#i love the idea of the mean one being in the righteous path and the nice one being on the demonic path

[brightlotusmoon]

A few years ago, I was talking to my dad on the phone when he very happily told me that he had just learned a new word.

On one of his news programs they’d used the word “nonbinary.” Immediately upon hearing it, he said, he “went to the Google machine to look it up” because he really wanted to know what it meant.

He went on to tell me how wonderful he thought it was that language is expanding in order to better describe the human experience rather than pigeon-holing people into boxes into which they do not necessarily fit.

“In my day,” he said, “there were just two terms, but it’s apparent that that was not enough. So, nonbinary … I was very pleased to learn what that means.”

When I first shared the story, I wrote, “A lot of us grew up with pretty rigid ideas about the world, ourselves, and the universality of our own experiences. Eventually, if we’re lucky, we come across something that pushes us to expand, to take in new information, to broaden our perspectives.

What we’ve seen lately is a whole lot of shutting down in the face of that new information. Insecurity masquerading as certainty, fear cloaked in the robes of righteous indignation. Denial, refusal, bigotry (both overt and insidious.)

But then there’s my dad. An 84 year-old man, walking a whole other path. An open, loving, curious path. A path that says, hey, isn’t it wonderful that language is expanding in order to better describe the human experience rather than pigeon-holing people into boxes into which they do not necessarily fit?

A path that does not just accept, but celebrates that progress.”

But there’s important context that I left out. Because while these words and the concepts they represent may be new to some of us, they sure as hell aren’t actually new. They’re not radical or really even mildly progressive. They’ve been around far longer than any of us.

One of far too many examples to count comes from the people whose land we inhabit. The Anishinaabe people have been around since long before the United States existed and their language, Anishinaabemowin is gender-neutral. Rather than relying on a false binary, it contains myriad words to describe an entire spectrum of gender identities, experiences, and expressions.

In that context, our language really isn’t expanding at all. It’s simply returning to its roots.

No matter what happens or what those in positions of power attempt to dictate, human beings will remain who we are, and will continue to exist on a wild, messy, astoundingly beautiful spectrum.

{image is a graphic from Enby Delia featuring a heart in the trans flag colors and reading, “Your validity is not dictated by an executive order.”}

[riversaremeanttobefollowed]

I love this idea

Shen twins or bros au where the Shens go through Qiu Manor and Wu Yanzi together but only Shen Jiu joins Cang Qiong with Yue Qingyuan. Cut to Cang Qiong facing a problem that needs the expertise of a demonic cultivator and Shen Jiu presents the most powerful and elusive demonic cultivator as his brother

...how is it that the demonic cultivator brother is nicer than the one dressed in pastels

[uriekukistan]

JJK 265: The Role of a Sorcerer

one of the focal points of jjk since the beginning has been the roles and responsibilities of jujutsu sorcerers. it's a question that gets thrown around a lot between different characters: as sorcerers, what is the right way to live? it's a driving force behind many of the major events of the story, and the cause of fragmentation, where different paths could have been taken, but weren't. and in one chapter, yuuji dismantles it all.

as much as i'd love to talk about this when it comes to every character, i picked a few that i think are interesting (to me) and carry a lot of weight throughout the story to discuss, including gojo & geto, megumi, yuuta, and, of course, the man of the hour, yuuji.

Gojo & Geto

the main difference between them right from the start is the way they view their roles as sorcerers, and this fragmentation influences their trajectories going forward, and the trajectory of jjk as a whole.

at the start, geto believes that his role as a sorcerer is to protect non-jujutsu sorcerers. as someone who is strong, he must protect those who are weak, and he must keep those who are also strong in check. he accepts this as his role without much question, and he takes it seriously.

in contrast, gojo thinks that idea is, well, garbage, and he argues with geto about it, calling him self-righteous for thinking that way. where geto focuses his concept of his role on those who are weak, gojo focuses his on those who are strong. his role is simply to be strong. he acts to get stronger and prove that strength.

another place where their opinions diverge in conceptualizing their roles as sorcerers is when it comes to finding meaning in their actions. where gojo doesn't think there needs to be meaning in their actions, geto disagrees.

ultimately, his search for meaning leads to his downfall, as he reaches the conclusion that being a sorcerer is a thankless job, cleaning up after and saving the humans from their uncontrolled cursed energy. he decides that sorcerers are the ones who need protection from humans, because they are subjected to the horrors that humans generate, while those humans live in ignorance.

meanwhile, as gojo matures, he doesn't ditch the idea that strength is what matters as a sorcerer, but he shifts his idea of role to raising a generation of strong sorcerers who can rely on each other. and ultimately, these leads to his downfall too. thoughts on this here under point 1.

regardless, their ideas of their roles are major driving factors of their decisions, and therefore the plot of jjk. their roles are what doom them to their respective fates.

Megumi

megumi has made damn sure we know what he believes his role is. he's a sorcerer, not a hero. he doesn't save people because he has to or because it's the right to do. he saves the people he wants to save. that's all.

he uses his conscience to decide who he wants to save, and that is his decided role.

and this is what dooms him too. his decision to save yuuji is what left him vulnerable to sukuna, and his desire to save tsumiki from the culling games left him open to be manipulated by yorozu, as she pretended to be his sister in order to take advantage of what megumi was willing to do so she could play her own version of the culling games. that shock and hurt is what let sukuna latch onto him so easily, and submerge his soul in the depths of his body.

Yuuta

yuuta decides that his role is to not let others be alone. of course, this is most notable when it comes to gojo, but it's shown throughout jjk0 as well, such as when he refuses to let inumaki go against the curse that geto planted alone.

he also expresses this to yuuji after he fake executes him. he makes sure yuuji knows that he isn't alone in his feelings, and that he's not to blame. empathy is one of yuuta's strongest traits, and he makes it his role.

this is why he is willing to go as far as taking gojo's body, because he knows how gojo has to toss aside his humanity to fight all of these special grade curses (for example, when he used his domain expansions while humans were around despite knowing it would cause damage to them), and he doesn't want him to be alone in his inhumanity.

and while yuuta isn't dead yet, his role has doomed him, because, well...

Yuuji

now we come to yuuji, the sorcerer who shakes this concept to its core in jjk 265.

he's someone who'd decided his role before he even became a sorcerer. he wants to help people, and he wants to guide them to proper deaths.

he also accpets his role as sukuna's vessel, and tries to maintain those two parts of his chosen role simultaneously. however, as we know, he fails to balance being sukuna's vessel and saving people in shibuya (i hesitate to use the word fail because it was not a failure of yuuji's, but i hope you know what i mean).

this causes a shift in his idea of his role, especially once megumi asks for his help in the culling games. he embraces this role as a cog. he will help out fushiguro, he'll help unseal gojo, and then he will die. that is his new role.

quote from yuuji in 265:

until recently, i thought i should simply live to fulfill my role as i understood it. i thought if i died like that, i could at least consider it a proper death. but now, i feel like that's not entirely right. ... just the tiny fragments of memories that make up a person drifting elsewhere give value to a human life. ... people aren't tools. we aren't born with any set roles

yuuji completely rejects the idea that people are defined by theid roles at all, whether they are jujutsu sorcerers or not. he sheds his mindset that he needs to help people, or give them proper deaths, or fulfill a role than die in order to be worth something. instead, he accepts the value of his life as a collection of all the things he's experienced and the people he’s known.

and in doing this, he shakes the world of jujutsu kaisen to its core, and creates another crack in the cycle.

[corseque]

On the scale of 1 (Rise of Skywalker) to 10 (Shadowbringer/Endwalker), where would you place Veilguard?

critical post

I’ve burst into enraged tears like 5 times since I finished it, which is not nearly even close to as many times as Rise of Skywalker, but still 5 times too many. Just the shallowness of the writing, the obviousness, the incredible frustration at the simplicity, the ignoring so much of my favorite character in order to make a stupidly simple plot work, the horrendous time I had trying to ignore Rook’s annoying stupid fuckass pov while just trying to self-insert myself into the end of my favorite fictional character of all time’s story after waiting 10 years. I screamed in frustration that I had to hear the painfully obvious commentary these brand newcomer characters who I did not give a shit about, explaining to me like a toddler how I should feel about revelations I have been writing about for 10 years, especially when what they were saying was stupid as fuck. I cried at the thought of so many cutscenes and so much effort went into stories I found very forgettable and went nowhere, while they were able to only scrounge up like 10 total animated shots reuniting Solas and Lavellan. I mourn that I could not make any decisions in a BioWare game. I mourn Solas’ story so much, and probably will for years. I will never get over the way they talked down to him and never listened to him for even a second, lest they actually have to write a branching path into their game. I hate that the theme was regret but Rook regrets nothing ever so (shrugs) regret doesn’t affect them or mean anything to them. I mourn the loss of the voice and point of view of his people, the ones he was fighting for, the ones who are alive. I mourn that it turns out that he’s just a stupid feral dog who is 100% wrong about everything always and he always has been from the beginning of time. I cried that the game said the answer was that Solas should NOT try to help his people and they never even discussed it as a philosophical question or the ethics of it or anything, or playing as a character so dense they never once even wondered if accidentally freeing the gods killed more people overall than the veil coming down would have. (We avoided this question like the plague, lest we feel less like purely Good Heroes who could talk down to the gods with righteous fury). I mourn that I’m never going to know what would have happened without the Veil. I feel so stupid for thinking that elves or spirits as factions would appear in any capacity with lines and perspectives in this game. I’m so angry at how safe and smoothed over everything in the setting is, and how it felt like the main characters never struggled with anything and have nothing to say. I can’t believe Dragon Age is so shallow and unsatisfying and head-empty. I mourn that the story of Dragon Age is Over to me and I will never play another game.

I’ve also cried a few times at the completely separated and individual imagery and music in the last scene. I’ve cried that my favorite character didn’t die in any world after 10 years of being at death’s door. I’ve cried at the thought of him being a little worm spirit, and that I was right about him the whole time. I cried when activating Felassan’s crystal in the final fight and seeing all the buffs. I cried when I turned the page and realized the default inquisitor was exactly the same as my personal Lavellan, down to hair style, eye color, hair color, vallaslin removed. I cried when I realized Solas thought he should have died as a spirit rather than be born. I cried that the main story Dragon Age has been telling the whole time has been about the reconciliation and freeing of my favorite fictional character. I cried that Solas and Lavellan got married in the end, when I genuinely wasn’t expecting either of them to even be alive. They’re both still alive and in love in every single world. I can’t wrap my head around that.

I have no idea where to put it. It’s a few high highs but some intolerably low fucking lows. It could have been so much worse but the bar is on the fucking floor. I go back and forth between moderate enjoyment to just being so angry. It could have been so much more and I do not know who to bite for it.

I have no idea.

[reason-with-the-underdog]

you were not mine to save -> to be loved is to be changed

i keep thinking about how

if you boil down alhaitham & kaveh's akademiya-era fallout fight, it was that alhaitham wanted to change kaveh & kaveh could never agree with his proposed course of action

but now, as full grown adults, alhaitham isnt trying to change kaveh anymore

that core conflict does reoccur, as it did during Parade of Providence when alhaitham lectured kaveh after Act II & kaveh got annoyed

(even though Alhaitham was obviously just worried about kaveh's health/wellbeing...)

this is a common pattern of behavior for them: alhaitham is worried about kaveh & kaveh reacts defensively to it

which speaks to how stubborn & hyper-independent kaveh is

despite being someone who's dedicated to giving back to the community and contributing towards the larger social good, he's quite determined on his own path in life

he'll bear the consequences (ie bankruptcy) all by himself if necessary...! and he's much too stubborn to be talked out of his own decisions

i dont think there was any possible way kaveh could have walked away from the wrecks of the first build of alcazarzaray and still be at peace with himself

and kaveh even admits he was naive (in his teapot dialogue), but he doesnt regret it still even now

so i think its cool alhaitham realised that there's no point in trying to convince kaveh to change who he is

such is kaveh. kaveh will not be someone different, not even for alhaitham. his work & altruism are parts of his core identity

why fight a mountain who will not be moved?

instead, alhaitham goes for more "harm reduction" strategies:

help cover kaveh's bar tabs, which means he's also the one lambad calls to pick up kaveh & see kaveh home safely

snark at kaveh when he's ranting about clients to keep him in a righteous mood instead of getting depressed

there's a quote about how to be loved is to be changed....

and alhaitham certainly has changed so much from that smart-mouthed student who had pinpointed what he thought was the root of kaveh's overbearing altruism and figured he could fix kaveh's problems with that knowledge!

to now as an adult with a lot more life experience: alhaitham knows that kaveh isn't his to save

and the more he tries to force kaveh to changing, the more likely kaveh is to dig his heels in

alhaitham doesnt need to be kaveh's minder or overbearing best friend--

he wants to be kaveh's partner, his equal, which means respecting kaveh's choices for what they are

anyways kaveh's drowner analogy works rly nicely for this core conflict between them (changing people vs supporting them and protecting them from harm)

& i cant believe its canon

i really appreciate this aspect of their relationship too-- it feels very mature & realistic...

how easy it would be if you could just TELL someone how to fix their problems!

its very frustrating to see someone you care about run straight towards problems again & again...

but you can't change someone's mind bc you want it to be that way. they have to decide on their own, on their own volition, and to truly believe in their decision, for the changes to really stick

as much as it sucks that you can't just solve people's problems for them

the human experience is so much richer for all of our different perspectives and ideas and principles that will not be compromised bc someone else wanted it to be

you can't control people's thoughts & that's for the best (also alhaitham's SQ is literally about this lmao)

[senseandaccountability]

“It takes the wrong sort to put the world right.”

A huge problem for me with the tone of the narrative is that outside a very carefully curated playthrough experience with preconceived ideas of and love for Solas, Veilguard is probably the least compassionate game I’ve played in forever, while spouting out lines about how everyone can find a new path in life because our nature isn’t written in stone, our fates are our own, as well as plenty of HR department lines about working together as a team.

“It takes the wrong sort to put the world right.” The game says that, but it definitely doesn’t mean it. At least I don’t feel it. You are so very rarely challenged in your idea of who this wrong sort is and what they could bring to the table. Davrin speaks of the Wardens recruiting at the Gallows but you meet only adorable, righteous and charming ones. The Crows aren’t the wrong sort anymore, they’re just adorably Antivan upper class. And so on and so forth. Rook certainly isn’t the wrong sort either, they’re mentally around 19 years old and stumbling their way through the world like some romance novel protag. In one of the most thematically shallow plots, Rook gets thrown into a prison of regret fit to hold a god but unlike Solas, Rook doesn’t do regrets or guilt because Rook isn’t that complex. Rook hasn’t been allowed to feel any guilt for three acts, just how are they meant to be stuck in a regret prison?  

Compare with Origins where you yourself could be just that wrong sort that would put the world right. ALL of my Origins PCs would get stuck in Solas’s prison due to the weight of their own fuckups. If not during the game events where you could make shitty moves en masse, then because of their origin stories. Brosca and Tabris would get out of there through sheer fury alone - fuck you, I am a wreck because YOU MADE ME ONE, WORLD OF THEDAS - but the nobles would stew. Amell would loop in some guilt trip regarding blood magic and Jowan and whatnot.

Compare with Origins where Loghain is a piece of shit for most of the narrative. He actively wants to kill you and your Order, it’s nothing personal (okay, a little personal) but he just needs you gone. If you want to, you can hack and slash your way through some release there and just have him executed. BUT the game also challenges you on that idea. It presents a very pragmatic alternative that comes with a very plausible downside (you lose Alistair). It presents not excuses but explanations - do with them what you will. Loghain has people in his corner through the entire trilogy, arguing his case. Cauthrien FALLS TO HER KNEES before you, pleading to spare his life. Threnn in DAI will stan him for the rest of her life. Anora tells you stories about the man behind the name.  And Arl Eamon’s world view and idea of Loghain is shown to be more than a little self-serving when faced with the politics of the Landsmeet. Things around Loghain blur. In the Ostagar DLC they allow things to blur even further when Loghain’s pragmatism is countered by Wynne’s player character-moralism (ie “someone died, it’s always wrong if someone died even if that death prevented 9000000 deaths you KILLED someone!!!!!111”). Origins tells me - or hints at - why Loghain became the wrong sort, shows me ways in which he is also the right sort and leaves me wondering about him. Because the game is gritty and dark and weird but also yes, compassionate. If you execute him, Anora will mourn him because she loves him regardless. If you have him join the Wardens she will sit with him while he recovers because he is undeniably an asshole but he’s also her father who braided her hair and showed her the world. A good narrative never, ever forgets that.  Veilguard feels so different here, maybe it's just me. I'm pretty sure I'm almost done being salty now, I just... feel a lot about narratives.

[ceaselesswatchersspecialboy]

I’m a little nervous talking about this, but I’ve had these thoughts for a while and want to get them down somewhere, so here we are!

There’s a common discussion within TMA of the Idea of human vs monster, and where the line between that is drawn, and this discussion especially applies to the avatar’s and their feeding habits, their desires to hurt others — their hunger. But, I think, that mentality can often lead to the real question being ignored, and that’s the question or choice.

It’s a common theme within TMA, and is prominent within the Becoming of avatars, and what they do after.

A good way of understanding Jon’s feeding in s4 isn’t through the lens of how human is he, rather it’s through the lens of how similar he and Melanie are. He and Melanie act as foils to each other during s4, their actions and choices emphasising their opposing paths.

The gist of it is both wanted to hurt people. It felt good. Both admit to this fact.

And the reason they chose it, is because they’re hurting. Melanie admits to this outright. She’s been angry so long, with little else for her, lashing out and desperate to survive, and suddenly, she has this thing etched into her bones, telling her that this anger is righteous, that hurting herself and hurting others is good. Both are aware that this isn’t good, of course, but it’s so hard to let go of that little, reassuring voice, because doing so means confronting yourself, and your struggles.

I speak as someone with C-PTSD, but this is a very realistic depiction of how it feels, at least to me personally. When you’ve been so powerless for a long period of time, and suddenly, something or someone tells that it’s okay to lash out, to hurt, it’s easy to fall into the destructive cycle, because hurting other people, taking away their power, it gives you a sense of control back, a sense of power.

It isn’t right, of course it isn’t, but it just feels so good.

This is again shown by Melanie and Jon’s separate paths.

Melanie ends up choosing to recover after the bullet is removed, when she could have just as easily found a new, self-destructive path to go down, and it’s not just because the bullet was removed. Taking away her agency here takes away from her arc. She chooses to accept help and she really does work on bettering herself. She doesn’t want to hurt people anymore. Jon doesn’t do that. He feels he can’t. He’s had his power taken from him more times than he can count, been at the mercy of people and monsters, and finally, finally he has power again. He’s put in the position of the tormentor and it feels good. He finds satisfaction in it. And, as with Melanie, there’s a little voice in the back of his head telling him this is right, no matter how guilty he feels afterwards.

He makes excuses to himself, tries to rationalise his own actions as a way of coping, finding a reason to do it again because it’s all he has. It’s a comfort. Is there a supernatural element present? Absolutely! The relationship between Entity and Avatar is one that can just as much parasitic as it is symbiotic, but I think more of Jon’s character is lost by dismissing his darker choices. If anything, the darker choices emphasise his compassionate choices, and vice versa.

Jon can be a victim and still hurt other people; that’s an important thing to acknowledge. Avatars are not just their fears, there is far more to their hunger than that, and they are who they are because of their choices and wants.

Basically, Jon and Melanie are wonderfully written characters and I really love the themes of choice in TMA, can you tell?

[haru-dipthong]

Ep 11 of my Utena fansub is out (sorry for the wait!)

だめだめ。そんな味気ないお昼じゃ、つまんないでしょ？

No, no. Don't eat that, it's just packaged junk.

This line when literally translated is actually closer to “a tasteless lunch like that is boring, don’t you think?”. However, つまらない is more versatile than the English “boring”, and it can also kind of mean “not very good”. Plus, I can’t imagine a middle schooler like Wakaba saying “tasteless”. I tried rephrasing the whole line in a way that would make sense being spoken by a kid who’s trying hard to be an adult.

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基本はレトルトだけどフォルムが超プリティーでしょ？

It's mostly pre-made ingredients, but doesn't it look super pretty?

This line took me AGES to hear correctly. I had to write it down as I heard it to make out all the words, and even then I still had no idea what レトルト (retoruto) meant.

Crazy! I’ve used and seen these in Japanese grocery stores my whole life and never known they had a proper name.

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俺なら君をここから出さないな。永遠に。

If it were up to me, I’d keep you here… for eternity.

If it weren’t for the pause, I think I might have translated this line as “If it were up to me, I’d never let you out of here.” However, I think I like that I was forced to work around the pause, because it made me think about how I could end the sentence with “eternity” while still phrasing it in a natural way. The Japanese version of the line works as a complete sentence without the last word addition, which I kind of wanted to keep in the translation (cause then the ETERNITY has more of a gut punch), but I think I did the best I could given the constraints.

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そうだ。僕が姫宮を守らなければ。僕なら姫宮を普通の女の子に戻すことができるんだ。他のやつに渡すわけいけない。たとえ、僕の王子様であろうと。

That's it. I have to protect her. I'm the only one who can help her get back to normal. I won't let anyone else take her. Not even my own prince.

I think it’s important with these lines to start to show how Utena’s well-intentioned chivalry is warping into something that resembles the attitudes of the student council. Here Utena is showing that they can be possessive like Saionji, self-important like Miki, and ruthless like Juri.

I love this, and Akio’s round up of the duels in the next episode makes me think about it more - I think that Revolutionary Girl Utena is all about competing 世���観 (views of the world). I like the duels as a metaphor for philosophical debates. In this episode, the negative influences of the other duelists’ worldviews on Utena’s naive and righteous view of the world starts to really show. I think that the text intentionally shows this change right before Utena’s first loss to signify that this change is a weakening, a corruption, and that their previous worldview was “better” (for lack of a better word).

This is a bit of a tangent but I also think that the times when Utena is led down paths of heteronormativity and normative forms of gender are when they are shown to be weakest in-universe. This episode is a perfect example. Utena commits to two normative ideas - 1. being heteronormatively enamoured with Touga, and 2. the idea that Anthy, a feminine girl, can’t do anything herself and needs a masculine hand to help her and protect her.

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Thanks as always to @dontbe-lasanya for their editing!

Follow the blog if you'd like to keep updated with new releases! All previous episodes are here:

[charliepoopyfart]

Maladaptive daydream idea I had for viktor x goddess!reader

———

Viktor had always been fascinated by your divine nature. To him, you were not only a beacon of wisdom but a constant reminder that there was so much more to life than what the human mind could comprehend. You, on the other hand, cherished the moments when you could set aside your celestial responsibilities and simply be with him. But even gods had their limits.

Sitting by the window in your shared study, you watched Viktor tinker with a prototype. His hands moved deftly, though you noticed the faint tremor that accompanied his movements. It had become more pronounced lately, a silent testament to his health’s decline.

"You push yourself too hard," you murmured, breaking the quiet.

He glanced at you, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Progress waits for no one, my love. Especially not me."

You sighed, rising from your chair and crossing the room to him. Your fingers gently brushed against his shoulder as you leaned down to inspect his work. The faint glow of the Hextech core pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat.

"It’s beautiful," you admitted, your tone laced with something Viktor couldn’t quite place.

"Then why do you sound troubled?" he asked, turning to look at you fully. His amber eyes searched yours, always attuned to the subtle shifts in your demeanor.

"I’ve seen what ambition can do," you replied carefully. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth either. "It can burn bright, but it can also consume."

Viktor chuckled softly, though his expression remained thoughtful. "I have no intention of being consumed. I want to create a better future—for everyone."

You wanted to believe him. You wanted to trust that his intentions alone would safeguard him from the dangers you knew lay ahead. But the visions haunted you: the rise of his ambition, the price he would pay, and the pain that awaited both him and the city he loved so dearly.

Over the following weeks, you tried to steer him subtly. You planted small seeds of caution in your conversations, careful not to overstep the boundaries set by the cosmos.

"Balance is key," you’d say when he grew too absorbed in his work.

"Progress shouldn’t come at the cost of humanity," you’d remind him gently.

But Viktor, ever the dreamer, brushed off your concerns with kind reassurances. He was too driven, too certain that his path was righteous. And each time he dismissed your words, the weight on your heart grew heavier.

One night, as he slept beside you, you lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The timeline had to remain intact; that was your duty as a goddess. Yet, the thought of losing him, of watching him spiral into darkness, was unbearable.

The breaking point came during an argument. Viktor had unveiled a new breakthrough, his excitement palpable, but you could see the cracks forming—both in his body and in the moral foundation of his work.

"You’re playing with forces you don’t fully understand," you said, your voice sharper than you intended.

"And how would you know that?" he shot back, his frustration bubbling to the surface.

"Because I know what’s coming!" you snapped, the words slipping out before you could stop them.

Viktor froze, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean by that?"

You hesitated, the weight of your revelation hanging in the air. Then, with a deep breath, you decided you could no longer stay silent.

"I am bound by rules I can’t break, Viktor," you began softly, your voice trembling. "But I see things—futures, possibilities. And the path you’re on... it leads to pain, for you and for Piltover."

His expression shifted from confusion to something akin to betrayal. "You’ve known all this time? And said nothing?"

"I tried!" you cried, tears welling in your eyes. "I tried to guide you without disrupting what must be. But I’m terrified, Viktor. I’m terrified of losing you, of watching you destroy yourself in the name of progress."

The room fell silent save for the quiet hum of his machinery. Viktor stepped closer, his gaze softening as he cupped your face in his hands.

"I don’t know what the future holds," he said quietly, "but I trust you. If you see danger ahead, then help me navigate it. I don’t want to lose myself—or you."

You nodded, your tears spilling over as you leaned into his touch. "I’ll do everything I can. Just promise me you’ll listen, Viktor. Promise me you’ll be cautious."

"I promise," he whispered, though you knew that promise would be tested.

As the days passed, you worked together, his mind and your foresight blending in an attempt to alter the trajectory of his fate. Whether it would be enough, only time would tell. But for now, you clung to the hope that love, even in the face of destiny, could forge a new path.

[hestzhyen]

On Hakuri and 愛 (Pure Love)

Hello dear void. Here's a crazy character theory/interpretation for you: Sazanami Hakuri has no idea what love is supposed to feel like or be expressed as and it deeply affects his character to the point of being a major (and tragic) flaw. This is at least half the the reason why he's devoted to saving lives no matter the cost to himself, and he will continue to be this way until his lack of understanding is addressed and corrected. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

Just kidding, of course there's a yapfest coming.

This was part of my usual weekly chapter rant until I realized it needed to be it's own thing. As to why I'm going on about this: blame the colour page. The captions get removed for the English publication, but there's always some text in the Japanese version. In this case, for our first-ever solo Hakuri colour page, we got: 胸に秘めたその信念- [mune ni hi meta sono shinen-; "The conviction(s) hidden in his heart..."] (My TL isn't perfect, but the sentence is simple enough that I'm confident I got it mostly right.)

Hidden, hm? Hakuri, the most zero-filter, living-in-the-moment, heart-on-his-sleeve guy in the Kagurabachi universe is hiding something? Of course he is! We just went through a whole arc about it!

The easiest conclusion to draw is that caption is talking about Ice Lady and/or the indoctrination he underwent growing up as a Sazanami.

He only mentioned Ice Lady as "someone who set [him] on the right path" to Chihiro in a flashback panel in chapter 34- no one in the cast except Hakuri knows what happened with her. He keeps her memory close but hidden from the world. Her suicide drives him to be a savior regardless of the cost to himself; he'll never let another life slip through his hands again even if he can't or won't talk about her. She's definitely his reason to exist as he is right now.

As for the indoctrination, growing up as a Sazanami means believing that you are a tool that lives for the Rakuzaichi. That sort of thinking is still present in Hakuri too- he just shifted the fervor from "honor the Rakuzaichi" to "make the world a safer place".

It's hard to say how much of his lineage he's hiding right now (if any at all) as of writing this, but Hakuri doesn't seem to be taking any precautions to keep people from finding out he's a Sazanami. He was even completely up front with Chihiro and Shiba about it and his family's mindset when they met! So he might not be cognizant himself about why he's so wholehearted in his devotion to a cause, but it's there in plain sight for anyone to remark on.

All that said, I'd like to posit that there's another 信念 -conviction or belief- that Hakuri's hiding- one that he's buried so deep that he doesn't realize it's even there, despite it being just as influential as Ice Lady. It's the depressing result of being raised as a "tool". Worse, a "useless" one.

Hakuri's deeply held belief in his own lack of worth is a key factor in his suicidal recklessness when it comes to acting on his other convictions.

"You poor thing. You're the one imprisoned in a cage."

It's all rooted in the Sazanami interpretation of "love", of course. Hakuri's warped view of affection is a key factor in why he's so goddamn reckless. He rejected the way his family viewed and treated other people like Ice Lady, but he hasn't spared any of that righteous anger for himself. He completely accepted how his family treated him and still holds the same mindset towards himself, whether he acknowledges it or not.

Because this is not something someone just shrugs off after an arc (not with a competent writer, anyway):

Most people would not frame this kind of blatant abuse as "love" in any way, shape, or form. And yet...

"When push comes to shove, Chihiro will abandon you!! He'll put himself first! But I'm not like him! I love you unconditionally..."

"Because... you always loved me..."

Hakuri and Soya both recognize Soya's feelings for Hakuri as not just any love, but as the deepest, purest love there is: 愛 [ai]. It's a horrific interpretation of something that's supposed to be almost unspeakably precious, but that's what the arc built the Sazanami clan's whole identity as villains around. It took key aspects of Chihiro's character -specifically his father's love and legacy- and warped them into something toxic to be put down through Hakuri.

*----------------------------------------------------------------------------* Before the panic sets in, I wanna say that ai is neither inherently nor exclusively romantic- that's 恋 [koi].

Mutual feeings of ai are the end-goal of many a romance story, yes. Everything builds up to that climactic declaration of 愛してる [aishiteru, "I love you"]. But ai can also be felt for family, friends, and even pets. It's for anyone the person builds up a profound enough affection for.

So Hakuri and Soya using ai to describe Soya's feelings isn't meant to imply romantic intentions (though I understand why some people ran with that interpretation). Actually, I will vehemently argue the opinion that these two using it at all means neither of them have a single clue as to what ai is supposed to look or feel like in any context. *----------------------------------------------------------------------------*

There's a reason Hakuri bitterly acknowledges Soya's abuse towards him as ai. It's the same reason Soya framed his abuse as acts of ai in the first place. It's not valid as justification, but it's understandable: they just don't know any better.

Kyora: "...Hey now, don't you love me?" Hakuri: "...? We love you." Tenri: "Of course we do."

There are multiple words for "love" in Japanese, but ai is supposed to be the deepest, sincerest, most profound and unselfish type of love there is. Ai is merely an imperfect term for an affectionate sentiment beyond words. If you have to clarify or explain your feelings as "ai", then they might not be ai in the first place.

Kyora throws around ai as something that can be used or withheld for any reason at all. Someone who truly felt ai for their kids would never do such a thing, much less consider it! But the Sazanami mindset corrupts even the concept of pure love and all of them are worse off for it.

So Hakuri only knows this ultimate form of love as abuse and manipulation. He believes that it's something conditional. Something painful.

Something he's not worthy of if it's positive, but earns if it's negative.

Any scrap of it he could get.

Contradictory and illogical? Yes. But if you understand why someone can wholeheartedly believe in that, I've got a hug or a fist bump or whatever you're comfortable with waiting for you.

Hakuri never talked about how far Soya -the manifestation of everything that was fucked up with his family- went to dehumanize him. Shiba and Chihiro got the "it wasn't so bad" version of the abuse. Just the beatings, no mention of the Visual Metaphor Tools he's still got hidden inside his storehouse. No talks about how he craved love with every fiber of his being but was tortured in the name of it over and over for years. No forced recognition that what was done to him would not be considered an act of love by any sane, rational human being.

The closest Hakuri's ever come to acknowledging that this might be an issue for him was when he asked to join Chihiro:

Taking the first step.

He's here for Ice Lady and to see if he can find out what Chihiro saw in him that made Enten a worthy trade for his "worthless", "useless" life. He's trying to understand why Chihiro regards him so highly as an "equal" as much as he's trying to be a savior. Both of these reasons drive him. But he only flashes back to one for motivation. He'd really rather not think about the other one (and hasn't outside of this moment).

No one alive knows what he truly endured and how it warped his perception of love and self-worth. He keeps his beliefs about his own worth hidden away in his storehouse as the peeler, wrench, chair, and more. Ice Lady had a glimpse, but he killed her with the loving Sazanami mindset that justified his own torture. He's carrying this burden alone and it's weighing on him and everything he's doing this arc.

So that's where we're at right now. Hakuri's reasons for acting the way he does are hidden alongside the beliefs about himself that he's yet to address, the combination of which is sending him into a self-destructive spiral. He won't be able to climb out of this mindset until someone can convince him that he's worthy of love just for existing- that ai is so much more than fists, metal rods, and calculated manipulation.

My hopes on how he learns this are obvious as a HakuHiro shipper, but I think it could easily come from everyone around him. Shiba, Char, Hinao, maybe Samura and Uruha and other characters we have yet to meet as well. All of them can help him let go of this hidden belief and replace it with something more wholesome. I just hope it happens before he loses something precious and irreplaceable.

[anhilliator1]

I feel like something needs to be stated about the four Chaos Gods -

THEY'RE NOT INHERENTLY EVIL.

They're unbalanced. Let me explain:

Khorne: Chaos God of War, Death, Violence, Rage, Murder, etc... Long story short, Khorne likes to kill things and/or see things die - "Khorne cares not from where the blood flows." As a result, it would be very easy to assume that he's pure evil - but no. Khorne also represents Justice, honor, courage, strength - Without Khorne, there would be no such thing as "Righteous Fury." Fighting for what is right technically falls under his domain as well. In a sense, he could be considered the Chaos God of Morality. In fact, he strongly dislikes underhanded tactics, hence why he often finds himself at odds with Tzeentch.

Nurgle: Chaos God of disease, decay, rot, stagnation, and so on. Nurgle is commonly associated with the color green, for good reason. As said, disease, death, rot, stagnation - but also resilience, rebirth, and consistency in everything. Technically speaking, he's the Chaos God of life and nature. No Nurgle, absolutely everything would be inconsistent. There would be no such thing as safety, because there would be no consistent definition of what "safe" is.

Tzeentch: CG of instability, inconsistency, trickery, manipulation, cunning, lies, deciet, and change. He plays you like a fiddle, and what you may think is reality may not be true. He's like Mysterio, but a gajillion times more powerful. However, he also represents hope, evolution, the ability to problem solve, and more. Tzeentch is the reason why Guile Heroes exist in 40K, and can be said to at least partially be empowered by the actions of people like Creed and Ciaphas Cain. As TTS puts it, "Without him, there would be no evil schemes, but also no one clever enough to save people from those schemes." Also, change isn't inherently evil - change is constantly happening, all the time, something that puts him at odds with Nurgle due to him being Stagnation. Funny thing, Happy Chaos from GGST can sort of be considered Tzeentch if he was more balanced rather than inclined evil.

Now, Slaanesh - Hedonism, sex, lust, pleasure, indulgence, suffering, etc... Hell, they were literally murder-fucked into existence by the Eldar. But, they also represent Passion, Joy, hell, maybe even the concept of emotion itself. Passion, it must be mentioned, is not restricted to the sexual kind - it's the creative kind, the "for-a-cause" kind - same with Pleasure. You gain pleasure from doing things you love, not inherently sexual - and technically, without Slaanesh, there would be no meaning to doing, well, anything - no happiness, no sadness so that happiness means anything, no enjoyment and no disgust, no love or hate... I think you get the idea.

The Chaos Gods represent important mental concepts inherent to all life, and all thoughts of said life - good or bad.

So why are they villains? As said, they're unbalanced, courtesy of the Necrontyr royally screwing things up by messing with the Great Old Ones and the C'Tan. As a result, the Warp, once peaceful, became a violent place roiling with negative energy, some of which became Daemons. This caused each of the four and their followers to become heavily inclined towards the worst parts of what they represent, why Khorne and his followers kill and destroy anything and everything in their path, why Tzeentch and his followers will endlessly lie, cheat, manipulate, and more to make you do what they want (prisoner's dilemma is the very tippy-top of the iceberg), why Nurgle and his followers spread filth, rot, and disease everywhere they go, and why Slaanesh and their followers endlessly rape and torture.

They're unbalanced.

In fact, everything I just said can sort of be summarized by this video:

It's why in the episode of TTS this is from, I noticed the Emperor's wording when he said he would DEFEAT Chaos, not Kill, DEFEAT. I always took it to mean that he would essentially force them to "get back to work" in a sense - go back to being balanced representations of their concepts and stop interfering so much with the Material.

[sisterandscripture]

A One Way Road 🛣️

Hiii brothers and sisters!! It’s mee, Elle, your sister in Christ 🎀🎀

This blog was made with the intention of bringing myself and hopefully drag other people along with me (hehe) closer to God 😋

For today’s post, let me spill the teaaaa on our one truth, one purpose, and one path to God !! 🫖

The tea’s piping hot 🔥 so sit back, relax, and worship Him 🙏

📜Bible Verses of The Day

Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

- John 14:6 NIV

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you

- Psalm 119:11 NIV

“13: You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14: You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

- Matthew 5:13 - 14 NIV

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

- Matthew 5:16 NIV

💌Something’s in Your Inbox!

One Truth:

Our world now is vast and ever-changing. People nowadays are rapidly gaining numerous different beliefs and ideas— some of which do not glorify God and His word.

Jesus stated that He is the way, the truth, and the life. It is important that as Christians and followers of Christ, we have a deep understanding of this message.

As the world delves into different ways of thinking, we must remain steadfast in our faith.

There is one truth, and one truth alone. Anything other than what is written in scripture are false teachings.

As Christians, we should teach ourselves to be aware of these “new truths” and believe only in God’s truth. We have to be vigilant when listening to others and remain deeply rooted in the one truth He has taught us.

Believing in God’s truth alone isn’t always the easiest thing, but it is something He calls us to do.

And when He calls us, we must listen.

One Purpose:

As disciples of Jesus Christ, He has called us to be the salt and the light of this world.

My interpretation of this is that we must lead others to God through our actions.

My mom explained to me earlier today that salt is used as a preservative, so in the same way, being the salt of this world means Christians must preserve the values and practices that Jesus taught us.

As the light of this world, we have to act in a way that shows others we are people of God— that shows others we try to be righteous like Him.

That is one purpose we share as Christians, to be the salt and the light of this world, to be different from the people who are worldly, to preserve Jesus’ teachings and to reflect His light, to worship and honor Him alone.

This calling that God has given us is our one purpose in life.

One Path to God:

The Bible is a guide, much like a map. It tells us what to do and holds words of wisdom from many inspirational figures— even Jesus himself.

We often take the Bible for granted, and sometimes reading it is just a chore to us.

We tend to forget that it’s actually a really cool book that consists of the most epic adventures, beautiful stories, and breathtaking miracles.

And of course, in scripture, the truth and purpose given to us by God can be found.

The Bible has the truth, the purpose of His followers, and all the answers to our queries and fears. It’s a gift from God, and…

The one path that leads us closer to Him.

Hey, I hear ringing !! 🥰🥰

📞God’s on the Line!

Hiii bestie, time to pray and talk to God! He loves hangin’ out with you, and wants to be your bestie for life. Prayer is how we can communicate with Him, so it’s important to do it as often as we can 🥹

Dear God,

Thank You for the gift of scripture that teaches us about Your one and only truth. Thank you for Your teachings, Your miracles, Your wisdom, and Your stories. Thank you for challenging us to answer Your call of being the salt and light of this world. I pray that You guide me and let Your light shine upon me.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!! ✨

(you may continue this prayer on your own ^^ pray about anything and everything, God just wants to listen, and we love a good listener)

That’s all for today’s bloggg!! I love ya, but Jesus loves ya more 💕

[yuseirra]

Adding onto the theories I've written yesterday: I believe this is what's been happening with Ai and Kamiki.

Kamiki and Ai aren’t ordinary humans. They’re gods who need “love” to function properly.

Seeing how things play out, it seems like this explanation makes the most sense.

I can’t let go of the idea that Ai’s boyfriend used to be a really good person. Based on Ai’s reactions toward him and his behavior, it really does seem like he was someone with a naturally good personality. I’ve never been wrong about things like this, and it wasn’t just an act—he was genuinely that way by nature.

Anyway, Kamiki was someone who was good enough to “help Ai overcome her self-destructive tendencies” when they first met.

This also makes sense if we consider Kamiki as a reincarnation of the god Sarutahiko, as that god functions by guiding people in a better, righteous, and safe direction.

But while the two of them were getting along well, a series of misfortunes kept striking him, and his eyes turned completely black. That’s when he started clinging to Ai, asking if she loved him and if she wouldn’t leave him. When he didn’t get a definitive answer and Ai said she wasn’t sure, it seemed to be the turning point where his powers completely warped.

Kamiki has a deep craving for love, if you look closely. Ai does too, but she tries to fill it by giving love to others. Kamiki, on the other hand, has a tendency to give all of himself to others to receive love in return. Kamiki may have thought he could overcome anything as long as he could stay with Ai and rely on her. Together, they could be like a perpetual motion machine. But they both needed to be functioning properly. Ai wasn’t in the best state either, and with Kamiki’s eyes black at that time, it looks like he was already broken.

So, the god who once led people down the right, safe path twisted and took a darker turn. If the “god who loves humans” in Chapter 144 is Ai, then at that point, Kamiki became a “god who loves absurdity and irrationality.” This is the direct opposite of Sarutahiko’s original nature. At this point, it’s unlikely there’s another character that fits this role; if anyone does, it’s Kamiki.

There’s something his abuser told him when he was gaslit: “No one will ever love someone as empty as you.” So he asked Ai if she loved him but didn’t receive a positive answer. Even when they parted ways, he was told, “No one could love someone like you.”

The song lyrics’ *Lack of Ai* also reflect this; I think he may have needed to receive love in order to truly function as Sarutahiko no Okami. Without it, he remained “empty,” which is why his star eyes are black. In songs like *Mephisto* and *Fatal*, the narrator is described as being in a deeply hollow state, desperately searching for the one they love. This aligns with the narration in Chapter 160 that describes Kamiki as “someone searching for love.” Even as a child, he approached people and freely gave of himself, likely driven by instinct.

He was so happy when he met his true match, Ai (among all the characters, it’s rare to see a face as happy as his when he’s with Ai). But Ai lied, saying she didn’t love him, and then left. His powers twisted and began to manifest destructively, and at some point, he seems to have realized what he really was. I think the power of the black star does originate from him. He shared it with his daughter and son, and it did actually help them. But because it wasn’t coming from a well-functioning state, it seems like it destroys the soul. If you force a broken machine to keep running, it falls apart over time. That’s the mechanism I think is at play here.

In the end, Kamiki misses Ai and longs to see her again. Like in *Fatal*, he truly can’t live without Ai and needs her love. This has a double meaning because “Ai” also means “love”—this character, this god, can’t sustain himself without love. Without it, he can’t return to being a white star, which is why he needed Ai, who once gave him that love, in multiple senses.

Ai was able to maintain her white star thanks to the people around her who supported her. But ever since Ai’s death, it seems Kamiki stopped caring about everything else. He began collecting the love/Ai that lingered in the white star to fill himself up, to approach Ai, and ultimately to become her. When you look at the song lyrics and the peculiar motivations revealed in Chapter 161, this is the conclusion that makes the most sense to me.

[boyczar]

I am very sick of the notion that codependents are empathetic people. Codependents are extremely narcissistic in terms of their goals and behaviors. (Narcissistic, not saying they all have NPD, though some of them certainly do.) You are not an “empath”. You are not even in touch with your own feelings, you are simply hyper-vigilant, and often times your fight, flight, freeze, and especially fawn responses, are extremely off-putting and uncomfortable to even a slightly more well-adjusted person. I believe codependents and even Cluster B’s are capable of (total, not impaired) empathy, but only after reversing toxic patterns of relationship behavior. This, however, is in no way their FAULT. I would not say that being codependent or someone with any Cluster B personality disorder (who all have narcissistic traits) is in any way that person’s FAULT. But it unfortunately is their responsibility now. I do not view this relational style (of codependency or narcissistic) as unfixable or irreversible. I would argue that every single person who is codependent or has a Cluster B PD one hundred percent has C-PTSD. (There are people with C-PTSD who have done more healing work and do not fall into these categories but that’s not who I’m talking about.) If you are codependent or are in Cluster B, you have sustained significant trauma, most likely from your parents, and you now have a warped idea of healthy and acceptable communication. You most likely have sustained a thousand little cuts from them while growing up. Being belittled, shamed, degraded, devalued, discarded, threatened, ignored, neglected, silenced, and deemed completely unworthy of genuine love. That is unacceptable and even unforgivable in some cases. I would never condone that. I wish you healing forever.

But this trauma has created a shame core at the center of your self concept, causing you to set off on a lifelong journey to try to feel good about yourself, rather than actually give or receive love. I am sorry that this is harsh and blunt, I mean it with all compassion and understanding. I have been codependent myself and have struggled to be direct with people in the past out of fear and I became an enabler of some really terrible behavior. I was terrible myself. I was (unintentionally) manipulative, as are all codependents. I was selfish when I should have been brave enough to tell those around me what my intuition was warning me of (that we were all falling down a bad path.) I do not like who I was. It was not my fault but it is my responsibility to continue the forever journey of gathering self-awareness and growing. I am not done and I hope I never tire of learning how to be better. I hope you can take something away from this. I’m sorry I’m all over the place, I have a lot of thoughts and I’m over seeing codependent and narcissistic behavior continuing to be the norm. This is not from a self-righteous place, I most definitely have work to do, truly for the rest of my life, I just wanted to speak about the patterns I have noticed since starting to dismantle my own trauma and toxic patterning. I wish you all well.

[aikoiya]

My Thoughts on the Fierce Deity

I think I see the Fierce Deity as a god of war, battle strategy, wrath, retribution, protection, heroism, courage/bravery, balance, the wild, the truth, music, the forge, death, spirits, tutelaries (specifically kishin), psychopomps, & the moon.

And while not actively a god of food/cooking himself, they are things that he very much enjoys for himself, & as such, he is regularly associated with them regardless of the fact that he does not hold any power over those domains.

He's also a symbol of manhood. Specifically healthy masculinity even though, much like with food, he has no power over such a domain.

A dark god, but in the way that the moon is dark compared to the sun. How a clear, full moon night is dark compared to even stormy days.

A very kind & compassionate deity who loves deeply, but is also somber & melancholic due to the hardships he's had to endure. Is gentlemanly, chivalrous, & polite, if extremely quiet & outwardly phlegmatic or stoic. So much so that he is selectively mute. Even still, he is vicious, even monstrous & merciless, in battle. You wrong those under his protection, expect nature's fury to come down on you.

The fact that his mask is referred to in Japanese as the Kishin no Kamen (鬼神の仮面), which actually lends credence to this as, as I've seen discussed before, in Japanese folklore Kishin (鬼神) are referred to as wrathful deities or demon gods, but you have to remember that the Japanese concept of demon is entirely different from the western or Judeo-Christian concept of demons. In a lot of ways, demon is a mistranslation & a more accurate one would be fae or genii.

The closest parallel that the Japanese have to the Judeo-Christian concept of demons are Akuma (悪魔) meaning devil. This being due to the use of the Kanji for evil (悪). While Ma (魔) is translated into evil spirit or demon in English, I feel that that is due to a cultural bias more so than being an actual indication of the moral tendencies of said spirits. After all, if these spirits were already evil by default, then what point would there be in specifying that Akuma were evil? To make them seem doubly evil?

Rather, Kishin are more so Oni Kami or Ogre Gods. And despite there being many evil ogres in Japanese lore, there are also many benevolent ones. Kishin specifically are based on a type of Hindu god known as Pāla, a.k.a. Protectors, which are depicted as being wrathful & fierce, even being described as scary-looking, but also compassionate & benevolent at their cores. These deities are said to exact just & righteous vengeance on behalf of the practitioners of Buddhism & are known to destroy obstacles on the path to humanity's enlightenment.

Thus being figures of duality & healthy masculinity in a way. As a good man is one who is strong, but also gentle. Is innately dangerous & even scary at times, but knows where he needs to aim it. Has those primal urges, but controls them. Often tough & possibly even stoic, having to do what's difficult because it is right, as well as a distributor of tough love & corrective punishment. However, as a result of this, is often seen as the bad guy & demonized by the shortsighted because of it. I think the Fierce Deity is similar.

However, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there are depictions of Kishin in which they are known to eat people. At the same time, I do not know the specificity behind this. For all I know, they may eat any person, or they could instead only eat the wicked. I do not know. It requires further research.

Though, per prompting, I may make it so they don't actually eat people, but more so the souls of the most wicked of sinners. This is done to fast-track to process of the soul forgetting its previous life. Now, normally, it's best to let souls do this organically, however it never a good idea to just let evil spirits wander around unsupervised, spreading their On'nen everywhere.

There's also how Majora's Mask seems to parallel Buddhism in many ways.

And, as I've come to understand, in Japan, one wears an oni mask to bring safety, peace, & to avoid disasters.

At least, that's the cultural significance as I've been told.

At the same time, I also see him having several things in common with the Norse god, Týr. Who is both a god of war, but also justice & is depicted as being self-sacrificial & brave as well as being known as a noble & just god by virtue of having sacrificed his own hand to Fenrir in order to hold off Ragnarök. Which would very much parallel my story for him.

Anyway, within Japanese myth, Kishin are minor deities. However, here, Sheikaku is sort of the King of Kishin (remember, Hyrule's religion isn't actually Buddhism or Shintoism, merely inspired by it), so you could call him the Daikishin even though I don't think there is such a thing in Japanese mythos. In this way, he more resembles a Dharma Pāla.

Moving on, notice that when he's called the "bad guy" in MM, it's done by Majora, who is portrayed as a kid who's forcing Link to play a twisted game with them. And kids often see the one who stops their fun as being "bad." Add to that, the fact that Majora is the one trying to literally kill everyone in Termina & calling itself the "good guy" while doing so, I'm just not inclined to believe it. Which considering the fact that those who do bad things often see those who try to stop them or punish them as being "bad," actually makes sense. In this way, if we continue with the child imagery, this would paint the Fierce Deity as the responsible father figure who comes in at the end of playtime to tell the kids to put their toys away. Though, only in a symbolic way.

The Gyorg Mask child even questions if doing the right thing actually makes everyone happy & the truth of the matter is that no, it doesn't. Not everyone's gonna be happy no matter what you do & that's just reality. And this, I think, is the Fierce Deity's true role in MM.

Anyway, I think FD's sacred animals would be dragons (Kirins especially), wolves, foxes, moths, & surprisingly rabbits, but he is also heavily associated with hawks, horses, & bucks. And that he was associated with music (specifically wind & string instruments) & nature/the wild which I think would be due to his less hectic childhood where he'd been a boy with a heart of gold & love of such things even if he could also be a bit mischievous at times, maybe a bit shy too. Back then, he'd been far more open, social, & outgoing than he is now. Some of his favorite pastimes are fishing & whittling since he was a little boy as it reminds him of hunting trips with his father, Hebrogar (who is an oc of mine), & his sister, Karina (another oc of mine). Has also always been extremely good with animals.

Interesting thing, he actually had the singing voice of an angel, but initially he was too shy, then later was too traumatized. As such, he mostly utilized his music magic through instruments. Despite this, the voice is the most powerful musical medium as it simply connects with the soul on a more intimate frequency than physical instruments can.

Another interesting thing being a connection to Farore based on this one fanfic I read that was really good! In it, he was Farore's son, so he'll be similar here.

The thing is, the core of the Fierce Deity is that no one told him to pick up the sword. No one pushed him into it. Instead, he chose to of his own accord when he realized that simply talking to the people who wanted to hurt those he was tasked with protecting would end in his wards being hurt or even killed. Thus began his journey to become a protector of Hyruleans & an avenger of wrongs.

As a man, he became known for using instruments to sooth the souls of the departed with the Song of Healing which he wrote & shepherded them off to the Realms Beyond Death in a manner similar to a pied piper. On occasion, he'd also have to fight them (namely the Poe enemies) to calm them down before sending them on.

Thus, making him somewhat analogous to the Dharma Pāla, Yama, the Hindu god of death & judge of the dead who presides over the cycle of the afterlife.

If so, then this might explain why Link is always able to see & interact with the spirits of the departed in one way or another. Why he can see the Poes. Why he can see the Shadow Soldiers upon the rock stacks in the Depths when no one else can. He's fulfilling his own bygone task from millennia gone by.

Fierce's magical elements are Twilight (which can be broken up into both Light & Shadow), as well as Spirit, Wind, Nature/Wild, & even Ice to a degree. He also has a natural inclination towards Music magic due to being a god of music.

I also subscribe to the theory that just like Zelda is the mortal reincarnation of Hylia & Ganondorf is the mortal incarnation of The Bringer of Demise's hatred, I believe that Link is the mortal reincarnation of the Fierce Deity & I'd like to know the story that led to him becoming mortal.

My guess is that he held off Demise while Hylia created the Goddess Sword, but was fatally injured in the process. At which point, rather than leave Hylia to fight Demise on her own, he chose to relinquish his godhood in death so that he'd be reborn as a human & be able to use the Triforce to save Hyrule from The Bringer of Demise. As only non-deities can use it.

At the same time, I see the Bargainer's Statues as being very early depictions of the Fierce Deity that act as "bunshin" for him in the same way that the Goddess Statues act as "bunshin" for Hylia.

However, as a result, this would mean that the Fierce Deity might've had 4 eyes in a similar way to how Rainbow Quartz from Steven Universe had 4 eyes. Which I'm very cool with!

I get the idea that, physical attribute-wise, his true form likely had a similar appearance to Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha, but with different facial markings, 4 eyes, & darker, more tanned skin resembling Impa's from Skyward Sword. Not to mention different clothes. Possibly with a look like a mix of what we associate the Fierce Deity with, but with a Depths Set script, & made to look like the armor of a Sheikah samurai of sorts, maybe with elements of the Mystic set, the Double Helix Sword acting as a Zanbatō.

I also think that he was, at least physically, more similar to TP Link in that he actually had some damn muscles on him & was specifically a hunk, not a twink nor even a twunk. A hunk. Not, like, Ganondorf levels of hunk, rather being more slim or compact in build, but still very muscular.

Anyway, "bunshin" are, again, something based on Japanese folklore. Though, I've heard it be described 2 ways: Bunshin & Bunrei. The first is the one that I'm going with, which is where deities are able to split themselves up into "bunshin" which are sort of regional versions of the 'source' god that govern over specific domains. Think Kage Bunshin from Naruto. Only one is real, but the others are able to accomplish tasks given to them by their source & have a much more limited well of power than the original.

The other, Bunrei, described thr Shintoist concept, process, & spirit produced as a result of said process. In which, theologically speaking, the Kami isn't supposed to be decreased in any way by the act, even functioning the same. It is specifically compared to the act of using a candle to light another candle.

However, I am personally gonna be taking a couple of creative liberties in certain instances & this happens to be one of them. If this were the case in my hc, then I'd have to get a bit more convoluted with things than I'd personally prefer. As such, I'm instead making it more similarly to the Kage Bunshin technique from Naruto. Which I've already gone into above. If this upsets anyone, my apologies, but I wanted to be upfront about the tweaks that I'm making.

Anyway, in this way, even though Hylia & the Fierce Deity themselves have both been reincarnated several times over, their bunshin still exist & are able to watch over Hyrule & the Depths via their statues. Thus, in a way, the statues' bunshin are like siblings to each other & the source god their parent in an abstract sense.

I also theorize that the Fierce Deity created the Sheikah in a similar way to how Hylia created the Hylians. Thus if the naming conventions hold, his true name would start with, or at least have, the word "Shei" or "Sheik" in it. I'm thinking of going with Sheikaku.

The Sheikah & Hylians having come forth from the union between the Fierce Deity & Hylia. Not as actual blood offspring, but as their spiritual children in a sense. The Sheikah actually came about first, then when the first Hylians came to be, the Fierce Deity instructed the Sheikah to always watch over their younger siblings as that is the duty that comes with being the eldest. As such, the truth is that the Sheikah weren't simply supposed to protect only the Royal Family, but the Hylians as a whole.

Similarly, Hylia is based on the Greek term Hylia presina meaning "sunny green" & is likely the ancient Hyrulean word for the sun as well. In this way, if the naming conventions do follow through, then I also think that "Shei" would be the ancient Hyrulean or Sheikan word for moon. Which would make sense because I see the Fierce Deity as having connections to the moon.

Also, the symbols on the Depths Set & the Dark Clumps are ancient Sheikah script. Those who were tasked with not only bringing spirits (non-combative poes) to the Bargainer Statues, but also fighting the Poe enemies on the Surface after the Fierce Deity gave up his immortality, were the Sheikah.

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Something else I read somewhere that I quite liked was, "The never-ending battle between Zelda/Hylia and Ganondorf/Demise represents Chaos. Link brings order and balance to this conflict every time."

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Either way, I'd love it if LoZ had more lore for him or made him a major focus of a game's plot.

At the same time, I wonder why there isn't anymore talk of the 3 golden goddesses? They used to be the main goddesses that people in Hyrule talked about. Now, it's all about Hylia & I wonder when this changed & why.

LoZ Cultural Masterlist

[fantasyinvader]

Thinking about how the path of thorns symbolism is used in Houses, it actually reveals something about Hubert’s devotion to Edelgard.

See, a path of thorns is symbolic of rejecting god and instead choosing sin. That you’re rejecting what is seen as moral and transgressing against the divine. It fits as an event name in Flower as the player had just derailed the entire story intended by the game’s creators, choosing to (unknowingly) support Edelgard’s hadou (until it gets revealed in the S support with her, by which point she has won) and in the process losing their Mandate of Heaven.

The other line referencing the path of thorns is Hubert against Claude. Claude says that he will end Edelgard’s hadou/military rule, only for Hubert to reply that he and Edelgard will be the thorns in Claude’s feet each step of the way. He’s making it out that Claude is the one walking the path of thorns, that Claude is the one being sinful. While Claude gives a flippant response about wearing thick boots, the fact that Edelgard and Hubert end up dead fits with him actually be the righteous one as the path of thorns is tied to the sin of sloth. That the person didn’t do some duty, which in the case of Houses is removing Edelgard from power.

But the idea that Hubert believes opposing Edelgard is a sin… I mean, it fits with how Aymr indicates Edelgard is a false messiah and ties her to the devil arcana as well as the idea she’s trying to make herself Fodlan’s new goddess-figure as she reshapes it based on her ideals. But this equates Hubert’s love and devotion to Edelgard to religious worship, yet at the same time he was the one who encouraged her to work with TWSITD. He was the one who pushed her to be immoral, to do what the game itself says is wicked or evil.

It kinda says that just enabling Edelgard and doing her bidding isn’t a moral thing to do. Hubert’s love for Edelgard made him a toxic influence on her, even if his family doesn’t have ties to Agartha. When Edelgard dies in the Japanese text, she dies talking about walking down Byleth’s path together with them even though it means her death. At the last moment, Edelgard repents and returns to the light. Hubert, the one who led Edelgard down her path, does not.