#or at least make a sparknotes version

[mythtiide]

some oc stuff muhehehe 🎨⚔️

[memphishing]

Lowkey I wanna see more of you’re little cringe fail of an oc. I love him :D

being asked about my oc, I MAY DIE OF HAPPINESS

idk where to start… he’s been an entity in rp with my closest friends for like… six years…

OK SO

Chima Satsujin/Connor Sirelis

Age 17

SHSL Orthodontist

Very on edge and bitchy most of the time. He has intense trust issues and often has a ‘I need to get them before they get me’ mentality. Hides his low self confidence by pretending to be super confident, snarky and sarcastic. Unlike most of my ocs, who are evil or at least dubious, he has a heart of gold and will try to help people in need while maintaining his standoffish persona. He has no friends and acts like that doesn’t bother him, but is actually horrendously lonely. he’s the SHSL orthodontist, a position that was secured for him via recommendation from his mentor, the person who he’s interned under for years. His relationship with his mentor can seem… oddly close, at times.

TW SUICIDE

Chima’s older brother, Okuda, was always the life of the party. Silly, funny, always bright and happy. He was his best friend and confidant, and he relied heavily upon him. One day, when Chima was 14, he walked in on him in a suicide attempt. They couldn’t save him. Shocked and feeling hollow from that, he shut himself away from society nearly immediately and developed a paranoia of people lying to him… ‘acting’ a way they don’t truly feel.

He has been interning for his mentor for years, graduated years ago, and is slated to finish college at 18 years old.

(ALL OF THIS ART IS LIKE 2 Y/O. VERY OUTDATED. i didn’t make the second one and the tearful one is from a base)

Explanation of that last pics: Chima and two of my other OCs (SHSL Prince, SHSL photographer) were made from the same original beta oc, so I drew them all hanging out as beta bros!

His mom deserves a section too! Taylor Sirelis.. She’s… jovial. Very happy, aloof, loving, yet irresponsible. This basically made her a shitty parent. Despite her surface love, she really couldn’t be a PARENT for either of her sons. In the wake of losing one, she’s trying to be more present for Chima.

She’s in my antag kg!

Given, her way of coping is a little….

Yeah this is very much a sparknotes version of Chima/his lore. I have a 20k word backstory doc for him so there’s a LOT i skipped over here… also lots of art frends have made of him that i can’t add bc image limit :(

now, anyone who’s read this far knows of one of the ~50 of my DR ocs >:)

[poorlemons]

HI!!! I absolutely adore your art (it's so beautiful. It's so fluid. It's having a long lasting impact on my brain. Everytime I close my eyes theres just lemons art and darkness.) and I think far too much about your Clear Image AU, I fear I may have to start making slideshows about it.

But also curious about what happens to Michael during the rest of the timeline, like post season 3 times. Does she stay in the archives or move on with her life? And then what happens to her after the Eyepocalypse, is she okay (can she be okay please I'll cry)?

thank you so much that is so sweet of you!! im glad you enjoy my evil machinations. also i apologize if any of this has weird grammar or anything, i just woke up and am eating breakfast as i write this. also grammar is hard and im jsut a silly little guy, have mercy on me and post season 3 timeline... well as I see it, theres a couple ways it could go, and I think I will ponder them all. why get 1 ending when i can show you the good and the bad and let you sit with it! :3 ok so i need to establish somethings first. 1) the way I explain michael shelley herself still existing after becoming the distortions vessel is her tether to the Eye. If she had not been so connected to Beholding through the archives contract, and by how long she worked down there (in my michael timeline she's been there since the like, 80s. she's the michael mentioned by eric or whatever, i like that version of events). So it has its claws in her deep, even as she's kept ignorant. She wants to know, she wants to dig... she's just also prevented from doing it. and 2) Yeah that contract is still in place. how? because its funnier if it is, and also she never did *die*. Michael Shelley was missing, but never really reported, and she never died while she was being used as a vessel. So michael only has a few options if she wants to be free of the archives. In no timeline does Michael die! She's OK-ish. also none of these are 100% planned out so itll mostly be sparknotes So the first option for her to take is stabbing out her eyes to get that contract broken right there. But heres the issue: who would Michael get help from? Suddenly becoming blind is not really a hurdle you can jump alone, at least not easily. And she has no home, really no physical ties to anything because everything she had is most likely gone/thrown out by now. It would leave her blind and homeless, i fear. Because the archive people are her friends sorta, but like... theyre still caught up in the archives, they're busy and stressed all the time. Plus, the eye stabby thing is only found out some while into season 4. so she's probably not taking that route

the second one is she stays at the archives (good timeline): Heres when I reveal CIau as a fix-it. In this timeline a few things are true (Tim is alive, Jon didn't get comaed, Martin doesn't go with Peter, tensions are generally lower, Daisy did get coffined, though. the Unknowing did happen it just went... Better). This obviously frustrates Elias greatly, but Michael is a powerhouse of pure spite and determination to thwart that son of a bitch. He *knew* what Gertrude did to assistants, and he didn't *care*. Getting him out of power is the closest thing Michael could get to revenge. And oh how she wants that, never forget she is angry at what was done to her- its a low, dormant anger, but it is anger. So they go about Season 4, but less loneliness sand misery. Michael is determined to live her life to the fullest and she's pulling everyone into it as well. Its a little awkward in the Archives, and nobody can fully heal while they're trapped but relationships are improving. Melanie's bullet is removed consentually, everything is "great" (jon probably still gets stabbed though, i think thats funny). Tim is even less... sad miserable tim. And really a lot of it is different because... well season 4 hinged on that loneliness and misery. So in between mandatory get-out-of-the-archvies days and shit like that, theyre trying to figure out how to get rid of the contracts. Maybe they burn it or something, maybe they throw elias into Helen and carve out his eyes- that'd be fun. But they get free, yippee, and so Michael can go about getting new papers n shit and everyone can heal. I'd like to think she gets like, a nice calm job. She and Jon definitively volunteer at an animal shelter on the weekends. Her, martin, and anyone else who wants to tag along have little tea hangouts. Her and Tim sit in amicable silence or go out on some sort of hike, depends on how they feel (Michael's back does not appreciate it sometimes but she tries her best to keep up with her friend). Her, Basira, Jon, and Georgie have a book club. Georgie is chill too!! She gets a cat named Private Pea (name courtesy of Jon) and all is vibing.

Now time for bad timeline: A few things are the same, a few are different (Tim is alive, Jon gets comaed (this one was more of an accident that deliberate of Tim, Tim feels bad about it), Daisy is coffined, Martin is pulled in with Peter though its much more of a struggle for Peter to *keep* him, tensions are lower for most of them (Melanie has a bullet in her leg so shes still angry), and Georgie is wary but they manage to communicate the situation to her better so she doesn't fully cut contact with Jon.) Things are rough for a while, since Jon is out for the count, but everyone makes do as they can. Tim feels Bad about what happened, but Michael makes sure to help Tim out and try to make him feel better. They're friends, your honor. Yadi yada Jon comes back, Melanie gets her bullet taken out, everyone misses Martin. The events here are much more in line with canon season 4. They're still trying to find a way to break contract, but with the concerns about Martin and Daisy- and Jon's whole humanity- they're lagging behind about that. Michael does cry when she hears Eric's tape, Jon makes sure to let her listen to it. Melanie stabs out her eyes, daisy is retrieved from the coffin (Jon still loses a few ribs bc he's... Jon and of course he'd do that still), etc. Helen's relationship with the main crew is a little odd, since Michael is around, but maybe they're at a tentative truce. Maybe they paint each other's nails as a peace offering. The final peter-elias confrontation happens, shit hits the fan in the archives with the hunters 'n everything. Helen shelters Michael and Tim (michael is more or less safe from the distortion's effects and just hold onto Tim really hard) but Daisy still goes Hunt mode etc. Martin is saved, he and Jon get sent off to the safehouse and all is quiet for a little while. Michael and Tim do their best to just exist, Basira is off looking for Daisy, Melanie and Georgie are at home, the stage is set. Maybe Tim and Michael were out of town on a little trip when the eyepocalypse starts. OK. so. Eyepocalypse. Michael is trapped in a spiral-esc domain. I think her position is fairly unique. Not an avatar but so heavily marked by the Spiral that even the domain is confused on whether or not she's in charge. Its torment either way, she feels as if she's back in that hell of being Michael. Tim's probably also stuck in a domain, probably stranger, and maybe a bit of desolation, though i don't know how that'd look. I think Tim is 100% afraid of losing everything he has again, of burning those bridges for good. and also clowns. I think when Jon makes it to that domain, it takes a moment for him to realize who's statement he's taking. And then Martin and Jon try to hunt her down a pull her out. They do! She doesn't even really need the "ceaseless watcher make this person into your little bitch" or whatever, because her existence is just that muddled. She just... gets pulled out and her position shifts from watched to watcher. They go hunt down Tim, and idk maybe with the help of Helen and Michael they manage to fish him out without him becoming an avatar was well. Maybe he does have to get ceaseless watchered, no idea. Then theyre back on track through the domains, now Jon, Martin, Michael, Tim, and a Helen sometimes. They make it to London, they meet up with the others, everything is generally the same. But instead of that jon-stabbing kurfuffle, they kill jonah and everything falls apart and boom its ok the world is normal. Maybe most of the world doesn't remember but its alright, Theyre free. and thusly it sorta picks up from there like how it did in the better timeline. But maybe with a lot more issues to work around and heal from. so um. yeah something like that. I dunno

[lockpickingliar]

Hello there! There are so many Kokichis that I got confused about which one to ask this question to. So, sorry about that!

Here is the same question(s) that I asked a different account:

Hello, Kokichi, Koko, Kichi, Loopy, Cookie, Joker, and any other iterations of the Ultimate Supreme Leader there are!

I have a question for you all. Do you each own your own version of D.I.C.E? Or are you all a part of the same organisation? If it is the latter, then do you all share equal ownership, or is there someone in charge?

I'd also like to know if you are all Ultimate Supreme Leaders or if each of your talent titles (or the talents in general) have variations between them.

Furthermore, are there any other differences between each of you, whether that be your behaviour, your emotions, your identities, any physical differences, or even your birthdays? Or are you identical copies to one another with the exception of your names?

Apologies for the mixup!

- Saber

Hello, hello, hello! No worries! We thought it was VERY funny, honest! You're right, there ARE a lot of us, and the doppelganger over there definitely doesn't make it any easier! As for your questions, though...

Me, oh my, though, where do we begin? Since there are so many of us, it's hard for all of us to clamor over each other to answer one ask. Soooooo for simplicity's sake I, Kichi, the one who's been around the longest (Six-ish years now! Crazy!) and arguably the mod's FAVORITE (or maybe that's a lie!) will give you a quick SparkNotes rundown of the Oumas we have.

Of course, I reserve the right to claim any and all of this MAY be a lie. You'll have to confirm with the others!

Let's get started, shall we? (This is a bit of a whopper, so under a cut it goes!)

Are you identical copies to one another with the exception of your names?

So, first and foremost a big thing with us is that we're not really copies of each other so much as alternate version from different universes. We're all Ouma Kokichi, and we've taken to our various nicknames to better differentiate between us!

That being said, there are a lot of commonalities between us:

Our overall beliefs (anti-harassment, anti-punitive justice, the subjectivity of truth, etc.)

Our playful demeanor (also some of us play rougher than others, I'll get to that)

Our lack of a sense of taste (a lie)

Our Talent as Ultimate Supreme Leader (possibly another lie, you'll have to ask the others because they're liars, unlike me, who only ever tells the truth!)

The Tragedy really happened and it wasn't a Real Fiction universe (at least, for most of us to our knowledge; not everyone has the memories to confirm or could be lying)

No, the big differences mostly fall under our experiences, namely the events that occurred in our respective universes. However, those differences in experiences do have an effect on the... I guess the flavor of Ouma we exude? Subtle variations, which makes sense considering everyone's unique experiences shape them into the person they are!

That being said, there are two major camps in general divergence that help sort things out a little between us: whether or not our killing game was a simulation, or more specifically, time loops.

Oumas whose killing game is a simulation and/or time loop and death is temporary:

Me (Kichi (remembers all of my loops (lie), 162+ loops so far (lie))

Loopy (does not remember his loops, 82+ loops so far)

Joker (remembers his loops, 467+ loops so far)

Petty (remembers most of his loops, ~93+ loops so far that he knows of)

Oumas whos killing game is not a simulation and death is permanent:

Me (Kichi (Dying (lie)))

Cookie (Dead)

Koko (Dead)

Bindle (Alive (for now))

Cusp (Dead)

Ender (Alive (barely))

Gemini (Dead)

Moonpie (Alive (I think (could be a lie)))

Do you each own your own version of D.I.C.E? Or are you all a part of the same organization?

Not all of us have a DICE, no! At least, it depends on the universe!

Oumas who are known to have had DICEs in their home universe:

Cookie (had a "canon" DICE as seen in his motive video)

Bindle (his DICE are a psychosis/headmate thing, he hasn't told us which it is just that they're there and they talk to him a lot)

Cusp (had a "canon" DICE similar to Cookie, PLUS his Amami-chan, who was also a member)

Gemini (his DICE was the entire V3 cast, actually! He's talked about this in one of his essays)

Oumas who are known to not have a DICE in their home universe:

Me (Kichi (lie))

Everyone else has not made mention of ever having a DICE where they came from. Well, except Joker, but Joker's story about his DICE parrots Cookie's so closely that it's hard to tell if he's lying or not.

If it is the latter, then do you all share equal ownership, or is there someone in charge?

HERE, though, it gets a little more interesting! Among the many killing game folk who live here (because we have MORE than just Oumas, y'know!) Cookie has actually gone out of his way to start a new faction of DICE after death.

Umami-chan (an Amami) and I are members of that new faction, among some others who do not use this blog! Cookie's the de facto leader, but whenever he needs a break due to post-death medical issues or whatever, I step up in his place. I'm the Ultimate Substitute Supreme Leader you might say!

Gemini is also working on getting his own DICE back from the grave! So far, he's managed to get back his Akamatsu (Lyra) and Hoshi (Ursa), as well as a couple of others (Momota and Amami) who, again, aren't on this blog.

Aside from that, us Oumas still have a tendency to cluster together in groups because as Supreme Leaders, camaraderie is what we do best! The other loopers (Loopy, Petty, and Joker) have formed a little gaggle and they try to check in with each other. Or at least, Loopy does. He's a sweetheart and worries about the other two a lot.

Furthermore, are there any other differences between each of you?

Like I said before, a lot of our differences are rooted in our experiences, and most are pretty subtle! Just for fun, though, here are some of the major differences for a few of us:

I'm pretty sure in my universe, Saihara is the mastermind. Like, 76.326% sure! (Kichi (lie))

I (Kichi) also prior to the killing game was a subject in some weird underground facility, where I grew up as far back as I can remember and everything I knew about the world came purely from TV and whether or not the things I got to ask the doctors to bring me once a week was actually possible to get and confirm they were real, but don't worry about it that's a lie! Makes a fun crazy story, though, right?

Cookie's plan to fool Monokuma with the hydraulic press actually worked and ended their killing game early! We found all this out from his Momota (Plum), who unfortunately still died from his illness after the fact. Bummer.

Loopy is the younger brother of Tsumiki Mikan, and was raised by the Remnants of Despair through the Tragedy until the Future Foundation apprehended them and put him in foster care with a shiny new family name.

Bindle found his Amami as he was dying in the library, and plans to throw the trial and take Akamatsu's place as Blackened after tipping everyone off about the potential canon he's learned about here so he can just spend his afterlife here with his Amami.

Petty had to eat his Amami when they got trapped starving in a cave! (lie)

Ender was the one who took the shot put ball to the head in his universe. Thankfully he's not dead, as the culprit had a change of heart afterward just quickly enough to get him help, but he's in critical condition in his home universe now with only Momota's astronaut emergency first aid to help him. He's not usually, like. Conscious. Obviously.

As stated before, Gemini's DICE was the entire V3 cast. They were a counter-organization to the Future Foundation, which is a lot more corrupt in his universe. They had a lot of projects going on to assist with Tragedy reconstruction in places the FF willfully turned a blind eye to, and were planning to overthrow them entirely. According to Gem, the FF themselves were the ones that caught them and put them in their killing game.

Aaaaand that's about the most pressing bits about it! We all have our own little blurbs in the Directory if there's anyone in particular you're more interested in, with our individual tags and tags for flash fiction series our dearest mods (mostly Pick with his AitCM Challenge, let's be real here) have been working on to put our stories in writing!

If you're curious on our thoughts about our various experiences from our own perspective, though, you can pop more questions in our inbox or take a look at our X on Y Essay tag, where some of us go on little tangents about inane things!

Thanks so much for the ask! It was fun getting to answer something serious for a change! We hope to hear from you again!

-Kichi

[emry-stars-art]

I hate drake so much i hope he dies a painful death in your royal AU 😡

Fairly certain this is gonna be a common agreement yes

Honestly in one version of events I just imagine Drake making a stupid mistake in a battle or border dispute and getting himself killed like a coward or an idiot because he is both of those things

In ANOTHER version I was talking about with @jtl-fics and @paradoxolotl we can make it as dramatic as we want ✨

And honestly I’ve been meaning to write it! I even started writing it, but as I went I realized it has the potential to get wayyy out of hand by way of scenes (in that it would become several scenes bc there’s so much to cover) so instead of waiting to be fully finished, I am going to give us all an early sparknotes or summary of events

What I DID write all the way was what might happen when Abram and the prince run into Spear at a ball/event: here.

(⬆️POV you are a very stupid baron and you’ve just made your very last mistake)

Find the royal au writing masterpost here 💕

After all that (the snippet) goes down, Spear is probably very angry. How dare the prince act so ungrateful to his family, how dare he be threatened by the Evermore mutt, and how dare he be publicly embarrassed like that. He’s too proud to even go fume about it on his own. He’s always had people and things to take his anger out on. So he reverts back to what he knows.

No one in the castle stops him on his search of the halls. They all recognize the Spear family - of course the Spears visited often, at least before, and often enough to send their prince to live with them. The twins and anyone else in the know about the prince’s time there are extremely private about it. The staff that see Spear have no reason to think anything of his presence at all.

But Abram is still standing watch at Andrew’s door, and he doesn’t seem about to leave. Spear likely thinks it doesn’t matter much - the brat is small and unassuming except for those nasty scars. Abram even gets distracted by a small crash coming from the direction of the stairs, wandering a little way down to see.

It should have been obvious not to underestimate an official royal bodyguard. Spear hasn’t even touched the door before Abram is there, pinning an arm behind his back as something sharp again presses to Spear’s jacket. The surprise knocks Spear against the prince’s door before Abram pulls him up and back a few steps.

Andrew does answer. Likely he thought it was Abram knocking, but as soon as he sees Spear he freezes. Spear doesn’t even have time to revel in the fear he caused - Abram uses all his weight to swing Spear around and shove him hard against the far wall. What Spear vainly thought was an empty threat before feels suddenly much more real, the way Abram doesn’t try to be at all gentle or careful. The blade is biting into Spear’s clothes.

And Spear is angry. The Evermore filth on him, the gall to treat Spear like this when Spear should be allowed to trample this brat under his horse. The brat thinking he had any say over the Palmetto prince.

He snarls, “Andrew, control your dog!”

And he doesn’t see it, but that snaps a little of Andrew’s panic. The only thing more potent than Andrew’s memories is his white hot anger at Abram’s, and even though Abram doesn’t react, Andrew absolutely refuses to let that slide.

Spear hears, “Dont let him touch you,” and then he’s released. Finally, he can get a little justice for this treatment. He turns and raises a hand to strike Abram.

Abram takes off his hand as he swings.

Andrew gets full oversight on Spear’s punishment. They have him convicted of untoward behavior, trespassing, and then Andrew allows ‘attempted destruction or harm of royal property’ only when he’s told it adds heavy consequence.

Really, it doesn’t matter all that much. Everyone in that room for the proceedings knows why he’s really there, and maybe those three charges wouldn’t always add up to a death sentence, but Aaron has been waiting for this chance. He adds ‘intention of treason’ to the trespassing charge and tells Andrew to do what he will.

Andrew doesn’t let Abram near it when they carry out the sentence. He does go through with some of his plans for Drake - he won’t ever make Drake pay 1:1 for what he’s done, but the magnitude would have been similar, had they gotten that far. They don’t, though. Andrew is doing just fine watching the proceedings, letting it pass through his eyes and ears and only be remembered when he really wanted. He had been sure he wanted this, he’d been sure it would be satisfying and cathartic. But he wasn’t feeling those things as much as he should have been.

Part of the punishment for treason is flogging. Andrew sees the strikes fall and it looks vaguely familiar. He’s seen those wounds and scars before. And suddenly it comes to him all at once; he doesn’t want to be here. He doesn’t want to watch this. He just wants Drake dead. He wants Abram.

So he moves for the first time in several minutes.

“Enough. I’m finished.”

Aaron gives him a look but gestures to the soldiers or whoever else. Andrew stands and goes to leave and there’s a scuffle behind him, yells and pounding feet. Something unsheathed and then a heavy, sickening thud. Maybe even a cut off scream.

Even then he doesn’t turn around. He can’t make himself. Spear had charged him, he understands distantly. He doesn’t know who was just struck, but the only person that should have been so close to him was his brother.

He whispers, “…Aaron?”

“Go, Andrew,” Aaron says quietly, and Andrew finally breathes again. “Abram is waiting.”

So Andrew does go, and he spends a long time holding Abram, assuring himself that Abram is there in one piece and isn’t being harmed, Drake is no longer there and can’t harm anyone else. Maybe this is far enough in that Andrew can even let himself be held, too. So he does find the catharsis and satisfaction, but not in watching Drake suffer. Just in the fact that Abram allows him close enough to hold, to play with his hair, to fall asleep there curled up in the middle of his bed. Unused mattress to every side and no space between them.

[partywithponies]

Glossary of media discussion terms I invented myself and then bring up casually as though you should know what I mean (AKA Tash Translation Guide):

The Inherent Eroticism of Solving Crimes Together:

the simple fact that the kinds of common character dynamics between the two leads of any given detective or mystery or police show (i.e. trust, devotion, talk of being "partners", sneaking around together in the dead of night) are often very easily read as romantic or sexual to fandom-brained people, even if that obviously wasn't the intention. Even if one of them's already married. Even if there's a 30 year age gap. Doesn't matter

The Holliday Grainger Effect/Holliday Grainger Syndrome:

Named for the actress Holliday Grainger and the MULTIPLE TIMES she has been cast as the less attractive/less desirable narrative foil to the more conventionally attractive and desirable female lead, as though we're all supposed to pretend Holliday Grainger isn't also an incredibly beautiful woman

The Milton Keynes Conspiracy:

Named for my joke conspiracy theory about the teen soap Grange Hill, in which I claim that within the Grange Hill universe, Milton Keynes isn't actually a real place, and that whenever a character disappears suddenly with the only explanation given being that they "moved to Milton Keynes", that was just code for them having been disappeared by the government for getting too close to The Truth™️, and every time something odd or unexplained happens or something major is just brushed under the rug and forgotten about, that was all just shady alien-related government activity and all part of The Milton Keynes Conspiracy. I tend to bring up The Milton Keynes Conspiracy whenever a show's canon, continuity, or geography makes absolutely no sense under close scrutiny and the only "logical" explanations left are things like time loops or aliens or cracks in space and time or government conspiracies.

Bastard Man (Affectionate) and Bastard Man (Derogatory):

A very important distinction. The sparknotes version is that a Bastard Man (Affectionate) is a Card Carrying Bastard who does it all with charm and charisma and confidence, knows they're a bastard and takes a twisted pride in it, and is at least funny about it, while the Bastard Man (Derogatory) is just whiny and sad and won't actually admit to being a bastard man, and usually the narrative won't admit it either and keeps treating him like a tragic hero no matter what. Has a tendency to just get away with stuff with no payoff and isn't even funny about it. Shares a lot of DNA with:

Sadboy:

My absolute least favourite character archetype, though that's purely subjective and there are still SOME Sadboys I like. I know that my opinions are not universal because part of the reason I have such a visceral dislike for them is because they're often tumblr sexymancoded and I cannot escape them in the show's tags. They're wet. They're pathetic. They're miserable. And they're pretty. Usually played by a skinny pale white boy. (Like I said. Tumblr sexymancoded). And because of this, the show and the fandom alike will expect you to ignore the fact they're an awful person and excuse everything they've ever done wrong. Look, you can't be mad at them, look how sad they are about it. Look at their big wet puppydog eyes. In fact they haven't done anything wrong at all and you're crazy for saying they have. It's everyone who was mean to him who is wrong and his wife/girlfriend is a bitch for getting mad at him. He's just a sad wet little meow meow. Ugh. Disgusting. When will [REDACTED ACTORS HERE] answer for what they and their characters have done to me.

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Rereading The Fellowship of the Ring for the First Time in Fifteen Years

Ok, so I apparently internalized almost nothing when I read this book in high school. And although I have learned a lot about what you can and cannot get away with in both written and cinematic media in 11 years of higher education...SOMEHOW THIS MAN LITERALLY GOT AWAY WITH "And then the Mirkwood Elves walked Gollum on sunny days" AND NOBODY MENTIONS IT BECAUSE THAT IS TOO RIDICULOUS FOR WORDS!!! So I guess let's talk chapter 2, "The Council of Elrond," because otherwise I'm going to keep yelling about how we just casually skated over Legolas walking the Gollum.

Ok, so this is a long-ass chapter that is mostly everybody putting together narrative puzzle pieces in real time. It's practically a TTRPG. So we're just going to make this easy and chunk this reaction out by narrative, because after Gandalf puts the kibosh on Frodo going on a leisurely hike around Rivendell, we end up in this council for almost 50 pages. Although apparently even TOLKIEN knew that he had to keep this shit moving--such as it does, at a snail's pace--because he explicitly says right at the too of the chapter that "Not all that was spoken and debated in the Council need now be told." So basically, this is the Sparknotes version of the meeting, and it STILL feels long.

But I guess we're starting with Gloin, whose tale was apparently new to Frodo. I knew about the mission to Moria and how Balin, Ori, and Oin have been missing for THIRTY GODDAMN YEARS because we covered that at the party in the last chapter, or at least enough of it to get by. What was SUPER NEW was that apparently Sauron has weirdly good information about the dwarves and what Thorin and Co. were doing in The Hobbit, because a YEAR ago, a messenger from Mordor rocked up to Dain's mountain going, "Hey, Sauron wants to be BFFS, and also what do you know about these things called hobbits?" Why is Sauron asking the dwarves? Because, says the messenger, "Sauron knows [...] that one of these was known to you on a time."

First of all, I appreciate that we aren't going to get every single little piece of info here, but...HOW THE TITMONKEYS DID SAURON RANDOMNLY KNOW THAT DAIN KNEW A HOBBIT but absolutely nothing else about either Bilbo in particular or hobbits in general? This seems like a weirdly realistic information hole to have, but given the depth of the rest of the information we're about to get in this chapter, it feels a smidge hand-wavy. Anyway, the TLDR for Gloin is that they want to warn Bilbo, ask Elrond WTAF is this ring Sauron is being coy about, and get some help ASAP because King Brand is about to fold like a house of cards. Which honestly? I gotta give the dwarves props for understanding their own internal politics that clearly and being willing to cop to weak points. Although then Elrond throws one hell of a wet towel on things:

"You have done well to come," said Elrond. "You will hear today all that you need in order to understand the purposes of the Enemy. There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it."

Cheery, Elrond, thanks for that. And even if he DOES follow it up with "But you do not stand alone," I'm not entirely sure that this is the moment to be brutally honest about there not being anything to do but hold the line.

This is followed up by a Middle Earth history lesson from Elrond that even TOLKIEN glosses over, since it spans the history of Sauron and the Rings of Power, Sauron's betrayal, the history of the One Ring, the entire history of Numenor, Elendil and his coming, the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, and the prologue of the Fellowship film. We get a little more detail about Isildur taking up the ring--as a weregild, apparently--but otherwise the TLDR here is that the victory was...y'know, ok, but not permanent or all-encompassing.

And then Elrond KEEPS GOING to tell us about how Gondor endured, rose to something that echoed Numenor's greatness (the SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAADE of the word choice there is just savage though; like way to damn Gondor with faint praise), and then declined as Sauron re-powered; he also recounts the loss of Minas Ithil and the pseudo-loss of Osgiliath.

Which is about when Boromir pops up because Elrond insufficiently praised Gondor, and also he needs to impress on everyone how close Gondor is to ACTUALLY falling. We're going to yaddah yaddah over this first little bit, because the key piece that brought Boromir to the council was a dream that both he and Faramir had that encompassed the following wee bit of a poem:

Seek for the Sword that was broken; In Imladris it dwells; There shall be counsels taken Stronger than Morgul-spells. There shall be show a token That Doom is near at hand, For Isildur's Bane shall waken, and the Halfling forth shall stand.

I don't know who controls dream visions in Middle Earth, but thank you to whoever it is for being this blunt, because humans are kinda dumb sometimes, but even they should be able to do the basics of interpretation and interpolation required in the context of the Council to go "Oh cool, we gotta send a Hobbit."

Especially since the next words out of Elrond and Gandalf are "Show them the Ring, Frodo the halfling." Unfortunately for whoever is doing dream visions in Middle Earth, Boromir is both tense, stressed, and Gondor-centric AF, because his immediate reaction is "Is then the doom of Minas Tirith come at last?" Which...HONEY...

"The words were not the doom of Minas Tirith," said Aragorn.

Literally, someone needs to get a necromancer up in here because I want to know which students (or possibly fellow faculty members) Tolkien was channeling for this exchange. Literally anyone who has ever been in a university classroom has watched this exchange play out, and I'm now having Vietnam flashbacks to the time I asked a class of students how to identify German Expressionism in a film and one kid piped up, "The actor's names are German."

Reader, that is not the answer.

But back to Middle Earth, because Aragorn has just been a sassypants at Boromir, and Boromir returns the favor by questioning Aragorn's lineage, at which point BILBO pops up and I read the next poem in Arwen's voice because Peter Jackson gave it to her in the third movie:

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken: The crownless again shall be king.

So we don't really need the most famous bit of verse from LOTR repeated here, except that I think it's pretty and also in context it's fucking HILARIOUS. Boromir was like, "Sure, we'd take help from the line of Elendil...IF WE HAD ONE" and Bilbo pops up with a SELF-WRITEN POEM and everyone--including Elrond--is just like, "Yeah, seems legit."

That is the equivalent of a lawyer showing up in court, reciting Rudyard Kipling, and everyone just...accepting that as a rational argument that supports the defendant's position. This is so absolutely ludicrous as to verge on farcical and I honestly kind of love it. BOROMIR doesn't even question it, we just kind of accept Aragorn's bona fides and move on...to Aragorn basically going "we Rangers do ten times the work that Gondor does for a tenth of the respect and recognition you get, and we wouldn't have it any other way, so SIT THE FUCK DOWN."

Boromir very reasonably drops his beef with Aragorn here and switches to "How the fuck do we know that this is the ring? Where are the receipts?" And the receipts are...basically Bilbo retelling the "Riddles in the Dark" chapter from The Hobbit and Frodo recounting his life with the Ring, which get glossed over because WE HAVE ALL BEEN READING THE BOOK UP TO THIS POINT.

This is where we get a new and quite interesting question though:

Galdor of the Havens, who sat nearby, overheard him. "You speak for me also," he cried, and turning to Elrond he said: "The Wise may have good reason to believe that the halfling's trove is indeed The Great Ring of long debate, unlikely though that may seem to those who know less. But may we not hear the proofs? And I would ask this also. What of Saruman? He is learned in the lore of the Rings, yet he is not among us. What is his counsel - if he knows the things that we have heard?"

A damn reasonable couple of questions here. I'd also want more proof than two hobbits, and I'd also be SUPER wondering where the Ring expert was, since the Ring is the main subject of this whole meeting. So this is where we finally hear what Gandalf was up to for the majority of the first half of the book, while Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin were hauling ass out of the Shire.

So, I am deeply used to and familiar with Christopher Lee's Saruman, but one of the few things I internalized from reading this book in high school was that Saruman was super not chill when Gandalf called him "the White" and was from this point on self-referentially called "of Many Colors." I also remember him being a freaking drama-llama. What I did NOT remember was that he confidently said, "Into Anduin the Great it fell; and long ago, while Sauron slept, it was rolled down the River to the Sea."

WHICH EXPLAINS WHY NOBODY THOUGHT THE ONE RING WAS IN PLAY FOR SO MANY YEARS!!! Because while everyone knew that the Ring betrayed Isildur and bailed in the river, only those of us who had read The Hobbit or the early chapters of this book knew that it hadn't actually made it to the fucking sea! There was a (sport metaphor of choice about interception or interference or whatever here) from Deagol and Smeagol! Which makes it kind of hilarious that the Ring has been in hobbity hands all this time, and Sauron just...didn't know hobbits even existed. Because life is often stranger than fiction.

Then we get a rehash of Gandalf's research trips and field work to try to track down information about the ring, and a lot of this we got in earlier chapters when Gandalf was giving Frodo the cliffnotes version in the Shire. Had I been the editor on this book, I would have strongly recommended we do a little less retreading of this ground, but apparently Tolkien was anti-editor, so I'm just going to skip to end when Gandalf and Aragorn are like, "So we handed Gollum over to the Mirkwood Elves, and he's still imprisoned there to this day."

At which point Legolas immediately pops up with "Um, so actually, we fucked up. We were walking the Gollum dog and he escaped. Our bad." Which all and Sundry generally agree is a bad thing, except for Gloin, who has a REALLY DAMN GOOD POINT when he says, "'You were less tender to me,' said Gloin, with a flash of his eyes, as old memories were stirred of his imprisonment in the deep places of the Elven-king's halls." Thorin and Co. did not get their daily walkies, and that's a valid point. Gandalf full-on silences Gloin here, and that is wildly uncool of him, because again, Elf-Dwarf racism is real and he probably shouldn't invalidate Gloin's experience.

Reading this book again is REALLY damaging my love of Gandalf, I have got to say...

So skipping over the well-known attempted turning of Gandalf by Saruman and the eagles thing (I am not talking about the eagles. Find another corner of the internet to yell about that in), we get a first look at Rohan! Gandalf needed a horse to get back to Frodo, and Rohan is apparently Middle Earth's Horses R Us. Unfortunately, they're besieged by the forces of the enemy, they're paying tithes to Mordor in horses, and Theoden is probably starting to fall under the sway of Wormtongue at this point. So Gandalf gets the wonderful Shadowfax from Rohan, who is APPARENTLY A CAMOFLAUGE HORSE:

And there is one among them that might have been foaled in the morning of the world. The horses of the Nine cannot vie with him; tireless, swift as the flowing wind. Shadowfax they called him. By day his coat glistens like silver; and by night it is like a shade and he passes unseen.

I am not a horse girl (horse smell is gross), but even I can appreciate a color-changing horse that lets you haul ass across the world unseen at night. Good horse. *Pats him awkwardly on the head.*

And then we get MORE expansion of information we already largely know or could extrapolate from the available data--seriously, did NO ONE have the balls to tell Tolkien he could get repetitive?--before we come to the vital question: We have the Ring; what the hell do we do with it?

I will say that I appreciate that Gandalf knows Tom Bombadil well enough to know that he would be THE WORST possible guard for the Ring and shoots that idea down fast.

I also found it really interesting that Glorfindel was super ride-or-die for the idea of actually yeeting the Ring into the ocean, as if putting it back on the course it started when it betrayed Isildur would somehow put everything right. As if the intercept by hobbits was the problem, and not that the Ring itself is the receptacle of all evil in Middle Earth. Like, points for trying, my dude, but I'm pretty sure that magic trumps the crushing pressure of the depths of the sea floor and Sauron could summon that shit back if he really put his mind to it.

Elrond is correct that we have to yeet the Ring into the volcano, and he is equally correct that the task is appointed to Frodo. It just takes everyone a hot minute to get there because everyone keeps trying to avoid volunteering or handing the Ring off to someone who would be DANGEROUSLY powerful with it.

Bilbo's attempt to volunteer was super heartwarming and cute, but I'm with literally everyone else in the room that he's too old and the Ring wouldn't have it anyway. So Frodo volunteers, and Sam absolutely pops up, because he'll be DAMNED if he's leaving Master Frodo <3 <3 <3

HOO BOY, that was a long one, and there was a lot of graduate-level contextualizing, adding of detail, and citing of sources, because apparently Tolkien can't get away from his academic roots even when he's writing about nine dudes on a quest to melt down some jewelry. I don't mind thorough, but I'd be lying if I said that chunks of this didn't feel like unnecessary repetition. At the very least though, we have made it through this chapter, and that's about where I'm going to leave it this time. It looks like next time we'll be picking up to really get this quest moving though, and I'm looking forward to setting out with our fellowship!

[cto10121]

Re-watching the New Moon movie and I have many Thoughts(tm), namely

Why is the cinematography is so warm toned compared to the first movie when New Moon is the most depressing book and truly the worst era of Bella’s young life: A Mystery in 2 Hours

At least Pattinson!Edward looks a little better than usual. They put him in these crisp suits. Very nice (Edit: Never mind, that awful Volturi bathrobe with the pasty-ass makeup was horrific yuck, yuck, yuck)

They just had to introduce Jacob this early on, didn’t they? And ofc Bella is much more emotive and gets all the witty dialogue with him (!!). In the books she is much more romantic and wittier with Edward as a whole. Jacob tended to bring out her immature side

“How come Jacob Black gets to give you a gift and I can’t?” “Because I have nothing to give back to you” Nice to know the screenwriter(s) still doesn’t understand the Bedward dynamic. And by nice I mean horrific

…What film version of R&J are they watching??? It’s not the ‘30s version and definitely not the ‘60s or ‘90s one. Is it the ‘70s BBC one? In the book it was the ‘60s version, which is the correct answer. Did they not get the rights? Also, also, why are the human characters much more affected by R&J than Bella and Edward????

“[Romeo] Killed his only love out of sheer stupidity” “Yeah” Oh no, no, no, no, movie, you are not going to make Bella, a close Romeo iteration, agree with Edward!!! Edward is meant to be 100% wrong by his take. Dumbass script!!!

Edward: “Eyes, look your last” 😐 Couldn’t Pattinson just inject a little bit more feeling into his line reading? Most of Edward’s objections were Romeo’s actions, not his suicide. These are the lines Edward can and should relate to.

The movie people garbing the Volturi in 18th century clothing when they are older than the Romans is just laughable

“Dating an older woman. Hot.” Okay, Emmett is 💯, no notes. Definitely erred on the side of frat boy, but you know what, it’s fun and ho boy do these movies lack it

Bella holding up her whole bloody finger in a coven of vampires 💀 Why, movie

Stewart!Bella’s chemistry with almost everyone else in the cast (that scene with Carlisle tending her wound!!!) but Pattinson!Edward confirms what I have known all along: Film and real life chemistry are very different and they shouldn’t be confused. The proof is in the celluloid.

I’m just going to call it: Stewart and Pattinson are modern subtle quirky actors playing what are essentially neo-Gothic star-crossed lover roles. They absolutely should never have been considered for these parts at all by a competent director. Absolutely not fitting at all

“You’re just not good for me.” Hmm, this is what Bella believes about herself, not Edward. I suppose Edward could have done it on purpose, but the fact that he was flabbergasted his lie worked indicates that he doesn’t. Movie just straight up portrays him as more manipulative than in the books, where he just lies baldly

Oh God the months-on-the-screen thing was terrible. This movie fails so much at portraying Bella’s depression, it hurts. It’s like visual SparkNotes

The Bella-writing-to-Alice device sucks. Not too badly, but still. We had her voiceover in the first movie without any problems but for this one, we need a justification? Also, it fuels the Bella/Alice fan dumb something awful

Really dislike the way they did Hallucination!Edward with the ghostly transparent effect. It’s corny and also…way to pass up a chance at some mystery and intrigue by just having Edward be there without any special effects (maybe keep the echoing voice). I guess they really didn’t want people confused and think he returned when he didn’t. But c’mon.

Movie Bella going off with the biker 🤮 Book Bella at her most insane would never. The only good thing about it is that it does lead to Bella having an interest in motorcycles. Efficient movie storytelling and all that.

“Bella, where the hell have you been, loca?” Wonder why this line became so meme-worthy. It’s by far not the worst (“spider monkey” is perhaps the most awful) and Lautner’s delivery was natural enough. Is it the random Spanish? It is random.

Bella is already smiling at her first scene with Jacob…this movie is just awful at selling her desolation. Meanwhile Jacob’s first thought was how awful Bella looked

The Quileute characters are well-cast and nicely played so far, and their banter is good. Emily especially is beautiful and her scar makeup was convincing. Great

Book: “He took off his shirt” Movie: He took off his ~~~~shirt 😍

Laurent’s arrival and his death should have been a much better and weightier scene than we got. God, the pacing is so bad in this movie. Jacob becomes a werewolf, Bella finds the meadow, Laurent suddenly arrives—all within a minute or so. Ugh

“As soon as you put the dog out.” Damn, why, movie? Book Alice did not begin the slurs until she was well and truly angry. But sure, let’s do some really obvious racebaiting 🙄

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Jacob KNEW he was talking to Edward and not Carlisle????? Movie, wtf? And all to save up on some screen time…sigh

Bella: “I can let you go now.” What. The. Fuck. Movie????? Not only could she not let Edward go, Bella never wanted to let him go. That was and had never been her arc!!! She would have gone to Edward regardless of anything!!! I hate this, I hate this oh GOD

No, I’m not done, I need another bullet point for this BS. The whole reason why Twilight was picked up to be adapted in the first place was because Hollywood execs saw “Ooh Romeo and Juliet with vampires 🤑” written all over this one…only for the actual filmmakers to just say, “Actually her whole ~journey this movie is letting go of Edward uwu” Poor Meyer…she just had to grin and bear it until she became the producer, I suppose

*Bella and Edward having a whole-ass conversation and making out* *Felix and Demetri watching in the shadows*: “So…should we interru—” “Don’t you DARE” “Felix” 🤣 I’m sorry, but this whole “I lied I do love you” convo should have been in the bedroom scene proper; there are literal Volturi about!!! Also, also, no “Amazing. Carlisle is right”!!! No Romeo quote!!!! Fie, for shame

Dakota Fanning as Jane…Well, probably not perfection, but she is great as usual. The Volturi got done so dirty overall, though—they look and act like Vampire Diaries rejects.

THAT ELEVATOR SCENE, OH GOD. So much meme potential. Why does this series keep injecting humor and comedy where there shouldn’t be and just ditching the actual humor and comedy of the actual books?????

Again, these Volturi gives me discount Vampire Diaries. Also, that chamber is so damn small. Where is the mystique, the grandiosity?There should be a crowd of vampires around, it’s their dinnertime.

Michael Sheen is just too British for the la tua cantante, lol. He also says something else (“Forse le vostre l’uno per altro”??? The accent is just too thick). He’s way too handsy (movie, they’re regular vampires who are sharks!!) but overall I guess his creepy-genteel approach works. Again, the cringy script fucks him over, as it does everyone. The movie has him touch Edward only now and not immediately when he meets him. Oh, God.

Edward just stumbling forward to Jane’s demonstration on Bella 💀 Jane saying “Pain” and Edward just standing there instead of collapsing �� Stewart!Bella freaking out and begging them to stop…actually, no, there she did very well, I liked it

Edward and Felix fighting ewwww…and with that awful slow-mo. What’s with these movies and including non-canonical battle shit???? Also, Aro would not order Bella’s execution if simply because he wants to collect Edward/Alice and Bella once she turns (it’s obvious she is a shield).

Of course fucking Alice speaks up at the very last minute before Aro chomps on Bella!!! When she would have had a vision of this exact scenario!!! This movie I swear!!!

THEY ACTUALLY SHOW THE VISION OF VAMPIRE BELLA, OH GOD. AND WITH THE CORNY SLOW-MO. KILL ME

“Once Alice changes me, you can’t get rid of me.” Okay, Movie Bella is officially more interested in immortality than Edward, the exact opposite of her book counterpart. Dishonor on your cow, Rosenberg.

“Jake, I love you.” Aaaaaand it’s official, the movies are definitely Team Jacob. Fuck you, too, movie

[mittenlady]

why klavquill

originally i thought of the pairing as a joke because simon would totally hate klavier, but like… i thought further upon it and now i fr am invested. i could say sooooo many things. so:

here’s a post i made a while ago explaining

here's another post focusing on the aspects of other dynamics that would be affected; less important but fun to mention

and let me provde an updated (attempt at being more concise but simultaneously more elaborative) version:

• thematic similarities in that they both helped usher in the dark age of the law BS. klavier got phoenix disbarred (which ig because he’s the golden boy is the end of the world but TBF the crazy ass corruption he exposed in his first three (?) years as an attorney does make him incredibly significant and a sort of figurehead) and simon went to prison for “murder” a year after that

• adding onto that, klavier and simon worked at the prosecutor’s office for one year of overlap (2019-2020) prior to simon’s sentence. even if they didn’t know each other directly, they would have known of each other (guy who got phoenix wright disbarred during his first trial and guy handling an international spy case with criminal affairs) (also i really love the estranged friends to lovers narrative)

• and even at that, they likely WOULD have had to interact during turnabout academy. simon was literally prosecuting the case. yes, klavier didn’t have an official investigation, but you’re telling me that they’re working on the same case without a single interaction???? frankly it’s just poor writing and they didn’t want to put in the effort to connect AJ’s narrative properly; which was an actual writing direction they had so why am i surprised.

• juxtaposition of older sibling situations; both in prison but for different reasons. i want to analyze this bit more but there’s something there

• sharing a narrative of healing from the ghosts of their pasts after DD :)

• both are incredibly melodramatic and theatrical in court. they’re on the same wavelength; and speaking just from a writer’s perspective, writing their interactions is some of the most fun i’ve had lol. if you’re curious, here’s my ao3 series containing all the fics i’ve written for them so far :)

• they also do have similar aesthetics in the sense that they both wear darker colors. klavier has a more grunge (?) / generally alternative (and like 70s-80s generic rockstar) style and simon… dresses like he’s from the victorian era yes (not counting the jinbaori) but he has more of a goth / emo vibe? i’m articulating this very poorly they both just look very well together. also men with long hair :)

sparknotes version: i think they have a lot of similarities and parallels and narratively, i believe it would make more sense for them to be together. part of it may also be wanting to connect the narratives of AJ and DD properly but idk. it just makes more sense, at least to me, in comparison to other pairings

[gregorygerwitz]

What do you mean about fate and FS and Moustead?

Hello! Thank you for falling for my lil trap!

There is so much because I'm longwinded, have fun with this I got too excited getting to put this all into words.

I've been against using "fate" as an argument for FitzSimmons, specifically, since... 2017? Yeah, that's when that half of s4 aired. I'll give you a SparkNotes version, for anyone who didn't watch Agents of SHIELD - Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons, who I do love as a ship in the early seasons, I have nothing against the ship specifically, just the "they're fated to be together" argument. They met at the SHIELD academy when they were kids, when Jemma sat next to Fitz in a class and they became... friends? They both thought the other hated them and they were gonna be rivals, while secretly admired each other and how smart they were the whole time. Anyway, now they're married and have a daughter, which is cute as shit, good for them, this is not an anti-FitzSimmons post.

I don't think they're fated to be together.

I use the Framework-created alternate reality to make this point every time. In that reality, Ophelia is the one who sat next to Leopold, and that butterfly effects into them being in a relationship down the line. Ophelia specifically set it up to be that way, I get that, I know that's how the Framework arc worked. My username was HoldenDadcliffe across most social media for 4 years, I know what I'm talking about. But the argument could be made that Fitz would have ended up with anyone who sat next to him in class and engaged with him, whether as a friend or a presumed rival or what have you. That's the only point I want to make. It could have been anyone. In the real world, it was Jemma. In the Framework, it was Ophelia. It could have been Matt, my Bruises Verse OC, it could have been anyone. It was the situation that brought them together, not the universe. That doesn't make the relationship any less important or genuine, it's just a fact.

Anyway, I would argue that Moustead is fated to be in each other's lives, especially if we take the possibilities in Bolivia into account. Not necessarily in a romantic way, because soulmates, or whatever you want to call it, don't have to be romantic. I just think they're meant to exist in the world together, and the universe seems to be encouraging that.

For instance, in Afghanistan, Jay did make friends with Knox first. In canon. They were close, they built explosives together, had to rely on each other to survive, the whole nine yards. They were halfway around the world with only their team to count on and trust. They had to be a family to stay alive. And then Knox did everything he did, and that friendship was obviously completely ruined after that, which meant that one of Jay's most important relationships at the time was just... decimated. He had to find someone who he could actually rely on, someone who wouldn't murder civilians because he wasn't taught to handle his emotions in a healthy way.

Mouse wasn't exactly handling his emotions in a healthy way, either, but at least his poor coping mechanisms didn't have a civilian body count, you know? Like, the only person he hurts is himself? It's fine, he gets better, eventually. But the idea of the universe seeing Jay make a friend, and going "wait, no, not that one, come back here" is just so... *chef's kiss* It's just a coincidence, at that point, but there sure are a lot of coincidences, aren't there?

He gets attached to the one other person from Chicago. The one other person who survived that war zone with him. The one person who kept him sane - who he also kept sane - when they got home and had to navigate civilian life again.

They just work, you know? They balance each other out in so many ways. Jay is absolutely driven by his heart - he wants to help people, he wants to put good into the world and take bad out, he wants to fall in love and have a constant presence in his life. On the other hand, Mouse is driven by his head - he's so smart, and he uses that to learn about computers and the world around him, and he has great ideas. They both rely on those opposites so much that it hurts them. Jay holds onto relationships until they tear him apart. Mouse thinks things through so much that he had to turn to drugs to keep himself from unraveling.

They even go so far as to completely reject those opposites in themselves. If Jay used his head, he'd know to let go of relationships and connections long before they hurt him the way the do. If Mouse used his heart, he'd be less untethered, he'd have more connections to his Chicago life than just Jay. Of course, all of my labels for them are just headcanons, but Jay being aspec and Mouse being arospec adds to this so beautifully.

Even if it is all coincidence, that balance is so important to their relationship. If one goes too far, the other can pull them back, and they really make up one fully functional human being together. They share a braincell, for sure, and Mouse usually has it. Jay certainly didn't have it in s5, that's a fact.

I think, with Jay leaving the show - and rehashing the same speech that Mouse gave him with only slightly different wording - the universe might be pushing them together again? Obviously, canon hasn't mentioned Mouse since s4, and we're never going to know if they're actually serving their country together again, but I can pretend. I can pretend that the person Jay called his best friend is still in his life, somehow.

But especially with how s9 went, and that whole year leading up to Jay leaving for Bolivia...

Even just starting with the Knox episode, 9x03, that had to bring up memories that he hasn't thought about in a while. I'm almost certain that he came across a few pictures of Mouse while he was doing his digging, even if we didn't get to seem them on screen.

After that, I want to bring up 9x09. Lovingly, the rushed marriage episode. (I love Upstead, but their romance arc was rushed and if they, the writers, had taken the time to develop the relationship more, they could have navigated the distance much more easily, or at least put off the actual wedding until Jay made his way through his crisis and they were both in a more stable place, but that's just my opinion and not the point of this post, ignore me) I just think about that episode a lot in a Moustead context because of what made Jay panic and rush into it like that. They had to get the FBI off of Voight and Hailey, obviously, but the steps they took had to be personal to him, at least in the context of his friendship with Mouse. A young, queer-coded drug addict, who was the same age that Mouse was when they met, using him and this weakness (that Jay canonically doesn't judge, he literally gave Mouse drug money in s1) and holding that over his brother as leverage, it's... He saw the lowest point of his best friend's life right in front of his face, something that he couldn't fix before and can't fix now, and Jay...

Jay, who just wants to help people, and put some more good into the world, and fix things because he hasn't had much control in his life and now he's older and stronger and he can do something. He used this intimate knowledge he has of people in that situation for his own personal gain, in a way, and doesn't that make him feel so dirty? But he can't think about it too hard, because he's not the one who uses his head. Mouse is his head, the one who would have actually said out loud how stupid and reckless and horrible that idea was and how they shouldn't do it. Because it was exploiting a literal child, who didn't do anything wrong beyond giving into vices. But Jay... Jay is the heart. He finds someone he cares about and he holds on so tight. And he was already engaged to Hailey, so what's the harm in moving the wedding up?

He'd already lost the person he'd been thinking about for months, and it's not like he could just call and ask Mouse to come back to Chicago, not after how things ended. But he could hold onto the people he loved who were close. He could turn an engagement into a marriage. He could insert himself further into Voight's bullshit. He could cement himself in the team and focus on what he had, not what he missed.

Then there was Adam's undercover thing, and the overdose, and even if November 2011, specifically, is from my headcanons, how many times did Jay worry? How many times did he text or call or pop by to make sure that Mouse was high but not in danger? How much did he check in after Mouse's multiple felonies and other petty crimes and make sure he was okay and alive? How many times did Jay have to worry, over their 10+ year friendship, that he'd lost someone he cares about so much?

And then there's s10, with his exit, and that entire episode doing the exact same thing to me, emotionally. 10x03, my beloved, my ride or die, my defining moment... A veteran is doing his best, getting pulled into crime just to pull himself afloat, getting hurt and getting himself killed through that. Isn't that something Jay has seen before? Just with a less tragic finale? Of course he helped clear up the guy's record, so that his family could still get the benefits, and all of that wasn't done for nothing. And then...

He left. He went back to the army, however loosely, basically quoted Mouse's reasons for why - because how else would he explain it? The logic is sound, of course it is, the head handles the logic. Jay just followed the logic laid out for him six years earlier, when his heart finally caught up with it.

And the idea that they somehow ended up in the same area again? Working together and rekindling their friendship now that they're finally on the same page? What else could that be?

It's fate.

[420thewritersroom]

Deadly Sakura (Part 2)

*trips onto this blog with this* hey ya'll how you doing :D

It's been a minute and I finally feel confident enough to bring this out! This has been sitting in my drafts for a LONG ASS while, like goddamn. I'm been slowly working on this and I feel like this is complete enough where I'm comfortable sharing the next half of this story. It will take another while before the next chapter is shown because one, I've been getting real acquainted with an old game from my childhoood and got the inspiration to write about it, and two, I just really need to take my time.

I realized that I made a mistake jumping onto this and making this into a series because I don't have a concrete blueprint of where I want to take this story. I hyped myself up, being pretty new to this fandom and making fanwork for an establish fandom got me a bit anxious. I found myself feeling guilty for not being able to pump out more chapters and I want to get out of that mindset. That's why I've been working on another, personal, project that I can't wait to show you guys sometime soon. I've been telling myself that it's ok if you loose interest for a while, the inspiration will come back to you as long as you keep the drafts.

But enough about me, here's the part 2 of Deadly Sakura! I'll post this on AO3 tomorrow because I'm lazy.

~Try as Liu Kang might, some circumstances are inevitable. Kung Lao has perished under the hands of Earthrealms enemies, leaving everyone to mourn the loss of his untimely departure. And some took his death harder than most. Raiden nearly became the very thing Liu Kang feared he would become, and out of wounded grief, opted to remove his memories and leave Earthrealm partially unprotected as he disbanded his warriors. Yet, something darker is rearing its head, and soon, Earthrealm and the realms beyond will need the help of Liu Kang's champions and some unexpected heroes. Especially when an old friend (and foe) comes back to say hello~

Characters: Kenshi, Johnny Cage, Jax, Raiden, Kung Lao, Fuji

Word Count: 9,652

Ships: Kenshi/Johnny Cage & Raiden/Kung Lao

Previous // Next

Wilted Cherry Blossoms, Dark Thunderstorms, Burning Hopes: Remastered

Kenshi bursts through the fire exit door, leading him and Johnny to the back alleyway and away from public notice. Kenshi quickly dials Jax's number, muttering to himself for his partner to pick up the phone (and doing his best to ignore Johnny's constant questioning).

Finally, the familiar voice of Briggs on the other line gives Kenshi a sliver of hope that they might be able to escape this soon.

"Kenshi! Where the hell are you? I told you we'd meet 5 minutes ago; what's holding you up?"

"Jackson, we got company and need to get to China. How long for you to get to my location?" Kenshi hurriedly says as he pulls Johnny with him down the alleyway.

"Company? What kind of 'company'?"

"The kind that looks pale and dead."

"And breaks into other peoples' private property!" Johnny unceremoniously chimes in, getting a hissing scold from Kenshi in response.

"Hold up, do you have someone with you, Kenshi?"

"I don't have time to explain! Just meet me at the garage near the Starbucks on 114th Street!" Kenshi then disconnects the call, not wanting Johnny or Jax to further interact; even though it's going to become inevitable soon.

"Whoa there, You still gotta tell me what this is all about too!" Johnny insisted as he caught up with Kenshi. "Who was that guy, and what's going on?"

"Once we randevu with my associate, then we'll talk."

"And this 'associate' fellow is?"

"I'm more concerned about getting out of here than answering questions right now, Johnny."

Kenshi feels Johnny grab his wrist and force the swordsman to face him. "Johnathan now's not-"

"Then make time, Kenshi! At least give me the SparkNotes version of what's going on!" Johnny growls as he tightens his grip around Kenshi's wrist.

Kenshi feels his spine tingle, hearing Johnny growl his name. While he does make a mental note of that (for later), he readjusts his thinking back to the matter at hand. Kenshi never really came forward with his line of work with Johnny; he wasn't sure if he could trust the Hollywood actor to keep his mouth shut and not brag about dating an FBI agent.

The swordsman sighs, finally relenting to Johnny's request, "A month ago, when I was in Japan, I was tracking down a notorious gang known as the Jeido taigā bando, Jade Tiger Band in English. I was helping my associate track them down because he suspected that they were associated with…A far more dangerous crime organization."

"Let me guess, you pissed off the wrong guy, and now they're sending their goons to come after you, right?" Johnny huffs, acting as though he's heard this story before.

"Not really. To keep the story short, what I found when I discovered their base of operations was individuals who I can only classify as…Undead…And they're planning on expanding their ranks by digging up more bodies or adding to the body count for them to raise."

Johnny gives Kenshi a look, letting go of his wrist and crossing his arms. "Ok, so we're dealing with some Night of the Living Dead invasion-type shit? Does Bruce Kang know about this?"

"Not yet. Contacting Liu Kang gets difficult every day that passes, even with Geras serving as his line operator. I was going to report my findings to my associate-"

"It's ok, you can call him Jackson." Johnny was already getting slightly annoyed by the avoidance of names here.

If Kenshi still had eyes, he'd roll them to the back of his skull, "I need to get to him and report what I discovered. Afterwards, I'm going to Liu Kang personally."

"Why not go to Liu right now? A possible zombie invasion sounds like something that should be brought to his attention as soon as possible."

"I still have my obligations to my work, Johnny." Kenshi sighs.

"Work that you still haven't explained to me, Kenshi."

"Later. Let's just meet Jackson before that body catches up with us."

"A little late for that," Johnny looks down the alleyway in the direction of the fire exit they escaped from.

Standing at the far end of the alleyway, the undead creature they fought earlier and sent 200 ft back to the lobby glares their red eyes at the pair.

"Fuck me," Kenshi says, exasperated.

Almost on cue, the undead creature rushes at the duo, Johnny and Kenshi getting into a fighting stance. Once the creature was halfway to their position, Johnny was the first to meet them and threw a punch at them. Kenshi draws out Sento and helps Johnny, partaking in the back and forth between them and the monster.

The creature manages to grab at Johnny, clutching his throat in a death grip, before throwing him at Kenshi. Had they been the rivals they were before, Kenshi would've let Johnny fall. And perhaps he should've let Johnny fall, for his attempt to catch Johnny stumbles him in return. The undead creature lunges for Kenshi, their sharp claws countered thanks to Sento's protection. Kenshi quickly gets Johnny back on his feet and grabs the floating hilt of his sword, reengaging with the monster as he puts distance between them and Johnny, giving the actor a moment to recover.

The sounds of steel and hardened claws clashing together fill the air as Kenshi fights off the undead creature. Kenshi misses the monster feinting him, screaming when he feels its claws dig deep into his skin as it slashes him across his midsection. Johnny comes up behind the undead creature, round house kicking them in the head and sending them to the ground.

"Kenshi!" Johnny attempts to help the wounded Kenshi, only to feel an arm wrap around their neck, stopping him in his tracks.

Johnny grunts as he tries to prevent the undead creature from choking him out-or worse-snapping his neck. The creature's breath can be felt on the side of his face as they darkly chuckle, "You can join your crippled friend with our family if you're that desperate to join him."

Johnny can feel his consciousness slipping, the bastard's grip on him too powerful for him to overcome. Before going under, Johnny's ears ring as he hears the creature holler in pain. In his peripherals, Johnny can see the mystical blade of Sento breaching through the monster's head, right where their left eyeball resided. Johnny uses this time to escape, coughing as he recovers.

Kenshi removes Sento from the creature's head, leaving a slitted hole where the katana once resided. Gathering his strength and swift movements, Kenshi goes for the head again, scalping the creature before jabbing Sento into its brain, the steel running through the organ and the rest of its body before settling within the undead monstrosity's ribcage. Finally, their current nightmare ends as the creature goes limp once again. Removing Sento, Kenshi lets the body flop to the ground, stepping his foot on their neck and ready to behead the monster if it so much as moved another inch.

…It doesn't move.

Kenshi hisses as his still bleeding wound catches up with him, the adrenaline coming down. He leans against the stonewalls that make up the alleyway, breathing heavily as he continues to lose blood.

"Kenshi. Whoa, easy there, I got ya!" Johnny steps to Kenshi's side, holding him up and allowing Kenshi to put his weight on him. Johnny makes a hissing whistle sound as he helps Kenshi trudge through the alleyway, "They cut ya up pretty good. You think you'll make it to that Starbucks?"

"I'll be," Kenshi huffs between words, "I'll be fine."

"Yeah, you sound 'fine,'" Johnny half-heartedly jests as they get closer to reaching the main streets. Which only worries Johnny further. With an injured Kenshi, his stardom, and it's still light outside, there will be eyes on them, whether they like it or not. "Ok, Kenshi, Imma need you to pick up your feet once we get out there. The sooner we get to your associate, the better."

Getting into the crowd, the pair make their way through the moving bodies, trying to give as little reason for anyone to take notice of them. Every wayward glance gave Johnny a spike of anxiety as he prayed and hoped that no one would immediately recognize him, even with his rise to popularity as a director. Before they both knew it, they reached their destination. Johnny glanced around, looking for anyone who might be expecting someone.

"Come on, where are they? Hey, Kenshi, what does this Jackson guy look like?"

"Don't need to look far, Mr. Cage."

Johnny twists his head, only to be faced by a tall, perhaps a couple cm off Johnny), dark-skinned individual. "You must be Jackson, right?"

"Right. What happened to him?" Jackson nodded over to Kenshi as he guided them to his vehicle. "Place him in the back; I got a first aid kit he can use."

"We had some company slow us down," Johnny opens the back car door, helping Kenshi into the car before helping himself to riding shotgun.

Kenshi didn't need to ask where Jackson kept his first aid kit, always in a hidden compartment inside the middle seat. He takes out all the necessary items to thread himself back together, though the work was slightly sloppy thanks to the moving vehicle.

"So, when were you going to tell me you were close to a Hollywood star?"

"What? So that you can pester me for an autograph?" Kenshi hisses as he runs the needle and thread through his skin.

"Aw, Kenshi. To deprive a fan of mine a chance to have a personal trinket with my name on it from yours truly is the most heinous thing of you to do," Johnny voiced.

"And I'm certain there's a special place in Hell for me for that." Kenshi jests back with Johnny before adjusting his mind to the reason he needed to speak with Jackson to begin with. "I found the Jade Tiger Band. They were all dead when I discovered where they were headquartered."

"Dead? All of them?" Jackson's eyebrows raise as he occasionally glances at Kenshi's reflection in the rearview mirror.

"All that remained of them was bodies. But…There are more concerning things about this situation. I saw the cargo with the Black Dragon's symbol printed on them, so they were in legion with the organization. How deep, I don't know. But while there, when I discovered the bodies, the building was almost repurposed in a…cult-like fashion. I saw, firsthand, bodies being given life, under the control of some puppet master."

If it wasn't for the fact that Jackson not only worked for the FBI but also the OIA, Kenshi's certain that everything that he just said would have him laughed out of the vehicle or into a mental institute. There's a moment of silence as Jackson takes a moment to process what Kenshi relayed.

"This job just gets stranger and stranger. Do you think the Black Dragon is behind these…Bodies coming back from the dead?"

"I don't think so, Jax. The attire these individuals wore was not Black Dragon material. Then again, the Black Dragons are not known for being uniformed. But the many times we tailed them, sorcery was never on their resume." Kenshi groans his final sentence as he starts wrapping himself up in cloth and medical alcohol.

"Do you think that sorcerer fella might be involved?" Jax questions.

"Shang Tsung?" Johnny chimes in.

"You know him?" Jax gives Johnny a quick look.

"Oh, not only do I know him, but Kenshi and I beat that bastard into prison and saved the world from a universe collapse. How else do you think I got the inspiration for MORTAL KOMBAT: CHAMPIONS OF TIME?"

Thanks to the fact that they stopped at a long red light, Jackson couldn't help but look at Johnny & Kenshi in disbelief. This isn't the first time Jax has had this revelation given to him, how else would the Outworld Investigation Agency exist if not for him?

"You know, if it weren't for Kenshi breaking the news to me before about your involvement in this whole…Circus fuckery, I wouldn't have believed that YOU, Mr. Cage, experienced this crazy shit first hand."

"Please, you can call me Johnny. No need for formalities."

"Back to the matter at hand," Kenshi interjects. "I believe that Shang Tsung might be behind this entire operation. I don't think he's working closely with the Black Dragon, but I wouldn't be surprised if they somehow got into contact with one another."

"And what makes you think that Shang Tsung might be involved?" Johnny takes his turn to look in the backseat where Kenshi sat.

"The magic used to bring these creatures back looked similar to how Shang utilizes his own sorcery. That, and it was green. And aside from Quan Chi, I don't know anyone else whose magic gives off a green color." Kenshi explains.

"Wait, who's Quan-"

"I'll tell you about him later, Jax." Kenshi interrupts. "Right now, there's a possible chance that Shang Tsung is causing dead people to come back from the grave, and the Black Dragon is possibly involved."

"Well, we can't work on chances and possibilities. If they're truly operating together, we're going to need concrete proof. People coming back from the dead might not be enough to get the higher-ups to look deeper into this, especially since they're still wrapping their heads around what is and is not possible with these supernatural occurrences." said Jax.

At this point, they arrived at a discreet enough motel, Jax pulling the vehicle into an available parking space under a shaded tree.

"I know, But maybe this will be enough to prove my suspicions. The Jeido Taigā may have been compromised and most of their members dead, but I was able to pinpoint where their next point of operation may be. Got it off a dying Taigā and convinced them I was one of them. They're right in our front yard, hoping to make a transaction somewhere in San Jose."

"Well, what a coincidence, because our inside gal reported to us not too long ago about a trade happening in San Jose, right in an abandoned warehouse," Jax smirks as he trains his eyes back at Kenshi through the rearview mirror.

"Great! Then all we gotta do is bust the bad guys, kick Shang Tsungs ass, and the day is saved!" Johnny rubs his hands in anticipation.

“Um, I’m sorry, ‘we’?” Jax gives Johnny a look.

“Johnny, can we talk for a minute?” Kenshi gives Johnny’s shoulder a firm squeeze before exiting the car, hissing in pain as his freshly patched-up wounds send signals of pain to him.

“Oh, boy, here we go,” Johnny mumbles, exiting the car with Kenshi.

Jax follows suit, closing the driver's door. “I already got us a room, when you need to sit it out for a minute,” Jax gestures to Kenshi and where his wound was, “We’re in room 118.”

Kenshi nods as he walks closer to the tree that provided them shade from the beaming sun above. He crosses his arms, looking directly in the direction where Johnny is.

“Ok, what did I do?”

“Nothing, Johnny.”

“Ok, but you’re giving me your ‘serious Kenshi’ face. You look like this, right now,” in which Johnny gives Kenshi an overly exaggerated pouty look.

Unfortunately, for Johnny, Kenshi wasn’t in the mood to entertain the actor. “You’re not coming with us.”

“What? Why not? Didn’t you just say that Shang Tsung could be behind this weird Undead invasion thing? That silver-tongued bastard is my business too, Kenshi.”

“I said no, Johnny.”

“Is this because I renounced my standing as one of Earthrealm's protectors?”

“No, Johnny, I-”

“Because if it is, I now renounce my renouncement as one of Earthrealm's protectors. I can help Kenshi, anything involving Shang Tsung is bad news, and I’d be damned if-”

“This isn’t about that, it’s something completely different.” Kenshi can already feel his annoyance with Cage brewing.

“How different is this? Didn’t Liu Kang set you up with this job?”

“No, he didn’t. Why do you think I need to get to China?”

“Wait, then what’s this all about if Liu Kang doesn’t know about this?” Johnny looks at Kenshi confused.

At this point, Kenshi just had enough. He prays to whoever would listen that Johnny wouldn’t make such a fuss about this and pulls his boyfriend closer. Then and there, Kenshi finally came forward about his association with the FBI and OIA (Outer World Investigation Agency) to Johnny. He still left some details out, only giving the essentials of what his job entailed. Johnny looks at Kenshi amazed before a huge smile crosses his face.

“Well, I’ll be damned! I didn’t know I had 007 as a boyfriend as well.”

“Johnathan, this is serious!”

“Kenshi, don’t worry! I’m not going to tell, I’m not that irresponsible. Even I have secrets I prefer others didn’t know too. Plus, I’m an actor, my secrets are all I have now.” Johnny gives Kenshi a reassuring peck on the cheek to prove his loyalty.

“I mean it, Cage.” Kenshi huffs, though the bubbling tension does soothe inside him.

“Cross my heart, hope to die, you can stick Sento in my eye if I so much as even BREATHE about you being FBI.” Johnny places one final reassuring kiss, this time on Kenshi’s temple, before squeezing the swordsman closer to him.

As stern as Kenshi tries to make himself look, he can’t help but twitch a smile here and there. Johnny always knew how to break his tough guy visage.

“So, now that the beans have been spilled, that means I can help, ri-”

Immediately, Kenshi frowns again, “No.”

“Wha-come on!” Johnny complains, his tone a bit too loud.

“Even if I wanted to bring you along, your face will get us into trouble. You’re an actor for crying out loud, and a recognizable one too. And I can’t just thrust you into my job. By all standards, you’re a civilian and not authorized to meddle in FBI business, doesn’t matter if you fought creatures from Outworld or in Orderrealm. I can’t just bring you along, Johnathan.”

Johnny opens and closes his mouth as if to protest further, but he can only groan. “Ok, fine, but if Shang Tsung is really behind this, hell, a possible zombie apocalypse should be enough to warrant Liu Kang’s attention.”

“I know, Cage. That’s why I’m-”

“No, no, no. That’s why I’M going to China.”

It was now Kenshi’s turn to be speechless. “Johnny…No, no, I don’t want you involved.”

“Kenshi, I’m gonna level with you now. This is me leveling with you. I can handle myself. We went through hell and back, fighting impossible creatures and beating up scary bad guys. You KNOW I can fight. You KNOW I can handle this. If you’re truly some secret agent, then you need to be with your people. The longer Liu Kang is out of the loop, the less prepared our other allies will be. Not only that, but your insight will prove useful to these peeps who know next to nothing about that cunty sorcerer. Let me go in your place, I’ll let Liu Kang know.”

Kenshi wants to argue, but a part of himself can’t really dispute Johnny’s claims. Kenshi can’t be in two places at once, and if Johnny is going to be this persistent in helping, he might as well let him run as a messenger boy…The message, however, Kenshi is unsure if he wants to share it.

Kenshi gives Johnny the silent treatment, not responding to Johnny trying to get a word out of the swordsman. Kenshi rummages through his head about how he can break the news to Johnny, and how much he’s willing to give up to the actor. Before long, Kenshi ultimately decides that the truth is a better alternative. Because, eventually, they’re all going to know.

“Ok…Go to China, find the Academy, and tell Liu Kang what you know.”

Johnny nods, heavily resisting the urge to fist-pump the air in victory like a child. “I will. I can book a flight as soon as today and get a ticket to Shanghai-”

“You’ll need a ticket to Guangzhou,” Kenshi corrected.

“Right, Guangzhou. I’ll get the ticket, fly out of here, and I’ll get Liu Kang to get off his ass and help us out. Who knows, this might be another bastard from another timeline trying to conquer ours for all we care.”

“…I don’t think that’s the case,” Kenshi mumbled, but Johnny still heard what he said.

“Why do you say that?”

“…Because I saw Kung Lao…Our Kung Lao.”

If Johnny wasn’t serious then, the revelation about Kung Lao silences Johnny. He keeps searching Kenshi’s face as if to see if the blind swordsman was joking or pulling some cruel prank. And it frightens him that he finds none in Kenshi.

“What do you mean you saw Kung Lao? Like, you saw his body just walking about?”

“Yes.”

“Yes!?! That’s all you have to say about that?” Johnny couldn’t hold in his frustration and fear.

“What the fuck else am I supposed to say about that! Kung Lao’s body is walking around somewhere out there. That’s why I wanted to reach Liu Kang after reporting back to Jax.”

“I mean,” Johnny pinches the bridge of his nose as he paces in place, “Did you at least check his grave? You know, to see if it was tampered with?”

“I can’t. And you know why I can’t”

When Liu Kang returned Raiden back to Fengjian, while he didn’t explicitly say that they were forbidden from seeing their amnesiac friend, it was an unspoken rule amongst those who knew what happened that they shouldn’t meet with Raiden anymore. Liu Kang clearly wanted Raiden disassociated from everything that they were, and continued association could rip open old wounds best left to the natural healing forces of time.

Johnny nods in mutual understanding before letting out a shaky sigh. "Ok, then this is big time urgent. I'll get to Liu as fast as possible."

"I'll drive you to the nearest airport once you have your ticket," Kenshi says. "...And don't bother Raiden, Johnny."

"I know...I know," Johnny mutters, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess this is the part where we..."

"Yeah...I actually need someplace to lay down anyways," Kenshi purposefully leans against Johnny, forcing the actor to support his weight as they walk toward their motel room.

In the secrecy of their motel room, Kenshi further briefed Jax on what he learned tracking down the Jade Tiger Band while Johnny booked his flight. Of course, because he was trying to leave TODAY, the moment Johnny got a ticket, they had to rush to get him to the airport. Navigating the building was a nightmare; it was filled to the brim with an overly anxious crowd trying to get their flight and woefully understaffed. In a small way, it made Kenshi somewhat appreciative that Johnny decided to take his place to inform Liu Kang rather than going himself.

As they both wait at the gate, Kenshi digs in his pocket and hands Johnny a keychain in the shape of a Japanese symbol, "Here. Got this for you while I was away." In all honesty, Kenshi had gotten the item a year ago, but he had completely forgotten that he still had it in his pants. Better now than never, he supposes.

Johnny gasps as he takes the trinket, fiddling with it around his fingers, "Sick!" Johnny examines the keychain further, the gears turning in his head for a moment. "運...That means Luck, right?"

Kenshi couldn't help but smile, "You've been paying attention, I see."

"Aw, don't be too proud of me yet, babe. I've been lacking on my Japanese, thanks to the meetings I've been going to about my next upcoming movie. Which is going to be put on a definite hold if this is as bad as you make it out to be." Johnny leans closer to the swordsman, resting his head on his shoulder.

"How about this, try saying a full sentence in Japanese for me," Kenshi shifts his head to lightly rest on Johnny's while giving an inkling of a teasing message to him.

The actor is quiet for a moment before responding to Kenshi's subtle dare. "At least I'll have a good idea of what you are saying while you're fucking my brains out against the headboard."

Kenshi chokes on nothing as he looked at Johnny embarrassed. "Johnathan!"

"Pretty good, huh?" Johnny snickers.

"W-well, at least you can make out perfect sentences, I suppose."

"Like I said, don't go congratulating me just yet. Second I have another vay-cay in Japan, I'll still be acting like a fish out of water. Best I can do is read the language now."

"That's still an improvement. I'm proud of you nonetheless," Kenshi gives Johnny a kiss on the head.

The moment is ruined when Johnny takes a peek at his watch and curses under his breath. "My flight is going to take off in a moment." Johnny stands to his feet, leaning down to take any luggage, only to remember that he barely packed anything with him; just the clothes off his back. It's not like they could go back to the apartment after what happened with that Undead guy.

"I'll, um, text or call ya once I'm in China." Johnny gives Kenshi a reassuring glance.

Kenshi stands with Johnny and gives him a firm grip on his shoulder, "Be careful out there."

Johnny would've quipped about how others should be careful around HIM, but with the startling news about Kung Lao's return and the whole Undead business, Johnny holds his tongue. Instead, he softly takes Kenshi's gripping hand and squeezes it. "I will."

The pair part ways, Kenshi watching Johnny board his plane and taking off before heading out of the airport. Now to see if Shang Tsung and the Black Dragon are truly shaking hands & making friends.

-

~A Week Later~

He's going insane.

Ever since he left Kung Lao's house, Raiden could not shake the unnerving feeling that he was being watched. Everywhere he went, Raiden felt that there were eyes on him, even in the safety of his own home. Raiden had become more restless; he could barely keep his eyes open as he sat at the family dinner table. He doesn't even hear his mother calling for him until she finally touches his shoulder.

Raiden nearly jumped out of his skin as he snapped his head toward his mother, "Y-yes?"

His mother doesn't say anything, the concern on her face clearly apparent of what she wants to say. Raiden tries to resist the urge to rub his eyes, instead opting to just blinking his tiredness away. "Um, was-was there something you needed, mom?"

"...You need rest, dear..."

Any other day, Raiden would downplay those concerns. No, he's not tired. No, he's just fine. No, he's feeling alright. But Raiden doesn't argue this point with his mother. A pang of building guilt fills Raiden as he simply nods, removing himself from the table and walking back to his room. Raiden shuts the door behind him as he just sits on his bed, face in his palms as he wallows in his self-pity.

Ever since he left Kung Lao's house, Raiden has been getting worse. He wasn't getting sleep, he felt as though someone was watching him, he'd been hearing voices, his dreams had been waking him up in the middle of the night, frightened and sweating, and he was losing further grip on his powers. It's almost as if he's been cursed after entering Kung Lao's house. And while Raiden doesn't want to entertain that idea, he can't shake the feeling that he is. Every shadow Raiden was weary of. A soft breeze sends shivers down his spine as his mind believes someone was talking to him. The thunder wielder dreaded the comfort of his own bed, for he would have to anticipate a horribly realistic nightmare or stay awake, watching every dark corner and staring out his window; waiting for something or someone to come for him, until his body finally forces him to sleep.

Raiden slides his hands off his tired face as he glances at his bedroom window. It was early in the morning, too early for anyone to still be asleep, lest they intend to sleep in. Raiden knows he should rest his fatigued body; going to work or doing anything while in this state will be a detriment to everyone and himself. But his pride in contributing to his community nagged at him at his very core. He shouldn't be wasting his time in bed, regardless of how tired he was. In a huff, Raiden readjusted himself, getting ready to leave the house. But he stops when he reaches for his bedroom door. His parents and sister won't let him vacate the house in the condition he's in.

Raiden never had to sneak out of the house in his life, ever. That was always a Kung Lao thing. He remembers his best friend often knocking on his window to be let in like a misplaced puppy. Raiden almost wants to smile as he remembers how every time Lao would come around unannounced, it would always give Raiden a heart attack. Raiden backs away from his bedroom door, inching toward his window and opening it up so that he may exit through there. Raiden's careful to avoid the various other openings of his house that could expose him before making his way over to the Farm so that he may put in some work for the day. Of course, after he picks up an energy drink from the closest convenience store.

But even with a boost in vigor, it would not stop the ongoing protest Raiden's body would give him about his waning spirit. All throughout the day, Raiden was getting slower and slower, and he was constantly shaken awake by his co-workers. Raiden was able to make it through the morning and mid-afternoon of working, and the second he had that moment of brevity, he found the nearest tree to rest his head and knocked himself out.

By the time Raiden had woken up, it was already late in the evening. Raiden curses under his breath, pulling out his phone as he realizes that the alarm he set for himself failed to wake him up. It was already inching dangerously close to 6 at night, and his family most likely knew that he was out of the house by now. Raiden quickly gathered himself, hoping to make it home before they attempted to knock on his door to call him down for dinner.

The nightlife of Fengjian is usually quiet, save for the few who decide to have a night out drinking to celebrate small pleasures, but there are few places to drink lest you are doing so at one's residency or at the teahouse. Yet despite this, tonight was exceptionally quiet aside from the buzzing and chirping sounds of nocturnal insects. Raiden power walked through the empty streets, only to slow down considerably. Raiden slowly turns his head, trying to seemingly appear as though he’s just taking in his surroundings or deciding his next step. He cranes his head just enough to get the peripheral sighting of the roofs, and he feels his spine shiver; someone was watching him from above. He couldn’t see WHO or WHAT, but he saw a shadowed figure.

Raiden continues his walk, but he makes the conscious choice to go in the opposite direction of his house. He’s careful to not give away that he’s aware he’s being followed, attuning his ears sharply to the subtle movements of his stalker. Raiden searched his mind rapidly as he sought for a quick getaway. Because his stalker is watching him from above, anywhere he went, they would see. Raiden hesitated at the idea of having to lash out at the one trailing him, not wanting to place permanent harm or, better yet, accidentally killing them. But then again, as insane as stalking someone may be, no one would be crazy enough to tail behind someone via rooftops.

Fengjian wasn’t busy once night fell, everyone was in their homes enjoying the final moments of the day. Raiden couldn’t blend into a crowd or seek someone out in hopes of asking for their protection. Ultimately, Raiden decides that utilizing his powers would be the better alternative. Raiden stops in his tracks, playing off the illusion that he’s determining where he should go. Raiden notices a puddle spill that reflected the night sky above and the gibbous moon that shone in the heavens. Closely examining it with his eyes, he was able to get a slightly good look at where his stalker was positioned.

In one swift movement, Raiden spins on his heels and unleashes a rope of lightning toward his stalker. The individual seemed to have anticipated that Raiden would attempt an attack, but they were not fast enough to dodge his attack, quickly getting stunned by the lightning that wrapped itself around their waist. Mustering all the strength Raiden had, he pulled the person off the roof, crashing onto the ground while being electrocuted. Raiden releases his hold on this person and books it in the other direction, not taking a second more to interrogate or even get the face of the stalker. He dashes through tight alleyways, jumping over fences, and taking routes that would get him back on track to reaching home, before slamming himself against the side of a building. Raiden takes a moment to breathe, hoping that he had outran his stalker. Raiden almost wanted to slide off the wall and sit on the dirt below, but his blood ran cold when he heard the distinct sound of footsteps rapidly approaching him.

Without even thinking, Raiden hoofs it. Ducking into alleyways, hopping from fence to fence, taking shortcuts and passageways that he was highly familiar with, anything to get away from whoever was chasing him. However, Fengjian is no city or large town, and there weren't many opportunities for Raiden to shake this person off him. He considered flying away but flying required that he use his lightning to elevate him, which could cause unneeded damage and attention. Just like before, Raiden finds himself in a situation where he will have to throw fists.

Raiden purposefully "traps" himself, placing himself in a "tight space" but just enough opportunity for Raiden to fly or teleport away should he need to. He turns on his heels, facing whoever's chasing him as electricity encompasses him. "Come any closer, and I will use lethal force!" Raiden threatens, his eyes and hair glowing white.

The person following him was shrouded in shadows, the distance and darkness of the night concealing their appearance from Raiden. They stop in their tracks at the other end of the open passageway, blocking Raiden's "only" escape. All Raiden could ascertain about his stalker was that they had…Glowing red eyes…That's not natural. Even more unsettling are the dimly lit cracks in this individual's visible skin; their arms lined with red scars. The person stares at Raiden before walking closer to the thunder wielder. Raiden empowers himself with the energies of the amulet infused to his person, static filling the air as he creates an aura of electricity.

"I said, stay back!" Raiden growls, his hair and eyes now glowing brighter than before.

"You really don't remember me, Raiden?"

…That voice…

Raiden's face softens a little, his defensive stance faltering. He examines the person approaching him, still unable to fully discern who it was that was talking to him. But that voice, it sounds eerily familiar. Raiden watched as the individual stepped closer to him. And as they approached, Raiden was able to pick off distinct features about them. The heart-shaped face, the hat, the dimples as they smile…The piercings…

The static bouncing around Raiden provides a little extra light, along with the shining moon above. And when this person stops their gait in front of Raiden (a safe distance from his electrifying aura), it's almost as if the world had stopped around them. Raiden loses the stance he had before, standing straight, and his expression changes into a state of unbelievable shock. The static slowly disperses as Raiden loses the need to fight.

"…Lao…"

That's all Raiden could utter.

Kung Lao's smile wides upon Raiden's soft comment, his skin crawling as he hears his boyfriend's lips speak his name. "Hello, Raiden. Missed me?"

His smug grin, his cocky mannerisms, his voice…Raiden almost wants to believe that he's still dreaming. "…You…They-I…They told me you were-"

"Dead?" Kung Lao interrupts Raiden, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"…Yes…" Once again, all Raiden could say were simple words and maybe scattered sentences if his brain could cooperate with him.

Kung Lao laughs, but it's strained, as though he has a terribly sore throat. "Well, do I look dead to you?"

"…They told me…" Raiden mutters to himself.

Kung Lao dares to step closer, and Raiden backs away from his returned friend, pinning himself against the wall behind him. Kung Lao notices this, his face growing sinister while still keeping that smile plastered on his face.

"Come now, Raiden. No hug? A welcome home kiss?"

Raiden remains stuck with his back against the wall, like a deer in headlights. This shouldn't be possible. They said Kung Lao was dead! He visited his gravestone! His fucking gravestone!! His house was abandoned! Everyone in Fengjian KNOWS that Kung Lao was deceased! Every fiber of his being was screaming how something wasn't right with this scenario. That he should be running or fighting this imposter. His mind flips through every excuse in the book on how this isn't Kung Lao. That someone was impersonating Kung Lao just to antagonize him. Or that he was truly hallucinating, somehow seeing ghosts. As Raiden's brain continued to fry, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for water, Kung Lao was now face to face with his friend.

Lao frowns as though disappointed that Raiden hasn't done some expected action. "…Do you not remember me, Ray?" A hint of fear is sprinkled in his surprisingly saddened tone. Kung Lao lifts his hand slowly, reaching for Raiden's face until he was cupping his cheek.

Kung Lao was dead. He visited his grave-his abandoned house. His family told him how Kung Lao died-they have no reason to lie to him. Yet, when Lao touched him, when Raiden got to feel his…Cold hand…Gracing his face, Raiden melted under his touch. All his confusion and shock burned away. As though he finally found the missing piece to this jigsaw puzzle of a predicament. Raiden's eyes flutter shut, leaning into Kung Lao's hand. It felt right, even though Raiden couldn't fully place why that was the case.

"So you do remember," Kung Lao's smile slowly returns, his thumb rubbing Raiden's cheek.

Raiden opens his eyes, looking into Kung Lao's…They're red…His eyes were never red. His skin was deadly pale compared to the sun-beaten tan that he once had. The many angry cracks on his person warranted Raiden's attention as he brushed his fingers over the red lacerations and scars. His mind wonders of their origin. They were…Supposedly…Martial arts teachers. What could've possibly happened that would have caused these wounds? It was now Kung Lao's turn to lean into Raiden's touch, making subtle hums with each curious touch Raiden graced him. This probably would've been enough to recenter Raiden, but what grabs his attention is Kung Lao's neck. A glaring (and glowing) scar indicating that he was slashed in that area. His family has told him the cause of Lao's death; a clean cut to his neck due to an accident with some equipment that malfunctioned. Yet, when Raiden touches the old wound, when he stares at Lao's neck, Raiden cannot help but feel there is a hidden truth hiding behind the scar.

"…Raiden…"

The thunder wielder shoots his eyes up, looking at Kung Lao. Did he say something? From the looks of it, Kung Lao was still enraptured by Raiden's touch, continuously leaning into him like a touch-starved cat. The voice surely didn't sound like Lao either. Another mystery for another day, it seems.

Kung Lao draws a hum from his damaged throat as he flutters his eyes open, "I've missed this. We've been separated for so long, I've forgotten how good it feels to be near you again. To feel you again."

The pair meet eye to eye again, lost in each other as foreign feelings resurface again. Raiden has always viewed their relationship as just platonic. That's how its always been. They grew up together, fought together, teased and jested for as long as he could remember. Raiden likes to believe that Kung Lao may have felt the same, that there was nothing more to their friendship than that.

Yet, when he looks at Kung Lao, his heart skips a beat. He can feel his skin tingle, the innate desire to be closer to Kung Lao than they were right now. He wanted to hug him until their bodies melded into one, to run his hands through his half-buzzed hair until it was in complete disrepair. Raiden wanted to intertwine his hands into Lao's, clutching him tight so that they may never be separated again; his eyes would never leave Lao's being if he could help it. And a part of Raiden wanted to explain these feelings away as just being ecstatic seeing Lao again, someone he has long believed was dead. Yet, Raiden knew deep down there was something more to this than shared amity.

And Lao would be the first to confirm this fact to Raiden. Kung Lao's eyes kept glancing at Raiden's lips, still soft and plump despite the horrors they both experienced. He slowly closed the (albeit already small) gap that separated them, planting a tender kiss on Raiden. Under any other circumstances, Raiden would've made a startled noise. This is the first time in Raiden's known memory that Kung Lao kissed him with such care and passion. Yet, whether or not this was their first kiss was irrelevant to Raiden. This felt familiar, standard, as if he should've already known to accept such an exchange from Kung Lao. Raiden finds himself giving into the motions, his hands snaking over Kung Lao's shoulders as he uses him to keep himself up and to further lock them in this moment.

Raiden isn't sure what spurred Kung Lao on, but a muffled growl was heard from the other man, and Raiden finally emits that startled noise when he feels Lao's hands move from his waist to his ass. The pair separate, Kung Lao being the one out of breath despite the kiss not being that deep or filthy (for lack of better words). However, Kung Lao wasn't as red in the cheeks as Raiden was. He whimpers as Kung Lao's grip tightens, and he presses his body closer to the thunder wielder.

"L-Lao-mph!"

Raiden didn't get a chance to say anything else, for Kung Lao was back on his lips again, eagerly assaulting his lips, trying to breach into Raiden's mouth. Raiden tries to keep up with Lao, reciprocating as much as he could with his limited experience. Yet, when Kung Lao started sucking and biting his lower lips, that's where Raiden left himself vulnerable.

"L-Lao!" Raiden gasped, clinging onto Kung Lao as his friend grew increasingly ravenous.

The moment Raiden opened his mouth, Kung Lao deepened the kiss, forcing his tongue into Raiden's mouth; familiar territory for the Shaolin Monk, new grounds for the thunder wielder. Raiden moans into the kiss, his body feeling weighted down and his vision going blurry from the new sensation. The feeling of Kung Lao exploring his mouth, battling his submissive tongue with his own, his hands now possessively grabbing at his ass. Raiden gave into Kung Lao's ministrations, his body slowly growing limp as he allowed his friend to do whatever he pleased. He was being consumed, almost fitting considering that his friend did come back from the dead. He was the first body that Kung Lao found upon his resurface, and he was going to devour Raiden, body and soul. And Raiden would let him if Kung Lao demanded it.

Raiden was increasingly losing air, having become breathless from Kung Lao's need to keep his lips on Raidens'. Slowly, Raiden was falling out of Kung Lao's spell on him, his desire to breathe becoming more of a voice of reason. Raiden starts pulling on Lao's clothes, which were surprisingly more like armor than typical clothing. He actually had to grasp at Kung Lao's hair and rip him off, a trail of saliva bridged between them. Raiden was now the one breathless, cheeks still red as cherries, eyes needing a moment to refocus. Hell, he actually had to rewire his brain so that he could focus on the matter at hand. Kung Lao makes another growl upon being separated from Raiden, though this one was more…Angry than lustful. Kung Lao tries to go in for another kiss, his hands now gripping at Raiden's clothes, as if wanting to remove them, or tear them off for that matter.

"Lao, Lao, wait, stop!" Raiden prevents Kung Lao from placing another suffocating kiss on him, making his tone clear that he wanted no more (for now, that is). Raiden would have to make his point even more clear as he firmly separates himself from Kung Lao, stopping Lao from even tearing off his clothes.

"How are you alive? You're supposed to be dead. They told me you died," Raiden quickly puts his concerns out there for Kung Lao to process.

This actually seems to have centered Kung Lao. His eyes, dark with anger, lust, and intent, dissolve into realization, and his features soften just a little. "…Right…What did 'they' tell you, hm? How did my death go down in history?"

Quite bold of him to phrase it like that. Then again, Raiden always knew that Kung Lao had an ego about him. Raiden ponders how he should break the news to him, unsure how much he can tell Kung Lao, before finally deciding that the truth would be better than concealing any information.

"You…You died because some equipment back in the U.S. malfunctioned…It got you in…" Raiden does his best to not look at Kung Lao's neck, keeping his eyes straight at Lao's eyes. "…The cause of death was a deep laceration to the neck…You died before you could make it to the hospital…That's…That's what my folks told me."

Kung Lao looked at Raiden in a subtle display of shock. If there was a chair, Raiden was sure Kung Lao would need it. Kung Lao's eyes slowly darted this way and that as if he were in deep thought, processing what he had learned.

Then he started…Smiling…Then he started laughing.

"So that hellish witch was right after all," Kung Lao quietly seethed, his hands balling into tight fists.

Raiden wasn't able to hear him, but he could imagine that this was…Much for Lao. "…Lao, I…This is probably a lot to take in, but there was a tombstone and funeral for you. Everyone in Fengjian thought you were dead. I thought you were-"

"Of course, you believed me dead! You were there to see it!" Kung Lao snaps at Raiden, his eyes glowing an angry red. "I died in your arms! The last thing I felt was you shaking my body while I was bleeding out on the dirt! AND YOU DID NOTHING! NOTHING BUT CRY LIKE THE WEAK COCKSUCKER YOU ARE!"

The last phrase caught Raiden off guard. Understandably, Kung Lao is confused and upset; this is a lot for him to take in. But that final line…That was…Unnecessary. Raiden pushes it to the side, building his sympathy as he responds calmly.

"I…I don't remember exactly what happened, Lao. It…It probably happened so fast. But, you're here now, and we can…We can help each other. My parents and Fuji would be happy to see you again. You can come with me back-"

"SHUT UP!"

Suddenly, Kung Lao's fist slams against the walled surface behind Raiden, dangerously close to Raiden's skull, as the wall behind Raiden makes a fist-sized crater from the force of Lao's punch. At this point, this truly scared Raiden, silencing the thunder wielder as he felt a pocket of uneasiness build within.

"I don't want your sympathy OR your useless offerings! Not when you left me to die because you were too weak-willed to save me! AFTER ALL I SACRIFICED FOR YOU! AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, I REMAINED IN YOUR SHADOW, 'CHAMPION OF EARTHREALM'! I PLAYED MY PART, I SUPPORTED YOU, AND WHAT DID I GET IN RETURN? A BIG, FUCK-OFF HORNED BASTARD SLASHING MY NECK, AND YOU DOING NOTHING TO SAVE ME IN RETURN! YOU DIDN'T EVEN KILL THAT MOTHERFUCKER WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE!! NO, YOU WANTED TO KEEP TO YOUR FOOLISH MORALS AND PLAY THE GOODY-TWO-SHOED ROLE! OR, BETTER YET, YOU WERE PROBABLY GLAD YOU WERE FINALLY RID OF ME! I GUESS SECOND BEST WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU, HUH?"

Each sentence was further pronounced as Kung Lao kept making violent movements, hitting the walled surfaces around them. Never hitting Raiden, but the intent was there. And each swing forced a flinch from the thunder wielder as he expected Kung Lao to lash out at him. Under any other circumstance, IF Kung Lao were to attempt to hit him, Raiden would be able to block a punch or kick. But…But this felt different. This wasn't the usual friendly sparring the pair once indulged in; these throws, should Kung Lao decide to, could seriously injure Raiden…Kill him even…

"Oh, yes, I bet you were soo happy that I was finally out of the picture, Mr. Champion," Kung Lao jeered venomously. "I bet you felt relief knowing you didn't have to play pretend just to keep me happy. No longer had to play the annoyingly humble Raiden part once I was gone now that you had Liu Kang's undivided attention. And I can tell, don't try lying to me. That kiss was half-assed, even by your standards. You kissed me as if you didn't even know me!"

"L-Lao-"

"Or maybe you already moved on, didn't you? Who's the 'lucky guy,' hm? Is it Johnny? Kenshi? Heaven forbid Kitana! But I bet you like those types, huh? You like being a submissive bitch to someone who's way out of your league? I bet you sucked that Fire God off to get the title of Champion! He would've picked you regardless if you won or lost! I always saw the way he looked at you. He wanted you, no one else. Maybe that's why he paid such close attention to you than anyone else. He was playing favorites!"

"Lao-"

"No, you shut the fuck up! You think you can wise-man your ass out of this, but no, not this time, not ever. You never deserved it, ANY OF IT! I was ALWAYS better than you, ALWAYS! I'M THE ONE WHO KNOCKED THE TEETH OUT OF YOUR SKULL, I DID! EVERYONE HAS ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT I WAS THE BETTER FIGHTER. THAT I'M FASTER THAN YOU, STRONGER THAN YOU, EVEN NOW! BUT NOOO! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS FLASH A SMILE AND SNIFF EVERYONE'S ASS AND, SUDDENLY, EVERYONE IS ALL OVER YOU!"

The more Kung Lao angrily rambled to Raiden, the more the thunder wielder felt his chest tighten. He's speechless, has Lao always felt this way? Raiden has always known that Kung Lao was a better fighter than him (he was considered Madam Bo's favorite student for a reason). Since they were children, Kung Lao fought harder and was faster due to, what Raiden assumed, was his rough upbringing. Raiden has always looked up to Lao, exemplified him even. But he didn't know…He didn't know Kung Lao felt like…This.

The more Kung Lao poked at Raiden's expense, the more Raiden felt himself tearing apart at the seams. Raiden doesn't consider himself someone who would allow anyone to walk all over him, even if he has the demeanor of someone who would. Even with his humility and kindness, Raiden has and will clap back should anyone talk shit to him. The difference between him and Kung Lao (at least back then), Raiden knew how to kill people with kindness. But to hear such hatred from Kung Lao, hearing him degrade him for events that he doesn't even remember or believe have happened to them. The confusion, the agony, the anger, it was consuming Raiden all at once.

"I'm…Sorry…"

It was all Raiden could muster, his voice quivering as he tried to maintain his composure while also breaking under Lao's sudden anger. There were many things Raiden wished he could say in response to Kung Lao's accusations. He wanted to reassure Kung Lao that he was seeing things that weren't there, that he had never thought of Kung Lao as lesser than or ever desired to be rid of him. But there was a part of himself that wished to chastise him. If Kung Lao would hear him out, he'd know that he lost a good chunk of his memories, and it wasn't fair of Lao to start spitting out occurrences that supposedly happened between them that vexed him. If Kung Lao was of his right mind, instead of immediately blowing up in Raiden's face, he would know that Raiden has NEVER felt this way about their relationship. They were childhood friends! Why didn't he tell him this before? Why wait until after he had DIED and then came back to life? How long did Lao let this fester in this state?

"I'm…Sorry…" Raiden says again, quietly whimpering with his head facing the ground. Trying his best to further obscure the tears running down his face.

There's a moment of silence before Raiden feels Kung Lao's hand touch his cheek. Raiden flinches but allows Kung Lao to caress him, wanting to believe that there's still some measure of trust between them that hasn't been lost. He doesn't say it, Lao doesn't have to, but Raiden meets Kung Lao's eyes. It was almost as though Lao's outburst was a terrible hallucination, a figment of his seemingly broken mind. Kung Lao appeared remorseful, wiping away the tears Raiden shed with care, his lips tight with guilt as if he realized what he had done.

"No. I should be sorry for you, Raiden. He took so much from you, and it pains me that she-" Kung Lao stops himself, as though needing to correct himself on the spot, "It pains me that there's so much…Lost time between us."

So…He does know? Raiden did try to explain his condition to Kung Lao earlier, but the way he said what he did makes it seem as though he already knew. But Raiden's brain was practically fried from the emotional rollercoaster he was on since he met Kung Lao. And it doesn't help that Kung Lao occasionally kissed his round cheeks, causing the thunder wielder to blush and melt into Lao once again. He never knew that his best friend would have such an effect on him…And he kinda likes it, honestly.

"It's-it's getting late, Lao. My folks are probably wondering where I'm at." Raiden says in a hushed tone. "You should come with me. They would be so happy to see you again. Everyone missed you."

Kung Lao smiles, "I'd love to. But not now. I have other business to attend to."

"You just came back from the dead," Raiden chuckles. "What other 'business' must you attend to?"

Kung Lao doesn't answer him directly, instead, he giggles himself and thumbs at Raiden's cheek. "I'll come by another time. Don't tell them yet, keep it a secret. It'll be a surprise." Kung Lao winks.

Raiden nodded, and for a moment, he wanted to lean into Kung Lao, wishing for a final kiss. But, to Raiden's surprise, Kung Lao just disappeared. Right in front of him in a quick flash of light and small, wilted cherry blossom petals floated around him before descending to the ground.

"RAIDEN!"

Fuck. It was Fuji.

Raiden follows her voice, revealing himself to his younger sister. "Fuji, hi, um." Raiden honestly didn't think too far ahead when it came to actually coming forward to his sister.

"Raiden! Where the hell were you! You were supposed to be in bed, at home!" Fuji rushes towards her brother, pulling at his ear as if she were his mother.

"Agh, ow, ow, Fuji, stop!" Raiden strains in pain as he pulls her off him. "I'm sorry that I worried you-"

"Fucking hell, Raiden, you gave us all a heart attack! We thought the worst!"

Fuji continues to scold Raiden, and he quietly lets his sister air out her worries. Raiden reassuringly pats her head, smiling apologetically, "I'm sorry I snuck out of the house. I just-I didn't feel…I missed too many days of work; I didn't want to skip another day."

Fuji sighs, "I get that, but you have to take care of yourself first. You haven't been getting sleep, your night terrors have been increasing, you've been acting paranoid. We're getting worried and…We thought you went and…Did something stupid."

"It won't happen again, promise."

This seemed to finally settle Fuji as she motions for Raiden to follow her back home. "You can win me over easy, brother. Mom & Dad will be talking your ear out all night, so I hope leaving the house was worth it."

In a small way…Yeah, it was worth it.

[stargazeraldroth]

First of all! This is very late, I’m super sorry about that- I had some stuff going on (work, feeling under the weather, etc), but! I have returned!!!

MSMAMSKS THERES SO MUCH TO GIN LORE THOUGH- But! Starting with the basics, the largely known version of Gin (and the one I’m mainly focusing on!) is actually a continuation of the original Hotarubitale AU- As a brief summary, Gin was a baby very close to death, his version of Gaster took him into the forest of monsters and remade him into a skeleton (I believe monsters and spirits are one and the same, here?), he met his version of Frisk when they got lost in the woods and led them out, they slowly develop some form of relationship, eventually years later he dies after touching a human child he mistook as a monster pretending to be a human.

The Gin associated with Ink comes to life here! Basically, he becomes a ghost who watches over his version of Frisk, only for Error to attack the AU. In the process of trying to stop him, he earned that massive crack in his skull, and Ink intervened after that to drive Error off and whisk Gin to the Omega Timeline with Core Frisk.

It’s… A Lot to explain, from there, and it’s been a while since I’ve done an in depth look, so I might be wrong- And I don’t think I could adequately do it justice (the siiversans blog has a summary page of the plot, though, as a sort of sparknotes!), but basically “shit goes wrong, Gin has a surprise brother (hello, Papyrus!), anons cause shit to go wrong again, people are brought back to life temporarily and shit is somewhat fixed??? Bonding happens, OH GOD SHIT IS WRONG AGAIN AND GIN IS DEAD-“

As a summary of Gin and Ink’s relationship… Well, for starters, Ink promised Gin safety and protection, and they’re very dear friends- Trying to describe the dynamic is kinda tough for me, but I’d say… Soft? People around them would say they should kiss apparently (they were! Very good friends!), and they have a sort of playful, carefree air to them, I think. They never got together in the direct canon because they never confessed before Gin died, but they were happy together. There’s a lot of unspoken regrets, there, and unvoiced love that I think would hurt Ink for a long, long time after the fact.

I! Don’t know!!! Aaahhh I’m just soft for them-

Moving on though!!! I could certainly see him having both, though rejection sensitive dysphoria is more applicable here, you’re right.

Cross is Ink’s Emotional Support Guard and Ink is Cross’s Emotional Support Artist. That’s it that’s the dynamic they’ve got going on. I like to imagine they try and blanket burrito each other when they’ve healed a bit. It’s just funny to me.

Truly, we fall into many of the same holes. I also have no idea what the fuck I’m doing, ever, at any given point in time. Whose bright idea was it to make me an adult?!? Either way, Error trying to cheer Ink up with puppets is really fucking cute, love that sort of thing- And even if he’s awkward about it! I think Ink would appreciate it! Error, his main rival, using one of his hobbies that involves creation to cheer him out, however begrudgingly, would be heartwarming, in a sort of way, you know?

Aaahhh, I didn’t mean, like, “Error is a god” is annoying! More like… When people make him Good and Flawless and functionally elevate him to the level of a “God That Does No Wrong” scenario, you know? I’m a sucker for actual god (but still flawed) Error! It just. Peeves me when his actual, manbaby and not-a-good-person (at least conventionally) personality is wiped out in favor of making him our Lord and Savior and Ink the Scum of the Earth, like you said. And! I don’t believe it’s changed, and he does, if I’m remembering correctly, destroy AUs because, in his eyes, they’re glitches and abominations- Corrupted copies of the original that shouldn’t be hear, in his opinion. Like, I’ve legitimately seen people characterize Ink as having a god complex, and I’m like… Guys, Error is Right There. Either way, I’m with you- People should write what they want! They can interpret as they please. I just, uh, wish that wasn’t a total misinterpretation of one character at the expense of my comfort character. Come on, guys, Ink doesn’t deserve that.

AJZAKJNZ I’LL BE QUICK ABOUT IT AND GIVE A SHORT SUMMARY I PROMISE- If you’re still interested, lemme know! But! Basically, it’s Forced God of Destruction, with unwilling Error and all… At first. Because really, why would whoever assigns these jobs make someone eternal duty something they try to escape from? So he destroys reluctantly at first… And then with a bit more of an open mind and rationalization, because this is- Surprisingly fun? Half of these guys are assholes anyways, or living in their own personal hell, so really, he’s doing them a favor. They should be thanking him! He’s basically a god- Hell, he is a god! And he just gets more and more into it, into his role- Starts being more haphazard and careless, and suddenly the inhabitants of the AUs are even being given the dignity of peaceful, painless deaths- It’s terror and pain and a glitched skeleton laughing like a madman as his tears their souls apart.

He gets far, far too enthusiastic about it, is what I’m saying. So much so that the Balance starts to… Tilt, a bit- Or a lot. Because Ink, meanwhile (also a god), had been careful to not inspire/create (depending on whether he’s actually a creator or a protector here) too much- Especially since creation takes so much longer. The Balance was an important, delicate thing, after all, and difficult to fix.

If I keep going, I’ll never shut up- Just! Error going too far, too fast- And Ink having to clean up after him and fix things! I’m very passionate about this!!!

Hhh Broomie I’m sorry!!! I’ll just. Pretend Core or Cross picked it up. Ink is already suffering so much, he needs a break.

Shattered and Blue probably treat him like a plush toy that talks, let’s be real. Poor Ink is pretty much carted around and placed (forced) next to or between them to “cuddle” and shit. They don’t want him to feel sad! And if Shattered has to hold him down with tentacles… Well, they’ll get him to see things their way eventually, they’re sure!

They’re the “why are you running” meme. That’s it, that’s them.

Nightmare’s the deadpan snarker of a narrator we’d need to get through the suffering that this AU would bring, huh.

OHHHHHHH I'M FINALLY HERE! I've been getting put through the washing machine by schoolwork, especially that treacherous subject... math. But! I'm back now! I've also just been extremely lazy and stuff.

Dammit Error. You always, ALWAYS come in and ruin people's happy lives with your need for destruction and annihilation! I still love you, my glitchy manbaby, but please. Just once. Just stop. Honestly, my brain's not processing everything after a long day of mathematics, but it's shoveling in that Ink angst pretty well. Do I have a problem? Nooo... do I need therapy? Maaaaaybe... but that's not important!

I like how I knew next to nothing about Gin's lore or his dynamic with Ink, yet I still included him in my Food Fantasy AU. And the best part is that his counterpart in that AU is based solely off the mask I saw him with like.... once??? I don't know.

Cross and Ink are mutual support buddies and I love that for them.

While it is adorable to think about Error trying to put on an awkward puppet show for Ink to cheer him up, I can't help but imagine that he might... not be the greatest? I mean that he might use a Dream and/or Blue puppet to try and cheer him up, but that might just make him even sadder because those are puppet versions of his best friends.

This. This is exactly how I feel whenever I come across one of those stories that does little more than just flip the roles. As in, the Bad Sanses are actually misunderstood babies who aren't at fault for what they've done and the Star Sanses are the Scum of the Earth, toxic, and the worst people to have ever lived. The concept of making the Stars secretly evil and all could be interesting, I think it has a lot of potential when used properly! But the idea has been largely ruined for me by a lot of stuff that just feels one-dimensional, you know? I don't care if people use the idea, I've personally written things that the majority would disagree with, I can only encourage people to add more depth to the characters; if the Stars are going to be the actual evil, then why are they evil? What are their motives? This is especially important for a character like Dream, who is the embodiment of all positive feelings. If the Bad Sanses are the actual good guys, then how/why do they deserve redemption? Why are they actually good? A lot of people use the Balance as an excuse, but the Murder Trio (and Cross, if he's there) is exempt from that- those three aren't relevant to the Balance. So that really only applies to Error and Nightmare, and while Error doesn't really have many other options, Nightmare technically does. There are ways to cause negativity other than murder, guys. If they're still going to use the murder route and stuff, then what makes them the good guys? What makes them deserve that reveal/acknowledgment that they're misunderstood?

Another important thing to consider is that the Bad Sanses aren't entitled to forgiveness, especially Error and Nightmare. Like yes, Error was (presumably) forced to destroy AUs for the Balance, but that doesn't erase the consequences of his destruction. That doesn't erase the fact that the Omega Timeline is FULL of people/characters who escaped from their destroyed worlds, who lost their homes and their families. Nor does the necessity of his role make those same people magically forgive him. Can they be understanding of his position? Certainly. Do they have to immediately forgive Error? No! In fact, they don't have to forgive him at all! The Bad Sanses aren't entitled to forgiveness just because they're secretly the good guys. ESPECIALLY if they're still having the Murder Trio commit murder to spread negativity, when there are known alternatives.

Anyway, moving on from that little rant. I am so sorry for talking your ear off and I hope nobody gets too offended by what I said, I just get really into this stuff. Can I just say- I absolutely love how you have Ink be aware of the Balance! So many FGOD AUs have it to where Ink either has no clue about the Balance or doesn't believe it exists, and I'm like??? Why??? He's literally the Protector of the AUs, if anyone would know about the Balance, it would be him! It's literally crucial to his role to protect the AUs, they'll fall apart without it! My personal headcanon for my own stuff is that Error's actually the one who didn't believe in the Balance (harmony between destruction and creation? A Truce? Even if it really does exist, ignoring the Balance only benefits him! Get outta here with your pacifist BS, Ink!) and Ink just can't stress it enough to him lol.

ANON TELL ME AS MUCH AS YOU'D LIKE- you can always send it in a separate ask if you'd like! That way you can focus on just your AU and not have to worry about the ask being too long!

I like how this went from "Ink gets isekaied back to his unfinished AU" to "Oh shi- SAVE THE BRUSH!"

Man, you're right- they probably treat him as some kind of glorified teddy bear at this point (ngl I actually have a headcanon that Ink is a surprisingly wonderful cuddle buddy). He's usually good with cuddling and physical affection, but this is just... no! Let him go!

It's been too long. I forget what that was responding to.

Nightmare as the narrator of this AU is perfect. I never knew I needed this in my head.

[galacticlamps]

alright besties, I need advice again

I mentioned before (nearly a year ago now, yikes) that I wanted to make a post outlining why netflix's Dead Boy Detectives series struck a particular chord with the Second Doctor era fan in me, and specifically the Two/Jamie fan, and even more specifically the 6b enjoyer that I am. This was never intended as a general 'why either show is Objectively Good' post (I do think both are, but that's not quite the same discussion) or even a 'if you liked one you definitely should go watch the other' post (because I realize that the specificity of some of the things I appreciate about each may not be what other people usually find appealing about them, or what they look for in a program). It really is just meant to be for my own benefit, something to force me to organize the many thoughts I've had on the subject over the last 11 months, in much the same way that committing to posting a fic forces me to finally edit its draft.

That said, it has been about a year, and god knows I can ramble, so you can imagine how lengthy/involved some of these points have gotten (you don't have to imagine, I'll tell you: the messy version is already in the 8kish range). I'm sure there's repetition in there I could delete once I'm cleaning it up, but that gives you a sense of how many different topics it interconnects. For instance, there were a few claims about 1960s Doctor Who, its strengths and weaknesses, the history of how it was made & how form and content influence each other and result in character dynamics that feel unique and interesting both in-universe and in terms of the purpose they serve as characters in a narrative - which felt necessary to expand upon rather than just referencing offhandedly like that, as if everyone's in agreement about all of those things & what they mean to a viewer.

So the advice I need is on what kind of structure makes the most sense for assembling these thoughts on tumblr dot com. Should I:

Make one big essay-type post - under a read more obviously, after simply stating what the post is gonna be about, but without making any points yet - and accept the fact that it will be really long & I'll have to prove several sub-points of stuff I kinda take for granted before I can get to actually comparing the two pieces of media

Break it up into a short series of still kinda longish but more bearable posts with more limited scope but less obvious purpose contained in each one [Like maybe post A will just be about my personal feelings about how 60s who handled character development, but it's just all the details of my opinion & never amounts to any larger thesis statement in & of itself]. The advantage being that I could link back to them if needed once I get to the actual comparison part, but at least it's possible to engage with one part without caring about the other (but then again, engagement isn't really a priority here, so does that even make anything more manageable really?)

Post a sort of shortened version of just the conclusions (maybe in an organized sparknotes format, maybe in a rambly gushy more typical tumblr post way depending on the vibe in the moment) - basically rattling off a list of what I'd put in the center of a venn diagram of the two - and then worry about qualifying and backing up these statements later either in self-reblogs or a readmore or even potentially in response to people's reactions (because maybe there are parts of it I could take for granted if they're not going to confuse anyone?)

Split it into 2 posts, one long one that focuses on the media analysis perspective in detail, covering all things related to show history and narrative structure and whatnot, and then a short one that's more emotionally-focused but doesn't necessarily try to prove why I interpret aspects of each show the way I do (if that distinction even makes any sense?)

Or something else? maybe? I don't know what other options there are anymore

sorry im indecisive and wordy, thanks in advance for trying to help me straighten this out <3

[transwalterdecourcey]

i hate act 2 scene 2 of hamlet i hate act 2 scene 2 of hamlet soooo much

[classicslesbianopinions]

Does one need to be smart to read classic literature by writers such as Homer or Virgil? I follow various people studying the classics because it's fascinating but half the time I don't understand what they are saying. Whenever I try to read any of the epic poems, for example, it just makes me feel very unintelligent because I have a vey hard time understanding what I'm reading.

i don't think you have to be smart-- you just have to be patient.

i'm about to do a wall of text, so here's the tl;dr: it's very common to feel unintelligent, but it makes sense to struggle when reading something so old, and you should not be afraid to use outside resources to help you understand the context of what you're reading. also, it might help if you start with shorter or abridged works.

"classics" is a really broad field, and even a highly educated classicist will have areas they don't know as much about. like, i also don't understand what other classics bloggers are saying a lot of the time. most of the people i follow have dedicated a lot of time to their specific interests, and if my own interests don't overlap, i'm not going to understand everything they say. but it's very easy to feel like you aren't as smart as others because you haven't read the same stuff or because you struggle to keep up. i feel this way often, even after years of study.

the other thing is that if you're studying classics in college/university, the standards are absurdly high. you're expected to learn both latin and greek, and you're expected to read a lot on top of that. it's very hard to keep up with, and there's often a sense that you are the only one struggling to keep up (even though that's not true). it's also hard to enter into if you haven't already learned some latin or greek, which are not often taught in public schools (in the us at least). so the field is genuinely difficult to enter into, especially if you are not wealthy, white, able-bodied, neurotypical, etc.

to the specific point of trying to read epic poetry-- it makes sense that you would have a hard time understanding. it is hard to understand! and there's a lot of context that you might be missing: it's a work from another time and place, and some of it might be completely unfamiliar to you. that's okay. it is unfamiliar to everyone, no matter how smart they seem. go slowly, and don't be afraid to use summaries and study guides to figure out what's going on. like, literally just read the sparknotes if that helps. (you can probably google "[title] sparknotes" or "[title] study guide" or "[title] summary" and find stuff that will help you understand. i also will sometimes just go to the wikipedia page for a work if i need to know or remember what happened in it. and you can google specific references, too, or lines. if you have a question about something, chances are someone has had the same question at some point in the last ~3000 years.) you might also try reading abridged versions of the texts to get an idea for what's going on, and then when you go back and read the actual text it will be easier to understand.

you might also benefit from starting with some shorter works. the iliad and the odyssey are really interesting, but they're also long and can be hard to get into. personally, i recommend plays, mostly because they tend to be short, and i find them more accessible. sometimes you can even find performances online, which can also help a lot with understanding. i also would recommend hesiod's theogony as an intro to epic; it's much, much shorter than the iliad or the odyssey, and it covers a lot of basic myth. ("theogony" literally means "god origin"-- it gives you the godly family tree.)

translation also makes a huge difference. if you're struggling to read something, you might want a different translation. there are a lot of translations free online, but they tend to be pretty old. if you have access to a library, see what they have to offer; if you want advice on specific translations, you can send another ask and we'll answer and/or publish it and get followers to recommend their favorites.

also, if you post a question to tumblr and tag it #tagamemnon, there's a really good chance people on here will help you answer it. a lot of us really love helping other people understand the stuff we're interested in! it's really fun to share information. (if you're wondering, "#tagamemnon" is a pun on agamemnon, a character from the iliad-- it's the tag classics tumblr uses because #classics has a bunch of other stuff in it.) or if you have a question about something someone posts, you absolutely can go into their ask box and ask for clarification. most people really really want to talk about their interests and are happy to give a basic explanation.

most importantly, though, don't let yourself be intimidated. i have been studying classics for years and i still feel not good enough or not intelligent a lot of the time-- the field has a long history of gatekeeping and elitism, and it's really hard to break out of that. but it's okay and normal to need outside resources to understand a text, or to need to read an abridged version before you read the original. there is no shame in not knowing stuff! and it's okay if it's hard to learn.

anyway i hope this helps. i promise you are not alone in feeling unintelligent. but if you're interested in classics i absolutely believe you can find ways to understand the texts you want to read. good luck! <3 our ask box is always open if you have questions or want to start a conversation about what you're reading-- we can't answer everything but we can publish the ask and see if followers can answer it. and of course if anyone reading this has any input or advice for anon, please reply or reblog!

[nyanashima]

MC with OCD (Nowdateables + Luke)

More self-indulgent headcanons lmao

Luke is platonic obvs that is my son

Content warnings: contamination and symmetry/perfection obsessions, self-destructive compulsions. Stay safe ❤️

Diavolo

Another one that did his homework. He didn’t have enough time to research as extensively as Lucifer, but he’s got the Sparknotes version of your mental illness

He means well, but because he’s never encountered a human with OCD before, he treats you half like a startled deer and half like a baby.

The startled deer portion: He observes and is very careful with you. He doesn’t want to accidentally trigger anything, so he’s noticeably walking on eggshells for the first little bit. This will fade as he gets to know you

The baby portion: He wants to be helpful and welcoming so bad that it’s a little smothering. Barb will tell him to cool it, but he’ll still check in occasionally to see if you need anything

Supportive supportive supportive. Dia makes that VERY clear. He'll do anything to make you more comfortable

Since he knows about it before you even come into the exchange program, he’ll probably be more accommodating to everyone

TL;DR He’s really sweet, he can just be a bit much sometimes lol

“If you are in need of accommodations, I would be more than happy to personally discuss them with you. Everyone at RAD deserves to be on the same playing field.”

Barbatos

Like Diavolo and Lucifer, Barb is well-informed

He's much more chill than Dia, though

Lets you know that personal and academic accommodations are available once you fall step through the portal, and goes about normally after that. He's a clean guy, so he figures it's probably fine unless he sees you're upset

Tells Diavolo to tone it down if he’s making you feel singled out

As a perfectionist, Barb an certainly sympathize with contamination or symmetry obsessions

If he sees you doing any harmful compulsions (eg. Using bleach wipes on yourself), it’s IMMEDIATE concern

Invites you over for a baking session to get to know each other/hang out if you’re already close

As a butler, he knows countless cleaning/sanitization alternatives. Takes the opportunity to teach you safer ways to placate your brain

“We would like you to feel as welcome and accepted as possible here in the Devildom. If there is any assistance we can provide, please do not hesitate to ask.”

Solomon

You tell him and he’s like, "Oh. Okay."

It's mostly business as usual, but he'll do stuff to help if you ask for it.

It's not that he doesn't care, he just doesn't see it as a big deal. To him, it's like saying you're anemic.

Really patient and accommodating. Doesn't mind showering and changing into clean clothes before sitting down on your bed. He knows how hard it is to be vulnerable with someone, so he's happy you feel comfortable enough to ask that of him

Once you're close, if he notices it's bothering you, he'll ask if you'd like to try magical treatments for it 

Those may go awry and end up turning you into a frog at first, but hey, it's the thought that counts

Either way, he gets to research something and help his friend/partner, and you get some much-needed relief. Win-win.

If he’s gonna mess with you, he’ll make sure to do it symmetrically

So if you fall asleep around him, you’re getting TWO Sharpie penises on your face instead of just one <3

“Ah, I see. You know, I don’t have much personal experience with those sorts of things— at least not in recent years. Would you mind if I picked your brain?”

Simeon

Also low-key, but still thoughtful

If he knows you’re visiting, he’ll do a quick tidy and give commonly used objects a wipe-down

After seeing Luke's travel hand sanitizer, he gets matching ones for the three of you and starts carrying it around

Somehow forgot that he's always wearing gloves so he mainly brings it for you lol

Pulls an all-nighter researching OCD so he can understand and help you better

Realizes there isn’t much good media representation for it, and starts to ask you about your experiences

Huh, that’s weird, his newest novel’s protagonist has OCD. What a coincidence (lying)

“Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to make things a little easier.”

Luke

I love this sweet boy with all my heart

SUPER mindful of your triggers if you tell him

Basically rearranges all of the Purgatory Hall common spaces AND his room if he knows you’re coming over. Barks orders at Simeon and Solomon lmao

Like Levi, he’ll get a special blanket for you to use/sit on

Clips a travel hand sanitizer to his bag, just in case. It’s mainly for you to use but he will also use it if he wants to hold hands 🥺

Everything he bakes for you will be in even numbers

He really goes above and beyond to make sure you’re comfortable

“Oh, I’ve heard of that! I didn’t realize you had it, MC. Let me know if I can help, mmkay?”