Welcome to the hyperfixation lounge!

fake hikaru being such a literal representation of homosexuality/being trans is so interesting. this is as straightforward as a coming out scene gets, it's not metaphorical at all. if you've come out to your (supportive) parents, you've most likely had this exact conversation (i know i have).

in the beginning, fake hikaru is metaphorical to yoshiki's sexuality and a physical manifestation of it. an inherently different being from humans(/the cishet norm) masking as one. hikaru being a manifestation of the real hikaru's wish to be with yoshiki - in the original oneshot, his dying words were a confession of love. hikaru bursting out of his body with feelings he can't control, feelings that are usually toward yoshiki. his seeking for warmth, recognizing yoshiki's spark. yoshiki trying to kill him for the greater good, just to find out he can't be killed.

the age old ritual to keep nounuki-sama in the mountains lest he wreak havoc on the small town - the ritual turning out to be for nothing because nounuki/hikaru was never dangerous to begin with. the real hikaru dying for a pointless ritual to uphold family tradition as a metaphor for internalized homophobia. after his father tried to convince the town to stop it and failed.

and the changeling allegory that ends happily here instead of being disowned by your mom because she can't accept you for being who you are. what's really interesting is the fact that hikaru is not doing a good job at trying to be the real hikaru; his mask keeps cracking and slipping to the point that at least 3 different people notice it: yoshiki, asako and yuki.

the story is about accepting yourself with the context of queerness. you can't pray away the gay (keep nounuki-sama on the mountain with old rituals), you can't kill a part of yourself (yoshiki stabbing hikaru), you can't change who you are (hikaru is recognized an entirely different being from humans) and you can't hide it forever (the real fake hikaru continously bursting out of hikaru's body when trying to suppress his nature and feelings).

the story is not about the real hikaru but man i wish we got to know him a little more. what would he think of all this? how would it feel to die and have your mom accept the changeling as her new son? how would it feel to have hidden yourself your entire life, die for it and then find out that you never would've needed to do any of that in the first place? outside of the context of the queer metaphor, to be so easily replacable?

had a vision of henry seeing a poorly photoshopped cat and getting so scared of what he saw & not being able to handle it

anyway i'm p sure a random stranger on the road sold this to him and said it was real so now he has to warn hans and also the world

forsooth, the knights Redde and Blue lie in embrace amid flowers and grass when they are not a-jousting!