Omg, CC, what have you done to me? I've fallen through a rabbit hole searching and learning everything about the Kusarigama that you mentioned. All because of Thirteen, my wife 🩷
So apparently, the kusarigama is a traditional Japanese weapon consisting of a sickle (kama) attached to a chain (kusari) with a metal weight (fundo) at the end. It allowed fighters to attack from both long and short distances. The weight could be swung to strike or distract an opponent, the chain could trap weapons or limbs, and the sickle was used for close-range slashing attacks.
The weapon was used by samurai, ninja, and martial artists, but it required great skill and control to use effectively. While it was dangerous and versatile, it also had weaknesses—such as needing space to swing the chain and being vulnerable if an opponent closed the distance quickly.
Today, the kusarigama is mainly practised in traditional martial arts training and demonstrations rather than real combat.
You probably know this already since you made your own research, but man, it's so interesting and honestly? I feel like it's very fitting for Thirteen and her unpredictable nature.
Also, fun fact: Like many Japanese weapons, the kusarigama likely evolved from a farming tool. The kama (sickle) was used for cutting rice and grass. Adding a chain turned it into a versatile combat weapon. Many Japanese peasant weapons developed this way during periods when commoners were restricted from carrying swords.
Welcome to the kusarigama rabbit hole, anon, it's comfy in here~
You're right, I did know this already having been reading about the weapon myself for the last couple days. But I'm sure many of my followers do NOT know it and now they do without me having write it up myself, so thank you!
There are a couple of things I love about this being the weapon chosen for Thirteen. There's the obvious connection of reapers using scythes, but they have made it uniquely Japanese by having it be a kusarigama. As a person who has written too many fantasy stories, I have often found myself looking up the names of historical weapons. Usually there will be variations in name and style of weapon by region, but they'll essentially be the same type of weapon. Not so with the kusarigama. Could not find any instance of scythes with a chain attached anywhere else. (They definitely had something called war scythes elsewhere, but no chains that I could find.)
That being said, I did see the fact that the kusarigama is illegal in Ireland and I find that very funny. You can go to jail for seven years for using one. Like damn what happened in Ireland??
Anyway, I like this because the concept of reapers feels very western, but then there's the Japanese shinigami. From what I understand, shinigami are newer than traditional Japanese folklore and actually arose out of the concept of the western Grim Reaper mixing with more traditional Japanese beliefs. The main difference between them is that the Grim Reaper is supposed to be a scary manifestation of Death itself, dragging you off into oblivion, while shinigami are more like agents of death that politely escort you into the afterlife.
So to have it be a kusarigama, it's like we've kept that piece of the traditional Grim Reaper, but made it Japanese, just like the shinigami.
Obviously it makes sense that Thirteen would be more shinigami than Grim Reaper, considering our game's country of origin, but it's an interesting contrast to the other characters which are very much Christian based. Even the demons aren't anything like yokai, though we had a yokai event, they're more traditionally western demons. (At least in my opinion.)
The other thing I like about the kusarigama for Thirteen is that it's a complicated weapon to use. People had to train a lot to use it effectively. And its main advantage was that the chain could be used to disarm opponents or even wrap around them, basically... trapping them.
Thirteen is not only smart, she's dedicated. She needs that to be able to use the kusarigama. And to have her using a weapon that's meant to render your opponent useless so you can swing in and strike with a scythe...? I just...!!?!?
ANYWAY. I've been thinking about it a lot. And I'm really feeling some Thirteen brainrot coming on. Like... I really want to write a whole fic about this and give her some more backstory we've been missing.
And maybe I keep thinking about MC getting to see Thirteen in action... I perhaps have several different possible scenarios...
You know I didn't think I'd be posting one of these every day but here I am. What can I say sometimes a beautiful woman gets ahold of my brain. Hi Yuki thanks for the prompts
Of all the things that could show up on Thirteen’s doorstep, you're always the most welcome surprise. You have this odd little habit of popping into her home whenever you feel like it, and sometimes she wonders if you know how rare it is that you can do that without being blown to pieces by a landmine or tracked to your home by one of her devilflies. She would never tell you about what normally happens to visitors, but she doubts it would make much of a difference anyway. You’d probably give her that cheeky grin, the one that says, “Yeah, but I’m special, right?” and change the topic.
Sometimes she feels like you’re a star in her deep, dark cave, shining a new light on everything around her. Most times, though, she feels like you’re the gunk in her cogs. You trip her up, made her brain stutter and stop when she should be able to think clearly. She thought you were doing it on purpose at first, until she happened to see you talking to Mephistopheles (that stuck-up prick) and watched him stammer out a response, half-confused and half-offended.
You do all kinds of weird stuff, like invite her on a shopping trip, or share a snack with her at lunch. Or, she thinks, appear in her cave with a bouquet of human-world flowers. She blinks at you silently, acid-green eyes bouncing between your face and the flowers. “What is that?” she snaps.
The vitriol in her voice would’ve been enough to send a lesser creature scrambling for the exit, but you just stand there, a faint smile on your face, grinding her gears. “Flowers for you,” you reply, and hold them out, pointing the stems towards her.
She grimaces. “Sorry to disappoint- I thought you’d know better by now.” She injects some lightness into her voice, to balance out the way her heart feels like it’s going to sink into her shoes. “I can’t touch living things, remember?” She wiggles her pale fingers, long nails slicing through the air.
You roll your eyes. “Just take them.” You take a step forward- whoa- coming into her personal space like that- and thrust them into her hands. She grabs them, trying to keep them from falling on the damp cave floor, and winces when her fingers touch them. She expects them to shrivel, the decay from her touch seeping into the stems, curling the petals and turning them to dust.
Instead, the bundle sits innocently in her hand, unchanged. She stares at them warily, like a snake that might sink its fangs into her on a whim. You snort, and she glares at you. “What did you do?”
“They’re fake,” you reply. “Some fabric, some wire, a little bit of magic to keep the colors from fading.”
“You… made these?”
You shrug. “Mostly. Levi helped.”
She was wrong. You haven’t gummed up her circuit boards. You’ve disarmed her trap. No- scratch that- all of her traps. Every little defense, every failsafe, it’s laying in the dirt, useless. She starts to speak, and cringes at the weak little waver her voice took on in the few seconds of silence. “You really got the Avatar of Envy- the Admiral of Hell’s Navy- to help you make some fake flowers.” It’s not a question, but you answer anyway.
“Yeah. It was my idea, but he helped me figure out the fabrics to make them look more like real petals. Oh! Try smelling them,” you grin, bouncing on the balls of your feet.
She raises the flowers to her face and inhales, her nose tingling pleasantly with all kinds of new smells. She says nothing, just looks at you, waiting for an explanation.
“That was all me,” you say proudly. “All the Devildom perfumes have a little magic to take away that chemical smell you get in the human world ones, so I figured out a way to do the same thing with a different scent.”
“So I’m smelling…” her mouth is dry. And why does her heart feel like it’s in her throat now? “Human world flowers.”
You nod. “Exactly!” The cave lapses into silence for a moment, and Thirteen holds the flowers to her face and tries to ignore all the weird feelings that she got in the last thirty seconds. “I should get going,” you cut in, turning to leave. “I’m glad you like them.”
“I never said I liked them,” she frowns.
You laugh, your voice echoing through back to her ears. “You didn’t need to.”
redrew my thirteen reaper form design that went triple platinum on Pinterest. Original below cuz i never posted it here. Nothing changed much actually i just added jewellery n shit
..... personally ive always felt a little dissatisfied with how i executed this idea/design even when i first posted it so all the love it got at the time surprised me. I get the appeal though i really do
Thirteen: Hellooo! So I heard it was your birthday today. ...Guess I should say congratulations or something.
Thirteen: Speaking of which, you should’ve said something sooner. Then I would’ve had time to at least get you a gift.
A gift from you?
Thirteen: What—you’re shocked? Even I have enough decency to get you something for your birthday! You’ve done me a few favours here and there after all.
–
2. Don’t worry about it.
Thirteen: Who said I was worrying about it? At least let me take you out for some cake tomorrow.
–
Thirteen: I’m sure the others made sure you had your fill of celebrations for your birthday by this point. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what they do to celebrate. Honestly, they’re all so predictable. Personally, I prefer to spend my birthdays alone.
Don’t you get lonely?
Thirteen: It’s how I’ve always done it. Why would I feel any different now? It’s easier celebrating alone anyway. I don’t have to share my cake with anyone.
–
2. Then I’ll celebrate your birthday with you.
Thirteen: Why would you do a thing like that? Don’t bother. I prefer to spend my birthdays alone anyway. Isn’t it obvious? You really need to learn how to take a hint.
Thirteen: You know, ever since I came to RAD, I can hardly get a moment alone now. I’m sick of it. For a bunch of demons, they sure do enjoy getting buddy-buddy with each other.
Thirteen: I’m sure you’re the one to blame for that. You tend to have that effect on everyone, regardless of their species. Something’s definitely off with you. Not that any of this is relevant to me.
Thirteen: But I guess I don’t mind taking you out to play every once in a while. As long as it doesn’t become a habit! You make a good plaything anyway. So I thought that I had better wish you a happy birthday.
Thirteen: My business is done here. Good night.
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Player’s Second Birthday – Your Fault
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Thirteen: Hello? Happy birthday. I never thought I’d find myself calling you this early in the morning in a thousand years...
Thirteen: ...but I thought now would be the best time to do it. Your birthday party is tonight so you’ll be busy, right? I don’t really feel like going to the party. So I figured it’d be best to congratulate you now. Which means you had better start getting ready.
Huh...? I’m still sleepy.
Thirteen: What are you saying?! Hurry and wake up already!
–
2. Did we have plans today?
Thirteen: No, we didn’t. But I want you to make some time for me today.
–
Thirteen: I’m going to let you choose your birthday present. Then, we can eat some cake. It’ll be my treat, of course.
Awesome!
Thirteen: It’s your birthday. It’s the least I can do. We began hanging out a lot more over the past year.
–
2. YOU’RE treating me?!
Thirteen: That’s a very rude way to thank someone for doing something special for you... Since it’s your birthday today, I’ll let it slide this time.
–
Thirteen: You know...for someone who’s good at setting traps, I’m terrible with surprises. Which means I don’t know the proper way to celebrate these kinds of things either.
Thirteen: I never had to worry about celebrating others when I was on my own. But you refuse to leave me alone now.
Thirteen: This is all your fault, you know! Normally, I’d never have to think this much about you. You’re a real burden for distracting a reaper like myself. But I suppose that’s what makes you a little interesting. Since that’s the way it is, I suppose I’ll continue being nice to you from now on.
Thirteen: Anyway, it’s time for you to hurry up and get ready. I’ll be coming to pick you up. Make sure you aren’t seen either. It’ll be a pain if the others see you leave. See you later.
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Player’s Third Birthday – The Change Within Me
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Thirteen: I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, even though the day is almost over. But I wanted to tell you again anyway.
Thirteen: Thank you...for inviting me to the party today. Your birthday party was more chaotic than I ever could’ve imagined.
Wasn’t it fun though?
Thirteen: I guess you could say that.
–
2. Sorry about that.
Thirteen: Why are you apologizing? I’m not blaming you. Besides, some of it was pretty enjoyable.
–
Thirteen: You’re even stranger than I thought. Wherever you are, there is always laughter. Even the most stone-faced demons look like they are enjoying themselves. I always considered myself as an outsider, so imagine my surprise when I wanted to join in today.
Thirteen: Let me make one thing clear. I still don’t give a damn about any of those guys. The only reason I wanted to join in was because you were there.
Thirteen: Lately, I’ve been feeling strange. Wherever I go, no matter what I’m doing, I end up seeing your face in my mind. Then I think about how much more fun it would be if you were there with me. This isn’t like me at all...
Thirteen: But this can only mean that you’re to blame for your presence taking up more space in my mind! You need to take responsibility for what you’ve done to me!
Thirteen: Which means the obvious course of action for you is to start thinking more about me. In addition, next year we’re going to celebrate your birthday together, just the two of us. Not only at the birthday party either. I mean we’re spending the entire day together.
Thirteen: I promise to deliver you a birthday next year that surpasses this one by a mile. I’ll be spending this entire year coming up with the perfect plan so that the two of us can be together next year! I’ll even allow you to use Mr. Bucket and Gluey if it’ll mean the success of our plan.
Thirteen: Our first meeting to discuss our strategy is tomorrow. I’ll see you then.
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