The War Chronicles of a Little Demon (Youjo Senki alt)

[Sunshine Temple]

Well, that lunch date sure was interrupted by everyone short of the demon's main deity. Poor Tanya

Click to shrink...

Heh, though one day that may just happen.
*DarkStar drops in and starts eating Tauria's lunch*

Also I'm not sure if it's just something I've forgotten but what is the source of Tanya's religious devotion here? As whilst calling her outright anti theistic is an exaggeration unless Being X was harsher than in canon, I can't see her as anything but neutrally respectful to the whole institution of faith invested in forces that are properly entities and it's practitioners.

Click to shrink...

You are correct, Tanya (at least the manga version) was always respectful and fond of the nuns who raised her.

Here Taurai is even closer to Clementia, and that did have the state of that respect to it.

The respect grew in many ways as Tauria found herself playing the role of the pious War Heroine.

As that is one thing that Salaryman, Tanya, and Tauria are big on: adhering to social conventions and expectations.

 

[Rymu]

The respect grew in many ways as Tauria found herself playing the role of the pious War Heroine.

As that is one thing that Salaryman, Tanya, and Tauria are big on: adhering to social conventions and expectations.

Click to shrink...

That much is perfectly in character for Tanya as I understand her, as she pulled it off in her canon 2nd life. Albeit it was partially due to the T95's everything and partially due to the fact she liked to shittalk Being X whilst at church. However it's really not what you've got written in this fic. As here she seems genuinely pious to the point where she's comforted by doing the caretaking for the little church she's responsible for and has an interest in a relic that has no motive besides being in awe of a relic.

I'm not gonna say a genuinely pious Tanya is impossible. It's just that I don't think one is likely without an active benefactor who is in direct communication with Tanya over her issues after Being X is gone. And I don't think this fic has really earned such character development for Tanya from what I can remember and what you're stating here. For DarkStar is explicitly missing and Tanya has only some maybe miracles to her name.

There's a snippet on the SB YS fic thread that has a pretty good start to a Tanya being on good terms with a deity but it takes a haggled over 3rd life setup that she was getting as compensation for Being X's shit anyways and a boon to counter some bad luck to get Tanya to start doing dinner prayers after initially promising herself that she'd just do something like a prayer or two a year as a sort of thank you card and maybe considering finding money on the ground to be something to thank the deity for.

 

[Sunshine Temple]

That much is perfectly in character for Tanya as I understand her, as she pulled it off in her canon 2nd life. Albeit it was partially due to the T95's everything and partially due to the fact she liked to shittalk Being X whilst at church. However it's really not what you've got written in this fic. As here she seems genuinely pious to the point where she's comforted by doing the caretaking for the little church she's responsible for and has an interest in a relic that has no motive besides being in awe of a relic.

Click to shrink...

That she was doing it because she, correctly, knew it would please her mother, is kind of a major factor. And Tauria would have a historical interest, and again her mother has an interest in it, not to mention said relics do give her political power (with strings attached)

I'm not gonna say a genuinely pious Tanya is impossible. It's just that I don't think one is likely without an active benefactor who is in direct communication with Tanya over her issues after Being X is gone. And I don't think this fic has really earned such character development for Tanya from what I can remember and what you're stating here. For DarkStar is explicitly missing and Tanya has only some maybe miracles to her name.

There's a snippet on the SB YS fic thread that has a pretty good start to a Tanya being on good terms with a deity but it takes a haggled over 3rd life setup that she was getting as compensation for Being X's shit anyways and a boon to counter some bad luck to get Tanya to start doing dinner prayers after initially promising herself that she'd just do something like a prayer or two a year as a sort of thank you card and maybe considering finding money on the ground to be something to thank the deity for.

Click to shrink...

I would have thought that amount of character growth and the relationship with her mother, would have at least had Tauria have a respect for the religion she has a very strong comforting familiarity with.

And one that she routinely wears a mask of to play the role of piety.

oh well.

 

[Rymu]

That she was doing it because she, correctly, knew it would please her mother, is kind of a major factor. And Tauria would have a historical interest, and again her mother has an interest in it, not to mention said relics do give her political power (with strings attached)

Click to shrink...

This pragmatic edge or justification (or really any justifications) doesn't show up in the text all too strongly though. Tanya is very opinionated in her head, and whilst her justifications here are the right deflections they're much too weak and token.

I would have thought that amount of character growth and the relationship with her mother, would have at least had Tauria have a respect for the religion she has a very strong comforting familiarity with.

And one that she routinely wears a mask of to play the role of piety.

oh well.

Click to shrink...

Respecting the religion and playing a role is different from being actually faithful. Which her actions are leaning more towards than I'd say is warranted given that Darkstar is notably absent and Uriel's influence began and ended in the prologue. Tanya knows that entities can be help or actively oppose her, but Darkstar is repeatedly noted to be absent. Tanya wouldn't take that sort of thing very kindly given her interactions with Being X but pragmatically might consider justifying anything beyond what she needs for her masks as building up stock in the event she does turn up.

 

[ScarletFox]

This pragmatic edge or justification (or really any justifications) doesn't show up in the text all too strongly though. Tanya is very opinionated in her head, and whilst her justifications here are the right deflections they're much too weak and token.

Click to shrink...

Doesn't it though? It is pointed out that she doesn't even believe she'll receive an answer from the notably absent Daughter. The ritual and rites are something that in her first life would have been common with the Japanese Salaryman. Lots of ceremonies to do at various shrines and all. As much as the Japanese are not very religious themselves, they tend to fall over themselves in tradition. And in this life, the traditions dictate to her to do some performative prayer, and she's even taken up the Miko role of cleaning the chapel. Tauria using these rites as a gainful distraction to being suddenly thrust into a political situation she isn't nearly prepared for in what was supposed to be a nice holiday seems pretty on point.

That others see her (including you it seems) as very committed to the religion are kind of the point. Even if Tauria is more committed to it than she would like to admit due to being brought in the Church instead of a less theistic space, she still believes herself to be using this 'religion' as a shield, and to appear 'normal' as she thinks to define it.

 

[Sunshine Temple]

Doesn't it though? It is pointed out that she doesn't even believe she'll receive an answer from the notably absent Daughter. The ritual and rites are something that in her first life would have been common with the Japanese Salaryman. Lots of ceremonies to do at various shrines and all. As much as the Japanese are not very religious themselves, they tend to fall over themselves in tradition. And in this life, the traditions dictate to her to do some performative prayer, and she's even taken up the Miko role of cleaning the chapel. Tauria using these rites as a gainful distraction to being suddenly thrust into a political situation she isn't nearly prepared for in what was supposed to be a nice holiday seems pretty on point.

That others see her (including you it seems) as very committed to the religion are kind of the point. Even if Tauria is more committed to it than she would like to admit due to being brought in the Church instead of a less theistic space, she still believes herself to be using this 'religion' as a shield, and to appear 'normal' as she thinks to define it.

Click to shrink...

Yah, my intent was to have Tauria take a common contemporary Japanese view to things like Shinto ceremonies and the like. She may not think she fully believes, but she does respect the cultural traditions and rites.

And as you note, how Tauria thinks of things, is one thing, but how people see her is another. Especially as with most people she doesn't go "Oh I don't believe in DarkStar!" and even her protests to her lack of piousness come off as massive humility