#gotta look into more folklore though

[jack-o-phantom]

An Unwelcomed storm

Some lonely sailor art for a potential lighthouse keeper

[reginamillls]

I Saw My Uncle Kissing Santa Claus

"You really gotta tell him man," Tommy hears Howie's voice coming into the kitchen from the hall. He's about to come in, but the answering voice makes Tommy stop.

"I know," Evan says, sounding odd. "I can't keep this a secret for much longer, it will just make things awkward for Tommy. He needs to be prepared for whats to come."

Tommy's brows furrow at that, and his palms feel sweaty all the sudden-

Things were going good between them, slow sure, but better then it was before. Stronger. This is their first Christmas together since their last one was spent apart and Tommy-

Is overthinking.

Tommy steps into the kitchen then and is met with two identical looks of surprise.

He's been caught.

"No time like the present, hey Buck," Howie grins as he claps Buck on the back before walking past Tommy. Howie then winks at Tommy, and any thoughts he had to worry melt away.

"You know you should really be the one to tell him-" Evan starts but Howie interupts him.

"You owe me big time, good luck, thank you!" Howie sing songs before he's stepping out of the kitchen, leaving a pouting Evan behind.

Tommy decides he just has to kiss that pout and Evan smiles against his lips before grabbing at Tommy's waist and bringing him in for a deeper kiss.

"You're-" A kiss. "Stalling."

"Okay," Evan admits. "I have something to tell you, and ah - I guess, I guess ask of you to." He starts, rambling. "And it-it's kinda cute?"

"Cute?" Tommy asks, raises a brow. "What-"

"Jee thinks you're Santa." Evan blurts out and Tommy's eyes widen.

Out of all the things he expected, that wasn't one of them.

"She. Thinks. I'm. Santa."

"Yup." Evan pops the 'p' at the end.

"Um, why?" Tommy asks, and he's leaning against the counter now, confused at the turn of events.

"She has a list," Evan says and he pulls it out of his pocket to present it to Tommy. The piece of paper has Jee-Yun all over it, from the stickers of every genre to the glittery writing. It makes Tommy smile when he looks at it.

"Why Tommy is Santa-" Evan starts and he clears his throat, being a little dramatic.

"One. He flies." Evan starts and Tommy nods his head.

"I do fly-"

"And so does Santa," Evan pokes at Tommy's chest. "Can I continue?" Tommy makes a motion to do so, and Evan lifts the list off again to read it off.

"Two. Tommy took us to see reindeer, and Santa has reindeer." That was true, Tommy knew a guy who worked for the zoo and was on a team that was rehibiliating some reindeer. Tommy had taken Jee and Evan there a few weeks ago.

"Three. He has a long red coat." That one was a stretch, but Tommy wouldn't argue against it. He had a long wool coat for when he camps out in the mountains, and it was indeed red, though it was a more muted shade then he thought Santa would wear. Jee had seen it last week when she had been over for the night with her brother to give Maddie and Howie a night off.

"Four - and this is where it gets cute," Evan says, completely fond of both his niece and his boyfriend. "He has a big smile and he laughs and makes people happy."

"That's sweet," Tommy says, blushing. He ducks his head and Evan steps closer into his bubble, wrapping his arms around Tommy.

"There's more, like how you always remember what kind of gifts people want and ah-" Evan pauses briefly something that happens sometimes whenever their breakup came into the conversation. "You were gone last Christmas, and I think she thought you were busy."

"Being Santa." Tommy huffs, shakes his head. "Better than what actually happened."

They've talked about it, how Tommy threw himself into work to cope with everything. It wasn't healthy, but he's working on it.

Evan nods his head and the hand on Tommy's waist squeezes.

"She still believes," Evan says. "And with the baby this year, I think she feels a little left out. So when they got into Christmas folklore at school, I think she latched onto the idea that you were Santa. It's why she's been so shy today."

"Okay," Tommy nods his head. He gets it. Believing in something when things were a little difficult could get you through hard times. His old man had told him the truth about Santa when he had been young, and Tommy didn't have that little bit of Christmas magic growing up.

"Do you want me to tell her I'm not?" Tommy asks, undure what they should do here. Evan shakes his head then and Tommy relaxes.

"Chimney and Maddie want to talk to her about it, they just didn't want you to think she was ignoring you-" Evan grins. "I think she's trying to be on the good list. I've never seen her room so clean."

Tommy huffs out a laugh at that. He had thought it was a little strange that Jee hadn't come running to them for a hug when they came, but he figured that she was just being quiet for her brother's sake.

"And what list are you on?" Tommy asks Evan, voice low as his eyes dart over Evan. The other man snorts out a laugh then before he pulls Tommy in for a kiss.

"I think I've been on the good list, Santa-" Evan whispers in Tommy's ear.

Tommy tries.

He really does, but he lasts about two seconds before he bursts into laughter. Evan joins him then, and it feels good, laughing with his boyfriend.

"Uncle Buck?" Tommy hears, and he sees the very person they were talking about coming into the kitchen. "Can we play cowboys and princesses and aliens?" She asks and Evan straightens away from Tommy and he gestures as if he's wearing a cowboy hat, tipping it to Jee and the girl giggles in return.

"I reckon the Princess Cowboys have a lot to do before Christmas Evan tomorrow." Evan says in an exxagerated southern accent.

Tommy is completely charmed by him.

"Are you too busy to play Uncle Tommy?" Jee asks and Tommy feels like his heart skips a beat.

That was the first time Jee has ever called him 'Uncle.'

"Yeah, that sounds fun. Can I be a Princess?" Tommy asks and follows Jee and Evan back into the living area.

He prefers Unlce to Santa, anyday.

[multi-fandom-imagine]

-Along with kitsune, the tanuki is also a strange yokai famous for its ability to transform in Japanese folklore-

─ ★JJK Men falling for a Tankui

Pairing: Yuji, Nanami, Yuta

❥: Yuji Itadori:

Takes him a bit to find out what you actually are, a few people gotta clue him in on it.

Nearly dies when he see's your fluffy tail and ears for the first time. Just think's they're the cutest thing in the world.

Love's it when you curl into his lap, love's how you feel safe in his arms.

Think's your ears and tail are just the softest, he cant stop touching them.

"P-please! Please! Please let me see your ears again." Yuji clasped his hands in front of him, lips quivering lightly.

Shoulders dropping, you gave Yuji a crooked smile and with a puff of smoke a pair of fluffy ears appeared on your head, your large fluffy tail wrapped around your waist. "You're lucky you're so cute." You teased as Yuji bounced towards you.

Grinning he happily wrapped his arms around your waist as he nuzzled his cheek into yours. His hand then grasped your tail, a small whimper leaving your lips as you pressed your face into his chest.

"Ah! Yuji!"

Giving you a sheepish smile, his cheeks turned pink as he quickly averted his gaze. "Sorry...want me to stop?"

Biting your lip, you stood on your toes as your lips brushed his neck. "I want more."

❥: Nanami Kento.

Nanami knew what you were not human the moment he met you, what you were he did not know?

Saw you change into your true form, though he didn't say it outloud. Nanami thought you were absolutely adorable.

Will do anything to protect you and keep you safe.

Nanami often finds himself letting his fingers run through your hair, gliding his finger tips across your soft ears and tail.

"A-ah Nanami!" His name spilled past your lips as he continues to fuck you. One hand on your hip, as the other clutched your tail to control his thrusts.

Leaning down, he let his lips brush your neck. "You were being such a good girl today....until you just had to swipe that watch."

Pulling out, the man let the tip of his cock brush your entrance. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Whimpering, you did your best to push back on his cock though it was hard due to Nanami holding onto your tail. "He-he deserved it...he was bad mouthing you."

Biting back a snort, Nanami had a feeling that you were telling the truth. "I'll let it pass...this time." He whispered agains't your neck, giving the skin a sharp nip as he slammed back into your pussy.

❥: Yuta Okkotsu

Rika was the one that told him what you were, he did his best to say away from you. Not when you've been so kind to him but he just found himself unable to stay away.

He started to see you more and more once he found out that Rika liked you.

Think's your ear's and tail are adorable, thinks it is even more cute when you shift into your animal form.

Start's to fantasize about what yours and his children would look like.He hopes it would happen one day.

Is very protective of you, would kill who would ever harm you.

Easily embarrassed when you two have sex, your tail is just so soft, he likes it when you caress his bare skin with it.

Shifting on the couch, Yuta let his fingers run through your hair then up to caress your ears, a tiny whimper escaped your lips as you nuzzled your face into his chest. He could see the heat in your eyes as you shifted your body in his lap.

A small gasp escaped his lips as he felt tiny little fangs prick his neck. Pulling away, you gave him a teasing grin shifting your body causing Yuta to let out his own little whimper.

"You know what touching my ears does to me." You whispered against his neck rolling your hips into his feeling his hardness press into your thigh.

Letting out a shaky laugh, Yuta ran his fingers down your back only to grasp your ass tugging you close to him. "I can fix that."

[tgrailwar-zero]

Read this post from the previous night first!

-

The night was dreamless, and like RIDER said- you were up at daybreak. There wasn't much time to say goodbye to the city, and things were already in motion. No formal announcements had been made yet, but PTOLEMY would be attacking the Crimson Citadel, DURYODHANA would begin his assault, and IZOU would be en-route to his assassination target…

To conserve magical energy, RIDER only summoned four horses.

The horses were organized rather simply. You and KUKULKAN shared a horse. NERO and CONSTANTINE shared a horse. GIUSEPPE and MUSASHI shared a horse. And AVENGER had one to himself, which he didn't seem to mind.

And then-- you were out on the road.

CONSTANTINE: "Aah…" KUKULKAN: "Hey, that's a rare relaxed face from you! I guess a Rider's gotta feel more comfy when actually riding, huh?" CONSTANTINE: "Hm? Well, partially. I suppose all of this reminded me of when I was a young man. I always did love horseback riding, and I traveled about plenty." GIUSEPPE: "Hm, I can relate. I didn't travel much on horseback, but on my adventures I did love to just see the world pass by…" NERO: "Both of you are bizarre… Horses and chariots are terrible on the you-know-what! I only used them when needed." SALIERI: "���The 'you-know-what'?" NERO: "The butt, Avenger! Don't act as if mine doesn't exist, as surely you've had a great many chances to look upon it." SALIERI: "Ugh." MUSASHI: "Well, sorry to your Royal Rear, but we've gotta get a move on. Hyah!" NERO: "Ghh… that settles it! Constantinus, move! I'm going to sit side-saddle! It'll be more comfortable!" CONSTANTINE: "Woah! Antecessor-- don't squirm while we're still moving! Please decide these things beforehand!"

-

…It seemed like you were traveling with a lively party.

That being said, while it wasn't the most subtle group, six Servants grouped together on the Solar Cell deterred most enemy programs. If you were attacked, it certainly wouldn't be from any small fry. That being said, it would definitely be harder to sneak around with a group this large. If you wanted to do more subtle operations, it may be better to bring less Servants.

Two days passed by quickly and easily. Late nights and early mornings made the trip simple and quick, though you were feeling a bit wiped at the end of it all. Your Servants seemed fine… but that seemed more because they were supernatural ghosts that didn't need any sort of food or rest. You, on the other hand… well, maybe at one point you could keep up with them, but that time was quite a while ago.

Still, from what you discovered from training with KUKULKAN, maybe regaining that power wouldn't be impossible.

It was late by the time you reached the 'Sunbeam Row'.

It was quieter and smaller than the other two major cities you've visited, though it was hard to get a grasp on the town at this hour.

KUKULKAN: "So… about finding the King of Heroes?"

NERO: "It's Gilgamesh. It shouldn't be that hard."

MUSASHI: "If you say so..."

CONSTANTINE: "…We'll have to search in the morning. Let's find somewhere for our Masters to rest first."

You remembered that CITT mentioned an inn and tavern. Biitum. It was easy enough to spot, as you entered.

There were a few patrons, but it was rather empty. Your… eccentric-looking group drew a few stares, but nothing hostile. Once you had settled in a bit, they went back to what they were doing.

You heard a woman's voice coming from the back.

WOMAN'S VOICE: "Ah- are those patrons? I'm sorry! I'm busy in the kitchen, could you please go handle them?"

YOUNG BOY'S VOICE: "Okaaaay~!"

A young man bounded out of one of the back rooms. There was a youthful innocence about him- the type of person that seemed to be trustworthy by default. If there was one thing that made him 'off-putting', it was the deep ruby red of his eyes, and the maturity in his gaze that didn't always align with the youthfulness of his face.

He seemed like a polite young man, nonetheless.

YOUNG MAN: "Good evening, thank you for coming to Biitum! It's your lucky day, because since everyone's left for the Flaming Bout, we have a ton of empty rooms! Please stay and buy lots, so me and my big sis have enough money to eat!"

WOMAN'S VOICE: "Gil!"

You heard a name shouted out, scolding the young man.

GIL: "Ahaha! I'm just joking!"

GIL: "But... oh man… We don't often have so many pretty ladies here, I'm feeling a bit flustered!"

…You realized that he wasn't paying any attention to you, nor any of the men in your group. The women, however, were quickly charmed.

MUSASHI: "Aww… What a little cutie! I just wanna ruffle his hair!"

KUKULKAN: "I never had a little brother before… ah, is this what it feels like to want to pamper someone?"

NERO: "Well, it's simply natural to be flustered in my presence! You're a wise young man, certainly!"

As they fawned over the young man, the others stood off to the side with varying expressions of skepticism on their faces.

SALIERI: "...Precocious little ragazzo, isn't he?"

CONSTANTINE: "Very much so. Still, room vacancies come in our favor. Perhaps the average prices will be lowered."

GIUSEPPE: "As tourists who don't know what the average price is… it's best to be careful about those sorts of assumptions."

[grandwitchbird]

A bunch of people who never read the novels are already crawling out of the woodwork to share their opinions(tm). But “I know the legend of the Witcher and the Witcher girl,” and I got you.

Consider this a highly specific explainer of some of what makes The Witcher novels interesting for those thinking of jumping into W3 or the novels now that 4 is in the works. My interests lie in what stories are doing and how, so this is analytical and not just a summary or reference guide. Wikis exist for that, and if you want to experience the characters you gotta go read the books. No real spoilers because I’m not focusing on plot here.

The Witcher novels are a very cool exercise in dual protagonists driving a convergent narrative operating on two distinct literary frequencies.

Geralt spends most of the books chasing Ciri in some capacity. He’s the man on the ground, getting stuck in personal problems and more ‘realistic’ situations and intrigues (sometimes your friends are also vampires; don’t be weird about it). His world overlaps with the mythic realm, but the sense is that he’s a regular person who keeps ending up in mythic situations. He approaches problems like the professional he is. He’s our guy. But he’s basically just a guy. When he tries to be a hero things tend to go really badly for him.

Ciri is a child of prophecy who befriends unicorns and gets roped into space elf dynastic disasters and visits camelot. She’s also trying desperately to get back to Geralt and Yennefer, her very normal parents. Her world overlaps with the mundane because she’s Geralt’s daughter by choice. She has to study swordplay with her Witcher family and practice magic discipline with Yennefer, but her problems are operating in the realm of myth and folklore. She’s perceived as the holy grail by men who want her power for themselves, a vessel to own and fill with a child. This is a misrecognition, and she remains beyond their grasp because Ciri is really the noble hero Geralt always wished he could be. When people forget that, things go very badly for them.

These two are also a split reference to Elric of Melnibone’s personas. Geralt is the White Wolf and Ciri is the dimension-hopping champion eternal. Their shared role is very consciously designed. Also just about everything is some kind of literary metaphor here.

The Narrative World

Let’s look at what the world-as-narrative is doing and how Witchers function in it.

The Continent exists on a fantasy world where realities have converged, and it greatly resembles Central Europe in its cultures, conflicts, and references. We’re talking Germany/France to the Russian border. This is an area that’s been repeatedly invaded from all sides for millennia. The convergence of spheres operating metaphorically as waves of invasion and overlapping cultures does quite a lot for the story in terms of conflict and setting up an interplanary reality. It also means that everyone is aliens.* Which is objectively the funniest way to do things in addition to providing a pretty fascinating moral bedrock. There’s no 1:1 fantasy race being mapped to real life groups here, though the series is strong in its references to concrete human evils in the real world. Everyone is people. Except monsters. Except when monsters are people too.

Witchers are people who are like monsters. Witcher is also a profession. They’re something that doesn’t fit into any neat category, and that’s the entire point of them. The ones who survive the trials that make them into witchers go on to live brutal lives killing monsters for coin or children to make new Witchers (the trials render them sterile; this is a real thematic beat. I’ll get to it). Witchers are the ‘other’ you’d expect to be scared of in a more conservative fantasy. But in this series, we see this world through the eyes of two Witchers, and we hear the exaggerated stories about their inhumanity, and we know they’re actually people with distinct experiences and perspectives and desires. We know how they feel, and that they’re not doing anything weirder than what everyone else in this world is doing to survive. So we know everyone else is people too. And that lends a very real layer of horror to the fact that by the time we meet our Witchers, most Witchers have already been massacred in a pogrom.

This isn’t as simple as ‘we’re the real monsters’ navel gazing. Over and over we see the different angles of everyone. One moment you’re looking at a strange and alien fae, the next a broken addict. The kindest man you meet is a vampire, and he’s done monstrous things he describes with philosophical eloquence. You’re asked to see the strange and uncanny and ‘other’ in everyone so you can also see the humanity. People are both, always. And the loss of one is the death of both. The novels enforce distinct narrative perspectives to this effect. Everything we know, we know through subjective and limited perspectives. This is a good series for folks fond of Bakhtin.

And if the fact that there are real monsters who aren’t sentient and are absolutely dangerous seems unfair. There’s also mad dogs and people who are beyond all reason and help too (the church is pretty fundamentally evil here and tends to instigate the pogroms. Wonder where a Polish author got that). The text doesn’t shy from the implications.

*except maybe gnomes. That might be a running joke. Nobody knows.

Btw if you’re here from my Dragon Age posts. Yes this is exactly what BioWare tried to immitate but ethically dropped the ball on by doing the exact thing the Witcher resists doing.

Witcher Family Planning

At the heart of this story is a family by choice and maybe destiny.

Geralt is a Witcher who survived an extra round of trials. A mutant among mutants. He’s an extraordinarily competent professional whose sense of justice and soft heart tend to cause him problems. He’s not nice. He’s kind of a boor. He’s very sulky. He loves deeply.

Yennefer is an outrageously overpowered sorceress who really regrets her inability to have children. She’s ambitious even by sorceress standards. Yennefer does things exactly the way she wants to, and that tends to cause her problems. She’s not nice. She’s imperious. She’s very petty. She’s ride or die for anyone she likes even a bit.

These two are the love of each others lives. This is a relationship, and I’m directly paraphrasing here, where two people who don’t know how to be soft try to be soft to each other. They’re bad at it. They keep trying.

Ciri is the lost Scion of every royal line on the continent. She’s also a Witcher. And a child of prophecy. And a dimension-hopping superhero. She’s also about 15 for most of the time we know her in the novels. She’s survived war, led a life of crime, been a gladiator. She’s clever and strong and rebellious and has an innate nobility that shames kings. She has Geralt’s compassionate heart, and she’s honed it to Yennefer’s cutting edge.

Gender & Power

I touched on this up at the top. Over and over again in these books, and in W3, we watch the patriarchal norms of the continent run smack into an interesting reality of the setting. Women tend to be the ones who are ‘first’ in power. There’s a lot of Mists of Avalon happening here. Sorceresses outdo their male peers. All these powerful men think they can have Ciri’s power for themselves by getting a child on her. They ignore that it’s the women in her line who have and wield the gift. They really ignore that her grandmother didn’t even need the gift to bring men like them to their knees. Patriarchy is a kind of willing blindness here. The desire to own and control makes the men of the series into fools who can’t see the obvious. That this isn’t their story.

Amongst Witchers, girl children are usually traded to the dryads for boys. This is left notably vague (another patriarchal blind spot? More likely than you think; there’s hints of female and nonhuman Witchers in the cat school) because by the time we meet our Witchers, the real secrets of their process have been lost. Ciri herself does actually take some of their potions and trials, which seem to potentially interrupt her puberty. Our Witchers are reluctant to subject her to what they went through, so she’s never put through the final trial. But this literally results in the reinforcement of Ciri’s gender by external forces. She is a woman, so that’s actually helpful under the circumstances. But. Fascinating stuff.

Sterility and Reproduction

Briefly. The novels constantly undermine the ‘replacement fear’ of dominant groups set on finding scapegoats for unsolvable problems. Witchers can’t reproduce, so they functionally adopt. Sorceresses may often be sterile too. Elves are particularly slow to reproduce. Women who aren’t mothers and men who live together and adopt and ‘others’ who are probably jealous and stealing our children… And just when you think this is a clumsy metaphor, the text smacks you with the fact that nobody reproduces as fast as regular old humans. This is explicitly about providing zero foundation for any of the bigoted anxieties around ‘nonhumans’, and the presence of sterile humans is here to complicate that very border. The text refuses to cede any quarter to attempts at justifying paranoia-fueled hatred and violence.

The Hero

Ciri is the unique point around which the novels’ tensions cohere. She loses her magical abilities in the books only to awaken to new and greater power. She’s human and nonhuman. A witcher who never completed the trials. Noble and criminal. She’s a woman who literally can’t be physically contained by this patriarchal setting. She’s entirely her own person in a world designed to break her. She’s a hero that eludes a hero’s limits over and over.

Nobody should be surprised that she’s The Witcher.

Novels in order:

Blood of Elves

The Time of Contempt

Baptism of Fire

The Tower of Swallows

The Lady of the Lake

Next Up:

I’ll do a write up with some grittier explanation for what happened between these novels and W3. The games are messy, so we’ll get into it now that you’ve got some themes and angles to roll around.

I may or may not touch on the short stories. Part of the wide misreading of the series is due to folks who’ve read a few of the stories and think that’s what it’s all about. This was also the problem with the show. Well. One of the problems.

[tieronecrush]

exile

joel miller x reader

rating: M

word count: 3.1k

summary:

i think i've seen this film before / and i didn't like the ending / i'm not your problem anymore / so who am i offending now? / you were my crown / now i'm in exile, seein' you out / i think I've seen this film before / so i'm leavin' out the side door

warnings: break up, discussion about closure or lack there of, talk about grief, death, self-doubt, self-deprecation, idk man it’s just sad

a/n: second fic for the folklore anthology!! hope you all enjoy, sorry for the sadness lol <3

It’s an early start — the crisp early spring air swirls around in gusts while the fresh blanket of dew squishes under his boots as he walks over to the stables. Lilac skies watercolor above, the last of the winter dawn painting yellowed strokes across the horizon as the sun rises, reflecting against the thirst-quenched earth.

Billows of his tepid breath puff in front of him, walking through the warmth of each exhale as he makes his way forward and across the paddock to the stalls. Rubber soles scuff onto rough concrete under the cover of the roof, neighs of horses and huffs of their breath vibrating their lips the only sound that fills his ears when he looks down the aisle to see you. Standing in the pen that holds Shimmer, Ellie’s beloved mare, you brush her chestnut coat as you prep to saddle each animal for the incoming patrol shift.

Joel meanders down the walkway over to the stable across from you that holds his own horse, Old Beardy, which he bonded with over lengthy patrol shifts. After the horse that Tommy had loaned them to reach Colorado, Callus, was killed by David and his men, Joel had chosen a similarly colored one in Old Beardy. It was another painful reminder he forced upon himself of what he had gone through — what Ellie had gone through — and what he did to get her through it. He never wanted to forget, not that he thought he ever could, and this was a small piece that added up to keep him weighed down by his choices and guilt every day.

It was that same guilt that burrows into his chest now as he looks at you while he saddles his horse. Nothing is spoken, not even a glance sent his way; completely ignored, the cold shoulder chilling him more than the early morning temperature. 

You had left him a few weeks ago now — completely blindsided him when you sat him down in his living room and broke another crack into his heart. At that point, he didn’t think it was possible to feel any more fragmented than he did for the last twenty years, but you quickly became another piece of his heart destroyed by his actions. It had to have been something he did, what it was he doesn’t have a clue. But with the way you cared for him, loved him for that fleeting time, he would have never chosen to give that up and he couldn’t see a reason why you would either.

He had to know.

It was keeping him up at night — that and his nightmares that seem to have never ceased. Around here, he doesn’t have his knockout combination of pills and alcohol to keep his ghosts at bay, so he’s faced with them every evening, creeping in along with the midnight.

You would help him, talk him through, remind him of the good in him, even though he never fully believed you.

He misses you.

He loves you.

Crossing the aisle again after slipping out of the stable of his horse, he takes a breath before leaning his arms onto the walled gate that separates the two of you. Breaking the fragile silence that floated in the air for the last few minutes, Joel speaks lowly despite you two being the only ones around.

“Morning.”

Silence.

“Need any help with the horses?”

More silence, the thud of the leather saddle being thrown over Shimmer’s back clapping in the stale air. 

He persists.

“Now I know you probably don’t wanna hear anything from me, peach, but I just gotta ask you — what happened? To us. I’ve been wracking my brain to try to figure it out, but—but I gotta admit, darlin’, I thought things were alright. That we were starting a peaceful life together.”

He lifts his arms off of the gate, standing up straight as he waves one arm out in a gesture toward his house — the house that you used to spend every single night in, the pieces of you strewn throughout. Flowers on the kitchen table, dog-eared books on the couch, clothes thrown onto the floor and into his hamper, your favorite lavender soap from the apothecary withering away in his shower marking the time you two were together. It sits untouched now, still as full as the last time you used it, another reminder of your absence.

“But then, just out of the blue, you were gone. You took just five whole minutes to neatly pack up the loose ends of us, talkin’ to me as you grabbed all your things from my house, wiping the presence of you completely. And when you left me standin’ in the hall, you left me with it, that guilt. And all I could do was just stand there with all this love that I needed to give to you, watching you walk away without any goddamn clue as to why you were leaving. It wasn’t fucking fair.”

Joel crosses the threshold of the stall, standing only a few feet away from you as his frustrations begin to fully air, slithering out of him with venom laced behind his tone. He doesn’t want to feel this angry, this upset. But this hurt in his chest hasn’t been felt for years and it’s killing him, squeezing everything in him out.

“And now,” he nearly growls out, “Now I hear around town you got some other man around for you. That you got over us so quickly, found someone new to spend your time with. Did I really mean that little? To be able to tidy up real quick and move on?”

A laugh barks out at that — he can see it on your face how ridiculous you think whatever he said, something he said in all that was. It only fuels the fire inside of him, boiling up to his ears and over to the point he must have steam coming out of him.

What the fuck was so funny?

Here he was, being honest about his feelings and you were laughing.

The steel toe of one of his boots knocks against the wooden walls as he kicks it gently, turned away as he starts to listen to you open the floodgates. Your hands pause their work, turning away from the toasted brown horse to face him fully. Hands on your hips and head tilted to one side, your stare burns the back of his neck as he stands away.

“Really, Joel? There’s nothing you can understand about why I might have left you?” Your eyebrows furrow with your own fury, deep creases that he has only seen from concern for him, his wellbeing, and Ellie’s. Anger is a new look on you, and it isn’t one he is feeling fond of causing for you. That storm of guilt rumbles inside of him; another reason to hate himself for making you feel something you rarely do, making you into something you’re not — bitter.

“Also, I don’t really think you’ve got a right to be upset with me and bringing up that stupid shit bein’ said around town. I left the bar with one guy, one time. The rumor mill snatched up that story from the few people that saw us leave. Didn’t even go home with him cause I couldn’t stop seeing you like a fucking ghost. I left and you are still consuming my brain. I still wonder every day if you’re okay; if you’re still even here.”

That whips his head over his shoulder, the fracturing of his heart felt even deeper, a cut to his bones from your words. He never knew that you knew — what he had tried years ago. Admittedly, the thought crossed his mind again once, and only once. It quickly dissipated when you stepped into his room, your tender smile eager to tell him about your day. He loved listening to you, being a sounding board and an observer. How could he ever give that up? How could he ever hurt you?

Apparently, he didn’t need to wonder anymore. He did that without even realizing it.

Mouth agape as you continue, crease between his brows shadowed as he takes a step closer to you, the pull of your red-hot rage driving him nearer to your molten center. It was the one way to feel your warmth again, even if it was more like burning at that point.

“I can’t believe that you would even give that gossip a second thought. Must be grasping at straws there. But I guess that proves my point, the reason that I left.”

You turn away to handle the animal again, shaking your head wildly and rolling your eyes at yourself. His own frustrations bubble again, another step closer as he walks around your shoulder to your field of vision. A head tilt of his own, a nonchalant shrug.

“And how do you figure that, darlin’? Please, enlighten me,” his words cut into the air, attempting to antagonize you in a subconscious effort to keep you talking, to keep you around.

“God, that’s so fucking rich coming from you, Joel. Wanting explanations, wanting me to open up so you can understand. That’s why I left. I tried so hard to get you to open up to me, to let me in, and to be even the smallest bit vulnerable. I wanted you to show me that you trusted me. When I met you before you left with Ellie, things felt different. And when you came back, you had been getting more and more closed off the longer we were spending time together. I don’t know what happened out there if something happened between you and Ellie, and I don’t need all the details, but I needed something. And I gave you so many chances — second, third, hundredth chances to give me something that could show me you trust me or could even grow to trust me, but that didn’t come. All I wanted was to help you, Joel. I care about you so much. I loved you. But it didn’t seem like you felt the same. Never told me you felt the same.”

A step away from him, arms around your chest to protect your heart — from him? From breaking again? He didn’t know you needed the words; he tried to show you through his actions, his touch, the care he took of you. Words never came easy to him, actions did.

“And now, you’re being this fucking alpha, masculine man stomping in here and talkin’ to me about how you hear I was with some guy. Actin’ like I’m just trying to make you jealous like he was some understudy or rebound. Well, nothing happened like I said, so you can wipe off the face that looks like you’re gonna go get your knuckles bloody for me.”

The crease in his brow resolves, the sour twist of his lips relaxing as he drops his head in shame. You were right, always right. He would knock the lights out of the guy if you said one more word — if you said that you had moved on for real.

“All of it, still being around you and being reminded of you all the time, it feels like I’m trying to balance again on breaking branches. And every time I see you around, in person or in my head like a shadow following me around, those eyes — your stupid brown eyes pleading with me, they just add insult to injury.”

“I wanted to help you, Joel, to just be there to help you mend, even a little bit. But you never gave me a chance.”

A sigh slips from his lips, barely audible. You turn away as he steps toward you, tender eyes and gentle touch resting on your shoulder. When you don’t recoil, one of his rough, work-worn hands grabs your chin between his thumb and index finger, turning your head to meet his eyes as he quietly speaks, lower than the whole conversation has been.

“I never knew that is what you were worried about, darlin’. I’m fine, there wasn’t anything that happened between Ellie and I ‘cept that ambush at the hospital that I told you about. I didn’t think I was actin’ any differently than before.”

A scoff, shaking your head out of his grasp and pushing your hands against his chest to separate. You slip away, crossing the stall to grab more gear to dress the horse in.

“You are unbelievable.”

Now he’s really getting annoyed.

“What? What is so unbelievable?” His voice booms, echoing a bit in the empty horse barn, biting back his tongue as you close your eyes tightly. He opens his mouth to apologize for raising his voice, but your raised hand stops him.

“It’s obvious you are not fine, Joel, and you can’t even admit it now after I’ve told you that all I wanted was for you to be open. You can stop running. Slow down. Live. You don’t have to keep punishing yourself in silence.”

He scoffs and shakes his head, looking away as he works his jaw back and forth before he turns to you again, “I couldn’t read your mind! All this time, I never learned to read your mind. I can’t read Ellie’s mind — I can’t figure it out with either of you. Two of the most important people, two of the handful of people that I am still around for, have distanced themselves from me and I can’t seem to pull myself together to figure it out. I feel like I’m drowning out here on my own and I’m not even being thrown a fucking life raft. You never gave me time to turn things around, you never gave me a warning sign of what was goin’ on.”

The tightness in your shoulders falls, curling you smaller into yourself, and there goes another crack in his heart. Broken like old pavement when the Earth shifts, takes destroying it all to rebuild it.

Tired. You look so tired, and he aches with the thought that he’s exhausted you, even away. What is he going to do if he is open with you? Isn’t he going to be more of a burden?

No, he wouldn’t let himself. He would be honest with you. But there is no expectation that he could be fixed, that you could shoulder any of this weight he’s carried for twenty years. It’s lighter to him now, endurance built to keep himself under it without getting crushed.

“Joel…I gave so many signs. I checked in with you every day, I asked you directly how you were doing. A lot of the time, after long days, you’d be so short with me. Either annoyed or just brushing me off and changing the subject. So when asking you didn’t work, I tried to open up more myself to try to get you to feel comfortable talking to me about anything. You would just listen and move on. Nothing inspired you to give me even a little sliver of yourself, of your heart. I closed myself off more and more cause it felt like I was prying with someone who couldn’t even care less about me. You didn’t even notice that we didn’t touch, we didn’t kiss, we were barely intimate with each other in those last few weeks — we completely drifted, Joel. I tried to give you so many signs before I couldn’t take it anymore. You didn’t even see the signs.”

Thoughts and memories rewind in his head like an old tape, picking up patterns in himself and in you that he has been too blind to see. All he wanted was to move on, sweep it under the rug and live whatever life he could with you, with Ellie.

“I’m sorry, peach. I am so sorry. I swear on my fucking grave that I had no idea this was all happening for you — I was too in my own head. My heart is hurtin’ so much without you around; knowing I did something to push you away. And hearing what you were holdin’ in ‘cause I was bein’ too closed, too selfish to see what was wrong? It is destroyin’ me. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I really am.”

No response is given to him. He watches as you bend your arms, lifting them to press the backs against your eyes. They turn and run over your face, an ache in him to reach his own out to pull yours away, replace them with his own to hold your beautiful face again. When he speaks up again, he sounds like a child — soft, pleading for the punishment to end.

“Could you ever, I don’t know how to ask this really, but could you ever give me another chance? Would you?”

His eyes are glossing over, vision blurring slightly at the edges as you meet his gaze. A deep, exhausted sigh rolls from your chest, head shaking back and forth as your stare leaves him, running a million yards away somewhere.

“I—God, I don’t know, Joel. It felt like I was just there to give you comfort when you wanted it, when you thought you needed it, and that was it. That was my purpose to you. That you didn’t even want to try to open up, to build trust or anything between us. Things would really have to change for me to feel ready to try again.”

Another step brings him a foot away from you, the itch in his fingers too much to ignore anymore as he guides his hand up, caressing your cheek and brushing his thumb along the line of the high bone there.

“Sweetheart, honey, I’ll be better. If you give me another chance, I’m gonna do better by you. Gonna try more. I promise, peach. I’m not gonna fuck this up.”

Eyes flutter shut under his touch, the weight of your head falling into his gentle care a bit heavier.

When they open again, he can see resolve has been built. A defensive wall put back up after leaning in too much into the temptation of jumping back into the deep end.

“Can I have some time to think about it?”

Selfishly, he wishes you would just jump, dive into his waters with him so you can offer him a lifeline.

“Of course, peach. You come ‘round whenever you wanna talk. I’m gonna be there for you. Whenever.”

His lips press to your hairline, large hand stroking at the back of your head before he pulls away and exits the stall, crossing over to lead Old Beardy out of the stables to mount for patrol.

With his back to you, he doesn’t see the shaky breath you take, composure crumbling as you lean your head against the leather saddle, teardrops littering the surface.

taglist: @wannab-urs @atinylittlepain @bearsbeetsbeskar @serenaxpedro @casa-boiardi @rav3n-pascal22 @dinsdjrn @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog @johnwatsn @amanitacowboy @leeeesahhh @isitmelookin4u @javiscigarette @mrsyixingunicorn10 @sugarspiceanthrax @orphanbird95 @space-cowboy-like-me @tuquoquebrute @rsquared31 @morning-star-joy @canseethebrushstrokes @atremises @sstarboy777 @undrthelights @butiknewyoudlinger @dayrdreaming @disassociation-daydreams @joelsversion @ginger-swag-rapunzel @mydailyhyperfixations @diamndx @mingiast @kdogreads @blxsphemy7 @marchai @littlevenicebitch69 @ghostofbrock @iwrotethissky @ladynightingale @jksprincess10 @swiftispunk @pr0ximamidnight @beskarandblasters @northernbluess

[laismoura-art]

I love the Guaraná plant!!! It's so weird and somewhat freaky!! It doesn't even look real! I want one so bad! 😂 You don't only have amazing myths, you also have an amazing fauna!

You have a really cool take on Delia's godhood, especially her rise towards it. It's a good callback to her OG status as a normal edenian to her new one as a goddess.

I wonder if the hordes of darkness she and the other sorceresses had to face were a result of Shinnok somehow. I mean, he is the Elder God of death, darkness and corruption after all.

This got me wondering about your god hierarchy because from what I get, in your AU there are only gods, not elder gods. So does Shinnok exist? Is he still a god and Cetrion's brother? IIRC, his amulet appears in MK1 but only because it was brought from another timeline and I wonder what Liu Kang did to Shinnok (was it said???) because you can't just erase death y'know?? 😭

Hi Rasta! Thanks for the ask!!💕

YEEEES! Guaraná is a true national GEM!💚

And we gotta love a hard-core backstory, like, "grown out of a dead child's eyes and watered with mourning tears??" Who gave this little plant the right to be this edgy??😂😂

If you're interested in a taste, Guaraná makes a delicious soda! (You can find it in France (I searched))

And if you're also interested in our folklore, I highly recommend the series "Invisible City" on Netflix! It, unfortunately, only had two seasons but it's great to get to know some of our myths!

My absolute favourite character is Inês, the Cuca! Her myth comes from this lullaby:

"Sleep little baby, that the Cuca is coming to get you. Father went to the fields and mom left for work. Bogeyman, get off the roof, let the little baby sleep soundly."🎶

She's also a powerful witch with an alligator's face! Though in the series, she has a regular face and a butterfly motif rather than an alligator's. But the most important is: She is a QUEEN!

She steals the show and will steal your heart! 👑

Alessandra Negrini rocked in this role!💕💕💕

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Ok, back to Delia!

I was so hoping the Brazilian folklore inspired origin would catch your eye and I'm so glad it did! 💚💛 I highly appreciate you reading through my walls of texts and finding amusement in them!

In general I'm glad you liked the result!!🥹❤️

And now, regarding the Gods/Elder Gods:

There are two types of gods: The ones who are born Gods, such as Argus and Cetrion. And the ones who ascended into Godhood, such as Delia and Asgaarth!

Godly-borns spawn into existence according to their realms necessities. Outworld lived in darkness, so the God of Light and Fire was born and Earthrealm needed to bear life, so the Goddess of Life, Light and Virtue was born!

Meanwhile Ascended Gods were once mortal beings who sacrificed themselves for their people and were gifted Godhood. Their godly blessings allow them to offer their people what they need the most to survive and prosper.

Delia's people needed a more constant light and protection from the hordes of darkness, so she was gifted the sun and through it, she helped her people.

In life, Asgaarth was the advisor of the First Edenian Queen, Mimh (who's soul nowadays rests in the oldest tree of the Living Forest), he ascended after dying protecting a group of wanderers. He became the God of Wind and Patron of Travellers and graced the wanderers, who had accepted him as one of their own and also pleaded the gods to take him, with powerful wings (and other bird features) that would allow them to travel far and safe!

It is an unspoken rule that Ascended Gods have a closer relationship with the mortals and get to handle their affairs more often. Godly-borns tend to keep a safe distance as they lack a certain empathy only mortals possess.

The only exception is Cetrion, who tried to be a more present Goddess and directly serve her Realms residents.

I've been pondering for a while on how much of the previous timeline and Kronika Cetrion remembers, and through her redesign I think I got my answers! She remembers everything! And she's doing her hardest to go against her mother's desings for her (like I said, it's her rebellious phase, lol)

Which is why she decided to stay closer to the Ascended Gods instead, to learns from them and ultimately grow closer to the mortals under her protection. Acting as such granted her the trust and devotion of the Shirai family and all the women who would become the Order of Cetrion!

Liu Kang is an Ascended God but he pretends to be a Godly-born, because he doesn't want risk anyone finding out about his past as Time Keeper. Cetrion knows, obviously, but she keeps secret. She also knows about Geras still being around and helping but both avoid each other cause they aren't yet ready to talk about their past with Kronika.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Gods may be called "Elder Gods" but not because they rank above other Gods, but because they are literally older, lol! It's the same as calling an elder "sir/mr/mrs" it's just a formality (though when Cetrion calls Argus that, she means it in a derogatory way, lmao)

No God, Ascended or Godly-born, is above other. They are all equals!

Regarding on whether Shinnok is alive or not:

I'm not sure about canon, Liu said Shinnok’s Amulet "wasn't supposed to exist" and it could imply either that Shinnok specifically doesn't exist (and maybe there's a new God of Death) or that he hasn't turned evil yet!

Personally I like both ideas and could be open to either! But my main idea is that Shinnok himself doesn't exist as a deity but parts of his being are still present and manifesting in other ways, such as the hordes of darkness! (Because indeed, ou can't just erase death)

Plus, I have an old theory that the New Era also suffers with Canon Events 🎸 and as much as he tries, Liu can't just erase certain things and they end up manifesting in other ways (the Tarkatans, the Shirai Ryu vs the Lin Kuei, Hanzo and Takeda as Shirai Ryu, Tomas as a Lin Kuei, etc, etc) some things are just inevitable and they will happen one way or another, you know?

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Okay, that's what I have for now! Hope it answers your questions (and raise some more cause I love to talk about this AU) and more importantly, hope you enjoy the reading!💕

@mikka-minns @thedragonholder @orbitinytheworld @madamealtruist You girls would like some godly lore?👀

[evermorethecrow]

what is evermores favorite part of designing a chuuya, just in general. what part of the process, or of his appearance?

deffinetly gotta be giving him long hair n tits /hj

my general process is really odd the image kinda just appears in my head and i improve upon it later??? when it comes to like themed chuuyas (catboy chu, demon chuu) i get inspo from their surrounding folklore

oh also like video games , bloodborne inspires me a LOT

when i have a sorta idea ill use one of my bases and run wild

(used for when i have looser ideas as its a very simplified figures and one off aus)

vampire au chuuya + ability swap chuuya pictured L2R

au wip currently unreleased

charecter planner 2 i use it for more complex designs mostly when i have a good idea of what i want in mind though i havent used it in a WHile and it needs a redraw o(￣┰￣*)ゞ

used for demon chuuya and a few others i cant be bothered 2 search for rn

my typical process is making a sorta ideas refrences moodboard and working around that??

a few charecter planning projects i have ^^^

as for colour paletes i tend to either make them up or colour pick from irl images ( i also occasionally work with manga chuuyas colour scheme, like with 22 crychu and ability swap au chuuya, pictured below)

(hey look its the base again)

my Other method is just sketching a ton in an irl sketchbook thats what i did with the fem crychu i forgot to post

here she is ^^

but yeah thats pretty much all i can think to explain rn 〒▽〒

my apologies if its hard to follow ≡(▔﹏▔)≡

[blazescompendium]

Blaze's Compendium Entry #6: Helmet is required to deal with the Muh Shubuu.

Warning: Faith and religion are important real life topics, that tackles the culture and way of life of millions of real life people. It is a cultural expression, and must be respected by all means. Here, we use a video-game series only to ignite the flame of learning about the matter, using its art when well depicted, but we do this with all due respect to the cultures we talk here, grounded by real life sources, cultures and people. And i mean this with respect. Hope you all enjoy.

Moh Shubuu, or Moh Shuvuu is a fantastical creature from the Buryati Folclore, nomadic people from Asia in a region between Siberia and Mongolia. Their are treated like a Mythological bird, that is born when a young girl or young woman dies by violent means, without knowing true love. (This can imply chastity, but it will vary in how explicit it says it). Normally, Moh Shubuu will attack man that she could seduce using her young girl looks, bringing the victim to isolated areas of the desert and killing them with a blow to their head, using their ominous sharp beak. Then she would proceed to suck and consume the brain matter out of the person.... Yikes.

According to sources (as always, will be in the boton) There are other ways for a Moh Shubuu to be born, we will explore those later.

This is one of those legends that, finding a single western source on it is way harder than actually understanding it. Not even Wikipedia is of any help here (That is, if it was of any help, any time). The only real English source i was able to locate was a book: ''Christian Demonology and Popular Mythology, Central European, 2006''. Although this book was a verifiable source, it was not from much help because of the biased view of the tale, from a Christian perspective. Which is not exactly wrong. There's whole fields of theology dedicated to this , but we gotta exercise the Methodological Agnosticism here, which means i can't analyze a culture going from other completely biased point of view, but rather try to see by the eyes of said people considering their time and space, which is also not a easy task by any means.

Moh Shubuu hides her beak with her hands, and sleeves.

The book offers little to no insight about more than what is commonly associated with the Moh Shubuu. The western internet is filled with texts and people talking about this legend, in the way i told above. But the creature name gets a bit confusing. Usually, in the west people call it Moh Shuvuu, but it seems this is a western way of spelling the name, which is actually Moh Shubuu or Moh Shubuun. This means literally somehting like ''Evil Bird'' According to most sources, but i was unable to independent verify this claim. So, take it with a bit of salt. I am sure though, that this could not be so much far away from what it really is.

Going by Muh Shubuun or Moh Shubuu makes it more easier to research it, in Russian the name is spelled like: Муу шубуун. In using this language, there is a good amount of sources going from sites that talk about mythology, to museum pages in general, to books. This did not surprised me, because Buryatia being part of Russian territory for centuries now, and Moh Shubuu being a relatively obscure, and oral folklore, makes it very niche to research indeed. Specially from a culture which is in high danger of disappearing. [2]

But by far, the most complete work in Buryatian culture research i was able to find, comes from a renowned Russian folklorist: Matvey Nikolaevich (1858-1918). His work is extensive and very detailed, he spent his life and career studying and documenting Buryati culture. Matvey was celebrated in his time by his expeditions to Buryati settlements to study their culture, and he was elected in 1888 as a member of the Russian Geographic Society. So much so, that a Museum in Buryatia is named after him, and display many of his belongings and researches there. (Linked source, and Museum)

If you happen to speak Russian, and is interested in learning more about Buryatian Folklore, culture and more i heavily suggests you to read more of Matvey books. As for me, i do not speak Russian, so i am relying in software translations. If you notice anything wrong, please let me know!

I can't go too deep in his work here, because our main goal here is to explore the Muh Shubuu lore. Luckily for us, Matvey catalogued this very tale (along with another multitude of Buryati folklore) in some of his work. Here, i will use as a basis his book:

‘’Хангалов М.Н. Собрание сочинений в 3 т. Т.3. / Под ред. Г.Н.Румянцева.-Улан-Удэ: Изд-во ОАО «Республиканская типография», 2004.- (Reprint)’’

Translated roughly as:

‘’Khangalov M.N. Collected works in 3 vols. T.3. / Ed. G.N. Rumyantsev.-Ulan-Ude: Publishing House of JSC "Republican Printing House", 2004. (Reprint)’’

This work was originally published between 1889 to 1903, in 3 volumes focusing on Buryati Folklore. Sadly, i could not locate this book anywhere on the web, at least not using software translation and all my power to do so, i could not locate a physical copy of easy access for me. But, luckily the book is partially transcribed in many web pages and that's how i guided myself.

So, about the Muh Shubuu!

There are some legends Matvey catalogued about this demon in Buryati folklore, but they vary a bit. This can be because of the nomadic nature of the Buryati people, and how the tale can evolve and change between groups and settlement. But nevertheless, the essence is still the same. Here are some tales that Matvey could comply about the Muh Shubuu:

There is, for instance the tale of a young couple, that went to live in the woods together. Sadly the man dies from illness shortly after, leaving his wife alone and depressed. The woman could not bear the loss of her husband, and was driven into madness. During this time, she decides it is a good idea to consume the dead decaying liver of her late husband. After that, she dies as well.

The woman's soul is back as a Mu Shubuun, because of her terrible act. Still according to this particular legend, this demon can change forms into different types of birds. (like some kind of warebird) But, when she transforms back to her more humanoid form, only the beak will remain. (Some times, this beak is described like her lips) The beak will always be visible, no matter how many times she transforms back.

Another tale tells about a hunter, who was hunting alone in the desert. (or woods, depending on the mood of my translation software) After taking a rest, a young woman approaches him. She starts to kick a conversation, cracking jokes, and getting along with the hunter. He noticed that the woman always tried to hid her lower face with her sleeves, and found it suspicious. He notices this is a Mu Shubuu, and asks her to get logs to the fire he is preparing. She goes, and while she's away, the hunter puts some branches and his stuff into his blanket to give the impression he is sleeping in it.

When the demon returns, she thinks the tired hunter was sleeping already, and she could finally attack. She jumped in the blanked with her beak, stabbing the branches and logs he put inside it, and it got stuck. That's when the hunter shoots the thing down with his gun. After that, he burns the remains in a fire.

This story is particularly interesting, because it involves guns, so it was probably not that old. At least this version, it could have changed with the years, with regular weapons becoming guns, once they were invented and got popular. Or... My translation software got something as an bow and arrow as a gun.

This tale also makes clear that the creature was about to kill the hunter, with her classical ''beak to the head'' and would probably consume his brain matter. But there is evidence Mu Shubuu diet consisted of more than just brains. like the woman in the first tale eating the liver of her husband.

This amazing artwork was made by NATZ they are amazing, and let us use it to illustrate this text. Go check them out! I am a big fan!

In another tale, there is also other person who win in a fight against this demon by getting her stuck in a tree. This seemed to be enough to the creature promise not to bother anyone anymore.

Matvey also complied the information that, some tales described that Mu Shubuu had two ''flints'' with them, usually in their armpits. The right one is a bright red flint, very good looking. The other one is a decayed and rotten tool. The disgusting one is the one to destroy, or take from the creature, because it is linked to her vital forces, it seems. During a fight, Mu Shubuu will try to convince you that the red one is better, but this is a trap. This flint will weaken you instead, making you the easiest prey to this demon.

Buryat knife with a suspension, a tube, a pouch, a flint. Silver, coral, malachite, mahogany, leather, hardened steel, corals, chasing, punching, forging. I dont know, but maybe this legends of a ''flint'' could be referring to the tools here.

There is also the implication that there are male Mu Shubuun as well! According to Matvey there was a tale about a forest where lots of Mu Shubuun inhabited, and they always caused mayhem in the region, attacking and eating people's brains.

One day, a warrior decided to go there, and was (surprise surprise) attacked by a Mu Shubuun. In this story, the flint version was accounted for, and the warrior win the fight taking the ugly looking flint from the demon. But, she ends up fleeing.

The man follows the creature trail up to a well, where he found not only the female Mu Shubuun that attacked him, but a male Mu Shubuun. It was the male that convinced the guy not to harm them, explaining that attacking humans was an habit of the female Mu Shubuun only. As a way to apologize, the couple of demons teach the man how to defend himself from their relatives, using magical phrases. I could not translate them very well using software, but in Russian it goes as:

‘’Хадалан долон - Хадалаевы семеро

Хамнагахи найман - Хамнагановы восьмеро’’

Female and (possible) male Mu Shubuun from the game Blood Brothers. I like this interpretation very much, because of the bloody beak.

This tales are interestng, because they are very small but they manage to convey a lot about this creature, which is sadly not very much available to western sources. It is evident that in Buryatia, this is a relatively known folkloric tale, and in Russia and Eurasia it was spread by books and the internet, much before the demon was explored in the Shin Megami Tensei series.

For instance, the Irkutsk City Museum, in Russia has a page dedicated to Buryati culture, and also shows some Mu Shubuun texts. Irkutsk is not in Buryatia, rather is a bit north, after the Baikal lake that separates Buryatia from the rest of Russia. But it is close enough to have some cultural connections.

(Again, i am not going too deep into the Buryati belief system as a whole. Not only because that's not the foccus here, but because it would need much more research. If you want me to talk about more of this culture in the future, let me know!)

Much is talked about the Buryatian Shamanism when talking about the Buryatian folklore. This was present in Matvey's work, as well in official government sources as the Irkutsk Museum. This Shamanistic culture often deals with lots of problematic spirits. Those are usually translated as bad spirits, ghosts, or even demons. This means our little devil bird girl is not alone in this pantheon. Just to be brief about some other Buryatian mystical creatures:

Ada: A spirit that manifests itself as a small crature with only one eye, and one teeth. Their mouth is on her lower jaw. Can appear as a dog, children or even inflate itself as a balloon. (This one is specifically creepy, and it is also cited by Matvey works)

Anakhai: Also spotted on the before told sources, this is a cyclop-like creature that attacks children.

Ezykhe: A spirit that causes harm to domestic animals. Usually it appears as a decaying old hag, that steals cow's milk. This can cause malnutrition to calfs, and even death of livestock.

The Buryati usually are practitioners of Tengrism. This is a belief system that is sustained by the relationship with the Earth, being protected by it and the ancient spirits. It is interesting that, in some sources the Tengrists believe that the skeleton is sacred, because it stores a part of the Soul. They went as far as to not damage animal bones during sacrificial rituals. So, since Mu Shubuun has to break open the skull to eat its prey's brain, i wonder if it is seen as a even more evil act by them. [sourced by Buryati Religion and Society’ from Lawrence Krader, 1954]

As is the case with any culture, we need to know a bit of the time and place to understand the collective consciousness that give birth to such myths. The Buryatia territory as a place and the way of life of the Buryati people is essential to this mixture. For instance, being nomadic people that relies a lot in livestock and surviving the harsh Eurasian deserts and the SIberian tundra, the worst fears would often be dictated by those essential pillars of their lifes.

A creature that can slowly kill your livestock? A predatory demon that kills you alone in the desert, sucking your brains? Those were real fears. It is hard to dive deeper into Buryati culture in this text, because it is just a crop honestly, but is also very important to remind ourselves that the Buryati are a diverse people, and some behaviors, tales and even words can change from place to place.

There is definitively a lot to learn from their culture, and a lot to preserve. Being endangered to disappear, it is always interesting to spread the word to more people that could study and preserve Buryati history.

If you are interested, i can recommend also the paper ‘’Buryati Religion and Society’ from Lawrence Krader, published originally in 1954. It is not perfect, and it is pretty old, but it is a good start! It is one of the few English sources about Buryatian culture out there.

Mu Shubuun is a very interesting case of a regional folklore making a trip from it's mother culture and ending up appearing in pop culture. Even with UN classifying the Buryati language to be highly in risk to be extinct, this predatory bird devil ended up in games and known in many parts of the world. In SMT for instance, she ranked 9th as the most popular demon in recent years, as well is a recurrent character in almost every franchise release since the 1990s.

Kazuma Kaneko's design is great for me, because it interprets the beak as disguised as the creature hair, or is it hair and just looks like a beak? That is the magic of his take on the creature. I am just curious on how he got to this specific folklore in the first place.

Kaneko took inspiration from Buryati female clothes when designing Mu Shubuun appearance! Very neat. SMT Moh Shubuu lacks the beak, but its hair its styled like a bird's beak, head and wings in a very cool nod to its nature.

It is fascinating to think this happened, but it got me thinking that Mu Shubuun was a product of a culture, and real people that lived by this for centuries. As the warning says in the start of the text, we can use popular media to spark a flame of interest in the matter, but this has to be done with all due respect.

The next paragraphs are based on my personal opinions upon studying this tale extensively. But you feel free to disagree with me, or even correct me!

In my personal belief, Mu Shubuun is one of those Folkloric cautionary tales. Not only not to wander alone in the desert, which could be fatal by very real means, but also that violence against the more vulnerable could have consequences. In the case of Young Woman, this could end up as a Muh shubuu coming to enact her revenge.

Another personal observation of mine: The creature carrying flints reminded me of the old Korean tradition of young virgin woman carrying daggers in her clothes (usually in their arms as well), so they could commit suicide if endangered to be sexually harassed. [1] This could be nothing related, but i thought about it immediately after noticing the flint trope with Moh Shubuu.

As why the bird connection, i really can't say for sure. Probably because raptor birds could be menacingly common, around. But i should study Buryati culture deeper in order to be more accurate about it. End of my personal opinions

Be any reason why this tale survived centuries and ended up here, in the internet, videogames, and other works, is a mystery to me. Maybe the idea of a vengeful spirit taking her grudge on male society is alluring to some, maybe it was because Kazuma Kaneko really did an amazing design, and maybe it is because there is something about regional tales, folklore and beliefs that really fascinate some of us. Some distortions may have occurred in the way, but it is also part of this process. To me, it is important that Buryati traditions and culture can be preserved, and for many, Mu Shubuun is the link to this cosmos. That is a very interesting thing, and i am quite fascinated by it as well.

Thank you for reading up until here!

Sources:

-Matvey, Collected works Volume 3, pages 25 to 26 (reprinted in 2004) - (Хангалов М.Н. Собрание сочинений в 3 т. Т.3. / Под ред. Г.Н.Румянцева.-Улан-Удэ: Изд-во ОАО «Республиканская типография», 2004.- С.25-26’’)

-Irkutsk City Museum

-Buryati Religion And Society, Lawrence Krader 1954. (Sadly paywall...)

[1] - Korean Perceptions of Chastity ceptions of Chastity, Gender Roles, and Libido; F , Gender Roles, and Libido; From Kisaengs to the Twenty First Century (This one is just to back my claim about similarities)

[2]- The troubled state of the Buryati language today, Dulma Batorova

[arlechinav-blog]

Krotala of the Cult of Artemis (Part I)

The wider cult of Artemis has and had a lot of dances. Probably more than any other cult I have been able to track, though the combined Mountain Mothers (Ida, Rhea, Kybele, et al) constitute a close second place on that. The above video here is my version of the Orphic Hymn to Artemis. It utilizes a musical structure that you can still find today in Southern Italy, known as a tammurriata rhythm. Tammurriata rhythms go with a dance by the same name that is played on wooden nacchere (aka castanets). These are a more modern tool variation on the ancient Hellenic krotala, which were a pair of wooden clackers held in the hands and used in dances relating to both the Cult of Artemis and the Cult of Dionysos. Depending on where you look in the Hellenic diaspora, the modern surviving tool of choice for this is either a set of wooden spoons or some form of castanet--pretty much always made of wood though sometimes large nut shells are also an option. I have added a video of the way the spoons should be played with this below. I went with wooden spoons because they tend to be a bit more accessible.

The song itself should be sung in the high voice, which resonates at the back of the throat. This is quite different from the open throated falsetto. It is a very specific folkloric way of singing, used commonly in pan Mediterranean styles of polyphonic chant. It doesn't matter where your natural range is, everyone is expected to be able to sing in both a high and low voice depending on the subject matter of the music. For Artemis, that is pretty much always going to be in the high voice. If you are not familiar with how this sounds, it can take some getting used to. I promise my vocalizations were intentional. lol Original Lyrics (with melodic breaks): Κλῦθί μευ, ὦ βασίλεια, / Διὸς πολυώνυμε κούρη, Τιτηνίς, βρομίη, μεγαλώ/νυμε, τοξότι, σεμνή, πασιφαής, δαιδοῦχε, / θεά / Δίκτυννα, λοχείη, ὠδίνων ἐπαρωγὲ, / καὶ ὠδίνων ἀμύητε· λυσίζωνε, φίλοιστρε, κυνη/γέτι, λυσιμέριμνε, εὔδρομος, ἰοχέαιρα, / φιλαγρότι, νυκτερόφοιτε, κλεισίη, εὐάντητε, / λυτηρίη, ἀρσενόμορφε, ὀρθίη, ὠκυλόχεια, / βροτῶν κουροτρόφε δαῖμον, ἀγροτέρη, χθονίη, / θηροκτόνος, ὀλβιόμοιρε· ἣ κατέχεις ὀρέων δρυμούς, / ἐλαφηβόλε, σεμνή, πότνια, παμβασίλεια, / καλὸν θάλος αἰὲν ἐοῦσα· δρυμονία, σκυλακῖτι, / Κυδωνιάς, αἰολόμορφε. ἐλθέ, θεὰ σώτειρα, / φίλη, μύστῃσιν ἅπασιν, εὐάντητος, ἄγουσα καλοὺς / καρποὺς ἀπὸ γαίης, εἰρήνην τ’ ἐρατὴν καλλι/πλόκαμόν θ’ ὑγίειαν· πέμποις δ’ εἰς ὀρέων κεφαλὰς / νούσους τε καὶ ἄλγη.

Now for a bit more about krotala!

These are all variations of ancient krotala, for those of you who are into woodworking and reconstruction.

I love this last sketch especially because that is definitely me on the right with the big stick, marking time on the ground while my dance students are trying to remember where feet go with this one. We do hand and foot things together with this one! Gotta work on that coordination.

Hand clackers are not all alike. The specific type of hand clacker used in each dance is linked directly to specific cults. The wooden variety are related to the Cults of Dionysos and Artemis. The above are all Artemesian images. I'll add some Dionysian images below so you can see the difference.

Context clues are everything, folks.

Fun Fact! The paired krotala dances of the ancient world were considered very sexy. This whole dance family was based on martial arts training, self-defence (trading and blocking blows, building confidence), and courtship. These things all went together. Young girls were trained to dance-fight from a young age and then this dance was used by those looking for a mate to have a socially acceptable mode of public courtship. So, somehow the idea of this dance came to be equated with young people out looking to get busy married. Once married, girls transitioned from the Cult of Artemis to the Cult of Dionysos and they took the dances that they had studied their entire lives up to that point right on over to this next phase of life.

To be continued...

[cerberus253]

Hi there! One question

How do you think it would be like if the entities or creatures from folklores were to be real? Likely in jca

Like a alternative universe with the demon sorcerers being forced to live with the chans (which can be quite chaotic)

But with they meeting the folklore beings, such as from both american and brazilian folklore (the brazilian one i would recomend watching videos in english or with subtitles)

Such as they meeting saci, caipora, headless donkey, curupira, boitatata, dry body (translation from "corpo seco") cuca, capelobo, and the pink dolphin.

(Also, rest, drink water, and take your time and be sure to not over-work yourself, and i hope you have a good day, also, i love your posts♡)

Apparently in the JCA comics, Drago sometimes encounters other fantasy crits, like the Horned Serpent in Native American folklore. I'm not sure if there was any Brazilian ones, though.

Anyway, let's set the Plot: The Demon Sorcerers have been cursed into little dolls (aside from Drago, he is Jade Size because I feel like that would piss him off more) until they learned to stop being racist assholes and do something good for humanity. They are kept under Lock and Key in Section 13, only let out when the Chans and the S-13 people need help taking down powerful, malicious beasts of myth that the Demons took down long, long ago, earning their place as Sorcerers and god-like beings amongst mortals. Somehow, these monsters have come back, terrorizing all life on Earth. Although the Demons would rather watch humanity go down in flames, that means there would be nobody to break their curse, nobody to rule, and be at the mercy of said Beasts. Welp, gotta team up, I guess...

My guess it would go like this: Each country the Demon is well acquainted with, and their respective Monster that came loose, would join them so as to help with defeating it again. Uncle is a huge help due to his Chi Magic, but he still needs assistance from the Demons because the knowledge on the Monsters aren't well known to man (meaning whatever Monster is free isn't your everyday Bigfoot, Faerie, Hulijing, Encanto, Grootsland, Bunyip, etc, it's something that's reeeaaally old and obscure).

Maybe along the way the Demons Sorcerers can finally get a look at humanity in the present day and admire their advancements and think about how they can incorporate it all into their (wannabe) future Rule. Realistically, I don't think they'd have a "newfound respect" for humans, but if the show were to do this, I think they would go that route. Drago and Jade might have gotten to really know each other and realize they're not so different form each other. Heck, they may even become frenemies.

[clever-and-unique-name]

[sends hugs] I've been thinking of you even though (or especially) you haven't been online as much 🥰🥰🥰

Also, as a more specific ask, what are your favorite things about Okami? Would you recommend it? (Also, cost and least favorite parts of it? I'm assuming it's a video game, and I always like to hear about your game reviews!)

Uhhh forgot the secret third thing.... ahhhhh... got any favorite things you're looking forward to or happy that you've done recently? <3

Anni <333 hi you are so cute thank you ilu!

okami is a rly rly rly pretty game, both graphically and sound-wise. it's 3d but really creatively mimics sumi-e style painting, the whole game is very lovingly steeped in japanese folklore, it's silly and fun and heartwarming and it has a good story. and!! you get to play as a wolf goddess whose entire Thing is restoring nature and who is also a silly little guy who is just Over doing deity things!!

idk what its cost is now, there's been multiple HD releases in the past couple years on different platforms, we played the original on PS2 yearsss ago so idk how it holds up on like the switch or something

least favorite part was the "voices" for characters, i can only describe it as "like animal crossing but Annoying." but i read that in HD releases there's an option to turn dialogue sounds off so!

and idk some of the silly joke humor might turn people away (bc it can get. Very Silly sometimes) but i always found it either harmless or fun

OH but there's an entire game mechanic around Finding and Feeding Wild Animals and there's a whole cute little cutscene and then they LOVE you afterwards and you can pick some of them up and carry them around and!!! it's so cute!!!!

-------

umm i am looking forward to this week being over, there's a lotta rly stressful things in the next couple days to do but then we don't have to worry abt them anymore so that'll be nice u_u; gotta renew our medical license thingies and do other big adulty stuff

time is a blur, we were super sick last week (and are still kinda sick but #Recovering), so am hoping we can find some time to do some art with the time we have off friday/saturday. bc we are now picking up overtime hours tomorrow. idk. work part wisdom or something :x

[intertexts]

HIIII ROS HI HI HI still truckin througj the last half hour of my shift i was absolutely DELIGHTED 2 SEE UR WILLIAM AND DAKOTA ART THEYRE SO FUCKING CUUUUTE. boys forever i love them

ABYWAY ANYWAY. now that youre in party hell i wanted 2 pick ur brain a little i wanna know ur thoughts . do u have anyyyy theories or thoughts 👀 about vyncents powers or williams dorito fever dream or just in general hehe . putting u in a jar under a magnifying glass and feeding u a drop of plankton water like youre a baby seahorse (<< guy whos seahorses had babies today. proud father momence)

oh my god. gets fucking put in a jar under a magnifying glass blhhhhrghghghghbhgh >_< also OMG........... CONGRATS ON THE SEAHORSE BABIES!!!! what do seahorse babies look like. are they like fully formed or some larval shit like newborn puppies???

anyway YEAH i DO have thoughts!!!! SO many thoughts, even!!

okkk ok ok. about vyncents powers....... first i thought he was some alien superman type situation. because of the whole deal. nowwwww i really do think he reverse isekai'd from like a classic high fantasy jrpg ass world.. i think he like touched the forbidden artifact or got hit by the fantasy truck and got shoved into this world & it sucks. i DONT know if hes human or like some type of creature. about his powers & his fucking multiclass thing???? i have NO CLUE DUDE!!!!! ngl its giving like system egg. ohhh sorry yeah sometimes i just become a whole different person who dresses different and acts different its not a big thing dw about it. or like..... i was considering some type of warlock deal possession situation also but apparently he JUST BECAME the party city warlock?? so i have NO clue.

WILLIAM DORITO FEVER DREAM.. (<- none of these words r in the bible) OK. my first thought IS my head shoots up like a cat hearing the treat bag rustle or like a 2016 emo at the g note at hearing the unravel op......... man i wonder why that specific song for this one specific questionably alive kid with fucked up death powers. this couldnt mean anything!! im sure there arent any impies (fucked up way of saying implications) (GOD the irreparable harm that quencies meme did 2 my vocabulary) anyway my first question about this motherfucker is IS HE DEAD OR NOT. IS HE ALIVE. IS HE IN SOME FUCKED UP LIMINAL STATE BETWEEN THE TWO. schrodingers wiwi. the forest part of the dream sequence stuck out 2 me re: the will-o'-the-wisp-- idk if it's like a textual folkloric thing or my personal associations or what, i dont wanna look it up rn, but i've always associated them with forests + the of course leading astray thing. slightly more meta but also like the uhhhh idiomatic meaning of the phrase as one of the stupid wishful goals u gotta follow even though itll fuck you up? that might b a bit of a reach though since he really is very like textually just. ghost shit. the "man on a paper throne" image DID make me sit up & take note as did the inability 2 turn tangible again but i dont know enough yet 2 make any conjectures!!!! ok ok i thinkkk thats it for noww <3333

[fandomhop]

hello friend, what is fable? you seem to like it a lot and i gotta be honest i dont know the first thing about it. now,, i COULD ask google but i think that you could explain it better mhm mhm

[Oh boy! /affectionate]

[So, in a general, overall statement, Fable is a series of games from the 2000's-2010's. It's a quintessential bit of adventure fantasy, and totally progressive of its time.]

[Fable, as a whole, is about making your own sort of path within the story, and having your actions reflected on the world and yourself. It has a cool morality morphing system where, when you do something good or bad, not only does it affect the funny lil' NPCs around you, but it also reflects on your body. Do enough good actions, your complexion becomes glowing and you have a halo, do enough bad and you become more demonic looking.]

[There's actually both a deep and semi-shallow amount of lore. The first game was deffo built upon the bending and twisting of stories and folklore- you know, fables- and the games after followed along centuries after that, showing a world trying to grow past it's story built roots, but not being completely rid of them, even as technology grows and advances.]

[It's also British as hell. But, like, in a fun way! There's a fun and wonderful mix of light and darkness, sincerity and satire, sadness and humour. There's these beasties called Hobbes that are these sorta ugly things that act silly in and out of combat, but they also eat human flesh and are rumored to turn children into them. Some of them turn into kamikazes and they like teddy bears.]

[Also you can kick chickens (they're fine, don't worry about it, they have reinforced feathers)]

[Your character is a Hero (with the capital H), a person who is born to be able to deal with the struggles of protecting or commanding respect of the common man. You can wield and utilize Strength, Skill and Will, the trio of combat skills. The combat is a bit simple, but it's also fun and easy to get into. You can also upgrade with experience points to get better with your weapons and will powers.]

[I think the story, world, and characters of Fable: The Lost Chapters are extremely iconic, but the character building and development starts to really shine in the later games. All the games have wonderful setting appearance, though. Looking at pictures of Fable are these beautiful settings and desktop/screen background worthy scenes. The people look a bit silly, though.]

[Also? This game series is also progressive bc of its LGBT+ rep. The first game got called out for letting the male only player Hero marry a man, so the next game include bisexuals. Fable 3 lets you adopt children, regardless of your spouse's gender. There's a potion that lets you trans your gender (available only once in a quest after the main quest) and no one bats an eye to it (if you have a straight spouse, they won't immediately divorce you as long as you treat them well, but they won't have sex either.) There's a quest where you help out a guy find a suitor who is secretly gay, and the end of the quest is him coming out to his dad and being accepted. You can wear clothes of either gender, and get tattoos, hair, and facial hair regardless of your sex. (there is a cross-dressing statistic, but the Brits love a bit of cross-dressing humour.)]

[Now, I will not lie and say that they are perfect games, there are some flaws with them, and Fable 3 gets a bit of a bad rap for it's heavy streamlining, but I can genuinely say that these games are cherished a lot. Fable 2 is my go-to favourite game ever, and every once and a blue moon, I will be revitalized with a longing for the series. If you wanna get into it, I think it's a fun time for an old-ish game, and I really hope the new one that's coming out in {*looks at wrist*} the-yet-to-be-announced-future will be as cherishable, even if it's slightly different.]

[Also? Like, every time I (re)enter an interest/fixation, I make a little Fable AU in my head to consider what kind of heroes the characters might be.]

[asia2023animationgirl]

@jamalwhite12 I made part 4 of The Mystery Kids!

Chapter 4: The Secret of the Tiki Monsters

The next morning, the Mystery Kids gathered at the Luau Cabana Cafe, buzzing with anticipation. Valerie, their fearless leader, stood up and addressed the group.

"Okay, team, we've got some promising leads on these Tiki Monsters, but we need to dig deeper. I think it's time we paid a visit to the local elder, Kapono, who might have some insights into the cultural significance of these creatures."

Jason, ever the adventurer, perked up. "Sweet! I'm ready to uncover some ancient Hawaiian secrets. Spot's coming too, right?" He looked down at his loyal dog, who barked in agreement.

Kip, the resident science enthusiast, nodded thoughtfully. "That's a great idea, Valerie. If we can understand the Tiki Monsters from a cultural perspective, it might help us figure out why they're causing so much trouble."

Sydney chimed in, her fashion-forward mind already whirring. "And maybe we can find some cool Hawaiian-inspired outfits to wear for the occasion. Gotta look our best to impress the elder, you know?"

Lizzy, the newcomer from Tokyo, smiled warmly. "I'm sure Kapono will be happy to share his knowledge with us. The Tiki Monsters are an important part of Hawaiian folklore, and we should approach them with respect."

Kenya, Kip's younger sister, bounced excitedly. "I hope he tells us stories about the Tiki Monsters! I want to learn all about them."

Valerie nodded, pleased to see her team's enthusiasm. "Alright, then it's settled. Let's head out and see what Kapono has to say."

The group made their way through the vibrant streets of Honolulu, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling city. Lizzy pointed out various landmarks and shared snippets of Hawaiian history, captivating the others with her cultural knowledge.

After a short hike, they arrived at a tranquil, secluded area where a weathered, elderly man sat cross-legged under the shade of a towering palm tree. This was Kapono, the local elder they had come to see.

"Welcome, young adventurers," Kapono greeted them in a warm, gravelly voice. "I've been expecting you. Please, have a seat and make yourselves comfortable."

The kids settled around the elder, their eyes filled with curiosity. Valerie spoke up first. "Thank you for meeting with us, Mr. Kapono. We've been hearing a lot of stories about the Tiki Monsters, and we'd love to learn more about them from you."

Kapono nodded, his weathered face creasing into a gentle smile. "Ah, yes, the Tiki Monsters. They are a vital part of our Hawaiian heritage, though their true nature is often misunderstood by outsiders."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group. "You see, the Tiki Monsters, or 'Akua Tiki' as we call them, are not mere legends or folklore. They are the ancient spirits of our ancestors, tasked with protecting the land and its people."

Kip's eyes widened with fascination. "Protecting the land? But we've heard they've been causing trouble and stealing artifacts."

Kapono raised a weathered hand. "Ah, but that is where the misunderstanding lies. The Akua Tiki are not malicious creatures; they are simply trying to fulfill their sacred duty. However, in recent times, their actions have been perceived as disruptive by those who do not understand their ways."

Jason scratched his head, his brow furrowed. "So, what are they trying to protect? And why are they acting up now?"

The elder's gaze grew somber. "The Akua Tiki are guardians of the land, the ocean, and the ancient Hawaiian traditions. They have watched over these sacred places for generations. But now, with the rapid development and influx of tourists, their domain has been threatened. They are simply trying to reclaim what is rightfully theirs."

Lizzy nodded, her expression thoughtful. "I see. It's like they're trying to defend their home and culture from being overrun. No wonder they're causing such a stir."

Kapono smiled approvingly. "Exactly, young one. The Akua Tiki are not villains, but misunderstood protectors. They have been driven to desperate measures to safeguard what they hold dear."

Valerie's brow furrowed as she processed this new information. "So, what can we do to help them? We don't want to fight them, but we also can't let them keep causing chaos in the city."

The elder's eyes twinkled with wisdom. "Ah, that is where your true test lies, young leaders. You must find a way to bridge the gap between the Akua Tiki and the people of Honolulu. Only through understanding and cooperation can harmony be restored."

Kenya piped up, her eyes shining with excitement. "I know! We can throw a big party and invite the Tiki Monsters to come! That way, everyone can get to know each other and be friends!"

Kapono chuckled, his weathered face crinkling with delight. "A wonderful idea, little one. The Akua Tiki are drawn to celebrations and community. If you can create an event that honors their traditions and allows them to feel respected, they may be willing to cease their disruptive behavior."

Valerie's eyes lit up with determination. "Okay, team, you heard the elder. Let's put our heads together and come up with a plan to throw the best Tiki Monster festival Honolulu has ever seen!"

The kids erupted into excited chatter, their minds buzzing with ideas as they prepared to embark on their most important mission yet – to bridge the gap between the Tiki Monsters and the people of Hawaii.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #236

Today was a very bad mental health day, for reasons beyond my comprehension. Yesterday was awesome, and so was the day before that, and so when I woke up on the wrong side of the broomstick this morning, it seemed to come completely out of the blue.

Oh uh. Actually. You might not understand the connotations of "waking up on the wrong side of the broomstick". Uh… So in my world, there are the witches of folklore; traditionally, they are women who have green skin and big huge hooked noses, and they wear loose-fitting black dresses and pointy black hats, and they fly around on broomsticks, looking for children to snatch up and cook in their cauldrons. They're generally seen as not-very-nice, at best; I'm not sure you have these kind of witches in your world, do you?

I have cultural conditioning that tells me that any time a human female is unhappy, it means she is like the witches of folklore - unpleasant and insufferable. And so, if ever I was unhappy for any reason, my father would say, "looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the broomstick this morning!"

…Hm. I guess it only just now occurred to me what an ugly phrase that is, even used ironically. I could explain the history of HOW witches of folklore came to be associated with women, green faces, and black clothing with pointy hats, but… that's also pretty ugly, too, and I'm already depressed enough; maybe I'll get into it later if you ask, but I think for now… maybe I'll just stop using the phrase "woke up on the wrong side of the broomstick" anytime I'm not perfectly chipper; other states of emotion are part of the human condition, and being in those states doesn't make me bad.

Well. Like I said, my brain is refusing to create the happy chemical, for unknown reasons. So of course, today I am more prone to falling into old thought patterns regarding my own worth as a human being, and old thought patterns as to what I can expect from the people around me. As an example… J went around the house doing various housekeeping things, and I got jumpy because, in the past, if my mother was doing housework things, it meant she was mega pissed at me for not having done them already, and I was about three seconds away from getting a tirade thrown at me.

But J is not my mother; I do not need to worry about him doing that thing. However, my brain worries about it nonetheless, in a misguided effort to protect itself while it's already feeling vulnerable. My brain thinks that if I feel vicious things at myself and make it known that I think poorly of myself, then the people around me will be less likely to verbally abuse me, because I'm already doing it myself.

This has worked to take the edge off of others' tirades for a long time. It was a survival skill that served me well, but it's no longer useful where I'm at, and it will never be useful again, because I never have to go back to those places. So I gotta work on not doing that thing, because it's not good for me, and when I do things that are not good for me, it makes the people who love me very sad, and I don't want them to be sad.

So today, instead of succumbing to the funk and diving headfirst into old things, I tried to take care of my body. I tried to stay hydrated. I tried to eat relatively well. I took my multivitamin. Even if my brain isn't making the happy chemical, I can still make sure that my body has the resources it needs in order for my brain to resist falling into old patterns and beliefs. Today, I was mostly successful.

In order to pass the time until this funk goes away (because as far as I know, really the only thing for it is time), I tried to play a little Dead Cells. I didn't get very far, though, before my brain decided that it was time to stop; I played maybe for 45 minutes, give or take. And then I spent some time just sitting on the couch, drifting in between consciousness and… not quite sleep, but not quite being fully awake, either. It was weird.

…I saw, in my sleepy semi-dreamy state, a vision of you, in a rope hammock hanging from a willow tree, resting peacefully in comfy, casual clothing, swinging back and forth gently in the wind, along with the sound of windchimes, birdsong, rustling leaves, and the whooshing of the breeze. The air was pleasantly cool and it smelled like fresh leaves and grass. It was such a nice little dream.

…Wouldn't it be nice if a place like that is where you are now...

Most of the rest of today was uneventful. There was one thing that happened, but I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about it just yet. Maturity regarding the situation is good, but I am also a little sad about it, and that is natural and bearable.

…Maybe when I wake up tomorrow, I'll feel just a little better. That'd be very good. Wish me luck, won't you? In the meantime, maybe I'll throw in a few pictures I took between today and yesterday. Maybe they'll make you smile:

I think I'll end this letter here today. It's only like 9pm, but I'm getting pretty sleepy, despite the semi-nap I had earlier. I might turn in early today.

Hey, Sephiroth? Please stay safe out there, won't you? Because someone over here loves you enough to write to you every day, and you wouldn't wanna miss tomorrow's letter, right?

I love you. 'Til soon.

Your friend, Lumine