#how much does it inherit from the previous structure?

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

Every now and again i try and research how Passione would work and it gives me a headache...

[avaeavalley]

Jumping off the previous ask, I’d also love to hear your thoughts of Valax as a product of Valifara and that family unit

Valax is a product, much like how Nia and the other servants of Light are also a product. Weaponised at birth, they're bred to serve one cause of furthering the values of their makers. It is interesting to note how a matriarchal society like the Old Gods tends to bleed into what the Gods themselves expect from their children.

Valax could have easily been a boy, a mother's boy, a weapon - the ideal warrior and a successor to the Ashen Kingdom and the destroyer of Light.

But the family structure, despite being progressive in face value, still in a way thinks of daughters as ideal and obedient. The matriarchal structure in Blades prefers girls, not to fill a boy's shoes, rather let her mother - or generally, her maker - assume her body. The Light can itself be thought of as an extension of Nifara, possessing Nia and gifting her with magic - deeply powerful magic at such a young age. 

There's a certain need that those conferred upon the title of a “mother” in the series, (or can be thought of a matriarchal figure), have that consists of them possessing their daughters’ bodies. It is congruent to how the Party is nearly possessed by her and the rest of the Pantheon in order to return to the mortal realm - their bodies and souls belonging to the Mother, for they’re made of Light. The way the younger Gods and the rest of the realm are all her children ripe to be possessed by her, giving up their own bodily autonomy to their Mother. 

The Mothers, plural, Nifara and Vali have varying interpretations as to what their creations owe them. Vali accepts her creations, even going as far as to give the Elven populace their long lives - sacrificing herself, meanwhile Nifara expects a degree of loyalty for she blessed the Elves with the gift of Light. Of course, the lore tablets are, if not, a product of Bakshi’s writing- meant to be looked at through Nifara’s lens, on the whole. The womb of the Mothers is sacred, for motherhood takes different forms between Nifara’s and Vali’s. Nifara dons robes of purple and gold while Vali, of grey skin, wears dark purple.

 Nifara exudes purity from her neck till her stomach, beyond which her legs are obscured in robes of ashen purple - as if to imply the very act of enwombing is pure, as long as she does not give birth from in between her legs. It explains why her creations are usually the ones she “made” and “gifted” as opposed to giving birth to them; largely likened to the concept of ‘impurity after childbirth’. Vali follows suit, having termed as “another aspect of Nifara” in a Lore Tablet, Book 2, Chapter 8 - which can either be interpreted as Vali being Nifara’s own child, her womb’s creation or revered as a Nifara-like figure in the Shadow Realm. 

Shortly after her rebellion, Vali is banished to the newly-created Shadow Realm - which can also be read as Nifara’s Possession of Vali, the way the Realm was born out of Nifara’s own desire to protect the sanctity of Light - and thus, a product of her womb and exiling her wife to the confines of her creation can be read as Nifara enwombing dissent itself; largely echoing how abusive mothers tend to say, “I made you. I can also unmake you.” the children at the mercy of their makers. Valax grows up with this generational trauma, inherited from her Mother of Grey who is willing to “make” and “unmake” her as she grows up in Nifara’s womb - possessed by the Shadow whilst seeking refuge from the Light. Vali, of grey skin, wearing the purple robes of sin, colours Valax’s skin a similar hue - as if to possess her as her own, to never let her forget herself.

We tend to see this theme of identity largely echoed in Blades  - specifically maternal identity. We see Sarenya raise Tyril as her own, despite never giving birth to him. We see Nia claim Nifara as her mother. One’s maternal identity seems sacred, as is the act of motherhood - especially a mother who is deemed a virgin, a Madonna-figure.

We also see the likes of Valax, being “created” by her mother - wear her impure mother’s wounds despite not being born of her womb, but born of Nifara’s womb in the Realm of Shadow. We see Aurinae give birth to Aerin, die when he was a child as if the mere act of giving birth is rendered sinful and we see Aerin deal with the wounds she left in him. We see Tyril and Adrina are not told of their dinma’s identity as the act of sexual intercourse and sexuality is kept a secret, never to be known or spoken of. 

The Family in Blades is largely built on the idea of female sexuality and a mother’s purity. We see this tendency to bleed into the Party’s treatment of its female characters : the MC is an exception for their gender and sexuality are determinant and their faith is left ambiguous as an adventurer from Riverbend, a town that does not follow the Light closely. Nia, deified and revered as a protector, a nurturer and a carer - qualities of a virgin mother. We see Valax being regarded as someone with only one purpose to fulfill, that of their mother’s and when we see her join the Party, she is regarded as “pure” in the sense, she has not been “corrupted” of the “sin” of perversion. Imtura is given “masculine” traits to wear when discussing her sexuality and since Orcish culture revolves around individuality, the way both Orc men and women get pregnant and their child only ever belongs to one parent, her sexuality when discussed is still obscured, in the Lore Tablets, by an ambiguous Joining of One - where orcs “bind” their souls together regardless of the nature of their relationship - familial or romantic.

This can be interpreted as a way to subvert the conversation of sexuality itself.

[capitalism-is-parasitism]

George Monbiot: TAX THE RICH, TAX THEM HARD (Labour is already failing)

We need a genuine levelling up, across regions and across classes. The austerity inflicted on us by the Conservatives was unnecessary and self-defeating and Labour has no good reason to sustain it.

The new government insists it is ending austerity. It isn’t. As the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) pointed out in June, Labour’s plans mean that public services are “likely to be seriously squeezed, facing real-terms cuts”. Similarly, the Resolution Foundation has warned that, with current spending projections, the government will need to make £19bn of annual cuts by 2028-29. However you dress it up, this is austerity.

We are constantly told: “There’s no money.” But there is plenty of money. It’s just not in the hands of the government. The wealth of billionaires in the UK has risen by 1,000% since 1990. The richest 1% possess more wealth than the poorest 70%. Why do they have so much? Because the state does not; they have not been sufficiently taxed.

There are two reasons for taxing the rich and taxing them hard. The first is to generate revenue: this is the one everyone thinks about. But the second is even more important: to break the spiral of patrimonial wealth accumulation. Unless you stop the very rich from becoming even richer, it’s not just their economic power that continues to rise, but also their political power. Democracy gives way to oligarchy, and oligarchy is intensely hostile to everything Labour governments seek to achieve, including robust public services and a strong economic safety net. When oligarchs dominate, you can kiss goodbye any notion of the public good.

Last year, I tried to estimate how much it would cost to restore a viable, safe and inclusive public realm after 14 years of Tory vandalism. While my effort was very rough, the sum came to between £65bn and £100bn of extra spending a year: between seven and 10 times more than Labour’s total. It’s a lot, although it’s dwarfed by the money the previous government spent on the pandemic: between £310bn and £410bn over two years.

While these sums are ambitious, and would require expanded borrowing (which Labour has foolishly ruled out) as well as taxation, there are plenty of opportunities to raise taxes on the rich. The government could, for example, replace inheritance tax with a lifetime gifts tax kicking in at £150,000, a level that would affect only wealthy people. This would increase revenue while ending a major form of tax avoidance. The government should raise capital gains taxes: it’s perverse that unearned income is taxed at a lower rate than earned income. It should close the carried-interest loophole, which ensures that private equity bosses pay less tax than their cleaners: a pledge on which it already seems to be backtracking.

The government could also levy a wealth tax, a luxury goods tax and a tax on second homes and holiday homes. It could make the windfall tax on fossil fuel revenues permanent. It could replace business rates with land value taxation, and council tax with a progressive property tax based on contemporary property values: both shifts would be fairer and would raise more money. But the only extra taxes the government propose are, as the IFS remarks, “trivial”.

By seeking to raise revenue through economic growth rather than redistribution, Labour avoids the necessary confrontation with economic power. Not only is the strategy uncertain of success (economic growth here is subject to global forces); not only does growth load even more pressure on the living planet; but this approach also fails to break the grip of the ultra-rich. Isn’t this the whole damn point of a change of government, after 14 years of Tory appeasement? Unless you seek to change the structures of power and redistribute wealth, the rich will continue to harvest the lion’s share of growth while using some of their money to buy the politics that expands and fortifies their dominion.

[seavoice]

the olympians generational trauma is so so important to me. rick focused a lot on trauma and abuse in toa but he never focused on the fact that for apollo its inherited. he never focused on how it was a cycle and how it all started with ouranos and fathers and sons and wanting to do better and end up succumbing and and and

cruelest thing is that he was so close to touching on it too. in THO, there’s a paragraph about rachel saying they can choose their fate and apollo thinking “i’ve seen thats not possible, i’ve seen people repeat patterns thinking they’re doing something different when they’re just retracing the same paths previous generations took, but there’s something admirable about human persistence.” in TON there was a whole page about how “there never were any good old days since the problems never change as mortals and gods alike carrying their own baggage with them, but we should overcome it and move forward.” like you want to talk about the generational trauma so bad PLEASE DO IT OLD MAN. im on my hands and knees FUCKING DO IT. i don’t believe in the olympian revolution i believe in the olympian revelation PLEASE let them see the pattern and realize they have to change, not so that they can avoid the threat of war, but so they can heal and recover from the trauma they inherited from those that came before them.

SAY that anon!! It's all inherited. They want to change, but no God believes they can! Percy tries to have faith at the end of Last Olympian (a lesson he is quite literally pushed to the edge by Echidna to learn in Lightning Thief), despite Hermes shutting him down, and is paid dust for it. They don't believe it themselves. They don't believe in themselves. Hermes says he doesn't believe they can change. So does Apollo. So do Hades and Zeus and Poseidon and Athena and everyone else -- and even if they do change, it's so small and over so long that they find the world has moved under their feet again. And a lot of it is because they believe they're destined for the same vicious cycle. They wouldn't try so hard to avoid it (and fail) if they didn't.

Riordan really had the bones of a very interesting family story in PJO; clearly by the time he hit ToA he was AWARE that there was a scope for some commentary of generational trauma. He does make allusions to it in Apollo's POV, he's always going on about family therapists and how fear motivates them over love, the whole tyrants are insurmountable monologue. I wish I could quote certain passages because they are certainly...present, but my brain is just too fried at the moment to go searching for them.  But I think at the end of the day, he either felt he didn't want to tackle it overtly or change up the structure of his world building by so much. I think it's a poorer series for not doing so, although at the same time I appreciate that we do not look at the morality of these gods or their (for lack of a nuanced term) trauma, and their familial bonds through an entirely "mortal" perspective. I would rather not have a book long therapy session about this. We had TSATS, and I will do anything to avoid that kind of story LMAO.

I think it's also frustrating that Riordan (despite his many many flaws) comes so close to giving a genuinely fascinating reimagining of godly familial dynamics in a middle grade/YA series. That's why when he falls short of the natural conclusion of like... acknowledging conversations about generational wounds it grates doubly so. That's the great thing about the mythology premise -- it's fertile soil for a fun, monster-fighting series for kids, but it also comes with a meaty backstory to exploit, so to speak!  PJO is about family, over everything -- your chosen one, your lost one, your immortal, messy one. It's about never escaping your shadow, it's about seeing your father's eyes in your son's.

Personally I find it SO great that Zeus kills and entraps and tries to snuff out the prophecy (and the prophecy kids!) because he's scared, he's so paralyzed by fear of destruction and then the real threat is his own bloodthirsty father who hated them. That scene at the beginning of The Lightning Thief when Zeus and Poseidon are fighting and Percy tries to stop them but there's a voice--Kronos!--goading them on? Metaphor city. I wish we kept that energy consistently. It's all in the family, baby!

It's all about the cycles of inescapable tragedy. When you build a kingdom on the ruins of your father who wants to kill you...and instead of breaking the cycle, power and paranoia corrodes you until you propagate it to the extent that you end up afraid not of yourself becoming your father, but of your son becoming YOU. When you've lost the plot so so bad.

[untremaine]

fairy tales and the female gothic

"gothic" is a bit played out as a term. what is the gothic? is it Dark Macadamia? is it crimson peak? is it ebony dark'ness dementia raven way?

the gothic as a genre is generally agreed to have begun with the novel the castle of otranto by horace walpole, one of the worst pieces of crap ever composed in the english language. i'm so serious, don't read it. walpole (1717-97) was an antiquarian, sort of a hobbyist historian whose particular interest was in the medieval period (this was pretty hot shit in england at the time, but we can talk more about 18th century foundations of horror and ghost stories later). by talking about otranto we can identify certain hallmarks of the gothic genre:

an illusion of historicity. walpole pretended that the novel was actually derived from a medieval italian manuscript which he'd "discovered" and translated for a modern audience.

a focus on the family unit, lineage, inheritance: conrad, the sickly heir to otranto, dies horribly at the beginning of the story and this is seen as heralding the downfall of the family line.

an interest in corruption, violence, unequal power dynamics: manfred, the lord of otranto and conrad's father, wields the power of life and death over peasants under his rule and the inhabitants of the castle cower under his whims.

the appearance of unusual and/or supernatural occurrences that undermine ordinary reality and emphasize the themes of the story

an almost taken-for-granted exploration of patriarchal power and control, in the literal sense of rule of the father, with commensurate interests in sex, control, and incest: after conrad's death, manfred decides to divorce his own wife, conrad's mother, and marry isabella, his dead son's fiancee. both women are helpless to do much but run away.

what does this have to do with fairy tales? in our previous installment, we talked about the ways in which fairy tales reflect and reinforce patriarchal realities for women; that's one connection. another connection hinted at by marie mulvey-roberts in her essay, "from bluebeard's bloody chamber to demonic stigmatic," is that the prototypical gothic story is a fairy tale: the tale of bluebeard.

in bluebeard and its variations across cultures, we see a story that reflects "a time when women were deprived of legal rights within marriage," such that "the ‘Bluebeard’ fable is a test of wifely obedience and subjugation to the will of her husband" (mulvey). perhaps not for nothing, the most famous rendition of this story, la barbe bleue, was written by charles perrault, the same guy who gave us cendrillon, or "cinderella," upon which the disney cartoon and countless other renditions were based. in it, a young woman is married to a man whose knowingly-impossible demand of absolute obedience from his many wives inevitably results in their slaughter. the protagonist barely escapes with her life.

there are numerous parallels between the gothic and this story: a fascination with violence, corruption, and evil, a focus on lineage and the family unit (the male-female couple being the basis for all nuclear family and for all structures of biological inheritance), and above all an exploration of patriarchy. bluebeard can almost be considered the ur-text for what has come to be called the "female gothic," gothic stories written primarily by women (ann radcliffe, the bronte sisters, jane austen, octavia butler, angela carter, shirley jackson, toni morrison, jean rhys, daphne du maurier, etc) which explore the complex webs of interpersonal relationships and power structures that shape and control the lives of women, and how those women react to, challenge, or submit under the force of those structures.

in the next installment, i will talk about the wicked stepmother and the female gothic. stay tuned 🥸

[mannawealthmanagement]

Do I Need a Financial Advisor? When You Should Hire One in Florida

Navigating the complex financial landscape of Florida can be overwhelming. With its unique tax implications, diverse investment opportunities, and the allure of retirement living, the Sunshine State presents both challenges and rewards for residents. So, when does it make sense to enlist the help of a financial advisor?

Understanding Your Financial Needs

Before diving into the decision of whether to hire a financial advisor, it's crucial to assess your financial situation comprehensively. Key factors to consider include:

Income and assets: Evaluate your current financial standing, including income from various sources and the value of your assets.

Debt: Assess your debt-to-income ratio and any high-interest debt that might be hindering your financial progress.

Financial goals: Clearly define your short-term, mid-term, and long-term financial objectives.

Risk tolerance: Determine your comfort level with investment risk.

Time commitment: Evaluate how much time you're willing to dedicate to managing your finances.

When to Consider a Financial Advisor

While many people can manage their finances independently, there are instances when seeking professional guidance becomes highly beneficial:

Complex financial situations: If you're dealing with multiple income streams, significant assets, or complex tax implications, a financial advisor can provide clarity and structure.

Lack of financial knowledge: If you feel overwhelmed by financial jargon or investment strategies, a financial advisor can educate and guide you.

Life transitions: Major life events like marriage, divorce, inheritance, or retirement can necessitate expert financial advice.

Risk aversion: If you're uncomfortable with market volatility or prefer a hands-off approach to investments, a financial advisor can provide peace of mind.

Time constraints: Busy professionals or individuals with limited financial management expertise may benefit from delegating financial tasks.

Finding the Right Financial Advisor

When choosing a financial advisor, consider the following:

Certifications and licenses: Ensure the advisor holds the appropriate credentials.

Fee structure: Understand the advisor's compensation model (hourly, commission-based, or fee-only).

Experience: Look for an advisor with a proven track record and expertise in relevant areas.

Client reviews: Read testimonials from previous clients to gauge the advisor's reputation.

Additional Considerations for Florida Residents

Florida's unique tax laws and thriving real estate market can present both opportunities and challenges. A local financial advisor with expertise in Florida-specific matters can provide valuable insights.

Remember: Seeking professional financial advice is an investment in your financial future. By carefully evaluating your needs and selecting a qualified advisor, you can gain the confidence and support to achieve your financial goals.

[wordsandrobots]

#I think it would be very funny ( read: tragic) if he had several “my moms told me to never get in a Gundam’’ moments

Well now . . . OK, how much do I want to say at this point? (Trick question, of course I *want* to ramble about it all, but it's still percolating in my brain so I shouldn't get ahead of myself.)

Akatsuki is definitively not getting in a Gundam, at least in the sense of piloting one. He might have to be a passenger at some point. This is explicitly my 'I'm not walking back that ending' policy with respect to Iron-Blooded Orphans. That boy does not grow up needing to be a soldier, he does not fight to survive, and he is utterly disbarred from being in any kind of military by the authority of his mothers and his hundred uncles, god-freaking-damnit.

He has also 100% inherited the instinct to chase down a friend who's been kidnapped by bunch of jack-booted security officers, ram a truck through their front door, and sneak around the back to mount a daring rescue. He just does it unarmed and without the intention of harming another living soul.

Anyway, the point is, I set myself the challenge of 'write this as if it was an actual Gundam series so I'm having to invent a lot of OCs, including a Gundam pilot to handle the requisite mecha battling.

Actually . . . let's write this out because it'll be useful reference for me if nothing else. Dramatis personae!

Akatuski -- a pleasant 18-year-old inexplicably in a suspension tube on a freighter bound for Jupiter. Built like he grew up on a farm. Generally quite sweet. Would really like someone to explain what the hell is going on. Current objective: letting his moms know he's OK.

Jaén -- reigning champion in the Tournament of Titans. 19, which is probably too young for that Gundam but it counts as progress in context. Working towards this since she was 12. Inexplicably boarding random freighters containing freeze-dried college students.

Imran -- her mechanic. Does not want to know what is going on, thank you, sie's just here to do the maintenance.

Gundam Räum -- ASW-G-40. 'What if the Nu Gundam but in IBO.' Possibly haunted. Definitely cursed.

Dmitri -- local information broker and all-round underworld mastermind. Räum's previous owner. This did not end well.

Rodríguez and Cowley -- also in the Tournament. Decent pilots, unashamed over being thwomped by a 19-year-old girl.

Arno Rax -- from Ganymede. A newcomer to the Tournament. Severely pissed over being thwomped by a 19-year-old girl.

Mr Jove [placeholder unless I decide this joke is funny] -- owner/operator of the Tournament of Titans. Exactly the kind of person who'd run a mobile suit fighting ring aboard space Las Vegas. Possible evil twin of Stalker from Mobile Fighter G Gundam.

Benjamin Ogawa -- an executive of the Outer Sphere Development Corporation. Might know what's up with that freighter full of freeze-dried people. Trying to wrestle some good out of the situation. Generally annoyed that unethical experiments aren't replicable.

A Mystery Man In A Mask -- gotta have one. Ben's bodyguard/personal assistant/only friend. You'll never guess who. (Well, you might, but it's The Big Twist, structurally speaking.)

Gabriella Turbine -- Naze's daughter. Amida's spiritual successor. The best pilot you've ever met. Very surprised to find her baby cousin getting himself into trouble. Not planning to let him live it down.

Ilyana Sevenstark -- adoptive Turbine. Having a Tuesday of a week. Mainly here to deliver the line 'Akatsuki Augus Mixta-Bernstein, report to the bridge. Immediately."

Haro -- a haro.

[REDACTED] -- Jaén's dad. It isn't what you'd call good news.

And an ex-Gjallarhorn mercenary captain I have yet to name who is definitely here and absolutely not just setting up the second fic in this two-part series, why would you think that.

I have no idea when this will be finished. I'm taking it quite slow. I'm also having a lot of second thoughts about how to title it, but I'm sure that'll shake out in time.

Anyway, how the ever-loving Ben Grimm have I managed to write what is conceptually a Gundam SEED reference into this fic? I am mildly irritated by SEED at the best of times and certainly resent it being *the* successful AU, but here we flipping are. Only so many ways you can set up a mystery man in a mask, I suppose, but I was going more for an overt Mobile Fighter G Gundam homage, where I put the whizz-bang gladiatorial battles front and centre and hope everyone forgets that show is 40% body horror by volume.

*Sigh* Well there's no getting around it now

Oh yes, about that sequel to Wishing on Space Hardware I'm not writing . . . I just finished drafting chapter 4 of 25, for fic number one of two. And what really irks is I discovered a flipping Harry Potter fic had nabbed the title I was intending to give it. Very vexing, I'll have to pluralise even though the singular would have been perfect. Better than just calling it 'Akatsuki's big adventure' I suppose.

I might end up call the series that, though.

[nanowrimo]

How to Make Interesting Worldbuilding Choices

We can’t assume that everyone knows the world we’re talking about, right? Luckily, author and previous Camp NaNoWriMo counselor Cass Morris has a few suggestions to help us more deeply explore our worldbuilding:

One of the most powerful things we can do as writers is create a world. What we write holds a mirror up to reality, where we can examine and criticize our own world or try to build a better one. We get to play god with our characters, and in doing so, we exercise a great deal of power in what we choose to reflect, to magnify, to laud, and to condemn.

So how can we make interesting choices, rather than relying on stale tropes, biased perspectives, or common assumptions about “the way things are” or “the way things were”?

Here are five basic concepts I suggest you explore to develop a richly detailed and unique world:

1. Family

What is a family structure? Is marriage tied to finances, or is it a purely emotional bond? Do you live with your spouse? Do you raise kids together? Is sexual fidelity expected? How many people can be in a marriage? Does “legitimacy” mean anything to family bonds? To inheritance? Is adoption common? 

2.Gender & Sexuality

What sexualities are socially permissible? How does your world conceive of gender? Does it accept third genders, nonbinary people, gender fluidity? If your world has rigid gender roles, or if one gender has more power and privilege than the other, make sure that’s a choice you examine, not just something you presume.

3. Race

What do race relations and ideas of ethnicity look like in your world? A historical or invented world may conceive identity very differently than we do today. If you have aliens or fantasy races, like elves, dwarves, or goblins, examine them carefully to avoid perpetuating racist stereotypes or erasing real-world issues with a handwave. I recommend Writing the Other as an excellent resource to help you think through these ideas respectfully).

4. The Afterlife and Religion

What do your characters believe happens to them when they die? This can affect so much else in a society: how eager or reluctant they are for war, how they preserve assets for future generations, how they conceive of sin and virtue. So what’s your basis? Gods or no gods? Ancestor worship? Natural spirits? And how exclusionary is it? Can your various cults play nice together, or are they trying to wipe each other out?

5. Government 

Who has power, how do they get it, and how do they hold onto it? There are so many options beyond “ye olde feudalism” and our modern conception of representative republics. Figure out what your structure is, how it came to be that way, and what other beliefs and structures, like religion or the military, it might be tied to.

These basic concepts will touch many other elements of your characters’ lives, from architecture to economy to warfare. They can also help generate wonderful, inventive plot hooks; in making deliberate choices about your world, you may find new challenges and opportunities for your characters.

While worldbuilding is typically associated with fantasy and science fiction, it’s important to real-world genres as well. The world in your book, whether invented or a version of our own, should be as diverse and complex as the world your readers live in. In historical fiction, the challenge is often in distinguishing what “everyone knows” about a period from the lived reality of people during that time. In a modern romance or thriller or anything else, details as small as what someone thinks of as a “normal” lunch can communicate elements of that character’s personal history and the world they operate in.

Make interesting choices. Your readers will be grateful.

Cass Morris works as a writer and educator in central Virginia. Her debut series, The Aven Cycle, is Roman-flavored historical fantasy released by DAW Books. She is also one-third of the team behind the Hugo Award Finalist podcast Worldbuilding for Masochists. She holds a Master of Letters from Mary Baldwin University and a BA in English and History from the College of William and Mary. She reads voraciously, wears corsets voluntarily, and will beat you at MarioKart. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Patreon. Make sure to check out The Aven Cycle and Worldbuilding for Masochists. 

[3vocatio]

heyy i hope ur having a great day/night <33

i love ur obm analyzations so much and i was re reading them, then a thought came to mind about diavolo, yk how he is the prince of the devildom aka future king, its a wonder why he is still the prince?? since its cannon the actual king went to sleep and isnt planning on returning back, so why isnt the king title passed down to diavolo? since the previous king retired, does he have to wait until he out lives his dad or does the resting king give him the title? its really confusing? it was also cannon that the now resting king was training diavolo to be king so even if he does not like diavolo he still would pass the king title…

anyways love to hear ur input whenever u can ofc (ty) :D

a curious thought! they obm devs never addressed this, let alone explore how diavolo feels concerning his parents. we've only heard that his mother died giving birth to him, and (as we all know), his father is at rest.

because his father isn't technically dead, i'd assume that diavolo doesn't have the right to usurp someone who is MIA. this is why we don't hear of a coronation or the others treating him as a king, although they do recognize him as the utmost authority.

if you wanted to know my personal headcanon:

you'll notice that none of the high-ranking demons (the brothers, barbatos, mephistopheles) go by their true titles, “duke”. you can presume that this could be because as the mc, you're not largely subject to the same political and social rules as the rest of the devildom because you're living with the highest of the devildom hierarchy, but i like to believe that this is because diavolo actually chose to go further with reformation.

with the political revolution of insituting a free and public education for all and committees for public works that improve lives of the denizens, comes social change. it would be difficult to achieve peace and unity amongst demons when old, feudal structures from his father's time remained in place.

i think that this is the reason why diavolo, and the rest of the demon cast, dropped their formal titles. even diavolo is rarely, if at all, referred to as “prince diavolo”; they all hold the same weight and responsibility as their previous titles held, but chose to adapt with the newcoming age.

if his father did arise from his slumber, i would like to think that diavolo would hold his ground. after centuries of reshaping devildom society to better serve his dream of peace, of choosing to act instead of wait for something so futile, why would he give it all up so easily?

．❝ such is the way of the benign usurper, something whispers to him from the depth of his desk's underside. he lies still, listening for that little mumble. the sound feels unbound by the walls of his chamber, but he knows it was not from beyond the room's boundaries. he lies still, in waiting, and does nothing to advance himself in any way, merely seeking some unseen spectre's idle musings. his heartbeat quickens, time ticking into that granular rift.

it takes him a week to hear it once more, and this time it speaks a little more harshly. i am the dragon and serpent, immobilised only by my desire to seek something new, something better, it tells him. the meek will inherit the earth, and you, skit, will find your place in it.

he bares his teeth and can only laugh with the gentle reminder that, at the end of the day, inheritance implies secondary ownership. the meek will inherit the earth, but it is the bold who truly taste it first.

and so with his palm armed with these vexations, he reminds himself of his true elegance. he recites to others numbing niceties and to himself the dogma he had heard only as a whisper in the back of his skull: such is the way of the benign usurper, whose etymology stems from benevolence -- i will not wait for opportunity and will instead strive for self-improvement and development.

[linkspooky]

TOJI AND MAKI

The parallels between the two outcasts of the zenin clan have already been pointed out plenty of times in canon, for example they're both incredibly buff. However, I thought I would take a deeer look at both characters, as they share both a role as the abused child that destroys the system that created them, and the same fatal flaw.

1. The Child Who is Not Embraced by the Village Will Burn it Down to Feel its Warmth

"The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas" is a 1973 work of short philosophical fiction, about a summer festival in the utopian ity of OMelas, whose prosperity depends on the perpetual misery of a single child. The idea is written around the idea of the scapegoat, a reoccurring trope in stories where someone innocent is blamed, or outcast for the mistakes of other characters.

All of this to say that both Maki and Toji represent the archetype of the scapegoats of their generation. Just like the child of Omelas, all of the problems in the Zenin household are blamed on one child.

This is something Ogi does to Maki directly, and also Naoya recognizes that the other members of the clan did to Toji. They were unable to face their own inferiority, so they blamed it on a scapegoat. Ogi blames his failure to become the head of the clan on his children. The entire clan is unable to recognize Toji's strength, because it would make them question their traditionally held notions of strength, Toji requires the use of weapons and can fight without cursed techniques, which means the cursed techniques they were born with don't make them inherently better with other people.

This is also related to Gojo's criticisms of Jujutsu Society at large, of which the Zenin Household is a very toxic microcosm of. Gojo's critique is that the previous generation will sacrifice the lives of the younger generation, to maintain their power, and in the name of pointless tradition. In the Zenin family "tradition" is the idea that inherited curse technique determines a person's worth.

Their entire system is built around one, keeping cursed techniques in the clan, and two, passing down inherited curse techniques from father to child. Which would go farther to explain the treatment of women by the clan, but we're not getting into that this time. Basically, the "peace" and the "superiority" of the household are built on the idea of marking and scapegoating an outsider, that is anyone who doesn't fit in with the clan's traditions. "If you are not of the Zenin Clan you are not a sorcerer, and if you are not a sorcerer then you are not even Human". That quote alone should explain how Maki and Toji were both treated as subhuman 'monkeys' by everyone around them.

However, the story shows us by both Toji and Maki snapping how terrible these abusive power structures are. One person cannot handle all of that alone, so they snap. Of course they snap. It's not a sign of who Toji and Maki are as people, but rather how no one deserves to be treated that way. A major reocurring theme in Jujutsu Kaisen is no one person alone, can take responsibility for everything, not even Gojo who is the strongest can save everyone he wants to save or be responsible for all of society he needs allies too. Toji, and Maki without allies, they snap and lash out against the same abusive power structure that created them. They are so thoroughly othered by everyone around them, that they embrace their own inhumanity, Maki becomes a weapon bent on killing her family even murdering her own mother, and Toji outright calls himself a monkey.

This is also why Toji is referred to as the "destroyer of destinies" there are two reasons for this. One, Gege is making a thematic point here. The abusive system built on othering and excluding children among other things doesn't actually provide the stability it promises. The center does not hold. The abuse of the system perpetuates and only leads to more destruction. Toji's outcasting isn't something that just hurt Toji alone, everyone felt the consequences of it because the abusive system proliferates and only causes further destruction. The second reason is a Jungian idea on which the story is based on. Toji himself is much like a curse created by the actions of his entire family. If Mahito is created from the fear humans have for each other and acts as the shadow of humanity representing their dark side, Toji metaphorically represents the combined shadow and dark side of the zenin clan. In Watch Man, Rorsarch monologues about how the accumulated filth of all of the abuses that happen in the city will one day rise up and affect everyone.

"This city is afraid of me, I have seen it's true face. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will form up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout save us and I'll look down and whisper no."

This is expressing the same Jungian idea, a society that ignores these problems will only cause the muck to rise up further and further until it affects everyone. The Zenin clan was a microcosm for the abuses of Jujutsu Society as a whole, they weren't the only ones affected by their abuse because abuse perpetuates. They endured it until they snapped and then acted out that abuse. The Jungian idea put forth is that this sort of reckoning was always going to happen, as long as the Zenin clan continues to create these outcasts in order to hold themselves up as superior, another Toji will happen.

2. Love is the Worst Curse of Them All

Toji and Maki also share the same flaw as people. Their abuse revolved around the idea of outcasting them from the rest of the family, othering them, continually putting them down and also most likely not even doing the job of raising them as children or providing them with the help they needed. We don't see much of it, but in the databook apparently Toji regularly had cursed spirits sicked on him to mock him, and Maki was locked in the cursed spirit room as punishment.

This taught them not only do they need to be strong on their own, but also in order to prove themselves they both thought they needed to be stronger than anyone else in the clan. Toji left Jujutsu Society as a whole, whereas Maki just left the house, both of them with the motivation of proving themselves stronger than the people who looked down on them.

This strong sense of individualism is their greatest strength, and also their weakness, as the situation is more complicated than being stronger than a bully. Maki and Toji are made to feel alone because of their abuse, however, neither Maki nor Toji suffer their abuse alone.

Mai was abused right alongside Maki, they were both outcasts due to being twins. There's no point in arguing which one of them had it worse, because Ogi was perfectly willing to kill both daughters right alongside each other. Maki does and doesn't remember that Mai is right alongside her in her abuse, it's... a bit complicated.

I mention this because Makiaated reason why is that she would have hated herself if she stayed inside that household with Maki. She put pursuit of becoming a stronger sorcerer above her relationship with her sister.

Maki later states "I can't create a place where Mai would feel like she belongs". I don't believe that was always her intention from the start that she secretly left the household for Mai's sake, and wanted to get stronger to create a place where Mai belongs, because Maki's always been really clear she was doing it for her own sake. I think rather after the loss she suffered in Shibuya, and also the fight she had with her sister in the school met, that she came to change her mind and realized she wasn't just in this alone. She changed her mind, that she wanted to be together with Mai, but she didn't change it in time and tragedy struck.

I mention this because Maki and Toji both share the same tragic flaw. Both of them have no idea how to be close even to the people they love, so they end up pushing away the ones they love the most. Maki continually shows behavior of pushing away Mai, and in Toji's case he does everything he can to try to show himself he doesn't love his son.

Maki continually pushes away her sister Mai. Mai reacts to getting pushed away in a not-so-healthy way. Toji full on deadbeats his son. He doesn't raise him or participate in his life to the point where Megumi can't remember his face or name at all. Toji did everything he could to try to give Megumi to someone else, anyone else other than him and avoided his responsibility as a father.

It doesn't come from malice on Toji and Maki's part, but rather it's a less savory aspect of their abuse. Both Toji and Maki believe themselves to be worthless, and that they can't be accepted or loved. They've internalized the way the clan has treated them. They are so isolated that this comes out in how they treated their closest loved ones, their response is to always push them away and isolate themselves further. Toji narrates this, he chose to throw his son aside because he wanted to affirm himself and prove that he was better than Jujutsu Society. Maki says to Mai that she left the house and left Mai because staying would have meant hating herself.

They are both trying desperately to prove themselves as individually strong, to the point where loving anyone else, or even requiring that love from someone is a weakness. They prove they are strong by avoiding the vulnerability of loving someone else. Toji and Maki both try to separate themselves from their heart in order to become even more physically stronger. For Toji his heart was his son Megumi who he did everything to distance himself, forgetting his name, selling him to the Zenin clan, while at the same time paradoxically believing that he was somehow protecting Megumi and arranging for things that would have been better than Toji just stepping up as a father and taking care of him.

At the same time Maki pushes Mai away when Mai does not want that, and believes that also she can return to the clan and make it a safe place for her sister by being individually stronger than everyone else.

They both approach their loved ones this way, because they were taught that one, they are unworthy of love, and they choose to try to get stronger by throwing away anything that might make them vulnerable.

TWhich is why Maki breaks so hard, and lashes out at everyone when Mai is gone, because Maki believed that keeping Mai separate from herself and protecting her was her way of showing love.

However, Mai and Megumi are like... people. They're people entirely separate from Maki and Toji and also affected by their actions. Megumi was neglected his entire lives, whereas Mai didn't get to have a relationship with her sister and felt like she was worthless and only holding her sister back. This is the central idea of Toji and Maki's abuse narrative, that abuse is complicated, and abuse proliferates and hurts people you don't even intend for it to hurt. It has consequences. Megumi suffers the consequences of the Zenin family's abuse because it turned Toji into such an unfit and emotionally immature father. Mai was being abused alongside Maki, and even ended up dying from her abuser's hand as her father Ogi beat her half to death and locked her in a room. Now, as a consequence Maki is lashing out at everything around her. That's also why the connection between Toji and Maki is drawn, to show that as long as the abusive institution still stands, it's just going to keep creating more outcasts like Toji and Maki.

[frogs-in3-hills]

@elytrafemme WELL. LMFAO. imagine me as the meme of the guy in front of the corkboard with the red string and all ok. so like, aa4 is at its core about manipulation & agency to the point that apollo (ostensibly the main character) feels rlly disassociated from his own story, right. that is very intentional but structurally jarring and perhaps not fully expanded upon, so it’s both a uniquely compelling aspect of aa4 and a disappointing one. aa4 is kind of in conversation with the trilogy in how it handles trucy and klavier, how they fit into and subvert the constructed roles of assistant and prosecutor. while (some of) maya’s journey is about finding self worth as someone who doesn’t have much power in the courtroom (the site of all the most important developments!), trucy is the most active non-lawyer assistant in the franchise. while previous prosecutors have all had serious hangups regarding their relationships with justice/lawyerhood, klavier is already on the exact same page as apollo about what it means to seek the truth. this means aa4 is giving itself the work of redefining what these roles mean, and it chooses to play apollo, trucy, and klavier as the chess pieces in phoenix and kristoph’s game, and attempts to set the groundwork for these characters (esp apollo and klav*) to leave the board.

basically ithink there’s a lot of room for apollo and trucy foilage that would strengthen this narrative and isn’t rlly capitalized on. by placing apollo and trucy instead as the daughters of thalassa, we can align them more closely. in apollo being a woman, suddenly this concept of agency becomes gendered (btw transfem klavier is not necessary to #My Vision but it does help here), and we are not just dealing with nick and kristoph’s insane black hole toxic yaoi, we’re dealing with patriarchs—fathers and brothers!! now apollo and trucy are sisters in a thematic sense, which helps us built up narratively to the reveal (and also puts them in close parallel with franziska and miles, with trucy as the big-little sister). there’s a stronger thematic justification for the reveal that they are BOTH found-siblings through a patriarch, AND blood-siblings through their mother.

this illustrates a duality between family and self that is a direct evolution of similar themes in the trilogy. both their journeys of regaining agency are tied to the symbols they inherited from thalassa, as they navigate their complicated relationships with family and reclaim their individual identities thru those symbols. trucy has already done a lot of this work and we can see that thru her wearing her mother’s/phoenix’s colors, embodying that duality proudly. and, as is frequently discussed, she’s reclaimed her role as phoenix’s downfall by intentionally and trustingly (!!!!!) choosing to set up apollo with forged evidence. apollo is actively doing this work throughout the game with her bracelet as she/the audience simultaneously learn to associate it with her new family (trucy, and apollo’s power**), her new identity (as a lawyer), and her gramarye heritage (unbeknownst to apollo). while apollo and trucy (and klav) are being swept up in nick and kristoph’s game, they’re also forging their own identities within the classic aa framework of “family influences us deeply, and when family hurts us, instead of trying (and failing) to reject our ingrained familial influences, we can reassume them in new and valuable ways”.

so by making apollo a woman, it opens the story to a feminist read, which in turn presents apollo and trucy as following the same path of independence, which would make apollo’s arc in aa4 work better as a standalone. this is the first time i’ve sat down and tried to put this idea to words though so i think it’s a little inarticulate for the moment. i also am not really considering dd and soj here because i think they’re attempting to remedy the issues of agency w aa4 in other ways and they are unfortunately so unfocused in their approach i honestly have a hard time breaking it down into a coherent arc 😐 but i think girlpollo (if you will) just takes the ideas that aa4 already presents and clarifies & heightens them a bit, in a way that appeals to my specific taste in family and femininity as ideas/themes in fiction :3

* trucy is both a chess piece and an active character because she is choosing to be on the board—for her, leaving the board means winning the game, which isn’t opposed to apollo and klavier’s needs but the difference is worth noting as it changes the way we understand her relationship w phoenix vs apollo’s relationship w phoenix

** apollo’s relationship w trucy and apollo’s power are of course deeply intertwined narratively thru trucy’s role in apollo learning to loosen up and embrace fun -> apollo embracing pseudoscience in the courtroom despite its obvious shiftiness and the embarrassment that causes her LMAO. and also bc trucy teaches her to perceive

community poll i know the people love transmasc apollo for good reason but i’m curious could you also imagine transfem apollo. for the purposes of the poll “no because he’s transmasc” is not a valid answer please try to fit both in your heart

[guiltycorp]

rsurrek said here: Thanks for the reply! This was honestly rlly enlightening. Agreed that dilucs neutral stance is so hard to read. At the beginning, I thought that his voice line about kaeya implied that he didn’t trust kaeya and it was somehow tied to the reveal of the “truth”. But knowing that diluc still cared about kaeya to keep tabs about him and to work with the knights during the event kinda contradicts that. Imo now it just looks like a complaint abt kaeya making up stories lmao. Like telling the traveler his eyepatch was inherited or making it seem he was blind in that eye by wearing one in the first place

Yeah! That’s the impression that I got as well! His voiceline is actually similar to other characters’ voicelines about Kaeya, nobody thinks that he’s an actual suspicious/dangerous person, only that he’s too fond of tricks, pranks and dramatic lies.  So at worst Diluc is mildly annoyed at Kaya’s antics, but considering how in the comic he literally let himself get arrested by the Knights to be given over to the Fatui all because Kaeya planned it like that, he must hold a significant amount of trust in him still.  This is a bit confusing if we imagine that Kaeya revealed some terrible information about himself before their fight, which is why I think it must have happened for a more emotional and personal reason rather than Diluc honestly doing a 180 from their previous close relationship and viewing Kaeya as an actual threat to Mondstadt’s safety. If Diluc viewed Kaeya as a potentially ‘corrupt soul’ or ‘evil' or some other thing he likes saying, he would either judge him accordingly or at least would act in a more conflicted manner. But so far it seems that the only beef he still has with Kaeya is that Kaeya remained a Knight of Favonius! Which is kind of understandable, but also short-sighted on his part - if Kaeya were to leave the Knights then the whole structure would almost fall apart, he and Jean are doing most of the work. Plus most importantly it’s the only thing officially tying Kaeya to Mondstadt. It would be one thing if Kaeya could rely on Diluc to welcome him back into his life in case he quit his job, but without that certainty the Knights are the only tether he has to the city (this is part of the reason why I have this headcanon that Kaeya was already slowly pulling away from Ragnvindrs before Crepus’s death so as not to feel so guilty over having to betray their expectations in the future, but then once Crepus died he decided to stay with Mond and held on to the Knights with an iron grip for that reason). But that fits into the main aspect of their current relationship which is that Diluc doesn’t understand Kaeya at all. In the comic he was angry and irritable when Kaeya came to visit him in his manor, clearly expecting Kaeya to use his position as a Knight against him.   Then in his character quest he once again thought that Kaeya was going to out him as the Darknight Hero to ‘get back at him’. Even though none of this makes any sense for Kaeya to do, so...  And in last year’s summer event he was surprised that Kaeya still remembered their seashell gathering - although missing the past is one of Kaeya’s core traits. Basically Diluc clearly just doesn’t know about Kaeya’s fixation with him, he is just this oblivious.  And it’s still unclear whether he even thinks about Kaeya that much and if he has a similar emotional attachment or not. Like, he probably does considering how tsundere he acted about the vase, but. Otherwise he tends to rebuff his attempts at conversation, and in current event we can see the contrast between his treatment of the Traveler and Kaeya - both of them are working with Diluc to help deal with the ley lines, but while Diluc gifted the Traveler some super elite grape juice and invited them to dinner, Kaeya is turned away from the manor, not given any gifts, not invited for dinner. Maybe I misunderstood something about ‘making a difficult situation even more complicated’, but it seems to be just that Diluc doesn’t want a Knight of Favonius spending this much time at the winery while they’re cooperating on a joint task so as not to raise suspicions?... Idk, this doesn’t seem like a good enough reason to me considering how often Kaeya spends time around him and the winery anyway.  Also, it almost feels like Diluc is sublimating his relationship with Kaeya by leaning onto the Traveler this much, but he could be a bit nicer about it. He is also laser-focused on his goals and convictions, so maybe he puts Kaeya out of his mind on purpose, otherwise those thoughts get too distracting. And as long as Kaeya is physically fine he thinks there’s no actual problem to solve, they’re fine and that’s it.  

[denialcity]

to accept the will of heaven (4/?)

by @denialcity​ and @firecoloredwater​; beta’d by @silverutahraptor

2416 words, unconventional red eyes are blessed AU, gen, Izuna-centric, Mada&Izu, Tobi&Izu, Uchiha traditions/religion worldbuilding

Chapter specific warnings: offscreen corporal punishment, family angst, so much Uchiha lore, populating the Uchiha clan with our OCs for plot and profit

(Blessed Sacrifice au tag on tumblr) (read on Ao3) (chapter 1) (chapter 3)

Chapter 5 will be posted on June 10!

===

The signature Uchiha battle coats are well known for their fire resistance and heat protection. Less well known is their resistance to piercing or slashing weapons: under the outer layer is a tightly woven metallic mesh that is both flexible and strong which gives the coats enough structure for the high collar to stand tall and protect the neck. On the inside is embroidery, a beautiful secret, distinguishing each coat from the rest and from forgeries. There are only three master coatmakers alive, and to have a new coat is a rare honor, as most of the masters' time is dedicated to repairing coats that were damaged during missions or battles.

The names of all previous owners are stitched into the lining, and the first owner for whom the coat was made always has their name and the deed with which they earned the coat embroidered on the inside lapel above the heart. Anyone inheriting a coat must learn its history, know his predecessors and honor them, so they will watch over him. Before he left the Uchiha, the battle coat Izuna wore was one which Madara had outgrown. Before Madara it had been worn by their eldest brother Takami, and before him Tajima-sama had worn it. The coat was one of the oldest in the clan, with over two dozen owners, all the way back to Uchiha Mae, second generation of the head family. For three days and three nights, she rode forth and argued for their dead before enemy clan leaders in their own tents. Her martial prowess, bravery and wisdom left the enemy no choice but to admire her, and out of respect they swore to always return or cremate the bodies of the Uchiha.

"Madara," Izuna says as they look at the row of white coats hanging on the wall. "How will I know the lineage? The yomotsu-shikome don't have lineage songs. And they aren't in the family record." 

Madara tosses his head. He's starting to keep his hair long and loose, like Mother and Meguru had, but Madara's hair isn't sleek and straight and heavy like theirs had been. His is wild and coarse, like Tajima-sama's, who keeps his cropped short. Instead of a sleek dark waterfall with a high white shine to it like a raven's wing, Madara's hair is a shaggy mop that falls past his collarbones. 

"I'm sure someone wrote something down," he says, tilting his head towards the shelf full of books and scrolls and papers. "And if not, I'll ask around back home. Let's see if anything fits you first." 

Madara can't reach much higher than Izuna, but he's not shy at all about walking up the walls to take battle coats down one after another, until they've gone through all six that look a little close to Izuna's size. The second fits best, only a little too large, and Izuna lays it out carefully so he can study the embroidery while Madara hangs the rest back up.

On the back lining is Izanami-no-ookami standing tall and commanding amid brilliant flames. A yomotsu-shikome stands before her, all in white, faceless behind a veil. On the inside lapel it says: Miyu. For preserving the honor of the Uchiha before the gods. Her bravery, sacrifice and service are honored in turn by the Uchiha, who pray for her safety and the swift return of the Blessed Sacrifice in her keeping. 

There are no other names anywhere on the battle coat, no matter how hard Izuna looks. Does that mean no one else ever wore it? Or that yomotsu-shikome aren't supposed to add their names to a battle coat they intend to wear? They were all dead, that could change the rules…

Izuna can see the marks where the coat was repaired. They're subtle, but Izuna knows what to look for, and this battle coat has been repaired a lot. Miyu couldn't have put it through all that by herself, could she?

"Just one name?" Madara says over Izuna's shoulder. "That won't be hard, then."

Sitting back on his heels, Izuna turns so he can look at Madara. "What if I'm not supposed to add my name?"

Madara stares. "What?"

"There's only the one name," Izuna explains. "And lots and lots of repairs. And yomotsu-shikome are dead. What if others <i>did</i> wear it, and they just didn't add their name to the coat, so I won't know?"

Madara stares at Izuna for another long second, then looks down at the coat. "That doesn't make sense," he decides. "If they didn't add their names, you can't be expected to know them. So we only have to find out about Miyu."

"I need to know," Izuna insists. "Do any of the other coats have a second name?"

They do. Madara looks annoyed about climbing back up to check, but he finds coats with a second and sometimes third name added, even though a third of them only have the name of the wearer the coat was made for.

"It's a waste," Madara grumbles. "People could wear these."

Izuna frowns. He doesn't have words for why that's wrong, like how hanging the laundry out at night or having open umbrellas in the house are wrong, but he doesn't want to argue with Madara about it. "I can wear them. Once I know the lineages."

"…That's a good idea." A thoughtful look crosses Madara's sideways face. "There are so many here, you could pick a second to claim, in case—"

"No!"

Madara stares. He looks funny, sideways on the wall, shaggy hair hanging down and mouth open in shock from Izuna's shout, but it's not enough to drown out Izuna's horror at the idea.

No one is allowed to have a second battle coat. No one. They weren't things that you could just have as a spare, without the time and dedication to give the lineage the respect it demands. Taking a second battle coat as his own would be even worse than wearing one that wasn't properly passed on to him. Izuna shakes his head wordlessly.

"…Alright," Madara says, and he jumps down from the wall. "Let's try to find Miyu."

Izuna nods.

Madara walks briskly to the rows of shelves, taking the candle with him. Following more slowly, Izuna stifles a yawn. As the horror drains away he feels tired, worn out and aching. His arm is the worst but all the burns from the funeral and bruises from the fight ache too.

He isn't going to complain though. Not when he can rest his head against Madara's arm as Madara looks through the shelves and starts pulling out journals one-handed. 

It's very slow going, using only one arm and sometimes nearly setting the books on fire. Realizing this, Madara sets the candle down and goes through the shelves methodically, pulling out each book or scroll, opening it, and then putting almost all of them back. The ones he keeps out he tries to hold with the hand Izuna is leaning on, then pins against his side with his elbow, until Izuna takes them to hold himself.

They have five books in Izuna's hands when Madara freezes, halfway through the second shelf. Izuna lifts his head to look at the cover. "Is it about Miyu?"

"No," Madara says, without moving. "This—is Mother's. Her diary."

Instantly Izuna is awake, leaning forward to see. 

"Read it!" Izuna urges, and tugs Madara down, careful not to drop any books. They both lay belly-down on the tatami beside the candle, heads together over the small journal.

The journal is small, not as age-worn as the others. On the inside front cover, Madara shows him Mother's yomotsu-shikome name, Izumi. The kanji looked bubbly and warm in Mother's big, slightly bunched up handwriting, round and curling into each other at the edges.

The first entry is about a month after she became yomotsu-shikome. 

Every yomotsu-shikome before me has seemed to benefit from keeping a journal. They write about things forbidden to us, but in this ink we pretend no one will hear us, and yet we are heard. So I can write about how I miss them, my Tajima-san, my poor Kunimi, my Takami and my Meguru, my Madara and my Kaname. 

Madara stops, teeth bared and eyes squeezed shut. Izuna puts his cheek against Madara's shoulder. 

"I miss her," Izuna says quietly. They had both been close to Mother, who had loved them fiercely with what little time she had off the battlefield.

"Me too," Madara admits freely, tears in the corners of his eyes. "I miss all of them."

Izuna can't claim the same.

Takami and Meguru had been ambushed and killed together just two years ago. Madara had been close to them, and still keeps Takami's gloves in his room, waiting for the day his hands are big enough to wear them. As heir and second, Takami had never had time for "the baby," and Meguru rarely had. Kunimi, Izuna's twin, older only by minutes, had been killed by bloodline hunters when they were two years old. Izuna only knows about him from the stories and sharingan memories the others shared, and the refrain of: he died protecting you, you have to do your best to honor him, alright? 

Thankfully, Madara doesn't try to talk about their dead brothers anymore; he just scrubs his face with his sleeve, trying to be discreet and pass it off as brushing his hair away from his face before going back to the journal. He flips through it a bit more, but it's clearly too much for him. He reads in broken pieces, a sentence at a time before he has to scrub tears out of his eyes again, to keep them from falling on the pages or blurring his vision. Izuna is glad when he closes the journal and turns to pull Izuna close, hugging him tight. Izuna shifts to hug back awkwardly with one arm, and buries his face in Madara's collarbones. 

"I'll take care of you," Madara promises in a harsh whisper. His tone is fierce and it sounds like a promise made before the gods, except Madara doesn't care about even the gods this much. "I'll make this right." 

Madara stays until dawn, and even then Izuna has to shoo him on his way.

When Tajima-sama and Madara make their second official visit two days later, every movement Madara makes is stiff and careful, but Tajima-sama brings books and enough medicine for three people, and from the beginning to the end of the offering ritual, Madara smiles.

==

Izuna goes through all the books and scrolls the next day. There are a few novels and a few more jutsu scrolls, but almost all of them are journals. He finds a second journal of Mother's, half empty, and sets it carefully with the first in his room.

Miyu left twenty-seven journals, more than any other yomotsu-shikome. It would take Izuna weeks to read them all, so he takes the first volume and sits on the engawa while he reads.

Miyu was fifteen when she became yomotsu-shikome, and her first entry is from the very next day, angrily declaring that she'll succeed no matter what her younger brother said about her being too young. Izuna loves her immediately. Miyu isn't in the lineage songs but her brother became clan head, which makes her Izuna's aunt, five generations back. Most of the yomotsu-shikome will be Izuna's aunts, and it makes him want to figure out all of their identities, so he can place all his new relatives in relation to each other and himself.

After the first few entries Miyu's writing turns bubbly and cheerful. She wrote about traveling to find her Sacrifice—Izuna suspects he had been a runaway noble bastard of some sort—who wanted to be a traveling musician and see the world. They argued a lot at first, and Miyu's admiration for the beautiful landscapes and how well he played the shamisen were joined by her frustration that he refused to return to the Uchiha with her. But then Miyu got sick, and her Sacrifice cared for her as she recovered. After that, Miyu promised to follow and protect him instead of trying to bring him home, and they became best friends.

What a ridiculously powerful thing love is, Miyu wrote, and Izuna can hear the fondness even through ink. Nothing tastes good anymore unless it comes from his hand. He can barely cook rice without burning the bottom!

Izuna wants that. The Uchiha have lots of similar stories: the couple so in love that neither could enjoy any other song but what their love sang, parents who could tolerate no one's touch except their child's, brothers who were strong and joyous when together and bedbound from heartsickness when apart.

Miyu wrote about how her Sacrifice's laughter danced with the firelight in a camp in the mountains. Izuna longs to have the same.

He can do it. He's yomotsu-shikome just like Miyu oba-san, and he has a Sacrifice. Izuna can have a friendship just like that, someday. He just needs to convince Tobirama.

==

As soon as Izuna finishes reading the first journal, he takes Miyu-san's coat to the shrine. 

He remembers the small ceremony when he took the hero Mae-sama's coat from Madara after Madara had outgrown it. It had been simple, in their own home one evening, with Father and Mother as witnesses. Madara's face had been full of pride and love as they faced each other and Izuna bowed to his elder brother. 

Now, he stands and scans the name tablets until he finds Miyu's. Looking at it, he bows, back flat and parallel to the ground, and modifies the words.

"Miyu-san," Izuna says. "I am Izuna, son of Izumi, and I am yomotsu-shikome. Please lend me your battle coat and watch over me." 

He straightens and then bows again to the array of name tablets once, twice. When he had taken over Mae-sama's coat from Madara, he had bowed to Mother and Father. 

"Please witness that Izuna takes the battle coat from his predecessor, Miyu." 

Father and Mother had praised him with a simple "good" and a smile. The name tablets stand silent in the shade amid the wafting incense.

The white battle coat is on the table, where he had folded it neatly, and Izuna carefully takes it with two hands, letting the heavy fabric drape across the back of his fingers. 

"I'll take good care of it," Izuna promises the dead.

===

A/N: The dead brothers (whom we have customised to the point they're our OCs, but they have too much personality and live not just rent-free but we are paying them rent via 60k+++ of original fic with them front and centre), can be found in the (everybody lives au) tag but warning that they’re problematic assholes: Eldest/ 1st brother, heir: Takami 鷹巳 (hawk, the 6th earthly branch/snake in the zodiac/ already) 2nd brother, raised to support the heir: Meguru 運 (luck/destiny) (sometimes also called Hako— the alternate reading of the kanji that sounds like a mountain to follow the founders era Uchiha naming trend, his nickname within the family) 4th brother, older twin to Izuna: Kunimi 国美 (national, beauty)

Battle coat ancestors Mae 舞恵 (dance, blessing/favour/graciousness) Yomotsu-shikome 泉結 Miyu (fountain. marriage) — her Uchiha name was 結子 Yuiko (marriage, child [a common kanji for girls' names])

===

(Blessed Sacrifice AU tag on tumblr)

Prologue fic: (in the beginning) (on Ao3)

This fic: (read on Ao3) (chapter 1) (chapter 3)

Next chapter on June 10th!

[world-cinema-research]

Week 4, Young Frankenstein

For week 4, the choice was Young Frankenstein. With names like Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks, my expectation was nonstop jokes and, for the most part, the film delivered on that. However, the way the jokes are presented, along with the story and structure of the film, made it much more than just a comedy. Almost every review I read focused on the comedic side of the film, which is fair considering that's what the film is going for itself. The exception happens after the jokes as the film pushes through with the story.

Taking place decades after the events in the original Frankenstein (1931), Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder), grandson of the original Dr. Frankenstein, wants nothing to do with his grandfather and his infamous experiments, distancing himself however he can while building his own reputation as a neurosurgeon. Inheriting his grandfather’s estate in Transylvania, his interest is piqued and sets off to inspect. In discovering his grandfather’s notes on reanimation, Dr. Frankenstein decides to continue the experiments, assuming the previous doctor’s infamous legacy.

Two quotes which stuck out most, capturing the film’s mix of comedy and horror were “you just made a yummy sound,” and “ladies and gentlemen, may I present, for your intellectual and philosophical pleasure: The Creature.” With the first quote said by Dr. Frankenstein over dinner, after the failed experiment, mistakenly addressing a grunt from the Creature as Igor’s, Gene Wilder’s nonchalant tone makes the scene and the quote shine. Along with the film’s famous performance of Frankenstein and the Creature following the second quote, both highlight the perfect balance of the seriousness of the original it’s based off and the comedy blended in through jokes and visual gags.

The hybrid of comedy and horror Young Frankenstein presents creates a caricature of the horror genre, especially older films, but does so in a way that embraces and celebrates it as well. I can’t stress enough how going into this film, after reading several reviews about it lauding it as one of the greatest comedies, I was expecting jokes from beginning to end and wondered if there’d be anything deeper to take away from it. To my surprise, the actors and the writing went past my preconceived notions. The acting, in particular, was done quite well. The dialogue was often funny, yes, but the seriousness it was delivered with created an unexpected engagement throughout the film. Though filmed in the 70s, the look and feel was very similar to the original it was emulating. From the costumes, sound, and set designs, the film always felt like a “real” 30s/40’s horror film. Even with all the silly moments, Mel Brooks knew exactly what he was going for: a horror parody full of appreciation for the genre.

This seems to be the consensus among most viewers; from Roger Ebert saying “So the movie is a send-up of a style and not just of the material. It looks right, which makes it funnier. And then, paradoxically, it works on a couple of levels: first as comedy, and then as a weirdly touching story in its own right,” and more recently from Seth Harris praising this admiration and detail in pointing out “they specifically wanted to make a comedy and an authentic tribute to a film from their childhoods that they loved.”

Further focusing on authenticity and quality, another wonderful highlight of the film takes place in the opening credits. Offering special thanks to Kenneth Strickfaden, the lab equipment he built for the Frankenstein was the perfect tie in and an excellent example of the love that went into the making of the Young Frankenstein.

 Along with Young Frankenstein subverting the horror genre with its mix of comedy in 1974, Stephen King was also released his debut novel “Carrie” the same year. King, however, doubled down on the genre and the dark aspects bolstering the word “horror,” subsequently revitalizing the genre and marking the beginning of his career.

Ultimately, Young Frankenstein, with a budget of $2.8 million drew in over $86 million, was a commercial success. Much like the original Frankenstein it’s based on, this film is also conventional, especially with the actors in it, Mel Brooks as director, and the happy ending where everyone gets what they want. Regardless, it was a great watch and exceeded my expectations as being much more than a comedy!

[br-disaster]

Nie Huaisang’s outfits appreciation post

After the terrible loss of our second best dressed cultivator and fashion icon Nie Mingjue, the cultivation world now lacks one of it’s pillars. But little did they know, our fashion king had a disciple, someone capable of honoring his legacy in many ways.

While we all grief, a new icon rises.

And I’m here to prove that Nie Huaisang deserves his late brother’s title not only because Mingjue’s no longer serving looks -may his fashionable soul rest in peace-, but because Huaisang has always been a stylish icon on his own.

I mean, this look right here is enough proof:

 Huaisang has quite a lot of robes, and they are all so different, I decided to compile them chronologically:

1. the “assigned fashionable at birth”one

Look at this small bean with his cream-colored robes. Whoever chose this color for him did a great job, though it’s a bit weird that they looked at baby Mingjue and went “all you’ll wear is dark gray from now on” and then Huaisang was born and “cream it is!” And we don’t really see anybody else from the Nie sect wearing this color, I wonder if it has anything to do with Huaisang’s mom, or if it’s just for the dark\light color contrast,  the two young masters can’t possibly wear the same colors, it would ruin the aesthetic.

 It looks just like his main-possibly-stay-at-home-robes, like he just really loved this especific set and had a lot of other robes that looked just the same growing up.

Really small, really cute, makes you want to carry him around saying: look at my baby, he’s so stylish!

2. the “good old Gusu days” one

This is like a uniform, there’s nothing really special about it. But I’d like to point out two things:

One: the silver embroidery on the shoulders and the silver on his waist belt matches the pristine white of his robes really well.

Two: look how wide his shouders look, there you go, Huaisang, keeping the Nie shoulder game strong!

3. The “it’s called fashion, dage” one

Cream-colored again! It embodies teen!Huaisang’s aesthetic perfectly: it’s expensive, it’s pretty, it looks comfortable, but it’s minimalistic.

I mean, I have no idea if it is actually expensive, but it surely looks expensive.

It has no discernable patterns, but the fabric just looks so good, look at the texture. It looks warm and heavy (rip Ji Li). And it’s pleated, look at him! Everything about this one screams rich-carefree-spoiled-delicate-pretty-gongzi.

And well, we see him strolling around and getting in trouble instead of going straight home in this robes, then on Fatal Journey we see him painting landscapes instead of practicing and claiming he doesn’t want to become the Nie sect leader in this very set of robes. Maybe he has indeed been wearing similar robes since his childhood and wants to, you know, go back to when things were as simple as taking the long way home coming back from Gusu.

4. the “didn’t really engage on the war but needed to look good regardless” one

This one is so pretty, y’all. It’s silver and white and gray, the brothers  are matching with their disciples’ robes, you won’t find a Sect with a superior fashion sense.

I can totally understand why he didn’t change to some post-Sunshot robes. Imagine looking this good at home, with none of your friends or disciples or brother to see you. Nope. This robes belong to a banquet, even one as unpleasing and akward as this one.

(They technically saw him, since he wore the same robes while they were planning the whole Sunshot thing, but no one was paying attention to it, right? And you can’t let such a nice look go to waste)

One of my favorites, for sure. It even matches his fan. It’s peak aesthetic.

5. the “I’m only here for the food and the drama” one

I didn’t really like this one at first. It looked kinda futuristic in my head, you know? It’s probably just the really structured fabric and the color, but It was a bit too much.

But now, looking at it as I take screenshots, I like them. It’s bold and fierce and remember the shoulder accessories being a code for battle? Well, I doubt Huaisang shot a single arrow that day, but he was supposed to be competing, so it makes a lot of sense that he’s dressed like this while his brother is wearing his pretty, dark yet lighter civillian robes to watch him.

He’s even wearing epaulettes (well, I trust that that’s the name) that matches the ones Mingjue wore with his Sunshot robes! Are they the same pair? Did he borrow it? Or do they secretly comission the same robes and accessories  and wear them on alternate occasions?

These are the most battle-coded (and at the same time is not battle-coded at all, it’s too ostentatious) robes we see him wearing until now, and he is representing his sect at the hunt, he has to look like a proper heir that is capable of fighting, whether he likes it or not - and judging by how unenthusiastic he was during the opening shoot-the-wen-prisioners ceremony, I’d say he was not enjoying it at all-.

But it’s such a cool look, I really like it now.

6. the “he will throw hands with a non-corporeal entity while giving his big brother all the love and understanding he deserves” one

 This may look like the same robes we usually wears at home, but they lack the pleated part and I don’t think his long sleeves would fit inside his wirst thingy, which I now know it’s called a vambrace or a bracer,  they were quite wide sleeves.

Anyway, we again have his minimalistic aesthetic. No patterns, the only addition being the outer robe that realy looks like the one Mingjue wears with his stay-at-home robes, except with no sleeves; and the bracers\vambraces.

But look how different this looks in comparison with the previous one; he wasn’t fighting shit in those pompous silver robes, but he was so determined here, ready to face anything. This is the difference between a battle-coded look and a battle-codded Huaisang.

It’s practical, it’s pretty, looks comfortable and it’s perfect for scolding your older brother then comforting him because he gets emotional when people argue with him, ok?

Huaisang is the best younger brother, fight me

8.the “sad, sad” one

I’ll just say that the inner robes are really similar to the one Mingjue wears with his stay-at-home robes, though they are not the same. Perhaps my theory that they did comission a lot of similar itens is correct after all.

I don’t think this look is particularly good, and the context surely doesn’t help at all, but it’s interesting to see him in gray and black.

 Overall, I hate it here.

9. the “somehow even worse” one

Look, if I had to compile all his outfits, I had to include this one. But there’s nothing to say about it except just looking at him wearing it makes me sad.

10. the “you didn’t see that coming, did you?” one

This one here is a trick, ok? At this point of the story we have no idea of what’s going on and if this misterious person is important or not; all we know is that he is quite fond of patterns and dark clothing. And that he has some money.

But damn, once we find out who this is, it instantly becomes something else entirely. 

It’s so fucking DARK!! It’s Wei Wuxian’s kind of dark, it’s crazy to think our boy Huaisang, who’s been wearing light grays, white and cream all his life would come up with something like that. It doesn’t even look Nie, and that’s probably what he was going for, y’know, so no one could recognize him and all of that.

But jesus, this look is just wow.  It’s perfect for a scheming mastermind, even though we don’t really know about it yet. The scales pattern is really nice and I love when he wears this sort of robe, with the fitted sleeves and the extra fabric at the shoulders. The flame (I think) pattern is nice too, though it’s a bit too much here, just a bit. But he seems to like this pattern a lot, so let him have it

And the craziest part is: we know these robes. And i’ve seen a couple of posts about them, it’s the same inner robe he wore at the Phoenix Mountain night hunt competition, almost 16 years ago. 

Like what are these robes made of??

11. the “sneaky, sneaky” one

The famous Nie pattern, am I right?

I love all theories about this one and as I took the screenshots, I noticed how his inner robe is the same as robe number 8. Huaisang says no to excessive buying, please reuse your clothes!

I’m particularly fond of the theory that Nie Mingjue comissioned robes for both his didi and his boyfriend Xichen, but I can accept that Huaisang just inherited his brother’s robes, though the flame pattern (once again proving we won’t guess Huaisang is behind everything not even after seeing him wearing the same patterns as in episode one twice) at the bottom is definetly a Huaisang thing.

I really like how heavy it looks, and the black thin stripe.We know it’s the same pattern as Xichen’s robe but seeing it combined with the back and light gray of the Nies really gives it a distinct identity.

12. the “and the oscar goes to...” one

Look at him, all innocent-looking placing all the chess pieces on their right places. Gotta love director Nie.  And it makes so much sense that he would wear something as light as this robes for this moment. He wore light colors for most of his youth, when he was carefree and naive and harmless; he cultivated a reputation of being dependent, fearful and stupid even. In this moment, more than ever, he needs people to believe this is exactly who he is, and what’s the best way of doing it?

Yes, reminding them of your old self. All he does is pretend and lie while he cries and faints.  A director and an actor too!

Throw yourself at your brother’s sworn brothers trying to look harmless while annoying the hell out of them? check.

Faint conveniently as your brother’s murderer lies at your face about killing said brother because even you have limits and you can’t watch that fuckery and not want to murder him right there? check.

Pretend to be stupid while conducting the protagonist and pretty much everybody else to ask the right questions and therefore unmask the terrible things your nemesis did?  also check.

And the robes are really pretty, look at the texture at the bottom right!! Silver and white go really well together. Wide, wide sleeves and this heavy-looking fabric. Superb, really, one of my favorites again.

And look at him carrying his saber (which he  probably left at Pier Lotus later)!

13. the “...and cut!” one

Look at these robes and tell me they don’t absolutely look like something Nie Mingjue would wear. You know he would. 

And it’s such a contrast to his previous robes. The white and silver one for looking innocent and lost and funny; the dark gray to look like a serious sect leader who will endorse the accusations against his enemy (Ok, he did act confused and lost and innocent in these robes, but he also showed real shock and grief and sadness, he did show his true feelings too)

He’s honoring his brother here, he did it, he brought justice to him, he defeated his brother’s murderer.  He spent years wanting and waiting for this moment, it’s only fair he would do so while looking so much like his beloved older brother.

I love everything about this look. The color palette is almost the same as the one robe his brother wore to the post-Sunshot campaign banquet. The dark,shining gray, the black, the thin bronze\golden stripe at the collar. Even that extra overlaid fabric at the bottom front of his robes is the same as Mingjue used to wear. Beautiful, really.

He would be really proud of you, I hope you know that, Huaisang.

14. the “I may or may not steal your chief cultivator status, watch out Wangji” one

I know he would never steal Wangji’s post, cql!NHS doesn’t even want it; but like, we deserved Chief cultivator!Huaisang, right? So it was worth the joke, I think.

The inner light gray robe yet AGAIN, I suspect this is his favorite inner robe.

We have some bold patterns here, so elegant. I really like when he wears this kind of outer robe, accentuating his shoulders, suits him really well, And this is such a Nie color palette, just like the previous one. In fact, Huaisang wears way more dark colors than we give him credit for. Especially after becoming sect leader. 

Sleeve game on point too, really long. And it matches his fan as well.

Lovely look, I wish we could have seen more.

In conclusion: 

King of versatility, resusing 16 year-old robes AND looking damn good while doing it! He looks good scheming, he looks good lying, he looks good fainting, he even looks good tricking people into stabbing other people!

 Name a more iconic king, I’ll wait.

[cienie-isengardu]

The Lin Kuei? As far as social dynamics and structure. You probably have a lot of these questions answered already, so you might just have to consolidate them... but what do think the Lin Kuei social structure is like?

I know there's the Grandmaster whose above everyone, and the Master Assassins (game characters we know about) and Sifu above everyone else, and rank is probably determined by skill less than birth. Sektor doesn't seem to get any special protection or treatment despite his family tree.

But what exactly is the hierarchy among the members? Who out ranks who? Both in teams, and as a group? What are the inter Lin Kuei relationships like, who feels what about who? What exactly is the qualifications? (Cyrax who I admittedly don't pay much attention to, for example confuses me, since he doesn't seem very impressive as a fighter?) How is rank maintained? I know they probably fight for it, but fighting constantly or to the point of death / serious injury seems counterproductive, even in mk? How is peace maintained? How is punishment dolled out, what constitutes punishment in a aggressively combative society like that, and in such a brutal environment, what is punishment?

If there's other things you think of to answer that I didn't ask, answer those too please. I love how much thought you put into these. Your the best. 🥰

"RELEASE THE RAMBLES!!!"

First off, sorry it took me so long to answer. Secondly, thank you very much for such a wonderful ask! Hope you will not regret once the rambles are set free, because there is a lot to talk about :D

The safest way to analyze Lin Kuei social structures would be to start with some basic question: what is a Lin Kuei? And the answer will be of course a clan, more precisely, a clan using assassins and thieves as its main source of income. But there is also another thing about Lin Kuei that will play an important role in creating and sustaining social structures - the strong independence streak and the pragmatism born from it.

Because the vital part of Lin Kuei is their loyalty to themselves. They work for those who can afford their service, but they aren’t bound to any earthrealm government or outworld ruler. I mean, Shang Tsung/Shao Kahn probably had a long-lived deal with Lin Kuei that benefited clan and in MK9 Lin Kuei offered the emperor their loyalty and service, but we also known that cyber Sektor refused to serve Quan Chi/Shinnok [MKX] once he decided the sorcerer had failed to fulfill his part of contract. Which means at the end of the day, the Lin Kuei benefit was the major goal to achieve. Even Kuai Liang’s reformed Lin Kuei shows this tendency - Sub-Zero will work with other Earthrealm Defenders but he isn’t blindly following anyone and is willing to go against fellow combatants (seen especially in banters with Raiden [MK11] where Sub-Zero questions god’s competence to protect the realm).

Interestingly, Shirai Ryu in the past did offer their service to various Japanese leaders / shoguns and who knows, even in modern days the clan still could have served the government as some special forces in time of need (and in return, have some protection and/or supplies from government?). In contrast, there is little to none information of Lin Kuei being loyal to one country - I mean, the sources usually call Lin Kuei warriors the “chinese ninjas” but we have never seen them showing any sign of national pride, haven’t we? Their only pride comes from belonging to Lin Kuei and their own skills. Another point against connection to any government is the fact that Lin Kuei are operating world-wide and collect people with special powers from over all world (Cyrax comes from Botswana [Southern Africa], Smoke/Tomas Vrbada from Prague [Czech Republic] and even Ice Bros were born in USA in old timeline). So, the fact that Lin Kuei warriors are diverse in terms of their powers and appearance/ethnicity will also affect the social structures.

So, the social structures on one hand must create a society that blindly follows Grandmaster’s will, on another be enough A) elastic to adapt a vast number of different people and B) solid to maintain the clan independence from others, Earthrealm and Outworld alike.

The problem with independence is that Lin Kuei works for the best price which also means constant danger. For warriors sent on missions to the safety of the whole clan. Without a clearly defined loyalty to anyone but themselves, Lin Kuei would be left on its own in case of enemy attack or any other potentially dangerous crisis. So the members of the clan must stick to each other because no one else would do that.

Regardless of type or date of source, the clan headquarters - one or many existing at the same time? - is usually presented as located in a naturally hard-to-reach, isolated place and with a clear defensive character, as can be seen below :

Lin Kuei for ages used naturally hard to invade / attack places like mountain peaks separated from the rest of the world by abyss with a bridge that can be easily destroyed and solid, thick walls to protect the clan. But here is a thing to think about - as much as there were a lot of strong, cunning and skilled warriors, Lin Kuei operated world-wide, taking jobs in various parts of Earthrealm and Outworld and some missions could take months if not years to finish and there was no guarantee that everyone would return. Which means the warriors couldn’t always be available in case of an enemy's attack or other serious crisis.

So, to maintain the defensive advantages, especially in a naturally harsh environment, there should be someone to control and if necessary take care of the state of walls, the bridge(s), residential buildings and so on. Which means Lin Kuei would need access to natural resources (wood, stone, metal) for expansion or repair but also for experienced craftsmen. There is also a matter of access to drinkable water and food supply, the most basic requirement for a clan to survive and thrive.

On one hand, warriors could fulfill such roles too, especially if we take into account a paragraph from Mortal Kombat novel by Jeff Rovin (1995):

They [Lin Kuei] would kidnap children when they were five or six and raise them in secret caves or woods to become superb athletes, great scholars, and unparalleled fighters, able to use all weapons and to improvise arms from common objects such as paper rolled to a knife-point or sand packed into a sock. They would train the children, boys and girls both, to be masters of many trades: carpenters, fishermen, priests, and even beggars, so they could blend in and make themselves useful in different towns as they traveled on missions for their lords.

Many young people died during training: some could not hold their breath for five minutes and drowned, others weren’t fast enough to avoid the weapons of the masters, some starved or froze or dehydrated when they were stranded, naked, in deserts or on mountaintops and told to make their way home. But those who survived were the Lin Kuei.

On the other hand, to become masters of the traders mentioned above, those children needed proper teachers. And yes, the already trained warriors could pass the knowledge to the younger generation but warriors first and foremost were responsible for earning money for the clan which is why personally teaching kids anything other than martial arts seems like wasting a time they could utilize in a better (more profitable) way.

This is why I suspect the social structures of Lin Kuei included various groups responsible for different needs of the clan.

The leader

So, we have a Grandmaster, the ruler. In modern times, pretenders for this title needed only to defeat and kill the current leader to take over the clan. Like Cyber Sektor and Kuai Liang did. But such practice may be just an exception to the long tradition, because Cyber Initiative was an extreme project that divided and ultimately destroyed the old version of clan. Killing the previous owner of the title may have some value (as in, eliminating any potential conflict of interest) but at the same time choosing and teaching a successor sounds much more practical. Because leading such a big clan is no easy feat thus any preparation would be useful and beneficial for the clan’s future. Not to mention the possibility of some secret knowledge that should be passed alongside.

Sadly, we don’t have much information about the inner politics of Lin Kuei. From the crumbs here and there, we know about Sub-Zero and past-Grandmasters that:

→ they could have offspring (example: Sektor).

However the sources don’t define if that was required from them in the form of a marriage or just as a way to secure the continuing inheritance of power (a tradition that Kuai Liang could simply ignore) or from their own choice or if the procreation of a child was unplanned and just happened. Whatever the truth was, in the case of Sektor, “it was never in question that he would join the Lin Kuei.”

The line from MK9 Sektor bio suggests that being a child of a warrior does not give immediate status as a member of the Lin Kuei. This in turn could suggest that not every child begotten by Lin Kuei warriors would be forced to join the clan. Sektor, as the son of the Grandmaster simply didn’t have a choice in the matter and who knows, maybe there is some premature qualification should the child be taken or not.

Another interesting part of Sektor’s BIO is this line: “Though this mission will put his clan in good standing with Shao Kahn, Sektor's ultimate goal is to supplant his father as Grand Master of the Lin Kuei." which may suggests that Sektor wasn’t the designated heir after all so plotted to overthrow his father?. I mean, he was sent to the Mortal Kombat Tournament as a participant and then cyborgized while the Grandmaster himself stayed human with a handful of other members of the clan. Then again, Sektor’s ending suggests that Grandmaster wasn’t surprised much by Sektor’s attempt to take over Lin Kuei, so maybe the killing of the previous leader was in fact a necessary part of rite of passage between old and new ruler?

→ it was against tradition for them to personally train new recruits

Stated in Deadly Alliance, in Frost’s Bio:

The winner was a mysterious female named Frost who seemed to have freezing abilities similar to those of Sub-Zero. Breaking with Lin Kuei tradition, the new Grand Master, Sub-Zero, took it upon himself to train this new recruit.

Interestingly, the Grandmaster was supposed to be the absolute ruler yet there were some traditions that actually regulated his or her participation in daily life of the clan. Kuai Liang simply ignored those and chose Frost as his apprentice, who at least in theory, became his appointed heir. By that logic, Sektor shouldn’t be trained by father, at least not before he gained the official status of Lin Kuei and proved himself worthy of Grandfather’s attention.

→ but it was their duty (choice?) to teach advanced arts to a few selected warriors.

This is mainly seen in Mortal Kombat Conquest TV series. The third episode (“Cold Reality”) gave us Shang Tsung’s explanation about clan and its warriors:

“The Lin Kuei, an ancient sect. Their training is the deepest secret as is their code. They are silent, swift and always lethal [...]. For some, a select few… the Lin Kuei Grand Masters will continue their education into darker areas. Then death comes in more interesting ways.”

Then, through this and another episode, the TV series shows that Grandmaster in fact personally oversees the training of Sub-Zero. So, the training of the new recruits may be against the tradition, but passing the advanced knowledge and the final trials seem to be not. Or at least the trials of the warrior with special (ancient) abilities.

This suggests the social status of a warrior - or any clan member - is affected by Grandmaster’s favor or lack thereof. Those chosen will advance, become more powerful and thus sent on more dangerous yet profitable missions. With a successful streak of missions, their notoriety will grow between prestige clients and the Lin Kuei community for good strengthening their social position. And who knows, one day they could take the place of (grand)masters in the inner circle serving closely the leader? On the other hand, those whose loyalty or skills get doubted by the Grandmaster are punished in several ways.

Inner Circle / Ancient (?) Masters

The same as with Grandmasters, there is little confirmed information about Lin Kuei masters. Bi-Han/elder Sub-Zero seemed to be favored by Grandmaster who called him the “our most cunning assassin and thief” (Mythologies: Sub-Zero) but it doesn’t sound like he was one of the inner circle.

In Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (episode 5, “Old Friends Never Die”), Kuai Liang mentioned “Ancient Masters” who decided to change warriors into cyborgs, while in the Mortal Kombat Conquest TV show we could see that Grandmaster keeps talking to some men about Sub-Zero’s training and powers. Interestingly, those men had uniforms looking more like his own than of any warrior.

(If Lin Kuei co-operated with Shang Tsung for ages, their life-span could be extended by sorcerer’s magic. Or, their own special abilities allow for such a long life. Thus the name of ancient masters?)

I think it is right to assume those masters formed an inner circle that advised the leader and helped in training the chosen warriors and most likely oversaw specific operations / aspects of the clan's life. Most likely with Grandmaster, they made the higher command and were the law.

Warriors

In the simplest way, this is the working class that earns money and builds the reputation of the clan. The warriors were the main source of incoming profit for the clan, but it wasn’t just material goods from assassinations and stealing but most likely also important intelligence data that Lin Kuei could use for its benefit or sell on. Thanks to them, Lin Kuei was also feared and respected in Earthrealm and Outworld alike.

So, on one hand, being a warrior in itself was a prestige rank that gave a chance to gain fame. The skilled and smart could advance into higher positions (the master assassins and thieves) and maybe even get Grandmaster’s attention. On another the life of a warrior was the most dangerous and hazardous occupation in the clan with little prospects for a long life. The victory was paid in warrior’s blood and pain while punishment for failure was severe and harsh.

The easiest way to classified them would be those two categories:

→ the common ones,

in games and comics looking alike, without distinctive features. It is hard to tell, if they possess any special abilities, if they were blood related to each other, what kind of missions they took.

→ the master assassins and thieves,

whose uniforms and weapons are modified to their personal taste and style of fighting and who have greater independence than warriors from the first category. I think it is right to assume that named warriors should be classified as such. So we have Sub-Zero/Bi-Han, Tundra/Kuai Liang, Smoke, Cyrax, Sektor, Frost, comics!Hydro.

Yet, this division may be in fact disastrous due to lack of enough sources. I mean, the lack of individuality does not necessarily imply a lack of appropriate abilities and for all we know, the “nameless” members just wear proper uniforms for their duties. Something that maybe even the named characters would wear if any source actually showed their downtime between missions. Frankly, the classic “ninja look” also makes everyone look alike, with only proper colors to distinguish between characters. Like the old comics version of Sub-Zero and Hydro - the main detail to tell them apart was the color of their eyes because both wore the typical Lin Kuei blue and dark uniform.

There is a lot to say about Lin Kuei warriors, so I will focus only on the aspects most vital to the subject and the role and effect it has on the Lin Kuei social structures.

→ armors, uniforms and their colors

Lin Kuei seems to have various uniforms, from those with plain (“classic”) look to very ornamented ones. Like I mentioned earlier, there may be an established type of clothes the warrior should wear on duty between missions while during the job the uniform was personalized due to the owner's skills and preferences. Some more advanced designs could be also a sign of personal achievements and were given / passed down (as family heirloom?) to said warriors.

The most noticeable thing however is the color. Since most clan members shared some kind of blood-ties (thus specific set of genes), the color may represent their connections to a specific branch of the clan. For example, blue was used by cryomancers and those warriors who had water-related powers. At the same time, blue seems like the most common color used by Lin Kuei. It makes sense for Kuai Liang’s warriors to use such tone, as to honor their leader and maybe even cut off from the dark past of the clan but frankly, Sub-Zero’s freezing power was called “ancient one” in Mortal Kombat Conquest TV series that alone was set ages before the last tenth Tournament happened, so maybe the ice/water always played a big role through the history and Lin Kuei simply adapted it for its common use? As to combine the reputation of the clan with the terrifying powers of cryomancers?

There is also grey color used by Smoke that fit well to his special power and yellow worn by Cyrax. Albeit if that has any connection to his unique genes or is just a color for a specific branch of clan or just esthetic, hard to tell.

Then we have a red color that most commonly is related to fire, something that Sektor frequently used at least in the new timeline. At the same time, various Grandmasters used red / reddish or burgundy colors (examples: [1] Mortal Kombat Conquest TV series, [2] Mythologies: Sub-Zero, [3] Sektor’s Ending in Mortal Kombat 9). So the red accents on Sektor’s uniform may in fact be a sign of his blood-ties to the leader (or leading family?).

Whatever true reasons lie behind the meaning of colors, Lin Kuei warriors seem to be segregated in certain smaller groups. Interestingly, even if Sektor’s red color in fact symbolised his connection to Grandmaster, this played little to none role in the MK9 game. Of course, the source did not show much inner dynamic between Bi-Han, Sektor and Cyrax but even with so limited space, Sub-Zero was the central figure in the group screen time which makes an impression he was in fact the leader. Then, the argument about the Cyber Initiative project happened only between Sektor and Cyrax, which could also imply Sub-Zero outranked them so they did not want to bring attention of their superior to their personal conflict. Especially since disobedience to Grandmaster was a serious crime.

→ codenames

Mortal Kombat X and 11 provided information that Shirai-Ruy does have some system of official ranks including the term Chujin that in general was a middle rank between ninjas (Takeda Takahashi is a known example). Lin Kuei has complex social structures but as far as we know, they do not use analogous to Japanese ninja system of ranks and yes, I know I categorized the named characters as the master assassins and thieves but frankly, I don’t remember other warriors to refer to them as such. The warriors just called each other by codename and various sources say the codename wasn’t something that permanently belonged to one individual. The name of “Sub-Zero” is the best example since it was used by many warriors through the course of a long period of time.

In both timelines, Bi-Han and Kuai Liang come from lineage of cryomancers serving Lin Kuei

and currently have ongoing conflict to whom the codename truly belongs. Because apparently, the name is passed to new generations once the younger cryomancer will prove their worth, most likely, by defeating the present champion. This does not mean that one must die because frankly, “retired” cryomancer still could teach adepts or serve the clan in a meaningful way. Also, which is very prominent with cryomancers, their mastery over ice grew stronger with passing years, so Bi-Han and Kuai Liang’s Grandfather in fact could be a pretty powerful warrior even as an old man.

The important thing however is that, the codenames may determine the position in clan hierarchy. We don’t have a way to analyze the subjection between codenames and social status of Sektor, Cyrax or Smoke but names used by cryomancers may define their level of mastery over ice. The title of Sub-Zero has existed for ages and I think it is right to assume this is a codename intended only for the best of the best. Sadly, we don’t know how high in the hierarchy was “Tundra” but we can’t cross the possibility that Bi-Han at some point in his career used that name too, before he managed to earn the mantle of Grandfather’s name.

So, Lin Kuei may not use typical ranks and instead stick to codenames passed from one generation to another. Thus no one is addressing Bi-Han as the master assassin and thief but everyone knows that the person using the codename “Sub-Zero” is one of top warriors in the service of the clan.

→ combat experiences, teachers and retirement

Combat experience is something that affects a warrior’s position in a clan because no amount of training (even as hellish as training of Lin Kuei adepts) will be the same as real life and death struggle. The more experienced a warrior is, the more valuable become to the clan. At the same time, old age will slow down even the best of the best fighters at some point. Surprisingly, the first game mentioned (hinted) the idea of retirement in Lin Kuei in Sub-Zero’s (Non-Canonical) Ending:

"After receiving the title of Grand Champion, Sub-Zero disappears back into the shadows from which he came. His only goal in the tournament was...the assassination of Shang Tsung. He was paid a large sum of money by one of Tsung's wealthy enemies. With his mission accomplished, Sub-Zero will collect his fortune and retire from his dangerous profession."

The original Sub-Zero was usually described as 32 years old. Which doesn’t sound old, but if we take into account the previously mentioned passage from the book, the teachings started at the age of 5 or 6 which could mean Bi-Han already survived two decades of harsh servitude to the clan (that abducted him and his younger brother). No one leaves Lin Kuei but there is a possibility that at some age the warrior may step down from the dangerous profession. Then, such a “retired” fighter could train adepts and young, less experienced members of the clan and maybe even start a family that will produce offspring - preferable with special powers - to supply the clan with new recruiters.

Because of that I assume that warriors in their prime were used mainly to do the dirty job and get as much money and valuable items as possible. Once they survived to a certain age, they shared the gained wisdom with less experienced fighters. We don’t know how students and teachers (“sifu”?) were assigned to each other; it may be related to their family ties or similars powers (cryomancers teaching cryomancers, like Kuai Liang and Frost) or the veterans picked youngsters for certain skills or traits that made them worth the time and effort. Anyway, veterans, as those who survived years of service, should be placed high in the hierarchy. Because their experiences and wisdom help to shape a new generation of warriors earning money and fame for the clan.

→ they work alone, in pairs or in bigger groups.

We rarely see the “nameless warriors” working alone - in case of danger or mission, they form a small army and do as they are commanded by Grandmaster (MKX) or one of master assassins, like Bi-Han (Mortal Kombat 2021). In contrast various sources show that named characters usually worked in pairs (Smoke & Tundra, Cyrax & Sektor, Sub-Zero/Bi-Han & Hydro) or alone (Bi-Han, Frost) and in some special cases, commanded larger groups of warriors.

This is an interesting detail, because all the named warriors seem to be to some degree familiar with each other even though it looks like they were permanently paired. Of course, training together will have this effect, but Lin Kuei operated world-wide and in different realms so it is not guaranteed that warriors had time to hang out between missions or to be at the same time in headquarters. If they possessed diverse, opposing elements, after passing the trials and earning the title of warrior, they could be trained separately. Thus again, a smaller chance to form (forbidden) friendship. Which is why I think there must be some exercises that force fighters to cooperate or test their skills in some sort of tournaments. Partially to see how well they fare in fight (thus judge their usefulness to clan), partially to establish hierarchy between them.

Who and how decides about pairing certain fighters is completely a mystery. On one hand, Hydro (water) and Sub-Zero (ice) were compatible and probably naturally increased their own powers. But we also have Kuai Liang (ice) and Tomas (smoke) whose elements seem like not the best combination since Smoke’s power should work better with fire (at least his battle cry, “Where there is Smoke, there is fire!” suggests that) and there is Cyrax and Sektor who powerwise may work well, but their mindsets are extremely different.

Are warriors forced into such partnerships by their superiors or were they allowed to find the right partner, sadly we do not know. On one hand, the dynamic between named characters makes an impression they are in fact an equal partners - Smoke joined Kuai Liang in his quest for revenge on his own (MK9), Sektor didn’t manage to force Cyrax into submission before the man left the clan. Comics!Sub-Zero and Hydro were so close that “Bi-Han” wasn’t afraid to admit his fears of undead Scorpion relentlessly haunting him and Hydro was supportive all the time (“Blood and Thunder”). On the other hand, partnership could provide additional safety and increase the chances of survival during missions and maybe even uphold an already earned social position, so the warriors may seek each other for solely pragmatic reasons, even more since friendship was seen as a weakness and forbidden. I also suspect that though partnership between two warriors was based on mutual benefits, there could be fierce competition between pairs.

Surprisingly, all known to us partnerships are between male characters. There is no gender-mixed duo as far as sources are concerned (unless comics!Hydro was female, trans- or agender person and frankly, for 4 comics issues only one narrator box used the pronunciation of “he” for Hydro, while Scorpion was constantly called by Lin Kuei, other characters or narratives as “he”, which always makes me wonder about Hydro’s gender. Or did comics!Lin Kuei warriors talk about themselves in third person to not betray their and their comrades true identity / gender?). Regardless of the nature of said partnership, those working together share a strong bond. Kuai Liang and Tomas outright considered themselves very close friends (family) despite clan rules that forbidden friendship. Bi-Han was willing to show his weakness / fear to Hydro who in return was very protective of him and even Sektor shows a pathological need to keep Cyrax at his side despite all the oblivious signs how unwise this decision is. Frost, sadly, didn’t have any named partner (what may be related to her role of chief between female Lin Kuei warriors) and if she was included in an important mission, she partnered Grandmaster (MK: Deadly Alliance). And their collaboration was based on a master-apprentice relationship, so it had none of the equality that characterizes the previously mentioned duos.

Of course, ultimately, the warrior who works alone does not need to share the fame (and earning?) with anyone. Bi-Han is the best example of that (Mythologies: Sub-Zero, Mortal Kombat novel (1995) or his bio from the original game). And yes, every warrior should be capable of completing the job, but though weak Lin Kuei fighters may look superhuman in Earthrealm they will not last long in Outworld.

And that brings us to another important matter:

→ the place of activity.

Because those who work frequently in Outworld by default should be considered better in the combat area. But at the same time, Lin Kuei must have a wide and well organized spy network, to keep track of all potential recruits (Smoke and Cyrax), access to science research and laboratories and so on. So, especially in modern times, combat skills may not be the most appreciated feature anymore and some Lin Kuei warriors, no matter how weak they are compared to others, will still have their special value to Grandmaster’s plans. Due to the nature of spying, they could also work alone or in small groups far from their homeland. Thus, operate outside the social hierarchy established between other warriors.

→ Punishments

A warrior could die on mission at any moment, but also could be killed for various offenses, such as:

Leaving the clan - punished by death and this seems to be a consistent punishment in all sources. Of course a determined warrior could manage to successfully run away (like Takeda, the founder of Shirai Ryu or Kuai Liang did) but Lin Kuei does not forget such crime and will hunt down the fugitive for years. The best example comes from the Mortal Kombat book, in which Sub-Zero spent two decades hunting down his own ex-partner in crime to kill him in a brutal way in front of the man's family.

So even if someone managed to run away and start a new life, there was no escape from the clan's wrath. In the modern time, Cyrax was captured and cyborgized - for him, it was fate worse than death. This actually brings the question, if there were warriors responsible for hunting down fugitives or was it the duty of those whose partners broke the sacred rule of “no one leaves Lin Kuei”?

Failure of mission - another known major crime punishable by death yet most likely not applies to Kuai LIang’s reformed clan.

In the Conquest TV series, by Grandmaster’s order two warriors that failed the mission were killed by then current Sub-Zero. This was as much public execution to show others what happens once you fail as presenting the ice powers of freshly promoted cryomancer:

“Before you stand two who have failed. For this there can be but one consequence and it must come from within, within us. Earth, wind, fire, water. To control one element of the four that make up life is power. A twist of nature, an aberration, one who brings forth true killing force. Before you stand one whose ancestors have passed on such power to us. Remember this well. Behold... Sub Zero. [Grandmaster’s speech, episode 3, “Cold Reality”]”

This is just one example from the distant past but it may also be a suggestion that warriors with special powers played the role of executors.

Another example, from Mythologies: Sub-Zero, thus relative modern times:

Scorpion: Yessss... I am Scorpion. You killed me in cold blood.

Sub-Zero: I had no choice. If I had not stolen that map I would be the dead one.

Frankly this attitude is both inhuman treatment of subordinates (failure in itself is just another source of experiences and sometimes failed mission wasn't the result of someone’s mistake or incompetence but of independent circumstances) and unpragmatic (losing manpower). We may only wonder if warriors were punished for failing all kinds of missions or just selected ones. At the same time, a fighter that survived to old age should be really respected - with such harsh laws, not many members live to old age and those who did through the decades failed little to no missions.

Lin Kuei punished also impostors:

which brings us back to the point about codenames and their relationship with social position (and hey, Noob’s complaints aren’t baseless). We don’t know though what kind of punishment was used for such an offense.

Disobeying Grandmaster was also a big deal. I suspect this could be punished by death too although rather not in Kuai Liang’s clan:

“When Sub-Zero made historic peace with his clan’s enemy, Scorpion, defiant Frost challenged her Grandmaster as unfit to lead. Sub-Zero defeated and banished Frost. [MK11]”

In general, Lin Kuei laws were harsh and cruel and it was really easy to lose such hard-earned privileges and positions.

Recruits

In ancient times, children were abducted at the age of 5 or 6 and forced into harh training. Some didn’t survive but those who did became fully pledged to Lin Kuei warriors. In modern times, it seems like most adepts have some blood-ties to other members of the clan and usually are “given” for training freely. There are exceptions to the rule, like Bi-Han and Kuai Liang, who were stolen from home at a young age. Finally, there are people who seem to join Lin Kuei on their own (or at least they think it was their choice), like Smoke, Cyrax and Frost.

(Tomas and Frost are confirmed users of special powers. Cyrax most likely possesses some unique genes too or at least is capable of well controlling his own energy (chi) during fight. Frankly, it looks like Sektor is the only one named Lin Kuei who does not utilize any special power. Ironically, considering how Grandmaster (Oniro) from Defenders of the Earthrealm was shapeshifter. Who knows, maybe Sektor didn’t inherited father’s unique skills?)

So even recruits are a diverse group to begin with and include people ethnically totally different from the majority(?) who needed to learn a new language(s) and culture from scratch. This alone gives a ground for potential conflicts though there is little to none examples of racism between Lin Kuei adult members? I mean, Lin Kuei used to look down on everyone who wasn’t one of them all the same, with special hatred for Shirai-Ryu - not for being Japanese (different ethinc group) but just for being Shirai-Ryu.

The adepts were trained by older warriors and looking at Sub-Zero’s origin (MK9), some adepts trained with family members (Kuai Liang and Bi-Han and maybe even under their Grandfather’s eye?) and teacher (Sifu?) could train more than one student at the same time.

In a way, those coming from the lineage of warriors could be from the start at better social standing than those who were “no ones” or came from far away lands and needed to earn respect of others. Those blood-related to clan members either developed specific powers during training or at least possesed special DNA that could be passed down to the next generation. So, even if those children weren’t the best of best fighters, they still have something valuable to the clan.

At the same time, again, Sektor doesn’t seem to have any special privileges, not once in game(s) called his father as anything other than Grandmaster and in general, he did not have much presence (respect?) between other warriors. I mean, he freely spoke only with Cyrax who in the end did not listen to him at all and almost always fell silent if there were more people around. So yeah, how big an impact on social dynamic between fighters had their blood-ties is not sure.

I’m not gonna talk much about the life of adepts (and there is a lot to say about potential pathologies and harm done to the kids), but they for sure were the lowest rank in (warrior) hierarchy, at least until they proved their worth.

So, the Lin Kuei warriors could be separated in three categories, from lower social rank to the highest:

adepts (in-training, maybe assisting in missions under the watchful eye of their superiors),

warriors (the one earning income),

veterans (teachers)

and the circle was completed.

(For some reason, the circle of Lin Kuei warrior life resembles the “Three-field system” but I have weird associations, I guess).

Household?

When we talk about the Lin Kuei clan, the first association that comes to mind is its warrior nature. But with such a large organisation, warriors are just one social class rather than the majority. Because someone needs to feed them, cloth, arm, heal, which seems logical to assume that there were other specializations that keep the clan running.

I mean, Lin Kuei is an independent faction that as far as we know, has no ties to any earthrealm government. This alone suggests to keep that independence the clan have to possess their own source of food, water, medical supplies and access to other necessary resources, so no enemy could besiege their strongholds and starve them and so on.

⇒ The medics will be for sure an appreciated branch of the clan. And yes, warriors to some degree must have medical knowledge (if not to save people then at least to know how to successfully kill them) but at the same, with so many specific genes and used in fight elements, some Lin Kuei members may have different medical needs than normal people.

⇒ Armorers (and smiths?) provide clan additional defensive equipment and weapons. And we know that even in modern times Lin Kuei barely used firearms and relied more on shurikens, knives and swords.

⇒ Scientists, computer experts and researchers, especially in modern times when C.I. Project became a thing, most likely playing a big role in the clan, fulfilling Grandmaster’s wish to change warriors into cyborgs. May not be liked by the traditionalist members of Lin Kuei, but favored by the leader (so be untouchable).

⇒ Farmers and craftsmen, providing the clan with the basic needs. I doubt they had much impact on social dynamics and may not even live on the grounds of the Lin Kuei Temple / Fortress. I imagine them living in the surrounding villages (or at the foot of the mountains?), giving the Lin Kuei food and handicrafts (and maybe even their own children?) as a tribute, and in return get protection.

My conclusion is that, Lin Kuei have pretty complex social structures in which Grandmaster and his closes circle administrate the whole system, warriors, depending on their age and expertises, are responsible for earning money and prepare the new generation to replace them, while household is there to keep previously mentioned groups alive and in the best condition. Everyone plays a role that helps to maintain Lin Kuei independence and reputation.

So, finally I get to the main part of the question about the dynamic between characters.

Who outrank who is a good question. The Grandmaster of course is above everyone else and so are the “ancient masters” / inner circle. Bi-Han seems to be one of the favored warriors by Grandmaster, the only(?) one confirmed to be the most cunning assassin and thief and the use of a codename associated with “ancient power” only adds to that impression. So, in regard to the named five characters (him, Kuai Liang, Smoke, Cyrax and Sektor) I would say Bi-Han outranked everyone. At the same time, he does not act arrogant against his fellow clansmen. Okay, to be honest, he seems to not interact much with anyone but that is rather the abrasive, asocial nature of cryomancer than anything else, really. And we have examples from various sources that Bi-Han wasn’t always rude to people around him. (Noob is another deal, but even then he has a more passive-aggressive attitude toward his brother than outright hate / arrogance).

Anyway, Bi-Han outranked the others. And yet, he does not seem to perform any special social functions - except maybe at Grandmaster’s command executing those who failed. In contrast, in MKX intro vs. Sonya, Frost was described by Kuai Liang as “chief among [female Lin Kuei]” which implies her high rank and responsible position in social structures.

One may wonder why Bi-Han most likely wasn’t given similar honor but to be an effective chief, the person must be available and close at hand. Going with Mythologies, the elder Sub-Zero barely came back from one mission (stealing map of elements) to be sent right away for another difficult task (stealing Shinnok amulet and side trip to Netherrealm) and then next one (Mortal Kombat Tournament). Of course, the game due to its limited time and space, won’t focus on realism such as making a proper preparation for the job but even if Bi-Han was allowed little rest between one and another mission, it really looks like he didn’t spend much time at Lin Kuei Temple. Thus there was no point in giving him any big group to oversee, if he wasn’t available to control what was going on between his subordinates. Also, he seems pretty familiar with Smoke and Kuai Liang’s close relationship but there are not many hints that he tried to do something about their breaking clan rules forbidding friendship.

Then again, there is a possibility that Kuai Liang, Smoke, Cyrax and Sektor did in fact belong to Bi-Han’s own “cohort” what could explain

A) why all the five characters are always so closely tied up to each other while the rest of clan members are just a background and

B) why with Sub-Zero’s death everything went to hell between them.

(And again, the amount of duties to female Lin Kuei could keep Frost from leaving headquarters too often, thus no need for partnership with anyone. Because of that, she grew angry at Kuai Liang for “holding her back” and at the same time not respecting enough to grant her the title of Sub-Zero).

Pragmatic resolution to solving inner conflict would be some kind of neutral judge (chief) and the fight for rank and position most likely happened under watch of superior(s). As in, official challenge, especially for top ranks like Sub-Zero. The official fight did not need to end with someone’s death but this could be one of rare situations when a warrior could kill the other fighter - or even the hated teacher / master? - without much consequence. Of course, Lin Kuei proved pragmatism is not always a priority but I strongly believe the clan structures were based on discipline and so arbitrary fights were also severely punished. What is the point of having warriors if they can’t be sent to earn money due to unnecessary injuries? Also, corporal punishment in itself shouldn’t be that big deal for society growing up in brutal ways since early childhood - which is why I suspect that the punishments were administered in public. As a form of humiliation, to force the guilty people to earn respect of fellow warriors again from scratch.

I suspect that warriors could be separated into smaller groups - basing on their special powers or family connection? - that competed with each other. Age could also regulate how one person should act around the others; for example, like youngling around veteran or fully trained fighter. Not sure how this rule could relate to those representing “household”. Were there laws protecting them or could they be bullied/killed on whim? Could warriors even be involved romantically with “servants” / lower class? The good thing from such affair could be the birth of children given to the clan once they were old enough and well, sex with “outsider” in itself can be a good way to relieve the warriors growing tension / stress resulting from living in a brutal environment without complicating things between companions. To be fair, some warriors could have romantic / intimate relationships with each other as well but most likely kept them secret to avoid punishment.

There is also a matter of who and how chose warriors to represent Lin Kuei at Mortal Kombat Tournament. I mean, Bi-Han was always the first choice, supported by the first game and Mythologies but did he choose Sektor and Cyrax as his companions or they naturally were chosen as part of his group or did Grandmaster assign them to Sub-Zero on his own? Dunno but keeping the five named Lin Kuei warriors together through the course of years really makes me think they came from the same, for a lack of better word, a cohort.

Cryomancers most likely stuck together (Bi-Han and Kuai Liang) and Smoke tagged along. Cyrax looks like an easy going type of person who isn't afraid to speak his mind so I wouldn’t be surprised if he were either on good terms with most clan members or pissing the rest while human Sektor, in contrast, is much more introverted, or even withdrawn from social interaction. This is of course only my subjective feeling, but he lacks a dominant presence to make a big impression. Not like the older Sub-Zero or Cyrax. Then we have Tundra!Kuai Liang whose loyalty belongs first and foremost to an older brother than the clan itself and to honor Bi-Han he will get into all sorts of dangerous problems and conflicts not caring for consequences at all. A behaviour that may not sit well with Sektor (even more, if he never had such a strong bond with own father/other people?). Sektor and Kuai Liang have a long history of ideological conflict and I suspect they truly could agree only about not giving up Cyrax’s remains to anyone and whatever was going on, protect the body at all cost.

Interestingly, as much as Kuai Liang and Tomas or Kuai Liang and Cyrax were close and on good terms (especially after the fiasco of C.I. project), Bi-Han and Sektor seem to be much closer to each other. If not in the stricte emotional sense, they at least share the pride in Lin Kuei and strive for perfection (manifesting itself in accepting their drastic changes for example). Even with limited sources, the storyline never(?) put Sektor and Bi-Han against each other, either as humans or cyborg and wraith and I strongly suspect there may be something much deeper about their relationship that lack of interaction on screen could suggest in the first place (x)(x).

Then we have tradition vs technology.

This most likely is a modern issue that could be the basis for serious inner conflicts between warriors. Those taking jobs in Outworld for sure must be powerful fighters, especially since technology is not something working well there. Bi-Han in most if not all sources was a traditionalist who didn’t use much or outright refused to use technology and I wouldn’t be surprised if he worked in Outworld frequently (especially Bi-Han in the newest movie was presented as a close associate of Shang Tsung). For the weaker warriors, advanced technology could be a life-saver. Then there is the whole Cyber Initiative that divided (and ultimately destroyed) Lin Kuei. For such a project, the clan either worked with independent / private researchers and cybernetic experts or actually had its own specialists (another possible social group?).

From MK9 we know Cyrax spoke in public against Grandmaster’s plan. In Defenders of the Realm, Smoke and Kuai Liang run from the clan at the first occasion to avoid such fate. Logically thinking, Sektor (supporter of the advanced technology) should not get along well with Bi-Han (stubborn traditionalist), the same as he fell out with Cyrax, Smoke and Kuai Liang. And yet there is not much evidence suggesting any big conflict between them. Of course, Sektor could simply not speak against his superior(?) the same as he argued with Cyrax but in all fairness, I doubt Bi-Han’s lack of use of technology was a secret not openly critiqued by others. I mean, even comics!Kuai Liang said about his brother that Bi-Han was “stubborn in many ways, refused to utilize modern technology on his missions. A shame, really. He was among the Lin Kuei’s finest --although fast becoming obsolete”. If Sektor and Bi-Han (and the rest of the group) worked together on joint missions, the issue of technology would come sooner than later. Though I suspect that no matter what Sektor would say, Bi-Han outstubborn him anyway. On other hand, it looks like only Sektor needed/chose to use advanced technology (flame thrower) while the rest relied on their special powers. In that case, being Sektor between gifted people for sure was a hard deal.

So, if I have to rank them I would say Bi-Han → Sektor & Cyrax who most likely were at least a bit higher than Kuai Liang (younger cryomancer) and Smoke. In case of conflict, I think as long as it was possible, they solved their problems among themselves. Bringing authority (Grandmaster, one of chiefs(?) or Bi-Han)’s attention was never a good idea because it could lead to public punishment / humiliation. Bi-Han may or may not knock some sense into others if the inner conflict gets out of hand or at least told them into face how idiotic they are (and he is pretty famous for insulting/mocking even those he shouldn’t. Like Quan Chi, a powerful client. Which is why I doubt he would tone down his natural abrasiveness. Especially not for an idiot that actually deserves it ).

And yet, whatever conflict was between those five characters, they still stayed loyal to each other. At least until someone outright broke one of the most punishable laws, like leaving the clan.

For example, Cyrax and Sektor argued about C.I. project - and most likely it was already an ongoing argument between them. Cyrax even was “among those speaking out against the Grand Master’s plan”. Not a good thing for their partnership yet Sektor still vouched for Cyrax when Shang Tsung had his doubts about the man. Or how Bi-Han changed sides during Tournament (MK9) - otherwise his fight against Scorpion would have zero sense - and maybe he did discuss the course of his action with his fellow clan members. But whatever he told or not what was going on, Cyrax was absolutely ready to kill Scorpion to avenge fallen cryomancer (“Scorpion will pay for this!”). Then we have Smoke not abandoning Kuai Liang even though he was already turned into Cyber Sub-Zero and attacked his friend and of course furious Tundra interrupting the Outworld Tournament and literally demanding from the Emperor to bring him Bi-Han’s murderer to kill. Hell, even Noob and Cyber Sektor stick to each other despite everything that happened.

Those five were a really loyal group, weren’t they?

So, in general:

the social structures of Lin Kuei were diverse and complex,

the punishment was harsh and deadly - in some cases, executed by a fellow warrior in public.

Bi-Han most likely had a high position in clan hierarchy but he wasn’t outright called a master

and there is possibility Sektor, Cyrax, Smoke and Kuai Liang worked under his command.

Most of the Lin Kuei members share blood ties to some degree but experiences and skills seem to outrank any family bond. In contrast to friendship, keeping touch with family (within the clan) is rather not forbidden. There may be a conflict between friendship (a choice) and family matters (a fate / tradition of serving Lin Kuei to uphold).

Kuai Liang and Smoke broke clan rules forbidding friendship (and Bi-Han did nothing about that?).

Cyrax most likely were familiar with Tundra and Smoke enough to like / respect each other. In the case of Tomas, the additional factor for keeping together could be the fact that both were born as outsiders (different ethnicity, lack of blood ties to clan).

Cyrax and Kuai Liang had ideological conflict with Sektor, who in turn seems to be on good terms with Bi-Han.

Bi-Han on the other hand seemed to not have any conflict with the four named warriors? Kuai Liang was his brother (and there is no example he was abused in any way by the older sibling, I think?), MK9!Smoke may not be on a first name basis with Bi-Han (didn’t call him in game as anything else than Sub-Zero or Kuai Liang’s brother) but he was accepted as Kuai Liang’s close friend. At the beggining of Tournament, Cyrax was seen on Sub-Zero’s right side and there is the scene-parallel (with Sektor cut off from the frame, the impression is that we were shown the honorable/”good” Lin Kuei) and he showed protectiveness toward Sub-Zero.Then there is Sektor who somehow get along with Bi-Han (and Noob) without any complaints or problems. Of course, Smoke, Cyrax and Sektor could be smart enough to not get in any open conflict with abrasive Bi-Han. Kuai Liang is a whole different matter, I guess.

The named characters in fact didn’t need to like each other but they were taught discipline and loyalty to the group from the start. Though it would be really hilarious if the most abrasive cryomancer with little to no social skills was in fact the one that keep them all together and was a bridge between strong-willed/hotheaded Kuai Liang & Smoke, independent Cyrax and blindly loyal, withdrawn Sektor.

I’m not sure if such a mix of strong personalities was the norm between warrior groups or was it just Bi-Han’s luck to get involved with duos of Tundra-Smoke and Sektor-Cyrax at some point. Anyway, this is my take on social structures and dynamics between Lin Kuei.

Hope it satisfies your curiosity!