#ask-reply

It's been a (VERY) long time since we've last talked

So I wanted to see how your doing and how life's been treating you!

:)

Ehem.

yes.

This ask has been sitting in my inbox since January 2025.

“Tifa, who are exactly? Recent structural instability checks have been carried out to the areas closest to the Midgar ruins, of which 5th street is included and was one of the first to have been surveyed. 

I am aware that there were a number of issues recorded, but they should’ve been communicated out for public consultation, especially in the case of any demolition order.” 

Reeve leans down, bending at the waist as his longer hair starts to fall around his shoulders. He does so without hesitation, because it is Yuffie asking (though that is probably not the wisest instinct, given it is Yuffie asking). He is indeed a little baffled, wondering if she was going to do something weird, like pretend to knight him for the realm of the Eastern Continent or, you know, give him a kiss on the forehead. Because that would be strange, though not entirely unwelcome.  

Realisation dawns as the headband is revealed and slid into place. He straightens up, a slow and small grin breaking out amidst his whiskers, as he strikes a bit of a pose, “Well, how do I look?”

No. This was not that weird in all honesty. It’s not exactly the first time Reeve has been gifted nekomimi ears. 

Thanks again for your amazing contributions to the community.

Oh my god anon you don't know what you've just unleashed, I've been waiting to talk about it all my life---I don't know how to start. I'm so delusional but bear with me because I really really love nyarutatsu hold on. Nyarutatsu I can divide it in several concepts that are appealing to me.

>Eternity as a whole (Ouroboros, Samsara) >Another representation of Nyarlathotep (deity) obsessed with a human ala Randolph Carter >The questioning of what makes humans human at all to begin with >The after effects and repercussions of trauma >selfcest (fake) cough The concept of "Eternity" is pretty headcanonized but bear with me.

Something that really struck me while playing EP was the Three Poisons that Nyarlathotep mentions, which fit each of the P2EP party members.

This was actually mistranslated in the english version (and not corrected with the patch, either but translated somewhat correctly in other instances?) the three poisons are "Anger" (Dvesha), "Ignorance"(Moha, but also Delusion) and "Desire" (Raga, which can also be Greed or Lust but most importantly, Attachment). Katsuya is anger (mostly repressed anger, towards his surroundings and circumstances), Baofu is ignorance/delusion (in which moha also can mean "emptiness") and Ulala is desire (*wants* so much, and more than anything attaches herself to the need of being *wanted*) Due to these, humans become trapped in the cyclical eternity of Samsara. While these 3 primarily match the EP cast, there's somebody we're forgetting right? I feel like these 3 poisons as a whole match Tatsuya as well. A key factor of Moha (ignorance) is attachment, primarily to people. Specially the 'illusion' that is "the world", "Maya". In other words, this is in regards to Tatsuya's attachment to Maya that is both an attachment to the person itself but the illusion that is "Maya" "Maya" as he knows her, doesn't exist anymore. He's attached to the image of her, the illusion of her. This attachment is both of ignorance and also craving, exemplified by "Raga".

While "Moha" is a fundamental ignorance of the self and most predominantly means naivety/stupidity. Foolishness. It's due to ignorance that you crave and desire, desire something that is not even real. This attachment is poison.

"Dvesha" is self explanatory as anger and aversion which can be attributed to placing his anger towards Nyarlathotep but ultimately his anger is not so much towards Nyarlathotep in itself (it still is, don't get me wrong) but towards himself most of all. Because it is he who caused everything by his own attachment and desires, attachment to the earthly world and the people in it.

Symbolically speaking, if not literally, Nyarlathotep taking his form is well enough to signify that Tatsuya, truly, hates himself most of all. That's his weakness.

By fulfilling all 3 characteristics, Tatsuya's stuck in his own Samsara. This is why I, at least as a headcanon of mine, belive that Tatsuya didnt get to return to the Other Side, he's experiencing karmic retribution over and over again.

It could also be that, he's doomed repeat the same events time and time again. Without a chance to change anything, without a chance to escape. Not being aware of being inside the hell of his own making. What makes you believe /this/ is the only world that has been created? There may have been countless worlds created, and those of which he can never return in the flesh. And this cycle of one's perpetual mistakes being represented by a creature that in on itself represents humanity as a whole is so appealing to me because, Tatsuya is truly so human. Being so ignorant, foolish, craving attachment and connections is so disgustingly human. Tatsuya may be stuck with Nyarlathotep for eternity in the Collective unconscious, and it's not like he didn't even agree. Nyarlathotep already marked him, through the brand. Philemon mentions is as a way to showcase what belongs to him, enchanted by the shadows, and Tatsuya is his.

Even Tatsuya says as much in the PSP scenario that "I'm the only one he can do as he pleases with" (what exactly that "he can do as he pleases" entails, who knows! The possibilies!).

Speaking of the scenario, this is where I bring up Ouroboros. Destruction and Creation.... Tatsuya needs Nyarlathotep as much as Nyarlathotep needs him. His main driving force in EP is both keeping everyone's safety as well as hoping to destroy Nyarlathotep, driven by his anger towards him (this 'anger' which Nyarlathotep enhances as a whole).

And as mentioned earlier with the Three Poisons, Nyarlathotep mentions that these are "his primary source of power". If a mere human alone is so rotten in poison, that makes him the perfect thing to own. They both feed each other pretty much. Tatsuya funnels his eternal rage driven sorrow into Nyarlathotep and he absorbs it and to him that's sustenance to his being plus ""love"". They hate each other in an all-consuming ouroboros, where neither of them will ever get out, trapped in their own cyclical eternity. Nyarlathotep doesn't need tatsuya to love him he just needs tatsuya to need him as much as he needs Tatsuya. Repetition!

And yes, I mention "love". Nyarlathotep "loves" Tatsuya, but in a way that is not the way you could exactly think of traditional "love". what is love No seriously, in the way we understand it, what encompasses love? Compassion, affection, kindness? Love is as much of a positive emotion as it can be a negative, contradictory emotion. Love enough to be obsessed, possesive, destructive. Love enough to destroy, to want, to own.

Nyarlathotep mentions that he's grown fond of Tatsuya when you first encounter him (again, mistranslated in english and not corrected in the patch)

(wow they're flirting) The original line is: そう熱くなるなよ。私はお前が気に入ったんだ。どうだ、似合ってるんだろうか？ (Don't get so worked up. I've taken a liking to you. Well, don't you think it suits me?) <- The latter part referring to imitating his appearance, but not the full sentence. As 気に入ったんだ means to grown fond of something, like a "like" but not 好き 'like'. (delusional).

Constantly wanting Tatsuya to submit to him as well.

Sure, you could interpret these as typical villiany talk, but I ship it because I think it's interesting. Another factor to me is that, Nyarlathotep sometimes is less of a "being" and more of a "concept" at times. The brand in Tatsuya's arm left in him by Nyarlathotep is as much of a showcase of ownership as it is a sign to showcase that, everything that had happened, happened. All his pain and suffering, his fears, his anxiety and dread---they're all part of him. He just has to eventually move on.

I really like this line that Tatsuya says in town dialogue. Nyarlathotep is a natural part of humanity, the negative traits found in all humans. Hence why, as long as humanity still lives, he will persist. This is mentioned even in the novel I translated too, that Nyarlathotep was "summoned" by Tatsuya due to the fear in his heart.

Tatsuya is so *human*, with all these fears and desires and wants and struggles. Nyarlathotep, who is drawn to humanity, likes these aspects and wants to exploit them for all he's worth. And of course, I do like that he uses his appearance to show this obsession, yet it's also a form of mockery, as mentioned earlier. Nyarlathotep tries to imitate a human's skin, but he himself is not so human. Or is he? He may be more human than what we believe.

And I like to 'humanize' him. Because Nyarlathotep is /human/ in a sense, negative traits found in humanity makes us as human as positive traits do.

I probably have a loooooot more than what I'm allowed to say I didn't even mention how Katsuya factors into Tatsuya's life and Nyarlathotep's control of him because it's also important but in essence, this is what draws me to them. Also, it's pretty much the most popular ship in jp spaces as of late, so there's that!

I guess in a sense, it's not "ship" in the way people normally would think of. Oh they go on dates, they're adorable, they're cute! kiss kiss love love! No, it's suffering on Tatsuya's side. Living with horror, loved by something beyond his comprehension. Something happened to him that he didn't ask for, he didn't want. And it has stained him. And he's there, always been there. Maybe before he was even remotely born (this is also another line Tatsuya has).

It's terrifying, bizzarre, dreadful and simultaneously so beautiful. There is an appeal in Tatsuya's suffering----and I like that.

Also this fucking line. This fucking line. Did they really expect me to go through the game and be normal about it. Why would he say this. What. I mean, do you get it? It's so petty. It's probably the most petty thing to do. He's aware of Tatsuya's attachment to Maya and went as far as even create an in-universe fanfiction in which they don't end up together (Tatsunoshin and Maihime). He has to tell Maya "well you may like him but he belongs to me, so" IT'S JUST SO. WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM.

tldr; It's also this, basically.