you can download current and past hi-res versions of these over at my ko-fi (ok to print for personal use): https://ko-fi.com/mxmorgan/shop/freedownloads
you can also snag shirts here which go to various orgs: https://mxmorgan.threadless.com/collections/pride
these get reposted a whole lot from here to reddit to twitter to tiktok and on and on, and i don't personally care whether or not i'm credited. i made these for everyone to use, enjoy, and find meaning in them. i appreciate folks who do credit me, but if able, please at least link to the threadless shop in the previous post - folks can get an official shirt where 90% of earnings go to trans led orgs focused on mental health (which is an important matter in general, but very personal to me) and not from a scam bot site selling AI-churned maga garbage where you probably won't get one anyway. i also suggest downloading the files from my ko-fi - they are free/PWYW and you can use them to make your own shirt, patch, embroidery project, whatever. tips are always nice, cuz i do like a pizza now and then, but never required for download.
final thought - breaking the pride tradition and more than likely won't make a new piece. the top one from TDOV is all i'm making this year. i have my focus on other projects currently and i don't want to force a poster design. these came from a specific head space and my current head space is Very Tired lmao so i wanna work on other things. 👍
A Guide to Writing Saiki Kusuo in a Relationship as an Aro/Ace Coded Character
First, yes! It's possible!
Starting Point
Saiki's canonical defining trait is that he wants to be left alone; not because he hates people, but because connection and emotional exposure cost him something. Deep down, he's afraid of hurting people.
He is already aro/ace-coded: he is not interested in romance or sex, he finds the concept of love confusing rather than compelling, and his deepest attachments are expressed through protective, self-sacrificial action rather than words or touch.
The Spectrum Matters Here
Aromantic and asexual are their own thing but they are also umbrella terms. Consider where your Saiki sits before you write a single scene. You don't need to label it in the fic, but you should know.
A fully aro Saiki in a QPR (queerplatonic relationship) reads very differently from a demi Saiki who develops something romantic/sexual after bonding with someone.
There's so much more than this, here's some resources:
See Identities on the Aromantic Spectrum
See Identities on the Asexual Spectrum
If you want to keep him close to canon, I go into more detail of where he seems to fall in this post: Is Saiki really aroace?
It just explains that he's asexual, possibly aegoromantic, potentially demiromantic.
The Relationship Exists on His Terms
Saiki doesn't pursue. He tolerates, then allows, then quietly chooses. A relationship with him looks less like courtship and more like someone being gradually un-excluded from his personal space. He will not confess. He will not ask, but he stops pretending he doesn't care.
He'd stopped trying to lose them after the third time. Whether that counted as choosing them, he hadn't decided.
Love Through Action, not Words
Saiki's affection is expressed in what he does, never what he says. He memorizes schedules so he can intercept problems before they happen. He uses his powers on someone's behalf and tells them it was a coincidence. He shows up. These are his "I care about you."
Choosing to sit near someone even when he could sit alone.
Deflecting a bad situation before his partner notices.
Remembering small details (he'd learn everything without saying a word) and quietly adjusting the world around them.
Physical Intimacy
Asexual doesn't mean touch-averse, though Saiki specifically has reasons to be (his superstrength and psychometry).
This is where a lot of in-fighting happens (please don't invalidate anyone's experience), specifically the favorability.
There are asexuals that don't experience attraction, but feel fine performing the act, or don't care either way, or feel completely repulsed. Same with aromantics.
Write with his physical comfort in mind. He'd likely never kiss on the lips as a greeting. And there are ways around that. Kissing anywhere but the lips can also be very intimate. It doesn't even have to be a kiss; it can be touching foreheads or just hugging.
What He Gets from the Relationship
He needs to realize he doesn't have to be alone. A relationship isn't about romance or passion for him; it's about having someone who knows him, doesn't demand he perform "normalcy".
Avoid:
Having him suddenly "realize" he loves them in a rush of feeling
A partner "fixing" his disinterest in romance
Writing his aro/ace traits as coldness or damage
Grand confessions or jealousy
Sex/romance as a catalyst for his character growth
Sexual descriptions in HIS pov
Treating a QPR as lesser than a "real" relationship
Try:
Slow, quiet moments of acknowledgment
His partner learning to read his non-verbal language
Actual communication replacing assumed romance
His internal monologue being introspective, not tortured
The relationship having its own shape, not fitting a template
Describe him being flustered for being accepted the way he is
When something surprises him, he files it, examines it from a distance, and usually concludes it is "not worth addressing." His internal monologue around the relationship should feel the same.
Feelings, in the conventional sense, seemed like a tremendous waste of energy. Whatever this is, the specific irritation of missing their voice at lunch, as opposed to the general irritation of everything.
His voice is not cold. It is precise. There is a difference. He notices things with care; he simply doesn't emote about them.
Types of Attraction
Explore the other attractions. Saiki actually shows aesthetic attraction canonically. He has (nonsexually) said things like Teruhashi is pretty, Rifuta is cute, and commented on some men being handsome. He, for his own reasons, like average looking people.
*I want to add here that a squish is exactly what Saiki wants from Satou. He doesn't have a romantic crush on him or is sexually attracted to his average looks. He has the platonic equivalent of a romantic crush [squish] on Satou. He wants a deep friendship with him.
What makes a QPR distinct (if you go this route, aro/ace)
A queerplatonic relationship sits outside the romantic/friendship binary. It has the commitment of a romantic partnership without necessarily including romantic attraction, platonic. For Saiki, he might, after enough time, be unable to imagine his life without a specific person in it even if he doesn't want them that way.
QPRs often require more explicit conversation than romantic relationships because there's no script. His partner can't assume that a relationship means X. They have to talk terms. The negotiation looks different for each relationship. Cohabitating and not being alone could be the goal. Or going on "dates" without making it into something; best friends go out together, it's like that.
The partner's characterization is just as important as Saiki's. They need to:
Not need him to perform romance in order to feel loved
Understand that his care is real even when it's quiet
Have their own needs and communicate them; he can listen, even if he doesn't always respond as expected
Not "fix" him, but grow alongside him
The best personalities for this kind of fic are ones who are themselves a little unusual; someone who finds conventional romance overhyped, who values stability and presence over declaration, or who simply fell into caring about him before they understood how he works.
If you don't want to go the QPR route, my recommendation is the demi route because it works really well for slow-burn stories. The gray route can be interesting depending on what the condition is. But please understand, QPRs are just as interactively rich; just look at his friendship with Aiura, it's beautiful. Also, you guys are sleeping on Mera; Saiki has a good relationship with her because they are somewhat the same and she doesn't want anything from him.
And let's not forget, there's nothing wrong with exploring friendship.
Example Fics:
Ichigo Ichie (QPR) x fem OC
-> AO3 -> Wattpad
After college, an aro/ace Saiki unexpectedly finds out he's a father and has to decide what he wants to do with that information. It's not as crazy as it sounds.
Your Psychic Prince (ASpec variety) x genderneutral Reader
-> AO3 -> Wattpad
This is a variety of oneshots. He is a bit different in each one, but it's not outright stated what he is.
Color in the Noise (No Romance/ technically a squish) x genderneutral reader
-> AO3 -> Wattpad
Saiki takes interest in the mind of someone with synesthesia.
Crush Culture is Ψ Overrated (Aro/Ace, no relationship)
-> AO3
Saiki's complicated thoughts on romance and attraction and how the girls view him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hopefully this was helpful. Anything I should add?
Edited to include types of attraction and example fics.
Reblogging because I've added so much, it's completely different from the original post, and this icon deserves his spotlight. It's also not just for him, it's a guide for a-spec characters in general.
There's always a moment of intense cultural whiplash whenever I realize I'm talking to someone who thinks "legal" and "illegal" are meaningful categories and ascribes innate goodness to following the law. It's like meeting a space alien.
※ filed beneath context collapse / okkotsu yuuta / don’t like don’t read / c. 1.7K
the flattening of fandom
okkotsu yuuta, aged-up discourse, and the death of context
opening statement · this is about context, curation, and the strange little courtroom modern fandom keeps trying to build around personal discomfort.
‹ ✦ ›
I need to talk about something that has been driving me up the wall lately, because the cognitive dissonance in modern fandom—specifically within the Jujutsu Kaisen space—has reached levels of absurdity that deserve a structural post-mortem.
I recently decided to write for Okkotsu Yuuta, with plans to explore both canon-compliant stories and various AUs. He is easily one of my favorite characters in the entire series. But here is the sad truth: I hesitated to start writing for him at all.
I put it off because you cannot spend five minutes in the JJK tag without seeing a loud portion of fandom treat the mere concept of “aging up” characters like a crime. Frankly, I was not sure I wanted to deal with the preemptive policing.
think about how wild that is · a fan hesitating to write about a favorite character because of internet optics.
Even if my own dashboard is quiet for now, navigating this space means constantly running into a sea of “if you write aged-up characters, do not follow me” disclaimers plastered across profiles and posts.
And to be clear: people are allowed to curate their own spaces. Block, mute, filter, do what you need to do. That is the beauty of the internet. Nobody is forcing you to read anything.
But here is the kicker: the people making these rigid rules are often the same fans who will turn around tomorrow, defend their favorite toxic ship, villain romance, or morally messy dynamic, and scream, “They’re just fictional characters. It’s not that serious.”
So, which is it?
Because the math is not mathing.
exhibit one · the weaponized purity paradox
What we are witnessing right now is a masterclass in weaponized purity culture.
In modern internet spaces, “fictional characters aren’t real” has become a shield rather than a philosophy. It is used almost exclusively to protect the things people personally like.
If a fan wants to read about toxic dynamics, enemies-to-lovers, fictional murder, corruption arcs, revenge fantasies, or any number of dark tropes, the shield goes up.
“They’re fictional.”
“It’s just fiction.”
“Depiction is not endorsement.”
And yes. Correct. Gold star. We all made it to the point.
But the second someone else writes a trope they have decided is an automatic red flag—like “aging up”—the shield drops, and suddenly we are in a moral tribunal.
Suddenly fiction is not fiction anymore. Suddenly every creative choice is evidence. Suddenly context does not matter, intent does not matter, execution does not matter, and the actual text of the story barely matters.
What matters is whether the correct alarm-word has appeared.
The phrase “aged up” has been utterly flattened.
It no longer simply means “a story set ten years in the future.” It no longer means “I am exploring this character as an adult in a post-canon timeline.” In algorithm-driven fandom spaces, it has been stripped of context and treated as a synonym for explicit content.
People are not reacting to the actual story.
they are reacting to a keyword.
They see “aged-up Yuuta,” and their brain fills in the worst possible interpretation.
Never mind that a writer might want to explore him as a 25- or 30-year-old adult dealing with grief, work, relationships, trauma, recovery, domesticity, intimacy, morality, or literally any other adult experience.
Never mind that future-timeline fanfiction has existed forever.
Never mind that aging characters forward is one of the most basic tools in transformative writing.
Nope.
The phrase appears, the sirens go off, and the nuance leaves the building.
To be clear, I am not talking about using “aged up” as a paper-thin excuse to keep a character functionally underage while slapping an adult label on them.
I am talking about actual future-timeline writing: stories where the character is imagined as an adult, in an adult context, with adult experiences and adult characterization.
Those are not the same thing.
Pretending they are is part of the problem.
exhibit two · algorithmic morality and the death of context
As a fan in my late 30s, watching this unfold has been surreal.
And before anyone starts romanticizing the past: no, older fandom was not some perfect utopia of enlightened media literacy. We had ship wars. We had drama. We had bad takes. We had people writing manifestos in LiveJournal comments with the intensity of constitutional scholars and the emotional regulation of raccoons in a dumpster.
But there was, at least in many spaces, a basic operating principle:
don’t like, don’t read.
That did not mean “nothing can ever be criticized.” It did not mean “all fiction exists in a vacuum.” It did not mean “people are not allowed to have boundaries.”
It meant that fiction was understood as a sandbox. A place to stretch creative muscles, explore heavy themes, imagine alternate paths, and engage with ideas without treating every fictional scenario as a direct confession of real-world morals.
So where did that mindset go?
Honestly, I think a lot of it was swallowed by algorithmic fandom.
A lot of the current loudest voices in fandom came of age, socially and creatively, in spaces shaped less by messy community norms and more by TikTok and Twitter/X algorithms. These platforms do not reward nuance. They reward speed, certainty, outrage, and legibility.
They compress complicated conversations into binaries:
safe versus problematic.
pure versus evil.
ally versus enemy.
good fan versus bad fan.
And once morality becomes content, everything gets flattened.
A trope is not a trope anymore. It is a signal.
A ship is not a ship anymore. It is a political position.
A character preference is not a preference anymore. It is evidence of your soul.
During lockdown, when the world felt completely out of control, policing internet strangers could offer a powerful, if artificial, sense of control and purpose. Pointing at a trope, labeling it “bad,” and organizing a block list can feel like activism, especially in spaces where messy disagreement has been replaced by moral sorting.
good fan.
bad fan.
safe person.
dangerous person.
acceptable taste.
unacceptable taste.
It teaches people how to sort other fans into categories.
That is not media literacy.
That is context collapse wearing a hall monitor badge.
exhibit three · yuuta and company deserve better
The irony of this happening in the JJK fandom is especially glaring.
Jujutsu Kaisen is a story explicitly about the horrific psychological toll of a corrupt society grinding children into meat. Okkotsu Yuuta is one of several younger characters defined by immense grief, impossible expectations, heavy responsibility, and a profound sense of duty.
Wanting to see how characters like that breathe as adults is not a moral failing.
Wanting to imagine Yuuta at 25 or 30—how he heals, how he copes, how he loves, how he works, how he functions when the immediate threat is gone—is not inherently suspicious.
It is called character development.
It is called a future timeline.
It is called asking:
what happens after survival?
That question is one of the oldest impulses in fandom.
What happens after the war?
What happens after the curse is broken?
What happens after the chosen one grows up?
What does peace look like for someone who was never taught how to live inside it?
Those questions matter.
They are not automatically dirty because the character was younger in canon. They are not automatically predatory because an adult writer is interested in adulthood as a theme.
And again, nobody has to read it.
Nobody has to like it.
Nobody has to follow writers who explore it.
But “I personally dislike this trope” and “this trope is morally indefensible” are not the same sentence.
“I do not want this on my dashboard” and “anyone who writes this is dangerous” are not the same claim.
“My boundary is that I avoid aged-up fic” and “aged-up fic is inherently wrong” are not the same argument.
One is curation.
The other is moral panic.
closing argument · bring back context
The frustrating thing is that fandom already has the tools to handle this.
Tags exist.
Filters exist.
Content warnings exist.
Blocking exists.
Muting exists.
The back button exists, ancient and sacred, waiting patiently for us to remember her power.
You can see a trope you dislike and simply not read it. You can see a ship you hate and keep scrolling. You can decide a writer’s work is not for you without building a courtroom around that decision.
That used to be normal.
It should still be normal.
Because fictional characters are not real people. They are lines of text, drawings on a page, performances, archetypes, narrative tools, emotional mirrors. They can mean a great deal to us—obviously they can, or none of us would be here—but they are not harmed by future-timeline fanfiction.
They do not need protection from AUs.
Real people, however, can be harmed by harassment, dogpiling, public shaming, and the constant pressure to prove that their imagination is morally clean enough to exist in public.
That is the part of this conversation that keeps getting conveniently ignored.
so yes, curate your space.
please curate your space.
curate it aggressively if you need to.
Block tags. Block writers. Block me, even. Protect your peace.
But stop pretending that personal discomfort is the same thing as ethical clarity.
Stop treating keywords like evidence.
Stop flattening fiction into a purity test.
And for the love of all things holy, stop acting like writing a future version of Okkotsu Yuuta is a federal offense.
‹ ✦ ›
the verdict · let writers write. close the tab. filter the tag. and let’s bring back the ancient, sacred art of minding our own business.
You know what? Forget the discourse. This is no longer my hill to die on.
You wanna ship canonically aspec characters because “aro/ace people can still date/have sex”? Okay, then. LET’S DO IT.
I wanna see an aromantic character with an alloromantic love interest. I wanna see that confession of undying love and the moment when the aro character says they will never feel the same way—not romantically.
I wanna see the asexual character with their allosexual partner. I wanna see that moment when the ace characters tries sex with their partner for the first time because they want to make them happy only to realize that they are 100% sex repulsed.
I wanna see the two demiromantics who don’t even know if what they feel is romantic attraction, but they adore each other and just want to make healthy snacks together and destroy each other at Mario Kart.
I wanna see the two aces who love sensual affection and are figuring out what they define as sexual or not.
I wanna see the romance + sex neutral aroace who happily and consensually does whatever makes their partner happy…but their partner still struggles with feeling undesired.
Oh, babe. You thought shipping an aspec character would be just like shipping an allo character?
kianamaiart
gummygunk
vaporwave
stormborns
