#the tao clan

[tetsunabouquet]

Can you explain in a thread why you don’t like Marco?

First of all, I wanna give you a quick shout-out, whoever you are! You're the first person outside of my main fandom (KNB) to send me a request that's civilized and actually something I'd like to talk about so thank you! Reason number one would be, well, on my blog I've already mentioned various times that I don't like characters who abuse kids, and Marco is definitely not without corporal punishment himself. Whilst I like Ren and Jun, I also dislike the rest of the Tao family and Hao as he was mentally an adult throughout the story who didn't mind hurting and killing children (attempting to eat the souls of the Hana-Gumi waitresses for one, when two of them were still young girls is just unacceptable to me). Reason number two would be his brainwashing of Iron Maiden Jeanne and turning her into a murderer. That she forgave him for it doesn't means the audience has to. Children have a certain loyalty to their parents/caretaker figures that in abusive situations can be rather binding and making the child in question creating excuses, forgiving their parents when they shouldn't and see them with a loving kindness because they are the kid's rolemodel in life. Which brings me to reason number 3, the way Marco got absolved of all the sins he has done. Sure, he repented... By becoming a literal angel. That's rewarding him for repenting, and that is something I see as fucked up. That's one of the reasons why I respect Joco as a character- he literally blinded himself, and turnt himself in to serve time in prison for everything that he had done, continuing to carry the stamp of his prison sentence with him on his records for the rest of his life. Joco chose to repent, with no rewards, only more drama, awaiting him. That takes a whole lot of courage. Meanwhile Marco on the other hand, went on to power up in an attempt to say sorry for everyone, whilst Jeanne paid the price for the sins the X-Laws had comitted with her life. The only thing I could possibly say about that is, "Screw you Marco. I don't care if you soul 'could have shattered' because did that happen? No. The only price you actually had to pay was becoming a boy all over again. Oh boo hoo." However, I do think the Shaman King series has a problem with accountability in the first place. Children who were essentially brainwashed or didn't knew any better were held fully accountable for their crimes and didn't blame any of the adults for teaching them these things and blame themselves instead. Whilst the adults had to pay little to no price for the shit they did. I do find that harmful and victim-blaming. Reason number 4, his obsession with Jeanne. I mean, that Jeanne watch that Reiheit tried to give Teruko because he didn't have an engagement ring implies the X-Laws have Jeanne-merch. They have their own 'X' chant, which is more used as a Jeanne fanchant in the series, then it is a thing of everyone (including Jeanne) does. The way Marco himself admits he probably would have shot Ren during his wedding with Jeanne had he been there. Having been around the K-POP scene since 2010, Marco very much reminds me of a toxic fangirl that's one step away from becoming a full blown sasaeng. Just that scene of Lyserg faking Jeanne with an oversoul, and Marco being like, "the chastity belt was incorrect, that's the most important part", is seriously creepy to me. I mean, he considers the most important detail of Jeanne's appearance her chastity belt?! For fuck's sake. I can definitely see that a Shaman King reader who doesn't knows much about idol culture and how Marco is clearly written as if he were a toxic idol fan, to be like, 'Wait, the chastity belt is the most important thing? Hold on, the X-Laws are Christian coded... Do they touch little kids?!' (considering the Church's massive cover up of child sexual abuse). That scene definitely reads capital ICKY either way. Being actually obsessed with a little girl's purity as a grown man is just disgusting. So... Overall I find Marco to be an abusive creep who got off too easy, and that is why I don't like him.

[trashcanwithsprinkles]

Zhongli in the chapter; ooos I must’ve slipped and done something intimidating oh well I can work with this

Then proceeds to lore drop like crazy

at this point he's just figured he's not perfect so he WILL slip up so he's made like a mental list of which people it'd be less detrimental to mess up around hahaha

[amourlashai]

The Tao of Wu by RZA is such an intellectually stimulating book! I literally cannot stop highlighting because there are so many gems in it.

[cirr0stratus]

day 6: Bo-Katan and the Armorer(s child oops)

Happy birthday, Buir.

[lazyenemygladiator]

Class photo!

[als0als0]

[godfatherofsol]

8 Impactful Books for my Design Process in '22 As I update my website with all the new work I've been up to lately, I've been blogging about some of the books I've been reading for various projects in the past year. Both parts 1&2 covering the 8 books on my list are up now on: https://www.sollos.co/blog I'd love to hear your feedback. What other books would you recommend I check out this year?

[cosplayclans]

Game Genshin Impact x OnePlus Hu Tao Themed Ace Pro Cosplay Costumes

[motrappa]

[isekyaaa]

No but seriously, while Kazuha definitely is not a BAD character (he's actually quite good), he's boring as a person, like he's the kind of guy you'd quickly run out of things talking to.

[tetsunabouquet]

What’s your opinion on Ren and Jun’s parents and Grandpa if you don’t mind me asking

As I mentioned before, I am not too big of a fan of them. They did abuse Ren and Jun for years, and they got no actual consequences for it. As a matter of fact, Ren victim blames himself and takes the full responsibility, when comparable to Jeanne he never knew any better and he was abused since childhood. I mentioned it once and I'll say it again, I don't like how the series has the children take full accountability for what they have done whilst the adults who put them in those circumstances get away with practically a slap on the wrist compared to the punishment the kids face. I find it sends a rather harmful message, an the Shaman King series alwas targeted itself to adolescents. I feel like they shouldn't be taught they have to shoulder all the burdens of their parents' mistakes. Parents need to take accountability too.

[chiara-hotel]

Who they're jealous of - Genshin Characters

(Overall Recap/scores out of ten at the end)

They're jealous of: Kaeya

The most flirty man in Mondstadt (probably), its not really a question to ask why they'd be jealous. They know you are loyal but he just doesn't trust you around that man.

Characters: Diluc, Childe, Xiao, Jean, Nilou, Scaramouche

They're jealous of: No One!

They're 1000% confident about their own abilities to be your partner and your own loyalty to them. They don't need to worry over small things like other people you won't even remember in a few weeks.

Characters: Kaeya, Venti, Zhongli, Tighnari, Eula, Beidou, Hu Tao, Yelan, Yoimiya, Shenhe, Raiden, Yae

They're jealous of: Alhaitham!

Alhaitham is the scribe in Sumeru-one of the highest roles other than the Archon herself. They'd be a bit worried if you ever met him-you'll have to comfort them later and mention you won't leave them for him ever.

Characters: Nilou, Cyno,

They're jealous of: Childe!

The 11th of the Fatui Harbingers aswell as a well known businessman. Sometimes his nice comments get to your partners head and they get a bit jealous towards him.

Characters: Xiao, Cyno, Scaramouche, Yanfei,

They're jealous of: Ayato

With Ayato being head of the Kamisato clan its only natural some people get a bit jealous that you might be won over by another man. Thats what your partner thinks anyway.

Characters: Ayaka, Itto, Thoma,

They're jealous of: Random NPCs

Not anyone specific that's close to them but occasionally someone random approaches you at a party-to which they'd get jealous quickly.

They're jealous of: Neuvillette

As the guardian of Fontaine naturally any woman or man would want to be with him. Anyone's partner naturally would become jealous when in the courtroom.

Characters: Lyney, Lynette, Furina, Navia

They're jealous of: A lot of people

Practically anyone who bats their eyes at you makes them jealous

Characters: Kokomi, Heizou, Yanfei

They're jealous of: Furina

As the archon of the land of Fontaine anyone could be jealous of her-before she was revealed to be a fraud anyway.

Characters: Navia

Overall Jealousness of various characters:

1/10; Kaeya, Tighnari, Eula, Hu Tao, Yoimiya, Shenhe, Raiden, Yae, Tighnari, Neuvilette, Wirothesley

2/10; Beidou, Ningguang, Lynette

3/10; Venti, Zhongli, Lyney

4/10; Diluc, Heizou, Yanfei, Kokomi

5/10; Thoma, Cyno, Navia

6/10; Ayato, Furina

7/10; Ayaka, Nilou

8/10; Xiao

9/10;

10/10; Scaramouche,

[amourlashai]

RZA is a genius.

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

"In historical context though-"

This book has potatoes and chilis in supply and demand when these were not traded until the late 15th century... and not used for cuisine and a foods crop cultivator in China well into the 17th and 18th century almost 200 years later. Folding fans that are seen abundantly were not popularized until the 13th century. Taoism was at its largest during the Warring States period of 450 BCE–c. 300 BCE with the epigram of Tao Te Ching. Confucianism became the abundant practice as of 206 BCE to 220 BCE with the authoring of The Analects. It uses fabricated province names for real world Chinese provinces that are relegated to a simple five, when there are of 22 (claimed) and have been the most stable to survive since the Yuan dynasty 1271-1368. Idioms used vary through the centuries and are still a staple of modern day vernacular. The version of futou Jin Guangyao alone wears was a wushamao (乌纱帽), used in the Ming dynasty 1368-1398. Futou was made a part of ministerial and court attire during the reign of Emperor Wu 560 BCE.

The author has said it has no standing Imperial Dynasty it takes place in and has borrowed aesthetics from the Han, Wei-Jin, Song, Tang, Ming and even Qing. All of which had seen several turns of dynasty from Han to Mongol to Han divine rulings. So no, there is no historical context to take in regard when it comes to Madam Yu's overt abuse, to Jiang Cheng's abuse, the clan's classisms and hypocrisy.

It was written in an alternate fantasy of China without this context of real world history and through the lens of modernity of its author. Do not use a history that does not pertain to a novel that is not has not and was never called historical.

[shunxaii]

— ★ kamisato ayato ″

x male!clanhead!dendrouser!reader

(references iykyk)

library ! games shelf ! click here for part ii !

🐧 title : i'll learn

it was an arranged marriage. for the better of their people. for the better of their clans. a union to fortify.

to build connections.

while kamisato ayato is in charge of the yashiro commission, the shuumatsuban, and komore teahouse, l/n y/n was in charge of the trading connections and facilities—owned by his mother— between nations. the many branches of restaurants his family owned and mizu inn in inazuma were also under his management.

the l/n family was known for their status all around sumeru. it's where they lived after all. however, after the marriage arrangements that has been discussed for many years, y/n, the only child, was sent to inazuma with only book knowledge.

in his years of living, he has only ever done what he's been told. training to be the perfect clan head? done. being shipped away to another nation? done. marrying someone he doesn't know? done. just for his clan. for the people that depended on him.

so why? why was his hand shaking? his breathing faltering. his steps hesitating. "it's only an arrangement." the words that left ayato's mouth made his heart crack. just a bit.

what did he expect? how could he?

how could he fall for his charming persona? his misleading words? his refined and gentlemanly actions? his eyes that conveyed genuineness...? how could he fall so hard, yet so foolishly?

he was a stranger to inazuma, he will remain a stranger.

unlike the traveler, who never failed to bring out a smile on ayato's face.

she was a new tide that could shake the vision hunt decree. a new flicker of hope of abolishing it. and she did. much to everyone's relief and comfort.

"you're right... but i hope we don't end in estrangement...?" y/n carried hope with him, but also a sense of duty. he set aside his feelings, putting his duty before anything else.

if ayato couldn't like him back, he'll do this because it's what benefits both clans.

on the day of the wedding, it was private, with only their families and some friends attending. as they presented their vows to each other, y/n couldn't help but watch as ayato's eyes drifted anywhere but to him. flittering over lumine's figure, who was at the very back, every once in a while.

"...because it is my duty."

his own words haunted him that night. his own words that he memorized and rehearsed so many times. it was his mantra. why did be put it in his vows? because it was true.

their days together in the ayato's estate were awkward. they didn't talk to each other until day three and they didn't eat with each other until two weeks later.

over time, they had gotten used to each other. offering smiles here and there. sharing a few fleeting moments during mornings before they parted their ways, off to their offices.

it had become a routine at this point.

"you can go and find someone that suits your interest," ayato's voice carried over the table. they were having supper. they did this often. holding casual conversations over random things.

y/n halted in his movements. the feelings he swore to bury resurfacing. "i could never choose to love another." his firm statement surprised ayato, making him place his fork down.

"are you sure? i don't want to hold you back from a life you could live," his words were genuine, tender almost. in some ways, it eased y/n's mind that ayato was thinking about his welfare.

"i love you, that's why i could never."

ayato has heard this many times. he just could never reciprocate it. his heart aches for y/n. "maybe one day..." he smiled gently towards his husband, "i could learn to love you... too."

after a few more weeks of hushed conversations, y/n had to leave for liyue. to make more connections and to meet with the wangsheng funeral parlor's director. miss hu tao.

y/n departed with a promise. despite the distance, he never plans to find another. despite the distance, he would send letters that strengthened their trust. despite the distance, he'll love him everyday until the ends of the earth and until death.

as promised, ayato received a letter daily. an update of the day before, some words that warmed his heart, and things y/n wanted to try out with him.

it continued for three weeks, until it all stopped.

he waited at the post office the next few days. nothing.

he waited for thoma to come into his office with a letter for a week. nothing.

did he find someone else? did he love another? did he not want to keep his promise anymore? what happened? did the distance tire him?

many questions plagued his mind as he worked. his eyes drifted towards the pendant y/n left him. he put his papers down and reached for the fragile thing. he placed it to his lips, closing his eyes as he felt the cool metal.

"please... where are you? what are you doing? are you doing alright? why have you stopped? please..."

a tear escaped. "i love you. i love you too."

it wasn't until a month later did he get another letter from liyue. it wasn't from y/n, but someone named zhongli.

to the head of clan kamisato,

once this has reached you, it would have been too late. a letter as ordinary as this could take weeks, even a month to be handed into your office. i have no knowledge of the ties that bind you to dear l/n, but a wedding band engraved with your name.

l/n y/n has gone into an unconscious state, his waking is unknown as of the moment. once this letter reaches you, he is expected to have recovered. we do not know to what extent this damages his health, but we await for your arrival.

how fast his letters reach you, we now know.

his friend, zhongli.

ayato knew one thing. he would send in a written request to have the mail sorters interviewed and changed immediately.

he boarded his clan's ship and set sail to liyue, leaving his work pending.

after a grueling day of anxiety, he rushed to the address of the hostel. there at the lobby he met with zhongli, who looked a bit surprised to see him. though the surprise faded into sorrow. "kamisato ayato, head of the kamisato clan. i welcome you to liyue, the nation of contracts. though, we could have met in better circumstances... follow me."

zhongli lead him into a long hallway, skipping numerous doors before they stopped in front of the last one just beside a window. "he has only awoken a week ago and has been having troubles with his memory and emotions. he cannot remember a lot of things. please know how to pace yourself."

with that, he opened the door into a spacious room. ayato bowed his head and stepped inside. zhongli bid him a farewell, shut the door, and gave them privacy.

the wooden floor creaked under his polished shoes, the table in the corner had new wilted petals on them from falling from the equally wilted flowers in the vase displayed in the middle. why haven't you brought life to them using your vision? cream curtains framed the windows, shedding in light to warm the room from the cold temperature from the night before. a lone bookshelf was beside the door, containing few books and more potted and vine-like wilting plants.

then there was y/n, sitting up on the bed, reading a book about the history of inazuma. why? he has read that already and memorizes the places and their historical background by heart.

the bed he was on was average, it was good for its use, but did it provide comfort?

"y/n... darling?" ayato spoke softly, heart picking up pace. he sat on the bed beside his husband's covered legs. said male peeked over the book in his hands.

shame washed over his features. sorrow filled his eyes. guilt overcame his thoughts. his throat clogged up. his mouth felt dry. his body felt stiff. "i'm... sorry..." he croaked out. "i don't know how it turned out this way..."

ayato's eyebrows pinched together. "what do you mean?"

"i..." y/n bit his lip, slowly lowering his book. ayato's eyes widened. it's like a smile was carved into the once clear skin of his husband. two line reaching out to his cheekbones. "i look ugly."

y/n lowered his head in insecurity. mind jumbled. "i... i can't remember much."

ayato's heart wrenched. he held y/n's cold and lone hand. "well... what do you remember?" his voice was warm. as warm as y/n's heart remembered, but not his mind. ayato's voice was patient, not demanding. not like the practitioner who pushed him to remember.

"i remember meeting you for the first time... how your eyes twinkled when we went on the date our parents set up. i remember my training... as a child. the expectations..." y/n droned on, his face sinking. all he remembered is memories that didn't have him smiling in them, aside from the first date. "i remember fatui agents ambushing us... abducting me... one of them did this to my face and everything else... it's a blur." why did they go for his face? why was everything blank after that?

his life was dull and painful in a way. full of learning. was he that boring?

"i remember you saying that whatever we have is only an arrangement..." y/n's voice faded into silence. his heart unknowingly ached.

ayato neared y/n, "what do you feel about me now?"

"i did this out of duty... i don't know what to feel about you... am i supposed to?" y/n's words stung. where did all the love go? why did his voice sound like it's been rehearsed? "did i love you?"

ayato lifted y/n's hand and pecked its knuckles, "oh, the many times you've told me." his heart ached. he didn't know what to do. was this a consequence for realizing his love too late? or for learning to love too late... he didn't know which. to realize or to learn?

"i love you, y/n. until the ends of the earth, until death... despite the distance. despite the hardships and pain. i love you, please..." ayato's voice threatened to crack. it faltered and shook.

his chin was tilted up, his eyes connecting with ones full of comfort and understanding. "please wait for me. i'll learn. i'll learn to love you again. so please..." y/n's eyes watered, sharing the ache of the unknown with ayato. he struggled to give him a small smile, the dull pain in his cheeks blooming.

"please be patient with me."

[monicahar]

“one thing you want for christmas?”

in which you inquire about their wish for the long-awaited day.

—includes all my faves; kazuha, xiao, candace, cyno, scaramouche/wanderer, heizou, shenhe, hu tao, ayato, kaveh, yelan (bonus: alhaitham, ei, tighnari, nilou, yae miko, ganyu, keqing, ayaka, thoma)

—gender neutral reader, fluff, established relationships, rather sus with yelan's. p.s. let's just pretend all of teyvat celebrates xmas lol

“for you to stay by my side.”

# xiao has seen it all. from the monsters he had slain, to the cries of desperate mortals, to the quietude of his solitude, to the grief of the aftermath of it all, to the hushed whispers of his last bits of sanity, all leading up to the gentle sways of the breeze passing the inn, enveloping you both in a rather serene atmosphere as you stare at each other's gaze, yours one of anticipation for his answer, and his of silent contemplation. when honest words akin to a silent plea for you to never leave him leave his lips—his sharp eyes immediately soften at the reddening of your cheeks in response.

# kazuha is nothing but a humble man. he does not seek wealth, nor fame, nor anything trivial that concerns his title as the lone descendant of a noble clan, or as the inspiring individual who directly went against the narukami ogosho's blade of lighting. he only wants two things—peace and tranquillity. luckily for him, those abstracts are found in you, being the embodiment of his real home no matter where you travel. kazuha firmly believes that he belongs by your side, and he hopes that you think the same should you agree to take him up on his wish.

# candace was more than ready to answer your question, which pleasantly surprised you. with how firm she is with her beliefs of being a descendant of the renowned scarlet king with the protection of aaru village, you would've thought she'd wish for the safety of her fellow people or something...she agrees with this sentiment with a chuckle of her own. “you're right. but me ensuring the healthy being of my village is a given. i simply wished that you staying as my partner...would also be a given too.”

# cyno, the general mahamantra outright admits this within a beat of his heart. he's sure this wish of his would have drawbacks on your part—considering his frightening reputation, but he knows, and is certain that you're willing to take it on for his sake. he trusts you with his whole being that you were ready to commit yourself to him just as much as he is to you. his resilience doesn't waver a bit when you come off surprised by his sudden cheesy advance, it only strengthens his resolve to remain with you for the rest of his life...or in other words...“since it's christmas...[name], will you merry me?” (💀)

“you.”

# wanderer thinks this whole thing is silly. christmas is silly. merely wishing is silly. your question is silly. and his answer is also silly—but it held absolute truth, no matter how much he denied. it was rather stupid to ask for something that was already his, but he couldn't help it when the words erupted from his throat before he could even think about it. truthfully, there's nothing he wants in this world more than you. you are his heart. you are his human. you are his lover. you are his everything. he embarrassingly sputters for an insult when you suddenly laugh at his immediate response to your innocent question, your hearty giggles filling the silence of the room you've both resided in. something inside his chest flutters when you say 'likewise' so sweetly. he doesn't regret saying it that much now.

# shenhe was never this certain before. back then she'd always have doubts when it comes to making her own decisions, no matter how miniscule, or important it may be. is she supposed to be with humans? or with the adepti? this deer is looking at her quite weirdly, should she kill it? this person did terrible things unintentionally, should she hold them accountable? is she even in a position to decide such a thing? why are you making her feel weird things, should she confront you? all these random questions make up her past self, so now, in this present, can you be hers, faithfully and truthfully? forevermore, even? you have the power to grant this wish of hers, what will you do with it?

# kaveh is brutally honest when it comes to you. with how he's snuggling up to you like you're a sole lit torch within a raging blizzard upon uttering that one, three lettered word, now isn't an exception it seems. “i want you. only [name].” his voice is muffled onto your chest with a content sigh, resulting into a smile creeping up on your face at his display of affection. caressing his blonde locks, you mutter that you're already his, and remain that way forevermore. though the peaceful moment doesn't last long when you hear alhaitham on the other side of the house puking his insides out.

“a kiss, perhaps.”

# hu tao is a cheeky one. knowing her, she would very much rather die than passing up an opportunity to tease you. which is probably why she's now making kissy faces towards you in public, making loud bilabial clicks to further emphasize on her want for that kiss she requested of you. she's living for your blushing state right now. how cute you are! just makes her wanna pinch your cheeks and bite them! but right now, she has one goal. a raging conquest—to feel your lips against her own!

# ayato is also very cheeky when it comes to his dearest. that annoying knowing smirk of his plastered onto his face as you slowly process his response. he has no need for extravagant gifts when he has nearly every trinket or item at his fingertips as a wealthy noble clan head and his position as one of the tri-commissioners, so he'll use this to his advantage and pick up your lips in the process. he's been rather depraved of your attention lately with how busy he was with the preparation of christmas arriving in inazuma, but now that everything is set in motion, he wants to spend this small vacation with you and your lips in the meantime.

# yelan is incredibly flirtatious when she's alone with you. lingering touches that rile you up in silence, hushed whispers against your reddened ears, hot breaths mingling together from the close proximity she initiated...mhm, she's merciless. she'd have to hold herself back from full-on making out with you when you become shy from her intense gaze, averting your eyes as an attempt to calm your nerves. (she would ask for more than a kiss honestly, but we gotta keep it pg here so a long, long smooch it is.)

# heizou, yet another cheeky punk. you're really considering on giving his head a light hit for him to finally stop this little game of his. “ten kisses! that's all.” and after you're done pecking and littering his face with kisses, he'll just smile innocently and say “alright, ten more!” and he repeats it again, and again, and again, and again until you finally snap as you purposely bite his cheek under the pretense of giving another kiss. he just yelps and rubs the spot, pouting towards you afterwards as an attempt to charm you out of your irritated stance. “oh, come on, just another 10 more! it's the last, i promise!“ he then proceeds to say he'll return the kisses tenfold...whatever that means.

BONUS ! ! ! — “oh, how about a [insert random object]?”

# alhaitham would ask for some random nerdy book that he hadn't enough time in his schedule to buy. boooo no romance at all🙄

# ei would ask for dango. or a kiss. it's sweet either way, she says.

# tighnari would ask you to shut up. honestly, i have no idea. I wanted to put him in the “stay by my side” but he's too snarky for such cheesy stuff so maybeeee he'd ask for a type of essential oil for his tail or sumn.

# nilou would ask for a dance with you—under the moonlight amidst lotus flowers and flowing waters, right when the clock strikes twelve and christmas day warmly welcomes you both.

# yae miko had the potential to go into the kiss section, but she would definitely take advantage of this question of yours to make you do even more silly things. she can get your kisses anytime and anywhere anyways.

# ganyu would ask for a date! she got some time off granted by the qixing themselves, and she wants to spend it eating qingxins with you. (bear the bitterness, will you?)

# keqing would ask for a morax plushie. she didn't indulge you in her secret of being a huge fangirl for nothing. 😾

# thoma is the type of guy to let you decide your gift for him instead. not too expensive though! he dislikes you spending too much money for him. he'd gift you a knitted scarf as well. :') such a lovely man.

# ayaka would not ask for a gift. she would gift you instead with a fan that matches hers!

@muchendrafts i have included your beloved ei, thoma and ayato. enjoy your gift, along with many other readers! i also have an ayato oneshot in the works, but i couldn't finish it in time so i hope you'll fare with this, for now atleast!