#and yuuji's suffering makes me so emotional

[citycrows]

But tonight he is alive. And as he stares up at the sky, there are twice as many stars as usual.

(The two headed calf by Laura Gilpin)

[pseudowho]

Post-ShibuyaAU! Grey Nanami Kento Headcanons, Part 2

(help me find the Nanami artist in the banner, for crediting and thanks/permission!)

As an accompaniment to my story, Grey (link here); an AU where Nanami survives Shibuya exploration because I'm never going to be over his loss.

Part 1 of Greynami Headcanons, link here

Christmas Greynami Headcanons, link here

Warnings: Severe injury (burns, eye loss), PTSD, alcohol use, depression, light smut, angst, AU headcanons

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Before he met you:

AU!Nanami Kento who takes up smoking again, a habit he had while working as a salaryman. His voice becomes rougher, more gravelly, irritated by the tobacco.

AU!Nanami Kento whose parents weep and stroke his healed burned face the first time they see him post-Shibuya, devastated by the suffering their little boy has experienced.

AU!Nanami Kento who sees that pain in his mothers' eyes every time he visits her. She can't help it. She's just heartbroken she couldn't keep her baby safe.

AU!Nanami Kento who begins to screen his parents' calls, not visit for dinner like he used to, and sends birthday gifts in the post instead of in person. Causing them distress by exposing them to his brutal injuries is a stress he's too fragile to cope with.

AU!Nanami Kento who listens to his fathers' long voicemails every night after a few drinks.

AU!Nanami Kento who often doesn't go home between missions, sleeping against walls in old buildings instead, a cold uncomfortable sleep preferable to a deep sleep with nightmares.

AU!Nanami Kento who alters his wardrobe after his tie, which he was unusually fond of, was destroyed by Jogo's flames. He can't find the tie for sale anymore. His beige suits just don't feel the same without it.

AU!Nanami Kento gives the last vestiges of his emotional energy to Yuuji, knowing he needs support, not wanting Yuuji to know he's struggling, not wanting to add more to Yuuji's already full plate.

AU!Nanami Kento who used to daydream about being a father one day, but now, being loved and giving love in return feels so remote and unlikely

After he meets you:

AU!Nanami Kento who tries to hide his trauma at first, afraid it will be too much baggage for you.

AU!Nanami Kento who is grateful to the very depths of his soul when you make it clear that he could never be too traumatised to be loved; you are each others' therapist, confidant, and sexy best friend.

AU!Nanami Kento, who struggles through reducing his alcohol and cigarette intake, with your steadfast support.

AU!Nanami Kento whose home screen photo is one of you asleep, snuggled into his chest, drooling; you hate it, he absolutely refuses to change it.

AU!Nanami Kento who confesses to you on one snowy evening walk; he tells you the moon looks beautiful tonight and you're on tiptoes kissing him before he can even finish his sentence.

AU!Nanami Kento who takes up baking bread overnight if he can't sleep, the process cathartic and soothing. You know he's had a bad night when you wake up to warm bakery smells.

AU!Nanami Kento and you, whose home becomes a refuge for all the kids who know where the spare key is hidden.

AU!Nanami Kento who has made up the spare room for Yuuta, Inumaki and Nobara at separate points in just one week.

AU!Nanami Kento, who makes sure you buy extra bottles of burn ointment, and delivers them to Maki when he gets the chance.

AU!Nanami Kento, stood at the bathroom counter which you sit on, facing him, your legs wrapped around his hips, as you gently shave around his scars. Kento rests his hands on your waist, slipping his fingers under your shirt, just to feel your skin.

AU!Nanami Kento, whose towel comes loose and drops to the floor, staring into your eyes in challenge. You last a few seconds before your eyes flick down, drinking in the beautiful nudity of him.

AU!Nanami Kento who immediately throws you over his shoulder, and carries you to your bedroom while you squeal and laugh, being promptly de-clothed by him.

AU!Nanami Kento who behaves the second time you sit on the counter, to finish the job you started; he looks at you with a naughty glint in his eye.

AU!Nanami Kento who, with your support and continuous company on his missions, finds his power grows rapidly; he manages five black flashes in a row, and feels he may be nearing domain establishment.

AU!Nanami Kento who, after a rocky start with Higuruma Hiromi, becomes his firm friend, forming an intensely unstoppable duo. Ino is only a little bit jealous.

AU!Nanami Kento who finally calls his parents with your encouragement. He can't help but tell them about you immediately. They're thrilled, and want you round for dinner as soon as possible.

AU!Nanami Kento who is mortified as you and his mother coo over his baby photos.

AU!Nanami Kento who is stunned into silence when, in the car on the way home, you wonder out loud if your babies will look more like you or him.

AU!Nanami Kento who throws you into bed the moment you get home, face between your legs and drunk on the taste and sounds of you, until you're begging him to come closer; he graciously complies, his mind full of your future home, tiny footsteps and laughter as you cling to him in bliss.

AU!Nanami Kento who goes looking for rings on his days off; it's a huge decision, and one he ponders over for months, so in the meantime, he buys you a watch which perfectly matches his own.

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More love for Greynami. I'll do some bigger stories at some point too.

Part 1 of Greynami Headcanons link here

Thanks as always to @silkspunweb for being my muse and fellow unhinged friend.

[awearywritersworld]

Ryomen Sukuna x Reader summary: you're cuddling in bed with your very sleepy boyfriend, except he's not exactly your very sleepy boyfriend w/c: .75k tags/warnings: somewhat suggestive but not smut. praise. "good girl" but no other reference to gender. fluff. "kitten" i can't help myself. aged up!yuuji a/n: idek! wrote this in an attempt to get inspired and to let everyone know im still alive, kicking, and most importantly, suffering from sukuna brain rot. currently rewatching so this is brought to u by s1e4. masterlist

Your favorite place to be, even after all this time, is Yuuji's arms. His embrace is warm and inviting, and it never fails to put your mind at ease, even with Sukuna in the picture. You've known him for as long as you've known Yuuji, but his snide, snarky comments never deterred your love for his vessel.

Though, after many long months, his commentary became more... unassuming? At least when you were around, anyway. The first time it happened, you'd asked Yuuji if he knew where you left your phone.

"It's on the couch," another voice answered.

You and your boyfriend stared at each other with raised brows before your eyes shifted down to ever abiding mouth on his cheek.

"What?" Sukuna actually grumbled before disappearing.

It's been a while since then. You're resting against Yuuji's chest, his arm snaked around your waist, his breathing deep and steady. Sleep nearly overcomes you, but his chest vibrates with words you're not quite able to make out and it just barely tugs you back to consciousness.

You hum drowsily, your hands grabbing at his sweatshirt in a weak attempt to pull him nearer.

"That's it," he encourages, drawing you impossibly closer.

The small noises you make as you situate yourself have the man exhaling just a little more harshly than before.

"Want me to praise you?" he offers, a sly edge to his voice. It's only then your mind registers that something is... off. This voice is more intense than the one you're used to. "It's obvious you like it when the brat tells you what a good girl you are."

Your eyes snap open, the top of your head nearly colliding with his chin as you pull back from him. Propping yourself up on your elbow, you're unable to help the small gasp that passes your lips as you take in your boyfriend's changed appearance.

"W-What the hell, Sukuna?"

There's a lazy smirk on his face and his hand settles on your hip like it's the most natural thing in the world.

"He's right, you know."

"What are you even on about? It's too late for this shit" you remark, free hand rubbing at your eyelids in an attempt to wake yourself up.

Despite Sukuna never having randomly appeared before, you're not intimidated. Well, not terribly so, even if the man before you is of infamous legend. These days his voice is a constant in your life and that keeps you from registering the possible (probable?) danger of your current situation.

"I was trying to tell you how pretty you are."

"Oh," you squeak out, warmth creeping from your neck toward your cheeks. He chuckles, but you're uncertain whether or not he's teasing you.

His fingers trail up your waist, his touch just barely grazing the skin there before catching your chin between his thumb and forefinger.

"Hm, and so sweet too." His thumb extends to brush against your bottom lip.

The contact leaves your stomach swirling with one too many emotions and your hand reaches up to his bicep, as if the action might stop anything else from being said or done.

It doesn't.

He moves his arm from your grasp, but only so that he can wrap his fingers around your wrist. You finally meet his lidded gaze as he brings the inside of your wrist to his lips, peppering a few light kisses there. "So that means you're a very good girl, don't you think?"

His tone is even and low, unfeigned in a way that makes you shudder. The whole situation has you shifting restlessly and averting your gaze.

"Why are you...?" Your voice is barely above a whisper and you're incapable of figuring out a way to describe what was happening at the present moment.

He takes a few seconds before answering, studying how you've pulled your bottom lip between your teeth with a furrowed brow.

His voice quiets to match your own. "Is Yuuji the only one who can concern himself with your happiness?"

You attempt to mask the surprise that threatens your features, but still glance up at him with widened eyes. A momentary silence falls between the two of you and there's an air of suspense to it.

"I never said that."

That must be answer enough, as he tugs you back to his chest once more. You let him envelop you with ease and tangle your legs between his.

"Then stop worrying and go back to sleep, kitten."

[rosekeu]

[ Moonlight on the River ]

Sypnosis: The final battle came way earlier than you expected, and amidst all the chaos, your lover got wrapped up in its twisted fate. How were you supposed to react when you couldn't do anything to save the boy you had loved since childhood?

A/N: manga spoilers, implied death, hurt no comfort, angst. 1.7k words. listen to moonlight on the river by mac demarco or space song by beach house.

[ ao3 link ]

”Gojo, please you need to listen to me. Please, you don’t get it.” You violently sobbed, gripping your mentor’s wrist, pleading with him to listen. His eyes swept over you making sure you weren’t hurt.

Blood began to drip from the gash on your neck as you paused to take a couple shaky breaths trying to calm your nerves. “Please, you can’t kill him. I need him. He’s still Megumi.”

“You can’t do this to me…please Gojo.”

“I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT HIM PLEASE!” He stayed silent. You waited for him to say something, anything.

You stared back at him, clenching your fist as your eyes darkened, “I don’t care what happens to me, I need him back no matter what.”

You glanced at the figure looking past Gojo, it was wearing Megumi's face and body but the rest belonged to the evil man, the curse, who destroyed the place you used to call home. The same man who stole your friend's humanity away. Even more tears began to fall down your face as you turned to Gojo with a defeated expression, sadly still containing a miniscule glimmer of hope. A tiny part of you hoped that your lover could return safely. A tiny part of you naively believed.

“Is she alright?” Gojo asked Yuuji, who wasn’t standing too far away, still avoiding your piercing gaze. “Except for the gash on her neck, there’s only a few bruises on her so she should be okay…for now.”

As Gojo started to free himself from your grip, he threw Yuuji a knowing look. And suddenly, you were trapped in Gojo's arms. “No, no, no. GOJO! PLEASE NO!” You struggled in his hold, but he only tightened it in response

"Everything will be okay.” Your mouth fell open as your eyes widened. You could feel your chest tighten as the panic rose within you as Gojo’s hold on you tightened. “Just leave it to me.”

You begged him to change his mind, desperate to get away, but his expression was unwavering.

“LET GO OF ME! PLEASE!”

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS!” You pleaded, tears streaming down your face, hoping that your desperation would somehow break through to him.

As Gojo walked towards Yuuji he handed you over to him. The boy with pink hair had a strong hold on you while wearing a solemn expression.

“NO! PLEASE GOJO ITS MEGUMI!“ You started screaming out to your teacher once more, your voice breaking. Despite your agony, Yuuji knew this was for the best. It was the right decision for you to suffer.

"PLEASE, I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT HIM!” Your words were ignored as the King of Curses fought with your teacher, while using the body of your lover as a puppet. You could feel the desperation rising inside of you as the fight progressed. You felt utterly helpless when you realized that your pleas had been ignored.

“Yuuji. Let me go, I need to stop him.” You seem to be in dire need of anything to occur. Something that is going to alter Megumi's destiny. since you were aware that one of them would die if they got into a duel. There was a sense of impending disaster hanging in the air, pressing you to do something.

“I can’t. I’m sorry.”

You attempted to escape his hold, thrashing in his arms but it was in vain as his grip on you only tightened. Yuuji led you to the sidelines where the rest of your comrades were watching the battle take place. You cried out in pain, anger, and most of all sadness.

The raven haired boy you grew up with was going to be killed.

You never got to say goodbye.

There were so many unspoken words between the two of you.

You needed more time.

You needed a chance to unravel the tangled emotions and express what you truly felt.

The weight of those desires lingered, leaving a deeply rooted seed of regret. But alas, moments slipped through your fingers like sand, and now all that remains in the haunting presence of what could've been.

You needed to hug him one last time.

You needed to kiss him one last time.

As if pleading with the universe

You needed to see him smile again

You needed to hear him laugh again.

You needed to touch him again.

Would the universe make you forget his face after all this was over? Would the universe grant you the mental peace of fading memories and erase the pain which would linger in your heart? Or would it be a cruel and unforgiving reminder, tattooing his face deeper into your mind, tormenting you with what might've been?

Unfair. Unfair. Unfair

Why did it have to be him?

Why did fate choose to intertwine your paths, only to keep you both apart? So many questions and no answers, only leaving you to wonder about what a cruel twist of destiny the world had granted you. In the midst of the chaos all around you, thoughts of you and him kept flooding into your mind.

“The stars... they look really nice tonight–” You spun around to face Megumi. “Don’t you think?”

“Yeah.” He but he was too busy focusing on you, instead of those stupid stars. To him you were much prettier.

He acknowledged the beauty of the stars. But compared to you, they were a dull contrast. You shined brighter than any star imaginable.

He cast a long glance at your lips before the two of you locked eyes. Before you could respond, he captured your lips in a passionate kiss. He cupped your face with one hand and wrapped the other around yours. You couldn’t help but smile as you melted into his touch.

Another memory rang through your mind.

Fushiguro sat with his back against the wall, statue-still and cold. You reached out to hold his hand but he quickly withdrew.

You tried again but he said. “Don’t.”

His voice was laced with contempt. After today's mission, you were injured severely. And even though all of you came back alive, he couldn't spare himself from the guilt of not being by your side.

“Don’t what?” you asked, flatly.

His jaw locked, and he stared at you with empty eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

He glances at your bruised arms and fist. “I don’t–” He started and then he looked at the bandage that wrapped around your head and the limp you seemed to have on your right leg. “I don’t know what to–”

So that's what it was about. Your injuries…He wasn't mad at you.

He was mad at himself.

You place your hands on either side of his face with a firm hold. “Stop it.”

His eyes still avoid my gaze like the plague. “It’s not your fault. Everyone got a bit roughed up–”

He cut you off. “You were injured the most out of everyone else. And we were just facing a grade 1 curse, imagine if it was a special grade.”

You paused and pondered, what would've happened if the curse was special grade? Well, it didn’t matter now. The important thing is that you were alive and breathing. “There’s no point in thinking about that now. Stop torturing yourself.”

Megumi’s expression didn’t waver.

“I wasn’t there.”

“You were there when I needed you to be.” You said, hands sliding off his face to hold his hands. “I can take care of myself.”

“I swore I would be there for you and I wasn't. I swore to keep you safe and you weren't.” His words pierced your heart like a dagger. You wanted to reassure him that you were okay. That a few injuries meant nothing to you. And that it shouldn't be to him.

“I’m–”

“You were terrified.” His voice was filled with turmoil as he interrupted you. “When you called out to me, I’ll never forget your voice.”

Before he could keep going, you gently placed a finger on his lips, silencing him. "I understand why you’re upset," you whispered softly, "But please trust me when I say that I am stronger than you think. Plus after a few days I’ll be as good as new!” You smiled, and you leaned in to kiss him.

As your lips met, you could feel the mixture of relief and longing in the kiss. It was a bittersweet moment for Fushiguro, as he realized that while he was relieved to have finally expressed his concerns, there was still a lingering sadness knowing that he could have done something to change the outcome.

That was the first time you had seen him so worried about something or someone. “I love you.”

Punches were thrown at the concrete, causing the ground to tremble, and you were pulled back into reality. Yuuji was still holding you in his lap and Yuuta was healing you in the meantime applying his reversed cursed technique.

You grabbed him unexpectedly, mumbling softly, “Yuuta... I need him back...” He smiled sadly at you.

“I need to tell him that I love him one last time...” Your voice breaks at the idea and your eyes well up with tears. Yuuta’s hand cups your cheek, thumb caressing it gently.

“He knows.” Okkotsu reassures you, healing all your wounds successfully,“I promise.”

With a trembling voice, you whisper, "I don't know how I'll go on without him." The weight of your emotions hangs heavy in the air, as if silently begging for a miracle to bring him back.

Your face loses all emotion as you wrap your arms around Yuuji’s neck. To help you feel a little better, he holds you close and gently rocks you back and forth. You experience defeat. You can’t help but let your sorrow and regret consume you. As you bury your face in Yuuji's shoulder, you feel a mix of comfort and despair. The weight of your emotions becomes unbearable, leaving you feeling completely helpless. It's as if the world around you has come crashing down, and all you can do is surrender to the overwhelming grief. Your will to live escaping your bloody grasp.

"I’m home, there's moonlight on the river. Everybody dies."

[cursedvibes]

I think Yuuji getting through to Megumi and finding out he has no will to live anymore would've been more impactful if we saw more of him during his possession than the three panels stretched over nearly 40 chapters where he's always just lying on the floor crying.

We initially get input that he's trying to fight back against Sukuna after he was hit with Jacob's Ladder, but then he's essentially just a footnote. "Btw, Megumi is somewhere in there and he's suffering." But we don't really see it.

I think it all comes down that the moment that really broke him, the Yorozu vs Sukuna fight should've given him more focus and Tsumiki. If that moment really hit and we saw him give up, his lack of presence for the rest of the chapters wouldn't be such a big problem.

The Yorozu fight was really just focused on her and Sukuna and their history. You get a mention that Sukuna is doing this to break Megumi and oh no, Tsumiki would die too, but really it's about Yorozu's character and Sukuna learning to handle 10 Shadows. Everything is about them, their jokes and then as a last addition we get "oh yeah, Megumi is sad because someone who has his sister's face died". Everything is already over at that point there is no tension, we don't feel with Megumi because the focus is on other people who vaguely look like him and Tsumiki. Looks are the only real connection to the sibling drama here and I think Yorozu and Sukuna don't even look that much like them. That should've been better balanced.

Take Yuuji's breakdown in Shibuya for example. That makes him want to die as well and throw everything away. We're there with him, how he goes through briefly raised hopes to crushing defeat, how his face distorts as he sees Nanami and Nobara die before him. He's going through anger, fighting with grit teeth for as long as he can until he just curls in on himself and wants to die like his friends. We hear his thoughts, we can emphasize with what is happening. Even when he finds out what happened while Sukuna took over, we see the memories swarm his mind, he desperately clutches his head, claws at the ground, throws up. It's utterly heartbreaking. And that is because we experience it with Yuuji. We don't just cut to him lying on the floor unresponsive and that's the only feedback we get to his emotional state, not even some thoughts.

Megumi clearly saw or felt what happened while Sukuna was in control of his body (I mean, if we didn't have the editor comment like in the volume release you could also think the Bath just numbed him, but I'm not gonna be that picky here). So show him struggle during the fight against Yorozu aka the body of Tsumiki. Show his reaction to being rendered mute and powerless, unable to even lift a finger to hinder Sukuna. Show me his thoughts, he clearly has them. Show me how he eventually came to just give up and wait for death. Just something, anything. All of this I mentioned I am just inferring, we don't get to go through his emotional journey that is clearly very important to the story. All we see is the aftermath with no additional context and then nothing for another 20 chapters or so.

For that matter, show me Tsumiki, if there's anything left of her at all. That is who Megumi tries to fight for after all and she's a victim in all this too. She might've gone through the same things Megumi did, she might've experienced similar pain, but we simply don't know. What would Megumi even be fighting for? Was Tsumiki just dead or gone ever since Yorozu woke up in the hospital or did she witness what was going on as well? Was the Yorozu fight just pointless in that regard because clearly Tsumiki was long gone anyway and Sukuna is essentially just burying a dead body? This fight could've actually been quite dramatic. It claimed to be that due to Megumi and potentially Tsumiki suffering in the background, but it was in the end completely inconsequential. Sukuna and Yorozu would've fought anyway, if Megumi and Tsumiki were there or not, and Yorozu would've always lost. Since except for some throwaway lines and the end panel there isn't really any acknowledgement of the emotional stakes, they fall completely flat. It's about Yorozu and her understanding of love and also a bit about Sukuna's backstory and all this is nice and interesting, I certainly enjoyed it, but this should've laid the groundwork for what is happening to possessed-Megumi as well.

Same with the Gojo fight. Was Megumi effected at all by seeing Gojo there, was he affected by what Gojo said, his disregard for Megumi's body that made Yuuji and Hana question if he even cared? Did he feel anything when Gojo died? Was he still capable of sensing what was going on outside at all or did he sleep through all that. For that matter, how did those 5 Unlimited Voids affect him? His brain should be toast by all accounts. Did he blame Gojo for anything? This could've added some much needed emotional stakes and depth to the Gojo vs Sukuna fight, but again, we don't see anything, just a repeat shot of Megumi crying on the floor.

Megumi went through some pretty significant character development and I assume that is going to go even further now that Yuuji has made contact, but that all happened off-screen. Especially "Tsumiki's" death and its impact should've been shown to lay the groundwork for what happens now. All we got so far is: what happened made him sad. Like yeah sure, I can imagine, but can't we get more than that? That's like skipping the majority of Shibuya except for Nanami and Nobara's deaths and then going right to Yuuji lying on the floor and Todo giving his inspirational speech without showing us even a hint of all the struggle and emotional turmoil Yuuji experienced in the meantime.

I'm not even a Megumi fan, it's just something I noticed while reading. Honestly, the last 30 chapters or so I pretty much forgot about Megumi. Yes, I want Yuuji to save him, but as for Megumi himself my thoughts were always just "well, I guess he's doing badly, who knows". It was all very abstract and hypothetical when it didn't need to be.

[epickiya722]

Can, I ask, why do you think Yuuji is one of the character that is so underated in JJK? He is the mc, but many people (in fandom) treat him like a side character? At first, I don't think so, but I love many shounen, and somehow Yuuji is one of the mc that is underated in their own story....

Sorry if I'm wrong, just I love Yuuji and want him to get the spotlight he deserve....

I wouldn't say you're wrong, Anon! In fact, I would say he is an underrated character. Yes, fairly popular, but when it comes to how the fandom treats him compared to characters like Gojo, Yuji is Underrated.

I feel exactly how you feel about Yuji. To me, he is the best JJK character. Oh, yeah, I'm being bias, whatever, but it's how I feel.

My guess as to why the fandom treats him like a side character because Yuji isn't like how most older gen MCs are written, let alone the others of the cast.

Let's be real, when the mid-late 2010s rolled around, how fandoms started to treat the new age MCs is opposite of their treatment of other MCs. It's because they're a different formula and honestly, I feel like folks who bash on Yuji and others like Tanjiro and Izuku, just don't want to try something different.

They're used to the MCs who speedruns their training and powerups and suffer little to no drawbacks, "trauma, what trauma" and want to be the best because they got an ego and pride they don't want hurt.

Today's MCs? Pain, not afraid to show a range of emotions, training? Oh, they get the hang of it but still a lot to learn and watch out! They have the scars to prove that they almost lost an arm!

Now focusing on Yuji, as I said he's not like other JJK characters.

He's not overpowered, but he's not weak either. He's a bit of a goof and he's says he's an idiot, but he actually isn't all dumb he makes himself out to be. He's not flashy, but he has amazing moments where he gets to show off.

He has a goal to get strong, not being he wants to be the top or anything. He just wants to help people.

He has a sad backstory, but it's only until later we realize how messed up it is and even still we don't have his reaction to realizing those messed up bits. Yuji was raised by his grandfather and he states he is a loner. But unlike how we see with most characters, Yuji is relatively fine with that. He brushes off knowing about his parents, unlike most MCs who would literally beg for answers. He's a loner, but he's not a loser. Note how people around him in his hometown treats him. They gave him a nickname to reflect his impressive physical prowess that amazes them and yet, he doesn't care for the popularity.

Yuji has this balance to him where he's both spontaneous but also pretty chill. A lot of the cast outshines Yuji be because they are more showy than Yuji, even calm characters.

Unlike Gojo and even Yuta, Yuji is literally what you call the audience surrogate. Through him, we learn about the Jujutsu world while experiencing (growth).

From the start of their stories (referring to JJK 0 and Gojo's Past Arc), both Gojo and Yuta are established as powerful sorcerers from the start. Yuta may have had inexperienced but he was still recognized as a powerful kid. Both are born lucky with having such powers. The most Yuta and Gojo really develop and change is their personalities and attitudes towards certain ideas. That's it. They don't even have to do anything and immediately their auras show who they are.

In contrast to Yuji, how is he recognized?

As just Sukuna's vessel. Most of the time, he is literally called that. When he's recognized by his strength and abilities it's when he actively has to fight. Then it's like "oh, so he does have capabilities". Yuji actually has to show he can be just as capable as the others because when people first look at him it's "Sukuna's vessel" or back in Sendai it's "Tiger of West Middle".

It's not "Yuji".

Hell, he'll even be compared to Maki. It's not "Maki's like Yuji". No, it's "Yuji is like Maki". Megumi is the first character to do this. Maki is unique enough that if someone, in this case Yuji, displays a similarity to her, she is the template.

However, for Yuji, while he's unique it's almost like it's not enough to be acknowledged until he has to show them. Like, he has to prove something when he actually doesn't care to do that. Yuji doesn't care to get stronger than the next person, especially at this point. If anything, he seems to be the only one from the very start recognize that none of this is a test of strength when people are dying. Note how he acts during a fight. Every major to majorly minor character has displayed some sort of enjoyment out of a fight or fights to show they're not weak.

Not a single time has Yuji ever even smiled. Look back at all the fights and you will see that he hasn't done such a thing. He fights not because it's a game. He fights because he has to and only that.

And it's not like it gets better for him because he later identifies himself as "a cog". It's like Yuji never really had his own identity.

He's the odd one out.

It's how I think some of the fandom sees him. Without an identity, without recognizable traits. Hell, go on any post that praises Yuji and Yuji alone and there's gonna be a hater to bring up another character.

To some, I feel like Yuji only exists to them to hate on. Only a tool to bring in their praising of other characters to put him down as if that's all he's worthy of. It's a damn shame, too, that people actually feel the need to bring down a character to build their faves. Oh, feel like your fave can't stand on their own and show their greatness?

[ultfreakme]

Geto and Yoshino parallel ramble:

Geto and Junpei parallels are so high in terms of the role they play in defining the themes and key events of the story. I feel like if Junpei survived, he would have written to be as a counter to Geto's character arc.

The biggest reason for why they remind me of each other is the way their death affects their associated main characters. Geto's departure and death transform the way Gojo sees Jujutsu society and his role in it, making him far more grounded and giving him a reason to help others who are weaker. Junpei's makes Yuuji see the dangers and unfairness of the world he's in, and how even a dignified death is something difficult to provide for people.

Geto and Junpei were both let down by the systems they were in. Geto's struggles were wholly unacknowledged by Yaga and any of the higher-ups in Jujutsu Tech. Junpei's suffering was noticed but no one did anything about it.

Fundamentally, they are both people who care for others. This is important in understanding their downfall.

Geto went to extremism because he thought he could protect people if he just tried hard enough. He understood that the strong hurt the weak, accepted it to some extent at the start and made it his mission to be the kind of strong person that would instead protect the weak. His motives are, even if simplistic and filled with issues, empathetic. Junpei says he doesn't believe that humans have hearts but its revealed that he's only led to this thinking because he can't stomach that any human being is capable of inflicting the cruelty he and his mother suffered through(also because Mahito guided him there).

They care way too much and that's what is used to break them.

Next, is how they are used by the special grade curses. Kenjaku is obvious, he's possessing Geto's body. Mahito's also pretty obvious, he used Junpei to manipulate Yuuji emotionally in order to bring forth Sukuna. In Shibuya Arc, Geto and Junpei are used to emotionally break Gojo and Yuuji(I'm not putting Nobara and Nanami here because they serve roles outside of the parallels I'm drawing between Geto and Junpei).

They are both characters who are broken by the systems that are meant to foster them, and are then used callously by curses to further chaos. I really want to know what kind of human emotion made Kenjaku, because I think it'd be something that works in an opposite yet complementary fashion to the cause of Mahito's birth; humanity's hatred for each other. I think it'd be like that because Mahito and Kenjaku have a discussion that's very important to the idea of 'humanity' in JJK, which is, the connection between 'the body' and 'the soul'.

Even more, Junpei was the prototype for all the sorcerers that were awakened during the Culling Games. Kenjaku brings up Yuuji as an example for the vessels, and I thought it was interesting to mention Yuuji and Junpei together when he was explaining the Culling Game participants. But I actually think Kenjaku counts as a 'vessel' (vessels lose autonomy, their souls are removed and replaced by a curse or sorcerer that was once alive and there is no way to separate the possessor from the body without killing the soul of the original).

In canon, they show the worst of human society and exhibit what can happen when you are let down and uncared for by the people around you. Their deaths happened because they were alone. Either out of choice or because they had no other options. In contrast, the lessons Gojo and Yuuji exhibited from these events was the importance of reaching out to people.

Gojo reached out to Geto and had an honest, private conversation with him before his final moments. Yuuji stopped attacking and listened to Junpei in his. Neither of these actions saved the characters, but they showed us that reaching out is important, even in the face of how overwhelming and awful the world can be.

JJK is a story about love, but it's also about the consequence of isolation and the power of community. Sukuna and Gojo are powerful, but they are overwhelmingly lonely. Yuuji calls himself a cog in the machine, and that sounds really bleak. The phrase is not used in any good context and is usually to show that an individual is detached or unimportant to the mechanism they're part of. But in this case I think a new perspective is needed. They are cogs that come together for a greater cause that they are all aware of and would eventually benefit them. Yuuji is surrounded by people who want to help him. It's what his grandpa wanted for him. Even if he dies physically alone, he'd have the hearts of others mourning for him and treasuring him.

Geto and Junpei died, but as tragic as it was they didn't die alone and their deaths made people reconsider the systems around them.

[torgawl]

can we talk about sukuna and rika and why the king and queen of curses having a dispute is also narratively fitting? if sukuna is an heian era sorcerer with an antipathy and disregard of human emotions and the weak's will to live, blind to love and unable to comprehend the value of relationships with others then rika, as his counterpart, works especially well. rika is just a kid, or was just a kid. an innocent young girl who ended up dying tragically and saw herself transform into a vengeful spirit after being cursed by love. not only does she represent the weak (remember when sukuna's slaughter of women and children was implied?), she represents love itself. with her feelings lingering after death, she clinged onto her existence with the sole wish of protecting yuuta. it counteracts so well with sukuna's selfish will to kill time before his final breathe, which he admitted to be his will and motivation.

before i move on to my next idea, which let me preface by saying that it might be a little out there and dives into theory territory, i'm going to contextualise it with some information on the symbolism of "king and queen" that might help understand why this thought may make - at least some - sense.

in alchemy the king usually appears in conjunction with the queen, representing the sun-and-moon duality. in accordance with the theory of sulfur and mercury, which together, after alchemist purification, form the philosopher’s stone (also called the elixir of life, associated with rejuvenation and immortality), usually represented by the crowned hermetic androgyne (the union of the complementary male and female, achieving perfection or completion in the human state). according to jung, the king and queen also signify the spiritual conjunction that takes place when the process of individuation is complete, with the harmonious union of the unconscious and consciousness. jungian psychology has subjected the alchemistic tradition to extensive analysis and views the king less as an image of paternal authority and more as an archetype of higher insight and wisdom.

with that in mind, i think it's easy to understand where i'm headed but i want to add something else. remember jjk 0? geto's plan at the time was to obtain rika so he could use her power and move forward with his plan to annihilate all no-sorcerers. he believed her to be the key to achieve his goal and was willing to risk his own life for it. furthermore, the story is highly based on buddhist concepts and one of the core aspects of jujutsu kaisen is the cycles of suffering the characters are subjected to. in buddhism the goal is to become free of the samsara (continuous cycle of life, death and rebirth), eliminate suffering and achieve nirvana (enlightment). this ties withe the name of the series as kaisen is comprised of the kanji 'kai', meaning cycle, and 'sen', meaning battle, which combined with jujutsu (which means magic/sorcery but contains the word curse) describe the story as an endless battle of curses. and in a sense, the story also repeats itself, between generations and storyline-wise with the events circling back to how it all began. yuuta managed to land a fatal strike on geto once again, but now rika is pointed to be in a direct confrontation with sukuna as the queen of curses. now that i went through all the context needed to understand this, is it possible rika is once again in danger of being taken away? the idea of achieving a state of perfection with the unity between king and queen is quite intriguing. sukuna finally addressing yuuji as a worthy rival because of his unshakable resolve and unbreakable soul, is almost directly implying yuuji to be the one with whom sukuna has his last battle. an ultimate power-up (or the equivalent to), would be veyy cathartic before a final fight where yuuji would have the opportunity to finally go all out and have his well awaited and deserved protagonism (in my eyes, at least).

[macawritesupdates]

Sleepy Writing Update 4/9/2024

Didn't get much writing done this weekend (I swear I get a free minute and everyone knows 8'3) as well as being VERY tired and brain dead, it has made writing difficult a wee bit, but bushing through to get things done!

PRIORITY CHAPTERS Malevolence of Love chapter is in the works. It is an emotional one and leading up to a big moment for the chapter after that... Historically Inaccurate chapter is in the works and pushing to get to done sooner rather than later! Added more to it so taking longer and ending it with a big emotional punch... Careful What you Joke About chapter is nearly done but think edits on it will take longer as it feels clunky >. > might be a double edit situation First two requests are in the works, one of them nearly done! Going to post them in batches of two c: Requests are being done in no particular order! IN THE WORKS Yuuji Files next chapter is slowly being poked at. Last chapter felt like it had a lukewarm reception so a bit disheartened and taking time to make next chapter a bit more engaging!

Lessons in Accidental Seduction.... my guilty pleasure fic that I write when feeling a mood. It makes me happy and helps me get over writer blocks on other stories for some reason!

Mirrored Lives suffers from it being written in two places so sometimes hard to pick up 8'3 but hoping a new chapter soon

NEW Modern Sukita Fic is still being worked and reworked. The first chapter of any fic for me always takes the longest as want to make sure it hooks people in!

[natha1iie]

🌫️ — Jjk men needing comfort

- Featuring Satoru Gojo & Choso Kamo

-

SATORU GOJO

"Oh?" You murmer as your fiancé sloppily strolls towards the couch where you had previously settled yourself. "Cuddles?—" You didn't even get to finish your sentence before Satoru snuggled himself atop your body, pressing your smaller figure down into the fabric with his weight.

"I suppose that's a yes." A gingerly chuckle leaves your mouth upon the unannounced cuddle. You brush your fingers through his white mane as he closed his eyes in pure delight. His utter silence was abnormal, yet you decided to leave it alone without any prying, as he may merely be feeling sluggish. You continue to caress his scalp, your fingers attending to the tiny knots in his hair as you did so. 

This went on for a silent while, with no voices occurring apart from your and his shallow breathing. Satoru still hadn't uttered a word since he arrived. You glanced down at him, analyzing his expression fastidiously. His stoic features left him in an unreadable state. The only thing apparent was his quivering lips: which said enough. "Darling—“ Your breath hitched softly at the discovery of his emotions—you promptly sensed a tinge of excessive guilt drown you as you realized you had failed to notice his quivering swiftly. 

Satoru was quick to hide his face in your chest, his disdain of presenting weakness overcoming his yearning for your comforting touch. "Satoru, babe. What's with the shivering?" You spoke, your tone being the equivalent of a dove's gentle coo. He curled up into a ball of hurt, his face treasured in your warmth—seeking silent solace. Satoru longed for your embrace, your fingertips trailing along his eyebags to catch his salted tears. He wished for nothing more, nothing less. "Just hold me." He whispered, worried that if his tone accelarated, his voice would ultimately end up cracking due to the lump in his throat. 

"Of course.. We'll talk about this later, okay?" You briefly granted him a faux soothing smile, hiding your worry behind a familiar grin. He nodded in response, a tear escaping his orbs as he leaned into you more—permitting you to comfort him. Your arms snaked around his back, squeezing his trembling frame faintly. 

You hopelessly ached to converse with your lover so you could properly provide him the care he deserved, yet you remained silent and obeyed his wish for peace.

-

CHOSO KAMO

It was in the middle of the night. The noise of the clock ticking echoed through the room as the time edged closer to two in the morning.

You had been awake for quite a while, as Choso had been consistently thrashing around in his position as he slept. Choso's occurring nightmares were nothing uncommon, as he had a raging fear of losing. Choso had developed a form of subconscious, intense routine of religiously having bad dreams after the loss of Ezo and Kechizu.

Although he was miraculously united with his half-brother Yuuji shortly after the incident... Yet reuniting with him wasn't enough to put a halt to his suffering.

"Cho," You abruptly sat up, your irritation regarding his restlessness reaching its proximity. Your eyes were pursuing his wavering body as you reached out for him, your hand making contact with his exposed skin, politely shaking him to disturb his slumber. "Choso." You meekly repeat. Your voice toning closer to his ear, your whisper tickling his earlope.

Your summoning for his consciousness resumed for a couple of minutes, yet it was of no avail. His nightmare conquered his mind at the moment, the endangering noises occurring in his dream were overpowering—they cancelled out your voice.

"Ugh.." You sighed, leaning over Choso's figure to activate the tiny lamp placed on the nightstand. Silently hoping that he would miraculously stir awake from the unforeseen illumination. But of course, he didn't.

You went back into your former position, leaning against the headboard as your palm traced over his upper arm - his muscles tensing at the touch. You complied to caressing him rather than chanting his name, as you presumed it was a better approach to the situation. "It's okay." You whispered, laying down on your side behind Choso, his back facing your gaze. You tangled your legs with his and snaked your arms around his waist, steadying his terrible quivering with the soothing warmth that your body offered. As you spooned him, you pressed your lips against his spine, right in between his muscled shoulder blades, granting him a timid peck of solace.

"I got you, honey." You comforted him as he twitched, a soft sob escaping his mouth, indicating that he had finally managed to exit the doors of his hellish dream. "Y/n," he mumbled through his mild crying, alerting you of his rouse—although you had previously presumed his awakening subsequent to his soft cry, therefore his declaration of consciousness was no utter surprise. "Cho." You return his word, acknowledging his awakened presence. "Was is about your brothers..?" You inquire as you apply another gentle kiss to his back, bringing him a sense of warmth.

"Mhm.." He nodded, turning around to nuzzle into you—not even giving you a chance to catch a glimpse of his face—before he buried himself into your shoulder, sobbing atrociously. Your arms tightened around his frame, your grasp around him molding into the shape of his body. "I know it's hard, baby. I know." You coo, your palm straying across his back soothingly as his shaking leisurely begins to subside. "But it's gonna be okay, Cho. Ezo and Kechizu are in a better place; their experience on earth was more than wicked."

Your words comforted him more than any touch ever could. That was a fact, as Choso shortly fell asleep after weeping, and it was all because of your affirmations.

[bibibbon]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Thank you for the ask and no, no one has asked me this before.

I must admit Iam someone who doesn't really have favourite characters in a way I can rank them but I like talking about every character I find interesting which tends to be majority. Also my opinions about what characters I like change very frequently.

I find it hard to rank characters I like from different media so here's the list in no particular order

Katara (avatar the last airbender) - ever since I watched atla I have always loved katara and the premise of her character. Katara is someone who lost her mother at a young age due to abilities that she possessed of being a water bender. She was then forced into a motherly role after her father left for war so she definitely struggled coming to terms with a lot of things and probably felt a sense of isolation being the only bender in her tribe. I love how katara is tough and femine at the same time, how she also has her own complex feelings about things and how she is the glue to team avatar.

Pidge (Voltron) - no I was never active in the Voltron fandom but even with the wasted potential of the show pidge will always be my favourite character in that series. Pidge is a character who would do anything for both knowledge and family. Her knowledge is what ends up saving voltorn a lot of the time and I loved her motivations and the character conflict she had where she wanted to prioritise her family over Voltron. (Ps I don't recommend watching voltron the story writing went out the window in season 2)

Itadori yuuji (Jujutsu kaisen)- I think you kinda tell the type of characters I like by now all are moan characters (I guess I just have a soft spot for MCs). To me yuji is a very fascinating character he can bring out the best people and honestly his character arc is very satisfying to see. The boy who was cursed to try and save people failing to do so and then going on to develop ideologies like how he is just a cog within a system and how his only purpose is to be a vessel and die but then all of that being broken Infront of him and he ends up causing the people he wanted to protect pain just by existing is something so heartshattering. The losses he goes through and how he always viewed himself as a lonely guy but now he finds strength in community and ends up viewing his only purpose is to save megumi.

Izuku midoriya (my hero academia)- Iam not sure if this counts but Iam more in love with the wasted potential and the what we could of had when it comes to izuku. Izuku isn't the regular shonen MC kinda guy there are many scenes of him analysing and overthinking things easily. He is also someone who isn't afraid to show and express his emotions and I truly wish he was handled by a better writer because there are some very small things I like about his character that don't get explored. Izuku is a very emotionally intelligent character who is able to realise a lot of things about people he usually spots and sees what people want to keep hidden and he isn't afraid to point these things out and actually do something about it.

Takemichi hanagaki (tokyo revengers)- This was the first series I actually started to make theories for and I loved takemichi as an MC. He was someone who made a lot of mistakes in the past and got the chance to change everything so he did and he tried to become everyone's saviour but sometimes not everyone can be saved. I just also really love the idea of a character who was lonely and got a chance to escape from that lonieless and surround himself with the people he loved just to slowly lose them and then goes on to blame himself and views that his only way of redeeming himself is to help another person suffering the same fate as him (I think the TR ending could of been improved a whole lot more but Iam not mad with what we got it's pretty good for a time travel and deliqunent manga)

Mao Mao (the apothecary diaries)- honestly I love how relatable and adorable she is. There is also the fact that she grew up in a bath house where her emotional needs where neglected so she grew up quite apathetic and slowly her character is used to explore the female world in china and how broken and unfair the system can be to people all make me love her character. Also who doesn't want to be a cat and spend their days doing nothing.

Violet evergarden (violet evergarden)- oh how much I hold this short series dearly. Violet was always used as a tool her entire life the series follows her journey of her learning love she goes and writes letters for people trying to capture what they want to say and understands their feelings learning about different types of love whole she slowly starts to incorporate that into her life. I do have some mixed feelings about the ending considering that Gilbert and her share a nine year age gap and some of the controversial stuff that goes with the ship but overall violets story is really beautifully executed and her character development is beautiful.

Eren Yeager (attack on titan)- Yes another MC I love. If you're wondering no I don't believe Eren was right for what he did but i understand why he did it. I understand why he wanted destruction and viewed the world as a rotten place I also understand why he wanted to abandon his duty and live out his life in peace with the person he loved. I love how isayama wrote his character and I especially love how he humanised Eren in chapter 139 and actually showed us that Eren is still a 19 year old who was exploited and used as a child soldier, a child who saw too much when he was too young in a world that was too cruel for him to survive.

Genya Shinazugawa (demon slayer)- he definitely deserved more screentime but I love genya he is an absolute menace all he needs is some demon flesh and a gun and he is sorted. I loved his character arc with sanemi how the manga explored his confusion of what happend to his mother, him naturally growing to become cold hearted to survive, him wanting nothing but his brothers love and the tragedy behind his character how he could never hear his brothers last words to him.

Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson)- loved this series and I read it when I was young. I mainly love how Percy is just a little confused meance to society who has a fatal flaw of being too loyal to the ones he loves. His story of not fitting in and his relationship with his mum Sally is everything to me. I haven't read the series in a long time but I still truly love Percy.

Yeah my liking for characters is actually very basic. Majority of these characters are main characters but that doesn't mean I don't like talking about other characters I just like thinking about and analysing these characters way more also this list changes a lot of the time. Again thank you for the ask

[anime97-99]

Jujutsu Kaisen

So I’m actually mad because there’s a lot of manga readers that likes to critic without really knowing what jjk is about.

. They say that Gege is misogynist because there are only a few women and all of them apart of Maki are dead, and Maki is alive because she is like Toji a man. It looks like they are forgotting the whole aniquilattion arc by Maki, yes, the objetive is to show that Maki can be, as a woman, as strong as the most powerful Zenin, Toji, or even stronger, destroying their conservative thoughts. Showing that women and men are equals. And Gege shows diversity with Kirara and Uraume’s characters that I love. Megumi is also probably pansexual because of the way he described his ideal type, which also matches suspiciously with Yuuji’s name meaning unwavering compassion (probably a wrong interpretation because of Japanese use of honorifics)

(Mai could also be bi as shown in jujutsu strolls written by Gege, when she felt attracted to Takada)

If there are a few women in the jujutsu world is because it was said in the manga that the higher ups believe it to be a world of men and Nobara corrected it saying that she is just Nobara and a sorcerer, nothing more nothing less, genre doesn’t matter. But at the same time it explains why there are only a few women because of the conservative thoughts still lingering.

And everyone equally dies, it is more noticiable in female characters because they only are a few. Basically Gege expose discrimination as a existing problem which is bad and wrong and has to change.

. The other part is that jjk has a bad time pace, I have to say that I agree with this. Jjk has a extremely fast pace which has cons and pros. A slow pace story, for example one piece, will let the author to deal with a better development of the story and characters, but can become boring and the story can lose purpose and focus missing the objetive and the meaning behind it. The fast pace makes the story have plot holes because of bad explain story or half develop characters, but can be more entertaining because it goes directly to the important parts.

Now both extremes are bad, and we know that all mangankas doesn’t work alone and the editors play a really important part.

Jjk because of these fast pace has suffer from critics with how Gege plays with emotions and impactful moments, Gege likes to kill characters to show that human lives are “fleeting” as Sukuna said. 

It doesn’t matter if you are the strongest your human nature is volatile like a flower like Yuuji’s name, which contains the meaning of humanity and flower, it is a metaphor that uses Gege the same with the love and the butterfly trapped in the spiderweb.

It is true that it would be better that the pace was slower to take more time with each character, still if you have curiosity you can read the novels and official books which are canon and contain more information, for example that Nobara was trained by her grandmother, which was a sorcerer…

. In jjk there are a lot of fights because first is a shonen manga and second they are constantly being attack for the enemy, and Gege puts a lot of effort in explaining the techniques which are really diverse and interesting, for example I really like Kirara and Hakari domains. My favorite is Megumi domain and Yuuta’s ability to mimic others techniques.

. Jujutsu Kaisen for me is really good and one of my favorites, I have read a lot of different mangas of all different genres and I would say that it’s one of the best in the shonen genre, “Shonen is defined as a genre of anime and manga from Japan that targets young male audiences. However, though they target a young male audience, they are often enjoyable for all ages and genders. Generally, they are usually a little cleaner and focus on action, adventure, and fighting storylines”. Definition of shonen from movieweb

I wish for the author to continue the story, for the end of the series there’s a chance that the villains are going to win or the cm win but the end is going to be sour, Gege said there is no bad and no good characters and I believe that is the case even with Sukuna, most powerful curse=love most twisted curse, and he was originally human.

[uriekukistan]

Rain, lightning, and flood?

thank you for the ask :D

💧- What's the most emotional scene you've ever written? : this was so hard to pick…out of what i have published i’d say the ending to sweet thing which honestly had a mind of its own. then in my drafts there’s….a fuck ton of really sad shit that i’ll be publishing over the next few weeks. here’s some snippets of scenes that have been making me SICK recently tho, for your suffering pleasure

⚡️- Have you ever spontaneously added something to your story that you wouldn't have added normally? If so, what made you do it? a lot of my fics have a mind of their own so this happens quite often actually sksjks the fic i put snippets of above was meant to be just be megumi working through his feelings and kinda having a suguru moment when i started it and somehow ended up as itafushi angst, but that’s mostly bc i feel yuuji is a huge part of how megumi views the world, specifically good & evil, so it just sort of happened. is adding itafushi to a fic abnormal for me? no, but it was not originally part of the story, so im counting it

💦- How many WIPs do you have? the 2 longer aus that are being updated + 4 unpublished one-shots. i need my brain to stop making new ideas like i cant keep up 😕 its fine im sure i’ll have another dry spell soon

[posletsvet]

hi arina!! i don’t know if you’ve talked about this before, but i was just curious; what’s your favorite jjk chapter? either one that you just generally enjoyed and/or really liked the writing in

Hi Eli!! <3

Oh, that's a tough one! Not to be predictable in my preferences, but when it comes to arcs, my two all-time favourites would be Hidden Inventory/Premature Death and Shibuya Incident arcs. I think what really seals the deal for me with the Hidden Inventory Arc is that Gege had to convey so much in the span of what is really just a handful of chapters, and what comes out of it as a result is a condensed, powerful message wired through and through with intense emotion. The architecture of characters' psychology is beautifully written, too. The same goes for the Shibuya Incident Arc, though in this case I'm looking more into the fights' choreography, and this arc contains fights that still have a lingering impression on me. And since this series is choke-full of characters fighting, that has to count for something!

But I'm getting carried away while not really answering your question, aren't I? That's probably because it'd be almost impossible for me to pick an individual chapter to call my favourite. And even if I could, it would depend on what chunk of the story I currently have spinning around in my brain at all hours of the day.

That being said, I do have a list of chapters that at least as of now stand out to me the most (I couldn't for the love of me choose just one, sorry):

Chapter 136: This chapter follows the resolution of one of my favourite battles in the entire manga, and, to tell the truth, I was torn between listing it or the 132 one here. But as the former is rather lore-heavy and introduces some fascinating points about the jujutsu world structure and how it functions, I ultimately decided to go with that one as I'm a sucker for thoughtful world-building. We also get one of the earliest insights into Kenjaku's character in this chapter, both their goals and motivations, and I'm forever fascinated with their manner to indulge in excessive monologues, I love this! Moreover, Yuki makes an appearance, so do I really need to say more?

Chapter 214: Sukuna taking over Megumi's body was a tragedy in the making from the very beginning, one that both characters and the audience could see approaching like dark clouds gathering over the horizon. It was tangible, it was recognized, it could be prevented. Still nothing substantial was done to avert it. It wasn't meant to be, but it still could not happen in any other way -- a prophecy in reverse. Excrutiatingly painful as it is, I find something alluring in this sort of fatalism. Sukuna's words in this chapter is also something that keeps haunting my mind as they bring up a very, very interesting discussion of the human condition. Does our ability to feel pain and still endure define us as human beings, or is suffering something we need to transcend in order to be one? Also, I love the tidbits of information hinting at some things yet to be revealed about Yuuji scattered across this chapter!

Chapter 236: If I'm being honest, it's hard to navigate through my discordant thoughts and conflicting impressions of this chapter, but perhaps that is the point as my mind just keeps coming back to it over and over again. Not to mention that I cried my eyes out over it. Aside from all the emotion that's colouring my perception, this chapter presented me with a fascinating conflict and really put the cogs inside of my brain into work. While we do get a profound insight into Gojo's character, the conversation he holds with his dead friends alone allows for so many different takes and interpretations that he still remains an enigma. I also adore Gege's use of the 'unreliable narrator' trope as this chapter drives home the point that everything characters say should be taken with a grain of salt. It somewhat made me re-evaluate my experience as a reader as one's reading of a certain character or event really says more about that person than it does about the story.

Honorable mention: Chapter 125: Nobara's backstory has a very, very special place in my heart and I can't quite place my finger on the reason why (I mean, aside from the obvious one).

I guess that would be it, thank you so much for the ask!!

[voxofthevoid]

your kidnapping fic snippets are making me go absolutely fucking feral. holyyyy fuck. the emotional fuckery. oh my god??? on the one hand: oh no, poor yuuji 🥺 but on the other hand: oh fuck yeah, poor yuuji 😈

THE DUALITY YUUJI INSPIRES!! These days, when I open my word document, I feel compelled to go "Yuuji, I love you dearly, but your suffering is just so fascinating."

Can I blame Gege? I'm blaming Gege.

And thank you, anon!! It's really nice to hear those snippets are making you feral 💙

[yuujispinkhair]

GUURRRRLLLLL

i just finished reading the last chapter of "to the end" and FUUCCCKKK...winter? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MEEEE?? you are HANDS DOWN one of my favorite writers EVER. the way you describe everything...you always use the most eloquent wording. you're like a visual artist, painting your vivid images in my mind so perfectly!

but listen. chapter 6? I SOBBED!! it wasn't just the story though...it's like when you hear a sad song with the most beautiful music and poignant lyrics. that's what reading chapter 6 was like for me...you moved me to tears with the way you conjured so much out of thin air. i felt EVERYTHING both sukuna and reader felt: the grief, the anger, the love, the fear, the uncertainty, the hatred, the despair, the anguish, the fury...you brought every single one of these emotions to life in 7k words. i felt that shit IN MY BONES.

how do you DO it, winter?? every time i think i've read your best fic, you go and outdo yourself. you are so incredibly gifted at this craft. i legit look up to you as a writer and an artist. and i also happen to think you're one of the sweetest, sunniest humans i've met in my life, both on and off tumblr. 💗 you're the bo to my akaashi. 🦉

i'm kinda sad "to the end" has reached its own end, but it's okay bc i know you're going to continue churning out even better work (which seems impossible, but again, you always somehow manage to top even your best work. and i admire tf out of you as a writer for the way you obviously push yourself to get better and better!)

sorry this ended up being so long 😅 i could go on and on about you and your godlike talent! i'm such a fangirl PLEASE 😭😭😭

(p.s. - i'd like to think that if the virus is ever cured, sukuna and reader will go on to have a little boy together and name him yuuji...and he'd have pink hair just like his dad and uncle 🥹💗)

KEL I READ THIS AND THEN I BAWLED MY EYES OUT BECAUSE I GOT SO EMOTIONAL AAAHHH THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!! <3<3<3 This is so sweet of you!! And it means so much to me because I was so invested in this story. I lived in this world, and I suffered with the characters. I fell so in love with this version of Sukuna. Idk but he was such a disaster. He was so bad for himself, and that made me want to save him so much and love him even harder. I felt so protective over him :(( And the scene in chapter 6 where they confess their love is still something that makes me cry when I think about it. So it makes me all giddy when you say that you could feel all those emotions too!! I cannot even put into words how much it means to me that you enjoyed the story and especially chapter 6!! I AM CRYING AGAIN!!

Omg helppp I LOVE your headcanon about them having a little boy who they name Yuuji omggg my heart!! It's what they deserve! <3<3

Thank you again, babe! I will never forget this! It means so much to me!! Especially since I am such a big fan of you!! You are one of my fave writers and such a sweet and fun person! I am so happy that you are my friend <3<3