#So sorry for any messiness with this post

[sunshinedaisywrites777]

Post-Mission Intimacy (Leon Kennedy x Reader)

A/N- Hello everyone! I'm deeply sorry for being late. Vacation got the best of me and I was (still am) slacking so hard right now but you're all waiting for a smut so here you go! I kinda rushed it to be honest and I know it's not going to be the best smut you'll ever read BUT it's my first time writing smut soo yayy! I hope you like it and don't forget to leave comments and give me feedbacks 🙂💜

Warnings- Smut! MDNI! +18, tigh riding, no foreplay?, aftercare, feels of aftershock, sex without lube, softdom!leon, praise kink.

The clock read 12:43 AM. You were curled up on the couch, lights low, the faint hum of the TV playing a rerun of some show neither of you watched. A cup of chamomile tea sat cold beside you. You hadn’t touched it in an hour. Not since the last time you checked your phone for any message, any update. Still nothing.

Then the door finally opened.

You were on your feet before you could think. Leon stepped inside, shoulders heavy under his black jacket, hair sticking to his forehead, the weight of a mission lingering on every inch of his body. His blue eyes found you instantly. And softened.

He didn’t speak right away. He just stood there, breathing in the sight of you — small in his oversized flannel, barefoot, eyes red from waiting. You closed the distance first, hands curling around the back of his neck.

“You’re home,” you whispered.

“I’m home,” he murmured back, voice rough and low.

He kissed your hair, your temple, your cheek, before you finally pulled back and wrinkled your nose. “Leon… you smell.”

That made him huff a tired laugh. “That bad, huh?”

“Go shower,” you said, nudging him toward the bathroom. “I’ll wait.”

He didn’t take long, but every second felt stretched thin. The sound of running water was oddly comforting. When he returned, steam trailed behind him, his chest damp and pink from the heat. His hair was messy, curling slightly at the ends, his body wrapped in nothing but a towel low on his hips.

He looked like a dream — exhausted, but clean, real, yours.

“Still waiting for me?” he asked, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

You nodded, eyes lingering on the droplets trailing down his chest. “Always.”

Leon came to you slowly. The towel slipped to the floor before he even reached you. His arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you close, skin-on-skin, his body warm and damp against yours.

You reached for the buttons on your flannel, but Leon stopped you. “Let me.”

He undid each one with deliberate slowness, exposing more of your bare skin with every pass. No bra, no underwear. You hadn’t been wearing anything beneath it. His eyes darkened.

“Fuck,” he whispered. “You were just sitting there like this?”

You smiled and nodded.

He growled low and kissed you hard, backing you toward the couch, hands never leaving your skin. You dropped back into the cushions, and he followed you down, slotting his hips between your thighs.

“Need you,” he said, voice rough. “Been thinking about this since I left.”

You guided him in, no resistance, just slick warmth and the sigh of relief that left both of your lips as he filled you.

Leon moved slow, deep, deliberate. He wasn’t trying to fuck the pain away. He was savoring you, grounding himself in every kiss, every touch, every breathless moan you made. You clung to him, legs wrapped around his waist, nails in his back.

“That’s it,” he whispered. “Take me. Let me feel you.”

Your orgasm built slowly, coiling in your stomach, heat pulsing behind your eyes. He whispered to you the whole time, telling you how beautiful you were, how perfect, how tight you felt, how much he missed you.

When you finally came, it was sharp and silent, your body seizing around him, head thrown back, lips parted. Leon held on as you broke, kissing your shoulder, your throat, your jaw. He followed you moments later with a deep groan, burying himself inside you.

You laid together tangled on the couch, your body still twitching from the aftershocks. One leg was draped over his, and Leon felt the slight pulse of your hips shifting.

“Still shaking,” he murmured, brushing sweat-damp hair from your face. “You need to ride it out, huh?”

You nodded, barely able to speak. He guided you, gently shifting your hips until you were straddling one of his thighs, bare skin against bare skin.

“Use me,” he whispered. “Come on, baby. Just let it out.”

You moved slowly, grinding against the solid muscle of his thigh, slick and sensitive, trembling as the last waves passed through you. Leon held you steady, kissing your cheek, his hand splayed on your lower back.

“That’s it… Good girl.”

When it was over, you collapsed onto his chest, breath ragged. He held you close, wrapping both arms around you, rubbing small circles into your back.

“I’ll always come back to you,” he whispered.

You believed him.

And in that moment, you didn’t need anything else.

[mqsoreshi]

Sleepy Bat part 2

Jason ran to his table and shoved everything aside. He grabbed a piece of paper, some crayons, and wrote in big red letters:

“Jason Todd’s Master Plan”

He paused for a few seconds, thinking about what a real master plan needed. Then, his eyes widened with ideas.

Step 1: Get armed.

Step 2: Report mission

Step 3: Protect from cold

Step 4: Medicine

Step 5: Defend Bat-cave and manor

He was ready to start the first phase: getting armed.

Jason rushed to his toy box, which was surprisingly half-organized. Not for long. He spread all the toys across the floor, digging through them for his tactical gear. He gathered a flashlight, a broken radio, two water pistols, a pair of glass bottle ‘binoculars’, and his favorite blanket.

“Alright!” he said to himself. “No one is taking advantage of Batman’s sickness on MY watch! Robin, the Boy Wonder, is in the house!!”

He quickly made a paper mask, and attached all his ‘gear’ to a regular belt using transparent tape. Jason looked at himself in his room’s mirror and grinned.

“Damn, I look good!” he said, wrapping his red blanket around his neck like a cape. “Let’s see if any villain wants to come here with ME around!”

Step 2: Report Mission

With all his gear ready, Jason figured he should tell Bruce what he was planning. After all, Bruce was Batman—he needed to know what was going on, especially in case Jason needed backup.

“Alright, Jaybird.” Jason said to himself. “Time to move headquarters. But first… let’s see if the coast is clear.”

He packed all his ‘utilities’ into his school backpack—anything a kid might find useful— and peeked through the door to check if Alfred was still in Bruce’s room.

He waited long seconds—too long for a kid—and as soon as he saw Alfred leave, he dashed as quietly and quickly as a six-year-old carrying a pile of things could manage. Alfred heard him but couldn’t see him. He just assumed the boy had started one of his vigilante games again.

Jason had to make several trips. His little arms couldn’t carry everything at once. First came the crayons, markets, notebooks, and paper. Then his ‘weapons’, in case a change of strategy was needed. Finally, every blanket and pillow he could find to build his base of operations.

While Bruce slept, an adorable mess took over his room. Jason brought in his plushies and toys, delegating each of them a mission.

“You’ll watch over the Robin-puter,” Jason said, placing a stuff dinosaur in front of a book with a red screen painted. “You’ll write the field reports I bring back,” the little toy soldiers looked very compromised with their mission. “And you…” Jason paused, thinking. “I’ll figure out a mission for you.” Poor actions figures, they seemed very eager to work.

Jason paced around his newly fortified fortress, inspecting every detail.

“You know what? I’ve changed my mind,” Jason said solemnly, as if grating a promotion. “I’m assigning you to the main surveillance post.”

He moved the stuffed dinosaur from the Robin-puter to the top of Bruce’s bed.

“Bruce loves dinosaurs,” Jason said smiling. “He’ll feel safer with you around. Which means you guys—” Jason pointed at his action figures. “Are now in charge of the Robin-puter.”

Jason changed his voice slightly to simulate another person.

“And Robin! What about Batman’s previous orders?”

Jason cleared his throat and replied in a deeper voice:

“With Batman unable to fight, I’m the one in charge now. I’ll report to him personally, and all the major decisions fall to me. And it’s Mr. Boss Robin for you, Jim!”

“Sorry, Mr. Boss Robin.”

“I’ll go check the climate factor. No one does anything until I came back!”

Jason jumped out of Bruce’s room and ran to check his room’s window.

Step 3: Protect from the Cold

While looking the gray clouds through the window, Jason took a notebook from his utility belt and wrote in messy handwriting:

‘State of the weather: Cold.

Line of action: Find Mr. Freeze and take him down.’

Jason’s paper mask was starting to break due to his sweat, so, he solved it by painting a new one directly onto his skin.

He had already used most of the house blankets to build his base, but now he grabbed his personal ones—the one with kitties, the motorcycles one, the Harry Potter one, the one with books, even the yellow one hidden in his wardrobe. The one he used when he missed his mom.

He bundled them into a massive colorful ball and marched back toward Bruce’s room.

Alfred saw him pass like a walking rainbow; trailing socks behind. Jason didn’t realize one of those blankets held his freshly laundered clothes—clothes Alfred had just folded.

The butler just sighed, uncapable of getting mad. Picking up the stray socks, he followed Jason back to Bruce’s room, finding a mess worth of a reward.

Despite the chaotic pile of pillows, plushies, and blankets, what caught Alfred’s attention quicker was Jason—struggling to lift the stuffed ball of linens onto Bruce’s bed.

Because of his height, he had to climb up using part of the bed to push himself up. Well, he was trying to do that carrying God-knows-how-many blankets. Until that moment the bedspreads were halfway to Bruce’s feet.

“Master Jason…” Alfred didn’t know whether to say something or take a picture. “What exactly are you trying to do?”

“The weather’s cold,” Jason said it as if that was the answer to every human conflict. “If Bruce gets more cold, he’ll turn into an ice cube. Mr. Freeze must be up to something. I’m gonna find him. But first, I need to leave Bruce safe from cold.”

“Colder, my boy…” Alfred corrected gently, still unsure what to do. “Master Bruce may not need so many covers.”

Jason stubbornly tried to climb again but missed a step, falling onto the pile of blankets.

“Ouch…” He seemed to have hurt his toes. Alfred stepped closer, noticing how Jason was all covered with ink stains of colors.

“What do you have on your face, sir?” Alfred held his face gently. It seemed like he used coal.

“My Robin mask!” Jason answered. “But it broke up. So, I made this instead.”

Alfred lost himself on those bright green eyes, feeling his heart growing bigger.

“That was a very clever solution, Master Jason,” he said with a smile. “But perhaps you shouldn’t use ink on your skin. It could cause an allergy.”

“Well, it’s all I had. The villains can’t know who I am, right?”

Alfred chuckled softly, fixing Jason’s hair.

“Can you help me put the blankets on Bruce?” Jason asked.

“Dear boy, with so many blankets, Master Bruce could suffer from heat stroke,” Alfred explained patently. “You told me earlier he was very warm. The light cover he has now should be enough.”

“Oh…” Jason looked at the colorful amalgamation he had brought. “I guess so… But I’ll leave them nearby, just in case.”

“That seems like a wise decision, Master Jason.”

Last part - Next part

[leebrontide]

Hello!

I'm Lee (any pronouns), a middle aged queer writer from the midwest of the US. It's been a bit, so I'm doing another writeblr intro, to find more potential writeblr folks to chat with!

What I write:

- Mostly scifi! I have a bit of fantasy brewing in a collab project, but mostly, scifi.

- Queer stuff. Lots of different types of queerness.

- Community. Both in the group-hugs-and-support variety and the extreme-mess/everybodies-traumas-keep-smashing-into-each-other variety. I have training as a family therapist and am endlessly fascinated by interpersonal dynamics. This is the meat of my work.

- Grounded worldbuilding. My main project right now is near future scifi that diverges from our timeline around 2001. I'm enjoying the hell out of playing the US I know with some very key tweaks that changed society. I know a lot about medical systems, criminal justice systems, and legal systems and like using fantasy and scifi elements to show them as I know them. But like, in a way that should appeal to people who give 0 shits about US institutions.

- Disability stuff. Not that after-school-special shit. I am just tired of characters being generic pretty dolls whose physical attributes don't impact how they move through the world. That means not only writing a variety of different disabilities, but also different bodies. My characters aren't "inspiration porn" or just waiting around for less disabled characters to come save them. They are messy, with a wide array of relationships to their limitations and the things they use to cope with those limitations.

- YA into new adult. Not exclusively, but mostly. I really like taking characters from YA into early adulthood. Not just a standard coming-of-age arc, but the actually moving from a self-concept of a dependent teen into someone with legal responsibility for themselves, jobs, college, etc. Especially when combined with all of the above. I love a nice long character arc with lots of sub-arcs along the way.

What I have out, now.

- I have two books out so far, Secondhand Origin Stories and Names in Their Blood. I'm working on book 3 in that planned 5 book series now, which is currently titled Brittle Idols.

- I have a free monthly newsletter called Shed Letters where I talk about psychology, tech, queerness, storytelling, and the creative process, plus whatever random topic I've been researching for my books recently. Also contains pictures of my three very photogenic cats.

- Newsletter subscribers also have access to a novella I wrote that goes between Secondhand Origin Stories and Names in Their Blood, that's about an fictional AI (the only kind I like) trying to decide on a body for themself.

- I also draw and animate, with my first and still in-progress animation project being a "trailer" for Secondhand Origin Stories.

What I'm looking for

- writeblrs - especially writeblrs that aren't JUST writeblrs. I want to feel like I'm meeting people, at least in some manner, rather than just hearing about a product in process. That doesn't have to mean deep confessions or private information, but honestly I'm not likely to remember you for your writing project alone. Sorry. Please show me what else you care about!

- Bonus points for queer or disabled scifi or fantasy writers.

- I am white for most intents and purposes but I always want to find more AOC who write sci fi.

- Also always excited to meet more YA authors- especially the currently kinda sidelined YA scifi.

- People who care about where society is going but aren't posting that everything is doomed and pointless. I mean you post whatever you want but I don't need that on my dash. That shit is not helping me help.

I sometimes do ask games? It's fun when I have the time. It'd be fun to have more folks to do them with, provided those folks are patient.

Please interact if this has piqued your interest!

[believeintheruin]

Carnival Au 02-16-25

Sorry for no update the last couple of days. I have been working on this project and had a word count I could've updated with. However, I have both been super distracted by the new Sanrio switch game and also done a lot of reworking with basically everything new I typed out. I've gotten to the pivotal scene and while I know the sequence of events and all the information that has to be relayed here, actually finding a way to relay it in the moment on paper is... hard. Lmao. So if I had given a word count it would've been honestly only a third of words actually written and a lot of what's on paper currently is already going to be deleted and rewritten.

Generally, I tend to have pretty strict rules with myself not to edit a project while I'm writing it to keep from just giving up entirely. However, the end has been progressively getting more out of character and Kokichi was just not sounding like himself so. I sat myself down and relistened to the ch4 trial and am reworking a LOT of Kokichi’s dialogue and actions because I literally cannot progress until he's feeling like Kokichi Ouma to me again. Luckily, I'm feeling more on track with it and have also mentally fleshed out a lot of the background world stuff in the progress so!

Hoping to be done by end of week. Not in time for my birthday like I wanted, unfortunately but. Still pleased with myself nevertheless.

In the meantime, thinking I might post a couple sneak peak "files" that'll tell you all a little info about the world you'll be reading in this fic. Cuz even though I'm holding my brain down and begging it to limit the worldbuilding to just info needed to write a one shot, it literally never listens soooo. This is definitely the sort of thing that could feasibly have a decent length, multi-chapter project attached to it. However, I have zero room for anything that time consuming at the moment so all you guys will get is a quick, open-ended one shot for the time being. Because after I post this, I'm gonna have to dive straight back into the thick of writing the next chapter of Poor Unfortunate Souls because. I'm so behind schedule for that.

Anyway, wishing everyone a good weekend!! <3 See you all soon with some preview content soon, hopefully.

[kikiithatsme]

practicing osomatsu-san art style …this is hell ;w;

[helluvapurf]

Was a random thing I had in my head when thinking of my first attempts at HB redesigns awhile back- (granted I didn't get that far beyond the royal Goetia family, buuut yknow lol)

I think part of whats keeping me from going ahead with other potential redesigns (esp for the main IMP crew), is that... idk how exactly to handle the "Full Moon deal" tbh? .w.;; I know its basically 'enmeshed' in Blitz & Stolas' story (so much that some could argue it'd be weird to take it away-)... but at the same time, idk its hard for me to imagine properly weaving it into the narrative without sending some weird messages to the audience (if they are an intended endgame ship & such-)

-Soooo, here's what I had in mind if I were to personally reimagine the Stol*itz arc (depending on which route I go with the Full Moon deal):

(If the Full Moon deal IS kept in-): -Blitz attempts to steal the grimoire, then after a drunk one-night stand, Stolas coerces him to partake in the "Full Moon deal" to avoid legal trouble (for both parties) -Blitz's company continues to grow in sales thanks to Stolas letting him keep the grimoire... yet more & more overtime he grows weary having to "please" this bird prince (refuses to open up to his employees about it however, to avoid being pitied/looked-down upon 'cause y'know... he's "the boss"-) -Things are basically standard up until the night of "Ozzie's", where Blitz finally has enough and basically tells Stolas off for his entitled creep behavior. -Stolas reflects on his actions up til that point, deciding to "let Blitz off the hook" from their typical meetup times afterwards. Blitz is more than happy to take that, ofc (albeit, confused... but happy, nonetheless-) -Eventually Stolas does decide to invite him back to his place (something Blitz is lowkey-dreading, but puts on a brave face for his teammates' livelihood)... only for him to present Blitz with the Asmodean crystal, essentially-freeing him of the Full Moon deal. -Stolas actually gives a genuine apology/remorse for how he treated Blitz, admitting that this whole thing was just some desperate distraction from his own personal woes at home. As much as Blitz wants to be thankful for this change of heart... he can't take it anymore once Stolas brings up potentially "starting over" (as if a mere gift of a crystal + apology is enough to fix things, basically-). The night ends as Blitz tells off Stolas & leaves his place... Stolas once more having to stand in silence, thinking of what went wrong... -By the time of the trial episode, neither Stolas or Blitz are on speaking terms; yet things escalate when Stolas gets put on trial for his mishandling of the grimoire (+his Goetia duties). As much as IMP try to step in and save him, Stolas holds them back as he finally admits to the world what he did to Blitz... earning him scorn across imp-kind + his royal status & powers stripped away. Blitz is left with conflicted feelings, now that he's being given proper support & praise by his teammates (+fellow imps) for facing what he did simply to keep up his business... yet at the same time, can't find it in him to ditch Stolas in his pitiful state... -He gives the former-prince a place to stay at for the night at Blitz's apartment; thanking him but keeping his distance in terms of "bonding" (not wanting a repeat of what happened, before). Eventually, Stolas would move out & have enough savings set-aside to get his own place... at that point feeling too guilty to approach Blitz anymore (but still wishes him luck on his endeavors). The rest of the narrative would be spent on Stolas finding his own independence/working on himself for the better, whilst IMP steadily goes back to what they do best... silly assassin shenanigans as one happy (founded) family~

(If the Full Moon deal is NOT kept in-): -Stolas & Blitz have a one night stand for the sake of Blitz stealing his grimoire; Stolas (having long-since grown "bored" of his typical Goetia duties) approaching him later to offer a chance at being a 'business benefactor'. Essentially, securing IMP more chances at assassination gigs/clients who'll pay big money to get their vengeance on whoever wronged them in the human world. -Throughout these ventures, Stolas would keep trying to hit on Blitz/offer a "repeat" of their one-night stand... which Blitz would swiftly reject each time (to varying comedic-levels). -Eventually the night of "Ozzie's" happens (this time is treated more like a date on Stolas' end... thinking his own "charm" attempts have paid off). With all that happens afterwards, Blitz gives him a firm dose of reality that they were never anything "special"... something that rattles Stolas as up to that point, he's never truly ever been told "no" like that (let alone by an imp)... -The rest of the narrative would follow fairly standardly as Stolas tries to work in more of a genuine friendship effort; paying extra on each IMP mission, sending friendly cards/gift offers, all of which Blitz keeps at a distance since he's still (understandably) upset at him. -At some point Stolas does still give him an Asmodean crystal (+genuinely apologizes)... but as one last peace offering now that he's (somewhat) got the hint Blitz ain't interested. The night most likely wouldn't end as dramatically as the other route... but perhaps more as a sign that maybe, just maybe, they can start over again as friends. -Potential bonus ep of both men gradually going back to speaking terms; with perhaps "Apology Tour" going more along the lines of Stolas encouraging Blitz to make things right with Verosika at her party (now framed as a simple Halloween party; no weird "anti-Blitz" theme attached-). Blitz is able to have a bigger chance at earning closure with his ex, and Stolas gets up to some silly party antics since he's usually so reclusive to himself. The night ends as Blitz seems to accept Stolas more as a friend now (& wishes him luck when the bird man gets a cute incubus dude's number lol). -The trial later on would focus more on Stolas being put on the spot for his misuse of the grimoire (even without any creepy coercion deal-attached). Blitz & IMP find a way to speak up for Stolas' defense yet are powerless to stop the court from stripping Stolas' status & powers. He & Blitz are working more on their friendship this time, yet eventually are able to reach a point of giving eachother their own space to grow/heal better.

[shiftingstarswc]

Shifting Stars - Abilities

All characters have access to abilities (other than kits, who are too young). Each ability type has 36 levels, and every 4th level unlocks a unique perk. Everyone starts out with 0 levels total.

There is no limit to how many levels you can have in each ability, but they must be bought with EXP. The more abilities you have, the more expensive they are to unlock. EXP is gained from hunting, fighting, marking borders, completing quests, etc.

There are five main abilities: Strength, Agility, Vitality, Awareness, and Medicine.

Strength

Strength represents your character's physical power. Strong warriors are very respected in the Clans as they use their skill to defend their Clan from predators and in battle. Some cats who focus on strength instead enjoy exploring beyond the Clan territories in order to fight powerful creatures.

Cats with high strength deal more damage and are more likely to wound their enemies. They also tend to be larger than other cats.

Agility

Agility represents your character's speed and reflexes. Agile cats are swift and graceful. Higher agility makes it easier to chase and hunt down prey, so it's a useful skill for any wild cat to have. In battle, a warrior will be better at dodging attacks from their enemies.

Cats with high agility move faster and take less fall damage. The 4th level of Agility grants you the leap skill, which allows you to jump farther.

Vitality

Vitality represents your character's resilience and overall healthiness. Cats with higher vitality will last longer in battles since they have higher health. They're also helpful in raids since they can hold lots of items without being slowed down.

Cats with high vitality can withstand more damage than others, heal from wounds and sickness without needing herbs, and carry more items.

Awareness

Awareness represents your character's intelligence and perception. Cats with a higher awareness level are likely very creative and clever. These cats may make good deputies or medics due to their ability to strategize and adapt to new situations.

Cats with high awareness can craft new items and are better at tracking down prey. The 1st level of Awareness allows you to view scent trails that can be followed to find mobs or other players.

Medicine

Medicine represents your character's herbal knowledge and healing skills. Any cat can learn how to heal, regardless of rank, but, as with any skill, it takes dedication. Healing is an honorable skill for any cat to have, especially in the wild where sickness and injury are common. Some also believe their skill makes it easier to commune with spirits.

Cats with high medicine skill are good at locating and using herbs to cure others' ailments. Medicine also unlocks the ability to revive downed players during raid or battle events.

Clan Abilities

Each Clan (and Outsider rank) has their own line of abilities. However, unlike the main 5 abilities, Clan abilities only have 8 levels instead of 36, and cannot be bought with levels. Instead, they can only be upgraded by completing specific quests.

[honeycreammilkshake]

HELLO HONEY i just saw the full leaks and i don't know what everyone else is thinking i saw some people are sad yuji didn't end up together with sukuna or that yuji wasn't much the focus but. i personally LOVED it? let me explain why its still sukuita soulmatism. would i have liked to hear more of yujis thoughts sure but, his last smile is because of sukuna, he smiled up at the sky before we saw sukuna chose to change, he Felt that sukuna knew what love was and I've been losing it because sukuna literally changed because of yuji he turned his back to mahito whos a curse unlike him hes the manifestation of hating humanity and Chose that next time he'd like to walk a different path, loving others, the way he returned love by comforting uraume because yuji taught him love and as kashimo was saying "how can you return something you've never received" this ending for me wrapped up the whole story in such a sweet way it's not perfect but it's just as much about sukuna as it is about yuji. yuji changed him. and to me the "let's try again" and the "next time it might be nice to walk a different path" are clear signs that the two will reincarnate and be together in the next cycle however that will be we know reincarnation is canon. again this isn't perfect because i personally have many gripes with the story but its such a powerful heartwarming ending still? i take back something i said before i don't think gege hates yuji and sukuna he just probably got overwhelmed with having so many characters he was trying to balance everyone out and writing characters he already knew probably came easier, imo the worst he treated were nobara and megumi, but the last panels of his manga are yuji smiling because of sukuna saying that his finger is now the perfect talisman (something that protects) and sukuna choosing to go north because of him, choosing himself to change instead of yuji forcing him to change, but still because of yuji. im sorry for rambling i wanted to explain my view. what are your thoughts? i hope your day goes well! ❤️ i genuinely didn't expect to get sukuita at the end it made the ending so satisfying to me

hi, jenjen! so sorry for the late reply.

i just saw the full leaks and i don't know what everyone else is thinking i saw some people are sad yuji didn't end up together with sukuna or that yuji wasn't much the focus but. i personally LOVED it?

as much as i'm a huge fan of sukuna and yuuji either living or dying together, i'm also happy that this was the actual ending because it's more than i expected. and honestly it's very fitting for both of them. it really was such a subtle nod that yuuji was the reason why sukuna is headed on a different path, but it's still there and it's amazingly beautiful after everything they've been through together.

would i have liked to hear more of yujis thoughts sure but, his last smile is because of sukuna, he smiled up at the sky before we saw sukuna chose to change, he Felt that sukuna knew what love was and I've been losing it because sukuna literally changed because of yuji he turned his back to mahito whos a curse unlike him hes the manifestation of hating humanity and Chose that next time he'd like to walk a different path, loving others, the way he returned love by comforting uraume because yuji taught him love and as kashimo was saying "how can you return something you've never received"

the way yuuji's last scene is one with so much happiness....

i believe that after spending that much time tied to each other, sukuna and yuuji can still sense at least some of each other's feelings. yuuji looks so hopeful and at ease here. he's gotten through everything alive, with his friends by his side. but more than that, sukuna is no longer so serious a threat.

yuuji says "it's not dangerous anymore." even though the power contained in just one finger is what started this whole series, it's no longer a threat now because i think that sukuna's malice, his hatred, is finally subsiding as he considers a different path. and yuuji, perceptive and empathetic as he is, can sense that.

he's also looking down at his missing fingers, both the ring finger and little finger (i read a really amazing post about that just recently). i feel like the way yuuji is looking almost fondly at those missing fingers (the little finger for a promise and the ring finger for love and loyalty) shows us how much it means to him for sukuna to finally learn love.

him choosing to not restore one of those fingers indicates that he would rather have it missing, almost like an eternal reminder of what he and sukuna were to each other. because he knows that their time together has ended (for now....) but he's accepting of that because he and sukuna are both at peace, finally.

as for how yuuji taught sukuna love, i believe it's because - unlike everyone else - yuuji treated sukuna like a human, something neither gojo or yorozu or the rest did. and i believe that was the first time in a long time, if ever, that sukuna received such empathy.

i noticed in this scene how in his conversation with mahito, sukuna seems so much more open and even willing to reflect back on what he previously believed in. this is completely different from how he was hostile or cold to anyone who challenged him before. he only ever felt doubt over his ideals when yuuji confronted him, because yuuji alone had the kind of power to affect the unshakeable sukuna in such a way.

i've been a long time believer that sukuna became the king of curses to spite those who deemed him cursed at birth. and it makes sense that he would prey on those same humans (and curses) to not only maintain his status as the strongest, but to also get away from the fact that he almost starved before he was even born. such a horrifying experience more than likely led him to believe early on that only pure strength could protect him from such a fate, and only those at the top deserve that kind of immunity from suffering.

yet i feel like sukuna was suffering. he himself said "i feared my own curse would immolate me." so being the strongest didn't keep him insulated from those feelings, that loneliness and hatred. he couldn't keep being indifferent or 100% hateful either.

and i think sukuna understood that only when yuuji took him on that little date in his special memory mind palace (or whatever his domain is called since we don't know its name).

instead of attacking sukuna or making assumptions about how sukuna feels or projecting his own feelings onto him like gojo or kashimo did, yuuji is instead being open with sukuna, the most open he's been with anyone.

and sukuna is just shocked into silence for most of this. (i like to think his inner voice is freaking out at how intimate yuuji's being with him, recounting the smallest details of his childhood and walking sukuna through his life story).

this scene was particularly interesting because of how yuuji's describing the kind of feelings that come with discovering his first home town was pretty much abandoned, much like how there were so few people to mourn the passing of his grandfather's friend. you would expect someone to feel upset or even shocked about that, but yuuji wasn't. he said he wasn't "shaken" by it. and sukuna's silence, the expression on his face, seem to indicate at least some thought. for someone he called weak, yuuji is proving to be strong. emotionally and mentally because he had a foundation to keep his feelings tethered his whole life: his grandfather. wasuke's care allowed yuuji to be the kind of person he is, and it shows us that yuuji draws his strength from others, contrary to how weak curses come in packs or how sukuna feels like being alone is the only way to be strong.

something i think that did impact sukuna during their date was how yuuji is being emotionally vulnerable with the self-proclaimed king of curses, someone who wants to be seen as an inhuman force of chaos and evil, someone who considers himself above the "suffering of the weak" and the "loneliness of the strongest." sukuna, who claims to put no value on love or fulfillment, yet yuuji is showing him how such little things and memories gave meaning to his own life. he's talking to sukuna like an old friend, he's showing sukuna how he thinks and feels. not because he believes sukuna deep down is the same way (he even admits to knowing better than that, saying he expected sukuna to reject his ideals even before he tried to show them to sukuna) but because he wants to get closer to sukuna, to connect with him.

their souls are tied together. they were practically fated to end up together, and yuuji was made literally for sukuna. the only who could endure sukuna's poison, the only one who could control the king of curses. yet, despite all his advantages and strength over sukuna, yuuji never forces sukuna into anything. he's always given a sukuna a choice: "free megumi and come to me" or "live together with me because i only will accept you." because yuuji understands sukuna. not fully, but more than someone like gojo did, who only ever saw sukuna as an opposition because they were both "the strongest."

and yuuji wanted to understand sukuna more. to give him not just a second chance but to provide that fulfillment that wasuke and yuuji's friends gave to him. the fulfillment that sukuna denied needing. but yuuji understood that sukuna became a monster who ate humans for their "fleeting taste" as a way to pass time until his death because of that lack of fulfillment. (i feel like yuuji understood these basic feelings even if no one explicitly told him what sukuna talked about with kashimo. being so empathetic, i believe yuuji picked up on sukuna's true feelings both during and after the time they shared a body).

but for all that yuuji and sukuna understood each other, sukuna couldn't fully believe or accept yuuji's proposal because he would rather die being seen as the thing he was perceived as from birth on: a curse. he pushed yuuji away, but i have a feeling it was because he simply couldn't conceive of someone caring for him that much.

but yuuji comforted him even during sukuna's death, and held him tenderly. he never forgave sukuna, and he probably never would because yuuji knows that even if sukuna became a monster because of others, sukuna still did terrible things. he didn't offer sukuna redemption: he offered sukuna fulfillment. and that is so much more sincere. yet sukuna turned his proposal down because, though he was touched, it was simply too much for him.

but it did change his outlook. it did finally "free" him from his own curse.

this ending for me wrapped up the whole story in such a sweet way it's not perfect but it's just as much about sukuna as it is about yuji. yuji changed him. and to me the "let's try again" and the "next time it might be nice to walk a different path" are clear signs that the two will reincarnate and be together in the next cycle however that will be we know reincarnation is canon.

i have a strong feeling this isn't the last we'll see of sukuna. and to be honest, i have a crazy hope that this also isn't the last yuuji sees of sukuna. as you said, yuuji was willing for them to "try again" and it seems like to me sukuna has had a change of heart towards yuuji. he might not resist yuuji as much in the next life as he once did.

i think he needed to be away from yuuji in order to really feel something positive about yuuji's words and process everything. and yuuji respected sukuna's decision to die rather than come back to him because they both knew it was too late for them in this life. sukuna and yuuji could coexist, but whether or not they should after all of this is probably something they knew wouldn't happen. even though yuuji would be willing to fight for them, sukuna would probably consider it a form of punishment to be stuck back in the brat (even if he doesn't hate it or even if he comes to love it) because i feel like he would remain bitter about losing for a long time.

but him choosing death has let him have more control over his own choices, and in the next life he might just choose to make his way back to yuuji, too. still, even if yuuji didn't keep sukuna from dying, he still gave sukuna that choice. he showed sukuna he wasn't a true curse like mahito, that sukuna was in fact human and more than just a chaotic force of strength alone. he essentially freed the king of curses from his own curse.

and sukuna looks happier (and softer) because of it.

he's finally giving up on his vengeance. and it was because of yuuji, who he lost to, that he won against his own curse.

i take back something i said before i don't think gege hates yuji and sukuna he just probably got overwhelmed with having so many characters he was trying to balance everyone out and writing characters he already knew probably came easier, imo the worst he treated were nobara and megumi

i agree with you, jenjen.

i feel like the editors/publishers highly discouraged gege from giving more depth to sukuna and yuuji's story together, but gege resisted and gave us amazing interactions anyway, even if they were a bit rushed and sudden. i do feel, however, that gege undervalued yuuji a bit. i can see a personal bias in gege's tendency to spend so much time and focus on yuuta, but other than that it's exactly how you said it: gege was trying to give attention to all the characters, but being rushed certainly didn't help their story at all. yet gege did the best they could, and i think this ending really reflected their writing skills.

i do agree that both nobara and megumi were treated terribly by the narrative, and i wish they were handled better, but at least they're happy and all back together now.

the last panels of his manga are yuji smiling because of sukuna saying that his finger is now the perfect talisman (something that protects) and sukuna choosing to go north because of him, choosing himself to change instead of yuji forcing him to change, but still because of yuji.

i love how this doesn't really feel sinister at all. like it could be just me but it looks almost peaceful how the last finger is just sitting there, with the leaves around it. despite how threatening it looks, yuuji trusts it to be a talisman that protects, not damages.

and it's the perfect way to say yuuji and sukuna have gone their separate ways for now, but there's a chance they'll meet again. they made their choices without either of them being forced into it, but they were still the most significant people in each other's lives: sukuna because he put yuuji through a living hell but also awoke yuuji's sense of purpose and belonging, and yuuji because he led sukuna north and changed their narratives.

all i can think about is how sukuna once screamed that yuuji's future was his. and it's true. sukuna being inside of yuuji changed his entire life, even to this day, because there are still reminders of sukuna with yuuji's missing fingers. but it's also true that yuuji changed sukuna's future as well. they both impacted each other so much, in all the best and worst ways.

there will never be anything quite like them. i'm really going to miss them so much...

hope you've been keeping well, jenjen! thank you so much for the wonderful ask <3

[beanghostprincess]

How would you rank each strawhat based on morality? Of cours they are all good people, but some are certainly more and others slightly less

I mean... I don't think morality is something we can make rankings of because it varies depending on your philosophy and a good person isn't always the one following the conventional, Kantian rules of morality. But I know where you're coming from. I guess I can just base it on my own understanding of what morality is, which basically follows the whole "an action is good when the outcome affects positively the majority of people/makes somebody external to you feel good/doesn't harm anybody external" (aka selflessness and altruism) and "an action doesn't have to be necessarily good and you can still be a good person because your initial intentions were good, even if the outcome wasn't the one you expected". So, basically, this ranking is based on altruism, selflessness, and the way their actions affect others and what are their views on society/how they behave with others. I also have in mind why they do the things they do and if their positive actions are done out of selfishness or pure altruism.

1- Chopper

Isn't it obvious? His whole character is literally about helping others. He's a caretaker who looks out for everybody and the common well-being and happiness. He has a strong sense of morality that's based on other people's joy and freedom, and he fights for the rights of every human being despite their background. He doesn't care about whether you're evil or not when it comes to your life, always saving the ones who need saving. His vision of the world is pretty simple, honestly. Besides, kindness is often related to naivete and he's well-known for that too. He treats people with respect, and kindness, often mimics others to fit in, and the only times he harms people is to fight for what he thinks is right (which is pretty often related to basic human rights being violated in a medical sense). Being a doctor doesn't make you morally good, but being this type of doctor specifically definitely does. He'd pretty much sacrifice himself if it meant helping others, using himself as a tester for various antidotes. He's by far the nicest straw hat. He's both selfless and altruistic and he even has his own set of morals that involve protecting humanity's basic rights when it comes to living. Wanting to cure every illness and make a world in which nobody can die before their time is basically his whole character.

2- Brook

What sets Chopper and Brook apart from the other Straw Hats is that they are pretty active in their altruism and try to do good for people unrelated to them. His whole thing is quite literally making others laugh from happiness. He's a musician. His whole life before joining the Straw Hats was to be in a crew full of artists who lived to make others happy with music. That's the most selfless passion ever. His cheerful and jokester personality is pretty much meant to cope in a funnier way to make others laugh and save them from being worried about him. He keeps wanting others to be comfortable and together as a family, he enjoys unity from spending so much time alone but it doesn't come from a place of selfishness, because he keeps wanting others to enjoy their time together. He might need/want company, but the way he asks for it is in a very polite way and he never wants to bother other people. His whole character is literally focused on wanting to go see Laboon and make him know he's alive. He could've tried to k word himself in the years he spent alone, but he didn't because somebody else was waiting for him. He might be a pervert but he asks for consent, having in mind what women want and he doesn't push things further if they don't want to. Brook is the definition of a very jokester gentleman with knowledge for consent and a very selfless attitude towards life, valuing others' needs before his own. Although he doesn't hesitate to cut people in half, he only does this to his enemies and, y'know, pirate life. And often it's either needed or they don't even end up dead, so... The reason he fights is to always keep others safe, rather than worrying about his own life (even though he's already dead yohoho!). I think he's one of the characters, along with Chopper and Robin, that value life the most and that's what makes them so good at protecting others.

3- Jinbe

The reason why Jinbe is third is because his sense of morality varies from Brook and Chopper's more empathetic and nondiscriminatory way of protecting people. Jinbe tends to follow logic within morality instead of instant emotions and I personally value more people who extend their empathy to everyone without a second thought than genuinely thinking about it first before acting. He has his own set of morals and what he considers to be right or wrong. He thinks first before doing anything and considers the outcome of whether saving somebody is plausible or not in the situation. That doesn't make him selfish, but just a logical person. What sets the difference between the other two and him is that Jinbe won't help everyone and Chopper/Brook will not hesitate to do so. Jinbe's caring side is mostly shown to be to his loved ones and he doesn't generally extend that behavior to people outside of his circle. He literally refused to look after Luffy because he didn't know the guy, even if he was Ace's friend. He acknowledges he can't help everyone and just takes care of his people. And when he does that, he does it in the most selfless and self-sacrificing of ways! He would die for his loved ones without hesitating and his whole character arc is about Jinbe deserving a break from looking after everyone instead of enjoying his own life. They quite literally have to force him to follow what he truly wants and yet he still goes back to help his people before joining the Straw Hats. So the reason why Jinbe is third is because he's just like Chopper and Brook, except that he acknowledges the reality of the world and uses a more logical approach, being more personal when it comes to taking care of people. Also, he wants to keep peace around the world and the way he approaches people is in a very respectful manner and tries to keep conflicts at bay, which is directly looking out for common ground and pacifism. I almost forgot to mention his whole deal with the liberation of slaves, and that's obviously something that makes him an even greater person. He fights for a cause, against the unfairness of the world. He makes the world a better place.

4- Robin

I've had a hard time trying to think about whether she should go before or after Jinbe, but after some time debating it, I think this is the right place for her. Her whole character is basically all about learning how to live and love because she never had the chance to do so after so many years of suffering on her own. Her concept of helping others might be more altruistic than Jinbe's because I view her as somebody who would follow Chopper/Brook's standards and help everybody in need, instead of only keeping her protectiveness to her morality and circle. However, even if she's more altruistic and empathetic with outsiders, her view of socializing is more cynical than Jinbe's. She chooses a more abrupt way of fighting for what's right and instead of looking out for common peace and ground, she doesn't mind cracking a few necks and spines. She has fun with chaos and dark imagery, unlike Jinbe, who's a very caring man. And she is caring too! The sweetest! But Jinbe worries more about what could happen while Robin is still learning how to have fun and just vibes. She has this bit of selfishness and enjoyment for chaos and having a good time that Jinbe doesn't have because he's calmer than her. She's calm but she enjoys the fun drama, and Jinbe cares about his surroundings' well-being more. The way she treats enemies is crueler because Jinbe is polite while she doesn't care about cracking a few necks. Even if she's more empathetic towards strangers, looking out for the general peace is conventionally better for society than cracking people's necks, so, yeah. And she's a revolutionary and their views might follow a set of morals about freedom, but the way they deal with social issues is very arbitrary. Basically, she's a sweetie but she has a bit of a dark side.

5- Usopp

He's the sweetest guy of all time and normally wouldn't hurt a fly and he goes all the way to make everybody feel comfortable and have a sense of unity. However, the main difference between Usopp and the others (this is where the ranking kind of starts being more and more different in terms of complex morality) is that he's selfish out of fear and self-defense. A thing that is completely natural and proof that thinking about himself and his loved ones first doesn't make him a bad person, just careful and human. Selfishness is often seen as something bad and against the benefits of society as a whole, and it might be, but it doesn't make him a bad person (that again, I don't think we're able to judge this either). The cool thing about Usopp is that he's a growing character. He keeps learning more about himself every day and, even if he's a "coward", the bravest thing somebody can do is fight against fear. Especially when it comes to insecurities and when you're probably about to die. He isn't altruistic in the sense of risking his life for a stranger (unless he feels guilty about it or has the need to do so) but he is the kindest in the sense of embracing friendship and support. He brings domesticity and comfort to quite literally everybody he encounters. He's easy to befriend and to talk to. His whole thing about lying comes from trying to cheer up his mom about his dad leaving them, c'mon, even if he was suffering because of her illness. He fights for the ones he loves even if he's scared, and when he refuses to fight is when he doesn't know the people that much and, to be honest, fair. Nobody should be forced to sacrifice themselves for people they don't care about and I personally don't think that can talk about morality. Besides, the way he jokes around and does his little shenanigans with Luffy not really caring about the chaos around (besides when, y'know, personal safety) only makes everything I said more obvious.

6- Sanji

Sanji is a very... Complex character. The duality of men, basically. When he's kind he's at his best and when he's creepy he's at his worst but then he also has this view on how much people's lives matter depending on what he personally thinks. He's very emotion/trauma-driven, so perhaps that's why it's really hard to tell whether he follows a conventional morality or his own. His whole character arc is about him realizing that he's kind, empathetic, self-sacrificing, and everything the Vinsmokes aren't. But he also has a calculative and cold side that shows up when he doesn't give a single fuck about the people he's talking to. Basically, Sanji can be both the nicest and the meanest guy in the world depending on what he thinks of you, but he'll never let you starve due to his own morals of "nobody should die of hunger". Like he might beat the shit out of you but he's making you a damn risotto before the fight. Sanji is a very kind soul and he looks out for others and always puts them first, but his morality is pretty much focused on his past experiences. He also has these preferences for women, which are not morally correct (if you view this term as equality) because, unlike the other characters, he doesn't view their lives in the same way. However, that doesn't mean he hates men, he just puts women on a pedestal. He will put others first no matter what but if he doesn't care about you he won't give a single fuck. He literally was about to leave those kids in Punk Hazard and only helped because Nami said so. When he has to help somebody he cares about, though (or anybody, really) he always ends up self-sacrificing for the greater good. But it's not really coming from a place of "this is a good thing to do" but from a "their lives are more important than mine and I like to feel needed". Even if I do think he also does this out of empathy and love, both things coexist. He tries really hard to please others. He finds joy in feeling needed but also in making others happy, so it really is a mix of trauma and genuine kindness. He's quite literally the whole "doing good things because it feels good but also because it helps people, and helping people makes me feel good" but I don't think he does it in a selfish way, because he doesn't even realize he's doing it to feel better in the first place. He just doesn't value his life the way he should. So, TL;DR: Sanji's a selfless character when it comes to the people he loves and when his morals are at hand (huge difference between the other characters, who help people without having in mind those things), but if he doesn't care, he genuinely doesn't care. His self-sacrifice might come from a place of wanting to feel needed, and that could be seen as selfish, but I don't think he actively thinks about it. He just acts. The reason why he's number 6 despite being one of the kindest characters is because he canonically has preferences and uses his own morals to decide what to do instead of valuing everyone's lives equally. Besides, his whole thing being creepy with women (even if it's just a running gag) makes him less likable. But this is post-ts Sanji's fault mostly.

7- Franky

He's a family man. He puts his family and the people he loves first. He has his priorities and follows his morals about masculinity and that's it. Great pal that cares deeply about his loved ones and would beat the shit out of somebody if that person were to hurt him/them/his ideals. The reason why he's number seven despite seemingly being so nice at first, is pretty much because of his background. The whole Franky family? Beating up Usopp? Stealing the money? He was into very dark stuff, man. Mafia type of shit. That doesn't mean he's a bad person but his morals are pretty questionable, and they basically follow the "Protect family, protect home, protect ideals, befriend cool people, beat up people I don't like". He's very... American. I mean. He is technically canonically American and it makes a lot of sense if you think about it. He befriends people quickly but he can despise them just as quick too. Once again repeating the whole "only looks out for the people he likes or for his morals/what he loves" but if he isn't interested in something he'll just... Don't do it. But, yeah, he might be pretty empathetic because he resonates with all the sad stories he hears and doesn't hesitate to save people, but as I said, it's not really an "I save people because all people deserve to be saved" and it's more of an "I like this person so I'm gonna save them" which is exactly what happened with Usopp back at Water 7/Enies Lobby. I must say he's also kind, helpful, and energetic and loves to spread fun around the ship to make people happy. Seeing the ones he loves full of joy makes him complete, and that comes only from love. But he doesn't spread that love the way the characters before him would, you know? The reason why he's here is both because of his past and his behavior toward helping others which is basically about turning them into friends right away (which, you know, is exactly what Luffy does too).

8- Nami

She's a bitch. In the best of ways. But she's still a bitch. I'm always the first one to say she's one of the kindest characters. Her heart is just so, so big and she treats people in need with so much love it's obvious she has motherly traits and just loves to take care of people. However, the girl is greedy. She's greedy. Selfish. A liar. A thief. A bitch. A flirt. A queen, basically. To me, she's the best of the best and she would go on top if we were talking about best characters, but here we are judging based on morality and... She's just that. A bitch. With a very warm heart that just freezes the second she gives no fucks about you. You know, she's not evil, she just uses people to her advantage because (especially back at the start. Arlong Park things) she isn't used to trusting people. She has really obvious trust issues and she pretty much only loves a few specific people in her life. She would do anything for them. And yet, even when she loves somebody, she's still a manipulative menace. Morally speaking she's fucked up because she looks only for herself and the ones she cares about, and when she needs to run to save her ass, she does it. She doesn't leave anybody behind if she knows it's gonna be THE end, but if the one who's with her is only gonna end up hurt and not dead (usually Usopp. RIP Usopp) she's running for her life. Also, she's shameless and uses the strength of the Monster Trio to her advantage and I absolutely love it. She's the brains, let the others protect her fr. She knows she can fight, she's just scared af of dying and I find her so real for that. She likes teasing people and wrapping them around her finger to get what she wants! She doesn't care about anybody except for her crew because why would she? They're pirates! And she only does it when it's either about kids (she has a huge, soft, warm spot for them) or somebody she grows fond of. So, she's a sweetheart and a very caring girl to the ones she loves (or she's the meanest too, as a sign of true tough love) but she gives in between -10 and 0 fucks about others and will steal from them, no hesitation needed. She breaks so many morality norms within society that she makes the perfect pirate. Honestly, it looks like she's the only one in the crew interested in the part of being a pirate that's about stealing and treasures. I love her so damn much...

9- Luffy

A lot of people are going to disagree with me on this one, but this is the one part of the ranking I'm 100% sure about. And it's not even hard to explain: Luffy is selfish. He's a very selfish pirate. But he's empathetic, kind, and really easy to befriend if you manage him to like you. He also sees the good in people. But he isn't altruistic. He only helps people he chooses to help because he either likes them or finds them interesting enough or perhaps he owes them one or whatever. He loves people in such a huge way that, if he likes you, he'll do anything for you. Anything. But he only helps people he considers his friends/acquaintances without wanting to be seen as the hero of the story because he's literally just helping a friend out. If he doesn't care about somebody, he will just ignore them. Or be straight-up mean to them. He has no filter and if he hates somebody, he does it explicitly and without any remorse about it. He might be extremely empathetic and sacrifice his well-being but only when it comes to the people he cares about. Otherwise, he'll just groan in pain and boredom. On the other hand, Luffy is also Chaotic Good (haha me too!), and he has his own morals. They consist of freedom and liberty. He will help to free a whole village. Or prisoners. Slaves. Even if they aren't his friends. But only because all of his ideals are about freedom and choosing how to live your own life. It just bothers him personally. And it's not even "I'm helping these people be freed because they deserve it" it's more of a "The concept of cutting somebody's wings makes me so fucking furious I'm gonna make this everybody's problem. I don't care what these people do after this adventure, but they should be able to have the freedom to choose". So, yeah, basically Luffy follows his ideals of "I do whatever the fuck I want" and "Don't hurt my friends. Don't go against freedom. Or I'll beat you up". He's very stubborn, too. Chaotic. He doesn't think about how his decisions will affect others. He's a very independent person when it comes to decision making but he's also very needy in the sense of needing people around him to feel safe because he is, after all, an extrovert who loves his friends/family to death. Luffy is selfish because he does whatever he wants, even if he's empathetic, kind, and understanding. Those concepts can coexist perfectly.

10- Zoro

I don't think I need to explain this much, honestly? He's very introverted and doesn't let people in easily, so he just doesn't care about people who aren't in his circle. He fights for his loved ones to death and holds the people he loves close to his heart, to the point of doing anything for them. But... But his morals are basically shit outside of that. He used to kill pirates for bounties without any hesitation. He still pretty much murders the people they fight against without any remorse. And, y'know, they're pirates so I'm not judging here. He's selfish in the sense of being a very protective person with his things and his personal space, and he can come off as rude to outsiders because, well, he is genuinely rude to them because he genuinely doesn't care about them. Unless he befriends somebody, strangers to him are just strangers and he couldn't give less of a fuck about them and their tragedies UNLESS they're going through something that goes against his own/or a nakama's morals. I personally think he's a sweetheart, but if we're following moral codes about the well-being of society as a whole and how much positive impact somebody does? He's, like, the last one to choose from the crew. He cares about Kuina, his swords, Luffy, and his Nakama. Perhaps he befriends somebody along the way but it always feels more like just respect and not really a friendship. Not saying Zoro is a bad person for his introverted personality and cynical behavior, I just think he's very intimate with his circle and will only do what he thinks necessary instead of focusing on selflessness and altruism as a society. He's pretty strict about the pirate code and he follows those rules solemnly, so he does have a type of morality, but he doesn't focus on society's well-being. He doesn't mind causing chaos if he gets what he wants. He's just chilling. Passing by. I honestly think Nami/Zoro is a great friendship because they're both little shameless bitches. TL;DR: Zoro loves crew only. Fuck other people. Might respect acquaintances. Strong pirate/swordsman moral code. But he isn't an altruistic/society/people person.

[goldbiz]

the origin of the supersuit.

booster gold, aka. michael jon carter's history with the suit starts off back in his timeline, the 25th century. after the scandal that ended his football career michael sought out work as a janitor / security guard at the metropolis space museum after regaining some of that pride he had lost but also realising that there were no other prospects lined up for him. one night after lots of drinking and the desire to change the tracjectory towards where his life was heading, he stole a bunch of gear and took off for the past. the first suit, the mark 1 is still a mix of different tech that he acquired in the future.

materials.

the outer layers of a fabric that conceals the mechanical wirings inside consist of a sleek but blended element of a fine futuristic-leather-like-material that is form fitting while also not limited to a strategic metallic gold like armoured plating on areas of protection including the chest piece where his 'star' logo is positioned, his wrist gauntlets / gloves that are attached to the mounted blaster rays and leg areas. the boots, the collar in some designs are all made of that same fabric that additionally is lightweight, durable, and reflective in a subtle way. since setting up shop in modern day metropolis, goldstar inc. booster has brought on / invested in the best scientists / engineers possible to study the tech and create more modified and enhanced versions to accommodate to different situations whether that is pr events / formal or to just spring into the action on the go and depending on the threat, these modifications could be more armoured or more light. down below is the following / general additional tech in booster’s ensemble:

the power suit.

the overall power-suit that booster gold wears is not only a fashion choice, but is filled with advanced technological advancements that also serve as an overall power supply to all the other tech and wiring connected to it's mainframe. beneath all the padded leather and armoured plating, the suit also allows booster to have super strength and rapid manoeuvring.

booster shots.

nicknamed 'booster shots' these wrist-mounted blaster rays are always used as pure offense. each wristband has the capabilities of firing out directed energy rays at the push of a button / lever type thing that is concealed beneath booster's gloves. the force of the blasts also can be adjusted to either simply stun opponents or or create actual destructive blasts. unless it's called upon in a moment of need, booster's default settings are always set to stun mode. rarely ever will he use the destructive mechanisms unless he really needs to take on big threats because the wrist blasters take the most strain on the overall power supply booster relies on to power his entire suit’s system.

vision goggles / visor / enhanced sunglasses.

one of the most important pieces of tech in booster's ensemble is his eye vison goggles, later remodified with another design in the form of sunglasses to blend in with a more modernistic / casual setting. these goggles function as IR sensors that allow him to do things like detect body heat, night vision, facial recognition / biometric tracking, comms and hacking integration, vital signs monitoring, environmental hazards and microscopic vision.

legion flight ring.

one of booster's favourite pieces of tech is his legion flight ring, originally designed by the legionnaire brainiac 5, it harnesses an alien-like metal to provide the one who wears with it with the power of flight. it took a little tinkering around and getting used to at first but since becoming acquainted with it, booster has discovered that the wearer does not need to be actually wearing it rather than just have it be in close proximity but it's not something that booster risks personally, especially if he might need it's aid in unexpected places. the ring has also been able to help booster translate many different languages on earth, and regions within the vicinity of space / beyond.

thrusters attached to boots.

probably the most 'superficial' aspect that has been implemented into his ensemble since the legion ring carries all the weight and that is the thrusters attached to booster’s boots. booster likes to personally activate them when he's showing off some big feats in town square or he's putting on some kind of a show for his audience. and even on personalised assignments, he just thinks it's one of those things that looks cool and gives his overall look a little flair. their only good use is that they help to break a fall by allowing some positioning and manoeuvring. this is one of the main upgrades the engineers in-house took a liberty in adding additionally.

headset / communications system hidden inside cowl or in the form of a headset earpiece. 

this one isn't so far and ground-breaking in technological advancements but more or less a simple communications device that allows booster to communicate with skeets or anyone that needs to reach him on the fly.

force field belt.

specifically in the original suit's design, one of the many items michael jon carter stole was a force-field belt originally belonging to the legion of superheroes. since becoming acquainted with it, it has since been integrated into the suit's system making it's usage rather obsolete but it is able to generate force fields capable of deflecting missile blasts or even preventing oxygen-loss in the vacuum of space.

other versions / enhancements.

public relations suit.

this is version of the suit is purely reserved for pr events because it sheds away a lot of the technology required from his main suit. it's practically just made of regular leather fabrics with minimal wiring on the inside. booster is still not useless in his suit, it has built in tech like his booster shots if he needs to stun any opponents / bad guys. the main noticeable differences of this suit really include shedding off the traditional cowl and goggle look, opting for more traditional sunglasses which is the only piece of tech that comes with the suit that still retains all the features that would featured in the goggles only with modifications in materials engineers at goldstar inc. had to accommodate to. for this look in particular, booster really wanted the ensemble to look more 'sporty' as a callback to his football days hence why it has a nascar-like design. it's intention is to be more modernistic to appeal to a more zestful audience. booster has done cover shoots, attended talk-show interviews in this suit and has attended pr events where he's more representative for his sponsors as a mascot as opposed to needing to be there with a save. this suit is filled to the brim with sponsor patches / logos.

mark i.v2 suit.

this reinvented take on the original mark 1 armour is identical to booster's original suit. it's changes are more cosmetic rather than being functional. one of the major changes includes that instead of opting for an all gold look for the gloves, they are now blue with armoured wrist gauntlets now added additionally that hold the trigger buttons to activate his booster shots. the biggest functional difference to this suit is that it's sleek design makes it less sturdy than the original and far more easier to move in.

additional pieces / the booster jacket.

the jacket is where things start to become prominently more about aesthetics. it's tailored to look like an ordinary leather jacket only with the blue and gold colours on standby. it has the patterns you could find on the ordinary booster ensemble and is once again more or less worn for more colder weather or just to simply look good at public relation events when the nascar ensemble becomes too much of a drag to put on. booster loves this jacket, he makes sure it's always taken in to a professional cleaner that checks for deep stains, or if the lining or the zippers need repairs.

the cape.

the cape was something that came and went rather swiftly, booster's audience instantly caught onto it as a cliché and according to skeets, his faithful automaton, his approval rate took a massive dive. anyway, he has not ever worn the cape again but sometimes when he's feeling frisky, he might try it on for size behind closed doors.

[jemmo]

ok i was too exhausted to talk about i hear the sunspot last week so now i have 2 weeks worth of ranting saved up and i can feel the tidal wave coming.

edit: i had to add a read more bc this turned into the messiest, most tangent-filled rant. tl;dr idk i just like it

and first off i wanna semi-respond to some discussion ive seen around the show with regards to pacing, that its slow, its frustrating etc. and the extent of my response is... yeah. well, not just yeah. its not that i agree or disagree, its more that i dont have a way to respond that is unbiased or removed from my personal opinion bc i love the show a lot. if i totally detached and looked at it, yeah, maybe i'd think that way. god knows ive said the same thing for many, many other shows and funnily enough its usually one of my least favourite things. at least, i thought it was, but now that i think about it...

ok this is gonna be a tangent but ive now been watching bl and been in the bl space for over 3 years (wow, how did that happen?) and i think its really interesting to think about, and i'd love to hear from others as well, how my taste in bl has changed. what i like, what i dont like, what i value in a show and how much i am willing to invest in or engage with a show. before i got to bl, i was very much looking for bl content. even when i was younger, i was always trying to find queer content and it was usually european, and then in my anime phase i watched all the bl anime, and that led me to cherry magic blah blah you dont need to know the rest. but at that point i was very much hungry to just see queerness on screen. and i mean explicit queerness, not necessary sexual, just like dating and kissing and explicit same sex relationships. and i think in that haze and the height of hyperfixation i watched many shows that i probably wouldnt have the patience to now. i watch a lot less bl now, maybe bc im more busy with work, maybe bc bl is actually getting worse idk, or maybe i just dont have the effort the engage with something when i dont like it, or it just doesnt interest me. and speaking of what i do and don't like, i feel like this lack of patience has also come with this gradual change in what i want for the show. i know bl now, i know its out there, i know more and more is being made every year, im not in short supply of explicit queerness anymore. so now i can be more picky. if i find myself getting bored watching a show, i just wont watch it. and also bc ive been watching bl for years now, i feel like i am developing what my taste in bl is, and thats not exactly something i can describe, for me its more a i know it when i see it kinda thing. thats why i try a lot of shows out but am happy to drop them after a couple of eps when i know i dont vibe with them.

and with shows i dont drop, they usually fall into 2 categories; im actually enjoying it or im just waiting around to see where this goes. and to call myself out, bc of all these things i think it means that im... well, not less critical, but less able to be unbiased when watching a show i do like, bc hey this is the one show out of 10 going on this month that im obsessed with, of course im not gonna be critical of it. and thats not to say i should be critical of i hear the sunspot, more that im not bc my bias and taste just makes me like it. all the things people think are its flaws that i see with other shows, i just dont see, or dont care about, bc i just like it. and thats me with the pacing. in any other show i would probably be bored and impatient. but for me, bc of so many other things, bc of what theyve done with characters in the mean time, bc i just like these characters a lot, the way they interact, the way they think, the whole vibe of the show and what it says, im just not bothered by it. its not an issue to me. and thats my tangent on personal taste and how youre allowed to just not think that a show has flaws when you like it even if other people think its flawed and youre equally critical of other things but anyway.

back to i hear the sunspot. i dont know why i love this slowburn and lack of communication but i just do. maybe its bc the show doesnt feel rushed. ive been frustrated so many other times when shows wait until the final ep for the couple to get together, which im guessing this show is doing, but thats usually bc nothing else about the show is engaging me so it feels like im being left waiting. i dont feel like im left waiting here. here, i feel like everyone as a character is being valued and whatever time i spend with any of them, i love it. i dont find myself waiting until kohei and taichi get a scene together like i have with other shows bc everything else, everything with them individually, everything with maya, with taichi's friends, idk what else to say i just love it all. and that shows bc i cried just as hard at the scene with maya as i did at the scene with kohei and taichi.

and now for just some fave bits, starting with maya. i just love her. people were so ready to be annoyed with her and pick her apart, but i cant scream enough about how amazing it is that the show introduced a female antagonist and managed to, in my eyes anyway, turn her into someone i liked and felt for and just enjoyed watching. finally, a female antagonist that wasnt just disposable after she served her purpose. and whats better is that what we come to learn about her recontextualises her actions when she was first introduced. i just know upon a rewatch that when i first see her acting out and being mean to taichi, i might still be mad at her, but ill also see a girl that is struggling to make it look like she is fine, someone who is trying her hardest to make it appear that she doesnt try at all, that shes fine, shes no burden to anyone, that this huge thing that is scary and difficult to deal with, shes fine with, bc shes just that good, no biggie. that need to make it all seem casual, to not show weakness, is even exactly why she got mad at taichi in the first place, bc she thought he wasnt trying, he was just doing things casually and he was ok with letting people know he wasnt perfect. he didnt take perfect notes and that was ok, he was still trying his hardest. thats like the exact opposite of maya's mindset to be perfect but make it look like shes not trying. and i think that clash was a great thing to add to the show, and so rewarding when taichi finally hit the nail on the head and told her she didnt have to try so hard, that its ok to let, or even make, other people make the effort. its not sympathy or pity, its kindness.

and now for taichi and kohei. there was just so many things that i loved, the scene of kohei cutting onions with his mom, the whole montage in the classroom going through the highlights of taichi taking notes for kohei, the whole vibe at the end where it was never explicitly said but you just knew it was taichi's last day. and i adore the way that kohei didn't ask questions when taichi told him about dropping out, he just had that faith in taichi, there was nothing to question, he believed that whyever it was, whatever it was for, taichi had thought about it and made the decision and that was enough. instead he just talks about taichi, how hes amazing, making him feel good about himself so he can feel both confident in his decision and whatever he does next. and as for taichi, i know we all wanna know why he cant just say he likes kohei and get it over with, but i dont think thats the right sentiment to bring to the show, or at least not the one i have. whatever it is, i just dont mind, bc to me taichi is a person and if he cant bring himself to say it now or doesnt want to or doesnt think its the right time, thats fine. thats the kind of energy gives me anyway, that i shouldnt be pressing these characters for a reason. its similar to how the show doesnt feel rushed, its like im fine if taichi doesnt say it bc theres no deadline, you say your feelings when youre ready and want to and thats just up to him and im not here to rush him, neither is the show. it just gives him the space to figure things out and make his mind up and decide when the time is right, when he isnt on rocky ground with yknow new people being mean to him and making him doubt himself or questioning what he wants to do with his life and taking on something new - like if taichi is overwhelemed by all of that, its fine. and i can hear the argument oh show us that and like yeah, as i said for any other show id say that too but here i dont care. taichi not saying his feelings can be for any reason you want to come up with, the show doesnt need to give us one, nor do we need one to accept he hasnt done it, but also if you want a reason, theres more than enough to draw from the show to come to your own conclusions. that kinda sounds like the most pretencious defence of a show thatsputting off a confession for the final ep but hey its what i think and i vibe with that thinking so there.

honestly, what i feel about this show is that it didn't need to be a bl for me to watch it, bc i adore everything about it that id watch it even if it was just bromance or even pure friendship, but the fact it is that bc its a bl, because it has that romance, it makes it better. and maybe thats why im not bothered by the pacing, bc im not waiting for the bl moments, im just enjoying the show for what it is, for the story its telling, for the characters its created and the message its conveying. and god if i think about it ending next week i will bust a cry so for now, we live in denial.

[herrscherofmagic]

i would like a bit of advice from fellow fanfic writers

What do you do when the idea you have for a fic far exceeds the writing knowledge you have at the present?

It's a bit of a weird question and it feels like it would be self-explanatory, like "okay just learn more stuff and then write". But I guess the problem I have is that I don't write as a profession, and the time I spend learning things for the sake of writing is time taken away from other things- both other interests like making art, as well as labor needed to afford rent + other expenses.

This is a bit of a long and rambly post, but i'm kinda tired and i want to get this out there even if it's a bit messy. i'd usually clean up a longer text post like this but i hardly have the energy to write it in the first place, so I hope y'all are okay w/ this mess lol

.

Just as an illustrative example, since this isn't something I'm specifically thinking about: imagine if you wanted to write a fanfic about a racing AU. not a one-shot short fic that's mostly about the general vibe/aesthetic of racing, but a long-form story that actually centers racing as a key story device.

That's fine if you already know about cars and racing and whatnot, but if you don't, then you need to take the time to actually learn about those things. You don't need to become a literal racing expert, but you'd still want to know basic things that would help you with telling the story. Like if you want to write a tense scene that takes place during a race, then you probably want to know what a typical race actually entails. and of course you can deviate from the norm, but you'd be doing it with intention, y'know?

A more common example would probably be if you wanted to write about a specific culture. like if you wanted to write a story that takes place in Sweden, but you've never set foot in Sweden. If you just go off whatever random vibes you feel, you might end up relying on your vague impression of what Sweden is supposed to be based on memes and Ikea and random news articles. but if your story relies on knowing about Swedish music or food or architecture or politics, then you'd kinda need to learn about that stuff.

The problem I have is that I understand that for the stories I want to write, I can and should learn about the subject matter. But the issue is that it takes that time and effort, and it's already so difficult to get started with writing even on topics I'm familiar with (like daily life in the modern world).

So if I want to do these story ideas justice, and actually write something compelling and accurate (especially when other cultures are concerned) then I'd need to expend that time + effort, which ends up serving as an extra barrier preventing me from ever writing in the first place.

But I feel like if I just jump into it and start writing then it's going to be difficult to actually get anywhere because there's so much that I don't know. And it feels like it's gonna take a long, long time before I actually "catch up" with the kind of knowledge I'd need to write the stories I want to write.

Again, the time itself wouldn't be much of a problem if I didn't also have to split my time with art and work. That's the crux of the issue- every hour I spend learning about stuff to prepare for good writing, that's time I can't spend on art (which is a much more developed skill I have, and more likely to help me make a living in the near- to mid-term). And when it comes to work, that's time I no longer have to spend on either art or writing.

It's such an uncomfortable situation for me to be in because I'm absolutely overwhelmed with ideas. I could probably start half a dozen different projects (some even interconnected) that all take place in different settings, based on different cultures, featuring different characters, etc.

I've been brainstorming these different ideas for ages; sometimes months, some of them it's even been a few years at this point. I've thought through some of the biggest plot points, and developed part of the setting in my mind, so the overarching macrostructure is already somewhat there. But to actually execute these ideas well, there's so much fine detail that I need to learn.

I could just pick one idea and stick with it (though that's incredibly hard for me to do with my scatterbrained focus and crippling executive dysfunction), and that would certainly help. But even in that case, each one of these project ideas entails so, so much that I still struggle to know where to begin.

I guess this is probably the #1 downside of having such broad interests? like there's so many incredible things I want explore in my stories, but the only way to do that without it feeling cluttered or chaotic is if these are long stories with large #s of lengthy chapters. and a long text is pretty obviously going to need way more work to write than a shorter text of similar quality.

Idk if any of this even makes sense T_T

i just wish I actually had a semi-functioning mind that would let me sit down and do things on a regular basis, so that I could've been gradually inching my way towards these ambitious goals over time instead of always being overwhelmed by everything all the time

[unnecessary-dinosaurs]

i’ve noticed jurassic fans love to criticize camp cretaceous for things that other jurassic content they love also has??

like “the kids have too much plot armor there’s no way they would all survive that long.” but it’s ok when eric kirby survives alone for months on sorna? or when ian malcolm’s daughter kills a raptor with gymnastics?

“the mind control is dumb.” girl the mind control is literally in dominion and fallen kingdom and some of the old jp video games.

“it’s for kids!” it’s literally just as much for kids as every other jurassic movie except maybe the first. and why would that make it any worse? seriously do you not realize how much goes into to making these movies as marketable as possible? half the movies just feel like excuses for new figures and plushies. camp cretaceous embraces the childlike wonder the series is built on but is written for everyone. there’s plenty for adults to enjoy calm down.

they just like to say it’s bad because it’s animated. i feel like a majority of vocal jurassic fans are just like 40 yr old guys who just want to watch cgi dinosaurs fight and hear chris pratt affirm their toxic masculinity. jwcc is so good and has so much heart but they’d never know.

[pigeonclaw]

the amount of times I have potentially controversial opinions that I type up and then save in my drafts forever because I still feel them but am too shy and afraid to choose violence in any way

[dollypopup]

y'all can all cancel me (again) for this, but if there's even a SHRED of 'who should I pick?' from Penelope in season 3, I am tuning out SO fast because like. . .sorry not sorry, there IS no choice. Debling is some crusty OC suitor she barely even knows and Colin is a man who she has been so supposedly in love with to the point where she'd ruin her entire family's reputation to have a potential love story with him. Penelope and Colin have background, years of knowing each other, intimacy that few people in the Ton can boast of having (letters, conversations about purpose, fights and arguments and makeups) and her and Debling have. . .a dance or two at a ball because he's a rebound for Penelope's broken heart. he means nothing. he has no nuance, he has no weight to the story, he is such an afterthought to me. either I wanna see Penelope going 'you know what? I don't even LIKE this dude. he's. . .fine, but I don't care about him even a shred as much as I care about Colin' or the INSTANT Colin's like 'you know what? we should get married' if it's not an immediate 'say less, you're already my husband, try returning me without the receipt, Debling whomst?' then I don't want it!

like. . .it's just so frustrating to see all the 'I hope Debling sweeps her off her feet and she rejects Colin's proposal and she makes him work for it and and and-' nonsense from the fandom and it's always tagged and no matter how many times I block it, it just keeps popping up. I go into the Polin tag for POLIN. I don't give a SHIT about a male love interest other than Colin. Not one. Not a shred. Not an iota.

and also. . .Debling has the 'benefit' of not having depth, or character traits, or HISTORY, so peeps can project onto him however they want, but I'm calling it now, there is NOTHING he could do or be that would make me like him more than Colin. Colin will always hit different, and I will always love him more. and if Pen's not on that same page? lol bye

you want me to believe Penelope and Colin are soulmates and it's romance for her to hem and haw about how difficult a decision it is for her to marry a stranger who knows barely anything about her. . .

when Marina was out here dropping banger lines like 'You were the only man with which I could see myself being happy' and 'I do not care about any of these men, where is Colin?'? like hello??? and she wasn't even fully in love with him!!!! but we'll demonize her until the cows come home in our fandom and make her the villain in Polin's love story for DARING to get in between Polin, yet Debling, a white man, is a darling dear perfect prince for getting in between Polin? existing in our fandom solely so Penelope can be like 'lol, Colin ain't shit, let me entertain any and everyone else'?

if that's the direction it goes then, ten toes down and on my mama, she doesn't deserve Colin and she can move because I'm on my way to court him my damn self

and that's that on that

[kira-light0]

Today I learned that I cannot draw well in pen unless the page is filled with terribly drawn doodles.