#shuten

Founder 💙

I. Zeno´s "quirk"

One "habit" of Zeno is his constant refusal to actually use "names" with the Happy Hungry Bunch: The dragon warriors, Yona, Hak and Yoon.

Zeno´s tendency might have his first source in his relationship with the original dragon warriors and King Hiryuu.

II. The original dragon warriors - Abi, Shuten, Guen

1. Strangers: The usage of the "dragon names"

The original dragon warriors - Abi, Shuten and Guen - were strangers, that happened to have drunk the blood of the dragon gods.

Therefore the four dragon warriors, the original ones, merely addressed each other by their "dragon names".

2. Weird (insulting) nicknames

Zeno uses rather inpersonal nicknames for all the people, he is involved with. In fact, this was even practiced among the first dragon warriors.

Zeno was "useless" for Shuten. Guen called Shuten "Greenie".

3. Only King Hiryuu called them by their given names

At the beginning, the only person, that called them by their given names, was the person, they were supposed to "love".

4. The conversion from Seiryuu to Abi

After King Hiryuu had died, Abi, Guen and Shuten wished to leave the castle, but the people did not let them. Zeno volunteered to stay and told the people the lie.

Just when the four dragon warriors were about to part forever...something "magical" happened. The strangers "became brothers".

And it started with Zeno calling first Seiryuu and then suddenly he used Abi´s given name. Just like King Hiryuu. Abi was reminded of the king and started to cry.

And suddenly all the dragon warriors called Abi by his name.

Oh! I wonder if it was better if I called you by your name, Abi.

From this day on, Zeno called his brothers with dragon blood in their veins, just when they were leaving, "Guen, Abi, Shuten".

Suddenly Zeno had a family, but at the same time, Zeno lost this family, the moment Abi, Shuten, Guen left.

Even 20 years later, Zeno would search for his brothers, feel the connection and call them by their names - Abi. Guen, Shuten. Crying out his eyes, as all three took their last breath.

III. Kaya - Zeno´s wife

1. Kaya is like Zeno - an outsider

If you really look back on Zeno´s life, it is such an unending tragedy. Not only a nightmare, but a tragedy. Every time Zeno connected with a person, every time he was honest with the other person/people, she/they left Zeno.

Not because they considered him abnormal or a monster, but the dragon warriors left the moment, they admitted their bond and Kaya?

When Zeno met Kaya, he was at an end. At the end of his will, his wish to life. Zeno just wanted to finally die. Desperately he tried to calm his heart with the crest, holding onto the memory of King Hiryuu.

Kaya cared for him, yet Zeno did not notice it...until Kaya broke down.

Suddenly, Zeno understood, that Kaya was like him. She was an outsider, somebody lonely in desperate need for human connection.

At once, Zeno decided to care for Kaya, as well.

People cannot know what they don´t know...something similar Zeno had told the Happy Hungry Bunch and Yona. How well he knew, what he was talking about.

Zeno wished to "return the favor", but actually, he just had recognized, that Kaya was "like Zeno".

2. Calling out your own name

Nearly Zeno had forgotten his own name. Kaya gave him the advice to call himself by his own name. She would do it, too, in order to remember, who she was. In order to remember her own name.

"That seems kinda childish" - Zeno´s judgement was.

How little knew the then Zeno, that the later Zeno would just do exactly this: Calling himself with his own name. Again and again at the beginning, when he met the dragon warriors and Yona.

Later that guy did care so little about what people thought about him, that Zeno was being childish, with full intent.

Zeno learnt "being silly" from Kaya.

After all, Kaya had said, she would remember "Zeno´s name".

3. The words "I love you" he has never said

Zeno had wanted to marry her, yet Kaya fell very ill...and died.

Up until the last moment, Kaya has never known, that Zeno was a dragon warrior.

Zeno´s voice did not reach

IV. The significance of names

For Zeno names mean memory, connection and love. He started to perceive even human beings as "vessels"...but names are important.

I think, if Zeno calls somebody´s name - usually- he takes up a responsibility. If he wanted to forget Yona and the Happy Hungry Bunch in order to rescue the dragon warriors and himself, he was not allowed to call them by their names.

Far to heavy, it would create a memory, after all.