#ougi understands me...

[theouger]

i think the reason i overeat and stress eat chips at least some of the time has to do with wanting to have some control over when i feel nauseous

[sinkableruby]

the shiori ED in owarimonogatari ge kills me, but theres a very specific part of it that really gets my attention

right before the first verse there's a little flash in this box that shows an object relating to the arc character

its interesting to see the items for each of them. mayoi's bag is there, and the first thing you notice is that she's not. her bag feels almost synonymous with her, so it almost gives the impression she's left it behind, possibly for a new stage in her life (as it were). hitagi's apartment building is shown, and what i think might be araragi's house next to it. but they're so small that they look like models more than anything, which i feel relates to how these homes are things that are precious to her, they are things she wants to protect. maybe theres something to be said about the home as it relates to family too, and family being very much a big thing to her arc. and maybe theres something to be said about mayoi's thing being "something to protect" too

whats the object in ougi dark, then?

oh. hi ougi

guys im so not normal about this. putting ougi in the same room where the other two had objects that were important/synonymous with them. its because ougi darks ED is for ougi BUT its also for araragi (and shinobu, its about all 3 of them), so its araragis "thing to protect/that is important to/synonymous with him."

but also like. this is also like the only time in the show that we see ougi in any state even approaching nudity, and not just that, ougi is actually naked here (except for the sleeves). and that coupled with the kind of huddled pose really makes this feel like a very vulnerable moment, and a very very significant thing. its saying many things at once. it's saying conception, it's showing you the big bad but not so big and not so bad, its showing you the weakness in a character who has rarely shown anything like vulnerability or weakness, who is still haunting araragi (see the sleeves and the like "gonna get you" hands lol) to the bitter end.

and like if you look closely you can see a little smile which is standard for ougi but like. the hollowed eyes (more ghastly now when theyre white). the inward hunch. the lack of clothes besides the sleeves, that are stylized to look jagged like claws. this is a creature born with a purpose, a creature born to hurt. but this is also obviously a creature who is alone and feeble and Should Be Helped Not Killed for fucks sake lol.

and not just a creature but a person! ougi is armored in layers of separating clothes all the time but this shot is kind of groundbreaking bc it showing that like. she is really just like anyone else. the fronting is very much a front. she, the fake, has Substance. there's a very real person underneath those big sleeves.

and also since the shot is really only for half a second, ougi fades away very quickly. its very much a blink and youll miss it. but that fading away really feels like a flash of vulnerability before she fades away Forever. as in, it's a parallel to her almost final moments. but the fading away in particular feels ghost-ish. not to mention later in the ED shes even wearing like a ghost outfit.

and. god. if that isn't just.

idk. something about. being alive but not really. being a ghost. not long for this world and resigned to it. being so resigned to it you wear it and use that to represent yourself. making it a part of you. and then later being given a life. becoming able to live. idk yk. idk its just , yk its just ,

[descriptionofaruby]

listening to abnormality dancin girl for the 20th time this week to cope with my problems

[tojiscrack]

i’ve become so obsessed with your liar liar fic that i’ve started to gatekeep it and i get jealous when i see other readers also enjoying it HAHAHA. is that a bad thing? I WANT IT TO BLOW UP BECAUSE IT DESERVES TO BUT AT THE SAME TIME I WANNA KEEP IT TO MYSELFFFFFF.

it’s literally so underrated & so funny and well written. the way u write the characters is so funny to me, i love it because they’re canon compliant but also canon divergent at the same time? they basically have the same exact personality except if they were good (i.e. toji being selfish asl but not to the point where he’d kill people, or gojo and toji’s rivalry but it isn’t to the point where they’d kill each other, ougi being a strict ‘bad’ father but a not-so-evil version of that?). this is gege’s worst nightmare and after everything that’s happened in the manga, it’s my comfort fic.

I DONT WANT PEOPLE TO FIND IT BUT AT THE SAME TIME I DOOO. as an og reader, i wanna keep this gem to myself. I HAVENT EVEN TOLD ANY OF MY IRL FRIENDS ABT THIS FIC AND IM DYING TO.

i’m sorry for the late response, i still have multiple exams i’m studying for and school life’s just been extremely hectic so i didn’t get a chance to sit down and write up a response, but i read this a day after you sent it and i’ve got the time to reply!

the gatekeeping aspect… as the author-part of me that wants more people to read it, i’m like, well that’s effective for the growth 😭, but as the author-part of me that gets excited with comments like this, i understand the appreciation you must have for this story if you felt the need to GATE-KEEP It 😭❤️❤️ PLS IDK WHETHER TO CRY OR LAUGH HAHAHA ILY

the whole canon compliancy + divergency thing is exactly what i was going for, and i’m ECSTATIC that you’ve noticed it 🥹 i was trying to go for this completely new universe, like a parallel to the canon-verse where everyone’s just happy and dandy and we get a family vibe, yk? best way to do that was to take ogi, completely strip him of his evil-ness, or take toji and give him his wife so he won’t go on a killing spree, or to grab geto and slap some sense into him about why g*nocide is wrong, etc etc, and turn them into (at least) half decent human beings 😭

SOMEONE FROM AO3 ALSO SAID IT’S GEGE’S WORST NIGHTMARE AND I CAN’T HELP BUT AGREE 😭 you wait till i make a whole verse on GOJO’S friends and school life. he’ll hate me for sure by then.

now i feel incredibly guilty seeing as it’s now ur comfort fic and my updates are slow. nonetheless, it makes me so happy (knowing that i’ve made something that you can look at and genuinely feel comforted by it).

trying to squeeze out another chapter, but i have to put my studies first and my levi fic first (just this once), and then chapter 4 will be out right after. give me about two months to get things done (possibly less, tbh).

[shewasverynice]

Fandoms: 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga)呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime)  MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Rating: Explicit 

Major Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con 

Content Warnings: Dubious Consent, Prostitution, Drug Use, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Blood and Violence

Categories: F/M, Multi, F/F 

Relationships: Gojo Satoru/Original Female Character(s), Nanami Kento/Original Female Character(s), Getou Suguru/Original Female Character(s), Ieiri Shoko & Iori Utahime 

Major Characters: Original Characters, Gojo Satoru, Getou Suguru, Nanami Kento, Okkotsu Yuuta, Toudou Aoi, Zenin Naobito, Zenin Jinichi, Zenin, Zenin Ougi, Fushiguro Megumi, Kamo Clan, Nitta Akari, Inumaki Toge, Ieiri Shoko, Iori Utahime, Kusakabe Atsuya, Muta Kokichi, Itadori Yuuji, Hakari Kinji

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　Chapter 6　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Neon lights. Flashing, blinking. Too bright. Too loud. Shinjuku, yeah. Streets crowded, people everywhere. Faces blend, eyes stare. They know. They all know.

Feet heavy. Can’t walk straight. Clothes loose, slipping off. Hair a mess, tangled. Hands shaking. Cold sweat.

Talking, muttering. Words jumble, mix up. Can’t think straight. Can't stop. Vending machine glowing. Magic box. Stare at it. Laugh. Silly laugh. Hollow, empty.

Billboards. Big, big, big. Colors swirl. Signs talk to me. They know secrets. Listen close. Can’t hear.

Golden Gai. Tiny bars, little lights. Peek inside. Warm, inviting. Can’t go in. Not for me. Not real. Dream place.

Feet move again. Alleys twist, turn. Lost. So lost. Heart races, thumps. Boom boom boom. Head spins. Everything spins.

Stop. Stand still. People brush past. Bumping, pushing. Don’t see me. Invisible. Just air.

Walk again. Stumble. Trip. Fall. Get up. Keep moving. No direction. No idea. Just move. Just go.

Voices, sounds. Horns honking. Music somewhere. Far away. All blend. Noise soup. Brain can’t handle.

City swallows me. Neon jungle. Electric maze. Can’t escape. Keep wandering. Keep searching. For what? Don’t know.

Lost in Shinjuku. Lost in myself.

Wait. Not alone. Shimizu. Yeah, Shimizu. Where? Look around. Blurry faces. There. Is that Shimizu? Hard to tell. Vision wobbles.

“Shimizu?” Call out. Voice cracks. No answer. Move closer. Stumble. Almost fall. Hand grabs shoulder. Shimizu’s? Feels real. Feels like a friend.

Shimizu’s eyes, wild. Same as mine. Lost too. Both lost. Together. Or maybe not. Can’t remember. Friend? Enemy? Doesn’t matter.

“Shimizu, man, you okay?” Words slur. Hard to speak. Shimizu nods. Slow, uncertain. Eyes darting. Looking everywhere. Nowhere.

Walk together. Side by side. Two ghosts in Shinjuku. Shimizu laughs. High-pitched, strange. Makes my skin crawl. I laugh too. Can’t help it. Everything’s funny. Everything’s scary.

Shimizu points. “Look!” What? Can’t see. Lights blur. Shapes move. Nothing clear. “You see it?” Shimizu asks.

I nod. Lie. Don’t see. Don’t understand. Just nod.

We walk. Stumble. Lean on each other. Hold each other up. Or maybe pull each other down. Hard to tell. Don’t care.

“Remember when...” Shimizu starts. Stops. Shakes head. Memory gone. I nod again. Pretend to remember. Pretend it matters.

Streets twist. Turn. Neon jungle grows. Shimizu’s hand tightens on my arm. “This way,” he says. Or maybe I say. Don’t know whose voice.

Shimizu’s face close. Too close. “You real?” I ask. He laughs. Doesn’t answer. Real or not, Shimizu’s here. That’s enough.

One twisted path. Shinjuku’s maze. Together, apart. Doesn’t matter. Keep moving.

Following Shimizu. Where to? Don’t know. Don’t care. Just follow. Feet heavy, dragging. Mind wanders.

Her face. Her voice. Love her. Hate me. She hates me. Always did. No, not always. Used to love me. I think. Maybe?

Her smile. So pretty. Now, just a memory. A painful one. Did I make her smile? Can’t remember. Made her cry. That I know.

Shimizu’s ahead. Leading the way. Trust him? Don’t know. Doesn’t matter. Keep walking. Keep thinking.

She said, “I hate you.” Clear as day. Echoes in my head. Over and over. My fault. Always my fault. Messed up. Pushed her away. Saw her tears. Did nothing. Nothing at all.

But she loved me. Didn’t she? Delusion. Maybe. Don’t know what’s real. What’s not.

Shimizu laughs. Breaks my thoughts. “This way,” he says. Voice like a ghost. Follow him. Steps uncertain. Path unknown.

Remember her laugh. Sweet. Like music. Long time ago. Before everything went wrong. Before I ruined it.

She hates me. Said it. Felt it. But sometimes... I think... Maybe she still cares. Deep down. Buried under the hate. A spark. A flicker.

Delusional. Stupid. But can’t let it go. Cling to it. Like a lifeline. Keeps me going. Keeps me moving. Even if it’s a lie.

Shimizu stops. Looks at me. “You okay, man?” His voice fuzzy. Like through water. I nod. Lie. Always lying.

Her face again. In my mind. Clearer now. Eyes sad. Hurt. Because of me. My fault. Always my fault.

But still... maybe... she loves me. Somewhere inside. Past the hate. Past the pain. A part of her. Small part. Loves me. Can’t be true. But need to believe it. Need it. No point without it.

Shimizu moves again. I follow. Steps heavy. Heart heavier. Streets twist. Mind twists more.

Love. Hate. Same thing now. Messed up. Broken. Just like me. Just like Shimizu. Wandering. Searching. For what? Don’t know.

Her face fades. Shimizu’s back ahead. Neon lights blur. Keep moving. Keep hoping. Keep lying to myself.

Streets twist, turn. Shimizu’s ahead, leading. Don’t know where. Don’t care. Just follow. Then, a door. Shimizu points. “In here,” he says. Voice like a whisper.

Step inside. World shifts. No more neon, no more noise. Quiet. Soft light. Cozy bedroom. Feels familiar. Feels safe. Heart pounds.

There she is. On the bed. Sarah. Can’t believe it. Eyes wide. Is this real? She looks up. Sees me. Smiles. Warm. Soft. Not hate.

“Come here,” she says. Voice gentle. Sweet. I move closer. Feet light. Heart racing. Is this real? Must be. Feels real.

Sit on the bed. Close to her. She reaches out. Touches my face. Her hand warm. Soft. Tears in my eyes. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. Voice breaking.

She smiles. Shakes her head. “It’s okay. I’m here.” Pulls me close. Hold her. Tight. Never want to let go. Feels right. Feels real.

Her scent. Her warmth. Everything. Just like before. Before the hate. Before I messed up. Tears fall. Can’t stop them. She wipes them away. “Shh, it’s okay,” she whispers.

"You little bitch." Is that me? Did I say that?

It's not her. But it is? She's here for now. That's enough. This works.

My hands off her throat. She coughed.

"Stop fucking yelling at me! I didn't do it." He is angry. I think he's me.

Nails digging in. A fist hits my chest. Her pretty green eyes are rolling back. Her face is red.

Cunt is sucking me in. Didn't even know I was hard. Legs locked behind me. She likes it. She does.

"Y—"

"Shut the fuck up! Just shut up! You never let me talk! You never do, huh?" Why am I so angry?

"Y-you—"

Let her go, my hands pulling back. My eyes are focusing in. Am I coming down? No. Not yet. Need to cum first before she's gone again.

"Don't go. You can't go yet." Now he just sounds pathetic.

My hands are on her tits, my pace slowing. Nice and deep and hard. She's so into it. I can tell. She's always into it. All of them are. I'm the best. They always tell me that.

"G-gojo! Mmn~!" See? She's happy. That's good.

My shirt is still on. It's too hot for silk. My pants are around my hips. I'm fucking her faster now. She wants that for sure. I can tell. She's holding me tight and her tits are on my chest.

She coughed and I think I laughed. I'm the strongest and I know it hurts. She likes it when it hurts.

"Fuck you," I growled at her like a fucking animal. Am I an animal? No, that's wrong. I'm a fucking monster.

"You always wanna blame me, huh? Always wanna make that shit my fault, don't you? Don't you, you stupid slut? I told you it's not me. I didn't cut you like that. I was the one that let you out. I was there. You don't remember?"

I gripped her throat, pushing her down harder into the mattress. My skin was crawling with fire ants, chewing and itching. It was wearing off.

"Fuck you! Fuck you fuck you fuck you!"

I kissed her. God, I love her so much.

Her legs are shaking. Her eyes are rolling again. I need to let her breathe. I don't want to yet. She's opening her legs further and letting me fuck her deeper.

"You're too pretty like this."

I'm not gonna kill her. I would never. But I just want to squeeze her throat harder. I want to squeeze those thoughts right out of her pretty head. I want me to be the last thing she sees. But I won't kill her.

"Cum. Now." I hissed out. I could feel it coming. I wanted to cum. I needed to before she left. Her eyes rolled back, the air cut off just enough to make it feel good. God, that always makes it better.

"Now. Right now."

"Satoru. Cum in me, Satoru. I love you, Satoru."

I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks, my eyes closed as my balls squeezed everything out onto this whore's stomach. I wish it was her. I wish she'd say that for me. I wish she didn't hate me so much.

It's not my fault. Stupid bitch.

━─┉┈◈❖◈┈┉─━

"Fumiyaaa!" Itadori shouted happily over the crowd, "Hey! Over here, man!"

"Eyy!!" Fumiya called back, weaving his way through. His mask reflected the lights, catching the multi colors on its gray paint.

Hakari and Panda were there with Yuji, greeting Fumiya as he arrived. Hakari passed him a cigarette which he gratefully took, slipping it between the teeth of his mask. His brushed back his sleek black hair before reaching into the pocket of his vest to fish out a lighter.

"What's going on tonight, fellas?" He asked with a mischievous smirk, "Anything interesting?"

"There's some Zen'in trash on our property." Hakari said with his eyes on his phone and cigarette clenched in his teeth, "We ought to go clear that shit out."

"Which property?" Itadori asked, already stretching his arms, "The new lot?"

"Yeah," Hakari nodded, unzipping his hoodie and pulling it off to throw over his shoulder, "The one Geto-san managed to get last week."

"Well, shit," Fumiya grinned, the light glinting off his shiny silver piercings as he turned his head, "Let's go take care of it."

"Did you tell anyone we're doing this?" Itadori asked, looking at Hakari, "Shouldn't we tell the boss?"

"You worry too much." Panda grunted, "Gojo won't care. This is good for us."

"He's not answering anyway," Hakari said, hanging up the unanswered call to Gojo's phone, "He's probably busy."

Itadori walked with an easy grace, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a mix of curiosity and determination. Beside him, Hakari exuded a nonchalant confidence, his hands in his pockets, a small smirk playing on his lips. Towering above them both, Panda moved with surprising agility for his size, his presence both imposing and comforting. And somewhere in between the three Fumiya seemed to blend right in almost like a ghost.

As they navigated through the crowd, Itadori glanced at Hakari. "So, do you know how many there are?"

Hakari shrugged. "Not sure. But all we need to do is make a bit of noise, and they'll come to us."

Panda chuckled, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. "Leave that to me. I’ve got a knack for getting attention."

They turned into a quieter side street towards the lot where the sounds of the city faded slightly. Itadori could feel the tension rising, a sure sign that something was amiss. His fingers twitched in anticipation, ready to call upon his cursed energy at a moment’s notice.

Suddenly, a figure stepped out from the shadows ahead of them, behind him a group of other sorcerers looming. "So, you showed up," the figure said, voice dripping with disdain. "Gojo's boys, I assume. How quaint."

Hakari rolled his eyes. "Quaint, huh? Let's see how quaint you think we are after we kick your ass."

Without warning, the figure attacked, sending a wave of cursed energy towards the trio. Itadori moved instinctively, deflecting the attack with a swift motion. Hakari vanished, only to reappear behind their opponent, his fist already in motion. The impact sent the robed figure sprawling, but more sorcerers emerged from the shadows, surrounding them.

Panda let out a roar, his massive form charging into the fray. He swung his powerful arms, scattering the attackers like leaves in a storm. Hakari and Itadori moved in perfect synchronization, their attacks precise and devastating. Itadori's fists crackled with cursed energy as he struck down one opponent after another, while Hakari's speed and unpredictability left their enemies reeling.

Despite their skill, the sorcerers were relentless, their numbers seemingly endless. Itadori felt a flicker of frustration but pushed it aside, focusing on the battle. He caught Fumiya's eye, and the older sorcerer nodded, understanding passing between them.

"Time to turn up the heat," Fumiya said, his smirk widening.

Itadori unleashed a powerful burst of cursed energy, creating a shockwave that knocked their opponents off balance. At the same moment, Fumiya activated his domain expansion, a complex array of symbols and energy forming around them. The space warped, trapping their enemies within a twisted ethereal version of Shibuya. Like ghosts within a fog, they moved out of sight from the Zen'in group.

Within the domain, Itadori and Hakari's attacks became even more effective. Panda's roars echoed through the distorted fog, his strikes breaking through the enemy defenses with ease. One by one, the opposing sorcerers fell, unable to withstand the groups combined might.

As the last of their enemies crumbled, the domain faded, and they found themselves back in the real Shibuya, the city seemingly unaware of the battle that had just taken place. Itadori took a deep breath, the adrenaline slowly ebbing away.

"Well, that was fun," Panda said, dusting himself off with a goofy grin. "We should do this more often."

Hakari laughed. "As long as there's a good fight, count me in."

Without warning, a figure materialized behind Fumiya, moving with an eerie, almost supernatural speed. Before any of them could react, a single, precise blow landed on the back of Fumiya's neck. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"Fumiya!" Itadori shouted, spinning around, but it was too late. The figure was already upon them, a blur of motion and power. Panda roared, lunging forward to protect his friends, but a devastating strike sent him crashing into a nearby wall, the impact leaving a crater in the concrete.

Itadori's eyes widened, adrenaline surging as he tried to muster his cursed energy. Yet, the mysterious attacker was too fast. A brutal punch connected with his midsection, knocking the wind out of him and sending him to his knees. Before he could recover, a final, bone-jarring blow struck his temple, and darkness enveloped him.

The vibrant lights of Shibuya blurred and dimmed as Itadori fell, joining his comrades in unconsciousness. The last thing he saw was the figure standing over Fumiya, their presence radiating an overwhelming, malevolent power. Then, everything went black.

Itadori's consciousness slowly returned hours later, his senses gradually coming back online. He felt a dull ache in his body, a throbbing pain in his head, and a strange warmth spreading through him. He blinked his eyes open, finding himself in a dimly lit room, the familiar surroundings of their home base coming into focus.

"Easy there," a calm voice said. Itadori turned his head slightly and saw Hani, Yaga's healer, kneeling beside him. His hands glowed softly with healing energy as he tended to his wounds.

"H-Hani?" Itadori croaked, his voice raspy. "What happened?"

"You were ambushed," Hani replied gently, his expression a mix of concern and relief. "You, Hakari, and Panda were brought back here after we found you unconscious in Shibuya."

Itadori tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over him, and Hani placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. "Take it slow. You took quite a beating."

He glanced around the room, spotting Hakari and Panda lying on adjacent cots. Hakari was still unconscious, but Panda's eyes flickered open as Hani's healing energy worked on him as well.

"What about Fumiya?" Itadori asked, worry creeping into his voice.

"He's stable for now," Hani reassured him. "Panda's coming around, and Hakari just needs a bit more time."

Panda groaned, shifting slightly. "What hit us?" he muttered, his voice tinged with frustration.

"It was an ambush," Hani explained. "A powerful sorcerer caught you off guard. We're still trying to identify who it was, but their abilities were formidable."

Itadori frowned, memories of the attack flashing through his mind. "We need to find out who did this and why."

"And we will," Hani said firmly. "But right now, you need to focus on healing. Revenge won't do any good if you're not at full strength."

Itadori nodded reluctantly, knowing she was right. He lay back, letting the soothing warmth of Hani's healing energy wash over him. The pain gradually subsided, replaced by a comforting sense of peace.

As he rested, his thoughts drifted to the battle in Shibuya. The speed and precision of their attacker had been unlike anything he had encountered before. Whoever it was, they had a clear objective and had executed it flawlessly. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, but it also fueled his determination.

"We'll get them next time," Itadori murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

Panda, now fully conscious, gave a grunt of agreement. "Damn right we will. No one knocks us out and gets away with it."

Hani smiled softly, his hands still glowing as he continued to heal them. "Just make sure you listen to me and rest. You'll need all your strength for what's to come."

Hani jumped to his feet, his face turning pale. He coughed, a thick black liquid oozing from his nose. Quickly, he dashed behind a curtain. Itadori and Panda exchanged worried looks, sensing the tension in the air.

━─┉┈◈❖◈┈┉─━

"Fuck!" Gojo growled, slamming his fist into the wall then dragging both hands through his hair, "Are you fucking serious?"

Geto shook his head, looking away from the corpse with a grimace, "Fumiya..."

"Apparently Hani couldn't keep him stable," Nanami said, his jaw setting as he let the sheet fall back down over the young man's corpse.

"Fuck." Gojo breathed, ignoring the blood dripping from his knuckles. He'd seen the missed calls, the texts. He'd been too high to react or even to notice. He had no idea the boys had even been fighting.

"Do we know the situation?" Geto asked softly, "Itadori, Panda, and Hakari were found as well. Any information from the three of them?"

"It was a territory dispute," Nanami explained, "The Zen'in group was moving in on our newly purchased plot."

"The one I bought?" Geto asked, voicing his disgust with a click of his tongue when Nanami nodded.

"So it was the Zen'in, yeah?" Gojo muttered, lifting his head and slowly turning to look at the corpse again.

"Don't jump to conclusions," Nanami said, "The other Zen'in were already gone when we found them and it had been nearly an hour since they were knocked out."

"And he was still alive when he came here." Geto added, "It may not have been intentional."

"Bet they fucking tried to finish him off." Gojo spat, picking the tile out of his knuckles as the wounds healed themselves, "Shit heads. We don't kill if we don't have to. None of them died."

"Again, don't jump to conclusions." Nanami said, turning to Gojo, "Keep yourself calm. If you jump the gun on this it could cause an enormous problem for all of us."

Nanami walked over to the sink, washing his hands before he dried them on a paper towel. Tossing it in the bin, he headed towards the door to leave the morgue. Geto's eyes followed him and before he turned the knob the dark haired man asked, "Where are you off to?"

"I was going to inform Fumiya's next of kin," Nanami said, then glanced over his shoulder at Geto, "Is this a problem?"

Geto shook his head, "No. Just curious."

Nanami stared at Geto for a moment before he nodded and opened the door. He stepped aside as Yaga came into the room then left with a polite bow to his leader.

"Damn." Yaga said in a deep sigh, lifting his sunglasses to look at the body on the table, "Young Fumiya. Such a shame. He was a good kid."

"The Zen'in did it." Gojo grunted, "I want to get revenge."

"Don't act rashly." Yaga said quietly, "I know you're upset, but acting too quickly could cause trouble." He looked at Geto, "Let's put the drug investigation on hold for now until we understand what happened here. Talk to Itadori, Hakari and Panda for me. I'll speak with Naobito and we'll see if we can get this sorted without any more bloodshed."

Gojo let out a frustrated sigh, kicking a metal chair aside as he grabbed his jacket from the back. He marched towards the door, a scowl etched on his face. His emotions of guilt and anger were evident, overshadowing the sadness he felt deep down. He had a habit of getting close to new recruits quickly, mentoring them and cherishing their presence. Losing one hit him hard.

Out the door he went, slamming the door behind.

"Have someone watch him." Yaga said softly, "I'm worried he's going to do something drastic."

Geto nodded, "Yes, sir."

Geto made sure to tread lightly as he followed his best friend. Gojo seemed on edge, ready to explode at any moment. Once inside his bedroom, Gojo shot Geto a glare before disappearing from view.

"Satoru," Geto sighed, "Why don't we go get a drink tonight? We'll drink for Fumiya, hmm? Have a nice easy night."

Gojo didn't answer at first. Then after a moment the door cracked open, "Fine."

"That's the spirit!" Geto said brightly, "Why don't you get some sleep then? I'll take care of talking to the boys. I'll come get you when it's evening."

Gojo gave a quick, feeble nod and gently shut the door. Geto could hear the faint sound of Gojo's footsteps as he made his way to bed, followed by a creak. Letting out a sigh, Geto turned and headed towards the infirmary.

Hani hunched over a metal bucket, catching his breath. Using a soft hand towel, he wiped his lips and dry heaved the dark liquid in short bursts. He signaled to Geto with a finger before spitting out more of the thick goop. After clearing his throat, he managed a weak smile.

"Hey, what's going on, sir?" Hani rasped out.

"Just coming to talk to the boys. Carry on." Geto said with a smile. He reached into his pocket, handing over a few hard candies that Hani gratefully took.

Geto moved past the white curtains to find Itadori just finishing buttoning up his white dress shirt. The young man smiled a little, though it was obvious he'd recently cried. Hakari was facing away, his arms on his knees and his head down. Panda's gaze was fixed on the distance, his fluffy body slumped.

"I'm so sorry, boys." Geto said softly, "I'm sorry that we failed you this time. We should have come with. What happened to Fumiya was not your fault."

"It was our fault." Hakari grunted, "I fucked up, boss. I should have waited for backup."

"I should have tried harder to get you to listen." Itadori muttered, "I should have been better in the fight."

Panda said nothing, only sniffling and wiping his snout on his arm.

"Don't talk like that." Geto said, shaking his head, "It's easy to get caught up in what could have happened or what you should have done. What happened was not your fault." He smiled, patting Itadori's shoulder, "Now, let's move forward. We're going to get to the bottom of this, alright? Tell me everything."

The three of them explained the story, from meeting up to when they were last conscious. Geto waited until they were done before he said, "Ah, so it must have been Toji."

"Toji?" Itadori asked, "Who's that?"

"He's a member of the Zen'in." Geto explained, "He has absolutely no cursed energy, so you wouldn't have been able to sense him."

"That's true." Hakari said, standing up and stretching his back, "He came outta nowhere, that guy. And he took us out so easily."

Geto nodded, "He's certainly no one to be trifled with. Don't feel bad about a loss versus him. He would have been difficult even for me."

"So... What now?" Panda asked quietly, "Are we going after the Zen'in?"

"First we're going to find out what happened." Geto explained, "We can't make an assumption. This is a delicate situation between our groups that could escalate much too far."

"But if it was the Zen'in..." Hakari muttered, cracking his knuckles.

Geto nodded, "Yes. If it was the Zen'in we will get our retribution."

"Alright. What's the plan then?" Itadori said, his eyes flaring with determination, "I want to find out. For Fumiya."

"The first thing is that you three need some rest. Real rest, not hospital room rest. Go home. Get some good sleep. That's an order." Geto said with a smile, "I'll be going out with Satoru tonight and I'll gather some information. Yaga is going to speak with Naobito tonight as well. We'll have an answer tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." All three of them answered.

Geto stopped by Hani again, watching as the man shook his dreads back out of his face. He patted at the beads of sweat on his forehead with his washcloth, then sighed heavily before glancing up at Geto.

"Anything strange in the cycled energy?" Geto asked.

Hani shook his head, "No. No poisons or drugs either," he gestured to the bucket full of black fluid, "It's just pure cursed energy residuals in there."

Geto glanced into the bucket and grimaced. He was all too familiar with the flavor of curses. Hani was a kindred spirit in that regard. His healing technique basically filtered out damage caused by cursed energy and forced him to regurgitate it. Slower than RCT, but it also worked on poisons and illness.

"Well, good work." Geto said with a smile, "Want to join Gojo and I tonight for a drink?"

"Ah, sure. Why not." Hani said with a nod, "It's been quite a while since the three of us went out."

"Wonderful." Geto said, "I'll come get you this evening then. I've got a few more things to take care of and Satoru is resting."

━─┉┈◈❖◈┈┉─━

The sun set on Shinjuku, leaving the neon wonderland in its wake. The streets buzzed with the hum of life, a chaotic symphony of humanity. But tonight, there was an uninvited guest. A fog, dark and thick like the breath of a dragon, crept through the alleys and around the high-rises. It slithered between the flashing lights, curling around the legs of oblivious passersby.

This fog wasn't the usual city mist. It had weight, substance. It moved with a purpose, rolling in like smoke from a gun barrel, sinister and silent. Shadows danced on the slick pavement, but no one seemed to notice. They laughed, they yelled, they hurried along their way, blind to the creeping darkness.

The fog wrapped itself around the base of skyscrapers, coiled up the sides of neon billboards. It lingered in doorways, snuck into subway grates. The city was alive, but the fog brought a deathly hush. It was as if the night itself had grown teeth and was stalking its prey, unseen and unchallenged.

Shinjuku, beat on unaware. But something lurked in the mist. Something that watched. Something that waited.

The cursed spirits stirred. They sensed the fog before it even touched the ground, a harbinger of something powerful and malevolent.

In the dim corners of Golden Gai, the spirits whispered among themselves. They were barely more than shadows, flickering in and out of existence, their eyes gleaming with an unnatural light. The fog wove through the narrow alleys, curling around their forms, and they shivered in anticipation. This was no ordinary mist; it was an invitation, a call to something darker than the usual nightly hauntings.

From Kabukicho to the underground tunnels, the spirits buzzed with excitement. The fog's tendrils reached into every hidden nook, waking those who had slumbered for centuries. They could feel its power, its promise of chaos and upheaval. It was like a long-lost friend, returning with secrets to share and havoc to wreak.

The cursed spirits watched the oblivious humans, their laughter and ignorance a stark contrast to the impending doom the spirits sensed. They reveled in the irony, their excitement growing with each passing moment. Whatever the fog heralded, it was something that promised to tip the balance, to shatter the mundane into shards of terror and delight.

In the heart of the fog, something ancient and wicked began to stir. The spirits gathered, their forms coalescing into a mass of dark anticipation. They knew something the humans did not, something that made their darkened hearts race. The fog was not just a visitor; it was a prelude to a night that Shinjuku would never forget. And the spirits, ever hungry for fear and chaos, were ready to embrace it.

⤶ Prev Main Next ↪

[hellsvestibule]

I saw someone say like ougi is a transmasc character and it’s a harmless headcanon but I don’t agree. and if that were the case people preferring girl Ougis design would be really offputting. To me, ougi’s gender is more about the principle of eschewing definition. “Ougi is ougi.” They’re gender fluid or agender or something like that. Gender is only applicable to them by bugs bunny logic. Once they are settled into femininity being a possibility they immediately reject it and move on to “being a guy” without properly understanding it comes with new social caveats (don’t ask your lesbian upperclassman if she’s on her period) bc Ougi is principally inhuman and sees the construct of gender as a novelty, a further cause by which they can skew the perspective of reality. Which is principally silly. They are a silly little guy.

It’s why I default to they/them even though in practice ougi is, whatever uniform they’re wearing, and she/her and he/him aren’t inaccurate. Ougi imo cares about gender only in so far as they can toy with it and subvert it which is what makes them a nb icon. On one hand, araragi accepting ougi as a girl is extremely touching bc by extension he’s accepting her humanity and ability to choose who she is. But again Imo this is why almost immediately after she’s like. Ok, then, I can also be a boy, and now ougi is a boy. Ougi = ougi, and nothing else. A void of all else but their own personality and the drive to discover/embody mystery. Ougi “I’m like if a corpse was a girl.” Ougi “I’m just a little birthday boy it’s my birthday come on”

[aokozaki]

Ougi Formula One Review:

If I don't solve this mystery, everyone will laugh at me for being a poseur. I really understand how Min feels about Umineko right now.

Anyway, pretty good introductory episode! I love Ougi lying out their mouth about how little they know about what's going on, when it's very apparent they probably know everything up to the solution.

My blindest guess is that Sodachi did it. If only because she's a named character, with the only other named student being Araragi. However, there's no strong motive, and I feel like Nisio Isin is the type who'd go for a more abstract answer - perhaps one along the lines of Koyomi Monogatari's running theme of getting the elements the wrong way around.

In short, the little donut in the bigger donut did it.

[marathehomosexual]

what do you think of the gender of Ougi Oshino of the Monogatari Series (and by extension those connected to Ougi)?

Thats a great question, first off we need to understand what is Ougi, ougi came from the pure oddness of the arm of the rainy devil absorbed by the first servant of Shinobu, who she then ate.

The rainy devil was a reflection of Tooe, so i assume its gender is female, the first servant is male, Shinobu who ate it is female, and araragi who ended up at the end of this food chain is male.

Thus we have a perfect split Male/Female ratio. Ougi isn't just araragi, but a being that carries all of the power of these monsters in some form, carry its parts. Ougi to me is Genderfluid, they decides if they're male or female, they may have first appeared as female to get close to Araragi, but then chose to become male as they got closer to Kanbaru and Nadeko. Its very clear Ougi is in total control of that, they are what they wants to be at any time, if they have feelings about it or not is up to interpretation, but to me they're gender fluid.

Now where it gets interesting is about Araragi, the araragi who can't stop looking at woman, who has an imense self hatred, who crossdressed the minute he found a justification for it. Araragi could very easily be considered Gender Fluid or a trans woman with some of its patterns and i personally like this Headcanon.

But in a more profound sense i think Araragi has a complex about woman, his life was shaped by them, by his mother, his sister, by sodachi, by Shinobu, by Hanekawa, By Senjougahara and finally by Ougi. All of these woman set in motion something inside of him, be it his life, his love for math, his hate to bonds, his love for people, and his love for himself. Araragi is intertwined with these woman and he knows it, so Ougi, possibly the biggest change in his life took the form of a young girl, with short hair, who criticizes him, who likes him despite always annoying him, who always know the answer for everything. In a way you could say she is a distorted version of everything Araragi loves in the people around him, but even if they are different he stills loves them, he loves himself, and he loves Ougi. Ougi is in a way everything that he loves, a combination of his youth adventure with pieces of everything, and she is still him, she is him and he is her, the same way Ougi is made by all a fusion of the supernatural being of this town, Araragi is only araragi also because of these encounters

What mean to say is that Ougi is in a way an ideal to Araragi, someone that stay in his shadows and by his side, who know the answers and knows nothing, who will always make fun of and criticize him, yet who will always like him. Ougi being an ideal romantic partner or an ideal self is also up to interpretation, wich is the best of this series, its messages resonate with people in different ways, it shows great metaphor for youth and growing up and it lets you decide for yourself what it means.

TL;DR: Ougi is Genderfluid, Araragi is probably Non-binary, i love them both

[tempenensis]

Hi lele just wanna drop a lil vent AND need YOUR opinion on it please if you would be so kind♡ tq

I hate western fandom so much like even god can't help them!

Ok so i shipped satosugu and itafushi (♡♡) but now this western fans are screaming crying blah blah saying its canon when its NOT

Ok i understand about itafushi cus gege has implied it as well but nothing about satosugu has been said has it? It was just a mistranslation for godsake

All these western ppl started screaming satosugu canon after the director said some ship stuff but that SO does NOT make it official now does it?

I mean even the director of bleach has officially admitted that the anime was kinda biased and towards ichiruki than the ichihime that was later CANON by the MANGAKA himself

Im east asian and i speak and write Japanese well (its my first languag) and so i have always been reading manga first and then watching the anime. And i, as a manga reader, noticed the difference and so many things that were indeed ichiruki but thats not what im saying

Cmon are you getting me lele?! Im not trying to spread hate i just want the western fans to know not to cry wolf unless its OFFICIALLY confirmed or such

Just because THEY WANT to make a ship canon thru some half assed opinions does not mean they would pressurized or shame others who do not get on board on their not canon but i say its canon so its canon train

I really liked satosugu because i though it was cute but now i don't cus the western fandom made it so toxic

I told them that the official manga that is in Japanese language says something else (that my one and only thing) they literally all hounded on me, bullied me online for being a 'homophobe'? Like why? I have a girlfriend for around 3yrs now haha 😂 (im a girl)

I DONT KNOW WHAT TO SAY IM SORRY LELE FOR WASTING YOUR TIME BUT I JUST want WHAT IS YOUR OPINION please

Thank you very much

Have a wonderful day

Uh, yeah. So it's finally time that I came clear. I once said that I have a ship that I barely tolerate, so.... that NOTP is none other than stsg. I recently block the ship tag here in tumblr, actually. So now that I said this, stsg fans, you're very welcome to block me.

I'll put the rest of my answer under the cut in consideration for the ship fans, since this is definitely not for the fans. Don't say I didn't warn you if you're one of the fans and still continue to read and then get offended

Honestly, this is a thing that has been happening since several months ago. I don't know exactly why, but the western stsg fandom got very loud - to the point that I, who usually can tolerate many things including pairings that I don't ship, became unable to ignore it. Fans today really likes to throw words like "canon" and easily verbally attack people who don't agree.

Anyway, even if Director Park said it, it doesn't really make it actually canon. I still remember Nakata Jouji (I love the man, he's my favorite priest in Fate series), the seiyuu for Naobito, said that Naobito is Maki's father, which later written by Gege to be untrue. Ougi is Maki's actual father. So, unless Gege writes or says it directly, what other people (even staffs) can only be considered as a speculation; since it's their interpretation of the characters, just like we fans do.

It's just when related to a ship, fans always get loud. Remember viz's mistranslation "my one and only" lol? I have long thought since the volume came out that the stsg fans will take it and run with it. And this is just a personal theory, but the loudest one are the one with the smallest crumbs. Itfs is still fed today by gege so we're just content day to day, but stsg currently has nothing in the manga so they get really loud when the smallest crumb drops. It'll pass if you wait, just stay calm lol.

So my intolerance does not come from the ship itself, but from the fans, so yeah. Same, anon, same.

[nadekofannumber1]

the obvious point of speculation from Owarimonogatari is what would have happened if Araragi brought Ougi with him instead of Hanekawa to Sodachi's studio, but how do you think it would have turned out if anyone else took Hanekawa's place? (such as Senjogahara, Kanbaru or Nadeko)

You know I’ve seen this question around monogatari tumblr and they’ve given good answers so I’ll give a brief review on my thoughts and probably retroactively go back and link the people who’ve answered this question. However I will then raise different more unhinged character ideas.

Kanbaru: good head on her shoulders, could probably make her feel better even without perfect understanding

Senjougahara: I think they might just attack each other

Nadeko: is kind of creature at this point and while sodachi is fond of her it wouldn’t bring closure or peace bc wtf is she gonna do

Kaiki: could solve the problem in his own kaiki way but could also become another object of hatred

Either fire sister: I think this is well filed under makes her worse

Hachikuji: honestly might not go bad, she’s mature and might be able to give decent advice if she can even see her, but consider the placements of the events in the timeline this could not happen at all

Meme: he probably couldn’t fix this one

ETC specialists: probably can’t do shit + make things worse

Yotsugi: this would just lead to more questions and you know it

Shinobu (any version): now this wouldn’t go well but also this would lead to so many questions that sodachi really doesn’t need rn

And finally what I think could be the most interesting alternate solution is

Araragi’s parents (or maybe just his mom): so hear me out can you like, fucking imagine if araragi brought his known cops who like to do some social work parents to sodachi’s place, how do you think that would go, would sodachi consider it a failure, would she feel bitter tears at araragi finally bringing his parents like she ask and it being too late? How would the parents react to suddenly meaning this child they would’ve cared for having a deeply horrible moment with araragi, they’d see the truth clearly but what then, how would that have gone. Would it be cleared up professionally? Would they have too much stake in the case and not be allowed privilege to do much? I think that this is a really interesting idea because it’s not something araragi would ever normally do but it would do so much that it’s just fun to think about!

[whentranslatorscry]

Hitagi Honeymoon

007

“Hey Oikura, I'm going on a honeymoon to Tochigi with Hitagi tomorrow, would you like to come along?”

“Die.”

“You shouldn't tell a twenty-four-year-old to die.”

“I had too many things to say, so I simply and succinctly said ‘die.’ I didn't want to speak more than one word to you. But, I'm an adult too, so let me organize and list my objections one by one: don't invite me on a honeymoon, don't invite me the day before, and I hate you. Hate the hate with hate by hate for hate to hate at hate of hate.”

“What? You came to the wedding, didn't you? That was the first time I saw you dressed up. You looked fantastic.”

“I attended as a friend of the bride. Don't address me so casually, you married man. Don't say ‘fantastic’ without any sincerity.”

“Can't you take time off? Just for three days.”

“When will you stop thinking like a college student? I have work. Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after that, and the following day, and the day after that and the one after that and even the day after that. I may have unpaid leave but no paid leave.”

“You should retire, just say you're sick and need to be hospitalized.”

“Don't try to put me in a hospital. Even if every page of my schedule book was blank, I would eternally refuse to go on a trip with Araragi.”

“Which Araragi is that, though?”

“It should go without saying. It's not at all complicated. I'll continue to call Senjougahara-san by her maiden name. After all, she's going to get a divorce soon anyway.”

“Ahahaha. So, about that.”

“Don't ignore my curse.”

“I have thoughts about us sharing the same surname. Well, I knew it was a sudden invitation and you might not come, but if I didn't at least give it a try, I thought you’d be complaining later.”

“Don't make me out to be someone so troublesome.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“If you're asking if I don't like being called a troublesome person because I am one, the answer is yes.”

“You really are troublesome.”

“Even if I had an appointment booked six months in advance, I still wouldn't go.”

“Your schedule is packed all the way to half a year later. That's amazing for a town hall worker.”

“Ah, isn’t this just like you? Even after getting married, you never quite become an adult.”

“Well, now that I have a family of my own, I thought we’d have a close-knit family relationship with you from now on…”

“Impossible. I don't have a family.”

“"That was tactless of me. My apologies. Let me formally apologize for what I just said. However, you did accept and witness our marriage registration, so you're practically quasi-family to us as a married couple?”

“No, that was part of my job. What even is a quasi-family?”

“Witnessing for us was part of your job too?”

“Senjougahara-san, who ended up with a guy like you who barely understands how to fill out paperwork, brought the marriage form without a name listed for the witness. So I reluctantly lent my name just so it could be processed.”

“We are very happy and grateful for that, but it's also kind of worrying that you might end up becoming a co-signer for someone's debt someday like this.”

“Don't worry. If I were to become a co-signer, the debt review would not even pass.”

“What kind of past do you have?”

“A turbulent one. My credit history is a mess. My name got changed and reset once, but still.”

“Oh?”

“Haven’t I mentioned that? No no, you just forgot as usual, Araragi. When we first met by some mistake, I wasn't Oikura.”

“Was that so? Oh right, I think Ougi-chan mentioned something like that, maybe she didn't—”

“Who's Ougi-chan? Another new addition of the Araragi Girls? She wasn't at the wedding.”

“She's stuck at school, unfortunately, so couldn't make it to Tochigi…Oh, I see. You didn't idolize Euler just because you were Oikura. You loved mathematics even before the Old Oikura began.”

"Old Oikura or not, it's still me—it's just a change in the name.”

"I see, that makes sense."

"What other cases could there be?"

"Well, I feel like for some people, their name really shapes them. Like me - having the name 'Koyomi' makes me want to become a historic figure."

“Your 'koyomi' and 'history' use different kanji.”¹

“No way.”

“How embarrassing it is to think that someone like you is representing Japan and training in America. I wonder if I should revoke your working visa with my authority.”

“Are you such a powerful figure? I can't believe someone so capable could be exploited like this. I'm not exactly representing Japan and training at the FBI Academy or anything.”

“So you've always been a student."

“Don't you worry about me. I'm enjoying my eternal life, oh, I mean eternal moratorium.”

“You’re not exactly living up to your name. Not turning the pages of the calendar.”

“You have a way with words. In that sense, you’ve grown up, just like your name suggests.”

“How annoying. I know that when I was attending Naoetsu High School, people were badmouthing me behind my back, calling me 'Oikura Sodatanai.'”²

“I didn't know that… I know you were called 'How Much,' but why 'Sodatanai’?”

“Then I've just revealed some unnecessary information. Senjougahara-san told me about it some time ago.”

“She might be the source of that rumor. If it was during our first year of high school.”

“How can that be, when I looked after that sickly girl without holding back anything?”

“She loved to talk bad about people she liked. And she didn't speak ill of those she wasn't interested in.”

“It was just a lovely little tsundere moment, that nickname, wasn’t it.”

“Oh, for the first time in my life, I heard you praise someone, although it was such a simple compliment.”

“Is it just Senjougahara where you're going?”

"Well, despite everything going on, my schedule is getting packed. It's only a two night, three day trip but…I've got to catch a flight to Washington on the fourth day."

"You should be the one taking time off. I'm sure they'll understand over there."

"Even though I've been pulled every which way, I'm still technically in training. The wedding itself was quite the forced march…and with everything commission-based at work, I can't take too much time off."

"Sounds like a tough work environment all around. I definitely wouldn't go, but as a witness I'll be happy to proofread your honeymoon itinerary. What's the roadmap looking like?"

"It's nice getting your corrections again."

"I doubt you remember back when I used to proofread your work."

“I remember, maths fairy.”

"Want me to send you to an early grave?"

"You're the only one who could raise me up or put me six feet under. Anyway, no way around the two night, three day schedule, so I've had to drop some places like Ashikaga, but there are still a few spots we just can't miss."

"You should build in some wiggle room on a trip like this. Otherwise it'll be too jam-packed."

"You're probably right. We're driving back and forth to squeeze it all in."

"Driving instead of taking the bullet train? Why? You want to be jammed in while stuck in traffic too? Haven't you heard of traffic jams?"

“Don't shoot down the idea all at once. I did suggest the bullet train, but Hitagi-san really wants to drive.”

“Right.”

"Ever since high school, she got her license on the sly before she even graduated. She's just that kind of person, you know? I heard about this mountain pass called Irohazaka from someone else, she said she really wants to try."

"They'll rescind her license for that."

"Well, that's a problem for day two. On the first day we're going to Nasu Highlands. There's something I need to see there-- the Killing Stone."

“Killing Stone? On your honeymoon?”

"I know how that sounds, but it's not like I'm excited to see the Killing Stone itself. That's just incidental. The main thing is I want to go glamping. It's really trendy right now. Barbecues, hot springs, a nice relaxing experience-- that's what I'm looking for."

"No amount of barbecues or hot springs can offset a place as ominous as the Killing Stone. If you're not excited about it, then who is?"

"The next day after having nasuben in Nasu, we'll go down from the highlands to Nikko. We'll see the Sleeping Cat at Nikko Toshogu Shrine."

"Not answering my question at all. The Sleeping Cat… to commemorate Hanekawa-san, I assume?"

“She's not dead. Hanekawa is still alive… probably. But I read about it in the guidebook-- apparently there is a bird carved into the back of the Sleeping Cat. Cat with wings. It made me wonder if Nikko Toshogu Shrine was the inspiration for Hanekawa's character."

"Surely you're not going just to see that-- it's a World Heritage Site. You should try to learn something other than math, you know."

"Along with Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Futarasan Shrine nearby is also a World Heritage Site, and it's famous for being a shrine for matchmaking, so I'll be sure to properly visit and pray there too."

"Ah, now it's sounding more like a honeymoon. Finally."

“I also heard there's a huge sword, Nenekirimaru, at Chugushi Shrine near Lake Chuzenji, so if possible, I’d like to show… uh, see it too.”

“Suddenly you're acting all suspicious. I feel like there are opinions from lots of different people mixed in. Are you two really deciding this just between yourselves?”

“As you can see by me asking for your opinion like this, I do want to take in lots of different views-- that's just the democratic sort I am.”

“Hmm… smells fishy… I'll launch a negative campaign against you if you run.”

“What an unpleasant threat.”

“So you want to climb Irohazaka to get a look at that big sword?”

“I'd love to ride one of those swan boats on Lake Chuzenji if they've got any going. We talked about climbing Mt Nantai too but it looks like you need to submit a climbing plan for mountains at that level, so I dropped that idea.”

“It'd be great if you got lost and died up there. Just you, mind.”

“Well, if that's what you want I could make it happen, but if there are casualties it causes trouble for the mountain. I don't want to upset nature. So I'll drive carefully on Irohazaka. And if we've got time after that I want to see Kegon Falls and Ryuzu Falls before heading to Senjougahara while there's still daylight.”

“Why's that? To see the stars?”

“I'm going along with Hitagi's idea that it'll be an anticlimax if we can see stars before we get to Senjougahara. She wants us to watch the sun slowly set when we get there, spot the first star, and then spend the whole night gazing at the starry sky.”

“Rather than stargazing, it sounds like serious amateur astronomy. What, we're camping out the second night too?”

“The second night we sleep in the car.”

“Hardcore.”

“To be honest, when I suggested it I was planning we'd look at the stars for a couple of hours then head to a hotel. Apparently it's got some nice ones. But when I asked, Hitagi said it was her lifelong dream-- to look at the stars all night long, without blinking. So it's full-on hardcore stargazing.”

“She really is a romantic. And you just casually invite me on some crazy tough trip.”

“When we die, we die together, Oikura.”

"Death comes for us all eventually, I suppose. I won't deny the allure of stargazing, but unless it's a meteor shower or a lunar eclipse, can you really spend a whole night just staring at the sky without getting bored? I've spent my life looking at the ground, so I don't really understand it."

“Don't casually mention such sad things…”

"I've stomped on the ground all my life imagining it was you.”

“Don't casually mentions such scary things either… But the stars keep moving relentlessly, you know. It's like timelapse photography- or fixed point observation, I guess… They may not be shooting stars, but if I can make even one person's wish come true, I've no complaints. Except for the other guys, that is."

“Other guys?”

“Oh, I just mean there might be other tourists there stargazing too.”

"Maybe, it being a weekday and all… I won't call it a bad hobby, but I can't imagine those starry-eyed stargazers sticking it out all night. Even if it's summer, it must get freezing spending a night on Senjougahara, right? It's pretty high up there."

“Is it? I thought it was a marsh, so I imagined it was quite flat.”

“What was that about climbing Irohazaka?”

“Oh right… I'd better take precautions against the cold then. That's good advice. You really let your guard down, Oikura.”

“I thought Senjougahara-san wouldn’t overlook something like that. What's the plan for the last day after stargazing all night at Senjougahara?”

"I'm keeping that day open, as a buffer. If all goes well, we'll finish up with one last stargazing session, then head home. But I don't anticipate a trouble-free trip, traveling with me and all."

“How lame… With you, Araragi, you’re not so much a troublemaker, but more like a firestarter.”

“So what do you think about our honeymoon roadmap?”

“It isn't over until you get back home.”

“What do you mean?”

“After spending the entire night stargazing, descending Irohazaka seems to be a risky proposal, no matter who drives.”

“We'll be fine. It's not like we'll be drinking while watching the stars, and we'd already have traveled the path once on the way up.”

“But you wouldn’t have. You're ill-informed, Araragi. The ascent and descent of Irohazaka are two separate paths.”

“Ah, I think I recall hearing that from… someone else.”

“What someone?”

“A fanged someone.”

“What's that supposed to mean? I haven't been there myself, but if the geography class I took in college was accurate, the ascent should be Irohazaka no. 2, and the descent Irohazaka no. 1.”

“The ascent is the second slope? We must view the mountain peak as the starting point, I see. The seat of the gods.”

“The forty-eight syllables on the slope are counted from the bottom up. Anyway, drive safely. Before descending, make sure to take a nap. Apart from one major concern, that's pretty much all I wanted to say.”

“There's something bigger than a traffic accident? You should've led with that!”

“If mentioning the ominous Killing Stone was simply a side note, then I assume the main events of the honeymoon are the glamping on the first night and stargazing on the second, right?”

“Well, yeah. I'm looking forward to Toshogu Shrine and the Nenekirimaru, but it's actually my first time going on a trip with Hitagi. That’s why those two are something I centered on.”

“Have you checked the weather forecast?”

“Huh?”

“What if it rains?”

I was stopped dead in my tracks.

Prev Chapter | Next Chapter

Comparison of 暦, koyomi (calendar), and the first kanji in 歴史, history.

Sodachi is a verb meaning “to grow”, and sodatanai is its negative form. This joke was actually first made in Owarimonogatari audio commentary narrated by Sodachi and Hitagi. That is the conversation Sodachi references shortly after. 

翼Tsubasa=wing.

[theouger]

the world is a terrible place and that's why we laugh. ha haa

[sinkableruby]

the thing about being the one expert on something is that... you're at the top. you've made it. my experiences in my life predispose me to understanding this thing the best. you could say i've understood their heart if you will

but the thing about being at the top is that you have to go lower to talk to other people about that thing. because no one matches up to me completely. intellectually one might get it, emotionally one might get it, but no one gets the full of it. and you do learn things from going lower, and you incorporate them when you go back up to reach even further heights than you were at before. you just keep on climbing and climbing

on the one hand, it's lonely. there's no one fully on par with me, it's something on which i cant ever fully connect with someone else. because to others it's a thing, and to me it's the most important thing in the world. when i talk about it i talk about everything, when i write about it it's everything to me. no one could match up to that. and why would they, its just not as big of a thing to them

on the other hand, it's nice to have your clique. it's nice to be the sole expert on something because that's where identity starts to form. it's nice to have that security. but it is still lonely.

this is all just what it's like to be a human being. no one can ever fully understand someone else.

[descriptionofaruby]

but also like my banner on this really speaks to me. like this artist gets it. araragi is the "good" one and ougi is the "bad" one. loving in her fucked up way bc shes made of the nasty sick parts of him and doesn't know anything else. it really hammers in the difference in their situations. they were born with nothing, being worse than nothing (supposedly). unable to make things better and only able to make them more right. no wonder they didnt think they could be loved, being the monster they are.

like there's just something about like. inherently being that way. you can't do anything about it that's just how you are. idk it gives me real

vibes

surprise ougi post! on my personal blog?! damn...................... gotcha there.... it really is a third ougi blog now huh........................... heh.... gotcha.................

[psychewritesbs]

Chapter 198: Sakurajima Colony—JJK is about enlightened Buddhist Monks?; no JJK is about sexy shirtless men; Unpopular opinion: two wrongs don’t make a right; So is she going to kick Naoya’s ass after all?

Happy JJK-Sunday!

Am I the only one who had lost track of the chapter number?

Anyways... the art in this chapter was beautiful! My favorite panels below the cut.

JJK is about enlightened Buddhist Monks?

I’m really curious about the hand mudra Naoya is doing. I’m curious about its meaning... especially given the text in the panel:

Naoya’s persistence finally blooms

The actual name of his domain expansion sounds so symbolic too.

Also love the pupil behind Naoya. I’m not sure it means anything in the grander scheme of things, but, not only does it look artistically appealing, I also love the idea that there’s an all-seeing-eye in Naoya’s domain. There’s something so creepy and sinister about it.

Gege knows his cosmic horror!

Which kind of reminds me that when I first read this chapter the first thing that came to mind is that jjk feels like a story/metaphor about Buddhist Monks using their psychic powers to exorcise curses, and some of them achieve “enlightenment”--they transcend their ego minds.

Considering Heian saw the rise of two esoteric branches of Buddhism--Shingon and Tendai, I have to wonder which clans belonged to which school. I can’t help but wonder about the implications of men in positions of power utilizing their psychic abilities to control the masses.

No, JJK is about sexy shirtless men

Bahaha. 

Anyways. 

Beautiful panel! It was one of my favorites in the chapter. I love that Gege wants to drive home that Naoya is/was good-looking despite his rotten core. I also love that he morphed from that ugly cursed spirit shape into his human self at will. 

It goes back to the idea that he bloomed like a pretty little flower.

Which reminds me... is it possible to consider a problematic character to be interesting AND to know that he is, indeed, problematic?

Is it?

Ah, I hate the word problematic. It’s so short-sighted and it throws the baby out with the bathwater.

I’ll figure a better word to use next time.

Unpopular opinion: two wrongs don’t make a right

I get it.

I really do.

Mai and Maki had a fucked up upbringing. They were seen as nothing more than slaves.

Not to mention that the Zenin clan was the epitome of fucked-up-family-and-interpersonal-dynamics.com because of #the patriarchy.

But... unpopular opinion af: Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Maki destroying and murdering everyone in the Zenin clan was not a victory, it was a tragedy. 

I get the whole idea behind bringing down the patriarchy and it certainly makes a lot of sense but...

To me, the whole thing looks like it is a power up girl-boss moment, but in reality I have to wonder if it was more about Mai dragging Maki and the whole Zenin clan down with her.

Can I just say that the way I personally interpret the panel above is that Mai looked “evil” (for lack of a better word)?

That smug look on her face is so... self-affirming? Like she got exactly what she wanted from Maki.

And in order to understand why this panel felt “wrong” to me, I took a little trip down memory lane. More specifically chapters 42 and 149.

As per usual, Gege is able to deliver just the right amount of details to bring a character to life.

In Mai’s case, we learn that she’s weak-minded and has always resented Maki’s strength (more specifically her mental strength).

But I think the most important detail about Mai is that she is the kind of person who drags others down with her.

Since she is weak-minded, instead of seeking to grow to better herself (growth mindset), she seeks to bring others down to her level to feel better about herself.

Mai is truly the definition of a mean girl.

And I have to admit that I love Maki’s answer to Mai: 

In chapter 149 Mai tells Best Dad of the Year contender, Ougi (I think that’s her dad’s name), about her virtuous nature just as he is about to throw his daughters into a pit full of cursed spirits.

So yeah, this girl clearly isn’t interested in anyone’s well-being but her own.

Considering Maki’s personality is such a stark contrast to Mai’s, I wonder if this is part of the curse of being born a twin in the jjk-scheme of things. 

And that’s how we end up in that pit full of cursed spirits...

And how Mai, fully aware of the curse that it is to be born a twin, sacrifices herself “for Maki’s sake”. 

But is it really for Maki’s sake?

Or because she knows that the only way to drag everyone down with her is by having Maki avenge her since she’s weak and Maki is strong?

The problem is that in asking Maki to destroy everything, she’s also inadvertently dragging Maki down with her. 

Maki who only wanted to create a safe space for Mai in the Zenin clan went and destroyed everything because Mai left her with these last words--a curse?

And Maki obliges...

I know I am in the minority interpreting the events in this way, but this doesn’t make me happy for Maki and I have to wonder whether she feels the weight of the burden of what she did--she basically killed innocent women and children for Mai’s sake. 

EDIT: OK, after re-reading the appropriate panel, I am not sure that I can say with confidence that she killed “innocent” women and children. What I can say is that she killed upwards of 36 people that day. Gender and age are unconfirmed.

I know she wanted to create a safe space for Mai, but was this really the best way to go about it?

And all because Mai was a mean girl who couldn’t stand the thought of being left behind. Mai wanted nothing but to drag everyone down with her into the hell of her own creation.

Which is interesting given the innuendo about Naoya and Mai doing adult things together... like... you know... their taxes. 

I think it’s safe to assume that she was abused and that she was at a disadvantage in the dynamic with Naoya for multiple reasons, one of them being her gender and another her age. But Mai is such a toxic character that I would not be surprised to learn that she found some sort of twisted satisfaction in a toxic dynamic with a man like Naoya.

The parallels to Toji are also very interesting because even though Toji too was heartbroken and was abused by the Zenin, Toji chose not to destroy the clan even though he could have done it.

Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Two wrongs don’t make a right is an interesting trope that is actually present as a theme in a lot of anime and manga. From Gundam to Attack on Titan, the trope usually finds a resolution somewhere in the middle, so I am curious to see how Gege will unravel this storyline.

So is she going to kick Naoya’s ass after all?

Another panel I loved!

Also, I know her hair is short because it was burned but... right now she has the same hairstyle as Mai. Symbolic much?

Ah! Anyways...

Credit where it’s due: @justafrenchlondoner​ is the one who’s been feeding me ideas about Maki’s tragedy. She’s also my voice of reason when I want to get annoyed because it feels predictable that Maki is going to defeat Naoya again. 

If anyone read this, thank you for reading and happy JJK-Sunday!

[yuriswitch]

it's honestly really telling just how much people understand "makes sense" as "is consistent with what I think should be the case" sometimes. Not always, but when you have the concept of "multiple personalities" used to insist that there must only be one person per body it really strikes me as that kind of false appearance of making sense. How can "personalities" have different genders, sexual orientations, feelings, thoughts, habits, memories, skills and personality traits while allegedly all being reduced to mere "parts" of the "original", all despite the fact that said "original" can't possibly contain all of them simultaneously and never had some of those traits at all.

This is just like the monogamous insistence that you can only feel love to one person repeated in a multitude of romances where somehow the feelings towards one person are wrongly assumed to be "false love" or less valid somehow for no reason whatsoever, all so that the pretty-looking concept of "one true love" can be used to bait emotions from the audience.

I mean, personalities are in a sense patterns of behavior, tendencies to do one thing over the other, to feel this way in that situation or to act in that manner more often than any other. You can't simultaneously be a dumbass that doesn't know how to use his brain and would never do anything deceptive anyway and a skilled manipulator familiar with all the things their brain could be used for and prone to influencing people in ways the "original" would never even think to do hashtag Ougi is not Koyomi.

There's this element of "but aren't all people the same anyway" kind of thinking there, where bell curvies are so used to being pretty much the only kind of person that they know of, see, interact with and experience in media that they can't fathom the possibility that some core trait of theirs could possibly not be as universal and omnipresent in people as they seem to be in society

tl;dr we exist, not everyone is fundamentally the same in every core aspect, and "mental illness" doesn't mean "Everything I, the Normal Person, say about whatever I consider weird, in an attempt to cover up holes in my worldview, must necessarily be logically consistent and factually accurate"

/Kafuka