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singular-yike · 1 year

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Barrier Shop "Azumaterasu"

The Sanctuary is the geographical area around the Senri Shrine, within which is the Human Village. The barrier shop "Azumaterasu" can be found within this village, and is the topic of analysis today!

Mainly, I'll be focusing on three aspects of this shop:

The mythological inspiration behind its name

Its history and role within Mugenri

The store's internal hierarchy, and how Tenkai fits into it

That out of the way, let us begin!

Mythological Basis: Tōshō-daigongen

Azumaterasu is named after a Japanese god called Tōshō-daigongen (東照大権現), the "great incarnation who illuminates the east".

The "incarnation" here is because he is said to be the local manifestation of the buddha Yakushi-nyorai (薬師如来), the medicine buddha, under the honji-suijaku theory (本地垂迹) (No we do not have time to go into that this is long enough as is).

Below: A depiction of Yakushi-nyorai on a painted scroll.

When read under kun'yomi reading, Tōshō (東照) is "azuma terasu", and this is where we get the barrier shop's name from. Now , let's take a look as to at why it may have been chosen.

One key thing to note, is that Tōshō was once a human, and not just any human, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Below: A portrait of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

This is perhaps immediately notable to you as Ieyasu is likely who Tsurubami Senri is based on. In addition to this, it also furthers Tenkai's own connection to the shogun, whose burial site is referenced extensively in Tenkai's spell cards.

Tōshō is thought to have been created as a counterpart to Amaterasu (天照大神), the "Great Goddess that Illuminates the Heavens". Note the similarity between the names, especially when considering Azumaterasu.

Tōshō is said to be the ancestor and guardian of the Shogunate family, while Amaterasu, is said to be the ancestor and guardian of the Imperial family.

Additionally, the Imperial family was based in the west then, which is theorized to be the reason Tōshō is specifically tied to the east.

The name is likely a reference to the fact that Tenkai was one of the two dictative powers in Mugenri, much like how the Imperial family and the Shogunate were the two ruling powers of Japan.

It may also be reflective of the barrier shop and the Senri Shrine being together in charge of the whole of the Mugenri Barrier, Azumaterasu in charge of the "inner" and the shrine in charge of the "outer" barrier.

History and Role

As previously mentioned, the barrier shop is quite old, apparently with a "long and honorable history" to its name.

While we know nothing about said "long and honorable history", it is not impossible that the "particularly famous barrier builder" that Tenkai Zuifeng apparently descends from relates to this.

In terms of physical appearance, JynX compares it to the Kyoto State Guest House, an expansive Japanese-styled mansion.

Below: Entrance of the Kyoto State Guest House.

As a side note, I really recommend checking out other images of the guest house, it's extremely gorgeous and the entrance honestly does not do its beauty justice. (Official website and Twitter account)

It's fairly clear that JynX considers it a fairly powerful and influential establishment within Mugenri, and this is especially notable in its role to "maintain and repair the 'inner' Mugenri Barrier".

To this end, each barrier builder at the shop is assigned to a particular section of the barrier, which they are in charge of. This is why Tenkai showed up in the RMI extra stage, as the part of the barrier that broke was under their jurisdiction.

We don't know much about how the store operates, but it seems reasonable that anyone who wants a barrier set up can request their services, just as Jinbei did when asking for someone to repair the Mugenri Barrier.

Hierarchy and Tenkai Zuifeng

Here we examine the hierarchy within Azumaterasu, and perhaps more importantly, how it impacts Tenkai Zuifeng as a character.

Hierarchy and Power Balance

While it's not exactly clear, it can be seen that there seems to roughly be 3 hierarchal levels within Azumaterasu: The old masters of barrier building at the top, the average barrier builder below them, and the apprentices at the bottom.

Of course, it's quite likely that there are more distinct divisions of roles within each level as well, perhaps there's a shop owner who lords over everyone else, for example; and the division between senior and junior members as found in Japanese culture would almost certainly exist as well.

Tenkai within the system

Moving onto Tenkai, outside of Azumaterasu, they are "One of the Old Dictators". Their subjugation of Mugenri alongside the ex-head priest of the Senri Shrine, Tsurubami Senri, earning them great respect from its people.

Yet within Azumaterasu, Tenkai is but an "apprentice barrier builder", likely owing to their ineptitude at repairing barriers, despite their talent at creating new ones.

Adding to this, power harassment, the use of one's higher position of power to harass and bully those at positions below you, is apparently quite rampant in Azumaterasu.

We see this in how Tenkai's teachers and superiors often give them barrier repairing jobs, which they claim are to "train Tenkai to overcome their weakness," when in reality it is to attack their prestige.

This culminated in Tenkai's insubordination when fixing the Mugenri Barrier in RMI out of frustration towards their superiors, where they "arranged a very small prank with the barrier," likely altering it slightly rather than returning it to how it exactly was before.

Tenkai as a character

This leads to what I personally find most interesting about Tenkai as a character, and what I think is an important part of their character arc: Their transition between two roles, two stages of their life.

Their role as "dictator" has already reached its peak and come to an end with Tsurubami's departure, leaving them with their role as a "barrier builder" which they have ample room to develop.

They may have several impressive barrier-related feats to their name and be descendant from a famous barrier builder, but their immaturity with the craft (or perhaps even in general) is still evident.

In BPoHC, their character is focused (when not busy expounding lore or reacting to the situation at hand) on their struggle to pull away from the whole dictator business.

They still keep tabs on potential threat to Mugenri, they get involved in the incident even though they didn't plan to, they spend their free time spying on people with bird names, etc.

It's very often that Tenkai is viewed as an "other" to Tsurubami, one half of a whole, and it's certainly not untrue with how much they talk about and miss Tsurubami, and I mean their title even stresses this.

But I think viewed on their own, Tenkai is interesting as a character transitioning from one major stage of their life into another. This is of course triggered by the departure of their dear friend Tsurubami, but its effect ripples much further as well.

It is as they move away from being the "great dictator over Mugenri", that their role as "barrier builder of Azumatersu" rises into prominence, and I for one am quite curious whether they'll settle into this role or find something entirely new for themself.

Ending

That finally concludes this analysis on the barrier shop "Azumaterasu", we don't have much, but it's surprisingly deep when you really look into it.

I did accidentally veer off to talk about Tenkai a while lot, though I wanted to to put my thoughts somewhere anyways, and this post is as good as any.

Though I do apologise if the Tenkai section comes off as rather incoherent, it's quite late at night and I suddenly thought about all this midway through the hierarchy section, hehe.

Also, I did kind of brush past the whole "Buddha manifesting as a local Japanese deity" thing but that's opening a whole other can of worms that would easily double the length of this post.

I'm not opposed to talking about non-Len'en stuff at all, and in fact I have quite a lot of Japanese mythology-based stuff done as well (see here), so feel free to shoot those questions my way too, if you'd like~.

That's a lot more ending notes than usual but now we've finally reached the end. As usual, I hope you enjoyed~! :)

#len'en #len'en project #len'en lore #azumaterasu #tenkai zuifeng #honestly I didn't plan to do this all in one night #but apparently once I begin I just cannot stop #I hope my 2/3am Tenkai rambles are fun to read at least

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rabbit-of-mugenri · 1 year

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I wonder, what do you ship in Len'en?

Oh hey, you're the one who made the Fanfic Discord server right? This is Starrot Vanity! And I finally made a Tumblr for Len'en stuff 'cause the hyperfixation is back I caved in and wanted a larger space for my headcanons/AUs that Discord couldn't provide. You've asked me this question before, but for the audience at home (also so I can elaborate on some of them):

Ooookay, so, this is a bit of a complicated question to answer, since the ships I'm interested in on a relationship analysis level and the ships that I find think would make a good couple are two separate circles. Not to mention there's a third, equally separate circle consisting of ships that aren't actually ships in the romantic sense, more in a platonic/"they have a really good dynamic" sense.

So I'll split this into threes parts: Ships That are Good, Ships That are Interesting (but please for the love of God don't emulate the behaviours of these ships they're unhealthy as fuck), and Platonic Ships.

(Also content warning in the second section for abusive relationships and Suzumi being Suzumi)

Ships That are Good

AkaYabu

This is just a pure, simple "idiots in love" ship, with a dash of "no homo" since they're just friends. So what if they tuck a homie in bed, give their homie a little kiss sometimes, that's just what bros do!

...As you can see, the main conflict in this ship is that both of them think the other sees them as just a friend, alongside their own denial about being in love. Doubly so in Hooaka's case: Why should Yabusame be interested in them when they have Tsubakura? Hooaka can tell the two have a deep, complex relationship with each other, and they don't want to intrude. Which leads to...

YabuTsuba

Oh boy, these two. Yabusame has a deep, unwavering loyalty to Tsubakura that neither know exactly why. Tsubakura's especially confused by this, but at the same time they need that. After all the pain and suffering and death they've gone through, they need someone who's just there. never asking why like everyone else.

(As for how these two ships are resolved, usually one is more down played than the other. So for example, if the focus of something is on YabuTsuba, then Hooaka simply sees Yabusame as a friend. Occasionally though, I'm reminded that Yabusame has two hands.)

TsuruTen

This one's interesting, since it's essentially YabuTsuba in reverse. Or, to put it another way, Tsurubami is (ironically) a more human Yabusame. Whereas Yabusame's reasons for staying by Tsubakura is shrouded in enigma, Tsurubami's reasons for staying by Tenkai is much more simple: Tenkai represented a alliance with Azumaterasu, a barrier workshop rumoured to have been founded by a god.

But Tsurubami began to feel that Tenkai represented much more than that; Tenkai was a way to starve off the loneliness that came part and parcel with ruling Mugenri. Tenkai added colour to their world, and soon Tsurubami realized that they didn't want to use them as a pawn, they wanted a friend.

Ships That are Interesting (but please for the love of God don't emulate the behaviours of these ships they're unhealthy as fuck)

HibaTsugu

So like, there's no canon basis as to how badly Hibaru treated Tsugumi, but in my headcanon it's pretty badly my dude.

Both of them are old as balls, but while Hibaru has seen shit, Tsugumi was oddly spared from most of the horrors living for hundreds of years has. Perhaps out of luck, perhaps out of a preference for plants over people. They heard of Tsurubami and their dictatorship, though, and they weren't fond of that.

Neither was Hibaru. And so, the two of them paired together in an effort to take down the Senri Shrine. Along the way, the two became friends, possibly even more.

And then the final confrontation happened, wherein the pair learned the truth behind Mugenri, its purpose. Hibaru's response? Snap Tsugumi's wings and leave them behind.

Adding on to this, Hibaru's got like a thousand years of moral decay to work with, versus Tsugumi's somewhat sheltered life. How fine were things, truly?

Suzumi + Shitodo (SuzuAo, SuzuAka, SuzuKuro)

Sure, Tsubakura-sama was their main target, but Suzumi can work on multiple projects at once. And, well, hurting those close to them also counts towards Tsubakura-sama's suffering, doesn't it? Since Yabusame's too...strange in a way that Suzumi doesn't like, that leaves the Shitodo family.

Kuroji's their main target, being the one closest to Tsubakura-sama. And oh, how close they are to the real thing! How beautiful it is to see their normally aloof behaviour break down, crying and begging for their life! Alas, their only a pale imitation to the great Tsubakura, so they're soon disposed of.

Hooaka, now there's an interesting one! They play dumb, but Suzumi knows better. It's just so fun to push their buttons, see what causes them to drop the act and show a more serious side. It's like a gift only they get to see!

And Aoji, oh, Aoji. They're pretty, they're in tune with nature, they're small and quiet and just a little slow on the uptake. What isn't there to love? Just cute enough to kill.

SuzuTsuba

I...don't actually know what to add here that hasn't been said before. Suzumi is their own warning.

Platonic Ships

Hooaka and Kuroji

Man, these two. These two. They care for each other, they want to protect the other, everything the do for the other is out of love. It's just their definition of showing appreciation for the other is so covered in layers of irony and an inability to be honest that the other misunderstands and assumes that the other just hates them.

A tragedy, isn't it?

The rest of the Shitodo's

Honestly the dynamics of all the Shitodo's is just so good. They're all varying degrees of dysfunctional, but at the end of the day they all care about each other. It's just...a struggle to get any of them to admit it.

The Fujiwara's

Speaking of dysfunctional families that still love each other at the end of the day, how about Mugenri's own home-grown Fujiwara's? Possibly even more of a mess compared to the Shitodo's, since murder's on the table for dealing with family scuffles.

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yuzuspace · 1 year

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yuzu’s swap au

This has been lurking in my brain every since and I think I want to talk about it!!! I ALSO HAVE AN URGE TO DRAW SO BAD GHHRHGH but maybe the picrews and neka will help hehe

What is the Swap AU?

Basically an AU where everything is the same but Tenma and Kai have swapped roles (and personalities) aka one of the many Actress Kai AUs

But also there are things I didn’t swap swap because I thought it would be funny to keep them (but these are like anchor points to my swap au aka what i don't really change and they are just SOME of them):

Tenma still ends up joining Mankai as the Summer Troupe leader and he still will have that stage fright moment

Kai’s desire to change herself and make her bravado into True Confidence

Kai and Itaru know each other and still have that good ol’ sibling dynamic

nonotenkai are still a thing theyre still childhood friends and the roles of kai and tenma in the miscommunication equation are the same, Tenma still likes Kai even after the childhood phase.

BUUUUUT with those similarities in mind, here are the list of changes (respective to similarities listed above):

Tenma has all the personality flaws and insecurities Kai would typically hold (impending need to be ‘useful’, kai’s overworking tendencies and her overall anxiety and overthinking), he is SUPER interested in theater but after that stage fright moment, he swore off it and never gave it another chance (until Mankai)

in this au, Kai would be bolder than the typical kai who would usually double think lots of things (she does have confidence but not as much as she’d like)

Itaru being the one usually sneaking Kai out esp when she needs a breather from showbiz (default: Kai would frequent to Mankai to check up on Itaru settling in esp when Itaru’s social battery is drained in ACT 1)

In my point of tenkai childhood friends, Kai still overhears that Tenma likes Nono (the misunderstanding) and that Tenma likes Kai (a point that still stands even into the current A3 timeline) BUT BUT BUT kai this time, has feelings for tenma!! she is actively seeking out his attention and affection but Tenma chooses not to read too much into it

Kai being a playful, flirty girlie. GET YO MAN BABYGIRL!!!!

Tenma being into cosplay :) [kai screaming in the distance]

OKAY SO SWAP AU BRAINROT TIME!!!

Kai actively flirting with Tenma but she would always play it as a joke after but there would be moments where Tenma would be downright honest and would catch Kai flustered

“Practice a kiss scene with me.” Line? UNCHANGING EVEN IN SWAP AU AND ITS STILL TENMA’S LINE, kai could NEVER nevernevernevernever do it to Tenma but it is only because of Tenma’s insistence that they do it (…because he wants to help and he believes that this will help the quality of performance and kai is just dying inside from embarrassment)

I think it would be completely sweet for Kai to gift Tenma flowers after their plays and gets clamored by Natsugumi because Itsuki Kaiya is a famous teen actress ♡

Tenma who wants to be super good at acting so he asks (begs) Kai to help him and Kai is so willing to help him through. Although Kai's specialties aren't in comedy, it would be good to get some feedback from someone who is a professional :>

Everyone who keeps asking Tenma; “hey, you and Kai are dating, right?” Tenma with a straight face: No.

Kasumi who is STILL their number 1 hater and supporter, pushing their heads together just to kiss and get on with their lives but this time Kasumi is egging Kai to confess because she can't stand Kai just trying to form a cohesive thought when she wants to be honest with Tenma.

Tenma and Kai running through scripts together 💕💕💕 Something about the sheer professionalism of a thoroughly trained actor and how Kai looks so good when she’s focused and serious makes Tenma shift slightly in his seat as Kai’s trying to explain why this might be a better way to phrase that improv he thought of on the spot and building the characters together 🥺 and how they’re both trying to get the vibe right

Tenma, who is still good at fake crying. Ever since Kai discovered that, she is literally just asking him everyday: "...Are you sure you don't want to enter show business?"

Tons of tension. Weird, almost bordering sexual tension. It makes people want to leave these two alone and see what happens in the next ten minutes. Yuki cannot STAND being the 3rd wheel 8/10 times that he gets caught between these two (almost literally if circumstance pushes it).

TENMA BEING A FUCKING NERDDDD SHIT OHHHRJFHFJDJ tenma that just spends his free time rolling on gacha, playing rpgs, and cosplaying!!! OH FUCK THATS SO CUTE HRRGHHRGHHR

“No, because you see these two WORK—it’s like instinct, the chemistry is THERE, and I don’t—I just feel like I’m being baited over here, you know?” / “…And this affects that theory you were talking about how?” / “It affects the fan theory because we suspect—(goes on about the theory)“

By the end of that conversation, kai is doing research about it in her own time and raises her own point to tenma (it gets ugly bc they’re both stubborn and kai believes in the theory that contradicts what tenma talks about)

Like Tenma’s One Interest (which is Bonsai) Swap Kai has a singular interest that keeps her grounded and its crochet/knitting :D

Kai is literally that One Juniper Woods sprite where she fucking knits out hearts when she has Tenma in the brain (she also gets inspired enough to…knit him a scarf)

Tenma who is never moving on from Kai’s hand knitted scarf gift on Christmas, he uses it and he takes such good care of it (and rarely lends it to ANYONE)

Kai who is surprisingly pure and says things that could be taken in multiple ways (in contrast to OG Kai who is quite buried in filth). Tenma knows she doesn't mean it when she asks him to stay the night. Tenma, whose brain cannot TAKE IT ANYMORE, when Kai tells him with a flustered expression that she wants to do it (hold hands) but luckily since this isn't his first rodeo with Kai's words asks her to clarify what exactly it is and Tenma is more than happy to hold hands with her.

Aki who is more than happy to be Kai's wingman, he sets up opportunities for both of them. Bringing Tenma to a certain location that a hotspot for couples to date? Easy. Telling Kai that they will eat outside later, so they should meet here, in this spot, around this time. They got set up :)

Tenma that works in Hanakotoba :3 Pretty boy surrounded by many pretty flowers hehehehehe

Kai who needs a moment of quiet after really long days of filming and practice, Tenma would offer her his jacket and she puts it over her head to give her a few minutes to calm down and relax

Grhhgghrhr tenkai that are still very subtly physical. LIKE not exactly touchy but they just need each other close to feel ok. I’m talking sitting beside each other, hand brushing against each other, PINKY LINKING!!!!! , small tugs on tenma’s sleeve when kai doesn’t want him to leave just yet, or the unconscious tenma move where he gently nudges kai or guides her away from the road with his hand on her shoulder AARGGFHHFFHFHD

kai has shit sense of direction in this au

secret date nights because dating a celebrity is HARD, tenkai is who is super tight lipped about their relationship and only say enough to satiate the people

Despite the swap, I still think Kai would be the more protective out of the both of them, she has disguises whenever she goes out with Tenma LMAO like wigs and contacts at the ready to keep her hidden. she’s very careful about going out and it doesn’t help that tenma has a very eyecatching presence lol

In this swap au hehehe (to end it all off) tenma is the one who confesses :D in the default, kai is the one who ends up confessing but i think it would be a neat take to see tenma say it first LMAO

I indulged in this AU because I just needed a reason to see a flirtier Kai, that’s all.

#a3 yume #yuzu's yume #a3yume #yuzu: swap au #yuzu: tenkai #this was too self indulgent hrgghhrg #yuzu’s hcs

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the-faxx-macheen · 5 years

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To the anon who asked (sorry I don't wanna delete it mostly for reminders!!) I did not think about sharing the Tenkai Knight RAWs agck-! But a wise idea my friend!

I was wanting to someday post subs of the series since I can't find any beyond ep 1, but having a sparkling clean version of the series with all the extra scenes and no watermarks even if in Japanese would probably make a lot of folks happy!

So while I don't have them up, I will immediately begin working on it asap (probably tonight after I do a bit of googling, any site suggestions are entirely welcome!) Also if you happen to have anywhere specific you'd like me to dm it to you to make sure you can get it as soon as it's ready... As you know I have this account but you can also find me on my Twitter @LTDork or you can toss me another ask with your Discord if you have one and I'll friend you ovo/

#tenkai knights #i suppose i'll send the offer out to anyone going by who doesn't have a tumblr either too #i'll link it here and tag it but if you think you won't be around to find it #oh emails work too i guess #umuuuuu uh i also dunno if you're alright with that ask going public or not i mean i suppose you're on anon so nobody can find you #but for extra politeness uh lemme know if it's okay and i may just use the ask when i link it

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maideninorange · 1 year

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for the ask game, not sure what you would do with this prompt but i'm curious anyway!

16. “You don’t have a choice.”

Oh my! I wasn't sure either for a while there! Sorry about the long wait (even by my standards)! But I came up with a decent idea in the end, so here we go!

(TW: Just some somewhat graphic death threats, choking imagery, and mild blood. Nothing too dark here for this one, because I was more in the mood for something humorous. Also, Maiden getting too into her worldbuilding, even by her standards.)

It was a little embarrassing, in Tenkai's humble opinion, to get so absorbed in their grumbling over misplaced things on the shelves that it took them until the knife at the back of their throat presses in for them to realize it was even there.

They raise their arms up, "Not even gonna bother by the spell card rules?"

"And put myself at a disadvantage? Why would I do that?"

Ah, they recognize that voice. So they've been ambushed by that scoundrel? Well, it was only a matter of time before they got the bright idea to try picking on them. This was gonna be fun.

"Ah, the Black Shitodo has finally decided to threaten me? Remaining a scoundrel I see," Tenkai can't help but smirk as the knife presses a little further into their neck, "Still 'accquaintances' with Saragimaru there?"

"I don't exist." And the snake is here too then. This oughta make their week.

"Shut up and keep watch," Kuroji's attention turns back to Tenkai, "Now Zuifeng, if you don't comply, no amount of danmaku will help against a simple knife. You'll-"

"I'll be nothing but a mere corpse on the floor? Have the snakes been rubbing off on you or something? You can't even be creative in how you're gonna kill me like Orochin usually gets!"

"...?!" Speaking of snakes, that must've got Saragimaru's gears turning. This'll make screwing with these scoundrels extra fun.

"Unlike Yaorochi, you'll find that I prefer much more simple measures of murder. So do you truly want to test me?"

Ouch. And now there's some blood gushing out from where Kuroji pricked them, making their point. They let out a nervous chuckle, "Geez, not gonna even give me the illusion of free choice?"

"You don't have a choice."

They gathered that much. But confirmation is always nice.

Tenkai takes a step forward, not quite sure what direction they wanted them to go in yet, "So what are you guys after this time? Money? Powerful artifacts? My pride?"

"Knowledge, actually," the scoundrel answers with a light hum, "Sources say Azumaterasu has a rare book cataloguing the Senri family line all the way back to the very first priest of Mugenri."

"And by sources you mean some poor village historian you extorted that information out of."

"He didn't even try to fight back. Just gave in begging for his wealth to be spared," Saragimaru grumbles, confirming what they already knew.

Tenkai was even pretty sure they knew who that someone was. Always was a snivelling coward. How anyone could've entrusted him with such important information is beyond them.

But even so...Ooh, this was definitely going to be fun!

They bite down a mischievous grin, "Let me guess, trying to one-up the current priest? I never knew you had any sort of interest in history!"

"I don't," A low growl hisses in their ear, "I simply see the value in learning all I can about this world. The rarer information I know? The more of a bargain it will be, if you know what I mean..."

"And to make that worthless priest they won't shut up about jealous. Or something." They can just hear Saragimaru shrugging.

Tenkai suppresses a loud chuckle at Kuroji's annoyed shout. Oh, make no mistake, it would be awful if they got ahold of it. The untold havoc that scoundrel would wreck simply by having one of the most important pieces of documentation the Senri clan ever entrusted to their family cannot be underestimated. And their superiors would have their head. That too.

But that implies they plan on letting them get ahold of it in the first place.

"Can't let ya pass on that one," they exclaim, trying to sound at least a little worried, "Even if I wanted to, that book is under lock and key. Sorry!"

"Allow me to repeat myself, just this once: You don't have a choice in this."

"Or what? You'd actually slit my throat? I mean, you are a scoundrel, so..."

And there's the knife drawing blood again. Ouch.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Yes I would. So start marching."

Tenkai obeys, legs automatic, "Sheesh! Someone needs to learn better manners!"

"Don't you know manners and this scoundrel don't mix? Not that you would know much more about manners yourself."

Tenkai can only click their tongue at that. Tsurubami would've been proud.

Kuroji drags them deeper into the bowels of the shop. The "Employees Only" scroll on the door was cheerfully ignored, and they were taken in and out of various rooms in less a sinister waltz and more a clueless stumble. They even start making low growls as the charade goes on. They oughta be glad Tenkai was left to their own devices (miraculously) today, otherwise they would be very, very dead right about the second room. Maybe the third if they want to be generous.

Oh, make no mistake, their superiors are gonna be pissed if they find out Kuroji decided to break into Azumaterasu, and at them especially if they find them compromised like this. The aftermath would not be pleasant if they get caught.

But then again... it's been a good while since someone tried to knock those arrogant asses down a peg. So why not give them a little helping hand, by a certain definition?

The dizzying constant shifting of their surroundings only stops when a loud crack rings out, causing both of them to look in its direction.

...Oh darn, the snake knows a thing or two about picking apart barriers. Not much, clearly, as Tenkai can easily bypass that particular barrier without busting it so loudly, but they did know how to destabilize the inscriptions at the very least.

Saragimaru turn to look at them, the blue glow at their fingertips fading away, "...Found it."

And by the grin returning to Kuroji's face, it seems Tenkai's reaction had given it away.

"Oh my oh my Saragimaru, how did you ever know the entrance was right there?"

"The melon took me into this very room when we met the first time. Something about the inscription working best in that room... though they were lying so..."

Saragimaru fixes them with a harsh glare. Tenkai can only give a half-hearted shrug, unapologetic, "So you can remember how to break the barrier like I showed you, but can't keep track of prices. Suits ya pretty well if you ask me~!"

"...! Why I oughta-"

"Put the sword down. We still need them to bypass whatever traps these old farts put in order to gatekeep us."

Saragimaru lets out a loud groan as they sheathe their kodachi, their jaw clenched. Kuroji hums in their ear a moment later, "But don't worry! Once they disable all the traps it should be perfectly alright to take care of them then!"

... Okay, now this is just downright hilarious. Last time they got held at swordpoint, the youkai were all cheerfully talking about dismembering them once they served their purpose. These guys are just being more polite about it!

Needless to say, Tenkai bursted out laughing. As if these two could ever be the death of them! They kept laughing as they were ushered through the library doorway and down the stairs.

It wasn't until their laughter became full blown wheezing that they were asked by their current captor, "...What's so funny?"

"You..." They wipe a tear from their eye, less walking down the steps and more skipping down them, "...You plan to kill me once I've outlived my usefulness. Are you sure you won't consider a career as a comedian?"

Judging by the low hiss, like a little bird trying to sound bigger than it really is, Kuroji was making, they weren't too impressed by their wit. The knife presses into their back, forcing them down two at a time.

"...Huh. I now see why you want to kill them. All this time I thought I was craving bread, not blood."

"I told you they were better off dead!" Their eyes bore into them from behind, "So don't tempt me! I will if I have to, consequences be damned!"

"Bloodthirsty now, I see?" Tenkai snickers, "See what I mean? Utterly hilarious! Seriously, both of you might have a future in comedy!"

"Shut up..." They both mutter in unison. That will probably be the first and last time they ever agree on something, to boot.

Tsurubami would definitely be proud. They've come a long way since...

Their feet touch down on smooth stone. They swallow hard, knowing where they are and what they'll have to do.

"March," Kuroji whispers in their ear. The knife digs into their back, and Tenkai obeys.

Tenkai roams the long corridors of books and scrolls, one foot firmly in front of the other. They knew exactly where the book in question is. Tsurubami had quite a few suggestions for it when they stole that very book the third time they met. Their superiors didn't know it, but they had gleefully heeded their suggestions.

Not that Kuroji knows that. Nor do they intend to let them know and ruin their fun.

Tenkai guided the scoundrels over to the bookcase in question. The one at the very back, the oldest and mustiest.

Oh, and the only one concealed behind a very obvious and visible barrier. Can't forget that part!

"...So what happens if you touch that barrier there?" Saragimaru asks.

"You rapidly age as your future death plays out right before your eyes."

"Even to the ageless...?"

"Then just the vision of your future death," Tenkai smiles as a loud sigh rolls by their ears.

Okay, they've never actually seen what happens when an actual intruder like these two tries to touch that barrier in question before. They do remember only getting a small shock as a kid when curiosity got the better of them though. One of their...more overdramatic caretakers did spin that story to scare them away, so perhaps there's a grain of truth in it?

Not that it really mattered. They aren't hearing any protests from them, that's for sure.

"Well I happen to like being the age I'm at," Kuroji huffs, "So...? Are you going to grab the book or not? Because if you're not, I presume you know-"

"You'll slit my throat and then leave me to bleed out and die. Yadda yadda yadda," Tenkai rolls their eyes, "If you're gonna actually go ahead and kill me, at least do something more fun than a simple knife to the throat."

"Believe me, the possibilities for me killing both of you are endless if I had it my way," Saragimaru deadpans, as if they actually had the power to follow up on that particular threat.

"I'm well aware. You've told me plenty of them already," Kuroji sounds way too chipper when refuting their wayward servant in Tenkai's opinion, "But unless you would rather be the one to try and break that barrier there, I would -"

"I lost the right to share my opinion. Got it," The butt of a wooden pole jabs against Tenkai's back, making them take a step forward, "...Hey melon, if you find a way to throw this scoundrel into that barrier, please do. Preferably at once."

A huff, "Ignore them. Try that and I'll show you 'creative'."

"I make no promises!" Tenkai grins, flexing their fingers, warming up with power, as they strut towards the barrier.

In theory, this barrier, designed to keep important books under lock and key (and far away from the nose of their least favorite apprentice), is one of the sturdiest, most complex constructs second to only the Great Barrier itself. It contains dozens of inscriptions, and many riddles to keep intruders (and certain smart alecks) from easily confusing and breaking it. Few should be able to access it without an elder's say so.

Keyword: should.

In practice, this barrier was merely further proof that their superiors have never actually fashioned a complicated barrier in their lives. Perhaps it was Tenkai's genius getting the better of them, but this barrier was about as complex as the one on their safe box of gag gifts ill fitting for someone like them to hold onto. It does it's job against one who knows jack about breaking barriers, but only serves as a fun puzzle for a professional barrier breaker.

Tenkai just so happened to be one such professional barrier breaker.

The runic inscriptions light up with a quick swipe over the barrier's surface. Glowing orange fingertips scrawl over it, seeking out the vaguest, frailest sentences.

...Found one.

A twisted grin sprung to Tenkai's face as they began to pour all their energy into it. The inscription glowed brighter and brighter, until it was almost blinding. And then, right before this section could crack, disabled, under the pressure, they let up.

They then reach inside the glowing section of barrier, and yank the target book out.

"You insult me," They huff as their handiwork fades, leaving the barrier like it was never touched, "I could break barriers like that in my sleep."

"...All you did was reach through the barrier and make the room smell like melons," Saragimaru pinches their nose, "You less broke the barrier and more bypassed it."

"And alert my bosses that they were being robbed the moment it shatters? You really ought to be thanking me for not blowing your cover!" They let out a small chuckle at Kuroji's low growl, "Breaking barriers is child's play. Now bypassing barriers? That's a completely different skillset! I put in all this hard work for you guys, and you're too greedy to even thank me?"

"The book. Now." Considering the knife now back at their throat, they guessed so. Kuroji is, at least. Saragimaru is more easily manipulated than greedy.

But nevertheless, Tenkai deposited the book into Kuroji's waiting hand, whistling a small tune as they cast their glance at a nearby bookshelf. It immediately vanishes into their electric purple jacket, never to be seen again.

"Thank you. Cooperating wasn't so bad, was it? Less painful," Kuroji's focus turns to Saragimaru, "Now tie up this loose end here. We don't need all of Azumaterasu coming down on our heads, now do we?"

"On your head. This feels a little too easy, knowing Tenkai Zuifeng. Don't you think they got something else up their sleeve? And don't mix me up in the consequences of your own actions!"

"Oh no, they'd definitely come after you too," Tenkai clasps their hands together, doing their best imitation of the grin Tsurubami typically wore when about to discipline troublemakers, "An excuse to go after one of the last remnants of Yamata-no-Orochi's lineage? It would be a crime to let it go to waste! And then both of your families for good measure! ...Just speaking from personal experience here."

They conveniently left out the time they went after Tsurubami once, for the exact same crime by raw coincidence. They were pretty sure Saragimaru and their beloved Yaorochi would be able to keep their hubris unscathed (unfortunately). Now Kuroji? ...A little more debatable. But that scoundrel's upset worse people before and their superiors are all old farts, so who knows?

It did the trick though. Saragimaru's eyes widened a little, "They'd go after Yaorochi-sama?"

"Loose end. Tie it up," Kuroji deadpans, their gaze flitting between Tenkai, Saragimaru, and the room all around them."

"So I can finally kill this obnoxious melon?" Saragimaru's voice lightens notably, a fang nicking their lip as they bite it.

"Tempting, but no. Leaving a body behind is the exact opposite of a clean break-in. You're going to tie their tongue up so they can't say we were here."

They put their naginata back in its sheathe, restrapping it to their back, "Ugh...Why do I always have to cast the curses? You can cast them too. I've seen you do it."

"...Because your curses are more effective, obviously," Kuroji's gaze turns back to Tenkai, nostrils flared.

"Translation: They can't cast magic like you and I can there, Saragimaru," Tenkai jeers, snorting at the death glare Kuroji then gives them.

"I mean, we all know that...I was just wondering why they weren't gearing up to-"

"Shut. Up. Both of you. You've lost the right to speak," They turn their back towards Tenkai, "Now curse them. Then let's get out of here."

"... Yes Your Excellency," Saragimaru grumbles, stepping towards Tenkai. A blue glow, like rainwater, emits from their fingertips, ominously pressing closer and closer to them.

Or at least, it would've been ominous if they haven't been so desensitized to the dark side of magic. Thanks Tsurubami.

"Sheesh, you guys are so mean! Can't take a little joke or-"

The glowing blue hand closes in around their throat, "Shut. Up."

Tenkai suddenly felt like they were choking on something. They tried to laugh through the pain of talons digging into their nape, but every sound they tried to make sounded garbled. A small white cloud puffs from their mouth, like breath on a cold winter day. Saragimaru's teeth gnash together, and soon enough Tenkai's throat felt clogged with them.

They gargle, clouds bursting from their mouth in a rapid stream like bubbles, purging their tongue of what occurred in this library. And then, just like that, it was all over and the magic all dissipated, their windpipe clearing of misplaced weather.

Saragimaru lets go, the glow of their magic fading, and Tenkai's body drops to the floor with a thud, as if they had dropped them. Air flows through their lungs like sand, black spots dancing in the corners of their vision as they watch their tail sway gently from side to side.

"There. If they say anything about our robbery and hostage taking, the heavens shall rob them of the ability to speak the truth. ...Poor thing, I'd feel bad if it wasn't for them being Tenkai Zuifeng..."

"Good enough. We got all that we need, so let's leave them here."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? People are going to know someone was here once they notice your stupid book is missing..."

"But will they be able to tell it was us specifically? Besides, it's not like we can't pin this on Tsubakura when all is said and done. They say the Senri priest has some kind of right to this book, don't they?"

"I thought this whole pointless excursion was to make that dumb priest you are so obsessed with jealous. Blaming them for your crime sounds very counter-intuitive."

"And that's enough out of you. Let's make our exit while this place is still clear of those elders we're supposed to fear."

"...Did I actually curse the right person?"

"Oh you're such a tease! Didn't you know my body can be just as loose as my lips?"

"Ugh..."

Tenkai clamours to their knees, watching the scoundrels march up the stairs, bickering all the way there. Right as they both reached the top, Kuroji whirls around, and tips their hat to them.

Then, the scoundrel and their swordsnake vanish.

Tenkai pushes themself to their feet, coughing up one more cloud as the curse rolls around their throat and onto their tongue, tasting of smog. It was a pretty unpleasant feeling actually, but Tenkai has been under enough of these sorts of curses to know a strong one from a weak one. And if Saragimaru really wanted them to shut up, they'd be coughing up clouds and hail for weeks on end for daring to think of the forbidden object in question.

It would also be much harder to unravel than this, going by the magical handiwork now decorating their throat and along their chin. Though going by their few unpleasant encounters with that scoundrel, that wrench in their plans was well deserved.

Not as good as the one Tenkai threw though. They can't wait to see the look on Kuroji's face when they realize they handed up a rulebook instead of the history book they were actually after.

Tenkai wobbles over to the bookcase off to the side. They pluck a certain book off the shelf, and with a wave of their hand, the barrier vanishes, revealing A Brief History of the Senri Clan in all its musty glory.

(It hasn't been updated since the fifth priest before the current ones. Tsurubami had ranted to them long and hard about that once they finally got their hands on the book.)

Like Tsurubami had suggested a long, long time ago, Tenkai had the book swapped out for a conveniently dense decoy, disguising both with a cloaking barrier as the other. Not even their superiors had figured out the swap, but that won't last much longer once someone finally realizes they're missing a book or two.

Especially not after Kuroji's plan blows up in their face and they inevitably throw caution to the wind over it. Tenkai can just picture their rage now. The way their cheeks puff up and turn red when angered had always made them snicker.

They blow the dust off the cover before tucking it under their arm. Oh, they couldn't wait until their little prank is discovered. People like those two are way more fun to manipulate than some of the other idiots that occasionally try to make use of them. It's going to be great.

But right now...What exactly should they do? Their superiors are going to be pissed either way, even though they have dozens of those bloated rulebooks lying around in here. Should they put this book back and let sleeping dogs lie for a little while? Hm...

Their attention turns to the old forbidden bookcase it should be on. A smirk plays at their lips.

Perhaps the scoundrels can serve one more use to them after all? They may not know it yet, but they've already humiliated their superiors once today with their crime. What's a little more to teach those hags a well overdue lesson?

...Tsurubami would definitely be cackling at what they've done if they were still here. They'll definitely have to tell them about this when they meet again.

#ask and you shall receive (writing requests)#len'en #len'en project #len'en fanfiction #tenkai zuifeng #kuroji shitodo #adagumo no saragimaru #(tsurubami is mentioned quite a bit here)#(because Tenkai)#(but I'm not tagging them lol)#Seriously I'm really sorry this took so long!#This thing was a complete asshole to finish #Ideas would not flow for a while there lol #I wanted to try something new #(and keep from pigeonholing myself)#and decided to flex my skills at comedy #not sure how funny this actually is #but I gave it my best shot!#...and got a little too into my worldbuilding again (Oops!)#the magic imagery was fun though #and hey! Kuroji finally got to be a bitch in a fic I wrote! Hooray!#Victory all around!#(Even if they didn't win)#(but they don't know that lol)#tw death threats #tw choking #(more imagery than actual but still)#gratuitous worldbuilding #a scoundrel and their swordsnake (slaver team)#the old dictators (tsurubami & tenkai)

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sakuplumeria · 6 months

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Hello, I am using my main account since I can't ask questions with my sideblog. Thank you again for the questions choices, they were all awesome: 2), 4), 8), 17), 32), 38), 46), 52), 61), 67), 73)

Thank you for the ask!! Interesting choices~

2) A character in Saiyuki that grew on you

I always like Goku. I don't know why I liked him when I was little, but the more I know his story the more I like him. I'm quite sad when people see him like a child, he sees so much more than it seems. I'm thrilled to see how sensei developed his character, specially in Even a Worm arc, and how sensei drew him much more mature in Blast. Not only Sanzo, but he's like the sun to me too :3 There are many characters that grew on me as I spent more time with Saiyuki, Sanzo, Koumyo, Tenkai, Jikaku, Gat…

4) Favorite member of Kougaiji’s group

Is Zakuro part of his group? Yeah? No? Then Instructor Wang it is. I'm… oddly attracted to eccentric old men lmao.

8) Which character do you really dislike?

This is a hard question, I never really dislike a character as they all have their background stories… If I have to choose though, Li Touten, probably, for using Nataku like that :/

17) How long have you enjoyed Saiyuki?

I watched Reload and Reload Gunlock on TV when I was in elementary school, and you know they used sensei's art for the ending songs? I was so captivated that I searched for the manga. That's the first time I really worked myself to search for something. I just realized it's been around 20 years… omg

32) Do you enjoy writing/drawing/creating fan works for the Saiyuki fandom?

Absolutely! I write and draw and make covers, also translating the songs to English. I used many websites and you can see them here. I wish I have the energy to create more… at least to finish the ones I started..

38) Do you binge read the entire series or read selected chapters?

Sometimes I binge read, sometimes I read selected chapters. Mostly I read selected chapters when I'm in the mood!

46) If [character] died, what do you think they’d be reborn as?

Since you didn't give me the character, I'll go with Goku for the next two questions. By the way, I don't think Goku will die soon, I headcanon him aging very slowly… I wrote a fanfic about this, where Goku lives in the modern world lol. But anyway, I kinda imagine him reborn as a celestial being, much like Jeep, with powers and big responsibility for the world. A dragon maybe? I never thought about this before actually so I just type whatever pops up in my head lol

52) What are 3 tropes that describe [character]?

Amnesiac Hero :(

Innocent but Powerful

Bottomless Pit, as they always say

61) Do you seek out spoilers or avoid at all cost?

I don't mind spoilers, sometimes it helps me to get into the story better.

67) What’s something you think would improve the series?

Remake all the animated versions, with quality. Let's say, by Platinum Vision, the one who produces Reload Blast. Honestly, I like Saiyuki so much, but I don't rewatch it that much, besides Burial, because of the quality of the animes… It's also the reason why it's so hard to tell my friends about Saiyuki. People tend to watch rather than read, but I don't really want people to watch Saiyuki with the quality they have now. So yeah…

73) What character is still a mystery to you?

I wanna say Koumyo but well, I'm more interested in Tenkai and Taruchie. They're the ones with connection, connecting Ibun, which I see as the oldest story of Saiyuki on earth, and Blast, which will be the ending of it. Even though they're not the center of the plot, I believe they took an important part in it. That also brings me to Sai Tai Sai... but I guess we'll find out about Sai in the future. I hope to see Tenkai and Taruchie lore as well :3

#thank you for the ask!#saiyuki

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singular-yike · 1 year

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I'm assuming you do translation work based on some things you've said, or at least are familiar with Japanese? I'm curious to know what pronouns the Len'en characters use for themselves and others.

I can assume they use watashi since that seems to be the Standard gender neutral first person pronoun, but are there others? Is there any variation in pronouns used for characters you've noticed?

(Also can include other neutral language, I'm very curious about gender language in Japanese but don't have the motivation to learn Japanese rip)

If you don't have any answers feel free to ignore this ask qwq

There is actually a great plethora of first-person pronouns used in Len'en, and they actually tell us quite a bit about these characters. Additionally, they are a great deal of second-person pronouns as well, let's take the chance to look at them here~

I should also mention that I'm definitely referencing Naoi Ikumo's own notes that they've made on pixiv, which saved a lot of "going through all the dialogue" time. So big shout out there.

Brief Overview of Japanese Pronouns

To start with, Japanese pronouns aren't actually gendered, i.e. they do not inherently carry information about the speaker's gender. Rather, it's that certain ones may be associated with certain genders based on social norms and historical happenstance, if at all.

In addition, Japanese media often employ a style of language known as "role language" (役割語 yakuwari-go), meant to easily convey traits and information about a character to the audience, and Len'en is of course no different.

These are often entirely distinct from how these words/phrases are used in actual Japanese society, so it's important to also look at what they are meant to convey in a fictional context. I'll try to go over, if only briefly, both actual and media use here.

First-person Pronouns Used in Len'en

私 (watashi, watakushi)

Considered the only pronoun acceptable in public contexts, it's also the "default" pronoun that's socially acceptable for everyone to use.

While "watakushi" is an older form of the word that is generally considered more formal, it's also considered a pronoun to be used in only private situations in some parts of Japan.

It's unclear which one Len'en points to, since kanji in Len'en are not annotated with furigana unless in exceptional cases. However, since the one case of "watakushi" is explicitly written out, I think it's safe to assume that every other case indicates "watashi".

It's rather difficult to say what "watashi" is meant to convey in fiction, it's the "standard language" that's really meant to be universally understood. So perhaps one could say that it simply conveys an "average" person, then again looking at Len'en, maybe nothing at all.

Used by: Kuroji, Hibaru (watakushi), Yaorochi, Iyozane, Fumikado, Souko, Garaiya, Para, Chouki, Medias, Mitori (privately), Xeno a, Hamee, Hoojiro, Haru

僕 (boku)

While it mainly sees use by men as a more humbling pronoun in private settings, it is generally accepted to be used by all people in formal, but private, contexts as well.

Traditionally, it points to the speaker being a male servant; but evolved to be a pronoun with a low degree of self-humbling.

Overall it's used to convey a sense of casual politeness, which can be seen in some Len'en conversations.

Used by: Yabusame, Aoji, Clause, Lumen, Hibaru, Sukune, Saragimaru, Sese, Iyozane, Shion (written as ボク), Tenkai, Kujiru, Kaisen, Haiji, Ardey, Zelo, JynX

俺 (ore)

Overwhelming used more by men, it's considered more prideful than "boku", and even in private settings is considered vulgar, to be avoided in public settings.

Historically a second-person pronoun turned first-person pronoun, it was widely used by everyone back in the Edo period (1603-1867).

While its use dropped drastically once "standard Japanese" was introduced, especially among females, its use is still retained in some regions of Japan, especially in more rural areas.

It is often used to convey a sense of confidence, perhaps even pride, from the speaker, as well as a sense of rudeness or over-casualness.

Used by: Tsubakura, Kurohebi, Hooaka, Tsurubami, Yaorochi, Haiji, NiLU, Tom

Right, so now we move on to the rarer ones:

あたし (atashi)

A casual form of "watashi" that developed rather recently, commonly used by women in casual contexts, but often corrected to "watashi" in formal contexts.

Often used to convey a cutesy feeling. This was used exactly once by Tsubakura, in response to Yaorochi urging the priest to do something about the cold in RMI:

RMI Prologue

"That aside, why'dja come all the way here just to give some encouragement to lil' ol' us? Orochii~n-ku~un."

Here we have it translated as "lil' ol' us", to convey the cutesy, jokey way it's being used.

ワシ (washi) & わち (wachi)

Usually written in kanji as 儂 or 私, "washi" is mainly used in western Japan, it is mainly used by older men. It was originally used by everyone, but due to the spread of "standard Japanese", its use by younger people has declined.

As for "wachi", it's a rare form (even amongst these regional types) that has been observed to be used by older women in the Aichi Prefecture, rendered also as "wacchi" (わっし).

While it's not associated with social standing in actual Japanese society, these are often used in association with the elderly, warriors, or old-fashioned people in fiction.

Used by: Jun (wachi), Tsugumi, Mitsumo, Sanra, Yago

予 (ware)

Also read as "wa" and written with 余, "ware" started seeing use by men in the Heian period (794-1185), however, it is no longer in use nowadays.

In fiction, it's often used by people in high positions, meant to come across as either self-humbling or mildly arrogant.

In Len'en, it is exclusively used by one character: Kaoru Kashiwagi. It's likely used to show their pride in belonging to the Goefu, but also used by them to show their humility in front of the Emperor.

朕 (chin)

Originating as a first-person pronoun for the nobility in ancient China, it was declared as the exclusive first-person pronoun for the Chinese Emperor by Qin Shi Huang, the first unifier of China and founder of the Qin dynasty.

It then passed into Japan to similarly be the exclusive first-person of the Heavenly Emperor.

In Len'en, it's used only by Mitori in their capacity as Heavenly Emperor of Devanagara. As previously mentioned, they use "watashi" instead in private.

ワイ (wai)

A casual form of "washi", it was originally used exclusively by men. Although in modern times, it's seen use by both men and women in certain parts of Japan.

Speakers of Tokyo-styled accents tend to not like this one, as it sounds like several words with negative connotations to them, such as "obscene" (猥) or "bribe" (賄). Additionally, it's also used as a second-person pronoun in Kyushu, especially in Nagasaki.

While there's been a recent trend to consider girls that use "wai" as cute with an accent, by and large, it's meant to convey the image of an old man.

In Len'en, "wai" is used only by Yago Ametsukana, along with "washi". Both are obviously meant to hammer home how old they are.

Calling themself by their own name

Not really a pronoun, but definitely needed to round out the list. Some characters and even irl people will simply refer to themself by their own name.

In actual Japanese society, this is considered quite childish behaviour, and is typically only accepted in young children. In fiction, characters that do so are meant to come off as cute, childish, or some blend of the two.

Use in Len'en

Sese: Since they're just a child

Rei, as "Rei-kun": Likely to show their childishness

Lin: Likely because Rei designed them after themself.

Additionally, Shou actually never refers to themself in any of the games, so in a Peing answer on 13 February 2019, JynX revealed that Shou also does so. (They apparently also use "Shou-sama", so something like "I, the great Shou" to refer to themself.)

Right, that wraps it up for the first-person pronouns of Len'en, post got pretty long so the second-person section will be in a separate post instead, go check that out too, if you'd please~!

#len'en project #len'en #I normally answer these in the order I received them #but I did this one the moment I saw it since I've honestly never looked into this myself #it was a learning experience for me as well #thank you!!

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singular-yike · 1 year

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sorry for asking another thing so soon, especially something so broad, but im curious about the "inspirations" for the shitodos? i was thinking about them last night and realized that, other than their names, i don't really know what they're based on.

Ah, the Shitodo siblings.

I'll admit I don't have much on them, but here are the Shitodo siblings: Hoojiro, Kuroji, Hooaka and Aoji Shitodo.

General Information

The Shitodo siblings all hail from the outside word, which is analogous to our reality. It is unknown if they are all blood-related, but it is known that at least Kuroji, Hooaka and Aoji are (BPoHC Prologue).

Due to Hoojiro having a limited appearance in the series so far, there's not much we know about her relationship with the rest, but it does seem that she isn't on the best terms with them, or is at least rather distant.

At the very least, we know that the younger siblings do have a general idea regarding Hoojiro's job under Tsubakura at the latter's research centre. And that all four of them are acquainted with the prodigal scientist. However, even though the younger three have visited the centre, it may not have necessarily been for Hoojiro.

Excluding Hoojiro, it is known that the siblings have apparently traveled through various dimensions and witnessed the toppling of several countries. In contrast to their relationship with Hoojiro, the three seem to be quite close indeed.

They're implied to have gone through many things, the younger siblings through the in-game dialogues, and Hoojiro through her Twitter conversations with Haru and Rei. However, we simply do not know of those events at all.

Family Name: Shitodo

The siblings' family name, Shitodo (鵐), is an archaic term to refer to a group of birds in the genus Emberiza, otherwise known as buntings. Thus, everyone in the family is considered a holder of Bird's Names.

The origins of the word shitodo are a bit of a mystery. The earliest appearance of the word is in the AD720 Nihon Shoki (日本書紀), Japan's 2nd oldest chronicle of its own history.

In the text, the word shitoto (巫鳥) can be found to refer to a bunting, but the origin of both its reading and the characters used is unclear. While the individual characters used already existed in Chinese, this combination and use are not found in any prior Chinese texts. Thus, it is considered a (partial) Japanese invention.

鵐 is believed to have simply come from the combination of 巫 and 鳥 into one character, while the pronunciation of "shitodo" simply evolved from "shitoto".

However, despite a curious history behind the word, buntings aren't particularly notable birds in Japanese culture (at least, as far as I'm able to find), so it's not entirely clear why they may have been chosen.

One thing that is potentially interesting, is that the Japanese name for the genus Emberiza is "genus hoojiro" (ホオジロ属), taking the meadow bunting to represent the whole genus. And as the name implies, Hoojiro's name does indeed reference the meadow bunting.

Depicted below: A meadow bunting

Basis: Fields of Academic Study

Moving onto what could have possibly inspired the Shitodos. Looking at them along with our two main protagonists, we can actually see a pattern: Almost none of the outsiders have a really clear basis. (Excluding Kurohebi, Tsurubami, Tenkai and maybe Clause)

It has been suggested that perhaps all the rest of the outsiders are based on various disciplines of science, natural or otherwise. This does seem to be somewhat supported by JynX:

Interview with JynX (2021) Q134 "The Outside World ≈ the real world, and the real world is one dominated by science. So I think it's highly likely any future characters from the outside would be related to science as well."

Taking this to be true, we can take a brief look at the possibilities for each sibling:

Hoojiro: Philosophy (Although it's not really a science)

Kuroji: Prehistory, archeology (History), geometry (Maths)

Hooaka: Thermodynamics (Physics)

Aoji: Fluid Mechanics (Physics)

In addition, it is also notable that Hooaka is highly related to the concept of dualism; while Aoji seems to be related to Lovecraftian mythology, which Hoojiro is also related to through the Thinker in the Eibon.

This is probably one of the more unsatisfactory analyses, other than their obviously shared family name, I unfortunately couldn't really find much of a thread connecting them thematically. If ever new information is uncovered, I'd gladly return to this topic again.

Even so, there is a bit more to analyse on an individual level for each of them, so that's definitely going to happen in a future post. Until then, that'll be all here :)

#len'en project #len'en #hoojiro shitodo #kuroji shitodo #hooaka shitodo #aoji shitodo

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