#kotengu

[jackdaniel69nice]

Research on Japanese folklore birds.

Gumyōchō 共命鳥

Yogen no tori ヨゲンノトリ

Kotengu 小天狗

I think if you read these you can understand why they would correlate to tokoyami and dark shadow. Making folklore AUs is so much fun XD

[corvid-lullaby]

👘

Answering this two ways!

Shikiya is a very long lived tengu from the Hingashi region. The first is of his younger self in his tribe's traditional attire. The second is his older modern self in his own flavour of traditional Hingan clothing.

[infinitexmuses-archive]

@kitxkatrp asked: “Oh, I guess I’ll go fuck myself, then.” Zange to Brianne (in refer to his boi he keeps failing to flirt with) Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime — Season 2  {Sentence Starters}

"If you keep up that attitude about it, you might as well." She responded, rather bluntly. "Not everyone is exactly... Intelligent, in that department. Especially the folk around here, if it wasn't obvious enough."

He was gonna have to try a few different approaches if he wanted to get anywhere with anyone, she'll be honest-

[infinitexmuses-archive]

@kitxkatrp asked: "What would I do without you?" Zange and Brianne Questioning Sentences, Vol. 7

"I don't know, that's a good question-" Given how many times she's had to save his ass from doing something stupid to try and be the jokester of the building. "At least you would've been bedridden several times by now, at least. I have to protect you more than I have to my actual contract."

[infinitexmuses-archive]

@kitxkatrp asked: “Now that’s embarrassing.“ Zange to Brianne Don't recall and reeeee-

"What's more embarrassing was that he seemed to be doing his best the entire time, too." She had to admit, watching the tanuki get toyed with like this was amusing yet almost sad. It was almost as if they worked together to torture the poor boy no matter what the situation. "Aren't you gonna give him a break? He looks like he's about to lose it."

[infinitexmuses-archive]

@kitxkatrp asked: without ash to rise from, a phoenix would just be a bird getting up. Zange to Brianne chaotic unhinged lines from 2022-2023 (prompt edition)

"You know what?..." She moved her gaze over to the other, unsurprised by the mindless mention of such a comment. "You're probably not wrong. Other than the bird getting younger and all that... And being made of fire a lot of the time. Phoenix's are strange as hell, let's admit it..."

[fox-graves]

Wings torn asunder, Wind God reborn a monkey banished from the sky.

_

My air genasi hobgoblin, Jiba aka Uncle.

He was born the avatar of the wind god, Kotengu, which marked him for greatness among his people. Uncle had other plans and preferred the life of a conman... and all was well until he conned the wrong person and fell foul of the mob, losing both his arms in exchange for them sparing his life.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

I am once again thinking about associated animal symbolism, particularly in regard to Ren being associated with cats, and Akechi with crows, mostly because I love cats and crows in general. What am I saying this is just an excuse to ramble about cats and crows. Read my thoughts boy.

Cats are associated with good luck, fortune and protection, especially in Japan, but also the world over. Black cats are especially good symbols of one's luck turning over, with new prospects for wealth, love, and healing, but superstition makes some people assume the exact opposite - treating them with mistrust due to associations with bad luck, witchcraft, and the devil. Cats have important roles in folklore the world over, and are usually mysterious and adaptable creatures who are often attuned to magic and frequently shapeshifters.

Crows, on the other hand, get a bad rep. They are associated with bad luck and curses, where the call of a crow indicates that someone is going to die soon. Depending on the call, the exact meaning can change, but all crow calls signify some type of impending misfortune or death. However, crows also have strong spiritual connotations and are considered messengers of the gods, and while linked to death, they are also linked to transformation. They have good connotations too, particularly seen as intelligent, resourceful, and protective. Their dual associations can be seen in mythical crows such as the vicious, solitary trickster kotengu, and the wise messenger and guide Yatagarasu.

Moving away from symbolism, on the behavioural side of things, while cats and crows can actually get along, they can also pose serious threats to each other. Cats are frequently irritated by crows that will peck at and annoy them intentionally in order to instigate a reaction (which is kind of hilarious honestly).

Importantly though, and relevant to these two characters, while cats and crows are widely regarded to be solitary, they are actually very social animals.

Cats, while independent, actually do get very lonely without companionship, and seek out affection when denied it. The thing is, they prefer to do this on their own terms - cats need to have the freedom to decide whether or not to initiate contact, and also to leave if they so choose. They're also very family oriented and it's good to adopt cats in pairs so they have a companion to play with (that is, as long as they get along!). They pick up on emotional states well and will often adjust their behaviour to match the emotional valence. While the jury's still out on whether cats experience complex emotions, they absolutely feel things like happiness, sadness, anger and affection, and have a need for stability - quickly uprooting them by moving to a new location can seriously stress out and upset a cat.

Crows are actually highly social, and have a complex communication system where they will chatter, pass along messages, and develop specific alarm calls. They have an excellent memory for the faces of those who have helped or wronged them, will remember this for years, and pass on this information to other crows. They are able to use and make tools, solve puzzles, and appear to have rudimentary understandings of things like simple physics, numbers, abstract reasoning, and future planning. They're family oriented as well, socially monogamous, with young crows often staying with their parents to assist them with food or younger siblings. They will even host "funerals" where they will gather around their dead, which are less about mourning (though this may actually be a part of it) and more about figuring out what killed them. While some crows are solitary, there are usually other crows not far away, and those that aren't part of a group may have been outcast.

Both animals absolutely can survive and do well on their own, but they are fundamentally much happier when they have companionship.

Well, anyways, I'm just talking.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Connecting to my previous post, I did find some funny information on tengu while doing a bit of Akechi and crow symbolism research. Please enjoy:

"There are countless folk stories about tengu being duped into trading powerful magical items or giving up valuable information in exchange for worthless trinkets. Often this happens because the foolish kotengu overestimate their own intelligence when trying to trick a human, and end up being tricked themselves. During the Edo period, most tengu lore was gradually superseded by amusing folk tales, dampening the vicious image portrayed in earlier stories."

rip Akechi lmao

[jackdaniel69nice]

Inktober 17/2024 “Demonic”

Yokai are just demons under another name so Kotengu tokoyami and his shadow buddy are here. I’m not completely finished with dark shadows design but I think they will be an Ōnyūdō of some sort.

[frowningfox]

pspspspsps can u tell us more about uncle jiba because i really like your art of him he's such a Guy

😭I thought nobody liked Uncle, I thought I scared everyone away with him being??? idk being very visibly disabled and also happening to not be particularly skinny. he's my least interacted with art

Lil mini pic of Uncle for people before I ramble

[BIG INHALE] Let's start with his NAME. Jiba comes from J'ba, an underelven masculine title for a close family figure with a mostly friendly relationship with the speaker. Often translated as "uncle" even though dairau(darkelves/drow) don't really keep track of blood relations like that.

The street urchin children, largely the disenfranchised and displaced people like those who would speak underelven, took a shining to him and dubbed him their J'ba. Which he then took as his name because he left his at home*. Add Uncle to the front of it and he's essentially going by "Uncle Uncle". Now WHY they took a shining to him.

He is a conman and trickster magician. (Mechanically in DnD he started out as Monk with the Charlatan background and a feat that gave him some tricks.) He regularly steals from people and will often share his spoils with the street kids.

*He ran away from home because well... he's running from the burden of being "the chosen one". Every so often someone from his species(the Corarenke,/Korinki) is born as an Avatar of their god, a fey Wind God named Kotengu. Jiba was ever so lucky to be born as this Avatar and he HATED it. All the expectation and decorum and everything about it, he hated it. That thing on his chest? Natural fur pattern, baby! A permanent natural tattoo reminding him of his chosen-ness.

He yearned for being just a Guy. So he ran away and left everything behind except for his crow familiar, who was yet another avatar of Kotengu, one meant to be his spiritual guide.

Now, at this point he still had his arms. Which were also wings. (Coraranke have feathered wing arms that fold up kind of like a pterodactyl's). The amputation was a later in life development and one he is still learning to adjust to. Coraranke wing arms are very important to their mobility and spirituality, he can still manipulate things with his monkey feet and tail so it is functionally a lot more like a real life double leg amputation than a real life double arm amputation.

But I supposed how he lost his arms is an important character moment.

So you know how I said he was a conman and a trickster? Well he uh. Conned the wrong person, a higher up in a very influential gang, a rookie mistake, but he was... unfamiliar with the city and its politics. They put one of their hitmen after him and when wrangled he begged, pleaded, and bargained for all he was worth, and the hitman settled for taking his wings as trophies in stead of his life, and leaving him to die.

Luckily Kotengu the Crow was not about to let his charge die in a back alley and croaked out some words to get a passerby to follow him down the not at all creepy dangerous alleyway(that man would not have survived a horror movie... following a talking crow into a back alley in gang violence central smh), and he was carted away to a local monastery that took care of his wounds, nursed him back to health and attempted to rehabilitate him.

He very much wants to steal from the monastery but is conflicted because they took such good care of him

[collapses into a heap of bones and dust]

[reanimates]

Oh also the character concept came about from a joke about "unarmed attacks" and I decided to take it Too Seriously and explore an amputation disability and its impacts on a hero's life in the world we play dnd in.

Okay bye

[returns to dust]

[shadowcrafter-28]

Blood warning

He just had a ball with some of his teammates...

Btw, an Oni that eats human flesh would take over his body instead of a female succubus

The onis Ive thought of was either ushi-ono, jikininki, kotengu

Sketch, flats, and reference

Check out these threads!

https://x.com/Shadow28Crafter/status/1807851091532603874?t=BkAkxT2GdvcFE2871ovMnQ&s=19

https://x.com/Shadow28Crafter/status/1811928062596132885?t=EWjOJtLvRof1kjfNM095tQ&s=19

[tonguetiedraven]

I love your “Ryuuji calming Rin post battle” fic! Now, riddle me this….Rin calming Ryuuji who got pissed and protective or something. 💚

I'm doubling up for this one, and @marble-wolf helped me write it <3 Also, if you want another slightly longer 'Rin calms Ryuuji' fix, check out this fic

I'm glad you like my stories <3

-- -- -- -- --

Ryuuji caught a glimpse of feathers as the kotengu attempted its escape with the kartika. The sacred weapon was far too powerful to let be stolen, let alone by something as vile as a kotengu. He’d chase after the demon to protect the village children, but when it was armed with an artifact from his temple, and one that had the ability to sever all connections to all material bonds.

All. Life and souls or anything else. In the hands of a vile kotengu, he couldn’t imagine the damage that could be done. 

He called the warning as he chased after it, running from the deepest chambers of the Kaen-ji temple and rushing to the darkening forest, eyes on the distant shape of the clumsily flying demon. The warning bells rang out around him, and the bird demon disappeared into the trees. 

They’d never catch him in the forest. Not quickly enough. Not when it had already kidnapped children. 

The naga could track, but they’d be slowed looking at the tree tops, but thankfully, Ryuuji had another option for that. He ran as hard as he could, calling out for his boyfriend as he dashed into the dark forest with his gun and beads drawn. He didn't have to look around to see if Rin could hear or worry if his boyfriend would come.

Sure enough, Rin almost instantly appeared at Ryuuji's side. He hadn't been far and it was easy to hear Ryuuji's voice even among the alarms and other voices shouting. Ryuuji's eyes were locked on where the demon had disappeared. 

Rin shot forward into the trees, using his nose to track the foul stench of the demon. He bared his fangs, trying to stay in Ryuuji's line of sight, but then the kotengu demon (as he had heard it called) was above him in the trees. He jumped up, climbing between the branches and caught the demon's leg and yanked it to the forest floor. 

Ryuuji followed after, shouting a call to whoever else was near that Rin had the demon. He pulled his gun up, focusing on the sights and trying to get a clean shot past Rin and the leaves overhead. Always harder with how quick and efficiently Rin moved. He couldn't afford to hit the kartika either.

Rin shoved the demon down, drawing back to condense his flames into his sword and swung. His flames were already devouring the kotengu's feathers, but the demon was fast, kicking off the ground to put some distance between itself and Rin. 

Rin's eyes narrowed, fangs baring as he crouched to spring after it. Before the demon could get far enough away to lunge after, the demon was turning back around.

The demon was a stupid one, and was trying to rushing Rin before Rin could make his own move. It was laughing and didn't seem the least bit worried about Rin's flames, even as its feathers still smoldered from Rin's first attack. 

Rin sidestepped the lunge, swiping with his sword and catching the demon across the raised arm with the weird knife in it while maintaining his balance effortlessly between the branches. The demon shrieked, but didn't seem to really register the pain as it returned the hit, narrowly missing Rin with the blade that looked like it would hurt. 

Rin retreated back, listening to Ryuuji and the others closing in. He moved to give Ryuuji a clear shot to hit the demon and he realized his mistake a moment too late. 

There was a second demon. 

Rin had been too focused on the first and he learned about the second with a blinding agony that shot through his body, lancing up his spine like someone had shoved a white hot poker through his lower back. 

He was aware of his scream, a ragged cry that dissolved into a roar. Then he was on the ground, unable to see anything but a wall of blue fire.  

Ryuuji fired the shot as Rin fell, and there was another gunshot blast joining his, but he didn’t see who it was or if the second demon was hit. He  knew he’d blasted the first fucker in his shoulder, but the Myōō Dharani would guarantee they didn’t get away, and he trusted his people to find the dropped dagger.

Rin’s scream and falling form had the entirety of Ryuuji’s attention. He shot forward with a horrified yell, remembering too many stories about demons dying from tail injuries or never being able to move proper again, and that it was utter agony to have your tail injured. 

Ryuuji ran for all his might, feeling the thud of Rin hitting the ground like it shot through his own heart. A inferno of blue flames followed it, and Ryuuji kept running, sliding to the blood damp grass and stopping beside Rin, uncaring of the uncomfortable heat of the flames that licked at his clothes, body, and hair. They stung, but nothing caught fire and they let him pass. 

“Rin?!” Ryuuji caught Rin’s wrist, his heart pounding too loudly in his chest as he sucked in a gasp of air. There was blood —far too much of it— and Rin was screaming in obvious agony. 

“Yukio!”

There was no need to call him. Yukio was dropping by his side as soon as he started and reaching to roll Rin on to his side to get the pressure off his injured tail. 

Rin yelped at the touch, head turning to snap at the hands as it happened. He couldn't focus on anything. His sight was void of anything that wasn't flames and black spots as his lungs stayed compressed from the force of his panted breaths and screams that didn't want to stop with every fresh shock of pain. 

His tail was thrashing and flailing around the base, but the rest was crooked and bleeding, lit with flames that were roaring like a wildfire.  

“Ryuuji,” Yukio grunted, barely dodging a bite from Rin, “distract him. I have to set this.” 

Ryuuji nodded, gritting his teeth as he reached for Rin’s face, turning it to face him and getting a bite for his efforts, but that would heal and there wouldn’t be any lingering effects with a bit of holy water. The pain was something he could ignore. The adrenaline pumping through him and the terror had him entirely focused on the hurting blue eyes.

“Rin,” he ordered in a low tone that brooked no argument, “focus on my voice. You’re going to be okay. You need to breathe through the pain. It’s going to get worse, but Yukio is fixing it.” He kept his grip firm enough to keep Rin’s eyes on him, but it wasn’t like Rin couldn’t break out of any grip if he wanted to. 

The flames around them roared higher, and there were a few worried calls of his name. He ignored them and focused on Rin. (Did they think Rin would really hurt him? What a strange thought. Rin had never really hurt him. Even this bite was nothing.)

“Can you hear me? Just focus on your breathing.” 

Rin had learned to listen when Ryuuji used that tone of voice and even in the fog of agony, he was searching for his boyfriend over the roaring in his head. His hearing was muffled and his heart was thundering in his chest, but he still opened his eyes to see Ryuuji. Steady and confident and calling to Rin.

Something was touching his tail (Yukio, his muddled mind provided) and he was swiping out with sharp claws to make the pain stop. The flames shot higher and were brushing the trees as he tried to roll away. His bottom half felt numb and horrifically painful in his spine where his tail met his back and he wasn't able to hold back the wild demon clawing to escape the pain.  

“Rin,” Ryuuji cupped his boyfriend’s cheeks a bit more firmly, leaning closer and keeping his voice low and steady. The claws caught on his robe, slicing through the fabric and tangling in the kesa before they could reach something important. It hurt, but not enough to distract Ryuuji. He could clean it all later when Rin wasn’t hurting like this. 

“Focus on my voice. Breathe in time with me, okay? Just keep control of your breath. Yukio’s going to make the pain stop. I promise.” He brushed his thumbs over Rin’s cheeks as he spoke, knowing it was insanely dangerous to touch a demon in so much pain, but not able to stop himself when it was Rin in pain. 

He needed to give Rin something to focus on, and his boyfriend was always commenting about how he liked Ryuuji’s voice, so voice it was. He leaned closer so he would fill Rin’s entire vision (he didn’t need looking over and seeing Yukio’s bloody hands) and started a low chant. It was the same one he used when they meditated together, quiet and close and serene, and hearing Rin chant it back (always slightly off) was one of Ryuuji’s favorite things. 

Rin sagged, whining and snarling as he tried to quiet himself so he could listen to Ryuuji. The chants always helped him focus and it did help to have. 

But then Yukio set the bones and Rin was trying to bolt away with a howl as his flames grew higher and hotter, catching the tree above him on fire.  

Ryuuji hauled Rin to his chest, hissing a bit as it caused claws and teeth to tear at his skin, but not enough to make him let go. Not when it would mean Yukio having to do this all over again. Rin wouldn’t really hurt him, and he couldn’t let it get worse. He’d reached him for a second there, and he knew he could do it again.

He pulled Rin close, gritting his jaw against claws in his back, and pressed one hand against the back of Rin’s head, coaxing him to rest against Ryuuji’s shoulder as he pulled in a breath. The first words of the chant came out a bit of a growl, but the next ones were more even as he pushed past the pain. 

He was going to annihilate those demons. They’d stolen children, terrorized travelers, desecrated and robbed his temple, and broken his lover’s tail. Rin was and would be in pain for days because of this, and even healing brought the risk of permanent nerve damage. 

(Yukio wouldn’t let that happen. Ryuuji had to believe it would be okay. He couldn’t let Rin be hurt like that because of something he did. He should have been faster and shot it before the bastard could hurt Rin.)

Rin clung to his boyfriend, biting a mouthful of Ryuuji's robes and breathing through his nose in quick gasps. He could feel Yukio wrapping the breaks but he could actually feel his legs again and he kicked lightly at his brother, earning a growl and a scolding. The pain was fading from blinding, mind consuming agony to a duller constant throbbing that only blurred his sight a little bit.  

Ryuuji kept up the chant, soothing his fingers through Rin’s white and black locks. He let his other arm loop around Rin’s waist, dangerously close to the tail, but he trusted Rin. He could feel his boyfriend’s breathing getting easier, and it had him rocking Rin a little. He switched the chant to a low murmur of reassurance, hardly paying attention to the promises and gentle declarations he was murmuring into Rin’s hair.

Yukio was working as quickly as he could, grateful for the assistance as he finished up the splint and prepared an injection that would hopefully numb the area until Rin was healed.

Rin shut his eyes, letting a soft purr escape him as he turned his head just enough to eye Yukio with a halfhearted growl. He reached back instinctively, but his hand was caught and held in a tight grip. The sting of the needle was insignificant in comparison to the rest of the pain and the medicine brought a welcome numbness. 

He sighed in relief, sagging against Ryuuji before slowly straightening with a mumbled apology.  

“You have nothing to apologize for, sunshine,” Ryuuji promised, nuzzling Rin’s cheek and checking with Yukio to see if it was okay now. He received a curt nod as Yukio sat back on his heels, wiping his hands off on a cloth as his expression slipped into a careful neutrality that did nothing to hide the obvious fury he was feeling to Ryuuji. (Though he was fairly certain that was just from the amount of time they’d spent together, silently fuming at some stupid injustice.)

Ryuuji was not so subtly fuming. That bastard had hurt Rin. One bullet hadn’t been enough for how vile it was. He should have used the bazooka. That monster had broken into his temple and harmed a child! The disgusting vermin shouldn’t have been allowed to set as single foot near that sacred place. It shouldn’t have touched Rin. He was going to find the damn thing’s nest and he was going to exorcise everything there. He’d cleanse every signal one of the objects and he’d return them to where they belonged. Every remnant of those demons would be wiped away.

Rin could feel the rage coming off Ryuuji, and honestly, rage was too light a term. It was thick on his scent and Rin pulled back to cradle Ryuuji's cheek. There were only a few ways to soothe that kind of anger.

"I'm okay!" Rin promised, looking back at Yukio with a happy, "Thanks!" 

He stroked Ryuuji's cheek, hoping it would help calm the fire in his eyes.  His own pain was distant now, and he didn't want Ryuuji upset about it any longer.

Ryuuji shook his head. Rin would heal but he wasn't okay. He was going to be feeling the ghost of that pain for ages, and the poor child was going to have a temp-taint and trauma. There was no telling how long it would be for them to heal. 

"Did someone get it?" Ryuuji asked in a dangerous tone. He would exorcise it himself and wash it away from their land. He would ensure it never hurt anything again.

"Yes, sir. They're both taken care of."

Ryuuji got to his feet and picked Rin up in his arms with a stern frown. Of course the monster was already gone.

"I'll take him home," he growled, failing in his attempt to not feel the fury of everything.

Yukio stood as well and nodded. "I'll check him again in a while." 

Ryuuji marched off, still failing to mask his fury.

Rin curled against Ryuuji's hold, feeling odd that he couldn't feel his tail. He always curled it around Ryuuji. It was never not on Ryuuji. But it was blessedly numb and he could only feel a slight ache in his back. 

Ryuuji seemed anything but numb.

"Thank you," Rin mumbled again, nuzzling Ryuuji's shoulder and thinking over his next action. He lifted his head to check what had happened with the demon while he thought. 

The exorcists were purifying the spots where the demons had been and Konekomaru was standing with his eyes on them, silently guarding them.

Rin smiled widely at his friend and nosed Ryuuji's shoulder. 

"It's okay. They're dead now," Rin tried softly. It wasn't likely to work (not yet) but he'd start with it anyway.

Ryuuji nodded, not trusting his voice. They were dead but it wasn't okay.  It wasn't going to be okay. The damage had been done and the scars would be there for a long time, visible or not.

His stomps were too loud, and normally Rin's weight would be all the comfort he needed to breathe again. But… 

Rin was hurt and Ryuuji couldn't fight what had done it, so he couldn't release this fury through that. And it had hurt his temple and children, and there could be more. It was an endless fight and he hadn't been fast enough, and it was all done simply because that monster wanted treasure. It cared nothing for life.

Rin rubbed at the tension growing in Ryuuji's shoulder and neck, the trek back was thick with Ryuuji's tension and Rin didn't know exactly what to do for it.

He was no stranger to Ryuuji's righteous anger. A hot rage born of a seriously fucked up demon, and… as Rin knew first hand, when Rin was hurt --when any of them were hurt-- Ryuuji would get a single minded urge for making it right. 

The stomp of Ryuuji's feet was much louder than his typical steps. Typically he tried to copy Rin and be silent. That and the tension...

Rin battled all of that with purrs and held Ryuuji around the neck. He wasn't great with words, but he tried anyway.

"The demons are dead" he said softly,. "Our people killed 'em. I'll be better in no time, and the kid will be okay. The temple can be patched up too. We all did it," Rin continued in a stream of soft words. He kept his face tucked against Ryuuji's head, letting his breath tickle over Ryuuji's skin. He didn't try to pull away and walk on his own (his tail still felt numb and his balance would be bad) and he kept gently kneading at Ryuuji's neck. Not telling him to calm down or let it go. Ryuuji never liked hearing that.

Rin seemed to have an endless supply of those kinds of reassurances, and no problem repeating them the entire walk to the cabin. He nuzzled and held and leaned, and his warmth and presence had Ryuuji managing a deeper breath, and then another. He brushed a kiss against Rin’s head as they walked, swearing to himself that Rin would be okay and they’d get back and he’d settle Rin in bed and bring him something to eat and drink (both necessary to help replace what healing took out) and then he’d go over every inch of his temple and enhance the defenses and spells. Nothing would go near it again.

And maybe… maybe join Rin for a non-tail-hurting cuddle.

Rin nuzzled Ryuuji's shoulder as they slipped inside the inn. He kept up his quiet reassurance and asked about the dagger, distracting Ryuuji with explaining, letting the adrenaline fade and the sharp edge of the rage ease as he got Rin comfortable in bed (careful of the tail.)

He'd get Rin to make a shield of flames at his back to prevent that in the future (though his boyfriend would probably call it something stupid like Satan's Shield,) and he'd make certain their relics were guarded against those disgusting demons.

His wrist was caught before he could leave the room, and he was made to promise he'd come back as soon as he'd taken care of the necessary business, because Rin expected cuddles and moral support for whatever horrible medicine Yukio tried to make him swallow.

Ryuuji laughed. It wasn't much of a laugh, gruff and quiet, but Rin beamed like it was the best sort of sounds, and as he left the room, Ryuuji found his breath coming easy and himself standing less rigid.

Rin happy ramble to Kuro followed him down the hall, and Rin was right. They'd done it. It was fixed for now and Ryuuji would take the steps to make sure it never happened again.

But first, something to eat and a rest with Rin.

[lostgalaxylee]

🧡TENGU ORANGE🧡

Tengu: Brooding

There are several types of tengu in Japanese lore. This ranger, specifically, takes aspects of the daitengu and kotengu (greater and lesser tengu, respectively). The silver crest on the top of the helmet is shaped as such to mimic the long nose that daitengu is depicted with, but with wing shapes to represent the bird-like appearance that kotengu have. Daitengu are solitary but intelligent, and their intelligence makes them formidable and terrible. They typically live on high secluded mountaintops.

Brooding Soldier:

Orange is new to being part of a group. He has been on his own for so long it’s hard for him to adjust to a team dynamic. Vulnerability makes him uncomfortable, and he likes to process his feelings on his own. Orange uses clever tricks to redirect the focus of discussion away from himself. He doesn't want to burden others with his baggage. His team tries to help him learn to unwind and let go of the tension he’s been carrying. He has a group of friends now, not just a team, a group that supports each other no matter what.

[sakurasorceress]

Spirit Overview: Tengu

The following information is my UPG based on folklore and personal experience.

This is a re-post from an old account. I have made mild edits from the original post.

Biology: 

Tengu have masks that appear very similar to those in folklore. The donning of such masks can also trigger things like the growth of talons replacing fingers, skin becoming more rigid, and their speed increasing, though these transformations are optional. To wear their mask is to show formality as well as a protective glamor.  

The coloration of the masks varies based on the landscape they’re in. Mountains with red clay earth will have tengu with red masks. Landscapes with richer earth may result in more brown hues. This is mainly due to the fact that local clay are used in creating the masks. Coloration and design are often unique to various clans, not unlike Scottish tartan patterns.

While predominantly found in mountains and forests, tengu can be found in many, often rural, environments, such as fields, plains, and even a Japanese garden. 

Outside of their masks, tengu spirits are humanoid, though they usually retain their wings.

“Okay Uzuki, but what about kotengu?”

Kotengu, which are often either young tengu or weaker in strength, retain more avian characteristics, like feathered arms and legs and even beaks. Kotengu can evolve into daitengu as they grow into themselves and gain strength both physically and magically. 

Energy: 

Tengu, like all yokai, have the same baseline yokai energy. However, as they are avian to some degree, it is lighter in density and airier than pure yokai energy. I would categorize tengu energy to be on the darker end of the spectrum but on the wispier side of density. 

Because of their Buddhist connections, many tengu seem to interact well with reiki, which cannot be said about most yokai. 

Personality: 

Tengu are predominantly a warrior race–though larger clans have a wider diversity of jobs and specializations. As such many are dutiful in their tasks and can be almost martial about how they go about doing things. They are very moral, though not in a human sense. They are protective of their clans and family, a danger to either will result in a swift end for the enemy. 

Life Cycle: 

Like many humanoid yokai, tengu reproduce sexually. Infants will be mostly humanoid but will begin to grow feathers and even talons as they become toddlers. Up until puberty, many tengu will retain the appearance of kotengu in folklore. During adolescence, many tengu begin military training and learn to harness their powers more firmly. While the lifespan of yokai is hard to pin down, it is not unheard of for an elder tengu to reach several thousand years of age. 

Children & Family: 

Tengu children are treated with a lot of care. Yokai do not reproduce often, I’ve noticed, though I haven’t fully discerned the reason why quite yet. Regardless, children are viewed as precious and are often cared for by the clan as a whole. Many female tengu will foster each other’s young as well as teach them academics and how to maintain the home. 

Tengu culture is somewhat patriarchal, as men are often leaders of clans. But much like in chess, the bride of the clan leader is just as powerful, if not more, than the clan leader himself. Tengu, like humans, range from strict patriarchal structures within their household to egalitarianism based on personal beliefs. 

Friendship & Courtship: 

Tengu make friends just like humans. And how deep those bonds go are up to the individual. Most friendships are within the clan though, as many tengu clans are isolated. In the case that there is interaction with other clans, they’re often diplomatic in nature.

In the same vein, views on romance and sex are quite varied and highly individualistic. I have noticed that many tengu seem to be generally open to relationships with those on either end of the gender spectrum. Many would consider themselves pan- or bisexual if asked. 

While a wedding ceremony is not required, mates often bond for life (or multiple lives), some choose to have one. These ceremonies are similar to traditional Japanese weddings and are often private affairs with immediate family only. Because of their loyalty to their partner(s) it isn’t unusual to see a widower never take on a new spouse. That being said, they choose do choose to find a new partner are rarely shunned. Because of past lives playing a role, while uncommon, polycules are not frowned upon.

Conflict: 

Conflict among individuals is generally frowned upon in tengu culture though the occasional family rivalry does pop up now and again. Because tengu live in a martial culture, sparring is a common pastime between friends and rivals alike. However, if a true conflict arises between two individuals, a higher-ranking tengu will often mediate to resolve the issue at hand.

Unless fighting with an enemy, sparring will only leave bruises and slight scratches. Maiming or intent to kill is heavily frowned upon between members of the same clan. To do so, or worse, can result in either exile or death for the perpetrator. Sparring is a means to gain experience, intent to harm will only lead to fewer soldiers able to fight if necessary.

“Okay Uzuki, but what about if I want to meet them? What should I know?”

Offerings:

Like many yokai, you can’t go wrong with a nice green tea or sake. A good general rule of thumb for offerings is to stick with more traditional foods and drink, e.g., sencha, genmaicha, and any sake that’s not flavored or involves fruit (except for maybe umeshu and yuzushu). As tengu typically live away from civilization (but not completely isolated from humans) they prefer to keep with the old ways of life when it comes to offerings. Foods such as rice, meats, fish, and traditional soups like miso soup are also preferred offerings for tengu.

Incenses like sandalwood, myrrh, and frankincense have worked well for me in the past. But food is the most preferred offering. 

While some may be open to more modern offerings like pop music, candy, soda, etc. It’s best to assume that they prefer more conservative, traditional foods and other offerings unless told otherwise. 

Etiquette:

When it comes to how you should interact with tengu. Generally, stay polite. Yokai don’t do wordplay in the same way as fae. If anything a lack of giving gratitude would be seen as disrespectful. Much like speaking with a superior or elder in Japanese culture, be formal with you introduce yourself. Bowing at 30 degrees or higher (as in bowing down lower and closer to 90 degrees) is probably best when first introducing yourself. Welcome them into your home and offer them your, well, offerings. 

Personally, I tell my guests to leave all weaponry at the metaphorical or literal door, but the details of if they are allowed to be armed in your presence are up to you. 

Overall, try not to be boisterous and loud and until they decline, continue to give them drink, especially if you have a pot of tea. If I had to attribute tengu to an anime archetype, it would be the traditional matriarch character. The one who is critical of sloppiness and missteps. This doesn’t mean that all tengu are like this, though higher ranking ones tend to be more “uptight” than lower ranked ones. 

Bonding Activities:

Should you befriend a tengu or find yourself a companion to one, a good way to bond is through sparring. Learning to fight in the astral is a good skill to have and sparring is practically a love language for tengu. 

Alongside martial arts, tengu hold artistic culture to be important as well. Instruments are treasured and beautiful works of poetry and story are highly regarded among the higher-ranked nobility of tengu clans. 

Many of the things that tengu excel in, stealth, fighting, strategy, protection magic (both offensive and defensive), and guardianship, to name a few, will be a good determiner of how you can bond with a tengu spirit. 

Specific ways of bonding will differ tengu to tengu, so one may be boisterous and enjoy spicy foods, listening to metal core, and watching horror movies while another may be more grounded and prefer listening to the rain, reading historical classic novels, and calligraphy.

All this to say, while the forms of bonding listed above is typically well received, more defined methods of bonding is highly individual.

Warning:

Though tengu are seen as a noble race of yokai, they are still capable of harm if they perceive your actions as disrespectful. Because of this, I highly recommend looking into Japanese etiquette as a whole before approaching one yourself. Along with this, yokai overall are not beginner friendly. Tengu may be some of the “tamer” races, but having prior experience with spirits is important when dealing with yokai, in my opinion. 

[ascendancy-echoes]

Chapter 13: The Deal

Russ and Ismene stood in the back of the crowd, off to one side, where Nabal had waved them over. It looked like the entire population of Medina was present. Even from the distance they were from the plaza, Russ could see three robed figures standing on the upper plaza in front of the Demon King’s statue. They were all wearing dark gray robes and midnight-black masks that covered their faces. However, there was no hiding what types of Mystics they were; there was a Kotengu, a Naga and a Gargoyle. A second Kotengu stood by the podium that had been set up. Russ recognized her as Nocturna thanks to her evening hue ombré robes and her silver mask.

Standing beside Nocturna was Oz. He was dressed in ornate dark purple and black robes. He had a somber expression as he stepped up to the podium.

“I know you all heard the bells. The same bells that rang when my grandfather left this world,” he spoke to the crowd, his voice slow and deliberate. “There is no denying their significance and it is with a heavy heart that I must relay the news that my father, Elder Ozymandias the Eighth, has died.”

The crowd erupted into loud whispers. Russ heard more than a few surprised remarks. Yes, the Elder had been getting on in years but he seemed to be fairly healthy. How could he have died so suddenly?

“I know,” Oz lamented, sorrow in his voice. “I am as shocked as you all are. Our town physician has assured me his death was of natural causes, a hidden condition of the heart, and he did not suffer.”

Russ exchanged glances with Ismene. They both knew that the Elder had been in fine health besides some arthritis that he kept in check with the medicinal tincture he ordered from them. Surely Paion would have noticed something about his heart as he was the town’s, and Elder’s, trusted physician. Paion took pride in being thorough and keeping everyone healthy.

“My father’s funeral will be in a week’s time,” Oz continued. “As is tradition with the passing of an Elder, a period of mourning shall commence starting now until sundown of the funeral day. Take this time to mourn the loss of a great leader and remember all that he did for us.”

“What does that mean?” Russ whispered to Ismene.

“Means everyone spends the week offering Oz condolences and probably not working unless it’s needed,” Iados interjected as he and Nameia stepped through the crowd and stood beside Ismene and Russ.

“I c-can’t believe th-the Elder’s-s-s d-dead,” Nabal stuttered quietly. “He seemed fi-fi, okay, y-yes-yesterday.”

“Life’s like that. Mystics die,” Iados muttered, not bothering to hide the look of anger and sadness in his eyes. He smiled faintly as Nameia leaned on him.

The group looked to the podium to listen to the rest of Oz’s speech.

“As I take upon the title of Elder, I will ensure the safety of Medina and all Mystics,” Oz continued. “I will do whatever it takes to ensure our peoples’ safety and prosperity. I will continue things as my father had but with this new promise; no humans shall ever set foot upon Alastori again and we will obtain what is rightfully ours one day.”

Oz concluded his speech with a prayer to Lavos which everyone echoed back before he dismissed the crowd. Russ found himself lingering for a moment, wondering what Oz had meant by obtaining what was rightfully theirs, before he bid a goodbye to Nabal, Iados and Nameia, and followed Ismene back home.

~o~O~o~

Life seemed to return to normal after Elder Ozzie’s funeral. The funeral had been a somber yet grand affair. Russ privately admired how strong Oz was during the whole eulogy. Despite the sorrowful expression on his face, Oz spoke clearly and proudly of his father’s accomplishments and his memories of the Elder. Ismene remained silent and pensive the whole time. Russ could only imagine that she was thinking of her own parents at that moment.

After the funeral, Oz was officially declared and sworn in as the Elder of Medina by Nocturna. He took to his job with earnestness. Ismene had to admit that he was certainly more involved than his father, talking to citizens day to day and listening to their concerns. Russ and Ismene returned to their own routines as did every other citizen of Medina. Everything seemed like life would go on as usual until one night, about a week after the funeral, Ismene and Russ were just settling in for the evening when they heard a knock at the door.

“Who could that be?” Russ wondered aloud. He walked over to the front door and opened it to see the Kotengu in the silver mask and blue-ombre robes, flanked by a couple of masked Noctis Arbitra agents, an Ogran and a Gargoyle. Russ recognized the Kotengu in the silver mask as Nocturna, the leader of Noctis Arbitra. Before Russ could ask any of them what they needed, Nocturna pushed past him, followed by her agents.

“The Elder wishes to speak to you, Ismene,” Nocturna said calmly.

“It’s seven at night,” Ismene remarked. “Unless he urgently needs medicine right this very moment, I will come to his manor first thing in the morning.”

“This cannot wait,” Nocturna insisted. “Now, come with us.”

Ismene let out an annoyed sigh. “What could be so urgent that Oz can’t wait until the morning?”

“You misunderstand,” Nocturna said. “It’s not a choice. You will come with us now or we will make you.”

“Not unless you tell me what’s going on,” Ismene replied sternly. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“I really hate how stubborn you can be,” Nocturna sighed. She quickly pulled out the baton she had at her side and struck it into Ismene’s chest. Ismene let out a sharp gasp as the air was knocked out of her lungs and she felt her magic drain in an instant.

“Izzy!” Russ moved to be by Ismene’s side as she collapsed to the ground when he was grabbed by two of the masked agents who had forced their way in with Nocturna.

“Let go of me!” Russ shouted as he fought against the strong grip of the masked agents. “What did you do to her?!”

“She’ll be fine,” Nocturna assured as she cuffed Ismene and picked the Naga up by her arm. “Now calm down before we have to do the same to you, Russ.”

Russ was scared for Ismene and for himself. He wanted to protect Ismene but he felt so powerless. He continued to struggle against the agents holding him when that same terrifying energy he felt in those ruins filled the air. Without warning, an electric force pushed out from Russ and threw the agents against the nearby walls.

A multifaceted shield of electricity surrounded Russ briefly. It dissipated as fast as it had manifested. Russ stood stunned at what he had done. He stared at the agents that had grabbed him before he felt the painful jolt of Nocturna’s baton strike him in the stomach.

Ismene, although breathless, yelled out to Russ before she had a bag thrown over her head. She felt herself being dragged out of the cottage and thrown into what she assumed was a wagon. Moments later, she felt something or someone thump next to her.

“Don’t break him,” Nocturna admonished. “The Elder will want to talk to him.”

“He attacked us, Nocturna,” snapped one of the guards. “My hands are still numb.”

“Get over it. You’re Noctis Arbitra,” Nocturna replied.

Ismene was afraid to move. Was Russ okay? She let out a breathless sigh of relief when she heard him cough and groan. At least he was breathing. A moment later, she felt the wagon bump and lurch forward. Nocturna was taking them somewhere. It was hard to move, both because of whatever Nocturna had done to her and also because of the cuffs that covered her hands. Still, she tried to shuffle over to where she had felt something being thrown next to her until she felt Russ’s fur, probably his arm, against her tail.

“Russ?” she called out in a faint whisper, unsure if the bag over her head was muffling her.

A faint groan, movement. Then she heard Russ whisper, “Izzy?”

“I’m here,” she whispered back. “Feel like shit but I’m okay.”

“Same.” Russ muttered, trying to sound reassuring.

They both fell silent, unsure of what to say to each other or if they should speak any more than they had for fear that they would be hit again with that strange weapon of Nocturna’s. They could hear the agents asking Nocturna what should be done about Russ. Nocturna’s voice is motherly but so quiet, neither can make out her response. All either of them could do at this point was wait.

~o~O~o~

After who-knows-how-long, Ismene felt the wagon come to a stop and she felt herself being pulled out of the wagon and away from Russ. Whoever had a hold of her dragged her across the stone road and past the wooden threshold of a doorway. She felt herself being dragged down a hall. She heard a door open and she found herself unceremoniously thrown forward. She felt her arms suddenly pulled forward and the sound of something going ‘click’ before the bag was pulled off her head. Ismene could see she was shacked to the wall of what she assumed was an inn room that had been converted to a cell. It was devoid of furniture except a chair on the far end of the room and a cot beside her.

The masked Gargoyle agent said nothing as they quickly left the room and locked the door behind them. Ismene sat there, her breath still caught in her throat and her body shivering from the magical exhaustion she was suffering. As she slithered onto the cot to rest and catch her breath, all Ismene could think of was how much she feared for Russ. She prayed that he would be okay. 

~o~O~o~

Russ felt himself being pulled to his feet and forced forward. He stumbled blindly with the bag over his head as he was shoved along by whoever it was that grabbed him from the wagon. He tripped and kept going against his will down what he assumed was a hallway based on the sounds of someone’s boots thumping on the wood floor. They came to a stop and he heard Nocturna speak.

“Put him here. I will fetch the Elder.”

Russ felt himself being shoved forward once more and then pulled over somewhere. He heard the sound of chain jingling and heard a click. The bag was removed and he found himself shackled by a cot. He turned to the door as the Naga agent closed it and locked it. Ismene was nowhere to be seen. 

There were no windows or a clock to tell Russ how long he and Ismene had been in that wagon. All there was was a cot and a chair. The room was lit by a single lamp on the wall. For all intents and purposes, Russ found himself in a cell. He laid on the cot and tried to ignore the twisting feeling in his stomach and his racing heart. He was worried about Ismene and feeling sick from his magic being inexplicably drained. He tried to think of what had Ismene done to earn Nocturna’s anger and what exactly had Nocturna done to them with that stick.

After an unknown amount of time, perhaps several minutes, maybe an hour, the door opened and Russ looked up to see Oz standing there. He spoke quietly to someone just out of Russ’s sight before entering the room and sitting down in the chair across from the cot. Russ sat up and shifted to face Oz. The two Mystics regarded each other silently. Oz seemed oddly calm, almost indifferent about Russ’s situation.

“Russ, I know we got off to a bad start when you first came to Medina,” Oz said, breaking the silence. “I want to apologize for the treatment you’ve received. The Order was simply surprised by your attack and had to protect themselves.”

“I didn’t attack anyone,” Russ insisted. “I mean, I don’t know how I made that shield appear. I-“

“The need to protect loved ones can be powerful,” Oz remarked. “It’s a shame it took this incident for you to unlock your ability.”

“Where is Izzy?” Russ asked. “What have you done with her?”

“She’s fine,” Oz assured. “I just want to ensure there is no bad blood between us before I talk to her.”

Russ said nothing. He wanted to say that barging into their home and arresting them wasn’t the best way to clear bad blood between anyone, but he feared angering Oz. Oz was the Elder and therefore should be respected. He was the leader of their people. He did what was needed to keep everyone safe, but then again, Russ knew that he and Ismene were no threat and did not deserve the treatment they had received.

“I can see you’re angry,” Oz remarked, noting Russ’s ears were laid back. “But keep in mind, if Ismene hadn’t treated my father and I with disrespect in the past or argued about coming with the agents I sent, this all could have been avoided. Surely you can and see that?”

“She-“

“Is holding a grudge against the wrong people,” Oz interrupted. “It was not my father’s fault that Yakra failed to protect anyone or the humans somehow had magic on their side and showed no mercy.”

“We could have avenged our people that day, taken over Guardia and changed things for the better for our kind,” he continued, not allowing Russ to counter his points. He leaned forward, looking at Russ with a saddened expression. He sighed and said, “You know our history. How my ancestor was brutally slain by humans and his son was forced to surrender to Guardia.”

Russ nodded. He had heard the stories plenty of times from Zoradysis and many others. Still, his mind went to Ismene. He sighed and said, in a low voice, “Please, don’t hurt Izzy.”

“Russ, she has, for lack of a better term, acted in a treasonous manner,” Oz replied. “For years she’s argued openly against me, treating my father and I with absolutely no respect whenever it suited her.”

“I know, but-”

“So you admit she’s wrong.”

Russ started to speak but fell silent. He saw Ismene’s point that sometimes Oz and his father were perhaps too quick to use their connection to the Demon King as a reason to justify their actions, but he also had always wondered why she kept such a chip on her shoulder towards Oz when he had nothing to do with what had happened to her parents. And maybe Oz was right that she shouldn’t have argued with Nocturna. Still, Russ didn’t want her to be hurt.

“Elder, please… I beg of you, show Izzy some mercy,” he finally said, his voice shaking. “Don’t hurt her. I’ll do anything you want if it means she’ll be safe.”

Oz regarded Russ quietly. Russ kept his gaze low but glanced up one or twice to see a disappointed expression in Oz’s eyes. Finally Russ heard Oz sigh.

“You’ll do anything?”

“Anything.”

“Work for me, as a member of Noctis Arbitra,” Oz declared. “One of their top members feel like you have potential and they have personally vouched for you. I know you care about Ismene greatly and I can see no better way to keep her safe than being in the Order.”

“B-but I’m no spy,” Russ protested. “I can’t even sneak to the kitchen for a midnight snack without Izzy catching me.”

“It’s not about ‘spying’ or being sneaky,” Oz explained. “Noctis Arbitra is both a force that protects Medina and our interests as well as acting as observers and gatherers of information. All you would need to do is keep an eye on Ismene and your friends and just… let me know if they have any complaints.”

Russ frowned slightly and thought about Oz’s offer. Oz wasn’t asking him to do anything wrong. He also wondered which agents he had left an impression on that would make them think he was worthy of being one of them. His thoughts were interrupted by Oz.

“Do we have a deal?”

Russ sighed and nodded. He wasn’t sure about all this but he would do anything, no matter how difficult, to keep the ones he cared about safe.