this is just crap lol

This is a repost of my original post talking about what hochingeo/호칭어 (forms of address) and hogyeok josa/호격 조사 (vocative particles added to the end of names) the girls would use with each other + bobby + celine, because looking back, I feel like I didn't explain myself clearly and thoroughly with enough context because I was feeling particularly lazy, sleep deprived and very drunk then, hence this post (if you reblogged the OG post, please kindly delete it if you can, I really hate that post now)

Glossary

-ya (-야): added to the end of the names that end in vowels, when addressing a person younger than you, informally, usually when you are close with each other [Ex: Minji-ya, Jisoo-ya]

-ah (-아): added to the end of the names ending in consonants, when addressing a person younger than you, informally, usually when you are close with each other [Ex: Soyeon-ah or Hyejin-ah]

-ie (-이): added to the end of the names also ending in consonant but cuter, when addressing a person younger than you, informally, usually when you are close with each other [Ex: Wheein-ie]

-ssi (씨): is the polite but neutral form of address added to the end of the given name who you don't have a close relationship with for familial kinship terms or just for the sake of being polite. [Example: Moonbyul-ssi]

-nim (님): is the more respectful and deferential honorific added to the end of the names of people who are authority figures, clients/customers, etc. Traditionally, this is attached to titles [Example: Daepyo-nim] but when attached to names, it's usually the full name [Example: Kim Yongsun-nim], and only attached to the given name when someone is trying to be polite or friendly [Example: Dr. Han actually did this in the movie when he referred to Rumi as Rumi-nim]

Unnie (언니): used alone or added to the end of the name when addressing a woman older than you that you are intimately familiar with it but still from around the same generation as you, think older sister or a female friend who is 1-2 years older than you, this is only used by female speakers [Ex: Joohyun-unnie]. Male speakers use Noona instead.

Oppa (오빠): used alone or added to the end of the name when addressing a man older than you that you are intimately familiar with it but still from around the same generation as you, think older brother or a male friend who is 1-2 years older than you, this is only used by female speakers [Ex: Baekhyun-oppa]. Male speakers use Hyung instead.

Imo (-이모): used alone or added to the end of the name when addressing an older woman around your parents age like a biological maternal aunt, mother's friend, or friend's mother. Imonim (이모님) is used for extra respect.

Maenijonim (매니저님): used alone or added to the end of the surname when addressing a manager (this word is specifically referring to managers in the entertainment industry).

Timjangnim (팀장님): used alone or added to the end of the surname to refer to a manager of an entire team of employees whereas maenijo specifically only look after the artist or artists they're assigned to

Seonsaengnim (선생님): used alone or added to the end of a surname when addressing a teacher, instructor or really experts in their field. This includes doctors and lawyers.

Daepyonim (대표님): Used alone or added to the end of a surname when addressing the owner or CEO of a corporation. This term is more formal and typically used in corporate settings. (Note: this usage is specific to the entertainment/K-pop industry and may differ in other business contexts.)

1. Rumi

Mira: Despite being at constant odds with Rumi halfway through the movie, Mira ultimately cares about and worries for Rumi, and does respect her as a leader and often obeys her, she only starts to question and fight with Rumi when Rumi starts becoming secretive and unpredictable. So I do think Mira would refer to Rumi as Rumi-unnie or just Unnie since Rumi is, socially (by Korean age), considered a year older than Mira despite only technically being 6 months apart, but may slip on occasion and just call her by her first name alone. When they're at work especially when in front of other people such as hosts and audiences in TV shows, radio shows, concerts, fan events, etc. Mira would refer to Rumi by her stage name – Rumi, when she's being informal, and Rumi-ssi if she's being a little more formal. And for those who think Mira would call Rumi "princess", it would be gongju (공주) or gongjunim (공주님). Though she might slip at times and affectionally call her Rumi-unnie.

Though, if they were not close at the start, like say during the beginning of their training, Mira might've referred to Rumi as Rumi-ssi at first but as they get friendlier for each other, it would switch to Rumi-unnie or just Unnie.

Or for those who imagined them having some rivalry at first, Mira could have referred to her by her full name, "Kang Rumi", with no honorific (assuming Kang is Rumi's surname), which would come across as a bit rude if they're not close yet, since it would mean Mira saw herself as an equal to Rumi instead of recognizing that Rumi is above her as her elder, enough to forgo honorifics completely.

[In the traditional Korean age system (before the law got changed in 2023), everyone is already 1 year old on the day they are born, and everyone turns a year older when new year hits which means since Rumi is born on October 23, she's 2 years old by the time April of next year comes around and Mira is born at 1 year old despite Rumi actually only being 6 months old. This also means Rumi was 3 years old while Mira was 2 years old when Zoey was born somewhere between April and October of the next year]

Zoey: Zoey would definitely call Rumi Unnie or Rumi-unnie if she has to specify between Rumi and Mira, since Rumi is a year or two older than her. When they're at work especially when in front of other people such as hosts and audiences in TV shows, radio shows, concerts, fan events, etc. Zoey would refer to Rumi by her stage name – Rumi, when she's being informal, and Rumi-ssi if she's being a little more formal. Though she might slip at times and affectionally call her Rumi-unnie.

I debated with myself on whether or not Zoey would have addressed Rumi as Rumi-ssi or Rumi-unnie or possibly even Rumi-sunbaenim, if Rumi trained for way longer before either Mira or Zoey came into the picture, when they first started training together, but I ultimately decided on Zoey jumping to using Unnie immediately since I imagine Zoey would do so with both Rumi and Mira to make herself sound as non-threatening to them as possible so they won't pick on her, still being insecure after her experience with bullying, and sound more like a maknae who really admires them and wishes to be close with them so can they be friends, please? (please don't hurt me) Maybe even more so with Rumi since Rumi is Celine's ward, and if she gets on Rumi's bad side, Rumi might tell Celine to kick her out and then she'll have no place to go, no place to belong. So she has to win Rumi over, but over time when Zoey gets assured she won't be ostracized again, Zoey calling Rumi unnie would become more natural.

Bobby: She's one of his kids (managers often refer to the idols under their care as kids when said idols are significantly younger than them) so Rumi-ya it is, and in professional settings where they have to act on formalities, Rumi-ssi. I mentioned before that he would use -nim for them, but in my sleepiness (and drunkenness), I forgot that idols are technically lower on the company hierarchy compared to their managers, and aren't clients of their managers since they tend to exude a lot of confidence and power. So that's my bad.

Celine: Rumi is Celine's child in all but blood so to her, even when distance grows in age, Rumi will always be "Rumi-ya" to Celine. And if writers want her to be particularly affectionate with Rumi, she can also call her Aegiya (애기야) which means "Baby" and for those who have Celine calling Rumi "Tiger", "Little Tiger" or "Tiger cub", etc., it would be Aegi Horangi [Aegi (애기) = Baby, Horangi (호랑이) = Tiger] or even Uri Horangi [Uri (우리) = Our/My, Horangi (호랑이) = Tiger]

2. Mira

Rumi: Since Mira is younger than her, Rumi would've addressed Mira as Mira-ya or just Mira and when they're at work especially when in front of other people such as hosts and audiences in TV shows, radio shows, Rumi would refer to Mira by her stage name – Mira, when she's being informal, and Mira-ssi if she's being a little more formal. Though she might slip at times and affectionally call her Mira-ya.

If they weren't particularly close back then when they first started, Rumi would've addressed Mira as Mira-ssi or if they're rivals and she wants to be particularly cold, Rumi could just call her Mira, to flaunt that she, as the older of the two, doesn't have to add anything to the end of Mira's name when addressing her because older people calling younger people by their name alone is socially acceptable, whereas Mira, as the younger girl, doesn't have that same privilege and has to call Rumi, unnie or Rumi-ssi, maybe Rumi even calls Mira "Mira-ya" to reinforce that she is older, Mira is younger therefore she's above Mira and not her equal. If the rivalry is one sided on Mira's end, Rumi might've used Mira-ssi until Mira feels comfortable enough to let her guard down and let Mira in. Or alternatively, just call her Mira as an in between of being polite (Mira-ssi) and affectionate (Mira-ya).

Zoey: Zoey would also call Mira Unnie or Mira-unnie if she has to specify between Rumi and Mira, and when they're at work especially when in front of other people such as hosts and audiences in TV shows, radio shows, Rumi would refer to Mira by her stage name – Mira, when she's being informal, and Mira-ssi if she's being a little more formal. Though she might slip at times and affectionally call her Mira-unnie.

I think Zoey would have also called Mira "unnie" from the start since she might've felt intimidated at first when meeting Rumi and Mira for the 1st time and by calling them "unnie" from the start, so she could make herself look more harmless and therefore more likeable, very much presenting an innocent image so that they won't find something to pick on. Though, I feel like if Mira doesn't tell Zoey that she's fine with being called unnie, Zoey might hesitate in the face of Mira's resting face. Again, once Zoey is assured that she's not going to be made fun of or alienated, she'll call Mira Unnie more naturally.

Bobby: She is one of his kids so he would call her Mira-ya, and in professional settings where they have to act on formalities, Mira-ssi.

Celine: Although they don't have the closest relationship as Celine does with Rumi, Celine would still refer to Mira as Mira-ya since that's just how kids are addressed by adults including students who are close to their teachers. In the beginning of Huntr/x's training, Celine might've refered to Mira with a more formal and polite "Mira-ssi" or her full name [Lee Mira is my headcanon] since they weren't close with each other just yet.

3. Zoey

Rumi: Zoey is their beloved maknae so of course she's their Zoey-ya (or if we're going with Korean pronounciation, their Joi-ya) or simply Zoey/Joi or if Zoey's comfortable with it, her Korean name [in my headcanon, it's Sohee] but when they're at work especially when in front of other people such as hosts and audiences in TV shows, radio shows, Rumi would refer to Zoey by her stage name – Zoey, when she's being informal, and Zoey-ssi if she's being a little more formal. Though she might slip at times and affectionally call her Zoey-ya.

I think Rumi would resort to calling her Zoey-ya not long after Zoey starts calling her unnie some time after they met, because not only does she want some closeness, but them being united is crucial for them to be hunters so if Zoey wants and feels most comfortable calling her unnie then she'll be her unnie (I also just don't subscribe to the "socially anxious awkward mess" fanon makes Rumi out to be, she is very much not that in canon. She's the one who would say "They asked for no pickles" out of the three of them). And if she has a rivalry with Mira that hasn't been resolved yet, might make herself warmer to Zoey as to not scare off at least one of her supposed soulmates and have Zoey on her side.

Mira: Zoey is their beloved maknae so of course she's their Zoey-ya (or if we're going with Korean pronounciation, their Joi-ya) or simply Zoey/Joi or if Zoey's comfortable with it, her Korean name, but when they're at work especially when in front of other people such as hosts and audiences in TV shows, radio shows, Mira would refer to Zoey by her stage name – Zoey, when she's being informal, and Zoey-ssi if she's being a little more formal. Though she might also slip at times and affectionally call her Zoey-ya.

I was debating with myself on how Mira would address Zoey at first when they aren't close and I think Mira would just call Zoey, Zoey, to signal that Mira isn't rejecting Zoey's bid for friendship (plus Zoey is younger than her), but they aren't familiar with each other yet to be affectionate.

Bobby: She is one of his kids so he would call her Zoey-ya, and in professional settings where they have to act on formalities, Zoey-ssi.

Celine: Like Mira, although they don't have the familial kinship Celine has with Rumi, she would still call Zoey, Zoey-ya, but might've addressed her as "Zoey-ssi" or her full name [Moon Sohee is my headcanon], in the beginning of their relationship since they aren't close yet.

4. Bobby

The girls: He is their oppa! Or Bobby-oppa if they have to specify. In professional settings, they might just call him maenijonim since he probably did start out as their maenijo who looked after them when they were rookies but as HUNTR/X grew, at some point he got promoted to timjang status since by the time of the movie, he seems to be in charge of HUNTR/X's style crew and handles logistics for them such as booking them a staycation, canceling Golden's live show, getting back up dancers for Takedown (before the girls discarded it), etc. but he does things a maenijo does such as bring the girls snacks so the girls would call him maenijonim because that's what they first knew him as, and it's more intimate. Though in important meetings or formal situations, they might call him timjangnim since that's his highest ranking title.

Celine: Would definitely be more formal with him but it depends on the situation. At the most formal, say like in business meetings, she would call him by his highest ranking title, timjangnim or at least Shin-timjangnim if she has to specify [I headcanon Bobby's Korean name as Shin Byeongmin] or Bobby-timjangnim if she's being a little more informal, or at least by the time he got promoted from maenijo to timjang, before that, it would be maenijonim. In a casual situation, I don't think they would be close enough for kinship terms since they are (probably) boss and employee, so at most she might call him Bobby or Bobby-ssi since she is stll his superior.

5. Celine

This woman is the whole reason I made this post in the first place. I was very shocked when they just had the girls call Celine by her first name alone. US dub? Sure, different culture, different customs. But it was also in the Korean dub so here we are

Rumi: I was debating with myself on whether or not Celine would have Rumi call her imo or eomma (엄마) but I have a feeling Celine does not want to replace Miyeong as Rumi's eomma in Rum's heart even though Rumi never knew Miyeong, so imo it is. Though in professional settings, it depends on the situation. If Rumi's talking about Celine as family, then it would be imo in casual public settings like variety shows or imonim if it's a little more serious. If Rumi is discussing Celine as a senior kpop idol, probably occasionally call her Celine-sunbaenim (선배님) though probably uses this a lot less than imonim because they're family.

And IF Celine is HUNTR/X's agency's CEO and or founder, Rumi would call her daepyonim, or Kang-daepyonim if she has to specify, or Kang Celine-daepyonim if she has to really really specify like say there's another Kang-daepyonim, if she's talking about Celine as CEO of the company (assuming Kang is Celine's surname)

Mira & Zoey: We don't know what their relationship is like with Celine and how close they are, but I think they would probably call her seonsaengnim or Kang-seonsaengnim if they have to specify (or Celine-seonsaengnim if they're being informal with it, or Celine-seonsaeng if they're being casual with it but they would probably never call her this to her face (too casual) and only call her to this each other and Rumi), since what we do know about their relationship with her is much more mentor-mentee than mother-daughter/aunt-niece like Rumi's. In professional settings, it also depends on the situation. They would probably call her Celine-sunbaenim, regardless of whether she's still active as an artist or that she's their mentor, since Celine debuted before them decades ago so they have to respect her as a senior idol in the industry.

And IF Celine is HUNTR/X's agency's CEO and or founder, Mira andd Zoey would call her daepyonim, or Kang-daepyonim if they have to specify, or Kang Celine-daepyonim if they have to really really specify, if they're talking about Celine as CEO of the company.

[And for the writers out there who have Celine as not CEO or HUNTR/X's mentors, or have the girls dating (Rumira, Zoerumi, Polytrix) or just have Mira and Zoey friends with Rumi, they'd call Celine Imonim if Rumi only sees Celine as her aunt and calls Celine Imo, Eomonim if Rumi sees Celine as her mom and calls her eomma]

Bobby: Really, really depends on what her role in the company is or if she has any role at all. IF Celine is HUNTR/X's agency's CEO and or founder, Bobby would call her daepyonim, or Kang-daepyonim if he has to specify, or Kang Celine-daepyonim if he has to really really specify. I don't think they're close enough for him to call her Noona, at least in canon, so at the most casual, maybe Celine-nim (because she's still his superior).

I can sleep easier now since I fixed past drunken me's mistakes.

Because I made a remake for the girls, I feel like it's only fair, I also make a remake for our beloved ajummas and give more options on the hanja for their names.

For those who don't know, this is my headcanon Korean names for the Sunlight Sisters. None of this is canon and I don't intend to treat it as such nor am I that attached should canon prove me wrong.

Kang Seongsuk (강성숙)/Celine

(Ugh, I want so badly. Please, please, please, plea–)

it was revealed in one of the storyboards in development by one of the artists who worked on KPDH that Rumi's surname was Kang (강), not Ryu (류) like her mother's, Ryu Miyeong.

Typically it would've come from the father as children will take their father's surnames if the father officially acknowledged the child as his own. However, since there's no father in sight and Rumi didn't know anything about her father beyond him being a demon, he's probably not in the picture to claim her. Or he doesn't exist in current modern registeration records because he's been a demon for who knows how long.

The next best choice would be Celine as Rumi's adoptive mother. Once the law changed in 2008, Rumi's surname would've changed from "Ryu" to 'Kang" as she is in Celine's care.

I also like "Kang" being Celine's surname because it means she would share the same surname as the movie's director, Maggie Kang, who is Rumi's creator and Maggie also has a daughter named Rumi.

Kang can mean a few things in hanja:

Kang (姜) – River, Ginger (written informally)

Kang (康) – Peaceful, Healthy, Abundant

Kang (剛) – Hard, Rigid [Specific to a few people]

As you can see, while 姜 is the most common spelling, the fact that it can be spelled using 康 and 剛 is delightful because 康 fits what Celine wants to achieve for Rum while 剛 fits Celine's mindset and beliefs regarding demons and Rumi's place in the world.

For her given name, I went with Seongsuk (성숙). Last time I was set on one pairing of hanja for Celine's name, while I'm still set on what I like most, I will give the other hanja because they are so Celine:

Seong (成) – To achieve, to become

Seong (聖) – Holy, Sagely

Seong (星) – Star

Seong (誠) – Sincere, Honest

Suk (淑) – Purity, Virtue

Suk (夙) – Early, Morninng

Suk (肅) – Respectful, Solemn

Suk (熟) – Ripen, Mature

My favorite is 成淑 because together they mean "To achieve purity" which is what Celine wants – to rid the world of demons once and for all through the Golden Honmoon, and to get rid of Rumi's patterns so Rumi could be purely human instead of half-demon. Also Seongsuk as a name is just very old-fashion.

Ryu Miyeong (루미영)

The only person in the entire movie with a canonical full name despite being deader than Jinu.

Ryu means:

Ryu (柳) – Willow Tree

A very fitting surname because while willow trees are associated with resilience and adaptability, it is most associated with parting and farewells and Miyeong is hella dead.

I don't think I mentioned this in the original post because sometimes I forgot that people don't know everything everything about Korea, but Miyeong's surname wouldn't have even be "Ryu" for all her life. 두음법칙 or the Initial Sound Rule was a hangul rule where ㄹ [R/L] and ㄴ [N] where if they're the first letter followed by a y vowel (ㅛ,ㅕ,ㅑ,ㅠ, ㅣ), they'll be changed to ㅇ [example: Ryeoksa (력사) becomes Yeoksa (역사) and Nyeoja (녀자) into Yeoja (여자)] and any word starting with ㄹ transform into ㄴ [example: Rakwon (락원) became Nakwon (낙원)] made official in the early 20th century and used throughout until it was changed in 2007 specifically when it comes to surnames.

Initially, this rule also applied to surnames like Ri (리) became Yi (이) which many may know as the surname Lee, and yes, the surname Ryu (류) became Yu (유) but it was changed in 2007 because the government felt that it was enroaching on people's identities and disrespecting the ancestors and the clans of whom the individuals came from [Ex: The Munhwa Ryu clan uses 柳 while the Gigye Yu clan used 兪, they are very separate clans. 柳 is the only one that was historically sounded as Ryu while other hanja like 兪, 庾, 禹 was sounded as Yu. By forcing families to change their surname from 류 into 유 when registering, that disctinction was lost].

In short, for pretty much her entire life, Miyeong was probably legally "Yu Miyeong" not "Ryu Miyeong". She and her family might've identified themselves with their actual surname, "Ryu", but on government papers, her surname would've been "Yu" until either family or Celine got it changed in 2007...somehow despite her having been dead for likely years by then.

As for her given name, it is also very much an old-fashioned name and can mean:

Mi (美) – Beauty, Pleasant

Mi (薇) – Fern, Rose

Mi (媚) – Charming, Flattering

Yeong (英) – Outstanding

Yeong (榮) – Glory, Honor

Yeong (永) – Eternal

Yeong (映) – Shine, Illuminate

I prefer the hanja 美永 for Miyeong because together it means, "Eternal Beauty" and that feels true in that Miyeong was likely in her early 20s when she had Rumi and died, essentially being remembered and seen as young forever because she hadn't had the chance to age before death took her.

Cho Hyeonjeong (조현정)

We do not know Anything about this woman, we only know she was 1/3 of the Sunlight Sisters – the hunters prior to HUNTR/X, and that she was an idol as part of the Sunlight Sisters. That's all I have to work with.

For her surname, Cho, there's primarily only two hanja for it:

Cho (趙) – State of Zhao

Cho (曺) – Department, Group

Naturally, I go with 曺 because she makes up 1/3 of the Sunlight Sister, a girl group who are a group of hunters.

For her given name, I chose Hyeonjeong which can be made using the hanja:

Hyeon (賢) – Virtuous, Wise

Hyeon (炫) – Bright, Shining

Hyeon (顯) – Prominent, Illustrious

Jeong (廷) – Royal court

Jeong (正) – Right, Proper

Jeong (貞) – Virtuous, Upright

Jeong (晶) – Clear, Sparkling

I chose 炫 because she's an idol who shone on the stage and 貞 because she was a hunter and hunters would be considered virtuous for their efforts in protecting Korea from Gwima and his demon underlings. That's pretty much it.

Bonus: Shin Byeongmin (신병민)/Bobby

We cannot forget our beloved short king and MVP, Bobby! I decided to be funny with this one and give him the most manager of manager names.

Shin (申) – To state, to explain

Shin (辛) – Bitter, Spicy

Shin (愼) – Cautious, Discreet [Rare]

He is HUNTR/X's manager so of course 申

For his given name, Byeongmin can be made of the following hanja:

Byeong (秉) – To grasp, to maintain

Byeong (柄) – Authority, To handle

Byeong (炳) – Bright, Luminous

Min (敏) – Quick, Clever

Min (民) – People

Min (珉) – Jade

after the events of the battle at the Cove Of The Ancestors. after witnessing and experiencing so much pain and death. swimming in polluted waters. adapting to a new life. having his blind, desperate admiration of Jake slashed with a knife and slowly rewoven into something knew. being reborn to the people and accepting himself as he is...

he wants to cut his hair.

he's heard of warriors who shave their heads to cut away to weight of all they have experienced from their minds. to show that a new chapter of their lives has begun.

Spider thinks of all he's done, all he's been through. years of trying to live like Jake. trying to appeal to him. please him. be him. mimicking him in so many ways. the months in captivity. again and again. machines and needles and tubes and restraints and scans and pain pain pain. and laughing with Quaritch. with his dad. pushing his hand out of his hair as he complained it was a rats nest. and then smelling the smoke on it for days after he burnt down that village. the smell of decay from standing in Roa's maw, watching as they defiled her body for nothing but greed. the smell of fuel on it from the seadragons. remembers the screams of those drowning after he crashed it. deaths that were deserved, but they weighed on him, in a way. taking a life should never feel easy, and those surely didn't. but saving Quaritch didn't feel any easier to bear. sometimes he thinks he sees blood in it. Neteyam's? or feels a hand gripping it, craning it back so her blade had ample room against his throat. it wasn't the only blade he felt now, even if Jake never grabbed his hair, but the weight of heavy locs and the weight of a hand were easy to mistake when your mind was already spiralling. sometimes he thought it would strangle him.

it's all too much.

he wants it gone.

he loved his hair. but it needed to go. too become something new.

and oddly. there's only one person he wants to do it. one person he trusts with it's exact significance.

he wants the woman he watched braid her childrens' hair all these years. he wants the woman who's husband's hair he mimicked in an attempts to not stick out so sorely to her. he wants the woman who sees him.

sure, Kiri could do it, she always saw things deeper then the surfaced, she would get it. or Lo'ak, who had his own ways of grieving through his hair. or he could get one of the village hair weavers to do it, to just get it over with.

but he just. he wants her. maybe it's cause she's older and wiser and there's this warmth he's always associated with her that is nearly maternal, even if it was something he imagined over something she ever offered him. and he wants that. he needs a mom to do it. needs gentle but firm hands. he needs to hear someone humming behind him as she works.

and he wants her to see him after the fact. to see that he's changed. he's different. he's shed this weight. he wants to know she still sees him even after the change.

so he goes to her. she's in the mauri, working on something more or less unimportant. maybe a new top for Tuk. or cleaning her bow. something she puts down when he enters. even after these weeks, it's still slightly odd for him to seek her, and she is desperate to bridge this gap between them. not even to become something more to him, but just so she does not feel it every time she sees his face. so they can be comfortable in one another's presence.

and he presents his blade. then says she could use her's if it's more comfortable for her hand. a silent I trust you not to hurt me. one he had yet to reach with Jake— a reason why he wasn't going to that man for this —before asking her to cut his hair.

she might seem a little shocked, but there's this look in his eye, even before his explanation, that has her accepting. the boy needs this. there is something beyond this hair that needs tending, and he can do so by cutting it.

"one condition. you tell me why, before I begin."

so he does.

he tells her all of it. why he ever asked for them all those years ago. the years of struggling to keep up with them cause no one ever really offered to help for long. the way he feels like it carries every moment of his life, more bad then good, as it soaks up the air and water and dirt and grime around him. blood, fuel, smoke, soot. how it's been used to hold him or pin him. how he feels more shame it in then he does pride. how it weighs on him like a sling of bricks. how it feels like the mark of a failure to meet the expectations set out by the world. he goes on for a long time.

and she just listens. so much pain in one little heart. one little heart that she feels responsible over now, in a way she has yet to identify or define. but her's. her's to listen to. her's so sooth, thumb brushing away a tear here, a hand squeezing his there.

they just talk. talk until it is all out, and he still wants them gone. save for a few by his face, he asks her to try and comb them out, so he's not totally bald and stupid looking.

to that she tsks, already beginning to section his hair, telling him he isn't stupid.

she wants to keep some of his length, if she can. so when he gives her permission to begin, the boy practically in her lap, she starts cutting off loc by loc at the very end of the new growth. depending on the loc, she may be left with barely an inch, others there's more, close to 2 or 3, especially in the back where he can't see it as well. it bounces back to his scalp in very loose, very neglected, but ever present curls. her heart swells slightly. little curls. the boy had curls. she had known that, from stories and pictures she saw in passing. but she had hardly seen them in person.

she's careful around his growing kuru, and leaves the hair that had started growing freely around it as it is, so it could continue to be braided. she pets at it a few times. it's nearly down his back now. not quite fully grown. but getting there. Eywa's blessing. Eywa choosing Spider, at her daughter's call, the Great Mother chose Spider and saved his life. gave him the ability to connect to her network. the Ancestors accepted him. he was one of The People. she holds that very blessing in her hands.

she doesn't say anything, just puts it down eventually. and continues.

she's careful with the blade, Spider's. she never switched to her own. regaining his permission every few moments, or every time it came into his sight. he only flinched once. when he hand snagged on a lock that had split down the center, her fingers tangling in it, pulling his head back and the blade entering his sight where her hand floated idly.

she dropped it then. hushing him once. continuing with her hand alone until she found the source of the tangle, even when he said he was fine, and passed it off as it just being a reaction to the pain. she refused to accept that fib. and waiting till his shoulders loosened to continue cutting.

in the end, he's left with his kuru, and a handful of locs on either side of his forehead. his hair is a short, shaggy, mop. shorter near the front longer in the back. no more then a few inches anywhere, especially as his curls start to shrink ever so slightly.

it's almost precious, to Neytiri at least, as it reminds her of when her babies were little. when their hair was still so short and fuzzy. but Spider isn't a baby. he's nearly a man. but if she fluffs it once... so be it.

he looks in the reflection of the water, hands feeling over what she's already managed. and his shoulders just. sink. but in a good way. like a weight has lifted off his chest and he's talking his first full breaths in a long time.

"thank you" "we're not done yet" "oh... I was gonna. do these," he motions to the locs remaining, "they're gonna take forever—" "stay, I need to get oil and... a butter. and many combs. do not move," she leans forward to look at him, hand on his shoulder, "do not move, yes?" "yeah yeah, fine," he gives in, sinking against the woven floor. once more, hands starting to collect each loc. he wants to do something with them, he's not sure what yet. but he knows he's gonna collect the beads from them.

and then she's back with a bundle he recognizes. it was the bundle she took out every time she did her childrens' hair. even Jake's. little gourds of oil, pods of thick butters, pouches of herbs that can be added to boiling water to soften hair. collect of combs and picks made of bone and wood and stone. leather cords to tie hair aside.

he'd never had it taken out for him. he has to look to the sea to hide his watering eyes.

"lay back, it'll be easier then trying to keep your neck still," she murmurs, pulling a pillow from where the sleeping rolls are piled for the day, and patting the floor.

he moves to lay down, and her hands ease him to the floor. unnecessary, but. nice. gentle.

"thanks..." his lips pulling into an awkward smile, looking up at her.

she smiles back and sets off the work right after he settles. his head has ended up for or less on her thigh. his curls itch against her skin. his head is warm. he leans towards her hand seemingly instinctively after his eyes shut and he tried to relax himself. a good little cub he was, compared to her own children who, whether they meant to or not, fought her every moment she is their hair.

she wondered if she earned this trust, this easiness from him, and then remembered the boy's tired eyes and his offered blade. he's too tired not to trust. to not just give in. she lets out a soft sigh, patting his head before setting to her tools.

she lathers each loc is butter, then oils her combs and the area she's picking at, and then gets to picking out each one. slowly. trying to minimize the chance of pulling.

it takes hours. they break for lunch and snacks and stretch breaks more than once. manage some amounts of conversation. Spider's progress with bonding withh an ilu. scouting excursions with the other teens. family drama occuring under the Sully roof. Neytiri tries to slip in hums and murmurs, some stories, some advice. it's awkward but. nice.

he loses most of the length in each. left with a couple inches of worn, damaged curls, feathering around his face. but he's all smiles. smiles as he dozes in her lap. smiles when she grits out an apologetic sorry when she accidentally pulls to hard and he just murmurs that he's had worse (which earns him a very maternal "don't joke about that" whack on the side of the head). smiles when he strokes over the hair. he likes it.

"thank you. really," he murmurs as he sits up with a stretch, cracking his back and bringing his kuru over his shoulder, petting at it, something he's gotten used to doing. "you didn't have to do all that." "I did," she replies, "someone needed to. and... Eywa willed that I was the one capable."

She thinks for a moment, before reaching to brush the strands of hair out of his eyes— she should braid them. part of her, recognizing the similarities of the way she braided Jake's hair all those years ago, cringes. the boy wanted to stop looking like Jake. she should tell him to let it grow —and cupping his cheeks, like she had done once before.

"I see you Spider, and I see the pain you have shed. and I am honored to have aided you in removing it. in getting to aid you in moving forward." She chooses each word carefully, ensuring she clearly communicates so the boy's mind can't misconstrue them, "and you look very handsome. the short hair suits you, even if temporary."

he rolls his eyes, seemingly not believing her.

"it's gotta be pretty bad" "no. some oil, some braids, some beads. a little time. your curls will spring to life. it is fitting, truly, ma'Spider. but it needs to grow. I would like to see you grow into those curls. into you." "... thanks," he ducks his head bashfully, "don't even really remember having them." "no one should have done that to your hair," her voice is soft, thoughtful, "it wasn't for your hair. no one cared for you, and you were much too young. I know they brought you confidence. but you shouldn't have needed them to do so. they must have been uncomfortable. and they were placed on you by elder, wiser hands when you were far too young to know what was being put upon you. that was not fair." "I did like them, but," he sighs, "this is the first time in years my head doesn't feel like it's being weighed down at the seams and... it's not fucking itchy."

he gives his head a scratch anyways. running his hands all through his short curls.

"and I can do that! and that feels fucking amazing!" he's whooping where he sits, doing a little victory dance.

that has her hiding a chuckle behind her hand.

"ok, ok. that's enough for now, it's nearly dinner, I will wash and oil your hair after, yes?" "really?" he asks, as if still shocked by her kindness, "yeah, that would... that would be great. thank you." "mmmm, yes. now go get ready to eat," she looks at the locs gathered by his lap, "I will bundle these up. we will handle them another day."

he nods. standing. stretching. thanking her another million times. asking her if he looks stupid a bunch more times. fingers putting his remaining curls in simple braids to keep them out of his face. and then he was gone.

and Neytiri was clutching a bundle of his locs in her arms. feeling like she was holding the manifestation of all his suffering. part of her son, her Neteyam, was in here. with the fuel and smoke that soaked the waters Spider swam through. and her hand holding him beneath her blade.

she looked beside her then. at the satchel of Neteyam's things. there were a few loose beads in there. some from the anchor he used to keep his hair charm in. some he carved while here in Awa'atlu and never got to use. some he brought from the forest. she thinks she will give some to Spider. it feels like a worthy exchange. one that still felt somewhat acrid and bitter in her mouth. that she wasn't entirely ready for. and that's how she knew it was right.

they needed to move forward. both of them. in their own ways.

Neteyam would want this.

she knew this.

Neytiri watching her second son witness his older sibling’s death like she did and grapple with the same devastating pain she had to go through.

Lo‘ak was Neytiri’s youngest for 8 years before Tuk.

But no. People are saying the movie was mid at best and apparently polytrix stans are being toxic and tagging rujinu on purpose cause... why exactly? and jinu is in fact bad and deserves what he got like??

there really isn’t much solid lore on what exactly happened with jinu, but i honestly don’t think it’s as black and white as ppl make it out to be. but. even if he did willingly leave his family behind, desperate people do desperate things. he was literally starving. survival makes ppl do shit they normally wouldn’t, that’s just life.

but here’s the thing. i’ve always gotten the impression jinu thought his mom and baby sister would be allowed into the palace once he gained the emperors favor. like, why else would he even bring them there? it doesn’t make sense for him to take them along just to make them watch himleave like tf. he was LITERALLY leading them into the palace and they were stopped but he wasnt. there is no way he didnt think theyd also gain access to the palace and its luxuries

and historically speaking, during that time, people who caught the emperors eye weren’t treated as people, they were basically property. a possession. that’s what jinu became. property of the emperor. and if you’re property, you dont get to make demands, you dont get to bring in your family. you go in alone. i’m sure there were exceptions here and there, hence his attempt, but generally? your family didn’t get in with you. Edit since thinking of/learning another thing: maybe gwi-ma told him hed be able to bring them along, his thing is manipulation. and, when jinu found out he couldnt, he wasnt in a position to say no and go back. he was summoned by the emperor saying NO to someone like that? he could have been killed and the surviving family would have been much worse off, and they were as bad as you could get to begin with End edit

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.

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Spider falling asleep against the warmth of Neytiri’s back; her letting him

The role reversal when Neytiri, who earlier suggested killing Spider, argues for Spider’s life

Spider awkward eagerness when he asks “is this a talk?”

Jake telling him to shut up cause he can’t bear Spider’s voice

Jake didn’t hide the knife from Spider because he knew Spider wouldn’t even think Spider would use it against him

Spider asking “but you love me though, right?” in that small voice because he is fundamentally a child so starved of parental affection that he is willing to die to hear it just once

Jake’s first and only time calling Spider “Son” was with a knife at Spider’s throat

Neytiri’s face paint washing over her hands like guilty blood

Celine had been clear; there were only two ways a demon was created. Birth, or choice. They were never victims. You don't just grow patterns one day. It doesn't happen by accident.

Yet the demon wearing Rumi's face came to them pleading. Came to them in the midst of a panic attack, acting for all the world as if she should still be considered friend by the two of them. She was crying. As if she were the victim here.

The way Rumi was talking about fixing things, the way she had never acted like Not-Rumi like, the secrets she'd obviously hiding for a while: it became clear which way Rumi had gained the patterns. She'd betrayed them for a deal with Gwi-Ma. Why? What had she possibly needed that they couldn't have helped her with? She really turned to their sworn enemy first? Before even telling them she was hurting?

Then she shouted and it was demonic and the honmoon rippled. So much work and effort instantly ruined as the honmoon weakened.

She had made her choice. She chose to betray them. Now they had to make theirs, and they had to choose humanity.

She left them first. She chose to become their enemy. Even if they were assuming wrong, and she was actually a demon imposter, she'd chosen to manipulate their emotions and lied over and over and wasn't their friend.

As much as Mira and Zoey wished otherwise, wished it was all a mistake, they didn't know of any possibilities that could make Rumi an innocent in this. So they guarded their broken hearts with their weapons and waited for the fight that never ended up coming.

---

When they lose the people in the train, Zoey says "we can't do this without your voice". Not "without you". Your voice. It's unusually pragmatic or her to speak of Rumi in those terms. It's a cold kind of selflessness, she has to think of the bigger picture.

Then, when they're about to sing Golden at the awards, Rumi says "for the fans" (read: the honmoon), and Zoey follows with "for the world". Again, big picture selflesness.

But Mira? After the train what she says is they need to stick together. And before Golden she says "for us".

The very first song we listen to is How It's Done, which does an exemplary job at two things: it introduces Huntrix as characters, and it establishes them how they want to be and are perceived by the audience and their fans.

It's a very powerful song that highlights the girls' double life—they're k-pop idols as much as they are demon hunters—, as well as just how genuinely good and skilled they are at what they do. They're so good they treat a bunch of demons hijacking and destroying their plane as a mere inconvenience that gets in the way of their snack-time. And they easily dispose of them both with and without their weapons all the while they multitask by cooking their ramyeon and singing.

These ladies kick ass and they know it, and they want you to know it too.

"Run, run, we run the town

Whole world playin' our sound

Turnin' up, it's goin' down

Huntrix show this, how it's done, done, done"

But it also introduces the girls and the most basic aspects of their characters.

Mira is the visual lead and choreographer, and the song is filled with powerful, dynamic movements that reflect her influence. But not only that, it also introduces Mira as the more brutally honest member of the group, or in her own words:

"I don't talk, but I bite, full of venom (Uh)

Spittin' facts, you know that's

How it's done, done, done"

Then there's Zoey, the lyricist and rapper whose high-energy yet aggressive style is reflected precisely by the song's boastful tone, but especially during the rap sections:

"Okay, like, I know I ramble

But when shootin' my words, I go Rambo

Took blood, sweat, and tears, to look natural "

And finally, there's Rumi. The leader and lead vocalist. The daughter of one of the Sunlight Sisters who was raised by Celine, members of the previous generation of hunters, and therefore the one who's known her path her whole life. The one who shines the most thanks to her beautiful singing voice and the one Huntrix relies on the most, meaning she gets the most spotlight.

"Hear our voice unwavering

'Til our song defeats the night

Makin' fear afraid to breathe

'Til the dark meets the light"

How It's Done is the girls presenting themselves as they were taught by Celine: hunters don't show their flaws. Ever. Which is why the song only ever shows their good side—the talented and composed kpop stars who double as skilled and confident demon hunters.

How It's Done is the girls doing everything in their power to present themselves as flawless.

Golden, despite its title and in-universe intended effect, is where the cracks begin to show, however.

Each of the individual verses sung by each of the girls reveals their deepest insecurities:

Rumi isn't sure how to live up to the legacy thrusted upon her as the daughter of one of the Sunlight Sisters now leading her own team. Which then becomes especially poignant with the reveal that the member of Huntrix that's most involved and dedicated to their mission is actually half-demon, the very beings she was sworn to destroy. This sets up her inner conflict for the rest of the film.

"I was a ghost, I was alone (Hah)

어두워진 (Hah) 압길속에 (Ah)

Given the throne I didn't know how to believe

I was the queen that I'm meant to be".

Meanwhile, Zoey is Korean, but she was raised in the US, so she had to deal with the baggage of being a child coming from two very different cultures and not really fitting in with any. With the heavy implication that her parents are divorced, and she was in the middle of their game of tug of war. For all we know, maybe she is also biracial, which only emphasises her feelings of isolation because she couldn't find a place to belong: too Korean to be American, but too American to be Korean.

"I lived two lives, tried to play both sides

But I couldn't find my own place."

And finally, we have Mira admitting her rebellious and independent personality alienated her from her own family. The very people that were supposed to love her no matter what. Already suggesting that, much like the others with their own family baggage, she is also looking for a place to call home and for a family that will accept her for who she is.

"Called a problem child 'cause I got too wild

But now that's how I'm getting paid, 끝업시."

Deep down, what Golden does is reveal that, for all the girls look and act flawless, deep down they are all outcasts in their own way, looking for a place to call their own, free from judgemental eyes and hurtful words. And they all found it in Huntrix and each other.

At least, that's what it does at first.

Because as early as Mira's second verse, the girls double down on Celine's teachings, on how they're actually doing amazing now and on focusing on achieving the Golden Honmoon instead of embracing who they truly are. Because no matter how they insist they're done hiding, they still very much are hiding who they are, especially Rumi.

"Waited so long to break these walls down

To wake up and feel like me

Put these patterns all in the past now

And finally live like the girl they all see

No more hiding, I'll be shining

Like I'm born to be

'Cause we are hunters, voices strong

And I know I believe."

In the end, Golden, while incredibly soulful and uplifting, is just yet another mask Huntrix hides behind to avoid facing their own demons. They're using their goal of creating the Golden Honmoon to stall dealing with their actual issues.

Things run their course with Takedown, only taking a turn for the worse.

As the girls eventually come to understand, they deviated far too much from their original goal in their anger at the Saja Boys' upstaging them and stealing their fans. They let their anger cloud their judgement and jeopardise their mission more than the Saja Boys and their music ever could.

Zoey said it best, Takedown couldn't even bring Huntrix together; there's no way it would have been able to unite their fans and create the Golden Honmoon, as the girls actually lost sight of their teachings with it.

Hunters are supposed to ward demons off both by fighting them and by igniting hope in the hearts of their fans through their music, thus powering the Honmoon. But Takedown...

"'Cuz I see your real face, and it's ugly as sin

Time to put you in your place, 'cuz you're rotten within

When your patterns start to show

It makes the hatred wanna grow outta my veins

I don't think you're ready for the takedown

Break you into pieces in the world of pain 'cuz you're all the same

Yeah, it's a takedown

A demon with no feelings don't deserve to live, it's so obvious"

It's not a song meant to uplift anyone, but to tear them down. Catchy as it is, it only serves to emphasise the growing distance between the girls, especially when Rumi starts having second thoughts and questioning her nature as a half-demon and if maybe they've been wrong this whole time.

Which is precisely why Takedown being played during the Idol Awards as the Saja Boys attack and expose Rumi disguised as Mira and Zoey led to Huntrix temporarily breaking up. It's a song born from revenge, deceit, and miscommunication.

It was never going to get them closer to their goals, only drift a wedge between them.

And then, finally, finally we have What It Sounds Like.

"Nothing but the truth now

Nothing but the proof of what I am

The worst of what I came from, patterns I'm ashamed of

Things that even I don't understand

I tried to fix it, I tried to fight it

My head was twisted, my heart divided

My lies all collided

I don't know why I didn't trust you to be on my side"

"Why did I cover up the colors stuck inside my head?

I should've let the jagged edges meet the light instead

Show me what's underneath, I'll find your harmony

The song we couldn't write, this is what it sounds like"

Where the girls show they've come full circle by admitting they have flaws, they have fears, they have been lying and hiding things from each other. They are not perfect, but they have each other, they love each other, and that's enough.

They have finally accepted themselves and each other.

"We broke into a million pieces, and we can't go back

But now we're seeing all the beauty in the broken glass

The scars are part of me, darkness and harmony

My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like

Why did we cover up the colors stuck inside our head?

Get up and let the jagged edges meet the light instead

Show me what's underneath, I'll find your harmony

Fearless and undefined, this is what it sounds like."

That's the song meant to unite them and their fans. The song that allows them to defeat Gwi-Ma and to create a new, better Honmoon that is actually worth protecting.

Mira and Zoey both knew they were sapphic prior to forming HUNTR/X, but Rumi had never considered the possibility.

Which means it took them ages to actually confess to one another! Mira didn't want to mess up their friendship or make things weird, Zoey was afraid to make the others uncomfortable, and Rumi thought it was platonic to constantly admire them.

None of them made the first move. It was actually Bobby, who mistakenly booked them for a romantic resort on a rare weekend off, and when the girls came back in a relationship, he assumed it was just a really good vacation. To this day, he doesn't know about the heart-shaped bed or rose petals, and the girls still think he set them up on purpose.

On that note, it takes like six months for Bobby to clock that they're all together, and even then, only because he walked in on them.

They usually sleep in a spoon-train, but they rotate the positions regularly. Mira's needs to hold them both so she knows they're not leaving? Big spoon! Rumi needs to feel like she can easily jump out of bed and fight? Little spoon! Zoey needs to be touching as much as possible so she feels wanted? Middle spoon! If they're exhausted enough, they just collapse into bed in a tangle of limbs, though.

Rumi and Zoey going with Mira to get a tattoo. Much to consider.

Zoey's not just a lyricist, she's a poet. She's super effusive with her words and constantly finds new ways to express how much she loves them, and it still never feels like enough.

Rumi plans all of their dates, mostly because she plans them all so far in advance that Mira and Zoey don't get the chance. They do surprise her from time to time but it takes a lot of effort. And sometimes Bobby's help.