Deliverance (ft. A Little Bird That Didn’t Make The Cut)

genshin impact as anime ✨ 🍃

Allow me to hit you with.. what might be considered to be a hot-take but.. is actually supported by canon evidence and parallels..

It's not yoriichi that shares more parallels with Tanjiro, it's Michikatsu/kokushibo

Now why in the world would I think that? Everyone is always talking about the parallels between nezuko and michikatsu and yoriichi and tanjiro.. I mean tanjiro IS yoriichis successor after all, isn't he? Until a few months ago I never had a mind to question this narrative..

That was until I came across an official illustration book that made me halt in my tracks..

I just had to take a minute to appreciate the artwork featuring kokushibo (for obvious reasons) that is when I realised something..

Let's take a look at yoriichis, kokushibos and tanjiros respective demon slayer marks..

Because surely that can't be..

Oh it is. It very much is. Tanjiros demon slayer mark is NOT like yoriichis. It's like kokushibos. I was willing to let it go before - chalking it up to tanjiros mark perhaps not being fully-fledged out on the illustration (since it does have different visual stages)

But then.. when I was reviewing kokushibos official fanbook page.. I noticed: THIS

'His neck and face have marks resembling flames like tanjiro has'

TANJIRO. Michikatsus demon slayer mark looks like TANJIROS, tanjiros demon slayer mark is a canonical parallel to KOKUSHIBO not. Yoriichi.

And THAT got me thinking about other similarities and parallels that kokushibo and tanjiro could possibly have:

1) Tanjiro is the older sibling. -> Just like michikatsu, tanjiro is the eldest, the one who was to carry forth the legacy of his family JUST LIKE MICHIKATSU. Tanjiros legacy being hinukami kagura, michikatsus legacy being bringing honour to his clan/family

2) hard-working. Neither of them had the supernatural cheat code that yoriichi had (born with the demon slayer mark, breathing was literally already sun breathing, constant access to the see through world, core strength to back up his abilities even as a kid -> the analysis we have kid michikatsu to thank for btw )

Sun breathing DID NOT come natural to tanjiro, he had to work hard and he struggled with adapting it for a long time (during the entertainment district arc he literally has to use a mixture of water and sun breathing because he couldn't handle sun breathing on its own yet) meanwhile michikatsu literally practiced so hard until his hands literally bled. They're both undeniably hard workers who got to the point that they are now through discipline and rigour.

3) both are slapped on the cheek due to their kindness that is considered as weak

Michikatsu: michikatsu was slapped because he was caught playing with yoriichi although their father had explicitly forbidden him from interacting with yoriichi. At that point in time michikatsu also believed his brother to have been deaf so.. the fact that he had still sought yoriichi out despite his father's orders? It is extremely kind of him. He gets punished for his kindness

Tanjiro: tanjiro gets slapped because he fails at killing the demon and the demon ends up dying due to the sun. Urukodaki slaps tanjiro because in his eyes, tanjiros kindness is weak and that he is not fit to become a demon slayer.

Both instances take place at the start of both of their journeys.

4) due to their status as older siblings both kokushibo and tanjiro have a deep sense of responsibility. Not just for their younger siblings (tanjiros care for nezuko is very well-known and kokushibo canonically calls yoriichi one of his 'obligations') but also in general.

5) both are connected to muichiros character development and growth. It is tanjiros eyes that remind muichiro of his father's eyes and tanjiro who returns the light to muichiros eyes as well as his memories.

About tanjiros eyes looking like the eyes of muichiros father? Where do you think muichiros father got those eyes from, hmm? Not yoriichi that's for sure. Yoriichi never had kids. Muichiros fathers eyes look like michikatsus eyes (when michikatsu was just a small child)

It is also kokushibo that connects muichiros recovered memories to muichiros legacy by revealing their relation.

6) tanjiros eyes are subtly expressive and alive... just like michikatsus. Yoriichis eyes are known for their oftentimes empty characteristic and tanjiro wears his heart on his face, especially in his eyes... just how michikatsus/kokushibos feelings can be discerned through his eyes

7) they both keep their respective 'social' circles in line

Tanjiro is often the voice of reason in his chaotic friend group

Just as kokushibo is often the voice of reason/the one keeping things running smoothly and ensuring that the upper moons uphold and respect the hierarchy

8) they are both characterised by how highly adaptive they are in battle and how flexible they are when it comes to changing strategies. Now, yoriichi is obviously very good at this as well but he does this on an intuitive, instinctual level whilst tanjiro and kokushibo consciously execute this.

I could probably come up with even more parallels but I think I have brought my point across, no?

idk

Meh im always too late for any hype TwT

rip to the person i was before the leaks

the betrayal

6 is staying up too late💤

*sobs at final cutscene*

this npc talks the way tumblr users flirt

Hunting

It is unlikely that humans are the only predator species to achieve sapience in the galaxy.

In order to be a successful predator one has to be intelligent enough to learn your prey's movements and be able to think ahead to what they're going to do next but also be flexible enough in your thinking that you can improvise if the situation chances. If you don't have this elasticity, you won't be a very successful predator.

Humans are very successful predators.

****

Greg bent down low and spoke as quietly as he could to the worried Sefigan next to him. "I need you to stay as still as you can. I'm going to go around, and try and surprise the Gren guarding the exit."

The three Sefigans, caught between wanting to obey Greg and staying silent but also trying to communicate that they thought it was suicide to do so started shaking.

"No, no, it'll be fine. I've been watching him. He's not really paying attention." Greg stood silently and put one finger to his lips, then smiled.

Moving much quieter than one would think given his mass, Greg crept away, hunched down just a little to keep motion out of the tops of the bushes they used to hide. The Sefigans watched in horrified fascination as Greg would take a few steps and then freeze, not even breathing while he watched the Gren.

As he walked, he made no noise at all over the soft sand, his feet finding purchase slowly. The Sefigans, a small furry prey species from a rocky mountainous world felt very old fears from the most early parts of their brains while watching him hunt the Gren.

The Gren guard was panning slowly as he guarded the exit, his fur flat, his eyes dull and his mouthparts drooping. If one knew a bit about Gren physiology one could easily see that he was bored and tired. His shift wasn't due to end for another 3 demi-cycles and nothing usually ever happened on this exit.

When Greg was no more than 2 meters away, he reached down and picked up a stone, no larger than a comm badge. He raised his arm and in one silent fluid motion, tossed the stone high and far over his head, to hide its origin. It clattered against the wall on the far side of the pen, opposite to where Greg was standing. The noise and motion caught the Gren's eye and his whole body swung over to where the stone landed.

His back was turned to Greg.

Greg bent his legs low building energy and took two steps and lept onto the Gren's back. His higher mass bowled the taller but much lighter Gren over and the Gren's head hit the stone with a hollow thwack.

Greg jumped up off the Gren and checked him quickly. He was dead. Trotting quickly over to where the Sefigans were still hiding he motioned for them to follow.

Still terrified, they followed this... ambush predator they were scared of and by the time they reached him, he had gotten the comm out of the Gren's pack and was fiddling with a ring that had complicated studs all around it, fitting them against the door until one clicked and the door hissed open.

Minutes later they were all running across the desert to the canal below where they had hoped to cling to the side of a barge and float to the spaceport.

"Human Greg! Human Greg!" The smallest Sefigan called as they jogged down the sandy hill towards the canal.

"What is it Li? Can it wait?"

"That was amazing! I've never seen a human hunt before! Is that how they all do it?"

"Not really? Humans developed as persistence hunters, not ambush hunters, but as you well know, skills can be taught."

"Persistence hunter?"

"Yeah, my ancestors would pick an animal out of a herd and run after it. As long as we didn't overexert ourselves we could just... run until it died."

The three Sefigans looked at each other as they jogged. Greg wasn't breathing heavily as they went towards the canal, but all three of them were nearly at their limit and would need a long time to rest when they were safe.

"Human Greg, you scare us." The tallest Sefigan looked back at the holding compound and then back at Greg. "But, not as much as we were scared of what the Gren would have done to us."

Greg smiled showing his wide, large, white teeth. "In this world, sometimes you need to be scary." He looked at the canal. "Come on, the water isn't too cold, let's get in and swim towards that barge. It's not too far."