#Japanese Classes in India

[bhumi1066]

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[sosuigeneris]

Socialite series: Manufacturing your Personality

So you want to get into high society. I can give you a guideline as to how you can do that. 

I was born in high society, in India. I know how these systems work. Even across cultures, they’re quite similar. I know some German, Asian, American high society people. Certain things are very similar across continents. 

You can permanently secure your position by two ways: marriage, or by becoming somebody. 

In Indian high society, there’s two kinds of people: those who have lineage, and those who are rich. 

Those who have lineage are those (mostly bankrupt) Maharajas, artists, singers, musicians, poets for generations - it’s an art form or royalty handed down to their children. They have ✨culture, a legacy✨ that can only be obtained by birth. They want to mingle with the business rich so that they get access to the opportunities they need for their livelihoods. 

The business rich can be new or old money. It doesn’t matter. Their businesses are family businesses. They have money, but may lack class. Don’t be mistaken that only new money can be “tacky” - I know plenty of influential, old money families who are equally classless and tacky. 

They want to mingle with the lineage crowd because they need that ✨culture✨ to be seen as someone. They want to be associated with them, to improve their reputations. By connecting to the artistic and musical world, it shows that they have class and persona. 

Both groups, as you see, need each other. You may ask - can’t there be families where there’s both?

Yes there can. But that is not common. 

Let’s say you take the route of dating someone who is of high society, and are hoping to convert that into marriage. I’ll be very honest with you - you have to seriously stand out for Asian and Middle Eastern high society families to accept you if you lack both lineage and money. 

You need to have a strong educational background - you need to go to a great college or masters, or whatever - otherwise this is really not going to happen. This is requirement number 1. If you don’t have this, don’t even bother reading the rest. 

And in Asian and ME families, remember one thing. Marriages are between families, NOT individuals. You have to impress the family, the family’s friends, their maids and barbers and god knows who else. 

And here are Cherry’s insider tips, just for you, to fit right in. If you fit in comfortably, it makes your life and everyone else’s life easier. 

Extrovert tendencies 

don’t be intimidated by people, don’t be shy or awkward 

It’s better to mix in being a combination of “social + slightly bored” like “it’s nice to meet you, but I wouldn’t die to be here.” 

Be open without jumping around like a Disney kid. Being “overexcited” or jumpy, smiling and laughing at just about everything comes across as weird in some cultures, IF that’s not how you genuinely are. That might work in the US, but not everywhere else. 

If I had to very simply define an extrovert - approach new people with ease, learn the art of small talk and be a good listener. 

Confident 

have a sense of self: career, hobbies, likes or dislikes, experiences

Be a multi faceted person. Do things that YOU like. If you like reading Japanese literature and collecting quartz, great! That’s your thing! 

Good communication skills

articulate, small talk abilities, good listener, curious, engaging

be able to tell little stories about yourself without giving everything away 

Well dressed 

do an image consultation for your colours, understand your body shape type and find a style that works for you

Create a capsule wardrobe that is timeless 

Remember - modesty is ALWAYS the best idea for any event. 

Posture - stand up straight, be able to walk in heels, sit without slouching

if you don’t know how to walk in heels, learn to. Practice it. 

Sit up straight, do some yoga or something for good posture 

Maintenance- good skin, hair, fit body, skin, nails, teeth; good hygiene; smell good 

hygiene comes first. Shower regularly, wash your hair as often as needed. 

Put on perfume. 

Find a make up style that works for you. Again, this takes practice. It took me years to figure out what kind of eyeliner works on my eyes and that bronzer doesn’t suit me at all. Crazy make up, unnatural hair colours, visible tattoos or piercings will not sit well in these societies. 

Etiquette 

dining etiquette- learn how to eat properly. This is not just for white culture but for other cultures as well. Understand broadly how popular cultures etiquettes work - Japanese eating etiquettes, European fork and knife etiquette, Korean drinking etiquette, Indian and Middle Eastern etiquette, etc. 

giving appropriate gifts to the host - bottle of wine or flowers 

Learn thank you etiquette- shoot a text message to the host thanking them for the event 

Intelligence

Show that you have some sort of a personality. 

Stay updated with current affairs

know your line of work and the relevant people (top companies, CEOs, etc), trends happening in your industry 

Be open to learning new things  

Put together

have a routine, show some form of discipline. 

This can be done by committing to something long term, such as healthy habits - exercise, reading, waking up early. 

Keep a watch on what you say 

people, especially women, who come across as bratty are seen as a big no no and can come across as exhausting and blood sucking. Zip it. 

Don’t talk about your failures, vulnerabilities, mistakes or mishaps. That’s confidential. 

Don’t complain or be snotty or a potty mouth. 

Do not put other people down in front of people who are not your absolute close friends. 

Poise (this is for your mental health and wellbeing)

Don’t be over eager. Being overly friendly can be seen as submissiveness. 

You’re overly friendly with someone because you want to be accepted by them. Acceptance only happens when you’re familiar with one another. When you become too familiar, it becomes a breeding ground for disrespect. Boundaries get crossed easily. 

Body language

practice practice and practice. 

Video yourself and have a fake conversation with someone. Or maybe FaceTime a friend and record yourself and see how you react to things. 

I used to watch those “try not to laugh/ get angry/ cry” videos to maintain a strong facial expression at all times. Not everyone deserves to see you vulnerable. 

Social media 

Take. Shit. Down. 

Go private if you don’t make money of social media. You’re perceived as more mysterious if you’re a private account. 

Remember, even if you’re private, it doesn’t mean that your pictures aren’t being shared. Someone’s taken a screenshot at some point for SURE or shown your account to someone else. Don’t give anyone anything to talk about. 

Don’t upload every second of every day. 

Don’t upload anything questionable- your break ups, your new boyfriend, girls nights, clubbing, your latest shopping spree etc etc. Keep things halal. Think of it this way - if your boss were to see those photos, how would you feel?

Overexposing yourself on social media comes across as desperate for attention. Limit that.

Cherry 🍒

[parlerenfleurs]

In the notes of the previous post I've reblogged I saw a discussion about why Ringo isn't considered (by the fandom) as a romantic interest for Mizu despite treating her better than all the other men in her life, and how this is tied to fatphobia. Also the fact that the fat character is often the comic-relief and the fact that if he is indeed intended as platonic why make him the only fat (="unattractive") man among the three (others being Taigen and Mikio) that can or have been considered love interests for her?

And that's really interesting because indeed, I never considered Ringo a potential love-interest for Mizu... And so I have to wonder if it's because he's fat. But I also never saw him as a comic-relief character, and I want to expand on why first.

He is indeed funny, and brings levity. But it's not "comic-relief", it's "positivity-relief", in my eyes. I don't feel like we're supposed to take him unseriously at all. Characters take him unseriously, sure, because of his social class, his disability, his seemingly naïve and weak character (never his size, in any case).

But the story shows, and Mizu comes to know, that he's anything but weak and naïve. We know right from the start that he's endured a terrible childhood and life up until meeting Mizu. He doesn't have hands, his father is abusive both physically and psychologically. The way the flesh-trader mistreats him in the first episode isn't anything unusual to Ringo. Everyone despises him and feels free to exert force against him. Taigen in his arrogance, deigns offer him a menial job in his household with the condescension reserved for a nobody who is also a child, or mentally a child.

Ringo was forged at this cruel relentless fire and what came out is a formidable strength. It doesn't manifest itself as obviously as Mizu's but it's, in my opinion, superior, and also extremely great and loveable. Ringo is neither naïve nor stupid. He knows when he's being beaten and condescended to. He's like that because, in spite of everything, he wants to see beauty in everything, and enjoy the good things in life, and he chooses to be kind. He CHOOSES to be kind. With an unbreakable, fluid, infinitely bending strength.

I am not well-versed enough in Japanese culture to make a meaningful comment about this, probably, but my personal reading of Ringo is that he might be a Buddha figure. East of India, the Buddha is fat. The Buddha smiles serenely, even in adversity, because he's reached a state of zen. His ego isn't touched by insults and beatings. Of course Ringo prefers to be treated well, like anyone else! That's why he follows Mizu around! She's an outcast and "deformed" like him, but she's also able to hold her own against physical violence, against the tyrants of the world, and that obviously appeals to him.

He kills, he has sex, he likes good food, he's obviously not detached from the world at all. But still, like a Buddha, his sense of self cannot be shaken by outside mockery or hostility. He's incredibly persistent once he has a goal, but he doesn't bother affirming himself to others for the sake of ego. He's the polar opposite of Taigen in that respect. Taigen's background has made him desperate for outside sources of strength - admiration, prestige, money, social standing...

On the other hand Ringo is really similar to Mizu, a thing he sees immediately but she does not. Hers is an inner unbreakable strength, too. The same fluid, adaptable, water-like strength. Can't break water. It will shape itself around you and your obstacles without ever losing its nature.

But contrary to Ringo, Mizu feels all the pain, the slights, the shame, the self-hatred. Ringo is pure love, or water, not poisoned by betrayal. Perhaps, or even probably, he has been betrayed but he hasn't let it poison his love, his water nature.

Even when Mizu betrays his love (respect, admiration, regard), he's no pushover, he lets her know that he won't stand for it, but still he rescues her because... despite everything his love is still pure. His love is the agape kind. He loves life, he obviously loves himself. There is no shame or shrinking of the self in him. No shame of his body, among other things. He's the only one in the main cast who doesn't wear a mask. What you see is what you get, and it's only people's own preconceptions that blind them to his depth and merit.

On the subject of fatness, I'm not sure he's even really... considered fat, in-universe? Or not negatively so, in any case. When Akemi has to serve her first client, HE is called fat by the characters. Fat enough to crush someone, and to hinder his own libido - the fatness of being extremely rich and eating too much rich food while being extremely idle. This one has the prostitutes reluctant, and his fatness is viewed in a negative light. Ringo has a very pleasant and cordial interaction with the two prostitutes who service him, and sure we're not privy to their thoughts on the matter, but I bet they found him cute, polite, not troublesome at all to service, and I feel like his size wasn't even a question that was posed. We see him naked, running around, carrying things, and being extremely active. His is a common build, sturdy, not a hindrance to his libido, his health, his self-image, or anything. What I mean is, he's not presented to us in a negative way on account of his fatness, and isn't viewed negatively for it in-universe.

All of this to say, I might indeed be blind to his potential as a love interest to Mizu, but I'm not sure it just has to do with the fact he's fat? It might be! I don't know. The first thing I think about on why I don't ship them is they show no romantic or sexual interest in each other that I see. Except, perhaps, that it might be significant that she's the one to arrange his first sexual experience and that it's the framework he has when seeing her naked. But as his attitude remains strictly the same and he shows no change in the kind of interest he has for her, it didn't feel significant to me. I might be wrong, I don't know. But again, Taigen is the opposite: he might be bi, but let's say he isn't, or at least isn't aware of it (I would be sad if he's not but it would better serve the parallel if he's straight) - the guy shows unmistakable chemistry with, and attraction to Mizu without even knowing she's got peaches underneath it all. (I love that he feels attraction to her at the precise moment where she's her playful self again: wrestling, battling and winning, while laughing and having fun... everything that Mikio couldn't handle is the very thing Taigen feels attracted to, aaah so good.)

When I think about it, the loyal, protective role Ringo has, where he saves her physically and emotionally, cares for her, protects her secret, admires her for who she is as a whole, his place as the person who sees the most of her without rejecting a single part of it, should indeed make me feral....

But if he's the opposite to Taigen in so many ways, he might be in this too, in that he has no attraction to Mizu, and they've no such chemistry between them. It's also so lovely as a platonic relationship! For once it is! He's her apprentice, after all, and she takes on the Swordfather role for him as Swordfather did for her (she even used the same persistent-as-hell-I-will-stay-look-I'm-useful method as Ringo did on her - when I say they're so similar...). She used to make noise to signal things to Swordfather and she makes Ringo make noise so that she can keep track of him, too. It's very cute! He uses her kitchen knives and she makes him start to fight with that just like she started to forge by forging them. To me, they're firmly in this master-apprentice dynamic. And friends.

I've said repeatedly that he's not naïve but actually in some ways he is, and that's what Mizu needs more of. She needs to reconnect with that younger, less hurt version of herself. And Ringo helps her with it, because she does ask for his help, does recognise she needs it (healing!) when she asks him to write on her back. He literally has her back. He's his own character, his own person, but they mirror each other a lot, and in some ways he's her master too. A master in gentleness.

Oh. I've said that Ringo's love/water is pure, but that it HAS been touched by the poison that affects Mizu: he's a better sword, has a better strength because he let the impurity be a part of him, didn't push it away or let it consume and change him. No wonder she must learn from him/needs his help to forge her new sword.

IF the story started signaling attraction between them, I don't think it would occur to me that Ringo is fat or anything (or it wouldn't have before, now I'll pay attention to that). It didn't occur to me when he was with the prostitutes, I was only thinking about the fact he has no hands, but the prostitutes shrugged it off with grace, and it made me happy.

[yamayuandadu]

Shikigami and onmyōdō through history: truth, fiction and everything in between

Abe no Seimei exorcising disease spirits (疫病神, yakubyōgami), as depicted in the Fudō Riyaku Engi Emaki. Two creatures who might be shikigami are visible in the bottom right corner (wikimedia commons; identification following Bernard Faure’s Rage and Ravage, pp. 57-58)

In popular culture, shikigami are basically synonymous with onmyōdō. Was this always the case, though? And what is a shikigami, anyway? These questions are surprisingly difficult to answer. I’ve been meaning to attempt to do so for a longer while, but other projects kept getting in the way. Under the cut, you will finally be able to learn all about this matter. 

This isn’t just a shikigami article, though. Since historical context is a must, I also provide a brief history of onmyōdō and some of its luminaries. You will also learn if there were female onmyōji, when stars and time periods turn into deities, what onmyōdō has to do with a tale in which Zhong Kui became a king of a certain city in India - and more!

The early days of onmyōdō In order to at least attempt to explain what the term shikigami might have originally entailed, I first need to briefly summarize the history of onmyōdō (陰陽道). This term can be translated as “way of yin and yang”, and at the core it was a Japanese adaptation of the concepts of, well, yin and yang, as well as the five elements. They reached Japan through Daoist and Buddhist sources. Daoism itself never really became a distinct religion in Japan, but onmyōdō is arguably among the most widespread adaptations of its principles in Japanese context.

Kibi no Makibi, as depicted by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka (wikimedia commons)

It’s not possible to speak of a singular founder of onmyōdō comparable to the patriarchs of Buddhist schools. Bernard Faure notes that in legends the role is sometimes assigned to Kibi no Makibi, an eighth century official who spent around 20 years in China. While he did bring many astronomical treatises with him when he returned, this is ultimately just a legend which developed long after he passed away.

In reality onmyōdō developed gradually starting with the sixth century, when Chinese methods of divination and treatises dealing with these topics first reached Japan. Early on Buddhist monks from the Korean kingdom of Baekje were the main sources of this knowledge. We know for example that the Soga clan employed such a specialist, a certain Gwalleuk (観勒; alternatively known under the Japanese reading of his name, Kanroku).

Obviously, divination was viewed as a very serious affair, so the imperial court aimed to regulate the continental techniques in some way. This was accomplished by emperor Tenmu with the formation of the onmyōryō (陰陽寮), “bureau of yin and yang” as a part of the ritsuryō system of governance. Much like in China, the need to control divination was driven by the fears that otherwise it would be used to legitimize courtly intrigues against the emperor, rebellions and other disturbances.  Officials taught and employed by onmyōryō were referred to as onmyōji (陰陽師). This term can be literally translated as  “yin-yang master”. In the Nara period, they were understood essentially as a class of public servants. Their position didn’t substantially differ from that of other specialists from the onmyōryō: calendar makers, officials responsible for proper measurement of time and astrologers. The topics they dealt with evidently weren’t well known among commoners, and they were simply typical members of the literate administrative elite of their times.

Onmyōdō in the Heian period: magic, charisma and nobility

The role of onmyōji changed in the Heian period. They retained the position of official bureaucratic diviners in employ of the court, but they also acquired new duties. The distinction between them and other onmyōryō officials became blurred. Additionally their activity extended to what was collectively referred to as jujutsu (呪術), something like “magic” though this does not fully reflect the nuances of this term. They presided over rainmaking rituals, purification ceremonies, so-called “earth quelling”, and establishing complex networks of temporal and directional taboos.

A Muromachi period depiction of Abe no Seimei (wikimedia commons)

The most famous historical onmyōji like Kamo no Yasunori and his student Abe no Seimei were active at a time when this version of onmyōdō was a fully formed - though obviously still evolving - set of practices and beliefs. In a way they represented a new approach, though - one in which personal charisma seemed to matter just as much, if not more, than official position. This change was recognized as a breakthrough by at least some of their contemporaries. For example, according to the diary of Minamoto no Tsuneyori, the Sakeiki (左經記), “in Japan, the foundations of onmyōdō were laid by Yasunori”.

The changes in part reflected the fact that onmyōji started to be privately contracted for various reasons by aristocrats, in addition to serving the state. Shin’ichi Shigeta notes that it essentially turned them from civil servants into tradespeople. However, he stresses they cannot be considered clergymen: their position was more comparable to that of physicians, and there is no indication they viewed their activities as a distinct religion. Indeed, we know of multiple Heian onmyōji, like Koremune no Fumitaka or Kamo no Ieyoshi, who by their own admission were devout Buddhists who just happened to work as professional diviners.

Shin’ichi Shigeta notes is evidence that in addition to the official, state-sanctioned onmyōji, “unlicensed” onmyōji who acted and dressed like Buddhist clergy, hōshi onmyōji (法師陰陽師) existed. The best known example is Ashiya Dōman, a mainstay of Seimei legends, but others are mentioned in diaries, including the famous Pillow Book. It seems nobles particularly commonly employed them to curse rivals. This was a sphere official onmyōji abstained from due to legal regulations. Curses were effectively considered crimes, and government officials only performed apotropaic rituals meant to protect from them. The Heian period version of onmyōdō captivated the imagination of writers and artists, and its slightly exaggerated version present in classic literature like Konjaku Monogatari is essentially what modern portrayals in fiction tend to go back to.

Medieval onmyōdō: from abstract concepts to deities

Gozu Tennō (wikimedia commons)

Further important developments occurred between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. This period was the beginning of the Japanese “middle ages” which lasted all the way up to the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate. The focus in onmyōdō in part shifted towards new, or at least reinvented, deities, such as calendarical spirits like Daishōgun (大将軍) and Ten’ichijin (天一神), personifications of astral bodies and concepts already crucial in earlier ceremonies. There was also an increased interest in Chinese cosmological figures like Pangu, reimagined in Japan as “king Banko”. However, the most famous example is arguably Gozu Tennō, who you might remember from my Susanoo article. 

The changes in medieval onmyōdō can be described as a process of convergence with esoteric Buddhism. The points of connection were rituals focused on astral and underworld deities, such as Taizan Fukun or Shimei (Chinese Siming). Parallels can be drawn between this phenomenon and the intersection between esoteric Buddhism and some Daoist schools in Tang China. Early signs of the development of a direct connection between onmyōdō and Buddhism can already be found in sources from the Heian period, for example Kamo no Yasunori remarked that he and other onmyōji depend on the same sources to gain proper understanding of ceremonies focused on the Big Dipper as Shingon monks do. 

Much of the information pertaining to the medieval form of onmyōdō is preserved in Hoki Naiden (ほき内伝; “Inner Tradition of the Square and the Round Offering Vessels”), a text which is part divination manual and part a collection of myths. According to tradition it was compiled by Abe no Seimei, though researchers generally date it to the fourteenth century. For what it’s worth, it does seem likely its author was a descendant of Seimei, though. Outside of specialized scholarship Hoki Naiden is fairly obscure today, but it’s worth noting that it was a major part of the popular perception of onmyōdō in the Edo period. A novel whose influence is still visible in the modern image of Seimei, Abe no Seimei Monogatari (安部晴明物語), essentially revolves around it, for instance.

Onmyōdō in the Edo period: occupational licensing

Novels aside, the first post-medieval major turning point for the history of onmyōdō was the recognition of the Tsuchimikado family as its official overseers in 1683. They were by no means new to the scene - onmyōji from this family already served the Ashikaga shoguns over 250 years earlier. On top of that, they were descendants of the earlier Abe family, the onmyōji par excellence. The change was not quite the Tsuchimikado’s rise, but rather the fact the government entrusted them with essentially regulating occupational licensing for all onmyōji, even those who in earlier periods existed outside of official administration.

As a result of the new policies, various freelance practitioners could, at least in theory, obtain a permit to perform the duties of an onmyōji. However, as the influence of the Tsuchimikado expanded, they also sought to oblige various specialists who would not be considered onmyōji otherwise to purchase licenses from them. Their aim was to essentially bring all forms of divination under their control. This extended to clergy like Buddhist monks, shugenja and shrine priests on one hand, and to various performers like members of kagura troupes on the other. 

Makoto Hayashi points out that while throughout history onmyōji has conventionally been considered a male occupation, it was possible for women to obtain licenses from the Tsuchimikado. Furthermore, there was no distinct term for female onmyōji, in contrast with how female counterparts of Buddhist monks, shrine priests and shugenja were referred to with different terms and had distinct roles defined by their gender. As far as I know there’s no earlier evidence for female onmyōji, though, so it’s safe to say their emergence had a lot to do with the specifics of the new system. It seems the poems of the daughter of Kamo no Yasunori (her own name is unknown) indicate she was familiar with yin-yang theory or at least more broadly with Chinese philosophy, but that’s a topic for a separate article (stay tuned), and it's not quite the same, obviously.

The Tsuchimikado didn’t aim to create a specific ideology or systems of beliefs. Therefore, individual onmyōji - or, to be more accurate, individual people with onmyōji licenses - in theory could pursue new ideas. This in some cases lead to controversies: for instance, some of the people involved in the (in)famous 1827 Osaka trial of alleged Christians (whether this label really is applicable is a matter of heated debate) were officially licensed onmyōji. Some of them did indeed possess translated books written by Portuguese missionaries, which obviously reflected Catholic outlook. However, Bernard Faure suggests that some of the Edo period onmyōji might have pursued Portuguese sources not strictly because of an interest in Catholicism but simply to obtain another source of astronomical knowledge. 

The legacy of onmyōdō 

In the Meiji period, onmyōdō was banned alongside shugendō. While the latter tradition experienced a revival in the second half of the twentieth century, the former for the most part didn’t. However, that doesn’t mean the history of onmyōdō ends once and for all in the second half of the nineteenth century. 

Even today in some parts of Japan there are local religious traditions which, while not identical with historical onmyōdō, retain a considerable degree of influence from it. An example often cited in scholarship is Izanagi-ryū (いざなぎ流) from the rural Monobe area in the Kōchi Prefecture. Mitsuki Ueno stresses that the occasional references to Izanagi-ryū as “modern onmyōdō” in literature from the 1990s and early 2000s are inaccurate, though. He points out they downplay the unique character of this tradition, and that it shows a variety of influences. Similar arguments have also been made regarding local traditions from the Chūgoku region.

Until relatively recently, in scholarship onmyōdō was basically ignored as superstition unworthy of serious inquiries. This changed in the final decades of the twentieth century, with growing focus on the Japanese middle ages among researchers. The first monographs on onmyōdō were published in the 1980s. While it’s not equally popular as a subject of research as esoteric Buddhism and shugendō, formerly neglected for similar reasons, it has nonetheless managed to become a mainstay of inquiries pertaining to the history of religion in Japan.

Yoshitaka Amano's illustration of Baku Yumemakura's fictionalized portrayal of Abe no Seimei (right) and other characters from his novels (reproduced here for educational purposes only)

Of course, it’s also impossible to talk about onmyōdō without mentioning the modern “onmyōdō boom”. Starting with the 1980s, onmyōdō once again became a relatively popular topic among writers. Novel series such as Baku Yumemakura’s Onmyōji, Hiroshi Aramata’s Teito Monogatari or Natsuhiko Kyōgoku’s Kyōgōkudō and their adaptations in other media once again popularized it among general audiences. Of course, since these are fantasy or mystery novels, their historical accuracy tends to vary (Yumemakura in particular is reasonably faithful to historical literature, though). Still, they have a lasting impact which would be impossible to accomplish with scholarship alone.

Shikigami: historical truth, historical fiction, or both?

You might have noticed that despite promising a history of shikigami, I haven’t used this term even once through the entire crash course in history of onmyōdō. This was a conscious choice. Shikigami do not appear in any onmyōdō texts, even though they are a mainstay of texts about onmyōdō, and especially of modern literature involving onmyōji.

It would be unfair to say shikigami and their prominence are merely a modern misconception, though. Virtually all of the famous legends about onmyōji feature shikigami, starting with the earliest examples from the eleventh century. Based on Konjaku Monogatari, there evidently was a fascination with shikigami at the time of its compilation. Fujiwara no Akihira in the Shinsarugakuki treats the control of shikigami as an essential skill of an onmyōji, alongside the abilities to “freely summon the twelve guardian deities, call thirty-six types of wild birds (...), create spells and talismans, open and close the eyes of kijin (鬼神; “demon gods”), and manipulate human souls”. 

It is generally agreed that such accounts, even though they belong to the realm of literary fiction, can shed light on the nature and importance of shikigami. They ultimately reflect their historical context to some degree. Furthermore, it is not impossible that popular understanding of shikigami based on literary texts influenced genuine onmyōdō tradition. It’s worth pointing out that today legends about Abe no Seimei involving them are disseminated by two contemporary shrines dedicated to him, the Seimei Shrine (晴明神社) in Kyoto and the Abe no Seimei Shrine (安倍晴明神社) in Osaka. Interconnected networks of exchange between literature and religious practice are hardly a unique or modern phenomenon. 

However, even with possible evidence from historical literature taken into account, it is not easy to define shikigami. The word itself can be written in three different ways: 式神 (or just 式), 識神 and 職神, with the first being the default option. The descriptions are even more varied, which understandably lead to the rise of numerous interpretations in modern scholarship. Carolyn Pang in her recent treatments of shikigami, which you can find in the bibliography, has recently divided them into five categories. I will follow her classification below.

Shikigami take 1: rikujin-shikisen

An example of shikiban, the divination board used in rikujin-shikisen (Museum of Kyoto, via onmarkproductions.com; reproduced here for educational purposes only)

A common view is that shikigami originate as a symbolic representation of the power of shikisen (式占) or more specifically rikujin-shikisen (六壬式占), the most common form of divination in onmyōdō. It developed from Chinese divination methods in the Nara period, and remained in the vogue all the way up to the sixteenth century, when it was replaced by ekisen (易占), a method derived from the Chinese Book of Changes.

Shikisen required a special divination board known as shikiban (式盤), which consists of a square base, the “earth panel” (地盤, jiban), and a rotating circle placed on top of it, the “heaven panel” (天盤, tenban). The former was marked with twelve points representing the signs of the zodiac and the latter with representations of the “twelve guardians of the months” (十二月将, jūni-gatsushō; their identity is not well defined). The heaven panel had to be rotated, and the diviner had to interpret what the resulting combination of symbols represents. Most commonly, it was treated as an indication whether an unusual phenomenon (怪/恠, ke) had positive or negative implications. It’s worth pointing out that in the middle ages the shikiban also came to be used in some esoteric Buddhist rituals, chiefly these focused on Dakiniten, Shōten and Nyoirin Kannon. However, they were only performed between the late Heian and Muromachi periods, and relatively little is known about them. In most cases the divination board was most likely modified to reference the appropriate esoteric deities.

Shikigami take 2: cognitive abilities

While the view that shikigami represented shikisen is strengthened by the fact both terms share the kanji 式, a variant writing, 識神, lead to the development of another proposal. Since the basic meaning of 識 is “consciousness”, it is sometimes argued that shikigami were originally an “anthropomorphic realization of the active psychological or mental state”, as Caroline Pang put it - essentially, a representation of the will of an onmyōji. Most of the potential evidence in this case comes from Buddhist texts, such as Bosatsushotaikyō (菩薩処胎経). 

However, Bernard Faure assumes that the writing 識神 was a secondary reinterpretation, basically a wordplay based on homonymy. He points out the Buddhist sources treat this writing of shikigami as a synonym of kushōjin (倶生神). This term can be literally translated as “deities born at the same time”. Most commonly it designates a pair of minor deities who, as their name indicates, come into existence when a person is born, and then records their deeds through their entire life. Once the time for Enma’s judgment after death comes, they present him with their compiled records. It has been argued that they essentially function like a personification of conscience. 

Shikigami take 3: energy

A further speculative interpretation of shikigami in scholarship is that this term was understood as a type of energy present in objects or living beings which onmyōji were believed to be capable of drawing out and harnessing to their ends. This could be an adaptation of the Daoist notion of qi (氣). If this definition is correct, pieces of paper or wooden instruments used in purification ceremonies might be examples of objects utilized to channel shikigami. 

The interpretation of shikigami as a form of energy is possibly reflected in Konjaku Monogatari in the tale The Tutelage of Abe no Seimei under Tadayuki. It revolves around Abe no Seimei’s visit to the house of the Buddhist monk Kuwanten from Hirosawa. Another of his guests asks Seimei if he is capable of killing a person with his powers, and if he possesses shikigami. He affirms that this is possible, but makes it clear that it is not an easy task. Since the guests keep urging him to demonstrate nonetheless, he promptly demonstrates it using a blade of grass. Once it falls on a frog, the animal is instantly crushed to death. From the same tale we learn that Seimei’s control over shikigami also let him remotely close the doors and shutters in his house while nobody was inside.

Shikigami take 4: curse As I already mentioned, arts which can be broadly described as magic - like the already mentioned jujutsu or juhō (呪法, “magic rituals”) - were regarded as a core part of onmyōji’s repertoire from the Heian period onward. On top of that, the unlicensed onmyōji were almost exclusively associated with curses. Therefore, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that yet another theory suggests shikigami is simply a term for spells, curses or both. A possible example can be found in Konjaku Monogatari, in the tale Seimei sealing the young Archivist Minor Captains curse - the eponymous curse, which Seimei overcomes with protective rituals, is described as a shikigami.

Kunisuda Utagawa's illustration of an actor portraying Dōman in a kabuki play (wikimedia commons)

Similarities between certain descriptions of shikigami and practices such as  fuko (巫蠱) and goraihō (五雷法) have been pointed out. Both of these originate in China. Fuko is the use of poisonous, venomous or otherwise negatively perceived animals to create curses, typically by putting them in jars, while goraihō is the Japanese version of Daoist spells meant to control supernatural beings, typically ghosts or foxes. It’s worth noting that a legend according to which Dōman cursed Fujiwara no Michinaga on behalf of lord Horikawa (Fujiwara no Akimitsu) involves him placing the curse - which is itself not described in detail -  inside a jar.

Mitsuki Ueno notes that in the Kōchi Prefecture the phrase shiki wo utsu, “to strike with a shiki”, is still used to refer to cursing someone. However, shiki does not necessarily refer to shikigami in this context, but rather to a related but distinct concept - more on that later.

Shikigami take 5: supernatural being

While all four definitions I went through have their proponents, yet another option is by far the most common - the notion of shikigami being supernatural beings controlled by an onmyōji. This is essentially the standard understanding of the term today among general audiences. Sometimes attempts are made to identify it with a specific category of supernatural beings, like spirits (精霊, seirei), kijin or lesser deities (下級神, kakyū shin). However, none of these gained universal support. Generally speaking, there is no strong indication that shikigami were necessarily imagined as individualized beings with distinct traits.

The notion of shikigami being supernatural beings is not just a modern interpretation, though, for the sake of clarity. An early example where the term is unambiguously used this way is a tale from Ōkagami in which Seimei sends a nondescript shikigami to gather information. The entity, who is not described in detail, possesses supernatural skills, but simultaneously still needs to open doors and physically travel. 

An illustration from Nakifudō Engi Emaki (wikimedia commons)

In Genpei Jōsuiki there is a reference to Seimei’s shikigami having a terrifying appearance which unnerved his wife so much he had to order the entities to hide under a bride instead of residing in his house. Carolyn Pang suggests that this reflects the demon-like depictions from works such as Abe no Seimei-kō Gazō (安倍晴明公画像; you can see it in the Heian section), Fudōriyaku Engi Emaki and Nakifudō Engi Emaki.

Shikigami and related concepts

A gohō dōji, as depicted in the Shigisan Engi Emaki (wikimedia commons)

The understanding of shikigami as a “spirit servant” of sorts can be compared with the Buddhist concept of minor protective deities, gohō dōji (護法童子;  literally “dharma-protecting lads”). These in turn were just one example of the broad category of gohō (護法), which could be applied to virtually any deity with protective qualities, like the historical Buddha’s defender Vajrapāṇi or the Four Heavenly Kings. A notable difference between shikigami and gohō is the fact that the former generally required active summoning - through chanting spells and using mudras - while the latter manifested on their own in order to protect the pious. Granted, there are exceptions. There is a well attested legend according to which Abe no Seimei’s shikigami continued to protect his residence on own accord even after he passed away. Shikigami acting on their own are also mentioned in Zoku Kojidan (続古事談). It attributes the political downfall of Minamoto no Takaakira (源高明; 914–98) to his encounter with two shikigami who were left behind after the onmyōji who originally summoned them forgot about them.

A degree of overlap between various classes of supernatural helpers is evident in texts which refer to specific Buddhist figures as shikigami. I already brought up the case of the kushōjin earlier. Another good example is the Tendai monk Kōshū’s (光宗; 1276–1350) description of Oto Gohō (乙護法). He is “a shikigami that follows us like the shadow follows the body. Day or night, he never withdraws; he is the shikigami that protects us” (translation by Bernard Faure). This description is essentially a reversal of the relatively common title “demon who constantly follow beings” (常随魔, jōzuima). It was applied to figures such as Kōjin, Shōten or Matarajin, who were constantly waiting for a chance to obstruct rebirth in a pure land if not placated properly.

The Twelve Heavenly Generals (Tokyo National Museum, via wikimedia commons)

A well attested group of gohō, the Twelve Heavenly Generals (十二神将, jūni shinshō), and especially their leader Konpira (who you might remember from my previous article), could be labeled as shikigami. However, Fujiwara no Akihira’s description of onmyōji skills evidently presents them as two distinct classes of beings.

A kuda-gitsune, as depicted in Shōzan Chomon Kishū by Miyoshi Shōzan (Waseda University History Museum; reproduced here for educational purposes only)

Granted, Akihira also makes it clear that controlling shikigami and animals are two separate skills. Meanwhile, there is evidence that in some cases animal familiars, especially kuda-gitsune used by iizuna (a term referring to shugenja associated with the cult of, nomen omen, Iizuna Gongen, though more broadly also something along the lines of “sorcerer”), were perceived as shikigami.

Beliefs pertaining to gohō dōji and shikigami seemingly merged in Izanagi-ryū, which lead to the rise of the notion of shikiōji (式王子; ōji, literally “prince”, can be another term for gohō dōji). This term refers to supernatural beings summoned by a ritual specialist (祈祷師, kitōshi) using a special formula from doctrinal texts (法文, hōmon). They can fulfill various functions, though most commonly they are invoked to protect a person, to remove supernatural sources of diseases, to counter the influence of another shikiōji or in relation to curses.

Tenkeisei, the god of shikigami

Tenkeisei (wikimedia commons)

The final matter which warrants some discussion is the unusual tradition regarding the origin of shikigami which revolves around a deity associated with this concept. 

In the middle ages, a belief that there were exactly eighty four thousand shikigami developed. Their source was the god Tenkeisei (天刑星; also known as Tengyōshō). His name is the Japanese reading of Chinese Tianxingxing. It can be translated as “star of heavenly punishment”. This name fairly accurately explains his character. He was regarded as one of the so-called “baleful stars” (凶星, xiong xing) capable of controlling destiny. The “punishment” his name refers to is his treatment of disease demons (疫鬼, ekiki). However, he could punish humans too if not worshiped properly.

Today Tenkeisei is best known as one of the deities depicted in a series of paintings known as Extermination of Evil, dated to the end of the twelfth century. He has the appearance of a fairly standard multi-armed Buddhist deity. The anonymous painter added a darkly humorous touch by depicting him right as he dips one of the defeated demons in vinegar before eating him. Curiously, his adversaries are said to be Gozu Tennō and his retinue in the accompanying text. This, as you will quickly learn, is a rather unusual portrayal of the relationship between these two deities.

I’m actually not aware of any other depictions of Tenkeisei than the painting you can see above. Katja Triplett notes that onmyōdō rituals associated with him were likely surrounded by an aura of secrecy, and as a result most depictions of him were likely lost or destroyed. At the same time, it seems Tenkeisei enjoyed considerable popularity through the Kamakura period. This is not actually paradoxical when you take the historical context into account: as I outlined in my recent Amaterasu article, certain categories of knowledge were labeled as secret not to make their dissemination forbidden, but to imbue them with more meaning and value.

Numerous talismans inscribed with Tenkeisei’s name are known. Furthermore, manuals of rituals focused on him have been discovered. The best known of them, Tenkeisei-hō (天刑星法; “Tenkeisei rituals”), focuses on an abisha (阿尾捨, from Sanskrit āveśa), a ritual involving possession by the invoked deity. According to a legend was transmitted by Kibi no Makibi and Kamo no Yasunori. The historicity of this claim is doubtful, though: the legend has Kamo no Yasunori visit China, which he never did. Most likely mentioning him and Makibi was just a way to provide the text with additional legitimacy.

Other examples of similar Tenkeisei manuals include Tenkeisei Gyōhō (天刑星行法; “Methods of Tenkeisei Practice”) and Tenkeisei Gyōhō Shidai (天刑星行法次第; “Methods of Procedure for the Tenkeisei Practice”). Copies of these texts have been preserved in the Shingon temple Kōzan-ji.

The Hoki Naiden also mentions Tenkeisei. It equates him with Gozu Tennō, and explains both of these names refer to the same deity, Shōki (商貴), respectively in heaven and on earth. While Shōki is an adaptation of the famous Zhong Kui, it needs to be pointed out that here he is described not as a Tang period physician but as an ancient king of Rajgir in India. Furthermore, he is a yaksha, not a human. This fairly unique reinterpretation is also known from the historical treatise Genkō Shakusho. Post scriptum The goal of this article was never to define shikigami. In the light of modern scholarship, it’s basically impossible to provide a single definition in the first place. My aim was different: to illustrate that context is vital when it comes to understanding obscure historical terms. Through history, shikigami evidently meant slightly different things to different people, as reflected in literature. However, this meaning was nonetheless consistently rooted in the evolving perception of onmyōdō - and its internal changes. In other words, it reflected a world which was fundamentally alive. The popular image of Japanese culture and religion is often that of an artificial, unchanging landscape straight from the “age of the gods”, largely invented in the nineteenth century or later to further less than noble goals. The case of shikigami proves it doesn’t need to be, though. The malleable, ever-changing image of shikigami, which remained a subject of popular speculation for centuries before reemerging in a similar role in modern times, proves that the more complex reality isn’t necessarily any less interesting to new audiences.

Bibliography

Bernard Faure, A Religion in Search of a Founder?

Idem, Rage and Ravage (Gods of Medieval Japan vol. 3)

Makoto Hayashi, The Female Christian Yin-Yang Master

Jun’ichi Koike, Onmyōdō and Folkloric Culture: Three Perspectives for the Development of Research

Irene H. Lin, Child Guardian Spirits (Gohō Dōji) in the Medieval Japanese Imaginaire

Yoshifumi Nishioka, Aspects of Shikiban-Based Mikkyō Rituals

Herman Ooms, Yin-Yang's Changing Clientele, 600-800 (note there is n apparent mistake in one of the footnotes, I'm pretty sure the author wanted to write Mesopotamian astronomy originated 4000 years ago, not 4 millenia BCE as he did; the latter date makes little sense)

Carolyn Pang, Spirit Servant: Narratives of Shikigami and Onmyōdō Developments

Idem, Uncovering Shikigami. The Search for the Spirit Servant of Onmyōdō

Shin’ichi Shigeta, Onmyōdō and the Aristocratic Culture of Everyday Life in Heian Japan

Idem, A Portrait of Abe no Seimei

Katja Triplett, Putting a Face on the Pathogen and Its Nemesis. Images of Tenkeisei and Gozutennō, Epidemic-Related Demons and Gods in Medieval Japan

Mitsuki Umeno, The Origins of the Izanagi-ryū Ritual Techniques: On the Basis of the Izanagi saimon

Katsuaki Yamashita, The Characteristics of On'yōdō and Related Texts

[thebottomfromhell]

How do the demons react/interact with a human GN reader? Do they like foreigners? I feel like they might be racist? Does douma think of like foreign meat lol? Reader can speak Japanese so I guess they can talk if you want them to interact?

Also I love your righting! I think you are the only king writer who writes them in character, it’s so nice reading fanfic when the characters are writing well and you are the only person who writes them right, plus you write really well! Great detail! I always look forward to your writing!!!

*In History Channel II voiceover* After the American colonization by the Europeans, the Japanese folk started to distrust foreigner forces to not cause distubances in their recent adquired piece by pressing their influence, leading them to close the borders in the Edo period. It wasn't until- *static sound before it takes over the post*

Also, Douma reacting to western meat is gold, imagine if people tasted similar to their local cuisine. Bet that would make Chinese, Indian (from India, to make sure it's clear. I never refer to natives of America, as a continet, as Indians), Mexican, and Korean people his favorites (he strikes me as someone that loves spicy food, one of those who always say "It's not that spicy" while blushing and sweating).

Demons meeting foreigner Human GN Reader

Warnings: Cannibalism, Racism, Mentioned prostitution, Mentioned sexism, Mentioned/Implied reader's death (bonus dead reader), And Deshumanization? (Some of the demons get refered as "it", so does reader).

Gyutaro + Daki:

Now, let's be clear, after the borders got open again one of the places that got the most amount of foreigners was the Red Light District. Obviously, only wealthy people came, hence they went to take some entertainment while making deals and trade, besides the Japanese upper class using the attractions as a displey of power and superiority. Now, to say Gyutaro and Daki are fond of these... turists... they are not.

It's mostly mild annoyance of things that build up, like their attutide to degrade the courtesans to just serve food, drinks and sex, the dislike of their accent and disregard of errors when speaking the language, the fact they speak of the courtesans in between them in their native language, a lack of proper manner or knowledge to behave in the tables, and everything. Daki still remembers the time on threw a poem she wrote with exquisite caligrafy. It's not pleasurable, but they rarely appear, so it can be tolerated. In some senses they are not worst than first time clients, or the poorest who are expending everything in one night of entertaining, but still.

"Excuse me." It was pure coincidence you met them, you only wanted to ask for the bill of the drinks of the woman attending you, wanting to leave as the bussiness trip was taking a turn out of your comfort zone. When you entered, you found a half-naked woman using sashes to absorbe the one who was attending you. You tried ran from it by miracle, scaping to the crowd. You tray to tell it to someone, but you just were discarted as drunk because due not being your first language, the fear, and the adrenaline of the scape anyone couldn't understand your Japanese. It was the second, the mere second you weren't watched that you felt a presence, a cold breeze of air and preassure that left you dizzy, that you suddenly found yourself back inside, in a dark room.

"I got --- -----, neheh." The voice sound so distorted you can't understand it, it feels that half of what he, you think, says are sick groans and moans of pain that slur words. When you look at the source of the voice you see a... is that even human? And the woman from before, tone more childish, but at least you can understand what she says. "Not pretty enough for me, clearly not a Japanese beauty. It might make me sick! I don't want to eat that! And I don't want you to eat it neither!" They both look at you, as you tremble, not knowing what to do. "Ne. You seem to be very lucky, ne. Good for you! None of use seems interested in eating you, so you get a quick death. Ne!" It.... he says, talking slowly, as he brings his arm up and blood starts to cone out of wrtist into his raised hand in the shape of sickle. You finally find your voice, talking in panic, as you beg in your native tongue. "Hey! We don't speak... whatever you are talking! Shut up! If you are going to cry at least do it in Japanese!"

They seem annoyed, and you don't know if you might manage to raise their volume so someone might come and see before they kill you, but you try to regain composture and talk in Japanese. Talk in Japanese, Y/N. "Please, I'll do anything. Let me go.... " You beg, in that you start to mention your family, your home, fuck you don't want to die so far from home, rambling in desperation things about your culture, traditions, your favorite places while thinking that you don't want to die without that in a place your loved ones won't be able to mourn you and by the time you realize... the female.... one is actually interested.

"What does that mean?" She seems curious... in a childlike way, which would be endearing if you didn't fear for your life. The other one seems to relax and let you both be. You don't understand, but you also dom't ask, just... satiate her curiosity, not fully so she won't decide she had enough of you, yet enough to give her something worthwhile. Aurprinsinly enough, they let you go when the sun comes out, or rather, they dissapear in a rush. You take your chance to leave, not without hearing a whisper in your ear. "You better come back tommorrow night, ne." You can only tremble.

Gyokko:

Gyokko can't stand good people on a good day, now imagine him tolerating turist in a normal one. He was just stealing viewing some foreign goods that just came in a ship, some more interesting than others, when you, who probably traveled in that same ship, walked on him. You freeze the second yoy lay eyes on him, clearly anything but a human being, mouthes where the eyes should be, pale scales instead of skin, no legs as the bottom is linked to a pot, an eye on the mouth and one on the forehead. You can only stare in confusion and fear, and after a few seconds of silence, Gyokko talk. "What are you-" "AAAHHHHHHHH!" You run, as if hearing.... it talk was the last straw, what you needed for your body to activate a fight or flight response.

"You little shit!" You try to get towards the exit when you get yourself tripped with abother pot... what that.... that wasn't there earlier, was it? You don't get an asnwer, instead you see that creature getting out of this new pot, slowly and smoothly, as if it lacked bones. You are terrified, what ia this thing? "Don't run away when I'm talking! You foreigners are animals or what?! You lack any basic esucation and respect to the ones that are older!" It talks so humanly, in the same tongue of the people native to these lands, one mouth speaking at the time.

It takes you a while to be able to regain the courage to speak, even more to remember how to do so in Japanese. "What are you?" You manage to ask, you think, fluently enough. Or maybe you didn't, because now it's your turn to be stared by those creepy eyes. You get the term "oni" or something like that, but you have no idea what it means. It's a monster? A ghost? A demon? Maybe asking, considering the bridge due the language, was useless, and it embarrasses you, but now your attention is more in how to get away from this "oni". "I... I need to go. Have an appointment." That is all you can try.

Gyokko looks at you, and decides to wonder. How would your skin taste? Would it be a delicasy? Or would he loath it as much as he is loathing your manners and personality. "An appointment, you say?" Or maybe, just maybe, he can take advantage of this. If one of his pots, or several, manage to reach outside Japan, he might be able to do so as well. (Not that he knows, he might not have enough power for such a trip, but a little testing would never hurt). "Then let me apologize for keeping you here." He makes a new pot out of one of his hands before offering it to you, you don't dare to deny it... maybe it's friendly. "I might give you more if we meet again, hehehe~" and like that, Gyokko leaves, wanting to see if he can get out of Japan, to conquer forward would definetely please him. And you... you can only keep the pot in your bag and never break it or take it out. Never.

Hantengu + Clones:

Hantengu is afraid of the seas, and anything that comes from it. Some fishes, waves, even people! How can people come from the sea?! Do they breath in water?! Are they monsters?! So scary! So scary! No! No! No! It's so scary he would never steal from any of those ships! Never! It's his hands! It's his hands fault! Have some compasion towards an old, blind man! Yes! He is blind! Please don't "EEEEEEEECK!" A scream, or rather a shriek, leaves his lips once you go to get your stuff. You have no idea what is hoing on, you just cover your ears under the assault on them. Meanwhile Hantengu is just. So. Scared! So he decides to take actions.

He runs. And you just look confused, precessing what just happened. Some seconds of silence and you decide that all of that was just your imagination and you must get to the inn to sleep it off. You didn't expect is to hear a different voice, angry, from the direction Hantengu ran off. "What?! This is it? This is what we were summoned for?!" Only to find completely different figures, ascept they are not. 4 horned "humans" with bright eyes, exactly the same from one another. Escept one that has... bird limbs? Talons in his hands, feet and wings... what is- "Now, now, Sekido! Be nice! Aren't you glad we got separated?" A different voice, even if it's just the same face, except the eye color. "It's pathetic how much Hantengu has come to rely on us, so sad. This is just a mere human, one of us is enough. Why call the four of us? Really sad."

Then one of them is suddenly on top of you, the bird one, making you fall on your back as he kneels on top of you to see you in the face, closer. He has fangs... and... kanji in the eyes. "This one is different, though. I can already taste it!" What the-? "Kill it! Kill it! It's a monster! It comes from the sea!" The figure from before, except it's so small. What happened to it? Him? You don't even know that. But most of the figures just stare at it, either looking done for or confused, as the one with red eyes talks again. "What? This human? You have to be fucking with us! You got scared because of a foreigner?! You yourself can kill that shits! We should, before they infest the proper culture!"

"Oi, oi, Sekido. Isn't that a bit too harsh? To kill them inmediately would be a waste. We could at least check out if it's actually different from a, ya know, normal human. From Japan. Don't ya agree, Urogi? Aizetsu?" "A human it's a human, they are weak and die, it's sad no matter what. I don't see why put so much effort." "Well, I DO want to know how is life outside Japan!" They are all basically talking over you, and you try to push the bird figure off you, but it's a lot heavier than you expected it. Aren't birds supposed to be light to fly? "Hey human! Can you breath underwater? Can you eat fish? Oh! Oh! Can you read and write?" "You yourself don't know how to read and write Urogi." You feel crowded, but at least none of these seem to be that aggressive, except the red-eyed one, but that one seems busy with the green-eyed one.

"I would like to sit down....." At least the bird onw gets off you, even if he keeps assaulting you with questions. You answer as much as you can when you hear a shout from the other side. "Fine! But it's your responsibility, and you will get rit of them when you are done, AND deal with the main body! Understand Karaku?" There is a nod as the green-eyes one takes the small figure near the group you are with. "Good news! Ya get to live until we get bored! I reccomend you to be interest, beside, Hantengu needs to you you are just a human." He shows the sobbing creature in his hands. "Oh! Do we get to name them?" "Humans come with names most of the time, Urogi. So no."

So, two want to know about you, one wants to get rid of you, one doesn't care and the first figure is scared of your. Just what the hell is hoing on? "Y/N. My name is Y/N." The bird one deflates, but the geem-eyed one grins. "A pleasure to meet ya! Name is Karaku, and I bet we will have a lot of fun together!" You don't like how he said "fun", but you don't get much of a choice. So you play along, and wait for a chance to just run away. And you get it an hour or two the sun comes out, as the crowd starts to form. You must just have to wait for the right moment. Just wait.

Nakime:

So far, you don't regret coming to Japan, you have seen things you liked, things you disliked, and managed to try new things. It was an experience alright, not one to do so many often, considering what a nuisance it was to arrive to Japan in the first place, and you still would not abandon the comforts of home for nothing. After all, such a travel would not be possible for anyone with low resources, and you are more than happy to be able to make a travel or two for luxury every once in a while, but soon it will have to end. Not that you can't make the best of it while you are at it, that is why you are moving with some strangers as they guide you through the city, just now they showed you a very nice restaurant, where you ate and ate and made your money worth. You were about to part ways when suddenly a note of a weird instrument sounds and... you are in free fall.

Nakime doesn't deal with people. She is too important for him to remain unhidden, or at least that is what she tells herself. The only humans that step into her castle are the ones she, and any other guest (namely Muzan), will be dining for the evening. Your odds were not good when uou found yourself in a place with no ceiling, floor and wall at the same time it has millions of them, changing passages and corridors, portal doors and everything that can make a house a fantasy puzzle. And she is weirded out as you fall into a room nearby her, as the group you were with are spreaded across the castle, as she hears some weird words she has never heard before, clearly not japanese.

She looks at you with curiosity as you finish to swear due the pain of the impact, but with how long you have been falling, you guess it's a miracle you are still alive. And... what is this place? What... you can't begin to describe everything and everywhere... moving. Floating. Existing. You can't even see from where you fell, and you swore you heard the other scream as well, when a female voice makes you turn around. "Is there something you want to say outloud?" Pale skin, black hair covering her eyes, black dress, or kimono, or whatever it's called. That is all you can tell from the distance, besides the fact she has a... a guitar, you think? "Where are we?" You feel the need to ask her.

She doesn't recognize your accent. "You are not from Japan, are you?" Now, should that knowledge even change things? Should she reserve you for him? Should she just kill you and eat you? She definetely can't send you back, not that she would. But this is a new experience that might need s new resolve, and she isn't sure how she feels about it. Better to bother him more than actually needed than to do something wrong. "My name is Nakime, and you shall stay here until I can reach my master." She says as she plays her Biwa and you are... in a room, no doors, no windows, only a room, until your fate is sealed. You should have stayed at home.

Akaza:

Akaza will not admit it but... he actually forgot for the longest time there was a literal world outside Japan. Truth be told, Japan is already big enough as it is, and with his speed he has already traveled throght most of it, if not all of it with the smaller islands around being the exception. After seeing so much... repeatedly, in search for a god dammed flower, he just... forgot there is more. His life, as far as he remembers, was confided in his duty and how far his abilities would let him go, sothe second he realizes there is actually people from... outside, he gets curious. Not particulary fond, but curious.

Finding you was a coincidence, thought. And one that was not that probable to happen. He was looking for the blue spider lily, and you were just having a walk nearby the inn. And what you see is a man with weird eyes, weird hair and weird tattoos. It does startle you at first, but is human enough, even if the lack of clothes and the light coming from the eyes, says otherwise. Maybe is some coatume due a tradition, it wouldn't be the weirdest one you have seen so far in Japan. "Hello. Are you also traveling?" Akaza can tell by your smell alone, even without getting close. You are not from here, you came from the sea, it's smell still lingers on you, alongside with a scent of... unknown. Not only that, but you are so out of place you don't realize the danger you are in.

At first he is tempted to threaten you, to tell you to fuck off, basically. Akaza is not really hubgry right now and he would rather not spoil his night by having to deal with a weak human. But... when was the last time he was able to hold a converdation with a human? He remembers a hashira, years ago, one he killed after being rejected, while they were fighting. Come to think about it, the only humans he actually talks to are Hashira, so... why not make a little change just for once. It's not like he will ever see ypu again, specially after you leave Japan. "More or less, I'm Akaza. What is your name?" You at first have trouble understanding, since you use the polite tones, the ones you were taught to use, while this guy, Akaza uses a less formal one.

"Y/N." Is all you can say as you see him smile, it would be charming if it wasn't in a "I know something you don't" way. "A pleasure. I never heard that name before? Where is it from? What does it mean?" Akaza decides to just be curious, he can't get in trouble for making a few questions and not eating you. And a part of him is... happy, very relaxed, to be able to sit down and talk without any threats or status in between. There is something... nostalgic about it, but he can't put his finger on why. "I hope you don't mind if I stay with you for the night. I would like to hear about yourself." Specially since... he seems to know how to keep a conversation alive? Odd. Just odd. Meanwhile, you decide talking with a handsome stranger is not the worst thing this trip could give you. "Of course. What do you want to hear about?"

Douma:

Douma rarely ever gets to even hear about foreigners, being in a secluded cult tends to leave him a bit out of touch from society, with the exception of the few times he goes to have a walk, burn some steam, outside at night. But even then, he isn't there for light conversation, which leads to the fact that he is definetely excited to meet you, if his accelerated heartbeat is meant to say anything. You found his cult by mere coinsidence and, while you don't believe in a man being able to hear the gods (you don't even believe there are "gods", but you are not here to tell other why their religion is wrong) but you were curious about this talk of "silver hair and rainbow eyes", specially since there was a chance you didn't understand correctly because of the language.

But he does have rainbow eyes and silver hair, almost like a mytical creature. Very attractive, but still very human in his appereance, even if there is something odd. Then again, to you, every Japanese has been odd, almost completely different to how people work back home. "Why don't you spend the night here? I would love to talk with you a little more. I find myself intrigued with what else is unique about you." He offers, making you conflicted, something about him makes want to both come closer and run away. You end up going back, you already booked an inn, and you don't want the money you spend on the room and food to go to waste.

The walk is long, even by carriage or horse, it's doesn't help when suddenly the wheel broke. You were waiting for reparations when suddenly you saw something shine in the dark. When you got clored, you were suddenly pinned on the wall with your mouth covered by a cold hand, as if it just touched snow. Just like the hand of... that man, that is looking at you. There is no way he is actually anything but a human, right? But how did he get here? Alone? At night? Those were 3 hours in carriage. "Y/N? Right? I am afraid I couldn't control myself, I was just so curious. I have never had the chance to taste a human from overseas! I needed to try you out!" He says cheerfully. What does this freak mean? You don't understand at all! What does he want with you?

"Oh, don't do that. You will not be able to scape my grip, no matter how much you wiggle. Specially since I would like to talk with you, so it would make me very sad if you forced me to kill you so soon. I would even cry!" You stop in your tracks, kill you? Then you realize the guys is not even putting an effort at all, just smiling at you expectantly. Then, suddenly your mouth is free, but you are too afraid to shout for help. What is this? A demon? Like, a demon from hell? "Don't be afraid, you will see that you end up winning on the end, you will be able to exist forever within me." Just what did you get yourself into?

Kokushibou:

He is aware, of course, that there are... people, outside Japan. He remembers his father buying every once over half-a-decade an item from foreigner merchants. "Exotic tokens", he called them. Michikatsu knew better, his father didn't like those pieces of... trash any more than he did, it was just a display of wealth for when visitors came. Still, it was never of his liking, and now that he is meeting you... it's not that he is conflicted, it's that he knows that what he is thinking shouldn't be said put loud. You are... different, to say it kindly, non-traditional, and he is not fond of that.

You can't hold yourself to the same standards he always held himself, or tried to, the ones of a proper man of the samurai gentry, since your education is completely different, if you even have that. The lack of knowledge in your culture doesn't let him tell just with your clothes or manners. He doesn't know what irritates him the most, his loss when trying to read you or how different you are. It's odd, out of his comfort zone. Kokushibou hates being out of his comfort zone. It doesn't help that you are outside your comfort zone too, having troubles with the culture and language.

You just found each other a moment you walked out the inn for fresh air. The first thing you did was scream, he flinched. The second thing you did was run, he stared, inmovilized in the spot you just saw him, wondering if you are worth killing or not. Then he figures out... you might not be versed enough in Japanese for you to say anything, and people might just tell you you saw a ghost (not that he can say if they are real or not), so... it's not worth the effort. Then an intrusive thought flies through his brain.

"What if he ate you?" A part he always denies prompts in, that part that is less a samurai and more an animal than anything else, always hungry, angry, envious and greedy. And it does have a point this time, he might never get a chance to taste something different, to pretend he has some choice in what he eats, if he doesn't do it now. Is tempting, as you run away. A jump with few steps would be enough to catch up with you, or not even that, a swing of his swords with a breath would be enough to kill you as you run, slicing your body as you move. Kokushibou stays still for some seconds, heart beating fast as he contemplates, grip tight on his sword, takes a deep breath... and turns around to never see you again as long as he can do something about it. For the better for both of you.

Bonus:

Douma's hunger is being now placated by your flesh, wet sounds of the blood and tissues splashing as he rips the pieces, instead of just biting them off your dead body. He doesn't remember the taste of sticky rice in a human tongue, but if he had to describe the new taste in comparison with "not sticky rice". He can't seem to explain, the amounts of greese, iron and other tastes are just different. But he likes it. It's new, and that makes it exciting, addictive even. Part of him regrets killing you so soon, an unrealistic part of him wishes this taste could have been prolonged somehow, but not finishing to eat you now would only be a waste.

The sound of the fangs penetrating your skin, and he wonders, do all foreigners taste like this, or just you. He really, really, really wants to find out. What would it take to have him to agree to invade some neighbor country, he wonders. His heart gets giddy at the thought. More food om the way! He definetely has to try to ask. With that in mind, he finishes to eat, and the next time there is a meeting between the Kizuki, he will ask permission to start a movement to have more foreign meat. He drools at the idea, it's impossible he will be said not to.

[Spoiler: Muzan did say no. Douma is disappointed.]

[kemetic-dreams]

The term 'Sub-Saharan' Africa is a colonial language that was used to belittle African nations south of the Sahara and to separate the other countries from North Africa– Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Sudan due to them being Arab states.

Colored, Negro, Black, Nigger

Every one of these terms come from the mindset of Europeans not Africans. Indigenous African societies do not use the term black as a racial identity outside of influences brought by Western cultures.

Contemporary anthropologists and other scientists, while recognizing the reality of biological variation between different human populations, regard the concept of a unified, distinguishable "Black race" as socially constructed.

Black is a term developed in the Colonial Assembly of Maryland, after a rebellion called Bacon's Rebellion, fought from 1676 to 1677.

The alliance between European indentured servants and Africans (a mix of indentured, enslaved, and Free Negroes) disturbed the colonial upper class. They responded by hardening the racial caste of slavery in an attempt to divide the two races from subsequent united uprisings with the passage of the Virginia Slave Codes of 1705.

White took on the meaning "British, Christian and having rights. Black meaning not having rights.

These divided the two populations, by giving poor Europeans with no power, unprecedented power over all non-Europeans.

The laws were devised to establish a greater level of control over the rising African slave population of Virginia. It also socially segregated white colonists from black enslaved persons, making them disparate groups and hindering their ability to unite. Unity of the commoners was a perceived fear of the Virginia aristocracy, who wished to prevent repeated events such as Bacon's Rebellion, occurring 29 years prior.

By refusing to call you an African, it belittles you, no such thing as black names, black land or black languages. It is like calling a woman big lips or flat butt and refusing to call the woman by her actual name. "Hey colored girl, or black boy".

In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people.

African populations have the highest levels of genetic variation among all humans. 

Why You Probably Shouldn't Say 'Eskimo'

People in many parts of the Arctic consider Eskimo a derogatory term because it was widely used by racist, non-native colonizers. Many people also thought it meant eater of raw meat, which connoted barbarism and violence. Although the word's exact etymology is unclear, mid-century anthropologists suggested that the word came from the Latin word excommunicati, meaning the excommunicated ones, because the native people of the Canadian Arctic were not Christian.

According to the Constitution of India, we are “the people of India that is Bharat”

In English language discourse, the word ‘India’ is used and in Hindi expressions, the word ‘Bharat’ is used. The Anglicised call it ‘India’, and the indigenous call it ‘Bharat’. Our ruling class calls it ‘India’, the others, the janata, call it ‘Bharat’. It has become a trend and fashion to prefer the word ‘India’ over ‘Bharat’. We converse with the country in Hindi and other vernaculars while we govern it in English.

Japanese people usually refer to their country as Nihon or Nippon 

The name "Japan" in English is derived from the Portuguese word "Japão," which was used during the 16th century when Portuguese traders and explorers first arrived in Japan. The Portuguese term "Japão" likely evolved from the Malay word "Japang" or "Japang Pulau," which referred to the Japanese archipelago.

The Japanese people themselves refer to their country as "Nihon" (日本) or "Nippon" (日本), and these terms have been used in the Japanese language for centuries.

As European seen themselves as the elites of all races and god's chosen people. They took on the mindset of what I say makes the most sense.

Renaming essentially all populations they came in contact with, using their language as opposed to learning the language of the natives.

And whatever religion or spirituality people had Europeans demonized it and forced converted people to Christianity.

[hadleysmis]

Malaysia's Independence

What does 'Les Misérables' mean to you?

The clips shown below is of the declaration of independence in 1957, marked with the nation's final blaring of 'God Save the Queen' as the British flag is lowered. Merdeka ('independence') is called out seven times. British Malaya has ended.

The later clips show the anniversary of the celebration of the initial year of independence after a long, long history of colonisations.

After the ethnic divide the British enforced in order to maintain order and power, Malaysia unites its citizens; and thus the ending quote, 'There's no Chinese, no Malay, No Indian... Just Malaysians.' appears.

To celebrate the independence day, the themes of ethnic unity is emphasised. Through unity, they achieved independence and liberation away from several hundreds of years (446 years, 1511-1957) of colonisation from multiple global powers.

Under British colonial rule (1786-1941), Malaya was not merely a colony but a key part of the British Empire's economic engine, with the British exploiting the country’s natural resources, particularly tin and rubber, and using its strategic location for global trade.

The British officials made sure that the traditional class divisions should be maintained. "Hence, most economic development was left to Chinese and Indian immigrants, as long as it served long-term colonial interests."

The British introduced a divide-and-rule strategy that entrenched ethnic divisions, particularly between the Malays, Chinese, and Indians, creating a fragmented society that served British interests, and of which was constructed on race and occupation.

The British colonial administration’s reluctance to address the needs and aspirations of the local population, preferred instead to maintain control through appointed elites and limited self-rule.

If we remember from the British rule of India, the class divisions they encouraged and maintained was based on religion. This later invited social and economic division, and ultimately created India and Pakistan to become two countries from the year of their independence.

The British had the habit of ruling like that. Malaysia got lucky, and they didn't go through this type of partition.

Immediately after WWII, Malaysians were fighting off the Japanese in the British backed the Chinese-Malysians with weapons, in which the communists also turned their backs and pointed the weapons at the British during this period.

The Malayan Emergency (1948–1960), a brutal conflict primarily with the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), was a direct consequence of British mismanagement and their failure to grant the right of to freely determine their own political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development without interference from foreign powers or colonial rulers.

The British response to the communist insurgency, which included mass incarcerations, punitive actions, and the establishment of a system that disenfranchised much of the local population, only heightened the desire for self-rule.

Despite the difficult path to independence, marked by years of struggle and frustration, the establishment of the Alliance Party (comprising UMNO, MCA, and MIC) in 1951 was a pivotal moment, showing the potential for cooperation across ethnic lines.

The Tunku Abdul Rahman-led Alliance successfully pressured the British to concede political power, yet equality was still out of reach.

The British, while eventually agreeing to grant independence in 1957, had no real intention of relinquishing control easily, and the agreements made were more about preserving British interests and maintaining influence.

The final negotiations in London in 1956, which led to the London Agreement, were not entirely driven by the aspirations of the local population, but rather by the pragmatic need for the British to stabilise the region amidst the larger decolonisation movements taking place around the world; as anti-colonial rebellious sentiments were being quickened as the news of Ghandi were spreading.

Ultimately, the independence celebrations of 31 August 1957 marked the end of formal colonial rule.

The Merdeka Day celebrations focuses on unity and democratic freedom which had been forced on them whilst the colonial power tried to manipulate its citizens to fight against one another.

This period of time is characterised by the complex negotiations between a colonial power and a fragmented, yet resilient, population seeking liberation, unity, and equality.

[cupcakedieabetes]

You know what. After reading a lot of TWST fics, I'm more interested in the 'afters' rather than the 'beginnings'. Because imagine how funny it would be if Yuu, a Japanese, comes back with these brightly colored hair/ dark skinned people just hanging around them when they manage to get back to their world and can just go back and forth.

Imagine the possibilities like:

Some random Japanese looks at the Heartslabyul/Pomefiore colourful crew and asks where they're from. Yuu just makes up the fact that they're from the UK. Technically, it would be the possible choice as it is the closest equivalent.

"Where did you say that they're from?" (Towards Savanaclaw crew) "Idk, somewhere in Africa" "How can you forget where they're from?" "I forgot when they say, and you know how embarrassing it is for me to ask!!"

"Where....are they from?" (Towards Octavinelle group being super weird and not used to it bc they conform to society and these trio are by any means NOT it) "They're foreigners" "Yeah, I know, but-" "They're foreigners"

Or lastly, my fav. Yuu just straight up doest not bother to lie and say the truth of where they're from. I noticed that Japan is kind of like America in a way that a lot of schools do NOT have world geography, and only learn about the prefectures/states. (I mean, I had a class where the teacher asked where India was, and the ENTIRE class didn't know where it was and pointed to either Africa or Canada (not even anywhere near Asia). The other international student and I just side-eyed each other). "Oh yeah, they're from --Insert Random Place from TWST--, wait, you don't know where it is?" Then proceeds to gaslight the innocent person who asked because Yuu had been corrupted to Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss by NRC.

[drstonetrivia]

i noticed that by looking at how specific Ryusui knew where Sai would be, he probably was looking after him and keeping track and knowing how he's doing, where he lives, does he need anything or money..

He knew where his college is and knew exactly where he will be at, i wonder if he at some point in those years tried visiting him but Sai just pushed him away thinking he wants to takr him back. so he stopped trying but kept on knowing how he's doing somehow.

Also the fact that when we were first informed they are siblings it wasn't Ryusui who said it, it was Sai who yelled "Ryusui is my little brother!!". Which is interesting considering that Ryusui is the one who seems to see Sai as a brother more than Sai does yet still for dome reason he didn’t ever mention him neither to us as audience nor to his friends

It's definitely possible that Ryusui kept tabs on Sai but I don't think Ryusui actually had to put in much effort to figure out what Sai was up to while he was in India. I'm also not sure that he'd try to meet up with him there because Ryusui understands how important being alone is to his brother (ch. 204 p. 11, plus the many instances of Sai clearly wanting to be alone when Ryusui wanted to play with him), and the pressure of being independent in the Nanami family (either indirectly, to get free of the oppression of an old rich family, or directly, to make a name for yourself within the family) so I doubt Ryusui would try to keep in contact much. Ryusui also clearly had his own things going on while Sai was in India.

Regarding finding his statue, I think it was fairly simple to guess based on growing up with Sai and knowing the university he taught at. The university would narrow down the location significantly, and guessing he was on the rooftop is a classic combination of Japanese culture (if you watch a lot of anime you'll notice that the rooftop comes up quite frequently in similar contexts) and also in flashbacks Sai tends to gravitate towards hiding in the attic (ch. 205 p. 4-5) so guessing he'd go high up to spend his free time before classes isn't a difficult guess to make.

And for Ryusui never mentioning him, I think that was because the plot dictated it. If we'd known early on that Ryusui had a brother, the fans would obsess over him. I'm sure you're familiar with the popularity of the theory of Senku's "real" parents being Why-man, so Ryusui mentioning having a brother without also immediately introducing him would cause the same problem: everyone would assume Ryusui's brother was Why-man and assume that's the true mystery of the story rather than focusing on what they do know.

Thanks for the ask! :)

[withered--s0uls]

I'm working on "Blood & Bats" and that includes surnames and characters races and Ethnical backgrounds.

Send me your Race & Ethnicity hcs as well as surname ideas for the MD characters please? (This includes side characters like Uzis class & Ron!! Please send those!!!)

Disclaimer: the story doesn't take place on earth. The generation of the parents & grandparents are moved to Copper-9 due to overpopulation. In this AU C-9 never had an exploded core and is still inhabited by organic life. This is for their families backgrounds from when they moved from earth & to add some details like cultural foods in the narrative

So far in the AU I settled on the following;

Doorman Family:

Uzi - Blasian (see parents for specifics, you can't talk me out of making her Blasian bc I love that common hc)

Nori - Filipino, Japanese

Khan - Black or Blasian, undecided (The name Khan is a Turko-Mongol surname [apparently not commonly used as first name], so I might have Turkish and/or Mongolian in there. But it's also commonly found in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Iran. So I'm unsure what to go for)

Dolls Family stays Russian, needs a Surname

Elliott family:

Tessa, James & Louisa stay Australian

N & Cyn - British

V - Dutch

J - mixed, undecided

Teacher-Family (need Surname):

Thad - Filipino (Teachers Step Son)

Ron - Filipino (Thads maternal uncle)

Lizzy - either fully Filipino or mixed (Thad's half sister)

Teacher - either Filipino or smth else

???, deceased (Thad & Lizzys mom) - Filipino

Need help for pretty much anyone else and anything I listed needing help with here.

[strawberry-soot]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 🦁LEONA BIRTHDAY SSR FLOWER ANALYSIS* 🦁*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

*Mandatory reminder that I’m no flower specialist, which means these are all very subjective opinions. Take everything with a grain of salt!

Before I can talk about Leona’s flowers I quickly want to give a bit of a deeper look into the colors of his bouquet and how they affect its meaning – with the reading of yellow flowers ranging from friendship, joy, and hope in Europe and America to honoring the dead in Mexico and Egypt to sacredness in China to representing royalty in and around India. Generally speaking, in Asia the meaning of wealth, royalty, hope and disappointment, abundance, and jealousy, are most likely what the cards’ artist was going for so keep that in mind while reading this!

In the Victorian Language of Flowers yellow roses were symbols of jealousy and greed – which is also true for their Japanese and Korean meaning, though in traditional Mexican culture they more commonly symbolize remembrance. By gifting someone yellow roses one would show a decrease in love, or subtly tell the recipient to “try to care more”, though nowadays they stand for friendship, happiness, joy, innocence, and appreciation, and are typically sent during birthdays, promotions and graduations. However, they could also be an apology for previous wrongdoings.

The more orange flower I believe to be a gaillardia or blanket flowers, which on one hand are associated with charm, abundance, aristocracy, and modesty, or on the other hand, with joy, optimism, and happiness. Because of their ability to thrive in all conditions, they stand for resilience and strength, courage, fearlessness, and even were a symbol of bravery and hope in the Victorian Language of Flowers.

While hibiscus flowers are associated with positivity and joy thanks to their vibrant colors, they’re also symbols of wealth, generosity, hospitality, and the upper class. They’re reminders to live in the moment and to seize opportunities as they come. In Chinese culture they’re gifted to represent how short lived the beauty of glory or fame is since they have a relatively short vase life.

Gerbera Daisies, or African Daisies, typically represent either beauty, or a happy life. They symbolize friendship and happiness, but mostly are gifted to someone recovering from an illness, or to cheer someone up. In Japan they stand for ultimate beauty, hope, and a way forward (often with a romantic connotation). Notably, in ancient Egypt they stood for a closeness to nature and devotion to the sun.

Zinnias are associated with endurance, remembrance, and thoughts of absent friends/friends you haven’t seen in a while. They bloom even in draughts or when plagued by bugs so they’re the perfect gift for someone with a strong mind.

Since crocuses are early blooming flowers they symbolize new beginnings and rebirth, though they’re also linked to wealth, power, and divinity. In Asia and the Middle East they stand for hope and a prosperous future.

The yellow flower with the thin leaves is a pincushion flower or protea which represents transformation, diversity, and courage. In the Victorian Language of Flowers they stand for unfortunate love, and in hanakotoba (the Japanese Language of Flowers) they mean “I have lost all.”

Finally, the dark purple/red flower in his bouquet is a cymbidium orchid. It stands for morality and virtue, as well as beauty, strength and opulence. Being gifted such a flower is an honor since they’re difficult to grow and care for. They hold a reputation of being luxurious, and are a symbol of power, respect, and admiration – in the Victorian Language of Flowers one of supreme luxury and wealth. They also convey a feeling of strength, absolute power, or authority.

Naturally, these are only my un-educated guesses considering I’m by no means a flower specialist so take everything with a grain of salt, and feel free to let me know if I got anything wrong/what flowers I might’ve missed.

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

Pitch for a “The Dark Pictures Anthology” game:

1) The title

“The Thrill of the Hunt”

2) Prologue

1920, British-controlled India. Jaspreet Singh and Sameer Patel, Indian rebels who fought against the British Empire (the false protagonists of the prologue), have been captured by the British Army. Although they’ve been sentenced to execution, they learn that they are actually being transferred to the Kingsley Gentlemen’s Society. From what we can tell of the Society, it’s run by the rich and powerful of British society.

Jaspreet and Sameer then learn the reason why they’ve been transferred. Today is the day of “The Hunt” where the Society members work together to take down the prey in the designated game preserve. And Jaspreet and Sameer are the game.

Since this is the prologue, Jaspreet and Sameer unfortunately end up being killed by the Society.

3) Main story

Present day, Falkland Islands. Five strangers have been brought to the mansion of the Kingsley Gentlemen’s Society. Four of the strangers are there after being invited by the Society while the fifth is there because they are dating one of the Society members. For the invitees, they all have the same goal; join the Society and cement their status as part of the upper class.

But, just like with Sameer and Jaspreet, that’s not the case at all. Today is, once again, the day of “The Hunt”. Since the 1920s, the Society has gotten bored of hunting down people who have already been sentenced to death. To get an extra thrill, the Society now targets the hopeful and wealthy.

In the main villain’s words, “it is far more satisfying to tear down people who are happy and actually have something to lose since you know that it is you who caused their despair”.

As the players, it is up to you to determine if the five strangers can work together as a team to either escape or destroy the Kingsley Gentlemen’s Society. Or end up becoming just another trophy on their shelves…

4) Playable cast

a. Desmond Johnson (ADVENTUROUS, RATIONAL): A highly successful American lawyer whose dream is to become a Supreme Court Justice one day. Desmond becomes the de facto leader of the group. He is played by the celebrity guest actor, Michael B. Jordan.

b. Faye Simmons (NAIVE, INQUISITIVE): A biologist from London who was dating one of the Society members. Much to her horror, she learns that the reason why the Society member wanted to date her was so that he could lure her in and force her to participate in The Hunt.

c. Hiroki Akashi (STERN, OVERBEARING): A high-ranking shareholder of a Japanese corporation. Despite coming off as a little vain and arrogant, he does show a willingness to work with the group since he wants to make it home to his children.

d. Omar al-Ghazi (PARANOID, AMBITIOUS): A Saudi Arabian oil tycoon who has trouble trusting other people. His behavior is a result of numerous business deals that went wrong due to people betraying him, as well as his family becoming estranged to him. Despite this, Omar does take pride in his ambitious nature, even if he ended up alienating his loved ones.

e. Adrianna Reyes (ABRASIVE, LONELY): A Mexican billionaire businesswoman who is currently dealing with a scandal. She reveals to the group that even though she’s married, she had an affair with an unnamed Senator in the Mexican Senate. The reason for the affair was that her current marriage is loveless, only done for political reasons.

5) Bonus poll

[bnhaobservation]

The Todorokis and food - Part 5: Karē rice (カレーライス) and Nikujaga (肉じゃが)

While working to a better, single version of my Todoroki mansion posts, I was tempted to add to it the foods we also know the Todorokis eat or the ones we see prepared in the house.

In hindsight though, it felt silly as foods aren’t really neither architectonicals elements or furniture so I decided to make a separate post for them. As I work on the comprehensive version I decided to split the demo version in small parts so that people could enjoy it as it gets worked over.

This bit deals with what Shōto and his classmates cooked during the forest training camp.

WHAT SHŌTO HELPS COOKING AT THE FOREST TRAINING CAMP

At their arrival at the forest training camp, class A and B found a dinner cooked by the Pussycats, which was described as including, ‘sakana mo niku mo yasai mo’ (魚も肉も野菜も “fish, meat and vegetables”) but no name for the dishes prepared is given. I might try to track down what was served but for now I'll focus on how, on the following day, the two classes had to cook their own meal, and they were told to prepare ‘karē’ (カレー “curry”), meaning ‘karē rice’ (カレーライス “curry rice”), while, on the next day, they prepare ‘nikujaga’ (肉じゃが “beef and potato”). We saw Shōto helping in both occasions and, of course, he should have eaten both dishes.

KARĒ (カレー “curry”): a dish originating from India in which ingredients are simmered with ‘Karē-ko’ (カレー粉 “curry powder”), a spice mix. There are various versions of it, Indian curry, Thai curry, European-style curry… because even though it is generally considered to be a spicy dish, in fact it has a wide variety of flavors because the combination of ingredients and spices varies depending on the region, religion, and household. In Japan it’s made with ‘Komugiko’ (小麦粉 “wheat flour”) to thicken it and whose the balance of sweetness and spiciness is adjusted, resulting in a flavor that is different from curry in other countries while the meat used is usually either beef (in west Japan), pork (in east Japan), or chicken while the basic vegetables are ‘jagaimo’ (じゃがいも/ジャガイモ “potatoes”), ‘ninjin’ (にんじん/ニンジン “carrots”), and ‘tamanegi’ (たまねぎ/タマネギ “onions”).

Komugiko (小麦粉 “wheat flour”): wheat flour made by milling wheat and is used as an ingredient in various foods which in Japan is also called ‘udonko’ (うどん粉 “udon flour”) or ‘MERIKEN ko’ (メリケン粉 “American flour”).

Karē-ko (カレー粉 “curry powder”): a mix of spices used to make curry dishes, made combining dozens of ingredients, including ‘ukon’ (ウコン “turmeric”) and ‘tōgarashi’ (トウガラシ“chili peppers”. In Japan people usually don’t make it but buy it in bottles or cans.

KARĒ RICE (カレーライス “curry rice”): it’s a dish in which curry is served over or next to ‘gohan’ (ご飯 “cooked rice”) and it’s so popular in Japan it’s considered a national dish and simply called ‘karē’ (カレー “curry”). It’s usually eaten with a ‘chirirenge’ (散蓮華), the Japanese spoon.

Gohan (ご飯 “cooked rice”): it is a food made by adding water to grains of the grass family, especially ‘kome’ (米 “rice”), and boiling or steaming it. When one wants to make sure to point out it’s specifically rice they can call it ‘beihan’ (米飯).

Chirirenge (散蓮華 “petal of a lotus flower that has fallen off”) or renge (蓮華 “petal of a lotus flower”): Asian spoon usually made of ceramic whose shape is similar to a petal of lotus flower. It has almost the same usage of a regular western spoon but a quite different shape as its bottom is deep and flat and the handle has a little nook, and it is curved and thick. The one specially designed for ramen has a small dent so it can be hooked onto the rim of the ramen bowl without it slipping into the depths of your soup, while the one for miso ramen has with some holes in the bottom so as to make easier to pick up corn pieces. When holding it, one must fit their index finger on the ditch or the inner handle and hold it with their thumb and middle finger.

Nikujaga (肉じゃが “beef and potatoes”): a Japanese stew dish made by simmering meat (be it beef, pork, chicken or other types) and ‘jagaimo’ (じゃがいも/ジャガイモ “potatoes”) in a sweet and spicy sauce made with ‘shōyu’ (醤油 or 醬油 “soy sauce”) and sugar, and may also contain ‘ninjin’ (にんじん/ニンジン “carrots”), ‘tamanegi’ (たまねぎ/タマネギ “onions”) and ‘ito konnyaku’ (糸蒟蒻 “konnyaku noodles”). There are many different ways to prepare it, and there is no set cooking process. It can be broadly divided into two methods: stir-frying in oil and then simmering, and simmering without stir-frying. It’s commonly eaten with chopsticks.

Shōyu (醤油 or 醬油 “Soy sauce”): a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds. It is recognized for its saltiness and pronounced umami taste.

Ito konnyaku (糸蒟蒻 “konnyaku thread”): a Japanese food made with ‘konnyaku’ (蒟蒻) cut into noodle-like strips which is usually sold in plastic bags with accompanying water, which was drained before cooking.

Konnyaku (蒟蒻): a gelatin made mixing ‘konnyakuko’ (蒟蒻粉 “konjac flour”) with water and a coagulating agent and, according to the region, seaweed powder which will give it his grey color, otherwise it looks white.

Konnyaku-ko (蒟蒻粉 “konjac flour”): flour derived from the ‘Konnyaku (コンニャク “konjac”), a plant species native to Yunnan in southwestern China.

[m--rtyr]

As a bastard, I have always been interested in bastard names in fantasy so I have a few! All based on each regions own geography and culture and entirely based on my own headcannons. Also, these names are translated to Ru'auns version of common, with them probably having their own words in their native tongue. Exceptions to these rules are children that are claimed as legitimate or are gifted their own last names.

Southern Tu'la: Of the Sands - of the Vipers - of the Oasis. Southern Tu'la in my writing is very Egypt, India, and Dorne inspired. Of the Sands is the most common one, for bastards of lower class or bastards who need to be HIDDEN. Of the Vipers is for bastards of military personnel, a warning that their parent might not be too kind. Of the Oasis is reserved for bastards of the royal family and priests/priestesses, for Oasis's are rare and special.

Northern Tu'la: Stray - MaoMao - Lucky. Northern Tu'la is very Japanese and Chinese inspired and it is where I believe has the highest amount of mei'fwa. All of these are cat themed and are all class based. Lower class bastard, the ones of farmers and lower class officials are referred to as Strays, as they normally don't have homes. MaoMao are the bastards are the children of middle and high ranked officials, they are more often than not considered spare children so are treated better than strays, think indoor-outdoor cats. Lucky are bastards of extremely high ranked officials and royals, often used in bargaining and are treated as lucky for being alive.

Gal'ruk: Wind-Brought - Sea-Snatched - Mountain-Claimed. Given how superstitious Gal'ruk is in the main-continuity and the fact that they are on frozen islands, I think children of any kind would be considered gifts. For those that are not born in wedlock, I believe that they will be named after the area the birther went into labor. Wind-Brought is when they are in their home, a gift of the breeze, Sea-Snatched when they are near or on the sea, and Mountain-Claimed when the birther is in the mountains and nature.

This is going to have to have a part 2 b/c I think that Ru'aun is a much bigger region and it changes from village to village. Gonna require more thought.

im a bastard too and i like to think about last names

Last names when i write work a little differently, and only matter SOMETIMES, and for particular reasons, but this is your moment to lore dump, i won't take that away from you

[ladyoftheflowers-witch]

Hello I would love a reading on past life if that's ok? I saw myself as male in China in 1930s. I was pretty youngish I'd say around mid to early 20s. N.V.W.

Hi lovely querent, I have to admit this question is interesting as well as challengin, you got me reaserching through the history of China, thanks for that 🫶 I did the research after I got the cards drawn, not before, I'm saying this because without the research I didn't understand what was going on with the reading.

So you got The two of wands next to The Devil (back of the deck : 3 of cups) I also used the Lenormand Oracle cards ( snake-man-tower) and the every day Oracle vera sibilla (fortune- delirium).

So during the 1930's a civil war was ocurring between nationalists and communists, both bands wanted to rule and control china they also wanted to stablish their ideologies and political influences for their own interests. The civil war was suspended between 1936 and 1945 in the mark of the second world war, when both parties joined to confront the Japanese Empire that has invaded China in search of raw materials and other economic resources, in the second Sino-Japanese War.

During this time also occurred the wars of opium, the Japanese, to finance their war of conquest, often used this drug as a medium of exchange and to obtain resources in the occupied areas. As a matter of fact they occupied lands just to grow opium, Japanese forces used opium as a tool of economic and political coercion. Opium was often used to control the population and local militias, providing a form of "incentive" for cooperation.

(collage of the civil war in china between nationalists and communists)

(Clockwise: Japanese landing forces in gas masks during the Battle of ShanghaiNRA forces on the Great WallNanjing Massacre victims on the Qinhuai River shoreChinese machine gun nest at the Battle of WuhanJapanese Mitsubishi Ki-21 in the bombing of ChongqingChinese Expeditionary Force marching in India)

It is estimated that some twenty million people, the vast majority of them civilians, lost their lives during the invasion.

(Image: Nankin, China)

The picture above is from the called Nankin Massacre, during which mass m**der, tortu*e and mass r*pe took place, and weapon Firearms, katanas, bayonets, grenades, fire where used. (This content it's sensitive, I have to *** some words because of Tumblr policies)

The invasion concluded with the surrender of Japan on September 9, 1945.

Ok I'm going to stop with the class of history there, I just wanted to set the escenario for your lecture so you can better understand, or not, hopefully you keep reading until now and beyond and not get bored in the process hehe

Going back to the tarot reading, the cards are saying you could have pertained to the japanese band, as the cards are showing a man who looks from higher places, where there are mountains. And you had a secret plan which is about to be executed in an unscrupulous way.

You are depicted as a man who wanted to dominate the world, just to have power, just for the lust of result. You were destructive, the first reaction to your assault was fear and repulsion, you took a moment of weakness, as it was the civil war, to your advantage.

You probably were a powerful figure, a gobernant, or at least some kind of authority. There was violence, torture and slavery, you took virginal places and fertilize them only to grow narcotics which destroyed the will of the most defenseless, but you were not meant to be the Master for ever.

In a lighter side of the reading, you fell in love with a woman who betrayed you and left you heart broken, maybe when you came back from your expedition she wasn't there anymore.

I hope this reading doesn't haunt you too much lol

Thank you so much for participating 💓

Sending you a big hug and good energy 🫂

[historyandarthijinks]

Real Life Heroes (1): Tilly Smith

A 10 year old girl at the time of 2004, Tilly Smith would happen to save the lives of over 100 people while on vacation with her family.

Tilly Smith is British woman from the village of Oxshott in Surrey, England. In 2004 her family went on vacation in Thailand, where they would spend an evening on Mai Khao Beach. Unknown to the approximately 100 beachgoers, and Tilly's family, the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake had just occurred 150 miles (240km) from the coast of Sumatra Island, Indonesia.

The 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake affected 18 different countries primarily, not including the thousands of tourists caught in the disaster.

Including...

India

Indonesia

Malaysia

Maldives

Myanmar

Somalia

Sri Lanka

Thailand

Bangladesh

Kenya

Seychelles

South Africa

Tanzania

Yemen

Australia

Madagascar

Mauritius

Oman

The worst affected of these countries were Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. According to Wikipedia's numbers, there were about 227, 898 casualties. The earthquake itself was a 9.2 magnitude. Many of the waves kicked up were up to 30 m (100 ft.) tall. It only lasted ten minutes...

What made the disaster so destructive and deadly was the preparedness of the nations hit. Despite the fact that the area of the Indian Ocean in which the earthquake occurred had a history of activity, no major populations were yet hit. The area was not viewed as a significant concern by nearby countries.

There were no warning systems in place. Nations instead leaned on the hope that their people would be properly knowledgeable about signs of tsunamis and have prepared their own places of evacuation. This wasn't fruitless. Many of the coastal population had zero to little knowledge about what to look out for, and especially what to do in case of disaster.

The same could not be said for Tilly Smith.

Tilly took pride in learning from her school teacher, Andrew Kearney at Danes Hill School. She learned in his geography class about the warning signs and what to do's about several natural disasters, including tsunamis.

Remembering the school lesson, that morning she witnessed the signs of a tsunami on the coast.

A quote from an interview done with her in 2005 was, "The water was really, really frothy. It wasn't calm, and it wasn't going in and then out. It was just coming in and in."

She immediately went to go alert her parents. At first they did not believe her, because they didn't see any large waves over the horizons. They decided to listen to her urgency though, and came to the security guards.

While trying to convince to the security guard of the threat, a nearby by English-speaking Japanese man had her say the word tsunami. He informed the group that he just heard that there was an earthquake in Sumatra. The beach was evacuated into one the resort buildings. Quickly after, a 9 m (30ft.) tsunami crashed through the shore, the evacuated peoples narrowly avoiding the event by seconds.

Mai Khao Beach was one out of few that day which had no causalities.

Tilly Smith was awarded the Thomas Grey Special Award from the Marine Society & Sea Cadets. She earned the moniker Angel of the Beach. To this day Tilly is a face of coastal and natural disaster safety.

So what are the signs of a tsunami.

Any nearby or on location earthquakes

Loud roar from the ocean similar to a jet or train

rapid rise or fall of the water along the coast

What to do you in case of one

highest ground possible, as quick as possible