#and kama doesnt have THAT many distinct stories.

[cosmosrival]

i've been wondering about it for a while and i think... i'd like the tumblr fgo fandom to also know about this fact concerning kama, because it's the piece of trivia that i'd like to see referenced in the game THE MOST since it would allow so many interactions and could give kama more depth. Because they clearly need it lol ! Kiara got amazing dev, hopefully they'll also get their turn.

In Hinduism, Kamadeva represents the concept of [desire] on all possible scales. This is why in some particular stories (called Vedas), some believe that Kamadeva is one of the most powerful deities and Shiva's clear nemesis. Because Kamadeva is the physical embodiment of [wanting] something, letting Kama win would mean that your materialistic desires(kāma as a concept) ultimately triumph over ascetic practices(Shiva). This is one of the reasons why Kamadeva isn't worshipped like other much well known Hindu deities. A professor of religion called Catherine Benton, wrote a book about their iconography after studying Kamadeva through the ages and travelling to India, here's a few bits i found extremely interesting:

In reference to Kama losing his body and thus becoming [the universe], basically everything around us. When Shiva burned Kama, he ultimately made him infinitely more powerful.

I understand why Kama would end up depressed in FGO, because they were persecuted by the other gods, because of Mara's demonic influence, because of the weight of half a human heart and only feelings of negativity that came with it, nothing else. They clearly state in Ooku that this pain is the reason why they hate having a body. Being in constant pain is both physically and mentally exhausting, and people who just brand it as Kama being lazy because they don't want to work since Love Is Annoying are missing the point. Passing it off as lazyness is much easier for Kama to explain than a millenia's worth of grudges.

And following this, this is what i'd like to see clearly mentioned in FGO:

They are not just the God of Love. They represent [desire, passion, craving as a generality].

In Ooku, Mara gets called out for not knowing of "the love a parent has for its child" or the "love felt when you see a loved one grow" and i believe that it's fitting. Only when it comes to Mara though. Because Kamadeva is a benevolent God at their source. Even if the both of them eventually merged, they are still two distinct existences because one is a God and the other is a Demon. And the fact that they remember their personal histories in their interlude is proof that they are aware of who they are and what they represent. They state that they don't "feel it too well as things they personally experienced", because they are only one shard of their initial godly self. Which makes them even more tragic actually. Imagine remembering lifetimes of scenes You lived through, but they don't feel like Yours. Feeling like a stranger in their own memories because they cannot remember the [feelings] they felt when they traveled with Rati and Vasanta or what these 2 felt for them. Because in Chaldea, Kama Assassin is "Ananga", the One without a Body, cursed to be in constant pain.

I'd like for their alt to possibly reference the fact that they are [desire] in its general and conceptual form. That they can feel it when you partake in your favourite hobbies, when you create, when you cook, when you garden, when you get to do something that makes you passionate. FGO already talked about Kama being the universe, but it barely touched upon the real meaning behind that fact. They are [desire and passion] as a concept given physical form. It might feel a bit overpowered, but since their Divinity is only at rank B, i doubt they would be able to do much about this other than being aware of generic human passions. Like some sort of observer. And i also believe that it would be soothing for them, because it would allow them to remember positive feelings linked to desire without having to bother themself with matters of romantic love. They're not clueless about love, they simply don't remember the wonderfulness of it.

They'd be able to grow from being a Beast, an enemy of humanity, into some sort of guardian. In the [They're conceptually with you when you're enjoying yourself and it can be about anything, not just lust] sense. Their interlude already proved that they're great at taking care of others, despite them only having Sakura's negative parts as a vessel. They are able to be like this, because they are a benevolent God at their core.

Although their healing will take time, the fact that they're already the universe is a beginning.