#because genya is his ONLY REMAINING FAMILY MEMBER !!!!!!!!!!!
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its like this, basically
#demon slayer#kimetsu no yaiba#kny#I THINK! MAYBE! I HAVE NO SELF CONFIDENCE#BUT UR GONNA LISTEN TO ME RAMBLE ANYWAYS. SANEMI DOESNT HATE GENYA!!!!!#yes he is mean to genya no im not saying its justified in any way#hes doing it ON PURPOSE he is trying 2 DRIVE GENYA AWAY#he wants genya to stay as far away from the demon slayers as possible bc he knows how dangerous it is#and this is his way of trying 2 protect him!!!!!!!#because genya is his ONLY REMAINING FAMILY MEMBER !!!!!!!!!!!#his actions are not GOOD but it does annoy me when ppl make him torment genya for shits and giggles#like he would not do that#you understand#anyways i love drawing these 2 so so much especially genya oh my god#genyas blank. vacant. wide eyed stare is so important 2 me i love drawing him furever and ever#ALSO IN LOVE W THE “FREAKISHLY TALL” GENYA HC#LIKE ITS NOT MADE OBVIOUS IN THIS DRAWING BUT. ough. so good. bean pole#i want to pat him on the head gently#sanemi has the vibe of like a stressed out chihuahua#demon slayer tier list how likely is it for each character to bite someone#ME WHEN TRAGIC SIBLINGS. ME WHEN TRAGIC SIBLINGS. ME WHEB#its ironic then that the whole reason genya joined the demon slayer corps in the first place was bc#he wanted to become strong like his brother. to get his attention#hey wanna see how hard i can cryFFSSSSSHHHHHWWWGGGGHHJJJJ#potatart#sanemi shinaguzawa#genya shinazugawa#GIRL I FORGOT TAGS </3
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Sanemi Shinazugawa: A Man of the Pack
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So, everyone has likely seen this image:
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Wherein Muichirou likens all of the Hashira (most of the Hashira, poor Giyuu) to animals.
Today, I want to discuss why Sanemi being described as a wolf is particularly insightful and apt.
But first, let's take a look at wolves in nature, specifically on the nature of sibling relationships between wolves and how they relate back to Sanemi. In this analysis I'm gonna pull out a lot of terms like Alloparenting, kin selection, and cooperative breeding, but bear with me and I'll do my best to explain everything! (I may have abused my college library for fandom purposes, oopsies!)
You've probably heard by now that the classic "Alpha wolf" pack structure that was popularized in 1970's is very much a misrepresentation of actual wolf packs in the wild. Actual wolf packs are often made up of closely related individuals with one main breeding pair. This main breeding pair produces offspring, which then become members of the pack and participate in future hunts as well as future child rearing.
So! A "pack" is really just a family unit. Most are made up of the parents and all their offspring.
Now, you've probably heard the phrase, "It takes a village to raise a child."
If you have, congratulations! You now know the concept of Cooperative Breeding in a nutshell! Basically, cooperative breeding is a social structure characterized by alloparental care. Alloparental care is any form of parental care performed by an individual towards young that are not its direct offspring. Such as...
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...an older sibling raising their younger sibling.
Alloparenting is actually incredibly rare among mammals, with only about 3% of species exhibiting this behavior, the most famous of which being humans and wolves.
This is because it is a form of altruism, wherein an individual sacrifices something for the benefit of another individual. In the case of wolves, this may be food, time, or other resources as siblings will take up feeding, warming, and guarding duties while the alpha pair and other siblings are on a hunt.
Sanemi is a family-oriented man. His entire character is driven by family (and yes, this does include the likes of Masachika and Kanae, which I will discuss later).
His early life revolved around raising his siblings. When they passed and he was forced to kill his mother, his life shifted then to revolve solely around Genya, his remaining pack.
What I find interesting is the way Sanemi looks at the world through a lens of family orientation. Close friends are not simply "friends," they are family, and thus, pack. For example, Masachika became an older brother figure to him. In signs from the wind, when he was becoming Kanae, he looked at her the same way he would look at his mother. Even the way he views Tengen is through the lens of an older brother figure.
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"He often acts like an older brother."
He talks to Shinobu "since she's Kanae's little sister." (thus, in a way, extended pack).
Hell, even his annoyance at Giyuu makes more sense when put into this light. Putting aside his glaring inferiority complex (and really, we shouldn't because it does play a huge role into why he hates Giyuu), we see that Giyuu very much plays into the "lone wolf" archetype. Something that very much goes against the pack-oriented nature of wolves.
Even calling Giyuu a lone wolf is a bit of a misnomer. Wolves leave the pack with the intention of starting a new pack. Thus, lone wolves are actively seeking companionship, something Giyuu is very much not doing (at least not consciously).
It clashes against Sanemi's very nature as a man of the pack. This "I'm not like the rest of you," shtick. It not only implies he's somehow above them in Sanemi's mind, but it also defies the natural order of how Sanemi perceives the world.
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Despite his brash attitude, his openness is rated at 60% and he's often depicted within the inner group of the hashira.
He's not a social butterfly, but he is by no means a loner. Just look at how well he gets along with Obanai!
So, returning to the wolf analogy, we know that Sanemi is a pack-oriented man who places the survival of his family above all else. Let's talk about why wolves are so invested in their family members survival.
It's a concept known as Kin Selection.
Kin selection is where a trait is favored by the success of the individual's relatives that possess it and successfully pass it on.
Think of it like this: You share approximately 50% of your genes with your full sibling (with identical twins sharing 100%!). You also share 50% of your genes with your parent. You share just as much genetic material with a sibling as you would with your own child.
Theoretically, your sibling's success is also your success genetically.
This is, of course, a hotly debated topic, however.
Not every wolf is interested in starting their own pack. Let's talk about 0'6, the most famous wolf in Yellowstone. Specifically, let's talk about her mate's brother, 754M, who, instead of starting his own pack, followed his brother, 755M and joined his pack instead where he went on to help raise his pups as an uncle and served as a sort of third pack leader.
Which, is reminiscent of Sanemi's stance in the main story. His dreams are for Genya to find a "mate" and have "pups" of his own and build his own pack. And while Sanemi has no plans of being there physically, he plans to spend his life fiercely guarding Genya's pack, much like 754M.
Once again, however, the validity of kin selection among wolves is a a bit of a hot bed among animal behavioralists and evolutionary biologists, but it is applicable in this case to Sanemi.
Sanemi very much does not care for his own success. He says himself that if he should die, he would die with a sword in his teeth, taking out as many demons as he can while Genya has a bushel of kids.
Sanemi being described as one of the most family oriented and surprisingly altruistically loyal mammals is one of the most apt metaphors Muichirou could have chosen for him.
Everything from how Sanemi views the world to how he operates to even his appearance and tenacity can best be described as wolf-like.
Including, me thinks, the fandom's tendency to demonize him. Wolves are one of the most misunderstood animals out there and lately a lot of light has been shed on the beautiful creatures. With the Infinity castle movies so close to releasing, I think the same shift in perspective will be coming for Sanemi soon as well.
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Now to link my sources! Hoo boy. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here.
#ramblies#demon slayer#genya shinazugawa#kny genya#kimetsu no yaiba#kny analysis#shinazugawa brothers#genya#kny sanemi#sanemi shinazugawa#Sanemi#demon slayer sanemi
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do you ever think about how sanemi's animosity towards tanjiro makes so much sense from a narrative perspective because tanjiro is literally everything sanemi isn't?
both of them lose their fathers at a very young age, only that sanemi's father was a horrible abusive jerk who inflicted severe trauma upon his entire family while tanjiro's father was the coolest guy around whose lessons continue to motivate tanjiro and impact his life in a positive way.
both of them have to deal with a beloved family member turning into a demon, only that sanemi ends up killing his mother and has to come to terms with the fact that although she became a monster he still killed his mother while tanjiro manages to guide his sister through her monstrosity and finds ways to help her keep her humanity in tact.
both of them lose their families with only one younger sibling remaining, only that sanemi and genya get separated and estranged while tanjiro and nezuko never lose their close relationship.
[spoilers below the cut]
both of them have to deal with their younger sibling being a demon (one way or the other), only that sanemi's hatred towards demons as a whole makes it impossible for him to look at genya the same way while tanjiro loves his sister all the same, no matter if she's demon or human.
both of them try to protect their younger siblings from danger, only that sanemi can't think of anything but straight up abuse to try and push genya away which remains unsuccessful while tanjiro and nezuko work together well during fights and tanjiro still manages to keep her safe.
both of them fight with the goal to keep their siblings alive, only that genya dies and leaves sanemi with a ton of guilt and regret while tanjiro and nezuko get their happy ending.
both of them are thrown into the conflict between demons and humans out of nowhere, only that sanemi spends a considerable amount of time on his own, killing demons without any assistance while tanjiro gets sent off with a hashira recommendation letter to urokodaki's where he receives a proper training and finds a new home and family.
both of them find companions along the way and form meaningful relationships with them, only that masachika dies young with sanemi being unable to protect him while tanjiro, zenitsu and inosuke stay together through everything and manage to survive even the final battle.
and a lot of this is meta knowledge, a lot of this is information that sanemi doesn't have about tanjiro. but he does have some of it and i think it's enough knowledge for me to put up this theory: sanemi envies tanjiro. because both of them went through unspeakable trauma and grief, both of them lost people close to them, both of them had to deal with similar situations.
and yet tanjiro is kind. he's friendly and good, people trust him, people love to befriend him and he inspires them wherever he goes while sanemi is bitter and nasty and simply incapable of forming and maintaining these connections in the way tanjiro is because who'd want to be friends with a cruel jerk right? and tanjiro loves to take lonely people under his wing, but not even he is willing to forgive sanemi for most of the story and i can only imagine how that must sting because no one wants to be lonely and yet sanemi can't even blame him. he wouldn't forgive himself either.
#rey talks#no wait#rey rambles#i have thoughts#demon slayer#kny#tanjiro kamado#sanemi shinazugawa#character study#-ish?#demon slayer spoilers
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Idk man you can’t convince me that from what we seen Sanemi wouldn’t have just shut down or go insane after the death of Genya, the very thing he dedicated his entire life purpose to, even going as far as to belittle him and attempt to physically harm him to make him leave the demon slayer corps, literally slipping through his fingers?
There’s no way he would have just been okay within a four year time span if we believe the slayer mark still would have killed him to not only get married but to have children, if he did the only way I can see it is some grief filled obligation to live out Genya’s dying wish of having a family and living a normal life (ironic.)
So there’s no love for the family, there is no sense of affection, maybe he’s good to his kids because he doesn’t want to be his father, but there’s a difference between being good to your kids and then actually being a father and I don’t see Sanemi stable enough to be a good father figure.
Maybe just maybe if he got to live a natural life perhaps he could have found genuine love, but from watching your family die and killing your mother, your best friend dying in your arms, witnessing the horrors of demons killing humans and trying to comprehend Muzan in general and then holding your last living remaining family member that you’ve tried so fucking hard to protect as they die too? No fucking way, no fucking way for me man nuh uh.
He wouldn’t have been able to come back from that, and as much as I love happy endings? To me it just feels unlike his character.
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Page Eighty-Three- Kaz Brekker
Real (Page Eighty-Three series, part 3)
And thus, here we arrive at the end of the Page Eighty-Three series! I’ve been working on it almost a week now, and had the idea brewing in my brain for two weeks beforehand, so, considering the way that I’ve chosen to publish all the parts, it’s not gonna be a very emotional goodbye for you guys, but for me, oddly enough, it is?
Its the first fic I’ve done that’s been more than two parts, and I guess that adds to it? I don’t know! But, anyways, on with it!
Also, a gentle reminder, I only have Kaz being a little on the touchier side because this is a bit of an AU of sorts, and they’re around twenty four in this last part, which gave him time to work on his trauma more and get comfortable with touch!
Fic type- fluffy as fuck
Warnings- a very brief mention of the flashback in the first chapter (to be specific, nina says ‘stopped you from getting hatecrimed’) and a brief sexual innuendo
T H R E E Y E A R S L A T E R
You knocked out after you’d killed your father, and went home completely unconscious on Inej’s boat, tucked onto a cot with Kaz at your side. Genya had decided to spend a little time around Ketterdam, get to know the ins and outs and provide intel for Nikolai when he asked for it, and Nina had decided that her home could be Ketterdam for four months of every year.
Inej did her thing, catching and killing slavers all around the globe, but her visits to Ketterdam became more frequent after you’d gotten back.
Jesper took your amplifier and made it a project for himself, removing the claw from the obsidian and instead using his fabrikator abilities to turn it into a bracelet that you wore on your right hand, made of gold, with the claw dulled out so that it didn’t poke you when you moved your wrist.
A year after you’d returned home, when yourself and Kaz had gone into his office one morning, book clutched in one of your hands, the other interlaced with Kaz’s fingers, you found a box sitting on his desk.
A note from Zoya was taped to the top of it.
A top tier bitch deserves a top tier amplifier, it read. Bracelet. Wear it on your right wrist. It’ll go with the bear claw wrapped in gold.
You kept the note, reading it to yourself whenever you needed a laugh, giggling about it with Nina when she needed a laugh, too.
All of those small moments ended up leading to a much bigger one, though. The day that Kaz proposed.
It was a pretty simple proposal, but you loved it.
--
“I had to get advice from Jes about this,” was how he started it, even before he’d gotten down onto one knee. “He proposed to Wylan in the fall, and I know that the Winter makes Ketterdam look absolutely stunning, and I know that you like the scenery, so, well, here we are.”
You’d been walking around Ketterdam, the clicking of Kaz’s cane against the pavement a soothing sound for the both of you.
You’d managed to make it near the outskirts of Ketterdam just by walking, as Kaz’s leg was being decent to him and he wanted to walk until you’d arrived at one of the more scenic spots. You indulged him for the sake of it, making sure you took breaks and that he got water when he was tired.
It’d been snowing, and the sky had yet to darken beyond a light grey. You and Kaz both had snow in your hair, but to one another, it just added to handsomeness, so neither of you moved to brush the snow out of your hair or off your faces.
“When we were seventeen,” he began, feeling for the box in his pocket. The one with a ring inside, cushioned by red, velvety fabric. “You read me a quote from the book I’d gotten you that day. You’ve memorized just about every poem in it since, and I happen to have done the same thing.”
“The quote that you read to me was from The Sun and Her Flowers. It was on page eighty three,” he grinned at you, a fully fledged smile. Something he saved for you and you exclusively.
“I’m going to change the wording a bit, because it’s in the past tense, and we’re not past tense. The quote was ‘you were mine, and my life was full,’,” he said. “I’m changing it to ‘you are mine, and my life is full.’ Because thats how I feel.”
“Kaz?” You asked. “Do you have something planned?” He raised an eyebrow at you as he clutched the box.
“I suck at words, so, from Rupi Kaurs book Milk and Honey, I offer you this,” he carefully got down onto a knee, using his cane to keep him steady for a few quiet moments as you realized what was happening.
“‘You are every hope and dream I’ve ever had, in human form.” He pulled out the ring, opening the box and holding it out to you. “That’s page forty nine, love.”
“If you can’t think of an answer, please, just-- anything works,” if Jesper had told sixteen year old Kaz Brekker that he’d end up on his knees, begging you for a response to his proposal at just twenty two, he’d have called Jesper crazy.
“Yes,” you mumbled. “Yes, Kaz Brekker. If you’re asking me to marry you, it’s an immediate yes.” He used his cane to get himself up to standing again, slipping the ring onto your ring finger and accepting the hug that you pulled him into.
You were going to marry Kaz Brekker, the love of your life, and you couldn’t wait for it.
--
The day seemed to come at you quickly, even though you’d not set the date until Winter of year that you turned twenty four.
First, it was calling Nikolai and asking if you could cash in the reward for killing your father and doing him and the world a justice that they deserved, then it was finding suitable tuxedos and sending out invitations and planning a million different things at once.
But, eventually, you, Jesper, Wylan, Genya, and Nina, were all on Inejs boat, headed toward the Little Palace.
Then, all of the sudden, you were in the last stretch of time before the wedding. Alina, Mal, Genya, Zoya, and Nina were talking as Genya tailored you, getting rid of some of the blemishes and fixing up little things about your face that you’d asked her to tailor until the end of the ceremony.
“It’s weird,” Alina said, pressing a kiss to Mals cheek as she glanced at her own wedding ring. “I remember you as this fourteen year old boy who used to gawk at the attractive guys in the Second Army, the boy who resented his powers and swore at his father at any chance that he got, and now you’re and you’re completely different.”
“Different how?”
“Kaz Brekker,” Genya said, running her finger under one of your eyes gently, as to get rid of your eyebags. “He’s good for you.”
“And you don’t resent your powers anymore,” Zoya adds. “You don’t use them often, but you don’t resent them.”
“You use them, don’t you, mate?” Mal quipped. “Or were my eyes tricking me when I went to wake you and Brekker up this morning, only to find you keeping light out of your room with a flick of your bloody wrist?”
“I was tired,” you pouted. “Kaz and I both were!”
“Ah, newlyweds,” Nina joked.
“It’s not like that!” You shouted. “Zoya, help me out!”
“He’s able to kiss you now,” she said. “Like, with tongue and stuff. Theres no reason he wouldn’t be able to enjoy a fun little tumble with you here and there!”
“’Tongue, and stuff,’” Mal repeated. “Yes, Zoya, because, as a twenty six year old woman, that’s totally adult phrasing.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to describe it any better,” Nina quipped. Genya and Alina hummed their agreement as Genya moved to your hair, fluffing it and styling it so it that it looked nice as you adjusted the cuffs on your dress shirt.
“Wheres my blazer?” You asked, grabbing your tie from Genyas lap, tying it as she evened out some of the color near your roots.
“Closet,” Alina answered. “I’ll get it for you!” Mal checked his watch.
“We’ve got three minutes to get down there,” he said. “Lets make the most of Y/Ns remaining 180 seconds unmarried.” You laughed, rolling your eyes as Genya stood, helping you up after.
Nina shot Genya a glance, and she took the hint, ushering Alina, Mal and Zoya out of the room and passing Nina your blazer as she left.
Nina helped you into your blazer, running her thumb along your cheek with a smile.
“I never thought I’d see Kaz Brekker married,” she said. “But hey, I guess stopping you from getting hatecrimed had it’s benefits, didn’t it?”
You laughed, shrugging.
“I think that we’ll rebuild some of the Slat,” you said. “Make the rooms bigger. Get plaques declaring whos room is whos.”
“A golden plaque with Nina Zenik emblazoned on it?”
“Bolted to your bedroom door, Neens.”
“I love you, Morozova.” She said, trapping you into a tight hug.
“I love you back, Zenik.” You said. “Now, c’mon. I don’t think anyone would take too kindly to me being late for my own bloody wedding, would they?”
--
The wedding was small, taking place close to the entrance of the Little Palace. There were no chairs to sit on, but the few guests you’d invited didn’t mind it whatsoever.
The guest list was fairly small, considering your tight knit little family. Wylan was Kaz’s best man, Your best woman was Nina. The people standing in the small crowd were all familiar faces.
Wylans mother, Marya Hendriks, and Jespers father, Colm Fahey were the oldest there. Among them were Nikolai, Alina, Mal, Genya, Rotty and Specht, and the two members of the Dregs who’d originated the King of the Barrel nicknames. Their names were Terrowin and Kira, and when you caught their eyes, they were beaming at you both.
Jesper was officiating, and as you met his gaze, you remembered how he was practically bouncing off the walls the day that you’d asked him to officiate.
“Okay, now that they’re both here, we can begin!” Jesper couldn’t hide his excitement.
“Mr. Brekker,” Jesper laughed through the words. He’d not called Kaz ‘Mr. Brekker’ unless he was doing so in a jokey context. You knew that, had it been anyone elses wedding, they’d probably have gotten angry at Jesper for giggling through the words, but for you and Kaz, it just added to an already perfect day. “Do you take Y/N as your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do,” he said.
“Mr. Morozova,” Jesper glanced at you, and you met his gaze, having to stifle laughter when you realized just how wide his grin was. How happy he seemed. He looked like he was about to start bouncing off the walls and screaming with joy. “Do you take Kaz as your lawfully wedded husband?”
“Hells yes,” you said, giggling slightly. For a moment, Kaz let his lips lift into a grin. You matched it with your own smile and took his hand into yours.
“You’ve prepared your own vows, so, Mr. Brekker, sir, you go first!” Kaz glanced at Jesper inquisitively, grin still on his face as he started talking and met your eye.
“I’ve loved you as long as I’ve known you,” he said. “And when my heart says something, I’ve learned to listen to it. I love you with my entire heart and so much more, and I hate that I’m not good with words, because that’s all I can say. Nothing else accurately cultivates the feelings I’ve felt for you since that night, when you were broken and bruised underneath that saintsforsaken lamplight. I promise to love you every minute of every day, Brekker.” You’d agreed to change your last name to his. You’d be Y/N Brekker by the end of the night.
“Mr. Brekker,” Jesper said. “Since you’ll be married in a few minutes and I have to get used to that last name on you, you may say your vows!”
“When I was fifteen, I was caught and beat broken by a group of eight eighteen year olds,” you began. “But you saved my ass before I was killed, and it seems as though our relationship has been a series of saves ever since. Kaz Brekker, with the ring I’m about to put on your finger, I’m promising that I’ll do that forever. Please, though, try to avoid getting yourself kidnapped too often, okay?” His chest shook in silent laughter as he nodded.
“The rings, gentlepeople?” Jesper asked, Nina passed you the ring you’d slip into Kaz’s finger, and Wylan passed Kaz the one he’d put onto yours.
“Put them on,” Jesper said. You and Kaz both glanced at him once more, meeting each others eye thereafter, grinning and shaking your heads. It’d become very clear to you that the twenty four year old who you’d recruited to officiate your wedding was damn near close to letting out an excited squeal.
Kaz put the ring onto your ring finger and you did the same for him, waiting for Jespers next words as you took a half a step closer to Kaz.
“Kiss, you idiots!” Jesper said. Kaz laughed, pulling you close and pressing a kiss to your forehead.
He’d kiss you like nothing else later in the evening, when the only thing to bug you was a lamp that you’d left on, but you both agreed that a forehead kiss would be as far as you’d go in front of others. Kisses, to Kaz, were personal, and you respected and loved that about him.
“Saints, bless this fuckin’ union!” Jesper shouted. You glanced at Alina, who shot you a thumbs up and a nod as the party part of the wedding kicked off.
Terrowin and Kira were the first people that you and Kaz talked to.
“Did you secure it?” He asked.
“The property?” Terrowin was a Zemeni boy, with skin dark as night and eyes as warm as the sun.
“Or the trip?” Asked Kira, a girl from Shu Han with hair black as the feathers on a crow and blue eyes as cold as the Fjerdan ice.
“The property, first and foremost,” he said. “Did you get it? Did you give it the name I asked you to?”
“Yes, and yes,” said Terrowin. “Beside The Silver Six is a bookstore called Page Eighty-Three. It’s scheduled to open in the fall.” Your eyes widened as you made the connection.
“Page eighty-three?” You asked, smirk on your lips. Kaz shrugged.
“And the request?”
“The line from the poem will be put on the wall behind the clerks counter,” Kira said. “Just as you requested.”
“And the trip?”
“Your boat for Novyi Zem leaves in two days, Boss,” Kira said. “Two bells in the afternoon. It’s directly routed to Coftons docks.” Kaz nodded.
“Thank you,” he said. “We’ll see you when Page Eighty-Three opens.”
“Damn right we will,” you said. Terrowin and Kira laughed as they walked away.
You glanced around the room, spotting Jesper and Wylan perched at a piano, playing the music that everyone was dancing to. Marya and Colm dancing close to them. Nina and Zoya dancing like idiots and laughing throughout. Mal and Inej making conversation and Genya and Alina heading your way.
“Congrats, you two,” Genya said. “Can I expect to see you both tanned and rested up when you get back from Novyi Zem?”
“You’ll be in Ketterdam?” You asked. Genya nodded.
“For a couple of months, to make sure that your Jesper friend doesn’t colossally fuck things up while your friend Inej is doing her thing on the open ocean,” Alina said. “I’m there to visit for a bit, under the radar.”
“Thank you, Alina,” he said. “Thank you both. For everything that you’ve done in these past years.”
“No biggie, Brekker,” Alina said. “I don’t know you that well, but I see how happy you make Y/N, and he’s like a little brother. I care about his happiness.”
“You two are absolutely bloody adorable,” Genya said. “Now, back to my question, will you be tan, or at the very least, well rested, upon your return?”
“Kaz is pale,” you said. “He’ll burn like a crisp. Me? I don’t really know. I guess it depends.”
“We’ll be well rested,” Kaz said. “He’s a darkling. He can create shadow. I fully intend to use that to keep the sun out in the mornings.”
“I won’t do whatever you ask of me!” You quipped.
“You had no issue with that last night,” he said, raising a teasing eyebrow. “Or this morning!”
“Mal was right!” Alina shouted, her and Genya bursting into giggles. “Damn it, I hate it when that happens!” You laughed.
You took another glance around you, spotting your friends.
No, wait. Scratch that.
Not your friends.
Your family.
Your family was having a good time, eating, talking, dancing, laughing. They were enjoying themselves and congratulating you as you talked to Alina and Genya.
Kaz had an arm around your waist, his cheek pressed against the side of your head as his other hand gently turned your wedding ring around on your finger. He was talking to people without arguing with them. He was holding you like you were the only thing that mattered to him.
Your life was perfect.
Kaz was yours, you were his, and your life was full.
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tags: @whateverfandom00 @a-c-lee @incorrectquotesconaisseur @the7seannas @teatimeforusreaders @hunnybunimdun
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Dual Summoner x The Darkling pt. 33
Pairing: Dual Summoner Amira Silina and Darkling General Kirigan/ Aleksander Morozova
Word count: 1408
Once the boat had everyone on it and Zoya at the sail we looked at the Fold, I was getting scared and I think Aleksander could tell as he pulled me close before removing my cloak. I wasn't tied to the boat so I could move freely and the inferni that was coming explained it easily. We kept positions and stayed calm with the blue light until I would make the tunnel.
Can I do this? I thought
I motioned for David to come over and he did as I walked over to Aleksander. I knew if this was going to be how we lived then this piece of the stag couldn't be sticking out of his hand. "What are you doing?" Aleksander asked as I told David to use his Grisha power. Aleksander watched as I manipulated the piece to where only the sun summoner symbol remained on his hand. "You'd look silly at our wedding with it sticking out but keep in mind I manipulated it with David's power to be this way if you betray me I can remove it." I said
Aleksander had a look of realization on his face seeing that Baghra taught me well, something crossed my mind a few times. The cut, Merzost, things I might be able to use someday as Baghra's student, Aleksander's equal but not without its consequences on Merzost, I questioned what it may have been for him at what cost. Then I remembered what Baghra told me about the fold women, children, and men were turned into Volcra.
Once we were inside I stood there waiting as I heard them keeping quiet, the sails going and I tried my best to stay calm. Aleksander motioned me over to him as I walked over and we listened to the Volcra. I heard some of the nobles asking why I hadn't made the tunnel yet but Aleksander was more in charge at this time. I looked back at my family members, my father and Grandmother who both nod if anything were to go wrong.
"Aleksander I can do this now, let me just open the tunnel for us." I said, Aleksander just looked at me for a minute debating as we were in the middle before he put a hand on my shoulder. I felt the power of the sunburst out as I shook my head after the tunnel was made. This power was exhilarating and I had just as much claim to it as he did only since this was on my terms that we did this together.
Aleksander had the skiff stop and I looked at him seeing he was looking at West Ravka, also known as Novokribirsk. We stood there at the edge of the skiff looking at General Zlatan waiting to greet us. "Well what do you want, Amira?" Aleksander asked as I looked at him knowing everyone was waiting for his orders. "I could swallow them in the shadows." As much as I knew Zlatan would deserve it I shook my head at Aleksander knowing I would deal with Zlatan. "If he sends people to attack us, Show no mercy but innocents are to be kept alive." I said as I saw Aleksander pull me close and get close to my ear "Spoken like a leader Moye Serdtse."
I saw my father was watching us and I kept my calm since I was still in control here for the most part. This was for us, I had swayed his original intention as he had Zoya move the ship forward. I walked away from him as I gathered with my family, my parents and grandparents along with my cousin and Aunt looked at me. "Stay alert, if they try to harm us, fight back." I said as they all nodded. "To the people I am their Sol Koroleva, and if I wanted to we could all destroy the fold right here." My aunt looked at me as to why I wasn't able to do so at this time but I knew my powers were nowhere near the amount needed and I wouldn't waste my family's power.
As we made it to the docks I put my hands together behind my back just in case because I had plans to personally speak with General Zlatan. As expected we docked and the men were coming up on board to harm us. My family and I gently used our powers and knocked them back. I'd focused my power just a bit too much and unintentionally used the cut right at their feet as they stepped back.
"Impossible." The first soldier men said
I hadn't registered what I did as they backed up and I motioned for them to get off the skiff. They followed as they bowed their heads and I breathed a bit hard as I felt someone behind me support me a bit. "When did you learn to use the cut with light?" Aleksander asked seriously, I shrugged a bit as we started to lead the nobles off. "Thank you Sol Koroleva for protecting us." The noble said
As much as I wanted to go over and throw Zlatan in the fold, I had morals about myself as we walked over. "General Zlatan, what is the meaning of this?" I asked before Aleksander could even say anything. "General, I see you're letting your Grisha 2nd army soldiers now speak out of line." General Zlatan said. Aleksander merely secured his arm around me as I noticed a smirk from the corner of his eyes. "I would show some respect, General Zlatan, to my Fiancé the Sun Summoner who is also Tidemaker. Our first known Dual Summoner." Aleksander said
General Zlatan seemed to be surprised but when he went to talk I just raised my hand to cut him off before he started. "I find your acts to be treason against Grisha and the nobles who were crossing the fold. If I had the authority you would be stripped of your title as General but that is not my choice." I said as I noticed my actions only were empowering Aleksander's ego. "I will look past it while we are on this side of Ravka, to keep peace with all of Ravka we need supplies for the other side that will take a few days."
Aleksander led me away seeing General Zlatan's expression "I couldn't be more impressed and not many people can do that." Aleksander reminded me as I smiled. We found arrangements for everyone and though I didn't mind, I wanted Genya. I laid on the makeshift bed in the tent as I thought about everything. Then I heard people running in saying that the King had become ill and the Apparat was in charge but had gone missing. When we were alone I laid on the makeshift bed as I looked at Aleksander's back.
"Did you have something to do with the King?" I asked, I wanted to get Genya away from the royals but he just looked back at me. "I may have helped in what he was getting, Genya needed assistance." Aleksander said that I was already aware of the rumors but then I knew that there was so much more going on. "Something is on your mind."
I smiled as I looked up at the tent, we were stuck here till everything was put together and that meant more freedom. "You're planning to rule, I want Genya on my side. I want to get her away from her servitude and help her." Aleksander sighed a bit as he didn't say a whole lot "The King might recover, but if we come into power soon we could overthrow anyone." I sighed a bit knowing he was right but at the same time, there was no rush to get married under urgency. He sat by me while I laid on the makeshift bed putting a hand on my cheek as I pulled him down to me, our lips meeting in a kiss. I needed to say this now before I backed out again before anything else gave me a reason to avoid it after we part.
"I love you Aleksander, you are Moye Serdtse." I said with a smile, he looked down at me with those dark eyes that matched his power and the shadow fold putting a hand on my cheek. "I love you too Amira, Moye Serdtse and moya Sol Koroleva
#shadow and bone#shadow and bone fanfiction#grishaverse#fanfic#darkling x reader#team darkling#darkling#the darkling#ben barnes#general kirigan#aleksander morovoza
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NO BUT THIS. THIS IS WHAT I MEAN. those two have been floating around in my mind ever since i finished the manga. like. AUGH. their relationship is so fucked, but i honestly... i can see exactly where each of them are coming from. LIKE. okay. im putting this under a cut. manga spoilers below.
for genya, i can understand his pov perfectly. i mean, he watched his siblings die in front of him and his mother get killed by his own brother, all when he was a child. a baby. he was under so much stress that lashing out makes sense; of course he's going to see sanemi as a murderer, all he could see was him standing over their mother's dead body.
but he grows up, and regrets it. okay, he wants to apologize now. only problem is sanemi wants nothing to do with him.
and sanemi? well. after genya's death scene, i think i do get where he is coming from. he truly just wants genya to live a happy life, whether he is present in it or not. all that matters is he is alive. it's why i can understand why he pushes him away, even if i don't agree with it. in his eyes, it is better to be hated by a living brother, than loved by a dead one.
how well did that one work out?
side rant but you know the scene where genya confronts sanemi? SANEMI??? are you STUPID????? blinding him isn't going to stop him from being a demon slayer, his mentor is literally fucking gyomei the blind hashira. in all honestly, that moment was definitely an impulse choice, a terrible, terrible impulse choice. because come on. if he was thinking rationally, he would have realized the fallout of permanently injuring one of the corps members, let alone his brother. it was out of panic, a last-ditch attempt to push genya away, out of the corps.
see, both of them are characters pushed into terrible terrible circumstances, and are navigating them the best they can. and that is what i think makes them so tragic, because in trying to push genya away, sanemi never got to express how much he truly loved him. in trying to protect him, he lost the last bit of family he had. like an idiot. i hate him. (sobs i love both their character's so much.)
that's where i think the idea comes in; i've been thinking about what if there was another sibling between them. would it change anything? would they be able to hold the pieces together? there's something so tragic about it, losing all of your family in one night in two different ways (even as two remain breathing, they could hardly bring themself to call them a family still.)
yeah. this got long, im sorry.
hold on. middle sibling reader of the shinazugawas, desperately trying to hold onto the fractured pieces of their family, because their brothers are all they have left. trying to complete the sisyphean task of mending the relationship between them, but only seeing it crack and break even more....
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Hello! Can I have some fluff with Sanemi learning that his S/O is pregnant? With him realizing that even though he lost his first family, he'll have a new one soon? Please, with Genya being alive
Hello, bby! I hope this is fine with you, as a friend also requested this scenario. Same premise, different delivery? But if you have any other requests, please feel free to send them to me. :D
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Sanemi x F!Reader: Unexpected Surprise (SFW Scenario):
Warnings: Language bc it’s Sanemi
Sanemi had been in the midst of a pillar meeting when it happened.
He’d left his crow with (Y/n) so she could let him know when the baby was coming, and the time was at that very moment. The messenger landed next to him, and started crowing out news that he’d least expected.
“Triplets. Shinazugawa (Y/n) has given birth to triplets. Two boys, and one girl,” Sanemi’s crow announced at the top of its lungs, which had every set of eyes looking towards the Wind Hashira.
And normally, he would have liked the attention, except for that moment— because he knew that he looked like he must have seen a ghost.
His entire body felt numb; even the tips of his fingers felt frozen in fear, as he was just expecting one child— not three.
“Are you alright, Shinazugawa?” Rengoku asked, as his own eyebrows knitted together in worry. His comrade had looked better while he was slashing at demons, as opposed to how he looked at that moment.
Sanemi remained quiet though, as the word ‘triplets’ kept running through his mind. He felt like he was going to snap sooner, rather than later.
“Here, Shinazugawa, have some water,” Giyuu offered his comrade flatly, all while holding out his own water gourd.
Sanemi wanted to snap at the Water Hashira, but bit his tongue and reluctantly accepted the water container instead. Then slowly, he uncapped the gourd and gulped down the cool water inside.
He practically finished it off in one go; yet his mouth still felt as dry as sandpaper.
Sanemi couldn’t believe it. He really was going to have kids— three kids, to boot! And to think that he’d asked for just one extra member of his and (Y/n)’s family...
It was as if the gods were giving him another shot at making things right— with his own kids. They were giving him the chance to give them everything that he couldn’t give his own brothers and sisters.
And that notion scared him shitless.
Because what if he made a mistake? What if they didn’t like him? What if he ended up like his own father?
His own insecurities kept harping at him, until a solid thump against his back knocked the invisible blockage in his airways loose. And after that, he could breathe again.
“You’re going to be a great father, Shinazugawa,” Giyuu encouraged him with the tiniest of smiles.
He wanted to snap at Tomioka for even daring to touch him but, for once, he felt grateful towards the other man. It didn’t mean that he was going to say it aloud, however.
“I... Oyakata-sama, I apologize, but...” Sanemi didn’t even have to continue, as his Master cut him off with that eternally gentle tone of his.
“I completely understand, Sanemi. We can discuss your reports at a later time.” The older man smiled at him, and Sanemi swore that he could feel his eyes tear up at how pure and wholesome that felt. “Please give my best regards to (Y/n)... and your children. Congratulations, Sanemi.”
With one last bow, and his sincerest thanks, the Wind Hashira set off for his home.
It didn’t take long for him to get there, even though it was usually a two-hour trek away. What with the speed his legs carried him, he made it there in half the time.
And when he did manage to enter his and his wife’s home, he could feel his heart pounding erratically in his chest— however, that had very little to do with the distance he just ran, and more to do with how he felt towards seeing his own children for the first time.
‘Fucking breathe, Shinazugawa. You’ve gone through worse.’ He mentally reminded himself, as he padded silently towards the makeshift delivery room.
He had done it for (Y/n)’s sake, as he didn’t want her walking out and about the village right before she gave birth. So, he practically brought the clinic to her.
After experiencing all of the hardships entailed with being impoverished, he reckoned that there was no expense too great for his own family— since he had the money to spare for it, as well.
However, when he was right outside the medical room, he felt his entire body pause as the piercing cries of babies cut through the air.
His heart stuttered in his chest, and his eyes widened— all while tears stung the backs of them. He felt so unhinged just from hearing them cry; he couldn’t even imagine how it would be like when he finally saw them.
So, with a trembling hand, he reached out and slid the shoji open an inch. Then, he proceeded to peer into the room— if only to get a proper feel of it.
It really wasn’t like him to be cautious or scared, but the mere thought of those triplets being his kids scared the heck out of him.
Besides, no matter how much he hated to admit it: Tomioka was right. He was going to be a great father, because he knew all the things not to do to his children— much like his father had done to him, his siblings, and his mother.
He wasn’t going to make the same mistakes.
“Sanemi?” (Y/n)’s melodious voice rang out and caressed his ears softly, and he took that as his chance to actually enter the room— albeit a tad hesitantly. “Come here so you can hold the babies.”
It was a flurry of motion after that. He’d always prided himself with being very astute but, at that moment, he didn’t know which was up from down as the nurses pulled him over to his wife and practically shoved two swathed bundles into his arms.
He looked down at the tiny infants he held, and his breath caught in his throat. They both had his hair and his trademark eyelashes. Even asleep, he could tell that they were quite the lookers.
His heart felt so heavy in his chest, with all the love he had for them multiplying at a fast rate.
But when he looked over at (Y/n) and saw the pink-swathed bundle in her arms... he swore that the world had stopped.
Because he felt as if he had fallen in love all over again.
“Thank you for making me the happiest man in the world, (Y/n).”
#shinazugawa sanemi#shinazugawa sanemi x reader#sanemi shinazugawa#sanemi shinazugawa x reader#sanemi x reader#kny x reader#kny requests#kimetsu no yaiba fanfic#kimetsu no yaiba#kimetsu no yaiba imagines#demon slayer#demon slayer requests#demon slayer fanfic#anon#ask#jen writes
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Pathetic Little Brother
What makes Kimetsu no Yaiba special as a manga is that fights are not just an oppurtunity to show off the cool powers of the invidual characters and new breathing styles. The fights, especially in the latest and most likely final arc are thematic in their set up, to the point that every single character involved in the fight will be connected. All of those characters share something in common.
Gyomei, Sanemi, Tokito, Genya and Kokushibou are all bound by the idea of family, especially the connection between siblings, and the ways that vitally important family connection can go wrong. MORE UNDER THE CUT.
There are so many parallels in this fight, that in an attempt to cover them all I am going to break them into sections. The common thematic connection betwen all of these however all focus around the ideas of miscommunication, the harm of self sacrifice, and how important family is to identity.
1. Tokito and Kokushibou
The first connection introduced is between upper moon Kokishoubo and pillar Tokito. Besides being connected by blood, Tokito and Kokushibou both led lives with several parallels to one another.The two of them both grew up with a twin brother. That twin is someone incredibly important to them, a person they consider their only real family after having lost all of their other family. Yet despite the importance of that person they each experience a frayed relationship with their twin rife with miscommunication.
Kokushibou and Tokito have twin brothers who are incredibly important to them, but both of them fail to understand their only brother in the end because there was no communication in the relationship at all from either side. This lack of communication is painted as something that inevitably leads to resentment no matter how well intentioned it was.
In both families it seemed that older and younger sibling had a ‘role” so to speak. The older sibling was the frank, cold, and angry one. The younger sibling is the meek, but kind and thoughtful brother. Kokushibou was the older brother in his family, and Tokito was the younger brother. They also both become the only surviving twin long after their brother has passed, and survive with incredibly incomplete feelings on what happened between them and their brother with almost no closure.
In both cases though it’s painted as a complete lack of communication that led to the breakdown of the relationship. All the Tokito siblings have is each other, but the two of them stop talking entirely which makes it impossible for either of them to understand the other’s feelings.Both siblings have a deep affection for the other and view the other as an incredibly important person, but those feelings never reach them because of an unwillingness to communicate.
It’s because the brothers are always trying to show those feelings in indirect ways rather than just trying to speak honestly with one another. Older Tokito’s feelings for his brother manifested in his protectiveness. In the case of both older brothers, their feelings of admiration for their brother also manifest in a sense of inferiority in themselves. They both define themselves as the ‘bad one’ in comparison to their brother. It’s just they both act on their inferiority in different ways, one resents, the other tries to protect.
However, older Yuuichirou’s brand of protecting turned into constantly verbally berating him. Which made it ocmpletely impossible for Tokito to understand his brother’s feelings for him, or what his brother was trying to do and ruined the entire relationship no matter how well intentioned it was.
In both cases the older brothers always view themselves as an unkind, and unchosen person who is incapable of being good in the same way their younger brother is. The younger brother is also, completely incapable of noticing those feelings the older brother held and being able to help them in any significant way.
His older brother was well intentioned but his death, and self sacrifice leaves Tokito so emotionally damaged that he loses all of the memories he had of himself. He literally loses his identity because he lost the family that was most important to him. Self sacrifice in this case is framed as a well-intentioned, but also tragic thing that leads to inflicting more harm then helping.
Because again it’s the case of the brothers showing their affection to each other in indirect ways, rather than telling each other how they feel. In that way, both brothers are left alone to have their emotions fester instead of being unable to communicate it in a clear way.
Yoriichi is presented as someone incredibly selfless and caring but absolutely terrible at communication, to the point where it is a flaw. The same way that Yuichirou always shut out his brother, Yoriichi never communicates his brothers importance to him except by actions of self sacrifice. Not only that but Yoriichi’s poorly chosen words make it appear like he’s looking down on his older brother who spent his entire life wanting to chase one passion.
Kokushibou is so insecure because basically he’s directing all of his feelings at a big, white, wall that cannot communicate with him in any way. Of course his emotions fester because he’s left almost entirely alone in them. Both of the brothers are each other’s only significant family and yet neither of them can understand that about the other. Kokushibou was kind to Yoriichi even before he knew that he was talented, when he was just a pitiable younger brother he still gave him a flute and gave him gifts behind his father’s back. Yoriichi cares about his brother just as much, but he only ever shows it in indirect ways and gestures that Kokushibou himself never asked for.
Yoriichi’s act of self sacrifice is presented as something that ruined their entire relationship. Instead of communicating how much he wanted to stay and remain family with his brother, Yoriichi leaves him alone and does the “noble thing” of sacrificing himself and that destroys any chance they have of being a family. The same way that Yuichiro cannt simply communicate he wants his brother to stay safe and instead chooses an action that protects him against is own brother’s wishes. Younger Tokito did not want his brother to cosntantly berate and humiliate him in order to be protected by him. Kokushibou did not ask his brother to sacrifice himself for his sake.
Their relationship was at their best when both Yoriichi and Kokushibou believed they would stay together. The happy memory that Kokushibou recalls is becoming the strongest and second strongest samurais in the lands together. However, by severing that bnod between them for Kokushibou’s sake, by choosing to protect him rather than stay as his brother their bond is permanently ruined. Not only that, but family is once again so important to Kokushibou.
His brother was always the most important person to him, and losing that connection and letting it fester until it rot like Yoriichi did because he absolutely cannot communicate at all, is something that leaves Kokushibou entirely empty the same way Tokito was. Tokito loses his identity by losing his memories, Kokushibou loses his identity because he spent his entire life empty and unfulfilled.
And that’s why the bond between them was severely unhealthy. By defining himself as the inferior, bad one and Yoriichi himself doing nothing to correct that, he’s never able to be equals with his brother which is obviously what Kokushibou desperately wants. He longs for that connection with his brother where both of them can be equal family members, and because he does not have it, he cannot enjoy a single thing about his life and continually feels unworthy. He views himself as someone useless and completely expendable. His family relationship in the end completely destroyed him rather than reaffirming his worth and value as a person. Family can build you up, or family can destroy you.
2. Genya and Sanemi
Genya and Sanemi are another older sibling younger sibling pair who are both fiercely protective of one another, and yet at the same time cannot enjoy each other’s love because of the severe miscommunication that happens in their relationship.
Just like in the case of the Tokito brothers, both Genya and Sanemi have moments of being incredibly cruel to their sibling. In that same case, Muichiro and Genya both the younger siblings do not consider the feelings of their older brother at all. Yoriichi is also fundamentally someone who never once understood how his older brother felt, or how he was making him feel. Genya of the three seems to realize the most of how devastating this was. How not bothering to try to understand the actions of his own older sibling must have hurt.
In each case, all three sets of brothers are also the only family they have left. Genya and Sanemi were the only survivors, Muichiro and Yuichiro were both orphaned and live together for a year, Kokushibou was the only one besides their mother who showed any kindness to his brother Yorichii and all and valued him as a person before he showed off what he could do with a sword.
That is why being told this by your only real family is framed as something completely devastating. Being misunderstood by the one person in your life who should understand you invalidates your own efelings, and this leads to further and further miscommunications.
Genya and Sanemi are presented as at their best, their most happiest when they are both together. Just like in the case of Yoriichi and Kokushibou. They wanted to be together, and wanted to be equals. However, the tendency towards miscommunciations and each brother isolating themselves is what eventually drives them further and further apart and further away from what they want.
The idea that Sanemi does not accept him, compeltely destroys Genya’s self esteem. The idea that they are no longer brothers is what causes Genya to be constantly insecure and desperate to be stronger. Genya is unable to understand his brother’s feelings for him on his own, and Sanemi also makes no attempt to communicate them in a healthy way.
Sanemi’s wish to protect his brother, is ironically what drove him directly into danger. If Sanemi had been straightforward and honest instead of being cruel to is brother in order to protect him the same way Yuichirou was, then Genya would not have felt the need to constantly put himself into danger in order to prove that he was still Sanemi’s brother.
Sanemi is well intentioned again, but again in the case of Yoriichi, and Yuichiro his self sacrifice in the end only inflicts harm on his brother. The brothers were best when they both agreed they would protect everyone together, but ever since that day Sanemi decided that he would sacrifice himself and become the only one who fought as a demon hunter while his brother lived a happy life.
Both brothers are constantly destroying themselves to protect the other. Genya devours demons because he wants to be strong enough to protect Sanemi, Sanemi lived for years alone fighting demons so he could protect Genya from them and allow Genya to live a happy life. However, due to the fact that neither of them are acting together, and instead both acting alone they cannot understand each other. They fail to protect the person they most want to protect.
3. Gyomei and Sanemi
Gyomei does not have a sibling, but his backstory heavily parallels Sanemi’s. Both of them fought with all they could to protect someone important to them, only to be blamed instead of thanked by the person they wanted to protect.
This idea itself demonstrates that Self-sacrifice is not necessarily something good, or even something you will be thanked for. It’s called sacrifice for a reason, it inflicts harm on yourself, you are sacrificing something. Due to the fact that he sacrificed everything to protect one person, and then lost them, Gyomei became disillusioned with what he was fighting for.
Gyomei constantly rambles about good and bad kids, and because of his tragedy he’s come to believe that certain children are selfish and certain are selfless. It’s also a tragedy of miscommunication in the first place, because if the children had simply listened to him they never would have happened in the first place.
However, Gyomei has forgotten the reason he was fighting. It was not to be thanked, it was because the children were good or bad, he was a kind-hearted person who wanted to give everything he had to protect those kids.
It’s a good example to show how the urge to protect someone, and the want to fight to protect them can so easily become misguided, especially in a gentle person like Gyomei. Gyomei became stronger as a result of that fight, be he also lost something, the quiet and kind nature he had cultivated living with those children in the mountains. Losing his family was equally as devastating for him as it was for Muichiro, and Genya.
We even see Gyomei start to remember a little bit through his connection with Tanjirou, just what it was he wanted to fight for in the past. A long gone feeling he had forgotten.
Which is the shared flaw between Gyomei and Sanemi. Their efforts to get stronger to protect the people they want to protect, only end up driving them further and further away. Gyomei and Sanemi are increidbly quiet and thoguhtful people who are always trying to look out for others, but because of their tremendous strength, and their loud personalities it’s hard to realize that about them at first brush. They keep their gentleness on the inside buried under their strength (yes Gyomei cries in public but it’s kind of... in a hard to understand and relate with others way). They are generous and kind people who do not allow themselves to be seen that way. Sanemi hides behind his cruel tongue, and the vicious way he presents himself, and Gyomei hides behind his stoicism, but both of them are at their core denying their emotions in ways to make them appear strong in a clasically masucline sense (either having no emotions, or being angry all the time).
They are also both very isolated people who are bad with communication, but who fight with a genuine wish to protect others. The reason Sanemi’s body is covered in scars, because he literally lets himself be cut into pieces by demons and then fights all on his own. He lures themself with his blood, and his main way of fighting has always been to injure himself at the same time.
Gyomei and Sanemi are both incredibly strong people, but their strength causes them to isolate themselves. They both have an unhealthy mentality of if they sacrifice themselves everything would be fine, because the people they love would still be able to be happy.
Which is why they always end up fighting alone. But Gyomei’s story shows this is not the case, sacrificing everything for Sayo, only to have Sayo turn on him too meaning Sayo was safe but he had lost his entire family did not make Gyomei happy at all. It only left him bitter and incredibly isolated. So while sacrificing yourself for the sake of your loved ones so they can live on is an ideal, we’re shown the consequences of it and the reality in both Sanemi and Gyomei’s characters.
Especially since isolating themselves, being strong so they can fight all on their own and protect the people they want to protect does not work for either of them in the end. Sanemi became a demon slayer to protect Genya. Gyomei became a demon slayer to protect children. The fight concludes with both of them failing to protect what they wanted to protect, as both Genya and Muichiro (the youngest people there, therefore a complete failure to protect the children again on Gyomei’s part despite what he was fighting for) sacrifice themselves.
Genya and Muichiro choose to sacrifice themselves for the same reasons that Sanemi and Gyomei were trying to sarifice themselves. Genya and Muichiro believe that they are both indiivdually worthless, and less important than Gyomei and Sanemi and therefore their lives are expendable.
Yoriichi is the same, always sacrificing himself without thinking about the feelings of his brother who never asked him to do these things for his sake. In this battle we see the deconstruction of self sacrifice as something that saves other people, because in all three cases it is something that harms and destroys no matter how well intentioned it is.
In the case of all three characters, they only wanted to be an equal with their family. Genya and Sanemi wanted to go back to being brothers. Yorichii and Kokushibou wanted to become the two strongest samurai together. Gyomei wanted to stay with his small family in the mountaints forever. Muichiro wanted to understand his brother. However, in the end all they can do when they are alone is comintue to fight.
#kny meta#kimetsu no yaiba meta#kimetsu no yaiba#genya#sanemi#muchiro tokito#yuichiro tokito#kokushibou#genya shinazugawa#sanemi shinazugawa#gyomei himejima#michikatsu tsugikuni#yoriichi tsukiguni
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verse description. I am the Storm
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Open to all. This verse is based on general headcanons for a witch-verse, created together with @aeliell / @aelernil / @bowmaiiden and serves as an AU for the Italian Netflix show Luna Nera with @meinliied. Time eras available: 17th century, Modern Times, more to be added Short summary: Tilda and her siblings are the children of a powerful warlock. Their magic is closely linked to water, but since Tilda's powers are also linked to her emotions she cannot fully control them. Hers are the storms to command. In the 17th century she encounters a young man and falls madly in love. He is the son of a witch-hunter though and their story is bound for tragedy. In the end, Tilda discovers a darker side to her magic. Modern times: Tilda, as well as her siblings, made a deal with Death himself, ensuring their immortality in exchange for bringing him souls. She is still a powerful witch, but her magic is slipping in and out of her control while Tilda dances along the edge of madness. Throughout the last centuries, she has seen countless deaths, watched her loved ones ripped from her embrace again and again. Her thirst for vengeance is ever-growing and the Benandanti remain her worst enemy to this date. Further headcanons to be added / added:
Powers
A Guiding Light ( Friends )
A New Hope ( Drystan )
Benandanti ( historical context )
Lancelot, Rapunzel, Ostara, and Hulda
Tilda’s escape and Georg’s Death
Comparison Konstantin to Main verse
Alduin, lightning to her storm
Nephele, her legacy
I follow the Moon crossover / AU
Playlist
History:
The youngest of three children Tilda grew up protected and loved. They lived close to a lake and the water ran through her blood like the magic of her ancestors. As children of a powerful Warlock, she and her siblings learned the truth about their abilities early on. While Sigrid was a capable witch and her brother Bain grew up to be a powerful seer, Tilda herself always lacked control of her powers. They were a whirlwind inside her, thunderstorms instead of drizzling rain. She could neither control her emotions nor her magic, always on the edge of bursting. A nearby lord, ruler of the Daseburg, hires the warlock Bard on more than one occasion. In comparison to most locals, he is close to the magic because he once loved a witch himself. An early betrothal between the lord's son Konstantin and Tilda backfires as both children have quite a different view of life and honour. But her visits to the Daseburg bring Tilda close friends and allies. Konstantin is the first man she ever imagines to love. Their father disappeared, most likely killed by a powerful witch-hunter named Smaug, who brought fire and destruction into their home. It was after that terrible incident that Tilda and her siblings were taken in by a coven of witches, hiding in the woods. Their leader, Mistress Hulda, tried her best to teach Tilda control. But the noisy child had a short temper and an even worse skill for concentration.
Tilda's siblings found their own paths while the youngest stayed with the coven, growing up protected and loved, cherished and molded into a strong and capable witch. But the threat of the storm always lingered, in the back of her throat, in the depths of her heart.
Not all was peaceful though for in the nearest city and all around the country witch-hunters grew more and more in number. One of the most dangerous ones was Heinrich von Reuß, a powerful count who believed that all witchcraft was sent by devil and death, making the women that practiced any form of it his sworn enemies. He hunted them down, tortured and killed them. Leader of the fearless Benandanti Heinrich soon grew into the personification of a nightmare.
Mistress Hulda ( @krxkor ) and her coven set out to find and rescue poor girls, their numbers growing and dwindling alike as the night battles against the Benandanti became more and more dangerous. One of Tilda's closest friends was finally captured and sentenced to die at the stake. Though they tried their best to save her the enemy was too strong. And Tilda had to watch her friend burn.
The emotions within her tumbled and collapsed, leading to a burst of magic that conjured a thunderstorm. It was at this moment, as Tilda collapsed upon the stones of the city that she met Wilhelm, Heinrich von Reuß's firstborn son. Against better judgment, he reached out to help her and the two of them grew closer over time. Tilda learned that Wilhelm, who had once set out to study law in the eternal city of Rome, was not fond of his father's endeavors. In fact, he did not believe in witchcraft, at least not to all extent. Which is why Wilhelm struggles with the path his family has chosen for him.
Love blooms between the two of them that seems strong and everlasting. But not strong enough to survive the test of fate. For it does not take long until the Benandanti find Tilda, as she tries to sneak back to their stronghold within the forest, and she is forced to fight them, killing Wilhelm's younger brother Georg, heir to the family trade.
Wilhelm is devastated, while Tilda loses all grip upon reality. She feels as if her own coven turns against her, she loses the love of her life, and suddenly she is all alone in darkness. Wilhelm steps up to lead the Benandanti, stepping into his father's shoes at last, while Tilda wanders the woods alone and afraid, encompassed by darkness.
It is in that dire and fragile state that she comes upon another hedgewitch, Rapunzel( @krxkor ). Rapunzel has chosen a darker path for herself, trading souls with death and evil spirits to ensure her own immortality. It is powerful magic that she calls her own, magic she is more than willing to teach Tilda. And so the storm within her grows louder and bigger, darker and colder, as Tilda discovers a side of the world that has been hidden from her until that day.
Tilda returns to Daseburg one more, searching for her old friends. The lord's son Konstantin has died in a terrible accident though, as his half-sister, Genya ( @razrushosta ) now tells Tilda. Genya, a member of the coven herself tries to help the young and confused girl, but Tilda has already slipped too far into madness. She turns to the woods, to the dark creatures living there and grows her powers in seclusion. When Genya comes upon her again, telling her that it was indeed the witch Rapunzel that took Konstantin's soul, Tilda's own darkness is already linked too close to Rapunzel and her witchcraft.
It is only years later that Wilhelm and Tilda meet again. For she has returned to fight the Benandanti once more upon hearing that another of her old friends is now in grave danger of being burned alive. Her magic is strong now, but still uncontrollable. She faces Wilhelm, realizing that in all her years of solitude the love she feels for him has only grown. He, on the other hand, has nursed hatred and defiance towards her.
In a battle between the Benandanti and the witches Wilhelm is gravely wounded and Tilda turns to heal him, breaking every rule her old coven ever had. The witch-hunter wakes in the forest fortress only to find Tilda and her son ( @childrenxofxdale ) playing outside, a vision of a future that could have been possible for him, had fate not acted against them all these years ago.
Meanwhile, Wilhelm's younger sister Maria discovers powers of her own while the remaining Benandanti, now lead by Wilhelm's trusted friend Lancelot, search for the witch that has taken their leader.
#did I just write 1300 words for a verse description? Yes I did#it's always the verses with Flora that are like this#headcanons#v: ;;love bites; but so do I - witch verse#arc: women have wisdom - Mittelalter
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