#the story of the cowherd and the weaver girl!

[arcxnumvitae]

Of course move in day would fall on the day of the Q.ixi Festivial

[ssum-thinginthewayshemoves]

Birthday Boy ❤️

[lilnasxvevo]

Now, now, this is Eurocentric! Different cultures have different names for our galaxy. For example, in China it’s called the Silver River, and the legend is that the gods created the river to separate two forbidden lovers, the heavenly weaver girl Zhinv and the mortal cowherd…dammit! Never mind, this one has cows too!

We have GOT to pick a better name for our galaxy than the Milky Way, if aliens ever come from the Andromeda Galaxy they're gonna think it's a horny thing

[ryin-silverfish]

besides erlang and chen xiang, are there any other instances of chinese deities having children with humans? I know that there are stories of yaoguai marrying humans and having kids with them

Cowherd and Weaver Girl is another famous example.

Much like the "Human Scholar x Fox Girl" trope, love stories between human guys and immortal maidens are also a common trope in Northern-Southern dynasty + Tang legends, some of which result in them having kids.

Immortal guy x Human Maiden is less common, however, and also tends to be forced marriages, with the male god basically abducting the women or their souls——the Third Prince of Mt. Hua and Mt. Tai are huge offenders in Tang legends.

If you count dragons as deities, one of the more relatively famous stories is the Legend of Liu Yi, where he saved a dragon princess from her abusive husband and in-laws by sending a letter to her family.

Her uncle, after killing the abusive husband, tried to pressure Liu Yi into marrying his niece, but was righteously rebuked by him. However, the dragon princess does fall in love with Liu, to the point of rejecting other matches for her, and eventually, they become a couple and Liu attained immortal-hood.

[sundove88]

Introducing Anime Ever After!!

Ever wanted to experience classic fairytales but through the lens of legendary and lesser known anime?

Well, Anime Ever After is for you!!

Synopsis: An anthropology of famous stories from around the world retold through the lens of legendary and lesser known anime, with modern twists, turns, and lessons about. From the depths of the sea in DBZ: Waves of Freedom (The Little Mermaid) to the realm beyond the clouds in One Piece: Beyond The Sky (Jack and The Beanstalk), this ever expanding treasury of tales has something for everyone.

Framing Device: An anime loving teenager is telling classic fairytales to the kids they babysit as bedtime stories- with a twist!

Side Note: Nursery Rhymes being adapted is more for Shrek. So they won’t be here- sorry about that. But they do a good job at it. This anthology is meant for readers 12 and up, due to some of the themes in some of the stories.

Btw, look for the posts that have anime ever after on them as one of their tags. Here’s the list of tales (So Far):

Dragon Ball Z: Waves of Freedom (The Little Mermaid)

My Hero Academia: Heart of Glass (Cinderella)

Attack on Titan: Red Hood (Little Red Riding Hood)

One Piece: Beyond The Sky (Jack and The Beanstalk)

Naruto: Sleeping Shadow (Sleeping Beauty)

Sword Art Online: The Match Player (The Little Match Girl)

FullMetal Alchemist: Iron Wolves (The 3 Little Pigs)

Fairy Tail: Mirrors of Deceit (Snow White)

Inuyasha: Soul of The Beast (Beauty and The Beast)

Bleach: Brushes of Fate (The Magic Paintbrush)

Fruits Basket: The 12 Dancing Zodiacs (12 Dancing Princesses)

Black Clover: The Frog Knight (The Frog Prince)

Hunter X Hunter: Spreading Your Wings (The Ugly Duckling)

Demon Slayer: Demon of The Northern Wind (The Snow Queen)

Black Butler: Beyond The Tower (Rapunzel)

Yu Yu Hakusho: Sweet Temptation (Hansel and Gretel)

Doraemon; Fearless Feline (Puss in Boots)

Gintama: Peachy Keen (Momotaro)

Sailor Moon: Lady of The Waxing Moon (Princess Kaguya)

Haikyuu: Bear-ly Faltering (Snow White and Rose Red)

Railgun: Little Warriors, Big Impacts (Thumbelina)

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All That Glitters (Rumplestiltskin)

Yu Gi Oh: Diamond in The Rough (Aladdin)

Konosuba: The Royal Test (The Princess and The Pea)

Tokyo Ghoul: The Crimson Amulet (The Red Shoes)

Akame Ga Kill: Fashion Gambit (The Emperor’s New Clothes)

Ouran High School Host Club: Wings of Perseverance (The Wild Swans)

Rurouni Kenshin: The Ronin’s Trials (The Steadfast Tin Soldier)

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagan: Cage of Steel, Heart of Platinum (The Nightingale)

Cowboy Bebop: Written in The Stars (The Weaver Girl and The Cowherd)

Death Note: The Golden Pen (King Midas)

Neon Genesis Evangelion: No Strings Attached (Pinocchio)

Fate: The Chosen Sword (King Arthur)

BanG Dream!: Melody of Deceit (The Pied Piper)

Code Geass: The Princess and The Pig Man (The Swineherd)

Jujitsu Kaisen: The Light Within (The Buried Moon)

Blue Exorcist: Blazing Bonds (The Firebird)

Spy X Family: Secret of The Statue (The Happy Prince)

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic: The Enchanted Key (Alibaba and The 40 Thieves)

Re:Zero: Gilded Feathers (The Golden Goose)

Saint Seiya: Divine Trials and Godly Tribulations (The 12 Labors of Hercules)

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: Claws of Gold, Hearts of Gold (Goldilocks and The 3 Bears)

One Punch Man: A Hero’s Humility (King Thrushbeard)

Future Diary: Wishful Obsession (The Fisherman and His Wife)

Sket Dance: A Tale of Three Tricksters (The 3 Billy Goats Gruff)

Precure (All seasons): The Sweetest Holiday Ever (The Nutcracker)

Food Wars: A Recipe For Courage (The Brave Little Tailor)

Spice and Wolf: Against All Odds (The Princess on The Glass Hill)

Noragami: Stolen Sun (Amaterasu and The Cave)

Monogatari: Secret Confidants (The Elves and The Shoemaker)

Steins;Gate: Azure Secrets (Bluebeard)

Tokyo Revengers: Neverlanding, Never Faltering (Peter Pan)

The Promised Neverland: Emerald Truths (The Wizard of Oz)

Toriko: Sweet Pursuit (The Gingerbread Man)

Kill La Kill: A Royal Mix Up (The Prince and The Pauper)

World Trigger: The Silent Springtime (The Selfish Giant)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Curse of Shade and Malice (The Shadow)

Cardcaptor Sakura: Salt and Sugar (The Salt Princess/Cap O Rushes)

Assassination Classroom: Honeyed Words (Diamonds and Toads)

Way of The House Husband: Out of The Cage (Jorinda and Joringel)

Danganronpa The Animation (It covers all the games): Makoto in Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland)

D Gray Man: Song of The Sparkling Swan (Swan Lake)

Persona 5 The Animation: Way Down We Go (Hades and Persephone)

Soul Eater: United We Stand (The Six Who Went Far)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The 5 Magical Musketeers (The 3 Musketeers)

Aggretsuko: Four Man Band (The Bremen Town Musicians)

Tokyo Godfathers: A Holiday Journey (A Christmas Carol)

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Emotions Set Free (The Princess Who Never Smiled)

Sonic X: True, Blue, and Noble (Hans The Hedgehog)

Magiknight Rayearth: Noble Flame, Changing Tide, and Guiding Wind (The 3 Princesses of Whiteland)

A Silent Voice: Beyond All Boundaries (East of The Sun, West of The Moon)

A Whisker Away: A Feline Fairytale (The White Cat)

Your Name: A Little Bird Told Me (The Singing, Springing, Lark)

Love Live: A Fateful Adventure (Journey to The West)

Captain Tsubasa: Winging It (The Seven Ravens)

The Ancient Magus Bride: Entrapped Beauty (The Lindworm)

Overlord: Seeds of Trust (The Juniper Tree)

Delicious in Dungeon: Cooking Up Trouble (The Magic Porridge Pot)

Medaka Box: The Truth Above All (The Goose Girl)

Chainsaw Man: Demonic Assistance (The Golden Bird)

Taikobo: Legend of The Lost Kingdom (Urashima Taro)

Revue Starlight: Masked Secrets (Phantom of The Opera)

Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin: Path of The Canine (The Boy Who Cried Wolf)

Dr. Stone: Into The Wilderness (The Jungle Book)

Fire Force: The Flames of Charity (Robin Hood)

Shaman King: Mystery of The Marsh (The Marsh King’s Daughter)

Rave Master: Cloak of Secrets (Donkeyskin/Many Furs)

Ranma 1/2: Loyal, Brave, and True (Mulan)

Karakuri Circus: The House Within The Woods (Vasilisa The Brave and Beautiful)

Devilman Crybaby: Three Hairs of Gold (The Devil With 3 Golden Hairs)

The Irregular at Magic High School: Ring of Enchantments (The Bronze Ring)

Bobobo: One Hairy Tale (Prince Hyacinth)

Shakugan No Shana: Three Dogs, Three Heroes (The Tinderbox)

Nisekoi: Yellow With Affection (The Yellow Dwarf)

Kaiju No. 8: Don’t Get Salty (Why The Sea is Salty)

Kinnikuman: A Mission in Patience (The Tortoise and The Hare)

Oshi No Ko: The Price of Stardom (Little Brother and Little Sister)

Case Closed: Stolen Hearts and Stolen Fortunes (The Master Thief)

Pokemon The Series: An Electrifying Rescue (The Lion and The Mouse)

Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Animation: A Tale of a Thousand and One Nights (1,001 Arabian Nights)

Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai: A Ribbiting Adventure (The Frog Princess)

Dr. Slump: A Quacktastic Journey (Drakestail)

Katekyo Hitman Reborn: Windows to The Soul (One Eyes, Two Eyes, Three Eyes)

Kochikame: From Faux to Genuine (Don Quixote)

Yo-Kai Watch: Cat Artist Unknown (The Boy Who Drew Cats)

Kaguya-Sama: Love is War: To Love and To Be Loved (Turandot)

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Feathers of Joy (The Blue Bird)

DanMachi: Forgotten Evil Unleashed (Pandora’s Box)

Hellsing Ultimate: Blood Ties (Dracula)

Claymore: The Monster Unleashed (Frankenstein)

Thanks to @sam-rexian and @crystallinedreamsfinelypowdered for helping with some of these!

[swallowerofdharma]

Tales of separated lovers

A preview of the artwork for the cover of volume 9 of Saezuru has been posted. Looking at the horizontal format, my thoughts went to the dust jacket, the removable paper cover, and how we will have Yashiro on the front and Doumeki on the back cover, yet they will still be connected through their touching across the spine of the book. Doumeki is the one reaching, but he does so with a protective glove, while Yashiro doesn’t know how to interpret the touch and grab Doumeki’s wrist to stop or redirect him. He doesn’t understand Doumeki’s intentions. Once we close the volume, they will be on different sides, two separated lovers.

And so I thought, why not writing down at this point my interpretation of Doumeki’s tattoo? Many others have contributed their thoughts and theories and it was always interesting to read them. This isn’t a counter argument to any different explanation, only a contribution to the discussion, my personal interpretation and reasoning.

In this little exchange between Yashiro and Nanahara in chapter 53, Yoneda takes the opportunity to give us a big clue. Although it didn’t seem like Yashiro examined the tattoo that closely in his shock upon discovering it, he tells Nanahara: “He’s carrying around some celestial maiden or whatever on his back”.

While I was reading about Japanese festivals, I was captivated by the story behind the Tanabata or Star Festival, the tale of The Cowherd and The Weaver Girl.

In the original legend the two lovers are both celestial beings, but in other tales the cowherd is a human man who falls in love with a celestial maiden and marries her through deception. But the common point in all these stories is that the couple will become separated, the celestial maiden or spouse will go back to the sky and the man will be forbidden from seeing her and will have to go through some kind of trial to meet her again sporadically.

Now, I think Doumeki made a heavy choice. But one might as well think he was already pinkyless, why not tattooed as well? And the scars on his face aren’t hidden by clothes. He cut his finger off without even sharing sake and now that he has, that he is formally part of the Sakura family, why not celebrate his new status with a tattoo as well? The tattoo might show his resolve and commitment to do as it takes to see his celestial spouse once again.

Yashiro is horrified and it is a testament to how well these characters are written that we can understand his reaction on multiple and profound psychological levels. The men that Yashiro sought out and that used violence freely, the men who trapped him in the yakuza, the men who put his life in danger, they have their backs covered in tattoos. Yet Doumeki was supposed to be different in Yashiro’s point of view. Beginning with his impotence, and the way he used to treat him, without contempt, Doumeki from four years ago, before the Hirata incident, was in Yashiro’s eyes supposed to go back to a normal life, a safer life without the stigma. Because severed fingers and tattoos continue to be stigmatized in Japan. Yashiro knows what that means, because people had been treated him differently and regarded him in contempt even before he was formally introduced to the yakuza. Why bother with a tattoo when Yashiro’s stigma is even unrelated to that? But for Doumeki he had envisioned something better. I love how real this is, from the perspective of trauma, that feeling of separation from the experiences of others, from the experience of Yashiro’s internalized homophobia and the homophobia that is directed towards him, from the social aspect of being yakuza as opposed to be a “civilian”, the constant proximity with crime, corruption, power struggles and danger, in Yashiro’s eyes the ceremonies, the tattoos, all are a cover up, they are fictional, superficial things, he never belonged anyway. He is there because of Misumi’s capricious nature, on a whim. And Doumeki wasn’t supposed to be part of it. Yashiro had a little, modest dream, he could get him out, he could let him go free of it all. Free of any additional stigma. Can’t fingers be reattached?

On the other hand, Doumeki’s tattoo, Yoneda let us know is probably “some celestial maiden or whatever”, recalls stories of separated lovers who were bound to meet again, even if for a fleeting moment, one night a year, and maybe even less, because it is said that if it rains the lovers are prevented from traversing the heavenly river.

Sources:

Lafcadio Hearn, The romance of the Milky Way, 1905 : this is still the best retelling in English prose I have found, however I didn’t search wide and far, and it includes some of the common Japanese variations of the original Chinese tale.

Takagi Masafumi, シリーズ/比較民話](二)天人女房/白鳥処女 [Series: Comparative Studies of the Folktale (2) Tennin Nyoobo/The Swan Maiden] (In Japanese)

Hagoromo Tale (In Japanese) : this is the page with a most interesting depiction

Tanabata on Wikipedia

Swan Maiden on Wikipedia

[athanasius-symposium-of-writings]

Hello! Can I request some valentines headcanons for the idv hunters? Thanks! (Nw, wu Chang, Joseph and nightmare please!)

I dont really do well with headcanons guys.

One: Night Watch prob has no idea what Valentine's day and if you give him a gift, he prob think there something you want in return for this or some mating ritual (i mean he is not wrong cough)

Two: Wu Chang is Chinese and won't celebrate it. However, he will celebrate Qiqiao Festival/Qixi Festival so you can look forward to that! Plus, you are celebrating the Lunar New Year with him <3 (i dont see him as valentine's day guy. the story prob isnt as warm warming to him as the The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl)

Please note I googled this stuff and im solely making guess

Nightmare though would be the type to celebrate for you, just you. He will not be part of the manor's Valentine's day event. This is a private thing for lovers. Would be more of flowers guy then a chocolate guy, he like the language of flowers and giving you hidden messages in them. Def would do the private dinner and night of passion (prepare to not use your legs for a bit he has a lot of body worshipping to do uwu)

Joseph the type be on the clock with his gift on this day. Not because he is a romantic, he can be romantic when the mood or day calls for it but don't expect to showered in room of flowers at 6am in the morning. He and Nightmare are the same in be private about this. He does the jewelry gifts, things you can wear that will remind you of him and plus he likes seeing something on you that he gifted you. Chocolates, classic. A few flowers, and dinner for the evening. Sex after is not a must but he is open to it. He will 100% taking pictures of you during this

[quitealotofsodapop]

Bai Heb is reincarnation of one of the Emperor's daughters? Bai He adopted by Wukogn and Macaque and neither realizing this is the Jade Emperor's daughter because the daughter she was the reincarnation of was one of the few that were never public knowledge? Jade Emperor discovering this when he lays dying and realized the mortal girl Sun Wukong had tried so hard to legally adopt and care for in both the eyes of the gods and the eyes of mortals is none other than his own daughter because he'd never met her in person?

referencing the weird dream I had about Bai He interacting with the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother.

I think thats what the dream was implying.

Jade Emperor and Queen Mother have some bad history regarding their daughters.

The specific one mentioned in the dream - Zhinu? She was the seventh born and a goddess of weaving; she wove clouds into heavenly vestements for her parents.

And is the protag of "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl".

One day she fell in love with a mortal cowherd named Niu Lang. A big celestial no-no. Especially she and Niu Lang had two kids. A even bigger celestial no-no!

Zhinu feels homesick one day and uses her enchanted cloud-clothing to visit her parents. But they won't let her leave. The Queen Mother is so adamant on keeping Zhinu from Earth that she tears a rip in the sky that becomes the Heavenly River (the Milky Way).

On earth, Niu Lang figured out that his wife has been kidnapped by her family. His loyal ox turns out to be a disposed god of cattle (weird detail but who knows, maybe Shennong was hanging around) who manages to boat Niu Lang and the two kids to a spot just across the Heavenly River where the married couple can see, but not touch one another. Only once a year can divine birds help carry the family across the river to reunite with Zhinu.

The story is meant to be an explanation for the literally "star-crossed" stars Vega and Altair (with baby stars Beta-Aquilae/Alshain and Gamma-Aquilae/Tarazed their kids) which meet eachother along the Milky Way once a year.

Not much more stories come from what happens to Zhinu and her mortal family after wards. But I imagine she's not on speaking terms with her parents. In my LMK idea, they're chilling in a piece of deep space away from the nonsense of the Celestial Realm. Having literally become stars and transcended the cycle of rebirth in a way that none of the celestials can imagine.

In addition to Zhinu, my chinese mythos storyline has the royal couple have had a falling out with;

Songzi (1st born) - was so disgusted by their treatment of Zhinu that she willingly went into the cycle of rebirth and eventually became Guanyin, Bodhisattva of Mercy.

Yin Wuming (2nd born) - reincarnated and became a demon hunter + Nezha's mother, and rejected the offer of reascension.

Princess Iron Fan (born after Zhinu) - who was expelled for falling in love/marrying the Demon Bull King.

So where does Bai He fall into this?

No idea.

Then again... imagine the heartbreak that would have occured if their truly youngest/last-born did not survive their earliest years. A daughter that they hid from a world ravaged by celestial war, but ultimately lost anyway to disease or misfortune. They would never by able to recover emotionally.

Now imagine that tiny soul reincarnated into a little mortal girl, who somehow contained enough divine power to harbour the White Bone Demon (a possible avatar of death itself) and not immeditaly breakdown into dust?

A pair of stone monkeys and/or a human scholar and a pig are now accidentally the guardians of the youngest Celestial Princess. Very magical girl-esque backstory for Bai He.

And the Jade Emperor only realises how familar the little girl at his side is in his final moments...

[xxfillerxx]

thing you should know about vyn that makes him 1000× funnier

So you know that post that's like

Yeah. Yeah thats vyn deadass. At least one phonecall, maybe a couple stories and definitely main story chapter 10 (i think?), the one where Artem almost dies. He sees some tragedy play out whether it's a story EG the cowherd and weaver girl (phonecall), his parent's outcome of splitting up (food for thought), or artem and MC being in mortal peril or whatever, then goes "aha couldnt be me, I would never let that happen." Like PLEASE 😭😭 if ur not a vyn fan pls understand this man is so FUNNY. He goes all "oh, that's a nice story :) how unfortunate for them. I, on the other hand, would never let that happen, MC."

And you know it's Vyn so theres a good chance it probably WOULDNT happen. This man is prideful (wont allow himself to bug others, let anyone pity him, shows off in front of MC, lowkey jealous too but in a funny way- this man isnt yandere or anything hes just a funny little guy) but in a subtle tm way.

Also another small funny thing about him showing off- 1st chapter of his personal story, this pickup artist tries showing off to MC to woo her and after he goes "😌🤓☝️ermh actually he was wrong abt the montblanc facts + i sent you these delicious ones i made myself", SHOWING OFF and one-upping the dude only a few hours after. Also the SR story where he A) sees MC enchanted by a magic show so he practices a magic trick in secret to look like a pro before her (literally dude looks like hes a pro but hes "anxious to outdo others" and usually practices smth in secret to look like a pro) B) sees her rave abt it when his old friend performed it so he goes all "hey dont u think magicians are LIARS theyre actually not that impressive" before losing a light hearted debate with MC abt it and C) gets insecure when he had to perform his trick right after they see a more elaborate magic trick and whem MC goes "no i want to see it im sure itll be great" and when he does he goes "I can do what they can do. I wont lose to anyone in front of you."

This guy is SO funny. I figured hed be the elegant, standoffish yet caring character who maybe did some dark stuff on the side. But no bc i was expecting another Lucien but this guy is HILARIOUS with a lot of subversive moments and traits (lots of the characters are). This dude is less of a threat and more of a silly little guy once you read more

HES ALSO CLINGY HE JUST HIDES IT. Vyn, gripping his knees in Trace of Puff: 16 days 14 hours 23 minutes MC pls i couldnt bear being a month without you 😔😔

"during this period... I will practice spending my days thinking of you." THIS GUY IS DOWN B A D 😂😂😂

also this one's more obvious but him being a grouchy Not Morning Person who hates being woken up early too that one's funny

[chaos0pikachu]

so this isn't a fully formed thought and I think some of the confusion/lackluster feel towards the past lives/karma backstory is b/c the show's made what seems to be some pretty prominent changes to the novel. Which has flatten things some b/c the doctor is less of a complex char and more of a by-the-by antagonist to Phaya and Tharn's love.

But after last episode their backstory reminded me a lot of The Legend of White Snake, which is considered one of China's four great folktales - alongside Lady Meng Jiang, Butterfly Lovers, and The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl - like any folktale it's changed a lot over the centuries but the gist is:

A female snake demon/spirit (I've seen demon and spirit used interchangeably in English but "spirit" is probably closer to the intent), White Snake or Bai Suzhen falls in love with a human man - sometimes a doctor sometimes a herbalist - named Xu Xian. She hides the fact she's a snake spirit from Xu Xian and the two marry. Then a Buddhist monk, Fa Hai, shows up and realizes Bai Suzhen is a snake spirit. He threatens her to reveal herself and she refuses. He tells Xu Xian she's a snake spirit but he doesn't believe him so Fa Hai gives him a potion to reveal she's a snake. She falls asleep after drinking it and poof, transforms into her snake spirit form. In most tellings of the folktale he usually dies of shock seeing her transformation and Bai Suzhen goes on a journey to bring him back to life with her companion Green Snake (Xiaoqing). Husband resurrected Xu Xian tells her he loves her snake spirit or no and they decide to remain together.

But Fa Hai is a sour ass bitch about it and is like, nah. He kidnaps Xu Xian and is like "y'all can't be together!!" (regina george voice) so Bai Suzhen goes to save her husband and fights Fa Hai and like floods the land and shit (she's super powerful). She gets trapped in the Leifeng Pagoda and is punished for her crimes by staying in there separated from her husband (and sometimes son depends on the adaption).

In some cases she's trapped forever and Xu Xian becomes a monk - pretty sure this is the ending of Jet Li's film adaption of the story which made me fucking BAWL - in other cases her sons filial piety and merits in his life impresses and moves the Gods who allow her to be free and reunite with her family - this is the ending of one of the TV show adaptions.

So like, the fuck does this have to do with The Sign?

So like, in every adaption of White Snake that I've seen - which at this point is four - I'm always very much like "free my girl she did nothing wrong!!" but like flooding the land and upsetting Buddha IS wrong even if you did it ~for love~ it's why she gets punished in the end (no matter the adaption she's always trapped/punished & separate from her man) and released b/c her sons merits move the Gods enough to earn her freedom.

So on the surface it doesn't look like Tharn and Phaya did anything wrong, but idk we're only halfway through the story still.

If Tharn was engaged to Chalothon in his past life - and he was a woman - then him and Phaya DID cause harm to Chalothon even if they didn't love Chalothon.

Whether we, the audience, consider it harm or not (audiences tend to be fine with affairs/cheating if we're supposed to be "rooting" for the couples I notice). We also don't know the fallout - if any - happened post Phaya and Tharn's affair. It might be they have to earn merits to earn the right to be together - like Bai Suzhen did via her son - either by "saving" Chalothon from his obsession or some other means.

To me their story is closer to White Snake than Romeo and Juliet (which ISN'T a tragic tale of love). But right now, I feel like we have to little information. I've read novel spoilers and like, it makes more sense in the novel to me than the show currently. I'm hoping the show is able to kinda right the ship a bit as we continue to peel back layers of what happened and what's going to happen.

[dayseternal-blog]

Summary: The folktale of the Japanese summer festival Tanabata, the story of Orihime’s and Hikoboshi’s love.

Rated M.

Finally updated after 4.5 years for NaruHina Fair, NH Month 2023 Day 8: World Mythology 💝

"The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" - Chapter 4: With well wishes and prayers

It was gut-wrenching.  

He thought that he was already at his worst, at his lowest point, but it didn’t compare to when he heard that Hinata was pregnant.

In fact, really pregnant.  It was the talk of the celestial realm.  Everyone looked at him with pity.  

Each look his way reminded him of his failures.  He lost his wife.  And now he would never be a father to his child, to his rumored son.

To his children. 

When he heard that Hinata had given birth to twins, his heart ached only worse, only harder for his family.  He worried incessantly for her health, wishing that he could support her, be there for her, or at least, just once, lay eyes on her and his newborns.

He overheard acquaintances and friends saying that he changed.  That he was no longer the vivacious, dependable lord he once was. 

He could hardly care less.  

There was no one he wanted to see, no one he wanted to talk to, no one he wanted to seek out for comfort and assurance more than his wife.  Anyone else would just be someone else, just another awful reminder of what he had lost.

But new hope flooded him when he got the message from Tentei to meet Orihime at the Amanogawa.  He let unchecked tears of happiness form and fall, and he rushed to the misty riverbank to wait for her.

When she appeared, he felt out-of-body, his entire existence centered on her distant figure and the precious little lives she held in her arms.  

He stood there, still, waiting in restless anticipation.  Waiting.  Waiting.  

Until it became apparent.

That was all he would ever do for her.

Hope mutated into fear. 

Then shocked denial.

Into despair.

He watched her collapse to her knees at the riverbank, and he stood there frozen, dull, his eyes the only thing burning with any sort of emotion.  The rest of him was empty, as if all else, all vitality, all motivation, had been sucked out of him.  

He would never hold her.

He would never hold his children.

He would only get to see them, their vague, small forms.  Once a year.  For one night.

The Amanogawa would forever separate them.  

He closed his burning eyes and yelled out in anguish then, but it was hardly a sound compared to the thundering of the mighty river.  He let himself fall to his knees, to forcefully express his misery into the ground with his fists.  The Heavenly Sky King was untouchable.  He had only himself to blame.  

When he finally found the desire to at least burn her distant image into his memory, he was astounded at the sight of thousands of birds gathering at the far bank.  His heart skipped, jumping to cautious hope again when he saw her step up on the backs of the birds.

-

With each step, she gained confidence, until she was running across the magpies’ bridge, desperately rushing to her lover.  

She saw the birds keeping her pace, flitting beneath and before her to extend the path to the opposite end.   

Midway, her chest burned, her legs felt numb, her arms were tired with the weight of her children, but she refused to stop.  She could see the edges of his form sharpening, the blue of his eyes brightening.  

She pressed onward until the shout of her name was clearer to her ears than her heavy gasps for air.

Naruto ran to the water’s edge.  Once the magpies appeared before him, he didn’t wait, he couldn’t wait.  

He exchanged looks with the birds, who invited him forward, and without any more hesitation, he stepped up on their backs to meet her.   

“Hinata!” He caught her exhausted form and swept her up as she clutched their children.  He kissed her, reveling in the lips he missed so much, in her tired breaths against his cheeks.

“Naruto,” she whispered, her breath on his lips a blessing.

He held her tighter, finding that even her tear-streaked face, her puffy lids, and her pink-stained eyes made a more breathtaking picture than his memories of her. 

The magpies returned them to the banks swiftly.

He set his wife down carefully, his arms never fully leaving her, his gaze never leaving his children.

Their eyes were blue, like his.  One child’s hair, golden, like his.  The other child’s a midnight blue, like Hinata’s.  

She passed them to him, and he held them close, their weight filling the holes of his heart.

“Thank you,” Hinata whispered to the magpies as they began to fly away.

He turned to the remaining ones, reminded to express his appreciation.  “Thank you,” he called, his voice still hoarse from his earlier cries.  “Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

“We wish for nothing other than your happiness and continued love.  We will be at your service,” a magpie responded.

Naruto and Hinata exchanged looks of amazement before thanking the magpies once more.

-

The morning passed swiftly in carefree play.  Their children ambled through the fields surrounding Naruto’s home, exploring nature exactly the way Hinata had imagined.  Their curious voices rang across the grasses, unchecked babbles of excitement with no one to scold them to behave and be quiet.

Hinata explained the symbolism on their children’s clothing, roadmaps of their little lives so far, and Naruto found he could trace each important milestone, from first steps to first manifestations of holiness, along his wife’s embroidery.  She spoke of their routine in the palace, the monotony of their children’s rigorous training and academics despite their young age.

“They don’t get to play?” he asked, incredulous and disturbed.

“Oh, they do, but it’s not enough…They have too much energy for the caretakers to handle, and my father…Tentei, he has me working so much, I cannot take them out of the palace often enough...”

The shadows across Naruto’s face lightened at the sound of their children’s bubbling laughter.  He picked them up, bouncing them in his arms to their absolute glee, and walked them across the field to his grazing cattle.

Hinata watched with bated breath as Naruto introduced their children to his famed herd.

Having never seen any of the heavenly beasts before, they adored their father’s cattle with wide eyes, eager petting, and affectionate hugs.  The gentle beasts allowed them to sit on their backs as they grazed and wandered around the field.

By the end of lunchtime, both children preferred their father’s strong arms and broad chest to rest against than their mother’s slight frame.  They fell asleep that way, snuggled into his body.

With ease, Naruto laid them down in his bed, and Hinata kneeled close to admire them with him.

He sighed, heart heavy with love and sorrow.  “Thank you, Hinata, for raising them so well.  They’re beautiful.  They’re perfect.  I’m sorry, I’m so sorry I couldn’t be with you all this time.”

She leaned her head against his arm, humming her disagreement.  “I’m sorry, too, Naruto-kun, that we haven’t been here with you.”

He turned to hold her better, and they kissed their tears away, murmuring how much they had missed each other and renewing their promises of devotion.  Moving to a nearby room, they gave outlet to their frustration, longing, and adoration in intimate, warm embrace.  Tracing and relearning each other’s shapes and comfort, they held and moved with each other eagerly, desperately, then tenderly.

In the remaining moments of their children’s nap, and with Hinata snuggled into his side, Naruto brought up the delicate issue he could sense was weighing on his wife’s mind.  “I’m sure you’ve considered this…would you let me have them?”

She nodded, tears already refilling her eyes despite how she had mentally prepared.  “It would be better for them.  I’ve never seen them so relaxed.”

He thumbed away the silent tears damp on her cheeks.  “You would let me take them on my journeys across the star plains?”

“I trust you.”

He pressed his forehead to hers gently, breathing her in.  “I promise to take care of them.  I’ll teach them everything I know.”

“I know you’ll take care of them,” she whispered.  “There’s so much more for them here than in the palace.”

“They won’t have you, though.  They’ll miss you.”  He looked into his wife’s eyes, the ones that had enamored him from the moment he saw her.  “I’ll miss you,” he murmured.

“Mm, I’ll miss you.  I’ll miss them.”  Her breath shook, her voice choked with suppressed tears, yet she found her thoughts tumbling out all at once.  “It will only be one year that we’ll be apart.  My father can’t break his promise.  Even if he’s angry with me, he can’t retaliate against our decision and he will have to let us reunite every year.  One year will feel like nothing after the eternity of not knowing if we’d ever get to see each other again.  So this will pass quickly, and,” she took a steadying breath, “I’ve…I’ve discussed this with our children already.”

Surprised, he watched the grief in her expression harden into determination.  “You have?”

“Yes.  I didn’t know if you would agree, but I told them your stories just in case.  I told them that they might join you on your adventures, that they would grow up to be strong and smart like you.”

“Hinata,” he breathed out, amazed and moved.  He held her close.  “I won’t let you down.  Thank you.  Thank you so much.  I love you.”

She rested her head into his chest and listened for the strong beat of his heart.  “I love you, Naruto-kun.”

-

When the twins awoke, the rest of the afternoon flew by in preparation for their journey.  Hinata held them close whenever she could for as long as she could before they wiggled out of her grasp.  She helped Naruto pack the necessary belongings.

And all too soon, the time came for her to journey back to Raira.

The magpies took the family halfway across the Amanogawa, where they shared a parting embrace.

“Listen to your father.  Be good,” she murmured to her twins, planting kisses on their cheeks and foreheads.

“Yes, Okaa-sama.”

Naruto chuckled at their diligent answer.  It was hard to imagine the children of the famed Orihime being too much for the palace caretakers when he himself as a kid couldn’t have even been bothered to give anyone such a polite response.  “We’ll be too busy and on the move for them to be naughty.”  He gave his wife a reassuring smile.

She held each of their faces, committing their matching, electric blue eyes to memory.  “I love you all.  I will see you all again very soon.”  Already, she could feel new inspiration for her art dazzle through her mind, this temporary sorrow and determined hope to be immortalized in binding thread.

“Take care, Hinata.”  Naruto found strength in Hinata’s bright gaze.  He clutched their children to his heavy heart, endlessly grateful for the living, beautiful proof of their love.  “By the time we reunite, our children will have traveled to the zenith of Northern Genbu.  They’ll be able to name all the cattles’ starhouses.”

She found herself smiling with pride and excitement even as the calls of the magpies intensified with the turning of the celestial bodies at the horizon.  She held on to her children’s hands for as long as possible before the magpies separated them, and even then, she smiled and called after them, and they did the same.

Returned to Raira, she watched as their distant forms at the opposite bank of Akira were enveloped in the thickening mist of the thunderous flow of the Amanogawa.

And not allowing herself to wallow in her self-imposed solitude, she set to work.  Weaving and embroidering, she lavished fabrics with glorious designs of her family’s tale, surrounding her workshop with prayers for their good fortune.

Impressed with her meticulous, auspicious work on display, visiting clients spread her story through the courts, and the tale of the power of Orihime and Hikoboshi’s love swept across the Symbols of the heavens into every god’s ear, down to the mortal realm below.

With the well-wishes and prayers of worshiping human maidens, young couples, and other mortal sympathizers, the skill and value of Hinata’s weaving grew, and Naruto and his children safely passed through every crossing.  Their status and fame brought prosperity to the heavens.  Tentei couldn’t punish his daughter any worse than he already had.

On the seventh day of the seventh month, magpies, more numerous than the first time, bridged the Amanogawa’s banks again.

Successfully reunited, the family rejoiced in each other’s presence and growth, and the rest of the world celebrated with them.

[minsarasarahair]

The Cowherd and Weaver Girl ahhh! LouZuo's love story!! I'm ill again!

[book--wyrm]

broadly i think that being mad about people interpreting the hades persephone story in a way you don't like and calling them illiterate as if Greek Myth™ had a single canonical text with authorial intention is extremely goofy

that being said

i do also think that a lot of people who are only interested in the "lovers who are pulled away from each other and can only reunite after a long time apart" aspect of the story would probably do a lot better looking into the myth of "the cowherd and the weaver girl".

like that myth also has aspects we here on tumblr dot com would call problematique but i reckon you could get a good year of mileage out of it before the discourse starts up.

[qismet]

ALTAIR. THE TWELFTH SEAT.

vampire, twelfth chair of the stellar council. 700+ years old, they/she. warden of the newly created, one of several presiding judges over misdeeds and crimes.

⁽ ¹ ⁾ altair is the brightest star in the constellation of aquilais, and is the twelfth - brightest star in the night sky. name meaning, in arabic origin it means “ flying eagle. ”

⁽ ² ⁾ in chinese belief, altair is better known by its other names:  qiān niú xīng  (牵牛星 / 牽牛星) or  niú láng xīng  (牛郎星), translated as the cowherd star. these names allude to the love story,  the cowherd and the weaver girl, in which niú láng and his two children are separated from respectively their wife and mother zhinu by the vastness of the milky way. they can only meet once a year, when magpies form a bridge to allow them to cross the milky way to each other.

within the origins of this lore, vampires sit on a council born from the names of stars and their rankings of magnitude. vampires upon the council forego their original, human names, and take on the name of the star in which houses their seat. the corresponding number collates to rank and standing within the council, each has their own job from number one, to ninety-two. these are given based on importance and status level.

death is the only release from the stellar council.

vampires exist in their own separate world, adjacent to the human world and accessible through certain “ doors ” that have been placed. most vampires within the stellar council have access to their own door or can simply manifest between the two worlds with ease.

higher ranking vampires from forty and below are immune to the effects of sunlight, those below twenty are immune to the common stake through the heart scenario.

all vampires possess an innate power/ability, though vampires within the stellar council can covet these to new heights within their corresponding levels.

seats one through twenty meet on a regular basis (as regular as you can call the quick passage of time, for them), other levels of seats meet within their own terms and conditions as freely as they would like, with some travelling to meet with the seats of the first twenty to discuss important matters.

as a human altair and their sister were turned into vampires by sirius, the first seat. two hundred years later, altair became the twelfth seat and their sister the fifth, vega. in a brief history, vega was later killed and a new fifth seat was appointed, whom altair does not get along with and has tried to dispose of several times and still refers to them as their human name despite holding the fifth seat for more than 300 years.

altair has acclimated to the modern world exceptionally well, one of their innate talents being that of blending in, able to retract sharp fingernails and disguise their pointed ears, giving the outward shape of a regular human being.

their job as the holder of the twelfth seat is to act as a warden over newly created vampires and to access whether they have been made in malice, carelessness, or by a strict design. not all vampires under this lore possess the ability to turn human beings into their own kind, and so it is altair's job to make sure this is not done with the wrong intentions. certain vampiric venom breeds faulty vampires, in a way. this does mean that they have a lot of vampires under their charge, regarded as fledglings.

altair also acts as one of several judges of crimes against humans and vampires alike. vampires are under no strict instruction not to harm humans, but where the disruption of human life is considered catastrophic then matters must be dealt with swiftly.

altair's main ability is a form of hematomancy, the ability to read the past and present (and sometimes future) within the blood of others. for altair this manifests as needing both parties, themselves and the other person, needing to make an incision on their palms and press them together, a give and take of blood to activate the ability. with regard to what the other party receives, their incision will heal remarkably quick as a result of taking in altair's blood (this is not the only method in which altair can access this ability, it can be done through more forceful means).

altair can also choose to share her own past, present and future insight with the other party, but this is not information that is available simply upon contact.

other abilities include fast injury regeneration, various forms of magic, daylight resistance, ability to turn humans into vampires, light manipulation.

in reference to point ⁽ ² ⁾ , when altair's sister passed she left behind two of her own fledglings that she had turned herself. with nobody to care for them, altair took them under her wing and regards them as their own children, they can only see their “ mother ” through projections of altair's memories.

altair was born within the ming dynasty era of china, their father central to the government within their province. their forgone human name was li ( 理 li . great judge )  liángyù ( 梁 liáng . meaning mast, bridge, elevation, beam . 愉 , yú . meaning pleasant, delightful . )

personality wise, altair is carefree and can often be referred to as a nuisance for other vampires in the lower levels. she can be quite unhelpful towards their need for information/help from them, but she takes her responsibilities very seriously.

whilst some vampires on the stellar council have integrated into modern society, a vast majority have refused to. most notably would be sirius, the first seat, who has made no effort to mingle with the modern world or its inhabitants. another is capella, the sixth seat, whom altair bothers more than most, the two of them having formed a close bond from altair's ascension as the twelfth seat. altair constantly battles to force capella into the modern world and showers them in trinkets that she claims they're missing out on.

[ryin-silverfish]

Hey I am new to your account, so forgive me if I'm asking something u probably cant provide info on

I was wondering if you have any information about Goddess Zhīnu/ The Weaver Girl (I think her jpn version name is Kamauhata Hime) because I have stumbled through a handful of her tales but was wondering if you somehow stumbled across any old literature involving her

If not that's completely fine, I really enjoyed reading your underworld blog and I look forward to reading more of your blogs

Aww, thank you!

As for the Weaver Girl: I was only familiar with the popular version of her legends until a while ago, when I did a bit of digging on the "Dongyong and the Seven Immortal Maidens" tale that was part of the Lotus Lantern collection.

The Dongyong story was one of the two major inspirations for the "Cowherd & Weaver Girl" story we knew today——the other was constellation stuff, where the Cowherd represented the Altair star and Weaver Girl, Vega, and the two stars just happened to be divided by the Milky Way.

The Dongyong story in Soushen Ji basically went like this: Dongyong was a poor yet filial son, who sold himself into servitude in order to earn enough money to conduct a proper funeral for his dead father.

His master, seeing his plight, lent him ten thousand coins for the funeral, and after serving his three years of respect (a thing you did after your parent died), he was ready to return to service to pay off his debt.

Then a woman suddenly showed up and married him, and told his master that she was a weaver who could help her husband pay off his debt. She then weaved hundreds of silk rolls in ten days, revealed her identity as the celestial Weaver Maiden, who had been sent by the Heavenly Emperor to assist Dongyong, before flying back into the sky.

The Southern dynasty 小说, by Yin Yun, collected the first "prototype" of the Cowherd & Weaver Girl legend: here, she was the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor, who weaved and weaved at the east side of the Milky Way.

Out of pity for her lonely existence, the Heavenly Emperor married her to the Cowherd at the west side of the Milky Way (here, it was implied that he, too, was a celestial/star god). However, after her marriage, she had stopped weaving altogether and neglected her duties, so the Heavenly Emperor angrily commanded her to return to the east side of the river, but permitted the two to meet once a year.

[bengiyo]

Love in Translation Ep 4 Stray Thoughts

Last week, we learned that Yang and Tammy have a history, and Yang doesn't like the way she plays around with people's feelings. Phojai clocked her as well via IG sleuthing. Phumjai decided he wasn't going to be bothered about that, and Tammy stressed to Yang that she is serious. Now, she and Phumjai are going on a date, setting herself as a romantic rival to Yang. However, Phumjai has asked Yang to go on a practice date with him first. This is currently my favorite show.

Daou sings the theme for the show, and I think he's actually good.

I'm glad more shows are incorporating rain and storms into their stories. Thailand is a rainy place.

Oh good. Yang still uses his thumb and pinky to sign for a phone. We haven't crossed to using a flat hand yet.

I like Yang's integrity. He knows he has no claim to Phumjai's attention and is helping the way Phumjai asked of him.

Phumjai is wearing a Toy Story shirt omg.

Obsessed with the bread sponsorship creeping into BL lately. Though, why is this bread green?

Love that Yang encouraged Phumjai to eat the food he likes while also scolding him to use chopsticks when eating with Chinese people. Love that there is a balance between appetite and manners.

There's actually famous paintings of blue dogs in Louisiana by George Rodrigue.

My man Yang is going through it.

It's really endearing that Yang is teaching him things. This is sweet.

I get it, Yang. He's adorable, thoughtful, kind, and funny.

The cowherd and the weaver girl story appears again.

Oh ho! Was Phumjai shaken a bit there?

Offroad is not letting the sponsors down.

Daou actually looks like he has played baseball before.

Chatting about love while playing catch? Just guys being guys. Just dudes being dudes.

Very smooth, Yang. This boy is not exactly flirting, but he's just so cute.

These other gays just broke the spell! Queer on queer violence! Now Phumjai's run away!!

3:40? Yang, you got it bad.

Oh, interesting. Tammy showed up on green. I'm looking forward to the color analyses.

Oh yes. Costumes. I was wondering when Phojai and Tag would show up. This is better than I hoped for, because Yang got in Phojai's head about maintaining love.

I like Tag in these glasses.

Yes, my favorite. "The date went well, but I was thinking of you." Good job, BL.

Damn! Tammy's sunflower is pretty good.

Tammy has been in these heels the whole time? She's so strong.

Oh man. I feel bad for Tammy!

Took us about 28 hours, but we got back the kiss from the park.

Looks like we're going to unpack the confusion directly next week. I love this show.

THIS WAS EVERYTHING I WANTED AND MORE. Not only did we get the practice date creating feelings that cloud the actual date. Phumjai is not a boy who holds back feelings, so of course he immediately went to Yang to talk it out. I just adore Yang so much. He's being honest and decent, and that's impacting both Phumjai and Phojai. This show is so good. I need y'all to watch with me.