#where is hous :(

[charmac]

On Sunny, sometimes sacrificing the idea of what’s funniest to prioritise what makes most sense for the story they’re telling … EXACTLY.

[feral-geges]

Fangs of Fortune Ep.12 (2024)

[highlynerdy]

Don't forget what you promised me.

Fangs of Fortune / 大梦归离

[mutantfactor]

Fangs of Fortune 𓆩𓆪 Zhuo Yichen & Zhao Yuanzhou

[niinnyu]

Here's why I think jjk 261 is bad writing and wasted potential.

I've tried to separate more objective stuff and my opinions so I've made them into separate sections.

1. Jjk 260: I've already stated my issues with how jjk 260 ended and this applies tenfold now with this chapter. Buildup to sidestep to something completely different nullifies your buildup and is jarring to read. You also cannot blame villains in the story for undermining a character if you, as the author, keep doing it.

2. Okkotsu Yuuta's character: Yuuta's plan and willingness to use Gojo's body if he dies feels incredibly ooc and very uncompelling.

Yuuta is one of the few characters who's been able to see glimpses of the slightly more human side of Gojo "The Strongest" Satoru (he was my one and only/love is the most twisted curse of all). He has *just* seen the catastrophic consequences of a body used by someone else as a weapon. He was willing to go against a villain purely so that Gojo wouldn't have to.

You're telling me the same Yuuta was that ready to use his sensei's body and brought to anger when someone questioned the ethics of it?

Yuuta saying 'if no one else has the guts to then I will' means nothing becauseif his idea of becoming a monster includes using Gojo's body then he is the only one who can do it. All while implying cowardice of the others for "not having the guts to do so" (while being in Maki's presence and with Yuuji's absence, both of whom have been not self described as monsters).

Yes this is him stepping up to the task of being the strongest. But it doesn't feel like the big sacrifice of his humanity he says he doesn't care it being, if he's okay with it the moment the possibility of having to do so comes into light.

It just comes off as cocky and inhumane. And if that *is* Yuuta's character now, show me reason to believe this shift in personality in him specifically.

Also if Yuuta gets so mad at Gojo for being the "monster alone", why is his solution to do exactly that.

The easiest way to have the same events play out, but keep characters intact and have it be much more compelling would be:

Yuuta is presented with the plan of using Gojo's body. Have Meimei or Kusakabe, who've never really interacted with Gojo in any meaningful way to see him as more than his power, bring it up. Or maybe while brainstorming with everyone he comes to theconclusion himself with a lot of dread.

Yuuta immediately rejects the plan because he wouldn't do that to his sensei. Him having to throw his humanity away isn't his issue. He won't allow something like this happen again. And especially not to Gojo whom this was used against firsthand. He plans to kill Kenjaku himself.

Yuuta is reminded that if push comes to shove they still might have to if Sukuna continues to pose a large threat, but since he's the only one who can, it'll finally be only his decision. A panel of internal dialogue shows that Yuuta knows this is true.

Yuuta gets the formality "permission" from Gojo. Gojo says "who cares what happens to my body once I'm dead" and Yuuta *then* gets angry because Gojo of all people knows that he should care. Yuuta notices how Gojo also sees himself only as a weapon for others and calls him out on taking the burden all by himself (being a monster alone).

Fast forward to when Yuuta is dying and being kept alive by Shoko, Nitta, and Amai, Yuuta knows that Sukuna is still going strong and he has no choice but to use Kenjaku's CT against all his hopes because he knows he needs to.

Not only does this align with Yuuta's character a bit more, as someone who cares a lot for the people in his life including Gojo, and abides by his concern people at large, it also gives us a moment to see how heavy an ask it is of Yuuta, and forces the reader to be much more sympathetic of the choice he's had to make. How he'd rather not have done this and only went through because he's desperate.

3. Gojo's influence: This chapter essentially disregards any influence Gojo has had thoughout the story outside of having physical.

The main reason he'd not killed the higher ups waaay before now was because he knew the people who'd take their place would continue to pull the same shit.

Gojo ideology and the reason he went into teaching was to bring about a new generation of sorcerors who would know better. To dismantle the system that doesn't see sorcerors as more than dispensable tools for their power balance purposes, from the inside out.

I've seen people talk about how this ending for Gojo is significant because he isn't an exception to the cruel jujutsu system. Yes! True! He's been facing that his whole life! And that is exactly what he'd hoped to change through his students!

Yuuta using Gojo's body for his power feels like something the higher ups would not think twice about ordering. This was the perfect opportunity to show that the kids Gojo brought up *despite* this system are better than what the higher ups were.

And although throughout his life he too was not exempt as a jujutsu sorceror of being seen as solely his power (he'd also never allow anyone to see him otherwise). He sees, right at the end, these kids that he's helped train, and grow, and keep alive, know just a little better. Know *of* the human behind the power even if they don't *know* him.

OR! If you wanna stay grim about it, show that Gojo failed in this endevour. That the system still continues. Yuuta has made himself a weapon that is used because of his CT and Rika. That Yuuji has only ever been seen as a vessel, he'l he was created solely as one. That Yuuta goes to great lengths to keep his friends safe and Yuuji does so because he's already (kinda) lost them. Show that *they* still hold onto the parts that make them more than tools even if the system still doesn't.

And acknowledge the failure that it is on his part.

Because with this chapter Gojo, even just narratively, continues to be just a weapon.

Below the cut are my pretty coloured opinions about the chapter.

1. Payoff followed by setup and why Shibuya is still some of Gege's best writing: (ended up being long and not specific to this chapter so I'll make it it's own post lol)

2. Okkotsu Yuuta: I am frankly tired by the amount of importance Yuuta has been getting since the culling games ended. The only real narrative significance he has is being a student of and related to Gojo and the previous protagonist. He has no arc, no narrative weight, no personal stakes that other don't have.

He was an interesting character back when he was first reintroduced into the main story. As an unbiased executioner who would be there to kill Yuuji if Sukuna took over, both a threat but also an ally until then. The framing also made him more of a threat against Yuuji than a threat against Sukuna. Interesting!

He also has no personal conflict with the villains. The closest he got was wanting to kill Kenjaku because 'he won't let his sensei kill his Best Friend again', which is personal once removed since it's more for Gojo. Which was also a nullified sentiment because Gojo died before facing Kenjaku anyway.

He is just an overpowered character with no developmental backing. I still won't believe that Yuuta using Gojo's body is stronger than Gojo, because it is still Gojo who had had to condition and train his body to be able to handle the power he wielded. Yuuta has had a lot of groundwork already done for him in Gojo's body so even if he's able to do more damage than Gojo, it's still only because he's standing on Gojo's shoulders. People talking about "are you Gojo Satoru because you're the strongest or you the the strongest because you're Gojo Satoru" will be answered here need to remember this.

And since when has either of them cared about the Gojo clan looking bad to mention this lmaao what?

3. Kenjaku's relevance: Yuuta copying Kenjaku's CT being such a flippant discussion made me so mad lol. Your telling me they were seeing killing Kenjaku as a minor stepping stone to a bigger plan. When Kenjaku has been alive for yeaaarrrs on end pulling who knows what all shit that got all these balls rolling in the first place?

I know it easy to do in retrospect with Kenjaku already dead in current time and Sukuna being the current threat. But that's just undermining the threat Kenjaku posed and the "victory" that killing them was (even as anticlimactic as it was).

Seems like Gege had to do his best to brush off Kenjaku since they was proving to be a much more interesting villain than the Big Bad Sukuna, but man way to make your own rather well written character feel lame.

4. Gojo killing the higher ups: While the panels of Gojo wanting to shield his students from the bloodshed he was about to cause was sweet, I still wish the second years had siccesfully forced themselves in and joined him. It's another place where they could've shown Gojo fostering a generation that follows through with his ideology and plans because they get how messed up the system is.

When the higher ups were initially shown to be killed before Gojo vs Sukuna, the chapter had Inumaki and Yuuta talking in the hallways of the higher ups' hq. The implication that they'd also done it in the month of preparation made it feel like everyone was joining in and getting shit done. Yes it's satisfying knowing that Gojo got to go through with something he's wanted to do for a long time, but almost everyone has the same beef with the higher ups. Give everyone or a representation of everyone a slice of the action.

5: Shoko hate: Completely unfounded. People expecting her to suddenly have so much more agency than Gege has ever given her just because they're sad about their fav is stupid. And if you need to be angry direct it at Gege's writing that chose to use her opinion for comedic purposes.

Also question why you care about her ability to do something only when it comes to your fav male characters are facing difficult situations. Remind yourself she's the only overworked bloody doctor/ healer assisted by only a 15/16 yo underskilled underprepared child (Nitta) in a society that is still facing the effects of Shibuya. Also go away stop pretending you care.

I have more issues but whatever. Jjk fans who's favs are dead and never mentioned again be glad!! They're safe!!

[dubaipenthouseupdates]

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE | The Thing Lay Still (1/2)

[transgendercastiel]

I have the autistic collector / wants stuff impulse but I’m so scared of people knowing my interests that I never even use my “for fun stuff” money to buy anything. I’ve never bought anything related to anything i enjoy ever and it gnaws at me a little

[jils-things]

OK I HAVE A FEW MINS TO SPARE BEFORE MY ACCOUNTING EXAM. LOOK AT THEM LOOKLOOK WWIIWIWIW

no thoughts head empty only EGGDOGS 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 WKWKWKWKWKWKSK MWAS THEM ALL WAIWAIWIAIWIAIA

[xinyuehui]

So they go on movie dates in their free time? 👀

[hurglewurm]

idk if it's the grad school, 3 hour lectures getting to me, or the fact that i have to be on campus for 12 straight hours every thursday but goddamn i just want to sleep. and sleep and sleep. and then wake up and draw every animal and fanart for things only i have witnessed and NOT do my readings

[vanus-galerion]

TALLY OVER HERE STANDING IN THE CORNER LIKE “YOU WEREN’T EXPECTING ME TO FIGHT A DRAGON WERE YOU?”

[bigrigsonice]

Okay completely random but a while back we (my family) had this problem with gnats in the house (like hundreds of them I’m not even exaggerating) and we thought we found the source of the problem and they’ve been gone for a while but I’ve been noticing them again ever since my sebastian post blew up and I think that’s really funny. Like now I’m almost inclined to believe every one of you who interacted with that post is a gnat and now you’re infiltrating my house. Where are you coming from.

[suckinitup]

oh!!!! fic titles for you: the body is a blade OR bad luck charm. (both from the nhw playlist. fwiw <3)

Strider used to call him his bad luck charm.

It was more of a family joke than anything else. Vyncent had sat on Strider's lap once when he'd lost a game of blackjack against Min, but the joke had only really taken off when Min, who had welcomed Vyncent after Strider's lighthearded banishment, had lost three games in a row. They kept playing and she won overall, but—Vyncent had been so delighted by it. Just being near someone, tipping luck's hand just with his presence. It made him feel special, like he had a great power just as impressive as the Greats'. His dad didn't like it when he played pretend with powers, would take toy wands from his hand and make some stupid, dramatic exclamation and suddenly his pretend wand was a pretend sword. Vyncent didn't mind so much, because then his dad would play with him and chase him around the house and they would kill dragons and. Bullshit.

The point was that his dad sucked, and Vyncent had latched on to the idea of a power that was luck instead of magic. A fun, fake, special thing that was all his. It was a fun game to bounce between everyone on game night when he was too young to participate, magnanimously choosing a loser with his great, childish wisdom. They'd even played along sometimes. Not all the time, but...

There was one time, one game that was all about aim. Ram was taking the whole pot, smoking like a racehorse and grinning easy. Greyson had taken Vyncent aside and loudly put on a whole bit for him—begging, telling Vyncent that he was their last hope, that he had to save them from the tyrant Ram and it was all up to him. Vyncent had taken to it like a shooting star, and Ram, fucking Ram, threw every single round afterwards.

Vividly, Vyncent can remember one night his mom was on a winning streak. He can't even remember the fucking game, but he remembers she was taunting the others. She'd said something to Alphonz that Vyncent had thought was just this side of too mean, and they'd all laughed when he gravely settled in at her side. His mother had laughed, too, held him and kissed his head and used the opportunity to sweep him away to bed.

His hand hurts, and his heart hurts. Next to him, William is trembling. Vyncent knows that it isn't—it was a fucking kid's game, his bad luck gift, but it's sticking in his head now. Something backwards to it, the way things got worse when Vyncent left. The way his presence didn't make things better, but there's flecks of blood on William's hands that weren't there before and he knows his absence just made it all so much worse.

William told him that he wasn't going to kill David. William didn't kill David. He did some freaky curse nonsense instead, but Vyncent had been present to see him do that and he really doesn't know how bad it might have gotten if he hadn't been. He's glad he punched David when he did. He wishes he'd done worse. He's glad he didn't.

William is still trembling.

Vyncent hears the Winnebago in the distance. He closes his eyes and breathes. Dakota won't be happy. He just prays that they'll be lucky enough for him to stay.

---

HI ROS HI HI HI!!!! sorry it took a minute yesterday was. So fucking busy ! Nhw Playlist songs....... 👀👀👀 okay but the fic thing I won't get distracted here this fic—yeah vyncent having a good fucking time. I think most of what I'd want to explore got touched on here. The idea of things being Worse when vyncent is gone (and in a longe fic it'd touch on his whole world going to shit) and it'd touch on his passive stuff and some overthinking of maybe he's bad luck overall?? but greyscale just. Cementing to him that he IS a vital part of the team, at least emotionally. It'd probably be more exploring how I want to characterize vyncent than an actual Study of him because i struggle w him

[commence-screaming]

can we have some good dallas and houston brother moments i like... don't see enough of that lol

Hiiii manekiiii Y’know, Eric once said that he wished there had been more development with these two. Sharing their highs and lows. a dual perk that lets you do something like that. Quick shoutout to the Panic Room server and @ghousebox for the voice lines, they totally inspired this

————

They’ve gone over the plan dozens of times at this point, no need to remind everybody of the blueprints. This should be a quick in and out, under thirty minutes flat. Houston and Dallas stand against the side of the van, a comfortable yet tenuous silence blanketing them. Pre-heist jitters.

A soft click of a lighter illuminates Houston’s thoughts—Dallas is counting on him to do his job. I can’t mess this up.

The man in question holds out his lighter between his index and his thumb, glancing at the Ghost, a silent offer. Houston takes it, trying not to care. Nicotine fills the air with an aching burn, the both of them breathing in poison and exhaling their worries.

I’ll spot you, Dallas doesn’t say.

I know you will, his response audible somewhere in the space between clouds of twinning smoke.

When the cigarette burns out, the younger heister crushes the butt with a fist, holding his hand up to his brother. Dallas casually brushes the back of Houston’s hand with his own, half a fist bump, half a handshake; an acknowledgment.

The Ghost pulls the mask over his head, obscuring his face.

————

(Something goes wrong! Houston out of grenades so Dallas TOSSES him one and they work in tandem, Dallas wouldn’t be able to have a good angle so Houston is able to score the shot. But I do not know how to write this HELP)

————

They’re forced into a corner, taking a different route back to freedom. Heavy footsteps race in their direction, the both of them barreling through trees and shattering branches underneath their shoes. Dallas hears bullets whizzing past his ears, the crack of a round embedding itself into wood. He shouts at Houston to hurry up, a quick burst of inspiration as the Ghost starts the van. Muscle memory tricks him into reaching for a grenade when there’s nothing to be found.

Dallas just barely grasps the door handle, a panicked yell as he signals for Houston to step on the gas. They peel away before Dallas even shuts the door—cops are hot on their trail, firing at the escape vehicle. Gunpowder fills the air, sticks to their clothes as bullets clip the paint off of the van. The heisters cringe at the sound of metal being pierced, barely stopped by the flimsy box that was the only thing between them and certain death.

Houston tries to catch his breath and drive simultaneously, his veins bursting with adrenaline. For a solid minute it’s just the two of them, air conditioner put on blast as the engine hums. Dallas checks behind them again and again, gun drawn beneath their feet. Only when he puts it down does Houston finally relax.

“We’re in the clear,” he rasps, reality starting to hit him as he tries to calm his nerves.

“I almost can’t believe we did it,” the Crew Chief says, a slow smile spreading across his face as he vocalizes exactly what Houston was thinking. Dallas’ tacky mask stays on, but the Ghost can tell that he’s grinning. They lock eyes for a moment, relief and joy mixed up together.

They almost died. They almost died, yet their bodies weren’t cooling on the unforgiving ground. Sure, Houston will have to order new parts for the van but that’s a small price to pay considering. Considering—

In a move uncharacteristic of him, Houston grabs his brother’s wrist, raising their arms as if they’ve won a contest. His grip is tight as he shudders, betraying his fear. They’ve made it out alive and whole and well and—

“We did it.”

[pd3thoughts]

Irreplaceable

Or, Chains thinks about Houston.

(Hi @neomineom ! I was your secret Santa! Sorry for taking years, it wasn’t canon compliant so I scrapped it and restarted. Among other real life things. it was totally my fault! I hope that I got your boys right and did them justice 👀)

written for @paydaysecretsanta

// canon compliant fluff with a bit of angst :)

Chains remembers Houston from before they both were in the PAYDAY gang. It was back in the early 2000s, when Houston would unlock the back door every morning so that they wouldn’t bother any customers while talking. The younger man didn’t really speak all that much, but Chains hadn’t minded. He’d met much worse, and the glint in Houston’s eye hinted to his amusement.

Houston was stoic from the beginning, forced to grow up in a household that had no place for a kid. Chains could put two and two together just by the way he mentioned his brother, those glimpses into complex feelings caused by years of neglect. He “had no chill,” as Joy used to say. It might’ve looked like that, but she didn’t know how he was back then.

The Ghost was almost completely silent, immediately getting down to business. He made no time for small talk, finding every conversation meaningless if it didn’t have a point. Chains admired the way that Houston was serious about his work, but it wouldn’t have killed the guy to loosen up a little. Chains had—for lack of a better term—annoyed Houston into relaxing every so often. When the younger man would roll his eyes, the veteran counted that as a victory.

At first, Houston was visibly irritated by Chains�� antics, having half a mind to kick him out of the range. Chains’ disrupted his usual quiet, but Houston began to grow used to it. He didn’t know when it happened, but he had started to expect his presence.

Chains started off by looking at the merchandise, then moved on to talking about other weapons and what Houston used to clean them out. The Armorer, knowing full well how to do it by himself, watched the younger man dismantle a desert eagle with deft fingers.

…When Bain chose Houston as a stand-in for Hoxton, Chains had agreed to it. He had seen Houston’s potential in how he applied himself and in the way he handled his weapons. (It was a mistake. He didn’t regret working with Houston, but Chains never meant to hurt Hoxton. He had always seen the two as separate people despite their similarities.)

Chains would keep it on the lighter side, but he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. Houston wouldn’t judge him for any of it, sometimes agreeing with what he said. Likewise, Houston had no qualms with asking him for advice.

———

Asking people for help was weak… but with Chains, Houston felt different. This was just two friends talking to each other.

It didn’t stop him from feeling a bit dumb for asking Chains for ideas about what sort of Christmas present to get Dallas. It’s not like he could stroll up to the guy and go “so is there anything you need other than me forgiving you for every time you weren’t there when I needed you?”

…Because that would be distasteful. Probably.

But it could definitely throw a wrench into their operations. With a heavy heart, Houston goes back to the drawing board.

“Would he… actually want anything?” Houston asks his partner in crime. He can’t really keep his eyes on the other man, pretending to work on something. The Ghost tightens screws on a spare ECM, but not enough to strip the thread.

“Heheh, yeah. The guy doesn’t go around screaming his love for Breaking Bad… except when he does,” Chains replies lightheartedly, knowing the Crew Chief’s love for old men getting punched in the face. (They never miss a chance to tease Dallas for being a decade older than the rest of them.)

Houston doesn’t think that Dallas does meth. It wouldn’t be professional. If he did, Bain would fire him… on second thought, maybe he wouldn’t. But Dallas’ level of methness is beside the point.

“He wouldn’t like that,” he says with a slight grumble. Houston could get him something related to the retirement home show, but Dallas would be too embarrassed to actually do anything with it. Houston doesn’t blame him. He’s gonna act like he does, anyway.

“…Well, he likes money,” the Armorer shrugs, “but you should be the one to decide, you know? Can’t do it for you. But I’m sure he wouldn’t mind either way.”

The Ghost can tell that Chains is listening to what he’s saying, and he appreciates the sentiment. No, he’s always appreciated the way that Nicholas understood him. The younger heister turns to nod at his friend and is greeted with a smile, as always.

(Houston ended up getting Dallas a pair of ugly Christmas sweater socks with tacky dollar designs emblazoned across them. Dallas acted polite about the gift as if he didn’t like it, but Houston noticed that his brother wore those stupid fuzzy socks with each subsequent holiday.)

———

Chains sometimes tells stories about how him and Houston used to work in the same room—something that the latter never rarely did by choice. People would take his stuff without asking or get things dirty without cleaning up afterwards and it irked him to no end. Chains was someone who respected Houston’s boundaries, and there’s the fact that they’d known each other for over a decade… that’s gotta count for something, right?

Eventually, the Armorer taught Wolf how to behave himself around Houston as well, slowly helping his friend branch out. Houston learned how to trust a select few, settling both Wolf and Chains into his close circle of friends. Still, the older heister was different to him than the rest. He had bad experiences with Dallas, and Wolf was sometimes unpredictable. They were each unique in their own ways.

Houston was uptight, rigidity mellowed out with time. He knew his own boundaries, pushed them and even went to open a bar in Mexico with the crew’s support. Sure, Chains had shown him the way, but how much he changed was all on him. Chains helped Houston get a foot in the door, allowing him to meet new people. To see new things. To be independent again—apart from both Hoxton and his brother. Just because the gang was apart hadn’t meant that they cut all contact—they met every now and then just for the sake of spending time together.

Chains had sent letters to the former heister between his shoots, talking like they did back in the old days. He would light up whenever he found a reply in his mailbox, putting it elsewhere for safekeeping. Houston never completely chilled out, but he built his own life over there, at his own place! Chains was proud of the younger man. Houston updated his friend on the things that were happening… until he couldn’t.

Chains wasn’t able to save anything from his house when he was attacked.

Which is why when Dallas looks out the window for someone who will never arrive, Chains can put a hand on his shoulder. That’s why he doesn’t have to say a single word. He’s able to show the Crew Chief that he understands. Hoxton is his own person, and Houston never could’ve replaced him. He didn’t have to. Hoxton can’t replace him, either.

The two of them wait for an impossibility until after the sun sets.

[emilyartstudio-s]

Are you in any other fandoms? Not asking you to draw all the fandoms you're in or anything! Just wanna know if you have any personality other than "heeheehoohoo southpark" ?

i don't have a personality