Tattoo - Chapter 3: Retaliation

Hooray. I have finally updated Tattoo at FanFiction.Net. I admit that I was quite worried about this chapter. I try very hard to keep my characters in line with the show, but I was worried that this time I hadn't.

I think this was the main reason I didn't update sooner (that, and I couldn't get the chapter where I wanted it). I did not want people to think Robin was out of character. On the other hand, she is seventeen at this point and has been rejected by the man she loves. I think it could lead her to act oddly.

I'd like to tell a little bit about the history of this WHR fanfiction and why it has bothered me. Tattoo was originally a spin-off for a full-length piece I was working on. The other story went someplace completely different and I think the beginning and content was far better written than Tattoo. Admittedly, I was surprised when I found the first story and realized that I had "stolen" large chunks of it for Tattoo. Unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to finish the unpublished piece as I have started working on my first original novel and have little time for anything else.

In general, I feel that Tattoo is not well written compared to most of my other WHR works. I know that I did not take this piece as seriously as I have to others in the past. It was really just a fluffy lemon that I decided to write. I think it would be more appropriate at AFF anyway, because FF tends to have more serious subject matter.

In any case, Tattoo is nearly at its end. Hopefully, it won't take me too long to finish this last piece.

The Case for an Angry Robin

Many people express disbelief at a Robin who may shout or even be (moderately) physically violent towards others. I've seen this topic pop up many times and finally it has come to me. In defense of Chapter Three in Tattoo, I present my case. Rest assured, this isn't to criticize any person who has brought up this matter for any specific WHR fanfiction that has been written, but more to back up how I feel on this topic since it has come up about my work. I strive to keep my characters in character as much as possible, but I also like to write fanfiction that pushes their buttons. Because of this, I sometimes put the characters into situations not addressed by the show, but would still like to think that they are as much in character as possible.

In Witch Hunter Robin, Robin is not always so calm and demure as usually remembered. I will only bring up two examples to save space. I have always been particularly bothered by Episode 26 and the confrontation between Robin and Zaizen. I still cannot believe that Robin easily kills Zaizan with so little regret. Amon or Karasuma, sure, but Robin I have difficulties with. I know that she was under a lot of stress at the time and Zaizan was a bastard for what he did to witches, it still seems off to me. Nevertheless, it is canon. I want readers to pay close attention to her expressions during this encounter. I have a ton of screenshots, but I thought I'd stick with just these.

Note: the following screenshots were all captured by me.

This is when Zaizan orders the footage of Robin's past destroyed. That's a face that means business. She's practically ready to burminate him now.

This has to be the scariest face Robin makes throughout the entire series. Here, she is attempting to use her craft on Zaizen after he shoots Amon (don't mess with that girl's man), but he now uses that nifty super-duper orbo to reflect Robin's attack.

Here, Robin is visibly upset that Zaizen has managed to take off in his escape pod. She appears genuinely unhappy that she hasn't been able to kill her former boss yet.

I would have expected Robin to be more shaken at this point with how easily she took Zaizan's life. Instead...she looks more pensive than anything else. It's an odd expressive to pin down, though it definitely doesn't look like grief (to me).

This screenshot comes from Stubborn Aesthetics and is one of my favourite parts in the WHR series. The image was hard to capture though, because of how the scene unfolds, but basically Robin shouts at the girl to not kill the crows and actually shoves her to the ground. It cracks me up since it kind of doesn't seem like something Robin would do, but there she is early in the series knocking someone over. To reiterate, Robin is seen both shouting and pushing in this example.

One can make the claim that the situation was an exception and warranted such force, but I'm not convinced that Robin wouldn't do something similar to, say, someone she knew for an extended period of time. While Robin's anger was primarily aimed at witches throughout the series, I believe that she also had the potential to point that anger at personal acquaintances. Which brings me to the exchange in Tattoo.

Would Robin have acted in such a manner, perhaps two months after the factory collapse? Most likely, no. However, at this point in my story, Robin and Amon have been living closely with the other for about two years and have known each other for at least four months additionally (through their time as Hunters). Given Robin's frustration with Amon and his established feelings on witches, I think the anger in which I portrayed in Robin is justified. And doesn't Amon seem like the kind of guy a girl would want to smack? There are too many times I wanted to slap him for things he said and did in the series. Imagine living with the dude, day in and day out. That's a heck of a lot of emotional crap to deal with.

I admit I do take a minor issue (very minor) with this topic in general (from reviews I have read on other fanfiction with similar situations) due to personal experiences. I grew up in a world with clearly defined gender roles and wasn't able/allowed to outwardly express anger until after I left home. To this day, many people are surprised at how I angry I can become as I usually present myself as quiet and reserved. In a lot of ways, I feel that Robin has a similar demeanor to me. I think she will (mildly) lash out physically at Amon during their relationship at some point, the question is when.

Of course, this is all up for debate and there isn't an obvious conclusion. Everyone has a different opinion on such matters; this was mine. Readers can decide for themselves if my stance has merit. Feel free to discuss the matter further.

And that is what I was thinking when I wrote Chapter Three. :)

Original Tattoo Notes

The following comes from the original notes within chapter three of Tattoo. I have taken the notes and added links to information available on the web. Note that the source is generally Wikipedia. I must stress much of the information I presented comes originally from sources other than Wikipedia. I used the site as a source for these notes because it is a good and quick reference that has links to other sites for additional information. In the near future, I will address the Akhenaten/Aten situation more and my take on the matter.


1. The bird and the snake

Of course, the title is a reference to the phoenix and oroborus tattoos the two get later in the chapter. Besides the overt symbolism of these mythological creatures yet to be discussed, the simplified symbols of the bird and snake can also speak of Robin and Amon’s tumultuous relationship. Who is really the bird and who is the snake is up to the reader’s interpretation.

2. Microfiche

Dang, for something that was so common when I was a young child, I could not find too much information on microfiche – not even on Wikipedia. I remember going to the library and having to sort through the microfiche files to look up books. Yeah, I’m so glad we switched to those nifty little things called jump drives. The idea for the rolled up microfiche comes from the COM type which is narrow and can be rolled, if I understand this correctly, although it actually originates from – this is so bad – the end sequence in The Rock. From what I could tell, that should also be a type of COM microfiche. Of course, Robin’s is a bit smaller, but I’m guessing that in the future there are additional types of data storage. Hey, if people can hack into data systems just with their minds in Ghost in the Shell, then developing a new form of compact microfiche should be no sweat. Interestingly, microfiche is very good to use because it is an analog storage device as opposed to today’s traditional digital storage and less likely to get corrupted. Since the letters are so small, it’s not possible to pick up a piece of microfiche and read it without some sort of viewing device (like one of those high-tech magnifying glass thingamajigs).

Edit: according to the Northeast Document Conservation Center, the item I described is actually called microfilm. The organization refers to microfiche as being the traditional index card type often found in libraries and the rolled variety as microfilm. At my earliest convience, I will rectify this.
End Edit

3. Akhenaten and Tutankhaten

Few discussions about the Egyptian god Amun can proceed without mentioning the later sun disk, Aten. Amun was initially the God of Air, though later he was fused with Ra and Horus to digivolve into Ra-Amun-Horus and was plastered to almost every Pharaoh’s name. The Aten/Akhenaten controversy is arguably history’s most interesting period. Unfortunately, this controversy hinders discussion because anything different than what is currently accepted by Egyptologists (who incidentally rely primarily on a book written nearly a hundred years ago and seem to ignore basic geological science) is not given any credence and ignored. I have read many books and seen many a documentary, but some of this knowledge is generally missing from what is available on the Internet, so I’m going by what’s in my brain. But, my brain is pretty reliable at remembering written material. Misora discussed Atenism a bit in her story The Burning Time, although I believe Akhenaten was actually not the first person to introduce the Aten sun religion as written. I am quite positive that I read that his father, Amenhotep III, (and possibly even Akhenaten’s grandfather) encouraged the idea of the monotheistic deity to the Egyptian people. Due to public opinion polls, however, the dude decided to leave the idea of an official new religion on the back burner during the reelection period and earned himself a rare long lifespan. (Note: ancient Egyptians did not hold elections and the author is fairly certain there were no opinion polls. And if there were, they were likely highly unreliable.) Smart thinking as this prevented him from being “erased” from Egyptian history as were his four successors. Akhenaten later forcibly proclaimed the sun disk Aten as Egypt’s only god, ignoring his country’s established belief system, economic state, international relations and choose instead to bankrupt his prosperous nation by building vast temples, a new capitol city and basically ignoring reality as the country fell around him (hmm, this sounds oddly familiar). Then…he mysteriously died.

Tutankhamun, perhaps today’s most famous pharaoh, was initially born Tutankhaten to Akhenaten and his lesser Royal Wife, Kiya. There is a lot of controversy about Tut (unbelievably a lot), but it seems that contrary to what many originally believed, Tutankhamun attempted to undo the damage wrought by his father and was doing a good job helping restore Egypt when he died at age nineteen. He changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun as a gesture to restore the confidence in the country’s popular polytheistic religions. On an unrelated note, many believe that Tutankhamun’s successor, Ay, stole the goods from the tomb of Nefertiti (primary wife of Akhenaten and, interestingly, daughter of Ay). This explains the surprising amount of wealth found in the tomb for a relatively minor, young Pharaoh. Many of the items found were actually created for a woman, including the trademark golden mask and his sarcophagus. The original face of the mask was cut out and the present one was inserted and bolted in the former’s place. Nefertiti was beloved by the Egyptian people, despite the damage done by her husband. There is (even more) controversial evidence that suggests Nefertiti was Akhenaten’s co-regent and quite possibly his successor as the Pharaoh Smenkhare (this is one of the most heated current subjects in Egyptology). For the longest time, historians didn’t know what to think about the homosexual overtones of depictions featuring Akhenaten and the co-regent sitting on his lap until somebody finally read the hieroglyphic symbols and figured out it was Akhenaten’s wife and not some other dude (reasons for this mix up: women were not given such official authority at this time, Nefertiti changed her names a few times, the symbols weren’t always completed, Egyptologists rely on an outdated book, every official and accepted statement on ancient Egyptian culture is basically made by one Egyptian official, etc.). Whether Great Royal Wife or Pharaoh, taking the goods from her tomb would be the reason behind the vastness of Tutankhamun’s tomb versus her very bare one. On an icky note, Tutankhamun married his half-sister, the daughter of Nefertiti, although that’s nothing compared to Akhenaten, who took the same daughter as his minor wife and apparently bore a son at age 12. Ew! Akhenaten quite loved Nefertiti to make her his Great Royal Wife despite never giving him a male heir, but he really (really) liked his women. This daughter later married Smenkhare (who was possibly Nefertiti herself) and finally Tutankhamun.

Edit: One of the books that discusses many of these aforementioned topics is Akkenaten: Egypt's False Prophet by Nicholas Reeves. I got lucky and remembered the guy's name. Let me again state that this is an incredibly controversial topic. There is very little information in general for what we know of the pharaohs and even less of the Akhenaten period because of widescale erasure. Also, if it is not clear to the reader, Akhenaten was the only Pharaoh to formally proclaim the Aten as the sole God of Egypt.
End Edit

Additionally, I came across some information in Wikipedia describing Amon as the marquis of hell. The article states that Amon “controls forty legions of spirits. He appears as a wolf with a serpent's tail, and breaths fire, or appears as a man with dog's teeth in the head of a raven, or simply as a man with a raven's head. He tells of things past and future, and reconciles feuds and controversies between friends.” That’s an interesting addition to the Egyptian mythology.

Edit: I thought it was clear by the last sentence that this has nothing to do with Egyptian mythology and is an addition in knowledge to what many WHR fans already know about the name of Amon.
End Edit

Anyway, in this chapter, Janet makes the reference to Aten as a counter to Amun – a sort of irony, so to speak. The reference to naming a son Tutankhaten is because he was the son of Akhenaten. One probably would not name their son after a rival, usurped god, so the suggestion is instead for the child of said god. The historical period of Akhenaten is incredibly interesting. I truly believe that in the future, Akhenaten will be remembered more prominently than any other Pharaoh of ancient Egypt.

4. Phoenix

Another symbol stemming from Egyptian mythology. The idea behind the firebird should be fairly simple. A (male) bird builds a nest then ignites it, burning up in flames. From the ashes a new phoenix arises. The phoenix can also regenerate from wounds if injured by an enemy. I thought I had read somewhere that the phoenix was female, but that may have been derived from an alternate firebird mythology (probably the Russian version since I’m more familiar with slavic history). Though the phoenix is clearly a sacred symbol originally associated with the sun god Ra, Christians later took the idea and used to symbol to represent Jesus Christ. The phoenix concept has to be the most used symbol throughout history, including Stravinsky’s Firebird, which was beautifully captured in the Disney film Fantasia 2000. In addition, Jean Grey from X-Men becomes a phoenix and there is that city in Arizona...

I love using this symbol for Robin, given her craft and what happens to her throughout the latter portion of the series. To me, she has always been the phoenix. Since Robin already knows that the first tattoo of Amon’s was inspired by a woman, she chooses a phoenix design as a representation of herself to “mark” him. Even if he does not love her, Robin can still ensure that Amon remembers her by way of the tattoo. Amon, however, actually replaces his old tattoo with the phoenix, which should have been a fairly blatant sign to Robin about his feelings towards her. Of course, she doesn’t get it at the time.

5. Oroborus (or ouroborus)

The timeless symbol of a serpent or dragon eating its tail (because, hey, a big rat eating its tail would just be gross and makes a poor circular design). It’s a compelling symbol of many meanings, including infinity and immortality, and considered one of the world’s oldest mystical symbols. It has also been used to represent a type of Yin Yang, or the nature of duality, another favorite symbolism of mine. Again, the depiction of a serpent eating its tail originates in Egypt, though similar designs utilizing pig dragons have been found earlier in China. (It’s good that time went with the serpent over the pig dragons, in my opinion.) The name ouroborus comes from Greek, meaning literally “tail-devourer”. Amon partially chooses this design for Robin for the reason that she is an engineered witch and has the ability to restore and continue the lineage of witches as an “Eve”. Robin can retain immortality by endlessly passing on her DNA to her offspring.

Referencing Egyptian beliefs again, the people believed the way to attain immortality was to remain in the minds of others over the years. This is the primary reason why the Akhenaten group was “erased” from all records in Egypt and completely omitted later. If people forgot about them, they could not truly attain immortality. This idea is kind of odd considering some of the tombs we have found of the “normal” people who had their portraits painted on slates and placed on their preserved body. By preserving their bodies through mummification and depicting what they looked like, modern people can remember those who lived thousands of years earlier. This Egyptian idea of immortality is surprisingly sound in some ways. [Sorry. No links yet.]

Amon chooses the oroborus symbol for Robin primarily because it is reminiscent of his immortal namesake. Well, that and the fact that it’s a kick-ass design. Maybe he also likes the idea of remaining timeless, always a rock to support Robin wherever she goes and never leaving her side. Amon sees himself as her eternal guardian. This idea is tested later in the story. The oroborus can also be seen as a counter to Robin’s phoenix, since both are used to represent eternal rebirth.

And that is the most symbolism I have ever put into any of my works – and there wasn’t even that much.

Welcome dear readers...

Welcome to my new blog for my Witch Hunter Robin fanfiction. This is the first dedicated blogging site I have created for my written work. I tend to reference a lot of history and politics when I write, so I decided that having a place readers could go to find out more about these particular subjects (without the story being clogged with tons of notes) would be better.

Depending on what I decide to do with Tattoo, I will post some additional data behind the more recent chapters. I'm considering moving the story from its current place at FF.Net to this blog.

Currently, I have my WHR fanfiction housed at Fanfiction.Net and AdultFanFiction. AFF is up and running for the most part. The site had server issues for many months, but is slowly coming back on track.