#santu

[literenture]

Rough draft, one of the first chapters in the Mirepoix arc.

“(The Empty Vessel)?”

The Observer raised an eyebrow. His prior aloofness slipped as he stared at the man, attention rapt. He glanced at Sowaca.

“I’m sure a young person like you wouldn’t know, but growing up the elders in the village would tell us about it.” The old man chewed on his tobacco before spitting into the urn. “We always thought it was just a yarn. But rumor is, they’ve crowned a new god at Yubari using that old ritual.”

As he spoke, the Observer’s expression darkened. Sowaca noticed him chew his lip, surprised at how open his face was. In all the centuries they’d spent together, the Observer had developed an unbreakable mask, yet for the first time in so long his expression was blatant. Sowaca’s hackles raised in anticipation, leaning on his toes.

Within moments the mask returned and the Observer put on his usual smile. However, his voice was taut when he replied.

“And you’re sure it was the (empty vessel)?”

“I may be old but I ain’t senile yet, brat.”

“My apologies, sir,” the Observer said. “It’s just that I’ve never heard of such a thing. You see, folklore is my passion, I’m always looking for new things. What is this Yubari you mentioned?”

“Why, the new shrine. Or, well, it was an ancient shrine but in the last few years some priests moved in and have been working on restoring the old place.”

“An old shrine, you say…”

Rui ran his tongue over his lips.

“Where might I find it?”

——

Their arrival to Yubari shrine was full of fanfare. A festival was in full swing, dancers and musicians everywhere. The air was filled with the sound of flutes, bells, shouts, and laughter. With his short stature, the Observer was quickly crowded. He grunted and pushed his way through the crowd, calling out for Sowaca.

“Let’s split up. You go find a way to get into the sanctum and I’ll try to ask around.“

“Are you sure you’ll be fine?” Sowaca asked with a sneer. “You look like a little lost child.”

The Observer didn’t respond. Sowaca noted this with some concern. Usually they’d banter, but the Observer was acing completely out of character. Rui adjusted his black and gold jackal mask.

“You sure everything’s okay, kid?”

“Just get going. Better to finish this up quick, I have a feeling these fine folk won’t be too fond of us once this is over.”

With nothing left to say, Sowaca parted. He glanced behind his shoulder as the Observer disappeared into the crowd. Something was wrong. Rui wasn’t one to let emotion rule him, not for things like this. There was something familiar about this karappo tanma thing, but no matter how he picked his brain Sowaca just couldn’t place it. Still, this was just a dime a dozen job, nothing they hadn’t dealt with before.

So long as it was just some mistake, they could walk away laughing. It’s not like they would walk into some sort of trap, and equally unlikely to have anything to do with that man.

At least, he hoped so.

——

The shrine’s grounds were oddly still. Sowaca strained his ears, but the festival noises made it hard to pick out each set of sounds. He glanced around the gardens, trying to decide on a path. Where exactly do you keep an aberration? It was their so called god, would it have been in a place of prominence? Or hidden away?

His ears suddenly pricked. To his left, some ways off and muffled, he thought he heard someone crying. It sounds like a child. With no other leads, Sowaca trotted toward the sound.

(Shrine stuff nearly gets caught by a priest and runs into a room)

The room he’d hurriedly rushed into was bare and empty. There was only a tiny window at the top of the wall, little airflow, and a stale smell. It wasn’t silent though. Sowaca turned toward the dark corner of the room. As his eyes adjusted, he made out the form of a small figure bent over. This was the source of the crying.

And the scent of a monster.

——

The girl had been crowned the previous year, and her life since had been a nightmare of blood and death. She could barely recall her life before she and her older sister had been taken from their village, somewhere in the north of Badhapur. She couldn’t recall exactly where. Her sister’s face was fading in her mind, her other half, but she knew in her heart that Imani was okay. She had always been the stronger of the two of them.

Her own name had been taken from her, but she still remembered it. They called her god, but to her she was just Santu. It didn’t matter how many sacrifices the priests made, no matter how her form twisted to belief. Every month they hosted a festival, one that ended in bloodshed. She became monstrous at these times, a bat-like creature with the trapped mind of a child.

It was her eighth month here at Yubari, after years spent in a dim and dingy environment, and her heart was heavy. She had hoped that coming to the shrine would change things, but it quickly became apparent that she would still remain under lock and key, with constant supervision. The only times she was let out were for lessons instructing her in her role, and the horrible, bloody rituals. The festival was coming to an end—even from her enclosed room she could hear the instruments crescendo. Her tears would not stop as she sat, alone, fearing the event to come. Santu didn’t understand why they continued to do such vile things, but she was powerless to stop them. She didn’t even want to be a god, she just wanted to run outside and play.

Her misery was interrupted by the sound of a bell and the soft padding of paws. She snapped her head up and saw a small black cat staring at her with three wide green eyes. A bell hung from a red, braided rope collar tied in an elaborate knot around his neck and jingled lightly as he walked. He froze when he saw her, but Santu hiccuped and extended one small palm.

“Hullo kitty,” she said as cheerfully as she could. “Are you here to see Santu?”

The cat blinked, apprehensive, before leaning forward and sniffing her hand. After a moment, he leaned in and rubbed against her. Santu squealed in joy, gleefully rubbing his silky black fur.

“What a handsome kitty. Such pretty eyes! Who’s a good boy? Yes yes, he’s a very cute little man isn’t he!”

“I’ll have you know I’m no little man. I’m feared throughout the world, my name incites terror and reverie. Be grateful to be in my presence.”

His sudden, commanding voice was contrasted to his eager nuzzling and purring.

“Wow, so talented,” Santu said in amazement. “Kitty can talk!”

Her tears forgotten, her face broke into a huge smile as she lifted the cat by the armpits. He squirmed in her grip.

“Unhand me, child.”

However he did not struggle much as Santu squeezed him into a hug, resigned to his fate. She set him down gently.

“Santu didn’t know kitties could talk. Is it hard to learn?”

“I’m no kitty,” the cat protested. “You may call me Sowaca, be pleased.”

“Sowa…” Santu screwed up her face. “Sowacchi!”

The nickname made Sowaca wince.

“No, like! I! Said! It’s—“

“Sowacchi, will you be Santu’s friend?”

The question took the little god unawares. He licked one back leg thoughtfully.

“So you’re the god here? Santu, is it?”

Hearing her name, Santu grinned.

“Mm!”

Sowaca sighed and groomed his ears.

“Say, wanna break out of here?”

She blinked at his question, not sure what he meant. She looked down at her thin arms; even balling her hands into tight fists, it was obvious her lack of strength.

“But, Santu can’t break anything. Santu’s too weak.”

“No, it’s just— it’s a figure of speech,” Sowaca said with annoyance. “Wanna get out of here? Or would you rather stay in this dingy little room forever?”

His point made clear, Santu inhaled sharply through her nose. The air hung heavy as he awaited her response, but it did not take her long to decide. She nodded vigorously.

“With all my hearth!”

—-

The Observer was having less luck in his research. He was twirled and spun around the crowds, and when he tried to ask for details he only got vagaries. The guests all seemed off, their eyes glazed and smiles too wide. Rui suspected the plentiful drink that was pushed on him from all sides. He pretended to take some and continued onward.

The main shrine of Yubari was an old collection of buildings in the Rinmae style, with recent additions tacked on. The streets surrounding the main compound were chaotic and he found himself in a labyrinth of dancing limbs and ambling walkways. The late summer weather was hot and the scent of sweat and flowers laced the air.

As petals rained down on the congregants, the Observer ducked down a side street. It was quieter here, and he moved on to the central buildings. It was far less crowded here and Rui moved cautiously.

He wandered aimlessly down the wooden hallways of the shrine, ducking out of sight any time he came across priests or shrine maidens. As he rounded a corner he practically bowled over Sowaca’s scampering form.

“I found her,” he said, out of breath.

“Her?”

“Mm. What’s worse, this has all the looks of being a project of Daiten’s. It’s awful. You’ll see. She’s just a kid.”

Rui’s stomach clenched. Just how far would Daikokuten go for their goals? How many children would they put through such cruelty?

“We need to end this,” Rui said with certainty. Sowaca nodded.

“Follow me.”

——

They managed to sneak into the inner shrine without needing to break out the shamisen. The lack of security was bizarre, and Rui wondered just what the festival’s goal was. It did not take them long to arrive at the enclosure deep within the ambling hallways.

As he stepped into the room, he was taken by surprise at just how young the godling was. It was impossible to tell her exact age but she appeared to be around twelve or thirteen, small and wiry. Her skin was dark but ashy from lack of sunlight, and her abundant reddish brown hair tumbled down her shoulders in waves and curls. Two small horns sprouted from her forehead and large cupped ears adorned her head, along with small, useless wings on her back and a long, thin tail, but otherwise she looked just like a normal child. She was adorned in embroidered robes, though it looked like she had discarded multiple layers on the floor, ready to flee at a moment’s notice. She glanced up at the Observer with round, trusting purple eyes.

“Hullo!” she greeted cheerfully.

“Hey,” Rui said, a bit at a loss. “You’re Santu?”

The girl nodded vigorously, her lustrous curls bouncing. She had a bright, innocent smile that took away Rui’s words. She was just so young.

“Sowacchi told Santu you’re taking her away,” Santu said. “Santu doesn’t like it here. It’s so very dreadful.”

Rui leered at Sowaca who for his part lowered his ears and looked away at the pet name.

“That so, Sowacchi?”

The cat grumbled, but the Observer just nodded. He put on what he hoped was his most trustworthy smile.

“Well, you wanna break out of here?”

Santu lifted her fists up and pumped her arms vigorously.

“Santu will do her best to break everything in the way!”

Rui grinned and tousled her hair. She was so small, even shorter than him, skinny and willowy. He wondered just what she had been forced through under the supervision of the Founder, and shuddered at the thought. His own experience attaining immortality had been horrific, and he could only imagine how much worse things would have been had he been her age and living under the thumb of that man.

Although quite young, Santu’s behavior made her seem even younger, and he was surprised at how easily she trusted them. Just how many times had that trust been abused? It made his head ache, but the Observer put on a smile to hide his unease.

“Well then, without further ado, let us away,” he said with a dramatic bow, a cheap imitation of the one he had seen his painter friend perform countless times.

Rui was under no illusion of the difficulties present in getting out with a child in tow, but with how lacking security had been he could only hope they wouldn’t run into any trouble. Due to the murky en of the shrine and its location, not to mention his wonky gate, they would have to get a ways away to utilize the shamisen to its fullest. Even then, without a better understanding of Santu’s constitution, any use would carry a not insignificant risk. Rui placed one palm over the hilt of his dagger, ready to use it if it became necessary. Daikokuten couldn’t be allowed to continue this project. They were getting too close to things that should have remained long buried. He ground his molars together, but he was snapped out of his thoughts by a warm hand gripping his own. Rui looked down to see Santu shyly holding his hand, fingers interlocked. She looked back at him with a hesitant smile.

“Is it okay?”

“Mm,” Rui said, nodding and swinging their hands. “Santu sure is a sweet girl, so it’s no good staying locked up in a dark room like this. The world is far too vast to remain trapped in one place. Now, let’s be very very quiet, and very very brave, and get you out of here.”

Sowaca led the way as they emerged from the claustrophobic room, peeking around corners before gesturing them to follow. It was much slower progress than when they had been alone, but those large ears weren’t just for show; Santu listened to their instructions with a grave expression, and she was silent as they made their way through the ancient wooden hallways.

At times they caught sight of a priest and had to duck away beside a shrub or into a side room. It was a miracle that they had yet to walk in on anyone, and Rui’s nerves were running high. He did not want to be stuck in enemy territory and forced to defend a young girl while assailed on all sides.

They were nearing the exit when a sudden group of shrine maidens appeared on the other side of a courtyard. Without a moment’s hesitation, Rui grabbed Santu close to him and dropped down beneath a bush. He held one hand over her mouth and calmed his breathing. His heart was pounding in his chest as he shrunk down as far as he could go. They all waited with baited breath as the footsteps approached.

The danger had nearly passed when disaster struck. Rui’s hand had relaxed from Santu’s mouth as he listened to the women above, and as it did a lock of her hair came loose and brushed against her nose. With a sudden inhale, she sneezed loudly. All three of them froze.

“Did you hear that?”

“Didn’t it come from over there?”

“Ehhh, how creepy! Is someone there?”

The footsteps which had stopped began to approach them. With little time to decide what to do, Rui went with the most obvious option.

“Run,” he urged his companions as he tugged on Santu’s hand.

She burst into a sprint behind him, the gaggle of women shrieking in alarm. Unfortunately, one of them also noticed who was fleeing.

“Milord! Please, come back! Quickly, go let the guards know!”

“She’s been abducted! Oh gods, it’ll be our heads if we—“

“Come on, quick, we have to—“

Their voices melded and faded behind them as Rui and Santu tore through the shrine on the heels of Sowaca. They whipped around corners sharply with no heed for who they ran into, causing a couple of priests and lone shrine maidens to jump out of the way with startled yells. Rui had no time to heed who saw them.

He had considered pulling out his shamisen, but at that distance and in this environment he wouldn’t have had the time. He was equally reluctant to unsheathe Suiko and draw blood if he could avoid it.

And so, they ran. Rui’s heart was pounding in his chest, but the exit was close. They had only a bit further to go.

“Ahhhhh? It’s just some kid?”

Their progress was halted suddenly by a figure leaning against the exit. It was a man of average height, which meant he still towered over Rui even slouched as he was. He did not seem especially strong, but on his back was a massive sword that seemed impossibly large for him to carry. Rui kept his eyes on it as he stood with an arm stretched out in front of Santu, breathing raggedly. The stranger gave off an aura of violence, and he cracked his neck as he approached.

“Ahhhh? What? So scared you piss your pants, ahhh? So terrified you wanna run home to mommy?”

The man’s voice was full of derision, green eyes sparkling. He had short red hair swept up in spiky layers, and he wore a light shirt and baggy pants, with heavy boots, chains hanging from his waist. He gave off the aura of a punk, but the danger he possessed was clear to see. He spat.

“Got nothing to say? Just gonna stand there like a jackass? Ahhh?”

Rui gulped but a strained smile played about his lips.

“Sorry, I don’t think we’ve met. Maybe we can schedule a time to go over this? I’m kinda busy right now.”

The man snorted out a rough laugh.

“Hah! Very funny, little man. But that,” he pointed to Santu, who shrunk behind the Observer, “is company property. I’ll kindly ask you to hand it over, kindly, but just once, ahhh?”

Rui grit his teeth at the callous remarks.

“That, I can’t do. Sorry.”

The man grinned like a shark.

“All good by me, bro.”

In the next instant, that massive sword was coming down with destructive force and speed beyond comprehension, closing the distance in a heartbeat. Rui just barely managed to fling himself and Santu out of the way. He coughed, summoning his shamisen. A knife had no chance against a two-hander. Nor would he have the time to ring out the proper notes. He had but one option.

“Pretty good, pretty good, pretty pretty good! I’m gonna enjoy this, ya piece of shit!”

The man stood amongst the destruction his single swing had caused. The hallway had a massive hole in the floor, the wooden boards sticking up awkwardly. A line of damage extended from the impact point, and Rui shuddered as he imagined how it would feel to receive that blow head on.

“Isn’t she important to you?” he shouted, ducking through the dust. “You could have killed her just now, asshole!”

However, the man just barked out a harsh laugh at Rui’s complaints.

“Ahhhh? It’s not like it’ll die just from that. Even if I chop off every limb, I can just say it resisted. It’ll be fine as long as the head remains.”

“Bastard—“

Rui’s comment was interrupted by a massive swing parting the dust as the sword bore down on him. This time however he was prepared.

“—-Kahah! Seems you’ve gotten serious.”

The huge sword had been stopped by the slim blade of Rui’s one sided sword. He had managed to draw it from the neck of his shamisen just in time, and he panted heavily as he strained against the force of the two-hander. The man standing before him grinned wickedly.

“Didn’t take you for the strong type, little man.”

“I’m flattered by your compliments,” Rui grunted. “But it’ll have to wait for another time!”

He flung aside the opponent’s sword, knocking him off balance. Before the man could recover, a black shadow pounced on him, claws and teeth tearing into his clothes. Sowaca had transformed, his size that of a panther. However, the man easily shrugged him off with a scowl. The black cat slammed against a wall, the plaster fracturing. He slumped to the ground in a daze.

“Sowaca! Keep an eye on the girl, I’ve got this handled,” Rui shouted.

“Kahah! You gonna pull some tricks with your pet? Ain’t that cute. But half measure shit like this ain’t got a chance against my Fomalhaut!”

To punctuate his words, he twisted at the waist, sending a shockwave out around him. Rui went tumbling, just barely getting his feet back under him in time to dodge the incoming sword blow. Rui did not think he could count on wearing him down. The man was impossibly fast, wielding his weapon like it weighed nothing even though it was practically the same size as him. There was no doubt as to its impact though; it easily tore through the surroundings like paper, and Rui did not doubt that flesh would stand no chance against its edge. If he didn’t shut this down fast, it would only give his opponent time for reinforcements to join in. He adjusted his grip on his own sword, taking a breath to steady himself. He reached up and tore off his eyepatch, staring into the other man’s face. The action exposed the black sclera and golden, irregularly shaped, pulsating iris. The man sneered at him.

“Ahhh? What’s this? Trying to look cool, you shitbag? Posing like some hero, you prick? I’ll knock you down to your level.”

“Just try it,” Rui said sweetly. His lips widened to an almost maddening grin.

The man looked taken aback for a moment, but he snorted and gripped his sword handle.

“I’ll make you eat those words, insect.”

In the next moment he had stepped forward with unnatural speed to close the distance between them. His sword would reach him in the blink of an eye. But Rui simply stood until the last moment, dodging the minimal distance with ease. The man’s eyes widened in shock, but before he could react Rui had swung his blade.

There wasn’t enough space nor time for him to adjust his grip, and he succeeded only in slamming the man across the back of the head with the flat of his blade. It resounded with a sharp clack and the man stumbled down. However, he had not dropped his weapon and quickly regained his footing. He shot up at Rui with an underhanded swing, putting his weight into the killing blow.

Rui dodged again as though toying with him. The man howled as he slammed into the wall, totally wrecking it.

“Ya bastard! Pipsqueak piece of shit! Don’t mess with me, ahhh!?”

He complained loudly. Rui glanced down the corridor in the meantime. Sowaca had made his way over to Santu, and Rui nodded at him. As long as he could keep the enemy distracted, they should flee immediately. Sowaca nodded back, his three green eyes full of unease. Rui sighed and looked towards the man.

“Maybe we could call it a tie and save this for another day..?”

“You fuckin’ with me, ahhh?”

The Observer shrugged.

“It was worth a try.”

In the next moment their swords clashed, Rui’s thin blade ringing against the two-hander. It did not so much as chip despite the immense size difference. No, this Fang bestowed upon him by Sowaca would not shatter, even against such a mighty foe. He grit his teeth, feeling the tingling of roots spreading down his cheek. He knew he was overdoing it while his gate was still recovering, but his instincts told him that this opponent was not one to be taken lightly. That sword’s aura was bad news too, and it felt like he was on the verge of understanding why. But he would not get the time. A single wrong step would land them in serious trouble.

“Pretty fuckin’ gross, pretty damn nasty, just what the hell is up with that?”

The man squinted his eyes at Rui’s changing face, visibly disgusted by the black roots that spread across his right cheek. Taking advantage of his confusion, Rui adjusted his footing and sent the man stumbling. This time, blade pointed, he would not fail. He swung down at the man’s back.

Metal met flesh and the scent of blood filled the hallway. However, he had not succeeded in landing the killing blow. Rui stood, wide eyed, at the man who had turned at the last second and sacrificed an arm in exchange for his life. Blood seeped from the bisected stump, and he howled in rage as he clutched it, sword abandoned beside him.

“Ya prick! Piece of shit! I’ll fucking murder you, you bastard, you hear, ahhhh!?”

Despite the grievous wound, the man continued to hurl insults and verbal abuse at Rui. The Observer stared down at him coldly.

“I think that’s enough playtime.”

He rushed forward and slammed the hilt of his blade into the back of the man’s head with a crunch. The man’s eyes widened as he gasped, but he soon slumped to the floor. His bizarre weapon sat beside his limp form. Even on its own it gave off a bloody and dangerous aura. It felt almost familiar, but its appearance was unlike anything he had seen, and the Observer couldn’t tear his gaze from it. Rui stood breathing raggedly over the still bleeding man, thoughts a tangle, but Sowaca soon snapped him to attention.

“We gotta go now kid.”

With but a glance back, Rui flicked the blood off his sword and sheathed it. In the next moment, the shamisen had once again vanished from sight. He turned and grabbed Santu’s hand. The girl had watched silently as the fight had gone on, wide eyed and scared. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the unconscious man even as Rui and Sowaca hurried her along.

They made it out of the shrine, but the commotion had drawn attention. The sound of the festival was ongoing, yet there could now be heard shouts of alarm interspersed among the jubilation.

The Observer didn’t bother to stop and consider where to go. He ran after Sowaca, who had reverted to his usual form.

The destruction would at least serve as a distraction, he reasoned. They were lucky and managed to avoid any further interruption as they made their way through the side streets. The revelers they did run into were too far gone on the festival brew to take much notice.

Once they had gotten some distance into the forest, they stopped, breathing heavily. Santu collapsed to the forest floor in exhaustion, shoulders heaving. Sowaca came up to her and bumped his nose against her face.

“You did a good job, kid.”

Unable to speak as she caught her breath, the girl managed a weak smile. Rui came over and reached out to her.

“Are you okay?”

To his surprise, she flinched away from him with a violent jerk. The Observer’s eyes widened slightly and he withdrew. She gulped down a breath of air.

“Mm, Santu is, okay.”

“Ah, that’s, that’s good then,” Rui stammered.

Sowaca was looking at him with understanding as he was petted by the girl. After a moment of silence, with head lowered, she spoke up.

“Is… the bad man okay?”

Her question took Rui aback, and he tried to think of the correct response. Unable to come upon anything he could say as a convenient lie, he rubbed his head furiously and sighed.

“Honestly? I’m not sure,” he mumbled, eyes downcast. “But I’d like to think they have the resources to take care of him. I only knocked him out, and as long as someone finds him fast… Yeah, with all that noise someone will certainly…”

His voice trailed off. It wasn’t as though he wanted to kill anyone. But if it was between that or ending up a test subject for eternity, or send this child back to her cruel fate, he would not hesitate.

“We had to protect you,” Sowaca interjected gently.

He punctuated his statement with a headbutt against Santu’s outstretched palm. The girl appeared to consider his words, one hand toying idly with a long lock of hair. Rui had no idea how to handle children, and he felt a bit awkward now that they had made it this far. He coughed and dropped his hand from his head before clapping his palms together and bowing his head apologetically.

“Sorry! That must have been really scary,” he said. “Sowaca’s right in a way, I was worried that he might hurt you, and all of us. It’s… a complicated situation. I’m not sure where to start.”

Still looking down, Rui heard the rustle of grass and the next moment a small hand was patting him on the head.

“There, there. It’s okay now. Big brother tried his best to make sure Santu and Sowacchi are okay.”

Her words were gently spoken, a soft utterance forgiving him. Rui straightened his back and looked down at the girl. Truly, he had no idea what went through the mind of a child. Better to be off quickly and bring her to Nozoe for safety. He cracked his neck and let out a sharp breath as he thought of the travel ahead. With his gate in its current condition he’d be limited in his options.

Of course it wouldn’t be that convenient.

The Observer noticed Santu staring up at him with a questioning gaze. He tilted his head.

“What is it?”

The batling cast her eyes down, hands clutching the hem of her robes.

“Um, if it’s okay,” she hedged, “will big brother tell Santu his name?”

Rui froze for a second, realizing just now that he had neglected to even introduce himself. He considered giving her a pseudonym but his emotions got the better of him.

“It’s… Rui. You can call me Rui.”

Santu’s face broke out into a sunny grin, dappled sunlight glinting off of her sharp teeth. It was a discordant sight, but not off putting in the least. Before he could say or do anything more, Rui was caught in a sudden hug from the girl, her full body weight flung at him. He staggered a bit so as not to lose his balance and held his arms out awkwardly as she clung to him. After some hesitation and an urging look from Sowaca, he carefully placed his hands on her shoulders and patted them lightly.

“Rui-nii!” she shouted in delight. “Santu is oh so grateful.”

“Ah, right,” Rui replied weakly. “That’s, well.”

Sowaca was leering at him in clear amusement as the Observer struggled to respond. Rui stuck his tongue out at him, but trapped as he was in Santu’s grasp he could do little else to retaliate.

Finally, as it felt like his lungs would be crushed from the pressure, the young girl released him and stepped away with a bashful grin, fingers interlocked before her as her wings fluttered. He couldn’t keep up with her at all, but she wasn’t a bad kid. Despite what she had surely been through, she had a bright and trusting disposition. He ruffled her hair.

“Well then, we’d best be off if you’re all rested up. We have a long journey ahead of us.”

Santu just nodded vigorously, hands balled into fists as air blew out her nose.

“Mm! Let’s go!”

And so, the three set off into the wood.

It had been some hours since they had escaped the shrine, and deep in the Rift Valley as they were, their options were limited. As the day wore on, Santu’s comments and pace began to falter. Rui did not take notice immediately until Sowaca spoke up.

“Hey, the kid’s getting tired.”

Of course, she was just a child after all. Still, Rui sighed. He wasn’t comfortable with how close they yet were to the shrine, even if they were in the middle of nowhere and their pursuers had no idea of their destination. As he watched Santu stagger along without a single complaint though, he halted his steps. He turned around to the surprised girl and clapped his hands together.

“Well! I’d say that’s about enough for today,” he declared.

Santu did not look pleased, and protested despite her obvious exhaustion.

“Santu, can still, keep walking,” she panted out between gulping breaths.

Rui just shook his head and waved one finger sternly.

“Sowacchi’s getting tired, and we should eat.”

Although he shot him a glare, Sowaca did not disagree. Instead, he coughed and nodded his head.

“Oh, yes, I’m very tired and hungry. Oh, how worn my poor little paws are…”

“Aww, if kitty is sleepy then it’s okay,” Santu mumbled, relief evident on her face.

She then put a finger to her chin quizzically.

“But, where will we sleep..?”

Rui put on his best smile and spread his arms.

“That’s the fun part. Anywhere we want.”

Try as he might to make it sound more appealing than it really was, it was just fancy talk for roughing it in the woods. He wouldn’t be surprised if the girl would be disappointed or even upset.

In reality, Santu only grinned at his comment, eyes sparkling. Her tail wagged behind her furiously as her ears twitched.

“Camping! It’s camping, right? Oh, Santu is so excited, I’ve never been camping before!”

Her earlier exhaustion forgotten in a heartbeat, the young girl was brimming with expectation. Just seeing her like this made Rui feel weary, but he nodded and explained.

“Yup, totally, it’s camping,” he said smoothly. “We could reaaally use Santu’s help in finding the perfect spot. Somewhere with adequate cover, a cave is best.”

“I’ll go with her,” Sowaca said quickly.

The Observer paused, realizing how reckless that could have been. He had nearly asked a child to go off poking around strange caves without a thought. He smacked his forehead, admonishing himself. Indeed, he was not suited to watching over children.

“Ah, yeah, good idea,” he agreed. “Then, I’ll try over there, why don’t you guys look around within this area?”

“Leaf it to Santu!”

He could practically see the smoke coming from her nostrils as she snorted and crossed her arms, posing confidently. Rui grinned weakly and set off.

While he was poking around high and low for somewhere decent to sleep, he heard a shout. His heart froze and he dropped what he was doing to rush back to where he had left Santu and Sowaca. That was definitely her voice. Had the enemy caught up already? His head hurt.

However, when he burst out of the underbrush panting from his exertion, he was met with the decidedly proud form of Santu. Totally safe, with Sowaca by her side.

“Rui-nii, look, look, Santu found the perfect place!”

“Is that, so,” Rui huffed out.

Sowaca was giving him a look of remorse, and he could imagine the cat god trying to keep the girl quiet. An impossible task. Rui let out a long, ragged breath as he stood hunched over, hands on knees. If he wasn’t careful then this child would shorten his immortal lifespan.

When he finally straightened back up, his eye widened at the discovery Santu had made.

“It’s perfect, isn’t it? It is perfect, right?”

Indeed, as she opened the branches overhanging it, what she revealed was the perfect spot to spend the night. It was the mouth of a large cave, impossible to spot unless one were to part the way. Rui whistled.

“How’d you manage to come upon this?”

“Mm, it just, sounded weird? Santu doesn’t know, my ears told me so,” she replied with some confusion.

Her large ears flicked, and Rui wondered if maybe she could pick up on her surroundings much like a bat. So it went beyond aesthetics. He mused over that as the three stood before the cave.

“I checked, it’s safe,” Sowaca said. “No recent smells either, so it’s likely not inhabited by anything.”

“Ah, that’s good then. Why don’t we make it nice and cozy for the night and spend the rest of the day relaxing? Not long before the sun goes down.”

He set about unpacking his travel supplies. He had only brought enough for one, though his copious scarf could replace a blanket for now. While Santu followed Sowaca to the nearby stream to fetch water, Rui made himself useful setting up their sleeping quarters. As he was rummaging to retrieve some of the dried rations he had brought, the duo returned.

“Thanks,” the Observer said over his shoulder as he prepared their meal.

“Mm!”

Santu rushed over to see what he was doing, kneeling beside him on the grass outside the cave. He held up a piece of dried rice cake.

“Sorry, dinner tonight won’t be much, but we can’t make a proper fire here.”

“Santu doesn’t mind! Santu only ever gets mushy slop for meals, except once a month. But what happens after makes Santu not want to eat…”

Her voice trailed off forlornly and her purple eyes seemed to fog over. Rui did not doubt that she was recalling painful events, and not knowing what else to do, he hoisted up the pack of preserved foodstuffs.

“Why don’t you help me out? There’s not much to do other than choose what to have, but, well…”

Santu’s eyes rapidly regained their sparkle.

“Santu will help!”

Dinner ended up being a mix of dried meats and rice cakes, though Santu had also discovered something which Rui had forgotten he’d packed.

“What’s this..?”

She held up the pouch which held a fine powder.

“Ah, that’s a reward for Santu for all of her hard work.”

She looked at Rui with an uncomprehending expression as he took the pouch from her. Removing the tin mug he carried with him, he took some of the water and emptied it within.

“Once this is boiled, we can have sweetened milk for dessert. You just mix this with water and you have instant milk.”

Rui gave her a grin, although he wasn’t sure just how exciting a treat that would be, he did have a bit of sugar remaining. To his enthusiastic claims, Santu merely tilted her head.

“Melk..? Santu has never had melk before.”

Her response was completely unexpected. The Observer sat for a moment, but she just kept her head tilted quizzically.

“You know, like, milk? Usually from an animal, though not always…”

“Like cats?”

She looked sidelong at Sowaca, concern plain on her face. Rui ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“No, no, like cows or goats, but sometimes plants too… ahh you know what! Just try it! I can’t explain it.”

Though still visibly confused, Santu nodded at him.

“Okay! Santu will try this melk!”

Sowaca snickered at the hapless Observer as he struggled to make himself clear.

[cin-cant-donate-blood]

Chukina Santu Word of the Day #2

If you don't know yet, I'm posting entries in the dictionary of my conlang for fun.

Yata

content word

As noun: the sun

As verb: to shine

As passive verb: to sunbathe

As adjective: bright, shining, belonging to the sun

I thought I'd use today's word to showcase some of Santu's grammar. At a glance, it seems to resemble toki pona, but it is, in my own humble opinion, a lot deeper than toki pona's grammar, sacrificing some simplicity for far more flexibility and clarity.

The example sentence we'll be playing around with is the following:

(Nu) yata ki yata.

Which means "The sun is shining." Not very complicated so far (but keep in mind, the verb comes first). The particle nu is optional in simple sentences. Here are some ways we can create alternative meanings using a few grammatical particles.

Yata ki yata na mina.

This means "The sun shines on me." I use the particle na to mark that mina, me, is an object.

Nu na yata ki yata.

By placing the object particle in front of the verb, I've created passive voice! The sentence now means "The sun is being shined on." or "The sun is sunbathing." Here's another one:

Yata ki nu yata.

In this example, we took the verb particle nu and put it in front of the subject. This turns the subject into an infinitive or gerund. It could be translated as either "The act of shining is the sun." or "To shine is to be the sun." though the latter would probably require an emphatic extra verb particle, like this:

Nu nu yata ki nu yata.

How about a harder one? Check this out:

Yata ki na yata.

This one uses the object particle on the subject. It could be translated as "The shined upon one shines." or "The shined upon one is the sun." (we talked about how to clarify that distinction if it is necessary in the first post). One last example:

Nu cha ta yata ki mina.

In this case, we use the particle cha, which on its own means "with" or "by means of". Then we use ta, which means "from". When right before a word, it tends to imply a thing that comes from something else. By placing both in the verb phrase, we've constructed a sentence that means something like "I make use of the sunlight." or more literally "I use the thing from the sun."

Anyway that's all. I hope not every post I make on this theme ends up being this long.

[ortodelmondo]

Santu Mofokeng, Sacral Animals, Motouleng Cave, Clarens, 2004

[sli-writes]

Essay; Santu Mofokeng, A Fading World

Santu Mofokeng. Easter Sunday Church Service. 1996. 

Looking at ‘Easter Sunday Church Service’ you get the sense that Santu Mofokeng is in search of something beyond the visible, only using the visible as a guide to get to the mystical; a smut surrounds the subjects as though carrying a purpose in itself within the space, conversely, the smut seemingly acknowledges the presence of the church goers - a dialogue with the laws of nature known to man, on the other hand, one’s humanity has not quite figured out yet - and so, as without the church goers, the space only exists in and of itself. That is the nature of Santu Mofokeng works, supernatural. 

A key tangent to Mr Mofokeng’s work: It wasn’t until wooden furniture renderings not being up to par for companies did kodak develop film that considered the variety of brown shades, even then not of skin tones until the 90s, all the while - it strictly idealised the beauty standard being that of fairer skin and so it is no surprise that we find most Santu Mofokeng images in black and white.

The Drumming, Johannesburg-Soweto Line, From Train Church. 1986.

Train Church. 1986.

My attraction to the geniuses work is how he is able to achieve a sensation in his images without the boredom of conveyance, I find such an attraction at a time when we’re constantly bombarded with images..all of which are pristine, without emotion, only the perfectly fluorescent; all you’re seeing, is all there is to be seen. An article in the ‘New Yorker’ writes on the process of Santu Mofokengs work; “Mofokeng would often use exhausted chemicals to give his photographs an ethereal edge.” Seeing through ideas even after the camera is set down sets about a sense of connection to the works that is metamorphosed, fragile and nostalgic to fleeting moments seeing for the first time since shot. 

Santu Mofokeng subject concerns has to do with capturing the intimate moments of the daily lives of black South Africans. Such an intrinsic search for a beauty outside of a system that shun tradition and culture so as to move the black community away from the soul of their being is a search for God. This approach was peculiar for the time as most photographers in South Africa were capturing the grotesque nature of the Apartheid regime.

Soweto. 1987

That world seems to have come to an end now, the search for sensation..in most painting work as well. Nonzuzo Gxekwa, Andile Bhala and Imraan Christian to mention only a few are however still in that realm and it’s beautiful to watch. 

Chief More’s Funeral, GaMagopa. 1989. 

Bibliography

Cole, T. (2017) ‘Victory in the Shadows’, The New York Times Magazine, 13 August, p. 12.

Color film was built for white people. Here’s what it did to dark skin. (2015). Vox. 18 September. Available at: https://youtu.be/d16LNHIEJzs (Accessed: 01 May 2023).

Onabanjo, O.C. (2020) ‘How Santu Mofokeng Shaped South African Photography’, The New Yorker, 24 February.

[thegenxorcist]

Santu Sakai

The native peoples of Malaysia are always quick to warn outsiders of the dangers of the Santu Sakai. When the visitor, either bemused or alarmed or merely curious, enquires as to what, exactly, the Santu Sakai, or ‘Mouth Men,” ARE, he is informed that they are half human and half animal. They might be a separate race, or an undiscovered species of highly evolved animal. They might be demons, or wildly deformed humans. Two things that the stranger is told for certain are that the Mouth Men have enormous fangs and that they are bloodthirsty killers. If they catch the outsider, they will kill him and devour him...

The Santu Sakai – The “Mouth Men”

[punk-in-metal-detector]

Bod pohledu: vstupuješ do Pepca

[gif z videoklipu písničky This is America od Donalda Glovera]

[klimt7]

IL SUD NELL'ANIMA

Le radici ca tieni

SUD SOUND SYSTEM

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Taranta Power

EUGENIO BENNATO

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Sana malata mia

NOTTE DELLA TARANTA 2018

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Santu Paulu

BRIGANTI DI TERRA D'OTRANTO

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.

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Lucia e la Luna

EUGENIO BENNATO

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Sponda Sud

EUGENIO BENNATO

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.

.

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[sebastianbenbenek]

World Press Photo 2023

World Press Photo 2023

World Press Photo to konkurs, do którego często wracam, bowiem zawsze gdzieś tliło się we mnie marzenia zastania także fotoreporterem. Możliwe, że w wyniku dość romantycznego wyobrażenia pochodzącego z innej epoki za sprawą książek historycznych, ale zawsze lubiłem wykonywać fotoreportaże, choć tylko z własnego podwórka. Tym samym fotografia reporterska, prasowa zawsze była istotnym punktem moich…

[literenture]

Santu in Power Plant No. 1, reuniting with her long lost sister & meeting Sho.

The room that Santu found herself in was cold steel and dim, greenish light fell over pipes and grates. A few orange, yellow, and red lights shone from the interface on the wall, blinking irregularly. She shifted her wrists uncomfortably, the metal shackles clinking against one another.

The hours drifted by in a blur, the windowless room making time feel vague. Santu shivered and curled up, trying to pull her head into her sweater. The room was chilly and foreboding, and as she waited her mind raced.

How long had she been here? She tried to recall but her head felt fuzzy. Her large ears twitched at the ringing silence, interrupted only by mechanical clicks and whirrs. Her stomach growled loudly in the dark, and she bunched up tighter. Would Rui come for her? Or was she going back to the shrine? She shuddered at memories of her life before the Observer.

“I don’t want that,” she said into the empty room. Tears stung her eyes.

“Rui-nii, save me…”

Exhaustion tore at her heart but the terror she felt made her wary to sleep. They had been struck suddenly, giving Rui little time to respond amidst the snowfall. Memories of the vivid red wounds across his throat and watching his disconnected arm sail through the air made her throat clench up in fear. Would he be all right? She had seen him shrug off grievous wounds, but the Lotus Eaters carried weapons capable of causing him serious harm. Santu shuddered, trying to dispel the panic in her chest at the thought that Rui might have been killed. It was impossible, she told herself, wiping away the tears as she bit her lower lip.

Mind going around in circles, before she knew it Santu had drifted off. Her face bore the lines of anxiety even in sleep.

“Little sister. Wake up.”

Santu stirred and went to wipe the drool from her mouth when she remembered the manacles. She shot up, suddenly alert, and stopped short as she saw who sat before her.

Poised like a doll, her long lost sister Imani was seated in front of her, one hand toward Santu. Despite the visible changes that had occurred since they’d last met, she knew immediately that it was her. The tall feathery antennae that sprouted from her forehead and her strange irises as well as her growth into a young woman could not hide from Santu her identity. She blinked hard and shook her head.

“It’s really Ima-nee?”

Imani smiled thinly and nodded.

“Here, I’ll take those off for you.”

Santu rubbed her sore wrists and ankles after the shackles had been removed.

“What’s Ima-nee doing here? It’s been so long since Santu saw you!”

Her sister looked at her with sadness in her eyes.

“Just how isolated did they keep you? Did they bother giving you language lessons? I don’t remember the old tongue…”

She glanced away, brow furrowed, but Santu was just happy to see her. As soon as she could she wrapped her arms around Imani’s strong shoulders.

“Santu’s happy to see you!”

Her sister smiled thinly.

“Welcome home, little sister. Come with me.”

She was led down cold, monotonous hallways to a larger room with a massive arching glass dome and wall. Santu gasped and ran up to look out, the view so stunning that it momentarily took away all caution. Beyond her spread a vista of multicolored lights, the reflections of millions of windows like stars in the night. The city spread out down and away from her point of view, airships running advertisements over and among the tall skyscrapers. As she followed the glass up she saw a dark sinuous cluster of shapes spreading out and away, studded with lights and the outlines of buildings. She spun back to Imani and gave her a questioning look.

“Mineshi,” said her sister coolly. “We’re in Daikokuten’s Power Plant No. 1. It’s built into Ibaragi’s eponymous heart tree.”

Santu let out a breath in amazement as she tried to take in the sheer size of the tree.

“It’s so big! Santu didn’t know trees grew so large.”

“Not anymore,” said Imani, sorrow in her voice. “They’ve all long since died. Only their corpses remain.”

It made Santu sad to think about such impressive things dying. She looked up to the tree, now able to see that its twisted and gnarled shape was bare of any leaves. She could see the moons beyond its spreading arms. Imani walked up beside her, staring out at the view. One of her hands reached out and gripped Santu’s.

“They’re such pitiful beings.”

“Who?” Santu asked quizzically.

“Humans. They take and take, not knowing what they do to the world.”

Santu was taken aback by how angry her sister sounded, and winced as the grip on her hand strengthened.

“They’re ungrateful and cruel. Such a foolish race.”

“Big sis…”

“They have no interest in their place in this universe. They’re always looking for more, never satisfied. It’d be better if they never came here.”

“You’re hurting Santu!”

Imani blinked and withdrew her hand.

“I’m sorry, don’t mind me. Say, are you hungry?”

Mind swirling with her sister’s odd behavior, Santu hesitated. Her stomach spoke for her however, grumbling loudly. Imani smiled, but it looked somehow fake.

“Come. We’re keeping him waiting.”

Santu was led to a smaller private room off of the main viewing room, where she was immediately hit by the smell of all sorts of succulent food. Drool filled her mouth at the scents of roasted meats, fluffy rice, and herbs. There was a large table taking up much of the space covered with assorted dishes. Each looked more appetizing than the next; fresh, sliced fish, still raw and soaked in rice vinegar, roasted poultry and steaming white rice, creamy stew and bright green vegetables, and more. Santu swallowed hungrily. She was so busy taking in all of the food that at first she had missed the figure seated at the other end of the table until he spoke up.

“So you must be Santu. I’ve heard so much about you. I suppose this is our first proper introduction.”

A small, androgynous boy was looking at her with dark eyes that seemed to suck her into their swirling depths. Three moles were arranged with one beneath either eye and the third beside an upturned mouth. He was dressed all in black with gold trim, a smartly cut uniform jacket and black cap emblazoned with a sigil on its front, black hair hanging down the sides of his face and sticking out from the base of his hat.

She felt as though she’d seen him before, and panic rose in her chest at her foggy memories. Had he been one of the ones on the mountain? It all felt as vague as a dream, and she stared openly at him.

As Santu looked at him, he smiled, and she smiled back, waving. Imani was stoic and silent beside her.

“The leisure is all Santu’s.”

The boy stared for a moment before he burst out laughing. Not sure what was so amusing, Santu grinned. Her sister just sighed.

“Do you need anything else from me?” she asked the raven-haired boy.

He waved half heartedly.

“Go on, I’m sure Grandfather is wondering where you are.”

Imani bowed deeply before turning to leave. Santu grabbed her arm before she could.

“Where is big sis going?”

“I’ll be back later. Be a good girl for me and enjoy your dinner, okay?”

“Mm,” Santu mumbled, letting Imani go reluctantly.

Alone with the stranger, she turned back to the table. The boy gestured for her to sit, which she did a bit hesitantly.

“So,” he said cheerfully. “Welcome to Mineshi. I hope the journey wasn’t too unpleasant. Please, don’t hold back, help yourself.”

Santu wanted nothing more than to dive into the meal, but her guard was up around the stranger.

“It was horrible,” she grumbled, playing with a fork. “They hurt Rui-nii.”

Her companion’s face fell, and he shook his head.

“I am sorry for that. But you must understand, after you were abducted the company feared so very much for your safety.” He sighed and swirled his water glass idly. “By such a violent criminal, no less.”

“Rui-nii isn’t a criminal!” Santu objected. “He’s a good person! He never scolds Santu, he makes tasty foods, and he’s my very favorite.”

For a moment the boy’s gold-ringed eyes widened as though surprised, another, murkier emotion swirling therein. However, he soon recovered himself and put on a thin smile. Santu was beginning to get the impression that few of his expressions were honest.

“But he is a criminal; a wanted one at that. You don’t know just how many people he’s hurt. I know what it’s like, to be raised in a small box. You want so much to believe in anyone who shows you the least kindness.”

His eyes were distant as he spoke, and Santu was surprised by just how sad he looked.

“People will try to take advantage of your naïveté, lying to your face because they only see you as a tool. But here you can be free. Join me, Santu. Let’s be friends.”

He extended one hand over the table, but Santu recoiled.

“Santu doesn’t even know you.”

A look of surprise came over his face, and his hand fell.

“Ah, that’s right. Where are my manners?” He thought for a moment. “I’m Sho. It’s good to meet you, properly.”

Santu considered him at length. Alarm bells were ringing in her head, certain that his words hid the truth.

Rui had warned her of the danger that awaited if she were to be captured by Daikokuten, and when she had been separated from him he had been badly hurt.

But what if Sho was telling the truth, and Rui was a bad man? She felt so confused after the events of the last few days. Imani was here, after all. If these were the bad guys then why was her sister with them? She didn’t look like she was being forced, and now here was Sho, who seemed like a nice boy despite her anxieties. Santu eyed the food, feeling lightheaded from hunger and her swirling thoughts.

“Please,” Sho said, “do eat. It’ll go cold otherwise. Or are you afraid it’s poisoned?”

He speared a piece of crispy broiled fish on his fork and placed it in his mouth, chewing and swallowing with a grin.

“It’s really good! I promise.”

A loud growl escaped Santu’s stomach to her embarrassment. Unable to resist any longer, she took a forkful of rice and after consideration some of the fish that Sho had partaken in. She brought her fork to her mouth and took a bite. The bright flavor of lemon and thyme mingled with the sweet, fluffy rice in a medley of flavor. Before she could stop herself she was shoveling food into her mouth, grabbing forkfuls straight from the serving dishes. Sho watched with a sparkle of amusement in his dark eyes as he took to eating more in a far more demure manner.

They sat there together in silence as they ate, and when she was so full she thought she might burst, she set her fork down with a pleased sigh. She caught herself and slammed her hands over her mouth. Her dinner companion raised one thick black eyebrow quizzically.

“Is something the matter?”

“Zoya-nee says never to sigh thoughtlessly,” she said in her best big sister voice, one finger raised. “Or else your sole will escape.”

“A fish? Oh, your soul. That’s an interesting way of looking at it.”

Sho gave her a smile and Santu felt very pleased with herself. From his appearance she assumed he must be younger than her, and so it was up to her to be a good example.

He leaned forward on his elbows, head propped on his hands, and considered Santu at length. She tilted her head.

“Is something on Santu’s face?”

Sho shook his head.

“Mm, no, just, it’s been a long time since I saw anyone enjoy a meal with such gusto. I’ve always heard that watching someone eat with joy adds spice to your own food. I guess that’s true.”

He had a soft look on his face that made him look even younger. Had her earlier impressions been wrong? It was hard to believe someone with such a kind smile could be evil. Santu felt conflicted, not sure what was right anymore. She toyed with her utensils, thinking hard.

“Sho is nice,” she said, looking at the tabletop. “So why stay here? Aren’t they mean? Yubari was horrible.”

There was silence and she looked up. Sho’s face was stormy, thick brows furrowed as he stared into his hands. There was a complex expression in his eyes.

In the next moment it was gone, and he had a stiff smile on his face.

“It’s my home,” he said finally. There was something strangled about his voice, and despite his expression he looked pained. Santu wondered why he was forcing himself so much, and for whom.

“It’s not so bad! Grandfather is here, and I have…friends.”

She could hear the uncertainty in his voice at the last word.

“Yubari is a backwaters. I promise it’s much nicer at my shrine.” He clapped his hands together. “I know! Why don’t you come back home with me? Everyone listens to me, nobody will be mean to you. We can have fun every day, it’s beautiful too. There’s a bunch of places to play, and really tasty food.”

Despite how nice it sounded, Santu didn’t want to go. Even Sho seemed to be uncertain of the words as he spoke. She just wanted to be back with Rui, even if it meant eating canned food and sleeping outdoors. It wasn’t fun every day, sure, but when it was it was the best, and she got to see all different things. Sho was nice, but if it meant going back to Daikokuten, she didn’t want it. Besides, even he seemed unhappy in a way she couldn’t place, like he was stuck here against his will but had just convinced himself otherwise.

A thought occurred to her then, and she leaned forward.

“Sho should come with Santu,” she said eagerly. “Rui-nii really is a good person! Santu knows he’d like Sho too. We could have adventures, it would be fun!”

It had sounded like such a good idea in her head, but the boy just looked shocked. For a moment she thought he might agree, but then his hands clenched into fists and he grit his teeth.

“I can’t,” he said quietly. “I have a responsibility to my congregants, and my grandfather. It would be selfish.”

His face was dark with conflicted emotions.

“Besides, the Observer wants me dead. He’s already tried to kill me once already.”

His words shocked Santu, and she hesitated.

“Rui-nii wouldn’t…”

Silently, Sho reached up to his collar and unbuttoned it. As he parted his jacket to reveal his neck and shoulder, Santu gasped. There were bandages wrapped around his neck and gashes deep in his flesh with black, vine-like tendrils creeping out from the sewn wounds. They curled around his shoulder and over the base of his throat, with offshoots and what looked like thorns. Santu’s stomach sank.

“He attacked me with that knife of his. Suiko, I think it’s called. You might be familiar with it.”

It certainly didn’t look like he was lying, and the wounds were real enough. She had seen the damage Rui was capable of.

“But, but,” she insisted. “He only ever hurt people to help Santu. He isn’t mean.”

Sho’s face fell.

“Well, I didn’t do anything to deserve having my head chopped off.”

He made a slicing motion with one finger across his throat.

“That seems pretty mean to me.”

Santu could only nod weakly. He did have a point. She bit at one nail as she tried to reconcile this in her head. Sho looked a little sad at her reservation but he pressed on.

“He killed a friend of mine. He’s hurt those close to me. He even tried to kill Grandfather.”

He ticked the crimes off on his fingers.

“It seems to me that he’s pretty keen on murder. I don’t think that’s the sign of a good man. How do you know he won’t kill you too the moment he tires of you?”

“He’d never!”

Santu’s hands slammed down onto the table, shaking the dinnerware as she stood. Her voice shook and she was breathing hard, feeling dizzy at all that she had been told. Her dinner companion gave her a forlorn look as he buttoned his jacket back up. He merely sighed at her outburst.

“It doesn’t seem you’ll believe me,” he said, tone lonely. “Ah. That really is too bad. I’d hoped this might be easier, but maybe I was too naive?”

His voice lowered, as though talking to himself, and he brought one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. Santu held her breath as she stared at him.

“I suppose it is asking a bit much, so soon,” he said at last. “I’m sorry for putting such pressure on you.”

He gave Santu a weak smile, but there was anger in his eyes. She shivered and sat down slowly. Her appetite had fled her entirely.

“Why is Santu here?”

His shoulders dropping as he let out a sharp breath, Sho closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they had cleared of the earlier emotion she’d seen within.

“You don’t understand what a precious person you are. Grandfather himself believes in you. Of course he was worried when someone who’s caused nothing but hurt abducted you.”

“Santu doesn’t know this ‘grandfather,’” she said stubbornly. “How can he care about Santu?”

Sho clenched his jaw before responding.

“He wouldn’t have dedicated so much to rescuing you if he didn’t care. You should be grateful.”

His voice had sharpened, complicated feelings boiling just beneath the surface. She knew it must be a sensitive topic, but Santu was sure that this was an unusual situation regardless of what Sho said.

“Santu wasn’t rescued. Bad people hurt Rui. Daiten are all bad people!”

“And what would you know! You, who was raised in idle bliss, who is beloved, just what would you know!?”

In a sudden outburst, Sho slammed his hands down on the table and stood so abruptly his chair fell back. In a mirror image of just minutes earlier, breath coming hard, he lost his composure.

“My own grandfather put more time into making sure you were okay than he’s even spent with me. And you dare scorn that? All because of some violent vagabond you barely even know?”

There was disbelief, rage, and a deep loneliness swirling within his black eyes. His breath was ragged and he paused before picking his chair up and sitting in it heavily, head down.

“You don’t get it at all,” he said quietly. “There are people who care, who worry about you, and you’d just…spurn that completely?”

His voice was full of confusion and pain, the earlier mask completely fallen away. Santu watched in trepidation. She felt bad that she had said something to hurt him, but she couldn’t follow his logic at all.

“Rui-nii and Zoya-nee and Sowacchi care about Santu,” she said hesitantly. “They’re probably all very worried right now. Can’t this grandfather just let Santu go home?”

“Haa.”

Sho sighed through his nose, then lifted his face. It had returned to a mask of friendliness, though his smile felt forced and cracked.

“I guess that’s as far as we’ll get today, huh. Well. Maybe you’ll understand if you give it some thought and speak with Imani. Grandfather should be able to see you tomorrow. Surely then you’ll understand.”

It felt like he was trying to convince himself just as much as her, but Santu remained silent. With a sigh, Sho stood up once again and walked over to her. Up close, his small stature became even more obvious, and Santu had to tilt her chin down when she stood to look him in the eye. He beamed sunnily.

“I’ll show you to your quarters for the night.”

[hatutannews]

Nota Agradesimentu Bispu Sira Nian Bá Vizita Santu Padre Francisco Nian iha Timor-Leste

 Na’ilulik, diákonu, madre, irmaun, seminarista, maun-alin no bin-feton sira no ema hotu ne’ebé iha hakaran di’ak:  Ksolok, dame no domin Maromak nian horik ho imi hotu! “Ha’u klamar hahí Na’i, ha’u nia espíritu haksolok iha Na’i ha’u Maksoin. Tan hamatan ba Nia atan folin laek’ (Lc. 1,46-48). Continue reading Nota Agradesimentu Bispu Sira Nian Bá Vizita Santu Padre Francisco Nian iha Timor-Leste

[cin-cant-donate-blood]

I am a huge conlang nerd. Nerd enough to have several conlangs in the works. My biggest conlang right now is an IAL (international auxiliary language: a language designed to be easy to learn for everyone, so that it could be used as a world language).

It's called Chukina Santu (choo-KEEN-ah SAN-too, or [t͡ʃuˈki.na ˈsan.tu]), or just Chukina, and I'm pretty proud of it.

Anyway, taking inspiration from some other conlang blogs on tumblr, I've decided to post one word from my Chukina Santu dictionary once in a while (maybe once a day if I remember). Partly for fun, and partly to motivate myself to keep expanding the language. Maybe this will remind me to post other stuff once in a while too, who knows?

Anyway I'll start immediately. If I forget to ever do this again, let this post stand as a testament to my inaction.

Chukina Santu Word of the Day #1!

Pampa

content word

As noun: rabbit, bunny, hare, lagomorph; stomper

As verb: to be a rabbit, to stomp

Derived from: the noise a stomping rabbit makes! Pampampam.

Chukina is a language that strives to have a small vocabulary, for ease of learning. Many animal names also function as names for an action or trait associated with that animal. The associated activity of the bunny is stomping; put another way, it could be said that the word for rabbit in Chukina is "stomper" or "one who stomps."

Now, what do you do if you need to make a distinction between stomping and being a rabbit? It's not as big a problem as it might seem: English does just fine with tons of homonyms that you can tell apart with context, such as right and right, or bat and bat. Just as with English, if you have to clarify, you can just add a modifier, like baseball bat.

Here's an example:

Pampa ki ma.

This sentence could either mean "The woman is stomping." or "The woman is a bunny." How can you tell which it is? Well, in most contexts it should be obvious, and generally it is probably the first definition unless you're talking about furries.

But what if you are, though? Then you can just say it like this:

Pampa ki ma sama.

Which means "The human woman is stomping." or:

Mamu pampa ki ma.

Which means "The female is a stomping animal." that is to say, a rabbit! If you add both modifiers, you get:

Mamu pampa ki ma sama.

Which means something like "The human woman is a rabbit." Chukina Santu does this a lot: it prefers that you not be super specific, but doesn't prohibit clarification if it is necessary.

Oh, and if you're confused by the word order Chukina is a VSO language and ki is the particle that marks subjects okaybye

[ortodelmondo]

Santu Mofokeng, Eyes-Wide-Shut, Motouleng Cave, Clarens, 2004

[afrotumble]

Santu Mofokeng

[talonabraxas]

Aham Brahmasmi “I am Brahman” Talon Abraxas

Mantra

The vessel in which these offerings are placed is Brahman, and so, too, is the gheeoffered therein. Brahman is both the sacrificial Fire and he who makes the sacrifice, and to Brahman he will attain whose mind is fixed on the Brahman by the performance of the rites which lead to Brahman. Then, opening the eyes, and inwardly and with all his power making japa with the Mula-mantra, the worshipper should offer the japa to Brahman and then recite the hymn that follows and the Kavacha-mantra. Hear, O Maheshvari! the hymn to Brahman, the Supreme Spirit, by the hearing whereof the disciple becomes one with the Brahman.

Stotra

Ong! I bow to Thee, the eternal Refuge of all: I bow to Thee, the pure Intelligence manifested in the universe. I bow to Thee Who in His essence is One and Who grants liberation. I bow to Thee, the great, all-pervading attributeless One. Thou art the only Refuge and Object of adoration. The whole universe is the appearance of Thee Who art its Cause. Thou alone art Creator, Preserver, Destroyer of the world. Thou art the sole immutable Supreme, Who art neither this nor that. Dread of the dreadful, Terror of the terrible. Refuge of all beings, Purificator of all purificators. Thou alone rulest the high-placed ones, Supreme over the supreme, Protector of the Protectors. O Supreme Lord in Whom all things are, yet Unmanifest in all, Imperceptible by the senses, yet the very truth. Incomprehensible, Imperishable, All-pervading hidden Essence. Lord and Light of the Universe! save us from harm. On that One alone we meditate, that One alone we in mind worship, To that One alone the Witness of the Universe we bow. Refuge we seek with the One Who is our sole Eternal Support, The Self-existent Lord, the Vessel of safety in the ocean of being. This is the five-jewelled hymn to the Supreme Soul.

He who pure in mind and body recites this hymn is united with the Brahman. It should be said daily in the evening, and particularly on the day of the Moon. The wise man should read and explain it to such of his kinsmen as believe in Brahman. I have spoken to You, O Devi! of the five-jewelled hymn, O Graceful One! listen now to the jagan-mangala Mantra of the amulet, by the wearing and reading whereof one becomes a knower of the Brahman. Vedic Mantras

“Aham Brahmasmi” — This famous Vedic mantra means “I am Brahman,” indicating the realization of one’s true nature as the ultimate reality, the Supreme Self or Brahman.

“Tat Tvam Asi” — Another well-known Vedic mantra, it means “Thou art That,” emphasizing the identity of the individual soul (Jiva) with the Supreme Self (Brahman), highlighting the concept of oneness.

“Satyam Eva Jayate” — This mantra teaches that “Truth alone triumphs,” underscoring the significance of truthfulness, integrity, and righteousness in one’s actions.

“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” — This mantra states that “The world is one family,” conveying the idea of universal brotherhood, compassion, and interconnectedness among all beings.

“Ayam Atma Brahma” — This mantra asserts that “This Self is Brahman,” affirming the divinity within oneself and recognizing the infinite and eternal nature of the Self.

“Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niramayah” — This mantra prays for the well-being of all beings, wishing “May all beings be happy, may all beings be healthy,” reflecting the spirit of compassion and benevolence.

“Ahimsa Paramo Dharma” — This mantra declares “Non-violence is the highest virtue,” emphasizing the value of non-harming, compassion, and peacefulness in thoughts, words, and deeds.

“Yatha Pinde Tatha Brahmande” — This mantra establishes the connection between microcosm and macrocosm, stating “As is the atom, so is the universe,” highlighting the idea of the universe as a reflection of the individual self and vice versa.

“Om Namah Shivaya” — This popular Vedic mantra is a salutation to Lord Shiva, symbolizing the supreme consciousness and the ultimate reality, and invoking blessings for spiritual upliftment.

“Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma” — This mantra proclaims “All this is indeed Brahman,” pointing to the all-pervading nature of Brahman, the supreme reality that exists in everything and everywhere.

“Aum Bhur Bhuva Swaha” — This sacred mantra, also known as the Gayatri mantra, is a powerful invocation to the Sun God, seeking illumination, knowledge, and spiritual awakening.

“Asato Ma Sadgamaya, Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya” — This mantra prays for the journey from ignorance to knowledge, from darkness to light, seeking guidance towards truth, wisdom, and enlightenment.

“Krinvanto Vishvam Aryam” — This mantra calls for action to make the world noble and righteous, urging individuals to strive towards the betterment of themselves and the society.

“Yadaa Karishyasi Tat Kurushva” — This mantra advises to always do what is right, regardless of the outcome or circumstances, emphasizing the importance of righteousness and moral values in actions.

“Vedaham etam purusham mahantam, Aditya-varnam tamasas parastat” — This mantra describes the supreme being as the one who illuminates the darkness and reveals the ultimate truth, highlighting the importance of knowledge and enlightenment.

[sciatu]

ARCOBALENO NELLO STRETTO

Ci fu timpesta nta tuttu u strittu acqua chi paria ittata chi bagghioli nu chioviri chinu, fittu fittu chi urricava culuri e paroli. I bacchiceddi nta ribba da misi l’aceddi nta l’abbiri mucciati i lampi nto mari e da nto paisi tutti chi currianu appiniati. Paria chi chiù non scampava cu munnu avia finiri nta nenti chi l’acqua tuttu a mari puttava Inveci eccu impruvvisamenti n’accubalenu, cubbu dà nto mari autu e immensu, cumpariu pi quantu tu putivi vaddari di so culura u cielu inchiu d’infennu d’acqua fitta e raggiata improvvisamenti sinni finiu nto cielu eccu na luci ndurata e da pena nto cori, du scantu a vidiri da luci, eccu muriu, lassannuti nu mumentu santu. Comi matri chi sempri ti cura chi t’ acarizza e poi ti scugna accussì è a fini sta natura cu na manu pigghia cu l’otra dugna

C’è stata una tempesta in tutto lo Stretto, acqua che sembrava buttata con i secchi, un piovere pieno, fittissimo, che seppelliva colori e parole. Le piccole barche messe a riva, gli uccelli nascosti negli alberi, i lampi nel mare e li nel paese, tutti che correvano disperati. Sembrava che non smettesse più di piovere, che il mondo sarebbe finito in un niente, che l’acqua avrebbe portato tutto al mare. Invece improvvisamente è comparso un arcobaleno, curvo li nel mare, alto e immenso e per quanto tu potessi guardare con i suoi colori ha riempito il cielo e quell’inferno di acqua arrabbiata, improvvisamente è finito. Nel cielo ecco una luce dorata e la pena nel cuore, la paura, a vedere quella luce, ecco che è morta, lasciandoti un momento santo, benedetto. Come una madre che ti cura sempre, che ora ti accarezza e ora ti scansa, alla fine è così la Natura che con una mano prende e con l’altra dona.

There was a storm in the whole Strait, water that seemed to have been thrown with buckets, a full, heavy rain that buried colors and words. The small boats put on the shore, the birds hidden in the trees, the lightning in the sea and there in the village, everyone running desperately. It seemed that the rain would never stop, that the world would end in nothing, that the water would take everything to the sea. Instead suddenly a rainbow appeared, curved there in the sea, high and immense and as much as you could look with its colors it filled the sky and that hell of angry water, suddenly ended. In the sky there is a golden light and the pain in the heart, the fear, to see that light, it died, leaving you a holy, blessed moment. Like a mother who always takes care of you, who now caresses you and now pushes you away, in the end that is how Nature behaves, who with one hand takes and with the other gives.

[floof-writes]

The alternate continuities of acoc/trw due to unused backup characters literally keep me up at night. What do you mean there’s a version of acoc where Ricocco appears as a warlock revenant who sold all her sugar to come back to life and get revenge? You gonna look me in the eyes and tell me that Jet could never meet her sister and Ruby could never meet her aunt? What do you mean Caramelinda’s lesbianism could’ve been explored by Ally playing her s’mores knight mistress? Aabria conceptualized a character made of honey who was obsessed with being queen and I never got to see that realized? Lou almost played a dairy islander yogurt man whose god was a scoby?! Release the footage right now, Dropout.

I am similarly tortured by the fact that the Santus Putris plot line had to be cut from acoc, a plot point which has been retroactively explained by Colin Provolone’s life, but goddamn. “Dnd is beautiful specifically because this could only happen in this medium. Improv!” Shut the fuck up and move that quantum encounter to my computer screen