#Master-Student bond level

[saltynachobeliever]

A Bond With Marisa: 4

[simplygojo]

The Devil He Made Me - Ch. 1

Authors Note: Hello lovely people! Here is the introductory chapter to a new series I have had in mind for a while, I hope you enjoy! I am hoping to upload chapters weekly, as it will be a relativly long series, so if you'd like to join along for the emotional rollercoaster this will take me though, please feel free! Also, I am ALWAYS open to requests, so don't be shyyyyy!! luv u all, thank you to all who support my work :)

Pairing: Satoru Gojo x f/reader

Series summary : After being found by Gojo and his first year students in a sticky situation, y/n joins Jujutsu High under the close supervision of Gojo. As time passes, the two of you become close, with a strong unspoken bond forming as you work together. Although, there is something dark looming over the situation, and those at Jujutsu High are determined to get to the bottom of it, before it is too late.

Chapter Summary : After a mission to investigate a special grade curse, Gojo and the first-years discover y/n, who has no memory of the past week. Despite a series of tests, her innocence is confirmed. Gojo becomes unusually protective of her, sparking curiosity among the students and other sorcerers. As y/n begins to adjust to life at Jujutsu High, Gojo finds himself increasingly drawn to her, unable to ignore his growing attachment.

Word Count : 3.8k

Warnings : none (for this chapter, wink wink), maybe slight mental overstimulation?

| Next Chapter

The forest was cloaked in an oppressive silence, where every sound seemed swallowed by the ominous presence of cursed energy, the type that even the lowest-level sources could feel in their bones. Footsteps crunched over twigs and leaves, disturbing the stillness as Gojo Satoru led his first-year students deeper into the thick of the cursed energy's source. 

His casual demeanor, hands tucked into his pockets and a laid-back smile playing on his lips, contrasted with the seriousness of the situation. It was as if they were out for a casual stroll instead of on a mission to investigate a reported special-grade curse.

Itadori Yuji, Fushiguro Megumi, and Kugisaki Nobara followed closely behind, their expressions ranging from excitement to apprehension. 

The blend of eagerness and wariness that accompanied every encounter with curses was palpable. Yuji’s bright, curious eyes darted around, already anticipating the unexpected. Nobara, less enthused, let her irritation show in the way she muttered complaints under her breath. Megumi, the most composed, kept his focus sharp, his brow furrowed in anticipation.

“So, we’re just here to observe, right?” Nobara asked, her voice laced with frustration. She wasn’t one for waiting around, especially when the promise of action loomed. “If it’s a special-grade curse, I doubt we’re doing much besides standing around.”

Gojo chuckled lightly, the sound teasing. “Observing is just as important as fighting, Nobara. It's all about learning how curses work.”

Yuji shot Gojo a curious look. “But it’s dangerous, right? You’re the strongest sorcerer, so we’ll be fine?”

Gojo was amused by Yuji’s innocent confidence. “Special-grade curses can be unpredictable, Yuji. It’s not just about strength; it’s about knowing what to do when things don’t go as planned.” He grinned wider and put his hands behind his head, adding a sense of cockiness as he walked, “But yes, Yuji, I am the strongest.”

Megumi sighed and rolled his eyes at his sensei's snarky comment, his skepticism apparent. “I still don’t see how standing around helps us learn anything.”

“Trust me, Megumi,” Gojo replied, his tone cryptic. “You’ll see soon enough.”

As they ventured deeper into the forest, the heavy cursed energy they had been tracking began to grow stronger. A sort of power Gojo had only felt a few times before in his life, evoking a feeling of both excitement, and fear, the latter which he hadn’t felt in a while.

“We are close to the special grade…stay alert students! You don’t want to miss a master in action!” Gojo said in his usual excited tone. 

Beginning to dramatically stretch to prepare for the battle, Gojo was about to give the three first-years instructions to just observe the battle and take out any low-grade curses they encountered. However, before he could open his mouth, the strong cursed energy began to vanish.

It was subtle at first, like the fading scent of something foul in the air, but soon, it became clear that what should have been an overpowering force now felt faint, practically gone.

Yuji frowned, his senses alert. “It’s weaker. Shouldn’t it be getting stronger as we get closer?”

Nobara’s irritation grew. “I swear if we came all this way for nothing—”

Before she could finish, Gojo came to a sudden stop, his blindfolded gaze fixed on a small clearing ahead. The students followed his line of sight, and that’s when they saw you. Gojo’s eyes, even beneath that blindfold, were locked onto you.

—

You sat in the clearing, your body frozen with fear and cold. The forest around you was dark, the shadows stretching and twisting unnaturally. You had no memory of how you ended up here; the only thought that was present in your mind was that you were scared and disoriented. 

Your hands trembled as you wrapped your arms around yourself, trying to make sense of the situation. You were a relatively calm and happy person, but as of late things had been changing, although, your memory seemed to be fading more rapidly the more you thought about it.

Footsteps approached, and your body tensed, instinctively curling tighter. The voice that spoke was startlingly bright, almost cheerful, not fitting the heavy atmosphere of the forest at all.

“Well, what do we have here?”

The man who spoke was tall, his white hair glowing faintly in the dim light. His face was obscured by a black blindfold, but there was an intensity in his demeanour that you couldn’t ignore. He crouched in front of you, his tone oddly reassuring despite the circumstances. 

“Are you alright?” he asked gently.

You opened your mouth to speak, but your voice caught in your throat. Fear and confusion overwhelmed you, making it hard to form words. You managed a slight shake of your head, your body trembling under the weight of everything you couldn’t remember.

Gojo studied you, his expression unreadable behind the blindfold, but there was a certain softness in his tone. “Interesting,” he murmured to himself, his words more for his own contemplation than anyone else’s.

Behind him, the first-years approached cautiously. Megumi’s gaze was sharp, scrutinizing you closely. Yuji and Nobara exchanged uncertain glances, their confusion and concern growing with each passing second.

Gojo straightened, his playful demeanour replaced by a more serious edge. “What is your name?” he said leaning in closer to your face. 

You finally managed to get words out, not much above a whisper, as this white haired man was only inches from your face, “I-I’m y/n, y/n y/l/n.” 

He nodded once and stood up swiftly, causing you to flinch. “Well hello y/n!” He said flashing a wide grin at you. “I am Satoru Gojo! A legendary sorcerer, if I might add.” He said proudly, provoking a loud sigh from Nobara. 

He hinged at the hips and switched his tone back to a more serious one. “What are you doing here in this forest, doesn’t seem like a nice place to camp for a young girl like you” He asked you, and boy did you wish you had an answer. 

“I don’t know…” You loosened the tight grip you had around your legs. “I, I really don’t remember anything at all, not from the past few weeks at least.” 

Gojo looked at you intensely straightening his spine as he stood up straight, ‘Her eyes, they’re so…’ he quickly interrupted his thoughts and glanced at the the dark haird boy. “Megumi, can you sense any cursed energy from her?”

Megumi closed his eyes, concentrating on the surrounding area. His frown deepened. “Nothing of significance. Whatever cursed energy we felt here a few minutes ago, it’s gone now.”

Gojo turned back to you, crouching once more. His hand extended toward you, a kind but firm gesture. “Let’s get you somewhere safe. We can figure this out.”

You hesitated for a moment, your fear warring with the overwhelming relief that someone was offering help. Slowly, you reached out and took his hand. 

The touch was warm and steady, a small comfort in the midst of your disorientation.

As Gojo helped you to your feet, your mind raced. Who were these people? How had you ended up in this situation? 

And why couldn’t you remember anything from the last few days? The only thing you were sure of was that you had always been able to see curses—creatures others couldn’t perceive, lurking just beyond the edges of reality. But this? This was something entirely different.

You swallowed hard, gathering the courage to speak. “I don’t… I don’t remember how I got here,” you admitted, your voice still barely above a whisper. “I’ve always been able to see curses, but this… I don’t understand what’s happening.”

Gojo tilted his head, his expression unreadable beneath the blindfold. “No memory, huh?” He sounded curious but not judgmental. “Well, we’ll figure that out.”

—

Back at Jujutsu High, the atmosphere was tense. You were seated in a room, surrounded by people you barely knew, all of them sorcerers far more skilled than you could ever hope to be. The tests began almost immediately. 

Every inch of your story was picked apart, your memory—or lack thereof—under scrutiny. They questioned you about the forest, about the curses, about anything that could provide a clue.

One by one, the sorcerers took turns assessing you. They used techniques, spells, and devices you couldn’t begin to comprehend, all in an attempt to uncover something—anything—that could explain your presence in that cursed clearing.

It was gruelling, mentally and emotionally exhausting. You answered the same questions over and over again, your frustration and mental fatigue climbing with each repetition. The truth was simple: you had no memory of what had happened. 

And yet, the interrogations persisted, leaving you feeling more confused and overwhelmed by the second.

Gojo watched silently from the sidelines, his usual playful demeanour replaced by something quieter, more contemplative. His eyes—hidden behind the blindfold—never left you. The longer the tests dragged on, the more something about the entire situation seemed off to him.

Beside him, Principal Yaga and another special grade sorcerer, and Utahime Iori, continued their assessment. Utahime frowned as she used her ability to sense the flow of your cursed energy—or lack thereof.

“She doesn’t seem to be lying,” Utahime said softly, more to herself than anyone else. “But there’s something odd about this. It’s like there’s a barrier, something we can’t quite break through.”

Yaga crossed his arms, his expression stern. “We need to cover all possibilities. She could still be hiding something.”

As the tests continued, you felt yourself growing more drained. The sorcerers probed deeper into your mind, looking for gaps, inconsistencies—anything to suggest you weren’t telling the truth. But no matter how hard they pushed, your story remained the same. You didn’t know. You didn’t remember.

The pressure mounted until, finally, Gojo stepped forward, his voice cutting through the room with an authority you had yet to hear from him. “That’s enough.”

The suddenness of his command startled everyone, even Yaga, who raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Gojo, we need to make sure—”

“She’s not lying,” Gojo interrupted, his voice firm. “There’s minimal cursed energy coming from her, and she clearly has no memory of what happened. We’re not going to find any answers by grilling her like this.”

Utahime glanced at Gojo, her expression curious. “You’re sure about this?”

Gojo turned toward her, his grin returning, though it lacked its usual mischief. “I’m the strongest sorcerer, aren’t I? Just trust me.”

Yaga still seemed skeptical, but after a long pause, he sighed and relented. “Fine. We’ll stop for now. But we still need to figure out what she was doing in that forest. Especially since a veil was drawn…”

Gojo gave a small nod of satisfaction, then turned his attention back to you. His expression softened. “You’ve been through enough today. Let’s get you some rest.”

As the other sorcerers began to disperse, the first-years remained behind, exchanging confused glances. Yuji was the first to speak, his voice low but curious. “It’s not like Gojo-sensei to be this… invested, right?”

Nobara crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Yeah, it’s weird. He’s acting different.”

Megumi, ever perceptive, watched Gojo closely. “He’s unpredictable, but this is definitely unusual.”

Gojo, sensing the shift in the room, flashed his signature grin, waving off their concerns with a casual hand. “Don’t get any weird ideas, kids. I’m just looking out for someone who got caught up in a bad situation. That’s all.”

But even as he dismissed their concerns, Gojo couldn’t shake the thoughts swirling in his mind. There was something about you that unsettled him—something beyond the circumstances of your discovery in the forest. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it gnawed at him, refusing to be ignored.

He wanted to be closer to you. To understand why, of all the strange and dangerous things he’d encountered, you had managed to occupy so much space in his thoughts. 

—

The next morning, you awoke in a small room within the Jujutsu High compound. The soft light of dawn filtered through the windows, casting the space in a gentle glow. Despite the calm atmosphere, your mind was anything but settled.

You had been told to stay here until they figured out what had happened to you. 

While the thought of staying at Jujutsu High was daunting, you couldn’t deny the strange sense of safety you felt, knowing that Gojo was nearby. In addition to this, there was nothing waiting for you back in Tokyo, you’ve always been alone, and as a 24 year old girl, it was not the most exiting life to live. 

A knock on the door interrupted your thoughts. It opened before you had a chance to respond, and Gojo stepped inside, his usual playful expression firmly in place.

“Morning,” he said cheerfully, leaning casually against the doorframe. “How are you feeling?”

You hesitated before answering, still unsure of how to navigate this strange new world you’d been thrust into. “Confused,” you admitted softly. “But… better, I guess.”

Gojo nodded, stepping further into the room. “Good to hear. We’ve decided to keep you around for a while.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. “Keep me around?”

“Yep,” Gojo confirmed with a grin. “You barely have any cursed energy, and you clearly don’t know how you ended up in that forest. But until we can figure out what happened, it’s safer for you to stay here, where we can keep an eye on things.”

You swallowed hard, the weight of the situation settling in your chest. “So… what happens now?”

Gojo’s grin softened slightly, and for the briefest moment, his playful facade cracked, revealing something more genuine beneath. “For now? You’ll help out around the school. Get to know the students, maybe even learn a bit about how we handle curses.”

He paused, his tone becoming more serious. “And I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

The sincerity in his voice caught you off guard, and it seemed to catch Gojo off guard too. You had only known him for a short time, but something about the way he spoke to you made you believe him. 

There was a depth to his words that you hadn’t expected, a promise that went beyond the typical duties of a sorcerer.

And as Gojo left the room, you couldn’t help but wonder why he seemed so determined to protect you.

—

As the days passed, the curiosity surrounding Gojo’s sudden attentiveness only grew. The first-years, in particular, found it strange how their usually carefree and unpredictable teacher seemed to go out of his way to check on you.

Yuji, ever the optimist, chalked it up to Gojo’s natural inclination to help people in need. “He’s just looking out for her. You know how he is.”

Nobara, however, wasn’t convinced. “It’s more than that. He’s never this focused on one person. It’s weird.”

Even Megumi, though more reserved in his judgments, couldn’t deny the oddness of Gojo’s behaviour. “There’s something going on. He’s not acting like himself.”

Gojo, of course, dismissed all their concerns with a wave of his hand and his usual grin. “You’re all overthinking it. I’m just making sure she doesn’t get into any more trouble.”

But no matter how many times he deflected their questions, the truth was something Gojo couldn’t even admit to himself. The more time he spent around you, the more he found his thoughts drifting back to that clearing in the forest—the way you had looked so lost, so vulnerable, but still so strong.

He couldn’t explain it, but there was something about you that pulled at him, something that made him want to be closer.

And for the first time in a long while, Gojo Satoru—the strongest sorcerer in the world—felt something…almost like uncertainty.

Days turned into weeks, and you slowly adjusted to life at Jujutsu High. The students, though initially unsure about your presence, began to warm up to you. 

Yuji, with his endless optimism and genuine kindness, was the first to make you feel welcome, even though he was almost a decade younger than you. He’d often drop by to chat, always trying to lighten the mood with stories of his own awkward experiences as a novice in the world of jujutsu sorcery.

Nobara, though more distant at first, soon took to you as well. She admired your strength or at least the fact that you were handling your situation without falling apart completely. "I respect that," she said one day with a shrug. "Not everyone could be thrown into this and not lose their mind."

Megumi was the hardest to read. His sharp, critical gaze often lingered on you, as though he was still assessing whether or not you were truly a threat. But over time, his cold demeanour thawed, and though he didn’t openly show it, there were moments where you could tell he had begun to trust you��or at least tolerate your presence.

However, it was Gojo who remained the most enigmatic. He would check in on you often, always with his playful grin and teasing remarks. 

But there was something beneath the surface, something you couldn’t quite place. His visits were frequent, his concern palpable, but he never pushed. 

Whenever you asked him why he was so invested in helping you, he would just shrug it off, offering a casual, "I’m the strongest, remember? It’s my job to make sure nothing happens to you."

But even you could see that there was more to it. His presence was constant, and no matter how much he tried to play it off, there was a tension between you—something unspoken but undeniable. 

The first-years noticed it too, though none of them dared to say anything directly to him. Yuji, ever the optimist, thought it was just Gojo being protective, but Nobara and Megumi weren’t as easily convinced.

One evening, as you sat in the common room, absentmindedly flipping through a book Yuji had recommended, Gojo appeared, leaning against the doorway with his usual smirk.

"Reading? I’m impressed," he teased, strolling into the room without invitation. "What’s the book?"

You glanced up, meeting his blindfolded gaze. "Just something Yuji thought I’d like. It’s… fine."

Gojo chuckled, dropping down onto the couch beside you, far too close for what most would consider appropriate. His casual attitude about personal space had long since become something you were used to, though it still made your heart race a little faster each time.

"I was just checking on you," he said lightly. "Make sure you're not too bored here."

You raised an eyebrow. "Bored? After all the tests and constant probing into my memory? Yeah, I’d say I could use a bit more excitement."

His smile softened, just a touch. "Those tests were tough on you, huh?"

You shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "They were necessary, I guess. I don’t blame them for wanting answers. I want answers, too."

Silence stretched between you for a moment, the air thick with unspoken tension. Then, to your surprise, Gojo spoke again, his tone more serious than you’d ever heard it before.

"You’re handling all of this pretty well," he said quietly. "Most people wouldn’t be as calm about it."

You turned to face him fully, searching for the meaning behind his words. "I’m not sure if I’d call it calm. I’m just trying to… survive, I guess."

Gojo tilted his head, his smile still in place but his voice softer. "You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for, you know."

Something about his words made your chest tighten and your eyes lifted above the page of your book, stunned. A warmth began to spread through you that you didn’t quite understand. Why was he being so kind? So attentive?

Before you could respond, the door to the common room creaked open, and Yuji, Nobara, and Megumi appeared, clearly having overheard at least part of the conversation. Yuji’s bright smile lit up the room, but there was a glint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Are we interrupting something?" Nobara asked, her tone playful but her gaze sharp as she looked between you and Gojo.

Gojo leaned back, waving his hand dismissively. "Nope, just checking in on our guest. You know, making sure she’s not too lonely."

Yuji chuckled, but Nobara wasn’t fooled. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she leaned closer to Megumi, whispering something that made him roll his eyes.

Megumi, always the most perceptive, shot Gojo a questioning look. "You’re being unusually… protective."

Gojo’s grin widened, but his tone remained light. "What can I say? I decided I’d try and be a nice guy this year, a New Years resolution thing, ya know?."

But Megumi wasn’t satisfied with that answer. "It’s not like you to take such a personal interest in someone who isn’t a sorcerer."

There it was—the suspicion that had been bubbling under the surface for weeks. Those words hurt a bit. 

You knew you weren’t of much importance compared to everyone here, but it was harsh to hear out loud. The first-years weren’t blind. They had seen how Gojo had gone out of his way to ensure you were safe, how his visits to check on you had become more frequent, more personal.

Gojo, for once, seemed caught off guard by the directness of the question. He shrugged, his grin never faltering. "What can I say? I like keeping things interesting."

But as the first-years exchanged glances, it was clear that none of them believed his nonchalance. There was more to it—there had to be. But none of them pressed the issue further.

After they left, the room grew quiet once more, and you could feel the weight of Gojo’s attention on you. For the first time, it felt like he wasn’t hiding behind his usual playful demeanour. There was something deeper in his gaze, something that made your heart race in a way that had nothing to do with fear.

"You should get some rest," he said finally, his voice low. "I’ll see you tomorrow."

As he stood to leave, you found yourself wanting to say something—anything to break the tension. But the words wouldn’t come. Instead, you watched as he left the room, the door clicking softly behind him.

And as the silence settled around you, one thought echoed in your mind: why did it feel like you were missing something important? 

—

Later that night, as Gojo lay in his quarters, staring up at the ceiling, he couldn’t shake the image of your face from his mind. The confusion, the vulnerability, the strength you didn’t even realize you had—it all stirred something in him that he couldn’t quite explain.

For someone as powerful as Gojo, emotions had always been a distant second to his duties as a sorcerer. But with you, it was different. There was something about you that made him want to protect you, to keep you close.

But more than that, he wanted to understand you. To know what it was that drew him to you in the first place.

And as he closed his eyes, one thought lingered in his mind: he wasn’t sure what it was about you, but he was certain of one thing.

He couldn’t stay away from you.

━

Author's Note II: I hope you enjoyed this first chapter!! Please feel free to send me any feedback or comments you have! Many more chapters to come soon, and this series will eventually become...18+ so read at your own discretion :)

Cheers!

[shield-and-saber]

feeling insanely curious about the possibilities of sol's darkness.

a young boy, shy, perhaps feeling very lonely in the grand temple on coruscant but who feels very deeply about the people he cares for. who struggles with attachment because his heart is so inclined to connection and to familial bonds, to love

the boy becomes a padawan, then a knight, but he doesn't take on his own apprentice, not yet. perhaps the council decides he isn't ready yet. they sense the ways that his desire for connection are selfish, based in a deep-seated desire for attachment to an unhealthy level. the kind of attachment that leads to fear of loss, to greed and jealousy, and they decide he must wait. he must see the galaxy first, he must grow before he can become a teacher and master

a knight on brendok makes the greatest mistake of his life. 51 lives lost because of his selfishness and impulsivity. so he returns to coruscant with a new padawan (a daughter) and he decides never again. he decides to be better, to be everything that he was not on brendok so that no one ever dies because of him again. but he doesn't learn to let go of his attachments, only to ignore them. to pretend they aren't there

the knight becomes a master, the master becomes apprentice-less. a failure. he failed mae, and he failed osha, and he is so, so lonely. better take all that darkness, the shadows clouding your heart, and stuff them somewhere else. don't stop to feel the pain, just move on. be better

so the council grants him a new student, bright and brilliant like the sun, a child who adores him, idolizes him. she is sweet and smart and respects him far too much, and then she dies because he was blind to the evil that guided mae's hand. she dies because he failed

there is only one answer to this, right? for surely it isn't darkness when painted with the brush of justice? the sith deserves to die because indara, kelnacca, and torbin are dead. jecki is dead, yord is dead, because sol failed. this isn't darkness, it's the sweetened flavor of a jedi's revenge. but this, too, is another failure that tallies itself in the back of sol's mind

on the ship. broken. empty. unmoored. jecki is gone. his entire team is gone. the sith is gone, still alive because the girl who couldn't be a jedi told him not to kill in cold blood. and then, it turns out, that osha is gone too. so what is left for him but the depths of his despair? what is left for a man like sol when his daughters are missing or dead? what does it matter that mae (the daughter that might have been but never was) is restrained on a table, unable to enact her own revenge upon him, when he could simply explain himself? assuage his own guilt? beg for forgiveness?

sol has lurked in the shadows since nightfall on khofar. the darkness is coming back. after so many failures, there is only one thing for sol left to do and that is to save osha. one last time.

yeah, no wonder this guy is 50 shades of fucked up

[ritunn]

Vile Beauty - A Look at the Elves of Lorwyn/Shadowmoor and Queerness

"Beauty determines values, and we determine beauty."

That's the flavor text that accompanies the card, Masked Admirers, a rare, now uncommon, elf that made its debut in Lorwyn. Flavor text that summarizes the views of the Lorwyn elves who we'll be revisiting next year.

Beauty Determines Value

I started playing MtG back in 2009 and I took a liking to the elf and kithkin tribes almost immediately. I was young enough that I didn't quite understand the social commentary being made by the writing behind the elves at the time, but it's something that's entranced me since then. In Lorwyn, the virtue often associated with elves, their unnatural beauty, has been twisted. The vain elves live in a hierarchical society where the most beautiful live on top and a single scar or blemish can ruin your life. While nature is nothing more but a tool to continue their harm of others or to be shaped to be as beautiful as them.

It's a strange society, but one that fits all too well with elves and the tropes we've come to associate with them. Though the twist of eyeblights, the name elves give to those too ugly to be anything else in elf society, but also what they call everyone else, adds an fun twist to the basic idea of "What if the beauty industry was a society?"

Eyeblights at best are treated as eye sores, creatures to be avoided if needed and an annoyance at worse. At worst, they are hunted for sport, blades slicing them in twain while the insidious moonglove poison kills them in seconds if that fails. This is often reserved for giants and boggards, the name for goblins, but they aren't above using these selfsame measure on other elves.

But for those elves who would reach so low as to become eyeblights, often due to disfigurement, purposeful or accidental, they are allowed to become nettelvine breeders. Nettlevine is a parasitic plant cultivated by the plane's elves that shortens the already short lifespan of elves, but also grants them great control over it, allowing them to make mockery of the plane's treefolk and devastate the enemies of the elves. But, what lays in the store for those elves who reach the pinnacle of beauty?

We Determine Beauty

Elvish society in Lorwyn is separated into four distinct classes, the faultless, immaculate, exquisite, and perfect.

Faultless: the lowest caste, the faultless meet a minimum threshold for beauty. They're without fault as the name suggests, but their beauty isn't anything better than what is expected for an elf and work the basic jobs required of society.

Immaculate: those who act as dignitaries for the elves. If you're cunning enough in addition to beautiful, you can reach the level of immaculate and attain some special privileges within elvish society.

Exquisite: second only to the perfect, elves who reach exquisite are masterful hunters and lead other elves in hunting excursions with packs of wolves to kill eyeblights. As dangerous as they are beautiful and the only caste below perfect with permission to speak to them.

Perfect: the most cunning of all elves and of transcendental beauty, perfects rule elf society in Lorwyn and have permission to kill anyone they'd like in a caste below them. Vicious and vain rulers of which only a few exist.

Eyeblights are not in the caste system. As mentioned before, these elves are either made into nettlevine breeders or killed. Even associating with creatures that aren't elves or using them to kill eyeblights such as one of the Lorwyn/Shadowmoor protagonists, Rhys, did can earn you the ire of other elves. Speaking of Rhys...

Rhys, the Exiled

Rhys was a student of Colfenor, an elder treefolk and the last yew treefolk. He taught him the secrets of yew poison magic and they'd maintain a psionic bond for life even when Rhys became an eyeblight hunter. His past of being associated with an eyeblight like Colfenor always earned him some contempt, especially from his superior, Nath. Nath was a more traditional elf, one who was quite annoyed when Rhys made use of a pair of giants to deal with goblin raiders after the hunting party's trap went wrong due to an inexperienced archer, an archer Nath cut down for his mistake. As such, Rhys and Nath had a tense relationship, one that broke when Rhys became one of the very eyeblights he hunted and his friend turned against him.

Nath had ordered Rhys to exterminate some peaceful goblins getting together for a story time festival. Despite Colfenor's pleas not to go through with it, he did and the attack went horribly wrong. The goblins turned feral and murderous due to the Great Aurora starting to begin, an event that inverts the traits of every race on the plane and brings eternal night. With little choice, Rhys unleashed the magic Colfenor taught him and killed everyone except for himself, his friend, and Nath. When he awoke, he found his horns destroyed. He had become an eyeblight and his friend and Nath had promised to slay him, but not before he was rescued by an elf named Maralen and a group of fey.

The rest of the story follows his adventures with Maralen of the Mournsong and the other adventurers on Colfenor's quest to continue to yew treefolk line and stop the Great Aurora, but this fall is what we care about. Rhys knew what was wrong but still went through with it anyway. Corrupted by the pressure of a society and willing to kill to maintain his position, only to lose it all. Though, when night comes the only true monsters on Lorwyn become its saviors.

Beauty is a Seed

The elves of Shadowmoor, the name the plane adopts when the Great Aurora brings eternal night, are an interesting contrast in the dark fairy tale feel the plane adopts during this phase. These elves are also obsessed with beauty, but the world itself has become as ugly as they were inside while phased to Lorwyn. Thus, there's the twist. They seek to preserve beauty, those little slivers left. Beauty is a seed, waiting to blossom under capable hands as the flavor text of Bloom Tender puts it. As everyone else becomes the monsters they believed them to be, they stopped hunting them. They hunted for beauty instead. No longer vain, they care for each other and see the seeds of light in the darkness. They see true beauty, of nature, of love, of life, and just want to protect it. There's something so kind about it, so heartwarming, a glimmer of hope in darkness, all ripped away when the morning tide washes away the darkness and things return to normal. We get a glimpse at what the elves could be, and in a way, it hurts.

Something I have yet to mention is the deer-like apperance of the elves. In Lorwyn, this soft apperance hides the truth: they are predators, hunters, to be feared, not prey. But on Shadowmoor, they are the prey, able to fight back, but prey nevertheless to hideous monsters like scarecrows, kelpie, deurgar, and the twistwed residents of Shadowmoor. They've become the ones they once hunted, the other, but for once, they're free of hierarchy and free to live life and dream for a better tomorrow and they revel in that. Rhys is able to find redemption in Shadowmoor, and embrace his true ideals. Night doesn't last forever though, and neither can this. But, I'm intrigued to see how it ends up being handled come 2025.

Toil to Renown

So, what do I love about the elves of Lorwyn/Shadowmoor? Well, they are quite pretty, I love the design, but these days, I think love that they're the very people that'd despise me. Being queer means to live outside the binary standards of beauty quite often. Some transphobes even go as far as to label others trans based off of very minute masculine or feminine traits that no one but them cares about. This leads to reinforcing gender stereotypes and leading to violence and/or vitriol against anyone who doesn't fit in. We become eyeblights, as does anyone who's cis and not quite the perfect model of their gender. All the while, people like Rhys, who don't totally agree, are browbeat into conforming and suffer for it when they too find out they will never live up to the standards of such wretched people. Whether they come out queer or simply have an accident.

But, I also love these elves, the ones on Shadowmoor, because I see myself in them too. I want to find the beauty in a cruel world that despises me and others I call friends and family and protect it with all my heart. Beauty isn't flawless skin and a sharp intellect, it's in a lonely flower blossoming, the laugh of someone you love, celebration of life. We fight every day to live and assure our continued existence in a world that despises us. Is that not reason to celebrate? Life may be grim, but there's beauty everywhere and we decide it ourselves. I hope WotC explores that duality again in 2025, because it's a beautiful message I've taken to heart for years. Thanks for reading.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

what were the Doctor's and the Master's education like? like which Chapter schools did they go to and how long did they stay and such?

What were the Doctor and the Master's school days like?

The early lives of the Doctor and the Master contain a lot of contradictory information, so below is the path of least resistance.

🌱Early Days

The Doctor (AKA Theta) was from the Oldblood House of Lungbarrow, and the Master (AKA Koschei) was from the Newblood House of Oakdown, both of which were in the Prydonian Chapter.

In their youth, they would have both undergone a period called brainbuffing. This intensive education, supervised by robotic avatroids in their Houses, involves learning the very basics.

🎓Academy Initiation

At the age of 8, candidates for the academies take an entrance exam. Both Koschei and Theta passed these and were taken from their Houses and put in dormitories at the Prydon Academy.

Theta and Koschei met on the first day and instantly bonded, becoming fast friends. They were both tutored by Borusa, a stern yet influential mentor. They would often cause trouble together and go AWOL from classes. One excursion led to the death of a fellow student named Torvic - an event that would change Theta and Koschei's lives forever.

🌌 The Untempered Schism

Somewhere in the first term, both Theta and Koschei were taken for the Untempered Schism initiation, where they were made to stare into a gap in spacetime.

Koschei: Koschei's experience was very traumatic. He was overwhelmed by the sound of drums—a relentless beat that would haunt him for the rest of his lives. This drumbeat, coupled with the fallout from that day with Torvic began to warp his mind and soul.

Theta: Theta, on the other hand, was terrified by the Schism, and he ran away. This instinct to run would become a defining characteristic of his lives.

Once this was complete, their proper education began.

For more on grade levels/years, see the related section.

🏫 Entrance to the Time Academy

In 5th Grade at around aged 20, students take the entrance exam for the Time Academy. Both Theta and Koschei passed these. They didn't need to go anywhere else, because Prydon Academy is also the Time Academy - it's the only academy able to give out the title of Time Lord.

🧠 The Time Academy

For more on classes taught, see the related section.

The curriculum at the Time Academy was challenging and varied. From advanced temporal theory and stellar engineering to telepathic disciplines and even recreational mathematics, the Academy was designed to push young Time Lords to their limits.

Theta and Koschei were inseparable for a lot of this time, sharing a love for experimenting with forbidden sciences. They played pranks, like trapping a teacher in a time loop, and often skipped classes to engage in unsanctioned experiments. Koschei excelled at hypnotism and took pleasure in teaching Theta some of his tricks, although their uses of these skills would diverge dramatically in the future.

They were also part of an elite group known as the Deca, which included other future renegades like Ushas (who would become the Rani). The Deca engaged in activities ranging from building 'time flow analogues'—devices to disrupt each other's experiments—to forming a band called the 'Gallifrey Academy Hot Five,' where Theta played the lead perigosto stick and Koschei played the drums.

Amidst all their studies and mischief, the two made a pact to one day explore every star in the universe together. Cue the sad violin music. 🎻

🎓 Graduation

As they approached graduation, the differences in their outlooks became more obvious. Koschei saw himself as destined for greatness, driven by a desire to control and shape the universe. Theta, in contrast, was more of a dreamer, fascinated by the beauty and mystery of the universe rather than its domination. Their friendship began to fracture after an incident where Koschei broke a promise, leading Theta to realise that their paths were too different to remain friends.

According to some accounts, both Theta and Koschei graduated at around 236 years old, as part of 'The Class of the 4th Millennium' or 'the Class of '92'. While Theta supposedly passed his Time Lord qualifying exams with the lowest possible passing grade—51%—other stories suggest he was expelled before he could graduate due to his political views.

🚀 Beyond Graduation

Some accounts suggest Koschei stayed on at the Academy to get another degree, while others say he went into teaching for a while, or maybe something else. Theta, meanwhile, might have worked a few jobs before he took a TARDIS and left, depending on who you ask.

Related:

💬|🧸🏫What are young Gallifreyans/Time Tots taught?: Detailing what the kids of Gallifrey are taught.

💬|🧸🏫How do grade levels work in Gallifreyan schooling?: How the Gallifreyan education system works.

💬|🏡👪What does a traditional family/House dynamic look like?: Houses and their internal structures.

Hope that helped! 😃

Any purple text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →😆Jokes |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[anothercyborg]

Not me watching Kung fu panda and starting to view the relationship dynamic of Shifu and Tai Lung as that of a father and his firstborn daughter.

From the first part (when Tigress narrates about them) i find so many parallels with the childhood of a daddy's girl: the care, the beginning of a strong bond, the faith in Tai Lung's great destiny (in a field that Shifu, the 'father', has mastered, which not only allows him to be a guide but also excited because they share his interest). This way, Tai Lung believes his 'father' and has to be at the same level of his high standars, which leads to him internalizing Shifu's expectations and strictness: he had to be a great warrior (he showed early talent and was also the first student to reveal the thousand scrolls of Kung fu, so hella impressive); but he needed to be the Dragon Warrior.

However, as he grows, both are faced with reality. The daughter shows signs of being different of what his father thought (Tai Lung's destiny full of greatness was not what he was told), and the disappointment she feels is only surpasses by the one of her father. Of course Tai Lung destroyed everything, he had a rage only compared to that of a woman who feels betrayed by those closest to her, even herself (because it is obvious that he blames Shifu, but deep down the pain comes from Tai Lung's realization that he cannot be more than himself, as his master had visualize at first). And, of course, they had a painful battle. That's how a daughter realizes she no longer is her daddy's girl, and the father distances himself. Despite all the similarities that they may share or the expectations for her, she is just a growing woman that he can't control, not her future, not her rage. And that's when the father starts to feel a certain fear of her, of what this girl freeing herself is able to do. In Tai Lungs case, Shifu is concerned because he knows only a part of his students' power, one he wasn't able to stop when confronted.

From the second part, when they are fighting while the people of the valley run away, the daughter-father relationship continuous, but this is the dark reunion in which they finally talk their feelings. Or at least that's what Tai Lung does.

On the one hand, Tai Lung spent years being imprisoned. After showing his fury, he was isolated and under severe vigilance while rotting. His pain comes from the realization that, despite all the preparations and training to be what another longed for, Shifu wasn't even capable of moving a finger when Oogway denied him as the Dragon Warrior. The tittle wasn't the source of his rage, it was the quick resignation of Shifu.

On the other hand, Shifu doesn't even acknowledge his responsibility (truly a 'daddy issues' kind of parent). He denies his blame. He denies everything; at the scene they meet each other, Tai Lung literally says "I have come home, Master" and Shifu denies their past, their feelings, the right of Tai Lung to call that place his home ( where he was raised ?!?!?). Many daughters spend years trying to be nice and polite to their fathers in order to regain the love and friendship they shared in her childhood, but it is all in vain. They can't go back in time. In Tai Lung's case, the cut is even deeper because Shifu now has Po, a new student who can be able to fulfill his expectations. A new favorite, as he says.

However, the moment I started to think about their relationship from this "daddy issues" point of view was much later in the film, when their battle is finishing and Shifu is losing.

Because that's when Tai Lung starts to scream that he did it all for Shifu. He desired the love of his father so much that he was able to endure the most extreme training that said father put him through. Similar to some firstborn daughters, Tai Lung only wishes to be recognized. To hear his father tell him how proud he feels, even if he is not the Dragon Warrior. To feel, for once, as if he does not need to do everything perfect because he is, in fact, enough.

And when he finally hears it, when Shifu finally says those words, it's too late. Anyone can see that Tai Lung hesitates for a second after such confession. It is but a moment, in which he clearly reconsiderates their situation. He could stop, they could apologize and take another route. But how can a simple 'I'm sorry' replaced years of sadness and rage mixing in the coldest isolation. Why couldn't he said so from the beginning? Why couldn't he love the daughter the way she asks him to be loved? Why does she need to ask? Is it because, deep down, both know she is not enough? Is Shifu saying the truth or is he only lying in order to protect the valley? How could we expect Tai Lung to forgive him so easily?

So, in conclusion, Tai Lung is just a girl and had severe daddy issues that more than one eldest/firstborn daughter can understand. I mean, who hasn't dreamed of shouting their rage in a kung fu battle against their stupid father?

[projectbluearcadia]

Top Ten Anime Betrayals I Guess

[ Trigger Warning -  Intentional Poisoning via food/drink. Reader Discretion Advised. ]

Lucifer: Mmm... Where are you going?

Annelie flinches as Lucifer rolls over in bed to catch her with half her body out of bed.

Annelie: ...water?

Lucifer: You're not a good liar, Annelie. Why are you being so sneaky?

Annelie: Well... it's just, I think you'll follow me if you know where I'm going, so...

Lucifer: Is there a reason I can't follow you?

Lucifer is wide-awake now, sitting up and rubbing his face.

Annelie: Because Barbatos said---

Lucifer: Barbatos?

Lucifer swings his legs out of bed to sit next to Annelie.

Lucifer: Why would he tell you to go anywhere without me? Annelie, that's not a good sign. He knows you get anxious when I'm not somewhere I can readily get to you.

Annelie: ...you're right, but... I don't know, I just thought he had a good reason. Like maybe he'd say something private about you or he'd confide in me about Diavolo...

Lucifer: Look. I know you're not on his hitlist anymore, but that doesn't mean you can let your guard down. He's a man, Annelie, and he's a very closed-off man at that. I don't care whether he wants to hit on you or tell you his darkest secret. You're not going by yourself. End of discussion.

If you were anyone else...

Annelie lets out a defeated sigh, smiling a little to herself.

Annelie: Okay, fine. But you stay concealed and quiet. Only pop your head out if I call for you.

Lucifer: Fine. I don't like it, but fine.

[ timeskip ]

Annelie walks into the darkened halls of the castle with ease, searching for Barbatos. She passes Diavolo's room, and she chuckles a little as she sees the prince sleeping soundly. Eventually, she catches the sight of Barbatos carrying a lit candelabra, making his face look gaunt.

Barbatos: There you are.

Barbatos smiles softly.

Barbatos: Follow me; I'd prefer to speak over tea.

Annelie: Yeah, sure...

Annelie starts walking behind the butler.

Annelie: Can you give me a hint about what you want to talk about with me exactly? You have to know that you're making me pretty anxious right now. You don't have a very good track record.

Barbatos: Haha. No, I don't.

Annelie: ...

Barbatos: ...

Annelie: ........

Barbatos: ...........

Annelie: Barb? Isn't this your room? You're really scaring me now.

Barbatos: I apologize for my reticence. I did not desire to make you anxious, although what I have to tell you may be anxiety-inducing.

Barbatos pours a cup of tea for Annelie and himself, and the sweet aroma of chamomile reaches Annelie's nose. He gestures for her to sit, taking a sip of tea.

Annelie: ...okay...?

Barbatos: It has become clear to me that you are widely loved by everyone in your circle. Unfortunately, that love is of the romantic variety which cannot be satiated when you have become so tightly bonded to Lucifer.

Annelie: Is... Is this a lecture?

Barbatos: No, not at all. It's... more of a personal musing, I'm afraid. Rather, it is a lament on my part. I have come to realize that I am just as fond of you as the young master or the other members of the student council.

Annelie: I guess... yeah, that's pretty surprising.

Annelie takes a sip of her tea.

Annelie: But... why did you need to call me all the way to the castle for that?

Hm? Do I... hear Lucifer shouting?

Barbatos: That has to do with the other thing I needed to inform you of.

Although there was no change in Barbatos' expression, a tear slipped free of one eye.

Huh? Why does he... look... blurry...?

Barbatos: Annelie, your curse has spread and permanently taken root. Solomon's vaccine is effective only at treating surface-level symptoms. Of the sparing records I was able to find on Queen Succubi... we are in a critical state.

Annelie collapses to the floor, and Barbatos catches her, laying her down gently.

Barbatos: ...so... for the sake of the prince's life, I can't let you live.

I am sorry, Annelie.... truly.

[sidsinning]

Nobody:

My brain at 3 am:

Alucard's relationships with Seras and Integra in both animated versions of the series tells you a lot about his character and the differences between each version of him.

When you really think about it, Alucard in Hellsing (2001) actually gave Seras a clear choice by telling her what he would do to kill the evil vampire and his offer, waiting for her answer before going through with the gunshot. Throughout the whole fight Seras was firmly within the grasp of the evil vampire so there was little for Alucard to do to save her besides this offer based off the limits to his powers he had in this version of the series. It was most likely a rare sense of compassion that drove Alucard to give this small human a chance to live and be guided by his presence. This is shown throughout the show as he maturely and calmly walks her through the process and looks over her choices on her journey. He silently watches over the choices she makes by drinking blood or not, rejecting his blood, and lets her freely discover/adapt to her new life.

Ultimate however paints a different picture. The Alucard we know in Ultimate is much more selfish, emotionally immature, and heavily basks in his bloodlust and insanity, even moreso than Alucard 2001. Seras was out of the grasp of the evil vampire when Alucard appeared as a distraction in this scene. If he was really concerned with saving her he would have immediately dispatched the evil vampire and let her go on her way. I deduce he already planned, at least subconciously, to have Seras make the impossible choice to die or become a vampire like him. He saw how Seras fought back when faced with the evil vampire's threats to assault and enslave her and decided then she was worthy of being a proper vampire by his side. Like he says, it was a contemplative moment of whimsy and slight compassion, but moreso that selfish side of Ultimate Alucard coming through in wanting a companion of sorts after years of solitude.

This is why unlike 2001, he is a lot more frustrated and exasperated with her choice to not drink blood or free herself of his power over her. He wanted to have someone equal by his side, an equal ally to walk the night with, but ended up with a pseudo daughter-student-servant of sorts who was strangely HAPPY remaining by his side under him. He's frustrated but also fascinated at her stubbornly trying to cling to her humanity despite having the means to become all powerful like him. Unlike 2001, he slowly, gradually becomes the parental support Seras really needed instead of the master to slave relationship they have on paper. He is eventually willing to teach her on her terms while nudging her not to just be powerful for his own desire, but to step up to what she is now that she's no longer human. It is the best path he sees for her growth as a person.

It's why he gives her that endearing head pat after she wipes out the army invading the manor. Despite still not drinking his blood, he sees her at her full potential and contentment with her place under him and is happy for her, fully seeing her as her own person with her own goals in life that differ from his own. Not drinking human blood legitimately hurt her which was unacceptable and unsustainable, while not drinking his blood in particular was ok in the end, something he comes to terms with, because being connected to him is what she wants.

His relationship with Integra in 2001 is very strictly master to servant with Alucard holding a deep sense of undying loyalty and respect for the mostly stoic and pragmatic Integra. Rarely will Integra show affection to Alucard on a human level, at least obviously. She is more cold and decisive, telling Alucard he doesn't make decisions after Alucard tells her he wants Seras to be transferred into their organization. Despite this, Alucard is still devoted and caring towards her, telling Seras how strong Integra is for potentially sacrificing her life to not become a vampire. The bond they have is still powerful and deep, as her meeting with Alucard largely remained the same in both versions. She went from a brave but not completely fearless little girl with the guts to declare herself his master after witnessing his massacre of her uncle's guards, to the fearless and capable leader he now serves happily.

In Ultimate however, their relationship is much warmer as it shows her accommodating him with luxuries like a private jet and his own hotel room, smirking and bantering with him back and forth, and not shutting him down when concerning Seras, instead asking him about his choice. She is much more curious to understand him despite still seeing him as her servant and weapon to her organization. This warmth and compassion is also extended to Seras who she offers her own blood to. Alucard is also completely devoted and loyal to Integra, but the professional line between them is a bit more blurred. He holds a strange desire to see Integra bask in the same bloodlust he feels, to lose herself to the insanity of battle and bloodshed- having the AUDACITY to tell her he got aroused by her orders, then asking her, his master, whether or not she got turned on by his actions at her command. It shows a deeper desire for her that is not clearly defined as romantic, but definitely charged in a way 2001 was not. This Alucard's insanity and lust for battle consumes him much more than 2001 Alucard. He is always trigger happy to the point of making it everyone else's problem. It's his emotional immaturity coming through because- who the fuck asks something like that to anybody??? 2001 Alucard strictly respects Integra on an intellectual level while Ultimate Alucard,,,holds something that goes deeper into his carnal desires. Selfish little asshole that throws a tantrum when his battles don't end the way he likes, accidentally taking out his emotions on his surrogate daughter, feeling regret and remorse 2001 Alucard has not because of his patience and emotional maturity in regards to those important to him.

By the end of Ultimate, Alucard the selfish, emotionally immature, crazy man child that he is, displays his firm possessiveness over both Seras and Integra to Walter to taunt, belittle, and degrade him for the hell of it. To feel petty superiority.

-then I wake up and think about all of this all over again 🥴🥴🥴

[adrianasunderworld]

So I've been thinking about how Twisted Wonderland almost gave our boys' familiars and honestly? Totally missed opportunity.

We know Kalim would've had a monkey (rip Jamil's remaining sanity) and Jamil wants to own a parrot.

But think about this:

Riddle with a hedgehog familiar (they're a big part of her character). Floyd with that goose he found and tamed/trained because of the Untitled Goose Game. Silver with his owl (+ his animal friends). Vil with a crow/raven familiar.

Some of them having more mythological/mythical creatures as their familiars too.

Yuu having a murder of crows who watch over them (they're most likely from Crowley)

A CLASS WHERE STUDENTS BOND WITH THEIR FAMILIARS DEEPER!

I will forever be sad and feel cheated that there are no character with Familiars. We're told right at the start of the game that they exist, and yet no character or event is centered around it.

I do love the "Kalim wants a tiger" jokes but also a monkey makes sense for him. Someone get Jamil the parrot he deserves.

Malleus and Vil having a raven or crow of some kind makes sense because of the character they are based on. Iida with a dog maybe? Because Cerberus. OR Idia shaking it up and going "My family tends to be dog people, but I really wanted a cat. Here she is. Her name is Nutmeg. She hisses, but she loves me I swear."

Silver with an owl makes the most sense. Soley because out of all the little animals in Sleeping Beauty the owl has to be most distinct. For our other princess boy Neige, I feel like he's have either a blubird or a bunny. Because when I think Snow White those are the first two that come to mind.

Also the murder of crows that are likely from Crowley is a very fun and interesting idea. Because I think in terms of a way to show character it would be a good way to get a feel for Crowley. Crowley we know rn is a terrible guardian, but with the addition of the murder, we have a visual representation that he cares on some level. If something bad is going on, the crows may be agitated to show how Crowley actually feels, because as their master, they pick up on his feelings. If Yuu befriends the crows, it can represents Crowley becoming more fond of Yuu. Or if we want to go into Villian Crowley territory, the flock was merely to be his eyes and ears on Yuu the whole times. Idk I like the Murder of Crows as a concept.

I wished the game leaned more into the connections various characts would have or could have with animals, since animal sidekicks are a Disney staple.

[saltynachobeliever]

Bond Lvl with E.Honda: 1

[simplygojo]

The Devil He Made Me - Ch. 5

Authors Note: THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR KINDNESS ON THE LAST CHAPTER!! I hope this one is also up to your standards!

Pairing: Satoru Gojo x f/reader

Series Summary : After being found by Gojo and his first year students in a sticky situation, y/n joins Jujutsu High under the close supervision of Gojo. As time passes, the two of you become close, with a strong unspoken bond forming as you work together. Although, there is something dark looming over the situation, and those at Jujutsu High are determined to get to the bottom of it, before it is too late.

Chapter Summary : Y/n shows significant improvement in her cursed techniques over the next few weeks, but her nightmares continue to haunt her each night. Soon, Gojo sends y/n and the first-years out on a mission to tackle a special-grade curse, but the mission quickly goes wrong when some foul play is suspected.

Taglist: @mawhoreagaa; @peqch-pie; @blue-serendipity; @simplyyyuji; @starrnai; @sorcerersseestars; @n1vi; @angryglitterperfection; @krak-jj; @coweringbear; @holylonelyponyeatingmacaroni; If you'd like to be added to the taglist, leave a comment to let me know :)

Word Count : 6.2k (sorryyyyyyy I had a lot to say in this one)

Warnings : Violence, blood, suggestive remarks, also mildly unedited...

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

The past two weeks brought about a change in you. Since the day your cursed techniques had emerged in full, something had shifted—not just in your power but in your confidence.

You’d been training harder, pushing your limits as often as you could, determined to master the new abilities that had manifested. 

Gojo had taken you and the first years on several missions—low-level cursed spirits that provided practice but nothing particularly challenging. Still, you could feel it in the air, the sense that something bigger was coming.

One evening, after a quiet day around the school, you found yourself in the common room, staring out the window as raindrops ran down the glass. The patter of rain was calming, yet your mind was restless. 

Your limbs ached from the long days of training, but it wasn’t the physical strain that bothered you.

It was the nightmares—relentless, vivid, and painful—that plagued you every night. You hadn't spoken about them yet, unsure if they even meant anything, but they were getting harder to shake off.

The door slid open, and you glanced up to see Gojo sauntering into the room. His white hair was slightly tousled, and as always, his signature rounded sunglasses did a poor job of hiding his striking eyes, but his grin was unmistakable.

“Hey,” he drawled, hands shoved casually in his pockets. “You look like you’ve seen better days.”

You let out a soft chuckle, though your smile barely hid the exhaustion. “Thanks, I really needed that boost to my self-esteem.”

Gojo smirked, taking a seat beside you on the small couch, tilting his head with that annoyingly charming confidence.

“You know, I’ve noticed you’ve been skipping out on sleep lately. Must be tough, trying to keep up with me and all.”

You blinked, raising an eyebrow. “How could you possibly know that?”

His grin widened, eyes glinting mischievously behind his sunglasses. “I’ve got great eyes, remember?” He said, shooting you a wink.

You rolled your eyes at him, crossing your arms. “Right.”  You realized he was referring to his Six Eyes technique. 

So does he just know everything? You thought. 

Gojo clasped his hands together and stretched them out in front of him. “So, what’s up?” He asked, looking over at you. “What’s keeping you up at night.”

You hesitated for a moment, biting your lip as you tried to figure out how to bring it up. 

“What? Are you dreaming of me, y/n?!” He said, dramatically clutching at his heart, a sly grin plastered on his face. 

You punched his arm, “Shut up, you wish.” You teased with a smile on your face. 

“There is something I’ve been meaning to bring up to you though…” The words felt heavy on your tongue, but there was no point in hiding it anymore. “I’ve been having these weird nightmares,” you said finally, your voice quieter than you intended. “Every night, for the past week.”

Gojo didn’t interrupt, his head tilting slightly, in an almost cat like manner, as if urging you to continue.

“They’re always the same. Just…pain. Searing, unbearable pain, so real that it sticks with me even after I wake up.” You paused, rubbing your temples.

“But there’s nothing else. No images, no memories—well, there are, but as I wake up, they all fade away, and it’s just the pain. It feels like—like it’s not just a normal dream.”

For a long moment, Gojo said nothing, his playful demeanour fading into something more serious. His face softened, and his eyes looked deep in thought as he stared in front of him. After a moment, he sat up slightly, resting his elbows on his knees as he processed your words.

“Nightmares, huh?” he said, his voice lower now. “Didn’t think you were the type to lose sleep over those.”

You sighed as you began fiddling with your necklace. “It’s not about losing sleep. It’s…they feel too real, Gojo. Like they’re more than just dreams. I don’t know if it’s connected to my cursed energy or something else—I’m still new here—but I know that it’s getting worse. I wake up every night with this... lingering feeling, like something’s waiting on the other side that I can’t reach.”

Gojo leaned back against the couch, his head tilted up as if considering something deeply. “Sounds like your body’s trying to tell you something. You’ve been pushing yourself pretty hard lately—maybe too hard.” His voice dropped slightly as if to drive the point home.

You opened your mouth to argue, but before you could, he held up a hand. “But, if it’s not that,” He continued, “it could be your cursed energy evolving. Sometimes, when your energy changes, the body reacts in weird ways. Nightmares could be one of them.”

You shook your head, frowning. “But why pain? Why something so... specific?”

Gojo shrugged, but his tone was thoughtful. “Your cursed energy is different. It’s still evolving, and it might be trying to tell you something you don’t fully understand yet. Or...”

He paused, the playfulness slipping back into his voice as he gave you a knowing smirk. “Maybe you’re just being dramatic.” 

You shot him a sharp glare. “Hey! What the hell!? You know I am not being dramatic!” You shouted at him accusingly. 

Gojo let out a loud laugh in response, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he looked at you with a smug grin. “Relax, relax, I’m just messing with you.” His voice was teasing, but there was an underlying softness in his gaze, which did not budge from yours, that made you pause.

You huffed, crossing your arms in front of you, but a small smile tugged at your lips. “You’re impossible.”

“Hey, that’s what everyone loves about me,” Gojo replied smoothly, stretching his arms above his head before letting them fall back onto the couch with a dramatic sigh. 

"But seriously, you’ve gotta ease up a little. If you want, we can see if Shoko can monitor your dream or something to find out some answers."

You raised an eyebrow, turning to look at him. “Shoko? You think she can help with this?”

Gojo shrugged, leaning back on the couch as if the suggestion was no big deal.

“She’s smarter than she lets on. If anyone can figure out what’s going on with your cursed energy, it’s her. Plus,” he added with a smirk, “she’s got that whole ‘doctor’ thing going for her. You know, credentials and all.”

You couldn’t help but laugh softly at his casual tone. “You make it sound like you’re just recommending a spa day or something.”

“Well, to be fair,” Gojo said, grinning wider, “a spa day wouldn’t hurt either. You’re wound up tighter than a cursed spirit. A little relaxation could do wonders.”

He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping just enough to feel more personal. “You’re not a machine, y/n. It’s okay to take a breath.”

He had a point, though you hated to admit it. The nightmares, the intense training, pushing yourself so hard day after day—it was starting to weigh on you—And you were not some expert sorcerer. But stopping felt like giving in, like letting the fear of the unknown win.

You sighed, running a hand through your hair. “I guess you’re right,” you admitted reluctantly. 

Gojo gave you a triumphant grin, clearly pleased with himself. “I’m always right, you should know that by now.”

You rolled your eyes, but a small smile tugged at your lips. "Thank you.”

He raised an eyebrow, his smirk taking on a mischievous edge. “Oh, you’re thanking me now? Careful, y/n… You keep this up, and I might start expecting more gratitude.” He stood up, but his eyes never left yours.

You shot him a playful glare. “You wish.”

Gojo leaned in a little closer, his voice dropping into a lower, teasing tone. “Oh, I do. And trust me, I’ve got a pretty vivid imagination.” His gaze lingered on you for just a beat too long, a suggestive glint in his eyes.

Your heart skipped a beat, heat rising to your cheeks despite your best efforts to stay composed. “Oh God—Shut the hell up,” you muttered, trying to ignore the way his words had affected you.

Gojo laughed, straightening up as he made his way toward the door, giving you a playful salute. “Catch you later, y/n! Sweet dreams.”

You groaned, his laughter echoing down the hall. Even after he was gone, you couldn’t help but smile to yourself, your pulse still racing from his remark. 

With Gojo, every conversation felt like a tightrope walk between playful teasing and full-blown flirting—and that unpredictability made everything between you that much more entertaining. 

—

The following evening, after a particularly gruelling training session, you found yourself lounging in the common area with Maki, Yuji, Nobara, and Megumi. The air was light, filled with the sound of Nobara’s laughter as she playfully taunted Yuji for losing yet another sparring match earlier that day.

“You’ve gotta stop holding back, Yuji,” Nobara teased, nudging him in the ribs. “You’re making me look bad.”

Yuji pouted dramatically. “I’m not holding back! You just fight dirty.”

Maki snorted. “She’s right though, you know. You’re still telegraphing your punches like a rookie.”

“Hey! I’m getting better!” Yuji protested, throwing his hands up in mock defeat.

“You’re getting something,” Megumi chimed in dryly from his seat, not bothering to look up from the book he was pretending to read. “Not sure if it’s ‘better’ though.”

You grinned at the banter, feeling a warmth in your chest as you watched the exchange. It was nice, these moments of camaraderie. 

You had no memories of your life before waking up in that forest. You didn’t know whether you had friends or a family somewhere, so it felt nice knowing that, despite that, you were surrounded by people. 

Even though there was constant danger surrounding your life as a sorcerer, there was comfort in knowing you had people who had your back. People who you could laugh with, spar with, and, when the time came, fight alongside.

Maki leaned back in her seat, glancing over at you with an amused smirk. “You’ve been quiet, y/n. Something on your mind?”

You shrugged, trying to play it off, but there was a heaviness in your chest that you couldn’t quite shake. “I guess I’ve just been thinking about some stuff.”

Nobara leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand as she eyed you. “Like what? Spill it, y/n.”

You hesitated for a moment, unsure if you should say it. But these were your friends—if anyone would understand, it was them. You took a deep breath. “Apparently, the higher-ups are suspicious of me.”

The room went quiet for a moment, the atmosphere shifting. Yuji, who had been lounging on the couch with his head tilted back, sat up straighter. “Suspicious of you? Why?”

You gave a half-hearted chuckle. “I don’t know. Maybe because of the whole... cursed energy—found with no memories in a forest—thing. It’s different from what they’ve seen before. I guess they don’t trust it.”

Yuji frowned, his brow furrowing. “That’s messed up. They tried to kill me last year, too. If Gojo-sensei wasn’t around, they probably would’ve executed me by now.”

“Wait, what?” you blurted, eyes widening in disbelief. “They tried to kill you? Are they trying to kill me?”

He nodded, a humourous smile on his face. “Yeah, when they found out I had Sukuna inside me. They don’t exactly give you the benefit of the doubt when they’re scared of what you can do.”

Maki crossed her arms, her expression hardened. “The higher-ups are always looking for reasons to control or eliminate anything they don’t understand. But they probably aren’t going to go that far with you—you aren’t cursed. You’re just different. They’re cowards, hiding behind their rules.”

Nobara scoffed. “Seriously. They’re a bunch of old geezers who think they can decide who lives and who dies.”

Megumi, who had been quietly observing the conversation, finally spoke up. “They’ll leave you alone as long as Gojo-sensei has your back. He’s the only reason they don’t go after Yuji anymore.”

You felt a lump form in your throat at Megumi’s words. It was comforting to know that Gojo was protecting you, but it also felt like a heavy weight to carry.

“I guess... but what if they find a reason to come after me anyway? What if Gojo can’t protect me forever?”

Yuji leaned forward, giving you a reassuring grin. “If that happens, we’ve got your back. You’re one of us now, y/n. The higher-ups can suck it.”

Maki smirked. “Yeah, and I’d love to see them try. They wouldn’t know what hit them.”

Nobara gave you a firm nod. “Exactly. We’re a team, y/n. They’ll have to get through all of us before they even think about touching you.”

Your heart swelled at their words, the tension in your chest easing just a little.

Despite the uncertainty, despite the danger that came with being a sorcerer, there was a deep sense of comfort in knowing that you weren’t alone in this. You had friends who would stand by you, no matter what.

“Thanks, guys,” you said quietly, a small smile tugging at your lips. “It means a lot.”

Yuji grinned, the mood in the room lifting again. “Hey, don’t mention it. We’ve gotta stick together, right?”

Maki nudged you with her elbow. “Besides, you’re not going anywhere. If the higher-ups have a problem, we’ll deal with it when the time comes. You really need to try and relax, y/n.”

Megumi’s gaze softened, and he gave you a brief nod of agreement. “Exactly. You’ve earned your place here, y/n. Don’t let them make you feel otherwise.”

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding, feeling a warmth spread through you. Maybe things weren’t as hopeless as they seemed. Maybe, with friends like these, you could face whatever came next—together.

—

The next day, Gojo gathered you, Nobara, Megumi, and Yuji together in a classroom. “We’ve got a special grade curse,” Gojo announced, his tone unusually serious as he addressed the group. “Abandoned hospital on the outskirts of town. Reports of multiple cursed spirits, and they’re getting stronger by the day.”

A shiver ran down your spine at the mention of a special grade curse. The last few missions had been easy in comparison, but this? This was going to be a real test of everything you’d learned so far.

—

The abandoned hospital loomed before you, its decaying walls and shattered windows casting eerie shadows in the dying light. Vines had overtaken much of the exterior, twisting through broken glass and crumbling stone, giving the building the appearance of something that nature itself was trying to reclaim.

"Classic horror setting," Yuji muttered as you all stood in front of the hospital. "Why is it always places like this?"

"Spirits like places where humans suffered," Megumi said quietly, his dark eyes scanning the perimeter. "Hospitals, prisons, battlefields—they’re drawn to them."

"Stay alert," Gojo said, his tone more serious now as he led the way deeper into the building. "Special grade curses are unpredictable. We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet."

You could feel the tension rising in the group. 

“Anyways, good luck, students! Don’t die!” Gojo shouted in an animated sing-song voice, giving one final wave as the veil lowered between you.

Nobara rolled her eyes. “Well isn’t that encouraging. What a weirdo.” 

As you entered the hospital, the air immediately grew colder, and the stench of mould and decay hit you like a wall. 

You felt your insides stir—this place was so spooky—they were reacting to the oppressive atmosphere that pressed down on your chest.

It was hard to tell what was more unsettling—the building’s slow disintegration or the cursed energy that seemed to pulse within its walls barely contained.

As you moved through the hospital's dark, twisting hallways, your mind was racing. The last few missions had been tough on you, but you had proven yourself over and over again. You were ready for this—right?

Even though you had faced some curses before, there was always an element of unpredictability, especially with a special grade. They didn’t play by the same rules as lower-level spirits, and you had only been a sorcerer for a total of a few weeks.

But you knew you had no choice but to come along with everyone on the missions.

Gojo had said that he needed to keep you busy and away from the school grounds where Principal Gakuganji of the Kyoto School and other suspicious higher-ups had access to you. 

So you just agreed, you didn’t want to do any more tests, you knew you were telling the truth. 

As the group approached the hospital's central operating room, where the cursed energy seemed to be strongest, the floor beneath you suddenly shook. 

A deep, guttural sound echoed through the walls like the building itself was alive and groaning in pain.

"Here we go," Yuji muttered, cracking his knuckles, his fists igniting with the usual blue hue.

The door to an operating room burst open, and a wave of cursed energy hit you like a physical force, forcing you all to slide back. 

Inside the room, a grotesque figure hovered in the air, its body a twisted mass of blackened flesh and pulsating veins. Its face—or what was left of it—was a gaping maw of jagged teeth, and its limbs dangled unnaturally as though they had been broken and twisted in every direction.

"That’s a special grade, alright," Nobara said through gritted teeth, her hands already wrapped around her hammer and nails.

The cursed spirit let out an ear-piercing screech, and the room itself seemed to warp and distort under the pressure of its cursed energy. You covered both of your ears at the piercing noise. 

Shadows twisted and stretched along the walls, making it difficult to tell where the real threat was coming from.

"Formation B!" Megumi called out, taking the lead as the team snapped into action.

You moved to the side, focusing your energy into your palms, ready for action. Gojo had warned you about overextending, but now was not the time to hold back. As the others engaged the cursed spirit, you felt your energy pulsing within you, stronger than ever before.

The battle was intense. Yuji charged in with his usual reckless enthusiasm, landing powerful blows on the curse, while Megumi summoned his shikigami to distract and confuse the creature.

Nobara, always precise, launched her nails with deadly accuracy, each one imbued with her cursed energy.

But despite their combined efforts, the curse wasn’t going down easily. Its grotesque form seemed to regenerate almost instantly after each attack, its twisted limbs snapping back into place as it shrieked and lashed out with dark tendrils of cursed energy.

Suddenly, you noticed more curses charging down the narrow hallway—no—not more curses, duplicates of the special grade? 

“Uh, guys, we have a few more problems coming this way!” You shouted, sending a beam of cursed energy at one of the creatures.

Their grotesque forms slithered out from the shadows, their eyes glowing with a sickly light as they attacked with reckless abandon. 

The cursed energy in the air was heavy—borderline oppressive, and as the battle wore on, you realized with a sinking feeling that you were being overwhelmed.

Gojo, for the first time, wasn’t watching over you.

As you fought, your heart pounded in your chest, adrenaline surging through your veins. The cursed spirits were relentless, their attacks growing more vicious by the second, and it wasn’t long before you found yourself separated from the group, struggling to hold your own.

And then you felt it—a foreign cursed energy, dark and unfamiliar, taking hold of you. 

It surged through your body like wildfire, the feeling of it coursing through you—it was strong. Without thinking, you raised your hand, mimicking the shape of a gun with your fingers, aiming toward the cursed spirit in front of you. 

A blast of black-coloured cursed energy surged from your fingertips, its force unlike anything you'd ever experienced. 

The energy was different from your usual vibrant blue—it was pitch black, rippling through the air with an ominous weight. 

There was a heaviness to it, darker, more sinister, but at the same time... strangely familiar. It moved through you like a shadow, one you hadn't realized was lurking within.

The cursed spirit in front of you didn't stand a chance against the sudden surge. The black energy ripped through its grotesque form, sending it flying backward, crashing through walls like they were paper. 

The ground beneath you trembled as the creature's screech echoed in the air, growing distant as it was hurled away, disappearing into the rubble.

You tried to catch your breath, your chest rising and falling rapidly, the world tilting slightly from the exertion. 

Before you could even see if the special-grade curse had been exorcised, a new threat emerged—swift, a lower-level curse appearing out of nowhere, claws sinking into your abdomen.

The impact was immediate, brutal, knocking the wind out of you. You doubled over, your mouth filling with the bitter taste of blood as it poured out uncontrollably.

You barely had time to process the pain before the curse hit you again—this time, its hand wrapped around your head, slamming your skull into the cold, unforgiving concrete tiles beneath you. 

The ground splintered on impact, the sharp sting reverberating through your entire body. Stars danced in your vision, your mind struggling to focus, to hold onto any semblance of control.

Panic clawed at you as your heart hammered in your chest. The dark energy you’d released moments ago had drained you, leaving your body weak, vulnerable.

You could feel it—the slow creep of defeat as the curse pressed its advantage, its grotesque laughter filling the air, a mocking sound that only fueled your fear.

Your body trembled as you tried to raise your hands, summoning the familiar blue shield of your cursed technique. 

The shimmering barrier flickered to life just in time, forming a protective dome around you.

The curse snarled in frustration, raining down blow after blow, but your shield held—for now. Each hit reverberated through your bones, the blue light shuddering with each impact.

But the cracks were already forming. You felt them—spiderweb fractures spreading across the surface of the shield, each hit making it weaker, thinner. 

You clenched your fists, pushing every ounce of energy you had left into maintaining it, but that dark energy had drained you. The curse was too fast, too relentless.

A crack split through the shield, a web of blue light that shimmered before faltering, and your heart raced as you realized the inevitable.

You were going to die.

​​The cursed spirit’s claws were mere inches from your face when the blue light of your shield finally gave out. Your last line of defence crumbled like shattered glass, leaving you exposed, and the curse roared, lunging for the kill.

For a heartbeat, everything froze. Then, out of nowhere, you felt a familiar presence surge forward. 

Gojo. 

His cursed energy slammed into the battlefield. The air around you shifted, becoming dense, almost suffocating.

The cursed spirits recoiled instantly, their monstrous forms trembling as if they could sense the inevitable destruction headed their way.

Gojo appeared in front of you in a blur of motion, levitating just above the ground, standing tall between you and the four special-grade curses, his back to you as if daring them to try anything.

His aura crackled like electricity in the air, the sheer force of it pressing down on everything around him. You’d felt his power before, but never like this—never so raw, so lethal.

The cursed spirit that had nearly killed you snarled, preparing for another attack, but Gojo didn’t flinch. He raised a single hand, fingers splayed casually, but his tone was ice-cold.

"Stay back."

One of the special grades, a grotesque mass of limbs and dark energy, didn’t heed the warning. It charged forward, screeching, its enormous claws slicing through the air, aiming directly for Gojo’s head. But before it could get close, Gojo moved.

It was so fast you barely saw it—just a blur of white and blue as Gojo flicked his wrist.

A ripple of cursed energy erupted from him, invisible but devastating. The curse was obliterated on contact, torn apart mid-air with such force that the shockwave blasted debris in every direction.

The ground itself cracked beneath the sheer impact of Gojo's technique.

The other three special grades barreled around the corner, coming from where you had been separated from the group, likely sensing the death of their comrade.

Their twisted forms shrank back for a moment, cautious, as Gojo turned his head slightly to glance at them. His grin was there, but it was chilling—predatory, and his eyes were sharp.

"Next." He said coldly. 

Another one of the special grade duplicates, a hulking beast with jagged scales and red eyes, let out a bone-shaking roar and lunged at Gojo.

This one was smarter, possibly the main body, using its enormous bulk to tear through the ground and debris, sending it flying toward Gojo. But it didn’t matter.

Gojo barely blinked as he raised his other hand. His cursed energy flared, but this time, it was different—stronger. T

here was a low hum in the air, the kind that made your skin crawl. With a flick of his fingers, the air in front of him seemed to ripple, and in an instant, the curse was halted mid-charge.

It stopped as if hitting an invisible barrier, limbs flailing, confusion flashing in its eyes.

This must be Gojo’s infinity. 

Then, Gojo clenched his fist, and the curse was crushed—its body caving inwards under the pressure of his cursed energy.

It let out a final screech before it was flattened into the earth, nothing but dust and blood splattered on the ground where it once stood.

The third curse, a lanky figure with long, twisted arms, hissed, its grotesque eyes flicking between you and Gojo as if weighing its chances. Without warning, it shifted its target—to you.

In a blur of motion, the curse moved faster than you could track. One second it was by Gojo, and the next, it was in front of you, its arm outstretched, claws aiming directly for your throat.

You didn’t have time to react. You could barely breathe, the pain from your earlier injuries making every movement agonizing. Blood dripped from your wounds, pooling beneath you as you struggled to stay conscious. 

Your vision blurred, and the only sound you could make was a weak gasp as the curse closed in.

But it never reached you.

Gojo’s energy flared again, a wave of blue light cutting through the air like a blade. The curse froze mid-strike, its arm mere inches from your neck.

Then, with a sudden explosion of power, it was ripped apart, and shredded into pieces by Gojo’s cursed technique. The pieces fell to the ground with a sickening thud, leaving you gasping for air.

“I’d really advise you to stay away from my students,” his voice lower, more dangerous than you’d ever heard it. “I can be quite protective over them.”

There was only one curse left now, and it was by far the most powerful. 

The final special grade stood at the far end of the battlefield, its monstrous form pulsing with energy. It was larger than the others, its body covered in thick, armoured plates that gleamed in the dim light. Its eyes, burning with malice, locked onto Gojo—and then onto you.

The curse bared its fangs, a guttural laugh vibrating through its chest. “You,” it hissed, its voice dripping with malice, “Don’t you feel it?” 

The curse taunted, eyes gleaming with twisted amusement. “It’s almost time for you!” It yelled with a wicked snarl, its voice rising to a fever pitch.

Gojo didn’t react at first; his body was still, and his gaze was fixed on the curse. But you could feel it—the rage building beneath the surface, bubbling up in waves.

"Where did you and your ugly little friends come from?" He asked the curse, ignoring its previous statement, slowly walking towards it.

“When I lowered the veil, there was only one of you. No way I missed these other guys.” 

The curse snarled in response, but before it could move, Gojo was already in front of it.

“If you don’t answer my question—I’ll kill you.” He said coldly.

The curse spoke in response but ignored the question Gojo had asked it. “Dirty human.” It managed to get out.

Gojo’s hand shot forward, palm outstretched, and his cursed energy exploded.

The impact was instantaneous. The curse was blasted backwards, crashing through walls, buildings, anything in its path. But Gojo didn’t stop there.

With a burst of speed, he was on the curse again, kicking it with such force that the ground cracked beneath their feet. The curse let out a deafening roar, but Gojo’s expression remained unchanged—cold, furious.

His cursed energy wrapped around the curse, constricting it like a vice, squeezing until the armour plates cracked and shattered under the pressure.

“You think I’d let you live after that?” Gojo’s voice was calm, almost too calm. “You were going to kill them. You were going to kill my students. That’s pretty rude, you know.”

The curse screeched, but Gojo tightened his grip, his cursed energy surging. The ground beneath them split apart, deep fissures forming in the earth as Gojo’s power reached its peak. His eyes, glowing with that terrifying blue light, locked onto the curse one final time.

“You made the wrong choice.”

With a final, devastating blow, Gojo obliterated the curse. The explosion of energy sent shockwaves across the battlefield, levelling everything in its path. When the dust settled, there was nothing left of the curse but ash and rubble.

Gojo stood there, breathing heavily, his fists still clenched at his sides, blood smeared across his face. His cursed energy lingered in the air, buzzing with intensity. Slowly, he returned back to you.

You were slumped against a pile of debris, barely conscious. Blood coated your skin, pouring out of your mouth and wounds, your breathing shallow and ragged. 

You couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. The pain was overwhelming, and darkness threatened to pull you under.

His cursed energy still crackled in the air, fierce and oppressive, like a storm that had yet to pass. But that didn’t matter now.

What mattered was you.

His heart hammered in his chest as his eyes locked onto your broken form.

Your body was covered in blood, your skin pale, your breathing shallow and labored. He could see the faint rise and fall of your chest, but the sight only made his stomach twist. He was there in an instant, dropping to his knees beside you.

"Satoru..." you whispered, your voice barely audible, but it was enough to catch his attention. 

He flinched slightly at the sound of his name from your lips—so familiar, yet, in this moment, it felt like it held a weight that was too much for him to carry.

His breath hitched, and for a second, his mask of invincibility cracked.

He was no longer Gojo, the strongest sorcerer, the untouchable protector. He was just Satoru, the man who nearly lost something far more precious to him than a battle.

The word echoed in his head, not from his lips, but from your past whisper when you'd said his name before, breaking the invisible wall between you two. Now, as he knelt before you, it felt different—more raw, more real.

His hands hovered above your wounds, trembling, unsure whether to touch you, heal you, or just... hold you.

The usual cocky smirk that adorned his face was long gone, replaced by an expression of sheer panic, something so uncharacteristic of him that even he struggled to recognize it.

“You almost died,” he muttered, voice low and thick with emotion. His eyes, for once, weren’t hidden behind his glasses or his blindfold. His gaze wasn’t calculating or aloof. It was vulnerable, filled with something he hadn’t allowed himself to acknowledge until now. 

You could barely register the words through the haze of pain. Everything was blurring, the edges of your vision fading in and out. Your body was so weak, every breath you took was a battle. 

Yet, even through the fog of agony, you could feel him—his presence, his cursed energy, the way his fingers ghosted over your skin. The gentle tremor in his touch told you what his words couldn’t.

“Save your strength. We’re getting out of here. I’ll take care of everything.”

But there was no more strength left in you. Your vision darkened further, and your body slumped into his touch. You were fading, and Gojo knew it. 

His emotions roared in his chest, battling against the calm control he was supposed to maintain. He couldn’t lose you, not like this.

“Damn it,” he hissed, his voice trembling with an edge of desperation. 

He whipped his phone out of his pocket quickly and held it up to his ear with his shoulder, his thumb gently brushing over your wrist to reassure himself that your pulse was still there. 

“Damn it, y/n...Shoko! I am coming back to the school now, y/n is in critical condition—please be ready.” He hung up the phone with urgency.

The faintest rise and fall of your chest reassured him you were still with him, barely hanging on. But that was enough for now.

The last thing you saw before unconsciousness took you was his face, inches from yours, those baby-blue eyes soft yet filled with an intensity that sent a warmth flooding through your cold body.

Gojo heard footsteps running down the hall. 

The first to arrive was Yuji, his eyes wide with worry as he took in the scene. "Gojo-sensei!" he called out, his voice shaky as he stumbled over the rubble toward you both.

Nobara and Megumi were right behind him, their faces pale, their exhaustion evident, but the sight of you drained the colour from their faces even more.

Yuji’s gaze landed on your bloodied, battered form, and his heart sank. “Y/n…” he whispered, his voice full of disbelief. He rushed forward but hesitated, unsure if he should get closer. “Is she…?”

“She’s alive,” Gojo muttered, his voice low and tight as he attempted to keep up his lighthearted attitude, “What kind of teacher would I be otherwise.” He let out a soft chuckle, “But she’s hurt—badly.”

Megumi’s eyes darted between Gojo and you, his normally stoic expression faltering.

He had seen you fight, and all three of them felt you unleash that dark black-hued cursed energy, but seeing you like this—so fragile, so broken—it was something none of them had been prepared for. "What happened?" he asked, his voice rough.

Gojo shifted slightly, his grip on you tightening as he stared down at your unconscious form, the tension radiating from him palpable. "Something was off," he finally said, his voice laced with frustration and suspicion.

The students exchanged confused glances. Yuji frowned, stepping forward. "What do you mean?"

Gojo sighed, his usual playful demeanour nowhere to be found as he continued, "When I lowered the veil, there were no signs of these other cursed spirits. Not even a trace of their energy. I was monitoring everything, and they didn’t exist... until they did."

Nobara’s brow furrowed, the gravity of the situation settling in. "So, what? They just appeared out of nowhere?"

"Exactly." Gojo’s voice was sharp, filled with a rare intensity that made the air feel heavier.

His usually carefree posture was replaced with something far more serious, more protective. "Curses that strong don’t just pop up. Someone—or something—wanted us caught off guard. Those curses weren’t supposed to be there, especially not after I lifted the veil."

Megumi’s eyes darkened with realization. "A setup."

Gojo nodded, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the surrounding area once more. "That’s what it looks like. Whoever orchestrated this knew we’d be here. And it seems they wanted y/n—" he glanced down at you, his expression softening just slightly, "—and the rest of you vulnerable. If I hadn’t come back when I did…"

Yuji’s fists clenched, anger simmering beneath his usually easygoing expression. "But why now? And why would they target y/n like that?"

Gojo didn’t answer immediately, his gaze still fixed on you. His jaw tensed as if holding back something deeper. "I don’t know yet," he finally said, his voice low. "But this wasn’t just a random attack. Someone’s playing a dangerous game."

Nobara, ever the blunt one, crossed her arms, frustration clear in her tone. "Whoever they are, they’re going to pay for this."

Gojo’s lips twitched, a shadow of his usual smirk returning, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Oh, they will," he murmured, voice dark with a rare, controlled anger. "But for now, we need to get y/n back to Shoko. She’s lost too much blood, and this cursed energy…"

His voice trailed off, and for a moment, none of the students spoke. The atmosphere was thick with unease, the weight of what had just transpired sinking in. Whatever this was, it was far from over.

"Let’s move," Gojo finally said, his tone leaving no room for argument. He stood, lifting your body with a gentleness that seemed at odds with the sheer power he had unleashed only moments ago. 

As the others gathered around, a collective sense of resolve washed over them.

They might not know who or what had orchestrated the attack, but one thing was certain: they would fight back.

And Gojo would make sure that whoever was behind it would regret ever targeting you.

[anonymousewrites]

A Good Day for Death (Book 1) Chapter Fifteen

Wednesday Addams x Reaper! Reader

Chapter Fifteen: A Good Day for Diaries

Summary: Wednesday learns that being lonely isn't fun and really wants (Y/N), her partner-in-crime, to come back.

            Wednesday ordinarily would watch the coffin being placed in the grave, fascinated by the morbidity, but her eyes were instead drawn to another sight. She watched as (Y/N) murmured quietly as dirt was scooped into the grave to bury Mayor Walker.

            They were praying for safe passage to the afterlife, fiddling with their bone ring as they did so in a self-soothing motion.

            Wednesday forced herself to look back down at the coffin. It didn’t matter that in the midst of death and rain and doom and gloom, they were doing their best to help in the small ways they could. It didn’t matter that their kindness was more genuine than many of the people in attendance’s. It didn’t matter.

l

            Two days later, two long days of lonesome investigations, no one to share her findings with, and funerals to attend, Wednesday sat turning the pages of Faulkner’s diary, which her Uncle Fester had helped her find in the Nightshade’s library. It had details on many types of creatures that Wednesday hadn’t even heard of. She was hoping to find something with the monster in it. Then she could figure out how to defeat it.

            The difficult part was as victorious she should feel for finding another, helpful lead, Wednesday felt oddly lonely. No, not oddly. She knew why. (Y/N), her partner in crime, wasn’t there to share it because Wednesday had…messed up. She had hurt them. They had tried to help and support her, and she hadn’t cared.

            She cleared her throat and focused back on the pages, examining each creature’s chalk drawing. If she just threw herself into her work, Wednesday would forget about her stupid, unnecessary emotions.

            “These are some sweet digs,” said Fester, grinning as he gazed around Wednesday’s dorm. “How’d you swing your own single?”

            Wednesday paused. “My former roommates…They couldn’t handle me.” It wasn’t quite the truth, but it wasn’t quite a lie. Luckily for her moral issues, she turned to the page of the creature and was successfully distracted.

            “Here it is. Faulkner describes ‘Hydes’ as artists by nature but equally vindictive in temperament. Born of mutation, the Hyde lays dormant until unleashed by a traumatic event or unlocked through chemical inducement or hypnosis. This causes the Hyde to develop an immediate bond with its liberator, who the creature sees as its master. It becomes the willing instrument of whatever nefarious agenda this new master might propose,” read out Wednesday.

            “Anyone willing to unlock a Hyde is a next-level sicko,” said Fester.

            “That means we’re not looking for one killer but two,” said Wednesday, still speaking as if she and (Y/N) were working together. “We.” “Us.” She narrowed her eyes. “The monster and its master.”

            A knock sounded at the door. Wednesday shoved the diary into her desk drawer and turned to go to the door. Miss Thornhill was already walking in. Wednesday’s eyes widened. Fester was in her room still.

            “I didn’t mean to startle you,” said Miss Thornhill, smiling.

            Wednesday turned, frowning as her dorm mother didn’t react to the presence of her uncle. Fester had already disappeared, and Wednesday awkwardly turned back. “I was just working on my novel.”

            Miss Thornhill’s smile turned a little forced as she tried to remain positive. “Enid has requested to room with Yoko for the rest of the school year,” she said.

            Wednesday broke eye contact and looked down slightly. “She did?”

            Miss Thornhill smiled kindly. “When there’s a falling out, I like to get both students’ perspectives on what happened, and it seems you, Enid, and (Y/N) had one. What happened? You and Enid got along, and you and (Y/N) were thick as thieves!”

            “They couldn’t handle me,” said Wednesday, repeating the line she’d used on Fester.

            Miss Thornhill’s patience didn’t break as Wednesday refused to be totally honest. “Wednesday, I know you cared. I mean, everyone saw (Y/N) in particular brought some warmth out of you.” Seeing Wednesday’s offended face, she continued, “Just a tiny, tiny spark. Barely perceptible to the average eye, but…I noticed. Part of the dorm experience is making friends with people that you wouldn’t normally connect with. And those friendships often turn into lifelong bonds.” Miss Thornhill smiled.

            “I would rather buy a rope,” said Wednesday.

            Miss Thornhill sighed. “Listen, if two roommates is too much, Enid can room with Yoko like she wants. But (Y/N) hasn’t decided if they want to change.” She looked at Wednesday with questioning eyes. “I need to know if you can handle it or not.” Wednesday frowned slightly, and Miss Thornhill pressed forward. “Do you want (Y/N) to room somewhere else or do you want them to come back?”

            The phrasing was precise. It was asking what Wednesday wanted. It was asking what she thought of (Y/N). It was asking if she wanted them to come back. The truth was she did. Wednesday had come to terms with how she felt towards (Y/N), and she didn’t want to think she had messed up to the degree that (Y/N) didn’t want to be around her at all. She wanted (Y/N) to come back.

            Wednesday looked down to avoid looking Miss Thornhill in the eye for a moment, betraying her emotions just enough that the professor saw them. “I’ll survive alone. I always have.”

            Miss Thornhill sighed. “Well, if that’s your decision, I’ll submit the forms for Enid’s dorm switch to Principal Weems and discuss (Y/N)’s options with them.” She shook her head in disappointment before leaving Wednesday’s dorms.

            Wednesday composed herself before turning back to her room. “Uncle Fester?” Behind her, one of Enid’s squeaky toys fell from her pile of stuffed animals. Wednesday turned and deadpanned as she pulled a stuffed animal away to reveal Fester hidden in the pile.

            “Hey! Is that ‘(Y/N)’ the kid Morticia and Gomez were telling me about?” said Fester.

            Wednesday crossed her arms. “Of course my parents are interfering with this, too,” she muttered.

            Fester shrugged. “They seem to like the kid. I heard there was ‘chemistry.’ ” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Morticia is good at spotting those things.”

            “They’re my roommate and my partner in my investigation,” said Wednesday. She glanced away. “Were.”

            “Ah. I get it. Lost in the line of duty,” said Fester, nodding.

            “Something like that,” muttered Wednesday.

            “Don’t sweat it, Wednesday. It’ll work out if it’s supposed to,” said Fester jovially. “Just look at me! I roll with the punches, and life is pretty good.”

            Wednesday didn’t dignify him with a response as he watched her walk away from the pile of squishmallows. Everyone seemed intent on talking about feelings and (Y/N), so she was going to focus on her case. She already had suspects, after all.

            Dr. Kinbott and Xavier.

l

            Wednesday struggled to keep herself from looking too annoyed as Tyler approached her in the café. Just what she needed after being accosted by Kinbott in Weems’ office just when she had the proof Xavier was sneaking off to meet with her, all but saying he was the Hyde and Kinbott his hypnotherapist master. It seemed everyone she didn’t want to see was bothering her and the one person she did was intent on avoiding her.

            “Uh, I made you a quad. On the house,” said Tyler, smiling in a cute-shy way that didn’t have an effect on Wednesday.

            “Hey, thanks kid!” said Fester, drawing it over to him. He handed over the ketchup bottle he had downed. “Need a refill on this puppy too.”

            “My Uncle Fester,” said Wednesday shortly.

            Tyler extended a hand to shake Fester’s. “Hi, it’s nice to—” He jumped as he was shocked by the device on Fester’s hand. Tyler looked nervously between Wednesday and Fester, but Wednesday just smirked at the prank, and Fester chuckled. Tyler’s eye fell to the book on the table. “Is that…?” He recognized the creature. He sat down in the booth next to Wednesday, who scooted carefully away.

            “It’s called a hyde,” said Wednesday.

            “Whoa. That’s it. From that night,” said Tyler.

            “Your father gave you explicit instructions not to be near me,” said Wednesday, doing her best to send Tyler away so she could focus.

            Tyler did not listen. “Yeah, my dad’s not here, and I’m on break.”

            Since he wasn’t leaving, Wednesday decided to try her luck using him as an assistant. Maybe having someone take (Y/N)’s place would distract her. “Apparently a hyde needs to be unlocked by someone. Its master.”

            “Holy shit,” said Tyler.

            “Tyler,” said Sheriff Galpin’s voice sharply. “What’d I say?”

            Tyler stood, not before getting confused since Fester had disappeared. “For the record, Wednesday was trying to keep her distance. I was the one that sat down with her.”

            “Alright,” said Galpin, annoyed but letting it go. He handed over a paper. “Putting these up around down. It’s a bank robbery suspect, and he’s a real creep. You haven’t seen him, have you?”

            Tyler put a smile on his face even though he recognized it to be Fester. “He’d be pretty hard to miss. I’ll pin it on the bulletin board.”

            The sheriff shook his head. “Why waste my breath?” he muttered as he left.

            “You didn’t have to do that,” said Wednesday.

            “Yeah, your family’s very…colorful,” said Tyler.

            “Ironic considering Fester’s the black sheep,” said Wednesday. (Y/N) would find that entertaining. She shook the thought from her head. “He’s harmless.”

            “So…About that date I thought we were going on…” said Tyler.

            “I already apologized to (Y/N) for leading everyone on. I won’t do it again,” said Wednesday. She had failed to apologize, but she wished she had.

            “Well, I figure after what happened, you owe me,” said Tyler, teasingly alluding to his attack.

            “I can’t sneak off campus. All eyes are on me,” said Wednesday, pulling on any excuses she had.

            “I’ll come to you. Nine pm. Crackstone’s Crypt,” said Tyler. And then he walked away before Wednesday could contradict him again.

            These days didn’t seem to be going Wednesday’s way.

l

            “What’s this?” said Wednesday, holding up black nail polish to Thing.

            He tapped guiltily against the desk.

            “What do you mean you’ve been stealing (Y/N)’s stuff?” asked Wednesday in exasperation.

            Thing tapped again.

            “You think it’s going to get them to come back and talk to me?” Wednesday put the polish down forcefully. “It’s not. They can borrow combs and nail polish from other people. This is pointless.”

            Thing tapped furiously.

            “I don’t miss them,” denied Wednesday. “They’re a weakness.” She crossed her arms. “Now, your job is the guard the diary while I’m gone.”

            Thing “looked” at her accusingly.

            Wednesday glared back. “It’s not a date. Not even if he thinks it is. I’m going to tell him I’m not ‘interested’ as they say.”

            If Tyler was going to misconstrue everything Wednesday did as a hint she was, then she was going to do what she did best: be blunt. She was dealing with enough emotional issues; she was going to get rid of one.

l

            Wednesday walked stiffly towards Tyler and Crackstone’s Crypt. Tyler smiled.

            “Hey. Ready for the surprise? I promise this one won’t make you pass out cold,” he joked, pushing open the doors of the Crypt. He held out a dahlia. “But you do have to close your eyes.”

            “That will be unnecessary. I’m not one to enjoy surprises anyways,” said Wednesday.

            “Don’t do that. Discount my feelings,” said Tyler, stepping forward.

            Wednesday took a step back. “Tyler—.”

            “No, no excuses. You can keep trying to push me away, but it’s not going to work,” said Tyler.

            “You’re making a mistake,” said Wednesday sharply, fulling intending to continue.

            Tyler interrupted again. “I’m not. And you know it.” He took another step forward, but before he could do anything, lights shone through the forest at them.

            It was Sheriff Galpin and his deputies. Tyler jumped back, eyes wide in surprise. Wednesday, on the other hand, but both relieved and frustrated. At least Tyler was shutting up for a moment, but she also didn’t want to be interrupted at the moment she wanted to confront Tyler on his continued misconceptions of her actions.

            “What the hell?” said Sheriff Galpin. “Tyler.”

            “Dad? What are you doing here?” asked Tyler.

            “The school groundskeeper found a motorbike by the lake. It matches the description of the one the bank robber stole,” said Sheriff Galpin. “There’s a canoe missing. Figured he might be on Raven Island. I’m not going to ask what this is, but I never saw the two of you here. You got it?” He shook his head. “Unbelievable.” He gestured to his deputies. “Come on.” He left as Tyler and Wednesday watched.

            Tyler chuckled awkwardly. “Well, I hope he didn’t ruin the mood—”

            “He did,” said Wednesday shortly, walking away. She had wasted enough time here. She knew trying to deal with emotions would be pointless, even if it was trying to get them out of the way.

l

            Frustrated and annoyed at the way the night had turned out, Wednesday opened the door to her dorm sharply. Her eyes widened as she took in the view.

            The room was trashed, papers were strewn about the ground, furniture was tipped over—in short, it was ransacked.

            “Thing?” called Wednesday worriedly.

            She turned and found a more horrifying sight. Thing was pinned by the palm to the wall with a knife. Blood dripped to the puddle forming on the ground below him.

            “Thing…” breathed Wednesday in horror. She pulled the knife away and cradled him in her hands. Her breathing turned shaky as she found him unmoving. In an instant, she was running for Fester’s help.

l

            Unable to sleep, (Y/N) was curled up underneath the Poe Statue trying to work through their feelings. They had been miserable with Wednesday since they had really viewed her as a friend since she accepted them and didn’t seem to mind them and their supposed bad luck. They missed her, but they were determined to stay away since Wednesday didn’t want them, and (Y/N) wasn’t going to disturb her if they were that much of an annoyance. But they couldn’t help but want their friend back.

            Biting their lip and blinking the unshed tears away, (Y/N) shook their head. It was useless to be so upset because it didn’t solve anything, and all they were was a little heartbroken. The feeling would pass in time as they stayed away from the girl causing it.

            (Y/N) stood and blinked as they saw the girl in question running through the courtyard in a panic. That set off alarm bells, and when (Y/N) took a step after Wednesday, their eyes widened in horror as they saw drops of blood in a trail after her.

            (Y/N) may be heartbroken, but they weren’t a monster. They took off running after Wednesday. They couldn’t bear the thought of her being in trouble and not helping.

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[unusualindigo]

Alright, so, having achieved the max friendship bond and mastery of the fighting styles of both Chun Li and Juri, I am having thoughts.

Going through each master route, I couldn’t help but notice that Chun Li is always very relaxed, very calm, and open about herself and what she enjoys, seeking to share it with the player avatar. Being a kung fu/kenpo instructor for Metro City’s Chinatown residents, she is quick to take you on as a student and encourages you every step of the way. She sends you texts about shows she’s watching, instructs you to do part time work, and even invites you to go shopping with her at the end of the quest. This all implies to me that Chun Li is keeping herself open to forming new bonds and is even taking on a sort of big sister role to you, much like she’s done with Li Fen, who she also encourages you to look after. Chun Li seems to have come to a place of peace and prosperity after the end of her journey for revenge on Bison. Her parting words stuck out to me. Each master answers your question of what is strength differently. Her answer is thus: “Whether the skills you’ve learned will lay fallow or continue to grow… that is up to you.” Overall, I think this speaks to the depths of which she has grown and matured over the series, and I adore how she, in true leading lady fashion, seeks to pass this peace and knowledge down to others.

Juri, meanwhile, lives in a back alley with her beloved motorcycle being her only companion. She seems to only take you on as a student due to being interested in your ability to mimic her fighting style and your determination to learn under her. She sends you phishing mail, orders you to commit wanton destruction of barrels around the city, instructs you to defeat a local gangster and photograph his beaten body, and showers you with criticism and feigned boredom. However, later on down the line, she all but insists on crashing at your apartment later, implying a level of loneliness and desperation on her part. Twice she focuses on telling you of her time with other cast members, depicting them as a team, using C. Viper and Cammy as examples. This speaks to me of Juri unconsciously seeking companionship and a sense of fellowship that she’s lacked since the start of her journey for revenge. She even opens up about the tragedy that started her down this path, though she insists the story she tells is nothing but a lie, I have my doubts. Her answer to your question is: “Weren’t you babbling on about finding strength? Maybe you’ve found enough to earn a kick or two from me.” This speaks to me of her still burning anger and need for conflict now that the object of her vengeance is seemingly forever beyond reach. Overall, I quite like how the developers have chosen to show that Juri’s reckless quest for revenge on Bison has left her alone and constantly lashing out whilst subconsciously looking for her own place in this new, vexing world.

Both of these routes show characters who started out on a quest for revenge with very different outcomes, and whilst Chun Li is all the better for the bonds she made and the relationships she’s forged, Juri is at a very low point in her life, taking on all kinds of dirty work in order to maintain that which she has, having spent her quest spurning almost every helping hand held out to her.

But these are just my inane ramblings. I hope they’re at least somewhat coherent.

[sang8262]

JP rambles: default outfit and character design edition

cause i asked about his character design and now I'M thinking about it, also im procrastinating so i have thoughts here goes

mostly about his default outfit, with a tiny bit about outfit 2 at the end. I already know this is going to be a needlessly long post lmao

TL;DR - JP is inspired by playing cards, bartitsu, and vampires/bats. he's a poker faced gentleman through n through

~~also minor spoiler warning for World Tour things, such as having JP as a Master and getting to max level skills/ bond with him~~

This is a safe space and I will be HONEST: I didn't like his default look a lot at first, but I've since warmed up to it!! I still use his outfit 2 (color 10) online tho. I speed ran World Tour for that, I have suffered, and I WILL enjoy it.

Anyway, it was once I realized he has thematic ties to playing cards that really made his default design make sense to me. First, some proof that he takes inspiration from playing cards to begin with.

Once you get Master Skill level in World Tour mode, everyone gets a little cutscene movie featuring their skills, archetypes/ titles, and ends with a quote commemorating your achievements as their student.

JP's starts off like this, with a bunch of playing cards with his name on them falling down the screen:

(also, btw, where we get more of that bat imagery, but i'll get back to that later)

This is what made it click for me and made it really obvious why his name is stylized the way it is, using the font it uses. His name reads the same way right side up as it is upside down, and looks very much like how the values are printed on these cards.

Then, the video includes several 'titles' for each character. Some of these get used in other promotional material too, but JP's are as follows:

King of No Country

High-Rolling Pretender

Gentlemanly Tyrant

In which, again, the poker/ gambling references show up with the phrase "high-rolling", or "king" of no country.

And final proof, is that each Master in World Tour can be given gifts that they will react to in unique ways, and also receive extra bond points for. Sometimes they're things the character likes, or really hates: it's just what gets an interesting reaction out of them.

JP (unfortunately) only has one such gift item he has special dialogue for: antique playing cards.

Although his reaction to them are... less than positive (he literally calls them 'trash'), he also points out how old cards can't be used to play actual games, as it is against the rules.

Within the game's universe, it shows that he cares, or at least knows enough about cards to even have these notable responses to them. Considering it outside the game, the devs specifically decided to make his special World Tour gift a set of Antique Playing Cards, instead of any other item. They wanted to make this connection between him and cards for a reason.

So to me, I think this is a lot of evidence that shows a clear and intentional relationship between JP's character design and playing cards.

In retrospect, I honestly think he does look like the face cards quite a bit lmao. The white hair and beard + mustache, the cravat, the colors too (really strong orange/ red, paired with gold and that bit of marble on his cane), and the cane paralleling a scepter/ sword.

Speaking of, more about the cane: the devs had an interview answering fan questions, and at one point they explain the inspiration for JP. I'll link the video here with the timestamp for this question:

https://youtu.be/ORw3_BK7o70?t=146

But basically they say they wanted to have a character use a cane, and cites bartitsu/ Sherlock Holmes as well. So, even if they worked backwards from 'cane', all the way to 'gentlemanly tyrant who likes chess puzzles and launders money through fighting game tournaments', I think they made it work well with the playing cards aesthetic too!

Finally, I'll go back to the bat imagery that I think is pretty interesting.

Parts of his design subtly incorporate bats, such as his brooch on the default costume:

And more directly in his alt costume 2, seen on his buttons and coat pattern:

And I have to imagine the brooch on his default outfit is somewhat invoking of a bat (with wings and large ears) because of his WT skill Mastery video having a giant BAT in the middle of the screen. I also thought it might be in reference to the Shadaloo organization symbol, which is a skull with wings.

Then even further from the comics, Kalima-- his assistant while organizing the fighting tournament in Nayshall-- warns Luke that JP is like a "vampire who will suck this country dry". The vampire analogy just works so beautifully with how he works as a criminal, not to mention the other aesthetic associations with it.

All in all, I really REALLY love JP's personality and whole modus operandi as a character and villain so greatly in his design. I definitely also feel that his outfit 2 isn't nearly as symbolism laden as his default one, but I am a sucker for formal wear and suits, so I am just, in love. Plus the subtler nods to his bat/vampire-ness is there, if only very minimally.

Edit: noticing this as I literally posted this AH. But also on the playing cards from his WT skill video, it has two different faces, it has both the Jack (or possibly King...) and the Joker:

It continues to add to his duality/ hidden true nature/ deceiver type character so much, it's perfect. And of course, with his name, or pseudonyms starting with "J". So either Jack or Joker works perfectly. I mean literally, he isn't the king of any country... but he'll still bring it to ruin all the same.

Edit #2: omg i keep remembering things i meant to add thank you adhd very cool

BUT, in the original Japanese version of the Mastery skill video, his titles are SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. As is the Korean translation, which is a more direct translation of the Japanese one than the English is.

'So "King of No Country" was originally also: "No-Life King of a Ruined Country"

And turns out, doing some good ol' googling, that 'no-life king' has some established meanings to it:

Basically, it's related to other media including vampires, undead, monsters, so I'm guessing 'no-life' is closer in meaning to 'immortal', having no natural lifespan rather.

So yeah, even more references to vampirism for ya

but aNYWAY,, Thanks for reading my silly observations!!

I think I got pretty much everything but if there's anything I didn't mention or something to add please please do, I love reading replies and the tags (this site's so much better for this kinda stuff lmao)

[nutzgunray-lvt]

So, given the Best Jeanist is a product of a Quirk Marriage headcanon that @doodlegirl1998 (and now also me) have, we established that he comes from a wealthy hero family with incredibly high expectations.

I'm thinking that both due to said expectations and his overall selfless nature, I definitely think he was both a class officer and a Big Three member. He was definitely the kind of student to volunteer to help his homeroom teacher before and after school, as well as go the extra mile in his internship and work study. As for the Sports Festival, there would DEFINATELY be an expectation to get into 1st place, if not second or third.

In regards to his friendship with Edgeshot (another hero we headcanon as being the product of a Quirk Marriage), I think that Edgeshot was a first year that Best Jeanist took under his wing. @doodlegirl1998 said she sees Best Jeanist as someone who was deeply impressed with the level of control he had over his Quirk - as well as the nature of his Quirk. Both were able to bond over their shared nature towards heroics, their struggles in growing up as Quirk Marriage kids, and having these unconventional Quirks that are incredibly difficult to master.

Depending on whether or not work-studies were already established in their time (I'd imagine so), Best Jeanist DEFINATELY put in a good word for Edgeshot at whichever agency he was currently at.

[winxbutbetterimo-ovo]

Flora long ver 1

(some stuff is from the fan wiki i just tweaked)

Name: Flora Anabille Rosales

Looks: muscular legs and arms because she likes to not use magic to grow her favourite plants often. tan-skinned, with long 3a brunette with dirty blond highlights that has bangs framing on either side of her face where the blonde streaks are most apparent, with a single small hair strand sticking up and narrow green-jade eyes.

Relationships: Her soulmate is Helia and she is the closest with Aisha and Techna (they love studying together and info-dumping about their interests). Chatta is her bonded pixie.

She shines in her normal, charmix, Enchantix and Sophix forms the most.

Personality: Nerd, kind, a little anxious. She can feel the life force of plants AND summon animals??? healer , potionology goat. mom friend. Flora is very calm, soft-spoken, caring, sweet, shy and genuine girl who loves plants and vegetation of all kinds. Being interested in experimenting with her plants, Flora became the potion master of the group who specialises in brewing and creating remedies and medicines from the uses of her magical plants. Due to that, she has a full scholarship to Alphea. Her gentle and caring personality, Flora is strongly connected to nature and loves helping people. She is shown to have a sensitive personality to the point where she would instinctively care for her friends as well as her plants when they are in distress.

Flora is the most mature member of the Winx as she possesses a deep sense of love, peace, happiness and tranquillity. However, it is shown that Flora has an insecure side to her personality, sometimes causing her to hide most of her feelings to the point where she would have problems expressing them. Flora is one of the most diligent students at Alfea and is cautious of her actions. Although she has a kind-hearted side, She is very responsible and a mediator. She doesn't hold grudges coz it's a waste of energy and time, so when she is mad at you (or her enemies), she is reALLY mad and shows a more aggressive side of herself.

As an older sister, she is shown to be quite overprotective, often forgets that people are mature and can protect themselves. Miele often has to deal with this side of Flora. In which case, Flora has demonstrated some level of ignorance as this attitude tends to hurt Miele's feelings.

History: She was born in Linphea to Alyssa and Rollos. she had 5 years to herself before Miele was born. She loved Miele the moment she laid eyes on her and took it on herself to be her protector from then on. which results in her overprotectiveness. other than that as nice as her parents were, they were a little passive in their parenting style, which led flora to learn their temperment, but actively take others under her wing.

Powers: Her magic is green in colour. As the Fairy of Nature, she has nature-based powers. Flora can generate, grow, and control various vegetation, but she mainly uses vines for defensive moves such as creating barriers, entangling opponents, and supporting heavy objects. Aside from her vines, she is often seen controlling flowers to use as diverse attacks using pollen and dust to provide distractions, producing swirls of petals/leaves, conjuring food (namely fruits/vegetables), altering the growth plants such as growing a tomato crop from an already existing tomato, and even summoning animals.

her strength relies on her surrounding environment and requires her to be at one with nature. Flora is able to hear the voice of nature speaking to her, more so than in anyone. Rather, she is able to use her magic to listen to the voice of the forest. This skill can be a disadvantage at times, as the destruction of nearby nature will cause excruciating pain to her and weaken her own self and her ability to focus her magic properly, even her flight.

Flora in terms of elemental power represents earth which she displays by setting off earthquakes and smashing a boulder with her mind. Her source of power is life itself. She also has a connection with the air being capable of using plants to absorb smoke and produce oxygen, and producing fragrances that can be used to repel an enemy or calm them down. Flora has developed the ability to physically heal other beings mostly after they have experienced a recent trauma, when spells dont work she also mixes potions to heal people. Flora will also develop the ability to alter the seasons.