Tumgik
#ct merger
leon-anna · 1 year
Text
Merger teaching Otto noodling(hand fishing) while on a remote planet near wild space.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
When Merger had offered to teach Otto how to hand fish, the eight year old kid(physically sixteen) was ecstatic. And after his older brother(physically twenty-three) had shown him the basics, Otto went into the water enthusiastically. After watching Otto flail in the water for an unimaginable amount of time with a huge purple alien catfish, Merger got tired and, after telling Otto "good try, you'll get 'em next time" and "now, move out of the way", he just started shooting the fish with his blaster until there was a sufficient amount floating to feed seven hungry men. Otto was appalled because Merger had given him a whole lecture about the sacredness of nature and how they "had to respect the fish in order to catch it". He repeated some of this to his brother but Merger only responded with a slight smirk and "you didn't really believe any of that bantha poo-doo, did you? I was just repeating what I heard one of 'em Jedi say once, I wasn't being serious!" Otto only looked at him incredulously. But when Merger broke out into laughter at the sight of the kid's face, so did Otto. Thus, with the mood properly lightened, they carried the fish to camp together and the entire team enjoyed a fresh meal and a hilarious story.
26 notes · View notes
vagabond-umlaut · 9 months
Text
gray cashmere
Tumblr media
Solitude makes many a tough decision too easy to make.
However, is one truly ever 'one'? Or are they 'one' from a collection of many such 'one's' — guaranteed to be affected by the actions of one another?
Strictly isolated systems are mere hypotheses, anyways.
[Alternatively: Amanai Riko's life overlaps with that of three young students from Tokyo Jujutsu High for only fifty-five hours, yet the effects they leave on her and the effects she leaves on them– they can be felt even after a period of one-hundred-and-fifty-five months.]
Tumblr media
▸ student! gojo satoru x student! fem! reader; 4400 words of me trying my best to forget the horror of the 'Hidden Inventory Arc' by writing THE CANON-DIVERGENT FIC I DESPERATELY NEEDED TO FUNCTION ATP; riko is the little sister yours truly the reader never had; kuroi is the gentle sunshine on a winter afternoon; THE sweet romance between satoru & reader; suguru is the most awesome best friend and/or brother figure ever; FUSHIGURO TOJI IS HIS OWN WARNING; Hidden Inventory Arc Spoilers with Canon-Level Violence; Angst with a Happy Ending.
▸ notes: The reader's CT was to read others' thoughts freely without them knowing, but after a binding vow she undertook when young [disgusted with the way the old geezers governing the jujutsu society misused it for their personal gains], she lost it, gaining the ability to instantaneously kill an entity the moment she opts to read their mind in place. Not even a special-grade can stop her attack. Aniki = older brother in Japanese.
▸ belongs to series we're the summer to our winter rain but you can read this as a stand-alone if you wanna!
▸ the gif, divider and characters used ain't mine. please don't plagiarize, translate or repost this. enjoy reading! ❤️
Tumblr media
DAY 1; 11:44
Yours is a beautiful, awful life when it's the one chosen for the sake of all.
Everyone everywhere will remain smiling, crying, speaking, yelling, moving – living, if put in a word– yet you'll be nothing more than a name and, if lucky, a fading face filed away in a mind. Yet, yet, yet– everyone everywhere will remain smiling, crying, speaking, yelling, moving— and one young Amanai Riko thinks that's what makes her fate so bearable.
Too bad one of her three bodyguards doesn't think along such lines.
"She's too young to die. Why is she even agreeing to this merger?"
Your quiet voice breaks Riko's scuttling from one room to another, in search of the things she needs for school.
Craning her neck, she peeks into the room, only to find you standing by the windows, holding a cup of tea delicately as you look intently at your companions. Geto's shoulders rise and fall in a short sigh. Gojo gets up from his slouch on the couch to drape an arm round you.
The girl thinks it's the softest she has seen the goggles-wearing boy appear in the time you all have been here.
(Honestly, this is the first time she is seeing Gojo act so careful and you, so disquietened, in the three hours the three of you have been here—
A jarring contrast to the way the boy introduced you as 'the coolest and hottest jujutsu sorcerer ever' who also happens to be his 'better half' while you greeted them with a beam (which did not reach your eyes) and turned away, focus switching to your beeping mobile.)
(Geto looked like an old grandpa then, when he whispered to Kuroi, a wide smile on his face as he looked at you, how difficult it was for the two of you to get together as a couple – and how happy and relieved he and your other friends are now, watching the two of you be so very in love with each other. Kuroi let out only a tiny quiet sigh with a small gentle smile at his words.)
Your boyfriend's voice pulls her away from her mind.
"You heard the brat, didn't you? She is Tengen-sama; Tengen-sama is her. So she isn't really going to die; she's going to live forever and ever and eve–"
"I thought I was the one who couldn't read between lines well in this relationship, 'Toru," you interrupt him, frowning. Riko finds it too hard to stifle the giggle that threatens to follow – albeit, the threat doesn't stay strong for long, vanishing away at your next words. Thrown into the room, a mix of visible anger and despair.
"The kid was obviously spouting all that nonsense, more as a means to convince herself than to convince us," you say; the young student considers bursting into the room, exclaiming she ain't a little kid, yet a voice in her urges her to stay put outside the door. Begrudgingly, she listens to it. You continue, tone the same as before.
"There's some part in Riko-chan which doesn't really want to merge with Master Tengen, but a burden once dumped on one's shoulders has to be carried, and Riko-chan has no option left but to choke that wily voice in her head until it quietens forever."
Gojo's eyes drift over to the door once. A bit startled and a lot scared, Riko shrinks into herself, yet budges not an inch from her spot. Focus returning to your puckered features, the junior high schooler watches him croon softly into your ears, "Babe, how about we discuss–"
"I don't think there'll be a later, Satoru," you say, then exhale air out in a burst of clear frustration, "And I seriously cannot understand how in this world you and Geto senpai can be so relaxed about this? Y'all are answering Yaga's calls as if Riko's an important but lifeless mail, while we three are some FedEx employees and not three sorcerers leading a girl a few years younger than us to her death, grinning and singing."
The cup in your grasp looks dangerously close to shattering; not to mention the way your cursed energy swells and swells until it comes too close to suffocating the hell out of her — it ebbs away faster than it came.
Face morphing into an easy smile, the girl watches you slip out from under your boyfriend's arm and walk over to her. She wishes the grin she shoots back is half as bright as she hopes it is.
"Hey, Riko-chan," you greet, voice shifting into a soothing melody, "Ready to go to school? Geto senpai's already called the driver. He must be waiting downstairs."
"Oh, I see," Riko responds, a bit lost as her gaze rakes over your face, then darts over to the two still in the room. The weird-bangs-sorcerer offers a small smile while he cuts an apple into slices. The other boy's eyes remain trained on the back of your head, upbeat nature nowhere to be seen.
She looks back at you. Kuroi asks her to hurry via a frantic yell of her name. The girl sighs and slowly moves into the direct line of sight of everyone.
"Have any of you seen a thin blue notebook anywhere? I can't find my music no– OH MY GOD, ONEE-CHAN!!! YOUR STUPID AS HECK BOYFRIEND DID NOT JUST MAKE PAPER PLANES OUT OF MY NOTES, DID HE!?!?"
———
DAY 2; 19:55
"Satoru is not really bad, y'know?"
Your comment arrives few hours and many adventures later – though Riko wonders how much of an adventure they were for you or the two upperclassmen of yours, given the way you three were kicking ass for the entirety of the time, both before and after Kuroi was captured.
Lips curving into a teasing smile – one which the woman, taking care of her since the latter's childhood, shares – the teenager returns her attention to you.
You blink back, a tiny smile playing with the corner of your lips before it widens, digging into your cheeks and crinkling your eyes.
"What?" you ask with a giggle, "Is there something on my face? Or is suggesting my boyfriend to be kind of good really that outlandish of a concept?"
"Hmm, do you want the nice answer or the honest answer?" Riko asks back, plopping a spoonful of the ice cream you bought, then breaking into a shiver as her brain freezes from how insanely cold it is. Neither you nor Kuroi bothering to hide your chuckles, you hum. "I'm not sure which I will find honest and which, nice; why don't you shoot both my way, Riko-chan?" you suggest then add, mirth gleaming in your voice, "Of course, when you're okay again, only then."
The girl thinks of retorting to you with a silent glare but opts to think better of it. Couple of minutes pass in almost silence, Kuroi and you chit-chatting about Okinawa in general while the three of you amble down the sidewalk lining the inky-black sea, casting eerie shadows in the sparse lights dotting the streets — when she decides to reply to your suggestion from before.
"I don't really think Gojo-san is a bad person," She says, stopping and offering you a smile over her shoulder. You too stop and accept it with a bright smile of your own.
Riko continues, "I mean, yeah, he's very, very annoying all the time – making fun of me and calling me a kid or brat – but if you chose him to be your boyfriend, I guess he's kind of fine. Maybe. Plus, you don't really seem to have a bad taste," she adds with an appreciative once-over at the sundress you're wearing.
You crack an amused grin. Riko turns to her caretaker. "C'mon, Kuroi. Tell onee-chan. She has a pretty nice taste in outfits, doesn't she?"
"Yeah, you do," the other woman is quick to agree with a kind grin, "I suppose Riko-sama is correct in saying this; although, Riko-sama..." trailing off, Kuroi smiles at the addressed girl the way she used to in her childhood, whenever the latter used to babble the stuff children always do, and gently rebukes.
"Having a good taste in outfits is not the best indicator of someone's taste in men. You must never view a person from an angle as shallow as that."
"Kuroi-san is right, Riko-chan," you pitch in your two cents an instant later, then cast the woman beside you a sly glance, "Though I wonder if that was an indirect criticism of 'Toru... I hope it wasn't – was it?"
"No, of course not," Kuroi denies with a small laugh. Riko watches you crack a freer smile at her words, which slowly softens when you move your gaze back to her. The ice cream in her hand seems four seconds away from melting; still the girl decides to ignore it in favour of giving you her undivided attention.
(Ever since she met you three, you've always struck the young girl as someone a bit... different.
From the way you train your focus on your opponents during a fight; to the way you speak, neither too loud nor too quiet, just the perfect loudness and pitch required to snatch everyone's attention and keep them for yourself; to the way you carry yourself, neither as pompous arrogant akin Gojo nor as discreet smug as Geto, but as a girl who is aware of her worth and won't hesitate to show another their place, if the need so arises.
Riko thinks if she lived a little longer, she might have wanted to make you her role model. Not that it matters now, though.)
Your musing voice break through her thoughts.
"Satoru was the one who suggested this trip," you say, sharing a half-smile with Kuroi, "The best option would have been to take you back to the school as soon as possible, where you and Kuroi-san would be safe and sound. Plus, our mission too would have been complete. An extra feather to our cap, given we delivered the Star Plasma Vessel to Tengen-sama and secured the foundations the entire Japan is based on. Yet he argu–"
You abruptly fall silent, the loving look on your face withering to one of helplessness and profound sadness when the ticking hands of the wrist watch you wear catches your eye; and you shove your emotions beneath a forced chuckle.
"Oh no, it's almost eight," you say, a faux buoyancy to your words, "Do you wanna go back to the hotel and have dinner there, Riko? Or some place outside, maybe? Our schedule's packed tomorrow – our littlest Riko-chan needs some good sleep tonight to not be fussy tomorrow, doesn't she?"
Glancing at Kuroi, only to find her with the same tense cheerfulness, Riko stifles a sigh and parts her lips into a mirthful beam she doesn't feel at all.
"I really wanna try the soki soba and the yashigani. Do you know any good restaurants nearby?"
You nod exaggeratedly, lips thinning into a solemn line though the faint ray of fun can still be made through the grey clouds cast over your irises. "Don't you worry, Riko sama. Your two faithful servants will certainly find a place to dine to your liking. You just keep being the cute little princess that you are."
The girl opens her mouth to snap back at being called a little girl yet again – you aren't very different from your boyfriend, after all – then shuts it, then opens it again, a teasing giggle wanting to bubble out.
"Y'know, onee-chan," she says, skipping over to you and smiling in an innocent fashion, "I answered your second question, but I never gave a reply to the first one – you wanna know it?"
You take a second before shrugging. "Um, yeah, why not?"
Throwing a mischievous glance to Kuroi, who hides her mouth with a palm and looks away, shoulders shaking a little, Riko returns her eyes to your expectant smile. And beckoning you to come near, whispers.
"There isn't anything on your face. But the foundation's on your neck and shoulders is kind of off, I guess. Were you bitten by a bug, onee–"
An obnoxiously cheery ringtone cuts the girl off. Your face burning a deep hue of coyness, she watches you pluck your phone out of your bag, then walk a few steps away, voice dropping to a hushed murmur – which takes a minute before growing shrill then silent. Your cheeks and ears sport the deepest shade of red Riko's ever seen.
Asking them for a little more time, grin so sheepish and flustered, you whirl on your heels and walk a couple of feet away, your hand fiddling with the Okinawa keychain your boyfriend bought you today at noon.
Lips quirking in a fond smile, Riko looks away from your shy giggling figure to the chuckling Kuroi, to the big ocean waves crashing on the sands below.
Yeah, it might've been good to have a chance at a bit longer life.
———
DAY 3; 15:08
This is not good.
Oh heavens no. This is so not good.
Tears springing forth and streaming down her cheeks, Riko moves to take a step towards you. Then, stills when you put up a bloodied hand asking her to stop. Face scrunched into a smile which, the little vessel knows, conveys nothing of the agony tearing at your insides; you cast a glance at the gaping hole in your palm, then drift your gaze back to her.
Something acidic and pungent surges to the girl's mouth — though not at you, never at you – but at herself, the sole reason why you're clutching your profusely bleeding wound, left by the bullet originally meant for her; why Geto stands shocked and numb, with a hundred curses looming round the room, ready to attack at the slightest hint of an order; why Gojo's probably lying near the torii gates, dead and swarmed by cursed maggots – if what she heard less than a minute back, isn't a lie, that is.
Judging from the sharp gasp of air you drew in then — it isn't, Riko thinks.
Your smile stays as pathetically serene as ever; the only traitor now being those rivulets of grief carving their courses on your face. You part your lips in a heart-wrenching plea.
"Run, Riko-chan. Run to a place far from here. Somewhere none can find you. And don't ever come back. Please."
Shaking her head a 'No!' as fiercely as she can, the girl bites back her sobs. A cold hand pulls her by the shoulder towards the entrance; she keeps her feet firmly planted to the ground.
Everything was going so, so well– why then did this abominable man have to appear out of nowhere and upend everything in her life? Only when she realized she did not want to be the sacrifice for the sake of everyone else, and that, she too could afford an ounce of selfishness — why then did this man have to appear and extinguish that singular flame of hope lit in her world? Why, why, why—
A harsh bark of a laughter barges into her thoughts.
Your eyes develop a pinch of panic as they travel from the man you froze in the entrance to them, then back to him. The victim of your cursed technique sneers.
"You're that girl with the psychic powers, aren't ya? Thought you can only use your power to kill a person; since when can you freeze them like a statue, eh— can see, hear and feel everything, but can't move a single muscle, except to speak, huh? Or, no, wait–" A second raucous laugh rings through the halls and corridors; you clench your wounded hand into a fist so tight, she thinks she too can feel the pain weighing on your senses right now.
The assassin jeers, "You must be so, so tired to not be able to kill this poor cursed energy-less bastard, hm? And on top of all that, you also must not have refined the technique enough to shut me up, yeah?" A vein throbs in your temple; the man speaks, more gleeful than ever.
"And given how I'm slowly losing the numbness in my arms and legs... your technique is so fucking weak, girl. And the jujutsu society called you their messiah, eh? Fucking fools, the whole lot. Their six eyes in a pool of his blood outside while their other trump card's soon to meet a similar miserable end at this monkey's hands. How funny, ain't it?"
Giving no semblance of a reply to him, you turn your eyes back to her – no, to Geto who's standing behind her – and urge him, so desperate and desolate, every breath you take a short jerky heave of your chest, "Take Riko somewhere safe, senpai. And don't return till you've gotten help. Now, go. Quick."
Craning her neck upwards, the teenager catches a glimpse of the boy grasping her shoulder firmly — hoping he'll refuse to listen to you and stay right there, fighting the monster right beside you — but finds no fragment of dissent on his face.
Extreme reluctance? Yes.
Profound melancholy? Yes.
Stifling resignation? Yes, yes, yes.
But dissent? No.
It makes an appearance, now and then, but never persists for long.
She makes yet another attempt to get closer to you.
"Onee-chan, no," Riko begs, snarling and thrashing from under Geto's unyielding hold on her arm now, "please don't do this. I wanna live my life to the fullest, but I cannot if I don't have y'all beside me. So, you–"
"Riko-chan, no–"
"–ask me to go away like an escapist coward–"
"Riko-chan, listen–"
"–staying right over here, next to–"
"RIKO!"
The harsh call of her name makes the girl stumble and stutter. It isn't you who called her so; it's Geto, peering down at her with moisture in his eyes. An ugly sob crawls out her throat. He mumbles, "You're way too young to understand all this, but know that, if you're out there in the world– safe, free and happy– the Star Plasma Vessel mission can be marked successful only then. Whatever sacrifices all of us made or are going to make today," a glance at you shows the bittersweet smile you're wearing; Riko's wails worsen, "they won't make any sense if, at the end of the day, you're harmed. So, please listen to us and escape with Kuroi-san, yeah?"
The man to her not-so-distant left flexes his fingers a bit. The three of you look at him before looking at one another. You look a few minutes away from passing out, skin paling and breaths growing labored with every second that elapses.
Eyes screwn shut, Riko lets go of the fight she was harbouring in her body. Geto's voice breaks with unshed moisture. "Try not to die, kid. I already lost a best friend today, don't wanna lose a sister too."
Riko doesn't need to open her eyes to know your reaction; the heart-rending sob paired with the "No promises, aniki," you let out tells her enough – before your cursed energy expands yet again, and a chilled palm pulls her by the hand into a swift run, the hit of her shoes on the floor echoing in the stuffy underground air.
Air which soon switches from the suffocation of ancience to that of blood and death — the teenager takes but a moment to realize who the person is. Biting down harshly on her lower lip, she swallows the raw anguish tearing her sinews apart, and keeps her eyes shut firm.
Willing the darkness reigning behind her eyelids to overtake every part of her body – especially her mind, being hurtled one memory after another, and another – Kuroi making her lunch for school; Kuroi teaching her to tie her braids; Kuroi congratulating for every success of hers and supporting her after every failure, be it big or small; Kuroi being the family she once thought she had lost in a car crash–
The sharp ding of the lift and the crackling warmth of the sun on her tear-stained cheeks are the last two things Riko registers, before the world round her fades away into a noiseless black — finally.
———
DAY 4718; 16:02
"Anableps can see both above and below the water at the same time, y'know?"
The statement and the awed "Woo!" that follows it rouses Riko from the siesta she was teetering on the brink of. She yawns and rubs her eyes. Then yawns again, a bit more subdued this time, considering a family walks past her.
Uni's been very stressful of late, and to top it all off, the woman who's supposed to handle this shift has called in sick – so, as fucking same as before, the manager is gonna call in some newbie to work instead.
The newbie being none other than Riko – very unfortunately – on a tiring Friday afternoon as today.
At least, the job pays well and she gets to spend time explaining fish and their world to excited kids, plus the occasional one or two adults who look a touch different from their usual bored indifference.
But, of course, there's always a group of friends who come bounding in.
Worse than a class of kindergarten children fighting for the single toy of a dinosaur their teacher has brought — Riko avoids such crowds of like the plague. Storming past them, turning down their query, asking a coworker to fill in for her – the young grad student applies all tricks and methods known to her to escape the situation.
To escape the familiar buzz of cheer and enthusiasm.
To escape the familiar weight of nostalgia and gloom.
To escape the—
"Um, miss, where can we find the whale sharks' tank? Heard it's the main attraction here... And, uh, we're also a little lost, actually."
Trains of thought thrown off-track, the young woman squeezes her eyes shut, then opens them again, a customer service smile flitting onto her lips as she turns back. And holds back a very exasperated groan. Why the fuck did Mio had to leave for a snacks break now of the innumerable times she could have gone before? And why does this crowd have to be the very thing she hates dealing with? Ugh... Never mind–
"Just turn to your left, go down the corridor, then to your right. You'll find the whale sharks there."
The pink-haired boy accepts the reply with a nod and a bright thanks, before the black-haired boy places a hand on his shoulder and he falls quiet. The latter looks strangely familiar, Riko thinks... ignoring it, she shoots the boys a quizzical smile. "Is there anything else you would to like to ask or—"
"You're my mom's friend. I've seen your pictures at home," he cuts her off, brows furrowing. His friend looks at him, so perplexed, not much unlike how Riko's feeling. He pays no mind, continuing, "You attended a Catholic school, love music and aquatic life, and have an obsession with coconut crab meat and soba, don't you?"
"Megumi..." A slightly older girl standing behind them with two girls donning identical t-shirts, begins in a lightly chastising tone, but the tour guide feels she's miles away from them. Catholic school, music lessons, aquariums, soki soba, yashigani, Okinawa... it simply cannot be you—
"Tsumiki! Mimiko!" A voice, Riko once was under the impression she'll never be hearing again, except in nightmares, rings through the near-empty hall of the aquarium, soon followed by the appearing of a face she thought she'll never see again, except in the sole photograph left with her on the phone Geto gave her, besides 5000 円 and contacts he asked her to get in touch with, as soon as possible, that evening a good twelve years ago in Osaka.
You reach a stop before the group, a young brown-haired girl trailing you with a worried scowl on her face. Dumbstruck, Riko watches you sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose.
"I can understand Nana-chan's phone is busy being used in clicking photos but the same excuse cannot be extended to you, can it? No. So, why on earth can't any of you four pick your mobile up when I'm calling you, hm? Or please don't tell me the batteries are dead. Again."
The blonde girl, presumably Nana-chan, smiles smugly while three out of the addressed four kids shoot a sheepish smile your way. Your frown slowly gives way to a fond grin and you huff a chuckle, shaking your head – which only grows in intensity when the girl following you lets out an annoyed hmph! and launches into a tirade how extremely worried the two of you were and how much dumb and careless them five are.
Eyes welling over with emotions percolated over the course of many, many years, Riko watches you grin so freely — only for it to still and fade when the spiky-haired boy says he has met your friend from the photograph, and you look from him to her standing inconspicuously, half-hidden in the shadows.
A painfully slow second passes.
The entire gaggle of kids falls quiet at the disbelieving watery chuckle you let out. Taking two steps forwards, she offers you a mirror image of your expression.
"Told you the aquarium's fun, didn't I?"
A call of your name bounces off the grey walls in a saccharine tone: Riko knows instinctively, can be no one's except one blue-eyed and white-haired bastard's. You cast a glance at the tall man rushing to you, then return your gaze to her, with the same radiant beam you gave on that day twelve years back, when Riko first expressed her real thoughts out in the air.
The young woman wastes no moment before running to you and engulfing you in the tightest hug she can possibly manage, tears rushing down her face. Your gentle voice shushes her, the way an elder sister would do to a younger sister.
Riko's lips stretch in the widest and freest grin she has felt in forever.
Joyful and thankful her onee-chan is finally back in her life, giving the added length it received some much-needed hues — 'cause a longer life is obviously good but it's the best when your life is long and spent with your near and dear ones.
Tumblr media
▸ notes: The reader was in the process of developing and perfecting a new CT, hence her CE was so unstable – spiking and ebbing – besides the fact it drained her energy like hell. Toji was a smart man, he figured it out pretty quickly and easily. [And for the ppl who're wondering how the reader was able to stop the attack on Riko: she used a tendril of thoughts emanating from a person's mind to detect their presence, instead of their cursed energy remains.] [She can't read those thoughts, though.]
▸ masterlist
533 notes · View notes
voxofthevoid · 3 months
Text
Ch 248 is once again a mixed bag for me. On the bright side, it has a development I've been looking forward to the most since Sukuna left Yuuji's body—Sukuna acknowledging the effect Yuuji has on him. Until now, he's mocked and belittled Yuuji, deeming him weak and boring, except that the specific brand of vitriol Sukuna reserves for Yuuji has made it very clear that his beef with Yuuji is a lot more personal than his conflict with any other character. There's a pettiness there, a kind of irritation that's borderline childish, that wouldn't be present if Yuuji didn't well and truly get under his skin.
So to see Sukuna take a moment in the middle of battle, complete with arms on his hips and a goddamn pout, to reassess himself, his ideology, and his enemies and their goals, all to figure out why Yuuji irritates him and then to see him conclude that it's because Yuuji has indomitable will that he can't stomp down? It's sweet, sweet vindication. Sukuna's immediate resolution to tear that will down with, again, a kind of personal vendetta we rarely see from him marks the exact kind of fight I want out of Yuuji vs. Sukuna.
And Yuuji himself has been a sight to behold despite his relatively fewer scenes so far, from his final moments with Higuruma to the reveal that he can use RCT. His greatest strengths so far have been how quickly he grasps CE usage and now attuned he is to his body. The two combined is what's made him so lethal despite the lack of a CT or even advanced techniques like simple domain. RCT fits quite neatly with the kind of power progression he's shown so far, and combined with his natural durability and sheer resilience, it'll make him even more of a monster.
These are elements I'm very happy with. However, this chapter confirms Kenjaku's end and sets up Sukuna as the final villain, and that's... underwhelming at best. I'm not complaining that Sukuna isn't a particularly complicated villain; it's refreshing and suits how he's presented himself from the beginning. But part of what compensated for one villain being like that was the other being a mad scientist with a pretty cunning mind who kept plotting and planning with every tool in their arsenal. You could trust Kenjaku to keep things interesting while they sought the chaos they dearly wanted, and even the merger coming from them would've had certain meaningful implications because not only is it a dream they strived to fulfil for centuries, but it's also a way to see them finally "let go" of Tengen after exhibiting some fascinating attachment behaviors with her. That authority passing on to Sukuna is about as impactful as Yuuta killing Kenjaku—that is, not at all.
The Yuuta+Rika vs. Sukuna fight that's currently being teased makes me wary for similar reasons. It lacks the buildup Gojou vs. Sukuna had (battle of the strongest, i.e., clash of two immense fucking egos), and another contest of raw power sounds about as appealing as watching paint dry right now. Maybe it'll surprise me, but I'm not holding my breath.
To compare this to Shibuya, the emotional component that made its climax so compelling is almost entirely missing from this fight. It's there in Yuuji facing off against someone who took Megumi and Gojou from him, like how he fought the curse that took Nanami and Nobara from him, but overall, the deaths feel hollow and the stakes are so impossibly high that they start to feel like nothing at all.
I can't even fully capture what I'm feeling. It's not that I'm not looking forward to the upcoming chapters; I am. It's not even that I think the plot and climax are unsalvageable; they are, to an extent. But by this point, the plot fumblings and wasted potential have added up to a looming shadow I can't ignore even when there are parts I'm genuinely excited about.
81 notes · View notes
mahaguro · 2 months
Text
JJK 251 THOUGHTS
Tumblr media
So that’s where Sukuna’s last finger went.
Something that does strike me as a bit confusing is that Kenjaku said that Yuta’s CT has no conditions, but I suppose it’s interchangeable at this point.
Either way, it was nice for Yuta to pull off a cleave before getting hit by the world-cutting slash.
MY GOAT HAS BLOOD MANIPULATION.
Yuji stocks all the way the f*ck up 📈🔥
As many should have come to expect, Megumi is broken.
“I don’t care anymore.”
If he had the will to fight, this would have been the best opportunity to do so. Having lost both his sister and mentor, it’s only reasonable that he’d be distraught now.
(He may in fact be the one to say screw it and start the merger rather than Sukuna)
Tumblr media
I knew I wasn’t wrong in trusting Maki. Looking forward to how she’ll fair against the King of Curses. She already pierced him with soul-splitting Katana, but knowing Gege this probably is still much more to do beyond this point.
It’s bad news that Yuji and Yuta weren’t able to finish the job within the domain. I’m holding out on the strong possibility the world-cutting slash didn’t cut through them as it was explained that Sukuna’s CE output is dull. It appears like deep cuts were made rather than it being a clean cut. Hopefully RCT will gradually heal them back to optimal condition.
Overall, great chapter. Break next week.
39 notes · View notes
epickiya722 · 7 days
Text
Details About the Star's Rebirth AU
☆☆☆
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE MANGA & THE AU ITSELF IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT!
Yuji merged with Tengen and now is the new "Star" of the Jujutsu society. He does have Tengen's powers and the CTs he (Yuji) possessed before. So yes, Yuji has RCT, the Soul technique and Blood Manipulation as while having Tengen's Immortality.
Yuji still has his consciousness and Tengen is more like Sukuna here where Yuji can sense and talk to them, Yuji controls his body fully. In addition, Yuji has four eyes now. His normal ones and smaller ones under those.
Here, Yuji is the reincarnation of Sukuna's twin. Sukuna did eat his twin in the womb and that soul Kenjaku used to create Yuji.
Kaori was actually pregnant with Yuji when she got into an accident and died. She wasn't that far along though.
Satoru and Yuki are alive in this AU, they survived and did not wake up until after the battle against Sukuna was over.
Sukuna is dead here, Yuji killed him. Uraume's fate is unknown for right now.
Nobara is also alive. She just lost an eye. But she is okay!
The Death Paintings are still here and kept in capsules. Choso has possession of them.
Kenjaku is also still alive, but they no longer possess a body. Instead, by Yuji's orders, their brain is kept in a capsule just like the Death Paintings.
Takako Uro is a Jujutsu sorcerer here. She had joined their side sometime during the battle against Sukuna. Before then, she had met Yuji.
There are newly appointed Higher-Ups. This group is a bit more tolerable than the last. They're relatives of that group, but not as conservative as them.
The Merger did not happen.
☆☆☆
For now, that's what I can say and this list may change in the future! If you have any questions or comments, just say so!
The link to the AU below ⬇
31 notes · View notes
alonelystargazer · 2 months
Text
⚠️ JJK CHAPTER 251 SPOILERS
my emotions are all mixed up with this chapter, like there's so much going on
Maki has returned!! She struck Sukuna with her soul split katana
Yuta ate the last of Sukuna's fingers so that's how he was able to copy his slashing CT
Sukuna slashed everyone with his world cutting slash but they're okay
Yuji learned how to use blood manipulation CT from choso and used the supernova attack against sukuna when he spit blood in his face
there's a flashback where Yuji, Choso, and Hana are discussing how to separate Sukuna's soul from Megumi's body with the least amount of damage, with the help of Yuki's book and Hana's CT
and what's breaking my heart is that Yuji managed to reach Megumi in the abyss with his soul striking punch and calling out to him "wake up fushiguro!" but he has lost the will to live, saying he doesn't care anymore...
which probably means he's either gonna go to the dark side and his villain arc will begin (starting the merger with Tengen) or maybe he's gonna stay in the abyss? what's the alternative? YUJI PLEASE DO SOMETHING!! MEGUMI REMEMBER "SO START BY SAVING ME ITADORI" PLEASE IT'S NOT OVER!!
but really though, what can yuji even say to megumi at this point that could somehow inspire him to keep going on? (me hoping that yuji gives him the inspirational speech like todo have to him in Shibuya, give him the old "I don't regret saving you" speech or something, call him by his first name idk 🥲)
... but if Megumi does get a villain arc I can totally understand why and hell, I think I'll support him
we won't know what happens since there will be a break next week ugh my stomach is in knots
25 notes · View notes
runabout-river · 5 months
Note
something I wanted to know is why in jujutsu kaisen the deaths are so superficial death in jujutsu is very different than in other animes The deaths also don't have as much impact, which is quite notable. I think there were only two deaths that had an impact outside of Toji and Geto, both of which caused problems in the jujutsu world.
That's an interesting question because my first thought was "Many of the deaths have an impact on the strory" and "there are more deaths in JJK than in other shonen manga, so their impact can't be too much without the narrative getting cluttered".
Seemingly contratictory thoughts, so I have opened an episode list to go through with all the deaths. First JJK 0:
Geto (villain): his death led Kenjaku to acquire Cursed Spirit Manipulation as a new CT -> he gets possession of Tengen and is now able to do the merger with humanity. Huge Impact.
Grandpa Itadori (side character): his death is an inciting incident mostly but his last words repeat in Yuji's head constantly and up until Shibuya he tried to live his like how his grandpa told him to. This one doesn't get a counter because he's basically Yuji's backstory and character motivation.
Junpei (side character): he is the first death that affected Yuji mentally. To the plot he was unimportant though. Moderate Impact.
Eso and Kechizu (side villains): Yuji already felt bad about killing them but that guilt grew later when he realized that they were brothers. In terms of plot, their death leads to a huge chain of events: in Shibuya Choso seeks out Yuji for revenge -> Yuji loses, gets force fed Sukuna's fingers -> Sukuna emerges, kills Jogo -> to save Megumi Sukuna kills 3000 people.
Choso could've fought against Yuji anyway but in terms of plot as it is written, Eso's and Kechizu's death directly lead to all of the above (having Jogo dealt with and Megumi saved isn't bad though). Moderate Impact.
Amanai Riko (side character): Tengen ascends because of her death and is now in Kenjaku's clutches. Huge Impact.
Toji (main villain): Toji's death is tricky because his impact comes from being alive and taking certain actions. So what did his death contribute to the plot?
Megumi grew up under Gojo and not the Zenin clan. Megumi had deep seated insecurities because he felt abondened by his parents. Toji's resurrection led to the death of a Disaster Curse and Megumi surviving against Jogo. Megumi being attacked by Haruta led to him summoning Mahoraga -> Sukuna kills 3000 people to save him.
We see that some narratives intersect to create the story. But for Toji I'd say that him being alive was more impactfult than his death so: Moderate Impact.
Death of Hanami, Dagon, Jogo (villains): Low Impact.
Death of Mahito (main villain): Kenjaku extracted Idle Transformation out of Mahito to transform Tengen's Barriers into the Culling Game. This wouldn't have happened if Yuji and Todo hadn't defeated him prior. Huge Impact.
3000 people/Nanami/Nobara (side chars/main chara/important side chara): the consequtive deaths of all of them led to Yuji basically becoming suicidal. His "cog" mentality emerged and he planned on dying so Angel would free Gojo. We don't know how he did in the time skip but he's probably still like that at least to some extent if not even more so. Huge Impact.
Naobito (side character): Megumi became clan head because of his death but that didn't go anywhere for Megumi. But because of this the clan elders decided to kill Megumi, Maki and Mai. Huge Impact.
Mai (side character): Maki became fully realized because Mai died and took their shared cursed energy with her. Now the world has another God of Destruction, Maki is in possession of a sword that can cut souls and the Zenin doesn't exist anymore. Huge Impact.
Reggie (minor villain): Megumi was ruthless against him. It's more that Megumi's desire to save Tsumiki at all costs had an impact on him that led to Reggies death. Still, Reggie cursed Megumi at the end and later Megumi became possessed. Moderate Impact.
Yuki (side character): What did Yuki's death achieve? Choso chose to be human I guess. Low Impact.
Tsumiki's death (side character): Last part in Sukuna's 3-step plan to subjugate Megumi. He had to kill her because the first two steps weren't enough but Megumi was passive during her killing. Moderate to Huge Impact.
Gojo (main character): Huge Impact.
Hope I didn't forget deaths (other than from minor characters)
I wouldn't say that deaths in JJK are superficial, just that the narrative and the characters meet death more readily than characters in other manga. In AoT the deaths are shocking and like a punch but that's part of the horror aspect of the manga: the people don't want to die.
In JJK the horror aspect leans more to (reluctantly) accepting a gruesome death. That's why we have moments like Gojo simply taking the death of Nanami in without having an emotional outburst. Emotional control is itself soemthing that is taught to sorcerers so the JJK characters are as a baseline a bit more stoic than characters in Naruto or One Piece.
In terms of Impact, most of the deaths do have it. It's just woven into the story or the impact is more internal than external.
39 notes · View notes
cursedvibes · 6 months
Note
Kenny should just take Takaba's body/CT after the merger, they would love a power that let's them be so silly that reality bends to their humor
It would make them incredibly OP because contrary to Takaba they have unwavering confidence in their sense of humour. It would be very gruesome as well. "If you pull out your spine you can't stand upright" would probably lead to people actually pulling out their spine...Kenjaku isn't a sadist, but I think their curiosity would get the best of them and everyone has to suffer while they try out the limits of Takaba's CT. But hey, at least the merger curse would look cute.
17 notes · View notes
kairos-polaris · 1 month
Text
JJK x TMA crossover
JJK characters and their entity alignments:
Sorcerers:
- Itadori Yuuji: Has a potential for the Lonely but post Shibuya and 212 especially I think he would lean to the Hunt, similar to Daisy or the vampire hunter guy. He would be marked by the Lonely, both pre and throughout the series but his desire to eradicate curses will be stronger thus making his alignment with the Hubt stronger
- Fushiguro Megumi: I don't think he would have a direct alignment. Not really for the Hunt because he isn't as devoted to killing curses like Yuuji or Maki. The Dark fits only power wise. He could also be marked by the Buried because of the current state of his soul
- Kugisaki Nobara: I can't think of an alignment but she would probably have affinity to the Web because of the nature of her ct
- Okkotsu Yuuta: Currently unaligned, leaning towards the Hunt. Would eventually be fully Hunt after years of killing curses, possibly sped up by Maki being Hunt too. If he never became a sorcerer, he could potentially become Corrupted, the hive preying on his loneliness/isolation due to Rika
- Inumaki Toge: Same as Nobara, the Web affinity because his ct is literal manipulation of others
- Zenin Maki: The Hunt 100%, she is Hunt aligned since the beginning and becomes an avatar after killing the Zenin clan. I was thinking slaughter but Maki has a motivation
- Zenin Mai: She would have an affinity to the Corruption, the envy and jealousy aspect of it. Maybe similar to Jane Prentiss? but she doesn't live long enough to actually get corrupted/properly be aligned
- Gojou Satoru: Would be the Lonely aligned if he hasn't discovered the joy of free falling and the beauty of the vast blue sky when he was a teen and experimenting with infinity. I also just think the Vast!Gojou is more interesting. fanon Satoru from certain shippers is definitely an avatar of the Lonely tho
- Higuruma Hiromi: Marked by the Lonely and the Web, but ultimately belongs to the Eye (credit to my beloved @raven-campanile-rb for this one)
- Kenjaku: He is a mix of the Eye and the Web. The Eye because of the merger and their general interest in knowledge and seeking new experiences, also having witnessed the progress of humanity over the centuries of existence. Their plan was set up over a millennia, carefully puppeteering everyone, perfectly aligned with the Mother of Puppets
- Uro Takako: The Vast, solely based on her technique and also her introduction panel
The curses:
- Mahito: As a curse of the hate humans have for each other his origin could be tied to almost any dread power, his skill set is more aligned with the Flesh (body mutilation) and the Stranger (uncanny aspect of it)
- Hanami and Jogo: Both are born from the actions of the Desolation folks (forest fires and volcanoes/everything fire related) but are aligned with the Buried (Hanami's earth related abilities; Jogo's domain is called a coffin and volcanoes bury things with ash)
- Dagon: The Buried. Dagon is born of water related fears and the Buried includes the fear of drowning
12 notes · View notes
yuesya · 9 months
Note
This same age au is growing like a weed and I'm here to inhale all of it💪😭
Riko becoming a Jujutsu sorcerer in this 'verse is something I didn't see coming but it make so much sense..? I wonder does she have innate cursed technique in this au and can awaken it and lear it? or will she went and fight utilizing cursed weapons a la Maki or she just went punches and kicks? I feel she's the support, long-ranged type of fighter who can fully utilize her cursed energy and CT if she had any. I guess Shiki isn't close with Kento in this verse? Must be awkward for them.
But I haven't asked the most important question in this au. So here is it. Since Riko is alive, wouldn't it means that Geto skipped his canon event and do not become a rogue hmm? become a teacher at jujutsu tech instead hmm👀
Maybe I'm pushing it too far, but let's say in another branch of this au, Shiki losing advantages of sight and relentless pressures from the clan, instead of becoming protective.. Shiki is spiralling(?) start doubting, becoming reserved and distant and start applying mask and walls against everyone, and along the way she was approached by a certain woman with stitches on her temple..? Years later after Shiki gone missing due to circumstances I'm unable to conjure up the explanations of, after Satoru too, went missing and where an accidental perfect vessel for Sukuna appears, Halloween happened, and Geto somehow found himself becoming the the last line of defence against reappearance of 'Gojo Shiki'?
Sorry if my ramblings kinda confusing, english isn't my first language and it's almost 3 in the morning, I can feels incoherence began to creeps between my brain's wrinkles. Just, thank you so much for sharing those snippets, it really made my day💕 Have a nice day!!
I agree, this AU does indeed seem to be growing like a weed haha. Glad you've been enjoying the ramblings!
I think... well, Riko probably doesn't have a cursed technique, since signs of cursed techniques are supposed to show up during childhood, and from what we've seen of her in canon, we haven't seen anything signaling a potential cursed technique. Unless it's something incredibly subtle, maybe? We'll have to put a pin in that.
But yeah, I was thinking that since she's the Star Plasma Vessel, surely there's something 'special' about her. And in the messy aftermath of everything following the mission for her merger with Tengen, it's Satoru and Suguru who declared that they'd protect her. Yaga never said it aloud, but he also heavily implied that he would be willing to protect Amanai Riko as well, so I think it would be a natural progression for Riko to end up attending the Tokyo school.
Somewhere along the lines, maybe Tsukumo takes Amanai under her wing! I think that would be nice. :D
Geto becoming a teacher and Shiki spiraling after losing her eye, Satoru going missing and Kenjaku taking over Shiki's body... I see that we've crossed over to the apocalypse AU haha. Geto's attention would be split between fending off Kenjaku-Shiki and finding out where and what happened to Satoru.
38 notes · View notes
getousatoruu · 4 months
Note
As antagonist who do you think is better between Sukuna, Kenjaku, or Toji? Why? How will you rank them?
How did Toji even make the list 😭😭😭
But my top 3 would be Sukuna, Mahito and Kenjaku in that exact order.
Sukuna on top for now just because he is such a chilling character. Idk how to explain but like his sense of appreciation instead of fear for every life threatening attack towards him, the way he dismisses everyone but still has it in him to acknowledge a strong opponent, plus his battle IQ is insane. I am very curious to see how our current protagonist team gonna deal with this monster of a curse.
Mahito is crazy and I hate him so so so so much and that’s why he top 2 because no 2D character has made me boil with rage so much than Mahito. His childish personality and insane CT just makes him that much more interesting. Also seeing him do a 0.2 sec domain expansion after Gojo just used it on him what 3 hrs back is fucking crazy.
Kenjaku in all sense of the word is fucking CREEPY. The way he made those 9 death paintings, the way he used Kaori dead body to give birth to our protagonist and the way he is using Geto right now to start his merger dream is fucking disgusting and that makes him that much more compelling at least to me. He literally did all that just because he was bored and if that’s not true villainous shit idk what is.
7 notes · View notes
leon-anna · 2 years
Text
Here's the Underdogs in bite-size form(as cadets) for your daily consumption 😍
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Aren't they adorable! I love them so much 😘🥰♥️❤️
(and yes I did draw a couple of them more than once, that doesn't mean I love them more it just means the drawing fitted their personality better)
53 notes · View notes
angeltreasure · 1 year
Text
youtube
On 3/12/23 -10am Homily- about the Eucharistic Miracle on 3/5/23 at St Thomas Church, Thomaston, CT
“On March 5, 2023, there was a Eucharistic miracle - multiplying of the Host - during the distribution of communion... it was reported immediately by an extraordinary minister who was a last-minute substitution for the Pastor (whose thumb was bandaged before the Mass).
The Pastor is Rev. Joseph Crowley of the St Maximilian Kolbe Parish at St Thomas Catholic church in Thomaston, CT. This parish was previously known as St Thomas Parish until a merger and was the last parish served by Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus.
This video is the beginning of the 3/12/23 Homily where Fr Crowley reviews the details of the Miracle that he witnessed at the 3/5/23 10am Mass. We are in the year of the Eucharistic Revival!”
11 notes · View notes
yamat0 · 6 months
Text
jjk leaks
so kenjaku is definitely gonna kill and take takabas ct and just force the merger to happen on its own bc he finds it funny
2 notes · View notes
alonelystargazer · 1 month
Text
⚠️ JJK CHAPTER 254 SPOILERS
ummm WTF was that??
so gege is just pulling shit out of thin air now or am I not understanding something?
idk man this manga is frustrating the hell out of me bc why for the past 20 chapters or so that some character gets hyped up, maybe gets a flashback, and then sukuna injuries or kills them? like I do understand that fighting sukuna would lead to some people dying but it's just repeating a pattern of how they die that's making me frustrated
anyway kusakabe got hyped up again and is most likely dead
and for some reason miguel is back?? what's he gonna do? isn't his CT tied to the ropes? but gojo destroyed those if I remember correctly? I won't completely discredit him bc he took a bearing from gojo in jjk 0 and lived but what else can he do? will yuta come back and team up with him?
and whatever happened to the merger? or hakari vs uraume?
the only good thing that came out of this chapter is the nanami crumbs!!
the worst thing is that mei mei is still alive for some fucking reason 😒
as always:
at this point the only way to enjoy this series is if you're a sukuna glazer lol
anyway I just want itafushi yuta and maki back!!
Tumblr media
11 notes · View notes
runabout-river · 3 months
Text
Thoughts on JJK chapter 248 (spoilers)
Tumblr media
Yuji's attack with Higu's Executioner's Sword didn't work because Higuruma's CT faded in the last second. Our lawyer has seemingly died and Yuji is expectantly distraught but he fights on
Tumblr media Tumblr media
In last chapter's poll I asked how this attack would go, and 60% said that it won't work but in the first hour of the poll the number had actually been reversed
@fushiglow had feared in the notes this exact scenario with the blow failing and Higuruma dying but I made the correct prediction here in saying that the good guys have their healers ready to save their fighters
Tumblr media
One important note: Sukuna said that Higuruma is dead (like Gojo) but for Sukuna, defeat is the same thing as death as he said to Yorozu.
With this in mind + the presentation of the panels (Ui Ui and Kirara first shown in shadows as hype) + Sukuna mentioning Shoko + Nitta's CT makes it likely that Higuruma will survive.
Just like Gojo
Tumblr media
The fight goes on with the reveal that Yuji can now use RCT. After seeing this and having defeated Higuruma, Sukuna spaces out much to Yuji's astonishment.
Sukuna then goes through an introspection that was difficult to follow along with the translation. The important thing though is that he had an introspection in the first place. The guy is gaining some depth to his character.
Tumblr media
Remarkable here is that he explicitly mentions sharing a body with Yuji as something that connects them. This connection will be revisited in the future and it might be applied to Megumi as well but with the caveat that Megumi's soul had been suppressed the entire time they've been together but that might also not make a difference to Sukuna
Tumblr media
We get a new rule: Megumi meaning Sukuna, has now full control of the merger as per Kenjaku. This was most likely the will someone else will inherit he spoke of during his last panel BUT
Kenjaku is not confirmed dead and we don't know what Yuta did to his head
I don't think anyone knows how Kenjaku transplants himself into a new body. If Yuta failed to crush his head, then we have the possibility that Kenjaku will manage to put his brain into a new body. I won't be surprised when a new person with stitches on their forehead appears in the future
We also have new possibilities on what Megumi's future will look like now that he has the key for the merger to his name. He could stop it from ever happening or he could start it depending on the mental condition he will have when he finally gains back control of his body
Yuta arrives with fake Rika and Sukuna himself calls her Queen. Next chapter we'll see how the themes of King and Queen will play against each other.
I was having further thoughts on piercing blood from last chapter. Sukuna thought that it was from Choso but what if it was Kamo instead? (using Choso's blood to fool Sukuna). Choso wasn't in this chapter and that would be a surprise for us readers
There was also a pixelated spoiler drop from a Japanese show concerning the editor of JJK. It was about next week's chapter having sth mind blowing in it.
32 notes · View notes