#whats the point of forgiving or not forgiving if the person is dead and cannot do anything with that verdict

[emphasis-on-the-oopsie]

Im leaning towards voting amane forgiven right now, though i still fear what the consequences will be if she ends up forgiven

But the damage amane can cause can be managed (not all of it but better than nothing), while the mental (and possibly physical) damage that a second unforgiven vote will inflict on her will be too much

[burst-of-iridescent]

i really hate it when people act as though zuko is being selfish or self-serving in some way when he tells aang in the finale that the only choice he has is to kill ozai because a) at this point, zuko is right and b) zuko's brutal honesty here is coming from a place of fear for both aang and the world.

are we all forgetting that unlearning his own idealization of his father and realizing that ozai never had been, and was never going to be, the person zuko thought he was, was a significant part of zuko's own arc? it took him sixteen years to understand that giving ozai any grace or understanding or forgiveness was a mistake, because it would be just another tool for ozai to manipulate him with. and that's not zuko's fault, because he was an abused child growing up in an incredibly damaging environment, but it does make sense that he doesn't want anyone else, especially aang, doing the same thing.

zuko is harsh on aang here because he sees in aang the person that he used to be - the innocent, naive kid who wanted so desperately to believe that ozai wasn't a monster, that there was any shred of humanity within him at all to be appealed to. it's not a coincidence in this show so rife with parallels that aang goes to face ozai at around the same age that zuko has his agni kai. and what did it get zuko, when he threw himself at his father's mercy and counted on ozai's non-existent humanity and compassion to save him?

zuko isn't coming down hard on aang because he's angry that "aang won't do his dirty work for him" or whatever other bullshit version of this argument i've seen zuko antis make - he HAS to impress upon aang how dire this situation is because he knows better than anyone that believing for even a second that ozai can be redeemed is incredibly dangerous. aang cannot give ozai an inch because it will only be used against him (and indeed, this does happen in the final battle when aang turns down the opportunity to redirect lightning at ozai and in return ozai presses his advantage to the point where aang would almost certainly have been killed if not for rock ex-machina).

furthermore, this idea that zuko wanted ozai dead for self-serving reasons doesn't really have much basis either, because if that was the case zuko could have just killed ozai himself during the solstice. he doesn't because at that point, he still had an alternative: aang (and you'll notice his word choices never explicitly refer to what ozai's fate will be; it's only "i'm going to help him defeat you" or "taking you down is the avatar's destiny"). as with many abused children, it's likely that zuko himself didn't really know if he wanted his father dead, but when it came down to the final battle without any other viable options presenting themselves, it was something he had to resign himself - and aang - to.

zuko himself does not lack faith in others (in fact, his whole journey is about understanding that his love for and belief in humanity is a strength, not a weakness) but he's learned the hard way that having this faith in the wrong people can result in devastating consequences, especially when the stakes are so high.

i imagine it terrified zuko to see the echoes of his younger self in aang, knowing he's sending him to face his father at the height of his power. at this point, with no knowledge of energybending or any alternative way to defeat ozai, well aware that a fight with his father can only end in bloodshed, zuko has no choice but to give aang the reality of the situation: kill, or be killed and doom the world alongside you.

[simping-berry]

A Lover's Wrath

A/N: This a crackfic. While i was playing the archon quest this was half my mind. Also i have some fics in my drafts in the proof reading phase, probs will post it at the end of the week! (AKA i wasn't dead for months) Summary: You angy, may celestia save your lover and the others from your wrath. Warnings: 3.2 SPOILERS

You were pissed.

It took a lot of time to navigate the damn domain with its complex machinery yet it cannot stop your rage as you stomped closer to the source of your undying anger. 

“How DARE he?! How DARE he do this to you?! After all you’ve done for him!” Your thoughts repeat in your mind as the elevator ascends to, what you hope, is the last room to finally see your lover. 

Once the elevator stopped and the doors opened, you wasted no time and started marching towards the huge machine displayed in front of you. Any witness be damned, you weren't here for them! You were here for him and his cheating ass. 

Meanwhile the 3 people that were already in the room stopped their face off as they saw a new face marching forward towards them, with eyes filled with anger. Lumine and Nahida were baffled to find another person, with no vision, in such a dangerous place that is filled with fatui personnel. How did you even manage to come here?  

The robot’s faceplate opened to reveal a confused scaramouche inside. Why the fuck were you here? 

“Love? What are you-” “Don't you dare call me ‘love’ Kunikuzushi!” You snapped as you stopped in front of him, making scaramouche shocked on why you were angry at him. “Kunikuzushi, you cheating BASTARD!”

“y/n what are you talking about?” 

“I heard EVERYTHING, Kunikuzushi. You have the AUDACITY to call haypasia your ‘First Follower’. What am I then? A FUCKING display?” You shouted. Scaramouche was annoyed at first. This was his day to be reborn as a God. But he wouldn't let his normal attitude show in fear for the worst. Your face says it all. Anger. Hurt. betrayal. “y/n it’s not what it looks-” “Don't you even say ‘It’s not what it looks like’! I'm not BLIND kuni!” 

You turned to the side and marched towards the traveler, who was bewildered at the sight in front of her, alongside Nahida. You gripped the traveler's arm and looked him dead in the eye. “Take me to that face plate or you will be the one to face my wrath.” Aether knows not to fuck with an angry significant other so he tried to find a way. But you were growing more and more angry as the traveler desperately thinked of a solution. 

Scaramouche, while nervous, speaks up to at least get you out of the domain. “Y/n maybe we can talk about this when we get home” 

That was your snapping point. The both of you just started shouting at each other, or rather, you shouting and Scaramouche trying to calm you down and asking for forgiveness. 

Nahida can sense your overwhelming rage and genuinely fears what will happen to the balladeer even though he was the enemy at this moment. “Traveler, we should try and block them from reaching the balladeer.” Nahida suggested to which Aether agreed. 

“DON'T YOU TEST ME KUNIKUZUSHI I WILL BE THE ONE TO DEFEAT YOU THIS MOMENT! I WILL MUSOU NO HITOTACHI YOUR ASS AND GIVE YOU TO YOUR HAYPASIA” You shouted as you threw multiple weapons at him.

That was when Nahida and Aether quickly tried to calm you down as Scaramouche was removing all the wires that were restricting him to come to you and explain himself. While all this was happening, Dottore was struggling to keep his laughter silent. He shouldn’t be laughing because his experiment was being delayed but at the sight of 3 powerful beings trying to stop a tiny human was a once in a lifetime sight. In the end he just laughed his heart out, which didn't go unnoticed by your ears. You squashed all the hands that were restricting you and ran towards Dottore and pulled him close to your face.

“YOU TOO, DON'T THINK YOU’RE SAFE I WILL ALSO BEAT YOUR ASS”

Well, Dottore now understands the panic the other 3 had. Your rage was something else. You were a weak tiny human but your strength and determination was inhuman, at least only at that time because of your rage. Your grip in his collar grew tighter as he started fearing for the worst.

Aether and scaramouche has to pry you off from Dottore while you keep struggling and fighting anyone you eyes lands on. And that’s how the disaster of Sumeru was stopped. (And how everyone, including Dottore and Nahida, found out about the Balladeer’s feral lover)

In the end, Scaramouche explained himself and you calmed down. At Least now he knows to never play with you or he will genuinely fear for his life.

[hatchetings]

i honestly agree with the idea that pete wasn’t really friends with ruth or richie, and it’s not because of his reactions to their deaths or anything.

i say this because he is the most reactive to ruth’s death compared to grace & steph. also far more reactive to richie’s death compared to grace & stephanie too, but ruth on the other hand is like? majorly more anxious compared to rest of them hearing that richie was murdered, which will play into my take later but anyways.

i believe that pete isn’t really close with the two because of his reactions to the shit they do and say. like every possible moment, he is fidgeting nervously around them, spacing off, correcting them, or ridiculing them. and when he’s not doing that, he’s… trying to be nice, but good god does he seem so damn anxious about it. not to mention when he calls ruth and richie, “fucking nerds” they don’t laugh it off like… friends would? they roll their eyes and become offended. also! also also!!! gosh i love pointing out details, but pete seeming semi-confused at richie’s statements about the body-pillows. if they’ve been friends for years, pete would be used to it by now, completely ignoring it.

also, the lin manuel miranda thing, why is pete going up to richie and saying that? wouldn’t he have gotten a better reaction of ruth, the theatre kid? or is he getting ruth and richie’s interests confused?

they aren’t friends to pete, they’re just people pete decides to hang around with because he has no choice. why doesn’t have a choice? because of the system the school runs on. max, every other popular & cool kid at school, and then, the nerds.

that’s who he’s limited to.

it’s the way they talk and interact with one another that makes me think pete is just not as close to richie and ruth as we think he is.

but you know what, ruth and richie? oh, they’re incredibly close and you can tell. the jabs at one another with no reaction (ex. “who are you trying to impress…? ruth?” and ruth continuing on the joke). the overdramatic faces made toward one another?? also, the fact they tend to stand closer to one another than to pete? there are multiple scenes like that… almost every interaction these two have, you can tell they’re best friends. going back to my point with ruth’s reaction to richie’s death above, she is visibly more anxious hearing that richie is dead compared to every single one of the people being questioned. it’s heartbreaking actually, because this is a person she’s known for, likely, years and it’s just!

it’s so obvious how close they are.

they can joke around with each other because they know they’re joking when they insult one another.

there’s probably reason why pete gets somewhat defensive of richie’s comments about his outfit, or how the idea of him & steph together is ridiculous.

pete cannot tell they’re joking because they’re not as close.

but i do want to throw in. i think ruth and richie consider pete far more of a friend than he does them. they actively seek pete out, they feel like they can make jabs at him because they think they’re close enough pete can take it as joke. they worry about him, and pete just doesn’t think about them the same way (and he doesn’t realize they consider him a friend).

which is… kind of sad to think about!

anyways, that’s my ramble for today

forgive me for any misspellings and grammar mistakes

it’s like 1am rn

[popopretty]

BSD Chapter 105.5

"In the Narrow Room - the Later Part"

I love this chapter so much I have no words T_T Dazai is so precious I would trade the world for him!!

Please note that I typed it out very quickly while being hyped with neither English nor Japanese as my native language, so I might make mistakes here and there. Please forgive me I can't think really straight right now ;v;

SPOILERS AHEAD

Sigma tells Dazai that he cannot believe that Dazai is a normal person because he just single-handedly took down Fyodor, and asks Dazai why he chose him in the beginning instead of all the other usable tools (;v;). Dazai tells him there are 2 reasons, first is Sigma can act as Kunikida's replacement, because it would be very boring if there is no one there to be in awe and admire what Dazai did there. Sigma gets mad at Dazai and assumes that Dazai thinks he is not worthy enough to share the truth. Dazai corrects him saying that is not true, and that Dazai doesn't share anything with him because it's hard for him to understand, especially after he has been used by Tenningosui and others this whole time.

Dazai then decides to share one thing with Sigma and asks him if his ability to switch information works on dead people. Sigma confirms he can, as long as they have not been dead for a very long time. Dazai explains that he wants Sigma to use that ability on Fyodor (who is assumed dead at that point) to read his plan after that and save the ADA at the airport. Sigma is surprised Dazai did everything that he did only to save the ADA, and the words from people who used him in the past starts echoing in his head.

Dazai and Sigma get on an elevator to get to the room where Fyodor is supposed to be drown. While they are waiting, Sigma asks Dazai what is the second reason for Dazai to choose him, to which Dazai nonchalantly answers that if he didnt choose Sigma, Sigma would be silenced by Fyodor or Gogol later. Sigma is shocked, trying to confirm Dazai's intention to save him but Dazai doesn't say no more. Sigma starts to wonder what kind of place is the ADA. He thought Dazai was the same as those guys who used him, but he feels something different now. He thinks about how he wants a home, where he is not used by anyone, and he realizes that, the ADA is not using Dazai, and Dazai is not using the ADA either.

Dazai notices something is strange because the elevator is taking too long. Suddenly the evelator stop and they hear the voice of the time freezing skill user on the radio, begging for her life. Fyodor is seen alive with Chuuya, shooting her dead. Fyodor then tells Dazai over the radio that he is surprised, not by the flooding, but by the fact that Dazai and his 7-year partner's bond was so shallow that Dazai think Chuuya's ability cannot deal with that flood. He reveals that he has had Chuuya break and distort the track/rail of each partition wall when they entered. That way, it will prevent the doors to close properly, letting the water leak outside and allowing them to easily escape. He then says that if one cannot even think of that, they do not have enough qualification to use the gravity manipulation.

Sigma does not get why Fyodor could do that, Dazai then explains to him that Fyodor must have put one of his vampire among the guards, and when he couldn't contact with that vampire anymore, he was able to guess that the control room has been taken. It also means that Fyodor has already been in control of Mersault way before Dazai took his action.

Fyodor admits he was caught by surprirse with the attack though, and even though it is seemingly a suitable trial for a servant of God like him, he is weak and cannot stand it if he catches a cold, so he wants to return the favor by making Dazai and Sigma go through the same trial. After he says so, the elevator starts to be filled with water. The two of them try to get out as the door being locked and Fyodor praying for them to be held in the hands of God.

The chapter ends here. Next issue will be released on March 3 (Japan time). Thanks for reading till the end <3

[gay-dorito-dust]

I fee like Jason would gently but firmly break off his relationship with his s/o because he'd want to try to distance you from his vigilante life, he'd obviously never tell you about his other life. he'd try to convince you to move out of Gotham, maybe after dumping you he'd convince one of your friends to contact a relative of yours who lives far outside Gotham to try to entice you out of the city because he can't fully concentrate knowing Gotham could get you at any moment.

If you don't leave you'd find that you escape a lot of situations you shouldn't and that known bad guys even pretty big criminals tend to just leave you alone and pretend you don't exist even if you happen to find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time, a random goon will just escort you out or a mugger would realise his mistake and beg forgiveness and leave all your belongings safely beside you. Redhood follows you a lot not that you know, he wouldn't want to frighten you, on some nights he'll sleep on your balcony or your fire escape just to be near you.

I’m basically reiterating what you’ve already said because it’s so fucking good anon. You took my singular braincell. How dare. 🦦

.Jason cannot focus on both keeping you safe and on clearing Gotham. It’s just not realistic. So if one thing had to give then Jason would selflessly chose to save you from a life of constantly look in over your shoulder. You deserve a better life and unfortunately Jason knows that you’ll never get that dream life staying in Gotham.

.Redhood had a plethora of enemies and Jason didn’t want you to become a victim of his acts of vigilantism. It wasn’t fair on you but Gotham never was or is a fair city for anyone involved. You could be alive and content one moment but dead in a dingy alleyway with corrupt people trying to gloss over your murder the next.

.So like you said anon. He goes to every contact he had that could help him in getting you moved out of Gotham, whether that be friends, family, whoever could aid Jason speed up the process in getting you settled in elsewhere was more then welcomed by him.

.Breaking up with you would be the worst thing Jason ever had to do, which is saying something, but again as much as Jason wanted to be a selfish man, he couldn’t bring himself to keep you in a city that will ultimately be the death of you both in a literal and metaphorical sense. He thought he had finally got the chance to be happy and get to live out his life with you, but when the villain of the week vaguely mentioned you in some capacity, Jason’s blood ran cold as everything in his body went mental; screaming at him to end this fucker right here and now for daring to mention you and demand how they knew.

.However he knew that’s what they wanted confirmation but still a part of his brain made him believe that they already knew of your relationship with redhood and that scared Jason unlike anything else. You were his Achilles heel and he hadn’t even realised that until the moment you were being threatened. And at that point Jason was at a loss of what to do to prioritise your safety because he would do absolutely anything to protect you and keep you safe but sometimes the best thing for him to do was to let you go and hope that you live a better life elsewhere. Far, far, far away from Gotham.

. Maybe sometime in the future when things have calmed down, he’ll visit but that’s never a guarantee. He thinks himself a death omen and he’d rather you live in safety and security. So he stays in Gotham as though he was chained to the damned city. Forbidden from ever leaving. Yet he’ll never forget you and everything you’ve done for him, I’d like to think he’d keep one thing that reminds him of you as a reminder of all the good times you’ve shared. Jason knew his heart would always belong to you and the item he kept was only a reminder of that.

.If you don’t move out of Gotham however, you start to realise that you are the most Luckiest/safest person if there ever was one. Goons, villains, thugs, all of them avoid you as though you were the plague, like you possessed something so potent that had them retreating back into the shadows, hissing as though you’ve burned them without touching them.

Which you did and he happened to be the infamous Redhood. Nobody fucks with you when Redhood is your silent but slightly terrifying guardian looming over you from the rooftops, daring anyone to try anything within his presence and to see where it gets them.

. A thug could’ve been gunning to steal your bag after managing to corner you in some dingy alleyway, holding you a knifepoint, and all of a sudden all the colour in their face vanish as their eyes flickered upwards and boom. Redhood. The thug is shitting it, their eyes are bulging out of their head as they throw the bag back at your feet and mutter ‘I ain’t planning on dying over some stupid bag, fuck that.’ Before running away with their tail between their legs like a little bitch.

. You, confused, would look up in the same place that the thug did. Only to find absolutely nothing before shrugging your shoulders. ‘Must be the drugs he was taking.’ You’d conclude before continuing on your way home to your beautiful boy, Jason.

. I’d like the idea that you caught Redhood sleeping out on your balcony/fire escape one night and now not only are you taking care of your beloved boyfriend but also a 6’2 vigilante who’s built like a brick house with guns strapped to any part of him that you could see. It’s cute and adorable because you’d probably also come to the conclusion that he was the reason why you were being left alone, and to show your gratitude to him you start leaving food, drink and something comfortable to sleep in out for him whenever you could alongside a note that said; ‘thank you for looking out for me but please for the love of god take care of yourself.’

. Jason loves it and finds it’s unbearably cute as he perched himself on your balcony/fire escape, eating your food and making himself comfortable for the night while you slept. He wished he could at least kiss your forehead and wish you a goodnight sleep but he knew he couldn’t and he hated it but as long as you were safe, that’s all Jason could ever ask for. He’ll shower you in affection soon but tonight he was on watch duty.

[hephanna]

On the Cat King, Edwin & Charles. [And David the Demon + Crystal, and Jenny + Maxine & Niko].

Not to unnecessarily pipe in my two cents when it hasn't been asked for, BUT I just wanted to mention some of my thoughts on The Cat King, Edwin, Charles (and Crystal + David the Demon) sometimes fantasy shows use supernatural elements as allegories for real life situations (this is seen with Buffy, Supernatural, and yes Dead Boy Detectives) and therefore just because it's supernatural/fantasy, it cannot immediately be dismissed as 'not needing to follow real life moral rules' For example in Dead Boy Detectives, David the Demon, despite being a demon, is clearly an allegory for an abusive ex-boyfriend - Jenny even points this out on-screen. David is in Crystals' head, harassing her and tearing down her self-confidence (telling her she isn't worth anything) the way an abusive ex-boyfriend may linger in their victim's mind even after breaking up. He takes away her memories (and therefore her identity) the same way an abusive boyfriend takes away the identity of the woman he is abusing, her sense of self, her connections. And Crystal must take her sense of self, her memory, her confidence back by defeating David. Although David is a demon, he is still meant to reflect a real-life abusive ex-boyfriend, even a human one. The same thing is true with the Cat King - not saying he's an abusive ex-boyfriend - but his behaviour cannot be justified by the fact that he's a supernatural creature. The audience is still meant to reflect, to make connections via the supernatural on real-life situations. Now, I'm not saying the Cat King was wrong for trying to shoot his shot with Edwin, or that Edwin wasn't attracted to the Cat King, HOWEVER, Edwin's attraction doesn't mean the Cat King is entitled to his time or affection - nor does it mean the Cat King has a right to disregard Edwin's boundaries. Disregarding their introductory meeting, and discussions about whether or not it was morally correct of the Cat King to ask Edwin to have sex with him after putting a magical bracelet on his wrist, several incidents after that also demonstrate the Cat King taking away Edwin's choice from him (such as using a truth spell on him to force Edwin into confessing why he's a detective in hopes of not being sent back to Hell) - regardless of the Cat King's response "I like your secret parts" you shouldn't force someone into being vulnerable for you before they are ready - the same way it would be wrong to read someone's private journal, or get someone drunk with the purpose of asking them invasive questions you know they wouldn't answer sober. The Cat King views himself as entitled to the 'real' Edwin, regardless of whether Edwin feels comfortable sharing that with the Cat King. This is also seen when the Cat King saves Edwin from Monty, and then gets upset when that doesn't get him what he wants (a kiss, sex, whatever) and Edwin gets frustrated with the Cat King, reminding him he's a person, not a toy. The audience is meant to emphasize with Edwin, and understand the situation he's in and how it parallels real life situations. (i.e., someone thinking you owe them sex because they bought you a drink at a bar) Edwin forgives the Cat King at the end, because a part of Edwin's character journey, along with self-discovery, is also forgiveness. He understands the Cat King is also struggling, in the same way he understood Simon was struggling, but there struggles do not mean the way they treated Edwin was acceptable. That doesn't mean the Cat King can't grow from this, and learn to respect Edwin and his boundaries. That also doesn't mean you can't still ship the Cat King/Edwin and enjoy an unhealthy power dynamic, boundary pushing, etc., this is still fiction after all, and I'd be a huge hypocrite to say that all my ships are morally good and acceptable. But I just also think "it's a fantasy show! it doesn't need to follow our morals!" is a flimsy understanding of the text - just acknowledge that something doesn't have to be morally correct for you to enjoy it, but don't remove the morals altogether.

There is a reason, after all, as Edwin accepts his sexuality, he realizes he is in love and wants Charles, not the King Cat. There is a reason (I think, at least) that the show creates obvious parallels between Charles & the Cat King - and shows Charles very obviously not liking the Cat King. Also, just another little thought, this is also demonstrated with Jenny & Maxine. Maxine seems 'innocent' because she's a sweet, blonde librarian who is writing Jenny Love Notes - and the Love Notes are even acknowledged, as creepy from the get-go, but then it's like "oh, but it's just a sweet, innocent woman who's writing them, it's actually super romantic!" And then the twist is, no, actually, it still is creepy. Maxine was literally stalking Jenny for possibly months, watching her through her window, and as we saw: not accepting Jenny's boundaries when it became clear Jenny was uncomfortable. Like the Cat King got upset and mad with Edwin, saying he wasn't going to 'play nice' anymore, Maxine got upset with Jenny and then tried to kill her, yelling 'why won't you let me love you.' Again, just because you like someone, and even if that person was initially or still is attracted to you - like Jenny was initially attracted to Maxine - that does not mean you are entitled to their love, their privacy, or their body. Everyone still have free choice. There is a reason Jenny did not immediately forgive Niko for pushing her to go on a date with Maxine, and why Niko felt so guilty - it wasn't Niko's fault, at all, because Maxine made her own choices, but Jenny had been uncomfortable with the situation from the get-go, and she was proven right - and put into extreme danger because of it. This isn't to say the Cat King is terrible - again, I enjoyed the Cat King character. I liked his interactions with Edwin, his sarcasm and tricks. But his behaviour towards Edwin went beyond flirtation and wanting to be with Edwin, and at times was coercive, manipulative, and toxic. Which is okay! As we learned during the end, Crystal was also toxic during her life and then wanted to change and become a better person. The Cat King can also be toxic, and then learn and want to change and better himself. I just personally think that's an important aspect to acknowledge of the Cat King's journey - instead of sweeping it under the rug, or telling other fans they're "reading too deeply into it" and "just don't understand what demonstrating sexual interest in someone is." Or "it's fantasy." Because there's demonstrating sexual interest in someone, and then there's routinely and purposefully bull-dozing over someone's boundaries, which we see the Cat King to do Edwin. Anyway, apologies for my huge ramble, I am not trying to be mean to anyone or say anyone cannot ship the Cat King/Edwin (and I am admittedly biased - Edwin/Charles holds my heart) but I enjoy show analysis, healthy debate, etc,. and just really wanted to share my thoughts and engage with the community. All my love, Hephie.

[actual-changeling]

if god did not want me to over-analyse a two second video clip she would not have given me video editing software, so welcome back to alex's unhinged meta corner with me, alex, as your host.

we're going off the deep end with this one.

let's have a look at a. well, you cannot really call it a scene at this point. more of a collection of frames - aziraphale's face right after crowley leaves but before the bell above the door rings. this has been on my list of metas to write anyway, but someone kindly pointed it out which gave me incentive to make this post.

now, my leading theory is that much like his mouth movement before saying "i forgive you", which looked and sounded a lot like the beginning of "i love you", aziraphale is mouthing a silent "don't". presumably, the complete sentence would have been "don't leave".

first things first, why do i think he would say it? well, if you look back at their breakup in the park in season one, aziraphale calls him back when he says he will leave.

"you can't leave, crowley, there isn't anywhere to go".

then, after the fucking mess that is "nothing lasts forever", aziraphale also calls out. "come back". it is also perfectly in line with his previous behaviour to try and keep crowley from leaving again. especially because he almost tells the metatron he will stay just a few minutes later.

some other important things to keep in mind: aziraphale is shaking and about to cry, and also probably still in shock. so his face is doing a number of things and any words he may or may not mouth are slightly skewed due to that.

the first few frames are him taking a breath, so far so good.

this is the part where it looks like he is about to say something and silently begins to mouth don't. if you pay very close attention to his lips, you can see that they get pushed forward just a little bit as one does when saying "do".

you can try it yourself to confirm, i certainly did several times while rewatching the same two seconds like an absolutely sane person.

the last few frames are him closing his mouth again and breaking off whatever he was going to say, but in my opinion, you can still see the ending of that "don't".

alex, you might ask, how do you know that's what he was trying to say? i don't, although i hope once the strike ends someone will ask michael sheen some much needed questions. however, i wouldn't be a scientist if i didn't have evidence to present nevertheless.

i compared two of the frames from above, one from the "do" part and one from the "nt" part with another instance of michael/aziraphale saying "don't" - "i don't think you understand what i'm offering you".

the mouth shape and the movement of his facial muscles looks very similar even taking the whole sobbing and crying business into account.

interestingly enough, once the bell does ring, signaling that crowley has left the store, he not only closes his mouth but also physically steps back even more. he almost says "don't leave", restrains himself by physically pulling back, and then inches even farther from the door.

that is also when his face shifts from completely openly heartbroken to angry/spiteful and heartbroken.

the camera angle changes a little bit but not enough to explain the discrepancy, so yes, he steps backward before turning away and touching his lips. that pillar is honestly a very helpful point of reference. also completely unrelated but the face he makes at the end cracks me up it is LITERALLY >:(

to summarize: someone get michael sheen on the fucking phone before i lose my mind. also you can pry this meta from my dead, cold hands, he almost said "don't leave" and i will die on this hill.

lastly, said two second clip at half speed if you want to have a look for yourself.

[lizaluvsthis]

"I... -Love-Y-ou... Three..."

BLOOD WARNING!

"I had no choice four..." the spark on his eyes remained unseen, showing out his alter side, his 'careless' side.

"Your time is up." SMG4 looked at the gun, pointing at his chest. Then into Three's motionless eyes... oh poor red, the shot of a bullet, to a soul, to a partner.

Four believed to himself, he can never stand to think. He knew that someday... this... will happen to him... that three himself, would be the one to shoot Four. Coming back to him. As the person he knew back then. The "old" three...

Four just stood on foot, he wasn't angry for this. He wasn't mad at three, because he has the rights to know it'll end up being his own nightmare of killing him. Even when after, he completely destroyed everything that three had.

He accepted his faith.

"Then my last words..." he frowned, with a heavy emotional blow from his chest that poured down every moments and adventures he had with three. It was all too good to be true...

He smiled within the response, eyes softened drowning Three emotionally with tears holding from his eyes. "I love you Three..."

SMG3's motionless eyes gave back an act of a stunned expression, been drowned by his deep sea blue eyes overflowing his heart. That can't be true...

That. CANNOT. be true...

Four would never say such thing like that, why now? Why when the most heaviest part of this way when you're about to die. You put this word out?

Lie... Liar... LIAR!

"TO DETERMINE TO DIE WITH A LIE ON YOUR LIP?!" Three points up his gun and pulled the trigger, sending shocks of the sound filling the room with the echo *BANG* SMG4, who'd been shot from his left. Remains standing until his very final breath.

He will never stop, until he admits everything...

Blood splattered around the floor, coughing the heavy feeling from his chest. He was loosing alot amount of blood, feeling the damage from his organ.

It was very hard to breath, but Four didn't care if it hurt... what mattered... was three... struggling to put up the words t'ill his final breath flows away...

He looked up at three's red motionless eyes, with tears finally coming out. "I...-Love-Y-ou...Three..."

"Always and forever..."

Muttered words by four, slowly losing his balance sending his head through space as everything around him spin around in circles...

Hitting the ground, his blood poured out from his chest. Surrounding his whole body and the floor with red stains..

Eyes dull, with a final exhale, he stopped.

...

"Oh God..." SMG3 finally came to his senses, he had realized what he had just done. And he could never forgive himself. "Four... I... I'm sorry..." Three dropped his glock to the floor, knelt down on his knees. Holding his corpse with uncontrollable tears swept to his face.

"It was all too good to be true... to be real... to experience... to feel... to... have..."

Three hugged him closer, seeing by now from what he had just done. He killed his one and only partner... the one he loved... the one he wanted to be with... the one he went... soft because of... everything... about four...

Out of all hope thats lost. He lost four even after with saving him and causing his own life at risk to save four by bunch of times... he protected the man... but in the end...

He ended up killing him instead...

Losing four felt like he had lost every remains that could function his life. He felt lost and dead... why must this happen to him...

*sniff* "I... I... I-I'm sorry four... I'M SORRY! I'M VERY SORRY!!!"

He hugged his body, staining the blood from his clothes. Crying endlessly from the intense pain he felt right after hearing those final words...

How could three have been such a fool?

"Hoo hoo good job, guess I underestimated your evil intentions 3. I'm glad my old evil buddy is still-"

Eggman wanted to continue, but to be stopped by seeing Three holding his dead partner close. Crying...

"You've changed..." Eggman eyed down from the blood. "I see... you've grown soft because of him."

"Why does it all matter to you now- I F-CKING KILLED THE ONLY PARTNER I HAD..."

-

Whoopsies :3 (oh no dont give me that lo- *RUNS*)

[iikatsukii]

His duties will not die.

synopsis: what if it was lo’ak and not neteyam…?

pairings: Lo'ak x TwinFem!reader, Sully family x Daughter/sister!reader

warnings: death mention & swearing.

word count: 1.8k

a/n: i wrote this first thing when i woke up this morning i had to get it out my head. also i love emphasizing words with red text. also also i totally forgot to make this clear but you are lo'ak's twin sister, koa. the story takes place like 3 years after wotw.

it was always his fault. 

it was always going to be lo'aks fault. 

no matter what he did, how hard he tried, what he sacrificed, it would always somehow wind down to being lo'aks fault

… even if what he sacrificed was himself. 

"koa…"

you ignored your father as you had been since your twin died. the day your brother's life left his eyes in your arms was the day you vowed to never speak again if the person who understood you most was lying lifeless in your arms. 

"koa, it's been years babygirl. will you please just talk to us? please, we're all hurting. we all miss him. just please say something. anything." jake would do the same thing every day. beg and plead with you to talk to him or anyone on the island. having twins was already demanding, but it's even more complicated when one dies in the other's arms. and as if it couldn't get any worse, you went mute after your brother died, so jake felt as if he had not lost one but both of his children. 

you never slept or ate with them anymore, too focused on pulling your weight in the clan. you knew deep down your father didn't really want you to talk to him. he just didn't want to have to feel like he's lost another child. and to you, nothing else in this world could make you angrier. you spent years listening to your father grovel at your feet, begging you to say something to him. and suddenly, all those years went to waste when you finally snapped at him.

"you do not miss him." your voice was hoarse but not completely gone, as you would still speak every now and then. but it was only when you were alone or with payakan. you wouldn't sleep, so you would sneak out of your marui to visit your twin's soul brother, knowing he was the only other being in the world who knew how you felt. 

that was the first thing you had said to anyone in almost 3 years, and honestly, it hurt your father's feelings. 

"koa, you cannot say that," jake tried to defend himself, not expecting his daughter's first words to him in 3 years to be dripping with poison as she spoke to him. he was confused. why were you acting this way? 

"oh, so now i cannot speak because you don't like what i said? well, it's fucking true. you did this exact same shit to him all the time. do not try it with me, it wont work." you yelled at him.

"watch your mouth young lady." your father kept trying to give you warnings because he knew this wasn't you. he knew you were just speaking out if hurt and that you didn't really mean what you were saying… right?

"no! fuck you! this is all your fault. if you hadn't put so much pressure on him, he would still be here. it was always his fault, his fault, his fault. TAKE FUCKING ACCOUNTABILITY. HE WAS YOUR SON. HE WAS RAISED BY YOU. YOU TAUGHT HIM HOW TO BE HIM. ALL HE WANTED WAS FOR YOU TO SEE HIM. ALL HE WANTED WAS FOR YOU TO BE PROUD OF HIM. HE DIED TRYING, AND YOU STILL DON'T SEE HIM AND YOU NEVER FUCKING WILL BECAUSE HE'S DEAD AND ITS ALL YOUR FAULT" every sentence was paired with a punch, a push, or a shove to your father's chest. honestly, jake just stood there and took it. you were his daughter, and you were hurting, so if you needed to punch and push him a few times to release some anger, then he would allow it. at this point, jake was willing to do anything for your forgiveness.

"koa, i understand that baby girl, but you have to heal now. you've been overworking yourself, not eating, baby, you barely sleep. this can't go on anymore. i can't allow you to keep killing yourself. i can't lose anyone else." your father said, tears clouding his eyes as he took in every word you said. 

you were right; looking back on all the times he had lectured his children, he couldn't even count on his fingers and toes how many of those times it was only lo'ak getting in trouble. jake is only now noticing how he would always treat you and lo'ak differently even though you were twins. to him, you were his princess, his baby girl, his fiercest daughter, and lo'ak was nothing but an immature warrior who wasn't ready for the world, let alone any raids. 

"oh, but it was okay to lose him?" you asked, voice already hurting because of all the screaming you had done.

"i didn't say that-" jake tried to explain, but you cut him off.

"NOBODY HERE CARES." you screamed, pushing away a bit harder this time, causing his frame to shift slightly. he gently held your forearms, trying to keep you within arm's reach so you wouldn't slip away from him.

it was quiet. 

"we are supposed to be pulling our weight in this clan. i do not care if you think i am killing myself. his duties will not die with him."

your older brother was tired of your silent treatment, as his father called it. he felt like you were being selfish. everyone lost lo'ak. it wasn't just you. the whole family had experienced a loss, and instead of coming together as you guys should have, you distanced yourself. you made it hard for the family to know how you were feeling or even what you were doing. they could almost always never find you. you were always out fishing or with tsireya weaving baskets and making jewelry for the little girls and boys of the clan. 

you would also sometimes talk to tsireya. well, not really talk. your brother's girlfriend had immediately respected that you had gone mute after the whole situation. if she had enough self-control, she would probably be right there with you. she taught you sign language upon your request so that you could still communicate with her. since you two were the only people close enough to really see lo'ak, you became inseparable, much to ao'nungs dismay. 

"koa, let it go. the whole family lost someone. this isn't only about you–" your older brother tried to get you to snap out of your little pity party, but then you snapped at him. 

"NO! I WILL HUNT MY PORTION AND CONTINUE UNTIL I CATCH FOR LO'AKS SHARE. I WILL WEAVE MY BASKETS AND CONTINUE UNTIL I HAVE WEAVED LO'AKS SHARE. I WILL TRAIN UNTIL ECLIPSE, THEN TRAIN MORE TILL MORNING FOR THE TIMES LO'AK SHOULD'VE BEEN TRAINING. THIS WAS NEVER FUCKING ABOUT ME," you yelled at your elder sibling, having pulled yourself from your father's grip upon hearing the bullshit that was coming out of his mouth. 

"it was his decision to go after the spider! he's dead because of the choices he made–" neteyam said. he knows in the back of his head he didn't really mean it, and he made a mental note to apologise to you later when you're not both about to rip each other's heads off in the heat of the moment. 

"IT WAS MY IDEA," you screamed at him, tears spilling down your cheeks. the whole family gasped; they were confused, especially neteyam and kiri. it was lo'ak who came to him with the idea of getting spider back, so…

"what are you talking about?" kiri voiced what everyone was thinking.

"it was my idea. i knew how much spider meant to you, kiri. you're my sister so i couldn't not do this for you. we had to save him. i convinced lo'ak that if he could get nete on board with the plan that we could go after spider and save him. if only lo'ak hadn't-"

"LO'AK ISN'T HERE." neteyam yelled at you. he didn't know where the volume or energy to yell came from. he was tired of being reminded of the brother he had lost. this wasn't something he wanted to keep reliving. 

"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?! NONE OF YOU KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE TO FEEL THE OTHER HALF OF YOUR HEART BE RIPPED OUT OF YOUR CHEST. IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES NO LESS."

"koa…" your mother finally spoke, pulling you into the hug you'd needed for the past 3 years. giving you the warmth that you could've used when you were crying yourself to sleep. sharing the comfort that has been passed around the family, and now, it is your turn to experience it. 

"sa'nu, he pushed me out of the way. he saved me and risked himself. he put his life on the line for me. my twin brother is dead and–" you said, sobbing into your mother's embrace as your father and little sister, tuk, slowly joined. 

"koa, my child… your brother is with the great mother eywa now… he is safe. if you want we can go to the tree of voices right now to visit him." your mother offered the thing that brought her to ease the most, visiting lo'ak at the tree of voices. 

you hadn't dared go anywhere near the cove of the ancestors after your twin died. you didn't dare to face him. worried that he'll lecture you after seeing what you were doing to yourself. he would probably find a way to blame himself too. 

"i don't want to see him. i want to be with him… i miss him." you cried, kiri and nete having joined the family hug as well. 

your anger had long since died down. after 3 years of pent-up emotion, you finally felt like you had people to support you. but as you looked into your mother and father's eyes, you said the one thing your family needed to hear. the one thing they needed you to say so they could properly help you. 

"my twin brother is dead, and it is my fault..." you cried to your parents. you don't really think it's jakes fault 

you think it is yours. 

your family was at a loss for words, so neytiri and jake decided that no words were meant to be said. they would determine what steps to take toward your healing tomorrow morning, but right now, they just needed to be there for you and be the parents you always needed them to be.

they wish their boy didn't have to die, trying to prove that he is beneficial to this family and not only seen as a burden. they wanted to be the parents that lo'ak always needed to be. the ones who love and do not lecture. the ones who were open-minded and didn't give orders. if only they could be those of parents for lo'ak, even if it just for one second.

[beevean]

You know, the funniest thing about how the games treat Dracula compared to the show is that the former have no less than four foils for our villain! To really hammer in the point that dude chose to be a bastard when he could have not!

Alucard also lost Lisa - he watched her die, he listened to her last words, and by all account it was a slow, painful death. He could have been angry towards the mob who unfairly put his mother through such a terrible death. Instead, accepting Lisa's final message, he chose to protect humanity from his father's fury, and kill him over and over which causes him so much internal turmoil that he'd rather sleep his life away.

Soma discovered that his fate was to become the Dark Lord. He simply refused. In fact, he was scared to become the Dark Lord, to the point of making Julius promise that if he lost against Chaos, the vampire hunter would kill him. Soma wants to be a normal human with his friends, and he'll fight to stay so. (worthy of noting that he's the only foil here who can't resist the darkness' call when he sees his beloved die, in DoS: Mina's Talisman can only slow the process down for Arikado to intervene in time. It proves that he really has to struggle to remain as himself)

Hector also was forced to see her beloved be executed in a sham witch trial - deliberately! Isaac deliberately set this up to enrage him to the point of being easily manipulable, and Death deliberately fanned the flames of his anger so that he'd succumb to the Curse and become Dracula. Hector not only directed all of his anger to the only responsible for Rosaly's death, but by the end he pulled back, because he realized that anger was not real, and recognized Isaac as another victim before peacefully moving on.

And Leon also had his fiancée die (see a pattern here), in fact he had to strike the fatal blow, under her request. Mathias honestly believed that because of this, Leon would understand his grief, and also renounce to God. But Leon not only had no intention to forgive Mathias for his cruel plan, he insisted that he'd rather live as a human and honor Sara's final wish, than exist for all eternity all alone, the fate Mathias doomed himself to.

So yes, eventually it almost becomes funny how much the games keep insisting "look at how much of a pathetic loser Dracula is. what a weak bitch. really thinks he's all justified because Wife Died™. Look at all these badasses with Dead Wives™ and how they still do the right thing! lol, dracula. lmao, even."

the virgin "he did nothing wrong 🥺" vs the chad "he did everything wrong and he's a petty manbaby about it". we stan

(ofc there is the heavy implication that Dracula literally cannot move on nor become a better person because of Chaos' influence inside him, which is why his soul had to do a hard reboot in the form of Soma to be freed from the cycle of destruction he stuck himself in. But there is certainly a discussion to be had about how much this affects Dracula's agency and culpability)

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

It looks like the rewind Theory might be coming true

There are many variations of that theory, but yes.

Honestly, it is badly needed in the story if what Horikoshi is aiming for is an ending where the kids and the villains survive.

Introducing a character that can undone damage is always insurance for the author. You have to be careful to not overuse it to the point it loses its impact. If no one ever dies and everyone keeps on resurrecting, the predictability becomes boring.

The good thing is that bnha doesn't overuse Eri. They don't use it to rewind the damage done to the characters when they lose an extremity, for example. It didn't work on Nighteye. They didn't try to use it on All Might—and if they did, I can't remember when it happened.

The point is that I liked that Horikoshi left Eri's quirk to the end of the manga. That way he could make the characters give their 100% without it meaning sure death. It scares the readers, like it should, it creates tension. Knowing that Eri's quirk might not work is another good decision. Even if she shows up after the big showdown, the public doesn't know who is going to survive.

Now, when I say there are many variations...

I'm against the version of it where the villains are turned into kids. Where is the fun of it, uh?

It erases the complexity of each character and all they fought for. What was the point of fighting so much if you're gonna erase what happened? If there's no consequences, no accountability? Any story should grow from the risks of the actions taken. We want to know there's something to be lost, that's where the adrenaline comes from. That's the entertaining part!

The version that completely heals their wounds is also kinda... bland. I'm a fan of bnha because the story doesn't solve most disabilities with magic.

If a pro-hero loses a leg or an eye, they'd have to learn to fight with the cards they were dealt with. Like I said before, those wounds tell a story of the risks they took. Aizawa cut his leg to survive and see another day with Eri and his students. Mirko lost most of her limbs giving her absolute all!!!!

It's the same for villains. It moves you, the way those villains would sacrifice themselves for their goals. Compress' lost arm tells the story of how they lost Magne. Giran lost his fingers when he refused to sell the League, so their absence is the evidence of his loyalty.

I want irreversibility. I want permanece. I want to see the growth that comes with accepting what we do in our lives and how we have to keep going.

My favorite version is the one that heals enough for the person to survive, but not much more. It is not going to take you to step one, it can't erase all you did and all that was done to you.

A second chance, but you have to make it from where you were left. No shortcuts, no easy way out. Either you commit to it or you're over.

I don't want to see Touya without his burns. That is boring! I don't want squeaky clean Touya, all perfect and smooth skinned and whatever. That is not him. He's the boy who burned in the flames of his passion, right or wrong. He's the boy who is supposed to be dead, but survived because he was a stubborn bastard.

The story can lessen them, of course. At this point Touya is more scrap put together by metal than anything else. He cannot possibly survive like that, so he needs to be healed enough to live. The burns can even lessen with time, fading as Touya heals, but I want the memory to last. I don't care if he forgives Enji, I want him to be forced to look at the burns every day knowing how they're there.

Another example?

Tomura's scars tell a story. You cannot resurrect his family, so don't go erasing the scar in his eye or in his lip. Don't go erasing the evidence of his struggle.

To be fair, Tomura has changed a lot since his first appearance. I remember him with yellow teeth, all skinny to the bone. It shows that no one cared for him. Well, maybe enough to keep him breathing, but there was no delicacy involved. It's funny to think how he got better and better the more time he spent far from AFO. That and the surgery he had to undergo...

Which is a wonderful terrible concept. It's about the cleansing, how AFO was preparing Tomura's body to be his. Body modifications to assert ownership, that's a horror favorite. The idea of being "cured" to the point you can't recognize your own body. You know what I mean.

I'm glad that when rewind was used on Mirio, it cost him something. He lost his quirk for a while and he had to make an effort to go back to who he was. I'd say that the nature of the story helped him bounce and that's a chance we didn't see his struggle a bit more.

Anyway, that's my opinion on the matter. I hope it'll be a variation I like and not something that's gonna leave me sweating cold every time I dare to remember it.

[mightymizora]

Mannnn seeing some stuff again so gonna make my personal position on this clear.

I’m not here to be a Gortash apologist. I don’t forgive or support the things he does in canon. I don’t think he does anything that supports a redemption arc; hell during the game I don’t even think he is interested in being redeemed.

He is a fascist. He is cynically using language and imagery of light, of being a saviour, to appeal to the desperate masses. Many of the things he does are directly lifted from cult of personality playbooks. He tortures, he experiments, he kills (even if he says he doesn’t like murder, it’s a justification; it’s not about the base lack of control! When he kills it is for a purpose, don’t you see!) Anybody who cannot be bought is coerced, or threatened, or blackmailed, and anybody who is expendable is dead. He is so accomplished at lying that he can even convince himself of the adjusted truth.

He was an abused boy AND he is a tyrant. At some point he bundled up all the pain he endured and turned it into a weapon to unleash upon the world. He thinks he is superior to others, and has shucked off what he perceives as the weakness of feeling to be merciless and cruel.

I find him narratively interesting. I find him compelling, well written and intriguing. I find the idea of two terrible monsters finding a horrible version of codependency together interesting. In an AU I might even be interested in what point, if any, he wasn’t destined to be this person.

But I’m not interested in making excuses for a tyrant.

[blog-of-hubris]

Jujutsu Kaisen 236: Heading South

This is probably the craziest chapter for the JJK community (rightfully so), and I have been on the fence about writing this up. It won't be super long, I hope… but there are a few things from the chapter I want to highlight.

So once you get past this cut, be prepared to see me bare all in my emotions and analysis for this amazing chapter Gege has given us!

P.S FORGIVE ME IF THIS META SUCKS! I AM OUT OF PRACTICE!!

The Afterlife

None of the jujutsu kaisen fandom is new to death. It is quite the opposite, actually. Characters that the fans love are put in life or death scenarios with no guarantee of them getting out. Even simple side characters that fans enjoy are subject to death, so pandering has never been Gege's thing. For me, the death of Gojo is emotionally hard because I love him, but his death isn't what moved me in this chapter… it was his experience in the afterlife.

The beginning of the chapter is us seeing Geto walking up to Gojo and Gojo reacting sourly. Of course this is him realizing he lost, but before I get into the words shared, I want to focus on the environment Gege gave us. We don't see adult Geto and Gojo, but the hidden inventory or teenage versions of them. I think everyone knows the reasoning behind this is because this is Gojo's “ideal time” of his life. His time as an adolescent with Geto by his side was when he was the happiest.

The fact Gojo form reverts to those days is so sad. To me, it reflects that Gojo never left the past. Everyone he encounters is from his time as a teenager, even showing us Ririka, her maid and even TOJI. (Toji appearing there was a fucking SHOCK to me… that's something else entirely to unpack for another time.) It is very sad seeing Gojo admit in many ways that he didn't feel truly happy after Geto's death. He became the strongest, and that even separated him from Geto, the person who would have given him satisfaction as a living being, not a jujutsu sorcerer. No matter how much he loved everyone, he knew that people could never understand him. But he felt that he could pour that feeling into Sukuna, since he is the only other being to be separated by others in that way.

On top of that, the dead group seem to be in an airport, symbolizing death and taking flight to a new land. This all makes sense when you think about the context of the chapter discussing heading north or south. The airport represents the flight into the next part of the soul's existence. I don't have too much to add on that specific theme, but I implore you to look up the symbolism for yourself.

A Curse Can Save People...

Is anyone else geeking with excitement over the fact that this chapter confirms the connection the living world has with the dead? Gojo literally asks Nanami how was his death, and we get Haibara explaining how he jumped in. This was the confirmation that what Gojo was seeing couldn't be a dream because how could he imagine receiving information that no one except Nanami would know.

This means a lot to me, because it deepens the level of meaning behind Nanami's death. In the moments of his death, he knew he was cursing Yuji, but that curse was exactly what Yuji needed to understand the gravity of his new life and choices he made. Specifically for Nanami, this was his final turning point. He chose to bet on the future instead of believing in the usual way of doing things. Haibara jumping in, was him reaching over from the other side, which implies (at least to me) that your loved ones are always watching even in death. I believe that is the “curse” that stays on jujutsu sorcerers, but also can be their saving grace in their last moments.

At the end of the day, the living cannot understand the dead, hence why Yaga said that all sorcerers die with regrets, but the truth is in those final moments only the dead can understand the curse placed upon them. It is the hindsight that creates an atmosphere of understanding, and only then will a person know if the choices they made truly made them happy. Even for Yaga specifically, him cursing Gakuganji was him reliving himself of burden and regret. “My Curse unto you” is literally a curse that saved Gakuganji from being a puppet of the higher ups. I love how Gege is perfectly tieing all the knots together!

Gojo was cursed by love (geto), and felt he was separated by everyone until his final moments, but those who knew him when he wasn't “the strongest” are those that are there to comfort him as he heads south. I love that Gojo was able to get this final moment with those that he loves, and I hope that this is where they are all experiencing their time. It makes me wonder if THIS is the place Kenjakub discussed (in between dreams and reality).

I will never forget you for as long as I live…

I won't explain the 4 dimensional slash that Sukuna used in this post, but if you would like me to do a more detailed explanation, just let me know in the comments!

What I want to talk about is Sukuna and how this fight impacted him. I think Gojo was wrong when he said his feelings didn't reach Sukuna. In fact, Sukuna saying he will never forget Gojo is him acknowledging that Gojo's feelings did reach him. The King of Curses has not acknowledged a single character in the way he acknowledged Gojo. Even with Jogo, he called him strong but the words “I will never forget you…” + a genuine smile is so powerful that it gave me chills. (Not to mention he is doing this in Megumi's body… it hurts me.)

I am proud of Gojo because he fought his hardest and got the acknowledgement he wanted, but I think this conclusion shows that Gojo was never as selfish as Sukuna. He was never as alone as Sukuna is, even with Uraume by his side, Sukuna still exuded a sense of loneliness that caused Yozoru to chase after him. Gojo still believes in the next generation, but he still represents the old generation. I personally don't think his death is necessary to symbolize the next generation stepping up, but when you think about it, many of the adult sorcerers we are introduced to (with relevance) have been killed off. This topic can divulge into what Gege is trying to do with progression of the Jujutsu world (giving gakuganji a change of heart and establishing him as a leader for the next generation, for example). I can see how Gojo's death is the literal nail in the coffin, ending the influence of the old generation… Leaving Shoko and Gakuganji to be there as support for the future.

I digress, the point I want to make here is that Gojo did the best he could do to show Sukuna "love" and I wonder what else Gege is going to do to continue that plot point. I also need to see how Megumi will tie into this, because I know his soul is going to play an important role in all of this, I just cannot pinpoint how exactly.

In Conclusion

I will most likely be doing a write-up for every chapter from here on out because I know this situation is going to get deeper. I will be watching Gege's movements closely and can't wait to see how it is all put together!!!

Will Megumi wake up? What is Kashimo's technique gonna be? How will Sukuna counter it? Will Yuta and Maki jump in? WILL MEGUMI WAKE UP??!?!?!?!

[thewisaaaaad]

Ok I know I swore to keep to one au, but like. i have a personal interest in this one, so I may actually write it later.

The au name: Narinders Locker. Its a pirate au.

The story starts like this:

Narinder and his family, with the powers of the crowns, are lords of the seas. Together, they defeat many gods, sending them to the depths that Narinder rules.

The depths are where all dead sailors go, and there is mostly sea. So everyone is a sailor, at one point or another.

Soon, there are no gods left to fight. All others have either died, or gone into hiding.

All except his own family. And Narinder loves a good fight. He knows there will be consequences, but hes not aiming to kill. He was bored! There was no one left to sink! He wasn't really gonna let the depths claim him. They'll forgive him eventually, right?

Except they never do. They chain him to mighty anchors and sink him, leaving him to rot in his own realm.

He... doesn't really hold it against them. He did get a BIT to rowdy and give them some injuries that might not heal for a very long time, so he'll probably get out when that happens.

Then he notices that ships keep being sunk into his realm. Far more than the average amount that would be caused by storms.

A pair of kittens, tied to anchors, are sent directly to Narinders prison. He can only grant them immortality with his blood, binding them to the bottom of the sea. He hopes that Shamura sinks the bastards that did this to innocent youth, as their eldest always had an affinity for justice, for all that they represented war.

One of the crew of an unfortunate vessel reaches Narinder before he drowns: a young bilge rat by the name of Ratau. The lord of the deep grants the poor sod the ability to breath water like himself with his crown, just so he can ask them what was happening upon the waves.

What he hears disturbs him. His siblings have completely abandoned the code they had sworn to when they became a family, the code that drove them to wage war on the gods who toyed with mortals lives. He no longer considers them family.

He sends the rat to build a new crew, one that will take down the people he once called his siblings, now no better than the ones they had replaced.

The rat cannot do it. They do not have the nerves for it, are too cowardly. Narinder cannot blame them.

He was just some random sailor who had the misfortune of reaching the depths alive. Ratau retires to an island, not far from where Narinder rests, and returns the red crown to the sea.

Then the purge begins.

Lambs across the sea are cut down like so much cattle. They are slaughtered before they reach the water, for fear of their waterlogged pelts dragging them down too fast, and granting The One Below an escape.

Refugee ships are sunk by the dozens. Narinder can only look on in horror and confusion as hundreds of ship carcasses sink to rest in the depths, fresh innocent corpses littering his prison.

Then only one ship remains. A party is held on board, those faithful to the Old Crew celebrate as they drink blood from headless carcasses.

A young lamb hides in the chain locker, holding their breath, hoping to not be noticed as their family and friends corpses are tossed into the ocean.

The party done, they rig the old tub with black powder, seeking to send it to Narinder as a last middle finger to fate.

The lamb, surviving the explosion, has the chain wrap around their leg as they hold their breath, hoping against hope for rescue.

Against all odds, they find it. In the skeletal hands of The One Who Waits Below.

[iamgodsoopsie]

Astarion Headcanons (that you probably won't like) Pt. 2:

Part 1 link

Part 3 link

More Astarion headcanons! (that are mostly me projecting but with an Astarion flavored twist.)

BG3 does an excellent job at depicting SA trauma and the beginning of the healing process/journey. Many of the headcanons I've seen floating around (intentionally or unintentionally) gloss over the uglier side of healing from (prolonged) trauma. I'm not judging anyone for magically healing him, he's fictional after all, but I'd like to make some more ...realistic... headcanons.

Disclaimer: Everyone's healing process looks different, but they tend share commonalities. These headcanons are based on my own experiences. Not everyone who is healing from their trauma will experience what I have or have experienced it like I have.

[Please don't message me with explicit details about your trauma. I am at the point in my healing journey where I can share my experiences, and commiserate with other's similar experiences, but I am unable to support others in a more personal manner at this time. I wish you the best of luck in your healing process/ journey.]

Spoiler warning

Mental illness, SA, & DV Trigger Warnings: I cannot stress these enough this post is much more descriptive and potentially triggering than part one was.

These headcanons are based on an Astarion who is still a spawn and romantically involved with a Tav who honestly loves him and isn't abusive or manipulative. Also Cazador is dead and Astarion got to stab him. They also assume that he himself does not turn into Cazador 2.0 or Wish.com Cazador.

I hope you're ready for abrupt mood swings.

--- One minute he's codependent and can't make a decision on his own because he's overwhelmed, the next he's hyper-independent and will take offense at any suggestion you make.

----- Astarion is aware that staying in either of the two extremes is unhealthy and would eventually lead him to acting like Cazador.

^ This ties into point two: You need walk the fine line between patient and understanding while he processes "200 years of Shit. PURE SHIT!". And at the same time you need to be firm in your own boundaries with how you allow him to treat you.

--- He's gone 200 years without autonomy and has no memory of what life was like before Cazador turned him. He has no frame of reference other than romance novels and watching couples interact with each other from afar.

-----TBH the best thing for him is to stay in regular contact with Halsin. The man has the same flavor as trauma as Astarion while also having strong boundaries and open honest/ healthy communication in his relationships. He can unjudgementally help Astarion navigate the pitfalls of his healing journey through first hand experience.

Plus Ultra Catholic levels of guilt.

--- Guilt for what he did while he was a spawn. Guilt for how he started his relationship with you (even after you've told him you forgive him multiple times). Guilt for how he lashes out at the one person who has shown him unconditional love (you). Guilt because he feels like he's dragging you down into his darkness and tainting you. Guilt because he fears he's pulling you down to bring himself up. Guilt for feeling guilty because it doesn't absolve him of his sins and makes healing harder.

Self-esteem issues

--- He was SA'd for 200 years, he was forced into prostitution, he was tortured in every conceivable way, he was made to do reprehensible things and learned to find "joy" in them because he would've lost all of himself and his humanity otherwise.

------ His inner saboteur (who sounds like Cazador and himself simultaneously- adding to his self hate) tells him that he is disgusting, wrong, filthy, a burden, unlovable, undeserving of happiness, a monster.

------- Like everything else these thoughts will become less frequent and easier for him to handle as time goes on. All you can do is love him while he self-flagellates and hates himself. One day he'll see himself as you see him.

^ Tying into all the points above, especially the one right before this one. You're going to feel useless. Most of the time all you can do is demonstrate your love for him and sit there with him while he is bombarded with years of repressed feelings forcing their way out.

--- In the beginning your attempts to help him will frequently seem to have the opposite of their intended effect.

----- It's important that you be honest with him about how you're doing mentally. It does him no favors if you set yourself on fire to keep him warm.

------- You'll be angry on his behalf and can't exact revenge.

--------- That being said you are helping him so much more than you think you are. I cannot express in words how much just being there while Astarion slogs through the painful process of healing will help him.

^ ALL of these will get less intense and easier to deal with in time. He will heal and move on from his horrid past. But, it will involve a lot of trial and error. He will have periods of exponential growth followed by a hard backslide in progress. But he will get there.

I wouldn't say that loving Astarion is hard, but it does involve conscious effort on both his and your parts.