was, and Elbereth, she had to do something!

"This isn't wisdom and you know it. You're headed right into a trap and you don't seem to care, you stubborn uruk."Hypocrisy at its finest "I don't know what you're allowing to cloud your judgment about this, but I'm asking you to reconsider, if only for a moment, before you get yourself killed for naught."she actually had the gall to glare, arms crossing her chest, looking more like an upset fishwife than a centuries old elleth who had seen countless years of darkness and danger and somehow survived them. That truly was the trouble, for all her blustering, she was fearful for him. Fearful that he would not return if he walked out of that tent, and for a moment that fear shone beyond her clear disdain of his decision.

She nearly folded then, some part of her searching for some sort of middle ground and failing against what she saw as perfectly obvious. Of course she quickly once more found her ire as he approached, and she held her head high in challenge. Up she went upon his shoulder so suddenly she gave a squawk of indignation. "ADAR!" his name was growled in her throat as she tried to heave herself free and failed beneath his grip. "Let me go!" Beating against his back was useless, her fist meeting nothing but armor which turned her protest into a low "Ow." as she cradled her hand for a moment and then with a huff tried to at least not flop about.

"Grach--fine! You insufferable bastard---" she bit off her own words before she could complete them with another growl of frustration. Damn him. Damn him. Damn. Him. Damn him for making her care.

[styrien]

❝ I cannot remember the artist, ❞ I do find myself wincing at that, but what girl of sixteen is at all concerned with the painter of her portrait? Well, perhaps many, but he'd not captured my attention so much as the vanity that had accompanied it. A birthday present from my father, the little thing had been, not overly grand but still a well enough likeness. ❝ But it hung in our hall, in Austria. Surely it could not be too difficult - could it? ❞

@lamourstre.