#octopus goes to Japan

[reticentoctopus]

Daishodo Japanese Woodblock Prints, Teramachi outdoor shopping mall, Kyoto.

[dreadintensifies]

in this world we live in where danny phantom can be comfortably sent to basically any universe ever (in no small part to the work of the collective fanon)

its a god damn shame that theres no dp x assclass fics. imagine, a classroom where even if danny was revealed, he still wouldnt be the weirdest person there. hell, he barely hits top 5, and even ghost king danny dosent hold a candle to how fucking *weird* korosensi is.

truely a gold mine we are all sleeping on. the comedy gold of, for once in his (after) life, danny not being the weirdest human in the room

[doubleddenden]

So the stories leaked from gen 4 development are certainly interesting, eh? I'm sure everyone has their own feelings about it- some of you are apparently ECSTATIC about fucking your Machokes. Good for you, my guy. Some are horrified, thinking something's been defiled (it is fiction and most importantly non canon, you're fine, get a grip).

Me? I think the lady (yes, it was a lady) that wrote all of these is REALLY PASSIONATE about her craft, and was also referencing real world mythos and how they portray similar instances- I think we all know that Zeus has probably done worse on all giving and receiving ends of these stories, as well as Poseidon, Loki, and probably some other myths from Europe, China, and definitely JAPAN- key word there. In fact, the Typhlosion story is probably a reference to a similar story about a badger yokai that can alter its face to appear human, and the Octillery story is definitely a reference to- well, tentacle porn is a thing for a reason that goes pretty far back as a way to get around censorship in hand painted porn. The contents of the story aren't really much different or more terrifying than mythos we'd see in the real world (or if you're in the bible belt like me, probably EXPOSED to with morning bible studies before class growing up), and it's mainly just shocking to see it in the context of Pokemon.

And I think that's kind of the point. Sinnoh is already a pretty dark region in terms of lore and myth, and has surprisingly religious undertones considering the family friendly nature of Pokemon and its general target audience. Obviously none of the horse, badger, sloth monkey, octopus, god, or... Lapras fucking made it to the final cut, although in Japan they still reference People and Pokemon being so equal at some point that they could marry- that's even kind of referenced in Legends Arceus with I think a diary written by a man kidnapped by a Froslass? its been a minute, but you probably know what I'm referencing.

I think an interesting question would be "How did we get to these terrifying stories?" Especially Typhlosion and Slakoth.

Its important to remember this: None of this was meant to see the light of day outside that office circa 2003 to 2004ish. Yeah, surprisingly you weren't supposed to see the story of a man fucking an Octillery BEFORE throwing it back out to sea in a rated E for everyone game, and you didn't! You saw it via twitter, reddit, 4chan, tumblr, discord, or your local weed guy who all spread it from someone who got it from confidential office logs we wouldn't see unless someone took that info from Game Freak's darkest depths of other secrets they'd prefer to keep hidden. Every game and media company has this, good and bad, to various degrees of sfw and not. Did you know Disney has an entire vault of actual PORN that animators would make of their own anthropomorphized characters? Locked nice and safely, too... with uh, some exceptions breaking containment, I think?

So with that being said, we understand this is meant to be privileged info only a handful of people were supposed to see. That means they can use words and stuff you normally wouldn't see- Adventure time for instance had Finn and Jake saying "fuck" in story boarding, kinda funny- because its meant to be workshopped and tinkered with, refined until you get something desirable.

In fact, creators will often propose darker ideas than what they actually want so that they can more easily talk censors into an outcome they ACTUALLY desire. Alex Hirsch did this a few times in Gravity Falls' production, and you know Disney was a bitch to deal with (although he probably didn't propose stuff like this, but you get the idea). So this being said- Obviously nobody wants a story about a Typhlosion engaging in a non-con relationship with a minor it kidnaps. Nobody wants to read a story about humans MUTILATING Slakoths for fun and then getting revenge impregnated by a Slaking, only to give birth to a Slakoth and have it killed and thus kill yourself out of grief for your lost child (people reading this without context- ho boy you guys have missed out on some crazy shit that's popped up). So what is okay from here?

Maybe a little Pokemon death after going a while without it and accruing a reputation of being safe for kids? Mention of Pokemon bones being picked clean of meat and put back into a river so it can come back reborn? Some darker undertones of Pokemon being tormented by Team Galactic? How about a story of a boy slaying Pokemon with a sword, but less detail of mutilation of Ursaring and Slakoth? All of this made it into Diamond and Pearl, didn't it? Add in a little Human and Pokemon "Marriage" that is easily scrubbed out and replaced with "eating at the same table" for the more sensitive Western audience, and you have some pretty believable, dark, somewhat uncomfortable but child friendly lore for Pokemon.

Not to mention, a lot of this was probably pitched just to get a feel of the vibe they were going for in the game. If you read back through the stories, bits and pieces end up being used in other, non Poke-fucking stories, or recontextualized. See the above.

While its certainly a relief that they're non canon, it is a rather interesting look at the development of gen 4 lore and actually makes it feel more... realistic, in a way- again, comparing it to real world mythos and religious tales. That, and honestly? The religious backstory is actually, unironically amazing- HEAVILY based on real world religion, but plenty of real world religions steal from other religions and mythos anyway (coughchristianitycough).

Its actually a bit sad, because in any other JRPG, Arceus becoming a wounded woman that an ordinary man cares for, Arceus falling in love with this man because he treated her so tenderly, bearing human twins, the twins becoming Dialga and Palkia to fight some Titan that would become Mt Coronet, and Arceus loving this man so much that she took his soul to create Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit to spread love and joy throughout the world? That would literally be INSANELY GOOD world building. Plus! Arceus was a human woman when she did this! It was also consensual! Can you imagine what the world would have been like if we had gotten not only FEMALE Arceus- god of all Pokemon universes- but also a HUMAN INCARNATION of her? And this was BEFORE Giratina came into the picture, apparently. If anything, we got robbed a bit of some deep lore and potential story telling from this being cut, imo.

But one more thing to consider is this: All the stories, even if they did make it to the final cut, would still be stories within a story. Fictional folktales within a fictional setting. If we judge the above by how relevant the ACTUAL content that made it into the games were to the actual overarching plot... It'd be overall kinda useless beyond some flavor text. That's kind of the sad fact of it. Pokemon Players especially, grown adults too, are not exactly known to be well read and some play the game by rapidly A pressing every ounce of dialog they come across, even in brand new playthroughs. I'm sure some remember that one idiot on twitter that thought he made the discovery of the century when he found Snowpoint Temple in Legends Arceus, right? So understandably, especially when you're working on a clock, on limited space, on new and unfamiliar hardware, and trying to be as broad and reachable to audiences as you can- things get cut. Even... Some of the coolest lore building of all time SERIOUSLY A FUCKING PANTHEON WHAT THE HELL.

And I lied, there is one more thing to consider, especially for anyone actually morally offended by some of the content mentioned- Keep in mind that this is in 2003 to 2005ish Japan, with Game Freak (who we know are pretty out of touch in some regards, even by today's standards), before twitter, before tumblr, during a more edgy time for... well, everyone alive at the time, and especially adults. That's 20 years ago. Some of you may not have been alive at that point (did you finish your snacks and juice, lil guy?), some of you probably had a lot of your formative education influenced by the more puritanical side of tumblr or twitter, but it was simply a different time and place. That's it. The people involved in this have moved on and have probably grown into better people, and probably haven't made more fics like this. Maybe. Who knows. It's fiction anyway, and nobody real got hurt from it, and that's what's most important at the end of the day.

So that's my thoughts on it. I think I'm more annoyed by the fact that one of my favorites got a worse Vaporeon treatment than anything, and there's possibly the risk of Nintendo/TPC/Game Freak overreacting and gatekeeping Typhlosion out of the games for a bit. Sigh. My first pokemon, man. Well, anyway, try not to take it too seriously if you see the jokes and memes about it. It'll pass.

But hey, sexy Latina Skyla is canon! Shadow the Hedgehog wins!

[coline7373]

hi, so I kinda fell out of the codywan fandom for a while but I really like your taste based on your fic rec lists I've found. Is there any chance you'd share a couple of fics you liked from last year? Maybe ones that aren't so obvious (like the ones with thousands of kudos are pretty easy to find). If not sorry for bothering you it's not a must of course!

Missile Toes and White Banthas by Ace Raven of Clan Chaos (Music_is_life_2788) (1K)

Lifeday comes once a year, but the trauma of family gatherings is eternal.

A holiday gift exchange written for a holiday gift exchange - it's exchange inception XD

Light-hearted lifeday gift exchange. Rex is out of ideas. Codywan is around the corner and at the end. Sweet and fun!

You be my detonator by Saerus2665 (1K)

“I see they’re just letting anyone on rescue missions these days.” Ben says this as if he’s not currently lying crumpled on his side in a pool of blood in a cold, damp basement. Cody rolls his eyes and does one last quick scan of the room, before stepping around the two bodies on the floor. Or: Agent Ben Kenobi winds up in a sticky situation after a mission gone wrong. Luckily, Cody's there for the rescue.

Spies Modern AU Codywan!!! Not Mr & Mr SMith, they are working for the same side ;) Funny, witty and filled with action. The author makes the most of those 1K

Father War by prouvairablehulk (2K)

We’re damned, after all, through fortune and flame we fall - and if you can stay, then I’ll show you the way (In which 2224 is Cody is Kote is Kote, but more emphatically; or, the Cody-is-Mithras fic that came from being obsessed with my Masters Thesis and Clone Wars at the same time)

Funny. Lovely. And a companion in my mind of that fic in reverse, where it happens to Obi-Wan. But here, it is Kote who gets a little godhood. As a treat.

most things may never happen: this one will by jaigeye (2K)

Cody looks at the bombs bursting overhead. It's friendly fire, and he's beneath it. The heat spewing from it is swift and lacks remorse. It'll melt metal through your hands. Meat doesn't mean anything to light. It goes right through. 

This one isn’t codywan but, by God, if I’m recc-ing any fic, then I’m putting down this one as well. Cody-centric. Fantastic. And I do mean fantastic. About the clones and the droids in Star Wars, and the war and Cody and…

It made me crazy. Crazy.

Must . Read.

half-octopus stewjoni biology no-longer-WIP-now-published-HERE-on-AO3! by passeridae (4.9K)

"Say that again?" Cody pauses, halfway to armouring himself after his checkup, and looks over at Helix. Surely he'd misheard. Helix, eyes rolled towards the off-white ceiling of the medbay as if praying for patience, repeats, "I said, unless you've been having some exceptionally weird sex I don't know about, you've got a prostate tumour." "Weird sex," Cody parrots, his mind helpfully replaying the most debauched trysts he'd had with his General in the past few months. 

The fandom’s usual take for Stewjon is that it’s a hybrid of space!Scotland-Japan and its people are dualsex (even though it’s more often wrongly tagged intersex, which is not the same thing). Not here. Here, stewjoni are half-octopi. They aren’t(?) were-octopi, but half-octopi. Read to find out how. I promise it works. Don’t be frightened by the tags.

What I really liked (other than this little pearl of worldbuilding), is the change to the usual mpreg trope. It’s not Obi-Wan, it’s Cody who carries. It’s not a secret, the main parties involved know about it straight away. Cody is not having A Crisis, the idea makes him happy. Just very refreshing all around.

Medical practices done right. “Normal” pregnancy happening off-screen for a value of normal. “Normal” birth. Started as crack taken seriously then somehow veers sharply off course toward the last part as it becomes bittersweet and happy and joyful and philosophical. Reflection on attachment, the circle of life and all that. Future unknown but ends on a positive note. Loved it.

Dawn by Serie11 (7K)

Obi-Wan had thought of many possibilities, of what his and Cody's life after the war would look like. A child hadn't been among them.

Trans Obi-Wan. Unplanned Pregnancy. Tatooine AU. Heartbreaking. Good ending, though. You don’t stay heartbroken, even if you keep on crying.

Your Smile In Stone by ecarian (8k)

Wooley: can we arrest people for yelling this early? There were two figures standing at the foot of General Kenobi's statue with their backs to Wooley, an adult with a hood, and a child with light hair. The child was pointing at a puddle of Temple tookas who were curled up in General Kenobi’s lap, lounging in the stone folds of his robes, the bend of his knee. Wooley: belay that. Child nuisance.

Clones overthrow the Empire and then… Well.

New Republic and all that.  Sure. They are free, which is nothing to scoff at. But the Senate still voted for the end of the Republic and the jedi are still dead. Aren’t they?

The end… My heart, oh, my heart. Prepare handkerchiefs. By the buckload.

bell tower by smoosey (smooseys) (12K)

In gesture and word and deed, Obi-Wan had made it clear that he saw, in Cody, the same inpollutable, infinite thing that lit the stars. The same Force that had Obi-Wan supplicant his whole life long, luminous under daylight, luminous in the dark, luminous candle-lit, kneeling into the song of the Light. And Cody thinks a part of him has spent the long years since, too, on his knees – in grief, in penance, in duty, in love, and in his memory. But Obi-Wan is alive.

WIP, just once chapter, but what a chapter.

Between hallucinations and dreams, a real communication through the stars with the ghost of his former general or what the spirit of Cody, the purge soldier, concocted to protect himself, a poem, a delirium, a mea cupla screamed at the stars, a fantasy dreamed by a soldier eaten away by the horrors committed by his hands, the State he represents and the atrocities we undertake by ourselves, reality or imagination, metaphor of guilt and forgiveness or real and visceral torture.

PT-2224 made a mistake. Vader makes him pay. Cody is there and not there at the same time. An escape and a voluntary march of his executioner's body towards the final destination.

Incredible. Fantastic. A trip like no other.

Facile Felicity by br1ghtmouth (14K)

Primary functions are supposed to be useful: survive against all odds; shield one’s battalion; fight until the very last breath. Cody would prefer anything besides the bleeding heart he’s been dealt. Or: the General makes plans. Cody follows.

Very fun concept! Lovely characterisation! And, of course, my favorite No-O 66 AU!

True Plain Hearts do in the Faces Rest

by SpaceWall (21.9K)

“We won’t enforce whatever they put forward,” Adi said, “In fact, we won’t fight at all unless they guarantee the clones the right to pursue and refuse soulmate bonds as every citizen of the Republic may. (...)” “You could lose us the war.” “Or we could win it,” Obi-Wan pointed out, “and win it by deserving to, rather than by giving in to that which this order stands against.” Adi’s proposal to offer the senate a bald refusal passed unanimously.

I really liked this one and it’s partly because the codywan is not necessarily romantic. It’s not tagged as such and the connection only happens at the end so I think it’s up to the reader whether they imagine it happening later on or not. It wasn’t necessary for me. 

Cody and Obi-Wan connected on the level of their souls. Nothing, not even romance, can be more meaningful than that.

It was heart wrenching at times and it made me reflect a lot. Not everyone get their happy ending. It’s also a great new take on the soulmate trope and what The Sign is (colorblind vs colored vision, tattooed first/last words, dream/pain/sexual fantasy sharing, ect. And now, A True Smile!!! Because you smile with your eyes, which are the window to the soul. Get it?)

Turn it on to a new kind of bright by rolo_rulu, Saerus2665 (41K)

Someone rolls him over onto his back. “Hnnngh…” Ben blinks his eyes open. There’s a man looking down at him, haloed in the bright light of the sun. (...) “Are—are you an angel?” Ben finds himself saying. He doesn't know if it's the heat or his poor instinctive attempt at flirting that makes him say it. The man squints at him, brow furrowing, clearly caught off guard. “Uh—are you a banana?” OR: The one in which Cody is a hot surfer and Ben’s a biologist who just so happens to be filling in for his brother at his summer job at a perfectly normal, definitely not shady, beachside banana-stand.

Some levity in this recc list!!!! There is no great plot with the Fate of the Universe at stake. This is one of these delightful type of fic that are just… fanfic-y. I don’t know how else to describe it XD

The premise is crackish. The execution is hilarious. The author and artist who work on this (check their accounts out!) were obviously having a hell of a time on this LSD trip together. It also has its sweet moments, its aching moments, moments serious or sad.

Fox is there and amazing. Vos too, stealthily. Obi-Wan is A Nerd and so loveable for it. Cody is so freaking cool. The story keeps throwing you off and making you laugh. The art blows. Uncomplicated and yet rich and varied. Have a grand old time, without becoming anxious about the Meaning of Life Itself.

Just… a cute, funny love story. Happening in a Modern Setting. This is the king of stuff I’m on ao3 for. Gold stars.

Six Months In A Leaky Boat by passeridae (47K)

The year is 1998. Australia is fucked to hell and back, but its neighbour New Zealand is doing surprisingly alright. Well, if it wasn't for the supply shortages, persistent earthquakes, and the government's increasing heavy handed attempts at censorship. Cody, a presenter at Radio Hauraki, is particularly pissed about that last thing. And he knows just what to do about it, too — all they need is a boat. Radio Hauraki started life as pirate radio back in the sixties, what's stopping them from going back on the waves? Also, if his coworker, Obi-Wan, could stop making his life a living hell that'd be great, but Cody is pretty sure the world will end for real before that happens.

Modern Dystopia happening in a 90’s Alternative Universe. Activism. Civil disobedience. The author must be from NZ itself because how else would they have so much knowledge about the slang, the culture, the places? Historical accuracy used like a punch to punctuate the story’s point. Fail gay men. Gay love.

I love the idea of a couple uniting while they are constructing something. This story, though, is less about the boat itself, but the journey they take toward that point. It’s mostly from Cody’s POV while the world, society and democracy is slowly imploding around him. 

At first, he tries to obey the law because he doesn’t want to suffer from discrimination. But as the story goes on, he just can’t follow it anymore because to do so would be to let people die when he could have helped save them. And so he fights.

Various characters take this journey too, along-side him, in the background.

In an extremely vivid New-Zealand setting, with an original format (written, audio, pictures, links to songs…), a story all the more impactful by what we’re currently all living through, two men falling in love and many people rallying for Fairness and Justice.

Amazing.

|vidur viduvasario| by littlekaracan (76K)

There, peeking out from between the grasses, was the glittering and unmistakable head of a grass snake. Cody blinked. Twice. “I – “ he began, and realized he didn’t quite know what to say. “Forgive me, are you – the grass snake, there?” The grass snake’s head twitched – as if reacting to his voice. He saw a flash of its forked tongue, and – “That would be me, yes.”

Between fairytale, folks tale Shakespearean-flavored, and TCW medieval AU. Obi-Wan is not a were-snake or cursed or about to give Cody an apple. He’s just… a snake. And not. I cannot explain too much away without spoiling the story but it was great.

No big, galactic stakes. Just Cody living in a village with his many, many brothers and meeting a snake. That’s it.

Done so well I kept thinking about it for weeks afterwards. Lovely.

|slâfst du, friedel ziere| by littlekaracan (64K)

“Help me,” he whispered, desperate for something he could not understand, and could feel the dirt slowly trickling into the emptiness of his eyes.

A moment of silence, and the voice relented.

“Come to me,” it whispered, and he wanted nothing more. “Come to me, darling, and I will do my best.”

That author decided to slay their readers without mercy and I am here for it. Willing head on the chopping block. Chopchopchop.

2224 is starting to reach the end of his shelf life. Amidst a fevered dream (or a vision?), he embarks on a final mission. That he fails, of course, just like he failed at dying.

Past the reunion of two battered traumatized men, between a journey toward self-forgiveness and the acceptance of the horror of their past and present, a healing of the minds, while Cody’s body is hurling toward death.

Happy ending, of course. I couldn’t stand it otherwise. But boy, there was a knot in my throat the whole while. And that passage where Obi-Wan [insert spolier]... I had to stop to straight up cry.

|keep the wolves away| by littlekaracan (59K, so far)

They saw her around Mos Eisley, sometimes, lingering by the repair shop where her father worked or sitting atop the crates strewn about the street. She had strange eyes - aged and watchful and inquisitive, even more so perhaps than the other children around her, although all of them had grown up too early all the same. (...) There was something important that Reva Sevander had learned throughout the last hours she spent in what once had been a safe haven, lying atop her murdered clanmates and trying not to make a sound as the stench of their deaths grew more and more oppressive - nothing, least of all tomorrow, was ensured.

I have recc-ed this author and I will recc them again! This one is a WIP and it is announced codywan, which is why I gave myself permission to cheat by putting it there since where it stopped, it hasn’t happened yet. But, if it ever becomes finished, I know it will be as brilliant as the rest. 

For someone who had many, many, many, many critics about the Kenobi Show, how they created the character of Reva (who, by all right, should have been awesome) and that hasn’t found a fic where I was able to enjoy her, I was absolutely bowled over by how much it made me root for her.

Yoda and Obi-Wan go to the Temple, before they decide to split to fight Sidious and Anakin respectively. They find Reva. They pick her up. And then, of course, someone has to take her with them when they decide to hide. Spoiler alert: it’s not Yoda.

It’s told from the POV of Reva and Obi-Wan broke my heart as well as made me want to shake him until his teeth rattle. I would be hard pressed to find a child in a fanfic described and characterized so authentically. Obi-Wan goes straight on the Depression Train, like in the show, but he can’t just lie down and let himself starve and stew in his nightmares, because there’s a child who depends on him. Two jedi in a post-jedi world. One who should be starting their journey, but didn’t, and one who should be passing the flame to the next generation, but can’t. Jfc.

The End!

That’s it folks.

When I received the ask for a codywan recc list, I was in a waning enthusiasm period for codywan fics (not the ship itself!).

Because I’m very picky and I have dozens upon dozens of criterias for codywan “fics I loved so much I bookmark them and recommend them to everyone”. I could read literally all week sometimes and not find one fic that meet all these (very subjective and personal, mind you!) criterias.

It’s not ungratefulness for people writing fics (are you kidding?), it’s a matter of taste. Without new canon being produced, fandom/ship tend to stagnate a bit in terms of narrative after a while. It happens to literally every fandom I have been a part of and is no critic of anyone or anything. That’s just the nature of things.

But, well. Then, the number of fics that scratch all my itches and that I haven’t read yet start to get smaller and smaller until, to find new gems, I have to plow through hundreds of fics first.

But I considered it a challenge to myself and my habits and accepted it gladly! To shake things up and find actual new stuff, I put the restriction on myself to look only for fics last updated between 2023 and 2024.

Because I already made a recc list in 2022 and I wanted to give what I hadn’t seen yet a chance.

As you can see, some truly amazing stuff came out of this! If with this list I manage to make you discover new fics, I will consider it worth it!

At the time I am writing this, there’s still plenty of fics downloaded and waiting to be read on my e-reader. But we’re reaching the end of the year so I’m stopping it there so that people can enjoy the fics over the holidays.

If I find new things, I will edit it ;) As always, suggestions are always welcome too!

Meanwhile, enjoy, leave kudos for the authors, and happy reading!!!!

[bluelocksource]

Itoshi Sae’s trivia (source: twt & Egoist Bible 1 & 2).

"I'll see with my own eyes what kind of FW (idiot) will be born in Japan." (EB1)

"I'll show the next view only to the fools who can keep up." (EB2)

☆ Weapons: Kick accuracy, skills, tactical awareness, and physical ability—all at world-class level. (EB2)

☆ Character's colour: Adzuki bean color (reddish-brown).

☆ Nickname: ‘Japan’s Treasure’.

☆ Birthday: 10th October.

☆ Current age: 18 (3rd year of high school)

☆ Zodiac: Libra.

☆ Birthplace: Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

☆ Family: Mother. Father. Himself. Younger brother.

☆ Current height: 180 cm.

☆ Foot size: 26.5 cm

☆ Dominant foot: Left foot.

☆ Blood type: A.

☆ Starts playing football: At age 1. “Before I knew it, I was playing soccer.”

☆ Team before returning to Japan: RE・ALE (レ・アール) Youth FC.

☆ Favorite food/drink: Salted kelp tea (shio-kombucha). “Because I can go back to 0.” (meaning he feels refreshed after drinking it)

☆ Disliked food: French fries. “It’s deadly delicious but it’s deadly to my health.”

☆ Favorite animal: Seagulls. “I like migratory birds that doesn’t stay in one place.”

☆ Favorite season: At the end of summer. "It seems that the world is starting to get lonesome."

☆ Favorite football player: Álvaro Recoba. “The left footer that casts a rainbow (perfect curve) on the pitch.” (Sae was referring to Alvaro quotes: “If today's game is on a rainy pitch, I'll draw a rainbow with my left foot.”. Álvaro is known for his curling-free-kick.)

☆ Favorite music: ‘Mercury’ by tofubeats ft. Seira Kariya. “I listen to this to cool down.”

☆ Favorite manga: Gegege no Kitaro.

☆ Favorite movie: Taxi Driver. “This De Niro is the coolest.”

☆ Favorite TV show: Chibi Maruko-chan. “It reminds me of home.”

☆ Favorite brand: “All of my sponsors. They know they're not crazy for betting on me, they have good eyes.”

☆ Hobby: Analysing data of football players and teams. “It’s easier to see the numbers in visualized data.”

☆ Mushroom shoots vs Bamboo shoots: “Depends on the mood.”

☆ What goes best with rice : Salted kelp (shio-kombu). “They don’t have it in Brazil, so I asked my parents back home to send some here.”

☆ What makes him happy: “A play beyond my imagination.”

☆ What makes him upset: Being forced to carry Japanese soccer on his back. “I’m talking about you guys.”

☆ What he thinks his strength is: He has flat ways looking at things. (meaning he look at things objectively) "People often calls me dry**, but who cares?"

☆ What he thinks his weakness is: The fact that he doesn’t know anything else other than soccer. “You guys shouldn’t live this way.”

☆ Favorite/Best subject: “I don’t know since I’ve only focus on soccer and didn’t pay attention in classes.”

☆ What made him cry recently: “Like I'd tell you, idiot.”

☆ Usual sleeping time: 8 hours (7 hours sleeping + 1 hour nap)

☆ Place he washes first when taking a bath: His bangs’ hairline.

☆ Fixation: Buttocks. “You’ll know an athlete's ability by the shape of their buttocks.”

☆ Number of chocolates received from previous Valentine: Around 2000. “That’s what my manager told me.”

☆ The first time he got confessed to: “I don’t remember which one was the first, octopus.” (here, octopus is just an insult like 'idiot' or 'fool', etc.)

☆ What will he do if received 100 million yen: “I’m not interested in such small amount of money.” “I don't care. It's just pocket change.”

☆ At what age he stops receiving presents from Santa: At age 10.

☆ What was his last wish from Santa: “My own talent that I have yet to discover.”

☆ How he spent his holiday: Gazing at the sea.

☆ What will he do during his last day on Earth: Give the world's best striker the world's best pass.

☆ Favorite historical figure: "Nicolaus Copernicus. A person who overturned the world's common sense."

☆ If he hadn't encountered soccer, what will he be doing: "Probably living a normal, happy life. My personality might not have been like this."

☆ If he could only take one thing to a deserted island, what would it be:  "Nothing. I’ll live freely without rules."

☆ If he had a time machine, would he go to the past or the future: "I’m not interested in either. I won’t have any unnecessary expectations or disappointments about my past or future. Live in the now. You guys are annoying."

Last updated: 31/10/2024

*Not sure about the exact pronounciation but the most of the translation says 'Les Halles'. Updated! (25/7/2024)

Spelling of Sae's team, レ・アール : Left image: RE・ALE. This was from months ago (twt).

Right image: RE・EARL. The left image is from the recent twt :

** In Japan, there are terms called ‘dry person’ & ‘wet person’. ‘Dry person’ is someone who can think rationally without being overwhelmed by emotions and because of their calm demeanor, they are thought to be cold and unapproachable. ‘Wet person’ is the opposite of ‘dry person’.

note: i want to apologize in advance for any mistake made in the translation!

[thelunarfairy]

Isn’t exactly a theory, but I was wondering if you could delve deep into the way boundaries have water as the ground! It kinda looks like a mirror in my opinion. Maybe it symbolizes things? I haven’t been able to find any info about it and it intrigues me!

Water has a very deep representation in JSHK, I would say, from Nene becoming a "mermaid" to the entity of the well, strongly linked to water.

In one of my old researches about the culture involving JSHK, water was present. Some say that it represents a barrier or a portal between worlds. It also gives a sense of depth, of hidden and forgotten things, like the secrets of school legends. And of course, the purity and fateful passing destiny of life itself.

The water you swim in a river today will never be the same tomorrow, as some author (I don't remember the name) once said.

But, for more "realistic" cases, let's go to the original concept of water, in Japanese Buddhism and also in folklore, there is the concept of the Sanzu River (三途の川). It is the equivalent of the River Styx in Greek mythology — a passage between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Souls must cross this river to reach the afterlife.

A depiction of the Sanzu River in Tosa Mitsunobu's Jūō-zu (十王図). The good can cross the river by a bridge while the evil are cast into the dragon-infested rapids.

Now let me include a text I found while researching (click here to see the font)

"Among the various legends about Sanzu, one says that souls can cross it in three ways (hence the name): those burdened with serious sins must pass through the deepest part, where there are snake nests; those with lighter sins only face the rapids; and the innocent ones cross over a stone bridge. Another belief says that it is necessary to pay a boatman to transport the souls to the other side (similar to Charon's obolus, in the Styx of Greek mythology). For this reason, in traditional Japanese funerals the dead are buried with six coins."

We can easily create a connection between JSHK and mythology.

The boatman being the number six

While the water in the boundaries being the river that takes the living to the other side, getting deeper each time it gets further away from the boundary, just as we saw in severance.

In this case, I didn't create theories because It have a very strong mythological connection, after all, "Hanako-kun" itself is based on mythology/legend.

Many things present in the story have answers in Japanese culture itself.

So let me include more, in Japan, the sea also represents the unconscious, the return to the origin, and the distant and mysterious places where the gods (kami) and the dead come from. The "House of the Sea" where Tsukasa appears seems to dialogue with this symbolism — a forgotten place, but full of power.

The water bubbles

We know that the red house has a strong and direct connection with water, the entity itself is a tentacled creature, like an octopus/squid, a direct connection with the deepest side of the sea, after all, this entity lived in the well, and the well is the passage to a deep point on the far shore.

The deeper you go, the greater the chances of you drowning - perhaps a boatman will come and get you.

The deepest place (so far) is the well, as if the house was originally completely submerged at the bottom of limbo, as there is no current of water, like a river, the fate of those who "drown" inside it, is to be eternally trapped in a trap, in deep and dark waters, with no apparent light.

The water here represents the prison, as Nene is forced to become a fish when she get wet, as water is present in boundaries to make it clear that they are not in the world of the living, or as there is no escape when the current is strong, or when you are at the bottom of the well, there is no way to climb out.

There is still much more that can be explored about the concept of water in JSHK, it is involved everywhere in the story - even if it goes unnoticed. This is a brief summary of the general concept.

I looked for answers directly in Japanese mythology, I showed you part of the research and a little of my interpretation ^^

I hope you like it!!!

[cacti-are-like-flamingos]

Monoxide Poisoning

Gojo Satoru x Reader x Geto Suguru

The Cursed Trio | Alien Blues

...

As expected, October is one of the more busier months in the Jujutsu world. Fear is far more rampant when the month of horror peeks its head into the scene

So far, you've been sent on, at least, five missions. Two, of which, were solo. The remaining, you were assigned alongside Ijichi (finally! He appears!) or Haibara.

The partnered missions were a piece of cake, it could almost be considered a hangout had it not been for you staring wide-eyed at the curses and the place being some abandoned dirty building.

On the other hand, your solo missions were a fucking nightmare. You liked a challenge, you really did but damn, those fossils really fucking did it this time!

One mission alone had two grade-1 near-special grade --- you still don't know how you survived that one since one of the curses abilities related to fog.

Your vision had been almost completely compromised during that mission, so you had to depend on your senses as you fought.

The other curse's ability involved string so sharp even the slightest touch would bleed from it. You felt like you were in a spider web the moment you came to the horrifying realization that it had rigged the entire place up with these so-called strings.

Ultimately, you emerged victorious from the mission, a survivor with a tale to tell, though it left them somewhat disappointed. Regrettably, you didn't emerge unscathed. Your skin bore thousands of cuts, your attire was reduced to tatters, and a fresh scar across your neck told the tale of a curse's unsuccessful attempt to decapitate you.

(Side Note: Kento and Suguru were on the verge of confronting the Clan Heads for sending you on such a perilous mission alone. Ijichi managed to pacify them, highlighting that additional stress on you would be counterproductive. Ieiri undertook the task of tending to your wounds, her silence was loud enough. Even more so, when her outline became jagged. Hell, she even lit her own cigarette!)

(Add-On: Upon Gojo's eventual return, Haibara bore the responsibility of informing him, as you were already engaged in another mission. Suguru, this time, stood as the anchor holding him back from unleashing his fury on those infuriating pieces of shit relics.)

(Add-On: Kento was the one to find you half-passed out on the couch, your blood dripping onto the fabric. He just about had a heart attack as he screamed for Suguru, who had also just arrived from his own mission.)

Either way

Back then, October was one of your favorite months. You absolutely loved the spookiness of it all.

You loved the way you would go to sleep with boring streets, and wake up with the sight of the homes of the people decorated with pumpkins or inflatable Halloween characters at the front of the home.

You admired the subtle shifts of colors as the trees went from a lovely green to a heart-warming orange, or even a joyful gold --- the chill in the air was an added bonus.

Although, you had been somewhat surprised when Utahime, who you've only recently come back in contact with, informed you that most of Japan goes through the color change by November --- she told you about Nikko, a city where the leaves changed early.

(Side Note: The two of you haven't spoken for quite some time. And, it was actually Utahime who contacted you rather than the other way around. You were pleasantly surprised when you looked at your notifications and saw a message from her.)

(Add-on: The text messages above Utahime's were from Haibara and Suguru. The two of them have taken to hanging out whenever they could, finding that their personalities mashed really well. For this specific moment, they had texted you an invite to join them.)

(Add-On: Below Utahime's text message was one from Yaga, asking you to buy some knitting materials for your next session. This time, you were going to learn how to make an octopus plushie. And, considering that you love making big ones, you'd need plenty of material for that.)

Gojo and Suguru were on missions, Ieiri was who-knows-where, Haibara and Kento were on missions on the other side of the country, and Utahime herself couldn't go for reasons unknown.

So who could you possibly go with?

Yep, you guessed it!

Yuki Tsukumo!

(you didn't expect that did you now? Cuz me the fuck neither. De la manga production. Iykyk.)

(Side Note: You actually didn't even know she was in back --- one minute, you're just chilling in Haibara's room after having cared for his plants like he asked, and the next, you get a text from the blonde asking you to meet up by the school's entrance.)

It was strange, to say the least. While, yes, you did hang out together not so long ago --- this encounter felt odd. Well, when it came to her, everything always felt off.

Especially after everything.

"The anniversary is coming up, isn't it?" The blonde asked as she leaned forward to grab a forgotten magazine laying on the seats in front of the two.

(Side Note: The magazine cover showcased the brooding poses of the Rolling Stones, with bold hot pink lettering scattered all around.Tsukumo couldn't take the silence between the both of you. Originally, she figured you'd be chatty; however, the opposite seems to be true.)

You sighed, "Ah, yeah..." Gazing outside the window of the train, you observe the outside world in momentary silence.

A brilliant blue sky stretches overhead, adorned with a scattering of fluffy white clouds, casting a warm and inviting glow upon the world below.

Every now and then, you're able to see the silhouette of an animal's souls. The poor things run around the woods, blissfully unburdened by the cares that weigh down their tiny minds.

"So~?" You glimpsed her way, a curious look in your eyes. "Are you still their bitch, hm?" Tsukumo asked, eyes wandering over to you with slight interest. A smile tugging at the ends of her lips.

Anyone else would think she's mocking you, but you know better.

You simply shrugged in response, "I guess so. Not much of a choice on the matter."

She clicked her tongue in slight annoyance, "While I understand why, it still pisses me off. I didn't save you so you could end up their slave."

At her words, a humorless laugh escaped you, "Well, they did give me an option --- either, I worked for them, obeying their every whims, or, they'd kill me on the spot. Not gonna lie, the latter might've been better."

"Say, that reminds me. You were supposed to go to Kyoto's Metropolitan school, so why did they send you to Jujutsu High?"

And for a moment, you lost your breath. Your fingers suddenly drawn to your moon earring. Fiddling with the material, you blew a small raspberry. Her seemingly endless questions fueled the irritation slowly rising with you.

"Reason's unknown."

Tsukumo's gaze fixed on you, her peripheral vision capturing your presence. She knows. How could she not? She practically knows all about you.

The official story goes as follows: You were found by a professional Jujutsu Sorcerer overseas, in your home country. Upon your discovery, said individual took you to Japan to become a professional like themselves. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. It leaves nothing to doubt --- it was just a mere coincidence that you were found, and that's that.

However, as you've already figured out, this little story is nothing but a cover-up. The truth is, well....vastly different.

Unofficially, Yuki Tsukumo found you while on a mission in your home country, a year and half ago. Throughout that entire year, she decided to take you in. Make you, her little apprentice. Moreover, you weren't brought to Japan to become a professional but to face judgement. A judgement you easily lost.

Moving on

Maybe, it's because she felt lonely at the time --- doubtful. Or, maybe, it's because she saw something in you. A goodness often neglected in the clan politics and horrors of the Jujutsu World. It's likely she wanted to preserve it for as long as she could, long enough before someone else found you and forced you into that godforsaken place of a school.

And even I admit, Yuki Tsukumo is a great teacher. Especially, when she's not pestering with finding your type of lover. (Her methods are questionable tho)

Though strength and a skilled cursed technique hold importance, what truly catches her attention is your cleverness. In the past, when your technique wasn't as honed as it is today, she'd challenge you to think critically. Plunging you into dimly lit rooms brimming with minor curses, she compelled you to innovate in your approach, pushing the boundaries of your abilities.

At other instances, she whisked you across your homeland, immersing you in battles against curses without adequate training. Her goal was to unearth your baseline ability, whatever that may have entailed.

tbh you were the guinea pig. you walked so that Aoi Todo could run

Surprisingly, Tsukumo was versed in various languages, a result of her frequent global travels. When the two of you weren't chasing a lead, the blonde would teach you random phrases. Sometimes, it'd be actual phrases you'd need to know in case you ever came across a situation. Others...not so much. (Curse words)

This accounts for your initial understanding of Japanese upon your arrival, though it doesn't explain your inability to speak the language.

(Side Note: You initially refrained from learning to speak Japanese because every time you attempted to utter a word, Tsukumo would burst into laughter. Though her teasing was good-natured, it became a recurring theme that discouraged you, eventually leading to your decision to abandon the effort.)

"How is she?"

Oh, she's just full of questions today.

"Alive." You can literally feel her eyes boring holes into the side of your skull --- gods, can she read the room for once?!

"I don't mean to be insensitive, but how the hell is she still alive after-..." You glared at her golden hue. Much like Kento's her outline was just as sharp as his.

Tsukumo flinched, "Sorry..."

Ring!

Looking down at your phone, you groan at the sight of the caller ID. You took a moment to contemplate before finally answering the call, a hint of discontent evident on your face. While conversing with the individual on the other end, Tsukumo observed with a perceptive gaze.

The exchange was brief, lasting only two minutes before you concluded the call with a simple "Yes, sir. Right away."

As the call concluded, you slouched in your seat, your hand covering your face as you rubbed your temple, preemptively anticipating a looming headache.

Tsukumo's expression soured, her voice tinged with concern, "Our plans for Nikko are no longer in play, I assume?"

With a resigned sigh, you confirmed, "No."

Gazing into the distance, the once radiant glow in your former mentor's eyes dimmed. Her voice softened, a whisper, "It was never merely about the mission, was it?"

Left with no other distractions, you mirrored her contemplative gaze, observing as passengers ahead started preparing to disembark from the train.

Your response came, unwavering, "No."

In that fleeting instant, Tsukumo seemed to grasp the essence of your sentiment. Your paths had always diverged, but in this moment, she glimpsed the unvarnished truth.

A sardonic chuckle escaped her lips, laden with understanding, "You never even stood a shot, did you?"

Glancing at your phone, you focused on your home screen. It was a captured moment, a screenshot of you and Suguru enjoying a visit to the train-themed restaurant (the one you got your hats from.) Suguru had playfully face timed Gojo, who was on a mission, using your phone. The image portrayed both you and Suguru, cheeks squished together to fit the frame, while a grinning Gojo, located at the top left corner, flipping you off.

Your heart felt lighter

October once held the title of your favorite month, a time when an unusual sense of liberation enveloped you. The brisk chill serving as a reminder of your existence, the vibrant hues mirroring a poignant yet beautiful conclusion, hinting at a contented forever. The month overflowed with ceaseless celebrations, you often couldn't wait to see the color show that were the excited masses.

But now?

It marks the solemn commemoration of your tethered burden

You smiled a weak smile, "Nah, never."

...

(A/N): it is what it is bro.

August 11: I'm gonna blame the late update on the power outages and not on the fact that I had a mini authors block. Like, I already knew what this episode was going to be about --- I have a list of everything I plan on sitting in each episode --- pero like, I just didn't know how to go about it.

August 13: It took a frozen strawberry margarita for me to actually think for this episode 💀 and let me tell you, I have some things planned.

August 16: I have no excuse bro. im just feeling meh rn

Shout-out to the bestie for being my uh sounding board? Yeah! Mf just listened to me ramble until I solved my own writing issues 💀

In Better Than Gold, you visit a place called Omoide Yokocho. This is actually the same place where Gojo and Suguru break up.

The magazine is an actual magazine issued in October of 2005. It's called Rockin'on Japan. I think it's about music. Other than that, I don't know shit about it.

While writing this episode, I had to stop multiple times because I was trying to figure certain things out, which then led to me developing a whole new path for the ending of this series.

Another significant factor influencing your choice to learn Japanese, in addition to your new life in Japan, was the sense of security you found while practicing with Haibara and Suguru. Surprisingly, Gojo also joined the ranks of practice partners, albeit a bit later on.

There was an episode, where I actually forgot to put a very important line. I don't remember which episode, but originally Gojo had expressed that he and Suguru were two sides of the same coin but that you were the metal.

Originally:

"...you were assigned alongside Ijichi." Instead of Ijichi, it was supposed to be Haibara or Kento. But I decided to alter it just because I've been neglecting Ijichi.

Suguru was going to be the one who found you half-dead on the couch before shouting out for Gojo; however, I decided Kento and Suguru would be better because I wanted Gojo to experience a small moment of helplessness. May or may not have wanted him to understand how you felt w/o him realizing it.

This episode was suppose to be a group hang out one, but I felt that it was time to provide a few more breadcrumbs as to your past.

"Especially after everything," originally was --- "Especially after the trial."

"...The poor things run around the woods, blissfully unburdened by the cares that weigh down their tiny minds." You refers to them as "the poor things," not out of pity, but out of an unattainable longing for the same unfettered existence.

Something changed from here and there, in regards to the dynamics between you and the Higher-Up, didn't it?

The anniversary of what?

Who is this mystery person Tsukumo mentioned?

If you were supposed to go to Kyoto, why did they send you to Jujutsu High? What changed?

What was this trial about?

And what do you mean you never even stood a chance?

Drop a comment!

Feel free to donate me a 🦩

Hope you enjoyed!

[sharkyy599]

Another thing, you might not realize this, but you OC "Octavius" could be seen as racist to some. His middle name "Kenji" originates from Japan, so he's Japanese, but that's obvious because of his exaggerated eyes. You intentionally make his eyes wider and even slanted, and there's no way that wasn't put to make it clear that he's Asian, along with his pale skin and haircut. Not to mention, he's an octopus character. This can be seen as irony due to Japanese people eating sushi, or as a reference to Japanese "tentacle porn" (seeing as Octavius is portrayed as attractive and sexy). Both instances are offensive in their own way. I'm saying this to try and help.

Ok. I think I see your point, so I'm going to explain myself, hopefully without offending anyone

I am not Asian, I cannot speak for Asian people, but I will not sweep it under the rug. Yes, Octavius has eyes that are different from all my other OCs. They are wider.

I won't lie, it WAS subconsciously to make it obvious that he's Asian (specifically Japanese), BUT it was not because I'm racist.

You see, I love cartoons, and it was common for Asian characters to have these eyes.

I noticed this and went, "Oh. Is that how people portray Asian characters? And they don't get backlash for it? Well, if Hispanic characters are portrayed with tan skin like mine, I guess this is how it goes with Asians!" Unfortunately, my ignorance has led to a potentially offensive OC. I don't get what you mean with the skin and hair though? That's just pale skin and hair?

As for the other thing, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about with "tentacle corn", but I'm scared now. Sure, it can be a little joke that Octavius is an octopus and octopus is common in sushi, and sushi comes from Japan, but how would that be an attack towards anyone? I don't understand.

I also don't understand how you think making a minor scared to draw her own OCs is solving any problems. I admit, maybe I'm a bit ignorant and careless, but now I'm terrified to be called a biggot for anything I do.

Just leave me alone.... please

[rottenzombrainz]

Tokyo Debunker OC lore dump!!

I made a Tokyo Debunker OC like all the other cool people in the fandom😼

I am no artist but I tried!!! it's hard to draw when you're a decaying zombie with rigor mortis :/

woo hoo time for a lore dump!!

Her name is Allister (just like me bc it's the best name ever!! defiantly not cus I'm bad with names!) and she's a member of Jabberwock (and by proxy, a ghoul)

Allister's stigma is kinda similar to Jin's? just a little. She can compel people to do things, but it doesn't work best on *people*. Her stigma works better on lower-intelligence creatures which is why she's so good with animals.

Also it's not apart of her being a ghoul, but shes immune to almost all poisons, venoms, and disease cus she's a special snowflake!! She often pesters Yuri to do research on this condition of hers so she has an excuse to hang around Mortkranken and see Jiro.

Allister is a transfer student from America. She moved to Japan after a certain incident... *foreshadows tragic backstory*...

Her special artifact is a butterfly knife that can shrink and grow. It's just barely sentient , so she can control it with her stigma. She often uses it like a boomerang. She also named her artifact "Billie"

Allister is incredibly researched in Cryptozoology and all matters relating to the undead. She's also pretty good with just regular zoology and biology, but she sucks ass in everything else.

She takes care of an anomalous octopus she claims was "gifted to her by The Mighty Cthulhu" (she found it while on a mission). Allister decided "this is my child now" and named the octopus "Kithy". Kithy isn't a baby kraken like Calamari, but he's relatively the same size. Kithy isn't dangerous at all, just very, VERY mischievous. Allister's stigma is why she's such a good candidate to be Kithy's caretaker and in Jabberwock in general. Though she doesn't really have to use her stigma on Kithy since he sees her as her mom anyways. She prefers to work with reptiles, but she loves all animals.

As you may have noticed, Alli is an emo kween 🖤🩸⛓️ She accessorizes to high hell (ignore that she doesn't have many in the artwork) and enjoys pushing the boundaries of the Darkwick dress code >:3

About that tragic backstory I teased a few paragraphs ago.... She left America because her vampire fianceé was murdered by her rival, Lucy. Lucy is this bitch that just likes to fuck with Allister cus she can. "haha I killed the women you were gonna have turn you into a vampire and marry". Typical Lucy shenanigans!!!

Allister, unlike me, is not a lazy decaying zombie, so she does her part to help around Jabberwock - mainly trying to pick up Ren's slack. I imagine the two of them have a sibling-rivarly-like relationship. Also their rooms are right next to each other so they like annoying the other with their music/movie volume.

Allister gets along with the other members of Jabberwock too - she gets along with most people. Except for the Sinostra members.... she despises them for being "the cool ones who get red in their uniform". She also doesn't really like Yuri that much but she sucks up to him anyways so he's more likely to let her hang around Mortkranken

Speaking of uniforms- Allister is constantly changing her fit depending on where she's doing. There's her school uniform, of course, and The Jumpsuit..., but she also has a casual fits she likes to wear when working around the park, usually made up of a band tee and jean shorts. Whenever she's loitering helping out at Mortkranken, she wears a cute little red velvet bodycon dress and a lab coat. Whenever she's out on missions, she goes all out on the wardrobe too. She's a little fashionista ✨

final tidbit of lore for her - Her favorite flower is the Spider Lily, which is also the nickname Towa calls her. There's a lot of meaning to spider lilies. Rebirth and renewal, eternal separation, paying tribute to the dead, and I think all of those really suit her.

I put a lot of love and crying over my lack of art skills into her, so I hope you guys like her at least a little bit 🫶🫶🫶

[reticentoctopus]

Cherry blossoms over Kanda river, Yutakabashi Bridge, Shinjuku, Tokyo

[d-littleone90]

We listen and we don't judge

Looking to mend their relationship with Jack, the EVPs come up with a great idea to bond while in Japan...

Jack stares down at his phone while a picture of Matthew Jackson stares right back at him. His stomach churns as the phone rings. He tells himself it was the sketchy octopus Darby made him try earlier, but... He hasn't made up his mind by the time the ringing stops. He is, admittedly, relieved but it is short lived. The damn thing starts trilling again, this time Nicholas's face appearing.

Jack groans. "Yeah?"

"Hey! Jacky boy! Jack Jack! Our man!" Nicholas's fake enthusiasm makes Jack's stomach flip. Just the octopus, right? Right...

"Hey, how come you didn't answer when I called?" Matthew yells, clearly listening in the background.

"Were the two calls back to back really necessary? What if I was busy?" Jack says and the frustration leaks into his voice.

Nicholas pauses. "Oh...um... weelllllllll you answered anyways so you couldn't have been that busy. Anyways! We could tell that things were a little..."

"Tense." Matthew supplies faintly.

"Yes! Just a little tension when we met up earlier, y'know after we saved you--" "--You're welcome, by the way!"

Jack rolls his eyes. If he has to talk to the peanut gallery for one more minute, he's going to lose his fucking mind.

"Yes! You're welcome, but that's neither here nor there. We've come up with the most BRILLIANT idea for The Elite to bond while we're here. There's this trend that's been going viral all. over. social media. It's called 'We listen and we don't judge.' Have you heard of it? I'm sure you have, you don't live under a rock anymore like you used to before you became part of The Elite." Nicholas continues.

Jack backtracks to the beginning of the call, trying to count the total number of words he's said. Couldn't have been more than 10. He wonders how long it would take for them to notice if he hung up right now.

"--a GREAT IDEA for us to bond! Just us three, the three amigos. We wouldn't put it online or anything, God no, but it might be a good idea to help clear the air and get to know each other more without judgment. Not that we ever judge, of course, that would be unprofessional, but that's neither here nor there. What do you say Jack, you in??" Nicholas finally takes a breath.

Jack desperately tries to think of an excuse to actually never bond with the Jacksons, but comes up short. "Uhh...I--"

"Perfect! So glad you're on board. Always knew we could count on you, Jacky. We can meet in the lobby of your hotel in, say, 30 mins?" Matthew must have taken the phone, he sounds a lot closer now.

"Um--Wait, how do you know what hotel I'm in??"

"Oh. That's not important. What IS important is getting The Elite back on track and at the top of the world where we belong! We'll see you in 30, don't be late!" Matthew hangs up.

Jack watches his phone screen go black. "Can't make it, I'm going to have food poisoning in half an hour..." He mutters. He flops down face first on the bed with an OOMPH. It's not nearly as satisfying as it looks in the movies.

The bathroom door opens, slamming against the wall. There's a muttered "Fucking hell, weird ass doors." Darby emerges, disgruntled from his fight with the door--

It sticks. Jack told him he had to be careful with it, but it's not his fucking fault everything is so damn light weight here. Darby is built for shitty backflips and destruction, not delicate entrances.

--leaving a trail of water as he goes. He pauses at the edge of the bed and pokes through the mess of curls to find Jack's scalp. "Hey you. What happened to you? I leave you alone for 10 minutes..."

Jack lifts his head, ready to tell Darby about the hell that awaits him, but quickly hides his face again as Darby shakes like a damn dog. Water droplets fly everywhere, though Jack thinks he caught most of the spray.

"DUDE you know they have TOWELS here right??"

Darby shrugs and climbs onto Jack's back, doing a very convincing impression of a starfish. "Why waste a towel when I can just snuggle up to you??" All he gets is a sigh and a mumbled "You're literally the worst." Darby wiggles until he's satisfied with his front and rolls off Jack, letting the comforter dry off his back.

"Ugh, now I have to change and the bed is going to be all wet. You're absolutely feral..."

Darby winks with a smirk, "You like me feral, baby."

Jack smiles in spite of himself and rolls his eyes. "Nope, don't even start, we have to be in the lobby in 15 minutes."

"What's in the lobby?"

"Hell, hosted by our beloved EVPs. And if I'm going, you're coming with me."

--------

When the elevator door opens, Matthew and Nicholas put on their award winning smiles to greet Jack. Arms outstretched for a hug, they approach but pause when they see he's not alone.

"Oh. My. God. WHAT are YOU doing here???" Matthew whisper-screams.

"What do you mean? You told me to be in the lobby, so here I am. Now where's that hug???" Jack puts on his sugar sweet smile and revels in the EVP Discomfort Special. He gives both of them the most awkward three-way hug as they continue to stare daggers into Darby.

Nicholas is the first to regain composure. "Right, aha, we appreciate your cooperation. But uh, Mr. Allin, what are you doing here??"

"Jack said you guys were playing a judgment game and oooooh boy I cannot WAIT to judge you. Super stoked really."

"No, it's we listen--it's about NOT judging! The point is---" Matthew takes a breath, straightens his shirt. "Darby what are you doing in Japan??"

Darby slings his arm around Jack's waist, fingers slipping under the hem of his shirt. He makes direct eye contact with Matthew and says, "Well it's sure a lot easier to stick my tongue down his throat when we're not separated by an entire fucking ocean. Isn't that right, babe?"

Jack chokes, face red immediately. "I mean--"

"NOPE. NOPE, ABSOLUTELY NOT. I wish I never HEARD that. I don't EVER want details. EVER. Disgusting. Jack, I expected better of you. Oh god I'm going to gag--We'll have someone send you the MOUNTAIN of paperwork you just earned yourselves. Nicholas, we're leaving. NOW."

Jack gives up on covering his laugh while they watch their EVPs EV-Storm out of the lobby. Darby thinks if Matthew were a bird, he'd be one of the ones where his little head feathers would be standing straight up. Probably wouldn't even be one of the pretty birds honestly.

Jack cocks his head a little. "Do you ever think of them as birds? One of those parrots with the big mohawk crest thing? Always have their feathers ruffled. Always thought parrots were kinda overrated, and it tracks."

Darby just turns and stares at him. Jack opens his mouth to defend himself, and Darby doesn't need any further invitation. He already said he was there to stick his tongue down Jack's throat so...

[localgardenweed]

So i’m just playing the Hetalia Gakuen DS game with my boyfriend and the entire game I’ve been trying to get with Japan ,as one does, and using the camera feature on Google Translate to play the game cause its all in Japanese so ive been like understanding half of what everyone says

So it’s my second week in game its a Sunday and Seychelles (Player/Me) wants to go hang out with a friend and since i have like Japan as a good friend and I wanna get with him I go hang out with him on a beach and he’s been fishing and got some pity catches from a fisherman such as a Octopus and Seychelles and Japan start talking about the food their hometowns make with octopus which leads to him talking about takoyaki.

As a option you get to choose what to make with the octopus to eat and i went with takoyaki, so we head off he buys a little special stove to make em and we oddly do this in a public park even tho he said we’re doing it at the dorms but whatever and randomly AMERICA SHOWS UP. Im like WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE I BLEW YOU OFF 4 INTERACTIONS AGO TO SIDE WITH JAPAN WTF DO YOU WANT RN WAIT YOUR TURN and he’s asking all like “omg dude what is that” and Seychelles goes in to be like “it’s octopus!!” And Japan stops her and like goes “let me handle this” and like

This is the part i started like dying laughing at okay

So he lets America try one and he’s like “OMG OMG HOT HOT ITS HOTTTT what is it?” And you wanna know what Japan responds with???

“It’s a taco-ball”

TACO-BALL

And America is like “taco-ball? Isn’t that like…mexican food?” And JAPAN JUST GAS LIGHTS HIM LIKE “oh yeah mhm it is its just a regular taco!” And the worst part of it all

AMERICA BOUGHT IT

HE JUST ACCEPTS IT AND JUST LEAVES

IM SITTING THERE DUMB FOUNDED WITH MY BOYFRIEND AS IM READING THIS ALL OUT TO HIM LIKE, ME, A MEXICAN-AMERICAN, CONFUSED IF I SHOULD BE PROUD, ANGRY, LAUGHING, OR SOBBING

This was all translated by Google Translate so the take this interaction with a grain of salt but just wanted to share this

[twomiddlefingersforthehaters]

Yatai Stalls:Japanese Street Food :- Street food vendors are known as Yatai in Japan and while they can be seen in abundance at festivals.

The text written in those colorful nobari :

串だんご (Kushi-dango)

Dango is a Japanese sweet that has been loved by Japanese people for a long time. Dango is a dough made by adding water to powdered grains such as rice, rolling it up and steaming it. Currently, skewered dumplings are often recognized as so-called dumplings, but there are also dumplings that are not skewered. Dumplings flavored with soy sauce, miso, and soybean flour have long been popular among Japanese people. There are also dango called hanami dango and tsukimi dango, which are often seen at events and are said to bring good luck.

たこ焼 (Takoyaki)

Diced octopus encased in a light batter and rolled into a ball with spring onion and ginger and topped with green seaweed, sauce, sliced and dried bonito, and sometimes drizzled with mayonnaise. The exterior of a takoyaki ball is a nice golden brown while the interior can be a touch molten. A single order of takoyaki typically contains about eight balls that are topped with shaved bonito flakes (katsuobushi), aonori seaweed flakes and drizzled with mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce.

おでん (Oden)

"Oden" is very popular winter dish all over Japan, and each region has original taste, as Ozouni new year soup. Various kind of ingredients slowly simmered in flavorful dashi broth.

• Masks

Traditional Japanese masks (お面) are mostly decorative and can easily be found at festivals and shrine events. Masks have long played an important role in Japanese culture. Most of these masks are archetypes borrowed from mythology, ancient dances, or noh theater and military costume. Traditional masks are still used by theater actors or Shinto dancers. The most popular Japanese masks are often inspired by yokai; Supernatural Japanese creatures that appear in popular legends and beliefs. In Kabuki theater, they used makeup to embody characters such as demons or to translate expressions such as anger, feelings of sadness or rage on the faces. The Kabuki actors, as opposed to the Noh Theater, do not wear masks. The mask has also the function of hiding any individual traces of the actor. The fox mask is worn on the faces of many festival goers during Shinto ceremonies. Kitsune mask always using White colour based with red patterns. Inari Shrine had red colors everywhere included on the fox statues of the shrine. Most of the foxes serve Inari has white fur. In most of Japanese festival, Kitsune mask always using White colour based with red patterns. The mask of the fox used in Noh play or Kagura play is white. Kitsunes are believed to have from one to nine tails. The number of tails a kitsune has indicates its age and strength. Kitsunes can come in different colors but turn white or gold upon gaining their 9th tail. The Nine Tailed Fox, or Kyuubi no Kitsune, can hear and see everything that goes on around the world. They wear these (kitsune) masks, in order to attract good benefits and thus ensure a good harvest.

Here are the masks I identified from the panel above.

1. Ramenman in Kinnikuman series

The Japanese manga series Kinnikuman was written and illustrated by Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada, known as Yudetamago. The series follow Kinnikuman, a superhero who must win a wrestling tournament to retain the title of prince of Planet Kinniku. The manga was first published in Shueisha's magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump as a two one-shots in December 1978 and March 1979. The regular serialization started with the publication of the first chapter in the May 28, 1979 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump, where it was serialized weekly until its conclusion in March 1987. Tatakae!! Ramenman is an alternate-universe and spin-off series to Yudetamago's previous work: Kinnikuman. It is focused around the character of Ramenman, who travels the land to fight various enemies. It was serialized in Shueisha's Fresh Jump magazine from 1982 until 1988.

2. Kamen Rider (1971 TV series)

Kamen Rider is a tokusatsu franchise created by manga creator Shotaro Ishinomori.

3. Chiaotzu in Dragon Ball

4. Sun Wukong

(The picture I'm using from Toriyama's bonus illustration featured in Dragon Ball's 6th volume)

In the novel, this headgear is something that binds sun wukong. Originally, he didn't wear it, but after following Tang Sanzang, that is, his master. At the beginning, he liked to kill some ordinary people without any spells. Tang Sanzang felt that his character was very bad, so there was a god, she called Guanshiyin Bodhisattva.This Bodhisattva also taught Tang Sanzang a formula. She used the temptation to make Monkey King wear a hat, and then the hat became this headgear, if Monkey King wanted to kill ordinary people.Tang Sanzang can recite formulas, and this headdress will shrink, giving Monkey King a headache and unable to use any spells. @dob-siki thank you for the information!!!

5. Hyottoko mask

Hyottoko means this facial expression or a mask with this funny face. It's a man. The pouting bent expression of his mouth is very significant. The size of the left and right eyes can be different too. In the mask or the person, who wears the mask often puts Japanese cotton towel (Tenugui) around the head. This character originally came from ancient traditional Japanese dance called Bugaku. The face of this character is an old man playing a funny and ridiculous role. He saw a beautiful couple dancing beautifully and admired and appreciated their dancing while drinking a lot of sake. He was very impressed and tried to dance like that with his wife. But they were too drunk and too old to dance gracefully, so their "dance" turned out to be very funny and awkward. There are many different stories about Hyotoko in Japan. The name Hyottoko came from Hi-Otoko (fire man). He is blowing air through a hollow bamboo stick to make fire. And his expression is showing how hard he is trying. His mouth is also known to resemble sake bottle. Hyottoko masks are commonly used during traditional Japanese dances in order to bring good luck.

I don't know whether the following findings are correct or wrong.

6. Lokai in Star Trek : Let That Be Your Last Battlefield (1969)

This is what came to my mind when I saw white on the right side and black on the left side.

[vmeemo]

A psa since I thought this while I was at work:

With the release of Side Order and Acht having they/them pronouns (on the English side of things at least) now being shown, we need to as a community not bash people for still going with she/her even after Side Orders release.

And I'm saying that because during the days of 2 and its artbooks/interviews Acht was referred to she/her in that material. So for a time when people wanted to be 'canon' with them, you would use those pronouns. Of course there is always the person behind the screen that goes "you know what? NB." And that's perfectly valid! Especially since on the English side of things they do refer Acht with they/them.

The other languages are tricky on the other hand. While NA and EU have referred Acht with they/them, Japan uses boku (the masculine or tomboy pronoun) to refer to Ahato and Portugal uses o artsita (which is the word used for men generally. A artsita is usually used for women). If any other languages have done something else then hey that's great, still pointing it out for knowledge sake.

What I'm saying is that language is hard and if someone wants to use she/her ded because that's what that person was used to then that is fine and we should expect a slow transition on the pronoun game for Acht since for years this information was like this until it suddenly wasn't.

And that's not even getting into whatever Japan will say about Acht in their next interview or artbook and whether or not its translation quirks or something else entirely (such as 100% true zero doubts hard canon).

So I'm just posting this saying that we shouldn't all gang up on people simply for referring Acht with a different set of pronouns, especially since years prior all the other information said otherwise.

So either way have fun with Acht! Do the cool things with the zombie octopus. Do whatever just don't bash people for working with information that was valid at the time.

[wanderingwilsons]

Me and the kiddos took the opportunity to join in on a city tour of Misawa last week and I learned so much. Not just about the place I live, but my capacity as a parent.

Slight disclaimer--Sometimes you just need to remind yourself of the honest truth and it is this:

I had different expectations for my kids on this trip.

This would have been more enjoyable going by myself, instead I was mostly playing referee between two bored kids that just wanted to pick on each other, but I tried my best to soak it all up.

So here goes:

We started the tour with three local guides who filled us in on all things food and entertainment in Misawa and Hachinohe. They had a ton of recommendations for what the cities had to offer and I tried my best to write them all down on my phone. The list is long, y'all. We will not be bored here.

Before we headed to the International Center, the tour guide told us of local markets, eateries and fun places in town. Because of the Tanabata Festival just a week or so prior to the tour, there were a few streets that were familiar to me.

When we got to the International Center, the guides provided a 30 minute presentation giving history of Misawa, the surrounding areas and even practiced simple Japanese phrases with us. Very interesting and helpful!

We hopped back on the bus and headed to Hachinohe, a town about 30 minutes from Misawa where we would explore the Fish Market and eat lunch.

When we stepped off the bus, a kind tour helper offered to assist me and the kiddos around the market. He was so patient and helpful, but I have to admit I was a bit overwhelmed when we first walked in. It was busy and there was a lot to take in--sights, smells, noises and all while I was just trying to get my daughter set up in her stroller without losing my son.

Eventually we found our pace and started making our way through. The guide took to us like a gentle grandfather figure and even pushed the stroller for me. I think he could sense my anxiousness.

The first thing he wanted to do was show the kids the fish tank when entering the market. He then took us through the food and market portion where you are surrounded by all sorts of different vendors. We saw ice cream, churros, baked goods, produce and other foods. We picked a relatively popular dish to eat for lunch called yakitori--aka chicken on a stick. In its food container, the chicken laid on a bed of rice. While we were eating, the guide went and got the kids some mini churros! They loved them, of course.

Once we finished lunch, he led us through the open fish market. There were so many interesting things! We saw eel, octopus, even puffer fish! We didn't purchase any, but it's absolutely the place to go if you are looking for fresh seafood for dinner.

The kids were most intrigued with it as we walked through aisles of people and fish. Eventually, they began to feel restless and we went to the top level to let the kids play in the indoor playground while me and the guide talked more about the city of Hachinohe. He said he has lived there for 13 years and told me other places he recommends that I visit when we come back--one being a Korean BBQ place. Yes, please!

We gathered the kids up and explored a little bit longer before heading back to the shuttle bus.

As shown below, these types of arcade games are HUGE in Japan. Claw games are very popular and they had Kirby!

Our next and final stop before heading back was the Shinto Shrine. This was probably the cherry on top of the trip. It was beautiful! The kids were exhausted and played in the dirt while we were given a presentation, but had a good time walking around the shrine. We purchased a shrine stamp collection book known as a Goshuincho.

I let Teddy pick out the Goshuincho and he was very excited. I truly hope we will visit as many shrines as we can and collect the beautiful art. Maybe that can be something Teddy and I plan out while we are here.

In the photos you might notice there are white-lightning type shaped paper on different entry ways. These are referred to as "Shide" and represent holy spaces.

When we got back on the bus, we were exhausted. The day had been filled with so many cool things to do and see. The kids were mostly interested in their cotton candy and I did let them have a little bit on the bus.

On our way back to Misawa, the guides gave us more recommendations for local eateries and provided some tips and tricks for making the most of our time here.

Overall, it was a great way to learn more about what our local and adjacent towns had to offer. I'm looking forward to going back to Hachinohe to show Trevor around. Maybe even go back to the Fish Market and take our time there. Trevor was unable to join us as he was, and I quote, "meditating next to a waterfall." Whoa.

All that to say, if there's one thing I learned, it's good to explore with your kids. Even if it was a little frustrating and stressful at times, it was good for them to see where they live. It was good for us all to experience a culture apart from what we knew up to this point. I hope one day they will look back and appreciate the travel. Even if all they wanted to do was rub their legs in dirt, eat cotton candy and tell me they were bored. I bet they saw and enjoyed more than I think they did.

Kids keep you humble when you travel. There are times when I envy our young married friends that get to travel wherever and whenever they want. It must be really cool to experience Japan in that way.

But I know that it's also really cool to get to travel and see the world with your kids. They get an opportunity that not many kids do. I'm working on my patience. I'm working on expectation management. It's my first time doing this, too, so I absolutely learned from mistakes I made on the city tour to make next time a little easier to manage...hopefully.

Until then, I'm choosing to be grateful for this time. It truly is so cool that we get to be here!

[marchipan]

Yoshida Hirofumi, the Kraken and Cthulhu, is the octopus with him just an octopus?

When I first saw Yoshida Hirofumi I was convinced the octopus that goes with him couldn't be a normal octopus. Was I supposed to believe fear of octopuses was so widespread there was a whole devil for it? I hadn't ever heard of a person with an octopus phobia! That is, such a phobia surely had to exist but it had to be rare. So, that being with Yoshida had to be Leviathan, the Kraken or Cthulhu, which are well known fearsome creatures that deserved a big powerful devil.

And I was right! but so, so wrong!

That being IS a representation of the Kraken AND a normal octopus. Let me explain (it's long).

Because of where most of us live octopuses aren't something we think about on a daily basis, but it turns out that in places with deep conections to the sea, like Japan, people actually do think about octupuses frequently.

In fact, most places with cultural ties to the sea have fantastical tales of octopuses everywhere in their folklore. Leviathan and the Kraken are said to appear in, or even outright provoke, storms. That's probably because octopuses are good at reading their environment and they may dissapear or appear when storms are close. So, octopuses have been attributed weather powers.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg!

The thing is, octopuses as a species are really intelligent. Incredibly intelligent. So intelligent they get bored in captivity and turn mischievious and start playing pranks on humans or juggling rocks. In fact octopus observers claim they feel as if they are seconds away of getting out of their tanks and starting a conversation.

And that's a problem because, at the same time, they look so utterly... alien. They look weird! And they have weird abbilities! They're capable escape and cammo artist and can regenerate. The way they move and squish their own bodies! They are so, so different from us that apparently for millenia people have collectively looked at octopuses and noticed their intelligence and thought, shaking with fear: It's thinking!! Oh no, what are they thinking! What are their intentions!

(And doesn't that tie up nicely with what manga readers wonder about Yoshida. In fact, the more I researched octopuses in Japanese folklore, the more it apears Yoshida is like the personification of all the Japanese think of octopuses)

So, the respect they earned as a species at some point crossed into fear and creatures like the Kraken where born. The Kraken exists because of the fear of octopuses. They represent how afraid people have been of octopuses over the centuries. It's like, we humans are convinced they hold an annual meeting somewhere where they plot the demise of humanity, because they are certainly capable and intelligent enough and they must hate us for eating them and contaminating the sea.

There's a mean streak attributed to octopuses. In fact, the Japanese have their own version of the kraken, the Akkorokamui, where at first it was a spider, known for laying intricate traps, that turned so dangerous it hat to be banished to the sea. It's just, even scientists today belive the only thing holding back octopuses from taking over the world and becoming the dominant species is their short life span (which is another nice point that beautifully ties into Yoshida worthy of a treatise). The pervasive question of 'What are they thinking?' turns into 'are they plotting humanity's demise?' and for many the answer is a 'maybe' and that's apparently something that also ocurred to H.P. Lovecraft when he was thinking up the creature Cthulhu a being destined to end humans (although of course Lovecraft based Cthulhu in a great number of things. I'm not saying this was his sole inspiration).

I laughed out loud when I saw in the very first text where I heard of octopus folklore, this fear of octopuses hating humans is unfounded and that octopuses are in fact very misunderstand creatures that are impossible to harbour ill intentions towards us. Of course they are not plotting against humans. They are not that advanced, not that powerful. In fact, they are quite vulnerable and easy to hurt. They ought to be protected! They are in danger of dissapearing! We humans have let our fears get a hold of ourselves!

And that ties beautifully into Yoshida again. Actually that's kind of exactly how it seems the author is portraying this character. Look at him: an all seemingly powerful guy, mischievious with an enigmatic smile! Surely he has to be plotting something. Except maybe he's just a teenager who happens to have low people skills and is trying very hard to survive in a hostile world and people overlook his vulnerabilities because he has struck fear into the readers by having a job where he has to predict other people's movements and looks and acts weird. Even he is also plotting something.

I have to concede, if that's what Fujimoto is doing, it's genius.