#Judgement Original God of Balance

[roposhipin]

Hello, Judgement.

[mayuslob]

Leander character analysis but i am 100% wrong

Okay so disclaimer this is most probably a huge stretch and me going insane over every detail BUT i need to get it out my system

Yapping below the cut be ready 🦭

Starting off with what made me start this, the Bloodhounds’ motto. When i was playing the demo for the first time, i was very caught off guard when they mentioned the sentence “as above so below” due to its religious context and meaning. This sentence is mostly linked with the character Baphomet, a satanic figure written by the author Éliphas Lévi on the book “Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie” translated to english “Dogma and Ritual of High Magic", written between 1854 and 1856. It can be portrayed in a lot of different ways, but the most embraced is that there cannot be heaven without hell (thus Baphomet pointing up and down), good without evil and viceversa. Now here it gets more interesting.

At first i thought they just chose this sentence for other motives, but then i started to dig a little deeper and realised that every single detail in Leander’s character is very much on purpose, specially his color palette and abilities. Let’s start with the colors which are directly linked to his powers:

Leander’s distinctive color is green, a dark desaturated emerald green to be exact. Emerald portrays good luck and balance in common symbolism, but it also can be tracked to this. See the thing is, the sentence “as above so below” doesn’t come originally from Baphomet, rather Lévi quoted it from a — not known to really exist— text called “The Emerald Tablet”, a story with different theories around its origin; the story revolving around a fictional character named Hermes Trismegistus (this is important for later). So here we have that the color emerald is directly connected not only to Leander’s palette but to the Bloodhounds’ motto. But wait!

there’s more

See this is where you ask, okay but what does The Emerald Tablet tell? well around the years it was most referenced, it was used by the islam and european alchemists and considered fundamental. Of course as time went by, the text was implemented in other practices such as occultism and magic. This is where the figure of Hermes is pretty interesting regarding Leander, due to his character being described as a “physician, a magician and a spiritual person”. That’s right guys, a fucking magician much like our beloved Leander.

Going further into Hermes’ character, he is a syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and of the Egyptian god Thoth, the god of the night, wisdom, magic, and the final judgement (plus others but these are the ones we’re gonna focus on). With this we have some things that could describe Leander, specially wisdom and magic due to his vast knowledge surpassing the Senobium (as mentioned by MC if you choose The Alchemist path) but we still have two things left, the night and the final judgement.

We know from the game devs that Leander is not a good person to say the least, just showing a façade of his true self. So i think that the fact that his fatal flaw is crossed out and this fundamental detail could be related to those two attributes Thoth has. PLUS if you see Leander’s outfit he is wearing a belt decorated by two moons, linking him to the night.

Leander is mysterious but strangely sweet to the MC, even after being aware of their power and danger, even to a point of growing overly interested in them. He promises us balance, a normal tranquil life, the answer to all of your problems. From what he has shown us so far he is very protective and even a bit obsessive, always insisting on Mc coming to him for help, giving us an impression that maybe he is more than meets the eye.

In conclusion, i think Leander will be a wayyyy darker character than we expect, greedy for knowledge — fact shown in his trailer silhouette quotting “mages lust for power, it’s always their downfall” — which is why maybe he’s so obsessed with MC. He wants wisdom he’s thirsty for it to insane extents we might see in his route. Also not forgetting Bloodhounds’ motto and its meaning, i believe we’ll see his version of what justice is and how if he is so good with us in the beginning, how dangerous is he in reality?? specially if both Vere and Ais have tried to kill him. I’m super excited for this game.

Im a 100% sure there’s things i’ve missed, so if anyone wants to add any info or theory they have PLEAASE do id love to hear.

Little detail i left out because i think it would be too much but Leander wearing a key on his outfit is so made on purpose i can’t elaborate.

[eliecasa]

summary: reader see’s a man spank a box on tiktok & it awakens a monster

warnings: minors i know I said I wouldn’t but we all lie as humans. this is one of those times where you mustn’t interact, plss ( contains these mentions: asphyxiation, verbal, and spanking kinks ) the reader is mentioned to have a vagina.

wrdcnt: 2K

inspo

A small huff of frustration pushed from your nostrils as you’re once again opening your eyes to stare out into the rainy darkness of the night. The sight is usually lovely and heart-warming as it was Simon’s wish to live somewhere with nature all the while staying a generous 20 minutes away from the city. It’s quiet here but there’s a memory that echoes loud and vibrantly in the back of your mind.

Simon sat still, sleeping as quiet as a mouse as you squeezed your eyes shut and subtly rubbed your thighs together. If you’d never downloaded tiktok, you’ll probably be sound asleep and dreaming of a dog handing you something as strange as a sweater with your own face sewn into it. Soap suggested that it be a good idea to keep a good balance of humor and seriousness since Simon would be left alone to tease you without anyone else jumping in to defend you, and the only way to do that was to give in and download the god-forsaken TikTok app.

Oh how you wish you’d never listened to him.

The first thing you’re greeted with is a video of a buff man underhand smacking a box to fit evenly with the others atop and below it. It came immensely loud from your headphones and caused a barely-audible yelp to part your lips. Your first thought was to get out of there so, you did… by scrolling one video down as Simon came over from the kitchen and asked what was wrong. And of course, having lacked a good answer, you merely waved him off and cleared your throat, saying that your headphones were accidentally turned to maximum volume.

He squinted those dark and suspicious eyes before humming and going back to make dinner- which was the deal for an old bet that he lost. Anyway, you’re instantly back on the video and fluttering with little butterflies of heat and embarrassment… that was until you opened the comments and saw that everyone else was thinking the same. Even married people were saying things such as “I try to get my husband to do this but he doesn’t know manual labor too well” which tickled you a little bit.

Though you were laughing at the time, you found yourself staring at Simon’s hands a bit longer than usual as the two of you ate dinner together. Don’t be mistaken, Simon had done nearly everything you desired with those strong pair of hands but still, that new seed planted in your head was quickly taking over and growing vines up and down the walls of your busy mind.

“What’s on your mind?” He said after watching you daydream for five minutes. It almost seems deliberate as he moved to hide his hands underneath the table. Classic Mr. RIley.

“...Nothin’,” you shrugged, connecting your gaze before promptly taking a good chunk of spanish rice.

Simon paused and did that empty stare where he kinda just assessed you before going back to whatever business he was originally doing. The judgemental gaze causes the slightest of shame to boil your skin as you roll your eyes. He’s your husband and has seen and touched every nook and cranny of your body and for some reason, you don’t want to tell him what’s bothering you.

Fast forward back into the present. The fluffy white comforter seems to get unbearably hot just as the heat radiating from Simon does. Sex and experiment is no taboo between the two of you and your coyness was just overall pitiful, however, that small little angel in your head keeps saying “Well, you have to really ask yourself if he’s the type to wound his loving spouse” while the devil said “Tell him to throw you over his lap and spank you like that goddamn cardboard!”

Again, you rub your thighs together. Maybe your mind was turning into one of those awful hormone monsters from a show that shall not be named. A small sound of anger escaped your mouth as you try to clear your mind, knowing that Simon would get woken–

“Having a strop, are ya’?” His heavy voice felt heavy and trapping as you knew that this was the most reasonable time to just get it over with.

Almost too quickly, you flip in his arms and lock eyes with him. Well, he was still waking up but your patience led you to gently pinch various areas of his face before he’s basically stretching his neck to be freed.

“Fuckin’ stop will ya?”

“Why haven’t you ever gotten rough with me?”

In the moonlight that shows through your windows, you can see the way that Simon’s face bunches into one handsome twist of confusion and tiredness. His eyes slowly open to look at the ceiling before he turns his head and stares dead into your eyes.

“What do you mean?”

Your right hand moved back a couple of inches and came back to gently slap him as his face remained cradled in your hands. A small chuckle escapes him before he pinches your thigh.

“Why’re you kicking my ass instead of explaining–”

“I obviously mean- like during sex,” you spoke with the tiniest amount of annoyance in your voice as the sexual frustration was beginning to plague.

The hand on your thigh rested as his face relaxed.

“I do… it was your idea to get into the choking thing-”

“No! I mean- yes that but why don’t you ever hit me?”

He seems to relax into the pillows a bit more as his eyes darted back to the white and plain ceiling. Simon was taking a moment to actually think if he’s never done such since it seems like a problem that could have been bothering you for who knows how long. Maybe you were doing that classic tactic of trying to alter his memory for your own benefit. There’s been multiple times where you’d lay on top of him and ask when was the last time he’d give you proper praise despite him clearly remembering it happening two days ago. He tilts his head, thinking of the past five months. The two of you had gotten into a couple new positions, areas to have sex, as well as experimenting with verbal kinks. Not to mention that asphyxiation kink that appeared to stay and make an appearance during each session.

“Simon!”

“I know, I know… just making sure you aren’t lying,” he said, casually sitting up to turn on the blinding light next to the bed. You try not to grab him as he moves from over you to settle back and rub his eyes.

“What needs to be done to get you sound, eh?”

A lightning bolt strikes as you pretend to think as if Apollo was saying “Don’t you dare waste that man's time, Y/N.”

So, instead of pissing anyone off, you decide you sit on your knees and face Simon with your chin up and your shirt covering your sweaty palms that were hidden underneath the oversized fabric. You’re ex-military and you’re especially all but a coward. Simon Riley will not stop you from reaching your dreams.

“I want you to start…” your lips twist in the slightest as you try to find the right words just to settle on “spanking me…”

He tries not to seem surprised but the smallest raise of his eyebrows gave it all away.

“Today,” you finish, almost coming off stern and unmovable.

Many would disagree with this but you could say that Simon had very telling eyes and right now, he was not only questioning just how freaky you were as well as how much of a possible masochist you were underneath that loving and soothing base of your personality. The asphyxiation thing was brought up during sex so he couldn’t really so no to you in the heat of the moment but now you’ve caught him fresh out of an innocent sleep.

“Are you… sure?--”

“Simon,” you dare, looking away for a second before shaking your head at his timidness.

He wasn’t following the script; you’d admit that you wanted to be spanked and he would pat his lap and get to work. That’s how it was supposed to go! However, Simon wanted to play the long game and see how long he could drag this until the sun began to rise.

“Why didn’t you say this instead of staring at my hands the entire meal?”

“Who the hell would just come out and say ‘Hey, mind hitting my ass when we fuck’?”

A small smile spreads his pink lips as his shoulders momentarily hunch.

“You’re not shy any other time.”

For the 800th time, your pupils roll to the back of your head. As you’re shaking your disappointed little head, you pause to see that the storm seems to calm down a bit, instead turning into a windless pour that wouldn’t wake anyone if they were sleeping. The silence left you no choice as Simon indeed began to follow the script written in your head.

“Guess we’d better get to trying before you’re all snappy then,” his heavy mancunian accent coming loudly as he stood up and stretched.

The movement caught your attention and glued it onto his strong thighs. Simon was a brief type of guy— which was honestly a bit surprising when you first discovered it. The soft fabric remained comfortably on his strong thighs that would soon have you stretched across them.

There’s a couple of heavy steps across the bedroom floor before he settled on the front of the bed and in front of the black screen of the television.

“Are you serious?” you purse your lips, crawling towards him as he looks at you from over his shoulder.

Instead of being verbal, he jerks his head to coax you over as a barely-noticeable smile squints his eyes.

And be damned; you were over there in no time. But instead of instantly giving you what you wanted, Simon couldn’t help but tease you a while longer. Only now do you wish he was a quick mover that despised roleplay. Your hips jump a little as two of his slightly-calloused fingers slid down the smooth and silk skin and dew of your cunt.

“Why the long face, doll?” He laughed, taking a glance at the way your lips and eyes were tightly closed shut.

“Do your thing, Simon,” you spoke quickly to muffle a sound of pleasure by covering your mouth and turning away from his eyes-view.

“I just wanted to feel you a little bit, no harm done,” he gently slapped your soppy cunt before lifting your shirt to bunch around the waist. Tonight, you were just wearing a normal pair of lace panties without the partner of a bra. Bras are vibe killers and the world could do without. Plus– it gives your lover easier access to rest or warm his hands when he’s bored.

Anticipation made the fabric become nearly insufferable as the room seemed to double in heat.

“Keep these on?”

You thought, looking at the shiny oak of your bedroom floor before giving him a muffled response.

“I don’t mind them staying on.”

As so, his ring finger released your panty and turned into a palm that smooths over the entirety of your plump ass. The feeling of Simon’s hands on your bum had often aroused you more than it probably should have. He’s never spanked you but he's grabbed it and caressed it as often as you allowed. The way he’d squeeze long enough to make it hurt had always brought out the bedroom hormones even though sometimes he would do it somewhere other than the comfort of your home. anything that made you feel like his was enough to keep it wet for hours.

“What are you waiting fo-AH!” you nearly turn into a flailing mess before your hands quickly resettled onto Simon’s strong thigh which was trembling with amusement.

For someone who was wary of hitting you, he’d come down really heavy handed. You’re a first-timer, it wouldn’t have killed him to at least warn you. However, the hot and stinging feeling is an arousal-multiplying sensation that has your mouth feeling a little numb and your adrenaline flowing.

Your eyes nearly comically blow wide as the two of you make eye-contact, Simon’s face being one of subdued delight as you gently pant out.

“Do. That. Again.”

[zedleaked]

Cringetober: Niche interest

What if you wanted to save your girlfriend but god said it's time to consult the balance of truth

I dunno how niche Gregory Horror Show is but I barely see content of it at all so here's some judgement boy appreciation

original cringetober post

[hyakinthou-naos]

The 7 Pillars of Hyakinthou Naos

These seven pillars* act as the core beliefs and values of The Temple of Hyacinthus. These pillars were created in the modern age, not antiquity, and therefore do not reflect upon the beliefs of all Hellenic Polytheists.

*disclaimer at the bottom of the post

Pillar 1: Xenia [ ΞENIA ] - Hospitality

Often translated as 'guest-friendship' or 'ritualized friendship' - Xenia was a core tenant of Hellenic Greek life and Hellenic Greek society.

"Historically, hospitality towards foreigners and guests (Hellenes not of your polis) was understood as a moral obligation, as well as a political imperative." - Wikipedia

As a Pillar of our temple, Xenia means being hospital and inclusive to individuals from all walks of life and lived experiences. Kindness and respect should be shown to all strangers you encounter - and hospitality should be extended towards them (when it is safe to do so).

Pillar 2: Eusebia [EYΣEBIA] - Piety & Worship

Eusebia is a term used to encapsulate our attitudes towards not only our beliefs and worship practices, but also our attitudes when referencing, honoring, or petitioning The Gods.​

"One demonstrates Eusebeia to the gods by performing the customary acts of respect (festivals, prayers, sacrifices, public devotions)" - Wikipedia

As a Pillar of our temple, Eusebia means showing respect towards Hellenic Polytheism, Hellenic worship practices, and The Gods. This respect also entails honoring The Gods with worship through prayer and ritual.

Pillar 3: Sophrosyne [ ΣΩΦΡΟΣYΝΗ ] - Moderation

Sophrosyne was a highly valued and praised virtue in the Hellenic Greek world, and was often used as the opposite of hubris. Which was, as it is today, regarded as an undesirable character trait.

"Sophrosyne is […] excellence of character and soundness of mind, which when combined in one well-balanced individual leads to other qualities, such as temperance, moderation, prudence, purity, decorum, and self-control." - Wikipedia

As a Pillar of our temple, Sophrosyne means to not take more than you need. It is a Pillar that reminds us to avoid greed and selfishness, as well as to not allow ourselves to over-indulge to the point of harming ourselves or others.

Pillar 4: Dikaiosyne [ ΔIKAIOΣYNH ] - Justice

Diakaiosyne is a noun which roughly translates to "righteousness, justice" (Wikipedia). Dikaiosyne is also a Daemone (spirit) who was the personification of righteousness and justice, and was closely related to the Horae Dike.

​"O blessed Dikaiosyne, mankind's delight, the eternal friend of conduct just and right: abundant, venerable, honoured maid, to judgements pure dispensing constant aid" - Theoi.com

​​As a Pillar of our temple, Dikaiosyne is closely tied to Social Justice and Progressive ideals. In this Temple, we believe that being an active ally towards disenfranchised and minoritized groups should not only happen beside our religious practices, but is essential to them.

Pillar 5: Sophia [ ΣOΦIA ] - Wisdom

Originally meaning "cleverness" or "skillfulness", in Ancient Greece Sophia would come to be a word that referenced wisdom and intelligence. It also became closely associated with "philosophía" (love of wisdom) which was a term often used by Plato.

"By the Roman Empire, it became common to depict the cardinal virtues [...] as female allegories. Thus, in the Library of Celsus in Ephesus [...] there are four statues of female allegories, depicting wisdom (Sophia) [...]" - Wikipedia

As a Pillar of our temple, Sophia embodies the value of truth, exploration, research, and wisdom. This is not about intelligence, or being able-minded, but instead is about the virtue and value of gaining understanding and knowledge.

Pillar 6: Hekousion [ EΚΟYΣΙΟΣ ] - Free Will

A term that may be less familiar to the wider Hellenic Polytheistic community, Hekousion is a word meaning "voluntary" or "that which is done by our will". For it's use in our Temple, Hekousion is meant to be similar to/synonymous with "to eph' hemin" [ EΦ HMIN ]

"Greek philosophy had no precise term for 'free will' as did Latin […]. The discussion was in terms of responsibility, what 'depends on us' (in Greek EΦ HMIN)." - Wikipedia

As a Pillar in our Temple, Hekousion is meant to embody the non-compulsory and non-dogmatic nature of our worship. Worship should always be an act of consent, where one chooses to welcome The Gods into their life.​

Pillar 7: Kharis [ XAPIΣ ] - Divine Grace

Kharis translates to English in a variety of ways including "beauty, elegance, charm, grace", "grace, favor, goodwill", and "the grace or favor of the Gods" a voluntary act of goodwill" (Wikipedia).

"Kharis is the reciprocal relationship which sustains divine and human interactions, characterized by a flowing exchange of favor between the Theoi and worshipper." - @errostheandeirene

As a Pillar in our Temple, Kharis is the basis of our relationship with The Gods. This ancient practice of reciprocity is to be upheld by all who honor The Gods, as it is the foundation of our faith.

*Our Temple and our Pillars have no association with with Timothy Jay Alexander (the creator of The Seven Pillars of Hellenismos, who is homophobic and has other allegations of problematic behavior surrounding him). While some inspiration was taken from Alexander's work, we also took inspiration from other sources (as the concept of moral pillars is not unique to Timothy Jay Alexander). Our Temple proudly supports, and has signed, the Xenia Declaration; we hold diversity and inclusivity at paramount importance in our temple. Additionally, the number 7 was chosen to honor our Temple's Patron, Lord Apollo, and is not meant as a recreation of Alexander's work.

[resquices-of-godhood]

I was going to post about the Bishops first, but... I think it's better we start with the titular character of the game and their counterpart instead.

Leoda the Lamb: Their name means "Of the people" in German, which is fairly fitting, given their position and general behavior.

As a vessel, Leoda is very similar to their canon appearance, safe for the wool not being as puffy, which requires it to be tied up with a headband to keep out of their eyes. During that time, they used the Fleece of the Fates and had a preference for swords throughout most of their original crusading under the orders of The One Who Waits. Most importantly during this period, however, is how well they used and manipulated curses, being a natural from as soon as they received the very first one to wield. Only other notable change to other sheeps is the fangs they get from the crown's connection, though its easily concealed.

After becoming the rightful bearer of the red crown, however, a lot starts to change. Physically, they get the ability to manifest a pair of crimson wings from under their fleece during the battle in the land of the dead. In the following months, a third eye opens up on their forehead (kept closed most of the time) and their teeth become a more balanced mix of carnivore and herbivore. They stop wielding the crown altogether, instead relying on curses only, while also starting to use the Fleece of Cursed Crusade.

Leoda is the last living sheep in the Land of the Old Faith. Sacrificed by the Bishops, they find themselves in the land of the dead, where The One Who Waits is... Well, waiting for them.

Even before their sacrifice, they are entirely devoted to the Bishop of Death, specially after they start interact with him more often during their crusading days, learning how much their god actually cares.

Most of the following events surrounding the game are the same, except that, after Heket's defeat, Leoda is summoned by The One Who Waits to then be informed what awaits them at the end of the journey, so, by the time they are to put down their life and return the crown, they not only are expecting it, but are ready and willing.

The Red Crown, however, is not.

It takes control of Leoda's body, manipulating it like a puppet as they fight Baal, then Aym, then The One Who Waits himself, all the while the Lamb is not only conscious, but desperately trying to fight back against the influence of the crown the whole time. It only relents and let go once the now former god of Death is laying down on the ground defeated. With the damage done, but not willing to kill their god, Leoda instead sends him to be indoctrinated into the cult.

After indoctrinating him, the lamb takes the broken body of Narinder to the healing tent, and for the next four days they check to see how they are recovering, only to be met with cursing and lashing out from the delirious three eyed panther.

Upon leaving the tent after one of the visits, the cult's healer, Saleos, approaches the Lamb and comments how, whenever Narinder is lashing out, he seems to be aiming at the crown, so they should leave it in their personal tent for the next visit.

The morning of the following day comes, and Leoda, following Saleos' advice, comes to the healing tent without the crown, only to be met with a more sober, albeit still weakened, Narinder having their wounds cleaned and dressed. That's when they learn what really happened in that fight: the crown has betrayed them both.

Narinder by choosing Leoda over him.

Leoda by possessing and forcing them to fight Narinder.

That was when the Lamb vowed never to wield the crown again, even as a tool. They will perform their role as the new god of Death and Judgement, but they will not give the crown a single inch more of their will. And so they do, meeting the Mystic Trader and releasing the Bishops from purgatory.

And that's the point where the AU begins.

Gayne the Goat: Besides the obvious joke, the name means "Ingenuity; Cunning; Trickery" from the French engaingne. It describes well the general demeanor of this Goat: a cunning trickster, so much so you might as well give them a spear and call them Odin. The more asshole-y traits comes from the environment of their timeline of origin, and tone down significantly with time in Leoda's.

By the time Gayne crossed into Leoda's timeline, they were already well into the infant god stage, and replacing the Purple Crown of their timeline of origin for the Lamb's did not reset that progression. Their Purple Crown was sent back to their timeline, where it belongs. By the time they did cross, they already had an extra pair of arms sprouting from the middle of their chest, as well as six extra, smaller eyes surrounding the original two (remain closed unless he is having a vision stemming from Future Knowledge, willing or otherwise), a pair of large metal wings and more pronounced fangs that poke out of their mouth (similar to Shamura's, but not as large), as well as a damaged eye that they keep covered by an eyepatch. Although they can see through that eye, anyone that sees it say it's rather disconcerting to look at. They prefer to use axes during crusades, and are incredibly good at timing their swings in tricky but powerful ways. While they do use the occasional curse, it's not their first choice during combat.

Gayne's timeline is a lot different from Leoda's. Instead of the Bishops betraying Narinder, Shamura's prophecy instead created a schism in the Old Faith, sending the 5 remaining gods into an all out war amongst themselves. As a result, none of them are crippled by trying to imprison the Red Crown's bearer, but they are now locked into war, every Bishop's army having an advantage that makes even the Bishop of War struggle to come up with strategies. It's a thousand years of never ending bloodshed, with Bishops appointing vessels so they can try to get something, anything, to get an advantage, before recalling the crowns when they need to get personally involved in the frontlines.

So it goes until Shamura finds themself a most peculiar vessel: a very cunning, yet deeply devoted, goat that is a menace in the battlefield. As this Shamura has both not lost their mind as well as they withdrew themself deeper and deeper in their godhood to avoid their failure as head of their pantheon and elder sibling, so they are a more cruel and manipulative, fully taking advantage of Gayne's devotion, dependence and love for the spider.

The thing is, Gayne is more than Shamura bargained for. Not only did they fell the other Bishops and conquered their lands, they also turned on the Bishop of War when they were ordered to give up their life and return the crown. The ensuing battle resulted on Gayne's metal wings that they keep folded as a second fleece layer, as well as the permanent scarring of their left eye.

At that point, their timeline started to unravel. There was no god of Death alive to keep things stable (Narinder was the last Bishop to fall before Shamura), and new crown bearers are starting to pop out from the former territories of the other Bishops to challenge the remaining god for power, but how does an infant god defeat a veteran war deity and god killer? It had been a few months by the time they find themself in the remnants of Anura at the same time that Leoda is struggling against a particularly strong opponent in the same area.

As both look at a puddle at the same time while Leoda is trying to recover their breath enough to continue the fight, that's when Gayne crosses over, going all out against the cultist threatening them and winning. A talk with the Lamb and a teleportation to the cult later and the Goat starts settling in, taking in this timeline's Purple Crown while the one from their timeline seemingly vanishes into a puddle of ichor.

They help Leoda to release the Bishops from purgatory, and that's where the AU starts.

Both are roughly on the same spot in regards to godhood, about a year and a half into the infant god stage.

[the-wisteria-house]

The Arrangement (Rengoku x reader) - Chapter 5

In his eagerness to get home and gather information about what his father is hiding Kyojuro forgoes sleep after his latest mission. This is proven to be a poor lapse of judgement, but thankfully your there to patch him up, and in the prosses a glimpse of your true self is unveiled to him, so maybe the blood and the scare he was sure to have was worth it?

Warnings: Mentions of Alcohol abuse, canon Typically violence, minor injuries (Kyojuro), awkward (y/n), and Kyojuro.

As Kyojuro stumbled out of his sandals and made his way down the corridor to the washroom, he couldn't help but wince as he barely caught his balance on one of the walls, narrowly avoiding landing on the floor. Kyojuro realized in that moment he had lost a lot more blood than he had originally anticipated. As he stared down at his hand that was putting pressure on his rib. He couldn't help the feeling of shame rise in him at the sight of his blood which stained his palm and dripping onto the floor below, 'You're a Hashira it's pathetic that you let a lower rank demon put you in such a state.' In his eagerness to figure out what his father was hiding he had an uncharacteristically poor lapse in judgment and decided to forgo sleep after his latest mission and head straight home in the hopes of speaking to you at first light. The lack of sleep and the tole the mission left on his body left him vulnerable to an opportunistic demon that caught him off guard as he ran through a neighboring village, though the demon was dispatched within seconds that didn't change the fact it was able to claw a deep gash across the Hashiras chest down to his ribs. 

"Kyojuro? Is that - oh god. Uh, come on, we need to get you patched up." Your surprised voice pulled him from his self-depreciating thoughts before you firmly grabbed his arm and led him to the bathroom and went along wordlessly.

The young man watched from the toilet lid as your eyebrows were nit firmly in what could have been worry, while you searched through the first aid kit you'd dug out from under the sink. Your features softened a fraction once you found the bottle of antiseptic and some cotton swabs.

Not even glancing in his direction you gestured to the rag you had given him when you both first entered the bathroom, "Bite down on that, I'm sure this'll hurt like a bitch.", 

Kyojuro didn't even have time to react to your foul language you turned, and a pained grunt left him and he quickly bit down on the rag, as you gently cleaned out his wound and wiped away excess blood with a damp rag as you went. You only stopped when Kyojuro softly laid a scared hand over your own, much smaller hands, not allowing you to clean the area over his heart. This action made you pause to look up at the slayer and give him a questioning look, noticing he removed the rag from his mouth. You were having to dig debris out of his wound so to say you were confused at this action would be an understatement.

"Thank you (Y/n), I'm truly sorry for waking you, that wasn't my intention." Kyojuro said with an apologetic smile, which you wouldn't help but return despite how every fiber of your being screamed at you to keep yourself guarded. 

"It's alright. It's not a big deal." His grip loosened, allowing you to continue your work, "You're pretty banged up." You state, filling the silence, leaving an opening for him to continue if he wished.

"Yea..." he paused, seeming to debate if he should say more, "A demon got the jump on me." he said humiliation clear in his voice. 

"That's alright, even the strongest make mistakes. Life is full of lessons. This could be one of them." Kyojuro too in your wise words as he watched you pull out a needle and thread from the box and got to patching him up. Your steady and confident moments, along with the persistence of your stitches impressed him, "You've done this before." He states after you were halfway done with his stiches.

"No, I just thought it would be a fun experience to stitch up a Hashira, in the middle of the night, you know? Just for the hell of it." If Kyojuro hadn't seen the small smirk that dawned your soft lips, he would have thought you'd been serious by the steady and monotoned sound of your voice,"I worked at a doctor's office as a cleaner when I was a young teen. The doctor was a kind woman and was eager to nurse my curiosity about medicine despite my lack of a formal education... She taught me a few things while she was in my village." you glanced up at him, gauging his pain levels before continuing, "Sadly, she and her assistant decided to move their practice after a while, so I had to start working full time at the tea house." You finished off as you masterfully tied the last stitch.

"That was nice of her. What else did you learn from her?" He asked, curiosity peaked as you began to dress his now closed wound.

"Oh, basic things like first aid, simple remedies and medicines, as well as how to take blood and give vaccinations. So, nothing too extreme, it was nothing that a normal person couldn't learn from a book." You shrug nonchalantly, focusing more on dressing his wound.

"Still, not enough people know first aid! So, I think it's wonderful you took time to learn it!" He says earnestly, with a smile that you swore could outshine the morning sun. You couldn't find it in yourself to turn away from the man before you. You froze when his gaze met your own,causing your hand to rest flat on his toned chest as you briefly stopped wrapping his wound. The look in his eyes wasn't one you had anticipated. He wasn't looking at you with distain or even disgust, as you would have originally thought, but with a slight curiosity and... what appears to be tenderness?  No, you must have been mistaken! Why would he give you of all people such a look? Your eyes followed Kyojuro's' hand as he reached out and grasped a stray lock of your hair that was in your face before pushing it behind your ear, "That's better." One of his scared knuckles grazed your jawline for a fraction of a second. Despite how feather light the motion was, it left your skin heating with a pleasant warmth in its wake, "It's getting late. You should get to bed; I truly appreciate your assistance. You got me sewed up quicker than I could have done on my own, and you did a better job as well. " He added after a moment of silence, breaking away from your gaze, and retracting his hand slowly, as you nodded.

"You should as well, I'm sure you're tired from your travels, and duties." You agreed before helping the taller man stand and shadowing him down the long corridor. As you watched him walk ahead of you, you noted he thankfully seemed to be fairings better than he had been when you first found him. Despite this, you chose to stay nearby just in case he became faint again. Thankful he hadn't and the short walk to your rooms was uneventful, and as you both begin to go to enter your separate room, you both stopped and turned to speak at the same time, cutting each other off. "Kyo-"

"(Y/-" You stared at each other for a few moments before you gave him a small but beautifully striking smile.

 "I hope you sleep well, Kyojuro." Your soft voice broke the tension in the air, as your orbs held his own.  

"I- uh- you too (Y/n)! Th-thank you for everything." Kyojuro, in that moment as he stumbled over his words, as he bore into your kind eyes owlishly. In that moment Kyojuro felt more like a shy schoolboy than the revered and powerful Hashira he was meant to be. His flustered appeared only increased tenfold when you bowed your head slightly before entering your room, the pleats of your sleeping yukata flowing behind you as if the fabric was casketing water, and not linen, before you shut the sliding door. Leaving him standing in the hallway with only the shine of the moon to keep him company, feeling like a blushing fool. 

Kyojuro woke to the morning sun shining in his eyes as it spilled through the opened window of his room.

He blushed as his thoughts traveled to the events of last night, or hell was it really the early hours of that morning? He didn't know if it was the blood loss or your bewitching beauty, that allowed him to act so impulsively. Then as he thought about it more, he supposed it didn't matter, what was done was done... More importantly, you hadn't seemed at all bothered by his actions, or at least it didn't seem that way. You were quite a hard person to read if he was honest, or maybe he wasn't all that good with women? He had never really actually courted one before or been around one for extended periods of time other than his friend Mitsuri. Did that count though, they spent most of their time together training and eating?

Pushing off his thoughts not wanting to confuse himself further on the matter of the matter, he began to get ready for the day, choosing to dawn a vibrant red yukata with a dark carco grey Obi. He then put on a matching pair of grey tabi socks before exiting his room.

As he walked down the corridor leading to the main room, the aromic smell of tea filled his senses. You and Senjuro must have been awake, preparing breakfast. He wondered if that been the routine in the days he'd been absent?  

He tried to stifle his laughter as he entered the kitchen and saw Senjuro standing closely by your side almost as if he were your shadow, his eyebrows creased in firm consecration, as he watched you expertly grill salmon.

"Ah, Anuie! You're back from your mission! I'm assuming you arrived last night?" Senjuro's attention snapped to the doorway the moment he heard his older brother's distinctive laughter, with a surprised smile. 

"I am, I arrived late last night. The mission was thankfully successful!" He walked closer to the two of you and gave you both his signature smile before offering his assistance while he looked over the ingredients you had out.

You looked up in thought, thinking about what task to assign him, missing how his little brother looked at him as if he had multiple heads. What was Kyojuro thinking?

"Sure, would you mind cleaning and starting the rice? Thank you." You accepted before pointing to the bag of rice that was on the center island and going back to work on the salmon.

"What are you doing? You can't cook!" Senjuro whispers to his elder brother as they both made their way to the rice, kyojuro with a pot in hand. 

"I'm a Hashira. I can surlily cook rice, Senjuro!" Kyojuro confidently stated as he took a cup of rice out of the cloth bag, Senjuro let out a defeated sigh as he watched his brother turn on hot water to clean the rice instead of cold... this was going to be fun.

-

Kyojuro later realized he in fact- could not cook rice. He felt warmth creep up his neck as he stared down at the scorched, almost unrecognizably burnt rice grains. 

"I swear, I only looked away for a moment!" He practically yelled, trying to mask his embarrassment. Only for you to give him an unreadable look before you gently removed the pot of from his hold and disposed of the entire thing, as there was no chance of saving the also scorched pot. (Honestly parts of the pot looked on the verge of melting)

"I told you, Kyojuro!" Senjuro whispered as he propped open one of the windows in the kitchen in hopes of removing the burnt smell and smoke that filled the air and his older brother stood slightly behind him seemingly unsure of what to do.

"Hey, I didn't know it would burn, I figured it would just cook faster on high, and then we could eat sooner!" He rubbed his neck and looked down, trying to push down the humiliation he felt. You must have thought he was unless... A grown man who couldn't even cook rice. 

"You know I don't recall ever seeing someone scorch rice before... I'll show you how to properly make it tomorrow, okay?" Kyojuro's head sprung up at your offer. The look on his face was almost reminiscent of a dog being given a table scrape after going on a day's long hunting trip. To say he was elated at the offer would be a serious understatement.

"That actually worked?" Senjuro mumbled under his breath in shock as he stared at the two of you. His brother's confidence seemed restored at the offer, and you had a cool and calm air around you. As much as your personalities seemed to contrast, he couldn't help but think you complemented each other nicely, and made a charming pair.

Senjuro never pretended to understand his father, but he was starting to see why he chose you for Kyojuro. With someone like you, you'd make him slow down and enjoy the smaller things, and with someone like him, you'd open up more and hopefully grow more spontaneous. You two gave each other balance. He may not have agreed with how Shinjuro went about pairing the both of you, but he couldn't deny that this was one of his father's smarter choices. 

"Morn'in, did something burn?" A gruff voice sounded from the doorway. Speaking of the man, it seemed he'd decided to join you that morning.

"Yea, it seems we won't be having rice this morning." You began to put the salmon and vegetables on a serving dish, missing the confused look on the Rengoku Patriarchs face, as he realized what burned. 

"How'd you manage to burn rice? You were able to make it just fine yesterday, and all the other days before that." The man said gruffly as you handed him the serving tray silently ordering him to take it to the table, and much to his son's shock and amazement, he did without complaint.

" It wasn't (Y/n) who burnt the rice, Father." Senjuro said with humor as his father's eyes narrowed slightly in a silent question because it's been years since Senjuro burnt rice.

"I was the one who burnt the rice." Kyojuro spoke up after a moment of silence, the tips of his ears turning red, and embarrassment radiated off of him, despite his owlish features being pulled in a large smile.  

"I'm going to show him how to properly make rice tomorrow, but for today, Muso soup and some salmon with veggies will have to suffice." If Kyojuro hasn't been looking, he would have missed your humored expression as you put a bowl of soup in each person's spot. In that moment, his features relaxed into a calmer, pleasant smile. 

You all sat down and gave thanks before starting to feast on the meal. Kyojuro and Senjuro imminently began to dig in, but you noticed Shinjuro hadn't started eating yet, seemingly too occupied with his reading.

"Rengoku-Sama." You said expectantly after a few moments of him not making any moves to put the book down. The man in question looked up, giving you a questioning look when you hadn't continued speaking after saying his name.

"What is it?" You gestured to the book with a blank expression.

"It's not proper to read at the table, Sir." You said simply, no accusatory tone in your voice, but making it clear you wanted him to put the book down.

"Fine, I guess I can get to the damn thing later." The man grumbled before begrudgingly placing the book by his side.

It was at that moment that Kyojuro noticed his father was clean shaven that day, and if his temper (or lack thereof) meant he hadn't hit the sake yet, or at least not enough to inebriate him to the usual degree.

"You look well, Father." Kyojuro decided to voice his thoughts, he hoped that this wouldn't be a one-time thing. His father only responded with a grunt of acknowledgment. Still, this pleased Kyojuro, who was used to not getting a response at all from the older male most of the time.

"When did you come in from your mission?" Shinjuro asked, smoothly changing the subject as he started to eat his food.

"Late last night, the mission itself went smoothly, I decided to come home instead of staying at the local inn." Kyojuro looked up at the male not having had expected that question but responded as he continued to eat.

"How about the trip back? You must not have gotten much rest if you came back immediately." You watched as Senjuro's brows pulled together in worry the moment the question left his lips. You couldn't help but wonder how would Kyojuro respond?

"The journey back went smoothly until a third of the way back. As you said, I hadn't gotten much sleep, so a demon was able to catch me off guard, embarrassingly enough. Though, it was quickly dispatched after its first attack." Kyojuro made sure to stress the last bit as too, as to not worry Senjuro further.

"So you were injured?" The boy frowned seemingly not reassured. You decided to save poor Kyojuro in that moment and redirect Senjuro's attention.

"Yes, he was, but don't worry, we got him fixed up when he made it home." You softly squeezed the boy's shoulder, which seemed to finally ease his worries. 

"Next time, just go to a damn inn boy." The oldest Rengoku spoke up suddenly, in the same gruff tone his voice always seemed to carry, but the look in his eyes had shifted to something unfamiliar. He almost seemed... worried? It didn't seem the boys could see this as they turned their attention to him, not that you could really blame them with how he was glaring.

"I believe what your father is trying to say is we'd all prefer it if you wouldn't put yourself at risk, and that if you're tired, you'll go to an inn, instead of racing back home." You then let out a small sigh before looking at him voice softening, "Not that I minded patching you up, I understand such injuries come with your occupation, but I'd like you to avoid injuries if you can, it'd put mine and everyone's else's minds to ease." Senjuro nodded firmly in agreement with your words, and Shinjuro only looked at his eldest son with an unreadable expression before focusing his attention on his food.

"I'm sorry if I worried you, but I'll be sure to keep your words in mind in the future. Thank you!" Kyojuro gave you a genuine smile before he seemed to revert back to his boisterous and energetic self.

The rest of breakfast went without a hitch, most of the talking being done by the two brothers, with you contributing to the conversation when you saw fit, and their father remaining silent.

"So, you took (Y/n) to the market? Did you do anything else?" Kyojuro inquired curiously after Senjuro told him about you going to buy ingredients.

"Oh, we saw Toshi-San! She seemed well. " Senjuro mused as he set down his chopsticks once he finished his meal.

"That's good to hear! She's been running that stand of hers since before I was your age! I actually don't remember when she first moved here. It's been that long!" Kyojuro looked up as he scratched his chin in thought. He knew the old woman had moved here at some point when he was a young boy, but he had no clue when. Though he was aware she knew his mother to a certain extent as he remembered visiting the old womans stand and even her home as a young child.

"She was a matchmaker before she was a vender." Shinjuro said simply with a shrugged as he took a slow sip of his tea.

Senjuro's head cocked at his father's words, "She'd mentioned that before, I think she's from Tokyo? That's where she worked before moving here." Shinjuro only shook his head, and the boys looked at him with silent questioning gazes.

"No, before she left for the city, she was a matchmaker here originally..." Shinjuro's voice drifted off and he was seemingly lost in thought.

"When did she leave for the city?" You spoke after a few moments of silence. Truly curious to learn more about the energetic woman.

"Twenty years ago, maybe more? Her husband passed away, and she moved to the city with her boy. She came back when Kyojuro was, maybe seven- Why does it matter?" When the man gave the three of you an irritated scowl, you knew it was time to switch the subject, and it seemed Kyojuro did as well.

"No particular reason, Father." Kyojuro's eyes then met yours, and his face lit up as if he'd thought of the most brilliant idea, "Say (Y/n), why don't we go to the market today? Senjuro mentioned while we were cooking you wanted to make a cake. While we're there, you guys can get the ingredients you need! We also need a few odds and inns, since it's been a week since you last went to town!" His eager voice bounced off of the walls of the dining room and it almost seemed as if his hair was blowing in the wind despite no draft being present in the room. 

You felt a little skeptical about letting him go out so soon after being injured, but almost as if he read your thoughts, he quickly reasured, "I assure you (y/n). I wouldn't propose going out if I didn't think I'd be up to it!" This seemed to satisfy you and you nodded in reply.

"Alright then, we can go a bit after lunch."

"It's so beautiful out, especially with the leaves starting to change color." Senjuro comments with a content smile as the three of you took in the atmosphere the trees that dotted the area provided. 

You hum in agreement before turning to the boy, who was walking by your side, "It truly is, Autumn is one of my favorite seasons for that reason." 

"Yes, I can agree. The cool weather Autumn also brings makes it far more comfortable to work as a slayer compared to summer!" Kyojuro nodded as he joined in on the light-hearted conversation.

"I'm sure it does. Those uniforms don't look like they'd be all that comfortable to work in, especially in the heat." You look up in thought, thinking about the long sleeves and pants of the uniform and how sticky with sweat they must get after each mission.

"They're fine most of the time but can be uncomfortable in the heat, but the fabric is strong and helps combat some injuries so it's a small price to pay!" His voice boomed, scaring some birds out of a nearby tree, but not catching you or Senjuro off guard.

"That reminds me, how did your mission go, big brother?" Senjuro perked up as he awaited his elder brothers answer eagerly. 

"The mission went well! The demon was quite elusive, but I was able to defeat it with minimal casualties." Senjuro, in that moment, looked to his older brother as if he'd hung the Stars and spoke with a gleam in his wide eyes,

"I wish I was strong like you, Kyojuro!" His comment wouldn't have caught you off guard if it didn't seem to have a hidden meaning making you frown.

"Why, do you think you aren't strong, Senjuro?" You quickly wiped the small frown off of your face as he turned to look at you as to not give him the wrong impression.  

"I'm weak... No matter how hard I train, I can't perform flame breathing properly." Senjuro looked down in shame and humiliation. 

You and Kyojuro both felt your hearts constrict to an unpleasant degree, and right when Kyojuro was about to reach out to comfort his younger brother, he realized you'd beaten him to it. You'd already had grabbed the youngest Rengoku by both his shoulders, "Senjuro, look at me." You gently grabbed the young boys chin making him look into your firm unwavering gaze, "You must understand that without failure, success has no true meaning. Just because flame breathing doesn't come easy doesn't make you weak. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses; yours may lay somewhere else."

The boy looked up at you with watery eyes before letting out a ragged breath and asking, "What is my strength (y/n)?" Clearly this had been weighing on the poor child's mind for quite a while. 

"I don't know, that's for you to learn with time Senjuro, but never let anyone tell you, you can't do something. It's never over until you say it is." The boy quickly sprung forward after you finished your speech. His arms circled your waste in a deathly tight grip. You hesitated for a brief moment before settling on hand on his golden locks and another on his back in a comforting manner. It wasn't that you were uncomfortable with the boys' sudden affection, just unsure of how to respond.

"Okay... I promise." He mumbled into the soft fabric of your kimono.

Kyojuro stood stuck in place. He felt as if a freezing bucket of water had been poured over him as he watched the two of you . In that moment, despite the fact you looked nothing alike. The two of you reminded him so vividly of his departed mother and himself as a young lad; your calm but firm expression, the way your hand softly caressed Senjuros hair in a comforting manor, and most importantly the wisdom your words held. The way you treated Senjuro also reminded him of the kindness she held, a kindness he'd never thought he'd see in another human being... He almost felt as if he was looking back in time.

"Kyojuro, are you alright?" Your calm tone paired with your slightly furrowed brows pulled Kyojuro out of his reminiscent thoughts.

"Ah, y-yes (y/n)! Why wouldn't I be?" Kyojuro quickly smiles, erasing the surprised expression on his face in an instant. As he looks at the both of you. He noted that it appeared that Senjuros' tears had dried, and the boy seemed at ease.

" I just thought I would ask. You seemed lost in thought." You took a small step towards the male though you maintained a reasonable distance, as you did want to offend the Hashira. This proved to be an unnecessary worry as Kyojuro took a step forward narrowing the space between the two of you before gently taking your smaller hand in his own with a slight squeeze, "Don't worry about me, I was remembering a fond memory." He gave you a small smile, and at that moment, there was a sense of calm and understanding surrounding the both of you.

"That's relieving to hear. Perhaps you would be willing to share this memory with me sometime over tea?" You politely suggested before your eyes narrowed on a piece of lint, which you quickly flicked off his broad shoulders. 

"I would like that! Would you be willing to make that tea you made when you first arrived?" The flame locked man bent his head slightly to the side, catching you gaze once more.

"Yea... whatever you'd like." Despite your calm expression, a blush had spread across your face, and your heartbeat had begun to rapidly increase

The rest of the walk to the was uneventful, and once you arrived to the market, Senjuro decided to split off from you and Kyojuro. He reasoned that you'd be able to get the things you needed faster this way (not that you were in a rush in the first place),and walked off before you could question him further, leaving you and Kyojuro alone to set off in your search for the things on your part of the list. 

"Uh Kyojuro, did you hear that?" You looked around the busy marketplace wondering if you had finally gone mad or if you actualy had heard someone had call your name.

"I didn't hear anything (Y/n)!" Kyojuro says while sporting his usual mile, making you sweat drop slightly. There was no way someone hadn't called your name, right?

"Are you su-"? Your question was cut off by the sound of who you realized to be the woman you'd met the other day, "(L/n)-San, Rengoku-San! Over here!"

"Oh, I suppose you were right (Y/n)! Someone was indeed calling for us." The way Kyojuro laughed self-consciously caught you off guard. You'd taken him for a confident and boisterous man. Being embarrassed about burning rice was understandable but this?

"Yes, let's go greet her. She looks eager to speak with us." Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Why was she looking at the both of you like that? As if you were an infamous pair out of an old epic.

"Rengoku-San, it's good to see you're back in town and showing (L/n)-San around, aye!" The older woman said with a slight teasing glint before continuing with, "You both look so well together! It reminds me of my days as a matchmaker. Seeing all the lovely young couples prepare for the rest of their lives, it was a truly wonderful thing!" The older woman gushed as she clapped her hands and looked between the two of you.

"Oh, uh - thank you, Toshi-San. How have you been?" Kyojuro answered slightly flustered, but still maintaining his polite demeanor.

"Oh, I've been well dear. Looking at you both remind me so much of Shinjuro and Ruka when they were your age!" The woman looked at you with a reminiscent gaze. 

Kyojuro's eyes widen a fraction at this, and his eyebrows raised ever so slightly in interest. He hadn't realized that the woman had known his mother and father that long ago.

"So, when's the wedding?!" The artist grabbed both yours and Kyojuro's hands, practically vibrating you both with her excitement, as you just stood there in shock and Kyojuro with his never wavering grin.

"Mother, please stop harassing those two." An attractive man with tanned skin and slight stubble sighed as he entered the stall, setting down a large wooden crate with a grunt.

"Oh dear, I suppose I did get a bit carried away." The grey-haired woman blushed slightly and laughed releasing the two of you from her hold.

"It's alright, we haven't settled on a date yet, actually." You answer the woman's previous question politely with a raised hand.

"I was surprised when Mother told me about meeting your fiancé." The man, Toshi-San's son directed to Kyojuro as he began to stock the shelves.  

"Only because we thought you were going to see the day you settled down Rengoku-san." Toshi-San added with a slight tease.

"You've always seemed married to your job, whatever that may be. What changed?" Toshi's son stood and flashed Kyojuro with a curious smile, which the man returned. 

"I have always been dedicated to my job. And to answer your question... I suppose some things change, despite how much one might feel uneasy at the idea at first." Kyojuro caught your gaze for a split second before turning back to the man and laughing light heartedly, making your breath catch in your throat. 

'What does he mean by that?'

And scene! Okay, we're getting somewhere now! If you've been paying attention, you might be able to peice together future plot points,or maybe I'm pulling your leg?🤔

This chapter took me a bit to write, as I've been quite busy lately, I'm not sure if I like how, it turned out, but it'll never be perfect. I actually originally wasn't going to have Toshi-Sans son make an appearance at all in the story, but I chose to include him because I was struggling with the conversation between you and Toshi-San, and his characters entrance redirected the conversation. Edited:8/7/23 (I like it much better now lol)

Taisho era secret

Kyojuro & Senjuro: Welcome everyone!

Senjuro: Today's Taisho era secret is about Toshi-San's son, Kentarō.

Kyojuro: I've known Kentarō since I was a young child, and in that time I've learned that while he is quite the artist, he refuses to pick up a paint brush!

Senjuro: But why?

Kyojuro: Well ladies would commission him and ask him to paint them like "French girls" Whatever that means!?

Author:*Whispers in Kyojuros ear

Kyojuro: Oh my! That is quite scandals! Well after time of one girl in particular kept asking he ended up snapping his brush in rage and vowed to never paint again.

Senjuro: Thats unfortunate but big brother, what did they mean by "French girls" is that some sort of western expression?

Kyojuro: Well, uuuuhhhh you see Senjuro-

Author: OKAY- WELL THAT WAS CHAPTER 5! SEE YOU NEXT TIME!

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[santoschristos]

MA'AT Watercolour illustration SoulBird Art by Roberta Orpwood

Ma'at

Cosmic order and balance

Maât is the foundation of the Egyptian religion, it is the universal order, a public and private law, that should be kept in great consideration because in the judgement of the dead, we were judged on that law and on the correct application of 42 rules of life. These did not serve a punitive function, but were considered a way to live well and respect others. These are:

1) Do not kill and do not allow anyone to do it.

2) Do not betray the person you love or your spouse.

3) Don't live in anger.

4) Don't spread terror into people.

5) Do not assault and cause pain to the neighbor.

6) Do not exploit your neighbor and do not practice slavery.

7) Do not cause harm that could cause pain to humans or animals. 8) Don't cause tears to shed.

9) Show respect to Your neighbor.

10) Do not steal what does not belong to you.

11) Don't eat more food than you expect.

12) Don't harm Nature.

13) Do not deprive anyone of what they love.

14) Thou shalt not bear false witness.

15) Don’t lie to hurt others.

16) Do not impose your ideas on others.

17) Don't act to harm others.

18) Don't talk about other people's business.

19) Do not secretly listen to the actions of others.

20) Do not ignore Truth and Justice.

21) Don't judge others badly without knowing them.

22) Respect all sacred places.

23) Respect and help those in need.

24) Don't get angry without valid reasons.

25) Never obstruct the flow of water.

26) Don't waste water for your own needs.

27) Don't pollute the earth.

28) Don't name the Neteru in vain.

29) Don't despise the beliefs of others.

30) Don’t take advantage of the faith of others to do harm.

31) Do not pray too much or too little to the Gods.

32) Don’t take advantage of your neighbor’s property.

33) Respect the deceased.

34) Respect the holy days even if you don't believe.

35) Do not steal the offers made to the Gods using them for yourself.

36) Do not despise the sacred rites, even if you do not like them.

37) Don’t kill animals without a good reason.

38) Do not act out of insolence.

39) Do not act arrogantly.

40) Do not boast about your well-being to others.

41) Respect these principles.

42) Respect the law if it doesn’t contradict these principles.

Without Measure there would be no Justice, Truth, Balance, Harmony and Centrality. Well, without the Measure the “Maât” wouldn’t have existed. The “Maât” also represented the supreme cosmic order of perfection and balance, attributes already widely examined. Happiness on Earth could only be experienced by following the “Maât”, without excess and in the right Measure. And this “Maât” was not something unattainable, but it was possible roughly in the life of every day on Earth, however it is true that at the origin of the meaning of the word “Maât”, there was actually an auction to measure. This measuring auction is depicted countless times in Egyptian paintings mainly of Isis and Nephtys holding the measuring auction of the “Maât” in one hand and the symbol of life, the “Ankh” in the other hand.

[asterixlabs]

Best of Asterix Seeding/Interest Polls

Seeding/Interest Polls will be going live tomorrow March 14th at 6AM EST! On each poll will be open for a week where you rate the album/movie/series out of 5 based on how much you like it. At the end of the polling period I'll seed them based on the total number of points (those with higher points will seed better). Any ties will be broken based on my original judgement on how I think they'll perform.

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The list of the different options to vote for is below, I'll attach links to their interest polls once they go live (not in seeding order)!

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Asterix the Gaul (BD)

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Asterix and Son (BD)

Asterix and the Magic Carpet (BD)

Asterix and the Secret Weapon (BD)

Asterix and Obelix All at Sea (BD)

Asterix and the Actress (BD)

Asterix and the Class Act (BD)

Asterix and the Falling Sky (BD)

Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book (BD)

Asterix and the Picts (BD)

Asterix and the Missing Scroll (BD)

Asterix and the Chariot Race (BD)

Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter (BD)

Asterix and the Griffin (BD)

Asterix and the White Iris (BD)

Movies, picture books, and spinoffs:

How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion When he was a Little Boy (picture book)

Deux Romains en Gaule (movie)

Asterix the Gaul (animated movie)

Asterix and Cleopatra (animated movie)

The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (animated movie)

Asterix Versus Caesar (animated movie)

Asterix in Britain (animated movie)

Asterix and the Big Fight (animated movie)

Asterix Conquers America (animated movie)

Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (live action movie)

Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (live cation movie)

Asterix and the Vikings (animated movie)

Asterix at the Olympic Games (live action movie)

Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia (live action movie)

Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods (animated movie)

Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion (animated movie)

Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (live action movie)

Dogmatix & the Indomitables (cartoon series)

Adventures of Dogmatix (picture book series)

Idéfix et les Irréductibles: Pas de quartier pour le latin! (BD)

Idéfix et les Irréductibles: Les Romains se prennent une gamelle! (BD)

Idéfix et les Irréductibles: Ça balance pas mal à Lutèce! (BD)

Idéfix et les Irréductibles: Les irréductibles font leur cirque (BD)

Idéfix et les Irréductibles: Idéfix et le druide (BD)

[leonawriter]

If you think about it, the Yaldabaoth Deal Ending of the base game is basically Akira’s version of Maruki’s reality.

No one has to worry about anything, because god [Akira] solves all of their problems for them. While Maruki adjusts reality through cognition, Joker, under the name of the Phantom Thieves (regardless of whether the others are still around or if they’re still locked up in the Velvet Prison), continues to change hearts.

But while it’s the ultimate end of Akira’s saviour complex, playing into the darker side of his wanting to save and reform the world practically single-handedly, and how he can summon what’s basically a demon, it also goes against his principles as someone who’s been going through the Fool’s Journey, growing and learning past himself.

If this had been anything like the previous two entries, this would have been the turning point where the Fool Arcana undergoes some sort of transformation, and after this point reuniting with the Phantom Thieves would unlock Judgement, but Judgement was already taken up by Sae for the sake of framing the story up until the end of November.

So, effectively, it’s out of character (sorry to those who like it!) for the True Ending, just as the Accomplice route in P4G is OOC for Yu’s true ending.

I use those terms because some thoughts came to mind on seeing it referred to as the ending where he “saves all his friends but two, Akechi and Mona” and then talking about how it affects Morgana, as the incarnation of humanity’s hope (Morgana isn’t seen in that ending at all).

The way it relates to Morgana is - to me - simple and straightforward, because in a reality where everyone is relying on a higher power, and they’ve all given up free will and the ability to choose for themselves, the idea of “hope” (which Morgana embodies) is no longer needed. He... likely disappears the same way the Thieves do before Yaldabaoth’s deal is offered.

Akechi, though, is more down to interpretation, but I think it’s like this-

Akechi’s entire purpose in the plot up until this point has been to be the antithesis of what the Phantom Thieves represent. He goes on TV and says to the world “The Phantom Thieves are wrong for forcing someone’s mind into a shape they prefer, and effectively brainwashing them.” 

During the events of the game, many of targets - not all but many - are beyond the reach of the law, and there’s literally no other way for the victims to gain justice other than through “sacrilegious acts” for the sake of their own justice. And yeah, I’m implying Akira has at least some understanding that Changes of Heart aren’t things good, decent people do. But just as Arsène says, he’s willing to get his hands dirty.

Left unchecked, the Phantom Thieves can let things go to their heads, as we see prior to the Okumura arc, and it’s only by having someone who stands against them, that they’re balanced out, and that we can reach January. We SEE how Akechi fights against Maruki, and everything he stands for. 

So with that in mind, where IS Akechi in the Deal ending?

In my eyes, either he’s dead (possible, especially if you didn’t max his confidant in time, or if you go with “he was resurrected with the power of gay when reality got fixed in February”), or... he’s left in disgust, because Akira has become the very thing that Akechi hates the most. Someone who brainwashes people, who forces others’ hearts into a shape he prefers, and who takes away their control and free will.

It’s easy to imagine that the Yaldabaoth deal where, in spite of Akechi being the god of control’s original choice, and is the one where Akira works with Yaldabaoth, is actually one of two ways you can effectively reverse Akechi’s Confidant. One would be by taking Maruki’s deal (he even says “the deal’s off” when he leaves) and another would be here, because what is “confidant” other than “one you can trust in confidence,” and how can you call a person that if you can’t trust them anymore?

[theminecraftbee]

as someone who is also interested in making a persona au but is struggling, how do you decide on the more persona specific stuff? like, how do you decide on stuff like who’s which social link, what personas they have, costumes (if they have any in your au) and stuff like that? it’d be nice to hear about someone else’s thought process;;

SO! starting with general advice that will apply even outside of persona aus: the thing is that none of the assignments will ever be perfect. the inherent nature of ANY au like this is that different people will have different character opinions; for example, i'm sure there are people vehemently think my social link assignments should be different! and that's fine; your goal isn't "perfect, immutable fit", your goal is "it fits to the story i'm trying to tell". like, in general,

with that ALSO said: you shouldn't try to shove characters perfectly into roles from other things, either. two different characters will have two different reactions to Situations, and you should take advantage of that, too! it's like... the role you give a character WILL shape them, but the character will shape that role, too.

with that out of the way: specific persona au thoughts!

first, you are going to want to decide who your team will eventually be; persona squads normally start out with around three guys and end up at seven or eight (with the eighth man often being an odd-one-out). I went “the cherry blossom hill gang” in my au, which was easy, but you may have less simple ideas there! also keep in mind that you will, at least, have protagonist/healer/physical damage/magical damage as the four “basic” in-game archetypes, with persona also typically having a “balanced” guy who does both, a status setter, an instakill guy, and a party buffs guy, spread across its guys. so if that helps you here, excellent! you will also need at least one of the main party to be a navigator.

you will also want some idea of the “themes” of your au because it’ll help you out deciding personas and social links, plus a little plot.

so, first: each persona game has a “theme” for the main party personas. 3 is all greek legendary figures that evolve to greek gods (with lucia prior to ultimate personas breaking theme, and kala-nemi and messiah breaking theme with the ultimate personas). 4 is all japanese gods that evolve to another name of those same gods (with chie breaking theme in that her ultimate persona has nothing to do with her original one). 5 is all legendary rogues/thieves that evolve to trickster gods (with necronomicon breaking theme and frankly milady is a STRETCH for the starter personas, and astarte and anat being questionable for the ultimates). as the like… MANY caveats show, you don’t have to be perfectly on-theme, but having a theme at least in mind helps a lot with picking what persona everyone gets by narrowing the pool! for my au, is went “famous lovers”, since a major “theme” of my au is “isolation versus bonds”. however, you don’t have to stick to something with thematic relevance, you just want something that helps tie everyone together a little bit.

as for weapons, what elements they attack with, what their party role is like: that’s a personality call, you know? and don’t be afraid to get a little weird with it, we aren’t atlus, we CAN break character archetype.

as for social links: that’s indeed tricky! it can help to remember you don’t ACTUALLY need to come up with 22. the world/the universe is ALWAYS only the protagonists final persona. the fool is ALWAYS a plot-driven social link that effectively represents “the protagonist’s relationship with the plot”, with p3/4 making that the team, and p5 making that igor. judgement is ALWAYS a plot-driven social link that represents the protagonist at the end of their journey; in p3/4 it’s the team at the end of the plot once they know their true purpose, and in p5 it’s sae nijima as she interrogates the protagonist. so that cuts out three arcana already to be set aside as “this is for the plot”.

next, while I know this isn’t true of p3, it makes sense from our own writing perspective where our story is NOT constrained by “gameplay dictates a social link can happen at any time” to make each member of the team a social link. fill out the rest with additional canon characters.

but how to decide which character goes in which link? helpfully, this is persona: it tends to have a little less to do with personality and more to do with storyline. you can go by “what character fits the tarot symbolism best”—doc as the tower, jimmy as the hanged man—or “what character fits the normal persona character archetype for this arcana”—skizz as chariot, mumbo as moon. you can also go for a mix! if you don’t KNOW what kind of character normally fills an archetype, the megami tensei wiki has pages for each arcana that describes the typical character archetype that goes there. you can also break type as needed—joe is hermit in my au despite “hermit” not really being his persona character archetype for very specific plot/tarot reasons, for example, and impulse is emperor, but is breaking persona type by being a healer rather than a heavy physical attacker. it’s your au, have fun with it!

also, ultimately, know that because it’s your au to have fun with, if you DON’T have fun giving everyone an arcana, just pick out the ones that are relevant to the part you’re writing and ignore the rest until they come up. this is my tactic for worldbuilding in like half the aus I write it hasn’t steered me wrong yet.

good luck! I hope this helped!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I was so determined to hate chapter six as a diehard Hercules fan, because just from the first part, I thought they weren't doing the movie "justice" (whatever that means).

But I finally finished all of it, and oh MY GOD, I think it might just be my favorite chapter in the whole damn game.

My biggest complaint is that I wish there was more Shroud brothers content in it? I swear, I felt like I didn't know what was happening with them, like, 70% of the time.

When Idia goes down to Ortho in the beginning in his Chariot, I genuinely had no idea what he was planning and was completely thrown for a loop when he's suddenly on Ortho's side and behaving as the "big baddie." And then he overblots? What brought upon that? Was it because he spent too long down in Tartarus with the Phantoms and blot? But then isn't his curse supposed to burn blot? And are members of the Shroud family the only one who have the ability to run Styx because of their curse? Is that why Idia is fated to this future and this future alone?

I tried to read through the story twice to be sure but remained just....very confused!

(Sorry if you've already answered this before; I've been stalwartly avoiding any chapter six content until I read it myself!)

Nooo, not walking into something wanting to hate it… 😭 Personally, I try to give media the benefit of the doubt until I can experience it for myself and then make a sound judgement 💦 I don’t think any good comes from jumping the gun on content I have yet to see. A lot of stuff can be taken out of context in a bad way if you don’t know the full picture, and expecting the worst can set up the content to fail (confirmation bias, oof). I’m glad that you ended up liking episode 6 though, it’s definitely my favorite of the main story as well.

I think TWST is a lot stronger when it tries to do its own thing or it gets creative with its interpretations of Disney rather than loyally following the original’s ideas. (Episode 2 is a prominent example of how strongly adhering to the Disney inspiration can harm the narrative and weaken its characters 😔) TWST is meant to be a reinterpretation of classic Disney villains, so I like it when we can see just how far they can push the envelope and make a name for itself unrelated to what came before it.

I don’t think it can be helped that episode 6 didn’t seem to show much of Idia and Ortho; it had to balance a LOT of other characters, their development, and new lore in addition to the Shroud brothers and it was handled surprisingly well despite that bulk. I also feel like we spend a lot of time without Idia and/or Ortho due to… well, having to tiptoe around certain dark and sensitive subject matters?? Even in JP, some things had to be implied instead of explicitly stated. That requires reading between some of the lines or putting together vague events or lines of dialogue spoken from different parts of the episode.

When Idia flies down into Tartarus, he was just going to check on Ortho because he had a weird hunch once the holo-Ortho called him by his childhood nickname (Idy in EN, “nii-chan” in JP, whereas robo!Ortho usually called him Idia in EN and “nii-san” in JP). Idia was NOT going there expecting to OB, he was just convinced to give in to the temptation offered to him by the thought of reuniting with his dead brother. It’s not outright stayed, but you have to infer that Idia has been quietly suffering based on his gloomy attitude and self-deprecating, “woe is me” lines; him OBing is just a culmination of those frustrations and guilt surrounding Ortho. I believe the implication is that Idia OB’d quickly because Tartarus is teeming with Phantoms. The high amount of blot present overpowered the speed of his natural abilities to burn blot. Think of it like metabolism; Idia’s body could not burn the blot as fast as the blot was accumulating, and as a result, he was overwhelmed.

It was definitely stated in episode 6 (by Idia, then again in his post-OB flashback) that the Shrouds are ideal candidates for operating Styx due to the organization’s focus on blot research. Most of the other employees are humans with low magical reserves to minimize their changes of OBing, whereas the Shroud family direct the facilities, as their bodies are able to rapidly dispose of any blot they accumulate or come near. (However, as Idia alludes to, the Shrouds MUST be near blot to burn and/or generate blot themselves by using magic consistently, otherwise the curse will turn inward and start eating away at the cursed individual.)

It is also said that the Shrouds (a branch family) were a part of a rebellion against the main family (Jupiter), so they were punished by being forced into this particular line of work. Idia is essentially paying for the sins committed by his ancestors. Gate to the Underworld is also a hereditary UM which is unique to the Shrouds; only they are capable of managing the secure door that separates strong, ancient Phantoms from creeping into the real world and destroying it. Idia is, therefore, obligated to carry on the Shroud family legacy for the sake of the world.

Again, episode 6 throws a LOT at you so it may take some rereads and some thinking to put everything together. I still forget things or confuse the details, so I find myself constantly double-checking episode 6 if I'm referencing info from it.

[rayshippouuchiha]

Reading your KHR reactions was the highlight of my day, thank you ❤️

Do you still take fic recs, cuz I have a few (mostly SI/OC fic, regular OC fic) to recommend

Kyoko by Discoabc. Slight AU, SI/OC Kyoko. The fact that the author was able to balance a ridiculous amount of OC AND the KHR cast is insane. Most of their interpretations of the main cast was quite original at the time of reading. ( My fav was Bel’s for spoilers reasons). The plot twists were phenomenal.

My heavenly judgement by Colbub. I have seen this recommendation in another’s so I won’t repeat this, but I seconded the recs. Kyoya x Alice gang rised up 😭😭😭

When Pigs fly by Nerro. It has been sometimes since I read this one, so the finer details have escaped me. But I remember having a really good time reading this lmao. Dino x OC, AU (?), completed, mostly romcom shenanigans.

Confession of A Teenage Hitman by Fish and Chipz. Same as above, finer details have escaped me but I had fun reading. Hibari x Hitman!OC, also w romcom(?) shenanigans, but the a reviewer did said they bailed their eyes out reading so take that as you will

Parallel Fate by Stop’nGo Girl. Dino x Isekai!OC, quite wholesome and healing. OC got switched with their parallel self in the KHR universe and must adapt to their life, despite being total opposite.

Prince Belphegor’s Guide to Parenting by AllThingsVaria. KHR x HP crossover with FEHarry (adopted by Bel and made royalty). This was as adorable as a Varia-adopts-child fic can be, with a lot of insanity sprinkle in. The sequel, Princess Hel’s guide to School, promised to fuck the Wizarding World up and I’m all here for that.

Is it considered cheating in life? by GuessWhoIAm27. You gotta read the version posted on FFN, it’s longer. A slightly delulu OC got dropped into KHRverse by a God’s mistake and proceed to ignore reality and focus on making her OTP canon (spoilers alert: no one in universe understands what she’s doing either). I came for the mindless fun and stayed for the feels. Endgame pairing is intended to be Hibari x OC.

Fortune Favours by AlligatorEyes. I think I see Sass and Win being rec to you in a different ask so, if you read SnW then you should be familiar with the author’s writing style. This one is different tho, a rather interesting interpretations of Dino’s youth that I have not read anywhere else. Remind me of reading the Dino’s side-story in the KHR novels actually

Novaturient by woofio. Reincarnated OC into, like, Hibari’s parents timeline. So OCs, side characters in KHR got a lot of time to shine here. Many things, mostly bad things,happened to the OC but we do have quite a few fluff to balance it out. Come read this and cry with meeee

If you Can’t beat them by metisket. Hana is that that one ride or die friend to Kyoko, literally. One shot, completed. Really good character interactions.

Copy & Paste by LadyHallen. One shot completed. A unique take on Twins fic

your love is a crime by blackkat. KHR x Captain America. Oneshot completed. The pairing is Steve x Xanxus. Yes, you read that right. I found this in a sleepless night. Technically a 2 shots since there is a sequel???

With all due respect, sir (meaning none) by Nobodystormcrow. OC, who was reincarnated in Naruto, died and reincarnated again in KHR. As Basil. This, as usual, changes things exponentially. Pairing is Bel x Basil.

I have been in and out of the fandom for the last few years so I am playing catch-up with many fics. The sheer amount of creativity still blows me away.

Have fun readinggg

!!!!

[memory-echo]

[Quarantine Marathon] "Sexual Healing" Part 7

Michael: Maybe it was all planned this way… that this is how we'd find out who we really are… by connecting with humans. Isabel: Connecting? Michael: The more they connect, the more we find out.

— And just like that, Michael gives the answer to the meaning of life. Of course, it works both ways. The more the aliens connect to the humans, the more the humans find out about themselves.

Max: Uh, listen… Liz is on her way over. Isabel: Ok. We'll leave. Max: You guys don't have to leave.

— Given what happened right after, of course they had to leave! But, I'm curious, what was Max's original plan?

Max: The problem is treating someone I care about like a thing… to be used. Michael: What, and that's what I'm about? Is that what you're saying?

— It's strange that Michael gets all triggered by this, and yet, we all know (Max included) that he'd never treat Maria that way.

— How is Chaka Khan supposed to be romantic?! Real question. This would've been the perfect time to put the Marvin Gaye reference in, yet, for some reason, it never happens… What a lost opportunity.

Liz: And now everyone's just sort of cheering you on like at a football game.

— As much as Max tries to deny it, that's exactly what they were doing. Admittedly, there is this notion that the people you love are not a means to an end, and this episode does a good job in maintaining the balance between that idea and teenage hormones clouding everybody's judgement.

Liz: Max… Do you understand any of this? Max: No… Liz: Can you take your shirt off? Max: Can I?! Yeah…

— For someone who doesn't want to go there, she's going there. 🔥

— When Liz tries to replicate what Max did to her, you can hear the frustration in her voice and yet, Max assuring her that he's 'glowing everywhere' is the sweetest comeback ever!

— This rambled exchange just proves that it's reason vs. passion and reason is losing by the second. It gets to a point where Liz is not listening to her own words, which is not a problem because, when Max says 'you're right', I am pretty sure he didn't hear anything she said either. 🔥

— At this point, Max and Liz can claim that they're only doing this because he needs to find out where it came from, but… we all know better. 🔥🔥🔥

— Even without the benefit of knowing what happened in three seasons, I'm willing to bet that if it hadn't been for Maria showing up, they would've gone all the way.

Maria: Oh my God! I was looking for Michael. Um, something tells me he isn't here.

— Maria is always funny, even when she's mortified of walking in on her best friend making out with this guy, 🤣

[tanadrin]

@intimate-mirror

a lot of the scholarship, like a lot of english department scholarship in general, is really bad and makes stupid assumptions @tanadrin some things I've seen are 1. criterion of embarrassment used effectively in a negative way where all claims that are not embarrassing are labeled as probably false 2. "these are written in different styles, so they have to have different authors" I'm exaggerating a bit, but only a bit.

point 2 here is a drastic oversimplification of the documentary hypothesis. it's not just that the different sources use different words for god (although that on its own is interesting), it's that you can separate these sources, and get distinct stories with their own beginnings, middles, and ends that don't have the problems of the original texts (confused details, repeated episodes, out-of-context scenes), and their own governing thematic concerns. moreover, there are pretty specific hypotheses for why the sources would have been combined in the way they are, based on the material constraints on the production of ancient scrolls.

liane feldman, for instance, has a complete translation of P ("The Consuming Fire: The Complete Priestly Source from Creation to the Promised Land") and in her interview with dan mcclellan on his podcast she talks about how it is effectively a complete text. now, obviously, there are details of the documentary hypothesis that are debated--i think the traditional four-source version is considered out of date by some scholars, who instead argue for two or three sources onto which other elements gradually accreted that were never a standalone text themselves--but the scholarship is way more sophisticated than "these passages are in a slightly different style, and therefore they must have different authors." these are theories that produce pretty specific and coherent claims, and even if they're by and large not testable in the sense we have very ancient sources we can consult directly (outside of the occasional find like the Dead Sea Scrolls), they're testable in the sense that you can marshal specific points of evidence for and against them and make reasonable judgements based on the balance of probability.

a lot of points of textual criticism do dovetail with other disciplines like archeology, comparative mythology, historical linguistics, etc. so i think it's either disingenuous or ignorant to paint textual criticism as operating in a kind of methodological vacuum and proceeding entirely on nebulous suppositions.

[dragonmasterhiccup]

“We should do that sometime! I’m sure I’d be an amazing bow hunter! And then we could make like a venison stew!”

Her face contorted into one of disgust. “Ew, Ruffnut? How the hell did that happen? I mean, I knew they were talking to each other or whatnot, but I didn’t think it went past that.”

She raised a curious eyebrow. “He has siblings? Huh… I dunno, I guess he just never told me. Hey, can you grab me another handful of the scales real quick? Thanks.”

“Oh, I was talking about Finley, but yeah, it does sound like Fishlegs too if I’m being honest. Finley’s like that too, but he’s not as upfront about it, he doesn’t like to look ‘weak’ or whatever— which in my opinion he is, but I’m not gonna burst his bubble, not yet anyways,” she teased, a smug looking smirk making its way onto her face.

She waved a hand dismissively. “Psh, there hasn’t been that many ‘extreme circumstances,’ just a few hiccups here and there. Ha, ‘hiccups,’ get it? Gods, I’m hilarious, please laugh, literally why aren’t you laughing?”

Her jaw dropped in mock offense and she swung around in the stool to face him. “What the heck, dude?! You’re not gonna let me have one punch? One? And don’t you think Astrid would like it if there was just one singular, very-obvious-tooth missing? I think she would, you’re just missing out.”

Bursting out laughing, she eventually replied, “Dang! I’m definitely telling Zephyr this when she gets older! Betraying her already! When she’s what? Six, seven months old? Yeah, you’re done for, especially when I tell this to Astrid too!

Also old people don’t need ‘date nights,’ you literally live with each other, how could you possibly feel the need to see each other even more often? It doesn’t make any sense!”

"It's a plan!"

His face fell, disappointed in Danny. "Hey, don't be so judgemental. They've known each other for a long time, and I'm not sure what exactly changed, but...they just work. They balance each other out."

He shrugged, passing her the scales she asked for. "Must not have come up, I suppose."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I'd uh, I'd keep that opinion to yourself, if he doesn't want to be seen that way."

At her 'hiccup' comment, he just gave her a deadpan stare, and then a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, ha-ha, that's--that's real funny. That's real original."

Looking at his sister like she was crazy, he shook his head. "No! Absolutely not! Did you really think I'd agree to let you punch me? In the face, no less?"

Focusing back on his work, he said quietly, "I'm not betraying her. Besides, she'll tire of me eventually, no need to put a rush on it..."

Shaking his head, he applied more adhesive. "You know what? Just... just forget I said anything..."