#but like it’d be different on markoth

[thehappiestgolucky]

i-im just sayin,,,the vibes are immaculate

[datastate]

thinking abt the solidarity between those moths who were bold enough to take the weapons up would stand up for each other... esp during the time they were ostracized by their own folk.

they have very few others who would practice alongside them, so in sparring with one another, it seems natural they’d eventually learn to (objectively) appreciate each other through this shared aspiration + skill. i wonder if they’d ever clash in the value of protecting those who didn't take up weapons and relied heavily on others, how their motivations for choosing a weapon differed. (would they view it as weak? cowardice? or, towards their own, did they view it as the embodiment of the passivity which resulted in why these younger generations had to take the burden in their stead), or was something they also bonded through, just being able to know they had the skill to stand up for those who were still attempting to preserve the rule to never raise a weapon with ill intent upon another life - whatever reason lay behind this command. be it that they would upset those victims of the blade who lingered, or would rouse the spirits who were once harsh warriors and these ones would negatively influence them from there, letting them lose control to follow up the warrior’s work - intention did not matter, the fact is that you shall lose your will if you continue this path.

specifically regarding markoth and thistlewind, two significant moth npcs who chose a weapon and are aware of one another, maybe they only have each other to be comfortable around for this reason.? they may share that mindset that this is a skill to hone, just as any other! it’s not inherently as awful as their people would paint it... though this really does just brings in. moth culture as a whole and the views on those who did take up weapons and what became of them. it's clear they valued the lingering spirits and likely saw them as an extension of radiance's kindness with radiance's tie to essence, took it as a duty to preserve and protect them, but i wonder if there were any who did last out of radiance’s kindness, but then served to cling to the living who wandered in their path. especially after the grimm troupe was created, i wonder if they ever associated warriors or the other sort with people who used essence (of people; dead and living) for themselves, as something that meant they were heading down a manipulative path where they felt entitled to life to use and throw away as their own rather than something to tend to, if not simply accept as a part of life. that's why it was better for them to avoid weaponry altogether, avoid temptation toward a path they would forget, but there were possibly stories of more noble ones who were able to harness their skill without actively besting others in battle, who proved their prowess and ended it peacefully where possible, killing only when it would save another’s life.

...but of course those are the exceptions to the tale. isn’t it right that more often you'd be lost to this brutal manner and way of thinking? this isn't something that'd often deter any younger one, though, if they are prideful enough. in that case, i wonder if thistlewind took on using swords later on, while markoth had this idea set in him from the start, determined to find what he deems truth no matter the cost, in his mind.... it'd be a fun thing to explore, thistlewind matching that noble story while markoth's a bit harsher in following through what he believes (not just battle - other aspects of his life too. he has to find this. he has to, or has he risked this for nothing? turned his back on this for nothing, forget all the times he’s used it to defend himself - has he used it to help another? he abandoned thistlewind for his own failed path. what use was it, when he couldn’t even defend himself long enough to carry on what he had discovered? when he died without any peace?)

[thehappiestgolucky]

I'm just imagining Markoth talking about Hallownest's history and, probably out of legit wariness because better safe then sorry, describing the Plague and it's symptoms, even telling others that if he starts to show signs of them, either plain old lock him up without any of his Pokémon at least, put him down and out of his misery at worst. Because, again, better safe then sorry.

Interesting thought!

When this takes place in my head it’s happening after Ghost has defeated Radiance in the Godhome Ending. I definitely don’t want to just shoot down this idea, because it’s interesting. It makes sense for Markoth, who in my headcanon, his later life got so affected by the Infection it tore his husband away from him and to his death, and his entire tribe fell to pieces around him - with nothing he could do but watch - to be still so wary about the Infection even after the source had been purged.

I feel like the Infection is a story Markoth glosses over very quickly and briefly when talking about Hallownest’s history. It’s not something he wants the kids to ever hear. It’s not a story he feels could be expressed near the folks of Jubilife. He doesn’t think burdening someone like Ingo, who’s got his own can of worms to deal with, with his trauma is a good idea. He pretends like the different cultures in Hallownest are all still alive, because explaining how it’s all a dead kingdom and gone is suddenly too much when he’s faced with a living and expanding village.

If he were to tell and caution anyone about him possibly showing Infection symptoms - it would be Laventon and only Laventon.

I think Laventon, who’s been defending him and by his side since he first found himself in Hisui, is the person he trusts the most. And if anything, the confiding that a Plague stormed his home and could possibly affect him here, is like…a bonding moment? Laventon can see that promising Markoth that if he sees the signs that he won’t let him ever get a chance to hurt anyone, visibly relaxes Markoth. But Laventon is also told that the source was killed, and that people like Myla got to come back from it. I think he’d take the chance to comfort Markoth. That he doesn’t think it will affect him here, he’s so far away, the source isn’t around anymore. It’s ok to be worried, even scared, just that it’d be ok. It won’t get him here. Laventon is sure of it.

I’m a softie, and I love the inherit soft of someone getting to vent and being comforted and treated seriously. Laventon doesn’t believe this Infection will affect Markoth here, there’s a lot of things that would make it a very very low probability, but he absolutely won’t brush it off. He can see even the notion of the Infection still affects Markoth negatively, and he doesn’t like to see that. If anything, despite Markoth not mentioning how it killed people he cared about, it still gives Laventon even the tiniest hint, that the world Markoth came from is darker than Hisui.

[thehappiestgolucky]

Markoth and Seer introducing Xero and Tiso to the moth cuisine (and customs), shenanigans ensue. Also, Seer learns about Marmu and temporary goes into full grandma mode 🥺🥺🥺

I'm snickering imagining the food talk like:

Tiso: Where's the meat?

Markoth: The what?

Xero: Moths don't eat meat.

Tiso: I'm gonna starve-

On a more serious note, it'd be a really nice bonding experience! Seer would really enjoy getting to show off culture and foods, Markoth would help simplify some things when Seer goes on a ramble so Tiso and Xero get it a bit more - and I can definetly see it as a nice break for them to just relax and be a family. Learning more about moths and their connections to dreams is a very interesting thing, especially with how some utilise it differently when making dream related items (like a dream catcher or Dreamshield). Tiso would be... pretty surprised at the whole "Yeah Thistlewind and Markoth are the only known moths to wield a weapon" because it's so outlandish to Tiso "I grew up in a place where jobs involving fighting was the norm". He'd be really curious about it all after that because it's just really different from what he knows and if half his family is moths now - well he'll just have to learn about it then.

Seer going temporary grandma mode? No no no. She is now fully in grandma mode. She never thought (and wasn't going to pressure) Markoth would have a child so him adopting Marmu was simply amazing in her eyes - she loves spending as much time with the large bean as possible! And it's not just Marmu - when she hears Tiso start calling Markoth and Xero 'dad' she steals this opportunity to be his grandma moth.

She's a doting grandma but doesn't spoil kids, she especially is that type of grandma who squishes the cheeks of their grandkids-