Scorpion's Heart

scorpion's heart

Sometimes while thinking about TBHK thoughts will run through my head that I realize aren't universal among the fandom. I have actually touched upon this topic before, but I still wanted to make a quick post for the uninformed about an official parallel drawn between Tsukasa and a moment in a beloved piece of Japanese literature.

Night on the Galactic Railroad is a classic Japanese novel often taught in Japanese classrooms, similar to how English classics will often be taught in the Anglosphere. It's well known in Japan for this reason, and for the sake of this post I'll assume you either haven't heard of it or that you don't know much about it. Regardless, this post is centering on only a small portion of the novel, so you won't come away from it with a total understanding of what it's all about. I encourage you to check it out yourself!

As you might be able to tell by the name, the story involves a boy riding a train through a fantastical version of outerspace. During his trip through the cosmos, he meets others riding the train. One of these people tells him the story of Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpio. Already there is one connection to the story of Hanako-kun, that being Amane's infamous monologue about the star during the Picture Perfect arc.

The story goes as follows: a scorpion was being chased by a weasel. In a last ditch effort to escape the weasel, it threw itself into a well. But the scorpion had no means of escape, and realized it was going to die there. The scorpion bemoans this fate, because as a predator it has only ever taken life away. It regrets not taking the chance to help the weasel, even if it would only help the weasel live a single day longer. And now the scorpion is going to die having helped no one.

So it prays to God, and asks that its body be used to bring happiness to everyone. And as if God had heard its plea, the scorpion's body burst into a brilliant red flame. This same light is said to be the star Antares, the heart of the Scorpio constellation.

...so! Already somewhat superficially you can compare this story to Tsukasa and the Red House. Little guy jumps into hole/well,

little guy makes a wish to a God to bring happiness to others,

little guy bursts into flames...

Personally I find these alone to be staggering similarities, but it leaves you asking: What is the significance of this?

Well, I tend to interpret it as a reflection of Tsukasa's selflessness. I think Tsukasa's intentions as a child were very pure. But later on it seems like this selflessness distorts into something else, something more twisted. Regardless, Tsukasa's motivations involve destroying himself for other people's happiness. His own destruction will bring happiness to Sakura (she needs all the yorishiro to be destroyed to have her wish granted) and also Amane, who has a wish of his own he wants granted.

Anyway, besides Amane comparing himself to Antares in Picture Perfect, we also have this official Night on the Galactic Railroad AU art with Tsukasa bearing the tail of the scorpion:

Note the red flame on the tip of his stinger. (And most importantly note his cuteness. 🦂🔥❤️)

Touching briefly upon Amane's Antares story in Picture Perfect, there aren't many obvious comparisons to draw between it and Night on the Galactic Railroad. However, one thing I'll touch upon is how Antares is a binary star, or a "twin star." It being a binary star isn't talked about in Night on the Galactic Railroad, but Amane mentions it. He also mentions how you can't normally see its twin. This is because its twin is a main sequence star, much less bright than the red supergiant Antares. It was only ever discovered that Antares had a twin when the moon covered the red supergiant and an astromer spotted the main sequence star beside it. Perhaps Amane and Tsukasa are supposed to represent the red flame of Antares in different ways, but it does make me wonder if Amane is meant to represent the little main sequence star too, since Tsukasa is very clearly the red flame in this story. But considering Amane's analysis of Antares is so much more scientific than the fantastical version seen in Night on the Galactic Railroad, I think it's safer to regard these as fundamentally separate stories. Still fun to consider however.

But if we did want to talk about the scientific implications of Tsukasa being Antares, I'd bring up how red supergiants often become black holes, almost the antithesis of what the scorpion wanted to become. The scorpion wanted to bring light and happiness to everyone, but a black hole only devours and destroys, just the thing the scorpion didn't want to be anymore. I don't think Tsukasa started in the same place as the scorpion, who regretted its life of selfishness... but it makes me wonder if he's meant to be the anti-scorpion: a selfless being becoming a black hole of destruction. That's a very sad way of looking at things, but it's hard not to think of it when we see what's happened to him in the series as a whole:

In the context of Night on the Galactic Railroad, the scorpion is regarded as a selfless hero. Although another character expresses distastes for dangerous creatures like the scorpion, the character who tells the Antares story argues that the scorpion is a fundamentally good creature. It's another one of those little things in Hanako-kun that reminds me that Tsukasa, for all his faults, has good inside him too. But it does leave me wondering how far this comparison will go, and what that means for Tsukasa's fate. Will he continue to sacrifice himself till the end? And will that sacrifice be for the good of everyone, or only a few?

My favorite part about all this is there's no answer! It's just a fun comparison AidaIro made that helps recontextualize Tsukasa's character. Is this a meaningful comparison, or just a surface-level one? Will his story end the same way as the scorpion, or will he subvert expectations? Who knows! I mostly just think back on it and remember that Tsukasa started as an extremely selfless character that still displays these traits in the manga today, even as a nefarious ghost. Maybe he is isn't misunderstood like the scorpion, but he's certainly just as tragic. Thanks for reading!

alright here we go

so every tuesday at school we had assemblies and my teacher selected a kid he liked to call “rock boy” to hold the flag.

this was a mistake.

the middle school side is across the street at my school and so he ran across the street holding up the flag, “LONG LIVE AMERICA YOU DARNED BRITISH PEOPLE!!” because we go to a catholic school where swears arent allowed..

no joke, two weeks later, he found out from his brother that his grandpa’s brother was from the uk.

im still crying/laughing thinking about it.

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moniemonies

3 years ago

currently thinking about... Scaramouche

modern roommate au edition!

[Genshin Masterlist]

Listen I had a dream last night and I haven't stopped thinking abt it so here yall go I finally had motivation to write this lmao and truly none of these drabbles have fit the "currently thinking about" aspect of this series better. Also... this got ahead of me its longer than usual LMAO

imagine leaving your room in the middle of the night to see scaramouche at the front door, halfway out, about to leave. he turns to you with a confused look, but you simply ask where he's going.

"out," he replies bluntly, offering very little information as usual.

"can i come?"

you're still dressed, having stayed up late to do some work, so you absently make your way over to where your shoes lay in the hall. he won't say no to you, he never does.

this has been some unspoken ritual between the pair of you for a few weeks now. he gets up in the middle of the night to go "clear his head" and you come with him. it's pleasant.

he's grabbing a helmet from the side table whilst you tie your laces and you can't help but look at it in surprise.

"since when did you have a bike?"

"since this afternoon." he passes the helmet across to you and you take it willingly. "here, so you don't die."

it's a nice motorbike, pretty new model v4 engine and expensive tyres- he definitely shelled out some serious cash for it. you still aren't entirely sure what his job is but it clearly pays handsomely.

he pats the back of the bike once he's sat on it, offering you to join him. the thought of being pressed in such close proximity to your roommate sends a flutter through your stomach. you wrap your arms round his middle and hold tight as he takes off down the street.

the wind whipping past your face is exhilarating, sending adrenaline pulsing through your system. you feel alive like this, excited and free. you're sure the company you're with helps that sensation.

everything always seems better with scaramouche, whether he's being an absolute brat with you in the moment or not. the quiet times like this, however, when it's just the two of you alone together with nobody to bother you, feel unforgettable.

you come to a stop around the park you usually walk to together, suddenly having to deal with the stinging against your cheeks from the drive now you're back on your feet. as you go to place your hands against them, they're pulled away and replaced with another set.

"the helmet was supposed to stop you getting hurt," he pouts, rubbing a thumb across your cheek tenderly.

"i didn't realise you cared so much," you tease, subconsciously leaning into the touch.

"idiot," he chides, but there's no venom to his tone. it's practically a term of endearment for you at this point.

you nearly miss it whilst you blink, but he presses the most feather-light of kisses to the tip of your nose before pulling away entirely and holding out his hand.

"come on." he starts walking off before you've taken it, leaving you to jog to catch up, but you eagerly take his hand all the same and lace your fingers together snugly.

you wouldn't miss these late-night strolls for the world.

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moniemonies

3 years ago

IT’S DAY 7 OF TSUKASA WEEK, FREE DAY!! I Didn’t Have A Single Bit Of Time To Write Today, Sob. BUT!

IT’S DAY 7 OF TSUKASA WEEK, FREE DAY!! I didn’t have a single bit of time to write today, sob. BUT! A while ago, I promised a compilation of some of Tsukasa’s best moments in the AmaNene Fake Dating RP I do with my friend (the RP where Ako originated), so here they are!! More beneath the cut!

CONTEXT: 1) Nene has just told Amane about a guy who rejected her very rudely. 2) and 3) Nene and Amane have been on a fake date and have accidentally gotten covered in food, so they go to the Yugi household to clean up. Amane has gone to wash up. Nene sees someone walk into the room, and asks if Amane is back already. It is not Amane. 4) Nene has asked Amane on another fake date, but since Tsukasa is also in the room, she feels obligated to ask Tsukasa if he wants to come, too. Tsukasa, sensing Nene’s desperation to be alone with Amane, says he has other plans. 5) Actually Amane sums it up pretty well. Just enjoy Tsukasa’s weird-ass texting. 6) Nene has come over to the Yugi household to study, but she and Amane get a little… distracted on the couch. Tsukasa is supposed to be upstairs in his and Amane’s room right now. It is storming outside. 7) and 8) Tsukasa wants Nene to stay overnight since the power is off and it’s raining too hard for her to go home. 9) Tsukasa has gone upstairs to take a bath, since he was soaking wet from trying to climb out the window earlier. 10) Ah, brotherly love.

Keep reading

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moniemonies

4 years ago

Look at how Hanako and Akane are peeking out from the sides and spying on their crushes~

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moniemonies

5 years ago

I GOT TICKETS IM LITERALLY SCREAMING ASKSKFKSKAMGNSKAKGKSKDKBKSKZKBKRKALVKFKSKSKALA

AND THEYRE IN THE FRONT ROW OMG 😭😭😭😭

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moniemonies

1 week ago

If I were to give a general estimation as to when i think Maomao gained romantic feelings for Jinshi, it would have been at the end of LN4

Jinshi saves Maomao from her kidnapping, and she returns to working as the Verdigris House's Apothecary. With Jinshi's true status revealed, Maomao assumes she's never going to see him again

She thinks about this a lot, about how she's too low born for someone of his status to ever see her, and how he doesn't even need her help with his injury anyway, because Luoman is at the rear palace now. There's no logical reason for them to ever see each other again. And it itches at her

And so she starts her experiments again, harming herself. There doesn't seem to be a purpose for the concoctions she's making either, as if she's trying to treat something with no obvious cause. Something too deep for the failed medicines to reach

So she goes to cut off her finger. Specifically, her left pinky finger.

Again, there doesn't seem to be a purpose for this behavior at all- until you remember that her mother cut off the tip of her left pinky, out of anguish and rage at Lakan for abandoning her. Fengxian's love for Lakan is the reason her mother harmed her.

Maomao relates that particular finger of her's to romantic love, because of her parent's tragic love story and the trauma it caused her

Maomao knows how stupid love can make even the most intelligent of people, and has consciously and subconsciously avoided it, because she doesn't want to experience that same sort of attachment and hurt. She's heard her parent's story, heard stories of those seeking love at the Verdigris House, how courtesan's speak about love in hushed tones, and how it always ended in pain for everyone involved

But when she thinks she's never going to see Jinshi again, she goes to cut off her left pinky finger, as if on instinct. The finger she associates with romantic love. The same action Fengxian did, when she thought she'd been abandoned by Lakan.

Maomao is doing the exact same thing as her mother, for the exact same reasons.

It's only when Jinshi walks in through the door that Maomao unties her pinky and puts away the knife, and returns to her normal self.

It's one of those things where - I don't think even Maomao understands the reasons behind her actions here. Something was bothering her, something deep, and she went to the only solution she could think of to fix it- cutting off the piece of her that she associates with romantic love- but she stops feeling that subconscious itch as soon as Jinshi comes to see her. As soon as he's back in her life, things are right again, and she stops hurting herself

it's a moment i think about a lot, and it's one of my favorites in the series, because of what it represents for Maomao specifically. it says a lot about her character and how she feels about Jinshi, even if it takes years for those feelings to fully bloom

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moniemonies

4 years ago

Hello! I'm new to tumblr and the requesting stuff (not even sure if i'm requesting on the right area rn hehe), but I've always associated Albedo and sunrises/sets and imagined how he looks when he's beautifully sunkissed.

Would it be okay to write about reader waking up in the morning to Albedo's face being sunkissed because of the sunrise and he wakes up, a bit Embarassed that you were staring at him. Thanks a bunch! I love your works and I read them all night last night before bed!

Synopsis: a beautiful sun kissed morning with albedo

Warnings: none

Game/ fandom: genshin impact

Pronouns for reader: gender neutral/ not mentioned

A/n: hello! Thank you for requesting! Don’t worry you did it right, and I’m so glad you like my works! Genuinely it means a lot to me, so I really hope you enjoy and have a great day! (Also I didn’t make him embarrassed cause I live for clingy/ smug albedo)

Mornings have always been your favorite after you started dating albedo. He was always super touchy in the morning, in fact it was the only time that he was this touchy. Always waking up holding you in some way, and some capacity.

But this morning seemed to be different. He was holding onto his pillow? Ah, that’s right he came back late last night, and being... well albedo he don’t want to risk waking you.

This was the first time you’ve seen him in the morning, asleep, and at this hour. He looked absolutely ethereal. The way his hair was disheveled, and over his shoulders. How the sun bounced off of his skin, shingling brightly and beautifully. His breathing slow and repetitive, he looked... beautiful.

So obviously you couldn’t help yourself from staring. You were staring for a while now, when albedo started waking up. The first thing he saw was your beautiful, love struck eyes. He opened his own eyes, and smiled when he saw you staring at him.

“Hm, morning love.” He said with a warm smile on his face. You felt your face heating up by the second, and especially when he started wrapping his arms around your waist, burying his face into your tummy. Your hands instantly went to his messy hair and started playing within the strands.

“So, how long have you been awake.” He said muffled into your stomach. “Hm... probably about 30 minutes at most” you said. “Mm... can we stay in bed a bit longer... if you don’t mind that is?” He said looking up at you with puppy dog eyes and a once in a lifetime smirk in his face. Oh hun he knew you were staring at him, plus how exactly could you say no to him?

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moniemonies

2 months ago