#hes also WAY younger here than he is in game... which its like lol... old man
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jacklelanturn · 2 years ago
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yaoiepisode · 4 months ago
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You have doll OCs??? Can we see??? Pleaseee
yes!!!!!!!! theyre not related to sp at all lmao but ill put them under the cut ^___^
two of them are characters in a nonexistent game ive been kinda designing, in the hopes of one day making it existent. one aspect of the world is that dolls just come to life sometimes, and theres not really anything anyone can do to influence it, so ill probably have more in the future ehe
(one thing i want to explore is the concept of a haunted doll... since dolls only "wake up" for themselves right after being made, any inanimate doll will be empty forever unless possessed by another entity. but i dont have any character ideas there yet)
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my messy handwriting and extremely rough sketch swag...... ;v; this is agolié (he/him)!! ive been focusing on him the most lately.. he was manufactured as one in a set of four dolls but he was the only one to awaken, and he ended up abandoned after his creators died so hes living in this cobwebby manor in the middle of the #Evil Woods with his inanimate doll family. he starts out like, really disconnected and incurious, spending his days going through inane rote motions like collecting food even though he cant eat it, but if you convince him to join your party hell have this whole character arc, positive in some ways (starts making his own decisions and learns to question things hes been told, yay) and negative in others (develops intense moral and existential anxiety, uh oh. whoopsie). OR you can attack him on sight and cut off his quest line. itll be that kinda game
the other doll oc from the same project is diszmene (she/her), but i havent drawn her yet </3 shes going to be a mini boss, maybe a full area boss if i can tie her closer into the main plot. she lives in a decaying town with her creator, an old woman close to death who made her when she was much younger, and protects her from danger. shes strongheaded and.. also kinda going through rote motions, but in a much more aggressive way than agolié. somewhat of an unleashed guard dog character. shes got complex feelings about the idea of soon outliving her creator, and fully believes shes going to be the last thinking being in existence. (which tbh is not that outrageous of a thing to think, considering most of humanity is dead at the point the game takes place, but im trying so hard not to plot dump here. on my sout part blog)
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and this is lampwick (he/it)! this is my best drawing of him, i kinda dont like any of the humanized sketches i made later.... ignore the ruffle doodle above him lol. i drew him to be a member of a closed species, s/ccub/ns (censored cause i super dont want this appearing in any searches lmao) that i never ended up getting invested in (honestly i just dont get closed species in general...... i like creating characters but online oc culture scares me a lil lmao), so i never submitted him. i have my heart set on transforming its design into smth unrelated to anything else, but like i saiddd ive been struggling humanizing it so far. plus im more invested in that game project lately.. so his resentful princeboy kintsugi porcelain-doll-left-in-a-burning-building ass is on the sidelines for now. but i like it too much to shuffle it off into my folder of abandoned ocs (⁠´⁠ ��.⁠ ⁠.̫⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠`⁠)
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bmpmp3 · 7 months ago
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ffffuuuucccccck i finally finished watching a playthrough of silent hill 2 remake.... ffffuuccccccck its good..... ffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck
i already mentioned before how much i liked remake james's performance in regards to like his in-game uh. grunts LOL but i really loved how much, as he gets hit or beats up creatures his voice gets sorta heightened and hoarse like real ass screeches of disgust and upsetness... hell yeas
james's performance was great in general like of course i love his original bizarro world voice acting where you'll be like so horrified or scared one second and the next you'll burst out laughing. how can you just SIT THere and eat PIZza. etc etc. BUT in a high fidelity modern game like this its nice to hear a more naturalistic performance, and a really nice like emotional performance with this shift into disassociation so well... really good!
also a big fan of angela and mary and maria's performances too although their originals were also top notch. i think in some cases i really preferred marys old line reads especially with the letters but that might just be because ive heard it tooooo many times that im too attached. angela was great all around, her voice in the original was intentionally older sounding than she was which i thought worked well and interestingly in the ps2 game, but in the remake she sounds her actual age and i really loved that performance too, had such a viscerality to me, maybe because she looks and sounds like so many people i've known.
also really love her new design, although her sweater um. threw me off because uh. it was so like skinnyfitted and thin and i was like oh god post-2010 clothing trends..... oh god post-2010 quality degradation.... oh god the skinny armholes are still haunting me BUT actually i do think the odd fit really works. in the original shes designed and voiced older than herself, and here she's designed almost looking younger than herself in some scenes - like okay maybe its just because oddly fitting shirts with too tight armholes was just all clothing when i was middle school BUT it does make her look younger than 19 to me. and then in her performance shifting between her own age, seeming younger, and sometimes even seeming older and tired.... really good, i thought her performance was really great and really emotionally harrowing
I ALSO like marias new outfit, the little gag where she finds her old outfit and asks james what he thinks is so so so cute. i wasnt sure about her new outfit because low key i thought it was too bland as something just like two flat colours but in a closeup i saw that her dress has like a subtle leopard print and there was all kinds of other little details, so it grew on me a lot! although, her original outfit being ripped straight from i think christina aguilera at like the teens choice awards or something is one of my favourite things on earth and when they first announced the remake i did kind of hope they would rip a new outfit from different celebrity. steal some ariana look. give her those long ass sleeves. does the teen choice award still exist. oh god it stopped in 2019. oh god. oh god. wait im getting distracted
JAMES new design is also pretty great. i do miss the goofy patches on his jacket tho.... whats the usa flag doing there... BUT its good it fits. i also like how fucked up and exhausted he starts looking over the course of the game. really good
i also noticed - the remake focuses a LOT on the faces like james especially but all of the characters expressions. and i think that was a good choice because one thing the original has all the way over the remake is the like, super dark and exaggerated geman expressionist ass shadows in those prerendered cutscenes. in a modern realistic game like this that might still be difficult, at least to blend in with the gameplay lighting, so i noticed the lighting, while still solidly expressive, was a little more subdued. since you dont have those intense solid black shadows obscuring and exaggerating features anymore, focusing on the faces themselves and all the subtle mocap and tiny animations helps bring back that emotion in a different way. if that makes sense? i dunno it thought it was neat
i enjoyed basically all the new stuff ive seen (i still need to see all the endings, the leave ending was great tho) and all the old stuff was solid - there was also plenty of stuff i liked better in the original. but i didnt mind the new one. and a few things were better which is nice. OH and the line in the club where maria asks james to get up on the pol for her was really good. if only he would maria. if only he would.
OH and of course the soundtrack was fantastic. i mean its the same dude and that same dude happens to be legend akira yamaoka of course its fantastic. the mandolin is there. its great LOL some of the new arrangements really got me like, emotionally? the tape scene, whats the song. TRUE the new version of true.... holy shit. holy shit man
it also made me realize like damn. i havent heard a whole lot of games that look like sh2remake that sound Like This. in general most horror games i play outside of like VNs tend to be much more like, quiet atmosphere - sh2 and sh2remake by extension are so melody heavy and like, grunge rocky? i still think the original theme of laura might be my favourite piece of rock music ever LOL BUT like its nice.... hearing so much melody and rock song based background music, still atmosphere and moody but with much more present rather than fading into the background - maybe just because that's my favourite type of video game soundtrack LOL people say if you dont notice stuff like bg music, etc, that means the artist did their job BUT thats not the case for me i like stuff to be noticeable <3 it was so refreshing!!
very solid remake. i wonder if its successful enough that we'll get other remakes? i'd like 4 a lot. they would want to do 3 but itd be hard to without 1 so 1 is likely, although yknow im not sure if i can picture a sh1 remake. shattered memories is like. technically that? but its so SO vastly different i like, forget HJKDSHJDSD i think of them like separate games... a shot for shot-ish with expanded scenes etc for 1 like we got for 2.... i do have trouble picturing it. maybe its because 1 is my absolute favourite (2 is such a close second but sometimes i grade my favourite game in a series by how often i replay it. and i replay sh1 so much its absurd) maybe its because in my heart i picture harry mason in his blocky ps1 form at all time. but i wouldnt be opposed to a remake.... id be open... i think.... as long as they give you a costume that lets you run around as ur ps1 model. i think id be open if they did that LOL
EDIT: I JUST WATCHED THE OTHER ENDINGS
leave in water and maria were all great. leave is usually my go-to but i love in water as like a counterpart to it, listening to mary's final wishes or going against them. maria ending is also great as like oh fuckkkkkkkkkk.... It Is Happening Again.
rebirth i forgot about how insane that ending was. holy shit.
dog was so so fucking good the CAMERA ANGLES? the POLISH? awesome it added just enough to make it funny in new ways while still being a good classic joke ending
UFO I WASNT EXPECTING AT ALL like okay speaking of harry. im really glad they changed it from harry's ps1 model to it being fucking SPACE JAMES. ps2 james. i think that feels more fitting as a remake, referencing the game its remaking rather than the predecessor to the game its remaking LOL altho i would have still enjoyed seeing harry my best friend harry i think this is way funnier
THE NEW ENDINGS
bliss.... holy shit man. thats like. REALLY GOOD. like so good i almost had to remember like was that in the original? it feels SO fitting and so haunting. i love that james's voice is so much clearer than mary's through the tv speakers.... it was like a slow dawning realization. short and simple but so so SO effective, surreal and haunting, big fan
stillness was also really good as sort of an alternate in water? i think? the performance was CRAZY in that one it was so strong and resonant..... the new endings were great additions all around i think!! very happy with this remake overall :)
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itneverlasted · 5 months ago
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Hellooo Tumblr
It’s been so long (well for me)
I’m pretty confident my anonymous readers have now ghosted their idea of me or my page. I’ll miss you, just because it warmed my heart knowing I’m being heard from afar. :)
I actually don’t want to ruin this page/account bc I have such great yet sad memories of the things I’ve posted and reshared on here and it warms the younger me. I am currently now 25 years old and I’m thinking about making a new account… not sure yet.
2025 is a new year and definitely a lot of things I’ve gathered from myself from the past few years, the good and bad.
The bad: I’m no longer sweet (so I’m told), I’m not as soft and nice like I once was. My humor has changed. My voice has changed. The tone in my voice, has changed. The way I observe things have changed. I have a foul mouth. I’m negative. Many more ..Though, there are reasons for all of these changes. I’m not going to point fingers but it seems that there’s been many arrows in my path that I am trying to avoid.
The good: I am kind. I am considerate. I am giving. I am definitely louder (which actually drives me insane considering how quiet I used to be.) I can be very excited. I am curious. I am generous. I am grateful. The most important thing is, I forget that I am loved.
I want to start off by saying I feel like I can’t write anymore. I mean, I’ve never written anything great but I notice something you won’t understand. Anyways, 25, crazy— I always feel like getting “older” .. I’ve always thought it was a myth cause pfft, not me. I’m supposed to stay young forever—duh. NOPE. You’ll notice changes in your skin, hair, and body. Its saddens me to the core but I was just in a stupid denial lol. Also, girl calm down “25 isn’t old” I KNOW BUT I FEEL LIKE IM STILL 19 or 20. It sucks sooo much.
But I do like the benefits of being old than 21 ;)
For this part you can choose to read or skip. I’m just to lay it out about whatever comes to mind
I’ve gotten closer to my family a lot. Especially my immediate family, which I honestly thought there was no saving. Friendly advice with living in a shit home, it does get better. No matter how horrible your relationship is, it will soon disperse. It took many many MANY tries but you just have to play by ear when you get older.
Friends? God I’m so odd and weird. Idk how to, yanno, keep friendship without getting annoyed all the time (yes I know I blame myself which is why I’ll gladly accept the 2 friends that I have)…. I lied. I never know what “friends” mean. I’m complicated. I have one guy best friend who I can hang with and have been friends for with since kids. He’s super chill, a girls girl, and isn’t annoying. Then there’s this girl but I’ve drifted away from her.. we still talk, just not regularly. I met her through my job. She was funny. I do have a few of gaming friends tho. But I draw a line in that bubble between “online” and “in person”
Boys? Pfffftt. What even is that. I don’t see myself getting married either. If I did holy fuck.
My job suckssss but the money is good sometimes. Mentally and physically I’m checked the fuck out from that place
I learned how to play Minecraft a lot recently and now I. Cannot. Stop. My eyes burn, my posture is fucked, and sleeping schedule is still the same. Terrible. I still can’t get a full 8 hour sleep, not even when I was in school YAY :D but building a lot of cool stuff is fun. Fortnite is still fun ofc
I’ve recently started to love and subscribe a few people on YouTube. I was never a podcast fan but only for Bad Friends. They are so hilarious. Absolutely love it. Kai Cenat is also a G. Adore his videos and his shopping experiences at Walmart. Last but not least can’t forget CASEOH. Hehe, the best <3 those are just my top 3
I suck at gyming. Lifting weights is great and all but I feel like I’m beefy. I definitely prefer the High Intensity Hit Training. I love the idea of my whole body moving and getting my heart pumped. But I stopped going for almost a month because I got caught up with working 12-13 hour shifts back to back so I had no rest, no motivation, and no fuel. Then I went on vacation 3 weeks ago and finally came back and started my gym again. It definitely feels good to be back for the most part.
Omg I’ve been seeing so many people I know from highschool and if you know me, I PANIC. Why? I don’t know!! What if I say hi and I don’t get noticed back and I’m like ok great imma kms rn cause I look like a fool… But when I don’t say hi they notice me and I look like an asshole LIKE WHAT DO YALL WANT FROM MEEE. Also what if they judge my appearance or something idk what if they catch me in my ugliest form, no makeup, leggings, weird oversized top, and shitty hair LIKEE… do people want conversation during their shopping? Pumping gas? Working out??
I’m running out of whatever more comes to mind. Also bc my hands are cramping with how I’m holding my phone rn.. it’s 1:59 am currently so I should prolly dip
Maybe I’ll write again later????? In life?? Highly doubt it ¿?
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nerves-nebula · 2 years ago
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Wait so if Leo was the first to meet April, does that mean that the other bros are suspicious of her? What is their relationship with her like?
nah, ok well sort of. they all met her when they were wayyy younger (and therefore less cautious). Raph and Donnie were the most scared of her at first, but she's a little charmer, so it didn't take long for them to all become friends.
anyways here's a more detailed description of the dynamics:
Leo: Leo befriended April despite his paranoia (I mean he was also pretty young so it hadn’t fully set in yet either), and he kind of did it on accident too. He basically just ran into her while peeking out of the sewers, and she offered him candy, which is a rarity for the turtles so he immediately went “FUCK YEAH humans might be dangerous but this one has CANDY” and invited her into the sewers, which she said was nasty, so they played in a dirty alleyway instead lol. Leo kept coming back and asking for candy, and a few weeks later he was like “I’ve got a surprise!!” and introduced her to his bros.
Later on, Leo gets pretty jealous of April and his brothers, because he thinks that she likes THEM more than she likes him, which is totally unfair cause she was his friend first!! >:( but really its just that she tells him off more because hes the MEANEST one of them.
this insecurity and fear that she's going to stop hanging out with him is a long ongoing issue that comes to a head when Leo is like, i dunno, 16 or 17 years old, and starts spiraling about his brothers hating him and leaving him. but i dont have that super planned out so that's enough of that for now.
Donnie: Donnie has really bad anxiety and social skills, so he was harder to win over, but April’s nice, so over time he just got more chill about her. They're pretty close now, because Donnie is sensitive and April wasn’t raised in an abusive household, so she’s nicer about his emotions than anyone. (obviously his brothers don't always try to be mean but cruelty is kind of the default in abusive households)
Mikey: Mikey began playing with April almost immediately. He really liked having someone new to add to their games. But inside he took about as long as Donnie did to really trust her and think of her as someone they could rely on, instead of just a fun person to play games with every now and then.
Raph: Raph was won over pretty easily, also by candy cause he was always hungry. She offered him her sandwich once when his stomach growled and that was basically all it took to buy his undying loyalty. He was scared of humans hurting his siblings, but April was very harmless and sweet and most importantly NOT an ADULT. And at that point, Raph distrusted adults way more than children, regardless of species. 
April: For her part, she was really excited to have four new friends, even if they were weird and lived in the sewers and nobody knew that they actually existed. She did get more human friends later on, but she spent a lot of her childhood growing up alongside these Strange Sewer Turtles. As she got older she started to recognize their dysfunctional relationships more and that became a huge issue. She actually helped out in some aspects, like by (lovingly) telling off Leo when he’s being a huge dick, or listening to the others rant about Splinter. Before her, they’d never heard an outside opinion on their dad, and every time they talk about him she’s more and more convinced that he sucks. Which is really validating for everyone except Leo.
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mspinky1 · 2 years ago
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Osomatsu San: Tougou AU
So as the title of my art says, here is my version of what the Tougou au looks like. In case you're wondering why Tougou himself isn't here, its because I had a hard time figuring out how to draw him without him looking crappier than he already looks LOL. So the way I envisioned it:
Tougou successfully kidnapped Osomatsu kun when he was 10, and raised him since, forcing him to help with heists. Osomatsu over the years took multiple attempts at escaping the old man, each time failing. Eventually he gave up when he reached 20yrs old and accepted his new life. He's still has his fun charm, but deep down empty of any happiness.
Atsushi is actually Tougou's bio son. Atsushi was raised by his single, drunk mom for a few years until he was 12yrs old. His mom didn't want to raise him anymore, so she gave him to Tougou in exchange for a lot of yen. Atsushi was scared and terrified of Tougou, he was even forced to do a few heists, which he wasn't good at. Atsushi was good with math so the old man taught the boy business and how to make money. Atsushi and Osomatsu somewhat got along, Oso comforting Atsushi whenever he was sad, terrified or even lonely like he did with his little brothers. Eventually when they got older, they grew distant and did argue once in a while, but they do have mutual respect for one another. Atsushi, not knowing about Osomatsu's brothers, did attend the same high school as them thanks to Tougou's connections, and thought he was high when he saw them. He got along with Todomatsu the most, and did fancy him a little, even if he did look like Osomatsu. However, he did tell Osomatsu that he met with his bros, Oso tearing up, feeling happy for the first time in a while, and asked Atsu if he could report to him every few weeks of their well being, Atsu agreeing wholeheartedly.
Hashimoto Nyaa Chan, or Reika Hashimoto has had a normal childhood with a loving family, but when she graduated high school, her life changed for the worse. She always dreamed of becoming an idol and took the initiative by becoming the underground idol star, Nyaa Chan. Her parents didn't agree with her life choice and told her that if she went through with this, she could never come back home. Reika wanted to prove her family wrong and decided to leave home. Unfortunately, one night after her performance, she got attacked at the back alley outside the venue. The bodyguards were nowhere to be seen and she assumed they fled. Before it got worse, she was saved by Osomatsu, who beat the hell out of the attacker. The attacker bled on the ground, unconscious, and Osomatsu carried Reika on his back as he walked back to his hideout. He tended to her wounds and helped her clean and wash up. Rei couldn't go back home and asked to stay with Tougou. He reluctantly agreed, under the condition that she'd work for him. After negotiating, they both would agree that Reika would continue her idol job, with a couple bodyguards protecting her during performances, Osomatsu helping too when he's in disguise. In exchange, 80% the money she makes go straight to Tougou, and she would cook for the group and clean their hideout during her free time.
Homura is also Tougou's bio child, but her mother took her away from him when she was a baby. when she was around 7yrs old, Tougou killed his ex wife and kidnapped Homura. Since then, she was forced to work under him during undercover missions. She is about 2yrs younger than Osomatsu and Atsushi, and 1yr younger than Reika, yet they are all kind to her and treat her like a little sister, Atsushi especially. Despite Atsushi and Homura being half-related thanks to Tougou, Atsu feels a close connection to his half sister. He would homeschool her so she would have an average amount of knowledge and not be dumb, Oso would play games with her and give her most of his food so she wouldn't go hungry, and Reika would have girl time with her and share personal thoughts with each other. Unfortuately, when she turned 18yrs old, she was forced to do indecent videos in order for Tougou to make profit. Osomatsu and Atsushi beat up Tougou when they found out, Rei hugging Homura tightly, both crying in emotional pain. There wasn't anything they could do, however, because all the copies of the videos were already sent out. Feeling nothing but despair, Homura ran away, going to Akastuka Ward by train, and headed to the top of a cliff by the beach, hoping to end her own life. Before she could, she saw someone that looked like Osomatsu, practicing batting swings. She came to his rescue when he was swept by the sea, and they've been going out since. While they were going out, Homura made the realization that these were Oso's brothers, and as much as she wants to be with Jyushimatsu, she had to go back in order to protect him incase Tougou finds them both. But before she left, Jyushi gave her his #14 wristband as a memory of their time together, causing her to cry more, but mainly from happiness.
Kinko grew up in a bad neighbourhood in another country, and grew up to be a thief and hooker. She was hired by Tougou to come to Japan and investigate Akastuka Ward because according to one of his informants, Oso's brothers have interacted with both Atsushi and Homura a couple of times without his knowledge, and wanted her to check in they could pose as a problem for him in the near future. She went undercover as the Matsuno boy's temporary neighbour, 'accidentally' losing her bras to inside their house and getting them back to get their attention. Eventually, she managed to spend the day with them, gathering info on their life and routines, only to be interrupted by Reika's supposed idol rival, Totoko. They 'made up' and Kinko told them she had to 'move back'. To tell you the truth, she genuinely enjoyed spending time with the boys, and told Tougou they weren't going to cause problems for him. She decided to stay with the group incase she was needed, and mutually got along with everyone and teaching all of them simple english. She loves to tease Atsushi, likes having conversations with Osomatsu about his brothers and have contests to see who can steal more wallets, adores spending time with Homura and showing her the ropes of surviving the hookup life. Most of all, she loves having one on one girl time with Reika.
Not gonna lie, i've had these backstories in my mind for a looooong time, ever since i've first discovered the Osomatsu kun fandom, just didn't know how to portray it. Hope you like the art and these backstories.
P.S: Kudos and apologies to anyone who read all those paragraphs 😂. I mean, DAMN! It's like I wrote a whole essay, didn't think it was gonna be this long.
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moinsbienquekaworu · 2 years ago
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i'm sorry for spamming your inbox please tell me to stop if i'm bothering you--
what even is the whole official star wars stuff. like except from the... nine? main movies that i all watched many times (i mean... "many" is for the first 6 but whatever), there is uhh rogue one? and solo right? i don't think i watched it. but like. there are shows too right? i never heard of those except that there is so much star wars lore that probably comes from ✨️ somewhere ✨️ (i hope). so what do i need to watch?? is there an order?? is there like. idek. things i have to know before diving into this? i feel like if you try to go away from the 6 (9) main movies you're immediatly going to get lost in the most crazy shit ever and never return from it and i'm ✨️ scared ✨️ and ✨️ lost ✨️ and ✨️ need help ✨️
also i spent the whole day reading kylux fics, like that's literally all i did, i'm way too prone to addictions it's scary (i'm glad the exams are behind me lol)
i love ✨️ sparkles ✨️ btw
One of us one of us ONE OF US!!!! I got you!!! Comme quoi it pays to be insane about stuff you like online. Anyway. Never worry about bothering me I am mentally ill about things on here for people to come up to me and say hi me too. I rewrote this a few times but it shoouuld be somewhat coherent.
Okay first there is objectively too much SW stuff for a normal person coming in right now with stuff to do during the day to go through in its entirety. The main stuff are the 6/9 main movies, which you've seen so you're good on that... and now I'm going to establish the concept of canon vs legends. If you've heard people talk about the extended universe/univers étendu, that's the old name of legends, but basically they're two different timelines. Canon is the 9 main movies, the The Clone Wars stuff, and everything serious Disney has done since they bought the franchise: Rogue One and Solo, and the TV shows Rebels, The Bad Batch, The Mandalorian (& The Book of Boba Fett), Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Andor. This is the timeline you're familiar with, but it's recent. Before this became the accepted canon, the 'official' 'true' version of events, there was just the extended universe/legends stuff, basically authorised fancy published fanfic, and sometimes one of the concepts created in those books/comics/games/role-playing games was made canon by being included in the more official, Lucas-made stuff, or was considered canon by the fanbase because most people were aware of the thing and liked it (like Mara Jade, Luke's wife in the legends timeline, who doesn't exist in canon). Basically if Lucas/Disney made it OR it's super popular it's canon otherwise it's just kind of fanfic that's tolerated as long as it doesn't contradict the canon stuff. I hope that was clear enough lol
So there's the main movies, and after that the most popular movies & shows are The Clone Wars (2008). There was a Clone Wars 2D series in 2003 but we're talking about the 2008 3D film and the following TV series here (though Anakin's design is funky in 2003 CW, but it shows different events because it's a legends series not a canon one). The movie is set at the start of the Clone Wars, a little after episode 2, and it introduces one of the most famous SW characters that's not even mentioned in any of the movies. Ahsoka Tano is Anakin's Padawan, she's a cool looking alien, chatty, she's like 5 years younger than him, and she starts out cringey but the general consensus on her is everyone likes her (that's because her creator, Dave Filoni, was in charge of most of the series, and you can tell he really played favourites with his OCs, and since she's not really a Mary Sue she's just extremely cool). If you're interested in the Prequels era you have to be aware of her at minima. You've probably seen art of her, her design is super cool. Ahsoka appears in TCW, but also in Rebels, the Mandalorian & Book of Boba Fett, and she's going to get her own series this year.
The thing with TCW is the first like, 3 seasons are generally "lighthearted" fluff about Jedi life and the war and the clones (as lighthearted as you get during a war, let's say it doesn't feel Super Serious because you know they all make it), but seasons 4 and 5 are closer to the end of the war and get more serious episodes, and then seasons 6 and 7 I haven't seen yet but they're I presume even less lighthearted and even more plotty. There was also a huge gap in when the seasons came out, which explains the tone differences, notably for S7 which is kind of not about the war anymore but just about Ahsoka and what she does after the Empire's rise I think? I'll give you detailed episodes but at least the episodes people recommend watching are the stuff with (Darth) Maul (you're into men so there's a good chance you will be into him - I'm ace and I regularly experience the closest thing I can to sexual attraction when I see him on screen because they animated him in a very...... in a Way that is. yeah), and then probably the 2/3/4 episode arcs that tell a coherent story (Rako Hardeen, Umbara, Zygerria, the Clovis stuff, the baby Padawans on Illum, 99, the Ahsoka stuff at the end of S5, etc). Personally I think the movie might be worth it to establish the characters, it's not super good but at least that way you have an idea of who's who. Once again I'll give you a list with all the details later, but I'm assuming you're not going to want to watch the like, hundred episodes when a good part of that is 'Ahsoka looses her lightaber and learns an Important Lesson about Patience retrieving it', 'R2 & 3PO go on an errand for three episodes' or 'droids are incompetently looking for a mcguffin for four episodes'. There's like an episode that explains why Chewie and Yoda know each other I think too, so that's neat if you're interested. The short answer is that Yoda fought on Kashyyyk during the war and that's Chewie's planet. I'll bury it here but if you want a good website to watch stuff, r/FREEMEDIAHECKYEAH has lists of sites that work (I recommend watching/reading SW stuff in english personally)
You mentioned Rogue One and Solo in your ask so I'll talk about these too: Rogue One is generally thought to be really good (at least in my circles?), it's set right before ep4, the characters are good, and generally it's a recommended watch. Personally I liked it, though not as much as other people seemed to, but the central romance is neat, and I cried at the end (and everyone liked Chirrut, for good reasons). Solo is kind of less good, but one of the main characters gave me adult movie Remus vibes in a way, it has a Maul appearance at the end for the people who watched TCW, and it gives unnecessary backstory for Han. Also Donald Glover looks good.
The Mandalorian is I think a pretty good entry point to the universe, at least seasons 1-2, because the main character doesn't know anything about the lore of the universe, so the show explains who's who what's what and all that. That said season three came out a few months ago and I haven't seen that so I don't know how badly they fucked it up, but they already pulled a shitty one on the audience by having like three crucial extremely plot relevant episodes of the show after the climax of S2 happen in another show, The Book of Boba Fett, instead of putting them in S3, so. Yeah. The other animated shows I haven't watched yet, Rebels is apparently really good but in universe it's set after TCW so I want to finish TCW before I get started there (it's been like a year or two since I started TCW, I'm slow), and The Bad Batch get much more mixed reviews so eh, you can see about that one later, it's less important in the general story of the world anyway. Andor was apparently a masterpiece but I can't say cause I haven't seen it. Visions also is a thing, haven't seen it but it's like, anime loosely set in the SW universe? It looks cool. If you're interested in Padawan stuff, there's Tales of the Jedi, which didn't make a lot of waves I think but has episodes focusing on Qui-Gon and episodes focusing on Ahsoka.
I'm going to give it its own paragraph cause in the Obikin sphere (which I am in obviously) this show was a divine miracle but the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, though it got shat on by other fans for being too silly or something, was to me really good. I feel like it really goes in depth with the Anakin-Obi-Wan relationship, and I remember every time an episode dropped my dash would be full of gifs of new interactions and new lines of dialogue of them being absolutely insane about each other canonically for real. It was wild, it was great, it was a fantastic high. It's 6x 1h, so I think it's fairly watchable compared to all the other longer stuff. It's more about the personal relationship between them, as people, but that's inevitably linked to the Master-Padawan relationship too (there's a good scene of them just before the war sparring at the Temple in episode... 4 if memory serves me right).
Then it's going to be mostly legends stuff, and at that level you just need to pick a direction and dig a little. Off the top of my head, here are different niches I've seen people be into/pists of where you might want to look: there's the old Jedi Apprentice books, aimed at a younger audience, that talk about Obi-Wan's padawanship, though they've been made explicitly non-canon by the recent Padawan book by Kiersten White (which was apparently good, and featured the one line where Obi-Wan says he wouldn't mind kissing any of his friend group but wouldn't want to do anything else, which prompted homophobes to explode and The Gays to celebrate even if we knew), or for more Qui-Gon-Obi-Wan stuff, there's the Master & Apprentice book; there's people who are way way into the clones, but that has more of a Marauders fandom vibe because individual clones don't get that much screentime, so you can see people whose fave is the equivalent of Dorcas Meadowes and who just make their own stuff up in their corner; there's the Mandalorians fans, which I personally cannot stand the majority of because most of the legends Mando stuff (that might have been made non-canon by S3 of the Mandalorian?) was written by Karen Traviss, a woman whom I personally do Not vibe with (come back for the rant later if you're interested), but that's a possibility too, you do you; there's the novelisations of the movies, though the only one that I hear about is the ep3 novelisation by Stover which is a really great piece of literature... and also very homoerotic with the Anakin-Obi-Wan relationship; there's the Aftermath trilogy which makes the transition between ep6 and ep7 and explains how we went from no Empire to the First Order, with cool characters (ie Sinjir whom I love and who is canonically if subtly gay); if you're curious about legends stuff and you want to know who Mara Jade and Thrawn are (if you've never heard their names before they're really popular, Thrawn appears in Rebels as well, he's cool and part of a popular ship in the wider fandom) you'll want to read Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn (also introduced the name Coruscant for the capital!). Obviously I am Highly Biased, this is stuff I know off the top of my head, but it should let you explore some different eras and characters. Heir to the Empire (& the rest of the books in that series) is definitely a classic in terms of legends stuff though, if you want to check out the fan favourites.
For comics I don't really read those so you'd have better luck either looking at rec lists online or just wandering around Wookieepedia until you find something that looks cool, but if you just want to read a quick thing, the Age of Star Wars series is neat. It's a series split in the three trilogies eras, and in each era it focuses on 4 heroes and 4 villains. Age of Republic has issues for Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin & Padmé + Maul, Jango, Dooku & Grievous; Age of Rebellion for Leia, Han, Lando & Luke + Tarkin, Boba, Jabba & Vader; Age of Resistance for Finn, Poe, Rose & Rey + Phasma, Hux, Snoke & Kylo. If any of those interest you, you can find them on comics websites (like for example a website that would let you read comic online. for example. cough cough. I'm so subtle.) What I would NOT recommend are the Rise of Kylo Ren comics, they're just... I didn't like the artstyle, I didn't like the way it told the story of Kylo falling to the dark side, I really didn't like the careless way it both makes Kylo's relationship with Snoke worse but also doesn't address it at all, it was a big miss for me, Kylux fanfics do it better. If you're curious it's not a long read though. Can't help you more with comics, I haven't gone there much.
In general if you find a character/planet/species/group/etc that interests you specifically, you can go on Wookieepedia and go down to the appearances section, where you can see all the places that thing appears/is mentioned, in I believe in-universe chronological order.
I don't think canon does a lot of explaining the magic if you will, if it does I don't know where. You can try looking in a specific species' tag on here to check out what other people think of their biology maybe, but yeah I don't really know otherwise. In general canon does a lot of 'that guy's a spider. don't ask. shut up he's a spider that walks on his legs and that's it. no lore no culture no nothing he looks cool and evil. bam. we're killing him next episode anyway' but there are also 'little diagrams of the different parts of a lightsaber' moments (I know there's a drawing in the The Jedi Path book somewhere of the anatomy of Obi-Wan's saber). Good luck with that, I wouldn't know where to find it.
If you have questions you can look at @/gffa's sidebar to check out questions they've answered/what they rec, or ask them directly. They're The ressource for SW stuff in my mind, because they're pretty thorough when they answer I feel like. Once again, Obikin bias, be warned, but maybe they'll know where there's some more scientific stuff? They certainly read more than me haha.
I think that's all, I'm going to write down a non-exhaustive but very long list of TCW episodes I think are neat, with a summary behind to help you quickly decide if it's your jam or not. The order is arbitrary, it's half order of importance half chronological, but there's nothing specific from seasons 6-7, because I haven't seen them yet. (the format is episode number x season number, just in case)
Undoubtedly, the Maul stuff: that's the events of ep 5x16, which rest on eps 1, 14 & 15x5 (the start of the plotline that leads to the events), which themselves rest on eps 19-20-21-22x4 (who are the characters that are important and what are they doing here), but also on eps 12-13-14x2 (who are the other characters and what are they doing here), and on the other episodes where Ventress appears, but you can ignore her, just know that the bald lady with the red lightsabers is Dooku's apprentice early on before they part ways (but she's still a bad guy afterwards)
Random stuff that isn't too heavy: 6-7x1, Anakin looses R2 and goes looking for him; 11-12x1, which has some fun Anakin-Obi-Wan-Dooku banter AND Hondo (everyone likes Hondo); 17-18x1 which have the threat of death hanging over the main characters because of an evil scientist and some cool alien designs; (19-)20-21x1, the Ryloth arc where you can see clones being nice and the Jedi being cool, plus Twi'leks (I put the first episode of the arc in parentheses because it's not necessary to watch it to get the idea of what's going on); 8x2 which is the last part of a 5-ep storyline about mind-controlling brain worms, I recommend it because you'll probably like the interactions between Ahsoka and her friend Bariss + Bariss gets relevant waaay later; 16x2 which has the spider guy I mentioned that I like a lot and a bit at the start where I honest to god thought for a split second Obi-Wan and Anakin were going to kiss; 9x3, it follows 22x1 but you can go in kinda blind, it's just a little buckwild with its characters and I think you'll like Quinlan (if you do he appears more in some books & comics, and he's in fanfics a lot because he and Obi-Wan have a fun dynamic)
The Clovis stuff: Rush Clovis is an ex friend of Padmé that Anakin is really jealous of, he appears in 4x2 (and comes back in 5-6-7x6) and if you want to see Anakin behave like a jealous shit that's a good episode.
The Zillo Beast arc! 18-19x2, includes a big beastie, Palpatine being evil and kicking a dog (the beastie) to prove it, and Anakin's disability being visible. I give it here because it's often a trope in fics to have Palpatine killed by the Zillo Beast but it's not plot significant.
Clones stuff if you're interested: 5x1, with the first appearance of a group of clones that come back later; 10x2, it's part two of a plotline but the interesting clone stuff is mostly just in part two, in it there's an exploration of the clones outside of war (which they have literally been designed and created for); 1-2x3, introduce 99 who's neat and are mostly focused on clones
Padawan Lost arc: 21-22x3, Ahsoka being hunted for sport (literally), she kicks ass, and Chewie + another character I like show up in ep22
the Umbara arc: 7-8-9-10x4, a Jedi General is a real asshole to the clones we like, it's a little heavier and you can feel the transition from lighthearted start of the war stuff to the more depressing stuff that comes afterwards
the Zygerria arc: 11-12-13x4, the arc in which Obi-Wan gets hit & injured every episode I think, with cool designs because there's more Togruta and they look cool (warning though the Zygerrians are slavers, they enslave people). There's a cool moment at the end for Rex if you end up liking him (he's Anakin & Ahsoka's clone captain and one of the most important clones)
the Rako Hardeen arc: 15-16-17-18x4, more Obi-Wan violence! it's one of the arcs Obikin tumblr doesn't shut up about because basically Obi-Wan fakes his death and doesn't tell Anakin. It could have been better but it's trying something for sure
the Onderon stuff: 2-3-4-5x5, it's Ahsoka dealing with Romance (a little bit, the character she has Romance stuff with is already established from earlier seasons but you don't need to know him, just know he has a history with Ahsoka and he used to be a Separatist, ie on the wrong side) and I think you could like Steela & Saw Gerrera? Saw appears in Rogue One later on, but he's from TCW. The arc is about helping him, his sister and their people regain control of their planet.
the younglings: 6-7-8-9x5, little Jedi kiddos who go on their first big adventure to get their lightsaber crystal and then have to fight to come back home. They're really cute, the droid is voiced by David Tennant, and you can see Hondo in the last episode I think.
and finally, the arc you also gotta watch because it explains why Ahsoka isn't mentioned in ep3 when she was Anakin's Padawan and this boy gets attached way too fast: 17-18-19-20x5, which begins with Ahsoka and Anakin investigating a bombing in the Jedi Temple and ends with Ahsoka leaving. I put off watching it for so long because it's sad :(((
probably also the rest of the seasons, but you'll have to look at Wookieepedia descriptions to see if something sounds interesting (if I were you I'd focus on the Ahsoka stuff later on, apparently she does some cool interesting stuff). Wookieepedia has pages for every season and every episode with short & detailed summaries.
That'll be all, congrats on reading all that, ask me about stuff if you want I love never shutting up about this, I have discord if you want to chat, please give me impressions if you do end up watching/reading anything. Good luck with this monstrosity of a list lol.
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blueiight · 2 years ago
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i was reading the translation of lestat screaming after losing at chess to claudia and it surprised me how a significant number of interpretations were louis is a bad parent for coddling claudia. should've let lestat beat her. those were not the exact words but the implication.
like what. and i thought back to your posts about claudia not being seen as a child by a section of the audience.
also this outburst is triggered by losing at chess and claudia being defiant about not finishing the game. it's not like she killed people and left them at the door.
obv in that scene she's in her 30s but lestat is screaming about when she was younger.
i'm sorry but I'm forever shocked at how some audience immediately takes lestat's side even when it's like ????
i think ppl dont get how louis was a bad parent to claudia in the first place. its not 'coddling' [LOL] so much as it is the disproportionate level of emotional dependence louis has on claudia after a certain point but to an extent even in the nature of her creation.. claudia was created to assuage the losses of multiple aspects of louis's 'humanity'. the loss of his wealth, the loss of his sister, the loss of his ability to have children [which he would never be able to have as a gay black male anyways b4 the vamp shit]. shes created as a means for lestat also, to draw louis back into his life, bc remember, right before louis found claudia, lestat was like lets make this race riot our anniversary n louis told lestat the same thing nick&armand told les in tvl i think? - we wont work, u gone forever be alone. - n ran out. to be a 'bring back our love' child + also someone else's tether to the abstract meaning of 'humanity' is a pretty heavy bit of expectations to put on the shoulders of a young black girl who lost her mom at birth n spent her childhood and adolescence being abandoned by her dad & being abused by her aunt. it follows a pretty troubling pattern louis has with poor black women in his life [miss lily being louis's confidante but having no choice to refuse louis, her trick]. but fans of no color & their allies in thinking dont even see that pattern in the first place cuz they care more about exploring annie r u ok n npc honkey #45 characters than exploring the arcs of fictional bw.
lestat losing the game of chess is symbolic of his loss of influence over claudia [which is ironic cuz show wise he never wanted claudia at first lol] & the implications claudia's independence has for his relationship with louis. claudia herself no longer wants to be a child, someone else's daughter, and wants to equalize the relationship by making them all siblings, but neither lestat or louis want to be brothers to eachother [aint no fun when the rabbit got the gun lol].
lestat himself has an exceptionally brutal reference for parenting. im sure louis himself was raised off corporeal punishment too, hell i was raised off that as well, but short of his psychotic chokedown of clauds in ep7, i cant think of a time where louis actively thought or said he wanted to put hands on claudia to 'set her straight' the same way lestat was. we know in our real lives corporal punishment is a tactic of control + abuse, and this becomes even more prominent if its a white man beating his adult black child [bc claudia is in her 30s here, shes not a child anymore & doesnt want to be]. rl fans taking lestat's bitching bout louis spoiling claudia as facts & not les being pissy that his 30 year old child beat him at a chess match is funny as fuck tho no lie
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roscgcld · 4 years ago
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HEADCANONS + GOJO SATORU || onii-chan
note: this was a few ideas given to me by my beloved 🌸Anon - a bunch of new gojotwins!au headcanons c: this one is a little different compared to my other story, so this is a stand alone one. might turn it into a series if it gets enough love, but we’ll see~ you can read the original ask here!
pronouns: she/her
note: mentions of blood and death and spoilers for volume 8 & 9 of the manga. SUPER LONG by the way lol
gojotwins!au masterlist
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twins have always been viewed as a bad omen for the parents - there are high chances of both twins developing no Cursed Technique at all, or have a Cursed Technique that is not desirable. So there had been no hope when one of the wives from the main family of the gojo clan was pregnant, and from what they can tell with twins at that
so it was a huge surprise to not only the elders but the entire jujutsu world when not one, but both of the twins were born with the coveted Six Eyes - something that had never happened in the history of the gojo clan. it was a moment to be celebrated!
if only they knew just what was lies ahead
much to the delight of the elders, the older one of the twins was the boy, satoru, while the girl was born 20 minutes after - it wouldn’t have mattered if it was the other way around, but just having the young boy being the one born first was definitely the icing on the cake
both of you were an absolute headache to deal with, causing so much chaos and mayhem that the elders had wondered if they should have celebrated at the idea of having two Six Eyes users under the same house was a good thing
the both of you trained together throughout your younger years, with satoru becoming super overprotective even though you were twins - he understood from a young age that the both of you were starting at different levels of footing because of your gender
yes, you are a girl - but at 7 years old you had exorcise a Grade-Two Curse by yourself with no more than an annoyed click of your tongue and a snap of your fingers, walking away whilst whining about how it got your favourite dress dirty
with that being said though, he loves to tease you are still the younger one between the both of you, and had teased you about how you should refer to him as ‘onii-chan’ instead of his first name
“come on, Y/N~ it’s a sign of respect~”
“i am going to spend you to outer space one of these days.”
the two of you were already known about the jujutsu world way before you even became old enough to enroll in Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College - you two were even allowed to enter without an interview with the then principal of the school
who would want to waste their time interviewing two highly over qualified teenagers anyway?
the first time you met geto and shoko, they were both intimidated by your sheer presence. the both of them have heard talks about the gojo twins entering their year as a pair
so when they had first met you, standing there in your uniform with your bright blue eyes hiding behind a pair of blacked out sunglasses and an indifferent look on your face - they definitely felt a shiver go through their bodies
however, when they saw your twin brother appearing behind you with the biggest grin, hugging you from behind whilst you scowled and tried to push his head away - they were definitely less intimidated now
“now, now, Y/N-chan, stop being so scary~”
“nii-chan, i am giving you three seconds to let go of me.”
the two of you quite the duo, especially when you two are always pinned against one another with more difficult and more challenging missions compared to when you were under the care of the gojo clan 
geto felt less pressure to match up to his friend, since satoru and Y/N are always at each other’s throat - wanting to outmatch the other and one up the other with silly things like Curse head counts and how difficult its level is
with that being said, satoru is very protective of you - if any so much as speaks poorly of you, he would not hesitate to put them in their place
“oya? what makes you think you can speak of my baby sister like that?” satoru had hummed towards the small group of men, who were commenting on how beautiful the young woman was followed by a lot of unsavoury comments. 
satoru still sported his casual smile, yet there was a certain air around him that made them shut their mouths up real fast. “mind repeating that? just want to make sure that i have a good enough reason to put your lazy asses six feet underground..”
after that specific incident by the way, satoru had you and your friends out on a little excursion around tokyo - where they just did a bunch of stupid things together to calm down
you can read him like the back of a book though, so when both of your friends went away to browse through some shelves in a video game store, you just wrapped your arms around your brother with a smile. “you know, nii-chan, you don’t need to go about protect my honour. i’m a big girl now.”
he’d just blink down at you before giving you a soft but genuine smile, petting the top of your head with one of his hand while the other was resting inside of his pocket. “if i don’t protect you, who am i going to protect?”
that statement was proven during your second year - a cursed user had overpowered you and shoko and had taken the both of you hostage. the curse user had practically beaten you into a pulp, knowing that you were the stronger one between the two
shoko had been tied up and beaten as well, but you were definitely taking the brunt of his anger - along with being forced to listen about how he was going to sell you to some low life family that had been trying to get you to marry their sorry excuse of a son. 
you don’t even remember meeting the father of the boy, who had claimed to visit the gojo clan home a few times now
“you gonna be a good girl for me?” the man had gripped as he gripped your hair in his hands, giving you a smirk whilst you scowled over at him in annoyance, blinking the blood out of your eyes from the wound on the top of your head. 
before you can give another snarky answer in reply that will get you another beating, the sound of someone kicking the door in. before either one of you can move, the man suddenly let go of your hair with a pained gasp as someone grabbed his hair and forced his head back, looking up into a pair of glowing blue eyes
“get your filthy hands off my baby sister.”
geto was in charge of taking care of the both of you, leaving the room with a simple reminder to satoru that they needed to bring the man back alive
both of you spending most of your time trying to unlock the many secrets of the Limitless, and how to control it better
during the entire star plasma vessel fiasco, you had stayed by geto’s side. and while you didn’t manage to save rika from being murdered, you had, like gojo, managed to touch the core of cursed energy
toji had ‘killed you’ before he went after geto, yet like satoru, he did not decapitate your head; so you had slowly started to use the reverse curse technique to heal your wounds
so you couldn’t believe satoru’s belief when he found you using reverse cursed technique to heal geto, wrapping you up in his arms while you just smile and hold him as well
the three of you plus shoko had turned to one another for comfort, because along the way you four have grown close to the young girl, and her death really affected all of you
but if there is something bright that came out from this, is that you and your brother had really elevated yourselves to become the strongest duo of the new generation - both pretty much an entire chest above the current active sorcerers
after satoru had calmed down, he had told you about what toji had said to him before his death - about how he has a son that he had planned to sell of to the zen’ins
the two of you went to visit the young boy, discovering that he had an older sister as well; and without hesitation you had taken the both of them under your wing, pulling a few strings behind the scenes while also trying to provide him with as normal as a life as you two could
megumi had viewed you as a mother figure, someone who looked out for him and tsumiki, teaching the two of them life skills like sewing and cooking, making sure they always have warm meals. 
you never miss their birthdays either - always making sure to get them either a cake or a small cupcake with a candle on the top to blow out just for the sake of tradition
sure, satoru loves to spoil them too, but he acted more like their chilled older brother - he definitely relies on you more as a parental figure he had lacked for quite a huge part of his childhood
he had remembered how once, when you had made him his favourite curry and rice after a long week, he just sighed and said, “thanks mum,” before he started to eat his meal 
at first you froze in shock, and  megumi did too - but before the blushing teen can apologise, you had already wrapped him up in your arms as you just cried your heart out
satoru had teasingly asked him if megumi can call him ‘dad’, to which megumi just scowled and sent his divine dogs after your brother
satoru loves to introduce you two as the ‘strongest duo’ by the way - which makes you super awkward and you hate it with a passion. he wasn’t wrong, but it’s still awkward
“we’re the Gojos - the strongest duo out there.”
“please stop calling us that.”
feel like because you’re there, geto might still be on the path to the light lmao - like mans will be a teacher in school and you three will be dub the ‘idiot trinity’ or some bullshit nickname lol - the three biggest troublemakers in the jujutsu world
yet the three most capable ones as well - absolutely drive the higher ups of the jujutsu world insane
with that being said though - the three of you definitely hashed a plan to change the jujutsu world together. even shoko agrees that there should be some change to the old ways of the jujutsu world; so the four of you decided to sign up to work as teachers at Jujutsu High 
the first group of students you took under your wing was the then first years - maki, toge, panda, and eventually yuta when he joined your little class
you are the mother for the students while geto is the responsible dad; satoru is the crazy uncle that is not allowed to supervise the students alone, and shoko is the cool aunt who lets you skip class in her office if you want
all the students have, at one point, just referred to you as ‘mum’ and you had always just accepted that with a soft smile and a pat on the top of their head
even if they are taller than you, they will willingly bend down to your height so you can pet them on the head - even megumi lets you get away with it
when itadori and nobara came into the picture, you had taken them un as your own as well - but you did spend a good 5 minutes laughing with geto at the idea that yuji manages to control sukuna like he is just an annoying imaginary friend in the back of his head that refuses to shut up
you had tried to give them some form of normality and comforts as teenagers, even if many times they were forced into very uncomfortable situations
all in all - it was utter chaos the moment both you and satoru were born. yet it was a miracle nonetheless. many times you prove to the world that your bond is stronger than people think it is, and that you two will go through anything to make sure the other is safe. 
you are the younger one, but the more responsible one too. the motherly figure that everyone turned to, even your friends and brother, who needs comfort and a warm meal. yet if provoked, you can become deadly and kill with no hesitation. it’s because of this, both you and your brother are considered as quite the deadly duo; the strongest ones around. 
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© roscgcld — all rights reserved to me, rose, the author and creator of these works. do not repost/translate/claim my work as yours on any platform
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tortilla-of-courage · 4 years ago
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random Sky headcanons because why not
he’d wear crocs. he finds them comfortable and loves all the colors they come in
dude just came out of school he probably still has the chaotic college student energy around him
one time when most of the chain’s sick or hurt or smth he offers to take the entire watch by himself. Time’s like “are. are you SURE? you’re gonna stay up the entire night???” and Sky’s just like “yeah i got it covered i did this all the time back in the academy” and Time just watches on in horror as Sky downs like 3 stamina potions
on the topic of school, i dont think he was anywhere near a straight As student (that’s most definitely Sun) but he’s not dumb either. he’s just a bit slow when it comes to doing schoolwork and he has no concept of time, so he’d end up doing the assignments like the night before it was due and turn in something half finished and/or not very polished
in terms of age i think he’s like, right in the middle of the group. Time, Wars, Twilight and Legend are older than him (though Legend’s just like, some months older at most) and the rest are younger. he just gives off middle sibling energy (in numbers i’d put him at like 19-20)
whenever he has a nightmare that has anything to do with any of the other Links, he’s on edge for like a week because he has no way to know if it was just a normal nightmare or a prophetic dream like the ones from before his adventure. so he just glues himself to that Link until he’s sure it was just a dream
i see the very common hc that he has asthma, and i add to that: there are air potions in his game. like literally just potions that make your oxygen wheel run out slower. so i hc he always carries some around as like an in-universe equivalent of an inhaler. Luv taught him how to make it so he could make some anytime (but only those, he still has to buy the other kinds from her. business is business)
i see almost everyone calls his loftwing ‘Crimson’ and that’s good and i love it but also. people in Skyloft supposedly get their loftwings when they’re children. i’d guess around 10 years old. so my hc is that Sky named his loftwing ‘Apple’ because it reminded him of the fruit. all the adults tried to convince him to give the loftiwng a more dignified name but he refused
(edit: i had added more in a reblog but im adding them here for ease of access)
might be just me projecting but i like to think he has adhd (the inattentive type) which is why he has trouble with time and is late to most things
he’s as much of a gremlin as the rest of the group he’s just better at hiding it. but if provoked he Will join the fun and jump off a cliff or two or light something on fire
he took the Ballad of the Goddess and played around with the notes until he ended up composing what would be known as Zelda’s Lullaby, all of this to make something that would help Sun calm down after her nightmares
cue Time or any of the other Links that know the song humming it unconsciously and Sky whiping his head around so fast he gets dizzy
kinda related to this? not really?? for some reason ever since i saw the Timeshift Stones in SS and saw that Sky does wood carving all the way back in 2011, i’ve had the headcanon that in the future he learns how to do stone carving and makes the ocarina of time, but it has no basis other than i think it’d be cool lol
this guy can get ANGRY. and you Don’t want him to do that. at least not directed at you. Sky’s powered by both love and rage and they’re both equally as terrifying when in his hands
i don’t think he’s as religiously devoted as many people make him? i feel like he’d have a complicated relationship with religion at most, given what he went through in his adventure (meeting so many deities, minor and major, and seeing how none of them can get their shit together and have to get help/can be defeated by a tiny human child? i’d be having some doubts)
he doesn’t like sudden touch. he can usually prepare himself for it if he sees the person walking up to him with the intention to give him a pat or a hug, but if you sneak behind him and grab his shoulder or something sudden like that? say bye to your kneecaps (he’ll apologize profusely afterwards)
he gives amazing hugs. like the warmest, softest hugs you can imagine. he’s the best human pillow out there. if you’re within reach of his sleeping form he’ll latch onto you like a baby koala to its mother and not let go until he wakes up
really overprotective of the rest of the Chain. he’d do his adventure 8 times over if it meant they’d be okay. this is partly because of the guilt he has over the curse and partly because he lowkey sees all of them as the little siblings he never had despite being younger than half of them
can’t forget the classic! he has lightning scars all over his right arm. because of this he always has his arm as covered in layers as possible
i think he’s ambidextrous! in SS he’s shown as using some of his weapons (namely the bow and slingshot) the left handed way, and seems to prefer using his left hand in some cutscenes. this could be the result of having to learn how to use his right hand for the Academy from an early age
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bigfan-fanfic · 4 years ago
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Im super interested in your idea of reader being a District 12 Mentor and being the only person ol lovely Haymitch trusts 👀👀 i wld like to request at least one fic pls sir 🙏🙏
Like, I imagine R also won through some way that the President Snow took as "rebellion", and faced the same tragedy as Haymitch. I personally love the idea of R being a gatherer before being reaped, and they had developed a prior immunity to the same poison berries that Katniss & Peeta ate, just from (accidentally?) eating them several times,, kinda like exposure therapy lol. Maybe R won by befriending everyone and getting them to eat the berries. Pseudo-pacifist victor? Lmao
Haymitch and R tag-team mentoring the tributes from District 12, and even though none of them make it out of the arena alive , R keeps mentoring even when Haymitch gives up hope, bc he wants them to have a fighting chance. Id love to see some sort of "get it together, dammit" talk
You dont need to include anything from this if you want lol, this is just my own HCs. Id love anything from you, my good sir! Soz for the long ask akdbdksn
Okay so sorry for this taking so long to respond but I love this idea! Nightlock berries probably wouldn't be a great fit since they're intensely poisonous and entirely fatal. Also this ended up turning into a full-blown fic here all on its own so take this as just backstory for the Mentor!reader lol
But okay, so like, Haymitch and the Mentor being like, terse allies at first. Probably the Mentor has been a victor for around 16 or 17 years, the winner of the 58th Hunger Games. Is probably like ten years younger than Haymitch. But like imagine getting Reaped and this 24 year-old man ends up deciding that you're probably not going to win. He's still handsome and muscular, although he's started to get a beer gut and his gray eyes have started to dull. He's been a victor for 8 years now. He's seen 16 kids die and felt the guilt of their deaths. He might even have been your first crush. And you get to the Capitol, scared out of your wits... and when he starts helping the girl you came to the Capitol with, you know that you're completely alone in this world. He gives you token support, but you know he's already picked who he'll support.
It's almost freeing, in a way. Knowing that you have no chance. There's no fear anymore for you. You glut on the Capitol's rich food, enjoying whatever you can of life's sparse pleasures before it is all taken from you. You laugh with Caesar Flickerman and his perma-grin (this year his suit and hair are dyed a vibrant green) and... you establish yourself as a personality. The Capitol likes you because you have charm. Wit. Serenity. You barely even mention the Games in your interview, which charms the citizens, and makes your opposition nervous about your nonchalance.
You dart into the rocky savannah landscape at first sound of the horn, escaping the Cornucopia bloodbath - but your next move shocks the viewers - you immediately call out to the District 4 boy who charged off in the same direction as you, and you wave for him to follow you. He's so confused - he has no idea what you're trying to do, but you simply raise your hands and say he can kill you if he wants... but wouldn't you two do better together? He knows he brings nothing to the alliance - he's not prepared for this landscape, he excels at fishing, not foraging in a dry grassland, but he knows he has no better options.
You charm a District 7 girl into joining the alliance and the three of you take the Capitol by storm, and the Gamemakers by surprise. You win their loyalty by forging food on days when your foraging and hunting runs short - your glutting at the Capitol gave you just enough extra body fat to be comfortable. She comes up with the idea to call each other by District number. To avoid getting attached. Eventually it becomes certain that they have to take the three of you to the end because even though none of you have actually killed anyone, and even though you flee at any sign of combat, your genuine friendship is just so compelling - and the President must ensure that it is seen to be divided when all the chips are down. District 7 and 4 send sponsor gifts to the three of you - Haymitch sends you nothing, until your counterpart from 12 appears in the sky.
Four likes to read whatever he can get his hands on when he isn't on the fishing boats. He likes the color green so much his older brother made him a bracelet from it. He gives you that bracelet one night, hand holding yours as though it's the only thing that exists. Seven whittles little figures for her little sisters. Her eyes go dull when she mentions her youngest sister has started to play Hunger Games with them. She was going to be married, she mentions. To a girl. Their families were both merchants and it would have helped them lower prices for the poorer in their District.
The Careers hunt you down, they kill the boy from 4 before turning on each other like wild dogs, and you and the girl from 7 make it to a rocky plateau just before the sky opens up and floods the entire savannah, making a beautiful setpiece for a final confrontation. You never learned his name. Even when they tell you later his name is Adon, you still think of him as Four.
She'll kill you, you have no doubt of that. The boy from 4 kissed you in the night, under a blanket where the cameras couldn't see. Whispered words of love under artificial stars and could barely keep from touching you, wanting as much contact as possible, knowing one of you would be gone in a matter of days. He might have spared you, forced the Gamemakers to intervene.
She won't. She has no choice. Her district, her girlfriend, her sisters - all are counting on her. She can't swim, and you aren't sure you can do well in this flood. There will be no running.
And then you tell her your name. Her eyes go dull. She hefts her spear and screams at you. Orders you to fight. Begs you to. Because she knows that if she kills you, if you don't defend yourself, it doesn't matter anymore. That she will always think of it as murder.
Before you can stop her she turns and throws herself into the water. Two minutes pass before the final cannon rings, and everything feels far away when they call your name and say the word Victor.
You could hate Haymitch for how he treated you but you feel so empty inside. You can't even cry. After you are checked out, your fluids and nutrients replenished, your scars erased, all you can do is just put your face into Haymitch's neck and let him hold you. You can't sob. You can't scream. The only thing you do is shake, violently and jerkily, as he tries to hold you still. Tears will come later. Sobs and screams and nightmares and this empty feeling will never really seem to go away.
And it doesn't end. You become the tribute who never threw a single blow, a legend in the capitol and a warning for the Gamemakers not to let it happen again. Your wit and charm again save you - you are beloved of the Capitol and of Caesar and they don't want to let you go. There are cries to make you a commentator at the next Games, but you're only turning sixteen and you've experienced things that would destroy someone twice your age. You are not unpunished. Like Haymitch before you, they kill everyone you've ever loved. Everyone else distances themselves from you. You are alone.
Except for Haymitch. Over the next 16 years you both are mentors for the tributes from Twelve. And you see him drink more, his cynicism turn to bitterness. You watch him as he gives up. When you turn twenty you move to the Capitol instead, living there, attending parties, returning to Twelve only to collect the tributes. You hate it there. Everything is grey. Everyone has given up.
In the Capitol there is vibrancy, there is life. There are people you can charm and outwit and bend to your will so that they'll give fortunes to save the kids you desperately try to keep alive. As long as Haymitch picks first you don't feel as guilty - you're just protecting the one left behind, not trying to indirectly kill off 23 other children. In a way you've given up, too. Maybe you gave up back when Haymitch first abandoned you. Maybe when Four died - you still wear his bracelet every day. Maybe when you and Haymitch lost both your tributes at the Cornucopia - you remember having to wash the vomit out of Haymitch's hair after the bender he went on that time. You don't drink. Maybe you're disgusted with him. Maybe you just want to punish yourself by never allowing your senses to be dulled to the pain.
Effie collects you from your apartment to prepare to make the journey to Twelve and you spend a moment checking that you're still you. And there, under the decade and a half of age and worry, under the silken suit with its neon trim, under the shakiness of your hands that has never left since you returned to District Twelve to find your mother's mouth overflowing with white rose petals and her hands filled with nightlock berries, under it all, it's still you. A sixteen-year-old pacifist who still thinks they could die at any moment. Because you've never really left the arena, have you? Every day is still a fight for survival, and not just for you.
Ladies and gentlemen, let the 74th Annual Hunger Games commence.
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rocorambles · 4 years ago
Text
It's Always Been You
Pairing: Semi x Reader
Genre: SFW, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff (I swear it’s more fluff than hurt/comfort), Getting together
Summary: You’ve always known Semi was your first choice. Now you just need to convince HIM that it’s true. Easier said than done.
Prompt: “When will I be someone’s first choice? Tell me, when?”
A/N: This is my contribution for the HQHQ SFW collaboration. There are so many talented writers on the server and I highly encourage you to check out the collaboration masterlist here to see how everyone decided to run with this prompt. (Also this is an AU where the boy’s and girl’s volleyball teams practice in the same gym. Just go with it. LOL Please and thank you.) Thank you for beta-ing @sawamooora~
There’s a certain sense of pride and anxiety that comes from being accepted to Shiratorizawa as a student athlete. Pride from knowing your athletic prowess has been recognized as being at least notable. Anxiety from not knowing if that’s all it’ll amount to, talent that’s forced to remain seated on a bench as other, even more capable athletes surpass and outrank you. But as wide-eyed first years, Semi and you don’t feel that full weight yet, not as you watch and learn from your senpais in awe, and it’s that curiosity, that love for the sport that brings you two together.
Semi’s always been on the quieter side, but when he sees you in the corner of the girl’s side of the gym all by yourself, practicing setting a volleyball against the wall, recognizing you as a fellow newbie from his class, he takes his chance. It’s an easy friendship, one that easily crosses from the court, to the classroom, to after school study sessions and hangouts. And even though it sucks to still be set aside on the bench, left to cheer on your upperclassmen while the both of you hone your skills, it brings both of you comfort that you’re not alone, that you have someone else cheering you on, growing and improving right alongside you.
It’s hard work trying to stand out among all the hopeful first years at Shiratorizawa, but the endless hours of hard work and encouragement you give each other, the shouts to keep on going, the careful bandaging of each other’s fingers before and after grueling practices, it all pays off. The two of you proudly stand side by side in your second year as your parents snap a photo of both of you donning your brand new team uniforms, marking you as starting players.
The adrenaline of the cheering audience, the exhilaration of being in a real game, it’s everything both of you have wished for and more. But through the excitement, a nagging worry tugs at Semi as he watches the new rookie setter, Shirabu Kenjirou, from afar.
There’s nothing wrong with Shirabu. He’s a smart kid, albeit a little short tempered and rude at times, but aren’t they all in high school? But it’s not his attitude, not even his shitty haircut that bothers Semi. It’s the ease with which he connects with the rest of the team, the natural skill and talent he possesses, the way Coach Washijou stares at the younger male with interest, that has Semi striving harder, his desire to stand out and prove himself only hindering him and the team more.
And reality comes crashing down around him one day as a shrill whistle jars him from his razor sharp focus, the paddle with his number being held up by Shirabu making his heart drop to his stomach as he’s subbed out, face heating with humiliation and embarrassment as his teammates eagerly high five and clap the younger setter on the court, welcoming him into the game.
Just like that, he’s been replaced.
It hurts, but he knows it’s to be expected. He had seen it coming, and acknowledges that it’s the better decision for the team. But that doesn’t make it sting any less. And he watches with steely eyes at how effortlessly Shirabu melds in with the team, the ball easily and smoothly connecting.
He thinks this is the worst of the heartache, vowing that he’ll just work harder, at least be a useful pinch server. He’ll be the best setter he can when he’s needed. But what he isn’t expecting is the lancing stab to his heart when he sees you rush over to Shirabu after the match is over, the way you’re practically bouncing on the soles of your feet as you fawn over the younger setter, congratulating him on his first game, complimenting him on a job well done, not even sparing a glance in his direction. In your defense, you do make your way towards him eventually, but he can feel the pity in your eyes, the way you approach him as if he’s a wounded animal, and he slaps your hand away before it can come in contact with his arms, storming off, leaving you gaping in his wake.
The situation was poorly handled and he knows he owes an apology at minimum, but those words get stuck in his throat when he spies you chatting one-on-one with Shirabu at practice the next day while the boy’s and girl’s teams share the same gym. It’s vaguely reminiscent of watching a horror film and despite the way he freezes, heart clenching, Semi can’t tear his eyes away as you demonstrate some setting techniques and drills to Shirabu. And when your bandaged fingers carefully wrap around the younger male’s forearms to adjust his posture, Semi rushes off, unable to bear watching how once again, he’s become irrelevant.
He wonders— hopes that it’s just a one off thing, that things will return to how they once were. But they don’t, and he watches as Shirabu and you laugh and joke, high fiving and cheering each other on as you help one another practice, time and time again. He tries his best to ignore it, gritting his teeth and using more strength than necessary in his practice serves, brushing off the concerned questions from even usually stoic Ushijima. But it all comes to a head when Shirabu is absent from practice one day and you cheerfully walk up to him like no time has passed, like you hadn’t turned around and instantly betrayed him for a better version of himself, grinning as you ask him to practice with you.
There’s a sick satisfaction in how quickly your smile disappears, the flash of hurt in your eyes when he sneers at you, thanking you for “gracing him with your presence”.
“Glad you could find it in yourself to make some time for me. Thought you’d skip out on practice to take care of your little boyfriend.”
“What-”
The whole gym stares at both of you as his harsh voice echoes throughout the area.
“When will I be someone’s first choice? Tell me, when?!”
Semi and you don’t talk to each other for the rest of that year, although not for quite the same reasons.
For Semi, it’s a completely burned bridge and, as good as seeing you feel some of the same pain he feels is, there’s an emptiness inside of him as he goes home that night. The belief that he’s ruined everything between the two of you heavily weighs inside of him.
For you, it’s a medley of hurt, shock, and confusion. You give Semi the time he needs to cool off, give yourself the time and space to ponder and think into the late and early hours of each night, wondering where everything went wrong.
Shirabu? Boyfriend? How could Semi possibly even believe that?
Being an upperclassman means mentorship and guidance. So when Shirabu had come up to you one day after he became the boy’s team’s starting setter, you had graciously offered up some tips, let him know that you’d practice with him if you were free, encouraged him. You had missed your easy banters with Semi, missed how in sync and in tune with each other you were. But how could you turn away an underclassman in need?
Yet, the more you think about it, the more you really try and understand Semi’s perspective, guilt gnaws at you, clawing at your heart.
Had you meant to neglect your closest friend? An emphatic no.
Could you see why he had felt abandoned? ...A begrudging maybe laced with remorse.
Do you want him back in your life? A resounding yes.
You know it’ll be hard work to regain Semi’s trust, know he has a stubbornness that’s hard to crack — especially when it’s been hot glued together by seeming betrayal. But you’re just as determined, just as headstrong, and to both the dismay and amusement of both your teams and classmates, you twirl together in a chaotic dance.
To say he’s caught off guard when you knock on his door one morning to walk with him to school is an understatement, but when realization comes crashing down on him, he scowls, and his parents watch while shaking their heads and hiding a laugh as you scramble to keep up with him while he pointedly ignores you and speed walks a few steps ahead of you.
His mom points out to his father the way their son slows down just the tiniest bit when you stumble in your haste to catch up.
Ushijima watches in uncomfortable confusion as you sit with them at lunch, plopping down in the empty seat beside Semi, chatting away at your old friend despite the way Semi resolutely stays silent, not even sparing you a glance.
But if the ace notices the way Semi doesn’t snap at you or pull his bento box from you as you grab a piece of fish Semi’s mom had cooked, he doesn’t say anything.
Shirabu pouts when you completely bypass him, fondly ruffling his hair as you stride towards Semi, volleyball in hand at practice. And both your teams watch in exasperation and fascination at the unintentional comedy show the two of you provide as you waddle after Semi like a baby duck following its mother, quacking your head off and never giving up even though Semi pretends he doesn’t see you in the corner of his eyes, mimicking every drill he does.
Coach Washijo and your coach wonder if they should slap both of you on the heads for this madness, but when they observe the way Semi painstakingly slows down and exaggerates his form when you struggle with an exercise, they roll their eyes, turning their attention to the other players lounging around.
Yet as amusing as it is, all shows must come to an end and your grand finale arrives with the devastating loss against Karasuno, the chances of going to Nationals again ruined just like that for the third-years.
Even for you, a bystander in the audience, just another spectator in the crowd, it’s a hard pill to swallow. Unshed tears glisten in your eyes when you see the years of hard work they’ve all put into the sport go down the drain, the slump of Semi’s shoulders as they walk off the court. You can’t even begin to imagine how the players themselves are feeling, don’t know a single word you could say to make this alright. Yet your legs are sprinting, wobbling and shaking in their frantic need to comfort your long-time friend, to try and soothe him, to tell him how proud you are of him, how this doesn’t change how you think and feel about him.
It’s more than a little awkward, panting to catch your breath as the entire dejected team stares at your sudden appearance in confusion. But Tendou’s always been a little quicker, a little sharper than the rest, and he grins, practically shoving Semi in your direction, playfully waving farewell at both of you before slamming the locker room doors shut before Semi can process what’s happened.
There’s a tense silence as you try and wrap your suddenly dry mouth around words.
“I’m sorry for your loss-”
You jolt at the cold scoff, the way Semi quickly spins on his heel, set on re-entering the locker rooms, turning his back on you.
“I don’t want to hear that from you. Go comfort your little boyfriend. I’m sure our star setter would eat those sweet words right up-”
“SHUT UP!”
This time it’s Semi’s turn to clamp his mouth shut in shock, hesitantly turning around, eyes wide as you storm towards him, jabbing your index finger into his chest.
“I swear to God, if you mention Shirabu’s name one more time while I’m talking to you, I’m going to muzzle you until you can’t say ANYTHING.”
(If either of you hear Tendou’s giggle from behind the closed doors, neither of you mention it.)
“I came to talk to YOU because I miss YOU. I like YOU. And if you could take just a minute to get your head out of your ass, you’d know that you’ve always been and always will be my first choice.”
Your chest is heaving, blood rushing in your ears from the exertion of your passion. But the reality of your accidental confession comes crashing down around you and your face heats in embarrassment, heart plummeting at the way Semi just gapes at you, speechless. You turn to rush away, mortification triggering your flight response. But a gentle, but firm tug on the hem of your shirt keeps you still.
You brace yourself for the rejection you know is coming, nervously turning around, slowly lifting your head to meet Semi’s gaze. But your heart flutters at the hope and disbelief in his eyes.
“But I thought...You and Shirabu- OW!”
You roll your eyes, a satisfied smirk on your face at the way he gingerly rubs his head, shooting you an accusing look.
“I did warn you about mentioning him, didn’t I?”
But before he can open his mouth to retort, you gently peck him on the cheek, giggling at the flabbergasted and stunned expression on his face, cooing at the faint blush that radiates across his skin.
“Hurry up and get your things. You owe me a popsicle for being such an ass this past year.”
There’s a lot more cheering and celebration in the locker room than there should be for a team that’s just lost their shot at Nationals as Semi re-enters the space, his already packed bag (courtesy of Ushijima) shoved into his arms by a gleeful red-head.
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renjuseyo · 4 years ago
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I'm the one that ask about poly. I want to make request now if you're okay with it about male reader jihoon and seungcheol. Seungcheol being jealous when reader babied jihoon even though Seungcheol get it most of the time. While jihoon hate it when reader doing that but only whine and do nothing at all. Reader didn't stop because he know Jihoon enjoy it and also watching Seungcheol pouting and making a fuss is one of his entertainment.
pay attention to me ; s.coups & woozi
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group: seventeen
pairing: choi seungcheol / lee jihoon / reader (male)
synopsis: just because seungcheol’s dating you two doesn’t make him less jealous when you direct your attention to jihoon, even if he always receives your pampering.
genre: fluff
i hope you liked this anon! i think this is a very cute prompt, and i had fun playing with jicheol’s dynamics. i kind of lost inspo if you couldn’t tell though lol... anyways, feedback is always appreciated!! ^^
age order goes as: seungcheol > reader > jihoon
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jihoon: i won’t be home until late, so don’t wait up for me [11:58 PM]
that was sent to you and seungcheol four hours ago. seeing how seungcheol had gotten off work at a decent time (if you consider ten-thirty decent) compared to usual, you had assumed it would be the same for jihoon, too. apparently not.
normally, by the time the clock strikes three am, you would be fast asleep, squished between seungcheol and jihoon. but instead, you’re parking your car outside of the pledis building, with seungcheol struggling to stay awake in the passenger seat. “you know, i could’ve driven here instead,” the older offers, yawning.
you roll your eyes, pushing your door open. “don’t be ridiculous. you can barely keep your eyes open, and you’ve worked all day. driving is the least i could do.”
you two step out of your car. after locking it, you begin walking towards the studio. the dim glow of the lamp posts and the faint twinkle of the stars are your only guides to the entryway, and you’re reminded once again just how late it is when you take in your surroundings. not a single sound can be heard, and the sky above you is blanketed black. what in the world is jihoon doing so late?
(well, there’s only one thing he could be doing this late. but most importantly, why? the members of seventeen are supposed to have the weekend off, so he has plenty of time to finish up any projects.)
once seungcheol unlocks the door, you two trudge inside, yawning. it takes a few minutes for you both to find jihoon’s studio, but it isn’t hard to spot. in the dark hallway, there’s only one room lit up, with a blue, fluorescent light splashing its walls. you glance at the small window, and just as you had suspected, your boyfriend is perched on his chair, hunched over his desktop.
luckily his door isn’t locked, so seungcheol twists the doorknob and pulls it open. the intrusion startles jihoon, evident by the way he flinches in his seat. when he spins around, you frown at the weary look on his face. the bright blue of his room highlights his eye bags, and you can see him struggling to stay awake. “what are you two doing here? you should be asleep,” he says.
you stride towards him, eyebrows furrowed. “that’s what we should be saying. do you have any idea what time it is? you’re supposed to be at home with us.” seungcheol nods in agreement, probably too tired to engage himself in a conversation.
“not until i finish this,” the younger protests, gesturing at his monitor. you peek behind him to look at what’s pulled up, and unsurprisingly, there’s a new project loaded up, probably one of the songs he’s working on for seventeen’s next album. “management said i have to get this done by next week.” he glances at the clock. “plus, it’s only three am. i’ve had less sleep.”
“by less sleep you mean no sleep,” you correct, propping your hands on your hips. you almost look the part of a disappointed parent. “that’s so bad for you, you know.”
“hoon, we have this weekend off. you can work on it then,” seungcheol replies, yawning. “come sleep with us. anyone with a pair of eyes can tell that you’re tired.”
jihoon rolls his eyes, but the yawn that leaves his throat is evidence enough. “i’m just fine. i already downed a whole bottle of soda, anyways.”
you tiredly trudge over to him, tugging at his sleeve. he raises a questioning eyebrow, but he doesn’t say anything as you drag him over to the couch by the wall. “hoonie, you’ve been up since six am. it’s not good for babies to sleep so late.”
he flushes at the implications, frowning. it ends up looking more like a pout, though, further proving your point. “i’m not a baby. you’re acting like one right now,” he protests.
you pull him onto the couch, arms trapping him. “but you’re the youngest, so you’re the baby. right, cheol?”
instead of agreeing with you, the oldest of you three pouts, flopping down beside you. “that’s no fair, (name). both hoonie and i worked today, so why are you only babying him?” he whines. for someone who’s supposed to be the oldest, he sure craves attention like a child.
you wave a dismissive hand, scooting over so seungcheol has more room. this causes you and jihoon to squish even closer together, and as discomforting as it is for all three of you, no one makes any moves to go to a more comfortable area. but then again, you three usually wound up like this more often than not, so you all stopped minding altogether. “hush, cheol. we cuddled for like, an hour when we were home. hoonie hasn’t had anyone to take care of him yet.”
jihoon rolls his eyes, pressed against your chest. “i’m right here, you know.” as much as he dislikes skinship, he’s too tired to move, and your embrace is comforting, though he’d never admit it.
you hum, snuggling closer to him. “lack of sleep makes babies grouchy. you can worry about your project tomorrow.”
“but-”
“don’t talk back to the adults,” you murmur, dozing off, pressing your forehead against his.
jihoon grumbles, though he doesn’t try to move. “this is crazy. i’m only a year younger than you and seungcheol-hyung. what do you mean don’t talk back to the adults?” he snorts.
when you don’t respond, he can only assume you’ve fallen asleep. he rolls his eyes and cranes his neck to peek at seungcheol. his eyes are also fluttering close, arms firmly wrapped around your waist. sometimes he wonders why you call him the baby when seungcheol is right there, constantly whining for your affection. if anything, he’s the baby of you three.
seeing how he can’t wriggle his way out of here (not that he would. drinking a whole bottle of coke-cola has done nothing to lift his drowsiness), he can do nothing but surrender to your clutches and lay limp in your arms. he closes his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep, but hearing your voice in his head makes it a tad difficult.
you’re the youngest, so you’re the baby~
jihoon huffs, glaring at you, who’s oblivious to his piercing eyes. “says the one who always needs to hug something before he sleeps,” he quietly grumbles, poking your cheek.
to his surprise, the subtle motion is enough to stir you awake, and he feels himself heat up when your eyes flutter open. even when you’re tired, you still manage to look breathtaking. “go to sleep, hoonie,” you remind again before dozing back asleep.
when jihoon glances at the clock, the white, neon digits show him that it’s nearly four am. so this is what he ends up doing, but not because you told him to.
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jihoon knows that despite your constant babying, you recognize that he’s a functioning adult who’s more than capable of handling responsibilities. even more than you, he might argue. you just have an affectionate nature and make it your sole duty to take care of everyone around you, even if they’re older than you, like seungcheol. plus, you just like calling those younger than you babies. if it weren’t for the fact that you’re only a few months older than him, he would’ve thought you were the oldest of you three.
though he claims to despise your affectionate nature, he’s thankful to have your presence, especially around him and seungcheol. he knows that as the leader of one of the biggest boy groups - both metaphorically and physically - the stress is undoubtedly more burdensome than the ones the other members have. he knows that seungcheol spends more time structuring himself as a strong leader and wise oldest member than as a twenty-five-year-old man who likes music and video-games. which is why he’s grateful that you’re around to give him the pampering and leisure he deserves, reminding him that it’s okay to be taken care of sometimes.
he isn’t mad that you direct most of your pampering at seungcheol. if anything, he’s more than happy, because now you’re there to give him the attention he complains about when he can’t. your presence, for a lack of better words, acts as a balance for you three. but there are times where you choose to baby (read: pester) him, simply because he’s the youngest and needs attention once in a while. your words, not his.
now is one of those moments.
jihoon blinks, staring at the shoe box perched on the table before him. he looks at you, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. you gesture at the shoe box in a flourish, widely grinning like a child who’s won candy. “ta-da!” you exclaim. seungcheol, who had been immersed with a mobile game, is now looking his way, curiously staring at the box. judging from his expression, he guesses he doesn’t know what the contents are, either.
“and what exactly am i looking at?” he asks.
“open it!” you exclaim.
he does as he’s told, lifting up the lid of the box. to his surprise, they’re a pair of black slide-ons. he remembers eyeing a pair a week ago at a mall he had gone to with you and soonyoung, but had dismissed the thought after seeing the number shopping bags soonyoung had on each arm. he isn’t sure if you remembered or if this is a mere coincidence. either way, he’s surprised you bought him a pair of shoes out of the blue.
“what!” seungcheol exclaims. he throws his phone onto the couch, the device bouncing on the cushions. he walks towards you, instantly wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your shoulder. “you bought shoes for hoonie, but not for me?”
you roll your eyes. “cheol, you’re the one giving people your credit card information. you’re quite capable of buying your own shoes... actually, you’d buy them, unprompted.”
“but it’s different when it’s a gift,” he whines. “i want you to buy me shoes, too.”
ignoring your whiny boyfriend, you gesture at the sandals. “i saw you looking at them when we were at the mall with soonyoung last week! i know you don’t have a lot of time to go shopping, so i bought them for you,” you explain.
jihoon frowns. he’s the one practically swimming in a pool of money, so he should be the one buying you nice things, not the other way around. “oh... you didn’t have to.”
when he looks up at you, he sees the excitement vanish from your face, being replaced with a pout. seeing you like that makes him wonder why he and seungcheol never try babying you, especially when you have the audacity to look as cute as you do now. “do you not like them? i can always return them and get you something else...”
he practically flies out of his seat, eyes wide. “no!” he blurts. you and seungcheol are startled by the sudden outburst, your eyes mirroring his. “i mean-” he clears his throat, “i like them, i really do. but i should be the one buying you things, not the other way around.”
thankfully, you smile. “don’t worry about it! a baby like you should be bought nice things, even if you probably have better versions of them,” you tease, blowing him an air kiss.
jihoon scoffs. "you know, now that i think about it, you always pay for my things even though you’re the, and i quote, broke college student. what’s up with that?”
“because babies shouldn’t be paying for things.” you size him up, feigning innocence. “are you even allowed to have a debit card?”
seungcheol snorts at your comment, stifling his laughter by burying his head in your shoulder. on the other hand, jihoon’s jaw drops in disbelief. “this is bullying!” he yells, exasperated. “i’m being bullied by my boyfriend. hyung, you can’t be siding with him.”
the older shrugs, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck. “when i do it, you always kick me, but you never do anything when it’s him. it’s so fun, seeing you get all flustered.”
he glares at you both. “i actually hate you two. especially you,” he seethes, pointing at you.
you lean over to whisper in seungcheol’s ear, but you’re side-eyeing him, obviously trying to get him to hear you. “has he been fed yet? you know babies get grouchy when they don’t have food in their system.”
“(name) (last name)!!”
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seungcheol knows that like him, you’re usually the oldest in most situations. because of this, taking care of those around you has practically become second nature. making sure everyone around you is healthy and happy has become instinctive, and you’re willing to go through hoops and hurdles just to achieve that. it’s one of the many traits he loves about you.
he’s grateful to have you around to take care of him, but most importantly, he’s glad that there’s someone like you taking care of jihoon. sure, he whines about not being the center of your attention, but he knows that there are times when jihoon needs it more than he does. viewed as the genius producer and leader of the vocal unit of seventeen, there’s no doubt that the pressure he receives to repeatedly produce big hits is unimaginable. though it’s something that the two of them share in common, he knows he would never willingly open up about his thoughts, afraid of burdening the already stressed leader.
thankfully, there’s you, with a warm and loving aura encompassing you. you just have this aura that makes people want to lower their guard, even for those as whole and reserved as jihoon. it undoubtedly helps relieve the tension that the young producer has, even if he claims to hate it.
even if he knows this, though, that doesn’t stop him from wanting all of your attention. you’re the only person jihoon allows to pamper him (even if he denies it), so it’s not surprising that you take every opportunity you get to do so. while it’s fun to see him get riled up, seungcheol can’t help but act bratty when your attention isn’t on him.
on an exceptionally mundane day where the members of seventeen are lounging in the practice room, taking a break after excruciating hours of nonstop dancing, you knock on the door, arms loaded with bags of takeout. a few seconds later, the door swings open, and you’re standing in front of a sweaty chan. “oh, hyung! what brings you here?” he asks, surprised.
“hey chan,” you greet with a smile. he moves to the side, giving you space to enter the room. when you do, you’re greeted by twelve boys who seem equally sweaty and exhausted, who slur their greetings. “i was going to drop off some food for cheol and hoonie, but i figured you guys would be hungry,” you explained, gesturing towards the bags. from the way their eyes light up, you can tell they’re pleased with the surprise. “i have fried chicken, tteokbokki, japchae... just a bit of everything.”
immediately, the thirteen boys gather around you, salivating at the scent wafting out of the bags. “thank you hyung, you didn’t have to do that for us,” dokyeom smiles.
you shrug, seating yourself between seungcheol and jihoon. “it’s the least i could do, don’t worry about it. now eat up! you all are probably starving.”
another chorus of thanks echoes throughout the room, and soon, everyone begins to dig in. as you chat with the other members, catching up on each others’ lives and learning about comeback preparations, you suddenly feel someone pulling you up by the armpits before placing you down on their lap. startled, you crane your neck and see seungcheol, who responds by pecking your forehead. “what was that for?” mingyu asks from across you, voicing your question.
“you haven’t paid attention to me at all,” he murmurs.
you simply hum, leaning forward to stab a piece of fried chicken. you aim the fork at seungcheol’s mouth, who eagerly sweeps in and takes a bite. from the corner of your eye, you can see the other members eyeing you two with disgust. “sometimes i forget this is a three-way relationship, seeing how you both react so differently around (name)-hyung,” seungkwan snorts, scooping more japchae onto his plate. “why can’t you be more like jihoon-hyung? at least he doesn’t whine when (name)-hyung isn’t around every five minutes like you.”
you roll your eyes. “please. hoonie likes it when i baby him, too.” you send him a wink, to which he responds with by rolling his eyes.
“you’re talking nonsense.”
“don’t lie~” you coo, leaning over and ruffling his hair. “our cute baby hoonie~”
above you, seungcheol pouts, resting his chin on your head. “why don’t you ever treat me like that, (name)? this is unfair.”
you add more tteokbokki onto your plate. “it’s fun, seeing both of your reactions. hoonie’s more fun to tease, and it’s fun seeing you get all mopey.” he pouts, though he can’t refute your claims. jihoon does have funnier reactions than he does, and judging by both the amused and unimpressed looks the other members give him, he’s sure that he looks nothing short of glum.
“you know,” wonwoo begins, “i never would’ve imagined that jihoon would’ve gotten together with them. maybe with (name), but not with seungcheol-hyung. you both cling onto him more than to each other, anyways.”
“cheol here just comes to me more because he’s scared of hoonie,” you laugh, patting his thigh. “besides, they have each other when i’m not in the picture.”
“(name), you shouldn’t spoil cheollie so much. he’s already so bratty when you’re not here,” jeonghan sighs. “i’d love to see you tease jihoon more, though. you’re the only person who can get away with it unscathed, anyways.”
both seungcheol and jihoon darken in embarrassment. “shut it, yoon jeonghan,” they snap in unison.
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when seungcheol and jihoon wake up one saturday morning, they don’t expect to be clinging onto each other in bed. they also don’t expect you to be awake already, seeing how you’re usually one of the last people to get up.
“where’s (name)?” jihoon groggily asks, scooting closer to an equally tired seungcheol. though he rarely lets seungcheol hold him, his need for warmth overpowers his disdain for skinship.
the older doesn’t seem to mind his sudden touchiness, wrapping an arm around him. “dunno,” he mumbles.
neither of them further questions your disappearance, cuddling closer to each other. they both begin to drift back asleep when the floorboards of the hallway creak, signalling a new presence. the bedroom dear squeaks open, so when they both turn to face the source, they see you tiptoeing your way in. “oh, morning guys,” you whisper, sheepishly smiling. “sorry for waking you two."
“it’s fine,” jihoon yawns, slowly sitting up. beside him, seungcheol turns to dig his face into his pillow, stretching his limbs. “why are you up so early? it’s-” he pauses to glance at the clock, which reads 11:30 am. “okay, maybe it’s not so early. but what are you doing up?”
you shrug. “cheol elbowed my face earlier, and i couldn’t fall back asleep again, so i decided to get out of bed.”
seungcheol turns around and looks at you with guilty eyes, sitting up. “sorry babe,” he apologizes. he grabs your arm and pulls you onto him. “is your pretty face okay?” he asks, rubbing your cheeks.
you thread your fingers through his hair, untangling the knots as jihoon rolls over. “why don’t you come back to bed and sleep some longer? i know how irritable you can get when you don’t get enough sleep.”
you shake your head at his offer. “it’s okay, but thanks.” you reposition yourself so you’re sandwiched between seungcheol and jihoon, which is when they notice the navy apron hanging around your neck. “i made food not long ago, it should be warm still. come eat with me.” you wriggle your way out of the human sandwich, standing up again. “get up, lazy bums!”
“kiss me first,” seungcheol jeers like the brat he is.
you lean in close until your breath fans his lips. when he looks like he’s going to reciprocate, you move your lips last minute and peck his forehead instead. “brush your teeth first, brat. your breath smells like ass.” before you leave, you swiftly move your head and place a kiss on jihoon’s cheek, running out of the bedroom before either of them can do anything about it.
half an hour later, jihoon steps out of the bedroom and trudges into the kitchen. seungcheol’s still in the bathroom washing up. when he rounds the corner, he nearly screams to see you so close to him. you take this opportunity to wrap your arms around him and lift him up, to which he responds with a yelp. “put me down!” he shrieks.
you pay no mind to his shrieking, walking towards the counter. you plop down on a stool and seat him on your lap. he’s still squirming, but your grip is tight, so his fidgeting proves futile. “good morning, my baby~”
for someone who claims to hate the nickname, he always flushes a pretty red when you or seungcheol use it. even after getting together, he still isn’t used to it. “how many times do i have to tell you to not call me a baby? i’m only a year younger than you.”
“then what should i call you then?” you pucker your lips, which are met with jihoon’s palm. “my liege? my love? which do you prefer?” you flirt.
his blush darkens, and he can only look away in embarrassment. “shut up.”
your laugh is so loud it hurts his ears, but it’s endearing and true, something he never gets tired of listening to. “our baby is so cute when he’s flustered~”
“is today a bully seungcheol or a bully jihoon day, i wonder?” a voice in front of you asks. he cranes his neck as much as he can and sees seungcheol pouting in front of you two, bangs wet. “do i not get this treatment because i’m the oldest?
you stick your tongue out at him before flicking his forehead. “come on, let’s eat! you two took forever.” fortunately, seungcheol pulls out a stool for jihoon to sit on, so he’s all too eager to hop away from your clutches.
you’re sitting across from the duo, who are seated beside each other. the kitchen is mostly silent, save for the clinking of utensils. it isn’t when seungcheol takes a bite from an egg that you notice a band-aid plastered near his chin. “did you hurt yourself?” you ask, aiming your fork at his wound.
he absentmindedly runs a finger against the band-aid. “oh, this? i was shaving earlier and accidentally cut myself,” he explains. he gauges your reaction, from your furrowed eyebrows to worried eyes. just then, he lets out a cry, startling you and jihoon. “oh (name), it hurts~”
you laugh at his silliness, while jihoon snorts. “you’re so embarrassing. gosh (name), this is what happens when you spoil him too much. one single mishap and he comes running to you with fake tears. look at the monster you’ve created.”
you glance at seungcheol, and the mischievous smirk on your lips only spells for disaster. “cheol-ah, you were just fine a moment ago. i think you’re strong enough to handle a tiny cut, aren’t you?”
normally he would never allow for someone to question his strength, but when it comes to you, all he wants is your pampering, even if he makes himself look like a fool in the process. “don’t tease me, (name)~ don’t take jeonghan’s words so seriously!”
you laugh, recalling your friend’s words. you love to indulge your boyfriends, though teasing them is also fun, too. you used to only tease jihoon with your sickening babying, but seeing how seungcheol whines only fuels your mischievous nature. “i think you can handle it, cheol.” changing the topic, you smile at jihoon. “how’s the food? i think i did a good job for someone with abysmal cooking skills.”
“babe~” he whines.
“the food’s good, although your chopping skills could use some work,” jihoon comments, poking at an unevenly cut tomato.
you snort. “i’m cooking for you guys, not gordon ramsay. as long as it tastes good, it should be fine.”
“this is bullying.”
you turn to face seungcheol, who’s still pouting. “why don’t you ask hoonie?”
“because he’s going to say no. or worse, he’ll kick my shins.”
you laugh, getting up to refill your water. before you enter the kitchen, you cup seungcheol’s face and press a chaste kiss on his band-aid. “there. happy?”
the dopey, lovesick look he gives you is answer enough, and as confident and nonchalant as you are when it comes to flirting, you can feel butterflies swarming in your stomach. it never gets less exhilarating, knowing you have him wrapped around your finger. “suddenly, my cut doesn’t hurt anymore.”
jihoon gags. “disgusting.”
“you like it when we’re disgusting,” you mumble, pressing a kiss on his hair. before he can react, you swoop down and squish his cheeks, leaning in to press your lips together. he makes a disgruntled noise, though he doesn’t make any attempts to pry your hands off or to move away. when you pull away, a satisfied smile rests on your lips. “see? i knew you liked it when i babied you.”
you move your hands away from his face and lay them atop his hair. on the other hand, seungcheol squishes your cheeks together and begins peppering kisses on your face, drawing out little giggles from you. below you, jihoon frowns, folding his arms. “you’re so annoying. i could step on your toes if i wanted to.”
“if you wanted to,” you reiterate, turning your head so seungcheol doesn’t muffle your words with his lips. “key word is if, my dear. you would never actually hurt me, our cute baby.”
seungcheol relinquishes his attacks, sitting back onto the stool. “i wonder what would happen if i called him that?” he wonders out loud. suddenly, he squishes jihoon’s cheek, mirroring the fond look you always give them. “our cute baby jihoonie~”
right when he does this, seungcheol decides then that is the first and last time he’ll ever try to baby jihoon again - at least, if he wants to stay unharmed. pampering is more of your forte, anyways.
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stephspurs · 4 years ago
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A Family Affair | Euro 2020 Football Fanfiction
hi guys and gals! Part 7 sees friendship strengthened, decisions being made and love ultimately hurting. As always, please enjoy the next part and let me know what you think is going to happen in part eight! I actually love hearing from you all so please don't be too shy to reach out and message me - I love a good chat LOL Love always, Steph xx
Part 7 | settima parte
warnings; love sucks man. word count;  1850 writing tools; third person until dashed line, first person thereafter. next update; Monday 09/08 5pm AEST. Updates are three times/week (Monday, Wednesday & Friday)! Tags (as requested by users); @footballffbarbiex @obsesseds-world @abysshaven link to fic masterlist here
“bella amelia, cosa ho fatto per meritarmi questa telefonata?” (beautiful amelia, what did i do to deserve this phone call?) Jorginho spoke his second-native tongue down the line to the British girl, calling him way past her self-appointed bedtime of 9pm.
“Jorgi, ho bisogno del consiglio di un amico” (Jorgi, i need the advice of a friend). Amelia, almost desperately, pleaded down the line to the boy who became her therapist.
It had been a few days since Amelia & Jack’s facetime where they sat and listened to the countless offers the successful girl had waiting in her voice message inbox. Being the person that she is, Amelia needed to distract herself from obsessing over the messages so she threw herself into her job. Spending too many hours over her paid allocation at Juventus training ground, getting administrative work done for the season ahead.
Was this her way of nesting? Or empty-nesting? Was she subconsciously preparing the club and her boys for life without her? Getting them ready with a season's worth of set pieces and tactical plays that would secure them an outstanding 37th victory? On the flip side, was she preparing for her new role in England which she had yet to accept. There was no harm in her taking her intellectual property back over to the motherland. The two clubs did not compete in the same tournaments, perhaps only the Champions league - but who's to say that whatever club she does pick will make the Champions League? There was no doubt Juve would be there - all of her preparation would ensure they would be. Whoever took over her role simply just had to show up and keep the boys in line.
“ok tesoro, parlami.” (Ok darling, speak to me). The Italian settled onto his couch, espresso in hand, waiting to hear the younger girl's problem.
“So I've spoken with Kyle & Jack now, and have told them of my predicament. They both are very heavily favouring one side - but I need a voice of reason. If you happen to express the same sentiments that they both did, then maybe that's all of the reassurance I need to make this final decision.” Amelia switched back to her native tongue.
After spending the better part of an hour discussing in great depth the offers that she was receiving from the 5 english clubs, Amelia felt just as confused as she did before calling the Chelsea boy. No surprise that Jorgi was team Come to the Prem & Join Chelsea, but the italian midfield maestro had also brought her back down to earth from cloud nine and reminded her of what, or who, she was leaving behind.
“Now I don't like telling you what to do, but you need to discuss this with Fede, Amelia. He doesn’t deserve a lot of things, but this is something he does.”
So that's where Amelia found herself the next morning. Sunday’s in Italy were reserved for espresso and long walks in the sun. This particular Sunday must have been reflective of the internal turmoil she was facing, uncommon for the season, the sky above her was overcast and a light drizzle had started to set in on her walk to the charming Italian’s townhouse.
______________________________________________________________
“pensavo fosse un mito che gli inglesi portino con sé il tempo the” (i thought it was a myth that british people bring the weather with them) Fede said as he opened the door, and his arms, while looking down the two steps at me.
“Very funny” I said as I gave him a hug. He always was so good at hugs. I’m going to miss them. Snap out of it Amelia - you don’t even know if you’re going to go yet. Oh she knows she's going. She also knows what club she's going to. No she doesn't, you be quiet. I’m here rooting for her Italian romance. If I had an angel and devil on each shoulder, their conversation would speak my internal monologue as such.
Walking through to his kitchen, putting on a coffee and saying hello to his dogs, Fede stood in the doorway and watched me move around his kitchen as though it was my own.
“I’m convinced you got British bulldogs because you just can’t help but love the English” I cheekily smiled up at him from my crouched position in the middle of his kitchen, giving the two bullys the best head rubs.
“Sure, you keep thinking that Amelia” Oh, the way he says your name Amelia, so foreign, so romantic. He says it the same way any other Italian would say it, he’s nothing special. Be quiet, let them have their moment.
“Lets go and enjoy these out in the courtyard, is your sun shade still up? It should hold out the rain right?” Amelia spoke rushedly as she poured two espresso cups and walked towards his back door.
“Tesoro, why are you so unsteady today? Is something troubling you?” Fede spoke worriedly, noticing my little nervous habits coming out to play and speaking faster than my mind could comprehend. Better to just get this over with i think, for once we agree on something.
“Ok i need to tell you something, and i need you to let me get it all out before interrupting me. Can you do that? This is something i’ve been working up the courage to speak out loud, let alone speak it to you”
Fede took a sip of his espresso, holding my eye contact, before putting his cup back on its saucer and leaning forward, elbows on his knees. He thought he was ready for what i was about to say, expecting it to be yet another long winded speech as to why i want to put a label on our situationship. Oh boy, how wrong he was.
“After the success of the european tournament, i have received a lot of praise and recognition for my skills”
“And you deserve every bit of it amore, every bit and even more” Oh dear, could my heart hurt anymore?
“Fede, I asked you not to interrupt me…”
“Ok ok, sorry, continue”
“So, I have received a lot of recognition both here in Italy as well as from my home country of England. In saying that, I have received a few offers from clubs in the premier league that want me to bring my approach, the italian approach, to the english game. It's a real step up in my career and it's something I am seriously considering. I’ve spoken with some of the boys back home and also Jorgi, they all think that this is the next step for me. I’m far too comfortable here, I can't grow in my comfort zone. I think I'm ready for a new challenge.”
I held eye contact with the 27 year old, I wasn’t about to let him know just how vulnerable I was feeling here in front of him. Something Fede could always do was read me, and read my emotions. If he knew how exposed I felt, how easily I could be swayed over this decision, then he would make it his life's mission to do so. I had made my mind up that I was going, but there was also a part of me that decided if he was to give me what I was after I would be open to the possibility of staying.
“So it seems that you have asked for the opinion of everyone else in your life, and made your decision, before even considering mine.” He slumped back in his chair, and rubbed two fingers over his lips while looking off into the small courtyard garden.
“Fede, I have made my decision. But I wanted to talk to you about it, I owe that to you. You have made my time here so memorable, so fantastic, so filled with love that I wouldn't even consider not including you in this.”
“Is there anything I can do to make you stay? Do you want me to ask you to be my girlfriend? To tell you I love you? To move in with me? Let me know what you need from me to reconsider this decision” He began to get frustrated with me, pulling the cap off of his head and running his fingers through his hair.
“That’s exactly it Fede! I don’t want to ask you to do that, you should ask me to be your girlfriend on your own! I don't want you to tell me you love me if you think that's what I want to hear - I want you to feel like you love me! I don’t need anyone to tell me what I want to hear, what I want to hear is what you truly feel. And if there is something i have learnt about you in the last few years is that you can’t hold back your feelings with anything! If you were in love with me it would have burst from you a long time ago. I think that you do love me Fede, but as someone to come home to instead of no one at all.”
“You know Fede, i don’t have any regrets over this. You mean just as much to me now as you did the very first time we crossed that boundary and blurred the lines. You’re just my type, you only call me late at night, you can’t decide if you’ll be your own man or mine. I hate to say it, but you really are just my type. This decision has nothing to do with you, it’s something i have come to make all on my own.”
I had stood up now, looking down at the 27 year old. I needed him to understand exactly what I was saying, how serious I was. This was the moment I could get it all off my chest, instead of just letting the relationship play out on his terms.
“I leave on Friday, I let the club know this morning. There's nothing that can be done now Fede, this is my decision. Please respect it, and me”
He stood up, his almost 6’1” frame towering over me. Looking down, face of steel, I could see everything I needed behind his eyes.
“hai ragione ti amo Solo non nel modo in cui meriti di essere amato” (you're right, i do love you. Just not in the way you deserve to be loved). He pulled me into his chest, both arms wrapping around the back of my shoulders, left hand holding my head in the crook of his neck. My arms wrapped around his back from below his arms, holding him tight enough that they crossed over and I could grab the sides of his rib cage. This was the closure I needed.
“I’ll give Jorginho a call and make sure he looks out for you”
“How do you know what club I'm going to?”
“I saw the way your eyes sparkled when you mentioned its name, it was the same sparkle that used to come out when you said mine…”
Part 8. | parte otto
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cienie-isengardu · 4 years ago
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Not only do I not regret asking you to "RELEASE THE RAMBLES!", I'm sending you requests for more. Below is a list of questions that I asked @bihansthot , and enjoyed their answers, but because you are so thorough, and answer in such depth, I'm re-asking them to you.
Brace yourself, it's a list. I didnt have time to sort thru them, I just copied and pasted, so if any are questions you already answered before, please feel free to include the links.
"LET US BEGIN!"
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In the spirit of potential future writing,  I'm trying to find a building that  would make a good substitution for Lin Kuei temple.
I've tried looking up ancient Chinese military barracks/forts, and have found some stuff,  but is all exterior.  Anyone know of any locations (or several I can cobble together) that would make good inspiration fodder?
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So, uhm, religion? What's the Lin Kuei's take on that one? I know they are aware of Gods, they team up with/ encounter Raiden all the time,  and have literally worked for/against Shinook, so I know they recognize higher powers... but I  guess the question is,  do they care?
Do they have a religion,  or spiritual practice that resembles religion? Or do they have a more practical approach "gods exist,  but we just consider them very strong people"?
Which segues into... do they recognize and participate in holidays, or things like birthdays? Or are all their celebrations work related (I.E. successful missions or levels of combat mastery)?
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Food.  What foods do they normally eat? What foods do they like?  What foods don't they like? What foods do they absolutely love so much they'll stop what they're doing to get it?
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If you had to match the Lin Kuei with a dynasty,  what one would it be? (I know the 2021 movie has the opening in the Ming dynasty, so the Lin Kuei is at least that old,  but given that movie Bi Han hasn't aged in 400 years, and was taken is a child,  its probably much older) (and also know the game probably cherry picked random Chinese things it liked).
What do you think the Lin Kuei's view on artistic culture (probably not the right word) is? I know they are heavily militaristic,  but in the game,  Kuai Liang offers Hanzo tea and he properly prepares it the Japanese way, that says they have something of an education other than just related to fighting?
Lastly,  in the movie,  everything Bi Han does is "for the Lin Kuei", but the Lin Kuei is on Earth (assumedly),  and he is working for a guy who wants to enslave Earth, so what do you think the deal is?
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Question about the Cryomancers. I know the game lore says that they are supposed to be rare, but I also know that the Lin Kuei have had at least 5 (grandpa, papa, older, and younger Sub Zero,  and Frost). 4 of which are part of 3 generations that inherited it even with mixed blood (I'm assuming Mama Sub Zero wasn't Cryomancer since they left her alone).
That's a lot of generations in a row for a rare trait... So do you think the Cryomancers as a group have figured out they're being hunted and have chosen to live in hiding?
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Lin Kuei society question? I like writing so I also like world building and I think about these things.
Is Lin Kuei society ever covered? I know there is a Grandmaster, a handful master assassins (Sub Zero's, Sektor, Cyrax, etc) and the  movies always have a bunch canon fodder lesser assassins.
And they live in the very isolated Lin Kuei Palace/Temple in Arktika (or wherever it used to be)
But is Lin Kuei (we'll call it "village") ever covered?   Do they have willing servants, kidnapped slaves, or a mix of both? Are there women (non fighter women,  I know there's Frost) or do they employ strictly male help? If there are women, what's their role, and are there children born there? What about Elderly? What about resources,  is everything (from food, clothes, weapons, and the raw materials to create them) grown or manufactured on sight by skilled laborers or do they import/interact with the outside world? How vicious or civil is this society, could you be killed for looking at Sektor wrong or do they value your services to a degree? What's the degree? This is obviously a combat culture,  but is everyone expected to know martial arts of some variety, is it optional, or do they prohibit it among the servants/slaves? How strict are they on things like clothing, food, alcohol,  drugs, "luxuries", or pleasures? Money? If they interact with the world do they recognize and use $$ currency, commodity currency, or a mixture? Internally are the Lin Kuei payed or just provided for? What about illness or injury,  if you're not a master and it a serious injury/illness are you taken care of or do they just give you a quick death?
Etc. That's all the questions I can think of,  but please feel free to answer questions I didn't ask,  if you think of anything else.
Thank you for this wonderful list to talk about! I’m gonna split the answer into smaller parts, for better focusing on each aspect but also so I don’t feel bad for keeping you waiting for ages, lol. For now let’s focus on asks about the religion!
So good questions! I do think they have some spiritual practice(s) because in martial arts the state of a mind is as important as the physical body and religion is one of many ways to shape someone’s mindset from a young age. I do, however, think that Lin Kuei does not worship the gods. They are aware that the gods exist (with Raiden as the thorn in the side) and may even respect their supernatural powers and battle skills but it never has stopped Lin Kuei from desecrating holy places, murdering people and stealing stuff for the best price. So, it seems to me that whatever religion the members of the clan follow, by nature it is rooted in nontheism.
Of course, there is also a chance that Lin Kuei worships some forgotten deity or deities (as a remnant of their ancient connections with Outworld / realms conquered and destroyed by Shao Kahn?) or may even practice ancestor worship which seems like a good way to uphold a widely understood tradition that plays an important role in the discussed community.
The closest thing to religious practice was seen in Mortal Kombat X, when Sub-Zero and his warriors seemed to pray together before statue of god / deity / ancestor / legendary warrior / personalized thing they value the most (sadly, my knowledge about Asian religious practices or faiths is very limited so I don’t have idea if the statue is supposed to represent any real god/religious symbol).
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At the same time, it could be just a bluff since Grandmaster was aware of Cage’s team infiltrating the Lin Kuei territory and used this moment to lure them into a trap. Additionally, Mortal Kombat X comics presented once Kuai Liang sitting before the same statue albeit in a completely different (devoid of reverence?) position.
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Of course, if we take into account Mortal Kombat Armageddon, the game states that Lin Kuei Temple placed in Arctika was actually once the Temple of Delia (the great sorceress & wife of god Argus) that at some point get abandoned and re-used by Sub-Zero’s clan.
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(In the background, we can see a statue of Delia that Lin Kuei does not worship but did not remove for whatever reason. Mixing both old and new games, we can only wonder if MKX!statue is also the remnant of someone else's faith/religion?)
Beside that, Kuai Liang was pretty vocal about Lin Kuei not worshipping the Elder Gods, what was seen in MK11’s intro dialogue with Cetrion
Sub-Zero: The Lin Kuei do not worship the Elder Gods.
Cetrion: We seek gratitude, not worship.
Sub-Zero: I see no distinction.
and personally did not have any reason to pray to the goddess:
Sub-Zero: Why should I pray to you?
Cetrion: Why does a bird flap its wings?
Sub-Zero: I asked a simple question.
In all fairness, in MK11 Kuai Liang seems the most passive-aggressive toward the Elder God while Frost is focused on her ambitions and Noob!Bi-Han just wants to be left alone when bothered by Cetrion. Similar thing happens toward Raiden. Despite gratitude for saving him, Kuai Liang does not spare the god criticism (can’t serve both Elder Gods and Earthrealm, isn’t fit for his role of protector) and in MKX outright says he does not fear divine beings:
Raiden: Sub-Zero...
Sub-Zero: I fear no gods, Raiden.
Raiden': That's why you shall lose.
Surprisingly, Kuai Liang’s interaction with MK11!Fujin sounds less accusing than with Raiden and Cetrion and it is connected closely to their ties with Bi-Han. And maybe Kuai Liang did seek in the past Fujin and other elements to make a peace with them, like he planned to do so in Mortal Kombat 4 Limited comics?
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"I came here to make peace with the gods of the elements that you fought [...]"
Anyway, the accusingly behaviour toward Raiden and Cetrion could be just Kuai Liang’s personal dislike for gods and serious authority issues, which makes sense considering how much he suffered because of their meddling and conflicts.
But honestly?
The available examples of Lin Kuei attitude toward gods, demigods and supernatural beings suggest how little the warriors - especially cryomancers - care for them.
Like, we have Bi-Han in Mythologies, who asked Quan Chi about details of mission:
Sub-Zero: If it's so precious, why don't you get it yourself?
Quan Chi: I cannot enter the temple until the four elements within its walls have been defeated. And I am not on the best of terms with the gods of your realm... especially your god of thunder.
Sub-Zero: Tell me about these elements.
Quan Chi outright said he and earthrealm gods weren’t friends and Bi-Han, reading between the lines, could get the idea that he may end on bad terms with Thunder God. Yet he was interested only in elements (lesser gods than protector of realm?) guarding the temple.
Then Bi-Han beat down four demigods and met a displeased Raiden after Quan Chi got the Shinnok Amulet. His reaction? No fear, like meeting an angry god was a normal occurrence.
Rayden: Do you realize what you've done??
Sub-Zero: I was just earning my living.
Rayden: Your clan's ignorance and greed will cost this entire realm. You must now set things straight.
Sub-Zero: Quan Chi could simply be a lunatic sorcerer. I've never heard of an elder god named Shinnok or of a place called the Netherrealm.
Rayden: Well, you'd better start believing in both, because you're going to the Netherrealm and you're going to bring the amulet back. We must act quickly. I have no dominion in the Netherrealm... You are reality's only hope.
Sub-Zero: I'll do it, Thunder God... but only because I have no choice.
And once he came back from Netherrealm, where he was fixing what he messed up in the first place on Raiden’s order, his abrasive attitude did not change much:
Sub-Zero: Here... the amulet.
Rayden: Impressive, Sub-Zero. Perhaps you will reconcile your reckless past after all.
Sub-Zero: That's it? Not even a thank you?
Of course, to some degree Raiden’s words did have an impact on Bi-Han but even the god’s warning about his soul tainted with evil did not stop him from coming back to Lin Kuei. Bi-Han’s attitude and/or approach to gods seems to change somehow once he was reborn as Noob, but that is a different matter for different times.
Anyway, Mythologies!Bi-Han and MK11!Noob act less aggressive toward gods than Kuai Liang. But then we have Sub-Zero from from the MK novel by Jeff Rovin, who not only is not afraid of gods but outright insult them:
“Wait! Be warned, Shang Tsung. He is cursed!”
“Cursed? By whom?”
Ruthay wailed, “By the immortal Yu.”
Shang Tsung felt cold spiders crawl up his spine. “The demigod Yu?”
“Yes… he who is said to dwell in the underground caverns of Horse Ear Mountain… which is sacred to the goddess Kuan Lin. He who protects the canals… and the tunnels… and looks after all who use them, human and animal.”
“What did our brash friend do to Yu?”
“He… killed a man,” said Ruthay.
“What man?”
“A toll-taker… one who had given up a life of crime… one who had been a partner of the man… you… seek.”
“And how did that crime come to the attention of the spirit of Yu?” Shang Tsung asked.
“The man was killed… slowly disemboweled with a sword… while accomplices forced his wife and his son to look on! After his murder… the man’s remains… were dumped into a canal!”
Shang Tsung raised an eyebrow. “Is that all? I was expecting something truly terrible!”
“It was!” Ruthay shrieked. “When he disposed of the body… in that way … he profaned one of the sacred waterways… of Yu!”
Shang Tsung smiled now. “Then he is definitely the man I want,” he said. “Anyone who is impudent enough to insult a demigod won’t be afraid to attack a member of the White Lotus Society, or the gods who watch after them. I will send Hamachi, Ruthay. When he nears his goal, see through his eyes and guide him!”
Book!Sub-Zero was impudent enough to insult a demigod which is why he was one of Shang Tsung’s favorites. And to be clear - book!Sub-Zero did not regret insulting the demigod at all. Even more! He found humor in it!:
He dwelt in a cave two hundred feet up the face of a cliff by the sea. The mouth of his home was barely wide enough to accommodate a slender adult, and was accessible only by climbing the sheer wall of rock, a feat that was impossible for most adults and daunting even to the few arachnids and marsupials that tried it.
Maybe some of them were even sent by Yu, he thought with a smirk, little assassins who would chastise me for having spilled blood in his precious canal.
The less abrasive attitude toward gods was shown by Cyrax, who talked a bit with Raiden over Bi-Han’s remains. He wasn’t outright antagonistic but wasn’t overall respectful either. He talked with Thunder God like he would talk with any other human being that wasn’t actually Scorpion. Frankly, from the named Lin Kuei only MK9!Smoke actually addressed Raiden in respectful manner, with proper bow and the name of lord
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albeit did he do so because he respects the divine beings or just out of gratitude for saving him, hard to tell for sure.
So yeah, it seems like no matter what kind of timeline or age or medium of the story, Lin Kuei does not fear gods nor pray to them. And the clan has a long history of dealing with Raiden, so the Lin Kuei had first-hand experiences with supernatural beings. Somehow, cryomancers are the most impudent warriors when it comes to dealing with or criticizing the gods.
Interestingly, as much as Lin Kuei warriors don’t care for gods, most of the known to us named characters believe to have - and to care - for their own souls. Sektor and MK11!Frost embraced the Cyber Lin Kuei idea but Kuai Liang, Cyrax and Smoke were opposed to C.I. project out for concern for their souls among other things. Even Bi-Han, to some degree became concerned about his soul after trip to Netherrealm.
Believing in souls is usually a sign of belief in the afterlife, albeit after all of them went through (the change into cyborgs, death and change into Revenants) this is less a matter of faith (religion) and more first-hand experiences. And let's not forget that regularly dealing over the centuries with Shang Tsung who steals people's souls on a daily basis makes it really hard to not believe spirits are real.
Also, an interesting matter of Lin Kuei practices that could have a religious/spiritual ground and/or be an example of ancestor worship is the clan’s funeral rites. I don’t think we actually saw any Lin Kuei to bury their own (especially after warrior’s failure?) and for sure MK9!Cyrax and Sektor did not bother to take care of Bi-Han’s remains. However the sources provide examples of Lin Kuei keeping corpses, most likely of their own leaders or warriors.
And so, we could see human remains:
put in two coffins on each side of statue
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hidden / kept in a block of ice(?) in chamber of Fallen Lin Kuei in which Frost’s frozen body was also laid, but on the altar
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Cyrax’s cyber body was kept and guarded by Sub-Zero (and this is like the only thing that Kuai Liang and Cyber Sektor so far agreed on)
and even Cyber Sektor’s remains, even if just for pragmatic reasons, are kept in what seems to be respectful manner:
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It could be just Kuai Liang’s good nature to honor fallen of his clan (I’m still not sure if Lin Kuei Palace is the new place for Sub-Zero’s clan or the ancient hideout) but even in MK Conquest TV series, after Grandmaster was killed by then-currently-Sub-Zero, there was the farewell ceremony with clothes on display (cause there was not much left of body after freezing and shattering) while new leader gave the speech promising to punish the guilty.
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Which makes me think that Lin Kuei did honor their fallen warriors (especially those exceptional, deserving). Such custom and apparently common belief in soul could also support the ancestor worship - both as some ancient, mythical ancestor(s) connecting warriors into one clan (family) and tradition to follow in the footsteps of forefathers (Bi-Han taking place of his father [old timeline] or grandfather [current timeline] or Kuai Liang taking Bi-Han’s place as Sub-Zero).
My general conclusion about Lin Kuei is that its members believe in souls, have respect and use of spiritual matters (meditation?) and maybe ancestor worship. Whatever the religious / spiritual practices they have over the centuries, it is not something they will share, as the Lin Kuei by nature are secretive people who keep personal things mostly for themselves. The people that joined the clan (Cyrax and Smoke) maybe kept their old, eventual religious beliefs but overall, Lin Kuei warriors did not fear, care for nor pray to gods. They may respect god (Raiden, Fujin) as a person but not because of their divine nature. And even that would not stop them from criticizing said god. Which is pretty much how Kuai Liang and Raiden’s relationship looks like. Grandmaster is grateful to Thunder God for saving him but he won’t blindly follow his authority.
(Kuai Liang has serious authority issues, hasn't he?)
As for holidays, I can’t really see Lin Kuei to follow any specific religious (theistic) special day cause they don’t care much for gods in the first place. Unless they worked undercover and needed to act as normal human beings, religious holidays would mean nothing to them. The warriors may however celebrate their mission success, combat mastery or promotion between themselves or in secret, I think. Like, Lin Kuei did forbid friendship because it was considered warrior’s flaw yet we know some members either were blood-related (Kuai Liang, Bi-Han, previous Sub-Zero - father or grandfather, depending on which timeline is correct) or considered each other a family (Kuai Liang and Tomas Vrbada) and most named characters worked in duos so they have both opportunity and knowledge about each other to celebrate important matters. If they managed to remember anything from previous life, that is. Because from ancient to at least Great Kung Lao’s times most(?) adepts were kidnapped from biological families at a really young age (something around 6 years old). And Mythologies: Sub-Zero takes that even further:
Its warriors are chosen at birth to be raised apart from the workings of day to day civilization and are stripped of their former lives. Only the clan knows their existence. Each of them posses certain skills and abilities that set them apart from normal men. These abilities are passed on from generation to generation and honed throughout the experiences of life.
So, celebrating birthdays doesn’t sound like happening much, unless those with family around could allow themselves such luxury. The clan may however celebrate the day of becoming a fully trained and sworn warrior? Or the fallen warriors? Who knows.
Also, something worth thinking about: in Mortal Kombat Conquest TV series, when the Grandmaster presented newly appointed Sub-Zero to the rest of the clan, he “celebrated” the cryomancer's first official performance as the execution of two men who failed their mission. So, yeah, celebration of something special in (old) Lin Kuei does not necessarily mean anything nice.
(The next part of answer most likely will be focused either on food or architecture / origin of Lin Kuei. Let's hope I will get it written sooner than later)
<><> EDIT <><>
RELIGION <> ORIGINS / ARCHITECTURE <> FOOD <> FOR THE LIN KUEI <> ART <> CRYOMANCERS <> LIN KUEI SOCIETY <> MONEY & MATERIAL GOODS
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paperpennies · 4 years ago
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Please tell me about your AU idea where Sasha and Milla meet in Brazil as teenagers and basically end up long-distance dating before either of them become Psychonauts ^_^
Oh hey look at that, totally out of nowhere, not prompted by me at all! (@2somethingelseyoumightknow2 and @strawberry-et also asked me about it but it seems redundant to answer three separate asks. I didn’t think three people would actually do it lol. Also sorry for taking 8 years to answer.) This idea came out of just smushing two thoughts together. Then I got weirdly attached. Buckle in; it’s gonna be pretty long.  Under a cut to avoid annoying feed scrolling.
So, AU is: Sasha mom lives, meaning he turns out a lot better emotionally adjusted since he grows up with at least one attentive parent. His dad is better too- still pretty emotionally constipated but not, like, broken the way he is in canon. The family also has 4-5 more kids after Sasha. This does mean they’re pretty poor but they do okay. 
His mother is a schoolteacher, who is somewhat unusual in the time period for working and being a mom of a big family at the same time. She and Sasha are quite close; he gets a lot of his intellectual and curious side from her. In his eyes, he’s much more like her than like his dad (although people who know them both would say he’s a lot more like his father than he thinks). His mother also knows about his psychic powers, having noticed them as soon as they started showing up, but his dad and siblings (probably) don’t. 
The story starts when Sasha is 14-15 years old. He’s getting increasingly bored living in a small rural town with few opportunities related to his interests, and his developing psychic powers (and probable undiagnosed autism) make things even more complicated and difficult for him. His mother gets an opportunity, probably with some kind of charity organization, to go teach German/English and maybe other stuff in Brazil for a while. She decides to take it, and take Sasha with her so he can have some different life experiences. She also takes his youngest sister along, since she’s still very little and dad’s already going to be left alone with three other kids. 
(Also, my assumed age for Sasha and Milla in the games is like mid-30s, which, if the games take place in mid/late 80s, would mean they were born in the mid-50s. That means they would be 14-15 in the late 60s. So that’s the timeline I’m going with here.) 
So they go to Brazil. The school Sasha’s mom is working at is either at or associated with an orphanage- maybe a church that has a school and an orphanage. Of course, Milla is there. I don’t have a lot of the details locked in here. It’s hard because we know nothing about Milla’s family or life before she was working at the orphanage, so I’m really just pulling this out of nowhere to fit in with this AU. For the purposes of this, she has no family and is living at the orphanage and going to the school there (even though that’s sad and I kinda don’t like it. May change it. Hm.)
Anyway, Sasha’s mom is teaching at the school; Sasha is doing basically independent study. I also haven’t decided if Milla is in his mom’s classes, because I haven’t decided what age group(s) she’s teaching. Either Milla’s in her classes or gets employed (or volunteers) to babysit Sasha’s little sister and that’s how she comes to be around. Oh, and also for the purposes of this, Sasha’s mom already spoke Portuguese before this, and Sasha’s been learning it prior to arriving there, so he’s like conversational at least. 
Either way, Sasha and Milla meet. Despite having some initial personality conflict, they find they have a weird connection to each other. Milla is curious about this feeling and interprets it as maybe being a crush, although it feels a little bit different. She decides to try and befriend him to understand it better, and also because that’s just what Milla does. She’s the sort of person who makes people her friends half-against-their-will just by being friendly and caring consistently until they can’t deny that they’re friends.
Sasha, meanwhile, is wary of her and her enthusiasm because he’s not great with the social stuff, especially with the culture and language gaps at play. He’s also wary of the feeling because it seems psychic-related, but he doesn’t know what that means. Plus Milla is like super pretty and nice and he gets tongue-tied and red-faced whenever she talks to him, but he definitely doesn’t like her shut up Mom.
Over time, Milla’s determination prevails, and they become genuine friends. He hides the fact that he’s psychic at first, but eventually does tell her. He asks her if she’s sure she’s not psychic, because she really seems psychic somehow. She doesn’t think she is, but he theorizes she’s probably not quite normal, at least, and that’s where the connection they’ve felt from the beginning comes from.
Since they’re actually perfect for each other, their friendship grows deeper over the months they spend hanging out. By the time Sasha has to leave, they’ve developed real romantic (in a 14-15 year old way) feelings for each other. They don’t ever really talk about it, but promise to write.
And they do. Sasha’s siblings start referring to the girl he writes to as his girlfriend to tease/annoy him, but eventually it sticks. He stops protesting, although he never confirms whether or not it’s true, and it starts being matter-of-fact to them instead of a joke. On Milla’s side, she still talks about him to her friends like he’s still there, and she gets the penpal-boyfriend teasing, too. It doesn’t really bug her, though. They save up money over a few years to go and visit each other, and talk about their relationship enough to be sort of “official”. It’s rough since they rarely get to see each other in person or even talk on the phone, but they keep going. 
Years pass, and some things change and others don’t. Sasha mother dies when he’s in his late teens, and he and his dad start having bigger and bigger issues between them in the wake of greiving. He leaves home as soon as he’s sure his younger siblings will be fine without him around. Out and about in the world, he gets recruited into the Psychonauts within the next few years (the specifics of this don’t matter too much for this AU). Milla goes on to work in her orphanage, the thing she’s most passionate about. They still keep close in touch, and get to see each other a more often now that they’re grown up and Sasha has better access to international travel. They finally decide “okay yes, we really are actually dating” even though it’s still long distance. Sasha’s colleagues 100% do not believe his story about having a beautiful long-distance girlfriend in Brazil, because that would sound fake af even if wasn’t coming from the very serious, not-romantic-at-all Sasha. Even his picture of them together does not convince them.
Then, the thing happens. Milla’s orphanage burns down, and her psychic powers finally fully awaken. Because of her knowledge of psychics, she realizes what’s happening, but it’s still a horrifically traumatic event. Sasha takes a leave period to come and help her, finds that it’s even more serious than he’d expected, and puts her in touch with the Psychonauts directly for some better assistance. He’s too close to her to do more than an initial check-up himself. 
They find Milla has a lot of potential and extend an offer to join the intern program (which at that time spans a larger age range than later on). She rejects the offer at first, tries to go back to her life, but later decides she needs to make a complete change and accepts. Sasha’s colleagues are shocked to find out she is indeed real. She graduates first out of her class, as one of the best levitators the organization has ever seen. Technically, she and Sasha aren’t supposed to be romantically involved as agents, but the Psychonauts have always been pretty loosey-goosey about that rule (given the history of its founders). 
So that was a novel in length. It’s not necessarily that interesting in this form, but there’s the AU. I think the interest would be the specifics of how their relationship would play out as a story, if they met young enough and under the right circumstances to not to get stuck in the hang-ups their relationship has in canon. If you read this far, tell me what you think! Thoughts, feelings, emotional outbursts?
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