[**Ruka Tenbriss Ya-ir**](https://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/character_sheets/12692)
[Ruka Fighting Playlist](https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqIacGc8w5BVN2y7KBe2iwRCmTtjERXk)
1. [*Wasteland*](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=pwNRYcMBHss&feature=share) - **10 Years** -- The playlist begins with a song about Ruka's *condemnation* of violence and fighting, and carries that thread through the brutal and evil necessity of having to answer it with violence in turn. The song has many solemn, almost grieving notes, especially in the slower string sections and the quieter vocalizations at the very opening and at various chorus points between sections, "change my attempt, good intentions" / "self inflicted, his perdition". Meanwhile, the beat immediately kicks up into harsher and louder crashing of instruments and remains powerful throughout, slow then violent, slow then violent. The lyrics also echo Ruka's own sentiments about responsibility, culpability, condemnation, grief, and disgust. Fighting always, always creates victims, always continues in a cycle of us vs them as soon as a side is taken, and is so often always a first answer or worse, a lauded and enjoyed one, when it never should be. He finds enjoyment of violence to be at best ignorant, and at worst outright evil and cruel. ("hollow silver piercing through another victim/turn and tremble, be judgemental, ignorant to all the symbols") Anyone who denies that using violence in turn is abhorrent is also ignorant and blind, and in denial about their own role in continuing that cycle. While he will and has committed to fighting, killing, and violence to combat those same things, and at times lashed out in anger himself, he had always felt judgemental (of himself and others) afterward and beforehand, and he hates seeing it celebrated. Thus, he tries to make it very clear that it shouldn't be, often condemning others for warmongering, using violence as a means to an end ("here we are with your obsession") or treating a serious topic like a joke, and he carries every fight and death as an immense responsibility and weight, whether those deaths were "right" or "wrong" or "deserved." And some, indeed, are. But even if they are deserved and even if it is right to protect some and kill others, it is still abhorrent. He can't hide from that and he doesn't want anyone else to either. Whenever Ruka steps up to fight, willfully bloodying his hands for others ("try all that you can, turning you red" yelled out like it's suffering) he's keeping that in mind. Cue edgy, dark expression.
2. [*Ready to Fall*](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=jnmlw38KzxE&feature=share) - **Rise Against** -- This second song follows on the tails of the sentiments of the previous and expands into Ruka's acceptance of his role. While he condemns the violence, he is also *committing* to it. It is about him stepping up to the edge, stepping up to the fight, and being prepared to throw himself into it...and not come back out ("standing on the rooftop ready to fall"). Where the previous touched on his attitude towards violence, this song is his preparation to and commitment to exacting it, shouldering that burden and sacrificing himself -- both his physical well being and his mental, and very possibly his life -- to step in and be the shield for another. To stand between those who cannot defend themselves and those who would hurt them. At times, he also makes a stand for himself as well, for his own survival, but it is mostly for the sake of others ("...tell me everything/I know I've been gone for what feels like forever but I'm here now waiting" that is, how he is coming to the rescue or defense of others and does this for them, is there to hear them and listen and remember, protect and help...even if he failed before and even though he's not good enough, he's going to try). This song is about how he is a protector, a father, a big brother, a husband, a Master, a friend-- he will take charge, take responsibility, fall on the sword and do whatever it takes to end the fight. He's ready...to fall. (Gasp). There is also quite a lot of meaning and imagery exchange in the lyrics with Ruka, such as: reference to "wings won't take/save me" and how he has wings tattooed on his back and Cora calls him an angel, but he very much knows he isn't one, and this commitment assures it; reference to "took one last look at the home that I once loved and then I ran like hell" and "please don't die on me" and how Ruka and his mother have a very complicated relationship over her negligence and how his life changed so much when he choose to train his powers and join the Lotus rather than being in his mother's house and the streets/gutter, finding a bigger reason to fight; in reference to "heights don't phase me, don't look down, take a step" about his martyr tendencies and how he smothers his own fears and traumas and needs in favor of just pressing on for his kids/others; and in reference to "count the times that I've been sorry" for his poor self reflection and guilt and inferiority etc where he always feels at fault and wrong for just about anything he does.
3. [*Raging On a Sunday*](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=fDeGL4rv6G4&feature=share) - **Bohnes** -- The third song in the sequence is the step after committing, when Ruka has engaged in combat and is all out fighting. It's much more upbeat, fast, and varied, relying heavily on beat and snappy, powerful, dramatic lyrics along with manipulation of the tracks. Each beat can be used to envision him spinning and leaping and cutting through his environment, telekinetically throwing and wielding his daggers and holding his lightsaber in a chain of unending attacks. He lands, he moves, an enemy goes down, he moves again, he's across the terrain and flipping and all this-- he's a storm and he can't be stopped with his Juggernaut endurance and his speed, devastating lines of common enemies and having more brutal battles with others that can match him. Nonetheless for all that wild action and excitement in the song, there's also the religious (and mocking) notes and basis to the song that still carry the thread of how he feels he is a "sinner" for what he does and that he bears that cross/price for what he's doing ("worry bout that some day" about confession because in this moment is only the fight and ending it, and the guilt will come). Either way, this song is the most FIGHT of the lot and carries the energy of the actual battle and fluidity of Ruka being, unfortunately, very good at fighting and killing when need be.
4. [*Towards the Sun*](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=G3jq77_P-cA&feature=share) - **Rhianna** -- The fourth song is a sort of recovery and recoil, especially in answer to the third when Ruka has thrown himself fully into finishing a fight and into the Dark Side, when he's walking that line between total, careful control of so much power and the possibility of losing himself ("lost in the rock n roll" literally in this case). This song is where he is called back. Where he hangs on. He sees the blue of his saber and he feels his ring on his finger and he thinks of Cora, and it helps him pull back, stay steady, stay true. "Turn your face towards the sun" is almost literal in him turning back to the Light and to Cora and keeping his own balance that way without succumbing to the dangers of the Dark ("it's not worth my soul"). It is not easy. Even if on the outside it's only taking a second, internally it's a journey. And what's more, the battle isn't always over when a fight is. He has to keep going. He had more to do. And so it's back into the fray until he chooses to stop or is killed or incapacitated (#juggernaut). This song is the crescendoing hopeful lift up from the bass and speed of the fighting spirit, and dovetails down into the last song.
5. [*Soldier*](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=t87ZqaldRqs&feature=share) - **Fleurie** -- Finally, we have not quite an ending, but the possibility -- the wish -- of one. The last song more than anything is what really captures that "go on until the end and do whatever it takes for my family/for others," what really brings to fruition the dedication and responsibity that defines Ruka as a whole. All his life he has worked and worked and *worked* whether or not it broke him to care for his brothers and mother, and then to be a partner to Cora, and now to be a Knight (Lotus) to the people. ("Soldier keep on marching on/head down til the work is done"). This song has such a slow, building march like the lyrics reference, and Fleurie's airy, high, delicate vocals add an innocence and grief to that constant marching beat that really reflect a certain amount of tragedy. Ruka isn't a solider. He wasn't raised to this or trained for it. He got thrown into a war he and Cora where wrapped up in a whirlwind of by virtue of being recruited for powers they were born with, and he has suffered so much thereafter. He's nearly died, been tortured, killed, hurt, been hurt, lost people, jeopardized his family and his life...and he's only 25. He started raising two children all by himself at 10. He turned tricks and became emancipated at 15. He's done and suffered so much and he thinks so little of himself...but he's chosen to do it. All of it. And he would again without hesitation because that's who he is. He does the work that needs doing. He keeps marching. And maybe one day he'll get to rest ("waiting for that mornig sun") but until then? If there's a fight he needs to fight he will keep fighting. If the battle isn't over yet, he picks himself up and keeps going, even when he's going on alone now because he's been left or because he's going where others can't follow. And again, I go to the Juggernaut feats...on and on until it's done, he can't and won't be stopped, and it's almost awful how much he can take. Sad and noble too. This song's tiredness and eerie, beautiful fade out with a mourning, bleakly hopeful chorus ends the playlist with the perfect ambiguity because it's possible that he hasn't reached the end yet and he'll just have to keep going. Neither the listener nor him know.