#The Bargainer

[imjusthereforfandombullshit]

So my personal trauma response to a major trigger event is to just marathon through books and exist only in fiction for a number of months. So when Trump won the election, and my relationship with my mom went nuclear, and then my partner and I and our kids had to completely change our plan including planning for a 2000 mile move across the country to avoid anti-trans legislation, all while recovering from major surgery, I started reading.

Since November I have read the following books for the first time:

Fourth Wing

Iron Flame

The Inheritance Games

The Hawthorne Legacy

The Final Gambit

Rhapsodic

A Strange Hymn

Emperor of the Evening Stars

Dark Harmony

A Court of Thorns and Roses

A Court of Mist and Fury

And I’m planning to finish ACOTAR before Onyx Storm comes out. It has been a delicious spiral into dissociation.

I need to climb out of it, but I don’t want to.

[aufi-creative-mind]

I hc that the Bargainer Statues are early depictions of the Fierce Deity (who's true form therefore has 4 eyes), who is referred to as a Kishin in Japanese, which according to folklore, are wrathful, powerful, even scary-looking beings & vicious fighters, but are also deeply compassionate, benevolent, & protectors at there core. They're said to enact just & righteous vengeance for those who've been wronged.

Anyway, my thoughts are that he is the 3rd in the Hylian/Demise triad, being where the Hero's Spirit originates from. I also hc that he created the Sheikah much like how Hylia created the Hylians. (So, if the naming conventions follow, his true name could start with "Shei" or "Sheik.")

Anyway, he's a god of war, the moon, heroism, & death. Which is why Link is always able to see spirits. He gathered spirits & fought or soothed Poes (the enemies) either by fighting them or playing the Song of Healing.

The Dark Clumps being pieces of the pseudo-flesh that spirits form to create Poes & the Depths Set being made from this pseudo-flesh.

Also, I hc that the symbols are actually ancient Sheikah script, which the Fierce Deity taught the Sheikah. And before losing or giving up his immortality, he tasked the Sheikah with taking his place, which is who delivered the spirits to the Bargainer Statues before Link.

This is part of the reason why the Sheikah are so heavily associated with death & graveyards.

As for who the Bargainers are, they are this thing called a bushin in Japanese culture, which there deities have the ability to split pieces off of themselves & create lesser copies that rule over certain areas, but are lead by the source deity. The same is said for the Goddess Statues. Basically, Hylia & Fierce gave up their immortality, but the statues are still being run by their bushin.

Stop me, I will literally talk you ear off if you don't.

Anyway, what are your thoughts??

.................................................... OP. My guy, my gal, my non-binary pal. Why did you drop this on my inbox? This needs to be its own proper post! This is a very fascinating take on the Bargainer and the other known deities in the Zelda world.

-

Ngl, I haven't thought much about the Bargainer and their role is since there's so little in their lore. Other than "guiding lost souls into the afterlife without prejudice" and exchanging materials, weapons and outfit sets in return of Poes... (Kinda like how the Goddess Statue exchanges Blessings for Hearts, Stamina and Sage's Wills).

And seeing so many Poes in the Depths in a state of purgatory, makes me think that they are akin to the Grim Reaper of sorts. On top of the Yiga notes about how those "strange statues" would rip the souls out of fellow members if they come too close to it in the Depths.

I also imagine that the name "Bargainer" is a recent title when they were (re)discovered by present-day Hyruleans. And their true name had already been lost to the looooooong passage of time. And for all we know, the "Bargainer" was the god(dess) of the long extinct Zonai people.

That's about as far as I have for the Bargainer.

As for other deities like Hylia, Demise and the Fierce Deity, I don't have much beyond what is present in the games and the popular headcanons shared within the Zelda fandom.

I do have headcanons on how each race and clans interpret these deities and their own faith systems. For example, the Sheikah view Hylia as a "two faced" deity with "light and shadow" themes in their faith. Which is in contrast to their Hylian counterparts who have more clear-cut views on Hylia as the benevolent protector-goddess of their people (And why the Horned Statue exists and is shunned and hidden away).

(Though this is all part of my BotW-TotK Family and Legacy story.)

TL;DR I don't have a lot of ideas / headcanons on who or what these deities are. BUT I do have headcanons on how they are interpreted by different peoples/races.

-

But seriously though OP, if you're reading this, you need to create dedicated posts and elaborate more on these headcanon ideas. They have POTENTIAL to become some very delicious reads.

[ask-one-badassatron]

Heyy it's The Bargainer again!!!!

Has joining the high guard gone well?

Reminder to stay alive, alert, and don't accept unfair bargains :)

virtual hugs,

-the bargainer

Oh it's very well! I love it! Glad to see you again!

[shipwrexked]

Romantasy

There's a new sub-genre of fantasy and a bunch of fantasy books are being relegated to this sub-genre. I'm not mad about it just a bit confused. The nearest I can figure if it a fantasy book has a romance plot it falls under this heading?

So all of SJM's books go under Romantasy?

The Flesh and Fire series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

The Fate and Flame series by K.A. Tucker.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (I bet she'd be surprised to find out her books are under this heading!)

Then there's The Bargainer by Laura Thalassa and let's not forget the new fantasy series I've been raving about for the past two years What Lies beyond the Veil by Harper L. Woods.

I'm sure I'm missing some but these are the ones that ones that I've read personally.

[wildlydone]

Desmond Flynn | The Bargainer

[just-a-harmless-romance]

Currently reading: Dark Harmony by Laura Thalassa

I've loved the series thus far. I'm only just starting chapter 8 and so far, I'm into it. I love the relationship between Callie and Des and the unspoken trust they have with one another. Laura, I feel, really encapsulates the unconditional love Des has for her even with her condition. The way Callie powers through her transformation, too is just so compelling and really speaks to how important it is to accept that which you cannot change; even what you may deem as unsightly and flawed can be beautiful and magnificent in the right light.

So far, I can't rate the book because I'm not far enough into it. However, the series I have to give a 4/5

[bookloversstudioco]

“I love you. I’ve loved you from the beginning. And I will love you long after the last stars dies. I will love you until the end of darkness itself”

🫠🫠

[whittywhit86]

“From flame to ashes, dawn to dusk, for the rest of our lives, be mine always, Desmond Flynn.”

[sistinad]

-De la llama a las cenizas, del amanecer al ocaso, para el resto de nuestras vidas, sé siempre mío, Desmond Flynn.

[taliabhattwrites]

[meeghanreads]

WWW Wednesday — 15 May 2024

Hello friends!! Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday — 15 May 2024!! WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, where you answer the three following questions: What did you recently finish? What are you currently reading? And, what do you think you’ll read next? Let’s see what I have been reading… (All images will link to Goodreads if you click on them.…

[theoldkyokodied]

The Allegiance of the Ascended Vampire and the New God of Magic

[monkesupreme]

Starving and wasting away etc etc

bonus:

Hes tall and huge and HEAVY and he is so overly active that he has to maintain an insanely high caloric intake to make sure his body doesnt collapse from the strain of everything. He will eat virtually anything but he is spoiled from the best takeout Gotham has to offer: 11$ shrimp and broccoli from the chinese food spot that closes at 4am- among other things.

[ask-one-badassatron]

the bargainer has returned, and with a gift!

using my special bargaining abilities, I was able to acquire a obnoxiously loud clicker for the one and only Badassatron!

go forth and click

Yours truly,

the bargainer

click click click click click click click click

Wow this is so fun!

click click click click click click click click

[taboonle]

Day 24: Deity

[rookanisstuff]

“Rook? Can I bother you-”

“No, go away.”