#east kamis | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gallusrostromegalus · 1 year

Note

AEIWAM question:

The Soul Society has the ability to interact with the human world physically, and wildly more firepower than pre-dead people have. Is there a particular reason the world of the dead hasn't pulled a colonialism or other form of resource extraction on the world of the living? Is there a reason the warlords on the fringes of the rukongai don't set up in the world of the living instead of the spirit world's most marginal land?

Why haven't the dead colonized the living? The dead have not pulled a colonialism on the living world because (and IIRC this is canon but it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment) while Shinigami, Arrancar and other dead spirits CAN go hang out in the living world for brief periods of time, if forced to STAY in the living world, their superpowers rapidly degrade because the ambient spiritual energy in the living world is so low. That's why Rukia wasn't *immediately* suspicious when her powers weren't coming back after activating Ichigo's, and why the shinigami that visit Ichigo's school during the aarancar arc don't stay after the battle- they can't heal effectively. There's also the whole "Balance the total number of Souls between the living and spirit worlds" thing. I'm not sure what the dead having permanent residency in the world of the living would do to that balance, but it's probably Not Great.

Why aren't there fringe district warlords or other countries? Great news! THERE ARE. They're just not human. Hueco Mundo used to be the bulk of the West 80th disctrict, but then it got lightly dimension'd off by the noble houses after they stole the Soul King's bodyparts, and the partition between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society is made of the Soul King's toes. Heck, it's even got a capital city- Las Noches! Las Noches used to be drastically more populated before Barragan took over and murdered the shit out of everyone he could find, because there's a BIG difference between not being able to let go of the living world and actually resorting to cannibalism, and I think there used to be a TON of hollows like Dondochaka and Pesche who just subsist off the ambient Reishi and do whatever instead of eating people. The Eastern 80th district is the land of the Beastfolk- Spirits like kitsune and tanuki, the ghosts of ancient and venerated trees, the sort of thing that appear in Mononoke/Mushishi/Princess Mononoke etc. and the wolves that Komamura is descended from. They're not as organized as the hollows so they didn't get ghetto'd like Hueco Mundo, but neither is the Soul Society able to tangle with them,. See, the entire Court Guard System and Central 46 was founded SPECIFICALLY to end and prevent the warring clans that had dominated Soul Society for so long. So the Central 46 and yamamoto are very much erring on "Don't let any extant clan or district or whatever political org gain too much power, and for the love of god, don't start a war", so the East is heavily protected by the sanctions that keep any clan from raising an army to invade another clan (much smaller than what would be needed to invade the east), the fact that the gotei-13 recruits very nearly all spiritually powerful people away from joining that kind of force, and Yamamoto's personal connection to Komamura's wolf clan (Major spoilers for the fic but the upshot is that he will NEVER tresspass on Wolf land, and the shinigami are also forbidden from doing so) The North is uncolonized for roughly the same reason antartica is uncolonized- most of it is straight-up inhospitable to human life, or all but a handful of beasfolk and hollows. In fact, the only thing that "Lives" up there are Kami- Serious Kami, like The Firebird and other personifications of Major natural disasters or philosophical concepts. The ONLY reason to go to North 80 is if you want to pick a fight with a God, and why would you do THAT when one of them just moved into the court guards? (That isn't quite true, actually- there are quite a few humans living on the southern edge of the Zaraki District- but they live in isolated villages that change locations every few decades and don't appear in Soul Society census data. They don't pay taxes, but neither do they demand services. The court guard is aware of the tribes living up north, but so long as they don't start shit, the gotei-13 is willing to ignore them.) The South 80th district is... well, it's 95% ocean, for starters, and many of the lovely tropical islands in there are active volcanoes and/or hellmouths. There's quite a few humans living in South 80, but the overall population is even smaller than the tribes in North 80, and many of the islands are "Uninhabited". I use quotes because those volcanoes are the result of Hell cracking under the strain of not being able to pass souls through it fast enough, and making incursions into other dimensions. The Demons that live on the spirit world side of these cracks have no beef with soul society- if anything, they're very pleased with it!, but they're busy trying to prevent a dimensional collapse or mass prison break, and tend to chase off any curious humans, so the closest thing to a "real" government is the Dimensional Crack Stabilization Project Manager, and the Law of Hell is mostly OSHA.

Thank you, that was a very helpful question!

#AEIWAM #An Elephant Is Warm and Mushy #Bleach #Bleach fanfic

184 notes · View notes

univarna · 3 months

Text

Raijin and Fuujin ⚡️🌪️

Raijin and Fuujin were born from Earth and are the two most ancient characters on this planet. They are both storm-bringing gods, but they both live far away from each other.

Fuujin is a Kami of the East, mischievous and always enjoying the wonderful days of a god. Raijin (that’s not its original name) is a Roman god, wielding the lightning power of Zeus, serious about punishing mortals for wrongdoing. The two were then connected through the Silk Routes (a historical trading area).

Many incidents occurred and Fuujin's cheerfulness made the other feel more positive. The thunder god then abandoned his old name and joined the Eastern area, taking the new name Raijin, and together with Fuujin conquered countries and began building their empire.

When transformed into Ganymede's Elementals, both of their freedoms were reduced due to being bound to their human masters.

Later, during the Blitz War event, Fuujin replaced his friend in solving the problem with Ashyura. Simply because Fuujin did not like the way Raijin's power was used by mortals in such a way, and Raijin also respected Blitz.

#artists on tumblr #boboiboy #digital art #my art #my artwork #my art stuff #alternate universe #my ocs

32 notes · View notes

konjaku · 1 month

Text

桔梗[Kikyō] Platycodon grandiflorus

Basically, there is no specific color for family crests, which are still used in monochrome in the main. But the crest of Kikyō used by 明智光秀[Akechi Mitsuhide], the samurai general of the Warring States Era (Late 15C to late 16C), was colored light blue. This was very rare at that time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akechi_clan

六月朔日　夜に入丹波國龜山にて　維(惟)任日向守光秀　企逆心　明智左馬助　明智次右衛門　藤田傳五　齋藤内藏佐　是等とし而談合を相究　信長を討果し天下主と可成調儀を究龜山より中國へは三草越を仕候爰を引返󠄁し東向に馬之首を並老之山へ上り山崎より攝津國地を可出勢之旨諸卒に申觸談合之者共に先手を申付

[Rokugatsu tsuitachi　yoru ni iri, tanba no kuni kameyama nite　koretō hyūga no kami mitsuhide　gyakushin wo kuwadate　akechi samanosuke　akechi jiemon　fujita dengo　saitō kuranosuke　korera to shite dangō wo ai kiwame　nobunaga wo uchihatashi, tenka no shu to naru beki chōgi wo kiwame, kameyama yori chūgoku ewa mikusa goe wo tsukamatsuri sōrō, koko wo hikikaeshi, higashi muki ni uma no kubi wo narabe, oinoyama e nobori, yamazaki yori settsu no kuni no chi wo shussei subeki no mune shosotsu ni mōshi fure, dangō no monodomo ni sente wo mōshitsuku]

On the first day of the sixth month, after nightfall, at Kameyama (castle) in Tanba Province, Akechi Koretō Hyūga-no-kami Mitsuhide plotted a treachery, summoned Akechi Samanosuke (Mitsutada), Akechi Jiemon (Hidemitsu), Fujita Dengo (Yukimasa) and Saitō Kuranosuke (Toshimitsu; Kasuga-no Tsubone's father), held a strategy meeting, hatched a secret scheme to kill Oda Nobunaga and become the leader of the country. "We are supposed to go from Kameyama to the Chūgoku region over Mikusayama, but turn back here and turn all the horses' heads to the east, ascend Oinoyama, and head from Yamazaki through the land of Settsu Province", decided so and informed all the troops of this, and he commanded those who had the meeting to lead the spearhead squad. From 信長公記[Shinchōkō-ki|Nobunagakō-ki] by 太田牛一[Oota Gyūichi] Source: https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/781194/1/48 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinchō_Kōki

Written on the next section after the above is the famous "Honnō-ji Incident". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honnō-ji_Incident

How would the beautiful light blue Kikyō banners that would have fluttered around the temple have looked in Nobunaga's eyes?

#flowers #nature #history #japan #nihongo #original photography #langblr

19 notes · View notes

allhailthephoenix · 3 months

Text

uuuhh... so yeah... welcome to ✨autism infodumping✨

clarification: the crucifixions were in celebration of suzuka nakamoto's birthday. sumetal (along with moametal, yuimetal, momometal, and even the kami band (more so east than west i believe) are all characters; this allows for the girls to have their own private lives (in my opinion) and for koba to continue with the lore without much disruptions (although i'm sure the departure of yuimetal and the death of mikio (rip) didn't help much))

#babymetal #sumetal #moa metal #yui metal #yui the tomato princess #shitpost #i don't know what came over me #actually autistic

19 notes · View notes

lookismaddict · 2 years

Note

lookism characters as mythological gods 👀 who would be who

OH SHEEEEEESH, I LOVE MYTHOLOGICAL GODS. ESP GREEK & ROMAN GODS ✨ AYO, YOU A REAL ONE FOR ASKING THIS QUESTION, TY JANN! 💜 I hope you don’t mind this analysis… 😅 (Took a long time to write because there was a lot of research LMAO, I'M SORRY THIS TOOK ME FOREVER TO ANSWER. 🙏🏽) BUT NOW, I CAN PROUDLY POST THIS. 🫡 💖

While matching each god to a Lookism character, I found this very fun because there are so many mythological gods and goddesses that can be associated with any of them. Especially when it comes to their appearances, symbols, and folklore. The depictions of these gods all tie to each of these selected Lookism characters:

Gun and Goo || Fujin & Raijin (Shintoism)

First, let’s start off with Gun. There are many reasons why I see Gun as the Shinto god, Fujin, and here’s why:

Fujin [風神] is known to be the Shinto kami (god) of the wind. A deity that controls the winds of the Earth through his bag of air.

Due to his control of strong wind currents, he is connected to storms, especially powerful typhoons, that would cause the destruction of many trees and and homes. However, Fujin leaves most of the job to Raijin.

According to a Japanese legend from the 13th century, he managed to save Japan by sending storms to Mongol invaders who were trying to conquer Japan. Fujin’s winds were so ruthless, that the Mongol’s fleets were all destroyed in one storm.

Fujin and Gun are both forces to be reckoned with. Fujin’s destructive actions are similar to Gun’s, in which they both initiate both ruin and devastation. Since Fujin had wiped out over a thousand people for centuries, then it wouldn’t be a surprise if Gun’s future would eventually lead to the downfall of many more lives. This man had dealt with so many enemies (100+) all the way up to his current lifetime of about 20 years, that it wouldn’t even be a surprise if he so happens to murder even more people later on.

Also, since Fujin is associated with the use of harsh winds intermingled with water due to typhoons and storms, they are involved in a shared element. The nature element, water, represents them both in some way. Both Fujin and Gun are present whenever it rains. On days when there’s rain, Fujin’s winds are harsh during storms. Whereas, in Gun’s case, he is always present on days when the weather is rainy and gloomy. However, for Gun, he just appears when there’s rain to pass along the message of “the end” for people, especially when it comes to a person not being able to hold their position as Gun’s future successor. You could say, that the both of them also symbolize the presence of melancholy, since they both bring nothing but misfortune upon people during unpleasant weather. They play as the instigators of the end to peacefulness.

Fujin has an appearance of a true Oni, due to his mother Izanami giving birth to him when she reached the underworld. According to Gun’s background when he was still in Japan, many knew him as “Shiro Oni”. In the webtoon, the translation for his name was “White Ghost”. However, the word “Oni” actually meant ogre or demon in Japanese folklore. Of course, it wouldn’t be a surprise that many native Japanese residents would call him a demon due to his infamous yet terrifying background of nothing but merciless violence.

Not only was Fujin’s face alike from Gun’s, but also their attire. Apparently, Fujin usually wears leopard skin. And who else wore something leopard related? Gun Park. That leopard patterned long sleeved shirt really does say something about his fashion. He definitely must be Fujin, but in human form. Both of them really do share the same fashion sense. 💀

In addition to his face and attire, but Fujin only has four fingers on each hand. These four fingers represent the North, South, East, and West. In a way, this association of Gun as Fujin can be symbolic as well. Gun’s affiliation with the Four Major Crews can be shown through Fujin’s fingers since Gun, who had contributed to the establishment of these Four Major Crews, identified the strongest crews in South Korea. Each crew either coming from the North, South, East, and West of the Han River, which splits their territories into four different parts of South Korea.

Gun has the same personality trait as Fujin as well. Fujin is described to be the brother who is less spontaneous in personality, compared to Raijin. He is also unenthusiastic whenever he is met with some sort of issue that he has to deal with and he is more “laidback”, not taking things too seriously against enemies. This is probably due to how aware he is of his own powerful strength. The same goes with Gun. His personality when dealing with those who are against him is also like this as well, with a hint of arrogance, knowing that he can defeat anybody on his own.

Now, let’s talk about Goo as Raijin:

Raijin [雷神] is the Shinto kami of thunder, lightning, and storms. Often times, he’s seen alongside his brother, Fujin. They both mostly appear together as a pair, like Gun and Goo whenever they show up in certain scenes. (However, the only difference compared to Fujin and Raijin is that Gun and Goo aren’t brothers.)

To clarify, Raijin is responsible for the creations of storms, not Fujin. Fujin is only responsible for strong wind currents, so he leaves the work of thunder clouds and lightning to his brother, Raijin.

Raijin’s personality is one of the distinctive factors that many people use to distinguish between Raijin and Fujin. Similarly, with Gun and Goo too. The difference in personalities in each pair are quite the same indeed. Just like Raijin’s personality, Goo’s is very chaotic and he can be mischievous with trickery. Even though Raijin is known as a trickster, he either does good or bad. He produces good in the form of rainfall for crops or he creates storms that destroys both the living and non-living.

Just like Goo, he’s a character that brings good and bad in his own way. In a unique way, he gives people opportunities to help fulfill their own ambitions, by becoming one of his “secret friends”. For example, Goo used to beat up bullies to earn money. In a way, he somehow benefited others, such as that one event when Goo saved his cousin, Vasco, and Jace from school bullies. His encounter with Vasco had led Vasco to become stronger than he was before. In addition to these “good” occurrences, Goo offered Samuel Seo a new chance of power after being rejected by Gun, in which Samuel took him on his offer then became one of Goo’s so called “secret friends”. Another instance of this is when Goo recruited Logan Lee as another one of his “secret friends” too. Logan wanted to get stronger since his goal is to get back at the original Daniel Park, so this event was like Goo opening up a new beneficial start for Logan.

Although this was the case for some people, Goo also managed to cause distruction wherever he goes. Returning to the subject of the bullies, he did beat them up pretty badly. He even found it amusing to see them suffer. With almost every person that he had fought against, he had this maniacal enjoyment that he found in defeating others. It was as if he had fun beating up others just for the sake of his own amusement. Along with his chaotic mind, he took his destructiveness with him, just like Raijin. According to that one chapter when Sinu got a phone call from one of his old friends, his friend mentioned through the phone that he should be careful of someone named “Joon Goo” who had completely wiped out their whole entire crew. Which quickly indicated and foreshadowed, that Goo would eventually cause trouble for Big Deal.

Sinu Han || Heracles/Hercules (Greco-Roman Mythology)

There are some reasons why I believe that Sinu Han should be Heracles:

Even though Heracles was known as a demi-god (only a mortal), he became the god of heroes and the divine protector of mankind when he died. (This is completely unrelated to Sinu in comparison, but just wanted to address that Heracles isn’t a god when he completed his heroic deeds.)

As a defender for all, Heracles acts like a public servant. Throughout most of his lifetime, he protects civilians who are in dire need of help. Just like Heracles, Sinu Han’s mindset is similar. For about 10 years, he protected a street in Gangseo, in which he had dedicated himself to serve as the defender for the women who loved that street. It was his home. Even Heracles loved Greece and had thrown himself into dangerous situations just to defend his home.

Heracles rescued so many beings in need. A special being that he rescued was Prometheus. No matter how bad he may be as a titan to the gods, he was willing to set Prometheus free due to how he had helped humanity for giving them fire. Sinu Han's character is similar to Heracles since he is the type of person to set someone free, regardless if they have done something bad in the past. What matters is how good of a person's character is, and how they contribute to serving others. I can see Sinu letting someone go if they changed for the better, and by giving them another chance to redeem themself. For instance, even though this hasn't been directly approved by Sinu (but by Jake), Lineman used to be a character who caused trouble and lied to others, thinking that he was a big-shot. However, he changed by being accepted by Jake Kim into Big Deal and if Jake approves of these people who he have gained as his friends (or followers), then Sinu approved of them for being good people and they eventually became members of Big Deal. (Hence, believing in Jake's jurisdiction in finding good in others.)

Although he may be a well-known mythological hero, many do not know how much he had suffered. There was a time when Heracles was enslaved, and he was bought by the Lydian Queen Omphale. She made him do many things as a slave, such as forcing him to wear women's clothing (to humiliate him) and spun wool to help her and her maidens. Omphale did fall in love with Heracles, but eventually she set him free (and they got married). Alike from Sinu Han's situation, Mitsuki Soma was head over heels for Sinu, that she wanted him for herself. Treated like a slave, Sinu had to endure hardships of being her "lover". Manipulated and controlled by Mitsuki due to a mystery drug that made him forget his memories, Mitsuki made him stick by her side, in which she made him shower together. Sinu's identity and memories were twisted by her, which gave Mitsuki the power to successfully manipulate him for a long time (until Jake Kim had to rescue Sinu from The Workers).

Jake Kim || Balder (Norse Mythology)

This is why Jake Kim can be seen as Balder:

Balder is known to be not just the Norse god of light, joy, and summer. Jake Kim usually brought light and joy to people's lives, especially during his middle school days when he'd start getting himself involved with Big Deal. He had made a lot of friends and allies along the way, which would influence (I'll ignore Balder's death, and will be focusing more on his personal aspects, features, and his background that are similar to Jake's.)

Like Balder, Jake Kim shares handsome features and is a very attractive man. He has a bright smile just like Balder, and he has fair hair. In Norse mythology, it was said that Balder was so noble and handsome, that light shines down on his body in which flowers would bow down before him as he passes by.

Also he is the representation for the themes of justice, beauty, hope, and sacrifice. During the Jake Kim Arc, he sacrificed himself, especially for Big Deal who sought for the rescue of Big Deal's Former No. 1, Sinu Han.

(Side Note: I didn't want to associate Jake Kim with Eros because even though he's good-looking and is strongly related to the idea of "love" and "Romanticism", Eros is usually described as mischievous and unsympathetic due to him shooting arrows at people regardless of how they think/feel. It is the complete opposite to Jake's personality, in which he is considerate and kind towards others.)

Samuel Seo || Mercury (Roman Mythology)

Let me explain why I see Samuel as Hermes:

Mercury is well-known for being the messenger god AND the god of commerce. Alike from Samuel, Samuel specializes in business-related work and he manages finances really well. At one point, he was very close with Eugene and Samuel acted like a messenger to Eugene, since he reports to him about what goes on in the affiliates when Samuel used to be president for some of the affiliates.

Mercury had a dependent role in managing the gods. Just like Mercury, Samuel as well. He was close with the higher-ups of the Workers (especially Eugene) in which he was positioned by him to manage the 3rd and 4th affiliate of Workers. Both of their roles is to keep the gods or Workers

Even though Mercury’s role might seem “helpful” at first, do not be fooled by Hermes’s appearance, because he isn’t who he seems to be. Just like Samuel when he was first introduced in the Lookism series, we didn’t quite expect him to turn out the way that we know him now.

Mercury favors the ambitious, so he supports those who are willing to reach their goals, no matter how wicked they are. Going off by his “work smarter, not harder" ideology, Samuel is quite the ambitious man. He’s willing to reach higher things, in order to accomplish his dream as someone who’s powerful. Or, as he likes to refer to himself someday as a “King”. (As mentioned to Jake.)

As a god who defends tricksters and thieves, Hermes likes toying with others. He even favors cleverness and amusement. During the Workers (3 Affiliates) Arc, Samuel's behavior is shown as one who likes toying with others, initiating the start to Johan's rage when he found out that the Workers' Third Affiliate used to sell drugs to Pungsan, which was the God Dog cult that was ran by the former church pastor.

James Lee || Shiva “The Destroyer” (Hindu Mythology)

Here is why I believe James Lee should be Shiva:

Shiva is mainly known as "The Destroyer" and "The Creator" of worlds, in Hindu mythology. He even represents time as well. James Lee was known to be the man who ended the First Generation by defeating all of the First Generation Kings, which fits his character of being "The Destroyer". Consequently, causing the spark of a new generation, which is the emergence of the Second Generation. In this case, being "The Creator" does suit him because he is literally the catalyst to a new generation of fighters. You can also say, that he manipulates time if he were to be Shiva in this context.

Shiva also represents goodness, benevolence, and is said to be "The Protector". In a way, James Lee shows signs of "good" nature and benevolence, in which he acts as a guide to Daniel Park, in finding the secret to his two bodies. And even though James Lee isn't known as "The Protector", he did protect Charles Choi in the past. By aiding him as the company's head for an entertainment agency, he protected Charles' business by supporting him through this method.

This Hindu god is also named the "Lord of the Dance" or Nataraja, according to a Hindu artwork called, "Shiva Nataraja". From the statue, it depicts Shiva dancing in a halo of fire (which represents time), and Shiva stepping on a dwarf with one foot (which is a creature that represents illusion, who leads men astray from the actual truth). Metaphorically, this relates to James Lee because James Lee had the urge to find out the truth about the secret of the two bodies, and is willing to do anything to achieve his goal. Even if it meant betraying Charles Choi, by allying himself with The Workers, specifically Eugene.

Canonically confirming from the Webtoon, it is known that James Lee has a huge penis. Well, so does Shiva. In Hinduism, Shiva is associated with lingas, or phallic symbols, which represents fertility. 🍆

156 notes · View notes

yamayuandadu · 10 months

Note

thank you for the reply and the information! I was curious how the other fox would fit in with PCB Extra's metatextual mention of Three Lands, but I hadn't even considered it might be three worlds and not three countries. this is neat

(Original post for context)

I forgot I left the response to this in my drafts, sorry. Luckily, this means I could update it with recently acquired knowledge when I found it again. Truth to be told, my point is less that the other fox is a better match, and more that Ran being Tamamo no Mae is one of these things which make sense at first glance, but the deeper you look into it, the less coherent it becomes.

This got much longer than I planned, so for organizational purposes let's refer to this post as Revenge of the "graveyard god", or why I don't think Ran is Tamamo no Mae. More under the cut.

The early Tamamo no Mae

The main point of connection between Tamamo no Mae and Ran are the nine tails, but that’s not even really a consistent part of the former's background. The oldest version of the story - which is really fun, the seduction section is pages upon pages of Tamamo and emperor Toba discussing esoteric Buddhism - states that she was “an 800-year-old two-tailed fox from the Nasuno Plain in Shimotsuke Province”. Early depictions of her true form follow this pretty closely:

Nezu Museum of Art, via Monsters, Animals, and Other Worlds. A Collection of Short Medieval Japanese Tales

Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Library

Suntory Museum of Art

As far as I am aware, the two tails are actually unique to her. Other foxes of note have either one tail or nine. While it does seem the belief in the number of tails growing with age is genuine rather than a modern misconception, it’s hardly central to fox folklore (I’ve seen the portmoneu “foxlore” at least once btw, it’s very funny). And, as I will outline later, it doesn’t even seem to be behind the idea of nine-tailed foxes in the first place. Anyway, the oldest version does provide Tamamo with more backstory, but it’s closer to presenting Shuten Dōji as a manifestation of Mara than to a straightforward “Tamamo is x under a pseudonym” popular today. As we learn, the two-tailed fox is in fact a reincarnation of a “graveyard god” (塚の神, Tsuka no Kami) from India, described in the apocryphal Humane Kings Sutra (it gets namedropped directly), likely originally composed in China.

How come? It all started when Kalmashapada, a prince of Devala in India, wanted to offer 1000 skulls of virtuous rulers to this deity because a suspicious “heretical” preacher convinced him it’s a good idea. After defeating and imprisoning 999 such kings, he encountered Shrutasoma, one of the previous incarnations of the historical Buddha, who managed to show him the error of his ways. All of the kings were released, and Kalmashapada was redeemed. The “graveyard god” was less than thrilled, and swore to keep reincarnating as a fox in kingdoms where Buddhism flourished to destroy it. We are told that happened many times, but only one past identity, that of Bao Si (Hōji), comes up. Obviously, eighth century BCE China was not exactly an area famous for Buddhist devotion, but that’s irrelevant here. We are told the endgame is not just to overthrow a righteous ruler, but also to become his replacement. Alas, Tamamo no Mae obviously fails at both of these goals. Still, points for trying.

The story does not provide the deity with a specific identity. However, Nobumi Iyanaga notes that in the referenced sutra he’s Mahakala (the original Makakaraten version, not the joyful Daikokuten). In East Asian Buddhism he is described as dwelling in the graveyards due to acting as both the chief of dakinis and their subduer. At the same time, Iyanaga argues in the context of the Tamamo no Mae story it can be argued he is either implicitly replaced by the dakini par excellence, Dakiniten (closely associated with foxes), or that the deity has no identity other than the fox one.

Later Tamamo developments

Two elements which are mainstays of modern retellings are missing from the oldest version, as you might have noticed. It doesn’t feature the Sesshōseki, which was only added later, seemingly as a way to promote Zen Buddhism, since this extension of the story casts a member of this school as the new protagonist. In the early variants Tamamo’s corpse was brought to the imperial treasury, the same one which shows up in a similar context in the tale of Shuten Dōji, and there is no indication she came back as a vengeful ghost, let alone that she repented and accepted Buddhism, as she does in some of the Sesshōseki variants.

The other difference is, as I already pointed out, the tails. The oldest depiction of a nine-tailed Tamamo no Mae I am aware of is Sekien’s. Based on a few papers I read it would appear textual variants of the story giving her nine tails might have been in circulation earlier, but that’s not reflected in any of the illustrated scrolls shown above.

Sekien's nine-tailed Tamamo (wikimedia commons)

Sekien claims that Tamamo no Mae is one and the same as Daji (I’ll get back to her later), and specifies the latter was a nine-tailed fox. He cites Zhang Dingsi’s Langye Dai Zui Bian (浪挪代醉編, “Langye’s Substitute for Drunkenness: A Compilation”) as his source for this tidbit, but does not explain where does the conflation of the two foxes come from. In contrast with the elaborate reincarnation scheme from the older version, he states Daji simply flew across the sea to reach Japan, without reincarnating.

What is now essentially treated as the “definitive” version of the Tamamo no Mae story, and what cemented her image as a nine-tailed fox, only dates back to 1805. That’s when Ehon Sangoku Yōfuden (絵本三国妖婦伝; “Tales of Enchantresses in the Three Kingdoms”) finished publication. The author, Ranzan Takai (高井蘭山), was an enthusiast of neo-confucian thought, and he wanted to write a story highlighting the time honored confucian belief that dynasties are brought down by suspicious concubines. The real goal was somewhat broader, though -the story of Tamamo no Mae was essentially repurposed as a critique of the concept of women playing an important role in public life.

It needs to be noted here that it is not impossible that the original was already part of a political polemic. Arguments have been made that Tamamo is a fictional representation of Bifukomon-in, for instance. They are certainly linked to the same emperor, Toba.

Bifukomon-in (wikimedia commons)

However, while I would not rule this out altogether, it’s hard to deny the typical medieval penchant for reinterpreting Buddhist material feels more central to the story. It is ultimately a very elaborate twist on the Humane Kings Sutra first and foremost. It belongs to the same world as other fabulous tales about figures from distant Buddhist lands arriving in Japan, alongside the likes of the legend of emperor Suwa of Hadai or the medieval Amaterasu narrative involving Mara (stay tuned for my post about that one).

Ideological motivations aside, in Ranzan’s version an anonymous nine-tailed fox appears as Daji in China, Kayō in India (seemingly a leftover of the original “graveyard god” story; here the prince is convinced to carry out his evil plans by his concubine instead though), and finally Tamamo no Mae in Japan. He also gives a unique account of Tamamo’s arrival in Japan, as far as I am aware: in his novel, she was brought there by Kibi no Makibi, a famous historical envoy to China. This was not his first time as a literary character, a much earlier picture scroll about his adventures is pretty funny (I have Touhou ocs based on it), but I’ll save this discussion for another time.

Not quite Tamamo: the influence of Daji

Daji, as depicted by Hokusai (wikimedia commons)

Daji requires some further discussion. She was initially regarded simply as a non-supernatural wicked concubine, but came to be treated as a fox posing as a human by the Song period. According to Xiaofei Kang the oldest evidence for that comes from 1101, from a Japanese text presumably reflecting an already extant Chinese belief. By the Yuan period it became a commonly accepted view, with Quanxiang Pinghua (全相平話) specifically stating Daji had nine tails. Her fox-like image was finally cemented fully by popular novels in the Ming and Qing periods.

Since there was a preexisting tradition in which Daji was a human woman, a remedy was developed: the “real” Daji was possessed by a fox, who took her name and identity. Curiously, the fox component of her story is otherwise not very important, and some modern authors basically characterize it as “tacked on”: she is the quintessential evil concubine bringing kingdoms to ruin out of a sense of cruelty who just happens to be a fox, and her story doesn’t really depend on preexisting fox-related motifs.

There are multiple accounts of Daji’s deeds, but the most famous one, and at the same time the most likely influence on Razan’s portrayal of her (and thus Tamamo), is Investiture of the Gods. However, he skips the origin attributed to her here: in the Chinese original, Daji is an agent of the goddess Nuwa, though she eventually overdoes it and is rebuked by her former boss for excessive cruelty. This doesn’t really fit well with Tamamo’s backstory, obviously; making her and Daji interchangeable was detrimental to both characters, I feel. A Chinese story dealing with Daji reincarnating does exist, but it’s not exactly similar. In the Ming novel Zhaoyang Qushi (昭陽趣事) she reincarnated as Zhao Hede, a concubine of emperor Cheng of Han. What happens next has been described as “pornographic entertainment enlivened by supernatural and historical costumes”. For more details, check out Rania Huntington’s book from the bibliography below.

Curiously, it is possible Daji was simultaneously an object of active cult, since there is a Song imperial edict outlawing the shrines dedicated to her, Wutong (a southern Chinese spirit who was believed to bring wealth and bewitch people, compared with foxes in the north) and “General Shi” (no clue who that might be, I’d hazard a guess one of the popular pacified vengeful spirit cults but don’t quote me on that). However, another contemporary source instead mentions the outlawing of temples of “fox kings”, so it might also mean that the name of Daji was applied by officials to an unrelated popular fox cult (“fox king” is a reasonably common appellation for supernatural foxes). Both regular and nine-tailed foxes are attested in such a context across history.

Early nine-tailed foxes

An early Chinese depiction of a nine-tailed fox (wikimedia commons)

The early portrayals of nine-tailed foxes are something I started looking into recently because of Ran’s freshly revealed connection to Yuuma: I figured it makes sense that she’d be in origin someone who belongs to the same world as the taotie.

Looking at the earliest Chinese sources, multiple nine-tailed foxes appear in legends about virtuous rulers like Tang, Wen or Yu the Great, essentially as generic good omens, without much fanfare. According to confucian commentaries from the Later Han period, the nine tails were understood as a sign a given emperor will have many descendants. The exception from this generally positive tendency is the Classic of Mountains and Seas, where the nine-tailed fox is described as “man-eating” (something very uncommon in Chinese fox literature). However, it also doesn’t exactly get more spotlight than the other creatures. It’s also treated as a separate animal from regular foxes, not as a particularly old fox. You could say it is to the fox what a bai ze is to an ox, I think. Visual arts add further specimens: the source of this discussion, the nine-tailed fox attendant of Xi Wangmu, later seemingly “decanonized”, and another belonging to the entourage of Zhong Kui. Both of these are hardly eminent and seem to fit the mold of auspicious omens. In Zhong Kui’s case the fox is in one case listed alongside the bai ze which only strengthens this impression. However, it also makes sense that its inclusion would reflect Zhong Kui’s role as a demon queller: he is often portrayed with conquered demons as servants, after all.

Conclusions

To sum up: ultimately it just doesn’t seem nine-tailed foxes are quite as big of a deal as popculture makes them seem, and nine tails are neither exclusive nor innate to Tamamo no Mae. Since that’s the only real point of connection between her and Ran save for a throwaway PCB line which leads to no further references, I maintain there’s no strong case for identifying them with each other, especially since there is no shortage of other candidates.

There’s also the fact that, Daji aside, most other nine-tailed foxes are largely blank slates you can do anything with, while Tamamo has many fairly unique characteristics which would be wasted by randomly slapping her name on Ran, in my opinion. To be fair, ZUN does occasionally make similar mistakes - Yoshika is the main example (remember, the actual legend about Yoshika’s immortality claims he decided to pursue eternal life after having a thrilling affair and has him call himself “strongest madman under heaven”).

I would personally argue ZUN himself probably did not feel strongly about who Ran is supposed to actually be when he originally came up with her, though. None of her spellcards reference Tamamo no Mae. Or any other fox identified with her, for that matter. They do have a more or less consistent theme, but that theme is, broadly speaking, “magic arts”, from onmyodo (Shikigami "Banquet of the Twelve General Gods"), through shugendo (Illusion God "Descent of Izuna-Gongen", Shikigami "The Protection of Zenki and Goki", Superhuman "Soaring En no Ozunu") and esoteric Buddhism (Shikigami "Channeling Dakiniten", Esoteric Sign "Odaishi-sama's Secret Key"), to contemporary stage magic (Shiki Brilliance "Princess Tenko -Illusion-"). In other words, I do not think canon actually strongly supports any specific option.

I will admit I’m biased but personally I think picking a different fox makes it much easier to accommodate Yuuma and their shared animal realm past, the most thrilling Ran development in ages. As for Tamamo, I do think she would be fun to see in Touhou, but preferably as her own character - with two tails, if possible.

Bibliography

Bernard Faure, The Power of Denial. Buddhism, Purity, and Gender

Rania Huntington, Alien Kind. Foxes and Late Imperial Chinese Narrative

Nobumi Iyanaga, Under the Shadow of the Great Śiva: Tantric Buddhism and its Influence on Japanese Mediaeval Culture

Idem, Dākinī in: Brill's Encyclopedia of Buddhism (vol. 2)

Xiaofei Kang, The Cult of the Fox: Power, Gender, and Popular Religion in Late Imperial and Modern China

Laura K. Nüffer, Lady Tamamo in: Keller Kimbrough and Haruo Shirane (eds.), Monsters, Animals, and Other Worlds. A Collection of Short Medieval Japanese Tales

Sumiko Sekiguchi, Gender in the Meiji Renovation: Confucian 'Lessons for Women' and the Making of Modern Japan

Chun-Yi Joyce Tsai, Imagining the Supernatural Grotesque: Paintings of Zhong Kui and Demons in the Late Southern Song (1127-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) Dynasties

#touhou #ran yakumo #tamamo no mae

36 notes · View notes

jasfhercallejo · 24 days

Text

We meet again, Bohol!

As beautiful as the Philippines is, many destinations offer mostly sand and surf. But not Bohol. This province is known for unique attractions that you can’t find anywhere else in the Philippines.

Sure, other islands in the Philippines are worth recommending, too, but most boast one or two of the following — white beaches, incredible sites, diverse wildlife, interesting history. Bohol has them all. From wild encounters with dolphins and tarsiers to the incomparable views of the Chocolate Hills, Bohol is a province that is easy to promote. It doesn’t need much sales talk.

We stayed at Coastal View in Panglao, then we transferred to On Board Beach Hostel and Resort for some quiet alone time near the beach. The wedding was at South Palms Resort, and I can attest that this is probably the most exquisite hotel here, next to Bohol Beach Club.

I was tasked with the daunting task of speaking in front of everyone. I wasn't really prepared to cry, so I let the "funny" me take over. Let me share to you guys my speech during the wedding.

"Kamusta naman ang lahat? Nakainom na ba? Kung Hindi pa, ito na yung time. Haha. For everyone's reference, I'm jasfher ako yung favorite friend ng groom and bride. Jk. Haha.

Nung sinabi nila na magssppeech ako, siyempre napressure ako kasi hello 'di ko naman sila close? Ano sasabihin ko dito? Jk. Haha

Okay kidding aside, sige maybe I'll just start ho I met the bride and the groom. Tagalog yung speech ko so pasensya na. To our foreigner friends, welcome to the Philippines. Haha.

Si brux and karla orgmates ko from UP travel society. Hindi ko din alam paano nabuo yung barkadahan namin, pero I guess we all just clicked and nagkakaayaan na lang kumain, gumala, tumambay ganyan, and the rest was history. So kwentuhan ko na lang kayo muna ng mga misadventures namin para may pulot naman kayo sa speech ko. Haha.

Sa mga travel namin, si karla isa sa mga main organizer, tapos si brux ang aming walking calculator. Sa tamad naming magcompute, si brux na bahala sa hatian, feel namin nagogoyo kami minsan, pero okay lang kasi wala naman kami nung math skills niya. Haha.

Nung nasa adventurous era pa kami, ang bonding namin ay umakyat ng bundok. Nagbuwis buhay trip kami sa Mt. pamitinan, tapos nagpapicture sa crater ng Taal, nakiparty sa Malasimbo sa Puerto Galera with hindi namin kilala, nagbackpacking kami 8 days sa Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand na natutulog sa bus dala bagahe, kumain ng scorpion at tarantula, kumain ng happy pizza, nagtemple hopping sa Angkor Wat at sa mga temples sa Thailand, tapos nag 8 days din kami sa Bali, Indonesia ewan ko din paano namin napupull off pero napakadami naming pinupuntahan tapos wala ako sa organizing committee so ang ambag ko talaga ay chumika at magpicture. Haha.

pero sa mga local travel namin, dalawa yung pinaka favorite ko: yung 1) Siargao at yung 2) South cotabato. Yung siargao kasi grabe talaga yun gabi-gabi kami lasing as in tumatakbo kami nina karla sa kalsada tapos hinahabol kami nina brux. Haha. Dun ko din naranasan maghanap ng GoPro sa dagat ng nakaflashlight lang kasi nalaglag nung nagsurfing kami. Grabe talaga yun. Nung South Cotabato naman, natry namin yung highest zipline in the South East Asia, may nadaanan kaming apat na waterfalls ganun kataas. Tapos ang dami naming change costume nag T'boli traditional costume kami, tapos nag abaya and hijab kami nung pumunta kaming Grand Mosque. Very dubai ganon. Haha.

Favorite memory ko sa kanila ay every travel namin, nagsusulatan sila ng postcards. Sabi ko grabe couple goals. Indeed a matchmake in heaven walang distance distance. They will really make way to communicate, and show their love for each other. The yin to each other's yang.

So medyo ang haba na no? haha so summary and summary? Haha. Nakita ko silang nag grow, both literally and figuratively. As in kung may masasabi akong couple na tested by time and distance ay sila talaga iyon. Proud na proud ako tbh na nakakakilala ako ng mga taong kasing galing niyo. sobrang supportive niyong friends, sweet, thoughtful, funny, smart, witty, amazing lahat na. In between those laughters, I know genuine love is there. Sobrang happy ko na nagkatuluyan kayo, and from day 1, alam kong kayo na talaga. I know madaming taon taon pa tayong pagsasamahan, at andito lang kami para sa inyo. Congratulations, Karla and Brux, and i only hope the best for you both. Mahal na mahal ko kayo 💕

Cheers to the brucals!" Probably the best and most heartfelt wedding I've been to. Cryfest. Literally shed buckets of tears. So this is how it feels like to see your close friends get married. I was so lucky to have witnessed this momentous event in our barkada (god and tanda na namin haha)

#travel #photographers on tumblr #original photographers #landscape #original photography #bohol #wedding

18 notes · View notes

stuckinthewrongworld · 1 year

Text

@the-east-art took the challenge and smashed it! She designed my Demon Slayer OC and did cute little arts of the breathing styles like examples I found on Pinterest. I came up with the 10th breathing style, but the rest were from the Demon Slayer Fan Wiki.

Meet Yamagawa Kiyuki, the Snow Hashira. Kiyuki's family resided in the mountains near a small town and were fisherman by trade. She had a rough childhood, as her parents did not get along, so there was a lot of fighting. Kiyuki's younger brother was treated well, as he was set up to take over the fishing trade. Meanwhile, Kiyuki started to become treated like a burden.

Kiyuki was born during a terrible snow storm and was born with white in her hair and ice blue eyes. Her parents thought she was touched by some sort of snow kami. However, as she got older, suitors did not want to take her, as they looked at it more as a curse. So Kiyuki's parents were burdened with her being in their home longer than expected.

One day, Kiyuki's father and brother did not return from a trip to the market to sell that days haul. Kiyuki's mother went to look for them, but she never returned either. Kiyuki set out to locate her family and in doing so, found her mother on the brink of death. Her mother was able to mutter out the Kiyuki's father and brother were being devoured by a beast that turned on her. Kiyuki's mother blamed Kiyuki, saying she was cursed, then died.

Never getting a chance to learn the fishing trade because she was a girl, Kiyuki struggled to make ends meet. One day she runs into some demon slayers and explains her situation. Kiyuki no longer wants to feel helpless and they direct her to Master Urokodaki, since water breathing is one of the easier techniques to learn. Kiyuki locates Master Urokodaki and he trains her in Water Breathing, but she doesn't quite pick up on it.

Master Urokodaki contacts his old student, the current Water Hashira, Tomioka Giyuu, and asks him to take Kiyuki on as his tsuguko, which he reluctantly does. Under Giyuu's training, Kiyuki creates her own breathing technique in the form of Snow Breathing, which is heavily influenced by Water Breathing, but altered in a way that makes it easier for Kiyuki to perform. Kiyuki even is able to create her own version of Giyuu's Water Breathing Eleventh Form which she calls Crystalline Silence.

Snow Breathing First Form: Ice Breaker

Snow Breathing Second Form: Ice Wheel

Snow Breathing Third Form: Snow Drift

Snow Breathing Fourth Form: Roaring Frost

Snow Breathing Fifth Form: Hibernation

Snow Breathing Sixth Form: Blizzard

Snow Breathing Seventh Form: Freezing Wind, Piercing Cold

Snow Breathing Eight Form: Icicle Rain

Snow Breathing Nineth Form: Dancing on Thin Ice

Snow Breathing Tenth Form: Crystalline Silence

#demon slayer #demon slayer oc #oc #snow hashira #hashira #snow pillar #snow breathing #water breathing #kimetsu no yaiba #kimetsu no yaiba oc #kny oc

77 notes · View notes

anne-bsd-bibliophile · 1 year

Text

Could this character be a god?

Magical Floating Shawl (hagoromo)

In Japanese media, the raiment is called hagoromo (translated to "feather robe"), or tenne, and is usually worn by supernatural beings, such as youkai, demons, gods, ascended humans, angels, etc. (source)

Left: Fūjin, the wind god. Right: Amaterasu, goddess of the sun.

Antlers and Horns in Japanese Folklore

Kirin:

The kirin is one of the rarest, most awesome and powerful creatures ever known in East Asia. It is a regal animal, holy and highly revered. The kirin is often considered a god in its own right. Resembling a deer with scales like a dragon’s covering its body, the kirin is a chimerical beast. (source)

Sacred Deer:

"In Japan, Jurōjin (寿老人) is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune or Shichifukujin, according to Taoist beliefs. He is the god of longevity. ... The deer, a symbol of longevity, usually (but not always) accompanies him as a messenger..." (source)

"Deer are considered messengers to the gods in Shinto, especially Kasuga Shrine in Nara Prefecture where a white deer had arrived from Kashima Shrine as its divine messenger." (source)

Horned Gods and Yokai: various strong gods and yokai in Japanese mythology are depicted with horns.

"Raijin, the god of thunder, is often depicted with a unique appearance. He is shown as having a muscular and fierce build, with horns on his head and sharp claws." (source)

"Fujin, the god of wind ... is represented as a muscular demon with a horned red face and a fierce expression." (source)

"The Oni, a more threatening group of spirits, may have originated in China and traveled to Japan with Buddhism. These horned demons, often of enormous size, can take human or animal shape." (source)

Left: Kirin. Right: Raijin and Fujin fighting.

Masks

"Masks have been used in Japan for centuries, with their usage dating back to at least the 6th century. Traditionally, masks were used in religious ceremonies or rituals, as well as for protection from evil spirits. In more recent times, masks have been used for a variety of purposes, including as part of traditional Japanese theater, in festivals and carnivals, and even as everyday fashion accessories." (source)

In the manga series Natsume Yuujinchou, masks are worn when the protagonist, Natsume, needs to hide the fact he is a human and blend in with the yokai, spirits, and gods he encounters. Many of the masks and disguises he wears incorporate antlers and horns as well.

Shide

"Shide (紙垂, 四手) are zigzag-shaped paper streamers, often seen attached to shimenawa or tamagushi to demarcate holy spaces, and used in Shinto rituals in Japan. They are usually found adorning doorways, shrine buildings, and kamidana." (source)

Tori Gates

"A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred and a spot where kami are welcomed and thought to travel through. The presence of a torii at the entrance is usually the simplest way to identify Shinto shrines, and a small torii icon represents them on Japanese road maps." (source)

Shinto Symbols

I'm not sure what symbol is on the character's mask, but because there are so many Shinto influences in his design I am assuming the symbol has a similar origin. The closest symbol I was able to find is called a Tomoe.

"The Tomoe is a design that resembles a comma, and is a common design element in Kamon, Japanese family crests, that could be viewed upon the back banners often held by Samurai. This specific Tomoe is called a Mitsudomoe, a three-fold Tomoe, and is perhaps one of the most widely recognisable. Some believe it to be the representation of the threefold division (man, earth and sky) at the heart of Shintoism..." (source)

Below is a chart with variations of the Tomoe symbol:

#bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs #bsd #season 5 #spoilers #fan theory #shinto symbols #I also just figured out that Mishima Yukio was a Shintoist #which only makes me hope that Sigma is the god character who is Mishima Yukio #but it is probably all just me reading into things too much and my wishful thinking

47 notes · View notes

biebuli · 5 months

Text

I'm so surprised that the chameleon is called Cammy. The pronounce like a Japanese word 神（kami）means god. I like this name.

In Chinese version, she is called 魅影妖后. I'm not sure if I can explain it accurately in English, but this name also fully embodies her characteristics.

Just use the word in dictionary: 魅 in English means "charm"、"fascination"or"allure"; 影 means shadow or reflection (I think this word corresponds to her ability to change）; 妖后 means demon queen（more in Chinese style）, also have feelings：She is a wicked empress.

A charming, beautiful, shape-shifting, wicked empress. Her name alone speaks volumes about her noble identity. But this is just a title, not her real name, similar to the titles of emperors in East Asia.

I like cammy！

The chameleon is a goddess/queen of course.😌

#kfp 4 #kfp #the chameleon

11 notes · View notes

akaridream · 1 year

Text

after dark pt. 2: rooftop (hawks x reader)

tags: hawks x reader

cw: cursing, hawks is a flirt, afab reader, mentions of drugs/alcohol, smut in later chapters

taglist: @inkthgoat @pnsduck @mysideeffectsofyou

masterlist

You nearly cried when you saw half a million yen in your bank account Saturday morning. You spent a few extra minutes in bed, grinning at the ceiling and thanking the kami for Hawks. You couldn’t help but think of the smile in his voice and the playful spark in his eye. I should thank him again, you thought. You reached for your phone just as a text came through.

Hawks: morning! the transfer should have gone through by now, lemme know if you got it

You: Yes, I got it. Thank you again, the amount is extremely generous for three weeks. I hope my work lives up to it

Hawks: i’m sure you’ll be worth it :) so for monday, i was thinking we should meet up near the psc hq with enough time for you to give me a quick crash course on taking photos for evidence. I’ve got an ear piece for you too, so we can be in constant contact while we’re spread out

You: Yeah we can do that. Do you have a DSLR?

Hawks: lol what is that

You: Are you serious

Hawks: nah haha its the 21st century, i know what a digital camera is :D i don’t have one though

You: omg good grief Hawks

You: Most cell phones can take pretty good pics these days, so I’m sure yours will be fine. Or I can teach you how to work the SLR and I’ll use my phone since I know what I’m doing

Hawks: ooo I kNoW wHaT i’M dOinG

You: Wow, the attitude. I could always just take your money and run

Hawks: could you tho? i bet i could track you down

You: I could go off the grid and you’d never find me

Hawks: eh, you’d get bored and lonely. plus i have my ways

You: Maybe bored, but I doubt I’d get lonely. Snowy owls are solitary

Hawks: not always ;)

You couldn’t help but blush. His cheeky banter made you wonder how he could be so comfortable with someone he just met. You crafted, then deleted, then rewrote, then deleted your reply again, trying to find the line between professional and playful. He was right, after all, and spring was on its way.

You: I should have known you were going to be a handful, Hero.

Hawks: ;) ;) ;)

You rolled your eyes and blushed again. Goofball, you thought. You just might reciprocate the flirting, once your work was done.

You: Text me when you have something important to talk about, Bird Brain

Hawks: aw c’mon, i’m just teasing ya

Hawks: how does 3:30p monday at the family mart a block east of the psc sound? we can grab some snacks, hang out on the rooftop and take some practice shots

You: No offense, but you kind of attract attention, so going anywhere in public in the light of day with you is going to be a no for me. Nighttime shooting is more involved than shooting in full daylight, that’s when I think we’ll need to practice. How about tomorrow after sundown?

Hawks: you just can’t wait to see me, huh?

Hawks: but yeah, I can make that work. same place, 8p tomorrow. and i’ll grab snacks beforehand, all by my lonesome :’( what kinda stuff you like?

You: Sounds good to me. Nothing spicy. Other than that I’m really not picky. Something salty and something sweet I guess

Hawks: no spice? bummer

Hawks: i’ll hook you up tho. see you then!

You felt childish sitting on the roof with your feet overhanging the side of the stories-high building downtown Fukuoka. The busy street below bustled with life, but no crimson feathers to speak of yet. Your stomach was convinced you were on a roller coaster, slowing ticking up and up and up towards the crest of a great drop. No professional dealings had ever gotten you in knots like this.

What if I’m a bad teacher? What if he’s a total moron and doesn’t understand anything I say? What if I trip over my words? What if I forget something super important and his photos turn out horrible? What if he forgets to take off the lens cap?

Your anxiety and the bracing breeze sent a chill through you. You pulled your thumb sleeves tighter over your knuckles. Cold weather was your comfort zone, but something in the air felt… Different.

You pulled your camera bag onto your lap and fiddled with the settings. The night cityscape from the top of the building made for a nice shot, and it might ease your nerves to practice what you wanted to say in your mind before Hawks arrived. You stood, knelt, leaned, trying to get the composition just right when you sensed a presence behind you.

“Ayo! Getting started without me?”

“Geez, tell the entire neighborhood we’re up here!” you griped, turning off your camera.

Hawks laughed, took off his flight goggles and slid his headphones off to hang around his neck. “Not like we’re doing anything nefarious up here anyway! How ya been?” he asked, sitting down to lean against the half wall ledge next to you, konbini bag in tow.

“Fine, just getting a couple shots of the skyline,” you said before stowing your camera. “How are you?”

“Oh, you know. Same old stuff, chasing cliche thieves and villains. Come check out what I got for ya. Whatever you don’t like I’ll be happy to eat. Cool jacket by the way. Custom made?”

“Oh, this?” you gestured. “I modified it myself actually. All I did was take some cheap track jacket, cut a hole in the back and surged the edges. Well, and I dyed it black.”

“Let me see the back,” he asked, gesturing for you to turn around. You turned shyly, spreading your wings out to compliment the work you’d done. Hawks smirked, impressed. “Very nice. You sew then?”

You tucked your wings back in and sat next to Hawks. “I like to make or modify stuff for my wings at least. Tailors are expensive, plus sometimes I get the itch to do creative stuff.”

“That’s really cool. I may have to commission you for some of my ideas!” he said, pulling out a veritable buffet of konbini goodies. You chuckled.

“Geez, are we expecting guests?” You grabbed a pack of umaibo, one of your favorite crunchy snacks.

“Nah, I’m just a growing boy! Hero work burns a lot of calories, and I haven’t had a break since lunch!” he said as he tore into a famous Famichiki. He offered a second to you. “Saw these right next to the register and couldn’t pass ‘em up. Something about konbini fried chicken warms the soul, ya know?”

You took it, smiling. “These remind me of middle school.”

“Yeah?” he asked. “How so?”

“There was a Family Mart between school and home, I used to grab them all the time,” you said. “Glad you don’t mind being a cannibal.”

He laughed. “Right? People call me that all the time! We can’t help that we’re birds of prey!” His laughter warmed you. Or was it the hot food?

“I always wonder what school was like,” Hawks continued. “I was home schooled. Well, sort of. I never went to regular school at least.”

“You didn’t go to UA?” you asked. “I thought that was pretty much a requirement for pro heroes.”

He shook his head. “Nope, not for me at least. I might have liked to go there, but…” He looked into the distance. “Growing up wasn’t the best for me.”

You tilted your head and looked at him. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

He shrugged and sighed. “Eh, s’just how it is. Things are good now. I’m glad I don’t have to worry about stuff like where meals are gonna come from anymore, you know?”

You frowned. “Damn, it was that bad? I hate that.”

He polished off his chicken and stole some umaibo from your open bag. “Yeah, it was shitty but it didn’t last forever. But enough about me anyway. What’s your family like?”

“Mom was pretty quiet and Dad was super busy, so pretty typical family, I guess. Although I do have a twin brother.”

“Ooh, that’s cool. Where do they all live?”

“Up in Hokkaido,” you said, stealing back your umaibo.

“Damn, that’s far. Anywhere near Sapporo?”

“Mom’s near Date where I grew up, a couple hours southeast of Sapporo. Don’t really know where my dad is these days, and my brother’s way out in the middle of nowhere. He hates the city even more than me.”

“You hate the city?” he asked, leaning towards you.

You nodded. “Too much going on. The noise, the lights, the swarms of people… It’s a lot. My hometown was pretty quiet but there was no opportunity for work there. Sapporo would have been alright probably but… I just wanted a big change I guess, so I picked Fukuoka. So here I am, just trying to cope with my quirk.”

You surprised yourself with how much you said, chalking it up to Hawks’ comforting presence and being a good listener.

“Crazy that you moved across the whole country. Does your brother have a similar quirk?”

“Yep, almost exactly the same. His wings are pretty much pure white, almost no speckles like I have.”

“Ah, interesting,” he said. “You guys close?”

You gave a cynical chuckle. “Definitely not. I’m not really close with anyone.”

He tilted his head. “Not with anyone? Really?”

You shrugged, trying to avoid his eyes.

“No best friend?” he asked.

“When I was in school. But not anymore.”

“No boyfriend?” he asked incredulously.

You laughed darkly. “No, definitely not.”

Hawks furrowed his brow but smiled playfully. “You mean you’re not a total ball-busting heart-breaker?”

You snorted. “Hell no. Try chronically single.”

He chuckled. “I may be high on the public approval charts, but I’m afraid I suffer that fate too.” He tossed you some Winter Melty Pocky. “My excuse is that I’m always too busy, but I wouldn’t mind making time for someone special. Maybe someday when things settle down and villains don’t run the streets some angel will sweep me off my wings.” He had a wistful look in his eyes as he tore through another snack.

“Yeah, I guess I wouldn’t mind that either,” you said.

Your mind drifted back to your middle school days as you opened the Pocky. Your first kiss had been stolen by a rambunctious boy in your class who was dared to play the Pocky game. The popular girls turned him down, but you, not knowing the true intention of the game, waited patiently with the biscuit in your mouth. As his lips crashed against yours, you were confused, not lovestruck as you wanted your first kiss to be. The only kiss since then was a brief make out session at the only college party you ever attended. He tasted of cheap beer and tobacco, a combination that still makes your stomach turn. You never spoke again once winter break arrived, but at least the occasion was consensual.

As you munched on the bitter chocolate, you wondered what Hawks might taste like. You caught yourself and squeezed your eyes shut. Am I insane? I just met this guy two days ago!

“So, the other day you said you don’t trust heroes. Any particular reason why?” Hawks asked.

Your face grew tense. “A few. The hero market is pretty over-saturated these days.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, that might be true. But how does that affect your trust in them?”

You crossed your arms. “I’m not convinced there’s enough crime to go around. I think a lot of them probably take care of a couple high-publicity jobs and go home after an hour’s work.”

Hawks eyed you. “Have you looked at crime statistics recently?”

“Not since college.”

“You might be surprised at them. I’m not trying to say you’re wrong, but crime rates have changed a lot with quirks getting more common.”

“Yeah, and while quirks are a fine explanation for the crime increase and the overabundance of heroes, I’d rather it be police stopping crime. Doing it for the notoriety defeats a lot of the purpose in my eyes.”

“What’s the difference though?” Hawks asked, turning towards you. “Isn’t it good that crime gets stopped, period?”

You shook your head. “Doing something good just because you know people are watching? Seems a little hollow. To me, it’s more about integrity. Heroes should work behind the scenes more and focus on doing the right things when no one is looking.”

He nodded. “I completely agree. So how do you know they aren’t already doing that if all you see are their TV appearances?”

You opened your mouth to reply, but once you met Hawks’ golden eyes, your words died in your throat. Damn, you thought. He’s exactly right. He seemed to know it too, but he didn’t boast. He only continued to search your eyes, his lips upturned in a soft smile.

“So, what do I need to know for your camera?” Hawks asked as he opened a bag of spicy chips.

“First thing, you had better not get any of that spicy dust on it, or I’ll toss you off the roof,” you quipped. You might not mind a touch of spice, if it came from his lips.

“Your threat would be scarier if I couldn’t fly,” he said, attempting to steal one of your Pocky sticks. You swatted the back of his hand playfully.

“Uh-uh, if you wanted some Pocky you should have gotten two, bird brain,” you said, pulling out a stick and waving it to tempt him. “These are my favorite.”

Hawks pouted. “Aw, but spicy chocolate is so good!”

You briefly thought of putting the biscuit between your teeth to tease him with it, just like the old Pocky game, but you could never work up the nerve to be so bold. Instead, you held the stick in front of his mouth and rolled your eyes.

“Geez, if you’re gonna whine about it.”

“You sure?” he asked, holding your eye contact. You rested the Pocky against his lips. He smiled and gently bit the biscuit in half, then chased it with a spicy chip, then ate the other half of the Pocky. He hummed in delight as he licked the flavored dust off his fingers. You scrunched up your nose.

“That is so gross,” you said, laughing.

“Mm, the chocolate on those is even better than the regular ones! Definitely a good combo. You sure you don’t wanna give it a try?”

“Absolutely not, especially after you just licked your fingers!”

He gave a menacing smile and extracted a chip from the bag, loaded with spicy dust. “Come on now, just one won’t kill you.”

“Ugh, no way!” You pushed his arm away, giggling. He easily overpowered you and brought the chip dangerously close to your face. “That smells like fire, oh my gosh Hawks!”

You playfully shoved at each other, laughing as you tried to get the diabolical chip as far away as possible. Hawks feigned weakness and you grabbed his wrist, aiming the chip back towards his mouth. He chomped it, then lunged for you Pocky, snatching it out of your hand.

“You cheater!” you squealed, grabbing his other wrist and struggling with him for control.

“Ah! Damn girl, you’ve got some sharp claws!”

You looked at your hands, noticing your naturally black nails digging into his skin. You released him, suddenly guilty over the half moon marks left in his flesh.

“Oh, geez, sorry!” you yelped. Hawks just smiled and took out a piece of Pocky.

“No worries, I’m tough. I can handle a battle scar or two,” he said, holding the Pocky to your lips. “See, didn’t even break the skin.”

You took the Pocky with your teeth and turned away, cheeks warm. “Maybe I should have for stealing my treat.”

“Didn’t your parents ever teach you to share?” he asked with a gentle elbow to your side.

“They taught me to fend for myself! Now are we gonna goof off all night or we gonna get down to business? We do have work to do tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I just like making you laugh.” His smile made his eyes wrinkle. Your heart stuttered and you couldn’t help but smile too. He’s so pretty…

“Oh, but speaking of work, here’s the ear piece.” He pulled a device from his pocket and handed it to you. “Connect it to your phone and tomorrow while we’re on surveillance, we can talk to each other.”

You examined the compact device. “And what if I get sick of hearing you?”

He grinned and shrugged. “You can always turn down the volume and see how long it takes me to notice you aren’t listening.”

You laughed. “Alright, sounds good. Now, let’s get started with some camera stuff. Do you know what aperture is?”

Hawks pretended to rack his brain. “Hm, that company from the Portal games?”

“We’re gonna be here all night, aren’t we?”

He shrugged. “Only if you want to.”

next (part 3)

#hawks x y/n #bnha hawks #hawks x you #keigo takami x reader #keigo takami

78 notes · View notes